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 click of your heels and Eddie's steady footsteps. The air smells of old paper and rain, and the light from the single bulb casts long shadows on the concrete. You're mid-laugh, recounting a story, when your foot meets air instead of the next step. A cold, sinewy grip wraps around your waist, steadying you in an instant. You land on your feet, and Eddie pulls his hand back, his face flushed with embarrassment. "Uh, good reflexes," he mutters, avoiding your eyes.