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There’s never been a more pathetic night in Ajax’s life than this.
New Year’s Eve, at 10:30pm, at Nevermore. A late-night event that will, supposedly, end with a large, extravagant firework show—though every year it always seems to end up being quite underwhelming despite how much the staff hype it up.
But the fireworks aren’t what people look forward to, it’s not what they watch the countdown for, It’s the kiss they want. That one final moment of the night where, just for a moment, it feels like the crowd isn’t even there, It’s just you and the one you want to kiss, and it feels like time slows down. Then, when you finally lean in towards them, everyone’s chanting of each number slowly fades into background noise, and it’s just the two of you in your own little world together…
—Or at least that’s how it’s been described to Ajax, as he’s never had a New Year’s kiss in his life. But he’s always wanted one, desperately.
You might not be able to tell at first glance, but he’s always been something of a hopeless romantic—Blame it on his mom making him watch cheesy romance movies her since basically the day he was born. But if he could have a kiss with someone as perfect as that… He would never forget it.
Unfortunately, he has low chances for tonight.
Ever since he and Enid broke things off, he’s been a bit of a mess. Now he has to see her walking around with that Bruno guy, and he’s probably going to be the one Enid kisses tonight, not Ajax. He can’t stand the thought of it, because, despite everything, he still can’t seem to shake his feelings for Enid.
How could he? What she did to him hurt like hell, but at the same time he couldn’t possibly hate her for it. It was a dumb decision, but he knows she’s a good person. She’s so sweet, and kind, and beautiful… Nobody would be able to move on from her that easily. And, honestly, it kills him to see how easy it was for her to move on from him.
He knew well that it was a terrible idea, trying to get just one last kiss from her tonight. He would probably walk in on her making out with Bruno, or get rejected a second time… But he couldn’t help it, he could either have the world’s loneliest New Years or he could at least make an attempt to have the moment he’s been dreaming of. He doesn’t need to get back with her, he just wants one kiss at the countdown, that’s all. Then he’ll really move on, for good this time. (Loud incorrect buzzer)
So, here he was, standing outside of Enid’s room door with some flower he snatched from a random vase outside as a last minute gift.
First, he knocked.
No answer.
He knocked again.
Still no answer.
He double-checked the door, making sure there wasn’t a scrunchie wrapped hung up or anything else that would indicate she didn’t want to be bothered, but there was nothing.
So, he tried the doorknob.
Unlocked!—Still, just in case, he loudly announced his presence before stepping in.
The room appeared completely empty. There were no lumps on the bed indicating people sleeping on them, no sound of the shower running… nothing. Enid’s bed still looked made, like she hasn’t been in the room since she woke up this morning.
In fact, the overall absence of Enid was almost eerie, and not just the lack of her physically. The room that usually smelt like a weird mix of sweet and bitter scents now smelt only bitter, like coffee grounds and ink. And Enid’s side of the room, usually so cluttered and unorganized, looked completely untouched.
There was something uncomfortable about it. Then again, perhaps he just finds too much comfort in the presence of Enid.
But what there wasn’t a lack of in the room was her roommate, Wednesday.
Wednesday’s side of the room actually looked inhabited, neat, but inhabited. Her black nail polish was still on her desk, as well as a few books hasn’t bothered returning to the library (and probably doesn’t plan to). Her bed, typically made to perfection, looked slightly messy, as though she’d just recently been sitting on it.
And, of course, there was her figure out on the balcony.
Ajax could tell, even through the large, ornate glass window, that it wasn’t Enid. Wednesday’s silhouette was something hard to miss. The stiff posture, the puffy sleeves, the skirt all the way down to the ankles…
Definitely Wednesday Addams.
For a second Ajax was disappointed. He would have to look all around the school for Enid now, and he wasn’t sure if he was willing to stoop down to that level of desperation just yet. He already felt ridiculous for coming up here in the first place and practically walking himself into getting his feelings hurt all over again.
But, then he remembered, if anyone would know where Enid is it’d be her own roommate.
So, out onto the balcony he went.
It was just a bit chilly outside, not enough to make him shiver, but enough to make him miss the heating system of Nevermore almost immediately.
The sky was a black hole, void and starless, like it shifted for Wednesday Addams herself. Ajax found it unnerving, Wednesday, however, looked to be in her natural habitat, almost blending into the darkness of the night.
She didn’t do as much as glance over her shoulder at him, even as the window screeched loud enough to make Ajax physically cringe when he pushed it open. Still, he stepped out, fidgeting with his hands awkwardly, before finally mustering a quiet,
“Uh.. Wednesday?”
“What do you want?” She responded in an instant, making sure that it was very clear how he was interrupting her peace.
Ajax hesitated, considering for a moment if he should even bother. But, that familiar pant of desperation hit him, so, he continued,
“…You don’t happen to know where Enid is right now, do you?”
A borderline disgusted frown tugged at Wednesday’s lips as she responded, “Last I saw she was swapping spit with that Bruno guy outside the art room. Just out in the open, where unfortunate students like me may stumble upon them.”
The hope just seemed to drain right out of Ajax’s body, his shoulders finally slumping with defeat. Deep down, he had known that this was the likely outcome of the night. But he still chose to come up here and have it confirmed for him, rather than just staying blissfully unaware. He tends to do that to himself quite a lot, it seems.
Ajax actually felt recognition in the way Wednesday said Bruno’s name like it was a swear word, and the flash of irritation in her eyes as she did so. And with Enid’s side of the room all empty… Bruno’s been stealing a lot of Enid’s attention, it seems—and not just from Ajax.
Ajax drew in a small breath, drifting up beside Wednesday and leaning against the stone balustrade. He knew that he was being dramatic, that this was just your classic teenage heartbreak that he’ll probably forget all about when he’s an adult… But right now? It hurt.
Wednesday glanced over at him from the corner of her eye, hoping the annoyance on her face would be enough to get him to leave her be. Ajax picked up on the hint, but he did not take it.
“Y’know…” Ajax began, “I hyped myself up for, like, 30 minutes just to have the courage to ask Enid to kiss me when the countdown ends tonight.” He admitted, staring down at the ground below, where all the couples sat close together and the friend groups stood in large circles, laughing at jokes Ajax wished he were close enough to hear.
He had no idea why he was telling Wednesday any of this, he doubted that she cared. But the weight of it on his shoulders was near unbearable, and, right now, Wednesday was the only one around without a “perfect New Years night” for him to ruin with his sad-boy bullshit. And, honestly? Maybe her unfiltered opinions would knock some sense into him.
All she did was raise her eyebrow, looking him up and down before shaking her head in what could’ve only been amusement at the miserable display before her.
“You thought she would take you back after she avoided you like the plague for weeks before you two even broke up?” Wednesday asked incredulously.
“I didn’t want her to take me back,” Ajax clarified defensively, “I just wanted a kiss.”
“A kiss?” She scoffed. “You two are already on bad terms, no need to exacerbate it with a stupid idea like that. I’m certain you know that a kiss wasn’t truly all that you were hoping for.”
Ajax considered her words for a moment, biting the inside of his cheek.
“…Okay, maybe I was kinda hoping that she might want to take me back.” He mumbled. “But I wasn’t gonna ask her to or anything!” Ajax looked down at the flower still in his hand, toying with one of the petals. “But.. If she offered I wouldn’t have said no.”
“Just another bullet point added to the list of reasons why romance is a meaningless humiliation ritual.” Wednesday crossed her arms, paying no mind to the slightly offended look Ajax gave her. “She broke your heart, correct? And rather than seeking revenge, or sabotaging her current relationship—or at the very least cursing her—you decide to crawl back up to her room in hopes of throwing yourself right back into her arms. Do you have any respect for yourself?”
Ajax narrowed his eyes at her, tilting his head slightly. Wednesday was waiting for him to get fed up, to leave in a huff at the lack of warmth in her attitude—but no, in fact, he seemed to focus on the wrong part entirely.
“…Wait, are you, like, on my side in this right now?”
Wednesday furrowed her brows, looking at him exasperatedly.
“I don’t take sides.” She responded coldly. “I couldn’t care less about the trivial nonsense that occurs in teenage relationships.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “That being said… I can acknowledge when something would’ve angered me personally.”
Ajax actually cracked a small smile at that, which didn’t go unnoticed by Wednesday.
“Don’t get the wrong idea,” She added immediately, “Enid could’ve kicked you in the stomach and said to your face that you’re a pathetic excuse of a boyfriend and I still wouldn’t care.”
“Right… I figured.” Ajax chuckled awkwardly, until he slowly went quiet again. “..Still, that’s more comfort than I’ve gotten from anyone as of lately.”
Wednesday blinked, studying him for a moment. She noted the weariness in his posture as he stood there, quiet and heartsore. There were faint bags under his eyes now, and a paleness ro his freckled skin that made him look sickly with sorrow.
Honestly, Wednesday envied the look.
But, some part of her couldn’t quite comprehend how something as silly as a High School breakup could have such an impact on someone, especially with a relationship Wednesday had always viewed as unserious as she did Enid and Ajax’s. Or, maybe she just viewed Enid and Ajax themselves as unserious.
It almost bothered her a little, the uncharacteristic lack of energy in the boy standing beside her. She had always watched him from a distance, but never up this close. She could almost feel the sheer depression radiating off of him.
So, Wednesday turned her gaze back to the distance, closing her eyes for a moment as she took a deep breath of the cold night air, mentally preparing herself for the conversation she was about to initiate.
“…And how does that make you feel?” She asked, really having no idea what she was doing when it came to talking about feelings.
Ajax paused. “Huh?”
“Having nobody comfort you,” Wednesday clarified with restrained annoyance, “How does that feel?”
He blinked. “Uh…” Ajax stood up a little straighter, clearing his throat. “It.. Sucks, for one.” He started off obviously. “I mean, it kinda feels like everyone expects me to be angry about it, nobody really cares when I’m sad instead.”
“You aren’t angry?” Wednesday said, for a moment sounding genuinely baffled.
“I mean, is it so weird that I’m not?” He asked, a defensiveness in his tone that made it evident he’s gotten that question before. “Sure, I don’t think she was right, but.. I don’t know, we’re stupid teenagers. I can’t just hate her for doing something she’s probably gonna regret when she’s an adult, something she probably already regrets! I think..”
“You don’t sound very certain.”
“I’m not certain, okay?” He huffed. “Maybe she doesn’t regret it, maybe she never will, but I can’t blame her for it! Because.. Because what if this Bruno guy really is better for her? What if we really aren’t compatible? Maybe another werewolf is what she needs, not a stoner like me…”
There was a long stretch of silence, and Ajax quickly felt very stupid for rambling like that. Tears pricked his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He just looked away, trying to discreetly wipe them away with his sleeve.
“…Wow.” Wednesday broke the silence. “That was torturous to listen to, and not in a good way.”
“Excuse me?” Ajax asked, visibly incensed.
“All that self-pitying babble,” She continued, with no plan of backtracking, “Surely there are better ways to deal with heartbreak than to sit around feeling sorry for yourself.”
He rolled his eyes, pushing himself up against the stone railing. “Like what?”
“Find somebody else.”
“What?” Ajax’s eyes widened in disbelief, a light pink rising to his cheeks at the suggestion. “I can’t just… It’s not that easy!”
“It was easy for Enid.” Wednesday responded bluntly. She waited no time for Ajax’s response before adding, “And right now, the school is literally celebrating New Years. You’re telling me you can’t just go out and find someone else in the sea of single students who’d want to kiss you during the countdown?”
Ajax opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, struggling to come up with an argument. After a couple attempts he gave up, grumbling to himself, “I don’t wanna kiss just anyone…”
“Sounds like wasted opportunity.” Wednesday said, almost smugly.
Ajax placed his hand on his hip. “Please, as if you know anything about the countdown.” He scoffed. “I bet you’ve never kissed anyone in your life, let alone on New Years.”
“False.” She responded simply. “And even if I didn’t, it wouldn’t matter. Because unlike you people, I find displays of affection such as that to be meaningless and I don’t bother with them.”
“Ugh, you’ve just got it all figured out, don’t you, Wednesday?” Ajax groaned.
That actually gave Wednesday pause, she wasn’t sure why. Something about his tone of voice—annoyed, but not quite at her despite how he tried to make it seem—caught Wednesday’s attention.
“…I don’t see how me not caring for romantic gestures attributes to me ‘having it all together.’”
Ajax raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying you don’t have it all together?”
“Nobody our age does.” She said casually. “In fact, most adults don’t either. I think having it all together is overrated, life is much more fun when there’s unforeseen challenges.”
“Huh…” A small smirk tugged at Ajax’s lips. “Y’know, that is a surprisingly reassuring sentiment coming from you, Miss Addams.”
“Don’t get used to it.”
He let out a soft chuckle, “Oh, I know better than that.”
Quietly, they heard the other kids below begin to chant, causing them both to look downwards.
“10, 9…”
Hurriedly, Ajax checked his phone, disappointment etched on his face as the bold numbers on his screen read 11:59pm.
“Fuck.. the countdown is starting already.”
“8, 7…”
“I guess I really am kissing no one tonight…”
“6, 5…”
Wednesday felt a weird nervousness run throughout her entire body, why were her palms sweating all of the sudden?
“4, 3…”
She looked up at Ajax, who, for a moment, tore his lonely eyes away from the crowd below to look back.
“2…”
This is stupid.
“1!”
Oh, fuck it.
Against her better judgement (and literally every affection-repulsed bone in her body), she grabbed Ajax by the front of his uniform, pulling him down into a brief kiss.
Ajax froze at first, but as the roars of the other students faded into the background, all he could think was,
“Oh, so this is it.”
With that thought, he reciprocated. His hands slid up to cup her cheeks as he tilted his head ever so slightly to avoid their noses bumping together. He was leaning down as far as he could, and yet she was still on her tippy-toes to reach him.
Realistically, it was only about 10 seconds, as that’s all Wednesday would ever allow. But it felt so much longer to him… Time really does slow down!
He pulled away feeling more fulfilled than he ever thought he could, right as the fireworks went off in the distance. They were as underwhelming as he figured they would be, but it wasn’t the fireworks he was looking at, it was her.
In that small moment she looked more human than he ever saw her as—shocked at her own impulsive actions, maybe even a little flustered. The gentle breeze wisped her bangs to the side, and she tilted her head down to hide her eyes.
Then and there was Ajax’s perfect moment, right before the realization finally washed over them both.
What the fuck just happened?
“Oh my god.” He brought a hand up to feel the lingering heat on his cheeks. “I just- I kissed my ex-girlfriend’s best friend!”
“She cheated on you.” Wednesday responded immediately, trying to rationalize.
“She did cheat on me, but why did you do that??” Ajax asked, sounding both panicked and, admittedly, a little excited.
“I don’t know.” She said frustratedly, looking anywhere but his face.
Call it sympathy, or pity.. Maybe even an act of kindness (ew). But don’t call it anything more than that. Don’t.
There was a brief pause as they both struggled to find their words, before Wednesday managed to gather her thoughts.
“—The countdown is over, people will probably start heading back to their rooms now. Including Enid.” She pointed out, not-so-subtly rushing him.
“Right—“ Ajax glanced back nervously, before walking back towards the window. “I will, uh.. Be on my way now.”
Ajax pushed the window back open, but before he could begin to step into the room, Wednesday caught him by the shoulder, pulling him down to ger level once again.
“Tell nobody or I will cut your tongue out of your yapping mouth.” She warned.
Ajax paused, looking momentarily fearful before, surprisingly, a smile crossed his lips. “…Thanks for the kiss, Wednesday.”
And that was all the response he was gonna give her.
Wednesday watched through the coloring of Enid’s side of the window as Ajax hurried out of the room, mentally cursing herself for the sheer stupidity of whatever that was. She exhaled through her nose, straightening out her dress as she turned back towards the edge of the balcony, pausing in her tracks as she noticed something resting on the balustrade.
Ajax left his flower.
She picked it up, turning it around in her hand a couple times. It was a healthy-looking tulip.
Hideous.
She sighed as she rested against the cold stone, tearing the head from the pretty flower and tossing it over the edge. She watched as its baby-pink petals cascaded down in the soft breeze, landing upon a familiar couple down below.
Enid looked up as the petals surrounded her and Bruno, her eyes finding Wednesday on the balcony above them. She smiled, as if touched by Wednesday’s supposed assistance in their romantic moment, waving up at her excitedly.
Wednesday couldn’t help but offer a small, slow wave back. The flower was meant for Enid after all, and she let her have it.
The stem, however? That could belong to her.