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}

_notvenom:

“… Alright, I’m game.”

Peter’s shoulders sank back into the couch as the words sank into his stomach. Sure could pick those rooftops. So far this had been quite the success. Sanctuary at the price of what was yet to come. Fair enough. It wasn’t the weirdest way he’d spent an evening this week. In fact it may have quite possibly been the healthiest thing for him, in some ways. So he couldn’t reach out to friends and family— what else were the mildly demonic entities of New York for?

As tempting as it was to melt into the cushions entirely, Peter fought to keep himself upright. “S u p e r. Well. You’re doing great Peter, I’m Ky’ler and—” Thump. His head hit the back of the couch and all he could do was just sorta exhale in a steady hum of agony, outstretching his hand. “Now we’re not strangers.” Nice. Turning his palm he had a second to actually look at the blood on his hands, still hot to touch as his brain began to boil.

“Fuck”

Any minute now those trace amounts of radioactivity would come in handy. Inflammation would ease and withdrawal would let up. He needed sleep, a break, and about sixty-four thousand before he was going to be anywhere close to functional. Nevertheless, one minute he was begging for mercy, the next: 

“Do you have a towel? Some morphine? Maybe a couple’a guns?”

_{“relax.” maybe it wasn’t exactly the right word to say, but hopefully it would get peter to try to get some rest. at least then ky could figure out what he was going to do with him. he couldn’t just keep him, nor could he just throw him out in the street. well, he could, but even he had lines he wouldn’t cross ( well, not when he didn’t want to cross them ).}

_{“as i said,” he repeated, “you’ve been through a grinder.” he was trying to be nice. trying to not say the obvious, but then again – no time like the present. “you look like crap and you’re not moving until i say you can.” maybe he was being a bit too harsh, but for the moment… he wasn’t going to have peter dying in this room.} 

_{“ an’ mention morphine is the last thing you need.” it would have helped, but the most ky would do was grab a blanket and maybe a towel. that way, peter would be covered up and maybe peter would actually get some rest ( even if that was more than likely doubtful with nothing for the pain ).} 

 _{“- get some rest.” or not, it wasn’t his problem either way, but it was starting to look that way as time went on.} 

_notvenom:

_{Consciousness was fickle from the start, but every time he felt any closer to the sweet release of a blackout, adrenaline said otherwise. Between the blood loss and the goo, he wasn’t in great shape. It was hard to feel much beyond relief when his body weight shifted off his own plate even by painful means. They were followed, of course, but not close. Not quickly. Shapeless, it cowered from the rain on the tail of its host.} 

_{Meanwhile that host was still trying to catch his breath.}

_{Heart pounding through his entire body, he made out the beep of a door and the sudden silence of the indoors. Light hit him hard as he brought his hands to his eyes and wiped his way up his forearm. Dumbfounded by the ringing in his head, the sensation of sharp pain ripping down his skull, Peter was silenced entirely. Walking was a little less complicated under the pilot of a firm grip, and he remained in this state of borderline paralysis until his eyes finally focused on his unfortunate rescue-ee.}

_{“Thanks. Thank you.” The words fell from his lips with little to no control, but this time he was thankful to comprehend them. With more determination he spoke again. Mostly trying to jumpstart the use of his… well, everything. Rebooting his own nervous system however he could; “What’s—” Swing and a miss. A familiar tremor shook through him as his senses roared in the presence of something wrong. Having been dormant for so long under control of something else, they hit much harder than usual.}

_{Unfortunately, there was not much he could or cared to do. Breathlessly he tried again, squinting at the stranger as his features sharpened into existed. Fascinated by a solid jawline, he moved to touch his face before pulling his hand back hard.}  

                                          _{“Who uh… what’s y’r uh— What’s your name?”}

_{the words thank you struck a cord with him – no one had ever said that to him in recent memory. if they had, maybe it was meaningless. something they said just out of kindness, but this was different.} 

_{he had interfered when it wasn’t his business. now it was – whatever was left of some since of morality- struck a core with him. so, in his mind, from this moment forward… it would be his business ( though he would never admit it to anyone ).}

_{now, he had to deal with those consequences. now, he had to actually deal with the one he saved asking questions. far too many if ky was being honest with himself… especially when they should have been trying to conserve their energy or something among those lines.}

_{“your savior,” he said, releasing the other from his grip near one of the couches. “looks like you’ve been through the grinder.” not that ky could say anything about it. he’d looked worse on some days – crawling back to somewhere he felt safe, but that was a long time ago. “or worse.”  a pause. “or maybe… you pushed your body to it’s limits.”}

_{ky could have also said something about the goo, but he wasn’t going to let that slip out. no – the most he would do would be to make sure he was alright, and then go on from there. though, the plan might change – it always did when he got… emotionally attached to someone or something.} 

           _{“either way? it’s ky’lar and trust me… when i say the worst is still to come.”}