Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Enid first notices it at the end of the day. She comes into her–well, their, now–room to find Wednesday at the window, carefully peeling the rainbow coverings from half of the glass. She looks down to see a line of black tape unfurled perfectly along the middle of the room, slicing the space into two.

On a base level, Enid is offended. “What the hell did you do to my room?” The vast array of color and expression had shoved into the left side of the tape. The right side was occupied by minimal decor, the macabre mood held up entirely by furniture. The only decorations Enid sees are a cello, a music stand, and a typewriter on the desk. All in that same, bleak color.

Wednesday stares at Enid for a few beats longer than she’s comfortable with before finally speaking up. “Dividing our room equally.”

Two notes: One, that was actually kind of fair. Enid shouldn’t have expected Wednesday to leave all the decorations up, especially those on her side of the room. Wednesday was, supposedly, allergic to color. Enid wasn’t sure exactly how far that ‘allergy’ went. But seeing the tool Wednesday was using to slide the tints off the window, she could only guess it was severe.

On that part, Wednesday’s only real offense was that she hadn’t consulted with Enid about any sort of rearrangements. She would’ve been happy to discuss new decorations, furniture, and even the window, had Wednesday brought up the topic with Enid.

Well, at least Wednesday was kind enough to put Enid’s posters, stickers and plushies in neat stacks and piles, impeccably organized (somehow) for Enid to go through on her own.

The second note Enid makes is how forced that sentence is, coming from Wednesday. When she spoke earlier in the day, it was with purpose, but it also came naturally for the girl. Like talking wasn’t putting her in actual, physical pain. Not like how it looked just now.

Admittedly, it caught Enid off guard. She almost forgot that she was supposed to be angry at Wednesday as the shorter girl immediately shushed her and began clacking away at her typewriter. 

The second time Enid notices is approximately one week later. Enid had gotten out of her last class early, and resigned to scrolling through various social media on her phone to pass the time. She was laying down on her bed, earbuds on almost full blast when she felt the slight change in the air of her door opening. She looked up to see Wednesday trudging into the room, not even acknowledging Enid’s existence. When Enid offered a small greeting, Wednesday nodded slightly to say hello. She practically fell into the chair in front of her typewriter, Thing carefully climbing up to ‘speak’ to Wednesday.

It wasn’t unusual for Wednesday to offer greetings at a minimum, but the way the Addams girl carried herself – or rather, the way she didn’t – gave Enid the impression that something was off.

Enid wanted to believe it, anyway. She wanted to believe that, in the week she’d gotten to know her roommate, she’d actually become quite skilled at picking up on Wednesday’s mannerisms and moods. There were always some parts that made no sense to her, but she still tried to be supportive in general.

So, when she saw that Wednesday was practically sulking in the chair at her desk, she did the thing that friends do best. “You okay, there, roomie?” When Wednesday didn’t even give a grunt, Thing motioned to Enid and tapped out a response. Not up for talking.

Enid pouted, but didn’t push it.  She heard the familiar tapping of Wednesday’s typewriter and went back to her own ‘business’, which was waiting for Yoko to text her. Since Wednesday had arrived, Enid figured it wouldn’t be long before Yoko returned to her own dorm room.

While Enid prepared herself for the outing that would occupy the rest of her day, she realized something odd. Wednesday’s ‘writing time’ was usually reserved for later in the evening, when she didn’t have to worry about as many potential interruptions.

Another note Enid made was the periodical pauses in Wednesday’s typing. They wouldn’t go on for very long, but neither would the periods of clacking. At another pause, she looked up to see Thing beside the typewriter, tapping and signing various words to Wednesday. He was angled in such a way that Enid wasn’t able to tell what he was saying. Once Thing stilled, Wednesday began typing once more.

There was an odd rhythm to it. Just a single beat of silence thrown in here and there, almost exactly how Thing would tap out messages. Wednesday and Thing went back and forth once more, and Enid realized that the two of them were communicating.

Well, that’s… weird, I guess? Enid found it odd, but relatively tame compared to the rest of the ‘hobbies’ Wednesday pursued. The strange part came from the fact that Thing was perfectly capable of understanding people’s speech. Why did Wednesday feel the need to use morse code? Besides, Thing had just said that she didn’t feel like talking- Oh! Oooooooooh that makes sense!

After a bit more of conversing with Thing, Enid figured out what the issue was. The day had been particularly difficult for Wednesday to get through, and she practically shut down the moment her last class was over. While it didn’t happen every day, it was frequent enough for Enid to observe Wednesday’s actions during such periods.

So, following some extensive morse code lessons with Thing (and a lot of Google), Enid decides it’s time to be bold. During some math homework, she notes that Wednesday and Thing are once again conversing in their own, unique way. Once she hears the tapping of the typewriter come to a pause, she puts her plan into action, grabbing her pen and tapping it on her own desk.

Hey, Wednesday! How was your day?

The typing paused, and Enid waited for a response with bated breath. She was worried she'd overstepped some boundary. She was just about to turn around, expecting Wednesday to be glaring at her. She stopped when the clacking of the typewriter resumed. It was still a little difficult for Enid to get everything Wednesday said, but the general understanding was something along the lines of:

Dreadful. Not in the fun way, either. The way with too loud pubescent children constantly raving about whatever new phenomenon the internet spread today.

Enid giggled slightly. Naturally, Wednesday retained her blunt, stylized way of speaking even when she wasn't speaking. Thing crawled up onto Enid's desk, giving her a thumbs up. She returned the gesture. Then, she realized that Wednesday was no longer typing, supposedly awaiting a response.

I'm sure it wasn't too bad! Besides, would you rather everyone be completely silent all day long?

The clacking resumed, and Thing offered some visual aid to help Enid get anything she might've missed.

If that would mean that I could get more done, then yes. Silence would be preferred. I could plot tortures, have meaningful discussions, and plan for my novel much more efficiently if I wasn't so distracted. 

That gave Enid some insight as to why Wednesday would shut down. Overstimulation. Not something Enid expected, but very fair. A day in Nevermore could occasionally equate to a week at some schools. One could easily be overwhelmed by the sheer everything the academy had to offer. Enid was frankly surprised that Wednesday (or anyone, for that matter) hadn't gone on a massive killing spree.

Well, she tapped, it's only your first week. I'm sure it won't take long for you to get used to it.

I'd rather not, came the response. I prefer to save my energy for important tasks and discussions, not the inane drivel of the masses.

Enid wondered if any of her activities counted as 'inane drivel'. Thing then politely tapped that it did not, in fact, include her. To an extent. Enid smiled, knowing that she only occasionally pushed Wednesday to madness.

Despite Wednesday's words, the two of them actually had quite an enjoyable conversation that was, as far as Enid was concerned, positively meaningless. Not that it bothered her. It was nice, getting to just simply talk with Wednesday.

Come morning the next day, Wednesday approached Enid as the latter was eating breakfast with Yoko. She stared at Enid for a few seconds, then finally spoke.

"I realize that I was somewhat… hostile, towards you in our initial interactions. I’d like to apologize, and make it up to you somehow."

Enid blinked, then smiled brightly. Was this Wednesday's attempt at saying 'I'd like to be friends'? Even if it wasn't, at the very least, it meant that she didn't want to be enemies. She initially stood up to hug Wednesday, but quickly remembered that the shorter girl wasn't a fan of the contact. So, she instead bumped Wednesday's shoulder with her own.

Wednesday's expression changed ever so slightly, almost showing some semblance of surprise. She promptly walked away, ending the conversation then and there.

Even through Yoko's sunglasses, Enid could see the confusion. "What was that about," the vampire asked, "I wasn't aware you two were buddies."

Enid bounced in her seat, excited to share the breakthrough she made the following evening. "Oh my god, Yolk, you are not going to believe this."

<>

To feel things wasn't Wednesday Addams's style.

Hold on, that statement needs to be amended.

To feel things aside from annoyance, exhaustion, anger, murderous intent, and the joy of seeing someone's eyes light up from the electric chair wasn't Wednesday Addams's thing.

It was, according to her therapists, an issue regarding her upbringing. In an attempt at rebelling against her parents to prove that she was her own person, she closed off the parts of herself that so closely resembled Morticia and Gomez Addams. 

This wasn’t uncommon. Many children across the world would enter the stage known as ‘teenage rebellion’ for various reasons, but to simply be considered a separate entity other than ‘their parent’s child’ was certainly one of the more common reasons.

In Wednesday’s case, however, this desire for individuality was strengthened by one of the many things that set the Addams apart from the rest of the world; the family’s obsession over their goals amplified Wednesday’s desire into something that she nearly required to survive.

Being forced into Nevermore only pushed the dial of this extreme from twelve to fifteen. Constantly being suffocated by the legacy of her parents – Morticia especially – pushed Wednesday’s need for her own identity to lengthy heights. Combining all of that with the downright annoying madness that is Nevermore just pushed Wednesday even further and further until–

She, well, broke.

This wasn’t the first time it happened. Though rare, Wednesday would have moments where she was barely able to function come the end of the day. Her immediate family was the first group of people to notice it and start acting accordingly, each developing their own little ways of communicating with and assisting the young Addams.

Outside of family, however, very few people made any real attempts to understand Wednesday when she would shut down. Her therapists would do their best, but it turned out that morse code wasn’t a requirement for getting a doctorate.

This was how Wednesday came up with the idea to save her energy for important things. Her list of ‘important things’ included, but was certainly not limited to: surviving each day of school, finding new and inventive ways to torture her therapists, enacting those plans, defending her brother’s honor, and the sort. Anything that didn’t fall anywhere near those categories could simply be dealt with while Wednesday was at a lower level.

At Nevermore, Wednesday figured that this would be no different. However, it turned out that she was wrong. It was, in fact, different from her previous experiences at school.

It was, in fact, worse.

To take the worst parts of adolescence – teenage angst, school dances, awkward romance, and more – and add in the supernatural was, in Wednesday’s opinion, a punishment that would only be suited for an Addams such as herself. A punishment that not even she could enjoy.

Wednesday found herself being drained of all her energy much easier and Nevermore than anywhere else she’d been. With no one but Thing to truly understand her and her idiosyncrasies, Wednesday came to the conclusion that she was, for all intents and purposes, doomed.

Suddenly, there came a tapping.

Wednesday’s eyes widened slightly. It wasn’t the tapping of her typewriter, nor was it the easily identifiable tapping of Thing’s well-kept fingers. It sounded more like plastic hitting wood. A pen hitting a desk. Wednesday turned her head slightly to see exactly what the source of the sound was. 

Enid, in all her colorful terror, was sitting at her own desk, resolutely not looking at Wednesday. She held a pen in her hand, hovering it just slightly over her desk.

Hey, Wednesday! How was your day?

It was a sentence she’d heard from the lycan many times before. Every time she’d return to their dorm room. It confused Wednesday. Why would some random girl she’d known not even a full week care about her personal life? Personal gain and leverage were a couple things that came to mind, but Wednesday wasn’t sure if Enid was that type of person.

The fact that she’d caught on to her favored way of communication was also suspicious. She should’ve known something was amiss when she saw Enid taking notes on whatever she and Thing were conversing about.

And yet…

Dreadful. Not in the fun way, either. The way with too loud pubescent children constantly raving about whatever new phenomenon the internet spread today.

She found herself responding. How this girl managed to coax the words from her fingers was a mystery to Wednesday. Was she secretly a psychic, using elaborate tricks to fool Wednesday? No. Even if that were the case, Enid would have to be better than the best illusionist in the world to pull one over any Addams. Aside from maybe Pugsley.

Soon enough, the two of them were having a full conversation. Wednesday didn’t even realize her blunder until Enid departed to spend the rest of the day with her friends. How could she have let this happen? How was she, Wednesday Addams, japed by some wolf? One with pink and blue in her hair, no less.

“Thing,” she said, the speech sitting unfamiliar on her tongue after almost an hour of nonverbal communication. “What… happened?”

Thing, the smug appendage that he was, signed and tapped only three words. Words that scared Wednesday. She understood you.

That wasn’t something that happened. People didn’t ‘understand’ Wednesday Addams. People feared her. They avoided her. They stayed out of her way, and prayed to whatever god they believed in that the poor soul who looked at her for too long would be shown whatever mercy the girl had. To not be understood was to be feared. To be feared was to have power. 

And because of the actions of one girl, Wednesday immediately felt that power slipping. How absolutely frightening.

But then, how did their interaction invoke such a foreign feeling inside Wednesday? One of nostalgia, reminding her of when she and Pugsley made their own little code for when everything became too much for her to handle. Why did it bring such a horrifying warmth to her face? 

If not being understood meant being feared, then what did it mean to be understood?

The solution to this predicament was obvious. If Enid was trying to understand Wednesday for her own sick, twisted purposes, then Wednesday would simply need to understand her first.

It didn’t take long for Wednesday to concoct a fool-proof plan to figure Enid out. Unfortunately, it started with the one thing Wednesday hated more than her parents’ constant disgusting displays.

Apologizing.

Chapter Text

Somehow, in classic Enid fashion, she managed to disintegrate Wednesday’s plans entirely.

To say Wednesday miscalculated would be a fair statement. Because she’d managed to overlook how Enid would react to her apology.

The contact, no matter how brief it might’ve been, caught her off guard and erased whatever words Wednesday was going to say next. Was she going to ask to join Enid and her friend for breakfast? Offer to accompany Enid to her next class?

Whatever it was supposed to be dies in Wednesday's throat at a simple bump of the shoulder. Has she really fallen so far?

So, instead of attempting to salvage the situation, Wednesday ran.

Well, not really ran, so much as walked away at a brisk pace. Terminology hardly mattered in this case.

"Just what sort of power could she be holding, to make me run away at a touch?" It confused Wednesday to no end. She felt Thing crawl out of her backpack, tapping on her shoulder. She narrowed her eyes at the hand. "Say something remotely similar to that again and I'm using your beauty magazines for kindling. Whatever she's doing, I'll figure it out. Mark my words, Sinclair."

<>

It wasn't often that people would stare daggers into Enid. Just when she'd ask a (debatably) stupid question and Wednesday would pause for a few seconds to process whatever she said. As well as when Wednesday needed something from Enid but couldn't figure out the words. Also when Wednesday simply felt like staring at her, which was happening a lot lately.

Enid figured Wednesday had enough daggers in her eyes to make up for literally everyone else, considering how often she caught the shorter girl staring at her.

At first, it wasn't too out of the blue. Wednesday stared all the time. Enid considered it a special event to see the girl blink, let alone close her eyes fully. The fact that Wednesday even slept was unexpected.

After a few days, Enid noticed that Wednesday would sometimes avert her eyes when the wolf caught her staring. Like she wasn't trying to be caught.

It didn't happen all the time, though. Wednesday still had her own classes and activities to deal with, and would still return to their room exhausted and mute. She'd still converse with Enid, but conversation topics were kept to the same kind of small talk they had the first time Enid really tried out morse code.

Enid wasn't sure what to make of the staring. Was Wednesday trying to tell her something? Observing her? Waiting for Enid to do something? It wasn't until Yoko brought up the topic that Enid began to worry.

"What'd you do to Ms. Allan Poe over there? She seems pissed." Yoko motioned to the opposite end of the Quad, where Wednesday was doing her typical 'hiding in the shadows' nonsense.

Enid wracked her brain, only to come up empty. She dramatically slammed her arms onto the table and rested her chin on them. “I don’t know,” she pouted, “I thought we were actually making some progress. I mean, she totally asked to be friends that one time, right?”

Yoko hummed. “Maybe it was to lull you into a false sense of security? She definitely seems more into psychological warfare than anything else.” The two contemplated Wednesday’s actions for a few brief seconds before the vampire spoke up again. “You think it has something to do with you learning morse code so you could talk to her when she shuts down?”
“No way! She was, dare I say, happy about that! That was the whole reason she tried to make amends!”

“Maybe, but hear me out: you spoke to the hand thing about learning morse code, right? Did you ever actually bring it up with Wednesday before trying it out?”

Enid prepared a retort before stopping herself. She mulled it over in her head. “No… but I don’t see how that’s relevant.”

Yoko rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses. “It’s sort of an invasion of privacy, right? I mean, you and the hand thing went behind her back with this one. She’s probably upset that you figured out her secret code.”

“No way. We had such a nice conversation! I got more out of her doing that than I have the entire time we’ve been roommates! Why would she hate me over something like that?”

The vampire shrugged. “Psychological warfare. Who knows, maybe she’s planning your demise now.”

Enid let out a whimper. She didn’t believe that Wednesday would take such a roundabout way of telling her that she did something stupid. If Wednesday didn’t want to talk to Enid, then she wouldn’t have, it’s as simple as that.

However, Enid realized that Yoko raised a valid concern. She and Thing had gone behind her back so that the werewolf could learn Wednesday’s code. Maybe she should have brought it up with Wednesday first. Much like how Enid had wanted Wednesday to discuss their room with her before taking down any of the decorations.

Even if Enid wanted to believe the best in Wednesday, she still couldn’t help but feel like her days were numbered. She continued to worry throughout the day until she arrived back at her dorm. There was no sign of Wednesday, just Thing reading another one of his magazines. He offered a greeting to Enid before getting back to his business.

"Hey, Thing," Enid said. She discarded her book bag and flopped down onto her bed. She sulked there for a bit before hearing Thing tapping out a message. Rough day?

Enid sighed. "No… Well, maybe? I just… is Wednesday mad at me?" She finally raised her head, facing Thing. "I mean, I kinda invaded her privacy, having you teach me morse code so I could talk to her. And, like, obviously she would've told me if she didn't like it, but she's been staring at me all day and Yoko said that she's probably angry and is trying to psyche me out but she's usually pretty straightforward with me but what if she is angry? I don't want to assume but I should've talked with her first-"

A slam on the desk got Enid's attention. Thing was holding the heaviest book he could manage. He tapped and signed quickly, almost too fast for Enid to keep up with. If a hand could express exasperation…

“Okay, well, even if she isn’t mad at me, that doesn’t explain why she’s been staring at me. She’s not even doing a good job at hiding it, either. What’s going on with her?” Enid narrowed her eyes at Thing, knowing that he knew what Wednesday’s game was. The hand tapped out a message, looking awfully guilty and secretive. “Thing, if you don’t tell me, then there’s no manis for a week. You got it?”

Thing gaped, then tapped some more. You wouldn’t dare.

Enid raised an eyebrow. “Two weeks.”

Thing tapped and signed erratically, like he was throwing a tantrum. Enid simply stared. She silently dared him to defy her once more, ready to push the ban to three weeks. Thing did the closest thing he could do to a sigh, and conceded.

Enid had to give it to him; Thing was probably the only person in Nevermore who was more animated than she was.

Thing traveled over to Enid’s desk. He hesitated somewhat, still unsure on whether he should share this information with Enid. Eventually, Enid got his message: Wednesday is… confused.

“Confused? Wednesday Addams? Yeah, right,” Enid scoffed, “that girl has probably figured out who D.B. Cooper was. What could she be struggling with?”

She’s confused by you.

Now it was Enid’s turn to be confused. “Why me? I think I’ve been pretty upfront with her for the most part. Was it something I said?”

If a disembodied hand could roll its nonexistent eyes… She doesn’t understand why you’re trying to understand her.

“I’m just trying to be her friend. I thought that would’ve been obvious.”

She hasn’t really been a ‘friend’ kind of person up till now. Only her family and a couple therapists ever made any real attempts at understanding her.

Enid wasn’t sure which part was worse, the fact that no one at her eight previous schools ever tried being friends with her, or that she could kind of understand why. Wednesday wasn’t exactly the most approachable person, even less so when she was exhausted. It made her heart clench in an unexpected way.

You’re the only person who’s made this much progress with her before. She believes that you’re trying to get something from her, or worse.

“I would never! Do I really give off that kind of vibe? Just because I’m big into gossip doesn’t mean I’m gonna try and blackmail her!”

You don’t, but that’s part of the problem. You just have to prove to Wednesday that you don’t have any ill intentions, that you just want to be her friend.

Enid nodded. “Okay, I can do that. That’s what I do best, in fact!”

Thing knew that this task was far easier said than done, but before they could continue the conversation, Wednesday opened the door. “Hello, Enid, Thing.”

Upon Wednesday’s arrival, Enid beamed. “Hi, roomie! How’re you feeling right now?”

Wednesday’s eyes widened by a fraction of a centimeter. Anyone who wasn’t familiar with the goth likely wouldn’t have noticed. Enid, however, felt a small sense of pride for being able to catch it.

“Dreary,” Wednesday said, “thank you.” She glanced over to Thing, who was idly tapping on Enid’s desk. “It’s disheartening to see that Thing has truly betrayed me, but not unexpected.”

Thing erratically tapped while Enid giggled. “He hasn’t betrayed anyone, don’t worry. So, me, Yoko and Divina are heading into Jericho today for some girl time. You wanna come with? I promise you’ll enjoy it!”

Wednesday paused, mulling it over. “Perhaps next time. There are some materials I have to gather for an upcoming quiz in Herbology.” Though it was disappointing, Enid took the fact that she would consider going to another outing as a win. Wednesday pushed some tools into her backpack, then motioned to Thing. “I’ll meet you in the library.”

Good luck on your quiz!

Enid wasn’t sure why she felt the need to tap out the message, but it seemed to have done something, as Wednesday fully stopped right at the door. Enid was worried that Wednesday was going to tell her to stop, until the shorter girl tapped on the wall before leaving.

Your wishes are misguided. I’ll pass without issue.

Enid rolled her eyes fondly. If Wednesday didn’t appreciate the gesture, then she would’ve just kept walking without responding. Enid was making progress, she just knew it.

“Alright, Thing, which sweater should I wear?”

<>

It was like a spider trying to climb an icicle.

Wednesday wasn’t sure how to go about this. She wasn’t able to glean much information from simply observing Enid from a distance, especially since the lycanthrope could always sense Wednesday’s gaze.

That meant that the only real option she had was to – and Wednesday nearly dry-heaved when she regaled this revelation to Thing – interact with Enid and her friends. Truly, Wednesday was reaching her lowest point.

Ironically, the biggest problem wasn’t the fact that Wednesday had to socialize. The problem was the odd effect that Enid was starting to have on Wednesday. Increased body temperature, rapid heartbeat, and reduced brain function were just three of the symptoms Wednesday suffered throughout the day.

She knew for a fact that she hadn’t been poisoned – she could identify over fifty simply through taste alone, no matter how diluted. No one would be able to catch her in her sleep, either. If it was a spell, then Wednesday would've been able to identify and break it easily (she'd already tried).

One thing Wednesday had noticed was that these afflictions only started around the time she started paying attention to Enid Sinclair. Even the mere thought of the girl would constrict Wednesday's heart and make thinking about anything else ten times harder.

As far as Wednesday was concerned, there were only two possible explanations. The first one was that Enid truly was a psychic, and had managed to fool the entire school somehow (or the entire school was in on it–Wednesday wouldn’t put it past Nevermore). When she realized that gaining Wednesday’s trust would be harder than it sounded, Enid started using her powers to affect Wednesday in such a way that would make both her body and mind weaker.

A genius strategy. Wednesday is a little jealous she hadn’t thought of it first.

Wednesday really wanted this explanation to be the real one. Then, she’d have a reason to tear the school down and leave, moving on to the next large-scale torture box. She wouldn’t have to deal with how upset her parents would be with her for running from this forsaken place.

She wouldn’t have to think about the other explanation.

Wednesday wasn’t a fool. She studied many things in her life, if only to avoid them. This was no different. The signs were there, however unfortunate that was. On the off chance, however, that it wasn’t what she thought it was, Wednesday consulted with Thing.

Sounds like a crush, the hand communicated.

Well. That was only one person’s opinion. Science always required the study and reviews of multiple sources. So, Wednesday went to one of the few other people she could trust in this school for their own thoughts.

“Sounds like a crush,” Eugene said, “though probably a bit more intense than a small crush.”

It seemed science truly was fake.

“There’s no reason for it to be any sort of… affection,” Wednesday retorted, “I have no reason to feel these things for this person.”

Eugene shrugged. He sealed the jar of honey he held and put it on a shelf before continuing. “Love doesn’t really need a reason. It just kinda ‘is’, if you get what I mean.”

“Why would I like this person? They oppose me in almost everything. They are loud, colorful, impulsive, and thoughtful. They constantly try to make conversation with me, but will relent when they realize I’m not in the mood. When she realizes I need quiet, she will be quiet, in her own way. She… she cares about my well being.”

Eugene decided to ignore the rant Wednesday went on. “You ever hear the term ‘opposites attract’? It doesn’t just apply to magnets, you know. It applies to people. Even the two most different people in the world could find some sort of middle ground where they appreciate each other, let alone love each other. Just look at my moms, for instance.”

Wednesday’s brow furrowed slightly as she thought about the various tales Eugene had told about his parents. “They sound rather similar based on the stories you’ve regaled me with.”

Eugene shrugged once more. “Yeah, they are, in some ways. They both like a lot of the same foods, same movies, etc. They’re both passionate about their work. They both want what’s best for me.” Eugene brought up some charts regarding different bees for a visual aid. “But they’re also different in a lot of ways. One of them likes hockey, while the other isn’t much of a fan of sports in general. One prefers sweets, the other sours. The point of being opposites isn’t to oppose each other, like the word would make it sound like. It’s to appreciate that which makes us different. If we were all the exact same, then there wouldn’t be much fun in knowing other people.”

Wednesday had to admit, the wisdom was unexpected, coming from Eugene. He reminded Wednesday of her brother so much that she was caught off guard by the words.

Not only that, but Wednesday found herself actually agreeing with Eugene. Wednesday admitted that torturing the poor souls of the world wouldn’t be nearly as exciting if everyone reacted to it the same way she did.

Besides, her own parents aren’t exactly the same person, either. Sure, they both had an appreciation for the macabre and grim side of the world, but they had their own differences, as well. Morticia loved gardening, while Gomez was above all the music fanatic of the household.

Unfortunately, this meant that Wednesday’s suspicions, along with Thing’s and Eugene’s confirmations, were all but incorrect.

And thus, the spider slipped off of the icicle, descending into the madness that is a high school crush.

Chapter Text

The first time Wednesday sat with Enid's group wasn't a total disaster, like Yoko and Divina expected it to be. Only about sixty percent of a disaster. 

Mostly because it was obvious from the start that Wednesday was very far out of her comfort zone. It was something Wednesday had warned Enid about that morning.

"I'm not great at socializing. You'd likely find better company with Thing."

Enid didn't doubt Thing's bubbly personality, but that wasn’t the point of inviting Wednesday to breakfast with her friends. If Wednesday needed to understand her, then this would be the perfect first step. Not staring at her like she’s an animal in a lab.

“Oh, give yourself some credit! Sure, you might be different from others, even by Nevermore standards, but you’re still great to be around! Besides, I can one-hundred percent guarantee that my friends won’t do anything to make you uncomfortable. Not intentionally, anyway.”
Wednesday stared at Enid. “It is not my comfort you should be concerned with. But… I did promise mother that I would try new things during my tenure here. Very well. I’ll accompany you.”

Enid smiled, knowing her plan was slowly but surely coming into fruition. It was something she’d discussed with her group during the last couple of days. What better way to get to know Enid than with her friends? They have so many stories of her, Enid was sure Wednesday would be able to get some good insight from them.

And then breakfast came, and Enid only had one word to describe it: uncomfortable.

Wednesday sat on Enid’s side of the table, with one space separating them. On the other side was Yoko, Divina, and Xavier. Word had gotten around that the two psychics sort of knew each other, so Enid figured it wouldn’t hurt to have him around. Give Wednesday something familiar to rely on.

Enid pushed down the desire to make herself that familiarity and opened the conversation. “So, Wednesday, this Yoko, and her girlfriend Divina. And you’ve met Xavier.”

Wednesday’s expression doesn’t change. “Yes. He once hid in his godmother’s casket.”

Yoko spittakes at that, Divina patting her back so the vampire doesn’t choke.

“He nearly turned to ashes with her.”

Xavier rolls his eyes, poking at his eggs. “You just had to open with that, didn’t you?”

Enid stares. “You mean he, like, got stuck in there, right? Not on purpose?”
Wednesday’s mouth quirks up slightly. “Very much on purpose. It was truly a genius hiding spot.”

Xavier dared looking up from his food, only to see Wednesday and Enid staring at him. The former, fondly remembering the morbid experience, and the latter with horror, wondering why on earth anyone would pick there to hide. He looked to Divina and Yoko for help, but Yoko was too busy trying to control her laughter.

“He almost managed to win, had it not been for his screams as the casket was about to be incinerated.”

At that, the dam holding back Yoko’s giggles broke, and she began laughing hysterically. Divina had a smile on her own face. Enid wasn’t sure whether she should be concerned or be laughing with the rest of the group.

But, well, Wednesday had already contributed to the conversation, so Enid was going to take that as a win.

Yoko finally managed to calm down, raising her sunglasses to wipe a tear from her eyes. “Oh my god, Xavier, the fact that you would still totally do something like that today-” she didn’t get to finish her thought, as another wave of giggles erupted from her. “It- it reminds me of the one time Enid tried digging up her great-grandma, thinking she was still alive.”

Enid felt her cheeks warm up at the mention of the embarrassing story. “Yoko! Don’t bring that up again!” Enid looked at Wednesday, who seemed oddly curious. “I… heard a heartbeat in the coffin after she’d been buried. It was just a raccoon that’d managed to slip inside.”

Wednesday’s face softened slightly. “I wasn’t aware you partook in the art of gravedigging.”

“Well, it was just the one time, and I wasn’t very good at it…”

Divina raised an eyebrow. “Sorry, did you say ‘art’?”

“Yes,” Wednesday nodded, “digging graves, whether to bury bodies or uproot them, is one of the most beautiful forms of art there is. Not many can wield a shovel properly, let alone master it.” She looked to Enid. “I could teach you, if you’d like to make another attempt at rescuing your great-grandmother from the earth.”

Enid wasn’t really sure how she was supposed to react to that, but she was at least happy that Wednesday was offering to spend more time with Enid. “I, uh, might take you up on that offer someday.” The answer seemed to satisfy Wednesday, who went back to her meal.

Eventually, the group was joined by Kent and Ajax. The table fell into their usual routine of conversation, with Wednesday occasionally speaking to add something to whatever topic the teens were at. Enid had to admit that, even with the macabre things Wednesday would say, she fit into the group quite well. 

Enid almost didn’t notice it. As the Quad continued to fill with students – rowdy, noisy students – her senses became slightly dulled so as to not overwhelm herself. It wasn't until Enid briefly glanced over to Wednesday when she saw what was going on.

Wednesday was gripping the table hard enough for her knuckles to turn white. Enid could barely see the girl's jaw working, grinding her teeth against each other slightly. Her normally laser-focused gaze was wide and spacey. She also hadn't spoken for about ten minutes.

Inwardly, Enid panicked. She should've known that breakfast in the Quad of all places would've been a bit too much for Wednesday to deal with the first time around. She looked around, trying to find some sort of support from her friends, before she realized: Oh, yeah, I'm the support!

Enid gently sat up slightly and plopped herself in the seat right next to Wednesday. The girl didn't react. Enid slowly but surely brought her hand up. She first reached towards Wednesday's hand, but changed her mind and began tapping on Wednesday's wrist, hidden from the rest of the group. Enid tapped softly, taking care to not startle Wednesday.

Hey, you okay? Need to take a break?

Wednesday's eyes slowly focused once more, and her grip on the table loosened slightly. She glanced at Enid briefly before scanning the table, making sure no one was paying attention to her.

“F-fi… I’m fine…” It almost sounded like Wednesday was choking on her words, struggling to get them out.

Enid looked at her with sad eyes, then tapped some more. Come on, you can be honest with me. Do you need to get out of here?

An unidentifiable emotion swam through Wednesday’s face. Enid could practically see the cogs turning in her head. Suddenly, Wednesday stood up, and began walking away from the table. Enid grabbed her backpack, gave a quick goodbye to the group, and chased after Wednesday, leaving her friends in a stunned silence.

After a few seconds, Yoko spoke up. “Okay, we all saw that, right?”  When everyone gave a collective nod, Yoko continued with a sigh. “Let’s hope they see it, too.”

<>

Wednesday wasn’t sure if she was grateful that she shared her first class with Enid. The werewolf offered to take notes for Wednesday. Just focus on yourself for now, she’d tapped on their shared desk.

While Wednesday appreciated the sentiment, she wasn’t sure how much of that held up when Enid asked Kent for his notes.

The days continued on in a similar fashion. While Enid wasn’t able to be there every waking moment, Wednesday found the girl to be stuck to her, like a shadow. She would always be asking Wednesday how she was doing, if she needed anything, and if there was anything Enid could do to help.

Enid would always tap these little messages, no matter big or small. Wednesday didn’t know why she did, and she was even more confused as to how it affected her.

Needless to say, Wednesday wasn’t sure how to react to this. Generally, Wednesday wasn’t much of a fan of people who doted on her. She could take care of herself just fine, and she didn’t know why many people weren’t able to see that. She didn’t know why Enid practically refused to see it.

The worst part was that Enid was starting to figure out Wednesday’s cues. When she started to clench her fists too hard, Enid would tap a finger on her wrist; a meaningless message to simply ground the girl. If Wednesday was beginning to lose focus, Enid would whisper her name, bringing her back to whatever she was meant to work on. If that didn’t work, then Enid would simply stand close to Wednesday, ready to bring her back to reality when Wednesday’s head eventually caught up.

In the game to see who could understand the other first, Wednesday was clearly losing, in more ways than one.

Wednesday could easily recall the years she spent building the walls around herself. The codes with her family, the individualism, the stoic and emotionless demeanor – that was Wednesday Addams.

Enid Sinclair was loud. Bouncy. Colorful. She talked about things that didn’t matter. She was excited about each coming and passing day, optimistic to a fault. She felt everything and enjoyed it. She was considerate of other people, but also stood up for herself. 

Enid Sinclair was brave. And she was the complete opposite of everything Wednesday was.

Wednesday Addams was a coward. She tried to shut Enid out.

And yet, despite Wednesday’s cowardice, her walls had been shattered in the most gentle way possible. Brick by brick, interaction by interaction, stuffed animal by loud K-Pop song. From every hug prevented by Wednesday’s aversion to touch, to the light grazes that sent a pleasantly frightening bolt of electricity through her nervous system.

Enid Sinclair was the bane of Wednesday’s existence. And the most surprising part of it all was how much Wednesday… liked it.

To have someone who truly cared for her. Who saw her flaws and her murderous glares. Every time she came close to stabbing someone. The moment she put her all into an investigation, even at the cost of her own well-being. When she was at her lowest points, unable to even handle the sounds of the hustle and bustle around her.

Her family was there, sure. But someone outside of the Addams family would never understand her, right?

And yet, here she was, letting Enid know she was doing okay with just a few taps of her fingers against the table as the lycanthrope checked in on her at yet another breakfast. And not five minutes later, her finger twitched, letting Enid know she’d had enough. She felt something both inviting and terrifying as Enid gently held her hand, guiding the two of them away from the chaos of the Quad to the quiet halls, where Wednesday could collect herself.

“Que me has hecho, lobo,” she whispered. Even so, Enid glanced over at hearing Wednesday talk, a silent ‘hm?’ in her eyes. Wednesday simply remained silent, letting the wolf wonder if she had said anything at all.

She wanted to say a million things. But her throat was closed in fear of the world, and in fear of Enid Sinclair.

<>

Even then, fear could only prevent so much. An animal, paralyzed as it watches its predator close in, would still feel a hit of adrenaline simply from the desire to escape. The fear that once kept it still is now pushing it forward.

Which is what was happening to Wednesday now.

It was supposed to be just another breakfast with Enid and her group. Well, Enid would say that it was their group, seeing as Wednesday was starting to become more of a constant within their circle.

If Enid said so, then Wednesday would be inclined to agree.

Enid never sat in the same spot two days in a row. One time, she was to Wednesday’s left. Then, her right. The next day, she was across the table. She had even once tried sitting between Yoko and Divina, earning a sizable bump on her head. Today, Enid sat to Wednesday’s right, providing a thoughtful buffer between her and the louder members of their group.

Enid was in a rather animated argument with Kent, going on about their upcoming test in Herbology. Wednesday was fully aware of the test’s materials, and knew she could ace it with her eyes closed.

“Why would common poisons of the 1800s even be on the quiz?” The lycan exasperated, throwing her hands up. “It’s not even a history class!”

“Did you seriously not notice how much history we’d been learning recently? Do you ever actually go through the notes I send you, or do you just sell them to other students?” The siren’s retort was rather clever, Wednesday would give him.

Wednesday noticed Enid’s claws slowly growing, and was suddenly aware of Enid’s emotions. While she would certainly love to see Enid stained with blood, fresh from a kill, she wasn’t sure how much the werewolf would appreciate it if the maimed was one of her friends.

“I’m well versed in poison history,” she offered, “perhaps I could teach you a thing or two.” She accentuated her sentence with a hand on Enid’s arm, bringing a calm to the brighter girl.

Enid beamed – Wednesday literally had to squint, lest she be blinded – and gave a quick side hug to Wednesday. “Thank you, Wends. You know this is why I love you, right?”

Though Enid was almost already moving on to the next topic, those words reverberated in her head like the calls of a bat in a cave.

Ah. So this is what my father must feel while looking at mother.

Without saying a word, Wednesday stood up and grabbed Enid’s wrist, pulling her away from the group. While the rest of their friends looked on in confusion (and mild worry), Enid only showed concern for Wednesday.

Once the two were a good distance away from anyone else, Wednesday quickly scanned the halls before pushing Enid up against the wall, roughly gripping her jacket.

Enid spoke first. “Hey, Wends, you okay? Was that too much?” The words almost split Wednesday’s soul into millions of pieces. ‘Too much’ is the best way to describe what Enid was to Wednesday.

“I… Y-you… My…” Wednesday tried – really, really tried – to get the words out. To say something. Anything.

Yet here she was, only able to tap away on Enid’s shoulder. Rendered so weak by just a few words. What would Thing think?

I hate what you have done to me.

Wednesday released Enid’s jacket, keeping on hand on her shoulder.

I hate that I allowed these walls of mine to crumble.

Wednesday pressed her face into Enid, unable to look her in the eyes.

I hate that I say I hate it, because I don’t hate it. I don’t hate you.

Her free arm slowly reached up and wrapped around Enid’s waist, pulling the werewolf closer to Wednesday.

I love you.

Wednesday lowered her other hand, unable to continue. She wrapped both her arms tightly around Enid, pressing her face even further into Enid’s chest. She felt a single tear well up in her eyes, the feeling foreign and terrifying.

Then, she felt Enid’s arms around herself, enveloping Wednesday in the sun. Enid then tapped her own message on Wednesday’s head. Not with her hand, but with kisses. Just a small peck on the top of Wednesday’s head for each letter.

I love you, too.

Perhaps fear was not so bad a feeling, after all.

Chapter Text

To say Enid developed a crush rather quickly would be an understatement.

Sure, she and Wednesday had a few disagreements upon meeting. And the whole ‘allergic to color’ thing, combined with Wednesday’s aversion to touch, made it difficult to interact with the new arrival at Nevermore.

Alas, Enid did her best to befriend Wednesday,  Greeting her whenever they saw each other, helping her in class – Enid even learned Wednesday's tells for when she was getting overwhelmed.

She found herself beginning to actively seek out Wednesday. She cherished every little moment they had together, no matter how small or time-constrained. Getting to know Wednesday, albeit more through observation than anything else, was nothing short of an adventure.

Unfortunately, every adventure comes with a bit of drama. And Enid’s drama was realizing she had feelings for Wednesday.

At first, her reason was the following: Who wouldn’t? Wednesday was independent, pretty, gave absolutely zero fucks about anything (and most people), and badass. She was also oddly considerate, in her own way. She said what was on her mind, and was definitely one of the bravest people Enid knew. Enid was surprised that no one had confessed to the girl yet.

Not a lot, really, but just a little.

When Wednesday began her ‘observations’, as the girl addressed them, Enid was worried that she’d caught on to the wolf’s feelings. How Wednesday was processing that revelation, Enid couldn’t say. But the staring was making Enid slightly uncomfortable.

Eventually, the staring developed into Wednesday actually interacting with Enid. It started out as just a few words exchanged here or there, but eventually the two of them were able to have actual conversations. Enid would always be checking to see if there was anything Wednesday was uncomfortable with, somewhat to the shorter girl’s chagrin.

Unfortunately for Enid, these interactions only made her fall deeper.

Despite her growing feelings, Wednesday was still new to Nevermore. Adjusting to the new environment, along with solving a murder case, was never going to be easy. Enid didn’t want to burden Wednesday with something as big or embarrassing as a love confession, especially one that would no doubt be turned down.

After all, why would Wednesday do anything but that? Enid, this bubbly, colorful mess of a werewolf, having a crush on probably the most morbid and macabre person in the school (and possibly on the planet)? There was only one way for that to end, and it certainly wouldn’t be the way Enid wanted it to end.

Which is why she was infinitely confused by Wednesday’s actions, right here, right now.

Enid was pushed up against the wall, her jacket wrinkled in Wednesday's fists. Not that Enid ever ironed it, unless it got really bad, but Enid supposed that was the least of her worries right now.

Wednesday was refusing to look Enid in the eyes, her head angled downwards. She trembled slightly, but it wasn't anywhere near cold enough for Wednesday to be chilly, especially with how cold the girl ran all the time.

Putting the clues together, Enid realized that she may have overdone it at lunch. She and Kent had been pretty loud with their argument, though it was hard to tell if that was what had pushed Wednesday too far.

Enid had noticed the sudden but subtle shift in demeanor when Enid accepted Wednesday's offer. She hadn't expected her words to have as much of an effect as they did. She said 'I love you' to lots of people – Yoko, for example. The vampire even has a girlfriend, but Enid has always been a bit too friendly with those close to her. Wednesday wasn't any different.

Well, she wasn't supposed to be.

"Hey, Wends, are you okay? Was that too much?" Enid kicked herself. Of course Wednesday wasn't okay; the girl had her pressed up against a discreet wall in such a way that was definitely making it hard for Enid to ignore her crush.

Wednesday stuttered, which was an odd thing to witness. The girl often spoke so confidently, to see her struggling to find her own words only amplified Enid's worry. 

After failing to get the words out, Wednesday resorted to their own way of communication, letting Enid know that this was very serious. She was worried she was going to get chewed out, or worse.

I hate that I say I hate it, because I don't hate it. I don't hate you. I love you.

Which was the last thing Enid was expecting. On a base level, Wednesday hated most people. She hated you less if you respected her boundaries. There were some people she held a begrudging respect for. If you pushed her in a way that didn't make her outright uncomfortable and knew when to back off, she tolerated you. She didn't love anyone.

Yet, here Wednesday was, arms wrapped around Enid, her head buried in Enid's chest. To say this was anything but reality would be blasphemy.

Now, if this were happening under any other circumstances – perhaps with a letter, or a big array of flowers, or perhaps even graves dug in such a way to write out ‘go out with me’ – Enid would have first pinched herself. The instinct that the only world where Wednesday would confess to Enid is in her dreams would definitely overrule everything else.

However, in the here and now, Enid found another instinct completely overriding that one: the instinct to comfort Wednesday. To tell her that everything was okay, that they were okay, that she was okay.

Slowly, Enid wrapped her own arms around Wednesday, attempting to shut out everything that was overwhelming the girl. As if to communicate to her that she didn’t want anything to hurt her anymore, the way she was so clearly hurting now. She wanted to speak, to tell Wednesday that she also loved her, but wasn’t sure if she could muster the words. Just like Wednesday…

So, to make it just the slightest bit easier for the both of them, Enid craned her neck and placed a few pecks on the top of Wednesday’s head, drawing out each letter so she could both relish in this moment, as well as really drive the point home.

I love you, too.

<>

It turns out that, while Goody had closed Wednesday’s wounds, she didn’t really do much to restore the blood and energy Wednesday had already lost at that point. It came as no surprise to her when she passed out in Enid’s arms, exhaustion and blood loss finally catching up to her.

To Enid, however, she might as well have actually died. Seeing Wednesday suddenly go slack in her arms, without even so much as any last words to say, had the werewolf panicking even more than when she’d heard that Wednesday had been kidnapped.

It wasn’t until much later when Enid finally started to calm down, They managed to get Wednesday to a hospital room just in time for her to be treated. It was likely she’d be asleep for quite a while, but she was expected to make a full recovery.

To Enid’s surprise, there were a lot of people who came to check in on Wednesday. Obviously there were Xavier and Eugene, the former believing that Wednesday’s injuries were partly his fault, and the latter simply repaying Wednesday’s kindness. 

Bianca came in, too. Enid was initially hesitant to let her in, but could sense no ill will from the siren. If anything, Bianca seemed to hold an odd respect towards Wednesday. The rest of the Nightshades followed soon after.

At that point, it occurred to Enid just how many people Wednesday had actually bonded with over the course of her stay at Nevermore. She wondered what Wednesday would’ve thought, seeing all these people come in just to see if she was okay.

Enid was the only one that stayed any longer than a few hours. She wanted to be here when Wednesday woke up. While the doctors said that it would probably be a few days at least, Enid felt it was better to be safe than sorry,

So she stayed. Yoko was kind enough to bring her some clothes and food every once in a while. Enid would occupy herself through various means, but her phone could only provide her with so much entertainment. At some point, Thing had brought Enid the transcript for Wednesday's latest novel. Enid gawked at it, wondering if it was okay for her to be reading it. Thing reassured her, simply telling her to have some good critiques for when Wednesday woke up.

Enid was more than happy to read it, but the process only made her miss Wednesday even more. She wanted to hear her read it aloud, her monotone voice miraculously putting life into the story (the main character seemed suspiciously like a self-insert, Enid noted).

She would talk to Wednesday. She wasn't sure whether to expect a response or not. She talked a lot, either about the aftermath of the recent events, or what the other students were doing in their time. Some celebrated, happy about either not being dead or the semester being cut short. Others simply went on with their lives, returning home to await the next school year. She talked about her own plans, how she'd be heading back to San Francisco after her statement on the events was taken. She'd been able to evade the sheriff for a while, but she wasn't sure how long that would last.

There were some things she didn’t want to say normally. Things that felt far too personal for mere words to express them. So, occasionally, Enid would hold Wednesday’s hand and tap out the words she wanted to say, wondering if that would somehow spurn the girl out of her coma.

She talked about what her first transformation felt like. While she’d heard many stories about how it felt, she hadn’t expected it to be so painful. With how her mother hyped it up, she would’ve thought there’d be a bit more to it, other than her bones breaking and immediately readjusting.

It wasn’t something Enid realized until later, but never had she ever been more frightened in her life than when she chased down the Hyde. And, sure, seeing Wednesday being asphyxiated and about to have her guts spilled out definitely didn’t do wonders for her mental state. But the fact that her first transformation, instead of being some grand hunt with her pack, was a battle to the death against a powerful and unknown monster that outclassed her in many ways was terrifying. She didn’t even want to think about what would’ve happened if the sheriff hadn’t appeared.

Even now, having come down from all the bloodlust, excitement and adrenaline, Enid was still scared. Both her and Wednesday could’ve gotten seriously hurt – more than they already were. She wondered what would’ve happened if she were just a minute later, or if she hadn’t transformed.

That wasn’t all she was scared of. She knew that, once she did return home to her family, it was going to be chaotic. Even more so than what it usually is. She’d finally transformed, but now she wasn’t sure what to expect. Would she truly be accepted into her family, her pack? Would she have to do some trials to prove herself? Would her mother finally say anything about being proud of her?

Enid wished it hadn't gone like this. That she would've been able to have a semi-normal time at school. But she also realized that if she'd wanted to have Wednesday in her life, then she shouldn't expect any sort of normal with her. And though it left her exasperated and exhausted sometimes, she wouldn't trade it for anything.