The symbiote hesitantly chirps another trilling sound, reverberating in Eddie’s chest but inaudible to the world outside, and he laughs again, harder, abdomen tightening and burning. The anchor of tendrils bundled around his organs rattle inside uncomfortably, and the symbiote flows itself out to protrude a serpentine head with two milky, endless eyes.
Eyes layering a frown and reprimand. The Other gurgles in embarrassment and sharply twists away with a huffy growl, as if its upturning its nose.
“Come now, try again.” Eddie chortles, tickled and charmed, “Take your time.”
Its frown settles deeper.
“Don’t force it, darling. I understand; this may not come so easy for you, but this is similar to all your other delightful noises!”
The Other stares in silent chastisement, and Eddie stares back, smiling and flushed, eyebrows raising in light mischief beneath the Other’s admonishment. He offers apologetically, “It should be natural--a natural, honest rumbling from the soul.”
Still grinning, Eddie places his warm palm on its soft surface, thumb tracing below its glassy eyeline, and forgiveness swells almost instantly within it.
Encouragement helps, it’s learning. Its seen and felt Eddie laugh many times; it reasons to monitor the physiology of the act.
The Other focuses on the crinkling corners of his eyes, the tiny, squiggling tears and the glint shining in them. It recalls the throaty bass of Eddie’s larynx, the air whooshing out of his lungs. There are muscles involved too, contracting and relaxing simultaneously. A tasty soup of happy hormones and neurons firing across synapses; it endeavors to process what it means to simply laugh with another human being.
So, it wills itself into softening its expression and scrunching its eyes, and savors the flavorful circuits thrumming through their shared bond. The feeling bubbles infectiously, then bleeds into its own atoms, evoking a sensory exhalation.
And its voice emerges from its silence, tangible and echoing open in the air.
It’s not even a laugh, no not really. The sound is little, like the drawl of a door creaking open. Eddie’s face blanches; the Other titters, quieter now, and it's giving him a strange, expectant look underneath.
I-Is it not...is it not doing it right?
There is only his breath for a still moment, and suddenly, he doubles over with stifling snickers, clutching at his sides as if they’ll split apart at the seams. The symbiote preens.
Scarcely managing to breathe, whole body vibrating through blurry and burning eyes, Eddie affectionately pulls the Other in, and it moves to nuzzle against his heated skin--against his lips orchestrating musical peals. It is too hard to kiss beneath how hard Eddie is smiling.
Too much connection and happiness and elation, the melody of it all sweeps to a crescendo.
Until they’re both laughing, laughing, laughing.
And they both know, even when the laughter inevitably leaves, this joy will stay with them.
@symbruary Day 20 - Noises
