ʚ Long time no see ɞ - Wyler fic

Quoth the Raven,

QUOTE FROM: The Raven, Edgar Allen Poe (Link to the entire poem at the bottom 'External Link')

"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore-"

Tyler knocked at the door.

"While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly, there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door."

Wednesday sighed, standing and smoothing her dress. She answered the door. "Oh, you're here. You are late." She said disapprovingly. Tyler let out a breathy chuckle and nodded.

"Yeah, sorry." He said, holding out a flower to her. A Black Dahlia, her favorite. She looked at him.

"This isn't a date."

"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door-
Only this and nothing more. Ah, distinctly, I remember it was in the bleak December;
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor."

He nodded. "Right.." He inhaled slightly before moving aside to let Wednesday out. She plucked the flower from his hands, set it down, exited her apartment, and shut the door behind her. "I am driving." She said, looking at him. "I cannot trust you yet." Yet.

"Eagerly I wished the morrow;-vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow-sorrow for the lost Lenore-
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Nameless here for evermore."

Wednesday and Tyler walked to Wednesday's car. A 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle, in black of course. Wednesday got in the driver's seat and waited for Tyler, who got in as well. He looked around.

"Nice car. How long have you had it?" He asked.

"Five years, Mother and Father gifted it to me for my quinceanera. Of course, I had no driver's license or wished to drive at fifteen so it stayed at home until I got my license." She said dryly as she started it. "Do you know the model?" She asked, glancing at him.

"It's a, uh, 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle, right?"

"1970." She replied as the car started. "Most people don't know this model. How do you?" She asked.

"My dad likes cars...fixed them in his free time." He explained as he buckled. "I learned most of it by force; 'men need to know cars; what will you do if your wife doesn't like to get her hands dirty?'" He quoted with a sigh. "I told him I wouldn't marry a woman afraid to get her hands dirty." He chuckled breathily. She nodded idly, driving to the Weathervane. Blurred images of trees, buildings, and other cars quickly passed, but Tyler seemed most focused on the faces. The faces of -now adult- peers. He'd tried to forget that the world continued to move on without him. He missed trends, events, news, and his last years of childhood. As Wednesday parked, he noticed a small girl standing on the sidewalk. She instantly reminded him of Wednesday, with her hair braided with framing bangs, closed off, and avoidant from everyone else. Soon, a boy walked up to her. He reminded Tyler of himself, as well. Curly dirty blonde hair, slouched over in a work outfit, he spoke to the younger girl. The two conversed quietly, making eye contact before she gave him a quick kiss and left to join her friend. He quickly snapped back after she was gone and got out of the car with Wednesday, following her inside and to a seat. He looked around with familiarity.

"Hasn't changed much, huh?" He sighed as he sat, looking at her. "Some things never change, I guess."

"Everything changes." She responded. "Now, tell me everything." She demanded directly. Tyler stared at her, confused. She sighed. "What was solitude like? Did they try to kill you? How much did you have time to think about? Did they deprive you of your senses? Was it torture?" She asked, very interested in learning about his time at the asylum. Tyler blinked.

"It was...bad, I guess? They didn't try to kill me, and I still have all my senses, but I didn't have much time to think." He said slowly. "I don't know if torture would be the word for it, but I didn't like it." He spoke as he watched her eyes almost brighten, the inching of a smile forming on her lips as she listened. She stared at him.

"Tell me more. Was it dark? Were you watched?" She asked.

"No, it wasn't, and sometimes, yeah." He sighed. "Look, Wednesday. Can we focus on something else..?" He asked hopefully. Though, he had a feeling he knew the answer. He was right.

"I invited you here because I wanted to know about your time in solitude, not focus on past romantic tensions between us." She replied. "You distracted me and caused me harm. I do not intend to feel that way again for anyone or anything." She said strictly. He nodded slowly, sighing. "I'm guessing Xavier got to you then?" He asked, mostly sarcastically. Wednesday wrinkled her nose.

"What? Ew, no. I don't believe I should be required to answer that, but I have not spoken with Xavier since he gave me a phone." she frowned a bit, looking away from him. "I actually have removed myself from romance entirely, even in my novels." She said with a heavy sigh.

"And why is that?" He asked, resting his arms on the table.

"You proved to me how foolish it was. Truly, I should thank you. Without annoying romantic partners to worry over I finished my novel before Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly finished Frankenstein. You were a distraction, Joel was a distraction, and Xavier was a pest." She sighed. "I promised my mother I would never be a housewife, a mother, or fall in love. I failed to keep my word once, the other two will remain withheld." She said decidedly. "And no man, woman, or other creature will stop that."
"Should I take that as a dare?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Take it as a threat." She responded flatly. "I believe we're done here, I have a novel to write, and I'm sure you have somewhere to be." She said, standing up. He stood up as well.

"Alright. Are we going to do this again, or am I just going to stop mattering to you?" He asked. She looked at him and sighed.

"I suppose we can do this again...perhaps once a year." She suggested.

"I'd like to see you more than that."
"Every other month."
"Every month."
"Fine."