All at once the tightness and pain leaves you, and instead of leaving a hollow void behind, you felt utterly content. You gasped out for air you didn't feel like you needed, bracing yourself on your hands and knees as you steadied your breathing out of habit, trying to understand what just happened.

You felt complete. Whole. Like you found something you didn't know you were missing for all of your life.

For the first time in years, you felt at home.

Which was a strange thing to feel, surrounded by broken desks and monitors in some business building you didn't know. And yet, you felt like you were exactly where you were meant to be, and with who you should be with, at that very moment. It was like a weight was taken off of your shoulders, knowing you finally belonged someplace without being a nuisance.

Well maybe that last bit was a stretch. You could hear shouts and loud footsteps coming towards the room, and you assumed that it probably meant you should stop sitting on the floor and get out. You quickly stood up and jumped out of the already broken window just in time for someone to shout out after you, and you let your wrists to their thing to get you away.

The almost too warm air of the midday rushed past you, and you barely registered your own limbs vanishing from view. You allowed Venom to swing you through the city, your own thoughts too stunned and stumbling at the sense of belonging you suddenly were experiencing. You've never felt this comfortable in your own skin before. Something changed, and you felt… contentment. That word in itself seemed taboo on your tongue; you were raised with it being treated like it after all. Just this once, however, maybe it wasn't so bad.

You found yourself descending in your swings, eventually rolling into a landing on the sidewalk still hidden from view with your camouflage. Walking past a bus stop, Venom pulled back from your limbs and into your bar clothes, seamlessly blending you in with the busy life around you. No one around seemed to notice you suddenly joining the crowd, and you continued walking automatically.

"Where are we going?" You asked under your breath, tucking your hands into your jacket pockets and looking around at the tall buildings from the usual view. While you weren't the one leading your motions, you were consciously allowing your other to gently direct you. You trusted them to know what was best for you in you half-stunned state.

Just walking. Was too deep in thought, did not want to risk falling. Good to slow down.

You nodded, thankful for the change in pace. The noises of the city up close felt so much more natural, more like what it should be, and helped you ground yourself a bit more from the floaty headspace you lingered in. You looked at your hand, flexing it and turning it over, seeing old childhood scars littering across it randomly but still where they belonged. You were still you. Despite the sudden… comfort you felt.

Ironically, the comfortableness was what made you the most uneasy.

Better now. Stronger. Safer.

You thought back to what they said after you smacked Spiderman out of the building. "You said we bonded earlier?" You asked, stopping and waiting for the light at an intersection. A majority of the other walkers didn't, and weaved through the cars despite the red man on the light. Oh right, New York. "Like what that Lee guy said? He said something about not having a permanent bond, and how that made something easier for him."

Exactly. We are one of the same now.

You tried thinking of what exactly that meant, but someone shoved past your elbow and you quickly started walking with the crowd again, now aware that the walking man turned white. Two guys were talking too loudly next to you, but you just tried to tune them out as you continued talking with your other. "Sounds like that would have been helpful a few hours ago."

Most likely.

"Sorry it took so long." You felt a little deflated at that, feeling yet again like it was your fault Lee took a part of Venom. There was a sense of coldness fluttering through your chest, and with it a terrible sense of something bad that made it harder to breathe. Your shirt clung just slightly tighter, more comfortably, and the guilt was suddenly reduced.

Takes emotions to bond. Takes time. Did wonderful.

The coldness lifted, replaced by a dull warmth for a moment before fading completely. You felt yourself smile at their words, despite feeling like praise you didn't entirely deserve. Still, you accepted it, and the coldness was kept at bay.

A jackhammer startled you, going off just a couple yards away. You looked up and around the area, noticing the whole section of the road ahead seemed to be blocked off with equipment and bright colored signs. Construction workers yelled instructions to each other, and the noise was hard to ignore. You sped up your pace and turned the corner, trying to get somewhere just a little less dense. Another person shoved past you, and you felt your breathing quicken.

Chose poor place to blend. Sorry-

"I'm fine." You uttered, pushing your hands harder into your pockets despite no more room for them to go. You kept your head bent, eyes low, trying to just keep moving and to get out of here. There was just too much noise, too many people. Someone's hand brushed your arm as they pushed past the loud men, and you felt your fists tightening and sweat building up on the back of your neck. You were never so aware of yourself and the space you took up so much, but now it was all too, too much.

You are very distressed. Please, slow down. Help can wait.

You could feel tendrils inside of your pocket wrap between your fingers, not quite coating your hand but enough to be a presence to get your attention. A gentle squeeze of your hand helped steady you, and you realized Venom was right, you couldn't handle it. You avoided deep city for a reason, and you weren't ready for it yet. Especially not right now. Not when you were so aware of yourself. Glancing up from the shoes around you, storefronts looked much more welcoming than the crowds. You restrained yourself from just shoving past other walkers, gently making your way to what looked like a flower store. It was the closest one, and seemed to have no one immediately in it.

Worked for you. You opened the door, hearing a jingle of a bell with it, and was hit by the wall of cold air from the conditioner. Despite all of the lights hanging above all of the rows of flowers, they were soft enough to actually be soothing compared to the harsh sunlight outside. You closed the door behind you, hearing the bell ring once more. Rows and rows of flowers absolutely filled the shop, more dense near the windows than back towards the desk, where you also saw a welcoming seat. You needed a moment to filter your thoughts, and you carefully made your way past the dangling plants and sat in the chair.

The air, while cold, smelled wonderful and soothed the tension that was building between your shoulders. Good scents were probably expected for flower shops, but then again, you haven't been in once since you were little. You tended to neglect plants just too much to keep them alive, including the cactus your cousin gave you out of a desperate attempt to prove you didn't kill everything you touch. It's not like you took it as a challenge to kill the cactus, but you proved them wrong anyway.

"Shame." You muttered, leaning an elbow against the desk and looking at a pretty little flower next to you. It vaguely looked like a dancing fairy with a bright pink dress, and a purple poofy under skirt. You tapped the flower head with the tip of your finger, watching it bounce slightly at the interaction. The slow movement helped you float in your head just a little longer, until the hair on the back of your neck rose.

"What is?" A voice asked, starling you. You looked up and saw a lady with dark skin heavy with freckles and brilliant amber eyes looking at you. She was just walking out of a door behind the desk, holding a couple pots of other flowers you couldn't recognize in her arms. She placed the pots on the counter without making much sound and looked at the plant you were interacting with. "That fuschia? Yeah, it hasn't been looking too well lately. Think it needs more sun, but my storefront is just a bit too full for it."

You blinked, still recovering from being startled. "O-oh. Yeah, I mean, I was saying it's a shame I kill everything I touch." You laughed, and then noticed your finger was still in its tapping position. You pulled back your hand quickly, connecting what you were saying with your action. She laughed and waved her hand lazily.

"If only I had a dollar every time I heard that, I'd have enough money to open a boutique. Oh wait." She held up her hands in mock surprise, though quickly dropping it and leaning on her elbows to look down at you with a gentle smile. "You'll do fine sweetie. My plants are hard to kill. I'll give that one to you half price if you promise to put it by a window."

Your eyes quickly went down to the price tag, seeing it was already marked at $5. It was a small thing, it could easily sit on your window sill next to your bed. That also meant it could easily be forgotten. Knowing you, you would notice it dead a month from now. You felt the tendrils wrapped between your fingers in your pocket shift, and a slight crinkle was heard as Venom placed money in your hand.

She wants you to have it.

Sighing and running a hand through your hair, you looked up at her with a half assed smile. "You realize you are signing that plant up for its deathbed, right? I killed a cactus, which is basically impossible." That earned a look of genuine shock from her, slowly turning to a smile and then to a bubbly laugh.

"Well, maybe you just needed something more welcoming. Just a little bit of light, a little bit of attention, and that baby will flourish. I'll give you my Camellia guarantee." She winked, and pulled out a pad of paper and started writing on it.

Camellia is nice.

"Camellia? Isn't that a flower?" You asked, not knowing plants but having a gut feeling that you heard that one before. She smiled again, tapping the white rose-looking flower that was in her dark hair.

"You grow into your name, it turns out." She finished writing on the paper and tore the slip off, and you realized it was a receipt. You didn't recall agreeing to buy the plant, but figuring it was just a few bucks anyway you might as well. You spent more on that coffee you ended up tossing yesterday anyway. You pulled out the money Venom gave you, seeing it was a five, and pushed it across the counter for her. She made change and gave you back half of it, true to her word.

You finally stood and put the change and receipt in your pocket without looking at them, feeling them quickly vanish into the jacket itself. "Alright, promise you won't get angry when I kill it?" You half joked, but knew it would be inevitable.

"I'll only be mad if you kill on purpose." She assured, crossing her heart in an X figure with her finger.

You were too socially awkward to stay here any longer, but you could feel warm flutters in the back of your head where Venom resided. "I'll try my best. To not kill it, I mean. Thanks." You gave a quick wave, turning around and walking out of the store with your new friend in your arm.

The warm air outside was not as welcoming as the store, but it was better than before at least. The few moments away from the busy area was just enough to completely pull you from that strange headspace, leaving you feeling a bit tired, but at the same time much better than you've felt in a while. You looked down at the flower again, still confused as to how you ended up buying a plant.

Will be good to have. You deserve it.

Another satisfying bubble of warmth greeted the back of your head, and you can't help but feel like it was reverse of the time you telling Venom that they deserved the steak. You smiled, though you couldn't help but worry if the two of you would start a loop of rewards, and you knew you wouldn't be able to afford it for long. Even if the two of you really did deserve it.

You didn't notice when you started walking on the streets again, though this time you were heading in a different direction. You focused on the flower that was bouncing with each of your steps, and Venom took the lead once more. Construction sounds faded from behind you, crowds thinned slightly, and eventually an unpopulated alleyway came to view. The two of you slipped in, double checking your surroundings for any wandering eyes, before letting Venom coat you once more.

Cradling the small pot like a child, you were careful of your actions to make sure you didn't move too quickly for it, or worse, drop it. You leapt up and started swinging on webs with only one hand. While that made your heart leap into your throat each time you let go of a web before making a new one, you didn't dare risk dropping the fuschia.

Almost home.

Venom spoke quietly, reassuringly, making sure you knew the worry wouldn't last much longer. Sure enough, you saw your apartment appear quickly into view. Instead of going for the window as usual, you were gently lowered to street level and started walking once more. Didn't want to try climbing one handed, you figured, and you continued to walk as your monstrous form. There was a moment of dread when you saw other people around your complex with nothing to duck behind to change quickly, but you realized Venom was just keeping you camouflaged as they aimed for the door.

You opened the door and walked past the greeting center, seeing the guy in charge of the place look up from his newspaper to look at the visitor, only to see no one. He called out a greeting and stood, and his eyes drifting around until they focused on the plant in your hands. Something, you realized, which was not currently getting camouflaged by Venom. His eyes went wide as you continued to walk, stepping through the next door and quickly heading for the stairs. You could hear a questioning voice call after you, but you ran up the three flights of stairs and to your door. Without even thinking you jammed your finger at the keyhole, Venom's blackness gushing in and filling the lock, giving you a satisfying click sound when it unlocked. You stepped into your apartment, and felt Venom shed itself into your comfortable pajamas once more.

Home.

Venom said, and while it was obvious, it still made you laugh. "Yeah, home." You brought the plant up to eye level, turning it around and getting a good look at it. "Seemed like a whole lot of trouble just to get a plant back here." You commented, locking the door and walking to the bedside window. You gently placed it on the sill, angling it to have the flower pointed towards the room for you to enjoy.

It needs water.

You nodded, walking to your mini kitchen and instinctively reaching into your pocket for the daily collected trash. Venom provided you with the receipt from the flower shop and you tossed it to the waste bin, watching it bounce off the edge and land on the ground. You sighed, going over and bending down to pick it up, though this time you noticed sharpie marks on it. Unwrinkling the receipt, you saw 'fuschia' written in one of the bars with $2.50 written in a blue pen next to it, but at the bottom next to the store logo and website, there was a phone number written in sharpie, with Camellia's name under it.

You blinked. Then looked at it closer. "What?" You asked, turning the wrinkled receipt over as if it would have answers hidden from you. It didn't. Venom was shifting as your clothes, feeling like someone was giving you a humored hug.

We are cute. Must not be so shocked.

Body confidence issues aside, you were still having a hard time registering the idea of someone just giving you their number, and so cleverly as well. "She, uh, probably just wants updates on her plant." You shrugged the mystery off, sticking the receipt to the fridge. You could feel the doubt in the back of your mind, but you ignored it and instead got a cup of water for the plant.

"Man… I don't know how to take care of plants." You uttered when pouring water into the pot. Hopefully it wasn't too much for the little flower. Either it was going to die from drowning or dehydration, and you'd hate to let Camellia know her plant suffered from either of those fates. You suddenly felt a weight in one of your pockets, and when you reached in you could feel your phone, though it was slightly cracked.

Could message her. Ask for help.

Help… "Venom. We were supposed to go get help to fight Lee. Instead we bought a flower." You sighed and rested your forehead against the glass of your window. Sure you spaced out a little earlier, but you at least expected Venom to keep you on track. You looked over the alleyway and buildings you could see, noticing that it was probably a couple hours from sundown. That didn't seem right.

We bonded. Is very important to take care of ourselves after.

"More important than stopping Lee?" You asked in earnest. Venom seemed so scared of the fact Lee had a part of them, that Lee had a dangerous weapon he wasn't afraid to use. Yet, here they were, allowing you to slow down and smell the flowers. You could feel conflicting emotions bubbling, but the strongest one was sureness.

Yes. Bonding in heat of battle makes us strong, but brittle. Needed time to adjust, time to recover.

Brittle. Venom possibly meant unstable, and you could see that easily happening to you earlier had Spiderman not fled. The floaty mindspace you were in after you bonded was… strange, and like nothing you experienced before. You wondered if that was what happened with other hosts. Maybe that was why there were so many deaths behind Venom's name. "Are we good now? I'm feeling better now for sure, but I still think you are right in worrying about leaving Lee alone for too long."

Better now. However we are hungry.

Again, you didn't notice your hunger until Venom pointed it out. Your stomach growled almost like it was notified. "We'll get fast food on our way over to your friend, no more steaks for today." You stepped to your window once more.

.

The two of you were currently swinging through the darkening town, large paper bag in one hand while focusing on the other for swinging. Venom's tendrils reached out of your body to grab the burgers one by one, feeding you as you swung closer to your destination. The first time Venom used a tendril to grab a burger it threw you off, but you found yourself quickly getting used to the convenience of having extra limbs. Damn, if only you could have more arms in regular life too. That would just make all of your reception tasks so much easier.

Eventually a building you could recognize as a the place you were aiming for could be seen in your path, and you quickly stopped your swing. It looked like a regular building to you, though the furniture you could see through the tinted windows seemed to be very fancy. Golden cat decorations, large red comfortable looking chairs, artwork on walls that undoubtedly cost more than yearly rent. Who the hell could afford any of this? You took another bite out of a burger offered to you, finishing it in one oversized chomp, before mentally questioning why you were here.

Black Cat is strong, has friends. We know her. She doesn't know us. Not now.

"Black Cat?" You tried thinking about that name, only remembering it mentioned once in the waiting room. She was… an art thief? Venom's memories flipped through your vision, showing you a tall woman with white flowing hair and a skin-tight black jumpsuit. Slowly she placed her hands on your shoulders, looking like maybe she was a bit more than just friends with one of the hosts.

Spiderman has history. We can pose as him to get close, then ask for help.

That actually seemed like a solid idea. You quickly finished the last of the burgers and crumbled the paper into a ball, and one of the tendrils pulled it into your suit, effectively making it vanish with no hints of it on you. You had no fucking idea how Venom worked.

Ignoring the urges to see just how much Venom could hold in itself, you quickly shook out your nerves and held out your hand to watch the change. The monstrous arm shifted and shrank, the tendrils realigning to be much closer to your normal skin. You looked at your reflection in the window, seeing that while you still could recognize your own body, it also seemed to imitate Spiderman's angular shape a bit. It wouldn't fool anyone for long if they got close, but if you kept yourself slightly obscured and quick to the point, it would get the job done.

You waited another moment, confused. "Why are we still black? I thought we were posing as spiderman?" You asked, looking down and seeing you were still wearing the dark suit with the white spider logo. The details of the seams and fabric were perfectly imitated, and it really looked like you were wearing a real suit, rather than being Venom.

Don't care for his other suit. Looked better like this.

That almost made you laugh. "While that might be true, Spiderman was wearing red and blue earlier today. If Black Cat knows him, then she'd know that." You pointed out, and you could practically feel the groaning coming from Venom. The darkness shimmered, and slowly colors pulled their way up your limbs, effectively giving you the best spiderman cosplay ever.

That was better. "Alright, let's get to Black Cat and-" You stop speaking when you looked back at the expensive looking room and saw someone with long white hair sitting on a chair, faced away from the window. She must have came in the room when you were busy changing. She also appeared to have a visitor.

Lee also knows her.

Your stomach dropped when you recognized the same leather jacket and combed dark hair. You could see that they were talking, and you had a bad feeling in the back of your head. "We took too long getting here." You whispered, quickly climbing up the building to be more out of their sight. "I don't think Black Cat is going to help us now. Any other friends?" You asked, trying to keep optimistic.

My son… would be bad idea. Nevermind.

"Hold on, you have kids?" You had to suppress your surprised volume. You never expected Venom to have… offspring. Memories of red gore flashed through your mind, and it took you a moment to realize the gore had a face not entirely unlike Venom's. Bodies that were torn to pieces and left in red pools decorated the background of the memories, looking more like a battlefield than New York.

Carnage is… a monster. Would be too dangerous.

You shook your head out of the bloody memories, glad you weren't the one to point that out. "So… You really don't know anyone else that could help?" You asked, the last of your hope slowly dwindling. You weren't exactly excited at the thought of fighting Lee on your own again, he knew Venom's weakness better than you did, never mind the fact he had a part of them now.

Not here. Not now.

"Oh boy." You muttered, leaning against the window. Looking to the window again you saw your reflection look back, and that gave you an idea. "Huh. Venom, you know who Spiderman really is, right?" Before the question was even finished Venom was searching through memories, offering you visions of a thin looking guy with curly brown hair.

Peter Parker.

"And you know where he lives?" More flashes of memory, and there were a few apartments that came to mind. Apparently he moved around a lot. Venom focused on the most recent one. It was more into the city, close to Parker Industries. "Huh. Explains that, I suppose." You closed your eyes and filtered your thoughts, slowly coming up with a quick plan.

"Alright, let's get some pizza."

.

"Why does all elevator music sound the same?" You wondered aloud, adjusting the grip on the pizza box you were holding. The elevator was a slow ride up to the level Peter lived on, giving you time to rethink your plan. Deliver pizza, say your sorry, see if he would help you out. It's not like you were a real supervillain, you just kicked his ass a little bit. And sure, he was an asshole, but you were willing to forgive that at the moment if he was willing to help Venom. What could go wrong?

He will not help us.

"We don't really have anyone else. Besides, it doesn't hurt to ask." You said, but the clothing around you shifted in disagreement. You adjusted the collar of your Venom-made pizza delivery shirt, but kept your eyes to the the electronic number that was slowly going up. Almost there.

It could hurt a little.

"We'll be fine. We kicked his ass before, we can do it again." Though to be fair, you literally were just trying to kick his ass, nothing more. If he thought you were a real threat, he might have fought differently. Though there was a chance he actually was just that easy to beat, in that case getting his help wouldn't actually be that useful to you.

He has friends. Dangerous friends.

"Then if we can win him over, they can help us too. Even better. Lee won't know what hit him." Venom was quiet at that. The two of you stood in silence for a few more seconds, and the doors opened to the hallway. You put on your customer service face, pulled out your sticky note, and quickly walked to the apartment number that Venom remembered.

It was the last apartment down the hall, a corner room. It probably had one hell of a view compared to your alleyway facing one. You ignored that thought and gave a couple knocks to the door, hearing no immediate response. Then you realized there was a good chance that he was out as Spiderman instead of being in his apartment. That was actually more likely, now that you thought about it. If that was the case, you would need to re-think your plan. Did you want to break in and wait for him? No, that would immediately make him see you as a threat. Maybe if you just overlooked the building until he showed up… But who knows how long he could play hero.

Before you could get too deep into your new planing thoughts, the door opened a crack.

"Yeah? Can I help you?" Spiderman's voice asked, and when you looked into the crack you could see light brown eyes looking back. He looked down at you, seeing the pizza box and outfit, and slowly opened his door more. He was currently wearing sweatpants and a hoodie, and also seemed to be nursing an already yellowing bruise on the left side of his face. You had to resist the urge to flinch at that.

"Mr… Parker?" You asked, looking at your sticky note and pretending to not know exactly who he was. His eyebrows lowered in confusion.

"That's me, but I didn't order pizza." He ran a hand through his brown hair, which seemed to be currently suffering a case of hat hair. You nodded and looked down at your sticky note again.

"It's from a, er, it just says V? Not sure if you know them or-" You glanced up and saw Peter's face pale, and his knuckles on the hand holding the door open whitened as well. "There's a note here for you, if you want me to read it." You offered, acting like you didn't notice his panic.

"Y-yeah. I mean, go ahead." His voice shook ever so slightly at first but it quickly composed itself.

"Right, so it says 'Hey Parker, sorry I totally kicked your ass earlier, you are a jerk. But also I need your help, and I can't turn to anyone else. Here's my phone number, give me a call when you are done with the pizza.' And there is a number at the end." You stuck the note to the box and offered it to him.

His breathing seemed incredibly controlled, and his deathgrip on the door didn't loosen for a moment. Eventually he stood properly and accepted the pizza, jaw tight. He took a quick breath to pull him out of his thoughts and looked back up at you. "Right. Thank you. Um… Do I need to pay or…?"

"No, V paid and tipped for it already. Enjoy your pizza." You gave him a smile and started walking away. You were half way down the hall when you heard the door finally close, and you glanced over your shoulder to make sure. Yep, he went back into his apartment, pizza included. You bolted down the rest of the hallway and into the stairwell, quickly letting Venom coat you properly and you leaped up the rest of the levels to get to the roof doorway. You wasted no time running across the roof to the corner that his apartment would be at, and intently looked down the windows. One side faced the beautiful street, the other had a fire escape that lead down to a much cleaner alleyway than the one you are used to.

He would either call, or try to run. Either way, you would be ready. And thanks to the setting sun, you would be hidden from view soon enough even without camouflage. All you had to do is wait.

And wait.

And wait.

"Jesus christ how long does it take someone to eat a pizza?" You finally grumbled after what felt like an hour. You were leaning lazily on the corner of the building with your arms dangling off the sides, struggling to keep your attention to the windows with how boring it was.

Told you he would not help.

"He's a hero, he's supposed to help everyone." You protested, but you couldn't help but feel the 'told you so' feeling in the back of your head.

Maybe he is plotting how to betray us. Like he always does.

"Hey if that happens, at least we can get the job done and leave before he does anything." Being honest, that was best case scenario for you. He knew Venom was back, and the fight from earlier today probably didn't put you in the best of lights. Even so, you couldn't quite bring yourself to regret kicking his ass when you did. He deserved it.

We should-

You felt a vibrating come from your hip, and you quickly reached down to meet a tendril that handed you your phone. You accepted the call and put it on speaker phone.

"Where are you?" Peter's voice asked.