The fact that Eddie doesn’t just ask for the easy way – doesn’t just ask for him to show her through their connected minds – and instead, takes the time to ask about his kind and their world(s) simply makes Venom feel... squishy... no, no, that’s not the right word... giddy? Yes, giddy. This is a feeling that made him feel also strange the first time it happened, and now, he’s only grown to love it... to love that it’s her who makes him feel this way.
He sometimes gets the feeling from Annie, too, particularly when she’s babying him (sometimes just to annoy Eddie, because he really does love the fact that she gets a little jealous.) But it’s not as intense of a feeling as when Eddie makes him feel that way. Maybe it is just because of their connection, but he would like to think that if his perfect host were someone else and he and his host were ever to lay eyes on Eddie, he would definitely still feel the same way about her.
“You little liar.” Eddie sends him a cheeky smirk over the rim of her mug of piping hot chocolate. “I thought you said all symbiotes are assholes.” She says, arches a brow.
“Wasn’t lying. They are all assholes.” Venom huffs when her brow only arches higher. “OK, fine. I may have a lot of... resentment... towards most of my kind. But that’s only because you were right, Eddie. We are annoyingly easy to manipulate, because of our biology... because we were created so. Most hosts we find, or that find us tend to be... well, nefarious. I hadn’t met any other kind... until I met you... even the few Skrulls I bonded with were... let’s just say they were outcasts, like me.”
Eddie’s eyes light up with keen interest. She places her mug back onto the coffee table, and grabs up her pen and her open notepad. “What other beings have you connected with?”
Venom takes a moment to search their bond, then has to grin broadly when he finds no jealousy, only pure intrigue and rather childlike wonder. “Well, you already know of the Skrulls. They, too, were from the Andromeda Galaxy. They were one of the most peaceful. They had knowledge of humans, it’s actually how I learned about your kind. I must admit, your ease for destruction as a species was very enticing to me at the time.”
Eddie chuckles lightly, shakes her head as she writes down pretty much anything and everything he tells her.
“My memory is outstanding.” Venom scoffs, but it holds no annoyance, only playfulness as he stares fondly at her. He grins cheekily back at her when she shoots him a withering look. “But I understand your... process.”
“Plus, it would be cheatin’ if I just let you pretty much write the article... let alone an article about yourself.” Eddie bites back her own cheeky grin, shoots him a pointed look. “I want people to see how sweet you are before they find out how vain you are.”
Venom rolls his eyes, but his tone is serious as he tells her, “There is no literature on my home planet. But to answer your earlier question – without Knull, we are peaceful... benevolent, even. The ones who left years before my time, their goal was to keep order in the universe... maybe to help make it better somehow. But we create no art, no music, no culture... at least, not as other civilizations would understand it so. All we have are our hosts. The bond between symbiote and host is sacred to us... especially if the host is our one and only. They give our lives context and our existence meaning... they give us history. All we have is our host to tell us who we are... who we have always been.”
“Wow... for the alien who knew no literature in the beginning, I’d say he learns real fast.” Eddie breathes, is still slightly stunned, her heart pounding slightly, too.
Venom grins. “I have a good teacher.”
Eddie chuckles. “Thank you. It’s nice to be appreciated.”
“Welcome.” Venom happily chirps.
“Are there a lot of other aliens that look like humans?” Eddie asks. “I’m guessin’ a lot of them don’t.”
Venom nods. “The Kree.” He projects a mental image of his first Kree host – Venom’s tendrils shooting out in every direction as they battled their way through those dark and never-ending caves. “They are the closest to your kind I have encountered. Though, they are far more advanced in their technologies. Although, their hatred for other races outdoes even this world’s.”
“Wow, they sound fun.” Eddie sarcastically chirps.
“I liked the Acanti. They were rather peaceful, I suppose. Big, whale like creatures.”
Eddie’s eyes widen when the image of the great big beast appears in her mind. Indeed, it looks very much like a whale, though, this one seems to be the size of a small fucking moon. “Holy fuck.” She stares up in wonder and slight awe, always forgets that Venom really isn’t kidding her whenever he tells her he has millions of years logged down in his mind, millions of experiences.
“Exactly. You are my perfect host, Eddie, but you are still human. It would explode your pretty little head if I showed you everything all at once... but... that doesn’t mean I can’t... drip feed it to you... over time... if you want...??” Venom tries not to sound nervous for her answer, he really does... ugh! Stupid Eddie!
“I... yeah.” Eddie breathes out, nods and smiles up at him. “I think that’s probably a good idea.”
Venom simply nods back, simply feels relieved that she still wants to know anything at all.
●●●
“Eddie...”
“Hm?”
“It is me, Eddie.”
“V?” Eddie grumbles into her pillow, “What’s up, love?”
“It is Toxin.”
Eddie bolts upright in her bed when she feels the mattress dipping by her feet. “What’re you doin’?” She sounds calmer than she feels. Though, she’s mostly confused to see Toxin’s full form perching on the end of her bed.
Toxin lifts a blacked hand slowly up from the mattress and in surrender. “You are... afraid... of me?” He frowns softly, head dipping slightly in defeat.
Eddie takes a deep breath, because now she just feels guilty. “It’s nothin’ personal. You already know what happened with your old man tryin’ to kill me and Venom. I’m not afraid of you, T.”
Toxin’s head lifts quickly at that, tilts slightly to the side with intrigue. “You’ve given me... a nickname?”
Eddie smiles. “Yeah, man, that’s what families do.” She chuckles when his blackened maw widens into a toothy grin. “So, I’m guessin’ I’m still dreamin’ and you’re talkin’ to me in my head, because I don’t hear your grandpa’s bitchy thoughts right now.”
Toxin nods, gives a little scuffled laughing sound.
“Quick learners, you symbiotes.” Eddie says, then more seriously asks, “But why are you here? What’s wrong? Is Patrick OK?”
“Patrick is fine.” Toxin quickly reassures her. “What Venom told you is true – symbiotic we are, but we must choose it. If not... we choose to be the parasite that devours our hosts whole. Venom doesn’t know that, because he is... different... special. He is the only one of his kind that always chose to bond with his hosts instead.”
Eddie nods, now feels even worse as she realises – “That’s probably why he hates me callin’ him a parasite... shit.”
Toxin nods, crawls a tiny bit closer to her with a serious look in those milky swirling orbs. “There are... black spots... in his mind... missing pieces... He thinks he gave up long ago trying to find his perfect host, Eddie... trying to find you. He thinks that’s why he and the others came to this world, to destroy it, but... it’s a false memory... implanted by... I don’t know who...” He sees the worried look on her face and gingerly raises a clawed hand and rests it over her raised knees. “With your permission... I would like to help him remember... so that, I, too, can remember... I think... I think whoever did this to him, knows why he’s special...”
Eddie catches on immediately. “And you think they really don’t want him to know why that is.”
Toxin nods. “Yes.” He pulls his hand back down to the mattress, perches right in front of her. “I feel strong resentment and deep pain around those black spots... so, if you agree to let me help, I would like this to remain our secret... for now... please?”
“Yeah, OK.” Eddie nods all too eagerly, mainly because she really doesn’t want to cause Venom any pain at all... not the emotional kind anyway... like Venom himself told her: emotional pain hits much harder and lasts much longer.
“Thank you.” Toxin shoots her a newly learned smile (knows he probably looks more grimacing and menacing.)
However, Eddie smiles back. “Thank you for... y’know... carin’ about him. I know it means a lot to him.”
Toxin smirks (knows smirking all too well, because it’s so easy to wind both Venom and Pac up.) “Not as much as you mean to him.” He chuckles quietly, hops gracefully and silently onto the floor and stares smugly down at her. “There is no comparison.”
Eddie rolls her eyes, even in her dreaming can feel her stupid cheeks heating. “OK. Goodbye, smartass alien double junior. You’re interruptin’ quality dreamin’ time.”
“Ah, yes, dreaming of my grandpa wrapping himself all around that lovely –“
“GOODNIGHT, Toxin!”