Chapter Text
Eddieeeeee. We want fooood.
“In a minute, V.” Eddie ignored the inky-black tendrils curling around his torso as he squinted down at his smudged laptop screen. For once in his life he had gone to bed at a normal time instead of pulling an all-nighter, but this meant he’d had to get up early to finish his article on time. Now, an hour and a half later, he was just about done.
Eddieeeeee , V whined. Fooooood. Pleeeaaassseee.
“One sec , V.” Eddie finished proofreading his article, content with what he’d written, and fired up his gmail to start prepping the email.
Through their bond, Eddie felt a wave of impatience come from his symbiote. NOW. V suddenly manifested, spreading over Eddie’s legs and waist, and started to push them back from the desk.
“ Woah! ” Eddie flailed forwards, and managed to hit “send” before V carried them towards the kitchen. “V, what the hell? Couldn’t you have waited one more minute?”
No, V said, with childlike smugness. They receded under Eddie’s skin, though, so he could take the last steps into the kitchen on his own.
Eddie pulled a small Hershey bar from the pantry, handing it to V (who manifested as a small head from Eddie’s shoulder to snatch it up) while he heated up tater tots and made himself coffee. “What do you want to do this morning?” he asked as he got out a plate and mug. “I mean, that article was all I needed to get done today, so we’re free.” Eddie had decided to return to the written side of reporting after the Life Foundation incident, and now did a couple of reports a week. And maybe it was because of the respect he’d earned from his show (and re-earned after helping bust Drake) but he actually got very good pay for it; so good, in fact, that he had moved them to a bigger, nicer apartment. Eddie knew that it was odd to be paid so much for only a few stories a week, but the paycheck itself had quickly quieted his worries.
He could feel V shift slightly as they thought, which sent a tingly feeling through his skull. “We want to go to the aquarium,” they finally said. “All your writing about endangered fish has made us want seafood.”
“Well, you can’t eat the fish there, but sure,” Eddie chuckled, and quickly pulled up directions to a nearby aquarium on his phone. Then he took a sip from his coffee as he dumped the tater tots onto the paper plate. “Eat up, V.”
V stretched their jaws and set to work on devouring the tater tots, purring contently even as they traveled down its… well, honestly Eddie didn’t know how V could eat the tots as just a head, but… He blinked and finished his coffee before he weirded himself out thinking about it.
“Done, Eddie!” V soon announced, sounding like a child that was very proud of itself.
“That was fast,” Eddie noted as he threw out the plate. He finished the dregs of his coffee and placed the mug in the sink, making a mental note to do the dishes when they got back home.
“They were good. Can we have more chocolate?” V asked hopefully.
“Maybe later,” Eddie promised. He had showered and dressed before starting the article, so he just had to brush his teeth before they could go. He went into the bathroom, brushing quickly while V entertained themself by turning the sink’s hot water on and off.
Eddie glanced at himself in the mirror as he wiped toothpaste from his mouth. For once he was wearing his leather jacket instead of a hoodie, a newer gray T-shirt and jeans with no holes. He looked… clean.
V, who had retreated into his rib cage, sent a snort through the bond. You’re not clean with that stubble. ‘Less hobo-like’ would be better.
“Ouch, taking after Anne much?” Eddie muttered. His ex was always hounding him to “clean up” his hair and stubble. Speaking of hair… Eddie snagged a comb and jerked it through his hair a bit, until it had its classic “carelessly-stylish” look.
V snorted again. ‘Carelessly-stylish’ our ass. It looks like you just rolled out of bed in nice-ish clothes.
Eddie gently swatted at the tendril that had emerged from his neck to poke at his hair. “Well, aren’t you the critic today? I thought you watched the Food Network, not beauty pageants.”
Who said we couldn’t watch both?
Eddie chose not to respond to that.
After pulling on dark gray tennis shoes (the only pair of his that wasn’t hopelessly beaten up), Eddie made sure he had his wallet and keys before exiting his apartment, briefly nodding at the few tenants he passed in the stairwell. He went out to the street and unlocked the helmet from the seat (V had recently taken an interest in holding the helmet out of reach in the apartment, so Eddie now kept it outside with his bike.) He hopped on and started the engine, revving a few times before taking off.
Faster, Eddie, V hissed. We want to see the fish.
You still can’t eat them, bud. Eddie thought this rather than spoke it, since it was sometimes hard to speak with his helmet on.
Why the hell not?
Eddie slid into the next lane and sped up a tiny bit. Because people are not allowed to climb into the tanks and eat the fish, V , he said with an eye roll. Plus, don’t forget that we’re trying to keep my identity a secret regarding… us.
...Pussy.
Parasite.
V suddenly formed over his hands and made them accelerate over the speed limit for a moment, then abruptly retreated, allowing Eddie to frantically swerve and slow down.
What the hell was that for?? Eddie demanded. Is that your way of throwing a temper tantrum while I’m driving?
Not a parasite. V sounded grumpy.
Guess it is. Eddie rolled his eyes again. I say it with love, V. And... don’t make us speed up like that again, please.
...Fine.
The rest of the ride to the aquarium was silent, and it let Eddie’s thoughts wander. V didn’t really send anything through the bond, which led Eddie to think his current thoughts were private.
‘I say it with love, V.’ Yes, that was true, Eddie had meant it in a fond way. But it kept sticking in his head because he wasn’t exactly sure what ‘kind’ of fond it was. Was it the friendly banter fond, like back when they’d first started working together? Was it the fondness for someone who was like your second soul, because they inhabited your body? Or was it… that kind of fond? The kind of fond he found himself hiding from V? ...The kind of fond he’d once had with Anne…?
Ugh, this is too much to process properly. He wished he could just read an advice book, but he doubted there was one for “What to do if you think you’re falling in love with the symbiotic alien living inside of you.”
Eddie. V interrupted his train of thought, for which he was grateful. We’re here.
Working on his show had helped him learn to drive on “autopilot,” but Eddie was still startled by the fact that he’d driven to a new place while distracted. Oh. Great, he responded. He quickly found a parking space, which was a rare surprise, and purchased a ticket with a smiling orca on it (a harder task than it sounded; he always struggled to watch his pronouns when he first came out of the apartment. And his thoughts from the ride hadn’t helped this time; he still had said “we” once or twice, to the desk attendant’s confusion). “ Welcome to the Aquarium of the Bay ,” he read from a hanging sign as he walked in.
We want to see dolphins! V demanded.
I don’t think they have… Eddie grabbed a map from a stand and checked the descriptions of the exhibits. Yeah, no dolphins, bud.
Damnit!
They have sharks, though? Eddie offered.
He could feel V mulling it over. Fine. Let’s go to the sharks.
Okay. He started for the Sharks of Alcatraz Tunnel exhibit. It says they have sharks, rays, and sturgeons, he added, shaking the pamphlet a bit.
What kind of sharks?
Says here... sevengills, leopards, and soupfins.
Eddie felt V wiggle around his liver excitedly. Sevengill sharks are the largest predatory animals in the Bay! they exclaimed.
Eddie glanced at the Tunnel exhibit’s description on the pamphlet, and it did say that. Did you just… How’d you know that?
Animal Planet mentioned it once.
Eddie blinked, making sure he heard V correctly. Animal Planet? Just how much TV have you been watching, exactly?
Oh, Eddie . He could sense V shaking their head in exasperation as they circled his organs. What do you think we do all night while you’re asleep?
...Fair point, though you’re going to make my cable bill skyrocket. They got to the exhibit and stopped. After a moment of the sharks amassing in the back of the tank, a sevengill came up and lazily floated by, making V shiver with excitement.
We wanna eat one, Eddie!
Uh… Eddie glanced around nervously, before remembering they were talking through their bond. I think they’re endangered, bud. He didn’t want V to start complaining, worried he would respond out loud, so he hurriedly added, But we can go hunting for bad guys later? Or get some fresh chocolate?
Yay! V cheered, their hunger for sevengills forgotten.
Eddie and V spent another couple of hours exploring the aquarium. At one point they had wandered over to the touchpools, and V manifested a tentacle from Eddie’s palm so they could both pet the sharks and skates.
Eddie glanced at his phone as they left the river otter gallery and winced. “Two-forty already? Yeesh,” he said aloud.
Want chocolate and maybe bad guys now, V told him.
Yep, I know. Let’s head out near Mrs. Chen’s, okay?
Okay, Eddie. Which one-- whatever V was going to say was cut off as a half-dozen people ran into the aquarium’s lobby, screaming. Their senses went on high alert, and Eddie rushed over to the nearest arrival.
“Ma’am! Ma’am, what’s going on?” Eddie asked, grabbing her arm.
“There’s a… a giant,” she wheezed. “Down the shore a bit. It’s attacking a ferry!” She shrugged off his grip and kept running.
As the entire aquarium began to panic, Eddie exchanged a mental “glance” with V before rushing outside. He came around the corner of the building and gasped at what was happening in the park next door. “Oh dear God,” he whispered. The giant looked like a robot, with a red and gray futuristic outfit. It was in the water, towering over the ferry and reaching out towards it. Thanks to V, Eddie could hear people screaming. “V, we have to stop it!”
V shifted through his organs, just underneath his skin’s “surface.” No.
‘No??’ Why not? Shouldn’t we help those people? Eddie demanded.
V gently wrapped around his left lung and squeezed twice. No. You said we shouldn’t become Venom in public. And don’t you recognize the giant? It’s the growy-guy from the airport.
“The growy-guy…” Eddie racked his brain, until he remembered. Almost two years ago, Captain America had fought Iron Man at an airport in Germany in protest of the Sokovia Accords. The growy-guy had been on the protesting side, and a statement later said he’d been detained. Guess he escaped.
He protested the Accords, remember? V sounded… pleased? You said the Accords were bad because they could hurt us. So if he doesn’t like the Accords, isn’t he our ally? A good guy like us?
I guess… It was odd for V to be the voice of reason, but it did make sense. As Eddie watched, the growy-guy suddenly vanished. He must’ve shrunk back down. Glancing around, Eddie started to run for the park.
Eddie… Go back.
Wait, why? Eddie ducked around a large group of people who were standing slack-jawed, wincing as he accidentally kicked one in the shin. “Sorry!” he shouted over his shoulder.
I don’t know… Just stop.
Eddie skidded to a halt, his attention fixating on a person clad in white as they confronted a man in dark clothing. The white person shoved the other man aside, turned towards Eddie, and--
WHOOMP. Screaming started again as a building appeared, growing larger and larger. It was a few stories tall, and cubish, and when the dust cleared, Eddie saw that cars had been crushed and piled against each other. His heart began to pump uncomfortably fast, sure that the expansion had just killed someone.
V manifested as a tiny head, cautiously peeking out from the top of Eddie’s jacket as they cast out their senses. None dead , they soothed, and retreated.
Eddie’s heart slowed down to its normal speed as V gently caressed it. I don’t care if it’s the middle of the day, with plenty of people around; we have to help!
That was when Eddie’s phone chimed. He pulled it out and saw a text from Anne; God, was her timing uncanny, ‘I see it on the news. I swear to God, Eddie, don’t you two dare do anything.’ Eddie hesitated, glancing back up at the building.
Listen to Anne, Eddie. Let’s just go get chocolate.
But we could--
EDDIE.
He held up his hands in surrender. Fine. But if something bad happens that we could’ve stopped, I’m going to hold it against you two.
That night, watching new footage from the incident, Eddie sighed. “Guess you were right.”
V paused from chomping on their third chocolate bar. “With what?”
“I wanted to help because we’re good guys with powers, right?” Eddie paused to finish his pizza slice. “But, like… We’re trying to keep our Venom-ing a secret from the general public, and I don’t know if we could’ve even helped. The growy-guy’s like an Avenger; we can’t handle Avenger-level stuff.”
V snorted. “We told you,” they said with a smirk. “Your clumsy ass would’ve fucked up that Avenger shit.”
Eddie almost choked on his crust. “Hey, what happened to this afternoon's kind, caring V?” he protested.
“You were panicking. Now that you’re back to normal, we can be normal again, too--our normal BAMF self.”
“I’m sorry, your what? ”
“Internet thing.”
Every day gave Eddie another reason to regret introducing V to the internet. “Uh-huh…”
V flicked their wrapper at his head, then caught it and stretched out to throw it away. “Hunt bad guys now?”
Eddie glanced at the TV again, then turned it off and stood up to stretch. “Yep.” Already wearing a hoodie and torn jeans (in case something happened that would affect his clothes), Eddie went into his bedroom, opening the one window no outside camera could see, and allowed V to cover him completely.
Eddie--no, they were just Venom now--turned and slid the window closed before dropping to the ground, sticking to the shadows until they were a few buildings from their home. Then they jumped onto the roof and swung into the night.
They had barely entered the poorer part of the city when their hearing picked up whimpering. They paused on the edge of a roof, glowering down at two masked men in a half-light alley. They both had guns aimed at a woman, silently watching her empty her purse. Her blouse was opened, suggesting that they’d grabbed her before pulling the guns.
Venom smirked to themself. A big snack tonight. They jumped down, snarling, extending tentacles that swarmed around the men like bees. They hoisted the men up, enjoying the screams their snacks were making. Behind them, they heard the woman gasp before shoving her stuff back into her purse and fleeing.
“What, no thank you?” Venom called after her, before returning their attention to the two men. Both of them had pissed their pants, and the one on the left was crying to himself.
“Dear God, oh God, we’re going to die,” the left one moaned.
“Yep.” Venom found his terror entertaining, so they ate the right one first, swallowing him whole instead of just taking the head.
The whole body? For a moment, Venom’s mind separated into V and Eddie, so the man could make the comment.
Hungry, V responded, before they merged again.
Venom gave the remaining man their full attention, letting a big smile cross their face. “Any last words?”
“ You’re a monster, ” the man gasped, tears streaking down his face.
“Actually, we’re an alien,” Venom corrected, before eating him too. Once they had finished, they took a step closer to the singular lamp, staring up into the dark sky. With a blink, their minds pulled apart, though V still stayed covering Eddie’s body.
Eddie gave himself a mental shake. That will never not feel weird.
What, our minds merging?
Yeah.
Well, we’re really only Venom when we’re together, so shouldn’t we go all the way?
I guess. Eddie sent V a mental shrug. It’s just weird feeling myself become an entirely new entity with you.
Ha. V sent him a smirk in response. Pussy.
Shut up!
You know it’s true, Eddie. V let out a chuckle. “Another successful night,” they said out loud, before leaping into the night.
Neither of them had noticed the small creature that was positioned on the lamp post, the camera on its back steadily transmitting what it had just recorded back to the ant’s master. The ant buzzed its wings as a new command entered its mind, and began to fly home.