I just wanted to make a quick note before we hop into this chapter and thank y'all for 10k reads! I am truly amazed that y'all are enjoying my story, and I hope I can continue to create a beautiful one. It will be a trial-and-error process, but hopefully, you'll stick with me while we get through this. I hope you enjoy this chapter, my heart goes out to y'all. <33

~~~

"That was miserable," muttered Wednesday.

"It wasn't that bad, besides, the food was good."

She glared at him.

"They asked if we were 'good friends' while smirking."

Xavier chuckled, putting his hands in his pocket.

"I don't know, I'd say we're good friends."

She rolled her eyes, ignoring his comment as he smirked at her.

They walked through the indoor garden in silence, admiring the plants that surrounded them. She walked up to a plant that seemed to have a mouth, petting it before turning to him.

"This is Cleopatra, my mother's carnivorous plant."

Xavier walked up to the strange plant, studying it. It seemed to move, its vines moving closer to him. He backed up quickly.

"What exactly do you feed it...?"

Wednesday smiled devilishly, and Xavier tensed up. She enjoyed scaring people, and that was something she would always find pleasure in doing.

"Just zebra burgers."

He relaxed, grimacing at her as she smiled a little wider.

"You had me very scared and concerned for a minute."

Wednesday chuckled a little, then continued walking through the garden. She decided it would be best not to tell him Cleopatra had indeed attempted to eat people before. 

 She got lost in her thoughts, wondering why this felt strange to her. The almost awkward tension between the two. She then realized she hadn't ever had a boy over, and the thought made her flush. She knew that someday he might have come, but she certainly hadn't thought about it happening so soon. 

"Where to next, tour guide?"

"Where ever you want, I assume."

He thought for a moment, not really sure what he wanted to see. Wherever she went, he would follow.

"You don't have to give me a tour if you don't want to. We could always pick a spot to hang out and talk."

Wednesday paused, considering what she wanted. She had prepped the house for his arrival, and now she wasn't even sure she wanted to continue the tour.

"I'll give you a quick run-through, then we'll go to my room."

He nodded, and Wednesday started off. She listed rooms off, and they walked through each one silently. His eyes trailed around each room, the decoration and the color scheme matching with Wednesday exactly. It revealed a lot about her and her family, and he was glad he had chosen to finish the tour.

She started up the stairs, and he paused behind her. She made it halfway up before stopping, turning her head to find him watching her go up. Tilting her head, she made her way down a few steps before raising her eyebrow.

"Am I allowed to go into your room?"

She wasn't sure what had gotten into him, and why he was so hesitant about coming with her. 

"Yes. Why wouldn't you be?"

"Well, I wasn't sure if your parents would be okay with it."

Her eyes softened, and she made her way down to stand in front of him. She grabbed both of his hands in hers and gave them a light squeeze. He looked down at her, and she was already watching him.

"We won't stay in there too long. We can head back and sit in the garden."

He smiled.

"Alright."

She turned and started up the stairs again, pulling him along. Her heart burned for him, and she once again found herself appreciating his honesty. She didn't intend to make him feel uncomfortable, she just assumed that they could have a little more privacy in her room from her family.

They arrived at her door, and she opened it to reveal a dark room. The black curtains draped over the windows, her cello glistened in the little sunlight that shined through, and her typewriter beckoned her over. Her room was neat and proper, as she always seemed to be. She pulled him in, taking him to her window. She slowly pulled the curtains back, letting the light seep in. He came to her side and took in the view. You could see the graveyard, but instead of it feeling gloomy and morbid, it had a ravishing melancholy feel that surrounded it. Hellebore grew around some of the graves, and the tombstones were well-kept. He looked down at her, seeing her taking it all in. He noticed her eyes sparkled from the view, and silently noted she appreciated the quiet beauty of them.

"It is quite the view from here."

She looked up at him, smiling lightly.

"Let's go to the garden now."

Quickly shutting the drapes, she peeked out one last time before they headed out again. 

"Can you tell me why you were uncomfortable with the idea of being in my room?"

She glanced up at him as they made their way down the stairs, and he gave a small shrug.

"I don't want your parents to get the wrong impression."

She simply nodded, understanding now that he had said it. She really should've considered things from different perspectives, because not everyone grew up with the same impressions of things. Her parents were very open to change, and very open to new ideas. But that didn't mean they would change their ways. She was a creature of routine, but now that she had friends, she has slowly become more open like her parents. The thought made her cringe, as she had vowed to never become her mother. But it seems it may be inevitable, in some aspects. 

They walked in silence until they reached the garden, where Xavier spun around in front of her.

"I was wondering if you would like to make a small trip with me on Christmas," he said quickly, Wednesday's eyes widening slightly.

"Where to?"

He looked down, slowly taking a deep breath before meeting her eyes again.

"I want you to meet my mom. I think she would have loved you."

Tears sprung to his eyes as he offered her a small smile before he quickly turned away from her.

Her heart shattered at his question, wondering how long he had been waiting to ask that. She watched as he tried to collect himself, but he couldn't conceal the tears that began to roll down his cheeks.

She slowly walked closer to him, giving him a hug. He slowly hugged her back, tightly holding her as his sobs softly echoed in the garden. She wanted so badly to comfort him, but she couldn't think of any way to do so. All she knew was she wanted to be there for him.

She slowly drew back, looking up to meet his tear-stained face. Her hands came up to wipe his tears, before settling on both of his cheeks. 

"I would like to meet your mother, Xavier. She must have been a magnificent woman to create a  son like you."

He softly chuckled as a tear rolled down his cheek, Wednesday wiping it with her thumb. She slowly moved her hands down and grabbed his, pulling him over to sit on the bench. He started to collect himself again, and he smiled softly on Wednesday.

"She always joked about the day I would bring home a girl, and how she would have to tell her all the embarrassing things I did as a kid." He laughed softly.

Wednesday gave him a small smile, still holding his hand as she listened to him reminisce in the memories.

"I always begged and pleaded with her not to, but I knew she was joking. She was very accepting and loving of everyone, regardless of what my dad said to try and persuade her."

Wednesday let out a small laugh, watching as a small smile played on his lips.

"And she had this laugh that always made you want to laugh right along with her."

He went silent for a moment, looking off into the garden. Wednesday studied his features, her eyes slowly trailing along his jawline.

"She sounds wonderful."

Xavier looked over at her and intertwined their fingers. 

"Thank you."

She nodded, looking down at their hands. 

"Do you want to come back tomorrow?"

He smiled, and he felt his heart flutter. He had opened up to her, and she just listened. She didn't say anything to try and make him feel better, and she wasn't half listening to him ramble. He could feel her eyes on him as he talked, and her small reactions to what he told her. It meant so much more than the empty words his father and everyone else had told him to try and comfort him. 

He just stared at her for a moment, getting lost in her eyes.

"Can I?"

Wednesday got butterflies from the small question, and she did her best to conceal the oncoming blush.

"If you would like. Father and Mother love you."

He gave her that goofy grin that always made her go crazy, and she smirked back.

"Okay, but just because your parents love me. What time?"

She rolled her eyes and then shrugged. 

"I am usually awake at 7, but I'm sure you would prefer sleeping in later than that."

He laughed, shaking his head.

"Yeah, you're gonna have to give me time to actually sleep."

He stood up and looked at his phone, checking the time. 

"Wow, it's late. I better go, I'll see you tomorrow?"

Wednesday stood with him, and they began walking to the door.

"Unless you suddenly go blind, you will see me tomorrow."

He chuckled, figuring she would find some snarky answer to give him.

"I'll do my best not to go blind. Bye, Wednesday."

He grabbed the sides of her face and gave her a kiss on the forehead. He walked out and headed for his car, Wednesday watching him go. He turned back, giving her a small smile before getting into his car and driving off. 

She watched him become a speck in the distance before she walked out and sat on the step of her porch, sighing as she rested her face in her hands. She was exhausted, and her mind was reverting back to her most current nightmare. Xavier had managed to get her mind off of it for the evening, and she was glad he hadn't noticed her sleep-deprived state. He had enough on his plate as it was, and he didn't need her nightmares on top of that.

Walking back into the house, she was greeted by her mother, who was standing by the door.

"Did Xavier leave?"

Wednesday locked the door, turning back to her mother.

"Yes."

"That's a shame, I wanted to send him home with some food."

She held up a little container of what they had for dinner, and Wednesday merely glared.

"Shame."

Wednesday was heading for her room before her mother turned to her, almost halting Wednesday.

"My dear child, why the distant mind?"

Wednesday looked at her mother, quirking her eyebrow.

"I am not being distant."

She walked past her mother, who just watched her go to her room.

Morticia Addams felt the energy surrounding her daughter, but couldn't place a finger on what it was. She decided it would be best to just let it go, walking back to find Gomez.

Wednesday showered before getting into bed, her mind being ripped apart as everything she had repressed flooded back into her mind.

It would be a long night.

~~

She woke up around 6:35, sitting up from the mess of her bed. She wasn't sure what time she had finally fallen asleep, but she had managed to make it through the night. Climbing out of bed, her journal thudded on the floor. She bent down and picked it up, rubbing the cover with her thumb before standing to put it on her desk. The pen was gone, but she was sure she would find it when she made her bed. She walked over and peeked out the window, as the sun rose over the graves. Taking in the sight, she deeply inhaled before going to get ready, as she wanted to have everything out of the way before Xavier arrived. 

~~

About an hour and a half later, there was a knock on the door. Wednesday walked swiftly to get it, finding a smiling Xavier holding two coffees.

"Good morning Wednesday. Here's your black coffee," he said, walking in.

She gave a slight smile as he handed the warm cup to her, and she quickly took a sip. 

"Morning, Xavier."

 He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a kiss on the head. 

"Someone hasn't fully woken up yet."

"Shut up," she muttered, hiding her face in his sweatshirt.

They heard someone walking towards them and hopped back, as her parents came into view.

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Addams."

Gomez smiled at him, and Morticia drank her coffee as she watched them.

"Xavier! I didn't expect such a quick return. How are you this morning?"

"I'm doing just fine. How about y'all?"

"We are doing well. Feel free to stay as long as you like, we get to see more of Wednesday that way."

Xavier smiled, and Wednesday spit daggers at them.

"Is your father home?" 

Xavier frowned. He forgot they knew his father.

"He won't be home until after Christmas."

Now it was their turn to frown.

"Well, we are glad you'll be spending Christmas with us. Feel free to stop by here whenever you want to." Her mother smiled at the two of them, her eyes going between them before she went back to her coffee. Gomez wrapped his hand around her waist, leading her away from the pair.

Xavier looked over at Wednesday, who was swirling her coffee around.

"Do you want to walk through the graveyard?" Wednesday asked, not looking up. 

"Spooky, I'm in."

She looked up at him, giving him a small smile. She enjoyed it when people made an effort to explore her interest, and he had done more than just explore. 

They began walking, both slowly drinking their coffee and waking up. He reached for her pinky, and she looked over at him. His eyes ran over her face, and he felt his knees go weak. They walked out the back door and headed for the gate. It was a tall black metal fence, with a cursive A built into the arch of the entrance. She quickly undid the lock and opened the gates. It looked so much more enchanting being up close than it did from afar. He bent down to look at the flowers, wondering why they were in bloom during winter.

"Hellebores. They are winter bloomers. But don't touch them, they're poisonous."

Somehow the fact they were poisonous added to the beauty of this graveyard, and he stood up and walked to where Wednesday was.

"This is Cousin Fledge's grave. He was torn limb for limb by four wild horses."

Xavier winced, trying his best not to imagine it.

She walked through the garden, eventually stopping at one grave. Xavier came to her side, and Wednesday bent down to wipe some dirt off the name.

Goody Addams.

"She was the one that guided me, all the way up until I almost died. Then she managed to save me," Wednesday whispered, half to herself.

He bent down beside her, pulling out some weeds that had started to grow on top of the tombstone. She watched as he did it, biting her lip. She gently pulled his hair behind his ear, out of his face as he continued pulling up the weeds.

Once he had finished, he looked over at her, smiling. 

"Why don't we have a picnic?"

She looked at him, not sure if he was serious or not.

He raised his eyebrows, standing up and holding his hand out for her. She quickly took it and stood up, standing right in front of him. Her eyes drifted down to his lips before retreating back to his, and she slowly nodded her head.

"Where?"

He put his hands out, gesturing to the graveyard.

"Why not here?"

She had expected him to say somewhere else, but she instantly smiled once she realized he meant here. It seemed so poetic, to be on a picnic in a graveyard with a boy. To her at least. 

"Let's go get some stuff packed and come back out here then."

She quickly walked out of the graveyard, and he walked to her side. 

Once they were in the kitchen, they began preparing lunch for their little picnic.

~~

She had brought a black quilt and laid it out on the grass, finding some space beside one of the bigger tombstones. It offered little shade, but they had a tree that loomed over them that partially protected them from the sun. It was a warmer day, which proved perfect for them.

He came out carrying the small basket of food and began laying it out on the quilt. She sat down beside him, stealing a strawberry from the bowl.

"At least let me finish laying it out," he said, earning a glare from her. He laughed, and she smirked a little. 

"Now you can dig in," he announced, setting the basket aside.

She rolled her eyes and grabbed one of the sandwich halves, and he went for the strawberries. They stole occasional glances at each other, each time they narrowly avoided detection. 

"I would never do this with anyone else."

He looked over at her, smiling.

"I would hope not while I'm here."

She playfully bumped into his shoulder, and he laughed.

"Well, maybe Enid and Ajax could join us for some. But not every time."

She met his eyes, raising her eyebrows.

"I can expect more of these?"

He nodded, waiting for her reaction to the idea. She slowly smiled, not sure why the idea of there being more was so appealing to her. It was quiet and peaceful, and they weren't forced to talk. She found herself surprisingly at ease, not tensed up in the slightest.

"If you will let me take you on more."

She set her hand on top of his, and he lifted it up to kiss it.

He was going to be the end of her. 

~~~

Hey guys! I realized yesterday I forgot a writer's most important rule...show not tell. So hopefully, this one does a better job at that, and I hope you enjoy this. I did some more digging on the original Addams family, so some of the names and such are legit. Any suggestions, ideas, comments, and brutal honesty are always accepted. I accept constructive criticism lol. So please, give it to me where my areas are weak. I really appreciate you reading this far!! Much love and best wishes!! <33