Chapter Text
It's a bitterly cold November night, and they're taking a walk around the neighborhood. The sun is setting, and there are a few inches of space between them, because it's a no-touch day for Wednesday. Before she had met Tyler, she had no need for differentiating. She thought she simply didn't have days where she tolerated and even sought out physical affection. She also never before made so much effort to understand someone else's emotions. She loved that Tyler always followed her cues. She, in turn, learned to read his.
Tonight, she noted that he seemed buoyantly happy. Tyler had been testing out terms of endearment on her, Addams style, all week. He was pretty proud that he'd at least found a couple that interrupted the flat line of her lips.
"What are you thinking about, my deadly nightshade?" Tyler asked. The street was quiet, no one else was out because of the sharp temperature drop. He found the stillness kind of peaceful and meditative, but not enough that it stopped him from breaking it by speaking.
"No," Wednesday vetoed the phrase, "nightshade reminds me too much of my mother. And I'm thinking about the next chapter, I've got to work on the plot twist soon."
She was on her fourth novel, now, starting a new trilogy with a new main character: Luna Young, inspired by the girl Tyler works with. Hli would be finishing high school this year, and Wednesday was hoping the book would be released in time to give her a copy as a surprise graduation gift. Tyler started his new position as a paraeducator at the beginning of the school year, now getting to work with a couple of the kids more closely and consistently.
"There's a plot twist? Do I get to know what happens?"
She narrowed her eyes. "There's always a plot twist. And no, you can wait for the release date like everyone else."
"Oh come on, little cockroach, please?"
"Flattery will get you nowhere." Tyler smirked and mentally added that to the short list of "approved" terms to call her.
"Fine, I guess I don't actually want you to spoil it anyway," he said, sniffling a little because of the cool air. "Wanna head home soon? I know you thrive in this weather, but my nose is getting cold."
He enjoyed being able to say it like that, home.
Wednesday graduated with her degree nearly six months ago, but she was still doing her writing from the same apartment close to campus, where Tyler moved in with her over the summer. It had been a big step for both of them, a year and a half into their relationship. But it turned out not to be as big of a change as Wednesday thought it would be; Tyler had been sleeping over often enough that he was already partially moved in before they'd even talked about it. He knew her habits, and she had gotten used to having him break them, occasionally.
He stopped working at the Weathervane around the same time, since the plan was to start working full time at the school. He had been a little worried about how the news of his quitting would be taken. The coffeeshop seemed to operate on what barely qualified as a skeleton crew, but his boss seemed happy on the phone. The guy made a strange comment, when they'd talked over the phone, before wishing Tyler all the best:
"We'll get someone else behind the counter easy enough, always more lonely hearts out there."
Their evening walk coincidentally took them past the familiar coffeeshop, though by this time they were probably about to close up for the night. Through the window, the dim lights appeared a little brighter thanks to the contrast of the twilight around them.
Inside the little cafe there were two figures, standing in front of the register, far too close to be mistaken for friends. One of them was wearing a familiar "WV"-printed apron. Tyler noticed them first, and almost swung an elbow out to nudge Wednesday before catching himself- 'no-touch' days were strictly abided. He thought he recognized his own 'heart-eyed' expression on the employee's face inside.
"Take a look at that," he said, subtly nodding his head in their direction. "Another coffeeshop romance. Maybe the reason they keep the lights so dim is for a romantic ambiance."
Wednesday looked skeptical, after observing the two inside. "I guess if you consider eye-strain 'romantic.' Personally, I know of many more efficient ways to inflict damage to one's vision." He laughed. "That's quite an assumption, though. They could have met somewhere other than the Weathervane."
"Sure, maybe." Tyler agreed, shrugging indifferently. But something in his gut tugged at him, all the little peculiarities he'd experienced while working there. He'd thought, so many times, about how lucky he was that Wednesday had walked into this place that day, this little-known, idle coffeeshop.
Neither of them would ever know how intentional the Weathervane's design, in fact its very existence, truly was.