Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warning:
Categories:
Fandom:
Relationships:
Characters:
Additional Tags:
Language:
English
Series:
Part 6 of Talking to Yourself
Stats:
Published:
2018-12-01
Words:
2,652
Chapters:
1/1
Comments:
33
Kudos:
258
Bookmarks:
6
Hits:
1,541

Saint Nicholas's Day

Summary:

Eddie takes a day to appreciate the friends he has, the friends he used to have, and the friends he might have soon.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

“Hey, Eddie!” An older woman waved from across the street.

“Teresa! How you doin’?”

She shrugged. “Oh, you know, same old same old.”

“Yeah.” Eddie sat down next to her on concrete ledge. He could feel the cold seeping through his jeans. Even with her blankets, Teresa couldn’t be comfortable. “Amundsen still givin’ you trouble?”

“Nah, he fucked off about a week ago. Seen ‘im a couple times since. Won’t look at me; won’t talk to me. Can’t figure why,” she said with a side glance at Eddie.

“That’s good,” Eddie said, pretending not to notice. “Look, I gotcha a Christmas present.” He pulled out a pair of thick socks and handed them over.

Teresa paused to admire them before tucking them into her blankets. She knew without checking there would be thirty bucks folded up inside. “Thanks, man. These are real nice socks. Look, I got you somethin’, too.” She pulled a chocolate bar out of her ragged backpack and handed it over.

Eddie hesitated. “Thank you. You know you don’t have to—”

“Eddie, it’s Christmas. It’s what friends do.”

Eddie took the chocolate. “How’d you know these were my favorite?”

“I asked Mrs. Chen what you liked,” she confessed. “You’re in there every day. Figured she’d know if anyone did.”

Eddie laughed. “Smart.”

“Three years we’ve known each other.”

“Damn. Seems like forever.”

“Yeah. You know what I still can’t figure, though? Why you always give gifts on December fuckin’ sixth. You Jewish or what?”

“Nah. It’s St. Nicholas’s Day.”

“Ah,” Teresa said. “Un católico.”

“That’s me,” Eddie said with a smile.

“Funny. Can’t say I’ve ever known a Catholic who celebrated St. Nicholas’s Day.”

“I’ve only known one.”

“Sounds like a story,” Teresa prompted.

“A long story,” Eddie warned.

“I look busy to you?” she asked.

“Alright, yeah.” Eddie paused to find a starting point. “I ever told you before about my father?” He knew he had, but he was never sure what Teresa would remember. She assured him that she used to have a mind like a steel trap—still did on a good day—but things had started falling through the cracks a few years back after a concussion.

“Yeah, I remember. Real piece of shit.”

“Right. Well, he was Catholic, but he wasn’t much one for church or gift-giving or nothin’ like that. Holidays were days he got drunk in front of the T.V.”
Teresa nodded knowingly.

“But we had this neighbor, Mrs. Burns,” Eddie continued. “Lived three doors down. Nicest old lady you could hope to meet. She had a good idea what went on in our apartment. Probably behind a few CPS calls.

“I was too proud to admit the way things were, so instead of inviting me over she would just mention how she got lonely during the holidays—she was widowed, no family as far as I know—and wouldn’t it be nice if someone would come visit her.

“Now, Mrs. Burns was a Cajun, from Mamou, Louisiana—Burns was her husband’s name—and she was a real devout mass-every-Sunday and pray-before-meals kinda Catholic. So it wasn’t just Christmas and Easter. We celebrated Mardi Gras—not like in New Orleans, a country kind of Mardi Gras—and Three Kings Day and Lent and all kinds of Saints’ Days. Saint Nicholas’s Day was one of her favorites. She always insisted giving gifts on the sixth. That’s how Santa Claus and Christmas stockings got started, y’know. Saint Nicholas snuck into people’s houses and left them presents in their socks.”

Teresa snorted. “B-and-E Santa Claus. That’s a good one.”

Eddie laughed. “I know, right? Anyway, things went like that for years, and then I moved away to college. Kept goin’ to mass and called her on holidays, but I wasn’t about to go back to that apartment building once I’d gotten out and she wasn't too mobile those days, so we didn’t see each other much for three years. Then, winter of my senior year, I call her on the sixth like always, and she doesn’t pick up. Wasn’t like her, so I kept tryin’ all day and that night I bit the bullet and went to knock on her door, and she still didn’t answer. I found out from a neighbor that she’d had a heart attack the same mornin’.”

“Dang.”

“Yeah. She was the closest thing to real family I had. It’s really ‘cause of her I’m Catholic at all. The kinda God my father believed in—I didn’t care for that God, and He didn’t care for me. So now I celebrate St. Nicholas’s Day every year.”

“That’s the sweetest shit I ever heard.”

Eddie laughed. “She was sweet. It seems right.”

“Yeah.” Teresa looked pensive. Eddie figured she had her own Mrs. Burns.

“I gotta get to work. Thanks for the present, Teresa.”

She grinned. “Happy Saint Nicholas’s Day, Eddie.”

 

~*~

On their lunch break, Eddie stopped by a grocery store and bought a bouquet of chrysanthemums. He felt Venom’s curiosity, but the symbiote didn’t ask.

They headed toward Mrs. Chen’s place. “Eddie,” she said by way of greeting.

“Afternoon Mrs. Chen!” Eddie grinned at her. “Lookin’ beautiful as always.”

“How have you been, Eddie?” She scrutinized him. “You seem cheerful today.”

He grabbed three bags of chocolate coins and headed to the register.

Venom perked up.

It’s a Saint Nicholas’s Day present.

Venom wilted.

“Well, I had a good day at work. Got some leads on some pretty bad people.”

“Mm. Looking forward to a good meal?” she asked casually.

Eddie froze. “Uh.”

“Oh, don’t give me that,” Mrs. Chen said briskly. “I’ve heard the stories around town. I know you eating Antunes was no one-off. People think you’re an urban legend.”

“And what do you think?” he asked carefully.

“I think this chocolate is on me,” she said.

Eddie protested. “Mrs. Chen—"

“Call it an early Christmas gift, Eddie,” she said.

He smiled and took the chocolate. “Speakin’ of which.” He brought out a folded square of red cloth. “Got somethin’ for you, too.”

“Oh, is it today already?” Mrs. Chen was well familiar with his strange gift-giving habit. She shook out the cloth to reveal a red scarf shot through with silver threads. “It’s beautiful, Eddie.”

“Glad you like it.” He turned to go.

“Hey.”

Eddie paused.

“You two take care. Trial’s coming up and the Life Foundation is on the news again. Sooner or later, someone’s going put two and two together. When they do, Eddie, your name is all over it.”

Eddie nodded. “You take care, too. Anyone gives you trouble, let us know.”

 

~*~

As they headed out of the store, Eddie stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. There was a flash of curiosity from Venom, but he ignored it. He needed a moment of quiet.

This spot had been part of his Saint Nicholas’s Day rounds for three years. He couldn’t bring himself to just walk past.

I’m sorry I didn’t find you sooner. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more.

He stared at the graffitied wall where Maria used to sit and tried to picture her in as much detail as he could muster: sharp smile and frown lines and head cocked to the side. He thought of the first time they’d met.

“Betcha five dollars I can tell you where you got your shoes,” she called out as he passed.

He stopped and glanced down at his worn sneakers. It would be hard to determine even their color at this point. Curiosity won out.

“Where?”

“On your feet.”

He laughed at that and handed over a ten. “What’s your name?”

“Maria. You?”

“Eddie.”

“Pleased to meetcha.”

“Same. No offense, Maria, but why not pick a richer mark?” he asked, tilting his head at the sharp-dressed businessman she had let pass.

“Nah. You try it on someone whose shoes actually came from somewhere, they just get mad. It’s people like you who can appreciate a joke.”

Eddie considered that. “Well, you can’t argue with results.”

I’M SORRY, Venom said.

I know.

Eddie laid the chrysanthemums down on the sidewalk in Maria’s place, ignoring the rubbernecking of passersby.

~*~

“Eddie! Whatcha got there?” Praveena asked, eyeing the large, sweet-smelling box in his arms. On the lid, Dinh’s Bakery was printed in bold, curling letters. It was a familiar and much-coveted logo.

“See for yourself.” Eddie set it down next to the coffeemaker, lifting the lid to reveal fresh gingerbread and sugar cookies.

Praveena gasped. “Are these for everyone?”

“Knock yourself out.”

She snatched a gingerbread man quicker than Eddie could blink. “Remind me to thank Shaban for hiring you.”

He smirked. “The real question’s whether you’re gonna share the holiday spirit with the rest of the newsroom or keep them to yourself as long as you can.”

She grinned, took a sugar cookie for good measure, and went to spread the glad tidings of baked goods in the break room.

~*~

They stopped by Anne’s place after work.

“Hey, Eddie! Come join the party.” Her voice was light, but she raised her eyebrows at him in meaningfully.

There are other people over. Stay hidden, Eddie warned Venom silently.

“Thanks!” As they stepped in he spotted Dan and three unfamiliar faces: A thirty-something woman with long, dark hair, square glasses, and a Culver University sweatshirt was eating Doritos on the couch. From the pair of beers on the coffee table, Eddie figured that Anne had been chatting with her before he knocked. Two men were hanging out with Dan in the kitchen as he tended something in a pan. To his left, a short Black man in a glittery Christmas sweater lounged against the counter, coffee mug in hand. On Dan’s other side a red-haired man in a faded t-shirt perched on a stool with his feet hooked behind the rungs.

Anne quickly introduced everyone. “Eddie, meet Ezra and Ben, Dan’s partners. Over there is Darcy, his sister. Everyone, this is Eddie, my boyfriend.”

Ezra shook Eddie’s hand. “Eddie! We’ve heard so much. It’s great to finally meet you.” He had a warm voice and sincere smile that made Eddie like him instantly.

“Likewise.”

Ben disentangled himself from the stool to come shake Eddie’s hand as well. He gave Eddie a quick smile. “Nice to meet you.”

Darcy waved from the couch. “Hi!”

“You guys in town for Dan’s birthday?”

“Yep,” Ezra said. “We all had business in California this week, so it just worked out perfectly. Decided to surprise him. You’ll be there on Saturday, right?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

“Eddie, you got time to have some crepes? We have Nutella,” Dan teased.

Venom rumbled in their chest. “Can’t say no to that,” Eddie said. “But first…” He pulled two gifts out of his pocket. They were sloppily wrapped and very obviously books.

Anne smiled. “Happy Saint Nicholas’s Day, Eddie.”

Anne and Dan both put their gifts aside to unwrap in private, Eddie pulled up a stool, and Darcy wandered over, beer in hand, to join the conversation.

They chatted and ate for almost two hours. Even Ben, who wasn’t much of a talker, opened up a little—Eddie had reporter’s knack for getting people to share.

As the conversation wore on, he found himself plying it on Darcy. Not because she was recalcitrant—she was a nonstop chatterbox—but because her stories were full of strange holes.

“Are you still working with that astrophysicist?” Ben asked at one point.

“Nah. We kept in touch, but she moved to London,” Darcy explained, taking a bite of a crepe stuffed with whipped cream and strawberries.

“Wait, hold on, you worked with an astrophysicist?”

“Mm-hm,” Darcy said, still chewing. “Dr. Foster. She’s like, amazing. Probably gonna get a Nobel Prize this year.”

“You’re a political scientist,” Eddie stated, feeling like he was missing something.

Darcy shrugged. “I needed an internship.”

“What did you work on?”

Darcy looked uncomfortable. “Um, well, it’s mostly top secret and also mostly I didn’t understand because, hey, political scientist. I can say it involved tasing a really hot guy at one point.”

He could only think of one kind of astrophysics that would be top secret: the kind that ended up in the Avengers’ laps. The kind living under his skin right now.

Eddie’s instinct was to press her for answers, put her on the defensive, but he forced himself to back down. He wasn’t about to pick a fight with Dan’s little sister. Besides, he had the feeling that could be a two-way street. When Ezra prodded Eddie to recount the Life Foundation story, Darcy kept up a steady stream of keen questions. If she had a connection to SHIELD, Eddie worried those questions might be more pointed than they seemed.

When the conversation wore down, Anne walked him outside. She shut the door firmly behind them and scanned the empty street.

“It was good to see you,” Anne said and added in a lower voice, “You too, Venom. I’m sorry you couldn’t come out tonight.”

“It was fine. The chocolate crepes were delicious.”

“They seemed real nice. Maybe someday we can loop them in,” Eddie said. “Although Darcy might already know more than I'm comfortable with.”

“She was probably just curious,” Anne said. “She’s a sharp woman.”

He nodded, not quite convinced.

“How’s work going?”

“I like it. They’re good people. They love what they do, and they’re good at it.”

“But?” Anne said. She knew him well enough to know where this was going.

“But it’s a small staff and a small office and you know us reporters, we’re curious as cats, so everybody’s all up in each other’s business, which…”

“Makes things hard for you two,” Anne finished.

“Yeah.” He sighed. “Annie, I’m glad you and Dan know. It’s good to be able to have a conversation without lying, y’know?”

“Any time,” Anne said, and kissed him goodnight.

 

~*~

When they got back to their apartment, Eddie dropped the keys on the usual spot on the counter, sat down on the couch, and fished the three bags of chocolate coins out of their grocery bag.

“Happy Saint Nicholas’s Day, Venom.”

There was a long pause.

YOU TRICKED ME.

“I wanted to surprise you,” Eddie said slowly. “Did I do wrong?”

NO, Venom said thoughtfully. Eddie sensed that while it wasn’t offended, it didn’t really get the point. The kinds of surprises symbiotes enjoyed were generally the kind that came with a surge of adrenaline. Eddie had thought chocolate would be an exception.

Well, noted.

Sorry, V.

NO NEED, it assured him, spreading across their back and squeezing gently. HAPPY SAINT NICHOLAS'S DAY, EDDIE.

Venom extended two thin tendrils and started delicately peeling away the gold wrappers. It handed the chocolate discs to Eddie to eat.

YOU HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS, it mused.

Eddie snorted. V, I have two friends.

Venom was taken aback. WHO?

Anne and Dan?

WHY NOT EVERYBODY ELSE?

Who?

MRS. CHEN. MRS. BURNS. TERESA AND MARIA AND ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO LIVE OUTSIDE. THE PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH YOU, LIKE SHABAN AND PRAVEENA. DARCY AND EZRA AND BEN.

No. Well, Teresa is a friend I guess. We don’t see each other all that often, but yeah. And Mrs. Burns and Maria were my friends, but they're gone now. But Mrs. Chen and the people at work are more like acquaintances. And the other three we just met.

YOU LIKE THEM. THEY LIKE YOU.

It’s about other stuff, too. Trusting each other—I don’t trust the people at work and I sure as hell don’t trust Miss Lewis. And spending time together. I don’t spend a lot of time with Mrs. Chen; I just see her when we go to the store.

Venom mulled over the information as it continued to methodically unwrap chocolate. BUT THEY COULD BE FRIENDS, it asked at last.

Yeah, sure. Eventually.

WE SHOULD MAKE THEM FRIENDS.

I’d like that, Eddie agreed. We'll see.

Notes:

Thanks to my wonderful beta, Luke, for his feedback, and especially fixing Darcy's characterization.

Concrit is always appreciated. If you want to DM me, I'm saja-star on tumblr.

Happy holidays. :)

EDIT: So I based most of these St. Nicholas Day traditions (particularly the chocolate coins) on my own Cajun family's St. Nicholas Day traditions only to find out that's not a normal Cajun thing at all and my parents just made that up??? Anyway I'm sorry I have misled you all and misrepresented my people to the world and I'm probably going to be banished from Louisiana forever. :P
Also I have no clue why this is showing up as a chapter rather than a full work. I have multiple chapters unchecked and yet.

Series this work belongs to: