"Life had broken much of them, but they were there still persisting in the shards of their pieces."
~~~
Once they had returned to their dorms after the school day finished, Enid began to play that god-awful music that made Wednesday very much wish she could rip her eardrums out. It was one of those days when Enid simply wanted to listen to the music, and she blasted it through the room as she sang along with it, Thing hopping around with the colorful girl as they danced around the room. A 'jam out session' she had been told, and she recalled her and Xavier having one of those one time. But this was far more nauseating than the one in the car with him.
Wednesday tried her best to focus on her book, but the upbeat tune and the heartbroken lyrics caused her eye to twitch. Frowning, she slammed her book shut, rolling off her bed as she put her boots on, reaching for her phone and wallet in the process.
She grabbed a coat, bidding her distracted roommate a quick goodbye before she headed down to a bus, catching a ride into the town of Jericho.
As she watched the trees and buildings fly by through the window, her eyebrow furrowed as she recalled the vision. An oddly familiar presence lingered in the back of her mind, and she couldn't quite place a finger on what, or who it was. It was the very thing that had happened before, except this time she had a connection with one of the people in her vision. She frowned, wondering how much her mother would remember, and at that share with her about what happened that night. It seemed the woman played a key role here at Nevermore, but apparently passed. What was the connection, and why was her mother bickering with the said woman?
The bus stopped, and she hopped off, quickly walking into one of the stores. She had no idea what she was looking for, just something that caught her eye. It was Xavier's birthday in less than a week, falling on this Thursday. She had Enid plan the party, but Wednesday picked the flavor of the cake, along with the location. It wasn't like her to organize rambunctious events for teens to frolic around, enjoying themselves, but she figured Xavier enjoyed the events.
It would be right outside his art shed, where there was space and not so crowded and hot as hers was in the dorm. She wasn't planning on taking any credit for it, but she knew Enid would make everyone well aware she had been the one to organize such a wretched thing. It was just another day with a cake and awful singing, as everyone seemed to be extra off-key for the song.
Now she just had to search for a present for him, as she had postponed it until the last minute. She skipped fencing once again for this, and she hadn't even planned on doing so until she reached her dorm. But somewhere she found herself feeling slightly guilty she had waited this long, while he had picked such a heartwarming gift for her. Her fingers found their way to the necklace that lay on her chest, and she felt a wave of inspiration flood through her.
Her eyes darted around the store, searching for something that made her think of the boy but came out with nothing. She walked to the next store, then the next, before she finally found something that might be of interest to the boy. It was becoming exhausting, this search for a gift, but alas she had come upon an interesting discovery.
She dusted off the thick book, titled Mastering Composition Techniques and Principles to Improve Your Painting. Tracing the spine of the book, she fingered through the pages, before deciding to head to the cashier. It wasn't as if he needed it, but he may be able to learn more about his hobby, possibly teaching her. She paid for the book, was surprised it was relatively cheap and walked out the door with a satisfied grin on her face.
As she walked back to the bus stop, she pulled out her mobile device, and her eyes widened when she saw the time. It had been nearly 2 hours since she had left Nevermore, and she had made the mistake of not alerting anyone of her whereabouts. She saw a flood of text from Xavier and Enid, piling up one upon the other asking if she was okay. How she had managed to miss the vibrations from the device she wasn't sure, but she cursed it as she scrolled through.
She typed a reply, sending a simple text stating she had gone into town for some shopping.
Great, now she had to actually do said shopping.
Hopping off the bench, she quickly ran into the grocery store, picking out the unhealthiest-looking snacks on the aisle, before rushing up to the cashier, dropping the snacks on top as the lady gave her a weird look. She might have done the same thing if someone had run up with an armful of snacks and dropped them in front of her, but right now she didn't really care if the lady stared at her.
Wednesday gave the woman a blank stare, doing her best to conceal her out-of-breath state. Once everything was bagged and paid for, she threw in her previous purchase with the two new bags, then ran back to the bus stop, the bus pulling in as she arrived. She straightened, carrying the bags through the entrance as she gave the bus driver a curt nod, then settled down into one of the seats.
She leaned back, sighing as she looked at everything she had purchased. The amount of food that sat in front of her disgusted her, her stomach churning as she eyed all of it. Chocolates and gummies and everything that caused rotting teeth and horrible diets.
Sliding her phone back out, she noticed a text from Xavier, asking once again if she was okay and needed help.
Wednesday: I am quite fine, Xavier. I am making my way back to Nevermore.
Xavier: Okay. But why did you just leave like that?
Wednesday: I had some mandatory shopping to do for my dear werewolf friend.
Xavier: Uh huh... Alright, I'll see you when you get back
She noted she forgot the period in the last text, shaking her head as she turned off her phone, sliding it back into her pocket as she reached for the gift she had gotten him. The book looked rather old, almost a forgotten antique that was left behind for some young artist to find. Luckily, she had managed to be the lucky one to lay her hands on it, and she ran over some of the pages, scanning some of the pictures that lay within the pages.
Suddenly an idea flickered in her head, but it was quickly tossed away as she realized it would have been impossible in the time she had left.
Searching through the bags, she picked out and examined each snack, her frown deepening after she picked each one out. She really had managed to grab the most...appetizing snacks that the store held.
Upon reaching the gates of Nevermore, or really after she walked up to them, she set down the bags, swinging the gate open with much effort. Her hands began to burn from the plastic rubbing into them, and she instantly regretted getting so much. Eyes landed on her as she struggled up the stairs, and she managed to make it part of the way before she heard footsteps behind her. Stopping, she heard the person approach, and she could almost hear the smile in their voice as they spoke.
"Well, seems someone is packed for hibernation," said Xavier, laughing as he reached for one of the bags. She snatched it away from him, shooting him a glare as she trudged on, and he fell into sync beside her.
"My intentions were to refill our stock of snacks in our dorm, but you are welcome to take any of these ungodly snacks back with you," the raven muttered.
Xavier smiled down at her, eyeing the bags as he followed her back to her dorm. They stopped in front of her door, and Wednesday let out a sigh of relief when she didn't hear Enid's music. She looked up at Xavier before he leaned forward and opened the door.
"Thanks for noticing."
Shuffling through the door, Enid hopped up, looking at Wednesday in shock.
"You didn't have to do that!! Aw, you're so sweet! I should play my music more often," Enid grinned at the now grimacing girl.
"Oh, hey Xavier."
"Try that again and I will show you your organs," Wednesday threatened, but Enid ignored her as she began digging through the bags.
Wednesday turned quickly to Xavier, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the room.
"Stay."
She opened the door, glancing at the lanky boy once more before shutting the door.
"Enid, stop."
Enid paused, looking up at the raven-haired girl as she held a chocolate bar close to her chest. Wednesday proceeded to bend down, and grab the book as Enid watched, her eyes getting wide with excitement.
"OMG IS THAT-"
Wednesday turned sharply to look at her, her eyes flashing with anger before the girl apologized.
"Is that his gift?" Enid asked in a loud whisper, smiling as she looked at Thing.
"Mhm," was all she said, going to put the book in her drawer.
"Xavier, you can enter now."
Wednesday went back to greet the boy, who now had a smirk on his face as he looked down at her. Enid had now compiled the snacks into separate piles, staring down hungrily as she sorted them even further. Wednesday watched in amusement before Enid put some into a bag and handed it to Xavier.
"Y'all take these, I put some of Ajax's favorites in there too. If I recall correctly, you do like Snickers right?"
Xavier nodded, peeking into the bag before he shot Wednesday another look, eyeing her suspiciously as she looked down.
"Yeah, thanks. Do you mind if I steal Wednesday away from you?"
Enid wiggled her eyebrows, smirking as she nodded.
"C'mon, let's go on a walk."
He reached for her hand, gently leading her out as she looked back at Enid, frowning before she walked out the door. His hands were cold, which complimented her rather warm ones quite nicely. He led her to his dorm, dropping off the bag of snacks to an eager Ajax, before walking down to the quad.
Divina and Yoko walked up to them, holding hands as they smiled at the pair.
"I know we're late," Yoko stated, "but we wanted to ask if everything went smoothly now that the stalker has been found?"
"We also wanted to thank you, for helping Yoko out," Divina smiled, looking at the monotone girl.
"It was quite the escapade, and I am relieved that it is now off my hands. Although the mystery is something I am very fond of, I would prefer if it stayed strictly business and nothing personal."
The two girls nodded, walking off as Xavier and Wednesday continued down and to their usual trail.
"Well, that was nice of them, even though they are very late about it!" Xavier declared, giving her a cheeky grin as she looked up at him.
"It was rather...kind of them to reach out."
"So what were your real intentions about going into town?" Xavier said, whirling around as he walked backward, facing her.
She rolled her eyes, a small smile playing across her lips as she pictured the boy tripping over himself, bashing himself along with his ego.
"I have already stated my intentions, Xavier, do I need to take you and get your hearing checked?"
He chuckled, smiling at her as he continued watching her, trying to find something that might hint at her real intentions. Her eyes merely pierced into his, watching with such intensity for a moment he felt she was trying to stab him with her eyes.
"Aha! You wouldn't be giving me that extra-deathy glare if it weren't for me getting close to something, unraveling the mystery. See? I tend to be a bit of a detective myself."
"A good detective would be aware of their surroundings, and know when to take a hint," she stated, and he quickly turned. He tripped over the branch, stumbling slightly as he stabled himself, looking back at her as he laughed. A small blush crept onto his cheeks, and she walked past the boy before he caught up with her.
"Touche, my love. But I am determined to figure out what those pretty brown eyes of yours are hiding."
She looked over at him, her cheeks burning as she saw the way his eyes watched her, scanning the freckles on her face and the tiny details that eluded her. She was sure he knew more about her than she did herself, with the way he was able to read her like an open book. How had she let something so valuable slip? Well, at least it wasn't anything worth investigating. To be fair, if anyone were to be investigated by her latest 'secret', it would be Enid.
They walked through the trees, and he stopped a moment, bending down and picking a small stone, rubbing it between his fingers as she watched him. She didn't see what was so appealing about the rock that he felt the need to pick it up, but some things escaped her understanding.
The art shed came into sight, and they made their way to it when her memories unintentionally took her back to that one night not too long ago, the one where she had found him there all alone, on the ground...
She tried shaking the memory, but one question failed to leave her alone. Taking a deep breath, she looked over at him as he began to tie his hair back, looking at the canvas he was getting ready to paint.
"Are your scars healing nicely, Xav?" She asked softly, so light she wasn't sure if he had even heard her. His eyes trailed up to hers, and a sad smile graced his lips.
Walking over to her, he lifted his sleeve, and while she could still see remnants of the long scars, they were fading well back into his skin. Her hand slowly lifted up, touching his arm as he slightly shivered, and he slowly leaned forward, giving both his arms a small kiss before pulling his sleeves back down.
He watched her, his surroundings blurred as he focused on her, the girl that kissed his scars and held his heart. It wasn't just her physical appearance that left him trembling at the sight of her; it was indeed her soul, the very dark and twisted one that proclaimed to be unlovable, claimed to lack the ability to care, and locked itself away from the world. It was her soul, the part of her that said all the words she couldn't, the part of her that was interwoven with his from the minute their eyes had met, the minute their hands had brushed each other. It wasn't an accident that their souls had found each other, no, indeed some greater force had destined them, among the stars, their fate was decided.
She hadn't wanted love, she wanted to be loved, and that was entirely distinct in itself. It wasn't the idea of love, the concept, or the words that came from it, but the act itself. Her soul longed for deeper roots than shallow promises and wasted time, it wanted something far greater. He just knew in an endless garden of flowers, he would fall for her petals and suffer through her thorns if it meant he could stay.
He leaned down, kissing her with such strong passion that she wasn't sure how to respond at first, before she met his level, letting her lips whisper her gentle promise, letting it lie on his lips as she gave him her all.
Pulling away, she looked down, letting her hands sit in his as she felt his warmth run wild across her skin, was this what freedom was? Was love breathing, looking into his eyes, and suddenly forgetting the very thing that kept her alive? The very beat of her heart was affected by his presence, the way her breathing slowed and she got warped in him, all of him.
He went back to his canvas, looking back at her as he gave her a wink. She flushed before her mind shifted gears. She went back to the one vision she had, where Nevermore was shown as a lost cause, and her mind raced as she tried to figure out what it meant. What would happen to it? When would it happen?
She began talking out loud, earning a glance from Xavier, mentally going through the vision as she backtracked through each detail, going off into elaborate detail on possible reasons. Xavier would nod or agree from time to time, painting away as he listened to her ramble.
"Would you say you are a good leader, or at least willing to lead a group of people?"
The question threw her off slightly, and she looked over at the long-haired artist that now peered back at her.
"I wouldn't say I have the best social skills, by any means, but there is the possibility I might acquire some as I grow older," she remarked, looking at him as he shrugged.
"I mean, it sounds like you would be acquiring some position of power. Just a thought."
Nodding, she sat a moment, considering what he said. It added up pretty well, and it would be concerning the fate of Nevermore in some way. That was the part she wasn't sure of, she wasn't fond of assuming a leadership role at the moment, but perhaps in her later years, she might enjoy the power.
He turned his canvas around to her, revealing a small, silver locket, one that looked strangely like the one she had seen in her vision. She stared at it, before standing up and walking closer to it, studying the small details he had instilled into the painting.
"Have you seen this before?" She whispered, looking up at him.
He shuffled around beside her and looked at it once more, shaking his head.
"Never."
They looked at each other, both unsure why they were seeing the same silver necklace.
~~
The delicate black wrapping paper cut smoothly as the scissors glided through it, forming an even line as it curved around the book. The sides were carefully folded in, and the tape was placed along the edges so that it wouldn't pop back up. Worn pages and crumbling bindings lay hidden within, waiting for the hands of a determined young artist.
Wednesday smiled down at her gift, she picked it up and examined all the sides, making sure it looked perfect as she set it on her desk, making sure to tell Thing not to mess with it.
"And you know the plan, right? Have you already arranged things with-"
"Enid, you mustn't stress. I have everything planned out so that no surprises are spoiled."
Enid nodded, looking around before she grabbed the plastic cups, stuffing them in her bag before they headed down to the cafeteria. Enid was worrying about making sure Xavier was completely in the dark about the entire thing when in reality Wednesday was also.
That week Xavier had persisted in trying to figure out her so-called 'secret', but was only greeted with outrageous threats and blank stares. She secretly hoped he would give it up, as she feared he might find her out if he continued. She sighed, looking at the boy as she made her way over to him, a small smile gracing her lips as she sat beside him.
"Good morning Wendy, how'd you sleep?"
"I slept fine, you?"
"Decently enough, but I would have slept even better if you told me why you were in town. I know it was something important, top secret. I'm guessing it has to do with my birthday," he stated proudly, taking a bite out of his apple as he watched her.
"That's a shame. Can you meet me in the library after school? I have something for you."
He grinned, elbowing her slightly as she glowered at him.
"Anything for you."
~~
He waltzed into the library, immediately spotting her as she walked up to him. She gave him an amused look before grabbing his hand and pulling him deeper into the shelves of books. He followed her obediently as she scanned the shelves for a book, finally pulling one out as she handed it out to him. He took it hesitantly, eyeing her before looking down at the book.
It was wrapped in black wrapping paper, and he grinned up at her before peeling the paper off, revealing the painter's guide book. He flipped through the pages, scanning the information as he gave her a cheeky grin.
"Are you trying to subtly hint something?" He laughed, watching as she flushed lightly.
She shook her head, looking away as she fiddled with her fingers. He then realized she was skeptical, nervous even about the gift.
He walked up to her, engulfing her in a hug as he rocked them side to side, squeezing her.
"I'm kidding, I love it. I could always use books like this, to broaden my skills."
She looked up at him a small smile playing on her lips before she furrowed her eyebrows.
"Do you intend to pursue this as a career path?"
He considered the question a moment, pulling back and looking down at the book as he raised his eyebrows.
"I think so?"
"Mhm. You would make an excellent artist Xavier, it is truly your talent and passion. A natural gift..." she rambled quietly, looking up at him.
"Oh yeah?"
She nodded again, before grabbing his hand and leading him out of the library. She remained mainly silent for the most part, and they made their way down the path.
"Where are we going?" He inquired, looking down at her as she returned a blank stare.
Shortly, the art shed came into view, and a large group of people stood there waiting for them, all simultaneously yelling "Happy Birthday!"
He stopped, staring at them as she slowly urged him forward, smiling as she watched his surprised expression. The crowd moved to greet him, giving hugs and voicing their best wishes to him. Wednesday pulled herself away, watching from afar as Enid made her way beside her.
She stuck her fist out to the raven, who slowly raised hers and bumped it against it.
"Wow, who knew Wednesday was such the softie?" Enid grinned, smiling over at her monotone best friend who flashed her a small smile.
"I merely spoke the idea into the world, and you happened to make it a reality."
They laughed slightly as they saw Xavier and Ajax give some sort of...bear hug to each other before they made their way back to the two girls. Xavier quickly pulled Wednesday into another hug, and she returned it as she felt his heart beating in his chest.
"It means more than I can express," he said to the girl, pulling her back to meet her eyes.
"Was it worth the wait?"
"Oh yeah. But I just knew it had something to do with my birthday," he laughed.
Music began to blare, as the group of people began to dance and sing along. The lights strung around the front of the art shed shone as the dusk settled around the teens, the stars beginning to sprinkle across the sky. Wednesday watched as everyone formed some sort of line, grabbing each other's shoulders as they did their best to do synchronized kicks. Enid recorded a little bit of it for her stream before joining in.
Wednesday walked over to the snack table, rather enjoying the open space as she popped a few chips into her mouth. Everyone was dancing and singing, and she watched as they enjoyed themselves, especially Xavier. He deserved it most of all.
Suddenly she heard a rustle among the trees, and she quickly turned, walking a little further into the brush as she stopped.
The rustling paused a moment, before a figure popped out, a huge grin spreading across their face as they looked at her.
"Hey, kiddo!"
~~~
Hey guys!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, a little bit of skipping around, I hope you don't mind!
If you have any suggestions, comments, ideas, or anything at all, feel free to voice them! I do my best to respond as quickly as possible, but sometimes I get distracted and forget. I will say if you want something more 'intimate' to happen between this pair, then I recommend looking and requesting it on my Oneshot, it will fit better there. Much love, stay hydrated and well-rested! Mwah!