tortillamastersblog

[tortillamastersblog]

Where Light Bends Wrong - Part 16 | Wednesday Addams

Pairing: Wednesday Addams x reader

Warnings: none

Summary: You’ve kept your secret buried and your power quiet, until Wednesday Addams came to Nevermore and turned your whole world upside down.

Previous Part | Next Part | Masterlist

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

“Fire will rain.”

“Huh?” I look up right as Wednesday slides into the seat next to me. 

“Fire will rain,” she repeats, “It was burned into the front lawn of the school last night.” I glance around to make sure no one is listening to us as they settle in and get ready for class.

“I know, but–”

“It must have something to do with Crackstone and the monster,” she cuts me off, pulling out her notebook and pen, which, of course, is a fancy black fountain pen.

“Mhmm…” Since our talk yesterday we’ve decided to do everything to solve this mystery together. Crackstone killed one of my own, and even though it’s been decades, I can’t let it go. It’s also the reason why I’m no longer all too bitter about what Wednesday did. Yes, I still don’t trust her fully and I’m still annoyed by it, but it’s no longer important. Not when people are literally getting killed. “So, do you know how it’s connected to Crackstone?”

Wednesday huffs in frustration and tightens her grip on her pen.  “No, not yet.”

Since Eugene was attacked, there haven’t been any new leads which is making me nervous. Something is coming, I can feel it, and I don’t like it. 

“I did however come across some very eye-opening information,” she says quietly, glancing at me.

I raise an eyebrow despite the way I want to squirm under her dark eyes.  “Do tell.”

She makes sure no one is listening before leaning closer and saying, “Weems is a shapeshifter.”

My jaw drops. “What?”

Instead of repeating herself, Wednesday adds, “It was she who appeared to us as Rowan. She’s helping cover up his murder.”

Completely bewildered, I lean back in my chair and tug on her sleeve to get her to look at me properly. She goes willingly and doesn’t pull her arm back when I keep holding onto her sleeve. “What about his parents?”

Wednesday’s eyes dart to my hand before looking back up. “They’re in on it. His telekinesis has gone to his head lately and he tried to kill me twice, so they’re not going to come out with the truth.”

I want to say something else, but then Thornhill walks in and begins her lesson. I see a flicker of surprise in her eyes when they land on Wednesday and me, sitting next to each other. It makes me realize I’m still holding onto her, so I quickly let go and sit up straighter.

Wednesday’s eyes burn into the side of my head for a moment, but then she turns back in her seat and picks up her pen again.

Thornhill starts rambling about some moon plants, but I’m only half-listening.

Weems is a shapeshifter… That explains why fake Rowan’s emotions felt so familiar when we bumped into each other after the real Rowan was killed.

Why she’s trying to cover it up isn’t a surprise since she’s always been obsessed with the school’s image. I just don’t understand why she wasn’t honest with me of all people. I thought we had a better relationship than that.

“What are you doing this afternoon?”

I snap out of my thoughts and glance to the side, finding Wednesday already looking at me with an unreadable expression.

“Not sure yet. I was going to do some homework and maybe go for a run to clear my head. Why?”

“I was planning on going to visit Eugene,” she says quietly, while Thornhill keeps teaching. And even though she doesn’t say anything else, the way she says it makes it clear she’s asking if I want to come with her.

I frown slightly. Eugene being in the hospital is a reminder of how she ditched us for the Rave’N, but after a moment, I nod and mumble that I’ll go with her.

I pause outside Eugene’s hospital room when I hear Wednesday’s quiet voice, having just stepped out to grab something to drink from the vending machine.

“I haven’t always been against birthdays. Each one reminds me I’m a year closer to death’s cold embrace,” she says, and when I peek into the room I see her sitting on the small chair I pulled up next to his bed. “I mean, what’s not to like about that?”

A soft smile tugs at my lips, but I stay back, granting her this moment with him. I know eavesdropping is wrong, but I’d be able to hear her anywhere in this hospital, so I just stay at the door.

Eugene is still in a coma, but the doctors have said he’s healing nicely and that there’s a possibility he can hear us talking to him even though he’s not conscious.

“Besides, my parents always made sure my birthdays were memorable,” she goes on, reminding me that I still need to get her a present.

Enid cornered me after class this morning and told me it was Wednesday’s birthday, but I haven’t congratulated her yet because, like I said, I don’t have a present yet and because Enid told me not to say anything until tonight because she planned a surprise party for the raven haired girl to which I’ve also been invited, of course.

“But now parties and presents and games, it…It all feels so trivial,” she says quietly, which makes my heart ache.

I might have forgiven her for what she did at the Rave’N, but there’s still some weird tension between us and I don’t know how much I can trust her. Hearing her open up like that makes me soften though since it’s a reminder that, once again, underneath all her sarcasm and wit, there’s a young woman who feels just like everyone else. 

I don’t want to invade her privacy any more than I already have, so I step into the room again, clearing my throat softly so she knows I’m back.

She doesn’t turn but her shoulders stiffen for a second before relaxing again as I step up next to her, looking at Eugene on his hospital bed. He’s still being ventilated by a machine, but his visible cuts and bruises have healed nicely, making it look like he’s simply sleeping.

Wednesday’s heartbeat flutters and I glance down at her to see her clasping her hands in her lap. Grief and guilt radiates off her, completely unfiltered for a change, so I reach out and tentatively place a hand on her shoulder. 

“It’s not your fault,” I say, making her look up. 

She sighs but doesn’t shrug off my hand as she looks back at Eugene.  

“You can’t possibly think that. If I’d been there–”

“You could have gotten hurt, too. Or worse…” I cut in, making her eyes snap back to me. There’s a vulnerable glint to them, and she blinks a couple of times, almost as if blinking back tears which makes my throat close slightly.

“What happened, happened, Wednesday.” I say, my voice dropping slightly. “We can’t change the past, but we can look forward and try our best to stop something like this from happening again.”

Wednesday unclasps her hands in her lap, her fingers twitching almost as if she’s about to raise her hand, but then someone clears their throat behind us, making both of us whirl around.

My hand drops off her shoulder and she gets off her chair, standing in front of me.

“Doctor Kinbott.” She acknowledges the therapist, who steps into the room with a bouquet of yellow-ish roses.

“I haven’t seen you since our session with our family, which was…certainly one I won’t forget,” the blonde woman says, a glint of curiosity in her eyes as her eyes dart between me and Wednesday. When they finally settle on me she says, “You must be Y/N.”

My eyes narrow because we’ve never spoken before, which makes her smile disarmingly and add, “Weems has told me all about you.”

“Hmm.” I send her a tight lipped smile and step closer to Wednesday, not liking the vibe she’s giving off. Yes, she’s acting kind, but there’s something about her that irks me.

“Well…” She clears chuckles awkwardly at my silence and turns her attention back to Wednesday. “How are things with your parents?”

“My mother and I spent some quality time together…Got our hands dirty,” Wednesday says which almost makes me chuckle, especially when Kinbot asks if they were gardening and Wednesday dryly corrects her,  “Gravedigging, actually.”

Kinbott’s eyebrows fly up, but she doesn’t comment on it as Wednesday goes on to tell her how she managed to keep her father out of prison before asking, “What brings you here?”

“Eugene’s mom’s-” Kinbott says, gesturing at the unconscious boy with a thin-lipped smile–” I’m working with them. Trauma like this leaves emotional scars on the whole family.”

She crosses the room and puts the flowers she brought into a vase on Eugene’s bedside table.

God, those flowers. They’re so…bleak. 

“They had to head home for a while so I promised I’d check in on him,” she goes on before turning back to us. 

Wednesday subtly shifts back a little since Kinbott is now closer than before. She brushes against my front and I go to move back to give her some space, but the chair is right behind me and she obviously doesn’t seem to mind the proximity.

The mood in the room has shifted, from somber before, to somewhat tense now, and Wednesday must feel it too because she glances up at me over her shoulder for a second before saying, “We’ll leave you to it.”

Kinbott eyes us with a weird glint in her eyes for a moment. Then she dips her chin and wishes us a good day as Wednesday and I leave the hospital room.

It’s not until we’re outside again, breathing in the crisp autumn air that she turns to me with a thoughtful frown pulling on her lips. “Was that strange?”

“A bit, yeah,” I admit, glancing around the town square.“But Kinbott’s a therapist, so what’d you expect? All therapists are a little weird.” 

I know therapy can be very beneficial for some people, but the experiences I’ve made so far –Therapy was mandatory when I was still in the system– have not been so pleasant. Not because the therapists were bad or anything, I just never clicked with any of them which made it impossible for me to open up and reap the benefits of therapy.

A soft snort makes my eyes widen and snap back to Wednesday. She’s got her arms crossed, but there’s an actual smile playing on her lips. “Had some bad experiences with therapists, have we?” she states rather than asks which stuns me for a second.

She’s actually joking. Or, well, kind of joking.

“I–Yeah.”

She sighs and looks away, her smile vanishing without a trace. “Tell me about it.”

Oh. 

So, she was kind of joking, but there’s some truth to what she’s saying.

Damn, if I knew things would get so emotional –first the moment before Kinbott interrupted us, and now this– I don’t know if I would have agreed to come with her.

She’s hurt me. Badly. And yet ever since it happened I keep finding myself in situations like this where we inadvertently open up to each other in some way or another.

I clear my throat when I realize I’m just staring at her and push away the fluttering feeling that spreads in the pit of my stomach. “So…Xavier? You said he might be the monster.”

Wednesday uncrosses her arms to clasp her hands in front of her. “Yes, but I don’t have any proof yet.”

I huff. It’s frustrating that we can’t seem to get closer to solving this thing. “What about Weems?”

“What about her?” 

“Could she be the monster?” I ask. “I mean, you said she was a shapeshifter.”

“She is, but I don’t think she’s the monster. She can turn into other people, not animals, or whatever that monster is. She also has alibis for all the attacks,”  she explains which makes me bite the inside of my cheek.

She’s right. Weems is not the monster. Even just thinking that was me grasping at straws because there’s no other lead and the fact that Weems has kept her ability hidden from me made me wonder what else she was hiding.

What else is she hiding?

She knows all of my secrets. She knows what I am, and I thought I could trust her, but can I really? 

There’s a cold breeze that makes Wednesday shudder and I check my watch to see that it’s getting pretty late.

“We should go,” I say. 

Wednesday nods, but says, “Wait, I want some coffee before we go.”

I raise an eyebrow since I know I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep if I had any myself, but I don’t object. I just gesture for her to lead the way and follow her across the town square and into the Weathervane.

Iris isn’t there, I realize as soon as we walk in, but Tyler is, which makes me clench my jaw. He seems to share my disdain because when his eyes harden when they land on me. I feel that familiar, suppressed rage radiating off him, but try my best to ignore it, focusing instead on Wednesday’s muted calm instead.

“Hi there. Haven’t seen you in a while.” He smiles sweetly at the raven haired girl, completely ignoring me.

“I’ve been busy. A quad over ice, please. To go,” she states, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t fill me with some satisfaction how Tyler’s face drops a little at how short she’s being.

“Okay…” He eyes me reluctantly and adds, “Anything for you?”

I shake my head and move to the side of the counter while he gets to work. 

Wednesday chews on her bottom lip, deep in thought, and I watch her for a second, taking in her angular face and the way her freckles dote her nose and cheekbones before touching her elbow gently to get her to look at me.

“What are you thinking?” I ask quietly, shifting closer when I see Tyler glancing at us from behind the coffee machine.

“How we’re going to move forward,” she says. “I’ve been thinking of ways to contact Goody and I think I’m going to hold a séance when we get back.”

I quirk up an eyebrow. “A séance?”

“Yes. To talk to Goody.” She looks out of the café’s windows and watches an elderly man stroll past.

“Have you done something like that before?” I ask which makes her nod. “And? Did it work?”

Her dark eyes find mine again, and for a second I’m scared she might be annoyed at all my questions, but then she just nods again and says, “Yes. I have a feeling trying to contact Goody will be in vain though. She seems to evade me every time I need her most, but it’s the only lead I have at the moment.”

“Hmm.” I don’t know what else to say because I’m not sure I really believe séances work, but then again, who am I to doubt her when we literally attend a school with werewolves and other outcasts. A séance working isn’t really as far fetched as one might think, but I can’t help but be sceptical anyway.

“Here you go.”

Tyler’s voice makes both of us turn. Wednesday takes the to-go cup he’s holding out and goes to pay him, but he shoots her a saccharine smile and says, “Don’t worry. It’s on the house.”

Wednesday eyes him with barely veiled suspicion, before thanking him quietly and turning to leave without another word.

I follow her and even though I’ve grown to dislike Tyler recently, I push my pride aside in favor of being polite and say, “Bye, Tyler.”

He doesn’t say anything back, and just watches me leave with a bitter frown.

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

Bit of a filler again, but I haven't uploaded in a few days, and I wanted to give you guys something before the next part which will be quite action packed...

Also, thanks for all your comments under the last part. Love you all <33

Tag list: @sunshinez4 @protozoario @automaticpatroltragedy @mamas-evil-hag @theallseer97 @hellenheaven @iwshemj2 @jizzuo308 @trashcannotbealive @gloriousvariant @brocoliisscared @1863rdorv-reader @fck-this-name @iamprodigious

[tortillamastersblog]

Where Light Bends Wrong - Part 15 | Wednesday Addams

Pairing: Wednesday Addams x reader

Warnings: mentions of death and murder

Summary: You’ve kept your secret buried and your power quiet, until Wednesday Addams came to Nevermore and turned your whole world upside down.

Previous Part | Next Part | Masterlist

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

“Is this seat taken?”

I look up from my French toast to find Bianca of all people looking down at me. We’re not friends and we don’t talk much around school, but we don’t have a problem with each other either.

“Uh, no. Go ahead.”

“Thanks,” she smiles softly – a rare sight – and takes a seat across from me with her breakfast tray.

The Quad is filled with students and their parents, all of them having breakfast one last time together before having to part ways again later today. 

“So, your parents left early?” Bianca asks, her voice surprisingly gentle.

I finish chewing and swallow before answering hesitantly. “Uh, yeah. You could say that.”

Bianca was one of the students who saw Lara and me yesterday when we got back to Nevermore with Weems, so she must have figured my parents came for an actual visit this year.

She frowns and spoons some cereal in her mouth. “Everything okay?”

I pause and put down my fork. Why is she asking all of this? We never talk about anything not school related. Yes, I get why she took a seat at my table because there’s literally no other free spot in the entire Quad, but when she sat down I wasn’t expecting her to strike up a conversation. 

She must sense my hesitation because she straightens and smiles sheepishly. “I’m sorry. I hope I’m not overstepping. Just thought you might wanna talk because I know what it’s like to have less than ideal parents…”

It takes everything in me not to gape at her because where the hell is all this coming from? She seems sincere, since her eyes keep nervously darting down to her plate.

“It’s fine,” I say quietly, still feeling the weight of Lara’s goodbye in the pit of my stomach. “I just… don’t want to talk about it. I’m sorry your parents aren’t all that either.”

She sends me a tight-lipped smile and nods, quietly accepting I’m not in the mood for talking.

We go on eating, each of us minding our own business until I hear Enid across the Quad, standing up to her mom.

From what I heard, she’s been on Enid’s case about wolfing out all weekend, so I’m glad she’s finally showing some backbone and standing up to her. 

I finish eating, savoring the last bit of French toast that makes me feel a little better about what happened yesterday before getting up. Bianca shoots me another smile and I reciprocate it half-heartedly before leaving and putting my empty tray away.

It’s a nice morning with the weak autumn sun streaming into the Quad, but I saw that it’s supposed to rain later today, so I plan on just spending the rest of the day in my room.

As I’m about to slip into the school, I notice a commotion on the other side of the Quad and look back only to freeze for a second when I see the entire Addams family standing there.

Huh.

I have no idea how they’re here, but it looks like their charges have been dropped.

Gomez Addams is beaming and takes in the Quad for a moment before leading Pugsley to the buffet.

Wednesday and her mom stay back, letting their gazes drift over the students and parents with eerily similar calculating eyes. It seems like they’re looking for someone, and when their eyes land on me, I realize that that someone is me, which makes shivers run up my spine.

While an unreadable glint flits through Morticia Addams’ eyes, Wednesday’s face reveals nothing about what she’s feeling at the moment. I do hear her heart stutter for a moment though, but that seems to have to relate to the way her mom touches her lower back gently, nudging her forward to follow her dad and brother.

I blink, and quickly turn away, hating how even now, after everything that’s happened, her eyes on me make my stomach flutter.

I stare at the cursor blinking on my laptop screen, not knowing how to start my essay about the outcasts of the seventeenth century. I’ve done all the research in the library, and now, because I have nothing else to do, I just want to get it all written down, but for some reason I just can’t concentrate.

The cursor keeps blinking, almost as if mocking me, and I stare at it for a moment longer before shutting my laptop with a sigh.

It’s useless. I’m not going to get it done anytime soon.

I’m about to flop onto my bed to wallow in self-pity when my eyes get caught on a slip of paper on my nightstand.

I frown and pick it up only for my heart to flip when I see a phone number on it. Below it is a little heart with the letter L, so I immediately know who it’s from.

“Lara,” I whisper, feeling my throat close as I scramble for my phone on my desk. I open it and go to call her, but then I remember our parents might be around and they probably don’t know about Lara giving me her number, so I chose to shoot her a text instead.

It’s a simple hey, and for a minute it goes unanswered, but then Lara comes online and three dots appear before she texts back that she misses me.

I go on to ask how she is and if our parents were mad about her running away. She tells me they were more worried than mad, but that she’s grounded for a month, which makes me chuckle softly.

I miss her so much already, I can literally feel it in my bones, but the fact that I can at least text and call her now eases some of that weight. 

We text back and forth for over an hour, much to my delight, until I hear some shuffling outside my door.

I pause and put my phone down, frowning when I hear Enid's muffled, “Wait!” outside my door.

I cross the room and open the door, freezing when calculating dark eyes snap up to meet mine.

“Wednesday?”

The raven haired girl straightens up and clenches her jaw, almost as if embarrassed she was caught doing something she shouldn’t have been. She’s wearing a black and white checkered knit sweater and black slacks instead of her school uniform and for the first time since meeting her, her hair is not in its signature two braids. Instead it’s in a low bun that looks a little messy, which is very unlike her. She also has dark rings under her eyes, making her look more like a corpse than she already does sometimes which, for some reason,  doesn’t stop a warmth from spreading in my stomach. Quite the contrary actually, seeing her disheveled makes her look almost adorably human for once.

That must be what a night in jail does to you…

I still have no idea how she managed to weasel her  way out of that one, and how she somehow managed to prove her dad innocent, but that’s a question for another time.

Right now she’s here, with Thing warily perched on her shoulder, and I have no idea why.

I glance to my left where Enid is frozen mid step, looking between Wednesday and me with a cringe.

“I’ll–Uh. I’m gonna go.” She nods to herself and clicks her tongue before turning and rushing away.

I clear my throat softly and look back at Wednesday and Thing, crossing my arms subconsciously. 

“What are you guys doing here?” 

My voice comes out resigned and quiet rather than mad, but I don’t have the energy to change it. 

Wednesday’s lips twitch and she continues to hold my gaze for a moment before looking off to the side.

I raise an eyebrow and look at Thing, who just taps on Wednesday’s shoulder to get her to say something. I hear her inhale, but before she can say anything my eyes land on what she’s clutching to her chest.

“What’s that?”

It’s clearly a leatherbound notebook, but she must have brought it for a reason. 

Her grip on it tightens and she meets my gaze again, her face unguarded for once but still unreadable.

“It’s for you,” she admits, standing tall but her voice wavering ever so slightly.

“For me?” I repeat incredulously. 

She swallows and scoffs softly almost as if she can’t help it. “That’s what I said, isn’t it?”

I don’t know whether to be surprised or offended. “I–Yeah. So, what is it?”

She hesitates again, a muscle in her jaw twitching before Thing pokes her ear in encouragement.

She swats at him with one hand and hisses, “Do that again and you’ll be down to four fingers,” before almost reluctantly handing me the notebook.

The leather is smooth and warm in my hands, but there’s nothing on the cover to indicate what it might contain. I meet her eyes once more, feeling a ripple of uncertainty coming off her before flipping to the first page.

My breath gets caught at the sight of the symbol of my pendant sketched into the middle of the page, and I flip to the next page with shaking hands. My eyes darting over the handwritten notes, not taking anything in until they snag on one word.

Ægiryn… Written in Wednesday’s scrawly, cursive handwriting.

I snap the book shut, my heart pounding and stare at her.

She knows.

My mind runs wild with what this means for me, but then I see Thing shift on Wednesday’s shoulders and I direct my glare at him. 

“How could you?” I say, sounding breathless. 

First the whole Rave’N debacle, and now this. He told her what I am… After everything that’s happened. He told her. I knew I never should have trusted him. He’s just like–

“He didn’t do anything.” 

Wednesday’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts and I look back at her with bewilderment.

“I figured it out,” she adds, clasping her hands in front of her. “Although once I knew, I made him tell me everything he knows about your kind.”

Of course she did. I always knew it would only be a matter of time before she found out. I mean, she literally threw a knife at me… I just didn’t think it would be this soon. 

Also, Thing might not have betrayed me in the way I thought, but he did tell her more about what I am and I don’t know how to feel about it. 

I flip the notebook open with trembling hands, feeling like the rug has just been pulled out from under my feet, and skim through the pages.

History of Ægiryns… Weaknesses…Powers…

It’s all there, almost like an exact copy of the book from the Nightshades’ library.

I have no idea how she figured it out, and quite frankly I don’t want to know. What I do want to know though is why she would want to rub my nose in it.

Is she taunting me? Is she threatening me?  

I snap the book shut again and shove it against her chest, scowling. “What do you want from me, Wednesday? Is this some kind of joke to you?”

“What? No!” Her eyes widen in an unprecedented display of shock and she’s quick to grab a hold of a book when I let it go so it doesn't fall. “I don’t want anything from you. This is just–” Her eye twitches and she looks off to the side again. “Thing told me about the book that was stolen. The one from the Nightshades’ library? About your kind… Last night, after my mother and I came up with a plan to prove my father innocent, I asked her for help in putting this together for you. Thing said you don’t know much about your own powers, and my mother is a well of information about all kinds of outcasts.”

My scowl melts into a confused frown and I cross my arms again, genuinely taken aback. “So it’s supposed to be a gift?” I ask warily.

Wednesday nods, still not meeting my eyes.

“Why?”

She huffs and digs her manicured black nails into the spine of the notebook. “What happened at the Rave’N– I… I should not have gone with Tyler. I should have gone into the woods with you and Eugene.”

My eyes widen and I can’t help but actually gape at her for a second when I realize what’s going on. She’s trying to apologize.

This doesn’t change the fact that she did what she did, but never in a million years did I think she’d apologize for it, much less with something like that notebook of hers which she put together with the help of her mother.

It must have taken hours to get this all written down, and now I understand why Morticia looked at me the way she did earlier in the Quad.

She knows what I am, too, and she was trying to gauge my potential reaction to Wednesday giving me the notebook. 

I soften ever so slightly and fight the urge to brush a strand of Wednesday’s bags out of her eyes. And then, before I can stop myself I say, “Well then, it looks like you didn’t want to dye your hair pink after all.”

Her eyes snap up to meet mine, a crease forming between her eyebrows, but before she can ask what I’m talking about I add, “You know, since you said you’d rather dye your hair pink than ask your mom for advice. Remember? At the old meeting house?”

Surprise, relief, and something akin to amusement flicker over Wednesday’s face and for once, she doesn’t know what to say. She just nods stiffly and holds the notebook out to me again. 

I take it, feeling my fingers tingle when our hands brush and clutch it against my chest. “Thank you.”

She dips her chin in acknowledgement and turns to leave, but before she does, she mumbles, “I promise, I won’t tell anyone what you are.”

I swallow thickly but don’t say anything, as she turns and leaves. Thing waves timidly, still perched on her shoulder, and I wave back, completely rattled by what just happened. 

I clench and unclench my hands before finally getting enough courage to knock on Enid’s and Wednesday’s door.

There’s some shuffling and then the door opens to reveal a breathless Enid.

I raise an eyebrow, my nervousness momentarily forgotten, and ask, “You good?”

She nods and runs a hand down her fluffy pink sweater. “Fine. Just running late for a date with Ajax.”

I can’t help but smile a little. “Ah yes. You two finally figured it out, didn’t you?”

She rolls her eyes but her cheeks turn a faint shade of pink as she gestures for me to come inside. “Shut up.”

I raise my hands in mock surrender and chuckle softly. “I’m just saying, I told you.”

“Yeah, yeah…” She rushes to her side of her room to finish applying her blue eyeliner while my eyes stray to Wednesday’s side of the room.

It’s clean and organized, just like last time, but she’s not there. There’s only Thing who’s reading a glossy pink magazine on her bed, which I’m sure he got from Enid. 

“Weems took Wednesday to visit Eugene,” Enid says when she catches me looking around the room. There’s a certain knowing lilt in her voice that makes me want to deny I was looking for the raven haired girl, but there’s really no point in it.

So, I just hum and wrap my arms around myself before remembering I wanted to ask her about her mom and what happened during parents’ weekend. 

“I saw you arguing with your mom earlier…Everything okay?”

Enid finishes drawing on her eyeliner and turns around with a bright smile. “Everything’s fine. She wanted to send me to a Lycanthropy camp over the summer because I still haven’t wolfed out yet, but I made it clear I’m not going. I’m going to wolf out in my own terms and if she has a problem with that, I don’t want to hear about it.”

Pride fills me and I wordlessly close the space between us to hug her. She squeaks in surprise because I’ve never initiated a hug like this before but then she sinks into it and hugs me back.

“I’m so proud of  you. That takes guts.”

“Thank you.” She squeezes me and pulls back to look at me. “How are you? You know, because of Lara and your parents…”

I sigh and take a seat on the edge of her bed. “Not so good, but that’s nothing new. Lara left me her number though, and we’ve been texting, so that’s good. But my parents? Yeah… I don’t know.”

I know Thing is right there and he can hear everything I’m saying but I honestly don’t even care anymore. My family situation has never really been a secret as much as my identity has. I just never liked talking about it and when someone asked questions about why my parents never came to visit, I’d always make up an excuse.

Enid’s smile turns sympathetic and she asks some more questions about how Lara’s doing before her phone chimes and her eyes widen. “Crap. I’m so late. I gotta go.”

I get up and move to leave as well since Wednesday is not here, but then the door opens right as Enid reaches for the handle, and Wednesday comes walking. She’s back to her old self with her two braids and neat bangs, but there’s something gnawing at her. It’s ugly and vicious and cuts bone deep even if she doesn’t want to admit it, and within a second I realize it’s guilt.

Of course. She was just out visiting Eugene… 

Her eyes meet mine and she pauses for a moment, obviously surprised to see me, before her eyes land on Enid. “Ajax better show up this time or I’m going through with what I said last time.”

Enid smiles and I frown because even though Wednesday sounds like she genuinely cares about Enid, I have no idea what she could possibly mean. Seeing my confusion, Enid is quick to fill me in, though. 

“If he breaks my heart, she’ll nail-gun his.”

“Oh.” I don’t know what else to say. I mean, what could I possibly say to that? It’s morbid and exactly something Wednesday would say. The only surprising thing is that she might actually mean it, which once again goes to show that she cares about Enid. 

Enid’s phone chimes again and she grimaces, quickly uttering an apology for having to leave so abruptly before darting out of the room.

Wednesday turns to her side of the room and goes to sit at her desk, but not without raising an eyebrow at the magazine Thing is reading.

I actually came here to talk to Thing about the whole soulbond concept I read about in the book from the Nightshades’ library, since it wasn’t mentioned in Wednesday’s notebook, but now that she’s here, I don’t exactly want to bring it up. 

Ever since reading about  it for the first time, her face comes to mind when I think about it and despite what’s happened, my infatuation continues to persist, which gives me reason to believe my powers have bonded me to her somehow.

I go to leave quietly, but Wednesday turns around in her chair and says, “Are you planning on brooding in the middle of the room for the rest of the night? Because if so, I don’t mind. Just do it quietly.”

I huff, mildly amused and rub my neck awkwardly. “I’m not brooding.”

She raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms, looking ready to object but I go on before she gets the chance.

“I-Uh…I wanted to thank you for the notebook again,” I say.

I don’t expect anything other than a nod of acknowledgement, so when she actually looks away and mumbles a quiet, “It’s the least I could do,” I’m genuinely shocked.

There’s an unspoken tension simmering between us, and I don’t know how to handle it, so after a couple of seconds of silence, I move closer until I’m leaning against the edge of her desk with my arms crossed. She looks up with an unreadable expression, but doesn't tell me to leave, so I don’t.

“So, you were arrested for graverobbing?” I ask with a hint of amusement in my voice, which makes her glare at me for a second.

“I wasn’t graverobbing,” she states and if I didn’t know any better I’d say she was pouting. “My mother and I merely gathered evidence proving my father’s innocence.”

“I see,” I tease gently, which makes her glare harden before she realizes I’m joking. Her face actually softens then and the tiniest of smiles tugs at her lips. 

Her giving me that notebook doesn’t change what she did, but it did make me let go of most of my bitterness towards her. That hint of a smile on her otherwise stoic face also makes my stomach flutter, confirming my stupid little crush on her is far from gone.

“So, what actually happened with your dad? I mean, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to I just–”

“He was arrested for the murder of Garret Gates, but as it turns out, Garret Gates was already dying of nightshade poisoning when my mother stabbed him to save my father,” she cuts me off, explaining without a second thought. “My father took the blame for her back then…Garret Gates wanted to kill all outcasts with the nightshade, but ended up poisoning himself before attacking my father in a fit of jealousy.”

“Holy shit.” 

“Yes, I know. A shocking turn of events. But it doesn’t matter anymore. Garret Gates is dead and my father has been cleared of all charges. Now all that’s left occupying most of my waking thoughts is that monster and the missing body parts of its victims.”

“And Crackstone,” I add quietly, which makes her nod.

She averts her eyes for a moment, running her finger along the bottom of her typewriter before getting to her feet. She looks at me with such an intensity, it makes me actually take a step back and uncross my arms. 

“At the old meeting house, I had a vision, remember?”

Do I remember? I almost scoff in disbelief because of course I do. I literally held her in my arms, shielding her from the rain and the cold while she was unconscious. Knowing that saying that would only freak her out though and maybe pull back, makes me simply nod in reply.

Thing  already mentioned something about Wednesday’s ancestor Goody Addams almost being burned alive by Crackstone in the old meeting house because of his effort to cleanse the world of all outcasts, but I don’t know much more than that. She doesn't know I know about it though, but I don’t mention it when she goes on to tell me that part of her vision. However, when she mentions how Goody managed to escape, my breath hitches.

“There was this boy,” she says, her eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t know his name, but he couldn’t have been older than fourteen. He helped Goody by lifting the trap door under the fireplace. It had gotten stuck and Goody couldn’t manage to open it herself, but then this boy helped her. His eyes… They were glowing gold when he used his powers to lift the trap door. I didn’t know what it meant at the time, but now I know he was an Ægiryn.”

I’m definitely not used to her knowing what I am because her saying the boy was an Ægiryn makes me flinch slightly, but I don’t interrupt as she goes on.

“Goody tried to convince him to escape with her, but he refused, returning to what I’m assuming was his sister who was still chained to the ground like the rest of the outcasts. He tried to free her, but he’d drained most of his powers helping Goody.” She looks down and runs her fingernail along the grain of her wooden desk, quietly adding, “He used the rest of his powers to calm her down in their final moments.”

I swallow dryly and cross my arms. That boy died for his sister. He died saving Wednesday’s ancestor. I don’t know what their relationship was like, but if Wednesday doesn’t know his name, Goody must not have known either, which means they didn’t know each other and he still did what he did.

He gave and gave until there was literally nothing left to give…

A foreboding shudder runs through me and I blink, realizing Wednesday is watching me closely. 

“Crackstone also had a signet ring,” she says slowly. “It was small, so he couldn’t wear it, but he had it tied around his neck with a thin leather band. It had the Stillmark symbol on it.” 

The Stillmark. That’s the name of the symbol on my pendant. The symbol I now know represents our people.

Hatred and fury courses through my veins at the thought of Crackstone stealing it from the boy, only to then wear it himself as a taunt. 

I understand now why Thing and Wednesday destroyed his statue. If they hadn’t, I’d do it myself right this second, but they did, so there’s nothing for me to do now other than silently fume about it.

“I don’t know how yet, but the monster, the murders, and Crackstone are all connected somehow,” Wednesday says when I stay silent.

I glance at Thing who climbs onto Wednesday’s desk, tapping his assent.

I bite the inside of my cheek and let my eyes dart around the room. She’s right. There has to be a connection. And after what Wednesday just told me about Crackstone, I want to do everything to make sure that fucker’s legacy stays dead and buried. 

“So, what now?” I ask.

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

Tag list: @sunshinez4 @protozoario @automaticpatroltragedy @mamas-evil-hag @theallseer97 @hellenheaven @iwshemj2 @jizzuo308 @trashcannotbealive @gloriousvariant @brocoliisscared @1863rdorv-reader @fck-this-name @iamprodigious

[tortillamastersblog]

There’s always things to do in the lab 😭 I will try 🫡 planning take some time off after everything is settled.

Ayyy congratulations!!! Awesome work, I’m proud of you! 30k is a long way, I don’t think I can even make it through 1K 😂

A big change for you but I’m glad you’re doing what you enjoy now! I did those cadaver labs back in uni and it was interesting for sure lol. What kind of things will be learning/doing in Nutrition? And it’s a 2year course? If you ever wanna move into the research field, you know a gal haha

You’re doing good with your writing! And don’t forget to enjoy your break/time for yourself too!

Good you deserve it!

Thank youu <33

Yes, it’s a two year course. It focuses on nutrition (duh haha) but also on public health and prevention research regarding things like diabetes. Don’t know yet if I want to do research myself, but I’m open to it in the future. Thank youuu!!

Thanks 🫶 I’m trying. After writing nonstop for a week, I’m a little burned out now, but I’m still motivated and inspired to continue.

Don’t know if you’re reading Where Light Bends Wrong, but if you do, you’ll be happy to know that I’ve already written half of the next chapter.

[tortillamastersblog]

Where Light Bends Wrong - Part 14 | Wednesday Addams

Pairing: Wednesday Addams x reader

Warnings: none (I think?)

Summary: You’ve kept your secret buried and your power quiet, until Wednesday Addams came to Nevermore and turned your whole world upside down.

Previous Part | Next Part | Masterlist

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

I’m running. The sun has just come up and I’m already six miles into my run.

After seeing Wednesday last night and hearing about what Thing did, I couldn’t sleep properly which is why after tossing and turning the whole night, I got up thirty minutes ago, threw on my running gear, and left the school. I’m going faster than I usually run, but I can’t seem to stop.

Weems knows I go running every now and then, but I know she’ll disapprove when she finds out I went out alone after what happened with Eugene. 

That’s something to worry about later though, so I shake my head and push a little more, liking the sound of my feet hitting the pavement. My breath is visible in the cold morning air and my fingers tingle with the chill of autumn, but it’s not uncomfortable. It’s rather grounding and gives me something to focus on as I keep running.

I’m not wearing any headphones because I like to be aware of my surroundings, especially now with the threat of the monster looming in every shadow. 

After my last encounter with it, I know I’m not entirely helpless against it which has given me the courage to go out in the first place, but I’d still rather avoid running into it again. 

I keep running, circling Jericho until another five miles later my legs feel heavy and a hot drop of sweat runs down the side of my face. I stop in front of the Weathervane and catch my breath, freezing for a second when I feel eyes on me. I look around and hold my breath, but of the few people who are already up and about in the town square none of them are paying me any attention. 

I shake my head and enter the Weathervane.

I’m getting paranoid.

Iris perks up behind the counter when she hears the chime of the bell above the door and beams at me. There are only a handful of people here already since the morning rush is still a little while out.

“Why hello there!” Iris grabs a bottle of water as I approach the counter and hands it to me as soon as I’m within reach.  “I see you’re running again?”

I nod and take a sip of the water, cringing a bit at how warm it is compared to the morning air outside even though it’s just room temperature. 

“Yeah. Had to blow off some steam,” I say, lowering the bottle back down. “How are you? Busy morning so far?”

She wipes down the counter and shrugs. “Not really, no. There are a bunch of parents in town for parents’ weekend up at Nevermore, as I’m sure you know, but they won’t come in until later.”

“Mmm. Yeah…” I let my eyes wander over the town square outside and cringe a little when I see Crackstone’s half-destroyed, half-molten statue perched on its pedestal in the town’s fountain. 

Thing.

He and Wednesday did that and even though Crackstone deserved it now that I know what he did, I hate the reminder of Thing and Wednesday.

Thing set her up…after everything that’s happened he did that, which has shaken my trust in him. And then Wednesday, to double down on the whole Xavier ordeal, actually went with Tyler. She could have said no, but she didn’t.

I’ve run out of steam, and I’m no longer mad about what happened. I’m just tired of being jerked around all the time.

My ever persistent crush is also not helping me get some clarity because every time I’ve avoided Wednesday this past week, I couldn’t help notice tiny details about her. Like how her lips twitch in frustration when she doesn’t know an answer in class or how she always straightens up after being lost in thought for a second.

“Iris, what do you want me to do with the–Oh, Y/N…Hi.”

My head snaps around at the sound of Tyler’s voice as he joins Iris around the counter. He must have been in the back when I came in.

“Hi, Tyler.” I send him a tight-lipped smile, my hand involuntarily tightening around my water bottle.

He likes her…

Things tapping echoes in the back of my mind and it takes everything in me not to scowl at him as he eyes me with barely contained disdain. 

I don’t know why he has such a problem with me. Yes, he likes Wednesday, but I don’t know how that somehow concerns me. I mean, Wednesday and I aren’t friends, much less anything more, so why is he so jealous around me?

I should be the jealous one and I hate to admit that because of my stupid crush I am, but just because my body acts all weird around Wednesday doesn’t mean she’d ever want anything from me. Well, apart from using my powers for her investigation…

I’m no threat to him in any way other than physically if he tries to test me, and it’s honestly starting to piss me off.

Iris seems to sense the tension and clears her throat softly. She turns to Tyler and asks what he was about to ask, which gives me the perfect opportunity to drain the rest of my bottle and slap some cash onto the counter before leaving again. 

“Oh, I’m sorry!” I apologize, having bumped into a young boy after rounding the corner too quickly. 

I’m just getting back from breakfast with Enid, Ajax, and Yoko, and was planning on going back to Jericho to visit Eugene again since I’m not expecting my adoptive parents to show up. They haven’t visited me once since dumping me here and even though they’re technically still my parents on paper, they’re not acting like it and I’ve long since given up on them.

The young boy looks up and smiles shyly, mumbling, “It’s okay.”

I smile too, about to move past him, but then I pause when I realize he looks kind of familiar. He’s about twelve, has short black hair, dark brown eyes that seem almost black, and olive skin. His black and white striped sweater also seems familiar, and I’m about to ask him if we know each other when a tall woman and a plump, shorter man join us.

“Pugsley, darling, there you are. I told you not to go running off without us,” the woman says, her voice low and husky. She runs a hand through his hair, before looking at me and despite being taller than her, I shrink under her calculating gaze. 

“Uh…Hi,” I stammer.

Her lips twitch into a tiny smile and she stops running her fingers through what I’m assuming is her son’s hair.

“Hello,” she says, clasping her hands in front of her. She has the same dark hair and eyes as the boy, but while he seems shy and a little reserved, she’s standing tall with confidence. “You must be–”

“Y/N?”

My jaw twitches involuntarily at the sound of Wednesday’s voice and I turn to see her strutting up to us with a frown.  

“My little stormcloud!” The plump man chimes up which makes Wednesday’s lips tighten. 

Oh no. I glance at him, Pugsley, and the woman for a second before looking back at Wednesday, realization dawning on me. 

“Father. Mother.” Wednesday comes to a stop next to us. Her father hugs her enthusiastically, a gesture she doesn’t reciprocate but rather endures, before her mother blows her a kiss, obviously a little more attuned to her daughter’s boundaries.

I can’t believe I just ran into her family…

“Pugsley.” She acknowledges her brother last, and although her face stays unreadable there’s a glint of affection in her eyes when she looks at him.

Pugsley smiles shyly and goes in for a brief hug which she actually reciprocates by patting his shoulder awkwardly. 

As soon as he steps back again though her eyes find mine, holding my gaze with an unreadable expression before looking at her mom with a raised eyebrow. “I’m familiar with your need to constantly get involved in my life, mother, but I did not expect you to hound my peers.”

Instead of getting offended by her daughter’s words, Wednesday’s mom simply raises an eyebrow and says, “I’m not hounding anyone, darling. Just trying to make polite conversation.” She turns to me and adds, “My apologies, Y/N, if I came across as overbearing. Wednesday just told us so much about you.”

My eyes widen at the same time as Wednesday’s eyebrows fly up.

“Mother!” she scolds, and if I didn’t know her any better I’d say she was a bit flustered. Her eyes meet mine and to my surprise I see her cheeks have actually taken on the slightest bit of color. It’s barely noticeable though.  

“I…” I rub the back of my neck, not knowing what to say, but luckily I don’t have to say anything because Wednesday’s dad speaks up.

“Oh, don’t worry,” he says with a wink in my direction. “Our little viper’s only told us good things about you. Like how you saved her life? That was a spectacular story, wasn’t it, Tish?”

Wednesday’s mom nods and looks at me again. There’s a glint in her eyes that makes me feel a bit uneasy, so I look away only for my eyes to land on Wednesday.

She’s absolutely mortified, and when our gaze meets she immediately looks away again to scold her father. “Must you always try to embarrass me?”

“Oh, come on, my little stormcloud,” he says, reaching for her but she shifts out of reach. “There’s hardly any harm in trying to get to know your friends.”

“We’re not friends,” Wednesday snaps.

My chest tightens and I can’t help but frown because even though I know we’re not friends, it hurts how insulted she sounds. It also makes my heart ache because it once again confirms my infatuation with her is completely inappropriate and misplaced.

“I should go,” I speak up quietly, throwing my thumb over my shoulder. 

Wednesday’s head snaps around and her eyes widen almost as if she forgot I was there, but before anyone else can say something, I hurry away.

I hear her bickering with her parents, but I don’t pay attention to what exactly is being said until I’m out of earshot.  

We’re not friends…

No, I guess we’re not.

I catch a glimpse of Enid greeting her parents in the Quad, which reminds me to check in with her later because I know she has a complicated relationship with her mom, but for now, I have to get as far away from any Addams family member as possible.

I sigh as soon as I leave the hospital again. Eugene is still in a coma and there’s nothing I can do about it. I tried using my powers again, just like I did on Monday, but it’s not working. I don’t know how to control them, and as much as it frustrates me, it also scares me. If I still had the book, maybe there’d be some clues in there about how to use my powers, but it’s gone, so I’ll have to figure it out myself. 

The sky is overcast and it looks like it’s about to rain soon, but I don’t want to go back to Nevermore yet. All those parents and students send my senses into overdrive, and I’m still keen on avoiding a certain morbid and eccentric family. So, without a second thought, I make my way to my favorite bookstore. I have a literal pile of books I have yet to read on my nightstand back at Nevermore, but Thornhill always says you can never have too many books which is a motto I like to live by.

I cross the town square, and make my way to the bookstore, but then I feel eyes on me again. I stop and turn, and unlike this morning where I didn’t notice anything suspicious, this time I catch a glimpse of someone hiding behind the bus stop.

My heart pounds and for a moment I think of running because who knows who this person is and what they want from me, but then a sudden burst of anger over the uncertainty of my future comes over me and I march toward the bus stop.

I don’t know what I expect when I round the bus stop, but I certainly don’t expect a pair of familiar green eyes staring at me from beneath a hood.

All the breath rushes out of me and I freeze, blinking in confusion. “Lara?”

She whimpers and her bottom lip trembles and before I can stop her– not that I ever would– she throws her arms around me and hugs me, burying her face in my chest.

Confused and absolutely bewildered, I hug her back with shaking hands. She’s trembling, her breath hitching against my chest, and tears well up in my eyes. I hug her even tighter and push her hood off to run the fingers of my one hand through her auburn hair.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, my voice breaking. “H-How did you get here?”

I haven’t seen her in four years, and even though she’s grown up a lot since then, to me she’s still the nine year old little girl I was forced to leave behind. 

“I stole dad’s credit card and booked a train ticket,” she admits with a sniffle which makes me pull back with a frown.

“What? You stole your dad’s credit card? Lara–” I sigh–” you can’t do that.”

She pouts and a tear rolls down her face that I’m quick to wipe away with the sleeve of my uniform. 

“But I wanted to see you,” she says quietly. “I found a flyer about this parents’ weekend in the trash, and I knew mom and dad weren't going to let me come visit, so I took the card and booked the ticket.”

I blink away my own tears and crouch down so I’m not towering over her. The fact that they threw out the flyer doesn’t exactly hurt me because I knew from my very first day at Nevermore that they weren’t going to come back. But the fact that Lara found it and literally ran away to come see me makes my heart clench. “I’m sorry,” I say, not really sure what I’m apologizing for. “I know you miss me, I miss you, too. So much. But you can’t just run away. I’m sure your parents are worried sick about you.”

She averts her eyes, and buries her hands in the front pocket of her hoodie. “I just wanted to see you,” she says again, which makes me get back to my feet and pull her in for another hug.

“I know, it’s just… You can’t do this. I-I have to call Weems,” she stiffens in my arms, but doesn’t protest as I pull out my phone with one hand and dial Weems’ number.

I hate to do this because I don’t want to get her in trouble, but I know her parents are worried and could even have already reported her missing. 

Weems picks up almost instantly and after I tell her what’s going on she pauses for a moment before sighing and saying, “I’ll come and pick you up. Don’t go anywhere.”

I thank her and hang up again, hating how Lara’s eyes well with tears again when she looks up at me.

“Hey…” I brush a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s okay. You’re not going to get in trouble.”

She shakes her head and presses her face back against my chest, mumbling, “I don’t care if I get in trouble. I don’t want to go. I want to stay here with you.”

I swallow the growing lump in my throat and press a kiss to the top of her head. “I know. I want that too, but you can’t.”

I feel a tear seep through the shirt of my uniform, so I pull back and cup her cold cheeks with my hands, adding, “Weems won’t be here for another couple of minutes. How about some hot chocolate?”

She sniffles and nods, and I wrap an arm around her shoulders before leading her to the Weathervane. The smell of coffee and pastries hits us as soon as we enter the small café, and I see a tiny smile tug at Lara’s lips that eases some of the pressure on my chest. I can feel the grief of missing me radiating off her, which makes me feel guilty for not trying to reach out to her even though I know there’s nothing I could have done. 

“Y/N!” Iris greets me from behind the counter. “Twice in one day? To what do I owe this pleasure? Oh, who are you?” 

Her eyes land on Lara and I look down to find her biting the inside of her cheek, too shy to answer, so I do it for her with a soft smile. “Iris, this is my sister Lara.”

Iris’s eyes widen in surprise since I’ve never mentioned having siblings before, but she’s quick to regain her composure and not question it. “Nice to meet you, Lara. I love your hair.”

That makes Lara actually crack a little smile and she absentmindedly runs a hand through her shoulder long hair. “Thank you.”

Iris shoots her another smile before looking back at me with a raised eyebrow. “So, what can I get you guys?”

“One hot chocolate and one espresso, please.”

She nods and gets to work. “You got it!”

I thank her, secretly relieved Tyler isn’t working at the moment,  and squeeze Lara’s shoulder before leading her to one of the booths by the window. The last thing I need right now is his snide glances while I’m trying to hold Lara together…

Lara slides onto the bench across from me and buries her hands in her lap, quiet and uncertain.

“Hey…” I lean forward and tilt my head when she meets my eyes. “What’s going on? Talk to me? How are things at home? You still doing good in school?”

It’s astonishing how much she’s changed, but somehow also stayed the exact same since I last saw her. Yes, she’s grown up quite a bit with her face slimming out and her ears now pierced, but her eyes are still the same, as is the way she carries herself.

“I miss you so much it hurts,” she whispers. “Some girls at school are being mean to me because of my hair and mom and dad never let me talk about you…”

My throat tightens with unshed tears and I let out a deep breath before joining her on her side of the booth. I wrap an arm around her shoulder again and run my hand through her hair while she plays with the button of my uniform jacket. “I’m sorry about mom and dad, but those girls–” I scoff–” they can go fuck themselves.”

Lara pulls back, eyes wide with bewilderment which makes me chuckle.

“What? It’s true.” I say, chuckling a little. “Fuck them. You have beautiful hair and anyone who disagrees is just insecure and close-minded.”

An involuntary chuckle escapes her as well before she rests back against my side. She tells me more about how things have been going at school and how she actually managed to get her green belt in Taekwondo recently before Iris comes to our table and sets down our drinks.

I go to pull out some money to pay up front, but she just shakes her head and says, “Don’t worry, it’s on the house.”

Lara actually beams now, the current circumstances forgotten under the guise of hot chocolate, and reaches for her mug to take a sip. 

“Thanks, Iris, but if you keep giving away free stuff the café will go out of business,” I warn playfully which makes her roll her eyes playfully and leave without further comment.

“Good?” I ask Lara once she sets her mug down. She has a bit of chocolate milk left on her upper lip so I grab a napkin from the little dispenser on the table and hand it to her. 

She nods and goes in for another sip before wiping her mouth. “Yes, thank you.”

I smile and squeeze her shoulder again. “You’re welcome.”

We go back to talking about nothing and everything – I tell her about my classes at Nevermore and she tells me about the concert she went to with her friends a couple of weeks ago– before the chime above the front door signals the arrival of Weems.

The sight of her makes reality slam into me like a sledgehammer, and it takes everything in me not to stiffen while Lara continues to tell me about her current favorite song. 

“Y/N…” Weems approaches our table with an unexpected softness shining in her eyes. She pulls off her headscarf and folds it up before stuffing it into the pocket of her white coat.

Lara’s mouth snaps shut mid sentence and I hate how I literally feel her excitement fading. There’s nothing I can do about it though, so I just sigh and down the rest of my espresso.

“Ready?” I ask Lara. She nods and pushes her mug of hot chocolate to the middle of the table without drinking the last few sips. 

It hurts my heart, but I don’t comment on it as I slide out of the booth. Lara follows and then Weems wordlessly leads us out of the café.

I don’t even have it in me to wave goodbye to Iris so I make a mental note to make it up to her the next time.

“You know when you called I was expecting everything but… this,” Weems says as soon as we’re in her car and she’s pulled onto the road. She eyes Lara and me on the backseat through the rearview mirror, her voice tinged with something that almost sounds like sorrow.

I just hum and look down at Lara who’s clinging to my arm with her head on my shoulder. The thought of her leaving again and us going no contact for another couple of years makes me literally sick, so I look out of the window to watch the forest rushing by. 

When Weems speaks up a couple of minutes later again though, I can’t help but look back at her with raised eyebrows.

“Gomez Addams was arrested earlier.”

“Excuse me?” 

Lara tilts her head up to glance at me and then Weems but stays silent.

Weems sighs and turns into the gravel road that leads up to Nevermore. “Sheriff Galpin stopped by during lunch and arrested him for the murder of Garret Gates.”

I frown. “I thought that case was closed years ago?”

“No.” Weems shakes her head. “It went cold because there wasn’t any evidence against Addams.” My mind is running wild with what Wednesday is doing right now because I know she won’t just sit around and watch her father get arrested. 

Oh no…She’s going to do something reckless again, isn’t she?

“Well, what changed?”  Lara’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts again and I realize I have other things but Wednesday to worry about right now. 

Weems meets Lara’s eyes in the rearview mirror for a second before focusing back on the road. “Apparently some new evidence turned up proving him guilty.”

Lara doesn’t know who Gomez is, or who any of the Addams’ are, but of course her curiosity has once again gotten the better of her. She’s always been like that, questioning everything, which at times, could be really annoying, but is actually quite endearing. 

She doesn't ask any more questions this time though, and Weems doesn’t elaborate, so we sit in silence for the rest of the ride.

“I’ve called your parents, Lara,” Weems says tentatively when we get out of the car. “And they’re on their way here as we speak.”

Lara averts her eyes to the ground and nods solemnly. Weems' lips thin in sympathy and it looks like she’s about to say something else, but then she decides against it.

There’s a beat of awkward silence between all of us as students and parents passing by throw us curious looks.

I don’t like being in the spotlight like this so I turn to Weems and say, “It’s going to take a couple of hours for them to get here so–”

“Yes, you can go to your room,” she cuts in with a soft smile which makes me thank her and quickly lead Lara to my room.  

The entire way there she takes everything in with guarded curiosity, once even flinching slightly when she sees a pack of werewolves brawl in the Quad before we finally make it to my room.

The sun is about to set outside, casting a golden glow over the school since the clouds that overcast the sky earlier have disappeared. 

“You have your own bathroom?” Lara asks with mild curiosity. 

“Mhmm.” I watch her take in my room, her eyes straying over the school grounds through the window for a couple minutes as the sun sets before she moves on to my bookshelf.

Her eyes get caught on the picture of the two of us and she freezes. She takes it off the shelf, looking at it with her back turned to me before turning around with tears in her eyes. 

“You kept this?”

I step up to her and nod, my eyes darting down to  it for a second as well. “Of course.”

A suffocating silence settles over us and she looks at it for a moment longer before hugging me again. She’s not crying this time, but she does hold me closer than before.

She knows virtually nothing about my powers or what I am– only that I was forced to come here after I ripped a door off its hinges– and I’m planning on keeping it that way. It’s like with everybody else, the less she knows about what I am, the better. She won’t be in danger that way and after her parents pick her up there won’t be a chance for her to get involved in this whole monster and Crackstone thing. 

“Oh my God, Y/N!” My door flies open, making both Lara and I jump in surprise.

“Enid!” I scold the bewildered blonde, who pauses for a second when her eyes land on Lara. 

“Sorry.” She frowns for a second, probably wondering who Lara is, but then she shakes her head and looks back at me, blurting, “Wednesday’s been arrested!”

“What the fuck?” I let go of Lara, mumbling a sorry for cursing before looking back at Enid. “Why?”

I knew it. I knew something like this would happen.

Enid glances at Lara again, not sure if she should say anything else in front of her. 

“Well?” I raise my eyebrows and prompt her to go on, which she does after crossing my room and taking a seat on my desk chair.

“Thing told me she was caught grave digging with her mom.” 

I press the heels of my hands against my eyes and groan. “Oh my God…”

Lara tugs on my arm which makes me drop my hands again. “Who’s Wednesday?”

I pause for a moment, not exactly sure how to answer that question which gives Enid enough time to actually chime in with a curious, “Who are you?”

I shoot her a look and take a seat on the edge of my bed with Lara. “Enid, this is Lara, my little sister. Lara, this is Enid, my best friend.”

Enid beams at that last part before frowning. “Wait, you have a sister?”

I nod and when it looks like she’s about to ask a follow up question I say, “It’s complicated… Now, what’s this about Wednesday and her mom defiling a grave?”

Enid goes on to explain that Thing told her Wednesday and her mom were only doing it to get some kind of proof that Gomez Addams is innocent in the Garret Gates case. I have to admit that sounds pretty logical and on brand for Wednesday, but it doesn't extinguish the tiny, unintentional spark of worry that burns in the pit of my stomach. 

I know there’s nothing I can do to help her right now, but I do wonder if I hadn’t been too preoccupied with Lara if I could have somehow prevented it…

I clench my jaw at that thought because I swore not to get involved in Wednesday’s mess any more, but then again, it seems like I just can’t help it.

While I brood and think about Wednesday behind bars with her parents, Enid and Lara actually get to talking about Nevermore. 

Enid tells Lara about how she’s a werewolf which makes Lara’s jaw drop and ask a bunch of follow up questions that Enid is all too happy to answer. When it comes to wolfing out though, her voice takes on a bitter edge, which I know has something to do with her mom, so I make a mental note to ask her about it later.

Luckily, Wednesday isn’t brought up again, and after a while we just chat about life at Nevermore until two hours later there’s a soft knock at my door.

I get off the bed while Enid and Lara continue talking and open the door with a knot forming in my stomach since I already know who’s on the other side.

“Y/N,” Weems acknowledges me with a sorrowful smile while I just clench my jaw at the sight of my adoptive parents. Both of them once-over me, mumbling a half-hearted greeting before brushing past me into my room at the sound of Lara’s voice.

“Oh my god, honey!” My mom pulls Lara off the bed and into a hug that makes me avert my eyes. 

“We’re so glad you’re okay.” I hear my dad add, and when I glance up I see Enid looking between them and me with furrowed eyebrows.

Lara starts crying and apologizing for running away, while I stand back awkwardly, listening to our parents comfort her and tell her it’s okay with a lump in my throat.

I don’t even know how to feel about all this, but luckily that doesn't last very long because a wave of numbness washes over me. 

I stare at the ground, ignoring everything that’s being said until I feel arms around my middle again. 

“I’m going to miss you,” Lara whispers against my chest, and despite my numbness, I hug her back and kiss the top of her head.

“I’m gonna miss you, too.” 

“Okay, Lara, come on. We’ve got a long way home,” my dad says softly, tugging on Lara’s arm without looking at me while my mom stands back.

Lara sniffles and tightens her grip on me one last time before letting go and stepping back. Her eyes meet mine and I mouth I love you before she gets guided out of the room by our parents who don’t spare me a second glance. 

Just like that, they’re gone…

Weems squeezes my shoulder gently, but I don’t look at her and then she leaves, too, closing the door behind her and leaving me alone with Enid, whose eyes I can feel burning into the side of my head.

I don’t move from my spot though and stare at the floor, feeling a single hot tear roll down my cheek. Irritated, I swipe at it before turning around and stripping out of my uniform jacket.

“Y/N…” Enid’s tentative voice makes me falter for a moment as I begin loosening my tie. “I’m sorry. I-I didn’t know.”

Enid is many things, but stupid is not one of them, so I know she knows what just happened. Still, I don’t want to talk about it right now because I’m feeling like someone is ripping my heart out of my chest.

“It’s fine.” I say, sounding more angry than I intended which makes Enid get up.

“No, it’s not,” she says softly. She closes the distance between us and places a hand on my forearm to get me to look at her. “I’m gonna give you some space because it seems like you need it but please don’t hesitate to come to me if you want to talk about it, okay?”

I gulp and nod, not trusting my voice again.

“Okay then.” She sends me one last tight-lipped smile, her blue eyes sparkling with sympathy, before she leaves quietly. 

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

Tag list: @sunshinez4 @protozoario @automaticpatroltragedy @mamas-evil-hag @theallseer97 @hellenheaven @iwshemj2 @jizzuo308 @trashcannotbealive @gloriousvariant @brocoliisscared @1863rdorv-reader

[tortillamastersblog]

Where Light Bends Wrong - Part 13 | Wednesday Addams

Pairing: Wednesday Addams x reader

Warnings: mentions of injury

Summary: You’ve kept your secret buried and your power quiet, until Wednesday Addams came to Nevermore and turned your whole world upside down.

Previous Part | Next Part | Masterlist

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

I wake with a start, the sound of the monster’s roar and Eugene’s cry of pain echoing in my mind. I sit up groggily, and drag my hands down my face. 

It’s been two days since Eugene was attacked. Two days since the Rave’N and Wednesday’s betrayal.

I’m not even sure I can call it that because I should have seen it coming, but I don’t know what else to call it.

I’m still burning with embarrassment and frustration for ever trusting her in the first place. It’s like I said before, she does what she wants and she doesn’t care who she hurts in the process.

I’m not even sure she knows what going to the dance with Tyler did to me…

I get out of bed and pad into my en suite, stripping out of my sweat soaked pajamas and stepping into the shower.

It’s almost seven, and the sun is just starting to peek over the horizon. Despite what happened, today is a normal school day and I’m planning on going to classes like normal because on top of everything else, I can’t afford to fall behind on my school work too.

After talking to Weems and Sheriff Galpin in Weems’ office on Friday night, right after Eugene was taken to the hospital, she said I could take as much time off as I’d like, but I’m not taking any time off. 

I can’t. I’m exhausted and drained to my core, but I can’t take time off because if I do, I’ll overthink everything that happened. 

A rational part of me knows what happened to Eugene isn’t my fault, but I can’t help but still feel guilty that I didn’t get to him quicker.

I should have known he wouldn’t listen. I should have known he’d go out alone…

Weems and Thornhill came to check on me over the last two days, and reassured me Eugene was stable, but their reassurances did nothing to get me to leave my room.

I shut off the water after scrubbing myself clean. It feels like  Eugene’s sticky blood is still all over my body but there’s nothing else I can do about it, so I get dressed back in my room after toweling off.

It feels wrong, putting on my school uniform and going to class as if nothing happened, but I have no other choice.

I finish getting dressed and make my bed before grabbing my bag and heading to breakfast.

If I wasn’t as hungry as I am, I’d skip it, but ever since Friday night I’m hungrier than ever. 

“Y/N!” Enid waves me over to her table as soon as I make it to the Quad. I hesitate for a moment before joining her alongside Yoko and, to my surprise, Ajax.

“Hi guys,” I mumble, sliding my tablet onto the table and taking a seat. I feel all their worried eyes on me but ignore them in favor of shoveling cereal into my mouth. 

“How are you?” Enid is the first one to break the silence, and I barely glance up to answer.

“Fine.”

I catch her sharing a concerned look with Yoko and Ajax before turning back to me. “You know what happened is not your fault, right?”

I pause with my spoon halfway up to my mouth and look at her. She’s chewing on her lower lip, anxious for my reaction.

I sigh and drop my eyes back down to my cereal. “I know. But I should have been there earlier. If I’d just–” “You couldn’t have known,” Ajax cuts me off softly. He shifts in his seat which is when I see that he’s actually holding Enid’s hand under the table.

Huh. 

That’s new.

I don’t know how or when that happened, but a small part of me is glad that they finally figured out their feelings.

I shake my head, not wanting to talk about this anymore. Luckily, they get it and after a moment of silence, Yoko adjusts her sunglasses and leans forward on the table, saying, “So, have you heard what happened at the dance?”

I eat another spoonful of cereal and shake my head no even though I don’t really care.

“Lucas Walker and his friends hooked up a water tank filled with red paint to the sprinkler system and set it off,” she says with a cringe.

So that was what Wednesday and Thornhill were covered in… It doesn’t surprise me that it happened because Lucas and his friends have always had a certain disdain for us outcasts, but I didn’t think after destroying Xavier’s mural last year they’d do something like that again. But then again, Wednesday did beat them up at the Weathervane, so I guess that stirred up their hatred once more.

I get the revulsing suspicion that Tyler had something to do with it because he used to be friends with Lucas and he was at the dance, but then Yoko’s eyes flicker to Enid who shrinks in her seat.

I raise an eyebrow and look at her, waiting for some kind of explanation.

“Lucas asked me to the ball,” she says quietly, “And I went with him…”

“Which gave him the chance to let his friends onto the premises,” I conclude, making her nod. 

I sigh and offer her a sympathetic yet tight-lipped smile. “It wasn’t your fault. He’s an asshole. They all are.”

The irony of my words is not lost on me because as much as the paint disaster wasn’t Enid’s fault, Eugene getting hurt wasn’t mine, but I can’t bring myself to believe it.

Ajax and Yoko nod, and Ajax even kisses Enid’s cheek in consolation which makes the blonde’s cheeks turn a faint shade of pink.

“Thanks, Y/N.”

I squeeze her forearm and go back to eating, letting the ensuing conversation about the upcoming parents’ weekend wash over me until a familiar heartbeat across the Quad makes me look up.

Wednesday is standing right there in her black school uniform and signature braids. She’s holding a tray and looking right at me with an unprecedented look of uncertainty on her face. 

The sight of her makes my heart flutter involuntarily, but when she takes a step forward, seemingly heading in our direction, I clench my jaw and get to my feet.

“Y/N–?” Ajax raises an eyebrow.

I grab my tray, my fingers curling tight around it, and avert my eyes from Wednesday. “Sorry guys,” I say, “I forgot something in my room. I gotta go before class starts.”

Enid and Yoko look like they’re about to protest, but I slip away before they get the chance. Of course I didn’t forget anything. I just don’t want to see Wednesday right now, much less talk to her. 

She knocked on my door once yesterday afternoon, but I didn’t answer her. Whatever she has to say, she can save it. I don’t want to hear it. Thing even came tapping on my window, but I didn’t let him in, choosing to ignore him even though he’s technically done nothing wrong. 

At the end of the day he’s still Wednesday’s family, and I know he’d try to get us to make up, which is something I’m just not willing to do right now. 

She asked me for help and then bailed on me. 

I also realized I keep giving, whether it’s helping her or saving her, while she just keeps on taking. She hasn’t even thanked me once for all I’ve done for her, much less apologized for what happened yesterday, so I’d rather stay away from her for the time being.

Weems has instated very strict curfews after what happened with Eugene, and she’s told me Wednesday is already on thin ice for blowing up Crackstone’s statue, so I know that, for time being, she won’t do anything reckless that will require any saving.

I pause for a moment before pushing open the door to Eugene’s hospital room. It’s Friday, exactly one week since he’s been attacked, and he’s still in a coma. 

The sight of him on his bed, pale, intubated and covered in cuts and bruises makes my heart sink, and it takes another moment for me to get my feet moving again. 

I enter the room and close the door behind me before grabbing a chair and pulling it next to his bed. The overwhelming smell of antiseptic makes my eyes sting, but I take a seat nonetheless and take his hand in mine, being mindful of the IV on the back of his hand.

He looks so small like this, even younger than he actually is, and I feel tears sting my eyes.

“You didn’t deserve this,” I whisper, squeezing his hand softly. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to you sooner…” He doesn’t move– of course he doesn’t– and I exhale shakily, listening to the steady beeping of the heart rate monitor next to his bed.

It’s weird being this close to him and not feeling any emotions radiating off him. Normally, he’s filled with this buzz of excitement, but now there’s just nothing…

I perk up when the image of my hands glowing on his stomach pops into my mind, and I try to channel my powers to heal him again, but nothing happens. 

Frustration bubbles up inside me because I don’t know how I did it in the forest, I just did, and now it’s not working anymore.

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper again, giving up and closing my eyes. 

I sit with him for what feels like ages before a nurse comes in and tells me visiting hours are over.

I look out of the window and see that the sun is about to set, so I get up again, feeling a crick in my neck. 

“I’ll be back,” I promise Eugene, squeezing his hand one last time before leaving and taking a cab back to school.

As soon as I walk through the gates, I get a text from Enid, asking me to come to her room. I pause for a second because I don't want to see Wednesday, but her heartbeat is off in the grounds of Nevermore, probably tending to Eugene's bees, so I text Enid back that I'll be right there.

I cut through the courtyard, the sun now gone, leaving behind a faint pink glow as the night settles in, and head into the school.

I make my way to Ophelia Hall, getting wary and curious glances from a couple students I pass on the way, before knocking on Enid’s and Wednesday’s door.

Ever since what happened in the forest, there has been a lot of talk about what really happened and how I somehow managed to get away unscathed while Eugene is now clinging to life in a hospital bed. I try to ignore them most of the time, but it’s difficult sometimes because people have started questioning my powers again. Before they just let me be, wondering what I am and what I can do, but never really questioning it. Now that has changed and under the premise of the book also being gone, I feel more exposed than ever.

Enid opens the door and I enter, my eyes immediately darting to Wednesday’s side of the room since I’ve not been in here since she moved in.  

It’s exactly as Enid described it. While her side is all rainbows and butterflies with a bunch of stuffed animals, Wednesday’s side is dark, monochrome and kind of gothic. Her sheets are black and gray and her desk is empty except for her vintage typewriter. Her cello is perched on a stand in the corner next to her bed, right next to an old record player.

Enid snorts when she sees me taking it all in and jumps onto her bed. “Tasteful, isn’t it?”

I just shrug, knowing she’s being sarcastic and cross the room to take a seat. I swivel around to face her and raise an eyebrow, waiting for her to explain why she asked me to come up here, but she doesn’t say anything.

She just wrings her hands together, looking all guilty and when I hear the soft pitter-patter of Thing scuttling across the floor, I know why. 

I sigh and get back to my feet. “Enid–”

She scrambles off the bed and steps in my way with her hands up and a pleading look. “No, wait. Thing just wants to talk to you.”

I cross my arms and watch the hand climb onto Enid's bed, approaching me tentatively. 

“Well, I don’t want to talk to him,” I say, going to brush past her, but she grabs my upper arm and stops me. I raise an eyebrow at her, which makes her let go immediately again, but she still doesn’t step out of my way.

“Please, just hear him out. I can’t take it anymore. The whole school can tell you’re avoiding Wednesday like the plague and it’s getting out of hand.”

I scoff and tighten the grip I have on my upper arms, not so sure what she means by getting out of hand. I’m simply avoiding her. I do go out of my way to avoid her in the hallways sometimes, but I can’t imagine anyone actually caring. “I’m sorry, Enid, but this is none of your business, what happened between Wednesday and me–”

“Was a series of unfortunate events,” she cuts me off. I tilt my head and narrow my eyes. I wasn’t aware she knew what went down between us, but Thing or even Wednesday herself must have told her. The former seems the more plausible of the two options, but at this point, I’m not sure what to believe anymore.

Wednesday is a mystery I’ve grown tired of understanding, despite my ears still heating up every time I catch a glimpse of her around school. 

“Please, just sit,” Enid asks quietly, and despite myself, I do, sinking back down in her desk chair. 

Thing scuttles over the bed and onto the table while Enid takes a seat on the edge of the bed with her hands clasped in her lap.

I keep my arms crossed and turn the chair so I can see both of them. Then… “Well?”

Thing takes a moment before getting right into it, signing, Wednesday went to the dance with Tyler because of me.

I frown. “Excuse me?” 

He moves closer to the edge of the table and I dare a glance at Enid before focusing on him again. 

I invited him on her behalf, he signs which makes me clench my jaw. I go to ask why he’d do that, but he goes on. He likes her and even though she doesn’t like him back, he’s the Sheriff’s son. 

He likes her… 

Of course he does. That’s why he’s been acting so weird recently. I’m surprised and bitter at the same time that I didn’t realize it until now.

They fought the morning of the Rave’N because Tyler got jealous of Wednesday going with Xavier.

“So?” I snap. “Why would I care if Tyler is jealous of Xavier? Also what does his being the Sheriff’s son have to do with anything?"

Thing turns to Enid for a split second, almost as if they’re sharing a look before he turns back to me, tapping, If Wednesday is in Tyler’s good graces, there’s a chance she’ll be in the Sheriff’s, too.

I scoff. “You really think that? Sheriff Galpin doesn’t like Wednesday, no matter whether or not she's on good terms with Tyler.”

He made that abundantly clear when Wednesday beat up Lucas Walker and his cronies. 

Thing goes to tap something else, but I’ve had enough. I can’t believe he did that. Yes, I know now that Wednesday going to the dance with Tyler wasn’t exactly of her own volition, but she could have said no after all. She didn’t have to go with him. She could have blown him off, but she didn’t.

“You know what, this is stupid.” I get to my feet, making Enid panic and get up as well again.

“No, please, Y/N. You have to understand where Thing was coming from. He was trying to protect Wednesday and–”

The door opens, cutting her off and making me freeze at the sight of Wednesday. She’s still in her school uniform, but she doesn’t have her bag with her. She’s also holding a glass of honey, which confirms my earlier conclusion that she was at the bee shed.

“What’s going on?” she asks, her voice tight with hesitation. Her eyes flicker to me and I ball my hands into fists before looking away.

“Nothing,” I say, brushing past Enid.

Thing jumps off the desk behind me, probably to stop me, but I don’t slow down. I cross the room, feeling Wednesday’s eyes on me all the way until I’m in front of her.

I go to side-step her, but she actually shifts, blocking my way, her hand twitching as though she wants to reach for me. “Wait.”

She’s so close I get a whiff of the cold evening air still clinging to her and mingling with the smell of cedar wood and fresh linen. It makes  my heart skip a beat, but I ignore it and look up to glare at her. 

“What?”

She swallows thickly and her dark eyes dart between mine, but in the end she doesn’t say anything, so I push past her, hating how my fingers burn where they brush against her hand.

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

Little bit of a filler chapter but oh well...

Tag list: @sunshinez4 @protozoario @automaticpatroltragedy @mamas-evil-hag @theallseer97 @hellenheaven @iwshemj2 @jizzuo308 @trashcannotbealive @gloriousvariant @brocoliisscared @1863rdorv-reader

[tortillamastersblog]

Hiiii mate!!!

It’s been a minute for sure. I’m alright, tired but trying to stay afloat. Work has been stressful, we’ve a grant application due very soon so it’s a last minute rush to get things done 😭 How have you been? How’s school going?

lol in a way you wrote these fics for yourself too so you should re-read it all you want! Also I’m glad to see you’re pacing yourself and releasing banger fics constantly

-🐨

Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that. Man, it seems like you can't catch a break. First your deadlines, and now this... Don't forget to take care of yourself!

I've been okay. Ran the marathon and felt like dying all the way to the finish line after 30k (18 miles), but I did it!

I actually dropped out of med school because I realized being an actual doctor wasn't for me. Also, the cadaver lab traumatized me. I'm getting a Master's in Nutrition now. Did some internships in all kinds of fields (business, tech, etc) to figure out what I wanna do, but in the end I circled back to the sciences and landed on nutrition.

Thank you! I'm trying. I have a little spare time on my hands at the moment bc marathon training is over and classes don't start until September, so I'm writing a lot. Let's see how long my creativity lasts lol

[tortillamastersblog]

Where Light Bends Wrong - Part 12 | Wednesday Addams

Pairing: Wednesday Addams x reader

Warnings: violence, injuries, and blood

Summary: You’ve kept your secret buried and your power quiet, until Wednesday Addams came to Nevermore and turned your whole world upside down.

Previous Part | Next Part | Masterlist

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

“Here you go.”

I look up and smile when Iris sets the coffee I ordered down in front of me. “Thanks.”

“Anything else?” she asks.

I shake my head and offer another smile before going back to my book. It’s Friday afternoon and since the Rave’N’s tonight, classes have ended earlier to allow for some time to get everything set up. 

I’m not going to the Rave’N, and I’m not on the student planning committee, so I took the extra free time to walk to Jericho.

I thought the walk through the woods would give me a chance to think about everything that’s happened lately, but I was actually too preoccupied being vigilant to really think about anything.

Every rustle or branch snapping nearby made me falter in my step, but nothing actually happened. 

I know I’m technically invulnerable again, but the fact that I did bleed the last time the monster was there scared me in a way I’ve never been before. Yes, I was scared of what the monster could do, and how it could hurt others, especially Wednesday, but I never had to fear for my own safety before.

The fact that I could also easily be ambushed by whoever stole the book only occurred to me when I was already in the woods, and by then it was too late to turn around.

It’s like I said though, nothing happened, and I made it to Jericho unscathed, but I’m already dreading the walk back. 

I sigh, trying not to think about it and get back to reading my book. I don’t get very far though because not even ten minutes later my ears pick up on Wednesday’s heartbeat nearby.

I look up and see her across the town square with Enid. A handful of other Nevermore students mill around as well, and I realize the school must have organized a shuttle to bring them here after I’d already left.

What they’re doing here, I have no idea, but then I pick up on Enid saying something about a dress.

Ah. The Rave’N.

Enid must have managed to convince Wednesday to go dress shopping with her. What helpful input Wednesday could possibly give Enid though eludes me, but I guess it’s nice to see that they actually get along now.

I told Enid over breakfast this morning that I wouldn't be going to the Rave’N with her, and while she was a bit bummed, she did understand. I didn’t tell her I was going on a stakeout with Wednesday and Eugene, but she also didn’t ask, so I figure no harm has been done. 

I tried to convince her to give Ajax another chance when we saw him glancing our way, but she just brushed me off and asked me not to go to talk to him when I offered. 

It’s obvious they’re still into each other, and they’re just not communicating, but who am I to go against Enid’s wishes. At the end of the day, it’s none of my business.

“I know you said you didn’t want anything else, but this is on the house.” Iris’ voice snaps me out of my thoughts and I turn my head to see her smiling sheepishly, holding a plate with a blueberry muffin on it. 

I laugh softly and take it from her. “Thanks. I appreciate it, but can I ask why you’re doing this?”

She pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose and shrugs. “Just figured you could use a little pick-me-up. You look tired and Weems told me you left early because you weren't feeling well yesterday.”

Touched by her thoughtfulness, my laughter turns into a soft smile. Iris has always been nice to me and despite Enid teasing me about it on more than one occasion already, there is nothing romantic to it. 

She’s just like that. And anyway, she’s almost twenty while I’m barely seventeen. Yes, for some people that age gap wouldn’t be too dramatic, but I’m not comfortable with it. Not to forget, I’m not attracted to her and I’m pretty sure she has a boyfriend. 

“Thank you.” I say sincerely, letting out a hum of approval when I take a bite of the muffin.

“You’re welcome.” She squeezes my shoulder affectionately before going back to work. The cafe is pretty empty, but she’s alone, so she has to get back to the other customers.  Tyler’s shift ended right as I walked in earlier, thank God, which allowed me to lean back without feeling his judgy eyes on me.

I honestly don’t know what his problem is with me, since we never seemed to have one before…

A certain raven haired girl’s face comes to mind unbidden, and I feel my ears heat up at the image. I don’t try to push it away though because since yesterday, I’ve realized it's of no use anyway.

Ever since what happened at the old meeting house, I keep thinking about her. About how she literally seemed to absorb my power through her pinky, how she asked me if I was okay even though she’s never done that before, and how she actually seemed worried when she saw I was bleeding.

Whether it’s all that, or the way her eyes are more expressive than she lets on when you pay close attention though, I have to irrevocably admit that Wednesday Addams has somehow managed to weasel her way into my thoughts. 

She’s also objectively beautiful despite her cold exterior and strictly monochrome wardrobe, a fact I only realized last night. 

It made my heart beat faster and my stomach flutter. 

I know what it means, of course I do, but I just… I can’t have a crush on her. What am I, ten? 

I’m sure it will go away soon–it has to– because if it doesn’t I will just make everything way more complicated. The stakeout, the investigation in general? Yeah, no. I can’t let that happen.

The fact that the chances of her ever being interested in me are basically zero helps in dulling my feelings, but it doesn't change them.

I’m anxious to see how tonight goes. I’m just glad we won’t be alone since Eugene will be there too. 

God. What have I gotten myself into? 

Wednesday Addams? Really, Y/N?

It could have been literally anyone else. Mina? Noah? Anyone! But no…It had to be her. Knife-throwing, sharp-tongued, unrelenting-in-the-most-infuriating-way-possible Wednesday freaking Addams.

I keep telling myself it’s because of the soulbond the book mentioned because it’s obvious now that I, for whatever twisted reason, am bonded to her, but even if that’s the case, there’s nothing I can do about it.

I really have to talk to Thing…

“There you are!” 

Enid plopping down across from me startles me so much, I actually spill some of my coffee. 

“Shit, Enid!” I quickly grab a napkin and dab up whatever I spilled, thankful nothing got on my book.

“Sorry!” The blonde smiles sheepishly, waiting for some more scolding, but I just shake my head and sigh. 

“Whatcha doin’? Daydreaming? Overthinking your existence?” she quips with a cheeky smile now which makes me glare at her.

“I was trying to read,” I defend, trying but failing to ignore any more thoughts about Wednesday. 

Where is she anyway? Wasn’t she just with Enid?

Enid huffs in amusement and folds her arms on the table. “Didn’t look like it,” she teases. “You know, considering you’d have to actually look at your book instead of staring out of the window?”

“Yeah, I got it.” I scoff, but soften a moment later when I notice the worry underneath her smile. “You okay?”

“Been better,” she admits, “What about you? After yesterday–”

“I’m fine,” I cut her off a little too quickly, making her frown.  “Sorry, I’m just… still processing everything.”

Her eyes flash with sympathy and I have to look away in order not to get too emotional. 

“That’s okay,” she says softly. “As long as you promise to come to me if you ever need to talk.”

I want to say I will, but I know I won’t because she would just worry and fuss over me when there’s really nothing she can do about it, so I just hum in acknowledgement.

Silence settles around us and out of the corner of my eye I see Enid actually stealing a bite of my muffin before gasping.

“Oh my God, I completely forgot to tell you!”

I look at her again, folding my hands over my book on the table. “Tell me what?”

She beams almost menacingly and leans over the table to whisper dramatically. “Guess who’s going to the Rave’N?”

I shrug, having no idea, but then she says, “Wednesday! Can you believe it?” and my stomach drops.

“What?” It comes out breathier than I want, but Enid doesn’t seem to notice.

“I know, crazy right? She’s going with Xavier!” She giggles and steals another bite of my muffin. “Can you imagine the drama that’s going to cause? Wednesday and Xavier? Oh, Bianca is gonna freak!”

I don’t laugh. I can’t laugh. Not with that bitter feeling rising in my throat and threatening me to say something I’m going to regret.

Wednesday is going to the Rave’N. With Xavier. Tonight. When we were going to stake out that cave… Wasn’t it her idea? What the hell happened? What kind of game is she playing?

I suddenly feel silly for having a crush on her. Even just thinking it makes me cringe because while I’m over here thinking about her, skin glowing gold and dripping from the rain, she’s playing with me. Not only with my feelings but also with my time.

“That’s…great,” I grit it out and I know under normal circumstances Enid would have clocked my tone immediately, but she’s too busy rambling about the drama it’s going to create.

“I have to go,” I say after a few moments, standing abruptly and grabbing my book and jacket.

Enid stops mid sentence and looks at me wide-eyed. “Did I do something wrong?”

I shake my head. “No. Not at all I just… I gotta go. See you later?”

Her mouth opens and closes a couple of times with nothing actually coming out before she simply nods.

I send her a tight lipped smile and leave without another word.

I cough when I accidentally inhale a cloud of dust after slamming an old book onto one of the tables in the back of the library.

I’m alone because everyone else is either in Jericho or helping set up for the dance.

What Enid said about Xavier and Wednesday going to the dance together made my chest tighten so much with embarrassment, humiliation, and disgust, that I didn’t wait for the shuttle to take everyone back to school.

I went straight back through the woods, this time however not caring a single bit about the monster or anyone else who might be lurking in the underbrush because if anyone or anything had tried to attack me, I would not have held back.

Now, since I have nothing else to do, I try to distract myself by doing some research for a history project. Working out hasn’t exactly proven helpful in trying to keep my mind off Wednesday, especially when I remember how my stomach flipped when she kept eying me yesterday which is why this will have to do.

I take a seat, and open the book, getting started on noting down important dates and revolutions when someone behind me clears their throat. 

I roll my eyes, expecting Wednesday at first, but her heartbeat is quiet, nowhere near me, so I turn to find Thornhill watching me with a gentle smile.

“Miss Thornhill,” I acknowledge her quietly, a little surprised.

“Y/N,” she says, coming closer and looking at what I’m doing. When she sees I’m doing school work, she frowns and meets my eyes again. “You do know you have the afternoon off, right? Why don’t you do something fun?”

I sigh. I doubt she wants to hear about my pathetic little crush, and I’m not about to tell her about how my life is literally unraveling, so I just shrug and say, “I have to get this done, and the library is empty, so I figured why not do it now.”

Her face softens and she brushes a strand of red hair behind her ear. “Well…I  better let you get back to it then.”

I send her a tight-lipped smile, mildly surprised she’s not trying to convince me not to do it. “Thanks.”

She adjusts her glasses and dips her chin as if to say you’re welcome before retreating quietly.

I work quietly for the better part of the next half hour, enjoying the silence before I once again hear Thornhill coming down the stairs behind me . 

I sigh without looking up, not understanding why she’s so adamant about getting me to do something fun, but then my ears pick up on her heartbeat and I realize it’s not her after all. 

Wednesday.

I stop writing for a moment, listening to her approach, before going on, not in the mood to acknowledge her or talk to her. 

My stomach swoops however, and I hate my body for betraying me like this. 

She comes to a stop next to me, expecting me to look up, but I don't, which makes her clear her throat.

Again, I don’t look up despite the way her cedar wood and fresh linen smell makes my ears burn. It’s honestly so pathetic how I’ve seemingly cooked up this crush on her overnight…

“I talked to Eugene,” she says, sliding into the seat across mine,  seemingly unfazed by my ignoring her. “We’ll meet him in the foyer at eight. Once the dance starts, the teachers will be too busy to notice us.” 

I frown and glance up to find her looking at me with her dark, calculating eyes, waiting for a response. 

What’s she playing at? She’s going to the dance with Xavier. Why the hell is she still talking about the stake out? Unless she wants me to make a fool of myself and show up anyway just so she can turn me down… I don’t know why she’d do that, but then again, she does a lot of things I can’t explain. 

I scoff and return to writing. My hand trembles a little, so I clench my jaw and tighten the grip on my pen. 

“What?” She has the nerve to sound impatient.

I don’t answer and just turn to the next page in the book. My bitterness is slowly but surely turning into anger, and I know if she doesn’t take the hint and keeps pushing, I’ll snap.

“I might not have a good grasp on social conventions sometimes, nor do I bother to care, but I do know it’s considered rude to ignore people,” she says. 

That’s it.

I slam my pen down and glare at her. “What do you want from me, Wednesday?”

Her eyebrows fly up for a split second before she frowns and crosses her arms. “What are you–”

“-Talking about?” I cut her off bitterly. She goes to say something else, but I close the book with more force than necessary and put the lid on my pen. “You’re talking about this stupid stakeout of yours even though you’re going to the Rave’N with Xavier,” I snap. “So, I’m asking you again, what do you want from me? What are you doing? Because just yesterday you were telling me you weren’t going to the dance, and now you suddenly are? With Xavier of all people? You’re the one who thinks he could be the monster, so why the hell are you going to the Rave’N with him? And why are you still acting like the stakeout is still on?”

Wednesday stiffens, and for the first time, I feel a bunch of different emotions bubbling up inside her. Before, I could only kind of tell what she was feeling, but her emotions were always somehow muted and kept under tight wraps, but now it’s like a veil has been lifted and I can see everything clearly. 

She’s surprised, confused, and for a split second, guilty, but then it all gets muted again in an instant when her face hardens and she crosses her arms defensively. “I am not going to the Rave’N with Xavier.”

I scoff again. “Oh, please.” I get to my feet and shove  my notebook into my bag. 

“No.” She gets to her feet as well. “I’m really not going with him. I was, yes, but only because he found me snooping through his shed in search of clues.”

I pause and eye her warily. 

She sighs and uncrosses her arms. “I asked him to the Rave’N so he wouldn’t get suspicious. But then he found out when he caught me snooping again a couple of minutes ago… We’re not going to the Rave’N.”

Against my better judgement, I deflate a little. I don’t say anything though, so Wednesday goes on.

“I said I wasn’t going yesterday because I really wasn’t planning on it.” She steps around the table and looks up at me, her eyes searching mine for something. “The stakeout is still on… and Eugen and I could use your help, so if you’re still up for it I–”

“Okay,” I cut her off quietly. “I’ll be there.” 

She relaxes her shoulders and nods once. “Okay.”

I swallow thickly, struggling to break her gaze for a moment before leaving without another word. I keep clenching and unclenching my hand, not knowing what to think about what just happened.

She’s not going to the dance. She wasn’t lying yesterday. But she would have gone with Xavier had he not found out about her motive for asking him.

Would she have told me about it? Or would she have let me hang out to dry?

I don’t know, but she had the decency to be honest about what happened just now, which eases some of the sinking feeling in my gut. She’s also not going to the dance after all which makes the part of me that is still crushing on her feel a little better. 

I shake my head and tighten my grip on my bag before making my way to my room. It’s almost four now, so I have four more hours to get ready for tonight. I don’t know what we’ll be facing tonight, so it’s best if I rest a little before then. Some sleep will also hopefully help me clear my head and get rid of this heavy feeling in my chest.

The thumping of the bass in the Great Hall is audible throughout the whole school as I make my way to the foyer. It’s dark outside now, and while I got some sleep, I kept thinking about what could happen tonight.

I know that if the monster shows, it will be up to me to keep both Wednesday and Eugene safe, and the thought of it makes me a little nauseous. I can’t afford for  my invulnerability to slip again and even though it hasn’t happened since the old meeting house, it’s still a huge concern for me. 

I have to go with them though in case something happens because if I don’t and something does happen, I’ll blame myself for the rest of my life, and think about all kinds of what ifs…

I follow a bunch of students dressed in white, and chatting about the ball until we make it to the foyer. They continue toward the Great Hall while I stay back and crouch down to re-tie my shoes. It’s eight now, so Eugene and Wednesday should be here any moment now.

I dare to risk a glance in the direction of the great hall for the time being and while I’m glad I’m not going because the music is entirely too loud for my ears and everyone’s emotions are buzzing, I do wish I was normal enough to be able to go too.  

Being an Ægiryn has been nothing but a burden ever since my powers manifested, and for a moment I think if it’s going to be like this for the rest of my life.

Before I can spiral too much though I see Eugene come into the foyer, so I get back to my feet and approach him. 

“Well, you are certainly prepared,” I say with a soft smile, noting his overstuffed backpack and the flashlight in his hand.

“Y/N!” He smiles bashfully and looks down at his flashlight, turning it on and off once. “You know us Hummers. We can never not be prepared.”

I chuckle softly, fighting the urge to ruffle his curly black hair. We’re not exactly close, but I’ve helped him lug around a bunch of bee keeping stuff before. He has this childlike innocence about him that reminds me of Lara and while we don’t interact that much, it’s always nice being around him.

I pull out my phone to check the time again, frowning when I see it’s five past eight now. Wednesday is never late. 

I’m this close to calling Enid to check if Wednesday’s even coming, but then Eugene steps past me and says, “Wednesday, what’s going on?”

I turn around, my frown deepening but then my eyes land on her and my eyes widen. 

She’s standing right there, in a black dress, layers of sheer fabric shifting around her like shadows. Her hair, which is usually in it’s two signature braids has been pinned up into a braided crown, with her bangs and two strands of hair framing her face.  She looks incredible, breathtaking even, and my heart stutters for a second, but then my eyes shift and land on the person next to her. 

Tyler… wearing a white suit and a blue shirt.

“What happened to staking out the cave?” Eugene asks.

Wednesday’s eyes widen for a split second. She looks between Eugene and me, then flicks a glance at Tyler.

Tyler whom she’s here with because of the Rave’N.

My stomach clenches as bitterness rises up my throat, coiling around my neck and rendering me mute. 

I can’t believe it. 

She’s here with Tyler. She’s going to the dance and all that after reassuring me just hours earlier that she wasn’t going. First Xavier and now this…

“Sure. I get it,” Eugene says, voicing my exact thoughts even though he sounds more disappointed than bitter. “Guess Y/N will go check out the woods alone then.”

I scoff and shake my head. “Yeah, no. We’re not doing that.” 

I don’t mean to be brusque with Eugene, but there’s no way in hell I’m going out with him alone. This was supposed to be something the three of us did together. It was Wednesday’s idea for crying out loud, so there’s really no point in going if she’s not going to be there. Also, this is the second time now I’ve been completely blindsided by her and I’ve had enough.

I can’t believe I believed her in the library earlier. I can’t believe I let my stupid infatuation with her get the better of me again. 

She’s using me, just like she uses everyone else.

“Guess I’ll go alone then,” Eugen says which makes me whirl around.

“No.”

“Don’t go alone.”

My eyes meet Wednesday’s, and I can’t help but scowl at her. She swallows and holds my gaze for a moment before looking back at Eugene, adding, “It’s too dangerous. Stand down. We’ll go together tomorrow night, understood?”

Eugene sighs dejectedly but nods. 

Wednesday’s eyes flicker to mine again, waiting for me to agree too, but I don’t. Not this time.

I huff. “Yeah, no. I’m not coming tomorrow.” 

She frowns and goes to say something else, but I just shake my head and turn around without another word.

Eugene calls after me and I hear Tyler’s confused, “Staking out a cave?” but I don’t stop. 

How stupid could I have been…

Tears of frustration and embarrassment sting my eyes, but I’m quick to blink them away, clenching my jaw.

I make it to my room and slam the door shut behind me. The force of it makes the wood creak, and for a second I’m scared it will fall off its hinges, but it doesn’t.

I toe off my shoes and strip off my black sweater before slipping into bed and putting on my headphones.

Instead of playing any music though I just lay in silence, letting the headphones drown out the sounds of the dance. It doesn’t manage to drown out the sounds of a certain heartbeat though, so I squeeze my eyes shut and press the headphones against my ears with a desperate whimper.

I know I’m acting like a child, but I just can’t take it anymore. Not Wednesday, not this whole monster-in-the-woods thing, and not the fact that my entire existence is literally in the balance.

I don’t know when I fell asleep after returning to my room, but I did because one moment I’m drowning out the world and the next I’m waking up with a start, my headphones falling off my head and onto the pillow when I sit up abruptly.

The muffled music from the ball is still audible, but that’s not what woke me up. No, that’s not it. Not at all.

I pant for some reason until I hear it again. A roar. In the woods. And then, panicked breathing and someone crashing through the underbrush.

Eugene.

Shit.

He went out alone.

I told him not to go! Wednesday told him not to go!

I scramble off my bed without thinking and put on my shoes. Then I speed through the school, my chest and veins burning with heat as I tap into my powers  without caring if anyone sees me.

Eugene is in danger.

I burst out of the school and frantically run toward the forest, my legs flying over the uneven ground like never before.

The forest is dark and dense, the moonlight having no chance of illuminating the way through the thick canopy overhead, but I weave through the trees without slowing down. 

There’s another roar and a thud, and I panic, goosebumps rising along my exposed arms as branches whip against my face and neck.

“Eugene!”

There’s a cry of pain, and I push myself more, my heart pounding in my ears until I finally break through the underbrush.

Eugene.

He’s on the ground, the monster over him, swiping at him with its claws. 

The metallic smell of blood immediately hits my nose and Eugene whimpers, trying to shield himself with his arms, but it’s no use.

The monster swipes at him again and I see red, slamming into it without slowing down. 

It roars indignantly as we fly through the air until we crash into a tree. The breath gets knocked out of me, but I scramble to my feet nonetheless, my hands shaking with adrenaline as the monster howls and gets to its feet again. 

Its big googly eyes take me in with fury and within a split second it swipes at me. I duck just in time, but then Eugene lets out a rattled breath and I look over my shoulder without thinking.

That turns out to be a big mistake because a split second later I’m flung back with a force so strong it feels like my entire chest just exploded.

I fly through the air before slamming into the ground, letting out an involuntary sound that’s between a whimper and a wheeze.

Within a second the monster is above me, and even though it easily has two feet in height on me I manage to kick it in the chest before it can swipe again.

It lands with a snarl, skidding on the leaf covered ground and I jump to my feet, panting with shaking hands, ready for another attack. But it just roars again, its eyes glinting with caution, and vanishes into the darkness.

I watch after it, rooted to the spot with my knees shaking until Eugene’s ragged breathing snaps me out of my trance.

I dart over to him, and when I see the deep gashes in his stomach with a trail of blood running down his chin, I panic.

“No, no, no. Eugene!” I fall to my knees and  press my hands against his stomach. Blood seeps through my fingers immediately and I blink rapidly to get rid of the tears brimming my eyes. 

He’s unconscious and I realize his glasses are missing before focusing back on his stomach where the life is slowly but surely seeping out of him.

“No, no, no. Come on,” I plead, my voice breaking when his breathing stutters.

He’s going to die. He left without me. I let him go alone, and now he’s going to die.

I press down harder, my heart beating wildly. And then I see it more than I feel it. The veins in my fingertips light up, casting an eerie gold glow over his face and injuries. The light pulses in time with my heartbeat and travels up my hands and my forearms. 

My first instinct is to pull back, afraid to hurt him even more, but then I see his body still, almost as if it’s relaxing, so I don’t move.

He shudders and I tense when the warm sensation turns burning, but I don’t pull away because slowly but surely his blood stops gushing through the gaps in my fingers. 

He’s healing, I realize with a gasp, so I concentrate more on my powers even though I have no clue what I’m doing.

My vision blurs after a few moments, and I blink to focus again, only to realize that the light in my veins is flickering like a lamp that’s about to die.

“No, come on, come on, come on,” I flex my fingers and clench my jaw in concentration, but my powers fade, leaving us in total darkness again. “Fuck!”

I swallow the burning sensation of tears in the back of my throat and scoop Eugene into my arms without thinking. He’s still unconscious and even though it’s almost pitch black, I can tell he’s unnaturally pale, so I tighten my grip on him and start running back to school.

My hands are sticky with his blood and my lungs are burning from a sudden wave of exhaustion, but I don’t stop running.

I’m not as fast as before, but I don’t stop. I can’t stop. Not when my knees start buckling, nor when my head pounds as though someone’s repeatedly assaulting it with a sledgehammer.  

“Stay with me, Eugene,” I beg breathlessly, finally reaching the edge of the forest. He doesn’t move and his breathing has turned shallow again, so I push even more, crying out in frustration.

“Help!” I shout, running up the cobblestone street that leads to the front gates of the school. “Please, someone!”

I hear a commotion from inside the school– the music has stopped and there’s screaming–but I don’t see anyone.  

That is until I stumble through the gates and see someone emerge from the shadows, seemingly in a hurry themselves.

“Please!” I shout again. “Get help!”

“Y/N! Eugene!” 

Of course it’s Wednesday…

I fall to my knees but keep my arms under Eugene, making sure he doesn't hit the ground.

“He’s been attacked!” I sob. “The monster–It–”

“I know.” Wednesday drops to her knees in front of me, and when I look up, I’m momentarily horrified to see she’s drenched in what looks like blood. She seems unharmed though as she  frantically reaches for Eugene’s blood soaked stomach. 

I’ve never seen her this beside herself which makes me panic even more. “He needs help, he needs–”

“Oh my God. Y/N! Eugene!” My head snaps up at the sound of another voice and I feel the tiniest bit of relief when I see Thornhill running toward us. She’s drenched in the  same red liquid as Wednesday, her once white blouse stained red, but just like Wednesday, she seems unharmed.

She pulls out her phone immediately after getting down next to the raven haired girl, also pressing a hand to Eugene’s stomach while dialing 911 with her other hand. 

I continue to hold Eugene, panting and wide-eyed until flashing lights and a hand on my shoulder make me look up again.

A young paramedic is standing over me, calm but urgently saying, “You’ve got to let him go.” 

I shake my head and tighten my grip on her, not wanting to let him go even though I know I can’t do anything to save him anymore.

“I can’t.” I gasp, but then Thornhill squeezes my forearm, making me look at her.

“Y/N, let him go,” she says calmly, and something in her voice actually speaks to the rational part in me, so I do as I’m told, slowly setting Eugene down.

The paramedic and his partner who’s been standing back until now move in immediately and start cutting Eugene’s shirt off.

I get up on shaking legs, my entire body trembling as I watch them until a tug on my shirt makes me look at Wednesday who’s also moved out of the way so the paramedics can work.

“Are you hurt?” she asks, her voice tight, eyes scanning my face

“I–What?” My gaze keeps snapping to Eugene, but then Wednesday tugs on my shirt again, her fingers grazing the inside of my forearm.

“Are you injured?” she asks again, this time sounding slightly panic-y. 

I clear my head and shake my head, meeting her eyes again. “N-No.”

“Are you sure?” she asks, making me frown because why wouldn’t I be sure, but then I look down to where she’s tugging on my shirt and my heart stops when I see three clean rips  in the shape of the monster’s claws in it. The fabric is also blood stained, but even before Wednesday dares to grab the bottom of it and lift it to inspect my stomach I know that it’s Eugene’s blood and not mine.

My skin is completely unscathed. There’s not even a scratch and even though my heart is still pounding in my ears, I hear Wednesday exhale shakily. 

“I’m fine,” I whisper, a sudden wave of exhaustion washing over me, but then she actually touches my stomach, making me jump.

She pulls back like she’s been burned, eyes wide, staring at her hand like it betrayed her.

She’s still drenched in what I now realize is paint, and I’m about to ask what the hell happened, but then the paramedics load Eugene onto a stretcher and into the ambulance.

I sidestep her, forcing her to let go of my shirt, but before I get far, Thornhill is there to stop me.

“You can’t go with him,” she says, her voice shaky.

“But–”

“No buts.” She shakes her head. “I’ll go with him.”

I want to protest again, but then she’s already climbing into the back of the ambulance.

I watch, numb,  as the doors shut and the ambulance pulls away…

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

Yikes.

Tag list: @sunshinez4 @protozoario @automaticpatroltragedy @mamas-evil-hag @theallseer97 @hellenheaven @iwshemj2 @jizzuo308 @trashcannotbealive @gloriousvariant @brocoliisscared @1863rdorv-reader

[tortillamastersblog]

Popping in from my hellhole to say I thoroughly enjoyed Forever And Always! You did it justice 🫶 Got me cheesing with how adorable it is. Sam and reader truly deserved all this fluff! Also made me wanna reread Back To You which I should haha

-🐨

Hiiii buddy!!

It’s been way too long! How are ya?! What do you meannnn “hell hole”? Is work really that bad? 🥴

Thank you 💕 I’m glad you liked it! Yes, do it, re-read it. I’ve been doing it myself lately even though I literally wrote it lol.

[tortillamastersblog]

Forever And Always | Sam Carpenter

Pairing: Sam Carpenter x reader

Warnings: Light smut (nothing explicit though)

Summary: N/A just some wedding and honeymoon vibes. Also, a little flash forward at the end with a surprise.

Masterlist

_______________________________________________

“Breathe, Y/N,” Liam whispers with a nudge.

I swallow thickly and blink back tears. “I don’t think I can.”

“Yes you can,” he says, squeezing my shoulder and I look over my shoulder to see him, Jackson, and Paige smiling at me. “You’ve been waiting for this moment for as long as I can remember.”

“I know, I’m just so nervous,” I admit shakily.

There are a bunch of eyes on me, friends and people I consider family, but none of them matter. No, the only person whose eyes I want on me right now are Sam’s.

She’s about to walk down the aisle, and even though we’ve been planning this wedding for so long now, now that it’s actually happening, I can’t stop feeling like my knees are about to give out under me.

“Well, suck it up.” Liam grins and I glare, wanting to flip him off but deciding against it since it's really not the time.

I turn back around and feel my heart stutter when I see Tara, who’s Sam’s maid of honor, looking at me with tears in her eyes. Mindy and Anika are behind her, chatting quietly and talking about bridesmaids’ stuff, while she just smiles tearily and mouths, I’m so happy for you.

I can’t stop my eyes from stinging with tears as well, but it’s too early to cry, so I quickly blink them away and mouth, Love you, Sprout.

Gentle music starts playing, an orchestral version of some old-timey love song, and I look to my left to see Sidney’s oldest daughter, Nell,  walking down the aisle with a basket full of white rose petals.

The tiny audience awes at her and I see Sidney and her husband filming Nell while their other daughter plays in the sand at their feet.

It’s a beautiful September evening and I’m standing under a wooden arch which is draped in soft white fabric and adorned with floral arrangements. The ocean is behind me, the waves lapping at the shore steadily and to my right, in the grass behind all the chairs that have been set up in neat rows for the ceremony, there are a bunch of tables set with polished silverware and crystal glasses that glint in the golden light of the setting sun. 

A light breeze caresses my face, taking the edge of the heat that still hangs in the air, and I watch Nell spread the rose petals all the way down the aisle, before setting down her basket and shyly hurrying to Sidney who pulls her onto her lap and smooths down her little white linen dress. 

I smile at Sidney when she catches my eye and she smiles back, whispering something in Nell’s ear that makes her wave my way. I wave back, making the audience and the wedding party chuckle before the music changes, and a sudden hush falls over everyone. 

I straighten immediately and look down the aisle. And then I see her. Sam.  Barefoot, and wearing a beautiful off shoulder wedding dress. Her hair’s half-up, the front braided back and knotted at the back of her head with a soft tulle veil clipped to the braid-knot. It trails just past her shoulders and catches in the sea breeze.

She’s ethereal, and the tiny smile that tugs at her lips when our eyes meet, makes tears instantly spring to my eyes, and before I know it,  my knees actually give out underneath me. I sink to the ground, and lift a trembling hand to cover my mouth, overcome with emotion.

I’m actually marrying Sam. The love of my life… If you’d told an eighteen year old me, I’d be marrying her one day, I would have laughed bitterly and flipped you off, but now? I still can’t quite believe it to be honest.

“Hey…” Liam crouches down next to me and pulls me back to my feet. “You’re okay.”

I nod, my hand still pressed against my mouth as tears stream down my cheek, leaving behind a trail that turns cold in the breeze. 

He lets go of me again when he’s sure I’m not going to go down again, and then takes a step back while all I can focus on is Sam and her trembling smile as Gale steps up to her and offers her her arm.

Sam takes it, and then the two of them slowly walk down the aisle. The closer they get, the faster my heart beats, and the more details I can make out on Sam’s dress like the tiny, intricate vines and floral threads that curl along the silk over her collar bone.

It’s a gorgeous dress, and I understand now why Tara kept saying I was going to love it after she and Sam found it a couple of weeks ago. Despite the undeniable elegance of the dress though, the fact that Sam is wearing it is what ultimately makes it beautiful to me. 

The string quartet behind the audience keeps playing an instrumental version of Lana Del Ray’s Chemtrails Over The Country Club, but I barely hear it over the sound of my pounding heartbeat and my sniffles as I desperately fail to contain my tears. 

Tara is crying too, and a few of the audience members are pulling out tissues for their own tears, but what ultimately makes my heart stutter again is the fact that Sam is also misty eyed.

She’s not yet crying, because of course she’s not, she’s trying to keep it all in. But then she and Gale reach the end of the aisle and the second she lets go of Gale’s arm and takes my outstretched hand, a single tear rolls down her cheek.

She smiles tearily and whispers, “Hi,” as the string quartet dies down, making everyone who’s close enough to hear chuckle softly.

“H-Hi,” I stutter, laughing at myself and reaching up to wipe the tear off her warm cheek. 

She leans into the touch, and her eyes flutter briefly before I take my hand back and Tara steps forward to take the bouquet off of her.

Mindy and Anika, who are holding hands and watching everything unfold, smile brilliantly and lean in to take a closer look at the bouquet when Tara falls back in line next to them, wiping her own tears off her cheeks with her free hand. 

“Welcome, everyone,” Gale starts, taking her place as officiant under the arch with Sam and me.  

Since the last Ghostface attack, a lot has changed. Especially between those two. After literally almost dying, Gale made everything up to Sam, going above and beyond apologizing  for how she wrote about her in her book about the attacks in Woodsboro. Not only did she help finance Sam’s degree in photography, which took a lot of convincing on Sam’s part by the way, but she also chose Sam to photograph the cover image of her latest book, which, speaking in royalties, has earned Sam money she’s never even dreamed of before.

Which is why, after everything,  Gale is our officiant, and since she’s the closest to a parental figure Sam has left, it was obvious she also walked Sam down the aisle. 

She goes on to say how love is patient and kind but also fierce, especially when it comes to protecting your person, but I’m not really listening because I can’t focus on her. Not when Sam is right in front of me, her dark eyes taking me in with a softness I’ve only come to expect when we’re alone, and her hands shaking in mine.

I’ve stopped crying for the time being, and even though my cheeks are still wet, I don’t let go of Sam’s hands to wipe them away. All I do is tug her a little closer, making her lips twitch momentarily before I start running my thumbs over her knuckles.

She shivers and squeezes my hands weakly, making me smile and continue running my thumbs over knuckles. 

“And now…” Gale goes on after summing up our entire relationship. “Since you two lovebirds are obviously not listening–” she shoots us a playfully disapproving nod that makes us laugh breathlessly and the audience chuckle – “how about I pass the torch, so you two can say something before we go ahead with the ceremony? I believe you’ve prepared vows, yes?”

Sam and I nod and Gale nods at me to go first, so I take a deep breath before starting. 

“Sammy.” That nickname alone gets me to choke up again and I have to clear my throat to go on. “You are the love of my life, the reason I wake up every morning wanting to be the best version of myself and the reason I go to bed at night, knowing I don’t have to sleep to live my dream because you are already everything I could ever dream of. But at the end of the day, you are, first and foremost, my best friend. The one person I want to share everything with, whether it’s good news, bad news, or just some leftover pizza in the middle of the night.”

I’m crying again, but I’m still keeping it together enough to continue, unlike Sam, who’s full of sniffling and hiccuping. 

“I’ve come so close to losing you several times, but we always managed to find our way back to each other, and it that’s not a sign from the universe that we belong together, I don’t know what is. We went through hell together, and I can say, with all my heart, that I’d go through all of it again if it meant we end up where we are right here, right now. I don’t want to spend another day without you knowing that I’m one hundred percent, and irrevocably yours. You make me happier than I could have ever imagined and I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel the same.”

Chad whoops and claps from the audience, which makes everyone laugh, including me and Sam whom I can only see blurrily because of the tears in my eyes. 

“That was beautiful,” Gale says as soon as everyone’s settled down again.

I dip my chin in thanks and hold my breath when Gale nods at Sam, silently telling her to go next.

She lets go of my hands for a moment to wipe away her tears, her chin quivering and her hands trembling before she takes hold of my hands again, squeezing tightly.

“Ever since we were kids,” she starts, her voice surprisingly clear and loud considering the fact she’s still crying, “I had this feeling that you were the one. But I got scared and I ran. I ran, and I tried not to look back, but everywhere I went, I was reminded of you. Your smile, your eyes… I saw parts of you in every stranger,  and I knew I was doomed because no matter how hard I tried to, I could never forget you. By then I thought I was too late, that I’d lost you, but you never gave up on me.”

I nod and squeeze her hands, encouraging her to go on.

“I still don’t understand why you didn’t give up on me, but I guess that’s just what love is, and I will try to show you how much that means to me for the rest of my life. I love you, Y/N, with all my heart.”

I swallow a sob and squeeze her hands again, watching a tear roll down her cheek again. I don’t wipe it away though because Gale says, “Alright then. Without further ado, could we please get the rings?”

Tara steps forward and hands Sam my ring while Paige gives me Sam’s.

Gale nods at us to proceed, so I take Sam’s left hand as soon as Tara and Paige have stepped back again.I meet her eyes and smile tearily before slipping the ring onto her ring finger. I also take her engagement ring off her right hand, slip it onto her left hand, over her wedding ring, and press a kiss to her knuckles.

Then I let her take my left hand and slip my own ring onto my finger. She smiles shyly and runs her thumb over it, and as soon as the words, “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you married,” leave Gale’s lips, Sam throws her arms around my neck and pulls me down for a kiss.

I hear people cheering, but I don’t pay them any mind as I wrap my arms around Sam’s waist and pull her closer, moving my lips against hers in a feverish kiss. I can taste both her and my tears, but I don’t stop kissing her until she’s breathless and pulling back with a teary laugh.

“I love you,” I mumble, pecking her lips a couple more times while she rakes her nails down the back of my neck.

“I love you too. So much.”

I smile against her lips, breathing her in for a moment before Gale makes us separate and ushers us to walk down the aisle so we can officially end the ceremony. 

“Good to go?” I ask, holding out my hand for her to take.

She nods and takes my hand, interlacing our fingers while holding onto my upper arm with her other hand and pressing a kiss to my shoulder. Then, we start making our way down the aisle while the string quartet plays an uplifting melody and the guests stand up, clapping.

Gale, Tara, and Liam follow directly behind us, while Paige, Jackson, Mindy, and Anika wait for us to be halfway down the aisle before following too.

The wedding photographer Sidney hired ushers us to a secluded part of the beach to take a couple of photos. At first its group photos in various combinations. Then, the wedding party leaves to join the other guests at the reception area where waiters from the hotel that acts as our venue are already passing out champagne and non-alcoholic aperitifs. It leaves Sam and me alone with the photographer, who shoots a couple of pictures of us in various poses.

Throughout it all, even the pictures that are meant to be a little more serious, I just can’t stop smiling, which in turn makes Sam smile too until the photographer simply stops trying to get us to be serious.

We take a couple more pictures, with Sam showing off her rings before the photographer leaves to take pictures of the reception, leaving Sam and I alone for a moment of peace.

“You okay?” I ask quietly, pulling her against me with my hands on her waist. We’re behind some rocks, so I’m not worried about anyone at the reception seeing us.

Sam cups my cheeks with a tiny but genuine smile, her rings cold against my skin, and nods. “I’m perfect.”

I lean down and nudge my nose against hers, whispering, “Good,” before kissing her softly. She kisses back, but unlike before, the kiss stays slow and soft, just lips moving against lips until she pulls back and rests her forehead against mine with her eyes still closed.

“Let’s go join the others,” she says.

I pull back and say, “Okay,” pressing one last kiss to her forehead before offering her my hand again and leading her to the reception where we’re greeted with a bunch of cheers.

A waiter hands us both a glass of champagne and then it’s time for us to thank everyone for coming and listen to them share some stories about how they always knew we’d end up together.

Through it all, Sam holds onto my arm, showing her rings to anyone who asks to see them, until it’s time for dinner. 

By now the sun has set, leaving behind a gorgeous golden-pink glow on the horizon. The candles on the tables have been lit, and the lanterns that have been strung between the palm trees amongst the tables have been turned on, casting a soft light over everything as the night begins to settle around us.

The starter comes and goes, and it’s so good I see Chad actually fawn over it a few tables down. Danny, who’s obviously been invited too, even goes so far as to hand him the rest of his starter when he sees Mindy slapping Chad’s hand as he goes to steal some of hers. 

I point it out to Sam and she smiles fondly before going back to talking to Tara who’s sitting next to her.

I talk to Liam, Jackson, and Paige, who tease me about how my knees literally gave out earlier when Sam was walking down the aisle, until the main course gets served. The guest could choose beforehand whether they wanted the vegetarian option, the seafood option, or the roasted chicken, and while Sam went with the seafood, I went with the chicken. 

She keeps glancing at my plate though, so halfway through, I wordlessly switch with her, kissing her before she can protest and start eating the rest of her shrimp risotto.

Then, after the main course and before the cake cutting ceremony, Tara gets up to hold a speech which turns out to be the perfect blend of emotion and teasing. She tells everyone how Sam regularly cries over how much she loves me when she’s had a little too much wine, but then follows it up with how glad she is her sister found someone like me to ground her and love her the way she deserves to be loved.

Jackson, Liam, and Paige go after her, and while they do share some sweet memories, they mostly just roast me about how whipped I am. The most embarrassing story is the one Jackson tells about me literally throwing up when some random girl tried to flirt with me during an after party after one of my hockey games in Boston. To be fair, I did have a bunch to drink that night, so the girl flirting wasn’t the exclusive reason why I threw up, but it definitely triggered it. 

By the end, Sam and I are literally in tears because we’re laughing so hard, and it’s actually a struggle to get to the cake that’s been set up next to the dance floor.

“Okay, focus,” I nudge Sam with a smile when she keeps cracking up, and she turns to me with sparkling eyes and mocks me playfully before actually sobering up and cutting the cake with me. 

She feeds me the first bite and I close my eyes momentarily to enjoy the taste before opening them again and feeding her a bite as well, keeping my other hand under the fork to make sure if some of the frosting falls it doesn’t land on her dress.

She’s not even done eating when she pulls me in for a kiss, and I steady myself with my hands on her hips and hum against her lips when I get a taste of the frosting again.

“Delicious,” I mumble when we break apart which makes her roll her eyes and poke my cheek.

After that, the cake is up for grabs for everyone, and Sam and I take a slice back to our seats, sharing the piece until the DJ, who’s been playing ambient music ever since dinner started, calls us to the dance floor for the first dance.

“M'lady?” I get up and hold out a hand for Sam who scoffs at how cheesy I sound but takes my hand with red cheeks nonetheless.

I lead her to the dance floor, feeling everyone’s eyes on us, but as soon as I turn to find her already looking at me under the soft glow of the lanterns, everyone else just fades into the background.

A moment later the familiar notes of Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran start playing from the speakers, so I take her hand and lift it up to my shoulder before letting go which is enough for her to get the memo. She steps closer and loops her arms around my shoulders while my own arms snake around her waist and pull her closer, and then we just sway.

“You look so wonderful in your dress,” I sing along under my breath, smiling at the way her eyes shine with love as she looks up at me. It makes my insides melt and my stomach fill with butterflies. 

“I love you,” she whispers during the chorus as we continue to sway, and I can’t help but peck her lips and say, “I love you too,” before she rests her head against my chest and tightens her arms around my shoulders.

She’s warm against me and the smell of her perfume and the salty sea air makes me close my eyes for the rest of the song.

Since neither her parents nor mine are here, the dance floor is open for everyone after our first dance. The DJ plays two more slow songs after, seeing that Sam and I are not yet ready to end the moment, even as others step onto the dance floor. Then, he plays something more upbeat, which makes us break apart and leave the dance floor for a second to drink something.

When we get back, we dance with everyone else, jumping around and shouting the lyrics of the nostalgic 2000s songs the DJ puts on before I pull her aside for a moment after checking my watch.

“We have to get going soon,” I say and she nods, going back to dancing for a few more songs while I order an uber to take us to the airport.

We’re going to spend our honeymoon in Paris and Crete, and since Sam wanted to leave as soon as possible, we’ve booked a flight to Paris for later tonight, so we land there around noon tomorrow. It’s a red-eye flight, but I booked first class tickets by dipping into my inheritance, so we can hopefully get some sleep and make the most of our first day tomorrow.

I’ve been to Paris for work before and I’m excited to show her around the city for a couple of days and introduce her to some fantastic food and wine before we fly to Crete to spend the rest of our honeymoon on a sunbed by the ocean. 

“Ready to go?” I ask once Sam and I’ve made our rounds and thanked everyone for coming.

“Yes, let's go,” she says, so we quickly change out of our wedding attire and into some sweatpants and hoodies in the hotel’s bathroom before grabbing our bags and heading outside to where the Uber driver’s idling at the valet drop off. 

I help him load the bags into the truck and then get into the backseat with Sam, letting her take my hand as soon as I’ve put on my seatbelt and the driver’s pulled onto the road.

It’s a one and a half hour drive from the Hamptons to JFK, so we have some time to already get some rest, and maybe even take a nap, but Sam seems to be too full of adrenaline from the wedding to even think about napping. 

She keeps turning my wedding ring around her finger and talks about the food, and the cake, and how the DJ was great, and I just sit back and listen, taking everything in with a dopey smile.

About fifty minutes into the drive though, she freezes and looks at me with wide eyes. “My passport!”

I chuckle and squeeze her hand. “Relax. I packed it this morning. It’s in your carry on.”

She deflates and pouts for a second before leaning over the middle seat and pecking my lips. “Thank you. You always think of everything.”

“Mhmm.” I kiss her again, but keep it short so as to not make the driver too uncomfortable before moving into the middle seat so she can rest her head on my shoulder.

She’s slowly calming down now and I know it’s only a matter of time before she crashes completely, but I have to try and somehow prolong it until we’ve boarded the plane. So, I ask her about everything she wants to see in Paris, to keep her talking, and sooner rather than later we finally make it to the airport.

I tip the driver generously when he unloads our bags and then let Sam hold my hand as we head inside, checking our bags in before going through security which, because of the late hour, is not busy at all.

The bright lights of the duty free shop threatens to give both of us a headache, so we rush through it. We actually don’t have much time left before boarding, so we make our way to our gate.

“Tired?” I ask quietly when Sam yawns against my shoulder. We’re sitting in the waiting area in front of our gate, and like in the Uber, she’s got her head on my shoulder and her hand in mine. 

“Very,” she says, and I use my free hand to brush a strand of hair that escaped her messy braid behind her ear. She undid her half right before getting changed earlier, and braided it instead, saying it would be more comfortable for the plane. 

“Yeah, me too,” I admit, kissing the top of her head. “But we can sleep on the plane in a bit.”

She simply nods and we spend the next few minutes in silence until we finally get to board. 

“Where are we going?” Sam giggles and nudges me without letting go of my arm.

We just left the restaurant we had dinner at– a small little place tucked into the side street– and are now walking back to our hotel. Or at least Sam thought we were until now because I just hailed down a cab.

“You’ll see,” I say with a smirk, helping her into the car before sliding in after her and telling the driver where we want to go in French.

“Come on, tell me,” she whines, and I actually have to shush her because she’s being a little louder than what’s considered polite. We’ve both had a bit of wine with dinner, but because she only recently started drinking again because she’s off her antipsychotics, she’s a bit of a lightweight compared to me.

I chuckle and shake my head. “Nope. It’s a surprise.”

“I hate surprises,” she grumbles, but when I offer her my hand, she takes it and laces our fingers together in her lap. 

She’s wearing a beautiful burgundy silk dress with thin straps and a slit up her thigh, which made it hard for me to keep my eyes off her during dinner– not that I wanted to of course. Her lipstick also matches the color of her dress and her dark hair has been pinned up in an elegant twist that, when I saw it for the first time in the hotel earlier, as she came out of the bathroom and asked me to zip up her dress, made my heart skip a beat. 

We’ve been in Paris for a little over six hours now, and I’m already loving it even though I’m tired from the flight because I couldn’t really sleep on the plane. Not because of turbulences or anything, just because I can’t sleep on planes, not even in first class.

Sam got a good bunch of sleep though, which is the only thing that really matters to me.

We watch the city rush by us in silence until the cab driver pulls up close to the Eiffel Tower five minutes later. We could have honestly walked, but for what I have planned, we had to rush a little, so we’ll just walk to the hotel after.

Sam gasps at the sight of the tower lit up in the dark, and I pay the driver before getting out of the car and offering her my hand again once she’s out too. 

“What are we doing here?” she asks as the cab drives off, and I just tug on her hand and lead her to the grassy part of the park right at the foot of the tower.

“Just wait,” I say, taking off my jacket and wrapping it around her shoulders before sinking down on the slightly damp grass and urging her to do the same.

She eyes me weirdly but gets down despite her heels, and I chuckle, kissing her cheek before wrapping my arms around her middle and pulling her between my legs so she’s resting against my chest, both of us facing the tower.

And then, right as she’s about to complain about not knowing what’s going on again, the tower begins sparkling.

“Wow,” she whispers, her eyes wide with wonder.

“You like it?” I ask, looking at the side of her face rather than the tower because I’ve seen it sparkle before and she’s honestly more beautiful than any light show could ever be. 

She averts her eyes for a moment to meet my gaze. “I love it. And I love you.”

“I love you too.” I hug her tighter and nudge her temple with my nose, getting a whiff of her sandalwood perfume. “Now watch the show, baby. I’m not going anywhere.”

She huffs in amusement and awe, and goes back to watching the tower sparkle. It only goes on for five minutes, but coming here was still worth it. 

“That was amazing,” she gushes when I help her back to her feet again.

I agree with a nod and kiss her forehead. “Ready to go back to the hotel now?”

“Yes, please.”

I smile and help her put on my jacket properly before wrapping my arm around her shoulders and walking us back to the hotel.

The portier at the door greets us with a warm smile both Sam and I reciprocate before we head through the quiet lobby and toward the elevators.

The ride up to our room, like our walk back to the hotel, is comfortably silent, and when I finally unlock the door to our room with our key card, I’m ready to just call it a day. As soon as the door shuts behind us though, Sam turns around and steps into my space, placing her slightly cool hands on my chest and sliding them up until they’re resting on the side of my neck.

It makes my skin tingle, and I can’t help but raise an eyebrow at the intensity with which she’s looking at me.

“You okay?” I ask quietly.

She shakes her head and moves even closer so when she speaks I feel her breath on my chin. “I want you. Right here. Right now.”

All the air rushes out of my lungs and my knees weaken, so steady myself by placing my hands on her waist. She is a bit tipsy though, and I’m sure she’s exhausted even though she slept on the plane, so I ask, “Are you sure?”

She moves her hands to the back of my neck and pulls me down for a soft kiss, whispering, “Yes, please. You didn’t get to strip me of my wedding dress, so I want you to take this one off me instead.”

I let out a shaky breath and nod. “Okay.”

This is by far not the first time we’re having sex, but it’s the first time we’re doing it being married, and for some reason, that makes it feel more delicate than usual.

I dip my chin and kiss her again, pushing a little more than before though and deepening it by slipping my tongue past her lips when she gasps slightly. 

Kissing her is addicting, and when I taste the wine and chocolate souffle we had for dessert, my head actually spins and I have to use every ounce of concentration I have left in me to reach up and pry her hands off the back of my neck so I can help her take off my jacket.

She lets out a sound of discontent at the momentary loss of contact, but helps in taking it off before reaching up again to cup my cheeks and deepen the kiss even more.

I’m sure by now her lipstick is completely smudged and all over my mouth as well, but I honestly couldn’t care less as I walk her backwards until the backs of her knees hit the edge of the bed. 

She breaks the kiss, panting, and looks up at me through her lashes, making desire shoot through me like a jolt. 

The only thing lighting up the room are the city lights streaming in through the windows, but even so, it’s enough for me to make out the sharp contours of her face and the way her lips are already slightly swollen from kissing.

“You’re so beautiful,” I whisper, dropping to my knee and reaching for her ankle to undo the straps of her heels.

Her breath hitches and she rests her hands on my shoulders while I take off her heels, one after the other before getting back up.

“And you’re perfect,” she says, tugging the bottom of my shirt out of my slacks. I watch as she slowly undoes each button, her knuckles grazing against my warm skin all the way up to my neck where she slips her hands under the fabric of the shirt and pushes it off my shoulders until it drops to the floor.

She reaches for the button of my pants next, but I stop her from undoing it by grabbing her wrist gently. “I thought you wanted me to undress you?” I tease quietly which makes her gulp.

“I– Yeah, but–”

I put my hands on her hips and turn her around. “No buts,” I whisper against the shell of her ear, delighting in the way a shiver runs through her. “Just relax and let me make you feel good.”

She exhales shakily, but nods, so I let go of her hips and slowly unzip her dress, making sure my fingers brush against her bare skin the same way hers did against mine when she unbuttoned my shirt.

“Beautiful,” I mumble again, kissing the side of her exposed neck until the zipper is all the way down. Then, I brush the dress’ thin straps off her shoulders and step back so it can slip down her body and pool around her ankles, leaving her in her underwear.

She shivers again, and I see goosebumps rising along her skin before I close the distance between us again.

I slip one hand over her waist and over her stomach, pulling her against me, and take out the pin holding her hair together with the other all while trailing my lips over her shoulder and up her neck.

She whimpers when I get to the spot right below her jaw and lifts one hand to pull me closer by the back of my neck while her other one finds my hand over her stomach, lacing our fingers together. 

“Please,” she begs quietly when I keep kissing her neck without doing anything else.

“Please, what?” I ask, resisting when she tries to push my hand on her stomach down.

She digs her nails into the back of my neck. “Do something,” she whimpers, and the desperation in her voice makes me actually give in and turn her around in my arms.

I swoop her into a passionate kiss and lift her up by the back of her thighs, making her squeak in surprise. She wraps her legs around my waist and grips my jaw with the tips of her fingers, kissing me feverishly.

I can feel the need she pours into it, so I toe off my shoes and climb onto the bed with her still in my arms.

She gasps when her bare back hits the cold sheets, but goes right back to kissing me, snaking her arms around my neck. 

I plant one of my hands on the pillow next to her head while the other trails down her side, over her hip, and to the back of her thigh, squeezing gently which makes her moan into the kiss and arch into me.

A moment later, she pulls back to catch her breath, giving me the chance to kiss down her throat, sucking and biting softly every now and then– not enough to mark, just enough to make her feel good.

She moans my name and tangles her fingers into the hair at the back of my neck while I trail my lips lower. 

She pants and squirms the further down I go and every now and then a moan slips out when my lips hit a particularly sensitive spot. 

When I get to her belly button, she actually chuckles a little since she’s ticklish there, which in turn makes me smile as well and look up to meet her eyes for a moment, before I go back to kissing her skin, making sure to  pay extra attention to the scar on her lower stomach.

She unwraps her legs from around me and after meeting her eyes once again, I take off her underwear and scoop her legs onto my shoulders.

The sight of me between her legs makes her throw her head back and gasp, but it’s not until I kiss her where she needs me the most that her fingers thread deeper into my hair and she lets out a high-pitched moan.

Her legs also tighten around my head and I have to use my hands to keep them open and stop her from squirming too much. 

I still can’t believe we’re actually married, but then I catch a glimpse of my wedding ring in the low light, which makes me pull her even closer.

She gasps, moans, and whimpers above me, every sound making my heart swell, until she tips over the edge of pleasure with a broken cry. 

I kiss her though it before letting her legs slip off my shoulders and kissing up her flushed body.

“Are you okay?” I ask, pressing butterfly kisses to her throat.

“Yeah,” she croaks, clearing her throat before repeating herself. “Yeah… I’m great. That was just… wow.”

She chuckles, still trembling with the after effects of what just happend, and I pull back to meet her gaze with a smile of my own.

“Wow?” I tease which makes her huff and slap my shoulder playfully.

“Yes, wow.” Her expression softens and she lifts a hand to trace a finger down the side of my face. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me… I can’t believe you’re actually mine now.”

I turn my head to press a kiss to her palm. “I’ve always been yours.”

She smiles again and tilts her head up to brush her lips against mine in a fleeting kiss. “I know, but now it’s official.”

I snort softly and press my face against the side of her neck for a moment, breathing her in before pulling back and sitting up.

Sam quirks an eyebrow and all I have to do is say “Shower?” for her to sit up as well and nod, kissing me, hot and open mouthed before pulling back abruptly and getting off the bed. 

She smirks over her shoulder and slips into the en-suite, making me stumble over my feet as I go to follow her.

“How’s your sea bass?” I ask, watching Sam over the rim of my wine glass.

After an amazing week in Paris, which we spent sight seeing and exploring cute little restaurants, we’re now in Crete. The hotel we’re staying at is on the east side of the island, perched on some rocks right by the ocean in a remote area. It’s amazing, minimalistic and sustainable while still being luxurious.

Sam finishes chewing and swallows before answering. “Good. Wanna try some?”

I nod and put down my wine glass before leaning over the table to let her feed me some of the fish with the pistachio sauce. 

It tastes great, like everything else we’ve had so far, and I hum in appreciation. “That’s great. Want some of my pasta?”

Sam nods, so I feed her some of my pasta, using my thumb to wipe a bit of sauce off the corner of her mouth.

It makes her smile shyly while chewing and mumble, “thank you” after swallowing. 

I reach over the table and squeeze her hand for a second before going back to eating myself. 

She’s once again dressed to the nines tonight, wearing an elegant black slip dress with her hair swept over one shoulder, and the way the candle light of the little candle between us flickers on her face makes me smile involuntarily. 

There are no words that would do the way I feel about her at this moment any justice even though she’s just eating. However if I had to describe her with a word, I think ethereal would be fitting. 

She literally takes my breath away, and when she shift, making the candle light glint off the little sun pendant around her neck, I think about how far we’ve come since I got it for her.

“You’re staring.”

I snap out of my thoughts to find her looking at me with amused eyes and a tiny blush on her cheeks. 

Instead of getting embarrassed about getting caught though, I just shrug and take another sip of my wine. 

“I can’t help it,” I say, which makes her nudge my leg under the table.

“Dork.”

I just smile and finish eating, relishing in the way the sea breeze chases away the  day’s last remnants of heat. We’re sitting outside in one of the hotels restaurants with a view over the ocean and rocky beaches. The sun has gone down a while ago, leaving the moon to illuminate the landscape while the hotel staff are slowly but surely lighting tiki torches down by the beach for a nighttime meditation session.

I could honestly die happy right now, but then again, I have so much planned with Sam…I know we have our whole lives ahead of us, but moments like this make forever feel too short.

As if she can read my mind, she reaches for my hand across the table after putting her own cutlery down. “You know, I’ve been thinking a lot over the last couple of days,” she says quietly, “And I know we’ve talked about this before but…I do really want kids with you.”

She sounds almost nervous even though she’s said it herself, we’ve already talked about this before, and I’m all in. 

“I want that, too,” I reassure her, lacing our fingers together. Her rings glint in the low light and I can’t help but raise our intertwined hands to press a kiss to her knuckles. 

“Yeah, I know, but I’m not getting any younger, and the chances of something going wrong increase with age, so– ” 

“I know,” I cut her off gently. “Whenever you’re ready, we’ll do it, but Sammy, you’re twenty six. That’s not old by any means, just so that’s clear.”

She exhales shakily and nods, her eyes brimming with tears, so I lean across the table to peck her lips, mindful not to ruin her lipstick.

“Thank you.”

I squeeze her hand again. “Of course. Now, how about some dessert?”

She laughs softly and agrees, blinking back her tears.

I order some baklava and have the waiter top off both our wine glasses before excusing myself to go to the bathroom.

I’m not even gone for five minutes, but when I return I see Sam chatting with another hotel guest who just sat down at the table next to ours.

I don’t think much of it, but then he laughs and reaches over, touching her elbow. Sam squirms away, but continues to smile politely, which makes me clench my jaw. 

I wordlessly weave through the restaurant and return to my seat. “Why hello there,” I smile mirthlessly and turn to the man, who seems to be in his forties. He’s got short black hair and icy blue eyes, making him objectively handsome, especially in his blue linen shirt that matches his eyes.

“Oh. Hello.” His previously flirty smile tightens and he looks between me and Sam. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know I was interrupting anything.”

I want to scoff because judging by the two wine glasses on the table it’s obvious Sam is not alone, but I just continue smiling and reach for Sam’s hand, letting my thumb graze over her rings. “I’m sure you didn’t. Now, if you don’t mind…”

He turns beet red and stutters, “Of course,” before actually asking for a different table, leaving us alone again.

My jaw is still clenched when Sam tugs on my hand, making me look at her. She has one eyebrow pulled up and there’s a smirk playing on her lips.

“What was that?” she asks teasingly.

I feel my ears burn with embarrassment and avert my eyes. “I don’t know.”

I have no idea why I did what I just did because I’m sure if I hadn’t intervened, she would have shut him down as well. I just couldn’t help myself.

“Hey.” She tugs on my hand again and I look back up to find her looking at me with soft eyes. “I don’t mind. It was kind of hot actually… I’ve never seen you that jealous before.”

I ignore the hot part and scoff softly despite the smile that already threatens to tug at my lips. “I was not jealous.”

“You so were,” she teases and I’m about to protest when the waiter brings us our baklava and places it in the middle of the table with two forks.

“Was not…” I say as soon as he’s gone again, which just makes Sam smirk again.

“Okay then. Whatever you say, baby.”

I roll my eyes playfully but let it go, letting her have the first bite of the baklava before diving in myself.

It tastes like heaven on a fork, and as soon as we’re done, the guy from before is as good as forgotten. I say as good as forgotten because as soon as I’ve signed the check and Sam and I are walking back to our hotel room, she makes me stop around a secluded corner and pulls me into a passionate kiss.

“You know I’m all yours, right?” she says when she pulls back for a moment, fixing my collar while I pant against her lips, my hands on her lower back, anchoring her to me.

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” 

She shakes her head and kisses me again, digging her nails into the back of my neck and biting my bottom lip before pulling back once more. “Don’t apologize. It’s okay. Like I said, it was kinda hot.”

I chuckle and run one hand up her back, feeling the warmth of her skin seep through the fabric of her dress. “If you say so…” I lean down and press a featherlight kiss to her neck, whispering, “Guess that’s what I get for marrying the most beautiful woman on Earth.”

She knows there’s no arguing with me when I say stuff like that, so she just laughs breathlessly and tilts her head to the side, enjoying the feeling of my lips on her neck. Before long though, she tugs on my jaw with the tips of her fingers to get me to kiss her again, whispering, “All yours” against my lips.

I hum in agreement and chase her lips with mine when she pulls back eventually, making her smile.

“Come on.” She takes a step back and tugs on my belt loops. “I was promised a bath together earlier.”

I laugh, still swooning from the kiss, and let her lead us the rest of the way to our hotel room. 

2 years later…

A touch on my chin in the middle of the night makes me open my eyes and blink blearily. 

“Baby?” Sam whispers, her chin propped up on my chest.

“Hmm?” I fight to suppress a yawn and meet her gaze in the dark. There’s moonlight streaming into the window, lighting up the space just enough for me to make out the little smile on Sam’s face.

“Can you get me some Oreos from the kitchen?” 

I pause for a moment, frowning, and glancing at the digital clock on the nightstand before looking back at Sam. 

“It’s three in the morning…”

She pouts and wiggles closer, slipping a hand under my shirt so it rests against the bare skin of my stomach. “Pleaseeee?”

I hold her pleading gaze for a moment before sighing. “Fine.” 

“Hmm. Thank you.”

I roll my eyes playfully and press a kiss to her forehead, slipping out of her hold to get her some Oreos.

She’s twelve weeks pregnant now and even though we just found out we’re going to have twins, she’s still not showing very much. Yes, she has a tiny bump, but it’s not noticeable when she’s wearing an oversized shirt or a hoody.

The doctor said she can’t determine the gender of either of the twins yet, but because they’re fraternal, the chances of one of them being a boy and the other one being a girl are pretty high, which has led to several lighthearted discussions about names. We’re usually serious, coming up with names we both like, but every now and then Sam will throw something ridiculous into the mix just to make me laugh.

“Here you go,” I say when I return to the bedroom with the Oreos. Sam’s already turned on the little lamp on the bedside table and beams when she sees me, eagerly reaching for them when I climb into bed. 

“Thank you.” She pecks my lips and waits for me to settle back in, propped up against the headboard, before snuggling up to me with one leg thrown over my hips and her head on my chest. 

She starts munching on her Oreos, offering me one every now and then but I just shake my head and run my fingers through her hair.

“You need anything else?” I ask, brushing my lips against her forehead in a gentle kiss. “Water? Tea? An extra pillow?”

“No, I’m good,” she mumbles, moving even closer until she’s almost on top of me. 

“Are you sure?”

She laughs softly and finishes another Oreo before answering. “I’m sure. Just need you.”

“Okay then.” I press another kiss to her forehead before closing my eyes, not to fall back asleep but to bask in the moment while she continues to eat and I continue to run my hand through her hair. 

“I’ve been thinking some more…” She swallows her last bite of Oreo and wipes her fingers on my shirt which makes me open my eyes again and raise an eyebrow. She just shrugs innocently though, and leans up to peck my lips, making me taste some of the Oreo’s sweetness myself. 

“And?” I prompt when she doesn’t go on immediately.

“What do you think about Aaron and Julie?” she asks with hopeful eyes. 

The moment the names leave her lips I know they’re it, so I smile and brush a strand of  dark hair behind her ear.

“I love it… Aaron and Julie,” I whisper.

“You do?” she asks quietly.

I nod. 

That’s all it takes for her to sniffle and move to straddle me, blinking back tears and  kissing me like she’s sealing the sweetest promise we’ve ever made.

My hands automatically move to her hips, grounding her while her hair falls around us like a curtain, tickling my neck.

Unlike other nights though, the kiss doesn’t escalate to anything more. It simply slows down after some time, our lips moving together in feathery light kisses until, eventually, they stop moving altogether which is when she pulls back just enough to whisper, “I love you.”

I slip my hands under her shirt onto her lower back, feeling her shiver at the touch. Then I tilt my chin up to peck her lips again, savoring it before saying, “I love you too.”

She rests her forehead against mine and for a moment we just stay like that, breathing together and enjoying the proximity until she moves back so she’s cuddled against my side.

“Get some sleep, my love,” I whisper against the top of her head. “I’ll be right here when you wake up again.”

She buries her face in the crook of my neck and exhales slowly. “Promise?”

“Promise.” I run my fingers through her hair while she holds my other hand, playing with my wedding ring until her breathing evens out and she falls asleep. 

I sigh and breathe her in for a moment, the smell of her eucalyptus shampoo clouding my senses, before closing my eyes as well and letting sleep wash over me. 

_______________________________________________

Holy moly... This is a long one, but it was a request and I wanted to do it justice.

[tortillamastersblog]

Where Light Bends Wrong - Part 11 | Wednesday Addams

Pairing: Wednesday Addams x reader

Warnings: mentions of murder, dismembered bodies, and blood (very briefly)

Summary: You’ve kept your secret buried and your power quiet, until Wednesday Addams came to Nevermore and turned your whole world upside down.

Previous Part | Next Part | Masterlist

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

“What’s the matter?” Enid asks.

I wipe away my tears, frustrated that I’m crying, and stuff my necklace into my pocket. “It’s all just too much,” I say quietly, avoiding her eyes with my own. 

She moves closer and grabs my forearm to get me to look at her, but I can’t. I just can’t, and I can’t tell her what’s going on either. 

I might have come to the conclusion that I can no longer keep Wednesday at arm’s length because we’re too deep into this whole murder thing, but Enid plays no part in any of it and it’s for the better if she doesn’t know.

I also can’t tell her about the book being stolen, because that would lead her to question why it’s so important to me, and I can’t just tell her what I am even though I would bet my soul that she wouldn’t tell anyone about it. Knowing is dangerous, and I’ve already got enough to worry about, I don’t want Enid’s safety being another thing on top of everything else.

“What’s too much?” she presses, and because I don’t want to lie I simply say, "Everything."

She seems to get that I’m not going to reveal anything, so she squeezes my forearm again and says, “I’m sorry. I wish I could make you feel better somehow.”

I look up then and shoot her a weak smile. “Yeah…me too.”

We sit in silence as my thoughts slowly stop spiraling. I’m still worried about everything, but I feel like I can breathe again because even though I didn’t tell Enid anything, she’s here right now and not being alone for once is helping more than I could ever have imagined.

“So… what happened with Ajax?” I ask after a while and when Enid frowns, still worried about me and my problems, I nudge her encouragingly. 

“He stood me up,” she finally admits, her voice quiet and broken.

“Oh, Enid, I’m so sorry. What happened?”

I thought Ajax liked her? I mean, he even kind of confessed it two days ago? Or did I inhale too many paint fumes and hallucinate that entire interaction with him?

“We were supposed to meet up behind the greenhouse,” she says, sniffling again. “He seemed excited about it the whole day but then he just… He didn’t show up.” 

I frown. That doesn’t sound like him. “Maybe he was just running a little late?”

Enid chuckles mirthlessly. “I waited forty minutes. That’s not running a little late.” 

“You’re right. Sorry. Maybe something came up and he just forgot to text you?” I offer because like I said, it really isn’t like Ajax to stand anyone up. Least of all Enid because he has a massive cheeks-turning-red, awkward-smiles, weird-waves-across-classrooms crush on her.

Enid sighs and buries her hands in her lap. “It doesn't matter. I’m done with him.”

I can’t help but smile a little and nudge her. “Oh come on, don’t say that.”

“No.” She huffs dramatically. “I’m done. With him and every other boy.”

I roll my eyes playfully and nudge her again but drop it. There’s really no point in arguing when she’s like this. Maybe I’ll get her to talk to Ajax tomorrow, but for now, I’ll just let her sit with her decision even if it is a little over the top and childish.

We sit in comfortable silence for a few heartbeats until she turns to me with a renewed glint in her eyes. 

“What?” I ask suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.

“The Rave’N is on Friday,” she says matter of factly.

“So?”

She scoffs. “So? Thornhill actually managed to hire a real DJ this year and the theme is going to be climate crisis meets extinction.”

I laugh softly and get up, dropping my necklace back into the wooden box which, after I got it out from underneath my bed earlier, is now perched on my desk. “I know. I’ve seen the flyers all around school for weeks now, but I’m not going.”

Enid gets up as well and pouts. “Oh come on. You’ve not been to a single Rave’N since being at Nevermore. Just come this year. Just this once. Pleaseeee. It’s going to be so much fun.”

I close the box and turn to face her with an unsure shrug. “I don’t know, Enid.”

The Harvest Festival was already a lot for me, and I can’t imagine myself stuffed into the Great Hall with every single student, with music blasting and everyone’s emotions running at an all time high.

“That is not a no.” Enid beams as though I already agreed to come, and bounces on her toes while grabbing my sleeve. 

“Now, hold on.” I shake her off and chuckle slightly. “I don’t even have a date. Or anything to wear.”

“Your wardrobe situation won’t be a problem. We can just go shopping tomorrow afternoon. As for your date dilemma…” she wiggles her eyebrows suggestively and for a split second a pair of dark, calculating eyes comes to mind.

My ears tingle and my heart flips, surprising me, so I quickly push the image to the back of my mind because what the hell just happened?

I clear my throat for good measure and avert my eyes, hoping Enid didn’t catch onto where my mind just went.

Luckily, it seems she didn’t because she goes on as if nothing happened. “Yoko told me that Divinia heard Mina telling a friend she liked you.”

I blink, still too preoccupied with the image that popped into my head. “Huh?”

Enid lets out an exasperated groan. “Mina likes you!” 

I frown. “She does?!”

“Yes!” she exclaims. “And I’ve heard that you caught Noah’s eye as well.”

Bewildered by all these people who seemingly have a crush on me, I shake my head and pinch the bridge of my nose. “Who the hell is Noah?”

I know who Mina is since we share a couple of classes and because she was on Enid’s team during the Poe Cup, but other than a few polite conversations here and there we haven’t really interacted before. As for this Noah person, I have no clue who that is…

“You know, Noah. That blond guy from Biology of Mythical Creatures? The one who lent you a pen last week?”

“Oh. Right.” I frown, remembering him. He is kind of nice and objectively handsome with his shaggy blond hair, his green eyes, and his freckles, but I’ve never really noticed him before.

Freckles… Doesn’t Wednesday have freckles? I’m pretty sure she does. I saw a drop of rain trail down the bridge of her nose earlier and she definitely has freckles although I’m sure they’d be more prominent if she wasn’t so pale. 

“So?” Enid snaps me out of my thoughts, and my eyes widen when I realize what I was just thinking about.

What the hell is happening? Why am I thinking about Wednesday's freckles? 

“I–I don’t know, Enid. I’m not really interested in either of them,” I stutter, feeling a blush creep up my neck. “And I think going to the Rave’N with one or the other would just send the wrong message.”

Undeterred, Enid keeps beaming. “Well then, the two of us can go as friends.”

I sigh and take a seat at my desk. “Yeah. Maybe. Let me think about it, okay?”

Enid’s a social butterfly, so I know if I don’t go with her, she’ll be just fine, but, like I promised, I will give it an honest thought.

“Okay.” She pulls me into a quick and awkward hug since I’m still sitting before getting a text that makes her giggle. 

I raise an eyebrow, but she just brushes me off before leaving in a sudden hurry. I shake my head and smile fondly before turning in my chair and opening my laptop to distract myself by finishing an essay I have to hand in tomorrow. 

I just finish typing the conclusion when there’s a tap on my window, making me furrow my eyebrows.

I turn in my chair and gasp when I see Thing perched on the windowsill outside. He wiggles his fingers in greeting and I hurry to open the window.

“Oh my God, Thing. What are you doing? Do you have a death wish?” I ask when he wiggles inside. 

I’m not afraid of heights, he signs, making himself comfortable on one of the pillows of my window seat.

I gape at him incredulously. “You should be! You’d be mush if you fell from this height.”

He waves me off and I take a moment to gather my thoughts before asking, “What are you doing here anyway?” 

I came to check on you.

I freeze. “Why?”

He twists as if eying me before signing, Am I not allowed to?

“I– No, of course, I was just…” Not used to anyone caring about me? People coming to check on me just because?

Yes, Enid worries over me sometimes but she doesn’t come to my room to check on me. She usually stops by when she needs advice or has to vent, which is honestly fine, but she never really checks on me because I don’t give her a reason to. Well, at least until now because I know she’ll be worried about what happened earlier even if she left all giddy and smiley. 

So, Thing taps on his pillow and I take a seat beside him. How are you feeling?

“Fine,” I reply without thinking even though I am anything but. 

Thing sees right through me and drums his fingers impatiently, so I take a moment before amending, “I… I don’t know. There’s just so much going on and I feel like I’m losing my mind.”

Thing moves off his pillow to tap my knee gently, encouraging me to keep talking. He knows I’m an Ægiryn, and he’s proven himself trustworthy more than once now, so I reluctantly go on.

“Apart from this whole monster-murder-shit that’s going on, the one book that contains all the knowledge about what I am has been stolen.”

The one from the Nightshades’ library? Thing taps and I nod, chuckling bitterly.

“Yeah. That one… When I came to Nevermore and Weems helped me figure out what I am, she had every book that even so much as mentions Ægiryns removed. Everyone except that one.” I drag my hands down my face. “I thought I was being careful when I took it, but apparently not careful enough. And now someone out there knows what I am… God, Weems will kill me when she finds out.”

I feel hot tears burning behind my eyes and quickly blink them away, wringing my hands. 

You’re scared, Thing signs which makes me snort.

“Of course I’m scared. I am a living myth. My ancestors were literally hunted down for what they were.” Ice cold fear and dread coils around my insides. “Whoever has that book knew what they were doing when they took it, and now I’m left in this constant state of not knowing what’s gonna happen next. I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to run and hide for the rest of my life. I… don’t want to die because of what I am.” That last part comes out quiet and broken, and I avert my eyes, swallowing thickly.

Thing shuffles closer and drapes himself over my hands, stopping my anxious fidgeting. There’s nothing he could say in this moment to make me feel better because we both know it would be a lie, so he just stays where he is, letting the weight of my words settle.

His touch makes a single, stubborn tear roll down my cheek despite my repeated blinking in an attempt to prevent it, but I don’t reach up to wipe it away. 

After what feels like half an eternity, Thing scuttles off my hands again to settle on my knee instead.

Why did you take the book from the library in the first place? He signs hesitantly which makes me deflate with shame.

“My necklace…The pendant. It’s been acting up lately and I’ve been hearing things I shouldn’t be hearing,” I admit, purposefully not getting into the fact that it’s Wednesday’s heartbeat I’m constantly hearing. “I wanted some answers and I was hoping to also find out more about what it means being an Ægiryn because until now, I wanted nothing to do with it. I didn’t want to know about it because being an outcast is what made my adoptive parents dump me here and never look back.”

I cringe because I didn’t mean to reveal that last part, but it’s too late to take it back now. Thing being Thing however doesn’t comment on it. He simply takes in everything I’ve said, sits with it, and then signs, If it’s answers you’re looking for, I think I can be of help.

That makes me raise an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

He curtsies as if to say yes and then taps, Addams’ have a long history with all kinds of outcasts.

A flicker of hope makes something loosen in my chest. He might be able to help. I might finally get the answers to all my questions. I can’t get my hopes up just yet though.

“Even Ægiryns?” I ask quietly, and when Thing curtsies again, I exhale shakily. He can help. I want to launch into an onslaught of questions that have been burning and simmering in the back of my mind ever since my pendant acted up, but then there’s a sharp knock on my door.

Thing scurries off my knee and hides beneath one of the pillows on the window seat and I get to my feet and cross the room to open the door. My heart almost stops when my eyes land on Weems of all people, and I subconsciously take a step.

“Good evening, Y/N. I hope I’m not interrupting anything, I just wanted to come by and find out how you were doing after you left the Weathervane earlier, and you didn’t show up to dinner,” she says calmly, folding her hands in front of her. I know she probably only means well, but I feel like she’s interrogating me, so I chose my next words very wisely.

“I’m better… I was just a little overwhelmed by all the people.”

“Hmm.” She eyes me with an unreadable look before saying, “Very well then. Enjoy the rest of your night and see to it that you get some rest.”

“I will. Thank you.” I’m about to shut the door again, but she places a hand against it, stopping me.

“Oh, just one more thing.”

“Yes?” I ask quietly, hating how exposed I feel under her watchful stare.

“You seem to have been spending quite some time with Miss Addams recently,” she states. I want to ask how she knows since we usually don’t interact in front of others, but then again, she seems to know everything that goes on at Nevermore, so I don’t. Asking how she knows would also prove her right in case she’s only baiting me, so I keep my mouth shut. 

“I’m not going to tell you who you can or cannot be friends with, but I do advise you to think critically about people you surround yourself with,” she says, adding, “Especially those who think it’s okay to blow up statues in broad daylight.”

Wednesday blew up Crackstone’s statue? That must have been the commotion I heard earlier. It doesn’t exactly surprise me because of course she would do something like that, but I’m surprised I’m only now hearing about it.

“Uh, okay. I’ll keep that in mind,” I say, returning Weems’ tight lipped smile before closing the door. Once I’m sure she’s truly left, I turn around, and raise an eyebrow at Thing who emerges from his hiding spot underneath the pillow. 

“Wednesday blew up Crackstone’s statue?” I ask, unimpressed.

Thing shrugs. She didn’t so much blow it up as I poured gasoline into the fountain and set fire to it.

“Oh my God, why would you do that?” I ask incredulously.

Do you know what Wednesday saw in her vision at the old meeting house? He signs.

“Not really, no, just something about her ancestor?” I guess, not knowing what her vision could possibly have to do with her, or rather Thing, blowing up Crackstone’s statue.

Yes, Goody Addams. She lived in Jericho 400 years ago when Crackstone was alive, he taps slowly and I take a seat on the edge of my bed, shrugging as if to say so?.

I don’t want to say too much because I’m sure Wednesday would hang, draw, and quarter me if she found out I blabbed about her vision, but to sum things up, Crackstone hunted down outcasts and burned them alive in the old meeting house. Goody was amongst them but managed to escape. 

I uncross my arms and deflate, my irritation getting replaced by sympathy and understanding. “Oh… I didn’t know. I mean, I knew pilgrims aren’t exactly known for their acceptance of anything different, but I didn’t know they went that far.”

Thing hops off the window seat and climbs onto the bed next to me. Yeah, they kind of suck.

I let out a surprised laugh. “Yeah they do.” Then, after a moment of silence I add, “Crackstone deserved what he got,” which makes Thing tap my thigh in agreement.

I remember about all the questions I was about to ask him before Weems interrupted us, but once again, before I can ask, Thing freezes when he sees the time on the digital clock on my nightstand.

I have to go, he signs, suddenly in a hurry and jumping off my bed. He scurries to my door and vaults up to the doorknob, turning it before dropping back down to the floor.

“Wait!” I get back to my feet in a panic. “I have so many questions.”

I know, he signs, looking almost apologetic. But I have to go help Wednesday.

I glance at the time. It’s almost ten pm.

“With what?” I ask skeptically. He squirms which means she’s up to no good. “Thing…” I warn.

Nothing dangerous, I promise, he taps. I glare at him which makes him add, At least not physically, more like dangerous in the sense of if she gets caught she could get expelled. 

“That’s not better!” I exclaim in disbelief and I have half a mind to force him to take me with them, but it’s almost curfew and after Weems’ visit, I can’t get caught sneaking out with Wednesday unless I want Weems to get even more suspicious than she already is.

I promise we’ll be careful, Thing taps my sock covered foot. 

I nudge him and sigh, saying, “You better be.” And then, before he can leave I add, “Thank you…For coming to check on me.”

You’re welcome and I promise I’ll answer all of your questions soon.

I dip my chin in acknowledgement and watch him scurry out of my room, briefly wondering why he didn’t just come through the door in the first place before flopping down on my bed face first.

Today’s been a long day. I don’t fall asleep until almost one in the morning though when I hear the soft click of Enid’s and Wednesday’s door across the school, signaling Wednesday’s return.

I’m in the middle of doing pull ups on the doorframe leading to my en-suite bathroom when there’s a knock on my door.

I drop to the floor and flex my stiff fingers before telling whoever is at my door to come in.

It’s probably Enid, coming to bother me about the Rave’N again even though I’ve told her several times today that I have yet to make up my mind about going. 

“Am I interrupting something?” 

I whirl around and almost choke on my own breath when I see Wednesday standing in the doorway. Unlike me who’s dressed in a simple shirt and sweatpants, she’s still wearing her school uniform. It’s clean and crisp and so unlike how messy it looked yesterday when we got caught in the rain.

“I uh– No, not at all,” I stutter, wishing the earth would open up and swallow me because while she looks all regal and put together, I’m all flushed and sweaty. Yes, I have supernatural strength, but I’ve been going at it with my pull ups for over an hour in an attempt to burn off some nervous energy, but so far, it hasn’t worked and if she hadn’t knocked, I would have continued for only God knows how long.

Wednesday’s eyes drop to my arms for a moment, but when I clear my throat, they snap back up and I see a muscle in her jaw twitch before she says, “I was wondering if I could put up some pictures in your room regarding my investigation. Enid can’t stomach them and– Well, long story short, I had to get out my smelling salts and take the pictures down.”

My embarrassment momentarily forgotten, I wipe some sweat off my forehead and step forward, gesturing for her to come into my room.

She looks around the same way she did the first time she was here but her attention doesn’t linger on anything specific. 

“Can I see?” I ask and when she simply stares at me after her eyes flicker to my arms again, I add, “The pictures?”

“Right. Yes.” She takes off her backpack and pulls out a manila folder, handing it over while keeping her eyes down.

I frown at her more-than-usual odd behavior, but don’t comment on it as I open the folder. 

I don’t know what I was expecting, but when I see pictures of various bloody crime scenes and brutally dismembered bodies I cringe and snap the folder shut again. 

“I–” I close my eyes momentarily, trying to purge my mind of what I just saw– “Where in the world did you get these?”

Wednesday takes the folder back and flips through the pictures herself, completely unfazed. “Thing and I broke into the county morgue last night. The monster’s latest victim is that man we stumbled upon in the old meeting house yesterday.”

“You broke into the mo– What?!” I shake my head and blink in disbelief.

Wednesday pulls out a picture, saying, “It’s really not that big of a deal. I helped my uncle break his girlfriend out of a mental hospital once. That was a big deal,” before handing it to me.

I take it, but don’t look at it right away since my mind is running a hundred miles a minute, trying to process everything.

“Do you see that?” she asks, stepping closer to point at something in the picture which makes me reluctantly snap out of my thoughts and look at the picture.

To no surprise, it’s a picture of the homeless man’s dead body. It’s not a crime scene picture though. It’s a picture taken in the morgue and I try not to focus on his dead, lifeless eyes, letting my gaze instead wander to what Wednesday is pointing at. 

“His left foot it missing,” she says and I nod, frowning and looking up to meet her eyes. 

“Maybe the medical examiner amputated it?” I suggests, but she shakes her head, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“It was chewed off by the monster, see?” she points out the frayed edges of the wound, but I don’t want to look at it again, so without thinking, I put my hand over hers and push it down so she lowers the picture.

For a moment my hand stays on hers, her skin a little cold against mine, but then we both pull away at the same time and when I look up I see a flash of confusion in her eyes before a muscle in her jaw twitches again and she puts the picture back into the folder. 

“Every person the monster has killed so far is missing a body part,” she goes on as though nothing happened, but her voice is a little quieter now. “And I’ll be damned if it’s a coincidence.”

She’s right. That can’t be a coincidence, but unless she asks the outcast who turns into the monster personally, there’s really no way of finding out why he or she has taken said body parts. 

“Well, what do you want to do now?” I ask which makes her exhale exasperatedly. 

“As much as it pains me to admit it, there’s not much I can do, but Eugene and I found the monster’s layer earlier.”

My eyes widen. “You did? Where?”

“Out in the woods. It wasn’t there, but I managed to collect one of its claws as evidence and hand it over to Sheriff Glapin for DNA testing. He knows about the monster too.” She pulls a paper out of her pocket and unfolds it to reveal a drawing of the monster with weird looking circles drawn around it. I realize the circles are supposed to represent the opening of a cave I’ve come across before which must be the layer.

The fact that Sheriff Galpin knows about the monster is not news to me, but I didn’t know he and Wednesday were basically working together. 

I don’t comment on it though because for some reason, the only thing I can think of saying is, “I didn’t know you could draw like that,” which makes her roll her eyes impatiently and fold the paper back up.

“I can’t. It’s not mine. It fell out of Xavier’s sketchbook in the hallway this morning.” She pockets the folded drawing and clutches the manila folder to her chest.

“Xavier drew that?” I ask with a frown. As far as my knowledge goes, Xavier has not seen the monster before, so how does he know what it looks like, much less where it lives unless–

“He could be the monster, yes,” Wednesday voices my exact thought. “But until I have definite proof, it’s too dangerous to confront him.”

I hum in agreement, letting silence settle over us for a moment before I say, “Look, I know those pictures are important for your investigation, but you can’t put them up in my room. If Weems sees them, she’ll lose it. Why don’t you keep them in the Bee shed? I’m sure Eugene wouldn’t mind. He might be a bit freaked out at first, but he’s a good kid and you’re a fellow— What do you guys call yourselves? Hummers?”

Wednesday scowls, but it’s not particularly venomous. “Yes,” she confirms through gritted teeth. Then, she softens ever so slightly, knowing I’m right about the pictures. 

I expect her to turn and leave since I can no longer be of help, but to my surprise she doesn’t. She tucks the folder back into her backpack and straightens up, meeting my eyes again.

“Eugene and I want to stake out the cave and identify the monster.”

I narrow my eyes. “Are you serious?”

“Very.”  Before I can protest and say how stupid and dangerous that idea is, she averts her eyes and huffs. “But if things go sideways, we could use some help.”

My heart flips involuntarily and despite the situation I can’t help but tease a tiny bit.  “Are you asking me for help?”

“Yes, but I’m starting to regret it,” she deadpans.

I chuckle softly which makes her look back up with an unreadable glint in her eyes. “Don’t. I’m sorry. Of course I’ll help.”

Surprise flickers across her face but she doesn’t voice it. Instead she just nod, once, and says, “Great. We’ll be doing it tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow? But what about the Rave’N?” I ask.

She crosses her arms. “What about it?”

“Well, aren’t you going?” I ask which makes her scoff in disbelief. Right. What was I thinking? Of course Wednesday Addams doesn’t go the Rave’N.

“Are you?” she asks, raising an eyebrow. Something fiery flashes in her eyes, but I have no clue what it is, so I quickly shake my head.

“No. I mean, I was thinking about it, but I don’t have a date or anything, and I’m not a fan of crowds. The only reason I’d go is because Enid wants me there, but she’ll be fine if I don’t show up.”

Wednesday softens ever so slightly before nodding again. “Okay then.”

Then, she turns without another word and leaves, leaving me standing in the middle of my room, sweaty and slightly confused about what the hell just happened.

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

Tag list: @sunshinez4 @protozoario @automaticpatroltragedy @mamas-evil-hag @theallseer97 @hellenheaven @iwshemj2 @jizzuo308 @trashcannotbealive @gloriousvariant @brocoliisscared

[tortillamastersblog]

Where Light Bends Wrong - Part 10 | Wednesday Addams

Pairing: Wednesday Addams x reader

Warnings: mentions of murder and blood

Summary: You’ve kept your secret buried and your power quiet, until Wednesday Addams came to Nevermore and turned your whole world upside down.

Previous Part | Next Part | Masterlist

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

Sneaking out was easier than anticipated because I didn’t actually have to sneak out. I simply asked Iris if I could take my break earlier because Weems was looking for me, and since she's the shift manager, she agreed.

Which is how I ended up where I am right now, half walking, half jogging through the forest with Thing perched on my shoulder, tapping directions to where he last saw Wednesday.

Thunder rumbles in the distance, and through the branches of the trees above me, I can make out the way the clouds darken ominously. The air is also heavy with the smell of rain, and I curse myself inwardly for not grabbing an umbrella or at least taking a jacket with me since I’m only wearing that ugly tan polo shirt from the café. 

Right here, Thing taps after a few minutes and I come to a stop amidst some dense trees. There’s no sign of Wednesday except some broken twigs on a bush, so I close my eyes and tune into her steady heartbeat. She’s not too far from here, so I reopen my eyes and make my way toward her with Thing still perched on my shoulder.

“Hey, man, I uh…I wanted to thank you for not telling Wednesday about the book,” I say, glancing at the appendage on my shoulder. “And I’m sorry for accusing you of taking it and throwing me under the bus.”

Thing shifts to tap on my collar bone. All good. It’s the least I could do after you saved Wednesday’s life. Twice.

I offer a thankful little smile and continue walking until I eventually brush a lowhanging branch aside, revealing the ruins of the old meeting house.

“There,” I mumble when I see the outline of Wednesday inside the ruin. 

Thing taps a thank you on my shoulder before jumping off and scurrying through the leaves toward Wednesday. 

I follow, although a little more cautious because I don’t know how Wednesday will react when she sees me.

“There you are,” she says when she sees the hand. “I was starting to think you’d been swallowed by the ground.”

Thing signs something which makes Wednesday's eyes snap up and land on me right as I step through the rotting wooden doors.

She tilts her head and just stares at me for a moment before stating, “For someone who claims they don’t want to be involved in stuff, you sure show up a lot when no one asks you to.”

“I know,” is all I say which seems to surprise her. She frowns and crosses her arms, about to make me elaborate, but then a twig snaps behind her and she spins around.

My eyes also dart to the homeless man who’s suddenly standing there, having appeared out of nowhere. His greasy blonde hair sticks to his forehead and the side of his face, and the wild, almost feral look in his eyes makes me realize he’s on drugs. 

“What are you two doing here?” he snarls, taking a threatening step forward which makes me step up next to Wednesday just in case. “This is my place! Get out!”

He’s more desperate than angry, but if you ask me desperation is even more dangerous and I nudge Wednesday and say, “Come on, let’s go,” but she doesn’t budge.

She just crosses her arms and says, “Thing, a hand here?” which makes Thing scramble into action.

The man frowns at the sight of a severed hand crawling toward him, but doesn’t react until Thing is suddenly choking him.

“Oh my God.” I don’t know what to do or how to react, so I just watch with wide eyes as the man stumbles out of the meeting house, trying to pry Thing off his neck.

“Get off! Get off me!” he exclaims and only once they’re a good distance away does Thing release him. 

The man limps off, horrified and groaning, and I turn to Wednesday with a raised eyebrow.

“Was that really necessary?” I ask which makes her narrow her eyes.

“Would you rather have him stab us with a hypodermic needle?” she shoots back and even though I’m invulnerable and nothing would have happened if he’d tried with me, I can’t say the same about her, so I just sigh and cross my arms.

Wednesday averts her eyes and starts looking around the place. Thing joining us a moment later, and together he and I watch Wednesday until I can’t stand the silence any more. “What are you doing out here anyway?”

She examines the old fireplace for a moment longer before turning around and saying, “I’m looking for clues. I–”” She bites the inside of her cheek–” I had a vision. During the Poe Cup when I touched Joseph Crackstone’s crypt. There was this girl and she said something about me being the key.”

I frown and watch as she takes off her backpack, pulling out a book which I recognize as one from the Nightshades’ library. 

That must have been the one she was looking for…

She opens it to reveal the full drawing of the vision Rowan’s mother had. She’s taped the single page she had before back into the book, right next to the other half of the drawing, which now that I’m looking at it in full, is even more disturbing that just the one half she already showed me.

She’s not alone in the drawing. No, she’s facing off against a pilgrim with some kind of staff.

Crackstone.

I know it’s him. Everyone who lives in Jericho or goes to Nevermore knows who he is. After all, he’s basically the founder of this town.

The question is just, how is that possible?

Joseph Crackstone has been dead for almost four hundred years now…

Also, why would she be facing off against him? That doesn’t make any sense. Is the drawing even depicting a conflict, or is it something else entirely? I have absolutely no idea. 

I bet that’s why she switched assignments with Enid, to find out more about him.

I tear my eyes away from the book and look back at Wednesday who’s watching me carefully for my reaction. 

When she doesn’t see outright rejection in my face, she shuts the book again and slips it back into her bag, saying, “I saw a painting of the girl from my vision in the replica of the meeting house in Pilgrim World. She was right where we are now, so I’m trying to find some clues as to who she was and what she meant when she said I was the key.”

“You’re trying to trigger a vision,” I state the obvious which makes her nod.

“That was the plan, yes, but there’s nothing here,” she says, sounding a little frustrated which, even after everything that’s happened between us, makes me feel for her.

First we witness a literal murder that’s being actively covered up, and now she’s supposedly destined to destroy the school and it’s all linked to some long-dead pilgrim. Also, to make matters worse, she has to rely on her visions to get more information, and if I’ve learned anything during my time going through all kinds of books in the Nightshades’ library, it is that visions can be super inaccurate and misleading.

Thing taps, Can’t you just touch something? Which makes Wednesday shake her head as she takes off her backpack and sets it down on the ground. 

“No, I can’t. My visions seem to happen spontaneously,” she says, walking around again and looking at the charred remains of the old meeting house.

Thing signs something that I don’t quite catch because I’m looking around as well now while keeping an ear out for anyone lurking close by, but we’re alone. However, what he signed must have struck a nerve with Wednesday because she glares at him and says, “I’d rather dye my hair pink than ask my mother for advice.”

I smile a little and mumble, “Wouldn’t that be a sight to see?” which makes her scowl at me, so I quickly raise my hands in mock surrender and add, “Just kidding.”

Thing moves toward a beam on the ground and scratches at it suggestively, almost as if saying just try which makes Wednesday scoff.

“You want me to prove it to you?” she asks sarcastically before dramatically pressing her hand against the beam next to her.

Nothing happens, so she moves onto one of the more intact walls, repeating what she just did, only with both her hands now. 

“Nothing,” she states the obvious with a deadpan expression.

Thing and I share a look as she keeps going around the ruin, touching things dramatically in an attempt to trigger a vision. 

It’s honestly quite amusing because I didn’t think she could be this dramatic, especially when she pretends to have a vision when she picks up a Taco Bell bag a squatter must have left behind.

But then she moves onto what used to be the main door, and the second her hand grazes against it, she goes rigid and her head snaps back the way it did in the forest when she found Rowan’s glasses. 

“Oh crap.” I dart forward and catch her before she can fall, but this time her body doesn’t stay rigid the way it did before. No, the second I touch her, she sags against me with her eyes closed, almost as if she just passed out. “Thing?” I ask, a little freaked out, but the hand just shrugs and taps, She’s fine. Give her a moment.

I look back at Wednesday’s relaxed face and frown when I see her eyes rapidly moving beneath her eyelids.

A minute passes, and then two, and I look at Thing again, who seems to get restless as well.

“How long do her visions usually last?” I ask, adjusting my grip on her.

Not that long. He signs. But she just started having them, so I don’t know what’s normal.

I chew on the inside of my cheek, and when another minute or so passes and I feel the first drops of rain on my forehead, I gently pick Wednesday up. Part of the meeting house's roof is still intact by the fireplace, so I carry her there before sinking onto the leaf covered ground and leaning back against the wall with her still in my arms. Her head lolls so I adjust her until it’s resting against my chest. It’s definitely better for her, and will be more comfortable when she wakes up, but her breath is now hitting the side of my neck, making my ears heat up involuntarily. 

If she were awake right now, she’d surely push me away, maybe even chop off my arms because they’re wrapped around her middle, but she’s actually starting to shiver slightly and I don’t want her to get too cold. The rain gets heavier with every passing second, and soon thunder rumbles right overhead, but Wednesday is still not waking up. 

Thing is on my knee, overlooking Wednesday and touching her wrist every now and then, also worried about the girl.

“I don’t like this,” I admit quietly when her lips turn a pale shade of blue. “What is happening?”

I don’t know, Thing signs, checking her pulse again. 

I shiver as well since the café’s polo has short sleeves and the wind, which is turning chilly, blows a chunk of the rain in our direction. But then, almost as if on cue, my fingertips start tingling, and warmth spreads through my hands and up my forearms.

I frown and look down, only for my eyes to widen when I see a faint golden glow traveling up my arms through my veins. 

Wednesday, still unconscious, lets out a shuddering breath right against my neck and sinks more against me, but unlike before, I’m too focused on my hands and arms to really notice. 

What is this?!

Feeling Thing shift makes me flinch because for a split second I forgot he was here in the first place, but he is, and he’s seeing this, whatever this is.

“No, no, no.” My heart starts racing and I will my powers to retreat, but nothing happens. My veins just keep glowing steadily, pulsing softly in time with my ever increasing heartbeat. 

I go to unwrap my arms from around Wednesday, to get away, but then Thing grabs onto my wrist and I freeze.

It’s okay, he taps as tears well up in my eyes.

“No, I can’t– You can’t—”

He tightens his grip. Stop. Don’t go. She needs you.

“But–” My powers, my secret, my entire life–

No buts. I know, he taps and my heart almost stops, but then he goes on. You’re an Ægiryn. One of the last of your kind. 

“How do you–?”

How do I know? 

I nod, my breathing shaky. He knows. He knows what I am. 

He lets go of my wrist to sign, I was there the night Rowan was killed. I saw your eyes when you grabbed him.

“You were there?” I ask breathlessly even though he just said he was. Still, he taps a yes and I blink in confusion, processing. 

“So you’ve known all this time?”

Yes.

I relax ever so slightly. “But you didn’t tell anyone?”

No.

“Why not?” I ask quietly. “I mean, Wednesday’s been curious about me all this time, and you’re her family, so why–?”

It wasn’t my secret to tell, he cuts me off before tapping my knee reassuringly.

I frown, not exactly convinced yet, but then again, if he had told Wednesday, she wouldn’t have thrown that knife at me, or tested my reflexes. Also, why would he lie now when he kept his mouth – or should I say fingers– shut about me in the library.

“I… Thank you,” I breathe a moment later, blinking my tears back. 

He obviously knows what’s at stake for me as Ægiryn, and I’m more than thankful that he’s not going to spill my secret. 

He curtsies in acknowledgement, and I let out a shuddering breath. My heart is still racing, but I’m feeling lighter than before. 

I look down to see Wednesday’s eyes are still closed, and only when I get a whiff of her smell do I realize how close we actually are.

Yes, I felt her breath on my neck right before my powers decided to make an appearance, but I’m actually realizing what position we are in right now, and even though it should be freaking me out because I know we’d never be like this if she was awake, I can’t ignore the way warmth, similar to the one in my veins, spreads through my chest. 

It’s almost like the pendant is still around my neck, radiating said warmth, but I know it’s not, which makes me wonder if my pendant was actually acting up all this time, or if it was just reacting to something that was happening inside me.

I swallow dryly, and push away the thought of a certain bond again, and instead focus on my arms.

I’ve never actually seen my powers do what they’re doing right now, so it’s actually very fascinating to watch. 

Thing, who senses I’m once again calm, watches too as the rain pelts down around us. That is until he taps, Look, and points at my hand. 

I let my eyes drift down my arm and feel my breath hitch slightly when they land on what he’s pointing at. 

The veins in Wednesday’s pinky finger, which is the only part of her hand that is touching mine, are also pulsing a faint shade of gold. 

I shift my hand away and watch as her veins return back to normal before hesitantly brushing my fingers over the back of her hand. The veins there light up gently before fading again and I throw Thing a questioning look.

Just then, I hear a twig snap over the sound of the rain though, making me freeze and try to pick up on any more sounds.

It stays quiet, but I sense that we’re not alone, so with a growing sense of urgency, I uncurl my arms from around Wednesday and shift her off me. Chills immediately shoot up my spine from her lack of warmth, but I stand up anyway after making sure she’s comfortable against the wall.

“Did you hear that?” I ask Thing, but he just twists in answer, almost like a person would when shaking their head. 

I notice my veins are still glowing, even though it’s by far less noticeable than when I held Wednesday. I don’t dwell on it though, and focus on that feeling of something or someone nearby instead. I can’t pick up on any more sounds over the rain and Wednesday’s heartbeat though. 

And then, speaking of the devil, she wakes up with a gasp, which once again redirects my attention entirely. I turn around to find her wide eyed and for a moment she looks at her hand, the one I was touching just a moment ago, before turning to Thing.

“I saw her!” she exclaims. “The girl from my visions.” She looks at me and slowly gets to her feet. I step closer when she wobbles a bit, ready to lend her a hand, but in the end she manages without me. 

By now, my arms have returned back to normal, but I can still feel some of the warmth in my veins and in my chest.

“Her name is Goody Addams,” Wednesday goes on, her eyebrows furrowed, “and I believe she’s my ancestor from 400 years ago.”

“What does she want? Did she say anything?” I ask, shivering again when a particularly strong burst of wind whips a bunch of rain our way. 

Wednesday goes to answer, but then a twig snaps somewhere close by again, loud enough for even her and Thing to hear this time. 

“We should go,” I mumble, unease creeping up my spine. But Wednesday being Wednesday brushes me off and steps into the rain, completely unfazed that she’s soaked instantly, and looks through a gap in the rundown wall.

I hear a frantic heartbeat moments before an animalistic snarl cuts through the sound of rain, and then Wednesday stumbles back from the wall where I can make out the eye of the monster that killed Rowan. 

“Shit. Run!” I grab her bag and Thing, darting into the rain and grabbing her sleeve and pulling.

It snaps her out of her stupor and I shove her in front of me, toward one of the old side doors that hangs off its hinges.

She pushes through first, and I follow, hyper aware of the monster on the other side of the old meeting house. It doesn’t seem to want to follow us, because it hasn’t made a move yet, but it’s still scaring the shit out of me. So much so that I don’t pay enough attention when I push through the door myself. 

My hand gets caught on a rusty nail that’s sticking out of one of the wooden slats, making me hiss in pain and curse under my breath.

There’s no time to lose though, so I dart after Wednesday with her bag hanging off one shoulder and Thing clinging to the other. 

Thunder rumbles above, and after a couple yards, I’m completely drenched as well, but I keep running after Wednesday, making sure to look behind us every now and then for a trace of the monster, but it’s seemingly vanished into thin air. 

We run until we get to a muddy path in a clearing. There’s no sign of the monster anywhere, so deeming it safe, Wednesday stops and turns, her eyes searching the edge of the forest behind me before they land on me again.

“You okay?” I ask, panting, not from the exercise but from the adrenaline.

“I’m fine,” she says, quieter than usual.

It’s in that moment, with her looking like a wet dog, dark hair clinging to her pale forehead and drops of water caught in her lashes, that I realize how human she actually is at the end of the day. She hides it behind all her snark and attitude and cold shoulders, but she’s just like everyone else, and it’s in this moment that I also realize one thing I never thought possible, which is the fact that she’s scared. 

Even if she doesn’t want to admit it, she’s scared. Not necessarily because by some miracle we just managed to escape that monster, but because she has no idea what that drawing she saw means for her future. She doesn’t want the school to be destroyed, or for innocents to get hurt, and most of all, she doesn’t want to be the cause of it. 

Wednesday Addams might be a lot of things. Cunning, ambitious, morbid, and yes, sometimes a little tactless, but she’s not a killer, or some kind of fanatic who would watch the world burn for their ideals. 

“Are you?” she asks, stepping closer with furrowed eyebrows.

“Hmm?” I blink, not sure I heard her right.

“Are you okay?” she asks, with a tiny hint of exasperation in her voice, but it’s not as sharp as usual.

“I– Yeah…” I’m a little surprised she’d even ask, but then again, a lot of unexpected things have happened today and this one doesn’t take the cake.

She eyes me for a moment longer, her dark eyes seemingly looking through me, and for a moment I think the grip she has on her emotions is slipping because I feel something warm radiating off her that didn’t used to be there.

It’s gone in an instant though when Thing signs something on my shoulder and Wednesday’s eyes drop to my hand.

“You’re…bleeding,” she states, which makes me frown.

“What?” I lift my hand and gape at the sight of a trail of blood slowly but steadily dripping down my fingers from a deep cut on the back of my hand.

The nail…

“I…” I trail off, watching how the rain mixes with the blood, washing it away enough to reveal how the cut is already healing.

It’s unnaturally fast, and within moments, it’s completely closed, leaving behind a pink scar that’s also fading fast with every heartbeat.

I have no idea what is going on with me, but suddenly the last little shred of security I had left vanishes like sand running through fingers.

I’m not invulnerable any more. Or am I? Without thinking I crouch down, almost making Thing fall off my shoulder, and pick up a jagged looking rock.

“What are you–?” Wednesday’s eyes widen and she reaches forward almost as if to stop me when I drag the sharp edge of the rock over my forearm, but then she drops her hand again when she sees the motion didn’t even so much as leave a scratch.

I try again, but nothing happens, so I drop the rock and flex my hand, seeing that even the scar the nail left behind is now gone.

How is that possible? One moment I’m bleeding, and the next not even a literal cannonball could kill me.

I look up to maybe get some answers from Wednesday, but she’s staring at the ground where I dropped the rock.

I follow her line of sight and mumble, “You’ve got to be kidding me,” when I see what she’s seeing. 

The monster left paw prints in the mud, which means it must have come this way, but what’s worse is that when you follow the trail with your eyes, even through the rain, you can see how they shift from paw prints to footprints. Human footprints. Which means–

“The monster’s human.”

I meet Wednesday’s gaze, momentarily forgetting all about my temporary vulnerability.

“You know what that means, right?” she asks and I nod solemnly.

We’re no longer dealing with just a monster. We’re dealing with an outcast. Someone hiding in plain sight.

She needs you.

You’re an Ægiryn.

Her name is Goody Addams.

You’re bleeding.

The monster’s human.

I tighten my arms around my legs, and continue running my thumb over the pendant in my hand while staring out of the window at the dark courtyard and the forest beyond the school grounds.

Shortly after Wednesday and I discovered that the monster is an outcast, we ran into Xavier who claimed he’d been looking for Wednesday since he was worried about her being in the forest alone during the storm. He had no clue I’d gone after her too, which, of course, he didn’t hesitate to voice.

I just ignored him though, too preoccupied with what happened before he showed up. I did hear him confirm the fact that Rowan is dead though and that someone was impersonating him via a text he apparently got from Rowan about a snowboarding trip, but other than that, like I said, I didn’t pay him much attention.

I kept catching Wednesday looking at me with a little frown, but she didn’t say anything neither about her vision, nor about my bleeding. We just collectively trudged back to school in silence while the storm cleared up and the rain stopped.

We were all soaked when we got to Nevermore and Wednesday and Xavier both changed before making their way back to Jericho for the statue unveiling, while I texted Weems and asked if I could cut my assignment short, claiming I was overwhelmed by all the people. 

She agreed like I thought she would, since I didn’t mention anything about my excursion into the woods with Wednesday, which is how I ended up where I am right now, perched on my window seat.

I took a shower earlier to warm up, briefly hearing a commotion in Jericho which I’m guessing had something to do with the statue unveiling, but ever since that and grabbing the pendant from the wooden box under my bed, I haven’t moved. 

I know I must have been sitting here for hours now, but the memories and events of the day have rendered me paralyzed.

Not only does Thing know what I am, he didn’t tell anyone about it, not even Wednesday. And what was it that he tapped when I panicked and wanted to let go of her? She needs you?

Wednesday Addams doesn't need anyone, much less me of all people. I’ve been trying to avoid her like the plague ever since she threw her knife at me that one time, but now it feels like things have changed between us.

Not only was she as surprised as I was about my getting physically hurt, but she didn’t ask about it either. For once, she didn’t let her curiosity get the better of her, and I have no idea why. 

I’ve also come to the inevitable conclusion that no matter what I do, no matter if I stay away from her and keep my secret, or if she somehow finds out about what I am after all, she’s in danger and that thought makes my chest constrict. 

Not because we’re friends, because frankly we’re anything but that, but because even though this is Wednesday we’re talking about, I can’t in good conscience just stand by and watch her get hurt. It’s just like how I couldn’t stand by and watch her get crushed by that gargoyle on her first day. 

I’m in this whole murder-mystery mess as much as she is. And I know with my powers and my seemingly once again restored invulnerability, I’ll be able to make sure she doesn’t get hurt trying to find the answers to all her questions. 

That is if she even still wants my help, since every time she’s indirectly asked for it until now, I turned her down.

And then there’s this whole thing about the book being gone…

My door flying open makes me flinch and drop my necklace, and I’m quick to get up and pick it up again, balling it up in my fist before looking at whoever just barged in.

To no one's surprise, it’s Enid. And she looks like she’s been crying.

“I can’t believe I actually believed him,” she says, wiping her cheeks while pacing in front of my bed. “Stupid, stupid, stupid me.”

I’m betting this has something to do with Ajax because who else could she be referring to, but the moment she burst into my room, her emotions hit me like a tidal wave, and I’m already drowning in my own thoughts.

“I really thought he’d show up. I mean, he was dropping all these hints and–”

“Enid!” 

She shuts up immediately and stares at me wide-eyed. I’ve never snapped at her. Not like this. But my hands are literally trembling with emotion, hers and my own.

I can’t do this. 

The monster, the murder, the book…

I exhale shakily and close my eyes, backing up until my legs hit the window seat. I sink down on it and bury my face in my hands, feeling the pendant press against my cheek since I’m still holding onto it.

“I’m sorry,” I say, feeling guilty for snapping at her. I fight back the burning feeling of tears in the back of my throat. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“No.” I hear Enid sniffle and then she’s sitting next to me, resting a hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she says quietly, “I shouldn’t have burst in here like that. Are you… are you okay?”

My heart aches at the worry in her voice, her own problems seemingly forgotten for the time being. 

I want to say I’m fine, apologize again for snapping at her, but for the first time in a long time, I just can’t because I’m not fine, so I shake my head.

“No, I’m not, Enid,” I admit, and the weight of that confession is what finally makes the first tear roll down my face when I lower my hands and open my eyes. 

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

Hiya! Just wanted to pop in and thank everyone for reading, liking, commenting, and reblogging. Your engagement means the world to me and keeps me motivated <3

Anyway, hope you guys liked this part. Also if there are any typos, I’m sorry. I sometimes don’t catch them all when I proofread.

Tag list: @sunshinez4 @protozoario @automaticpatroltragedy @mamas-evil-hag @theallseer97 @hellenheaven @iwshemj2 @jizzuo308 @trashcannotbealive @gloriousvariant

[tortillamastersblog]

Where Light Bends Wrong - Part 9 | Wednesday Addams

Pairing: Wednesday Addams x reader

Warnings: none

Summary: You’ve kept your secret buried and your power quiet, until Wednesday Addams came to Nevermore and turned your whole world upside down.

Previous Part | Next Part | Masterlist

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

I can’t breathe.

The book is gone and with it all my secrets. 

The only people who know about its existence are Weems and I and–

Thing.

No. He wouldn’t… But then again, he’s the only one who saw me with it, and just because he didn’t blab about seeing me in the library, doesn’t mean he didn’t tell Wednesday about the book.

No, no, no, no. 

Fuck!

I stand up and pace, feeling my hands shake as my mind spirals.

What am I supposed to do now? Surely Thing’s already given Wednesday the book, or at the very least, told her about it. 

Was that why she was eyeing me the way she did in the Quad earlier? Because she already knows what I am? 

First she sees the pendant up close, and now the book. It’s the final nail in the coffin of what used to be my life until.

No.

I stop and ball my hands into fists.

I won’t let her control my life any more than she already has. I’m going to get that book back and I’ll make sure she doesn’t reveal what I am. 

I have no idea how I’m going to do the latter, but I have to try. This can’t be it. 

I close my eyes and focus on Wednesday’s heartbeat. It takes a little longer than usual to locate it because of the celebrations still going on down in the quad, but when I finally locate it, accompanied by the soft clicking sound of her typewriter, I know she’s in her and Enid’s room.

I clench my jaw and open my eyes again, storming out of my room and making my way to Ophelia Hall.

I hear Enid laugh in the Quad as I make my way through the school, which is a relief because I don’t want her in the middle of what’s about to go down. This is between Wednesday and me.

“You had no right!” I snap a few moments later when I burst into Enid’s and Wednesday’s room without knocking. The door slams against the wall with the force I used to push it open, making a little paint chip off the wall where the doorhandle hits it. 

Wednesday, who’s sitting at her desk with her back turned, actually flinches ever so slightly before turning slowly, folding her hands in her lap.

“I’m sure I didn’t, but what are you–?”

“No. You don’t get to talk right now,” I seethe, cutting her off and crossing the room until I’m towering over her in her chair. She doesn’t shrink back, but there’s definitely a flash of surprise in her dark, calculating eyes as she takes in my flushed and trembling form.

Thing, who’s perched on the desk next to Wednesday’s typewriter crawls forward, but freezes when my eyes snap to him. 

The sight of him alone fills me with bitterness because I thought we had some kind of silent understanding in the library last night, but I guess it was all just a ruse on his part.

Of course it was. He’s Wednesday’s relative, so of course he’d rat me out. He always does her bidding.

I don’t say anything to him though, because it’s no use. Instead I let my eyes land on Wednesday again who’s, surprisingly, actually listening for once and not saying anything. 

“Where is it?” I ask, cutting straight to the chase.

Wednesday frowns slightly and tilts her head in confusion.

I scoff. Of course she’s playing dumb.

“The book,” I elaborate, my voice low and dangerous. “Give. It. Back.”

Wednesday’s confusion only deepens, and she gets up and crosses her arms, forcing me to take a step back. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she states calmly, which makes me falter ever so slightly. Of all the things Wednesday Addams is, she’s not a liar, and it’s dawning on me that she might not actually be playing dumb.

Still, I don’t back down though, because if she doesn’t have it, who does? It doesn’t make any sense.

“Oh, please.” I scowl. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. Now give it back before I make you.”

Again something akin to surprise flickers in Wednesday’s eyes before they take on a challenging and defiant glint. “As much as I’d like to see you try whatever it is you’d do to make me give you back this book you’re talking about, I really have no idea what you want from me.”

I huff and glare at her, trying to ignore the way my ears suddenly tingle at the way she doesn’t break my gaze. We’re so close that I once again get a whiff of that fresh linen smell that clings to her, which should really be a sign for me to back off, but I don’t because despite the circumstances, it’s not entirely unpleasant, especially because this time it’s mixed with the faint scent of cedar wood. It’s either her shampoo or her perfume, although I think it’s her shampoo because she doesn’t strike me as someone who wears perfume.

A tapping makes me snap out of my thoughts and I avert my eyes from Wednesday’s to Thing.

She doesn’t know, he taps which makes me frown.

“What don’t I know?” Wednesday asks with a raised eyebrow, looking between me and the hand, but Thing ignores her and curtsies the same way he did in the library last night, and it’s then that I know I’ve made a huge mistake.

He didn’t tell her. And neither he nor she took the book.

My heart sinks and I take a step back, my throat burning with anger and disbelief, threatening to suffocate me. 

If she doesn’t have it, then who?

Weems is going to kill me… I know that should be the least of my concerns, but it’s one of the first things that comes to mind. Well, that and the fact that my entire existence is hanging on by a thread right now, but you know… You gotta pick and choose your battles.

I take another step back, instinctively reaching for my pendant, but it’s not there.

“What don’t I know?” Wednesday repeats, a little more forcefully now, but again, neither Thing nor I answer.

“I- Forget it,” I stammer breathlessly. “Sorry for just… barging in like that.”

I turn to leave, but cool fingers curling around my wrist make me stop. 

“Wait.” Wednesday immediately pulls back, momentarily frowning at her own hand as though it betrayed her by reaching for me. “What’s going on?”

She has an unreadable look on her face and if I didn’t know any better I’d say she was concerned, but I’m sure she’s just curious and trying to mask it. 

“Nothing,” I say, feeling my sense of reality slipping with every passing second. “It’s…nothing.” I cradle my wrist, her touch somehow still lingering on my skin.

I can’t believe I just barged into her room like that. What was I thinking? I had no proof she took the book. And by storming in here I just made her more suspicious than ever. 

Wednesday doesn’t push any more though. She just stares at me with those piercing and captivating eyes of hers, before they drop down to my chest where she saw the pendant earlier.

Her jaw twitches at the sight of its absence, and once again I feel completely exposed under her gaze, so I mumble another apology before darting out of her room again.

I splash some water in my face and stare at myself in the mirror. I’m pale, and the dark circles under my eyes make it look like I haven’t slept in days even though it’s only been one night.

Today is outreach day, which I’m not looking forward to because I’d rather lock myself in my room and ignore the reality of what happened yesterday. 

Now to be clear, nothing else really happened after I left Wednesday’s room. I just went back to my own room and spiraled because whoever has the book must have taken it for a reason, and it’s only a matter of time before something does happen.

What that will be, I have no idea, but so far everything’s still fine, so I have decided to just go along with it and pretend nothing’s wrong because maybe nothing will come of it after all? 

I know that will probably not be the case, but hope is all I have left now. I can’t go to Weems and tell her about it because that would make her freak out and maybe even force me into hiding, which is the last thing I want to do. 

Ever since my powers showed up, I’ve done nothing but hide, and I’m tired of it.

I also can’t be acting suspicious the way I did with Wednesday yesterday because that could draw attention to me and maybe even warn the person who stole the book that I know something is up which could be dangerous. So, it’s like I said, the only thing I can do is hope and wait, and pray to some kind of higher power that I’ll be ready when something inevitably does happen.

My eyes sting with unshed tears as I continue to stare at myself in the mirror, so I quickly blink them away and clench my jaw before getting dressed and ready for the day.

Then, I make my way to the Quad with my hands, which are clenched into fists, shoved into the pockets of my uniform jacket.

Most students are already there, so I keep my eye out for a particular blonde before siddling up to her and Yoko. My eyes sweep over the crowd, looking for Wednesday since I dread seeing her after how I burst into her room last night, but upon first glance I don’t spot her. 

I don’t get a chance to focus on her heartbeat to potentially find her though, because a tug on my sleeve makes me look at a worried looking Enid.

“Hey, you okay? You look a little…” she trails off with a grimace, obviously not knowing how to describe my appearance without sounding mean.

I swallow thickly and nod, which doesn’t seem to be enough to ease her concern because her lips part again, but before she can say anything else, Weems appears.

“All students will report for their volunteer jobs at ten AM sharp, followed by a community lunch at one,” she says, making the crowd hush.

I already dread the thought of said lunch because all I want to do is be alone right now and wallow in self pity.

She goes on babbling about the importance of this Outreach Day and how this year a statue will be unveiled in the town square, which will be accompanied by performances of Nevermore students, but since I’m neither part of the orchestra or Bianca’s acapella group, I couldn’t care less.

When the teachers start to hand out everyone’s assignments and I open mine, I have to bite back a sigh. I got the Weathervane.

I don’t mind working with Iris, but I’m sure Tyler will be there as well. And to make matters worse, I hear Xavier mumble to Ajax that he got the Weathervane too, which means there will inevitably be some drama between him and Tyler.

Great. Just great. Why couldn’t I just get the bookstore I like going to.

I don’t particularly mind Xavier, although his whole tortured artist persona can be a bit tiring sometimes. No, my problem, for some reason, is with Tyler. Not because he’s got an obvious crush on Wednesday– because who am I to judge, or care for that matter– but because he seems to think I’m some kind of threat when it comes to her.

He made that perfectly clear when he got all territorial over her in the forest after he saved her from being caught by his dad. It was definitely irritating at the time, but now that I think back on it, I’ve got to admit that I do feel a little smug about the fact that she pushed him off immediately after the coast was clear whilst she tolerated my touch after I caught her when she had her vision.

“Yes! I got Pilgrim World,” Enid bounces excitedly and grins at me, her earlier worry completely forgotten. “What did you get?”

I show her my assignment slip. “The Weathervane.”

“That’s great!” she exclaims, completely oblivious to my begrudgery. 

I just nod and fold my assignment back up before stuffing it into my pocket. 

“I’m crossing my claws Ajax and I will be outreaching together,” she goes on, and just as she says it I hear Ajax groan across the Quad, complaining about getting Uriah’s Heap.

“Yeah, don’t think that’s gonna happen,” I say with a pitiful smile, and when Enid frowns I throw my thumb over my shoulder to where Ajax is standing before tapping the shell of my ear. “He got Uriah’s Heap.”

“Oh, come on,” she whines, which catches Yoko’s attention. She turns and asks Enid what’s wrong and when Enid tells her, she frowns behind her sunglasses and smiles the same pitiful smile I just did.

“Maybe you can switch with someone?” she suggests, but the thought of Uriah’s Heap seems to snap Enid out of her temporary disappointment. 

“No, thanks. I’d rather not,” she says and I go to say something else to console her when I suddenly feel eyes on me.

My head snaps up, expecting to see Wednesday somewhere, but she’s nowhere to be seen. I frown, feeling my stomach churn and look around, but as quickly as the feeling of being watched crept over me, it vanishes again, leaving me confused and feeling utterly exposed.

My heart is racing in my ears, and when Weems smiles my way when she catches my eye, I quickly look away.

What is happening to me? Am I getting paranoid? Am I starting to imagine things?

No, that can’t be. Someone took that book, so someone knows what I am, and that is putting a target on my back, so I have to be watchful. That doesn’t make me paranoid. Right?

Someone brushes against my arm, and I’m about to ignore it, but then I get a whiff of fresh linen and cedar wood and flinch.

“Wednesday!” Enid beams at her roommate. “What did you get?”

Wednesday unfolds her assignment slip without acknowledging me and says, “Uriah’s Heap, whatever that is.”

Enid’s nose wrinkles in disgust and explains what the antique store is all about while I subtly shift away from Wednesday.

How I didn’t hear her coming, I have no idea, but it’s moments like this that I miss my pendant because no matter what a nuance it’s been lately, at least it would have warned me of her presence if I was still wearing it. 

I’m about to slip away when Wednesday, who finally seems to acknowledge me, stops me. “Y/N, wait.”

I turn around to find her looking at me with an unprecedented…is that tenderness in her eyes?

She’s still stoic, don’t get me wrong, but something since last night has changed. 

I can still feel curiosity radiating off her beneath the surface, which surprises me because until now her emotions were kind of muted, but it’s not the same curiosity as before. Where the one before was sharp and biting, seemingly untamed, this ones feels more grounded and laced with hesitancy. 

Enid looks between us with a raised eyebrow, probably wondering if Wednesday is going to try and throw a knife at me again, or worse, try to stab me because she’s too close to throw anything, but nothing of that sort happens.

Wednesday is just about to say something though, but then Weems steps into our circle and says something to Wednesday about her cello, which gives me the perfect opportunity to slip away.

I don’t know what Wednesday was about to say, but for once it didn’t seem to be anything mean or insensitive. Still though, I’ve already acted suspicious enough in front of her, so it’s best if I try to avoid her.

I know I can’t do it for long, it’s a known fact because we keep crossing paths, but I have to try.

There’s someone out there who knows what I am, and I don’t need her to know too. Not only because it could put me in even more danger if she blabs, even though I get the feeling she wouldn’t, but because if she knows, she’ll be in danger too.

“You good, Y/N?” Iris asks, when she helps me clear one of the tables by the window. I look up to find her looking at me with a soft smile.

“Wha–? Oh, yeah. Yeah, I’m okay. Just a little distracted,” I tell her honestly. It’s been a little over an hour since my shift started, and so far, things have actually been better than expected.

Tyler and Xavier are giving each other the cold shoulder, and Tyler keeps glancing at me with a weird look, but other than that things are fine. 

Enid came by with Ajax earlier, which surprised me because she was supposed to be at Pilgrim World, but she explained that Wednesday had convinced her to switch assignments. She and Ajax were both rosy-cheeked, and I was actually happy to know they were going to get to spend some time together and maybe even talk about their their feelings, but the reason as to why Wednesday would want to be assigned to Pilgrim World kept distracting me. It even made me spill some coffee just now as I was serving this elderly couple, which is why Iris is concerned.

She eyes me for a moment before nodding and asking me to help her unload a shipment of coffee beans out back. 

“Of course.”

We finish clearing the table and head out back, where I try to hide how easy it is for me to haul around crates while she struggles a little. It’s mostly silent work, but every now and then she cracks a joke that actually makes me smile.

Despite all that though, I keep thinking about the fact that Wednesday is up to something again, because why else would she want to work at Pilgrim World when she’s made her opinion about pilgrims more than clear before. What was it she’d called them? Religious fanatics? Yeah, sounds about right. So why on Earth would she want to be assigned there of all places.

My ears pick up on some commotion in Pilgrim World, and the fact that Wednesday’s heartbeat spikes, but mere moments later it settles again, which helps me fight the urge to go over there and see what’s going on.

I know she can take care of herself, and just earlier in the Quad I came to the conclusion that it’s best to keep my distance as best as I can, but by this point, I know I’m not fooling anyone when I say I have to stay away because I just can’t. I literally can’t, which unnerves me because my thoughts once again travel back to that stupid book that’s now missing and the chapter title I read about soulbonds.

Soulbond… That just sounds wrong. It reminds me of the concept of destiny and I’ve never been a fan of it. Like, what do you mean my life is set in stone and I can’t change the outcome? 

Also, Wednesday Addams being in a romantic relationship just seems as unlikely as my adoptive parents ever coming to take me back. I mean, that girl has more walls up than me, and that says something.

Iris and I unload and store the coffee beans away for a little under half an hour before heading back inside. 

The café is pretty empty at the moment, so she busies herself with the dishes in the back with Tyler while I go to wipe down some tables. Xavier is cleaning the coffee machine and I dip my chin in acknowledgement when I pass him, but then I frown when I see Wednesday.

She’s got her back turned in our direction and is looking over the bulletin board on the wall next to the window booths. She’s also dressed in her school uniform, and not a pilgrim costume, which makes me wonder what happened. Either she did something that got her kicked out, or she dismissed herself. Both options seem equally plausible, but I don’t dwell on it. 

The fact that she seems okay after what I heard a couple minutes ago makes a strange sense of relief wash over me, and I quickly turn around, irritated, to actually do my job. 

While I choose not to engage with her, Xavier seems to have a different approach, because he steps out from behind the counter and approaches Wednesday with a wary, “I thought you were supposed to be at Pilgrim World.”

I try not to eavesdrop when Wednesday turns around and focus on wiping tables, but I couldn't not overhear her even if I tried because, like I said, the cafe is fairly empty and they’re the only two people talking. 

“I deserted it while my sanity was still intact,” she says, plain and simple, which makes me scoff softly, although I hate to admit that it’s not coming from a place of annoyance.

The moment Xavier leans on the counter though and says, “Oh yeah?” in a tone that is obviously more than just friendly, my nose wrinkles in disgust. I look up and see him smiling at her before offering a coffee.

Wait. Since when is this going on? First Tyler, and now Xavier?

I vaguely remember Enid mentioning something about the two of them knowing each other when they were kids, but they’ve obviously grown apart over the years, something Xavier seemingly wants to undo.

Wednesday being Wednesday though just crosses her arms and says, “I’m actually here for Tyler.”

It fills me with a little bit of satisfaction how Xavier’s smile drops, but then again, I also clench my jaw. Not because I’m jealous but because Wednesday being here for Tyler will feed into the obvious crush Tyler has and give him a reason to be all smug for the rest of his shift. 

“I told you he was bad news,” Xavier warns her, and although his… fondness for Wednesday irked me just a second ago, I can’t help but somewhat agree with him.

Tyler, Lucas, and some of the other guys destroyed Xavier’s mural last year, and even though Tyler has since stopped associating with them, he still did what he did, and he’s got anger issues as far as I know, which is why he’s in therapy.

I know the therapy part because of Enid, obviously, but being around him, especially recently, I’ve felt this rage simmering inside him and if I had to guess I’d say it has to do with the relationship he has with his dad since his mom passed away.

The way they treat each other, mostly distant and cold, and the way Tyler talked about his dad in the woods? Yeah… There’s a problem there.

“Twice,” Wednesday says, snapping me out of my thoughts. “But who I speak to is my business.” She then rings the little bell on the counter and not even a moment later, Tyler comes out the back with a raised eyebrow. 

He looks between Xavier and Wednesday before his eyes dart to me and I’m quick to avert my eyes and move to wipe down a different table. It’s not that I did anything wrong per say, but I don’t like the fact that he just caught me eavesdropping.

Xavier also gets back to work, and for a moment, I feel a different pair of eyes on me, and I know it’s Wednesday, but then the feeling vanishes again as Tyler speaks up. “Want the usual?”

“And some help,” Wednesday says, and I glance up to see her unfolding a map and spreading it out on one of the tables by the window. “You know the original pilgrim meeting house? The one from the 1600s? Do you know if it’s still around?”

Tyler frowns. “What’s left is out in Cobham Woods, but it’s pretty much a ruin.”

I know that ruin and Tyler is right. That place is a ruin, not to mention it’s pretty sketchy since squatters and drug addicts like to hang out there. 

I’ve come across some of them before when I first came to Nevermore because I liked exploring to keep my mind off of the fact that I was abandoned. Again. Now, I don’t do much of it anymore because there is basically nothing else to explore and I like to spend my free time listening to music, reading, or working out to burn off some extra energy.

“Show me,” Wednesday persists, and Tyler points it out on the map but then tells her about the squatters and how his dad has to clear the place out every couple of weeks, but Wednesday doesn’t seem fazed. 

“What’s this all about anyway? You still obsessing over that monster in the woods?” he asks, and even though Wednesday's deadpan reply of, “Would you rather I develop an obsession with horses and boybands?” is pretty funny, this whole monster situation is anything but.

People have actually died so far, and had I not followed Wednesday and Rowan the night of the Harvest Festival, who knows what would have happened. Maybe she would have been killed too. 

Tyler’s smile, albeit a bit confused, once again makes something stir in my chest and I look away once again when a woman nearby asks for another coffee.

I hear Tyler offering to show Wednesday to the ruins, but she brushes him off and the two of them say something about girl scouts, but I’m only half listening as I take the order of another customer.

When I turn back around and make my way behind the counter to get started on the coffees I’ve been asked for, I realize Wednesday has already left again, leaving both Xavier and Tyler looking through the window of the front door where I can make out her retreating figure. 

The sky outside is overcast and the wind picks up, so I pull out my phone and check the weather, seeing that there’s going to be a storm.

I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all. Wednesday all alone in the woods. Yes, she knows a lot more than just some basic self defense, but what good is self defense against a falling branch or tree?

I don’t like it, but I can’t just follow her. I don’t get off for my break for another half hour and I can’t be caught just sneaking off. Especially not by Tyler or Xavier. So, I get back to work. That is until a couple minutes later, I’m in the back, unloading the dishwasher, when something tugs on my pants. 

I look down to see Thing, and even though I’m surprised for a moment, I don’t let it show. I just look up to make sure no one out front has seen him before looking back down.

“What are you doing here?” I ask quietly. He doesn’t answer instead he just signs, Worried about Wednesday, lost her in the woods which makes my heart constrict and makes me untie my apron without a second thought. 

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

Tag list: @sunshinez4 @protozoario @automaticpatroltragedy @mamas-evil-hag @theallseer97 @hellenheaven @iwshemj2 @jizzuo308 @trashcannotbealive @gloriousvariant

[tortillamastersblog]

Where Light Bends Wrong - Part 8 | Wednesday Addams

Pairing: Wednesday Addams x reader

Warnings: none

Summary: You’ve kept your secret buried and your power quiet, until Wednesday Addams came to Nevermore and turned your whole world upside down.

Previous Part | Next Part | Masterlist

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

Wednesday.

My chest tightens and I instinctively drop to my knees to make myself smaller.

Shit, shit, shit, shit. 

This is exactly what I didn’t want to happen. How could I let this happen? I was being so careful! And I was making sure she wasn’t anywhere near when I came here, so how did she find it? And how the hell does she know about it in the first place? 

I hear her shuffling around, and press my back against the dusty bookshelf behind me. I’m out of sight for anyone who enters the library because I’m in the back part of it where no one ever really goes, but knowing her and my luck, there’s a good chance she’s going to find me, so I have to do everything in my power to stay hidden. Even if it means crouching in the dust and getting covered in cobwebs.

I hold my breath when I hear her move closer, right on the other side of the bookshelf I’m hiding behind.

She moves away again a moment later, and I let out the quietest exhale of relief, but then I hear some tapping on the floor and my head snaps to the right.

Thing.

He freezes when he sees and my heart drops. 

Oh no.

I hug my book close to my chest and just stare at him pleadingly. He stares right back for a moment, and I almost expect him to scurry off to alert Wednesday of my presence. But then, he simply curtsies ever so slightly, almost as if acknowledging my silent plea, before hurrying away when Wednesday calls out for him.

She must have found what she was looking for because I hear some pages rustling and her heartbeat skipping in delight, so I relax slightly, knowing the chance of her stumbling upon me now that she’s got what she came for is significantly smaller.

I have no idea why Thing isn’t saying anything, but at the end of the day it doesn’t actually matter. All that matters is that she doesn’t know I’m here because if she did, she’d know that I lied about knowing about this place and the Nightshades’ symbol. She’d know I lied again, which would make her question everything I’ve ever told her, and make her, once again, want to dig deeper into who I am and what I have to hide, which I can’t let happen.  

I continue to cower behind the bookshelf, listening to her stuff the book into her bag before she turns on her heels and leaves. Thing, as always, hot on her heels.

I wait a couple more minutes to make sure she doesn’t return, keeping my ears trained on her heartbeat which is slowly but steadily moving further away, and only then do I get back to my feet again.  

With shaking hands, I brush the dust and cobwebs off my clothes, keeping my grip on the book tight before darting out of the library myself. 

I know it’s dangerous to take the book with me, but I have to know what’s going on with me and the pendant and I can’t risk returning it and then running into Wednesday again.

I come across a handful of students on my way to my room, most of them completely oblivious to me as they chat about the Poe Cup tomorrow. They are making bets and talking about all the canoes’ designs, but I don’t linger to hear any details.

My heart is still pounding in my chest from the almost run in with Wednesday when I finally reach my room, and I exhale as I close the door behind me, but then I jump again when I realize I’m not alone.

“There you are!”

I drop the book, and scramble to pick it up again, hiding it behind my back. Then I realize it’s just Enid though, and relax slightly, sliding it onto my nightstand. 

Enid’s never been one to pry and judging by the tears shining in her eyes, I know she’s too preoccupied to wonder about why I’m acting all skittish at the moment. 

“What’s wrong?” I ask with a frown, worry instantly weighing on my chest as her sadness and despair washes over me.

My run in with Wednesday and the book are momentarily forgotten as she flings her arms around me and sobs into my shoulder. 

I freeze for a second, not used to this level of affection from her. Yes, she’s a hugger with all her other friends, but she’s somehow figured out that I’m not the biggest fan of it myself even though she does hug me on occasion when she just can’t help herself.

It’s not because I don’t like it, because I do– I crave it like everyone else sometimes– but because hugging someone usually makes it harder for me to keep their emotions from completely spilling into me like they are right now with her. 

“I don’t know what to do,” she hiccups, her hands curling around the fabric of my sweater as I hesitantly hold her back. Despite the circumstances, it feels nice and makes me realize how starved for affection I am.

“Yoko’s in the infirmary,” she goes on. “G-Garlic bread incident…After you left.”

“Is she okay?” I ask with a frown, holding her tighter. My fingertips tingle, and I feel warmth creep through my hands and up my forearms, momentarily distracting me, but then Enid nods against my shoulder, bringing me back to reality.

“She had an allergic reaction, but she’ll be fine,” she says quietly, and just as another wave of warmth travels through my hands and up my arms, she sags against me and exhales shakily. 

Huh.

“But she’s out of the Poe Cup, and now I don’t have a copilot,” she cries, her sobs dying down to sniffles. 

I have no idea what just happened, and why her anxiety and dread have seemingly almost completely disappeared by simply hugging me, but I have a suspicion that it has something to do with my powers.

Add it to the list of things I’ll have to read up on, I guess.

“I’m sorry, Enid,” I say honestly.

She exhales against my shoulder again and lessens her grip on my sweater. 

I know the Poe Cup means a lot to her, and if I could be her copilot, I would do it in a heartbeat, but I’m not part of Ophelia Hall. I’m pretty sure Weems would also consider my competing cheating because of my enhanced strength and speed. 

“Can’t you just–?”

“You know I can’t,” I cut her off gently.

She sighs and I genuinely feel bad for her, but then a thought strikes me that actually makes me actually snort. Not because it’s funny, but because for some reason, I could actually see it happening.

“Why don’t you ask Wednesday?” I suggest, which makes Enid break the hug with a bewildered look.

“Are you serious?” 

I nod and shuffle backward, taking a seat on the edge of a bed because I’m suddenly feeling a little lightheaded. 

“She… kinda hates Bianca,” I explain. “I bet she’d love a chance to take her down.”

Enid frowns. “I mean, I guess, but do you really think she has what it takes to beat Bianca? She is pretty tiny.”

I chuckle softly and absentmindedly touch my pendant. “She may be small, but what she doesn’t have in muscle mass she makes up for with her brain. She’s whip smart, that one.”

It slips out before I can stop myself and Enid eyes me weirdly for a moment before nodding slowly.

“You’re right…You’re right,” she mumbles, hope and re-kindled excitement flickering in her eyes. She darts to the door, probably to go and ask Wednesday to help her right away, but then she stops and turns again as her hand closes around the door handle. “Thank you.”

I smile gently and dip my chin in acknowledgement, and then she’s gone, her excitement lingering in the room as I lay back on my bed and kick my shoes off. 

I wake with a start and sit up as a sharp knock echoes through the room. 

It’s followed by a thump that makes me look down to see my book on the floor. I must have fallen asleep shortly after Enid left while I was trying to read up on my abilities some more. 

It’s strange how drained I felt after she left, and I know it has something to do with my powers and this thing called Heartstill I read about, but I don’t really remember what it actually does now. I want to reach for the book and flip it open again, but I can’t because another knock sounds on my door, followed by Ajax’s urgent voice.

“Y/N? You in there? The cup is about to start and Enid is looking for you!”

I grab my phone off the nightstand. It’s 9.53 and the cup starts at 10. 

Shit.

“Uh, yeah, I’ll be right out!” I shout, hastily getting out of bed. Ajax says something about hurrying back to the others and I tell him I’ll be right there too. 

I pick up the book and wedge it between the other books on my bookshelf, thinking it’s best to hide it in plain sight, before slipping my shoes back on and scrambling to the bathroom.

No matter how late I’m running, I still want to brush my teeth and splash some water on my face, so that’s exactly what I do, taking advantage of my enhanced speed while doing so. I also change out of my sweater and into a clean shirt and my striped uniform jacket to show some school spirit, before darting out of my room.

The hallways are empty and my footsteps echo all around as I hurry through the empty school until I finally make it to the river where everyone else is already assembled.

Just like at the fair, there’s excitement in the air, but for some reason, unlike at the fair,  I’m numb to it. Yes, I still feel the buzz, but it doesn’t get to me like it normally would and although it’s a little alarming, it's a nice change for once. 

“There you are. Just in time.” Ajax comes up to me with a smile, already dressed in his own team’s costume, and nudges me before leading me to the Black Cats’ tent.

Enid is anxiously pacing in front of it, but when she sees us approach, she stops and smiles. It looks a little pained, and forced, but it’s a smile nonetheless and before I can say anything, she pulls me into another hug.

Wow. Okay. So we’re doing this. Two hugs in less than twelve hours…

“How are you feeling?” I ask when she pulls back, waving shyly at Ajax who returns it, equally timid, before excusing himself to go back to his own team.

“I feel like throwing up,” she says with a grimace which makes me chuckle while also taking a subtle step back in case she’s being serious.

“Oh come on, you’ll be fine,” I reassure her, wanting to ask whether she managed to get Wednesday to agree to join her team when –speak of the devil– Wednesday steps out of the tent behind her.

My jaw almost drops at the sight of her wearing a similar cat costume just like Enid’s. She’s even wearing cat ears, but unlike Enid, she doesn’t have any whiskers painted onto her nose or cheeks. 

She looks even tinier than usual, and her stoic face is in stark contrast to the goofiness of her costume which makes me have to bite the inside of my cheeks to stop myself from smiling.

No matter how close she came to finding me in the library last night, this is truly a sight to see and one I won’t forget that quickly either.

Enid notices my distraction and spins, her nervousness momentarily forgotten as she takes Wednesday in with a beam.

“OMG, you look purr-fect!” she gushes which makes me snort quietly. 

Wednesday sighs softly with a bored look and lets her eyes roam over the sea of students around us.

“Wait, where are your whiskers?” Enid asks with a frown, which makes Wednesday’s eyes snap to her. 

“Ask again, and you’ll be down to eight lives,” she deadpans and even though her delivery is cold and seemingly cruel, Enid just smiles because she, just like I, knows Wednesday doesn’t actually mean it.

She’s all bark and no bite at the moment, and if she was really upset about the whiskers, she wouldn’t have let Enid somehow convince her to wear the rest of the costume  in the first place.

Seeing that the race is about to start, I step up to Enid again which makes both her and Wednesday look at me, the latter of which makes me a little nervous because her face goes from seemingly bored to unreadable.

Oh no. Did Thing tell her about me being in the library after all?

No. I’m sure that’s not it. Why would he?

I avert my eyes for a second to smile at Enid. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.” She squeezes my arm, and when I look at Wednesday again, she’s still looking at me, so I repeat the sentiment to her as well, but she doesn’t thank me like Enid did.

I frown, only to notice that she’s not answering because she’s distracted—her eyes keep darting from my face to my chest, and when I look down, I feel my stomach drop when I realize she’s looking at my pendant, which rests over my shirt.

It must have slipped out from under my shirt while I was hurrying through the school.

I panic a little and shove it back under my collar, but it’s too late. Wednesday’s already seen it, and for about the millionth time now since meeting her, that familiar spark of curiosity lights up her eyes. But what’s worse than that is that it’s not just curiosity I see in her eyes. There’s something else there that I don’t even dare to name. 

Shit, shit, shit. This piece-of-crap pendant is causing me nothing but trouble.

I know panicking and tucking it away as quickly as possible is just making me look more guilty or suspicious, but what else am I supposed to do?

Wednesday’s lips part as if she’s about to say something, but then Weems gets up on the stage by the docks with a megaphone and asks the teams to head to their canoes.

Enid squeals, completely oblivious to what just happened between Wednesday and me, and drags the raven-haired girl to the docks, leaving me behind with an uneasy feeling. I try to push it down and focus on supporting the Black Cats, but it lingers no matter how hard I try to ignore it.

The Black Cats actually won. I still can’t believe it, but you best believe they did it. I know it’s solely because of Wednesday and Thing, whom I saw crawling out of the river after the race, but it does matter. They won, and Enid couldn’t be happier. She’s already made me take a bunch of pictures of her, Wednesday, and Mina next to the cup in the Quad after Weems gave it to them, before proceeding to post them, much to Wednesday’s dismay even though she doesn’t even have social media or a phone for that matter.

The celebrations are still in full swing, with fruit punch being poured out and snacks being passed around, but I’ve excused myself a moment ago and am now heading to my room for some peace and quiet.

My emotional radar is starting to recover, and I no longer feel numb to everything, so I’ve decided to escape before things get too overwhelming. I also have to get away from Wednesday because I keep catching her eyeing me. Unlike so many times before, she hasn’t actually done anything other than look, which is somewhat unnerving on its own, but I don’t want to give her the chance to do something else either, hence why I left.

I enter my room and just stand there for a moment, trying to figure out what I feel before I impulsively take off my necklace and stare at the pendant.

It looks so unassuming, but it’s made it difficult for me to stay under the radar lately, especially with Wednesday, so without thinking, I grab a small wooden box from under my bed and stuff it in there.

It makes my heart ache, not only because I feel strangely bare without the weight of it against my chest, but also because I swore to myself I’d never take it off in case I lose it. But my life is literally at stake because of it, so it has to go.

I should have taken it off earlier, I know, but until I saw that unnerving glint in Wednesday’s eyes when she actually saw it properly for the first time, I didn’t realize how much it’s actually putting me at risk.

I sigh, staring at it amidst some fair tickets, guitar picks, and little doodles Lara drew on scrap pieces of paper before shutting the box and putting it back under my bed.

It’s not exactly valuable for anyone except me because of sentimental reasons and looks unassuming enough, so I doubt anyone will take it should they, for some reason, stumble upon it.

I have way more valuable things to be taken from me, like my mason jar piggy bank on my desk.

I absentmindedly touch my chest where the pendant is supposed to rest when I lie down on my bed, suddenly overcome with a surge of emotion.

I hate how I have to hide what I am… how I have to hate who I am because if I don’t, I lose everything.

Being an Ægyrin puts a target on my back, but I have to be honest, I’m not only afraid of being hunted but also of losing everything I know again– Enid, Nevermore, Weems.

There’s so much at stake, but I don’t know how to stop my unraveling when Wednesday is nearby because for some reason I can’t help but be drawn to her.

I’m not talking romantically, because God knows she’s the least romantic person on this planet, but there’s something about her that sets all my senses and worries on edge.

If I had to describe the feeling, I’d call it instinct because worrying about her or saving her is like reflexively pulling back when getting burned by something and–

Should an Ægiryn form a soulbond…

Soulbond.

I sit up abruptly.

No… No, that can’t be… How cliché would that be?

I turn and reach for the book from the Nightshades' library, only to freeze when I see the space I wedged it into earlier is vacant.

It’s gone.

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

Hi! Sorry for taking this long to update, guys. Life just got in the way and I had to re-read the entire story to decide what direction to take this thing in.

This part is only 3k words long, and I know it’s a bit of a filler chapter, but it's been a while since I last updated and I didn't want to leave you guys hanging for too long. To make up for it, the next part is gonna be longer again, I promise. <3

Tag list: @sunshinez4 @protozoario @automaticpatroltragedy @mamas-evil-hag @theallseer97 @hellenheaven @iwshemj2 @jizzuo308

[tortillamastersblog]

Where Light Bends Wrong - Part 7 | Wednesday Addams

Pairing: Wednesday Addams x reader

Warnings: mentions of murder

Summary: You’ve kept your secret buried and your power quiet, until Wednesday Addams came to Nevermore and turned your whole world upside down.

Previous Part | Next Part | Masterlist

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

"Lookin' good, Y/N," Yoko compliments when she rounds the canoe, eyeing the cat I just painted onto the side.

It's not a masterpiece by any stretch, and I don't consider myself a painter, but I have to admit it looks pretty good.

I smile gently. "Thanks."

Enid rounds the canoe too and beams. "Oh, we're so going to win this year," she boasts, which makes me chuckle.

She did try to ask me about what exactly happened last night over lunch, just like I expected, but when I told her I wasn't sure myself, she accepted it even though I know she knows there's more to the story.

Fact is though, no one believes Rowan's dead. Enid told me she and Yoko saw him just before I joined them for lunch, but I know what I saw.

I also know I'm not going crazy and that Wednesday is right, someone's trying to cover this up, but I have no interest in getting involved any more than I already have.

"I sure hope so," Yoko says with a snort.

Bianca and her team have won three or four years in a row now because they somehow play dirtier than everyone else, so the chances of the Black Cats winning are pretty slim, but I don't want to put a damper on their mood, especially not Enid's, so ljust hum in agreement before glancing at my watch.

Our lunch is almost over, so I put my paintbrush down and place the lid on the paint I was using. "We better get going, guys."

Enid, Yoko, and Mina, one of the other girls on their team, check their phones for the time to see that I'm right and start packing up too.

Some students have a free period now to focus on their extracurricular activities, like Bianca and her a cappella group or Xavier practicing his archery, but Enid, Yoko, Mina, and I don't.

We'll have time to work on the canoe some more before dinner later, so I don't square my stuff away perfectly. I just make sure the paint won't dry out and wrap some plastic wrap around the tip of my paintbrush before heading to the school before the others.

I left my bag in my room, so l'll have to get it before we head to class together. I effortlessly skip up the stairs to my room and grab my bag, making sure I have everything I need before heading to class. As I round a corner though, I run into someone, and after apologizing and stepping back, I freeze when I realize who it is.

It's Rowan, and he's wearing the exact same thing he wore yesterday - brown jacket, green hoodie, glasses and all.

"Sorry," he apologizes, not looking up and trying to get past me, but I grab his arm.

"Rowan," I breathe.

He stops and looks up, and the moment our eyes meet, a shiver runs down my spine because Wednesday was right.

This isn't Rowan.

It's someone else pretending to be him. I can tell by the look in his eyes, how calmly he takes me in when just last night he staggered away from me in fear.

I also sense his emotions, and although there is some anxiety there, he's mostly calm, and for some reason it feels familiar. Not in the way he felt when I used to be around him, but in the way l've felt around someone else before, I just can't say who.

I let go of him without another word and simply nod when he asks if I'm okay, and then he's off, lugging his trunk with him.

Wait, what? Where is he going?

He's already vanished amidst the other students before I can ask, so I swallow the sense of dread that dares to claw its way up my throat and make my way to class.

Rowan is dead. I know it and I know someone is covering up his murder and I swore to myself to stay out of it, but the more I think about it—how he looked at me when I ran into him and how I knew it wasn't him instantly—the more I feel my resolve slip.

It's dangerous getting involved, even more so because Wednesday is involved, but I have a feeling I will be involved no matter what.

"Oh, hey."

I snap out of my thoughts and look over my shoulder to see Ajax stepping into the small shed. It's right next to the school and usually used by the gardeners to store their tools, but it also holds a bunch of paints and art supplies specifically for the Poe Cup.

"Hi."

He smiles and gestures at the black paint can in my hand. "Is there any left of that or is that the last one?"

"Uh, I dunno." I turn back and pull the cardboard box with all the paints off the shelf and place it on the floor between us.

Ajax sends me another smile and crouches down to look through it. I go to leave, but then he speaks up which makes me stop in my tracks. "So, I see Enid has convinced you to help her and her team again?"

I chuckle softly and nod. "You could say that although forced is probably a more accurate word to describe it."

He lets out a laugh and glances at me. "Well, either way, you're doing it which is nice. And she seems to appreciate it… she's been smiling all day."

I raise an eyebrow at that, which makes Ajax avert his eyes, flustered. His heartbeat stumbles slightly and the embarrassment radiating off him makes a smirk pull at my lips.

Oh.

I usually don't get involved in other people's lives because if I stay out of theirs, they stay out of mine, but for once I can't help but state the obvious.

"You like her."

"What? No!" Ajax's wide eyes snap back to me and he gets to his feet, having found another black paint can.

I just cross my arms and watch how he gets flustered. "Right…"

Enid has been hinting about liking Ajax for some time now, even going out of her way to buy him the newest gorgon shampoo that is gentle on his snake's eyes, but she has yet to make a real move. She said she doesn't know if he likes her back, which is fair because he doesn't talk much and like me he's a bit of a loner, but I just got the proof I needed.

"I— well, you see—"

"Don't worry, I won't tell her," I cut him off when his embarrassment makes way for panic.

He meets my eyes hesitantly, his heart still beating rapidly in his chest. "You won't?"

I shake my head and let my smirk melt into a gentle smile. "No. It's not my secret to tell."

"Thank you." He sighs in relief and I step past him, patting his shoulder and adding, "But just so you know, if you ever wanna do something about it, I think you'd have a pretty good chance," before stepping outside again.

It's half past three now and we don't have any more classes today, which gives us a bunch of time to put the finishing touches on the canoe.

I round the corner of the school, enjoying the feeling of the afternoon sun on my face before stopping when I see Wednesday talking to Enid next to the canoe.

I groan mentally because of all the places, this is the last one I expected her to be, but then my ears pick up on their conversation and I'm intrigued.

"… you want me to cover so you can return to the scene of a crime that didn't happen?" Enid asks with a raised eyebrow, kneeling next to the canoe to put a finishing touch on one of the fangs painted on the side.

Wednesday huffs in exasperation. "I have beekeeping club this afternoon and need you as decoy."

I snort. Beekeeping club? That does not sound like something Wednesday would willingly participate in, especially not with Eugene, who is sweet and bubbly—the complete opposite of her—but I guess she's full of surprises.

"Sorry. Two strikes," Enid declines with a cringe. "I'm busy and bees totally creep me out."

That's true. Last year, one landed on her shoulder and she literally started crying even though the bees probably just thought she was a flower because of the neon yellow sweater she was wearing.

"Why don't you ask Thing?" Enid goes on as I slowly approach them. I don't want to talk to Wednesday again, but I know Enid needs the paint. "Oh that's right, you can't because he's mad at you," she answers her own question sarcastically, which makes me frown.

Thing is mad at Wednesday? Why? Just this morning when Wednesday came to my room, they were fine.

"Why's he mad? He's the one who screwed up with Rowan," Wednesday asks, genuinely confused.

Wait, what? How could he screw up with Rowan? Or should I say not-Rowan. Unless… of course. Wednesday probably had him follow not-Rowan and he must have lost him.

Enid just shrugs. "All I know is that we spent an hour giving each other manis and he really opened up. He feels like you don't respect him as a person."

A somewhat disgusted frown pulls at Wednesday's lips at the mention of manicures, even though she literally has impeccable black nails. I guess the whole social aspect must be tripping her up.

"Well, technically he's only a hand," she deadpans which, once again, weren't it for the circumstances, I would actually laugh at even though she's being dead serious.

Enid shoots her a bored glare. "Wednesday, he's your family. And he would do anything for you." Her face softens slightly and she adds, "Go apologize and I'll reconsider helping you."

Wednesday, much to my surprise, actually considers it. A thoughtful look crosses her face and then she exhales softly, resigned, and turns to leave.

Her step falters slightly when she spots me but she doesn't stop. She just eyes me for a moment with an unreadable expression before averting her eyes and making her way up to the school.

Good. She got the message. I don't want to be involved.

I can't help but think about what she's getting herself into though. Going back into the forest all alone… I don't like it. Not after I saw that monster last night.

"What was that all about?" I ask Enid as soon as I'm within earshot.

"Oh nothing. Just Wednesday being Wednesday," she says casually. "Did you get the paint?"

I nod and hold it out to her, noting how she not so subtly looks past me. By the way her cheeks turn a light shade of pink, I can tell she's spotted Ajax and I feel myself smiling gently, but then my eyes land on Wednesday's still retreating figure and my stomach churns as if forebodingly.

I pace my room, not knowing what to do. It's almost dinner now and the sun is starting to set and although the sun was out just an hour earlier, the sky is overcast now and I can see a blanket of fog drifting over the forest outside my window.

Wednesday is out there. Alone. Looking for clues and although her heartbeat is steady so far, I don't like the thought of her out there. It's getting dark and with the fog she could get lost if she's not careful.

I stop pacing and stare out of the window for a second, hearing Enid squeal somewhere in the distance, covering for Wednesday so Weems doesn't find out she's off school grounds.

She came by earlier and told me what she was going to do since Wednesday actually apologized to Thing. She asked me if maybe I wanted to take her place, but Weems would know it was me under the beekeepers outfit because I'm so much taller than both Wednesday and Enid so I had to decline.

Which leaves me here, worried about someone I should be staying away from.

I hear a twig snap somewhere in the forest which makes me flinch slightly and move before I know what's going on. I grab my jacket, having changed out of my uniform earlier, and head out. I make sure to stay in the shadow until I make it to the edge of the forest so Weems doesn't see me and then I start jogging in the direction of Wednesday's heartbeat.

The air is damp and smells like dead leaves and rain, and for a moment I think I even smell the coppery scent of blood but the next second it's gone.

When my pendant heats up, somehow signaling I'm nearing Wednesday, I slow down and push through the underbrush until I see her rounding a tree, her dark eyes scanning the ground.

Then, I hear another snap and look to my left, seeing Sheriff Galpin and his German shepherd. I quickly move behind a tree before I realize he's about to see Wednesday but then before I can move an arm wraps around her from behind a nearby tree and pulls her out of sight.

I frown and focus my hearing, only now realizing there's another steady heartbeat close to Wednesday. Hers stays calm so I'm assuming she's not in any danger.

I look around the tree to see Galpin scanning the ground like Wednesday just did and clench my jaw.

So he believes something happened after all, otherwise he wouldn't be out here.

It makes my head spin a little because if even he believes something is up, there must be more to this monster than just Rowan's murder and all the other killings recently.

Although the press keeps saying it must have been a bear, I doubt it and he being here just confirms it.

He goes on searching, using his boot to sometimes swipe away some leaves, until he's out of sight. I can still hear him and his dog panting and whining every now and then, but he's too far gone to hear or see me, so I step out from behind my tree and hurry to the tree Wednesday and the other person are hiding behind.

Unsurprisingly, it turns out to be Tyler, holding Wednesday against him with his hand over her mouth and a worried look on his face.

When he sees me his eyes widen but he doesn't move. Wednesday does though, shoving him off immediately and grumbling something under her breath along the lines of don't touch me.

Her dark eyes settle on me and she pauses for a moment before turning to Tyler who immediately raises his hands in apology. 

“Sorry,” he says with a wince. “I didn’t want Elvis to pick up on your scent.”

“Thanks,” she says, which makes something twist in my stomach. I literally saved her life twice now and neither time has she thanked me, but when Tyler helps her not get caught doing something she shouldn’t be doing she can say it?

I’m honestly not jealous, just a little hurt which makes me wonder when I started caring so much about what she does, or, in my case, doesn’t do. 

I don’t speak up though and simply listen halfheartedly when Wednesday asks how Tyler managed to throw the dog off and he pulls out some coffee grounds with a wry smile and explains how it’s a deer hunting hack.

She goes on to ask about why his dad brought the dog and he tells her he doesn’t know but that he must suspect something which is why he followed him in the first place. I surmise that Wednesday told him about what happened last night because she doesn’t question it. When she could have told him, I’m not sure, but I’m guessing it was earlier today while I was in class and she was in town for her therapy appointment.

“You must think it’s weird I’m stalking him,” he says, completely ignoring me.

“No,” Wednesday deadpans. “I consistently stalk my parents.”

She turns and eyes me again for a moment, probably wondering why I’m here after I told her I didn’t want to get involved before brushing past me and going back to inspecting the ground.

“So, what are you doing here?” Tyler asks, finally acknowledging me. He has the audacity to raise a challenging eyebrow, making me scoff.

I don't have to explain myself to him, but he continues to stare me down as though trying to get some kind of confession of wrongdoing out of me. So I draw myself up to my full height and cross my arms.

"Am I not allowed to be here?"

"I don't know, you tell me," he says calmly, which makes me brush him off with an eye roll and turn to Wednesday.

I don’t have much of a problem with him, but he did help Lucas Walker and his goons destroy Xavier’s mural on Outreach Day last year, and he’s acting super weird right now which is throwing me off a little, and not in a good way.

“These are Rowan’s,” Wednesday mumbles.

I frown and take a step toward her when she bends down and picks something up from between the leaves. Her back is turned to me, so it's a little hard to see what she found, but then something glints in the dim light and I realize it's Rowan's glasses. The glass is cracked, and there’s a little blood on the lens. It’s the ultimate proof that his death is being covered up… just like Wednesday said.

I take another step forward, intrigued, only for my stomach to drop in the next second when Wednesday suddenly freezes up, her eyes widening and her head snapping back in a grotesque way.

“Oh my God,” Tyler exclaims behind me, voicing my exact thoughts while I’m too busy closing the little distance left between Wednesday and me to catch her just as she begins tipping.

She’s even smaller in my arms than I remember from when I tackled her out of the way when the gargoyle almost fell on her, and when my hand brushes against hers, I actually shiver from how cool her skin feels.

It’s a stark contrast to how my pendant heats up at the contact, but I ignore it, my sudden worry for her overshadowing everything else.

“Hey, hey, hey.” I shake her gently, but she doesn’t react. Her unblinking eyes continue to stare up at the tree tops traced against the darkening sky.

“What’s wrong with her?” Tyler asks, bewildered, hurrying to my side.

“I—I don’t know,” I stammer. I focus on her heartbeat, but it’s calm, and my pendant is pulsing steadily, putting somewhat of a damper on my worry, almost as if it knows something I don’t.

Tyler and I share a confused look while I hold Wednesday, until she suddenly goes limp in my arms and starts blinking rapidly. I tighten my grip on her to make sure she doesn’t sink to the ground and help her stand when she slowly starts to come to properly. She grips one of my forearms with her hand while the other keeps a hold on the glasses before looking around, confused.

“Are you okay?” I ask when our eyes meet.

“I… Yes.” She says after a moment, gulping.

I tentatively lessen my grip on her, and she gets the memo, letting go of my forearm so I can let go of her completely once I’m sure she’s stable again. She doesn’t brush me off the way she did with Tyler earlier, but that could just be because she’s still recovering from whatever the hell just happened.

“What happened?” Tyler asks, reaching for her to touch her elbow in a comforting manner, but she shifts away ever so slightly.

“It doesn’t matter,” she says, slowly but surely returning to her old self. “I have to get back to the school.”

And then she simply turns and starts marching off in the direction of the school. Tyler shoots me one last questioning look, but I just shrug before following her, leaving him behind.

I catch up with her in a few quick strides. She’s deep in thought, eyes on the ground so she doesn’t trip while turning Rowan’s glasses over and over in one hand. Her other hand absently plays with a silver necklace around her neck I hadn’t noticed before. There’s a round pendant with a wiry W in the middle, and she keeps running her thumb over it until she suddenly stops and looks at me.

“I had a vision,” she says, tucking the necklace back under her uniform.

“A vision?” I repeat quietly, which makes her exhale impatiently.

“Yes, a vision.” She reaches into her jacket pocket and pulls out a piece of paper with a pencil drawing on it, holding it out to me. “Have you seen this before?”

I take the paper and have to force myself not to react visibly when I see that it’s a drawing of the Nightshades’ symbol. I study it for a second before looking back up to find her already watching me, expectant.

“Why?” I ask.

She hesitates, working her jaw before reaching into her pocket again. She pulls out another paper, this one more worn. As she unfolds it, she’s careful not to damage it before handing it over too.

“Rowan showed me this right before attacking me,” she says.

I frown and look at it, only for my eyebrows to shoot up in surprise. It’s a drawing of what I’m assuming is supposed to be Wednesday, standing in the destroyed and burning Quad of the school.

“He said his mother drew it. Supposedly she was a seer, and she said I’d destroy the school…”

“So he tried to kill you to stop it from happening,” I finish, looking up to see her nod.

“The symbol is a watermark. Right here.” She steps closer to tap the top right corner of the drawing. I squint and bring the paper closer. She’s right.

“I need to know what book the page was torn out of. I need to know how I’m going to destroy the school so I can try to prevent it,” she says, and the way her voice drops makes me believe she’s actually being sincere.

But telling her about the Nightshades and their library, which is obviously where the page came from, would mean leading her closer to finding out what I am, and I can’t let that happen.

I take one last look at the picture before folding it up and handing it back, along with the drawing of the Nightshades’ symbol.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know,” I lie, which makes her deflate.

She stuffs the papers back into her pocket and huffs.

I want to say something else, but nothing comes to mind, so when she starts walking again, I just follow her in silence.

I keep an eye and ear out for any signs of the monster, but we’re alone until we get back to the school.

Wednesday doesn’t ask for more help, or question why I followed her into the forest again, but she says, “Someone’s covering up Rowan’s murder,” looking me dead in the eye as she slips his glasses into her pocket.

She probably expects me to deny it, or say she’s wrong, but I just nod once and say, “I know,” before turning and heading off to dinner.

Seek where silence is etched in stone

And light bends wrong when left alone

What you search for is out of sight

Until you ask the dark for light

I check the slip of paper again and mutter the riddle beneath my breath, skimming through the shelves at the back of the Nightshades’ library.

I left dinner early and went to my room, letting the events of the last twenty-four hours wash over me again before remembering how my pendant lit up like a Christmas tree, and sneaking out when I was sure everyone had retreated to their rooms. I kept an ear out for Wednesday’s heartbeat specifically when I made my way to the library, but she was all the way across the school, so I knew I was in the clear.

That doesn’t help me now though, because I’ve been searching for that damned book for over ten minutes. Weems really hid it well, and I wish I’d paid more attention when she told me where she put it all this time ago, but I just couldn’t.

“Where light bends wrong when left alone,” I whisper, pausing when I look down one row of shelves and see a beam of moonlight streaming in through a window in the ceiling and bending unnaturally across the stone wall.

Where light bends wrong...

I squeeze in between the dusty bookshelves, lined with books full of misprints and bad omens, until I step into the soft light and get a good look at the small stone panel that shouldn’t be part of the wall and is causing the light to misbehave. I touch it and get even closer when I feel something small etched into it, gasping when I realize it’s the same symbol as on my pendant… three parallel lines cutting through a single circle with the one in the middle slightly longer than the others.

“Of course,” I mumble, pressing my fingers against it, but nothing happens. I try again, but again, nothing happens, so I take another look at the riddle. “Until you ask the dark for light,” I read out loud, and much to my surprise, that does the trick. Something clicks faintly, and then the stone sinks inward and moves to the side, opening just wide enough for me to reach inside and pull out the leather-bound book. There’s no title on the spine or the cover, but there is an inscription inside the front cover.

De Velatis et Evanidis

“Of the Veiled and the Vanished,” I translate out loud, feeling a weight settle on my chest. I close it for a moment and take a deep breath, composing myself before opening it again and flipping to the first page.

The Ægiryn: Children of the Mirrorheart

~Of Origins and Essence~

The Ægiryn are a fading lineage of supernatural blood, their existence now little more than a whisper. Once revered as Oracles of Emotion and healers of unseen wounds, they bore the rare gift of feeling truth. But reverence turned to fear. As human and supernatural powers rose, the Ægiryn were quietly hunted for the very empathy that once made them sacred. To feel too much became a threat. Some say the last of them perished in the Year of Flame, though fragments may still linger, hidden in shadow.

~Etymology and Pronunciation~

The name Ægiryn stems from an Old Northern dialect, believed to mean “stone of truth” or “guardian of grief.” Some link it to a rare black gemstone, others to a forgotten title once bestowed upon their kind. Pronounced AY-gee-rin with a long A, as in fate.

~Classification~

Rarity: Myth-bound

Bloodline Status: Uncertain, possibly extinct

Nature: Empathic, soul-bound, reflective, dangerous.

The Ægiryn are catalogued in older Bestiaries not as beasts, but as anima viva (living emotion). The Pallid Veil called them Mirrorbloods. The Sentinels of Stillmarch labeled them Oracles of Madness. The truth lies somewhere in between.

~Core Traits and Abilities Overview~

It is widely accepted that the Ægiryn possessed five defining gifts.

Invulnerability In their guarded state, the Ægiryn are nearly impervious to harm. Their bodies heal swiftly, their skin resists blades, their bones do not break. Yet this strength is conditional. Should an Ægiryn form a soulbond or lay their emotional guard bare, their body mirrors this vulnerability.

Supernatural Physiology Gifted with the instincts of both prey and predator, they move fast enough to outrun arrows and strike with the power of stone. Their senses border on predatory…hearing tuned to whispers through doors, vision sharpened to silhouettes in fog.

The Mirrorheart An Ægiryn can feel the emotional state of others with painful clarity. It is said they don’t read minds, but echo hearts and—

My head snaps up and my heart drops when I hear light footsteps on the stairs down into the library. I’m not a Nightshade, so I shouldn’t be here, even though they all know I sneak in from time to time to borrow a rare book, but I know this person is not a Nightshade. No, it’s the owner of the heartbeat I can’t stop hearing.

Wednesday.

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

The layout at the end is a little messy because I pasted the text from Google Docs but oh well…

Tag list: @sunshinez4 @protozoario @automaticpatroltragedy @mamas-evil-hag @theallseer97 @hellenheaven

[tortillamastersblog]

Where Light Bends Wrong - Part 6 | Wednesday Addams

Pairing: Wednesday Addams x reader

Warnings: none

Summary: You’ve kept your secret buried and your power quiet, until Wednesday Addams came to Nevermore and turned your whole world upside down.

Previous Part | Next Part | Masterlist

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

I blink tiredly and prop my chin up on my hand, trying to pay attention to Thornhill who’s babbling on about some carnivorous plant.

The memory of Rowan’s screams kept me up most of the night.

I still can't believe what actually happened. Throughout the night I heard a search party go through the woods, with the dogs whining and barking and officers shouting orders every now and then, but whether they found Rowan or not, I have no idea.

I knew there were rumors about this supposed monster roaming around lately, but I thought it was just a bear or something. But what I saw yesterday despite how comically grotesque and weird it looked scared the shit out of me.

The classroom door opens right as Miss Thornhill is about to feed a dead mouse to one of her plants which is already reaching its greenish tentacles for it.

A police deputy I've seen around Jericho before pokes her head inside and looks around making everyone shut up and stare curiously as she points at me.

I stiffen and feel Ajax and Enid who are sitting next to me shoot me questioning looks.

“L/N please come with me,” she says and I look at Thornhill for permission which she gives with a nod slightly wide-eyed.

I get out of my seat avoiding everyone's eyes even Enid and Ajax’s and hurry toward the door.

Deputy Santiago, as I read on her little name plate, closes the door behind me and tilts her head before starting to walk, silently telling me to follow her.

I do, hearing Thornhill's class continue all the way until we make it to Weems’ office where Sheriff Galpin Weems and Wednesday are already waiting for us. Deputy Santiago ushers me inside before closing the door again, choosing to stay outside herself.

“What’s going on?” I ask, “Has Rowan’s body been found?”

I see a muscle twitch in Weems’ jaw but she stays silent. Wednesday also looks displeased for some reason, her eyes harder than usual, and when Sheriff Galpin answers I know why.

“No, we haven’t found a body as I’ve already told Miss Addams here.”

“What?” My eyes dart between Wednesday Galpin and Weems. “That can’t be. We saw I saw…” I trail off, feeling a shiver run down my back at the memory of the gurgling sound Rowan made when he was literally gutted by the monster.

“Yeah well we didn’t find anything. No blood, no footprints, no sign of a struggle. Nothing. Our search party looked all night,” he says, sounding almost annoyed.

“Well your search party must have left their seeing-eye dogs at home,” Wednesday deadpans and were it not for the circumstances I’d actually snort at that.

Weems glares at her while I just stand there absolutely speechless.

I know what I saw, so how did they not find anything

As if reading my mind Wednesday goes on, “We saw that monster kill Rowan right in front of us. Right?”

She looks at me expectantly and I’m about to nod, but then I catch Weems’ eye over her shoulder. She shakes her head subtly.

Don’t cause any trouble. Stay under the radar.

I swallow thickly. “I-I’m not sure what I saw to be honest,” I lie which makes Wednesday’s face crumble with disbelief for a second before it hardens again.

She straightens up and goes to say something, probably accusing me of lying, but then Weems speaks up. “My guess is Rowan ran away. An alert has been put out and I’ve contacted his family but they haven’t heard from him yet”

Wednesday keeps her piercing eyes on me a little longer and I can tell there’s a lot of emotion brewing underneath the surface, but then she turns to Weems and snarks, “Maybe that’s because dead people are notoriously bad at returning calls.”

Sheriff Galpin sighs and sinks into one of the leather chairs in front of Weems’ desk, taking off his hat and running a hand down his face. “What were you two doing out in the woods with him?”

Wednesday neatly folds her hands in front of her and answers evenly. “I heard a noise in the forest and went to go investigate. That’s when I stumbled upon the attack.”

My eyebrow quirks slightly because that’s not what happened at all. Well, maybe the first part is true, but definitely not the second.

I quickly school my features back to neutral though when Galpin looks at me expectantly. “I saw Wednesday leave the fairgrounds and wanted to make sure she didn’t get lost so I followed her,” is all I say which is close enough to the truth and the story I told Wednesday.

Galpin looks back at Wednesday, seeing that I’m not going to elaborate and Wednesday is obviously the more vocal one out of the two of us. “And then what happened?”

“Then we ran into Bianca Barclay and told her to go for help. Next thing I remember I was waking in my dorm,” she says and even though that last part sounds unbelievable I believe it because I also can’t really remember what happened after telling Bianca what happened. It's all a blur, and the only thing I can vaguely remember is the bus ride back to school with the others. I’m sure Wednesday was also occupied with whatever happened between her and Rowan before I interfered.

“Okay, so just to be clear this monster wasn’t a bear or something?” Galpin asks.

Almost bored now, Wednesday stares at him, her hands still neatly folded in front of her. “I’ve hibernated with grizzlies. I know the difference”

Of course she did, I think, but I don’t speak up.

Weems seems to think this is a good place to end things. She puts her hands on her desk and gets to her feet. “Thank you Sheriff. I think Miss Addams is done now. And of course Y/N, too”

I dip my chin in acknowledgment and turn to leave, but then Wednesday speaks up again. “Actually I would like to speak to Sheriff Galpin. Alone.”

Weems narrows her eyes her gaze briefly meeting mine before she looks back at Wednesday and the Sheriff who looks mildly intrigued by Wednesday’s request. “I’m not sure I can allow that.”

Galpin puts his hat back on and crosses his arms, going on about how he could just take Wednesday to the station with him and get a formal statement, which is what makes Weems ultimately agree to a private conversation between the two.

“Fine. You have five minutes and everything is off the record,” she says, stepping out from behind her desk and joining my side. “Play nice or I’ll call the mayor.”

Galpin tilts his head in understanding though there’s a challenging glint in his eyes.

“Come on Y/N,” Weems says, brushing past me, and I go to follow her but then Wednesday’s voice stops me.

“Y/N.”

I turn and meet her eye, biting the inside of my cheek. I know what she wants from me. She wants me to be honest and tell Galpin what I really saw now that Weems isn’t looming over us but I just can’t do it.

Not causing any trouble and staying under the radar is what I’ve been told repeatedly since getting here and I know if I don’t I’ll get found out and I’ll have to leave again and I just can’t do that. Not again.

I exhale shakily and ball my hands into loose fists at my side. “I-I have to get back to class.”

I know it’s a lame excuse because Wednesday should be in class too, but I don’t know what else to say.

A flicker of something unreadable flashes through Wednesday’s eyes and I feel a tiny spark of guilt blossom in the pit of my stomach for leaving her out to dry, but I just I can’t do this.

So I turn without another word and leave, wondering briefly why Weems isn’t outside the office when she just left a moment earlier.

Deputy Santiago is still there though and I nod at her, earning an acknowledging little smile before I make my way to my room.

I know I said I had class, but I know I just wouldn’t be able to concentrate anyway. And I don’t want Enid or Ajax asking any questions. They already did that on the ride back to school last night and earlier before class.

If I wasn’t unnerved before by what I witnessed last night, I sure am now. Because what does Galpin mean they didn’t find a body?

It’s all so confusing and messing with my head. And to make matters even worse, I know there’s no way in hell Wednesday is going to want to run away again now. Not if there’s a mystery to be solved which means I’m still in danger. I can just hope she’ll focus on the monster from now on and kind of forget about me, but I doubt that’s going to happen because I’m once again somehow in the middle of that too.

I spend the rest of the morning catching up on my schoolwork and actually studying in an attempt to distract myself. I get quite a big chunk of work done, finishing two essays and a presentation on vampires all while listening to some music.

After about two hours though, a knock breaks through the music and I set my pen down and get up, taking my headphones off and letting them rest around my neck.

I'm mentally still occupied by my next paper I just started on Thornhill's carnivorous plants, which is why I don't register who's at the door until I've actually opened it and my eyes land on Wednesday.

Thing is on her shoulder and lifts his index finger in greeting, which I return with an awkward wave myself.

I go to say hi too, but then Wednesday beats me to it. "Why did you lie to Weems and the Sheriff?"

Straight to the point, like always.

I go to reply, maybe come up with a believable lie, but then, much to my surprise, she actually brushes past me and enters my room unbidden.

I blink in surprise and close the door behind her before turning around to catch her taking in my room.

Her eyes wander over my desk, and the scattered papers on it. Then over my neatly made bed, the gray sheets folded and tucked under the mattress around the edges. Then, the small wooden corner bookshelf next to it, filled with dog-eared books and one wrinkled photograph I taped to it.

It's a little blurry, but you can clearly see a younger version of me in it, giving a little girl a piggyback ride.

Lara.

It's unmistakable that we're close, and I can see Wednesday focusing in on it, so I clear my throat which actually makes her start ever so slightly and then her eyes snap to me and her face hardens. "We both saw how that monster killed Rowan," she states matter of factly.

I avert my eyes. "I know."

"Then why did you lie?" she steps closer, her tone now lower, almost menacing, but I sense no anger beneath the veil she has over emotions. It's more like... disappointment?

I look back up to find her crossing her arms while Thing skedaddles around the room exploring, flipping through my books and climbing onto the window seat of the wide and arched window that allows for a view of the courtyard and the forest beyond the school grounds.

"I just..." I trail off and play with the hem of my uniform's sweater vest. "I can't get dragged into this, Wednesday."

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean, I have enough stuff going on as it is, I don't want to get involved," I say honestly and for a moment, I think Wednesday might actually accept that because her face softens just the slightest bit.

Then it hardens again though, and I see her grip on her upper arms tighten. "That is absurd. You just lied because you're Weems' little pet and she doesn't want anyone to get to the bottom of this, just like Galpin."

I clench my jaw and lessen the distance between us with a step, looming over her while she just looks up at me with defiant eyes. "I am not Weems' pet," I hiss through gritted teeth.

Unperturbed, Wednesday snaps back with, "Someone is trying to cover Rowan's murder up."

I eye her incredulously, bothered that she didn't say anything else about the pet thing, before taking a step back again when I realize I'm actually so close to her I can pick up on the smell of fresh linen that clings to her. "So?" I ask, irritated. "Murders get covered up all the time and if it means things will quiet down, I don't care. I don't want anything to do with this. You should honestly—"

"I saw Rowan earlier."

That makes my mouth snap shut before an unbidden, "Excuse me?" escapes me.

This time Wednesday takes a step forward and I try to ignore the way my pendant heats up at the proximity. "Right after you left, Deputy Santiago opened the door and there he was."

What. The. Fuck.

"Now, I don't know how that's possible because you and I both know what we saw which makes me believe one of two things. Either, we're both simultaneously losing our minds, which is highly unlikely and honestly not as enjoyable as I hoped it would be. Or the person I saw wasn't actually Rowan, which seems like the more plausible of the two options, but once again begs the question, who would go to such lengths to cover it up, and why."

"I... don't know, and I honestly don't want to know either," I say, which makes her let out a sharp exhale. Her eyes dart between mine, frustrated and clearly searching for something.

"Fine," she says after a moment, then lets her bag fall off her shoulder and drop to the floor.

I frown and glance at it, only to realize it's actually my bag, the one I left in Thornhill's class when Deputy Santiago came to get me.

Enid must have taken it to her room with her, which is probably where Wednesday found it. She must have grabbed it and brought it to me so she would have an excuse to come see me.

"Thing."

The hand stops looking out of the window and jumps off the window seat, scrambling to Wednesday's side.

She turns to leave, bubbling with irritation and frustration underneath her mask of calm indifference. But then she stops when my necklace pulses gold underneath my sweater vest and shirt. It's barely visible through all the fabric, but Wednesday sees it and freezes, her eyes zeroing in on it.

I raise my hand defensively and clutch it through the fabric, hating how the curiosity I saw in Wednesday's eyes after she threw her knife at me sparks up again.

She doesn't say anything. She just meets my eyes again, then they flick to her knife, perched on my desk beside my laptop, before she finally turns and leaves with Thing on her heels.

He taps a goodbye on the door before slipping out, but I don't bother to return it, feeling my knees weaken slightly.

Why is this stupid pendant acting up the whole time?

I have half a mind to take it off right then and there, but I don't have the heart to do it. The fear of losing it is too great.

I've had it since I was dropped off at the orphanage as a baby. Not once in my life have I taken it off because it reminds me that I came from somewhere--that I'm not just another orphan.

I've also known it's somehow connected to my powers since I discovered them. But until Wednesday showed up, it has never acted like this before. Which reminds me I should really go and check out that book Weems hid in the Nightshades' library.

I never actually read it completely. She showed it to me once, but it overwhelmed me so much I couldn't finish it. I'd just been dumped at Nevermore, but now I really need some answers.

So I grab one of my books off the shelf next to my bed and pull out the small little note I wrote down after Weems gave me a riddle-like description of where to find the book in the library.

Why she couldn't just tell me I don't know. Maybe she did and I can't remember. I just remember writing down this riddle in a haze after I learned about what I am.

Seek where silence is etched in stone And light bends wrong when left alone What you search for is out of sight Until you ask the dark for light

I remember she said something about only being able to retrieve it at night and it's only half past twelve now, so I tuck the piece of paper into my pocket before leaving the room to go and find Enid.

She's been dying to talk to me since this morning, and it's lunchtime now, so even though I don't want to talk about Rowan and the rumors that have already spread around the school because of Bianca, I do crave her company. Her energy, although a bit much sometimes, always manages to make me feel better.

Also, she's got the Poe Cup coming up tomorrow, and I actually want to be there for her while she spirals about Bianca probably winning again.

I've already been roped into helping paint the canoe last year, and I can see that happening again this year, but I don't mind. Not only because it's actually kind of fun, but because I just know Wednesday won't come near me there.

‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆ ⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧˚⋆⋅‧

This is around 3k words. The last part was like 1.7k, so what are we feeling, people? Is this long enough or do you want even longer chapters?

Tag list: @sunshinez4 @protozoario @automaticpatroltragedy @mamas-evil-hag @theallseer97 @hellenheaven

[tortillamastersblog]

Hey buddy! I'm glad you're over your writing slump :) keep smashing it! I hope you are doing well too

-🐨

Hi! It’s been a while!!

I’m super glad too. Being in a slump is never fun, especially when you have a bunch of ideas but you just can’t seem to get them down on paper.

Thank you, I’ll try hahahah

I am doing well. Hope you are too. ❤️

[tortillamastersblog]

Hi guys,

Just wanted to say a huge thank you for being so supportive and invested in Where Light Bends Wrong. It seriously got me out of a writing slump and I’m so grateful ❤️‍🩹

Quick question though. Do you guys prefer longer chapters that take a bit more time to post or shorter ones that I can drop every few days?

Edit: I have no idea why it says mature content but I can’t change it and I’m too lazy to re-post