From across the hallway

Part 1

Wade Wilson was in a good mood.

He had just finished work across town...(it had been a pretty easy job- a little light threatening and very little bloodshed...).

He had just bought himself the biggest pizza (and got the hot brunette at the counter's number while doing so) and now he was here, climbing the stairs towards his apartment, with his extra-large black olive and pineapple, tucked underneath his arm.

He was planning on spending his evening catching up on Game of Thrones and gorging on beer and pizza until he passed out.

But the last thing he expected as he reached his hallway, juggling the pizza box in search of his keys, was a tiny little face to peek out at him from behind a pair of slender legs.

Wade gave a frown as he climbed the last few steps, coming to spot a caramel-haired woman of around thirty, wearing high heels and a chic trench coat with a tiny little girl at her feet, both standing a short way down the hallway.

The woman sighed, as she too juggled with a large cardboard box, trying to fit a key into the door.

The apartment opposite Wade's had been empty for three months now. He knew that a couple of people had come to look around, but it was a pretty bad neighbourhood. Not the sort of place you'd usually come across a young family. Around here it was mainly drug dealers and pot smokers. Wade wasn't either of those things, but even he wasn't exactly a saint. But to see a woman like that around here, and with a kid too, was definitely a strange sight.

The woman before him gave a huff, shimmying the key inside the lock. She hadn't even noticed his presence, being too preoccupied.

"Come on, stupid door!" she said loudly, giving the dark wood a kick with her patent shoe.

Wade grinned.

"You know I think there might be a trick to it," he said suddenly, causing the woman to suddenly jump in fright and swing around.

It was then that he finally saw her...

She was tall and elegant...with dark green eyes and long hair like the sweetest caramel...and Wade knew he already liked the little frown line that lingered between her brows and already had a soft spot for the way she pursed her pale pink lips....

He grinned instantly, as his gaze swept over every inch of her.

She lowered one hand and pulled the little girl back behind her protectively, gazing over at him, a scowl forming over her delicate features.

But she didn't say anything, merely staring him down, eyes narrowed, like a lioness protecting her cub.

Wade pointed at the door behind her.

"I know the guy who used to live here before you, we called him Cactus Jack," said Wade wandering over to her slowly. "You might think he got his name from collecting cacti, you know the ones you sometimes get at Christmas with the little Santa hats glued onto them. No. Really everyone just called him that because he was a bit of a pric- "

Wade suddenly glanced down at the tiny girl at the woman's feet, stopping abruptly.

"Well what I mean to say is that Jack used to just-"

His hand hovered over the keys the woman held tightly in her hand.

"May I?"

The woman stared at him, that scowl still there, for what felt like the longest moment.

He could feel the fear and anger that emanated from her right now...and suddenly he backed off, taking a couple of steps away from her.

Wade knew he was tall, and despite his smile, knew that he could be intimidating. In some circumstances this could work to his advantage, but right now this wasn't how was trying to come across.

"I'm Wade...I live next door," he said trying to rectify this, his tone gentle, as he gripped his pizza box, holding out his free hand towards her.

She scrutinised him for a minute or two before looking down at the little girl peeking up at him from between her legs.

The tiny girl gaped up at him with green eyes, and a tuft of soft brown hair that was tied up with a small red bow. She couldn't have been more than two years old.

He gave a chuckle as the tiny toddler nibbled down onto her fingers, peering up at him shyly.

"I'm Missy," came the woman's sudden voice, causing Wade to stare up suddenly.

The woman's face had softened slightly, but there was still no smile there.

"..and this..." she continued, stroking the top of the little girl's head. "...is Emily."

At the contact Emily peered up at Missy, with wide eyes.

And Wade couldn't help but smile.

It wasn't often he came across anyone this tiny, or this innocent. Not in his line of work anyway. And even Missy, she wasn't the type of woman you saw in this neighbourhood, all long legs and high heels...

"Hey there Em," he said in light tone.

But the little girl didn't turn to him, or even acknowledge him at all in fact.

"She's deaf," said Missy suddenly, her tone sharp and defensive. "If she's not looking at you, she can't hear you."

And with that, before Wade could utter another word, Missy had turned her back on him, balancing the cardboard box on her hip and fiddling with the key once again.

He had obviously offended her, despite not even realising it.

Wade frowned momentarily before suddenly and without a word, leaning over her and giving the door a shove.

It swung open easily. That was his form of an apology.

Missy stood there frozen for a second or two, before turning around to face him. Behind her Emily had headed inside quietly.

Missy looked Wade up and down, her green eyes roving across his sheepskin coat and his white t-shirt with a photo of Martha Stewart on it, and even across to the pizza he held under his arm.

"Well, don't let us keep you," she said in a curt tone, her eyes flashing in a protective manner. "I'm sure your pizza's getting cold."

And with that, Missy headed inside the, now open apartment, before unceremoniously kicking the door closed behind her. Leaving Wade on the other side, alone.

The merc gaped, standing there...

...as a moment passed...

...then another...

Before his face finally broke into a warm smile.

As he turned, fishing out his keys from his pocket, he chuckled to himself as he pushed open his own door.

Weirdly, his good mood had only got better...