Are We Only Roommates? Venom and Eddie College AU

Chapter Eight

Eddie looked at the paper taped to the door, squinting to read the words.

"Lab partners?" he said to himself. "We have a lab today?"

"Oh, yes, we do," the familiar voice said from behind him. "Fun, isn't it?" He didn't even turn around.

"Well, only if you know what you're doing," Eddie replied. He didn't even know why he was speaking with the symbiote. Everyone seemed to hate him.

"Hmm. It seems as if we are partners for the semester," Carnage mused, coming up beside him.

"What?" Eddie sounded surprised. "When?"

"Our science professor said so. Look." Carnage pointed to the paper. Sure enough, Eddie saw he was paired with Carnage for the first semester.

"Oh."

"You don't sound too happy about it," Carnage said, faking disappointment.

"Well, it's just.... I can't be around you," Eddie said.

"Oh? Who said so?"

"Venom."

Carnage chuckled.

"Listen, he finds me in the bathroom with you one time and he thinks I was going to have fucking sex with you," he said. "I told you before that he and I aren't exactly friends."

"I've noticed. He told me not to trust you, though."

"He's just being overly protective, that's all," the red alien said. "But trust me, did I seem intimidating at homecoming?"

"Um..."

"Everyone naturally assumes since my name is Carnage, I'm a bad person," Carnage grumbled. "But I'm not. I told you, we symbiotes don't choose our names."

"I remember," Eddie said with a nod.

"If anything, I just want to be friends with you," Carnage went on. "I don't have many friends and you seem like a nice guy."

"I hope I am," Eddie said, looking at the paper again. "But just letting you know, I'm going to have to earn your trust, alright?"

"Of course, of course," Carnage said. "That's how friends begin, right? And we've already started getting to know each other at the homecoming event, so it's even better. And now we're lab partners."

The bell rang once, signaling that they had one minute left to get to class.

"Well, I'm going to head to the lab. Do you want to come with me?" Carnage asked.

Eddie paused for a moment. Carnage stood waiting for him patiently.

"This isn't a trick, right? You're not gonna lead me into a scheme of yours, right?"

Carnage laughed.

"Of course not! We're going to class, you dork," he chuckled. "You're funny, Eddie. I like you."

"Well....I guess it couldn't hurt if we walked to class together," Eddie said. Carnage smiled, teeth gleaming.

"Thank you."

"Oh, my god, I'm so tired," Eddie groaned as he threw his sweaty shirt into the washer inside the men's locker room after their running session that day for class.

"Same, I think I popped an artery," Dan joked but he was smiling.

"Well, at least you're gonna be a doctor and can fix that problem," Eddie returned, still panting a little from the run. He glanced at Venom who was waiting for his turn in the shower. "Unlike you symbiotes who never seem to be physically tired or sweaty at all."