Chapter Text
The day of Enid’s 18th birthday. For a long time, she looked forward to it, but not anymore. Still in bed, Enid can practically feel Wednesday overthinking what to say. She thinks it’s sweet that Wednesday thinks about her that much.
It’s the midst of their senior year. Going on their third school year together. And almost two years since she’s spoken to her parents. The falling out is more on her mind than ever now, though she won’t admit it. And Wednesday pretends she doesn’t notice. It’s not that she doesn’t care, but maybe Enid isn’t ready. Enid’s family isn’t something they talk about a lot, it’s more of an unspoken thing between them. It’s okay for now. Wednesday knows it’s not. Enid’s a little bit in denial, but she has Wednesday.
Enid thinks about that break sophomore year, what feels like all that time ago, and Wednesday’s visit to San Francisco. Them falling in love. The happy memories. And not the ones where she fell out of love with the idea of being a werewolf.
She’s broken from the thought train when Wednesday kisses her on her forehead and gets out of bed. Enid opens her eyes to Wednesday holding a wrapped gift out to her. It’s a small box wrapped in pale pink with a blue bow. Enid smiles.
“Before things get…” Wednesday places the gift in Enid’s lap, and Enid sits up.
“Crazy.”
“Yes. Happy Birthday, mi querida.”
Wednesday stands there, and Enid takes the hint to open it. She rips up the paper, just as Wednesday expected, then gets to a small jewelry box. She opens it, and it’s a gold necklace, a pendant, a simple “W”. Wednesday suddenly becomes insecure. “It’s—“ A stupid idea? Not good enough? Childish? Possessive? “I can get you something else.”
Enid stands and cups Wednesday’s cheek, then kisses it. “It’s lovely. It’s perfect. I know you don’t… I love it. I want to get you one. Would you wear one?”
“It’s your birthday.” Wednesday still thinks about her answer, and decides on a “Yes.”
Enid places the necklace in Wednesday’s hands and turns around. Once the necklace is clasped, Enid decides she never wants to take it off.
At breakfast 20 minutes later, Enid pretends she doesn’t see Wednesday slip Yoko candles and a lighter in the dining hall. She wants to cry as she watches Wednesday watch her blow the candles out and Yoko smash the cupcake into her face. God, she loves her so much. Wednesday had made her feel loved every day, even before they started dating.
It didn’t go over anyone in the group’s head that Enid now had a W necklace around her neck, but they still weren’t comfortable enough to give Wednesday a hard time about it. Wednesday probably wouldn't care anyway though. She would have maybe a year prior, but these days, when she and Enid were in the same room, it was like paying attention to Enid sucked everything from her. In a painfully achey, dumb curse, glorious way.
The only thing that took the group’s attention away from the necklace at the moment was the thought: Would Wednesday show up at the party that night? She had to, right? They’re never not together? But what makes them perfect together is that they get each other. Enid is given space to have her millions of social circles or interactions, and Wednesday is given her alone time as needed, and of course, her writing time. She secretly loves how protective Enid is of her, and their relationship. In person and online.
It’s bewildering but not surprising when Wednesday sits next to Enid and helps wipe her face off. It’s just a little weird to get used to, when Enid takes her finger and wipes some frosting in Wednesday’s nose. Nobody was prepared for Wednesday’s half smile when Enid pulled out her phone and put a photo of it on her story.
At a table nearby, the werewolves look on. They all miss her and feel slightly ghosted, but there’s one who pays extra attention. They’d interacted briefly on social media, but Enid tended to stay away from the wolves these days. A new girl, a little like Enid. Kate gets up and walks over to Enid.
As Wednesday clocks Kate getting up and coming over, she puts her hand on Enid’s back, leaving it there.
Kate simply says, “Happy Birthday, Enid”.
Enid nods and focuses back on her cupcake.
“From all of us.” Enid looks at the other wolves for a moment.
“Thank you.”
Wednesday shoots Kate a death glare. “She said thank you. You can go now.”
Kate doesn’t have to think twice and walks away. Wednesday breaches the Kate subject when people are all back to individual conversations. “I think she just wants to be friends with you.”
Wednesday blinks in surprise when Enid laughs. “I think she’s jealous of me.”
“Why?
“Wow, Willa. Rude. Should she not be jealous of me?”
“You are the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen, so I see why she’d be jealous.”
Enid patronizingly pats Wednesday on the head, and Wednesday fights the urge to dodge it. “What?”
“I love you, but she’s always watching you. She lurkers on your social media. All like, 3 posts, but still. She commented on all of them.”
“Does it bother you?” Do I need to do something mean to her?
Enid shakes her head. “No, no. I’m cool. Are you?”
Wednesday nods. “She’s lonely though.”
Enid doesn’t agree or disagree. “She has the others, she’s fine.” Enid thinks about everything for a moment. “Should I invite her to the party?”
“Whatever you want.”
“Do you want me to?”
“I want what you want.”
“Wednesday Addams, I swear.”
“I don’t have a preference.”
Enid gives up. She tried. Wednesday just wants her to be happy and is being respectful, and it’s something she likes about her.
At first, Enid’s birthday plan was a school-wide get-together in the woods, but she’d been feeling up to a lot less lately. They settled for a small party in their dorm. Enid’s side of course.
The guests, a motley crew of Yoko, Divina, Banca, Ajax, Kate, and Thing all arrive within a few minutes of each other. During times like these, where they’re in social settings, Enid sometimes can’t stop thinking about whether Wednesday is okay, so much so that she can’t enjoy the moment. Wednesday knows this and insists that she’s fine. Sometimes she’s not, and it’s okay. There’s always a place for her to retreat to, and Enid tens to check in at the right time.
Wednesday is used to it when they’re sitting in a circle playing Cards Against Humanity, and Enid rubs her leg occasionally, or when she laughs and leans into her a little more. She’s come to love how alive Enid is compared to her.
When it’s ‘present time’ Wednesday diligently organizes the wrapping paper and gifts, putting them away neatly. A quirk of sorts that everyone there finds endearing. It gives her time to get up and have a break from the group for a moment, which she spends watching Enid. Recognizing that moments like this, where Enid laughs and exists so freely, are more fleeting than ever these days. She hates how she’s doing her best and it’s been over a year now since they’ve seriously talked about it. The parents thing. The werewolf thing.
Enid watches Kate look around the room. She watches Kate eye Wednesday’s side. Enid wonders if she knows about how Wednesday doesn’t even sleep on that side anymore.
“So Enid, what else have you done to celebrate today?” Eugene asks as Wednesday returns to the group, plopping into Enid’s personal space. She pretends it’s because Enid might want it.
Enid blushes.
“Don’t answer that. We’ll talk about it later though.” Yoko laughs.
Wednesday replies, “No you will not.”
“It’s getting late… Movie time!” Enid switches the subject, and everyone lets her.
Enid falls asleep on Wednesday’s shoulder, and soon after everyone files out. They thank Wednesday from afar, and they get a nod in return. Kate stays back.
“What?” Wednesday’s voice is quiet.
“Thank you for inviting me. You’re a really great girlfriend. She’s so lucky.”
Wednesday blinks, then nods. Maybe Enid is right.
Minutes later, they’re both in t-shirts in Enid’s bed. Wednesday on her back, with Enid half on top of her on her stomach. She can tell that Enid is awake now, and wants to talk but isn’t sure what to say.
“Mi querida…” This makes Enid raise her head. “Do you… want to talk about your emotions?”
Enid shakes her head no, but still answers. “I don’t want you to..”
“You better not be altering your behavior because you think I’ll feel anything.”
“Because you don’t?”
“You can just admit that you’re not as happy as usual.”
“Gee, thanks Wednesday.”
Ohhh not her actual name. Wednesday kisses her forehead. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re right.”
They sit with this for a moment.
“Do you want to talk about why?”
Enid shakes her head.
“Very well. Goodnight.” Wednesday opens her arms for Enid to hug her. The cuddles make up for her poor delivery earlier.
The next morning, they get mail, and there’s a letter from Enid’s parents. They both stare at it on Wednesday’s desk for a moment. Enid turns to Wednesday.
“Keep it. I can’t.”
Wednesday tucks it into her desk and vows to leave it be. She’s honestly a little tired of not knowing what to do and how to fix things, but she’d never tell a soul. The person she has to go to for anything is Enid. But it’s about Enid. What to do? Wait.
That day, she gets extra writing time to mull about Enid, because she went to town shopping with Yoko and Divina. To find a necklace for her, presumably. She thinks about what it’ll be like, to have a piece of jewelry like that on her all the time. She wonders if she’ll be able to get used to it. If Enid will be upset if she sees her not wearing it. Could she get herself to upset Enid over something so trivial? She might not even ever get her one, what is she thinking?
In town, Yoko and Divina follow Enid around with mouths wide open. They’re shopping for a necklace for… Wednesday Addams? Enid decides on two small pendants on one chain. An “E” and a werewolf.
They’re sitting on Enid’s bed that night when she shows Wednesday, and there’s a pause before a reaction. Wednesday keeps it to herself that she finds it peculiar that in getting a necklace to represent her, Enid chose a wolf. It made perfect sense, actually. Is this the start of Enid learning to reconnect with her werewolf side again? It feels like it’d been so long since it was a ‘the best thing ever” that Enid can wolf out now. Wednesday thinks back to a promise she made herself a long time ago, to put her ego aside because her role as Enid’s girlfriend is different than anything she’s ever done before or imagined. Enid helps her put the necklace on, and she makes another promise to herself to never take it off. “I love it, and I love you. Thank you, Enid.”
Enid takes her hands, and that’s when she decides that it’s always a bad time, so she’ll bring the Kate thing up anyway.
“Last night, Kate thanked me for inviting her.”
“Oh.”
“She called me a ‘really great girlfriend’ and you ‘so lucky’.”
Enid frowns.
“I’m afraid you’re right.”
“Okay.”
“I think you’d make good friends.”
“What? She’s---”
“She’s a werewolf, she’s energetic and kind. She seems to exist on the internet too.”
“What if she hits on you?”
“If I had time before you mauled her, I’d surely stab her.”
“You’d decline sternly and NOT stab her.”
“Why are you making up situations?”
“We’ll see about the friends thing, okay?”
Wednesday nods.
Sometime, weeks later, Wednesday sits, reading a somehow dark corner of the quad, sans Enid, hands fidgeting with the necklace. Yoko and Divina pass by, noticing Enid’s absence. They stop. Wednesday looks up from her book.
“Hi.”
Yoko speaks up. “We thought she’d be with you.”
“Showering. She’ll be here soon.”
Yoko points to the ground. “Can we wait here?”
Wednesday nods, and they sit down. They sit in a dead silence for a while, while Wednesday reads. Eventually, Yoko speaks up.
“Hey, I get it if you don’t want to talk about it---”
“I probably don’t.”
“---But is Enid okay? Is everything okay with the…”
“Parents thing?”
“Yeah.”
Wednesday sits in silence for a while. What could she say? What should she say?
“I spend approximately half of my waking hours worrying about her.”
“Oh…”
“I-- She appreciates your concern.”
“You don’t have to tell us anything, and that’s not why we’re asking.”
“I know. Enid is.. struggling with a lot. I fail to understand and fail to help.”
“Come on, you’re like, perfect. And when you’re not you’re just doing your best.”
“Right.”
“She’s haunted by the mistreatment endured at the hands of her parents, but she still misses them. Talking about being a wolf is a touchy subject these days. And she hides her negative emotions from you all. And me.”
Yoko and Divina are taken aback by the Wednesday version of an outburst.
“I’m sorry to hear that. She’s lucky to have you.”
“Thank you.”
“So it's the full moon tonight…”
“I’m aware.”
“Do you…?”
“What?”
“How does she handle it?”
“Why are you suddenly curious?”
“I’m just worried about her.”
“I stay with her.”
“Oh.”
It’s then that Enid comes walking towards them. Wednesday greets her with a hand squeeze, “Beloved.”
“Willa.” Enid sits leaning into her.
That night, Enid and Kate walk side by side, heading to the cages as Wednesday finds herself pacing as she does every month as she waits for the right time to sneak out.
Kate starts the conversation. “So how are you?”
“I’m good, Kate. How are you?”
“Thanks for asking, Enid. I’m stressed about work and college and my family, and life. But I’m good.”
“School work? You’re really smart.”
“Work work. At The Weathervane. I’m not that smart by the way.”
“Right.”
“For example, Wednesday is smarter than me.”
“Wednesday is smarter than most people. I’m sure you’ve noticed with all the watching her you do.”
“You’ve noticed?”
“How can I not? She’s my girlfriend and you’re in love with her.” Enid raises her voice.
“Jeez, Enid. It’s not like that.”
“I know, you’re cool. I’m sorry.”
“Is she coming tonight?”
Enid nods.
“Stupid question, sorry. Tell her I said hi.”
“Sure.”
Soon after, Enid finds herself about to change, locked in a cage with Wednesday sitting by her side. She hates this. They both do. Enid hates how she can’t stop thinking about Wednesday, injured, and almost dying, and she can’t stop thinking about how she hoped her parents would finally see her, but learning the details, didn’t give a shit. She hates how she gets stuck in the cage every full moon and she hates how she knows she’s not but just feels like a monster sometimes. Wednesday can almost relate.
Mostly, Wednesday doesn’t sleep and sits there stroking Enid’s fur. Sometimes she talks to Enid, sometimes she reads to her. Enid is really, really in love with her. How could anyone be this sweet? She sometimes felt like she didn’t deserve it.
When morning comes and Enid is back to human form, Wednesday has to sneak back out. They go to a hidden corner of the cage, and Wednesday kisses her goodbye. It’s the few times they show that much PDA in ‘public’ and it’s almost a little bit of a thrill. “I’ll see you soon, mi querida.”
On Wednesday’s journey back to the dorm, she decides that she has to start having hard conversations with Enid for her own good, and if Enid hates her for it, she’ll have to deal with it. Wednesday Addams fucking loves Enid Sinclair so much that of course shell study and learn how to have long, hard, emotional conversations where they both share.