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Chapter Text

For her whole life, Wednesday Addams had considered herself to be a perfectly logical person.

Finding evidence to support a hypothesis, or to disprove it entirely, was just her way of living, basing every single one of her decisions on known facts or perfectly logical deductions. Avoiding failure, of any kind, tended to be incredibly easier if she continued to live by that philosophy, mistakes becoming nothing but scarce exceptions to a rule, which was what she strived for, as even she, in her search for utmost perfection, knew that such a thing was nothing short of impossible.

Logic, once more. It was logical to assume that perfection was an impossibility, and, because of that, going as near to such a concept as humanly possible had always been her main objective.

It didn't make her mistakes less annoying, however.

She thought of Xavier, and the critical mistake that accusing him of being the Hyde had been, and of Rowan, and what assuming that he was anything but dangerous had led to.

Wednesday did not think of Tyler. 

That boy, with his awkward smiles, shiny brown hair, and bright eyes that looked at her with curiosity instead of pure fear, and who dared to take a step forward instead of backward.

He wasn't a mistake, he had never been. Tyler was, actually, more proof to let Wednesday know what would happen if she even dared to try and approach life in any way that wasn't a logical one. He hadn't been a mistake, of course not.

He was a lesson, perhaps, a cautionary tale. It didn't make it nice, though. Tyler was, possibly, the first time Wednesday couldn't feel the satisfaction that usually came along with evidence to support that she was right .

Because of course, she was.

She didn't like being right. Not at the time.

But no. Wednesday didn't think of Tyler. Of course, she didn't.

Instead, she thought of… someone else.

Wednesday couldn't help it. Her mind just couldn't avoid it, for reasons she still couldn't get herself to comprehend. Her brain seemed stuck, stuck on, maybe, the most annoying mistake of all. 

A mistake, yes, one that had to do with the werewolf that was now sitting on the bed on the other side of the room, their room, headphones on as she most likely listened to one of those horribly peppy songs she loved. A smile that seemed to be evergreen was noticeable even under the dim light of her roommate's bedside lamp.

Wednesday Addams' biggest mistake had been Enid Sinclair.

With her disgustingly bright blonde hair that was dyed at the tips with pink and blue, and those big doe eyes of such a blinding shade of light blue that resembled the sky itself. Her smile seemed to be enough to light up a room in a way that made Wednesday want to wince in literal pain, the amalgamation of colorful clothes that covered every part of her body not helping at all in her mission to avoid her eyes from melting inside her eye sockets.

Though, perhaps that could actually be quite pleasant. Wednesday had always appreciated the specific kind of pain that a part of your body burning had to offer, even if she preferred electrical burns, the sizzling feeling that remained inside of your body after a good electroshock session being quite addicting. Her uncle Fester was a master of those, and he helped Wednesday out quite a few times when she was suffering from writer's block.

But, enough of the nostalgia, she had to focus.

Because despite her initial—and quite logical— conclusion that Enid Sinclair would never be anything more than an acquaintance at worst, and a dead enemy at best, she somehow ended up being the total opposite of both things.

An ally, Wednesday refused to call her anything more than that —at least not out loud—, even if Thing had been quite insistent of the wrong fact that Enid was her friend. Luckily, threatening him with putting one of his fingers in a blender or a personalized guillotine usually did the trick and made him stop spewing things that could ruin her reputation.

Still, sometimes, it was strange to think about… how wrong she had been.

Not wrong in her deductions of Enid's overall disposition, as her friendly grins and seemingly never-ending energy were exactly what she had expected when Wednesday saw her for the first time, the room that they now shared looking like a unicorn-themed glitter bomb had terrorized it. For Wednesday, laying eyes on such a scene had translated into actual horror.

Everything pointed to the fact that Wednesday and Enid just wouldn't get along, ever. And of course, Wednesday was more than pleased with such a conclusion, the thought of even touching anything that had to do with the colorful girl almost making her shiver. Almost.

But then, everything happened, and now, Enid had somehow become one of the few people in the world that she… tolerated.

In a way, even thinking of not tolerating the colorful girl felt like… it just felt so…

Wrong.

And so, her mind would wonder. It would wonder and just end up thinking about her werewolf roommate again and again, without being able to stop.

Wednesday would think of Enid's beautiful scars, the ones she wore on her face , proudly, because of her. She thought of the way that no matter how hard Wednesday tried to push her away, Enid came back to her , every time, a smile on her face despite her sharp tongue and countless insults.

Never in her life had she been so wrong.

Because now, Wednesday's very life was indebted to the colorful werewolf, the Addams heir sure that if it ever came to it, she'd be more than ready to put her life on the line for Enid Sinclair, just like she had done so during that fateful night under the light of the blood moon.

Sometimes, it was hard to think about that night.

Enid had run off into the woods despite the danger that loomed inside of it . She ran headfirst into a literal monster with just her multicolored claws to protect her, without even thinking about what would happen when she finally stumbled upon the Hyde. 

All Enid had was herself, her claws, and the urge to protect.

It was stupid. Wednesday knew that what Enid had done that night was extremely idiotic. The girl finally shifting into her wolf form for the first time was nothing more than pure luck, a miracle, even.

Wednesday didn't like remembering that both of them keeping their lives had depended on the appearance of a 'miracle'. However, even when she thought and thought about possibilities, calculated any chances she could think of, and even tried to think about different scenarios, she always came to the same conclusion.

Without Enid wolfing out, they wouldn't have gotten out of that forest alive.

Truly, finally experiencing the cold embrace of death that would be preceded by the satisfying burning in the fiery pits of hell, was something Wednesday had been ready for since the disastrous day that had seen her birth.

However, she knew it wasn't the same for Enid.

And that, for reasons she couldn't fully comprehend, made her jaw tense and her fists clench, Wednesday letting out a frustrated huff as she tried to get back to earth.

"Wends?"

Enid's honey-laced tone of voice, the volume lower than her usual because of the intimacy that their shared room provided , was enough to take Wednesday out of her stupor.

The dark-clothed girl was sitting right in front of her typewriter, hands awkwardly hovering over the keys as an empty page faced her.

It had been like that for several days. Wednesday would sit down for her daily writing hour and end up wasting precious time, as not a single sentence, or at least coherent ones, managed to travel from her brain and into the paper.

"I thought that I had been clear enough before, about you not calling me that way unless you wanted me to rip out your nails one by one."

A warm, sweet giggle that made Wednesday frown filled the room as , of course, her roommate took her threats as if they were mere jokes.

Disgusting.

But, wasn't she somehow right? Wednesday never acted on her threats . Not with Enid.

"Yes, you were so clear."

Wednesday groaned.

"Then tell me, why is it that you refuse to follow simple commands, you damn mutt?"

Even from where she was, Wednesday just knew that Enid was smiling from ear to ear.

"Because I use nicknames to call all my friends. And yes, that includes you, Wends ."

Enid wanted to annoy her, definitely, the 'teasing' she usually referred to somehow being one of the many ways in which the werewolf's attempt at friendship manifested. Apparently, it meant that she was comfortable enough to 'joke around' .

Wednesday just thought it was insufferable.

"If, hypothetically, I considered that argument of yours as valid, then please explain to me this other… thing that has been bothering me." Turning around while still on her chair, Wednesday's dark gaze ended up finally meeting with Enid's, the image of the werewolf tilting her head to the side in such a dog-like manner only frustrating her even more. "I thought that I had threatened to behead every single one of your stuffed abominations if you even dared say a word to me during my writing hour."

Despite the dim lighting, it was still easy to see the way Enid's smile turned into a rather childish pout, her roommate crossing her arms in front of her chest, gaze still fixed on Wednesday. She didn't back down.

"I heard you the first time, I promise! It's just that, it doesn't look like you've written much to me."

Clicking her tongue, it was now Wednesday's turn to cross her arms, a brow now raised in question.

"If this is your attempt at humiliation, let me tell you, it is a rather awful one, and using me of all people as your first test subject is not a smart decision."

Rolling her eyes, Enid let out a groan out of what Wednesday deduced must have been frustration . About what exactly, Wednesday didn't know.

"I'm not- why would I try to humiliate you? You just… looked a bit stressed, that's all. I was worried."

One of her typical deadly glares was quickly directed at her roommate, who, to Wednesday's dismay, seemed to shrug them off ever since that blood moon night as if they were nothing. She needed to come up with a different strategy, and quickly.

"I fail to see how that is any of your concern."

With another groan, Enid let herself fall back into her mattress without even a slight bit of decorum.

"I know you most probably still kind of hate me, and that you also probably don't see me as a friend, but unfortunately for you, I do! So sorry if I get a little concerned when I see you crumpling papers for sport and hear you huffing and puffing like a raging bull."

While she definitely did not appreciate the comparison to the animal, Wednesday's whole disposition, including her gaze, seemed to soften as soon as she heard Enid mutter those words , the werewolf having sat up again and looking at Wednesday with pursed lips and a… disappointed expression.

The Addams let out a sigh , and she blinked, her frustration translating into tiredness that she decided not to hide any further.

"I… do not hate you."

In between clenched teeth, Wednesday muttered a phrase she could've never imagined to hear herself saying. However, as strange as it may have been, it was true, and for whatever reason, she felt a strong urge to make that extremely clear, the mere thought of Enid, her roommate and biggest ally, thinking that she hated her more than enough to make her stomach churn unpleasantly.

Strange, it was, the way Wednesday instantly felt her nerves be swept away as soon as Enid's lips curled into that… horrifyingly bright smile that she had gotten used to over the course of the last semester. If she had been any weaker, Wednesday would've let out a sigh of relief.

The werewolf, much to Wednesday's utter dismay, patted the space right next to her on her colorful bed. A non-verbal invitation, if Wednesday was interpreting it correctly, to sit right next to her, on the bed.

Much worse, was the fact that Wednesday didn't have it in her to say no.

Even if she was hesitant at first, Wednesday got up from her chair and slowly walked towards the dreadful sight that was Enid's bed and its pink sheets, a scowl now etched on her face as she sat right next to her roommate, hands stiffly set on top of her own lap.

"Do you mean it?"

Enid's voice was almost a whisper, and yet , it still made Wednesday turn around to face her roommate all the same, gulping at the sight of Enid's bright smile. She nodded, though hesitantly.

She was fidgeting. Wednesday was nervously fidgeting like an anxious schoolgirl, even if her face was as blank as always , the Addams heir refusing to show any other signs of said anxiousness.

Instead, she did something different, something that she hadn't always been when it came to Enid. She decided to be honest.

"Your mere existence seems to have become a curse for my disturbed mind. And I, as if bewitched, have been rendered unable to harbor even a measly bit of hatred towards you, for my heart becomes ready to fight against my very self if the thought of it even dares to just cross my mind ."

From where she was sitting, which was very close to Enid, their knees touching in a way that Wednesday didn't notice at first, it was easy for her to see her roommate's expression turning into one of pure confusion. It almost made her smile in amusement, as Wednesday could almost see for herself the way the gears in Enid's head turned and turned while trying to decipher what Wednesday had said to her.

"I was able to understand all those words separately, but not together." Enid even used her hands to make a small demonstration of her thoughts.

Letting out air through her nose, which was a subtle way for her to laugh without having to give up her inexpressive demeanor, Wednesday exaggeratedly rolled her eyes, making the werewolf pout.

"It means that even if I tried, it would be impossible for me to hate you, Enid."

Wednesday didn't think it possible for Enid's smile to become even brighter, and yet , she was witness to such an event. Enid let out a squeal and took both of Wednesday's hands in her own, shaking both her hands and her whole body because of the werewolf's excitement, all while the dark-haired girl was unable to do anything but let herself be handled like a ragdoll thanks to her roommate's unnatural strength.

"Oh my god, oh my god, that's like, the cutest thing you've ever said to me!"  

Dramatically fake sobbing, Wednesday couldn't help but scoff one more , and yet , despite trying to get away from the werewolf's grasp, it proved to be impossible.

"Unhand me at once, dog, or I'll make sure the next thing you fetch will be a silver knife."

With a wince, Enid finally let her go. The girl crossed her arms in front of her chest and put on a pout, blue eyes chasing Wednesday's brown ones to attack her with one of the strongest versions of her puppy eyes that the Addams heir had ever seen. Insufferable, she was insufferable-

"Eyes on me, Wends."

Wednesday felt her body warm up strangely, the tips of her ears burning up at the words her roommates almost whispered. Her gaze instantly interlocked with her roommate's, Enid's pout turning into a cocky grin as soon as she noticed that Wednesday had listened to her, a chuckle escaping from her lips that almost made Wednesday huff.

Her body was betraying her in the most terrible ways, Enid's words making it move like an experienced puppeteer pulling on strings. 

"I seriously do not understand how you can say something so poetic and cute and then threaten my life with the same breath."

Trying to act as if she hadn't just felt one of the strangest sensations she had ever experienced, Wednesday let herself smirk, even if just for a second.

"Some would say it's a skill, I consider it a natural talent."

"Wow, always so humble aren't you?"

"Is it really bragging if my words are nothing but truthful?"

It would be impossible for Wednesday to ever admit that she yearned to continue being the one to bring such joy to Enid Sinclair, a ghost of a smile in the dark-haired girl's features as she simply watched her roommate laugh, brightly, loudly. Never could she have even imagined that she would end up not loathing to see Enid laugh, and that, in fact, she…

She liked seeing it.

As always, Enid was touchy, the girl jokingly swatting her arm a few times before looking at Wednesday with that tilt of her head that she had gotten used to seeing after Enid's first transformation. An amused glint was in the blonde's eye, a constricting feeling in her chest that reminded Wednesday of a boa constrictor trying to cut her circulation now settling. It should've been uncomfortable, she knows that, and yet, it was not.

"Since when did Wednesday Addams learn of humor?"

The irregular beating of her heart was also strange, especially so because it only got faster when Enid's face got closer to her , the girl jokingly acting as if she was inspecting every part of Wednesday's face and body, that unfamiliar heat rising to her cheeks and ears once more even if her expression remained blank.

Weird. Her body was acting weirdly, not how it usually functioned, her body temperature daring to fluctuate from the almost corpse-like one she had always been proud to maintain to something warmer , and her heart suddenly deciding to beat quicker than her normally abnormal slow pace. It was… annoying especially because the reason for it all was unknown.

For the most part.

"Assuming that I do not possess a sense of humor in the first place is quite foolish. Perhaps , you just didn't have the knowledge to even notice it , Sinclair."

Rolling her eyes as she giggled, Enid let herself fall backward into the mattress once more, Wednesday, as if pulled by an otherworldly force, following suit, right beside her.

Wednesday could feel it, that slight tightness in her cheek that meant she was smiling, even if just slightly. Worst of all, was that she could not stop it, especially not when she continued to hold Enid's sky-blue gaze.

Her smile was quick to drop , however, when she felt the touch of Enid's finger on her cheek, Wednesday letting out a groan that made Enid squeal and scramble to pull her hand back as if she had touched something unbearably hot.

"I-I'm sorry! It's just… You smiled! And like… oh my gosh, you have dimples. I just had to poke it!"

All Wednesday did, for some strange reason, was raise a brow as she observed her roommate stammer while trying to explain herself. Enid's cheeks and the tips of her ears were red, the girl more than embarrassed by her impulsive action, action that had left a warm sensation in Wednesday's face that didn't seem to go away for a few more seconds. Enid flailed her arms and then miserably kicked her legs like a dead fish, and Wednesday didn't know how it happened in the first place, why the strangely warm, bubbly, and shaky sensation that traveled up her throat was not noticed by her first, but rather, by Enid, who stopped everything that she was doing as soon as she heard it.

Wednesday too, instantly put a hand over her mouth when she finally noticed, a second too late, eyes wide open in surprise. Surprised at… herself.

Wednesday must be going even more insane, it was the only explanation for the fact that she had just—

"You… you just laughed!"

Being at a loss for words , was not something Wednesday thought she would ever experience, but here she was, her face unbearably warm , and a fluttery feeling inside her chest that reminded her of spiders walking over her skin , watching as Enid sat up instantly and stared at her hard with those annoying blue eyes of hers, smile so bright Wednesday almost closed her eyes on instinct.

"I-It's preposterous that you would even suggest that I—"

Enid just laughed at her misery , of course , her smile turning into one of those playful smirks that can only mean trouble. Trouble for Wednesday, that is.

"But you did! I heard it, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, it was so cute— Wednesday! I made you laugh!"

Putting an arm over her eyes so she wouldn't have to see Enid's overly happy expression, Wednesday decided to just … ignore the situation like the reasonable person that she was.

It should have worked.

Five seconds passed.

It didn't.

"Come onnnn, Wednesday! Laughing is not something to be like, embarrassed about, or anything, everyone laughs!"

Once more, Enid, who was just awkwardly hovering over her since Wednesday still refused to get up from her lying position on the bed, shook her whole body by putting her hands on her shoulders.

It should've been obvious by now, but Wednesday, slower at things regarding other people than probably anyone else, noticed for the first time the lack of her usual homicidal urges when it came to Enid being the one starting any kind of physical contact.

She didn't have any time to ponder on such a realization, however, because Enid had gently lifted Wednesday's arm that was covering her face, and also made her sit up. Damn her and that inhuman strength. Her smile was wide, as always, but rather than playful or simply just bright, it was filled with a warmth that made Wednesday feel like her insides were boiling and her organs were starting to melt. Strangely pleasant, like most kinds of torture, but… painless, which is something she's not sure she enjoyed.

"Okay, I get it, you're not everyone, but seriously, it's fine!" Enid assured with a giggle. Wednesday did not believe her. "If it makes you feel better, it was just me who saw it, it can be our little secret, I promise I won't say a word."

With a sigh, Wednesday watched as Enid giggled and did a zip motion with her hands over her lips, one of those strange normie gestures that apparently meant she was willing to keep the secret.

Still, it did not feel… particularly reassuring, and Wednesday, still quite taken aback by her own body's reaction, averted her gaze, hands clenched into fists on top of her lap.

Enid's smile dropped then, her head tilting once more as her brow furrowed.

"Wow… this is really bothering you, isn't it?"

She took a deep breath , all while Enid watched her with a concerned expression, caring and gentle as always.

"I feel… as if my body has been betraying me as of late."

Confessing such a thing was hard, and yet, Wednesday knew it was the first step towards real action, the fuel that was determination and curiosity starting to replace her confusion as soon as she finally let it all out.

"Okay? I mean, I don't think that laughing is too bad, but I suppose you're also talking about you being really stressed these past few weeks?"

Though hesitantly, Wednesday nodded.

Enid decided to do something that many would've considered to be extremely brave, maybe even life-threatening considering it wasn't born out of impulse , and Wednesday had more than enough time to do something about it, especially considering Enid's initial hesitation. It was strange how hesitant she looked, especially when she had done the exact same thing just minutes ago, without seeming to care much…

She gently took Wednesday's hands, her smile never wavering even when the dark-haired girl looked at her completely dumbstruck. Once again, it felt like a clutter of spiders had decided to walk all around her stomach. Wednesday inhaled sharply.

"So… what I'm getting is, that something is bothering you?"

Once more, Wednesday couldn't do much more than nod, the heat crawling through her body rendering her speechless. 

"And you don't know what it is?"

She gave another nod.

Pursing her lips, Enid let out a hum and then looked at the side, thinking, rather loudly as she usually did, thumbs absentmindedly rubbing circles on Wednesday's hands, who despite how… strange she felt, didn't feel a need to pull her hands away.

"I think that maybe you could try and investigate it! Like you did with all the Hyde stuff last semester. Just, you know, without all the murder and supernatural intervention involved."

Trying to ignore the way her hands felt unusually cold when Enid let go of them just so she could clasp her hands together, Wednesday just watched the girl get all giddy in excitement with a raised brow.

"I'm not… totally sure that taking such a measure will work."

"Why not?"

Avoiding her gaze, as well as the feeling of her racing heart, Wednesday groaned in frustration. One thing she despised was not having the right words to express her thoughts, especially when she considered herself to be a master of them. Being sincere even if it hurt people around her used to be her way of operating, and yet, saying out loud that Enid herself was part of the reason she felt like her body had a life of its own, made her feel …

Nervous. Strangely so.

"The cause. I'm already aware of it."

It seemed like such an answer only confused Enid further, as her smile dropped and she frowned, probably just as frustrated as Wednesday was, despite the girl's rather vague answer.

"Then… if you already know…"

With a sigh, Wednesday concluded that explaining herself was what she had to do.

"I'm aware of the cause, or rather, the source. Yet, I'm privy to the why of it all."

As easy as always, Enid just smiled once more , finally getting up from the bed and standing up straight.

"Then what are you waiting for? You still have something to investigate!"

With a roll of her eyes, Wednesday couldn't do much else than get up just like her roommate, meeting her overly excited gaze and trying not to wince at her giddy laugh. Enid seemed thrilled at the notion of it all, probably thinking she had the right to get involved if Wednesday was reading her correctly.

"I suppose your idea isn't… Useless."

Enid just chuckled, her expression turning into a smug grin that made Wednesday regret telling her that.

"Of course, I'm a freaking genius."

If she had been anyone else, Wednesday would've laughed , but since she was not, she just rolled her eyes once more, feeling her cheeks heat up again for reasons that remained undetermined . She avoided her gaze and stiffly got up to walk back to her desk, knowing that writing things down would be a great way to start such an important investigation.

"Hey! You aren't going to ask me for help?"

Stopping dead in her tracks, Wednesday turned her head around just to answer Enid’s question.

“That won’t be necessary.” Enid’s pout and puppy-dog eyes made her groan. “But… I suppose I could ask for your assistance if I ever require it.”

Enid let out an excited squeal, hands clasped together as she skipped her way towards Wednesday , eyes almost shining because of how … invested in all this she seemed to be .

"Oh! I could even help you set up your murder board! Though… I guess it wouldn't be a murder board this time, right?" Insufferable, she was starting to ramble. "A Not-Murder board, then! I even have colored post-its, and oh em gee, you have to see my gel pen collection—"

With a sigh, Wednesday pinched the bridge of her nose and turned around to face the girl, knowing that even with her back turned to her, Enid would not stop talking.

This was going to be way harder than she first expected.

"As I said, I will ask for your help, if I ever require it. "

The werewolf let out a huff , but she seemed to understand that insisting even further would be of no help. Smart choice.

"Not even if I find some cool black post-its for you?"

However, it seemed that teasing was not part of that general insistence, at least in that strange mind of hers .

"No, Enid," Wednesday answered, in between gritted teeth. "Now, if you'll let me, there's still 12 minutes left of my writing time, and I plan to use them accordingly."

Just when she was about to finally turn around again and do exactly what she had said she was going to do, Enid interrupted her once more.

If it had been anyone else, Wednesday would've probably already put one of her hidden knives to good use.

Unfortunately, it was not anyone else. It was Enid.

Wednesday was still debating whether that was a good or bad thing.

"Look, I know you really appreciate your writing time, and I respect that! I do! But…" Enid emphasized that last word. "I think it's stressing you out today, you know? Maybe we could try to do something else? Like just relax, maybe watch a movie, or go find a snack! What do you think, Wends?"

All Wednesday could do was stand there, stiffly, watching as Enid's smile just turned bigger and bigger. The seer just contemplated what exactly led her to this very moment, to having to look at one of the brightest people on this planet, and not being able to say the word 'no' even though she had just been offered to break her routine.

It was pure madness. She was truly starting to go insane, and it wasn't even in a good way. 

“Pray tell, what exactly do you suggest that we watch together? I remember you ending up unconscious while watching Midsommar, and I don't plan to watch one of your… musicals.”

She saw Enid shiver, her smile turning into a grimace.

“Please don’t remind me of that movie! Oh god, do you remember that guy’s face?! It was smashed to pieces, you can’t blame me for that! At least I didn’t puke all over your bed.”

Wednesday did indeed remember, especially because she ended up passing out for a second time when one of the protagonists found one of the others in a barn hanging from the ceiling with his organs in plain view. If she was being completely honest , even if the movie being mostly set during the day bothered her a bit , the seer could deeply appreciate some of the morbid deaths it depicted, albeit fictional.

“If you had done that, I would have made sure you cleaned my sheets yourself.”

Somehow, that comment was able to get a chuckle out of Enid, who clasped her hands together and smiled as if she hadn't been about to gag just a few seconds prior.

"Yeah well, none of that is gonna happen this time! There's this trilogy of movies I found, they're called Fear Street, and they don't seem too bad? I mean, they're still horror, but I think I'll probably like them as well!"

That last comment should've been worrying, as Wednesday was a hundred percent sure that liking something Enid liked as well was almost impossible. However, the werewolf just dragged her by the wrist and forced her to sit on her bed, Wednesday doing her best to ignore the colorful sheets for like the hundredth time that day.

If someone ever stumbled into such a scene, no one would believe them. How could they? How could one believe that Wednesday Addams would spend the rest of her evening sitting in front of a laptop, watching a horror movie that was not really to her taste while sitting shoulder to shoulder with the overexcited wolf that was her roommate?

Impossible, truly.

And yet, there she was, pretending to pay attention while Enid laughed and squealed at whatever they were watching on the screen, Wednesday not even paying much attention to it, the feeling of her heart wildly beating inside her chest enough to distract her quite a bit, especially when Enid scooted even closer, her head falling right on top of the seer’s shoulder. Wednesday couldn’t do anything else but remain scarily still, gaze fixated in front of her as she pretended not to notice, or at least, not to care.

But oh, did she notice…

As the breathing of the usually overly excited werewolf became even, signaling that she had fallen asleep, Wednesday couldn’t get herself to ignore the feeling of soft blonde hair tickling her neck, or the almost overwhelming warmth that seemed to radiate from Enid’s body, making the burn of her ears and cheeks even worse than it already was, or the way Enid’s arm was loosely wrapped around hers, keeping them connected even when the blonde was asleep.

It was overwhelming as much as it was dreadfully pleasant , Wednesday’s shoulders slowly drooping as she let out a sigh, the threat of tiredness washing over her body as her eyelids started to feel heavy.

And yes, perhaps Thing was laughing at her from her bed, teasing and making fun of the seer who was fighting against her own body, and still… For some reason, she couldn’t get herself to care.

She gave the disrespectful hand a half-hearted glare, just to end up closing her eyes right after, greedily resting her head on top of Enid’s.

It was terrifying, how much she didn’t hate this.

Wednesday desperately needed to find out what was happening. This couldn’t go on for much longer.

But, that could be a problem for the Wednesday Addams of tomorrow.

Chapter Text

It was time to start a formal scientific investigation.

As such, Wednesday, with the help of Thing, started to gather everything that she thought she would need to start her research. It was early in the morning, Enid was still fast asleep on her colorful bed, blonde hair tousled and mouth slightly agape. It seemed waking her up would be a hard feat, which was, honestly, for the better.

She took her leather-bound notebook and a black fountain pen. Then she started to note down her initial findings from that night a few days ago, almost blushing at the memory of Enid's head resting on top of her shoulder.

Wednesday wrote from Enid's name to a list of possible symptoms, as well as her current hypotheses, which included a possible long-term intoxication with small doses of poison being secretly administered to her through food and drinks, a spiritual possession, an ancient blood curse, and a brain injury of considerable size. What did they have to do with Enid specifically? Well, that was for her to find out. 

It seemed like a great start.

“Thing, if you dare laugh at me once again I'll be sure to cut one of your fingers and give it to Grandmama, she's been asking for one for months now.”

Despite her direct threat, the sentient hand seemed not to take it too seriously, Wednesday's glare being ineffective as well. It was hard to grasp what the hand found so goddamn amusing, especially when he refused to answer the question when asked.

As such, she decided to ignore his incessant snickering for now, continuing to write other things that had to do with her current affliction. Another important topic that she had to start considering was… the experimentation period.

Because what was a scientific investigation without actual scientific experiments?

Still, knowing of Enid's extremely social nature and her bright way to face life, as well as her extremely chaotic daily routine, she supposed the experimentation period would be nothing short of torturous.

Wednesday let herself let out a sigh of frustration. Perhaps she should've ignored Enid at that time, but of course, it was like she couldn't physically do that recently, and she still didn't know why.

Another symptom to write down…

With a rather lackluster start to her investigation, Wednesday decided to start getting ready for the day, taking a quick cold shower (as she preferred) and putting on her black uniform, carefully braiding her hair into her signature style as soon as she finished with everything else. 

It was at that moment that Enid decided to stop ignoring her countless alarms, the girl letting out a rather wolfish growl and fumbling around to try and make her phone shut up. Wednesday truly did not know how she could trust such a device to wake her up in the morning, as it seemed counterproductive, especially if she could just turn it off and continue sleeping, but then again, she wasn't Enid.

Wednesday got out of the bathroom and quickly asked Thing what the time was, the sentient hand borrowing Enid's phone for a second to do it.

Classes started at eight in the morning, it was seven, Wednesday was ready to go and have breakfast, but Enid…

Wednesday let out a sigh.

“Enid, you need to wake up now or you'll be late to class.” An annoyed frown adorned her features now. “Again…”

Enid groaned once more, unintelligible mumbles coming out of her still half-asleep form. If she didn't wake up soon, Wednesday would have to resort to some more… Intense methods.

Or she could just ignore her and go on with her day, letting the girl be late like she usually would, but of course, she couldn't get herself to do that, as rational as it may seem.

It was annoying, truly.

“Enid Sinclair. If you do not wake up in the next five seconds, you can say goodbye to your favorite bubblegum pink nail polish.”

Sometimes, threats that referred to ‘valuable’ objects seemed to work better than ones that referred to a person's physical integrity. Wednesday still didn't understand why, but it was amusing to watch, nonetheless.

It was as if Enid's feet had been replaced by springs, the werewolf jumping out of bed with a squeal and tousled blonde hair, tripping with… nothing and ending up hissing when her knees hit the floor. A small growl escaped from her lips as she finally got up, stumbling a little, but regaining her balance after a while.

“Don't you…” the girl had to clear her throat to get rid of the raspiness in her voice. “Don't you dare! Wednesday Addams!”

The werewolf tried to blink the sleep away, taking a few wobbly steps towards Wednesday, all while the seer refused to hold back the smirk that had formed on her face.

“Glad to know you're finally awake, Enid.”

Turning around without a second thought towards the door, Wednesday was ready to just get out of the dorm and get to the dining hall early to get breakfast before it got extremely cluttered. In fact, she was just about to do so when she was suddenly interrupted.

“Wait! Wends, uh…” 

With a defeated sigh, knowing that as much as she would like to, she wouldn't be able to completely ignore Enid, Wednesday turned around and simply raised a brow in question, arms crossed in front of her chest.

She didn't miss the way Enid's eyes lit up, not for a second.

“Wouldn't you…” Averting her gaze, Enid fidgeted with her fingers, taking a deep breath before speaking. “Wouldn't you like to come and have breakfast with me this time? I-I know you usually eat early, and that's totally fine, I just thought maybe we could spend more time together if we—”

“Yes.”

Enid seemed surprised at the quick and almost nonchalant response, eyes widening.

“Do you… Do you mean it?”

Trying not to show her frustration —which was directed at herself, honestly—, Wednesday answered with a nod.

“Do I seem like the type to not mean what I say?”

Enid's chuckle made Wednesday's cheeks heat up, even if her blank expression remained intact.

“You're right, you're right, but, are you like, totally sure? What I meant is if you wanted to have breakfast with me yes, but also with the rest of the nightshades! We always have breakfast together in the quad.”

Wednesday was sure that her scowl was pretty evident if Enid's amused grin was anything to go by.

“So yeah, if you feel like you're up for that, we could, of course, but you know? I had another idea!” Enid clasped her hands together, excited. “We could go get our breakfasts, and then come back here to eat, just you and me.”

It was true that the idea of eating in the extremely crowded quad with the rest of the overly loud nightshades was truly not very appealing. Enid's other suggestion, however, was strangely acceptable, and also, pretty considerate.

Wednesday wanted, more than anything, to experiment when it came to her current predicament, which meant that going to eat with the nightshades was probably a pretty good opportunity to test some hypotheses. Still, she wasn't sure if she could handle that without stabbing someone.

And, well, another thing she had written down as something of importance to this investigation, was honesty and sincerity, two things that Enid appreciated, especially when it came to Wednesday and her feelings, as complicated as they were.

With a grimace, Wednesday forced herself to be honest, for science.

“While accompanying you to the quad is something I would… consider doing in the near future,” Wednesday started to explain in between clenched teeth. “I do not think I'd be able to withstand the loud atmosphere of the quad, nor tolerate the incessant drivel of your friends. At least, not today.”

Enid's smile turned from playful to warm, the girl taking a few steps closer just to give a quick squeeze to one of her hands, nodding in understanding.

“Thank you for being honest with me, Wednesday, I really appreciate it.” Enid's voice was sweet, trying to convey her appreciation. “So, breakfast for just the two of us?”

Ignoring the sound of her heart pounding in her ears, Wednesday blinked, slowly, trying not to get overwhelmed by the werewolf's innate kindness.

“That would be… acceptable.”

Their trip to the cafeteria didn't take too long, Enid letting Wednesday hold her arm through the crowd of people, the werewolf growling in a way that made the students who refused to move at first stumble out of their way. Enid did take the time for pleasantries with her friends, all the nightshades with the newest inclusion of Eugene having what Wednesday supposed was their usual shared breakfast before class. Most of them did not seem to register her presence, or perhaps simply ignored it. Eugene waved excitedly, Wednesday giving a nod of acknowledgment in return. Yoko, however, got a glare in response to her smirk.

What Enid would surely call a ‘staring contest' —though it would be impossible to know whether she won or not thanks to the girl's sunglasses— between herself and the slightly annoying vampire continued until Enid's laughter signaled her presence. Wednesday turned around to find her carrying two breakfast boxes in her hands, amusement shown through her raised brow.

Despite that, she ended up facing her insufferable friends again. “Hey! So, I'll see y'all at lunch, bye!”

There was a lewd whistling that Wednesday was sure came from Tanaka, the sharp dagger that ended up cracking her plate in two and slotting itself into the red plastic tray under it being followed by cursing in Japanese as well as much more flowery language from the rest of the Nightshades.

“Wednesday! No knives in the quad!”

“I don't know what you're talking about, I used no knife.”

While it was a blatant lie, Wednesday did manage to make the dagger disappear in less than a millisecond.

Yoko, somehow, looked to be offended by her blatant lie, so much so that she just let go of the tray, now seeing it break in half as well. Wednesday had to hold back a smirk, all while Enid let out a sigh of defeat. 

“Holy shit— be fucking glad I'm rich or I'd make your girlfriend pay for this goddamn plate!”

Could you really blame Wednesday if her next words came out like a hiss?

“Her what?”

“Jesus fucking Christ Yoko, if you don't shut up I won't even try to stop her the next time she pulls out a knife on you.”

Yoko let out an overly exaggerated laugh, her grin entirely too big for someone who almost got a dagger to the hand. Wednesday didn’t know why her attention seemed focused on Enid now. It actually felt a little insulting… Should she have thrown the dagger closer for a better impression? She was sure her father would've scolded her for not inciting the full ire of her current enemy.

“Not like you were doing it this time anyway!”

“I was holding the food!”

Enid held up the two boxes full of food in her hands, to prove her point.

“Bullshit. You were staring you freaking—”

If the growls she had let out to scare the crowd from before had been wonderful, the sole low growl that emanated deep within Enid's chest this time, accompanying the subtle icy glow of her eyes and the baring of her fangs, was magnificent. Yoko ended up letting out a cackle and threw up her arms in surrender, apparently smart enough to know when to pick her battles.

“Fine, pup! I'll leave you and Miss Half-A-Pint to it then.”

Okay, maybe Yoko wasn't as smart as it seemed.

Enid ended up having to hold both boxes in one hand just so she could quickly hold a raging Wednesday who now had a proper knife clutched in her hands by the waist, the werewolf having read her like a book as soon as Yoko's words left her mouth, moving to stop her from maiming her bloodsucker friend even before she pulled the knife from under her sleeve. She had to admit it was a bit impressive.

“Alright, that's enough socializing for today… Ajax! I'll see you tonight?”

Wednesday's frown deepened at the mention of the gorgon, and she felt herself get irrationally angrier as soon as she laid eyes on him, his dopey smile and excited nod somehow making her blood boil. She let out a huff while Enid just giggled, dragging her along almost absentmindedly through the halls, Wednesday simply let her whole body go limp at one point once she noticed there was no use in fighting to get out of the blonde's hold. 

Enid had a sheepish smile on her face now, the girl having looked back for a second just to strike up a conversation with her as they made their way through the school back to Ophelia Hall.

“Look, I know Yoko can be quite—”

“A nuisance?”

Enid snorted, rolling her eyes right after hearing Wednesday's words that had been uttered through gritted teeth.

“Well, yeah? But that's not the point, what I wanted to ask is for you to please not kill her? At least not anytime soon?”

Wednesday let out a ‘tsk’ after Enid's plea, pretending to look away just so she wouldn't see the girl's extremely annoying puppy eyes. The feeling of her cheeks getting warmer surely had to be a hallucination, right?

“And why exactly would I do you such a favor?”

“You see, I kind of need her around. Unless you wanna volunteer to listen to all of my girl troubles?”

Unlike Yoko, Wednesday was smart enough to know when to pick her battles, and this specific kind of torture that Enid was threatening her with was not one she particularly enjoyed.

It must have shown on her face because Enid chuckled after seeing it.

“Yup! I figured. So, no killing Yoko?”

One day, she'd get her revenge on the vampire… but that day wouldn't be today, nor would it be anytime soon, it seemed.

“Fine.”

Enid finally let go of her then, though it was also probably because they had already arrived at their dorm. The werewolf was the one to open the door, stepping aside to let Wednesday get in first like a true gentleman, closing the door behind them after getting inside.

“We're making good progress! I'm sure you two will become great friends someday!” 

“I never thought you'd wish for terrible things to happen to me.”

Enid put both breakfast boxes on top of her desk, still smiling from ear to ear despite Wednesday's attitude. It seriously was getting annoying how Enid seemed to be completely immune to her threats or any other remarks, but then again, Wednesday could partially blame herself for that considering everything she said to the blonde-haired girl was considerably… softer.

“Come on Wends, don't be so dramatic…”

“You're one to talk.”

“What's with all the sass recently?”

Despite her complaints, it was obvious to Wednesday that Enid was enjoying this trivial banter, her grin just getting bigger with each answer. The werewolf carried her desk, with the food and all, towards the center of the room, as well as both their chairs later on, without breaking a sweat.

“I have no idea what you're talking about, Sinclair.”

With a roll of her eyes, Enid pulled back Wednesday's chair before sitting down herself, the seer following her wordless gesture and sitting down next to her. Enid's desk was quite… small, smaller than hers, which meant they were shoulder to shoulder. Enid gave Wednesday a bright smile when they shared a glance, opening the seer’s box herself. So kind, like always.

“Well, I guess I can take all the extra sass if that means I get to spend more time with you.”

Enid had said that almost offhandedly, a shrug following her words as well as a warm smile that turned her eyes into crescent moons. The werewolf, seeing that Wednesday had somehow gotten frozen in place, tilted her head to the side, curious, and yet, helped her take out the plastic containers of her food even before taking out her own.

Her body's reaction to that small confession shouldn't have been so dramatic, Wednesday knew that, and yet, there she was, sitting ramrod straight, heart beating loudly inside her chest, and her cheeks feeling unnaturally warm. Technically, this was the type of thing she was trying to investigate further. She wanted to understand why her body would react in this way just because of something Enid said, the weight of the girl's words not lost to the seer who knew she wouldn't have cared about something like that if it had been anyone else.

Trying to escape Enid's gaze that seemed to follow her, Wednesday took advantage of the fact that Thing was just lounging in her bed to catch his attention with a few snaps, the sentient hand instantly knowing what she wanted thanks to the specific pattern of them. He brought Wednesday her notebook and her fountain pen, Enid watching with curiosity as the brunette furiously scribbled down details of the current scene and listed all of her bodily symptoms at the moment. Wednesday was sure she heard Enid laugh at one point when she peeked from behind her notebook at one point just to be met with the blonde's sky blue gaze, the feeling of breathlessness she experienced all of a sudden being jotted down just a second after.

There was something wrong with her every time she spent time with Enid, but what?

“Earth to Wends! Are you back here yet?”

God, sometimes Wednesday forgot how loud Enid could be, the girl not lowering her voice even though they were literally sitting next to each other. It was a bit shameful how her words almost made her drop her pen from her hands, Wednesday now losing count of how many times she had made Enid laugh at her today. She didn't like the feeling of her usually colder body heating up for unknown reasons.

“Are you not going to tell me what you've been writing on that notebook of yours?”

There was absolutely no way she was doing that.

“Did you not hear me that time? I said I would ask for your assistance if I require it .”

Enid let out a groan and decided that the best way to counter her frustration was to start chomping on her food. It was amusing to watch, Wednesday having to fight back a smirk. What wasn't so amusing, was having to see and hear Enid trying to speak while she still had food in her mouth.

“But whmph-” Enid had to stop for a moment, her cheeks so full of food Wednesday was sure they would explode if she tried to fit in more. Thankfully, she swallowed before trying to speak again. “But what if you never require it?!”

Wednesday simply shrugged, trying to look uninterested even if a shadow of a smile formed on her face.

“Then you will never know a thing about this investigation.”

Despite Enid's continuous complaints, Wednesday, of course, didn't change her mind, the pout on the blonde's face almost making her take her notebook out again to write down how freaking powerful it seemed to be when it came to influencing her decision-making. Was Enid part siren and she just didn't know? She probably should write that down in the hypothesis section later.

And, well, the thing is that in normal circumstances, Wednesday would try to take a step further in her investigation at this point. She'd try to think of a new thing to try, or for a future experiment to run. In the end, she was kind of well known for giving it all when it came to unraveling a new mystery, but…

There was something strange going on with her, definitely, as despite how much she had refused to do this with Enid before, just sitting down and eating breakfast together in the comfortable silence that their dorm provided was way more relaxing than she first thought. Wednesday had somehow felt herself getting anxious in the beginning, the closeness that they shared and Enid's overall warmth that seemed to exude from every part of her body overwhelming her senses for a bit. But, now, they both settled into a comfortable pace and silence, somehow managing to eat together with no problem even with the lack of space.

And yes, Wednesday's desk could've been carried by Enid as well if she asked, but somehow, and this was another one of the weird thoughts that crossed her mind recently, there was just something pleasant about their proximity, a sort of intimacy that Wednesday didn't feel like breaking, not when she had found comfort in the way their shoulders were pressed together and in the way Enid would lean into her every once in a while. 

Maybe she could get used to this, yes.

Perhaps this whole situation had started thanks to Wednesday's urge to research and experiment, but now, as Enid offered some of her juice for her to try with a warm smile on her face, the seer couldn't help but leave that aside, even if just for now, taking a sip of the sweet drink and grimacing. It was all for Enid's amusement, as the werewolf chuckled at the reaction she got out of her.

Enid finished her meal quite quickly, and yet, decided to dutifully wait for Wednesday to do so as well. To be honest, she wasn't much of a fan of the food they were given today. The scrambled eggs were a little bit too runny for her liking, and the sandwich had a sauce that made everything a tad too sweet. While Wednesday decided she would finish her eggs, she pretended to take a few good bites out of her sandwich before setting it down, noticing how Enid would ‘subtly’ glance at it from the corner of her eye.

She definitely should give her some lessons on how to be sneaky one of these days.

“I find myself full already…” Wednesday let out a sigh and pursed her lips, making a whole little spectacle.

Thanks to how close they were, she was able to see that Enid gulped and licked her lips, her werewolf appetite probably making it so that the food she just ate wasn't even close to making her feel full.

“O-oh, yeah?”

Wednesday nodded, looking uninterested at first, but then pretending to be lost in thought for a moment, noticing from her peripheral vision that Enid was looking at her (and her sandwich), expectantly. It was hard not to smirk.

With a click of her tongue, she turned around to face Enid again, a small frown adorning her features. 

“I don't plan to finish this sandwich, but it would be quite wasteful to throw it out. Would you like to have it?”

Enid's nod was perhaps a bit too enthusiastic, the girl not wasting a second to take hold of the sandwich and eating it all within three impressive bites. Wednesday had to say, it was admirable, and amusing as well to watch. When Enid licked her lips again, she could see one of her razor-sharp fangs poking out of them.

It seemed that her initial enthusiasm ended up being replaced by sheer embarrassment, the blonde’s cheeks tinted red as she wiped breadcrumbs off her lips with the back of her hand. She truly was not the pinnacle of good manners.

“M’sorry Wends, was a bit hungry.”

“Stating the obvious, I see.”

Maybe it was a bit strange, the way Enid was so giggly and excited even when all they were doing together was eating, relatively quiet too. She supposed Enid would get bored by doing something like this, just sitting down and doing almost nothing. Turned out Wednesday was wrong, but how? 

“You know, I think this is the most I’ve ever eaten for breakfast.”

Now that got Wednesday’s attention, Enid almost spluttered when she saw the seer’s look of complete disbelief, a nervous giggle bubbling up her throat. Wednesday continued to glare at her, basically forcing her to explain by the sheer force of it, a defeated sigh leaving Enid’s lips.

“Well, let’s just say I usually get too distracted in the quad to eat it all, and when I finally notice what hour it is, I end up having to scarf down like just one thing while running to class.” Enid did not let Wednesday get a word in yet. “But! It’s fine! I usually eat all my lunch, plus, it’s easy to eat with you here since it’s so…”

“Boring?”

“I wouldn’t say boring, more like… quiet.”

Feeling slightly offended, Wednesday crossed her arms in front of her chest, her mind arriving at what was possibly the worst conclusion ever, but that was just how she worked, she expected the worst from everybody around her.

“Is that why you asked for me to eat breakfast with you every day? So you could eat ?”

“What? No! I mean… yes? Kind of? Look!” Enid flailed her arms around as if trying to swat away her scrambled thoughts. “I just… I just hoped you'd say yes one of these days because I really wanted to spend more time with you, and maybe this is just a one-time thing, but I genuinely wanted to try it. It’s not just because of that! How did you even come to that conclusion?!”

If she was being honest, Wednesday herself did not know why her first instinct was to say something like that, her glare now turning into a small frown, the seer avoiding her gaze out of embarrassment. Of course, Enid wouldn't do something like that… But why did it feel so terrible to think of the possibility of Enid using her? Even in such an insignificant way? Plus, it was even hypocritical of her.

Enid, however, always a dear, did not let Wednesday's words get her mad, in fact, she just tried to explain herself, probably aware that sometimes, Wednesday needed things that had to do with emotions and feelings to be spelled out for her.

“We barely get to see each other during school days except maybe when we have fencing practice, and even then you usually spend it bickering with Bianca! ” Enid took a deep breath, avoiding Wednesday’s gaze, slightly ashamed, “I just- I wanted a reason for us to spend more time together, that’s all, because I enjoy hanging out with you, Wends.”

There it was again, as Wednesday stared at Enid's sky blue gaze that seemed to shine, a glint of sincerity in them she couldn't just ignore, the feeling of spiders running around her stomach coming back without warning. One of these days she would try to claw her own heart out of her chest just to dissect it and find out why it refused to beat normally.

It was when Enid said things like this that the feeling of guilt started to overcome her, a foreign sensation taking hold of her thoughts and turning them irrational. Guilt, frustration, anger, but directed at herself instead of Enid.

Because how would Enid seek her company so badly when all she had done before was hurt her?

“I don't think that spending more time with me would be a wise choice.”

Wednesday tried to play off the negative thoughts in her mind by letting out one of her typical snarky remarks. However, with the way Enid's gaze softened, it was easy to conclude the girl had read her like a book for the second time today. A small smile adorned the werewolf's features, and so she continued her monologue.

“When I get to be with you, I don't know what it is, but you really help me slow down Wends. And that’s a good thing! You help me sit down, take a breather, and take my time, even when it sometimes feels like everyone around me is just rushing by,” all of a sudden, Wednesday felt strangely self-conscious of their proximity. “I feel like I’ve really needed it, recently. Sometimes I do so many things at once that I forget the important things, like, you know, eating, or even just spending time with important people.”

The implication of Enid calling her, Wednesday Addams, as part of the ‘important people’ in her life, was not lost to her, heat crawling up to the top of her ears again as she tried to process everything, Wednesday, as always, taking more time than most to do so when it came to feelings.

But of course, Enid waited, patiently. She was always patient when it came to her. Did she really deserve it?

Wednesday did not know what to do, or what to say. Because, if she thought about it rationally, it was obvious that Enid was also an important person for her, in her life.

Yes, even when she had tried to deny them even being friends, she knew they had already been that for longer than she probably expected. Their friendship had been so evident, so obvious, that it was also recognized by everyone around them. From the Nightshades to the teachers and also other students, they had always referred to Enid as her friend when talking to Wednesday, and, well… it's not like she had ever denied it.

So, Wednesday did one of the easiest things for her to do, one of the easiest ways for her to answer without having to do so explicitly.

“It doesn’t have to be a one-time thing.”

She made a concession.

“What?”

Enid's head tilt was as endearing as it always was, Wednesday pretending to be looking at the wall so her heart wouldn't go into overdrive again.

“Breakfast. It doesn’t need to be a one-time thing. We can do it again if you'd like.”

A short, high-pitched squeal almost made her regret her decision, Enid shaking her by the shoulders a few times out of pure excitement while Wednesday simply frowned, trying to pretend this wasn't also slightly self-indulgent. It wouldn't be good for her image.

“Yes, yes, yes! Oh my gosh, I've been waiting for this! I promise not to be too loud, or like, too chatty… We'll enjoy breakfast together! I promise!”

She didn't have the guts to say her mere presence would've been enough.

With that bright smile Wednesday always loved to see, Enid was quick to get up from her seat, getting her backpack ready and also collecting the carton boxes that had held their food so she'd be able to throw it out.

“Come on! I'll walk you to class today.”

Wednesday, who had also followed along and started getting her backpack ready, paused after hearing Enid's suggestion, brow raised in confusion.

“You shouldn’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“My classroom is quite far away from yours, that would be inconvenient for you”

What seemed like a completely logical reason not to do a thing like that to Wednesday, only made Enid shrug, that huge grin still plastered on her face.

“Oh, that’s fine. I want to!” In a swift movement, she took hold of Wednesday's backpack, carrying it on one shoulder, and her own backpack on the other, all while the seer just stood there flabbergasted. “You accompanied me for breakfast, so, let me walk you to class.”

Enid didn’t leave Wednesday any more room for arguing and simply offered her arm so the seer could grab onto it as she did in the morning. Wednesday, who hadn’t really been on top of her game when it came to research and experiments that day, decided to be bold. For science.

Her hand slid onto Enid's, who simply watched quietly as Wednesday intertwined their fingers together.

“Then, if that is what you want to do, we shall leave already, or you'll be late to your own class.”

Hoping the dim lighting would hide the color on her cheeks, Wednesday started walking, hand in hand with a vibrating Enid who bit her lip probably so she wouldn't make a stupid comment about their connected hands.

And alas, as they walked through Nevermore Academy's hallways, it turned out that Wednesday's attempt at researching that day had been a complete failure. However, she found that, somehow, she didn't loathe the feeling of failure this time around.

In the end, she too enjoyed spending time with Enid.

Chapter Text

After the absolute failure that had been her first official day of research, Wednesday decided that today would be different. As such, she was ready to take on a more aggressive approach.

Approach that consisted of banning herself from saying ‘no’ to any request Enid might make, during the whole day. A bit extreme, perhaps, but high risk usually meant a high reward.

She just hoped she wouldn't end up regretting such a drastic decision, Wednesday having to suppress a grimace when remembering the extremely busy schedule of the overly excited werewolf. How she managed to not feel like killing someone after so many extracurricular activities was lost to Wednesday, but Enid had always been exceptional, even if she refused to admit it out loud.

The first challenge of the day came rather early after she woke up Enid like she usually did now, the blonde getting ready quickly and then looking at Wednesday with a smile, the seer already dreading the question that she knew was about to come.

“Soooo, Wends, breakfast today of course. But, feel like trying the quad this time around?”

It was like every bone in her body and every part of her brain was screaming, or rather shrieking at her to say no. Wednesday, in normal circumstances, would've definitely said no. In a way, she did find their private breakfasts in their dorm dreadfully pleasant, Wednesday happy to simply listen to Enid's early morning ramblings as she quietly ate. It was becoming routine, and if there was something Wednesday appreciated more than the painfully wonderful feeling of an electrical burn, it was routine.

But alas, such were the sacrifices one had to make once in a while in the name of progress, in the name of science. Sometimes, she regretted how much of a committed scientist and investigator she was, especially when it got her into situations like… this.

Wednesday inhaled sharply, physically forcing herself to get it over with.

“I am… Inclined, to try to accompany you today, Enid.” She had to sigh, she just had to. “Before you ask, yes, to the quad, and yes, I am sure.”

Wednesday even responded to what she knew would be Enid's follow-up questions as quickly as she could, like ripping off a bandaid but without the enjoyable kind of pain it brought afterward. This was not an enjoyable kind of pain.

But maybe there was something worth it to gain from it all, apart from scientific findings, of course. Enid's face was quick to light up, the widening of her eyes followed by a smile so big it made Wednesday wonder how it was even possible to stretch your face muscles that far without them tearing. Wednesday was 99% sure that Enid was holding back a squeal —and probably the urge to hug her— if her slight vibrating was anything to go by. Thankfully, Enid ended up taking a deep breath, her smile never fading.

“I promise that, if you tell me you're uncomfortable, we can come back here and have breakfast like always. You don't have to force yourself to be there if you don't want to, okay Wends?”

Wednesday simply nodded, as she just couldn't reveal that she was forcing herself, in the name of science.

Enid offered her a hand then, and even though in past circumstances she had taken up the blonde's courteous offer, the stressful feeling that she knew was about to come made her uncomfortable in a way that ended up with her declining the physical contact. Enid didn't seem fazed, but Wednesday herself ended up feeling… not great after refusing. 

They walked side by side, shoulders almost touching, Enid trying to fill the silence with her usual rambling as they approached the quad first, to ‘say hi’, as her roommate would describe it.

A bunch of waves and the screams of a familiar vampire were thrown their way, Wednesday simply observing with a blank stare as Enid giggled and waved back at them, looking back at the seer for a moment to give her a reassuring smile. Wednesday would never admit it, but it worked, even if just a little.

“Hi, guys! How's it going?”

Enid went around to give her boyfriend Ajax a quick kiss on the cheek, the gorgon giving her his usual dopey grin and then letting her pass so she could hug both Yoko and Divina on the other side of the table. Kent got a fist bump, Bianca a friendly wave, Eugene a playful ruffle of his hair, and Xavier a small, tight-lipped smile that almost made Wednesday smirk.

“Move your ass, Yoko, we need more space here!”

The vampire adjusted her sunglasses and groaned, refusing to budge. Enid quickly bared her fangs, even if that didn't seem to work on the vampire, who Wednesday was sure probably rolled her eyes behind her shades.

“What the— we all fit perfectly here Enid! It's not like your ass grew overnight.”

Now it was Enid's turn to roll her eyes, already pushing Yoko so she'd be closer to Divina.

“Well of course not, but Wends is eating with us today!”

Suddenly, all eyes were on her. Wednesday blinked, her blank expression turning into a frown.

Enid, of course, had to be the one to come to her rescue, probably when she saw Yoko's signature smirk and heard Bianca's laughter.

“So, will you move? She needs a place to sit.”

“How are you not dead yet, Sinclair?”

Enid just blinked as she listened to Bianca, all while she simply smiled at Wednesday and signaled at her to sit down, the seer doing as asked and trying to ignore the teasing siren.

“I mean, I'm sure if I called her Wends , she would try to kill me.”

“I can kill you right now if you would prefer.”

“Wednesday! No murder attempts on the breakfast table.”

With a huff, Wednesday took out her hand from the pockets of her skirt, as she had been reaching for one of her knives before the blonde scolded her. She had to do what Enid said… it was for science, yes. For science. Even if Bianca apparently found it amusing, chuckling alongside Yoko who simply sipped on a blood bag while she watched everything unfold.

Eugene made sure to give a personal wave to Wednesday as she had finally settled on the breakfast table, getting a courteous nod of acknowledgment from the seer, who was genuinely pleased to see him despite the circumstances. She was glad the Nightshades had decided to take him under their wing, even if he was technically not officially a member yet. Neither was Enid, but the werewolf told her once she had heard Bianca and Yoko talk about their possible initiation ceremony while eavesdropping a few weeks ago.

“Are you not going to sit?”

Enid smiled as soon as Wednesday asked that question, a curious brow lifted as seconds passed and Enid refused to sit in the empty seat right next to hers.

“I will, but not right now,” the blonde gave her a wink. “I'm going to bring our food, just wait here okay? I won't take long, I swear, but can you promise not to kill anyone while I'm gone?”

When everyone looked at Wednesday with looks full of amusement instead of terror —she genuinely needed to start restoring her reputation— the seer gave them all a glare, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“That will not depend on me, but rather on if they are stupid enough to incite my ire. I make no promises.”

“Wednesday Friday Addams …”

Wednesday Addams did not feel fear. Or, rather, she very rarely did, her heart forcefully tamed to withstand even the most dangerous of circumstances, to stand in the face of danger and laugh out of pure bliss, to find enjoyment in the dark places people regarded as utterly doomed. As an Addams, that was her way of living, and Wednesday surely did not expect something like this, but…

The seer felt her hair stand on end as soon as she heard Enid carefully growl out her full name, icy blue eyes accompanying a fanged snarl that made a true and genuine nervousness mix with admiration inside of her chest. Wednesday locked eyes with Enid, letting out a very small sigh as she let herself get lost in the quite obvious threat that was Enid’s darkened eyes, ignoring the goosebumps that such a sight left on her skin.

“Bellissima . ”

Ah. Perhaps death by her own hand would be the best way to get out of this… completely unplanned mishap on her part. However, could one truly blame her? The feeling was utterly delicious , the unfiltered, and genuine one akin to fear that Enid's dangerous snarl was able to elicit from deep inside the darkened abyss of her soul. There were teeth, and there were deadly fangs, oh, so deadly indeed, sharp as the knives that she carried with her everywhere she went. Wednesday wasn't one to fantasize, but the nightmarish image of said fangs sinking, biting, breaking into skin, and tinting it with dark crimson was…

Wednesday needed to start breathing again, or perhaps she would truly find her demise right then and there, which would be foolish and dishonorable of her. Her parents would be entirely disappointed to find out she had died in such a way… 

There was a snort, and Wednesday was completely sure it belonged to Yoko. That by itself was enough to replenish the pure ire and spite that fueled most of her existence, and this time, a knife was indeed thrown, the unbearable bloodsucker that Enid called a friend ducking before it could hit her on the forehead and lodge itself right in the middle of her skull.

Such a shame, indeed.

“What in the actual fu—” 

It didn't even hit someone behind her by accident. Truly disappointing.

“Wednesday! What did I just tell you?!”

Wednesday's eyes found Enid's again, forgetting for a moment the reason for all… this. Perhaps she should've just actually killed the vampire and called it a day. It would've been way easier to push a stake through Yoko’s heart than to hold the werewolf’s almost predatory gaze. This experiment was going to drive her insane in the not-so-enjoyable sense.

“She is an undead. If such a measly knife killed her, then perhaps the shame should be greater than her pain.”

Enid rolled her eyes, completely unamused and not sold on Wednesday’s morbid excuse. Instead of feeling even vaguely threatened, even when Wednesday tried—and failed— to make her stand back with a deadly glare, the werewolf simply took hold of the seer's pale wrist, making dark brown eyes widen in the process as the new knife she was holding slipped from her grasp in a rather embarrassing manner, the metal clattering against the floor quickly shutting everyone up in the process.

Wednesday would've enjoyed the silence if the reason for it hadn't been a shameful display on her part, dark brown utterly focused on those pools of light blue that seemed to suck her in with just a glance.

“You promised last time not to kill Yoko, didn't you?”

Enid's voice wasn't as loud, or as bright, even if her smile was fanged and wide like usual. It was soft, but not in a harmless way, of course not, it had a lilt and a sharp edge that got Wednesday’s heart thumping, hammering against her ribcage like an echoing drum, an almost deathly rhythm pumping blood rapidly along her veins, making it rush up to her face, to her cheeks and the tips of her ears. It burned, her body burned but the painful sting of the skin sizzling away wasn't present, replaced by an ever-present, strangely pleasant buzz that almost made her dizzy. Wednesday had become completely unaware of her surroundings, completely ignoring Yoko's comment about how ‘isn’t it worrying that she had to promise not to kill me?’, as well as all of their amused expressions.

She was drowning, she was drowning in the light blue that were Enid’s beautiful eyes, and she would’ve gladly let her lungs be filled to the brim with the light that was Enid if they were anywhere else. However, if she wanted what little dignity she still had in the eyes of the nightshades to survive, Wednesday needed to get it together. Despite that, perhaps she could listen, yes, no matter how wonderful it could be to get rid of Yoko sooner rather than later.

Wednesday took a deep breath, slowly blinked, and tried to ignore the way the words that came out of her mouth after that sounded softer around the edges.

“Perhaps, she can be spared for another day.”

Enid’s smile, blinding as always, might’ve just been worth the shame, and the strange looks that were directed at her by the rest. Wednesday focused on Enid, and only her, as had become common lately. She felt a slight, involuntary tug at the corner of her lips, one she tried to instantly suppress. No one seemed to notice, thankfully, except Enid, of course. Wednesday knew she noticed, for her smile only got wider, brighter, if that was even possible.

“Thank you, Wends,” she answered. “I’ll be back soon, don’t worry.”

What happened next made Wednesday want to bury herself under the ground.

While still smiling, Enid waved at her friends before going to the cafeteria line, but then, as she passed behind Wednesday, one of the werewolf’s hands absentmindedly patted her head, gently, softly, perhaps lingering for a bit longer than necessary, as if the seer was a grumpy housecat who wouldn’t accept anything more.

The fact that Wednesday closed her eyes unconsciously as soon as she felt the touch, the girl opening them again as soon as Enid finally walked away, completely unaware of the mess she had left behind, waas nothing short of mortifying.

Once. Twice. Thrice. Wednesday blinked, agonizingly slow.

It seemed her attempts to save whatever dignity she had left had failed, miserably so.

Wednesday was sure the glare that she gave everybody was one of the strongest she had ever put on, and yet, everyone at her table continued to stare. Ajax, with a too-bright grin, Yoko, with a smirk and trying to suppress laughter. Kent and Divina dared to give each other looks to communicate without words. Bianca, with a raised brow in pure amusement. Xavier, who looked confused like the idiot he was, and Eugene, who smiled at her warmly, as if he knew something Wednesday was not privy to yet.

If they wanted to ask, to question her, they could do it with words, not staring at her as if she were a circus animal.

Wednesday crossed her arms in front of herself again and challenged all of them with the deadly glare that remained in her eyes, speaking through gritted teeth.

“If there is anything you want to say to me, talk .”

There was a chorus of fake coughs and all of a sudden, everyone now focusing back on their meals as if nothing happened. Everyone but Ajax and Yoko, both of whom were still stealing glances at Wednesday while elbowing each other, muttering under their breaths.

Ajax somehow managed to lock gazes with the still murderous-looking Wednesday, the seer reveling in the way he flinched and turned his head around, Yoko hitting her forehead with her palm and sighing in what seemed to be defeat.

After a few seconds, Wednesday would find out why, as the vampire had turned towards her, gifting her a fanged grin before deciding to speak. At least, she could—kind of—respect the fact she was the only one who dared to do so.

“Look, I know you’d probably try to kill at least two of us per meal—”

“Three would be more accurate.”

“—Right. But, I think you should come by more often.”

Wednesday couldn’t help but raise a brow at Yoko’s words, the vampire shooting a genuine, but still playful grin in her direction. Looking around a bit, she saw the rest of the Nightshades, who were suddenly focused on her once more—seriously, why couldn’t they mind their own business?—,  either smile at the suggestion or simply nod. Ajax especially seemed to agree wholeheartedly with Yoko’s proposition, if his over-the-top nodding that almost made his beanie slip off was anything to go by.

“I have a tendency to enjoy torture, but this is not the enjoyable kind.”

Bianca rolled her eyes at that, and Wednesday was sure that if Yoko wasn’t wearing her usual sunglasses, she would’ve seen her doing the exact same thing.

“Whatever you say, freak, that’s not what I meant,” the despective term earned her another glare. “I can tolerate having your murderous presence around, and so does the rest… probably, but that isn’t the point. The point is that Enid was about to run up the walls with how excited she was about you being here.”

With a raised brow and a visibly annoyed facial expression, Wednesday had gotten ready to retort their rather sudden attempt at a conversation. That is until the gorgon decided to speak the second before she was able to do so.

“She likes spending time with you, Wednesday, that’s all,” Ajax tried to explain simply, not wanting the conversation to escalate into an argument. “She’s always talking about how happy she is about getting to hang out with you more lately, did you know?”

To be fair, Wednesday did know that Enid seemed to enjoy their hangouts, as short or simple as they may be. However, what she did not know, and did not expect, was Enid enjoying those little moments so much so, that she told other people about it. It was a bit hard to believe, especially to Wednesday who, in all honesty, probably made everything they did less fun for them, and yet…

Yoko and Ajax didn’t seem to be lying, and for some reason, Wednesday felt her face heat up in that unexplainable way it had the habit of doing in recent times.

“I will admit, I was not aware of that information,” Wednesday avoided their gazes. “I make no promises, other than to… make an effort, you could say.”

Yoko and Ajax shared a glance, probably communicating with each other with no words, somehow. Wednesday made no effort to try to understand their eyebrow raises or Ajax’s weird-sounding chuckle. It would probably kill some of her brain cells if she did try.

And, perhaps she was signing her own death sentence with such a response, or at least, it seemed that way when Yoko sent a wide, fanged grin her way, Ajax following with a dopey one of his own. Both of them nodded strangely in sync with each other, giving their approval despite Wednesday’s not entirely affirmative response.

“You know what? We can work with effort, but you better actually make an effort because if I have to see Enid come to my room with that pout of hers again, I will kill someone and then myself.”

Trying to ignore Yoko’s need for dramatism, but still seriously considering stabbing someone after hearing her words, Wednesday just glared again to no avail. Being unable to use weapons for intimidation was truly making her lose her edge, and she could not have that. Maybe if she looked around and Enid wasn’t anywhere near…

“Hi again! Glad to see no one’s dead!”

Of course, Enid just had to arrive at that precise moment, a bright smile on her face as she put both of their food trays on the table and settled in the empty seat next to Wednesday.

“Hmm, how wonderful.”

While Enid laughed at her obvious sarcasm, Wednesday carefully and sneakily slipped her knife back to where it was under her sleeve again, pretending like nothing had happened. Tanaka, however, seemed to have noticed, and she smirked while Wednesday couldn’t do more than glare, a promise of swift and painful vengeance in her eyes.

Though that would probably have to wait until Enid and she were separated, something that, now that she thought about it, rarely happened in recent times.

Apart from when she left to spend time with that insufferable gorgon that was now grinning at the werewolf like an absolute imbecile. Oh what Wednesday would do to have a hot axe in her hands, the smell of burning flesh and scales after she decapitated every single one of the snakes under that beanie of his, was a truly nightmarish one in her imagination. However, this was no time to fantasize.

“Is this going to become a regular thing?” As the filthy boy that he was, Xavier didn’t even swallow his food before asking such a question, his curious gaze and raised brow focused on Enid as he chewed. “I thought we’d never see you at breakfast time again, ‘Nid.”

Sometimes, Wednesday seriously wondered why exactly she tolerated his presence, or rather, how did anyone it in the first place. To be fair, the fact that he stepped up to fight an undead pilgrim when all he had to offer were subpar archery skills and some measly drawings was both pretty stupid and admirable, so that begrudging sense of —minimal— respect was her devastating reason not to maim him, but the rest? What reason did they have to keep being around him? She doubted any of their reasons were as good if they had any at all.

Enid’s smile got bigger, in that characteristic way she had of pretending she wasn’t annoyed by the person talking to her, as if a borderline abnormal smile did anything but be slightly chilling at worst and utterly terrifying at best, sharp canines on full display as she giggled. Xavier was on a timer, even Wednesday could notice, and that was saying a lot. The seer held back a smirk, always enjoying the understanding that only shared hatred and disgust could bring. Ah, now this was a feeling worth bonding over.

“I don’t know, it may be,” Enid answered rather nonchalantly, definitely trying not to entertain Xavier for long. “It will depend. If not, Wends and I will just continue having breakfast together!”

Enid’s attempt to be politely dismissive wasn’t understood by the psychic, or perhaps he just didn't put in the effort to do so, who put on a bit of an amused grin at Enid’s words. Wednesday, for now, simply decided to watch, somehow feeling already that whatever was going to come out of his mouth would not be… tolerable, which wasn’t unexpected in the slightest when it came to Xavier of all people.

“Oh, I didn’t think the breakfast thing was true,” Xavier attempted to joke. “Didn’t sound like Wednesday.”

With a deep breath and a slow blink, Wednesday was suddenly too conscious of the dagger hidden under her sleeve. 

“Pray tell, what would you know about what sounds like me?” 

Xavier’s gaze landed on Wednesday then, his amused grin slowly morphing into a nervous one as soon she saw the deadly glare that was directed towards him. The seer raised a brow in challenge, all while Enid seemed blissfully relieved that she didn’t have to talk to him any further, as she had started stuffing her face with food. With the promise of violence in her dark eyes alone, Wednesday thought that it’d be enough to make Xavier stop talking. However, he had the absolute gall to simply let out a not-so-convinced chuckle before opening his mouth again.

Truly, perhaps with whatever happened, she’d be able to convince Enid to drop the ‘no murder attempts rule’ from their breakfast outings.

“I just thought you probably wouldn’t enjoy it, you know? I mean, you already hate coming to the quad since it’s always loud and crowded, and well, you know Enid,” He said that last part as if he was referring to something obvious. When no one finished his sentence, he unfortunately kept on going. “Always a chatterbox. She’s great, but for you? I’m sure she’s a too much sometimes—”

Oh. That wouldn’t do. That simply would not do, especially not when from the corner of her eye, she saw Enid’s bright smile start to dim.

Who dared to try and put out the brightest light in this godforsaken place?

It happened quickly. Too quickly. Everyone took the wrong moment to blink and suddenly Wednesday had reached over the table, a death grip on Xavier’s wrist that forced him to press his hand on top of the wooden surface. Then, with the swiftness of a storm wind, Wednesday had lodged a knife right in the space between the boy’s ring and middle finger, the force of the movement making it so the blade went through the wood.

Xavier screamed. A small trickle of blood ran down his skin. It was nothing more than a small graze, one that wasn’t a mistake. It was measured, calculated, a lesson, a reminder for Xavier, to let him know something .

“Next time you say something about me, or about Enid with that filthy mouth of yours…” If before, Wednesday’s glare alone could elicit shivers, the look in her eyes, which looked darker than a starless night sky, could initiate panic attacks with its weight alone, the seer looking downright murderous. “Rest assured, I won’t force myself to miss.”

The muttering in the quad grew louder after the event, all because of Xavier’s pitiful whimpers and non-stop swearing. There was a sigh she could hear behind her, and before Wednesday could pull away, a hand had wrapped around her wrist, the familiar contact making her let go of the knife unceremoniously.

“Holy hell Addams… I think you just made Xavier piss himself.” Yoko again. Wednesday was going to kill her with her bare hands at this point. “Kind of deserved. The tiny terror strikes again—”

Before Wednesday could look for another knife from inside her boots, Enid used her other hand to now completely hold the seer in place, even when she tried to get out of her hold like a rabid dog about to bite someone’s head off. 

“Nope! Nope… I think that’s enough attempted murder for today.”

“I will make sure not a single speck of dust remains once I’m done with your bloodsucker friend. She will beg for my mercy while I–”

“Yup! I think we’re going back to our dorm!” Enid’s nervous chuckle didn’t seem to convince anybody, much less most of the student body who was staring at their table. “Sorry about the noise, she just gets a little cranky in the morning. Come on Wends, let’s go.”

“There will be no Gods left to pray to, as none will have the gall to answer your pleadings as long as I come looking for you—”

“Don’t listen to her guys, she’s just hangry that’s all! Bye!”

Enid let go of the forced embrace but firmly gripped her wrist before the seer could go on and try to murder both Xavier and Yoko at the same time, countless ominous threats coming out of her mouth as she was dragged away. Wednesday could feel the burning anger inside of her slowly subside as they walked, farther and farther away from the quad and its usual racket, her growl eventually becoming a mere sigh.

She hated how quickly every ounce of ire inside her seemed to vanish, how the feeling of Enid’s firm grip on her skin replaced every one of her thoughts of murder and vengeance in one fell swoop. Her tense shoulders dropped and the fight she put up had stopped, Wednesday slightly embarrassed to find herself in the same situation as the last time she had to interact with the Nightshades.

Because, yes… For a second time during the past week, Wednesday found herself being dragged by the wrist back to their shared dorm by an overly apologetic Enid, all for threatening to kill one —okay, perhaps two— of the Nightshades. It probably did not work in her favor that, this time, Yoko wasn't the only one to incite her wrath —and get on her absolute nerve— but also Xavier, who apparently still hadn't learned when to keep his mouth shut. Could you even blame her? All his tortured artist angst was bound to become boring fairly quickly anyway. Plus, he had dared to try and subtly insult Enid of all people, the last person in this world who should be spoken to in that way.

Thankfully for her, it seemed Enid saw the whole situation as her personal misstep, rather than Wednesday's, and amusingly enough, she didn't even acknowledge Xavier's pitiful attempt at snark, her apologies instead focusing on the audacity of her undead friend.

“I’m so sorry Wends. I know you probably won’t believe me, but I swear Yoko was just playing around. Maybe you don’t think the same, but she considers you a friend, and for some reason, she thinks the epitome of friendship is being annoying as hell—”

Wednesday almost let out a loud ‘tsk’, at that. What Enid was saying about Yoko was a gross understatement, plus, a bit hypocritical from her own point of view, especially coming from Enid. But, of course, it's not like Enid's playful banter annoyed her in the same way Yoko's did, strangely enough.

“I thought that to be part of your beliefs as well. Perhaps I was mistaken.”

“I mean, I think a bit of teasing can make everything way funnier but…” Enid seemed to take Wednesday's words as a joke at first, but she suddenly paused, right in front of their dorm’s door, her smile falling in one fell swoop. “Wait, do you think I’m annoying?”

It was like she was witnessing a solar eclipse right in front of her very eyes, Enid's sunny disposition dimming in less than a second, her shoulders slumping. Wednesday felt about to shiver, a dreadfully uncomfortable pang in her chest almost making her wince. She had to say something, anything to make Enid's saddened expression go away.

Why did she hate to see Enid looking anything but utterly radiant?

“You are quite…” A glance at Enid’s deep pout and puppy eyes was enough for Wednesday to huff and close her eyes for a second, the seer swallowing the borderline mean retort that had been on the tip of her tongue out of pure instinct. Instead, she decided to be sincere, aware that exposing a measly part of her feelings could end up being useful for her current experiment. Yes, it was surely that. “Tolerable, Enid. I have grown to tolerate your presence, in a way that makes it so that I cannot truly imagine what my life would be like without it.”

And there were no lies in her words, for not even the memories of her past ended up being spared from the presence of a multicolored werewolf sticking like a sore thumb in what used to look like a black and white film inside her head. How strange it was, that she couldn’t do much more than imagine how it would’ve been like if Enid had cursed her with her presence way before they met, years before that, even. Never did she think she’d end up imagining how her life would’ve looked like if she’d had a blur of yellow, pink, and blue coloring the darkest crevices of her life, lighting them up with her mere existence. Even worse was the feeling of warmth that traveled across her body at said thoughts, giving her usually deathly pale cheeks a tint of color.

Enid’s lips curled up into one of her signature wolfish grins, scars adorning one of her cheeks as they always did. And right there, that right there was her other problem, for Wednesday felt herself growing frustrated at the number of times she thought of that same utterly blinding grin, of how she imagined herself getting older, wiser, and yet a part of her always seemed to desire to see Enid right by her, smiling at her in that exact same way, as if there was nothing Wednesday could do to dim the all-consuming flame that was Enid Sinclair.

As if Wednesday was the spark that allowed that fire to burn.

There was something wrong with her, there just had to be, for all of this was borderline insane, and not in the way Wednesday would usually find herself enjoying.

There was something indecipherable inside Enid’s gaze, something that made the blue in her eyes give way for the black of her pupils to almost swallow it whole. Enid stayed there for a moment, frozen in place with her hand around the doorknob to their dorm, head tilting slightly as she examined Wednesday with an intensity that almost elicited a shiver from the seer. There was nothing but silence for a few seconds, at least until Enid let out a small hum, opening the door just then and stepping aside to let Wednesday get inside first.

“You know, sometimes I wonder, truly wonder, what even goes on inside that pretty little head of yours.” Enid’s tone of voice was lower, softer, sweeter, so much so that Wednesday could almost taste the words on her tongue. Her smile was, as well, warm as can be. “I mean, you almost insult me at one moment and then just… Say one of the most beautiful things I have heard in my life. It’s honestly a bit jarring at times.”

And there it was again, that traitorous heat that made her pale cheeks gain color, Wednesday scoffing at Enid's rather keen observation. As always, when the seer didn't know what to answer, she simply got defensive.

“If what I say can be described as beautiful, then perhaps I should find a way to change my speech, it'd be embarrassing if other people did so as well.”

Despite Wednesday's attempt at defending herself and continuing to put on her typical terrifying front, Enid simply giggled without a second thought, and finally closed the door behind them. She leaned her side on the door for a few moments, head tilted in that characteristic way of her, sky blue gaze fixated on Wednesday.

There was an intensity to it, a tinge of something Wednesday couldn't fully recognize swimming in the seemingly infinite blue held in her eyes. It almost made her shiver, the way Enid smiled, with her lips closed but with an all-consuming warmth.

“If it makes you feel better, I feel the exact same way, Wends,” she simply stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, and I don’t want to know either.”

The woes of friendship were not anything Wednesday was truly familiar with, her years of solitude making it so a part of her simply could not believe that someone like Enid could exist in the same world as her. How could a girl who had known nothing but rejection, neglect, and constant vitriol thrown at her grow up to be the mere image of affection, care, and genuine warmth? How could her existence be anything but a mystery of the universe? An unexplainable paradox?

Sometimes, it felt like Wednesday was standing in front of the impossible, an impossible that, however, had made it her mission to approach the most prickly person there was and embrace the thorns as if they mattered instead of fearing them. It was that fact that, perhaps, made her the bravest girl Wednesday had ever known.

“Look, I… I know I probably shouldn’t take anything Xavier says to heart, but I do want you to know that if you don’t feel like having breakfast with me anytime, you can say no, alright?” While Enid’s reminder was sincere, there was an underlying sadness to it that Wednesday couldn’t bear to see. “It’s all up to you. I wouldn’t want to force you to do something you don’t enjoy.”

A half-smile was what now adorned Enid’s features, one that, however, didn’t fully reach the girl’s eyes. It was apparent that Xavier’s pathetic comments had managed to instill an insecurity inside her, a fear that, now that Wednesday could see it, was completely misplaced.

Little by little, any remaining sense of begrudging respect Wednesday held for the male psychic started to vanish, at the same time as the murderous urge inside her that screamed at her to get rid of every single one of that idiot’s fingers so that he wouldn’t be able to draw a thing ever again, continued to grow.

Nonetheless, that wasn’t her priority, at least not at that exact moment, not when Enid looked so small and she was playing with her thumbs nervously. Wednesday needed to say something, no matter how hard it could be. She could not let this stand.

“I…” Why did it always feel like there was lead on her tongue when it came to admitting things like these? “I dreadfully enjoy our lonely breakfasts.”

Perhaps Ajax and Yoko had been right and their choice of words hadn't been an exaggeration. ‘Running up the walls’ was certainly something Enid would probably do if it wasn't for the fact that Wednesday would seriously consider strangling her if she even tried to do such a thing. For now, the blonde simply bit her tongue and smirked.

“Hmm. I do as well, Wends, so, maybe it should just stay as an ‘us’ thing, you know?”

“That seems reasonable.”

“Yeah… We don't have to try with the Nightshades again if you don't want to. Sorry for all the shit today, I know it's not your kind of thing.”

Enid's smile was an embarrassed one after that admission, and that was what made Wednesday remember a certain… Promise she had made, the seer letting out a huff at her own weakness. Why did she not enjoy Enid's visible disappointment?

Make an effort, she remembered, a certain vampire’s fanged smirk and grating voice playing like a broken record inside her head. Of course, she didn’t really care about Yoko’s poor attempt at a threat, but the thing was… Wednesday had made a promise, and she was a woman of her word, no matter how difficult what she had to do was, or how utterly aggravating. She was an Addams, in the end, and an Addams did not break their promises.

Plus, it was for scientific purposes, wasn’t it? Wednesday consciously made herself forget she hadn’t even been thinking of her investigation when she made such a promise to Yoko.

“While I would definitely prefer that breakfast remained as it is, as a quiet affair between us, and only us,” ignoring her racing heart, Wednesday took a deep breath. “I would not be… completely against trying again, during other meal times.”

Enid’s whole presence became a little light bulb at that moment, flickering for a few seconds, stumbling, before lighting up in full force. From her eyes to her wide toothy grin, and even the shake of her shoulders as she giggled, it felt like watching the sun slowly rise, the sky painting itself with soft yellows, and oranges mixed with pink, and light blues that were contained in the werewolf’s gaze alone. Yes… Perhaps not a light bulb, looking at Enid felt like trying to look directly at the sun, the burn in her retinas strangely satisfying.

If only she had a defibrillator on hand to shock her heart back to a normal —half-dead— rhythm.

“Oh my god, oh my god— Wednesday!” Enid cooed. Wednesday grimaced.

“Not always, Enid. Simply… Once in a while.” 

“O-of course! Once in a while it's good— It's great! Yes, once in a while totes works for me…”

The werewolf clasped her hands together, excited about the whole thing, all while Wednesday maintained her blank expression and tried to ignore the strange satisfaction that seeing such a reaction elicited from within her. Enid skipped along their shared room, making her way towards her side of the room to look for something on her desk. Wednesday, meanwhile, decided that she had enough confusing bodily reactions for a day and went to sit on her bed instead. Perhaps she could rest for the remaining free time they had before their first class of the day.

When Wednesday sat down, she closed her eyes, something she didn't usually do around anybody —but Enid wasn't just anybody, no matter what she said— and pinched the bridge of her nose. Truly, the mere thought of the stupidity she'd have to face in future mealtimes with the Nightshades was already making her regret everything. At least, those dreadful thoughts helped her appease her racing heart.

Science… Investigating truly required sacrifice, or was it ‘friendship’ that did? Perhaps it was both, and Wednesday wasn’t entirely sure if she liked that part of the latter yet.

“Aha!”

Enid's strange exclamation made Wednesday turn her head around rather quickly, her gaze now focused on the werewolf who held a small object in one of her hands. Her blinding grin that held a tinge of playfulness should've been a warning, truly. Nothing good could come of Enid looking so ready for mischief.

“Could you please not look at me like that? Or, do you perhaps have something to say?”

Thing somehow thought that moment was the best one to get out of whatever hole he had been hiding in, excitedly greeting Enid, who waved back at the disembodied hand, and yet, didn't stop looking at Wednesday. Seriously, what was she up to?

“So, Wends…” The way she made the ‘so’ way longer than it should be could only signal danger. “I was thinking recently about something I wanted to try, and since we have some time to kill before class, I thought we could do it now.”

Wednesday squinted at that, completely distrusting of Enid's vague words and intentions. It was then that she remembered that she was totally and completely screwed no matter what her roommate said, as per her own experimentation rules, she was obligated to say ‘yes’ to whatever Enid may propose. Perhaps she was shooting herself in the foot with this.

“Stop with the riddles, Sinclair. Speak up now.”

Enid snickered and skipped her way towards Wednesday's bed, sitting down next to her but still keeping a bit of space between them, always respectful of not pushing too much when it came to personal space. To be fair, Wednesday herself had been blurring the lines of said personal space recently, so it did surprise her to notice the separation. However, it was strange that it also… bothered her.

“So, I know you've always gone for the whole goth, sickly Victorian child aesthetic, and it made me think. Have I ever seen you wear black lipstick to go with it?”

“No, my lipstick is—”

“Exactly! It's not black! And like, while I love the more natural tint you typically use, it made me wonder how you'd look with black lipstick on, you know?”

To be completely honest, Wednesday had thought about it as well before. However, she had been introduced to her current lipstick color by her mother at a rather young age, and when Wednesday got used to doing, or in this case, wearing something regularly, it was almost impossible for her to try anything new. A creature of habit, she was, but of course, Enid had been changing that already.

So, Wednesday let out a simple hum, raising a brow as she watched Enid's excited expression.

“I have thought about that once or twice,” she admitted. “But yes, I've never tried it myself.”

Enid held out her hand then, closed in a fist as if the seer's words had just encouraged her even further. With a bit of a flourish provided by Thing, who tapped a drum rhythm on top of the bed, and an over-the-top ‘ta-da!’ by the blonde, Enid opened her hand and presented her a lipstick, right there, sitting on her palm. Wednesday was able to quickly discern that it was, in fact, a black one, which explained the werewolf’s previous excitement.

“Guess what? We can actually try it now!” Enid was quick to clear her throat while Wednesday simply eyed her with curiosity. “I-If you want to, of course! We don't have to do this, I just thought it'd be fun to try it before class starts that's all. You can definitely say no.”

Wednesday should've known that the urge to say ‘yes’ that came to mind in an instant, even before she even thought of her current experiment, was a strange thing. Alas, unable to truly understand what it meant, she simply put that aside inside her head to revise later and decided that the only reason, or at least, the only important reason for her following answer, was the fact that she had promised herself to say ‘yes’ to all of Enid's propositions. Yes, nothing else.

“I am inclined to try, actually.” There, she said it. Nonetheless, there was still a question that refused to leave her mind. “However, if I may ask, how come you own a lipstick of such a color?”

Not once had Wednesday seen Enid wear anything but rose-tinted lip gloss, or other colorful lip tints for when she was feeling bolder. If Enid’s lips had been covered with black, the purest color of them all in the seer’s eyes, she would’ve surely noticed. 

Enid’s eyes widened, the girl as usual unable to hide her facial expressions, and she laughed, strangely so. She used her free hand to sheepishly rub the back of her neck, but then shrugged, biting her lower lip as she took off the lid of the lipstick in her hands. When Wednesday tried to search for Enid’s gaze herself, the other girl seemed to… avoid her.

“I don’t really… Remember when I got it? I think it was for a Halloween party a while back, before you came to Nevermore,” Enid’s next smile was blinding, as if she hadn’t just avoided looking at Wednesday completely. “But, as you can see, I don’t use it much. Plus, I’m sure it will look way better on you!”

On the side, Thing put an extra emphasis on Enid’s words, showing a thumbs up in agreement, all while Wednesday sighed, giving up on what seemed to be her fate. Yes, perhaps the spiders had come back for a moment when Enid said that a measly thing such as black lipstick could ‘look better’ on her, but she ignored it.

Or rather, she was forced to ignore it, for something else made every other thought, every ounce of annoyance and tiredness disappear in the blink of an eye.

“Now, just stay still for a sec. Got it, Wends?”

With her thumb and index finger, Enid gently took hold of Wednesday’s chin, the unexpected contact enough to elicit a shiver that ran through the seer’s body. Her cheeks heated up instantly, coloring her usually pale cheeks against her will. But, how could that not happen when Enid was so close, face mere inches away, holding her face with care that Wednesday wasn’t sure she deserved?

“Is this okay? You can still say no if it makes you uncomfy.”

Her smile after those words wasn’t only bright, it was also sincere. Wednesday knew that if she told Enid to stop, she would gladly do so without taking it to heart. However, it was as if she had frozen in place, as if the words had been stolen from her tongue and her voice sucked out of her throat. And, no, Wednesday didn’t think of her experiment this time, it didn’t even come to mind until after she had slowly nodded almost unconsciously, the blush that was already present on her cheeks only deepening.

The feeling of the lipstick was cold against her lips, but such a sensation was left in the back of her mind, the furious beating of her heart all she was able to listen to along with Enid’s soft humming, the melody of what she supposed was one of the werewolf’s ear bursting pop songs easily recognizable.

Enid was precise, and focused, so much so that the tip of her tongue snuck past her lips and her brow furrowed, Wednesday only feeling even more embarrassed to figure out she had recognized such an expression with a single glance. Only a few seconds had passed, seconds that felt too long but also too fast, tortuous but also blissful, the warmth in her chest now spreading all over her body like an illness she couldn’t fight against. Wednesday felt like she was dying, and yet, she also felt more alive than ever before.

But then, Enid finished with her lower lip and started with her upper lip.

The werewolf leaned in closer, and the hand that previously held Wednesday’s chin in place moved down to find support on the seer’s thigh. Her touch was casual, but also firm, and utterly impossible to ignore.

When Wednesday lifted her gaze, finding once more those infinite pools of ocean blue, she was met with a honey-laced smile that almost made her heart stop beating altogether.

Perhaps, things would be easier if that happened.

There Enid was, nonchalantly covering Wednesday’s lips in black lipstick with surgical precision, as if her free hand alone hadn't made Wednesday impossibly unaware of her surroundings, and most importantly, rendered her unable to even think .

Or rather, to think about anything that wasn't Enid.

In her mind, she could see the brightest of colors. She could see fanged grins and hear sweet words that Enid sometimes directed at her, and only her. Wednesday thought of multi-colored deadly claws and golden fur that seemed to glow under the moonlight. The image of clear skies and the warmest of sun rays were now forever burned into her retinas, but that wasn't the worst part of it all, no.

The worst part was that Wednesday found herself craving such a burn again as soon as it was gone.

“Alrighty! All done!”

As if nothing had happened, as if Wednesday hadn't been left frozen where she sat by gentle touches she once swore she'd never be able to tolerate, Enid moved away a little. The hand that rested on top of the seer's thigh pulled away too, leaving instead a warmth that seemed to linger for way too long. Wednesday blinked, slowly, and then pressed her lips together to properly distribute the lipstick. She tried not to feel any more unraveled under Enid's excited gaze and impossibly wide smile, the feeling of her heart beating loudly inside her ribcage almost unbearable.

“Oh. Em. Gee! You look perfect!”

Enid’s enthusiasm was, as always, unmatched. The werewolf hurried to get up from the bed and then ran towards her desk, the sound of the girl rummaging through her drawer without much care being all Wednesday was able to hear for a while, at least until she found what she was apparently looking for, a small handheld mirror suddenly being shoved in Wednesday’s face in less than a millisecond.

“Look! What do you think? Think it could be a new look for you?”

With a half-hearted groan, Wednesday was forced to blink one last time, her eyes taking longer than usual to focus on the image in front of her, the image of herself greeting her without much fanfare. She looked… The same, almost, the black lipstick almost blending in with the rest of her attire and her otherwise dark makeup. It didn’t look terrible , though, it was still early for Wednesday to know if she would be able to get used to such a change. It might be small, but every single thing in Wednesday’s life, including her clothing and her makeup, was carefully planned, made to be consistent, and in consequence, comfortable.

“It looks… Acceptable.”

Another bright smile from Enid only meant another chance for her heart to skip a beat, the seer still unmoving since this torturous activity had begun. Enid skipped her way back to her desk to leave the mirror on top of it and then clasped her hands together as soon as she was in front of Wednesday again.

“I’m glad you like it! It looks really good on you. You look so pretty!”

With an annoyed huff and reddened cheeks, Wednesday quickly got up, still as stiff as a board, and avoided Enid’s gaze. The werewolf, however, seemed utterly amused by the situation, if the chuckle that escaped her lips was anything to go by. 

“Your lipstick-applying prowess has proved to be undeniable.” Was Wednesday saying absolute nonsense? Perhaps, but she just couldn’t stop herself, especially not when Enid had taken one of her hands once more.

“Well, that’s good to know! Here,” The lipstick Enid had just finished applying on her was suddenly left on Wednesday’s palm. “You should keep it, just in case you feel like using it again.”

With a furrowed brow and a low hum, Wednesday examined the small offering that now rested on her palm, her gaze finally finding Enid’s own after a second, the seer unconsciously mirroring a tilt of the head she was used to seeing a certain multicolored werewolf do.

“Why would you give something of yours to me?” Wednesday was genuinely puzzled by an action such as this one, even more so considering the last time she was given a gift by Enid, the fate of said gift was not the best. 

Enid, who had started to absentmindedly play with Wednesday’s held hand, simply shrugged, as if what she had done wasn’t a big deal, as if the seer wasn’t still struggling to fully internalize the fact that someone as selfless as Enid Sinclair could desire to be a part of her life. Wednesday was not one to believe in miracles, or fate, not even in foolish things such as luck or chance, but she couldn’t help but sometimes believe that the stars must have aligned the day they first met. How else could all… this have happened? 

“Well, I’m sure you’ll make better use of it,” when Wednesday closed her fist around the object, the werewolf smiled once more. “So, don’t sweat it, roomie!”

As soon as those words were uttered by Enid, Wednesday pursed her lips as her hand had been let go of. Her roommate skipped once again to get her backpack, and, despite not asking her to, Wednesday’s backpack in the process. The seer was quick to store the black lipstick in the pocket of her school blazer, which in turn let her take her backpack from Enid when she offered it. Unable to say it with words, Wednesday gave her a nod in thanks.

“Come on, we should get going. Last time I was late to this class the prof threatened to dock two points from my next exam. Can you believe that? Ugh, he’s such a bitch!”

Like a moth to a flame, Wednesday couldn’t do anything but follow Enid’s footsteps, and she watched as Thing made himself comfortable on top of her friend’s shoulder, looking horrifyingly giddy, to Wednesday’s absolute dismay.

Thing seemed rather giggly as well, for reasons she didn't truly get. However, she did know that he was making fun of her, which was enough for Wednesday to glare at him intensely. Of course, that didn't seem to deter the hand from what he was planning on doing, quickly signing a few words rather clumsily, probably due to his more than evident excitement.

Said words got Wednesday to open her eyes fairly wide, her gaze now landing on the back of the werewolf, who turned around and gave the seer a fanged grin before continuing to walk to class.

Wednesday was now awfully conscious of the black lipstick inside her blazer pocket, that traitorous racing of her heart returning in full force as those words echoed inside her head, again and again.

“Enid didn't have that black lipstick until like a week ago. I saw her bring it back after a shopping trip with Yoko .”

It was hard to know why Enid would lie, especially about something as harmless as this, but it was even harder to understand the reason why this little discovery had gotten Wednesday so… so…

Flustered?

Indeed, this experimentation period brought her more questions than answers.

Chapter Text

Letting Enid linger around her during her writing hour had been one of her newest ideas, Wednesday considering that such a thing would be a wonderful way to experiment. One of the first things she noticed, and rather quickly, was the fact that saying 'yes' instead of 'no' when Enid suddenly had the bravery to ask her if she could sit next to her was way easier than she had expected it to be.

Of course, she was also quick to notice the way her heartbeat picked up speed the moment she saw Enid's reaction, her eyes bright and her smile wide, the girl scrambling to carry her chair. She settled right next to Wednesday, as she had wanted to, leaving merely an inch of space between them. The girl’s warmth seemed to seep through her skin, Wednesday having to suppress a pleased hum.

It was… Strange. Wednesday was not accustomed to having one of the most sacred parts of her daily routine interrupted like this; the usual distaste was present, but in a subdued manner that made everything easier to swallow. If it had been any other time, or anyone else, Wednesday might've snapped, a knife probably ending up stuck in a wall.

But, as expected, Enid made everything more bearable. Enid. It was always Enid.

As Wednesday had expected, her roommate just didn't keep still, at all. She bobbed her leg and scrolled mindlessly on her phone, even humming under her breath from time to time.

Not once did she talk to Wednesday.

She would watch, at times, as Wednesday wrote completely unrelated and honestly useless poems, the girl still unable to carry on writing her novel, which continued to frustrate her to no end. She expected her frustration and Enid's normally distracting presence to doom any chances of her concentrating, but no.

Wednesday didn't have trouble focusing, at all, even if her writer's block was still horribly present.

Having Enid by her side like this was actually… Pleasant, which was something she told herself she needed to write down in her investigation notebook. 

Wednesday had just finished writing one more poem, which had turned out, terrifyingly so, slightly… Bright.

It made her scowl.

Enid, however, let out a quiet gasp and leaned a bit closer to the page, examining the words carefully, eyes wide in awe.

"Oh my god… Wednesday! This is so pretty!"

Even if her smile was blindingly bright, Wednesday just frowned.

"I would rather you not insult me in such a way."

Even though Wednesday didn't see what she had said as funny, Enid chuckled at her response and suddenly leaned closer, the girl avoiding touching her just in case. She pointed then, at the paper in front of them. Wednesday ignored how, somehow, the glint in Enid’s eyes was almost endearing.

"These two verses, about the moon, I really like them."

It was hard even for her to remember when she had written them, her mind having delved deep into her work at that exact moment. Wednesday felt the tips of her ears burn as she acknowledged the words on the paper.

She had unconsciously written about her current afflictions.

'For the moon sets my very path, and I'm a puppet to its whims.

As it tempers my deepest wrath, and my heart pulls with mere strings.'

"Oh! And there's also this one line—"

Enid, perhaps too excited to hold back as she had done so just moments before, made the mistake of laying a hand on Wednesday's shoulder.

Feeling a familiar jolt of electricity at the contact, and the pull of the supernatural forcing her head and her full body backward, Wednesday was aggressively plunged into a vision, the last thing she was able to hear being Enid's terrified shriek.

—

Awfully cryptic, her visions often were, and yet, the heavy feeling in her chest and the severe blur in her vision made everything increasingly harder to interpret than usual.

Wednesday felt her feet stuck in what she supposed was snow, as she was unable to move, the cold of it all being just another thing to support her current hypothesis.

Figures seemed to move around her, accompanied by muffled and unintelligible noises filling her ears and making her groan in annoyance. She was unable to make out what she was hearing, at least the words, the sounds of what seemed to be a snowstorm filling all her senses.

She was cold, stuck to the ground, and close to blind.

"I don't understand."

A voice. A voice so muffled she wasn't able to recognize it, but whose words were clear enough for Wednesday to understand reached her ears and made her look in front of her.

There, she saw a figure, one she was not able to distinguish, mostly a blurry black blob that seemed to resemble a person.

Wednesday hated being unable to understand, especially when her chest felt heavy all of a sudden and a knot formed inside her throat. Her hands trembling was not a usual thing, but what was even weirder than that, was the fact that she felt tears start to pool in her eyes without her being able to keep them at bay. At least, she seemed to have enough control not to let them fall.

"Because I worry about you, damn it!"

A painful pang in her chest left her breathless, the words of the unrecognizable person in front of her hurting in a way she couldn't understand. If her feet weren't stuck to the ground, Wednesday felt she would've fallen to her knees and begged.

Their next words were also unintelligible, and yet, Wednesday felt her heart start racing in anxiousness. It was strange. It was as if she was nothing but a mere spectator inside her own body, feeling everything but not understanding why. She felt herself open her mouth to speak, the words coming out of it just as impossible to decipher to her ears.

"I'm fucking sorry I even dared to think you cared about me."

Wednesday felt like she was drowning, her whole body starting to sink into the snow as she desperately tried to move forward, trying to get closer to whoever was talking to her at that moment. Wednesday felt her own fear and such a primal and raw sense of desperation that made her breath hitch. She didn’t understand what was going on, nor why she was witnessing what seemed to be an argument between herself and an unknown , but somehow , her skin itched and her head pounded, the strong, almost animalistic urge to try and move forward no matter the cost almost making her dizzy. She felt it deep inside her bones, the need to explain herself, to grab onto the person who seemed to get further away as the seconds passed, a trick of her mind, most definitely. However, as much as she tried to claw or crawl her way forward, it was as if her limbs were made of concrete. Heavy, numb, unmoving.

She couldn't get any closer.

"Why do you want me to hate you so badly?"

Wednesday tried to claw her way through the snow one last time, but the more she struggled, the more she sank, the snow already reaching her jaw by the moment she tried to call for the person, the words stuck in her throat.

The moment they started fading away from view, Wednesday could do nothing but accept her fate as the snow swallowed her whole, unable to do anything but take a deep breath as she was pulled into the darkness.

—

Wednesday opened her eyes with a gasp, sitting up as quickly as she could and regretting it right after when she felt the world spin, a pained groan escaping her lips. Her head felt like it was being hammered, and the way the dizziness blended with what she recognized as nausea made her close her eyes once more. Slowly, the blurry yet colorful image of her werewolf roommate made itself clear in front of her.

"Oh god… Wednesday! Are you okay? P-please, talk to me."

Wednesday's response was to let out a hiss, the throbbing in her head deliciously unbearable. She could feel Enid's hands on her shoulders, the dark-haired girl pushing them away as she tried to stand up, just to immediately lose her footing and have to be caught in the arms of her increasingly worried roommate. Wednesday was unable to do much more than hold on, tightly.

"Jesus, Wednesday! Don't try to get up, you just… You scared the shit out of me!"

The werewolf used her strength to force Wednesday to sit down on the floor, even if that earned her a glare from the seer.

"It was just a vision."

"I know it was, but goodness, you fell backward with your chair and hit your head really bad. You need to take it easy."

Another glare didn't seem to deter Enid, who decided to just stay down on the floor with Wednesday, her hold on her now softer, and yet, probably stronger than what it seemed. Underestimating Enid's werewolf strength was not a good idea, even Wednesday knew that.

"I think I should take you to the nurse. I really, really tried to catch you but I reacted too late. I saw on TikTok the other day that even light blows to the head can be dangerous if—"

Wednesday decided to put a stop to Enid's anxious rambling, the sound of her high-pitched voice almost making her headache worse.

"Calm down, Enid. According to my experience, the worst thing this could be is a concussion, which would be a more than welcome surprise. My brother Pugsley and I have been trying to match my Uncle Fester's concussion record since we were children."

The way Enid's eyes widened and she struggled to find her words let Wednesday know that her strategy had worked, even if she also ended up wincing because of a sudden painful pang in her head.

"I am going to assume that was a joke and ask no further questions," Enid gulped. "Now, I'm going to listen to your stubborn butt today, but if you get worse tomorrow, I will carry you to the infirmary myself."

With a scoff, Wednesday tried to disregard her concerns.

"Are you threatening me, Sinclair?"

A low growl emanated from Enid's throat then, the baring of the girl's fangs following along, Wednesday unable to do much but stare at her eyes that glowed a dangerous icy blue for just a second.

"I'm warning you."

Magnificent. A true miracle of nature, that was Enid.

Interesting… it seemed she was still spiraling her way down the path of ultimate insanity.

However, as quickly as that animalistic display came, it went, Enid taking a deep breath and not waiting for Wednesday's approval before pulling her up from the floor. Secretly, Wednesday was thankful that her roommate had chosen to keep a firm grip on her arm, as the ground swayed under her feet, the werewolf's firm hold the only thing that let her stay upright at that moment.

"A bit dizzy, huh?"

Closing her eyes to try and lessen the pounding on her head, she nodded.

Enid clicked her tongue.

"Let's just… take it easy for a while, okay? We can just lie down for the rest of the day."

Wednesday groaned again, annoyed at her writing hour getting interrupted yet again. She could handle the breaking of her routine to happen once, but this many times? It was starting to become increasingly annoying.

"My writing hour isn't over yet."

Daring, as she always was, Enid just rolled her eyes.

"I doubt you'd be able to write anything with how dizzy you are, plus, I'm totes sure you have a headache as well, so don't argue with me."

She was probably right, about the fact that she wouldn't be able to write in the first place, and also right about the fact that she had a dreadful headache, possibly a consequence of the fall. She thought she'd missed the feeling of a sudden concussion, but now, she wasn't so sure.

A sigh became Wednesday's response, a reluctant sign of resignation that Enid seemed to take in stride if her bright smile was anything to go by. 

"Just take the win, my brain feels like it's being prodded by spoons."

The werewolf winced, and Wednesday almost smirked.

"Okay, I did not need a mental image of that, ew, ew, ew…"

With an aggressive shake of her head, Enid led them both back to her bed, the number of times Wednesday had lied down on that colorful abomination the past few weeks was too many to count now, which was unbecoming of her, almost unbelievable.

To know that she was getting used to the feeling of Enid's hands intertwining with her own, however, was probably even worse.

And yet, Wednesday let herself simply be led, letting Enid have a bit of the control that the seer usually preferred to have. It was a good experiment, at least, to know how she would react if she just… followed.

It was evident that Enid seemed a bit taken aback by her compliance, and yet, she didn't mention it. She just gently helped Wednesday sit on the mattress, making sure the seer's back had a plush pillow right behind her back so she wouldn't just rest it on top of the hard, metallic bedrest. Wednesday let her do as she pleased, her breath hitching when Enid's free hand softly adjusted her bangs so they wouldn't be sticking to her forehead, her warm smile making her ears burn.

Enid's care and concern just seemed to spill from every part of her body, warmth such an integral part of her very being, despite her beastly heritage. It was a bit ironic, the way a girl who could rip her throat off with a swift movement of sharp claws, decided to use her fingers instead to keep their hands intertwined, her eyes analyzing every single one of her features, searching for anything that may seem off, a glint of concern in them.

Wednesday gulped. Enid sighed in relief.

“I think you’re mostly fine, thankfully.” Enid looked way less nervous now. “You seriously scared me for a bit, you were out for like a good ten minutes.”

The seer raised a brow, curious.

"Hmm… my current record is thirty, but that's not too bad, most tend to be way shorter than this one."

The way Enid's eyes went wide as soon as she processed her words was slightly amusing, the girl stumbling over her own words as she tried to ask a question, Wednesday letting her struggle against herself.

"W-what do you— Thirty minutes?! When did that happen?!"

"It was back home, Enid, that's why you don't know. Quite an unpleasant vision back from the era of the Crusades. Very educational, however."

Enid just stared at her in disbelief, meanwhile, Wednesday decided to get a bit more comfortable on the bed, eyes closing after a bit, headache still present, but slightly dulled.

"Isn't that, like, dangerous?!"

If she had been anyone else, Wednesday would've chuckled. Of course, she did not.

"My visions are not inherently dangerous. At most, they're slightly draining. The only real danger depends on external circumstances, like what exactly I am doing at that specific moment, where I am, and the terrain, as falling backward or forward is rather common."

Enid grimaced, nodding her head.

“Yeah, I think I figured that last part out already.” the werewolf let out a sigh. “What was your vision even about? They’re supposed to be about bad things, right? Wait… If you had a vision when I touched you, does that mean something bad is going to happen to me?!”

At her sudden loud and terrified words, Wednesday opened her eyes again, glaring. Enid understood quite quickly, lowering her voice and clearing her throat.

“My visions are not always about the future, they can also be about the past.”

“W-was it about something from my past, then?”

“Unfortunately, no.”

“Then why did you even tell me that?!”

With a groan, Wednesday put her free hand on top of Enid’s mouth to shut her up, missing the way the werewolf’s cheek turned bright red, her eyes now wide open.

“You talk too much, dog. It’s making my headache worse.”

Putting her hands up in surrender, Enid waited until Wednesday finally took her hand off her mouth, letting out a shaky breath, and blinking. Wednesday thought she had finally managed to make her shut up for good, the blonde looking slightly dazed for a strange reason the seer was not privy to.

Of course, it didn’t last long. Wednesday was 99.9% sure that if Enid remained quiet for more than two minutes at a time, she would probably just combust or something.

“So… are you gonna tell me what your vision was about?”

Wednesday let out an exasperated sigh.

However, like with every other thing that Enid asked her to do, she relented.

And so, she spent the next couple of minutes giving Enid a detailed description of everything she had seen in the vision, except for the strange surge of feelings she had also experienced while doing so. She told her about the snowstorm and the argument she seemed to be having with an unknown person, summarizing the phrases she had been able to hear, as well as how difficult it was to figure out what exactly was going on.

Enid listened with a furrowed brow, concentrated, two fingers rubbing her chin as she tried to make sense of what Wednesday was telling her, even if it was probably way harder to try to do that without having experienced it like the seer had done.

“Okay, I’m gonna be very honest, Wends,” Enid started. “I have no freaking idea about what that has to do with me, but oh my god, are you going to be swallowed by snow?!”

With a roll of her eyes, Wednesday shook her head. She had already figured her roommate’s thoughts would probably not help her at all.

“No, Enid. It’s most probably a dramatization of the events or a metaphor. My visions like to do that sometimes.”

“You said most probably, which means you could still get swallowed by snow.”

Okay, perhaps she could reconsider trying to smother her, as she had promised days after they first met.

“If I tell you that I’m totally sure I won’t get swallowed by snow, will you stop talking about it?”

Enid frantically nodded, a childish pout on her face, probably needing the extra reassurance for some strange reason. It made Wednesday sigh. This insufferable wolf.

“Then yes, I’m sure that won’t happen.” She actually wasn’t. “Now please lower your voice. If my brain spills out of my ears, you will only have yourself to blame.”

The werewolf let out a whine, and Wednesday, who already knew what her comment would provoke, almost smirked when she noticed a second grimace on Enid’s face, the girl muttering countless “ew” under her breath to try and get rid of the gory images inside her mind. It was amusing, she wasn't going to lie.

What wasn’t as amusing, however, was the headache that only threatened to get worse every time she opened her eyes again. She decided to leave them closed, an annoyed huff leaving through her nose.

“Does it hurt a lot?” 

It was slightly endearing, perhaps, the way Enid had taken Wednesday’s petition to heart, her usually loud voice turning into a whisper, one laced with obvious concern. Making Enid worry for her was not something she had wanted to do, but of course, the universe loved giving her visions at the worst possible times. It was getting extremely annoying.

Still, even a pained Wednesday knew that lying to Enid when it was obvious she wasn’t fine was a terrible idea.

“It is quite a painful migraine, but nothing I cannot handle.” 

It was true, despite everything. Pugsley and his predilection for explosives and blunt weapons meant that Wednesday had gotten used to dealing with headaches, especially because her pride wouldn’t let her just fall unconscious, at least not before showing her younger brother that he still had a long way to go when it came to improvised warfare. Stealth, for example, was definitely not his strong suit.

“Do you have any painkillers? Perhaps that could help.”

Wednesday hoped her scowl was as deep as she felt it was.

“Painkillers are for the weak. As such, I don’t own any.”

A snort and a chuckle that came from Enid was all Wednesday could hear, raising a brow as she could not find anything humorous out of her sincere opinion. How could one develop a decent tolerance to pain if they used chemicals to get rid of said pain? It was idiotic.

“Alright then, tough guy, but maybe I could help with something to make it better?” Enid remained insistent. “I know you love torture and all that, but hey, it’s like six in the afternoon on a Saturday, do you seriously want to have a headache for the rest of the evening?”

It was solid reasoning, Wednesday knew it, and quite a logical conclusion. Yes, maybe it went against everything she claimed to enjoy, but the truth was, she was not enjoying this particular headache, the feeling of her brain being hammered constantly getting worse by the second, the tight pulling of her braids on her scalp probably making things even worse. She put a hand on the top of her head as soon as she thought about it, frustrated.

She heard Enid click her tongue.

“I’m going to take that as a no," she concluded. “Your braids are annoying you, aren’t they?”

The feeling of a hand that wasn’t hers on her hair made Wednesday flinch. Enid chuckled nervously before mumbling a hundred apologies in a slightly high-pitched and yet still whispery voice.

“Sorry! I'm so sorry… Was that too much? I just thought that I—”

Wednesday took a deep breath, her shoulders dropping as she slowly untensed, letting out a hum that she hoped would stop Enid’s countless apologies and impending rambling. She was lucky she couldn’t see her, or perhaps her traitorous body would make her blush once again. Never did she think having her eyes closed would give her more confidence. 

“It is fine, Enid.”

She was able to hear Enid gulp thanks to the silence that engulfed their room.

“So, uhm.” If her eyes were open, Wednesday’s sure she would’ve seen Enid fidgeting with her hands. “Would it be okay if I undid your braids? You can say no if that’s too much, it wouldn’t bother me at all and—”

“You can.”

If Wednesday interpreted Enid’s small gasp and the consequent squeal correctly, the girl seemed to be rather excited about the notion of being able to touch the seer’s braids and her hair. If she was being honest, her response had been almost automatic, the seer blurting out the first thing that came to mind. Alas, it seemed it was too late to take it back now, as always unable to go against Enid’s wishes.

It was only then that Wednesday finally opened her eyes, Enid’s bright smile the first thing that greeted her as soon as she turned her head around to face her.

It was pathetic, the way her heart went into overdrive with just a single smile.

“Get as comfy as you want, alright?”

And so, Wednesday did.

That was the reason why she ended up having her eyes closed again, sitting on the bed between Enid's legs, her back just a few centimeters away from the blonde's chest. A shiver ran down her spine as soon as Enid's hands touched her hair again, Wednesday took a sharp inhale.

“Are you sure about this, Wends?”

How was she supposed to explain that while her logical mind told her that this was stupid, her heart and body seemed to yearn for even the simplest of touches from Enid? She couldn't just say it, as putting her conflicting thoughts into words was a monumental task for the girl who struggled when it came to expressing any feeling other than anger and disdain.

She made a choice, for the sake of her investigation and experiments. She chose to ignore her rational mind and went with her instincts.

“I am sure.”

Even with her back facing Enid, Wednesday could just feel her smile despite it all, the girl's giddiness was probably hard to contain for someone like her.

Still, her excitement didn't seem to deter her from her task, hands gently tangling into dark hair as they slowly but surely undid the extremely tight braids that Wednesday wore every day. 

The seer let out a sigh of relief when Enid finished with the first braid, the werewolf humming in contentment at her own work. She used her hands to slowly comb that part of Wednesday's hair, enjoying the feeling of silky smooth black strands that showed slight curls thanks to the braids.

“Your hair is very pretty,” Enid whispered, the feeling of hot breath against her skin making her shudder.

“Thank you.”

Just like she had done with the first one, Enid got to work on undoing the second braid, her melodic humming strangely comforting as the girl carefully moved strands of hair with a softness that seemed almost unbecoming of a wolf. Such strength, the girl possessed, and yet, her fingers treated her hair as if it were a delicate jewel, combing and untangling with utmost care. Not once did Wednesday feel her hair being pulled, nor did she feel Enid's fingers get stuck in a knot. All she felt was warm fingers softly caressing her hair and scalp in such a way that made her almost doze off, her closed eyes not helping her to stay awake.

Not once did Wednesday worry about the fact that Enid was seeing her with hair down for the first time, an honor not even reserved for her family. It was as if her mind just knew that Enid seeing her in this manner, in pain and tired, was… okay.

Enid would never hurt her. Enid would never judge her. Enid would never pity her.

If she had trusted Enid with her life once, what was a little bit of vulnerability in comparison?

Wednesday breathed deeply, Enid's pleasant warmth making her whole body feel like putty, especially when her hands moved from her freed scalp to her tense shoulders, fingers moving in circular motions across her shoulder blades in a soothing manner.

“Is this… Is this okay as well?”

As always, so considerate…

She hoped her pleased hum would be enough of an answer.

Wednesday heard Enid sigh.

“That vision, it worried you, didn't it?”

A slight scowl formed on her face once again, the seer not wanting to think about such a frustrating vision once more.

“It's okay, you can tell me… I'm still wondering what it all has to do with me, you know?”

“I could not deduce your involvement. It could be something as simple as your presence nearby, or that your words led me to that place. The universe is cheeky, and their messages, sometimes frustratingly encrypted.”

“But that's not what you really think, do you?”

The way that Enid could sometimes read her like a book was something she still didn't know if she liked, especially because of how right she was.

One thing that bothered her, as she remembered the strange vision, was the feeling of desperation and fear that brought tears to her eyes, a sensation so strong that Wednesday thought she would drown in it, the cold of the snow nothing in comparison to the weight in her chest that rendered her unable to move. It worried her to think that, perhaps, Enid would be involved in something dangerous, the seer having long accepted that seeing Enid of all people hurt was not as enjoyable as she had first thought.

“I don't know what to think of it,” Wednesday admitted. “All I can do is hope that it isn't a tragedy and that your involvement remains minimal.”

Luckily for the stressed-out Wednesday, Enid's continuous massages were enough to take away some of the tension that remembering the vision had brought her.

“Is there a way to, like, avoid it from happening?”

Wednesday was quick to shake her head.

“The future is something we can't change, Enid.” Her tone of voice was grave. “All we can do is accept it, for better or for worse.”

Enid clicked her tongue, probably not happy with the answer she had gotten.

“Then, let's do something else, instead,” she proposed. “Promise me that whatever happens, we'll get through it together, okay?”

The idea of Enid putting herself in danger was not something that she found alluring. Her brow furrowed in concern as she considered Enid's proposition, genuinely thinking that, logically, if she faced most of this alone, perhaps Enid wouldn't end up hurt again.

A flashing image of Enid covered in blood and grime, nasty claw marks on her face, and terrified eyes came to mind, making her wince.

“I don't know why you'd want to do something like that. I can handle myself.” It had a bit of bite, the fear making her words harsher than she intended.

Thankfully, that didn't seem to deter Enid, who stopped massaging her shoulders to give them a slight squeeze.

“Well, you get yourself in trouble quite a bit, wouldn’t you say?” Enid's chuckle almost made her huff in annoyance. “If you’re gonna do something that could be dangerous, I’d rather be there with you, so that you don’t have to fight alone.”

“I'd prefer if you didn't have to fight anymore. At least not for me.” 

“I’d fight the devil himself if that meant keeping you safe.” 

Enid's voice, which over the course of their conversation had kept a playful or warm tone, turned serious as soon as she let out such a declaration Wednesday's mind hung onto every word, the seer having to take a deep breath to try and calm herself. The way her heart hammered inside her chest was probably heard by the werewolf because of how loud it was, a blush creeping up her neck and to the tips of her ears.

Wednesday gulped.

“I promise.” Her voice was strangely breathy, Enid, like always, able to take her ability to properly breathe with just a few words.

“Huh?”

“I promise. That if there's something dangerous, we'll face it together.”

Wednesday briefly turned her head around to face Enid, the girl's beaming smile greeting her as soon as she did so. It took quite a lot of her to keep a blank expression, a curt nod being everything she did before turning around, eyes closing once more, Enid's hands now running through her hair again.

“M’sorry, your hair is just so soft…” 

Enid's soft caresses, which continued in a slow and almost rhythmic pattern, were more than enough for Wednesday to start finally feeling the exhaustion that a vision like the one she had usually brought. Her headache had died down a little, mostly just a small pounding in the back of her head that she was able to ignore thanks to Enid's radiating warmth and gentle fingers, suddenly thankful she had closed her eyes, as her eyelids felt heavier than usual.

One of Enid's arms wrapped around her waist. Wednesday tensed up for a second, and Enid let out a few shushing sounds, the seer a bit too dazed to say much, her consciousness slipping through her fingers.

“Shh, it's okay. I know you're tired, you can rest, you know?” It was but a whisper against her ear, all while Enid carefully pulled Wednesday closer so her back would rest against her chest. 

“Mmm… but, my writing… hour.” Her words were nothing but mumbles. “I have…”

“I'll wake you up, I promise.” Enid pushed away Wednesday's bangs a little bit, as they had stuck to her forehead again. “You can take a little nap, it will help with your headache, I'm sure.”

“Hmm, yes…”

In her sleepy daze, Wednesday let her head fall against Enid's shoulders, exhaling deeply through her nose, her scowl slowly disappearing just to be replaced by a more serene expression. She felt her breathing slow down, the feeling of one of Enid's arms holding her and another one running through her hair lulling her to sleep with every second that passed. Her body felt warm all over, but this time, she didn't even notice, too comfortable to see it as out of place.

And perhaps, it wasn't that bad. There, in Enid's arms, her headache and worries were forgotten as sleep started to take hold of Wednesday, the last thing she heard being Enid's sweet voice and kind words.

“Terrible dreams, Wends.”

Ah. She truly was screwed.

Chapter Text

Abhorrently quiet, it was, the moment Wednesday set foot inside her dorm, gently closing the door behind her and taking in the current scene. It was rather dark, the dim lighting of Enid's favorite table lamp the only source of light at the moment, making the atmosphere more suitable to Wednesday's tastes, which was... Unusual, to say the least.

Horribly strange, perhaps even weirder than the lighting issue, was the fact that Enid sat quietly on top of her bed, legs crossed as she stared at what the dark-haired girl deduced was a random spot on the wall, the werewolf lost inside her very own head. It made Wednesday frown, especially because she was used to Enid jumping to her feet with a squeal to excitedly greet her as soon as the door was open. Routines being broken was not something Wednesday enjoyed, especially those that revolved around the source of all her current afflictions.

Perhaps she'd have to write that down as well, and detail the fact that something as minimal as Enid not greeting her as she usually did had been enough to create a knot inside her throat.

"Enid?"

Wednesday ignored the way her voice almost quivered, eyes fixated on the werewolf as she slowly walked closer, unaware of how exactly she should act in such a situation. It was true that finding Enid daydreaming wasn't a strange occurrence, Wednesday having been a witness to such situations more than once. However, it usually came with loud pop music and Enid pacing inside the room from one side to the other while mumbling nonsense under her breath.

This was... Not good. Wednesday thought that it couldn't be good. Enid being quiet and unmoving just couldn't be good, not when she was anything but.

The girl ignored her.

Wednesday cleared her throat and took a step closer, now standing right next to the side of the girl's bed, trying not to scowl at the aggressively pink sheets.

"Enid? Is something the matter?"

When she failed to get a response for the second time in a row, Wednesday decided to stop talking and get into action. Such is the reason why she ended up choosing to lay a hand on top of the girl’s shoulder, even if hesitantly at first, having to take a quick step backward when Enid quite literally jumped, claws suddenly out and blue eyes brighter than usual boring into her in an almost predatory way.

Wednesday gulped.

“Enid…?”

The blonde girl’s eyes, which had seemed rather lost when Wednesday was first able to look at them, seemed to focus once more, slowly. Enid took a few deep breaths and even shook her head a little, her gaze softening, but still fixated on Wednesday, who remained strangely close despite her initial reaction to Enid’s sudden response.

“Oh- uhm…” Enid blinked a few times, and yet, her gaze never wavered. “Hi, Wends. I didn’t notice that you were here.”

Enid was somehow able to put on a smile, or rather, half a smile, the way it almost faltered not going unnoticed by Wednesday who tried not to squirm under Enid’s strangely intense gaze. The Addams tilted her head slightly to the side, curious, only noticing after she had already done it that she had unconsciously mirrored one of Enid’s more dog-like gestures. She decided not to think too deeply about that, at least not now.

“That last part I had figured out already,” she deadpanned, trying, and quite hard, not to show the concern that threatened to lace her voice. “Is something wrong, Enid? You look… not horrendously bright.”

A small chuckle escaped Enid’s lips, probably amused at the strange way Wednesday worded her concern.

“Well, kind of? I think I don’t know what I’m feeling right now.”

Wednesday raised a brow and let out a small hum, taking the very important decision to sit on the edge of Enid’s disgustingly pink bed out of her own volition, all while she watched how Enid hugged her knees close to her chest, blue eyes the only part of her face peeking from behind them.

“I must confess, I’m not really sure what you mean.” 

Letting out a sigh, Enid averted her gaze.

“It’s just… Been a weird day.” Wednesday thought the werewolf wouldn’t elaborate further, but she ended up doing just that. “I kind of did something impulsively, and I thought I’d feel one way about it, but then I didn’t.”

All of this vague drivel about things she didn’t know was getting Wednesday frustrated to no end. Her concern turned into impatience, a strange feeling settling inside her chest that was anything but pleasant, the mere sight of Enid looking as deflated as she did only making it worse. It was as if someone was squeezing her heart with both hands and yet, instead of the wonderfully painful sensation something like that would bring her, she just wanted to make it stop.

“What happened, Enid?”

With a click of her tongue, Enid finally looked up at Wednesday once more, letting out a sigh and yet taking her sweet time. She was thinking, the silence between them almost unbearable to the Addams who just wanted to know what it was that had been able to subdue her roommate's extremely peppy demeanor.

After what felt like ages, Enid finally cleared her throat and decided to speak up, her voice laced with nervousness.

"Well, uh, Ajax and I, we broke up today."

Like a spring, Wednesday was suddenly on her feet again, eyes brimming with barely contained anger, hands clenched into fists at the sides of her body. She let out a small growl, all while Enid just looked at her with a surprised expression. Wednesday felt her insides boil, a mixture of anger creeping up her body, the girl so angry she had to take a deep breath before being able to utter a single word.

"Thing." The hand, who had been spending his time reading a horrendously colorful magazine on top of Wednesday's bed, sprung into action as soon as the Addams's voice reverberated across the room, laced with an ire he knew not to question nor challenge. "Get my nail gun, I have a gorgon to bury."

Thing was about to do just that, Wednesday also ready to make her way out into the hallway, but was quickly stopped by Enid's firm grip on her wrist, Wednesday's gaze softening as soon as Enid's concerned one met with hers. The blonde pulled her closer, knowing very well that Wednesday would oblige, the seer letting out a groan before she sat back down again.

"Do I- Do I want to know why you asked for a nail gun?" Enid's gaze now was a mixture of concern, disbelief, and pure amusement. Wednesday didn't miss the way it almost made her eyes sparkle. "I think murder is not the solution here—"

"I made a promise, Enid." Wednesday's tone of voice was still angry, but not as much as before. "I said it to you then, I'll say it to you now. If he breaks your heart, I'll nailgun his. An Addams never breaks their promises."

The urge to just stand up and go find that gorgon right this second stayed there, like an itch wishing to be dealt with, and yet, Enid's firm grip on her wrist didn't let her move. Wednesday didn't want to move either, the contact enough to bring a satisfying kind of burn on her skin, one she yearned for.

It took the werewolf a few moments to process Wednesday's words, a small chuckle leaving her lips as soon as she finally finished, one that slowly turned into a pretty laugh that got Wednesday confused. All she could do was wait, wait with a raised brow and a curious glint in her eye, not understanding why Enid's first reaction was to… laugh.

"Oh my God, Wends, I thought you were joking that time, it was so long ago too!"

"I don't know if you have noticed, but I always mean what I say."

Rolling her eyes, Enid shifted her grip and hand so it would slip into Wednesday’s, intertwining their fingers together with such ease that Wednesday couldn't do much more than try to ignore the blush creeping up her neck.

"I'm my defense, it was right after we met. I thought it was your way to like, cheer me on or something."

Wednesday let out a frustrated sigh. "Like I just told you, I said exactly what I meant, and I mean to follow through. He hurt you, Enid, and I don't plan to let that stand."

“He- He didn’t…” Enid took a deep breath, still not letting go of Wednesday. “He didn’t hurt me, Wednesday. I was the one who broke up with him.”

Wednesday blinked.

Her anger, now that she realized it had been misplaced, started to slowly die down, Enid's gentle caresses to their connected hands helping with that as well. The seer just looked at her roommate with confusion, her brow slightly furrowed as she tried to figure out what exactly Enid could mean by that.

It's not like Wednesday liked Ajax, in fact, she thought he was quite insufferable. His lack of common sense and his habit of being constantly high was more than enough to make her patience run out. However, he made Enid happy, or at least, that's what Wednesday thought.

Perhaps she was wrong. Wednesday didn't like being wrong.

"Why would you do that?"

Enid let out a sigh, her frustration evident even though she tried to give Wednesday a small smile.

"It's… complicated."

Another thing Wednesday didn't like was getting vague answers.

"I thought that he…" conveying her thoughts sincerely always seemed to work, at least with Enid. "I thought that he made you happy."

As silence engulfed for a few moments, Enid let herself blink. She smiled then, slowly, the warmth in her eyes leaving Wednesday breathless.

"How about you let me explain first before you choose whether to kill Ajax or not?"

With a chuckle, Enid gently let go of Wednesday's hand, her playful glare challenging the seer to try and get up. With a huff, Wednesday cleared her throat and nodded, letting the girl explain herself before making a final decision.

Enid took a deep breath.

"Before you say anything, I was the one that asked him to break up. No, he didn't say anything bad, and no, he also did not do anything wrong. I just… how can I explain it?"

Enid nervously rubbed the back of her neck, a scowl etched on her features as she tried to find the correct words to convey her feelings.

"Ajax, he is a great guy, seriously. He's always been nice, and fun, and just an overall great friend! But, I don't think I ever really liked him, if you know what I mean."

Wednesday blinked, though only once.

"Do you mean that you were never interested in him romantically?"

"Yeah. I-I think."

The werewolf's eyes widened as soon as she let out those words as if she herself could not believe she had uttered them. Wednesday saw the way her hands started to tremble, and the way her eyes started to pool with unshed tears as she was only now processing what all of that meant. If Wednesday was being completely honest, it was hard for her to understand it all, emotions a topic still quite foreign for her, romantic relationships, even more so.

But, of course, seeing Enid on the verge of tears was all it took for her heart to start racing in anxiousness, her hands almost itching to reach for the werewolf’s.

The blonde’s breathing started to become shallow.

“Enid, please, listen to me.”

Her shallow breathing turned into sniffles, which then turned into sobs, all while Wednesday stayed there stunned, her heart beating loudly in her ears as she tried to think of what to do. Tears stained Enid’s cheeks, the girl continuing to loudly cry while the seer did her best to get her to pay attention to her words, failing miserably.

“Please, mia lupa … Please don’t cry.”

When Enid started to hug her legs close to her chest, Wednesday decided to finally move, her hands quickly holding onto Enid’s, gently trying to get her to lower her legs and to get her head out from behind her knees. If anyone dared to ask, the seer would vehemently deny that she had scooted closer to Enid and that she had made soft shushing sounds to try and calm her down. She would deny it all.

But right now? She couldn’t get herself to care.

Because Enid was crying, beautiful blue eyes were now glossy thanks to the tears that dared stain her rosy cheeks.

"What is wrong? Please tell me what's wrong."

And Enid tried, Wednesday could see that she did, words stuck in her throat as well as interrupted by the loud sobs that made her whole body shake. Wednesday let the werewolf hold onto her hands despite her harsh grip, rubbing circles into the side of her hands just like the blonde liked to do with her, clumsily trying to comfort her the best she could.

It felt like sailing through uncharted waters.

"I-I'm sorry! I'm really sorry, I-I didn't mean to cry so much, I just— oh my god, my mom is going to kill me, what am I supposed to do?!"

Even though Enid's words were hard to understand, or rather, it was hard to understand what she was referring to, Wednesday still did her best to get her to calm down, all while Enid continued to mumble things under her breath.

“She'll kick me out… oh no, it's even worse. But what if— no no, she'd never do that, right?”

Despite Wednesday's best efforts —which included patting Enid's shoulder awkwardly—, it seemed that nothing was enough to make the werewolf stop crying, which in turn, made Wednesday all the more anxious, the sound of her own heartbeat almost deafening against her ears.

“Enid… Enid!”

She truly didn't do it out of malice, but rather, out of desperation, as nothing had seemed to work. Slightly raising her voice, at least, seemed to have finally gotten Enid's attention, even if it also made her flinch, glossy blue eyes looking at Wednesday with a glint of fear inside of them that almost made the seer regret even daring to open her mouth.

“I-I'm sorry.” Wednesday cleared her throat, unwilling to let herself do something as pathetic as stuttering. “I apologize if I scared you, it wasn't my intention.”

Once again, Enid just looking directly at her, expression almost blank, and eerily silent, was strangely unsettling.

“I… I want to… Help you.” The seer squeezed their joint hands. “However, I cannot do that if I'm not made aware of why you're crying.”

She was able to see Enid take a shuddering deep breath, closing her eyes for a bit and all, squeezing Wednesday's hands back in a silent acknowledgment of her presence. As much as it stressed her out, Wednesday waited, patiently, until Enid decided to talk.

“I'm sorry.” It wasn't lost to her how Enid's voice wavered. “It's just— I discovered something today, about myself, and I'm really freaking sure that my mom will not be okay with it.”

At that, Wednesday grimaced, her disdain for the woman she rarely got to see pretty evident.

“That wench you call a mother has some of the worst opinions I have ever heard. I don't think listening to anything she may say would be wise.”

Being able to hear the sweet melody of Enid's laughter once again, even if just for a moment, was enough to let Wednesday breathe a little bit easier, as strange as it was.

“You're right, Wends, I know you are.” Enid gave her a teary smile. “It's just hard, you know? I thought that after finally wolfing out, she'd come around, but then it turns out that she only cares about how my future career could make the pack look, and also about starting to look for a proper mate. She doesn't care about me . And like, now, I have yet another reason for her to be disappointed.”

Enid finally lowered her legs, Wednesday taking the chance to scoot a little bit closer, the way their knees touched enough to make her whole body burn.

“But, I guess I'm already used to that. Being a disappointment, I mean.”

Her body moved unconsciously, Wednesday shaking her head with a deep frown and angry dark eyes. “You are far from a disappointment, Enid.” 

Enid's smile widened, even if just slightly, the blonde letting out a wet chuckle as she tilted her head to the side, as if curious about what the angered seer had to say. Wednesday locked gazes with Enid, and the image of a clear morning sky visible in the middle of the night in her eyes alone made her gulp, heartbeat racing inside her chest.

And yet, Wednesday’s eyes were filled with determination.

“You are as strong as you are kind, you are as gentle as you are dangerous. Your presence is enough to make everyone's life a little less miserable, to my utter dismay. You light up the world with your smile and make my eyes burn with your colorful aura. You are the world’s most wonderful combination, beautiful and lethal, all in a single person, and I'm indebted to you, for your colorful claws and your pink and blue fur saved my life, and believe me, Enid, when I tell you, I wouldn't have it any other way.”

The Addams had to deeply inhale before continuing to speak, doing nothing more but spewing out the first things that came to mind.

“How can you be a disappointment, Enid, when all I'd ever need from you is to curse me with your brilliant presence, and yet, you did way more than just that? When you saved my life?”

Bravely, Wednesday let go of one of Enid's hands, just to gently graze the girl's scars with one of her hands, Enid's sharp inhale making her gulp.

“I'm an Addams, Enid, you know that very well. I should be on my knees, revering you, for you wear these marks because of me.” The burning guilt made her avert her gaze. “I know that these scars gave you even more trouble with your poor excuse of a mother. I apologize, truly.”

The blonde shook her head rather aggressively, clasping both of her hands around Wednesday's, grip firm and yet not tight. Her fangs peeked out from her lips, giving her a bit of a wild edge.

“Don't. Don't apologize. I don't care about what she says about you. If it came to it, I'd do it all over again, just to make sure you were safe.” 

Enid gave her another smile, one that Wednesday was sure, was only reserved for her. 

“I'm sorry if I scared you today, I didn't… It's just hard to accept it, that's all. It barely has to do with Ajax, to be honest.” She sighed. “I don't know if I can share the exact reason right now, but I promise, Wednesday, you'll be the first person I tell. Just be a little patient for me, okay?”

It was hard not to tell her at that very moment that Wednesday would wait an eternity if that's what she asked her to do.

Instead, all she did was nod, slowly. Enid seemed happy with such an answer, letting herself fall backward into the mattress with a chuckle, taking advantage of their joint hands to pull Wednesday back with her, the seer's eyes widening when she finally noticed a little bit too late.

Wednesday was suddenly trapped in between strong arms wrapped around her waist, head pressed against the blonde’s chest. Enid gave her a strong squeeze before quickly letting go as soon as Wednesday groaned, hands up in the air as if she had done absolutely nothing, a grin so big on her face most people probably would've believed her. 

Enid's grin never faltered, not even when Wednesday straddled her hips, pulled out a knife from who knows where, and pressed it against her throat, a glare now accompanying her burning cheeks and reddened ears.

“I'm sorry, I just had to sneak a squeeze in!” The werewolf had the nerve to chuckle, all while a blade was pressed against her skin.

It all made Wednesday let out a frustrated huff, her frown turning into a small pout as she finally put the knife away, scrambling to get out of bed as soon as she noticed the… Compromising position they were in.

“Next time, I won't be so merciful.”

“Sure thing, Wends.”

Both girls took a deep breath at the same time, Wednesday standing rather stiffly, trying and failing to slow down her racing heart. Meanwhile, Enid sat up and smiled brightly, apparently amused by Wednesday's entire demeanor if her later chuckle was anything to go by.

“You know? I feel way better now. Thank you.”

With her gaze fixated on the floor, Wednesday let out a hum.

“I am pleased that my help was adequate.”

“It was more than adequate! Though, I don't think I'll be able to sleep now, too many thoughts for that to happen.”

She let out a deeply exaggerated whine, all while Wednesday just stood still, the gears inside her head moving at a tremendous speed, countless ideas of what to do popping into her mind, almost screaming at her to speak.

“Would a… distraction be a good way to pass the time?”

And yes, maybe the darkest parts of her heart and mind were telling her that this wasn't a good idea. That letting Enid do as much as she had done was already way too much vulnerability for a night, and yet now….

Wednesday felt that she should, no, that she needed to do even more.

Because Enid had been crying, and even now as the girl smiled at her, there was a tinge of that sadness and worry that had troubled her in the way her shoulders were still a little bit tense, and in the way she sniffled every once in a while, and even in the way her blinks were slow, as if she was tired.

All of that, for some reason, made Wednesday want to do something to stop it, anything, as long as Enid's smile became as bright as she knew it could be.

“A distraction? What did you have in mind?”

More. She needed to do more. She needed to help more.

Which is why, ignoring how much her brain screamed at her to not do it, Wednesday hesitantly held out her hand, expression blank despite the blush that went up to her ears. Enid looked at the silent offering, the fact that Wednesday had decided to do such a thing out of her own volition—without the pressure of Enid having another mental breakdown—spoke volumes about the amount of trust in each other that they had been able to develop over time.

As such, averting her gaze, Wednesday waited for Enid to take her hand, holding tight as soon as she did so.

"Follow me."

Enid didn't seem to even think about it. She just followed.

Wednesday led Enid towards their balcony, a snap of her fingers enough for Thing to start skittering around and slowly bring everything needed for her to play the cello. Two chairs, one for Enid—Wednesday gestured at her to sit, holding onto the back of it in a rather gentlemanly way until she did so—, and one for Wednesday herself, her music stand, and of course, her elegant black cello.

The seer took the time to get comfortable in her seat, positioning her cello as well as her bow, brow slightly furrowed as she checked to see if the instrument was properly tuned. All the while, she tried to ignore Enid's intense gaze that she was able to notice from the corner of her eye.

"You haven't played in a while, have you?"

Enid's soft voice was the thing that made the Addams lift her head, a shadow of a smile appearing on her features as she noticed that characteristic curious head tilt of Enid's was now directed at her.

Wednesday nodded, responding to her question as she finished tuning her cello. "That is correct."

"Why? Is it because of..."

Trying to pretend the question didn't make her slightly wince, Wednesday met Enid's gaze and gulped.

"I'm afraid so. I find it difficult to... Focus." While she did not reveal the whole truth to Enid, she was being sincere in that regard.

The blonde rubbed her chin, still looking a bit confused.

"So, why now?"

"You," the seer blurted out without thinking, the way Enid's eyes widened making Wednesday scramble to explain further. "I have a feeling that, since you're here, I will be able to."

She could not ignore the way her own voice seemed softer around the edges, almost melodic if Enid's toothy grin was anything to go by. The blonde seemed to perk up after hearing Wednesday's small confession, the moonlight giving her eyes a silver glow that was almost distracting to Wednesday, who held the other girl's gaze with a racing heart.

"What will you play, then?" 

With clasped hands and bobbing legs, Enid got comfortable in her chair and leaned forward in anticipation, all while Wednesday was unable to tear her gaze off Enid, who just looked happy to be given such an honor.

It took her a few seconds to notice she had been staring, that traitorous blush that had become so common hopefully hidden by the darkness of the night. 

The Addams cleared her throat, blank expression almost faltering.

"You choose."

"W-what?"

"I said, you choose. Just for tonight, I promise to play a song of your choosing." For you , Wednesday felt the need to add, but never did.

Just when she thought Enid's smile couldn't get any brighter, it did just that, her smile so wide it made her eyes close, the girl giggling in an obvious contentment that Wednesday hadn't expected to see from her after their earlier conversation.

She ignored how the sound of her giggles made her think of how beautiful it would sound if she tried to replicate their melody on her cello.

“Really? You'd let me do that?”

Enid was teasing her, Wednesday could tell, and yet, all she could do was glare at her and give an empty threat.

“Choose quickly or I won't play anything tonight, Sinclair.”

Putting her hands up in surrender, Enid's smile was replaced by a furrowed brow and pursed lips, gaze focused on the sky as the girl seemed to think, long seconds almost unbearable for the seer. Her grip on her cello had tightened, knuckles turning white because of the force.

When Enid's sky-blue gaze met hers again, a glint of something indescribable swam inside of it. Wednesday was unable to decipher it nor analyze it for long, as the girl's characteristic smile came back in a millisecond. Had she just imagined it?

“I may have an idea for a song.” Enid's laugh should've told her enough. “I can look for the sheet music on my phone if you'd like. Oh, but I'd have to bring it… Hold on a second.”

Just as she was about to stand up, Wednesday hurried to speak, her chest almost constricting at the thought of Enid leaving for even a moment. It was unbearable.

“There's no need.” Wednesday shook her head and then glanced down towards Thing, who gave a friendly wave. “Thing, get that wretched device of mine you call a ‘phone’ so that Enid may look for what she needs.”

After doing an exaggerated salute with his index finger, Thing skittered his way back to the room, Wednesday watching him go for a few seconds until he was out of sight.

Turning her head around to face Enid afterward, she almost choked on her breath.

Enid's mouth and eyes were wide open, a hand now placed on top of her chest in that dramatic fashion the girl always preferred, an exaggerated gasp coming out of her mouth as she glared at Wednesday Addams as if she had beheaded her stuffed abominations.

“You might want to close your mouth. Normies say flies can get in, but my father assures it's way more likely to be wasps.”

The girl spluttered a few seconds before she shook her head and took a deep breath.

“Wednesday Addams! You have a phone?!”

With a nonchalant blink, Wednesday hummed.

“Indeed, I do. Xavier gifted me one of those indecipherable machines after everything with Crackstone was said and done. Thing, however, has basically claimed it as his.”

It seemed like her answer, however, was not enough for Enid to stop looking as if she was going to swipe a claw across her throat.

“All this time…” Enid's frowns had always looked anything but intimidating. “All this time we could've called and texted during break! And you didn't tell me!”

Only now was Wednesday finding out she was supposed to make it known to Enid that she had a cellphone. She didn't understand why exactly that was a thing, but perhaps it was that unfulfilled social expectation that made Enid look the slightest bit mad right now. It made sense, at least in Wednesday’s head.

“I apologize. I was not privy to the fact that I was supposed to let you know I had acquired one of these machines.”

Enid let out a frustrated groan, just to deeply inhale once more later, her palm now on her forehead as she shook her head.

“I'm not even gonna ask why Xavier of all people gave you a phone, major ick, but, you seriously need to save my phone number on it like, right now.”

As if he had been called, Thing made his appearance right when Enid had uttered those words, the sentient hand giving a dismissive wave of a finger towards Wednesday and climbing his way on top of Enid's lap. Thing tapped Enid's thigh in a friendly manner, letting her take the phone, all under Wednesday's deadly glare, which he seemed to ignore.

“Thing, do you dare defy my—”

“Oh my god! Your lock screen is so cute, Thing! Wait, let me save my number here real quick— Oh! Of course, you can send me manicure inspo whenever. I'd love to try new things! You're so right, Pinterest is a life-saver…”

Wednesday clearing her throat rather loudly—on purpose, of course—seemed to be enough to stop the pair’s sudden chat, Enid letting out a small chuckle while Thing stomped with his fingers, frustrated, and yet, got back to the floor again.

“Sorry Wends, got a bit carried away. Let me just find this sheet music.”

With a frustrated frown, Wednesday just let out a sigh and watched Enid use her fingers to type something on that technological abomination, ending up quite surprised when not even a minute after Enid had started to search for the sheet music—God knows where, Wednesday was going to ask Thing to do it, as that Google website was quite confusing—, she was already offering the phone back to her. Wednesday let out a hum as she recognized the pictures on the screen as legit sheet music.

“Perhaps this device is not as useless as I had imagined.”

It seemed Enid was having the time of her life watching Wednesday discover the miracles of modern technology, as she laughed for a second time, slightly shaking her head in amusement. 

“Wait ‘til you hear about Kindle.”

Before Wednesday could ask what the blonde was referring to, Thing climbed his way up the music stand, giving Wednesday a thumbs up and promising to scroll so she’d be able to play the song properly.

“So, tell me, wolf, what horrendously bright song are you making me play?”

Enid gave Wednesday a wink that made the seer let out a huff, trying to somehow ignore her own blush, all while the werewolf chuckled.

“Just play it, it’s from your favorite singer in the world, Taylor Swift.”

The sarcasm was not lost to Wednesday, who gifted her one of her best glares, Enid’s perpetual smile just widening as a response. How irritating.

Giving a nod to Thing to signal that she was ready, the sentient hand tapped the music stand with a finger in response. Wednesday took a deep breath and positioned her fingers across the fretboard, giving a quick once over to the first few notes of the song before finally starting to play.

The melody was soft, and Wednesday quickly noticed that it wasn’t as upbeat as she would’ve expected from Enid. She kind of appreciated it, but it did make her curious about why exactly Enid had chosen this song, especially as she continued playing and noticed that the rather simple but slightly pleasant melody barely even changed, nor did it pick up speed at any time.

The curiosity got the best of her, and since after almost a minute, the melody just kind of repeated itself over and over, she chanced a glance in Enid’s direction, Wednesday feeling her face heat up again as Enid’s gaze met her own, those icy blue eyes almost glowing under the moonlight. The blonde’s expression was serious, her previous smile nowhere to be seen.

Or at least, it had been like that until their gazes met.

Wednesday was able to see the way Enid’s eyes lit up, her lips slowly curling up into that beautiful smile that made her eyes turn into crescent moons and her round cheeks puff, her scars a wonderful addition to everything else.

Her heartbeat started to pick up speed again, and Wednesday was sure that by the way Enid chuckled and tilted her head, her roommate had been able to hear it.

It was hard to understand why such a notion seemed to make her anxious, for the answers as to why her body reacted to Enid in such ways were still way out of her grasp.

Just when Wednesday was starting to believe that she surely must have been cursed by some benevolent witch—an evil one wouldn’t curse her with such nonsense—and that nothing could be worse than this, Enid decided to seal her terrible fate.

The werewolf started to sing. 

Wednesday thought she would never be able to take a breath again.

Light pink sky up on the roof

Sun sinks down, no curfew

Twenty questions, we tell the truth

You've been stressed out lately? Yeah, me too

Something gave you the nerve

To touch my hand

Enid’s voice was sweet and melodic, even if slightly clumsy, the girl not a professional singer by any means, and yet, Wednesday found herself truly entranced, eyes fixated on the girl who started to slightly sway on her seat, feet kicking against the floor in a soft rhythm.

It's nice to have a friend

(Ooh)

It's nice to have a friend

(Ooh)

Not once did Enid’s gaze leave Wednesday’s. She sang while looking directly into her eyes, a smile full of warmth glued to her features as the seer continued to play, fingers running across the fretboard and bow moving on top of strings almost mechanically as Wednesday played alongside Enid’s singing with supernatural ease. It was as if she had been born to do so.

But oh well… Perhaps she had.

Church bells ring , carry me home

Rice on the ground looks like snow

Call my bluff , call you " babe "

Have my back, yeah, everyday

Feels like home , stay in bed

The whole weekend

Enid started to clap along to the song, Thing following along with timed taps to the music stand, and even Wednesday found her own body moving from side to side, the seer having to physically restrain herself from smiling as she heard Enid sing, her singing being interrupted by light chuckles that sounded like shooting stars. Enid's excitement was harder to contain by the second, it seemed.

It's nice to have a friend

(Ooh)

It's nice to have a friend

(Ooh)

It's nice to have a friend

(Ooh)

(Ooh)

As soon as Enid finished singing the last verse, she was quick to stand up from her chair, hurrying her way towards Wednesday and taking the phone from where it was positioned on the music stand, the blonde typing away for a few seconds while the seer simply watched, her bow and cello now discarded as she could do nothing but focus on Enid’s glowing presence.

The werewolf pressed a few more buttons and then left the phone back where it had been, the sound of music now coming out of the phone speakers. Wednesday raised a curious brow.

“I can’t do this anymore, we have to dance!”

A blink, and suddenly Wednesday was being taken by the hand towards the middle of the balcony, the sound of Enid’s overly excited giggles and her breathtaking smile the only thing the seer was able to focus on, letting the werewolf lead them both through a clumsy waltz under the stars.

In Enid’s gentle hands, Wednesday felt herself melt into a puddle, or perhaps into moldable clay, the blonde spinning the Addams heir around once, twice, and then thrice with a grin, Wednesday surprising herself by how easy it was to just… let her . She held onto Enid’s shoulders and even playfully led her into a dip that made Enid’s eyes light up so beautifully that Wednesday thought she was staring directly at the sun.

“Thank you, Wednesday, for… All of this.”

Wednesday felt her heart threaten to burst out of her chest.

It was as if, as they clumsily danced their way across the balcony to a Taylor Swift song in the middle of the night, every problem, every difficulty, every strong emotion, and confusing feeling faded into nothingness. The world became nothing but a blurry background, reality limited to this very moment, as Enid laughed and danced and jumped, and Wednesday, in pure awe as she looked at the werewolf, felt the corners of her lips lift into a smile that she just couldn’t care enough to conceal. How could she, when a pleasant warmth settled inside her chest, and that strange feeling of spiders skittering around her stomach returned in full force?

Still, there was something, deep inside her mind, that made her feel slightly unsettled.

With every gentle touch, every graze of their skin, every whispered word, and every single one of Enid's giggles laced in stardust, Wednesday grew even more confused. 

As her body felt like it was up in flames and her heart felt constricted against her will, every beat of it reliant on the image of Enid's fanged smiles that made her hold her breath in quiet awe, Wednesday felt, for the first time in her life, something akin to... Terror.

Enid Sinclair had poisoned her mind in ways she could've never imagined, Wednesday's body reacting to her every whim almost desperately.

And that scared her, deeply.

Chapter Text

The constant pitter-patter of rain hitting the ground was the first thing that greeted Wednesday when she woke up in the morning, the familiar sound of what many would call terrible weather almost able to make her smile. Almost.

Wednesday had always liked the rain. The gray skies that accompanied it as well as the coldness that it usually brought made it the perfect kind of weather for her to write, or to simply relax. On more special occasions, she would go out with her family and do something outside, her parents and younger brother laughing along despite being soaked to the bone, Wednesday herself enjoying some peace under the pouring rain, with an umbrella in hand.

The sound was constant, and kind of soft, a perfect background noise for basically anything in her life, and so relaxing actually, that Wednesday was nearly tempted to stay in bed for a little while longer. Of course, she decided against it, her routine sacred despite the dreadful weather, the seer getting up from the bed without much hurry. It was a Saturday, anyway, which meant she didn't have any classes. That, however, didn't mean she didn't like starting her day early.

Enid, though…

The werewolf was lying in bed in what seemed like a starfish position, mouth slightly agape, her sheets tousled just as much as her hair, so much so even, that Wednesday was sure that one more kick would’ve made the comforter fall to the floor. If it had been a weekday day, Wednesday would have woken her up, something that had become a routine for them both by now. The seer pretended that she didn't notice that Enid's alarm mysteriously stopped ringing in the mornings after a few weeks of that, the unspoken gesture of trust making her chest feel all warm and fuzzy in a way she still wasn't sure she liked.

But enough about that, such a symptom was already written down in her notebook. There was no reason to think about it more than necessary.

Just like it wasn't needed for her to keep staring at her deeply asleep roommate, Wednesday somehow a bit… disappointed that there may be a possibility they wouldn't get to have breakfast together in the morning. Usually, Wednesday getting ready for the day would be enough to wake the werewolf up, Enid complaining endlessly about Wednesday waking her up way too early for the weekend, just to get up anyway.

This time though, as Wednesday went to shower and even took her sweet time to braid her hair in her signature style, Enid continued to sleep like a rock.

It was frustrating, for some strange reason, Wednesday stomping her way around the dorm while Thing skittered right behind her, trying to make fun of her as he usually did, a precisely thrown knife to the floor that landed right in the space between his ring and middle finger enough to shut him up, finally.

“If the insufferable wolf refuses to rise, then that is not my responsibility, Thing. Now let me be, I plan to be productive and go to the library, this dreadful weather is perfect for some reading.”

And truly, Wednesday wanted to be true to her word. She had even turned the doorknob of their shared dorm and opened the door to follow through and leave towards the library. That is, until Enid's sleep-laced voice reached her ears, making her stop dead in her tracks.

“Mmm… Wends?”

A sigh escaped the seer's lips, as she already knew she couldn't do more than turn around and face her roommate, Enid trying to rub the sleep away from her eyes as she now sat, her bedsheets still quite messy despite that.

“Yes, Enid?”

Enid's eyes were a bit glassy, probably because she had just woken up, a sort of grogginess laced in her voice and also in her mannerisms. The werewolf tried to kick away the sheets that covered her legs, failing miserably.

“Where are you… Where are you going?”

“The library.”

Wednesday watched as Enid's lips pursed, and her brow furrowed, the gears inside her head working overtime because of how incompetent she seemed to be when just awoken.

“B-but why? Aren't we supposed to have breakfast together?”

Enid's pout deepened, tears pooling in her eyes as she looked at Wednesday with those deadly puppy eyes of hers. The seer closed her own eyes on pure instinct and groaned, turning her head around to try and avoid it. She did not feel bad about almost leaving without her, that'd be preposterous.

“I apologize,” she muttered, in between gritted teeth. “I didn't want to disturb your sleep.”

And perhaps her tone of voice had softened around the edges, her gaze looking tired rather than annoyed. The seer ignored the ever-present racing of her heart as soon as Enid's saddened expression changed into one of those bright smiles that seemed to put her mind in overdrive.

“That's so nice of you Wends…” Her voice was sweet, and Wednesday could almost taste it. “But why are you going out so early?”

“It is raining.” Genuinely, why else could it be? “Reading while the sound of rain echoes in the background is quite enjoyable.”

At the mention of rain, Enid's brow raised and the girl looked through their big divided window, a soft gasp leaving her mouth as soon as she noticed that Wednesday was telling the truth. When she turned back around, her smile was as bright as could be, Wednesday having to hold back a grimace. 

“Would you mind waiting for me to get ready? I want to go play in the rain a bit! But, we can go to the library first, of course.”

Biting the inside of her cheek, her frustration at finding herself unable to refuse the wolf’s petition was simply outstanding. Still, Wednesday nodded curtly, avoiding her gaze so she wouldn't see Enid's bright smile afterward.

And so, Wednesday Friday Addams, known for waiting for nobody, took a seat on the edge of her bed, folded her hands on top of her lap, and waited.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

She waited as Enid made her bed, waited as Enid took a particularly long shower—Wednesday didn't know why she chose to take one, especially if she truly wanted to play under the rain—, and waited as the girl brushed her hair for a good ten minutes. The seer fought her usual murderous urge by imagining how it would be to gut the fuzzy insides of all of Enid's favorite plushies, as well as how they would look going up in the flames of a deliciously hot fire.

Pugsley would enjoy such a spectacle, Wednesday was sure of that.

“Alright, I'm ready! Let's go, I'm starving Wends…”

One of the things she forgot to say that morning, and even when they started walking towards the cafeteria—during rainy days like this one, most people preferred to eat inside—. The mere possibility of seeing the rest of the Nightshades at this time was enough for Wednesday to want to turn back. However, considering it was already pretty late, there was a possibility no one would be there, which Wednesday decided to rely on.

It seemed that, however, luck wasn’t on her side this time around.

There, on the usual nightshades table were Bianca, Kent, and Xavier, Enid waving at all of them.

“Coming for a late breakfast as well?” Bianca asked, a brow raised.

Enid was quick to nod, now finally standing next to Wednesday in the cafeteria line.

“Yup! And, I’m sorry, but we’re in a bit of a hurry this morning, so I don’t have much time to chat. Still, enjoy your food everyone!.”

And it should've been concerning how easily Enid could read her, the werewolf giving her a wink before focusing on the cafeteria line once more, linking arms with Wednesday so they'd be able to get their food together. Enid put it all in one single metal tray so they'd be able to transport it more easily. Before Wednesday could even ask, Enid picked everything up without trouble, smiling brightly as she walked.

Wednesday simply followed along like an obedient puppy, silently helping Enid sneak their food into the library without a second thought, the pair finding a spot pretty far away from the librarian’s desk that was hidden behind lots of bookshelves. The table was slightly flimsy, Enid's metal chair coated with a bit of rust. It wasn't the prettiest spot, but it would do. Or at least, that's what Enid said.

Turns out, the werewolf was completely right.

Wednesday thought, at first, that Enid would fill any silence with her usual mindless chatter, and yet, that's not really what happened.

Enid ate her breakfast in pleasant silence, giving Wednesday a few smiles here and there while they ate. Even when they finished, she ended up taking out one of her class notebooks to catch up on some studying, giving Wednesday the perfect opportunity to read the mystery novel she had brought with her without any problems, the sound of the pouring rain and Enid's scribbling strangely relaxing after a while.

In all honesty, sometimes she found it extremely scary how Enid just knew what to do to make sure she was comfortable in her presence. The werewolf was even able to keep quiet just to not disturb her peace. And, yes, Wednesday knew she was forcing herself to do so, as she was puffing her cheeks and fidgeting a little bit more than usual. The image was… strangely endearing.

But of course, it didn't even last long. In fact, it lasted a total of thirty minutes on the dot. Enid ended up taking a deep breath all of a sudden and getting up with a swift movement, both hands hitting the desk as she locked eyes with Wednesday.

“Okay, I can't do this anymore I feel like I'm going to start shaking,” Wednesday was sure she heard the librarian shushing her werewolf friend, though she seemed to ignore it. “I'm going to play in the rain. You can come if you want, but if you'd prefer to stay here reading that's fine also.”

There was a window right next to where she was sitting, one that would let Wednesday watch from up above if Enid decided to spend her time under the rain in the quad. It seemed like a perfectly good plan, a great way to continue reading her novel and enjoying the sound of the rain as her background noise for even longer, but…

Despite Enid's voice, there was a hopeful glint in her eyes that was hard to miss, her half-smile a little hesitant as she waited for a response. It was true that she probably wouldn't be able to witness everything from where she was. She wouldn't be able to hear the sound of Enid's voice or her laughter. And, of course, she wouldn't be able to properly observe her bright smile from up above, or how her scars stretched along with her cheeks.

The seer blinked once, then twice.

She closed her book in a swift movement and stood up, sighing.

“I will accompany you, but I need to get my umbrella.”

Enid covered her mouth with her hand to muffle the squeal she wasn't able to hold back, and Wednesday was able to notice the blonde was smiling even behind her hand thanks to the fact she always seemed to smile with her whole face.

“Oh yeah, sure! I need to get mine too!”

And yes, Enid got shushed by the librarian because of her overly excited words, but that didn't seem to matter to her. Wednesday just let herself be dragged back to their dorm, already knowing that trying to get out from the werewolf's grip on her wrist would take way too much effort.

Truly, Wednesday did not understand why Enid would need an umbrella when she was planning on getting wet anyway, but when she asked her, all Enid did was giggle and then shrug.

“I get to decide when to get wet if I bring one, I guess.”

Not really satisfied with the answer, but knowing she probably wouldn't get a better one, Wednesday decided to let it go, letting Enid take the lead towards the quad which was empty at this time of the day because of the constant rain. Under their umbrellas, both Enid and Wednesday remained sheltered from the downpour, at least, until Enid gave Wednesday a smirk.

“I'll come back in a bit, I promise.”

Wednesday watched with a shadow of a smile how Enid's bright pink umbrella was discarded as soon as they got to the quad, the sound of the werewolf's laughter overshadowing the pitter-patter of rain with almost shocking ease. Wednesday, with a hand inside her pocket and the other holding her own black umbrella, simply watched Enid in front of her.

It seemed like no matter what she did, her eyes would always find Enid.

She watched as Enid twirled and jumped under the relentless downpour, her giggles only getting louder as the water hit her hair, her face, and every single part of her body, her clothes getting soaked in mere seconds thanks to the heavy rain. And yet, Enid simply didn't seem to care, a carefree smile glued to her features as she jumped over puddles and danced to a non-existent beat, fair skin turning glossy thanks to the sheen of water that almost made it glow.

Not like it made such a difference, as it seemed like no matter where Enid went, all Wednesday had to do was look into her eyes to find a glowing light even during the darkest days.

Her blank expression did not match her racing heart and the skittering of spiders inside her stomach, nor did it match the heat that seemed to crawl up to her neck and then her cheeks, tinting them with a red she hoped would be washed away by the rain soon. And well, she could've stayed there, simply standing a bit farther away as she watched Enid make the quad a little brighter even under darkened skies simply with her presence, basking in the light that gifted her with a satisfying burn that she could feel under her skin, one that only Enid could provide.

But of course, a dreadful day like this couldn't be perfect.

“Oh, uh… I didn't see you there, Wednesday.”

It was impossible to hide the grimace that instantly took hold of her features as soon as the aggravating voice she had tried to not hear anytime soon reached her ears, an annoyed groan escaping her throat.

If there was someone she did not want to see right now, that was Ajax.

And truthfully, it's not like Wednesday had any special reason to want him gone , or rather, she shouldn't have.

Sure, she thought he was probably one of the dumbest boys she had ever met. Every word that came out of his mouth seemed to be at least slightly stupid, and he was also high most of the time. That by itself, definitely made him an annoying presence, however…

It shouldn't be enough for Wednesday to want to stick a knife on the top of his head to see if that would kill one of his snakes.

“I would've preferred if you actually hadn’t seen me.”

“Yeah, I figured.”

Logically, and according to all the research she had done recently about her current afflictions, she knew that her utmost disdain for the simple-minded gorgon definitely had to do with Enid.

How? That, she did not know.

“Look, uh…” The hissing of the snakes under his beanie was enough to make Wednesday remember he was still there, as she had been pretending that he wasn't for the past few seconds.

And, well, despite how much she did not want to see his face, the ugly burning feeling that settled in her chest every time she even dared to think of him was something she wanted to avoid. For Enid's sake, she ended up turning her head to face him.

He had that characteristic dopey grin on his face, even though it seemed a little shaky, especially when Wednesday’s gaze met his. He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably with one hand, holding an umbrella of his own with the other.

“You must hate me now, huh?”

Truthfully, her first instinct was to say yes. However, she was sure Enid would not like that, which is why she didn't.

“I do not hate you as I simply don't care about your existence.”

“Well, I suppose it could be worse.”

The fact that he dared to giggle at that earned him a glare, the boy clearing his throat right after and averting her gaze.

“May I know why you are attempting to speak to me?”

Ajax awkwardly stuck his free hand in his pocket, shoulders tensing up despite his usual laid-back disposition. At first, Wednesday thought her words and attitude had been enough to scare him away. However, there was a glint of something in his eyes, a strange determination she never expected to see in him, especially considering how much of his brain cells might've been burned by the daily consumption of marijuana.

“I suppose Enid already told you… W-wait, did she tell you?”

With a raised brow, she nodded. “If your recent separation is what you're referring to, then yes, she told me about it.”

He sighed, apparently relieved by that, his head turning for a moment to watch Enid, Wednesday following along. For a moment, in complete silence, they both watched as the rain poured on the beautiful werewolf, the girl squatting and playing around with puddles, still completely unbothered by the downpour.

From the corner of her eye, she was able to see a warm half-smile adorn the boy's features.

“She's cute, isn't she.”

That ugly, burning feeling that only Ajax could provoke in her seemed to squeeze her heart inside her chest, the glare that the boy had earned probably way more hostile than it should've been. However, despite his initial wide eyes, he simply gulped and held her gaze.

Wednesday had never thought he'd be able to do that. 

“I know you said you didn't, but I know you do hate me right now.” There was not a hint of doubt in his words. He wasn't asking, he was stating what he believed was a fact.

“Why do you care if I do?”

His smile was friendly, eyes turning into crescent moons.

“It's okay. I know it's because you care about Enid. I do too, I care about her a lot.”

And it was then that Wednesday noticed, because of his wistful glances, his slightly hurt tone of voice, and his saddened smile, that Ajax still harbored feelings for Enid.

“Your feelings for Enid, they remain.”

The gorgon didn't seem to feel called out or exposed in any way. All he did was let out a weak chuckle, shrugging.

“They do, yeah. I liked her a lot. I still do. She's great, I'm sure you know that.”

Wednesday’s gaze softened at the mention of the multicolored werewolf, her eyes searching for her once again, her heart thumping inside her chest like it always did when looking at her. She could agree with Ajax, even if just on that one thing. Enid was… dreadfully wonderful.

However, there was still something that piqued her curiosity.

“If you still have feelings for her,” she was talking to Ajax, though her gaze remained fixated on Enid. “I fail to understand why you agreed to break up with her.”

“Well, it's not like I could force her to stay with me, dude.” He laughed, even though it didn't sound completely genuine. “That would be cruel, and Enid is my friend as well. I couldn't do that to her.”

Simply by looking at him again, and into his eyes, Wednesday could see that his words were sincere. Still, there was something she wasn't fully understanding, an unspoken thing that she felt Ajax wasn't telling her. It was nagging at her brain.

However, she didn't know which questions to ask, as the whole thing seemed to be privy to her.

Despite that, it seemed that Ajax had more to say, to her chagrin.

“You asked me why I came to talk to you,” he started. “I suppose I just wanted to say thank you, for being there for Enid. I'm sure you had to deal with a lot of the, uh… fallout.”

Wednesday sharply inhaled, putting on a grimace to try and play off the blush that colored her cheeks at the memory of that night.

“I did have to, dreadfully so.”

The gorgon's laugh this time sounded way more genuine, Ajax taking some time after he finished laughing to look at Enid playing around. However, when he glanced at Wednesday again, the seer could see that he seemed conflicted, as if there was something he didn't know whether to mention or not.

It took him a few seconds to make a choice, Ajax took a deep breath before speaking again.

“Enid cares a lot about you too, you know?” His tone of voice was lower, as worried someone else could listen to their conversation. “You’re really important to her.”

With a raised brow, her heart beating wildly against her ribcage and spiders making a home inside her stomach, she silently questioned Ajax, a warm smile now glued to his features.

“I was a bit worried, when she asked me to break up with her, you know? I'm not the brightest, so I wasn't sure if I had done anything wrong. She reassured me a lot, and told me I hadn't, but I couldn't help but worry since it seemed quite impulsive at first.” He absentmindedly rubbed the back of his neck. “But then she mentioned you.”

It was hard to believe that Enid would do that, and hard to understand why she would do that either. Ajax didn't seem angry at all, just… perhaps defeated, even if his smile was warm.

“She didn't explicitly tell me why she wanted to break up. I suppose it didn't truly matter. I think I know why now, but that's something she'll have to tell you, in her own time.” He nodded as if agreeing with his own words. “Still, I know she'll be okay because she has you. I'm really glad Enid has you, Wednesday.”

Ajax, who had been some meters away from Wednesday, took a few steps forward, offering her his electric blue umbrella with a bright smile. Wednesday looked at him with a furrowed brow, confusion laced in her expression.

“Before you ask, Enid's umbrella flew away while we were talking.”

Shocked by his words, Wednesday turned around to look at the spot where Enid had discarded her bright pink umbrella, only to find it empty. Ajax laughed again, making a gesture for Wednesday to take the umbrella, the seer doing it after a moment, though hesitantly.

“I'm…” The words were heavy on her tongue, struggling to come out. Still, she forced them to. “Thank you.”

Ajax himself didn't seem to care about the rain either, water soaking his clothes in seconds, his beanie utterly wet. Still, he smiled, or rather, he beamed after hearing Wednesday’s gratitude.

“Don’t sweat it. Guess I'll see you around? Tell Enid I said hi.”

Putting both his hands inside the pockets of his sweatshirt, the gorgon finally turned around, walking with quick steps to take cover inside the academy. Wednesday watched him walk away until he disappeared from view inside the building.

“Wends… Was that Ajax? Also, why are you holding two umbrellas?”

It would be embarrassing of her to admit Enid's sudden appearance had almost startled her, Wednesday blinking as soon as she finally noticed it. Enid's smile was… 

Breathtaking.

Droplets of water fell down her cheeks and the sides of her head, blonde hair sticking to her forehead. It was as if the rain made her skin glow, her bright blue eyes a contrast to the gray of the rainy day.

It took her a minute to remember she was supposed to speak, Enid looked at her with amusement because of it, head tilted to the side.

“I apologize, Enid. I'm afraid yours flew away while the gorgon and I… chatted.” She sighed. “He gave me this umbrella, for you.”

Enid's furrowed brow was not enough to hide the curious glint in her gaze, head suddenly turning around to take a look at where Ajax had walked off to. It was only for a moment, as when she noticed there was no sight of the boy, she turned to face Wednesday once more.

“Well, that was nice of him,” she assured. “But, are you sure you just chatted? I mean, I know you kind of struggle to tolerate him and all that so—”

“If what you're asking is what I think you're asking, then, no, I did not argue with him, nor did I maim him.”

The smile quickly returned to Enid's face, her enthusiasm at the fact she and Ajax had been able to have a civil conversation despite the whole debacle with the breakup a few days ago being pretty evident.

“It's nice to see that you two are getting along!”

“Getting along is quite the stretch—”

“Shush, let me believe my best friend is getting along well with my other friend, it makes me feel better.”

Forcing herself not to grimace thanks to the pang in her chest that the words “best friend” caused her, Wednesday simply rolled her eyes and shut her mouth, a little bit too compliant. But oh well, it's not like it was a new discovery or anything of the sort.

“You know when I said ‘shush’, I wasn't actually telling you to shut up, right?” Enid's laugh was beautiful, the girl shaking her head in amusement while Wednesday felt her cheeks heat up. “Come on, let's find a place to leave the umbrellas, wouldn't want them to fly away this time.”

Before Enid could lead the way, Wednesday simply had to ask.

“You mean to leave your umbrella?”

“Technically it's Ajax’s, but no, I mean both of our umbrellas.”

“Why would I leave my umbrella?”

Enid's grin was just as pretty as ever, the girl pursing her lips for a moment right after, thinking about something. Wednesday patiently waited, truly awed by how little she seemed to care about the water, at least until Enid reached out, her hand hesitating right as it was about to take hold of Wednesday's umbrella.

“Can I?”

Always the gentlewoman, Enid asked for permission, though Wednesday wasn't entirely sure what for. Still, she couldn't do anything but quietly nod, Enid's hand wrapping around the shaft of the seer's umbrella, Wednesday instantly letting go of it so Enid could hold it instead.

“Want to join me under the rain, Wends?”

The feeling of water seeping through her clothes, making them feel heavier, along with the dampening of her hair was not something Wednesday had ever truly enjoyed. Sure, she could endure it if she needed to, but it wasn't something she liked, as the feeling of her clothes sticking to her skin was never the most pleasant. However…

Enid was simply staring at her, smiling from ear to ear as she patiently waited for Wednesday's answer, still holding the umbrella for her despite not needing to.

And yes, once again, she couldn't get herself to say no.

“Very well. But, only for a quick moment, if possible.”

Just seeing Enid's overly excited nod made it all worth it.

“You got it!”

Still making sure Wednesday was covered by the umbrella until the last moment, Enid led the both of them towards one of the quad benches, putting her umbrella under it, hoping that would stop it from flying away, the handle of it stuck between a wood plank. She did the same with Wednesday's right after, the seer having to blink a couple of times as the cold water drenched her from head to toe in a second. 

“Okay! That should do it! I hope…” Enid smiled at Wednesday and offered a hand for her to take. “Come on, I’m sure you don't care about the cold, right?”

Wednesday glared at Enid, who simply grinned at her own words, knowing that the little hint of a challenge in what she'd said would be enough to make the seer react. Plus, of course, it was true. Wednesday did not care about the cold, only a weakling like her brother would care about the coldness of the rain.

Which is why, she took Enid's hand, the werewolf pulling her closer before basically starting to run, Wednesday struggling to keep up with her at first. Fortunately, Enid never let go of her hand, her grip firm but gentle.

There, under the pouring rain, Enid made her run, made her twirl a few times as the werewolf laughed at her stumbles, made her jump on top of puddles that only got her even more wet every single time, Enid laughing loudly as if it was the funniest thing in the world. 

Wednesday and Enid moved little snails that were coming out because of the weather to better places, hoping they wouldn't end up squished by people when the rain finally stopped. Enid danced and Wednesday watched, amused, as the girl sang some of her favorite poppy tunes that Wednesday somehow recognized, giving the seer a wink at one time as she spun, the seer thankful that the cold water made it harder for her cheeks to heat up again.

Despite how long they stayed like that, running and jumping and spinning, Enid barely looked tired, Wednesday having to pause to take a breath after some time while Enid happily waited right next to her. Even if Wednesday had to take deep breaths to regain her footing, Enid simply smiled and enjoyed the feeling of the droplets falling down her hair and face, standing on the balls of her feet to playfully test her balance, chuckling when she almost fell once.

The Addams family thrived in dreadful weather. They sang while thunder roared in the background and enjoyed watching things fly due to heavy winds, but seeing Enid find such joy in just playing with water was… Curious.

“Why do you like the rain so much?”

Enid looked at her with a raised brow after hearing Wednesday's question, tilting her head to the side as she thought of her answer. It didn't take long, and the werewolf simply shrugged and smiled once more after a few seconds.

“I don't know, it feels like it cleanses you, like it washes away everything you may be thinking about at the moment. Maybe that's because all you can think of is that you're cold and wet, but,” Enid let out a giggle. “I'd like to believe there is a little magic involved, you know?”

As Wednesday just watched, listening to her in complete awe, Enid's smile slowly vanished, the girl pursing her lips and letting out a sigh.

“It makes it harder to see if you're crying, too…”

The image of a younger and softer Enid crying her heart out under the rain so that her tears would get confused with the droplets left a very unpleasant feeling in her stomach, Wednesday having to fight back a grimace. Enid, however, didn't let Wednesday think about it for too long, taking her hand and making her twirl once more without previous warning, laughing when the seer clumsily followed the werewolf's lead. 

For a moment, she lost her balance, Wednesday already getting ready to fall to the ground. Thankfully Enid had unusually good reflexes, and so she used one arm to pull her up and closer by the waist, their faces mere inches apart because Enid's first instinct was to press her against her chest. 

“Woah, easy there! Sorry, I think I got a little carried away.”

The sound of her heartbeat was loud against her ears, Wednesday unable to do anything but look at Enid's sky-blue eyes, the werewolf’s lips curling into a smile as soon as their gazes met. Enid had somehow gotten… Bolder, these past few days, and even now, as her other arm wrapped around Wednesday's waist, it was hard to know whether that bothered her or not, especially when her eyes refused to leave Enid's, and she held onto the fabric of her sweater with perhaps too much force.

Enid took a deep breath, slowly and gently pressing her forehead against Wednesday's, closing her eyes as she did so. The seer, who thought she would feel the urge to move by a gesture of this kind, instead found herself melting in Enid's hold, her shoulders dropping the tension and her grip on the blonde's clothes getting looser.

“You know you're like… really important to me, right Wends?” The feeling of Enid's warm breath on her face made her forget about the cold.

It was hard to know why Enid would say something like this out of the blue, the echo of Ajax's words, which had been the same, lingering inside Wednesday's mind as she memorized the little details on Enid's face. Those almost unnoticeable little freckles across her nose, the pinkish scars on her cheek…

Wednesday gulped, slightly terrified by the lack of control of her own body being this close to Enid made her have. 

“Yes…”

When Enid opened her eyes, looking like an infinite pool of blue up close like this, Wednesday had to fight back a sigh.

She could see, with the way Enid's lips were pursed, and with her slightly furrowed brow, that there was something on her mind, something she wanted to say. Wednesday waited, patiently, ignoring the weird urge she had for her gaze to go lower and lower…

But, instead of saying anything important, Enid sharply inhaled and pulled away, giving Wednesday a sheepish smile before letting the seer go, making sure she had regained her balance completely before doing so.

“Good. I just wanted you to know that.”

Truly, if it wasn't for the fact she forced herself to stand upright, Wednesday would've probably stumbled once again, her knees weak after whatever had just happened. Enid acted like she had not been mere inches apart from her a second ago, now trying to collect some water while using her hands as a bowl. 

Despite Wednesday’s confusion at her own body's strange reaction, Enid continued to be a great distraction. There were many things she had found out about her best friend these past few weeks, some of them things they hadn't even mentioned months ago before the break. It was like, every day, they got a little bit closer, Wednesday herself finding it harder and harder to hide things from her even if she wanted to.

“Want to know something?” Wednesday was glad Enid could catch her attention as easily as that. “I haven't really cried under the rain as much as I used to.”

Wednesday blinked, slowly, the loud beating of her heart distracting her for a second as Enid ran a hand across her blonde hair to try to make it stop sticking to her forehead.

“What… What changed?”

And when Enid's gaze finally met hers again, something intense in it that Wednesday could not decipher, that terrifying feeling came back again, settling in her chest, making her almost panic as if the ground had disappeared from under her feet.

Thrice. Enid had made her stumble three times today, which had to be a symptom of whatever was happening to her.

“I met you.” Enid's chuckle was like a soothing bell. “And I know it might sound strange. I mean, I cried a whole lot at first when we first met, didn't I?”

The grimace that appeared on Wednesday’s face was one she wasn't able to control, that drowning guilt coming back to her like a crashing wave. She would've stumbled backward again if it wasn't for Enid's firm grip.

“I apologize,” she let out, in between gritted teeth. Even now, it was still hard to say those words. “I was the one at fault for that.”

Enid's smile was still as bright as ever, and she decided to take Wednesday's hand again, pulling her a little closer.

“You know I forgave you for all that ages ago, right Wends?”

“I do, yes.”

“Then don't think too much. I forgave you, and to be honest, if it wasn't for all that, I probably would've continued being the doormat my mom thought I was. I feel like we both learned something despite it all.”

It was true, Wednesday knew it was, which is why she simply nodded. For the seer, it was still hard to accept that lesson, mostly because she was still in the process of learning it. Every day, she continued trying not to push away the people that had cared for her, and that, despite all her negatives, Wednesday cared for as well.

There was Bianca, who despite the countless challenges and few insults, had her back when it came to fighting against Crackstone. There was Eugene, her very first friend in Nevermore, who was never afraid of her and who despite her aloof nature, made sure to fight even after Wednesday failed him once. There was also Yoko and Divina, friends of Enid for the most part, who despite how many times Wednesday had gotten their friend upset, decided to still give her a chance. Unfortunately, there was also Xavier, who dared to fight alongside her even if that probably wasn't the best of ideas. Wednesday did not like Xavier, but he could respect that little thing, she supposed, even if it did end up with the seer having to take an arrow to the shoulder.

And of course, there was Enid, the most insistent of them all.

Sometimes, it was hard for Wednesday to accept the fact that Enid had given her this many chances. She had hurt her time and time again, lied to her multiple times, and yet, she still showed up at the most dangerous time to save her life. When Wednesday said she was forever indebted to Enid, she meant it.

Wednesday let out a groan when she felt Enid flick her forehead, which earned the werewolf a glare she quickly dismissed with a grin.

“I literally just told you not to think too much, but I guess that's impossible for you, huh?”

Perhaps the way she pouted was childish, but Enid seemed to find it amusing if her chuckling was anything to go by. However, her upbeat and nonchalant demeanor seemed to shift all of a sudden when her gaze landed on Wednesday’s again, icy blue eyes turning serious, lips now pursed. Wednesday waited patiently, one eyebrow raised, until Enid finally decided to speak.

“I spoke with my mom recently.”

The next glare Wednesday gave, was not directed at Enid, but rather at her mother, the mere mention of the woman making her blood boil. She really couldn't stand anything that had to do with Esther Sinclair.

“It has been entirely too long since the Addams family went werewolf hunting.”

Despite Enid's snort, there was obviously something that still bothered her.

“No killing my mother Wends. She's still the same as always, but I kind of held my own against her this time,” Enid made sure to nod to show her confidence, even if she still looked a bit upset. “Though, uh… I'm kind of a lone wolf now.”

There was a pause as Wednesday processed what Enid had just confessed, the seer thankful that the pouring rain was cold enough to temper her wrath, even if just slightly. The urge to take one of her hidden knives and march all the way to San Francisco just to find the wretched woman was hard to contain, Wednesday's face contorting into a furious expression.

“She—”

“Kicked me out of the pack, yes.” Enid sighed, sounding more defeated than anything. “But it's okay, I knew this would happen, be it sooner or later.”

Even under the heavy downpour, Wednesday could feel the slight shake of Enid's hands thanks to the fact she was holding one of them. Considering how Enid's grip became stronger, Wednesday supposed she was trying to hide it, to no avail.

The werewolf turned her head up towards the gray sky, closing her eyes for a moment as the rain hit her face without mercy. Wednesday simply waited, even if she was getting cold and the way her clothes felt heavy from the water they absorbed was starting to become uncomfortable. She was physically unable to let go of Enid, especially during such a vulnerable moment.

Wednesday wasn't exactly sure how to approach this. Enid was definitely upset, but then again, not a single tear left her eyes despite it all. She was eerily calm, excluding her shaking hands and tense shoulders.

And so, Wednesday did the exact thing Enid had wanted her to do. She stopped thinking too much, and she said the first thing she felt like saying.

“You will always have a home with the Addams, with me.” It came out like pleading, her anger turning into determination, determination to make sure Enid never felt so rejected ever again, not if she could do something about it. “I assure you, you will never be a lone wolf, not as long as I remain in this mortal plane.”

When Wednesday looked up at Enid again, she saw the werewolf staring directly at her, her eyes glossy as she tried to blink off the rain. The grip she had on Wednesday’s hand was almost painful, but in all honesty, it was pleasant despite it all.

“C-can I…” Enid took a deep breath, and Wednesday noticed right then and there, she was holding herself back from crying. “Can I hug you?”

Saying no was a possibility, Wednesday knew Enid wouldn't be mad, knew that she wouldn't push. And yet, she'd see her heartbroken expression and the light tremble of her lips, and it was as if her own heart was being cracked in two as well.

“You may.”

Instead of tackling her into a hug like Wednesday expected her to do, Enid took a small step forward and softly wrapped her arms around Wednesday's waist, pulling the smaller girl closer with a sigh. The werewolf hid her face in Wednesday's shoulder, all while the seer remained frozen in place with one hand awkwardly set on top of Enid's back.

“M’sorry, I know I shouldn't let what my mom does get to me but—”

Wednesday was quick to shake her head.

“You have every right to be upset, so don't berate yourself.”

Enid's hold tightened just a bit after hearing Wednesday's words, and she nodded, right on top of her shoulder. The seer could see Enid's hesitation, the girl wanting to keep on holding on, but choosing to let go after a few seconds despite it all, hands now clasped behind her back as she gave Wednesday a watery smile.

“I really don't know what I'd do without you, Wends.”

In truth, Wednesday didn't know what she'd do without Enid either. However, unlike the wolf, she didn't dare to say it out loud.

“Cry less, perhaps.”

The slight pull she felt on her lips was one she fought against, especially when Enid snorted just to let out a big cackle afterward as if she had not just been on the verge of crying a few seconds before.

“Wait… did you just make a joke ?”

Wednesday avoided her gaze, expression blank as always, but still playing along for a minute, the relief she felt as she saw Enid visibly looking happier than before being the only thing that made her continue making a fool of herself.

“Oh dear, it seems those ears of yours are failing you.”

Never did Wednesday even think she'd purposely try to make someone laugh, much less Enid, considering how they used to interact with each other back then. And yet, here she was, playing along with the blonde who took her hand once more and smiled in a way that made it seem like rain had stopped to make way for the sun.

Wednesday continued to come up with witty ways to respond to Enid's banter, both girls deciding that they had had enough rain for the time being. They sneaked their way back up to their dorm in Ophelia Hall with their soaked umbrellas in hand, more than aware that they'd probably be made to mop all the floors they wet with their dripping clothes if they were caught on the way back. Enid giggled while Wednesday tried to make her be silent as they walked, even if she knew it was to no avail. There was a shadow of a smile on her face, the seer purposely scolding the werewolf as she knew that would make her laugh even more. It was hard to know how they didn't get caught, but sometimes, she supposed luck just had to be on their side.

They took quick showers and decided to just hang out for the rest of the day, the sound of thunder outside being a surprise that made Enid jump, the girl sticking close to Wednesday as soon as they began.

“Yup! Those are loud! Those are very loud!”

Her nervous rambling was something Wednesday had expected, though she found it slightly funny that such a mighty wolf ended up being afraid of thunder. Unfortunately, that did mean Enid didn't let Wednesday get up from her very pink bed at all, the blonde clinging onto her arm as if it was a lifetime, Wednesday already aware of the fact that fighting against her werewolf strength would be futile.

So yes, they ended up lying in bed together, even covering themselves afterward when the sun started to set and the temperature dropped, Enid not caring about Wednesday's opinion as sleep took hold of her rather quickly after a good hour of jumping at the sound of every thunder.

And, as much as it pained Wednesday to admit it, now that she was comfortably snuggled under warm blankets, Enid lightly snoring next to her as the rain continued to pour outside, she could wholeheartedly say that she'd had… a pleasant day.

Rainy days had always been some of her favorites, but the reasons for that were entirely different than the ones that plagued her mind at that moment. She supposed that wasn't entirely terrible if she thought about it…

Wednesday had enjoyed having breakfast and quietly eating with Enid in the library while the rain became their background noise. She enjoyed standing under her umbrella as she watched in awe how the werewolf jumped and twirled and laughed without a care in the world under the heavy downpour. And, despite her later complaints and initial hesitation, Wednesday had also enjoyed the feeling of Enid taking her hand and making her jump and play under the rain.

But perhaps, the most important thing of all, the image that refused to leave her head despite how much she tried to shake it off, was how beautiful Enid looked simply standing under the pouring rain.

Wednesday thought of her glistening pale skin, and of the faint glow on her ocean blue eyes. She thought of her blonde hair that would stick to her skin and of those gorgeous scars that would get slightly stretched every time she smiled wider than ever, the knowledge that such a smile seemed to be reserved for her and only her making it so the seer could barely breathe when she first saw it.

It was confusing how something that seemed so normal, so utterly mundane, was enough to shake her world in this way, making it so that Wednesday felt like she was losing her footing for the first time in her life.

But then again, lately, it seemed that Enid held such a power over her, even if Wednesday still struggled to understand what that entailed, and why was it happening in the first place.

With a sigh, she forced herself to stop overthinking it all, taking advantage of the fact Enid was peacefully sleeping right next to her to admire her soft features and those still damp blonde locks of hers, a grimace adorning Wednesday's expression as soon as she noticed what she was doing.

Truly, the seer didn't know what she was doing, and at times, that was just as scary as not knowing what was happening to her.

All she knew right at that moment, as the pitter patter of rain continued to fill the silence and Enid snuggled closer to her, her damp hair surely to get Wednesday's neck wet, was that, after all this time, she had found an entirely new reason to love the rain.

Never did she ever think such a reason could be a person, much less Enid Sinclair.

Chapter Text

Wednesday felt her frustration grow with each passing day, the notion of getting nowhere with her investigation starting to truly bother the seer who still didn't know why her body reacted the way it did. The more she tried to fight back, and the more she tried to experiment, the more confused she felt, A single smile from Enid Sinclair was enough to make her resolve crumble in seconds, which just…

It just couldn't be a good thing, could it?

Completely unaware of the true nature of her feelings, and with every day that passed without Wednesday being able to find a solid answer to her doubts, that same frustration started to be laced with a dangerous sense of desperation. It shifted and festered inside her chest, slowly becoming a dark and ugly thing that, somehow, Wednesday found herself unable to be proud of. Not many things were enough to make Wednesday Addams truly angry, and yet, the lack of knowledge combined with the loss of control of her own body and mind, got her terrifyingly close.

The worst part was that she hadn’t even been able to investigate properly in the last few weeks.

There were so many things to do, so many affairs to handle, making it so that downtime became impossible to find. Most importantly, Wednesday’s parents were forced to make a quick visit to Nevermore after the seer informed them of Enid’s new lone wolf status. The Addams had a very long talk with their current principal and managed to stabilize the werewolf’s situation, thanks to their eagerness to contribute financially to her education as well as a few special protection programs that Nevermore had in place to support students in similar situations. The process was not anything extraordinary, especially since Enid’s poor excuse of a mother didn’t even try to fight anything, not even when some of their most esteemed family lawyers came knocking at her door with countless documents and some subtle death threats.

She signed everything, sent everything, and didn’t even comment at all, not even once.

When she learned about that fact, Wednesday didn’t know if it made her angry or not, at least at first. But then, she saw Enid’s expression after being given the periodical news that didn’t seem like news at all, and another seed of anger began to fester, to take root. 

Another problem was, that when Wednesday’s anger turned into a constant feeling, it became harder for the seer to distinguish to whom it was supposed to be directed.

At first, Wednesday let that anger fuel her, let it give her a better reason to spend more time with Enid, and tried to avoid the light in her smile from flickering with every little bump in the road to the werewolf’s freedom. It worked for a while, the still rather awkward attempts at ‘cheering’ her roommate up, and all the time they spent together now. Their shared breakfasts continued, and Wednesday accompanied the wolf to other mealtimes every once in a while, the words of a certain vampire still engraved in her brain like they were burned into it. Make an effort… That was all Wednesday was doing, she was making an effort.

However, the more time she spent with Enid, the more time she tried to cheer her up when she was down, and the more time she spent around her boisterous group of friends, the less she seemed to understand what was happening to her.

And that just could not be. Time, in this case, became a problem, a dangerous one.

So, when Wednesday’s curiosity finally blended in with her anger and frustration into an unbearable fire, the seer knew everything inside her was about to boil over, with no way to stop it.

Perhaps, she should’ve known, as soon as she woke up on that fateful day and tried to write new information in her investigation notebook, only to realize she had nothing of note to write down. Again . It started small, but started nonetheless, with a too-tight grip on what was probably her cheapest fountain pen—though perhaps, also her favorite, with some silly cobweb patterns on the plastic as well as a few anatomically incorrect skulls. A gift from Enid, of course—, grip that got tighter and tighter until something inside her snapped.

And suddenly, she had a pen snapped in half in her palm, fingers stained with black ink that trickled down onto the desk below.

Wednesday didn’t think then. She didn’t think about how she had just rendered the fountain pen she used the most unusable, or how she had managed to ruin a gift from Enid again . She didn’t even think to clean up the mess on her desk, nor her own hands that were now stained with drying ink. All she did was store her notebook back where it belonged and start to put on her winter boots.

Worried about so many things at once, distracted thanks to the countless things she’d had to do the past few weeks, the seer never took notice of the dropping temperatures, of the trees that now bared no leaves, of the dying flowers all around the forest, and the chilly nights.

She didn’t take notice, or rather, didn’t stop to think about the blanket of white, powdery snow that covered everything around Nevermore, nor of the stronger winds and the soft snowflakes that had started to fall rapidly without signs of stopping any time soon.

In fact, she thought of it as the perfect weather to cool down the fire in her veins, which was why she put on her coat, her black knitted gloves, and got ready to leave.

“Huh? Wends?”

Right in front of the door, Wednesday stood frozen in place for a second, and then slowly turned her head around to face Enid. She watched as the werewolf took out an earbud from one of her ears with pursed lips and a furrowed brow, a sign of her confusion. Wednesday felt the already familiar sensation of something skittering in her stomach once again as soon as she took in the sight, to her utter dismay. She clenched her hands into fists, knuckles turning white.

With a huff, Wednesday adjusted the scarf that was wrapped around her neck. “Yes, Enid?”

Wednesday watched as Enid sat up on her bed and stretched, more like a cat than the wolf she was. She ignored the girl’s curious glance towards Wednesday’s messy desk, as well as her dumbfounded expression that she somehow managed to change into a wolfish grin as soon as she turned her head around. Another pang inside her chest, and the seer’s anger only grew.

“Where are you going? You do know there’s supposed to be a storm today, right?”

A focused Wednesday would’ve known that, alas, she was not focused at all. Even so, she simply shrugged, not an ounce of worry present in Wednesday’s features, one of her hands resting on top of the cold, metallic doorknob. She was eager to go, not desiring such an asinine conversation.

“It’s the perfect kind of dreadful weather, then,” she answered, dryly. “Don’t wait for me, I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

“What do you mean you don’t—” When Enid saw Wednesday finally open the door, she jumped out of bed and scrambled towards her closet. “Wait! Wait a second, goddamnit!”

A deep breath. Wednesday forced herself to take a deep breath, slowly letting go of the doorknob despite not wanting to. She turned around fully now and watched as Enid hurried to take out a winter coat, a scarf of her own, and a pair of earmuffs. The werewolf threw everything without a care on her bed and took advantage of her freed hands to take out a pair of horrifyingly pink winter boots that made Wednesday grimace at the mere sight of them.

“If I may inquire, what are you doing?” There’s no softness in Wednesday’s voice now, just annoyance and defeat. “I don’t remember asking you for your company.”

When Enid finally closed the door of her closet, she made sure that Wednesday saw the exaggerated roll of her eyes. As always, she seemed unaffected by Wednesday’s attempts at snark.

“Well, I’m inviting myself on this impromptu winter trip, then,” she explained. “I might just want to take an ominous walk outside in the snow as well, how would you know otherwise?

Without even waiting for Wednesday to answer, Enid started to put on her warmer clothes, with the carelessness that defined most of what she did. Wednesday breathed deeply again, trying to temper her bubbling wrath that threatened to spill over, to burn everything around her indiscriminately.

Her anger wasn’t directed at Enid. She needed to remember that, to repeat it inside her head.

“What a coincidence that would be,” Wednesday tried to play along, to follow their usual banter. It felt wrong, however, it sounded fake to her ears. “Quite convenient on your part, as well.”

If Enid noticed anything about how strange her tone of voice sounded, she didn’t point it out, simply tilted her head and raised a brow. Still, she focused more on putting on her clothes, more specifically her boots now, as she had finished with everything else. Wednesday grew impatient, but when it came to Enid, all she could do was wait.

“Maybe it’s my lucky day.” She smiled despite it all, approaching Wednesday with the usual skip in her step. “How strange would it be if we ended up going to the same place? Totes not weird at all! Speaking of that, where are we going?”

She stood a few meters in front of Wednesday without a care in the world, balancing herself on the balls of her feet. Wednesday blinked, only once, her gaze slowly going down the werewolf’s figure and settling on those nausea-inducing pink boots of hers, an annoyed huff escaping the seer’s lips. Enid simply smiled, waiting, patient in the ways that truly mattered.

Wednesday took one step, then two, until there was barely any distance separating them both. She took notice of Enid’s surprise at this, as her shoulders lifted as well as her eyes widened, specks of pink coloring the girl’s cheeks now that Wednesday could see her face up close. There was something Enid wanted to say, her mouth opening, and yet, it closed again as soon as Wednesday met her gaze, as the seer’s furrowed brow remained.

When Wednesday kneeled, the squeal Enid let out was almost amusing.

“Were you planning on going out like this?” Her words lacked the bite that her previous statements had, both of her hands taking hold of the glittery shoelaces of Enid’s boots, which remained untied. “Foolish wolf.”

Enid kept her mouth shut for once in her life, a possibly involuntary gesture that Wednesday nonetheless appreciated. Focused on the task of tying Enid’s shoelaces, two perfect knots were crafted by the seer’s careful hands in just a few seconds. When Wednesday finally stood up, she wiped her hands on her winter coat, as if that alone could get rid of the… pinkness she had to touch to make sure the werewolf didn’t fall to an early grave by something as idiotic as tripping over her own shoelaces. Was that glitter in her hands now, somehow making the black ink that stained them seem brighter? 

It didn’t matter, they had other things to do, or rather, Wednesday did.

She had long accepted defeat, aware that changing Enid’s mind would be an impossible task. As such, she decided that she’d try to clear her mind out in the snow in spite of her company, confident that ignoring the werewolf’s attempts at conversation for an hour or two could be a feasible option. For now, however, she decided to humor Enid’s usual nosiness, a small movement of her head signaling her friend to follow.

“Quickly. The earlier we go outside, the more time we will have to slowly let our bodies approach the necessary temperature for hypothermia.”

She ignored how her honest observation only made Enid laugh and swiftly left their room to start the trip towards the Nevermore entrance gate. In other circumstances, Wednesday would’ve walked at a slower pace than her usual, to make sure Enid was able to keep up without trouble. There were many little things like that she did to let Enid stay close, to stay right beside her even when her instincts told her to leave the werewolf girl behind for her own convenience. She saved half of her breakfast sandwiches for Enid everyday, brought and extra pen to class in case Enid forgot to bring one of her own—something that happened more often than not—, and always made sure to keep a few sweet treats in the bottom drawer of her desk in case her roommate had a craving for sugar in the middle of the night.

So much of her routine, of her normalcy, had begun to build itself around the insufferable wolf she called a roommate and best friend, a sudden revelation that only made Wednesday walk even faster than before.

Enid had to jog for a second to catch up to her. “By the moon, for being so short, you sure can walk fast…”

As it had become usual between them, Wednesday’s glare was met with a smile from Enid, who intertwined their arms without even thinking about it, forcing Wednesday to slow down in one fell swoop. The seer groaned, one more blink escaping her as she looked at Enid’s wolfish grin just to end up avoiding her gaze. 

She didn’t have time for this. She didn’t have the patience for this. Not today.

The sky above them was gray, which made it seem later in the day than it actually was. The wind was stronger than what Wednesday had anticipated, and the cold it brought along with it made her face look more alive than she’d prefer, Enid having already pointed out how ‘cute’ she looked with rosy cheeks. Wednesday ignored her, deciding that biting her tongue in order to contain a hurtful retort was the best course of action. She was quiet, responding to Enid’s questions with no more than a nod or a simple ‘no’, all while she crouched on the snow with a small glass jar in her hands and a pair of metallic tweezers.

She was focused, or rather, tried to focus on something else that wasn’t that horrible feeling that continued to build inside her chest, her gaze carefully examining the snowy terrain of the forest that surrounded Nevermore. Wednesday didn’t take notice of the falling snow that had started to cover her clothes with a sheet of white snowflakes, nor of Enid’s concerned eyes that remained fixed on her back. She also didn’t care when she felt the wind start to pick up even more, reveling in the shiver it elicited from her.

“Uh, Wends, what were we doing out here again?”

Wednesday had finally found her target right when Enid asked that question, the seer accidentally picking it up with the tweezers too harshly on accident as soon as she heard Enid’s voice, an annoyed ‘tsk’ leaving her lips when she noticed the now dead bug in the tool’s grasp. What a shame, how annoying.

One more time, she paused. One more time, she took a deep breath. This time, she wasn’t able to pinpoint whether her racing heart was caused by her unexplained feelings or her perpetual anger.

“I am looking for specimens of the Capniidae family,” she responded, matter-of-factly. “Most specifically, those commonly known as winter stoneflies.”

She gave it another try, as another unlucky stonefly decided to cross her line of sight at that exact moment, Wednesday managing to pick it up with the tweezers with careful yet precise movements. The feeling of Enid’s gaze on her back made Wednesday feel… unbearably warm, in a way that rendered her unable to fully enjoy the freezing temperatures. Still, she swiftly introduced the bug inside the glass jar in her hands and closed the lid.

For a moment, Wednesday let herself observe the small insect jump around the improvised enclosure, finding nothing but glass walls and the notion of an impossible escape. It almost made Wednesday smile, but what kind of scientist would she be if she didn’t have multiple specimens to compare? There were more insects to collect.

“Stoneflies… So, flies? You’re just picking up flies?” It was surprising not to hear Enid’s usual tone of distaste when referring to insects. “Huh. I expected something more spooky than a bug-catching session.”

Even the smallest things were starting to tick Wednesday off, something the girl should already be used to. However, when it came to Enid, she knew that the gestures and words that would usually be enough to bother Wednesday if they came from anybody else, could end up seeming endearing . That was her new normal, and whether Wednesday liked that or not, she wasn’t sure. However, the fact that Enid’s presence was bothering her said a lot about her current state, and how dangerous it was to have let the werewolf follow her along.

But, she couldn’t get herself to say no. Why had she been physically unable to do so?

“Winter Stoneflies are not just flies, Enid.” Wednesday carefully picked up a second insect with her tweezers. “They are exceptionally unique creatures. While most insects either migrate, seek shelter, or remain dormant during the winter months, Winter Stoneflies emerge specifically when the rivers start to freeze up, swimming up to the surface to make their way through the snowy landscapes.”

Aware that she’d have to be fast to make sure the new stonefly she caught was safely inside the jar before the other one tried to make its escape, she set the jar on top of the snow to be able to use both of her hands. Wednesday pursed her lips, quietly calculating whether she’d be able to correctly perform such a maneuver. Her gaze, finally, found Enid.

“Not many insects manage to survive in such extreme conditions. In fact, a good chunk of stoneflies themselves die while making their way up from the bottom of the rivers they hatch in,” she explained, deciding to take the glass jar in her free hand again. “And still, they continue to swim up, and every year, here they remain, crawling through the snow.”

A thought had been lodged inside her head since the first time she took an interest in stoneflies, since usually, Wednesday preferred to search for more deadly insects, or in most cases, for arachnids. However, there was a sense of admiration that grew within her as she read about those small, yet resilient insects. They weren’t the best swimmers, nor did they fly very well, but that didn’t stop them. She had always been attracted to the creatures that managed to persist despite the circumstances, from the flowers that bloomed and thrived even in harsh terrains, to the animals that evolved to find sustenance in unorthodox ways to keep surviving. Sometimes, and only sometimes, she would get drawn, as well, to insects like these, tiny, helpless things that nevertheless, fought with what little they had to continue on.

Her mother had told her, a long time ago, that some of the strongest and most beautiful flowers, sometimes managed to grow even if everything around them wanted them not to. Wednesday, probably eight or nine years old at the time, responded by saying that they seemed to grow in spite of it.

Winter stoneflies, wolf spiders, snowdrops… Why did all of those marvels of nature have to remind her of Enid?

Enid, who still wore the most colorful clothes she could find and preferred upbeat music, who smiled at everyone she came across no matter who it was or even where she was. Sweet, caring Enid, who dared to see through Wednesday’s snark and cold demeanor and fight to see what was waiting on the other side, who held what little the seer gave her gently, close to her chest. She was patient, she was kind, and she somehow became all that despite how terrible her home life had been.

A flower that bloomed in a wasteland, that was Enid, or perhaps a winter stonefly who managed to swim up the frozen rivers to make it to the surface. She supposed Enid wouldn’t love the comparison to an insect, but Wednesday couldn’t help it, which was why even when she felt on edge, shoulders stiff and her jaw tense, she tried to listen and speak with Enid. The werewolf deserved it.

“Enid,” the girl, who had patiently waited for Wednesday to speak again, smiled as soon as she heard her name called. “May I ask for your assistance?”

Like a sunrise in the middle of the storm, Enid’s eyes lit up in a second, the girl somehow managing to skip her way over on the snow and towards Wednesday. The werewolf crouched right next to her, and their shoulders touched. The seer felt her cheeks heat up, annoyingly so.

“So, what do you need?” Enid asked, her tone of voice softer because of their proximity. “As long as I don’t have to like, pick up a bug with my bare hands, I should be fine.”

With a roll of her eyes, Wednesday offered the closed-off jar to Enid, who held it in her hands without even asking. She observed the insect inside with curious eyes for a moment, almost sticking her nose on top of the glass for some stupid reason, a huff that masked the seer’s urge to chuckle being all that escaped from her lips.

“Hold it carefully. When I tell you to, I want you to open the lid, but not fully, just enough so that I can insert this second specimen inside,” she explained. Enid nodded enthusiastically. “After that, you’ll need to close it quickly.” 

With a completely unnecessary military salute on Enid’s part, the werewolf did exactly as told. She held the jar with both hands now, one of them carefully placed on top of the lid so she could open it on demand. Once again, that familiar expression of concentration appeared on her face, an overly furrowed brow, a scrunch of her nose, the tip of her tongue peeking out of her lips, all with a speck of pink on her cheeks thanks to the cold weather.

“I’ll be so fast, the fastest bug catcher in the wild west, just you wait and see,” she joked, and Wednesday scoffed. “These stoneflies don’t got anything on me, partner.”

“I don’t know if you noticed, cowboy, but the bug is already caught.”

To demonstrate that fact, Wednesday lifted the hand that held her metallic tweezers, the insect still trapped in between them. Enid winced at the sight, but then smiled again.

Wednesday let herself calm down, let herself settle a little bit into the familiar teasing that a lot of their conversations consisted of. She tried, really hard, to push the worst of her thoughts to the back of her mind, where they couldn’t reach the girl right next to her, where they couldn’t spill out from her mouth and ruin Enid’s bright smile, all without the need of a single knife.

The seer had learned long ago that sometimes, words were enough to carve wounds that never truly healed.

“Is it really caught if it isn’t trapped yet?” Enid tried to rile her up, as usual. “I’m just saying, you always say to be mindful of the details.”

“Details, of course,” Wednesday rolled her eyes again. “Stop the nonsense and get ready, I doubt you’d want to stay here if the storm gets worse.”

And it was getting worse. The wind had picked up again, and both she and Enid were covered almost from head to toe in powdery snow that would surely make their clothes damp. As if on cue, a shiver ran through Enid’s body, the girl grimacing for a second and looking around, towards the seemingly endless trees on every side of them, and the sun that was nowhere to be seen, covered up by clouds that made the skies turn gray. If Wednesday had calculated the time correctly, it should still be early in the afternoon, which meant that if the weather continued to get worse, by the time the sun started to set, it would be closer to a blizzard.

“Yeah… I’m starting to get cold myself, which is really weird,” Enid said, in between gritted teeth. “So, I’ll be waiting for your signal! By the moon, that was so cool to say.”

Strangely amused, Wednesday didn’t have the heart to tell Enid there was no signal, so she simply nodded, waiting until Enid got back into position. 

In an effort to have more control over her grip, Wednesday used her teeth to take the glove off her free hand, switching the tweezers from one hand to the other, the feeling of the metal against her skin making it easier to hold the instrument. The cold was quick to seep into her skin, but that didn’t stop her.

The seer brought the caught insect closer to the lid of the glass jar, slowly, carefully, her pulse as steady as a surgeon’s, not letting the strong winds and the falling snow ruin her goals for the day. With ink and glitter-stained hands, she used her knees to move forward a little, closing the already minimal distance between them just a little bit more. She ignored the rapid beating of her heart, her eyes quickly finding Enid’s light blue gaze, and nodding.

At first, it looked like everything would go swimmingly.

Enid did exactly as told, opening the jar’s lid in a quick movement, but not all the way, leaving just enough space for Wednesday to stick the stonefly that remained in the grip of her tweezers without a problem. It’s when the wind suddenly picked up, almost violently, that everything started to crumble, little by little.

A strong gust of wind seemed to push them both, and though Wednesday managed to put one hand down on the snow to keep her balance, Enid wasn’t so lucky.

While Wednesday had ended up with one knee on the ground for more stability, Enid hadn’t moved from her crouching position, so the winter air pushed her back without her having a chance to hold steady. She fell backwards unceremoniously, her knitted hat carried away by the wind. The glass jar in her hands that she never got to close up slipped from her fingers and ended up wide open on the snow, a collective gasp escaping from both of their lips.

“No… No!” Wednesday scrambled to pick up the jar with her gloved hand, while his other one pathetically clawed at the snow to try and catch the two stoneflies that were quickly buried under the snow. 

Enid, right behind her, tried to do the same, the distress evident in her wide eyes and her grimace, the girl letting out a very dog-like whine as soon as she noticed her efforts would be futile.

The following seconds felt endless.

Wednesday heard nothing but the sound of her racing heartbeat, of the cold wind that only got stronger, and both of their ragged breaths.

Her bare hand was getting numb from the cold, but that didn’t stop Wednesday from balling her hand into a fist, gripping a handful of snow that covered the dried stains of ink and the pink glitter that had stuck from Enid’s shoelaces. She took a deep breath, and another, and then one more, but nothing could get her to calm down, nothing could get the fire in her veins to slow down.

“Wends…?” Enid’s voice was small and soft, laced with a worry directed at her that Wednesday hadn’t heard in a while. “Shit. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine.”

It wasn’t fine. Wednesday knew that nothing was fine ever since she woke up that morning, her frowns coming easier, and the words that came to her out of instinct harsher than usual. She should’ve known from the beginning that this was a losing battle, but a part of her, a very small, but still present part of her, wanted to believe that she could be better, that she could temper her own wrath and stop it from building, from leaking out of her and burning everything around her like a wildfire. But, perhaps she hadn’t changed as much as she had led herself to believe. Maybe she hadn’t changed at all.

Still, she tried, she tried so hard to spare Enid from this all-consuming fire.

It had been something small, in the end, something that, in the grand scheme of things, was utterly inconsequential. It was two insects that he could try and catch again, was it not? However, the loss of what she had tried to do to focus her mind on something other than her confusing feelings and the frustration that came with them, only brought the worst of her thoughts to the forefront once more, enough so that Wednesday had to bite her tongue so hard, she instantly started tasting copper.

Wednesday wasn’t mad at Enid, she simply could not bring herself to be, but she had never once learned to keep her anger contained and directed to the person deserving of it. She was angry at herself, she was angry at her lackluster investigation, she was angry at Esther and all the pain she had inflicted on Enid, but, as always, she found herself unable to keep it all at bay when needed.

Since she was a child, Wednesday had always found it hard to keep herself from letting her anger out on others. She would lose a precious item, fail at an experiment she had planned for days on end, or end up throwing her attempts at poetry into the trash when they didn’t meet her extremely high expectations, and everything would sizzle and boil over inside her.

Wednesday’s anger manifested in many ways, from childish pushes to her father and hurtful words towards Pugsley, to scathing glares directed at her mother and impossible orders thrown at Lurch. When Wednesday became angry, when ire consumed her fully, the Addams family manor shook in her wake, the stomping of her boots around the ancient halls echoing like war drums that set a shuddering rhythm of disaster, the seer ready to scorch the ground she walked on to ashes, completely disinterested in the harm that could be done to whoever stood in her path. It was ugly, it was messy, and it was everything Wednesday had been told she was by others since she was a kid. It was selfish, it was cruel, and it made her a monster, because what else could Wednesday be at those moments when all she could think about was hurting, and hurting, and hurting just a little more to extinguish the fire in her heart?

And when all was set and done, when all that was left was the wounds she had inflicted on others, she was left with nothing but a bitter taste in her mouth and a pool of unending guilt that created a hole inside her chest. She’d walk slowly, humiliated, trying to mend the broken things with silent, apologetic gestures, sewing back Pugsley’s torn-apart toys or letting his father win at their fencing bouts, serving Lurch a warm cup of tea or carrying her mother’s spellbooks down to her divination room. It worked with them, because they were her family, and they knew that Wednesday regretted those moments more than anything, but, it didn’t work with other people, how could it?

How would strangers ever believe that she was anything other than a cruel, insensitive villain when that was all she had ever shown them?

“Look, I'm really… really sorry. I probably should've held it tighter, o-or something. I can help you catch another two if you want! I'll even use my hands if I have—”

“I said it's fine.”

Wednesday's movements were stiff, almost robotic. With her back now given to Enid, she got up quickly and used her gloved hand to swipe the snow off her clothes, tweezers now discarded on the ground. She stared at the endless white in front and around them both, her expression blank, though her grip on the glass jar only tightened, her knuckles turning white.

She sighed, eyes once again focused on the snow-covered ground.

“You should go back to the dorms, Enid,” Wednesday suggested, words sounding flat, more emotionless than usual. “The storm will only get worse.”

Even now, she was trying . Wednesday was desperately trying to get Enid as far away from her as possible, so she wouldn't have to see what the seer could become if she let her feelings take over. She wanted to spare her the pain, the hurt that was sure to arrive, even more so considering that, in a way, she was the root of most of her current afflictions. Wednesday didn't want to hurt her, not anymore, but if she wasn't left alone soon, she wouldn't be able to stop herself.

“I mean, it's not too bad.” Enid was lying. She had seen her shiver before, and as Wednesday turned around to see her again, she saw how the werewolf looked worriedly around for her missing hat. “I'm a werewolf, we run pretty hot, you know?”

If only she weren't so unbelievably stubborn.

“And I'm an Addams. A pathetic snowstorm will not be enough to lead to my demise,” she countered, and her frown deepened. “I will do what I came to do, and I'll go back to the dorm afterwards. You don't have to stay here.”

“But I want to,” Enid was quick to answer. She took a step forward. “I don't want to leave you alone in the middle of a storm! I would just worry myself to death.”

“Your worry is unwarranted,” she bit back. “And utterly unwanted.”

“Come on, Wends… I'll just stand in a corner if that's what you want, I just want to make sure you go home okay.” One more step. The gap between them became smaller. “It's just… You seem a little on edge today.”

The implication almost made her laugh, but not the kind of warm, bubbly laugh that would make its way up her throat unpleasantly after one of Enid's stupidly endearing comments, no. It was a burning in her chest, an itch that made her throat feel sore, a feeling so bitter she could almost taste it on her tongue. 

“On edge, you say?” Her voice was laced with sarcasm. “I have no idea what you may be referring to.”

Enid looked genuinely shocked after hearing Wednesday's words, be it because of the words themselves or because of how she said them, Wednesday wasn't sure. Still, she blinked repeatedly, the confusion showing in her wide eyes, in the following furrow of her brow, and the scrunch of her nose. 

“Are you… Why are you lying to me?” There was a crack in Enid's voice, one that sent a pang of something unpleasant straight to Wednesday's chest. “I thought we were past this already.”

Wednesday's frown deepened, and she stood right there in silence for seconds that felt like an eternity. Because she, too, had believed they were past all this. Wednesday had made the mistake of believing a part of her had changed, that her effort alone would be enough to be the person Enid wholeheartedly believed she was, deep down. 

She should've known from the beginning that such a notion was a hopeless dream.

“You set your expectations higher than you should have,” she dismissed, avoiding Enid's sky blue gaze. “That was your first mistake.”

Enid shook her head instantly, desperate, eyes pooling with tears. Her emotions were, as always, felt strongly, in that brave way Enid had of dealing with them, never afraid of letting tears fall no matter what. Her breath picked up speed, and her hands unconsciously reached out just to stop mere centimeters away from Wednesday, the fear that settled in her features one she hadn't seen since… since the day Enid left.

“Look, I-I don't know what's going on. I don't understand.” Enid blinked away the tears that had started to form.“Are you okay, Wends? Did something happen? Because I have a feeling this isn't just because of stoneflies.”

“Yes. You are right. This isn't just because of stoneflies.” Wednesday rolled her eyes. “However, it is none of your business.”

“But it is my business. I'm your friend, and I want to help. You have helped me so many times. Why won't you let me help you as well?”

Almost violently, Wednesday shook her head, as if she had the gall to deny Enid's words and intentions.

“I don't want you here. I don't need you here. I thought I made myself clear. Why then, do you refuse to leave me alone, you insufferable wolf?”

Her own words made Wednesday grimace, and the way Enid flinched wasn’t lost to her either. It wasn’t the first time Wednesday used such a moniker, though it was usually laced with an underlying softness, one that often made Enid laugh. This time, it came out sharp, like she truly meant it, and if Enid’s saddened gaze was anything to go by, the girl believed her.

But Enid was used to this kind of thing, even though she shouldn’t be, and so she just shook her head as if to shake off her feelings, a determined glint in her eyes now present that only managed to rile Wednesday up even further. 

Why did nothing work? Why was she still here?  

“Because I worry about you, damn it!” Enid’s voice rose to match Wednesday’s, a raw hoarseness in it that showed her desperation. “I don't… I don't know why that's so hard to understand. And, maybe you don't like it, but I still do, and I thought that we— that you were finally coming around to letting other people show that they care about you. Wednesday, I care about you.”

I care too, so much… I care so much it makes me angry, I care so much it terrifies me, I care so much I don’t know what to do with all of this inside me. I don’t know how to hold it all in my hands, I don’t know how it’s supposed to even fit in them, if I’m supposed to hold it close to my chest or let it fall, if it’s supposed to burn or if it’s supposed to be cold to the touch. I care, I care, I care…

Wednesday wasn’t good at saying what she meant. She wasn’t good at expressing what she truly felt, and, most of all, when her feelings became so complex they seemed to have a mind of their own inside her mind, she didn’t know how to face them properly. Enid in front of her was beautiful, terrifying, and confusing all at once, and Wednesday was angry, frustrated, and so scared.

What else was she supposed to do? What else could her body do when she wanted to scream, she wanted to run, and she wanted to hold Enid’s hands all at the same time?

“I don’t want you to care.” Her voice sounded foreign to her ears for a second, reminiscent of how it was the day she first stepped foot in Nevermore. “I never did, Enid. Why haven’t you figured that out already?”

The disbelief on Enid’s face made Wednesday’s blood run cold for a second, and yet, the seer didn’t back down.

“We are not a team. We are not partners. We are not besties or whatever nauseating illusion you have managed to muster up inside that head of yours.” Was she trying to convince Enid, or herself? “I don’t need you, Enid, so stop following me along like a stray dog.”

“B-but I thought… I thought you changed your mind,” Enid shook her head, every part of her looking for a solution, trying to find an ounce of a different truth behind hurtful Wednesday’s words. “I thought we worked.

“Well, you thought wrong! ” Wednesday’s tone of voice rose along with her exasperation, her grimace almost painful, and her face reddened not because of the cold or the strange feeling she still couldn’t name, but because of the anger that kept on burning, burning, and burning. “You don’t… You don’t know anything about me. I don’t know anything. I can’t even stop thinking about useless things every day, or doing the most pathetic of activities just because… Just because…”

The knot inside her throat grew, the seer having to gulp so she wouldn’t do something as idiotic as crying. Her frustration made her make use of their unwanted proximity, Wednesday taking hold of the collar of Enid’s winter coat that was hidden under her scarf, tightly, Enid’s gaze mirroring the hurt that the whimper she let out at the contact showed. She let out a sigh then, her grip loosening, but she didn’t let go, not yet.

Instead, she let herself stare at those pools of light blue, the same ones that had tormented her thoughts and made her do things she would’ve never done otherwise, as if trying to show that no, this time, she wouldn’t be as weak as before. 

“It’s all because of you.” If Wednesday’s voice cracked, Enid ignored it. “It’s all your fault. You are a… A poison for my mind, a curse for my body and soul, and the absolute bane of my existence.”

It was strange. It felt strange how those words came out more like a plea at a certain point, an almost whiny intonation to it in the middle that in any other circumstance, Wednesday would’ve been embarrassed by. This time, however, it only made her huff, her hands letting go of the collar of Enid’s shirt with the last ounce of gentleness left in her. It was like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, as if she had said all there was to say while also saying nothing at all. 

She didn’t have time to think of the slight but still present sensation of newfound relief that such a confession gave her, because what left Enid’s mouth afterwards weren’t more words to try and defy her, no, it was a sob.

Wednesday watched closely as the clear skies in Enid's gaze became obscured. There were no vibrant oceans anymore, but swirling, grayish clouds that mirrored the storm around them. It was colder than the rising winds, a violent gust that traveled through her skin and directly to her chest.

“You know, Wends? After all this time, I genuinely believed that you understood me better than anybody. I thought that you… I thought you were the person I wanted to have next to me for the rest of my life.”

Enid managed to smile, barely, but it was simply a small, broken thing, one that nevertheless managed to convey her sincerity, a sincerity that Wednesday, however, couldn’t bring herself to believe.

The werewolf took a deep breath, swallowed the tears, and let a scowl take over her features, even though it looked like it pained her to do so.

“I thought you cared about me, just as much as I care about you. Because I do care, I care a lot, so much that it actually hurts.” There was a predatory glow in Enid's eyes, an icy gray one Wednesday hadn't seen since the night of the blood moon. Her fangs were out now, her scowl only showing them further. “I’m sorry I caused you so much trouble, really. I'm fucking sorry I even dared to think you cared about me. I’m sorry that bothers you so much.”

Wednesday couldn’t manage to look Enid in the eye anymore, not when there was an intensity in her gaze that made her heart skip a beat and the air leave her lungs. She clicked her tongue, let her scowl deepen, and turned her head to the side, mist leaving her nose and mouth with every breath.

Until the shame that trickled down her body brought with it a weight so similar to something, and Wednesday’s thoughts screeched to a halt.

Wednesday’s eyes widened, and she turned around to face the werewolf once more, the sound of her racing heart unbearably loud against her ears. A part of Enid’s words got the gears inside her head churning, a tinge of… familiarity able to put a full stop to the seer’s angered thoughts and spiteful words. 

She had heard those words before, but when? 

It took her a bit to notice, but then she tried to move one of her feet just to fail because of how much her boots sank into the snow, and everything started to click, like pieces of a puzzle making way to the worst of revelations, the picture it created a horrid one Wednesday had been too distracted, too angry to fully notice until was too late.

Because this heavy, almost oppressive feeling inside her chest that anchored her in place even more than the snow could, and the claws of fear that hung onto her heart and her thoughts, were also familiar.

Wednesday had felt this way before. She had felt herself sinking, drowning, swallowed by the coldness her words created and the crack in between herself and Enid that appeared by her own doing. She had felt the same tears pooling in her eyes as she noticed, too late, what she was doing, that she was pushing away the person she cared about the most in this godforsaken place because of her shortcomings. She felt stupid… How had she not noticed earlier?

The vision.

It was like the air had been stolen from her lungs, like the fire inside her chest had been suffocated until simply cold ashes remained. The cold was quick to seep through her skin and lodge itself deep inside her very bones, and suddenly, Wednesday found herself missing the warmth that Enid was able to share with her by simply standing near her. It was getting harder to breathe, and… Were those tears falling down her cheeks?

“Why do you want me to hate you so badly?” Because it’s easier for me to believe that you hate me.

Wednesday could see how quickly Enid deflated, her eyes losing their supernatural glow and her sharp fangs hiding inside her mouth once more. She could almost hear the pain that laced every single one of Enid's words, could almost feel it with the same intensity. The werewolf sniffled, and her shoulders dropped, defeated.

A snuffed-out candlelight, a bright morning sun forcefully covered by the winter clouds, or a flickering lightbulb that was running out of power by the second. There was no more light in Enid's gaze when Wednesday searched for it once more. All she saw was a dull, grayish blue that was almost devoured by the black of her pupils.

She had done this. Wednesday had made it her mission before to punish anyone who even dared to think of dimming Enid's bright disposition, all to end up being the one to do it in the end. She had caused this. This was all her fault.

“Enid…”

When, with shaky steps, Wednesday finally managed to be the one to step forward, Enid was the one to take one backwards.

Was this the feeling her vision had tried to show her so desperately? Was it the feeling of knowing there was nothing she could do to fix this, that even if she lifted her boots to trudge through the snow, if she crawled her way through it, nothing would change?

Wednesday knew that there was nothing she could do. Her visions had never been wrong, no matter how cryptic they could show themselves to be. Enid would leave her, she would turn her back to her and walk away no matter what she said, or what tried to do to stop her. No matter how much she cried or begged, her decision would stay the same. Enid would leave her, again.

And it was her fault, of course it was.

“No, I get it.” Her nod was weak, but the resignation in her voice was noticeable. “I know you don't want me here. I'm sorry.”

“Enid, please, I—” Was it foolish of Wednesday to even try? Maybe, but it was as if something in her pulled at her to do so, something that had lodged itself deep inside her chest and almost forced her to, painfully so.

“I won't bother you anymore, I promise.” Slowly, Enid walked a few steps to the side, picking up her blown-away knitted hat from the ground. “Never again.”

There was a heavy weight of finality to Enid's last statement, the kind that made it feel like the werewolf was hammering the final nail to the coffin that became Wednesday’s heart. It would've hurt less for the girl to insult her, to get angry at her again, to scream and pick apart her flaws like she had done the first time. But, no, there was none of that. All there was, were whispered words in between sniffles, and the soft, crunchy sound of Enid's boots on the powdered snow as she walked away, not sparing Wednesday a single glance as she did so.

As her voice refused to work any longer, probably because of the mortifying, almost suffocating feeling of panic that bubbled up her chest and throat, Wednesday tried to follow. She tried to walk towards her once more, but, as if the universe wanted to laugh at her misery, one of her boots remained stuck in the snow as she tried to take a step, making her fall to her knees involuntarily. Wednesday let out a whimper when she hit the ground, and so, she resigned herself to what seemed to be her fate. She watched. Wednesday watched, without blinking once, as Enid slowly, but surely, walked further and further away from her.

Never again. Never again. Never again. The words echoed inside her head, bounced around so she could almost hear them with terrifying clarity again and again. A loop, it was, the worst she could've stumbled upon.

It didn't take long for Wednesday to be unable to see the back of Enid's bright pink winter coat from where she was, the strong winds that lifted up the snow on the ground creating a sort of winter fog that obscured a lot of her vision. Still, her eyes remained fixated on the same spot Enid had left from for what felt like hours. Maybe it was hours. How could Wednesday know otherwise?

The sun was starting to set. The skies once gray were slowly painted with muted yellows, oranges, and reds, and it was somehow one of the most beautiful things Wednesday had ever seen, even when the storm was merciless and the continuous thumping of her heart became painful. With ragged breaths, she finally set her eyes above, trying to remember the colors that reminded her of someone she had managed to push away all over again.

As the snow covered her clothes and her skin, Wednesday stood up and stumbled her way through the forest, every step somehow heavier, harder, a feeling that she found mirrored inside her chest. She could feel her heartbeat inside her head, loud, louder than anything she had ever heard. She could feel her tears that wouldn’t stop falling freeze in the cold just to thaw as soon as new ones took their place. It felt like her body was angry at her, and like her heart was struggling to beat correctly without the soft rhythm of Enid’s breaths to follow along. Wednesday felt colder than she had ever felt before, and yet, her thoughts continued to melt inside her head, an uncomfortable warmth settling in between the cold that made her both sweat and shiver at the same time.

With her vision blurry because of the tears, her hands somehow managed to find the thick trunk of a tree. Whether she had walked for minutes or hours, she didn’t know. Wednesday turned around and rested her back against it, letting herself fall down onto the ground after that, ignoring the way her clothes slowly got wet because of the snow, the back of her head now on the tree trunk as her eyes remained fixed on the darkening sky. Did time pass slowly or quickly? Wednesday didn’t know. She didn’t know anything.

The last time Wednesday let herself sob, let herself wail and scream, she had been only six years old, and Nero lay dead at her feet. Now, at sixteen, Wednesday found herself doing it all over again, for the tears wouldn’t stop and her frustrations found a new outlet now that the sun in her life was gone. Wednesday cried, and she screamed, and she did so until she had no more tears left to spill and her throat became sore. She held her head in her hands, an unbearable headache taking over it by now, hammering into it without an ounce of pity and making the girl wince, the pain, somehow, the only thing anchoring her to that moment in time.

She could feel that familiar hole slowly form inside her chest, and the unending guilt that came with it, once again. It was painful, it always had been. However, there was something different this time, an emptiness so strong it made Wednesday feel like someone had ripped a part of her heart completely, like Enid had taken it along with her as she left, grasped it in her claws, all while Wednesday was simply left behind to bleed out in the snow, coloring the blanket of deep white with a dark crimson.

Wednesday had done a terrible thing, and it seemed like every part of her was eager to let her know that. It was as if something deep inside of her, something ancient that ran through her veins, that made her blood burn uncomfortably, was screaming at Wednesday to notice before it was too late for her to do so. But, too late for what? And, what was that old, powerful thing that had bound her heartbeat to the colorful werewolf’s very own?

No matter how hard she tried to focus on those questions, Wednesday couldn’t seem to find the answers to them inside her head. Even after all this time and all this growing frustration inside of her, she remained empty handed, left to try and traverse a dangerous path while unable to see what was right in front of her, given the choice to take the plunge and fall down the void without knowing what awaited her at the bottom. That is, if there was even anything at all.

Her eyes found their way to the sky once again, the dark mantle of the night the first thing that greeted her upon first glance. She looked to the stars in search of unexpected answers, and found none, ignoring the crescent moon that reminded her of how the eyes of a roommate of hers looked every time she smiled, a trail of dry tears staining Wednesday’s cheeks and reflecting the little moonlight that bathed the snowy landscape with a muted glow. Wednesday felt like the air itself had been stolen from her lungs. It wasn’t because of the beautiful sights in front of her.

Once upon a time, perhaps, Wednesday would have found some solace in a situation like this. In the end, a lonely visit to a forest on a stormy night with nothing but a small amount of moonlight to illuminate her path was, in theory, a dreadful sort of nighttime escapade, the sort that she would seek in order to isolate herself from the woes of interacting with the masses. Maybe, she would’ve been proud of having managed to push someone away like she had just done with Enid, with the undeserved cruelty that was directed at the colorful wolf. Possibly, she would’ve been able to push past the bitter taste it left in her mouth and the guilt that threatened to suffocate her, would’ve reveled in the merciless storm that surrounded her, and smiled at the powerful winds that threatened to make her stumble when on her feet.

Instead, Wednesday sniffled. She hugged her knees close to her chest and hid her face behind them. She shivered, pathetically so, even when her body felt hot and the blood that flowed through her veins did too. She was alone, finally. Maybe, Goody had been right back then, and she was right now as well. Perhaps, it was truly her fate to be alone for the rest of her existence, no matter how long it ended up being, but then again, calling her selfish actions that led to all this simply fate felt just as wrong as everything that had happened today.

It had been her fault, after all, hadn’t it?

Would Enid be better off without her? Would she be able to blossom and glow far away from her perpetual shadow and her broken promises? Would she become the beautiful flower she had always been fated to become?

With a sigh, she closed her eyes and exhaled, letting the burning in her body and the painful feeling in her chest take her away just for a little while, the squashed remains of one of the stoneflies she had once picked up so gently stuck to the soles of Wednesday’s boots.

Around her, she could hear the storm rage on… 

Or was that just the thunderous rumbling inside her chest?