-THIRTY FOUR-
The forest was dark, yet hauntingly beautiful as Wednesday and Juniper walked together. They didn't speak, and the silence hung heavily over them, whilst they made their way through the forest. The dryad cleared out a way for her friend, making it easier to get to her destination, shaking her head silently when the goth began to thank her.
"What're you going to say when you need me?" The dryad asked, her gaze moving from marking each tree to Wednesday.
"You'll know when I'll need you, Juniper," replied Wednesday. As they entered the clearing where Tyler was to arrive, she added, "I'm sorry. For everything. My judgement was clouded by heartbreak, and my analysis was completely misaligned. I shouldn't have destroyed your trust all over again by framing Xavier."
"That was very wrong of you, Wednesday," said the redhead, putting her palm towards the ground and growing vines of poison ivy in the shape of a decently large pentagram, wide enough to hold a person. "Xavier is my best friend. You practically ripped a brother away from me."
"I know," nodded the goth, standing in front of her, hands clasped over each other. "And I am the most sorry for it." She took a deep breath in, her jaw tensing as she continued, "You mean...a lot to me. So much that I am actually apologising to you repeatedly, something which I never do."
"Am I supposed to thank you for basic human decency?" Juniper raised an eyebrow.
"No," the goth shook her head. "What I'm saying is...you bring out a side in me which I didn't think I had. You make me...feel things. These past few days where we've been...apart, I've felt empty. And not in a good way," she clenched her jaw in frustration as she looked at Juniper's face, unable to get the words out properly, because her mind was rushing with overwhelm and emotion, two things she wasn't used to.
"What're you trying to say?" Asked the dryad, confused.
"What I'm trying to say is...I seem to—I seem to still have a deep emotional connection with—" she cleared her throat awkwardly, and rephrased her statement, "I'm still in love with you, Juniper Carrow. You mean the world to me. I lied when I said you meant nothing to me. I was blinded by anger, emotion and bad judgement , and I've said so many things I don't mean."
The goth looked at her with pleading eyes as she said, "Can you please love me again? Can you...can I be yours again?"
Kelpie rubbed his body against Juniper's feet, meowing in a way which she understood as 'forgive her'. When she hesitated, she felt a soft breeze flutter around her neck, and a familiar, archaic voice whisper in her ear, 'accept.'
"I think...I think I can love you again. It's not like I ever really stopped," sighed the redhead. She felt her stomach flip, and her mind whisper a 'yes'. "And yes. You may be mine once again. On one condition, though. Only if you're true to your apology and you won't break my trust again."
"I'm true to it," said Wednesday, her eyes welling with tears, shocking her hidden onlookers, who had apparently arrived early. "And I swear on my own head that I will never break any apology to you every again."
Hearing the familiar swear, Juniper leapt at Wednesday, catching the goth in a hug so tight, it nearly knocked the smaller girl off her feet. The redhead's face pressed against the goth's hair, and her arms were wrapped around her waist tightly as she hugged her, scared to let go.
Wednesday hesitated. Was this a dream? Was this her guilt hitting her in an awful, taunting dream?
Yet, as the dryad's ever-changing scent of nature and petrichor hit her nose, her dead heart fluttered as realisation dawned on her.
This was real. It was as real as the trees, the dry leaves on the ground. It was as real as the haunting breeze which floated around them. As real as the sounds of crickets chirping and owls hooting in the darkness beyond.
She got over her hesitation and put her arms around the dryad, holding her tightly as her head rested on the redhead's shoulder, Wednesday's black eyes slowly closing while she simply stayed in her affectionate and loving embrace.
They pulled away from the hug, cheeks warm and hearts racing as they gazed into each other's eyes, forgetting the world around them. They leaned in slowly, but a few giggles from behind the trees made them immediately spring apart.
"I should probably be in the trees," said the dryad with a laugh that made a small smile pass over Wednesday's features.
"Probably," replied the goth. "We can finish this later."
Juniper walked towards a mahogany tree, merging into it soundlessly, giving it more life than any other plant in that clearing. Luckily, Tyler wasn't very observant, so the detail was overlooked.
The boy arrived, looking utterly confused as he saw Wednesday standing there alone.
"Thing gave me your note," he said in his usual hesitantly confused voice, irritating the dryad to no end. "I was surprised you wanted to see me again after you ran out the other night." He looked around, "So, uh, is this a date?"
"It's a surprise," she replied, before focusing her own mind's voice to extend it to Juniper, who heard the instruction loud and clear.
In a trice, the pentagram rose from its hidden cover of mud and soil, the circle spreading around his feet like a boundary, and the vines of the star roping his ankles to the ground.
"When I came to Nevermore, romance was the last thing on my mind," said Wednesday. "But when you kissed me, though I have mentioned I'm pleasantly sapphic, you opened my eyes and suddenly it all made sense."
The boy let out a confused scoff, as she continued, "Xavier warned me about you, but I didn't listen. Juniper always knew there was an off energy around you, which is also something you seemed to notice, but I paid no mind to."
"Ironic now, huh?" Scoffed Tyler.
"Ironic would've been framing Xavier for murder while the real Hyde helped me put him away," shot back Wednesday.
"Wait... you don't think..." he faked offence, which irritated Juniper to no end. As punishment, she tightened the vines around his ankles, nearly making him trip.
"I don't think. I know," replied the goth. "Kinbott probably discovered your secret during one of your sessions. So she unlocked you. Why'd you kill her? I thought Hydes were typically loyal to their masters."
After a few more minutes of interrogation, Tyler had enough.
"Okay, stop. Do you know how insane you sound right now? I'm not a monster." He continued faking innocence, "A... And if you really thought that I was, why would you risk bringing me out to the woods to confront me alone?"
"Who said I was alone?" Asked the goth. In moments, Yoko, Divina, Bianca, Ajax, Kent, and Juniper came out from the shadows, cornering him. Kelpie decided to be helpful and increased his size, sabre teeth bared, black wings outstretched, growling menacingly at the boy.
"And trying to make a move on a lesbian, Tyler?" Scoffed Juniper, moving over to stand next to Wednesday. "That's awfully low of you."
"I didn't know she was gay," he protested.
"I swear, you have negative three brain cells," scoffed the dryad, letting the vines slowly slither up his ankles till his knees.
"Okay, I don't know what kind of sick joke you're playing, but I'm out of here," he said.
"Actually... you're coming with us," said Bianca, using her siren song to knock him out.
Juniper got the vines off when he was properly unconscious, and used magic to teleport him to Xavier's shed, which wasn't too far away.
"God," she scoffed, "He's such a prick."
Wednesday chuckled at the girl's antics, and hesitantly moved her hand, heart racing like a brand-new car, towards Juniper's to link their index fingers together.
The simple gesture sent fireworks down the dryad's spine, making a blush spread over her cheeks as well. Her ears grew pointed, and she slowly, hesitantly, tightened her finger around Wednesday's.
The familiarity...oh, it was magical.
Accept, Liliope had said. Here Juniper was, allowing her love to rebuild the broken pieces of what once was between them. Here she was, rekindling an old gesture. A gesture so simple to a layman's eye, but so special in the two of their's.
"Thank you," whispered Wednesday. After a slight pause, she added, "Cara mia."
Juniper resisted the urge to kiss her. She resisted it with every fibre in her being. "You're welcome, my love," she replied, her voice smooth yet so hesitant that it did break the goth's heart a little.
But this was progress.
They were together once more. Taking it slow, but surely.
One step at a time.
——
OH THIS WAS GOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDD
I HOPE YOU LIKED IT!
Fun fact: Juniper's favourite thing to do with Wednesday is braid flowers into her hair. (An off plot detail from before they broke up hehe)
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Question: was juniper right in forgiving Wednesday after all this time? Or should she have waited? Comment here to lmk>>>>
BY THE WAYYYYYYY
YOURE FABULOUS BESTIE. YOU SLAY EVERYDAY. YOU'RE THE MOST SLAY HUMAN ON THIS GODFORSAKEN PLANET AND ILY SO SO MUCH. KEEP SLAYING YOU ABSOLUTE GORGEOUS GIFT FROM NATURE.
Have a fabulous day/night!
With love and hugs,
Sage