Wounded lip in the dark
The night fell upon Nevermore. The school’s students had already gathered up in their respective dorms as evidenced by the orange lit windows. Wednesday and Enid had returned as well· their room was illuminated by a small, old chandelier.
Enid’s bed squeaked as she changed her sitting position to face Thing.
“No, I didn’t tell her. I chickened out again.” said the blonde.
Thing signed something on Enid’s blankets.
“I don’t know why, I just-” Enid lowered her voice, careful not to be heard as Wednesday was in the bathroom to clean herself from the lake’s waters. “I’m just waiting for the right time, you know?” she whispered.
The disembodied hand did a movement as if it sighed. Thing’s words echoed in Enid’s mind: “There’s only two times in life: there’s now and there’s too late.”
“Don’t be so dramatic, Thing.” the blonde waved her hand. “Besides, it’s not that I don’t want to tell her. It’s just that I need to take care of some things first.”
Thing made a questioning gesture.
“You know, like my heat, for example.” explained Enid in a low voice. “Now that it’s finally fading away, I’ll have a clearer head. And we should consider ourselves lucky, because it was a light one.” she pointed with her index finger and continued. “And I’m waiting for when the full moon passes, so I’ll be back to my normal self again. And then, when the time… presents itself I’m planning to-”
“Planning to do what?” Wednesday’s voice sounded causing Enid to jump from her bed.
“Wednesday! I – I…” she searched for words. “You gotta stop doing that!” exclaimed the werewolf with flushed cheeks and on the verge of a heart attack.
“Stop showing up in the middle of serious conversations? And miss the terrified faces of the speakers?” Wednesday deadpanned. “It’s too enjoyable.”
Enid rolled her eyes and tried to calm her racing heart. Then, she turned to Thing and whispered: “We’re gonna talk later, okay?”
The hand signed signed OK and got off her bed with a light thud. It walked towards the door leaving the two girls alone.
Silence filled the room.
After a beat, the ravenette broke it. “The bathroom is unoccupied now. You can go clean yourself.”
“Yes. Right.” Enid cleared her throat and grabbed her pink towel.
As she closed the bathroom’s door, Wednesday approached her black bed. However, just when she touched the familiar mattress, the lights flickered and died.
The room was dark and then-
A slipping sound.
Some muffled words.
BANG!
And a thud.
“Enid, are you well?” Wednesday shot up and sprinted to the bathroom door, behind which the sounds had come from.
The blonde murmured something.
Wednesday felt her heartbeat quicken and knocked hard on the door. “Enid!” she shouted.
Silence.
“Enid, I’m coming in!” warned the ravenette. “If you hear me, cover yourself.” she hesitated and opened the door.
The bathroom was almost pitch black. As the night sky was covered in clouds, only a faint silver light went through the bathroom window.
Suddenly, a form moved in the dark.
“Wednesday! What are you doing here?” sounded Enid’s voice. “Don’t you knock?”
“I did knock, Enid, but you didn’t answer.” said the shorter girl with a relaxed heartbeat, while hearing some rustling sounds. Enid was probably covering herself with a towel.
“I didn’t hear anythin – ouch!” hissed the werewolf.
“What happened? Are you okay?” asked Wednesday.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just… slipped when the lights went out.” explained the blonde and Wednesday saw a black silhouette standing up. “I’m okay. I just – I think I hit my mouth at the sink.” She raised her hand in the darkness and touched her lip. “I’m bleeding!” she panicked. “I’m gonna die, I’m gonna -”
“Enid, relax.” monotoned the black haired girl. “Oral wounds tend to bleed more than cuts on other parts of the body, because the mouth has a heavier blood supply. Even if it’s just a small scratch.” she clarified. “You’ll be fine.”
“Oh, okay.” said the werewolf and added: “Are you sure? Because I think I left some blood on the sink.”
Wednesday sighed and traced the edge of the sink with her hand. She felt something wet and raised her fingers to her nose. “Relax. It’s just water.” And then she commented slowly: “A shame, really. You always said that sink needed a splash of color. And I heard that bloody red was quite popular this year.”
Enid huffed. “Wednesday!”
“However, I always hate it when you conform with the majority.” Wednesday continued her teasing. “How about a deep shade of gray? It’s much more cheerful.”
“Wednesday! This is not funny!” exclaimed Enid.
“You’re right. My apologies.” said the ravenette. “This is a severe situation and I… acted poorly. I didn’t ask if you…” she inhaled. “preferred another color to match with your nauseatingly pink towels.”
“Urgh! You’re so – so…” fumed the blonde and searched for words. “annoying!”
“I know, Enid. You’ve told me many, many times before.” stated the shorter girl and eyed her in the darkness. “Continue your compliments and I might actually think you’re flirting with me.”
Enid nearly chocked herself. To cover it up she blurted out “angrily”: “You’re so self-centered, you know that?”
Wednesday waved her hand in the air. “Oh, stop that.” she teased flatly.
Enid rolled her eyes in the dark.
After a while, Wednesday’s voice sounded.
“Come.” she said softly. “I have a candle at my desk. I want to examine that wound of yours.” She extended her hand in the blackness. “Meanwhile, grab a clean towel and apply pressure on your cut. We want to stop that bleeding.” she noted and heard a faint rustle. Enid had found a clean towel.
After a few seconds, a warm hand touched Wednesday’s.
The ravenette led Enid to their room as her eyes got used to the dark by now. The faint moonlight filtered through the circular window casting softened hues of color on the floor. The light reached the blonde’s body and that’s when she realized-
“Do you want to change?” asked the ravenette. “I noticed you got undressed before the power outage.”
Enid blushed and clenched her pink towel with her free hand. Then, a déjà vu struck her as her mind went back to that eventful night.
When she first wolfed-out and fought the Hyde. When she clenched her pink coat and hugged Wednesday. When the ravenette hugged her back and took care of her. When she sat on Wednesday’s bed, towel wrapped and with a racing heart. When she gave her heart to her, never to be returned.
I love you, thought the blonde ever since. But she didn’t say it.
Enid blinked. “Uh, yeah. Give me sec to find my PJ’s and…” she looked through her drawers. “…change.” She took out her favorite pair with her unoccupied hand and glanced at Wednesday.
The ravenette nodded and turned her back to the werewolf giving her some privacy. She found herself looking out of the window, gazing at the dark clouds. Then, a déjà vu struck her as her mind went back to that eventful night.
When Enid wolfed-out for the first time saving her from the Hyde. When she feared the blonde didn’t make it out alive, but then she walked from the crowd with her pink coat and hugged her. When she herself hugged her back and did everything in her powers to make her feel safe, to make her bubbly roommate unbruised and unwounded like before. When she helped towel wrapped Enid sit on her black bed and stitched her up with a sprinting heart. When her heart was so full of Enid, she could hardly call it her own.
I love you, thought the ravenette ever since. But she didn’t say it.
“I’m ready.” said Enid and Wednesday turned around.
The blonde was wearing her pale pink pajamas with a kitten pattern on her pants. The kittens were white, fat and utterly adorable. And not only that, but the pattern matched with the one on her pocket and the sleeve’s hem of the shirt.
Wednesday rolled her eyes.
“What?” asked Enid, still pressing her pink towel on her lip.
“Nothing. I just don’t cease to be amazed by your choice of loungewear.”
Enid huffed. “And yours are better?”
“Of course. Plain black is elegant and mysterious, a symbol of sophistication and death.” articulated Wednesday approaching her desk. “It’s perfect.”
Now was Enid’s time to roll her eyes.
An orange flame illuminated her features as Wednesday lit a white candle. The small light revealed a smile on Enid’s face, which escaped under the towel’s crinkles. At that sight, Wednesday felt comfortably fuzzy in her heart.
However, the ravenette shook the new feeling away and cleared her throat. “Now, would you come here so I can examine that wound? And, please, remove the towel from your lip.” she said stoically, while she sat on her black bed.
The blonde complied and hesitantly sat on the edge of Wednesday’s mattress.
“Enid. I’m not Slenderman, I can’t reach you.” monotoned the ravenette.
The werewolf let out a nervous laugh.
Why was she suddenly so nervous? She had sit on Wednesday’s bed before. She had been in kissable – I mean, close distance with her before. Only a day before full moon…
Enid gulped and moved closer. She could smell Wednesday’s black orchid shampoo.
“Closer.” instructed the ravenette.
The blonde sat closer to Wednesday. She could see the freckles that adorned her face.
“Closer.” said the black haired girl.
Enid blinked and moved closer to her. Her leg touched hers and a ray of moonlight danced in her black eyes.
“Is… is that fine?” voiced Enid.
Wednesday’s eyes lowered to the blonde’s lips. Enid’s heart hammered against her chest.
No. Not even close. thought the ravenette, but said out loud: “Yes. Yes, I can see the wound.”
The shorter girl cleared her throat and inspected the small tear on Enid’s lower lip under the candlelight.
“I need more light.” Wednesday said flatly and reached for the candle on her desk. “Can you hold it for me?” she asked.
“Uh, yeah.” answered Enid and took it in her hands.
Wednesday’s cold hand tenderly cupped hers and guided it a little higher.
The two girls exchanged a glance, before Wednesday’s gaze dropped again on Enid’s bottom lip. Her black eyes were focused on the cut, while the small candlelight danced on her features creating momentary shadows, ever so beautiful. Enid’s heart started racing again, when-
“Does it hurt?” sounded the ravenette’s voice, a crease appearing on her forehead.
“What?” asked a startled Enid.
“Your wound.” said Wednesday, while reaching for her black first-aid kit. “Does it hurt?”
“Oh, uh… only a little.”
“M-hm.” hummed Wednesday and took out a white tube. “You’re lucky. It’s just a scratch.”
“Oh, great.” exhaled Enid relaxed.
“Although-” Wednesday cut her off. “I’m going to apply some antiseptic cream, just in case.” She opened the tube and took out a small amount of cream with her index finger. She leaned closer and touched Enid’s wounded lip with her cold fingertip, tapping the cream gently on.
Enid flinched, although her heart fluttered with the touch, and Wednesday removed her finger.
“Okay, uhm, tha-”
“Wait.” Wednesday stopped her. She tilted her head slightly and leaned closer. She slowly raised her hand and brushed some stray cream off the corners of Enid’s lips.
The blonde shuddered at the touch.
Their eyes met again.
Everything stood still, except something between blue irises and black orbs. The hot candle on Enid’s hand and the cold touch of Wednesday’s fingertips. The small gap between the blonde’s soft lips and the ravenette’s full ones…
“Uh, I – I…” Enid’s voice trailed off. She laughed nervously. “Thank you, again for-” she shot up with such speed that she accidentally poured some hot wax on Wednesday’s shirt.
The ravenette hissed.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” apologized Enid and tried to wipe away the melted wax with her hands from Wednesday’s pajama.
“Don’t worry, Enid. It was an accident.” stated the ravenette.
“No, I’m sorry…” rambled the blonde still trying to remove the wax from Wednesday’s PJ’s, until she realized…
Wednesday didn’t wear a bra under it.
Because, of course. Who actually wears a bra under PJ’s?
And she touched her roommate’s breasts. With her hands. Multiple times. Feeling everything.
Enid widened her eyes and blushed. “I’m sorry.” she repeated a little too loud and quickly withdrew her hands from the ravenette’s clothed chest.
“It’s fine, Enid.” reassured her a slightly flushed Wednesday. But inside her… oh, how her heart melted with Enid’s touch. The hot wax was nothing compared to that. A dead coal in front of a scorching blue flame. The hottest fire of all.
Blue and burning, like Enid’s eyes. thought Wednesday, but said out loud: “Did – did you burn yourself with the wax?”
“No, I’m fine. Are you fine?” asked Enid with worried eyes.
“Don’t distress yourself. This isn’t the first time it happened.” explained the black haired girl. “The ruination of my loungewear during night-time activities happens more frequently than you might think.”
Enid widened her eyes again and Wednesday realized how it had sounded.
“In spontaneous surveillance of suspects or during the examination of critical areas, I mean. And not in-” Wednesday cleared her throat and awkwardly examined her black loungewear. The white wax was cold now and it was smeared all over her black shirt. It even dropped to her pants. “I’m going to change now.” she stated.
Enid nodded shyly, while Wednesday strolled to her closet and opened it.
“Interesting. I might lessen my midnight lookouts in the future.” she frowned a little and closed the closet. She looked at Enid. “I’m afraid I have not one loungewear available at the time of being.”
“Oh, uh…” thought Enid loudly. And then she smiled. “I might have something! And don’t worry.” she said as Wednesday opened her mouth to protest. “It’s black and white.”
“How do you possess a black and white-”
Wednesday was cut off by Enid happily showing her the available pajama. Despite the darkness, the ravenette could tell that it was the same the blonde was wearing, except the kittens were black and the background white.
“No way.” deadpanned Wednesday.
“Oh, come on! Why not?” asked Enid. “It’s cute.”
“Exactly.” monotoned Wednesday.
“Look, it was a set with the PJ’s I’m wearing and on discount-”
“Because who would wear such atrocity.” Wednesday added.
“And anyway, it was a good deal.” finished Enid a little annoyed. “You’re lucky I didn’t gave them away. It’s either that or nothing.” she smiled in victory.
Wednesday sighed. “Fine.” She snatched the disgustingly cute pajama set off Enid’s hand. “Thank you.” she muttered and turned around to change.
“You’re welcome.” smiled Enid and looked towards the wall behind her multi-colored bed and not Wednesday.
After a while, the ravenette said: “I’m ready.”
Enid turned around. Wednesday was cute.
The blonde resisted an Awww and opened her mouth to say something.
“Don’t.” said Wednesday.
“Always so grumpy.” grinned Enid and sat on her colorful bed.
Wednesday rolled her eyes and sat on her black bed.
“You know…” teased Enid. “You don’t look so dangerous with these cute, fat kittens on…”
“How’s your lip? Does it hurt?” Wednesday changed the subject and crossed her arms like a corpse.
Enid sighed lightly and shook her head. “It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt that much.” she said honestly and added: “Thank you.”
Wednesday nodded in the darkness.
The blonde covered herself with her pink blanket. “Sweet dreams.” she wished to the girl in the black bed. To the girl she gave her heart, never to be returned.
“Good nightmares.” responded the ravennete. “And thank you… for the loungewear.” she whispered to the girl in the bright-colored bed. To the girl that smiled creating a warm, fuzzy feeling in her cold heart. To the girl that filled her heart so much, she could hardly call it her own.