Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The sun barely peeked through the canopy of trees as you stepped off the Nevermore bus, clutching your backpack a little tighter. The air smelled like pine needles and lake water, and the chatter of students—outcasts and normies alike—buzzed all around.

The idea of a “joint outcast-normie summer camp day” had sounded like a disaster in the making, but Principal Weems (and, somehow, Wednesday’s reluctant approval) made it happen. Canoeing, archery, obstacle courses—the whole deal.

You were trying to decide if you wanted to hide in the art tent or brave the lake when you spotted him.

Pugsley Addams, standing near the canoes, looking… surprisingly at home. His striped shirt was slightly rumpled, his hair falling into his eyes as he tried to wrestle with a life jacket that looked one size too small.

He caught you staring and gave a sheepish grin.
“Uh… hey. You’re in my- uh- alchemy class, right?” he asked.

You nodded, stepping closer. “Yeah. You’re Pugsley. The one who accidentally set his desk on fire with a love potion.”

His ears went red. “That was… not my finest moment.” Then, after a pause: “Want to be my canoe partner? Everyone else either hates me or is terrified of me.”

You laughed, the sound surprising even yourself. “Sure. But fair warning, I’ve never actually been in a canoe before.”

“Perfect. Neither have I. If we sink, we sink together.”

The water was cool and glittering when you both pushed off. At first, you kept bumping paddles and spinning in circles, but instead of getting frustrated, Pugsley just kept making ridiculous commentary, pretending to be a pirate, dramatically warning of “sea monsters,” and, at one point, leaning too far over to “scoop up treasure” (a floating pinecone) and nearly tipping you both over.

Somewhere between your shared laughter and the warm sun on your shoulders, you forgot to be nervous.

When you finally drifted to the middle of the lake, he let his paddle rest across his lap. “Y’know…” he started, voice quieter now, “you’re actually… easy to be around.”

Your heart skipped. “That’s… a weirdly sweet thing to say.”

He shrugged, giving you that same crooked grin. “Well… I think you’re pretty great. And… maybe when we get back to shore, I could- uh- buy you a camp slushie? Or whatever they have.”

You smiled, feeling the canoe rock gently beneath you. “I’d like that.”

And for the rest of the ride back, you didn’t care if you paddled straight or crooked.

The afternoon sun was sinking low when you and Pugsley returned to the camp dock, dripping slightly from a very close encounter with a rogue wave caused by another canoe. Pugsley helped you out, then disappeared for a moment to retrieve two luridly colored camp slushies—one red, one electric blue.

You were halfway through sipping yours when a familiar shadow fell over you.

“Pugsley,” Wednesday’s voice came flat and low, “I see you’ve survived the canoeing expedition. Tragic. I was hoping for at least one minor lake monster attack.”

Pugsley rolled his eyes. “Nice to see you too, sis.”

Her gaze slid to you. Not judging exactly, more like assessing, as if deciding whether you’d survive being dropped in a vat of piranhas. “And you must be the brave soul who voluntarily chose to spend time alone with my brother in an unstable vessel.”

You swallowed. “Um… yeah. He’s actually a good partner.”

Wednesday’s brow twitched just slightly. “If that’s a euphemism for romance, please spare me the sentimental details. However…” She tilted her head toward Pugsley. “I approve. You laugh at his jokes, you didn’t push him overboard, and you’re still here. That’s more than I can say for most people who spend an afternoon with him.”

Pugsley looked at her, surprised. “Wow. Thanks, Wednesday. That’s like… the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“It was an accident. Don’t get used to it,” she said, turning on her heel. But just before walking away, she added, “Also, if you break their heart, I will feed you to the lake monster you were so eager to meet.”

You glanced at Pugsley, who just grinned around his slushie straw. “See? That’s her way of saying she’s happy for me.”

Chapter Text

Later that night, the campfire crackled, throwing sparks into the summer air. Students huddled around it with marshmallows on sticks, some telling ghost stories, others just basking in the warmth. You were leaning back on a log bench, watching Pugsley enthusiastically toast three marshmallows at once, when you felt it. someone sitting beside you with a presence as cold as the lake at midnight.

“Enjoying yourself?”

You didn’t have to turn to know who it was. Wednesday Addams.

“Uh… yeah,” you said carefully.

Her gaze was fixed straight ahead on the fire, as though she could will it into burning down the entire camp. “I’ve noticed you’ve taken an interest in my brother.”

Your throat tightened. “...Is that a problem?”

She tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable. “That depends. Do you intend to toy with him? Break his heart? Distract him from his inevitable career in chaos and destruction?”

“What? No!” you said quickly, shaking your head. “He’s… he’s fun to be around. He makes me laugh. And he deserves someone who actually sees how great he is.”

Wednesday’s eyes finally flicked toward you, dark and sharp. For a long, tense moment, you weren’t sure if she was about to declare war on you or hand you a shovel to help bury a body. Then, with the faintest hint of a nod, she said, “Good. Because if you hurt him, I will make sure your demise is creative, irreversible, and likely studied in criminal psychology courses for years to come.”

You swallowed. “Understood.”

Before you could say more, Pugsley bounded over, holding out a perfectly golden marshmallow stuck on a twig. “Here! I roasted this one for you- didn’t even eat it myself.”

You smiled, taking it. “Thanks, Pugsley.”

Wednesday stood, her dark silhouette framed by firelight. “Carry on. Just remember.. this conversation has been documented in my mental ledger.” And with that, she slipped back into the shadows.

Pugsley blinked after her. “She didn’t threaten you too much, did she?”

You laughed softly, taking a bite of the marshmallow. “Only a little.”