arescere ✿ xavier thorpe

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48 - cold bones

it's cold, the late night air makes a shiver run down his arms and down into his fingertips. he now wishe he had grabbed some kind of outer garment. a jumper or a sweater, or even just a thicker material shirt. the thin blue t-shirt provided little to no warmth for his frail body. the sky has long since darkened, the candle to his left flickered slightly in the wind. he thought about his friends. he wondered what hey would all be doing right now. theo would probably be curled up with some candles as he looks into the book of his past. he thinks of lily and taliah, the two were probably snuggled up watching a movie on lily's ipad. yet he sits here, alone. the warmth of xavier's lips on his cheek had burnt out, leaving him cold to the bone. even wednesday was currently out on a date, he reminded himself as she was now walking up to the school. she was hiding a very faint smile upon her lips. she nods at him as she passes. rushing past him and up into the school as a sigh escapes his lips. not even she wants to be with him right now. but five minutes later she comes rushing back down the stairs. carrying a bundle of white fabric to her. red seeping through the clean material. and his heart drops. he leaps from the steps. he finds thing in her hands. a wound sliced through the palm of his hand. the red staining everything. she seems almost distraught. so he grabs her spare hand, leading her towards the bee hut which is where they had hidden her uncle fester. the poor man was laid in a heap of bags when they burst in, wednesday cried ot for his help immediately. the hand laid on the table, as fester rubs his hands together. sparks of electric lighting between his finger as he presses down on the hand. but nothing happens. the hand remains motionless.

"thing. if you can hear me. if you die, i will kill you." she speaks to the hand. fester and peter share a strange look as he rubs his hands together again. sparking up the hand. when finally the fingers begin to move. she promises the hand that she will give the person who did this to him a slow but long painful death. tears had brewed up in her eyes, something some people believe to be impossible. she quickly wipes them away as peter observes them. and before he knows it, wednesday is pulling him into ms weems office. where ms thornhil already sat awaiting their arrival. he sits in silence, not even breathing too loudly as wednesday and the head teacher talk about the actions of tonight. the trashed room, the blood, the missing book. ms thronills sharp gaze is on him, her cold eyes watching him almost as silent as he is. they're talking about the book that wednesday had stolen from the library under the statue.

"so you do know about that diary, which means that you also know the monster w're after is called a hyde." wendesayd speaks coldly and peter perks up, listening in. hyde. the monster in the woods, that's what they're talking about now.

"thank you ms, thornhill. i'll take it from here. and take mr belfiore back to his room, please." ms weems speaks, the fire crackling behind her. his fingernails seemingly sink into his thighs at the sound of his name. but wednesday sharply moves.

"no. he stays. he's.... my friend." she speaks, her words almost failing her. before she stares right back into ms weem eyes who seems almost shocked at the announcement. as is he. he knows it's true. that if she were anyone other then wednesday addams it would be obvious that they're friends, but she is wednesday addams. ms thornhill nods and leaves quickly., her heels clinking after her.

"faulkner spent years studying hydes. he wanted to determine if they were just mindless killers or conscious of their actions."

"what was his conclusion?"

"he was killed by a hyde before he could reach one. others tried to carry on his research but the hydes were too unpredictable and violent. they were officially banned from nevermore 20 years ago. " and even peter caught the glance she cast to him. his heart thuds in his chest. what the fuck was that about. he looks quickly to wednesday, who is still staring blanky up at ms weems.

"all of this time, you've known the monster was a hyde.2 didn't you tell the sheriff?" she adds quiet. eyes darting to the fire only for a mere second.

"because ten nevermore is done. over. shut for good. and that's not happening on my watch. but im not the only one withholding. if you suspect someone, you need to need to tell me." peter now feels the sideways glance of wednesday. almost to check if he were actually listening.

"why? all you've ever one is gaslight and obstruct me. you don't care how many people die as long as your reputation is safe."

"i am protecting our nevermore family, which also includes you ms addams. your friend mr belfiore." the silence then hags i the room. his name like venom in her mouth. and wednesday makes a small huff. leaving the room quickly. leaving the two standing in the firelight.

"mr belfiore." she speaks softly, taking a small step towards him. but his gaze darts to the door. and he's soon following after wednesday. but as usual, she has disappeared. so he heads to his room. the cold still tinging at his bones. the room is empty when he arrives, a lack of xavier's presence as well as his sketchbook so he immediately just assumes he's in his painting place as he strips down into his underwear, not even bothering with putting on some pyjamas as he falls into a restless sleep. the warmth surrounding him still doesn't stop the cold feeling that lingering in his stomach.