Chapter Text
Dry lightning splits the sky, illuminating the dark horizon in brilliant streaks of purple and white when Wynonna finds Waverly alone in the barn. Her sister sits up beneath the rafters, staring out the hayloft door facing west. It was Waverly's favorite spot growing up, Wynonna remembers; the place where the youngest Earp would retreat to hide from Willa or to avoid their father when he was on one of his frequent benders.
"Hey," Wynonna greets softly as she clears the last rung of the rickety wooden ladder up to the loft, patting her hands against her jeans to dust off loose dirt and splinters.. "What're you doing back here so soon? Thought you'd be at the hospital with Nicole."
"Why would I be at the hospital with Nicole when she has Chloe?" Waverly doesn't turn around, but Wynonna knows that she's been crying again based on the thick, watery timber of her voice.
Wynonna sighs, shoulders dropping. She hates to see Waverly hurting. "What are you talking about?"
Waverly swipes at her eyes as Wynonna joins her on the sill, legs dangling out in the breeze from the approaching storm.
"I overheard them," Waverly says. "Nicole's gonna leave. With her."
"What, the hospital?"
"Purgatory," Waverly sniffles.
Wynonna scrunches up her face. "Nicole said that?"
"Not exactly."
Wynonna angles her body toward Waverly and folds one leg underneath her. "Then what exactly did she say?"
"Chloe asked her to move to move to Toronto. To start over."
"That bitch." Wynonna slowly shakes her head. "We should have let Lafayette mag-vag her."
Waverly giggles despite herself though it quickly morphs into a quiet sob that makes Wynonna's heart crack.
"Did Nicole agree?" Wynonna asks tentatively.
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"I might have left before she answered."
Wynonna laughs, marveling at how someone so smart could be so incredibly dumb sometimes. She slips an arm around Waverly and pulls her close. "After everything that's happened, what makes you think Nicole would leave?"
Waverly leans her head against Wynonna's shoulder. "After everything that's happened, why would she stay?"
You didn't.
Mom didn't.
Waverly doesn't say it, but those truths hang in the air, suspended around them like the scent of musk and hay and petrichor. Wynonna has no answer, so she remains silent. The fabric of her sleeve grows damp where Waverly has her face pressed against it, eyes closed. Kissing the crown of Waverly's head, Wynonna rubs a hand up and down Waverly's arm, hoping to soothe her sister with her presence where words would fail.
"She's gonna leave," Waverly repeats, words muffled.
"You don't know that," Wynonna rebuts. "And if she tries," she shrugs, "stop her."
Waverly scoffs, straightening back up. "You say that like it's easy."
"Because it is," Wynonna says simply. "Waves, you know I love you, but you're the only one making this difficult." Behind Waverly, Wynonna catches sight of two headlights glowing in the distance. "If there's anything I've learned since coming back, it's that you've got to fight for what you want. And if you want Nicole… give her a reason to stay."
"But how?" Waverly asks. "Where would I even start?"
"I dunno, how 'bout with the truth?" Wynonna takes Waverly's hand and squeezes it.
Closing her eyes, Waverly swallows and nods. "I'll think about it."
The lights shine brighter and brighter the closer the car gets, its tires kicking up a cloud of dirt in its wake. Squinting, Wynonna can just make out the lightbar mounted across its roof and her muscles relax in relief.
"Better think fast. You've got maybe five more minutes to figure it out."
"What?" Waverly's eyes snap open.
Wynonna tilts her head toward the approaching car, which crosses over the wooden bridge onto their property, gravel crunching beneath it as it slows to a squealing stop. Waverly stiffens when she sees the squad car, breath catching as Nicole steps out in jeans and a simple gray t-shirt. She's about to head toward the porch when Wynonna calls out.
"Up here!"
Nicole spins around, searching for Wynonna, who waves an arm to get her attention. When her eyes land on the sisters at the barn's loft door, she lifts a hand in greeting.
"Shit," Waverly exhales. "What do I do?"
The desperation in Waverly's voice makes Wynonna chuckle. "I think you already know." Wynonna presses a kiss to Waverly's temple and gets to her feet. She starts climbing back down the ladder, shaking her head at the way Waverly frets and runs her hands over her face and combs her fingers through her hair.
Nicole's stepping inside the barn by the time Wynonna's feet land on the dirt.
"Haught."
"Earp."
"Chloe okay?"
Nicole nods, slipping her hands into her back pockets. "A little shaken up and confused, but otherwise in one piece."
"And you?"
"'Bout the same. Minus the confused." The corners of Nicole's lips curl up, eyes drifting to the loft, a determined expression on her face. "If you get my drift."
There's never been any love lost between Wynonna and the police, but damn if Wynonna doesn't feel a surge of affection for this particular deputy.
"Glad to hear it." Wynonna walks past Nicole, but pauses at the door. "I'll be in the house with my big ass gun. If you get my drift."
Grinning, Nicole cants her head forward and chuckles. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."
Wynonna closes the barn door behind her and crosses the yard to the house, her mind on Waverly and Nicole, making a mental note to have her own talk with Dolls and Doc sometime soon. Maybe. When she reaches the porch, she sneaks one glance backward, smiling as she watches Waverly turn from the hayloft door.
Waverly's pulse pounds with every step Nicole takes up the ladder, her entire body thrumming with anxious anticipation, Wynonna's advice echoing in her mind. Her hands are cold even though the loft is almost uncomfortably warm from the early summer heat. She thinks maybe she should sit back down on the dusty wooden planks. Perhaps lean against the hayloft door's frame in a sad attempt to look casual. But her indecision costs too much time and Nicole's standing in front of her, as gorgeous as ever, before Waverly can take any action.
"Hey there," Nicole greets with a tentative smile.
"Hey yourself." Waverly wraps one arm around her and gestures vaguely at Nicole with the other. "How's your… everything?"
"Fine."
"Really?"
"Really."
Waverly lifts an eyebrow. "Knowing you, that probably means you have pulmonary edema or something."
Nicole laughs. Truly laughs. And Waverly's heart leaps in her chest. She can't remember the last time she's heard it, so crystal clear and lovely, and she realizes just how much she's missed it. Craves to hear more.
"I swear I've got a clean bill of health," Nicole insists. "They wouldn't have discharged me if it was serious." She steps closer, ducking her head slightly so she doesn't bump it on the slope of the roof. "You, uh, left the hospital before Chloe could thank you. Before I could thank you."
Waverly shifts her weight from one foot to the other and she shrugs a shoulder. "No thanks necessary."
"Of course it is." Nicole shakes her head. "Waverly, you saved our lives." Her lips quirk up slightly. "I owe you one."
"You don't owe me anything." Waverly turns away to look back out the hayloft door. The storm has almost reached them, the rippling wind and sour smell of ozone a harbinger of the impending downpour. The rusty weather vane atop the barn squeaks as it spins and spins and spins.
"The way I see it, I owe you one for, like, forever." Nicole moves to stand next to her, tall enough to rest her forearm against the top of the frame.
Waverly observes Nicole out of the corner of her eye, tracing her delicate profile: the slope of her forehead, the straight bridge of her nose, the curves of her full lips, the still present bruise on her cheek. Her loose hair billows in the wind and she's so stunning it makes Waverly ache, knowing she could truly lose her.
Waverly's heart feels like it's lodged in her throat and she swallows past it. It's now or never. "Hard to pay someone back if you're not around."
Nicole's head whips toward her, brow wrinkling. "What do you mean?"
Turning toward Nicole, Waverly captures her gaze head on, somehow finding the courage to start the conversation she's been dreading since Chloe waltzed into town with her perfect face and perfect curls and perfect opportunity for escape.
"You didn't drive out all this way just to thank me, did you?" Waverly feels like she's standing in a plane at 10,000 feet, ready to jump. Amazingly, her voice doesn't waver even though nerves have numbed the tips of her fingers and toes.
Nicole's dark irises flash from a crack of lightning, her stare boring through Waverly. "No, I didn't. I came to-"
"Say goodbye," Waverly finishes, taking a deep breath, finally ready to be brazen and leap, even if it means opening herself up to the possibility of having her soul shredded to pieces.
Nicole's brow scrunches in confusion. "What?"
"I heard you and Chloe talking about Toronto."
Understanding dawns on Nicole's face. "You think I'm leaving with Chloe."
Waverly nods and whispers, "Please don't." Her eyes sting from keeping more tears at bay. "I mean, I get it." Shrugging her shoulders up, she lets out a strangled laugh. "Relative safety with a beautiful woman versus danger and revenants and the chance of death." She bobs her hands up and down as if they're weighing scales. "The choice is obvious."
Nicole blinks at her slowly, brow smoothing out. "Is it?"
"It is," Waverly says, bracing a hand back against the door. "But I… I don't want you to leave."
A peal of thunder crashes, so close it startles Waverly. She feels it reverberate deep in her bones. Nicole, however, remains unfazed. "Waverly…"
"I know that's incredibly selfish of me, after everything I've put you through, but…" Waverly takes another deep, shuddering breath. "Please stay." Nicole's lips part, and Waverly pushes forward before she can respond. "I'm sorry, Nicole. I'm sorry for hurting you. For pushing you away because I thought I was protecting you when really… I was protecting myself."
It all comes out in breathless rush. Waverly can't stop herself now that she's opened the floodgates. "I'm sorry for not talking to you. For not giving you a say. For thinking I knew what was best for us and not trusting that we could get through things together."
Her apology sounds so inadequate to her own ears. It's nowhere near enough to make amends for the hurt she's caused them both. But it's a start. And she hopes with all her being that it'll be enough. For now.
"If you give me another chance, I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you."
Nicole stares at her for a long time, long enough for Waverly's stomach drop. She steadies herself by placing a hand back against the door for the inevitable rejection, vision blurring from the tears she's trying so hard not to shed.
"We all deserve to be happy," Nicole finally says.
"We do," Waverly agrees. You especially.
"With the people we love."
"Right." She breaks eye contact, deflating. "You should be with… who you love."
Nicole surprises Waverly by stepping into her personal space. The fragrance of vanilla spice envelops Waverly as Nicole lifts her chin with gentle fingertips.
"Glad we agree."
Dipping her head forward, Nicole brings their lips together, achingly tender, just as the hiss of rain surrounds them. It's barely even a kiss, a mere ghost of a caress, but Waverly feels like her entire world has bottomed out. She closes her eyes, a few tears slipping free. The roar of the storm isn't nearly as deafening as the pulsing rush of blood in Waverly's ears.
"Waverly." She can feel Nicole breathe her name even as a gust of wind sprays them both with raindrops. "Look at me."
Waverly's eyes flutter open and she swears her heart stutters to a stop at the soft expression on Nicole's face.
"Do you know who I thought about the entire time I was in that factory?"
Waverly's too stunned to respond; too afraid to acknowledge the modicum of hope blooming in her chest.
"You," Nicole murmurs. "I didn't come here tonight to say goodbye." She brushes her knuckles against her cheek, wiping at the wetness she finds there, and Waverly shivers. "I came here because I'm done fighting how I feel about you."
"Nicole…"
"Let me finish. Please." Nicole slides her fingers along her jaw and cradles Waverly's face between her hands. "Waverly Earp. I came here tonight to fight for you. To fight for us. Because, goddammit, I love you."
At the sound of those three words, Waverly's heart expands, spreading warmth throughout every inch of her body.
"I tried so hard not to," Nicole continues. "Tried to throw away my feelings for you, but they just kept coming back, again and again." She smiles that dimpled smile Waverly loves so much, the one reserved just for her, the one that makes her stomach flip and knees weaken. "I want you, Waverly, and everything that entails. Whether it's revenants and curses and Black Badge and hell, even Wynonna and Doc and Dolls. The ups and downs. I want it all. And if you're saying you want me back, Waves, then I'm all in. I'm all yours."
Waverly can't hold back any longer and she cries. Because Nicole - sweet, beautiful, courageous Nicole - is laying herself bare and vulnerable before her when Waverly feels like she did nothing to deserve it.
"I've never wanted anything more in my life." Waverly shakes as she pulls Nicole closer. Feels Nicole tremble in response. Sees drops of moisture clinging to her eyelashes. "I love you so much, Nicole. I can't imagine life without you."
Nicole watches her with wide-eyed astonishment. "So you're saying? Are we…?"
"I'm saying, when I think of the future, all I see - all I want to see - is you and me."
Nicole surges forward and Waverly meets her in the middle, their lips fusing together. Nicole tastes like rainwater and salt. Like hope and promise that cleanse Waverly's soul, searing away guilt and pain and regret.
"I wouldn't go in there!" The voice is barely heard above the sound of the rain.
Doc stops halfway to the barn, tipping back the rim of his hat. He quickly heads to the covered safety of the porch before taking off his hat and shaking off the heavy raindrops. "Dare I ask why?"
Wynonna shrugs from her rocking chair, taking a swig of amber liquor from the bottle in hand. She doesn't seem to be affected in any way by the storm. "Waverly and Nicole are...talking."
He's about to ask a question when he stops himself. "You Earps do have the poorest sense of personal space I've ever seen."
Another shrug and Wynonna takes another pull from her bottle. "What can I say… we get what we want when we want it."
Doc walks over to her, liberating her of the bottle and taking a pull of his own. "And what is it you want?" He hands the bottle back to the outraged Earp.
"I want you to stop acting like a dick." She answers easily.
There are so many answers Doc could give her, so many witty comebacks that could continue their back and forth bickering, but he's grown tired of it. Fighting with a woman who never backs down is beyond exhausting and he moves over to the bannister, leaning against it and crossing his arms over his chest. He's about to say something when Wynonna beats him to it.
"Look, I know you're pissed, shit I would probably be pissed at me too, but I did what I needed to do to save my sister. Maybe you don't know what it's like, or maybe you just don't remember after being trapped for so long but… men come and go in this life. You. Dolls. You may not like it, but your feelings will never come before my baby sister. My family will always come first." Taking a swig from her bottle, she leans forward and offers it to Doc.
Doc grabs the bottle but finds Wynonna's grip still on it, her eyes staring deep into his.
"If you can't accept that, and don't stop acting like a dick, you won't even come in second." Releasing the bottle, she leans back in her chair, rocking gently.
Doc takes a pull from the bottle, feeling the burn slide down his throat. He doesn't respond verbally, instead cants his head to the side before offering the bottle back to her.
Falling backwards, Nicole doesn't give a second thought to whose bed they're on, as long as the danger of splinters in sensitive places is far far away. She's not even sure how they've managed to descend the ladder without falling on their asses, both determined to prove the extent of their love for the other. She slips Waverly out of her top before pulling the brunette to her. All she can think about is stripping away the layers of clothes that are in her way, in Waverly's way. She tries not to think about the last time they'd been in this exact position, with Willa interrupting them. She really hopes no one else tries to walk in because there's no way she would be stopping.
"Tell me again." Waverly mumbles against her lips, straddling her thighs. She's in an advantageous position of pinning the officer in place, her hands exploring every inch of skin she can reach.
Nicole inhales sharply, the brunette's fingers trailing a path of fire across her skin. "I love you." She whispers into the kiss, her hands gingerly caressing soft cheeks. "I'm not leaving you." She's not sure which statement the youngest Earp needs to hear so she offers them all. How many nights had she spent dreaming of exactly this the past few weeks? She's tried to be patient, tried to hide from the misery and grief back home behind overpriced martinis and cheap beer, but no sooner could she stop breathing than could she stop wanting the short woman whose hands are sliding up her ribs. She's missed everything about Waverly. From her cheesy jokes to her insatiable curiosity; from the sound of her voice to the taste of her skin.
Nicole's not exactly sure where her own clothes have gone, doesn't remember their lips separating long enough for the material to be discarded, or the minutes it should have taken to remove shoes and jeans. It's not important. What's important is the way dull nails rake across her ribs. What's important is the certainty in Waverly's movements, the undeniably needy way she presses against Nicole.
Nicole wants to give her the right of way, to let her take her time and refamiliarize herself, but instead she slips her arm around Waverly's waist and turns until she's pinning the shorter woman to the bed, savoring the electrifying feel of bare skin against bare skin. It's easy to cover the smaller frame with her own, Waverly's knees bent up, thighs pressing against either side of Nicole's hips.
"I love you," she repeats, just because she likes the way the words taste sweet on her tongue, the way she imagines a miracle would taste. She presses her forehead to Waverly's, brushing the tips of their noses against each other's.
Waverly smiles, not the saccharine smile she reserves for the townies and the lot, but the one she saves for Nicole alone, where her eyes turn into crescent moons, the bridge of her nose scrunches and one corner of her mouth lifts higher than the other.
"I've missed you," she whispers, as if speaking too loudly would destroy the moment. Her hand comes up to brush aside red hair, tucking a lock behind Nicole's ear. "This is right… right?"
Nicole can't resist the soft lips that beckon to her, luring her in for another kiss. "It's very right," she replies between kisses. She presses her hip against the brunette's heated core, smiling at the whimper that emerges. She could die listening to that sound and it would be as close to heaven as she'd ever get. "See how well we fit?" She brushes her lips down the smooth skin of Waverly's throat. "Perfect."
Waverly nods, tipping her head back to give the officer room.
Nicole can't seem to get close enough. Even as a leg wraps around her hip and their bodies have begun a slow and teasing rock against each other, it's not close enough. It's nowhere near it. She brings her hand up to gently caress the line of Waverly's jaw, her thumb tracing her bottom lip in wonder. Nicole nearly gasps as Waverly's eyes blink open, a look so profoundly emotional, she can feel herself sinking into the depths of the gaze.
The last month had been one of the worse of her life, and she'd been through a myriad of emotions, from heartbreak to anger to hopeless despair. She would do it all again if it meant she would end up right here in this moment.
Waverly reaches up, her thumb tracing the darkened bruise around Nicole's eye, as if she's been wanting to do it for days and the officer can't help leaning into the touch, her eyes fluttering closed. With the gentlest of pressure, Waverly pulls Nicole down, brushing a kiss against the bruise, against her eyelid, against her temple.
Nicole smiles. It could be a thousand kisses and it would never be enough. She would never grow tired of them, just as she would never grow tired of soft skin beneath her fingertips. She caresses the length of Waverly's torso in reverence, intending to never take this for granted again.
A month has done very little to degrade Nicole's memory of her favorite terrain and she easily traverses the expanse of flesh. There are few things that can pull Nicole's attention away from Waverly's lips and she cannot decide what the better distraction is, the contrast between pillow soft breasts and hardened nipples against her tongue, or the feel of glorious heat as her hand dips between their bodies, brushing against the brunette's arousal.
Waverly's back arches as a hot mouth and confident fingers move against her. "Shit." The word slips from her mouth and Nicole smiles.
Watching how Waverly's head tips back, her bottom lip captured between white teeth, Nicole can't tear her eyes away from the sight. A month feels like a year when she considers all the days and nights she's missed. She thinks about all the moments in which she's lost the opportunity to lavish breasts with her full attention, and all the moments in which she's been denied the opportunity to press deep into Waverly's slick depths, hearing her moan and whimper with each thrust.
Waverly's fingers tangle in red locks and with a gentle tug, urges Nicole back up, their lips meeting in a searing kiss. Her tongue teases the officer's lips as her hands cup flushed cheeks.
Nicole smiles into the kiss, feeling the body beneath her beginning to tremble. Maybe it's the overwhelming emotions, or the month long separation, but it doesn't take long for Waverly's body to arch into her touch, eyes screwed shut with her head tilted back in a silent scream. It's beautiful, and Nicole loves the feel of every tiny earthquake that courses through her lover's body. She loves the soft whimper that slips from Waverly's lips as her body collapses, spent and gasping for air.
Nicole presses her forehead to Waverly's, brushing soft kisses against still trembling lips. "I love you." She whispers into the air they share. A tear slips from Waverly's eye and she gently kisses it away.
"I love you too." Waverly's voice cracks with emotion.
With their bodies pressing together in the humid barn with the torrent of rain coming down outside, her lungs still burning from the fight and Waverly's fingers that accidentally press too hard against the bruise on her cheek, there's no better word than 'perfect' to describe the moment.
When she wakes, the first thing Nicole sees is Waverly.
Everything's out of focus, like the blurred haze of a long lingering dream.
Everything but Waverly.
With the hayloft door being the main source of light and pointing to the west, the room is nothing but muted tones and warmth. Nicole smiles softly as she lays beside the smaller frame on Doc's bed. Waverly is laying stomach down, head pillowed against her crossed arms, a soft smile on her face even in sleep.
Although it's pretty dark in the barn with the main doors still closed, tiny beams of light come through the cracks of the barn's roof, daring to paint rays of light across the pale skin. Nicole lays on her side, her head propped up by her hand as she's mesmerized by the way the brunette's shoulders move with each breath. She's always loved the beautiful curves of strong muscles, the dip in the small of Waverly's back that leads to the curve of her ass.
Such beauty. She regrets the last month of being apart. She shouldn't have gone home.
"Dude… forget about some backwater chick." One of her friends reached across the table, smacking her on the arm. The bar is loud and packed, just like the rest of Chicago and she found herself missing the solitude of Purgatory. "We can get you laid TONIGHT if you want."
Nicole winced, taking another pull from the bottle of the nutty flavored ale. She doesn't want to think about anyone else. "How can I ever forget? She's all I think about." The idea of forgetting Waverly forced a spike of pain through her chest.
"It will be ok." Chloe, who sat beside her, placed a hand on her knee and all Nicole could think of was Waverly, the curve of her knee beneath her own hands that day in the car when the brunette had first suggested they be just friends. "Just forget about her."
"I can't." Was all she says before the tears started again, tears that barely stopped the entire month she was home.
Unable to stop herself, Nicole reaches out, tracing the center line of Waverly's back. It's as soft as she remembers, arches the way she remembers, and she knows if she leans closer, Waverly will taste just as she remembers. "Waverly."
Nicole knows she shouldn't wake the brunette. She knows, without even having to ask, the nightmares the woman has had and she deserves to sleep well.
But all she can think about now is the taste of the brunette. All she wants to do is run the length of her tongue along her spine, around her breasts, between her thighs. She's been denied such simple treasures for so long and she needs to feel her again.
"Waverly."
"MMmm." Waverly hums softly. In sleep, she reaches out a hand, settling against Nicole's waist and wiggling closer.
It's not what Nicole wants, but she'll accept it for now. She runs her fingers through brunette hair, smoothing it back over Waverly's shoulder. There's a small mark on her shoulder where she bit too hard the night before, and as sensible as she is, it makes her grin like a silly teenage boy who's given his girlfriend a garish hickey in some backseat makeout session.
She's a grown ass woman but all she can think is, Mine.
"Mmm, Mine." Waverly mumbles in her sleep, shifting closer and pressing her face against Nicole's collar.
Shit. Had she said that out loud? Nicole tries not to laugh, tucking her nose against the crown of Waverly's head. How the hell did she get so lucky? How could the brunette ever think she would want to be with Chloe? There was never a choice, never even an option. Chloe had never been in the equation and she couldn't believe Waverly would even think that.
She found it completely insane. Did everyone really believe she wanted anyone other than Waverly?
"Nic… I love you and I want you to be happy. Come to Toronto and you can have a fresh start…. We can have a fresh start."
"Chloe…" Nicole sighed softly. The blonde looked so hopeful and tiny in her hospital gown.
Sliding off the edge of the hospital bed and moving to Chloe's side, she bent down and placed a soft kiss to her temple. "You're right. Being around you will always make me happy, and I love you…" Her words trailed off as she thought of the most tactical approach.
"But you love her more." Chloe supplied knowingly.
"It's not a matter of who I love more it's just…" She shook her head when she realized exactly what she had to do. "She's… it's not just love...she's everything I never knew I needed and maybe we weren't even together that long but… it was long enough to know that she's the love of my life. Just the thought of living without her, I can't even…" She pursed her lips, shaking her head. "I can't leave."
Chloe nodded, her eyes glistening with tears as she forced a smile onto her face. "I understand, Nic." She reached out to cover Nicole's hand with her own. "I want you to be happy, and if living in some crazy and strangely western themed Canadian backwater with crazy serial killers and…" She shook her head, her hand coming up to wipe away the tear that streamed down her cheek. When Nicole is about to say something, she waved dismissively. "What the hell are you even still doing here? Don't you have somewhere to be? Someone to talk to?"
Nicole looks down at the woman curled against her. This is definitely where she needs to be.
Unable to resist, Nicole presses a kiss to the brunette's forehead, her fingertips moving down the compact frame. Even in sleep, the brunette tips her head back, giving Nicole more access.
Or maybe she isn't really sleeping, Nicole suspects as she hears a soft mew emerge from the throat she's currently kissing her way down.
Maybe if… she slides her hand between their bodies and nearly laughs when she feels thighs part just slightly. She traces the line of Waverly's sex, not pressing closer, just a light touch and she hears the frustrated whimper. "How long have you been awake?"
"Shhhh I'm not," Waverly responds defiantly, her voice stil thick with sleep as her hand coming down to cover Nicole's, pressing her fingers closer.
"Oh you're not, huh?" Nicole dips a single fingertip into the surprising arousal already waiting for her. "You seem pretty awake to me." She comments as she circles a swollen nub.
Waverly's nostrils flare but her eyes remain shut, her head shaking.
"Well then…" Nicole slips her hand out from under Waverly's. "I guess I'll just have to wait till you wake up."
As if on queue, Waverly's eyes shoot open before narrowing in her direction, just in time to see Nicole's finger disappear into her mouth, a rather devious look in her eyes. "You're an asshole."
"Mmm yes." Nicole removes the finger from her mouth, the taste of Waverly still on her tongue. "But I'm your asshole."
Waverly smiles. "Yeah you are." She runs a fingertip along Nicole's clavicle, looking up through long eyelashes. "So… you're not really going to Toronto… to live with Chloe... are you?"
Nicole purses her lips, as if thinking about it. "I don't know. Are you going to break up with me again?" She captures Waverly's hand in her own, pressing a kiss to the back of it. "I think I've proven I'm perfectly capable of putting myself in danger without you."
Waverly shakes her head. "No. I'm not doing that again."
Nicole nods. Not that she thought Waverly was really going to insist on their separation, but it was nice hearing it out loud. "Good, cause in case you missed it, I love you, Waverly Earp."
The smile that lights up Waverly's face is dazzling. "I love you too, Nicole." She's leaning in for a kiss, rolling Nicole onto her back and settling on top the longer frame. Suddenly she's pulling back. "Wait… do you prefer to be called Nic?"
Nicole can't help but laugh. "Baby, you can call me anything you want." She answers before pulling the brunette down for a kiss, feeling a thigh slip between her own.
4 months later
Dolls huffs softly as he watches the scene in front of him. He's tried to pay attention to the file in his hands but it's hard to ignore them.
"I really don't know how to choose, there are so many..." Waverly has her elbows on the table, chin propped up in her hand as she looks over a book open on the table in front of her. "I feel like this is something people normally do in person." Her human chair shifts as Nicole adjusts her position.
"It is, but we live in Purgatory and it's not like they have a store here."
"What about this one?" Waverly points to a picture as she leans back, bringing the book with her, her fingertips brushing idly against the hand settled across her stomach just below the edge of her Shorty's t-shirt.
Nicole wrinkles her nose, her chin resting on Waverly's shoulder. "I don't know. That seems a little… masculine."
"Oh honey… not in your hands… all masculinity would disappear." With a chuckle, she flips to another page of photos, her finger landing on one. "What about this one? Maybe you should get something in like the silver…"
"That's not really...standard." Nicole's brows furrow.
"I know but I'm sure it sparkles nicely in the sun."
Dolls's brow furrows. What is it about these Earps? It's like they don't know an ounce of professionalism. They're hard workers, yes, but sometimes they're more of a distraction than anything else.
Nicole sighs softly. "This is kind of permanent. I don't want to just pick something non traditional on a whim." She purses her lips, reaching past Waverly to turn the page.
Dolls is just seconds from drumming his fingers on the table, his patience growing thin, something he thought would be impossible considering he'd been working with the Earp Heir.
"This one is cute." Waverly offers.
"That...is so tiny. How does anyone get their finger in that?"
Waverly snorts. "I dunno. You seem really good at slipping your fingers in…."
"Pick something else." Nicole cuts her off with a chuckle, the tips of her ears turning a bright red. "Maybe you're right. Maybe it would be better if we saw these in person…"
Dolls looks back and forth between the two finally giving in to his aggravation. "It's a gun, Agent Haught." He wouldn't be surprised if steam were coming out of his ears. "Just pick one that will stop criminals. You're lucky I'm letting you choose one at all."
Nicole hides her face behind Waverly.
Waverly huffs. "Hey you're the one that got her gun crushed."
"Right. Next time I see her about to get steam rolled by a revenant, I'll just let her."
"How about next time we see you…hey!" Waverly complains as she's pushed off her comfortable seat, standing fully with her hands on her hips as she glares at Nicole.
"You're going to be late for work. Let me walk you to the bar." Nicole is quick to stop the argument in its tracks, standing and straightening her uniform that has a Waverly shaped wrinkle in it. She slides into her jacket, watching as Waverly wraps the colorful scarf around her neck with a reminiscent smile.
Dolls can only sigh in relief as he's left alone in peace.
As the door closes behind them, Waverly slides her hand into Nicole's.
"Trudy, I'll be back in a few." Nicole calls out.
"No problem! Take your time. It's a slow day." The older Deputy gave them both a smile.
Waverly waves at the woman, glad when she gets one in return. Things hadn't gotten completely back to where they were before she broke up with Nicole, but at least the woman was no longer hostile towards her. They nearly run into...or rather get run into by a familiar truck that skids to a stop just before it can plow into the side of the sheriff's station.
Sliding out of the driver side, Doc tips his hat back. "Miss Earp, Officer Haught." He nods in their direction.
"You know one of these days I'm going to ticket you for driving without a license." Nicole comments wryly, slipping the Stetson on her braided hair.
Wynonna hops out of the passenger side, a sack full of Chinese food in one hand. "Come on, Officer Haughtpants. We're working on it. There are still a few stop signs still standing around town."
"You might want to watch out. Dolls is in quite an ornery mood today." Waverly gives her sister a knowing look.
"Maybe it's his time of the month." Wynonna jokes. "See you at happy hour."
Waverly gives her a dismissive wave before towing Nicole along with her. She watches as Nicole pulls her phone out of her pockets, a small smile tugging at the redhead's face. "What's going on?"
"Just a message from Chloe." Nicole comments. When she realizes what it sounds like, she turns the screen so the brunette can see. "Apparently she is fitting in at her new job quite well."
Waverly studies the screen, blonde curls mixed with brunette dreads in the close up selfie. She can't stop the smile as she grabs the phone. "Wow… they are complete opposites." She scrolls up a little. "Becca? Dreads… glasses… nose ring. She looks nothing like a Becca. She looks like she'd have some sort of hippie name like Willow or something spacey."
Nicole laughs, grabbing her phone back when the brunette starts scrolling a little further up. "Ok Snoopy McSnooperson." She leans down and presses a kiss to the brunette's temple.
Waverly fails to hide a smile as she concedes, tucking her arm around Nicole's elbow. "So… do you have any plans tonight?"
Nicole raises an eyebrow. "I thought you were coming over after work."
"Yes but were you planning anything?" It doesn't take long to get to the bar and they're swallowed by the dim interior.
"Something tells me that you are."
Looking around the still closed bar quickly, Waverly is glad to see Gus isn't anywhere to be seen. "Yes." She answers, turning towards the officer. She hooks a finger in the redhead's belt, pulling her closer. "Maybe when you're done work," she brushes her lips against Nicole's, a mischievous grin in place, "you can make sure you bring your handcuffs home."
Nicole grins, brushing the tip of her nose against Waverly's. "Again?" She chuckles softly.
"Mmm except I was thinking I could use them on you this time."
Nicole's eyebrows shoot up. "On me?" At the brunette's nod, she laughs, her cheeks coloring a soft pink. "Ok." She leans down, capturing Waverly's lips in a deep kiss.
"Did I miss the sign that marked this bar as Lover's Lane?"
Waverly laughs as she pulls away, turning to find Gus standing with her hand on her hip, tossing a towel over her shoulder. "I can put one up if you like."
"Or you can git down to the cellar and bring up what's left of that case of fireball. Figured we could have a special tonight to get rid of that nonsense." She shakes her head. "Goes to show never to let Wynonna help with orders. That stuff tastes like you're licking the Devil's nutsack."
"That's awfully colorful for you, Gus." Waverly comments. "I'll see you later, Gorgeous." She tosses over her shoulder to the redhead.
Nicole watches her disappear, a smile dancing across her features until she realizes she's been left alone with the Earp's guardian. "Gus." She nods, tipping the edge of her stetson. She's about to leave when she hears her name.
"Just a second, Officer Haught."
Turning on her heels, Nicole heads back to the bar, preparing herself for another motherly lecture like the previous ones she's been subjected to.
Eyeing the officer closely for what seems like forever, Gus finally breaks eye contact and sets two coffee cups on the bar. "Cappuccino for you, mocha for Trudy." She finally gives the officer a small smile. "You tell her I said thanks for the pie."
With a small wave of relief coursing through her, Nicole smiles, nodding as she picks up both. "Thank you, Gus. I'll let her know." It's a bit more of a relief as she escapes what could have easily been another scolding, heading back to work. The trip back to the station always seems twice as long without Waverly.
"Hey, Trudy." Nicole sets the cup down in front of the deputy. "Compliments of Gus. She says thanks for the pie."
"That is so sweet of her." The older woman smiles, taking a sip as Nicole turns away. She immediately coughs. "Shit that's hot." She complains in a distorted voice that sounds low and layered.
Nicole raises an eyebrow at the odd sound. Turning, she swears she can see a tinge of red that Gertrude blinks away. "You alright?" The older officer looks completely human and Nicole guesses it's just her mind playing tricks on her.
The older woman nods, her hand covering her heart. "Goodness. Forgive me, but that was hotter than I expected." Her voice sounds completely normal.
Nicole nods before turning away with a shake of her head. "No way. You need to get some sleep, Haught." She laughs at her own speculation as she continues back to the Black Badge office.