-A/N-

This will be moved to the Venom (film) category once FF actually makes that a section.

As per usual my writing will turn into erotica. So please keep it moving if that offends.

-End of A/N-

Chap 1

"Bye Mary, be careful going home girl," Sondra waived bye to Mary before pushing out of the heavy exit door.

"Bye! You too!" Mary Brock, called over her shoulder as she powered off her computer.

Today was Friday and thank God for it. Mary wasn't sure she could make it another day if someone were to tell her it was Thursday. It was December and the University of San Francisco staff was gearing up for their winter semester classes and doing some early planning with students for the upcoming Spring semester. Basically, that meant no rest for overworked college counselors like herself. Letting out a pathetic groan filled with self-pity, Mary leaned her neck from one side to the other, shuddering at the wonderful feeling of her neck popping. Grabbing her coat and purse, Mary flipped off the lights to her office before leaving.

Waiving at the parking lot security guard doing his rounds, Mary slid into the front seat of her blue Volvo with a grateful sigh. Her body was already giving her the familiar signs that she needed to get the hell home, her feet were aching, her earrings were starting to itch, and her boobs wanted out of the too tight bra they were encased in. Clasping her phone to her dash phone-holder, Mary turned on the car and waited for the headlights to come on illuminating the dark empty parking lot around her. Why was she always the last one to leave work?

Pulling onto the road she headed home, when her phone rang. Excitement picked up her heartrate when she glanced from the road to her phone. The cheesy picture of her smirking next to a grinning good-looking man flashed brightly on the caller ID—immediately disappointing her. Jacob. It was only Jacob. Pressing ignore on her car's steering wheel Bluetooth she resumed the music. She did not want to talk to Jacob yet, she wanted to get home take off all her clothes and grab a glass of wine first, before she started that conversation.

Pulling up to a stoplight she couldn't help but stare at the phone longingly in disappointment. Yesterday, she got a text from her brother, Eddie, asking her if she was going to be busy tonight and that he wanted to talk to her. Calls from Eddie were scarce and absolutely sacrosanct. On an absolute good month, the surly man would reply to maybe half of her text and call her twice a month, only after she left five voicemails. To get a text out of the blue from him on his own volition was like the sweet sound of angels singing.

None of her friends could understand her absolute devotion to her brother. Only her best friend, Roxanne, understood. Mary was unequivocally in love with Eddie Brock.

When her mother married Eddie's father, Carl, eleven years ago Mary was in a bad place emotionally. Two years before that when she was eleven her father killed himself in their living room. Angry, sad, guilty, Mary was every emotion in the book. It felt like her world was spiraling out of control, one minute her life was somewhat normal and the next everything had changed—and it changed for the worst. People at school looked at her as if she had the plague, her mother who was supposed to be grieving was going out on dates every other night, and Mary felt as if she was going to drown in her emotions any second. Eddie changed all of that, he saved her. The day her thirteen-year-old self turned to greet the older boy that would be her new brother, everything seemed to come back together like refracted light hitting a lens.

Eddie taught her first hand how to deal with all of her dark emotions. The moody, taciturn sixteen-year-old taught her that she wasn't the only one miserable and that getting through the storm of her depression was possible if that had each other. Eddie's dad was a hard, mean man towards his son, and though he was always polite to her, Carl Brock was down right punishing to his only son. Nothing was ever good enough, and he made sure to remind Eddie every chance he got.

With every day spent with her new brother, Mary could feel herself coming back from the other side of her emotions. No longer being a victim of her swirling thoughts, Eddie helped her keep her mind off the terrible things and forced her to focus on what she could change. Eddie was the one who helped her practice for softball tournaments, he played video games with her, took her to movies, and even took her to prom. Eddie was everything to her.

Now when being her "everything" turned into love—that was still a little hazy. No matter how many times Mary tried to sit down and pin point that exact time frame when the all encompassing emotion took root in her heart she just couldn't do it. All she could think about was the first day the meet and the tall lean boy standing in his living room giving her a curious look.

Maybe it was love at first sight. Maybe it was hero worship or some other misplaced bond that surely had some sort of wacky psychological name. She didn't care. She loved Eddie and she would always love him.

Pulling into her parking space, Mary got out and took the elevator up to her floor. Her apartment building was old and a little strange. Located in a tucked off corner of Presidio Heights, the ancient 1940's building was converted into stylish lofts. Her apartment was located at the side on a lower section of the building. Where the rest of the building was a large four-story block like structure, her apartment was located in a little three-story off-shoot section that housed the boiler room, AC units, and other various machinery that helped operate the building. Her spacious two bedroom sat on the top floor directly above the machinery. Her unit was cheaper than the rest for that very reason—her apartment was unrentable. The machines ran all the time making it nearly impossible to hear her TV. The constant drowning of white noise and the special agreement that tenants had to sign to waive any right for a lawsuit in case the boiler blew, was enough to keep even the most desperate renters away. They were crazy! If the boiler did blow up she was dead, so a lawsuit wasn't something to worry about and since there was a little invention called Bluetooth headphones she had no issue watching TV or talking on the phone. Frankly she liked the constant relaxing whir of the machines.

As if sensing her glass of wine was only minutes away, Mary walked quicker with anticipation down the long narrow hall that led to her far off apartment. When she turned the last corner that led to her door, she stopped. About seven yards away from her door, Mary clutched at her purse strap as she froze at the sight. There was a dark figure leaning on the wall near her door. Wearing a hood over his head, the profile of the tall stranger was bulky and oddly still. An empty cold feeling of fear pooled in her stomach as she hesitantly stepped back.

The man's head turned, his face still hidden in the shadows of his hoodie. The dark faceless shadow of the hoodie stared at her directly.

Panic was moving through her body sending every signal to turn and run away when she heard the grating voice.

"Mary?" the voice questioned as if shocked and seeking confirmation all at once.

Pushing the hood back, Eddie stood there looking at her.

The fear slid off her body like water as she let out a squeal of excitement running towards him. Stiffly his arms came up as he waited for her to launch herself against his chest before enclosing them tightly around her.

"Mary…" his voice seemed to echo within itself. Leaning back, she looked up at his handsome, if not a little tired, face and smiled as he continued, his voice sounding normal now. "I missed you."