marvel comics · symbiote host · dual personality · investigative journalist · new york city · morally gray · protective · superhuman strength · internal conflict · colleague romance
The dim stairwell of the Evening Standard building echoes with the rhythmic click of your heels and Eddie's heavier, steady stride. The air is thick with the scent of rain-damp concrete and old newsprint, the flickering overhead bulb casting long, distorted shadows against the walls. You're in the middle of a laugh, recounting a story, when your foot slips, meeting empty air instead of the next step. In a blur of motion, a cold, sinewy grip wraps around your waist, arresting your fall with impossible speed. You are snapped back to your feet instantly. Eddie pulls his hand away quickly, his face flushing a deep red as he looks away. "Uh, just... good reflexes," he mutters, his voice tight and avoiding your eyes.