Chapter Text
Quiet as a mouse, a baby symbiote was slowly sneaking their way through the house.
Off the bed, out of the room and now down a corridor.
Curiosity and excitement a driving force.
Because, they’d been here for a few weeks now.
The Mulligans altogether again after Pat had decided to stop keeping them in a secret.
But even then, despite being known, he had still refused to let them meet baby Edward.
Their weird little alien brother.
Toxin didn’t know much about families.
Their only encounter with their own biological one, had resulted in them nearly being horribly murdered.
But, with their adopted one, they’d gotten to see everyone else interact with the baby and get to know them.
And through Pat’s eyes they’d seen other siblings play together outside.
So, it didn’t seem fair at all to Toxin that they couldn’t even get to meet theirs!
They could be gentle and careful.
They could!
And even if they weren’t, Pat hadn’t been either of those things with them.
And had once dropped the human baby himself, it only being Toxin’s presence which had meant nothing bad had happened!
So, Pat wasn’t one to talk.
Not that he even had to know anyway.
As Toxin slowly opened the nursery door, Pat remained all tucked away and fast asleep.
All they had to do was keep him like that for a bit, just long enough for them to get to play with their brother a bit!
Who looked to be sleeping away too, as Toxin carefully peered over the cradle.
Making weird little buzzing sleep sounds.
Zzz.
Zzz.
Those still made no sense to Toxin at all, why some humans made those.
Although they could admit they were a bit funny.
They’d recorded Pat’s sleep sounds once because of that.
Only once.
He…hadn’t been very happy with them.
Hopefully, Edward wouldn’t be too upset with them for disrupting his sleep sounds.
“Hello.” They tried to say as hushed as they could manage, listening out for any possible vibrations that would indicate Gina was heading this way.
No response from Edward.
Still sleeping away.
Toxin huffed a little at that – and if they’d had a mouth formed at that point, they might just have pouted.
But, after a few moments longer of just dejectedly mulling, they decided, well - maybe they should just pick him up.
That would be faster and less boring than just having him keep sleeping, when this was supposed to be their first meeting!
And so, trying to remember exactly how they’d seen Pat do it all those times, they attempted just that.
This did start to stir the tiny thing, who slowly started moving and doing that yawning thing.
Finally getting somewhere, Toxin decided to raise Edward right up to face level – so proper introductions might get started straight away!
“Hello! I know you but you don’t know me - I’m Toxin! We share a Pops, so that makes us siblings! It’s nice to fiiiiinnnnaaaalllllly meet you! Pat has been very, very annoying about this.”
They had it all prepared, ready to prove all the fears about this meeting completely and utterly wrong.
…But they didn’t quite get the response they were hoping for.
With Edward immediately bursting into tears and wails as soon as he opened his eyes.
Causing immediate panic from the symbiote holding him.
It wasn’t loud enough to hurt them – but it was still loud enough that Gina was going to hear!
Even Pat was starting to stir!
Toxin frantically tried to up the melatonin levels in his brain to counter this, but they still had Gina to worry about and she would tell him anyway!
They were all going to be so, so mad.
Toxin tried to do that bouncing thing they’d seen to calm the baby down, but to no avail.
Edward seemed determined to become as red as them.
“Edward?! Pat?!”
Hurried footsteps pounding their way through the house.
No! Not fair! They hadn’t even gotten to play yet!
They just- what should they-?!
No time left to think now.
With a door swung open – and the sound of Gina Mulligan screaming.
Pat was mad.
Pat was very, very mad.
And Gina was refusing to speak to either of them – “I told you to not let that thing near our son!” – having been the last thing she’d said, before angrily walking off with Edward.
Leaving them both where they are now.
Pat sat on a chair, fuming and every muscle in their body tense enough to reflect that.
“I just wanted to play.”
The excuse was not bought, as full-heartedly genuine as it was.
Nor was the following argument at all pleasant.
“Don’t you ever do that again Toxin, do you hear me?!”