My Son.... Come to me!

Home.... a true home?

Back at the villa, Venom stands in the center of the living room, arms crossed, clearly deep in thought. He's staring around the place like it's a blank canvas that needs some serious work, which, considering the whole dark-alien-wants-to-be-dad vibe, is both terrifying and... oddly sweet.

I watch him, leaning against the wall, eyebrow raised. "Sooo... you gonna redecorate or something?"

Venom's head snaps toward me, his face unreadable in that classic creepy-alien way. But then, with an almost shy, unsure twitch of his tendrils, he speaks. "We wish for you... to feel comfortable here."

I blink, surprised. "Wait, really?"

"Yes," he says, like it pains him to admit it. "Our... home should be your home as well."

It takes me a second to process that, because "home" isn't a word I expected to hear from Venom anytime soon. And yet, here he is, towering over me, clearly trying to figure out what would make his human "son" comfortable. And that alone is... a lot.

"Okay, okay, uh..." I start, trying not to sound too touched. "First off, appreciate the thought. Second... maybe we could add a few little things? Some, I don't know, colors that aren't 'scary black' and 'intimidating gray.'"

Venom tilts his head, looking around the room. "Colors...?"

"Yeah, y'know, like a little splash of blue? Or maybe even red?" I gesture vaguely. "I think there's more out there than just 'ominous cave lair' style."

Venom's tendrils wriggle, clearly uncomfortable. "But this is how we are," he says, almost defensively. "We are... not human."

"Yeah, but you're trying to make this work, right? Trying to make me feel at home? So maybe... just a little compromise?"

Venom stares at me, like he's weighing the value of blue throw pillows against his pride. It's a bizarre, silent battle of wills, but finally, with a defeated sigh (which is a strange sound coming from him), he nods. "We will... consider this."

It's small, but it's something. I smile and pat him on one of his larger arms. "Attaboy, big guy. Baby steps."

We stand in silence for a moment, and just as I think he's about to ask me something else, Venom retreats to the kitchen area. He seems hesitant, almost like he's fidgeting, which is a rare look for him.

"Are you... hungry?" he asks, almost awkwardly.

I suppress a laugh. "Sure. Uh, what's on the menu? Please tell me it's not... well, whatever that was this morning."

Venom's shoulders stiffen, like he's offended, and he gestures to the counter. "We... attempted a meal. But we would not wish to... offend."

I glance over at the counter, where a strange, gooey dish sits under a pan lid, mysterious steam still curling off the top. It's charred around the edges, and... yeah, it's a sight, alright. But Venom's face is so earnest that it's hard not to appreciate the effort.

"Alright, alright, lemme see what we're working with." I cross the kitchen, lifting the lid. It's... well, it's a mess, but it's a mess with heart.

"I get it," I say, trying to keep a straight face. "Cooking is... kind of an art. Not really a thing that usually involves symbiotes, but you know, I appreciate the thought."

Venom's gaze softens a little. "If you... wish for us to learn, we will do so."

My eyebrows shoot up. "You're serious? You wanna learn how to cook?"

He nods, and there's this rare vulnerability in his eyes that makes me realize that, yeah, he really does want to make me feel at home. And this whole cooking attempt is him trying to show it.

"Alright then," I say, clapping my hands together. "Lesson one: don't set anything on fire if you can avoid it."

Venom nods solemnly, listening like I'm giving him the secrets of the universe. I lead him through some basics, explaining spices and how to turn on the stove without accidentally scorching everything. He's fascinated, watching closely as I chop, sauté, and explain each step. The chaotic breakfast attempt is long gone; instead, we whip up something actually edible.

"Look at that!" I say, sliding the pan to the center of the table. "We made... scrambled eggs. Not exactly gourmet, but it's a start."

Venom watches the food like it's an alien artifact, a bit skeptical but somehow intrigued. "This... is human food?"

"Yup. And it's not half bad. Go ahead, give it a try." I scoop up a bite, showing him how it's done.

Venom hesitates before picking up a fork in his massive, clawed hand, balancing it awkwardly. He mimics my actions, shoveling a large chunk of eggs into his mouth.

To my surprise, his face shifts, going from confusion to what I can only describe as... enjoyment?

"Good, right?" I say, grinning.

He nods, swallowing, and there's this faint spark of excitement in his eyes. "We... enjoy this," he rumbles, as if declaring it to the world.

"Glad to hear it. See? Not all human stuff is boring."

Venom just nods, looking down at the eggs with a mixture of satisfaction and newfound respect. He may not say it, but it's clear that he's proud of our little cooking victory.

A/N: 

Sorry I kinda hit the wrong button....unpublishing a bit.....

Also if anyone was wondering... 2 chaps ago I used a helper for the chapter.... hated to do this but it got on my nerves that I couldn't make a full chapter due to time hating me and having a 8 hours trip in a car with the the other day lack of sleep and a trip before with 12h drive in a car...... I couldn't stand not throwing a chapter out and I wanted to put an A/N to say that I couldn't make the chapter myself.... but forgot to warn you all about it.... TT.TT

I hate doing that and I had straps written down already, took me a bit for it to finally get what I want as well. Looking back.... can't say it is a useful helper, probably would have taken me less time to write it and get the point out better but I was just too tired to get the idea straight into words.

Please do accept this humble chimera's apology.... I am tired and I should rest this week but my goddamn mind doesn't let me without doing this.....soooo bear with me as my mind may sometimes forget what I wanted..... 

left my tea to brew without hot water TT.TT

I seriously shouldn't be even thinking of writing with that bad of a memory at the moment....

Oh well...

Here goes nothing!