Chapter Text
Eddie shut the door behind Wade as he left. He walked over to his recliner and sat down, letting his head recline backwards. For the current moment, all he could hear was the slight buzzing of electricity in the complete silence of the apartment. It felt nice for once. Not the overwhelming stifling it had been for months, now it was almost peaceful.
Eddie felt Venom shifting as the symbiote nestled into a more comfortable position in his chest. "How are you doing, Buddy?" Eddie said looking down at his chest where he had felt Venom's shifting.
Happier now we are finally home Eddie. Purred the symbiote as a small tendril snaked around Eddie's arm.
"Me too, I missed you so much." Eddie whispered. Quickly scrubbing his face. "So, what do you think about the place, here?" Eddie said, abruptly changing the subject and hoping his voice wouldn't betray him.
Venom shifted uncomfortably. They could feel the tide of emotions clouding over Eddie but refrained from mentioning anything. Venom analyzed the apartment around them. It was just a husk, an empty shell. Much like what Eddie had looked like on the bench just before the reunion. Even their home in San Francisco had been warmer, regardless of the shitty heating it had had.
Realization dawned on Venom as they looked around again. This time seeing what was missing.
Eddie! Where is everything? There isn't anything here from our other place. Venom said, confusion and a thin edge of panic laced in their voice.
Eddie looked down at the ground. "Apparently, when you go on the run into another country and don't pay your rent, they throw it out. Nothings here because I don't have anything, Buddy." Eddie muttered. He wasn't mad about losing all of his belongings. He was disappointed at the loss of the few keepsakes he'd held onto though. Pictures, some collectibles from his childhood, and some other odds and ends he'd found over the years. Some favorite shirts, an old leather jacket amongst the few.
Venom felt contrite as he coiled himself into a ball in Eddie's stomach.
I.. I am sorry Eddie.
Eddie sat dumbly. Venom never talked in the singular. It was one of the first things he'd had to get used to in the beginning. "It's okay. It was just stuff. I have everything important right here" Eddie said with a fond smile, patting his chest.
Venom still felt uncomfortable. All the pain they'd inadvertently caused Eddie over the last couple months now coupled with the loss of what had made Eddie's apartment a home. It felt overwhelming.
Eddie couldn't see the symbiote. Although Venom had been happily bobbing on his shoulder, most of the time since their reunion, he was hidden now. But what Eddie could feel, was the cascading turmoil of Venom's thoughts on Eddie's prior statements.
"Venom. It's okay love. It really was just stuff. Don't think I forgot you saying how much you hated some of the decor anyways" Eddie teased gently. Trying to calm the uncomfortable feelings coursing around.
We did not hate the old decor. Some of it was just hideous. Your taste in concerning in some places. Venom grumbled.
Eddie laughed. "Yeah, well. You get what you get sometimes at the thrift stores."
Venom felt a little better. But there was a lack of food in the apartment that still worried and confused him. Hell. Aside from the remaining Chinese food, the fridge was empty. Not even a bottle of water was in there.
Why is there no food here, Eddie?
Eddie looked sheepishly at the floor. "Well, given my history of depression I knew if I kept any food here I'd let myself rot." Eddie started. Rubbing a hand through his hair.
"So, everyday I went to a corner store and would buy a sandwich, a drink and a snack and go sit on the bench and watch Lady Liberty. It kept me from rotting inside and that way I ate something everyday." Eddie finished, ashamed of the explanation.
Was it the best coping strategy? Hell no. But it checked a few of the boxes:
Fresh air.
Eat something.
Drink something.
Exercise.
Get out of the apartment every day.
Eddie and Depression? Old friends. Old routines. This time, Eddie thought there would be no happy ending to what started this. Rarely, if ever, does someone you think is dead actually come back. It was the type of thing in a fairytale. Or a Arthur Conan Doyle novel.
We said it before. We need to say it again. We are sorry, Eddie. We had to destroy the Xenophages. We knew what the cost was. We had to do it.
Eddie blinked back tears. He wiped his face and took a deep breath. "I know. Next time, together or not at all. Got it?" Venom formed a small head and met Eddie's unwavering gaze.
There will not be a next time.
Eddie let out a breath and bumped Venom's forehead with his own. "Okay"
Eddie felt a tightness he hadn't realized he was holding release. It felt like a weight was suddenly gone. Eddie relaxed back into the chair and smoothed his hand over Venom's head.
"I don't have any chocolate here, but we can go get some if you want to, Buddy?" Eddie offered.
We are okay for now. We would like to do a job with Wade tomorrow. There were lots of bad guys during the last job. They were delicious.
Eddie chuckled. "Alright love. We will go and do a job with Wade tomorrow."
The late afternoon sun shone through coverless windows illuminating the room. For the first time in months, Eddie could finally feel the warmth from the rays on his skin.
For the first time in months. Eddie stayed home during the day.
For the first time in months. Eddie had plans for the next day that wasn't grieving.
For the first time in months. Eddie felt home.
---
It was a few hours later, Eddie had heated up the last of the Chinese food and was watching a Netflix show on the TV while Venom chattered his own commentary on the episode, when mid sentence, Venom stopped.
"Everything okay Bud?"
Eddie.... What's the date?
"December 11th. Why?"
It's almost Christmas Eddie!
Eddie blinked. Fuck. How the hell did he forget it was almost Christmas? Well, he supposed, it wasn't like he felt rather jolly with celebration when he thought his other half was dead, but seriously... He forgot Christmas?
Eddie?
Blinking out of his reverie, "Yeah?"
MERRY CHRISTMAS EDDIE!
"Merry Christmas Love" Eddie smiled.