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A heat wave came in late May. It was positively boiling outside and didn't seem much better inside. Stan didn't want to crank the A.C. too much, so it wasn’t as cool in here as it could be, especially given that the door was constantly opening and closing all day. His shirt clung to his sweaty skin uncomfortably no matter how much he adjusted it.
Tyler yawned into his forearm, brushing his bangs out of his face. It was only shortly after one in the afternoon, he still had a few hours left of his shift. Luckily for him, his day was about to get a whole lot better.
“Hey, Wednesday,” he greeted as she came in. His breath hitched at the sight of her; she wore a thin strapped black dress to help her beat the heat today. All her pale skin was on display. So soft looking and inviting.
“Tyler,” she replied, holding onto what seemed to be a small lunchbox. He quirked a brow.
“I know you won't care, but you're not really supposed to bring in outside food.”
Wednesday ignored him, setting the lunchbox on the counter. “I brought something for you.”
“Do I want to know what that something is?” Tyler said.
She huffed very slightly at his teasing. “I came all this way, the least you can do is open it.”
“Uh huh,” Tyler was starting to open it anyway, but was sure to shoot her a look of doubt. “You just want your caffeine fix.”
“Do I have any other reason to visit you?”
“How about seeing your devilishly handsome boyfriend?”
“You clearly have a false sense of importance,” she said. “My visits are strategic and for my own gain. They have nothing to do with you.”
“Uh huh. And those visits to my house are strategic too, I bet,” Tyler stole a quick kiss from her. Inside the lunchbox was a small plastic container that held... a dozen popsicles? He didn’t know what to make of this. “You brought me popsicles?”
“One is for myself,” she clarified, taking it out. They weren’t the usual colors, these were black. “Well?” He hadn’t touched his yet. “Aren’t you going to try it?”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“There’s nothing wrong with it,” she said.
“Really?” Tyler snorted. “You decided to bring me popsicles...and what? Just to be nice?”
“It’s exceedingly warm out today,” Wednesday said. “And you are obviously feeling the affects.”
“That doesn’t mean you care,” he retorted.
“Perhaps I care because it’s you.”
“See, maybe if you didn’t look like you were in pain while saying that, I’d believe it,” Tyler smirked. “Than again, probably not.”
He picked up the popsicle, taking a small lick. Hmm, it wasn’t too bad.
“What flavor is this?” His first thought was dark chocolate, but no, that didn’t seem right. It didn’t give off any chocolaty taste. That was alright, though, it was pretty good. He started to take bites, not minding the pain in his teeth.
Wednesday ate hers at a slower pace, watching him. He stared at her right back.
“Are you feeling cooler yet?”
“I’m always cool, baby,” he winked.
Wednesday’s expression stayed flat. Even as he giggled to himself. “Any respect I might have had for you is gone.”
He laughed. “Respect for little old me? Aww, Wen.”
“I should have let you suffer in this sweltering heat.”
“But you didn’t,” Tyler was nearly finished with his popsicle, taking obnoxious licks. “You were obviously worried about me-”
“That was most certainly not it-”
“Makes me wanna tell the world that Wednesday Addams really does care about me,” he wiped away a fake tear.
“It’s not you I care about,” she said coldly.
“So you do care,” he said in triumph.
“Not about you.”
“Doesn’t matter,” he said, his tone smug. “You care. And Hyde is part of me so you care about me too.”
“That is not it,” she argued.
He placed a noisy kiss on the top of her head. Wednesday scowled, shoving him away.
“It definitely is,” he said with a grin. “And whatever you put in them, it won’t work on me.”
“How do you know I’ve tampered with them?”
He pretended to think. “Hmm. Wednesday trying to poison me or Wednesday trying to be nice....That’s a tough one.”
“Perhaps I want to see what you’re capable of handling.”
He tossed the stick in the trash can, wiping his hands. “Well, sorry to disappoint, but I’m immune to poison. All hydes are.”
Wednesday was defeated. He could see it in her face, as slight as it was. “What use are you to me, then?”
He smirked a little, getting to work on her quad. “So, what’d you put in it?”
“Cyanide.”
“Crafty,” he remarked.
“If you do end up affected and are afflicted with symptoms, I want to be informed.”
He batted his eyelashes. “So you can heroically save me?”
“No, why would I do that?”
The bell above the door chimed. Neither were particularly happy that Xavier walked in.
“Great,” Tyler said under his breath.
“On the contrary,” Wednesday murmured. “You may not succumb to its effects, but other people surely will.”
He watched with interest as Wednesday halfheartedly greeted Thorpe.
“Hey, where’d you get those?” The artist asked, referring to the popsicles.
“I made them,” Wednesday replied. “My father made these for my brother and I on previous occasions.”
“Can I try? They look good and it’s ridiculously hot out.”
“If you must,” Wednesday said with a put upon sigh to keep up appearances.
Thorpe picked up one, taking a few licks. His eyes lit up. “Hey, it’s pretty good.”
At that precise moment, his sketchbook fell to the floor. Thorpe knelt down to pick it up, missing the exchange between Tyler and Wednesday - a smirk from him and subtle amusement from her.
“Take more if you so choose. I’m keeping them from Enid or she’ll be worse than usual.”
Thorpe shot Tyler a look, clearly pleased. “I don’t see Wednesday offering you any, Galpin.”
Tyler sighed. “Believe me, I tried.”
“He tried to help himself,” Wednesday said.
“Hope you put him in his place.”
“She will later,” Tyler mumbled to himself, turning around so his lips could upturn into a smile.