"Hey, this is great, thanks for suggesting this," Venom said as he bit into his Monster Mac hungrily.
Carnage smiled.
"You're welcome," he smiled.
"Are we gonna do anything else today?" Eddie wondered curiously.
"What, you wanted to eat burgers all day?" Carnage teased, as Venom nudged Eddie playfully.
"I dunno, to be honest," Eddie shrugged with a grin. "It just seemed like we didn't have much of a plan today."
"True, I'll agree with you on that, we didn't have much of a plan today," Venom said. "I have some homework and stuff to finish, other than that, that's my day."
"Same," Carnage agreed.
"But Eddie here got all of his homework done early, didn't he?" Venom mused, ruffling Eddie's hair. "Aww, what a good boy."
"Stooop," Eddie replied with a grin and swatted that large hand away. Venom chuckled.
"Hey, I got a joke. Why aren't Corgi jokes funny?"
"Why?" Carnage asked.
"All of them are really short," Venom grinned. "You're the Corgi, Eddie."
"What, no I'm not!" Eddie replied, laughing. "I'm—"
He paused as he felt his phone buzzing.
"Oh, someone's calling me," he said. "I'm just gonna go to the bathroom and take this, okay?"
"Sure, we'll still be here when you come back," Venom smiled.
"Oh, I have one!" Carnage called after Eddie. "In English class, why do dogs like conjunctions? Because dogs love buts!"
Eddie laughed.
"Good one," he said and then ducked into the bathroom.
"Why are we using dog jokes now?" Carnage asked a laughing Venom.
"Ah, it's because Eddie acts like one," Venom smirked.
"Eddie likes butts?"
Venom shook with laughter.
"No! He's just....cute, adorable and cuddly," he mused quietly.
"You have a serious crush on him, let me tell you that."
"Hey, you're turn's coming soon, just you wait. I'm sure there's someone out there."
Eddie pulled his phone out and hit the power button. Seeing the contact on the screen, he immediately panicked.
It was his dad.
This wouldn't be good. Eddie knew that. Any call from his dad wasn't good news. Struggling down a little shaky breath, he pressed the talk button.
"Dad?" he asked tentatively.
"Hey, Edward."
Eddie cringed. He hated it when his dad used his real name.
"Uh....what's up?" he asked after a few moments of akward silence.
"Just wanting to see how you were doing in college. You keeping your grades up?"
Eddie swallowed.
"Yeah. Yeah," he said. "Uh, I did really well on this one project—"
"That's nice, Edward, but I didn't come to talk about just grades."
"Eee, huh?"
"Why are you so interested in going into journalism?"
"Huh?"
"Why can't you be like normal, successful people and run a business?"
"Well, I thought that it would be nice to—"
"I put you in college, I thought we had an agreement to what you would major in. Journalism is for women. It's a low pay job and it will downgrade me."
"Actually—"
"Let me get straight to the point. If you don't want to major in anything else besides journalism, that's fine. I'll just take you out of college."
"Dad—"
"No. I gave you a fair warning."
"But—"
Eddie was rudely cut off when the call was ended and he sighed, turning it off. Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he took in a shaky breath, and tried to breath normally.
He couldn't. He wouldn't. He wouldn't go back to live with his dad! Not after all that man had put him through! He felt himself beginning to panick.
No, no, no! He couldn't go back! His dad would never understand! He could never be like his dad, he never wanted to be like his dad! And yet he was forcing his son to turn his dreams towards what he wanted!
Eddie felt his pulse racing and he slowly slid down the wall, gasping. He needed air. He didn't know where his phone was, but he didn't care. His heart was racing, he was desperately trying to get air in his system. He was alone and no one was around.
"What's taking Eddie so long in there?" Venom wondered anxiously, glancing past Carnage and towards the bathroom.
"Dunno. Should we check?" the red symbiote asked, starting to get up.
"Yeah."
Venom opened the door, Carnage following.
"Eddie?" Venom called quietly. That's when he heard the panicked sounds and his attention was instantly drawn towards the sinks. There was Eddie, curled up on the floor, shaking and hyperventilating, trembling fearfully.
"Eddie!" Venom was immediately at his side, trying to calm him.
"What's wrong?" Carnage asked, alarmed.
"He's having a panic attack," Venom replied, not taking his eyes off of Eddie.
"What do we do?"
"Hey, Eddie," Venom spoke quietly to his crying friend. "It's okay, it's okay. Carnage and I are here and were not gonna leave you, okay?"
Turning back to Carnage, he said,
"Do what I do, just speak quietly and just be careful."
Carnage just nodded and crouched down beside Venom, watching Eddie.
"Eddie, Eddie, listen, you're fine, just breathe," Venom whispered and then reached out to take hold of his hand. Eddie clung to it fiercely as he tried to focus on his breathing.
"Do you need anything?" Carnage asked him.
Eddie replied by hugging both of them tightly. Venom sighed softly and soothingly began to move his hand up and down Eddie's back, trying to console him.
"It's okay," he whispered. "It's okay, Eddie."
Carnage just sat there, blinking, kind of surprised. He'd never had much physical touch with others especially humans, and the hug Eddie was giving him was a little akward but he endured it.
"Uh.....love you, too, buddy," he muttered.
Eddie's panic attack subsided after a little while of Venom gently rocking him back and forth, holding him close, and murmuring assuring words in his ear all the while. Even so, Eddie was still shaking.
Carnage could feel it. The memories flooding back like a tsunami. He could see himself being attacked by the other symbiotes (not the ones at this college obviously), even some humans, from where he had been at the orphanage in past years. He could see himself curled up as Eddie had been on the bathroom floor, shaking and trembling in fear.
He remembered being so close to just giving in, but then something stopped. The kicking, tearing and laughing had stopped. There had been a furious roar and then Venom had appeared to rescue him.
He remembered it well. He remembered how the mob had scattered in fear of the teenaged symbiote. Carnage had only been a kid then. He remembered Venom softly coming up to him and asking if he was okay. Carnage had only cried and whimpered and Venom had knelt down and hugged him.
Coming back to the present, Carnage saw the same happening here. Instead of him, it was Eddie who Venom was protecting. Carnage felt a little twinge of guilt that he wasn't the one who had been able to help Eddie. Well, he had, but Venom seemed to know what he was doing much better.
It didn't matter though, because Eddie was looking up, confused and embarrassed
"Sorry," he mumbled into Venom's shoulder.
"It's okay, Eddie," Venom crooned kindly, still rocking him slowly as he stood. "You just had a little shaky moment, that's all. It's over and you're safe now."
"Thanks," Eddie replied and then saw Carnage was here, too. Lifting up an arm, he used it to give a tired wave.
Carnage smiled softly and waved back at him. Eddie laughed a little and then relaxed a bit more.
"You good to go down now, bud?" Venom asked him.
"Yeah. Yeah, I think so," Eddie said.
"Alright." Venom gave him a little kiss on the cheek before carefully setting him down and releasing him.
"Whoa..." Eddie wobbled a little and Venom steadied him.
"You might be thirsty after that," he said. "You think you can make it back to our table? I can get you some more water if you want."
"Yeah. Thanks," Eddie said with a small smile. "And thanks for being there....uh, both of you..."
"You're welcome," Venom smiled. He turned to Carnage. "You good?"
"Yeah, just thinking," Carnage replied and then went to open the door for them both.
Dora laughed as she and Virus sat on Virus's bed, watching a comedy.
"They're so dumb!" she giggled.
"That's what they do in a comedy," Virus smiled. "Although that one guy was pretty smart."
"He just grabbed the shampoo bottle and just bashed it over the dude's head!"
"The "dude" was an intruder," Virus said. "He deserved it."
After they had finished their movie, Dora asked,
"So what are we gonna do now? I don't have any homework to do."
"Oh? You can help me with mine, then," Virus smirked. "I'm joking, Dora," she laughed after a second. "We could probably go out if you wanted, go shop or something."
"Sounds like fun! Should we invite Anne, too?"
"Last I heard it was Dan and Anne's date day," Virus replied, standing and stretching. "Riot and Carlton don't seem like the type to shop."
"They're probably just having their own date," Dora said with a laugh. "Geez, almost everyone in our friend group is dating. Dan and Anne. Riot and Carlton. Venom and Eddie. And then there's you, me, and Carnage. We're single."
Virus laughed.
"Single people rule," she grinned.
"Just wondering, but why haven't you had any boyfriends? I mean, I'm just wondering because, well, you're gorgeous, and you're literally perfect, I don't see why you haven't had anyone ask you out yet."
"They have," Virus said simply with a soft smile. "I just don't feel the need to date anyone right at the moment."
"Ah."
"Have you dated before?"
"Oh, no," Dora laughed. "No."
"Why not? You're pretty and you have a nice form."
"Well, I do kinda like Carlton, but he's with Riot now, and plus, we're only friends."
"Hmm. I have a solution for a date if you want it," Virus mused.
"Yeah?"
"Me."
Dora laughed.
"That's funny," she replied with a grin.
"Why?" Virus wondered curiously.
"Because I'm not....y'know..." Dora shrugged.
"Bi?"
"...yeah."
"Hmm."
"Are you?"
"I'm a lot of things," Virus said softly. "Well, if you ever need anything, you know who to ask..."
The blue symbiote smiled wider.
"And just for the record, don't be afraid of who you really are. Let yourself get out there. If other people criticize you for being anything, don't let it get to you. I learned that a long time ago."
She paused. "Well, you want to head out now?"
"Oh, yeah, sure!"
"Just think of this as a girl's time together," Virus grinned. "The single pringles are on the move!"
"Where're we going?" Dora asked curiously as she grabbed her purse.
"You'll see."
Carlton sighed as he tried to figure out his assignment.
"Having trouble?" Riot asked, coming over to the desk. Carlton could hear the chair creaking in protest as one large hand was set on the back of it and the other was placed on the desk itself.
"Uh, yeah, I can't exactly figure this problem out," Carlton said.
"Well, first off, what are you learning about?" Riot asked. "Maybe I could help."
"It's this Chemistry shit," Carlton sighed. "I can't figure out the formula correctly."
"Can I see the paper?" Riot wondered.
"Oh, yeah, sure." Carlton's heart pounded as Riot's fingers brushed up against his but the alien hadn't seemed to notice.
"Hmm. I see the problem."
"Where?"
"Right here. You didn't add the element to this one," Riot said, pointing with a claw.
Carlton blushed.
"Oh," he muttered, embarrassed. "I didn't see that part."
"And that's why I'm here to help you," Riot smirked. "Don't worry. It was a honest slip up."
"Yeah. It's either that I'm stupid or I'm just still waking up."
"You're not stupid."
"Haha...well, I've finished anyway. And I'm pretty sure that I am if I can't add one plus one."
"You say that again and I'll have to do something about that," Riot mused.
"What will you do? Eat my homework?" Carlton smiled as he closed his textbook.
"No. I'd do this."
Carlton jolted in his seat with a squawk as he felt Riot poke his ribs.
"H-hey! Don't do that!" he stuttered, blushing.
"If you say you're stupid one more time, I'm going to tickle you," Riot growled softly in his ear.
"You wouldn't."
"Oh, I definitely would. I'd start with your stomach first, slowly letting the tips of my claws travel upwards along your sides until they get to your neck," Riot chuckled, gently dragging his claws up Carlton's torso as he spoke, making him shiver and whimper laughingly.
"You'd wiggle and squirm of course, but that's child's play for me. Holding you down would be so easy...."
Carlton's stood to his feet quickly as the other hand began to join in, and he jittered over to his bed.
"Uh-uh, Nope," he said with a laugh. "You're not gonna do that."
"You think you can stop me?" Riot asked, amused, straightening and looking down at his roommate in amusement.
"There's no harm in trying, right?"
"Oh, please, you're a little kid," Riot chuckled. "You really don't want me to catch you."
Carlton shrugged.
"Oh, I see how it is," Riot smirked. "You want to go up against me? Try your worst, then, little pup. It won't take long for me to get you."
"I mean, you have practiced this kind of thing in with wrestling and stuff, so I'm kinda scared, not gonna lie."
"Don't worry. I'll be gentle."
"Okay. Come on."
Riot grinned and started heading over towards Carlton. Carlton quickly realized that he had made a mistake. Riot was blocking the only way of escape and was steadily drawing closer. If he could just slip underneath his arm, then he could make it out the door.
Riot advanced and Carlton made his move. Ducking under a grab, he tried to make a break for the door.
"Now, now, don't run away, Carlton," Riot growled playfully as he scooped him up easily. "That's rude."
"Lemme go!" Carlton laughed as Riot pressed his back to that broad chest and gave him a noogie for his futile efforts.
"Hmm, I don't think so. You're my prisoner now," Riot replied and sat down on his bed, leaning back against the headboard, Carlton on his lap.
Oh. He was being spooned. Carlton blushed.
"Please don't tickle me," Carlton begged, giggling as Riot's hands were placed over his.
"Oh, but you'd miss out on a nice, happy experience," Riot chuckled.
"No, I wouldn't be."
"Fine. I won't tickle you."
"Thank you."
Riot grinned wider.
"Just imagine it though.... the tingly, addictive feeling.... sparks of laughter trickling slowly, carefully up and down your back... arms... legs.... neck.... tummy... my tongue included with all of it as well..."
"Here, want some chocolate?" Carlton blushed, sticking a bar of chocolate right in Riot's face. Riot smirked.
"Thank you. You've just earned yourself a free tickle pass of the day, " he replied with a wink.
"Glad I could be of service," Carlton said with a light nod, sighing in contentment as he relaxed in Riot's hold.
"Come on, let's take a break from campus. Go somewhere. Does that sound nice?"
"No. Not right now. Just wanna stay like this for a while."
"Awww." Riot chuckled. "You enjoy this, don't you? You enjoy getting cuddled? Oh, really, Carlton I never would have guessed you were such a little cuddle-bug."
"It's not my fault you're comfortable," Carlton retorted with a little smile.
"Just don't fall asleep on me," Riot mused in his ear . "I need to go running at eleven."
"We have an hour."
"Yes. Don't make me late to my workout or else you will get tickled."
"So noted," Carlton said and snuggled closer. Riot hummed contentedly and nuzzled into his neck.