arescere ✿ xavier thorpe

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35 - stone faces and shadowed figures

after her present of her parents, followed by the one from enid. wednesday finds herself wanting to hide away. and who knows how to hide away better then peter belfiore. hence why his face was the only one she didn't find whilst strolling the long winding corridors of nevermore. till she remembered where the boy would be. the small nook in the library. and she made a beeline for that direction. boots clicking against the floor as she went. the dim light of the library invited her in. the musty smell not so much. she weaved around isles of books till she found the opening. and, low and behold he sat there. legs swung over the chair and his head thrown backwards of the side. little sounds of sleep passing his lips. the book left open on his chest. romeo and juliet. he was right to be asleep, it was a boring book. the worst in her opinion. and she noticed the parcel. it was messily wrapped.the papers crinkled and thrown together stringed bow. it was a silver string.

"i thought i said no presents?" she questioned and she remained unfazed as he screamed, scared shitless as he was awoken from his slumber. his heart racing in his chest as he looked up at the glum girl, who was glancing at the present.

"that's yours." he groaned. throwing his unread book on the table. only three pages in.

"really." the nearly sarcastic tone made him grin as he pushed it towards her with his shoe. he motions to it, and she rolls her eyes before leaning over to pick it up. the paper is rough against her fingers. and wednesday slowly unties the silver bow onto the brown paper parcel. first thing she notices it is two items. a material of some kind. and a hard book. she picks the book up first. it is white. almost ivory coloured with age. the leather looks almost like draping fabric. the silver detail she's revealing it's name.

the women in white.

the book looks like nothing that would be seen in the presence of wednesday addams. hence why it hurts to admit she is excited. someone had found something she's hate and she likes it. she places the book on the table before peter. who still sat slumped on the brown leather sofa. the material in her hands is soft. the soft material she's ever held. it's cashmere. it's dark grey. almost black but not yet black. on the chest. on the left side. is a embroidery. wednesday addams. or in the jumpers case.

w. addams.

it's simple. it's cute. its not her yet she finds herself appreciating it.

"happy birthday." he speaks, she looks down at him. he's still slumped against the chair lazily, eyes tired and dark circles under the tired eyes. he looked like shit. looking worse and worse everyday. like something is always wrong, something looming over him. he wouldn't tell anyone this but something was. a shadow always there, lurking in rooms. watching. staring. he wondered if this was what dad had warned him about. when peter was little, just before daphne's death. william mentioned shadows lurking. friends on the other side, peter always believed. always watching, always waiting. but for what? it was unknown. he was looking at it right now. stood behind the curtain by the window. it faced him, yet somehow seemed to be scanning the books around it. it was tall. standing almost taller then the windows. windows that stretched just below the high. it had no features, just shadows. it had dangly arms. so long that hung low. nails scraping on the floor. she notices his blank expression. following his gaze to find just bookshelves followed by the curtains of the windows.

"thank you, don't do it again." she hisses before spinning on her heel and leaving the room. peter sighed as he relaxed back into the chair when she appeared from the shadows again. the thing twitches beside her. moving slightly to stand beside her.

"i'm coming!" he shouts. groaning as he stretched. pulling himself from the sofa. grabbing his jumper and bag. following after the girl who always stench of death. rushing from the shadow which he knew would somehow find him again. he follows her to the gardens. the burnt words still upon the green grass. he spins, wondering where the shadow hides. when a voice speaks.

"last night in the crypt, you had another vision. didn't you?" he speaks, peter who stand son wednesdays right, looks to find xavier now stood on her left.

"no she nearly cracked her neck and passed out for the shits and giggles." peter adds, plastering a grin on his face. the shadow looming in his eyes. he needs to call his father. for a moment he's glad he doesn't have his own phone. william never answered his calls, he wondered if he'd answer the phone from the headmaster's office. how on earth he'd convince larissa weems to call william belfiore? not even god could help with that. he didn't realise how long he had been stood in one spot until wednesday taps on his shoulder. her touch seems to zap him, turning his head to look at her. and she actually looks confused, scared almost. worried. wednesday addams looks scared. but is she scared of him? or for him?

"peter?" she questions. for the first time, wednesday addams voice wobbled. xavier is long gone now. leaving only wednesday and peter. he smiles softly.

"i'm sorry, what did you say?" he questions.

"would you like come visit eugene?" she asks and like it hits him. he rubs his arm. remembering the marks brandishing his skin. along with the rest of the newer scars. he wondered how someone would react if they were to see. pale frail body covered in bruises and scars. claw marks from the women, from the beast. the bruises he gets from hitting tables. the pricks on his fingers from plants. and the rest. he shakes his head, she raises her brow. and he wanders off to his room. wanting to hide away. she watches him go. the curve of worry evident on her features. something that looked so unnatural on her rocked face.