Chapter Text
Eventually, they managed to get a larger apartment in the same neighborhood with more space for Althea to move about, with her keeping the largest bedroom and a proper medical bed set up in her room. She said she was fine and did not need to get an adjustable bed, and her chronic pain was nothing a little cocaine can’t fix, but Wade fretted.
He couldn’t lie. He fretted over his friends. He loved his friends. He always begged and prayed every time that Althea wheezed, that it was not cancer to the voices in his head, even though it wasn’t logical. Althea had no history of cancer in her family. He would know; he filled out all her medical forms in the waiting rooms, went to all her appointments and was her power of attorney. Friends who did cocaine together went to medical appointments together.
Well, cocaine was out of the question now. Looks like the House of Mouse always wins.
Go fuck yourself, Disney Plus.
We’ll get your ass someday.
Dogpool was still so weirdly cute and slept in the living room with Logan. He loved that dog, no matter how many times he grumbled about how weird looking she was and how her barks were grating. Wade said the smartass comment of “Like adamantium nails on chalkboard?” and Logan rolled his eyes.
Logan picked up a job at a construction site outside of the city, saying that the gig was something he was familiar with. No one bothered him. It kept him busy. Had him in flannel 25/8, something that Wade was eternally grateful for. Now that autumn had arrived, it meant it was cozy sad girl season. Wade’s favorite!
Logan still stayed in the living room on the pull out couch-bed, commented that he liked to have the television on at night and it would bug Wade. Wade declined that allegation, that he loved the televisions and appreciated the white noise it made, with the comfort of paid programming lulling him to sleep. All but saying please sleep with me, I don’t mind sharing, hahaha, what if there was only one bed 🥺 and it was cold and our clothes were on the floor —
But of course, Wade did not unpack allllllllllllll of thaaaaaat. Or surprisingly, say all of that. He was getting better about boundaries, and what he had come to learn is that Logan had barriers. Barriers and barriers and plenty to spare. He tried to be cold. He tried to be distant. But he heard the ways that he laughed with Althea, the times he played with Dogpool and how on family nights, he would remain at the table and help clean up afterward.
Wade knew what this must look like; why is he not being an obnoxious chronic yapper as usual? How he had not driven this gorgeous homicidal lumberjack away?
First, he was too elated and manic to get chopped up again and he had a lot of tasks to do with going back to work, try to not get killed, try to make sure his friends were okay, and above all, try to adjust to a new future with a new gorgeous broody bisexual roommate and their little dog. He did not exactly have time to be as much of a yapper as usual.
Logan had barriers. Logan had tragedy. But unlike Wade, he did not joke about it.
“You’ll hate me one day,” Logan said to Wade once they were done moving in and the new paint had finally dried in the kitchen.
“Peanut, nothing in this world can make me hate you.”
“You say that now.”
“Wrong, I say that always,” Wade said. He leaned on the kitchen island and gently tapped Logan’s nose. “You’re stuck with me. I’m not going anywhere. And neither are you.”
Logan wrinkled his nose in reaction.
Wade merely laughed and hopped off the counter.
“C’mon, babygirl, I want this paint fume high to last.”
He slid his hand down to Logan’s wrist and led him to the hallway, where the next bucket of white paint sat along with the brushes and roller.
Wade tried to not think about why Logan’s hand slightly shook the moment he let go.
Okay ladies, ready? :me😘
🧚🏼♀️Yukio: Hi Wade, me and Ellie are ready!
🌸 Laura: Ready!
on my way! :me😘
“Don’t wait up for me, peanut, I’m going to be home late.”
“You’re going out?”
“Yeah, the Chappell Roan concert.”
“That’s tonight?”
“Yes! It’s gonna be a nice Saturday girl’s night out and it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Wade said.
“A girl’s night out?”
“Yes, honey, a girl’s night out. Me, Yukio, Ells and Laura. Can’t help that I’m one of the girls. And what’s that tone for? I was invited,” Wade remarked. “You only listen to divorced dad music and I’m the one with better taste. What’s your Spotify wrap look like? Nevermind that. Chin up, buttercup, it gets better.”
“Well, that’s my cue.” Suddenly, Wade kissed the top of Logan’s head before he could chicken out and kill himself. “See ya!”
And he skedaddled out of the room before anyone could say anything else.
The barbershop quartet arrived at the music venue early, but even then, they had traffic. Halfway, Wade realized that the metal detector was going to be a problem. Not for him. For Laura. Wolverine Jr.
Laura somehow thought ahead and got the medical authorization waiver she somehow got her claws on professionally and legitimately signed off. Something, something, something about how she had a metal joint replacement because of playing sportsball. The security guard understood and let her pass and the detector went off. But no one blinked as it did. She had the formed signed and folded into her wallet wristlet.
They made it to their seats without much struggle, with the loud pre-concert music blasting.
“Soda run,” Laura said. “C’mon.”
“Um, no! I’m not gonna buy no ten dollar soda,” Wade scoffed. “Especially one that doesn’t give free refills.”
“Don’t worry about the price.”
“What, did you extort Paradox for money?”
With a loud laugh, Laura pulled out a TVA credit card from her wristlet wallet. “Obviously!”
“Girl, you should have said so earlier! Diet Coke, no ice.”
“I’m not carrying all that. Come with me!”
Wade was not going to have a panic attack, no matter what. Not when he was out with his literal girlfriends at a Chappell Roan concert. A Chappell Roan concert! He had never thought that he would manage to get tickets for her, let alone that she would ever visit his city. No reason to think about how he was a worthless human mutated being and that every dirty look was deserved.
“Wade? Are you good?” Ellie asked him.
“Absolutely.”
So he sang. He danced. And he ignored the tears down his face as he became a scarred faceless face in the crowd.
He got home late, throat sore from singing and body weary from dancing. He had fun. He didn't get drunk, but Yukio did. He was designated driver and they sang in the car on the way home to their respective households. Ellie moved out of the X-Mansion and lived with Yukio in a studio apartment. Laura lived with Elektra and Blade, with Gambit out and about. Wade wasn't sure what that quite meant.
For now, they stopped to get tacos. Yukio was a little too drunk to be eloquent about her order, so Laura took control and patiently read off the menu in Spanish to the greatly amused cashier at the taco joint. Learning that Laura was Mexican, born in the motherland and all, was one of the night’s greatest surprises for Wade.
He got into the apartment at an unreasonable hour. Dogpool was asleep in Althea’s room after all, since she did not come to the door barking her ass off like there’s no tomorrow.
The living room lamp was on when Wade came in and the television was on as well to the Roku screensaver.
“I told you not to wait up for me,” Wade said to Logan.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
Wade went to the kitchen to wash his hands and returned to the living room to sit next to Logan on the pull-out couch. He settled into his side, and tried not to think about how Logan…let him. Brought him closer.
Were they going to talk about this?
“I brought tacos for you and Al,” Wade supplied.
“I’ll eat them in the morning.” He handed Wade the small Roku controller. “Put something on.”
“Pornhub it is.”
“No.”
“I’m kidding,” Wade said. Rated M, not E, sickos. “Let’s just watch SVU.”
“Did you have fun?”
Wade hesitated. He did have fun. But he had a panic attack that he was going to not talk about.
“I did! I’m just…tired.”
“So go to bed.”
“No, I’m fine here.”
Wade loaded up Peacock and found his profile with the little bird icon. He went to the episode he last left on and hit play. He pulled the fleece blanket over them both.
“I’m perfectly fine here.”
“Hm.”
But Logan did not shove him away.
Wade supposed that counted for something.