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“Ugh!” Enid grumbled, slumping over her desk as her body practically gave out from pure exhaustion and boredom. Her arm was the only thing keeping her head up, her eyes bloodshot with forming-circles underneath them. It was 10pm– she should be in bed doomscrolling right now.
“What’s the matter?” Wednesday questioned at the sudden grumble from across the room. She looked away from her notebook just in time to see Enid lay face down on the scattered papers in front of her.
The blonde had been so quiet Wednesday nearly forgot she was in the room with her.
Enid lifted her head up, removing a paper that stuck to her cheek with a sigh. Wednesday patiently waited for a response for a moment as she watched Enid angrily cross her arms against her chest.
“Mr. Moore gave us three assignments due by the end of the week,” she pouted. “Do you know how stupid that is? We have testing all week and shortened classes because of it, and yet he decides that now is the best time to give us all this work? Wednesday, I am literally going to die!”
Wednesday set her notebook aside to clasp her hands in her lap, glad she didn’t have to take his English class. For being in a regular class, compared to honors, it seemed like Enid had more work than Wednesday.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Wednesday heard herself ask.
Enid shook her head at that. “It’s way too late. I think I’ll just wing it all tomorrow. I do more work under pressure” she muttered. Wednesday opened her mouth to point out it was a horrible idea, but the girl’s next words removed any coherent thoughts that could’ve formed for the next week. “But thanks, baby.”
Unusually and uncomfortably, Wednesday felt her face heat up, her ears burning as her breath hitched. Enid went back to staring at her papers before picking up her pen to chew at the tip of it, acting as if though she never said something so… so– utterly ridiculous!
And what did she even mean by that? Enid never called her such a thing, never in the two years they’d known each other would she even consider calling her something like that, even after they started a relationship.
So why did she call her that?
Baby.
Baby.
Baby .
God, it kept repeating in her mind in Enid’s voice like it was the only sound she'd ever heard in her seventeen years of life. It didn’t make sense. Not in any way possible could Wednesday make sense of Enid’s voice or her own pathetic reaction.
It shouldn’t have bothered her so much.
Except she didn’t feel bothered. She felt different in a way that left her face and ears feel like they were on fire as her heart began beating irregularly with moths moving around in her stomach. Where did all her somewhat-normal thoughts go? She was better than this, a silly name shouldn’t cause a reaction worse than death.
But it was causing this reaction!
Wednesday covered her face with her hands and rubbed them up and down her cheeks and over her ears, trying to get the feeling to go away. After a few seconds of closing her eyes and clearing her mind of everything, she felt it stop… until she opened them and saw Enid and her beautiful face again, stacking the sheets together.
What was happening?
This was some sort of experiment, wasn’t it? To see a reaction? That was the only logical explanation.
So why wasn’t Enid looking to see the effect her words had on her? Instead, she was humming some pop song to herself as she stood up to push her chair in, having done no work all night but calling it a day anyway.
No, Enid was trying to see if she could kill her.
—No, that made less sense.
“Uh, Earth to Wednesday,” Enid called suddenly, waving her hand slightly as she tilted her head like a puppy. “You okay?”
Wednesday unconsciously sat up straighter against the wall and nodded a few more times than she needed to. Enid wouldn’t get the pleasure of seeing her like this.
“You sure?” Enid asked, hesitant. “It’s fine if you’re not. You just look… kind of flushed and stuff. Like you have a fever or something.”
“I’m fine,” Wednesday lied. Something way worse was happening to her.
Enid shrugged in response, biting the inside of her cheek for a second. “Okay then. I’ll be back in a minute, I need to get ready for bed.”
She briefly rummaged around her drawers to pull out a pair of pajamas before continuing her humming, making her way into their bathroom. Even with her out of sight Wednesday kept thinking about her now.
Wednesday was certain that by the time the blonde returned, she’d be lying dead on her mattress. All because Enid probably thought it was funny and… and… she just liked making Wednesday looked shocked and–
What was happening?!
It was official; Wednesday Addams was going to be murdered by her girlfriend. But, she was more impressed than upset. Her brain was failing to work and only her face was rising to an unbelievably high temperature. She must have a new disease.
Unfortunately, she won’t have the honor of naming it herself.
To prepare for her passing, Wednesday placed her notebook aside on her desk before returning to her bed, pulling the covers over herself so she could fold her arms over her chest. If she was going to die, she might as well be in the proper position.
Shortly after, Enid emerged from their bathroom and threw her clothes in front of her bed for Wednesday to pick up in the morning as she scolded her for her bad habits. Just then, Wednesday noticed, Enid frowned.
“Wens, you don’t look so hot,” she said. “Or well, you do–”
Her face returned to the crimson red. She really was dying, and she didn’t get to tell her family she tolerated them the most out of everyone in the world. She couldn’t even get a word out to say anything to Enid.
“...Hold on, come here,” she continued, inching closer to her roommate. Suddenly, her hand reached out to touch Wednesday’s forehead, and luckily Wednesday flinched in time to have Enid pull away with an even deeper frown. “Please just tell me what’s wrong? I’m worried.”
A moment passed before Wednesday gave in, closing her eyes.
“You’re killing me.”
“Wednesday, what are you talking about?” her roommate asked tiredly, brows knitting together.
What was she talking about? Wednesday wanted to send a glare her way, but she laid still and motionless, giving in and welcoming her end with open arms now. It was too late for her.
“You know what you did,” she replied quietly.
Enid’s eyes shut as she let out a breath. “No, I don’t. Tell me what I did wrong so I won’t do it again.”
No. Wednesday was really dying this time. How many times could her face internally catch on fire? Turn almost as red as her own blood, before it’d kill her?
“That name you called me previously,” Wednesday managed to say. “You said it, and now I cannot think properly. I never thought you would do this to me…”
“God, Wednesday, I would never kill you,” She sighed. “What word did I even use?” Enid asked genuinely. Did she seriously not remember? Or was she playing dumb? Wednesday relaxed into her bed. She had a minute left, she assumed.
Her mouth opened a few times before she was able to mutter the word. “Baby.”
It took everything in Enid to not burst out laughing from where she stood.
“Look, I’m sorry, okay?” Enid forced out. “But, I promise you, you’re not dying.”
“I beg to differ, Enid,” Wednesday muttered, opening her eyes. She was confused when Enid shook her head. How would she know what was wrong? It wasn’t happening to her. “You are not experiencing this feeling. You wouldn't know.”
Enid lifted up her hands, preparing to do annoying air quotations. “What’s “wrong”, is that the Wednesday Addams is flustered.”
At the accusation, a mix of slight frustration and a deep confusion made Wednesday bolt up in bed, hands at her sides as a glare began forming on her face.
“No–”
Instantly, her bitter tone was dropped along with her tense shoulders and glare once Enid’s hands found her face as she pressed their lips together for a few seconds. Wednesday forgot what she was upset about afterward. She forgot she was even upset at all, really.
Enid pulled apart, leaning in closer to Wednesday, close enough to feel her hot breath against the shell of her ear, probably to finally send her into cardiac arrest right then and there.
The blonde whispered, a grin evident in her teasing tone.
“Nice to know you prefer babe."