Chapter Text
Eddie’s safe now. He’s not falling through the air, no heat and fumes choking the breath out of his lungs before his body slams into the water. He’s in a hospital room, shaking and still damp and aching from his ordeal.
Their ordeal.
But Venom is gone now. Eddie is alone. So fucking alone. He tried yelling across the water, screaming in his own head; calling Venom a damn parasite and equally cursing him for sacrificing himself and begging for him to just say something, anything at all.
Anne is sitting with him now and Dan has been in and out of the room sporadically to check on them both when he can. Eddie is both full of restless energy and exhaustion and is just staring blankly at the tray at his bed, wishing that his brain would just shut off.
“I know eating is the very last thing you want to do but if you can, please try.”
Anne has bags under her eyes and she’s got a blanket around her shoulders where she is curled up in the ugly green, faux-leather chair next to his bed. Her voice shakes Eddie from his thoughts, if only for a short time. She is only person who could possibly understand how he feels right now . But she didn’t see someone she cared for be incinerated and Venom mentioned she was an acceptable host.
“...but not like you, Eddie. We have a perfect match…”
Eddie swallows hard, taking a long drink of water before pulling the tray-laden table closer to him. At some point between having his vitals taken and getting situated in his room, food was ordered. He pulls the plastic lid and freezes at the sight. The pile of hash browns sitting next to the runny eggs aren’t quite the same, but they’re close enough to tater tots to make his throat tighten up and eyes sting.
The lid clatters to the table and the sound of his heart monitor going haywire fills the room.
“Eddie, wha--”
“I can’t...I’m sorry. I’m okay, Annie. I promise.” He can barely form the words and his voice sounds like it was dragged through fire to leave his throat..
It feels like the room is caving in on him and everything is too loud and too quiet all at once.
“I’m a mess. A f-fucking mess. I’m sorry.” Eddie knows he doesn’t make sense but what about the last day makes sense?
The frantic beeping brings Dan back into the room and he slows as he comes closer, a plastic cup of water in one hand and another container with medication in another.
“Eddie, I believe you are having a panic attack. For right now, I have something for you to take to help alleviate the worst of it.”
“You were ready, huh?” Eddie’s laugh sounds strained, but Dan just nods. His voice is kind but firm, and it helps Eddie focus. He blinks hard to clear his eyes and forces his hand up to take the pills and gulp down the water like he didn’t just inhale what felt like the entire harbor when Venom was torn from him.
They weren’t even together that long. It’s irrational to even feel this upset over an alien that literally forced their way inside of him and utterly flipped his world upside down.
But Venom changed their mind because of him. They turned their back on their mission, Venom’s one singular, purpose for him.
Fighting Riot and Drake they were nearly in sync. The rush of power and how right it had felt to reach back out to Venom when Riot tore them apart from each other. Even during that battle, Eddie had felt Venom’s exhilaration at having found true symbosis.
Venom died to save him.
His head and body feel so empty now. He never knew how alone he truly was until that void he didn’t know he even had was filled.
Eddie scrubs his hand over his face, picking up a fork with the other. The eggs are runny but at least there’s cheese on them. He chews slowly, trying ignore how Dan and Annie watch him. There’s a little butter on the toast and he tries to ignore the tremor in his hands as he spreads a packet of strawberry jam over it. Eddie chews slowly and he manages half a slice before pushing the plate away.
“Venom really liked tater tots. Maybe they’d like these? They’re basically the same, just not a fun shape.”
He’s rambling, and there’s a terrible silence in the room but he can’t stop.
“Annie, I bet Venom drove you nuts constantly going on about being hungry. I can still hear them now.”
“Eddie, I don’t know what to say other than I’m sorry,” Anne murmurs and Eddie takes both of them in. Dan looks almost as tired as Anne does; his arm around her shoulders to support her when she moved to stand near him when the heart monitor went crazy. He feels a pang in his chest at the sight and looks back down at his plate.
“Yeah, kinda isn’t a Hallmark card for this type of situation,” he snarks before flinching at how harsh he sounds. “Jesus, I’m sorry. Thank you, Annie. I don’t know what to say either…” Eddie sighs, and looks back at his plate, trying to squash down the irrational hope that if he eats more that might wake Venom up and bring him back to the surface.
“I think it’s wise to keep you here for overnight at least for observation and then see how your test results come back. Last time we were here you weren’t in the best place, Eddie,” Dan says.
That’s the last thing Eddie wants to do is stay here but his apartment is probably under heavy surveillance, crawling with officers and maybe even FBI agents. He knows someone must have seen him during the car chase and recorded it, or at the very least terrified neighbors heard the commotion and reported it. Treece and Drake’s other goons weren’t exactly subtle when trying to capture them.
“Alright,” he nods, absently scraping the now cold potatoes around on his plate into two separate piles, closing his eyes and smiling sadly at the thought.
“Never got to make those piles, did ya, buddy.”
“What?”
The utterly confused look on Dan’s face almost brings a smile to Eddie’s face, and he takes another bite then just shrugs. “Who even knows anymore. There’s...a lot to process right now.”
Eddies ignores the two of them speaking softly to each other before Anne makes her way to the bed to gently squeeze his shoulder. “It’s early and I’m just going to head back home. Try to get some rest if you can, okay?”
There’s a quiet moment while they share a look and Eddie offers her the best smile he can. He watches Anne gift him a tired one in return before turning away to take Dan’s hand. They walk towards the door together to have a moment to speak alone and all of the commotion of the last few days rushes to him at once. He slides further down on the bed, taking care with how sore he feels and tries his best to find a comfortable position.
“Try to get some rest if you can. The medications should help. I’ll be here for awhile longer tonight.”
All Eddie can manage is a nod before he turns away to lie on his side. He pulls the blanket up over him and tries to make himself comfortable.
It’s been a long night.
…..
Something shakes Eddie awake.
There’s light coming in behind the heavy window curtain, and nothing but the soft beep of his monitors in the room. The nurse that originally accompanied Dan changed shifts with another a couple of hours ago and they both checked on him briefly before he fell into a fitful sleep.
He pulls the two blankets up higher and rolls onto his side. Despite the temperature controls in his room being turned up and extra blankets and pillows Eddie can’t get warm enough.
When he and Venom were connected, he ran hot. So hot he was almost constantly sweating. It was uncomfortable but he’d prefer that to chill that has settled into his bones.
The room seems too dark. All of his senses seem so dull. When they broke into the Daily Globe the night sky appeared brighter and everything else so much sharper, Venom enhancing his senses even then with their thin and chaotic connection.
Eddie rolls out of bed and stumbles into the bathroom. After using the toilet he turns to the sink and gets a good look at his haggard face. There’s a livid bruise on his cheekbone that looks worse than it feels, and light scratches on his jaw covered by bandages. More bruises are hidden under his patient gown but he could have come out much worse. Shaky hands pull the hospital gown up and Eddie gasps at the sight of his spotless torso. There’s nothing left showing the fatal wound Riot left and Venom’s healing didn’t leave even a scar to remember their battle by.
He almost wishes something was there and he wishes Venom’s face was gazing at him instead of his own reflection in the mirror.
Eddie stands there until his feet and knees begin to ache from the hard linoleum and the water from the tap runs cold. He washes his hands and splashes some on his face before turning off the light.
A cart rolls by his room, and hushed voices pass by. A hospital is never fully quiet or fully at peace and Eddie wants to get the hell out. He settles for curling himself into the recliner next to the bed and flipping through the channels. The news shows shots of the bay and launching pad, the ruin at the Life Foundation building on full display. Eddie watches the footage hungrily but there is no report of an unidentified black sludge found in the water or surrounding wreckage.
“You’re gone,” Eddie whispers resolutely. He grips the remote hard enough that his knuckles turn white. “Riot and Drake were destroyed and you saved me. You’re gone.”
He hunches further into the chair, settling for staring at the screen to distract from the tightness in his throat and tears threatening to spill over his cheeks.
….
Hours later Eddie coughs himself awake, the overpowering smell of cleaning products and a sterile hospital making him gag. He's still in the recliner, the door is open and every sound beyond it is somehow too much. He feels stiff from falling asleep in an unnatural position all night. Food carts rumbling down the hallways to deliver lunch, and various staff and patients moving past his room seem like they’re clanging and stomping right through his head.
“Did I completely miss someone coming by to clean my room?” he asks, blinking at the overly bright overhead lights. Eddie curls forward and rests his head on his folded arms, wincing as he looks at Dan and Annie watching him.
“Not yet. I think later on someone will stop by… are you alright?”
“Dunno, just… Everything feels like too much.”
Dan steps closer. “Are you having sensitivity to light, sound or other stimuli?”
Eddie hesitates, knowing that his answer might keep him in the hospital longer. “No, I’m alright but maybe someone did come by while I was out of it. Used industrial-strength hospital bleach or something, gotta keep this place clean, right?”
Annie’s eyes narrow but Eddie keeps a straight face. He can almost hear Venom berating him for his response in his head and his lips quirk slightly remembering them playing with their taxi’s power windows and the conversation that had come right after.
Dan gives Eddie a confused but sincere smile and Eddie returns it, realizing not for the first time he owes so much to Dan from the past day.
“I'm grateful for your help, Dan. Seriously. You don’t have to do any of this for me; I’m just a random fuck-up who happens to be your girlfriend’s ex-fiance. No matter what, I really appreciate your help.” It doesn’t hurt to admit this and accept help from Dan and Eddie is truly grateful. Dan reaches out and they clasp hands firmly.
“I’m glad I can help you, Eddie. You’ve gone through a lot and despite everything you do matter to Anne, and I want to help you as well. You might’ve slept badly but you look much better. If your results come back fairly well, you’ll be able to get out of here and hopefully to a more comfortable place with less stimuli.”
Everything that seemed too loud earlier had faded to a hum in the backround but now Eddie’s stomach rumbles loudly.
“Yeah, hopefully,” he mumbles, scrubbing a hand through his messy hair. “Maybe I can order something though? I feel like I'm starving.”
Dan laughs and hands him a menu. “Your appetite coming back is a good sign. You slept pretty late, and it’s already afternoon.”
It doesn't feel like that much time has passed but that realization pushes Eddie into getting up to try to be productive. He is freshly showered by the time his order comes in. Lunch is a burger and fries, with a small salad on the side and a chocolate chip brownie. He grabs the burger and bites into the surprisingly juicy meat eagerly, ignoring the heat as it threatens to burn his tongue.
“You must be feeling better…” Anne says, as she looks up from the folder she was reading from in the recliner next to his bed.
“Mmmph,” Eddie replies as he takes large bites of the meat, his mouth watering as the savory taste bursts on his tongue. It’s not enough and he almost wants to ask for another. He grabs a handful of fries and dips them in ketchup before shoving them into his mouth.
He can feel the weight of Anne’s shocked stare, and forces himself to stop when she clears her throat. “Jesus,” he gasps, guzzling the glass of water and offering her a crooked smile. “I guess I’m hungry?”
Anne rolls her eyes. “So it seems, and for hospital food too. You never got this excited for my cooking,” she teases, and Eddie looks away from the first genuine smile he’s gotten from her in months.
“I guess living through a near-death experience will do that to a guy,” he says before making quick work of the rest of the burger and fries. He eyes the salad with its pitiful smattering of dressing before pulling the brownie from it’s wax paper. He sighs at the chocolate and Anne is in his space now offering him the much larger brownie from the deli.
“You need this more than I do,” she says, shrugging into a jacket and picking up her bag. “I’ve got to head out for a late meeting.”
Eddie pulls the brownie closer and fights to give Anne a proper goodbye even though all he wants is more chocolate.
And potatoes.
His heart is pounding in his chest and Eddie can’t help the burst of excitement and hope he feels. These cravings.
‘Am I going crazy? Or…’
“Eddie?”
He jerks out of his thoughts and nods. “Y-yeah. Thanks for sitting with me, Annie. I know you’re busy and we’re, well, this.” He shrugs and offers a smile.
“You helped save the world; I can find a bit of time to sit with you,” she replies with a smirk before sobering and giving him a long look. “Please make sure to take care of yourself and not do too much. Even eating just now... “
“It’s okay! I think my system is coming back online, ya know? Trauma starting to fade away? I have to take care of myself; don’t have a parasite here to instantly heal my body anymore.”
His hands start to tremble and he hides them under the tray and his blanket hoping Annie didn’t notice. When he looks back, her eyes are full of sympathy and there is a moment of awkward silence.
The familiar scent of her hair conditioner and perfume taste cloyingly sweet on his tongue when Anne steps closer to hug him briefly. It’s so heavy to his senses and hope continues to build in his chest. He’s glad she can’t see his expression and struggles to fix it before she pulls away.
“Let me know if you need anything else.”
“Yeah, thanks again.”
Eddie watches her as she nods and leaves the room, closing the door softly behind her.
“Venom?” he calls out to the empty room. There’s something strange building inside of him and he feels both hot and cold at the same time, a light sheen of sweat building over his skin. He feels almost nauseous and despite eating his stomach feels empty. His hands are still shaking and they won’t stop.
It’s almost like the beginning and Eddie feels out of control.
He pulls shaking hands up in front of his face, his ring catching on the afternoon sunlight.
“Tell me I’m not going crazy,” he whispers, begging for something. Hoping that there is a chance.
There’s long agonizing minutes of waiting until his fingers involuntarily clench and then a pool of shimmering black is forming in the palm of his right hand.
The sound that leaves Eddie’s throat is inhuman. “ Venom ,” he breathes like a prayer. He cups his hands together and tears spill unchecked down his cheeks. Venom pulses twice before slowly reaching out to touch the edge of his jaw.
Weak. Still here.
“Oh. Oh my God!” Eddie cups his free hand over Venom slowly before brushing his fingers along the tendril that’s now damp with his tears. “When? How? Jesus …
Nearly burned away. Tired, Eddie. That's all they manage to say before curling in on themselves and then sinking into his skin.
“Don’t go,” Eddie chokes, but stops when he can feel Venom slowly travel up through his arm to settle in a spot over his beating heart.
Here. Tired.
“Get it together, Brock,” he grumbles, elated but so worried Venom has only made a brief appearance to only slip away from him again. “Tell me, buddy. Tell me what to do to help you.”
Hungry.
Eddie peels the plastic from Anne’s brownie and nearly inhales it. He can feel Venom pulsing in time with his heartbeat as he finishes it and feels slightly more energized.
Chemicals like those help .
“You’re already sounding better,” he laughs, scrubbing at his still damp face. “Fuck, I missed you,” he blurts.
Venom doesn’t respond with words but the feeling of warmth they send through their strengthening link goes beyond simple speech.
Eddie reaches around him to grab the bed remote to order food again. Lunch was just delivered but maybe he could call in an order from the cafe on the main floor. Anything else he could get his hands on to eat because Venom’s hunger is making him feel ravenous.
He orders a grilled chicken bacon sandwich with more fries and feels something like approval thrum through his body.
Tater tots , Venom murmurs and Eddie flexes his arm as strands of black rise to the surface of his skin. Eddie smiles and slumps down into the pillows, suddenly feeling all of the stress of the last few days looming over him.
“Didn’t see those on the menu,” Eddie closes his eyes and feels Venom move to slide tendrils between his fingers to squeeze tightly. The gesture surprises a smile on Eddie’s face and he shifts to rest his captured hand on his chest with a long sigh.
“‘M glad you’re back,” Eddie sighs as his eyes begin to drift closed. He just wants a short nap. It’ll take around an hour or so for the food to arrive and they can rest until then.
His head finally doesn’t feel as empty anymore.
---
“Hey Eddie, you already look a lot better!” Dan says with a sincere smile. “I’ve got your results back,” and he hands Eddie a copy of paperwork with the tests’ findings. “Your vitals are much better than the last time I gave you testing. There is no sign of the damage done by the symbiote and your heart and other organs frankly look better than a person your age would have as a baseline!”
Eddie stops himself from bristling at Dan’s words, and feels Venom react faintly in kind. “Yeah, I think that organ consuming thing was a bit misunderstanding. Once Venom and I got back together before the fight with Riot I learned he could fix the damage and he didn’t mean to cause it.”
Dan stares at him for a moment but recovers quickly. “From what Anne told me, it seems like you were able to reconcile what happened. Again, Eddie, this is all insane but I’m sorry you lost it--”
“Venom.”
“---Venom, and I can tell you had a connection no matter how brief. I caught some of the news reports when I had lunch but didn’t see much other than Drake’s body not being found and police trying to figure out if the symbiote and you were connected to the whole thing.”
“Shit….and yeah. It hurts.” Eddie feels bad for lying to Dan, and he knows eventually their shared secret might come to light but for now he just wants to get out of the hospital, lay low and lick his proverbial wounds for both of them to fully recover.
“Annie couldn’t come by but she grabbed you a couple things so you could go home.” and Eddie accepts a grocery store bag with a change of sweatpants, socks and even cheap loafers to get him home instead of donning his ruined and still damp shoes.
His eyes sting a bit and Eddie feels guilt and gratitude at the same time for a tentative friendship blooming between his ex and her new partner. He holds the bag for awhile and feels Venom react to his conflicting feelings with a bit of concern and confusion.
“I sound like a broken record, man, but thank you both again.”
Dan shrugs but nods in return. “Hopefully the next time we meet you'll be much healthier and not dripping from taking a soak in a lobster tank,” he teases with a smirk.
That surprises a laugh out of Eddie, and he feels Venom’s soft amusement and desire for lobster or more food in general.
“I think we-- I can handle that.”
Subtle. Venom’s voice rumbles softly in his chest and Eddie has to bite back a too-wide grin at the familiar snark. He's just too relieved to feel bad about stumbling over his words right now.
Thankfully Dan doesn't question it and just nods. “I'll hold you to that, Eddie.”
Eddie settles back down on the bed and starts to change as Dan chuckles and turns to leave the room. There's so much excitement building under his skin and he's excited to leave this place and heal.
Together.
….
It takes a few days for them to both to gather more of their strength. There was just enough cash Eddie had tucked away to somewhat stock up his fridge with foods that seemed to give Venom more energy and he’s slept more than he has in months but Venom and their tentative bond has gotten stronger.
The fifth day since they left the hospital finds Eddie sitting on the rooftop of his apartment building, braving it to get some air from being inside the stuffy apartment. There’s a mostly obstructed view of the skyline but just enough moonlight shining through to make up for it.
For once, the neighborhood and it’s nightlife aren’t as busy as usual. Eddie is armed with an oversized blanket and a large thermos of hot chocolate and he can feel Venom moving lazily under his skin. It’s still a sensation that he’s getting used to but not as strange as it once was. Venom manifests a small head that rests on his shoulder just under the blanket before attempting for the first time since they were reunited to stretch out far enough to look into Eddie’s eyes.
They watch each other for a few long seconds before Eddie reaches out with a tentative hand to cup the back of Venom’s head. They both freeze for a moment before Venom settles back against his palm, staring at him.
“You actually mourned us.”
Eddie has to stop himself from letting out a snort of disbelief when he catches the look on Venom’s face. They truly look surprised and even a bit confused.
“Yeah, I know it might not make sense but you feel like a part of me now,” Eddie admits. “Even during that short time and you fucking sacrificed yourself to save me. I thought you died right then, Venom. I felt completely empty and everything in my head was too loud.”
“You could have had your normal life back. As you said multiple times, to a human we are a parasite.” Eddie watches as Venom curls in on themselves and Eddie gently squeezes them and shakes his head.
“I know what I said, we had some misunderstandings and I was terrified. You didn’t exactly help with the organ-eating thing…” Eddie trails off to look out at the skyline as a plane flickers in the distance. “But I am sorry for calling you that and I know better now, we both do.”
“‘Desperate times call for desperate measures’, Eddie.” Venom grins when Eddie swats at him for the cliche phrase. “We know boundaries now and as stated before, you are too good a match.”
Eddie frowns and turns away when Venom’s head drifts to catch his gaze. “Still just your ride then?”
“If so, none of this world would exist anymore. We admitted that you’re our perfect match, Eddie. You remember.”
“What can I say? I need reassurance,” Eddie says with a crooked grin. “I can admit that with no shame.”
“Idiot.”
“Asshole.”
Venom hisses and invades Eddie’s space to bump their foreheads together before sinking back under his skin. Eddie shudders as he feels Venom twining through his nerves as they travel to their new resting space across his chest, and he reaches up to drum his fingers over his heartbeat. Curiosity bubbles up and Eddie decides to ask before he can change his mind.
“You seem to like that spot...any particular reason?”
There’s a few beats of silence before Venom replies. Your pulse signals that you are alive, that we are alive. It’s strongest here. We have felt this beat extinguish, Eddie.
Eddie’s breath hitches and tendrils rise through his skin to grab onto his fingers and hold them still over his heart.
We never want to feel that again.
“Shit,” Eddie breathes, just letting his head rest back on the chair to stare into the night and he squeezes Venom back. The idea that he could truly mean that much to anyone is so overwhelming that he's rendered speechless.
“It’s you and me now, huh,” he murmurs to fill the long silence, mind reeling at all of the potential possibilities that are as vast as the stars above them. They’re getting stronger every day and whatever he and his symbiote will become they will discover it together.
We’re Venom, and we can do whatever we want, they say, and Eddie smiles.
It’s as simple as that.