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Going to the mall is a horrible experience. It’s loud, full of people, smells (primarily of food and BO) and germs. Everything is expensive, unless you have very specific body types clothes are impossible to find, the stores are spaced weirdly so you have to walk all the way to the other side of the building if you want to compare shoes (and at that point you either don’t buy anything or just end up settling so you don’t have to walk all the way back across the mall just to buy shoes that will definitely get worn out before the year is out), and worst of all if you live in a bad part of town, you are always at risk being in the wrong place at the wrong time and having your day be ruined/wasted by a fight breaking out or your cashier being held at gunpoint to hand over the millions of dollars that those minimum wage employees definitely have and are making working at the local HotTopic. All of this to say, malls suck and it’s even worse when you go to the mall alone, as there’s no one there to zero in on and to make the experience less hellish and overstimulating.
Despite Logan’s gripes about the cement ecosystem, he refuses to leave this place until he’s found the perfect gift for Wade. He knew he could buy the man just about anything and he would be over the moon for it, hell the merc said so himself, though in much more lewd terminology, but he refused to only buy the loudmouth a Sanrio plushie for everything that he’s done for Logan this past year since dragging him, without warning into this new world, into the merc’s life. As he looked around the Miniso, the bright lights and K-pop blasting through the speakers started to give him a migraine, his head ached. Though, Logan supposes it could also be due to the lack of sleep he had last night.
Before him and Wade settled for bed last night, the red clad menace talked his head off, thoughts going a mile a minute, thanks to the power of ADHD, they had somehow gone from Wade explaining Dragonballs (or something like that, Logan’s attention has started wavering, head getting hazy with sleep) to the subject of Christmas, specifically their first Christmas that Logan’s spending in this new timeline.
“You’ll love it Logie! Our first Christmas together! I’m pulling out all the stops! Putting up the Christmas tree, gingerbread house decorating, baking cookies, ugly sweaters don’t worry I’ll take care of the sweaters I already have a perfect matching set in mind, one says ‘I come in peace’ and the other sweater says-“
“Yea I think I get the gist, bub” Logan cuts Wade off before he can finish his innuendo. Whenever the merc makes those types of jokes, a unrecognized (more like ignored) emotion stirs in Logan and he would like it to stay ignored, so he does his best to derail those jokes when they come up.
“I’m just so excited! It’s been years since I’ve been able to do these types of things with friends and we’re going to make this year the BEST Christmas you’ve ever had my furry friend.” Wade continues without missing a beat.
But that catches Logan’s attention, and he can’t let go of it, “Whachu mean its been years? I’m surprised you and your little f-word doesn’t do something every year?”
Those less in tuned to the merc, they would miss the minute changes in Wade’s body language. They wouldn’t notice the way his shoulders ever so slightly tensed or the way he goes quiet before bouncing back, but this time with more faux energy. Logan though, he notices. With heightened senses, he can even tell the change in his heartbeat and the ways his scent shifts an infinitesimal amount.
“People get busy during the holiday season, so we usually end up doing a secret santa, and exchange gifts two weeks before Christmas at during our ‘F-word’ game nights.” Wade shifts on the pull out they share before continuing, quieter this time, “After me and Vanessa broke up, we would still hang out Christmas morning, usually kicking it and smoking but after she started seeing her new boyfriend, ya know, obviously she’d prefer to spend time with him and his family. So it would just be me here while, maybe taking on a job or three, it honestly surprising how many people are still willing to call hits on people on Christmas day, no sense of good holiday cheer I say, but hey, can’t judge too harshly am I right? After all, I’m the one giving them a red Christmas.” Wade switches topics and starts talking about the hit’s he’s done on and near the holiday season and how he likes to spice those jobs up by ‘getting festive’ which for him includes a hat on top of his suit, some…precariously placed jingle bells, and replacing ropes with tinsel.
Logan still wants to talk more about Wade’s Christmases alone and ask where Al was? Or why he wouldn’t at least spend it at the X-Mansion with his friends and other mutants but it’s obvious that Wade wants nothing more to do with the topic and is now rambling about the new store that’s opened in the nearby mall and the Hello Kitty keychains he really wants to steal from it, as he slowly drifts to sleep. So, Logan lets it go, and allows the merc to fall asleep beside him, head nearly on his chest.
Well…Logan doesn’t bring it up with Wade again, that doesn’t mean that he stops thinking about it in his own head. The man who was usually so outgoing and outwardly affectionate to all of his friends, who cherished their presence more than any gift, had spent the last couple of Christmases alone with no one to celebrate. It left a sinking feeling in his gut and made him want to make this the best Christmas ever, if only for Wade’s sake.
So that’s how Logan ended up walking through the mall alone, looking for the perfect gifts.
Well, he was alone for a while, until he ran across an all too familiar face. In the store was a woman with dark long hair and a teasing smirk on her face, it was Vanessa and it looked like she was with who he had to assume was her boyfriend, Dermont (or something, he’s sure that Wade says his name differently every time he’s brought up) as they were walking very close to each other, hand in hand.
“Logan!” She waved at him and jogged up to the hairy and definitely out of place man.
“Ah-Venessa how are you?” He smiles and slightly begrudgingly accepts the hug offered to him along with the handshake and nod offered by her boyfriend. He’s still a little awkward around her, though he would rather choke and die than disrespect one of Wade’s closest friends, especially considering how nice she is to him.
“What are you doing here?” She asks checking out his still empty basket.
“I’m tryna find a gift for Wade, the bastard is so unpredictable, I don’t know what to get em’” He replies.
“Oh please, he’s very easy to predict once you get to know him. Whatever you get him, he’ll love. He’ll especially like that it’s coming from you.” She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively at that and he’ll never admit it, not under pain and penalties of perjury, but it makes his face heat up at the implications.
“I don’t know, I’m still having trouble figuring out what he’d like, I want it to be nice. He deserves something nice. You’ve known him for the longest, any ideas?” He admits, asking your friend’s ex-fiancé for help getting him a Christmas gift sucks, but if he wants it to be nice, he needs all of the advice he can get and who better to ask?
“Hmmm….get him something thoughtful. Something that lets him know you’re thinking of him. Like…his skin! Especially during the colder months it starts to hurt a lot more, so maybe get him something soft or heated to ease the pain. When we were together, he would curl up with a heated blanket and refuse to move solely because he didn’t want to lose the warmth it provided on his aching skin and he practically lived in fuzzy clothes, hoodies, pants, socks, even gloves and hats. It’s been years and I still don’t think he’s used to everything his mutation changed in his body; think that’s why it hits him extra hard in the winter when the temperature changes.” She shrugs, gives him a pat on the back and a ‘good luck’ and heads deeper into the store, leaving Logan to think.
He often forgets that Wade wasn’t born with his mutation and instead inherited it after a fucked up experiment done to his body. The possessive, feral part of him growls at the thought of what that monster did to Wade, he wants to hunt down the man and tear him and that entire organization limb to limb, but he has to accept that the prick is dead by Wade’s own hand none the less so any murder spree he tries to go on would be pointless. He can’t do anything to avenge Wade, but Vanessa was right, he could do things to help relieve the pain he continues to go through now. Logan’s seen the loudmouth merc change with the seasons and get slightly quieter, more often grunting and sighing in pain whenever the temperature drops below a certain degrees, Logan’s diligently kept it from dropping below 60 degrees in the apartment since noticing. He’s also noticed Wade flinch at different textures and materials on clothing and blankets, he’s extra sensitive to feel during the colder months it seems, so when he looks to his left and sees a fluffy and soft to the touch Hello Kitty winter set, he gets an idea.
With one gift bought Logan walks around the mall some more, hoping to find more inspiration for gifts to give to his red suited roommate.
Inspiration bumps into him. And just so happens to go by the name, Peter, one of Wade’s (and honestly Logan’s too) favorite people in the entire world.
Peter looked up and immediately started apologizing to him. “Oh Logan! I didn’t see you there, buddy. Sorry to bump into ya.”
Logan gives him a friendly pat on the back, “It’s no sweat Pete, but tell me, what’s got you so distracted?”
Peter beams at Logan and they start walking and talking while Peter rummages though a bag he was looking in intensely before bumping into Logan. “Take a look at what I managed to get my hands on!” The middle-aged man pulls out a slightly lopsided plushie of Deadpool, one just small enough to be cupped securely in both hands.
“Is…that a toy…of Wade?” Logan asks, with confusion evident in not only his voice but face as well.
“It is! It’s the first merchandise I’ve ever seen of our red skin-tight suited superhero friend!” Peter literally jumps with joy.
“I think Wade would argue with the whole superhero part…” Logan adds.
“Yea probably, but to me and now apparently to mass producing companies, Wade is superhero material. Only superheroes get cool marketable plushies designed after them! I couldn’t be prouder!”
“Proud?”
Peter nods, his tone growing serious “I’ve seen Wade go through a lot these past couple of years, but what killed me and him the most, was seeing him hang up that suit. He IS Deadpool, I can’t imagine any future or any timeline where that isn’t apart of his life. I don’t think I want to imagine one either. No matter what he tries to tell anyone, he was so miserable being just average Wade Wilson, the car salesman, I don’t ever want to see him miserable like that again. Actually, I don’t know if I’ve ever thanked you for that by the way. For making him Deadpool again.” Peter smiles sincerely at Logan.
“He was already Deadpool when he found me, he didn’t need me to become who he was, he did everything for you guys.” Logan confesses, letting the corners of his mouth tip upward just the tiniest bit.
“Yea, but you’re what inspired him to STAY Deadpool. He could’ve gone back to working a regular 9 to 5 after the timeline fiasco, but because you were here, because you stayed and kept Wolverining with him, I think it gave him the confidence to keep Deadpooling. You give him confidence to be a hero, makes sense, The Wolverine always was his favorite...”
“Oh…I never thought of it like that…” Logan’s brain takes a monumentally long pause, completely rebooting. He likes these conversations with Peter, because he’s always reminding him of the present, of the now and presents a very ‘outside looking in” type perspective to everything.
“Well, there’s always other ways to look at things! Anyways, the place I found this bad boy at is a couple of stores down and to the left, give it a check-a-roonie! See ya, bud!” Peter waves before bounding off, to his next destination.
Logan unthinkingly starts making his way towards the store and when he sees the disfigured plush sitting on a rack he smiles and can’t help but agree with Peter, he’s damn proud of Wade. Proud of the superhero he gets to call his friend.
Back in his original timeline, when Logan thought about the future, usually the only things that would come up would be more booze and the slight hope that maybe someone would finally figure out how to put him out of his misery once and for all. But now, when he envisions the future, it’s not as concrete but not as self-loathing. He thinks of nights spent with friends, of trips to the mountains, of missions to save kidnapped victims, or the murder of greedy CEOs but most importantly and most frequently, he thinks of two people, Wade and Luara, no matter the thought, he always imagines his future involving those two, his pseudo, basically daughter, and his best friend.
They’re two people he never wants to leave or to feel left alone again, and as long as he has a say or any fighting will left in him, they never will. He doesn’t forget to start shopping for others while he’s at the mall, the least number of visits he has to make to the place, the better. That’s how he ends up in an H&M in the woman’s section, looking for clothes he thinks Laura might like. It’s also how he manages to come face to face with the aforementioned daughter.
“Dad? What are you doing here?” She asks with a head tilt.
Logan smiles and leans in for a hug, “Hola mija, I’m just doing a bit of Christmas shopping.” He says, showing off the multiple bags he now sports.
“Hmm..,” She studies him and then looks around as if looking for something or someone.
“Qué pasa, cariño?” He asks, getting nervous from the sudden scrutiny his daughter is displaying.
“You came here alone, where’s Wade? He’s always with you.”
He smiles before rolling his eyes playfully, “I’m buying gifts for him too, I was under the assumption that usually gifts are supposed to be a surprise, hard to do that if he comes with me.”
It’s her turn to roll her eyes, but he then puts a hand on her hip and cocks him a smirk that is all too familiar and very Wade branded. “What kinda stuff you get him? Knives? Bloodstain removal supplies?”
“Ha ha, very funny do you think I’m that bad at gift giving?” He deadpans.
“Viejo, you got him a sewing kit for his birthday…”
“Hey! He said he needed a new one, was I not supposed to get him one?”
“You’re supposed to get him fun stuff as gifts, you can get a sewing kit any day, get him something he likes or tickets to go somewhere.” His mini explains as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
“Well lucky for you, I’ve ran into some of our friends, and they’ve helped me with gift ideas, so the gifts won’t be a complete wreck.”
He puffs out his chest in pride, showing off the bags full of gifts for Wade, only for Laura to grab them out of his hands and rummage through them then playfully scoff at him, pulling out one lopsided Deadpool plush and raising and eyebrow.
“Oh, if you think, you’re so good a gift giving, what do you think I should get him then?” He gestures wildly, giving into his kid’s teasing.
“Hmmm oh I don’t know, you two are so attached to the hip, why not a ring or a house? You have me, we could baby trap him. I’m the baby.” She smiles evilly at him and Logan swears his face if on fire.
“W-I-Why would you even suggest that? Me and Wade aren’t even dating?!?”
“Well not yet, but you could be” Laura says casually.
“And what makes you think I want to date Wade?” He asks defensively, suddenly wishing he was anywhere but H&M, hell, he’ll take the long lines and overstimulating smells at bath and bodyworks over this.
“Well for starters, you’re blushing like a mad man right now, when Wade walks into the room your eyes immediately go to him, and they get big and dialated like I swear I can literally see hearts in them. Let’s see…what else? When you fight, you always protect him, deflecting blows and taking hits for him, ones that he could’ve easily dealt with. You two go on multiple walks per day with the dog, you cook him dinner, and oh I don’t know, you’ve bought him the sappiest shit I’ve ever seen for Christmas presents, all that’s missing is a bouquet of roses.” Laura smirks before handing the bags of gifts back to Logan.
His daughter is incredibly smart, and she’s unbelievably observant (he thinks she gets that from Wade) but sometimes, to his detriment, she’s TOO observant. She essentially read him like a toddler board book and then proceeded to throw all of his denial and insecurities right back into his face.
He lets slip and tries to ignore most of what she said, focusing on one part in particular, “So do you think it’s not enough? Should I get him something else instead?” He asks nervously.
“No! No! It’s sappy and kinda dumb, he’ll love it. Absolutely melt over it.” She insists, calming his nerves enough so he doesn’t start spiraling in the middle of this crappy department store. “But for real, think about talking to him, he absolutely feels the same way. You two are whipped for each other.” She smiles, gives him a quick hug and then leaves, leaving a dumb founded Logan to stare in dismay at the H&M mannequins.
When Logan gets home, Wade is asleep on the couch, still in most of his merc gear. He stirs as Logan’s taking his shoes and heavy coat off, and of course immediately spots the bags.
“Ooohh, someone’s been out today? Been on a puppy-only shopping spree? Whacha get? Hopefully some more of those delicious lumberjack core plaid flannels.” He wiggles his eyebrow bones and smirks up at Logan.
Logan lets out a huff and gives him a short response, “Went Christmas shopping…” and then moves further into the apartment to hide the gifts so Wade couldn’t take an early peak at them.
“Sounds like fun, sugartits!” The merc shouts from his position in the living room.
Logan walks back into the living room and at the sight of Wade sprawled out on the couch resists the urge to what? Kill him? Kiss him? Fight him? Cuddle him? Probably a little bit of everything, if he had to be honest with himself, and o h b o y was he being honest with himself right now.
“Well speaking of Christmas shopping, you haven’t told me what you’ve wanted for Christmas.” Wade pouts, Logan finds it adorable and that thought makes him slightly nauseous.
But the look on Wade’s face is so compelling, that Logan deems it okay to be a little honest with the man aswell, “I don’t really need anything bub, I think you’ve given me more these past months than I’ve had in decades. Let’s just do the fun mundane Christmas shit you were talkin’ about, and I’ll be satisfied with that.”
“Oh c’moooonnn Peanut, you can’t possibly tell me you have everything your adamantium heart desires, there’s gotta be something that you want right?”
Again, being honest with himself, he can admit it, he wants Wade. He wants that uniquely textured skin on every inch of his body and vice versa, he wants to spend mornings drinking coffee and cuddling on the couch then to walk the dog with Wade’s arm in his, or to go to the mall and not feel so overwhelmed by everything and to walk around holding hands and for people to immediately assume that they’re a couple. He wants to decorate gingerbread houses and to bake overly sweet treats with Wade. He wants his past, present and future to always somehow have Wade in it. He doesn’t want Wade to spend another holiday alone ever again. He wants Wade Wilson, and anything and everything that entails. But is he ready to tell the man sitting in front of him that?
“-nut? Peanut? Logan? Hello? You here big guy?” Logan blinks and is shocked that Wade is now standing right in front of him, waving a hand in his face. “Yea, sorry” He eventually replies.
“No problem babygirl, I didn’t know asking you what you wanted as a gift would make you all spacey on me. Is-should I avoid talking about it anymore?” Wade tilts his head and stares at him earnestly, no jokes to be seen.
And oh my god, Wade thought he had triggered a flashback for Logan, and he’s asking to avoid issues in the future. Part of Logan feels guilty for Wade, because that’s not what happened, but the other part of him, the part so soft for the man, is turning into mush, Wade is so considerate and gentle and wonderful and before he can chicken out, Logan makes a decision and then pulls the man in front of him into a bone crushing hug.
“Woah-Hey it’s okay. I’m sorry, I won’t ask again. I should’ve known Christmas might be a touchy subject for you, and I still brought it up. I’m so sorry, we don’t even have to do anything this year, we’ll take it easy. I can run you a bath and while you’re in there, I’ll take down all the decorations and make us some tea, it’ll be okay. I promise…” Wade rambles, trying to console Logan. He moves to let go, supposedly to put his plan into action but Logan only pulls him in tighter.
“No!” He clears his throat, and tries again softer, but still not letting go of Wade, “I-uh that’s not-” He finally settles on “We can keep the decorations up…I-I’m actually excited to do those holiday things with you…”
“Oh…” Wade breathes our slowly, hugging Logan tighter, still very confused. “Then what’s the problem?”
It’s now or never…Logan decides to be completely honest with Wade. “I bought you something while I was out…”
“Oh? A gift for little ol’ me?” He smiles while batting his non-existent eyelashes.
“I’ll be right back-”, Logan reluctantly removes himself from the hug before quickly making his way to the kitchen, grabbing the gift of the table and making his way back to Wade, who was still standing where Logan had left him.
Gift behind his back, Logan takes a deep breath before speaking, “I was telling the truth when I said I don’t need you to buy me anything for Christmas…but I guess there is one thing I want, bub.”
“And what would that be? A yacht? A crudely drawn portrait? A ballad? A heart-felt macaroni craft?” The loud mouth smirks, never able to stay quiet for long, Logan finds it entirely too endearing.
He smiles, “Something a little more simple than that bubs.”
“Then what could it be Logie bear? The suspense is actually killllllllllllling me.” The merc draws out, putting on his pout once again.
Logan shifts the gift so that it’s in one hand and reaches out to grab Wade’s left hand with his now empty hand, “Well we can’t have that, now can we?”
He ended up listening to Laura’s advice, not of immediately proposing to him or of using his daughter as a way to baby trap him into staying with him forever. But he decided buying Wade flowers isn’t that bad of an idea.
He pulls out the bouquet of red roses and hands them to Wade, who looks at them dumbfounded, but gently touches the petals, afraid to accidently pull loose a single one. “Don’t buy me anything, I got what I want- what I need is right here in front of me, it’s you-Wade Wilson. T-that is of course of you also want me-I-no pressure-I’m not trying to pressure you into anything with this I just thought it might be a romantic way to confess to yo-”
He's saved from the embarrassment of his nervous rant by Wade yanking him into a kiss. It starts out all teeth and awkward, but they soon find their rhythm, and it’s perfect. It’s home. It’s a warmth better than any warm cup of coacoa or heated blanket could provide.
Eventually they break apart to breathe but don’t pull far apart, only close enough to rest their foreheads on each others, breaths intertwining and staring at one another with wide, surprised eyes.
“Holy shit, batman…” Wade of course of the first one to break the silence, even though he’s still trying to regain his stolen breath.
“Wrong franchise” Logan mumbles, blushing as red as Wade’s suit while said mercenary is busy squealing in delight, breaking from the embrace enough to start jumping up and down in place while clapping his hands.
“Wolvie’s first fourth wall break!?! AND A kiss and confession from the best Wolverine?! This is the best day ever!!” He exclaims, now fist pumping in the air.
Much to Logan’s dismay, he finds it all incredibly adorable.
“Alright, alright that’s enough, bub”, Logan smiles and pulls the clown, his clown into a tighter embrace and moves in again to kiss the merc. They kiss, teeth still clashing, this time instead of it being from being caught off guard, it’s because they both just can’t stop smiling. Logan’s arms move to wrap around Wade’s waist while Wade slinks his arms around Logan’s neck, further deepening the kiss.
This time when they pull apart, Wade is smiling softly, staring at Logan with so much gentleness that he usually hides under layers of jokes and innuendos. “If I’m dreaming, I hope I never wake up because this is a wet dream for the ages baby!”
Logan cocks an eyebrow and smirks at Wade, “Oh trust me, it’s no dream. You’d never be able to dream up everything I’m thinking of doing to you, darlin’”.
Wade literally swoons before gently setting the roses on their coffee table and dragging Logan over to the couch, “Well what the fuck are you waiting for? Christmas? Show off some of your tricks to me now, kitty cat.”
The Wolverine rolls his eyes at the nickname but smiles brighter than he ever has and follows Wade without a hint of hesitation.
He’s not sure what tomorrow, or Christmas, or the New Year or years after that will bring, but all he can do right now is hope that as he closes his eyes tonight and sleeps easier than he ever has, that there’s no Christmas ghost telling him to change everything they see. He doesn’t think he’d listen to them either, as he has a wonderful new group of people, he now gets to call his family and as far as they see it? Things are perfect.