I Woke Up in the Marvel Universe, But All the Heroes Are Women?-Chapter 36: Wig Twisting Season

The midnight silence of my dorm room wraps around me like a familiar blanket as I flip through another page of my science textbook. The words blur together, my mind too preoccupied with replaying my earlier conversation with Spider-Woman to focus on god only knows. I check my phone again, 12:28 AM, and wonder when Ellie will return from her investigation in Chinatown.
As if summoned by my thoughts, the lock clicks and the door swings open. Ellie steps inside, bringing with her the faint scent of night air and city streets. She looks beautiful even in her rumpled clothes, blonde hair slightly windswept, those blue eyes immediately finding mine across the room.
"Hey," I say, closing my textbook and tossing it aside.
"Hey," she replies, a warm smile spreading across her face as she shrugs off her leather jacket.
"How did it go?" I ask as she crosses the room toward me.
She sighs, running a hand through her short blonde hair. "Good, I guess, but I'm not sure there are actually any sweatshops there or if it's just a load of shit.”
I nod, watching as she kicks off her boots and sits down on the edge of my bed. The mattress dips beneath her weight, and she reaches out to touch my face, her fingers gentle against my cheek.
"What's the matter?" she asks, her brow furrowing slightly. "You look upset."
I hesitate, knowing what I'm about to say will change the mood instantly. The symbiote already seems to sense my tension, dark tendrils shifting more rapidly beneath Ellie's skin.
"I talked to Spider-Woman tonight," I finally admit, meeting her gaze directly. "She figured out you're Venom."
Ellie's entire body tenses, her eyes instantly hardening, blue irises flashing with that dangerous anger I've come to recognize. The symbiote responds immediately, black patterns surging across her forearms like agitated waves.
"Oh?" The single syllable carries more threat than most people could pack into an entire monologue.
"Relax," I say quickly, reaching for her hand. "I told her we know she's Parker."
The symbiote calms slightly under my touch, though Ellie's jaw remains clenched tight enough that I can see a muscle jumping in her cheek.
"And how did the little spider take that news?" she asks, her voice deceptively casual despite the storm I can see brewing behind her eyes.
"She didn't really react," I say, trying to keep my voice casual despite the tension crackling between us. "I think she was too shocked to process it fully."
Ellie's eyes narrow dangerously, the symbiote rippling across her skin in agitated waves. "What else did that little bitch say to you?"
I swallow hard, choosing my words carefully. "Not much. She's nervous you'll hurt me, but she didn't push me to leave you or anything."
The truth burns in my throat like acid, how Piper had practically asked me out, how she'd suggested she could make me happier. But I can't tell Ellie that. Despite loving her with every fiber of my being, I know exactly what would happen if I revealed Spider-Woman's true intentions. It’s not right, I know, but I cannot let Venom kill her.
Ellie scoffs, the sound sharp and dismissive. "And do you believe her?" she asks, leaning closer, her blue eyes searching mine. "Do you think I'll hurt you?"
"No," I answer immediately, holding her gaze. Then a wicked smile spreads across my face as I reach for her, pulling her closer. "But I would love it if you did."
The dangerous glint in her eyes shifts to something hungrier, more primal. The symbiote responds instantly, tendrils snaking across her skin in excited patterns as she pushes me back against the mattress.
Her weight settles on top of me, a delicious pressure that pins me to the bed. The symbiote flows from her skin like liquid darkness, tendrils extending toward me with purposeful intent. I feel the first cool touch against my neck, alien yet familiar, as the tendril wraps around my throat. It tightens gradually, constricting until my breath comes in shallow gasps.
My pulse quickens, a mix of excitement and adrenaline flooding my system as the pressure increases. The sensation walks that perfect line between pleasure and danger that makes my head swim. I reach up and pull Ellie closer.
The tendril squeezes tighter, making spots dance at the edges of my vision. Just when it borders on too much, Ellie's lips brush against my ear.
"I really wouldn't ever hurt you though, Shane," she whispers, her breath hot against my skin. "You know that, right?"
I reach up to cup her face between my palms, feeling the warmth of her cheeks beneath my fingertips. Her blue eyes search mine, vulnerability hiding behind fierce possession.
"Of course I know that," I say, my voice rough from the pressure on my throat.
Her expression turns serious, the playfulness from moments ago replaced by something deeper, more urgent. "No, seriously," she insists, her hand coming up to stroke my cheek. "The symbiote loves you just as much as I do."
A smile spreads across my face as I reach up to touch the tendril still wrapped around my neck. It pulses against my fingers, warm and alive, responding to my touch like an affectionate pet.
"I only said I love Ellie, didn't I?" I murmur, meeting her gaze steadily. "I'm sorry if there was any confusion, but I love you as you two are whole. I love Ellie. I love the symbiote. I love Venom."
Ellie's eyes widen slightly, something like wonder crossing her features before she leans down to capture my lips in a kiss that steals what little breath I have left. The tendril around my throat loosens, allowing me to deepen the kiss as I pull her closer.
When she pulls back, there's a softness to her expression, a vulnerability that makes my chest ache with tenderness.
"We love you, Shane," she whispers against my lips. "So much. We don't want you to be afraid of us."
I reach up to trace the line of her jaw, marveling at how someone so dangerous can also be so precious to me. "I could never be," I promise, and I mean it with every fiber of my being.
She gazes at me with those fierce blue eyes that now hold something so tender it makes my heart ache. The usual storm in them has calmed into something like worship, as if I'm the most valuable thing she's ever seen.
"You really mean that," she whispers, not a question but a realization dawning.
I nod, words suddenly caught in my throat at the intensity of her gaze. The symbiote extends a tendril to brush a strand of hair from my forehead, the gesture impossibly gentle from a creature capable of such destruction.
Ellie leans down slowly, her eyes never leaving mine, like she's memorizing every detail of this moment. When her lips finally meet mine, it's not with the usual hungry desperation but with a reverence that makes time itself seem to pause. The kiss is soft, tender, a promise more binding than any words could ever be.