Chap 4:

"Yes Daniel, you will have to take Mrs. Bachman's speech course if you want to stay on track this upcoming semester and get all of your hours," Mary had to refrain herself from tapping at the desk with her pencil in irritation. This was the third time she was having this conversation with the lanky basketball player and she was beginning to suspect this wouldn't be her last.

Daniel Craigson, was the school's leading basketball player and was treated like gold amongst peers and shamefully some members of staff. Mary, however was not the one to participate in that sort of behavior. Giving his bright dashing smile her most deadpan look, Mary inwardly groaned when his smiled increased. The boy loved annoying her.

"Oh, come one Miss Brock," Daniel gave her a fake dramatic sigh as he stretched out his long legs in the chair in front of her desk. "I know you know what a ball buster that woman is, are you sure I have to take that class now?"

Mary considered throwing her pencil at him when the outer office door chimed. Since she was the only advisor working she called out to whomever it was, through her open door. "I will be with you in five minutes," before turning back to Daniel with a glare. "Just as I said last week and the week before, you can either take it or don't. This isn't my degree or my future, just make the decision—but do it out of my office. Now, go." She pointed to her door without looking up to him.

"Fine," he grumbled, she could hear the smile in his voice. Thankfully she heard the movement of him grabbing his bag and standing up. "But you know I love how mean you are, so I will most likely see you next week for more of your abuse."

She refused to even look up until she heard the outer door open and shut. "Next," she called out.

"Are all of your students so bold with you Miss Brock?" The deep amused voice pulled her attention to the doorway. Standing in a pair of dark jeans, brown boots, and a dark blue polo shirt Eddie leaned against the frame of her office door with a smile.

"Eddie!" she cried, more than happy to see his handsome face. "When did you get here—or better yet, how did you get here? You take the bus?" She felt so guilty leaving that morning knowing that he didn't have a car and they didn't get a chance to discuss the local best options for transportation.

"I took my motorcycle," he grinned as he took the chair in front of her that Daniel just vacated.

"Ok now I am really confused," frowning she stared at him expectantly waiting for answers. Mary knew for a fact that he said he flew in from New York, so how did he have a motorcycle already.

With one hand still in his pocket, Eddie leaned back in the chair letting his long powerful legs stretch under her desk until she could feel his boots on either side of her feet. Mary's heart jumped at the gesture.

"I actually did some pre-planning, I knew a week ago I was going to come down here so I had a buddy that owed me a favor, ship my bike down ahead of me. It arrived last night and I took the bus this morning to get it."

"Oh, why didn't you tell me?" turning off her computer she filed away the last of her documents and turned back to him give him a pouty expression. "I could have taken you to wherever to go get it."

"Mary," the deep timbre of his tone made her name sound like velvet. Mary did her best not to visually shudder like an idiot. Getting up from the chair, Eddie took one of her hands and pulled her up, leading her around the desk. Handing her the purse she had hanging by the door and helping her into her coat he continued. "I came to live at your place unannounced and I am eating your food, the least I can do is let you get to work on time while I take the bus."

With his hands still on her shoulders, Mary felt as if her heart was going to burst with the pent-up emotions. Pulling her hair out from under her coat collar she looked up and over her shoulder to meet his gaze. "I don't mind. You know I love you," her words felt thick in her throat as the intensity of their gaze increased. "You could stay with me forever and I don't think I could be happier." She didn't mean for the words to come out, but she couldn't help it.

Letting his hands slide from the top of her shoulders to grasp the top of her arms she felt the warm whisper of his breath against her neck. "I love you too, Mary," his voice rumbled next to her ear before she felt the press of his lips against her neck.

Mary felt as if she was going lose the strength in her legs if it weren't for his steadying grip on her arms and the shred of self-control she held onto like a buoy in a storm. With her lips suddenly dry, she stared at him in shock and for the briefest second, she watched the same shock pass through his eyes before he quickly masked it.

Stepping around her, Eddie flipped off the light and tugged her by the hand. "Come on, I wanted to take you out for an early dinner and go see a movie."

Quickening her pace so she could walk alongside of him down the long corridor, Mary kept her hand in his and tried to look up at his face. She wanted to see his expression, she wanted to know what he was thinking, feeling—anything dammit.

"Miss Brock I was hoping to catch you before you left," The voice of the assistant dean of the communications department halted them, Stephen Puegett.

Meeting them halfway at the exit he looked pointedly at their joined hands before looking back up at her. Mary felt her pulse nearly double its speed when she felt Eddie's grip tighten affirmatively around her hand.

Looking to Eddie then to her, Mr. Puegett smiled before thrusting a hand out to Eddie. "Why hello there, are you taking our head advisor away from this ivory tower?"

"Yes sir, I am," Eddie meet the man's handshake and laughed politely. "I figured we would go get something to eat and catch a movie."

"Lord, that sounds splendid," Mr. Puegett looked up as if he was letting the notion of a dinner and a movie cross his mind for the first time in ages.

Fearful he was going to launch into one of his many diatribes, Mary took the lead and hurriedly introduced Eddie. "Mr. Puegett this is Eddie Brock he is freelance journalist and he just moved back to San Francisco." Mary could feel Eddie's hand tense around hers but she ignored it, she knew what she was doing.

Mr. Puegett made a frowning gesture before his eyes shot up in realization. "Eddie Brock as in the Daily Globe's Eddie Brock?" The excitement in the older man's eyes was practically sizzling.

Mary could feel Eddie whole body stiffen, and she wanted more than anything to comfort him and assure him it would be all right but she held off.

"Yes, I would be that one," Eddie answered cautiously.

"Well, I will be damned," Mr. Puegett looked to her and back to Eddie before grinning like mad. "My boy, you're exactly what we need." Clapping Eddie on the back, Mr. Puegett practically pushed Mary out the way, forcing her to move to Eddie's other side as the continued walking down the corridor. "I was just telling the dean of the college that I am tired of all the barely wet behind the ear applicants we have been getting. We need someone of sturdier, grittier stuff someone who can really teach these kids a thing or two about real journalism."

Obviously confused Eddie shook his head. "Sir, I'm not sure…"

"The adjunct position my boy, surely that is what Miss Brock here was loitering you around in front of me for."

Eddie and Mary both knew she wasn't the case, but they didn't bother correcting the man.

"We are hiring for an adjunct position in our Journalism department and I need a man just like you, to show these kids that journalism isn't all milk and roses my boy."

After another fifteen minutes of very slow walking and lots of talking, Eddie was practically interviewed and hired. Before Mr. Puegett let them go, he made Eddie promise to see him at eleven thirty on Wednesday morning. Walking to the parking lot they both stared at each other stunned, before laughing.

"I am so sorry Eddie, I didn't mean to put you on the spot, but the idea suddenly struck me," she leaned against her car as Eddie stood next to the bike parked next to her car. "I figured it was worth a shot and I know Mr. Puegett just loves reporters that have been in what he refers to "the thick of it," she mimicked his voice.

Stepping closer, Eddie crowded her against the door of her car lifting his hands he cupped either side of her cheeks tilting her face upwards. "A place to stay, home cooking, and now a job, why the hell didn't I come back sooner? I could have saved myself a whole hell of a lot of trouble if I just stayed with you."

She would not cry. She would not look like a desperate individual and scare him away. Gathering herself Mary gave him a coy smirk. "I just want to say for the official record—"

Shaking his head and backing away Eddie held his hands up to cover both ears. "No, don't you dare!"

Laughing, she caught up with his and tugged at his wrists, but he was too strong to pull his hands down. Laughing she said it anyway knowing we would still hear her. "I'm going to say for the official record—I told you so!"

Grabbing a helmet off his bike her thrusted it to her. "I knew you were going to say that, just put this on and try your best to refrain whispering "I told you so" in my ear all the way to the restaurant." Before she could even open her mouth, he cut her off to continue. "And don't worry I will be safe and we will pick up your car later. Now move it."

With her arms around his waist and her body pressed against his broad back, Mary couldn't remember a night she ever had as much fun as tonight.

#

They didn't come through the front door until after midnight. Tossing her purse and jacket on the entrance table she kicked off her shoes and flopped on the couch.

"That food was so good tonight, we will most definitely have to go back there again." Propping her feet up on the ottoman she watched as Eddie walked alongside her fireplace mantle looking at the photos she had displayed. There weren't many but most of them contained Eddie in one way or another.

Picking up a silver framed photo he pointed at it and gave her a shocked look. "Holy shit, I forgot we posed for a photo that night."

The photo in question was her senior year prom photo. Lying she told Eddie no one wanted to take her out to the dance and like the knight and shining armor he always was for her, Eddie took her without question as her date. Mary still dreamed of that night. She found herself often in bed fantasizing how it could have ended alternatively instead of him kissing her on the head and pushing her off to bed.

"Yep, I absolutely loved that night," She yawned, sinking deeper into the couch. She really needed to be going to bed, she did have work tomorrow still. "I wouldn't have wanted to go with anyone else."

Still standing next to the fire place with his back somewhat pointed towards her, Eddie stood motionless as he stared down at the frame. "Yeah, I don't think I would have let you go with anyone else anyway. Not with those high school dipshits…Not Our Mary."

Sitting up abruptly, Mary stared at Eddie's stiff back. There it was again, that odd deep gravely voice and the odd plural use of wording.

"Eddie…?" she stayed very still has he suddenly set the picture frame back where it was and turned to leave.

"I think I'm going to go shower," he mumbled as he began walking away.

Standing up from the sofa, Mary rushed around the piece of furniture and caught up with him. "Eddie what's going on, you have been acting a little strange?"

Continuing walking he just shook his head, but she caught a glimpse of his hard scowl and it frightened her. "Nothing, I'm fine."

His brusque tone hurt and she just stood there watching him walk down the hall before she blurted out. "Eddie please, the weird voice, you standing in my room last night, its ok I just…"

Whipping around, Eddie pinned her with a wide-eyed look of anger and shock. "What?" stomping back towards her down the hall, Mary nearly tripped backwards backing up until she was pressed into the couch by his hulking figure. "What did you say? What about last night?" he ground out harshly.

Blinking a couple of times, she stammered out an explanation. "La…last night…you were standing in my doorway," she had never seen Eddie like this before. His anger now mixed with his muscular build was alarming, she had never felt so small in her life. "Please, Eddie you are scaring me a bit, can you please just tell me what's going on?"

Looking at her, Eddie blinked a couple of times before letting out a groan. Swiping a frustrated hand through his hair he stepped back and began shaking his head. "No, no, no" he said almost seemingly to himself as he looked around with a frantic look. "…this isn't going to work I shouldn't have come here. I gotta go."

And just like that her world felt like it was shattering. From the highest of highs, everything came crumbling down. Not able to control it she started to sob. Putting her hands over her face she doubled over in gut wrenching tears.

"Mary," She heard him plead her name, but she ignored him. She should had known it was too good to be true, that everything was just too perfect all of a sudden.

"Mary," this time it was the other voice, but much darker this time.

The hands around her waist lifted her and straightened her back out forcing her to lean on his massive chest. "Don't Mary."

Crying harder she bunched a fist into his dark shirt, "Don't what?!" she cried back angrily.

"Don't love me like you do."

Her heart froze, jerking her head up she stared into his eyes. His brown eyes were almost black as they looked at her with all the pain in the world. He looked like a man suffering as he looked at her. Did he know exactly how she loved him? Or was he just saying it in general? Not sure and too scared to find out she rested her head back on his firm chest. "I can't," she whispered.

The soothing stokes of his hand rubbing her back helped only some of her tears subside, she still didn't want to let him go though.

"Please, Eddie don't leave me," she didn't care if she was begging, she would beg in front of the world if that meant he would just stay. "I love you and I just got you back."

She nearly broke down again when she felt his strong arms wrap around her and his lips press into her hair. "I won't leave you, I am sorry. I'm not leaving."

They stood like that for sometime until she felt Eddie bend and pick her up high into his arms. With her hands wrapped around his neck neither one spoke when he carried her into his room and laid her down on his bed. Turning to him she wrapped her arms around his chest and buried her face into his shoulder before falling into an exhausted sleep.

#

A few hours later, Eddie paced the darkened living room. It was still dark out but it was early in the morning.

"You Made Our Mary Cry."

"Why were you in her room last night?!"

"I Wanted A Taste"

"No, we had an agreement," Eddie hissed, clenching both of his fist to keep from punching something. "You said you wouldn't hurt her."

"We Would Never Hurt Our Mary." Its tone sounded indignant.

"She isn't yours."

Turning towards the window Eddie saw his reflection as the black tendrils speared out of his face forming one white eye and half of a large jagged maw. Half symbiote, half Eddie.

"SHE IS OURS," it roared in his mind nearly dropping Eddie to his knees.

"Why?" Eddie gasped, taking huge pulls of air as he half way leaned on the back of the sofa trying to regain his balance from the symbiote's ringing rage in his head. "Why, do you care all of a sudden? Why do you want her? When I…when we…were with that waitress back in New York that one night, you did nothing. You said nothing. Hell, for the first time in weeks I thought you were gone."

"We Had No Interest In Her…Nor Did You For That Matter," the deep voice explained calmly.

Frustrated that he wasn't getting through to the creature, Eddie renewed his pacing. "Look, Mary isn't an option for us, she is everything to me. She is too good for us." Why didn't it understand that?

"We Know Our Feelings For Her. We Have Memories Of Wanting To Taste Her. Kiss Her. Lay With Her."

Shaking his head, Eddie didn't want to hear this. "No! No you're wrong."

"She Wants You Back. Her Heartbeat And Her Scent Tells Us. The Way I See It, There Is No Issue."

This was not a conversation they should even being having. The issue was moot. There was no way he could tell his sweet beautiful sister his dark secret. Eddie wouldn't get her involved in this mess. His head pounded and he knew it was the symbiote in retaliation for his thoughts. Fuck! Pounding his head with his closed fist, Eddie continued pacing the living room. Why in the hell did it have to want her too?

But he knew why, Eddie laughed with disgust as he leaned each hand against the window frame staring at the empty street below, the symbiote wanted her because he did. Ever since he took her to prom, Eddie couldn't get her out of his mind. It was as if prom was some sort of visual marker that was needed to make him wake up and realize. Dressed so beautifully that evening, Eddie scowled at each boy in that hotel banquet hall that night that even glanced Mary's way. She was his. His bright ray of sunlight, his best friend, and the only woman he would ever love.

Walking back down the hallway he stopped in his bedroom door and stared at her curled-up sleeping form. What the hell was he going to do?