Chapter Text
Wednesday didn’t like being touched.
The sensation of skin against her own was decidedly unpleasant, and it raised goosebumps across the back of her neck. Generally, she enjoyed being uncomfortable, though this type of uncomfortability was too intimate for her.
Intimacy brings emotions. Wednesday didn’t do emotions.
Yet, her werewolf roommate had decided that Wednesday’s personal boundaries are something to be ignored.
Enid Sinclair seemed to be unable to last a 24 hour period without touching her in some fashion, brushing fingers across her uniform to smooth any wrinkles, though Wednesday keeps her clothes immaculate, or resting a gentle hand on her shoulder without any warning.
Once, in a fit of excitement that Wednesday would liken to an overeager puppy, Enid had grabbed both her hands while she blabbered on about whatever pop singer had released a new album that she simply had to listen to. She had tensed up immediately, the sensation of her roommate’s hands feeling like a burning ember against her own frigid skin.
It was very overwhelming, and Wednesday had pulled back almost immediately. The flash of rejection across Enid’s face prevented her from removing the knife carefully tucked in her uniform and plunging it into the girl’s sternum.
She’d spun on her heel and sat down rather ungracefully at her desk, ignoring the feeling of Enid’s eyes boring holes into the back of her head.
The embers of her roommate’s touch had migrated through her blood, and she’d felt if she was boiling. The sensation was akin to rage, but Wednesday didn’t enjoy it nearly as much. It had stung, instead of making her feel powerful.
So no, she didn’t like being touched.
~~~
It was a gloomy, frigid November day. The ground was wet and slick from icy rain that would come and go without warning, and students could be seen shivering and blowing warm air into their hands.
Wednesday nearly smiled when she stepped outside. It was a beautiful day.
She was not immune to the cold, however, and put an ounce of pep in her step, walking briskly towards Ophelia Hall. The weather had put her in the mood to practice cello, as she savored the feeling of numb fingers forcing her to work harder, to be quicker as they danced across the strings.
The ground squashed beneath her boots as she walked across the quad. Out of the corner of her eye, a flash of blond hair appeared, and Wednesday’s feet slowed. She turned her head, but it was nothing more than some siren girl.
She did not scoff as she regained her usual pace, but irritation bubbled underneath her skin. This, in itself, was ridiculous. The sight of a few strands of hair should not have any effect on her, and it certainly shouldn't remind her of the overzealous, over-friendly werewolf that had been avoiding her lately.
Wednesday filled her lungs with a breath of icy air, and emptied her head of anything else.
Her footsteps creaked across the ancient wooden floorboards of her residence hall, and the sound calmed her. It was akin to the floors in her own home, and it reminded her of wonderfully terrible times.
Soon, thoughts of Enid had all but fled her mind.
The room was empty, thankfully, when she pulled open the door. As the clouds hung so low and bleak today, the colors coming from Enid’s side of the room were muted. She much preferred it that way.
From her closet she pulled out her cello, and dragged it to the balcony. As if on queue, Thing jumped down from his spot on her desk and followed her. Wednesday absentmindedly waved him away, and he promptly flipped her the bird. She decided to ignore him.
Wednesday sat down, and with a moment’s thought she began to play Mars, from the Planets Suite. This was from memory, and it was not nearly as challenging as she expected.
The music took over her, and it consumed her in the way her bow drew across the strings, powerful and heavy, as her eyes focused on the barebone trees in the distance. Nothing touched her, in those moments.
When she finished, her breath came in heavy gasps, and she turned to find summer-blue eyes watching her through the window. Wednesday very nearly jumped, and an unpleasant sensation settled in her stomach. Enid’s face was drawn and unreadable, usually rosy skin without color in the gray light of day.
Her roommate stepped onto the balcony and walked towards her with uncertainty, only stopping once Wednesday bristled from her proximity.
“That song is so… angry.”
Wednesday turned her chin upwards, ever so slightly.
“I enjoy playing it. It brings me peace of mind.”
She watched, impassively, as Enid shifted on her feet.
“Are you upset about anything? You usually play when you’re, um, uncomfortable.”
She frowned. She’d not been aware of this tidbit about herself, and was a little perplexed that her roommate had managed to pick up on something so personal.
“Why might I be upset? The weather is lovely today.”
Enid scoffed at this, which startled Wednesday.
“I try to have an honest conversation with you, and you talk about the weather. Typical Wednesday.”
“Well, I wasn’t aware that we were having an honest conversation.”
Her roommate crossed her arms, annoyance flaring in those too-blue eyes.
“You’ve been avoiding me, Addams.”
This took her aback a little, though she dared not show it on her face. Who did this girl think she was, to reflect her own behavior onto Wednesday, a feeble attempt at displacing blame. She felt some errant emotion rise inside of her, which was quickly tamped down.
“I highly doubt that. It’s not me who comes back to the room at odd hours of the night, sulking like a dog who’s just been left out in the cold.”
Enid’s face was a picture of sadness, such innocent sadness that Wednesday almost felt as if she was looking at a child.
“You won't look at me anymore. Whenever I come near you, you act like I’ve just slapped you across the face.”
She said nothing in return.
Perhaps there was some sliver of guilt that had buried itself deep in her chest, rearing its ugly head when Enid silently pleaded with her through those puppy dog eyes. It was another kind of unpleasant that she didn’t enjoy at all.
The wind howled across their balcony, and a wisp of her hair escaped from its careful braid. Wednesday watched with horror as Enid reached out and caught it, neatly tucking it behind her ear. Colorful nails scratched softly at the base of her neck, and she outright shivered.
Heat clawed its way up from the base of her stomach, scratching and biting until she felt as if every part of her body was raw and bloodied. Wednesday tried to take a hasty step back, and she hit the railing behind her. Enid’s hand quickly pulled away, leaving goosebumps when warm skin had been before.
Suddenly and surprisingly, Wednesday felt ill as her heartbeat raced in her ears, drowning out all other noise.
She sidestepped away from her roommate, and was out the door before the pounding in her head stopped enough to hear the other girl calling her name.
~~~
Somehow, Wednesday had found herself in Jericho, uncharacteristically dizzy as her own body betrayed her, in sickness, in weakness.
Enid would not leave her thoughts, and she wondered briefly if somehow the other girl had cursed in some fashion when she touched her. The memory surfaced once more, unwelcomed, and she suddenly felt the urge to tear her own hair out in madness.
Her roommate was undoing her. She did not like it, for she had imagined insanity to be much more pleasurable than this.
Wednesday had to fix this, and quickly.
She rushed to a small shop, which advertised jewelry in its window. The bell above the door clanged loudly when she walked, and she purposefully strode towards the counter. The elderly gentleman sitting behind the counter looked up, a bit startled. She put both hands on the countertop, leaning towards him.
“I need something in silver.”
He frowned up at her.
“Pardon?”
Wednesday sighed in aggravation.
“My werewolf roommate is torturing me, and I need something silver to keep her away.”
Finally, the shopkeeper looked down at the crest on her uniform, and his face blanched. He stood up quickly and went into the backroom. She tapped her fingers against the glass, impatiently.
The man returned after a minute or so, holding a tray with various pieces of jewelry. Wednesday looked them over. Most were much too gaudy or sparkly for her taste, and she began to feel her lip curl in distaste when one ring caught her eye.
It was small and simple, a band shaped like thorns wrapped around a black stone in the middle. It positively radiated malice, and she knew that she must have it.
Wednesday withdrew a handful of bills from her coat, but the shopkeeper all but threw the ring at her and refused to take the money she held out.
“No charge, and I never want to see you in my shop again.”
She studied him for a moment, at the distaste on his face, and nodded almost imperceptibly.
She walked out from the shop into the bitter night’s air, and the errant guilt that had lain dormant in her chest flared suddenly as she slipped the ring onto her wedding finger.
~~~
It was very late when Wednesday returned to her room, yet the werewolf was nowhere to be found. Thing waited on her bed, tapping his fingers judgmentally. She sat down beside him, and he crawled towards her, taking a good look at the ring.
Silver, he signed out, as a question.
Wednesday nodded.
Thing pinched the ring between his finger and thumb, but she didn’t flinch. She was not bothered by his cold, dead fingers, as they nearly matched her own in temperature. However, she was not expecting him to draw back and flick her on the hand.
Why?
He seemed rather irritated with her, as irritated as a severed hand could be.
“I don’t appreciate the attitude.”
Thing tapped out another rapid message.
This is very rude of you.
“I’m an Addams. I thought you knew me better.”
He turned away from her, in his own way of pouting. Wednesday briefly entertained the idea of cutting off his fingers with a circular saw.
“If you’re so worried about my roommate, you can go sleep on her bed tonight. It clearly isn’t occupied.”
Without another word, Thing jumped down from the bed and skittered towards Enid’s side of the room, crawling up her covers and coming to a rest on her pillow. Absent-mindedly, she studied the colorful bed, which was neatly made and showed no signs of disruption.
It was clear that Enid had not been home for a while, and if Wednesday was a different person, she would’ve worried after her.
She quit her musings and layed down on her own covers, head coming softly to rest on the pillow. Her eyes, though, remained open and were drawn yet again to her roommate's bed. If she imagined just a little, she could almost see Enid laying there, staring back at Wednesday.
Fake-Enid’s eyes glowed yellow, and when moonlight broke from behind the clouds, her sharp fangs were illuminated in a terrible gleaming white.
Greatly disturbed, she rolled over, and fell into a fitful sleep.
~~~
Morning rolled around, and so did the sun, waking Wednesday as it beamed cheerfully through the colorful window.
Disgusting. She already knew it would be a horrible day.
Throwing the covers back and standing up, she realized that Enid had still not returned to the room, as only Thing layed on her bed, sleeping soundly. Wednesday found that she was very nearly glad that the werewolf was not there, as she didn’t have to explain about the ring just yet.
The quiet was also nice as she prepared herself for her day, but small, sharp slivers of loneliness pushed their way into her heart. She promptly ignored them.
As Wednesday set foot out of the door, she gave a brief glance to the ring on her finger. Its black stone shone brilliantly in the sunlight, and it was quite beautiful and terrible altogether. Strangely enough, the newfound protection it offered her gave her no comfort.
It only reminded her of the reason she had acquired it.
When she stepped outside, the weather was not only sunny and cloudless, but unseasonably warm for late November. Smiles were seen all around the student body, most of them enjoying the warmth. Wednesday sympathized with the vampires clustered in shady corners, as she herself detested the sun.
Nevertheless, she carried herself about her day, ignoring snarls from various wolves that had either caught sight or smell of her new ring.
She saw no sign of her treacherous roommate the entire day, and things started to feel like they were starting to go back to normal. She handedly won a small dispute with Bianca in class, and brushed off Xavier’s ridiculous attempts at flirtation.
Despite the bad weather, Wednesday felt much more like herself and was in a rather self-accomplished mood.
With mind to write a new chapter of her novel, she quickly made her way back to Ophelia Hall. The ring, it seemed, had aided in snapping her out of whatever curse she’d been afflicted with, and she rubbed a thumb over the stone. Besides, no pesky werewolves getting in her way had been an added bonus.
She threw the door to her room open, in her focused determination barely registering Enid sprawled across her bed, listening to music. Her roommate quickly tapped at her phone to turn the music off, which Wednesday appreciated.
When Enid’s careful gaze raked over her and eventually fell to her ring, she felt the strangest urge to cover it with her other hand. She almost could not bring her eyes to meet the other girl’s.
“Addams.”
Enid’s voice was not gentle, but fragile.
“Where did you get that?”
She stiffened, standing taller, and spoke evenly.
“I attempted to purchase it in Jericho. The shopkeeper would not take my money and asked me to leave.”
Her roommate swallowed uncomfortably.
“It’s… silver.”
Wednesday typically felt a kind of joy from making others miserable, but she felt none of that when she looked at the werewolf’s gentle and slightly frightened face. It was not nearly as fun torturing someone when she herself didn’t feel any gratification from it.
“I specifically asked for silver.”
She watched impassively as Enid stood, her whole body trembling slightly.
“Why would you do that, Wednesday?”
An unfamiliar feeling came over her. It made her want to offer an apology, something that she never did. She wholeheartedly did not approve of this emotion.
“I-”
She stuttered. Wednesday Addams did not stutter.
I don’t like it when you touch me. I don’t like the way it makes me feel.
“I want you to stay away from me.”
Enid visibly flinched at her words, and the sight made her feel as if she’d been whipped as well. Somehow, Wednesday’s feet moved of their own accord, carrying her one, two steps closer to the girl.
I don’t like that you make me feel weak.
She was close enough now to smell her sweet perfume, a scent that used to make her gag but now just reminded her of home. She could feel the heat radiating off of Enid, warmer than the winter sun.
They just stared at each other, not daring to move. Her roommate had a tormented expression, and for once Wednesday couldn’t quite tell whether it was her or the ring that was causing it.
“Silver feels like poison to me. It hurts.”
Enid’s words were rough, and in those blue eyes, unshed tears glistened.
“I generally find the sensation of poison quite pleasant.”
Somehow, Enid let out a choked laugh.
“Wednesday-”
She reached out, for some hell forsaken reason, but before the colorfully painted nails could brush against her cheek, Wednesday had Enid pinned to her own bed. The hand adorned with the ring held the werewolf down.
Deep inside herself, she could feel something fracture.
They were both shocked with themselves, until Enid began to thrash around, her hand wrapping around Wednesday’s wrist in an attempt to remove the offending hand. The sensation was white-hot against the dead chill of her skin, but she did not let go.
“How is it now, Sinclair, to have someone invade your space? To breach your own personal sanctuary? To torment you, and hurt you, and set your very being ablaze?”
Enid stopped moving, but her grip tightened and she stared up at Wednesday with wide eyes.
“You light me on fire, Enid. It greatly unsettles me.”
The werewolf’s hand began to slip from her wrist, and when it brushed against the offensive ring, she jerked it back. Wednesday could see a small burn on her palm where it touched her.
Baring her fangs defensively, Enid let out a whine, akin to a wounded animal that has been caged.
“Please… Wednesday- it hurts. It hurts.”
Finally, she could not stomach these emotions any longer. She ripped her hands from Enid’s chest, and removed the ring from her finger before throwing it across the room. It clattered across the floorboards, into some dark corner.
She couldn't bear to keep hurting Enid Sinclair.
Wednesday staggered back, unable to look at her roommate’s face, unable to see the damage she caused. Her ungainly stumbles continued until the back of her legs hit her bed, and she fell back on it.
There was a strange silence in the room.
Her eyes remained fixed on the floor, staring at the grains in the wood. She was immobilized there, she could not move even if she wanted to. She could not even tilt her head up when footsteps approached her, and when Enid took a seat on the bed next to her.
All Wednesday knew how to do was breathe, when her heart beat at an erratic pace and her face felt flushed with color.
A hand appeared in the periphery of her vision, palm facing upwards.
It lay there, a peace offering.
Wednesday wondered briefly if she had enough courage to take it.
She looked up, finally, eyes of midnight black meeting Enid’s day blue ones, and there was something different in them. She wondered briefly when she became so terrible at reading the other girl.
Tentatively, she moved her own hand, until it hovered over the outstretched one. In a fit of determination, Wednesday softly touched Enid’s palm with the tips of her fingers.
The feeling that followed was still burning, but it did not consume her. Where their touches had made her feel out of control and weak, helpless, this was different. The heat still slithered through her body, warming her from the inside out, and it made her feel powerful.
As she gave into the urge to run her fingertips across the lines of Enid’s palm, Wednesday experienced a comfort that she realized she’d not felt since the last time her mother had held her. A kind of… love.
Boldly, she pressed the whole of her hand into the other girl’s.
She found it quite pleasant, actually.
When she looked up, a warm smile had formed on Enid’s face. Wednesday had not realized that it was possible for someone to look at her that way.
“I like you, Addams.”
That was all the werewolf said, nothing more, nothing less. For someone who was usually so exuberant, this was rather out of character. She found that she was unable to form words. Peculiar.
Wednesday swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat.
“I believe… I believe I share the same sentiment.”
Enid beamed at her with a brilliant smile, fangs shining in a way that made Wednesday shiver slightly with the prospect of danger. When the other girl leaned into her, the sensations that followed were rather, hmm…
Likeable.