Chapter Text
Tyler is dreaming. He can’t remember much of it, just knows he feels warm and content. It’s a moment before his consciousness stirs and he realises he’s not dreaming. He really was feeling that way.
He opens his eyes and blinks blurrily. It’s early morning and grey light is slipping through the gap between the curtains.
He sighs and drops his head back down. He breathes in and is hit with the familiar scent of the girl next to him. She smelt of fresh earth, of the air after it rains. Tyler is comically happy.
Then, he registers the numbness.
His left arm is dead from being under the weight of Wednesday’s head all night. They are tangled against each other, as they were most mornings.
He had realised early on Wednesday is like a cat when she sleeps, always seeking a source of warmth, the opposite of when she is awake.
He feels a rush of affection looking at her. Her expression isn’t too different than usual but she looks more at peace asleep, her signature scowl smoothing onto a straight line. If Tyler looks closely enough, he thinks her lips are slightly curved, but it’s probably just his imagination.
Carefully he starts to pull his arm out from under her. It doesn't matter much, the extraction method. When Wednesday sleeps she is quite dead to the world. It’s as if her body prepares herself for the grave every night.
Tyler manages to stumble to the kitchen, not bothering to throw on a shirt since he knows his dad has already left for the early shift. The house is quiet, peaceful.
He downs a glass of water before heading back.
He pauses at the frame of the bedroom door, and just admires the sight of her.
Wednesday’s hair is loose, fanning out underneath her. In his absence she has turned onto her back, arms spread out on either side of her.
Always claiming her territory.
Tyler watches her chest rise and fall slowly. She was so beautiful he almost doesn’t have the words to describe it.
When he steps forward, he hears a crunch and realises he’s stepped on a piece of paper.
He looks down and Wednesday’s backpack is half spilt open, probably in their haste last night she had dumped it on the floor.
Tyler leans down to put it back in before he pauses.
It’s a drawing of her.
Soft charcoal lines which are slightly smudged dance along the page.
It’s a drawing of Wednesday in class, her face slightly turned away to look out the window, her head resting in her palm. It looked like a quick drawing, but precise. Detailed.
She looked wondrous.
Tyler looks down at the corner, expecting to see the initials XT.
He doesn’t find it, and there is a signature he doesn’t recognise.
Tyler puts it down and gets back into bed.
He decides to wait to mention it, curious if she will bring it up first.
They wake up and get ready as per usual. He peppers her with kisses until she bats him away, eyes light.
He makes her breakfast, burns the toast like how she likes it. Makes an extra strong coffee to go. Cien Años is playing in the background.
Wednesday's eyes are closed, swaying slightly to the music.
It's almost enough to make him forget about the picture, but it sticks out of her bag and he swallows.
It’s when they get into the car to head back to Nevermore he speaks up.
“I saw the drawing in your bag. It's really good, when did Xavier do it?”
Wednesday is looking out the window, just like she had been in the picture. He can’t see her expression.
“It’s not from Xavier. We have a new student.”
Tyler blinks, and furrows his eyebrows.
“Oh.”
That changes things.
“She’s like, drawing you a lot?”
“He gave it to me yesterday. I suppose they fancy themself an artist.”
“He?” Tyler says dumbly.
“Yes. Kain.”
He.
Kain.
Then, what kind of name is that?
Then, this Kain guy is drawing Wednesday in class.
“Does he draw everyone?”
“I don’t keep up with his portfolio, why are you asking all these irrelevant questions?” It’s bordering on a snap and Tyler decides to drop it.
He focuses on the road ahead. He wills his breathing to ease but when he looks down his knuckles are about to bloom white on the steering wheel.
The rest of the drive is silent.
When he drops her off Wednesday starts to get out of the car without a word. That in itself wasn't unusual.
“See you later?” He says.
She nods before getting out.
After a few seconds Tyler rolls down the window.
“Wednesday.”
She turns and he beckons her over to his side.
“What do you wa-”
She's interrupted when his lips meet hers, but she welcomes it. The kiss is more aggressive than usual, then again Tyler is feeling more aggressive than usual.
She’s the first one to pull back, still expressionless but slightly pink. She blinks at him curiously with her hands resting on the rolled down window.
Tyler grins.
“I’ll see you later.”
Tyler clocks in for his shift and most of the day passes without anything significant happening.
Around lunch a bunch of Nevermore kids come into the Weathervane. A few wave hello, recognising him from being around Wednesday.
Tyler keeps an eye out if his girlfriend has also decided to stop by, but sees no sign of her. He deflates slightly and goes back to focusing on making coffee.
“Hey man, two quads over ice to go please.”
Quads over ice.
Tyler looks up and sees a guy he doesn’t recognise, and Jericho was a small town. Everyone knows everyone.
We have a new student.
He’s in a dress shirt and a tie, but even without the blazer Tyler knows he goes to Nevermore. The guy is almost slouched on the counter, black hair falling over his eyes.
“You got it. Name?”
“Kain.”
“With a C or a K?”
“K.”
He makes the drinks slowly with his usual care. But when Tyler moves to pass the cups he suddenly finds himself unable to let go.
Kain grabs the drinks and frowns when he feels resistance. He looks at Tyler, slightly confused.
“Dude?”
It isn’t until then Tyler realises and lets go.
Kain gives him an odd look.
“Um, thanks.”
Tyler stands there, a little dumbfounded.
What the hell is wrong with him? Why didn’t he let go?
It’s only when he watches the other guy walk out the door he realises he is worried about who the other drink is for.
Tyler evaluates the situation. There is a random new student who is drawing and probably buying coffees for his girlfriend.
Tyler isn’t exactly sure what to do.
First off, if he could draw he would be drawing her. Second, Tyler is the one who gets Wednesday coffee.
He admits it to himself. He’s jealous.
He imagines her interest as she is handed the picture of herself.
You're so talented Kain.
Her gratitude as she receives the coffee.
Just want I needed Kain.
Okay, okay Tyler knows Wednesday would never say anything like that. But there is a tiny irrational part of him that is worried she would.
You're being ridiculous.
The nerves gnaw at his stomach for the rest of the day.
Just ask her.
At the end of his shift he races to pick her up. He almost runs a red and swerves to avoid hitting a squirrel on the middle of the road. It's the most chaotic he's ever driven.
He gets to the school early and sits, staring at the roof of his car. The end of the day bell tolls and people start spilling out of the main academic building.
The first wave of students pass. Tyler recognises some faces. He sees Ajax and Xavier walk by and waves.
It’s a few more minutes before he spots Wednesday, walking out with Enid. The blonde girl is chatting away excitedly and he can see Wednesday is only half listening.
Tyler gives a lopsided smile to himself and moves to start the car when he sees Kain run to catch up with them. His fingers pause on the key.
He watches Kain give her a wrapped up parcel and walk off. Enid’s face is surprised, Wednesday’s is unreadable as always.
Tyler grinds his teeth.
What is up with this guy?
When she gets into the car he kisses her and searches her face for anything out of the ordinary. She just stares back at him.
“What?”
When he offers her a coffee in the takeaway cup she shakes her head.
“I’ve already had a coffee, thank you.”
“You have? Where from?”
And Tyler knows the answer but he asks the question anyway.
“Kain got me one.”
The confirmation hits him like a mallet.
“Who’s that?”
It’s immature, but he can never seem to think straight when it comes to her.
“The new student, I told you about him this morning.”
“He got you a coffee?”
“Does it matter where it came from?”
Yes.
“I give you coffees.”
He resists inwardly cringing as he knows he sounds like a child.
“It's free coffee. And I'm pretty sure you made it since it was from the Weathervane. What’s the problem Tyler?”
“Nothing.”
Wednesday looks at him, unconvinced. He can almost see the cogs in her mind turning. Instead he asks her about the package in her lap.
“What's that? Another gift?”
She turns the parcel in her hands as if remembering it was there before ripping open the paper. Her eyes go wide.
“The Picture of Dorian Gray. One of the first editions."
Tyler watches as she turns it over in her hands.
"Kain's family donates to the Nevermore library.”
Rich asshole trying to steal my girlfriend.
Instead he says, “That’s really cool.”
“Indeed.”
Tyler wants to bang his head on the steering wheel.
Ah yes, the age of social media. If you want to find out about someone, that's where you go.
And Tyler is going to find out who this guy is, one way or another.
His first search is unsuccessful, given he doesn't know his last name. Then he remembers Enid will know everyone there is to know. Wednesday had told her that was how she found out about Ashley. He chuckles at the memory.
He scrolls down her following list until he finds him.
Kain MacIntyre.
Originally from Upstate New York. Likes philosophy, art, polo and noir films. Vacations in Spain, sails in Croatia and spends his winters in the French Alps.
What a douche.
Tyler clicks around and finds his art account.
It doesn't have many followers, and isn't advertised.
He'll admit to himself, Kain's art was good - but he already knew that from the picture he drew of Wednesday.
The drawings were realistic, and compelling.
He almost forgets the reason is he looking him up as he looks through the art posts.
Then he finds a portrait of a girl with a striking resemblance to Wednesday.
She is reading a book, head down with her pigtails pooling onto the page in front of her. Her figure is small with the structured background of a library towering above her. Huge stain windows rise behind her and cast brillant colours throughout the room.
Even Tyler is a bit mesmerised.
Kain has captured how he feels about Wednesday in one picture. Full of dazzling light, despite how she comes across.
Is this how he feels about her too?
The thought makes Tyler slightly nauseous.
He texts Wednesday and asks if she's free tonight.
He takes her to dinner, really just wanting to be near her.
Tyler lets her talk about where her novel is up to and what she is learning in her poisonous plant class and what Enid has done now to their room without offering so much as a comment or a question.
Wednesday peers at him and he knows she knows something is wrong.
When she excuses herself to the bathroom Tyler tries to avoid looking at her phone screen.
It lights up.
He doesn't have to guess who it is.
Then, god she has his number? Someone put Tyler out of his misery.
Do you like the book?
Tyler resists snatching the phone and typing back no it's a shit book and stop fucking flirting with my girlfriend!
He turns it over with more force than needed.
By the end of the night Tyler is well and truly miserable. He can’t stop thinking about it.
Did Wednesday like him back? Did she want to break up? And he knows none of her actions have even suggested a hint of these things, but Tyler has never really known what goes on in his girlfriends head.
Wednesday comes back and finally decides to address his lack of conversation.
"You haven’t said much all night. Usually that’s my job.”
Tyler supposes he should just tell her. He was about to lose his mind.
“Remember Ashley?”
He watches as Wednesday’s eyes flash in warning and Tyler knows he’s in dangerous territory. Maybe this was the wrong angle to take.
“What about her?” she snaps.
“Never mind.”
“Spit it out.”
He sighs.
“Kain.”
Now Wednesday looks confused.
“What about him?”
“He’s totally flirting with you Wednesday. The drawings, the coffee, the gift.”
He watches as she sits back and thinks. Surely she can’t be this clueless. Then again, she was emotionally notoriously hard to figure out.
“How would you feel if a girl was drawing me and buying me drinks?” He says.
Her answer is immediate.
“I would say she may meet an accident or two.”
Extreme, but she gets his point.
“Well I feel like how you did with Ashley.”
Wednesday cocks her head, realising.
“So you’re… jealous.”
Finally.
“Yeah. A lot.”
He's almost afraid to ask his next question.
"Do you.. do you like him?"
Wednesday looks at him sharply and suddenly he feels foolish for even asking.
“I would never reciprocate someone else's feelings.”
“I don’t know. I would hope not.”
Wednesday glares.
“You think so little of me?”
“No! It’s just, I don’t know. Feelings are complicated,” he finishes lamely.
Wednesday looks down at the table, and blinks. Once, twice.
"I suppose I should have recognised his increased attention meant something else. I will make sure he knows I am not interested,"
"And that I already have a person,” she emphasises.
Tyler can't help the smile that forms at that.
To hear her say it, Tyler doesn't want to hear anything else ever again.
He is her person.
Then he looks behind her to the front door.
“Maybe you don’t have to.”
Kain has walked into the restaurant. Tyler watches him wait by the counter, presumably for a takeaway order.
Wednesday turns around and looks back at him.
“Kain,” she calls him over.
The black haired boy looks up and Tyler’s fist itches as he watches his face light up at the sight of Wednesday.
Don’t hit him don’t hit him don’t hit him.
“Wednesday! Hey.”
He pauses when he notices Tyler.
“Oh, you’re the guy from the cafe. Nice to meet you, uh again.”
Wednesday turns to look at him, eyebrows raised. Again? He’ll explain it to her later.
“Yes. This is Tyler, my partner.”
Tyler almost laughs out loud as he watches Kain's smile being wiped off his face. He stands up.
“Nice to see you. I'm gonna go get the car, babe.”
And Tyler has never called Wednesday babe in his life, and he knows she despises it, but it’s worth it when Wednesday glares at him as he gets up.
“Sure. Darling.”
It sounds less endearing and more like a threat, but fireworks start to go off inside his chest as she plays along.
Wednesday grabs him back down by the collar. His vision tilts sideways at the force of which she grabs him. Tyler has to stop himself from hitting the table.
“You’re going to regret that,” she says in his ear.
“Anything for you, dear.”
And suddenly he's feeling bold, or stupid.
He grabs her face in both hands and devours her like a man starving.
She gasps into his mouth but he doesn’t let go.
In these moments it’s just them, and Tyler’s insides feel like they are on fire.
They’re both breathing heavily when they break apart. Tyler is sure both their eyes are black, mirroring each others.
It isn’t until there is an awkward cough they look up.
Kain looks incredibly uncomfortable and Tyler forces back his grin.
“Um, okay. See you around, Wednesday.”
Doubt it.
Wednesday turns to Tyler, amused.
“Satisfied?”
Tyler looks at her, his wonderful Wednesday.
He won’t be satisfied until they are back home, in his bed where they belong. Then she’ll know the meaning of satisfied.
He leans down to kiss her again, this time more slowly. Savours the taste of her.
“Always with you, cara mia.”