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Chapter Text

She was really young when she had her first kiss. She almost doesn’t know if she should count it, because it was in youthful ignorance—innocence of another little boy in her class.

“My brother called me ‘pipsqueak’ and told me that ‘making out’ is for adults,” Little Tommy Holland had scrunched up his nose. Enid didn’t know any better; just that her brothers were jerks sometimes too.

He told her that he’d walked in on his older brother attached at the mouth to another girl he vaguely knew. Enid was too busy drawing in chalk on the ground, but she liked talking to Tommy about wolf stuff. They were both pups in their pack.

And Tommy was never like the other boys. Usually he liked drawing with her and sometimes she he’d play dolls with her if they were alone.

Its with a shrug and clumsy trial and error they met lips. Just a few brief presses, that had them both giggling and concluding—‘ew!’ with giggles aplenty.

As far as she knew, Tommy had likely gotten a lot better at ‘kissing’ nowadays. She sees him with his boyfriend on Instagram enough to guess.

Personally, her lips have always been free range. Rather, Enid had never been one to take kisses too seriously. She loved all forms of affection, finding herself even pecking friends when the mood took her. She’s played countless games of spin the bottle, or locked lips on a dare.

She had been the one to invite Ajax to her dorm, before their make out was interrupted by Wednesday almost literally dying.

Because…Wednesday wasn’t normal. Nothing that came with her was. And Enid found herself so woefully intrigued.

And…kinda obsessed with becoming her friend and getting the girl to like her.

She spent a lot of time simply observing. As much as the seer liked to pretend she was the more analytical, super smart detective out of the two of them, Enid knew her to be as dense as stone. Comically so sometimes, to which the girl would never admit even begrudgingly.

Especially with matters of the heart. Or any kind of feelings that weren’t overtly negative.

Completely ignorant to her glances that grow more and more terribly fond by the day.

“Ew, are you drooling over my sister again?”

Enid sits up straight from where her hand was supporting her chin. Her eyes tracing over Wednesday as she stood in the lunch line. Her sneer covered lips shaped like cupid’s bow; she thinks placing herself in line for such a clear shot was her first mistake. If not the biggest.

Or, maybe that was choosing to join the two siblings for lunch today.

“No…maybe…I thought you wanted help with Lycanthropy history?” Enid’s cheeks heat up as she becomes defensive.

Pugsley only grins wider at her. He had gotten up to refill his water and sat back down like he’d caught her red handed. And in a way he did.

It was ironic that most people considered Wednesday to be the sleuth out of the two of them. Pugsley had figured out that Enid may or may not be holding a small flame, that burned her heart raw over time for his stiff older sister. The same older sister that swore she’d never fall in love ever in her life.

And he pursed his lips, trying and failing to tame his own amusement.

“I thought we were too, but you’re way more focused on Wednesday than my homework.” The younger Addams points out. He nods his head to where she had unconsciously been doodling hearts around her open notes.

Enid places her hands over the cutesy drawings.

“That’s irrelevant…”

“Why don’t you just talk to her? You know just as well as me that Weds hates when people beat around the bush.” He reminds her with cock of his head. Then he pop a fry in his mouth from his tray, “Besides…didn’t that other dude dump you? Whats stopping you now?”

Bluntness and lack of tact was an Addams trait, she’s come to realize. Thankfully she wasn’t upset over Ajax anymore.

“Then you also know exactly why I can’t just tell Wednesday Addams of all people that I caught feelings!” She whisper yells the last bit. Her eyes dart about to ensure the seer is still far enough away. “She already doesn’t do romance, plus she’s probably still thinking about Tyler—there’s no way she just ‘got over it’ during the break.”

Enid still remembers nearly cracking her phone in her hand when Wednesday casually mentioned it. That Tyler had kissed her in order to trigger her vision that ultimately revealed him.

“I dunno…I feel like I could take a shot of chlorine for every time she mentioned your name over the break,” Pugsley jokes.

Enid works her mouth, not speaking and smelling the incoming presence of the subject at hand before she hears her. Wednesday slides wordlessly next to Enid, tray filled with food for the both of them. She even has the tray split in unspoken sections; one with a fair bit of chicken.

She knows there’s visible hearts in her eyes, even if the only person who can see them is the brother of the girl they’re for.

“I was able to…convince the lunch staff for an extra portion of protein,” Wednesday mentions. Then, she narrows her eyes and leans in a bit closer—enough that Enid feels her face growing even hotter. She hums, “You’re oddly flustered for the end of Winter. Should I teach my dear brother a lesson in respect?”

She gives the boy a look that told of only murder.

“What do I even do?” The younger boy calls out in defense.

“Exist in the same space as I,” Wednesday replies easily. Pugsley only rolls his eyes, before saying something that makes Enid nearly pass out.

“Thats what I get for trying to play matchmaker…”

Enid’s thankful that Wednesday either doesn’t hear, or chooses to ignore him.

*

She thinks time heals all wounds in the same way it can open them. Time could watch a small tear turn into a gaping, all consuming hole. Time gave her another full moon cycle to yearn.

Enid had gotten used to the pack mentality of home. With her siblings graduated and her relationships with the fur cordial at best, she found herself lonely out in the Nevermore woods. Aside from chatting around the cages as they prepared, she found her wolf form a lot less inclined to speak. She found it more clique-y than not out here.

She’s pleasantly surprised, when her brief pause to drink from a creek gives her a familiar scent. Like funeral lilies or smoke from a fire, Enid’s head darts to where Wednesday emerges from the trees.

“You’ve grown soft that quickly,” The seer calls to her. Enid’s tail starts wagging at sound of her voice, heart thrumming. Wednesday holds a bow in hand, arrows on her back and Thing on her shoulder. She smirks, “I could’ve shot you dead while you were distracted.”

Enid can’t stop her wolf form from nearly barreling into the girl. Excited and lured by her familiar smell, the seer lets out a noise that she’d tease her for later when she’s knocked on her back.

“I take it back,” The girl glares. “I should’ve shot you dead.”

When they’re pacing the woods soon after, Enid chuffs. She nudged the girl with her nose, a silent question in her Lycan eyes. Wednesday looks surprised, then bites her lip. Thing looks like he wants to speak for her, but the girl clears her throat.

“I recalled last month when you were sulking about being lonely out here for the entire day after the full moon.” Wednesday explains, crossing her arms like hiding herself. And it may be the moonlight playing tricks on her, but the palor of her complexion gives way. “I…Thing thought it would be a good idea to join you this time. That way I can get practice in as well. Its an equal give and take, I believe.”

If she could smile she would. Instead she pants, showing her fangs and tail going a mile a minute. Her head nudges Wednesday, making the seer groan.

“Don’t be foolish and let it get to your head. I’ve no issue retiring early,” The brunette warns.

But she doesn’t. She never leaves Enid’s side. She trails behind dutifully, shaking her head when Enid catches a smell and sprints forward. Brought ear plugs to allow her to howl full volume to her hearts content.

Rested with her in hours of dawn. Enid wakes up with a black hoodie around her form and Wednesday not too far off with her arms over her chest. Laid to rest, Enid’s hands go to push hair from the slumbering face, only to stop herself.

She looks at those lips again, only to stop herself.

God, she’s being such a freak right now. Granted, someone like Wednesday probably would appreciate that label, but…

Enid sighs, opting to huddle into herself. Dark sleeves up to her nose, she’s able to lull herself back to sleep.

*

She starts seeing a distraction—a new boy, she means.

Wednesday had to want her back at all for it to be a distraction. They would’ve had to have something other than a platonic bond, to feel any kind of loss. Her unrequited feelings left her so empty, she decided to fill it.

Clubs weren’t enough. School wasn’t even close.

Pugsley would only tease her and Thing’s too much of a gossip. Yoko was off to college and Divina was MIA on a family trip with Kent. She’s half a mind to come to Ajax on her knees and beg for a second chance, but she can’t even pretend they should be anything other than friends.

And Wednesday was busy solving some top secret case that had ‘no room for interruptions, or games Enid.’

Maxim was there for her. Maxim held her hand and gassed her up. Maxim met her lips half way.

Maxim returned her feelings. Maybe even more than he got him.

She’s getting ready for a date during a rare occasion that Wednesday’s in the room. It was close to her writing hour, now that she thinks about it. She was probably so used to making herself scarce during this time of day she did it without thinking. Always thinking in tune with Wednesday’s needs.

Even now, she feels oddly caught. In a skirt shorter than her uniform and her make up heavier than casual. Wednesday stares at her for a long time. So long Enid can’t stand it.

“Is there something on my face?” She asks good natured as she can. Wednesday continues to stare and she sighs, “What, is my outfit another ‘physical form of the abomination of bright pigment and hues?’”

Wednesday huffs at her.

“Its awful cold out tonight for that,” She says. She looks at Enid intensely, “While your Lycan body temperature is higher than average, you’re not immune from pneumonia or frost bite.”

Enid looks at her funny for a long moment. She looks down at her skirt again, showing plenty of leg, but no more than she did on a normal weekend. Maybe a bit flashier, but she was technically trying to impress someone.

She grabs for her bag all the while, slipping the thin strap over her arm.

“I hope thats Addams speak for my legs look great in this?” She tries to keep things light. Lifts her calf playfully to show off her platforms too. Wednesday just inhales audibly, before she quickly goes to face her desk.

“Whatever you need to hear,” She mumbled dismissively.

“Ok…well, I’ll be back in a few hours. Me and Max are getting dinner and then we might go for a night walk through the community garden,” Enid explains. Her hands on the strap of her bag as she stands closer to the door. She bounced on her toes as Wednesday remained silent. “Eugene did a great job with the grounds this year…you helped too, didn’t you?”

“Don’t these things usually have a designated time slot?” Wednesday replies stiffly. Then, she starts typing, like Enid had been interrupting her all along.

She balls her fists, feeling something ugly bubbling in her chest at being disregarded. Hell, she would’ve rather Wednesday completely ignored her for all that.

She feels a growl bubbling in her throat.

“Don’t wait up for me, then,” Enid concludes. Turning on her heel and opening the door harshly.

“If he hurts you…”

Enid stops, hearing Wednesday call out to her. She closes her eyes, sighing, before glancing hopefully over her shoulder. Wednesday looked just a tad softer—she could see it in her eyes.

She looked worried. She cared.

“I’ll show him how magnetism can be used for both flattery and torture.” Wednesday finishes her threat, before going back to typing.

Enid blinks once, hands gripping the door handle taught. A smile, cheesing and goofy sneaks its way onto her lips.

“Goodnight, Wednesday…”

She doesn’t stop grinning for the rest of her date. Not once was it ever fully because of him.

*

Little did she know.

Her own life was the least of Wednesday’s worries. The seer had found herself in firm grip of her so-called boyfriend.

“Now we can really be together,” Maxim had smiled at her so twisted. Tried to embrace her knowing that he’d sent Wednesday to die. “She was the only thing in the way…”

Enid’s eyes brimming angry tears, she feels the magnetism of his spell begin to wane. It didn’t feel good anymore to be at his side without—

“Leave her out of this, Max,” She tried to bargain. “I’ll be with you, I’ll help you—I swear to God—“

“You’re lying!” His grip on her grew harsher. “I see the way you look at her. The way you talk about her.”

Its accusatory. Its every bit of the truth she’d been hiding from.

When she uses her own strength against him its in self defense. When she uses her claws against his chest, pushing him backwards before Pugsley and Thing could arrive to help; its all on self defense. A valid excuse.

But she knows. She knows its for Wednesday.

“Where is she?” Her voice sounds unlike herself. Theres no moon, but her arms are bulging. Her maw shaped into sharp tips like teeth. Her ears pointed in desperation, as if she could hear a distant cry for help.

Wednesday would never.

“Thats what we’re trying to figure out,” Pugsley looked dire. His eyes wide and pleading, like he already knew his sister’s fate.

Enid runs.

Sprints.

Feels her wolf burst from her skin, guided by the only light source she’d ever need.

To the rhythm of her own heart.

Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday….

Please be ok, please be ok, please be ok—

It’s comforting to see the girl still glaring. Still breathing. Even tied up and about to be maimed by a group of were-creatures that Max had helped drug into going feral. Wolves weren’t the only animalistic outcasts, but they were most common. Were-bears were a whole different beast.

“Enid, behind!”

Wednesday’s words and remaining heart beat is what guides her. After she pitifully tried to nudge the girl with her cold nose and sniff out any blood that wasn’t her own.

Enid does well in fighting off the pack, at least until Pugsley gets there with Bianca and some others.

Falls to her knees, human again as Wednesday does. She doesn’t even care that her clothes are in tattered shambles, hair a mess and covered in dirt and scratches. Her arms wrap around the seer without a care.

Wednesday’s arms sit at her sides for only a moment before they wrap around her too.

And when she lets go, her eyes are watering. She’s blinking back tears of relief to the point she thinks its blurred her vision. She finds that when her eyes go to those plush lips and back up, the brown ones ahead of her are doing the same.

Like Wednesday’s looking at her lips too.

Enid doesn’t have time to overthink it this time. Wednesday closes the gap for her, pulling her into the softest kiss she’s had in her life. In contrast to the dreary forest and wreckage of a plan foiled made in prejudice.

Its tender.

Its real.

Enid smiles into the kiss, arms looping around her love’s neck.

Chapter Text

There was plenty of blood to go around in the world.

Statistically, during national (or personal) tragedy or disaster more people are likely to donate. So much so there’s often surplus.

Blood, like the vessel it inhabits, had a life span. A date of rot, but not for someone of her taste.

Of her undead tongue.

Plasma a tad bit trickier to come by straight, but not impossible. From the source would probably always be preferable from majority of her kind. She didn’t find she cared either way.

She’s never tasted flesh. Had no desire to place her hands, let alone lips on another.

It made her think of her sire.

Morticia Addams had turned her many moons ago. She had been otherwise dying, but the elder vampire took pity. She’d call it a dying wish of her friend, because she claimed to know Wednesday’s human mother. She thinks regardless she’d preferred to have died.

Her partner in crime, her ‘husband’ Gomez was an enigma to her. He wasn’t human at all, by any means. He also wasn’t necessarily immortal, but Wednesday wasn’t sure he was from the recent past. The way he dressed, double breasted pinstriped suit, a thin mustache and a cigar to boot—it spoke of an era long passed.

The two had bore a son after her, a boy named Pugsley that grew entirely too attached to her. It was sickening, the way she’d gotten expelled from her first official stint in school this decade.

Technically, her first public school in general. After mastering control and her skin’s tolerance to the sun growing enough.

And she had been doing so well…oh, well. They shouldn’t have messed with her little brother—that was her job.

But, long story short—

“We’re sure you’ll love your time here at nevermore our little vampira,” Gomez coos at her. She rolls her eyes, not particularly fond of the ‘fatherly’ roll he took on in times like these. “You know, we met here many years ago?”

They walk down a grand hallway. Her whole ‘family’ in tow. She just hopes her disdain can be seen through her shades.

“Ah, I still remember when they were laying the bricks for these walls…” Morticia sighed. Next to her was the headmistress. A talk woman that stood in contrast to her mother in stark whites and cream.

“We also have a vast supply of blood here for all of our vampire students, so no need to hunt your own.” Principal Weems assured her, likely assuming she’s thinking of something trivial as that.

Its not like it’d be a bother. She’s told there was a decent archery program here as well. While she could kill with her bare hands, she quite liked the meditative art of bow hunting.

“Our Wednesday’s unlike any fang I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting.” Morticia loved to gloat about her in this way. She smiles, flashing her own teeth. “She hardly feeds, even though I used to scold her for it. Yet she never seems to grow any weaker.”

“Must you reveal everything about me, mother dearest?” Wednesday rolls her eyes under her shades.

“We’re only proud of your control, sweetheart,” Gomez tries to smooth over. Defending his wife as he always does.

She supposed he felt obligated, with those bite marks on his neck.

“Well, should you find yourself hungry theres a specific fridge in the cafeteria we keep blood vials prepared…” Weems continues.

Just as the tour does. It ends in what’s supposed to be her dwellings. And that shouldn’t be problem.

Such a dark and unlit castle. She should be fine to sleep here. And she would, just…

Wednesday feels her nose twitching. She takes a deep inhale. It smelled absolutely intoxicating.

Fresh…clean…

She licks her fangs as the door to her room was opened.

“—And this is Ms. Enid Sinclair. She will be your dorm mate for the time being.”

Up walks a visible embodiment of the very bane of her existence. Color—a rainbow assortment of colors surrounding a beaming face with eyes a fierce blue. And don’t even get her started on that side of the room…

“Howdy roomie!” Enid takes a step towards her.

And while she’s not one for affection, thats not what makes her step back; when those arms raise, as does that smell. That aphrodisiac like scent that had her backing up like she’d been burned. Her hand to her mouth.

“Uh…not a hugger,” Enid looks at her strangely. Then, nodding to herself as if coming to an understanding she smiles again. “Got it!”

She doesn’t try to touch her again, but she doesn’t stop in trying to get closer to Wednesday either.

*

Wednesday finds herself genuinely stumped for the first time in her life.

Enid was like no other individual she’s ever met in all her years lurking this Earth. A werewolf who couldn’t transform, but still able to disarm her with a charming smile.

Adorably canine. She was simultaneously disgusted, if not only for the phantom chest pains. As if she held a heart—as if would beat if she did.

“You want to know about that?” Morticia smirked at her very smugly through the lenses of her crystal ball. She already regretted her question.

“Perhaps I should’ve asked your blood bank instead,” Wednesday retorted. “He’s much less self righteous.”

Her sire finds that funny, apparently. Hand to her mouth, she chuckles.

“Its simply peculiar is all…excuse me for being a bit skeptical dear, but its never been something you’ve seemed otherwise interested in.” The elder vampire explains, smile not waning but softening. Ugh. “Unless…perhaps someone has changed your perspective?”

Theres an obvious question there, but she’s not keen to answer without one of her own.

“Has he been your only one? The only one you’ve had from the source?” She refers to Gomez and the pricks in his neck. She’s never known Morticia to drink from another directly in such a way.

Tales told of a type of intimacy that comes with blood letting. How it could become a craving. On both ends—like a type of Stockholm syndrome. At least thats what she liked to call the two of them when they irritated her with their affections.

Morticia hums, looking like she has to think of a good answer.

“Not always,” She says very plainly. “However, he has been with me the longest—the most faithful.”

*

(She thinks the only time that smell didn’t take her was on that gorgon boy. When he began to hold Enid’s scent it always made her nose turn up.)

*

Enid wormed her way into Wednesday’s life and what became semester long investigation. Full of ancient vampire hunting pilgrims and a score to settle with her mother and her (apparently) long ago staked sire.

Tyler Galpin smelled different than other humans. She got close to him to find out why. That was a bigger mistake than chosen proximity to this craving.

She had pushed Enid with her pretty smile and scent into an entirely different fang’s dorm. She already felt a type of way about the Tanaka clan, let alone the way the leech had already claimed a siren’s neck. Having Enid’s blood at the ready made her nightly brooding all the more lonely.

“We shouldn’t work,” Enid tells her when she comes back. When her scent surrounds her in a garden of plush, yellow pollen laden sunflower petals—like blonde locks of hair. Enid smiles, “But we do.”

They were opposites in every way. Where as she wanted to keep going, keep pursuing; Enid drew boundary in her investigation.

And so she had more time alone with Tyler. She thinks her dead, blackened heart jumps a bit, when the werewolf shows distaste for the ‘human’ boy.

“I just don’t trust him,” Enid would say very stubbornly. Her claws would unsheathe sometimes—she would compare them to her teeth. And wish she could bleed for Enid too.

Tyler had known all along. He had wanted a stake in her too.

Many did, but never would she or any self preserving fang would allow one close enough to try. A staking was not something that could be stitched up and cured with an extra dose of plasma.

A staking was a tad bit trickier to come back from.

“How does it feel…to lose?” Tyler’s cruel words rang in her head like a mantra.

She was ready to die. She had a long run, she supposed. She’d fought the good fight, but her pride and a mere piece of wood where about to disregard all of it.

But then—

“Enid…?” The hulking beast that was once her self proclaimed ‘best friend’ was currently over the flailing Hyde’s body.

It…looks to even smile at her?

What pushes her forward is when Tyler lunges back forward. When his hands sink through Enid’s fur and draw her blood. The scent of it…

Wednesday feels her throat constricting around nothing.

She has to move.

She has to find Laurel Gates.

She has to end this.

When she faces off against the estranged vampire hunter, she thinks she has a good enough chance. They trade blows, up until she reminds Wednesday that she had siphoned some of her venom while she was tied up with the Hyde. When she brings the ironically vampirised Crackstone back to life.

A life for a life.

Sometimes vampires don’t want to be. Not everyone had the greatest relationship with their sire—she could attest to that. Killing one’s sire and taking their venom only made a vampire stronger.

Short of consuming a living soul.

Wednesday didn’t believe she had that luxury. Up until she sees herself. The second Crackstone pierced her with the stake; she sees herself blonder than Enid—frilly medieval gown and dark eyes that gaze at her in what looked almost like affection.

“My child…you’re just as I remember you,” The figure strokes her face. She smiles, “Allow me to once again, give you the gift of life.”

Wednesday’s eyes widen, comically so.

Its like a bright white light, being alive again so suddenly. Her heart pounding in her ears and so, so thirsty. Her fangs extend as she springs back to life to a surprised Crackstone and a few of her classmates that had come to rescue her.

When she kills Crackstone she beheads him. Rips his body apart and sets it to flame. He didnt deserve a stake—he deserved to perish.

And in the dust, she looks to her two classmates—Bianca and Eugene as they both had flanked her side. Bianca currently trying to hold her weight, as she felt terribly lightheaded. The siren scolds her for moving about so much after finding her with a stake sticking out of where her heart was now pounding.

It thumped mercilessly, for—

“Enid,” Wednesday rasps, her throat burning. She needs to feed; even she can’t handle this much with nothing. Still, she frantically wonders, “Where is she? The Hyde—she was still with Tyler!”

“Theres a lot of people still unaccounted for unfortunately,” Eugene speaks first. He looks solemn.

“Just be happy you’re not one of them—like what the hell? The tuition here is way too high to be dealing with this shit,” Bianca grits as she tries to keep up with Wednesday’s hobbling forward.

She had to get back to the school.

Enid was at the edge of the woods, when…

“Look, I think I see more students over there!” Eugene points to where she can smell more familiar scents encroaching.

She desperately inhales for the most important—the most distinguishable.

“Where’s Wednesday?” She hears her name this time, before she picks it out. Before the scent of her everything lunges forward.

Before she knows it, she has an armful of pink. Mixed with maroon hues and floral notes blended in coppery blood. She smelled absolutely divine in this moment.

She practically collapsed in her arms.

Enid’s eyes widen a moment and she released Wednesday first.

“Y-Your—Wednesday…” Enid placed a hand over the girl’s chest. “Your heart….”

As if calling it further to life, the contact just makes the renewed organ beat all the more.

“Its a long story…but for now, I need—“ She feels her throat tighten painfully once again. Enid catches her, eyes full of worry and tracing every inch of Wednesday’s face.

She squints, mumbling to herself about what to do, before she sharply inhales.

“Blood—you need blood still, don’t you?” Enid inquires softly. Thankfully they are no longer center of attention as it looked like multiple were assessing damage and injuries.

Bianca and Eugene stood close by, doing a terrible job at looking like they weren’t being nosey. Thing wasn’t even trying, on the siren’s shoulder and signing at Enid that she was correct.

“A side effect from fighting ancient vampire hunters,” Wednesday explains briefly. Attempts to be light hearted, to which the blonde shakes her head.

Enid gets a determined look in her eye.

She huffs, before lowering the collar of her jacket. Her skin covered in a thin later of dirt, it was still far from unappealing. Especially when she’s so hungry.

But, she couldn’t. Not with Enid…not when she…

“Drink.” Enid asks her. At the opening of her mouth to protest the werewolf’s eyes harden, “Drink. I mean it, Wednesday.”

“You don’t know what you’re asking me to do…” The vampire girl pleads. Even though every fiber of her being wants to taste.

Wants to taste Enid.

“I want you too,” The werewolf speaks softly. Cups her cheek again and smiles. “I want…”

Wednesday’s jaw tightens and she swallows. She nods, not needing Enid to say what they both evidently can’t be without.

She licks her fangs one final time—virgin pearls that lengthen against the first drop.

The first taste…there’s nothing like it.

Enid grunts at the feeling of her fangs breaking skin. A flush to her face that slowly drains as Wednesday feeds. The vampire feels ‘life’ flow back into her undead body.

The pseudo heart inside of her rhythmic to the tune of Enid’s breaths.

Life—Love….its taste was to die for.

Chapter Text

Its insidious.

A thriller, but unfortunately not a slasher. At least not in any way she would like.

She thinks she would’ve preferred her rage. Preferred claws piercing her skin and making waste of her lowly flesh. Instead of leaving her to suffer this slow, damning inner turmoil.

It killed at a snails pace. Each minute felt like an hour in silence.

She used to beg for times like these.

Times of quiet and solitude.

She doesn’t remember why—her body no longer functions without the presence of her heart.

“I can’t—I don’t want to say something I’m going to regret,” Enid had held her hand up. She created distance so steep her chest compressed painfully. “You wanted to push me away? And to stay out of your investigation? You got it.”

Wednesday didn’t flinch when the door slammed. Enid hadn’t even brought anything with her aside from her keys. She had to come back.

She had to come home.

She hadn’t wanted to push her boundaries. Had tried to be a little less selfish. Enid had expressed displeasure in involvement in her endeavors at expense of her safety. Wednesday had watched her leave before.

She’s been alone before.

That was the last time. It didn’t feel good then—it felt like hell now.

Back then she didn’t know what it was like to allow Enid in her space. Truly; wholly. Ignorant to the way it felt to touch her hand, to have and hold. To know her name from those lips in tandem with—

“I care about you. So, so much…I can’t stand to see you treat yourself like this…” Enid had held her hand, covered in bandages.

Attempt to escape through a broken window gone awry. She probably needed stitches. She had been too proud, but Enid had been adamant. At the given moment (outside on the balcony, leaning against the window and brooding) she wished she’d let it bleed.

Her bandaged hand lay useless at her side.

The mystery of her stalker lay to rest for another day. She couldn’t think about them, with brain fogged with feeling. More than she knew what to do with. More than she’s used to dealing with at once.

More than even she can hide, her eyes brimming with tears. They don’t fall—she doesn’t feel she has the right.

She hadn’t ever gotten the chance to express the things weighing her to the ground. Maybe she never would. Maybe she shouldn’t.

But thats what got her here in the first place, apparently.

“You lied to me, Wednesday!”

She hadn’t seen an issue with it, so long as Enid could lay her head in peace at night. She only wanted Enid to be safe. She couldn’t live with herself, after seeing what happened to Thing.

After Enid had sprinted to her, covered in blood. From protecting her.

Wednesday’s ears perk up, at sound of pitter pattering from a certain hand. Thing crawls slowly to her, likely gauging her mood. There’s no feasible way he hadn’t heard from his place in her drawer. She regards him with a look, eyes likely red rimmed.

He implies as much as well, trying to cheer her up by telling her she looks more dead in the eyes than usual. At her blank stare in return her breaks; he’d gone with Enid first.

“You’ve come to scold me too then? As if you don’t report to me,” She lacks some of her snark. In her gloom, she genuinely deadpans.

Thing shakes his stump. Tells her she’s stubborn and an idiot. How he told her before that maybe she should at least make Enid aware and give her the option.

“You saw what happened the last time she accompanied me on an investigation,” Wednesday replies with hard eyes. Thing paused, because he knew—he was with Enid that fateful night.

He had been the one to tell Enid she was dying.

And now he says much of the same. That this is killing her too. That she’s gone to the quad to sit outside and think. Wednesday swallows down the image.

“She told me to leave her be,” She weakly answers.

Thing tells her that maybe its the other way around. Wednesday’s eyes grow so hard…

“I thrive in my solitude and there is not one person aside from myself that I believe to have the aptitude to solve this,” She confirms that much. “However…I’ve also come to consider other’s perspectives. Perhaps, on rare occasion, even taking them to heart.”

Thing lingers before he gestures again. Implies that she should go seek Enid out. That maybe its not too late and (from a safe distance) that she’s jumping the gun a bit.

“I’m protecting her,” Wednesday stubbornly retorts.

Thing asks who exactly she is. Tells her that she needs to think about who exactly is being guarded here.

Is it really her you’re protecting?

Wednesday curls her uninjured hand into fist.

She finds Enid at a table. She’s chatting with some other girls, Wednesday hadn’t committed all their names to memory. Enid wasn’t ever one to wallow alone—she always had confidents.

At a point, she was one of them.

Right now she’s dealing with multiple pairs of eyes staring her down.

“I just—“ Wednesday has to clear her throat. She unfortunately didn’t leave her sorrows back in the room. Enid’s eyes soften ever so slightly when she meets them. “I’d like another chance to explain myself.”

Enid’s jaw tensed. She could hear the girl’s around her mumbling and wondering her motives. It made her heart ache anew, seeing Enid not shut them down. Not defending her from the whispers.

In fact she likely gave them the material.

Wednesday feels her chest constrict so painfully—putifully, she nearly chokes on her words. Her more than desperate plea.

“Enid…please.”

A pin could drop in the silence that ensues. In another light, she could find it funny. The awed expression on Enid’s face, like she had told her one of those boy bands she liked had disbanded.

Its what leads to them a little ways off school grounds.

Close enough to hear each other breathing, because they always wound up in step this way. Even when they had spent their whole lives apart.

“I don’t apologize for taking space, but I am sorry for leaving the way I did,” Enid starts off. Almost like a warning, her eyes trace her face briefly for any shift in expression. “But at least now you know how it feels. To not know where I am.”

Wednesday looks to her incredulously. This isn’t the first time Enid’s left—Lucifer help her, should this not be the last.

“You’ve left our room before.” You’ve left me before.

“For the same reasons, Wednesday—God, I swear you’re so…” Enid clenches her eyes shut and sighs loudly. “This is why I took time away to think.”

“With a peanut gallery?” She can’t help but snark. A bit bitter that she couldn’t hand it to her straight. Wednesday felt weak enough without the prying eyes to her failure.

“They’re my friends,” Enid replies pointedly. “We tell each other everything. Thats how these things work.”

“Thats not how we do,” Wednesday defends. Enid stops walking to look at her. The seer stands her ground, “I had thought you of all people would realize.”

(“We work. We shouldn’t, but we do.”)

Enid kicks a rock harshly forward as they walk. It skips towards the end.

“Both sides have to be trying in order for that to happen.” She has her hands behind her back, peaking at where Wednesday kept ahead.

The seer looks at her sharply. The implication that Wednesday wasn’t trying. That she hadn’t usurped her everyday routine—her life, to the point she can no longer think without considering another.

She could no longer fathom life without Enid. And if her arm was any indication of what proximity to her could bring…

“Both sides have to be living,” Wednesday corrects. Its the least smug she’s ever been in doing so. In fact she’s terribly unsatisfied in being right. In knowing the burgeoning truth. She croaks, “I can’t—…without you, there is no anomaly. Without you…I don’t know how I’ve ever willingly chosen to be in solitude. When you’re gone, Enid, its so quiet its maddening.”

And that terrifies me.

“How do you think I felt?” Enid’s eyes are watery. They were already red from her earlier tears. “Waiting up for you all night, not a single reply to any of my texts, your scent practically nonexistent up until I caught a whiff of blood…”

Wednesday had hobbled home, not wanting a doctor. If she was going to face dire injury, the last thing she wanted to do was enjoy it with others. She wanted to be home. The stalker had led her into a dead end.

Had left a note in her dorm that made her blood run cold. Enid had been there while she was gone between classes. The wolf could’ve easily been targeted. Escaping with a few open wounds was the best she could’ve hope for.

“Better me than you,” Wednesday whispers. Her eyes dart from Enid’s eyes to her cheek. The side of her face that once held gashes of their own.

A rainbow colored hand reached up to touch. Realization flashing across her expression.

Wednesday gulps, feeling bare—like Enid could see through her flesh.

She already held her heart.

In those claws, she held it taut as it beat like thunder against the Earth to accompany the overcast clouds above them. The wolf had carved it out with her teeth—that canine smile had charmed her. Violently so, as she bore the result of what lengths she’d go through to stop harm from coming to what she counts as hers.

“Oh, Wednesday…” Enid very tenderly: gazed into her eyes, grabbed both hands, spoke and entered her space.

Wednesday feels her pulse in her ears, ringing like white noise. She’s just thankful she doesn’t have a vision. Her breaths as steady as she can manage, when Enid’s taken it without really trying.

“I’m a walking harbinger of death and despair,” Wednesday begins. She’s serious as can be, because she’s under no guise of her own nature. “I find it harder to be selfish when I think of you, however I can’t promise to stop my investigation. Or involvement in any others going forward.”

Enid clicks her teeth, not liking her conclusion.

“That was never the issue!” Enid replies swiftly. Cradles their hands a little closer in her insistence as Wednesday’s eyes widen. “I know you—you’re stubborn as all hell and you’d never let something like this go. And I don’t want you to change…I just want you to be honest with me.”

Enid practically pleads with her. The wolf licks her lips, before continuing.

“I used to think my worst fear was being alone—a ‘lone wolf,’” Enid emphasized shyly. She only briefly hesitates, before looking determinedly at her. With so much meaning, a hand carefully cups Wednesday’s cheek. Forces her to look into those glimmering blues. “But after worrying my ass off, thinking you were dead again, I think…I’d be even more scared if I ever lost you.”

Wednesday finds herself with nothing to say. Finds herself leaning forward in spite of herself.

Finds Enid’s trembling lips.

Salty with tears—their unanimous declaration on both of their tongues.

Their shared phobia another thing that bound them. It delighted her in a way only an Addams could be. 

Chapter Text

Enid’s not unfamiliar with magic. She’s literally an werewolf—plus her mom had a stint with a psychic that used to post up in her hometown. She’s never had her own cards read, but she’s terribly curious.

She reads her horoscope whenever she gets the chance, but nothing compared to a personal read; divination and words from her ancestors. She doesn’t entirely know what it all means in all honesty, but she was as vain as the next girl reading astropoets on Twitter.

She loved to hear about herself. When it was good of course…

Not like the conversation she just had with Ajax.

“He told me I’m a flake!” Enid rants to her friend as they sit in a booth at the Weathervane. “He was late to our very first date ever—I think I can be late a few times, like?”

She gestures wildly with her hands. Across from her Divina nods her head in understanding. She has her latte straw between her lips, leaning over on her arms.

“And he told me I’m not ‘attentive enough to his problems’ and that its like I have ‘a whole other life with no room for him.’” Enid quotes with a pout. “Like—does he not want me to have a life outside of him? Its not like we’re married and even if we were thats crazy clingy…and thats coming from me!”

Divina makes a face, “Leave it to a son of Medusa to be in touch with his feelings, I guess.”

“I think he’s been acting insecure because I can wolf out now, honestly,” Enid concludes. She falls back in the seat and purses her lips. “Its the only thing that makes sense! Don’t you think so?”

She’s not so subtly asking for confirmation, to which Divina loudly sips her drink. The siren looked to be contemplating how exactly to deliver her words. At the extended silence Enid can’t help prickle.

“What?” The werewolf practically barks out, “Do you not think its weird that he’s being like this after the Crackstone incident?”

“I do, I just…” Divina bites her tongue and Enid nearly growls before the girl relents. “I just think it sounds eerily close to me and Yoko before the break.”

Enid pauses at that. Her mouth opens, but no words come out.

Divina and Yoko had split (mostly) amicably over the extended break. The vampire had been contemplating leaving high school and pursing a higher education for a while. As most tend to, as they find theres only so many times they can take the same courses.

And while Enid would miss having a walking test cheat code booklet for a friend, she knows that Divina’s feelings were a tad more complex. The two girls had been together for as long as Enid had known them. And had been together for a little while longer before that. While Enid’s been somewhere in the middle, trying to keep the peace between her friends and be sympathetic to both sides.

Yoko needed to move on; she had more of the world that she wanted to see and not only that but Divina’s mortality would eventually become an issue. Sirens have a longer life span and they tend to get attached to ‘prey’ pretty easily. Divina hadn’t necessarily been planning on being life partners with Yoko, or anything.

Still…didn’t make it hurt less. As currently, the siren looked at her warily.

“Thats way different,” Enid tries to defend. “You and Yoko had different life circumstances and made a mutual agreement. Ajax just talked at me for an hour and barely heard me out!”

“Remind me again whats been making you late?” Divina asks, squinting her eyes.

Enid nearly goes pink at that.

The other side to their argu—disagreement.

“Well…” Enid begins, clearing her throat and thinking back over the past month or so.

—

The first time she recalls it was a simple…miscalculation.

She was supposed to meet Ajax at the theater, because she was going to help Wednesday ‘study.’ At least thats what was supposed to happen…

It quickly turned into infiltration of the Nighshades library while the members were otherwise distracted. Suffice to say, she turned up sheepish at the end of the movie and opted to go on a walk after instead.

Then there was time she was quite literally on her way to his dorm to spend the night, only to receive a call asking if she would like to receive a phone call from Jericho County Jail.

“H-Hello?”

“Greetings, Enid. As you can see, the pigs have gotten a hold of me and I require assistance in wiring money over for bail.”

“Wednesday, how the hell—“

Not to mention the most recent occasion, because the girl had gotten herself sick.

“Wednesday Addams does not get sick, foolish wolf.” Were the famous last words, before the girl was practically on her death bed. Enid at her wake and tracking her fever.

“You’re being such a baby, it’s literally just Robitussin! It’ll help your cough,” Enid had to use her strength advantage to force the medication down her throat. All the while the seer fought valiantly, claiming—

“I can simply sweat out the fever. I’m quite adept at—“ followed by hacking and coughing that make Enid sigh and place hands on her hips.

She ended up canceling on Ajax entirely.

—

As she recounts it all, Divina listens rapt. Her eyebrows do a lot of moving, but she otherwise keeps her expressions as neutral as possible, up until the end. It makes her miss Yoko’s more blunt nature, as the vampire was way more willing to give things to her straight.

“She couldn’t have gone to the infirmary?” Divina inquired with tilt of her head.

“Its Wednesday we’re talking about, she doesn’t trust anything funded by the government.” Enid rolls her eyes, much more fondly than not. “If not for me, she’d probably have gotten a lot worse. Thing told me she had pneumonia so bad they had to sneak medicine in the espresso she insisted on still having everyday. Plus, that way I wasn’t spreading germs to Ajax.”

That…and Enid felt the need to watch the girl like a hawk all night.

She barely slept, tending to the seer and listening to Thing tell increasingly concerning stories about her childhood illnesses. She couldn’t help but forcefully dote over the sick girl for the few days it took her to come around.

“Uh huh…so, I think I see the problem here,” Divina concludes, nodding her head. At Enid’s gesture to continue, the siren grins, “I think I’m in the mood to go shopping today, after all.”

*

A few boutiques and boderline conniving glances from Divina later and they find themselves on the way back to the bus stop. Its a little earlier than not, but Enid honestly did feel a lot better after buying a new hat and matching skirt. Not to mention the blind bags she’s gonna open on her story later—that’s the best remedy of all.

“Ooo, look it here…” Divina stops in place, swinging her bags and pointing. Enid does as well, glancing at Uriahs Heap and the foreboding dark hinges. The siren’s referring to the sign outside, shoved right into the ground via metal stick. “They have a psychic visiting—I think I remember this lady from last time, actually.”

She goes to bend over and read the name off. All the while, Enid feels something sinking in her chest for some reason. Well, it could be the memories for one. Her and Ajax’s first unofficial date/hang out was here. Sure, it was full of taxidermy and oddities that she’d rather save for Wednesday to mull over, but it was a good memory.

The way he smiled at her and heard her out, versus implying that maybe she’s confused about what she wants—

“Did you want something from here? The bus is gonna be here soon,” Enid tries to hurry the siren up. Divina only hums, before looking back at her.

“Thinking about it…but, honestly you should give it a go,” The brunette prompts.

Enid steps back, brows furrowing as she points to herself.

“M-Me? Why?”

“You’re having boy problems, aren’t you?” Divina explains like she’s wondering why she even has to.

Sure she’s not a stranger to psychic premonitions (she literally lives with one), but never in this way. With Wednesday she tended to take a back seat, considering the contents of the Addams’ vision. She’s aware that the girl’s mother has the exact opposite in terms of subject matter, but Enid was more worried about not getting told stories of dying people or grave injuries.

Instead she mulls over the possibilities. If instead of turmoil, a seer could see could something more positive in her future. It almost felt like…cheating.

“Isn’t a psychic kinda…I dunno—invasive?” Enid makes a face.

“Wednesday has visions all the time,” Divina tries to convince her. “At least this requires a bit more consent, since you’re asking about yourself ultimately. Ajax is just…collateral.”

Not the best way to think of her boyfriend when they’re already having issues, but…

“Ok, I’ll try it—but,” Enid gets a sinister smile of her own, bumping shoulders with her friend. “You should totally go first. Since this is your idea and all.”

“Fine by me, I’ve gotten readings done before.” Divina opens the door for her as Enid hums on the way in.

“Maybe she’ll predict your next gf,” She sings. Divina scoffs and playfully pushes her forward.

“I’m actually content being single for a minute,” She shrugs. “I literally just got out of a long term thing. I don’t wanna waste my youth, you know? I haven’t had my slut era yet.”

Enid giggles at that, hands in front of her as she tries not to look too uneasy with all of the bones lined up on a shelf by the entrance.

“You could probably ask the cards, yeah? Or is that unethical?” She jokes, before they’re both alerted to foot steps. And the sound of beads and jewelry from not only a curtain to another room, but an older woman covered in it.

“You may ask the cards whatever you like, dear. All shall be revealed in due time,” The woman smiles kindly. She has darker skin and eyes, her nails long and clothes akin to Wednesday’s. In that she’s in a lot of black.

She even had tattoos on her arms. Enid gapes for a moment, but Divina speaks for the both of them.

“Mistress Isabelle, long time no see?” The siren greets. She waves a hand, the seer before them raising a brow in recognition.

“I thought I recognized your face…” Then she looks over to Enid, her smile turning a bit funny. “I see you moved on fast?”

The two of them look at each other and then start laughing. Not because it’s completely out of left field, but talk about complete lack of romantic chemistry.

“This is just Enid—my friend, from school.” Divina emphasized while still laughing, then she nods to Enid. “I may have gotten a reading here before when I was still with Yoko…and she kinda sorta predicted our break up.”

Divina pulls a face as Mistress Isabelle laughs full belly. She’s an average sized woman, but her laugh could shake up a room. Enid looks all the more intrigued, but simultaneously anxious of what she’s about to hear.

“And notice how they always come back?” The seer jokes, even as Divina rolls her eyes playfully.

“We’re mainly here for this one, because her boy toy’s acting up.”

“I wouldn’t call him a ‘toy’—he’s sensitive,” Enid tries to half heartedly defend. “More so…we’re going through a rough patch, but that normal—yeah? Right?”

A deck of cards comes from thin air, up her sleeve—somewhere, regardless Isabelle now has her cards in hand. Enid audibly gulps at the size of it. Non intimidating card stock, but so very imposing.

“We’ll let spirit be the judge of that,” The seer winks.

The two girls follow her past that beaded curtain and to a smaller area decorated to sit.

It looked just as gothic as the outside, a coffin bookshelf and plenty of specimens in odd places. Enid tries not to look at them too long, appreciating instead the plush purple couch and chairs. The smell on incense and sage burning. Very natural scents that pleased her on a primal level.

Divina’s sitting on aforementioned couch, with Enid scooted in close to see the action about to take place on the coffee table. 

Isabelle had been shuffling on and off as they got settled, up until the siren dared ask. 

“Can I ask…what do I need to know right now?” 

“In regards to love,” Enid butts in. 

“Only if thats what comes out,” Divina corrected. Still, Enid only laughs at her expense. 

Again, this was her idea. She has the right to tease a little. 

“Well, lets see then, shall we? Spirit never ceases to surprise me, trust.” Isabelle jokes with a wink, beginning to pluck cards. She does about three before she hums to herself, “Ah, the hermit is here I see. I do think in this being a major arcana this is probably the most significant message—put yourself out there.”

“I do! I made myself leave the house today,” Divina replies defensively. 

“I made you leave the house today,” Enid corrects. Then she looks to the seer, “She’s been becoming a recluse.”

”Ok thats a exaggeration—we literally just had exams!”

”Your friend is not entirely false, from the four of cups reversed here as well. Along with the three of swords.” Isabelle shakes her head. “Your fear of getting hurt is causing you to miss out on life. I recommend you keep this one around.”

She refers to Enid, who beams. Divina playfully rolls her eyes. 

“Whatever, I’m just taking this as confirmation to start my ho phase,” The siren reiterates. 

“Yes! I do think the cards are implying you should have more fun. Maybe not take things so seriously—the hermit also correlates with Virgo you know? The most meticulous of the zodiac,” Isabelle explains. 

Enid listens on with rapt attention. Its eery, how accurate it is; Isabelle’s talking as if she had been with them this whole time. Like she had been told things in advance and was only recounting it. It made her leg bounce in anticipation as it soon became her turn. 

“You’re next, blondie,” The seer curled her finger to lean forward. Enid smiles, though feels trepidation at what she’s about to possibly hear.

”I’d like love advice too, obvi,” She says. “My boyfriend seems to think I’m confused about what I want.”

She says it like its silly to even think about. And it totally is, because why else would she try so hard to date him? 

All the while, Isabelle is shuffling with s strange look on her face. She only briefly hesitates before plucking cards. She stares at them for a long time, to the point even Divina looks concerned; then she looks to Enid. 

“I do ask my clients remove any and all bias and be open during readings—I would like to reiterate this.” The seer says very seriously. Enid bobs her head slowly, trying to trust the process. Isabelle bites her lip before continuing, “My dear…I asked about your future in love and I don’t see a boy here.”

Enid feels…well she’s not quite sure how to process that. She furrows her brows, looking at the cards as if they could speak. 

“W-What do you mean, like…just Ajax, or are you telling me I’m gonna be alone?”

”Not exactly, well…” Isabelle hesitates again, before sighing. “I can’t sugar coat the truth—there are no men here. At all.”

”Ok…?” Enid prompts, frowning. She hears Divina make a noise beside her like she’s exasperated, but she ignores it. Isabelle however looks at her head on and points at the row of cards. 

“These…are all women on the cards. I asked about your future in love and its deeply embedded in your relationships with them.” The seer says very plainly. Enid’s eyes go wide, but she’s too shocked to speak. Isabelle isn’t however, “You have the four of cups as well, however this time its reversed so I would guess you’re already aware of this to this extent. Or of someone, perhaps? The Queen of swords is also here—ooo an air sign girl, sharp tongued, maybe a writer?”

The words start to become ringing in her ears as her heart starts pounding out of her chest.

The fact that she’s asking a professional seer about her love life and its sounding an awful lot like the discussion she just had. What Ajax had implied about her and her relationship with her roommate, in what Enid had thought to be spite or anger.

The fact that the spirits above saw her with—

”Uh…” Enid doesn’t often find herself speechless.

“This empress here is also reversed, so I would argue to a degree that this stems from expectations placed on you by a motherly figure.” Isabelle concludes, after reading her entire life as if she’d had it written on forehead. Then, the seer picks the cards back up as if nothing had happened. “Anything else for you two?”

*

“Well that was insane,” Enid says once they’re standing at the bus stop again. 

“Tis the nature of Tarot,” The siren sighs. “She read us both. Bad.”

Divina places a hand on her shoulder, looking sympathetic but in a way that makes Enid squint.

“You brought me here on purpose, didn’t you?” She pouts, as in hindsight it makes sense. If Divina had gotten services there before then theres no way she didn’t know how brutally honest they were. 

The siren sheepishly looks to her feet.

”Theres no easy way to imply that maybe…Ajax had a point about you being…confused,” Divina says carefully. She cringes at herself, “Yoko was a lot better at delivering this kinda stuff.”

“I mean its fine, I…I probably needed to hear that in all honesty.” Enid relents, though it doesn’t leave her easily. She kicks at a rock, feeling her heart rate still thumping.

“Yeah?” Divina asks, sounding more surprised than not. The bus is in eyesight now also, trudging to their stop. 

“Yeah…”

Chapter Text

Fashion week was a whirlwind, as it always was. Especially when she’s needed across the globe, as she had obligations to walk for certain houses. Meaning Paris was her home for many days and nights; its worth it for the nice wine and after parties, the freebies and PR gifts from different brands.

Still, she’s exhausted.

And she still has to meet with her agent the second she touches back down in California.

“Its a tiny bit out of your comfort zone, but it’ll still be ‘on theme’,” Her agent, Yoko had said on the phone.

Enid’s skeptical to say the least. She paused her packing to squint at the the phone, as if she could see the other woman.

“You’re being vague,” Enid accuses. “Why?”

“Well, I mean I did have to sign an NDA…” Yoko trails, but at her grunt of displeasure the girl back tracks. “Its for an important brand trying to make the transition into selling beauty products—damn, I thought you liked surprises?”

“I do, but the way you’re talking felt like you were setting me up,” Enid explains herself in exasperation. “But, that doesn’t sound too bad. At least I can probably sit if its just make up, right?”

“Not exactly—well, you’ll probably still be sitting but its not make up…”

“…Is it hair care?”

“I’ve already said too much—have a nice flight!”

“Yoko? Yoko, I swear to—“ Enid groans to herself at the sound of nothing and her phone going back to the home screen. Angrily opening Instagram and hoping that mindless scrolling through the explore page would give her peace of mind.

A like here, one there. Obligatory thank-yous and reposts of her walking and/or the get-ready-with-me she filmed for Vogue. The opportunities she’s had recently have been insane, in all honesty so she can’t earnestly complain.

Even if her team was being shadey. At least she trusted Yoko not to screw her over. Her agent hadn’t steered her wrong yet—she was simply more adventurous. Enid had been homeschooled and crazy sheltered up until she got discovered.

Modeling hadn’t necessarily been in her plans. She was just a pageant girl at the end of the day; her mother liked to doll her up and claimed it was helping her not be a total shut in. A semblance of a social life, though a lot of her ‘friends’ at the time saw her as competition too.

It took her a long time to find her footing. At only 23 it was nothing to turn your nose up at, either.

First class flights and cars waiting on you the second you touch down.

A team of people dependent on your every move; everyone wants to get paid.

Fortunately shes not the only famous person getting back to the states, nor is she the most. She gets minimal interruption in getting into her car. She normally doesn’t deal with paparazzi—the last and most recent time being her little stint playing beard for an actor.

Ajax Petropolus: leading man, cover boy, teen girl heart-throb and closeted fruit cake.

It didn’t exactly go with the ‘image’ to have a long term boyfriend. Thankfully, his secret lover didn’t mind being exactly that while his man was busy building a name and brand for himself, but it left Enid feeling strangely empty.

Commitment to someone who didn’t want you—couldn’t want you.

She wasn’t an actress…just a pretty face. She looked good on his arm and his proximity got her jobs; it was a mutually beneficial thing. Still, the ‘break up’ felt as freeing as if they’d actually been together. The irony that he was meant to be ‘cheating’ on her with another ‘girl’ the kicker.

Even more ironic when she begins to question her own sexuality for the nth time in life. Being away from her mother certainly helped her clear a path around the ol’ rainbow.

Not that she’s really able to act on any of these burgeoning feelings.

Aside from a few parties and innocent invitations to gay bars she could justify with proximity to friends. Nothing that would tarnish her reputation while she’s figuring herself out.

Nowadays her being single had been worked into part of her allure. Maturing into more racey lines, showing skin on the runway with bolder brands like Mugler, when people expected her to wear something more juvenile like Moschino. And she had been well known for her time walking for the more colorful and campy Betsy Johnson.

It’s been a welcome rebrand and she’s a feeling whatever Yoko isn’t telling her is the next step.

*

When she’s back in Cali, she’s at least given the time to head to her apartment there and sleep. Really, its her brother’s place, because she’s not always here nowadays. She had to spend a crazy amount of time out of town, especially this time of year.

Her older brother watched the dogs and tended to things. Made sure the lights stayed on and the fridge wasn’t empty when she was in town. He works early in an office, the rare occasion he’s not teleworking. So, Enid’s morning coffee and smoothie bowl combo is quiet.

Up until she finally gets a video call from Yoko, spilling the beans on what exactly she’s supposed to be doing.

“Ok, ok—so the details are finalized and I can safely say who you’re shooting for,” She announces.

“Please tell me you didn’t rope me into some kind of political thing?” She can’t help but assume something top secret, if its being kept so hush. “Or that I didn’t piss off Anna Wintour on accident, or something?”

She’s mostly joking, knowing the woman didn’t pay much attention to people ‘below’ her. Lest the actually get in her way or ruin her show.

“Even better! Remember that old brand ‘Silver Moon’?” Yoko prompts her and Enid genuinely feels her heart rate spike. It dawns a memory of commercials and hours spent window shopping through her phone screen and mall windows.

“Uh, of course I do—every girl in my class was fighting over that nail polish line.” She remembers her favorite color was that signature silver grey topped with a coat of their glitter polish.

She’d probably skimp on the amount of glitter as an adult, though…

“Funny you mention that—they wanna shoot you in some fun looks to advertise their rebrand,” Yoko reveals. “And guess who’s gonna be the first to wear their new nail colors and make up palettes?”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Enid’s absolutely aghast, forgetting her manners. “Sorry, omg, I just can’t believe it! That was literally my whole high school aesthetic. And they want me?”

Yoko shushes her, scoffing at the way she was talking.

“Fresh off a global fashion tour? Girl, why wouldn’t they? I just had to keep you in the dark until I knew for sure, because I didn’t wanna hype you up over nothing.” Yoko explains her reasoning and scolds her downplaying herself. “But trust—that mug of yours is gonna be in a lot of high places coming up. What are you gonna do when we get you on a billboard?”

Enid laughs, almost uneasily. Its not that she’s shy, far from it…it just never got easier being center of attention.

“Lets take it one shoot at time, yeah?”

*

“You’re gonna be shooting with Wednesday Addams—totally in her realm of work, considering the other stuff I’ve seen from her.” Yoko gives her more of a rundown on the ride there.

Enid couldn’t stomach looking at a lot of it in all honesty. But, the girl apparently did decent editorial shoots. Advertisement and body horror went hand in hand apparently.

“That Insta was giving serial killer,” Enid mumbles in the parking lot. Yoko nudges her and pushes down her sunglasses to give her a look.

“She self publishes a horror zine—you expecting nature shots?” She tries to defend the goth photographer. Enid just snorts.

“No, but I feel like some people are a little too happy to simulate gore, if you know what I mean.” Really, she’s just happy its not a man. Male photographers could be tricky depending on the circumstances, though they tended to dominate the industry.

Thankfully, a majority of this team appeared to be women. The photographer herself wasn’t present on her own social media, but in the few shots she’d been tagged in spoke volumes.

Wednesday was gorgeous. 

Sure, the art was always hard to separate from the artist, but Enid could forget the blood for an excuse to trace that jawline with her eyes in person.

(God girl get a grip.)

She probably spends too long looking in the Addams’ tagged photos; Yoko’s grinning at her near fiendishly.

“I’m sure you’ll find some common ground…”

*

Upon entering, she’s immediately pushed into a make up chair and having her hair gelled up and spiked.

“The color in your hair really works for this, the cotton candy will really contrast with the wardrobe,” The stylist compliments. Enid tended to dye her tips, especially when she’s between jobs. This one encouraged colored, so she went with a cute blue and pink.

She’s experimented with a lot of colors over the years, but these ones stuck.

“Now we’re gonna try a couple of different looks today—we have the space for as long as we need and we’ll break for lunch.”

Enid smiles and nods, not one to push back when she wasn’t being pulled thin. Besides, she liked playing dress up and it was satisfying her inner child to model for one of her favorite brands. She could argue that those magazine spreads influenced her ‘passion for fashion’ so to speak.

When they’re doing her hair, she feels a chill up her spine. She turns her head to see imposing dark eyes looming in her direction, by the doorway. They’re shorter than not in a dark t shirt, hoodie hanging off her shoulders and wide legged trousers. Arms crossed as Yoko looked to be yapping at them.

Wednesday Addams was impossibly more attractive in person.

The woman caught her eyes back, nodding her head in absence of a ‘hello’. Enid would be off put, if not for the fact that the woman walks away, out of sight and two the left with her pig tails swishing behind.

Yoko follows behind, leaving her eyes to linger in their place.

She doesn’t think she remembers to breathe a single time til they’re gone.

Call her hopeful (delusional), but she swears she feels those intense eyes staring at her while she’s being moved around from station to station. Like she’s being observed—watched.

(Like maybe Wednesday found her interesting too.)

She’s eventually in a sort of Alice and Wonderland ensemble; a blue, frilly, corseted dress and stockings. Exaggerated blush on her face and her nails a deep purple with stripes to symbolize the Cheshire cat. She’s clopping along in her black loafers, bow in her hair to complete her look.

“Ready to meet Ms. Sunshine?” Yoko asks, sounding incredibly sarcastic. Enid huffs out a laugh, wondering how the rest of the altercation she saw went.

“Oh, I’m totes excited to do this actually,” Enid feels herself vibrating. “I regret ever doubting you.”

“At least one of us does,” Her agent mumbles. Enid would press, but she’s about five seconds away from being on set. “Speak of the devil—theres your photographer for the day. I tried getting her introduce herself before the shoot, but she claimed I was interrupting her ‘process.’”

She does stop in place proper at sight of the pigtailed woman from earlier. Only this time she’s holding a very expensive camera and examining it thoroughly, instead of her. Enid drinks in the all black attire, it looked a lot more casual than the material likely was. She could tell the hoodie alone was costly and the boots on the goth’s feet were leather.

She can only hum at her agent’s semi-annoyed tone. All she really registers is that she’s the chance to introduce herself to this girl.

Her feet move on their own accord. She’s no stranger to this sort of thing; being charming to hopefully get what she wants.

“Hey,” She finds herself interrupting. The way Wednesday glances up her from the camera lens makes her feel that way. Still, she smiles, holding out her hand, “I’m Enid, I’ll be shooting with you today. I just wanted to introduce myself and maybe talk about your vision?”

She tries to be coy with her movements, though its not hard for her to use looks to her advantage. Wednesday didn’t seem to care regardless; in spite of their intensity, those eyes looked right through her.

“I’m afraid my ‘vision’ doesn’t meet parental guidelines, as they’re looking to market this dead brand to a new generation of consumerist parents and their crybaby children,” Wednesday replies. She doesn’t blink or falter in her delivery.

Enid doesn’t know if she should laugh. Her hand goes to her hip, trying a different approach.

“I used to wear Silver Moon stuff when I was a kid,” She mentons. “Plus people love the whole nostalgia thing right now.”

“I couldn’t care less what people want,” Wednesday says very earnestly. “I’m merely doing this as a favor. If you’ll excuse me I need to finish adjusting so we may begin.”

Enid tries to open her mouth to reply, not expecting such a one and done answer; it intrigues her in ways it shouldn’t. In this line of work, that kind of thinking was hard to come by.

(in thinking back on that art was the cynicism really that far fetched?)

Regardless, they had a set schedule to follow, so she couldn’t spend her time yapping with this attractive stranger. She instead reconvened with Yoko, who was talking to someone from wardrobe. The brunette noticed her immediately, her smile growing.

“Hey! I take it, it went well?” She doesn’t sound like she believes it either.

“You could say that,” Enid sighs. Yoko only snorts at her, lowering her voice.

“Maybe work that corset a little harder next time.” She has nerve to wink, making Enid happy she’s already wearing blush.

*

The shoot itself wasn’t long, but the subject matter made it feel like hours.

Not as many full body shots, as the main focus was meant to be her hands. Mainly, her fingers—she’s not the only model there. There’s a couple shots where she’s posed with a Mad Hatter stand in, but for the most part she’s alone.

While Wednesday plays with—ahem, places her hands where she wants them.

And Enid’s done shoots like this before. She’s recently done covers with even less clothing, meant to be provocative. Nothing could prepare her for the inherent eroticism of a beautiful woman fixating on her hands.

“Here, curve your fingers like this,” Wednesday murmurs her command. Moves Enid’s fingers against a fake vial of shrinking potion. “Good. Just like that…do not move.”

Its simple direction and she remains outwardly professional; inside, however she’s short circuiting.

Even worse when, for the sake of the upcoming holiday and a nod to the photographer they add a bit of blood. Wednesday herself applies it, so meticulously it’s both attractive and concerning. She tries to focus on the contact.

The photographer’s hands were lukewarm. But so soft, it left tingles in the palms of her hands. It makes her emboldened.

“Give me your expert opinion—do I look good in blood?” Enid asks, grinning. She doesn’t mean to bat her eyes, but she can’t help herself.

Wednesday for her part doesn’t betray her apathy. At least not in any way that’s unprofessional. Enid relishes in the way she inhales, like she’s genuinely surprised.

“I think most things look better with blood,” The photographer eventually replies. “Don’t feel too special.”

Oh, but she can’t help but feel a tiny bit…

(And she swears—those dark eyes linger longer than the camera.)

She’s sweating for many reasons by the time they finally call for a break. For sake of professionalism, she’ll say its the lighting.

“I sent for your usual at Sweet Green,” Yoko comments after she walks off set.

She grabs the food with a sigh of relief, ready to eat and shed her make up for the next look. It was going to be another Halloween themed shoot.

She finds somewhere outside to eat, not surprised to already see the goth photographer sitting on some steps alone.

Suddenly her salad became less appealing.

“Mind if I join you?” Enid approached and nods at the empty space on the concrete metal steps.

Wednesday waits to chew and swallow an apple slice.

“Minding would imply I care what you do,” She shrugs.

Ok, ouch. But, also fair since she likely came outside to be alone. Enid had as well and to, ironically, think about said girl in privacy of her take out.

Still, the silence makes her feel awkward.
She at least wants to get around to thanking the photographer. Or, complimenting her skill—Enid hadn’t even really been paying much attention to the fake blood coating her hands and face back on set.

She just cared about where and how Wednesday wanted her.

“I really liked the shots you did—even the blood!” Enid starts talking at the woman before she even looks up at her good. “The horror stuff isn’t usually my thing. But…I liked your direction. It felt purposeful. Like everything had a meaning.”

Wednesday paused her ministrations, a smaller film camera in her lap along with her fruit. 

“Of course it would. Anyone worth their pay in this craft should have some kind of idea of what they’re doing.” The photographer is as dismissive as she’s been the entire time.

Enid holds out for the fact that she still hasn’t been asked to leave.

“Yeah, but not everyone could do it the way you did,” Enid emphasized. And Wednesday doesn’t immediately shut her down, in fact she looks curious. She licks her lips, shyly glancing over. “I really appreciate when the people I’m working with make it a comfortable environment for everyone. And there’s no way you didn’t see me get even whiter when they brought the blood out.”

Enid offers a look into one of her personal weaknesses. Blood, needles and doctor’s offices had been a fear of hers since she was a kid. 

“While it was amusing in a way, it would’ve only hindered my process if you were squeamish.” Wednesday doesn’t fully look at her and it makes her heart race as the brunette plays it off. “You remind me of my faint hearted little brother.”

Ok, a sibling comparison isn’t exactly what she was hoping for, but still. Its more information than she knew prior.

“I also have brothers that annoy the shit out of me. Except I’m the ‘runt,’” Enid jokes towards the end with a fond roll of her eyes. Her brothers were all jocks, with more than one participating in collegiate sports.

They used to physically sit on her and make her watch hockey so she could accurately keep score for them.

“I prefer grenades in dealing with mine—how about you?” Wednesday extends the question genuinely. So much so it should alarm her, but…

(Yoko may have been right when she implied that she was acting thirsty)

“I used to just sabotage their jerseys in the wash—one time I made their away ones bright pink right before the first of the season.” Enid recalls it fondly…for her it was, at least.

She remembers recording their reactions for safe keeping just in case she ever had a bad day. 

Surprisingly, Wednesday looks almost impressed.

“Pink? Why, that sounds absolutely torturous,” She looks absolutely disgusted by the color. Then, she offers up a bit more, like an after thought. “Thankfully, my ignoramus siblings aren’t into team sports—they prefer combat.”

Wednesday tells her, then she bites off another piece of apple, chewing primly.

Its not how she plans on spending her break, but it definitely leaves her feeling renewed and ready to shoot again.

*

By the end of the day she’s caked in fake blood and ready to take a nice long shower.

The only reason she’s not rushing out, is because she’s milking every look from Wednesday.

Like an animal prowling injured prey—she hadn’t taken her eyes off of Enid ever since she put the final outfit on.

A ‘Carrie’ inspired ensemble, including a bucket of blood poured onto her and the costume. Its supposed to show the water proof make up and resilience of the products she’s wearing.

She sees the photographer actively inhale when she comes out from wardrobe.

“Do I look like one of your centerfolds?” Enid had joked, winking at the goth girl.

Wednesday didn’t say much of anything, but she took the win in how her face looked a little less pale behind the lens.

Her breaths a tad more heavy, the directions husked with a lower timbre; she found herself nodding along with lidded eyes. She’d sooner blame the faux blood muddling up her vision.

Yoko was looking at her rather expectantly by the final frame. Holding a towel over to her and biting her grin back.

“Ok, Sinclair—talk about a full page spread,” Her agent teased. Enid blushed, happy her face was already tinted red.

“What do you mean? I was just doing what she told me…” The model coyly replies. 

“And probably would’ve kept on doing so if not for the room full of people,” Yoko retorted. Then lower as to not completely tell all her business, but still mess with her, “I mean honestly. I felt like I was interrupting something private just standing here…”

Enid just flings the bloody towel back at her.

She’s not obligated to be around past her wrap time. Still, she lingers about the set, wanting to catch the elusive photographer one final time.

“Forgot something?” Enid nearly jumps five feet in the air at the voice coming so calmly from behind. She finds Wednesday directly behind her, another jacket atop the hoodie—this one leather.

As if she couldn’t get any more ridiculously attractive. The camera bag and tote slung over her shoulder another thing to drool over; the photographer just looked so stupidly cute and comfortable.

The fact that she still has blood stained flecks under her nails and patches on side of her cheeks makes her feel momentarily insecure. But, then she remembers the way Wednesday had been looking at her.

And the fact that its Wednesday.

“I did, actually,” Enid answers after a few beats. A little too long just looking at each other. She has her hands behind her back, coyly looking down then up through her lashes. “I forgot to leave my contact info—in case you ever need another model to throw blood at…or something.”

Enid offers with a grin. Wednesday’s lips twitched just so.

(O…M…G!) 

“I don’t normally work with runway, high fashion types. I find that some of your colleagues don’t always respect my craft…” The photographer trails while giving her a final once over. Purses her lips and sticks her hands in her pockets. “Most are off put by methods.”

It sounds like a warning in a way. Like a test of will to see exactly how Enid would take it. Take her.

“Its no fun working with people who just talk and think like you all the time. I like variety and…I had a lot of fun today. Honestly,” Enid cocks her head as she looks down at the goth girl.

“A lot of people would beg to differ after a session with me.” Wednesday comments back swiftly, almost like she’s challenging her to keep denying.

Enid shrugs her shoulders instead.

“Maybe I’m not just ‘any person,’” The model retorts, crossing her arms.

Wednesday observes her a long moment, hand on her bag before she lets out an amused ‘hmph.’ She slips past Enid while sliding a slip of paper in her hand.

“Whats this?” The blonde mumbles as she takes in a pseudo business card. It looks like the photographer had just written it that day.

“Don’t call me in the morning unless its after 9,” Wednesday mentions. She walks backwards for a bit, before tossing over her shoulder, “Its been dreadful shooting with you.”

Enid just barely shouts back a ‘you too!’, unable to linger too long on if thats a good thing or not.

She cheeses all the way back to her place, phone number and email address tucked into her coat.

Chapter Text

To make a long story short—Enid Sinclair is entirely too competitive for her own good.

And Wednesday—well, she blames not only proximity to the source, but her unfortunately growing fondness. Or what have you.

Lest she get too far ahead of herself here.

It was a mistake made in good intentions; that should’ve been her first inclination to stop. An Addams with good intention, was not an Addams with any semblance of remaining sanity. And while Wednesday’s hard pressed to ever deny a trip to the ward, she’s considering booking a stay expeditiously.

“This was such a stupid idea,” Enid mutters to herself for the nth time. “Such a freakin stupid idea, I can’t believe we’re actually seriously doing this—oh my god—“

All the while Wednesday’s standing primly at her side. Stiffly is more like it, because she’s holding multiple things together right now with her meager fingers. Like plugging a damn with a twig, waves crashing and making the situation all the more dire.

“Enid,” She calls out, waiting for the frantic blonde to meet her eyes. Pupils dilated and manic, Wednesday levels her with both hands to her warm cheeks. “Focus. We have a plan and I suggest we stick to it. An Addams does not back down from a promise.”

She waits for Enid to exhale, biting her lip and nodding her head. First slow and then full on bobbing in tune with forced confidence.

“Right, right…and its just one night—not like we have to pretend any longer than that,” Enid rationalizes. Even smiles as she nods to herself, “Yeah…God, you’re so right bestie! You always know how to get me out of my head, I literally don’t know what I would do without you.”

Wednesday wills her expression not to crack.

She’s a feeling she’ll be doing that a lot today—indefinitely. She already had been. Pretending that anything she does for Enid meant little more than courtesy. The bare minimum for upkeep of a relationship.

When Wednesday would never do this for anyone else.

Accompanying Enid and the other Nightshades on a couples retreat, post her break up with the gorgon boy.

——

“He said he thinks I’m ignoring him,” Enid had mumbled. After Wednesday finally got her to talk after a weekend of sulking and barely looking at her. “He…he thinks I prioritize ‘other’…things.”

Enid’s eyes had darted to her and then back to the bed spread very quickly. Wednesday’s detective sense began tingling; rather, the thing in her chest that lurches when Enid’s upset.

“Like?” She questioned, patience running thinner. She wanted to simply take one of the snakes off the boy’s head like a trophy.

But Enid hesitated. Didn’t want to meet her eyes again…

”Doesn’t really matter,” The blonde shrugged. “It was a mutual feeling. Its not like he made space to talk to him all the time either…”

Wednesday knew, however. Context betrayed coyness.

And her own selfish whims were to blame.

——

She can’t earnestly say, it wasn’t awful convenient to need assistance from Enid when she was otherwise occupied. Like it gave her sick satisfaction to know the wolf would choose her every time. Even at cost of the relationship she fought so hard for.

Now she was merely returning the favor.

Pretending to be Enid’s beloved. All so she didn’t have to go on this sleepover venture alone, while Ajax cozied up with one of the new pledges. Another gorgon girl at that.

“I can’t just show up alone—I’ll look like a total loser!” Enid had whined to her, after the girl had returned from hanging out with the group.

Wednesday only briefly paused her writing to question, “I thought you claimed the break up was ‘mutually amicable’ when you refused to allow me use my nail gun.”

Enid gave her one those looks. One of the ones that made her merely roll her eyes, as the wolf disapproved of her methods.

“So not the point—he’s totally winning the break up and I just look like a loser who can’t keep a relationship,” Enid sighed. Over dramatic and flailing on her bed. “Divina said I could just be with her and Yoko as their unofficial third, but I’m not that down bad…not yet, at least.”

Enid says it like a joke, but she didn’t look very amused in it. She looked depressed, actually, enough that it triggers her to do something incredibly self serving and irrevocably idiotic.

As her roommate lays ignorant and texting in her sacred ‘group chat.’ 

“If you had someone to accompany you under guise of romantic intention…would that suffice?” Wednesday prompts, without actually doing so. 

“You suggesting I buy an escort or something?” Enid looks at her funny, phone momentarily dropped to her chest. 

“My fare isn’t necessarily monetary, no,” Wednesday clears her throat. Anticipates the wheels to start turning in that irksomely pretty blonde head. 

“R-Really? You’d do that?” Enid asked incredulously. She raised from her bed and half across the room to siphon whether or not she’s bluffing. “How would we even…?”

“While I admit to not being well versed in personal experience, I was raised by the two most sickeningly romantic people I know,” Wednesday explains. Without betraying anything else, like the way her heart sings seeing Enid look at her like that; hopefully—like she needs her too. “I’m more than versed on how to create a convincing relationship scenario.”

The plan comes together like puzzle pieces. Cliche and full of troupes so over done its a wonder that anyone didn’t call them out immediately.

“As long as you don’t call it that and let me take the lead on how we ‘got together’, we’ll be perfectly fine!” Enid had beamed at her before their official ‘hard launch’ or what have you.

Wednesday found herself staring at the picture they took for many hours. Nothing special to the naked eye—one that doesn’t know an Addams, let alone herself. Allowing the wolf to capture her image up close, with her head resting upon her shoulder. A caption that has her chest constricting in a snake like grip because it’ll never be true.

When you finally see whats right in front of you 🖤💖

So many other people were engaging—believing.

Wednesday didn’t want to be a sheep. She never did, but in this instance she couldn’t stand to be one, even dawning black wool. It became stuffy in this warm weather rather quickly. It itched against the flush on her cheeks when she allows this facade to continue on. When Enid links their pinkies or blows her kisses as they part.

“It should be accurate to us, you know? It’d be weird if I suddenly went around just kissing and hugging you senseless,” The blonde had mentioned. When Wednesday inquired as to why she was holding back so much despite their faux status.

Somehow, that made it even more insidious; the care and acknowledgment of her needs. When the one she urges for the most was left to fantasy and ruin.

And now the big day has come, after weeks of this. Weeks of regret akin to when she was (not too long ago) under the Hyde’s claws after ignorantly trusting her heart.

(After walking with Enid to some make shift tent outside the courtyard of Nevermore. After tending to each other’s wounds, as the nurses helped more gravely injured students and staff. After being inseparable ever since, like each other’s life line. Like without the other they’d never breathe again.)

*

“Ready for Spring Break night one, bitches?”

Yoko yelled out, as they’re all taking advantage of the pool/hot tub set up of the airbnb they’ve rented. Wednesday’s not sure who exactly is paying for it, only that it’s excessive and a pure show of alumni’s privileges. Her own family’s funding towards the school was probably roped into this someway, somehow.

She holds back a cringe at all the applause. She just tilts the brim of her sunhat down, laying stiffly in the mesh chair by the poolside. She watches mindlessly when Kent and the other boys make the biggest dives they can. Followed by laughter and more splashing water that she glares into not landing on her person.

Its all she can do to keep up her frown, when Enid’s prancing around in her new bikini under guise of being hers.

The blonde was far less shy with her skin, in fact she was probably trying to use it to her advantage. Maybe tempt Ajax’s eyes to wander, or make him regret.

Wednesday’s certainly doing a lot of that right about now.

“Howdy, stranger,” Enid greets with a grin after skipping up to her. Wednesday lowers her circle lens shades enough to look up at her eyes. But the blonde dawns a bottle of something, shaking it in her hands, “Help me reach my back?”

It’s suggestive, but Wednesday’s not an idiot.

She sees the way Enid’s eyes flit to where Ajax was in shallow end of the pool and looking in their direction. And Wednesday can’t place the look on his face—somehow thats the most dangerous part of all this.

“Can’t you ask Tanaka? She’s already assisting another,” Wednesday tried to deter. Nods to where Yoko was helping her siren girlfriend not too far off from them. But Enid scoffs at her, looking expectantly because, they have a deal.

She knows then, she’s lost. Multiple things.

She ignores the way Enid smirks smugly at the way she snatched the lotion from her hands. Ignores the way Enid’s skin feels against her fingertips. Ignores the initial gasp and inhale when her hands touch her bare back for the first time.

Ignores the fact that none of this is real.

“Mm, thank you for doing this, hun,” Enid looks back at her. Over muscular shoulders and fluttering lashes. “Now I won’t totally burn out here before tonight.”

Wednesday only hums, proud of her years of perfecting her resolve; her hands were steady in face of dissection or surgical ventures. Never had she prepared herself for something so delicate.

“Ah—so much better. Thanks babe!”

It feels like hours before Enid sits back up, re-fastening her top and looking smug. Wednesday finally remembers to breathe.

By the time the wolf is happily joining the rest of them in the pool, she’s taking the time to regain her composure. Find her right mind.

Remember she’s only doing this as a favor.

But, like a shark smelling the blood rushing to the surface of her face—Bianca swims over with purpose. Lifts herself from the pool, making a show of the way she does every little thing. Even in how she decides to settle next to her.

“So…Ms. I-don’t-do-romance,” She starts off with a grin. A raise of a brow and a towel on her head. “I saw you were getting awful handsy over here too. I still remember when you burned Xavier’s sketchbook, because he gave you a pat on the back.”

Wednesday feels bile in back of her throat at the thought of it.

“He should be so lucky that his father decided it best to transfer his sorry academic record else where,” She replies dismissively. “Besides—Enid and I have an understanding built on my prior consent. Otherwise, her pelt would be on our bedroom floor.”

But, Bianca doesn’t look any more deterred. No, that statement just makes her smile even wider.

“Whatever you say, dead girl…” The siren replies with a shrug. She lays back in the chair, as if she’d actually drop the subject and move on. “I’m just happy we booked our rooms separate. I need my beauty rest and I’d hate to wake up to your puppy keening and whining in the middle of the night.”

Wednesday does good to inhale and exhale evenly.

*

“I can take the floor if you want? Since you’re technically doing me a solid here and stuff…” Enid asks timidly. Suddenly timid, after the way she’d been behaving so brazenly in front of their friends.

Its ironic, that she’s behaving so cautiously now that they’re alone. Like she’s reason to be nervous.

Wednesday eyed the queen sized bed like a teddy bear; practically smiling at her with inanimate eyes, ignorant to the woeful feelings they bring with it.

And all of it could be linked back to Enid.

“You take the bed,” Wednesday offers.

“No way,” Enid scoffs, already tossing her bag in an armchair. “Its the least I can do—also, sorry if I went a little overkill with the physical contact today! I-I had to make sure Ajax really believed it, you know? But I think he bought it, cause he couldn’t stop looking at us…”

The werewolf rambles on, still clearly holding some sort of trepidation. Wednesday decides to be selfish.

“We could…I wouldn’t be opposed to splitting the area.” And that wasn’t necessarily dishonest; so long as she keeps her heart at bay. Wednesday clears her throat, “The bed is double the size of ours back at at the academy.”

Enid for her part, doesn’t squeal and spew something about a ‘sleep over’ like she’d expect. The blonde gains a bit of color, eyes widening as her mouth works. Though, in her defense this isn’t typical Wednesday-esque behavior. She’d never give up her bed for another, or offer her space so freely.

Only ever Enid. Always Enid.

“O-Oh, uh—sure, yeah that works!” The werewolf girl sounds oddly shy. Wednesday almost wonders if perhaps she somehow misjudged the blonde’s need for physical closeness. 

(Maybe it’s something she only shared with a real lover)

”No duct tape in bed though, yeah?” Enid tries to joke. 

Wednesday wouldn’t have laughed even if that was something she typically did.

*

It all goes to ruin after dinner.

Even Wednesday could attest to the fact that Ajax is most definitely observing them.

Often.

Though the table’s conversations steer away from anything controversial. Aside from opinions on classmates not present and staff. Wednesday isn’t hungry at all, in earnest.

Her belly was full of all the feelings she stuffed down.

“Hey, I’ll be back here in a bit—we’re making a quick run to see if Yoko can score us some champagne,” Enid explains. She sounds like she was roped into it, hand lingering on her wrist.

(They’re amongst company and this is merely part of the deal.)

She nods stiffly.

“I’ll likely try to get some writing done then,” Wednesday replies. Enid snorts at her.

“Still can’t believe you made me lug that thing all the way here.” She refers to the typewriter; another anomaly tied to Enid.

Wednesday didn’t let anyone handle her precious medium other than lurch, or family. And even then they needed explicit permission.

“You never know when woeful inspiration will strike,” Wednesday had told her.

So, when Ajax stops her in the hallway she assumes, perhaps it’s something in the same. That he had a destination outside of her—perhaps she was only in the way of a door to go out back and smoke his vices. Far fetched considering its the middle of the hall.

She just doesn’t want to—

“So—how you liking the digs?” He asks her, holding a hand out to gesture. “We booked the place kinda last minute, but its dope, isn’t it?”

Wednesday stares at him in what probably looked like alarm. Her brows furrowed and unblinking eyes trying to betray the war going on in her head.

“You’ve a motivation here in speaking with me,” She says suddenly. He looks momentarily taken off guard, if not confused. So, she continues, “I’d prefer you spit it out, instead of attempting small talk over meaningless nothings in an attempt to soften the blow.”

She sounds stilted, because even though she’d been prepared and briefed on this being a possibility; the fact that it’s happening is another thing entirely. This was technically her job for the evening—getting the boy to admit he was wrong. That he’d missed out on the best thing he could’ve possibly had.

Wednesday knew better than anyone.

“Its nothing that deep, dude, I promise,” He denies. Then he pulls his beanie down, like calming snakes inside. “I just…wanted to be cool is all. And make sure theres no hard feelings.”

Thats…not what she’s anticipating.

In fact it makes her lock up even more. Her defenses raise as she analyzes the boy for context, answers—something that makes sense.

“Feelings aren’t necessarily a subject I’d call myself a go-to for,” Wednesday says very matter of factly. Narrows her eyes at the way he squirms in place. “Out with it.”

She practically growls at him, like she’s the one with the pull to the moon.

“Look, I’m not trying to like start anything here,” He holds his hands up in relent. “If anything I wanted to apologize. For not…I just wish I had gone about things better instead of coming off like a jealous a-hole. Cause its not like Enid could help it, you know?”

Wednesday listens with baited breath.

As a seasoned detective, she feels the hairs on back of her neck stand up; implications and body language tell her of something else entirely. A story unraveling that she had only a few torn, out of order pages.

“Couldn’t help what, exactly?”

Wednesday sounds more desperate for an answer than she would’ve liked. Even worse, Ajax only huffs out a laugh (vaguely bitter and in hindsight she could guess why).

“After she bailed on me to hang out with you enough times, even my high ass can catch a hint.”

*

She floated back to the room.

She feels like like she genuinely sprouts raven’s wings. Something was about to meet its tragic end. Her willful ignorance a victim already. Her feelings of control and resolve the most recent.

Enid doesn’t take long to return.

Only enough to give her a surplus of entirely too much time to think. Which could’ve been seconds with all she’s currently rifling with. And the wolf dawn’s sheep’s clothing—pink cotton sweater wrapped around.

Twin glasses in her hand.

“I brought you some?” Enid lifts one of them with a smile. Its awful kind, “I figured you’d met your social quota for the month already. So, I went ahead and brought yours up.”

Wednesday says nothing. She’s facing half away from the other girl.

“It’s okay if you don’t want it, also! Shit, I don’t think I even asked if you drink, did I? I don’t…mean to assume…” The words trail as she sits next to Wednesday on the bed. After sitting both glasses aside, the weight on the bed dips.

Enid’s eyes burn a hole in her head. And she’s certainly one to talk.

“When were you planning on telling me the truth, Enid?”

And for her part, she handles it well, initially. She doesn’t think she sounds angry but she (incorrigibly) doesn’t think the werewolf girl understands the weight of her question either.

Because she’s still holding back.

“Truth about what?” Enid asks with a confused laugh. She tilts her head, trying to find something in Wednesday’s expression that would betray her further. Then she ‘ooos’, “Did Thing tell you about the ink? I swear to God I replaced it and its in the mail as we speak.”

Wednesday looks to her incredulously, sharply and running eyes over her face in disbelief.

“What—no, I’m not talking about some God foresaken ink,” She raises her voice. Her words through gritted teeth. Enid looks taken completely aback, concern all over her face. Wednesday shakes her head, “I’m talking about Ajax.”

“What…what do you mean?” Enid’s cadence so coy, with hands fidgeting in her lap; Wednesday exhales sharply.

“You told me the break up was mutual. Why did he tell me it wasn’t?” She’s still holding back in a way. Her tone had yet to become cruel, still giving the wolf benefit of the doubt.

Always Enid. Its always different with Enid.

“You talked to him? For what?” She’s defensive in s way she has no right to be.

When Wednesday feels so…

Enid doesn’t fear her. Not for the reasons everyone else did. She feared her in a way only someone truly close to her could.

“Doesn’t matter why. Just know I didn’t tell him anything about our little game,” She condescends towards the end. She feels more than a bit bitter, “At least he was honest about he feels about me.”

At this point they’re so close to each other they could probably taste the emotions rubbing off. The tension so thick she could choke.

“Whats that supposed mean?” In fact, Enid sounds so. Like the question was lodged in her throat.

“Fooling me into this scheme as payback for being the unintentional catalyst to your failed relationship.” Wednesday recounts, trying and failing to hide the fact she’s been affected. Growing more bravado at Enid daring to look confused. “I admit to being a cruel, manipulative person in my own right…however I thought we had an understand—“

Enid Sinclair was never anything she could predict. She existed in pigments beyond her darkest dreams and imagination.

She didn’t expect a lot of the things Enid did, nor did they always make sense to her. Often times she could ignore it, so long as its not on her side of the room.

But those boundaries don’t exist anymore…do they? She’d be naive to still think so.

So…a press of lips, though impulsive, was something she couldn’t have anticipated. Never in her most selfish, secret desires had she thought…

“I think…” Enid stops kissing her, only momentarily to whisper against her lips. It tastes hot—fizzy like the champagne she’d brought up. She pecks her again, hand cupping her cheek and thumb caressing “—You have it backwards…”

Wednesday’s eyes never fully shut. They fluttered half lidded, as if waking from a dream. She has to be.

Her hand only briefly shake when they grab Enid’s wrist. She’s so warm. So real.

“I’m so sorry,” Enid whispers. Her eyes look glassy with unshed tears. “I didn’t want to lie to you, I-I just didn’t know how to…how to…”

“Enid,” Wednesday cuts her off. Has to clear her throat, as its husky with more feeling than she knows how to decipher at the moment. And the blonde closes her mouth, lips still pouted and plump from their previous exchange.

And Wednesday, for such an esteemed writer, she doesn’t know what to say either. She just knew she didn’t want apologies for this.

So, she leans forward instead.

Kissing her again.

Chapter Text

She’s been oddly interested in nature the past couple of days. Specifically trees—types of wood. She liked the darker shades of walnut or maple (though she’s no use for the sticky sap) and the way it felt carved flat. Pointed at the tip and marbled beautifully at the stake.

Thing says something about it feeling awful pointed.

“Its nothing abnormal for me. Were you not likening my obsessive nature to that of a serial killer, before?”

The accompanying videos on varying levels of impact and places to best stab the point during combat weren’t helping. Not that she truly cared; she was only doing research for her novel.

Viper was going to be involved in her most harrowing case yet: Vampire hunting.

“I don’t believe it to be in poor taste, no.” Wednesday denies when Thing asks. Even swivels in her seat to look at him with a dare in her eyes, “Has something occured recently that would make it so? Do you believe there to be a certain, sensitive subject I’m ignorant to?”

Thing looks further exasperated. Says he’s going to see what Fester was up to for the evening. Her uncle was keen to spend his down time in a tavern on the edge of town. Said he was going for ‘recon purposes’ but Wednesday had also grown up witnessing the man going well over his limits during family parties.

If Thing wanted to deal with his blackened vomit after one too many shots with gasoline chasers—that was his burden to bear.

Wednesday found solace in piecing together the perfect (metaphorical) weapon to kill a leech. If only it weren’t so unethical to test her theories—not that she typically cared about getting suspended or jail time. She just didn’t want a certain someone to miss her gloating.

No, if she went on her personal vampire hunting venture, it would be much different. Planned down to the last detail, with an audience of one.

For pride reasons, of course. Her ego was admittedly bruised in Enid’s otherwise fruitless attempts to compare her to Yoko Tanaka of all people. Wednesday could best the blood sucker with her eyes closed on a bad day.

“We’re so in sync, we’re thinking of moving in together permanently!”

Wednesday did enjoy her space, but the implication that someone could best her at something as simple as existing in a space was laughable. An Addams lit up a room with dread so damning you’d have to ask them to leave. So, Enid’s final words left her more than a tad bit….

What had Thing called it? ‘Pressed.’ Like a lemon oozing sour feelings like secretions.

That’s all she’s willing to address it as.

Soured.

A small blow to her ego.

Something she can come back from.

Its not like I need that loud, voracious mutt begging at my feet for attention.

Even if the silence in her room felt eery. She blames her own body’s aptitude in melding to certain situations without trying. She had grown used to Enid’s music, in their compromise to change the volume at this time of day. Still, that never stopped the dreaded noise from her phone.

She could still hear that insipid ‘oh no…oh no…oh no, no, no’ nonsense from that tasteless video application. Thing used it as well, but it didn’t vex her nearly the same.

She barely gets through the chapter.

Its not at all satisfying, not quite yet. The climax—Viper had no proper motivation to stab the vampire. Nothing that made sense before she would get frustrated with herself and toss another draft to her garbage bin.

Nothing yet, anyways.

She mulls over it as she sleeps. Or tries to. She blames her love of the macabre; despite her words otherwise, she could admit to finding fascination and comforted by the sound of the beast within her roommate.

And that wasn’t strange for an Addams.

Perhaps she had just become spoiled rotten.

*

The quad, rather, the pentagon—regardless it pissed her off.

Why she’s not so certain, but her mood did begin to drop significantly at the sight of a certain group coming down. Comprising of a few sirens, a lowly vampire and an absent werewolf.

Wednesday nearly nicks her finger; she had been peeling apple slices with a switchblade. Reading an old diary turned memoir of a Fang who once attended, and their lore amidst the school. For research purposes of course.

It helped to know of a vampire’s weaknesses for sake of her novel…

She makes the mistake of making eye contact with Enid. Her ex-roommate only links arms with the leech by her side and her pace increases.

Wednesday glares at the table they settle at. In perfect eye sight of her current perch. A few of them, the Enid included, get up to brave the lunch line. Her eyes preoccupied in tracking the movements of her now enemies, she doesn’t realize another body slinking in on her blind side.

(Yes. That was a solid explanation.)

“This spot taken by any poltergeists, or can I sit real quick?” Comes the patronizing voice of one Bianca Barclay. Wednesday glances up at her through her bangs, unblinking and certainly not having the energy.

“Afraid I don’t have any fish feed for you,” Wednesday punctuated with a knife embedded in her apple. “Perhaps you should try swimming elsewhere.”

“Hardy har har, Elvira—since we’re going for such low hanging fruit and all.” Bianca crosses her arms as Wednesday takes a spiteful bite. The siren hums, “So what happened with you and the pooch?”

“I don’t follow.”

“Interesting,” Bianca drawls, pacing around her sitting form. She settles in front of her with a grin, “Could’ve sworn I’ve been hearing a lost dog whining through the walls of my dorm room all week.”

The smile drops as the siren looks to become more annoyed. Wednesday doesn’t allow any of it to visibly shake her; she just turns a page in her book like she’d heard nothing at all.

“Do I look like I know any local shelters?” She retorts, growing bored of Barclay’s silly mind games.

Unfortunately, the siren is not one to be deterred. She’d find it admirable, if not for her being the current victim.

“Heard your dorm was down a person,” Bianca replies easily. “Figured you wanted something new to terrorize.”

“Are you offering? Sorry, but piranha traps were last semester,” Wednesday quips. Referring to her previous school, which Bianca likely has no idea.

If the way she scoffs means anything.

“Girl, what?—Actually, whatever,” Bianca shakes her head looking tired. “I have a proposition for you. That was the main reason I even came over here.”

“And here I thought you just needed a little extra gloom added to your day,” Wednesday deadpans. Then she goes back to her book, “I’ve no time for your ill planned schemes.”

“Ill planned?” Bianca parrots in offense, “The Poe Cup alone should show you my resume of manipulation. I don’t even need to use my powers.”

Manipulation…hmph.

“You just use people!”

Thats never been a problem for her before.

And yet.

“I’m afraid I’m on hiatus,” Wednesday shuts her down.

“Wednesday Addams on a break from causing discord on campus? Since when?” Bianca’s laughing towards the tail end of her question, in disbelief.

Wednesday however feels a pang of something in her chest.

Lets continue to call it her dwindling pride.

Because Enid settles back at the table with her leech. They even pick food from each other’s trays, sharing germs and likely saliva. It was disgusting, truly…

“Say…you might be into my proposal after all,” Bianca tries again. She’s followed Wednesday’s line of sight, smiling dangerously in a way that nearly has her pulling a knife out. But the siren holds up her hands, “Trust—this will benefit the both of us.”

*

“I don’t see how this will have any visible effect.”

Wednesday complains once again. She didn’t like deviating from her routine and Bianca had been driving her to do everything to not be predictable. Likened it to an ‘investigation to test a theory.’

“What did I say about trusting the process? Give it longer than 2 minutes, maybe.” Said siren rolls her eyes. She makes a show of scooting closer just so.

Wednesday almost says something, but opts to glare when Bianca nods to the front.

They were being watched—perceived, even.

Not that it was so strange to have once adversaries become comrades. However the overnight seat change and accompanying close proximity was likely jarring. Thats probably why Enid’s gawking at them the second she walks into class.

It’d be amusing if not for the circumstance; the way the blonde halts in place and her jaw nearly drops.

Bianca’s smug. She doesn’t have to look over at her to know, because Enid’s look of awe had faded into something annoyed.

Wednesday immediately feels a strange bit of her own personal haughtiness; was it satisfying, to see such a reaction garnered? Bianca has no issue treading these new (to her) waters, leaning her head in close. Her lips to her ear, but not enough to touch.

She could appreciate the deviousness of it. At this angle it almost looked like Bianca respected her boundaries—like they truly were becoming friendly.

“Act like I said something funny. Whatever that means for you,” Of course the condescending delivery left a bit to be desired.

Wednesday’s glare only deepens as she narrows her eyes and turns her head.

She hears the sound of creaking and bending metal, before she sees it. The collective silence in the room follows, as the culprit sheepishly goes as pink as her hair.

Enid had bent the back of the chair like putty.

Wednesday’s own eyes soften just so at the
act of force. Akin to the way she’d torn the door off its hinges at the Gates mansion. The very thought has her swallowing down a multitude of things. Mainly the cursed urge to do something foolish.

Like hold eye contact with Enid for longer than necessary as if they’re the only ones in the room.

Of course, the blood sucker is the one who interrupts. She murmurs something to Enid before she sits down that has the werewolf going even redder, planting herself in her seat promptly. Wednesday crosses her arms, holding back a growl of her own.

“God, ya’ll are so fuckin…I’m gonna have grey hairs by the end of this,” Bianca mumbles and groans to her side. Wednesday doesn’t dignify it with a response.

*

By the end of the week she’s not entirely sure what exactly is supposed to be ‘working’ with said grand scheme. Bianca had originally claimed something about wanting her floor to be at an appropriate volume in order to obtain ‘beauty rest.’

“That mutt of yours never stops yapping and even a child would know a vampire doesn’t sleep,” Had been her explanation. “The walls are thin as shit and if I have to hear another roommate karaoke sesh I’m gonna throw myself off your balcony.”

Wednesday could agree, but she hadn’t heard Enid’s questionable music taste in so long she can’t accurately say. Its like a distant memory, phantom pains of her ears practically bleeding at the noise. In hindsight, it did wonders for her writing.

Though she’d be pressed to ever admit to that. Amongst…other things.

Bianca was currently in her dorm, loitering about under guise of studying. The siren hadn’t brought a single writing utensil, unless she planned to sure the lip stain in her bag. Or whatever she had been going on about.

“Its foolproof—I don’t hang out with just any old ghoul, you know?” The siren gloats. She sits on a left over beanbag from Enid’s side of the room. Wednesday can’t help but notice how much she doesn’t fit.

Besides this convoluted second ‘phase’ of the plan.

Though even Thing seems to be on her side. The limb was the only one in the room humoring Bianca, in all honesty. Wednesday had been leaving the two to entertain themselves while she tried (and failed miserably—again) to write.

“Your inflated sense of self truly leads you to believe that the mere implication that you’re hanging out with me one on one will—“

Except, Bianca was far more clever than she gave credit.

The door to her dorm was fiddled with, as if being unlocked with a key. Wednesday had honestly forgotten she had, creating the habit in her new found loneliness. Almost spitefully, waiting for the day Enid finally turned in her key.

Only the tell tale click of the lock said otherwise.

The werewolf looks to be bracing herself upon entering. Her eyes dart about before she even says anything, settling on Bianca at the end like a heat seeking missile. Enid’s eyes narrow, closing the door behind her harsher than necessary.

Even Thing looks caught, shrinking away from where he had been so chummy with Bianca. Enid’s lips go in a thin line.

From where she sat at her desk, Wednesday remains stoic. Feels the need to keep up a brave face.

“Enid. What brings you here on such short notice?” She mentally pats herself on the back; she doesn’t sound the least bit affected.

Enid looks like she’d been shocked still, eyes widening for a moment and looking at Wednesday for the first time. She clears her throat awkwardly, pulling her puffy pink vest a bit closer to her chest. Accompanied with a long sleeve top that clung to the muscle that flexed beneath.

She felt her throat grow dry—not seeing Enid everyday made the times she did feel all the more…

“Just…forgot something,” The werewolf answers coyly. Then, more snidely to Bianca, “Enjoying my left overs?”

She’s referring to the beanbag, surely. Bianca’s smile looks dangerous, however.

“I was enjoying the one on one time with my girlfriend here, yeah,” The siren replies with subtle emphasis on the title. Wednesday doesn’t necessarily like the way it sounds, but doesn’t comment for sake of the cause.

That being the way it makes Enid’s breath catch.

“Right,” The blonde smiles in faux politeness. Wednesday’s known her long enough to know what a real grin from her looks like. Enid then looks to Wednesday with an unreadable expression, “I’d totally hate to keep interrupting your little hang out. Wednesday?”

The seer nearly blinks in shock at being addressed directly. Instead she just holds those glimmering blue eyes. Wills herself not to look away—not give anything more away.

“Yes?” She breathes, hating the way she sounded. Like she’d be willing to do whatever request the person who’d left her so easily asked.

“Where’s the snood you didn’t want?”

Thats not at all what Wednesday was expecting to come out of her mouth.

“The snood…?” She parrots, slowly. Enid rolls her eyes at her, before growing more confident. Smug, even.

“Yes, the snood I made you that you tried to get rid of in every way other than burning it,” The werewolf quips.

Wednesday almost feels…guilty.

Almost.

“Yoko saw me wearing mine the other day and asked if I could make her one in black—I told her I already had a spare one.” Enid continues to explain, blasé as if she’s not picking at Wednesday’s insides with every word. Hands behind her back to hide the culprit, “I figured you wouldn’t miss it.”

Wednesday’s ignorant to many a social cue. Formalities didn’t make sense to her and often she didn’t really care. However she’s not dumb.

Double entendres and metaphors; like poetry to her trained ears. And she always loved that of tragedy. And Enid’s words were nothing but. She sounded…disappointed.

And Wednesday could mirror that.

“No.”

Enid blinks a few times. Looks at her funny, taken aback by her response.

“E-Excuse me? What do you mean, no?” The blonde questions, incredulously. “You didn’t even want it!”

“It remains my possession to do with as I please,” Wednesday stubbornly retorts. “That is the point of a gift, correct?”

“Well, I’m the one who spent hours making it,” Enid claps back. She’s soon towering over where she’s sitting. No regard for the duct tape that once was, or the siren still in the room. “Don’t I get a say? Thats like—artistic liberty or something!”

The argument grows weaker, the more they both try to push. Almost like they’re coming to conclusion that neither of them even wants to be.

That perhaps it’d be easier if they weren’t pushing at all.

Bianca decides to make her presence re-known, snorting from where she sat.

“You heard her, Sinclair,” The siren smirks in self satisfaction. “Why don’t you go fetch some yarn and—“

Bianca’s promptly shut up and silenced by the way Enid snaps her head and growls. The loudest Wednesday’s ever heard her, making everyone’s eyes in the room widen. The siren puts her hands up, obviously regretting going for that particular low hanging fruit.

“Ok…why don’t we leave these two to it, then?” Bianca stands quickly from the beanbag, snatching Thing along with her. “Be back after you sort out…yeah.”

Bianca makes a face before exiting the room. Just as she’d entered, every move meant to drive Enid crazy. And Wednesday as collateral.

“Interesting choice in a new roommate,” Enid’s lip curls up in talking about the siren. Reminds her of the Rave’n and how the werewolf had spoken about Tyler.

And even then, its not like she didn’t have her own companion for the night.

“No use taking out your issues with me on Barclay,” Wednesday brings the attention back to her. “I’m sure you’re itching to be away from me.”

Enid blows unamused air from her mouth.

“If you think I left because I wanted to, then you’re never gonna solve your stupid case,” the blonde insults. “Because you’re clearly not nearly as clever as you think you are.”

Wednesday huffs, revealing a knife up her sleeve. A (literal) defense mechanism towards the complexity of feelings swimming in her chest cavity at the moment.

“And what exactly gave you the audacity say that?”

Even worse when Enid doesn’t flinch or seem to care. Her own knives in form of claws extended on her hands. Longer than that night before; they looked like they could cut through her bones like paper.

The shiver up her spine shouldn’t feel so good.

It makes Enid pause above her. Her nose twitches and she looks down at Wednesday accusingly.

“Because even now you’re pretending like you don’t want me here, either.”

She feels her heart hammer so fast its making her ears ring.

“You’re speaking foolishly. Did you bleach your ends again recently?” Wednesday questions rhetorically. “I believe the fumes have made you delirious and aided in your childish fantasies.”

Wednesday didn’t have a lot of the occurrences in her life this past month on her to do list. So long as all of it was full of dread and woe. Enid was never any of the above.

Even in her violence, her clawed hands boxing Wednesday against the desk; the wolf doesn’t bite or strike. Clenched fangs and bubbling grumbles from her throat. Hot breaths that she blames for making her feel so uncharacteristically flustered.

She feels her breaths quicken, her hands at her sides and holding the knife but with no urge or instinct to plunge it into her attacker. Or, would be—Enid wasn’t exactly a fighter. Even now, with her teeth bared, she looked terrifyingly vulnerable.

“Your heart doesn’t lie. Even if you do,” Enid whispers. Her face getting even closer, her eyes dart across Wednesday’s face and the seer’s eyes nearly flutter closed. The wolf breathes out a laugh, “I lied when I said I didn’t want to ruin your girl’s night.”

That…it shouldn’t please her the way it does to hear that. 

“If you’re waiting for some grand confession,” Wednesday whispers rather than acknowledge. She swallows again, “I wouldn’t keep holding your breath.”

She watches Enid’s jaw clench. A fierce look in those blue eyes before she lunges forward and smashes their mouths together. Wednesday feels the sharp teeth clink against hers, their noses slotting as they come together. A gasp escapes from one of their mouths (Wednesday would never claim it) but the seer does claim the way her hands cup Enid’s face.

She hears the faint sound of the wood of her chair giving way to Enid’s grip.

It makes the warmth in her face spread to her belly. Igniting her chest and no longer able to deny her heart.

*Bonus*

Bianca gives it a good fifteen.

She doesn’t actually think they’d rip each other’s heads off. She’s hoping for something a little less morbid and maybe a bit more…whatever the hell those two have going on. Its not her job to dissect it, when she’s already taking time out of her day to fix it.

Honestly, she’s considering adding this to her college application as a charitable act.

Sure, she’s doing this for more selfish reasons than not. The mutt had been encroaching on time she had been looking forward to spending with a certain newly single vampire.

Divina had given her the ‘ok’ after their friends with benefits situationship had crashed and burned. Bianca wasn’t a home wrecker and she actually considered Divina to be a good friend. And she had so close been close to her goal when the werewolf girl came in whining.

“She’s such a-a dick!” Enid had cried, face first in Yoko’s comforter. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who she meant.

Bianca had rolled her eyes while Yoko gave her a pleading glance. Thus leading to many a lonely night in her own dorm, while the clingy dog took up all of Yoko’s time. And was (likely unintentionally) influencing her to be a single, pitiful, loser too.

Ok, so that may have been a bit harsh, but…

“Huh? Whats up?” Bianca’s thoughts were interrupted by Thing. He’s tapping frantically and pointing at the door. The siren purses her lips in understanding, “You’re right. It did get really quiet all of a sudden…”

The siren wasn’t nearly the sleuth that the Wednesday was. Though she had common sense. She exchanged a shit eating grin with Thing, finger to her lips, before she decides to barge back into the dorm room.

She’s proud of herself for not bursting into laughter.

The way the two girls spring apart from each other, after Enid had been on Wednesday like she was devouring prey, its comical.

Its fucking hilarious, actually.

Enid starts talking first of course. Running hands through her hair and lip gloss smudged around her mouth. Suspiciously, they looked tinted a bit darker. Almost close to the shade Wednesday was wearing.

“H-Hey, Bianca, I uh…I mean we were just about to—“

Bianca holds up her hand. Bites her lip to hold back her grin as she breezes past the flustered girls to grab her bag.

“Oh, don’t mind me…just forgot my tote…”

She’s cheesing the entire walk back to her hall and Yoko’s dorm.

Chapter Text

She’s reaching a point of desperation.

Well, she’s long ago ‘been there, done that’, but this was different.

Cosmic—she hasn’t been sleeping. She’s starting to have to use a crazy (for even her) amount of highlight or extra glitter to drive attention away from her eye bags. Whats even worse is the subject of her dilemma had begun to notice.

“You’re behaving strangely.”

Wednesday never pulled any punches, did she?

“Whatever do you mean, fellow roomie?” She answers coyly, as if she hadn’t been trying to sneak out of the room as soon as the seer entered.

And like she hasn’t been doing this ever since she got that Moon foresaken tarot reading. She can barely even look at Wednesday without turning redder than the clown nose she feels like putting on.

She hears the chair of Wednesday’s desk move just so.

“Neither of us are dumb, Enid. While your more vapid interests make me question where your right mind is…” Wednesday’s words grow increasingly fast. The way they did when shes pieced something together and she knows she’s right. “You’re a very cunning little wolf. You’ve been sneaking around me all week.”

For her part, she does good not to react. Not negatively at least, for the air she blows out of her mouth is more incriminating than she means to be.

“I-I have? Me, avoid you?” Enid’s still not making eye contact either, mind you. She manages a convincing sounding laugh, though. “Weren’t you the one talking crap about how I overbook myself?”

Its a better excuse than simple bait or denial. Wednesday was too inquisitive to let it go otherwise. She’s seen the Addams girl fixate on much less; this was entirely much more than Enid currently had the words for.

She doesn’t have them at all, actually.

Because this is the longest she’s been around Wednesday ever since that damned tarot reading and she doesn’t trust herself.

“Matter of fact, I’m running late,” Enid continues to add layers and dress up her lie. Enough that she feels comfortable slinking over to the door. “I’ll probably be back after your writing hour, so don’t worry about me bothering you or anything.”

She’s only half joking. The couple times she’s barged in mid type writer clacking, Wednesday looked like a cat that got its tail stepped on.

“What bothers me, doesn’t live long enough to know.”

Enid makes the mistake of turning to look at Wednesday properly. She sees a mix of things she’s not expecting to see, along with everything she both dreaded and…desired.

She swallows, “I won’t be too long, I swear. I’ll even bring you back a treat for worrying about me so much.”

She smiles more sincerely, soft as her roommate’s words. Whom looks away first, turning back around to face the desk. Enid almost calls it shy.

“Don’t be foolish. I was only stating the obvious,” Wednesday mumbled defensively. “Have fun with your little ‘extra curriculars.’”

She definitely doesn’t believe her. Like not even a little bit.

But…its the best out she’s gonna get. Even if her heart longed for her to spill it and her guts from her mouth. To blurt out everything on her mind. She knows she has to leave and leave fast.

When she finally does sneak out of the room, she feels a strangeness that makes her stomach lurch.

Enough so, that she makes her way over to the boys’ dorm. Twin halls, as this one was merely an inverted version of Ophelia hall. She makes her way down a path familiar for reasons aside from just the architecture or furniture placement.

She doesn’t knock, because she knows he never locks his door. He’s too scared of stoning himself and having no one find him for longer than a day. Contrary to what one might think, being stoned doesn’t leave you frozen in time. They used to have more conversations like this—honest and without fear.

Enid’s not sure when he started being the one putting more effort in.

His snakes don’t stir when she barges in, likely because they could sense her before their human vessel did. The boy was laid back on his bed, his laptop playing something that sounded indie from his Spotify. He nearly knocks it off the bed in his haste to put his joint out.

“I swear I wasn’t—“ He scrambles for a moment, sitting up and pulling his beanie down. But, he notices his snakes aren’t freaking out nearly as much. And then he realizes who he’s looking at. “Enid? What the hell, man!”

“Sorry!” She apologizes, but the way she closed the door and entered his room didn’t give off much regret. “It’s kindve an emergency…and-and I would’ve texted you first but I had to act fast because Wednesday was getting suspicious and asking me all these questions—“

“Hey, hey…” Ajax tries to quell her. His hand on her arm almost shocks her. He’s half off his bed, eyes full of both concern and something more she doesn’t want to place. “Sit here…its all good…now lets calm down and tell Ajax why we made him crush the joint he rolled this morning to smoke after class.”

He’s partially joking, which is why she looks so sheepish. She tries to smile, but she knows she looks off kilter, if the way he looks at her cautiously means anything.

It just makes her feel even more sick.

It just…it just isn’t fair.

“You were right.” The words spill from her mouth in defeat. He blinks, brows furrowing and shaking his head.

“I’m not gonna lie, I did smoke a majority of that before you spooked me. So, I’m gonna need you to be a little bit more specific,” Ajax replies. And Enid whines, head in her hands, because this is already so wrong on so many levels.

“When we had that huge fight and you dragged the hell out of me, before dumping me, maybe?” Enid retorts, watching him make a face and cringe at her admission.

After which a look of realization dawns upon him.

“Ok, I may have been an asshole with how I said it, but…” Ajax leans back on his hands beside her. “What um…what changed? Are you, uh…have you and Wednesday been…?”

He’s struggling, obviously. Enid doesn’t let him for long, mainly because she’s turning redder with each passing second.

“N-No! No—not that I don’t want to! I think? Its been a long a week,” She laughs awkwardly.

“Oh…ok, thats…cool?” Ajax clears his throat. Its quiet again for a second, save for the Nirvana song that starts playing that she recognizes.

She remembers a lot of this music from when she’d be in here under different circumstances. Before things got a lot more complicated. When she’d spend time picking notes out of the ‘premium kush’ strains and rolling her eyes when they genuinely did smell like candy.

Speaking of, she notices that he starts moving again. He pulls a brand new joint from his tray set up, a small container holding one of many. She looks at him incredulously, scoffing when they meet eyes.

“Look, if we’re gonna talk about this now, I’m gonna need this,” He defends. He holds it between his fingers and takes a quick pull, holding it out to her afterwards. “You want some? You’re prob gonna wish you did.”

She takes it with thin trepidation, cause its not like she hasn’t smoked with him before. It left him mellowed out, where as she found herself in a pit of silence she wasn’t necessarily used to. They learned very quickly that certain strains didn’t exactly agree with her.

With this one, the taste was vaguely fruity. She feels it go to her head first, like a hug that makes her hack her lungs out first. Ajax offers her a water bottle after he moves his laptop and music to his side table.

*

“So…you needed an oracle to tell you all that?” Ajax comments. They (Ajax) finished off most of the joint about ten minutes before. Still the room smelled loud and her head felt foggy as the thin plumes of smoke still floating about.

She laughs at his words, if not only because its taken a lot of the awkward edge off.

“Yeah, I know—granted it was Divina’s plan in the first place cause she probably figured I wasn’t gonna listen otherwise.” Enid admits, albeit a bit shameful at her own stubborn nature. “And its not necessarily a shock, just…not something I was expecting to ever actually deal with. The only person I’ve seen Wednesday have any kind of romantic interaction with ended up trying to commit genocide and kill her.”

“Isn’t that like up her alley, though?” Ajax asks, but Enid makes a face, being both bothered and disgusted.  

She doesn’t like to think too hard about that past relationship, lest she’s tempted to make a visit to a certain mental institution that held a particular Hyde.

“Tuh, I’d rather claw my eyes out than compare myself to that loser,” Enid replies offendedly. “I just meant that I haven’t seen her necessarily willing to put herself back out there. And things friendship wise have been going so well and we’re finally in a place where I had wanted to be so bad when I met her.”

She only ever wanted to be closer. The need to embrace, to show someone the healing powers of affection. She accepted the fact that Wednesday wasn’t someone who took that lightly, or at all a lot of the time; but the one time she had, had been like opening flood gates.

Linking pinkys, sitting shoulder to shoulder, practically clinging to each other every way but literally. Moments of pseudo intimacy, enough to keep her naive heart satisfied, until it realized it could yearn for more.

A big part of her now ex’s growing suspicion, originally.

“Unfortunately, its not something you can control. You taught me that much,” He smiles at her when he says it. Eyes glazed and red, its probably easier this way. She feels her chest tighten.

“Well aren’t I the just the gf of the year?” She self deprecates instead. Falls back on his bed with a tired sigh after so long just taking about what never really was. “I’m sorry, Aj.”

She pouts at him and he waves her off.

“S’no problem. Well, I mean it is really sucky but its not like you did it on purpose, right?” He tries to make light. “We were even gonna do those matching costumes tonight.”

Enid’s breath catches at the remembrance. That she’s A. Part of the party planning committee after the Rave’n debacle and B. She had planned for her and Ajax to go as a football player and cheerleader months ago.

Her 49ers cheer outfit was custom and fitted sinfully perfect to her body. She wouldn’t even get to use her pom poms and do the little cheer choreo she planned at this rate!

“Fuck—I completely forgot about that, why didn’t I use that?” She kicks herself, because that would’ve been an excuse she could back up with minimal lying.

“Actually, that idea kinda fucks,” Ajax says to himself. He rubs at stubble on his chin, “Like, Wednesday is weird AF, but she still has eyes—you looked hot as shit in that uniform when you tried it on for me.”

“Gee thanks,” Enid rolls her eyes at the crude compliment. “But, Wednesday’s not like that. She doesn’t even look my way when I change in the dorm instead of the bathroom.”

Granted, she’s not had much reason to look for or notice things like that until recently.

“Well, duh thats kinda the point in sneaking a peak…” Ajax laughs at her like she’s being silly. It just makes her elbow the air out of his lungs.

“She’s a lot more tactful than that, me thinks,” Enid deadpans. “I don’t even know if I can get her to come to this party let alone dress up.”

“Addams love Halloween,” Ajax defends. At Enid’s bewildered stare he explains, “Her little brother is in the reptile club. He’s a weirdo too, but he’s way more friendly.”

Enid only hums in understanding. She remembers the younger Addams that had joined his sibling upon return to Nevermore that semester. He wasn’t around often, as Wednesday likened him to a ‘nuisance’, but she also never denied him entry when he whined enough.

“Shit, I don’t see you coming up with anything better,” Ajax continues. He relights the joint to take another quick drag. “I’ve heard gay people have weird relationships with their exes, but I feel like we’re kinda pushing it, already.”

Enid pursed her lips, but makes no immediate protest. Cause, he’s definitely right—he had every right to tell her to leave in all honesty.

“You know, low key…I kinda wish you were homophobic instead.” She’s not being entirely serious. Mainly, she just wished things were more cut and dry.

Simpler.

“I’m a son of Medusa,” Ajax says matter of factly. “Half my relatives are lesbians! I can practically smell you guys.”

“Might need to get your nose checked then,” Enid snarks. Her words alone gesture very clearly to her current identity crisis.

Ajax shrugs, dismissive, “In my defense, you pursued me.”

“And we see how well that turned out…” Enid retorts with full sarcasm. But, he’s completely right—this was her own fault at the end of the day.

She had mainly been acting to please her pack with at least one thing she felt she was doing right. 

“I think you should use this weekend to confess. A little liquid courage, a blunt and you’ll be fine!” He tries to reassure her.

“If I’m cross faded I fear I’ll spill more than just my feelings,” Enid warns.

“Thats what me and Div are for—aren’t you two still doing the matching thing?”

Another thing she forgot about very conveniently with this whole mess. She’d barely talked to Divina since they left Uriah’s Heap. A million apology texts had flooded her inbox, but she hadn’t the heart to address them at first.

She ended up simply asking for time.

*

She decides to face the beast of Wednesday after her brief make up with Divina. The girl had both costumes in her room still—she had originally planned on doing a group thing. Sans Yoko of course, but she mainly didn’t want the siren to feel left out.

“Just meet me back here a few hours—I have to knock out some more homework to justify being black out all weekend.” Divina had told her before she left.

“A few hours, eh…” She trailed nervously.

“Oh my god, please tell me you’re not still avoiding her?” Divina had hit her arm in scolding. “No wonder she’s been such a menace this week. Kent still has a dent in his leg from where she stabbed him during fencing this week.”

“How do you know its my fault?” Enid replied sensitively. “Lots of things piss Wednesday off for no reason.”

But Divina gives her a look saying ‘seriously, girl?’

“Ugh, I’m literally going back to the room after this,” Enid relents after a while. “I have to actually invite her out tonight.”

“Pretty sure she already knows,” Divina mentions offhandedly. “I saw her make someone on student council cry when they made an announcement in the quad earlier.”

“Of course she did,” Enid sighs. Hand fixing her hair and bangs, she takes a deep, brave breath before she leaves. “Wish me luck?”

“Like Yoko always says—‘don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.’” The siren jokes, referring to her ex partner’s obnoxious saying. Which, typically translated to do the worst possible thing she could.

She is not going to do that, thanks.

Its bad enough that when she enters the dorm Wednesday’s waiting for her like a scene out of a crime lord movie.

Sitting at her desk, but facing the door. Thing on her shoulder and eyes hard in her direction. Enid jumps when she closes the door, despite nothing being said.

“H-Howdy?” She waves, locking the door behind her. She presses her back against it too, as if Wednesday wasn’t across the room from her. Her eyes held enough weight to pin her. “Uh…how’s it going?”

“Where have you been?” Again—not a single punch pulled or spared.

“I just came back from Divinas—why?” If Enid’s voice goes up and octave, no it didn’t. Wednesday hums forebodingly—threateningly.

“I have on good authority that before that you were nosing around the boys’ dormitory. Specifically, Caliban Hall,” She lists it with little to no emotion. Enid knows her to be accusing her of something, however. The cadence is just as insistent as it had been before she left.

And theres a certain inflection in the way she says the name of the boy’s hall. Like she’s a personal vendetta.

Enid’s confused on how she would even know all of this if she’s been here all day, but Thing’s looking awful quiet and still from his perch…

That traitor!

“I…I forgot something,” She weakly explains. Hands behind her back, she does her best to look Wednesday in the eye and not fold. “He still had one of my favorite nail polishes on his desk. He totally forgot to give it back to me after everything…”

She even manages a faux annoyed eye roll. Blows exasperated air out her mouth and waves her hand. Like, it wasn’t at all serious.

Wednesday, however, does not budge.

“I could’ve retrieved it for you,” She practically whispers it. “Did you feel forced?”

It sounds oddly…(sensitive? Soft?) full of emotion. There’s something in those eyes that Enid can’t study for too long, because her heart’s already trying to jump up her throat.

”It was a quick exchange, nothing that deep…” Enid denies and denies. Because she’s not acting like this because of just Ajax. “Besides, I dunno if I trust you not to actually make due on that nail gun thing.”

She tries to lighten the mood with the memory of the seer’s previous threat. Even back then, it had made her feel so much better about her date. A complete 180 over how she’d wind up feeling.

“The school is throwing a sorry excuse for a Hallow’s Eve party tonight.” Wednesday says suddenly, changing the subject unexpectedly. Extremely so, Enid nearly tripping over her shoes that tried to kick off.

“Yeah?” Enid asks carefully, feeling like this segue was a little too good to be true. “What about it? I was part of the planning committee for this one, you know, so choose your insults carefully.”

Wednesday just barely lets her lip quirk up.

God, she missed the easiness of their banter, before she started making things weird. The way only she could pull those small bouts of genuine humor from someone like Wednesday.

“Actually,” The seer begins. “Due to the gorgon’s incompetence and lack of follow through, I took it upon myself to prepare for the night.”

Enid stops in place at that. She looks proper bewildered and more than a bit skeptical at the words she’s hearing. All things considered, can you blame her?

“Wait, are you…are you saying you want to come tonight?” The werewolf asks for confirmation. Wednesday doesn’t look to budge or show any of her hand otherwise. Enid can’t help but wonder, “With…with me?”

Wednesday nods once. Hands in her lap and determination in her expression. It was akin to catching her in the middle of a ‘writing idea too good to waste.’ That concentration and full attention she had once only hoped to receive from the seer.

And at expense of her ex boyfriend was only icing on this convoluted cake.

“I was planning to accompany you in lieu of the absence of your far lesser half, yes.” Wednesday hadn’t tapered off the habit of speaking about Ajax with distaste, even when they were on better terms.

Only, for a long time, she hadn’t been able to place just why the protectiveness made her heart swell. It spoke to her on levels she herself had been ignorant—her wolf knew all along.

“Aw,” Enid can’t help her smile and cooing. She does her best not to run up and hug her, for both their benefit. “And here I thought I was gonna have to bribe you with my full moon haul, again.”

She refers to the happenings once she’s back to her less primal mind. When she’s random animal carcasses she doesn’t have the heart to deal with, but the school makes all Lycans responsible for cleaning up after their hunts. And clearing the grounds of all the dead waste.

Wednesday was more than over joyed to assist with that particular labor.

“Lets not be too hasty, now.” The seer mentions, with a tone to her voice that sounds playful. As playful as Wednesday can be, that is.

If she deludes herself enough she could call it flirting.

*

“This is so tight, I feel like my tits are gonna fall out on the dance floor.”

Enid snorts as she stands next to Divina. The siren had been admiring herself and she finally got her own top on correctly.

They were in front of mirror, matching cheer uniforms including exposed midriffs and skirts too short to wear on campus.

“A little late to send it back for adjustments,” Enid mentions, hand on her hip. She’s getting a good look at herself as well, admiring the hair stain in her team’s colors on her ends to replace the pink and blue.

“Oh, I’m not complaining,” Divina makes an offhand gesture. “If I don’t have someone offering to hold them for me after they pop out then I’ve officially failed this Halloween.”

Enid rolls her eyes at that.

“Guess I’m not the only one that took that tarot reading way too seriously?” She raises a brow at Divina in the mirror. The siren blows a raspberry at the air.

“I wouldn’t say that, I mean she was right! I haven’t kissed someone thats not Yoko in months.” She looks extremely displeased and horrified at this fact. “Its time to move on—but like physically too. And also because, now I’m actively afraid becoming a femcel.”

At this point Enid was contemplating that as an option for her own self…

The next hassle is actually getting everyone together for the Uber. 2/3 were together, that being her and Divina, but Wednesday had been MIA and absent from their dorm room as well. Thing had said something about ‘meeting them downstairs’, but that was making her more antsy as her phone chimes with their vehicles upcoming arrival.

“I should’ve known Wednesday Addams agreeing to a high school party was too good to be true…” Enid sighs. She’d been pacing, while Divina scrolled on Instagram and refreshed her story views methodically.

She posted not only a selfie with enough cleavage to trigger Yoko wherever she was in Japan right now; But a quick video with Enid, showing off their matching uniforms and twirling with their pom poms. The time it took to decide on a background song gave Wednesday plenty to be there before they called the Uber.

And yet…

The siren pauses from said activity of stalking herself online to squint a ways through the gates.

“Shot in the dark, but is the haunting black figure coming towards us probably her?” Divina refers to the approaching form.

She’s shrouded, wearing a sheer, black veil over her dark eyes. Somehow they pop under the deep shades around the orbs, lips painted just as such. She dawned a gorgeous gown, flowing like water, with torn ends so perfect they were likely purposeful. Wednesday never did anything on accident.

She swallows at the thought of her own claws shredding through it—

“Whoa, who did your makeup and where’s the tutorial?” Divina compliments as the seer approaches.

Enid’s thankful she doesn’t have to be the one to greet, because she doesn’t know if she can.

Wednesday’s eyes flit to the siren dangerously, if not only due to the overall look.

“I cannot take full credit,” She shrugs and Thing makes his appearance as well. He twiddles his fingers, obviously the real culprit here. “However it was my idea and concept of a decaying widow, whom died after killing both my betrothed and myself due to not wanting to be a pawn in a forced marriage.”

A pretty throaty explanation, but so very Wednesday no one was likely to bat an eye.

The seer then looks to Enid. Her eyes roam over the blonde’s body and she’s not ashamed to admit she flexes a little. If she’s going to display her assets, she may as well use them in place of her lost ability to communicate.

“And what are you supposed to be?” Its not judgemental, but Wednesday genuinely does look curious. Which Enid could work with so long as her eyes keep sneaking downward.

Maybe this wasn’t a total lost cause…

“C’mon, don’t tell me you don’t remember this little number from the last time you let me watch the game in our room?” Enid finds her voice again in her growing confidence. She holds her hands behind her back to subtly push her chest out. “The team of coordinated, unassuming harpies? Sorry again about that last quarter.”

Wednesday doesn’t hesitate to frown, “Oh, yes…that barbaric past time you love to watch. I still hardly see the point when injury equals foul.”

She was able to watch a total of two games in their dorm, before she banned. Her temper was inherited, taught by her sport obsessed brothers and fanned by her own competitiveness.

Suffice to say, Wednesday did not appreciate her accidentally breaking the leg of her table due to a terrible play she had the displeasure of witnessing.

“Uber’s here, yall!” Divina interrupts their little chat to refer to the vehicle with its hazards going. Enid hadn’t even noticed her phone going off again.

Thankfully the ride goes off without a hitch. Aside from her breathing, feeling oddly shiver-y after being shoulder to shoulder with someone. Granted, that someone was the girl she’s harboring feelings for (and has been for longer than even she’s been aware) but it genuinely wasn’t even that cold for Vermont standards.

When they make it to the party, Enid finds herself wondering just how in the world some people had these kinds of understanding with their parents. It didn’t make sense to her—her mom would have her by the scruff if she hosted this many people in their den while she was gone with her dad. But, that wasn’t her cross to bear, fortunately.

Besides—it was Lucas Walker’s place. She didn’t really care that much what happened to the home of a species-ist cop.

“This place is huge—apparently Walker got promoted after Sheriff Galpin dipped out of town.” Divina mentions before they walk in.

“Delightful to know where the tax dollars are going,” Wednesday quips. “Not like this country has anything better to toss money at.”

Enid hums along, feeling the pit grow in her stomach as it approached closer and closer to the main goal of the night. She knew Ajax was already there, because he was in charge of supplying the non-liquid substances for the night. He had also been goading her through text.

Aj 🐍: *attachment (2)* They’ve been waiting for you…

Along with a picture of the insanely illegal amount of alcohol spread on the kitchen island; followed by a bag of weed bigger than the gordon’s head—in fact he included a selfie with it for size comparison. She rolls her eyes at poor Eugene in the background, his reflection in the mirror behind as he’s obviously taking these for him.

“I’m gonna go take a shot cause Im already way too sober,” Divina announces the second they enter. She has to yell over the remix of some TikTok song going in the background. “You wanna come with?”

She eyes between the two roommates with a suggestive grin. Enid kinda misses when the siren preferred to beat around the bush—that tarot reading was quite literally changing her life by the day.

“A shot to the head would be preferable,” Wednesday replies. She looks disgusted by the boy in a Teletubbies costume that consisted of a head, no shirt and matching yellow shorts while holding twin beer cans.

“Its probably a lot quieter in the kitchen,” Enid whispers. She takes advantage of the fact that it’s perfectly excusable to be this close to her roommate to speak. Otherwise she wouldn’t be able to hear over the music…

Wednesday stiffens but doesn’t comment aside from nodding.

They make it to said kitchen, only to see Bianca currently in charge of the drinks with a few other people she recognized from her entourage. The siren looks strangely pleased to see them, but Enid realizes very quickly its their newest addition that has her attention.

“Well, well, well…” Bianca stops pouring whatever concoction she had going to lean over the island. “Never thought I’d see the day…almost forgot you clean up so good, dead girl—literally.”

She snorts at her own joke, but Wednesday does little other than stare.

“This is one of the only holidays in this country worth celebrating,” She justifies easily. “Now, procure us each one of those shots or what have you.”

Wednesday demands, hand on the counter. 

“Damn, ain’t y’all just get here?” Bianca laughs, amused and not at all measuring when she pours. She slides each shot over with an evil grin, “Bottoms up—and good fucking luck!”

Each girl grabs their shot with varying reactions. Enid lets it slosh onto her hand a little, knowing this isn’t going anywhere good—and fast.

“B, chill out, this is like a quad shot,” Divina scrunches her nose up at the smell of vodka. But, Enid nudges her, clinking their glasses together.

“Cheers!” She turns to clink with Wednesday as well but to her surprise the glass is already empty. She looks in great concern, but Wednesday looks otherwise unbothered.

She opts to take it with Divina instead. The siren gags and hangs onto her for dear life, while Enid grits her teeth. Her werewolf metabolism gave her a little extra leg to stand on, but her height and weight left much to be desired. She feels her cheeks flushing by the time she’s handing her glass back to the temporary bar tender.

“God, that was so bad,” Divina whines, flailing her hands. After taste still fresh in her mouth and throat still tingling; She quickly finds a can of some seltzer to wash it down. “Don’t even say anything—I need a chaser and I am valid.”

But, Enid holds her hands up, not intending to tease the girl. She’s more concerned with their other guest.

“Is there a restroom in the vicinity?” Wednesday suddenly asks.

Bianca clicks her teeth, “Don’t tell me you can’t hold your liquor, Addams?”

“If I was going to vomit, trust I’ve no gripes in doing so on you and your little ensemble,” Wednesday snarks back. “I simply wish to adjust myself.”

“Down the hall and like two doors down—we put a sign up this year after Trent pissed in my closet last year,” Lucas himself answers. He had been lingering around Bianca’s friend group in the kitchen, surprisingly.

Wednesday doesn’t do much other than nod, before she disappears. Giving Enid ample time to pull out her phone and see where the hell Ajax was.

Aj 🐍: Im outback whn u get here bring me snack pls 🙏🏻🙇‍♂️

She scoffs and grabs a handful of candy, before she tells Divina where she’s going. And to tell Wednesday she’ll be right back if the seer happens to come back out before she can make it back. The house was huge, but she knew both bathrooms downstairs probably had enough of a line to keep her busy.

She finds Ajax outside with Eugene and some other people who smile too wide at her because they’re baked already.

“Enid! Come hit this real quick,” The gorgon has a plastic soda bottle set up in her face before she can say hello. Enid gives him a look, but because its a party she does as she’s told.

Immediately leading to her hacking with her hands on her knees.

The chants telling her to ‘rally!’ were only vaguely helping.

“You look bad as fuck tonight, by the way—what did Wednesday say?” Ajax asks next, as if she’s not dying in front of him. Enid clears her throat and thanks god her make up was done in preparation for possible tears.

Granted that was in lieu of rejection, not a bong hit.

“Jesus—she liked it…I think she did? I mean she didn’t say she did, but I’m pretty sure I caught her staring at my boobs in the car.” Enid rattles off, wondering if perhaps this was a mission with a lost cause.

“Where is she?” Ajax wonders next, looking behind her, like she was hiding.

“Bathroom. I told Divina to distract her if she came out any sooner,” Enid explains. She takes a calming breath in and out, “Moon above…I’m definitely cross faded right now.”

She felt like Ajax’s voice was coming through a tunnel. And standing straight up was becoming more of a challenge already.

But, hey, at least she’s not overthinking anymore!

“You are? Ooo, you must’ve let Bianca pour your shots, huh?” Ajax furrows his brows in faux concern.

“She was there when we got here—why is that bad?”

“Not necessarily, just I’m pretty sure she spikes her drinks with siren magic to make them more potent.” He elaborates, hand in his pocket. The other pats her back, sorry for shoving the smoke in her face, now. “I usually let Ken do mine, cause he knows my limits and then I only have to take like one shot and I’m good all night—no hang over!”

Enid feels her brow twitching, a lot of things suddenly making sense.

Including the way the back door slams open. A very beautifully touched up and suddenly angry Wednesday Addams walks out onto the deck. Followed by a drunkenly stumbling Divina that looked to have been unsuccessfully trying to catch up and stop her.

She can only mouth ‘I’m sorry’ but even that looks ridiculously slurred.

“Petropolus,” Wednesday’s voice booms. Her eyes narrow at the hand Ajax had had on her. It’s slowly lifted, the gorgon looking sheepish and scared. He points to himself with a shakey hand and the seer growls, “Yes, you. How dare you act upon someone in such a vulnerable state. Like a vulture, better yet—a smarmy, little bottom feeder, a rat waiting to pick at the bones of another’s hard earned work.”

Wednesday storms over to them and between the two. Enid can’t help but notice the flush in her face and glazed over eyes. She blinks, wanting to interfere because she fears the Addams girl may be an angry drunk. A very angry drunk at that.

Huh. Go figure?

“I-I wasn’t trying anything—honest!” Ajax looks no less fearful at the comically shorter girl stepping up to him. “We were just…we were only talking, I swear on Medusa!”

He gets backed into the deck’s railing as Wednesday reveals a knife under her dress. Tucked into a garter that has Enid hesitating for longer than she should, because the skin revealed and wrapped in lace was more than a little distracting.

“Wednesday, I’m literally fine,” Enid places a hand on the one that held the blade. She lowers it, as Wednesday looks doubtful. “Ajax was just trying to help me with something important.”

Wednesday huffs, dropping the knife to her side.

“And secretive, I see?” She says accusingly.

Enid tries to reach out for her again, “Its not like that.”

But, Wednesday steps back, eyes harsh.

“Then what is it?” She retorts angrily, her knife gesturing between the exes. “I’m not an imbecile. And contrary to popular belief—I know when I’ve made a mistake.”

Wednesday looks and sounds genuinely hurt—Enid knew the girl was holding back, but it was undeniable as someone who knew her.

As someone who had grown to love her.

“Wednesday, please—“ Enid grabs her arm again, this time not letting her shrug it off. She doesn’t care that Wednesday’s glaring at her either. She bites her lip, almost concerned the girl may end up stabbing her instead, before she sighs. “This is so not how I wanted to do this.”

She looks up to the sky and pushes her hair out of her eyes. Wednesday clicks her teeth and looks no less bothered than she did before Enid stopped her from leaving.

“What? Scared to face the reality of your lack luster choices?” Wednesday sneers in direction of Ajax, who was trying very hard to look like he was grinding more weed and not eavesdropping still.

Enid rolls her eyes and growls. Softly and not at anyone but herself.

She then takes it upon herself to lift Wednesday’s veil. It shocks the girl silent, even garnering a singular blink of her eyes in confusion. Before she can verbalize a threat or any question, Enid cups both cheeks and kiss her with upmost determination.

“Oh, thank God…” She’s pretty sure she hears either Ajax or Divina announce from behind.

Enid can’t quite tell with the sound of her heartbeat ringing in her ears. Or the feel of Wednesday’s cold hands settling on her wrists—not to push her away, but hold her steady.

She doesn’t expect Wednesday to embrace her in passion. She knows that alone to be a sign that the seer may actually be enjoying this. That, along with the heavy breaths between the pecks that begin to gain a little passion in their exchange.

Wednesday Addams, was that tongue she feels?

Enid grins into their kiss, delighting when she notices Wednesday pressing up on her tip toes.