Unlovable | Wednesday Addams

21

Ever since Evelyn had gotten back from the hospital, Arnold hadn't left her side. He sat perched on her shoulder, sleeping along with Evelyn who had fallen asleep trying to catch up. Her head was propped up on her books, a fountain pen still clutched in her hand. Evelyn had barely seen Wednesday all week as she'd been so busy with all of her assignments. The cold air that had been blowing on her neck for the past hour woke her up, causing her to let out a bleary yawn. She picked Arnold off of her shoulder, her lips turning down when he clung onto her thumb as he slept. She held him gently as she shut the window and began to reorganise her lab. Speaking of Wednesday, her door suddenly opened and in walked the girl.

"Evelyn–"

Evelyn quickly pressed a finger to her own lips before pointing to Arnold. She smiled in greeting and gestured for her to come further inside. "I thought you said you wouldn't come up here again?"

Wednesday gulped and looked around the lab. "I know Thing gave you my note-"

"And I got it-"

"But Thing said you rejected it," Wednesday quickly interjected, her eyes meeting Evelyn's quickly. "My actions put you at risk and the monster...the monster could have killed you."

"It was my own stupidity," Evelyn shrugged, subconsciously running her fingers down the bandages wrapped from her ribs to her navel. "At least I'm going to get a cool scar out of this."

"It wasn't a situation I should have put you in—"

"Wednesday. Stop," Evelyn said, moving forward to place her hands on Wednesday's shoulders. "I don't blame you."

Wednesday reached for one of her hands, interlocking their fingers together. "I was...very concerned while you were unconscious."

"Is that so?" Evelyn teased gently.

She turned their hands over to look at Evelyn's painted nails. "Which is why I had Thing send the note and why I'm giving you back the gem."
Evelyn scowled and guarded her pockets so Wednesday could sneak it in with her one free hand, secretly not wanting to lose the small point of contact.

She inhaled deeply. "I do know things about you."

"And what's that?" Evelyn asked, watching the girl carefully.

Wednesday paused, thinking for a moment. "You use makeup because you care about how others perceive you. You help so many people as a distraction from helping yourself. You have a smile that you have to get people to stop asking questions. And I...my manipulative, single-minded personality has hurt you. You don't blow up at anyone but I was the first to make you blow up. And for that, I apologise:"

"That's...really sweet, Wednesday," Evelyn said, fighting to stop the dawning smile on her face.
Immediately, Wednesday looked away and dropped Evelyn's hand. She cleared her throat, "don't think of this as a regular occurrence."

"Of course not," Evelyn nodded solemnly. "You know, I don't buy your whole "no emotions" façade."

"It's not a façade. Emotions equal weakness," Wednesday retorted sharply.

Evelyn reached forward and gently raised Wednesday's chin so she didn't look like she was still glaring at her. "I disagree. Everyone feels. You bury your emotions so deep and for what? A life without emotions is a person in a shell. A person made of stone."

Wednesday's jaw clenched and unclenched as she struggled to hold eye contact with Evelyn. "Emotions can get out of hand. Make someone do things they never would have if they didn't listen to them. Make them irrational."

"True, true. But have you heard the story of Achilles and Patroclus? Possibly the most famous gay love story, too."

"Yes, I have. I'm no fool," Wednesday said. "Achilles charged into battle to avenge his fallen lover after Hector killed him."

"I'd say love is pretty strong..." Evelyn grinned, still holding Wednesday's gaze.

Wednesday's lips twitched slightly.

"Oh? Is that a smile? I saw that twitch!" Evelyn teased, grinning even larger.

"Don't flatter yourself. I haven't smiled in years," Wednesday deadpanned.

"I believe you," Evelyn replied. The two lapsed into comfortable silence as they just stared at each other. Wednesday seemed to be contemplating something.

She suddenly surged forward, causing Evelyn to let out a small squeak as she was backed into her bookshelf. The other girl was suddenly so close, close enough that Evelyn could count each individual freckle on her face. Silence stretched between them as Evelyn watched Wednesday struggle with some internal conflict. She raised her hand slowly to rub some ink off of Evelyn's face. Her eyelids fluttered rapidly as she took a step back and awkwardly rubbed her inky fingers together.

Evelyn stammered an incoherent sentence as Wednesday stared at her.

"I should leave you to your work," she muttered, leaving before a shocked Evelyn could form a full thought in her head. An unwelcome smile made its way to Evelyn's face as she shook her head and leaned against her bookshelf.

"She's right, you know," Arnold piped up from her desk. "It's dangerous."

"What isn't?" Evelyn was still smiling.

"I don't know why you're risking your neck for her. She's just pretty and dangerous-"

"Yeah. She's pretty and dangerous. Need I have another reason? I suppose it's the dangerous ones that steal my heart," Evelyn cut in dramatically, prancing around her lab back to her desk.

"I'm scared, Evelyn." Arnold admitted quietly.

"You almost died out there."
Evelyn's smile dropped and she leaned against her table, nodding.

"You're right. But I swear, I swear that I'll try to be safer," Evelyn promised. Arnold's eyes softened and he held up a tiny fist, to which Evelyn pressed the tip of her pointer finger to.

"I don't want to lose you."

"And you won't, Arnold. I promise you."

So...imma just try this out...
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