Creature comforts

When Eddie woke up the next morning, day six of the official start to the program, he felt giddy when he realized he could move. Apparently, Dada- No, Wade- trusted him now. As he clumsily stretched, he huffed in annoyance. Eddie wasn’t trusted enough to not get drugged every night. Staring out the window once more, he tried to recall the events from the day before. He remembered being bored and tired. He had realized he lost his bladder control at that point, which had upset him. He had watched out the window for a time and dozed on and off. Then he… He talked to Venom yesterday! Eddie smiled to himself as he remembered Venom freeing him from his restraints. The baby blushed as he remembered the symbiote be cuddled in his arms like a stuffed animal while he cried and wet himself. The blush deepened when he recalled that Venom had pretty much licked his arm to soothe him and convinced him to summon Wade- No, that sounded wrong, Dada- the way that the note- which was now gone from the mobile- had instructed by crying and calling for Dada. Eddie struggled to move his body with the lethargy the drugs left him experiencing. His smile quickly turned to panic as he frantically sucked on his binky with his eyes burning. Venom wasn’t in the crib with him like he had been yesterday. Without thinking, Eddie burst into tears and made his misery known with wails to wake the dead.

“Dada!” Eddie screeched, using his arms and legs to frantically search the crib for any sign of his friend. He looked just like a new baby trying gain control over his limbs with his legs kicking sporadically and his arms barely responding to his demands to move them.

“Good Morning, Pumpkin,” Wade greeted cheerily as he hurried into the nursery and over to the crib. “What’s got your diaper all tied up in knots, huh?”

Now that Eddie remembered he was still wearing one, he noticed it was wet and starting feel unpleasant. He attempted to reach towards Dada in a request to get out of the crib for once. Dada smiled warmly at him and unlatched the side of the crib, pulling it down and under.

“Okay, Pumpkin, let’s change your diaper and you can tell Dada all about it,” Wade soothed, carefully hoisting Eddie up on to his hip and supporting the baby’s head. “There we go. That’s better, huh, baby?”

Eddie sniffled and sucked on his pacifier. This wasn’t so bad. He missed snuggling up to someone. Even if this wasn’t his ideal situation to be in, it was better than being eyed like a cheap whore in the prison. He fisted his hands in Daddy’s shirt as the man began to sway. The movement helped to melt away the tension he’d been holding in his body.

“Daddy’s sweet boy,” Wade cooed, carrying Eddie to the changing table and laying him on top. “Tell Daddy what got you so sad this morning, Sweetheart.”

“ ‘Enum!” Eddie hiccuped, trying and failing to fight the tears.

“It’s okay, sweet boy,” Wade reassured him, rubbing his baby’s tummy as the little one sucked on pacifier. “Venom’s just sleeping in, Baby. He’s just extra tired today. I bet he’ll wake up and come out to see you by the time we go have breakfast. Can you let him sleep until we go eat?”

Eddie thought about it and then nodded. Yeah, he could wait if it meant Venom would come out to see him like yesterday.

“There’s Daddy’s sweet boy,” Wade cheered, fastening the strap across Eddie’s belly and leaning in to kiss his baby’s forehead. “Let’s get your diapy changed and get you in a clean outfit. Maybe we’ll take a bubble bath later. Would that be fun for my baby boy, huh?”

Eddie nodded, a smile forming behind his paci. Daddy was really good at taking care of him. He was kinda glad that Venom convinced him to go along with everything. Granted, he wasn’t a huge fan of wetting his own pants- even if this particular pair was meant for that- but otherwise it wasn’t so bad. He liked the hugs and caressing. The nursery was really nice and the crib’s mattress was super comfy. Eddie was brought out of his thoughts once his diaper- which was super soft and fluffy and comfy- and clothes were changed. Daddy was reaching towards Eddie’s face. He tilted his head to the side as his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. What was Daddy doing? The next thing he knew, Daddy had his paci and the strap around it in his hands and looked like he was trying to take it apart… Eddie felt an unpleasant feeling in his tummy and his lip wobbled as he wondered if he’d been bad and made Daddy take away his soother. He let the water works flow and his sobs were no longer muffled.

“I know, sweet boy,” Wade cooed, a sympathetic frown on his face. “Daddy doesn’t think you need the strap anymore, though. I’m gonna make the strap go bye-bye and put a little leash on it so you don’t lose it. It’s gonna be okay. Daddy will give it back, promise.”

Eddie kept up the fuss until Daddy gave his paci back, clipping it to his romper as promised. He found himself being lifted into Daddy’s arms and carried out of the nursery as he sniffled and hiccuped. Daddy rubbed his back and kissed his temple while Eddie catalogued his surroundings. It was a pretty luxurious place. There were at least four bedrooms (including the nursery) and one unattached bathroom placed along a hallway that held pictures of Daddy with a different baby doing different things in each one. The picture at the end of the hall closest to the rest of the suite was of Eddie snuggling with Venom’s head.

“Dada,” Eddie prompted, attempting to point at the picture as they walked by.

“That’s you and your little ink monster, isn’t it, Baby Boy?” Wade smiled, kissing Eddie’s forehead. “Daddy had Jarvis help him with that picture. Daddy likes having pictures from his baby’s first day at home.”

Eddie thought about Daddy’s words. He guessed it made sense. After all, that was the first day that Eddie accepted that he was with Daddy and Venom and had to be a good boy for them. He watched the living room pass by as they went into the kitchen. There was a high chair that was the perfect size for him waiting by the table. He whined as Daddy tucked him into the high chair, strapping him in and clicking a plastic tray into place over his lap. Daddy kissed his cheek and set a few toys on the tray consisting of a set of teething keys, a couple plush blocks and a rattle.

“Okay, Baby,” Wade spoke up. “Daddy’s gonna let you play while he makes breakfast. Do you like scrambled eggs, bacon, and oatmeal? Daddy bought apple and cinnamon oatmeal so it wouldn’t taste so bland.”

Eddie nodded and watched Daddy as he started pulling out pots and pans and ingredients to make everything. He startled a  bit as Daddy turned on music that started out with a heavy beat where the singer was about to cuss before the station was changed and a softer song started playing. Daddy began to sing along with the song, which made Eddie chuckle because Daddy didn’t look like he usually liked soft music.

“Are you laughing at Daddy?” Wade questioned with mock incredulity as he came over to Eddie. “Daddy’s gonna give you something to laugh about.”

Eddie looked Daddy with concern. What was that supposed to mean? What was he-? Eddie got his answer as he burst into a fit of laughter as Daddy tickled his feet and he weakly tried to kick his hands away. Finally, Daddy had mercy, a big goofy smile on his face, and instead began to smother Eddie with kisses all over his face. When Daddy was finally done, Eddie was practically out of breath.

“You’re such a silly baby,” Wade chuckled, lightly tapping a finger to Eddie’s nose. “Daddy’s gotta make breakfast so play nice, Sweetheart.”

With that, Daddy returned to his task of making breakfast. The water was boiling for the oatmeal and the pans were ready for the bacon and eggs to be tossed in. Eddie was distracted by the lack of his soother in his mouth. He didn’t much care for that and he let Daddy know by fussing about it.

“Did you lose your binky, Sweet boy?” Wade asked, glancing at Eddie between laying strips of bacon in the skillet. “Why don’t you try your keys, huh? Daddy had them in the freezer so they should be nice and cold. Daddy’ll get your binky once everything’s situated and he washes his hands.”

Eddie frowned at that, but supposed that it wasn’t the worst thing. After all, he did love popsicles and even though this one wouldn’t be edible, he was sure the cold would feel good after all the crying this morning. Eddie never realized how much babies cried until he was forced to be one again. Clumsily, he reached for the mostly frozen keys with his right hand. It took a few tries with his spastic movements, but eventually he got a hold of them and managed to stick one in his mouth as he leaned back in his high chair. Daddy was right. The keys did feel nice and cold, though they weren’t as comfortable to suck on with their odd shapes. Eddie startled a bit as his stomach growled and ended up dropping his keys. Daddy turned around, curious about the sound, to find Eddie pouting and longingly staring at the keys he’d dropped.

“Aw, Sweet Pea, did your tummy scare you?” Wade hummed, fighting a smile. Once Eddie and Venom were in a more vulnerable state, they really were very precious. “It’s okay Daddy can get your paci now and then we’ll be ready to eat in a minute.”

Eddie pouted some more as Daddy slipped his paci in his mouth and kissed his cheek again. He was starting to like these kisses Daddy was so fond of giving. He entertained himself with stacking and smooshing the blocks on his high chair tray. As the food cooked, he could smell the bacon, eggs and subtle hints of the apple cinnamon oatmeal. Eddie practically squealed with delight when the smells woke Venom up and lured him outside of his host’s body.

“What’s got you so excited, Sweet Boy?” Wade chuckled, taking a minute while he waited for the food to finish cooking to look over at his baby. “Good morning, sleepyhead. Care to join us for breakfast, Little Ink Monster?”

“Why do you call me ink monster?” Venom inquired, looking rather perplexed as he allowed Eddie to snuggle with his head.

“It’s just an affectionate nickname,” Wade shrugged, turning all the burners on the stove off. “Just like how I call Eddie ‘Sweetheart’ or my ‘Sweet Boy.’ It’s a way to show that I feel fond of you, that I love you.”

“Love me?” Venom pressed, uncertain of how he felt about that.

“Yeah, Inky. I love you both. You’re my babies.” Wade laughed, starting to dish out the food. “Do you eat on your own or just like… feed from Eddie…?”

“I can eat independently of Eddie, but this isn’t a typical situation for us,” Venom answered. “Normally I have to stay hidden to avoid calling attention to us. However, this little home you’ve made allows me to be out and my presence outside of Eddie is the primary comfort keeping him calm.”

“Well, I guess it’s up to you then,” Wade submitted. “Do you wanna eat or do you want to just get your nutrients from Eddie?”

“I would like to eat,” Venom decided, curious about the taste of human cuisine.

“Alrighty, Munchkins, time for breakfast,” Wade announced, bringing over three plates of food and setting them on the kitchen table. “This is how we’re gonna do this, Little Ones. Daddy’s gonna feed you two and then we’ll have our baba’s, okay?”

“What.” Venom demanded, unsure of what the fuck a ‘baba’ was supposed to be and why they were being fed by another person.

“You’re adorable,” Wade teased, booping the spot where he assumed Venom’s nose or nostrils should be. “Baba is baby-talk for a bottle. It’s like a cup with a lid and a special spout that babies use. Parent’s use baby-talk to relate to their children and to help them understand what’s being said. If a baby calls their bottle a baba, the parents usually will as well to help their baby understand what they mean. And I’m feeding you because it helps you two feel little and helpless like a baby.”

“I don’t have a choice in this, do I?” Venom frowned.

“Afraid not, Inky Baby,” Wade confirmed. “Okay, Sweets, are you hungry?”

Eddie grinned behind paci and nuzzled Venom. He was so hung up on having his friend awake and with him that he missed the whole conversation. He flinched back when Daddy took his paci out. Looking between his paci and Daddy with pout, he wondered what was going on.

“Don’t cry, Pumpkin,” Wade soothed, using a toddler fork to spear a bite of eggs and hold it up for Eddie to eat. “Daddy’s trying to get some food in your tummy. Can you take a bite for Daddy?”

Eddie huffed, but opened up and ate the bite of eggs. He loved his paci, but food was amazing. He perked up as he chewed and swallowed, humming happily at the taste. Daddy was a good cook.

“Your turn, Inky Baby,” Wade grinned repeating the process for Venom, who glared at him while begrudgingly taking the offered food from the fork as he rested on Eddie’s tray. “Num, num num!”

“You disgust me sometimes,” Venom bluntly responded.

“No mean words, Little Mister, or you’ll be eating breakfast last.” Wade warned, feeding Eddie a bite of bacon. “Are you gonna be nice and behave?”

“Yes.” Venom huffed.

“Yes, who?” Wade prompted.

“You’re really going to make me say it aren’t you?”

“Yep.”

“Yes, Daddy.” Venom frowned, feeling very uncomfortable.

“There’s my sweet Little Ink Monster,” Wade praised, feeding Venom a strip of bacon.

“That is delicious. What is it?” Venom hummed.

“Bacon. So meat from a pig,” Wade explained, grinning as he fed Eddie another bite, which made the baby coo happily for him. “Sweet Boy! You’re eating so well for Daddy!”

The meal continued on like that until it was time for the oatmeal. Wade swapped the fork for a spoon and started with Eddie as he had before.

“Yummy, huh, Baby?” Wade commented as Eddie chewed and swallowed. “Just like before, Little Ink Monster.”

Venom opened up and accepted the bite, gagging at the taste and texture. He spit the oatmeal out and frowned at the spot where it landed on the floor.

“What on Earth is that?” Venom asked, sticking his tongue out in disgust.

“Oatmeal with apples and cinnamon.” Wade answered. “I think you just need to get used to it. You’ve spent so much time only eating meat when you’re outside of Eddie that you haven’t gotten a taste for anything else.”

“I think I like it that way,” Venom disagreed.

“Well, that’s too bad because you’re finishing the oatmeal.” Wade insisted, his attention drawn back to Eddie, who was starting to fuss at being left out. “I’m sorry, Sweet Pea. Daddy will get you another bite.”

Eddie continued to happily consume his breakfast while watching as Venom struggled to get through his oatmeal. He wondered why Venom was making faces like that. After awhile, Eddie couldn’t help but giggle at Venom’s expressions. That caught both of their attentions.

“Is our Little Ink Monster making funny faces, Baby Boy?” Wade joked, smiling at his giggly baby. “Alright, Inky, one more bite, Sweets.”

Venom begrudgingly ate the last bite and stuck his tongue out once more. Oatmeal was definitely not on his list of enjoyable human cuisine.

“Alright, Little Ones, play nicely while Daddy finishes up and makes your babas,” Wade instructed slipping Eddie’s paci back in his mouth and kissing the baby’s forehead before giving Venom a kiss on the top of his head as well.

“What was that?” Venom demanded, his eyes narrowing as he watched Wade eat.

“What was what?” Wade innocently clarified as he ate, glancing over to see Eddie trying to stack a fabric block on Venom’s head.

“That thing you did to my head.” Venom flatly responded.

“The kiss to your head?” Wade assumed, chucking at the symbiote. “A kiss is a type of physical affection that we use to comfort the ones we care about, like family members.”

Venom spent the rest of their time in the high chair trying to sort out everything he’d learned thus far about humans. Meanwhile, Eddie amused himself with the blocks until they both fell from the high chair’s tray after sliding off Venom’s head one too many times. He was getting bored faster now that Daddy had finished eating and was in the process of making bottles for them- two chocolate and two vanilla in case one of his boys didn’t like what they were given. Eddie grabbed a hold of the rattle and looked it over. It looked pretty boring. It was clear with little colorful plastic beads inside and the handle was soft. Shaking it, he was a little more intrigued as the colors shimmered a bit with the change in lighting as they moved and the sound was like a maraca.

“You’re getting bored, huh, Baby?” Wade inquired, gathering the bottles and running them to the living room to set up their snuggle space.

Eddie looked around the kitchen and frowned when he saw Daddy was gone. Letting the rattle drop to the floor, he hugged Venom to his chest and whimpered. He didn’t want to be alone anymore.

“ ‘Enum…” Eddie whimpered, nuzzling his friend. “Dada…”

“He stepped into the other room, Eddie.” Venom assured his human. “He’ll be back.”

“Dada…?” Eddie called, wanting him right then and there as a few tears fell down his face.

“Don’t cry, Sweets,” Wade soothed as he came back and started to pull Eddie from the high chair. “Daddy’s here and so’s Little Inky.”

Wade rocked his baby in his arms and kissed both babies’ heads before relocating to the living room. He got them comfortable and had Jarvis turn on some soft instrumentals. Once Eddie and Venom were comfortable and calm, Wade grabbed the chocolate ensure bottles and offered them to his little ones. Venom happily took to the drink after altering his approach as to not puncture the nipple. Eddie took one sip and spat out the nipple of his own bottle, fussing at the taste.

“Not a fan of the chocolate one, Sweet Pea?” Wade noted, swapping for the vanilla one he had made as a backup. “That better, Honey?”

Eddie took to the vanilla flavored bottle much quicker and happily snuggled against Daddy while continuing to hug Venom close. Venom was finished in what had to be record time. The symbiote really liked chocolate, Wade noted.

“Tell us about the Captain’s little girl.” Venom demanded, looking up at Wade.

“Manners, Munchkin,” Wade reminded him.

“Fine,” Venom sighed. “Please tell us about her.”

“Thank you, Little one,” Wade responded, kissing Venom’s head and then Eddie’s. “I suppose baba time is the best time for stories so you two can nap with Daddy…”

<==

Steve woke bright and early as usual and made use of the treadmill in recreational room on his floor. He had about an hour before Tony would wake up. Going through his morning routine, he ran for a half hour on the treadmill while watching the news, showered, got dressed, made a cup of coffee, and cooked a small breakfast of eggs and oatmeal with wild berries mixed in. By the time Steve had Tony’s bottle in the warmer, the sounds of his baby waking sounded through the kitchen, courtesy of Jarvis. From the sniffles and hiccups, it sounded like Tony had a nightmare before waking. Steve made his way to the nursery and lifted his baby boy out of the crib for some snuggles before getting his diaper changed.

“It’s okay, Sweetness, Daddy’s here,” Steve hummed, rubbing Tony’s back and kissing his cheek. “Did you have a bad dream?”

Tony nodded and accepted his paci from Daddy before being laid down on the changing table. Daddy was quick but gentle with changing his diaper and dressing him in a romper and sweatpants with grip socks for the day. Tony smiled as Daddy showered him with kisses and hoisted him back onto his hip. They went through breakfast as usual with Tony making a mess of himself as Daddy fed him. After that, it was time for a bottle and a movie. They only made it halfway through the movie before Steve received a call. Tony perked up at the sound of Daddy’s phone going off. It was rare, but sometimes, Daddy had people to talk to or things to do. Usually, Daddy was able to stay with Tony or at least take him along so he wasn’t too worried.

“Hello, you’ve reached Steve,” Daddy answered the phone. “Oh, Hi, Director… Yeah, he’s doing fine. We’re watching Wall-E at the moment. How’re things with the media?... That sounds like a bit much, but I’m sure it was necessary… Well, I’m glad they’ve agreed to redact their prior statements. Maybe we can finally keep the Program under wraps… Right, right… Okay. What assignment were you thinking of because you know that I can’t leave Tony… I know, I know… You want me to do what?... Are you sure that’s a good idea?... No, I’m not doubting that people can change, but she’s as unstable as it gets since- … I understand that. I’m just saying maybe we should make sure she can go through the first phase before we put her around any other babies… No, Sir, I’m not questioning your judgement… Okay, I understand… I’ll talk to him and we’ll give it a try, but she’s out of here at the first sign of trouble. Tony’s been through enough already- including the program… Alright. Goodbye, Director.”

Daddy sighed, making Tony look up at him. He smiled at his baby and tapped his nose, making Tony go cross-eyed and devolve into a fit of giggles. Daddy could just barely make out a smile around Tony’s paci.

“Big Papa said he’s got a new friend for you to meet since he needs Daddy’s help looking after her.” Steve told his baby boy. “Would you like a friend to play with?”

Tony thought about it, frowning at the thought of sharing Daddy. At the same time, the last baby that stayed with them for a day or two before going to their new home was fun to play with. Tony smiled and nodded. Maybe a new friend that stayed longer would be more fun.

“They’ll be dropping her off tonight and you’ll meet her when she’s ready,” Daddy promised, blowing raspberries against Tony’s cheek, making the baby giggle. “Cutie pie.”

They had a lazy day on Steve’s floor as they kept to Baby Tony’s routine. After lunch, there was playtime, then dinner, bath, bottle, stories and snuggles, and finally bedtime. Tony was content as Daddy tucked him in with kisses and promises of sweet dreams. The next day, Tony woke up happier and more giggly than normal. He snuggled, played, and ate as much his tummy would allow. On top of all that, he didn’t once fuss about nap time. Steve was impressed by his baby’s temperament, despite knowing that Daddy would have to be shared with another baby- a baby girl, no less. Steve hadn’t even entered the baby girl’s nursery yet. She had yet to cry for him so protocol said she was to be left alone. The rest of the day passed quickly and before Steve knew it, he was tucking his precious baby boy into bed for the night.

It was that same night that Steve awoke to the baby girl wailing for Dada. Tony, thankfully, was not a light sleeper and even if he had been, he was sure Jarvis would engage the ‘Night Night Baby’ protocol to keep Tony from being disturbed by anything that didn’t threaten the baby’s life. Steve rushed into the girl’s nursery and had to take a deep breath. After all the time that had passed since he last dealt with the Scarlet Witch, he had managed to disassociate the face and the person. Someone who looked so young and innocent shouldn’t be so deceitful and cruel. He forced himself forward and tried to pretend she was just some random girl forced into the program as her last chance.

“Hey there, Baby Girl,” Steve cooed, undoing her bonds and lifting her out of the crib. “Did you have a bad dream?”

Wanda Maximoff tearfully nodded, clinging to him as best she could. He was already eating it up. He forgave too easily. The man was a marshmallow.

“It’s okay, Sweetie,” Steve murmured, carrying the soaked baby girl to the changing table. “Let’s get you in a fresh diapy and then we’ll have a baba before we get some rest. You’ll meet your new friend tomorrow when you both wake up.”

Steve was quick and clinical with the change before hoisting her back in his arms. He carried her out to the kitchen and heated a meal replacement drink in a bottle for her. After settling in the living room, he fed her the bottle as he hummed a song that had been stuck in his head from earlier in the day. He felt himself relax as they locked eyes. She didn’t look like the monster she’d acted like in Sokovia… She had been very cuddly and sweet so far. It wasn’t hard to think that maybe Wanda wanted to be reborn so she could start over and scrub the record clean by doing more good than harm…

That was his first mistake. His second was relaxing around her. She was excellent at playing the sweet and innocent baby girl. She cried for her new Daddy over everything from wet diapers to bad dreams to needing a nap or wanting to be fed. Steve was convinced that she was enjoying the program- it was extremely rare, but some people did. Tony wasn’t so sure. There was something about the way she acted that made him uncomfortable. Still, he tried his best to befriend her and make his Daddy happy. It was a day when she had progressed to late toddlerhood that her true colors came out.

It had taken a month to get there, but she was at the point where she was finally in pull-ups, allowed to walk on her own, and speak in small sentences. Tony hadn’t progressed in nearly three months, but Tony had confessed before they started that he had a feeling it would take him longer to progress than most. Steve was perfectly okay with the slow progress. He could tell Tony was happy just being a baby and having a Daddy to love and care for him. Of course, with being in infanthood, he needed more attention and care than Wanda. Unfortunately, Steve’s supposed sweet little strawberry baby could put a lime to shame with her sourness.

Steve had left the little ones to play while he made dinner. They had been getting along well so he figured they would be alright with intermittent supervision. Wanda was in her t-shirt and pull-up and Tony his diaper and romper, both on the blanket spread over the living room floor. Tony laid on his tummy and she sat upright. The two of them were building a tower out of wooden blocks. Steve came in to check on them and praised their handiwork before returning to the kitchen. When the tower a bit taller than Wanda could reach, she knocked it down with a hard swat so they’d topple onto Tony. The baby wailed as a corner of a block cut open his forehead. Steve came rushing out and hoisted his baby into arms and looked over at the little girl for answers.

“What happened, Wanda?” Steve asked, rubbing the baby’s back.

“We tried to knock it all down and they fell on him and hurt him,” Wanda cried. “It was scary, Daddy!”

“Let’s go see Uncle Brucie,” Steve sighed, taking Wanda’s hand and guiding her towards the elevator.

Whenever Steve wasn’t looking, she smirked at the baby and stuck her tongue out. Once Tony had recovered from the ordeal, he tried to befriend her once more as she progressed rather quickly to the teen stage. It was the incident that happened that day that made Steve swear off all other babies, especially from the program, and sent Wanda to the most inhumane mental hospital where she remains heavily drugged until the day she dies to prevent her from hurting anyone else.

==>

“And that’s why Steve wouldn’t even agree to you two being under his care,” Wade wrapped up as he saw his babies growing sleepy after the long story. “Nap time for my sweet baby boys.”

“Daddy, you left out the most important part…” Venom murmured, half asleep and unaware that he was nearly regressing in the moment.

“What’s that, Inky Baby?” Wade cooed, smiling softly at the symbiote.

“What Wanda did to get locked up,” Venom insisted.

“She nearly killed Baby Tony,” Wade somberly explained, holding his own babies closer. “She almost short circuited the powerful magnet over his heart that was keeping some very sharp pieces of metal from dicing it up. Steve just barely made it in time to stop her. They say that once Tony was in surgery, Steve beat her bloody- nearly to death- and she just laughed through it all as she told him how she had played him from the start. They took her away and sentenced her to life in a mental institution.”

“Dada…” Eddie whimpered, clinging to Venom. “Scawy, Dada…”

“It’s okay, Pumpkin.” Wade assured him, rocking his boys as he held them close. “Daddy would never let anyone around his babies unless he’d known them for a long, long time and trusted them with his soul. Daddy will never let anyone hurt either of you. I love you, Eddie, and I love you, Venom. Daddy loves you both.”

“We love you too, Daddy,” Venom responded, nuzzling against Wade’s chest. It felt nice to be cared for. No one had ever loved him or even thought well enough of him to say he was worth protecting. As he and Eddie drifted off to dreamland, Venom couldn’t help but wonder if he should try regressing himself…