Chapter 2
And if you have a minute why don't we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
Somewhere only we know - Keane
Enid woke up that morning with a weight on top of her. It was awkward at first, but then she remembered last night and how Wednesday had been so open with her. The goth was lying in a position that was unusual, after all, normally the girl slept like a dead person.
"Willa" Enid whispered, "I think we're going to be late for class."
Wednesday began to wake up slowly, until she opened her eyes completely.
"Enid..." Wednesday spoke with a voice like someone who has just woken up. "I don't think I can go to class today."
Enid was definitely worried. Like, worried to death. She had no idea why Wednesday was acting this way…so soft.
That was definitely out of character. Not that by now things hadn't been strange between them, after all, Wednesday had literally stated about how she felt the night before. But waking up late when she had a perfect biological clock? Not feeling well to go to class? It was weird even for her.
"I feel sick." Wednesday murmured. Enid realized then. Wednesday was hot. Hot in a way she normally wasn't because the goth always had a cold body temperature. Enid placed her hand on Wednesday's forehead.
"Willa, you have a fever."
Wednesday grumbled like a child.
Ferver, really?
“I didn’t notice…”
"I'll take you to the infirmary..." The thought that all of Nevermore's students might see her that way wasn't pleasant.This version of her... The broken one, it was Enid's only. From no one else.
"No!"
"Willa…" Enid murmured "Or a bath, it'll get better."
"No…" she complained again.
"What is wrong with you?"
Wednesday buried her face in Enid's neck and the blonde girl almost purred, even though she was a wolf, not a cat.
"Emotional fever." Wednesday replied.
"How..."
"Addams don't get sick, like, never." Enid made a face "It's just stress." Enid always found Wednesday's family odd, so she didn't question it, but that didn't erase her worry.
"OK." Enid thought for a moment about Wednesday's sources of stress. "What if I take the stress out for you?"
Wednesday took her face from Enid's neck and looked at her curiously.
"Xavier is an idiot, isn't he?"
Wednesday grumbled, again. Enid wasn't going to say it out loud, but she was loving having Wednesday on top of her like this. She didn't understand what would have made Wednesday open up so suddenly, but she liked it. She liked that Wednesday felt safe with her.
"I thought he was the stalker." She spoke softly "But not even Xavier would be so stupid as to give me a cell phone and then start sending me threats."
"You have a point, Willa."
"But he's still an idiot that pisses me off."
"So…what do you say, you take a shower to try to get that fever down and I'm going to kick Xavier's ass and come back to check on you?"
"That sounds good."
"And I’ll still get food for us, because we're not going to spend the day here without eating anything."
"Fair."
Enid was getting ready to get out of bed when Wednesday called her back.
"Hang on." Enid eyed her closely, afraid the girl in front of her would break again. "Help me with the bath, please? I don't feel well."
Enid felt her heart want to jump out of her mouth. Wednesday asking for help for a shower? She never imagined she would be so hungry for contact. But that was to be expected, since she always put up her emotional walls and didn't let anyone get close... No one can be an emotional rock forever, not even Wednesday.
She remembered how Wednesday had behaved the night they faced Hyde. After it was all over and they went back to the dorm, Wednesday locked herself in the bathroom for hours. Enid had to shower in Yoko's dorm. Even when she returned, Wednesday was still in the bathroom.
They barely exchanged a word, but that night Enid could see, for the first time, a single emotion on the crow's face.
Fault.
And she would never know, but Enid wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep that night.
Returning to the present moment after distracting herself with some memories, Enid took Wednesday by the hand and led her to the bathroom. She prepared the bathtub and left the water at an ideal temperature.
When Enid turned around, she gasped.
Wednesday was naked.
Like how she came into the world.
"Willa..."
Then Wednesday put her arms in front of her chest, as if she was protecting herself.
"I'm sorry."
"Why?" Enid walked over and Wednesday took two steps back until she hit the wall.
"I…" she swallowed and quickly grabbed a towel from her feet to cover herself.
Enid stopped her.
"I didn't expect you to enter the bath with towels or clothes, Willa."
Enid helped her into the tub, even though her hands were sweating from having Wednesday so close and naked. Wednesday Addams was naked in front of her. This was heaven? She was shaking.
"Can you unbraid my hair for me, please?" Wednesday muttered and if Enid didn't have werewolf hearing, she would have missed it.
Enid could never pass up such an opportunity. She was still in shock from Wednesday's recent actions, but Enid was loving it. She was just afraid that Wednesday might realize how she was acting and suddenly run away. Running away from Enid and she couldn't take it. The thought made her sick to her stomach.
She wanted Wednesday by her side. How it should be. Their kiss still haunted her lips.
And as she was undoing the goth's braids, she was realizing how much the two had changed since that first day of Wednesday in Nevermore. The girl who hated physical contact, who had refused every hug offered, was now here. As open as it was possible to be.
When the task was done, Enid got up and said:
"I'm going to get you some clothes, I'll be right back Willa."
She did as she was told and came back a few seconds later. She helped Wednesday finish her bath and change. Her hands kept shaking and if Wednesday noticed, she didn't say anything.
When Wednesday was back in bed, Enid took a deep breath.
"I'll talk to Xavier, you stay here, okay?"
"Hm," Wednesday nodded.
"And who knows, we might be able to resolve the stalker issue later, okay?"
Wednesday buried her face in the pillow and for the thousandth time, Enid thought she was beautiful.
"What a hell Sinclair!”
Xavier screamed in fright as the werewolf pinned him against the wall. There was no one in the hall and they were behind a pillar, where Enid could share her thoughts with the boy.
"What is it?" Xavier asked even more confused. "I did something wrong?"
"You did" Enid was well aware of Xavier's ridiculous attempts to flirt with Wednesday, even when he had called her toxic.
"Then explain it to me, because I swear I'm not understanding you.."
"Wednesday is not toxic."
Enid could almost see the boy's brain working.
"She set me up to put me in jail, Enid. She 's toxic."
Enid tightened her grip on the artist's shoulder.
"And yet you gave her a cell phone."
"I still think we look good together though."
Maybe Enid pressed his shoulder a little harder, because Xavier grimaced in pain.
"You're not going near her again, at least not to call her toxic. You're going to take care of your own business and if I see you trying to woo her again, I'm going to kick your ass again ."
“You are her protector? Or something? This is a werewolf thing? Because I don’t know why you are so mad about it.”
“I’m not answering you, Xavier. I see you around.”
Then she made her way back to Ophelia Hall.
Her heart was there.
Wednesday fever had eased for a few days, but it was still there. When she finally realized that Xavier wouldn't bother her again thanks to Enid, it felt good. The fever was no longer a problem.
Of course, she kissed Enid afterwards. It was a long kiss and Enid could tell how thirsty for touch Wednesday was. Enid put her hands on the crow's waist and she nearly melted into her embrace.
"Thanks" she mumbled into the silence of their dorm. "And sorry."
"No excuses, Willa." Enid asked "Let's go to sleep, shall we? Today has been a busy day."
So, as they had been doing for the past few nights, Wednesday ignored her own and snuggled into the werewolf's colorful bed. Enid joined her and smiled happily.
When Wednesday was already asleep, Enid spoke softly:
"I love you, Wednesday. I love you."