Punctured Lungs (Wednesday x Xavier) DISCONTINUED

Fuck this shadow

The world was a shade darker. Shadows more prominent. And pain had taken on a shape. A form. It followed her, and took each step with her. It watched her. It stared her down. It wanted her to fail. To fall. She felt like her world was cracking open. She needed to hold herself everywhere she went just to keep herself together. Just to stop her from crumbling into a million pieces.

Did stars feel this way? She wondered if it was too late to send in her application to whoever made her a human, and be made into a star instead. And burn forever. It'd be better than living in hell.

How could Tyler escape? How was that even possible? He was supposed to be sent away. To the most secure location. Now, Wednesday looked over her shoulder everywhere she went. She didn't feel safe. Not like she felt safe before.

Pull yourself together Wednesday. You need to find Galpin and beat his ass, Wednesday scolded herself. She didn't have time to be weak and emotional.

Though she couldn't help it.

Her skin a sickly pale, and her under eyes darker than usual, her eyelids all puffy. The nightmares had gotten worse. But the worse they got, the less she wanted Xavier to see her like that.

So she stopped sleeping with him. She had been staying in her own dorm. Thrashing around in her own sheets, and crying into her own arms. Silencing herself so she wouldn't wake Enid. 

She knew she needed Xavier. But she didn't want to drag him into the mess she had become.

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Xavier noticed what was going on. Wednesday was starting to isolate herself once more. She had a tendency to do so when she began compressing her feelings.

He knew she always dove deep into the darkness. But he didn't want her to go too deep. He didn't want her to fall without him there to catch her. He didn't want her to dive and never come back for air.

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Wednesday cradled herself yet again, she rocked back and forth. Her breathing shaky as her teary eyed clouded her vision, making any shadow look like Tyler Galpin or Weems coming back to seek their revenge. Tyler, her assaulter, her stalker, her aggressor. Weems...her attacker, her victim.

She knew she wouldn't be going back to sleep any time soon. She sighed. She sat up straight, legs handing over the side of her bed. Her toes curled and her knee bounced as she clenched her fists into her bed sheets. She was contemplating.

Enid, still sounding like an earth quake with her snores. She was oblivious to Wednesday's broken nights. Wednesday's eyes darted across the room, as if what she was about to do would break the sound barrier of the barely silent night.

But still she hopped out of the bed and grabbed her cello. It's case rattling as she heaved it out of the window. She set up her seat and her music stand, before turning over and tackling the large instrument.

She adored it, but it was quite the hassle to set up. She decided not to play with sheet music, and simply improvise. Her whirlwind of emotions, concentrated into music. And for the first time ever, she let her feelings play her.

Like a caged animal, they broke free. And her cello weeped. Her eyes closed as she was overcame with emotion, and let herself feel. The symphony of broken hearted notes being played and taken away by the wind.

They were played for no one to hear. They were played to be forgotten. But they graced one person's ears. Someone who had already been scaling the side of Nevermore to reach that rooftop serenade the second she had began playing.

It drew them in. Reeling them closer. They heard her pain. And all they wanted to do was heal her.

Though they failed to be quiet.

"Hmph!"

Wednesday's playing stopped abruptly upon hearing the soft thud of someone falling behind her. Her body froze. She immediately thought it was Tyler. The footsteps crunched as they grew closer and closer. Until a hand touched her shoulder and she snapped.

Her cello clanged to the ground as she grabbed the hand and flipped the person over and pinned them to the floor. Her eyes widened at the sight of Xavier Thorpe. Wide eyed and hands up in surrender under her. She quickly got off of him and brushed herself off. Colour attempting to creep onto her cheeks as she remembered that she was wearing one of his shirts.

"Xavier! What are you doing here?" She questioned him, turning around to pack away her instrument.

"I-I heard your playing. I felt...god I sound so stupid...never mind," he dismissed.

Wednesday's eyebrows furrowed, she wouldn't push.

"Do you...maybe...wanna..." Xavier trailed off.

Wednesday looked over her shoulder to be met with a shy reflection of the boy she knew. She didn't know if it was maybe the raw emotion he had caught her in. Or the fact that she had been distancing herself lately, that made him act like they were a new couple.

Couple. Huh. She still needed to get used to the word.

"Do I want to...what?" She asked.

"I don't know...sleep over at mine? You haven't been doing that recently. So I thought you were upset. Or maybe mad at me..."Xavier stammered out.

"No. I'm not upset at you specifically. I'm just-" she cut herself off, not wanting to rope Xavier into her emotional turmoil at the moment. "Yes. Okay. I'll sleep over."

Xavier beamed and grabbed her hand. He lead her to his dorm under the night sky, the stars shining overhead. And in that moment, Wednesday didn't feel like she was burning alone.

The two slipped in through his window and immediately dive for the covers. Wednesday immediately felt at home, surrounded by his smell. By the memories. In the arms of her lover. Xavier groaned in pure happiness and satisfaction as he cozied up to her. And grinned even wider when she did the same.

Their eyes got heavy with sleep.

But the monstrous claw of pain that gripped Wednesday wasn't done tormenting her that night.
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Hey guys! Another chapter! This chapter is dedicated to @Persifhani ! Thank you so much for your support. Thank you so much to everyone for your support.

Lots of love!