A DeadMan's Tale

13: Clean

Warning: pills

(Wade's POV)

Wade certainly didn't consider himself a hero and definitely didn't pride himself on helping others. However, Peter lit a fire inside of him that burned so hot and so bright that Wade always felt the need to protect and care for him.

"Okay," was all Wade could muster up in response to Peter's plea.

Getting to work, Wade moved himself to be sitting behind Peter's curled up body. He noticed a long, thick silver scar running up his side. Slowly, very slowly, he reached his hands out and hooked them underneath Peter's armpits to gently pull him up into a sitting position. Most of his weight was leaning up against Wade's chest.

Pete... you're just skin and bones...

Peter made a slight grunting noise but otherwise didn't protest.

In keeping the momentum of progress, Wade hoisted Peter and himself up. He carried Peter bridal style out of his room, not even stopping to wonder if Peter's aunt was home.

Gently kicking open the door of the bathroom, Wade entered with a frail Peter still in his arms. He scanned the scene before him. Pill bottles littered the sink: some for sleep, some for anxiety, and even some pain pills in their company. "Oh, Pete..." he couldn't keep the despair from coloring his voice.

He brought the two of them to the shower. Planning on letting Peter clean himself up he asked, "Can you stand?" Peter softly shook his head no against Wade's chest. It wasn't a surprise, with Peter's incredibly fast metabolism... he was wasting away.

"Okay..." Wade thought for a moment. Gingerly, he set Peter down in a sitting position on the toilet lid. Next, he started to undress. First his jacket, next his shirt, then his pants, and finally his socks. He was in the same attire as Peter, except his boxers were a red plaid.

He turned his attention to the shower; having to fiddle with it for a short while before being able to turn on the warm water.

About to scoop up Peter again, he remembered the soiled underwear. "Peter,... would you allow me to take these off of you?" Wade had bent down to his knees in front of Peter. Almost unnoticeably Peter nodded his head. Without looking, Wade slid off the undergarments and tossed them into the hamper.

Bringing him up into a bridal carry once more, Wade stepped into the shower with Peter. He delicately set Peter down and sat behind him so Peter could lean against him.

None of this was sexual. None of this was how Wade had wanted to see Peter naked for the first time. He was emaciated and barely the man Wade knew. He had wanted their first time to be unforgettable; he was pretty sure it would be Peter's first time in general. He wanted lust and passion and ... love to be the only things on their mind. This was unforgettable, but in all the wrong ways.

Finding the bottle of soap on the shower ledge; Wade squeezed some into a washcloth. "Can I touch you, Peter?" Wade asked over the noise of the shower. Peter only nodded.

Wade closed his eyes tight and steadied himself. He felt like an intruder. He wasn't supposed to be here- wasn't supposed to see the person he... cared for in this state. He felt so utterly out of control. But it didn't matter. He wasn't the one that needs help right now.

Wade placed the soaped up washcloth on one of Peter's shins and gently rubbed. Peter had his back against Wade and his knees pulled up to his own chest. Moving his hand, he had almost finished a leg when Peter meekly grabbed Wade's wrist. Wade was so surprised that he jumped a little. "That hurts," Peter whispered out, almost inaudible over the water. "The washcloth?" Wade asked concerned, he hadn't been thinking about Peter's hypersensitivity. Peter nodded, reverting back to a nonverbal state.