𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐎𝐅 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐎𝐧𝐞

She said, "Am I bad to the bone 'cause I get what I want?"

•───⋅⋆⁺‧₊☽⛦☾₊‧⁺⋆⋅───•

“What are you two doing?” Xavier's voice rang out, sharp and filled with suspicion as he approached Wednesday and Lilith, his eyes narrowed.

Wednesday didn’t miss a beat, answering swiftly and without hesitation. “Nothing,” he replied, his tone even and cool. “We just saw you come out this way. What is this place?” His dark eyes lingered on the small building behind Xavier, curiosity piqued.

Xavier shifted on his feet, glancing toward the shack. “It’s kind of my private art studio,” he explained. “I cleared it out and fixed it up, so Weems let me use it.” There was a touch of pride in his voice, though it was clear he didn’t want them poking around.

Wednesday tilted his head slightly, his lips curling ever so faintly into a knowing smirk. “How very entrepreneurial,” he remarked, his words dripping with dry sarcasm. “We would love to see inside. Why don’t you give us a tour?”

Xavier quickly shook his head, his posture growing defensive. “Not right now,” he said, a little too quickly. “It’s a total mess.”

But Wednesday wasn’t one to let things go so easily. “I shadowed a crime scene photographer last summer,” he continued, his voice firm and unbothered. “I’m not easily fazed.”

Xavier glanced between the two of them, clearly growing more uncomfortable by the second. “Maybe another time,” he insisted, his tone leaving little room for argument. “Why were you two looking for me, anyway?”

Lilith stood beside Wednesday, searching for a quick answer. “Uh… we wanted to go over Ms. Thornhill’s homework assignment,” she lied as she smiled.

Xavier’s eyes narrowed further. “She didn’t give us homework,” he pointed out, his tone skeptical. “Remember? Why are you two really out here?” He asked again, his suspicion now in full force.

“Actually, I came here for—” Lilith started, her voice uncertain, but before she could finish, Wednesday cut her off sharply.

“She came here to ask you something specific, and I came here to… help her. Support her.” His voice was calm, but there was a sharp edge to it, clearly trying to take control of the conversation.

Lilith shot him a cold, piercing look, her gaze filled with disbelief. “I did?”

Wednesday stubbornly refused to meet her icy glare, looking away as though nothing was amiss. But the tension between them was palpable. Xavier, however, had a smirk spreading across his face, clearly amused by the exchange. “Is this about a certain dance you weren’t sure you wanted to go to, perhaps?”

Wednesday bit the inside of his cheek, holding back the sharp retort that threatened to escape. A wave of frustration and anger rolled through him, but he forced himself to stay silent. As much as he hated it, this conversation could lead to more information about the monster he was hunting, and he would make the sacrifice if necessary. He clenched his jaw. “I’m all ears,” Xavier added with a grin, turning his attention to Lilith.

Wednesday glared at Xavier, his dark eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. “You’re really going to make her ask?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Xavier said smugly, smiling at Lilith as though he found the entire situation entertaining.