Chapter Text
“Ugh, you’ll never believe what just happened!”
Enid storms into their dorm room and throws herself on her colorful bed.
Wednesday doesn’t look up from her typewriter. “If this has something to do with a certain Korean musical group, I really couldn’t care less.”
“What? No it’s not that. Though I’ll have you know that Seventeen is doing great, thank you very much.”
“A travesty.”
“And BLACKPINK just put out a new song.”
The typewriter continues to clack. “If you think that means anything to me, you’re sorely mistaken.”
“Oh come on Wednesday, BLACKPINK? I told you about them! They remind me of us! Our colors and all that.”
Wednesday finally pauses her typing and turns to face the wolf. “I don’t have a color.”
Enid looks up incredulously. “I can’t believe you just said that with a straight face. In your black jeans and black sweater and black boots.”
“Black is the only color that does not melt the skin on my bones.”
“So if you could wear other colors, you would?”
“....I did not say that.”
Enid grins in victory. “See. BLACKPINK. Our colors.”
Wednesday glares for a minute before turning back to her writing. “If that’s all.”
“Wait! I didn’t tell you what happened!”
“And whose fault is that?”
“Um…yours?”
“Enid.”
“Okay okay! Well, you know how tomorrow is parent’s day?”
“The bleakest day of the semester, yes I’m aware.” Wednesday nods.
“Ha yeah, well it’s about to be bleaker. Because apparently my parents are coming!”
Wednesday’s eyes snap over to the blonde’s, a sharp and vengeful look on her features. “You told me they would no longer be visiting since finding out you were an alpha.”
“That’s what my brother said! But apparently my dad wants to see me? That means my mom will be here too though. God forbid he do anything without her.”
Wednesday clenches her fist in disdain. “Your mother is a disgrace to the outcast race. She shouldn’t be stepping foot on these grounds.”
“Ha, funny. You sound just like her when talking to me,” Enid mumbles.
The seer’s insides burn with fury at Esther Sinclair. How dare a mother talk to her child like that? Let alone someone that shined as brilliantly as Enid.
Wednesday gets up and walks to the other side of the room. “Let me…dispose of your mother for you.”
“Wednesday, I-wait what??” Enid shoots up from the bed. “You can’t just murder my mother!”
“I didn’t say that.”
“It was heavily implied!”
“Is that a no then?”
“Yes! I mean…no?” Enid fumbles. “I mean, there will be no disposing of anyone!”
Wednesday’s lips purse in a pout. “Fine. Perhaps some psychological torture then? Public humiliation? Mild electrocution? I’m sure Uncle Fester would-”
“None of that either!” Enid squeaks. A part of her is mortified. But another, much larger part, is incredibly endeared at how far Wednesday was willing to go for her. God, when did this crush get so bad that she now swoons at the mention of murder?
The raven pouts even further, eyebrows scrunched up. “A pity. I have new nunchucks that I was very much hoping to use.”
Enid smiles despite herself. “That’s sweet, Wends-”
“My intention was not to be sweet.”
“But can you just, I don’t know, be there for me tomorrow? In case I need you.” Enid fidgets with her hands, unsure how her roommate would react to such a vulnerable request. It was easy to ask Wednesday Addams torture someone, but much harder to ask her for emotional support.
Wednesday hesitates for a second, feeling a bit out of her depth. Before Enid, no one had ever dared asked for or wanted her emotional support, and she knows she’s still learning about how to do it properly. Yet the more startling thing is that she’s willing to try to learn at all. For Enid. Only Enid.
A slow nod from the seer. “I will not leave your side.”
Enid’s breath hitches. Does Wednesday have any idea how much Enid wanted that to be true? Like, forever? She barely resists the urge to lean in and press a kiss to the raven’s cheek.
“Thanks, Wends. That means a lot.” Enid tilts her head and puts on one of her signature blinding smiles.
Wednesday’s heart does a terrible tap dance in her chest, and she finds herself trying to come up with something to distract from the tension between them that she was too scared to name. “I’ll still bring my nunchucks with me, just in case.”
Enid chuckles. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
----------------------------------
“Hello my little storm cloud!” Gomez greets his daughter with open arms.
Wednesday doesn’t return the gesture. “Father. Mother. I insist that you torture Pugsley today with your presence. I am otherwise occupied.”
Pugsley stands next to his sister with a grin. “Maybe we can go to Jericho? The taxidermy shop just got a new batch of roadkill.”
Gomez is undeterred by his daughter’s usual mood and grins at his son. “Of course.”
Morticia eyes her daughter warily. “And what do you happen to be occupied with now?”
Wednesday stiffens. An unnoticeable gesture to most, but screaming loud to her mother. “Enid’s parents are coming today. I must ensure they are put in their proper place amongst outcasts.”
Morticia’s eyes sharpen with understanding.
Wednesday curses the perceptivity.
“Well, should things go…awry. You two are always welcome to join us for family dinner in Jericho."
“I can assure you that won’t be necessary,” Wednesday says in a quick cutting tone.
“Oh, I wasn’t talking to you.” Morticia smiles at the other girl who had just appeared behind her daughter.
Enid gives Morticia a wide grin. “Thanks Mrs. Addams! We may just take you up on that!”
“We will not.” Wednesday glares at her roommate.
The werewolf is similarly undeterred by Wednesday’s harsh tone. “We’ll see.”
“Might I remind you that I have a pair of nunchucks hidden up my sleeve. Specifically for annoying werewolves.”
Enid rolls her eyes at the non threat. “Yeah well, save it for later. My brother just told me my parents arrived.”
Wednesday’s face turns from vague annoyance to outright disdain. “They should’ve turned back when they could.”
Despite the trepidation she feels at facing her parents for the first time since they learned she was an alpha, Enid can’t help the fond look on her face as she takes in her scowling roommate. When she arrived at Nevermore 3 years ago, she was determined to fit in and finally find her pack like her mother always wanted. She never expected that pack to be in the form of a tiny, lethal, slightly psychotic, yet objectively adorable, seer.
Morticia’s smile only grows wider as she watches her daughter with the werewolf. It was clear their bond was deeper than even they knew at this point. Neither had any idea the other was their entire world, even though it was written plainly on their faces.
“You girls go. If you need anything, we’re a crystal ball away.”
Enid smiles widely at the Addams parents. “Thanks Mr. and Mrs. Addams! Come on Wednesday. May as well get this over with.”
Wednesday’s scowl doesn’t leave her face, but she lets herself be pulled away by the blonde.
Once they’re out of earshot, Gomez leans over to his son. “Have they finally figured it out yet?”
Pugsley smirks. “Nah Dad. They’re both too oblivious. The entire school has bets on who will finally confess first and when. My money is on Enid.”
“A good bet, my son.” Gomez nods in agreement.
Pugsley grins and can’t resist the urge to needle his older sister. He calls after the roommates headed toward the quad. “See you at dinner, sis!”
Wednesday grasps the nunchuks in her sleeve.
“Wednesday! Not right now!” Enid grabs the raven’s arm. “You can win your sibling rivalry later.”
The seer’s scowl deepens but she lets go of the concealed weapon when she sees Enid’s parents walk through the gate. “Fine. Only because there’s larger victims at hand.”
“That’s the spirit…” Enid mutters, starting to visibly tremble with nerves. Her parents hadn’t seen her yet, but they would any second now.
For once, Wednesday is the one to reach out and grasp her arm. “Enid. You are the most powerful werewolf at this school. Others should fear you.”
“I don’t want to be feared.”
“Respected then.”
“I don’t-”
“Enid.” Wednesday’s grip on the blonde’s arm tightens. It’s the only thing stopping her from walking over to Esther Sinclair right now and jamming her nunchuks where the sun doesn’t shine. A person had to be truly awful for someone as strong as Enid to be so afraid of them.
“Wednesday,” Enid’s voice trembles. “I don’t think I can do this.”
“Look at me.”
Despite her growing anxiety, the werewolf’s eyes snap to the raven’s, as if drawn there by some force out of her control. Immediately the storm inside her calms slightly as she takes in the brown eyes looking determinedly back at her.
“You can do this, Enid. You’ve survived curses. Fought hydes. This is nothing.” Wednesday doesn’t think she’s ever given a pep talk before and it feels like a foreign language on her tongue. Yet somehow it felt right when saying these words to Enid because she truly meant them.
She squeezes the wolf’s arm ever so slightly in what she hopes is reassurance. “And I will be right here the whole time.”
Enid bites her lip and nods. Her emotions rapidly switch from overwhelming anxiety to overwhelming affection for her roommate that bordered far too close to an even stronger feeling she didn’t want to name right now.
“Thanks Wends. You’re right. This is nothing.”
Her parents spot them.
Enid squeezes Wednesday’s hand. My strength is in my pack.
Murray attempts to speak first. “Enid, it’s good to-”
“Well, if it isn’t our long lost disappointment.” Esther Sinclair’s sneer echoes through the quad.
Enid can feel the rage already vibrating off the Addams next to her. She’s sure her hand on Wednesday’s arm is the only thing stopping Nevermore from becoming her mother’s murder scene at this point.
“Mom. Dad. How nice to see you after, let’s see now…fifteen months?” She glances at her father.
Murray Sinclair’s eyes shine with a million apologies and sympathies, but he says nothing. Still a coward.
“Well we couldn’t exactly let you come home, could we?” Esther snidely remarks. “You know how much of a disgrace it is to werewolves to have an alpha in the family. It took months to regain any sort of reputation in the pack!”
Enid bites her lip to hold back her tears. So much for a cordial reunion.
“The only disgrace here is you.” Wednesday Addams’ voice slices through the air like an arrow finding its mark. Sharp, dangerous, deadly.
Esther blinks, as if just realizing the goth was there. Her sneer deepens. “I see you’re still spending time with the worst sorts of people.”
“She’s my roommate,” Enid says sharply, her own tears temporarily halt as her protective instincts kick in.
“She’s an Addams.” Esther growls in response, as if the very name itself was distasteful on her lips.
Wednesday is unfazed. In fact, she almost looks proud that her surname invoked that much rage. “So you know what I’m capable of.”
“I know that you are the reason my daughter doesn’t have a pack! She’s always following you into whatever disgraceful undertaking you’re pursuing! Not focusing on the other werewolves or looking for a mate!”
“She’s saved my life,” Wednesday says in a dangerous, yet slightly proud tone. Despite the situation, Enid feels a flush on her cheeks at the raven basically bragging about her to her own parents.
“Ha! As if that’s a worthy endeavor. Saving an Addams.”
Enid’s claws extend, her own hurt forgotten in favor of rage. Her mother could belittle her all she wanted, but she wouldn’t stand for her doing that to her best friend.
She steps in front of Wednesday, eyes starting to glow yellow. “Don’t talk to her like that.”
Esther scoffs, but takes a step back ever so slightly. “You dare side with this girl, this outcast amongst outcasts, over your own family?”
“My own family?” Enid screeches. “You mean my parents who haven’t come to see me in over a year? Who practically have disowned me? Who berate and belittle me not two seconds into seeing again?”
“We are only trying to help you fit in, Enid.” Esther starts visibly backing up now as her alpha werewolf daughter advances.
“Well stop trying! I don’t want your so-called help!”
“Enid, if you continue down this path. You will never have a pack. A mate. You’ll be a lone wolf forever. A disgrace to the Sinclair name.”
“I’d rather be a disgrace to the Sinclair name than be anything like you!”
Others on the quad have started to stop and stare at the commotion the werewolf family was causing.
Wednesday watches carefully, a hand on her concealed nunchuks, ready to pounce at any moment. Yet she can’t help but feel a bit in awe of her best friend. When the alpha werewolf did show her strength, it was truly a sight to behold.
“And you know what?” Enid continues her advance, backing her mother toward the exit of the school. “I do have a pack. A pack far better than whatever hellish, stereotypical life you have in mind for me!”
Esther looks both offended and incredulous. “Who?”
Enid points behind her.
“Wednesday Addams!”
The quad goes silent.
Enid’s heart pounds as she realizes what she just said. Sure she had called Wednesday her pack in private. But they hadn’t even talked about it after, and Enid had just resigned herself to believing Wednesday took it as a sign of friendship. Those words would not pass as platonic in front of the entire school though, and certainly not in front of her werewolf parents.
Esther’s eyes widen a fraction before turning back into a snide sneer. She glares at the braided girl behind her daughter. “Is this true?”
Time has slowed for Wednesday ever since Enid said her name. She feels the eyes of every student, every teacher, every parent. Yet the only eyes she cares about are the blue ones shining with desperation and terror back at her.
It hits her all at once then. Enid thought she was going to deny it. The realization churns in her gut. How could Enid believe she would ever deny her anything? How could Enid worry she would reject her as her pack?
Wednesday steps forward and sets her cutting gaze on Esther Sinclair. “It’s true.”
The rest of the quad bursts into chatter. The rumors already beginning to swirl.
“I knew it!” A voice carries over the crowd.
Bianca Barclay.
Wednesday adds the siren to her list to kill. Right after Esther Sinclair.
Enid stares at Wednesday with a slightly slack jaw, unbelieving her roommate had actually agreed to such a claim. Surely the girl had to know what that meant right? Did that mean Wednesday could actually feel the same? Or was this just in the heat of the moment to stick it to her mother?
Esther laughs a cruel and empty cackle. “Your pack is Wednesday Addams?”
“Yes.” Enid growls.
“Don’t be absurd, Enid. Your mate can’t be a girl. Nevermind a human. Nevermind an Addams.”
Enid tenses at the word ‘mate’. So much for trying to pass it off as platonic later.
“Well. She is. And she’s better than any stereotypical werewolf mate you had in mind for me!” May as well dig the hole deeper. There was no going back now anyway.
“You two will never last.”
“Addams mate for life. The only thing that will not last here is your relevance.” Wednesday cuts in coldly.
Enid looks at her roommate with wide eyes because what the fuck? Mate for life?
Wednesday ignores her and continues to stare down Esther. Daring the mother to say another awful word.
Esther growls and unsheaths her claws.
“You should know that if you take that step. You choose to fight not only me, but the entire Addams family,” Wednesday says in an eerily calm voice that only highlights the storm brewing beneath the surface. “Choose wisely.”
That stops Esther in her tracks. Because for all her bravado, she lacked the courage of her daughter, and finds herself incapable of actually going toe to toe with an Addams.
Wednesday smirks at the clear victory.
Enid steps in front of her mother. “I think it’s time you leave, mom.”
Esther holds up her claws. “This isn’t over Enid. One day that Addams girl will fail you. And you’ll see the error in your ways and come crawling back. Don’t expect any sympathy from me when that day comes!”
Enid holds up her claws too. “Leave. Before I let her use her new nunchuks on you.”
The mother looks like she wants to retort, but hesitates when she sees Wednesday pull out said nunchuks. She grunts sharply. “Murray. Let’s go. It seems this visit was a waste of our time. But no matter, I’m sure Enid will see the light in the end.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” Enid shoots back.
“Or do.” Wednesday adds.
Esther gives the two roommates one last disgusted glare before stalking off.
Murray comes and stands solemnly in front of his daughter, looking like he wants to say something.
“Don’t. Dad.” Enid cuts him off. “Your silence says more than you ever could.”
The man drops his head in shame and walks away.
As soon as they’re gone, all of the fight leaves Enid’s body and a sob bubbles up in her throat. She hardly even notices she’s being tugged through the school by her roommate until she finds herself back in their dorm. She crashes onto her bed and cries.
She doesn’t know how long she sobs into her pillow, but when she blinks her eyes open again, she finds a bar of her favorite candy sitting on the bed next to her. Wednesday sits stiffly in a chair by her side, as if keeping watch.
Enid sits up and wipes at her eyes. “I’m so sorry Wednesday.”
A look of confusion crosses the seer’s face. “For what, Enid?”
“For that whole disaster back there!”
“Apologizing for the wrongs of your parents has to be one of your worst character flaws.”
Enid blinks, “Um…thanks? Or…sorry?”
Wednesday scoffs and crosses her arms. “You should’ve let me disembowel her.”
“I know. I’m sorry. She said the worst things about you and your family. I wanted to tear my claws into her too-”
“It is not what she said to me that made her deserving of dismemberment. It is how she treated you. How she has treated you.” Wednesday’s jaw twitches in anger. “It is…unacceptable.”
Enid can’t help it. She flings her arms around her roommate.
Wednesday grunts at the unexpected impact but makes no move to get away. Instead she raises her arms and pulls Enid that much closer. She finds herself having to resist the strong urge to place a kiss on the wolf’s temple. Never had she desired to comfort anyone before, but now all she wants is to make her roommate feel better, even if it means holding her close. Not that it was so bad anyway. The wolf smelled like strawberries. Not that that mattered.
“Thanks Wends,” Enid murmurs, taking comfort in the warmth and safety the raven’s arms provided.
“There’s no need to thank me.” Wednesday says slowly as Enid pulls away. She gathers up all the courage her father had bestowed her. “What are packs for?”
Enid’s eyes widen. “Oh. Right. Yeah. About that…I’m really sorry.”
“Enid, it’s fine I-”
“I mean it was the heat of the moment and I just said the first thing I could think of that would piss my mom off the most, you know?” Enid jumps up and frantically starts pacing. “And I know we’re not really a pack. Not like that anyway. God knows you’d never want that-”
Wednesday frowns. “Well I-”
“And I didn’t even know what I was saying. And I especially didn’t expect you to go along with it! I didn’t even mean to say it. Or coerce you into anything. Though now I feel like I did because my mom was two seconds away from trying to shred you. And also half the school thinks we’re dating now and I can only imagine the rumors Yoko and Bianca are spreading and-”
“Enid just listen-”
“And I didn’t mean anything by it really! Right? Like not in that sense. It was all for show. Like…pretending?”
Wednesday wonders if something hit their window or if that’s just her own heart breaking in her ears. Of course Enid didn’t mean it. Not like that. Why would someone as bright and cheerful as Enid Sinclair ever be romantically interested in someone like Wednesday?
“I understand.” Wednesday says stiffly. “I was…pretending as well.”
Despite having just said the same herself, the statement cuts through Enid’s chest. A crazy, stupid part of her hoped Wednesday would call her out on her bullshit and say that it’s real. That it had always been real between them. That was too much to hope for though. Someone as brilliant and dark as Wednesday Addams would never be interested in someone like her.
“Right.” Enid nods. “Good. Yeah. So…we’re good?”
Wednesday bites her tongue. ‘Good’ would not describe the state of her heart right now, but she couldn’t exactly say that.
“Well I didn’t get to use my nunchuks, so not really.”
Enid can’t help but laugh at that, despite the heaviness lingering in her chest from the events of the day. “Well, I promise if my mom ever returns you have my permission to use them.”
“I’ll hold you to that promise,” Wednesday says in complete seriousness.
“I know.” Enid smiles softly and grabs her phone. She’s greeted by dozens of messages from her friends.
Yoko 4:46pm: You and Wednesday are dating and you didn’t tell me???
Divina 4:47pm: I knew there was something going on between you two!
Bianca 4:47pm: I’m impressed you two actually got your shit together.
Yoko 4:47pm: Why were you in my room the other day being all angsty about her though then?
Bianca 4:48pm: Also the entire school knows if you aren’t aware.
Yoko 4:48pm: All good though since I won a lot of money because of you.
Yoko 4:48pm: So did many of your classmates.
Enid’s eyes bug out. What the hell? She expected a bit of this rumor mill, but the entire school already knew? And had apparently been betting on them? And what did Bianca mean they finally got their shit together? It’s not like there was anything actually between her and Wednesday…right?
“What is it, Enid?” Wednesday asks blandly. “Why do you look like someone just threw your favorite stuffed animal off the balcony?”
“Um yeah, so, funny thing. Not only do my parents think we’re dating. So does the entire school.”
“I gathered that from the stares we got in the quad.” Wednesday says it in a monotone voice, but her heart rate internally picks up.
“Yeah but, for real for real. Like long term. Like had bets on us apparently?”
Wednesday’s features sharpen, though the tips of her ears go pink. “How juvenile.”
“This is not good.” Enid starts to pace around again. “God the rumors…”
Wednesday’s chest tightens. Was it so awful for Enid to think about being romantically involved with her?
“This is an outcast high school in Jericho. The rumors will pass when the next dramatic event happens soon enough.” Wednesday tries to think logically and ignore the turmoil of emotions in her stomach.
“But that’s just the problem,” Enid says desperately. “We can’t let them pass!”
Wednesday just stares back in incomprehension.
“My parents!” Enid exclaims. “If it gets back to my parents that we aren’t actually dating…they’ll…my mom…”
“Your mother will have won.” Wednesday says in understanding.
“Yes! That…I can’t-”
“That won’t happen.” Wednesday insists.
Enid scoffs, “I know you’re basically like a demigod as an Addams, but even you can’t stop the Nevermore/Jericho rumor mill from reaching my parents.”
“I didn’t say I’d stop it. Just that the rumor that we aren’t actually together won’t reach them.”
Enid blinks. “And how exactly do you plan to ensure that?”
Wednesday inhales. When had her life become this? A messy, emotion-filled, chaotic existence that circled around a singular werewolf. The only thing more terrifying about it is how much she doesn’t even mind it.
She shifts uneasily, suddenly feeling out of her element. Like asking Xavier to that god-awful dance all over again. Except this time with real feelings involved which made it that much worse.
“We could…continue to pretend.”
“What??” Enid’s voice reaches new levels, because surely she must’ve misheard. There was no way Wednesday freaking Addams was asking to (fake?) date her just to keep the lie from getting back to her parents.
Wednesday shrugs casually, and hopes the werewolf can’t pick up on her rapid heartbeat. “It would be easy enough. As you said, the school already thinks we're together anyway. We just have to keep up appearances.”
Enid gulps. Of course Wednesday would talk through this logically as if she’s planning her next Willow Hill break in, not rearranging the very framework of Enid’s entire world.
“That’s-that’s nice of you to offer to do for me, Wends. But I can’t ask you to fake date me just to get back at my mom.”
“If I recall, I was the one that asked you. Not the other way around.” Wednesday says sharply.
“Right…” Enid flounders, looking for some excuse. She’s not even sure why she’s looking. All she wanted to do was date Wednesday. But she wanted it to be real. Not this. And yet, this offer was looking more and more enticing. Especially if she never got the chance to date the goth for real. Maybe at least she could have this.
Wednesday hesitates at Enid’s hesitation, suddenly aware of how awful an idea this was. She’s not the most emotionally competent person, but even she knows that asking to fake court the person you’re actually in love with was probably a recipe for disaster.
“Nevermind.” Wednesday says. “I apologize. It was a foolish idea-”
“No!” Enid says quickly. “I mean. It’s not a bad idea at all! And-and it makes sense! And I really don’t want to let my mom win so…”
“I want to see her rot in her own miserableness as well.” Wednesday agrees.
Enid smiles slightly. “So…are we really doing this?”
“It appears so.”
“Are you 100% sure you want to? I mean, I know romance and rumors are the last thing that you like in your life and-”
“Enid. If you’re worried about me being coerced into this, remember it was my suggestion.”
“Right. But you’re sort of doing it for me so I don’t have to face the I-told-you-so wrath of my mom.”
I’m not doing it for you. Well, not only for you. Wednesday bites back her own thoughts. Yes she was doing it partially for Enid, but also maybe selfishly for herself. Just to know what it would feel like to call the wolf hers, even if only under false pretenses.
“I’ve made my stance clear, Enid. Are you in or out?”
Enid inhales and nods.
“I’m in.”
What could go wrong?