_notvenom:

How could he say that? Peter looked up at him with furrowed brows and bright eyes. The dim red light of the dark room made him seem all the more true to his form. How could he say that? Didn’t he s e e what this was doing him? Didn’t he know how much it h u r t ? The amount of pain he was willing to tolerate for the good of so many? Ḩ̴͕̲̗̹͍̙̖̝́͐̏͗͜ō̷͚͗͠w̸̞͚͕͎̓͌̎̐̾̔̔̈́̅̍ ̵c̷͉̫̮͇͈̓́̓̐́̌͗̌͠o̵̗͔̙͆̔̎͑̀̍͘͜ͅu̸͉͓͎̽̄͐̐̓́͛͑̅l̷̹͍͎̬̩͙̟͇̰̔̈́͑͌̆͊͌͒͝͝d̶̠̬̝̪̼̰͉̓̋̔̉ h̴̛͎̦̙̞̫͑̿̈́̽̆̈́́͝e̴͕̞͓͙̞̻͔̲̻͛́!̶͎̠̌̉̿̔͌̐̆̕?̴̳̩͛̀͂͐͛̄̾͌͛

In the seconds following Ky’Lar’s words, the tar like substance had progressed across his skin. Dripping down in large, weighted drops until the majority of right side had been overtaken. Until he spoke abruptly,

“I can’t do that.” 

Staring himself down in the mirror for a moment, he took a deep breath and held it. It wasn’t too late. He wasn’t too late. All he had to do was fight it. Sure it was hard, but that was kind of the fucking point. “I’m not going to do that.” Letting go of his breath, he let go of the sink and watched the goop recede back down to his forearm. “If I let this thing win another night, I’ll lose a piece of me I’ll never get back... 

                                     Don’t think I’m ready for that kinda commitment.”

_{“Can’t or won’t?”} 

_{Part of him could relate ( even if it was in the most basic of levels ) about losing one’s self. In Ky’s case, it was the fear of letting his own rage consume him, and while it did ( at times ) it was still a constant battle with himself.} 

_{Sometimes, he managed to win it, but other-times he absolutely failed. Once, he would have held onto control long enough to try to make a difference, but these days he thrived on the unpredictability – no, the chaos. He absolutely found himself lost in it at times, but even he had limitations on just how far he would go ( to get what he wanted ).}

_{“If and when you take that leap,” he said, eyes focusing on the black goo that was receding, “i want you to be ready.” In truth, could have went on to say it was Peter’s choice, but Ky wasn’t going to say that – at least not for the moment.} 

_{“You might lose something, but….                                                                                                     You’ll gain so much more.”}

Peter lifted his head and pushed himself up on his elbows, rising from his blanket hell reborn in the eyes of Upper East Side. Loud as the city could be, the world was silent in comparison to the chaos of last night.  For the first time in a long time, he could even hear his own heart beat. How do you feel? Christ, how did he feel. Did he feel? (He flexed his fingers) Yes.

“Like dead weight.”

Gradually, he pushed himself up further until he could look the man eye to eye with a little more dignity. Memories of the last seven days had yet to come knocking. At. The moment the world was still static, his mind searching for a signal and only finding pieces in the void. “Wait—“ He tilted his head quite suddenly, “Were you watching me… ?” Though he knew the answer right away, he chose to acknowledge it only with a nod and move on. Waking up half naked in a high rise didn’t happen every day, but it happened enough to shut him up.

“How long was I out?” There, a question with an answer he could actually do something with. No phone, no grip on reality, and the hollow feeling now setting into his stomach. Something was missing. Something was gone. And it very much wished to have him back. Peter’s eyes roamed the room. Searching. Picking up weak signals from that which had refused to leave his side for a week, temporarily out of range. The realization knocked the breath from him, and he fell back into the couch a little further, 

“While we’re at it, approximately where the hell am I? Quick guess, did I die ? 
‘Cause I am in deeeeeep shit if I’m dead.”

_{“You’re in my apartment.” Technically, it was a hotel room, but more of a long-term one. Truth be told, this was the longest one he’d stayed at in a long time. Already going on three months – so, he figured apartment was the best way to explain where Peter was at. at least… for the time being.} 

_{He figured that much was enough, but explaining the amount of time was going to be tricky. Ky was about to say days, but instead he opted to keep the time period vague. If everything came back to him? It did – if not? it wasn’t really his problem. not entirely at any-rate. “Among other things, i’d say some time – i don’t really have a clock in here, but about one rotation.” Or a day – maybe a bit less.}

_{“Among other things,” he said, moving forward, “You seem to be alive – as for how long that will last? I’m not entirely sure.” Of course, Ky knew that Peter would live, but he still wanted to play that role of savior. That very same role that he enjoyed playing… especially when he was still debating if keeping him here ( for as long as possible ) would be a good thing.}

_{“Personally, i’d say the best bet for you is to stay where you are, and relax. If it helps, i could order some room service – you do eat, don’t you?” Not that he did ( or needed to rather ), but he was still going to ask due to the fact it was kind ( even if his kindness was starting to run a bit thin ).} 

_{He had asked the question out of a slight amount of concern. Not for Peter, but for that black goo that attached itself to the boy. From what Ky knew, it needed Peter, and it didn’t want to let go of it’s Host. It was a relationship that Ky could relate to; never truly wanting to let go… at least not truly, but they had to. It was the only way one relented completely from a struggle.}

_{In Ky’s case, he never wanted to go back home, and he never wanted to go back anywhere near there. He would have to eventually, but even Ky knew that sometimes the best things were what you didn’t personally want. It may have been painful, but Ky knew that what he was about to suggest wasn’t going to be taken well.}

_{He knew how to play savior; to be there when Peter needed him most of all. He knew what to say, how to say it, and now? He was going to something that might make him seem a bit harsh. True, it might not have been the best idea, but it would suffice – just until Ky could find a way how to make both Peter and the ooze cooperate together or… get them separated.}

_{“Mmm.” Ky’s right hand moved under Peter’s chin for a few moments, slowly rubbing it. “Have you ever thought of…giving in?” A dark grin spread across his lips as he lowered his voice to just a low whisper. “It might help.”}

_{// @notvenom   xxx}

Ky’lar’s words should have hit much harder than they did, but they landed like spit in his eye. Degrading but deserved. “Yes. Yes, you should have.” Peter agreed without the slightest pause, looking back at him with a steady face and fixed posture, “Woulda done us both a fucking favor.”

Peter didn’t know what it was he felt for this beast but he knew it was too much. Whatever it was, it caught fire fast and quickly grew far out of hand. All he knew for sure was it pissed him off. He had an idea of what it all was, where it was coming from, but that only served to stir the pot. “But you didn’t, did you?” This wasn’t what he wanted. It was what he needed, “Are you done?”

_{No, he didn’t. Instead of leaving him out to rot or even finishing the job, Ky took him in, and cared for him. He actually showed not just kindness, but real compassion to something that didn’t belong to him. It was more than just a singular action – it was an action that lead to a proverbial domino effect.}

_{Ky’lar was starting to care – not just that Peter was something of his, but slowly ( very slowly ) part of him wanted to see him as an equal. Maybe it was far to much to ask of himself to care. All the same, he actually started doing so, and that was bad. It was really bad.} 

_{“Are you?” He should have just grabbed a drink and cooled himself off, but no. Ky always had to push things one step forward. “’Cause i can do this all night.”}

_notvenom:

“Haha, grindr.” Second time around, the comment was impossible to make. Leave it to him to crack a shitty joke on what felt like a deathbed. Peter had come crawling into a lion’s den and he’d been very fortunate to end up in its favor. When he tried to assert some set of orders, Peter felt something rumbling at the hearth of his stomach. “That was hot.” In fact it damn near gave him whiplash as he lifted his head from the couch to catch a look, way too quickly for his own good. So he got what he deserved there.

From what Peter was gathering this guy was out for his own good. While it wasn’t unwelcome, that was certain, it was uncommon on this side of town. From experience, Spider-Man was much more likely to get help amongst the mid to lower class. People who held him to some kind of standard, yet understood him as one of their own. Up here? Robots, goblins, billionaires gone rogue, all ready to lay his ass out at any moment. Then every now and then, a hand appeared that fed instead of striking.

“You sure about that? Because it sure doesn’t feel—” But before he could argue much more in favor of painkillers, Peter felt the warm weight of a comforter fall upon him. Blissfully he gripped the fabric, holding it up to his face almost immediately (getting blood and mud all over it in the process).

Eyes shut and face half-hidden, Peter remained perfectly still, succumbing to the rest Ky’lar pushed so sternly. “I already said it but… Thanks. This is really—” Sleep took him without further protest. Caught him dead in his tracks. For the time being, he was all Peter. His true form free to suffer in the light of bad decisions. But as he felt himself drift towards sleep, he felt the looming presence of something else.

H o u r s passed like seconds. The mercy of sleep was merely temporary as the cycle began again. He awoke with a start as a feeling of deep fear knocked him into reality with a kick. One loud gasp marked the first sound from him since his body initially shut down. Followed of course by a string of curses: “ ᴴᵒˡʸ ˢʰᶦᵗ ʷʰᵃᵗ ᵗʰᵉ ᶠᵘᶜᵏ ? “

_{Ky was far more than simply glad when peter managed to fall asleep. More importantly, it gave him time to leave for a few hours, and grab some pretty powerful painkillers from a nearby pharmacy. Sure, it was illegal, but at least then Peter ( if he ever woke up ) would have something to ease the pain.} 

_{Though, the question of what he was going to do with him still was on his mind. He couldn’t just keep peter there and even if he could? It wouldn’t turn out well… least of all for Peter. Even if there was doubt things couldn’t get any worse… Ky knew fully well that something could happen. As for what? He had far more than his share of idea’s, but mainly it was that Peter would eventually come back ( if he let him go ) and more than likely fight him.}

_{Still, he pushed those thoughts aside as the hours passed. Hell, he even made sure to add in a few more blankets for Peter to cover with. That way, Ky knew Peter could keep warm, and it was the first time any of the bedding got used anyways. So, it was a win-win for the bedding in all reality.}

_{“He lives.” A grin slowly spread across his lips as he slid his hands into his back pockets of his jeans. “An’ for a moment? I thought you were going to simply be dead weight.” It was his own version of a joke – a bad one possibly, but he thought it was funny. “So, how do you feel?” Not that he expected a clear answer, but getting Peter talking would work either way, wouldn’t it? He honestly thought it would.}

_{he said the words due to the fact he had to. peter was his. there was no need for further discussion on it. nor was ky going to give him up – not when he was actually starting to feel something more than hatred. maybe it was envy? maybe… he didn’t even know what he was feeling at the moment for peter.. all he knew was he wanted him.}

_{“sorry or not,” he said, once the other was finished, not even bothering to hold back the rage in his words. “i should have let you die on that rooftop.” no, he didn’t mean it. he truly didn’t, but ky needed to draw a line. one… that he regretted the instant he managed to draw it. maybe he was starting to feel something for peter after all.}

_{// @notvenom xxx}