Chapter Text
By now Wednesday could say she was decently tech savvy with her new phone. She had spared Xavier a single text just to assure him she could work it but other than that she hadn't given him or his countless replies another thought. Enid however was quick to track down her number and by now they called pretty much every day.
Wednesday paused, eyes trained boredly on her phone screen as Enid blathered on about something romantic Ajax had done for her. Romance, while no longer entirely foreign to her, was still a tender subject. One she would never admit to be uncomfortable with, but Enid, in a way only she could, seemed to get it. She stopped her story, frowning as she took in the other teens' appearance. Despite only ever looking stoic, Wednesday was easy to read. At least to her.
It was all in the girl's body language, and even then it was only ever subtle hints. A slight tensing in her jew muscles or her stiff shoulders going slightly more rigid. It was hard to tell over facetime but she could.
"I'm sorry about things with Tyler… I really thought he was nice" she eventually mumbled, automatically knowing what would be bothering her. Despite it having been a few weeks since everything went down Enid had never directly brought up the boy for fear of it being too soon. Wednesday would have been perfectly content leaving it like that but she supposed that was unrealistic with Enid's soft nature and her need to attempt comfort. It didn't help that only 3 days prior they had received the news that Thornhill had finally passed away in the hospital after spending much time in a coma. Fitting, Wednesday couldn't help but to think.
"I don't need your sorrys Enid. He played the long con and was deceivingly intelligent while doing so. My mind is the one that was swayed and swindled into losing sight of what was important and that is my fault alone." She summed up, swallowing the uncomfortable shame that her Nevermore experience had gotten her accustomed to. Enid sighed.
"There's easier ways to say he was a bastard and you liked him" the tease rolled off the fur's tongue gently and Wednesday couldn't help the fondness she now harbored for the girl.
"Yes well, anything I may have liked was fake so I see no point in dwelling" she lied, it was an obvious attempt to shut the conversation down. Enid smiled slightly, taking great joy in the fact that Wednesday was still Wednesday and she still got the pleasure of these moments with her.
"Oh that doesn't work on me, Addams. You did like him and it's perfectly acceptable to mourn the person you thought he was. Real or not" she pointed out. Wednesday sighed, glancing up at the ceiling high above her and puffing her bottom lip out slightly. She tossed the words around in her mind a few times.
"I do like mourning.." She admitted, making a sharp giggle escape her companion. "Alright, as lovely as this has been I do have to get back to my novel. May I call you again at our usual hour tomorrow?" She asked, still having that odd formal cadence that Enid found so endearing.
"Mhm," she hummed sweetly, finger hovering over the red hang up button. "Tomorrow, 4-6. I look forward to it babes" she let the pet name slip, slowly working more of them into their conversations. If Wednesday took notice she didn't mention it. To her, mentioning it would mean she'd have to shut it down and a small part of her craved the platonic affection so she had no plans of doing that.
As soon as Enid's face disappeared Wednesday placed her phone on her night stand and plugged it in, making sure it would be charged and ready for her daily facetime. It was pretty much the phone's only use until she returned to Nevermore and could begin her next investigation.
Writing didn't go as well as she had been expecting. She found it hard to write Viper's cold and calculating demeanor after her and Enid's talk as everything she tried to convey just reminded her of what she failed to be. She had let her cold exterior grow warm and her calculations were clearly skewed until her vision knocked her right. She didn't deserve her victory and it was a mere stroke of luck that she had the nerve to call a win.
It was disheartening and for some reason made her skin crawl and her nerves short circuit. She wanted to pick up her typewriter and chuck it out the window just to hear the glass smash and the machine fall to pieces. Emotions weren't her forte and she knew that, but she had never imagined herself having trouble processing the dark and terrible ones. Anger and hurt were once comforts she wished to revel in but now it left her feeling the bad kind of empty.
She decided to sleep early and push the writing off for earlier the following morning as sleeping like a corpse usually renewed her. Her night-time routine was simple, undoing her braids and brushing her hair out before changing into the soft comfort of her black silk nightwear. Her bed, large and intimidating enough to belong to any fairytale evil queen, was easy for her to fall back against and sink into the soft duvet and mattress. Home was something she would never admit to missing but every night she slept in her bed she knew it was true.
The comfort on this night was lacking however. Emotions that she considered forbidden typically didn't haunt her into the night so it was slightly worrying when a death like slumber did not wash over her and she instead found herself tossing and turning under the covers. She wasn't sure what that meant for her but she was quick to chalk it up to the slight vulnerability Enid had seen and made a mental note to keep higher walls in the future.
She was over Tyler, and if she reminded herself of that fact at every turn then it had to be true.
"You're upset" it was a statement, not a question and Wednesday would respect the audacity it took to utter if the voice didn't send a chill down her spine. Her eyes popped open as she rose to a sitting position, arms still crossed over chest to mimic a corpse. Despite her emotional slacking, for lack of a better term, her sense stayed quite sharp.
She was quick to locate the source of her misery even in the dark, somehow not as shocked as she should have been to see Tyler kneeling at the foot of her bed, familiar puppy eyes trained on her. Seeing his eyes like that almost sent her heart lurching but she sternly reminded herself why such sweet looks don't matter anymore. Why they couldn't be trusted.
"Is that not usual?" She answered, clearly taking a second too long if she was going off of the way the boy's eyebrows drew together. He looked the way she had always assumed him to be, naive and maybe even sweet. It was sickening and left a violent twist in her guts. Enid's words rang out in her mind, reminding her that the Tyler she knew was dead and the boy staring at her now was not him.
"Are you upset because of me?" He asked, ignoring her question. She was slightly taken aback by the boldness of the words but masked it well. She knew right then that she didn't want to play whatever game he was clearly starting.
"Cut to the chase Hyde. Why are you here? To inflict some petty vengeance now that your master has finally crumbled?" She accused, making his eyes go a bit wider. She had caught him off guard and fought off a smile at the sight.
"She's dead Wednesday. I hold no loyalty to her and she is not my master" he practically spat the word out, face showing what she had to believe was genuine disgust. Wednesday didn't react, only watching with the same cold eyes she gave to everyone else she interacted with.
"Explain your presence then" she demanded. "Or do you really expect me to believe you've become free and decided to seek me out over anything else?" She questioned, suspicion clear in her eyes. Tyler frowned at that, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Hydes aren't meant to be free Wednesday. Once it's unlocked it needs direction" he explained. Wednesday only offered an eye roll, slowly crossing her arms over her chest. She couldn't believe he underestimated her intelligence to this degree and thought she would trust him.
"And killing me will give you direction?" She huffed. That one almost seemed to wound him, his nose scrunching up and his hands ringing anxiously.
"No I just, I missed you," he admitted, still playing with his hands. "I.. I couldn't kill you" he added and Wednesday only raised a brow. He paused, an awkward smile playing at his lips. "Ok.. Physically I could but I wouldn't" he assured. She nodded at that, though it was obvious she didn't believe it. .
"Tyler I fell for you nonsense once already. I'm not too proud to admit my mistakes, it would be silly to pretend you didn't leave me fond and growing uncomfortably soft but," she paused, thinking over her next words. "I can't be tricked again" she simply explained, and Tyler in his desperation crawled closer to her. His knees rested inches away from where her feet were under the covers. He leaned in slightly, making sure to leave at least 2 feet between them, mainly for his own safety.
"If you wish to kill me just do it.. Did Laurel never tell you only children play with their food?" Wednesday chastised after a moment of uncomfortable silence. Tyler couldn't help the low grumble in his throat at the mention of that woman, his hands flexing slightly as monster-like claws began protruding and retracting. As soon as he noticed he held his breath slightly, willing them to calm and leaving his hands normal.
"I'm sorry" he apologized quickly, gripping at her duvet lightly. She raised a curious brow at the display, reaching cold hands out to grasp one of his own. She pulled it slightly closer to her line of sight, ignoring the way his face melted into pure bliss at the contact.
"You can't control it?" She asked, glossing over his fawning.
"No.. Lau-.. She always controlled it. When it came out, what it did and when it went back. Without a master for it to heed to I'm honestly a bit lost on dealing with it" he answered, watching as Wednesday curiously prodded the tips of his fingers.
"I see. That's what you were saying earlier, correct? That Hyde's weren't meant to be free?" She asked, and he nodded in agreement, fighting off a whine as she dropped his hand.
"That's why I'm here Wednesday. I want you to take over" he admitted, cheeks flushing. Wednesday tilted her head, nose scrunching the slightest bit.
"I told you repeatedly that I am completely selfish and will always put myself first and that was when you just wanted me to be your romantic partner. I'd step on you much easier with this dynamic" she started, glaring at him as if he were stupid. He found himself absolutely endeared by the fire in her eyes. "Do you seriously want someone like me to completely control you?" She asked, voice incredulous.
"I know it doesn't sound right and almost sounds stupid on my par-"
"Not almost. Completely stupid. Especially after everything you did to me. Under someone's thumb or not, I'm not sure what you expect of me. Forgiveness is highly foreign to me" she cut him off, dead eyes boring into him. Tyler chuckled at that comment, tilting his head to the side.
"Whether you like to admit it or not, I know you care about me. That's already ten times better than the piece of shit I was bound to before. I'm already in your debt for getting rid of her, why not make it official?" He asked, clearly hoping to talk her into this. She only sighed, clearly unimpressed. He would need better reasons than that and he could tell.
"I also know people Wednesday.. Do you really think anyone else would be able to handle you? I'm smart enough to trick literally everyone around me, I'm strong, by now I'm completely unphazed by the idea of murder and would be at your beck and call, willing to lay down my life to further your goals. You'll never meet anyone else who can take you on" He explained, not shying away from her gaze. "I mean no offense but that seems ideal for you"
She absolutely hated how right he was and even more so she hated the way her heart rate quickened at the words. Somehow she had found herself caring for him and that was before she found out how dangerous he was. Danger didn't scare her, it enticed her. This entire situation somehow did.
"So what? You want me to play master and use you for whatever I want for the rest of our lives?" He nodded, leaning further in, feeling a strange magnetism between them. She smirked a little at how easily he was agreeing to this, her hand coming up lace through his hair. She grabbed hard, yanking him in further until their noses were only an inch apart.
"How much of what I saw of you was real?" She asked, knowing he was very unlikely to lie right now. His adrenaline was spiked from the prospect of her potential agreement and he was clearly so touch starved that even having his hair pulled seemed like a blessing to him.
"Most of it. The only thing I ever played up was being annoyed when you acted selfishly. I honestly expected it from you but she said I needed to keep you close so I pretended it hurt. Really I understood" he explained quickly, leaning his head against the hand still buried in his curls. She nodded slowly.
"Ok" she agreed, not knowing if this was a mistake or not. At the moment she couldn't find herself caring. "Then I accept. You will be mine, to use as I please till your dying day" she practically growled, grip on his hair tightening with each word. Tyler whined at the feeling, heart practically beating out of his chest as his face flushed pink.
"Thank you" the words came out desperately, his tone of voice somehow feeling much more lewd then the current scenario. Still Wednesday found herself endeared, chest feeling like someone struck a match under her heart. It was a much more literal feeling than she had expected so she could only assume that was the bond, linking Tyler's Hyde to her.
She decided to test that theory, retracting her hand and letting both arms fall limply to her sides. Tyler watched her with a confused pout forming on his lips, head tilted slightly.
"I know longer wish to be touched, please sleep on the floor at the foot of my bed till better arrangements can be made" he frowned at that, feeling a small wave of hurt as he solemnly nodded and slowly slid away from her and off the bed. Surely if they weren't bonded and he wasn't conditioned to obey he would have offered a slight resistance to that order. Wednesday figured she could find some uses for the loyalty when daylight hit, wanting to return to her sleep. As she laid back and stared at her ceiling she couldn't help the small part of her that was twisting unpleasantly with a want to be closer.
"Tyler" she spoke into the darkness, smiling a bit to herself when the boy's head popped up and his eyes effortlessly trained on her, awaiting command. "Please explain the bond and all side effects" she decided. Maybe it would have been better to ask that first but she was very much caught up in the moment. How shameful.
"My Hyde will come in and out at your request and though I can mentally not like what you say or make me say or do I can't physically deny you." He explained, back pressed uncomfortably to her bed frame. Wednesday hummed at that.
"Do you know if it affects emotions? Like a desire for contact?" She continued. Tyler raised a curious brow.
"If this is you asking if I'd prefer to sleep with you, pressed against you, the answer is yes but the bond has nothing to do with that. I'm just still super into you" he shrugged, and that made her heart jerk uncomfortably. So she just wanted him near? She was glad that he had assumed she was asking about him rather than herself but that didn't give her an excuse to give in to that want.
"Well" she started, tapping her fingers against the covers, "you know how competitive I am. I like to be better at everything, including owning you so.." She paused, hoping he couldn't see her cheeks flush. "Take off that ugly shirt and come sleep with me," she demanded. Tyler wasnt stupid, he could see right through her fake reasons for the command, and his heart warmed at the fact she just wanted him close.
"A-are you sure?" He asked, hands already fumbling to remove his fraying blue flannel and drop it to her floor. She watched with an intense gaze as the garment fell off his shoulders and something in her panged annoyingly at the sight of his bare chest. The last time she had seen him bare like this was the vision that told her he was what she was hunting. Weirdly that didn't deter her.
"Completely" she assured, and that was enough for Tyler to approach her, sliding himself under the suffocating warmth of her duvet and hesitantly brushing his fingers over her arm. She hummed, grabbing his hand and pulling it till his arm was wrapped loosely around her waist. He let out a small breath he didn't know he was holding, letting himself relax and nestling his chin against her shoulder.
"Goodnight Wednesday" he murmured, feeling at peace for the first time in his life since he had met Laurel. Wednesday stayed silent for a moment, taking in the warmth of having another body pressed to her own.
"Goodnight Tyler" she mumbled, letting herself melt into his touch. It was a desirable way to sleep, she decided.