A/N: (originally posted on AO3)
I FINALLY GOT IT UP! LET'S GO!
This is my (extremely late) entry for the first day of Weyler Week 2023. The prompts I used for this one was a combination of college au, dancing in the kitchen, and poison :)))
I'm so sorry for taking so long with this! It ended up much longer than I expected lol and as usual I took forever editing it. But it's here now, and I really hope y'all like it!
...
"Heyyyy Bestie!"
Wednesday let out a sigh, rolling her eyes as she swiveled her computer chair away from her desk and towards her roommate. She knew the scheming tone in her voice all too well. "What do you want, Enid?"
Enid grinned at her, eyes glinting mischievously. "So, Ajax and I were thinking of sneaking into the kitchen tonight—"
"Perfect," Wednesday interrupted, turning back around. "I'll finally be able to sleep in peace."
Enid sighed fondly, coming to her side. "Actually," she said, smirking at her. "I was hoping you'd join us."
Wednesday glared up at her through her bangs. "No."
"Aw, come on," Enid insisted, sitting on her desk. Wednesday moved her homework out from under her bottom with a grunt of annoyance. "It'll be fun!"
Wednesday shot her a look. "Baking aside, do you truly think becoming a third-wheel is my idea of fun?"
Enid snorted. "As if you'd ever be one. I love you guys equally!"
Wednesday raised a doubtful eyebrow at her, but Enid ignored it. "So? What do you say?"
"No." Wednesday stepped out of her chair and strode towards her bed instead. Enid followed yet again, sitting beside her and momentarily making Wednesday bounce off the mattress inelegantly.
"Awww, please?" Enid pleaded, pouting. She had grabbed one of her stuffed bunnies from the floor, and she placed it on the bed between them as she spoke. Wednesday automatically inched away from it. "Come on. It's going to be fun. Besides, we kind of need you to help us break in anyway."
"A waste of my talents," Wednesday sniffed.
Enid sighed. "Pretty please? I know I haven't had much chance to spend time with you since I started dating Ajax—"
"—the solitude has been very relaxing—"
"—but I miss you," Enid finished, ignoring her interruption. And Wednesday could tell by the expression on her face that it was true.
Wednesday rolled her eyes, sighing heavily. She pushed the stuffed bunny off her bed and snapped, "Fine."
Enid squealed, clapping her hands. "Oh, thank you!" She air hugged Wednesday, who recoiled. Enid ignored her reaction, grinning ridiculously, and bounded over to her side of the room, straight to her closet. "I promise you won't regret it," Enid promised, taking out potential outfits for the date.
Wednesday rolled her eyes. "I highly doubt that," she muttered.
…
Ajax was supposed to meet them outside the kitchen, but was, as Wednesday had expected, late.
Wednesday huffed silently. After jiggling the doorknob once, confirming that it was indeed locked, she took a pin out of her hair and inserted it into the keyhole. After a few seconds the door swung open smoothly, and, beaming, Enid hopped inside. Wednesday rolled her eyes and followed, shutting the door behind her.
The kitchen was clean, save for a single spatula in the sink. Enid clapped happily, spinning around to get a better look at the place.
"This is going to be so much fun," she squealed, and Wednesday rolled her eyes again.
It was only a few minutes later when they heard some hushed whispering from the other end of the door. Enid spun around nervously, reaching out to grab Wednesday's arm in panic. But Wednesday merely pulled away and scoffed, knowing that if it were one of the teachers or staff of the school, then they wouldn't bother whispering. What did rouse Wednesday's suspicions, however, was not the fact that they were whispering, but that they weren't alone.
There was a tentative knock that neither of them answered, Enid out of fear and Wednesday out of apathy. After a tense moment, the door cracked open, and in peaked Ajax, a midnight blue beanie on his head as he glanced precariously inside. When his gaze fell onto the two of them, he sighed in relief, swinging the door open all the way and stepping inside with a wide, dorky grin. Without hesitation, he ran over to his girlfriend, who flung her arms around his neck excitedly.
But Wednesday wasn't watching them. Instead, she was watching a tall boy, who was watching them from the doorway awkwardly, with dark blond curls and a nervous, shy, and slightly confused expression. He stepped slowly inside, seeming uncertain. He was wearing many layers—a hoodie with a plaid button down shirt underneath, then what seemed to be two more t-shirts. It wasn't that cold.
Ajax and Enid seemed to notice where Wednesday was staring, and Ajax grinned, stepping towards the door and pulling the boy inside, shutting it behind them.
"Wednesday!" Ajax cried, tugging the boy so suddenly that he stumbled. "This is my roommate, Tyler. 'You remember him?"
Tyler turned to face her, smiling anxiously and tentatively offering her a small wave. One that she did not return, making his smile slip slightly back into nervousness. Good.
"Barely," Wednesday deadpanned. Tyler swallowed and rubbed the back of his neck while Ajax shrugged. "Fair enough. He doesn't really sit with us at lunch and dinner and stuff. 'Kind of shy, you know?"
"I wouldn't," Wednesday replied, staring at Tyler with a gaze so intense that he had to look away. She remembered him now—she had seen him sitting alone in the cafeteria and library on more than one occasion. It wasn't that anybody disliked him, he just kept to himself a lot. Probably the only thing she would be able to relate to him with.
Enid and Ajax seemed to notice the tension between the two of them, because after a moment of awkward silence, Enid clapped her hands together once. "Alright! I was thinking we could make brownies?"
Ajax eagerly voiced his agreement, heading over to the fridge while Enid went over to the nearest cabinet. Wednesday followed, and once she was beside her, hissed under her breath, "I can't believe you would set me up like this."
Enid sighed. "I know, I know, and I'm sorry. I just felt like you needed a slightly wider social life. But he's just Ajax's friend. And from what Ajax has told me, Tyler's a good guy. I think you're going to like him."
"Oh, sure, because that's definitely my type," Wednesday retorted sarcastically. She glanced over her shoulder to see Tyler still standing awkwardly in the middle of the kitchen, rubbing his hands and pressing his lips together uncomfortably. When he noticed Wednesday staring at him he offered her an uncertain smile, and Wednesday quickly looked away, back towards Enid.
"I will smother you in your sleep."
"Of course you will," Enid responded, too unaffected. Wednesday growled as her roommate walked away with a large pan in hand.
She knew it. This stupid college was making her go soft. How absolutely horrid. And not the good kind of horrid.
Wednesday followed Enid to the kitchen counter as she dropped the pan onto the table with an enthusiastic clang. Wednesday placed the metal bowl she had gotten beside it, along with some spatulas. Tyler, after noticing Wednesday staring at him again, cleared his throat, retreating towards the cabinets and shelves and rifling through them. Ajax came back from the fridge empty handed, joining Wednesday and Enid around the counter.
"What exactly do we need for brownies again?" he asked, scratching his head.
As if on command, Tyler suddenly pushed between him and Enid and dumped an armful of ingredients onto the counter. Without stopping, he quickly went to the fridge and grabbed a carton of eggs, a bottle of olive oil, and milk, placing them onto the counter as well. He wiped his hands on his pants, then rubbed them together eagerly.
The other three stared at him in silent surprise, and Tyler looked up, first at Ajax, whose eyes were slightly wide, then at Enid, who's eyebrows were raised high, and then finally at Wednesday, whose forehead was slightly furrowed. Tyler flushed and rubbed the back of his neck.
"S—sorry," he said, laughing sheepishly. "I… like baking." He gestured quickly at the ingredients in front of them, shrugging. "I just haven't really had the chance to in a while."
Enid tilted her head at him. "I thought your major was baking and pastry arts?"
Tyler laughed sheepishly. Wednesday was only mildly surprised by this. Of course they'd invite an aspiring baker to a nighttime kitchen date.
"Yeah, it is. I just haven't had the chance to make my own recipes in a while, you know?"
Enid nodded in understanding. Tyler glanced at Wednesday again out of the corner of his eyes, as if he were trying to gauge literally any reaction from her blank expression. Well, she wasn't planning on giving him that satisfaction. Once Ajax and Enid noticed Tyler shrinking away from Wednesday's glare again, Enid quickly—and loudly—clapped once. "Uhh, okay! So what do we do first, Tyler?"
Seeming glad to have an excuse to distract himself from Wednesday, Tyler proceeded to instruct them to combine the wet ingredients in one bowl, and the dry ingredients in another. He assigned Ajax and himself to the wet ingredients, and Enid and Wednesday to the dry ones.
Wednesday watched with narrowed eyes as the boys took turns in placing their ingredients, starting by cracking one egg each into their bowl, chatting with each other animatedly. Enid nudged Wednesday meaningfully, and she shot her a glare as she scooped some flour into the bowl. The flour puffed up into both their faces almost instantly, and Enid immediately erupted in a fit of sneezes. Even Wednesday couldn't help it as she furiously wiped the flour off her face. Beside them, she could hear Ajax and Tyler laughing.
Wednesday leveled first Ajax (who covered his mouth and looked away), then Tyler with a glare, and the latter only pressed his lips together in response, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"'You need help?" Tyler asked, clearly trying to hold back another bubble of laughter. Wednesday narrowed her eyes at him, and he hurriedly stepped away.
Once all the ingredients were in the bowls, Tyler enlisted Enid with the task of mixing the dry and wet ingredients together. While Ajax slowly poured the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ones, Tyler handed a box of parchment paper to Wednesday.
"'You wanna be the one to put the parchment paper in?" he asked. Wednesday looked at him. The expression on his face was hopeful, as if he were once again hoping for her to respond to him somehow. Wednesday was about to refuse when she noticed, somewhere behind his hopeful expression, a challenge. As if he almost expected her to deny him and was mentally daring her to do otherwise. How could Wednesday resist such a blatant attempt at her pride?
"Fine," she sniffed, taking the box from him. Tyler grinned a stupid, puppy-like grin—that froze when Wednesday's hands accidentally brushed his.
It felt like electricity had suddenly jolted their fingertips, and the worst part was that, just like the sensation of being electrocuted, the feeling wasn't entirely unpleasant. Wednesday jerked her hand away immediately, forcing her expression to remain stoic as she maneuvered past him to get to the counter.
She glanced at Ajax and Enid, who were giggling sickeningly. Ajax's arm, still carrying the bowl slightly above her head, kept accidentally tapping against Enid's forehead. Wednesday could feel Tyler also watching them, and she looked away quickly, making a clear expression of disgust as she tore a piece of parchment paper out of the box.
Tyler hurried off to start preheating the oven. Once the parchment paper was in place, Wednesday couldn't help watching Enid and Ajax again. They were still giggling. The dry and wet ingredients seemed to have been successfully combined, but Enid seemed distracted. She had a smear of batter on her cheek, and she seemed to be trying to get a dab of batter onto Ajax's nose, the bowl forgotten between them. It was sickeningly adorable, and she heard Tyler chuckle behind her. Wednesday rolled her eyes.
"Have you made any progress?" Wednesday snapped, and Ajax stopped dodging just long enough for Enid to finally swipe at his nose with her chocolate covered pinky finger. Ajax gaped dumbly in surprise as Enid started laughing triumphantly, pointing a finger at him teasingly. Even Tyler couldn't help laughing at his roommate's stunned expression.
"Yeah, yeah, it's done," Enid finally giggled, peering inside the bowl. Her eyebrows knitted together. "I think. Ty, how is it?"
Tyler, still grinning with mirth, went to her side to check. He nodded approvingly, smiling at her. "It's perfect."
Enid beamed.
Tyler quickly went over to the sink to wash his hands, and Enid and Ajax followed. Once Wednesday was sure none of them were looking, she produced a small bottle from her pocket. Without bothering to measure, she swiftly put three drops into the batter. She shoved the bottle back into her pocket, then folded the batter several more times before wiping the spatula on the edge of the bowl, placing it exactly where Enid had left it.
Wednesday glanced at the other three just to be certain they hadn't noticed. But the three of them were as gullible and oblivious as ever. Taking a quick sniff to make sure that there was no new odor coming from the batter, she joined the other three at the sink just as Tyler playfully sprinkled some water from his hands onto Enid's face. Wednesday barely missed the droplets in time, but it was worth it to see Tyler's eyes widen slightly when he noticed.
Once the four of them had finished washing their hands, Tyler grabbed the bowl and started pouring the batter inside of the pan. Enid squealed, clapping her hands while Ajax watched, mesmerized, as the batter slowly filled the pan. Once Tyler was done, he reached a finger inside of the bowl and swiped at the remaining batter, raising his finger to his mouth. Wednesday's eyes widened slightly.
"Stop!" Wednesday commanded, making Tyler freeze, his finger just inches away from his mouth. Ajax and Enid also froze in place momentarily before glancing at Tyler, then back at Wednesday in bewilderment.
"That's incredibly unsanitary," Wednesday snapped, taking the bowl from his hands. Tyler seemed mildly embarrassed as he followed her to the sink, obediently rinsing his finger off.
Wednesday hid her smirk as she dumped the bowl into the sink. It was too easy to manipulate this boy. Of course, she could have let him taste the batter already so she could be done with this whole charade, but she had already come too close to killing another boy just last week, nearly resulting in her expulsion. And, as disdainful she was of this university, she would rather not be expelled—the education was admittedly valuable to her, and she preferred to leave on her own terms.
Besides, the poison still worked even when cooked, it was just significantly less likely for him to die from it. Which was less fun, of course, but it would still bring about a horrible stomach ache that would incapacitate the consumer for days. That would have to be good enough revenge for forcing her to endure this ridiculous affair.
Finally, Tyler slid the pan into the oven. He wiped his hands on both of his pant legs, grinning at them while telling Ajax to set the timer. Then he came to join them around the counter, placing his hands on the edge and leaning against it with a questioning look. "So… what do we do now?"
When no one else seemed to have an idea, Enid suddenly grinned, pulling out her phone and plugging it into a mini cat-eared speaker she had brought with her in her pocket.
Music started blaring from the mini contraption.
Well, when the sun goes down and the moon comes up
Enid grinned and turned to Ajax, grabbing his hand and pulling him into the middle of the kitchen with her.
I turn into a teenage Goo Goo Muck
They started to dance, bopping in time with the music, swaying each others' arms and giggling.
Yeah, I cruise through the city and I roam the streets
Wednesday watched silently, an unfamiliar emotion brewing in her stomach. Tyler stood beside her, watching them as well. He had a curious expression on his face, like he was thinking very hard about something. As the music continued to play, he glanced at Wednesday, who tried to avoid his gaze.
Looking for something that is nice to eat, mmm
The guitars continued, and Tyler suddenly stepped in front of her so she was forced to look up at him. He offered her a small smile and offered her his hand. Wednesday stared at it, then up at him again through her bangs.
"Can I have this dance?" he asked. He seemed nervous, but at the same time… that challenging look he had earlier was back, glinting in his eyes almost mischievously.
Part of Wednesday hated how insistent he was on challenging her. It was like he somehow knew that she could rarely resist such a thing. She narrowed her eyes at him through her bangs, and he pressed his lips together uncertainly.
Wednesday glanced off to the side again, where Ajax was twirling Enid around, the latter laughing with glee. That unfamiliar feeling came again, and without thinking, Wednesday took Tyler's hand.
Tyler's eyes widened in surprise only briefly as she dragged him to the middle of the kitchen, beside Ajax and Enid. Letting go of his hand and closing her eyes, Wednesday began to dance, letting the music take her where it wanted. It was only with music that Wednesday ever allowed herself to just let go, and Wednesday could feel herself doing that now.
You better duck
She opened her eyes to see Tyler grinning at her.
When I show up
A strange feeling blossomed in her stomach, but she tried to ignore it as she continued to thrash her arms to the beat.
The Goo Goo Muck
Tyler was dancing now, too. He was listening intently to the music and moving his torso and arms accordingly. But even as he danced, his gaze stayed on her, almost intense, following her every move. Wednesday thought at first that she would hate it, how intently he was watching her, but instead she found that she… liked it.
Enid and Ajax came spinning past, and Tyler's gaze broke for a moment to watch them, smiling at the sight.
Without thinking, Wednesday reached forward and grabbed his wrists, leading him in a dance with her. Tyler didn't resist, following her lead as she twirled him about. Then she allowed him to start guiding her, though her hands stayed around his wrists. She pulled away briefly, spinning her arms around and ducking down out of his sight just as Enid and Ajax came twirling between them again. He seemed confused for a moment, until Wednesday appeared behind him, tapping his shoulder so he'd turn around. Then he grinned at her, and he grabbed her hands to spin her around.
The four of them danced through the entire song, changing partners once or twice, Wednesday allowing herself to be twirled by Ajax with Enid and Tyler interlocking their arms and spinning around beside them, and later joining hands with Enid while Ajax and Tyler did a sort of waltz, only for Enid to return to Ajax, and for Wednesday to end up with Tyler again by the end of the song. And even when the song changed to a more nauseating pop song, they continued to dance, spinning around and thrashing and jerking their bodies to the beat.
Wednesday wanted to stay angry. She truly did. But as she danced, finding herself getting further lost in the music, she found it was getting more and more difficult to. Yes, dancing with Enid and Ajax did help quell her irritation with them slightly, but what she was most surprised by was when she found herself enjoying dancing with Tyler. As shy and nervous he had seemed initially, she had watched as he slowly started to open up while they baked. And now, watching him dance and gradually lose himself in the music, his anxious expression slowly melting away, it was like he was baring himself open. He seemed happy, content, free. And as much as she wanted to hate that expression, wanted to want to smack it off his face, she couldn't bring herself to. The truth was, she was starting to find herself actually… liking his presence. Enjoying it, even.
The song soon changed to Paint it, Black (not a song she'd expect to find in Enid's playlist, which led her to suspect it was either from Ajax, or that she specifically picked it out for her) , which led the four of them to start spinning around in their own solo dances, the other three grinning at each other widely while Wednesday focused on the music. They clapped, they stamped, throwing their heads around and moving in circles around the counter, the other three even singing when they remembered the lyrics. Tyler's voice, though nothing overtly prodigious, was rather pleasant to listen to (Enid could sing decently as well, and Ajax, surprisingly enough, outsung the both of them).
Then the song changed again, and Wednesday found herself slowly halting as the unfamiliar, slow tune met her ears.
Watch the sunrise along the coast
As we're both getting old
Ajax turned to Enid, smiling shyly at her, and offered his hand. She smiled and took it, and they pulled themselves close together, Ajax gently holding Enid's waist while Enid's hand rested on top of his shoulder, their other hands intertwined tightly.
I can't describe what I'm feeling
Wednesday turned to Tyler, who was holding his hand out to her now, too, a small smile on his face. Wednesday exhaled quietly, then slowly took it. He pulled her closer to him carefully, hesitantly, even, barely touching the small of her back as they began to sway.
And all I know is we're going home
So please don't let me go, oh
Don't let me go, oh-oh-oh
And if it's right…
Gently, oh so gently, Tyler spun Wednesday around so that she was facing away from him and her arms were crossed in front of her chest, their hands still gripping each others' gently. She could feel the warmth of his body against her skin, feel his chest brushing her back ever so slightly, rising and falling gently as he breathed. And as they swayed to the gentle beat, Wednesday felt her disdain for the situation rapidly slip even further.
I don't care how long it takes
Tyler turned her around again so they were facing each other. They were standing so close now that their heads were nearly side by side, and she could feel the side of Tyler's cheek lightly brushing her temples and hear his quiet breathing, warm against her face. And with his head angled downwards, she could also feel his curls brushing against her hair.
As long as I'm with you
I've got a smile on my face
Slightly off to the side of Tyler's shoulders, Wednesday could see Enid and Ajax were now embracing, swaying gently to the music, Ajax's eyes closed with the side of his head pressed against the side of hers, and Enid's face buried in his shoulder.
Save your tears, it'll be okay
Wednesday let out an exhale, allowing herself to press herself slightly closer to Tyler, who let out a quiet inhale at the movement. Slowly, she felt his arm circle her waist, and she felt him bend down towards her ear. She could feel his eyelashes fluttering against her temple as he whispered, "Is this okay?"
All I know…
Wednesday pulled away slightly so she could look at him, directly into his eyes. They almost seemed to be glowing in the warm kitchen light, a deep hazel-green that reminded her of a doe's eyes. Tyler, his gaze now unflinching, looked right back at her, and Wednesday felt something warm in her chest blossoming slowly.
… is you're here with me
Interrupting the moment completely was the sound of a rooster crowing. Startled, Tyler suddenly broke away from her gaze, jerking his head towards the counter where Ajax's phone screen flashed, informing them that the timer was done.
Wednesday felt her mind pushing out of her thoughts, and it was like she suddenly became aware of what she was doing. Simultaneously, she and Tyler quickly stepped back. He wasn't looking at her now, but Wednesday was certain she saw his cheeks flushing a brilliant red. Even she could feel that she herself was warmer than usual (though she'd never admit it), and she was grateful that she couldn't blush, despite her pale complexion.
Tyler quickly swiped at the alarm to turn it off, grabbing a pair of oven mitts and rushing to the oven.
Wednesday glanced at Ajax and Enid, who had pulled away as well. But unlike Wednesday and Tyler, they were looking directly at each other and smiling. Wednesday felt that previously unfamiliar feeling twist in her stomach again as she realized that what she was feeling was… desire. Yearning, even.
Wednesday was mortified.
Ajax, still smiling at his girlfriend, made his way towards the counter, pulling her with him. While Ajax went to grab a cooling rack, per Tyler's request, Enid shot her a knowing look, her mouth twitching mischievously. Wednesday simply responded by glaring at her.
Ajax interrupted their silent exchange by dropping the cooling rack onto the counter. Enid moved quickly aside as Tyler came forward with the brownies, placing it on top of the cooling rack with a satisfied exhale.
Enid inhaled through her nose eagerly, while Ajax stared at the brownies, goggle-eyed. "Oh, it looks so good," he all but drooled. Tyler grinned, taking a toothpick from a nearby drawer and inserting it carefully in the middle of the batch. When he pulled it out, only a few wet crumbs were sticking on it.
"So?" Enid asked eagerly. "How is it?"
Tyler smiled at her. "It's done!"
Enid and Ajax let out a cheer. But Wednesday was focused on Tyler again. Her stomach was starting to feel strange as she watched him grin triumphantly. She hadn't felt it in years, but it was unmistakable—she had fallen for this boy. And not just the parts of him that challenged her, but every part of him that he had revealed. The goofy, yet passionate boy with the curly, dark blond hair, hazel-green doe eyes and shy, dopey smile. And worse—she found herself yearning to know him. To learn about him, of all the mysteries she was sure he contained. She wanted to know him—all of him, in his entirety, the good and the bad. She wanted to be with him. To spend time with him. She wanted him.
Snapping her out of her thoughts was Ajax clapping his hands to rub them together eagerly. "C'mon, man, what are we waiting for? Let's eat!"
"They're supposed to cool down first—" Tyler protested, but Enid had already grabbed a knife and was holding it out to him.
"Awww, I'm sure it's fine," she said, as Tyler reluctantly took the knife from her. "Besides, I get the feeling we don't have much time left. And I'd hate to get caught."
Tyler seemed hesitant at first, then finally he conceded. "But I'll have to make you guys some proper brownies next time," he said, as he started cutting the brownies into small squares.
Enid grinned. "Oh, I'm definitely holding you to that."
Tyler beamed, finally cutting out a piece and holding it out to Enid. She shook her head and shoved it back towards him, quickly explaining to the confused expression on his face, "No, no, you should try it first! You're the one who taught us how to make it, after all."
"Uhh," Tyler said, glancing at Ajax, who laughed. "She won't eat any if you don't," he told him. Tyler raised an eyebrow at Enid, who only crossed her arms challengingly, making him grin humorously before shrugging and taking a bite
"So? How is it?" Enid asked excitedly.
Slowly, Tyler's smile dropped, his chewing slowing to a stop as a frown formed on his face, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "Huh," he said, looking at the brownie with a bewildered expression.
"Huh, what?" Ajax asked, confused. Tyler swallowed, smacking his mouth in an attempt to taste it better. He popped the rest of the brownie into his mouth and chewed more deliberately. "It's… huh. I don't know. It tastes kind of funny."
Through the haze of her confused emotions, Wednesday's eyes suddenly widened as she remembered. The poison.
"Don't eat that!" Wednesday cried, slapping the brownie Ajax had just gotten out of his hand. He stopped in surprise as the brownie fell onto the tile floor. Enid whipped her head around to face her in confusion.
"Wednesday, what—"
She was interrupted when Tyler suddenly started coughing. Violently. One hand a fist over his mouth as he leaned against the counter. And when his face started to grow red with the continued hacking of his body, Ajax hurried to Tyler's side and put a hand on his back, slapping it as if he were trying to help clear his throat.
"Woah, you alright, man?" Ajax asked, voice pitched with concern.
Tyler didn't respond. Suddenly, he teetered, trying to catch himself on the counter and missing. He stumbled hard onto the floor, onto his knees, face going pale as he started to retch.
"Tyler!" Enid cried in panic, rushing to his side. Wednesday followed, but kept her distance, stopping several feet away as Ajax tried to keep Tyler sitting upright. Enid's eyes widened in alarm as she took in Tyler's appearance; his pale face and unfocused eyes, curls sticking to his forehead as he started to sweat profusely. She whipped her head around towards Wednesday, as if about to ask her what to do, but suddenly stopped, noticing Wednesday's subdued guilty expression. Her eyes narrowed.
"You didn't—"
Tyler moaned, slipping out of Ajax's grasp and collapsing onto the ground. He gasped for breath and clutched his chest, which was heaving heavily as his breathing grew more and more labored.
Wednesday snapped out of her daze, finally rushing to his side. "We need to bring him to the clinic immediately. Ajax, grab him under the arms. Enid, grab his waist. I'll carry his legs."
"Is he having an allergic reaction?" Ajax cried, doing as he was told.
"Now isn't the time to discuss this!" Wednesday snapped. Together, the three of them lifted Tyler off the ground. Enid reached behind Ajax to turn the doorknob, and he kicked the door open. Together they ran towards the clinic, which was a floor above them. Tyler's body was growing more and more limp as he rapidly lost consciousness, and they nearly dropped him on the stairs twice before they finally made it, and Enid slammed the clinic door open as they rushed Tyler inside.
There was no one behind the counter. Wednesday glanced frantically around, feeling Tyler's twitching legs getting heavier in her grip. She almost started to panic until a nurse came rushing in from the other room. Her eyes widened in alarm when she saw Tyler's pale, weakly convulsing form, ushering them into one of the rooms and helping him onto one of the beds. Another nurse came hurrying in, stopping for a moment when he saw Wednesday. His eyes narrowed, but he wasted no time in assisting the other nurse as they both checked his vitals. The first nurse told the three of them to wait outside, and reluctantly, Wednesday allowed herself to be dragged away by Enid. Once they had settled in, into the metal chairs built into the wall, Enid finally turned to fix Wednesday with a deathly glare.
"I can't believe you."
"He's going to be fine," Wednesday responded, crossing her arms. But that didn't help the guilt that she could feel in the pit of her stomach.
Enid stared at her, mouth agape. "You poisoned him, Wednesday!"
"Wait," Ajax said, confused. He had been trying to follow their exchange and only seemed to be getting more confused the more they spoke. "I thought it was an allergy."
"Yeah," Enid said, sarcasm dripping in every letter. "An allergy to poison ."
Ajax paused. His eyebrows furrowed. "But, isn't everyone technically allergic to—"
" Yes, Ajax, I was being sarcastic," Enid snapped, and Ajax made an apologetic expression. Then he finally seemed to realize what she said, and his head swiveled around to face Wednesday, shock etched across his entire face.
"I said he's going to be fine," Wednesday snapped.
Enid sputtered incoherently and indignantly, and Ajax sighed and covered his face with his hand. This was going to be a long night.
Wednesday let out a low exhale. She had never cared when she poisoned people before, even when they nearly died from it. But now she found herself actually feeling guilty for what she'd done. It was an unfamiliar feeling, and Wednesday wasn't sure how to navigate it. And Enid freaking out beside her definitely wasn't helping.
…
Tyler blinked his eyes slowly open. His vision was blurry, and he had a splitting headache and a horrible stomach ache. In fact, his entire body ached. Tyler moaned, reaching up to rub his eyes. When his hand dropped he noticed a slumped form in the armchair a few feet away. A form wearing mostly black.
Tyler watched as Wednesday stirred, her head lifting to look at him. Tyler smiled at her weakly, and she all but leapt out of her seat as she came over to his side.
"How are you feeling?" she demanded.
Tyler grimaced. "Uhh… Like I was hit by a truck?" he laughed weakly. Wednesday's eyebrows furrowed, and Tyler elaborated, "'Just have this… awful headache. And my stomach hurts. And my body. Pretty much everything hurts."
Wednesday nodded slowly. Tyler scanned the room in an attempt at finding a clock, but couldn't see one. "What… exactly happened? Did I pass out?"
Wednesday pressed her lips together, her expression unreadable.
"What?" he repeated. Wednesday sighed.
"You slept through the night. You passed out in the kitchen," she said, but it still sounded like she was hiding something.
"But— why?"
Wednesday seemed uncomfortable, and Tyler was trying not to grow alarmed. She finally seemed to notice the growing panic on his face and finally gave in. "It was a few drops of poison. Nothing more. And not enough to kill you, but enough to incapacitate a grown human being for several days."
Tyler's muddled brain took a few moments to process that. He opened his mouth, closed it again, then finally repeated, "poison."
Wednesday nodded. Tyler stared at her. "Like, in the brownies?"
" Yes , Tyler," Wednesday said impatiently. Tyler's brain still refused to comprehend what she was trying to say.
"But why would there be poison in the brow—" he stopped, comprehension finally clicking. His eyes widened comically.
"You poisoned the brownies?!"
At Wednesday's nod, Tyler sputtered incoherently, suddenly wincing when his headache started to throb again. He groaned, collapsing back against the pillow. Wednesday's arms remained crossed and, for the most part, she didn't seem to have any reaction to his pain. But as Tyler's vision gradually cleared, he noticed the slightest wrinkle of her eyebrows and slight frown on her lips.
"Why would you poison the brownies?" Tyler groaned in bewilderment once he had the strength to. Wednesday looked away. Reluctantly, she sighed.
"I was… irritated."
Tyler's eyes bulged. Wednesday ignored him and continued, "I was irritated with Enid for insisting that I join her on her date. I was even more irritated when I realized that she and Ajax had conspired to set me up on a double date with them." She avoided his gaze.
"But…" Tyler sputtered, a mixture of confusion and hurt overwhelming his thoughts. "Why would you poison the brownies?" he finally blurted, dumbly.
Wednesday finally looked at him, raising her eyebrow mildly. "Have you never heard of me before? I'm quite certain that my reputation precedes me. At the very least, I assumed Ajax would've warned you of me beforehand."
It was true that Tyler had heard of her before, but he had assumed that the stories had all just been exaggerated. He didn't think that she actually poisoned those guys. It was also very easy to assume that Ajax was just high whenever he talked about her. Actually, he might have been, but he didn't think that he was actually being accurate then.
"I just didn't think you would ruin a perfectly good batch of brownies," Tyler finally mumbled lamely, and Wednesday shot him an incredulous look.
"How is that all you can think of?"
The truth was that wasn't all that he was thinking about; he just hadn't wanted to admit it yet. But he couldn't help but feel hurt by her confession. She had been reluctant initially, sure. Protestant, even. But he had hoped that after dancing, maybe…
Tyler licked his lips and swallowed. "So… there wasn't really anything going on?" he finally asked, his voice faltering. Wednesday didn't meet his eyes.
"Wednesday."
She huffed, her arms going tighter around herself. "I am not used to having feelings for anyone," she finally admitted in a small voice, and this time she turned to face him head on, her eyes firmly locked onto his. Tyler felt a flutter in his stomach that had nothing to do with the poison.
After a few seconds, he took a deep breath. "Okay," he said, slowly. "But…" he hesitated a moment before continuing. "But if I were to, I don't know, maybe invite you out for a movie, or dinner, or something, would you maybe be willing to try it out?" he asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.
Wednesday's eyes flickered off his face for a moment, and Tyler felt his shoulders drop slightly, preparing for what seemed to be the inevitable disappointment. But then she looked at him again, and Tyler was almost startled to see the challenging look in her eyes.
"Are you willing to risk being poisoned again?"
Tyler was stunned for only a second. But once he got over the initial shock, he couldn't help it—he laughed, and Wednesday's lips actually twitched upwards slightly in response. Then he tilted his head, ever so slightly so as not to exacerbate his headache. He could feel that a few of his curls had dropped in front of his eyes at the movement. "Is that a yes?"
"It's a challenge," she responded, lifting her chin slightly. Tyler's smile widened goofily.
"I guess I can take you up on that," he said, smirking. The left corner of Wednesday's lips twitched higher in a small smirk.
"But… I can't promise I won't try to take revenge," Tyler finished, lowering his voice darkly. Wednesday seemed surprised, just for a moment, before her small smile actually widened, her eyes glinting eagerly.
...
A/N: AND THAT'S IT! Hope you guys enjoyed that ?
COMMENTS ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED!
Honestly my favorite part of writing this was probably the little details, but especially in the dance when Tyler and Wednesday were slow dancing together. Idk something about describing just how she FEELS him near, and him asking if how close he is is okay, kind of makes me feral wjrjwjr yes I am saying this about my own writing ?
I didn't get to mention it in the fic but the brownie recipe that Tyler used was from his mom ? (irl I just googled HAHA)
Note: No I'm not sure how poison affects the body, nor what kind she used, but i was too lazy to properly research, so i just winged it.
Now for Weyler Week day 2!
(Maybe someday I'll write a sequel of their first date where Tyler takes his revenge… which may include a movie about a very pink lawyer)
Songs Featured: The Goo Goo Muck by the Cramps, Paint it, Black by Keith Richards and the Rolling Stones, and Here With Me by d4vd