Perhaps from birth, Wednesday Addams thought, perhaps she could measure the effect from then. Her personal gravity, the people orbiting her, the distances they kept. Some, mostly family, were moons, only minor eccentricities in their elliptical orbits. Some were meteors, crashing into Wednesday's atmosphere, destroyed or dispelled before contact. Others were comets, racing by then off into the deep darkness of space, perhaps returning after an extended interval.
The gaps let Wednesday breathe. It allowed her to observe, remain still, an outsider, knife sharp stare slicing into anyone whose axis tilted toward her. A glare could slow rotation, a frown could repel, invisible shields protecting an atmosphere only she could thrive in.
Touch was toxicity, a cloying viscous layer clogging her pores, crushing the amplitude of her lungs. Friendship was a trap.
And yet there was Enid. Enid Sinclair. Wednesday had classed her as a meteor at first, flashing across the deep midnights of Wednesday's sky, bringing temporary colors to the dark, but unable to survive the descent. Or Wednesday's inability to trust.
Boldly, Enid had returned to their shared dorm, after such harsh words from such sweet lips. The distance between them became a comforting constant, an orbit, almost circular, lacking eccentricity. A werewolf moon for woeful Wednesday Addams. How fitting.
Then the hug. Again Enid. Beautiful, bloody, glorious, wounded, triumphant champion Enid, searing blue eyes only for Wednesday. Now surely this was the slam, the explosion, the meteor breaking through the atmosphere, destroying all familiar terrain. But when Enid pulled back, Wednesday reached forward, moved by gravity, by the solidity, the truth, the touch of Enid, crashing into the elliptical arc of the werewolf's arms, a safe haven keeping Wednesday whole.
Had Wednesday been in motion the whole time? Not a fixed point? Not a planetary object acquiring a satellite but a planetary object captured by the undeniable will of a star. With every word, every wink, every step that let Wednesday keep the illusion of her isolation, had each of those been adding their pull to the attraction the blinding bright blonde naturally exuded on everything in her reach. Had Wednesday been drawn into Enid's orbit? How dare a moon be a sun? Could Wednesday's bleak, blackened soul be sunburned by joy?
"Wednesday?" Enid's voice lilted from inside their room. "Have you seen the mini moon yet?"
"No." Wednesday bent to actually peer through the telescope's eyepiece. "I will require more specialized equipment."
Enid bounced out onto the balcony, dressed for bed in a pink crop top, orange pajama pants with cartoon bears, and fluffy, white bunny slippers.
"When'd ya fall in love with the moon?"
"I admire its fealty to our planet."
Enid snorted. "And the army of werewolves it can summon to Earth's defense."
"An admirable skill one might want to emulate."
"So you're learning how to summon werewolves?"
Enid must know. The sun sees all. No side of Wednesday can hide. There are no shadows with the brightness this close.
"Yes."
"How's it going? Got yourself any?" Enid had leaned against the wall and flipped herself, lolling over the wall, upside down and smirking, wagging her arms.
Wednesday turned toward her mocker, raising a skeptic's eyebrow. Enid giggled. Nothing more needed to be said. Wednesday's orbit had been steadily moving from apoapsis, its farthest point. Periapsis would come soon enough.
A/N: Howdy! Idol Fanfic Heaven is having their annual Promptober event and today's was distance, which just suited Wednesday so well. And bonus, today's wenclairtober prompt is werewolf, which also gets a mention here. Enjoy!