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It had been one of those nights—the kind where Spider-Man wondered if it was even worth leaving the apartment. Nothing major had happened, just petty crimes spread out enough to be a nuisance. Now, he was perched on the rooftop of an old office building, his legs dangling over the edge as he stared at the New York skyline. The city lights twinkled below, but for once, they didn’t lift his spirits.
He sighed, feeling the weight of his mask against his face. He’d been out for hours. Maybe it was time to call it a night.
CRASH!
Spider-Man groaned. That was the sound of a water tower—again.
Before he could even look, a familiar voice rang out. “Hey, Spidey! Miss me?”
Deadpool. Of course.
Spider-Man tilted his head back, watching Deadpool land haphazardly on the rooftop, sending a few pebbles scattering. He was striking some sort of pose, one leg extended while he balanced on the ledge like a gymnast—except with all the grace of a freight train.
“Not now, Deadpool,” Peter muttered, already exhausted. “I’m tired.”
“Aw, but you’re always tired.” Deadpool bounced up to his feet and strutted over, far too confidently. “Maybe I should start coming by to tuck you in at night. A little bedtime story, some hot cocoa…”
Peter sighed, trying not to engage. “I could really use a break.”
Deadpool, naturally, didn’t take the hint. “Hey, breaks are for quitters! Besides,” he added, dropping down next to Peter and leaning in far too close for comfort, “you love hanging out with me.”
Peter tried to scoot away, but Deadpool followed, crowding his space. “Love’s a strong word. Tolerate would be more accurate.”
Deadpool gasped dramatically. “I’m wounded. Truly. And here I thought we had something special.” His voice dropped to a teasing whisper. “Or was that just wishful thinking?”
Spider-Man felt the heat rise in his face beneath the mask, which was so unfair. Deadpool flirted like this all the time, so why did it feel different tonight? Maybe he really was too tired for this.
“I’m not in the mood for... whatever this is.” Peter waved his hand between them, trying to ignore the way his pulse quickened as Deadpool’s head tilted closer.
“Oh, come on,” Deadpool practically purred, nudging him playfully. “You missed me. Admit it.”
Peter bit back a smile. “Maybe I missed the peace and quiet.”
Deadpool’s mask was unreadable, but Peter could feel the smirk underneath. “Oh, you’re so cute when you’re flustered.”
“I’m not flustered!” Peter protested, but the crack in his voice betrayed him. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest, and that only made things worse. Why couldn’t he be normal around this guy?
Deadpool laughed, leaning in even closer until their shoulders brushed. “Oh, you so are. I bet you blush all pretty under that mask, don’t you?”
Peter opened his mouth to respond—or maybe to change the subject—but then something in the distance caught his eye. He froze. “Hold on. What’s that?”
Deadpool turned his head in the direction Peter was looking. “Hmm, what is that? Oh! Is it bad guys? Please say it’s bad guys.”
Across the street, a group of masked figures were trying to pry open the door to an office building. Peter’s instincts kicked in instantly. “Looks like a robbery.”
“Yesss!” Deadpool pulled out his katanas with a dramatic flourish. “Time to bust some skulls!”
Peter rolled his eyes and shot a web toward a nearby rooftop. “Let’s go,” he muttered, swinging into action.
Deadpool launched himself off the building with a loud “WHEEEE!” that Peter was sure could be heard from the ground. He really needed to stop showing up like this.
________________________________________
The fight, as usual, was chaotic. Spider-Man’s movements were all calculated grace, his web-slinging a ballet of precision as he disarmed two thugs and webbed them up in under a minute. Deadpool, on the other hand, was pure chaos—spinning, flipping, and slicing through the air with his katanas like a blender set on high.
“Hey, Spidey, watch me do this in slow motion!” Deadpool called out, landing a punch on one thug before cartwheeling into another.
Peter didn’t have time to respond before he was busy webbing up a third criminal, flipping over a low punch and sending the guy sprawling with a quick kick to the chest.
As much as Deadpool drove him crazy, they made a surprisingly good team. Whenever Peter’s back was turned, Deadpool had him covered, and vice versa. Not that he’d ever admit that to Wade’s face.
“Nice moves, Spider-Babe!” Deadpool shouted, sheathing his katanas as the last thug hit the ground. “We should do this more often—preferably somewhere more private.”
Peter felt his face heat up again, and this time he couldn’t stop himself from stammering. “D-Deadpool, seriously, I’m trying to work here.”
“Yeah, but you love it,” Deadpool teased, slinging an arm around Peter’s shoulders as they watched the last of the criminals get webbed up. “We make a great team, don’t we?”
Peter shrugged his arm off, trying to keep things professional despite the small, traitorous smile pulling at his lips. “I guess. When you’re not being a complete disaster.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere, Spidey.”
________________________________________
When the fight was finally over, the two heroes found themselves back on the rooftop where it all started. Deadpool flopped down dramatically on the ledge, stretching out like he owned the place. “Well, that was fun. Almost as fun as watching you blush.”
“I’m not blushing,” Peter muttered, though his heart hadn’t quite returned to its normal rhythm. What was happening to him tonight?
Deadpool sat up, leaning in again. “Sure you’re not, tiger. You’re just naturally that red under the mask, huh?”
Peter shook his head, trying to shake off the weird fluttering in his chest. “You’re impossible.”
“And yet,” Deadpool purred, his voice taking on that teasing edge again, “you’re still here, aren’t you?”
Peter didn’t know what to say to that. The answer was too complicated. Why was he still here? He’d dealt with Deadpool before—he could handle the guy’s non-stop flirting and over-the-top antics. But tonight... it was different. He couldn’t quite explain why, but it didn’t feel as easy to brush off anymore.
“I guess I don’t have anywhere better to be,” Peter said, but it came out a little softer than he intended.
Deadpool grinned beneath his mask. “Oh, Spidey. You’re breaking my heart.” He let the silence hang between them for a moment before adding, “You know, you don’t always have to take everything so seriously. Life’s a lot more fun when you loosen up.”
Peter glanced at him, surprised. It wasn’t often that Deadpool let something real slip through the cracks of his constant humor. Peter wasn’t sure what to say. There was a lot of truth in those words, but he wasn’t quite ready to admit it—not to Deadpool, not to himself.
“Well, maybe I’ll loosen up,” Peter said, “if you stop breaking water towers every time we meet.”
Deadpool’s laughter echoed across the rooftop, loud and genuine. For the first time all night, Peter didn’t try to resist smiling back.
“Alright, alright,” Deadpool said, standing up and dusting off his suit. “I guess that’s my cue. I’ll be on my way.”
He started to walk toward the edge of the rooftop, but Peter found himself calling out before he could stop. “Wait, Deadpool.”
Deadpool paused mid-leap, turning back with a hand on his hip. “Yes, darling?”
Peter hesitated, unsure of what exactly he wanted to say. His brain was telling him to leave it alone, but his mouth was moving on its own. “Next time... try not to destroy any rooftops, okay?”
Deadpool’s grin was audible. “Next time? Oh, Spidey, you really do like me!”
Peter rolled his eyes but couldn’t help the small smile creeping across his face. “Just—just be careful, alright?”
Deadpool blew a dramatic kiss and disappeared into the night with a flourish. “Later, babe! Don’t miss me too much!”
As the city fell quiet once more, Spider-Man shook his head, letting out a long breath. The rooftop was finally peaceful again, but he didn’t feel as annoyed about Deadpool’s departure as he had expected. In fact, he felt... lighter. And there was something else too, something tugging at the corner of his mind.
Maybe Deadpool’s flirtation wasn’t as obnoxious as he always told himself. Maybe there was something about it that he... liked. And maybe, just maybe, he was open to the idea of it happening again.
“Why do I always end up with the weird ones?” Peter muttered to himself, the smile still lingering on his face as he swung away into the night.