The room is dark except for the thin spill of streetlight sneaking through the blinds, painting pale stripes across the bed. Eddie sleeps on his stomach, one arm flung over your waist, breathing slow and even. Venom is quiet too—unusually so—coiled somewhere in the back of Eddie’s mind, half-asleep.

Then you stir.

It’s subtle at first: a tight pull low in your abdomen, a warm, unmistakable sensation that makes your heart sink even before your brain fully catches up. You go still, staring at the ceiling, already calculating sheets, timing, annoyance. Great.

Venom wakes instantly.

Eddie, the symbiote hisses inside his head, alarm bells ringing loud and sharp. Eddie. Something is wrong.

You feel Eddie shift slightly, mumbling in his sleep, but before he can wake, a slick black tendril slides up Eddie’s shoulder, peeking out into the room like a nervous snake tasting the air.

Venom freezes.

Blood, he whispers, panic rising fast. Eddie, there is blood. You are injured. You are bleeding internally. Wake up—

“Venom,” you whisper urgently, lifting a hand and pressing it gently against the writhing tendril. “Stop. It’s okay.”

The tendril recoils, confused, but still vibrating with anxiety. It is not okay. You are bleeding. This is very much not okay.

You sigh softly, careful not to wake Eddie, and lower your voice. “I’m not hurt. I promise. It’s just… a period. It happens. Every month.”

Venom goes very, very still.

A… what?

“A period,” you repeat patiently. “It’s normal. I’m fine. Eddie doesn’t need to wake up.”

Venom’s voice drops to a horrified whisper. You bleed… on purpose? Regularly? And everyone is just fine with this?

You almost laugh despite yourself. “Yes. And I’m going to take a shower and clean up. Everything is under control.”

You carefully slide out from under Eddie’s arm. He grunts, rolling onto his side, but doesn’t wake. You sit on the edge of the bed, then stand, stretching slightly. Venom watches your every move, clearly unconvinced.

You point a finger at him sternly. “Do not wake up Eddie.”

Venom crosses two tendrils like fingers. We will not wake Eddie, he promises, far too quickly.

You grab clean clothes and head toward the bathroom, pausing in the doorway to give one last suspicious look. Venom is motionless. Innocent. Definitely plotting something.

The bathroom door clicks shut. The shower turns on.

Three seconds pass.

Venom slowly turns his attention back to Eddie’s sleeping face.

Eddie, he says softly at first.

Eddie groans. “M’fine… five more minutes…”

Eddie, Venom insists, louder now. Your girlfriend is bleeding. A lot. She says this is “normal” but we do not trust this.

Eddie’s eyes snap open. “—She’s WHAT?”

Venom beams, teeth spreading into a wide, worried grin. Good news! You are awake.