Archive of Our Own ^beta

Wednesday was stressed out. She had multiple papers due and tests coming up, and she could hardly sleep. She would never admit it, of course, because she viewed any sort of emotion as a weakness.

To clear her head, the Saturday before her big exam, Wednesday took a walk into Jericho to get her usual quad at the Weathervane. It was always odd going there after everything that happened—Tyler was no longer around to bother her.

Wednesday sat in her own booth, sipping her drink as she read through her Vampire History textbook. She didn’t particularly enjoy the subject, in fact, she didn’t enjoy any school subject. She was good at it, no doubt, but that was just because of her intelligence. She put forth minimal effort and much preferred learning on her own time, with ancient, morbid texts.

Wednesday looked up from her book, her eyes darting to Bianca, who was sitting in a booth on the other side of the coffee shop, studying with Divina. Wednesday hadn’t noticed them come in; she must have been too focused on her own work.

She did see Lucas Walker’s old friends enter the shop. She narrowed her eyes in mild annoyance; she knew the boys would want trouble. A few fanatic townies were still bitter about everything that happened with Crackstone and Laurel Gates, and Lucas’s old friends Jonah and Carter were some of them. They trudged into the shop, their faces lighting up maniacally when they saw Wednesday. They approached her booth, smirking at her. They towered over the small girl, but she was not frightened.

“What’s our favorite freak doing here today?” Jonah snickered.

“I thought you religious fanatics were in favor of forgiveness,” Wednesday said, staring them down.

Carter chuckled. “Yeah, not after what you did. You’re going to pay, one way or another.”

“I am glad you have so much confidence in yourself.” She stood from the booth, gathering up her books and sliding them into her backpack. She slung the bag around her shoulders and her eyes shifted between the boys. “You know what they say, ‘Overconfidence killed the xenophobes.’”

Carter scowled. “I don’t think that’s how it goes.”

Wednesday’s eyebrows raised slightly in amusement. “Good, now that we’ve established you're in fact the dullest bulb in your pathetic nativist box, I’d better get going.”

She pushed past them, starting towards the exit.

“What, are you scared ?” Jonah taunted. Wednesday stopped walking for a moment, wanting to retort, but decided to continue walking. She pushed the shop door open and stepped outside, starting down the sidewalk towards Nevermore.

Suddenly someone grabbed her backpack and pulled her backwards. She stumbled on her feet until she was caught by Jonah grabbing her shirt collar from the front. He smirked at her. “She is scared,” he said to Carter. He roughly let go of her shirt, shoving her into the boy behind her. Carter grabbed her backpack and yanked it off her body, roughly tossing it several feet away.

Wednesday mentally prepared herself to fight them, but she wasn’t at the top of her game. She was stressed out, her mind tired from all the studying and lack of sleep. So it was her mistake when she felt the blossoming pain in her jaw when Jonah struck her.

Wednesday’s head jerked to the side at the sudden punch. She clenched her teeth, furious, and her eyes darted to her assailant’s. She delivered a punch straight to his eye. He wailed, burying his face in his hands as he stumbled backwards. Carter caught her by surprise and roughly shoved her into the building behind her. He was much bigger than her, and could exert a sizable force on her small frame. Wednesday could not stop herself from crying out when she felt and heard the sickening snap in her torso. She definitely had some broken ribs.

As if that wasn’t enough, the boy punched her square in the eye. She clenched her teeth in fury, slowly turning her head to glare at him. Wednesday used her angry energy to grab the boy’s shoulders, shoving him towards her so she could knee him in the groin. He yelled, doubling over in pain. Wednesday quickly grabbed her backpack before the boys could recover. She started down the sidewalk towards Nevermore, running as fast as she could, her arm cradled around her injured ribs. Even Wednesday had her limits, and she knew she would need to lick her wounds before trying to outsmart them again.

Wednesday could hardly breathe when she finally stepped through Nevermore’s gates. She looked around, and—reassured that she had not been followed—doubled over in pain and cried out. She grabbed a tree for support and clenched her teeth, gritting them together, trying to distract from the sharp aching in her torso.

Pull yourself together, she thought. She took in one more shaky, excruciating breath before standing up straight and starting down the driveway to the school. Enid was going to kill her if she found out.

Wednesday made her way to the Ophelia Hall mini-kitchen so she could make her own ice pack. She did not dare go to the nurse’s office and admit she’d been defeated by idiotic townies. She opened a drawer and grabbed a Ziploc bag, turning when she heard someone enter.

Yoko, who wasn’t wearing her sunglasses because they were inside, smiled at the raven and gave her a little wave. “Hey, girl.” Wednesday only nodded in response, watching as the vampire opened the pantry and pulled out a bag of freeze-dried blood chips (Enid always found them disgusting, but Wednesday was compelled). “I don’t know about you…” Yoko said as she opened the bag, popping one of the chips into her mouth. “…but I was starving.”

Wednesday turned back around and opened the freezer, leaning forward to reach into the ice machine. She made the mistake of grunting when she felt a sharp pain in her ribs. Ignoring Yoko’s “Are you okay?”, she finished making the ice pack then turned back around, finding Yoko standing two inches away from her, her arms crossed over her chest as she looked down at Wednesday, her eyes narrow.

“What’s that for?”

Wednesday blinked. “An experiment with my specimens.”

Yoko looked her up and down dubiously. “Mhm, and it has nothing to do with the noise you made a second ago.” She narrowed her eyes, studying the cut and newly-forming bruise on her jaw and redness around her eye.

“I was thinking about children. The mere thought of them is painful.”

Yoko finally offered a little smile, her arms dropping to her sides. She turned and grabbed her chip bag again. “Well, have fun with your experiment.” She made her way to the door, but turned around once more before leaving. “Don’t forget to study for our history test!”

“How could I forget?” Wednesday responded.

Once the vampire was finally gone, Wednesday’s facade immediately turned off and she sank to the ground, her backpack against the fridge behind her. She groaned and grabbed at her torso, the pain growing. She reached down and lifted her sweatshirt, revealing her terrorized body. Her skin was already starting to bruise, a faint purple covering her entire stomach region. She bit her lip to keep from screaming as she pressed the ice pack to her injury.

Suddenly, Wednesday’s phone rang loudly. She grunted as she reached into her backpack and pulled it out. Enid was calling. There were also 17 messages and 6 calls from her alone in the past 30 minutes.

Wednesday reluctantly picked up.

“WEDNESDAY! Are you coming back soon?! If you don’t get back soon, you’re not gonna have time to get ready for our picnic, and I know you picked out the cutest outfit—”

Oh, shit . The picnic. Enid had planned it to celebrate getting into a summer internship program.

“I am on my way back,” Wednesday replied. She muted herself briefly as she stood, groaning.

“Yay!! I can’t wait. See you soon, love.”

Wednesday hung up and blinked. The last thing she wanted to do was take a walk into the woods and sit on the ground for two hours, all while hiding her injuries. It was not the kind of torture Wednesday wanted to endure.

She trashed the ice pack and exited the kitchen, making her way to their dorm. Enid opened the door before she entered, grinning from ear to ear.

“Eee! I’m so excited.” She pulled, rather, yanked her girlfriend into the dorm, shutting the door behind her. She pulled her into an embrace. Wednesday could not help but wince at the agony the sudden movement caused her.

Enid immediately stopped hugging her, holding her at a distance away from herself, her eyes looking her up and down. “What’s wrong?” Her eyes widened when they trailed across her facial injuries. “Oh my God! Wednesday, what happened?!”

Wednesday should have known this was inevitable. She did not want to ruin Enid’s special picnic, but this was unavoidable. “Lucas Walker’s old friends. They found me at the Weathervane. Unfortunately I took it easy on them.”

Enid knitted her eyebrows in concern, her fingers moving to gently touch her sore eye, then the cut on her jaw. “Wends, love, I’m so sorry.”

Wednesday raised her own chin a little in pride. “I am trying not to be embarrassed. I could usually defeat five boys like them with one finger.”

Enid nodded as she rubbed Wednesday’s arm affectionately. “I know, babe, but you’re so preoccupied right now. You’re stressed.”

“Not any more than you are.”

Enid pressed her lips together. She cupped her face, her thumb moving gently across her reddened cheek. “Let me get you cleaned up.”

Wednesday reluctantly agreed, allowing her girlfriend to put her hand on the small of her back and guide her to their bathroom. She stood by the sink as Enid rummaged through their cabinet and pulled out the first-aid kit. She dumped some antiseptic onto a washcloth and gently dabbed it against her cut.

“Did you finish your Tick Clock while I was gone?” Wednesday asked as Enid set the washcloth down and grabbed the medical tape.

Enid’s lips quirked up and she tried to stop herself from laughing. “You mean TikTok?”

Wednesday nodded. “Yes, that dance you couldn’t get right.”

Enid smiled fully now, her heart warming at the fact that Wednesday remembered . It was such a miniscule little detail, but it showed that Wednesday cared. “Yes, I finally got it.” Still smiling, she tore off a small strip of the tape and gently taped the edges of her cut together. Once she was done, she studied her face once more, analyzing her injuries. “We should probs get you some ice. You might end up with a black eye.”

“I enjoy such injuries. They display my ability to anger someone into punching me.”

Enid giggled and shook her head. “You’re crazy, Wends, you know that?” She put her hands around Wednesday’s waist, pulling her in to kiss her forehead. Wednesday tried with everything she had not to wince, but Enid’s fingers were digging right into her ribs. She cried out, pushing the girl away out of instinct, stumbling backwards. 

“What is it?!” Enid asked, frantic, her eyes wide, moving up and down Wednesday’s body.

Wednesday’s eyes darted to Enid’s and she leaned against the wall behind her, her breathing heavy and painful. She watched as Enid stepped towards her. The girl seemed to know exactly what was going on, as she gently lifted Wednesday’s sweatshirt. She gasped at the bruises covering her torso. “Holy crap!” Her fingers gently brushed across the bruised skin. “I’m going to kill those idiots,” she said through her teeth. Her eyes darted to Wednesday’s. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”

Wednesday blinked. “I didn’t want to ruin your picnic.”

Enid shook her head in dismay. “You think I would rather have a stupid picnic while you’re struggling to breathe?!”

Wednesday gave no response other than blinking once.

“Come on, you’re going to lie down,” Enid said. It was not a suggestion, but an order. She gently swept Wednesday into her arms, conscious of her injuries as she carried her to her bed. Thing scampered across the floor, signing frantically at the girls in confusion. Enid nodded at him. “She’s okay, Thing, don’t worry too much.” She laid Wednesday down, sliding a large pillow underneath her midsection.

“I suppose I need to incorporate more calcium into my diet,” Wednesday remarked. “My bones should have been able to withstand this.”

Enid shook her head. “No offense, Wends, but you’re tiny . You have to be careful around boys like them; anyone your size can easily get hurt. They could have really done worse stuff to you if you hadn’t gotten away.”

Wednesday swallowed. “Normally, my intelligence allows me to prevail in such situations. Today I was not on the top of my game.”

Enid bit her lip. “Don’t blame yourself. The only person whose fault this is is the boys.” She sighed, looking her girlfriend up and down. “You really should see the nurse.”

Wednesday stared. “I would prefer only you know about this.”

Enid sighed again and shook her head. She turned on her heel and made her way to the door, slipping on her shoes. “If you refuse, I’m at least gonna go grab you some ice packs from the kitchen.”

When Enid returned, Wednesday was sitting up on her bed, attempting to remove her top. She was wincing, the movements grinding the rough edges of her broken bones together.

The werewolf immediately dropped the ice packs onto the desk and rushed to her girlfriend’s side, grabbing her arms and gently lowering them. “Gosh, Wends, let me help you with that.”

Wednesday swallowed and nodded in agreement. She kept her eyes on Enid as she gently bunched up the bottom of her sweatshirt and slid it over her left arm, then her head, then pulled it off her right arm. That left Wednesday in her black sports bra, the cool air of Ophelia Hall touching her delicate skin.

Enid’s eyes lingered for a little too long on the contours of Wednesday’s body, the curves and shapes that made her so perfect .

“If you think it’s horrific now, just wait for tomorrow morning,” Wednesday said, misinterpreting Enid’s staring. Her face lit up, the same way it did when she talked about her favorite things, like death. “It will be a deep violet.”

Enid shook her head to snap out of her reverie. “Ew, Wednesday, that isn’t cool , that’s awful!” she remarked, her fingers gently brushing across her warm skin before she helped her lie back down. She turned and approached Wednesday’s desk, grabbing the ice packs. She knelt next to Wednesday’s bed and met her eyes. “You ready? It’ll be cold.”

Wednesday nodded. “Sub-freezing temperatures are preferable for an Addams.”

Enid smirked and shook her head in mild annoyance as she picked up one of the ice packs. “Of course they are.” She lowered the bag to Wednesday’s bruised torso and gently placed it on her skin. Her eyes darted to her girlfriend’s to make sure she wasn’t uncomfortable. Wednesday was just studying Enid’s face as usual. Reassured, Enid grabbed another ice pack and laid it on the other part of her midsection. She then grabbed the third pack and handed it to Wednesday. “Hold this on your eye.”

Wednesday nodded and took the bag, raising it and pressing it against her sore face. “Thank you, Enid. I…am not sure what I would do without you.”

Enid’s cheeks flushed a little, and her eyes darted away from Wednesday’s face to focus on the black comforter. “You seemed to be managing alright before you met me.”

Wednesday grabbed Enid’s hand, making the werewolf meet her eyes. “ Managing is vastly different from thriving, Sinclair.”

Enid smiled and leaned forward, planting a gentle kiss on Wednesday’s cheek that wasn’t covered by the ice pack. She leaned back again, taking in Wednesday’s little smile. “You’ve made me thrive too, Wends.” The girls continued admiring one another, sparks flying between them as their hearts palpated.

Wednesday finally shifted around a little on the bed, removing the ice pack from her eye. “I’m a bit fatigued from all the events of today,” she commented, wiggling over to make space in her bed.

“Want to take a nap?” Enid asked. She stood and turned a little. “I can put my headphones in and let you rest, no worries–”

To Enid’s surprise, Wednesday reached out and grabbed her wrist. Their eyes met. “Together?” the raven croaked out, her voice barely above a whisper. Enid knew how difficult it was for her to be affectionate, and her heart swelled when she realized how soft Wednesday Addams was for her.

Enid grinned and nodded, sitting down on the bed before leaning back and lying her head on the pillow next to Wednesday. She turned to see the other girl staring at her, her eyes studying her every feature. Enid could have sworn she saw real sparkles in her eyes just then.

Before another thought crossed either girl’s mind, they were kissing, their hands cupping each other’s cheeks. It was a gentle kiss, but a long one, neither girl wanting to pull away until they needed to breathe. Wednesday kept her hands on Enid’s face and pressed her forehead to hers, her eyes closed, her mouth not quite smiling.

Enid’s chest burned with warmth and feelings. She didn’t know what to do with herself, so she just wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, pulling her into her own chest.

Wednesday winced and pulled her hands away from Enid’s face, immediately moving to grab at her own torso. Enid’s eyes widened at the realization and she immediately let go of her girlfriend. “Shit, Wends, I forgot! I’m so sorry–”

Wednesday shook her head in dismissal as she laid on her back and repositioned the ice packs on her midsection. “It’s okay, Sinclair.” She cracked a tiny smile without looking at her girlfriend. “You are truly a romantic. You were so infatuated by my kiss that you completely forgot about my very obvious broken ribs.”

Enid blushed in a combination of embarrassment and affection. “Yes, I forgot, I’m an idiot, I am the most horrible girlfriend–”

“Quiet,” Wednesday scolded, moving to close the gap between Enid’s body and hers. She laid her head on Enid’s chest and closed her eyes. “I desire rest.”

Enid smiled and looked down at her girlfriend’s beautiful features in admiration. “Sleep well, Wednesday. I love you.”

Wednesday nodded a little in response, quickly drifting off into a blissful slumber.

The next morning, Wednesday awoke in Enid’s arms. The girls had slept through the evening and night. Wednesday carefully wriggled out of her girlfriend’s clutches, holding her breath as she stood from the bed. She made her way to the bathroom, grimacing at the sight of her injuries. As much as she loved seeing such dark bruises, these were signs of her weakness, and she resented them. She couldn’t walk around campus bearing the very obvious sign of her defeat.

Wednesday brushed her teeth and showered, skipping a few steps due to her reduced mobility. As she got dressed in her closet, she heard Enid begin to stir.

“Wow…” the werewolf mumbled groggily. Wednesday stepped out of the closet, dressed, and watched Enid sit up. Her blonde hair was a complete mess, the bedhead made worse by their extended sleep. “I think we overslept.”

Wednesday nodded and approached her girlfriend, standing in front of her with her hands folded. “I cannot go out like this,” she told her.

Enid looked up at Wednesday’s black eye and pressed her lips together, thinking. “Let me go check if I have any concealer.” She stood and moved to her side of the room, sitting down at her dresser and rummaging through her makeup drawers. She found her concealer bottle and pulled it out, then went back to Wednesday. She nodded at her. “Give me your arm.”

Wednesday complied, holding out her arm and pulling down her sleeve to expose its pale underside. Enid applied some of the concealer to the pale skin and giggled. “Just what I thought. I don’t think this color is gonna work for you, Wends.”

Wednesday looked down at her arm. The splotch of makeup was a few shades too tan for her. Despite her Latina heritage, she was always paler than most everyone else—it was a Wednesday thing. Except for when Enid made her blush.

“I can run to the drugstore for you and get some for your complexion,” Enid said, going back to her dresser and putting her concealer away. She grabbed her purse, slinging it around her shoulder. She stepped towards Wednesday and narrowed her eyes as she studied her. “Though, I may need to bring you with me to make sure I get the right color…”

Wednesday nodded. “I would just prefer to avoid as many people as possible.”

Wednesday and Enid held hands as they walked down the streets of Jericho on their way to the drugstore. Right as they turned a corner, they almost ran into two boys—unluckily, Wednesday’s bullies. Jonah had a mild black eye, and Wednesday reveled in the pleasure that she had caused it.

“Look who it is!” said Jonah, smirking. “The freak came back for us!”

“And look!” Carter remarked, pointing to her bruised face. He laughed. “We put a little color in that sickly looking face of yours.” The boys stepped closer to the girls, but Enid put her arm in front of Wednesday and stepped forward to protect her.

“Back off,” she said through her teeth.

The boys eyed each other and laughed. “Are you for real?” Jonah asked. He sized her up. “You think we’re scared of you ?”

Carter smirked at Wednesday. “If you were going to bring someone to beat us up for you, you could’a at least brought some guy, not this…tiny little thing.” He looked her up and down. “She ain’t much bigger than you…looks like she would cry over accidentally killing an ant.”

“Shut up, assholes,” Enid snapped, glaring at them. She raised her hand and exposed her claws to them. “There’s more to me than meets the eye.”

The boys looked at each other again, amused, but their brave facades faded when they heard Enid growling at them. Their heads slowly turned in fear, their eyes widening at the vicious, primal, protective expression on her face.

“Yeah, okay, no need to start anything, we’re all good here, we’re sorry,” Jonah said as they both backed away slowly. He then grabbed his buddy’s arm and they turned and ran off.

Once they were out of sight, Enid doubled over in laughter, gripping her stomach. “That was the funniest thing I’ve seen all week.”

Wednesday smiled a little. “That was…oddly attractive of you.” She watched her girlfriend stand back up, their eyes meeting. “As much as I despise admitting I needed any help, thank you for protecting me.”

Enid beamed and put her arm around Wednesday’s shoulders, leading her down the sidewalk toward the store. “What can I say? I’ll always be here for my girl.”