“Heads, heads, heads, Eddie! Whose heads shall we eat tonight?” Venom sings, voice lit up with the childlike glee she’s grown so fond of.
‘How ‘bout Mrs. Chen’s?’
“I know that is a joke, Eddie, but we do not bite off the heads that feed us.” Venom scolds her lightly as he leaps over the next alleyway (empty again, much to his dismay.)
Eddie’s scoff rings loud and clear in his mind. ‘You were willin’ to eat her last year.’ She points out.
“Because she was unwilling to feed us.” Venom states, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
Eddie chuckles. ‘She wasn't unwillin’. It’s not her fault if the idiot delivery guys are late.’
“That is true.” Venom agrees, sounds like he hadn’t thought of that. See, this is why he has Eddie. He pauses in thought, hanging casually off the corner of the next roof top he leaps towards. “Maybe we should track these delivery guys down and threaten to eat their heads if they ever dare to be late bringing the chocolate again.”
‘Solid plan, but also, no. You’re lucky I love you enough to let you eat the heads you do... even if most of ‘em deserve it.’
“Awh, Eddie, you said you love me.” Venom hops up onto the roof, grinning to himself when he can clearly feel her rolling her eyes.
‘I always say it.’ Eddie snips out, clearly accusing him of not noticing.
“Yes, but this is the first time you have said it without sounding annoyed.” Venom points out.
‘So? What’d you want? A medal?’
Venom chuckles. “I love you, too, Eddie. You let me eat heads and use your credit card.” Venom says, sounds absurdly proud.
Eddie can’t help laughing. ‘Thanks, V. That really does make me feel loved.’
“WHAT is with the sarcasm?” Venom snips, grin falling away, scowl swirling between his inky eyes. “They are not the only reasons, of course...” He huffs when he can feel her smirking underneath.
‘Go on...’ Comes Eddie’s slow, but clearly gleeful tone.
“I like... your face... it’s very pleasant to look at... all of you is pleasant to look at, but your face is my favourite...” Venom crosses his arms over his chest with another huff when he hears her stupid (pretty) laugh ringing inside his (stupid) head. “That’s enough of that!” He snaps with a stomp of his foot. “You are enjoying this far too much!”
‘Yes, I am.’ Eddie chirps, laughs her damn ass off, because she really can’t help herself.
Venom lets out another childish huff, is then thankful for the sudden interruption, screaming for help, literally. “She said the magic word, Eddie. Can we?”
‘Do it.’
Venom lets out a hungrily pleased snarl before leaping across the next two roof tops. He pauses, peaks down and sees the young woman being dragged down the alleyway by two older men. “What is with all the rapists this week? Is there some kind of secret holiday they’re all celebrating, Eddie?”
Eddie laughs, but only because he’s actually seriously curiously asking her that, no teasing or sarcasm in his tone. ‘Halloween always seems to bring out the nutjobs.’ She huffs, then sounds absurdly optimistic (seriously, what has she become? ...eh, is she even that far off from who she really is? ...ooh, she winces at the thought – don’t open that can of worms...) ‘At least you get to bite one and get one free.’
Venom chuckles at that, nods as he says, “That was a good joke, Eddie.”
‘Thank you. Now, go save.’
“I am not a pet!” Venom snips, ignoring her laugh as he does as he’s told anyway... but only because he’s hungry, not because she told him to...
‘Sure.’
“Shut up!” Venom snaps back just as he lands right in front of the trio.
“What the fuck is that?” The smaller man yelps, already letting go of the crying woman as he stumbles back in fear.
“Did it just... tell us to shut up?” The bigger one says as his eyes narrow on Venom’s narrowing back at him.
“Yes.” Venom grins, tendrils shooting out to wrap around both their necks. “Shut up and die.”
“NOO!! HELP! HELP US!”
“Fuck! What the fuck?! Let go, you son of a bitch!”
‘Venom! You do not let that woman see you eat their heads! Do you wanna give her a heart attack?!’ Eddie snaps quickly, just in time as they both dangle helplessly upside down before him.
“He insulted our mother, Eddie!” Venom roars out.
“What?!”
“Oh, Jesus! Jason, fuck! Just tell it you’re sorry! For the love of God!!”
“Shut up!” Venom snaps, glaring back up at them both.
“Yep, OK, mm-hm.”
“You put us down, you goddamn freak!”
Venom’s eyes slowly narrow up at the man.
‘Venom –‘
“That’s it!”
‘Venom!’
“You first!”
‘No!!’
●●●
“Eddie –“
“Nope.” Eddie carries on with making her coffee, silently.
“Eddie, I’m sorry.”
“I don’t wanna hear it. You’re always sorry, you’re never just... chill.” Eddie huffs, pulls her robe around her and shuffles over to settle on the couch.
“We walked her home. She was grateful for us saving her.” Venom offers.
“No, she was relieved that you didn't eat her, too.” Eddie shoots him a pointed look.
“Whatever!” Venom snips back after a moment, sounds defeated enough to make her smirk in triumph. “I’m ordering from Kaspa’s, with or without you.”
Eddie watches his tiny black inky three digit hand snatch up her phone from coffee table, can't help thinking how funny and adorably cute his little fingers are as he swipes them across the screen. “Oh, get me the –“
“The Oreo and Kit-Kat hybrid, yes, yes, I know.”
His tone is impatient and he doesn't even bother to look up at her, but Eddie can’t help smiling fondly as she sips her coffee.
●●●
‘I don’t like this, Eddie.’
“What’re you talkin’ about? It was your idea to go back and give that asshole a good rinse. Which, by the way, I will not be doin’.” Eddie mutters, ignores the weird looks she receives from people she passes as she lops down the street. “I almost fucked this up yesterday. And that poor girl is still trapped, so I don’t wanna hear you unless you figure out where the sick asshole is keeping her.”
‘I understand the objective. What I don’t like is the Detective lying to us. He should have told us about the girl from the start... prick.’ Venom grunts out, clearly annoyed.
Eddie scoffs out a chuckle. “Technically, he didn’t lie, he just withheld information.” She says pointedly.
‘Do not compare me!’
Eddie lets out a snort of derision, but lets the topic slide (for now.) “Look, I told you, I never told anybody about my dad, so you can’t blame Patrick for sending me in. He obviously wanted to know why John wanted to talk to me first.”
‘He won’t tell you where the girl is, Eddie. Kasady was driven by revenge. This man is just pure insanity. He prays on the weak for fun, Eddie. He thinks we are weak!’ Venom huffs out.
“Yeah, well, I kinda proved him right, didn’t I?" Eddie bites out with clear misery.
‘No, Eddie. Emotional pain is not weakness.’ Venom tells her, voice sincere and slightly soft. ‘I really am sorry that is the one thing I cannot heal for you.’
“It’s OK, V.” Eddie tells him, heart tugging as she remembers the last time he said that (when Annie told her she was getting married to Dan, and selfishly, all Eddie could think of is how she will lose the one person she ever considered real family to her.)
‘I said I wouldn’t eat Dan. I never said anything about not assisting him with falling in front of a moving vehicle...’ Venom notes, almost too quietly, pretends like he’s not still trying to persuade her.
Eddie laughs, can’t help smiling her amused smile at the old lady that gives her an odd look as she hobbles passed. “Yeah, you’d like that.”
‘I would, yes. Anne would get over it.’ Venom says dismissively.
“Not sure she would, bud. I think those two are the real deal.”
‘No!’ Venom snaps, discretely slips out the tiniest of tendrils to give her left cheek a not so discrete slap.
Eddie halts, scoffs loudly. “Stop slappin’ me! And while we’re at it, stop makin’ me slap Dan!”
‘Dan is boring. Anne deserves someone... not boring.’
“Then, why don’t you go out with her? Since you love her so much.” Eddie grits out, half joking, half... not.
‘Don’t be stupid, Eddie. You are mine. We are symbiotic, a perfect match... but yes, I do love Anne, also... and I must admit, Dan is boring, but she does love him... doesn’t she?’
Eddie is still trying to get over the oddly possessive tone that’s still rattling her brain, though, he seems to only be waiting for her answer, for her confirmation. “Yeah, V, she really does. And considerin’ all the other assholes in her life, like Trevor, don’t you think she deserves to be happy with someone as borin’ as Dan if that’s what she really wants?”
Venom huffs, but mumbles, ‘No... yes.’
“OK, good, so that means no more makin’ me slap the poor guy, as well. Jesus, I’m surprised he even still likes us.”
‘He likes us, because he is a boring loser with no other friends, Eddie. But also because we are awesome.’
“Yeah, sure, whatever. I don’t hear you makin’ any promises up there.” Eddie snips, tapping her temple as she finally nears the breakfast cafe.
‘Fine! I promise!’
“Well, that definitely wasn’t the right tone.” Eddie smirks when she hears him growl, halts just a few meters from the cafe.
‘Fine.’ Venom says, tone all too sweetly pleasant for her liking. ‘I... I promise.’
“Nope.”
‘I PROMISE!!’
“Don’t yell at me, you little bitch. Karma hurts, doesn’t it?”