39. Chapter Thirty-Nine

Fingers trailed up Nicole’s arm, across her collarbone and down the center of her chest, snagging on the sports bra she was wearing and stopping just before the waistband of her sweats.

“Feels nice,” Nicole mumbled as Waverly's fingers started their path again.

They never actually got to take a bath together. The bathtub was too small for both of them to fit comfortable together.

So Waverly showered then sat next to the tub and talked with Nicole while Nicole bathed, waiting to help her wash her hair without getting her stitches wet. Though Nicole was sure it was just an excuse to take care of her, not that she minded.

When she was done, Waverly had her sit at the foot of the bed while Waverly dried and brushed her hair before pulling it into a loose ponytail. Then Waverly stood between her parted legs, dabbing antibiotic ointment on her stitches, placing a bandage over them and kissing the spot gently.

Once again Nicole had been overcome with this feeling of being loved wholeheartedly that it nearly stole the very breath from her lungs and left her with this overwhelming warmth settled in her chest.

Nicole always thought she knew what being loved felt like. She always thought what she felt with Jennifer was the be all, end all of love, that it was everything. Then she fell in love with Waverly, was loved by Waverly and everything she thought she knew about love was thrown out the window.

“Your skin is so soft,” Waverly whispered in awe, her fingers tracing random patterns across Nicole's bare abdomen as she laid her head on Nicole's shoulder. “How are you so soft?”

Nicole laughed lightly, pressing a kiss to Waverly’s hair and pulled her closer into her side.

For a few brief seconds, Nicole is sure this is what Heaven feels like, cuddling with the woman she loves with no pressing matter to attend to, no interrupting siblings, no curses. Just the two of them wrapped up in each other on a thin, worn mattress that had seen better days.

As Waverly’s fingers continued their path along Nicole’s abdomen and she throws a leg over Nicole’s thighs, Nicole can’t help but to wish for a lifetime, a forever with Waverly Earp.

That led her to wonder whether or not Waverly wanted a future with her or, even what Waverly’s plans were once the Earp curse was broken. Would she fit into them? And if she didn’t, what then?

Maybe it was too early in their relationship to think about their future, about a life together after the curse is broken, about forever but, Nicole had loved Waverly since the moment she laid eyes on her the first time she stepped in Shorty’s and forever with Waverly was all she wanted in life, next to Waverly being safe and happy.

“Do you ever think about what you wanna do when the curse is broken?” Nicole asked, voice low, not really sure if she wanted to know the answer and half hoping Waverly didn’t hear her.

Waverly sat up, leaning on her elbow as she looked down at Nicole, those beautiful eyes of hers a mixture of confusion and curiosity and Nicole can’t help but to reach up and tuck a strand of still wet hair behind Waverly’s ear.

“I haven’t really thought about it,” Waverly finally answered after a few quiet moments and Nicole’s features pinched together in confusion.

“But, you’re a planner.”

“I spent years trying to figure out and plan how to break the curse without Wynonna, without Peacemaker.” Waverly shrugged before falling back on the queen size bed, legs resting across Nicole’s lap. “I guess I never took the time to plan for after the curse.”

Nicole nodded but doesn’t say anything. That wasn’t the answer she was expecting and honestly, she wasn’t not sure whether to be relieved or not.

“What about you?”

Nicole pulled herself up into a sitting position, leaning her back against the worn, wooden headboard and reaching down to grasp one of Waverly’s feet.

She pressed her thumbs into the arch of Waverly’s foot, it was a bit awkward with her splint but it kept her hands busy, kept them from shaking from nerves.

She wanted to tell Waverly that her future was with her, in whatever way Waverly allowed but she was afraid that it would scare Waverly.

“Sheriff,” Nicole mumbled after a while, thumbs still working the groves in Waverly’s foot. “I wanna be sheriff.”

“In Purgatory?” Waverly asked, lifting her head up to look at Nicole, a look in her eyes that Nicole couldn’t decipher.

“Yeah,” Nicole nodded. “In Purgatory.”

The words ’or whatever you are’ left on the tip of her tongue, heavy and unspoken.

“Breakfast of champions,” Joseph declared as he handed Waverly a coffee through the open truck window and sat a box of donuts he bought from the gas station they’re stopped at on the seat next to her.

“Thank you.” She smiled at him, bringing the cup of to her lips and taking a small sip.

He nodded his head in acknowledgement and turn his attention to Nicole, who was bobbing her head to some song playing in her head while she pumped gas, a gorgeous smile lighting up her face.

“It won’t be like this for long,” Joseph said, his voice just loud enough for Waverly to hear over the sound of him digging the box of donuts.

“What do you mean?” Waverly asked, pulling her eyes away from Nicole long enough to look at him in confusion, before they shifted back to Nicole, whose head bobbing turned into hip swaying to a beat only she could hear.

“That,” he said, nodding towards Nicole and taking a bite of his donut, smearing powder sugar across the tip of his nose.

“This happiness she feels, the giddiness, it won't last,” he explained, washing the donut down with a swig of his coffee. “The closer we get to home it'll change, morph into anger, hurt and nervous energy.”

Waverly doesn’t want Nicole to lose this happiness she’s found, that brought out this silliness in her that resulted in piggyback rides, Nicole waking her up to randomly placed kisses and spontaneous dancing to no music and not caring who may be watching.

Waverly would give anything, everything she had for Nicole to stay this happy, this carefree.

Nicole asked her last night what her plans were for the future, for after the curse and she lied, told Nicole she didn’t know, didn’t plan that far. Truth was, her plans for the future were simple. A lifetime with Nicole, making Nicole as happy as she is now were her plans, are her plans.

“What do I do? How do I help her?”

Joseph studied her for a long moment, brown eyes with the same flecks of gold as Nicole, the same look of caution Trent had at first, staring back at her.

“Remind her that she is loved, that she is good cop, a good person,” he said, pausing to sigh and run his fingers through red hair slowly fading to silver. “And when she runs into her father, her brothers, remind her that there is not a damn thing wrong with who she is.”

Waverly looked back to Nicole, who turned at that moment and grinned at her, those dimples shining bright and sending Waverly’s heart beating faster.

“I can do that,” Waverly told him, voice filled with a confidence she’s never felt before.

There is a lot Waverly can’t do in this world. She can’t break the Earp curse, can’t save Wynonna from herself and the demons that live in her mind.

She can’t keep Nicole from the dangers of loving and being loved by an Earp but, she can remind Nicole that she is loved deeply. She can remind Nicole that there is not a single thing wrong with who she is as a person, a cop.

There is a thousand things Waverly cannot do but she can love Nicole Haught. Forever if that’s what Nicole wanted.

“Alright, the camera is up, all you have to do is press the white button and it’ll take the picture, got it?” Nicole asked, handing her phone over to her grandpa, already making her way back over to Waverly before he could answer.

In an effort to make this trip as memorable as possible for Waverly, they had taken to stopping at every town sign they passed to take pictures in front of them.

They were up to three pictures now and somehow her grandpa couldn’t remember how to take a picture with her phone for the life of him.

“Ready?” Joseph asked holding the phone up while they got in position.

Nicole nodded, going to wrap her arm around Waverly and pull her closer until she saw how Waverly was posing.

Waverly stood next to her, arms and fingers stretched out towards her toes and the most ridiculous smile gracing her lips.

Nicole forgot that they’re supposed to be posing for a picture, too busy staring down at her dorky girlfriend instead of her grandpa, a soft smile forming on her lips.

“You are absolutely ridiculous,” Nicole breathed and even she could hear just how lovestruck she sounded.

Before she would have cursed herself for being so obvious about her feelings but now, she needn’t worry. Not when Waverly loved her too, not when Waverly turned to her, leaning up on her tippy toes, fingers grasping a fist full of her shirt and pulling her down for a kiss.

“Alright enough you two,” Joseph sighed, walking towards them so Nicole could inspect the photos.

Waverly had the decency to look sorry, embarrassed, Nicole on the other hand smirk at Waverly, drawing her in for another kiss, this one slow and almost lazy.

It’s a simple kiss, chaste really. Yet it still sent Nicole’s skin on fire, heart pounding away against her ribs and when Waverly’s fingers dug into her hips, the pounding of her heart moved lower, settling between her legs.

A light smack to the back of her head had Nicole pulling away from the kiss and rubbing the back of her head, though it didn’t hurt.

“Worth it.” Nicole winked at Waverly, grinning with she blushed and ducked her head.

Nicole took her phone from her grandpa, showing the pictures to Waverly for her approval.

The first picture was of Waverly doing her silly pose, her hair falling in waves over her shoulders, wearing her trademark crop top and cut off Jean shorts, looking at the camera with Nicole standing next to her, only half her face visible but her dimpled grin could still be seen, wide and bright.

The second picture was taken a few moments after the first, right before they kissed when Waverly had a fist full of her shirt, both of them grinning at each other.

“I like this one,” Waverly said, tapping the second one and sending it to her phone.

Waverly slid the phone in one of Nicole's front pockets then reached up with her left hand, trailing her fingers along Nicole's jawline.

“Happiness looks good on you, Nicole Haught.”

The words are no more than a whisper, as soft and light as the caress along her jaw. Waverly’s eyes are filled to the brim with love as she cupped Nicole’s jaw with both hands, coaxing her down for a kiss.

“Stop making out like teenagers and get your asses in the truck!” Joseph called, tone stern but when Nicole turned to look at him, he smiled and winked.

“Piggyback ride?” Nicole asked, already bending down so Waverly could jump on her back.

Piggyback rides had sort of become their thing over the last day and a half. They spent so much time cooped up in the cramped truck cab that at every stop they made, Nicole decided that they needed to be silly and have a little fun.

Honestly, the main reason Nicole kept giving Waverly piggyback rides was because of the way Waverly laughed, wholeheartedly and so full of life. It was the sweetest sound Nicole had ever heard and she wanted to hear over and over.

Once Waverly was settled on her back, arms wrapped around Nicole’s neck, Nicole stood, spinning them around in a circle before heading towards the truck, Waverly’s sweet laughter filling her ears.

There’s only one thought running through Nicole’s mind, settling deep in her heart and spreading a warmth throughout her body.

I’m gonna marry this woman some day.

Waverly sat with her legs crossed at the end of the bed, slowly undoing her fishtail braid as she watched Nicole brush her teeth through the open bathroom door.

They stopped for the night at a motel much like the one from last night, nothing really special but thankfully this one had a much better bed.

Waverly reached behind her blindly for her hairbrush as Nicole finished brushing her teeth and stared at herself in the mirror, lips moving as she spoke quietly to herself, though Waverly couldn’t hear or make out what she was saying.

She watched Nicole grab the sides of the porcelain sink, fingers gripping so tight her knuckles were turning white. Her head bowed, red locks still wet from her shower, falling down in front of her face in waves.

Waverly dropped the hairbrush beside her and got up from the bed, making her way to the bathroom, her bare feet making no noise on the carpeted floor.

Joseph had been right. With each mile they drove and the closer they got to Nicole’s hometown, Waverly noticed Nicole slowly grow tense. Watched Nicole’s wide eyes, a window to her soul, always filled with such emotion, become guarded and closed off as the hours passed.

Waverly hated to see her become closed off, withdrawing into herself. She hated to see Nicole’s smile, which made the world a brighter place become dull and fake. She hated to see Nicole pretend to be happy when her happiness meant everything to Waverly.

“Baby,” Waverly whispered, wrapping her arms around Nicole from behind, pressing her cheek into Nicole’s shoulder blades as Nicole let out a shaky sigh. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t think I can do this, Wave,” Nicole mumbled, leaning back into Waverly, her fingers gripping and regripping the sink over and over. “I don’t think I’m strong enough to face that place, face my family.”

She sounded small and afraid, broken in the same way she did the night she shot David and it tore Waverly up inside.

This wasn’t the Nicole she knew, the Nicole she fell in love with. Nicole was always so strong, always so steady. Nicole did not fall, did not falter. She held her head high no matter the situation and handled every problem she faced with confidence, with dignity and with grace.

This was a different side of Nicole, one that Waverly had only ever had a glance at a few times in the months they’ve known each other.

Waverly wasn’t sure how to handle this, how to comfort Nicole and help her see that she was strong enough to handle anything the world threw at her.

So she would opt for the truth and hoped that it would be enough.

“Come sit down baby,” Waverly said softly, removing her arms from around Nicole’s waist and placing one hand at the small of Nicole’s back, guiding Nicole out of the tiny bathroom and towards the bed.

Nicole settled on the edge of the bed, staring down at her hands and picking at a loose thread on her splint while Waverly kneeled on the floor in front of her, trying to get Nicole to meet her eyes and ignoring the way the rough carpet dug into her bare knees.

She reached out, tucking some hair behind Nicole’s ear before placing two fingers under Nicole’s chin and tilting her head up just enough for their eyes to meet.

Brown eyes with gorgeous flecks of gold, that always reminded Waverly of an expensive whiskey, were ringed with red and filled with tears on the verge of rolling down pale cheeks.

If Waverly thought hearing Nicole sound broken, afraid was a punch to the gut then seeing Nicole on the verge of crying and trying hard not to was heart wrenching.

“You listen to me, Nicole Haught,” Waverly said, tone firm as she rested her forehead against Nicole’s, her eyes never leaving Nicole’s. “You are one of the strongest people I know, you spent most of your life living in that town, with people who were cruel to you because of their own ignorance, you faced down a Revenant, who by all accounts was faster, stronger than you are but you came out on top not for yourself but to protect, to save others.”

Waverly brushed away a single tear slowly rolling down Nicole’s left cheek before continuing.

“You are brave Nicole Haught and you are strong and since the moment I met you, you never once shied away from anything, you’ve never given up, you face everything head on,” Waverly said softly, wiping more tears from pale cheeks.

“And baby you should face your family, you should show them what they missed out on, who they missed out on because you are an amazing person, an amazing cop and they lost out on knowing you and being loved by you.”

She watched Nicole’s eyes close for a few seconds before fluttering back open slowly.

“Thank you,” Nicole whispered, voice thick with tears as she nuzzled her nose against Waverly’s. “Thank you for being here with me.”

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Waverly kissed Nicole’s nose then leaned back and got to her feet, moving to her bag sitting on the tiny table by the door. “Want some Jack?”

“Why am I not surprised that an Earp has whiskey stashed away,” Nicole chuckled and Waverly could hear her flop back on the bed.

“Earps always come prepared,” Waverly said, retrieving the bottle of Jack Daniels from her bag and then crawling back onto the bed, handing the unopened bottle to Nicole. “And I figured you could probably use it.”

They moved to sit with their backs against the well worn, wooden headboard, Waverly’s legs tangled with Nicole as they sat shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip.

“Ever the planner,” Nicole said, running her fingers along the red label on the bottle of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Fire before twisting the top and breaking the seal. She took a big swig from the bottle then passed it off to Waverly with a grimace. “Ugh, that stuff is terrible after brushing your teeth.”

Waverly laughed, taking a sip from the bottle and making a face at the burn as she swallowed it. “I’m pretty sure it’s terrible with or without toothpaste.”

“Then why’d you bring it if you don’t like it?” Nicole asked, taking the bottle back and downing more of it before leaning her head on Waverly’s shoulder and reaching for her hand, intertwining their fingers.

“It’s the only bottle Nonna would let me leave the house with.”

Wynonna’s exact words were, “I like Haught and all but she’s not getting all the good whiskey.”

Waverly had been too distracted by the fact that Wynonna actually liked Nicole, liked her girlfriend to really notice what bottle Wynonna shoved in her bag instead of the bottle of Crown Royal she originally packed up.

Wynonna had never approved of Champ, of their relationship. Not that Waverly really blamed her. She had been a completely different person when she was with Champ and at times she didn’t even recognize herself.

She worked her ass off all throughout high school to graduate top of her class and be named valedictorian, only to miss her speech because Champ had complained and guilted her into watching him play video games.

It wouldn’t have been the end of the world if Wynonna didn’t like Nicole but it did make things a lot easier, it did make Waverly happier knowing that her sister and her girlfriend got along well enough.

If Wynonna approving of Nicole made Waverly happier then Nicole actually caring for Wynonna, looking out for Wynonna warmed her to her very core.

There weren’t many people who cared for Wynonna and honestly, Waverly couldn’t ask for a better person looking out, caring for Wynonna.

Nicole shifted next to her, reaching for the remote on the bedside time and turning the small flat screen TV sitting on the dresser on then began flipping through the channels as they passed the bottle back and forth.

They sat like that for awhile, drinking straight from the bottle and watching some documentary on Komodo dragons without saying another word, just basking in the moment, in doing something so normal.

After drinking half the bottle of Jack, Nicole twisted the cap back on and set it on the bedside table before snuggling into Waverly’s side, using Waverly’s breasts as a pillow.

“Best pillow ever,” Nicole said, the whiskey drawing out her accent, making it more noticeable than usual.

Waverly noticed Nicole’s slight accent only came out when she had been drinking or she was pissed off, which was a damn shame because it always sent a shiver down Waverly’s spine, always made her want to kiss Nicole senseless.

“Nicky,” Waverly whispered, fingers trailing along Nicole’s spine.

“Hmmm baby?” Nicole hummed, leaning up on her elbow and looking down at Waverly, her eyes glassy from the alcohol and a lazy smile on her lips.

Waverly dragged a finger down Nicole’s strong jawline then around to the nape of her neck, fingers playing with the little hairs there. “Kiss me.”

“Here?” Nicole’s lazy smile slowly formed into a smirk as she moved to lean over Waverly, brushing her nose against Waverly’s before kissing her forehead.

Waverly shook her head no when Nicole pulled back just enough to see her face fully.

“No? Here then.” Nicole leaned back in and Waverly’s eyes fluttered closed as Nicole kissed each of her cheeks, gently.

The arm Nicole wasn’t using to hold herself up with, ran along the outside of Waverly’s leg. Her neatly trimmed nails dragging along Waverly’s bare skin, her smirk growing when Waverly let out a low groan.

“Nickyyyy,” Waverly whined, tangling her fingers in red hair and pulling Nicole down for a kiss, which wasn’t really a kiss because Nicole couldn’t stop smiling. “You’re an ass.”

Waverly drew in a shaky breath as Nicole straddled her thighs, smirking down at her as her fingers drew random patterns along Waverly’s stomach, exposed from her shirt riding up.

Nicole leaned in again, this time taking pity on Waverly and kissing her gently, their lips moving together slowly.

She tasted like cinnamon whiskey with a hint of toothpaste and something so Nicole that made Waverly weak in the knees and had her running her tongue along Nicole’s bottom lip, seeking entrance, wanting to taste more.

Nicole’s lips parted, her tongue coming out to meet Waverly’s as her hands slid up Waverly’s torso, groaning in frustration when the velcro on her splint gets caught on Waverly’s shirt.

Waverly whimpered when Nicole pulled away, undoing her splint with her teeth then tossing it somewhere behind her.

Nicole slipped her hand back under her her shirt, fingertips brushing along the underside of breasts causing Waverly to arch into Nicole’s hand.

“Can I?” Nicole asked, resting her forehead against Waverly’s, her eyes impossibly soft as she waited for Waverly’s consent.

Waverly swore her love for Nicole grew each and every time she took the time to ask Waverly for her consent even for the smallest of things.

She nodded vigorously, placing her hand over Nicole’s and moving it up to cup her breast fully. “Please.”

With anyone else she probably would have cringed at how needy she sounded but, with Nicole looking at her with the same level of want she was sure showed in her own eyes, she found it hard to care.

She found it even harder to care when Nicole’s thumb brushed over her hardening nipple and Nicole let out a soft groan and connected their lips in a hungry, searing kiss.

She released Nicole’s hand and cupped the nape of her neck, arching up into Nicole as their tongues slide against one another’s.

Nicole grasped Waverly’s nipple between her thumb and forefinger, pinching gently at first then a bit harder, swallowing Waverly’s moans eagerly.

Suddenly Nicole is shifting, sliding in between her parted legs and trailing kisses along her jaw and down her neck. Waverly tilted her head to the side, giving Nicole more room and tangling her fingers in red hair as sharp teeth graze a sensitive spot on her neck.

Everything felt like too much, yet not enough as Nicole started a slow grind against her and pushed her shirt farther up her chest, lips moving down towards her exposed breasts.

Every inch of Waverly’s skin felt like it was on fire. Her heart was beating so loud she was sure Nicole could hear it over the low, indistinctive sound of the tv and her heavy breathing. The wetness pooling in her panties growing with each roll of Nicole’s hips.

Just before Nicole’s lips reach the top of her breast, Nicole pulled back, looking up at her, pupils nearly black, waiting for her permission.

“Please.”

The single word came out as a pled, her desire, her need evident as they both work to take her shirt off.

This isn’t the first time Nicole had seen her shirtless but there was something about the hungry look in Nicole’s eyes and the way she bit down on her bottom lip as she stared down at Waverly’s chest that had a nervous, yet excited energy coursing through Waverly and sent a throbbing straight to her center.

“You’re sure?” Nicole asked, the arousal in her tone unmistakable and it caused Waverly to cant her hips up towards Nicole, searching for some kind of friction, some kind of relief to her throbbing center.

“Yes.”

The words are barely out of Waverly mouth before Nicole is dipping her head peppering a series of kisses and gentle bites along her breasts before sucking a harden pink nipple into her mouth, her fingers giving attention to the other.

“Nicole,” Waverly moaned, her hand pushing Nicole farther into her chest, encouraging her to continue.

She needed more, wanted more but was hesitant to ask for it. This was as far as they have gone and despite the insistent throbbing of her clit, despite the wetness pooling between her legs, she was nervous for things to go farther.

Sex wasn’t anything new to her, was never something she shied away from before, but there was something different about it this time. Maybe it was just because Nicole was a woman and Waverly had absolutely no experience with a woman and was afraid to disappoint.

Or maybe it was because it would be the first time she’d have sex with someone she truly loved and she wanted it to be special, wanted it to mean something. Not just to her but to Nicole as well.

Nicole released her nipple with a soft pop , leaning up and kissing Waverly gently. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” Waverly said softly, tucking some hair behind Nicole’s ear.

It wasn’t a lie, she was okay but also just a little nervous. She wanted Nicole, wanted to come undone against her and wanted to feel Nicole come undone around her fingers.

“Too much?”

Waverly shook her head no, sitting up enough to kiss Nicole against, gentle at first but it quickly became heated, her body still begging for release.

“I want more, I want you Nicky.”

The truth in her words didn’t surprise her, neither did the fact that her hesitation disappeared and her nervous lessened a bit.

She was still nervous but this was Nicole. The same Nicole who let her set the pace of their entire relationship. Nicole, who was the one person Waverly felt completely comfortable with. Even if she had no idea what she was doing, Nicole would guild her, teach her.

Their first time would be special because it was Nicole and because they loved each other.

Nicole swallowed audibly, her eyes searching Waverly’s. “We can go slow.”

Waverly shook her head no again, grasping one of Nicole’s hands and dragging it down her chest to the waistband of her shorts.

“Okay,” Nicole whispered, kissing her hard as she wrapped her arms around Nicole’s neck, bringing her closer.

Fingers slid under her thin sleep shorts and soaked panties, brushing pass neatly trimmed curls, so close to where Waverly needed them when one of their phones on the bedside table rung.

A growl fell from Nicole’s lips, her fingers stilling as she reached blindly with her free hand for the phone.

“What?” Nicole barked when the call connected, putting it on speaker and dropping it beside them.

“Whoa there Red, is that really how you talk to your superior?” Wynonna’s voice came through the speaker and Waverly could practically see the smug look on her face.

“You’re not my superior,” Nicole said, grabbing Waverly’s shirt from the floor and handing it to her with a kiss to her forehead.

“You’re the BBD newbie, therefor I’m your superior. Where’s Wave? I need help iding a Revenant.”

Any anger or disappointment Waverly felt at being interrupted disappeared at the chance to put her research to use, at the chance to help Wynonna with breaking the curse.

“Let me grab my laptop,” Waverly said, slipping her shirt over her head and mouthing an ‘I’m sorry’ to Nicole.

“Duty calls,” Nicole whispered, kissing Waverly gently before settling against the headboard.”Besides, I can finally help.”

Waverly kissed her again, excited to be able to show Nicole all her hard work, to be able to work alongside Nicole instead of keeping things from her. Sure she wished Nicole had found out about the curse and Revenants another way but nevertheless, she was happy to be able to share this with Nicole.

Waverly skipped over to the table by the door, collected her laptop from her bag and skipped back, climbing into bed next to Nicole.

“Alright, Nonna what do ya got?”