Chapter Text
“Ah!”
Robo-Ky tugs the kid harshly by the back of his shirt, he thrashes violently in Robo-Ky’s arms, legs kicking out in all directions. He hauls the kid back over to the counter with ease in spite of it, “The hell was that? That's the worst attempt at theft I have ever seen.”
The kid’s face goes red before his eyes snap into a glare, “Yeah yeah, I’ll put it back...”
Robo-Ky shakes them by the collar when he tries to aim his kicks at the bot's noodle legs and body, “I mean why even try at this point. This is pathetic.”
“I got it!” He growls, his shoulders hunch, “I got it.” He mumbles.
Venom raises his eyebrow, "Awfully weak willed for someone trying to steal something?” The boy huffs and scowls, weakly holding the bread up for Venom to take. Robo-Ky gives him a questioning glance when Venom doesn’t move to take it, Venom staring thoughtfully behind the counter, “Where’re your parents?”
He frowns, “Eh? Nunya.”
Venom keeps his face neutral, the kid glances at Venom’s hands when they come into view as he rounds the front counter, “I’m sure they could pay for the bread for you? Unless there’s a reason a kid your age is going around stealing things?” He kneels down in front of him.
The boy’s face flushes, evading Venom’s stare in favour of staring at the floor. Robo-Ky perks up, “No need to be embarrassed kid,” He’s quiet for a thoughtful moment, then sighs, letting him go, “You’re not in trouble, stealing from small business is just not the right thing to do. Corporations on the other hand…”
Venom lightly hits the top of Robo-Ky’s head with a gentle thunk, “Horrible influence.”
“I am a perfectly fine influence!” The bot tuts back.
The kid doesn’t make a move to run, staring wide eyed at them before his shoulders sag forward even more with fatigue, he stares at the bread in his hands, “I know, but I’m hungry. And the shelters are scary…” He trails off.
Venom glances at Robo-Ky, the other already staring back at him. A horrible feeling begins to rise in Venom’s stomach but Robo-Ky’s mouth is already open and he’s helpless to stop him, “So are you, what? One of the war orphans or?”
Venom smacks Robo-Ky’s head. Hard.
“Ow! What the hell?!” He snaps.
“You could’ve phrased that more gently.” Venom chastises.
“I didn’t want to do the whole song and dance to get the kid to admit it!” Robo-Ky bites back.
They’re interrupted by giggling, “You guys are funny.” He picks his nail nervously when the duo’s gaze turns back on him, “It’s whatever, people have been meaner about it.”
Venom sighs, “Still, I apologise for Robo-Ky’s behaviour.” He’s glad Robo’s lack of tact broke the tension, at least, it’ll make what he’s about to a lot more easier, “How about we make a deal.”
“A deal?” Robo-Ky says suspiciously, he looks at him like he’s about to do something stupid.
The kid levels Venom with a frown, perhaps with the intent to intimidate but it’s more akin to a kitten trying to frighten a lion, “You can take that bread no problem.” Venom gestures to the bread still in the kid’s hand, “Or,” He nods to the doorway leading into the kitchen, “You can work here and we’ll give you food, shelter and some of your own pay.” Venom can feel Robo-Ky’s stare drill into the side of his head.
The boy’s face falls into a frown, “What the hell do you get out of that?”
“Another kid affected by the war off the streets.” He hums, “And an extra set of hands.”
“Yeah? I dunno, kinda sounds like a loss to me…” He gives Venom a considerate look, “What’s your name?”
“Vincent.”
The boy falls into another silent stare, his eyes wandering to the floor awhile. Then he shrugs, holding up the bread for Venom to take, “I’m Eddie.”
… Ironic, almost, what with his blonde hair, "A lovely name for a young man.” He takes the bread from him, putting it on the counter.
Eddie huffs, “I’m a girl…”
Venom smiles, “A lovely name for a young woman.” Eddie grins back.
“Eeeehhh?” Robo-Ky grumbles, wheeling back behind the counter with a thoughtful look, “Better not get in the way of my new body…”
Venom nods, “It won’t.” Robo-Ky snorts, extending his legs higher so he can reach the counter, “Can you man the counter out here while I get her settled?”
He waves a hand dismissively, “Yeah yeah.”
Venom ushers Eddie into the kitchen, awkwardness settles into his chest when they pause, “Here’s the… Kitchen,” He pointedly ignores Eddie’s snicker at him, he clears his throat, “We make food for the bakery and keep our stock here.”
“Obviously.”
“Obviously.” He nods and swiftly sweeps her to the back door, “This is the garden, the stairs up the side here are to get into the upstairs apartment.” She looks like she wants to say something, but chooses to keep her mouth shut.
They trek up the stairs, Eddie peering curiously into the apartment when Venom holds the door open for her. “Here’s the living area,” He thumbs over to the right, “In there’s the kitchen,” He guides her further in, her eyes skitter across the living room, “Over there is the bathroom, there’s Robo-Ky and I’s bedroom if you need us,”
She raises an eyebrow, “You two share a room?”
“He insists on charging on my nightstand instead of the kitchen bench, saves expenses on getting a lamp. Apparently." She makes a questioning hum at that but he chooses to walk over to the door next to his and Robo’s bedroom instead, opening it, “Over here is overflow storage, I’ll need to clean it up a bit and move some of it downstairs but it could be your room if… You want?” The proposition feels like stuffing in his mouth.
She peeks in, sneezing a few moments after, “Can I sleep on the couch until it’s less dusty?”
“I mean you’d have to anyway, until we get you a mattress.”
Her face goes red, “Oh, yeah,” She chuckles, “Obviously.”
“Obviously.”
…
“So when do you want me to start working-“
“I’ll start clearing out the room, you-“
They stare at each other.
This is going so smoothly. Venom sighs, “You can start working after you’ve settled in a bit if you want? I’ll teach you some things over the weekend.”
“You… Don’t want me working straight away?”
“If you want to, you can?”
She glances down at her raggedy clothes, “Could… I get some nicer clothes to work in?”
“Ah. Good idea.” He ducks over into the bathroom, sifting through the cabinet for an extra towel and flannel, “You should shower too,” He pokes his head out the bathroom, “You can borrow one of my shirts to sleep in?”
She nods, “Thanks…”
Quickly ducking in and out of his room, he hands her the towel, flannel and shirt, “… You know how to use a shower right-“
She puffs her cheeks, “Yes! I’m fourteen, not four!”
Fourteen? She looks to be eleven at most… Her being malnourished wouldn’t be that shocking, should they get her checked with a doctor for that? “Just checking.”
She huffs, “Thanks.” Venom’s shoulders fall with the sound of the door clicking closed.
He should probably apologise to Robo-Ky for doing all of that without talking to him first. He’d been thinking about this for a while, if he could do anything for the kids who were also orphaned by the war, it never felt like giving the left over food to shelters was enough.
“Yanno if you wanted a kid you coulda told me.” He hears Robo-Ky’s propellers before seeing him, his propellers keeping him hovering in front of the open door. Like Venom’s thoughts had summoned him.
Venom meets him outside, leaning on the stair rail. Robo-Ky lands atop the wooden bar, “You’re supposed to be working,” He raises his eyebrow, “And we’re not together?”
“What, two roomies raising a kid together, eh? I’m sure platonic child rearing is a thing.” He hums thoughtfully, Venom open his mouth to question but then Robo-Ky eyes him up and down, “Not that I would mind being partners in another sense-“
Venom flicks the bot's forehead with a small clink, “Don’t be a perv in front of the kid please?” He says wearily.
“Yeah yeah. I won’t.” He chuckles, “However if there’s a particularly smokin’ chic-“
“Robo-Ky.”
“Okay! Okay! Jeez. Let a guy have his fun.” Robo-Ky sighs.
“It’s gross.”
“Only cuz ya gay.”
“No, you’re just gross.”
Robo-Ky groans, “Anyway, what now?”
“I’ll start clearing out the overflow storage for her so she has a room, in the meanwhile you can get back to work.” He steps back inside.
“That’s not what I meant!”
He knows.
He hears Robo-Ky fly back downstairs anyway.
After a minute of shuffling things closer to the front door to be taken down stairs the next day, the bathroom door creaks open, the sound of the shower much clearer as Eddie pokes her head out around the door, her voice comes hushed, “Um… What’s the small square towel for… I can’t figure it out…”
“To wash yourself.” Venom said.
“Oh, yeah, right. Obviously.” She chuckles back, her words stilted as they tumble out of her mouth.
“Obviously.”
…
The bathroom door creaks closed.
At first, Eddie moused around the apartment. Curiously looking around the place and timidly opening drawers, glancing at Venom like he’ll stop her and looking inside when he doesn’t. He’d been busying himself writing down some things he’d need to teach her and figuring how much he’ll be able to spend on clothes. He can feel her eyes on him every time she stares but doesn’t look up to meet her shy gaze.
Her initial meekness when she had actually approached him had remained for all of five minutes.
“Why’d you program your robot to be kinda an ass.”
He finally glances at her, she’s fiddling with her hands and glancing between him and the bowl on the table. Her stomach makes a noise at it, “He came that way, unfortunately."
She glances at his room for just a moment, “Uh huh…”
“Are you interested in the baking side of things or do you mainly want to sell?” He nods to the bowl in front of him, “Your food is getting cold.”
She blinks at the pad thai, “Oh. That was for me?”
She looked like she was salivating over it, “You said you were hungry.”
After another slow glance between the food and Venom, she slowly slides onto the chair, “Thanks.” She tucks into her food, Venom slowly going back to writing after checking she wasn’t downing her dinner too fast.
“Ah.” She says a moment after, “Um, baking sounds fun. I don’t really like people.”
Venom hums a short chuckle, “You and me both.”
She cocks her head to the side, “Is that why you have a robot boyfriend?” There’s genuine curiosity in her voice, no sign of sarcasm or teasing.
“He’s straight.”
That seemed to pique her curiosity even more, “Can a robot have a sexuality?”
“If they’re sentient and have a concept of gender, then probably.” He shrugs.
“Sentient…” She glances at the front door before her voice becomes hushed, she leans over the table like she’s whispering a secret that must be kept to utmost confidentiality to him, “I feel like I’ve seen him before?”
He’s hoping she doesn’t recognise what type of robot he is. Robo-Ky models were sent out to gather the runaway Japanese if he remembers correctly, gathering up orphans with the face of The Crusades wouldn’t be that far fetched either, “He’s modelled after Ky Kiske, so that’s probably why.”
Her face scrunches into a grossed look, “Eh? Why’d you build him like that?”
Ew, Kiske wasn’t even his type, “No, I didn’t make him. We found each other long after that.”
“Oh.” She stares at her empty bowl, she opens her mouth, then shuts it. She hops off the chair, grabbing her dishes and padding over to the kitchen, her head pokes out over the counter, “Can I use the TV?”
He nods, eyes back on his notebook, “Go ahead.”
He moves onto planning what to make for the week before tallying how much they may sell. He’s grateful that Eddie has an interest in baking, it would make the process much easier on him, they could possibly make more of their best sellers too with her help.
“Yo. I’m back.” The door clicks closed behind Robo-Ky as he whizzes in, “Here.” He drops a chocolate eclair onto Eddie’s lap before swerving over to Venom, “Wazzat?”
“List.”
“Of?”
“Stuff.”
“Verbose as ever.” He climbs up on the table, tucking his arms and legs back into his body, “Closing went smoothly.”
“Thank you.”
He grins, “You’re welcome!”
Eddie stares widely at the pastry in her lap, then over to Robo-Ky. Then the pastry. Then Robo-Ky. “Um?”
“Eh? What? Something wrong with it?” He’s off the table in an instant, “I could get you a custard one? Or strawberry. Strawberry’s good.”
“No uh….” Robo-Ky stares at her impatiently, but with the way his feet minutely wheel back and forth, Venom knows otherwise. She looks between Robo-ky and the eclair again before she shoves half of it in her mouth, “It’s fine. Thanks.” Her voice struggles to escape from under the mouthful of food. She blinks, swallows, then hastily tacts on, “Tincan.”
Robo-Ky’s body language rises with his voice, “Tin-?! Yanno, this was supposed to be a peace offering for earlier!”
“Yeah well, try better. I’m not easy.” She sticks her tongue out making a little noise to accompany the motion, eclair still tucked against her chest.
“Forget it! Ven- Vin! She sleeps outside.” He orders.
“No.” His voice dully rings back.
Robo-Ky groans, “At least come up with something more creative next time.” Grumbling, he wheels into his and Venom’s room.
Venom watches Eddie stare at where Robo-Ky was, stare at the eclair still in her hands then stare at the ajar door before shouting, “Bolthead!”
“Brat!” He yells back.
Venom doesn’t think he’s getting any semblance of quiet for a while.