Work Text:
It was lunchtime, so Wednesday carried the drink carrier into her shared room, and found her girlfriend, Yoko, and Divina lazily sitting up from laying on the werewolf’s bed. “Interesting, the leeches are here.”
Enid laughed, getting comfortable. “You're the one bringing drinks without any prompting.”
Wednesday handed the iced caramel macchiato with vanilla syrup to Enid. “A coffee as black as your soul.” Enid reddened as she drank. She loved how sweet Wednesday could be.
Wednesday handed the oat milk latte to Divina. “Your order that supports fracking.” Divina reddened as she accepted the recyclable cup with a smile. She loved how Wednesday hated capitalism and industrialism as much as herself.
Wednesday handed the iced coffee to Yoko. “A water.” Yoko reddened as she sipped her drink and tasted the added hazelnut she loved so much. She loved how Wednesday remembers all of their preferences.
“What did you get, Wednesday?” Enid asked.
“A single coffee bean.” Wednesday tossed the drink carrier in the trash and drank her black coffee.
Her friends on the bed laughed, and Wednesday had a peculiar thought, one that had her retreating to her side of the room.
They watched her pull her easel out from under her bed, and kept an eye on her as they discussed their last few days at Nevermore.
“I guess I'll take up your offer, Divina.” Yoko didn't have anywhere to go. She had been roaming since she was ten, and now at eighteen, she didn't want to go back to that life.
Divina put a hand on Yoko's back. “You can stay as long as you like.” Divina was so happy that her girlfriend accepted her offer to share an apartment.
“Ever since I almost killed Lawrence,” Enid said, “my pack has wanted me gone. I don't know what I'll do.” Lawrence was the current alpha, and he’d challenged her when he smelled her alpha pheromones. It took him months to recover even with his advanced healing.
Wednesday had her easel set up blocking her friends as she heard Enid's admission. “You should have told me. I've had a house lined up for me since before I can remember. If you're interested, Enid.”
Enid's coffee erupted out of her mouth. “Roomies for life?” She was so excited, the coffee running down her chin didn't even register.
Wednesday reddened, thankful that her friends couldn't see because of her easel. “If you prefer to be in the same room in our new house, I believe we can make that work.”
Divina and Yoko smirked at Enid. “I would prefer it, yeah,” Enid said, wiping her shirt.
“Okay, and . . . actually, that wouldn't make sense, forget that I almost modified it.” Wednesday continued sketching the outline.
The friends were confused, but didn't push. They knew that Wednesday would bring it up again if it was relevant.
“Where is your apartment, Divina?” Enid asked, still wiping her shirt.
“Vermont,” Divina said. “It's statistically the most environmentally friendly state.”
Yoko's love for Divina grew, and Enid said, “That's close to New Jersey! We could visit each other!”
“Great,” Wednesday deadpanned. “I'll have to buy a coffee maker to satiate your coffee desires.”
Enid reddened further at Wednesday's supporting her offer in her own way. “And I want a cat!”
Yoko thought that Wednesday was a cat, the way that Enid was a wolf. And Wednesday said, “They would have to be a rescue.”
“Of course!” Enid felt the old familiar face of love showing.
Divina said, “You don't have to make us coffee, Wednesday. We can all pitch in.”
“Nonsense, unless you two move in, I won't have you prepare anything that I could,” Wednesday said matter-of-factly.
Yoko's undead heart rate picked up as Enid asked, “Oh, can they?”
“If they want, but they won't be in our room,” Wednesday answered.
Enid laughed and looked at Yoko and Divina with tears in her eyes. “Do you want to?”
Yoko and Divina shared one look that was full of love, and Divina said, “I would love to.”
And Yoko seconded wholeheartedly. “Me too, but I don't want to impose.”
“You wouldn't be,” Wednesday said. “That was what I was going to say earlier. I didn't want to inject my own wants on you two.”
Wednesday's friends all thought, Her own wants? at the same time. But none of them wanted to voice that, Yoko said, “Then we'll take turns with the coffee orders.”
Wednesday hummed her assent, and Divina said, “Yes, I can make a schedule,” as she pulled her planner, made out of recycled paper, of course.
“I must warn you,” Wednesday said, “that my family will make unexpected visits often.”
“The more the merrier!” Enid said, then grabbed another shirt from her closet and went to the bathroom to change.
Yoko had to check the progress, and walked to Wednesday at the easel to find the landscape painting was going to be all four of them sitting on Enid's bed, all but Wednesday in the middle of a boisterous laugh. “Wow, this is going to look awesome.” Wednesday hummed as she sketched the outline as Yoko continued, “Why did you want to paint us?”
“You're all very beautiful and cheerful, I wanted to remember the contrast.”
Yoko looked over at Divina giving an enthusiastic thumbs up next to Enid with a new shirt. They had discussed bringing Wednesday and Enid into their relationship months ago when Wednesday had started bringing all of their coffee orders randomly. “Th- thank you, Wednesday. You're very handsome, as well.” She couldn't bring herself to bring it up at this point.
Wednesday paused for only a moment. “Thank you for using that adjective. I appreciate it.”
“Alright, I'll let you work.” Yoko walked back to Enid's bed and sat down. “Wow,” she whispered to Enid and Divina, “I don't know what that was just now.”
Divina also hadn't figured out how to bring up their decision to pull them into their relationship, so she couldn't blame Yoko for not saying anything. She whispered, “That was you and Wednesday complimenting each other.”
“She's a true gentleman with her compliments,” Enid whispered.
“I think I'm in love,” Yoko whispered, not thinking.
Divina and Yoko assumed that Enid wouldn't like that, but she just whispered, “Me too.”
Wednesday couldn't tell what they were whispering about. “I know you're talking about me. If you're planning on murdering me, I have contingency plans for each of you.”
The friends on the bed laughed, and Enid said, “You invited us into your home, you've orchestrated your own downfall!”
“Mierde,” Wednesday deadpanned, “I was dead the moment Enid hugged me for the first time.”
They laughed at Wednesday's deadpan humor, and all felt love for her.
By nightfall, Wednesday said, “It's finished,” without ceremony. This painting was her masterpiece, but she would regard it as if she had just taken a picture, because anything more would reveal a weakness.
They all rushed over and looked at the painting. Yoko looked at her likeness and felt happy that a moment of happiness would be immortalized so she could look at it two hundred years from now, when all of her friends were gone. Divina looked at her likeness and wanted to be that happy every day. Enid looked at her likeness and realized that these girls were her family, not her stupid pack. But when they looked at Wednesday's likeness, the intense look with eyes that followed them, the hands that looked like they wanted to strangle them, the way that she seemed to be disconnected from reality, not really there at all, they looked at Wednesday with a small smile on her face directly behind them, and realized that it was the way she saw herself.
Wednesday watched her friends turn to look at her, and couldn't help her lips curving upward in an involuntary smile. “I’m an elusive specter among beautiful women.”
Enid hugged and kissed Wednesday. “You're our ruthless ghost.”
Divina and Yoko sighed as they wanted to join in the hug, and Wednesday looked at them, saying, “Join us.” They immediately joined in, both not going to pass up the opportunity.
When they all pulled back, all but Wednesday had tears streaming down their face, so she asked, “What's wrong?”
Yoko didn't admit that she was already anticipating when she outlived them all. “I'm just happy.”
Divina didn't admit that she was thinking that she had influenced their minds to accept her. “Same.”
Enid did admit what she was crying about. “You're all part of my pack.”
Divina and Yoko froze as they anticipated what Wednesday would think about that, but she just said, “Agreed.”
Divina and Yoko's hope to bring Enid and Wednesday in, helped Yoko find the courage to say, “Does that involve kissing and going on dates? Because that would be awesome.”
Enid smiled wide and turned to Wednesday, hopeful. And her hope was rewarded by the goth saying, “Kissing and going on dates will be as far as I can go.”
“That's perfectly fine,” Divina said, and Yoko nodded vigorously.
Enid, being the most outgoing one, stepped in first and gave Yoko and Divina each a modest kiss. Afterward, saying, “I've been wanting this for a while.”
Divina and Yoko were delighted, but before they could say that, Wednesday stepped in and stole their breath with a kiss of her own. Afterward, saying, “Enid, you should have told me. We could have been doing this sooner.”
Enid had fresh tears with a bright smile. “We all could have said something, I think.”
Yoko was still fearing the future loss of these girls, but vowed to make the most of her time with them.
Divina still worried about if their minds had been influenced by her ability, but she would have to have faith in them.
Enid worried about how she would keep her new pack safe, but wanted to be hopeful that they would help her every step of the way.
Wednesday worried that she would eventually ruin this. And could only hope that these girls would tell her when she erred.