Author's Note: This chapter is probably the most last-minute addition I've ever made to Mishaps with Mistletoe. I started watching Wednesday on the 14th of December and as I was finishing up chapters to prep for posting I was hit with the sudden urge to write one for them.
This is AU, of course. Really wish I didn't have to say that lol.
Considering the disaster of the Rave'N dance, Wednesday found herself looking forward to the Nightmare on 34th Street Christmas Ball quite a bit more than she'd expected.
"Freezing to death is on my bucket list," she told Tyler as the two of them sat on a cold metal bench while he was on break at the coffee shop. "Unfortunately, so is being boiled to death, suffocated, and struck by lightning, and I could never accomplish all four."
"Maybe let's try to avoid accomplishing any of those, for the time being," Tyler teased. To his credit, he was starting to look less and less concerned when she made comments like that.
Wednesday hummed, staring blankly across the street. Despite the cold weather her face had barely a flush to it. "Well, anyway. If you'd like to come to the ball, I will allow you to take me. But I suppose you've had your fill of dances."
"The paint was kind of hard to get out of my suit." Tyler crossed his legs and bravely placed an arm over her shoulders. "But that's a risk I'm willing to take."
"Good." Wednesday ducked under his arm and stood up. "Your shift recommences in two minutes and it's probably best you thaw out before serving customers again. Nobody likes a sniffly barista."
She set off walking without another word, but Tyler wasn't about to have that. "Hey, whoa, whoa," he said, catching her arm. "You know the rule: no leaving without a proper goodbye."
Wednesday groaned under breath and stared up at him, looking beyond irritated. Tyler smiled down at her, hands on her shoulders. "I hope you have a great day, and I'll see you on Saturday for the dance."
"Yes, yes, you too," Wednesday muttered, fighting an upturning at the corners of her lips. This boy was much more dangerous than he looked.
Tyler nodded, satisfied, and pressed a kiss to her pale forehead. "You're freezing," he told her. "Should probably invest in a hat."
"Or I could prioritize accomplishing my bucket list," Wednesday rejoined, turning again and striding away.
W / T \ Y
Wednesday and Tyler arrived late to the Nightmare on 34th Street Christmas Ball. Unlike the Rave'N Dance, this party was themed in silver with splashes of juniper green. Oversized swoops of vine-twined pine boughs hung across the ceiling and walls, and the disco ball hung low over a metallically reflective dance floor.
Wednesday was fidgeting, her torso twisting slightly.
"What's up?" Tyler asked, frowning quizzically down at her as they stood in the entrance of the ballroom, taking it all in.
"Feels like- somethings- poking me," Wednesday grunted. She was wearing a long black dress that ballooned at the waist and sleeves, topped with a short-sleeve cropped black lace jacket which buttoned into a high neck. Glaring at nothing in particular, Wednesday reached up her jacket and pulled out a squirming dismembered hand. "Or someone," she corrected, glowering at Thing.
Thing twirled his fingers at her.
"Fine, whatever," Wednesday muttered, setting him down on the floor. "But if you don't behave yourself I'll drown you in the punch bowl and let people think you're an hors d'oeuvres."
Thing whipped through a few more movements, then scuttled off like a strange crab through the sea of dress-bottoms and shiny shoes.
Wednesday peeked up at her boyfriend to gauge his opinion on all of this. He was looking bemused. "Hey, Thing is allowed to have a fun night, too," he permitted. "Though I don't know exactly how fun everything will be from three inches off the floor."
"I'm sure he'll find a way to add to his height somehow," Wednesday said, unconcerned as to how Thing entertained himself. "I suppose we should mingle."
"Mingling is always an option," Tyler allowed. "Then again, so is finding a corner and…" He trailed off and winked, grinning a little.
Wednesday felt the dangerous beginnings of a blush starting at the nape of her neck. She quickly broke eye contact. "Don't be ridiculous. We can do… that whenever. Let's dance."
"Yes ma'am." Tyler dutifully allowed her to drag him to the very center of the room. The music was barely audible at this point; everyone was still milling about, enjoyed drinks and food.
Before Wednesday could break into one of her show-stopping, crowd-clearing dance performances, Tyler gently grabbed her and pulled her into a more traditional waltz position. "Ballroom dancing?" Wednesday deadpanned. "How torturous."
"Historically accurate ballroom dancing," Tyler corrected, modeling one of her arms straight out at her side and placing his hands on her shoulder and around her back. "And it's a good thing you enjoy torture, then."
He swept her into a waltz, and Wednesday complied easily, because of course she knew how to conduct a traditional waltz: she was Wednesday Addams.
The two of them spun around the floor for awhile, the music so quiet they barely bothered to keep to the existing beat. After awhile, Wednesday retracted her arm and wrapped both hands around Tyler's shoulders, letting her head fall back on a boneless neck to add an odd, rag-doll-esc edge to their dance. Her dress swept the floor, the lights whizzed around them.
They came to an eventual stop on the outskirts of the room, both a little out of breath. Wednesday stepped careful out of Tyler's embrace and brushed her hair back into place. "That was fun," she admitted tonelessly.
"That was fun," Tyler agreed with a smile that crinkled all the way to his eyes, and Wednesday was forced to break eye contact again for the sake of retaining her usual black-and-white appearance.
The minutes ticked by. Wednesday and Tyler procured some bizarrely grey punch and attacked a plate of meringues, ran into Ajax and Enid, escaped Ajax and Enid (they really were insufferably couply, at least for Wednesday's tastes), and were about to return to the dance floor when Wednesday froze mid-step.
Tyler looked at her questioningly as she slowly turned her gaze to the ceiling. She'd felt something, soft and wet, hit the top of her head. The scoundrels from the Rave'N Dance wouldn't possibly pull the blood prank again… right?
"Wednesday?" Tyler prompted, then followed her gaze as he noticed it harden into a glare. There, dangling from the ceiling by some sort of string, was Thing, and grasped in his fingers was a spring of mistletoe. He was halfway through squishing another berry and letting its innards fall onto Wednesday.
"Oh good grief," Wednesday grumbled, before glancing wryly at Tyler. "And you were so worried he'd be trampled."
Tyler let out a laugh and grabbed her hand. "Come on, it's best we do what the hand wants," he said, leaning forward and brushing his lips against Wednesday's. She reached up and gripped the lapels of his suit jacket, pulling him in closer for a moment before setting him free.
Thing crushed another berry and sprinkled them with seeds.
Author's Note: Mannnn, okay, I think I want to write more Wednesday and Tyler? We'll see how inspiration/time management lines up, but stay tuned ;)