Here We Go Again

32: Happy Birthday, Kiddo

Peter turns twenty-one exactly six days after his wedding. He and Wade returned from their little honeymoon on the 14th – they stayed a few days in a cute little cabin in Vermont – and the next day, Peter was woken up by way too many people standing in his room, singing to him.

"Happy birthday dear Peter, happy birthday to you!" they all finish in unison, and then there's a plate being shoved in his face and he blows out the little candle flame before it hits his eyebrows.

"Thank you," he grumbles, pushing himself up to sit and lean back against the headboard. He puts the plate in his lap – there's a slice of blueberry pie on it – and looks around the overcrowded room. "I love you all so much." He looks at the clock. "I really do, and thank you for the song, but it is seven o'clock in the morning and I'm so tired. So goodbye. I'll be downstairs later."

He gets a few kisses on his cheek and the top of his head, as well as tons of hugs as his too-big family slowly make their way out of his too-small room. His parents are the last ones out. They wish him a happy birthday and Steve tells him to drink responsibly, then Tony leans in and says "birthday drinks are on me tonight" and winks, and Steve whacks him on the arm and pulls him out of the room.

Peter slumps back against his pillow and pulls the blankets up to his neck, rolling onto his side and trying to regain the warmth that had escaped when he sat up. He wiggles closer to Wade and presses himself up against the side of his husband, smiling as Wade's body heat slowly seeps through his skin.

"I love you," Peter hums. "You're like a big heater."

"I'm so glad I finally have a purpose," Wade yawns, lifting his arm so Peter can snuggle up under it. He plants a sloppy wet kiss on Peter's forehead and says, "happy birthday, sweetheart," before dropping his head back on the pillow and promptly falling asleep.

Peter scrunches up his nose and wipes his forehead against Wade's arm to get the spit off. He snakes an arm over Wade's hip and presses his face into Wade's neck, then quickly follows suit and falls back asleep.

Peter wakes up a few hours later and blindly reaches around, too tired to open his eyes but awake enough to know that Wade is no longer right next to him and it is a problem. Much to his dismay, his hands never come into contact with Wade's warm skin so Peter is forced to open his eyes and see for himself that he's alone in bed. He slowly sits up and frowns, looking around his bedroom. Even his cat is gone.

Twenty minutes (and some light stretching) later, Peter is wearing nothing but his boxers and a blanket draped over his shoulders like a cape and he's walking around, trying to find someone, anyone. Nobody seems to be in the building.

"Hey JARVIS," he calls into the empty kitchen, the tiles cold on his bare feet. "Where is everyone?"

"Good morning sir. Sadly, I have been ordered to keep you in the dark about the whereabouts of the Tower's residents," JARVIS replies, voice echoing dramatically in the empty room. Well, technically, it really only echos dramatically in Peter's head, but who cares about that?

"Is everyone gone? Like, everyone?" Peter asks.

"Mister Barnes is in the elevator right this moment."

"Oh, sick! Where's he headed?"

"Nowhere. The elevator is stopped."

"What?"

"I am under the impression he does not know it's not moving, sir," JARVIS says, and Peter sighs. He leaves the kitchen and goes over to the elevator, clicks the button, and listens as the machine rises through the shaft. It reaches the floor and dings, the doors sliding open. Bucky's standing inside, arms crossed, looking mildly pissed off but also confused.