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The night air in Paris was colder than Wednesday expected and she walked casually, hands pushed deep into the pockets of her leather coat, eyes focused on the solitary figure moving along ahead of them. Body rigid, shoulders high, head bowed and steps careful, Enid just hadn’t been herself since turning back and it unnerved Wednesday in a way that had settled goosebumps onto her flesh almost permanently and had fogged her mind from the string of organized thoughts that ordinarily occupied her.
Fester moved between them obliviously, Thing atop his shoulder, both conversing back and forth in a language that seemed all their own as Wednesday shifted her attention to the Eiffel tower that sat twinkling ahead of them. The night had been long and exhausting, but they’d decided on a walk to ease the tensions out of their aching bodies. Wednesday looked back to Enid with a frown – she wasn’t sure there was anything that could lift it out of hers.
They made their way forward, the sounds of laughter and conversation slowing Enid’s steps, shortening the distance between the three enough that Fester moved just behind her, shifting to her right. Wednesday looked to a mime, performing for a few tourists. She scanned the faces of those around them for threats, eyes constantly coming back to Enid, slowly drifting closer to her. If they could talk, she thought, amused by her own thought and her desperation to hear her friend speak, if they could talk maybe she could help her out of the fear that had taken over her very bones.
“Oh, I love a good accordion!” Fester practically jumped, looking to the man seated just a short way away, hands swaying back and forth, some soft song slow growing louder as they moved closer to the tower.
It was cliché, Wednesday thought, listening to familiar notes of 'La Vie en Rose’ and looking out at the thinning crowd and the darkness that sat around them, just beyond the bright lights of the Eiffel tower that loomed over them. She watched Enid glance up at it at their right, could see no fascination or excitement. Not even the smallest twinkle in her worried eyes before she dropped them back to the space in front of her.
Fester began to dance in exaggerated circles, right hand out into the air, clasping an imaginary hand, left hand rounding the waist of an imaginary partner. His eyes closed and he hummed the tune along with the man now smiling at them, no doubt, Wednesday knew, hoping for a tip for entertaining the odd fellow who stopped Enid’s steps as he twirled around her, giving her a gleeful smile she did not return. Her hands gripped into awkward fists at her sides and Wednesday could see the way her body shifted awkwardly.
And then Fester swept Enid up into his dance, filling his void of a partner with her. He sang in French, into the sky as the accordion player laughed and for a moment, Wednesday saw the terror on Enid’s face. Swinging her around, her legs leaving the ground, Enid gripped tightly at his coat and she watched him as he smiled and then howled, letting her land softly and continuing to spin with her towards where Wednesday watched, gauging whether she should step in to rescue Enid from his grasp.
But her eyes relaxed and then, slowly, her limbs. Her hand spread into his, holding firmly as her legs found their bearings and she fell into step, muscle memory kicking in as they continued their dance. Enid didn’t smile but wore a thoughtful stare that was curious to Wednesday as she looked to them, going around in a wide circle in the mostly empty plaza, and then they were rounding towards her and Fester let Enid go into a twirl, releasing her hand and she stumbled into Wednesday’s grasp.
Fester continued on, Thing moving up to take his hand to be swung through the air as Wednesday stared into Enid’s shocked expression, but neither released the other. Wednesday looked over her face, soothed by it; soothed by the gentle breaths warming her lips and the way her bright eyes stared back into hers. She found herself soothed by the proximity of her and the way her arms weighed against hers as she gripped into her shoulders lightly.
Enid began to move away and Wednesday found herself stating firmly, “Don’t,” as her hands at her waist tightened their grip and she momentarily closed her eyes, opening them to find Enid’s trained on hers, her brow creased in confusion as her lips parted to ask a question. “Dance with me, Enid.”
Head nodding once, looking stunned, Enid waited – letting Wednesday lead, she knew, and she listened to the accordion player’s tune change; could see Fester dropping money into his hat before disappearing into the shadows to do the things that Fester did. Wednesday began to move slowly, her hands loosening against Enid.
“I’m sorry,” Enid told her softly. “For all the trouble.”
“Trouble?” Wednesday questioned, giving her a small shake of her head.
Eyes lifting to the Eiffel tower beside them and then dropping to stare absently at a space to her right, Enid elaborated, “For having to come all the way out here to get me – I didn’t… I don’t want to be…”
“Enid,” Wednesday interrupted. Her voice caught in her throat, her words too romantic to utter, she knew. She would go to the ends of the Earth for her. She nodded slowly as she swallowed the thought and then she sighed. “I told you – I have no problem hunting you down.” She smirked, “The airfare and passports were covered in the fine print of that promise.”
She waited for Enid to laugh, to shove her shoulder, to smile, to shake her head, to find some amusement in the words she’d chosen for her amusement. Enid simply stared. Something akin to wonder in her eyes that slowly turned to unshed tears – she didn’t think herself worth the trouble, Wednesday knew. Her fingers rounded her waist and pulled her closer. They swayed back and forth slowly, watching one another for the eternity of fifteen seconds, the same as the last time they’d seen one another months ago – Enid in her wolf form; Wednesday in her grave.
“What happens now?” Enid questioned softly. “Just… go back? Back to school, or…” Enid’s eyes drifted away again and Wednesday could see the apprehension there – the unspoken words: How did Enid return to the life she’d expelled herself from by her time turned as an Alpha. From a family that disowned her; from a school she could no longer afford; from the life she’d carefully curated for herself. What happens to Enid now? That was her question.
Wednesday nodded and told her quietly, “You have a home, Enid. We’ll care for you.”
Her head shook and her lower lip trembled.
“Enid,” Wednesday stated firmly, head bowing to meet her eyes. “Mother’s already working on your room; Father had your belongings sent to the manor from Nevermore to ensure all of your insanity is perfectly preserved,” she smirked again, waiting for Enid to mirror it, but the girl simply shook her head.
“I can’t ask your family to take me in, Wednesday,” she breathed, blinking to let her tears fall, her hands massaging nervously at Wednesday’s shoulders.
“This isn’t something you have to ask for, Enid – I owe you my life.”
Wednesday frowned, seeing her break. Her arms rounded Enid, pulling her into a tight hug and she listened to her sob quietly into her shoulder as Wednesday leaned her chin into Enid’s. There was some part of her that explained it away as allowing Enid what Enid needed, but Wednesday knew the truth: Wednesday needed it just as much.
She soaked in the warmth of her friend. Wednesday reveled in the way Enid’s body seemed to melt in her hold and Wednesday sighed, feeling a tension she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding onto relax within herself. She bowed her head into Enid’s neck, taking a long breath of her scent, listening to her slowly calm, and then Wednesday shifted her weight, slowly, back and forth to the music.
Enid laughed.
It was soft and quiet, but it emerged with a gentle shake of her body against Wednesday’s as they moved together in another dance, this one tranquil as they listened to the accordion and Fester’s shrill voice emerging beside it. Wednesday’s fingers spread over Enid’s back, holding her close, trying to convey to her words she couldn’t yet find the strength to speak.
“You are my pack, Enid.” Wednesday explained quietly instead, nodding against her shoulder.
Because how could she tell her that she needed her, how could she admit she couldn’t live without her. How could Wednesday Addams possibly tell Enid Sinclair that somewhere along the way, during the time she’d had to think about her words and worry about her actions and long for her presence; somewhere between the continents she’d travelled, and sometime during the nights she’d had to contemplate those feelings she’d been wrestling with for too long, she’d come to accept that she loved her?
They danced slowly, Enid absorbing the words and the way Wednesday clung desperately to her. Shifting back, arms around her shoulders, Enid’s eyes wandered over Wednesday’s face unashamed in a way that made Wednesday blush unexpectedly. There was an adoration there she’d seen before, but hadn’t quite understood, but now Wednesday did. Enid had accepted her feelings long ago; she’d merely pushed them down in the false belief that it would remain unrequited.
Wednesday’s eyes drifted over her disheveled hair and the way her skin sat pale, void of the color that normally painted her. She looked to the faint freckles she could see now without that makeup and the barely visible scars that ran over her temple and cheek. Wednesday licked her lips before looking to Enid’s, giving her a small nod as they closed the distance and offered one another a gentle, tentative kiss that they sighed into. Heads tilting in unison, they deepened the kiss and Wednesday felt Enid calm entirely as Wednesday focused on her own heart, beating steadily in her chest.
Enid could hear that, she knew. She could sense there was no fear or apprehension from her; she knew that the feelings that drove her to so much jealousy in the past year, the feelings that gave her the strength her to express that Wednesday was her chosen mate – whether reciprocated or not; the feelings that helped her overcome that fear of a life lived alone or even potential death… Wednesday felt them too. Wednesday broke the kiss first, feeling Enid’s hands at her cheeks, her thumbs rubbing away the tears she hadn’t realized she’d cried and she let herself laugh as she looked at Enid, seeing her smile.
“We don’t have to,” Enid whispered, “Do the kissing if you’re not into it.”
Nodding slowly, Wednesday took a small breath and moved forward again, lips pressing into Enid’s to initiate another kiss, this one quick, assuring, before she shifted back to smile at the way her lips remained stained with a tint of the plum coloring she wore as her cheeks blushed rouge. Raising her hands, she took Enid’s wrists and guided them back over her shoulders, listening to the soft laughter the move elicited.
“Can we just stay in this moment for a while?” Enid asked, listening to the accordion winding down its song.
“We’ll stay here as long as you need,” Wednesday replied quietly, placing her hands back at Enid’s waist at both sides as she heard a new song begin and saw uncle Fester drop more money into the hat, looking to her with a small bow before he sat on a nearby bench, content to wait.
Looking up at the Eiffel tower and seeing Enid do the same, Wednesday waited for it to fully register now, to see her eyes widen to reflect those twinkling lights before she lowered them to look at Wednesday, no longer restraining the affection she felt as she sighed. They began to dance together slowly, staring into one another and Wednesday hoped she could see the same in her own eyes – no longer fought against or denied, but there for Enid to see.
Enid’s head tilted slightly and then she stepped into her, temple resting against hers, and she sighed quietly into her ear, a three-word secret just for her. Words Wednesday knew Enid wouldn’t expect her to repeat as they danced beside the Eiffel tower; words Wednesday imagined Enid accepted she’d never hear from her companion, but as they swayed together, Wednesday frowned, knowing they were also words Enid rarely heard, but deserved to hear from her, and she turned slightly, lips brushing her ear.
Wednesday whispered them in Spanish and she whispered them in French, she whispered them in every language she knew as Enid listened, slowly understanding what she was saying. Lifting her head, Enid watched her curiously, lips lifting ever so slightly before Wednesday finally stated timidly, “I love you.”
Enid smiled, teasing her on a sigh, “That’s a pretty big promise.”
“Don’t worry,” Wednesday responded coyly, “I’ve agreed to all of the fine print.” Kissing her again, she smiled as Enid laid her head into her shoulder and they continued to sway there as the night carried on around them.