Work Text:
Tyler doesn’t always use this overpass. It just happens to be the free real estate he needs tonight.
Okay, free is stretching it, but as long as he doesn’t get caught, he’s in the clear. He runs double the risk, considering his father is the sheriff. Triple, even, if you count the fact he’s grounded for doing this exact thing.
He lifts the bandanna from his neck to cover his face and shakes the can in his right hand as he checks the security of his template with his left. The sharp rattle of the spray paint is the only sound striking through the air; not even a cricket chirps.
Tyler’s strokes are practiced, skillful, something he has mastered in the short year-and-a-half since he first found the hobby. Before it had been vandalism, until he’d learned it could be art.
He trades out paint cans, moving quietly, swiftly. He has maybe fifteen more minutes before his father realizes he’s broken curfew (again) and calls him home. Fifteen minutes of nothing but silence and his work.
One of his nozzles sticks, and he raises the can, spraying experimentally into the air as he checks the roads. No one, nothing.
And then, a rustle in the woods nearby that he wouldn’t have heard had his nozzle been working.
He turns, voice raising just slightly, sharp in the autumn air: “Who’s there?”
No response. His eyes narrow, and he struggles to search for shapes in the dark of the trees.
There, something more human-shaped than tree or animal. Someone.
“I can see you, you know,” he calls, just a decibel louder. There aren’t many houses nearby, but better not to risk it. He wouldn’t be able to paint here again for a while once they found his piece.
He narrows his eyes at the lurking shape again, then turns back to his work. He had wasted too much time, but luckily he was nearly finished. He picks up the black for his signature, then his last template. In small letters he leaves a second calling card, if you will. “Art is not a crime,” sprayed in a chunky font.
He pulls back to admire it, just for a moment, and startles when his back hits something solid.
Smaller than him, but solid.
Neither of them make a noise of surprise, but he whirls around to find the shadow, the lurker, a stalker , from the woods.
She’s short, for starters. Her skin is pale in the moonlight, despite its faint, brownish hue. Like a black-and-white photo come to life. She has a black bag slung over one shoulder, dressed in a black practice leotard and black sweatpants. Did she have an aversion to color? Enid’s dance outfits were always brightly colored, bordering on blinding.
He takes a step back, inadvertently covering his newest work from her eyeline. “Why were you watching me from the woods like some creeper?” His voice is a harsh whisper, yet he feels more curious than freaked by her.
She gestures behind her vaguely. “I’m on my way to a friend’s house from my rehearsal.” Her head tilts slightly, like a confused puppy, which strikes Tyler as odd ,. With her goth get-up, she definitely seems more the witch-with-a-cat-familiar type. She gestures to his piece. “Art isn’t, but murder is.”
The image behind him could be described as disturbing for young audiences, though the gore is not as realistic as he can get with paper. A fleshy, beating heart being ravished by sharp teeth. A girl with a bloody hole in her chest. Cannibalism isn’t quite his kink, but it’s the metaphor of it all.
There’s a tug at the corner of her plump lips, something sparkling in her abyssal eyes, sucking the moonlight in like vantablack paint.
Tyler feels his lips turn up in response. “Grim Reaper Barbie. The only job I don’t think anyone considered for her.” He darts his eyes side to side, then back to her. “You here to take my soul to hell?”
Her spine straightens to full height, not that it makes much difference. “I don’t believe in a heaven or a hell. Death is but a sweet release into nothingness.”
The upturning of his mouth twists into a grin bordering on sinister. “I get the feeling you’re a little harder to release.” The shine in her eyes glints like light off a knife. “A cockroach, maybe.”
Her fingers tighten on her dance bag, and the movement reminds Tyler where he is, and what he has done. He stoops for his materials, shoving them in his backpack before heaving it over his shoulders. “I’m Tyler.” He barely rejects the instinct of sticking his hand out for her to shake.
This seems to give her lips another tug in an upward direction. “Wednesday.”
She glances up the road, past the overpass they’re under, and Tyler doesn’t think she’s nervous about walking in the dark. Yet she’s so tiny. It’d be all too easy for someone to take advantage of the cover of night and hurt her.
Tyler’s father may be a piece of shit lately, but he at least taught Tyler to look out for people. “Do you need a ride to your friend’s, Wednesday?” He’ll risk running later than he thought. If he tells his dad he was helping a damsel in distress, he’d just be grateful Tyler isn’t running around making trouble.
Wednesday tilts her head in that curious way he’s starting to think she does regularly. Like she’s considering her options and his motivations at the same time.
She reaches some conclusion and simply nods. “It’s still quite a walk and while I would not normally give up the chance to walk under a full moon, my friend asked me to be there half an hour ago. I don’t wish to risk her ire any further. She already gives me a headache and I don’t want to give her an excuse to make it worse.”
Tyler heads off towards the other side of the road than where she came from, having stashed his car in the trees. “Come on, I parked this way.” He turns to look at her as he walks backwards. “Or maybe I’m going to kill you after all.”
Wednesday’s eyes glint again, though there is not a tug to her mouth to indicate a smile. “I’m shivering with curiosity.” Her voice is a complete monotone, but this sentence comes out even more deadpan than he thought possible.
Was this what falling in love felt like? A hot goth approaches him in the middle of the night, compliments his art, and accepts a ride from him. Now she’s sarcastic, too?
She catches up quick, with him turning to face forwards into the trees once she’s reached his side, and they set off for his car, side by side. “If this friend of yours is so headache-inducing, why are you friends in the first place?”
Wednesday’s quiet is more contemplative than sad like he would expect. She’s nothing that he expects, really. He finds it refreshing. She literally pops out of nowhere and surprises him with almost every response.
Finally, Wednesday finds the words she’s looking for. “She’s one of my only friends. I don’t have many and it can be hard for others to want to engage with me. I’m not used to it. She’s also my roommate. She’s allowed home on the weekends from our dance school because she lives in town.”
Wednesday takes a deep breath, her voice more of a grumble than what he’s learning is her normal monotone. “She says I owe her a favor. I was making a murder board for a plot in my novel and some of the images ‘scarred her for life’. This is the favor.”
“Then at least I know I’m not leaving Jericho.” Tyler twirls his key ring on a finger as they approach the car. He hums under his breath a little as they settle in. “She sounds like a good friend, and like you’re a good one, too.”
“I’m learning, but I’m finding it’s more difficult than I originally expected.”
Tyler pulls out of the trees with the practiced ease of someone who’s done this before, which of course he has. He taps open the maps app on his phone. “What’s the address?”
“Ten-thirteen Allen Lane.”
Tyler’s head snaps up. “ You’re Enid’s friend that’s sleeping over?”
Wednesday’s brow furrows just a little in the middle. “I assume then that you’re the brother she’s mentioned in passing. She never gave your name.”
“Yours either.” Tyler pulls onto the road, being extra vigilant for a cop car.
He sees the tilt of Wednesday’s frown from the corner of his eye. “That seems odd, don’t you think? Enid has seemed the type to want all of her friends in the same group.”
Tyler lets out a dry chuckle. Enid is the type, except that she doesn’t have many to make a group from. She’s mentioned Yoko and Divina in passing, but aside from them Enid’s friends have been few and far between. None of them have been like Wednesday.
He grits his teeth and tries not to think about how his sister has never deserved the scorn put on them for being the sheriff’s kids. They didn’t ask for it, and they certainly have proved they’re not tattletales. “Enid can be complex,” is the answer he chooses to give her. It’s an honest response without telling her anything Enid wouldn’t want him to. “But I’m sure you’re figuring that out, too.”
The rest of the drive is taken in silence, and Tyler is pulling up a measly half hour after curfew. The closest he’s been to on time in a month, easily.
He holds the front door open for Wednesday, Enid having clomped down the stairs at warp-speed when she heard the door.
“Tyler! Thank god! I-” She cuts herself off when Wednesday walks in right behind him, her eyes jumping between them quickly. “I see you’ve met Wednesday.”
Tyler nods. “Found her heading here. Figured I’d offer her a ride.”
“On such a nice night, I would normally protest, but I figured being punctual to our first sleepover was more important.”
Enid raises an eyebrow at her, folding her arms over her chest where she stands on the bottom step. “You’re actually forty-five minutes late.”
Wednesday scowls, but it isn’t nearly as scary as he expected. “My practice ran late, and then I was taking the shortcut through the woods when I ran into your brother here.” Something in her tone suggests Enid has mentioned him to her before, more than just in passing. Interesting.
Enid rolls her eyes, turning her gaze to Tyler, “You’re lucky Dad said he wasn’t coming home tonight.” Her eyes dart to Wednesday, then quickly back again. “And that Wednesday didn’t kill you for offering her a ride.”
Wednesday’s brow furrows just a hint to give away her confusion, but otherwise her face is blank as Tyler is coming to realize is her norm. “He gave me no reason to threaten his life, let alone end it.”
Tyler raises a brow at first in surprise at Wednesday, then it turns into a slightly smug thing as a smirk tugs the corners of his mouth up. He looks at Enid. “Sounds like high praise from her.”
Enid rolls her eyes at him before jerking her head towards the stairs. “C’mon. I’ll show you my room.” She lets Wednesday take the stairs in front of her, shooting a look at Tyler over her shoulder that screams You’re telling me EVERYTHING later .
Tyler heaves the weary sigh of an older brother and takes the stairs behind them.
In his room, he drops his bag, kicks it under the bed, and changes into loose flannel bottoms and a white tee.
He steps into the bathroom and stops in his tracks.
The bathroom connects his and Enid’s rooms. Wednesday stands at the sink, brushing her teeth. That isn’t a problem; he’s used to sharing a sink with his sister.
It’s the sudden change in wardrobe that makes Tyler feel the need to pick his jaw up from the floor.
Gone are the leotard and dance pants; now her outfit is a pair of sleep shorts that show off her legs and a tiny sleep tank, spaghetti-straps with lace outlining her bust. Still black, but the material looks shiny, like satin or silk.
He entertains, for the briefest of moments, rubbing the fabric between his fingers, wondering if she’d even let him get close enough without biting off his hand.
He strides towards her, smirking, and reaches over her for his toothbrush, keeping eye contact with her in the mirror. “I see you’re settling in okay.” He allows himself another look at her, missing her facial reaction as a consequence.
“Your sister has been a kind host, but as brightly…irritating as usual. I thought her side of our dorm was a rainbow atrocity. I don’t know why I expected it to be less so in her own home.”
Tyler wets the toothbrush, leaving the water running, and applies toothpaste while he listens about Enid’s room. “I’ve told her she’s a little too old for stuffed unicorns, but she doesn’t listen to me.”
Wednesday scoffs, turns off the water, and returns to brushing her teeth, meeting his eyes in the mirror through her bangs. Tyler feels the corners of his lips turn up as he does the same, brushing a little harder than he needs to. Of course, Wednesday would have a black electric toothbrush. She applies no extra pressure, simply moving it in little circles over each of her teeth. She’s really living up to being the spoiled rich goth girl he’d pegged her for.
Not that he minds.
Even brushing her teeth, her face is devoid of reaction or feeling, except for her eyes, keeping his captive where they meet in the mirror. Her eyes sparkle and she’d probably hate to hear that adjective used about her. There’s challenge and a competitive spirit there that makes Tyler’s lips quirk up further where they hide his toothbrush.
Finally, he spits, turning the water on to wash it down before quickly shutting it off again. He returns to brushing his teeth, looking at her over his shoulder now. She spits, doing the same with the water, then rinses her toothbrush. At first, he’s disappointed, thinking she’s done.
Instead, she grabs for her next item: floss. He can tell it’s spearmint, and she wraps the little string around her fingers so tight it nearly cuts off circulation. “I enjoy the loss of feeling,” she explains after catching the look that must be on his face.
He spits again, rinses his brush, and grabs for her floss. “Mind if I use some? We’re all out.” He opens one of the cabinets behind the mirror to show the array of painkillers and shaving gear.
She gives him a death glare-he can’t help but think it’s adorable-and offers it to him. He grins, wrapping the floss around his fingers as tight as he can. When he looks at Wednesday in the mirror again, she’s paying special attention to her canines.
They floss their teeth in silence, occasionally looking at one another in the mirror. When Wednesday’s done she unwraps her floss and throws it in the little trash bin near the toilet. Tyler does the same and turns to head to his room.
He gets caught when he sees her in the mirror again. She’s got her tongue stuck all the way out and is running a bent piece of metal down it.
Her eyes meet his in the mirror, not bothering to explain the torture device, and that sparkle is back, something sly and troublesome.
Tyler represses the urge to replace the device with his mouth and turns away, speed-walking back into his room and shutting the bathroom door a little too hard.
It’s one thing for him to think Wednesday is attractive at first glance, and maybe even for the first five minutes after realizing she was friends with Enid.
It’s a whole other thing to find her this attractive when she’s in his house, his bathroom , dressed like that and as Enid’s best friend.
There are rules to being a sibling, and one you don’t break is crushing on a sibling’s friends. Tyler considers himself a rule-breaker, but not when it comes to his sister.
He strides over to his bed with purpose and grabs for the bag he kicked under it not ten minutes ago. He pulls out the bag he’d bought from Ajax just earlier that week, pre-rolled joints that he took care to place in the part of his bag where they wouldn’t get smashed.
He grabs a joint and strides over to his desk for a lighter, grabbing one from the top-right drawer on his way to the window. After shuffling into his shoes and pulling on his jacket, he pushes the window open and climbs out onto the roof. Once he’s settled in the alcove invisible from the outside of the house he lights up, takes a long drag and hangs his head back.
He was just kidding earlier about her being a grim reaper Barbie, but now he’s pretty sure Wednesday will be the death of him, and he never even got her last name.
Half an hour later, he crawls back in through his window, trying not to laugh too loudly when he stumbles over the sill, nearly tumbling back into his room. He quietly shuts the window behind him and drops his lighter in the drawer with his others.
He heads to the bathroom for one last pee before he passes out. While washing his hands he catches sight of his eyes in the mirror.
Good thing Dad ended up working late. If he came up and saw Tyler now, he’d be dead.
There’s a knock on the door from Enid’s side, and Tyler fumbles with the lock, twisting the door open and backing out of the way.
Enid steps in, walking around him towards the sink and reaching into the cabinets. She grabs her face masks and turns back to him. She’s wearing her thinking face, brows pinched in the middle while she seems to consider her words. “Did Wednesday freak you out that badly?” Her voice is quiet, and Tyler can make out the concern in her eyes. He also notices that her pajama set is similar to the one Wednesday wore earlier, but in bright pink. So it was her fault his nose nearly gushed like an anime character!
“She didn’t ‘freak me out’, Enid.” He steps around her, making to go back to his room. But because his filter shuts off when he’s high he also says, “I just wasn’t expecting her to be so hot.”
Enid’s eyes widen and Tyler immediately realizes what the fuck he just said. “ Shit, E. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-”
Enid cuts him off with the raise of a hand. “Shut up, Ty.” Her voice is calm, but there’s a layer of cold he’s unused to from his bright and bubbly sister. “You can’t help it. I get it.” Something sad lies under the surface of Enid’s blue eyes. “Trust me I get it.”
Tyler feels like he’s been punched in the heart. Did Enid mean that she - And Wednesday ?
He runs a hand through his hair, an old, nervous tic. His high is suddenly gone, like Enid dumped cold water on his head. “You like her, huh?”
Enid’s eyes widen, then she shakes her head. “ No, you dork. I get the whole-” She cuts herself off with a mumble. “I just get where you’re coming from.” She shrugs. “It’s not like I haven’t crushed on your friends before.”
Tyler isn’t sure how to respond to that. Enid wasn’t that much younger than him, so crushing on his friends shouldn’t be weird.
But it is, because she’s his sister, and if it came down to her or the friend that hurts her? He’d pick her.
He can’t ask Enid to make the same sacrifice, can’t ask her to give up the first real friendship she’s ever had. He’s assuming that’s what Wednesday is, at least. Enid’s never had someone sleep over before.
Being the sheriff’s kids didn't make making friends easy. Lucas Walker was only a given because their dads went way back. Neither of them were really friends with him anymore, anyway.
Tyler runs a hand nervously through his hair, “So you’re not mad?”
Enid shakes her head. “No. But can you just, like, not do anything? Please? Not until you know she likes you back or something because if you chase her off-”
“I don’t think Wednesday will be easily scared off, E,” he says over her. “But yeah. I won’t.”
Enid nods, punches him hard in the shoulder, and darts back to her room with the face masks.
Tyler hangs his head back and blows, long and low, through his mouth. He can barely hear Wednesday’s low monotone through the door, but it’s enough to remind him to head back to bed. Somehow, he can still pick out her voice, and he strains to hear her until they decide to crash.
She’s new, and interesting, and somehow she gets along with the bright and bubbly cheerleader-wannabe that is his sister. There’s something dark in her that calls to him. Something in his veins that draws him to her. Like he’s known her before and is meant to know her again.
He lays in his bed, staring at the ceiling, straining to hear her voice, and wondering about her.
He falls asleep with her name a whisper on his lips.
When he wakes, his head hurts and his mouth tastes like cotton, even though he swears he brushed his teeth before bed.
Thinking of that reminds him of his conversation with Enid, which immediately brings his thoughts back to Wednesday.
Wednesday. He still doesn’t have a last name for her, but then again he never gave his, either. She probably knows it though, since she’s Enid’s roommate.
He pulls himself from bed, practically rolling to the floor instead of standing out of it. A cursory glance out the window shows Dad either never came home last night or was already back at the station. He listens for noise in the kitchen, trying to determine if the girls are up already.
The silence in the house feels stifling for a moment, before he shakes it off and heads down for breakfast. Mornings didn’t used to be so quiet, and Tyler feels an ache for his mother.
He cleans out his Dad’s morning batch of coffee (so he had come home, Tyler has no idea of when though) and starts a fresh pot. He and Enid could both agree that drip was gross, but coffee was coffee, and Tyler wasn’t interested in popping into The Weathervane if he didn’t have to work today.
He rummages around in the fridge, finding ingredients for a decent omelet, and grabs the sliced bread for Enid’s morning toast.
He’s just finishing up frying his omelet when he hears soft footsteps on the stairs. A cursory glance over his shoulder presents him with Wednesday.
Still in the pajamas from last night, but her braids are intact. Immaculate, even.
He shoots a smirk over his shoulder at her before settling himself at the table with his breakfast.
She raises an eyebrow at him, the rest of her face unmoving. “Aren’t you a gracious host.”
“Little early for sarcasm, isn’t it?” he shoots back, smile on his face. Maybe this would be fun after all. Not being able to have her the way he wants, but at least she was here at all.
“I find it’s never too early to match wits, but if you’re still waking up I suppose I won’t hold it against you if you lose.” She seems to think over this comment before amending. “Not too much.”
“Well that’s sweet of you.”
She rears back as if he slapped her. “Do not call me sweet,” she grinds out through clenched teeth.
His grin widens and he takes another forkful of omelet into his mouth. “Whatever you say, princess .”
Wednesday looks like she’s seething in her spot, turning so red steam may come out of her ears like a cartoon character. He stifles a laugh. He hasn’t even known her twelve hours, but from what little Enid has told him she exists in monochrome. So yeah, making her turn red already is kinda hilarious. He swallows a gulp of coffee to keep her from noticing.
She turns on her bare heel and stalks back up the stairs without another word, and Tyler’s next sip of coffee tastes like victory.
She returns down the stairs with Enid moments later. Enid gives him an early-morning stink eye, but immediately lights up when she sees fresh coffee.
Wednesday practically sticks her nose in the air. “Drip is only for people whose lives have no meaning.”
Enid waves the pot in her face a bit. “This is the only way you’re getting coffee this morning. Take it or leave it.”
Wednesday’s nose scrunches as Enid finishes mixing her coffee and starts her toast. “You don’t have tea?”
Tyler sighs and gets up from the table, heading for the cupboard where they keep their limited tea supply. “I think we’re down to herbal. Enid probably finished all the caffeinated stuff while cramming for her last final.”
Enid scoffs as her toast pops up and she smears it with the Nutella spread. “Like you weren’t practically running coffee through an IV during your last final.”
“My last final wasn’t at the local prep school.”
“Dance academy. Dammit Tyler, how many times do we have to go over this?”
Tyler grins, shuts the tea cupboard that is definitely just caffeine-free herbal tea they’ll only drink once someone is sick, and childishly sticks his tongue out at his sister. “As many times as it takes for you to realize it’s a preppy dance academy, E.”
His eyes fall on Wednesday, standing there silently, seeming to just be watching their back-and-forth. Like she’s watching an experiment. “Einsteinette, are you studying us like one of your textbooks or something?”
Wednesday doesn’t make a scoffing noise, but the face she pulls gives him the impression she might as well have. “Your nicknames are terrible. But yes. I have a younger brother, and it’s interesting to see that your forms of torturing one another are different, yet you torture each other all the same.”
Enid and Tyler share a look, then a shrug. Enid says, “Who can you torture if not your brother?”
“You should’ve seen us when we were still young enough for me to get away with giving her noogies. Now if I lay a hand on her, our dad is all ‘you can’t touch your sister like that’ and then she smacks me across the face and he says nothing .”
Enid smiles, but it’s sharper than her usual beam. “That’s because I’m his favorite.”
Tyler rolls his eyes, putting his dishes in the sink. “You’re something , all right.” He heads for the stairs, only looking over his shoulder after he’s halfway up and Enid has said his name. “Yeah?”
“What are you doing today?”
He hadn’t thought that far ahead yet. “I’ll probably hit up ‘Jax and see what he wants to do.” Something sparkles in Enid’s eye and he immediately narrows his eyes in suspicion. “Why?”
Enid shrugs, turning back to her breakfast and taking it to the table. Wednesday was joining her with plain toast and drip coffee, the saddest breakfast Tyler has ever seen. “Just wondering.”
Tyler narrows his eyes a little further, studying Enid’s casual posture for tiny inaccuracies. He finds none, takes it as Enid being weird and nosy again and heads up the rest of the stairs.
He calls Ajax to meet up at the skatepark. Tyler wants his opinion on the placement for his next tag. Okay, and they’re gonna get high, but that’s what best friends are for.
For an hour, he and Ajax circle the park on their boards, sharing a joint and looking out for a good tagging spot. During which Tyler tells Ajax about Wednesday, trying to fight off the blush encroaching its way up his face.
“Man, what if you could just, tag the whole place?” Ajax says, taking another hit and passing the joint back to Tyler.
He inhales thoughtfully and exhales in rings. “Too big. You’d need multiple artists, and with that much done there’s no way the city wouldn’t cover it up.” Another inhale, another exhale. He passes the roach back and pushes off from the steady glide they’d been in, picking up speed. “C’mon. One more run through. There’s gotta be somewhere I can work.”
Ajax takes a hit and pushes after him, joint still clutched in his fingers. He spies the alcove people tend to hook up in and puffs on the joint again. It wasn’t a large space, a glorified corner, maybe. He puts his fingers to his mouth instead of the joint and whistles, Tyler’s head swiveling back to him so fast he nearly topples off his board.
Ajax slows to a stop near him and chuckles at the bewildered look on Tyler’s face. “Dude,” he says, drawing out the vowel. “You almost ate it man!”
Tyler huffs, kicking his board up on its edge and leaning on it. “You startled me, dude. What the fuck?!”
Ajax giggles a little longer before composing himself, bringing his own board up and under one arm. “Yeah cause I think I found the spot!”
Tyler follows after him, skating back the way they’d come. Ajax points out the make out alcove and tilts his head, assessing. A couple of ideas spring to mind easily and he jabs Ajax in the shoulder. “Perfect, dude. I’m getting ideas already. I’ll draw up some sketches tonight.”
Ajax grins, shuffling his hands into his hoodie pockets and dropping his board. “Thanks man.” He steps on his board and pushes off, heading for the exit. “C’mon. You promised me brownies if I found you a spot.”
Tyler drops his board and gets a running start to catch up.
When they get back to Tyler’s, they head into the kitchen immediately. Tyler pulls out all the brownie ingredients and washes his hands. Ajax, who has been here for this before, gets out the utensils, and preheats the oven, making himself at home.
There’s footsteps on the stairs and Tyler whips his head over to find Wednesday and Enid trailing down, still in their nightwear.
Tyler is too busy staring to wonder why they haven’t changed since breakfast two hours ago. The girls act unaffected by the attention, Wednesday leading them to the kitchen and stopping in front of him. “You’re back sooner than Enid said.”
“You’re still in your pajamas,” is what comes out of his mouth in response.
Ajax covers his mouth with a fist and huffs out a laugh. Then Enid steps up beside him and he promptly straightens, avoiding eye contact. Tyler’s brow furrows, and Enid’s words about crushing on his friends before ring in his head. Does she like Ajax?
He can’t focus on them for long, however, because Wednesday is pressing past him in the tight space, looking over the materials he and Ajax had been pulling from every crevice of the kitchen. “What are you doing?”
Ajax fake-whispers to Enid, “Who is she?”
Tyler isn’t paying attention to Enid’s response, focusing instead on where Wednesday is picking over the ingredients. “I was gonna bake brownies. Favor to Ajax, but I haven’t baked in a while so I should probably dust up on my skills.”
Wednesday turns around abruptly, braids swinging as she goes. Tyler quickly realizes that he’s trapped her against the counter and smirks. She clears her throat, glaring daggers into him as if that alone will force him to back away. “You know how to bake?”
Tyler crosses his arms over his chest, subtly trying to flex, and nods. “Our mom taught me.” He reaches out, barely brushing her to the side as he reaches for the butter. If these were supposed to be weed brownies, he’d use his cannabutter he hides in the back of the fridge. But he’s almost out, and it was probably best not to get Wednesday high on her first visit. He unwraps the two sticks and dumps them into the saucepan, then walks over to the stove and settles it over the low heat.
A few steps later, he’s slowly mixing flour into the batter to get it to the right consistency.
“You don’t seem to be measuring anything. Isn’t that typically a rule in baking?” Wednesday asks, having been watching over his shoulder like a hawk.
Well, from his side. She’s like, a foot shorter than him. She couldn’t look over his shoulder if she tried.
Tyler shrugs. “Depends on the recipe. On the dish, too, really. But I’ve made these so many times that eyeballing it is the same.” As the batter comes to the right consistency, a devious thought slips in. He’s acting on it before it’s even fully formed. He dips a finger through the batter and turns to Wednesday, the look on his face dangerous. Quick as a whip he strikes out, smearing it on her cheek before dipping in for another scoop. Her mouth falls open in shock, and again, lightning-fast he acts on impulse, sticking the batter-covered finger in her mouth.
Wednesday bites down, seemingly on instinct, and Tyler howls in pain, finally attracting the attention of their friends. Wednesday has yet to release his finger, glaring at him so hard he thinks she’ll combust. Ajax and Enid run over from where they’d wandered to the living room, and Enid gasps as loud and dramatic as expected. “ Tyler ,” she whines. “You promised you wouldn’t flirt with her!”
Tyler looks over at his sister, adjusting to the pain. He feels Wednesday’s tongue swirling over his finger as her teeth latch on tighter and Tyler has to mentally run through baseball stats to keep all his blood from flowing south.
The look on his sister’s face is incredulous. Ajax looks like he’s holding back laughter. Traitorous dick.
Wednesday releases his finger, abyssal eyes burning into his. “This is your idea of flirting with me?”
Tyler hesitates for only a second before nodding. “Kinda, yeah.”
Wednesday’s eyes turn appraising, but there’s no further response. She turns to Enid fully. “Enid, now.”
Enid only nods and they both scamper off to the stairs.
Tyler catches Ajax’s line of sight in his own effort to watch Wednesday’s ass as she walks away.
Ajax staring after his sister is making that thought from earlier wiggle in his brain. Did Ajax like Enid ? Do they like each other?
Ajax turns to him, eyes bright. “We need to talk about your dad going to that conference next weekend.” Ajax raises his eyebrows at him. Tyler knows exactly what he means. Throw a party. “Your sister and Wednesday can bring some of their friends from Nevermore so it isn’t just JHS.”
Tyler shrugs. “That’s a good idea.” He turns back to the brownies, pouring the batter into the pan. If they’re throwing a party he’ll need more cannabutter,what’s left in the fridge won’t be enough.
He hears Ajax shifting on his feet. “What’s the deal with her anyway?”
“Wednesday? She’s Enid’s roommate, obviously.” He turns to put the brownies in the oven and Ajax just fixes him with his best bullshit look.
“I meant the deal with her and you, Ty.”
Tyler shoves the pan in and shuts the door. “ Nothing , all right? She’s Enid’s, like, only friend. I can’t fuck that up for her.” He shrugs. “I know I just met her yesterday but I just-” He cuts himself off with a drawn-out sigh. “I dunno, man. I took one look at her and I’m so into her.”
“Tyler-”
Tyler whirls around to look him in the eye. “I could ask you the same thing, couldn’t I?”
Ajax shrugs and nods, an awkward smile tugging at his lips. “She’s your sister , Tyler. I wouldn’t do you like that.”
Tyler nods and sets the timer on his phone. “Exactly. So I can’t either.”
Ajax points to the brownies. “Those don’t have weed?”
“Nah, I gotta save that stuff for the party now.”
Ajax opens his mouth to say something before slamming it shut. Instead he says, “Good idea.” Then points to the ceiling. “Video games?”
“Hell yeah.”
The next weekend comes too quickly. Enid divides her time accompanying him to stores and assuring their dad they’ll be fine for a weekend with him gone. He’s only asking because he’s worried about Enid and he can’t send them to Mom since she moved across the border.
Once, Enid drags Wednesday along and he has to keep dragging his gaze from her to keep Enid from noticing anything.
Then, it’s Saturday. They’d had Wednesday and Ajax stay over Friday night so they could help prep.
Tyler finishes plating the brownies as Wednesday struts over, still in the dress she’d been wearing most of the day. Black with little flowers, pretty. But not necessarily party attire. Or Enid-approved party attire anyway. “Enid really gonna let you down to the party in that?”
She frowns at him, harsher than usual. “What’s wrong with this?” She gestures to her dress, and while there is little change to her face, something in her eyes tells him to look at her.
So Tyler takes the time to look at her. The same perfect, raven-shaded, twin braids on either side of her face. The bangs that frame her obsidian eyes. The dusting of freckles on her nose, her plump lips. He trails his gaze lower, trying not to linger too long on any one spot, hoping she feels the heat of his gaze. When he’s made it to her combat boots he trails his gaze up again, only slightly faster now until he reaches her eyes. There’s color in her cheeks now, flushed pink under the freckles. He wonders how far down the blush stretches.
“I think you look perfect,” he says, blinking slowly. “But Enid will probably tell you to change into something else.”
Her lips part slightly, as if to respond, when they hear Enid clomping down the stairs. Ajax was setting up the music in the living room.
When Enid sees them by the snacks she flounces over, frilly skirt flaring out. His sister, clad in bright pinks and purples, latches her neon nails into Wednesday’s shoulders and jostles her. “C’mon bestie! I gotta help you finish getting ready!” She casts a judgmental look at Tyler.
He shrugs. “I’ll change my flannel when I’m done.”
She glares for a moment more before nodding, then leading Wednesday away. She calls over her shoulder on their way up the stairs, “Make sure none of your shirts have holes!”
Half an hour later Enid is helping Ajax put the finishing touches on the playlist and Tyler is nibbling one of the brownies. Wednesday was apparently upstairs, satisfied with what she and Enid had put together but waiting to come down.
Enid opens the back door at eight on the dot so the partygoers can just come in, and that’s when Wednesday comes down the stairs. Due to the layout of the house Ajax sees her first, and Tyler sees the slight drop in his jaw from the kitchen.
He allows his eyes to work their way up this time. Clunky platform wedges cut harshly against netted tights, too tight against her creamy legs. At mid-thigh, he finds the hem of a pleated leather mini skirt, topped by a lacy corset top under an oversized leather jacket just covering her little hands.
Tyler feels drool dribble down his chin and hurriedly wipes his face with his flannel sleeve, breathing heavily as his gaze finally reaches her face. Her lips are darkened by gloss that aligns just right with the minimal makeup upon her face. Atop it all are twin braids, looped up on her head in a braided crown.
Her eyes are smoldering when he meets them in full, and there’s a tilt of a grin to the corners of her mouth. She knows what she’s doing. She’s smirking at him over it.
He smirks back, adjusting his posture in his seat to flex his pecs. “Want a brownie?”
The last time he’d made them, she’d had a bite and crinkled her nose at the sweetness. Hopefully the high makes up for it.
She walks over to him, taking one from the plate he’d left out. “Are they better than your last batch?”
He leans back on two legs of the chair and puts his hands behind his head. “Give it a try and find out.”
She keeps eye contact with him as she reaches for one, all the way until she bites into it, revealing those perfect little white teeth of hers.
Her eyes close as he watches her swallow and he can’t help but think about her throat undulating that way when she swallows something else.
When she opens her eyes and looks at him, there’s something almost faraway in them, like the edible is already kicking in. Unlikely.
Then noise from the backyard and the party is in motion. Enid comes to collect Wednesday to dance with their friends from Nevermore and Tyler stays in his chair, reaching for another brownie.
About an hour later some of the teens had broken down to sitting on the floor and playing spin the bottle. Others took up free corners to makeout with partners of their own choice instead of fate’s. Tyler is weaving his way through, searching for Wednesday, or even Enid or Ajax.
No sign of the latter two, but Wednesday is right there against the wall, red solo cup in hand, staring blankly into nothingness as a couple makes out not two feet from her.
Maybe it’s the weed, but he lazily sidles up next to her, leaning himself against the wall. “Enid ditch you?”
“I have no idea where she’s run off to but I’m grateful for the chance to watch absolute teen anarchy.” She sips from her cup, face puckering just slightly. “This beer is terrible.”
“Yeah, Steve can only get me the cheap stuff.” He offers her the other half of his third brownie.
She takes it from him and finishes it off, licking the crumbs from her fingers.
Tyler’s eyes zero in on the way other crumbs cling to her lip gloss. “Did you wanna go somewhere a little quieter?” he asks in a hushed tone.
Sharp obsidian stares him down despite her short stature, and he’s reaching for her hand before she even nods. She follows him up the stairs and into his room with next to no hesitance.
He pulls her into his room, shuts the door, and immediately crowds her against it. “Tell me this isn’t just me. I need words , Wednesday.”
Wednesday tilts her chin up, defiant as always, but her lower lip sticks out just a bit, as close as she’ll get to pouting.
Tyler cups her cheek in his palm, and she practically nuzzles into it like a cat. Her face tilts even closer to him, nearly pushing into him.
He hears a crash from Enid’s room and is jerkily brought down from his high. “I should check on Enid.” I should get out of here , he thinks. He should get away from Wednesday, like he promised.
That slight pout’s back, but Wednesday pulls away, drawing further into his room. “I’ll wait here, then.”
Tyler lets out a long sigh, fighting every instinct he has to follow her, to lay her out over his bed and devour her whole. Or to send her packing. “I’ll be right back.” He slams the door behind him, stomping over to Enid’s room down the hall.
He doesn’t think to knock until he’s thrown her door open. He’s thankful they’re still fully clothed, at the least.
Ajax. Enid. Alone in her room. Disheveled.
“What the fuck, E?” It bursts out of him before he can think. He’d literally just been thinking about how guilty he’d feel for doing this exact same thing to Enid and-
Ajax stands to head over to him, “Hey, man. Don’t be getting too upset-”
“I thought I heard something but apparently it was just some sense telling me you were hooking up with my best friend!”
Enid stands from her bed and adjusts her skirt. “You literally can’t stop flirting with Wednesday when I begged you to!”
Tyler takes another step towards her. “And how long has this been going on? Before I even met Wednesday, huh?”
Enid’s eyes dart to the floor, blinking rapidly. “I didn’t mean to, Ty.”
Tyler heaves a large sigh. “Yeah? Well I’m going to mean to.” And he pushes back through her door and into his room.
Wednesday is still standing there, her eyes roving over his room. She’d probably been investigating before he’d come back in.
He’s in front of her in two strides, leaning over her, inhaling her. “You sure you wanna kiss me?”
Wednesday pushes up on her toes and presses into him, mouth on his, hand coming up to clench the front of his flannel.
He cups her face in one hand, the other wrapping around her waist and pulling her closer.
Wednesday backs away slowly after a moment, eyes staring into his, before diving back in for another kiss.