Chap 2:

"Oh Eddie, I am so glad you're here," Mary's laugh was sweet and husky as she happily ushered him into her apartment. "The last time you visited me I still lived on campus, so I forgot you never you never saw my new apartment. But here it is," she spread her arms out. "The boiler room apartment I was telling you about."

With his large duffel bag still strapped on his back, Eddie stood with his hands shoved in his jean pockets as he took in the large comfortable space. The entrance led directly onto an open floor plan kitchen that looked out onto a wide-open living room surrounded by windows. To his right was a small hallway with three doors leading to what he assumed was the bedrooms and bath. The thrumming vibrations from beneath, however were unmistakable. The constant whirring hum of the heavy machinery below made the apartment feel like a living breathing entity. Eddie could feel the vibrations through his boots as it strummed across his body.

The dark beast within hummed joyfully along with it.

Turning around he gave Mary his best smile, hoping he didn't look as exhausted as he felt. "I love it, kiddo," he didn't miss the face she made at his old nickname for her as she sat her purse on the nearby table and laughed. "I think I can definitely see where you are coming from with the white noise effect, it feels—it sounds—great."

With her coat and shoes now off, Mary sat on the couch and pulled her legs underneath her and gave him an eager look. Putting down his bag and sat on the couch with her. All the stress and turmoil from New York, Eddie could already feel starting to slowly dissipate. The strain he put his body through, the things he had seen, hell, the things he watched his other half devour…it was too much. The problem in New York was corrected, and if anything new cropped up they could call fucking Spiderman if all he cared. Eddie was done fighting for the world, no more exposé articles endangering his life or the people around him and no more letting the beast within have free reign. For the first time in a long time, Eddie just wanted to think of himself and what he wanted—and he wanted to be near someone who loved him, unconditionally.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming down? All you left me was a cryptic text. Not that I mind of course, you know that," she rushed to clarify, putting her hand on his arm as if to physically stop him from possibly misreading her words. "You know I love it when you decide to give me even the smallest amount of your time…"

Smirking he cut her off before she rambled herself to death. "It was a combination of wanting to surprise you…and me just wanting to get out of that damn city, for good"

"For good?" she asked hesitantly. Her thick eyebrows rising in shock.

Relaxing into the plush velvet green couch, Eddie had to fight off the waive of fatigue that hit him. Leaning his head on the back of the sofa he turned it towards her and gave her a lazy grin before nodding. "Yep, you heard me, for good."

Still not believing him, her beautiful brown eyes narrowed suspiciously. "And you are moving here?" She pointed downwards to her lap. "Here, to San Francisco?"

Her wariness was so refreshing to see he wanted to tease her about it further, but he was just too damn tired. "Well, I was hoping literally," he waited for her to respond and when she didn't he continued. "I was hoping you would let me move in with you just for awh…"

"Eddie of course," her radiant smile flashed bright before she launched herself towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Grunting in exaggeration, he returned the hug with one arm. The clean fresh feminine scent invaded his nose and he could feel his other side reacting to her presence in his arms.

"I can't believe it! I can hardly believe that you are here, your moving back, and moving in with me," her excitement felt like rays of pure morning sunshine hitting his face.

Swiping a hand through his messy brown hair, he gave a cautious glance around the apartment. "You don't have a boyfriend that I am imposing on do you? Or someone I should explain myself to?"

(Or someone I should eat!)

The muscle in his jaw jumped as Eddie tried to will his other half, his darker half, to control himself.

"No, no don't worry about that, it's just me," Mary waived the suggestion away as if it was absurd.

It wasn't absurd, though, it was far from it actually. Mary was an absolutely beautiful woman. Large brown clear eyes framed by thick arching black eyebrows gave her face an old Hollywood, Spanish star pin-up look. Her long wavy black hair hung down around her shoulder stopping just above her narrow waist. God, did it please him, probably more than it should, to know there was no other man staying with her. It pleased them both.

"You look so tired," the worry lining her face distracted him for a moment until he felt the soft warm pads of her fingertips sliding down his face. Eddie bit his tongue to fight back his other half's groan. Inwardly he cursed at the symbiote. Why did such a small innocent gesture feel so exquisite? "Are you sure there is nothing wrong? That nothing happened back in New York you are just not telling me about?"

Her perception was always rather scary. Shaking his head, he lied. "No, nothing."

He couldn't understand his reaction to her all of a sudden. The urge to just pull her into his arms and hold her tight and…devour her, until her screams fill the room

Shaken at the dark thoughts, Eddie tensed in his seat. Giving her a forced smile, he felt as if he was beginning breaking into a cold sweat.

We will not hurt my sister! Eddie yelled into the void of his mind, knowing his other side was listening.

(We Would Never Hurt Our Mary.)

"Are you hungry maybe, I haven't gone to the store yet but I can order pizza if you like," the worry in her voice was thick as she stared at him.

"Yes Pizza," their voice intertwined together, before Eddie could do anything about it and they answered as one. "I Could Eat Two Boxes."

Giving him a strange look as she laughed at his odd reply, she grabbed her phone and excused herself to order the pizza.

"You say you don't want to hurt her, but you're talking of eating her!" Eddie whispered in a quiet hiss.

"We Want To Taste Her And Watch Her Cry And Shake While Her Legs Wrap Around Our Head."

Eddie felt himself go pale at the forbidden images that began to appear in is mind. No, no, no he couldn't picture Mary that way.

"Why? These Are Images From Deep In Your Own Mind. We Only…"

"NO! Goddammit," Eddie nearly growled. Clenching his fist tighter, Eddie could feel blood being drawn from his palm. "No, these are not images from my mind you piece of shit. These are things you have put there. We will not think of her that way, she is our sister…"

"Not by blood though"

"It doesn't matter. She is everything to me," standing up now, Eddie paced the floor by the window overlooking the dark street below lit by only a couple of orangish looking street lights. "I will kill us before I let you hurt her…or touch her in that way." Eddie clenched his eyes at the image of her screaming in ecstasy with her head thrown back, a scene that involuntarily floated across his mind. The bastard.

The beast within said nothing.

What was this thing doing to him?

With the pizzas ordered, Mary showed him to the room across from hers as his bedroom. The rooms were identical, both had a row of windows on the outer wall and a large bed in the middle with two night stands on either side of the bed. Showing him the bathroom and the linen closet, she let him put his stuff away and take a quick shower. His head was pounding from his argument with his other half when he stepped out of the bedroom, changed into some loose fitting-sweats and a t-shirt.

"Jacob, I am going to have to call you back tomorrow," Stopping in the hallway, Eddie could hear Mary's lowered voice from the cracked door of her bedroom. "…Ok…yes of course…ok bye." With an annoyed sigh, he heard her throw the phone down before her footsteps echoed across the wood flooring.

Stealthy, he stepped back into his bedroom and closed the door waiting for her to pass by, back towards the kitchen. Jacob? Was that her boyfriend? This time he knew her couldn't blame the tightening feeling in his stomach on his darker half.

Stepping out into the living room, Mary was closing the front door with her foot as she balanced three boxes of pizzas in her hand and a receipt pursed between her lips.

"Give me those," Eddie took the aromatic boxes from her hands. Carrying them to the couch he sat them on the coffee table as she grabbed plates and napkins.

Sitting next to him on the couch she gave him a dreamy look as she sighed. "I just still can't believe you're here Eddie."

Putting his arm behind her over the back of the couch, he smiled down at her as she pulled her legs up and balanced her plate on top of her knees. He ignored the satisfied rumble that vibrated his whole body as he ate, praying it was only a response to the food and nothing else.

Opening his eyes, Eddie looked around the silent apartment. The lights had been turned off earlier for the movie they watched and now only the orangish glow of the streetlamps filtering through the windows illuminated the space. Empty pizza boxes lay scattered across the glass coffee table with piles of wadded napkins and dirty plates sitting inside. Laying spread across the couch with one leg hanging down to the floor, Eddie stared at his sister's sleeping figure draped along his body. It was just like it was back at his father's house. Nearly every weekend night ended just like this as their parents spent their evening late at the local pool halls. But she wasn't a young girl anymore. This was a beautiful, intelligent woman with her cheek pressed into his chest and her breasts flattened against his abs.

Like a passenger in his own body, he watched a shiny black tendril slide down his arm and incase his hand until the impossibly black substance covered his whole right arm. Breathing heavily in wary anticipation, Eddie watched the clawed hand gently brush aside her hair from her face.

Why wasn't he stopping this?

Slowly, and gentler than he had ever seen the beast act, he laid his large, black-clawed hand flat on her back. Softly, he strummed the glistening black hand up and down her soft warm back, feeling her settle even deeper along his body in comfort.

They paused as they watched her frown slightly.

"I'm so happy you're here," she whispered, still lost in the tides of sleep.

Eddie frowned as they watched a single tear fall down the curve of her cheek. He felt the familiar stinging pricks of pain as half of his face transformed. The long insidious tongue wound forward with serpentine movements until it hovered above her escaped tear.

Deftly, Venom picked up the tear and reveled in its salty taste. The emotion imbued liquid was like nothing they had ever tasted. Normally their victims' tears tasted of fear, a taste they thought they would never grow tired of—until now. Longing, happiness, love—desire; she felt it all and she felt it all for them!

She was theirs.