Cherry Wine // Wednesday X Xavier

The Only Living Boy In New York

The train ride was a long 40 minute ride but at least the four of them could find a seat in the corner of the crowded car. Ajax and Enid were giggling to themselves, blowing their hot breath onto the window and playing a quick game of tic-tac-toe before the fog could dissipate. Xavier, with his new red hat, was still coming down from the high from the adrenaline rush that was The Macy's Santa Claus fiasco of 2022, a goofy smile on his face. He pulled out his phone and snapped a selfie, the feeling of accomplishment washing over him. Sure the entire thing was juvenile but seeing Wednesday smirk at his outlandish behavior made it all worth it. Her hard shell was cracking, he just knew it.

Wednesday sat beside Xavier, a small black journal in hand. Sneaking a peak, Xavier tried his best to read Wednesday's chicken-scratch cursive but found it quite difficult to focus on anything other than her delicate fingers wrapped around the book and pen in her lap, her nails painted a deep black with red undertones.

He pulled his attention away to add an earbud, hitting play on his phone, soothing sounds of Simon & Garfunkel flooding in his head. The calmness filled his chest with warmth as he enjoyed the moment. He glanced again at the petite girl beside him again. She had a troubled look on her face, eyebrows knit together. Wednesday was scratching out words and fixing grammar errors on the pages in front of her with verve.

Wednesday's seriousness and dedication was another thing that Xavier admired most about her. Even if her strong-willed diligence tended to lead her into the arms of danger, she took a challenge by storm. She never backed down, she stood up and conquered. "Though she be but little she is fierce" or something like that. No matter, Xavier found her forceful demeanor captivating and intriguing.

He tapped on the journal, peeling her from her concentration, her large black eyes shifting up towards him. Without words he beckoned her closer. Wednesday leaned in slightly, startled by the sudden touch of Xavier's long slender fingers pushing her hair behind her ear, popping his other earbud in. A soft guitar melody danced along her brain and a beating reverberated in her thoracic cavity, presumably from her heart. It felt oddly familiar, but she couldn't place it. Perhaps she was coming down with something. Wednesday wasn't one to fall ill, her antibodies just as fit and stubborn as she was.

Usually Wednesday would turn away any unwanted closeness but she allowed Xavier to share his headphones with her as she continued to write. She glanced from her pages to watch Xavier tap along with the music that they shared. His fingertips were rough with callouses which matched the ones on his palms. He had bruised and dirty fingernails, a certain manly charm to it.

Morticia had taught Wednesday, at a young age, to keep up with her personal hygiene. Clean fingernails and tidy hair meant she was put together. But something about Xavier's unkempt appearance appealed to his character. He had deep circles around his eyes, his cheeks hollow as well. He looked half-dead, his pale skin crawling with deep blue veins. His long hair was stringy in a grungy look that suited his creative expressionism that seemed flawless without even trying.

Although Wednesday barely tolerated his cocky tempermant she had to applaud his efforts at living up to his true self. It was hard being an outcast among outcasts, she knew it all too well. Xavier was comfortable in his own solitude, something that Wednesday had never found with anyone else, besides herself.

The train was slowing to their stop, the four of them exiting the train and bounding back up onto the streets. Wednesday found Brooklyn to be a much more comfortable environment. There weren't as many tourists, no flashy lights, and the working class kept to themselves. They had to travel a few blocks by foot to reach the publisher's office. Enid and Ajax took the lead, walking hand in hand, whispering to each other, Ajax stealing a fast kiss to Enid's strawberry pink lips.