𝔭𝔬𝔦𝔰𝔬𝔫 | e. brock

•9•

It was two weeks later when Willow saw Eddie again.

Danielle was coming over for a Harry Potter movie marathon. They had left together after Willow's shift, stopping at the bodega not too far from her apartment to pick up multiple bags of popcorn. She was unlocking the door to her apartment when Eddie opened the door to his apartment.

They stared at each other awkwardly for a few minutes.

"Hey... Willow," he said. He stood in the doorway, scratching the back of his neck.

"Hi Eddie," she gave him a small smile.

"Hey Danielle," he gave her a small wave, to which Danielle responded by giving him a side glare.

"Dani, just make yourself comfortable. Eddie and I need to talk," Willow said, giving her a pleading look.

Danielle didn't respond, instead just walking into her apartment and closing the door behind her.

"Willow, I can explain."

"Dani knows, Eddie. Whatever explanation you give to me you can give to her."

He was silent for a few moments. "Okay, Wills." He followed her into her apartment.

He stood awkwardly near the kitchen as Danielle and Willow sat on her couch, looking at him expectantly.

"You can start your explanation anytime now," Danielle said, glaring at him suspiciously.

"Okay. Where do you want us to start?" Eddie said, fidgeting with his hoodie.

"The beginning."

"Okay," he sighed. "So I'm sure you heard about the LIFE Foundation fiasco that happened a year ago."

Willow and Danielle both nodded.

"Anyway, so I lose my job and spend six months being depressed and drinking. Then, this scientist comes and tells me about this unethical testing they're doing with aliens. So I-"

"Wait. You said aliens?" Willow asked.

"Yeah."

"Damn it," she mumbled.

"What?"

"I owe Amber 5 bucks."

Danielle tried to hide her laugh behind a cough. "That's what you're concerned about? Not that there is a literal alien in your apartment right now, but that you owe Amber 5 bucks?"

"We had a bet. She thought there were aliens involved. I didn't. Now that we have proof, I owe her 5 bucks."

Eddie laughed. "You really need to sort out your priorities, babe."

Danielle glared at him. "You still need to finish explaining."

"Okay. So anyway, there were these aliens called symbiotes. They need a host to survive in Earth's atmosphere. So that psycho Drake thought he could get humans to survive in space by combining them. So I break into the lab, and one of the aliens attached to me."

Willow and Danielle were both silent.

"An alien... attached to you?"

"Yeah."

"That's insane."

"It happened though."

"So that's what that thing is?" Danielle asked.

"Yeah. That's Venom."

"Venom?" Willow asked.

"That's the alien's name. Come introduce yourself, V." A small black tentacle formed near his shoulder. The thing then grew a pair of milky white eyes and razor-sharp teeth. It hovered over his shoulder, grinning at her and Danielle.