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"you two look excited. so what's this about?" eddie and venom are at their desk, a mess of papers surround their laptop, starting their morning with a video call that anne had scheduled. she didn't give a reason for it, just said that she has something important to tell them and to be on time.
"yes, tell us! no secrets!" venom demanded.
anne and dan share a look before lifting a plastic tube into view of the webcam, the camera focusing on the two red lines. "i'm pregnant!" anne exclaims excitedly. dan grins, hugging anne to his side.
eddie's jaw drops a little. "oh. wow. wow, wow, yeah, congratulations! that's amazing!"
venom shoves their face forward, taking up the cam view. "you have spawned a child! that is excellent news!"
dan laughs. "well, the baby won't be here until 9 months later, venom. that's how long gestation periods are for humans."
"hm, seems inefficient. you should have the baby now! we symbiotes can spawn at any time!"
"all too aware of that," eddie says, pushing venom out of the way.
"well, waiting aside, we were hoping...you two will agree to being godfathers," anne said. she smiles a little nervously.
"what, really?" eddie splutters in shock.
"what is a godfather?" venom asks.
"if either of us get hurt, god forbid, but in the event that we can't take care of our child anymore, then we would like you to be the child's caregiver." anne hurriedly adds, "but for now, it's like you are uncles, i guess? even though you aren't related, you are still family in a way."
"yes, and take some time to consider it, you don't have to agree now," dan says assuredly. "we just want you to be involved, if only for a small part of our child's life." he pats anne on her knee and gives her a kiss on the cheek, looking so happy he could burst. anne was more subdued but there was a blush on her cheeks and a pleased glint in her eyes.
eddie blinks and nervously wipes. at his pants. so many surprises in just a few minutes, it was a lot to take in. "...wow. uh, yeah, sorry i keep saying that, but wow, are you sure? i mean, that's a big respons--"
venom shoves forward again and bellows,"who else but us can better protect your future spawn!? we will gladly be godfathers!!"
"vee!" eddie hisses, grabbing at whatever black slime he could reach to tug them back.
the couple laughs ring out on the other end of the video call. "just think about it, okay?" anne says.
"uh, yeah, i--we will, congratulations again. see you around." he waves lamely before they end the call.
"eddie, are you not happy for them?!" venom asks, slipping out of eddie's grip. "you emotions are conflicted!"
eddie stares at the screen, chewing on his chapped lips. "did you mean it?"
"mean what, eddie?" venom tilts his head in curiosity, looking like a puppy for a moment that made eddie think 'cute'.
"you said i would have made a good dad. in the van, with the moon family. did you really mean it?" he lifts his head anxiously.
venom nods excitedly, extending his neck up to look down at eddie. "of course, eddie! you would have made a wonderful father figure! our spawn would be very happy in your care!"
eddie chuckles. spawn, huh. "what about carnage?"
venom stays quiet for a moment, sinking back down to eddie's height, displeased at the mention of the "red one". "an accident!! such a dreadful thing cannot be called our child!" it shakes his head emphatically. "no, no, our child will be so much better!"
"our child? is that what you want?" eddie sighs and leans back into the chair. "cause if you haven't noticed, vee, i'm not the most responsible guy in the world. i can't even keep a plant alive. everything i touch turns into a disaster. i don't think i'm dad material." he commiserates as he takes a sip of coffee.
"nonsense, eddie! you are my host and my partner! we are perfect together, we are the lethal protector, the best team! that is what you call daddy material!"
eddie chokes, setting his coffee mug down. "i'm taking away your internet access!" we. that's right, eddie's not alone anymore. he will never be alone ever again. eddie never gave a thought to fatherhood, given his own terrible childhood. and he did love anne, but can he truly have had a child with her? he had to admit, he felt a twinge of jealousy when anne and dan announced their pregnancy. he is happy for them, sure, but he also felt a bit...left out. not that their lifestyle is conducive to raising any child. and what if he fucks up, what if he hurt their child somehow?
small tendrils cup his shoulders and squeezes comfortingly. "eddie! you are thinking too much!"
eddie sighs, slumping forward and closing their laptop. "sorry, love, i just....i don't know if i'm ready right now. it's not a we thing, it's a me thing."
venom curved out to face eddie fully, micro tendrils slithering up to lift up eddie's face. "we know your fears, eddie. we feel the same. but i believe in us. when we are ready, we will know."
eddie smiles. he feels their connection pulse warmly, the perfect symbiosis that rang true in their heart. they never got rings, but who needs a shiny piece of metal when they are so intertwined. when he focuses deeply, he can feel the swirl of emotions, the anxiety and yearning and love, that they both shared deep inside. they are so different yet so alike in ways that continue to surprise him. to have someone understand him so completely and vice versa, to be known inside and out, terrified him, but now it is just comforting. without a word, he reaches out and caresses venom, understanding passing through them. venom squints his milky white eyes and purrs in that unique way of theirs, a guttural sound that vibrates through eddie's whole being.
"we should practice, eddie!" venom rumbles.
eddie raises an eyebrow but before he can respond, he is swept up into venom's arms, having transformed in an instant into his hulking form. the chair and desk are flung apart, the papers fly around, and the mug rattles spilling some coffee, a miracle that none got on the laptop. "whoa! hey wait, practice what?!"
venom grins wide, endless sharp teeth glinting in the daylight. "for our baby, of course!" they crow as they stomp towards their bedroom.
"that's not how our body works, love!" eddie laughs. he knows he should protest further because they have work to do and bills to pay, but he feels so safe and so full of love in venom's arms. he decides with finality that he cannot wait for their future child to feel the same.