Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Winter Festival at Jericho has always been one of Enid’s favorite times of the year. It was right before winter break, right before Enid would be forced to return to the hopeless, desertous terrains that was San Francisco. 

For a week, Nevermore students participated in the various wintry activities that Enid cherished.

Drinking hot cocoa with ridiculously large marshmallows..Decorating the street lamps with lights and garlands…Ice skating on the frozen lake and hoping to dear god that you wouldn’t fall through. 

It was the one week Enid looked forward to in the year, besides the Poe Cup of course. 

It always proved the break from reality she needed, a time that everyone was drunk on holiday merriment and momentarily forgot their woes so they could partake in the best parts of the season.

It’s everything to Enid, and this year it isn’t any different .. well, it wasn’t any different. Some developments that had ambushed Enid in the beginning of the season now made her need the Festival as an escape even more. She needed a distraction, and the Festival was a good one to throw herself into.

That’s why she joined the committee with Yoko to help ensure its success. Though she didn’t anticipate the extracurricular being the source of her stress..

“Absolutely not Yoko!” Enid told the vampire, exasperated. Her eyes were wide with an incredulous look because of what her friend just asked of her. Enid couldn’t believe she even asked it in the first place. She knew Yoko was an abstract and radical thinker, and she loved her for it..but this .

Hell no.

“I knew you were going to say that,” Yoko sighed and her shoulders sank as if she was the one who had the right to be stressed at this movement.

“Of course you knew I was going to say no! Are you insane!” Enid was free to yell at her friend, because the goth girl tacitly waited to approach her with the ludicrous idea once everyone else in the committee had left the room. 

She must’ve anticipated the earful she was going to get from Enid, so why did she ask her in the first place? 

“I admit I’ve been on a low-cal blood diet for the past week but I promise you that my mind has never been more clear.” Yoko assured her. “You would be absolutely perfect for this.”

Enid’s disbelief only grew. “For a mistletoe booth ?” she enunciated. “That’s what you think I’d be perfect for?”

“Why didn’t you ask literally any of the other committee members!” 

“Enid.” The vampire rests her hands on Enid’s forearms, calmly but firmly. “You know I would never steer you in the wrong direction.”

Enid shifts.“I guess, but-”

“I am telling you that this booth will be good for you.” Yoko affirms. “Ever since you and Ajax broke up, you’ve been sulking around-”

“It’s not about Ajax.” Enid says abruptly, her cheeks immediately warm and she knows that she’s not exactly confirming her words right now, but it’s true.

It’s not about Ajax.. in fact the problem is that it was never about him.

“Okay” Yoko nods slowly.“I’m going to let you say whatever you need to make yourself feel secure, but-”She  reaches into her pocket and pulls out the cursed little christmas plant and hands it to Enid.“This would make you feel even more secure..it can be like the key to getting your mojo back.”

“Maybe I don’t want my mojo back Yoko,” Enid whined. “Please, can’t you just ask someone else?”

Yoko bites her lip. “I could..except I couldn’t, because everyone else on the committee said no.” 

“Yoko!”

“But I still asked you because this would be good for you,” Yoko defends herself. “It would be a nice distraction.”

A distraction..which is what Enid needs right about now, it was the whole reason she joined the committee.. But could she really do this distraction? Would that make anything better for her predicament? 

“I’ll..think about it, Yoko.” Enid says hesitantly.

The vampire flashes a brilliant smile, fangs showing and all. “That’s all I ask.” she says.

Enid hurries herself out the room before Yoko can try to force another insane request on her. She takes a deep breath when she goes into the hall, pushing back the anxiety already bubbling up before she’s even decided to do the booth.

She can’t see Yoko’s thought process on this one, she can’t see how this might help Yoko get over—

Her. Enid’s breath catches when she turns to head in the direction of her next class. Against the wall standing rigidly is Wednesday, paying no mind to the passersby who stare at her uneasily. She’s existing in her own world, as she appears to be staring at the ceiling. Her brows are slightly furrowed at whatever peculiar detail has caught her attention.

No one notices these moments about her, or admires them nearly as much as Enid does. Because no one suffers from the same things Enid does. 

They can look away from Wednesday Addams, but for the life of her, Enid cannot—and she realized that she didn’t want to.

 But she doesn’t want to search every room for the Addams girl, or feel her heart patter in her chest when she does. Because she knows the truth, this is a ridiculous crush that Enid needs to let run its course. If she let it go any further, she would undoubtedly get her heart broken by the Addams girl, who definitely did not search rooms or struggle breathing correctly in her presence.

What Enid needed to do was distance herself from matters of love entirely, focus on self-love—whatever that looked like. And she definitely didn’t need a mistletoe booth to accomplish this. But she did need to figure out how in the hell she was going to stay away from Wednesday, because that part of the plan currently was not working…

She approaches her roommate slowly, careful not to make sudden moments because she knows that agitates her. Wednesday’s attention still remains on the ceiling until her dark eyes flit down to Enid. 

Enid struggles in regulating her body temperature when Wednesday looks at her. Her gaze always seems to dissect every part of Enid. It makes her feel bare and exposed, but in the most exhilarating way possible, because it is an attempt to be understood. Yes, it’s silly to think that Wednesday Addams is even attempting to understand Enid when she can’t even stand to look at her colorful layers, but nevertheless in her eyes she feels known..and weirdly safe.

“I was waiting for you.”Wednesday says, but her voice is void of annoyance. She just stares at Enid with an indecipherable expression that Enid has spent many moments trying to interpret. Of course, she has never had much success.

“Sorry,” Enid smiles nervously. “I had to talk to Yoko about..erm, stuff.” No, Enid would not tell Wednesday about the mistletoe booth, because it wouldn’t even be of any interest to her. The most she might get is a gibe at how Enid should not be conforming to European colonialist ideals. Plus, something didn’t sit right with Enid about telling her roommate about who she may or may not be kissing. She hadn’t even brought Ajax to the room in the duration of their relationship.

“Something interesting up there?” Enid tries to deflect. She looks to the same area of the ceiling Wednesday had been looking at, but sees nothing but gothic architecture and elaborate spider webs that have surely been there for centuries.

“No.”Wednesday says curtly. 

Enid looks back down at her roommate with confusion. “Oh..ok, you just seemed to really be staring at it-”

“We should get to class, we’ll be late.” Wednesday spins on her heels and begins a speedy walk into the hallway traffic.

Enid had no choice to follow, because she always does when it comes to Wednesday..

The distancing is currently a work in progress, but walking to class together is something they both have been doing for awhile now, and it was not a result of Enid’s obsessive condition. 

It just..started. 

Wednesday would wait outside of her class and they would walk together. Sometimes they’d walk in silence, sometimes Enid would talk about something that Wednesday would let her rant about until she got too emotional, and sometimes Enid would press Wednesday to talk and she would relent, and go into descriptive detail about new characters in her book or one of her cases.

It was different from talking in the confines of their room. That was unavoidable, and this was voluntary. The thought that Wednesday actively wanted to be in Enid’s company did not help dissipate her crush, so she would try her best to treat it like it was nothing..just roommates walking to class.

Too bad her heart didn’t get the memo.

“Are you going to be in town for the Winter Festival?”Enid blinked, because the other girl's abrupt inquiry surprised. Rarely did Wednesday ask Enid questions, about herself or anything else.

Wednesday kept her gaze straight forward, not sparing a glance when asking the question. It’s not abnormal for her to withhold eye contact in their hallway conversations, or stride as rigidly and talk as sharply as she is now.. though something seems slightly off about her. But it could definitely be Enid projecting. Sure she’s being weird because she has an annoying crush on Wednesday Addams, doesn’t mean anyone else is being weird.

“Yeah, I always am.” Enid answered, shrugging off her suspicion. “I like to delay my trip back to San Francisco as much as possible.”

This does earn a look from Wednesday. “Your family?”she asks. Her gaze is thoughtful and probing.

“Well that, and San Francisco isn’t my ideal setting for the winter aesthetic.. I like the East Coast-“

“Because it snows, and you’ve always wanted snow in California.” Wednesday finishes. They both stop in front of Enid’s classroom. She’s lucky they did, because she falters at Wednesday’s words. 

How did she know that? Is all Enid can think, and she refuses to notice the warm feeling spreading inside her.

“You told me about your dream of snow as a child.” Wednesday says, most likely noticing Enid’s confusion.

“And you remembered.”Enid says softly. She pleads for her heart not to fall deeper.

“Of course,”Wednesday’s gaze remains downcast for a moment. “You were squealing as you told me. It was hard to ignore.”

“Still, I don’t think anyone has remembered I’ve told them that before.”Enid laughs mirthlessly, trying her very best not to do anything else but treat this as a lighthearted moment.

Wednesday nods.“I aspire to be the first in everything.” 

Enid smiles. “You have a good success rate.”

Wednesday blinks and glances at the floor. “With some things.” The ravenette’s brows knit together and her jaw tightens before Enid, and she doesn’t understand the certain change in the other girl’s disposition. And Wednesday of course doesn’t give her the opportunity to.

“Goodbye, Enid.”she says, before swiftly turning and departing down the hall. 

“Okay, well I’ll see you at the assembly!”Enid calls after her. Wednesday doesn’t answer or turn back. Enid is left to watch her disappear into the crowd, left once again in the usual state of Wednesday leaves her in.

Enid huffs in exasperation.

She has got to get over this.

Advanced Potions and Poisons was one of Enid’s favorite classes. Werewolves stereotypically stayed away from magic and basically anything that wasn’t a physical display of strength, but when Enid didn’t even know she would be an actual werewolf, this was her place.

She excels in the class too—she actually knows how to cure wolfsbane poisoning, and what plant mixed with blood can dessicate a vampire. Although the class has gotten progressively harder to focus in, Enid noticed that the Archery class could be seen in the courtyard from the classroom’s windows. That class of course had one Addams girl in.

Enid couldn’t help but watch her practice, as it was one of the few times she saw her roommate in a complete relaxed state. It’s only natural that an activity involving weapons could incite such a condition from the macabre girl.

Enid knows she shouldn’t watch her, because she’s only digging herself deeper in this shitty hole she’s found herself in. She doesn’t even understand what’s so compelling about the girl, when she so blatantly contrasts Enid in every way.

It must be some form of masochism.. God, Enid didn’t even know that word until she met Wednesday.

“Would you stop fantasizing about mating with your roommate and do your part in this assignment?” The abrupt voice is Bianca, Enid’s lab partner, and likely her least favorite part about this class.

“I was not fantasizing .” Enid snaps, as she glares at the siren.

“Right, and that would be somewhat believable if you didn’t have puppy dog eyes while looking out the window literally every single day of class.” Bianca rolls her eyes.

Enid snatches the tube Bianca is holding and brings it up to her nose to smell. “It’s aconite.” She shoves the tube back in the other girl’s hand. “Try not to spill it on yourself.” she says sardonically.

“Thank you for doing your job.” Bianca returns the fake sweetness.

Enid narrows her eyes. “I could actually do more than just smell. I do know the material.” 

“Do you?” Bianca pours the contents into the beaker. “Because the only thing I see you doing all class is thinking of names for all the little mutts you want to have with Addams.”

Enid’s nostrils flares, and she seriously debates clawing out Bianca’s throat. “ For the last time-”

“Save it, I don’t really care.” Bianca interrupts, nonchalantly.

“Obviously you do if you keep bringing it up.” Enid points out.

Bianca shrugs.“I guess I am somewhat annoyed by your stupidity.” 

“ Excuse me? ”

“Something about you werewolf brethren,” Bianca shakes her head. “You’re all feeling, and it leaves no room for you to see what’s right in front of you.” The siren gestures to the window.

Enid looks, and she wills herself not to give the reaction Bianca’s expecting. She wants Enid to freak out by the fact that Xavier is currently whispering in Wednesday’s ears, and that she’s letting him.

Bianca leans over to Enid. “Your girl is unavailable, and she’s not going to notice that you care about that fact.” she tells her. “The sooner you get over it and move on, the less you’ll be howling at the moon later about your woes.”

Enid swallows the lump of hot indignation. “Wednesday is my friend.” 

Bianca scoffs. “And that’ll make it all hurt even more. You should just drop her now.”

“Trust me.” the siren says quietly.

“No one can trust you.” Enid mumbles, and she knows the siren heard her, because she doesn’t bother her for the rest of class. 

Enid doesn’t look at the window anymore, because if she can’t see it, it doesn’t hurt. For the rest of the period she stares at her notebook and tries to convince herself that Bianca has no idea what she’s talking about, and that this is a silly crush, nothing more.

The one thing Enid knows Bianca is wrong about is Wednesday and Enid’s friendship. Even once Enid finally learns how to distance herself enough as this phase passes, she knows that their platonic relationship will remain. Because they do fit, in ways that they shouldn’t, which makes their friendship even more special.

Nothing would jeopardize that, Enid sure as hell wouldn’t.

And even though Wednesday had her moments where misanthropy and cruelty were her main philosophies, Enid could tell that she cared about their friendship too.

Enid smiles when she comes into the assembly room. Amongst the uniforms of purple she spots the black one, and the seat beside her empty.

It’s not presumptuous of Enid to think that Wednesday saved her the seat, because the girl has explicitly said that she is “one of the only people she can bear to be around during these nauseating events”.

That was one of her very odd ways of saying that she cared.

Enid makes her way to Wednesday and sits at her side.

“Hey.” she says casually.

Wednesday looks at her. “Your hair looks as if you recently ventured through a tornado.” 

Enid smiles nervously. “Sorry,” she says as she tries her best to discreetly fix her hair. “I ran here to make sure I got a good seat.”

“You didn’t have to. I saved you this one.”Wednesday gestures to where Enid now sits.

“Right.” Enid says, relieved a bit. Bianca was wrong, they can be friends, just like they are.

“Are you excited to pick a station to work for the festival?” Enid asks. “I was thinking we could both work over at the ice rink. I know how you like to see the kids fall on their skates.”

Wednesday blinks, as her stony exterior falters for a second.“Yes I do.”she says, somewhat strained. “But-“

“Hey Wednesday, hey Enid.” Now towering over them is one psychic boy, who Enid has a hard time tolerating the presence of.

Of course there is a pattern of Enid not liking boys who hang around Wednesday, but she was right to be suspicious about Tyler, and there was bound to be something wrong with Xavier too.

“Hi Xavier.” she says, unenthused, not that Xavier is even paying attention to Enid’s reaction.

“I was wondering if you’d like to come to my studio after school .. I have a couple of pieces I wanna show you.” the psychic says, not so smooth at all. Enid isn’t stupid, she knows Xavier’s intentions, and she’s sure by now Wednesday does to, which is why he’ll get a flat no.

“Yes, I’d love to.” Wednesday says. Enid’s mouth goes agape, and she has to force herself to close it before either of them notice.

“Awesome.” Xavier nods, grinning victoriously.

“You should find a seat Xavier, before they’re all filled.” Enid says, her tone icy and unwavering. 

“Uh, yeah you’re right.” he says. I’ll see you both around.” 

Enid throws herself to the back of her chair and crosses her arms.

Since when did Wednesday give Xavier the time of day?

And when has Wednesday ever said she’d “love”

to do something that didn’t involve violence.

Bianca’s annoying voice prods in the back of her mind.

“Are you alright?” Wednesday asks, glancing at Enid curiously. 

Enid doesn’t get the chance to answer, because Weems steps on stage. 

She’s somewhat relieved, because she doesn’t want to even attempt to explain emotions that Wednesday doesn’t care about.

All she wants right now is for them to sign up for their station and leave so Enid can scream in her pillow later about Wednesday accepting Xavier’s invitation.

“As you all know, for the Winter Festival Jericho requires the help of Nevermore to run various activities.” Weems begins. “In this assembly we will proceed with an open bid for volunteers. The first two to raise their hand receives the station, now let us begin with the snowmaker station..”

The bidding continues and Enid waits for the ice rink to be called. She internally praises herself for choosing a station that aligned closely to Wednesday’s interest, and she can’t wait to show her around for her first ever Winter Festival. She’ll hate the glee, but Enid knows all the right things to show her so they can enjoy the event together..platonically of course.

“Next is Pilgrim World,” Weems calls out. “This station is not needed for winter activities, but needs to be cleaned out by volunteers before it shuts down for the season. Are there any volunteers?”

The room is quiet at first, because of course no one wants to miss out on the festival to clean. Anyone who volunteered for that would definitely use it as a hook up spot, just like the gardening club used the conservatory for before they got caught.

“I’ll take it.”Across the room, Xavier stands up.

“I will too.” Wednesday stands with him.

Enid feels a hand mercilessly squeeze her heart. 

“Wait-“ she says softly.

“Excellent!” Weems grins as she bangs her gavel.

Wednesday sits back down, as Enid blinks in disbelief.

The bid continues, but Enid isn’t listening. She’s too busy trying her hardest to keep her face from becoming any redder, from feeling anymore stupid .

She bites the inside of cheeks and her hands’ grip on the seat of her chair may crack the wolf at any moment.

“Enid?” Wednesday’s voice is faint, but concerned. 

Enid can’t hear it right now, she doesn’t want to hear it right now.

Not thinking, she shoots out of her chair, nearly flipping it over. She can feel the stares as she leaves the rooms, but he only catches the eyes of one of them. 

Bianca.. 

Her look is telling.

I told you so she says. Enid can’t even register if the look is mocking or sympathetic, everything begins to blur as the tears form.

Enid catches one from falling as she leaves the room and rushes to her own. 

“Damn it.” She grits out, as she faces her blotchy and red state in her mirror. She’s a mess, the mess she anticipated but did just about nothing to prevent.

She wipes away the tears with her sleeves and squeezes her eyes shut. When she closes them, she tries not to envision what Wednesday and Xavier will be doing at Pilgrim World.

“So fucking stupid.” she berates herself. Because why did she think that she could be fine? What emotional security has she ever shown? She’s the wolf mess that Bianca described, and there’s no way she’s going to get over Wednesday by hovering and obsessing over the girl.

Enid throws her uniform jacket off. Her body is hot. Hot with unchecked anger and embarrassment.

The jacket falls to the ground, and something flies out of one of its pockets.

Enid huffs and looks for the unidentified object. She pauses when she finds it on the ground and picks it up.

She blinks away another tear as she holds the twig of mistletoe in her hand.  

Yoko’s voice echoes in her thoughts. You need a distraction . 

You need to move on. Bianca said.

“Fine,” Enid tells herself. “Mistletoe booth it is.”

Chapter Text

Enid could sense that something was wrong the second she left her room in the morning.

At first she blamed it on paranoia, which came from her lack of sleep. After leaving from Yoko’s room where she spent the better part of the evening, she came back to her room extremely tired from post-planning with the excited vampire about the booth. Luckily Wednesday was already asleep when she returned, but Enid had left earlier in the morning than she usually does to avoid interacting with her roommate.

So yes, her exhaustion whilst dealing with the now extremely complicated situation with her not all harmless crush could have possibly prompted a bit of uneasiness in Enid. She convinced herself she was imagining the stares and the unwarranted smirks and winks.. but with each passing person Enid began to get more and more self conscious.

Could it have been about her leaving the assembly? Sure it was abrupt, but Enid didn’t think it would warrant this much attention. Especially attention that felt so…suggestive?

The up and down looks and the lip biting told Enid that she was right to be suspicious, and this was no regular gossip either… 

By the end of third period, Enid had a terrible hunch about what these looks about. She rushed out of her class in search of one Greek with a beanie covering a head full of snakes, and at that moment the snakes were fitting.

It doesn’t take long for her to find him, because she collides right into the Gorgon while turning a hallway corner.

“Whoa,” he says, as he went to pick up the notebooks Enid dropped. He smiles at her innocently as he hands her stuff back to Enid in a sloppy pile. “Where are you heading to in a rush?”

A passerby wolf-whistles at Enid and she has to withhold herself from maiming the boy. She looks around to make sure no one is within earshot of the two. 

“Uh, Enid?” Ajax questions.“You good-”

“Did you tell people we hooked up?” It’s apparent that her ex thought that she was joking, as he snorts mirthfully and grins. But the grin slid off of his face once he noticed that Enid’s expression remains serious and somewhat crazed.

“Gods Enid, are you serious?” He asks incredulously. “People are already going to assume we hooked up, because we dated . It wasn’t that long ago you know-“

“Ajax, please just answer the freaking question.” Enid exasperates. “People keep looking at me weirdly in the hall and the only thing I can think that they would know is us having sex, so if you told them—”

“I would never.” Ajax interrupts, stopping Enid’s spiral. “That’s something between you and me, always.” he says earnestly. 

Enid exhales. She knows he’s telling the truth, because she’s known her ex long enough to know he doesn’t lie. There’s a bit of relief in knowing that that’s not what’s being spread, because even though Ajax is technically right–people probably do think they had sex, she doesn’t want certain peoples to know..

God she’s trying to protect her crush from hearing sensitive information as if she even cares. She’s an idiot.

“Okay fine,” Enid says. “If you didn’t say anything then why have people been looking at me like they’ve seen me naked?”

“Um, probably because they want to?” Enid looks at the gorgon confused and nearly curses him out.

“Excuse me?”she raises her brow at him.

Ajax holds his hands up. “That’s just kinda the vibe the advertisement gives off.”

Oh no. Oh no, Oh no, Oh no.

“What advertisement?”Enid asks anxiously.

He takes out a folded paper from his pocket, hands it to Enid, and then watches as her face turns several shades of red.

“You do look good in it.” Ajax tries to console, but all Enid is thinking about is killing one vampire.

“Yoko..” she grits out.

“ This was not what was discussed last night!” Enid slams the flier down right where Yoko sits. 

The vampire stops sipping her blood bag to look at what’s set before her, which is basically a half-naked picture of Enid blowing a kiss to the camera.“Ooh they look even better than I thought they would!” Yoko smiles. “Thanks for your help again babe.” the vampire winks at her partner sitting next to her.

“You were in on this too?” Enid glares at Divina.

The siren shrugs, nonchalantly.“Technically I just compelled some underclassmen to make them, but sure I guess.”

“Don’t downgrade your work, babe. You did amazing at making Enid look amazing.” the vampire gushes.

“If I were participating in a porno !” Enid blusters.

“Sex is appealing.” Divina points out.

“Exactly, and you need to be appealing for your station to succeed.”Yoko affirms.

Enid runs her hands through her hair.“Since when was this more than just an extracurricular!”

“Your booth is for charity Enid, as we discussed.” Yoko says calmly. “We need as much coin as we can get from the Nevermore and Jericho teens to help save endangered faeries.”

Divina tilts her head. “Faeries are real?”

“They’re a dying species.”Yoko nods sympathetically.

If Enid were being honest, she couldn’t care less about the dying faeries. All she cared about was the fact that she was plastered on every wall at Nevermore, and if everyone saw it….had everyone saw it.

“Enid, this advertisement is meant to attract customers, and show that the Winter Festival committee is a sex-positive organization that doesn’t shame women or any creature from using their bodies to save endangered species.”Yoko expresses.

“Helping dismantle the patriarchy.” Divina nods.

“Yoko, your political activist agenda is not going to make me any less uncomfortable with the fact that half the school knows where my not-so-secret birthmark is!”

“I mean how did you even get this photo!”

“When you got drunk in Romania last year and decided to “summon Dracula by seducing him”” Yoko confesses.

Divina stifles a laugh and apologizes quickly when she sees Enid’s expression.

“Please just take these down.”Enid says, exhausted.

“Yo you guys!” Kent comes stumbling into the cafeteria and to the table where they congregated. “You will not believe what happened in fencing, Addams almost lost her shit!”

“What happened?”Enid demands, barely concealing the concern in her voice. Sure she was avoiding Wednesday, but that didn’t mean she could suddenly stop caring about her. It was against Enid’s nature.

“I can guess what.” Divina mumbles. Enid quickly glances at the siren with a puzzled look before she returns her attention to Kent and his explanation.

“I’m not totally sure but, she came into class all aggro while she was talking to Xavier about something. Then, when it was time to practice she nicked him on his neck! She wouldn’t even stop until Bianca held her back with her song.” the siren explains.

“Huh, I’ve never seen Addams mad about anything.” Yoko sips her blood bag. “I would’ve paid to see that.”

“You should have seen the look on her face..” Kent shivers with a combined rush of fear and excitement. “I would not want to be on her bad side right now.”

Enid bit her lip nervously. Of course she had no reason to be on Wednesday’s bad side right now. In fact, technically she was on Enid’s bad side. Logically, this shouldn’t backfire on her at all..right?

“Oh and uh Enid..” Kent smiles shyly. “I saw your flier..you looked gorgeous.” 

“I told you..” Yoko mumbles before Enid shoots her look. 

“Thank you, Kent.” she says politely, demanding that her face stays an even color.

Yoko pointedly looks at Enid as she sighs and looks back down at the advertisement.

It did seem to be working…It is for a good cause…And she did look good..

And she shouldn’t care if Wednesday would see it. Maybe it would be good if she did see it actually. 

“Fine, they can stay.” Enid concedes. “But no more advertisements.”

“Whatever you say!”Yoko beams.

“I’m serious Yoko!”

When it’s time for Potions and Poisons, the obscure tale of Wednesday’s outburst during fencing class is still on Enid’s mind. She can ask Bianca, who shares the same class with the two, although she knows she’ll most likely have to endure taunting or a not so subtle “Fuck off”.

But the curiosity is too pressing, she has to know. 

“I heard you had an eventful fencing class.”Enid casually says as they work on their mugwort lab.

“I’m sure you did.” Bianca doesn’t bother lifting her gaze from her lab work. She continues writing as Enid’s knees bounce anxiously. 

The siren spares a glance at the action and rolls her eyes.“Just ask what you wanna ask Sinclair, your fidgeting is annoying.”she grumbles.

“Why was Wednesday mad at Xavier?”Enid blurts. 

“Lover’s quarrel?”Bianca offers, unenthused. 

Enid’s heart patters twice as hard. “You think they’re together?”

The siren shrugs.“I don’t know, maybe? I try not to think about it.”

Enid toys with the ends of her sweater sleeves, pulling the loose string–it's a habit she picked up in her youth.“They’re working at Pilgrim World together.” she mumbles.

“What part of ‘I try not to think about it don’t you understand?’”Bianca scowls.

Enid huffs.“You don’t have to be rude.”she tells the older girl.

“How else could you understand?”she jeers.

“Or it’s just a defense mechanism. Maybe you do care.”Enid presses.

Bianca glares at her, and Enid truthfully has to try to not falter at the unsettling look.“Quiet, before I make you quiet.”she threatens.

“Then you’d just be proving everyone right, that you just control people.”Enid retorts.

She thinks she might have hit the siren where it hurts, until she turns to End with a cruel smile.“Oh goody! A psychoanalysis from the sad werewolf who advertises sex as a sad attempt to get attention.” 

“Fuck you.”Enid seethes.

“Because Wednesday won’t?”she snaps back with ease.

Enid fumes, and she wants to scream at the siren asking why she is like this, who made her into this person.

“You know,” Enid laughs mirthlessly. “I really thought that after last month you wouldn’t be the raging bitch everyone says you are, but-”

“Scales don’t change.” Bianca interrupts. “We are who we are, Enid.”

There’s no venom in her voice, but a sternness that tells Enid she truly believes her words. Enid can’t believe them though, because that would mean that the mistletoe booth was pointless, that she would forever be stuck where she is now—caring about a girl who doesn’t care at all.

The looks have somewhat lessened by the end of Enid’s last class of the day, but if she had forgotten about her commitment to the mistletoe booth, Yoko sent her a less than subtle reminder in front of her door. In a basket was various chapsticks, balms, and breath sprays with a note wrapped around the handle saying, “ Kiss ‘em dead -Yoko XO”. 

Enid rolled her eyes and smiled at her friend's endearment as she opened her dorm room.

“You’re later than usual.” the voice made Enid jump, causing some of her chapsticks to fall onto the floor with a clattering noise. 

She looks up, and it’s Wednesday standing in the center of their divided room while facing their split window. 

Enid swallows before speaking. “I thought you had Bee Club today?” she says, as she drops to the floor to quickly gather the fallen elements. She really did think that Wednesday wouldn’t be here, which is why she decided to come back to her room in the first place.

Wednesday turns, and looks down at Enid. Her stony gaze is sharper than usual and her jaw seems set in a clenched position that Enid had never been faced with.

“I did.” the ravenette says flatly. Her gaze stays fixed on Enid’s face as she rises to her feet.

“Right.” Enid says hesitantly, as she tucks the basket behind her back. 

“You don’t have to hide your gifts. I already know their purpose.” Wednesday says, turning away from Enid to walk to her desk.

Enid inhales sharply. “You do.”

“How could I not.” the Addams girl monotones. She throws a crumpled paper over her shoulder and it lands in front of Enid’s feet. The flier unfolds itself enough for Enid to see her face, at parts of the “Mistletoe Booth” title.

“Your erotica is everywhere.”Wednesday faces Enid again, this time with a perceptible glare directed at her.

Enid’s brows knit together. In normal circumstances she might cower at her roommate's gaze, or excuse herself. But this time, she decides to take a different approach. 

“It’s not erotica, it’s an advertisement.” Enid defends. 

“For sexual favors I gathered.” Wednesday steps forward with her arms crossed. “If I knew you were so promiscuous I would have used stronger disinfectants while cleaning.”

Enid’s eyes widened and she drops the basket behind her, caught off guard by Wednesday’s bluntness. “Are you seriously slut-shaming me?” she flares, her fist balling at her side. “For running a kissing booth for charity?”

“Charity?” Wednesday cocks her head slightly. “For the imbeciles you’ll have to perform for or for some fictional cause?”

“It’s for the faeries.”Enid says through her teeth.

Wednesday scoffs. Enid has never even seen her scoff. “I doubt the faeries support your tastelessness.”

“The faeries will love me making out with people to save them.”Enid barbs, and it shouldn’t have  disturbed Wednesday, because why would she care who Enid kisses? But for some reason, it did. 

Wednesday’s dark eyes narrow, and her jaw resets itself. “Unlikely.”

“Why are you so concerned with what the faeries think?” Enid presses, stepping forward again. “Shouldn’t you focus on your station with Xavier?”she hopes silently the bitterness in her tone is more covert than it sounded.

Wednesday adverts her gaze from Enid and blinks.“How can I with your propaganda everywhere.”

Enid raises her shoulders innocently.“Everyone else seems to be enjoying it.” She can’t help but smirk at the shorter girl, and think yet again that none of her tauntings should be working, yet they are. 

Wednesday’s cutting glare returns to Enid.“Smugness is a distasteful look on you.”she retaliates. “And I assure you that your alleged advertisement is doing more harm than good.”

“To who?” Enid leans forward. “You?” She’s inches away from Wednesday now. She can smell her faint scent of sepia paper and dried plums, but she ignores it. Because the aroma usually makes her heart surge. 

It’s easier to ignore it now that they are both hot with anger, at what, Enid wasn’t exactly sure.

Wednesday was rarely one to pick fights..this must have had something to do with Xavier, but why did it feel like it wasn’t about him at all? That it was about Enid? 

“Take them down.”Wednesday orders, ending their brief silence. “And find another station to work at, preferably one that preserves your dignity.”

“No.” Enid tells her, her tone as sharp as Wednesday’s. “And I don’t know what the fuck your problem is, but you don’t have to stand there and degrade me for looking good.” she says, beginning to process what Wednesday said to insult her. “It’s cruel, even for you.”

There’s a flicker of something in Wednesday’s expression. Guilt? Regret? Hurt? It’s gone before Enid can recognize it. “Take them down, Enid.” she repeats

“No, Wednesday.”Enid stands her ground. “ No .” 

“Fine,” Wednesday says uncharacteristically quiet and retreating. Her gaze drops to the ground. “Do what you want.” 

“I will.” Enid affirms, somewhat shocked by Wednesday relenting. “And without your permission.” she adds.

Wednesday pushes past Enid, and their shoulders collide as she exits the room wordlessly. It doesn’t hurt, but the action itself is wounding enough. And as the door quietly shuts behind Wednesday, instead of a resounding slam, Enid questions whether or not she won this fight. Or if anyone had won.

Wednesday never came back after she left. Enid knows because she stayed in the room for the rest of night, even skipping dinner, to see if she would return.

The room is eerily quiet, without sounds of cello chords or clicks from the typewriter, and it makes Enid restless. She just stares at Wednesday’s desk and makes bed as the hours pass.

This was the goal–to create distance between the two, so Enid could get over her affliction. But this distance is too straining, it makes Enid want to seek the girl out to apologize, even though she knows she shouldn’t. She had no control over how Wednesday reacted to her running the booth, or the advertisements. That wasn’t her job, and it wasn’t her fault.. Yet she still feels accountable, and she still feels guilty.

A few hours after sunrise, Enid groggily pulls herself out of the bed. It was time to do her actual job, which she now felt extremely less enthusiastic about.

She looks in her mirror, and observes her heavy bags and red-rimmed eyes. Yes, she cried too, because she’s a huge mess of emotions that bursts every time Wednesday Addams does anything remotely hurtful, purposely or not. 

Enid tries her best to look presentable after a shower and an attempt to do her makeup with effort. When she’s done, she makes her way out of Nevermore and into Jericho, ready or not to complete her duty.

At her station she sees the booth decorated and finished, most likely by Yoko, and a tuff of brown hair ducked behind the stand.

As she comes closer, the head lifts up. “Hey Enid!” Eugene’s smile is way too bright for Enid right now, which is rare because Enid usually is the epitome of brightness

“Eugene? What are you doing here?”she asks, confused.

“I’m here to run the booth with you!”He points to the sign. “Well, sorta..I won’t be doing the actual kissing but–”

“Did Wednesday send you?”Enid snaps. She knows that Eugene has been hired before by Wednesday to do undercover work, and that the two are notoriously close.

“No,” Eugene shifts uneasily. “I just saw that you didn’t have anyone with you, and I thought you could use some company..If that’s okay with you?”

“Yes, it’s fine.” Enid sighs , feeling like an ass for coming onto the boy so strong. “Sorry..I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, so I’m a bit grumpy.”

“Well you still look great! I mean objectively of course.”the beekeepers face tints read.

“Thanks, Eugene.”Enid smiles slightly. “So, what’s your job if it isn’t doing the heavy work?”

“I’m your money manager. I count the funds we collect at the end of the shift.”He says, pointing to  the empty jar proudly.

“Right, well I’m sure your job will be fairly easy, because don’t expect a lot of money incoming.”Enid can’t help but say.

“Why would you say that?”

Enid’s gaze filts to Pilgrim World, where Wednesday is bound to be right now. With Xavier.

“Nothing, no reason.” Enid shakes her head. I’m just not feeling that confident today, that’s all.”

“Well, maybe this turnout will boost you a little.” Eugene gestures to the right of them.

“What do you me-” Enid follows his gesture and pauses at the sight. 

“Kent.”Enid blinks. The siren approaches the stand, and behind him is an extensive line of Nevermore and Jericho teens forming. 

Her eyes widened at the crowd. She had barely anticipated a few people coming, but this.

“Hey, Enid.” Ken my grins, stopping in front of the book. “Five dollars right?” he gestures to the jar.

Enid nods slowly.

Ken drops a five into the jar and steps forward. 

“Big turnout,” he says looking behind him, and then turns back to Enid with a knavish glint in his eyes.“Glad to be the first.”

Enid shifts behind the stand. Nerves wants to seize her, but Enid denies them the chance to take over. 

A distraction, she tells herself.

And one meant for charity.

“Lean forward.”she tells Kent, as she does the same.

He does so enthusiastically. And he rests his hand on Enid’s cheek as their lips meet. The kiss is soft, and exhilarating because Enid has never dreamed of doing anything like this.

When they separate, Enid smiles and leans back. “Thanks for your donation.” she says coyly.

“Thanks for that kiss.” Kent says, dazed.

“Alrighty! Let’s keep it moving, next customer!” Eugene calls out.

Kent moves out the way and the next customer approaches, a vampire girl that Yoko hangs out with—Aria is her name.

Aria drops her money into the jar.“Ready for me?”she says, flashing her fangs .

Enid bites her lip, and once again considers the implications of the mistletoe booth. 

Wednesday’s glare and her demands play in the back of her mind, but she decides to push them back.

“Yeah,” Enid leans forward. “I think I am.” 

Chapter Text

“Two-hundred and fifty dollars in one day.. Is there some magical pheromone werewolf shit you got going on?” Divina muses.

Enid rolls her eyes as everyone else joins the siren in laughing, and Enid joins too.

The group–Enid, Divina, Yoko, and Kent, all decide to head to the Weathervane after their shifts, and Enid’s success with her opening day at the booth is the main topic of discussion.

“I think I want to know the answer myself,” Kent interjects. “That kiss was pretty magical.” he grins, as he slides closer to her in the booth.

Enid sips her cocoa, hiding behind the tall mug because she’s not really sure how to answer Kent.

Sure, Kent was cute and all…but he was Kent. He flirts with every living thing–one time Enid saw him cozying up to a tree which he swore up and down was a very shy nymph.

“Oh stop your siren mojo, Kent. Enid is not for you.” Yoko tells the siren. “She literally only kissed you for charity.” she adds on.

Kent’s hand presses against his chest, mocking hurt. “You wound me Tanaka.”

Enid looks at Yoko across the table, and the vampire glances at her knowingly.

I got you covered. Is what her look seemed to say.

Enid nods at her, gratefully. Still, she feels a bit claustrophobic by how close Kent is, and she does wish that the topic of the mistletoe booth would be dropped.

She’s happy about her success, and definitely somewhat pleased with herself for the amount of customers, but some dissatisfied feeling gnaws at her thoughts.

“I’m going to go see if I can get more marshmallows.” Enid says, standing and attempting to slide out the booth.

“Do you need me to go with you?” Kent is desperate, and Enid doesn’t really know why. Maybe because the flyers have made her look like his next new conquest.

“No worries Kent,” Enid forces the boy out of her way with her knee. “I can get my own marshmallows.”

“I think you’re getting curved hard dude.” Enid hears Divina laugh as she makes her way to the counter.

Bianca is waiting for her, and Enid has to stop herself from laughing at the siren in an apron for the second time that night. She was baffled by the fact that the older girl had signed up for this station in the first place, but that didn’t stop her from being entertained by seeing Bianca Barclay working in food service.

Bianca narrows her eyes.“Just because you don’t laugh, doesn’t mean I can’t see you trying not.”

Enid holds her hand up in surrender. “I’m just trying to get more marshmallows!” she exclaims.

“More like you’re trying to escape Kent and his nauseating attempts to stick his tongue in your throat.”Bianca scoffs, as she breaks open a bag of marshmallows set next to her.

Enid raises her brow at the girl. “I know you’re insulting me, but all I notice is that you seem to be watching me very intensely in order to say these things.”

Enid leans over the counter. She looks around as if she’s going to tell a secret. “I’m beginning to think you have a crush on me.” she whispers, with a playful smirk.

Bianca holds Enid’s amused gaze with her, wholly, unamused gaze as she opens Enid’s cup and pours a mountain of marshmallows over the surface of cocoa.

“I hope you choke on them.” she says, sliding the cup back over to Enid.

“All I hear is professions of love,” Enid sings, taking her cup back to her table.

When she sits back down, and rejoins the conversation, she realizes how good of a day it had been. Just a second ago, she had technically gotten the last word over Bianca Barclay, which was enough to celebrate. And now, Yoko is telling her how a smitten, vampire girl (and if Enid’s memory serves her well, an outrageously beautiful vampire girl) from the booth had been inquiring about Enid’s relationship status and her availability tomorrow night.

So yes, it was a good day. Enid should feel the goodness of this good day.

And yet..

Enid’s thoughts can’t fully block the flashes of the night before. The memory is harsher each time it replays; The crease between those dark brows, more set and anguished than she first saw them. The glare of that inky gaze, now remembered more wounded than angry.

And now, as her masochistic mind forces her to recall it, she realizes she had never quite seen such an expression from Wednesday Addams. And especially didn't think that she would be the one to cause it.

But it hadn't made any sense though. Not only was it unfathomable that Enid could hurt Wednesday Addams—not annoy, badger, or anger, but hurt—it was even more ridiculous that she’d hurt her through something as trivial as a kissing booth.

Because that would mean that to Wednesday, the kissing booth wasn't trivial.

And that would mean.. Well, it would make everything mean more than it had before.

“I have to go.” Enid realized, blurting out said realization.

The table seems a bit alerted by her sudden outburst, and by the way she climbs over several peoples lap to get out of the booth, but Enid doesn't pay them any mind.

“Wait!” Yoko calls after her. “Enid—”

“I need to find out what things mean!” Enid yells back, hanging halfway out the doorway. “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“What the hell does that mean!”

“Can I have your cocoa!”

With each step closer to her dorm, Enid can feel that whole “mojo” plan inch further into the recycling service of her psyche. And it's perfectly rational to throw out that plan, really—when you think about things a bit more and you realize there's a chance that your friend, your very best friend, might actually care more about you and a not very best friend way.

How big of a chance? Enid was never that good with normie statistics, but if she had an eight ball in her hand right now, she can only assume it would infer something favorable.

“Move out the way!” she yells at two gorgons, who unfortunately are in the way of her full sprint up to Ophelia Hall. They split away before she bulldozes through them, which she indeed might have the adrenaline to do, and she makes her way up the spiral staircase to her room.

Her heart is pounding when she reaches the top, and she can't tell if it's because of the mile run she just made back from town, or because of the resonating (terrifying) truth that she is about to ask Wednesday Addans if Enid is an exception to her oath against those “trivial matters of the heart” that the Addams girl so loathes.

Her hand seems to think it's the latter, as it trembles as she reaches to open her own door.

“Okay, Okay.”Enid breathes out. She doesn't allow herself to think of the many horrible, horrible outcomes that could come of this. She feels sort of on a high still—maybe the marshmallows were spiked, she doesn't know.

She does try to piece together what she might say to Wednesday, without sounding completely whipped and foolish (even if she was).

“This doesn't have to be a thing,” she practices a line. “Unless you want it to be a thing. Especially if you want us to be a thing.”

A sliver of fear begins to really harsh her marshmallow high. “Fuck,” She leans her head pitifully against the door, squeezing her eyes shut. “What if this doesn't mean anything.”

While it meant everything to her.

God, why did Wednesday Addams have to mean a damn thing to her. Why did Enid want so badly to mean something to her?

“Because I want it that way!”

Enid’s eyes shoot open at the sound of that voice. The sound of Wednesday’s voice, but not next to her. Distant.

Enid opens the door to their room. It's empty, and bear dark inside, besides the streaks of moonlight painting the floor from the open window. It's from that open aperture that Enid hears her roommate's voice from a distance again.

She walks to the balcony, where her ears begin to pick up hushed voices, not just Wednesday's, but another’s. A deeper, more brooding one.

Enid can feel the wrenching under ribs before she even looks over the balcony’s edge, before she places the voices to the two faces she did not want to see together.

She looks down, because of that masochistic condition again.

She sees Wednesday, furrowed brow, arms crossed, and undoubtedly engrossed in whatever conversation she's having—with Xavier Thorpe.

He's standing so close to her, leaning over her as he whispers at the girl like they share things, share things like Enid and her share things, and maybe more things.

And Wednesday doesn't seem to mind the way he's invading her personal space, or seems to mind at all that he's occupying her time past curfew. No, it all looked intentional, and intimate. Too intimate.

Enid can feel her claws shoot from underneath her nailbeds, scratching against the stone of the balustrade. It happens just as her eyes sting, filling with incoming tears that blur the sight before her.

But her ears still work just fine, just so she can hear Wednesday’s last words to Xavier, before they walk out of Nevermore and into the night, together.”

“No,” Wednesday tells him. “She can't know. Not yet.”