Work Text:
Inviting Xavier to come home with her for winter break had been one of the few impulsive decisions Wednesday had ever made. As a rule, she’s always tried to avoid acting on impulse, so sitting in the back of the car with Xavier and her parents while Pugsley and Lurch rode quietly in the front was causing her an unusual level of discomfort.
How was one supposed to act when trapped in an enclosed space with one’s parents and boyfriend for hours with no real distractions in sight?
She sat in silence verging on uncomfortable for the first stretch of the journey to the Addams Estate, unwilling to break first but beyond done with the tension. She settled for staring blankly out the window, waiting for the inevitable moment when her parents would get swept up in each other once more and allow Xavier and Wednesday to finally relax.
— — — —
The journey went much faster once attention was diverted from the two teenagers and before Wednesday was really ready, they were pulling into the driveway.
She snuck a quick glance at Xavier, meeting his amused eye, as everyone got out of the car and approached the dark house. It really was gigantic. Wednesday knew that it was nothing new to Xavier, but she knew that the familiarity would end as soon as the door opened.
Wednesday stopped in the doorway, allowing Xavier to look around the foyer and take in the ornate decor which surrounded him.
“Mother. Which room is Xavier staying in?” The reply that her parents had assumed Xavier would be staying with Wednesday in her room shouldn’t have shocked her as much as it did. After all, her parents would never force any young couple apart if they wished to be together.
Xavier and Wednesday shared a look, she held eye contact until Xavier nodded his head in consent and then turned to lead them out of the entry hall.
Xavier kept his face as blank as possible as Wednesday led him through the house, but every turn revealed yet another deranged artifact or odd decoration. Much to Wednesday’s surprise, when she turned to look at him, she saw that his eyes were lit up with poorly concealed amusement.
Of course, Xavier would find her house amusing.
“It feels like some kind of torture museum.” Xavier chuckled as they made their way up the final set of stairs to Wednesday’s attic bedroom.
“Did you seriously expect anything else?” The blank stare she gave earned her a huff of laughter. She hid her growing smile but turned quickly to let them both into her room. The room was big and sparsely furnished, just her bed to the right and a desk where she sat to write her novel to the left. She set her bags down on her bed and motioned for him to do the same.
“You’re okay with this, right? Me sleeping in here with you? Because you know I can always sleep in a guest room if you’re uncomfortable. We only passed like 20 on our way up here.” The way Xavier was always aware and considerate of her boundaries was something Wednesday was endlessly grateful for, but she just shook her head. She wanted him near her, not that she would ever voice that thought aloud.
She watched him smile as he turned to begin taking in his surroundings. He walked over to her desk and stood quietly for a while.
“You know…” Xavier hesitated, his voice barely above a whisper. “I think I have the perfect painting for this space above your desk.”
Wednesday remained quiet for a few seconds, watching how his hair fell down the curve of his neck. His whole spine straightens as he takes another breath in.
“I’d love to see it.” Her voice matched his in volume and intensity, not wanting to draw him away from his thoughts. She turned her back to him, suddenly overwhelmed with the tedious emotion filling the room. There was something so tender about having Xavier in her space, not quite scary, but very new to her.
Xavier seemed to break away from himself shortly after and they unpacked in comfortable silence until they were called down to dinner.
Dinner was always a lively affair at the Addams household if you could call anything about their family “lively”. While it could easily have been overwhelming for Xavier, every time Wednesday looked at him he looked at him all she saw was contentment.
A fleeting thought that may have sounded a bit like “I could get used to this” forced its way to the front of her mind but she quickly pushed it back down.
Wednesday grabbed Xavier’s hand and dragged him back up to her room after dinner, not feeling any desire to remain in the company of her family for longer than necessary. Xavier gently pushed the door closed behind them and tugged gently on Wednesday’s arm to pull her back toward him.
Wednesday didn’t think she would ever get used to their height difference, having to tilt her head further back with every step she took. His unoccupied hand came to rest gently on her jaw. Her eyes fell shut, an involuntary response to the overwhelming influx of something, which she refused to call butterflies, in her stomach.
His touch always managed to elicit all of those gross feelings that, for so long, she had prided herself on not feeling. She felt like her mother, and for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to care.
“Thank you.” Xavier’s voice was quiet but sure. Her eyes pulled together in confusion. What could he possibly be thanking her for? “Thank you for bringing me here with you.”
Wednesday had no response to his sudden vulnerability so she did the only thing she could think of. She raised up onto her tip-toes and kissed him. His lips twitched into a grin as he brought both of his hands to her face. Wednesday’s mind went blank, completely losing herself in him for a minute. Allowing herself this moment.
“Xavier, I was not going to let you stay at Nevermore alone for the entire month,” Wednesday stated. She placed one last chaste kiss on his lips and pulled away.
It was the closest to a love confession that she had gotten since making their relationship official.
“Make yourself comfortable.” She turned and walked to her writing desk, unpacking her typewriter and paper and sitting down. She glanced over her shoulder to see Xavier leaning against the headboard with a sketchbook propped up against his knees.
They spent an hour simply working in silence. Neither felt the need to voice their thoughts in the comfortably quiet room.
When Wednesday had first begun to admit to herself that a relationship with Xavier was what she truly wanted, one of her biggest concerns had been the increased amount of time she would be expected to socialize. She knew that most people would expect to spend time together, going on dates and holding hands between classes, and the idea of that made her tense.
She had found, however, that sitting silently together without more than murmured interjections was enough for Xavier.
Over the last few months, Wednesday had grown more comfortable with Xavier’s company and she now found that she was almost excited to spend this break sharing her room with him.
Wednesday heard Xavier begin to rustle more frequently on her bed so she decided it was time for bed. She stood up and walked to her dresser, grabbing her pajamas and slipping into the bathroom to change. As she reentered her room, she noticed that Xavier had made himself comfortable on her bed, clearly having noted her intentions.
She turned off the lights and laid down flat on her back next to Xavier, wondering how she’d sleep with a warm body beside her. Wednesday felt Xavier’s fingers trail gently up her arm and turned her head to acknowledge him.
“Goodnight Wednesday.” Xavier breathes as he kisses her gently. She continues looking at him for a moment longer as he lays back down beside her, before she lets sleep take her away.
— — — —
Wednesday blinked awake with the knowledge that something was different. There was a large warm body pressed lightly against her side. She remained motionless as she let herself remember where she was and whom she was with. She heard Xavier huff beside her, altering her to the fact that he was awake and watching her.
She turned stiffly onto her side, locking eyes with Xavier. Neither of them spoke for a few moments, content to lay in silence.
“You’re so cute when you wake up and your hair’s all messy” Xavier grins like he knows she won’t appreciate the comment but couldn’t possibly keep it to himself.
“Call me cute again and you’ll lose a finger.” She replied sharply. This was obviously the response he was expecting because he just chuckled and leaned down to rest his head against her shoulder, placing a kiss on her neck before sitting up fully.
She sat up beside him and ran a hand down her hair, stopping at the end to begin taking out her braids so she could redo them for the day.
“Let me.” Xavier says as she finished taking out her second braid. Wednesday turns to look at him, hair swishing in an unfamiliar motion.
“Do you know how?” Wednesday's inquiry is met with a nod so she hands him her hair ties and turns back around. She took the comb from her bedside table and held it over her shoulder for him to take.
Wednesday sat tensely between Xavier’s knees as he gently redrew her part.
“Relax, love.” He runs his hands down her shoulders quickly before returning to her hair. Inconceivably, his touch soothed her and her posture slackened.
Xavier approached Wednesday’s hair the same way she assumed he approached a new painting. Every touch, every turn of his hand, was sure and precise. Like nothing was more important than her hair.
Like nothing was more important than her.
Wednesday had never let another person braid her hair. The familiar routine was comforting and something that she considered immensely personal. When Xavier had first offered to do it for her, her gut reaction had been to say no. But as she looked at him, she recognized something so honest and vulnerable in his gaze, something that she didn’t think she could ever say no to. She found herself wanting nothing more than to know what it felt like to have his hands moving deftly through her hair.
She was not disappointed. The tingle at the base of her skull with every slight tug from Xavier’s hands sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. She noted the feeling of his hands brushing their way down her back and wondered if it was only his hands that would feel this good.
An irrational part of her brain wished that this could be how she started every morning.
After tying the last braid Xavier tugged the ends of both braids, causing Wednesday’s head to tilt backward. Xavier’s lips twitched into a smile as he leaned down to kiss her upside-down face. She simply rolled her eyes and sat upright again, turning to face him.
“Thank you.” Wednesday said, knowing that Xavier would be able to read the sincerity in her eyes. His smile and nod were all she got in reply, which was enough for her.
He maneuvered her body so that she would be sitting between his legs, her back to his front. She couldn’t help but notice how her small frame slotted neatly against his larger body. Wednesday laid her arms over Xavier’s as he wrapped them around her waist. She forced herself to relax in his arms, accepting the contented feeling that would’ve otherwise caused her to pull away.
Sharing silence with someone wasn’t always easy. Wednesday would often feel an uneasy tension or a heavy expectation to speak if only to hear oneself talk. This silence didn’t feel fragile or tense. She found that she felt steady in his silence. Like she could sit and just be.
She decided that this could be her favorite feeling. Just her and Xavier, in steady silence.