Work Text:
"So, I found this waterfall..."
Wednesday groans, letting her face fall into the barely touched page of her sketchbook. Xavier had given it to her as a birthday gift, which she had been heavily tempted to use as kindling for the Trojan horse stuffed with her enemies, but had found herself enthralled with the idea of making the graphic images in her head permanent instead of having them be fleeting thoughts.
Except, despite the surplus of murderous thoughts she currently had at being disturbed- she could not get a grasp on them for long enough to even pick up her pencil.
Sighs. “Must we always explore the whimsical world of yours? How come we never bury each other alive like I suggest?”
Enid isn’t disturbed in the slightest- swinging herself side to side excitedly while tugging at her fingers. Perhaps Wednesday had given her too many drawings of the werewolf herself flayed open to further damage her psychological development.
Ugh. What a shame.
She looked away from the puppy-dog eyes and back to the few lines of charcoal on the page, mindlessly fingering the rest of the image that is begging to be drawn with the pad of her finger.
As much as she (begrudgingly) loved spontaneous adventures with the blonde across from her; it was becoming tiresome. Her thoughts were starting to shift, and as a result, her artwork.
Her cello arrangements were becoming much less dispiriting, even venturing her fingers into a major octave for a change. Her murder novel was at a standstill as poetry flooded the blank pages that made her want to saw her fingers off, and her drawings were becoming far less graphic. Enid’s organs actually managed to stay in her body on the pages, now, much to Wednesday’s internal stress.
Wednesday lifted her head in time to catch the smile falling from peach-glossed lips, and groans. “What now?”
Enid was using her pain as a false pretence to trap Wednesday under a gridlock of pouty lips and doe-eyed gazes. And it was working (she had to even more begrudgingly admit).
"Why aren't you excited?"
"Because, Enid," The raven starts, moving from her stomach to sit, tossing her freshly sharpened pencil to the trench of the creased sketchbook page. "Remember what happened last time you found somewhere for us to go?"
"Okay, it wasn't that bad!"
And as Enid denied it, Wednesday let out a noise that was a cross of frustration and a laugh that was teetering on sociopathic. Flushing in embarrassment, and letting her braids cover her rosey cheeks.
God, even her own nervous system was turning against her.
The last time Enid had staked claim on an undiscovered grove around Nevermore, it had left them trying to outrun a sentry made of rock and lava. They had managed to escape it, but a boulder of vocalnic rock set afire left them fumbling in the nearby babbling brook to unsinge their hair. It had taken Wednesday a good few minutes to snuff out the fire on her favourite leather jacket, while Enid watched- drenched from the lake, laughing until she keeled over back into the shallows.
The fire-guard was probably why the place had been left undiscovered.
"I’d sooner take another blade to the heart by a resurrected pilgrim than go to a waterfall with you.”
Enid grimaces. Wednesday felt tinge of relief soothe her rapidly swelling heart as memories of sun kissed shoulders and gentle brushes of fingers welled to the surface of her subconscious. Oh, how she wished she could snuff Enid out like a flame.
But the more she tried to snuff Enid out, the quicker she realized she was made of kerosene, lighting Wednesday up in a way she couldn’t find entirely uncomfortable. The lick of fire at her heels when the girl followed her everywhere she went like an obedient lap dog, nor the burning sensation beneath her skin.
Enid stuck her bottom lip out in a pout, eyes shining underneath her long lashes. She pulled her hands up into a little prayer motion, whines causing a nauseous bubble to rise in Wednesday’s throat.
“Pretty please, Willa? I'll do your homework for the next two weeks!"
Wednesday let out a sound from the back of her throat, watching bemusedly as the blue eyed girl bounced on the tips of her toes. “You do understand our intellectual levels are not on par, no?”
Relenting, Enid dropped her hands to her sides and made her way over to Wednesday’s side of the dorm, climbing onto the bed with her knees. "Just check the place out with me? We'll go and leave not even a minute apart."
Wednesday clucks her tongue against the roof of her mouth, flickering through the pages of one of her macabre books that was by her feet to avoid the scolding intensity of her best friends gaze that was actively burning holes into the side of her head like a drill pressing bur holes into her scalp.
"Fine," Enid huffed, jumping to her feet. “I'll go ask Yoko, or Ajax-" Making for the door.
She was cut off by Wednesday who stood defiantly in front of the door, hands clenching by her sides. “I’ll go.”
Enid giggles, and tackles Wednesday in a hug, to which the goth girl grumbles out a string of curses in a plethora of languages before reaching for her jacket. An un singed replica Enid gotten her as an apology.
-
Of course it would be too good to be true for them to just take a quick trip to this magical grove that a waterfall laid at. No- Enid had somehow conjured up a picnic basket that was most definitely not stored in their dorm, and even snatched Wednesday’s sketchbook while she was fixing her braids in the bathroom.
And then they were on their way to the grove. Enid happily skipping through the overly tall grass in the heart of the forest, singing along with the chirping birds and basking in the fresh air, whilst Wednesday tried to remember the ingredients to an Addams old potion that would turn her friend into a frog while avoiding wayward branches trying to attack her, seething at the fact the sun was hanging proudly in the sky.
She thanked the cow that was slaughtered for her jacket, deflecting the unrelenting rays of light that were managing to break through the treetops.
After what felt like forever of trudging through the underbrush with the faint remnants of torn out werewolf fur and Hyde skin, they arrived.
"See?" Enid twirled in the dress she’d changed into with a giggle. "Isnt it breathtaking?"
Despite Wednesday’s discontent at the sweltering heat; it was.
The greenest grass she’d ever laid eyes on laid path to a plateau adormed with two broken pillars- overrun by wild flowers sat before a gleaming lake. A few rocks made the walkway, and Enid skipped forward, the sunlight tinting her hair a golden hue that had Wednesday wishing for a second she owned coloured pencils-
"Come on, Willa!”
The goth snapped her attention from her reverie, following her to the plateau where Enid quickly laid everything out, plunking down on the checkered blanket she’d brought and patting the spot beside her happily. Wednesday situated herself, crossing her arms as she laid against back against the taller pillar that overhung and covers her in shade.
“So, where exactly is this mystical waterfall? I can hear it but not see it.” She tries to keep her voice monotone, ignoring the fluttering fleet of bats in her stomach as the same glint of excitement flared to life in sea-toned eyes.
“Across the r river bank. Theres supposedly a bridge that'll take us from there."
She casts her eyes to the two towels- one black and one pink, tucked into the basket beneath a change of clothes.
Wednesday raises an eyebrow, "You don't expect me to swim, do you?" She watched as the blonde smiled sheepishly back before her eyes darted down to stare at a particularly interesting blade of grass.
"Enid." Her voice was warning, but if Enid could tell she didn't care, tossing her own jacket and shoes onto the blanket before backing up to the edge of the plateau.
"Enid? What are you doing?"
Her voice grew concerned watching Enid approach the water.
It was no secret that Enid didn't exactly get swimming lessons in her home of San Francisco- because a girl didn’t need them, her mother had constantly professed. She’d have a strong mate who didn’t require her to go out and hunt or scavenge, and yet
Wednesday couldn't suppress her silent laugh as the typically clumsy girl dove head first into the water with a tiny amount of grace she found respectable.
“Where did you learn to swim?" She calls out as blonde hair bobs back to the surface, a soft smile toying at her lips.
"I may have enlisted Bianca and Xavier’s help in preparation for this moment.” She sheepishly admits.
"How'd you know id actually say yes?"
A smirk grew on the taller girls face as she approaches the grassy shore, her voice dropping an octave. "You never say no to me,"
Wednesday’s jaw clenches as she feels the warmth in the pit of her stomach travel to her cheeks, covering it up with a scoff. Enid was seemingly unconvinced by the lame attempt at a coverup, but said nothing as she shot a bright smile up at her friend.
"You look a little hot."
"What?" Wednesday felt the word lodge in her throat, barely registering what was happening before water hit her.
Not a spray- because Enid had let her werewolf paw form and had sent a rippling wave toward the plateau. She’s nearly drenched.
"Enid.” She growls loudly, flicking the water from her hair.
The laughs quickly muffle as she dove deeper into the water, Wednesday left letting out staggered breaths from the cold shock. Quickly recovering, she tosses her own jacket and shoes aside, nibbling at her bottom lip before dipping her toe in the lake, biting back a wince at the frigid temperature biting her skin.
She takes a deep breath, submerging herself in the ice-cold lake. It felt... magical. Like the water itself was filled with little bits of stardust and the surface was freckled with glitter. But if you ask Wednesday, shed just say it was enchanted. Disgusting. Magic was a useless art.
Wednesday was so caught up in her eloquent depictions of —water— that she hadn't noticed the blonde had been underwater for quite a while.
"Enid?" She calls out, scouring the water for sight of a mop of blonde.
“Enid? This isn't funny.”
Enid couldn’t hold her breath that long. She may not be fully human, but she certainly wasn’t an aquatic animal. If anything, her wolf form would require more use of stamina and oxygen, and suddenly Wednesday is standing by the edge of the water with nothing but her shirt and pants on and kisses her teeth.
“If I die from this, I hope I at least fossilize.”
She dives down easily, the water growing colder the further she goes. She wonders if there’s a bottom to this endless lake.
She could hold her breath much longer than the normal human, but her eyes couldn’t quite adjust to the salt water burning her retinas. Still, she forces her eyelids open, acclimating herself to the darkness. But she can’t see properly in the murky waters, and couldn’t anticipate the arm wrapping around her waist.
She reacts by driving her elbow into her assailant, and hears a low growl before she’s yanked to the surface.
She breaks the water, gasping from shock more than anything else in time to see Enid surface with a pained pinch to her brows. “Ow! Fuck, Willa! You almost cracked my rib!”
Wednesday glowers, adrenaline pumping and eyes stinging from the water. “You deserved much worse. You snuck up on me.”
Enid pouts. “I didn’t expect to be attacked! I’m the only other person around!”
A moment passes. Wednesday blinks the bleariness from her vision in time to see a smile so unearthly bright splitting Enid’s face in half.
“Wait a minute… you were worried about me.”
It’s an accusation, but Wednesday doesn’t deny it, moving for the edge of the lake only to be grappled backward by the arm that had been limp around her waist until now.
She huffs. “No. I merely needed to recover your corpse for the autopsy so I would not be imprisoned for your murder.”
Enid’s still smiling, scrunching her nose up in a way Wednesday can’t even scrounge up a smidgeon of disgust for. “You totally were.”
“Whatever aids you in sleeping at night. Now, unhand me.”
Humming. “Nah, I don’t think I will.”
Enid tugs her closer, and Wednesday tilts her head back to avoid the proximity, even with their bodies completely flushed together.
Wednesday presses her hands to Enid’s chest, fully intent on shoving her away but Enid is stronger, smiling unbridled and unabashedly and it’s so ravishing, that Wednesday falters. “Where’s this godforsaken waterfall, anyway?”
Enid says nothing, and Wednesday is forced to look at the water droplets clinging to blonde eyelashes, and cheeks pinked from the lack of oxygen.
Under the light, with sandy blonde hair clinging to her face and her makeup a mess…. She was the most beautiful Wednesday had ever seen her.
When she isn’t all done up and perfect- she was… perfect.
Oh- now her vernacular was turning against her too. Wednesday also didn’t think half of those words existed in her lexicon
Enid snaps from whatever reverie she’d been in, clearing her throat. “It should be through the little clearing by our stuff.”
Wednesday nods jerkily, finally being free to swim back to the shore although she notes the lack of warmth like a serrated blade on her waist with discontent.
They towel off, each grabbing at some of the food Enid had packed. Some garden sandwiches and fresh fruit, and a couple orange juice boxes. Wednesday held one up with a quirk of her brow, to which Enid blushed and started fussing with the little Bluetooth stereo she’d brought with them.
Wednesday leans back against the pillar that was no longer shielding her from the daylight, but the warmth of the sun on her cold skin felt comforting and starts mindlessly drawing in her sketchpad.
She snaps it shut when blue eyes shaded black start to mess with her vision, and Enid smiles brightly at her. “Whatcha drawin’?”
“Nothing.” Wednesday rushes, swallowing to keep the word vomit that for some reason wants to spill. The feeling clawing up her throat- need to defend herself or explain. It’s sickening.
She’s never in her life been at a loss of control in her speech, and desperately wishes she could find her footing again.
Looks to Enid’s claws- all one shade for once. They were a crimson red. A red that looked suspiciously like one of Wednesday’s own polishes. Not one she wore except for holidays like funerals, but nonetheless hers. Her grandmama had made the batch for her, so she would know it anywhere. And the slightly acrid smell, as well.
“New nails?”
Enid looks down at them, sucking in her lower lip in such a way that Wednesday couldn’t tear her eyes away despite her best attempts. Enid doesn’t feel the gaze, thankfully, extracting and retracting her claws every few seconds. “Yeah.”
She’s not sure how Enid is able to handle the smell with her werewolf senses, but at least the topic is off her art for the time being. She bites into a strawberry- relishing in one of the few flavours she could stand.
She narrows her eyes. Because Enid smells like strawberries, from the few times they’ve hugged or when she’d run by and her scent would waft.
Wednesday Addams hadn’t ever stolen one of Enid’s sweatshirts to keep on her pillow whilst the taller girl was on a field trip. And she hadn’t burrowed on Enid’s mattress when the girl had moved out, the smell still clinging to the plush foam.
They finish eating in silence, the soft trickling of water into the lake a blanket over them. It wasn’t a tense silence- one of familiarity from the many nights where Wednesday would be working on her novel while Enid listened to music on her headphones, filling her mind with worthless garbage on her demonic technological laptop.
What a shame, for someone as special as Enid to succumb herself to hours of mindless violence.
They depart within the next 15 minutes, Enid packing their things up and leading them with through the little break in the trees, skipping and humming on her way. Wednesday follows leisurely behind- several paces, to not admire Enid, but to watch in case she fell into the grizzly maw of a hidden cave so she could examine the grotesque splatter of blonde and red at the bottom.
That very thought made her stomach churn, and quickened her pace just as Enid faltered. The blonde looks over her shoulder quizzically. “You alright? You look flushed.”
Wednesday nods once, keeping her eyes over Enid’s shoulder in search of- what? A wildebeest? A rogue hunter? Fucking monarch butterflies? She truly doesn’t know what it is shes hoping will pop out of the woodwork of the forest, but anything that would eat this nauseating warmth inside of her will suffice.
They finally make it through the throngs of foliage to stumble upon the bridge Enid had been babbling about for the last five minutes. It’s an old thing- overrun by plants and moss but it’s sturdy enough, creaking under their combined weights but holding steady for them to reach the next bit of clearing, and Wednesday can’t stop her mouth from dropping at the sight.
The waterfall is huge- about 30 feet give or take, and pulsing steadily from whatever source it’s obtaining the water from. Although, Wednesday muses it not to be a natural creation, given the waterfall seems to be made up of tiny diamonds, crystals bending and twisting in rivulets over its boulder into a shallow pond that poured out into the lake they’d been swimming it. It’s clear enough to see tiny fish swimming about, the algae a brilliant shade of green- like the flecks of Enid’s eyes- and (ugh, Wednesday thinks she may lobotomize herself in a moments time).
Wednesday shields her eyes from the flint of sunlight reflecting back at her, as Enid turns around excitedly, bounding a few steps in the goths direction who hazards a half step back.
Enid doesn’t seem bothered by it- because she’s alarmingly unbothered by any boundaries Wednesday sets- and plasters the sweetest smile on her face that causes Wednesday’s molars to ache in pain, her heart in relief.
“Isn’t this the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?!” She spins around with her arms out, giggling, and Wednesday allows the small smile to quirk at her lips.
Mumbling. “No, but it’s close.”
Wednesday watches from where she still stands her half step back, as Enid strips down into the bathing suit she’d remarkably kept hidden in lieu of swimming fully dressed earlier, tucking her arms around her knees to cannonball into one of the deeper ends of the pond.
Her skin glistens- like that horrific display of teenage hormones in that Vampire movie Enid had forced upon her- resurfacing, the tiny diamonds full clusters of God’s tears rolling off Enid’s shoulders and taut arms, a lazy smile on her face as she pushes her hair back.
Wednesday feels parched. Walks over to the side of the pond where Enid had left the bags, searching for the bottle of ice water packed beneath the bulk of everything else.
Once again, she’s oblivious to the werewolf who uses her speed to jump up, wrap her up in a bear hug, and submerge them both.
Wednesday doesn’t flail this time, though she briefly considers scaring Enid by staying underwater until her lungs eventually give out, but thinks better of it when she blinks her eyes open and sees those blue eyes watching her so fondly- so tenderly.
Her braids were completely ruined now, waves of obsidian pooling out around her, like an inky blot in the ocean. She must look rather odd- pale as a lamb with features as dark as coal. But Enid looks at her like she’s perfect.
They resurface, Enid with a gasping laugh and Wednesday with an indignant huff. “Must you always try and drown me? I’d prefer something far bloodier.”
Enid rolls her eyes, swimming forward and for some reason- she blames the algae sticking to her feet (slippery, she knows, but so is her intuition)- stays put. Let’s Enid wrap her arms around her waist and pull her in. Offers the smallest smile that has something akin to hope sparking in the werewolf’s eyes.
“I’m not trying to drown you, silly.” Her voice drops to a whisper, as if scared the birds may hear. “I’m just trying to make this a good first date…”
Wednesday blinks. Ignores the sting of eyeliner. “Date?”
“Well… duh? Hasn’t it been ovvious?” Splashes the water as one hand moves to gesture around. “The dress, the picnic, the waterfall, the fact I’m literally holding you and have been giving you ‘gay eyes’ as Xavier says, the whole day?”
Wednesday juts her bottom lip out in a pout. Hums, considering. “Yes. I suppose that all makes sense, now. Usually you suggest activities that are tiresome and require safety plans.”
Enid snorts. “Okay, they aren’t that bad! And you like danger!”
Wednesday nods, eyes flickering up to the mole on Enid’s neck she hadn’t noticed. “Yes. But I do not like when you are in danger.”
Enid’s eyes widen- then, crinkle as she laughs. “You’re kinda into me, aren’t you, Addams?”
Wednesday‘s eyelids twitch in recognition. “If I say yes, will you stop dragging me into the depths?”
“Still not tryna drown you!” A moment. “But yes, I’ll stop trying to drown you.”
Wednesday stills her breath- willing her erratic heartbeat beating a drum beat against her ribs to calm. It doesn’t. She grows aggravated with the traitorous organ. “Fine. Yes. I…” grits her teeth. “Like you.”
Enid howls- an honest to god howl- and has the decency to flush at the raised eyebrows directed at her. “Sorry! I’m just excited…”
Wednesday’s lips twitch. “Yes. Your claws are digging into my side- near enough to draw blood.”
The blonde backs up, flailing and falling onto her ass with a splash. Wednesday grins. “Only joking, pup.”
She whines. “Hey! I’m not a puppy…” Gets to her feet, huffs. “I’m a big, bad wolf. I told you not to mess with me or you’ll get the claws!”
Wednesday feels something flood in her- admiration? Respect? Love? The Addams Curse clearly cannot be broken even by mystical waterfalls.
Enid darts her eyes to the backpack where Wednesday’s sketchbook lays harmlessly, the latter quickening her swim to shore. But Enid is faster, and has the book in her hands before Wednesday has even lifted herself onto solid ground.
“You’re going to ruin it with your filthy paws.” Wednesday grunts, stomping her shoes filled with water with a nose scrunched in disgust.
Enid doesn’t say anything. Wednesday looks up to see the blonde with her nose in one of the pages, and walks over with feet squelching. Grimaces.
Sees the page Enid’s looking at. The half drawn portrait of her.
God, strike me down now…
“Enid…”
Enid looks up, eyes watery and lip drawn in. Whispers. “Is this me?”
Wednesday casts her gaze to something past Enid’s knee, just to feel a cool finger push her chin up to look into eyes marbled with storms and greenery. “It’s me, isn’t it? I-I found a bunch of balled up papers in the trash and curiosity killed the cat, or whatever, so… and they’re all… me.”
Wednesday chews her cheeks to refrain from making a comment about an Addams killing a dog. But refraining is admission enough, clearly, when she’s faced with another bright smile. The 47th of the day, not that she’s counting.
“These are beautiful, Willa. Really.”
Wednesday forces her features into an awkward arrangement- it’s a smile, a grimace, a frown- all at once and she feels uncomfortable but Enid’s touch soothes the ache in her mind from the overstimulation of everything.
Enid always soothes and burns her, no matter the fact she’s soaking wet. Steels her resolve, leans a hand up to wrap around the once that’s been slowly trailing her jaw to rub her thumb in slow circles.
“You are beautiful.”
Perhaps, this waterfall wasn’t as awful, as Enid smiles and leans their foreheads together, their lips brushing softly- a tentative dance between the sharp and the soft and its them. Always half and half.
And it’s the most mystifying, whimsical experience, to be alive with Enid by her side.
Wherever they may go.