targeted ad ii - microfic
saw these on insta - ya'll might already know they exist sorry i'm old but they are for Wednesday and Enid for sure, so have a tiny scene of Enid convincing her moody lil gf to wear them
âYouâve already managed to convince me to join you in a cabin that doesnât double as a hideout for family members running from federal agents. On the first full day of this trip, Iâve eaten your sugary version of breakfast, listened to your KPop morning stretch routine playlist, and now you expect me to wear matching clothes? I already wore a snood with you to hunt a monster.â
Enid wiggled her shoulders, holding a tie-dyed canvas tone in her hands with her bottom lip curled out. âYeah, and you let it get all torn up! Come on, Wednesday â itâs practically a tradition!â
âThis is our first time traveling together. The only tradition weâll have is going to be you waking up breathing each day after the insufferable teenage whimsy you have me entertaining on this so-called vacation.â
âOkay, not so much a tradition, but itâs like, a thing that couples do together! At least all the ones on Instagram do it when they travel!â
Wednesday opened her own suitcase, a vintage piece assembled with fine leather. Whatever low-quality, polyester excuse for âfabricâ that Enid had likely ordered from a sweatshop was not going on her body. Â âGood news, Iâm not on Instagram; you donât have to worry about meeting vapidly set expectations of social media on my behalf.â
âBut I got them special for us, so that we could still be coordinating and you could keep your aesthetics up, even though there would be no one here to see it. And I promise, I wonât post it on my stories or anything, Iâd justâŚmaybe hope that youâll let Thing take a Polaroid of us for our cute little collection of pics on the string lights...â
Once Enid was full-blown pouting, Wednesday gave her a glance after taking out her organic, linen, hand-dyed pants that were stitched by the family seamstress and sighed. âWhat garment-factory-fire-waiting-to-happen clothing have you obtained?â
Enid scoffed as she reached into her bag. âIâd think the idea of a factory fire would be exciting to you.â
âI support exploiting people for their stupidity, not their labor,â Wednesday muttered and crossed her arms as she watched Enid pull out sweatshirts. One as an offensive baby pink and the other was black.
Matching? Hardly.
âThese are from a small business I saw on that social-media-app you hate so much -â
âDid you fall for targeted advertising again? Enid, weâve discussed the need to more strictly adjust your privacy settings so that your personality canât be packaged and sold to you-â
âYeah, yeah, yeah, breach of data â Russian bots, weâve been through this. Anyway, this is a cute, women-owned online shop, not from some planet-killing application. I thought that these were particularly appropriate for us, and actually match this exact moment weâre in, right now.â
She turned them around, and Wednesday almost let out a puff of air in amusement, though she managed to conceal it before it could escape.
On the black sweatshirt was a pink heart, with a little spiderweb motif around it and the phrase âmight bite,â while the pink one had the same style, but the script read instead, âmight cry.â
âFitting,â Wednesday finally decided.
âLetâs see if they fit us!â She cheered, pulling the bright colored pastel top over her head and giggling, approaching Wednesday bravely, tugging the neck hole over her braids.
âEnid, it has pink.â
âLike, three inches of it on top! Weâre alone in the woods, no one can see you. And Iâve got Benadryl for bug bites, if you break out in hives from your âcolor allergy.ââ
Wednesday let out a long sigh through her nose as Enid actually took her arms one at a time and weaseled them inside the sleeves of the crewneck. She stared straight ahead, unfortunately â the maneuver long had lost the effect of unnerving Enid. Â
âEek! You look so cute.â Enid tugged her over to the mirror on the back of the door of the log-built lake house theyâd rented for spring break (a place for her to wolf out during that nightâs full moon and for Wednesday to have plenty of target practice with a variety of weapons sheâd packed). âI mean, intimidating â of course, not cute. Never cute.â She let out a series of bubbly laughs yet again, hooking an arm over Wednesday, who stared at their reflection.
It was a bit chilly that morning â but certainly not cold enough for the jacket sheâd packed in case the weather was uncooperativeâŚ
âI will wear this for exactly the twenty minutes it will take us to walk to the lake.â
Enid squeaked and kissed her cheek, squeezing their matching sweatshirts together in a hug before pulling back and admiring their attire again, rubbing up and down Wednesdayâs back mindlessly as she stared in the mirror. âWe look adorable. I mean, deadly. We look very deadly in these.â
âYouâre going to be dead if you donât take your hands off my black and pink sweatshirt,â Wednesday clarified.
âOh, please. You love it when I touch you,â Enid teased and Wednesday nearly wrinkled her nose at how much that was true. âWhat, are you going to prove that true and bite me if I donât stop?â
âYou wish,â Wednesday retorted, working very hard on keeping her eyes from rolling all the way back when Thing managed to capture the moment with Enidâs instant camera as sheâd hoped. Enid let go and brought her arms up in a victory pose before milling around and gathering entirely too many unnecessary supplies for their morning hike while Wednesday watched her intensely in the mirror. She would admit â she liked the oversized top, and how it fell over her hands and went mid-length down her thighs. Adding her more usual pair of pants to go with it, she laced up her boots and waited as Enid debated between tinted lip balm. âThe mosquitoes are going to find you delicious no matter what color your lips are.â
âIt has SPF in it! Very necessary,â She said, putting some on herself when she finally picked one, then approached Wednesday, taking her by the back of her head and putting it on her as well. The fountain of positive thinking and insane levels of bravery that was her girlfriend shocked her into allowing it. Even more boldly, she followed it up with a kiss to those tinted lips that Wednesday almost returned. âNow you can leave a cute little lip imprint when you bite me,â She winked.
Tugging her close, Wednesday wrapped her black-clad sleeves around her pink middle, tucking her cheek against the plush fabric. In a move indicating surrender, she muttered, âThis sweatshirt is adequately warm.â
âI knew youâd like it,â Enid kissed the top of her head, giving her a long embrace in return.
âI didnât say that.â
âYou donât have to. And even if youâre just entertaining me,â She pulled back to look her in the eye. âThank you. Now come on, you getting all affectionate on me might make me cry happy tears if we donât get moving!â
Black Menagerie update is late because real life is sometimes better than fanfiction | purchase a sweatshirt for you and your moody gf here
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Llama, Llama Baby Drama | Wenclair One-Shot for @based7100
Summary: Enid gets an emergency call to babysit on a date night. When Wednesday shows up with intentions of having it anyway, they have a much-needed conversation about their future.
(separate from my established Wenclair universe in CftF or Black Menagerie)
WC: 4,979 (STILL UNDER 5K OKAY)
Rated: All Ages
trigger warning: a baby
Prompted by @based7100, "Wednesday and Enid having the do you want kids talk" as part of my >5k writing (post-taxes) challenge
âWhy is it sticky?â Wednesday asked with a grimace as Enid tickled the baby that was perched on her hip. The infant gave a loud squeal of laughter that drew a deeper cringe from Wednesday at the sudden pitch.
âShe is sticky because she just ate, and I didnât want you breaking and entering and setting off the home alarm! Youâre lucky I have werewolf hearing, otherwise I would have made you be the one to settle her down.â Enid said with a smile of exasperation, opening the door wider, allowing Wednesday entry to a townhouse. Enid pressed buttons on a keypad when Wednesday came into the doorway of the space with some agitated trepidation. Monsters, serial killers â entering the lair of either wouldâve brought her glee, but entering the space of an eight-month-old was like being dropped into a hostile landscape without adequate preparation.
She noted Enid in her stocking feet and untied her boots, staring up at Enid and the little she with unblinking eyes, attempting to assert her dominance in the small personâs home. Enid just rolled her own and gave Wednesday a peck on the cheek as she stood tall again, clutching her backpack strap. Enid looked at the entryway clock and added, âIâm going to get her cleaned up â itâs close enough to time â Iâm going to get her in the bath if you wanna just make yourself comfortable! Youâre like, forty minutes early, so donât blame me that youâre bored!â The baby stuck her entire fist into her mouth, gurgling while a trail of saliva slipped her all the way down to her elbow. Again, Wednesday was sure she made a face, unable to help her disgust.
Make yourself comfortable was quite a loaded statement, as Wednesday didnât have a portable bed of nails handy. She and Enid had their third Saturday night date cancelled in a row; the last minute âemergencyâ babysitting request coming through from a Normie family sheâd made friends with in Jericho (really, Wednesday considered grandma falling down the stairs more of a coming of age event than an emergency) dampening a makeup date from a makeup date. Unable to tolerate three weeks in a row of a Saturday night without her girlfriend, Wednesday had cautiously accepted the invitation to come over after the baby was in bed. The childâs mother had said that was acceptable â and though she feared becoming a 80s movie babysitter clichĂŠ of making out on the couch while there was a killer outside, sheâd taken the chance as the next week was supposed to be just as busy for the seniors at the end of their school year as theyâd all been. (It was unlikely the house had a landline for anyone to ask if Enid had checked on the baby, anyway.)
Enid disappeared with her down the hall, using a different tone in her voice than usual to talk to the baby, who obviously couldnât comprehend what she was saying regardless of her cadance. Staring after them for a long minute, Wednesday gave a tiny blink and took a look around â finding a stereotypical portrait of a family sitting in a field of leaves with their infant from the fall. The picture-perfect matchy-matchy white, suburban American aesthetic completely draining her before she even properly entered the home.
Exiting the foyer into the living area, she recoiled a touch at the explosion of color and plastic toys. Wishing sheâd brought Thing to put him to work, she thought about perching herself on the edge of the wooden rocker in the room, not touching anything when she realized â if she didnât pick up the toys while Enid was picking up the baby, it would just be that much longer before theyâd be able to sit together on the plush loveseat under the window.
Wednesday let out a silent sigh, dropping her shoulders, taking a sharp glance around trying to figure out the organizational method when she realized â there wasnât one. Unable to tolerate such a disaster, she began sorting the toys into piles, little rubbery blocks with forever chemicals laced into them together, tiny plastic people that probably had lead in the paint, and stuffed animals that had polyurethane filling which would outlive them all.
She found a few collapsible baskets that had never been put together near a stack of unopened mail on a bench, keeping everything separate as she got it off the floor. She rolled up the blankets, then went so far as to wipe down the tabletop when she couldnât identify the crusty material that was gathered on top, using a deplorable smelling baby wipe.
It seemed like Enid at least hadnât been forced to make anything for the baby, as there was just a spoon and a little plate in the sink and cleaning off the high chair tray. (Wednesday could handle blood spatter, entrails, and digging through bones, but honestly â the mush and droll were going to push her over the edge.) After putting everything that seemed dirty in the dishwasher, Wednesday followed the sounds of splashing and giggles to the bathroom down the hall.
Enid was on her knees in front of a tub, where the baby was in some sort of special seat. Not sure if she needed to avert her gaze for privacy, Wednesday almost disappeared but Enid shook her head, âYou can come in! Itâll be a few minutes. Bailey loves to play in the water!â
Bailey. That was surely, the name of a dog, not a human child. Certainly â not an adult someday who needed to enter the workforce someday.
Avoiding yet another dramatic sigh out her nose, Wednesday hovered, her arms crossed as she stared the child down, who dropped her silly little face full of joy at the leer. Bailey frowned severely, suddenly â and Wednesday took the cue to leave, wandering into the babyâs nursery.
The room was surprisingly neutral, which Wednesday did appreciate with the lack of stereotypical pink. The babyâs crib was simple, and though Wednesday mightâve joked about smothering Enid in her sleep the first day theyâd met, she knew that it was important to just keep a fitted sheet on so the baby didnât manage to do so to themselves. There was a second rocking chair â a glider, in the corner, a small bookshelf, overflowing with titles, a dresser that seemed to be doubling as a changing table, based on the diapering supplies, and a few unopened boxes of toys that she probably wasnât developmentally prepared to play with stacked in the corner. The walls had simple wooden, cut-out letters that read the girlâs name, and three photos above the dresser of her with the family, a few peel-and-stick bunnies at her eye-level beneath them.
Wednesday squatted down to examine the childâs literature selection, shaking her head in disapproval. How did they expect to raise a well-rounded child if she lacked the classics? There wasnât a Homer, Miguel de Cervantes, Shakespeare, Stephen King, or even a single Orwellian novel on display. Her own father had been sure to get through all of the works of Poe and War and Peace before Wednesday had even left the womb!
Pulling out a few titles that didnât sound horrendous, Wednesday shook her head at the modern childrenâs literature; thinking it was a damn shame that some of the best sellers clearly had no concept of rhythm. What a chore some of the books would be to have to read aloud, a near burden and waste of a treeâs time on earth.
She sat in the glider with a stack, ready to provide Enid with what she hoped would be interpreted as a humorous, critical review of some of the books, when her girlfriend came in with the baby all wrapped up in a towel, cheeks rosy â but significantly cleaner. âForgive me, baby Bailey â I was so rude not to properly introduce you. This is Wednesday. Donât mind the glare, thatâs her friendly one.â
Wednesday was about to start her joke reception of Brown Bear, Brown Bear but Enid kept talking. She took out a yellow onsie with ducks on it, placing Bailey on her back on the changing pad, giving that same high, fake voice that was just so grating, even from someone she loved. âOkay, sweet baby â letâs get all dryâŚyeah, weâll dry your little feet-feet-feet,â The baby kicked and laughed while Enid kept going, rubbing the towel along her. âAnd your legs-legs-legs,â She shifted into sing-song, âAnd your belly-belly-belly, and your arms-arms-armsâŚâ
It went on for so long. Wednesday just continued to watch the spectacle, as she started with a disposable diaper and then worked her into the front-zipper pair of baby pajamas. âAll done!â She waved her hands in a way that Wednesday knew was sign-language, and the baby copied it. Enid kissed her all over her face, making Baily whirl in happy sounds and Wednesday was sure, she was glowering, unable to help her jealousy â even if it was a baby she was being paid to watch getting Enidâs physical and emotional attention.
Finally, Enid completed the scene, looking at Wednesday with a seriously sort of expression. âWeâre almost done. Can you hang in there?â She asked, using nearly the same voice that she had for the baby. Practically growling, she was about to stand up, when Enid developed an evil sort of twinkle in her eye and came forward, depositing Bailey suddenly onto Wednesdayâs lap. Thankfully â she had some sort of protective instinct, and her reflexes kicked in before she could let the baby fall backwards. She went to make a snide, argumentative comment, but Enid just wasnât having it. âStart reading to her, Iâll make her bottle, and we can be done in half the time.â
âEnid â I canât â!?â
âRead?â She teased sassily, putting her hands on her hips, perching a brow. âNice try. Here, she loves this one,â She reached down to a paperback (the very feeling of the thin cardboard cover making Wednesdayâs skin crawl) with a worried looking farm animal on top.
Before she could protest again, Enid adjusted Bailey more in Wednesdayâs lap, putting her back closer to her chest. Bailey looked at Wednesday with as much certainty as she returned, looking like she was about to cry. âStart reading and sheâll totes be fine.â
âEnid, I swear ââ
At the empty threat, Enid dashed out of the room and down the hall. Wednesday let out a breath, grumbling, âLlama, Llama, Red PajamaâŚcreative. Endlessly, creative.â
With a sigh, she started to read and Bailey settled at the familiar rhyme. Wednesday followed through, managing to go for the first few pages until she read, âLlama, Llama, red pajama feels alone without his mama. Baby Llama wants a drinkâŚoh, no. No, no, no. This Llama is playing games with his caregiver and she needs to ignore him before she develops horrific behavior cycles that take years to break. Next thing she knows, sheâs going to have nine-year-old llama walking in on mama and dada llama fornicating and traumatizing him like Pugsley because they never put an end to his bedtime drama. Oh, llama, drama â I suppose thatâs nearly clever.â
Sighing, she flipped through the pages to find that indeed, the mother gave into the childâs tantrum and Wednesday snapped the book shut. Reaching into a stack, she pulled out another title. âFine, Corduroy. At least Lisa understands that the value of something doesnât lay necessarily in the perceived perfection of it, but in what it means to the individual. This is a better message for you to internalize.â
With that, she found herself actually gliding the chair back and forth, starting and finishing the story. Bailey yawned and gave a clap at the end, looking up at Wednesday, squeezing her hands open and shut.
Enid gave an amused chuckle from the doorway, shaking a bottle. âItâs right here, sweet girl.â Bailey kicked her little feet and reached her hands for it. Enid gave her the bottle and she held it with one hand, using the other to twirl at her own, light-brown hair as her eyes instinctively went half shut, but turned back to the book. Wednesday tried to hand her over, but Enid winked. âI think youâve got this. Look, sheâs relaxing on you!â
âI donât like this,â Wednesday grumbled, but didnât fight it too hard, not wanting to make the baby choke. In general, she wasnât about to be the good Samaritan to help somebody experiencing that in public, as it seemed like a solid natural consequence, but she didnât want to be the reason that Enid lost her babysitting gig. (She stubbornly refused to always allow Wednesday to pay for things and insisted on odd jobs around town to make her own money.)
âYouâre doing great,â Enid promised, kneeling at her side, putting a hand on Wednesdayâs knee. âItâs good to challenge yourself to do things that make you uncomfortable.â
She flickered her gaze down to the hand on her knee, wishing it were elsewhere on her body⌠âGive me another book,â She demanded as the baby was practically guzzling her bedtime bottle.
With two more selections (far better choices for her interest level of reading aloud to an infant â though she swore, if she ever ended up coming again, sheâd bring some proper literature), Wednesday closed the third story up and looked at Enid, who was looking at her withâŚ
âŚfondness? Desire? She couldnât quite read the emotion. As the baby finished, Wednesday passed her over to Enid, where she curled instinctively into her neck, holding onto her shoulder with a contented sigh. Watching the sight herself for a long moment, she started to feel a strange discomfort and took the empty bottle, excusing herself as Enid started to pat her back and rock her to sleep.
With simple deduction in the kitchen that the bottle required to be hand-washed, Wednesday completed the task, then found Enidâs phone on counter. Unlocking it and logging into her own account for a food delivery application, she placed an order for a local favorite that was still open at the evening hour, and wrote threatening instructions not to knock or ring the bell. If that baby woke once it was placed in the crib, so help herâŚ
It was hardly ten minutes later that Enid stepped out of the room with a little monitor in her hand, placing it on the end table that had little rubber bumpers on the corners, giving a stretch and a yawn before looking at the stiff-sitting Wednesday fondly.
âHey,â She greeted, plopping herself down on the loveseat, turning right into her.
âHowdy,â Wednesday spoke in reply. âIs the small gremlin asleep?â
Rolling her eyes again, Enid put a hand on Wednesdayâs cheek, turning it towards her to press a long, sweet kiss on her lips. âSheâs out. Thanks to your help. I appreciate it.â
âI have been told I have a soothing reading voice,â Wednesday spoke of herself, squaring her shoulders a little bit. âI would still prefer to have been at the steakhouse and then stargazing in the cemetery with you, though.â
âI know,â Enid wrinkled her nose. âIâm sorry. Iâd usually say no to a same day request â but nana in the E.R. is a pretty valid reason. Imagine poor Bailey stuck there with them all night? Sheâd have been miserable.â
âYou seem to do a good job at keeping her happy. I claim sheâs still sticky, though.â
âWednesday, sheâs a baby,â Enid gave a tired chuckle, leaning back on the couch, intertwining their hands. âThank you for being willing to even come over. I thought you might give me the silent treatment tonight.â
âI considered it,â She said honestly. âButâŚwith time fleeting from us so quickly these days, only a month left until graduation â it seems prudent to spend as much time together as we possibly can, even if it includes minors.â
âHopefully itâs a one-time thing. I told Baileyâs mama when I got here, I think that emergencies-pending, Iâm tapping out for the rest of the year. Thereâs way too much fun left to be had and I donât want to regret missing out for cash.â
âAs I have repeatedly insisted, it is unnecessary. But I understand the desire to be productive and contribute to capitalism in your own way. I do hope you told her, sheâs not allowed to have any emergencies next weekend.â
Giving almost a purr of a sound, Enid traced Wednesdayâs jaw. âNot when Iâve convinced you to be my date to the Dark Prom.â
âAs if Iâd let you go alone,â Wednesday let out a little breath through her nose. âIâve ordered dinner, so we can still have a touch of our date tonight as well.â
âThank you,â Enid said quietly, kissing her again. âHeyâŚwhile we wait for thatâŚletâs chat, since the topic is indirectly here, anyway.â
At the sound of sincere need for a challenging conversation, Wednesdayâs defenses immediately went up. âOr I could pull you onto my lap and have you put your tongue in my mouth.â
âWell, Iâm going to do that, anyway,â Enid giggled, straddling her to prove the point, giving her a long kiss. Thinking she was off the hook, Wednesday went to slide her hands along her back, just above her hot-pink pants, when Enid caught them and brought them together near her chest, pushing a kiss to her fingers. âWe should talk.â
âWe should keep doing that.â
âIâm serious,â Enid said quietly. âLook, I love you, so much. But â youâve been very clever and used incredible evasive tactics each time weâve tried to have a chat on any sort of serious front like the one that we really need to.â
Feeling trapped, Wednesdayâs heartrate doubled in speed and she had to exercise every molecule of self-restraint she had not to shove her girlfriend to escape the situation. âI know, youâre not afraid of anything, but the futureâŚitâs nerve wracking to think about. And, unfortunately â itâs really only a month away. I love you. I know that I love you, and I know that you love me, too. But we do need to start talking about what we want in life beyond just that we love each other. For your mom and dad, it was so easy â as they graduated Nevermore, they just ran off on trips and quests and got married and had more fun than they knew what to do with. We already know that our lives are going to be different than that. SoâŚI just want to talk about that, a little bit â before we makeout anymore, okay?â
âEnidâŚâ Wednesday tried to avoid her gaze. âI didnât come over her to make things difficult, I thought since you would put the baby to sleep by seven-thirty, we could just spend time together-â
âWe are. We will. ButâŚWednesday â do you want to have babies with me someday?â
Feeling like the springs in the couch cushions had just given out, popped her off and through the roof â Wednesday knew the color drained right out of her face, her eyes glazed over and when no words could form in her throat â
âHey, heyâŚâ Enid put her hands on her cheeks, snapping her awareness back. She pushed a sweet kiss to Wednesdayâs lips and tilted her head. âStay with me. I think that Iâve got my answer.â
âI didnât say anything!â Wednesday responded with far more hostility than she needed to.
âOkay, okayâŚâ Enid lifted her hands up in defense and sighed. âIâm sorry. That was so not a good way to lay that out there. But Iâve been trying to ask you more direct questions for months and you always avoid them, Wednesday. Itâs frustrating! I want to plan for the future, and I want a future with you. I just want to know what that means.â
Wednesday swallowed thickly, trying not to feel overwhelmed and guilty. Her pulse was throbbing in her ears, her palms were sweaty â
âI told my mother that I would never be like her. I would never be a housewife, or a mother.â
There was a flicker on Enidâs face. Barely there, but obvious to the girl who knew her the most, who knew her the best, who loved her more than sheâd ever thought possible.
âI mean, weâd be working, no doubt,â Enid said through a bubble of barely concealed emotion. âI canât see you ever just wanting to sit about at home, and even if you were, youâd be writing or composing music or solving contracted murder cases, for sureâŚâ
Cutting off her ramble as guilt was the next emotion that she started to experience, Wednesday hated how her harsh could snap out Enidâs light so quickly, even when she tried to hide it. âIâŚdidnât meanâŚEnid, when you just throw these things at me, Iâm bound not to have an eloquent speech planned.â
âWell,â Enid shrugged, biting her lip. âWeâve talked about being married. That it might be possible for us. Just know â Iâm open to having a family with you. Whether thatâs us and a disembodied hand and a one-eyed cat, or us and a littleâŚhuman-person, you know, Iâm open to it. Just so you know.â
Getting a little lost in her comment, Wednesday popped a questioning brow. âWhy would the cat only have one eye?â
Enid recoiled a little. âYou seriously think youâd have a normal pet? Be real, Wednesday. The one-eyed cat would be a sign that heâs a street fighter. Thatâs way more your style than a cuddly, perfect Persian.â Â
Wanting to acknowledge the other part of Enidâs sentence, she found words locked in her throat again. She gave a shrug and balled her hands into fists at either side of Enidâs ankles on the couch.
âWe know we have the next four years together, so like â this isnât a convo that has to happen right now, I guess. Iâve justâŚread, that the longer a couple takes to talk about their wants and desires for the future, the more challenging it is if those things are different from one another. I donât want things to be challenging with you. I love you. And I want to know â your wants, so thatâŚI can prepare myself for making them happen.â
She leaned forward and initiated a kiss and Wednesday immediately felt her heart rate drop. After letting it go on long enough that her hair was a little messy in the back from Wednesdayâs wandering hands, Enid pulled away with a wink, wanting to check the baby monitor. âOh, sheâs out. I had her outside until just before she needed dinner. The fresh air always does that.â
Just as Wednesday was about to try and tug her in for more affection, an alert on Enidâs phone indicated that the food had arrived. She deactivated and reset the alarm after securing it in her hands. âItâs no steak, but carne asada will totally do instead of whatever frozen post-partum diet food Baileyâs mama has in the freezer. Ick.â
Wednesday rolled her eyes. âA mother feeling pressure to return to her pre-pregnancy size is such a horrific societal pressure that needs to be popped.â
Enid brought them plates and forks, giving an approving sigh. âI know, right? Like â you just grew a whole-ass human! Give yourself a minute, mama â you just performed a miracle, and you should appreciate your body.â
Biting back a comment befitting her father of appreciating Enidâs body, Wednesday thanked her for the dinnerware and served them, listening to Enid blather about how excited she was for the following weekend and all the songs she hoped the DJ would play, singing a few dramatically to remind Wednesday of how they went (as if she could forget the earworms).
After taking care of the dishes and putting the leftovers in the fridge, Wednesday knelt in front of Enid as she flipped through a streaming app, knowing it would be some time before she landed on something for them to watch.
When she put her hands on Enidâs knees, the same way that Enid had done when she was rocking the baby, Wednesday locked eyes on hers. Enid dropped the remote. âYou okay?â She asked in a serious, worried way, rubbing her shoulder.
Nodding, Wednesday let out a breath through her nose and shrugged. âIâm openâŚto whatever feels right for us.â
Enid lowered her hand from her shoulder to take Wednesdayâs both in hers. âYou donât have to say that just because I said it first,â She promised. âI meant it as in, thereâs no pressure, like - one way or the other. Iâm serious. I just want a life with you.â
âWhat if we found a two eyed catâŚand a one-eyed child at the same time?â
Blinking, Enid smirked. âIâm not sure what circumstances would lead to that, but of course. I donât care how many eyes a kid has. If it feels like theyâre part of our family, of course they should join it!â
Wednesday gave a curt nod, finding the words that had been locked away. âI donât know that Iâd ever want to carry a child. Physically, I mean â in utero. It seems like a distressing invasion of my personal space that Iâm not sure I would ever recover from, and not due to societal standards of looking a certain, outward way afterwards.â
Enidâs eyes grew a watery sheen to them. âOf course, Wednesday. Weâd never put you through something that made you uncomfortable that way. Iâm, ugh,â She groaned. âIâm sorry if I made you uncomfortable by practically forcing you to hold baby Bailey earlier. That was wrong, Iâm s-â
âThat was an okay sort of discomfort,â Wednesday promised. Sheâd very much survived that moment. âItâs good to prove to myself that I can be gentle sometimes. ButâŚmaybe â if we donât happen upon any orphans with limb differences who need space in our home, and you feel that you would like to carry a child and technology advances in such a way that it is possible for them to share our genetic makeup and we have space and have open hearts and we decide itâs whatâs best for us and our family in our situation -â
Enid cut off her near-breathless ramble with a very sweet kiss. âI love you. I love this. Keeping our hearts open. Thatâs all I wanted to know, Wednesday.â She beamed at her. âYou did a great job with Bailey, tonight.â
âYouâre the natural. I would likely have a large learning curve.â
Enid raised a brow. âIâm not so sure. I think if it was a child of your own, not one already on a firm schedule and routine, youâd be quite instinctive. What arenât you good at Wednesday?â
âEngaging in conversations and expressing my feelings,â She muttered as she proved that very point that night.
âWell, itâs not your strength, but both are totally mine, so â thatâs where you lean on me, because Iâm your partner, who loves you. And,â She kissed her again. âI appreciate you, coming out here tonight, just to spend this time with me like weâd planned. And having this tough talk. I love you. Come put your butt on this couch so I can sit on you and kiss you again.â
Not needing to be told twice, Wednesday took that direction very well, enjoying about twenty minutes of heated kisses, heavy petting and almost a little bit more when a fussing sound came from the monitor.
Enid groaned as she pulled away. âRight now, my heart is so not open to this,â She giggled.
Wednesday smirked, following her, having an idea as they moved to the nursery. Bailey was crying, mostly asleep, but wantingâŚsomething.
âIâll change her real quick,â Enid whispered, nodding, âThat bedtime bottle will run right through a baby.â
As Bailey whined and grumbled when Enid made to lay her back down in the crib, letting out a loud cry that made Wednesday wince, she shook her head, reaching her arms out. âIâll talk to her.â
With an amused smirk, Enid passed her over and Wednesday sat back in the gliding chair, holding her awkwardly in front of her, explaining to the baby, who stopped, staring at her with exhausted eyes, âYouâre fine. Youâre safe. Youâre warm. Youâre full. Youâre dry. You have everything you need, except about ten more hours of sleep. So, Iâm going to rock you, and in five minutes, Iâm putting you back in the crib, and youâre going to sleep. Do you understand?â
It was as if the baby said âyesâ when she gave a coo, reaching forward. Wednesday gave a curt nod. âThatâs the rule. Five minutes of rocking, then back to bed.â
With the firm expectation set, she brought Bailey up to her shoulder the way sheâd seen Enid do earlier. She snuggled right in, surprisingly â and thankfully â she wasnât overtly sticky or snotty, as Enid had wiped her face pretty well after changing her. Gliding back and forth and patting her back, Wednesday thought that perhaps â if she had a beautifully haunting Russian composition playing softly in the background, it would help her stay asleep â adding that to her mental toolbox of notes in case the situation ever arose for her to develop a routine with a babyâŚ
As she expected, once sheâd put her foot down with the rule, Bailey knocked out on her shoulder. Enid whispered and motioned for how to transfer her into the crib, and as she did so, onto her back, Wednesday almost smiled at their tag-team success.
Back in the hallway, Enid winked and gave her a kiss. âYou are a natural, Wednesday. You just do things in your own way. Now come here,â She gripped her collar, making Wednesday flush. âIâm about to have my own way with you.â
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