Symbiote Boyfriend Spite 2 (complete)

    “You’re nervous,” Spite whispers to me.

    I place our hand over our chest. “Yeah,” I reply as steam floats up from our mouth.

    Spite squeezes around me reassuringly. “It’ll be ok, Jack will know who you are.” He slips away from my head like a hood. I can see down on the street from our post. Below us, I see the house where Jack and his girlfriend Diane lived. I can see Diane in the window as she puts dishes into the sink.

    “Hey,” Spite whispers, snapping me to my senses. “I saw the guy, he’s in there. He’s changed, but he’s in there.”

    I take a deep breath and steady myself. “Sorry I just-”

    “Hey, no apologies with me. I know what Jack meant to you.” Spite murmurs.

    Back when I was little, Jack was the neighbor kids who always stuck up for me. He was big and good looking while I was this skinny, awkward little slip of a kid. I was teased for my mannerisms and how different I was compared to everyone else. It was Jack who took up for me and kept me safe. He held my hand to and from school when I was little. Then as I got older, he helped me with school work.  Jack was also the first person I went to when I understood that I was gay. 

    Even then, Jack supported me. When he died, the world felt so dark.

    “Come on,” Spite says. “Let's go.”

    I nod. “Ok, I’m ready.”

    Spite slips back over my face, and we sling down from our post. We come up to the front door and Spite slips back from my face. I reach out, knocking on the door.

    Diane answers, peering out cautiously. “Can I help you?” It’s easy to see that she's nervous about something.

    “Hi,” I wave sheepishly. “I don’t know if you remember me but uhm…” my hands are shaking, but Spite squeezes gently around me.

    “Go on, babe,” he whispers.

    Diane steps out, opening the door more as she stands before me. “Max?” She asks as her eyes go wide. “Oh wow, I haven’t seen you in so long.” A quiet smile spreads across her face. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

    “We’re looking for-” I stop and clear my throat. “I’m looking for-” I stare up at her and realize she’s nervous. “Are you ok?” 

    “He knows we’re here,” Spite says to me with a hushed voice. I turn my head slightly, hearing a low, rumbling breathing close by.

    “Max?” Diane says again.

    I snap back to my own senses, still hearing the quiet breathing echo in my ear. I turn back to Diane and clear my throat.  “I’m looking for Jack.”

    Diane expression is strained and conflicted. “Oh, Max...I can’t-”

    “My uncle,” I interrupt her. “Sorry,” I quickly tack on an apology. “But my uncle, Dr. Harlan, you worked with him too, with Jack I mean. He tried to give you a canister, right?”

    Diane furrows her brow. “He did,” she whispers.

    “Jack made you turn it away, so he had to go and hide again.” I stretch out my arm as Spite crawls up and floats into my palm. “He told me.”

    “You, missed out, toots,” Spite hisses at Diane.

    Diane's eyes grow wide, and she adjusts her glasses as she looks at Spite. “It’s you,” she whispers. Her hazel eyes then fall on me. “Oh, Max,” she murmurs sympathetically.

    “What’re you doing here?” I hear a low rumbling voice.

    I look up and see something moving in the shadows. Stepping back, it drops down in front of Diane and rises up, standing well over seven feet tall. He looks like he’s made from an oil slick and two eyes peer at me, glowing in the darkness.

    “We have first contact,” Spite says.

    My breath is knocked from me for a moment. I don’t recognize the creature before me, but I feel a comforting presence despite it. “Jack?” My throat feels tight as I speak.

    He growls low. “How could you?” He whispers to Spite. “He’s just a kid.”

    “He’s an adult!” Spite hisses, curling up over the top of my head. “Just because you see him as some helpless kid doesn’t mean the rest of the world does. He’s my partner now. I see what his true potential really is, Jack.”

    Jack snarls and reveals rows of jagged teeth. “He doesn’t know what’s at stake. He doesn’t know how powerful Rabid is. And you of all things should know better than this!” He lashes out, grabbing Spite over my head.

    “Jack don’t!” I push my palms against his wall of a chest.

    Spite cackles as Jack’s fist wraps around the tendrils floating above my head. “He knows, don’t assume things,” Spite snarls back at Jack, his tongue trailing up Jack’s arm. “Also, Max has grieved you! So settle the fuck down and hug him!” He slips out of Jack’s fist and urges me forward.

    I look up at Jack as an awkward silence fills the air. Spite curls around my fingers and gently presses to my palm.

    Jack looks down at me. “It’s...it’s good to see you, Max.” His voice is small and apologetic. “I mean that.”

    I sniffle and wipe at my eyes. I hang my head. “Sorry-” I whimper.

    “No,” Jack reaches out and runs his fingers through my hair. “I’m sorry,” he says. “I’ve thought about you a lot lately.”

    “Why don’t you all come inside,” Diane says with a gentle smile. “I’ll put on some coffee for you, and you can catch up.”

    “Thanks,” you murmur.

    As I walk through the door, Jack pulls us into a hug. His body is so different, it’s massive, and lumbering and his arms are big enough to snap me like a twig. But the embrace is all too familiar. It’s Jack, and that hasn’t changed.

    I hug him tightly. “I missed you so much.”

    “I’m sorry,” Jack says as he pulls back. He stands tall and sighs as he looks into his palms. “I’m not who I once was. The creature I was looking after, it fused with me to save my life.”

    “Is he still there?” Spite asks.

    Jack sighs. “Sometimes I think I can hear him,” he replies. “But other times it feels like I’m alone.” He then glares. “And you?”

    “Whoa,” Spite laughs, ducking down behind my head. “What do you mean?”

    “Max is important to me. He’s a good kid with a bright future,” he jabs a finger towards him. “He doesn’t need you coming in and screwing up his life.”

    “Hey,” I say quietly. “I chose this. I chose Spite,” I snap at him. “After you died I was in a bad place! Spite has helped me.”

    Jack growls low in his chest. “Has he?”

    I nod. “He’s not exactly the best person in the world,” I admit.

    “Babe,” Spite whimpers.

    “But he’s the best for me,” I finish. “I love him.”

    Spite snuggles to my cheek and purrs sweetly.

    Jack sighs, his massive shoulders slouching.

    “So, will it be a spring wedding or a shotgun wedding?” Diane asks as she comes into the room with cups of coffee. She smiles, brightening up the serious and somber mood. “Two sugars, right?” She asks me.

    “Yeah, thank you,” I smile.

    “I’d prefer a winter wedding,” Spite says. He then shoves his entire head into the cup of coffee without warning. “Oh, fuck yes,” he hisses while submerged.

    Jack takes a cup from Diane and kisses the top of her head. “So, Harlan came to you?”

    “Not exactly, he thought the house would be empty. I think he was wanting to hide,” I reply. 

    “Does he...know?” Diane asks, looking at Spite still in the coffee cup.

    I nod. “He and his...partner confronted us,” I answer. “I’m afraid we didn’t really part on anything solid.”

    “Timid,” Jack says. “He’s protecting Timid from Solomon.”

    I furrow my brow. “Spite said something about that.”

    “Solomon and Rabid wanted their mate to have a partner as well, so they could work together. Since they thought one was destroyed and Spite was locked away, they asked Harlan to create one.” Jack murmurs. “It worked, but the creation was docile and sweet. Harlan knew Timid wouldn’t suit their plans, so he took Timid and ran to protect him.”

    “He came to us asking to hide Spite,” Diane replies. “He has stolen him to protect him from Solomon and Rabid as well. He asked me if I could play host.”

    “I wouldn’t stand for that,” Jack growls.

    “Well,” Spite says as he removes himself from the coffee cup and returns to me. “You missed out.” He waves our hand over our body. “You see all this? Yeah. That could have been your lady.”

    “I’m ok with that,” Diane says, taking hold of Jack’s hand.

    “What’s going to happen then?” I ask. “I mean, with Rabid and Solomon?”

    Jack sighs and shakes his head. “Harlan is probably in a great deal of danger,” he replies. “He’s probably hunting him.”

    “I’d say Harlan is running to keep people safe,” Diane adds. “He’s probably upset that he got you mixed up in all of it.”

    I close my eyes and sigh. 

    “I know what you’re thinking, babe. It’s ok.” Spite squeezes my shoulders. “I’m with you. Whatever you want.”

    “I need to go back,” I say. “My uncle needs me.”

    Jack furrows his brow. “Max, you could get yourself hurt, or worse.”

    I place our hand over our chest. “I’m not alone, and I’m not the same weak kid you used to have to protect. Spite and I are one, we’re different. We’re stronger together.”

    “That’s my boy,” Spite giggles.

    “I’m going home. It’s what’s right.” I smile at Jack. “I’m happy to know you’re ok. If it’s possible, I’ll make sure you and Diane won’t get bothered. Solomon won’t find out about you.” I turn to go to the door.

    “Wait!” Diane gasps. She grabs our hand and squeezes. “It’s cold out.” She goes over to the coat rack and takes Jack’s old college hoodie down. “Take this.”

    “Oh uh,” I look at it then back at Diane. “Are you sure?”

    Diane nods back to Jack. “He can’t fit in it anymore.” She then grins. “It’s fitting you two should have it.”

    “I wouldn’t have minded you much, lady,” Spite says.

    “Make sure he behaves,” Diane whispers to me as she opens the door.

    We step outside and slip the hoodie on. It’s still a little big, but it’s the gesture that counts. Spite and I leap away, launching ourselves into the air. We travel back home, catching a train and riding on top of it to make the journey faster.

    When we arrive back home, I’m relieved to see someone is inside. Spite slips away, hiding under the hoodie. I knock on the door when I find it’s locked.

    “Uncle Harlan?” I call. “It’s me! I think we need to-”

    The door swings open and standing there is a man I don’t know. He’s tall with long white hair, and his eyes are red.

    “Fuck,” Spite growls.

    The man smiles. “You must be Max,” he says. “Your uncle has told me so much about you.”

    “It’s Solomon,” Spite whispers.

    I’m frozen in place, and I don’t know what to do. “Is...is my uncle here?” I ask.

    “He’s inside,” Solomon steps out of the way. “Please, come in.”

    I look inside, seeing claw marks running down the wall of the foyer. I take a step back and freeze up again.

    “Max, come in,” Solomon grabs my shoulder and squeezes down really hard. “It’s cold out.”

    “No need to pose so hard,” Spite rises up from under the hoodie and wrenches Solomon’s hand away. “You might hurt something.”

    Solomon gnashes his teeth as Rabid starts to rise up over him. “Spite.”

    “Ragged,” Spite snarls and lunges us into the house. He wraps around me again, taking over my entire body. “Where is he?” Spite snarls.

    Rabid stomps towards us, his arm stretching out and trying to grab us, but Spite dodges. He rips a door off the hinges and chucks it at Rabid’s head.

    “We gotta find him,” Spite hisses to me. He dodges another strike from Rabid, and the windows shatter. 

    We climb up the walls and shoot up through the stairwell.

    “Come back!” Rabid roars.

    “If you were any good at fucking I would!” Spite tosses back at him before throwing us out the window. He grabs onto the wall, clawing down the siding then sprints us up towards the roof. 

    “What do we do?” I’m panicking. “What do we do?”

    “Shh,” Spite coaxes. “It’s ok. He’s just a little mad now, but when he calms down-” we’re thrown backward as Rabid grabs us around the throat and pulls us back into the house.

    “He’s still a dick,” Spite snarls. He kicks Rabid in the face and bounces off him, skidding along the debris-covered hallway. We stand up, staring down Rabid as he stands before us.

    “You’ve always been a fucking bastard,” he laughs.

    “If I had the choice to do my job and fuck, yes,” Spite laughs. “Unlike some people who think their dicks too big for their pants.”

    “It’s your ideology that’s small, Spite. That was always what I hated about you,” Rabid growls.

    “I know you hate so much more about me,” Spite splays out his fingers as they turn into knives. “But trading pleasantries aside, where is Harlan?”

    “It won’t matter,” Rabid growls he then stops cold and his eyes rise up beyond us. “What is that?”

    Two big hands clamp down on our shoulders, and I turn to look up at Jack.

    “This is no fight for a diplomat,” Jack and Diane’s voices snarl in unison. “Go find Harlan, I’ll take care of him.”

    “Three against two?” Rabid laughs. “I’ll take it.”

    “Hurry,” Jack and Diane whisper to us before they charge at rabid and knock him through a wall.

    “Kid, worry about the house and the shit attack your parents will have later.” Spite throws us through the house until we get to the laundry room.

    Harlan is tied up on the ground. We race towards me and untie him. “Are you ok?” I ask. “Harlan!”

    He groans and looks up at me. “Max,” he winces in pain. “You need to get out of here!” Above us, the sounds of chaos and rampage are growing as Jack, Diane, and Rabid fight. 

    “Where’s Timid?” Spite snarls.

    “Here,” a woman says.

    I turn and see a woman sitting in the corner, holding a canister. She stands up and approaches us.

    “I didn’t want this,” she whispers. She looks up as the rafters shake. She looks at Timid in the canister. “I would do anything for them,” she says. “And they would do anything for me but-” she sighs. “This little guy isn’t worth it.”

    “Oh, so you’re the hot piece Rabid is gushing over,” Spite hisses.

    She glares at Spite and thrusts the canister out. “Take him back.”

    “Why?” I ask her. “Rabid wanted him made for you.”

    She scoffs. “All I want is them,” she says. “He didn’t have to go this far.” She then smiles. “Then again, it is part of what I love about them.”

    “Solidarity,” Spite says as he cracks open the canister.

    Timid cries, rushing out and going to Harlan. “Harlan!” He cries.

    “Ah-” Harlan grunt as Timid hugs him and wraps around him. “Easy,” he chuckles.

    “I’m sorry,” she whispers.

    The ceiling caves in and Rabid lies there with Jack and Diane sitting on his chest.

    “Alexis, dear,” Rabid groans. 

    Alexis sighs, swatting plaster and debris away from her face. “You always go too big, my love.” She shakes her head. “We’re outnumbered this time.”

    Rabid groans and laughs. “But what about your present.”

    Alexis looks at us, and a dark smile spreads across her lips. “Worry about it later.”  She stretches out her hand, taking Rabid onto herself. 

    “Wait-” spite tries to stop them, but she punches Jack square in the chest, blowing him into the brick wall. She then picks up Solomon and vanishes through the hole in the ceiling.

    “Not good,” Timid whispers

    Jack falls from the wall, and his back opens up, bone popping open like a cage and Diane slips out. She rushes over to Harlan and Timid on the ground and sits beside them.

    “Everything ok?” She asks.

    Spite and I go over to Jack who is coughing and holding his chest. He looks up at us and sighs.

“You always gotta be the hero don’t you?” Spite asks. He holds his hand out. 

Jack laughs and takes his hand. “Did I steal your thunder?”

“No thunder to steal,” Spite laughs as we help Jack up. “So, you and Diane huh? Like a mech suit or something?”

“We found out we could do that ages ago,” Jack chuckles. “Something, the soldier, told me one time.”

Harlan stands up, and I rush over to him, I hug him and Timid. “I’m so sorry!”

“Hey, hey,” Harlan laughs. “It’s ok. This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have come here. I should have left as soon as I knew you were still here.” He hugs me tight. “I didn’t want you getting caught up in this, Max.”

“I’m glad I did,” I say and look up at him. “From now on, you and me...ok?” I nod my head. “We’re going to watch out for one another, all three of us.”

Behind us, the ceiling entirely collapses and slides down the stairs.

“I don’t think we’ve got a choice in that,” Harlan laughs. 

    Outside we can hear sirens. 

    “We need to go,” Diane whispers.

    Jack pulls Diane close, pulling her Jack into his chest. Timid wraps around Harlan and lunges up through the hole in the ceiling. Jack slips back around my head and chuckles.

    “What?” I ask.

“Looks like we got us a dumb little family,” he snickers as we run after Jack and Timid. “You think we can look after them?”

We follow Jack and Timid as they leap across the rooftops, coming to a stop when we reach the train station.

“You’d rather we got at this alone?” I ask.

“Eh,” Spite shrugs as we turn to look at everyone. “I would’ve liked a honeymoon.”