Eddie stood atop a volcano in utter darkness, though his eyes not eyes no eyes perception through connection were somehow able to make out countless shapes of fluid darkness around him, writhing, moving, all together and against each other, fighting, dancing, connecting and disconnecting. He didn’t know where he was, or what was happening, he only knew that he was alone emptyhollowalonealonealone panic rising inside him, as one of the shapes snapped his ankle, tripping him over…
He jolted awake in his bed, sweaty and gasping for air, his heart hammering in his rips. Soft light of the street lamp outside his window illuminated his room, though the corners were still too dark for Eddie’s liking. He took a deep breath, trying to shake off the terror of the nightmare.
Speaking of - he never dreamed of anything alike. Usually, his dreams and nightmares consisted of things he remembered, experienced, even though mostly they didn’t make sense. But this was…
…like a dream of Venom.
Eddie concentrated and easily made out the alien - the reassuring presence inside his chest, around his heart, silent and warm.
His.
This feeling - he never wanted to miss it again, never wanted to feel as empty and lonely as he did the week after the explosion at Life Foundation, when he thought he lost Venom, and felt like he lost his soul too. It was only when the alien collected enough energy to make himself known from deep within Eddie, did he feel like coming back to life. Like being whole again.
…Eddie? A sleepy voice in his head tore him out of his thoughts. Eddie’s nightmare, or maybe just too much thinking of unpleasant things seemed to wake Venom from his monthly two-day-hibernation.
It’s nothing, buddy. Go back to sleep.
Okay. Then silence again, as Venom followed Eddie’s advice.
Eddie traced the place on his chest, where Venom was sleeping behind his ribcage - a small, vulnerable bundle of goo, that trusted Eddie enough to go into hibernation in the first place, and a wave of affection suddenly rushed through Eddie.
As far as his experience went with Venom’s hibernation, Eddie could go anywhere and do anything, as long as his heart rate remained steady - Venom won’t react in any way. So, in a way, Eddie could go to the hospital and get rid of Venom before the latter would be able to react.
The thought downright sickened Eddie.
He pressed his hand firmly against his chest, trying to encircle sleeping Venom with the fuzzy feeling of loveaffectionwarmmineprotect he suddenly was overwhelmed with.
Sleep well, big guy. I’ve got you.
~~~
For the sake of Venom, Eddie didn’t busy himself with anything that would stress him out too much for the rest of the day, but the nightmare didn’t leave him alone anymore. Analyzing everything he could remember from his dream, Eddie came to realization that what he saw was Venom’s home planet, the fluid dark shapes around him - his specimen.
Another thing, that was rather hidden behind all this - for him, for Eddie, it was a nightmare. For Venom it was apparently a pleasant dream.
Eddie stopped himself right there, desperately trying not to let this unsettle him, but there he was - one hell of an insecure fucker.
Venom could have sided with Riot, but took your side!
He must miss his home planet, and his own species!
He even said that it was for you!
Why am I so important, surely there are better hosts out there…
He risked his life for you.
But…
He hibernates inside you!
…
Stop being ridiculous. This is embarrassing. Especially since he can read your mind!
Even after losing an argument to himself, Eddie still wasn’t convinced, and tried his best to hide this from Venom, as soon as he woke up the next day.
Everything was as normal as his life was lately - during the day he was driving around, interviewing people for a small newspaper he now worked for, and during the night they were looking for bad guys to bite their heads off, so Venom could regain his energy.
Everything was normal, and Eddie almost convinced himself, that Venom didn’t catch on to these thoughts, until…
We are sorry about that dream, that woke you up. We didn’t want to scare you.
Oh fuck.
Eddie instantly ran into a passerby and quickly leaned on the building wall nearest to them, while his thoughts immediately jumped to the dream and everything that came to mind regarding it. He couldn’t hide it from Venom now.
And sure enough, the Other inside him stirred, intently listening to the chaos of thoughts and feelings that Eddie couldn’t control anymore.
Venom…
Why were you arguing with yourself? The alien was genuinely confused.
It’s… It was a good question, even for Eddie. It helps get everything sorted, I guess…
If that is true, you weren’t successful.
What do you…
You are still… unhappy. Venom was only learning the human language, and sometimes helped himself with a simpler expression, than the context required. You are afraid that I would leave you. Go to my planet. Join my species again.
Well, you were dreaming about it, and it wasn’t un unpleasant dream for you! What the hell was I supposed to think of it?
Silence, while Venom dug deeper into Eddie’s thoughts and memories of thoughts in attempt to understand.
You think of yourself as less than perfect for us. Venom was starting to get upset the more he rummaged inside Eddie’s mind. I thought you were smarter than that, Eddie.
Fuck you. Now Eddie was upset too, Venom’s emotions bleeding over and being amplified by his own annoyance and insecurity.
To his surprise, Venom didn’t immediately come up with a retort, instead making an appearance as a floating head with huge white eyes in front of Eddie. The never-ending loop of negative emotions between them was abruptly cut off.
“I still do not understand, why I have to repeat it, but it seems important to you”, Venom wrapped himself around Eddie’s neck once - a warm and comforting mass - before coming up to his face again, “You are perfect, Eddie. We do not wish to have another host, we do not wish to go back and join our species, we want to stay with you.”
Eddie let out a sigh he didn’t know he was holding. Apparently, Venom understood him better than himself by saying it was important to him - hearing this did move a weight off his shoulders. His heart made a happy jump against his ribs, and Venom seemed to sense all that, because he nuzzled Eddie’s cheek, silky fluid darkness, and Eddie turned his head and pressed a kiss on top of the alien’s head, while running his fingers through the ink.
“Sorry, bud, people are just that complicated.”
“You could just… not be.”
Eddie laughed. “If only it was that simple. If only.”
~~~
Later that night, when they finally made it to bed, Venom spread himself across Eddie’s entire body like a warm blanket, while his small head was pressed against his human’s throat - his favorite position.
Eddie was about to drift off into sleep, but certain unrest, something unfinished, was preventing him. He waited patiently, knowing well that Venom wanted to say something.
Unrest, hesitation, then…
My species don’t ever bond like we did, Eddie. My species is far more closely connected to each other, than to any host we - they - inhibit. They simply use their hosts, until the hosts die, then they move on to another host. If the host is good, they are able to inhibit it longer, use it more effectively, if it isn’t - it dies quicker. They never… Venom couldn’t find the right words, but the connection between them flared up with warmloveaffectionmineprotectEDDIE and Eddie understood. My entire species is more or less a hive-mind. Our thoughts are always shared, weaker ones submit to stronger ones, and get controlled, overpowered, have to submit and follow orders. A short pause, where Eddie gets tidbits of memories of the same place he dreamed about transferred to him through their bond. It doesn’t fail to terrify him again, and the transmission is immediately cut, but not before he senses fear that doesn’t come from himself. I was able to fight Riot, because there were only the two of us here at this point. If more of us survived, we’d continued being a hive-mind, controlled by Riot most of the time. And we’d overtook Earth. Another pause. I enjoyed being a part of the hive-mind.
Eddie’s heart skipped a beat at that, his other part - not Venom, the anxious guy who was adamant that the alien is better off with his own species - laughed deep inside his head: [knew that, you loser, not good eno…]
I do not want to go back to my species. Not anymore. Not since we have found you, Eddie. Venom continued feebly. Neither do we want them to come to Earth. If they come… we won’t be strong enough to fight them all, Eddie. Venom’s voice got smaller and smaller, and he pressed himself tighter around Eddie’s body, his head almost melting into the crook of Eddie’s neck. If they come, we won’t be able to resist their control. We would submit to the hive-mind and revert to our old ways of handling a host. The Other stopped, but Eddie suddenly got a vivid image of his body being eaten from within, while Venom no!notVenom!they!neverVenom! used him as a mere host - one of many to come, replaceable, means to an end and food at the same time.
Venom recoiled at that image, the ink around Eddie’s body rippling in disgust and fear. Eddie quickly pressed Venom’s head closer. I’m not letting this happen. We are not letting this happen. We are strong. We are Venom.
You have no idea how strong they are, Eddie!
I don’t care how strong they are. Besides, the humans have our own ways. Eddie curled into himself and pressed his face into Venom’s head protectively. I will find a way to protect us, I promise. Seeing his hulky, arrogant and overconfident other half suddenly reduced to a terrified mess just by thinking of their own species made Eddie want to punch someone. Preferably one of them. Instead he traced his fingers through the fluid ink below Venom’s head in a vain attempt to calm the other down.
Suddenly, the image of the hospital came to their mind. MRI, the agonizing vibrations tearing them apart. All-consuming pain that wasn’t his.
What was that about? Eddie was confused at the change of subject, while the other guy didn’t want to shut up: [wants to leave, not good enough…]
When… If they come here, and we lose control, go there and do it again, Eddie.
It took Eddie a moment to connect the dots, and it sent cold shivers up his spine.
NO! This is out of question. I’m not leaving you! We will fight and we will win.
Eddie…
I’m NOT leaving you.
The mere prospect of abandoning Venom to be controlled by his own species made Eddie’s stomach turn inside out, bile rising in his throat.
We don’t want to hurt you, Eddie!
No.
Venom frantically shifted around Eddie, stressed out and downright panicking, desperate to make his human understand, bombarding him with disrupted, horrific images of death and destruction Venom’s kind brought upon other species, but Eddie had his own part he was determined to make his Symbiote understand - he would rather let Venom destroy his body and kill him, than abandon him and be hollow inside again, even if it means being devoured by Venom from within, when the latter is not himself anymore. From the chaos of conflicting emotions and images flooding their bond back and forth Eddie’s line of thought became prevalent, and the alien inside him calmed down, listening in awe.
We are Venom. When it comes down to it, I’d rather die by your hand, than abandon you. Eddie accompanied his words with unweavering certainty in hopes to drive his point home.
After a moment of silence, Venom started comfortingly vibrating all around Eddie, while transferring his emotions across - not with words, but with a whirlwind of relief, gratitude, loaylty, and above all overwhelming happiness.
And this is why you are perfect, Eddie.