#cable imagine

“God, I’m starving,” you groan, eyebrows furrowed in dismay as you step out of the adjoining bathroom. X-Force’s latest mission was to find and recover a telepathically-gifted mutant, which just so happened to be a cat — a fluffy white thing not-so-cleverly named Snowball. It’s clear your little team still hasn’t gained the trust needed to get real jobs from the school. 

Unfortunately, by the time she was coaxed out of the drain pipe she’d hidden herself away in, it was much too late for anyone to be driving the ten hours back to the school, not to mention you’re all filthy. Well, you were when you arrived at the motel. 

At least Negasonic gained the trust needed to be authorized user of an emergency credit card from the school. She and Yukio are rooming with Neena, Wade’s with Logan, and Nathan is with… 

You. You’re still standing there in that towel, Snowball licking your damp legs. 

“Too late to order out,” Nathan mumbles, trying not to stare. Of course he ended up with you. It’s not like he won best of three in a rock-paper-scissors battle with Wade and Logan for it or anything, except for the part where he did. 

“Mhm,” you hum, before gasping softly with an epiphany. “Oh, I know!” 

You drop your towel, and Snowball scurries off. 

You stand there, unphased, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. (Which, to be fair, it is, and maybe there is a god, because all of that can’t just be natural selection.) 

“Ah, that’s better,” you sigh. “Still glad we brought our go-bags just in case, though. Thanks for the reminder!” 

You turn, bending over to get it. 

“Do you mind?” Nathan grits out, trying not to enjoy the view too much and failing. “What the hell- Why-“

“I’m a psychic vampire, I feed off of emotions. I was hungry, so I did something to shock you. Obviously.”

“Obviously,” he echoes softly, watching you put a pair of fresh underwear on. 

“Oh,” you say softly, becoming aware of his other strong emotions right now. A smile tugs at your lips. “And here I thought that the reason I always felt so full around you was that you were annoyed with my stupid crush on you. In that case… I’m really hungry.” 

“Really?” he asks. “I- I didn’t want to room with you just to- I mean- I’d like to take you out on a proper date at some point.”

“Sounds nice,” you agree. “But for now…?”

“For now,” he agrees with a nod, and you pounce, practically tackling him onto the bed in a collage of lips and hands and tongues. 

Your hands are intertwined with his and holding him to the bed as you ravish his neck. You run your tongue along the seam where metal meets flesh unflinchingly, pointedly, if you’ve been fantasizing about doing it at the first opportunity. His hips roll up, anything for friction, but he wants more than just friction — he wants to take care of you, to feed you. 

“How do I earn the privilege of touching you, your highness?” he half-jokes, squeezing your hands back. It seems to break whatever spell has befallen you, though, and you retract your hold on him with a squeaked apology. “I don’t mind. It’s cute. I just think there are other things you could do with my hands that’d be even cuter.” 

He pulls off his shirt to level the playing field, running his hands up your sides with a ragged sigh of relief. God, he needed this, needed you. Your hips instinctively roll against his steadily-growing hardness in the most hypnotic way, your body curling forward and back like a writhing serpent. 

He takes a handful of your chest, making sure to let his palm rub against your hardened nipple in a way that provokes a breathy moan. 

“C’mon, c’mon,” you whimper, tugging at the waistband of his sweats and starting to drag them down. Okay, that’s enough. This isn’t going to be some quick fix. 

You blink and find yourself flat on your back, effortlessly flipped and tossed there by him. 

“Fuck,” you huff, and he’s almost worried he accidentally knocked the breath out of you or hurt you in some way until he sees the way your chest still heaves — you’re panting. 

“Not yet,” he remarks, mouthing at your neck with the same fervor you showed him until you’re clawing at his biceps, legs thrashing around him. 

“Nathan, please, I need this, need you, don’t be mean,” you beg; perfect little thing, didn’t even have to ask, so he rewards that good behavior by dipping his hand between your legs and exploring the wetness there. “Mmn, ah, Nathan-Nathan-Nathan-Nathan, more please, don’t stop, c’mon.” 

He slides a finger into you, but you’re still impatient, trembling and whining and scraping your nails against his metallic shoulder blade, the nails on your other hand digging into his flesh like the sensation is supposed to be revenge for making you wait. 

It’s not. 

It’s encouragement. 

Seeing you this worked up, this hungry for him, only makes him want to draw it out; make you scream for him for everybody to hear. 

“Oh, do you want something?” he asks against your collarbone before nipping at it. 

“You, you-you-you-you, please, needed this for so long, couldn't get off to the thought of anything else, god, got to a point where I couldn’t get off at all, Nathan, please,” you frantically entreat him, every word music to his ears. 

“If you couldn’t at all, it would be pretty cruel not to help you out, wouldn’t it?” he purrs, pumping another finger into you. When his thumb meets your clit, you audibly shudder in relief, a sound that’s going to be ringing in his ears for a long time, though far more pleasant than the other ones he can’t seem to make himself forget. “I don’t have any-“ 

“Implant,” you cut him off.

“Perfect,” he rasps, fingers still churning inside. 

“Then- oh-god-fuck-right-there, what are you waiting f-ah-or?”

“What do you think I’m waiting for?” 

“Please?” you ask weakly. The look on your face, your eyes trying to stay open even as the rest of your expression scrunches up so adorably with the force of it all… It makes it hard to be so unfair, but not impossible. 

“Not quite.” 

“Then, I don’t kn-oh-oh-oh, c’mon, I’m already so-“

“That. That is what I’m waiting for,” he finally admits, pushing his thumb a little harder against that bundle of nerve-endings that makes you sing for him. 

“Oh, oh-k-kay, I-”

“Just focus on that, hon. No need to talk,” he assures you, pressing a kiss to your forehead before letting his own rest against it. It doesn’t take much longer, no, not much longer at all, before you’re tumbling over the edge of bliss. 

“Now,” you insist between gasps for air, not even giving yourself time to recover. “Don’t make me wait any more, please.” 

He nods, pressing his fingers to your tongue. Your mouth closes around them and you suckle them clean without having to be asked as he shucks off his sweatpants and boxers, more than ready for you. He starts to withdraw his hand from your mouth, but you shake your head, both of your hands flying to his to keep it there. 

“Aw,” he half-coos, his expression softening. Your hands look so small, so delicate when they’re encircled around just one of his, and with the tears of ecstasy still glittering in your eyes to top it off… How could he ever deny you? “Yeah, baby, that’s okay. You can keep ‘em.” 

With that, he lines himself up with you, still glistening with your arousal and release, and carefully enters. You moan, long and low, though his fingers muffle it — so, there’s a dual purpose to it. Clever girl. 

He works up a steady pace, your eyes rolling back and legs wrapping around him to wordlessly encourage him to go harder, deeper, faster. Even as you mindlessly shudder and whine, one of your hands leaves his to come between you, furiously scrubbing at your clit in a way that brings him ever closer to completion; so deliciously desperate, your walls pulsing around him. 

And god, that eye contact. Did someone teach you that? When you can manage it, even if it’s brief, it’s deadly, especially when your mouth draws tighter around his hand. God, it’s so much, too much, and he knows it, he’s done for as soon as you come again, chanting your name under his breath like a prayer. 

It’s hard for him to convince himself to pull out, but a passing glance at the bedside clock forces him to, if only so that you can get a somewhat reasonable amount of sleep until… Well, later this morning. 

You finally let go of his fingers with a pop that should be illegal, breathlessly smiling up at him.

“Still hungry?” he asks, finding himself smiling back. You shake your head, and when he rolls onto his back, he takes you halfway with him, arms enveloping you while your head rests on his chest. “Good.” 

Snowball promptly hops onto the bed, joining the two of you for some well-earned rest, though it’s clear who her favorite is, given that she curls up behind you. 

“She’s taken a liking to you,” he points out. “Can’t blame her. Sleep well.”

"I knew you two were into some kinky shit, but this takes the cake."

You rolled your eyes, still unable to escape from the confinements of the leash and chains you were bound in. Wade Wilson getting on your ass about your current predicament wasn't helping the situation. Nate may have his signature scowl on his face, but you know him and he wasn't happy about the situation you've thrown yourself into without his knowledge or help for the matter until it was too late.

"Look, Dildo Boy, if you're gonna help me, less talking and more freeing." You snapped.

You still wondered why you had been as idiotic as you had been for going alone on this mission when you had a half-robotic badass of a boyfriend and a semi-stable but mostly homicidal best friend that could tag along. Maybe it was because you felt the need for an immediate action and avoiding any unnecessary violence if you could stop it. But somehow it was far from what happened. Held captive in a warehouse with a hundred henchmen guarding you upon finding out you were a mutant, then there was your two idiots coming to save you and killing a lot of people along the way.

"I mean, collars, I'm sure to write something about this in my fanfiction about you two." Wade continued to drone, ignoring the fact that you were still held captive .

You turned you gaze towards Nate, a frown still resting on his face--which wasn't anything new when it comes to him. What's new was the fact that he wasn't cutting to the chase and just freeing you. Instead, he was just watching you in your predicament. A collar wrapped securely around your neck, connected to a leash mounted on the wall, your arms were chained to the floor with your feet, with how short the chains were, you were left on your ass unable to actually stand up.

Was he enjoying this look on you or was he just being an extra douchebag today--you'll never know unless you ask him directly.

"I'll handle her from here."

Just a simple sentence brought a shiver down your spine. The big bad mercenary from the future has a plan and it certainly doesn't involve one Wade Wilson that was for once left speechless at Nate's intent towards you.

"Look at the time," Wade muttered looking at his non-existent watch. "I have a prenatal checkup I have to attend to. Have fun you two and please use some protection, I don't want to be an uncle so early in my life."

Without either of your making any response to Wade's excuse, your focus was solely directed at the man now standing as imposing as the first day you had ever met him, it's just that, this time, he wasn't hell bent on killing the kid but something a little less dark and more on the lines of kinky as Wade has said.

"What am I ever gonna do with you?"

"I'm sure you could think of something." You found yourself still brave enough to say.

Crouching to meet your gaze, you were breathless at the sight of him. A demented look on his face you were all too familiar with. His Techno-Organic infected hand cupped your cheeks, before sliding down the columns of your neck to the swells of your breast. Gently tweaking your nipples, the moan was quick to escape your lips. The action sent the familiar warmth to your core.

"I think the collar and chains are a good look on you. Maybe this way, you'd finally stay when you're told to fucking stay."

Twisting your nipple had your gasping and trying your best to pull away from his touch.

"Hold it." He ordered and even with the intense pain, you remain in position. "Good girl."

Finally releasing his grip on your nipple, his hand once again found their way to your cheeks.

"Again, what am I gonna do with you?" He asked, and this time, the answer was much clearer.

"Anything you want, Daddy." You whimpered as the smile finally rested on his face.

"Good thing we have this whole place to ourselves." He points out standing right back up on his two feet and unzips his pants, the smile had also now formed on your lips at your usually reserved boyfriend's sudden brazen ideas. "Wanna make a bet first how long before Red Dildo comes back to see what we're doing?" He inquired, freeing his already hardening erection.

Your mouth watered and the idea of anyone--including Wade, possibly seeing this, brought a sudden thrill in you. Something you never usually come to experience with your old-man boyfriend.

"Give or take ten minutes before he shows up and ask if he can join."

"Feeling a little frisky or is a threesome is too much for you?" He inquired, smirking at how bullshit the words were. The man was too possessive to share you with anyone and by any regards, you were too.

"I just want to keep you to myself, Summers. Don't you dare." You warned.

"Says the girl in a dog leash and chained to the floor."

"Don't act like you're not hard for my predicament." You teased before finally filling your mouth with him.

Cable had learned to enjoy the simple things, like Colossus’s face when wade does some vulgar, nasty shit, or like right now watching your reaction to the weapons check at the front door.

The X-force had been assigned protection detail on some bitch-ass government official, who wasn’t too fond of mutants. It was a poor attempt to make some kind of bridge between humans and mutants.Needless to say, no one was too happy about it.  “Check your weapons at the door.” They said. 

Rolling your eyes, you put your huge and obvious weapons on the table and walked through the detector but it went off

“All of them y/n.”

 “Yeah, yeah ok.”

You unzipped your jacket to reveal a row of knives and small guns. You pulled them out and aggressively sat them on the table. 

You walked through again, Colossus glared at you when the machine went off. You rolled your eyes and removed the pistol and hunting knife from your boot.

“All of it y/n.”

“Fine.”

For the next few minutes, you pulled weapons out from increasingly impossible places on your person. 

Meanwhile, Cable stood in the corner watching you with a huge smirk on his face that said ‘that’s my girl’

Finally you removed the bobby-pins from your hair and threw them down too. (Cause Lord knows a bobby-pin is a weapon in your hand.)

“Happy?” You asked “Now I have to spend the next 10 minutes putting all this shit back!”

“I’ll help.” Cable interrupted “y’all go on in.”

The others filed into the room leaving you and cable by yourselves.

“Thanks babe I appreciate the help.” You said whilst reclaiming your weapons. 

“No problem darlin’” Nate replied, attempting to hook your holster back around your waist. 

While doing so Cable took the opportunity to check out your backside, cause even colossus would admit you looked damn fine in your super suit.

“If you’re done lookin’ at my ass we can go inside now.” You teased.

 “Just admiring.” He said

You turned around and looped your arms around his neck, your eyes searching his face.

“What are you doing?” He questioned 

“Just admiring.” You said mimicking his tone.

He gently brushed a stray strand of hair out of the way and held up a bobby pin.

“Let’s go.”

“Yeah, lets get this shit over with.” You said, taking the pin from him and putting it back in its place. 

You walked in the room first, followed by Nate. Everyone was looking at you, slightly scared due to your little weapons stunt.

“That’s my girl” Cable proudly thought to himself.

-

Waking up is less dramatic than yesterday. Simply put, you got too hot. Wade’s healing factor makes him the equivalent of a heated blanket that’s just a little too warm. 

He’s already awake, though, gazing at you in a silence that to most would seem uncharacteristic.

But you know him. 

“Can- Can I call you ‘baby,’ now?” he asks. It lacks his false bravado, in fact, he sounds like the scared little boy he once was, before the killing and the new girl every night and the grand love story and the cruel experimentation. Before he was him. 

You nod solemnly.

“They’ll be here in a couple hours. After that, we’ll get Eddie and then lay low for a little while, blow away some of our savings. Get to know each other again, and get to know him.”

You nod again. 

“I love you, you know that, right?”

And again. 

“Say something?” he meekly requests. 

“Water, please?” you croak, throat dry.

He leaps to action, accidentally shaking the rollaway a little bit and waking Russell with a start.

“Sorry, little man. Just grabbing some water for the wifey.”

Wade toddles over to the kitchenette, and you turn, wrenching yourself from Nathan’s grip to observe him as Wade observed you. Some people look more at peace when asleep. Not him. His jaw is clenched shut; his eyebrows are furrowed. You brush a tuft of his gray hair from his face, and he snatches your wrist. 

You flinch back, and recognition washes over his face, remorse following shortly after. 

“No touching while you’re asleep, gotcha,” you awkwardly chuckle. 

“Can’t imagine why you’d wanna touch this mug,” he grumbles. 

“Get used to asking yourself that question every day!” Wade chirps. “Well, on second thought, you are super fucking se-”

“Wade,” you hiss, reminding him once again that there’s a kid present.

Nathan takes a moment to examine the arm he grabbed. 

“Sorry,” he nearly whispers, but you shake your head. 

“I scared you,” you dismiss it. “Don’t you start with the whole delicate treatment, too.”

“It’s not that you are delicate. You just deserve to be treated like it. Y’know, gentle.”

Wade laughs heartily, nearly spilling the glass he’s returned with. 

You give him a pointed look as he hands it to you. You take a nice, long drink before placing it on the nightstand.

“I didn’t say anything,” he defends himself. 

“Oh, is that how it is?” Nathan looks up at you with a glint in his eye best described as devious. Blood rushes to your face, but you force it back nearly as fast. “That’s a nice little trick you’ve got there.”

“What trick?” Wade asks, oblivious. 

“He doesn’t know.” Nathan looks a little too proud of himself. 

“I don’t know how you do.”

“I… Have some telepathic abilities. They’re almost exclusively used to keep the virus from taking over, but I can still sense some things. She uses her abilities to push the blood away from her face so she won’t blush. I wasn’t sure what you were doing the other night when I felt it, but you’re a little slower in the mornings, aren’t you?” 

Wade is gobsmacked. 

“Yes, she knew,” you know the question he’s too scared to ask. “That night was her idea, actually.”

“That night?!” he squeaks. 

“That night?” Nathan asks. 

“Well, I kind of…challenged Wade. To make me blush,” you explain as vaguely as you can, but Russell still chortles. 

“You were so mean,” Wade teasingly whines. “You’re just not trying hard enough,” he imitates you shockingly well. 

“You liked it,” you remind him. 

“Evil little- Hmph!” Wade grumbles, and you can’t help but giggle.

“If I was as goofy as the two of you, I’d be playing dead right now,” Nathan cuts in. 

“Huh?” you and Wade respond. 

“Y’know, how I said I’d drop dead… Ugh, nevermind,” he groans. “See? Not goofy.”

“Wait, no, I get it now!” you reassure him. “Very funny.”

“I don’t.”

“Oh, it’s just something he said the night before last, about how much prettier I’d be if I was well-rested and… Really smiling.” You smile again, gazing at your newly-found soulmate. “Guess it happened sooner than I thought.” You know there will be days where the grief is crushing, but you’ll feed on this little slice of happiness, on any that you can find. Something tells you that you won’t be running out of them anytime soon, even with the hard times to come. 

“Can I kiss you?” Nathan asks. 

You look to Wade for approval. 

“He’s your soulmate, too,” he tells you with a shrug. 

And so, you two have a kiss that’s a little more than chaste, but still simple. Butterflies flutter in your stomach, and you once again have to prevent yourself from blushing like it’s the first kiss you’ve ever received.

He’s smirking like you did, though, and that’s when you know you’re in for it. 

“Cute,” he says softly. 

“Isn’t she?” Wade rejoins you in bed. “Let’s just cuddle until the X-Losers get here.”

“Dude,” you remind him, and he turns to Russell. 

“Oh, they’re, uh, they’re not losers, I- Uh-” 

“Anyways, I’d like to remedy my morning breath and do my best to no longer reek of blood and sweat.”

“Wouldn’t we all?” Wade agrees. He and Russell are still in their yucky jumpsuits from the prison. “How about this? Russell gets picked up by them, and we go back to the apartment for a group shower?”

Nathan clears his throat. 

“You don’t have to join, but I will say, Y/N really gets into your back with this super yummy-smelling scrub, I mean, why make it with sugar and make it smell like fruit if you don’t want people to eat it? It’s downright cruel, truly, I-”

“Can you shower?” you wonder, cutting Wade off. “Do you need, like, a special sleeve for…” You’re not sure what to call the metal creeping up Nathan’s neck and covering his arm. 

“It’s hard to explain, but it’s organic.”

“So’s malachite,” you reply, wanting a real answer. “Doesn’t mean it doesn’t give off toxic fumes when it gets wet.”

“Oh, a geologist, are we?” he half-snarks back. 

“Best friends with one.”

And with that, you get a call from Ellie. 

“Speak of the devil. Hi.”

“We’re almost there. You okay?”

“Okay-er than I was yesterday, and the day before,” you tell her. 

“Good,” she replies. “See you soon.” 

“Yes, ma’am! Be safe, love you.” You hang up. 

“It’s fine. The metal, I mean. Doesn’t rust or anything, at least not yet,” Nathan mumbles. “And it’s been around for a long time.” 

You nod in understanding. 

Wade ruffles your hair and you sigh, still a little drowsy. 

“Are you excited?” you ask Russell. 

“Yeah, kinda…”

“It’s a great place. I grew up there.”

This seems to relieve him a bit. 

“I get my own bed?”

“You’ll probably have a roommate or two, but, yeah. And there’s plenty of food to go around, and movie nights where the movie doesn’t get turned off, and… It can be a lot sometimes, but it really is like one big family.”

You feel a pang in your heart and look at Wade, who’s looking at Nathan.

“I’ll explain later, maybe,” Nathan mumbles. 

“Okay,” you reply.

There’s a knock at the door, a special pattern that you know by heart. 

You go for the door, opening it up for Ellie, Yukio, and Piotr. 

“Russell!” you call. 

“You sure you’re okay?” Yukio asks.”You know you can always come back, there’s plenty of room and everyone would be so happy to see you, and-”

“Yukio. She knows,” Ellie mumbles. 

“You’d be the happiest to see your pseudo-big sis, don’t pretend it’s any other way!” Yukio insists, and you giggle a little. Russell joins you at the doorway.

“Hey, buddy!” Yukio chirps. 

“Russell, this is Yukio, president of the Welcome Committee. This is her girlfriend, Ellie, and that’s Mr. Rasputin. He teaches some of the art classes. Do you like to paint?”

“I think so… It’s been so long,” Russell admits. 

“I guess you’ll find out,” you tell him. He grins. 

“Do you have any questions before we go? Anything you wanna say?” Ellie asks curtly, but, hey, she’s trying. 

Russell simply gives you a big hug. 

“Okay, that’s all,” he says before finally crossing the threshold and joining the trio outside. 

“See you soon,” you say to the now-quartet, and they all say (or in Ellie’s case, wave) their goodbyes. You shut the door and lock it. 

“Alrighty. Let’s go home!” Wade cheers. Both he and Nathan have gotten up at this point. “I, uh, cleaned up the laptop shards. And basically the whole apartment. Cocaine and anxiety, well, they make for a very clean house.”

“I’m sorry,” you apologize, but Wade shakes his head. 

“You had a human reaction to a fucked-up situation. One I put you in. And you already apologized, and I already forgave you. We’re as okay as we could possibly be right now, alright?” 

“Alright,” you reply.

“I’m gettin’ kinda curious about this place,” Nathan chimes in. “Especially that whole shower thing.” 

“You just wanna see Y/N nekkid,” Wade giggles.

The shade of red Nathan turns is so adorable you feel yourself start to giggle, too, but you try to force it down for his sake.

Nathan clears his throat. 

“You don’t?” he retorts, but it took a little too long for him to come up with that to take him seriously.

“Why, of course I do! If I had my way, it would be federal- No, international law for Y/N to never wear clothes. Not for sexual reasons, no, no, sir, but because she is art that should not be hidden from the world. Especially me.” 

“Don’t get his hopes up,” you laugh. 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Nathan’s tone suddenly darkens when he says this, and he turns your head so you face him directly. “You’re gorgeous, doll. Guess he’s not getting his nose broken. Don’t think I could stand to see tears in those pretty eyes again.”

“You were gonna break my nose?!” Wade whines. “No, wait, that’d be kinda hot. You do aftercare, right?” 

Nathan just scoffs, shaking his head. 

“Let’s just get checked out and go.”

You and Wade follow his lead, cleaning up after yourselves and letting Nathan do the talking in the lobby while you two wait in the truck. He swiftly returns, and the trip that follows is like the day before yesterday in reverse; the sun gets higher as you return to familiarity. You’re squeezed between Wade’s nervous rambling of directions and Nathan’s stoic silence.

Eventually, you’re home. 

Nathan parks behind the duplex to avoid the stolen truck being spotted by those passing by, and the three of you make your way upstairs. 

“Shit,” you realize you left your keys inside when you left, and it’s not like Wade was able to retrieve his when you did your little prison break.

“Lock’s still busted, hon,” Wade murmurs. 

“Right,” you say, but you don’t open the door, steeling yourself. 

“Do you want me to do it?” Nathan asks you both. The two of you nod, and he opens the door. 

You sigh as you enter. It’s the same as when you left. Cleaner, like Wade said, but the same. It’s like nothing even happened. 

“Nice place,” Nathan comments. 

“Thanks,” you and Wade say in unison. 

The cleanliness of the apartment makes you even more aware of the grime you feel you’re covered in. You scratch at your cheek.

“Go ahead and hop in the shower,” Wade says. “I’ll lay out some comfy clothes for you and get your phone on the charger.” 

“You’re not gonna shower with me?”

“I was… Sorta kidding,” Wade admits. “Figured you might want some time to yourself.” 

“‘Cause that totally sounds like me,” you laugh. 

“I meant you might not wanna be, y’know, around me.”

There’s a thorn in your heart. Or maybe his. 

You shake your head. He embraces you, and it’s gone. 

“We’re gonna be okay, you know that, right?” you remind him. 

You look up at him, and that grieving ache in his heart intensifies.

“I don’t deserve you.”

“I deserve you even less,” you reply. 

“You two. I feel like I’m watching one of Aaliyah’s vampire shows. Go take a fucking shower,” Nathan grumbles, but his cheeks are a little pink. You’d be worried if you felt any jealousy, but you don’t… 

Wait, does he think you two are cute? 

You nearly giggle. 

“Okay,” you respond, giving Nathan a peck on the cheek before heading to the bathroom. You turn the water on and strip down while you wait for it to warm up. 

The door opens, and you turn to see Wade. 

“Wow,” he blurts. 

“You act like it’s the first time every time.”

“Sure does feel like it, hot stuff.” He unzips his jumpsuit and takes off his boxers. “Wait, uh…” 

You finally notice the collar, and reach for it.

“No!” The fear jolts you more than his shout does. His fear. “It’ll shock you if you try and take it off. Do, the, uh… The pressure thing.”

“That shit hurts,” you remind him. 

“Dying of cancer hurts worse. It neutralizes any mutant ability.” 

“Fuck… Okay.” 

You take a deep breath, focusing on the beating of his heart; the blood rushing in his veins. You make it burst out of his neck in a tiny, powerful stream, slicing the collar off. It leaves a pretty nasty gash in his neck, but that heals up quickly. You rub at the same spot on your own neck, still feeling the sting a little. 

Nathan pounds on the door, scaring you both. 

“We’re fine!” Wade shouts. “Had to get my fancy prison necklace off without touching it.” 

“Just checking.” 

And with that, you check the water again, pulling back. 

“Ow!” Wade squeals dramatically. 

“I know,” you reply, turning the temperature down. You two share a look, feeling a certain third party’s anxiety simmer in your stomachs. 

Nathan knocks on the door again, this time lighter. 

“Just come in already,” Wade complains. 

The door cracks open. 

His eyes widen, flicking between you and Wade. 

“Did you not expect us to shower naked, or…?” Wade asks rhetorically. 

“Well, I just- Hm. Yeah. Okay.” 

He leaves as quickly as he arrived. You and Wade laugh like idiots— mostly at the aching in your groins that isn’t yours —before finally getting in the shower. 

Wade squirts a good amount of shampoo in his hands as you wet your hair. 

He lathers you up and you damn near melt at the sensation of his fingers against your scalp. 

You rinse your hair as he gets the conditioner. He works it into the ends of your hair before the two of you finally kiss. He sighs. 

“That’s it. Now, I’m home.” 

“You’re so cheesy,” you tell him.

“But you like it,” he sing-songs. “Mm, beautiful.” 

“You’re just buttering me up. C’mon, let’s switch spots and I’ll get the scrub.” 

He nods, and the two of you do as you said. You unscrew the lid of the scrub and get to work on his back, not bothering to save the best for last. 

The scrub stings against his aching skin, but he seems to like whatever other sensations he gets from it, the ones you can’t feel.

“You know, I could just give you a back rub,” you remind him. 

“Yeah, but exfoliating gets all the dead skin off so it doesn’t try to heal back and get all gross and flaky. Remember the first time you did this?”

You do. His back looked like a lizard struggling to shed its skin. Wade’s skin doesn’t disgust you, but you have to admit, it did give you the creeps that time. 

You finish up quickly, and he turns to rinse the remaining soap and sugar off. 

“Want me to get yours?” 

You nod and turn around. You only woke up a few hours ago, but the warmth of the shower and the comfort of Wade’s presence is sapping your energy away. 

He massages the scrub into your back and you’re once again melting under his touch. 

“All done,” he chirps. The two of you continue to wash your bodies, and afterwards you rinse out your conditioner. He turns the water off for you and grabs towels from the hooks just outside. You pat yourselves dry and realize you forgot to grab clean clothes. 

The two of you giggle as you skitter out of the bathroom in just your towels, dropping them once you make it to your wardrobe and his dresser. 

“Can I wear one of your shirts?” you ask as you pull on your underwear and a pair of sweatpants.

Wade tosses you one and you put it on. He hums with delight at the sight of you. 

“Eddie can wait ‘til tomorrow. Now, it’s time for a cuddle sesh,” he suggests. “What do you think, Nate?”

“It’s her money,” he responds from the couch. He’s sitting in her spot. You look at Wade, who’s already looking at you. Your eyes burn a little, but you smile. He has no idea how he’s healing you both, filling that void. Not replacing her, he never could, but he’s like a rectangular block that fits through a square hole; something different taking up the same space.

“I think it can wait until tomorrow,” you agree, heading over to the couch. You take your spot, draping your legs over Nathan’s lap, while Wade takes his and you prop yourself against him. “This is nice.”