Chapter Text
‘Do you think I have trust issues?’ Parker asked, posing on Wednesday’s bed with her phone. It was late and Parker hadn’t gone home in nearly a week.
Click-whoosh. Wednesday lowered the crossbow and turned from the window. ‘Yes.’
Parker nodded, took a picture, posted it to [insert social media site here]. The caption read: ‘At my bestie’s.’ Love-hearts started to flow immediately. ‘I trust you,’ Parker said.
Wednesday approached the bed, peering down at Parker. ‘I think you will find that that is because I am trustworthy. And: good at picking locks.’
Parker nodded, craning her neck to look up at her friend. Her heart was beating faster. She always felt a little flustered around Wednesday, and she had decided not to think about why that might be.
‘Are you considering a return to your mother’s house?’ Wednesday asked, reloading the crossbow.
Parker groaned, slamming her face into the soft covers. ‘No.’
‘What if I were to stay with you again?’
Parker’s head jolted back up and she wondered if she would get whiplash or something. Wednesday was still gazing down on her, face impassive. Slowly, the Addams girl raised the crossbow and fired out the window without looking.
Faintly, someone could be heard shouting ‘good shot Wednesday’.
‘That… that would help.’ Parker’s mouth was dry and her heart was hammering in her ears. It was probably just anxiety about seeing her mom again. ‘I… I don’t want to make you… do that.’
‘Perhaps I want to do it,’ Wednesday said. ‘Perhaps uncle Fester will be there.’ She turned to survey her room. ‘I will need to pack extra bolts, this time.’
Parker sighed back into the bed, released by her friend’s gaze. ‘Thanks, Wednesday.’
‘It will be no trouble.’ Wednesday’s cool, slim hand touched her shoulder and Parker froze as if worried she would scare the girl away by moving. ‘I was looking for an opportunity to disappear again.’
There followed several loud clunks and thumps, the clicking of clasps, the zipping of zips, the creaking of Ichabod. Parker looked up to find that Wednesday had her bags packed, the crossbow over one shoulder. The living tree was just leaning in the window.
‘Oh… um… right now?’ Parker was surprised. She jumped off the bed and grabbed her pack, stumbling as she hurried to follow Wednesday onto the tree.
Wednesday took her hand and Parker’s heart raced, but she still needed the help staying steady on Ichabod’s moving branches. She hugged the trunk as Wednesday rode the far ends of branches down the mountain to the town.
Silently, Wednesday opened the door to Parker’s bedroom and helped Parker disembark from Ichabod. Parker took deep breaths, trying to calm down. Her bedroom seemed boring compared to Wednesday’s. There were no beartraps, no weapons hanging from the walls, no inexplicable coffin in the corner of the room.
But it was still somehow nice to be back, as long as she didn’t have to talk to Margaux. In the nearly two weeks since the whole ‘destroy the Addams’ house with a catapult’ incident, her mother had changed drastically. Her friendliness seemed much closer to genuine, and she had been spending a lot of time with Fester.
Parker didn’t trust her. Parker couldn’t trust her. So she had spent almost all her time outside of school with Wednesday and/or at the Addams’ house. The couple of nights she’d been home, she had done her utmost to not talk to her mother at all.
Margaux hadn’t apologised, so she couldn’t have changed that much.
Even though they had done this, and shared a bed, almost every day for three weeks, Parker still found herself blushing as she pulled off her jacket and jeans, climbing into bed in t-shirt and underwear. She shivered when Wednesday slid into the bed next to her.
Parker wasn’t getting any more used to this state of affairs. She’s known Wednesday for a month and they’d spent most of that time almost inseparable. Parker had stood up to her own mother for Wednesday, or because Wednesday had been there. It felt surreal.
And the longer they were together, the more nervous Parker seemed to get. The more she would sneak glances at the other girl. The more she could think about Wednesday in the moments they were apart. The more she would find herself overwhelmed by Wednesday’s mere presence.
A cool arm wriggled across Parker’s waist and she jerked, almost smacking Wednesday in the face with the back of her head. ‘You think very loudly, Parker,’ Wednesday said. ‘You need to relax, or you will end up like… someone you would rather not be like.’
Parker frowned to herself. It was not like Wednesday to hesitate in the slightest. The girl was so eloquent. Was by far the most eloquent girl Parker had ever met. And the prettiest.
Hmm?
As much as possible without moving, Parker bolted awake. Was that the situation, then? Did Parker have a crush? Did she have a crush on her beautiful, ethereal, self-assured, confident, wonderful friend?
Could be.
Parker’s immediate impulse was to pull out her phone to let her audience know about this development in her life. But: she couldn’t reach her phone right now and she didn’t want to wake Wednesday.
Parker tried to take deep breaths. Tried to slow her heartbeat. She tried to calm down.
Wednesday pulled herself closer, until her back was pressed against Parker. Parker very nearly flipped. She nearly exploded. The blood rushing to her face and neck was enough to make her feel light-headed.
There was no way that the amazing Wednesday Addams would feel the same way about Parker, was there? Wednesday didn’t need anyone to be confident or eloquent or beautiful. Somehow, Parker blushed harder.
‘I hear your heartbeat, like a bird clamouring against a cage.’
Wednesday’s breath was cool against Parker’s flushed skin and was absolutely in no way helpful. Maybe Parker should say something? Maybe she could muster the courage right now.
But what if Wednesday didn’t feel the same? What if she rejected Parker? She didn’t think she could cope without Wednesday. She was sure she couldn’t handle the rejection.
Better not to say anything. Better to think about it for more that five minutes. Better not to risk it.
Eventually, Parker fell asleep.