Chapter Text
Xavier swallowed the last bite of his food and dabbed his mouth with a napkin. Ajax’s mom Charlotte had the best peach cobbler Xavier had ever tasted. He sighed contentedly and patted his full belly.
“Amazing as usual, Mrs. P,” he said.
Charlotte smiled affectionately at Xavier who was like a second son to her. “I wish you boys could stick around a little longer,” she said. “It’s always a pleasure to have you, Xavier.”
After graduating from Nevermore, Ajax and Xavier embarked on a cross country road trip together. So far, they had visited every state on the east coast, and worked their way down. For the holidays, they made sure to visit Ajax’s family before flying out to visit Wednesday and Enid in New York. They were due to fly out tonight after one last family dinner.
“We’ll be back in two weeks,” Ajax said around a mouthful of peach cobbler. Dried vanilla ice cream stained his chin. “The girls will hang us by our nose hairs if we don’t get our asses to New York soon.”
“Language,” Ajax’s other mother Amber chastised. “Enid, I’m sure, would understand if you were late. Although with Wednesday, you might be right.”
“That girl scares me,” Ajax’s ten-year-old sister Sophia said. “I asked her to play dolls with me, and she said she only plays with headless ones.”
Xavier and Ajax chuckled. That was Wednesday alright.
“Speak of the devil,” Xavier said. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his vibrating phone. Wednesday’s name flashed across the screen.
“It’s like she’s got our house bugged,” Ajax said, and placed another slice of peach cobbler on his plate.
Xavier excused himself from the table and answered his phone as he walked into the kitchen. “Hey, Wens.”
“Why are you still at the Petropoulos residence?” Wednesday asked, getting straight to the point as usual.
Xavier’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline. “How do you know where I am?”
“I installed a tracking device on your van,” Wednesday said as if she were speaking to a child.
Xavier shouldn’t be surprised, but he was. “You installed a tracking device on my van?” he repeated. “When did you have time to do that?”
“I need to know your whereabouts at all times,” she explained, her tone picking up a defensive edge. “I need to know what time zone you are in, the traffic patterns and nearby accidents in your area, the weather. Xavier, there are multiple variables of your trip I must be aware of, and I will not – “
“Wednesday,” he said, smiling only for himself. “I love you, too.” By now, Xavier could read between the lines when it came to Wednesday. She never told him she loved him with her words; it was always with her actions. If anyone else had placed a tracking device on his van, Xavier would have run for the hills. Because it was Wednesday, he knew her intentions were to keep a protective eye on him from across the country. “I’m leaving soon. We’re just waiting on Ajax to finish eating.”
Xavier heard her exhale and could feel the tension leave her muscles from all the way across the country.
“Do you want me to text you when we’re about to board the plane?” he asked.
“That will not be necessary,” she said. “I was only asking for Enid’s sake.”
Xavier couldn’t contain his laughter at his girlfriend’s attempted indifference. He could practically hear her scowl deepen. “Well, you can tell Enid that Ajax and I will be there soon. He can’t wait to see you guys, and neither can I. We’ve missed you.”
“It must be a shame to be a slave to your feelings.”
“Yeah, it’s a real drag, Addams,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Look, I’m gonna go hurry Ajax along and then I’ll text you before we leave, okay?”
“Very well,” Wednesday said. Xavier knew she wanted that text but would never say it out loud. The key to their relationship would always be reading between Wednesday’s lines. “There is no snow in tonight’s forecast. Your flight should be rather smooth. Nighttime flights tend to have less turbulence.”
“Everything will be alright, Wens,” he said. “I’ll see you in about six hours.”
“Goodbye, Xavier.”
The phone clicked as Wednesday hung up. Xavier stuffed his phone in his pocket and made his way back to the dining room with a smile on his face. Wednesday was a prickly porcupine, but at her core she was a marshmallow.
“Everything alright?” Ajax asked.
“Yeah, she’s just being an impatient worrywart,” Xavier said.
Ajax huffed a humorous breath through his nose and held up his phone. “She sent me a threatening text warning me that if I don’t hurry up, she’s going to cut off my snakes and keep them in a jar.”
“That sounds kind of tame for her.”
“Oh, believe me, it was much more graphic than that, but I figured I’d spare you the gory details.” Ajax shoved his late bite in his mouth and stood up. With his food partially swallowed, he gave his sister a kiss on the cheek with a loud smack.
“Your lips are cold!” she whined.
Amber handed Ajax a napkin to clean his face. “Do you boys have everything?” she asked.
Ajax looked at Xavier who nodded. “I’ve got our tickets and packed both of our bags last night,” Xavier said. Throughout their whole trip, Xavier was the one responsible for the plans and the keeper of all their money. Ajax’s only responsibility was following Siri’s directions when it was his turn to drive, manage the snacks, and pick out a suitable song playlist.
Ajax and Xavier said their goodbyes and piled into Charlotte’s Toyota, leaving Xavier’s van parked in the Petropoulos driveway for the next two weeks while they were in New York. Xavier vibrated with excitement. It had been about seven months since he had last seen Wednesday. He felt as if he might burst if he was forced to go another day without her. Now, there was just six hours between them.
He could hardly wait.
***
Wednesday would never admit it out loud or even quietly to herself, but she was nervous. Up until this point, her relationship with Xavier had been running smoothly aside from the occasional argument. Wednesday was pleasantly surprised by how much she enjoyed being in a relationship, and even more surprised that she hadn’t managed to screw it up yet. Now, Xavier was only minutes away from being with her in person since they graduated and left Nevermore for good.
Standing outside next to Enid, Wednesday felt flushed as the anxiety transformed to panic. She began to think this was all a bad idea. What if she was unable to keep the relationship going in person? What if she said or did something to set him off and terminate the relationship? From behind the comfort of her phone and thousands of miles between them, she felt free to explore the relationship anyway she wanted.
An in-person relationship was much more different and daunting than the tender relationship they shared electronically. He expected small public displays of affection. This was something Wednesday had never done before except when they were alone or surrounded by their trusted friends. She worried she would be unable to meet Xavier’s expectations.
“What’s taking them so long?” Enid asked, tapping her foot impatiently. “I swear to God they’re doing this on purpose.”
“If they do not come walking through those doors soon, I will go forward with my threat against Ajax,” Wednesday said. “Thank you, by the way, for the inspiration.”
“No problem!”
Lying, scheming, threats of violence. Wednesday definitely was rubbing off a little too much on Enid.
As if they could hear themselves being summoned, Ajax and Xavier walked through the doors into the outside winter air with their suitcases trailing behind them. Enid bounced and squealed, hitting a note only dogs and Wednesday could hear.
“Wednesday!” Ajax screamed and dropped his suitcase. To everyone’s combined confusion, Ajax ran over and gathered Wednesday into a bone crushing hug. She stood there with her arms tightly pressed against her sides and her eyes as wide as dinner plates.
“What?!” Enid screeched.
Ajax swung Wednesday in a sloppy circle before setting her back down. He looked around at all the shocked faces and shrugged his shoulders. “What? I can’t hug my best friend?”
“I’m standing right here, jerk!” Enid said and slapped Ajax’s shoulder.
“I’m saving the best for last,” Ajax said and scooped Enid up into a similar hug, except peppering her face with kisses. Enid giggled, seemingly over her initial outrage, and hugged and kissed him back.
Xavier stopped in front of Wednesday with an arm’s length between them and watched her warily. “Hey.”
“Hello.”
Anxiously looking around her at the small crowd of people, she took a small step forward with her hands folded neatly behind her back. Taking the hint, Xavier smiled and hugged her loosely. He let go of her quickly and wrapped his pinky finger around hers, giving it a good squeeze.
Baby steps.
***
Xavier pressed the keycard against the lock pad of their hotel room and felt relieved when he heard the buzz. He hauled his heavy suitcase through the door and let it fall to the floor outside of his room. He had rented a semi-luxury suite with two bedrooms, two separate bathrooms, and a kitchenette with a view of the city. This was home for the next two weeks. The additional cost of the room was worth it. After spending every waking moment with Ajax for the past seven months, Xavier was dying for some privacy.
“I want to take a nap, shower, and eat. In that order,” he said. “I’m exhausted.”
“I feel that, except you’re missing one thing,” Ajax agreed. He grabbed Enid’s hand and began pulling her towards one of the bedrooms. “C’mon wolfie, let’s get reacquainted.”
Enid giggled and Wednesday and Xavier rolled their eyes, knowing exactly what was going to happen as soon as the door closed behind them.
Wednesday followed behind Xavier into his new room and sat down on the edge of the bed. Xavier wasted no time kicking off his shoes and taking his shirt off. He almost forgot that he had an audience. With Wednesday’s wide eyes staring up at him, he suddenly felt self-conscious.
He dug through his suitcase for a comfortable T-shirt and slipped it on over his head. “So, do you want to watch TV?” he asked. It was ironic; they had been in a full-fledged relationship for roughly seven months and had been through hell and back together throughout the years, but Xavier was at a loss of what to do or say to the girl of his nightmares sitting right before him.
“You said you wanted to take a nap.”
“I can do that later,” he said and sat down next to her. “I don’t want to make you feel ignored when we haven’t seen each other in so long.”
“If you are tired, I am perfectly fine with taking a nap with you.” As if to prove her point, she crawled to the head of the bed and tugged the freshly made blankets free, climbing under the blankets and pulling them up to her chin. She crossed her arms over her chest and laid perfectly still like a corpse in its casket.
Xavier followed her lead, smiling affectionately at her. He wrapped his arms and legs around her, pulling her close. He nuzzled his nose in her hair and inhaled the scent he had missed so much. His ears buzzed in the silence of the room as he listened to her steady breathing.
His voice cut through the quiet of the room with his soft whisper, “I missed you.”
“I missed you as well,” she whispered back.
His heart fluttered and swooned. He loved the underlying sweetness within his nightmare girl that was reserved for only him. His nightmare girl. With Xavier’s whole world tucked into his side, he drifted into peaceful sleep, dreaming of nothing but the girl in his arms.
***
If Ajax didn’t pick a movie, Wednesday was going to strangle him to death with the hotel’s telephone cord, cut his body up into pieces, and dispose of the parts in her family’s incinerator after turning his vital organs into a stew using one of Grandmama’s old recipes. Ajax flipped through the channels with reckless abandon before settling on reruns of a show Wednesday had never heard of before but decidedly could have gone the rest of her life without watching it.
The four friends spent most of the day napping on and off and decided to order Chinese takeout for dinner. Tonight was for relaxation as the boys settled in. Tomorrow the fun would begin.
As Enid and Ajax took turns feeding each other, Wednesday wondered if Xavier expected this kind of behavior from her. She watched him eat out of the corner of her eye, taking note of every minuscule change in his facial expressions and eye movements. He didn’t outwardly appear to be expectant of any specific behavior of her. He seemed to be simply enjoying his meal.
Sensing her eyes on him, Xavier looked at her and winked. Wednesday almost dropped her chopsticks. Her insides turned to mush, and her heart beat erratically in her chest. Damn him.
“How was your flight?” Enid asked at the end of the meal.
“It went smoothly thanks to dad over there.” Ajax nodded his head in Xavier’s direction. “He packed my bag so I wouldn’t forget anything, then he held on to the tickets and my wallet, and he even stressed out the lady at the baggage claim area because he was worried our stuff would get lost.”
“She didn’t look like she was paying attention,” Xavier said.
“You know what I don’t get?” Ajax asked. “Why you didn’t get us better seats. Dude, even without your dad’s money, you’re like filthy rich. We could have been sitting in first class sipping mimosas instead of sitting in coach.”
“See, that’s why you’re not in charge of our money. If it were up to you, you’d be spending every last penny on weed and licorice rope. If you were that uncomfortable, you should have bought a neck pillow like I told you to.”
“Dude, that neck pillow was trash.”
Wednesday and Enid shared a look of annoyance as they listened to their boyfriends bicker back and forth. Enid regretted asking.
“All I’m saying is, you should have smoked with me before we left and you would have been way more chill,” Ajax said with finality.
Xavier snorted. “Someone had to be aware of what was going on.”
“Why don’t we watch a movie?” Enid suggested. The boys agreed, and only bickered a little bit before renting a movie they could all enjoy.
Enid and Ajax cuddled up on the couch together while Xavier and Wednesday sat on the floor. Again, she felt the pressure of the imaginary expectations she had imagined Xavier had of her. He glanced at her before putting his arm around her shoulders. She shifted slightly, angling her body closer to his yet remained sitting with her back ramrod straight.
She made it halfway through the movie before she couldn’t take it anymore. She got up and fled to Xavier’s room, shutting the door behind her with a gentle click.
Xavier gave her a few minutes alone before he came to check on her. He found her standing in front of the massive window overlooking New York’s nightlife with her eyebrows creased and her full lips pressed into a thin line.
He knew it wasn’t the movie; Enid had forced her to sit through much worse, but he didn’t know what was bothering her. He had known something was up during dinner and chose to wait to ask what was wrong until after Enid and Ajax went to bed. Those two weren’t asleep yet, but they were distracted enough with themselves so Xavier figured now would be as good a time as any to ask Wednesday what was wrong.
“You seem like you’re a million miles away,” he said, coming to stand behind her. He was careful not to touch her, not wanting to upset her further.
“This is all so new to me,” she said. Her reflection stared back at her with accusing eyes. Uncertainty was a weakness Wednesday would always hold a special place in hell for. It was the worst weakness of all in her opinion. Everything else she could work with, but uncertainty was a weakness that was about as easy to overcome as picking up soup with a fork.
“I get it,” Xavier said. “This is your first relationship. It’s okay to be scared, Wens.”
She turned around and fixed him with a fierce glare. “I’m not scared.”
He patiently smiled and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Okay, you’re not scared. You’re nervous. There. Is that better?”
“Marginally.”
God, he loved her. “Can you tell me what it is that’s making you nervous, so I know how to reassure you?”
Wednesday bit her lip and thought about it before sharing. She was still getting used to communicating and letting Xavier in. “You stated that you expected certain public displays of affection. I am hesitant as I do not know what or how much affection you would like for me to display.”
Xavier sighed with a breath of relief. This he could work with. “I know this is all new to you, and that you felt more comfortable at Nevermore, so I want us to take everything slow. If you want, we can keep the physical stuff strictly in this room so it’s just you and me. Or we can do it only around Enid and Ajax. But it doesn’t have to be in public until you’re ready.”
Wednesday nodded, grateful that he understood and was willing to be patient with her. However, there was still more that was bothering her that she needed to get off her chest.
“I am afraid that I will ruin our relationship,” she said honestly. “Having you here in front of me gives me more opportunities to screw everything up.”
“Wednesday.” He wrapped his arms around his little spawn of Satan and laid his chin on top of her head. “You’re the biggest pain in my ass, but you’re my pain in the ass. The only way you could screw this up is by not trying, and so far, you’ve tried harder than I ever thought you would.”
Xavier took her hand and led her to the bed. He sat her down and kissed her softly. “What do you need from me right now to make you feel better?” he asked.
“Can we sit in silence for a while?” she asked. Her mind was racing, and she needed time to categorize all her thoughts and place them where they belonged.
“Of course.” Xavier took out his sketchbook from his bag and settled on the bed next to her. He sat close enough for her to know he was there for her, but far enough away to give her space.
After losing himself in his work, he almost didn’t notice Wednesday scoot closer to him and leaned over his shoulder to watch as he worked. With a few more finishing touches, Xavier held his hand over the sketch and brought the black widow spider to life. Wednesday held out her hand and let it crawl up her arm and settle on her shoulder.
“Your skills have improved,” she said.
Xavier commanded his creation to crawl back on the page and set his sketchbook aside. He kissed Wednesday, slow and passionate, until he felt his lungs demanding a deep breath of air. Wednesday stared back at him with a dazed look in her eye. Xavier took mental photographs so he could draw her later.
He turned on the TV and picked a show at random. He laid down and brought Wednesday with him, placing her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as they slowly drifted off to sleep.