Chapter Text
Sitting upright in bed, back rigid as if made from stone, Wednesday waited for the strange, unrecognizable sensation to pass before focusing on something she did know. All too well, in fact, especially on restless nights before the full moon. A pair of bright, shimmering eyes were transfixed on her from the side of her bed.
"What is it this time?" Wednesday asked, her voice sounding altered in her ears. She paused for a moment, eyes still locked on her roommate's despite the darkness, then continued in the same flat tone. "Did you have another nightmare?"
"Me?" The soft whine was almost high enough to make Wednesday flinch. She sounded so strained, Wednesday could easily see her pathetically sad expression even without lighting. It was all but imprinted in her mind at this point. A heavy sigh escaped Wednesday, which almost caught her off guard. It felt like her lungs were empty, and her body trembled from the effort. She took a much heavier breath in to compensate.
"You were the one having a nightmare, Wednesday."
“A nightmare? I usually vividly remember all the blood and gore. And I find it to be quite an invigorating way to start the day,” Wednesday said with a wistful air, recalling quite a few dreams that would have left others traumatized and with severe insomnia. None of them were from tonight, however, and she refocused her gaze on the still very worried gaze of her werewolf roommate, Enid.
Enid was crouched at the side of her bed, knees on the floor. She had one hand gripping the blanket that covered the bed, and its inhabitant, while the other had somehow found its way to grip Wednesday’s own. The dour Addams’ daughter had not noticed, somehow. Perhaps because the grip was so tight, her hand had gone numb at some point. She did notice, however, that her own fingers were strained and tense, and she had to will them to uncurl from around Enid’s hand.
“You didn’t sound like you were enjoying it,” Enid said, her voice softer now, though the whine was still behind her words, “I mean, you were moaning and stuff, but not like. I mean, it sounded like you were in pain. I thought you gasped, that’s why I came over. I couldn’t sleep, not with you… are you sure you’re okay, Wednesday?”
“Of course.” The answer came fast. Maybe too fast, Wednesday not letting her mind linger too long on the idea that she had a bad dream. She was no longer a child, after all, and such insipid fears were meant for those who did not have the passion and determination to control their night terrors and make them useful, like she did. Beyond that, she really had no memory of being in distress while she slept, and that unfamiliar feeling had already faded.
Only a vague air of being annoyed remained.
Enid was unconvinced.
“You really sounded like… like you were in pain…”
“Enid. What resolution are you seeking here? If you are waiting for me to invite you into my bed for reassuring snuggles, you will find yourself witnessing the next great extinction event first. Then the problem will simply resolve itself.”
“Well. If you’re sure. I guess I’ll just. Go back to bed,” Enid spoke stiltedly, not sure if she wanted to pull away just yet. Something was not sitting well with her. The tension in the air, the fear she had sensed. The smell of freshly drawn blood. Yet none of the evidence amounted to any sort of proof, and what she was trying to prove she did not even know. All she knew was that when she woke up, she felt pain and fear in the air, so thick it seemed as though it might crush her chest, and it had not initially been her own. The fear spread like a wildfire, though, and that was how she found herself at Wednesday’s bedside, gripping her hand tightly and calling to her to wake up. Gently at first, unsure if it was something Wednesday was enjoying simply because she knew her roommate too well, but then louder and with firmer shakes until finally, Wednesday sat up.
The way they were talking now, it was like none of that happened. Enid was beginning to think maybe she had been the one having the nightmare, after all, but that only made her head begin to ache from confusion. She finally let Wednesday’s hand go, with the paler girl pulling her hand to her quickly. Enid left hers where it was for a moment, shaking, before withdrawing backwards. She barely got to her feet, almost crawling toward her bed. Wednesday watched her, before letting out a soft puff of a sigh.
“Thank you,” she said bruskly, then softer and after she was sure Enid had climbed back under her covers, “for checking on me, I mean.”
“You’d tell me if you were upset, right?” Enid whined softly, Wednesday hearing the covers rustling as the werewolf made a shelter out of her blankets. “Or if you needed me, for real? You know you can trust me by now.”
“In the unlikely situation that anything were to happen, yes. I would at least make sure you knew my feelings on the subject. Loudly, and likely with some violence. When have I not been transparent when I’m angry?”
“That’s not… it’s okay. I’m just glad you’re okay. Good night, Wednesday.”
Not used to their conversations ending so quickly, Wednesday hesitated before settling back down in her own bed. She listened, but Enid said nothing more, and seemed to go back to sleep in due time. For her own part, Wednesday found sleep evading her for the rest of the night. Her wrist was stinging, and when she touched her fingers to it she felt warm blood, though only a small amount. Vaguely, she wondered if Enid had scratched her in her panic. Her powers had been a little unpredictable lately, now that she was able to wolf out and was coming to understand its intricacies.
She rested in silence, waiting patiently for the sun to rise.