? tangled hearts ? spideypool ?

The city lights flickered like stars in the distance, casting a soft glow over the quiet rooftop. Peter Parker sat alone, his mask pulled back, allowing the cool night breeze to brush against his face. It was one of those rare moments when the weight of the world didn't feel so heavy, when he could just... be. But tonight, the calm felt more like a false sense of security, a pause before everything crashed down.

Peter leaned back against the old brick wall, his eyes tracing the skyline as if he could find answers in the distance. But no matter how far he looked, the only thing he saw was the one person who had invaded every corner of his mind. Wade.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. Peter had spent his entire life building walls, keeping people at arm's length to protect them—and himself. He'd learned to mask his feelings behind jokes and half-truths, to be strong when all he wanted was to let someone in. But Wade... Wade had never respected those boundaries.

Peter could still hear Wade's laugh echoing in his head, that sharp, sarcastic sound that had once driven him crazy. Now, it was one of the things he missed the most when they weren't together. He missed the way Wade's eyes crinkled when he smiled beneath that ridiculous mask. He missed the way Wade seemed to find joy in everything, even when everything seemed hopeless.

How had it come to this? When had Wade gone from being a thorn in his side to... something more?

Peter ran a hand through his hair, frustration bubbling up inside him. He didn't want to feel this way. He wasn't supposed to feel this way. Wade was reckless, chaotic, and dangerous—a walking disaster waiting to happen. And yet, Peter couldn't help it. Somewhere along the line, he'd fallen for him. Fallen hard.

That was the truth of it.

But how could Spider-Man love someone when he doesn't even love himself?

He didn't know who he was anymore. Not really. Spider-Man, Peter Parker—they were both identities he wore, but neither of them had prepared him for this. For Wade. For the way his heart clenched every time Wade smiled at him, or the way he found himself wanting to protect Wade as much as he wanted to protect the rest of the city.

But Wade didn't need protecting. Wade didn't need anyone. That was what made this so damn hard.

Peter squeezed his eyes shut, trying to push the thoughts away. *"We can't be friends,"* he murmured, repeating the line to himself. *"but I'd like to just pretend..."*

But the truth was, he wasn't just pretending. Not really. Every time Wade called him "Spidey" with that ridiculous grin, every time he felt the warmth of Wade's hand on his shoulder, it became harder and harder to deny what was happening inside him. He loved him. He'd fallen in love with Wade Wilson, and there was no undoing that now.

The realization hit him like a punch to the gut, leaving him breathless. He loved Wade. It wasn't a crush or some fleeting attraction. It was real, and it was terrifying.

But it couldn't be. Wade deserved better than someone who couldn't even admit what he felt, who was too afraid to cross that line. And Peter... Peter couldn't risk losing Wade by telling him the truth. He couldn't risk ruining the one thing that still made sense in his life.

So, he would pretend. He would pretend that nothing had changed, that Wade was still just a friend, that his heart didn't skip a beat every time Wade was near. It was the only way to keep what they had. Even if it tore him apart inside.

*"I'll never love you like I should."* The words escaped him in a whisper.
Because that was the truth, wasn't it? He couldn't love Wade the way he deserved. Not openly, not fully. Not the way Wade needed.