Labels
In all of Eddie’s career as a journalist he didn’t think he’d ever been on a phone call this long before. He was just calling for one single quote from a notable person regarding his latest piece and the guy was giving him his whole life story and then some.
“Tell him he’s not as important as he thinks he is and hang up.”
Eddie covered the receiver and shook his head at the suggestion.
“Give me the phone, I’ll do it.”
They were walking in circles around the living room as the man droned on about his pretentious and apparently never ending accomplishments, Sleeper watching their every lap.
“Yes, that is an outstanding achievement.” Eddie repeated the man’s statement back to him in an effort to hurry this conversation along.
“Mmmm.”
“I know not many people are that successful by twenty-five.” He was getting really tired of kissing this guy’s ass for one measly quote, but he was a cornerstone of the story.
“Mmmm!”
“And what are your thoughts on the proposed funding cuts to cover the CEO salary bonuses?” He really need this stupid quote.
“Mmm!!”
“V, stop humming.” Eddie thought to his other shortly.
“I’m not humming.”
“Mama!”
Sleeper’s little voice made him drop the phone completely, no longer caring about the conversation or his work obligations as the device clattered loudly on the floor.
“Sleeper did you just say something??” Eddie scrambled on his knees to their youngest.
The infant had evidently been trying to get their attention.
“Sleeper what did you say?” Venom rose off Eddie’s back, clawed hands clutching his shoulders to lean forward past him.
Sleeper’s ever-luminescent red eyes focused on his other parent’s iridescent white ones.
“Papa.” Sleeper said it as more of a statement, like he was happy to see his father and wanted to try the name out. Not much like the impatient demand he’d just directed at Eddie.
“Venom! Sleeper is talking! He’s saying actual words!
“That’s right love, I’m your Papa.” Venom placed their hand on his head, its size dwarfing Sleeper by comparison.
“And I’m- hey wait. Why did he call me Mama? Why am I Mama?” Eddie interrupted his own sentence at realizing Sleeper’s choice of words.
“You’re not going to make a big deal out of this are you?”
“Sleeper, I’m Daddy. Say Dada.” Eddie pointed at himself.
“Mmmm…” Sleeper started.
“Dddddd.” Eddie tried to redirect the baby.
“Maaaa…”
“Daaaa…” Eddie kept trying and Venom just winced.
“Maaamaaa!” Sleeper reached for him eagerly and Eddie dropped his head between his shoulders.
“It doesn’t matter what he calls you, darling.”
“That means a lot coming from you, Papa.”
Sleeper squirmed and gave a small growl, irritated that he was clamoring for their attention all this time and still wasn’t getting it. Venom pulsed with a trace of guilt for accidentally neglecting his request and picked him up and pulled him in close to the two of them.
“Where did he even learn that? None of our kids have ever called me that! Sleeper, I’m Dada. Call me Dada.” He kept jabbing his finger at his own face for emphasis.
Sleeper stared up at him blankly.
“Dada!” Eddie repeated more desperately.
Sleeper reached up and placed his hand over Eddie’s mouth.
“Is he..Is he shushing me?” Eddie’s voice was a little muffled by the tiny hand that was definitely shushing him.
"Kinda has a point though. Your planet is way too hung up on these arbitrary and nonsensical gender conceptions. You’re pretty much the only ones, most of the rest of the galaxy evolved past it centuries ago.”
“Like you would know.”
“I have access to a millennia old species Hive Mind. And I physically explored the galaxy. Planet to planet. With Flash, remember?”
Damn that whole collective race knowledge thing and that Agent of the Cosmos gig.
“I get your whole strict Catholic upbringing and general life on this planet seriously skewed your ideas of what kinds of things certain groups of people do in society but they are all made up and don’t matter in the slightest.”
“Well it matters a little, V. We live here. It’s what’s normal here.” Eddie huffed.
“Yeah, you left normal way behind when you met me.”
“But I wanted at least something about our life to be somewhat...you know...ordinary.” He frowned.
“I don’t. I want our life to be our life. Sleeper’s very first word was you. No matter what the word was, he meant you. Do you get that, Eddie? Our baby’s first ever vocalized thought was of you. In fact, I’m a little hurt but I’ll get through it.”
Eddie and Venom both looked at Sleeper who took his hand off Eddie’s mouth.
“Mama.” Sleeper stated again, looking at Eddie directly.
Eddie’s sigh turned into a smile. It was his baby’s first word after all.
“Okay Sleeps, I’m Mama.” They both cuddled him.