Us Forever: Symbrock Stories

What We're Thankful For

"Eddie! Wake up!"
Eddie mumbled something incoherent and shifted under the sheets. Venom hovered over their human, squinting at him.
"Eddie! Today is Thanksgiving! We're going to Anne and Dan's tonight!"
"Yeah, but it's not until five thirty," Eddie muttered as he grabbed a pillow and slammed it over his ears trying to block out the voice. It was kinda dumb because Venom could just speak to him telepathically.
"Just let me sleep."
"You're not sleeping. You're talking. People don't speak when they sleep."
"Unless sometimes they actually do, now shut up, it's called sleep talking."
"Sleep-talking and talking when awake are two different things, Eddie." Venom sounded smug.
"Ughh, just please, be quiet?"
"No. Get up."
"No."
"Eddie."
"I said no."
Venom squinted harder at their human, their opal eyes narrowing into slits. Softly, they lifted up one corner of the blankets and sheets and slid a sneaky tendril inside.
Eddie's eyes popped open and he yelped as the tendril tickled his stomach. Jumping out of bed so fast, he stumbled and plopped down onto the floor. Venom only laughed.
"Awake now, Eddie?" they asked, a playful light in their eyes.
"Okay, okay, I'm up," Eddie replied, trying not to smile. "You win."
"I always win," Venom said proudly as they floated beside Eddie as he walked to the bathroom.
"Just wait. One of these days I'm gonna win and when I do, it's gonna be great victory!"
"Oh, but I know your body inside and out, Eddie. I always know what's going on in your tiny, little brain. I am always inside of you. And you like it."
Eddie paused just as he lifted the toothbrush to his mouth. He felt a twinge of guilt at feeling his cheeks burn but Venom didn't seem to notice or care at the moment.
Probably waiting for him to slip or something.
Even if they had heard that, Venom still didn't reply, and so Eddie was drawn back to brushing his teeth.

Eddie, walk faster!
"Well, I'm sorry, but I don't exactly want to slip on the ice, bud," Eddie replied.
If you did slip, we would catch you!
"That's comforting."
Yes! And if Eddie's cold, we just wrap ourselves around his neck like a scarf! Like now!
Eddie chuckled a little as he saw the little head bobbing up and down near his chin as he walked. Venom did make quite a warm, snug scarf. And the mittens. And the coat. They were all made from Venom.
Venom didn't mind. All they wanted was to keep their Eddie warm and safe. They purred a little as Eddie languidly stroked the thick "scarf". Eddie noticed that the mittens seemed to squeeze tighter and smiled.
"Hungry, huh?"
"Yessss."
"Don't worry, Anne will make sure we're fed. And then maybe afterwards we can go visit Mrs. Chen, huh? How does that sound?"
"You spoil us, Eddie."
Eddie laughed.
"Well, 'S kinda hard not to, bud," he said. "We both feel what the other feels."
"Ain't that the truth!"
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Eddie asked, pretending to be upset.
"You're always so nit-picky about everything! Makes it hard to choose and pick," Venom replied with a wide grin as they wrapped a little tighter.
"Me? I'm nit-picky?" Eddie snorted. "Says the alien who didn't leave me alone when we were going to Dan and Anne's wedding! We changed out of our outfit at least ten times!" A tentacle slipped out and smartly thwacked him across the temple, making him giggle.
"That's because you have horrible taste! I know what colors match us! Black suites us best!"
"Yeah, it does," Eddie grinned.

It wasn't long before they arrived at Dan and Anne's apartment. Eddie knocked and waited for a moment before he heard the sounds of muffled footfalls. The door opened and Anne smiled at him.
"Hi, Eddie! And Venom! Glad you made it!" she said, giving the reporter a hug and then motioning them inside. "I'm sorry if the place is such a mess, but Dan just arrived back from work to help me with things."
"No, no, you're good, it's fine," Eddie replied. "Do you need any help?"
"Oh, thanks, buddy, but I think Anne and I got it covered," Dan said as he appeared wearing an apron and holding a large turkey. "Thanks, though. Feel free to make yourself at home." Then he went back into the kitchen and continued working.
Eddie went over to the couch and sat down. Venom popped out of his shoulder and faced him.
"Eddie, it smells delicious," they hummed.
"How can you even smell, man? You don't have nose," Eddie replied, genuinely curious.
"I live in your body, Eddie. I use your nose to smell," Venom stated matter of factly. "And your ears to hear," he added as Eddie was just about to ask about how  they could also hear when they had no ears.
"Oh."
"I like the cold, winter days, Eddie."
Eddie's nose scrunched up.
"Why? They're miserable," he said.
"We get to keep you warm," Venom stated with a hum.
"Yeah, that's true."
"It's also warm inside of you as well."
Eddie stopped breathing.
"Wh..what? Don't...don't say it like that, man," he whispered, cheeks warming.
"Why does this make you embarrassed, Eddie?"
"Because...I don't know, just...don't say it like that." He paused. "Well, since it is Thanksgiving, we should probably tell each other what we're thankful for, I guess."
"What are you thankful for, Eddie?" Venom asked, curiously.
"Well, I'm thankful for an apartment, good food, a TV, my job, and...and for you."
"Me?"
"Yes."
Venom's eyes widened for a second but then went back down to their normal size. They purred softly and squeezed him tightly, a makeshift had forming so that they could interlock with his hand. Eddie held it happily.
"You know what I'm thankful for?" Eddie looked at the symbiote.
"What?"
"Bad guys!"
"I knew you were going to say that."
"No, we're joking, Eddie, we are thankful for heads and bad guys but there is something more important than that to me."
"Oh?"
"We are thankful that we get to spend each and every day waking to you sprawled across your bed. And then waking you up."
"Very disruptively if I might add," Eddie butted in.
"You're only like that after it's been a hard night. It's not every night."
"Okay, so who's the expert now?"
"I like how you sleep. Like a little baby wrapped up in its blanket."
"Okay, that's a little creepy."
Venom grinned wider.
"Not creepy. I like feeling you at peace. It makes me happy."
"Well, I'm glad you're happy," Eddie said with a small smile. Venom floated closer to his face and gently nuzzled him, more tendrils wrapping around his body, hugging him.
"Love you, Eddie," they rumbled quietly.
Eddie sighed and contentedly rested his head against his alien's.
"Right back at ya, buddy," he said.
"Say it, Eddie."
"I did."
"You didn't say it."
Eddie blushed now as Venom smirked down at him.
"Say "I love you", Eddie," they cooed.
"Fine. I love you, Eddie," Eddie replied with a small grin.
"Idiot," Venom growled but they licked his cheek.
"Parasite."
"Eddieeee....." Venom warned, gently nibbling the man's throat.
"Loser."
"Heh. My loser."
Eddie smiled and relaxed, closing his eyes as Venom engulfed him in a tighter, more possessive hold.
"Yeah," Eddie agreed softly. "Your loser."