Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Under The Moon

Wednesday Friday Addams was many things: a writer, an outcast, an amateur detective, allergic to color, amongst myriad other things. One thing she wasn't, however, was tolerant. She couldn't tolerate immaturity, noise, disorder- amongst myriad other things. And yet, as she watched her roommate, Enid Sinclair, decorate her side of their shared space, she couldn't find it in herself to chastise the other girl, despite the posters she put on her walls as if she was still in middle school, despite the music she was playing from her phone, despite the absolute eyesore that was her pastel rainbow themed decorations.

The two had gone through much during the summer before the semester, ending with an attack from a mythical outcast that was only thwarted by Enid's transformation into her werewolf form, the first time the other girl had been able to do so. They had butted heads, traded stories about their families, and spent many tense nights preparing for the attack that still caught them off guard. It was an experience Wednesday never expected to have- not the stakeouts and the fighting, but rather coming to understand and rely on somebody else.

Because of all the things Wednesday was, she was first and foremost a loner. Of all the things she wasn't, she was last and least someone who trusted others. Yet she had come to trust Enid. Had come to tolerate her. Had come to desire her company. And she hated it.

Yet she hadn't been able to stop herself from accepting their rooming situation. She had even pressed the other girl into admitting that she wanted to room together. And even now, as she watched Enid humming and happily adorning her bed with even more swaths of colored fabric, she couldn't find that visceral detestation she should have felt.

At least she had negotiated a clear boundary between the two sides of the room. Her side was neat and orderly, with some of her preferred pastimes represented in her cello and her typewriter. Almost everything was in black. If she had had access to black paint then the wood of the walls and the floor would also be black, but alas, she had more pressing matters in the two days between deciding to room with Enid and moving in with her.

Those two days had been spent in a hospital for the gashes and broken bones she had suffered from fighting the Hyde, escaping from the hospital to treat her wounds herself, and going along with her family as they helped Enid to do some shopping for the semester. She regretted the last the most, considering what Enid was doing to their room.

But then Enid finished, shut her music off, and turned to her with her big smile and said, "there, all done. What do you think?"

"It's hideous," Wednesday said, very much meaning it. "I'm sure you're proud."

"A little," Enid said with her face set in an amused tilt. "And your side is very... you."

"You say that as if I'm the crazy one," Wednesday said.

Enid's smile never faltered. "Maybe our craziness balances out."

Wednesday hummed and a thought struck her. "We shouldn't work, but we do," she said. "Did I get that right?"

Enid looked surprised and she bit her lip. Her voice turned soft. "Yeah, pretty much."

Silence descended on them, and while usually Wednesday would have reveled in it, she felt an odd tension instead. She felt the need to say something, and from the look on Enid's face she felt the same, but neither spoke.

They were saved from their own inability to speak to each other by a knock on the door, which was swiftly followed by the door opening before either could acknowledge the knock. Yoko, Enid's vampire friend, stood in the entryway, and she looked around their shared room with appraising eyes.

"Not bad for an old storage ro- wait a second, you guys have your own bathroom?" Yoko said.

"I couldn't believe it either," Enid said as Yoko entered the room and looked around some more. "We got so lucky."

"Or someone paid some good money to make this happen," Yoko said, eying Wednesday.

"I don't have access to my parents' money, and they didn't pay off the school aside from the standard tuition," Wednesday said. "Although I wouldn't put it past my mother to exert some influence on that principal, considering they went to school together."

"There you go, blue bloods sticking together," Yoko said.

"Do you really think she did?" Enid asked.

"Get us our own bathroom? No. But she obviously wielded some amount of influence to get both of us enrolled," Wednesday answered,

"Oh," Enid said.

"Put it out of your mind," Wednesday said. "What she does, she does for her own selfish reasons. There's no need to feel guilty about it."

Enid smiled at her but Yoko gave the two of them a strange look. She shook herself off before Enid noticed, but Wednesday frowned.

"Well I came by to see if you wanted a little tour around campus and the town," Yoko said to Enid. "And I guess your roommate can come along to."

"I'd rather not," Wednesday said.

"I'd love to," Enid said to Yoko before turning to Wednesday. "And you should totally come along too. You never know, you might find another mystery to investigate."

Wednesday stared at the two friends just long enough to make them feel uncomfortable before she said, "lead the way."

She followed Enid and Yoko, who spent the trip down several flights of stairs talking about the school grounds, the classes they were taking, and the social groups and gossip that somehow had already started. A fair amount of the gossip surrounded Wednesday and Enid, considering they were late additions to the school, but Wednesday couldn't be bothered to care. Enid didn't seem particularly distraught either, to Wednesday's mild surprise. When she first met the other girl she was full of insecurities and doubt. Perhaps transforming had changed her. Or perhaps it had brought out what was inside all along.

The other girl had faced the pressure of expectation her entire life, especially from her mother. Wednesday knew what that felt like, especially since the onset of her own visions before the summer started. Yes, it was the same pressure, though they handled it in such different ways. Enid kept her feelings hidden behind a mask of positivity where Wednesday showed her disdain openly and frequently. Enid lived much of her live trying to please her parents, where Wednesday spent much of hers antagonizing her own.

At first she felt that Enid's way of living was a weakness, that Enid herself was weak. Yet she proved again and again capable and willing to stand up for the things she believed in, even against Wednesday. That had been her downfall; the dichotomy between Enid's way of living and the strength she was capable of was too intriguing to ignore. She found herself wanting to explore that dichotomy, to understand it, and that had led her to opening herself up to the other girl, a feeling of being exposed that she had never wanted to feel. There was even a certain... affection, though Wednesday told herself it was what one might feel towards a family pet.

The three made a roundabout tour of the campus, with Yoko pointing out which buildings held which sets of classes, where the gymnasium and the cafeteria were, and some paths that led towards an adjacent town. They passed several of Yoko's favorite 'hangout spots,' which Wednesday memorized in order to avoid them, before reaching the heart of the campus, an open quad with some benches and picnic tables around the edges. The rest of Yoko's and Enid's friends were there waiting for them, including Xavier.

When they approached, the boy didn't seem to know what to do with himself. Wednesday could almost feel the weight of Enid's side-eye and Bianca's twitching glare. She didn't typically mind awkward situations- she usually reveled in the discomfort of others, even. But she didn't need to be a psychic to know that leaving things unclear would only annoy her in the future. She faced Xavier.

"I need to discuss something with you," she said. "In private."

Xavier perked up. "Yeah, yeah of course."

Without waiting she turned on her heel and walked away, to the shade of a tree far enough from the group to ensure they weren't overheard, even with the enhanced hearing of the other outcasts. When she turned back to face Xavier they stared at each other for a few moments. Xavier spoke first.

"How are you doing?" he asked. He looked her over "Yoko said you were pretty hurt, but you seem okay now."

"Unfortunately no debilitating injuries or lasting consequences."

"That's unbelievable," Xavier said, shaking his head. "Whatever Tyler transformed into was terrifying. If you hadn't shown up..." he looked away and shook his head before looking back. "I have a lot to thank you for. That's the second time you saved my life."

"Save your thanks," Wednesday said. "I took on the challenge of stopping the Hyde to see if I could." She paused and thought for a moment. "And really it was Enid who stopped it anyway."

"Yeah," Xavier said. "I guess we both got lucky she was able to transform that night."

"Luck had nothing to do with it. She was always capable of transforming, she just needed the right motivation."

Xavier nodded. "Of course, totally."

Before he could continue Wednesday took control of the conversation. "I wanted to speak to you in private for a very specific reason. Whatever you felt was going on between us, wasn't. I continued to see you the past few weeks as a way of preventing a vision I had from coming to pass."

Xavier stiffened and looked away. He took a few quick breaths before meeting her eyes again. "Are you saying you didn't feel anything for me at all?"

Wednesday paused before she answered. It would have been easy to agree, but she wasn't sure that would be the truth. Perhaps she had spent too much time with Enid, she thought. "I did... appreciate your insight into psychic powers. The time we spent together, alone, wasn't intolerable. But as far as romantic feelings- no, I don't harbor any romantic intentions towards you."

For some reason Xavier didn't seem mollified by her attempt to soften the blow of rejection. A lesson learned; never soften a blow again.

"Okay," Xavier said with tension in his voice. "Okay, I guess. So the dates we went on, hanging out together, all that, you just didn't like any of it at all?"

"I said our time together was tolerable, is that not good enough?" Wednesday asked.

Xavier opened his mouth, closed it, shook his head, and opened it again. "Sometimes I forget that you have a different way of looking at things," he said. "So yeah, I'm glad you didn't hate it, but... I don't know."

He was silent for a few moments, staring at Wednesday while he worked himself up to something. Wednesday was sure she wouldn't like whatever it was.

"Would you be open to trying?" he asked. "Let me take you on a date. No Tyler, no vision or anything like that. Just you and me."

Wednesday felt her frown deepen. "I already tried, Xavier. The dates were real enough. There was just nothing there for me."

When she didn't elaborate further Xavier deflated before her eyes. "Okay."

Wednesday nodded. "With that settled shall we return to the others?"

"Yeah, guess we should."

They returned to the others, Wednesday unsure if Xavier would care to continue engaging with her but not bothered if he were to choose not to. What did bother her, much to her chagrin, were the furtive looks Enid shot between her and Xavier. Wednesday knew her relationships with Xavier and Tyler- fake though they were- had bothered Enid in some way. At first she had thought that Enid was upset because of her failed relationship with Ajax. But clearly, even after everything they had been through, after transforming to save Wednesday's life, Enid still was bothered by something else. And Wednesday was bothered in turn, though she felt an incredible sense of annoyance that she was.

But the conversation stayed away from their small interpersonal drama, likely purposefully. Wednesday could appreciate how adept Yoko could be in social situations, and the vampire was steering the conversation around the school and the classes they would have the next day. Wednesday mostly stayed out of it, only listening to get a better idea of what an outcast school might entail. She wasn't worried about the difficulty of the material or the classwork. Though she had never been a student in an outcast school, her entire family, from immediate to far-flung, was made up of outcasts. There was little she felt she needed to learn, and in listening to Yoko, Enid, and the others talk, her feeling grew to a certainty. The schoolwork itself would prove no challenge for her. So how would she entertain herself?

Her eyes turned to her roommate. Her earlier thoughts returned, thoughts of their differences, their similarities. Thoughts of the hidden strength the other girl had flashed throughout their time together, when she stood up to a couple of normies to protect a sister and brother she just met, when she stood up to Wednesday directly afterwards to protect a couple of normies who had just insulted her. That disgusting empathy that drove her to see the best in others, even her own mother, who Wednesday had seen, in a vision, tear Enid down with a few passive-aggressive comments. Half a werewolf, she had heard the older werewolf say in that vision, disappointed that Enid couldn't change.

Wednesday frowned at the memory. While she believed that everyone should be able to stand on their own, the idea that someone's parents could refuse to support their child, could even tear them down, disgusted her. Yet, despite that lack of support, Enid had developed into a kind, empathetic person. The kind of person Wednesday couldn't stand. Except... she could. After everything they had gone through, the conversations they shared, the understanding they developed, Wednesday had to admit, if only to herself, that Enid was important to her.

The group stood as one and Wednesday followed suit. She hadn't been paying attention to what they were talking about, but in a few moments she pieced together that they were heading somewhere to get something to eat. She hesitated for a moment, tempted to disappear and make her own plans, but decided it would be useful to see some of the town as part of a group, so as not to stand out.

The dinner itself was uneventful, with Enid's friends chattering away about nothing of consequence. They told Enid and Wednesday about an exhibition of the different clubs the school offered, set for the first weekend of the semester. Enid seemed thrilled at the idea while Wednesday could barely hide her disdain. Worse, she knew that she would get swept up in Enid's enthusiasm and be forced to check out at least a handful of clubs with the other girl.

After dinner the group split, with Enid and Wednesday heading to their converted storage room and the others heading to the traditional dorms. Enid kept talking, even without Wednesday giving her much to work with, too caught up in her excitement over starting a new school to let Wednesday's recalcitrance bother her.

When they reached their room they prepared for bed. Enid quieted down, and Wednesday sat at her typewriter, though she found she couldn't make much good progress. She could feel furtive looks from Enid, as if she had more to say. Wednesday couldn't imagine how, with all the talking she had fit in with the others, but... Enid was a social person. It was natural for her to seek her friends' input on her own thoughts. And she and Wednesday shared an... almost friendship, Enid had said. There was no doubt in Wednesday's mind that that 'almost' was only for her benefit. She sighed, a quiet admittance of Enid's insidious reach into her heart. She stilled her hands, with little added to her work from the day before, and turned to Enid.

"Enid," she called out to the other girl, who quickly tried to look as if she hadn't been looking at Wednesday the moment before.

"Yeah Wednesday?"

Wednesday paused. She had started the conversation without an idea of where to take it. She settled for asking, "are you prepared for tomorrow?"

"I hope so. How about you?"

"Of course," Wednesday answered.

"Good, good," Enid said.

They stared at each other for a few moments, Wednesday in growing frustration with herself, before Enid spoke again.

"You've got something on your mind, don't you?" she asked.

Wednesday narrowed her eyes. "What makes you say that?"

"Wednesday Addams starting a conversation on her own?" Enid asked rhetorically, eyebrows raised and the hint of a smile on her face. "That's pretty suspicious."

Wednesday considered the other girl for a moment. She wondered just when Enid had gotten to understand her so well. And when she had come to care to understand Enid as well. "That should be my line. Enid Sinclair with something to say, but unwilling to speak?"

Enid bit her lip and ducked her head. After a moment she shrugged and looked at Wednesday again. "You've put up with a lot today, I didn't want to bug you."

Wednesday hummed a noncommittal noise. "I think we both know you'll stew on whatever you want to say until it explodes out of you or eats you up from the inside."

Enid hesitated before words came spilling out of her mouth. "I know you probably won't like it, but I just can not resist some good gossip, but I also didn't want to annoy you with questions-"

"You're wondering about my conversation with Xavier," Wednesday stated, cutting Enid off.

"I know, I'm sorry, it's private," Enid said, looking anywhere except at Wednesday.

Wednesday frowned at Enid. She took a moment to consider whether she wanted to encourage gossiping behavior, or if Enid would have the same negative reaction she had had when they had talked about herself and Xavier before. But what was life if not a series of negative reactions?

"When I spoke to Xavier I was clarifying our relationship," Wednesday said.

"Yeah?" Enid prompted. She bit her lip in an obvious attempt to prevent herself from prying further.

Wednesday decided to indulge her. "I informed him that my interest was only in preventing my vision from coming to pass, nothing more."

Enid's face flew through a dozen emotions before she reined herself in to a concerned look. "How'd he take that?"

Wednesday shrugged. "Well enough."

Enid nodded slowly. "Were- did- not to make it weird or anything, but you guys did seem to get along, is there any reason why you're not interested in him?"

"I'm not sure it's philosophically possible to explain a lack of romantic interest," Wednesday said.

"Uh, sure, but like... maybe you feel something, or felt something, for, y'know," Enid started, clearly avoiding saying Tyler's name.

"Tyler," Wednesday said for her.

"Yeah."

Wednesday thought for a moment. "Perhaps I view them differently. Certainly Xavier can't turn into a creature made of hate and anger. But my time together with each of them was similar."

"So not so interested in him either?" Enid asked.

"I have little to compare it to, but I certainly didn't feel the magnetic pull my parents claim to feel towards each other, nor even the more tepid attraction I've seen in the vampire and the siren."

Enid bit her lip again. "Do you have any interest in romance?" She stared at Wednesday expectantly for a few moments before speaking again. "It's totally okay if you don't, by the way, I guess I'm just curious. No pressure. Answering, that is. You know what, we can forget the whole thing."

It was an interesting question despite Enid's rambling. Her parents had pushed the idea, mostly inadvertently through their actions, that love was as vital to living as food or air. It was a foreign concept to Wednesday, who barely tolerated even most of her family. Uncle Fester, the only family member she would admit to liking, had been burned in his own pursuit of love more times than Wednesday could remember, which was saying a lot considering her mental acuity.

Then there was the rest of society, both outcast and normie, which placed an inordinate amount of emphasis on love. Love was in stories and songs, it was the subject of light gossip and meaningful conversations. Something was there, at least for most people, and Wednesday's natural curiosity had made her consider the subject a few times over the years.

She had played the part of love interest with both Tyler and Xavier. She had engaged in what she assumed to be typical 'couple' activities, like conversing about their interests and sharing past traumas. She had kissed each boy, experiences that hadn't been wholly unpleasant. But that brought her back to Enid's question; was that active interest?

"I am not disinterested," Wednesday finally said. "Perhaps Xavier and Tyler were the wrong partners. But I can't say that I've met the right one."

"Oh," Enid said, her voice soft. "Right."

Wednesday frowned at the other girl's tone. She wasn't sure what, but something she had said upset her.

"Should we hit the lights?" Enid asked. She put on a smile. "It's been a long day, and we have our first classes tomorrow."

Wednesday nodded and Enid got up to turn the lights off. A pale glow from the waning moon flooded in from the windows, enough that she could still make out Enid's face. She wore a frown, a contrast to only a few moments before.

Wednesday laid down. She didn't know why it bothered her so, that she had upset Enid. It was another mystery, she knew, one that she wouldn't be able to stop herself from trying to solve. One that was less thrilling than the summer's vision, but somehow one that felt no less important. The other girl wore her heart on her sleeve- Wednesday's opposite in so many ways. And yet, despite that, she couldn't figure her out. But she swore to herself that she was going to.

Chapter Text

The first week of classes proved as dull as Wednesday had feared. Not only were teachers easing the students into the workload, the syllabi didn't reveal any subjects that she wasn't already familiar with. She found interest in her otherwise dreadfully boring classes in observing her fellow students. Human interaction had long fascinated Wednesday, particularly when it led to misery. If there was one thing high school aged teens were good for, it was making each other miserable.

As always- at least since the summer started, Wednesday thought to herself- Enid served as a focal point for her interest. They only shared two classes, but those classes were the ones where Wednesday felt most alert. Enid insisted on sharing a table for the one, and sitting next to her in seats that were far too close together in the other. She talked and talked whenever the teacher wasn't, asking Wednesday about the particulars of the class or the other students around her about themselves.

Those were the moments when Enid shined. Enid had been a social butterfly from the moment Wednesday had met her. She was friendly and open, she knew all the right things to say to make people like her, and from what Wednesday had seen , was a genuine person. She had a conventional physical appeal, which Wednesday had grown to tolerate over her time knowing the other girl. It was no surprise that even in her first week , everyone around her wanted to know her better.

Many of their male classmates seemed particularly interested in Enid. Wednesday kept a close eye on the ones that were most persistent in talking to Enid. They gave her an unsettled feeling. Thoughts of Tyler's pursuit of herself swirled through her head, though the logical part of her mind knew that each of the students were easily identifiable outcasts , and unlikely to be sources of danger .

She also knew that Enid could take care of herself physically, with her werewolf-enhanced strength and speed . Wednesday frowned. Enid was also an open person who trusted too easily, and she had shown herself weak to emotional distress. If someone got close to her they could damage her in a thousand ways, more deeply than any cut; Enid's mother was proof positive of that. As she watched Enid laugh at someone else's comment she clenched her jaw. She met the other person's eye, some poor male siren, and he quickly turned back to the front of the classroom.

She caught the puzzled look on Enid's face and relaxed her face into a more neutral look before the other girl looked at her. Enid might not appreciate Wednesday scaring the people around her, even seemingly harmless students. Especially potential romantic partners, since her summer relationship with Ajax had ended poorly.

But s he would still keep an eye on Enid, she vowed. For the other girl's own good.

Her time outside of class was only marginally more interesting. Settling into sharing a space with Enid had proven rocky at first. There had been some tense negotiations about noise, curfews, guests and the like. Wednesday had felt a surge of pride when the other girl brought out her claws after some harsh demands. Enough pride so that she had, begrudgingly, allowed the many colorful adornments Enid had put up throughout her side of their room as a compromise .

The school also offered many clubs, and encouraged students to join for extra credits. Enid had insisted on dragging Wednesday through the club exposition event taking place over the weekend, though she couldn't honestly say she had put up much of a fight. Wednesday doubted she would find anything worth joining, but she hadn't been able to turn the other girl down.

So that Saturday she found herself walking the grounds with Enid, checking out stands and posters for different clubs while ignoring the people manning them. Enid occasionally nudged her and pointed out something she thought Wednesday would find interesting, and more often than not she was right, much to Wednesday's consternation. She preferred it when the other girl couldn't figure her out.

One club caught her eye more than the others. There seemed to be only one person, a familiar younger outcast who stood in front of an old wooden filing cabinet that was buzzing suspiciously. Wednesday, Enid, and her family had visited the boy's family's bee sanctuary over the summer. Eugene, Wednesday recalled. Eugene Ottinger, a psychic who could communicate with animals.

She disappeared from Enid's side and approached the boy. When he noticed her heading towards him he looked around, as if convinced she was going somewhere else. It was only when she stopped directly in front of him that he brightened up.

"Hey, are you interested in bees?" he asked.

"In some ways, yes," Wednesday answered.

He smiled wider and Wednesday was reminded of Enid. "Then you're in the right place! I'm part of the beekeeping club. Well, more like the entire beekeeping club. People don't seem to want to risk bee stings, even when I tell them the bees are harmless."

Wednesday frowned. "Their loss," she said.

"I know, right? Bees are awesome," Eugene said.

Wednesday of course had been talking about being on constant alert for pain, the kind of arduous task that could drive a person to madness. She decided not to tell Eugene that she didn't care about the 'awesome' aspects of bees. Instead she asked "what kind of activities does your club partake in?"

"We mind the hives, tend the gardens around them to make sure the bees have enough honey, and... wait a second. This seems familiar." He snapped his fingers in recognition. "You and your family came to my family's farm!"

Wednesday nodded.

"I'm glad I made an impression," he said. "Is that why you want to join?"

Wednesday didn't recall saying she wanted to join, but the prospect didn't seem so bad. There would only be one other person, she would be surrounded by animals that could cause harm, and she could probably swing some free honey for any balms or potions she wanted to make. "Yes," she said simply.

"And, uh, is your friend around too?" Eugene asked looking bashful.

Enid. Of course. Everyone wanted Enid.

"We're roommates," Wednesday said. "But I doubt she'll join this club."

Eugene deflated and he let out a disappointed "oh." After a moment he shrugged and smiled again. "That's alright. We'll have plenty of fun even if it's just the two of us. We might as well make it formal. Eugene Ottinger," he reintroduced himself as he held out a hand to shake.

Wednesday stared at it for a few moments. She normally abhorred physical contact, and not only because of her visions, but something about Eugene was just so... pathetic. She grabbed his hand, pumped once in a firm hand shake, and let go.

"Wednesday Addams."

"Wednesday. That's an interesting name."

"Mine is an interesting family."

Eugene's eyes lit up. "I remember! Your parents were really something. Why don't you tell me about them?"

Wednesday took a moment to wonder what she had done to herself. She was about to open herself to someone new, entering into a conversation about her own family, a topic she tried to avoid. Yet she couldn't stop herself. As she started to tell the boy about her father's propensity for attacking her with swords, she cursed Enid Sinclair.

Wednesday stayed with Eugene until the club event ended. Eugene did most of the talking, taking over whatever subject they were on when Wednesday said her piece. No one else approached them, whether because of the lack of interest in bees or because of Wednesday's demeanor she couldn't say. Eugene didn't seem bothered; if anything he was excited about the prospect of even one other person joining him in his little club.

Enid found her on her way back to their room. She nudged Wednesday in that annoying too-familiar way of hers and grinned.

"Looks like you found a club," she said.

Wednesday glanced at her. "I said I would join. I haven't decided how involved I'll be."

"I'm glad you did," Enid said. "I thought you might hate the idea of all of them."

"Near enough," Wednesday said. "Did you choose a club as well?"

Enid shrugged. "Not yet, but there's a few that said I could trial for."

"Tell me about them."

Enid did, happily chattering about the different clubs and people she had seen. She mentioned the fencing club and gave Wednesday a significant look when she she told her that the club allowed challenges from any student, even if they weren't part of the club. There was a small K-pop fan club that she had spent a lot of time with. She talked about track and field, though she seemed more hesitant about the club due to the number of werewolves.

"Will the other werewolves give you any trouble for transforming later than they did?" Wednesday asked.

Enid shrugged. "I don't think so, but werewolf dynamics are all weird." She looked away for a moment before turning back to Wednesday with a smile. "But you don't want to hear about that kind of stuff."

Wednesday had long thought of herself as well informed about different outcasts, but she had to admit to herself that the intricacies of werewolf dynamics were something she hadn't looked into before. Perhaps it was time for her to do so, just in case something happened between Enid and her kin. And while Wednesday didn't mind offending others, offending Enid was something she didn't plan on doing if she could avoid it. Hurting others on her behalf, on the other hand, was something Wednesday found herself looking forward to.

"Enid," Wednesday said seriously. "I do want to hear 'that kind of stuff.' If their weird dynamics hurt you, I'll make them pay."

Enid's face turned red and she looked away again. "You don't have to do that, I can take care of myself." Her voice was quieter than usual.

"I know. But I want to help you anyway." Wednesday stiffened and swallowed against the sudden tension she felt. "We're... not quite friends, aren't we?"

Enid chuckled at that and a small, but more sincere smile appeared on her face. "Yeah, not quite friends." She giggled to herself. "Roommates even."

Wednesday narrowed her eyes, but didn't pursue what Enid found so funny about the word. Something asinine, she was sure. Instead she asked about Enid's other classes, and she spent much of the early afternoon listening to the other girl talk.

She watched her as she spoke. Enid was so animated as she described her classes and what she found interesting about each. She told Wednesday about some of the people she met, and how welcoming everyone had been. Wednesday's own experience in that regard had been the opposite, but that was by her own design. Enid on the other hand positively gushed about new friends and funny interactions.

Wednesday had to stop herself from reacting when Enid asked about the boy in their shared class, the one who had made her laugh and Wednesday had made turn away. She asked Wednesday if she had done something wrong that day, said something or forgot to brush her teeth. Wednesday shrugged.

"Perhaps he has a prejudice against werewolves. I wouldn't let the reaction of one worthless boy weigh on your mind," she said.

Enid gave her one of her half smiles, the kind she wore when she was about to say something she knew Wednesday would disapprove of. "I guess I'm still kind of a people pleaser. You're right though, I shouldn't let him bother me."

Wednesday hesitated. She should have been satisfied with Enid's answer, but of course, she couldn't stand seeing Enid down. Not anymore, at least. "Were you interested in him?" she asked.

"Not, like, interested interested, if you know what I mean. It just hurts, I guess, when someone just starts ignoring you like that," Enid said.

"I prefer when people ignore me," Wednesday said.

Enid chuckled. "I figured."

Wednesday hesitated a moment. She wasn't sure if she should say anything at all, but she also knew Enid required... more, if she were to be comfortable around Wednesday. She took a breath. "That's not entirely true," she said. Enid raised an eyebrow at her. "Not any more, at least."

That was the limit of what she was willing to admit, but from the look on Enid's face, her message made it through. She wore a small smile, a pleased kind of smile that Wednesday found she didn't mind seeing.

Enid changed the subject then, to potential plans for the following weekend. Wednesday mostly nodded as she listened. The plans were the usual fare, spending time with the vampire and the others around campus. Wednesday wondered if she could avoid seeing the others by claiming there was a club meeting. At one point in Enid's idle ramblings the other girl remembered some school work she had to do, and Wednesday turned to her typewriter to start her writing hour.

Progress was slow. She couldn't decide where to take the scene she was working on, and Viper, her main character, refused to cooperate with her. Her plot, which was usually meticulously planned out ahead of time, seemed disjointed. Every time she started a passage she aborted it halfway through, disgusted with her own phrasing. At one point she purposefully stilled her fingers to stem the tides of her frustration, and in the lull in her typing her mind turned to Enid again.

She was no closer to understanding what had upset Enid on their first night in the room together. The other girl hadn't mentioned it, and seemed to be her usual too-cheerful self. Wednesday hadn't managed to spend much time on the subject, but felt that whatever it was had to be related to her somehow. Their fight over the summer had started over Xavier's and Tyler's pursuit of her, after all, and that night they had been discussing her own views on romance.

Wednesday considered a few possibilities. The first was that Enid was upset that Wednesday was receiving romantic interest. Wednesday dismissed the notion as silly. Enid herself showed no interest in either Xavier or Tyler, so there was no reason for simple jealousy, and she was too empathetic to be spiteful towards someone who hadn't done her serious harm. And the two had grown... close, after the summer. If anything Enid should have wanted what she thought would be best for Wednesday, even if Wednesday herself didn't particularly care for romance.

The second possibility was that Enid thought that Wednesday was going to do something bad to her potential partners. That was much more likely, at least for Enid's reaction to her relationship with Xavier during the summer. But if that were the case, then Enid would have been relieved when Wednesday told her she hadn't met the right partner. She had been upset instead.

The third, and least satisfying, was that Enid was simply upset at other events in her life and was lashing out. During the summer the other girl's breakup with Ajax was certainly upsetting enough for the other girl, but the issue again was her reaction to Wednesday's words the previous week. From everything Wednesday had seen, Enid was happy to be at the school, happy to be Wednesday's roommate, and had overcome her own issues and transformed as she always could. There seemed to be nothing to push the other girl to react to Wednesday as she had.

The analytical part of Wednesday's mind turned. She had some theories, all she had to do was plan and execute a few tests, find a baseline to use as a control, and adjust variables until she had an answer. The relative chaos of the first week of school was over with, she was confident in her scholastic abilities, and she enjoyed experimenting on others, but...

She looked over at Enid, who was at her own desk and frowning at a book in front of her. Somehow, experimenting on Enid wasn't as appealing as it should have been. Perhaps she could simply open a dialogue with the other girl, ask her directly what was going through her mind in those moments when Wednesday hurt her. It was a strange thought; she had never cared about her affect on others. Until Enid. A recurring theme on in her life, since meeting the other girl.

Wednesday ejected the sheet on her typewriter and considered it for a few moments. There were only a few paltry passages, and a quick review left her dissatisfied with them. Grappling with her vision of the attack on Xavier and the long nights trying to prevent it hadn't affected her so badly. She had to hurry and figure out what to do about Enid. If not for her own curiosity, then for the sake of her story.

Chapter Text

Wednesday approached a garden on the edge of campus with a dour expression on her face; more dour than usual, at least. Her sleep over the past few days had been poor, which usually gave her a taste of delirium that she reveled in. She couldn't revel over what was causing her recent lack of sleep, however.

Enid had been on her mind, and Wednesday was almost ready to implement some of her experiments despite her misgivings about performing them on Enid. She just could not stand to passively observe anymore, not when the other girl didn't even seem to know she was hiding anything. The only problem was that she didn't know where to start.

Perhaps that was what drove her to actually attend the beekeeping club's first activities for the year. The distraction could force her mind out of its circular rut, and the element of danger, slim though it was with common bees, might prove a welcome treat after making it through a boring week of school life.

She heard the bees before she saw them. The club was located at the edge of campus in a thick grove surrounded by shrubs and flowers, likely enriched by the very bees they homed. Wednesday strode through the trees until she could make out a few manmade hives, and a small figure moving around between them. Eugene. He wasn't wearing beekeeping gear; as a psychic who could control animals, he wouldn't have to. Wednesday sighed and called out.

"Eugene. I've come to tend the bees."

Eugene turned and smiled at her. "Wednesday!"

Too much like Enid, Wednesday thought to herself. She had come to escape thoughts of the other girl. "I don't need the fanfare," she said.

"Sorry," Eugene said, still smiling. "I'm just so excited."

"Well contain yourself. It's unsightly."

"I'll try," Eugene said, though he didn't change his demeanor in the slightest. "Come on, let me show you what I was doing."

Despite the rocky start, Wednesday found her time with Eugene and his bees passed quickly. Eugene showed her the different hives and how to check the level of the honey. Most of them were full or near full, and he told her they would have to harvest it soon. Wednesday nodded along, intrigued by the interplay between animal and carer.

It was clear that Eugene was in his element. He was quick and competent, sure in his movements and easily able to explain what he was doing while he was doing it. He was someone comfortable in his own skin and confident in what he knew. Yet here he was, an outcast among outcasts, and only because his interests were too niche, his excitement over sharing them too passionate for the average person. Much like her own family, Wednesday thought. Much like Enid had been as well, a werewolf who couldn't transform, but so able in so many other ways.

"Hey, would you want to wear an antennae headband?" Eugene asked, cutting through Wednesday's thoughts.

"Only if it's covered in your blood," Wednesday answered without thinking.

Perhaps his enthusiasm was a touch too much. She thought for a moment that he would recoil, as so many had in the face of her retorts, but he only chuckled. Perhaps it was best that he thought she was joking.

"Something wrong?" Eugene asked, still smiling.

"No," was Wednesday's immediate answer.

"Want to try tending to one of the hives yourself?"

"Yes."

"Great, let's do it."

Wednesday had never tended to animals, not in the way livestock needed, at least. She had cared for Nero, her ill-fated pet scorpion but... she preferred not to think about him. Instead she had adopted a 'survival of the fittest' mentality, with a side of performing taxidermy on those that didn't. It was her mother who had the deft hand tending and culling both plants and animals. Perhaps that was why she had always avoided it.

But working alongside Eugene to winterize the hives and check the health of the bees was at least meditative. The gentle buzzing surrounding her helped to block out any unnecessary thoughts, and the manual labor kept her active and engaged. Eugene was direct and succinct, which Wednesday was thankful for, and a few hours after they started, they finished with hives that would withstand the coming winter.

"Good work today," Eugene said to her as he led them to the shed where they kept their supplies.

"It was... less annoying than I thought it would be," Wednesday said.

"Maybe one day you'll even enjoy it," Eugene said.

Wednesday couldn't sense a hint of sarcasm or irony in his voice. "I don't enjoy anything," she said. "But I can at least tolerate this."

"If you say so. I bet me and the bees can wear you down," Eugene said.

"Until next time," Wednesday said in parting.

Eugene waved happily, and Wednesday started away, alone with her thoughts again.

While there certainly were similarities in the way Eugene and Enid approached aspects of their lives, Wednesday couldn't help but focus on the differences. Enid's optimism was more balanced than Eugene's, more nuanced. She was more in touch with the senseless cruelty of the world, more ready to face it. She had seen and withstood harsh treatment at the hands of the very group that should have built her up instead.

Wednesday returned to her room to find Enid already there. The other girl had been at one of her own clubs, and Wednesday nodded along as Enid blathered away while she settled into her space. If nothing else it sounded like she was having a good time with the gossip around whatever band she was currently interested in. Wednesday settled at her desk, ready to continue mostly ignoring Enid when the other girl turned the conversation around.

"And how was the bee club?"

Wednesday frowned. "Tolerable," she settled on.

"That good, huh?" Enid said with a grin.

Wednesday glared at the other girl and was only mildly put off when Enid only giggled. "It was horrendous, actually."

"I'm sure. Tell me about it."

Wednesday did, trying her best to be her usual self. She spoke of Eugene and his incessantly positive demeanor, of the hives and the handful of bee facts she had learned. She spoke of her appreciation of the solitude and restful atmosphere that could be found in the work itself. When she was done speaking she found a soft smile on Enid's face. She frowned in response. "What is it?"

Enid shrugged, smile stubbornly staying in place. "I'm glad you found something you like."

"I wouldn't say I like it," Wednesday said.

"No, you wouldn't," Enid said. "Still, I guess it's just a relief. I know how much you hate everything."

"And don't forget it," Wednesday said. The words sounded hollow to her own ears. It had been some time since she had hated everything.

"Sure," Enid said. She bit her lip. "Is it your writing time?"

Wednesday consulted her internal clock, and a glance out the window confirmed it was as accurate as ever. Yet Enid had been the one to point out it was her writing hour. She nodded, and Enid waved her own school books to show that she would be studying, and the two took up spots at their own desks.

Her writing flowed more smoothly than before. She wasn't sure if her time with Eugene at the club had truly cleared her mind so much, or if her well of inspiration had simply refilled itself, but she was pleasantly surprised when her writing hour passed quickly. She considered carrying on, but the mystery around her roommate's shifting moods concerned her more. Wednesday had never shied away from conflict before. She wasn't going to start that night.

She looked over to Enid, who was frowning at her book without many notes of her own. "Enid," she called.

Enid startled and looked over at her. "What's up? Done?"

"Yes. You don't seem to be making much progress. Would you-" she frowned at herself, cleared her throat, and continued. "Would you like some help?"

"Oh," Enid said, and the tone in her voice gave Wednesday pause. "Yeah, sure, but I actually have a study group lined up, we're meeting tomorrow." She looked around, anywhere but at Wednesday. "I know you've got your own stuff going on too, so I can just get help from them if you're busy."

"I'm offering right now," Wednesday said.

"Oh, yeah, of course." Enid half stood then frowned at Wednesday. "Uh, how do you want to-"

Wednesday was already on the move, chair in hand, and she settled in on one side of Enid's desk. She met Enid's eyes, wide with surprise, before she glanced at the other girl's work.

"Differentiating between Its, Yeti, and Sasquatch. I see why you looked so troubled."

Enid gave a small shrug. "What can I say, even though I'm a furball too, it's tough to tell sometimes."

"Then I'll explain it."

Wednesday guided Enid through an entire chapter of Outcast Biology, although towards the end she could tell that the other girl was losing focus. She reiterated her offer to help, and clarified that she meant any time, but received only a tepid acknowledgement of the offer in response. That left her with another mystery where Enid was concerned.

Enid had shown her own level of comfort when it came to confronting Wednesday. To have Enid simply pulling away frustrated Wednesday, especially so when it felt so blatant. There were few at the school more suited to helping Enid with her studies, in terms of subject knowledge, ease of access, and comfort. At least, she thought that Enid was comfortable with her.

Wednesday glanced at Enid as she studied. Her face was scrunched up in concentration, and Wednesday decided to try something. She shifted her arm, just enough to brush against Enid's arm, and the other girl yanked it away like she had hit a hot stove. Something she surely wouldn't do if one of her friends had bumped her; but then, Enid also knew how touch averse Wednesday was.

"Sorry, didn't know I was so close to you," Enid said.

"It's fine," Wednesday said.

"What about your visions?"

"I'll never control them if I fear them," Wednesday said.

Enid leaned back to face Wednesday fully. She stared for a few moments before she spoke. "You're something else," she said. "If I could have done that on my own, maybe I would have transformed a long time ago."

Wednesday frowned. Testing Enid further would have to wait. She felt a pull to pursue the subject of Enid's long-standing insecurity. It was exactly the kind of subject they had first explored with each other. Perhaps revisiting it would reveal something she hadn't seen. She pushed her chair back to give herself room to turn towards Enid as well. "You're still bothered by that?"

"Yeah, of course. I'm glad I did, especially under the circumstances, but..."

"Do you remember what I told you, after the fight with the Hyde?"

Enid sighed. "I do. Really, I do, but sometimes it's easier to believe than others." She looked at the floor. "I'm working on it. I'm trying to, at least."

Wednesday considered her for a few moments. "What do you plan to do during this coming full moon?"

"I'll have to go to the Lupen cages," Enid said with a shrug.

"Come with me instead," Wednesday said, surprising herself. From the look on Enid's face, that was the last thing she had expected to hear as well. "We've hosted werewolves at the manor before. Your first real transformation, not done under duress, should be done freely. Uncaged."

"That's- Wednesday that's crazy. That's so dangerous."

"We're Addams, Enid. Crazy and dangerous is our preferred state of being."

"Would the school even allow that?"

"Who cares?"

Enid blinked at her, and Wednesday knew the other girl had never taken that attitude before in her life. Lucky for her, Wednesday was not going to allow that to continue.

"How would we even..." Enid bit her lip, and Wednesday knew she had her.

"Lurch, if you'd like. My parents would be thrilled to host a werewolf. Especially if it's you."

"If I like?" Enid asked.

"I'd prefer to hitchhike. Greater chances of running into a murderer."

Enid snorted. "I think you're more dangerous than anyone who would pick us up. But maybe, if we're doing this, we could stick with Lurch?"

"We're doing it," Wednesday commanded. "I'll contact my parents immediately."

"The full moon is still, like, ten days away."

"I want to be sure that Lurch, at least, will be available to us. My parents are prone to flights of fancy; as you saw during the summer."

"I guess you're right." Enid

Wednesday stood and strode to her desk. She pulled out a small, ornate wooden box, and placed it on her own desk. She ignored Enid when the other girl questioned what she was doing, and instead flipped the top and opened the front to reveal a crystal ball. She heard Enid step up behind her, but before she could question Wednesday again, Wednesday's parents appeared in the ball.

"Dearest daughter, how are you?" Morticia asked.

Behind Wednesday Enid gasped. "Wait, you guys can communicate through a crystal ball?"

"Sweet Enid, enchanted to see you again so soon," Gomez said. He turned to his wife. "They fit, don't they?"

"Perfectly," Morticia said, and at the same time Enid released an odd, strangled kind of noise.

Wednesday glanced back at her to see if she was genuinely choking on something, but Enid blinked down at her and gave her an indecipherable look.

"I'm sure they'll get along as well as myself and Larissa," Morticia continued.

"Oh, roommates, right," Enid said.

Wednesday frowned at her, then at her mother. She had heard the amusement in her mother's voice clear as day, though over what she wasn't sure. From Enid's response, it was clear her mind had been elsewhere, but where exactly that was-

"To what do we owe the misfortune of a call from our favorite misfit pair?" Gomez asked.

"Are you hurt? In danger?" Morticia followed up with an expectant tone.

"I wish," Wednesday said. "Though there is a chance for it during the upcoming full moon. I think it would be... beneficial for Enid to spend it at the manor. I wanted to secure a ride for myself and Enid so that we may spend it at the manor."

"A werewolf, loose in the manor? I can't wait," Gomez said.

"If only we could speed the passage of the moon," Morticia added.

"We'll send Lurch to pick you up," Gomez said. "We may even join for the ride."

"There's no need," Wednesday said. "I'm sure you'll have better things to do than pester the two of us."

Morticia smiled at her and Wednesday feared she had only goaded her parents into action. "We'll see, my little scorpion."

"I'm putting you away now," Wednesday said.

"Bye Mrs. and Mr. Addams," Enid hurried to say.

Before her parents could respond she covered the crystal ball and shoved it back into its box. She turned to Enid, who had an odd smile on her face.

"It was good to see them again," Enid said. "It feels like it's been so long, but it's only been a couple of weeks."

"There has been much to do, settling into a new school. It's natural that time has seemed to pass so quickly."

"Yeah, you're right." Enid opened and closed her mouth a few times, as if uncertain if she should continue. She did. "Wednesday, thanks for inviting me to the manor to transform. It means a lot to me, and-" she looked away. "And I'm not sure I'd be able to transform anywhere else."

Wednesday frowned. "You've only been to the manor once."

"I meant-" Enid cut herself off and shook her head. "Never mind, I just wanted to say-"

"You meant with me?" Wednesday asked before she could stop herself.

Their eyes met and Wednesday felt a sudden urge to look away. She couldn't, not in the face of Enid's raw emotion.

"Not in a weird way, but yeah," Enid said. "You were the one who believed in me, even when I couldn't believe in myself. I don't know."

Wednesday breathed once, twice, three times to collect her thoughts. Her first instinct had been to reassure Enid that she still believed in her. It was disconcerting, her desire to ease Enid's worries. She didn't know where it was coming from, why it was directed towards Enid. If anyone else had opened themselves up to Wednesday the way Enid had... but they hadn't. Only Enid. And Wednesday had opened up to Enid as well, in her own way.

"Present tense, Enid," Wednesday said.

"What?"

"Believe. I believe in you."

Enid turned her face away again. "Thanks, roomie," she said.

"Don't mention it. To anyone."

"Of course." Enid took a deep breath, and when she turned back to Wednesday she looked mostly normal. "I think I should get back to studying. Thanks for the help, I think I got it from here."

Wednesday kept her face carefully neutral, and nodded before returning to her own desk. Enid's ready agreement to spend the full moon with her was proof that she hadn't pushed Enid away, but there was still a distance there that hadn't been since... since their fight over the summer. A fight that Wednesday had thought would be the end of their acquaintance. She had thought, at the time, that she would be fine with that.

And yet, during her writing hour in the days after that fight, she had found herself writing a letter. An apology. Hard, physical proof that she wasn't fine with Enid leaving her. Proof she had tried to hide away, but Thing, that devious bastard, had given to Enid anyway.

But Enid reading that aborted draft of an apology letter had, in some ways, been her saving grace. She doubted Enid would have agreed to become her roommate if she felt that Wednesday was...

She clenched her jaw. That letter, the things she had written, the things she had said to Enid, and all of it true, should have been her focus from the first instance of Enid's discomfort. She had shown more of herself to Enid than she had to anybody, it was only natural the other girl would-

Wednesday frowned. Enid wouldn't pull away from someone baring their feelings. Enid liked being open and honest, liked a degree of closeness that Wednesday despised. A degree of closeness that Wednesday had still tried to emulate with that letter anyway. It had been Wednesday herself who had pulled away afterwards, she knew, and despite some very valid reasons for being preoccupied, she was sure Enid had noticed. The distance between them now could be recompense for Wednesday pulling away, or- the thought turned Wednesday's stomach- Enid could merely be waiting for more from Wednesday, some words or a sign that she was going to reopen their communication. They had shared more with each other, deeper, darker things than Enid was used to sharing with her other friends, Wednesday was sure, but every step along their journey to getting to understand one another had been taken by Enid.

Perhaps now it was Wednesday's turn to take a step.