Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Waverly flicked the volume on her headphones, letting the sound of Destiny’s Child drown out the the tones of her own singing and the hiss of her industrial steam mop as she dragged it over the tiles of the Orangery floor.

“ Question, tell me what you think about me? I buy my own diamonds and I buy my own rings…”

Waverly sang loudly, her hips rolling automatically in time to the beat as she buffed away the sticky stains of champagne, and wedding cake, and the goddamn fucking glitter that seemed to make its way into her venue daily, despite the number of times she had tried to ban the toxic product.

This was her least favourite part of her job.

She always loved the days when she got to host a wedding. 

Those were the days she had dreamed of when she'd first placed her hefty inheritance down on the old, unused Rectory, and poured her heart and her soul into turning the derelict building into a beautiful weddings and events venue.

She loved a wedding.

But she absolutely hated the cleardown the following day.

Wynonna had told her time and time again since the day she had bought this place that she really needed to hire cleaners. 

And a full time clerk.

And an assistant.

But Waverly loved her little venue, and she loved to run it alone. The Old Rectory was Waverly’s pride and joy, and for the past six years she'd been doing just fine managing the conferences and the weddings and the parties on her own. For the most part.

She had a student, Rachel, who helped her out at weekends and at the busier times around the holidays, changing the sheets and the towels in the rooms, and helping to man the little apothecary shop that sat in the venue's foyer.

And that was enough for Waverly. She liked to be busy, and she liked to be in control, and The Old Rectory fulfilled both of those desires.

“The clothes I'm wearing, I've bought it!” Waverly sang, the music blasting in her ears as she dragged the mop out of the Orangery and down the halls towards her foyer. “The rock I'm rockin', I've bought it!”

Waverly shuffled backwards down the hall, her hips gyrating and her shoulders popping with the music as she pushed her way through the swing doors and into the foyer. 

“All the women, who are independent, throw your hands up at me!”

She spun, startling immediately and dropping the mop as she was met with the amused eyes of her chocolate supplier, leaning casually against her front desk as he watched her.

Not for the first time.

“Hey, Jeremy!”

“That’s quite the message for a wedding venue to be putting out there, Miss Earp.” Jeremy grinned. “Another clean up?”

Waverly grinned sheepishly.

“Sing what you feel, right?” She shrugged.

Jeremy laughed.

“And you’re feeling particularly independent today, are you?”

“When you’re as single as I am, it helps to!” Waverly chuckled.

Jeremy grinned. Then he furrowed his brows slightly, nodding his head in the direction of the large double front doors. 

“There’s like, a whole Dothraki army of birds out in your courtyard this morning, is that normal?”

Waverly sighed.

“It’s the new eco-friendly confetti, it’s predominantly bird seed!" She shook her head, remembering the hour she'd spent that morning trying to gently coax the aviary off of her cobblestones. "Yesterday’s wedding got mad ‘cause I wouldn’t let them use glitter, and went rogue with the seed, so the yard has been absolute bird madness all morning.”

“Ah. Well, at least they’re saving you a clean up job. Unless you end up scrubbing bird shit for the next four days.” Jeremy frowned. He shuddered, turning his attention instead to the large box he carried under his arm. “Here’s your truffle boxes! How did last week’s sell?”

Waverly grinned. She couldn’t help but like Jeremy. They’d met at a wedding fair a few months before, and since then the chocolatier had been supplying her small store every week. She didn't know much about him, besides his love for praline and truffle, but his slightly awkward wit and his endearing demeanour were always a warm welcome to Waverly’s days.

“Like wildfire!" She exclaimed. "The guests love them, and I’ve had three couples this week ask for your business card for wedding favours.”

Jeremy beamed, his eyes flashing with unabashed pride.

Waverly chuckled.

“Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask you…” she started, honeying her voice in preparation for the favour she was about to ask. “I’m running a promotion next week for an overnight stay for newly engaged couples, and I wondered if you might be able to put something together that I can include in the package?”

“Sure!" Jeremy nodded enthusiastically. "Like a box, or like a big smash heart or something?”

“I’ll leave creative reign to you," Waverly sang. "So long as it screams romance!”

“Great." Jeremy beamed. "I’ll give you a call in the week to catch up on it?”

“Thanks, Jeremy," Waverly gushed. "You're a diamond."

Jeremy smiled widely as Waverly signed for his delivery, and pushed the tablet back over the counter toward him.

“Have a great day, Waverly.”

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

“And what do we think Winston’s purpose is?" 

Nicole paced slightly across the front of the class as she asked her question. 

Partly so she could keep an eye and an ear on the students across each side of the room.

But mainly, if she was really honest, to keep herself awake and alert. 

It was the end of term, and she was really beginning to wane.

She looked up, meeting nothing but silence across the small auditorium.

"His true purpose," she elaborated. "He's the only protagonist, so he's the one who tells us what to think, right? So what is he telling us?”

Nicole searched the eyes of her class, waiting for a volunteer. 

She shook her head, sighing as the small sea of glassy, disinterested stares reflected back at her.

Honestly, she couldn’t even be mad. She felt exactly the same.

"Guys, I'm so bored of the sound of my own voice, please just cut me a break here," she pleaded. “Rachel?”

Nicole knew it was unfair, really. Rachel was her best student, and so it was nothing but a lazy cop-out to call on her now, when nobody else was volunteering. But frankly, Nicole was exhausted and she just needed to make it to the end of this lesson.

And she knew Rachel would have an answer.

Even if she liked to pretend she didn't.

“Really?” Rachel groaned. “Even you don’t look awake.” 

Nicole raised an eyebrow, biting back her amusement.

“Fine!” Rachel sighed. “I think he tells us that... whether you agree with the system or whether you rebel against it, it still controls you.”

“Okay…” Nicole perked up, her pacing coming to a stop as she trained her eyes on her student. She leaned back against her desk, resting the palms of her hands behind her. She nodded. “Tell me more.”

“Big Brother made this big deal about how if you don’t love them, you’re a criminal," Rachel explained. "And what’s a criminal, if not just another part of the system, right?” 

She tapped her pen on her desk as she spoke; a habit Nicole knew she only did when she was thinking. 

Nicole smirked. 

“You’re only a criminal if the system calls you a criminal," Rachel continued. "So if a system oppresses you, and you stand up against that oppression, they’ll simply oppress you as a criminal. Either way, you're playing right into the system's hands.”

Nicole nodded, her cheeks pulling into a wide, dimpled grin.

This was why she taught.

For the students that just got it. Even if it did have to be tugged out of them.

“So what’s Orwell using him to tell us?” She asked, pushing herself up from her desk.

Rachel shrugged, slouching back into her seat indifferently.

Nicole rolled her eyes.

"Conclude please, Valdez," she smirked.

Rachel sighed.

“That we all like to think we’re heroic rebels, but the reality is that true freedom is nothing but an illusion," she finished.

Nicole nodded.

"Well, that was depressing."

“Thank you." Rachel smirked.

"But frankly I’m impressed you came up with that in the last class on the Friday before the break." Nicole grinned, shaking her head in disbelief. "I’m almost certain I couldn’t have done.”

A half-hearted chuckle rang out across the class, and Nicole let her shoulders sink as she glanced at the clock.

That was quite enough of that for one term.

“Right, now that we’re all feeling really fucking miserable about our capitalist existence,” she sighed, "I think it’s time we called it a day on this and went home early.”

She smirked as the sounds of the class packing up rang out across the room before she'd even finished speaking. 

“Have a great two weeks off, everyone," she called. “Read the material for next month, but also please just enjoy yourselves while you can because shit gets really hard from here on out.”

Nicole sank back into her desk chair as her class filed out. She groaned, her eyes roaming over the pile of marking she had to complete before the end of the break.

And frankly, the moment she left this building, she didn't want to even think about another book for at least a week.

If she worked really hard, she could get this done and dusted by seven, and then she could go home, put her sweats on, order pizza, and not move for fourteen days.

Seemed worth the slog.

She pulled the pile towards her.

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Waverly thanked the restaurant host as he took her coat, leading her through the bustling hub to the large table in the back left corner that they always sat at. 

Waverly hated this table.

Dinner with Waverly’s friends was always such a couple-fest, and Waverly hated being the only single one at a table that was always laid out for eight. And no matter where she sat, Waverly always seemed to end up beside an empty space.

Even, in fact, when she hadn’t been single. 

Champ had never bothered to fill that particular gap.

At least this time she wouldn't have to defend her deadbeat ex-boyfriend's shitty excuses for refusing to put on pants and leave his X-Box behind for a few hours for the sake of Waverly’s social life.

She grinned as she reached the table, and Chrissy and Perry, and Kate and Mercedes sang out their greetings. 

“No Champ tonight?” Chrissy murmured as Waverly sat down beside her.

Waverly groaned.

"Chrissy, I swear I've told you almost as many times as I told him that we are not together anymore!" She furrowed her brow. "It's been months."

Chrissy grimaced.

"Shit, sorry! You were on and off for so long I can't keep up," she winced, her eyes apologetic. "Blame the pregnancy brain?"

Waverly softened.

"How is little Bump?"

"Wriggling like a rodeo champ!" Chrissy exclaimed, her hands moving instinctively to her stomach. "She keeps me up all night most nights."

"Awh babe, when she's born, I'll take all the night shifts to even out the playing field." Perry grinned, leaning down to give his wife a kiss.

Waverly chuckled, her chest warming at the sight. Chrissy was positively glowing, and she loved to see her childhood friend so happy.

"Nice of you to join us, ladies," Mercedes called, waving across the restaurant, and Waverly turned her head in the direction of her gaze.

She grinned.

Her sister was always a whirlwind, but never more so than when she and Rosita arrived late for their dinners.

Wynonna’s hair was visibly more tousled than usual, and Rosita’s shirt was buttoned so skew-whiff that it was like she wasn't even trying.

"Sorry, we got held up with the…" Wynonna started, waving her hand in the air as she searched half-heartedly for an excuse.

"Real Estate Agent…" Rosita filled.

"Wedding planner…" Wynonna finished. 

At the same time.

"Oh right?" Mercedes quirked an eyebrow, her tone deliberately teasing. "Your Real Estate Agent marrying you guys now, is she?"

"Fuck off," Wynonna grumbled, nudging Mercedes sharply with her shoulder as she sat down beside her.

"Look, can't a girl fuck her fiancée every once in a while without getting the third degree?" Rosita scowled, her lips quirking in a smirk that betrayed her amusement.

Waverly grimaced.

Mercedes grinned, holding her hands up in mock apology.

"How's the house coming, Wy?" Waverly interjected. Anything to move the conversation along from her sister’s sex life. "Got a completion date yet?"

"It's looking a lot like we'll be moving in the week after the wedding!" Wynonna replied.

Waverly’s stomach flipped as her sister grinned, and the piercing blue eyes she knew so well flashed with something she'd only ever seen recently.

True excitement. True contentment. True, genuine happiness.

Waverly beamed.

She sat back, listening intently as Wynonna and Rosita filled the group in on their house purchase, and on their wedding plans. She listened excitedly as Chrissy and Perry talked them through their latest scan appointment, and the colours they'd chosen for their nursery.

She listened, she asked questions, and she engaged.

But her stomach clenched, the feelings of euphoria that she felt for her friends and her sister always accompanied lately by that one, selfish dark cloud.

The one shaped like her own shortcomings.

Waverly loved to watch her friends and her sister find their happiness. It had given her unimaginable joy to watch Wynonna fall in love, and to watch Chrissy and Perry marry and start their lives together, and to see Mercedes find someone who matched every ounce of her crazy.

But lately it had always come tainted with the nauseating feeling that she was being left behind.

Once upon a time these dinners had revolved around tales of drunken hookups, and disorderly arrests, and who had the latest meaningless tattoo. Then they had morphed, and they'd become about careers, and projects, and aspirations, and new romances. And Waverly had been right there with them.

But now the conversations revolved always around weddings, and babies, and forever homes, and whilst Waverly could hold her own in a wedding talk from a venue owner's perspective, she had no personal experience in any of those things. And she was absolutely nowhere near gaining any.

And so whilst she wouldn't change a thing for her friends, she couldn't help but feel like she'd been left paddling while the others sailed ahead. And she hated the bitter taste it left in her mouth.

The conversation fell short, the whole restaurant falling to a hush as the lights dimmed unexpectedly, leaving a low glow of reddish light from the wall lanterns around the edges of the room.

Waverly craned her neck, searching the room for the cause.

A birthday, maybe? A cake being brought out?

She searched the faces of strangers in the low light, looking for clues. Looking for someone expectant, or nervous, or hesitant.

Until the soft notes of a familiar acoustic guitar tune began to play from the speakers along the restaurant walls, and a loud gasp of surprise rang from her own table.

Waverly snapped her head back round just in time to catch Kate drop to one knee.

"Oh my god, what are you doing?" Mercedes gasped.

"Mercedes Gardener…" Kate began.

Waverly's breath caught in her throat, her jaw dropping heavily. 

She had not seen this coming.

"You are the sassiest, fiercest, baddest bitch I've ever met, and I've met some damn fine women in my time." Kate grinned as Mercedes laughed. "You and I are an unstoppable force, with an unbreakable bond, and I really think it's only right that we make that bond official."

Waverly chuckled. She felt the first prickle of tears burn at Kate's choice of words, and the contrast in the softness in both of their eyes that said all the things that those words didn’t.

This was what Waverly needed.

Someone who just got her. Someone who loved her for all she was, and wasn't afraid to embrace her flaws and love those too.

"So, what do you say baby?" Kate grinned, pulling back the lid of the small ring box in her hand. "Will you marry me?"

Mercedes squealed.

"Yes!" 

Waverly whooped as Kate stood, and Mercedes pulled her into a kiss.

The restaurant rang out around them with the sound of cheers, and whistles, and applause, and a few uncontrollable sobs from somewhere behind them that Waverly didn't even want to think about.

The lights brightened once more, and the waiters were on them almost immediately, with the pop of a champagne bottle, and the clink of glasses.

"A toast!" Waverly called, raising her glass. "To Mercedes and Kate!"

"To Chrissy and Perry and baby Bump!" Mercedes cheered, clinking her glass into the centre of the table.

"To Wynonna and Rosita and their Real Estate Agent come Wedding Planner." Chrissy grinned, winking as Rosita scowled.

"To Waverly, and…" Wynonna trailed off, her eyes widening in panic as she visibly fought for a plausible end to that sentence.

Waverly’s heart sank.

She felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment, and the dark cloud grew just a little heavier. She found herself wishing for the first time, that it would just lift her up and whisk her away.

She was so happy for Mercedes and Kate. Of course she was.

But she had never felt so swallowed up as she did in that moment. 

She was well and truly on the outskirts of the world her friends lived in, and the things in her own life were losing traction. Losing importance.

There was no toast for her. Not when everyone else was moving forward.

"To Waverly," Wynonna cheered, her eyes flashing with relief as she found her words.

Waverly held her breath.

"And her amazing venue, that we will all get married in!"

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

"Hey, Jer!" Nicole called as the front door slammed, and her roommate appeared in the doorway of the living room. "Good day?"

Jeremy grimaced, letting his eyes drop over Nicole’s dishevelled shirt, half-pulled tie, and unbuttoned slacks as the redhead lounged back against the couch.

"Have you moved since you got home?"

"Yeah…" Nicole shrugged. "I got snacks. Answered the door to the pizza guy."

"Dude, I know it's been a long term and teachers need their rest and all that, but it's Friday night!" Jeremy exclaimed, dropping a box of chocolates onto the coffee table, as he did every night. "Don't you have anything better to be doing?"

"Literally, no." Nicole’s eyes widened, her mouth watering as she caught sight of the label on the box. "Oh shit, are those your orange creme pralines?"

She lunged forward, grabbing shamelessly at the box. She didn't even have the energy to feel embarrassed at the cloud of Cheeto dust that billowed from her shirt in the process.

Jeremy wrinkled his nose.

"Oh my god, go to a bar!"

Nicole threw a chocolate into the air, catching it effortlessly in her mouth.

"What, and bump into every one of my students with a valid ID? And some without." She mumbled, her words muffled around her mouthful of chocolate. "Hard pass."

"You're an English Literature professor, your students are all at home reading Wuthering Heights and crying into their herbal teas," Jeremy argued.

Nicole smirked.

"You have a fundamental misunderstanding of today's youth, Chetri." 

Jeremy shook his head, grinning as he flopped down beside Nicole and grabbed a slice of her pizza.

"Just one time in my basic little chocolatier life, I would love to bring you home a box of these and for you to say 'perfect, Jer, my hot date tonight will love these', instead of throwing them into the air like a Lynx Africa teenager and catching them in your own cheeto-painted face!"

"Excuse me," Nicole scoffed. "I date."

"You literally do not."

"What?" Nicole retorted. "Bullshit, there was…"

She trailed off.

She furrowed her brows, her cheeks tinting with the first threat of a blush as she searched her hazy memories for the last time she actually did date.

Jeremy raised an eyebrow.

"Mattie?" Nicole murmured sheepishly.

"That was fourteen months ago!"

"Are you counting?"

"Nicole," Jeremy sighed. "You're smart, you're sweet, you're funny, you're sexy when you're not…" 

Nicole raised an eyebrow.

Jeremy waved his hand in Nicole’s general direction, and frankly Nicole had to admit he had a point.

She threw another chocolate into her mouth.

Just for the defiance, really.

"Thanks," she mumbled deliberately through her mouthful, grinning when Jeremy rolled his eyes.

"But you are way too fussy, and way too complacent," Jeremy scolded. "You need a life, my friend."

"Oh fuck off," Nicole scoffed. "You're sat right here with me on a Friday night, eating my pizza, and I know you're not about to walk away from Pitch Perfect 2 right now."

Jeremy grumbled wordlessly, sinking back into the couch as he took a bite of his pizza.

Nicole smirked, nudging him with her shoulder.

As much as she enjoyed the back and forth, she was loath to admit that her friend was right. She hadn’t dated since her divorce two years ago, and she knew she had made a full zero effort to do anything about it.

It was definitely not for lack of attention. 

Nicole was well aware that, for reasons she couldn't entirely comprehend, women simply flocked to her like ants to a melted popsicle.

She was no stranger to a brief flirtatious interaction in a park, or a coffee shop, or the library in the college when Miss Pierce was working, but it had just been a long time since she had found anyone she was interested in beyond three minutes of fluttering eyelashes. 

She didn't know why.

It wasn't like it was a conscious thing. She just didn’t feel it. She wanted butterflies. And goosebumps. She wanted someone to see her and not just her dimples and her well practised smirk.

And that just hadn't happened.

She blinked, her thoughts broken by the bright light of Jeremy’s phone screen as he pushed it in front of her face.

She squinted, pulling back in an effort to read the words on the screen.

She balked.

"Absolutely not."

"Why, Nicole?" Jeremy whined. "It's just a dating site! Just humour me?"

"Because this is all just window shopping." Nicole pushed the phone away. "You can't possibly tell if you want to date someone from two painstakingly chosen photos and a poorly grammaticised bio."

"But that's why you then meet people!" Jeremy argued.

Nicole shook her head.

"It's too late then! You're stuck on a date with someone you knew after three minutes wasn't for you, and you're left with an awkward three hours and a bill you feel guiltily obliged to pay 'cause you know you'll never call them back."

"This right here is your problem," Jeremy sat forward, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at his roommate.

Nicole narrowed her eyes.

"Three minutes?" Jeremy exclaimed. "You’re writing women off in three minutes?"

"I'm telling you, that's how long it takes!"

"Bullshit."

"Three minutes," Nicole repeated. "Three minutes to tell someone's mannerism, their tone of voice, the look in their eyes, and whether their chemistry matches mine."

Jeremy shook his head.

Nicole nodded hers.

"It's fact," she stated. "Three minutes."

Jeremy sighed.

"You're gonna grow old alone, Haught."

Chapter Text

“So you’re sure you don’t want a top table?”

Waverly winced at the almost desperate hope in the wedding planner’s voice as she tried for the fourth time that morning to convince Wynonna to change the table plans.

Wynonna rolled her eyes.

“I just think a top table feels like something out of Game of Thrones."

Waverly giggled.

“I kinda thought that would be your jam," she teased. “Looking down over your lowly peasants from your throne of glory.”

“I can still do that from a centre table.” Wynonna grinned. 

"So that's a definite no?" The wedding planner tried.

“Yes, Samantha, it's a definite no," Wynonna sighed as she turned to the wedding planner. "I want to be the centre of attention at all times, but I don’t want it to be obvious that I want to be the centre of attention at all times.”

Waverly bit back a chuckle, exchanging an amused glance with her sister as Samantha sighed dramatically.

“So we’re just going with round tables, and yours in the middle?” Samantha grumbled, her eyes almost despairing.

Wynonna didn't even bother to respond.

Waverly grinned. If she was honest, she hadn't ever expected to see her sister get married, and of all the brides she had ever had through her door, Wynonna was the most intriguing. 

To the unfamiliar eye of the wedding planner, Wynonna seemed brash. Disinterested and disaffected by anything and everything wedding related. Decisions were made with the kind of bored tone that someone might use to choose a sub sauce, or a seat on a bus, and some seemed to be ignored altogether. 

But Waverly knew better.

Waverly could see the soft light behind blue eyes, and she could see the way they widened just a little more whenever Wynonna spoke of the wedding. She could hear the way the words fell just a little less sharp, softened by the subtle curls at the corners of her sister’s lips.

“I still can’t believe you’re getting married," Waverly squealed, launching herself into her sister's arms in a half hug. “I’m so happy for you, Wy. She’s a lucky woman.”

“And don't I know it,” Wynonna scoffed. She grinned, planting a kiss on the side of Waverly’s head. “I’m pretty lucky too, though.”

Waverly grinned, resting her head on Wynonna’s shoulder.

There was a long moment of silence, and Waverly let it wash over them as she felt Wynonna’s breathing slow, and her shoulders drop beneath her.

“You know, it’s weird," Wynonna whispered. "I never thought it was important to meet someone and get married and buy a house and all this shit. I always thought it felt like buying into a system designed to fuck us.”

Waverly laughed.

“Ever the romantic."

“I still think exactly that,” Wynonna chuckled. “But also, I get it now. Like, I can’t imagine ever not being with Rosita, you know?”

Waverly pulled back, connecting her gaze with her favourite blue as she smiled softly.

She didn't know. She really didn't know.

But she could see it in her sister’s eyes.

“Happiness looks good on you, Wyn.”

Wynonna blushed, her eyes earnest as they searched Waverly’s own.

“I want it for you, Wave," she whispered. “I want you to feel this.”

Waverly’s chest tightened, her little black cloud expanding ever so slightly with the words and the reverence behind them.

Why did happiness always need to equate to love?

Waverly was happy. She was running a successful business, she had her friends, and her sister, and she had her own home.

Why did she need more than that?

“I’m happy, Wynonna.”

“I know, Babygirl. I just want you to feel this.” Wynonna placed her hand over her chest, and Waverly wasn't even sure it was a conscious act. “I want to set a place at this… centre-of-attention table for my baby sister and the love of her life.”

Waverly smiled weakly.

“You’ll be there, and you’re all I need right now!” She insisted.

Wynonna watched her eyes for a moment, the blue flickering as she searched her sister’s face.

She nodded, and Waverly exhaled.

“Right," Wynonna started, turning back to the disgruntled wedding planner. "Where are we putting the lanterns?”

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Nicole’s feet pounded the familiar path as she ran, the burn in her chest growing heavier with each push of her aching legs.

She had woken earlier than she had wanted to that morning, groggy and bloated from her evening of excessive gorging, and her mind had been swimming with thoughts she really didn't need.

Jeremy had managed to worm his way right under her skin, and it had irritated her.

Why did not dating mean she didn't have a life? Why should a person need to belong to someone to prove they were worth something?

She had a life.

She pushed herself harder, her thighs burning with the strain.

What did Jeremy know anyway?

He'd been practically married to Robin for the past four months and he was still referring to him as his ‘maybe boyfriend.’

He was the last person to be dishing out relationship advice.

She grunted, letting her feet pound her frustration out against the tarmacked ground beneath her.

The thing that irritated her more than anything was that despite the fact that it was clearly bullshit that she needed a girlfriend, she kind of believed him.

She was lonely. And while she definitely didn't need to date, she did know that she wanted to. She wanted nothing more than to fall in love, but for whatever reason, it just wasn't happening for her.

She knew she'd had opportunities. She knew she had a few admirers, and even on this run she’d had a few looks thrown her way.

But she just felt nothing.

She exhaled heavily as she brought her feet to a stop on the same street corner she did every morning. For as long as she could remember her runs had ended at the same coffee shop, and she’d walked the last half a mile home with a cappuccino and a cinnamon bun. 

“Morning, Billy!” She greeted her student with a familiar smile as she approached the counter.

“Professor.” Billy nodded, his cheeks tinting a little in embarrassment as he tugged awkwardly at his apron. “Same as usual?”

Nicole grinned. She had been teaching for seven years, and it still never failed to amuse her how uncomfortable teenagers were with the unacceptable concept that teachers were human beings with lives outside of the school grounds.

And Billy had been serving her coffee for the past three terms, and he was only getting worse at the interactions.

She had never once seen a student outside of school who hadn’t turned at least a subtle shade of pink when she addressed them by name.

And consequently, it was her favourite game.

She placed her order, and moved to the side to allow the next customer to approach as she waited for her drink.

“Coffee for Professor Haught?” Billy called.

“Haught, eh?”

Nicole spun, finding herself surprisingly close to the body of a woman she most definitely hadn’t noticed. She smirked, taking a step back as sparkling green eyes dropped unashamedly over the length of Nicole’s slightly sweaty lycra.

“It suits you,” the woman murmured. 

Nicole raised an eyebrow.

“The name, or the lycra?”

“Both,” the woman smirked.

Nicole chuckled.

The woman was reasonably attractive, but Nicole was already entirely unconvinced. 

The hammy line was nothing she hadn’t heard before, the look in green eyes held no real intrigue, and the husky tone of that voice was so deliberately sultry that it couldn’t have sounded less genuine if she’d tried. And the way the woman pulled her lip between her teeth, her eyelashes beating as she watched Nicole like prey made the entire exchange feel uncomfortably weird for 10am in a coffee shop.

In front of her student, no less. 

Nicole couldn’t help but feel like this method would feel a lot more at home at 1am in a sweaty bar, just before last orders, with no intention of holding any conversation that wasn’t with their bodies.

And whilst she wasn’t necessarily opposed to that idea, she was just a little old fashioned. 

She liked at least a little a bit of a connection with her sex.

Sue her.

“Thank you.” She smiled widely, tilting her coffee in the woman’s direction as she politely stepped around her. “Enjoy your day.”

She turned back as she reached the door, calling deliberately loudly across the shop. 

“See ya, Billy!”

She grinned as Billy visibly cringed.

She tried her hardest not to look at the baffled disappointment in the woman’s eyes as they followed her movements. 

What could she say?

Three minutes. 

This one hadn’t even taken that long.

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Waverly held her hand up, studying the diamond on her finger as it glistened in the candlelight, throwing sparks of magic across the wood of the counter.

She’d bought the ring shortly after she’d bought the venue, and she used it frequently in her promo photos for her marketing and her social media.

It was fitted to her, but always felt so weird on her own finger.

She felt out of sorts. It had always been a subtle source of embarrassment to her that she had been running a wedding venue for six years without ever having even been close to getting married herself, but after her dinner over the weekend, and her conversation with Wynonna this morning, she was feeling more like an imposter in her own world than she ever had. 

And it irritated her that the ring felt so alien on her own hand.

And it really irritated her that it bothered her so much.

She knew it didn't matter if she was alone.

She knew she didn’t need a relationship to be successful or to be happy. 

So why did it always feel like that was the measure by which she was being held in her friends’ eyes?

She sighed, pulling her phone out of her pocket and dragging up her Instagram account.

She positioned her hand amongst the candle lanterns, twisting the camera until the light shone just right across the gold and diamond. 

She slipped the ring back into its box the moment the photo was saved, her finger almost tingling with the discomfort of the fraudulent band across her skin.

She smirked as she studied the photo.

The ring might have felt weird, but she had to admit it looked great! 

She wracked her brains for a new caption she could use for the promotion. She ran them every few months in an effort to lure newly engaged couples into her venue, and they were a goldmine. The marketing strategy was obvious. She enticed newly engaged couples into a night’s stay in the lodge at a 30% discount, in the hopes that they would like the venue, and consider it for their big day.

She let her nails run across the keyboard, the words falling naturally from her fingertips.

Celebrating a new engagement?!

Waverly paused.

Maybe an emoji?

Celebrating a new engagement?! ❤️

She frowned.

Too simple.

Celebrating a new engagement?! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

She screwed her face.

Too much.

She tried again.

Celebrating a new engagement?! 🍾💍

She jumped as the bell above the door rang, and an unfamiliar face appeared in the foyer.

“Hi!” Waverly beamed. “Welcome to The Old Rectory.”

She pushed her phone into her pocket, pulling herself upright as she greeted the unknown guest.

“Hey, sorry to bother you, but I just wondered if you would mind showing me around the venue?” The woman asked, her face almost apologetic. “I know I should have called ahead, but I was passing and I thought it was worth…”

“Of course! I’d be delighted to.” Waverly waved dismissively, beaming enthusiastically as she stepped around the counter and held her hand out to the woman. “I’m Waverly.”

“Eliza.” The woman smiled as she shook Waverly’s hand. “My fiancé and I finally decided to set a date, and I saw this place online and it just looks beautiful.”

Waverly practically skipped as she led Eliza down the hall to the ceremony room, her tone almost sing-song in her enthusiasm as she explained the venue and the facilities that would be available to guests on their big day.

She was so proud of her decor, and the soft lighting and the winding ivy that wrapped itself around the beams in both the house and the Orangery. She was proud of the gardens, and the courtyards, and the floral arches and the water features and the cobblestone walls. She was proud of the modern suites in the building’s bedrooms, and she was particularly proud of the large bridal lodge she had built in place of the rectory’s old, rundown barn.

By the time she skipped back behind her counter, an almost certain new wedding date pencilled into her diary, she was in much higher spirits.

Maybe she didn’t have any personal experience of weddings, but she was damn good at what she did, and her success showed it.

She didn’t need to be married.

She sighed contentedly, fishing her phone back out of her pocket.

She frowned, her heart sinking immediately.

Thirty-six new notifications.

Thirty-six?

That could not be right.

What had happened. 

Was everything okay?

Was everyone okay?

She held her breath, her fingers trembling and her heart pounding in her throat as she unlocked her screen, pulling open her notifications tab.

She furrowed her brows.

Five of the notifications were missed calls from Wynonna, and one was a text message.

One was a text from Chrissy, and one was a text from Mercedes.

But twenty-eight of them were Instagram notifications; comments and likes on her own personal account.

Waverly screwed her face up in confusion.

Her personal account?

What had she posted on her personal account?

She pulled up the app.

PerleysofWisom: Oh my god, congratulations! 🍾

Joyce6102: Yes babe! It’s about time! 🥳

Waverly’s heart stopped.

Oh, god, no...

TatertotsHetty: Congrats babes, ring looks beaut!

Oh fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

LeskoTravelling: YAY! So excited for you Waves, another future Mrs!

Waverly whimpered, her eyes fluttering closed as she let her head thud against the counter.

Oh lick a skunk and call her Shelley, this was humiliating to all damn fuck.

How had she managed this?

She hadn’t even meant to post the fucking thing, let alone on her personal fucking Instagram account.

And why were people so readily accepting this?

She’d not once mentioned a partner, and some of these people she’d seen literally this week!

XxStephJonesxX: FINALLY!! I thought he’d never pull his finger out.

Waverly groaned, pulling her text messages up.

Mercedes: Who in the living fuck are you marrying? 

Chrissy: Oh my god, is this for real? I thought you said it was over with Champ?

Waverly sighed.

Well this was official.

This was the single most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to her.

Including the time she tripped over her own shoe in senior year, and grabbed Kyle York’s penis in an effort to prevent gravity’s cruelty. 

Wynonna: Waverly Earp, you call me back RIGHT NOW!

Waverly huffed out a laugh.

This was insane.

And yet there was something about it that felt kind of… good?

She grinned, shaking her head. It had been a long time since something in Waverly’s life had been the cause of celebration, and despite the obvious reality that she needed to correct this mistake immediately, she couldn’t help but like the buzz that swam through her veins at the attention.

She sighed as Wynonna’s name flashed across her screen, and she closed her eyes as she dragged the call to answer.

“Hey, Wy…”

“Waverly Agatha Earp, you explain yourself immediately!” Wynonna practically shouted, her voice echoing through the earpiece and into the foyer. “Is this true?”

Waverly rolled her eyes.

“My middle name is not Agatha.”

“You don’t have one, and one was essential in this moment,” Wynonna huffed.

“And you couldn’t have gone with something… prettier?”

“Stop deflecting!” Wynonna snapped. “Is this true?”

Waverly shook her head. She couldn’t quite believe she was even having this conversation. Of course it wasn’t true. How could she possibly be engaged to someone who didn’t even exist a mere four hours ago when she’d quite literally discussed her fucking singledom with her sister!

Jesus, did nobody pay attention to her life?

She opened her mouth to say as much, but before the words could form on her tongue, Wynonna spoke again.

“Babygirl, are you happy?”

Waverly’s heart sank, her words dying in her throat.

There was something so... hopeful in Wynonna’s voice. Something almost pained laced behind the question, that Waverly physically felt herself deflate.

This was ridiculous.

She needed to set it straight.

It was so easy. She had made a simple, obvious, easily explained mistake. One that was far easier to explain than the alternative.

And yet she didn’t even recognise her own voice as the words left her mouth.

“Yeah… it’s true.”

She slammed her eyes shut, her hand flying to her mouth.

What?

Jesus fucking wept, where had that come from?

“Oh my god, Waverly,” Wynonna whispered. “I-I don’t understand! Who is it? I didn’t even know you were dating anyone, I feel like the worst sister in the world! It’s not Champ, is it?”

“No!” Waverly’s eyes flew wide, her voice strained as she fought to repair the damage of her blatant lies. “Oh, god, no, I just didn’t say anything because it…”

The bell rang over her door, and Waverly felt her shoulders drop in some kind of pseudo relief as Jeremy pushed his way into the foyer.

She fixed her gaze on his, almost pleading with her eyes for him to do something.

Anything!

Anything to stop the bullshit from flooding from her lips.

Jeremy frowned, concern flashing through his warm eyes.

"You okay?" He mouthed silently.

Waverly shook her head.

She bit her tongue, as if somehow she could keep the absurd lie from forming on it.

And yet...

“It’s just all been so quick. A whirlwind, you know? I didn’t wanna jinx it.” She winced, dropping her head into her hand as the words just kept falling. “But when you know, you know, right?”

“Well who is it Wave?” Wynonna pressed, her voice unnaturally high pitched. “I need to know everything!”

Waverly groaned, sinking down against the counter.

Jeremy raised an eyebrow.

“Wynonna, I’ve gotta go…” Waverly muttered meekly.

“Don’t you dare!” Wynonna shot.

Waverly winced.

“A supplier has just come in, I’ll call you later, ‘kay?”

“Waverly Cordelia Earp!”

Waverly hung up the call, pushing her phone across the counter as if another second of contact with it would burn her.

She stared blankly at it for a long moment.

Jeremy eyed her warily.

“Uh… sorry I’m late, I got caught up at my last drop-off. Foxtails are holding a speed dating night and it took me half an hour to convince them I don’t want to sign up.” He chuckled awkwardly, his tone strained.

Waverly whimpered, throwing her head back and letting her boneless body slide to the floor.

"Wave…" Jeremy scurried around the counter. He crouched down beside Waverly, coaxing the brunette’s eyes to his own. He smiled sympathetically. “Why do I get this sneaking feeling you’re not having a good day?”

Waverly’s eyes burned.

"Oh god," she wailed. “I fucked up!”

“What happened?”

Waverly sighed, pulling herself up so that she could grab her phone. She drew up the Instagram post, pushing it into Jeremy’s hands.

“Oh, shit, congratulations!” He beamed.

"Jesus, no, Jeremy!” Waverly groaned. “It’s not true. It was supposed to be a promo post for this deal!"

Jeremy furrowed his brows.

"Well, so what… why…?"

"Fuck!" Waverly growled, burying her face in her hands. "I’m single as sin, but now all my friends think I’m getting married, and my sister was so excited for me that my mouth just told her it was true, and now…”

She trailed off, her eyes widening and her stomach flipping as the tragic realisation hit her.

She fixed her eyes on Jeremy’s, feeling the desperation start to grip at her trembling muscles.

“Now I need a fake fiancé,” Waverly whispered. 

Jeremy’s eyes widened, and he took a shaky step back as he watched Waverly warily. 

It was fair enough, really.

She sounded insane.

She knew it.

But she saw no other option right now.

“Please will you help me?” She begged.

"Me?” Jeremy choked, taking another scrambled step backwards. He shook his head frantically. “No, absolutely not.”

“Why?”  

“First and foremost, because this is insane.” Jeremy urged. “So you find a fake fiancé and then what? You just get married and live awkwardly ever after?”

“No, I just need them until Wynonna’s wedding,” Waverly pleaded.

"What? Why?" Jeremy raised an eyebrow. “That literally sounds like something you’ve just made up for the sake of the drama.”

“Because then I can sit at the centre-of-attention table with the love of my life like Wynonna wants me to, and then I can stage a break up and have enough time for the fuss to die down before anyone else gets married and expects me to show up with someone!” 

Waverly wasn’t even convincing herself, and she knew it.

But desperate times...

“Please Jer?”  

“Wavery, I’m so gay.” Jeremy held his hands up, grinning in slightly baffled amusement. “I just don’t think this is believable enough. Besides, I kinda have this maybe boyfriend, and I don't know if he would… maybe he wouldn't...”

Waverly sighed. 

She was all too aware this was very probably the start of a mental breakdown, but for some reason the idea of admitting to Wynonna now that she had lied felt far more unfeasible than simply finding a partner in this charade.

Jeremy smirked. He leaned forward, his eyes playful as he fixed them on Waverly’s.

“Look, if you really think you need someone…”

“I do!” Waverly practically yelped.

Jeremy dropped a flyer onto the counter, pushing it beneath Waverly’s gaze.

He grinned.

“Then why don’t you fill the gaps in Foxtails speed dating night, hmm?”

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

“Haught, please tell me you’ve done something else with your day today?”

Nicole grinned as Jeremy appeared in the doorway, his eyes and his tone exasperated.

She knew how it looked. She was sprawled across the couch in her sweatpants for the second night in a row, halfway through Mean Girls and more than halfway through a family pack of salted popcorn.

“I ran this morning.” She smirked. “And I cleaned the flat.”

“That’s…” Jeremy’s eyes widened and he nodded, seemingly impressed. “Surprisingly more than I was expecting.”

Nicole rolled her eyes.

“I’m not a total waste of space, Jeremy. I’m just enjoying some kick back time, it’s not illegal.”

She grunted as Jeremy threw a box at her, and she managed to move just in time to catch it before it hit her face.

“Ooft, the rum and raisin truffles?” She groaned in delight. “What did I do to deserve this?”

"Consider it a sweetener." Jeremy grinned.

Nicole narrowed her eyes.

"Why?"

"I've got a proposition for you." Jeremy shoved Nicole’s legs off of the couch, flopping down beside her. 

"If this is anything like the last proposition then count me out." Nicole shuddered. "I saw enough greasy man-nipples that day to last any lesbian a lifetime."

"That was for charity and it was a Pride event. None of those men were flexing for you, Haught," Jeremy scowled. "But no, this is not the same."

Nicole blinked.

"Consider this more of a bet." Jeremy grinned.

Nicole raised an eyebrow.

"You think you can decide if you like someone in three minutes, right?” Jeremy smirked. “Make or break?"

Nicole grinned. She had no idea where her friend was headed with this, but her intrigue was peaked, and frankly she really didn't have a lot else going on this week, despite what she tried to argue.

So fuck it.

"One hundred percent."

"Alright.” Jeremy pushed his hand into his pocket, pulling out a crumpled flyer and pushing it into Nicole’s hands. “Prove it."

Nicole sat herself upright as she let her eyes scan the A5 page, her lips tugging into an amused smirk as she took in the words and their implications.

"What are you suggesting?" She flicked her gaze to Jeremy's, intrigued and amused by the playful fire that flickered in his dark eyes.

Jeremy grinned smugly.

"You find your next relationship, with someone you genuinely like, at that speed dating event, and I'll make you rum and raisin truffles and buy your pizzas every Friday night for the next term."

Nicole smirked.

"And if there's no one at this thing I'm interested in?"

Jeremy grinned cheekily as he waved his phone, the familiar dating app loaded on the screen.

Nicole chuckled, shaking her head.

"You're on, Chetri."

Chapter Text

Waverly felt irrationally nervous as she pushed open the doors to Foxtails bar, her sweaty palms slipping on the chrome plated handle.

She had been over and over how on God's green earth she was supposed to play this without coming across like an unhinged sociopath on a murder mission, and frankly she had decided that she probably couldn't.

Especially not when she only had three minutes per person.

So it was looking a lot like her only option was to be upfront and honest, and hope that someone else in this downtown bar was as batshit crazy as she was.

The worst case scenario, so long as she didn't get herself arrested or sectioned, was that she would be in exactly the same position in two hours time, and she would have to come clean and face the humiliating music.

The best case scenario was that she might, through some heavenly miracle, find a fake fiancée! 

There was something - some deeply implicit biased bullshit buried somewhere in her brain - that told her that speed dating women tonight might give her a greater chance. That they would be softer. More likely to understand her reasoning.

She hoped it wasn't as much bullshit as it sounded like.

She smiled nervously at the host as she was greeted warmly.

"Hiya, what's your name please?"

"Waverly Earp."

"Waverly…" The woman squinted as she searched her list, her eyes widening in satisfaction as she found the name she was looking for. "Here we are, Waverly. You're in group number one today, which means you'll simply be sitting at your table, and your dates will come to you."

The woman smiled, and Waverly felt her nerves ebb ever so slightly under the warmth of her voice.

"You're at table number seven, just there on the left." The woman gestured. "Grab a drink at the bar, take a seat at your table, and I'll come and explain the rules once everyone is checked in!"

Waverly exhaled slowly as she thanked the host, and picked her way slowly to the bar.

Her sweaty palms only grew more damp as she let her eyes roam the room around her. The two long lines of tables each held single occupants, and a small crowd of people Waverly assumed were in group two were lingering almost silently around the lounge bar.

She scanned their faces, trying to imagine the words she would say to them once their eyes were just the other side of that tiny table.

Some looked as nervous as she felt, and some looked way too at home in the uncomfortable silence. Most simply stared at their phone screens, making visibly valiant efforts to avoid any and all eye contact until it was absolutely necessary.

Waverly ordered a double.

She had a feeling she might need it. 

She took a large gulp as she finally sat herself down at table seven. She felt a little less nervous here. Like her table was her safe zone.

She was suddenly particularly grateful that she wasn't in group two. That seemed infinitely more nerve-wracking, somehow.

Then the sound of a bell rang out across the bar, and the already quiet room fell silent as  the host addressed both groups from the centre of the floor.

"Evening everyone! Welcome, and thank you for joining Foxtails third monthly speed dating event!" The host beamed. "The rules are simple. Group one, you stay right where you are. Group two, I gave you all a number when you first came in. That number will be your first date. You have three minutes with each date, which will start and end on the sound of this bell." 

Waverly took a deep breath as the bell rang a second time.

She had a feeling that bell would be haunting her dreams for nights to come.

"When the bell rings, you must move immediately to the table to your right. Please do not linger, as this is disruptive to other daters waiting to move along. Group two, please make your way to your first tables now!"

Waverly took a slow, steady breath in an effort to calm her heaving chest, and she wiped her sweaty palms desperately against the tight fabric of her skirt as the room filled with the sounds of shuffling and scraping chairs.

She smiled warmly as the chair before her scraped back, and she found herself face to face with an equally nervous looking woman.

"Hi," she whispered. 

The bell rang.

"Hi," the woman breathed, smiling widely. "I'm Natalie, I'm 23, and I'm a researcher for The Local Geographical. And I'm really nervous."

Waverly chuckled.

"I'm Waverly, I'm 26, and I'm in weddings and events. And I'm pretty damn nervous too!"

Natalie smiled, and Waverly felt her shoulders drop a little.

This was a positive start.

"What brings you here, Waverly?"

Waverly’s shoulders tensed immediately, and her palms sweated so hard they prickled.

She took a deep breath, watching Natalie's face warily.

"Yeah, okay, I'm just gonna put this out there," she breathed.

Well, here went nothing.

Except her sanity, her reputation, and her dignity.

"I need a fake fiancée."

Natalie froze.

Waverly held her breath.

"I-I'm sorry, what?" Natalie stuttered, her eyes wide with nervous anticipation.

Waverly exhaled heavily.

Well, there was no turning back now. She closed her eyes as she let the words tumble from her lips.

"I accidentally told my friends I'm engaged and now I need someone to pretend to be my fiancée for a while so that I don't have to tell them I'm single and lonely."

"Uh…" 

Waverly cracked one eye open, wincing as she caught her date glance anxiously at the host.

The damage was done now.

She might as well go all in.

"Would you… be interested?" She tried.

"No," Natalie whispered, her eyes a horrifying blend of terrified and pitying. 

Waverly’s entire body flushed hot, and she felt the cringe reach the tips of her toes.

"Okay, forget I said anything," she rushed, her eyes boring hard into the timer as if somehow she could move the hands forward with the strength of her embarrassment. "If uh… if you were a biscuit what biscuit would you be?"

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Nicole blinked, her every muscle tensing under the awkwardly intense stare of the woman sat opposite her at table number three.

She was really wishing she'd made her drink a double.

She was pretty sure she was gonna need it.

Nicole was a complete and utter novice in the world of speed dating, but even she was aware on some level that group two was definitely the short straw to draw in this situation. The group one daters all had a safe space. A territory. And it was her job to worm her way into that. 

Every three minutes, for the next half an hour.

The woman sat opposite her now was cute, but within the first twenty seconds she had brazenly asked Nicole if she wanted to 'get out of here' and the minute that had passed since the redhead’s polite decline had been slightly stifled.

Nicole wanted to meet someone tonight. 

Firstly because she had a bet to win, but also because she really did miss being with someone. She wasn't adverse to dating. She never had been. She was just fussy.

She had taken her chance before the first bell had rung. She'd tucked herself away in the corner of the bar, and let her curious eyes scan the daters twisting their thumbs and fidgeting nervously at their group-one-assigned tables.

She would be lying if she said many had stood out to her immediately, but there were definitely one or two she was looking forward to meeting. 

Shallowly. 

Obviously.

She was well aware there was more to this than instant physical attraction, but she was still a red-blooded human.

And table four and table seven were definitely on her radar.

And right now, table seven looked like she was having almost as awkward a time as Nicole was.

"Wanna play a quick fire word association game?"

"Uh…" Nicole shook her head, dragging her attention back to the woman she was dating for another ninety seconds. "Sure!"

"So I'll say a word, and you say the first thing that comes into your head, 'kay?" 

"Got it." Nicole nodded.

The woman leaned forward, her elbows resting on the table as she closed the already unnecessarily small gap between them.

"Star."

"Light."

The woman nodded in approval.

Nicole raised an eyebrow. Were there correct answers to this game?

"Pillow."

"Talk."

The woman smirked, and Nicole instantly kicked herself. 

She recognised the game immediately, and she was so not on board.

"G."

Nicole winced.

"Ch-chord!" She stuttered.

The woman frowned.

"French?"

"Baguette!" 

Nicole smirked in amusement, leaning back in her chair in an effort to widen the gap.

She was not losing this game.

"Finger?"

"Buffet."

"Doggy?"

"Bag."

The woman’s brow furrowed, and her lips almost pouted as she pursed them in disapproval.

Nicole bit back a grin.

"Wet?"

Nicole cringed, her answer catching in her throat in a strained choke.

"Weather."

"Naked."

"In the eyes of God!"

Nicole bit back her own laughter as the woman blinked, her lips parting in obvious defeat.

She held her breath as the woman shook her head.

"I don't think you're picking up what I'm putting down," the woman grumbled.

Nicole huffed an amused sigh of relief as the bell rang across the room, and the chorus of scraping chairs saved her from suffering another painful moment.

She nodded an awkward goodbye to number three, who still simply fluttered her eyelashes and waved flirtatiously.

Nicole shook her head.

She plastered her best charming grin across her face as she sat herself down opposite number four.

She was ready for this one.

She was bringing her A game.

"Hi, I'm Nicole." She beamed, holding her hand out for her date to shake.

"Laura."

Nicole grimaced as the woman’s wet, limp hand softly gripped her own, and she fought the urge to wipe her palm against the leg of her jeans as she drew it away.

She shook it off.

"You look amazing," she tried, leaning her elbows on the edge of the table in an effort to appear open and amicable. "Your dress is gorgeous."

Laura smiled.

"How're you doing tonight, Laura?"

"Good." Laura nodded.

Nicole deflated.

Jesus Christ.

This was why she didn't Internet date!

She'd been excited for this one, and they were sixty seconds in, and Laura had said two words.

She could only imagine how painful this would be over a three hour dinner date.

She tried so hard not to, but she was powerless to fight the glance that her eyes insisted on making at number seven. 

She bit back a grin.

The beautiful brunette at table number seven was currently waving her hands around in an almost frighteningly animated fashion, while her date watched on visibly terrified. 

Nicole wished she knew what it was about herself, or maybe even about number seven, that made the whole scene seem so intriguing, when it clearly should have been a giant red flag for any normal functioning human.

She bit her lip, making one last effort at a successful interaction with her current date.

"What do you do for a living, Laura?"

"Mechanic."

Nicole nodded.

"Great."

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

"Are you insane?"

Waverly blanched as her third date hissed her outright disapproval, and she closed her eyes as the embarrassment gripped her for the millionth time in the past twenty four hours.

It was definitely safe to say this could have been going better.

"At this point I think so, but please, help me out here?" She pleaded. "I… I can pay you?"

Waverly winced as soon as the words left her mouth.

What was wrong with her?

"What is wrong with you?"

"Oh god, I don't know," Waverly groaned, letting her head fall to the table.

She was all too aware of the suspicious looks she had been garnering from the event host for the past two rounds, and she was starting to think there was a real possibility she might get kicked out if she wasn't careful.

She was feeling more and more agitated with each ring of the bell, and each new face was studying her with slightly more caution as they sat down. 

She sighed in resignation.

She'd known this was a long shot, and honestly she had no idea why she was even trying.

If she wanted to avoid an arrest tonight, it was starting to look like she was just gonna have to behave like a normal human for the rest of this event, and confess to her sins to Wynonna and her friends tomorrow. 

She exhaled heavily as the bell chimed again.

She closed her eyes, almost afraid to watch the anticipation on her next date's face.

"I'm in."

Waverly’s eyes flew open, her heart stopping in her chest as her next date practically skidded into the chair before her.

The woman’s eyes were unnaturally wide, an intensity behind them that unsettled Waverly’s stomach, and she swallowed thickly as her nerves rattled through her bones.

"S-sorry, you're what?" She asked.

"I heard you, on your last date." The woman shrugged. "The engagement, I'm in."

Waverly blinked.

What?

"Wait…" She leaned forward, dropping her voice a little in her disbelief. "You'll pretend to be my fiancée?"

The woman nodded.

"I'll be your fiancée. Do I get a ring? Where are we getting married? What's your address, I can get my Dad to drop me off there tomorrow?" She slapped the palm of her hand on the table, her eyes widening impossibly further as Waverly flinched. "Oh, do you like turtles? I have six. Can they come with me?"

Waverly was pretty certain she was in the middle of a reckoning.

It had become abundantly clear to her, in just this moment, how utterly unhinged she had sounded to each and every person who had had the misfortune of interacting with her tonight.

She winced, her organs practically shrivelling in on themselves as her body cringed under the realisation, and she had never wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole more.

She sighed.

"Erm… why don't we start with you telling me a little bit about yourself?" She suggested, almost tentatively. "What's your name?"

The woman grinned.

"I'm Bea, I'm 32, I like swords and turtles but not at the same time, and I have a lifelong collection of sticky back plastic. Dad says it's tat and I should throw it away, but it's almost enough to cover my whole room twice and I think that's…"

Waverly blinked.

Was this still under three minutes?

This was definitely a reckoning.

And she was sure the redhead on the table next to her was laughing at her.

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Nicole bit back her amusement at the look on number seven's face. 

She'd had the great fortune of meeting Bea at the bar when she'd first arrived, so she was all too aware of exactly what the woman at the table next to her was experiencing right now, and something about the way the brunette was clearly trying to engage in the madness was nothing short of endearing.

Unlike the woman in front of Nicole now, who had flat out told her in the first three seconds that she didn't 'fancy gingers', and then promptly tuned out of the date.

Which was delightful.

Nicole breathed a sigh of relief as the bell finally chimed, and she pushed herself back from the table without a second glance.

She took a deep breath, steeling her nerves as she slowly approached table number seven, and the beautiful brunette she'd been waiting to meet.

And Bea, who was still talking animatedly at her very flustered looking date.

Nicole smirked.

"Mind if I cut in, Bea?"

She spoke softly, but firmly. A statement, not a question.

She shook her head in amusement as Bea nodded reluctantly, and scrambled away.

"Hi," Nicole breathed, her dimpled grin spreading naturally across her face as she finally sat face to face with the beautiful number seven.

"Hey!" 

The woman smiled, and Nicole's stomach flipped. Multiple times.

She rested a hand lightly over it, as if somehow she could calm the acrobatics with a soft press of her fingers.

"I'm Nicole." She beamed, reaching her hand out across the table. "Nicole Haught.

"Waverly Earp." 

The brunette's hazel eyes crinkled at the corners as she took the proffered hand in her own, and the gymnasium in Nicole’s stomach erupted into at least a thousand butterflies.

Well this was new.

"So, Waverly Earp," Nicole smirked, holding the brunette’s gaze as she let the trace of a tease seep into her tone. "What have you been saying that's driven all four of your dates to run with fear in their eyes?"

Waverly’s cheeks tinted deep red with her blush, and she dropped her gaze shyly to the rim of her glass as she traced it with her finger.

Nicole’s butterflies beat harder.

Waverly had seemed so animated before now.

What was it about this date that made her so coy?

Waverly grinned sheepishly as she flicked her gaze back to Nicole’s.

"I'm really not sure I should repeat it to you."

"Why not to me?"

"You seem too sane," Waverly laughed.

Nicole grinned. She couldn’t tear her gaze from the sparkling hazel of Waverly’s eyes, and she was more than intrigued by the soft flicker of interest that she was certain reflected back in them.

"What makes you so sure?" She murmured.

"I can see it in your eyes," Waverly grinned, leaning her elbows on the table. "You just ooze calm."

Nicole laughed.

"Try me."

She was hooked. 

The soft playfulness in Waverly’s voice. The spark in her eyes. The way she leaned into the space around her like she wanted to know it. Like she wanted to know Nicole.

It was intriguing, it was endearing, and it was exciting.

Three minutes.

"I'm the only single one in my friendship group," Waverly sighed, her lips curling into a smirk as she resigned herself to her embarrassment. "I run a wedding venue, and I accidentally posted a photo meant for a promotion onto my personal Instagram, and now everyone thinks I'm engaged."

Nicole nodded.

"And you can't tell them you're not."

It wasn't a question. 

Obviously.

It seemed pretty clear to Nicole that if Waverly felt she could do that, then she certainly wouldn't be sitting in a bar begging speed dating strangers to fake an engagement with her.

The soft smile that tugged at Waverly’s lips suggested that perhaps the rest of her dates hadn't quite seen things the same way.

"They were all so happy I'd found someone, and that I was finally in love." Waverly spoke softly, her cheeks reddening further under Nicole’s patient gaze. "I don't want to admit that I couldn't be further from it."

"Why?"

"I was always the one people liked." Waverly shrugged. "The nice girl. The nice girl who runs weddings, for fuck sake, and the longest relationship I've had was an on-off fuck-fest with a man-child."

Nicole grinned. 

Two minutes.

Two minutes, and she definitely liked Waverly Earp. 

"What kind of person would win your heart, then?" She grinned, sitting forward in her chair just enough to narrow the gap between them.

Waverly’s eyes searched her own, and Nicole physically felt her heart beat faster.

"Someone who makes me laugh," Waverly answered. "Someone open and honest. Someone who never lets me doubt who I am and what I mean to them."

Nicole exhaled sharply as the bell rang out around them.

She held a finger up, her eyes never leaving Waverly’s as the next person approached the table.

Waverly smirked, amused curiosity dancing behind her eyes as she held Nicole’s gaze.

Nicole grinned.

Fuck it.

"You wanna get out of here, Waverly?"

Waverly’s eyes widened, her smirk dropping a little at the corners in her visible surprise.

"There's an amazing restaurant three doors down from here, and they do the best black bean chili I've ever eaten," Nicole continued. "The place is quiet enough to talk." She grinned cheekily. "Quiet enough to get our story straight."

"Table seven, move along please!" The host called.

Nicole chuckled as Waverly held her own finger up.

"Wait… what are you saying?" 

Hazel eyes searched Nicole’s both warily and hopefully, and the redhead had never been so convinced that her three minute rule was surefire.

"I'm saying I think we both found what we came for, right?" She grinned.

"You're in?" Waverly gasped.

Nicole knew the charade was crazy. Of course it was. It was an inevitable slow dance in a burning room, but she had nothing to lose right now.

A fake relationship would get Jeremy off of her back, but also she was unashamedly, undeniably into Waverly Earp, and right now she couldn't see any downside to getting to know the adorable brunette a little better.

"Table seven!" The host shouted.

"I'm in, Earp." Nicole stood, winking cheekily as she offered a hand to a bewildered looking Waverly. "We out?"

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Waverly’s stomach was in a complete pandemonium as she settled herself down into her seat in the restaurant, her eyes practically glued to the gorgeous stranger in front of her.

Her fiancée, it sounded like.

Nicole Haught had completely thrown her for a loop, and Waverly’s brain was having a bit of a hard time trying to catch up with the events that had unfolded.

Nicole had both settled and unsettled Waverly the moment she had sat before her at her table seven, and Waverly wasn't quite sure what it was about her that had done either. 

She was beautiful, that was a given. 

And that was definitely contributing to the mass of butterflies in Waverly’s stomach.

But also there was just something so calm, and so warm in the way she held herself, and in the spark behind deep mocha eyes. Something so sure in the way she spoke, and the way she had allowed Waverly the time and the space to explain herself in a way that, for the first time that night, didn't make her feel like she'd lost her goddamn mind.

And she had agreed?

Waverly was pretty sure that was what had happened.

Though frankly, her mind was spinning faster than she could keep up with, so it was a real plausibility that she actually had lost her mind.

She closed her eyes for a moment, fighting to catch her bearings. When she opened them again, the gentle patience in warm mocha was almost overwhelming.

"Why did you agree to this, Nicole?"

Nicole’s lips tugged into a lopsided grin, and Waverly tried to ignore the way it sparked in her lower belly.

There was a long pause. Nicole’s eyes flickered as they studied Waverly’s face in a way that should have made her feel exposed.

Waverly swallowed thickly at the realisation that it didn't. It simply made her feel seen.

"I made a bet with a friend that I couldn't find my next girlfriend in under three minutes." Nicole smirked.

Waverly furrowed her brows.

"Why?"

"I believe that's how long it takes to know if that spark is there for me." Nicole shrugged. "He doesn't believe me."

Waverly laughed.

Well this made some sense. And if she was honest, the idea of a mutual benefit made the charade feel a lot less terrifying.

"What are your stakes?"

"He's buying my pizzas for the next three months," Nicole chuckled. "But mainly just my pride."

"Well a fiancée in three minutes sounds like a win worth a few pizzas to me," Waverly laughed.

Waverly grinned as Nicole’s dimples popped in her cheeks. Under the redhead’s confession, Waverly was starting to feel a lot less nervous about this entire charade. Weirdly, she felt almost excited?

This could be fun.

A fun challenge, with an added bonus of getting to know someone she was pretty sure she'd have no problems giving her time to.

She felt almost giddy as she fished her notebook from her bag, flipping it open to an empty page.

Nicole’s eyebrows arched, and she bit her lip in visible amusement, leaning across the table a little as she watched.

It was irritatingly sexy, if Waverly was honest.

She grinned.

"Well I can't marry someone I know nothing about, can I?"

Nicole laughed.

"No, I guess you can't." She shook her head. "But the notebook is next level adorable."

Waverly blushed. She dropped her gaze to her notepad, starting to scribble Nicole’s name at the top.

She paused.

"What's your full name?" 

"Nicole Rayleigh Haught."

Waverly laughed.

"Genuinely." Nicole grinned.

"Of course it is." She smirked, writing the most fitting name she had ever heard across the top of her notebook page. "How old are you?"

"Thirty. You?"

"I'm twenty-six." 

Waverly flicked her eyes up as she answered, and she blushed a little at the butterflies that swarmed in her stomach as they met Nicole’s intrigued gaze.

Why did this woman seem to be getting more attractive every time Waverly looked at her?

She was pretty sure Wynonna was gonna have a field day over this one.

"What do you do?" She continued.

Waverly scrawled her answers neatly into categories in her notebook as Nicole talked, and she kicked herself for the sheer number of boxes she ticked off in her own mind with each new thing she learned about her unexpected fiancée.

This was not the aim here, and she may have lost her mind today but she was still aware enough to know that the last thing she needed was a genuine crush on her fake bride-to-be.

She paused her barrage of questions, laying her pen down on her notepad as she studied Nicole’s face for a long moment.

"Can I ask you something?" She murmured. 

Nicole laughed, her gaze dropping to the notepad. 

Waverly blushed.

Maybe that hadn't been her best wording, after hounding Nicole with a barrage of personal questions for the past ten minutes and writing down the answers for her own perusal at a later time.

"Anything." Nicole grinned.

"Why haven't you asked how long this is for?"

Nicole shrugged.

"It doesn't matter," she stated. "I figured it would be as long as you need, and I'm in no rush to put a ring around a date."

Waverly smiled, her chest warming a little under the soft calm of Nicole’s answer.

She couldn’t help but feel like she had well and truly landed a jackpot here.

"Well, if you do want to know, I figure we can stage a break up after my sister’s wedding. It's in six weeks, on the 8th," Waverly explained. Her stomach dropped at the mention of the date. "Oh shit, are you free?"

"So long as that's a weekend, I can be there." Nicole nodded, her smile reassuring.

Waverly exhaled.

"Okay, so…" She picked her pen back up. "How did we meet?"

"At a speed dating event." Nicole grinned.

Waverly smirked.

"Makes sense." She nodded. "What did we do for our first date?"

"Can I make a suggestion?"

Waverly flicked her eyes to Nicole’s, her stomach flipping at the playful fire she saw dancing behind them. She raised an eyebrow, waiting as Nicole’s lips pulled into a mischievous smirk.

"I suggest we do these firsts." Nicole leaned forward, resting her elbows on the edge of the table.

Waverly put her pen down.

"First date, first kiss, first morning, first argument, the engagement…" Nicole continued, warm eyes dancing with mischief. "We'll do them all. Then we'll have real memories and less lies. Less to trip up on."

Waverly grinned. She mirrored Nicole’s stance, her eyes dropping to the redhead’s lips for the briefest of moments as she processed the words.

"First kiss?" She teased.

Nicole smirked.

"We can stage some of them." She let her own eyes flick to Waverly’s lips for a moment. "If you would prefer."

Waverly bit her lip.

This definitely made things a little more interesting.

Dangerous, granted.

But interesting.

And she had to admit, Nicole was right. The less lies, the easier this would be.

"Okay." She grinned. "So is this our first date?"

"No," Nicole scoffed playfully. "This is just how we met. I'll take you on a proper first date, Waverly Earp."

Waverly leaned back.

"You're a charmer, aren't you," she teased.

"Only when I want to charm someone."

"And you want to charm me?" Waverly quirked an eyebrow.

Nicole winked.

"What kind of fiancée would I be if I didn't?" 

Chapter Text

Nicole winced as she closed the front door, trying her hardest to keep the click of the latch from waking her roommate.

That man slept so lightly he’d hear an ant whisper. 

She kicked her shoes off quietly, and padded stealthily into the kitchen. 

Then she choked on her own heart as Jeremy cleared his throat in the dark.

"Fuck a mongoose,” she yelped, her hand flying to the light switch. She fumbled for a moment, her chest pounding as she finally managed to shed light over the room, and over the smug face of her ridiculous roommate. “Jesus, what are you, my mother?"

“If I was, I wouldn’t be thrilled with your language, young lady,” Jeremy tutted, leaning back in a kitchen chair as he eyed Nicole suspiciously. He scrunched his nose. “And a mongoose? That’s concerning. ” 

“What are you doing?”

"You're home late." Jeremy stated.

As if that answered anything.

"Six hours ago you were literally begging me to leave this flat,” Nicole retorted.

"Speed dating ended four hours ago." Jeremy grinned. "Does this mean you met someone?"

Nicole smirked.

"Maybe."

"Oh my god,” Jeremy squealed, scraping the chair back as he jumped up. “Oh shit, this is so worth a few weeks of buying your pizzas." 

Nicole rolled her eyes in amusement as Jeremy made a beeline for the kettle, filling it up and switching it on excitedly. 

"So?" He pushed, wide eyes watching her impatiently.

Nicole sat down.

"So… weather was great today, huh?" She deadpanned.

Jeremy threw a teabag at her.

"Don't be an ass, Haught, just tell me!"

Nicole grinned, shaking her head.

As impossible as Jeremy was sometimes, she had to admit she wasn’t really all that adverse to gushing about Waverly right now.

"She's beautiful,” Nicole sighed. “And smart, and funny, and kind, and insane in the best possible way."

"And you knew this in three minutes?" Jeremy’s eyes widened incredulously, and Nicole couldn’t help but feel a little smug.

"I knew it in two."

"What's her name?” Jeremy asked excitedly. “What does she do? Do you have a photo?"

"Her name is Waverly and she…"

Jeremy abruptly slapped her round the back of the head.

“Ow, what the fuck was that for?” Nicole shoved him away, her brows furrowed and her hand flying to rub at the spot he had hit.

“Not that one, Haught, Jesus Christ!” Jeremy shot, his tone nothing short of despairing. "What is wrong with you?"

Nicole frowned.

"What is your problem?"

Jeremy raised an eyebrow.

"Of all the women in that bar, you're telling me you've come home as Waverly Earp's Instagram fiancée?"

Nicole’s stomach dropped.

Well, this wasn’t ideal.

“Ah.”

“Yes, ah!” Jeremy scolded. “Are you serious right now?”

Nicole sighed. 

"So…” She fixed sheepish eyes on Jeremy’s, giving him her best dimpled grin. “You know Waverly, huh?"

"Yes, I know Waverly.” Jeremy shook his head in disgrace. “I know Waverly as the beautiful, smart, funny, kind wedding venue owner I sent to Foxtails tonight to find a fucking fake fiancée!"

Nicole blanched.

She wasn’t really sure why Jeremy was so frustrated with this situation, but she was sure she’d never seen him quite so flustered.  

"Okay, and?" She tried. 

"And this is not what I meant!" Jeremy sighed, deflating back into his chair as he shook his head. 

Nicole quirked an eyebrow.

"So you're telling me you sent us both there tonight and you didn't see a possibility that this might happen?"

"I honestly didn't think about it one time!" Jeremy wailed. "Oh god, this is my fault!" 

“I really don’t know why you’re being so dramatic, I see no issue here.”

“Oh no, you’re right, there are absolutely no possible problems in this scenario what so fucking ever!” Jeremy scoffed. He shot Nicole a pointed look. "And this is definitely not a win for the bet, Haught."

"Woah, hey, I contest that!" Nicole held her hands up in rebuttal.

"How can you possibly contest that?” Jeremy argued. “It's fake Nicole."

"Yeah for her, for now."

Jeremy looked at her for a long moment, and Nicole bit back a sudden wave of amusement at the baffled look in her roommate’s eyes.

"Oh god, please don't make me regret asking this…" he groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. "What do you mean?"

"You bet me that I couldn't find a woman I liked in under three minutes and make her my girlfriend." Nicole grinned. "And I found a woman I like in under three minutes."

"A fake fiancée is not a girlfriend, Nicole!"

"Not yet." Nicole grinned. "You've seen the films Jeremy. Nothing about this scenario says we won't fall for each other."

"Oh god, it was so much less stressful when you wore cheeto dust and moulded into the couch," Jeremy groaned, slumping down in his chair in defeat.

Nicole grinned, dragging herself to her feet.

"Jer-bear, I did your speed dating thing, and now I have myself a girlfriend - a fiancée - I really like." She rounded the table, ignoring the looks of resigned despair her roommate threw at her as she set about pouring herself a glass of water. "Best case scenario is she falls in love with me. Worst case scenario is I get to spend six weeks helping out an amazing woman, and I'll make a friend by the end of it. Feels like a win to me."

"Really?” Jeremy arched his brows. “Cause it feels more like a broken Haught heart to me."

"I guess we shall see, won’t we." Nicole winked, patting Jeremy on the shoulder as she passed back toward the door. "Consider this bet on pause. Night, Jer!"

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Waverly grinned as she hit enter on the Instagram search bar, and the first result gave her exactly what she was looking for.

The account was private, but the tiny profile picture of NHaught109 was clear enough for Waverly to recognise the red hair and those gorgeous mocha eyes in an instant.

She clicked request to follow

She shook her head, her mind still foggy with the overwhelming turn of events tonight.

Had that really happened?

Was she really doing this?

She sighed, letting her head flop back against her pillows.

She was extremely grateful for the somewhat mutual transaction that seemed to be behind the development of this charade, and the pressure that it took off of her own sanity. Nicole had a bet to win, and Waverly had found her fiancée.

And what a fiancée she had found!

Nicole was sweet, and funny, and kind, and really sexy, and frankly if Waverly was going to marry anyone she’d known for five minutes, this was definitely the woman for the job. 

She wondered if, under different circumstances, she might have simply dated Nicole like a normal human.

It was definitely fine for a person to have just a tiny, minor, insignificant crush on their fake fiancée, right?

Wasn't it?

She took a deep breath as her phone buzzed, and Wynonna’s name flashed across the screen. It was now after midnight, and Waverly had ignored a total of seventeen calls from Wynonna since she had hung up on her earlier that morning.

She was all too aware that her sister was going to be much less than impressed.

She closed her eyes, preparing for the onslaught as she slid the video call to answer.

"Hey, Wynonna."

Waverly winced the second the screen filled with the call.

Her sister looked fuming.

"Don't you 'hey' me, Waverly Magnolia Earp!"

"Is that even a name?"

"Yes it's a fucking name. Do you have any idea how confused and worried I've been? I was starting to think you'd been abducted into some kind of heinous forced marriage situation," Wynonna yelled, her eyes wide with genuine concern. She dropped her voice to a whisper. "In fact I still think that! Say sausage if you're being held against your will!"

"I'm not being held against my will, Wynonna," Waverly chuckled. "I've just been nervous to tell you about it all because I know it's so sudden and out of the blue, and I didn't tell you before, and…"

Waverly trailed off, exhaling heavily as Wynonna’s eyes visibly softened.

She felt awful.

The guilt gripped hard in her chest at the sheer size of this outright lie. She never lied to her sister. Not like this.

But she was in way too deep now, and the idea of admitting that she was lying at this point seemed far more terrifying than the lie itself.

"Then tell me now?" Wynonna pleaded softly.

Waverly resigned herself to her fate.

"Her name is Nicole," she breathed. 

The corners of her lips tugged into the softest smile at the feel of the words on her lips, and she felt her stomach flip at the unexpected feeling.

It wasn’t like she didn't know she was attracted to Nicole, but that was definitely a lot softer than she had expected. 

She huffed out a laugh at her own useless state.

"Nicole Haught,” she continued. “We met…"

"Nicole Haught?" Wynonna interrupted, her eyes flying wide. "You're marrying a woman with the name Haught?" 

Waverly grinned.

"Forget all my qualms,” Wynonna laughed. “This is the best life decision you've ever made." 

Waverly giggled, shaking her head in amusement.

"But… who is she?” Wynonna demanded, her tone almost desperate. “Where did you find her? How long has this been going on? Babygirl this is huge! You're marrying this woman and I know nothing about her. Why have you never mentioned her?"

Waverly took a deep breath.

She could do this.

She had the facts. She had her notebook.

And it was becoming quite apparent that it wasn’t all that hard to gush about Nicole Haught.

"We met two months ago, at a speed dating event. And it just fit instantly. She's amazing, and she makes me feel amazing, and I just didn't want to jinx it because it felt too good to be true.” Waverly beamed, her chest warming at the excitable look in her sister’s eyes. “And then she proposed, and… well, now it all feels a whole lot of real."

There was a moment’s pause, and Waverly held her breath as misty blue eyes watched her through her screen.

"You look besotted," Wynonna whispered.

"I-I feel besotted,” Waverly lied.

Or, at least, she was pretty sure she lied.

It wasn’t definite, if she was honest.

“It's all happened so fast, but somehow it feels like it's always been this," she breathed. "I love her, Wynonna."

"Well then Babygirl, we have an engagement party to plan!" Wynonna whooped. "Next Saturday. I need to meet this Haught-dog, if she’s gonna be family!"

Waverly giggled.

She’d been expecting this, and she’d warned Nicole as such.

Both the party, and the name puns.

"You'll love her, Wy."

"Hmmm." Wynonna raised an eyebrow skeptically. "If she loves you as hard as you clearly love her, then maybe we'll get along just fine. Now come on, I need more details. How did she propose? Oh, send me a picture!"

Waverly froze.

Shit.

The proposal!

She hadn't planned this far ahead, and it was far too late, and her mind was far too cloudy to even start to think on the spot right now.

How had she not planned for this?

She had a fucking notebook and everything!

"Wy, it’s late and I’ve got customers due in at nine tomorrow,” she pleaded, hoping the nervous tremble in her voice would be easily passed off as a plea. “Please can I call you tomorrow and we can catch up properly about this? I don't wanna short change you."

Wynonna groaned, throwing her head back.

Waverly held her breath.

"Fine," Wynonna grumbled. "But at least text me a photo?"

Waverly exhaled.

That she could do.

"I will!” She promised. “Love you, Wy!”

"Love you too, Babygirl. Speak tomorrow."

Waverly sighed as she hung up the phone, her muscles easing in relief.

She was fairly sure she'd pulled that off.

Wynonna had seemed excited, at least.

She pulled a text message up, firing off the photo that she and Nicole had taken tonight for this exact reason.

The reply was almost instant.

Wynonna: Holy shit on a chessboard!!! 😵

Wynonna: Haught is HOT! 🔥

Wynonna: Say no more, two months makes perfect sense. 👆🖖👌🤙💦

Waverly rolled her eyes.

Waverly: Sometimes you disgust me.

Wynonna: Just sometimes? Wow, better up my game.

Wynonna: Rosita says nice work! Night sis x

Waverly didn't bother to reply.

She was far too distracted by the series of new Instagram notifications pinging across the top of her screen. 

NHaught109 accepted your follow request.

NHaught109 started following you.

NHaught109 liked your post.

NHaught109 mentioned you in a comment: I'm the luckiest woman alive. Love you baby. Can't wait to be yours. x

Waverly grinned.

She didn't even need to click on the comment to know that this was the engagement post, and she felt a surge of gratitude to her new fake fiancée for the dedication to the cause.

She clicked on Nicole’s profile, her fingers trembling with ridiculous anticipation as she scrolled down to the first post.

And promptly choked on her own saliva.

Holy shit.

Waverly had no idea what the occasion was. She had no idea where Nicole was, or who she was with, or who had taken the photo.

And it was all utterly irrelevant.

Because Nicole was in a sharp, fitted three piece suit, and Waverly had forgotten how to breathe.

Damn, her fiancée was hot.

Well, in the name of the lie.

Making_Waves: Holy sweet Christ! 🤤🥴 I envy the girl who gets to go home with that, because that is something else.

She giggled as her text message tone pinged almost immediately.

Nicole: Are you flirting with me, Waverly Earp?

Waverly: What kind of fiancée would I be if I didn't? 😉

Waverly: You look damn good in a suit, Haught.

Nicole: Sounds like we've found my wedding outfit 😉

Nicole: Oh, and my roommate is your chocolatier! 🤷‍♀️ Turns out we can’t fool everyone 😉😂

Waverly laughed.

Fucking hell. 

She couldn’t help but feel like this was probably not what Jeremy had intended when he’d sent Waverly to Foxtails tonight, but she made a mental note to thank him when she next saw him.

Nicole: Still on for tomorrow night? I'll pick you up at seven?

Waverly sighed.

The thought of this date made her nervous as all hell, and she wasn't even entirely sure why.

She giggled, shaking her head as she snuggled herself down into her duvet.

Well, at least if the nerves were real, that was one less thing to lie about.

Waverly: Can't wait. What should I wear? x

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Nicole blew a nervous breath through her cheeks as she pulled her car into Waverly’s drive. 

She had to play this right. 

This may have been a fake date for Waverly, but Nicole could feel the spark, and she really believed there was something here. And she hoped to every sapphic deity among the stars that if she played her cards right, Waverly just might see it too.

She grinned, swallowing down her nerves as the porch light flickered on, and the front door to the house swung back.

Nicole jumped from the car, brushing down the non-existent wrinkles from her perfectly pressed suit as she made her way to the passenger door.

She froze, her hand halfway to the handle as she let her eyes absorb her date's appearance for the first time.

Holy shit.

It was impossible how beautiful Waverly looked in green. The material of her dress hugged her toned curves in all the right places, and her hazel eyes sparkled against the sequinned fabric in a way that made Nicole see stars.

She blinked, utterly unable to tear her useless lesbian gaze from her date as she desperately willed her dry mouth to find something to say. 

Anything that wasn’t 'take my heart and never give it back.' 

Mother of God, she had never felt so gay.

"You okay there, Haught?"

Waverly’s teasing voice, and the knowing arch of her eyebrow brought Nicole crashing back to earth, and she blushed deeply as she forced her frozen muscles to kick back into gear.

"Yeah! Uh, you…" Nicole cleared her throat, finally closing her fingers around the handle of the door, pulling it back for her date. She grinned. "You look beautiful."

Waverly blushed.

"Charmer," she murmured. She let her own gaze drop deliberately over Nicole’s body as she brushed past her, winking as she dropped into the passenger seat. "You already know how I feel about you in a suit."

Nicole chuckled. 

"Why do you think I wore it?"

The car journey was far more comfortable than anything Nicole had ever experienced this early on in a first date before. The easy back and forth between them was intoxicating, and Nicole was quickly finding her nerves were fading.

She knew this wasn't real. Not for Waverly, at least. But the date hadn't even begun, and it was already the best Nicole had ever had.

She tried her hardest not to let her heart eyes show as Waverly pressed her face to the window, reading the road signs under her breath as she tried to piece together the clues as to where they were headed.

She couldn't fight the giggles at the bewildered look on the brunette’s face as Nicole pulled them into the college grounds, parking the car in the designated space marked with her name.

"Did you bring me here to make out like teenagers, Professor Haught?" Waverly teased, wriggling her eyebrows.

Nicole quirked an eyebrow.

"Would that have convinced you to marry me?"

Waverly shrugged, her eyes playful.

"Depends how skilled you are, Haught."

Nicole laughed.

"As much as I now regret my decisions, no I did not bring you here to make out like teenagers," she grinned. She unclipped her belt, nodding her head in gesture as she moved to exit the car. "Come on, let me show you."

Nicole’s nerves returned in full force as she led Waverly through the darkened buildings, finally swiping her access card over the one door behind which she knew the lights were on.

She'd deliberated over this date for hours.

It had been a long time since she'd done this, and she really knew nothing about Waverly. And yet she'd wanted to do something that would seem worthy of the brunette’s attention. Firstly because, fake or not, Waverly deserved a fiancée who made an effort, and memories she could boast about. 

And secondly because Nicole really wanted this date to feel as real to Waverly as it was to her. She wanted to impress her.

She blew out a nervous breath as she pushed back the door to the college's Planetarium, stepping aside for Waverly to enter.  

Waverly faltered the moment she stepped inside.

"Wow, Nicole…" 

Nicole brushed the back of her own neck nervously, her eyes wide as they watched the brunette’s face. Waverly’s eyes glittered in the light of the computerised stars, and she looked utterly revered as she took in the visions of the night sky, and the blankets and the cushions and the picnic that Nicole had laid out beneath it for them earlier on that evening.

Waverly huffed out a laugh, her eyes and her voice softer than ever as she turned her gaze to Nicole's.

"You really went all out, huh?" She murmured.

"Well, you said this was a whirlwind romance, right?" Nicole croaked, her voice strained under the irritating intensity of her nerves. She shrugged. "I-I figured if you said yes to me after just two months, then the memories better show I'm worth the risk."

Waverly's soft eyes watched Nicole for a long moment, and Nicole held her breath.

She was about nine-hundred percent sure that Waverly Earp could see straight through the bullshit, and right into the 'I really want to impress you because holy goddamn fuck, I like you' that blatantly sat behind it.

But if she did, she didn't say it.

"Come on then, show me some stars!" Waverly grinned.

Nicole exhaled shakily, her dimples popping in a genuine beaming grin as Waverly grabbed her hand, dragging her over to the laid out area.

She felt her nerves ebb as Waverly settled herself down, lifting the lids and poking at the packaging of the picnic Nicole had prepared for them. She grinned, nestling herself down beside the brunette, and pouring them both a large glass of wine.

Nicole was floored once again by just how easy it was to talk to Waverly, the conversation flowing effortlessly and animatedly as they ate. She couldn’t remember ever meeting anyone she’d been so interested in before, and by the time they lay back, side by side against the cushions as they looked up at the domed roof of the planetarium, Nicole was smitten.

As if she hadn't been already.

Three fucking minutes.

"You see those three stars up there?" Nicole murmured, lifting her hand to point out the line of her gaze. "The ones that are all close together in a line?"

Waverly hummed.

"Those are a constellation called Creation." Nicole explained, her voice low and soft, as if anything rougher would break the atmosphere. "The universe was initially chaos. And then from that chaos, Gaia, Nyx, and Hemera were born. So those three stars are the founding base of our whole universe and everything we know."

There was a moment’s silence.

And then Waverly giggled.

"That was incredibly poetic," she laughed. "But you're not an astronomer, are you Haught?"

"Not even a little bit." Nicole grinned. "Was it believable?"

Waverly giggled harder, and Nicole felt her stomach twist at the sound.

She definitely needed to make that happen more.

"It might have been, if I wasn't notoriously obsessed with ancient history, languages, myth, and legend," Waverly laughed, leaning ever so slightly into Nicole’s side as she spoke. "Gaia is Earth, Nyx is Night and Hemera is day, and not one of those is a star."

Nicole laughed.

"It was worth a go." She grinned. "I'm an English professor, I do words not science." 

"And you do words so well," Waverly teased. "But that is Orion's belt."

Nicole fell quiet as Waverly’s voice softened, and she felt her own body lean just a little closer to the brunette as she began to speak.

"The legend says that Orion made a vow to kill all of the beasts on Earth, to prove to Artemis that he was the ultimate hunter. So Gaia sent Scorpio to defeat Orion in battle, and save the creatures. Scorpio won, and then Zeus threw both Orion and Scorpio into the heavens, 180 degrees apart so that they would no longer fight. You can see one rise as the other sets." 

Nicole stayed quiet. Every passionate word from Waverly’s mouth was flooding more and more butterflies into her own stomach, and she didn't dare speak for fear that the brunette would stop.

And as far as Nicole was concerned, Waverly Earp could talk to her for an eternity.

"The three stars you pointed out are known as Orion's belt," Waverly continued. "But it's actually an asterism. A set of stars that we can identify easily, but that aren't actually the whole constellation. The actual constellation is supposed to depict Orion himself." 

Nicole watched, entranced as Waverly’s hand lifted, and she drew out the constellation in the air with her finger.

Nicole was gone.

Utterly gone.

"Wow, yeah that does sound a lot more beautiful when it's true," Nicole sighed. She grinned. "Maybe I should have taken you to the library. Then I could have got my actual sexy smarts out to impress you with."

Waverly laughed.

"Is this you telling me my smarts are sexy?"

"Oh, god yeah." Nicole turned her head to face Waverly, her lips curled in a lopsided smirk as she met the brunette’s gaze. "Passion and intelligence are the sexiest things in the world to me, and you definitely have both, Waverly Earp."

Waverly blushed, her eyes flickering with something Nicole couldn’t read for a moment.

Then she smirked, shaking her head.

"You’re a flirt!"

"Gotta get you to marry me somehow, haven't I," Nicole chuckled.

Waverly grinned.

"You might have been a little off on the facts, Haught, but you certainly showed your charm off like nobody's business," she teased. "Plus, it takes balls to bring a date to a planetarium when you know nothing about stars, I'll give you that."

"Look, we're just here for the wine and the views." Nicole grinned cheekily. "But, I was worried you might see through me straight away, so…" 

She sat up, reaching across the blankets for the bag she had set aside earlier on. She pulled it back, presenting the contents with a flourish as Waverly arched her eyebrows.

 "I did bring a plan B."

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

"Oh my god, you did not bring Kerplunk!"

Waverly laughed, nudging Nicole with her shoulder as she rooted through the contents of the backpack.

"It's timeless!" Nicole retorted.

"And Buckaroo? Operation…"

Waverly shook her head, her chest warming ridiculously at the collection of board games her adorable date had packed to bring to a fucking planetarium.

This might have been the first fake date Waverly had ever been on, but it was absolutely the very best.

"What's wrong with my board games?" Nicole scoffed, her tone mock defensive.

"Absolutely nothing, I was just expecting Scrabble, and Balderdash, and Trivial Pursuit, not Hungry Hippos and Jenga!" Waverly laughed.

"Shit, I should have brought Hungry Hippos!" Nicole groaned, her brow creasing adorably in frustration. "I did bring Jenga though!"

Waverly giggled.

"You're a giant child." 

Nicole huffed playfully.

"Well that's not the sexiest thing I've ever been called."

Waverly bit her lip.

She sat back, watching Nicole's dimpled cheeks and her playful eyes as she pulled the Jenga blocks from the box, and began to build the game. 

She also kind of watched the way the sharp material of her shirt pulled tight against her curves, and the way the fitted slacks framed her ass.

Kind of.

She flicked her eyes back to Nicole’s just in time to catch the quirk of a knowing eyebrow, and the twitch of an irritatingly smug smirk.

She rolled her eyes.

"You're plenty sexy, Haught," she murmured. "And you know it."

Chapter Text

“Where are you going?”

Nicole jumped as Jeremy’s voice rang out behind her. She spun, raising her brows at the smug way her roommate leaned in the doorway to the kitchen, blowing on his mug of coffee as he studied her through knowing eyes.

Nicole sighed.

“So first I’m in trouble for not leaving the couch, now I get the third degree for going out?”

“Look, a mother worries about her firstborn," Jeremy shrugged, lifting his cup to his lips.

“You are not…” Nicole cut herself off with a sigh. It really wasn't worth it. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. “Why are you worried about me?”

“Because you like Waverly!"

“Yeah, I told you this!" Nicole exclaimed. 

“Yeah but you really like her.” Jeremy shook his head, his tone somehow both teasing and disapproving. “I’ve never seen that colour in your eyes before, Haught. It would be adorable if you weren’t so fucking doomed.”

“Why is it so hard for you to believe she could like me back?” Nicole snapped, her exasperation beginning to creep into the edges of her voice.

“It isn’t!” Jeremy shrugged. “It isn’t hard for me to believe at all.”

Nicole’s stomach dropped.

“Wait, really?" She squeaked.

Jeremy raised an eyebrow.

Nicole blushed immediately.

Well that had been a lot less smooth than she'd intended. She cleared her throat. 

“I just know Waverly, and she’s a planner." Jeremy spoke softly, sipping tentatively at his coffee between his words. "She’ll have her head buried in the details and she won’t see your bright fucking rainbow-beacon gay crush until it slaps her right across the face.” 

"Well that's okay, though, I can…"

Jeremy shook his head, cutting Nicole’s words off with a pointed look.

“And I know you, and when you like someone you’re a cocky fuck who holds nothing back.” He chuckled, pointing a finger at Nicole’s chest as he took a step towards her. “But when you really like someone, you’re a useless mess, and you won’t slap her across the face with your big gay crush because you won’t wanna pressure her or risk rejection.”

Nicole grumbled wordlessly.

Well that was an unnecessary attack.

Sometimes having a best friend who knew her inside out was really not all it was cracked up to be.

“Cue months of pining and desperate crushing, and completely unnecessary aching hearts all round.” Jeremy sighed, shaking his head. “Heed my warning, Nicole.”

Nicole nodded.

“Yeah, picking up what you’re putting down," she mumbled, turning her back on her friend as she gathered her things ready to leave.

“And that is?”

 Nicole smirked.

“Subtly suggest I might possibly like Waverly and that maybe we should date for real someday maybe, when she’s ready and if she’s ready, and if she wants to. Maybe.”

“Absolutely not what I’m putting down,” Jeremy scolded.

“No, no, I got it. Loud and clear," Nicole sang as she made her way to the front door, biting back her amusement at the frustration in her friend’s voice. “Hint really softly that maybe we should get married, like way in the future, and have lots of babies, but only if Waverly really wants to and it’s fine if she doesn’t, it’s no big deal, like it’s just a thought…”

Jeremy groaned loudly as Nicole closed the door behind her, and she let a chuckle fall from her lips at how goddamn easy it was to wind her roommate up.

She knew exactly what Jeremy was saying, but frankly she refused to give him the satisfaction. She knew she should probably be clear in her intentions with Waverly now, to save them both any confusion further into this charade, and to allow Waverly to make informed choices.

But then…

Jeremy was also right about one other thing. 

She really liked Waverly. 

And when she really liked someone, she was a useless fucking mess.

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Waverly flitted about her house, fluffing the couch cushions for maybe the fifth time that morning, and lighting the scented candles that lined her coffee table.

She was obscenely nervous, and she really wasn't even all that sure why.

The plan was to build up a reasonable enough bank of photos of the two of them together for a two month romance to seem believable.

It wouldn't need too many, but Waverly figured they would need phone screen backgrounds, and she would at least need to have a photo or two around her house before Wynonna or Chrissy next visited and called her out on it. She figured Nicole must also need some if she was to believably win her bet.

And they would definitely need photographic evidence of this proposal! 

Nicole had messaged ten minutes before to tell her she was on her way, and there was just something about having the redhead in her home that seemed unnecessarily daunting to Waverly. It seemed more intimate, somehow, than either of the previous times she'd seen Nicole, and the thought made the butterflies swarm in Waverly’s stomach. 

It was annoying, really, this attraction.

The whole fake engagement thing would have been a lot easier to deal with if it weren't for that charm and those fucking dimples.

Waverly took a deep breath as she finished fluffing the cushions, and she made a quick dart for the mirror to check her appearance.

She felt her stomach clench hard as the doorbell rang, and she brushed down the non-existent creases in the front of her shirt as she rushed to the door.

She took a deep breath to calm her racing nerves, and pulled the door back.

And froze.

Her eyes dropped before she'd even processed their movement, her heart immovable in her throat as she took in the sight before her.

Waverly had never expected a pair of ripped jeans and a tight t-shirt to tear her to so many pieces, but holy goddamn fuck did Nicole Haught look good dressed down.

The baseball cap didn't even bear thinking about.

She swallowed thickly, desperately fighting her tongue for words as she stared, unblinking, for far longer than any human being should have been capable of.

She was fairly sure she was malfunctioning.

Was this what a meltdown felt like?

"You alright there, Wave?" 

Waverly blinked, the teasing tone of Nicole’s voice finally breaking her from her trance enough to flick her gaze back to the redhead’s eyes. She blushed at the knowing glint behind them, and that goddamn cocky smirk.

And at the way her stomach flipped at the sound of that nickname on Nicole’s lips.

Wave.  

Waverly was pretty sure she'd melted.

"Uh, yeah…" she cleared her throat, forcing her muscles to move aside to let her irritatingly attractive fake fiancée in.

"You sure?"

Nicole’s tone shifted.

The cocksure tease wavered, and an uncertain concern flashed through mocha eyes as she followed Waverly into the kitchen, placing her bag carefully down beside the door.

"Yeah..." 

Waverly watched her for a moment, the cogs turning in her mind as she considered the fact that she'd quite like the opportunity to stare thirstily at this particular image in her own time. 

Well, in the name of the game.

She bit back a smirk, pulling back a dining chair and gesturing towards it. 

"Can you just sit down there for a moment please?"

Nicole quirked an eyebrow in confusion, her eyes glued to Waverly’s in her still visible concern as she sat herself down, her legs slightly apart.

Waverly couldn't have fought the lip bite if she'd tried.

"Yeah, that's my lock screen."

Nicole laughed openly, a groan of both frustration and relief echoing through the back of it.

Waverly grinned, fishing her phone from her pocket.

"Fuck sake, you ass, you had me worried! I thought I'd done something wrong," Nicole chuckled. She sank back into the chair a little, pulling the ankle of one leg up onto her knee. She shook her head, her lips twisting back into a knowing smirk. "Not the suit then?" 

"No, turns out you look sexy in just about anything, Nicole Haught," Waverly flirted, winking cheekily as she snapped the photo. 

She took a few. Just for good measure.

Nicole grinned, her eyes playful as she sat forward, flipping the cap backwards and leaning her elbows on her knees.

Waverly shook her head.

"You're far too aware of your powers, you know that?" She teased.

Nicole arched an eyebrow, her lips tugging into the dirtiest smirk Waverly had seen yet.

She fought a shudder.

"What powers are those?" Nicole murmured. 

Waverly narrowed her eyes.

"Come on, let's get this proposal sorted," she deflected.

Necessarily.

Before she lost control of her body, and mounted Nicole’s lap and bit down on that fucking smirk.

"We know you proposed," she started, pacing the floor a little, simply to keep her body moving and away from Nicole’s lap. "But we need to figure out how. It'd be a lot easier to get the photos if we did it at home."

"I was thinking…" 

Waverly halted, her gaze flying to Nicole’s.

Nicole had been thinking about this? 

She had not expected that at all. She had fully anticipated that Nicole would simply show up on the day, and do all the things that Waverly asked her to do.

Like a sexy puppet, of sorts.

Which, when she thought about the effort Nicole had put into their first date, she had no idea why she had believed, but she couldn’t help but feel surprised.

"A kind of scavenger hunt?" Nicole finished. "I thought maybe I've left little clues around the house, like 'where we had our first kiss', and 'where you first told me you loved me', and 'where I always leave my shoes', and then 'where you always yell at me for leaving my shoes out…'"

Waverly laughed.

Well this was all kinds of adorable, and as she watched the playful spark behind warm eyes, she had no idea why she'd ever expected anything different.

"And then all the clues lead you to the living room…" 

"To the garden." Waverly interjected.

Nicole smirked.

"To the garden, where I've lit the place up with lanterns and fairy lights, and there's champagne…"

"A sparkling wine."

Nicole laughed.

"There's a sparkling wine on ice, with glasses and strawberries, and I'm waiting for you." She grinned, pulling herself from the chair and taking a step towards Waverly. "Then when you arrive, I'll get down on one knee, and sweep you off your feet."

Waverly swooned.

There really was no other way to put it.

She was transfixed on every word that left Nicole’s mouth, and on the fire that seemed to spark in the redhead’s eyes as she watched her reactions.

If anyone ever proposed to her for real, she goddamn hoped it was like this.

"Is there music?" She whispered.

Nicole took another step forward, and Waverly’s knees trembled a little under the proximity.

Nicole smirked.

"Yeah, it's Hot for Teacher."

Waverly laughed, swatting a hand across Nicole’s shoulder.

"You're an idiot."

"It's whatever our song is, babe." Nicole grinned cheekily.

Waverly swallowed, her neck and her cheeks searing instantly beneath the blush that spread across them.

Jesus.

If this was how it felt to hear babe fall from Nicole’s lips under false pretences, she didn't dare think about how hot her blood would burn if this was real.

She sighed, shaking her head at the cocky smirk that spread once again over that stupidly attractive face.

This woman would be the death of her.

"Go get your suit on, Haught. You have an elaborate proposal to perform for me, baby."

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Nicole flicked the switch at the mains, feeling her stomach flip at the way Waverly’s eyes misted in the fairy lights they'd strung around the garden.

This was, admittedly, the strangest second date she'd ever been on.

Or third, if she counted the night they'd met.

She wasn't sure any of them were dates really, given that Waverly considered them all fake, but to Nicole she was on her third.

And it was unusual to say the least.

"Wouldn't it have been dark?" Waverly scrunched her nose as she studied the scene through the camera she had set up on a tripod.

Nicole grinned. This was why she had suggested the living room, so they could pull the curtains and pretend it wasn't 11am, but it turned out she was powerless to resist anything Waverly Earp asked of her, and if Waverly wanted a garden proposal, Waverly was getting a garden proposal.

Fake or not.

"I proposed after two months," Nicole chuckled, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm clearly not being sold as someone who's great at waiting for their time to come."

Waverly giggled, and Nicole’s stomach flipped at the sound.

God, she was getting more useless by the minute!

"Well when you see something you like, why wait, eh?" Waverly teased, her eyes finding Nicole’s as she stepped away from the camera and out in front of it. "And I once heard it takes three minutes to decide you like someone, so two months is practically a lifetime."

"Exactly." Nicole smirked. She stepped slowly towards Waverly, closing the gap between them until they stood just an arm's length apart. "Got your camera ready?"

Waverly nodded, her eyes sparkling with something that Nicole couldn't quite identify as they searched her own. Something almost revered, and nervous somehow, and something in the air between them shifted under the proximity and the intensity of the eye contact.

Nicole swallowed. She knew her own eyes must be wide, her pupils likely blown in the close proximity. It was almost dizzying, and she resisted the urge to place her hand over her somersaulting stomach.

Butterflies in a lurching stomach. Air that felt too thick to breathe in. Nerves fluttering in her chest and wrapping tight around her throat.

Yeah.

This definitely felt a lot like a real proposal.

Well, here goes.

She held out her hand. 

Waverly placed her own in it.

Nicole smirked.

"The ring, Wave," she whispered. 

Waverly blushed a deep red, her eyes dropping instantly and her jaw clamping shut in visible embarrassment.

Nicole smiled softly. She didn't ever want Waverly to fade away in embarrassment. 

Particularly not for anything that involved being close to Nicole. 

Before Waverly could snatch her hand away, Nicole linked their fingers.

She tried not to read too much into the way Waverly’s lips curled softly at the touch, and her eyes misted a little as they dropped to their joined hands. Or into the way her own fingers felt like sparks flew through them, the electricity pooling in her stomach in an unexpected wave of arousal that was frankly fucking ridiculous to Nicole. Waverly Earp had touched her goddamn hand, and Nicole was ready to start shedding clothing.

God she was a mess.

And she hated just how right Jeremy had been.

She shook her head, pushing her intrusive thought process down as Waverly fished the ring box out of her pocket, handing it shyly to Nicole. 

Nicole softened immediately.

She fumbled slightly with the box as she dropped her gaze, her nerves far outweighing what they probably should have been for this situation. 

God this was weird. 

It wasn’t the first time Nicole had been in this position, but the last time had involved a lot more alcohol, a lot less romance, and a lot less fake-dating-someone-she’d-really-like-to- actual -date, and so this was definitely entirely out of her comfort zone.

Should she say anything?

"A-are you filming this, or just photos?" She stuttered, her eyes avoiding Waverly’s as she scrabbled for her composure.

"Just photos.” Waverly replied. “Did you want me to film?"

"God, please no…" Nicole begged, finally dragging her eyes up to meet Waverly’s. She laughed, shaking her tense shoulders a little. "I feel nervous, Christ."

“Why?” Waverly laughed.

“Because I feel like I should be saying something?” She wrinkled her nose. “So that our story matches?” 

Waverly raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into an amused smirk.

“I mean, I’m never gonna say no to this, Haught,” she teased, “but we can just agree what you said afterwards. You know, if you’re not up to the challenge.”

Nicole grinned, her eyebrows arching at the mischief in Waverly’s tone. 

Challenge accepted.

She cleared her throat.

"Waverly, I know I haven't known you all that long, but…" Nicole dropped her voice, her tone soft and her eyes fixed on Waverly’s. She traced the back of the brunette’s hand with her thumb. "But it just feels like it’s meant to be this. It’s meant to be us. As you said yourself, when I like something, I don't wanna wait. You're smart, and kind, and funny, and beautiful, and you're insane in all the best ways, and even though it's been such a short amount of time, it feels like it's always been this, and it's always been you. And now I can't ever imagine my life without you in it."

It was silent for a long moment, and Nicole felt her nerves flood back through her stomach at the unreadable expression in Waverly’s eyes. She swallowed thickly, her mouth dry and her tongue suddenly feeling incredibly twisted despite the verbal eruption it had just had a moment beforehand.

Was that too much?

Oh, god, It was kinda too much.

Then Waverly blinked, her cheeks reddening just enough to notice.

"Well, fuck," she breathed.

Nicole huffed out a laugh.

"Was that okay?"

"Oh, I definitely see exactly why I'm marrying you," Waverly chuckled, her eyes crinkling as a wide grin spread across her face.

Nicole blew out a breath of relief, her nerves fading into something much more playful under the glint in Waverly’s eyes.

She grinned cheekily as she stepped back, dropping onto one knee and pulling back the lid of the ring box.

"Waverly Earp," she grinned. "Will you be my fake fiancée?"

"Yes!" Waverly giggled.

Nicole waited for a moment, listening carefully for the click of the camera. 

Then she took Waverly’s hand in her own, the brunette giggling as she slipped the ring onto her finger.

Where it would stay now, for six weeks.

She figured there was no turning back now.

Waverly Earp was her fake fiancée.

And Nicole was well and truly smitten.

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Waverly grinned smugly, her pride gripping in every muscle of her body as she pushed open the door to her venue’s bridal lodge, Nicole’s eyes widening in open appreciation as they scanned their surroundings.

“Holy shit,” Nicole breathed. “This place is beautiful!”

Waverly beamed. Nicole had said variations of the same thing an absolute minimum of fifteen times as Waverly had shown her around the grounds and the hall and the orangery, and she couldn’t quite explain just how satisfying it felt to know the redhead was impressed.

They had assumed that if this were a real romance, Nicole would very likely have seen the venue, and so it was probably important that she at least had the whistle-stop tour before the engagement party was held there that weekend.

Or that had been Waverly’s guise.

She may have had a slight ulterior motive up her sleeve. If Nicole was game.

"So this is our bridal suite, is it babe?" 

Nicole grinned cheekily, and Waverly watched, wide eyed, as the redhead flopped back onto the bed, wriggling her eyebrows in a fashion that definitely should not have been sexy, and yet...

"Yep.” Waverly sang. “This is where the magic happens."

"Oh, magic?" Nicole smirked.

"It’d better be,” Waverly teased, “or what am I marrying you for?"

"My charming personality?"

Waverly raised an eyebrow, taking a steady step closer to Nicole.

"You telling me that charm doesn't translate into the bedroom, Haught?” Waverly let her eyes flick deliberately over the length of Nicole’s body. “Because that would be very disappointing."

"No!" Nicole shot upright, her cheeks instantly flushing red as she practically yelped her response. "N-no, that is absolutely not what I'm saying, my charm is… I'm..." 

She cleared her throat, her blush deepening, and Waverly bit back a giggle at the blatant flustered regret on the redhead’s face.

It turned out that a slightly flustered Nicole Haught was, frankly, adorable.

And Waverly seized an opportunity.

"Should we do our first kiss?" 

Nicole froze.

Waverly grinned.

“Y-yes?” Nicole choked.

"Should we stage our first kiss, I mean?" Waverly smiled coyly, her voice deliberately light. "You know, for the memories."

Nicole’s eyes flashed, recognition and a playful kind of fire burning behind them as she nodded, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. 

"What memory would this be, Earp?" She murmured.

Waverly shrugged, biting back a grin.

This was her ulterior motive.

"The time I showed you round my venue, and cooked you dinner in the bridal lodge, and then we had a cheeky hot tub date."

"A hot tub date?" Nicole’s eyes widened, her dimples deepening as her grin grew almost smug. "This is why you told me to pack a swimsuit. Jeremy told me you were a planner."

"Yep." 

Waverly bit back a smirk, her hands moving swiftly and seamlessly as she pulled her shirt up and over her head, leaving her in her bikini top and her jeans.

For the second time in less than a minute, Nicole froze.

The redhead’s eyes widened, her jaw clamped and her cheeks reddened as she visibly fought not to let her eyes wander, and Waverly smirked at the slight tug in the sheets as Nicole’s fists closed around them.

Interesting.

Waverly grinned. 

Fake relationship or not, Nicole’s glazed eyes and flushed cheeks were betraying a mutual physical attraction, at the very least. 

And that was something Waverly could most certainly bank for later use.

“You in, Haught?”

Nicole nodded dumbly, her jaw still ground tight. 

Waverly chuckled.

"Guess this also marks off the first time you saw me in my underwear!"

"You’re a tease," Nicole croaked a little, her eyes fighting and failing not to drop over the brunette’s exposed chest. “Are you trying to break me?” 

“What kind of fiancée would I be if I didn’t?” Waverly winked. She popped the button of her jeans as she turned away, calling over her shoulder as she headed for the kitchen. “Get your swimsuit on. I'll be waiting."

Waverly giggled as the room behind her filled with the sounds of scuffs and thuds as Nicole scrambled from the bed and lunged for her bag, and Waverly would swear she heard the words ‘god help me’ rumble low beneath the redhead’s voice.

Today had been a lot for Waverly. The charade, and the proximity, and that constant underlying flirtatious energy that ran between herself and Nicole was spinning her head on its axis, and she was having a really hard time picking the fact from the fiction.

Nicole was physically attracted to her, that much she was fairly certain of. But that much was also nothing new to Waverly. She was all too familiar with the blown pupils and the wandering eyes of lust in her direction, but very rarely did that come with a genuine interest or a desire for her and not just her body. And she had no real reason to believe that this was any different. This was fake. A charade. And it would not do her any good to allow herself to get swept away in it.

But that didn’t mean it wasn’t fun to flirt a little.

She grinned, her stomach almost giddy as she poured two glasses of the sparkling wine she always kept stocked in the fridge for her guests. 

In normal circumstances she would never touch the bridal lodge for her own purposes. Or the hot tub.

But these didn’t feel like normal circumstances.

She was engaged after all.

Waverly carried the glasses out to the terrace, resting them on the sides of the hot tub as she lowered herself into the water. She leaned her head back against the ledge, letting the warmth of the water soothe her nerves as she waited for Nicole.

She took a sip of her wine, then promptly regretted it the moment Nicole stepped out onto the terrace, and Waverly choked immediately at the sheer fucking audacity of how goddamn sexy she looked.

Holy fucking fuck.

This was just unfair, frankly.

"Jesus, how does anyone in your class ever get anything done?" She breathed.

Nicole laughed as she climbed the steps to the hot tub, her chest tinting a little beneath Waverly’s openly appreciative gaze.

"Well I'm rarely in a bikini when I'm teaching," she teased, her tone smug but the reddened tips of her ears betraying her still slightly flustered state.

"Rarely?" Waverly raised an eyebrow.

"Never." Nicole smirked as she settled into the water opposite Waverly, gratefully accepting the glass of wine the brunette offered her. "No student has ever seen me in a bikini."

"Their loss," Waverly grinned, winking cheekily. 

She chuckled, her stomach clenching as Nicole’s eyes met her own, and something flashed darker through them than Waverly had seen yet.

She held her glass up in a toast. 

"Well cheers, to…” 

Waverly trailed off, panic beginning to take its hold. Where had she been going with this? She suddenly felt extremely nervous under Nicole’s darker gaze, and everything about the situation was throwing her for a loop. She needed to stay grounded. She needed to remember why they were here, and not let herself be fooled by her own wishful thinking, before she embarrassed herself and terrified Nicole.

She clinked her glass against the redhead’s.

“To false beginnings and fabricated memories?" She wrinkled her nose.

That hadn't quite sounded the way she'd wanted it to.

Nicole’s eyes flashed once more, duller this time, and Waverly immediately kicked herself for the words of her toast.

For fuck sake, what was this? 

Before she could even begin to let her mind travel that path, Nicole’s playful smirk was back across her face, and her eyes held their usual warmth and cheeky glint as they fixed on Waverly’s.

"So…" Nicole’s voice was low, almost husky as she held Waverly’s gaze. She placed her glass down on the side of the hot tub, her hands disappearing beneath the water as she leaned back. "How does this kiss go then, Earp?"

Waverly grinned.

"I really think you would have kissed me, Haught.”

"Oh, I think you're wrong."

Waverly’s stomach plummeted.

The deeper husk in Nicole’s voice, and the way dark eyes almost bore into Waverly’s as she spoke. The teasing twitches at the corners of Nicole’s dirty smirk, and the confidence behind her words.

Waverly shivered.

"Oh?"

“Mmm…” Nicole’s eyes held Waverly’s as she pushed herself from the edge of the tub, moving torturously slowly through the water. Dark eyes flicked openly to Waverly’s lips as she moved closer. "I think when you really want something…" 

Waverly held her breath, frozen in her anticipation. Nicole was so close now, and Waverly could feel the brush of her legs against her own, almost silk beneath the water. She was powerless to move, and powerless to tear her eyes from that darkened gaze and the glint of mischief behind them.

Until Nicole’s hands reached for the ledge, gripping firm either side of Waverly’s head, and the brunette’s gaze dropped to full lips. Magnetic.

Nicole smirked.

"I think when you really want something,” she whispered, “you're not afraid to go for it."

Waverly was utterly entranced.

Nicole was so very close to her body, and she smelled incredible, and her skin felt amazing against her own, and her lips just looked so damn irresistible...

Waverly’s tongue darted out to wet her own lips, even as she clung desperately to the rapidly fading awareness that this was staged. 

This was not a real kiss. This wouldn't be a real kiss.

But that was a harsh reality that was proving really hard to remember when every one of her nerve endings prickled with goosebumps, and Nicole’s breath ghosted her lips. 

God, it just felt so real.

She flicked her eyes back to Nicole’s gaze, her stomach clenching tight at the darkened colour in the usually warm mocha. 

Well, fuck it.

If they were staging, they'd better stage damn good.

In the name of the game.

She leaned a little closer, letting her own hands slide around the impossibly soft skin of Nicole’s lower back, and her heart rate soared at the goosebumps that raised beneath her own touch.

Waverly couldn’t say who leaned closer, but she felt drunk on the proximity of Nicole’s lips to her own, and all she wanted to do was close the gap.

And this wasn’t a real kiss, but oh god, maybe this was a real kiss. 

Was this a real kiss? 

Was Nicole going to kiss her?

"Shit, sorry! Woah, that is… a lot."

Waverly’s heart leapt into her throat, and Nicole jumped back a little, her head twisting to find the source of the sudden new voice on the terrace behind them.

"Rachel?" Nicole yelped.

"Hey, Rachel…" Waverly murmured sheepishly, her cheeks flaming with her embarrassment.

And potentially at the arousal that still coursed her veins from Nicole’s proximity.

Wait.

Did Nicole just say Rachel’s name?

But how would…?

Oh, shit.

Waverly barked a laugh, her hand flying to cover her mouth as Nicole sank down into the water, her eyes closed and her cheeks almost as red as her hair.

"Waverly.” Rachel grimaced. “Professor Haught." 

Waverly snorted.

"Not every day you cock block your teacher and your boss,” Rachel muttered, her eyes dancing anywhere but at the hot tub and its occupants. “But here we are on a Wednesday afternoon at 4pm."

Waverly bit her lip, her eyes watering as she desperately fought to control her giggles. 

Nicole looked so adorable, all buried up to her neck in the water, her arms folded over herself, her cheeks flushed and her eyes slammed shut.

"Awkward vibes aside though, I am in love with this!" Rachel waved her hand around the general hot tub area, and Waverly stifled another bark of laughter as Nicole cracked one eye open. "Never would have seen it coming but it makes so much sense! You make a cute couple."

“Why is this still happening?” Nicole murmured through gritted teeth. 

"I was just doing the towel rounds… I'll come back to this room later." Rachel backed away slowly. "Much later." She winced. "Maybe tomorrow."

Waverly lost it.

She gripped the side of the hot tub, her giggles wracking her stomach as Rachel rounded the corner, and Nicole whimpered as she sank back against the opposite side of the hot tub.

She still looked mortified, but the corners of her lips twitched in obvious amusement at Waverly’s uncontrollable laughter.

"So Rachel Valdez works here, huh?” Nicole chuckled. “That’s… fun.” 

"Well, at least that's our first public appearance dealt with," Waverly giggled. "What was that you said about none of your students ever seeing you in a bikini?"

Nicole groaned.

Chapter Text

Waverly leaned further over the vanity counter, her eyes wide and her lips parted as she flicked the mascara brush over her lashes.

It felt more than a little strange to be an overnight guest in her own bridal lodge, and even stranger to be attending a party in her own Orangery that she had been allowed no part in the planning or the decorating of. Wynonna had been quite insistent on Waverly handing over the reins for the engagement party, and she was feeling a little nervous about what her sister would have waiting for them.

Nervous, and guilty.

Waverly had been utterly wracked with the uncomfortable weight of guilt in her chest every time Wynonna had mentioned this party, and every time she thought about the effort going into it, and the feeling was only growing the closer they got to the event.

Although she did have to admit that it did feel pretty nice to be on the other end of the celebrations for once.

“Okay, so let’s recap.” 

Nicole’s voice called through the closed bathroom door, and Waverly grinned at the slightly flustered panic that sounded beneath the redhead’s transparent efforts to remain calm.

It was adorable how nervous Nicole seemed, and it was even more adorable how hard she was trying to hide it.

"Wynonna is your sister, and she’s marrying Rosita," Nicole continued. Her voice grew and faded in volume, and Waverly knew the redhead was pacing. "And Mercedes is Wynonna’s best friend, and she’s marrying Kate. And Chrissy is your best friend, and she’s married to Perry, and they’re having a baby. And I don’t mention parents, but I can mention Chrissy’s Dad because he’s basically everyone’s Dad. Right?”

Waverly bit her lip. 

In every one of their exchanges so far, Nicole had been calm and collected and downright charming. 

And frankly the nerves in her voice now were making Waverly’s heart melt.

“Nicole, relax," she called, as reassuringly as possible at a volume and a distance. "You’re gonna be amazing, and if you forget things it’s fine, we’re only supposed to be two months in anyway!”

“Yeah but I want to get it right," Nicole huffed. "I care about you…” 

Waverly's heart stopped.

The words seeped through her veins, wrapping round her chest and tugging it tight.

She did?

In what way? Like in an 'I care if we get this right' kind of way? Or like an 'I don't wanna embarrass my new buddy' kind of way? Or like an… 'I care care about you' kind of way?

“So I should know these things," Nicole finished.

Waverly took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as she studied her reflection in the mirror.

She was really hoping that Nicole would appreciate the dress; the gold brocade, and the low cut, and the long slit in the front of the fabric.

It might have been a fake engagement party, but she would still very much appreciate the buzz of her gorgeous fiancée's dark eyes on her.

She grinned, finally satisfied with the image as she turned and pulled back the bathroom door.

The moment she entered the bedroom, Nicole froze.

Dark eyes dilated instantly, and the redhead’s cheeks flushed as her gaze dropped over the material of the dress, and the curves it hugged tight.

Waverly smirked.

“Wow…” Nicole breathed.

“Yeah?” Waverly made a deliberate show of turning slowly on the spot, angling her leg in a way that pushed her thigh through the slit in the material for the most teasing of moments.

Nicole visibly swallowed hard.

“Yeah, you look beautiful,” she whispered, her eyes misting for a moment as they tracked Waverly's movements. She grinned. “Man, am I proud to be your fiancée tonight, Miss Earp.”

Waverly giggled.

“You don’t look so bad yourself," she murmured, reaching her hands to smooth the collar of Nicole’s suit as she closed the gap between them. She raised an eyebrow, letting her gaze wander the sharp material, and the dangerously low spread of the crisp white shirt that sat beneath it. She smirked. “Your war on buttons is definitely something I can get behind in a future wife.”

Nicole grinned, her eyes dark as they watched Waverly’s. 

And Waverly’s dropped instinctively to Nicole’s lips.

Until she remembered where she was, and why Nicole was stood before her in a sexy-as-all-fuck suit, and why it was not appropriate to climb her right now.

She cleared her throat as she dropped her hands from Nicole’s collar, taking a shaky step back in an effort to regain her composure and to put some space between her crushing bisexual ass and the woman who was simply pretending to be her fiancée.

Something she could really do with remembering.

“One thing we haven’t covered for tonight, and we really need to…” she stuttered, dropping her gaze to the floor in an effort to avoid the somehow knowing look in mocha eyes. “I-is boundaries.”

“Boundaries?” Nicole sat on the edge of the bed as she watched Waverly curiously, her eyes almost amused as they followed the brunette’s pacing.

“We’re a couple tonight," Waverly explained, "around people who think we’re newly engaged. They’ll expect us to be, uh… physically close.”

“Oh." Nicole’s eyes widened, her voice pitching higher than usual. “S-sure, yeah, that… that’s fine by me if it’s fine by you?” 

The audible squeak in Nicole’s words somehow settled Waverly’s stomach, and she shook her head with a half laugh as she halted her pacing. 

“It’s more than fine by me." She grinned cheekily. "But what are the limits?” 

“I…” Nicole's wide eyes softened, a charming grin and a light chuckle replacing the stutter. “I’m pretty sure I don’t have any when it comes to you, Waverly Earp.” She winked. 

Waverly laughed, blushing slightly at the traitorous flip of her stomach over the words and the mischief in those eyes.

“You are such a goddamn flirt," she teased.

"Only for you, my blushing bride-to-be." Nicole grinned. “But you’re right, we should discuss this. Are there any lines you want to draw in the sand now?”

“No, not really…” Waverly let her eyes drift in thought as she perched beside Nicole, the dip of the mattress leaving them closer than she had intended. “I’m okay with touch and I’m okay if you kiss me, so…”

Waverly flicked her eyes to Nicole’s, her stomach tight as she watched for a reaction in warm eyes.

She would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't kind of hoping that Nicole might kiss her tonight, after the daylight robbery of the hot tub miss.

Even if it was fake.

She had to get some perks from this engagement, right?

“I-if I kiss you?” Nicole whispered, her eyebrows arched and the tips of her ears tinting red.

“Yeah, like if it erm… if it feels natural,” Waverly mumbled, her eyes dropping to her hands as they wrung in her own lap.

“R-right,” Nicole murmured, almost shyly. She cleared her throat, and Waverly let her gaze flick back to her face. “Yeah, absolutely fine by me too.”

Waverly chuckled.

She could feel the heat in her own cheeks, and she could see it in Nicole’s, and the stumbling, stilted tension was suddenly starkly amusing to her. 

She grinned, shaking her head.

“Okay, so that cleared up almost nothing,” she teased.

Nicole laughed openly, her shoulders dropping a little in the shift of atmosphere.

“Maybe we should just have a symbol?" She suggested. "Like a silent safeword, for if things get too much?”

“Yes!" Waverly nodded enthusiastically. "Maybe just… drawing an X on each other’s hand or arm or something?”

“Like this?”

Waverly held her breath as Nicole took her hand in her own, and she dropped her gaze to the movements. She watched, transfixed, as Nicole stroked the tip of her index finger over a soft X in the sensitive skin of her palm.

Waverly shivered.

“Yeah…” 

She flicked her eyes back to Nicole’s, her breath catching in her throat at the darkened fire behind the mocha. They were closer, even, than Waverly had realised, and she was fairly certain she was about to suffocate on her unbearable attraction to this woman.

She was saved, really, by the ringing of her phone.

The tone she had set specifically for Wynonna.

She cleared her throat, pulling back and moving to stand, before she physically drowned in Nicole’s proximity and the scent of vanilla.

Nicole didn't let go of her hand, and Waverly's mouth ran dry.

“Guessing that means they’re ready for us," she murmured, nodding her head in the direction of the ringing. “You ready, fiancée?”

“Ready, gorgeous.” Nicole grinned, linking her fingers through Waverly’s as she stood. “Let’s do this.”

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Nicole was nervous.

There were really no two ways about this.

She wanted Waverly’s people to like her. 

Firstly because she didn't want to let Waverly down, but also because she wanted these people to want them to be together. If the people in Waverly’s life could see her as a viable interest for the brunette, then just maybe Waverly could too.

But more, Nicole was nervous about the idea of acting the charade for the first time tonight with Waverly. 

And this kiss. 

Waverly’s words played over and over in Nicole’s head, and she had no idea how she was supposed to play this. 

If it feels natural. 

It felt natural to Nicole all the time to want to kiss Waverly, and the last thing she wanted to do was to take advantage of the situation now to act on her own urges. 

So what sign was she supposed to read? 

Her palms were sweaty just at the thought of it, and she hoped it wasn't too noticeable for Waverly, with her hand still linked in her own.

She exhaled slowly as they reached the double glass doors for the Orangery, and she felt Waverly squeeze her hand. She dropped her gaze to meet sparkling hazel.

“An X on my hand, okay?” Waverly smiled softly. “For anything you’re uncomfortable with, whether it’s me or someone else.”

“Got it.” Nicole beamed, squeezing Waverly’s hand in return. “And the same goes for you.”

“And Nicole?” Waverly searched the redhead’s eyes, the sparkle misting for a moment. “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” Nicole breathed.

And then they were in.

The moment the door drew back, the large room erupted with cheers and whoops, and the popping of bottles and the clinking of glasses.

It was overwhelming, and Nicole immediately forgot that any of this was a charade as she focused on the mass of unfamiliar faces, singing their praise and their greetings, and pulling her into hugs and handshakes, and claps across the shoulders and the back. 

"Congratulations!"

"Holy shit, you're a real person!"

"Oh my god, you guys are so cute!"

"Fuck, Little Earp, where were you hiding this?"

Nicole greeted as many of the faces as she could, her hand automatically finding Waverly’s whenever possible, as if any space between them would allow her to be sucked away into the mayhem.

She smiled widely as a woman she recognised from Waverly’s Instagram stories grasped her hand in greeting, her dark eyes dropping once over her body. 

"Welcome to the family, Red.” The woman smirked. “It’s great to…"

"Woah, calm your breathtaking tits, Bustillos!” 

Nicole arched her eyebrows as a voice beside her cut off the woman’s words, and she felt Waverly squeeze her fingers. She turned her head, biting back a smirk as her eyes landed on the exact face she had expected the interruption to belong to.

“Nobody is welcoming anyone into this family without a little interrogation!" The woman continued.

There was a moment of silence as piercing blue eyes studied Nicole, dropping down over her body in a way that made the redhead stand a little taller. The steely gaze was just a little too warm to be intimidating, but just firm enough to be a warning, and Nicole felt her dimples twitch as she fought back a grin.

She knew exactly who this was.

She'd done her research. She wasn’t stupid, and there was no way she was turning up at this thing without doing some thorough social media hunting, but even without her due diligence, Nicole would have known.

The family resemblance was clear enough alone.

"Play nice, Wy," Waverly warned, her fingers leaving Nicole’s and slipping instead around her waist.

Nicole wrapped her own arm around Waverly’s shoulders, ignoring the goosebumps that prickled over her arms as the brunette leaned into her, resting her free hand over her chest. She bit back a smug smirk as she watched Wynonna’s eyes drop to the touch, and her eyebrow flick upwards.

"Hey, Wynonna right?" Nicole grinned, holding her hand out as the steel blue finally met her gaze. "Great to finally meet you, I've heard non-stop about you."

Wynonna stared cautiously for a moment longer.

Then she smirked, clasping Nicole’s hand firmly in hers.

"Well I have heard shockingly little about you, Haught-Shit," Wynonna grinned. "Tell me Waves, do the drapes match the curtains?"

Nicole raised an eyebrow.

Waverly balked.

"That's… those are the same things," Waverly retorted.

Wynonna frowned.

"The… blinds?"

"Still no."

"Whatever. I need some insider gossip! You two are engaged now, small talk is meaningless!" Wynonna pointed a finger between the two, her smirk frankly disgustingly smug. "Who pays on your dates? Who's the big spoon? Does Haught wear your hoodies? Whose name are you taking? Who's the bottom?" She grimaced. "Don't answer that."

Waverly tensed in Nicole’s arms, a groan of embarrassment vibrating through her chest.

Nicole grinned.

She had a feeling she and Wynonna Earp would get on just fine.

"The carpet would match the drapes if there were any…" she smirked, holding Wynonna’s amused gaze almost challengingly. "We're both working women capable of paying, and even tall people like to be the little spoon sometimes. Her hoodies are too small but I do wear her underwear, and a pancake isn't done until it's been flipped on both sides."

Nicole grinned, squeezing Waverly’s shoulder a little as she felt them shake under the stifle of a giggle. 

Wynonna stared for a long moment.

Then she smirked.

"Well, Waves, this has been fun,” Wynonna quipped, amused eyes not leaving Nicole’s. “But I think Haught-Shot here promised me a beer and a tequila or two, right?"

"And when, exactly, did she do that?" Waverly scoffed. 

"Right about the time she proposed to my baby sister before I even knew her name!” Wynonna arched an eyebrow. “Right, Haught?"

"Wynonna…" Waverly warned.

"It's okay baby, I got this." Nicole ducked her head a little, the words murmured across the shell of Waverly’s ear. She slid her hand down from the brunette’s shoulders, feather-light as it trailed the length of her spine and landed in the small of her back. "I got you, Earp."

She pressed her lips softly against Waverly’s temple, the action simply pouring from her veins as if it were something she had always done.

She smiled softly at the slight hitch in Waverly’s chest and the tightening of the muscles beneath her hand. She had been worried about this; worried about pushing Waverly, and about crossing lines that the brunette wasn’t comfortable with, but the formation of their safe sign had relaxed her nerves, and she trusted that Waverly would use her X if she felt she needed it.

Tonight they were a couple, and she was both nervous and intrigued to see for the first time the way that Waverly would react to the physical chemistry between them. 

To see how real this felt with physical barriers lifted.

And the flush in the brunette’s cheeks, and the slight reverence in her eyes was a damn good start. 

She shot Waverly a wink as she moved to follow Wynonna across the floor. Her stomach flooded with butterflies as the brunette’s cheeks reddened further and she grinned, her lip pulled between her teeth as she watched Nicole leave.

As she reached the bar, Nicole turned her focus to Wynonna, her mind swimming with all the things she knew she needed to remember in preparation for the questioning she was sure she was about to be put under.

She winced as the bartender lit two disgusting looking shots, and Wynonna pushed a flaming glass into her hand.

"So, Haught," Wynonna fixed her gaze on Nicole’s, not breaking it as she threw the liquid back and swallowed. "What are your intentions with my baby sister?"

"My intentions?" Nicole bit back a chuckle, her lips twitching in amusement as she toyed with her own glass. "Well, I intend to marry her, Earp." 

Wynonna rolled her eyes, signalling for the bartender to send them another round. She eyed Nicole pointedly, and the redhead smirked as she threw back her own shot.

"Look, forgive me for being a little cynical,” Wynonna started, “but you have come out of the absolute ass end of nowhere, I’ve heard sweet bum fuck nothing about you, and suddenly I'm expected to be welcoming you into the family with open arms? You don’t even have any friends here, how am I supposed to trust you?"  

"I don't have any friends here, because you didn't invite any!" Nicole grinned, shaking her head.

"I didn't know you existed until six days ago, you should be happy you were invited."

Nicole rolled her eyes.

"But no, I don't blame you at all for being cynical." She shrugged. "Actually, I really respect it."

"Wait, you do?" Wynonna's eyebrows arched, and the spark of distrust in her eyes melted into something a little more like curiosity.

Nicole grinned.

"Yeah, absolutely. Some stranger you've never met proposes to your sister and you find out via social media?" She shook her head, huffing out a laugh as she accepted a second shot from the bartender. "Frankly I’d think less of you if you weren’t at least a bit wary."

Wynonna watched her for a moment, the curiosity blending with something softer. She threw back her shot, her eyes closed this time, and there was a moment of silence before she spoke again.

"Why the whirlwind?" Wynonna asked softly. "Isn't Waverly worth the wait?"

Nicole inhaled slowly, her eyes instinctively picking Waverly out of the crowd of people.

"She's worth a lifetime of waiting, dude." She smiled, the words ringing far truer in her chest than even she had expected as she watched Waverly laugh at something Mercedes had said. "But sometimes someone just comes into your life and everything… fits. It doesn't feel like a whirlwind. It feels like a gentle breeze. Like the day would just be so much less without it."

Wynonna nodded, her lips pursed. 

"That, Haught, was fucking disgusting.”

She smirked.

Nicole laughed.

"Yes, it absolutely was." She nodded her head, finally tearing her gaze from Waverly and turning back to the woman beside her. "Look, Wynonna, you know your sister better than anyone. You know how easy she is to love. Can you blame me? Really?"

Wynonna chuckled, raising her hand to the bartender once more.

"No, I guess I can't." She grinned. "Drink up, Haught-Shot. If we're gonna be sisters, I'm gonna need to see what you're made of."

Nicole laughed, the tension dropping from her shoulders as she threw back her shot. 

She was definitely a fan of both Earp sisters, and she was more hopeful than ever that one day maybe this would be more than just a charade.

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Waverly was about ninety percent sure she was never going to be capable of letting Nicole go.

She had been wrapped around the redhead for as much of the evening as was physically possible, and she was fairly certain that at this point, she would melt without the touch. The way Nicole’s fingers drew soft circles over the small of her back absently as she engaged in conversation with Waverly’s friends, and the way she placed the softest of kisses on the top of the her head or her temple, and the way she pulled Waverly’s body just a little tighter against her every time the brunette laughed. It was all lighting a fire in Waverly’s stomach that she was utterly convinced would burn her to the ground if Nicole’s arms didn’t hold her up.

And she never wanted the evening to end.

The clinking of glass and the squeak of a microphone dragged Waverly’s attention to the front of the room, and she felt her stomach drop at the sight of her sister preparing to make a speech.

A speech that she would have to follow.

They'd planned for this. Waverly had a whole speech written out and she had spent hours memorising it. Schooling her face. Making the words seem natural. And true.

"May I have your attention please!” Wynonna called, the microphone squeaking across the room. 

Waverly winced as the hubbub around her only half died out, and her sister rolled her eyes.

“Esteemed people of The Orangery?" Wynonna clinked her glass again.  

The hubbub died slightly more.

"Oi!" Wynonna shouted.

Waverly grinned as the room fell quiet, and Nicole stifled a laugh beside her.

"Thank you," Wynonna huffed. Then she smirked, raising her glass to the room as she spoke. "Thank you all for coming tonight, on rather inexplicably short notice, to celebrate the engagement of my baby sister, and my new favourite redhead."

“Excuse you!” Mercedes scoffed, her voice ringing audibly above the quiet. "Bitch, you've known that bottle of whiskey longer than you've known Haught."

Wynonna smirked, dismissing the rebuttal with a wave of her hand.

Then her eyes softened, and Waverly felt her heart tighten in her chest as earnest blue eyes found her own.

"Waverly, you're my world.” Wynonna smiled softly. “I always thought that the day that you finally met someone worth your heart, would be the day that mine would be whole. And that I would stand up here and bring tears to your eyes, with the perfect words, and just how goddamn fucking funny I am."

"Wy…" Waverly choked, her eyes, true to form, already burning with the threat of tears.

She felt Nicole squeeze her waist, and she instinctively leaned her head on her fiancée’s shoulder.

Then Wynonna grinned, her eyes flashing mischievous.

"But somehow, it has turned out I know nothing about that day, and I know absolutely jack sweet shit about Haught-Button-Issue over here." She pointed, her eyes narrowing as she fixed them on Nicole. "Apart from the clean-shaven state of her…"

"Wynonna!" Waverly hissed.

Nicole failed to bite back her laughter.

Wynonna rolled her eyes.

"And so I'm gonna hand this over to the person we're all dying to hear from…"

Waverly took a deep breath.

This was it.

Her crunch time.

Her chance to sell this as a reality to a room full of watchful eyes.

She exhaled shakily, her grip tightening on Nicole’s waist for the last moment.

Until Wynonna continued.

"Haught-Tamale, get your ass up here and give us a speech!"

Waverly froze. 

Nicole groaned.

"No, Wynonna,” Waverly hissed, her eyes wide and her heart in her mouth. “That was not the plan!"

"Oh come on, I know you're practically a walking bumper sticker, Haught." Wynonna urged, her eyes nothing short of devilish. "Come show us how it's done."

Oh god.

Waverly felt sick.

This was not the plan.

This was not fair on Nicole.

"Nicole, say no!" Waverly whispered, her eyes boring into the redhead’s almost pleadingly. “You don’t have to do this, just tell her no.”

Nicole chuckled, her amused eyes searching Waverly’s for a long moment. 

"It’s okay, Wave,” she whispered, her fingers trailing the small of Waverly’s back. “There’s no X.” 

“But… you haven’t…” Waverly closed her eyes for a moment, her anxiety fully contradicting the calm amusement in Nicole’s gaze. “What will you say?”

Nicole smiled softly. She leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to Waverly’s forehead, and the brunette melted immediately.

“I told you, baby,” Nicole murmured. “I got you."

Waverly practically swooned as she watched Nicole move with confidence, the microphone instantly halting its squeaking as the redhead took it from Wynonna, and moved just two strides further from the speaker with a bemused roll of her eyes.

"Evening everybody. Welcome," Nicole started. 

Waverly noticed the change in her voice immediately.

The confidence. The eye contact across the room. The slightly lower register.

Well, fuck.

Was this Nicole’s teacher voice?

Waverly was pretty sure she was about to have a meltdown.

"I just wanna start by saying a huge thank you to Wynonna and to Rosita for the effort that went into planning this party tonight," Nicole continued, her eyes finding Wynonna’s confidently. "And thank you to all of you for being here." 

Waverly grinned, her shoulders dropping.

Maybe Nicole really did have this.

"And let's just address the elephant in the room.” Nicole smiled almost sheepishly, half shrugging her shoulders. “I know full well it's not for me." 

If it were possible, Waverly would swear the room grew quieter.

"I know tonight is the first time that most of you are hearing my name, and I'm very sorry that I haven't taken the chance to get to know you before now, but… well, you've all met Waverly." Nicole chuckled, shaking her head almost coyly. "You all know that it’s hard to remember anyone else exists when Waverly talks. Ever since I laid eyes on her, it's been impossible to tear them away. It's been impossible to hear anything but her words, or to think of anything but the passion behind her eyes. And as downright sickening as that sounds, every word of it is truth, Waverly."

Warm, sparkling mocha met Waverly’s gaze, and the brunette held her breath.

Was that true?

That felt true.

But so had the rest of tonight, and Waverly knew this was a charade.

She swallowed thickly.

"And I know you’ve all heard this described as a whirlwind , and maybe it was,” Nicole continued. “And maybe I’m not a woman of... restraint. Or of tradition. Or of particular subtlety. "

The whisper-quiet room buzzed with a smattering of laughter, and Waverly felt her chest surge with pride.

Never once had she dated anyone she could feel proud of like this.

And it felt pretty damn good.

"But I am a woman of my word.” Nicole grinned, her eyes sparkling playfully as they found Waverly’s once more. “And Wave, I promise that I will love you until both the drapes and the carpet are as grey as the tiles we're standing on." 

Wynonna whooped, and another smatter of laughter rang out across the room.

And Waverly felt the tears sting once again in her eyes.

Holy God Christ she hoped at least some of this was real.

Her crush had just erupted, full blown feelings sweeping through every one of her veins, and she found herself clinging to the smallest of hopes that just maybe one day Nicole would say these things to her for real.

"And so yes, tonight I may be a stranger to most of you. All of you," Nicole chuckled. "But I want to know everything there is to know about Waverly Earp. I want to know everything you are, Wave, and everything that made you. And so I want to know each and every person in this room. Thank you for giving me the chance." 

Nicole nodded, throwing a soft smile in Waverly’s direction as the tears welled over in the brunette’s eyes.

"Oh, and the next round is on me,” Nicole grinned, winking at Waverly as the room erupted in cheers and whoops. “Have a good night!"

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Waverly moved her body in time to the music, her adrenaline pumping under the lights and the loud singing of her friends around her.

This was the third song she had spent on the dancefloor, and she could feel the burn of Nicole’s eyes as they watched her from across the room, where the redhead was deep in conversation with Wynonna and Chrissy.

And it felt great.

She wanted so badly tonight to believe that this was genuine attraction that she was seeing in Nicole’s eyes, and not just a well-played charade. The air between them had been nothing short of electric, and those mocha eyes had caught her own at every given opportunity, no matter where in the room they were.

And Waverly had no idea how much of this was an act.

She still had no idea if Nicole could ever see her as anything more than a little light flirting, but right now it didn’t matter. Right now, Nicole was her fiancée, and there was a physical chemistry between them that was fun! And Waverly wanted to enjoy it.

She grinned as she threw a deliberately dirty wink in Nicole’s direction, rolling her hips fluidly in a way that she knew would make the curves of her ass look great. Nicole’s eyebrows arched, and even from here Waverly could make out the slight stutter in the redhead’s lips as she visibly stumbled over her words. 

She giggled as she watched her sister slap Nicole round the back of her head, and she knew by the deepened colour of her fiancée’s cheeks that she was being openly scolded for the focus of her attention on Waverly’s body.

Nicole hadn't kissed her yet, and Waverly was still very much hoping that she would. There had been a few adrenaline-soaked moments when Waverly had thought she might, and those adorable temple kisses that had sent Waverly’s heart through the stratosphere, but she was yet to make the one move that Waverly really wanted her to.

And now she was hoping she could coax Nicole onto the dance floor. That was a surefire way for a little physical interaction, and she was convinced that if Nicole was going to kiss her, this would be the moment.

She beckoned with her finger, grinning widely as Wynonna gagged, and Nicole’s lips tugged into a lopsided smirk before she made her way across the room towards her, her eyes utterly transfixed.

Waverly seized her moment.

She reached out her hand, grinning cheekily as she slipped her fingers through Nicole’s and tugged her firmly into her space. 

Nicole bit her lip through a half laugh, her eyebrow raised in curiosity as Waverly began to move her body, leaving just the smallest of spaces between them.

Waverly held Nicole’s gaze, just the right side of teasing as she ran her hands slowly over her own sides, her hips and her shoulders moving in time to the music. The butterflies in her stomach roared at the rapid darkening of Nicole’s eyes as they watched her every move, and at the mix of amusement and interest in the filthy smirk that tugged at those irresistible dimples.

It was undeniable. Nicole hadn't even begun to move yet, but their usual playful tease was shifting into something electric; something magnetic, and Waverly could feel the air around them grow thicker.

They were surrounded by every one of Waverly’s friends and family, and the hubbub of chatter and singing and dancing, but Nicole’s eyes didn't leave Waverly for even the briefest of moments, and the brunette’s blood lit alight under the playfully attentive gaze.

And then she started to move, and Waverly was powerless to resist the pull she felt to the redhead’s body. She grinned, matching her movements to the beat of Nicole’s own, and the spark in mocha eyes flashed impossibly darker. The eye contact wrapped its way around Waverly’s chest, somehow both playful and completely suffocating in the same breath, and she could feel her desire building low in her belly.

She was sure the air was thicker than it ever had been between them tonight.

Like they knew what they were doing to each other, but neither of them would say it.

And that surely had to mean something, right?

Waverly bit her lip, her eyes crinkling under the grin that spread across her face.

The space between them was so small, the heat of their bodies filling it easily, but they didn't touch. For all the fire in mocha eyes, there was still an element of control; of reservation, and Waverly wanted to push through it.

She wanted Nicole’s hands on her.

She wanted the gap between their bodies closed.

And she needed to know if Nicole wanted the same.

She moved closer, reaching her hands forward to trail the spread of Nicole’s suit. She gripped a little tighter over the material at the collar, holding Nicole in place as she leaned forward, her breath ghosting the shell of the redhead’s ear.

"Baby…" she murmured, her voice a low husk. “You can touch me."

She smirked as Nicole’s breath hitched and the muscles beneath her hand tightened.

"Yeah?" Nicole exhaled heavily, her face turning just enough to bring them impossibly closer, the soft skin of the redhead’s cheek brushing Waverly’s. Her hands landed almost tentatively on Waverly's waist, her fingers feather light over the material of the brunette’s dress. “You’re sure you're okay with that?”

“Mmhmm,” Waverly hummed. She brushed her lips lightly over Nicole’s cheek, smiling softly at the heat she could feel beneath it. “So long as you are?"

Nicole huffed out a laugh as she pulled back enough to meet Waverly’s gaze. Her eyes flamed, a darkened fire behind them that Waverly was yet to have seen in the usually warm gaze, and it sparked molten in her stomach. 

And it flipped a switch.

The want flared immediately into a need and the space between them was too much.

Waverly hooked her fingers over Nicole’s belt, pulling hard until the redhead’s hips pressed against her own, every beat lighting a fire low in her belly as they moved.

Nicole’s face was so close to hers, and the proximity and the scent of vanilla was enough to make her feel dizzy. The light touch of Nicole's hands grew firmer, stronger as they coaxed the roll of Waverly’s body into her own, and the redhead’s hips were driving Waverly crazy.  

And somehow it still felt so light. So playful, and so teasing, despite the thick tension that so clearly sat between them, and Waverly was having a really hard time keeping her desire under control.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she was aware that this was still a charade. That Nicole’s dark eyes were not consent enough to allow herself to let go. And that even if it was real, she was still in a room full of her family and friends and she should probably retain some level of public decency.

But then Nicole’s grip slipped lower, her fingers squeezing just above the curve of Waverly’s ass, and the brunette shivered.

It was impossibly sexy to Waverly that Nicole’s eyes still hadn't left her own. The usually soft mocha was dangerously dark, something almost fierce behind them, and yet that light, playful tease still laced its way through, and Waverly was suddenly incredibly aware of how well and truly fucked she was in this situation.

She was besotted, and there was absolutely no way she was coming out of this alive.

Whether Nicole wanted her for real, or not.

She watched, entranced, as Nicole’s gaze dropped to her lips, and her tongue darted out across that dirty smirk.

Waverly’s stomach plummeted.

This was her moment.

She was absolutely goddamn sure of it.

Nicole was going to kiss her.

And frankly, once again, she really didn’t know if it was real or not.

“Haught!” Wynonna barked. “Put her down, Jesus Christ, you’re in a room full of people.”

Waverly bit back a growl of frustration.

Then she giggled as Nicole held her gaze, her smirk twisting into a cheeky grin as she brushed her nose along the end of Waverly’s, and flipped Wynonna off.

"Wow, rude! For that, you’re helping me get the next round in.” Wynonna grabbed the back of Nicole’s suit jacket, tugging hard enough to pull the redhead back and out of Waverly’s grip. “Same again, everyone?”

Waverly shook her head, declining the offer. 

She couldn’t fight the disappointment in her stomach over another interrupted kiss.

Another missed chance to tell if this was as real as it felt like it was.

And Nicole’s cheeky smirk was doing nothing to calm the butterflies in her stomach.

She had a very strong feeling that if she let herself get any looser tonight, she would be saying or doing way too many... telling things once she got Nicole alone behind the closed door of her bridal lodge.

And the last thing she wanted to do was embarrass herself. Or make Nicole uncomfortable.

"I'll give you a hand, guys," Chrissy offered. She dropped her voice to a low murmur as she directed it at Waverly. "She's a good one, Wave. I'm really happy for you."

Waverly grinned as she watched Nicole head to the bar with her sister and her best friend, the conversation still seeming to flow easily between them. The approval settled into her bones far more than it probably should have, and she tried not to think too hard about how dangerous that really was.

Nicole might not truly have been hers, but Waverly wanted her to be, and it had been a long time since her friends had approved of anyone she had dated.

It felt good.

She turned back to Mercedes and Rosita, her cheeks flushed with her almost giddy grin as both eyed her knowingly.

"She's something else, Waverly!” Rosita chuckled. “Where did you find her?"

"We met speed dating!"

"Shit, really?" Mercedes gasped. "I always assumed those were full of desperate people and weirdos."

"What's her flaw then?" Rosita grinned, cocking an eyebrow.

Waverly furrowed her brows.

"What?"

"Nobody's that perfect, what's her downfall? Leaves her dirty socks around? Wet towels on the floor?"

"Puts the plates next to the dishwasher and not in it?" Mercedes chipped in.

"Cuts her toenails on the bedsheets?" Rosita scrunched her face.

"Jesus,” Waverly grimaced. “Is that domestic life?"

"Is it not for you?" Mercedes arched her brows, her tone entirely disbelieving.

Waverly swallowed.

This was not something she had thought through, and suddenly the idea of admitting this made her blood run a little colder through her veins.

"Nicole and I don't…" She cleared her throat, a blush rising over her cheeks at the strain that sounded audibly in her voice. "W-we don't live together."

"What?" Rosita shot.

Waverly cringed.

"Is that bad?"

"You're getting married, and you don't know what she's like to live with?" Rosita scolded.

"Well no, not yet…"

"That's… are you crazy?"

Mercedes slapped the back of her hand across Waverly’s arm, and the brunette felt her chest tighten and her tongue clam up with her nerves.

Oh god, this was not good.

The last time she had worked herself up into this state, she’d told her sister she was engaged.

She really needed to get a grip before she...

"Well it's just all been a bit of a whirlwind and Nicole’s lease wasn’t up, but she's moving in next weekend."

Waverly bit her tongue.

For fuck sake.

What was wrong with her?

"Oh, thank god." Mercedes rolled her eyes in relief. "You cannot sign your life away until you know how many times a month a person washes their towels."

Waverly felt sick.

She bit back a groan, her blood pounding through her every nerve as she watched Nicole, Chrissy and Wynonna pick their way back over towards her.

Oh, god, Nicole was going to kill her!

"What did I miss?" Chrissy sang as she handed drinks to both Rosita and Mercedes.

Waverly smiled weakly as Nicole slotted in beside her, the redhead’s arm slipping seamlessly around her waist.

"Nicole is moving in with Waverly this weekend," Mercedes answered.

Shit.

Waverly winced, biting her lip to keep it from trembling as she felt Nicole’s arm tense around her, and her entire body stiffen. She could feel mocha eyes burning into her, and she risked a sheepish glance at the redhead’s face. 

Nicole shook her head softly, her jaw clenched tight and her eyes wide, but Waverly was almost certain she could see the spark of knowing amusement somewhere in the bewilderment.

She definitely owed Nicole an apology right now.

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

"I'm so sorry, I just said it under pressure!" Waverly wailed, pacing back and forth across the bedroom of the bridal lodge for the second time that evening, this time in the absolute cutest pair of pyjamas Nicole had ever seen.

Which was maybe not the thought process she should have been focusing on right now.

Nicole ran her hands over her face, her mind swimming.

She had absolutely no idea what to make of this, or how she felt. Or rather, how she was supposed to feel.

Because the reality was she felt weirdly calm about the whole thing.

Which really should have been quite the dramatic concern. She was quite literally just blithely promising her life away in a bed of lies, simply because she was utterly smitten with this woman, and she didn’t even dare think about what Jeremy would have to say to her about this latest development.

But the simple fact was that Nicole liked Waverly, and she just didn’t feel the concern. And she wasn’t quite sure how to admit that, without laying her big fay gay crush out on the line to flap in the breeze like a pair of rainbow boxers.

“What is wrong with me?" Waverly groaned, slapping her hands across her eyes in her agitation as she flopped down onto the bed. "Oh god, this has gone too far. I let it go too far. I'll tell them the truth in the morning, okay? And I’ll get out of your way and you won’t have to..."

"No!"

Nicole’s eyes flew wide at her own outburst, and she blushed under the slightly taken aback stare that she got in response.

Waverly getting out of her way was the absolute last thing she wanted.

“Waves, I…” she spoke softly as she lowered herself down onto the bed beside the brunette. She searched hazel eyes, hoping that the earnesty in her own would be clear. “I said I’m in this, and I meant it.”

Waverly’s brows furrowed, and Nicole fought the urge to place a kiss on the adorable crease between them.

"Y-you’re not mad?" She whispered.

"No," Nicole chuckled. "I was never mad. Just… surprised!"

Waverly huffed out a laugh.

"Which I shouldn't have been really. I'm fast learning that you don't do things by halves, Waverly Earp." Nicole grinned, shaking her head as she took Waverly’s hands into her own. "Look, I like being around you, Wave. More than you know. And I have no worries about staying with you for a little while, okay?"

Waverly sniffed, the corners of her lips twitching into the softest of smiles at Nicole's words.

"Really?"

"Really." Nicole nodded. She lifted their joined hands a little in gesture. "There's no X."

Waverly searched Nicole’s eyes for a moment longer, her own softening as she seemed to see what she was looking for.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Then she giggled.

And the sound made Nicole’s heart soar.

"What?" Nicole grinned.

"This!" Waverly giggled harder, dropping Nicole’s hands and flopping back onto the bed. "It's insane."

Nicole laughed, almost giddy in the lighter air that filled her chest now that Waverly’s tears were no longer an imminent reality. She hauled herself up from the bed, flopping unceremoniously down onto the cot that Waverly had smuggled in and set up beside it.

"It really is," she chuckled, shaking her head to herself. "It really, really is."

The silence that surrounded them as they settled down into their beds was comfortable; calming in a way that eased the tension from Nicole’s shoulders and shifted it into a giddy kind of exhaustion. She wasn't sure how many minutes passed, but by the time Waverly flicked the light switch above her head, Nicole’s eyes were heavy and her breathing steadier than it had been all night.

"Thank you, Nicole," Waverly whispered, her voice somehow both soft and heavy in the dark. "You were amazing tonight."

"It was honestly my pleasure." Nicole grinned, stifling a laugh at the unbridled truth in those words. "I had a lot of fun.”

“Yeah, so did I.” Waverly chuckled. “Turns out you make a pretty good fiancée, Haught.” 

Nicole bit her tongue, fighting against the words that threatened to spill from her lips.

I’d make a pretty good girlfriend too, if you’d let me.

Now was not the time!

Nicole sighed.

What had she got herself into?

Moving in with Waverly?

Christ, she was so whipped. 

This was a dangerous game and she knew it, but also she couldn't deny the excited butterflies that fluttered in her veins at the thought of spending more time with Waverly, and the chance that this might bring for something real to grow from this.

As if it wasn't already, as far as Nicole could see.

Or at least, she thought she could.

She hoped she could.

"Hey, Nic?"

Waverly’s voice was husky as it whispered out across the dark, the slight hint of a sleepy slur curling around the edges.

“Mmm?”

"Why didn't you kiss me?"

Nicole froze.

Her heart rate skyrocketed, and she would swear she could physically feel her blood pump a little faster through her veins. 

She swallowed thickly, her mouth unbearably dry.

"Did… did you want me to kiss you?"

This silence was the opposite of comfortable. The opposite of calming.

Nicole slammed her eyes shut, every muscle tense as she waited for a response. 

"Wave?"

Waverly snored.

Nicole groaned, the sound morphing into a chuckle as she threw her arms over her face. 

Jesus wept a river, she was in real trouble.

Chapter Text

Waverly chuckled as Nicole hauled her suitcase up the stairs and into the hallway with a grunt.

Everything about this was bat-shit crazy.

Three weeks ago she hadn’t even known Nicole.

Now the woman was her fiancée, her roommate, and her catatonic, raging, all-consuming crush.

A combination that under real circumstances would be nothing short of Nirvana.

But this was not that.

Or at least, she didn't think it was.

Frankly, she really wasn’t sure anymore, and that in itself was driving her insane.  

And now, the biggest crush she’d ever had was stood in her one fucking bedroomed house with a suitcase and a dimpled grin that made Waverly’s blood burn.

Nicole grinned, throwing Waverly a cocky wink as she brushed past her and into the brunette’s bedroom.

She launched herself through the air and onto the bed, lying back with her hands behind her head and the cheekiest grin Waverly had ever seen plastered across her face. 

"Which is my side then, baby?" Nicole quipped.

Waverly swallowed.

The simple sight of Nicole Haught lounging so casually on her bed was causing all sorts of havoc in Waverly’s stomach, but the redhead’s cheeky confidence never failed to settle her nerves.

She huffed out a laugh, her eyebrow arching in amusement.

“ Sure, you just make yourself at home,” she grinned.

“Well, what’s mine is yours, and what’s yours is mine, right wife-to-be?” Nicole chuckled.

Waverly laughed, taking the few steps to the bed. She shoved Nicole’s shoulder playfully, pushing her over to the left side as she relaxed back against the pillows. The thought of having Nicole around her home for the next few weeks may have been more than a little terrifying for Waverly, but it was also filling her stomach and her chest with almost giddy elation. 

If there truly was something real between them, surely it would be impossible to hide here, behind closed doors, in the late evening?

Waverly turned her head, her eyes searching Nicole’s face as the redhead mirrored the action.

“You sure you’re okay with this, Nic?” She murmured.

“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t, Wave.” Nicole smiled softly, her dark eyes flicking across Waverly’s face.

“You must think I’m crazy.” Waverly huffed out a laugh, her eyes rolling as she processed once again how bizarre the situation really was.

“Kinda, yeah.” Nicole laughed, her voice soft and her eyes sparkling. “In the most beautiful of ways.” 

Waverly blushed, unable to stop the beaming grin that tugged at her cheeks.

Nicole had a way of saying things that made her all-out swoon, and she wasn’t sure she would ever grow accustomed to the way it made her feel.

And god, she hoped at least some of it was true.

Nicole’s hand brushed against her own on the bed, and Waverly’s heart lurched through her throat as the redhead caught her little finger with her own, hooking them together.

She blinked, fighting desperately to focus on the words Nicole was saying, and not on the sparks of electricity jolting through her own veins at the simple touch and the hopeful implication.

“I know how it feels to feel like you’re letting people down, and I’ll be here for as long as you want me,” Nicole whispered, her eyes finding Waverly’s once more. “In… whatever capacity you want me in.”

Waverly’s heart stopped.

In whatever capacity she wanted her in?

Did that mean what it sounded like?

Waverly swallowed thickly, her brain short circuiting as she watched the soft, almost awed expression in mocha eyes.

That had sounded dangerously close to a confession of something that Waverly was really hoping was true, but it was just ambiguous enough that she was far too scared to even consider asking for clarification, in case she was wrong and she scared Nicole into running.

“T-thank you,” she stuttered. 

What was she supposed to say back to this?

“I’m…” She searched the spark in the redhead’s eyes, smiling softly as she found nothing but gentle patience. She huffed out a soft laugh. “I'm really glad it's you, Nicole."

There was a moment of comfortable silence, and Waverly couldn’t bring herself to tear her gaze or her hand away from the warmth of everything that was Nicole.

Until the redhead grinned cheekily, squeezing Waverly’s hand a little as the soft spark in her eyes burned into something more playful.

“Oh god, what?” Waverly laughed. 

“Wanna order pizza and watch trash dating shows?” Nicole wriggled her eyebrows.

“Like a thousand percent,” Waverly groaned through a half laugh. “I knew there was a reason I’m marrying you.”

Nicole jumped up from the bed, her hand immediately reaching for Waverly’s.

“I thought that was for my dashing good looks?” She teased.

Waverly rolled her eyes, grinning as she let Nicole tug her up.

She pulled herself a little further forward than necessary, the space between them minimal as she found her footing.

“It’s definitely for that,” she smirked. 

She wrapped her fingers loosely around the ties of Nicole’s sweatpants, her butterflies surging as mocha eyes widened and the redhead’s lips parted. 

“But…”

She tugged gently, then grinned as she brought her hand to Nicole’s chest, pushing back. 

“It’s also because you're a giant dweeb.” Waverly patted Nicole’s chest, taking a step around her and practically skipping for the door. “And those are my favourite types of people.”

“I know you’re trying to insult me,” Nicole called after her, “but I’ll take anything I can get from you, Waverly Earp.”

Waverly giggled.

Yeah. There really had to be something real here.

She sat down onto the sofa, her entire body tensing with adrenaline as Nicole immediately flopped herself down over her, her head lying across Waverly’s lap.

She quirked an eyebrow.

“Oh sure, make yourself comfortable.”

“Gotta get used to a bit of cuddling if we’re gonna sell the dream, haven’t we fiancée?” Nicole grinned.

Waverly shook her head, biting back her giddy laugh.

Jesus Christ, this was going to kill her.

She was completely kicking herself for ever thinking that this would be a good idea, because now she had to watch the way Nicole was behind closed doors when she was relaxed and in her sweats, and holy goddess of fuck, she was so fucking cute. 

The way she commented on everything they watched should have been annoying. It should have ground Waverly’s gears, like every time Champ had slated her trash shows. 

It should have.

But Waverly was finding everything Nicole said to be funny, and sharp, and endearing, and she was hating herself for how much she was really enjoying it.

God, she was far too smitten.

And as the evening went on, it was only getting harder.

And Nicole was only getting more comfortable, and more cuddly. 

The longer Waverly spent practically wrapped up in Nicole as they watched their show and ate their pizza, the harder Waverly’s crush thundered through her veins, and she was completely and utterly incapable of deciphering what the fuck was real and what wasn’t anymore. 

They were behind closed doors. They were alone. There was no charade to be had. There was no reason for this closeness or the soft touches.

And yet she just couldn’t do it. She just couldn’t allow herself to dare to believe that this could be as incredible as it felt.

Because then it would hurt so much more if it wasn’t.

With each tick of the clock’s hour hand, Waverly’s nerves flared harder and stronger. By the time Nicole eventually began to yawn, and the inevitable drew close, Waverly was pretty sure she’d lost the ability to speak.

"You uh…" She cleared her throat, the strain in her voice burning a blush over her cheeks. "You can go ahead into the bedroom, I'll grab my things and get changed in the bathroom!"

"Sure!" Nicole grinned easily, her eyes heavy and rimmed with her tiredness.

It was nothing short of ridiculous to Waverly how goddamn fucking adorable she looked like this. Vulnerable and at ease. She dreaded to think how she would look in pyjamas, cuddled up in Waverly’s bed.

She took a moment to compose herself as she scurried into the bedroom, gathered her things, and headed to the bathroom.

She was about to spend the night in bed with the biggest crush she had ever had, who she was very sure she was falling for, who had flirted outrageously with her for weeks, and had spent the entire evening cuddled up to her on her own couch. By the time Waverly was ready for bed, she was nothing short of a big fat bisexual mess.

And franky, she did not trust her body not to have a full scale meltdown. 

She took a deep breath, steeling her nerves as she turned the handle, and slipped into her own room.

Where Nicole was already dressed in a t-shirt and boxers, piling the most ridiculous looking shambles of a makeshift bed onto the wooden floor.

Waverly frowned.

“What are you doing you dingbat?”

"Uh…" Nicole paused. Her brow creased a little, and her eyes widened as she looked between Waverly and her pitiful looking pile of blankets. “M-making myself a bed…?”

Waverly shook her head.

“Haught, that thing doesn’t look fit for a shelter dog," she scolded. "Just get in the bed with me.”

“R-really?" Nicole’s brows arched, and she swallowed visibly. “You sure?”

Waverly smirked.

“Yes!” She grinned, shooting Nicole a playful wink. “I won’t bite.”

Nicole laughed, her shoulders dropping instantly.

Waverly's stomach dropped as the redhead stepped over her blanket pile. She fixed mischievous eyes on Waverly’s as she approached, her smirk nothing short of dirty.

"Well that…" she husked, brushing deliberately close past Waverly as she headed for the bed. "Is a damn shame."

Waverly rolled her eyes.

Mainly to hide her shiver.

Christ, she was not surviving this night.

"You're a goddamn flirt, Haught," she chuckled. "You've already wormed your way into my bed, you can lay off the charm."

"That is where you're wrong, Earp!" Nicole grinned, wriggling her eyebrows as she jumped into the bed, propping herself up against the headboard. "This is exactly the time to turn on the charm."

Waverly giggled, her butterflies flipping somersaults as Nicole grinned cheekily, pulling back the duvet and patting the space beside her.

“I had fun tonight." Nicole murmured, her head turned to face Waverly as the brunette climbed into bed beside her.

“So did I!" Waverly smiled, her stomach flipping at the earnesty in Nicole’s words. "Thank you for the pizza."

"Thank you for the cuddles." Nicole grinned. "You're a great cuddler." 

"Oh my god!" Waverly giggled. "You are unstoppable."

Nicole laughed.

"Just saying." She shrugged. "I could never marry someone who didn't like a good cuddle."

Waverly rolled her eyes, the corners crinkled with her beaming grin.

"Well, I definitely like a good cuddle, Casanova," she teased. She nudged Nicole with her shoulder. "And maybe I'm partial to the odd cheeky flirt, too."

"That is very good to know, Waverly Earp." Nicole chuckled.

Waverly shook her head.

How did Nicole manage, every time, to make this seem so easy? So light, and so effortless?

She giggled.

"And you’re the biggest flirt of them all, Haught," Waverly murmured.

"Only for you, Earp." Nicole chuckled as she reached to switch off the light. 

Waverly hummed.

She was really beginning to think that might be true, and she was definitely a fan of the idea.

"Night, Waves," Nicole murmured. “Sweet dreams.”

"Night, baby," Waverly whispered. 

As the dark and the quiet settled over them, Waverly's mind swam. The warmth of Nicole’s body next to her, the slow evening out of her breathing, and the soft brush of her skin against Waverly’s own was just all too much for the brunette, and the tension and the anxiety began to work its way through the edges of her body.

The look in Nicole’s eyes tonight.

The feel of her skin on her own.

Her words.

Waverly wasn't sure she could take this any longer.

Every one of her muscles was beginning to tense, her breathing tight as she tried to make sense of every emotion that flooded her veins. She held her body rigid, as if somehow it would stem the desire to move closer to Nicole. 

To touch her.

To finally kiss her.

She felt completely on edge, her muscles practically vibrating with her tension, and she felt overheated beneath the restriction of the blankets.

Until Nicole slipped her hand into her own, linking their fingers together, and Waverly melted.

The tension wilted, her entire body swooning under the soft touch, and her chest swelling at the way that Nicole had seemed to just know. 

There was no way that this was a charade.

Absolutely no way.

This was ridiculous.

This was the most chemistry she had ever felt in her life.

Surely a connection like this couldn't be fake.

Could it?

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Waverly woke slowly, the morning sun filtering softly through the crack in the curtains. Her chest felt light, and warm, and she knew immediately why she felt so happy. Even in her barely awake, barely cognitive state, she knew that it was Nicole. Simply waking up with the redhead in her bed was enough to set Waverly’s heart on fire, and right now, in this blissful state of warped consciousness, she was happy to ignore any possibility that it wasn't real. That Nicole wasn't hers for real.

Until that blissful state of warped consciousness began to twist and fade, and the cold of the bed beside her registered in her sleep-hazed brain. She reached her arm out, feeling nothing but empty space beneath the blankets beside her.

She frowned.

Then she panicked.

What time was it?

Had Nicole gone to work already? Was Waverly late?

She forced her eyes open, fumbling on her bedside table for her phone.

7am.

If Nicole had gone to work, she'd gone very early.

Which begged a new question. 

Had Waverly done something? Had she thrown herself at her in the night, like some sort of tentacled leech, and scared her away?

The sound of the front door closing broke Waverly from her thoughts before she could travel too far down that lane, and she scurried out of bed to the window.

Nicole wasn't there. Which meant she had just come in, not just left.

Waverly frowned.

From where? At 7am?

Waverly’s curiosity got the better of her.

She wrapped her robe around her shoulders, flattened the awkward angles of her bed-hair, and slipped quietly down the stairs.

She found a gym-wear clad Nicole at the tap in the kitchen, refilling a bottle with water.

And mother Mary on a three-legged donkey, Waverly had not been prepared for her body’s reaction to the sight.

She leaned against the doorframe to hold her weakened body upright, barely even registering her actions as she let her eyes run freely over Nicole in all of her post-run glory. The form fitting lycra, darkened in patches where the sweat had collected, and the way those shorts cut off so high over the curves of those thighs. The beads of sweat around Nicole’s hairline, and the sheen and the flush over her neck and her chest. The way she gripped tight around the bottle, and the way her throat moved as she drank.

"Fucking Christ."

Waverly wasn’t even aware of the muttered words as they left her lips.

She was aware of nothing but the absolute fucking goddess in her kitchen.

Until Nicole jumped, wincing as the bottle slipped from her lips and the water within it spilled across the flushed skin of her chest.

Which did absolutely nothing to help Waverly’s state of entrancement. 

“Wave!” Nicole croaked, her eyes finally landing on Waverly. “God, how long have you been there?”

“Not long enough,” Waverly murmured, her eyes still not quite ready to stop their explorations of Nicole’s body.

Nicole raised an eyebrow.

“Not long enough for what?” She grinned.

“Nothing!” Waverly shot.

She blinked rapidly, her entire body flaring with heat as the embarrassment finally caught up with her, and she tore her gaze away. She grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl.

One she had no intention of eating.

Just for something to do with her hands. 

"I-I missed you when I woke up,” She smiled cheerily, fighting, and very likely failing, to appear nonchalant. “Thought maybe I'd scared you off with my snoring."

Nicole chuckled. She shook her head, her eyes softening as she took a step towards Waverly.

Waverly took a step back. 

She really did not trust herself right now.

Not when Nicole looked like that.

"Never.” Nicole grinned. “You're adorable, even when you snore, and you're an even better cuddler when you're sleepy."

Waverly blinked.

"Wait, what?"

Cuddles?

While she was sleepy?

Oh god, had she actually been a tentacled leech?

Nicole winked, her lips tugging into a teasing smirk. But the soft warmth in her eyes never wavered, and Waverly couldn’t help but feel safe under their gaze.

Then Nicole pulled her goddamn fucking tank off over her head, bunched it into a ball, and used it to wipe at the sweat over her brow, and Waverly was very sure her heart had never been so close to making a break for freedom through her throat. 

She swallowed dryly, her eyes completely incapable of looking anywhere but at the sweaty curves of Nicole’s stomach.

Jesus fuck.

"You okay there, Earp?" Nicole smirked.

"Yeah…" Waverly breathed.

She wasn’t even trying to feign nonchalance at this point.

Just all-out gawking.

And gripping way too hard on her banana.

Nicole quirked an eyebrow, her grin impossibly smug.

“Are you objectifying me?”

“No!” Waverly yelped, waving her banana around aimlessly. She let her eyes shoot up to meet Nicole’s, her lips tugging into an amused smirk at the cocky mischief behind them. “God, go and put some clothes on, you’re dripping sweat on my clean floor.”

“And you’re dripping drool," Nicole teased. "We’re both…”

“Fuck off!” Waverly laughed. “Conceited!”

Nicole grinned.

“Fine," she huffed playfully. "Just try not to stare at the way my shorts hug my ass on my way out, okay Earp?”

Nicole turned as she spoke, glancing back over her shoulder in time to watch Waverly’s eyes, obviously, reactively drop to her ass.

“Perv," she tutted.

Waverly threw the banana at her.

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Nicole stirred the pot, the aroma of vegan Tacos filling the room as Waverly fussed and primped and preened around her.

Wynonna had insisted, almost aggressively, that they host Taco Night so that she could 'see her sister in her marital bliss.'

And it seemed Waverly had interpreted that as a demand for a spotless, flawless home.

Nicole chuckled as the brunette scurried past her, wiping down non-existent crumbs from the surfaces.

Domesticity with Waverly had become far too easy, and Nicole was having a catatonic nightmare simply trying to hold her shit together. She had started this whole charade so sure that this would develop effortlessly into something real.

And she had been so right.

She knew it.

She was almost as sure that Waverly felt the very same way that she did, but the tiny part of her that wasn't sure enough, and was too damn nervous to make a move, was winning every day.

And tonight was wreaking utter havoc with her nerves.

She knew the drill now. 

Touch, and a kiss. 

Waverly hadn't mentioned it again, but Nicole hadn't been able to stop playing the brunette’s words from the engagement party over and over in her head. 

Why didn’t you kiss me?  

Was it different tonight? In a smaller, more intimate setting? Was a kiss less appropriate than it would have been at the engagement party?

But then if Nicole didn’t kiss her, Waverly might think she didn't want to.

And god she wanted to.

Clearly she simply needed to just ask.

Would a kiss be appropriate tonight?

It really wasn't that hard.

So why would her tongue just not form the words?

The ring of the doorbell quickly put a stop to any hope Nicole had of daring to ask her question, so as Wynonna and Rosita burst into the house, Nicole resigned herself to her uncertain fate.

She was just going to have to hope that Waverly would send her some kind of sign.

“Got your ball and chain tied to the kitchen already, sis?” Wynonna’s brash voice rang out as the brunette crashed into the kitchen-diner. “Hope that chain is long enough to reach the bedroom.”

Nicole balked.

“Oh my god, Wynonna!” Waverly chastised, her voice sharper, laced with more genuine irritation than Nicole had heard it yet.

“Jesus, Earp.” Nicole grimaced. “Who died and made you mayor of aging cishet white men?”

“Felt like one of those things that would be okay when queer women said it, but…” Wynonna winced, shaking her head. “I hear my mistake.”

“We brought Tequila!” Rosita sang, waving the bottle in the air. “It’s Taco Night!”

“We also brought this!” Wynonna pulled a box from her bag with a flourish, presenting the cover to the room. 

Nicole placed the lid on her pan, leaving her pot slow cooking as she turned her attention to her guests.

“Mrs vs Mrs?” Waverly raised an eyebrow.

“Yep!” Wynonna smirked, pulling the plug from the tequila bottle and taking a swig. “Let’s play while the food cooks. See who’s the real OTP, shall we?”

“We have definitely got this, babe.” Nicole smirked, wrapping an arm around Waverly’s waist and planting a soft kiss on her temple.

Waverly raised an eyebrow.

Nicole grinned.

“You’re awfully confident for someone who’s been on the scene for like, one single Haught-minute, Rocky Balboa,” Wynonna scoffed. “You wanna make this interesting?”

“Always.” Nicole kept playful eyes fixed on Wynonna’s as they sat around the dining table. “Name your stakes.”

She knew they had very little chance, realistically. Wynonna was right, she’d known Waverly for less time than it took Jeremy to wash his towels, and they were not dating, but she just had a feeling. She was pretty in tune with Waverly. They could do this.

“Every question you get wrong, equals one shot of tequila, per person in your team.” Wynonna took another swig directly from the bottle. She winked dramatically. "Then all the secrets will start pouring out."

Nicole laughed.

Easy.

“Done.”

Waverly leaned closer as Nicole settled back into her chair, her body twisted towards her, and her arm resting over the redhead’s shoulders as if it were natural. Easy.

Nicole’s stomach flipped a little.

She rested her own hand on Waverly’s thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze as Waverly picked a card from the pile with her free hand.

“What are your pet names for each other?” Waverly directed the question on the card at Wynonna and Rosita. 

Rosita smirked, immediately scrawling the answer across her whiteboard.

Wynonna closed her eyes, groaning as she took another swig of tequila.

“Wynonna?” Waverly sang. “You got your answer?”

Wynonna mumbled, her eyes fixed on the tequila bottle, and Nicole was pretty sure there were no actual words involved.

Nicole grinned.

“Sorry, what was that?” She questioned.

Wynonna mumbled again, picking at the label of the bottle.

Rosita laughed.

“Wynonna Chaniqua Earp,” Nicole teased, “what does your fiancée call you behind the privacy of your own door?” 

Waverly giggled, leaning impossibly closer to Nicole’s side. The fingers resting over Nicole’s shoulders moved up, tangling lightly in the hairs at the nape of her neck and pulling goosebumps over every inch of the redhead’s body.

Nicole suppressed a shiver.

“What? My middle name is not…” Wynonna paused, her eyes flicking between Nicole’s smirk and Waverly’s giggle. She scowled. “Fine!”

Nicole grinned. She traced her own fingers in nonsense patterns over Waverly’s thigh, her stomach flipping as the brunette hummed in approval, and soft lips pressed a kiss to her temple that made her heart soar.

“Out with it, Earp,” Nicole urged, her tone intentionally teasing.

“Bumper Butt.” Wynonna yelped, throwing her hands in the air. “Okay? Bumper Butt. And I call her Huggalump.”

Waverly giggled.

Nicole snorted.

“I just don’t understand why this embarasses you.” Rosita grinned, flipping her whiteboard to show the two names scrawled across the centre.

Wynonna rolled her eyes, grabbing a card from the pile.

“What, below the neck, is your partner’s best feature?” Wynonna narrowed her eyes as she read the card, then fixed them on Nicole’s. “Go for Waverly’s first. And careful now, Haught-and-Heavy, I do not want to hear details.”

Nicole smirked. 

This was a relatively easy start, at least.

She scrawled her answer over her whiteboard.

Boobs.

Easy.

“Wave, what will Haught-Shot say?” Wynonna challenged.

Waverly spun her board round.

“Boobs.” 

“I’m a simple girl.” Nicole shrugged, turning her own board with a cheeky grin.

Waverly smirked.

Rosita nodded in approval.

Wynonna flicked her ear.

“Okay, go for Nicole’s,” Rosita challenged, batting her fiancée’s hand away.

Nicole chuckled. She had a pretty good feeling she knew the answer to this one.

Ass.

“Wave?” Wynonna called.

“That ass!”

Nicole laughed as she flipped her board around.

Maybe they did have a chance at this after all.

As they moved onto the 'who is more' paddles, it became abundantly clear that they had a very strong chance of winning this game. Where Wynonna and Rosita may have known each other better, both had far too big an ego to do well in this part of the game, because both spent every question insisting that they were the better driver, or the most reliable, or the smartest, and that the other was the messiest, or the worst singer, or the most jealous. And subsequently, both were now several shots to the wind.

And it was Waverly and Nicole’s turn.

“Who snores the loudest?” Rosita read.

Nicole grinned, immediately holding her Waverly paddle up. 

Waverly blushed, hiding her face in Nicole’s neck as she did the same.

“Who is the loudest in bed?”

Nicole laughed. 

She grinned cockily, shooting Waverly a wink as she held up the paddle with the brunette’s name on.

Waverly smirked. Dark eyes fixed on Nicole’s own, something playful behind them as her fingers closed tight in red hair. 

Then she tugged as she held up the paddle with her own name on, and Nicole bit back a gasp. 

Her blood boiled instantly, her thighs clenching hard as both the tug and the implication settled low in her stomach.

Shit.

That was unexpected!

If that was how easy it was for Waverly to turn her on, perhaps this was not quite the correct answer. 

“Who has the best bum?” Wynonna continued, thankfully seemingly oblivious to the sexual turmoil her sister was putting Nicole through right in front of her eyes.

Nicole’s fingers trembled a little as she held up Waverly’s paddle.

She knew they’d lose a point for it.

But frankly she could do with a tequila shot right now. 

Besides, Waverly’s ass was incredible.

“Who is the biggest flirt?”

Waverly’s paddle was up in a nanosecond and Nicole laughed. She knew full well it would be the one with her own name on it, and she couldn’t entirely say she blamed Waverly for it.

“Who is the better kisser?”

The room fell silent for a moment.

Nicole’s chest tightened, her nerves trembling as Wynonna and Rosita both watched, completely oblivious to the weight behind that question, and the churning that it triggered deep in Nicole’s stomach.

They didn’t know.

And they didn’t know, because Nicole hadn’t seized her moment.

She could feel Waverly’s eyes on her, and she turned to meet the sparkling hazel gaze. 

There was a moment of quiet, as Nicole searched hazel eyes, and then Waverly’s lips tugged into a soft smile. Her fingers still tangled in Nicole’s hair, pulling lightly as her darkening eyes dropped to the redhead’s lips.

Nicole grinned. Those eyes were so soft, but the dark of a hopeful desire was burning behind them, and those teasing fingers bore a message that Nicole understood in an instant.

No X.

Nicole knew that if she hesitated too long now, she would give their game away. She knew they didn’t have the freedom to linger, or to build. Not like this. Not in front of Waverly’s friends.

It was seize the moment now, or don’t.

And Nicole knew exactly which she would rather go for.

She searched the heat of Waverly’s eyes for a brief moment longer, watching for signs of hesitation, before she leaned in, closing her lips over Waverly’s in the softest of lingering kisses. Sweet, and chaste. Tentative. Butterflies. Waverly’s lips felt incredible. Soft but firm against her own, something powerful in the undemanding kiss that pushed the air straight out of her lungs. 

The kiss lasted just seconds, but by the time Nicole pulled back, her eyes flickering open and her heart pounding in her chest, she knew she was a goner.

There was no way that could be the only time she would get to do that.

No way that that wasn’t real.

And the revered look on Waverly’s face told her she wasn’t the only one who felt it.

Wynonna gagged.

“You guys make The Notebook look bleak.”

“Fuck off, Bumper Butt,” Nicole mumbled. 

She held Waverly’s sparkling gaze, her lips tugging into a dimpled grin as she held up the paddle with the brunette’s name on it. Waverly bit her lip as she held up Nicole’s paddle.

“Wrong!” Wynonna barked. “That is what you get for being so disgustingly sweet.”

“And this brings us to a final score of eight,” Rosita read from the scorecard, “and Waverly and Nicole on a final score of twelve. They win!”

“God, fine,” Wynonna groaned, throwing the cards down on the table. “Wayhaught is the OTP.”

“Wayhaught?” Nicole finally tore her gaze from Waverly’s, huffing out a laugh as she studied Wynonna. “What is a Wayhaught?”

Wynonna shrugged.

“It’s your wedding hashtag.”

The timer on the oven beeped, and Wynonna whooped.

“Taco time!” She yelled, jumping to her feet. She grabbed her bag from the floor behind her, pulling various ingredients out and onto the table. “Waves, make cocktails with us while Haught-pot serves the food?”

Nicole chuckled as she moved to stand. She was only a few shots in herself, but she could already tell that this was going to be the messiest night she’d had in a while.

She halted, her body jolting back as Waverly grabbed her hand, preventing her from moving from the table. She moaned in surprise as the brunette wrapped a hand round the back of her neck, and tugged her down into a very brief, very unexpected, and very heated kiss.

She melted.

There were really no other words to describe it.

And the mischievous, knowing smirk over Waverly’s lips told her it was an entirely visible reaction.

She grinned, her head so light it almost spun as she backed away from the table, her eyes holding Waverly’s playful gaze.

The physical connection with Waverly tonight was euphoric. The long awaited kisses, the touches, those teasing fingers over her neck and her hair. It all just felt so real, and it felt amazing. 

And Nicole wasn't ready to ever let this go back to a charade.

Not now.

“Jesus, Bustillos, are you trying to get me drunk?” Wynonna exclaimed, her eyes wide as she watched Rosita pour.

“There’s literally less tequila in this cocktail than there is in the swigs you keep taking directly from the bottle!” Rosita retorted, knocking Wynonna with her hip. “Besides, you don’t need me to get you drunk.”

Nicole grinned, turning her back to the mayhem as she lifted the lid from her pot, and brought her spoon in to stir the taco mix.

It was just so easy to play the doting couple with Waverly.

As it would be, when there was a blatant real connection between them.

That both of them knew was there.

She smirked as Waverly appeared behind her, firm hands slipping over her waist and her body pressing tight against the redhead’s back.

Nicole bit back a shiver.

The goosebumps that prickled over her skin were becoming quite the regularity around Waverly, and she had stopped bothering to try to hide them.

Not that she could have even if she'd tried, as soft hands slid over her stomach, her fingertips pressing just a little firmer into the soft curves.

“Smells amazing, baby,” Waverly murmured, the words ghosting over the sensitive skin of Nicole’s neck.

Nicole failed to fight the shiver that time.

And she felt the brunette smirk in response.

She turned her head, meeting Waverly’s eyes.

“Me, or the meal?” She murmured.

Waverly’s eyes darkened, something more mischievous; more flirtatious in the hazel than Nicole had seen yet, and the redhead’s stomach flipped hard.

“Both,” Waverly husked.

"Hmm." Nicole grinned. “Want a taste?”

Waverly’s eyes widened for the briefest of moments, her lips quirking in surprised amusement.

Then her nails scratched lightly over Nicole’s stomach, and those eyes sparkled once more with that dirty mischief, and the redhead felt her thighs clench hard at the look behind them and the lower husk of the brunette’s voice.

“Of you, or the meal?”

“Do not answer that question in my presence, Nicole Haught,” Wynonna bellowed, throwing a lime slice across the kitchen island.

Nicole ignored her.

"Both," she husked, mimicking Waverly’s earlier low murmur.

Waverly swallowed visibly, her eyes dropping shamelessly to Nicole’s lips.

Then she nodded, almost imperceptibly, and Nicole’s blood flamed.

They were so close, Waverly's fingers just slipping beneath the buttoned spread of the redhead’s shirt, and the playful fire in her eyes was burning through every one of Nicole’s veins.

She held Waverly’s gaze as she brought her spoon up, offering it for the brunette to taste. Waverly's eyes darkened impossibly as she took it into her mouth, and the air felt almost uncomfortably thick. The whole thing was just ridiculously charged, and Nicole’s thighs had never been tighter, and frankly she wasn't even sure she wanted to get a hold of herself.

She wanted to kiss Waverly.

To really kiss her.

And with the way that the brunette was teasing her, and the dangerous spark in those playful eyes… she was more sure than she had ever been that Waverly wanted to kiss her too.

“Delicious,” Waverly murmured, her dirty smirk doing nothing to calm the fire in Nicole’s veins.

Then she stepped back, breaking the contact as she moved, clearly fully intent on teasing Nicole into her own personal oblivion.

And Nicole was not ready to let that happen.

She turned, her hand flying out just in time to catch the waistband of Waverly’s jeans over the tips of her fingers, in a move so smooth she impressed herself.

She tugged, bringing the brunette back into her space with a dirty smirk.

Waverly’s eyes widened, her chest hitching and her lips parting in surprise.

"Didn't you say..." Nicole murmured, her hands trailing Waverly’s waistband and slipping over her hips. "That you wanted to taste both?"

Waverly giggled, her lip pulling between her teeth as her eyes sparkled with amused mischief.

"And what if I did?" She teased, her fingers trailing over the spread of the redhead’s shirt.

Nicole smiled softly. She took Waverly’s hand in her own, her eyes earnest as they held the brunette’s gaze for just a moment. Just long enough for Waverly to back away if she needed to. To draw her X, if she wanted to.

Waverly's eyes softened, crinkling at the edges with her smile as she nodded.

Nicole grinned.

She flexed her fingers over Waverly’s hips, tugging them firmly against her own. The brunette gasped, her eyes flying wide and her lips parting, her fingers closing tight over the collar of Nicole’s shirt. Her gaze blackened, an almost predatory burn of desire flashing behind it as it bore into Nicole’s.

Then it dropped to Nicole’s lips, and the redhead’s tongue darted out instinctively to wet them. 

How was it possible that the air between them could feel both this thick, and this easy all at the same time?

“Oh my god, Haught, put her down!” Wynonna called.

Nicole ignored her.

She closed a hand tighter over Waverly’s hip, her eyes hooded as they searched the brunette’s face for signs of hesitation.

Then she leaned forward, her lips lingering just millimeters apart from Waverly’s for the briefest of moments.

The way the tension wrapped tight in the air settled in the base of her spine, and she shivered as she felt the brunette’s trembling breath hit her lips, and Waverly's eyes fluttered closed.

This kiss was different. This one could build. Could linger.

Nicole’s every nerve trembled, her core burning with her desire, and she was pretty certain she couldn't have held back another moment if she'd tried.

She slipped a hand into Waverly’s hair, pulling the brunette into a sure, searing kiss.

It was instant. The heat, and the desire, and the hunger behind the kiss undeniable from the very moment Waverly’s lips touched her own.

Nicole's entire body flamed. Butterflies surged through her veins, burning her every nerve with flaming wings as the sheer heat behind Waverly Earp's kiss consumed her.

Slow, and sure, and electric, and yet her lips were so soft.

And holy goddamn fuck.

Nicole knew, immediately, that fake or not, she had never been kissed like this.

Waverly whimpered, the undeniable sound of arousal flooding through the kiss and into Nicole’s core, and the redhead couldn't help the low groan that escaped her own lips.

She deepened the kiss, her hand gripping a little tighter in brunette hair as Waverly responded, soft teases of her tongue flicking over the redhead’s lips.

Waverly’s hands clutched hard at the material of her shirt, and Nicole rolled her hips forward instinctively, the brunette’s body firm against her own as she slipped her tongue into Waverly’s mouth.

"Alright!" Wynonna gagged. "Enough already!"

Nicole jumped.

Honestly, she had forgotten anyone but Waverly existed in that moment, let alone that they were still in a room full of the brunette’s family and friends!

Waverly giggled against Nicole’s lips, and the redhead blew out a shaky chuckle as she finally pulled back. She leaned her forehead against Waverly’s, her hand still tangled in the brunette’s hair as she fought her body for some semblance of composure.

God Christ, she needed a cold shower right now.

And the deep flush over Waverly's cheeks, and the way her swollen lip pulled hard between her teeth, and her hands clutched and scratched at the back of Nicole’s shirt…

Nicole was pretty certain she was not alone in her arousal.

She leaned forward, placing a last soft, sweet kiss on Waverly’s lips, in a torturous paradox to the burning desire wrapped tight around her spine.

Waverly shivered. Her eyes crinkled, a beaming smile spreading across her lips as Nicole pulled back, and she giggled lightly.

And the entire image was enough to make Nicole's heart soar.

She couldn't even begin to hide the elation from her own eyes as she grinned, and her chest swelled as the very same look danced back at her in Waverly’s hazel.

“Holy shit," Rosita exclaimed. "Are you guys not fucking or something?” 

Nicole blinked.

“What?” Waverly yelped, her eyes widening as they finally tore from Nicole’s and snapped to Rosita. “Why would you ask us that?”

“Of course they are, look at them!” Wynonna laughed.

“Right, but that’s my point!” Rosita retorted. “That was intense! The sexual tension in this room is off the fucking charts.” 

Nicole swallowed. She could feel Waverly tense in her arms, and she pulled her a little closer in an effort to reassure her.

“No-one who is actively having sex has tension you can practically fucking taste," Rosita laughed.

Well, shit!

Nicole bit her lip, suppressing the bark of laughter that threatened to burst from her chest.

This was awkward, and it sounded a lot like a challenge to their authenticity, but she couldn't help but feel a little smug at the open validation that yes, there was clearly a sexual tension between them tonight that would be visible from a fucking global satellite. 

And she wasn't the only one who saw it.

“Obviously we’re having sex, Rosita!” Waverly huffed, finally breaking away from Nicole’s arms. “And if you hadn't interrupted us, I'd have been just one moment away from throwing Nicole down on this table and…”

“Okay, I’m gonna stop this chat right here, before I barf in my own mouth," Wynonna groaned, holding a hand out in rebuttal.

Nicole's confidence had never surged higher.

Clearly the connection between them was real.

They could both feel it, and so could the people around them. Enough so that it was almost getting in the way of the charade, and not just the other way round!

That had been, hands down, the best kiss of her entire life.

And it had one hundred percent been real.

Nicole was sure of it.

And the way that Waverly’s hands had clutched so hard at the back of her shirt; the way her cheeks and her chest had flushed so deep; the way her hazel eyes had darkened, and the way she had kissed her back so intensely…

And those unbelievable little whimpers of arousal!

Nicole was very certain that she was not the only one.

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Waverly rinsed the soapy dish under the tap, handing it over to Rosita to dry.

Both Wynonna and Nicole had had a few too many tequila shots to be trusted with clearing the dinner things away, and so Waverly had packed them off into the living room and Rosita had insisted on helping.

But even through the hallway and the wall separating them, Wynonna’s slightly slurred voice could still be heard.

“Yes!” Wynonna yelled out, her voice only slightly muffled by the distance. “I knew I liked you, Haught.”

Waverly laughed.

"Sounds like she's found herself a new best friend," Rosita chuckled, shaking her head in visibly fond amusement.

“I think you might be my new best friend!" Wynonna's voice called out.

Waverly giggled.

"So fucking predictable." Rosita huffed out a laugh. She turned around, leaning back on the kitchen counter as she took another plate from Waverly and began to dry it. “You seem really happy, Wave.”

Waverly smiled, her chest warming. She had always liked Rosita. She liked the woman’s intelligence, and her no-nonsense strength, and her sassy charm. But mostly she liked her love for Wynonna, and with it, her love for Waverly.

“I mean if you ask me, you always seemed pretty happy." Rosita shrugged, her nose wrinkling a little." But Nicole really seems to make you extra happy. You deserve it.”

“Thank you.” Waverly murmured, her gaze dropping to the bubbles in her soapy dish-bowl. “She does make me happy.”

She would have felt guilty for lying to Rosita. 

If even the first part of her believed that that was a lie. Nicole really did make her happy.

“Besides…" Rosita grinned. "That girl is fine!”

Waverly laughed.

“That she really is.”

Nicole had been bolder tonight. Far more flirty, far more brazenly tactile with a few drinks in her. 

And that kiss.

The kiss had played on Waverly’s mind all night, and she wanted nothing more than to do it again. For Nicole to kiss her again.

To tell her it was real.

She knew it was.

She wasn't stupid.

She'd felt that it was.

But she really, really wanted the words to fall from Nicole’s lips.

Just in case.

“Let’s go find our drunken idiots,” Rosita sighed as they finally finished their clear up, though the soft warmth of her eyes betrayed any real disdain.

Waverly grinned, nudging Rosita with her hip as they began to make their way towards the living room.

Until a loud thud sounded from upstairs. 

Rosita frowned.

Waverly arched her brows.

"Oh god, which one was it?" Rosita groaned, her lips tugging at the corners in amusement.

Waverly giggled, grabbing Rosita’s hand and dragging her up the stairs.

They found their drunken idiots in the bedroom.

Passed out, fully dressed.

With Waverly’s school reports, yearbooks, and the few baby photos she had strewn across the bed. 

Wynonna had clearly fallen off of the bed, her body skewiff on the floor and her legs propped awkwardly up on the pillows.

Waverly bit her lip to stifle her giggles.

Rosita didn’t bother.

She laughed openly as she crouched down, hoisting Wynonna’s arm around her shoulders as the brunette stirred.

“Oh hey, baby!” Wynonna mumbled, letting her head fall onto Rosita’s shoulder. "I missed you!"

“Come on Bumper Butt,” Rosita chuckled. “Let’s get you home.”

Nicole snored loudly, and Waverly bit back a bark of laughter.

There was no way she was letting the redhead live that one down tomorrow.

She shook her head fondly as she stepped in beside Wynonna and Rosita, hooking her sister’s free arm around her own shoulder.

Wynonna hiccuped.

“Your girl is a good one, Babygirl,” she slurred, her head lolling from Rosita’s shoulder and onto Waverly’s head, their cheeks now smushed together. “I think she might be my favourite.”

“Your favourite what?” Waverly giggled.

“My favourite…” Wynonna frowned, her nose wrinkling in thought. Then she grinned sloppily. “Best friend.”

Waverly huffed out a laugh.

As she finally closed the door on her guests, she took a deep breath, sinking back against the solid wood for a moment.

She loved the way that Nicole got on with her friends, and with her sister. She loved the way that the people who were so important to her seemed to want Nicole in their lives as much as Waverly did.

But right now, she was extremely frustrated that her sister had managed to wipe out her fake fiancée before Waverly had had the chance to talk to her alone.

She wanted to talk about that kiss.

And honestly, she wanted a repeat.

Waverly had no idea how Nicole had managed it, but by the time she returned to her bedroom, the redhead was in her t-shirt and boxers, and snuggled down beneath the blankets.

And the moment Waverly crawled into bed beside her, she reached out, her arm wrapping tight around the brunette’s waist as she tugged her closer.

“You awake, Nic?” Waverly whispered.

Nicole hummed.

Then promptly snored.

Waverly sighed.

This was real. She knew it was.

But saying that would have to wait just one more day.

Chapter Text

Waverly stirred, sleep still pulling hard around the edges of her barely conscious brain. The first thing she was aware of was how deliciously warm she was, and how cosy her sleep-heavy body felt in her cocoon, and the tingling feeling of pure contentment. 

The second thing was the familiar scent of vanilla, and the way it seemed to smell like comfort and safety. And flat out desire.

The third thing was the soft, warm skin beneath her hands, and the curves pressed lightly into her crotch. 

She hummed.

Her sleep-hazed brain was too numb; too unalert to question her surroundings, and so she let her muscles lead her. She nestled forward, pressing herself further into the curves against her hips, letting the tips of her fingers trace the soft skin beneath them. Over the smooth stomach, the valley between breasts, the hips, the dip of the waistband. Over the warmth and the softness and the goosebumps that rose below the touch.

The lightest, softest of moans filled the air before her, and Waverly’s sleep-daze lifted just a little more.

Then the muscles beneath her fingers tensed, and the soft moan morphed into a sharp hitch of breath, and Waverly’s daze snapped instantly into alert panic. 

“Oh my god!” She yelped, scrambling awkwardly in an effort to untangle herself and get her roaming hands back under control. “Fuck, Nicole, I am so sorry.”

“Wave, it’s okay…”

Nicole’s voice was hoarse, and Waverly knew it was with sleep, but the implications after touching her like that sent her mind into a deep and dark overdrive.

“Oh god, it’s not!” Waverly jumped from the bed, covering her burning face with her hands as she began to pace the floor. “It’s not okay, I just completely violated you in your sleep.”

“Well, were you asleep?” Nicole hoisted herself upright, a hand running through her hair as she watched Waverly patiently.

“Kind of, yeah.” Waverly nodded, her eyes burning with the first threat of tears of embarrassment and frustration, and guilt. “But I…”

“Then it’s alright!” Nicole assured, cutting Waverly off.

She stood from the bed, approaching Waverly slowly as soft, reassuring eyes held the brunette’s gaze.

“I mean, I knew I was doing it,” Waverly squeaked, her hands flailing around frantically, “but I just completely didn’t process what I was doing, and…”

“Waverly!” Nicole smiled softly, grabbing Waverly’s hands and linking them with her own. She lifted them between them in gesture. “There’s no X. It’s okay.”

Waverly took a deep breath. She knew Nicole meant what she said. She could see it in earnest eyes, and feel it in the gentle touch of her hands. She knew she needed to calm herself down, but the redhead’s arms were still rippled with goosebumps, and her nipples were hard beneath the fabric of her tank, and Waverly could feel the ripples of all-out gay panic start in her chest, and grip every one of her nerves. 

“Please, Wave. Stay with me here, okay?” Nicole whispered. “It’s fine. I’m fine.” She chuckled as Waverly sheepishly met her gaze. She grinned cheekily. “Besides, that’s the best wake up call I’ve had in months.” 

Waverly huffed out a laugh.

How, with one simple, cheeky quip, had Nicole managed to pull every ounce of panic and guilt from Waverly’s body and replace it with warmth?

She blushed, her lips tugging into a grin as she shook her head.

“You’re such a flirt, Haught.”

“Says you!” Nicole grinned, her eyes sparkling. “Between that phenomenal kiss last night, and your roaming hands this morning…” 

Nicole winked, dropping Waverly’s hands as she backed towards the door. 

“I’m really starting to think you’re into me, Earp.”

Waverly’s heart stopped.

God, the kiss.

In the chaos of her morning explorations, she had almost forgotten the kiss. The kiss, and what it meant.

And wait a goddamn minute!

“Ha-hang on a moment here,” she stumbled, her stomach beating with butterflies as she fought her voice for some semblance of smooth. “You kissed me, and you called that the best wake up you’ve had in months.” 

Nicole raised an eyebrow, her lips quirked at the corners in amusement.

“So maybe it’s you who’s into me!” Waverly insisted.

Nicole smirked.

"We both know I am, Earp." 

Waverly’s stomach plummeted.

"W-we do?" She whispered.

Nicole’s smirk softened, her eyes almost revered as she took a step back closer to Waverly. 

"We…"

The blast of Nicole’s phone rang out from her bedside table, cutting the redhead’s words off abruptly.

"Shit!” Nicole’s eyes widened as she glanced at the clock. “Coffee with Jeremy!"

"Fuck!” Waverly cursed, immediately scurrying around the room completely aimlessly as she tried to process which way was up in the sudden about-turn of mood. “I completely forgot. We’re so late."

Nicole chuckled.

"I'll happily be late any day, if it means waking up like that Earp." She smirked. Then she softened as Waverly shot her a pointed look. "We'll talk, Wave, okay?"

Waverly nodded. There was something so soft, so earnest in the tone of Nicole’s voice, and the light in her eyes, that she had no choice but to believe her.

This was real. They’d all but said it. But they both wanted the chance to talk this through properly.

And Waverly trusted that they would.

She grinned.

"But now, I need a shower!" Nicole smirked, winking as she backed out of the doorway. The cheeky, knowing tone of her voice as it carried down the hallway was nothing short of smug. "Feel free to join me."

Waverly exhaled slowly, her eyes slamming shut.

Fuck.

Damn Jeremy and their coffee plans.

She really needed a moment to talk to Nicole about this.

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Waverly was trying to listen to Nicole.

She really was.

She was trying really hard to listen to the story Nicole was telling her as they wandered the high street on the way to the coffee shop.

But she was still reeling from Nicole’s confession, still raging with the interruption, and still really frustrated that their day was so busy today. Why had they allowed themselves to get this inundated? They had coffee with Jeremy, then both had to work, and then they had Waverly’s stupid weekly dinner with her stupid friends tonight and all she wanted to do was to take Nicole home and talk about the goddamn fucking kiss!

Something Nicole clearly wasn’t prepared to do until they had a chance to breathe, and Waverly was right there with her.

She just wished that time was now!

And also, the redhead’s hand was linked in her own, and her fingers were drawing soft patterns over the back of Waverly’s hand, and frankly, the brunette was having what could only be described as a sexual meltdown.

How was she getting so worked up from this?

The movements of Nicole’s fingers, and the way she leaned a little against her side as they walked were somehow shooting straight between Waverly’s thighs, and she was having a really hard time keeping herself from throwing Nicole into the next doorway they passed, and cutting this story off with her tongue.

She was in such a hazy cloud of arousal by the time they reached the coffee shop, that she was genuinely quite afraid that both Jeremy and the unfamiliar man beside him would be able to see her deepest fantasies reflected in the glaze of her eyes as they greeted her. 

She felt almost bereft when they sat down, and Nicole let go of her hand.

Until the redhead shuffled her chair a little closer, wrapping her arm around the back of Waverly’s.

The brunette melted, leaning instinctively into the touch.

Jeremy raised an eyebrow.

"You know you guys don't have to act like a couple with me, right?" He grinned smugly.

Waverly didn’t miss the glare Nicole shot at him.

Or the way the warning in mocha eyes melted into a knowing reassurance as they met Waverly’s. 

Or the way Nicole only moved closer. 

"Waverly, this is Robin!” 

Jeremy’s voice cut through Waverly’s haze of desire, and she blinked, turning her attention to the two men. 

“He's my, uh…" Jeremy trailed off, rubbing at the back of his neck awkwardly.

Nicole rolled her eyes.

"Boyfriend, Waves,” she chuckled. “Robin is Jeremy’s boyfriend."

Jeremy blushed, his jaw tightening as he shot a glare in Nicole’s direction.

Nicole grinned.

"That's me!" Robin beamed, holding his hand out to shake Waverly's. “Great to meet you!” 

Jeremy’s eyes widened, his jaw parting in surprise, and he looked, frankly, like all his Christmases had come at once.

Waverly giggled.

"And they say lesbians are the useless ones," Nicole mumbled, shaking her head in amusement.

"Aren't they?" Jeremy raised an eyebrow, tilting his head as he studied Nicole pointedly.

Nicole blushed.

Waverly smirked. They really needed a chance to talk.

She slipped her hand over the top of Nicole’s thigh beneath the table, biting her cheek to hold back her giddy giggles as the redhead’s arms broke out in goosebumps, and the tips of her ears tinted red.

She was fast learning that she could affect Nicole as much as the redhead could affect her, and the game was very enticing. She drew soft patterns, dragging her nails over the curve of Nicole’s inner thigh, enjoying the way the muscle practically trembled beneath the touch.

By the time the server arrived to take their drinks order, Nicole was beginning to squirm a little beneath Waverly’s fingers, and the brunette was about ready to explode.

The simplest of things seemed so goddamn charged with Nicole, and Waverly was almost scared to think about the fire that would burn once she finally managed to get the redhead alone, and open, and honest. 

When Nicole excused herself for the bathroom, Waverly’s fingers tingled with the loss. Her side felt cold without the press of the redhead against it, and she cursed her body for just how much it was beginning to crave Nicole’s touch.

"So how's the uh…" Robin paused, wrinkling his nose. "Engagement? Going?"

Waverly huffed out a laugh, bringing her hands up to cover her face.

"You must think I'm insane," she chuckled.

"Actually, weirdly I don't." Robin grinned cheekily. "Besides, it doesn't look like it's all that terrible for you." 

Waverly blushed, but she couldn't hide the smile that tugged at the crinkles in her eyes.

Until movement in her eyeline made it drop. Along with her pulse.

Nicole was mid stride on her way back from the bathroom, headed toward the centre of the coffee shop.

And so was a very attractive, very well-dressed blonde, with boobs that Waverly knew could rival her own, and a spark in her eye that looked far too suspiciously like flirtation.

A very attractive blonde who was one hundred percent making a beeline for Waverly's fake fiancée.

And Waverly was not okay with this.

Nicole might not have been hers.

Not yet. 

She could talk to whoever she wanted.

But Waverly was a million percent certain that she could not handle watching another woman flirt with her catatonic crush right in front of her. Not without making a scene she really didn’t want to make.

She strained her ears, listening desperately to pick out the words as the blonde reached Nicole, and recognition flashed through the redhead’s eyes as they began to speak animatedly. Waverly clenched her fists, her feet beginning to tap in agitation as she failed to decipher the conversation, and resigned herself to burning a hole in the back of the blonde's head with her glare.

Nicole laughed openly, her eyes sparkling, and Waverly took a deep breath.

Then her goddamn fucking dimple popped, and Waverly clamped her jaw.

This could not happen right now. Not when she was so close to finally having Nicole in her grip. To finally being something real to her.

She was one sugary smile, and one bat of the stupidly attractive blonde's eyelashes away from storming over there and causing a scene that she only hoped she could blame on the charade. 

But then Nicole’s sparkling eyes were on her, and that dimple was aimed at her, and she was pointing in her direction with that charming grin spread across her face, and Waverly wilted.

She wilted, but her jealousy didn't.

The second Nicole’s ass touched the seat beside her, Waverly’s hands were in her hair.

She tugged hard, not stopping to register the people around their table, or the redhead’s gasp of surprise as she pulled Nicole into a searing, unbridled kiss. 

She wasn't a jealous person.

Not usually.

But Nicole Haught was something entirely not usual for Waverly, and there was no way she was letting some blonde supermodel stamp on the blatant chemistry that burned here before she had even had a chance to light it.

Nicole froze for the briefest of moments, then Waverly’s stomach dropped as she began to kiss her back, and the blonde was instantly forgotten as the redhead’s tongue slipped teasingly against her own.

Waverly bit down gently on Nicole’s lower lip, pulling it into her mouth, and she knew for a fact that the low groan that left the redhead’s lips would forever be burned into her memory and her core. She shivered.

Jeremy cleared his throat.

Waverly broke the kiss, a sheepish blush rising over her cheeks as the red mist of her jealousy lifted, and the embarrassment began to replace it.

Nicole's eyes stayed closed, her cheeks flushed deep red, and her lips still slightly parted as Waverly pulled back.

Then they fluttered open slowly, and Waverly’s arousal spiked hard through her veins at just how dark they were.

She swallowed.

"What was that for?" Nicole murmured, her voice unmistakably husky. Lower. Darker.

Waverly’s spine tingled.

"Uh… just…" she faltered, her blush deepening as she fought for the words to explain her jealous meltdown. "L-letting the... people in the room know you're mine?"

Nicole’s eyes widened, then they sparkled with something that looked rather suspiciously like pride as she huffed out a soft chuckle.

"Is this jealous Waverly?" She grinned, her eyebrow flicking upwards.

Waverly blushed.

"I-I was worried someone might see, and…"

She trailed off.

It was fruitless and she knew it.

She was rumbled. 

And honestly, the warmth and the glint of desire in Nicole’s eyes were saying everything their words hadn’t had the chance to yet, and she knew it didn't matter that she was.

Nicole smiled softly.

She took Waverly's hand in her own, stroking her thumb over the back.

"That's Grace, the planetarium technician," she murmured. "She helped me plan our first date."

"Oh," Waverly breathed. She wrinkled her nose. "Jesus, how does anyone focus at your college?"

Nicole laughed, and Waverly’s shoulders dropped, her tension ebbing away with the redhead’s reassurance, both of the situation and of Waverly’s behaviour.

"So, she wasn't hitting on you?" Waverly dropped her face to the floor, looking up at Nicole sheepishly from under her lashes.

"Nope." Nicole smirked. She winked. "Great kiss though."

"Oh, fuck off," Waverly laughed.

Nicole grinned.

"And for what it's worth…" she murmured, "I still told her I'm madly in love with my beautiful bride-to-be."

Waverly simpered. There really was no other word for it.

Good god, she wanted to belong to this woman.

"This thing is still fake, right?" 

Robin's voice jolted Waverly out of her Nicole-shaped bubble, and she jumped, blushing deeply.

She stuttered, seconds from feigning some kind of excuse. Until Nicole caught her eyes once more, giving her a soft, knowing smile, and a cheeky wink.

Waverly bit her lip.

"Right, I have to go!" Nicole groaned, wincing as she downed the last of her coffee. "I have a 9am class, and a fucking mock exam that I really don't want to grade."

"See you for dinner with my friends tonight, right?" Waverly asked hopefully. This was the first time in her life she had ever had anyone she could trust would be there when they said they would, but she still couldn't help the anticipation that maybe she would be going alone again. "At seven?"

"Of course." Nicole grinned, planting a kiss on Waverly’s temple as she stood. "It's been a whole eight hours since I've seen my new best friend, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Waverly’s shoulders dropped, giddy relief washing through her.

“Your what?” Jeremy shrieked. 

Nicole winked.

"Love you mama Jer-Bear. Good to see you Robin."

Waverly sighed, butterflies surging once again in her stomach as she watched Nicole leave.

"Well that looked like one hell of a kiss!" Jeremy practically squealed, grabbing Robin’s arm in his excitement.

"Oh god, do you think it was okay?" Waverly groaned, her embarrassment rearing its head again under the two pairs of excitable eyes. “I’m never usually jealous!”

Jeremy raised his eyebrows.

“Okay?" He shook his head, his eyes widening in disbelief. “Waverly, you know as well as the rest of us do that Nicole is utterly smitten. Just do us all a favour and keep kissing the girl, yes?”

Waverly blushed, the corners of her lips tugging into a soft smile.

Smitten?

Nicole had confessed she was into her, but smitten sounded way too good to be true.

“You really think she’s smitten?” She whispered.

“Do you not?" Jeremy laughed. “What else would she be doing this for, if not because she likes you.”

Waverly bit her lip in an effort to hold back her growing smile. She knew Nicole liked her. Nicole had quite literally told her as much. But hearing the validation from her best friend felt good, and she kind of wanted the reassurance to continue for just a little longer.

"F-for a bet?" She tried.

Jeremy’s face fell flat. He blinked, his eyes almost glassing as he watched her in disdain.

"What?"

"A bet," Waverly repeated. "With her friend. That she couldn’t find a girlfriend in under three minutes."

Jeremy stared at her.

For a long, quiet, intense moment.

Waverly held her breath, the silence making her uneasy. Was this why Nicole was doing this? Had she read this all wrong?

Then Jeremy sighed heavily.

"Jesus fucking A Christ," he huffed. "Waverly, that bet was with me."

"Huh?" Waverly furrowed her brows.

She had not known that.

Although she guessed it made sense, if she really thought about it.

"It was with me," Jeremy repeated. "Which means I told her she lost that bet the second I found out it was you."

"Oh."

Waverly couldn't bite back the grin this time.

She knew it was real now, but this… this meant it always had been. Nicole’s half of this transaction had been null and void the very evening they'd met.

And that felt pretty fucking amazing.

"Yeah, oh,” Jeremy chuckled.  

"So the bet's over?" Waverly grinned.

"No, actually."

Waverly’s heart stopped.

"No?"

"No." Jeremy shook his head. "Nicole contested the loss."

"Why?"

"Because the terms of this bet were not to find a girlfriend in under three minutes." Jeremy shrugged. "The terms were to find someone she really liked in under three minutes, who would become her next relationship. And Nicole insisted that nothing about this scenario meant that she'd lost that bet yet. She said she found someone she really likes in under three minutes, and the bet is still going, because she's still working on the relationship."

Waverly’s chest swelled. 

This was even better.

"She really likes me." She whispered, her cheeks almost hurting with the spread of her giddy grin.

"Yes, she likes you. She's liked you from the start!" Jeremy chuckled. "And obviously you like her, so what is the hold up? Man, I do not understand lesbians."

Waverly felt giddy. 

None of this was news. Not really. Not anymore. But each word of confirmation that registered in her brain and in her chest felt better and better, and now she just really wanted to see Nicole. 

Her Nicole.

Who had been real from the start.

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Nicole tried her hardest to focus on her lecture notes. She really did. But her mind swam, Waverly Earp's kiss still tingling on her lips.

That kiss.  

The second to drop Nicole’s world from under her feet in just twelve hours.

The jealous fire in hazel eyes. The sheepish blush and the tell-tale hope that replaced the fire once the record was set straight…

Waverly was as into her as she was to Waverly, and Nicole knew it.

She just needed her to say it.

Nicole had confessed her own feelings more than once now. First in her kiss, then with her words this morning, and then with the reassurance in her eyes when Robin had called them out. She'd been as open as she could have, without laying everything bare, and now she needed the chance to really talk this through. To hear what Waverly felt.

“Professor Haught, is it true you’re getting married?”

Nicole blinked as the sound of a student's voice piped up from the back of her classroom, and she blanched.

“Uh…” she faltered. The lie felt uncomfortable on her tongue, but with Rachel Valdez in the room, she couldn't say anything but yes. “Yeah, I am.”

The class cheered.

Nicole blushed.

“Is it true your fiancée is Rachel’s boss?”

Nicole rolled her eyes.

“Unfortunately," she grumbled.

“Professor, she is fine.”

Nicole frowned.

"I mean you're not wrong," she chuckled, "but how…?"

"I found her on Instagram."

Nicole sighed, leaning the heels of her hands on her eyes as the class erupted into whispers and scuffles, and phones were pulled out, and several people whistled.

"Okay, okay!" She yelled, clapping her hand against her desk in an effort to regain the class's attention. "No more stalking my fiancée on social media, thank you!"

The class fell quiet for the briefest of moments.

“Professor, is it true Rachel caught you making out in the hot tub?”

The whoops and whistles grew impossibly loud, interspersed with several giggles and multiple gasps.

Nicole closed her eyes, her jaw clenched as she pinched the bridge of her nose between her forefinger and thumb.

“Thank you, Rachel," she huffed.

“Hey, don’t be embarrassed Prof, you can get it!”

Nicole groaned.

She sank into her desk chair, running a hand through her hair as she leaned back.

“Christ, please," she begged. "Can someone just reel off the themes of Brave New World and let me sink into my own mortification in peace?”

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Nicole checked her phone one final time as she pulled up to The Old Rectory.

She hadn’t heard from Waverly all afternoon. The brunette had been due home over an hour ago, she hadn’t answered any of Nicole’s calls, and they were now on the verge of being late for their dinner with Waverly’s friends.

And Nicole was a little worried.

She had deliberated for some time over whether to come here. She hadn’t wanted to be persistent, or to disturb Waverly if she was simply working, but this was unusual for the brunette and so she wanted to be sure everything was okay. 

She frowned as she pushed her way into the foyer, the lights on and the little bell above her head chiming, but no sign of Waverly.

Until a loud slam rang out from the small door behind the counter, followed by a growl and a string of very un-Waverly-like curse words. 

Nicole furrowed her brow.

“Waverly?” She picked her way carefully around the counter, knocking softly on the little door before pushing her way in.

Waverly halted, halfway through slamming a box full of heart-shaped table number plaques onto a shelf, her brow furrowed deep and her jaw set tight. Her eyes were almost burning with the flicker of anger, and Nicole felt her own jaw clench, a heavy surge of protective anger rippling through her for whatever or whoever had caused this.

“Hey!” The brunette took a shallow breath, her brows arching and her lips curling into a very tight lipped smile as she visibly fought to hide her frustration, and to pull herself together. “What are you doing here?”

"I came to make sure you were okay!” Nicole explained, keeping her voice soft as she took a step into the storeroom, letting the door close behind her. “You didn't come home, and we have that dinner…"

Waverly’s shoulders dropped, the anger in her eyes melting a little at the redhead’s words.

“What’s wrong, Wave?”

“Nothing.” Waverly shook her head, waving a hand dismissively.

“I…” Nicole took another step forward, holding the brunette’s gaze with gentle eyes. She smiled softly. “I mean, okay. If you don’t want to talk, that’s fine. But also just know that you are an open book and I can see the fumes coming from your ears, and I’m here for you if you need me, okay?”

Waverly huffed out a harsh laugh, but the smile reached her eyes as Nicole’s presence seemed to soothe her somehow.

Nicole exhaled slowly.

“Why can’t my friends just be happy for me?” Waverly mumbled.

“What’s happened?”

“Chrissy,” Waverly spat, giving her box an almighty shove, and sending it flying into the back of the shelf with a thud and a tremble.

Nicole blinked.

“She came in earlier,” Waverly continued, picking up another box, “all huffy about some fight she had with Perry about something obscenely trivial.”

“Is she okay?” Nicole asked, almost cautiously. 

“She’s fine.” Waverly shoved her box into the shelf with another slam. “But then she asked me about our arguments, and I told her we don’t argue, and she started fucking warning me!”

Nicole’s brow creased, her lips pursing in confusion.

Had she heard that right?

“Wait, what?” She wrinkled her nose. “Us not arguing is a warning sign?”

“Right?” Waverly yelped. “She seems to believe you can’t marry someone until you see what they’re like in an argument. She says you don't truly know someone until you've pissed them off." She threw her hands in the air, finally ceasing her attack on her storeroom, and leaning her hands against the wooden frame. “God, why can’t she just accept I’ve met someone I really like, and just be happy for me?”

Nicole’s stomach flipped, her breath catching in her throat as the words hit hard.

Someone she really likes?

That didn’t sound like a charade.

It didn’t sound like a lie.

It didn’t look like a lie, behind burning eyes, and anger-fuelled fire.

Nicole took another step closer, her lips tugging into the softest of smiles. 

She was pretty sure she knew what was needed right now.

“Well, you’re agitated now, right?” She murmured.

“No.” Waverly huffed, folding her arms across her front.

Nicole grinned, quirking an eyebrow.

Waverly rolled her eyes.

“Maybe.” She smirked, dropping her arms by her side as she turned to face Nicole.

“So…” Nicole took one last step closer, the gap between them now small enough for her to feel the heat radiating from the brunette’s body. She shrugged. “Take it out on me.”

Waverly’s eyes widened.

“What?”

“Come on, hit me with it.” Nicole grinned. “Let’s have our first fight.”

Waverly huffed out a surprised laugh, her eyes crinkling a little at the corners.

“No, no, hold that smile back!” Nicole bit back her grin, furrowing her brows deliberately in an effort to appear at least somewhat confrontational. “Fight with me, let’s do it. I’ve pissed you off. I was late home for a dinner date. I-I’m setting six alarms a morning and sleeping through them all.”

“Nicole!” Waverly giggled, shaking her head. “I’m not…”

“Do not laugh right now, Waverly Earp!” Nicole shot, her tone sharp but her eyes sparkling as she fought to hold back her amusement. “This is serious, I’ve loaded the dishwasher all wrong for the last goddamn time. And I snored all night last night and you just didn’t get any sleep! Just…” Nicole spread her arms in gesture. “Just starfished. Hogged all the blankets”

Waverly bit her lip, her amusement shining through any remaining fire, and she watched Nicole attentively, with anything but anger in her eyes.

Nicole smirked. She knew she would need to dig a little deeper if she wanted Waverly to break. And she was pretty sure she had just the thing. 

“I used glitter on the wedding invitations.”

Waverly narrowed her eyes.

“Just like, a whole fuck tonne of glitter,” Nicole taunted. “All up in all the invitations. Sparkles in the envelopes.”

“Glitter is really bad for the aquatic environment…” Waverly started, her tone just a little darker.

“Yeah, but it looks so pretty stuck to the card,” Nicole argued, waving her arms around aimlessly, just to be extra annoying. “Just all covered in glitter, and foil, and glue.” She smirked. “Casein glue.”

Waverly glowered.

“Nicole Haught, this wedding is not happening if you even think about bringing horse glue within a five hundred fucking mile radius of me!”

“But we’ve got eighty cards,” Nicole retorted. “They can’t be recycled anymore, not with all that glitter on them.”

“We were supposed to send email invitations!”

“But it’s tradition to send handwritten invites,” Nicole shrugged.

“Fuck tradition,” Waverly snapped.

Jackpot.

Nicole took a step back, her eyes widening a little as Waverly began to pace the floor angrily.

“Fuck tradition, and fuck your stupid rules about what should and shouldn’t happen,” Waverly seethed, her cheeks beginning to redden as she paced the tiny storeroom. “And fuck what you think a relationship should look like before marriage, why does it fucking matter? So what if we haven’t argued? You think that means we don’t know each other? That we can’t possibly have a real connection?” 

Waverly stomped toward Nicole, the gap closing once again in her heated speech. Her voice was sharp, and low, and her cheeks and her chest flushed red with her irritation. And yet something softer still sat behind her eyes. Something just playful enough to show she was still in the game.

Enough for Nicole to know she was not, and never had been, the object of Waverly’s wrath.

Nicole smirked.

“Because it is!” Waverly growled, her pacing bringing her just an arm’s length from the redhead’s body, her eyes boring into Nicole’s, and the fire behind her words dropping her voice to gravel. “It is definitely possible to find something real this quickly, and I don’t give a fuck what you think, because this is...”

Waverly trailed off. Her eyes widened, her chest hitching as she caught the words in her throat before they fell.

Nicole’s stomach erupted, her entire body flooded with butterflies as those unspoken words seeped instead through Waverly’s eyes, bleeding through the silence and into the redhead’s heated veins. 

Something real.

That was exactly what this was. And Nicole knew it.

And Waverly knew it.

And there was nothing stopping them anymore.

Nicole’s head felt foggy, the air closing so tight around them that she could barely breathe.

She held Waverly’s gaze, letting the rippling energy of the stifling silence linger for just a moment longer.

Then she smirked, her voice a hoarse whisper.

“And what if I agree?”

Waverly’s eyes burned, her lips tugging at the corners in a knowing smirk as she let her gaze drop to Nicole’s own.

Then she lunged forward.

Nicole grunted as Waverly’s lips collided with her own, the stifling air burning instantly into an inferno low in her belly that she knew she had no hope of ever calming. She wrapped her arms around the brunette’s waist, tugging her tight against her body as Waverly’s tongue sank into her mouth, claiming her in the single most carnal kiss she had ever experienced in her thirty years on the planet. Desperate, hungry hands wrapped in Nicole’s hair, tugging hard, and she groaned as she let her own slip over the curves of Waverly’s ass and down, pulling up until the brunette’s legs wrapped tight around her waist.

Weeks of tension. Of uncertainty, and longing, and connection, and want. 

Weeks of desire pulsed strong through every heated movement, and Nicole found herself almost trembling with her desperation as she pushed Waverly back against the wall, pinning her hard with rolling hips as she kissed her with everything she had.

And the heat was unbearable.

Waverly whimpered, her hands clutching tight in Nicole’s hair as she ground her own hips down, her heels gripping against the curves of the redhead’s ass.

Nicole’s head swam, her arousal burning in every nerve of her body as Waverly bit down on her lower lip, soothing it with teasing flicks of her tongue as her hands tugged hard in red hair, her hips rolling rhythmically against Nicole’s own.

It was too much.

Too much for a kiss, and Nicole growled into the brunette’s mouth as she fought to keep a hold of her self control and her desperate urges.

She wanted Waverly. Wanted her like she had never wanted anything, and the way the brunette’s hips rolled against her stomach was sparking unbearable flames of desire between Nicole’s own thighs that she wasn’t sure she had it in her to resist. She let her hands slip beneath the material of Waverly’s skirt, her fingers closing tight over the underside of her thighs for something to ground herself on.

Waverly’s goosebumps, and her whimper of approval did nothing to soothe the flames.

Nicole was seconds from caving. 

Seconds from losing the last threads of her control, and taking what she wanted. Seconds from dropping to her knees.

Until the little bell over the shop door chimed. 

Waverly groaned, her head falling back against the wall as Nicole broke away, the air between them too thick to breathe in as they fought against their panting breaths and heaving chests.

Nicole gripped Waverly’s thighs firmer, huffing out a hoarse sound of arousal, frustration, and giddy elation as the brunette’s fiery eyes found her own.

Then something sparked in the hazel gaze; something playful and giddy that made Nicole’s chest swell, and she grinned, connecting their lips once again in a softer, shorter kiss.

This time when they broke away, Waverly’s grin spread wide immediately.

“Great fight,” Nicole breathed, her dimples popping and her eyes sparkling as she brushed the end of her nose over Waverly’s.

“Even better make-up,” Waverly chuckled, her eyes almost awed as her fingers traced the redhead’s lips and the prominent dimples.

“Hello?”

Nicole bit her lip, stifling a giggle as a voice called out from the venue’s foyer, and Waverly blushed.

She stepped back, letting Waverly down gently. She grinned, readjusting the brunette’s skewiff skirt as Waverly straightened the collar on Nicole’s shirt.

"I'll just see to this last person, then I'll lock up and be home…" Waverly whispered, her eyes almost misty as they flicked between Nicole’s. “You’ll be there?”

Nicole grinned, pulling Waverly into one last soft, lingering kiss, before stepping back to let her enter the foyer.

“I’ll see you there, babe.”

Chapter Text

Nicole blew out a shaky breath as she heard the car door thud shut, and the crunch of boots on the gravel as Waverly made her way up to the house's front door.

She had been waiting for this moment all day.

Waiting for the chance to finally tell Waverly Earp that nothing beyond the ring was fake. 

She should have been feeling confident, after the best kiss of her life in Waverly’s tiny storeroom, and yet still her nerves shook through her every muscle as the front door closed, and the brunette’s footsteps made their way down the hall towards the kitchen.

She swallowed nervously as Waverly finally appeared in the doorway, hazel eyes lighting up as they landed on mocha.

Nicole couldn't help it.

Her feet moved of their own virtue, carrying her almost weightlessly until there was no space left between them.

"Hi," Waverly whispered. Her eyes sparkled, something cheekily playful blending with an endearing nervousness that tugged hard in Nicole’s stomach.

Nicole leaned in, barely even aware she was doing it until Waverly’s eyes fluttered closed, and the soft skin of her cheek flushed beneath the press of the redhead’s lips.

"Hi," Nicole murmured, chuckling softly as she pulled back. "H-how was…? Did…?"

She swallowed.

God, why was the air so tight in her throat?

Barely fifteen minutes ago she'd had Waverly pinned to a wall, her hands all over her and her tongue in her mouth, and now…

Now she could barely string a sentence together!

She took a step back, rubbing her hands over her own face. 

"God, I'm really nervous!" She chuckled.

"Oh, thank god, me too!" Waverly huffed out a laugh, the sound dispelling the tension in the air just enough.

"I mean… is this…?" Nicole fumbled, her brain and her throat still far too tight to form the right words, and she searched Waverly’s eyes as if she might somehow find them in the sparkling hazel. "Th-this is okay? You want this? For real?"

"Yes, Nic," Waverly breathed, her eyes brighter than ever as they crinkled with her beaming smile. "I want you. I like you. For real."

Nicole’s chest swelled so hard it ached, and she held a hand over her somersaulting stomach as she reached the other out for Waverly’s, linking their fingers effortlessly.

“I like you too,” she murmured, her dimples popping harder than they ever had. "I always have. I liked you in three minutes."

Waverly giggled.

"I liked you in two.” She winked, squeezing the redhead’s hand softly as she stepped closer. 

Nicole laughed. She couldn’t help it. Every nerve ending in her body felt elated and she couldn’t quite believe the words she was hearing.

She’d been right, from the very start. This had always been something.

She bit her lip, revered eyes studying Waverly’s face for a long moment. Just to take it in. The way hazel eyes flickered with anticipation, and excitement, and adoration, and desire. The way irresistible lips tugged into the widest of smiles, and the way the light flush over Waverly’s cheeks and her chest deepened as her gaze dropped to Nicole’s dimpled grin.

“So, are we… doing this?” Waverly whispered, her voice a dizzying blend of hopeful and nervous. “Are we gonna do the… the real thing? N-not the engagement, obviously, but…” She blushed, her hand gesturing between their bodies. “D-date?”

“Yeah,” Nicole breathed, grinning as Waverly’s smile grew impossibly wider. “God, I wanna date you so hard.”

Waverly giggled, her hands teasing over the front of Nicole’s shirt and up, wrapping around the redhead’s neck, her fingers tangling into her hair.

Nicole leaned in, brushing her nose feather-light over Waverly’s, their lips just millimeters apart. Every cell in her body burned with anticipation, and yet under the heady light of their confessed feelings, she felt more at ease than she'd ever felt. 

This was not their first kiss. Far from it. It wasn’t even their first real kiss.

But it was the first kiss in which they both knew there was nothing to hold back. The first kiss fuelled by a softer fire, and Nicole wanted to let those embers linger for just a moment longer.

She waited, her blood beginning to simmer in her veins as she watched hazel eyes flutter closed. 

Then she finally closed the gap, pressing their lips together in the softest, sweetest of kisses, and her blood burned instantly, the butterflies in her stomach erupting into goosebumps across her entire body. 

The kiss was soft, the movements slow as they explored each other almost tentatively, as if somehow they were testing new waters, and yet still the heat that rippled just beneath the surface of it was overwhelming. 

Until Waverly nipped playfully at Nicole’s bottom lip, smiling slightly into the kiss, and the redhead’s stomach plummeted. 

Along with her self control.

She wrapped her hands over Waverly’s hips, tugging her tight against her own body as she deepened the kiss, the embers of her earlier arousal flaring into all-consuming flames in barely seconds as Waverly tugged hard in her hair.

She had no idea how it happened. Her back hit the counter, Waverly’s body hard between her thighs as the brunette rolled her hips, and Nicole groaned, low and husky into the kiss.

She gasped, arousal pooling thick between her thighs as Waverly broke the kiss, tugging hard once again in red hair as her lips and her tongue began to make their way across Nicole’s jawline, and down the column of her neck.

And god, those lips were amazing.

Nicole whimpered, her fists clenching in Waverly’s hair as the brunette trailed heated, open-mouthed kisses over the most sensitive spots on her neck, sucking the flesh into her mouth for teasing moments. Not enough to mark - but enough to make Nicole’s blood boil.

Somewhere in the back of Nicole’s lust-hazed mind she knew that now was not the time.

She wanted Waverly.

God, she wanted her so badly.

But not here.

Not like this.

Not when they had no time.

When Waverly’s tongue worked its way up, and over the shell of her ear, the flame of Nicole’s arousal gripped almost painfully, and she growled, pushing back with her hips until their positions were flipped.

"Waverly, fuck!” She groaned, burying her face into the brunette’s neck as she hoisted her up onto the counter with effortless ease. “Please don’t do this to me again.”

"What do you mean?” Waverly panted, her chest heaving against Nicole’s as she fought to catch her breath. “What’s wrong?”

Nicole chuckled softly, trailing her own lips over Waverly’s jawline, biting gently. 

"I don’t know how many times I can take you working me up like this just to stop!” She moaned, pushing her hips forward despite her own words.

“Don’t stop then!” Waverly whimpered, her eyes rolling as Nicole ground her hips forward once again.

Nicole groaned.

"I wish, but I don't want to make us late to dinner," she murmured, her lips brushing gently over Waverly’s. "And I really don't want to rush this."

"Right, because we jumped right into this with absolutely zero build up or getting to know each other time," Waverly huffed, her legs tightening around Nicole’s hips in an effort to keep the contact close.

Nicole laughed.

"I meant I don't want to rush sex with you.”

"Why?” Waverly practically whined, her hands clutching at Nicole’s shoulders. “It's 2021, we can enjoy sex if we want to, it's not illegal!"

"Oh, and I'm going to." Nicole chuckled darkly, allowing her lips to roam the brunette’s neck once more. She flicked her tongue over Waverly’s pulse point, her core clenching at the responding moan. "But what I mean is, you are not a quick fuck on the kitchen counter."

Nicole bit down, sucking the flesh over Waverly’s pulse point into her mouth.

"N-no?" Waverly gasped.

"No, baby."

Waverly whimpered, and Nicole smirked. 

"No, I'm going to take my time with you," Nicole husked, letting her hands tease beneath the hem of Waverly’s skirt and over the tops of her thighs. "I'm gonna worship you."

Waverly’s chest heaved, her lip trembling as it caught between her teeth, and Nicole’s spine tingled at the delicious arousal she could feel radiating from the brunette under her words and the ministrations.

"I'm gonna tease every inch of your body. Learn every spot that makes you sigh," Nicole muttered, deep and dirty, her voice gravelly over Waverly's ear. She let her hands trail further, hooking her fingers into the sides of Waverly’s underwear. "And where your breaking point is."

"Oh, god." Waverly shuddered. "Nicole…"

Nicole smirked, letting the tip of her tongue curl over the shell of Waverly’s ear, the responding shiver connecting straight to her own clit.

"And I'm gonna make you come," she growled, tugging firmly on the material of Waverly’s underwear. "Over and over and over again, until your legs are weak and your veins are trembling."

She grinned as Waverly bit back a sob, and then she pulled back, her hands trailing back down the brunette’s thighs and her lips ghosting lightly over Waverly’s own.

"And I can't do all of that in the time we have before dinner," she whispered.

Then she took a step back, breaking the contact.

Waverly’s jaw dropped, a strangled sound of frustration ripping from her throat.

"Holy shit," she groaned, throwing her head back and clenching her thighs together. "Haught, you are a fucking tease."

Nicole chuckled darkly as she took another step back.

For her own sanity.

The low husk in Waverly’s voice, and the almost animalistic look in her eyes was doing nothing to help the state of Nicole’s own arousal, and she was only cursing herself for the bittersweet tease.

It had been fucking glorious to work Waverly up that way, but by fucking christ Nicole was absolutely certain she had never been as turned on as she was right now. The ache between her thighs was painful, and she was pretty sure the soaked material of her underwear would be visible through her slacks.

But she had meant every word she'd said.

Waverly was more than this.

There would be time later.

"What should I wear?" Nicole threw her best charming grin, honeying her voice in an effort to feign disaffect.

"Nothing, preferably," Waverly huffed, her chest flushed, lips swollen, her eyes closed and her thighs pressed together.

"I don't think Wynonna would appreciate that." Nicole grinned.

Waverly cracked an eye open, her reddened lips spreading into a dirty smirk.

"I really think you're wrong," she retorted. "Why do we even have to go? We literally saw them yesterday!" She whined.

"We saw two of them yesterday!” Nicole chuckled, her body on autopilot as it moved back towards Waverly. “And we have to go because it's your tradition."

"Fuck tradition." Waverly smirked, wrapping her legs around Nicole’s waist the moment the redhead was within reach.

Nicole grinned.

"We..." she murmured, wrapping her arms around Waverly’s waist and lifting her down from the counter. "Are gonna go and have dinner with your friends, squirm in our seats for a few hours, and then I'll make it up to you later."

Waverly groaned.

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

“Oh nice of you to show up, Haught-Shit!” Wynonna bellowed across the restaurant as Waverly and Nicole finally made it through the heavy glass doors. “I was beginning to think you’d abandoned me!” 

Waverly grinned as Nicole huffed out a laugh.

She really loved the way her sister seemed to have taken so quickly to Nicole, and she was feeling all sorts of ways about the fact that tonight, for the first time in as long as she could remember, their table of eight would be full.

And Waverly wouldn’t be sat beside an empty space.

“So sorry to leave you with a bereft twenty-four hours without me, Earp, however did you cope?” Nicole scoffed, grinning as she took a seat at the table.

Waverly sighed contentedly as she sat beside her.

She was still completely on edge, her entire world spinning the wrong way on its axis after the events of the evening, and Nicole’s kiss. 

Kisses.

All of them.

And yet the sight of the redhead in that damn seat, engaging so easily with her sister and her friends, was warming her chest more than enough to calm any resentment that she had about being here.

Except for one thing.

Nicole was still being a goddamn fucking tease.

Waverly had taken a cold shower. She had fought her body not to rip the ridiculously sexy shirt straight back off of Nicole’s body the moment she’d laid eyes on it, and she had spent the fifteen minute walk to the restaurant trying really hard to think about sips of cold tea, or ants in a picnic hamper, or soggy bread crusts, or anything to calm the way her thighs tensed at Nicole’s hand in hers or the ghost-memory of the redhead’s hips rolling over her own.

And Nicole was not making it easy.

Right now she had Waverly’s hand turned over beneath hers under the table, the tips of her fingers tracing circles in her palm, and for some reason Waverly couldn’t even begin to process, the simple action was driving her crazy. 

She shivered. 

Nicole grinned, lifting Waverly’s hand to her lips and planting a soft kiss in the centre of her palm.

“Eight tonight?” The waiter exclaimed as he appeared at the table with their drinks order. He nodded towards Nicole, winking as the redhead let their joined hands drop beneath the table once more. “Congratulations.”

Waverly blushed. 

Her friends whooped.

"Finally, a toast!" Wynonna cheered, holding her glass up in the air.

Waverly held her breath.

"To Waverly and Nicole, and the whirlwind romance that even I'm a little jealous of!”

"Wow,” Rosita muttered, “someone's not getting laid tonight." 

"Love you, baby." Wynonna smirked, clinking her glass against Rosita’s.

Rosita rolled her eyes.

Waverly giggled.

She had to admit it did feel pretty nice to have a toast aimed at her, but she couldn’t help the surge of guilt that she felt still at the severity of the lie that she had completely lost herself in.

And somehow it felt worse now that things with Nicole were… less fake.

Why couldn’t she just have done this from the start? Just met Nicole like a normal human, and brought her here tonight where they were. New, and fresh, and exciting, and giddy.

That was worth its own toast, and now Waverly couldn’t even gush about it to her best friends, because they thought she’d been in this euphoric high for three months!

She felt her chest close tight, the anxiety just beginning to take its hold, when Nicole’s hand closed over the top of her thigh, squeezing gently, and Waverly instantly melted. 

How did she always know?

How did she know when Waverly was struggling to stay grounded, and how did she always manage to pull her back with the simplest of touches?

"Hey. Breathe, okay," Nicole leaned in, whispering the words softly into Waverly’s ear. "You have your reasons."

Waverly knew the intent was to reassure. She knew the words and the touch were soft, fuelled by a desire to ground Waverly, and not to somersault her into the stratosphere…

But the ghost of those lips over the shell of her ear, and the heated hush of Nicole’s breath against her skin lit her blood on fire, and she erupted instantly into goosebumps.

She clenched her jaw, praying the prickles across her arms wouldn’t be visible to anyone around her. Until Nicole smirked against her ear, running the tip of a finger torturously slowly over the bumps of her arm, and she knew the redhead could tell exactly what she was doing to her.

"Haught, stop whispering sweet nothings to my sister over our salad," Wynonna huffed, throwing a chunk of bread at Nicole across the table.

Nicole chuckled softly against the shell of Waverly’s ear, the heated huff of air shooting through the brunette’s bloodstream and connecting straight to her clit. She let her eyes flutter closed for a moment, wrapping her fingers tight around the tops of her own thighs to ground herself.

She was pretty sure she was going to die here. 

Nicole’s fingers rested over her own, and she flipped Waverly’s hand around until they linked. Waverly’s lips tugged into a smile at the implication. 

The chance to draw her X if she needed it.

As if.

"Okay for just a moment longer?" Nicole whispered, her voice carrying her amusement even at its hushed volume. 

Waverly hummed, completely unable to trust her voice.

Wynonna gagged.

Nicole grinned, planting a single soft, open mouthed kiss on the sensitive skin of Waverly’s neck, just below her ear, and the brunette clamped her jaw so hard she tasted copper as she fought to bite back her gasp.

"You alright there, Waves?” Chrissy teased. “You look a bit… Haught and bothered." 

“How is your sexual tension getting worse?” Rosita exclaimed.

"Fuck off," Waverly mumbled. “And six breadsticks is not a salad.”

Nicole’s lips spread into a grin against the skin of Waverly’s neck, then she trailed them up, closing them softly over Waverly’s earlobe and biting down, tugging it into her mouth before she finally pulled away. 

Yeah.

It was certain.

Waverly was absolutely going to die here.

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Waverly held her breath instinctively as she headed slowly up the path towards her front door, Nicole close behind her. The fifteen minute walk home had been animated; playful, and flirty, and teasing. But over the last few hundred yards, the air had grown still. Quiet, and thick. Their usually playful fire had dulled, and in its place burned something darker, and more intense in its flames, and they both knew what was behind it.

They both knew there was no hiding anymore. Nothing to stop them. And they both knew exactly what they wanted. 

Something about it felt powerful, and Waverly could feel it ripple through her veins, raising her temperature and surging her confidence.

She turned her head, catching Nicole’s gaze as she slipped the key into the lock. She smirked, the ripple in her veins growing stronger as the same power reflected back at her in darkened mocha eyes. 

Waverly inhaled shakily as she pushed open the door, stepping into the dark. She could feel Nicole behind her, heated despite the fact that they didn't touch, and she shivered at the realisation that her body just seemed to know her presence. Seemed to prickle with goosebumps, even without the touch. Like magnetism.

The hallway was dark, lit only by the low glow of the lamp left on in the living room, but Waverly could see enough. She could see enough to follow the rise and fall of Nicole’s chest, and the darkening eyes that watched her carefully as Waverly closed the door behind them. 

And she could see enough to map the way Nicole’s lips parted as the lock clicked, and Waverly’s thighs clenched at the implication that hung heavy in the air.

They were finally truly alone.

And the mere thought trickled liquid heat down the length of Waverly’s spine.

The air felt even tighter this side of the door. Thicker than ever in the silence and the dark. Impossibly charged behind the last barrier between the glowing embers of this thing between them, and the obstacles that had stopped them time and time again. 

Nicole watched Waverly still as she moved backwards into the house, her soft, heated gaze not leaving the brunette’s. She smirked, that hint of cheeky playfulness sparking through her eyes as she kicked her shoes off slowly. 

Waverly smirked.

Nicole was solid. Strong. Composed. And the cheeky smirk screamed confidence. But her fists lay clenched at her sides, and her cheeks flushed just a little more than usual, even in the low light, and Waverly knew she had her right where she wanted her.

She moved purposefully, the slow echo of her heels over the hardwood floor the only sound in the silence. Nicole's lips parted, her chest heaving just a little heavier with every click closer.

"Wave…" Nicole whispered. She took a shaky step back, her eyes widening as her heels collided with the hallway walls.

Waverly bit her lip in gentle amusement as she reached her. The subtle glaze over dark eyes, the tell-tale tint over porcelain cheeks, and the slight tremble in irresistible lips were like fuel to Waverly. Gasoline, and the shift of power felt incredible.  

Nicole had been teasing her all night. Since the very start, if Waverly really thought about it. She had held the control in every one of their maybes, and their almosts, and their heated kisses. 

And now she was well and truly caught under Waverly’s spell, and the brunette could see the subtle twitch in her forearms as they fought her brain to take back the control she was fast losing.

But she didn't. 

She held still, and the implication burned molten lava through Waverly’s core.

Waverly grinned, her confidence skyrocketing as she ran her hands over the curves of Nicole’s stomach and up, feeling the heat and the muscles below the thin starched cotton of the shirt. She leaned in, her voice low and husky over the shell of Nicole’s ear.

"Give me your phone."

"Wh-what?" Nicole faltered, her eyes fluttering closed and her muscles jumping hard beneath Waverly’s roaming hands.

"Your phone," Waverly repeated. She flicked her tongue over Nicole’s earlobe, her hands trailing firmly down the redhead’s sides and her thighs. She slipped her fingers round, dragging her nails over the back of soft thighs, and over the curves of the redhead’s ass. She squeezed, smirking as Nicole choked back a gasp. Then she slipped her hand into the back pocket of the slacks, pulling the phone out and away, stepping back as she held the device up in front of Nicole’s face. "You don't need this."

She held Nicole’s bewildered gaze as she placed the phone down, along with her own, on the side table in the hallway.

"You’re mine tonight, Nicole," she murmured, the corners of her lips tugging up into a smile as Nicole’s eyes softened with her understanding. "No more interruptions."

Nicole smiled, lopsided and gentle, and Waverly felt her stomach flip at the flicker of that familiar soft warmth lacing through the thickened tension.

"You're sure?" Nicole murmured. "You want this?"

“Yes.” Waverly grinned. "Do you want this?"

"So much," Nicole groaned through a half chuckle, almost nervous in her anticipation. She leaned back against the wall, her fingers scratching over it as she visibly fought to hold herself back. “My god, it is so hard to breathe in here. Wave, I want you so badly.”

Waverly bit her lip.

“That’s what you said, wasn’t it? Earlier?” Waverly husked, her eyes and her voice darkening dangerously as she began to move, her heels echoing out once more against the wooden floors. "That you wanted to worship me? That you wanted to make me come?”

“Yes.” Nicole breathed, low and strained. Almost a growl. "I did. I do."

“So do it then,” Waverly murmured as she reached Nicole once more. She ran her fingers over the spread of the redhead’s shirt, tugging hard on the material. "No more stopping."

"No more stopping," Nicole repeated, her voice dropping to a low, dirty mutter. The soft warmth, and those subtle signs of nerves bled seamlessly into something fiery, the ghost of a dirty smirk tugging at the corners of reddened lips.

Then she stepped forward, and Waverly fought the urge to take a shaky step back. Nicole reached a hand out, her fingers tracing gently over Waverly’s jaw, and the brunette’s skin rippled with goosebumps at the tenderness of the soft touch. 

Then that fire flickered fierce behind mocha eyes, and Nicole’s grip tightened just enough to tug Waverly firmly into a searing, filthy kiss. Waverly stumbled for the briefest of moments, her hands clutching at Nicole’s shirt in an effort to keep herself upright, until firm hands slipped down over her ass and lifted, and she wrapped her legs instinctively around the redhead’s waist.

Waverly’s entire body was on fire. Nicole’s tongue teased mercilessly against her own, her teeth nipping and pulling at swollen lips, and her fingers pressed firmly into the crease of Waverly’s thighs over her dress, and the brunette’s arousal was fast consuming every shred of her sanity. She pulled frantically at the buttons of Nicole’s shirt, grunting into the kiss with each release until she finally managed to push the spread open, feeling the warmth of Nicole’s skin meet her own.

There was something so inexplicably sexy to Waverly about the effortless way in which Nicole seemed to carry her through the house. Something so steady, and sure, and encompassing about the quiet strength that made her chest ache and her hips roll. And she was growing increasingly desperate to feel the press of that strength against the mattress, and for Nicole to take her whole world apart.

She gripped the redhead’s face, deepening the kiss almost carnally as Nicole began to climb the stairs with delicious ease. She sank her tongue in, curling it deep in the filthiest way she could ever remember. Usually this would have been too much for Waverly. Messy, and unenjoyable. But there was something utterly irresistible about Nicole that made her just want to consume her in every way possible, and she could not get herself close enough to the redhead’s body. Nicole groaned as Waverly curled her tongue, her fingers gripping tighter over the brunette’s ass as she finally broke, stumbling a little on the last of the stairs.

Waverly slipped her hands into red hair, smirking into the kiss as she tugged. She knew exactly what reaction she had pulled from this earlier in the day, and she wanted nothing more than to hear that low sound again now that she was stretching the cracks in that sure composure.

And Nicole didn’t disappoint. She growled, long and low, her eyes flashing dangerously dark as she surged forward, pinning Waverly back against the wall at the top of the stairs. Waverly hummed in amusement, scratching her nails hard over Nicole’s scalp as she continued to pull lightly at handfuls of silky red hair.

"You're awfully smug for someone who’s found one weak spot," Nicole huffed, her cheeks flushed deep red, and her eyes almost black as she rolled her hips hard against Waverly’s. "When I'm about to find every one of yours."

"Oh, you think I've found just one?" Waverly chuckled. She flicked her tongue over Nicole’s lower lip, sucking it into her mouth and biting down. 

Nicole groaned, her hips pressing harder against Waverly’s, and her hands flew out against the wall as she fought to steady her trembling muscles.

Waverly grinned. Nicole may have had the physical control right now, but there was no way she was leaving the redhead with the upper hand. Not while she could help it. She let her tongue trail the length of Nicole’s jaw, pressing heated kisses over the flushed skin of her neck. She flicked her tongue repeatedly over the sensitive spot just beneath the redhead’s ear, until Nicole shivered, moaning shakily.

Then she smirked, dropping her legs to the floor as she pushed Nicole back.

Nicole’s lips parted, her brow furrowing in concern for the briefest of moments, until Waverly grinned, lifting a finger and beckoning Nicole to follow as she slipped past her, backing down the hall towards the bedroom. 

"I already know your weakest spot, baby," Waverly husked.

She bit her lip, barely holding back her dark amusement as she let her hands roam the sides of her own body, tangling her fingers into the material of her dress. She kept dark eyes trained on lust-hazed mocha as she pulled slowly, bringing the dress up over rolling hips, the curves of her stomach and her chest, and over her head. She dropped the material to the floor, her arousal spiking as the dull thud seemed to register in Nicole’s veins, and the redhead groaned.

She watched, her core clenching hard with almost desperate desire as those dark eyes mapped her body, burning into Waverly as they explored every inch of newly exposed skin.

"My weakest point?" Nicole rumbled. 

She moved slowly, every step deliberate, controlled as she followed Waverly. And there was something about that control that looked almost dangerous. Predatory.  

And it made Waverly’s knees weak.

But as undeniably, dangerously sexy as Nicole Haught was in control like this...

Waverly wanted to break it. 

She wanted to unleash the side of Nicole that she kept hidden just beneath the surface. The primal side. The desperate, passionate, hungry side of Nicole that Waverly had managed to catch glimmers of in their most heated of moments. The side that made the brunette’s core tremble, and her words run dry. Waverly wanted to know that side of Nicole.

And there was something… some niggling, knowing feeling, that just maybe she might just be the only one to ever know that side.

And that was even more appealing.

“And what spot is that, baby?" Nicole husked, her lips quirking in amusement. She pulled the spread of her own shirt back, letting it fall from her arms and onto the floor.

Waverly swallowed.

Good god Nicole was just inhumanly sexy.

She bit her lip, fighting against her own burning desire as she tried to keep the control. She let the pad of her finger trail slowly down her own chest, goosebumps rising beneath her touch as Nicole’s dark eyes watched it drop.

She waited, leaning back against the bedroom door as Nicole moved almost torturously slowly closer. The moment Nicole reached her, Waverly sank her fingers into her own underwear, trailing them through the pool of desire collected between her thighs.

"Fuck," Nicole groaned.

Her tight composure visibly crumbled. She faltered in her final steps, her jaw dropping and her eyes glazing as they traced Waverly’s movement.

"Driving me crazy," Waverly breathed. She pushed her fingers into Nicole’s mouth, the redhead’s eyes rolling back as she tasted the extent of Waverly’s need for her.

And it was instant.

She was gone.

It was animalistic, the way she gripped Waverly’s hips as she kicked the door open, her body pressed tight against the brunette’s as she pushed her back. 

Waverly’s head swam, her arousal overwhelming her in the sudden and entire loss of control. 

She was barely aware of the motions as Nicole turned her, pulling her back against her front as the redhead's lips and tongue devoured her neck and her ear. Nicole was everywhere, and Waverly’s lust-hazed mind couldn't distinguish one sense from another.

Until the metallic clank of Nicole’s belt buckle sounded behind her, and Waverly shuddered.

"Fuck, Nic…" she breathed, turning her head the best she could under the redhead’s assault. "Please, let me?"

Nicole stepped back, watching with blackened eyes as Waverly turned. Then those eyes widened, immediately softening into something warmer, more reverent as Waverly dropped to her knees.

Waverly smirked. She kept her eyes trained on Nicole’s as she planted soft kisses over the redhead’s trembling stomach, and the goosebumped line of her waistband. The softer gaze, and the gentle way Nicole’s hands threaded through Waverly’s hair made the brunette feel safe, and wanted, and she couldn’t wait to bring this woman pleasure.

She bit down gently over the soft flesh below Nicole’s belly button, her fingers working the clasp and the zipper of the redhead’s slacks and pulling them down slowly over curved thighs. She took a deep breath, her arousal spiking through her spine in an almost bruising wave as Nicole stepped out of the slacks, and the scent of the redhead’s desire overwhelmed her.

Holy fuck.

Waverly growled, her composure crumbling around her as she ran her nails down the back of Nicole’s legs, leaving trails of bites and kisses over the insides of the redhead’s thighs.

The darkened patch on the green lace of Nicole’s underwear was driving Waverly crazy, and she was completely powerless to resist the pull. She cupped her hands over the curves of Nicole’s ass, tugging her forward as she pressed a hot, open-mouthed kiss over the material above Nicole’s clit.

Nicole hissed, her eyes flashing dangerously, and her grip in Waverly’s hair grew tighter for a lingering moment as the brunette flicked her tongue out over the lace underwear.

Then the grip loosened, Nicole’s eyes flashing guilty as she offered an apologetic smile.

And Waverly was not having that!

She quirked an eyebrow, her lips turned up in amusement as she repeated the action, pressing her kiss just a little firmer this time. She lay her fingers flat over Nicole’s ass, hoping her message would be clear.

No X.

Nicole smirked, her eyes somehow both softening and flaming dark as she understood the message. She tangled her fingers deeper into Waverly’s hair, tugging harder this time as she pulled the brunette up and into a deep, passionate kiss.

Waverly’s head swam once more as Nicole regained the control, pushing them until the brunette’s back hit the mattress. Waverly yelped into the kiss as she tried to pick her bearings, but Nicole’s body was over hers, pinning her arms above their heads before she could process, and her desire fast overwhelmed anything else.

Nicole hadn't even touched her, and Waverly could feel the soaked material of her underwear pressing firmly against her skin, telling her that she was fast coming undone.

Nicole ran her hands slowly down the sides of Waverly’s arms, her lips and her tongue mapping every sensitive spot of the brunette’s neck, and the curve of her breasts, and abs that tensed and trembled beneath her touch. Teasing fingers followed in their wake, then slipped torturously lightly over the mound of flesh beneath the front of Waverly's underwear. 

Waverly’s breath hitched in her throat, her hips bucking forward instinctively, but Nicole’s touch was gone before she could increase the pressure, her hands trailing back over the brunette’s sides. 

Waverly whimpered.

This was too much.

Too much, and not enough, and she needed to see and touch and taste all of Nicole before she combusted. 

She dragged her fingers over Nicole’s shoulders, grasping at the clasp of the redhead’s bra until she finally managed to pull the material free.

The noise that left her throat was inhuman.

Inhuman, and completely inevitable.

Good god, Nicole was just stupidly beautiful.

Waverly surged forward. She couldn’t have stopped herself if she'd tried. She claimed a nipple mercilessly in her mouth, sucking and pulling at the hardened nub until Nicole was whimpering above her. She groaned, flicking her tongue hard as she closed her fingers around the other, tugging until the redhead snapped.

"Fuck," Nicole growled, grabbing Waverly’s wrists as she pushed her back down onto the bed. "It is far too easy for you to make a fucking mess of me, Earp."

Waverly opened her mouth to respond, the words strangled in her throat as Nicole effortlessly flicked the clasp at the front of the brunette’s bra, her mouth immediately closing over Waverly’s nipple.

And she was relentless.

She sucked, and pulled, and kissed her way over every part of Waverly’s body, until the air felt impossible to breathe in. The spot where her ribs met her stomach, the angles of her hip bones, the creases at the back of her thighs, the material of her underwear...

Nicole hadn't been wrong. She was learning every spot that made Waverly sigh and shiver, and the brunette had never been so turned on in her life. The sheets clung to her already overheated skin as she writhed against them, fighting desperately not to beg.

Until those devilish fingers tangled into the waistband of her underwear, pulling the material up against her, and she was powerless to resist.

"Fuck, Nicole," she panted, her fingers closing tight in red hair as she pushed her hips into the pressure. "Please, just…"

"Just what, baby?" Nicole smirked, dirty and teasing.

"Just touch me," Waverly whimpered. "Please."

"Oh, I am touching you," Nicole groaned, her cheek pressing against Waverly’s stomach as she tugged once again on the underwear, her other hand trailing the length of Waverly’s torso.

Waverly choked back a sob.

Nicole’s voice was so broken, so wanton, so lust-fuelled, that Waverly could feel herself get wetter, the ache between her thighs beyond unbearable.

"Nicole." She couldn't fight the sob this time. "I need you."

Nicole growled, her fingers hooking over the waistband of Waverly’s underwear as she mapped her tongue over the brunette’s thighs and down, finally dragging the lace material with her. 

Waverly fell quiet as Nicole discarded the material, mischief dancing behind dark eyes as they burned into hazel. 

And there was something in that playful fire that caught Waverly’s breath in her chest.

She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move. She could only watch with desperate desire as Nicole crawled slowly back over the brunette’s legs, her tongue trailing torturously over the inside of her thigh. 

"Holy fucking…"

Waverly cried out, her eyes rolling back as Nicole pushed her legs apart, sinking her tongue deep into her centre, then dragged it out over her, sucking hard on her clit as she made her way up and over the brunette’s stomach. 

Waverly sobbed in frustration, her legs trembling and her body writhing uncontrollably as the contact moved to her abs, the ache between her legs consuming her entirely.

She couldn't take any more of this.

Nicole Haught was going to kill her, she was sure of it.

“Oh my fucking god Nic," she whimpered. "Baby, just...”

Nicole cut her off, sinking her tongue into her mouth in a deep, impossibly slow kiss, and Waverly felt the rush in every one of her nerve endings. 

Surely this couldn't get hotter than this.

Surely she would die here, before Nicole could even touch her.

And then finally, finally, Nicole’s fingers trickled down, light and almost ticklish over the writhing planes of her stomach, until they slipped deliciously firm over her clit. 

"Fuck, Waverly," Nicole groaned, her voice husky with arousal as she felt the extent of the brunette’s desire for her. "God, you're so wet."

Waverly sobbed.

Holy sweet fuck.

The electricity burned on Nicole’s fingertips like magic, and Waverly’s moans fell freely as they began to circle slowly over her clit. Nicole looked as far gone as Waverly felt, and the desire in her eyes combined with the relief of finally being touched was pushing the brunette closer to the edge by the second.

And she knew this wouldn't last long.

Waverly had been on the edge since the moment Nicole had carried her up the stairs, and the euphoric high of those electric fingers was pulling her apart faster than she knew what to do with. Her head swam, her vision blurred as the pleasure rippled through her.

"Nicole, you're gonna make me come so fast!" Waverly sobbed, her words rumbling over Nicole’s lips as she kissed her. "It's too fast, baby I'm… oh fuck…"

She trembled, clutching desperately to Nicole’s back as those fingers moved faster over her clit, somehow managing to find the exact pressure and the exact spot that rendered Waverly boneless.

"It's okay baby," Nicole muttered, somehow both dirty and soft in Waverly’s ear as she sped up her movements. "You can let go. I've got you."

Waverly surrendered immediately.

The words, coupled with the heated husk over her ear, and the roll of Nicole’s fingers over her clit were too much, and she cried out, hoarse and gravelly as she crashed over the edge, her orgasm gripping through every muscle.

Holy fuck.

Thirty seconds, that had taken.

Waverly moaned, sweet and low as Nicole eased her down from her high, and the redhead whimpered with arousal at the sound.

Nicole's cheeks and the skin of her neck and her chest were flushed deep red, her eyes misted with a heady glaze of lust and desperation, and Waverly had never wanted to touch anyone more.

Nicole looked ready to explode, and Waverly was more than ready to make her.

But before Waverly could even begin to move, Nicole’s glazed eyes sparked, and she dropped down.

"Fuck!" Waverly gasped.

It was instant. No warning. No build up.

Just liquid heat as Nicole’s tongue ran firm through the pool of Waverly’s arousal, tasting the brunette’s orgasm as she licked and sucked mercilessly at the hypersensitive flesh.

"Oh my god, how?" Waverly arched her back, her thighs trembling as they fought to close around Nicole’s head. She moaned loudly, strained and hoarse as she twisted her hands hard in red hair.

How was Nicole doing this to her?

So fast, and so unimaginably goddamn fucking good.

“Nicole, you’re gonna make me come again," Waverly cried, her words bleeding into a guttural groan as Nicole growled against her clit. “Oh my god, baby please…”

She didn't even know what she was asking for.

She had no idea what Nicole was doing to her, or how it felt like she was pleasuring every inch of her body, but Waverly was on fire and all she knew was she needed more.

The second orgasm was infinitely more intense.

Waverly barely recognised the sounds her own voice made as she cried Nicole’s name into the walls, broken and stuttered with every jolt of her body around her climax.

She was completely pleasure-drunk. Her head spun, her glazed eyes barely able to focus as she watched Nicole move up towards her. Every one of her muscles felt sated, boneless against the mattress with her euphoria.

Until Nicole pushed her legs up over her chest, connecting their lips in an almost bruising kiss as she sank two fingers effortlessly into Waverly’s core.

Every one of Waverly’s muscles tensed, and she arched her back impossibly hard as the unexpected pleasure splintered through her bones.

She couldn't even make a noise this time.

Her jaw dropped open, her head thrown back as Nicole fucked her hard, and fast, her fingers curling insistently against the one spot that made the stars burst in Waverly’s eyes.

Holy mother of fucking christ, she had never been fucked like this.

She gripped the headboard, bracing herself against Nicole’s onslaught as the redhead fucked her harder, their bodies shifting with the power behind every thrust.

Waverly choked out a sob.

She could definitely get used to being fucked like this.

She clawed hard at Nicole’s back with her other hand, desperately needing something to ground her as the unbearable pleasure ripped through her body. 

"Fuck, baby you're so hot," Nicole grunted, hot and heavy in Waverly’s ear. "You're so fucking sexy, Wave, come again for me."

"Oh, fuck I'm going to!" Waverly whimpered, her hips jerking hard into Nicole’s thrusts. "Baby, I'm going to, I'm so close, I'm..."

Waverly’s words faded out, her jaw dropping loose and her eyes slamming shut as her body clenched tight, burning pleasure overwhelming her as her third orgasm tore through her veins.

She whimpered, jumbled murmurs of unintelligible sounds escaping her lips as she floated down from her high, Nicole's fingers still buried inside her. The redhead smiled softly as variations of her own name fell through the intangible murmurs, and Waverly blushed as she buried her face in Nicole’s neck.

"No, baby, don't hide," Nicole chuckled softly. She shifted to the side, her body half draped over Waverly’s as she planted soft, tender kisses over the brunette’s face and her neck. "You're so beautiful, Wave. God, I have never wanted someone like this. I don't know if I can ever stop doing this to you now, you understand this, right?"

Waverly chuckled contentedly, her fingertips trailing Nicole’s side as she fought to regain her sanity.

"I am very okay with this," she murmured. "Because I've never wanted anyone this much either." She pushed her hips forward, kissing Nicole deeply as she rolled the redhead’s body beneath her own. She chuckled. "And I have never come so many times in such quick succession, and so I definitely think it's my turn to return the favour." 

"Never?" Nicole’s eyebrows arched, her eyes widening.

"Never. Even on my own." Waverly grinned. She pushed Nicole’s thighs apart, settling her own body between them as she kissed the redhead softly. "You're incredible Nic. In the bedroom and out of it."

Nicole beamed, her cheeks tinting slightly under the reverence of Waverly’s gaze.

Waverly smirked.

"Now, Haught. I think it's time you came for me."

Chapter Text

Nicole woke slowly, the morning sun filtering softly through the crack in the curtains even through her closed eyelids. Her chest felt light, her body tingling and aching in the most delicious ways, and she was aware, even as her sleep still gripped her mind, of the comfortable warmth of Waverly’s body pressed against her back.

And of those sleepy roaming hands lazily mapping the curves of her body once again.

She smiled softly, her muscles relaxing further into the touch as she let the gentle caress rouse her from her sleep.

This had been a pretty great way to start the morning yesterday, when things were blurred and uncertain, but today…

After the lifted weight of confessed feelings, and after hours and hours of whimpers and moans and cries and shudders, and under the subtle ache that still burned deep between Nicole’s thighs…

Today it was heaven, and Nicole wasn't sure she could ever leave here.

She shivered under Waverly’s sleepy touch, nestling herself back impossibly further as she let her mind follow the roam of those teasing fingers.

Last night had been incredible.

Easily the best Nicole had ever had, and she couldn’t see that anything could ever be as good again.

The way Waverly had felt beneath her hands and her lips and her tongue, and the way she'd tasted. The way she'd writhed and arched and grasped and tugged, and the goddamn fucking sounds. All of it had been better than anything Nicole could ever remember, but that had been expected. Nicole had never felt this way about anyone before, and so she'd known she would adore the chance to take Waverly apart and build her back up again. But what she hadn't known was just how hot it would burn when Waverly touched her.

The way the brunette had devoured her, so openly and so carnally, had been completely alien to Nicole, and she knew for a downright fact that she would never recover from the way that it had made her feel. She had never been with anyone who had simply wanted her and shown it quite like that. Sure, she'd had good sex before, and she was no stranger to wanting hands, but Waverly had crumbled everything she knew into dust around her, time and time again, with a fervour and a reverence that Nicole had just never known. No part of her body had been left untouched, and she could still feel the flickering embers of the brunette’s desire deep inside her now.

She moaned softly, her eyes still closed as her skin rippled with goosebumps under the sleep-driven tease of Waverly’s fingers now, and she pressed her legs together in an effort to stem the ache that was rapidly growing between them under the touch and her wandering memories.

God, she was pretty sure she would be thinking about Waverly Earp and her touch at every inappropriate moment for the rest of her goddamn life.

The way that things between them last night had started so carnal and lust-fuelled, spurred by an animalistic energy for hours . Until their muscles were weak and their minds were hazy, and then the heat between them had grown so soft. Their last orgasm had been mutual, both touching each other almost lazily, languidly as they watched the sweet surrender glaze in each other's eyes.

It was crazy to Nicole just how natural it had felt to be that way with Waverly. To let every wall crash down around her so easily, without a moment’s hesitation.

And yet there was a tiny pull, deep in Nicole’s stomach, that felt frustratingly like fear.

She had never felt this way, and she couldn’t help the nauseating fear that just maybe she was clinging onto the thread of something that would fade back into a charade the moment she opened her eyes. 

She just was not this lucky, and she couldn't quite suppress that niggling worry that Waverly would wake up this morning and jump away again. Tell her it was a mistake. That she got caught up in the play.

It was stupid, and she knew it was.

She knew the connection was real. She'd known it all along, and there was no way anyone could have faked the things that were whispered and moaned and growled in the heat of the sheets the night before. She knew Waverly felt it too, but she would be lying if she said she wasn't a little nervous for the cold light of the morning after.

So she was going to do everything she could to make sure that the morning started in the best way possible.

Now that she was able to express her feelings a little clearer, there was no way she was holding back. 

She sighed, letting those teasing hands roam for just a few moments longer. Then when she couldn’t take any more, her skin on fire and goosebumped, and the ache between her thighs throbbing with the liquid heat of new arousal, she finally ceased their movements. She exhaled shakily, turning to place a soft, gentle kiss on Waverly’s lips, and slipped out of the bed.

She pulled Waverly’s robe over her burning skin, not quite ready to part with the scent of jasmine that she was fast falling in love with, and padded quietly through the house to the kitchen.

Nicole was going all out.

She pulled every ingredient she could think of from the fridge, chopping and frying and grilling and grinding until the air filled with the scent of fresh coffee, and pancakes and tofu scramble and eggplant bacon and hash browns.

By the time she plated her feast up, and manoeuvred it back through the house and into the bedroom, Waverly was awake.

The brunette was sat upright, her eyes a little bleary but wide with concern as Nicole pushed her way into the room.

The moment Waverly’s eyes landed on Nicole and the tray of breakfast, they warmed immediately, her shoulders dropping with visible relief. 

Nicole’s chest swelled at the subtle signs of the same fear that she had felt reflected right back at her in Waverly’s eyes. Not because she wanted Waverly to feel fear, of course, but because this meant that they were on the same page.

That they felt the same way, even in the cold light of the next morning.

“Morning, beautiful." Nicole practically sang, her giddy elation impossible to push down.

“Hey…” Waverly breathed, her relief audible in her voice. “You’re here.”

Nicole grinned.

“I would be crazy not to be," she murmured, handing Waverly her plate and her coffee.

"Wait, is this eggplant bacon?" Waverly yelped, her eyes widening. "You learned to make this for me?"

"Of course I did, it's your favourite." Nicole chuckled softly as she climbed back into the bed beside Waverly. "Baby, you have to stop thinking that knowing you is such an effort."

"Thank you." Waverly beamed, her eyes crinkling as she shuffled herself closer, leaning against Nicole’s side as she tucked into her food.

"Besides, even if it was an effort, I'd make it, Waverly Earp." Nicole grinned. "You're worth it."

Waverly sighed, her eyes misting as she searched Nicole’s face. She shook her head, almost in disbelief as she bit her lip.

“I just keep thinking this is a dream," she whispered, almost shyly. “I keep worrying that it’s not really real, and you’ll change your mind, or I’ve somehow made the entire situation up in my head.”

Nicole smiled softly. She leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on Waverly's cheek, then her jaw, and then the sensitive spot just beneath her ear.

“It’s definitely real,” she assured as she pulled back, her dimples popping. “I really, really like you.”

"I really like you too." Waverly beamed, her cheeks flushing a little under the reverence of Nicole’s gaze. 

Nicole could barely contain her giddiness as they ate, the silence so comfortable that it made her chest swell, and she couldn't wait to spend more time with Waverly in this air. In the light, euphoric atmosphere of their open connection. They finished their food and Nicole moved to take the plates, and she almost bounced back to the bed with her excitement over what the day ahead could hold for them.

"Nicole…" Waverly wrapped her hands around her coffee mug, her eyes wide with the first signs of anxiety as she fixed them on Nicole’s. “How are we gonna deal with this now?”

Nicole frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“The engagement." Waverly picked at an invisible thread on the sheets before her, her fingers drumming over her mug as her anxiety visibly began to climb. "Initially I thought we’d get out of it by staging a break-up, but…" 

She sighed shakily, and Nicole moved to straddle her hips, taking her hand in her own in an effort to halt the surge of anxiety. 

"But…" Waverly huffed out a laugh. "Well, that is not happening now, so…”

Nicole kissed her.

She couldn’t help it.

"Definitely not happening." She grinned, wriggling her eyebrows as she dropped down to place soft kisses over Waverly’s stomach. “Looks like you’re marrying me, babe.”

Waverly giggled.

“Stop it, you know what I mean!”

Nicole smirked, placing another kiss over the line of Waverly’s abs as the brunette’s hands tangled in her hair instinctively.

“We’ll just have a really long engagement?” She teased.

Waverly wrinkled her nose.

“Or…” Nicole chuckled, letting her lips brush Waverly’s skin as she trailed them up over her chest. “We could tell them the truth.”

Waverly groaned.

Nicole grinned.

“Is that sound because you know that’s the right answer?”

“No…?" Waverly tried.

Nicole bit her chin.

“Maybe…” Waverly breathed.

Nicole laughed.

“Yes.” Waverly grumbled, burying her face in her hands as Nicole nuzzled playfully against her cheek. “But can we not until after Wynonna’s wedding?”

“It’s all in your court, beautiful." Nicole shrugged, brushing her nose gently over Waverly’s cheek. "I’m here for the ride and I am more than happy to continue.”

Waverly grinned.

She wriggled her eyebrows, the playful spark lighting in her eyes under Nicole’s reassurance. 

“I can think of a ride or two I’m here for…” Waverly murmured, grinning cheekily as she flipped their positions, pinning Nicole down beneath her.

Nicole huffed, her arousal shooting through her at the implications of the words and her position, and she let her eyes flutter closed for a moment.

“What are you doing today?” She whispered, fighting her body’s desire to just stop talking, and let Waverly have her way with her.

"Besides you?" Waverly husked, beginning to roll her hips over Nicole’s in a slow grind.

"Besides me," Nicole murmured, her hands trailing Waverly’s thighs and her sides, her eyes dropping shamelessly over the roll and grind of the brunette’s body.

"Hmmm." Waverly smirked, shifting to slip her thigh between Nicole’s legs, the roll of her hips now hitting them both just right. She gasped as Nicole huffed. “I’m kind of hoping you might be about to tell me I have a date?”

“I’d really like to spend the day with you," Nicole moaned, her body entirely betraying her under Waverly’s ministrations. "I want to date you."

Waverly leaned forward, brushing her lips lightly over Nicole’s as she rolled her hips harder, and the redhead bit back a whimper at the pool of arousal she could feel coat her own thigh between Waverly’s legs.

“What did you have in mind?” Waverly husked.

“I was thinking maybe a walk, a-a picnic," Nicole panted, her voice beginning to strain as her arousal tightened in the base of her spine. “Do you like… god, do you like mazes?”

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Waverly grinned as Nicole’s hand tightened a little around her own in her excitement, her dimples popped in full force as she practically pulled the brunette along the winding, moss covered path of the forest maze she had brought them to.

Waverly had never been here before. She'd never known such a place existed, but the forest was beautiful; paths of stone and soil winding through the rocks and trees, with rickety rope bridges suspended between some of the higher rock formations. And seemingly, according to the map she had seen as they'd passed through the entrance, somewhere buried in the centre was a boating lake, and a miniature golf course.

And Nicole’s excitement was the absolute cutest thing Waverly had seen in all of her twenty-six years on the planet.

“It doesn’t matter how many times I come here, this place never stops being beautiful!” Nicole gushed, her hand closing just a little tighter over Waverly’s. “Supposedly it’s what inspired the Lord of the Rings setting!” She exclaimed, her voice pitching higher than usual. “In the book itself, I mean. The forest is ancient, they’ve found evidence of Iron age settlers, and they found a load of Roman coins in the rocks!”

Waverly bit her lip.

Jesus Christ, Nicole was adorable. 

She couldn’t help it. She tugged Nicole to a stop, propped herself up on her tiptoes, and planted a soft kiss on the redhead’s cheek.

Nicole faltered, her cheeks flushing red beneath Waverly’s kiss, and her eyes misted as her lips curled into a disbelieving grin.

"What was that for?"

"You're just so cute, Haught," Waverly giggled, pulling Nicole in against her side as she began to walk again. “Especially when you get all passionate. There’s no way the maze paths are natural though, surely?”

“No, the paths aren’t. Or the bridges, of course.” Nicole shook her head, her fingers stroking over the back of Waverly’s hand. “In like, the 1800s some local landowner laid the paths for his family and friends, apparently. But isn’t it fucking magical?”

“It really is.”

Waverly grinned in amusement, biting her lip to hold back her giggles.

Nicole narrowed her eyes.

“What?”

“Just working out whether these facts are true, or whether your local tourist history is as good as your astronomy," Waverly teased, nudging Nicole with her hip.

Nicole laughed.

“Fuck off, Earp," she retorted, nudging Waverly back. “I’m a professor, I have some smarts.”

“And they’re very sexy,” Waverly giggled. “I wouldn’t have had you pegged as a Lord of the Rings geek, though.”

“Oh, I’m very nerdy, Earp,” Nicole deadpanned, though her eyes twinkled as they met Waverly’s. “You just don’t see it past my winning smile and irresistible dimples.”

Waverly shook her head.

“I’d call you conceited, but you tell no word of a lie,” she chuckled. “What made you want to be a professor?”

Nicole huffed out a laugh.

“I had the biggest useless lesbian crush on my English teacher in high school, started reading the classics so she’d think I was smart, and I’ve never looked back since.” She grinned cheekily.

“Why is that not surprising?” Waverly giggled, nudging Nicole’s hip once again with her own. “And now you’re the unfairly sexy teacher giving those kids a dream to aspire to.”

“We all have our own unique purpose in life,” Nicole laughed. She shrugged, her grin softening just a little as she subtly pulled Waverly closer to her body. “I just really enjoy the subject. And I was always good with people, so it seemed like a natural combination.”

“What’s your favourite thing about it?”

“Oh, easy. Those moments when a student, like Rachel Valdez, just gets it. I always think the way we interpret art of any form, including literature, says so much about who we are and how we see the world. And when my students say things that make my stomach flip, and I can see what they are and what they’re becoming…” Nicole took a deep breath, her eyes sparkling with something almost awed that made Waverly’s chest ache. “I dunno, it’s just a really great feeling to be able to be a part of that, in any small way. I love what I do. I made the right choices.”

Waverly sighed.

She couldn’t help it.

Nicole just got more and more attractive with every word that left her lips, and Waverly was having a really hard time keeping a lid on the force of her rapidly growing feelings.

“What about you?” Nicole asked, her voice soft as she searched Waverly’s face. “Was a wedding venue little Waverly Earp’s childhood dream?”

Waverly blushed.

“I wish I could say anything that wouldn’t make me sound like a cliché right now…” she huffed, closing her eyes for a moment as Nicole chuckled. “But yes. I’ve had my dream wedding planned out on very pretty stationery since I was ten years old. Every last detail. Including the groom’s tux, though that’s changed a few times for… obvious reasons.”

“Oh really?” Nicole smirked, raising her eyebrows.

“Oh god, I just heard that.” Waverly winced, her blush growing deeper, burning at the tips of her ears. She glanced up at Nicole, sheepish and almost anxious. “Not something I should have said on a first real date?”

Nicole laughed.

“Wave, every date we’ve had has been real,” she murmured, her hand squeezing Waverly’s own in reassurance. She smirked, her brow arched. “And if I didn’t run when you told me you needed a fake fianceé, you think I’m gonna run because you’ve spent your whole life building solid expectations for romance?”

“You wouldn’t be the first,” Waverly mumbled.

“Well, then it’s a very good job none of my predecessors got that wedding.” Nicole winked, and Waverly immediately felt her shoulders drop, along with her stomach and every shred of her composure. Nicole grinned. “Besides, I look damn good in a tux.”

“I have no doubt,” Waverly giggled. She stopped walking, tugging on Nicole’s hand to pull her back to face her. She wrapped her hands in the collar of the redhead’s shirt, letting them slide up around her neck. “You’re a rare breed, Nicole Haught.”

“Like a Tibetan Mastiff?” Nicole teased.

Waverly shook her head.

“I was thinking more like a Unicorn.”

“A Unicorn?” Nicole grinned. “That’s a non-existent breed.”

Waverly smiled softly, her eyes dropping to Nicole’s lips.

“I thought so too,” she whispered.

Nicole blushed. She huffed out an almost abashed chuckle, brushing her nose lightly over Waverly’s, before connecting their lips in a soft, lingering kiss.

A kiss that Waverly was not prepared to leave at soft and lingering.

She had been worked up all morning, just completely unable to control the way her body seemed to need Nicole at every goddamn moment, no matter how satisfied the redhead left her, and right now was no exception. Nicole was being goddamn adorable, she was saying all the right things, and it was lighting a fire in Waverly that she was very sure she could not put out on her own.

She smirked, tangling her hand into the front of Nicole’s shirt as she dragged her backwards, slipping behind a large boulder and pushing the redhead up against it.

Nicole gasped as her back hit the stone, her hands flying instinctively to Waverly’s hips.

“What are you…?” 

Waverly cut the words off with a deep, heated kiss, and Nicole sank into it, moaning softly as Waverly’s tongue met her own.

“You’re just irresistible," Waverly murmured as she broke the kiss, trailing her lips instead over the redhead’s jawline and her neck.

"Wave…" Nicole breathed, her head tilting to the side. 

Waverly shivered, the husk of Nicole’s voice a clear cut sign that she wasn't the only one struggling with this ridiculous attraction between them.

She tugged in Nicole’s hair, pulling her back into a searing kiss. She pushed her thigh between Nicole’s legs, rocking her hips up as she sucked the redhead’s bottom lip into her mouth. 

Nicole growled.

“You’re being a goddamn tease,” she grunted, pushing forwards until their positions were flipped, and Waverly found her own back pinned to the rock.

“Who said anything about teasing?” Waverly groaned, pulling Nicole back into a kiss as she slipped her hand into the front of the redhead’s jeans. Waverly whimpered immediately, her head rolling back against the rock as she broke the kiss. "God, you're so wet already, baby, is this for me?"

Nicole groaned, her hips jolting into the unexpected touch, but she tensed, her eyes darting around them in concern.

"Of course it is, Wave, but… anyone could come by and see us," she pleaded. 

Waverly didn't care.

She couldn’t care.

Nicole’s arousal felt incredible on her fingers, all delicious heat and silk and swollen flesh that Waverly couldn’t have torn her focus from if she'd tried. 

“We haven’t seen anyone for miles,” she whispered, her fingers beginning to map the tight circles that she'd learned the night before would make Nicole shudder. "But say the word, baby, and I'll stop."

Nicole's eyes flickered once more with uncertainty and she bit her lip.

Then they fluttered closed.

Waverly smirked.

“Do you want me to stop?” She husked, slipping her fingers down, and pushing two inside Nicole without hesitation.

Nicole gasped, her jaw slackening and her forehead falling against Waverly’s. 

“God, no.”

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Nicole smirked, leaning back against the hole's picket fence as she watched Waverly spin a golf club upside down, her brows furrowed and her lips pursed with far more pouty drama than was really necessary in the moment.

A quite visibly intentional effort to feign incompetence.

“Why do I feel like you’re hamming this up?” Nicole raised an eyebrow, biting back her amusement as Waverly jutted her ass out as she swung, missing the ball completely with her upside down club.

“What ever do you mean?” Waverly hummed, her voice sugary sweet.

Nicole grinned, shaking her head.

“I mean you’re being a hustler.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Haught.” Waverly sang, her own lips tugging at the corners as she focused her gaze on her golf ball. “Now get your sexy ass over here and show me how to swing.”

“With great pleasure…” Nicole chuckled, abandoning her own club and nestling herself in behind Waverly, her arms wrapping around the brunette to turn the club the right way up. “But you don’t need it.”

Waverly grinned.

“Okay, widen your legs a little," Nicole instructed, “and push your ass out.”

She laughed openly as Waverly followed her instruction, deliberately grinding her ass back into Nicole’s hips.

“You are insatiable, Earp.”

“Not everything is about sex, Nicole Haught," Waverly scoffed. "I simply need a lesson, and you are a teacher.”

“Mmhmm, sure,” Nicole grinned, planting a heated kiss on Waverly’s neck. “Now hold your hands like this…” She placed her hands over Waverly’s, positioning them correctly on the club. “And use your shoulders to swing.”

Nicole moved with Waverly in demonstration, huffing out her amusement as the brunette made a deliberate effort to rock her ass back into Nicole’s crotch with each swing.

Then she stepped back, biting her lip as Waverly moved to take a swing on her own.

One that Nicole knew full goddamn well would be more than adequate.

“Oh, you mean like this?” Waverly sang, immediately putting a hole in one. 

Nicole shook her head, her dimples breaking across her cheeks as she laughed.

“Insatiable,” she murmured, biting down on Waverly’s earlobe as she walked past her.

“What? You’re just a great teacher!” Waverly giggled, grabbing the back of Nicole’s shirt and pulling her back into step with her, wrapping her arm around the redhead’s waist.

Nicole grinned, wrapping her own arm around Waverly’s shoulders and planting a kiss on the brunette’s temple.

“And you are a hustler!”

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Waverly squealed, practically bouncing with excitement as they pushed through the last of the trees, and the lake finally came into view in the clearing ahead of them.

The water was beautiful, almost crystal blue sparkling in the afternoon sun, and the greens and yellows of the trees that lined the water's edge seemed brighter here than they had in the depths of the forest.

The view was stunning, and the sounds of nature around them were atmospheric, but Waverly would be lying if she said that any of those were the reason for her giddy excitement.

That was the boats.

Simple plastic dinghies, each big enough for two, with paddles clamped to either side, bobbing gently along the water's edge.

And Waverly was so on board with this.

She grinned, her chest sparking with mischief as Nicole let go of her hand, pulling a boat to the lakeshore, and climbing in.

She wriggled her eyebrows, backing away hastily as the redhead held a hand out for her.

“Wh…” Nicole frowned, her lips pursed in confusion. “Where are you going?”

Waverly giggled, practically launching herself into the boat beside Nicole and grabbing her paddle.

“Race ya!”

“Shit!” Nicole stumbled, frantically grabbing for her own paddle as she slipped and slid into the seat of the boat.

Just too late.

Waverly couldn’t hold back her laughter as she pushed her paddle through the gentle waters, her little yellow boat gliding across the lake just ahead of Nicole’s blue one.

She could hear the splash of the oars as Nicole tore after her, and she resisted the very strong urge to resign and simply watch the redhead’s muscles work beneath that shirt as she fought to catch up.

“You’re destroying my romance plans here, Earp," Nicole shouted, her voice echoing slightly across the water. 

Waverly giggled.

“You can romance me once I beat you to the other side!” She yelled.

“I wanna romance you now!”

Waverly jumped as Nicole’s voice rang out much closer than she had expected this time, and she squealed as the little blue boat collided gently with the rear side of her own.

She abandoned pursuit, turning instead to push at Nicole’s boat with her oar in an effort to keep the redhead behind her.

"This is foul play, Haught!" She yelped, giggling helplessly as Nicole lunged forward, just managing to grab the tail end of Waverly’s boat in her grasp.

Waverly changed tact, heaving the oar through the surface of the water in an effort to splash Nicole.

Nicole stood up.

“Oh my god," Waverly shrieked, dropping her oar in favour of gripping the sides of her boat. "What are you doing?”

Nicole wriggled her eyebrows, her grin impossibly cheeky. She threw her arms out to balance herself as she wobbled precariously on her very unstable little plastic dinghy. 

Waverly’s eyes flew wide, her jaw dropping, and she had barely enough time to process what was about to happen before Nicole was moving.

“Nicole Haught, don’t you dare!”

Waverly shrieked as Nicole jumped, landing on the little yellow boat alongside her, and immediately capsizing them both.

And thank fuck the water wasn't as cold as it looked.

Waverly flailed, untangling her limbs from the boat and the paddle as she pushed her way up to the surface.

“You fuck!” Waverly yelped, spluttering a little as she surfaced.

She opened her eyes to a very mischievous looking Nicole Haught, bobbing in the water just a few feet ahead of her.

And that goddamn grin was just too ridiculously cute, and Waverly couldn’t help but giggle.

“You’re an asshole," she huffed, pushing her drenched hair back out of her face as her feet trod water.

“I just missed you.” Nicole shrugged, that grin growing even cheekier as her eyes sparkled.

“You’re a needy asshole," Waverly chuckled.

But even as the words left her lips, she was floating closer to Nicole, until the redhead caught her legs, tugging her in and pulling them around her waist.

“Yeah, but I feel like you like it," Nicole teased.

Waverly rolled her eyes.

“I really do,” she chuckled, wrapping her arms around Nicole’s neck and lacing her fingers through wet hair. “I quite like you, as it happens.”

“Yeah?” Nicole murmured, low and soft.

“Oh, god yeah.”

Waverly certainly wasn't expecting to make out in the middle of a lake today, but it would be impossible to deny that the way Nicole’s kiss felt under the heat of the sun, and the way her body felt pressed against her own in the silk of the water was electric in a way she could never have imagined.

And frankly, she was very sure she'd just fallen in love.

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Nicole shivered as they burst through the front door to Waverly's home, still giggling and still very wet. Nicole had given Waverly her dry hoody, feeling pretty bad by the time they'd walked back to the car, and they were both still drenched, the brunette’s teeth chattering.

So Waverly was a little less cold. But Nicole felt like she might be blue.

"Baby, go straight to the bathroom!" Waverly urged, rubbing her hands over Nicole’s arms in a fruitless effort to ease the shivering. "Let me get you the biggest, fluffiest towels and I'll be right there, okay?"

Waverly leaned forward to kiss her, and Nicole could only just feel the soft press on her numb lips, but just the gesture, and the knowledge that this was a thing that she could do now was enough to have her feeling a little warmer.

She kicked off her sodden shoes, stumbling as her frozen limbs peeled off her soaked socks, and then she shuffled her way into the bathroom in a complete daze. 

Potentially because her brain was numb.

She couldn’t rule that out.

But she was pretty sure it was because she was falling in love. 

She grimaced as she peeled her soaked shirt up her body and over her head, depositing the drenched material in the sink with an audible slap. She sighed, feeling her skin goosebump hard under the air as she unclasped her bra, throwing the heavy, sodden material on top of the shirt. 

Before she could move to switch on the shower, Waverly burst into the room, her arms full of towels and her body stark naked.

Nicole shivered.

And not from the cold.

She couldn't quite wrap her head around the fact that this was her reality. That she was the person who got to see this. That she was the person who got to be on the receiving end of a casually naked Waverly Earp's fussing and pandering. She grinned, absolutely convinced in that moment that she was the luckiest person on the goddamn fucking planet, blue lips and all.

Her grin only grew wider as Waverly bundled her immediately into the biggest towel Nicole had ever seen, tugging on the hems to pull her close, and press a soft kiss to the end of her nose.

Nicole Haught liked to think of herself as a pretty independent person.

But right now she felt like a giant ball of mush under Waverly’s fussing, and she was pretty certain that she would let Waverly Earp take care of her any day.

"I thought we were showering?" Nicole chuckled through a shiver as Waverly wrapped the towel tighter around the redhead’s shoulders.

"We are, but you threw us in a lake and now you literally look blue," Waverly retorted, her voice firm but her eyes soft and her lips quirked in amusement. "So keep that on while I get your sodden clothes off you, you goddamn adorable giant child."

Nicole giggled. 

An all-out, giddy, girly noise that she knew she very rarely made, but there was something about Waverly that just made her feel so at ease. Like she could be a giant child, or be giggly and giddy, or be vulnerable and shaking, and Waverly would want her all the same.

Maybe even love her, one day.

The thought warmed her more than any towel could, and she bit her cold-numb lip as she watched Waverly peel the sodden jeans and underwear from her legs.

She sighed, her muscles beginning to tremble with more than just the cold as Waverly pressed her lips to the inside of her thigh, just above her knee. The heated kiss burned against her frozen skin, and she shivered. She gripped a little tighter on the hem of her towel, soft gasps falling from her lips as those kisses moved up, and feather-light fingers began to trail over the backs of her thighs.

Nicole moaned softly as those fingers reached her ass, pressing in a little firmer as Waverly pulled her hips forward. A painfully teasing tongue flicked once over Nicole’s core, catching her clit in a way that made her hips jolt, before Waverly pulled away completely, and moved to stand up.

Nicole groaned.

"Why do you do this to me?"

Waverly smirked.

"You taste like lake," she teased. She tugged on Nicole’s towel, pulling the redhead into a brief, heated kiss, before pushing her back. "Now get in the shower, horndog, I'll finish what I started when you look less like a smurf."

"How am I the horndog?” Nicole huffed, watching as Waverly turned the dial on the shower, adjusting the temperature until the room began to fill with steam. “You started it!"

Waverly grinned as she moved aside to let Nicole step into the shower, tugging the towel off of the redhead’s shoulders as she gently pushed her forward.

Nicole relaxed almost immediately. The warmth of the water rippled over her shivering skin in goosebumps, and she couldn’t help the soft sighs of relief as her fingers and her toes slowly started to regain their feeling. She tilted her head into the water, running her fingers through her hair, the matted cold of the lake water giving way to the smooth, silky heat of the shower. 

And when Waverly stepped in behind her, her own sure fingers beginning to massage the soft lather of a jasmine scented shampoo into silky red hair, Nicole was in heaven. Nicole had spent many of the past twenty-four hours with Waverly Earp’s fingers roaming her body, and she well knew the power that they held over her, but this felt like a whole different realm of magic. The touch was just firm enough to be electric, but just soft enough for Nicole to feel the care in every stroke, and the sheer gesture behind it made her body flow warm from the chest out.

No-one had ever done this.

It was such a simple thing, and yet it was so new to Nicole to be looked after in this way, and she was having a really hard time keeping a lid on the way the soft attention was making her feel.

She shivered as Waverly rinsed the last of the suds from her hair, and pressed her body up against Nicole’s back, her arms wrapping around the redhead’s waist. She didn’t pull her closer. Didn’t squeeze her tighter. She simply held her, pressing a soft kiss against the water that flowed over the back of Nicole’s shoulders.

Nicole’s entire body prickled, once again, with goosebumps at the reverence behind the touch, and the implication that settled deep into her bones.

She turned, planting a soft kiss on Waverly’s forehead, before stepping aside to let the brunette stand beneath the heavier flow of the water. She took the shampoo bottle into her own hands, letting Waverly’s body lean back against her chest as she massaged the liquid through the brunette’s own tousled waves.

There was something so soft in the air around them that made it feel so much easier to breathe. And this was new, too.

Last night the air had been thick, tension wrapping tight around Nicole’s lungs and making it almost impossible to breathe under the intensity of the attraction between them. But this was something so much softer. Something easy, and natural, like comfort and reassurance, and home. Nicole almost laughed as the realisation hit her, and she felt her dimples pop as Waverly reached for the soap, and her washcloth.

Nicole’s body tingled everywhere as Waverly began to run the cloth over her skin, working the soap slowly and deliberately over her arms, and her back and the curves of her ass. Nicole closed her eyes, tilting her head back into the stream of the water.

There was something so unexpectedly sensual, and so beyond erotic about the way Waverly’s body pressed against her own as she washed her, and the way that neither spoke, leaving the soft gasps and the run of the water the only sounds in the steam-filled room. She turned slowly, her eyes fluttering open to find dark hazel already looking back at her. 

Waverly smiled softly, her eyes flickering as they looked between Nicole’s, and she bit her lip as she began to move the cloth over the front of the redhead’s body.

Nicole let out a shaky exhale, completely unable to tear her gaze from Waverly’s as the brunette ran the soapy cloth over her chest, her nipples straining against the fabric under the warm water and the arousal gripping her body.

She couldn't help it. 

The awed look in Waverly’s eyes, and the soft tug at the corners of those lips, and the way tanned skin looked beneath the steady flow of the water was all too much for Nicole, and she couldn’t hold back anymore.

She wrapped her arms gently around Waverly’s waist, pulling her body tight against her as she connected their lips in a slow, painfully soft, almost teasing kiss. There was no fire; no outward hunger, or hurried desperation, or consuming flames, and yet somehow Nicole’s skin burned hotter than it ever had.

She let her lips trail away from the kiss, running them over Waverly's jawline and down to her neck as she took the washcloth from the brunette’s hands.

Nicole could absolutely say, without the first hesitation, that touching Waverly had become her favourite thing in the world to do. And as she watched the brunette’s eyes flutter closed, her head tipping back as the redhead trailed the soapy cloth over her skin, Nicole was struck once again by just how goddamn lucky she felt that she was the one who got to be here with Waverly in this moment.

She shook her head, her mind beginning to grow hazy with her fast growing feelings, and the arousal that coursed through every part of her body.

She really liked Waverly Earp. She was pretty sure she loved her.

And she couldn't tell her that right now. But god, she could show her.

Nicole stepped back, immediately missing the warmth and the silk of Waverly’s body against her own as she slipped out from beneath the spray of the water, wringing her hair out and reaching for the towels.

"Where do you think you're going?" Waverly blinked, her brow furrowed and her voice smaller than usual. She huffed. "I was so sure I was getting sex then."

Nicole bit her lip almost sheepishly as she shrugged.

"You want the real answer or the sexy one?"

"Try both!" Waverly demanded, reaching to turn off the shower.

Nicole grinned.

"There is not enough room in here to do the things I want to do to you right now, baby," she husked, her voice low and practically dripping with the same sensual desire that had filled the room for the past fifteen minutes. Then she smirked, holding a towel out wide for Waverly to step into. "That, and things feel really cute between us right now, and shower sex is awkward, clumsy, dangerous, and generally not cute."

Waverly laughed openly, her brow smoothing immediately. She nodded, her eyes crinkling at the edges as she stepped into the towel, and Nicole wrapped her arms around her.

"So, I am getting sex?" Waverly grinned, brushing her nose over Nicole’s.

"As if you even need to ask," Nicole giggled. She wrapped the towel a little tighter around Waverly’s shoulders, rubbing her hands over the brunette’s arms and her sides in an effort to dry her off.

Until Waverly stepped back, tugging on the hem of the towel until it dropped.

Nicole swallowed. 

She'd been in this situation not twenty-four hours ago; watching entranced as Waverly Earp seduced her.

But the colour in hazel eyes was different this time.

The desire was there, undoubtedly, but the flames burned a brighter colour. Like something new was lighting it.

Something deeper.

Nicole inhaled sharply as Waverly took her hand, those bright eyes looking back over her shoulder as she walked towards the bedroom.

Nicole could do nothing but follow, her heart in her throat at the look in Waverly’s eyes, and the meaning she really hoped was behind it.

She was mesmerised. She couldn’t tear her eyes from Waverly’s gaze, even as the brunette guided her back onto the bed, lowering her body over Nicole’s own with a soft groan.

Nicole could never tire of this. The way Waverly’s skin felt pressed against her own, and the way her body fit so perfectly against Nicole’s curves. And the way her lips felt as they claimed Nicole’s in a slow, deep, painfully passionate kiss.

Or the way those lips and that tongue felt as they dropped down, exploring Nicole’s body with an unhurried, unabashed reverence. The soft gasps and moans as Waverly felt her, stroked and grasped at the curves of her chest, and her waist, and her hips. And the low groans as she tasted her, her earnest touch never staying in the same place for more than the briefest of moments. 

And it wasn’t about teasing. 

Not this time.

Every touch was instinctive, fuelled by Waverly’s own want and her need for Nicole. It was about not being able to get enough of her, and Nicole could feel it in the pass of Waverly’s lips and her fingers, and in the rumbled sounds against her skin.

And she could feel it in the kiss, as Waverly sank back against her, her body nestled between Nicole’s thighs. She could taste every one of the feelings that she was too afraid to say, and she was a little nervous that she might drown in the passion behind what was undoubtedly the best kiss of her entire life.

Nicole whimpered as Waverly pulled back, breaking the kiss. She let her eyes flutter open, her stomach beating hard with butterflies as she met Waverly’s hooded, misted gaze.

Then Waverly’s fingers were drifting, mapping slowly over Nicole’s chest, and her stomach, hazel eyes not leaving dark mocha as they slipped softly between the redhead’s thighs.

Nicole exhaled heavily.

Oh god, the touch was heaven.

Waverly’s cheeks were flushed, her lips parted, and her hooded eyes watching Nicole’s face in open awe as her fingers moved purposefully over the redhead’s clit, and Nicole was certain nothing had ever felt so good.

She was fast losing her control. Her mind was spinning under Waverly’s awed appreciation, her body was trembling with the unbridled pleasure of the brunette’s fingers, and she needed more. 

She needed to touch Waverly.

She needed to see the signs of pleasure in Waverly’s mesmerised eyes before she could stand to reach her own high. She needed this to be together. To be as connected as she felt to Waverly right now.

She slipped her own hand between their bodies, unsure whether the hoarse gasp that filled the air as her fingertips found Waverly’s clit was her own, or the brunette’s.

Waverly’s eyes fluttered closed at the contact, and Nicole almost whined at the loss. Until the brunette’s fingers sped up their movements, and she fixed her gaze once more on Nicole’s, the besotted fire behind it just a little stronger this time.

And it tore through Nicole’s veins like molten lava.

"Baby," Nicole whispered. "Waverly, you feel amazing."

"Nic…" Waverly gasped, her hips beginning to tremble, their rhythm faltering. 

Nicole trailed her fingers down, sinking two into Waverly’s waiting heat without hesitation. She gasped, her back arching into the touch as Waverly mimicked her movements.

"Baby," Waverly whimpered, her lips trembling and her eyes lidding heavily as she fought to keep them trained on mocha. "Nicole, you're… I…"

Nicole’s lips parted, her entire body beginning to shake as Waverly’s fingers pulled her apart, and she let out a broken moan as she watched everything she felt play back at her in hazel eyes.

She couldn’t speak. She knew she couldn’t. So she simply nodded.

Waverly’s eyes filled with tears as she gripped the pillow beside Nicole’s head, her moans falling shorter and sharper as her orgasm began to take its hold, and the mere sight of it was enough to push Nicole straight over the edge behind her.

She came seconds behind Waverly, her eyes glazed and hooded, but still very much connected with misted hazel as the intense pleasure rippled through her bones.

She was aware, somewhere in the back of her euphoric mind, of how fortunate it was that she couldn't speak right now, because she would one thousand percent have said those three weighted words.

And it was not the time.

They had literally just said they liked each other, she absolutely could not blurt this out right now, no matter how intense the sex.

But it was undeniable, and indisputable.

Nicole was in love, and she didn't ever want to stop touching Waverly Earp.

Chapter Text

“Just breathe in, bitch!”

Waverly smirked as Mercedes' voice rang sharp through the en-suite door of the bridal lodge, followed swiftly by a shuffle and a series of grunts and growls.

“I am breathing in," Wynonna's voice shot back. "You can’t just suck in an ass this juicy.”

Waverly chuckled.

She was pacing the bridal lodge once again, listening nervously to the commotion between her sister and her bridesmaid on the other side of the closed door, as Mercedes helped Wynonna into her wedding dress.

Waverly had expected that this bit would be her role. She'd always thought she would be the one behind that door on the morning of her sister’s wedding, but Wynonna had said, in as many specific words, that she wanted Waverly to cry over how beautiful she looked, and that that felt less likely to happen if she had to watch her wrestle her ass into the tight fabric.

She jumped as both Wynonna and Mercedes gave an almighty grunt, and then the small room behind the door erupted into whoops and cheers.

“Yes!” Wynonna yelled.

“Oh shit, that does look fine.” Mercedes exclaimed.

Waverly giggled.

The room fell quiet for a few long, painful minutes, and Waverly paced harder.

She had no idea why she was so nervous for this, but her stomach was in knots and her heart was in her throat, and she could feel the tremble in her legs as they carried her back and forth over the same five metre stretch of floor.

And then finally the latch clicked, and the door swung slowly back, and Waverly froze as her sister stepped through the frame and into the room.

Waverly couldn't breathe.

She stared, unblinking, for a long moment.

Her mind swam with at least a million different emotions, and she swallowed the thick, heavy lump that formed in her throat at the overwhelming sensation. 

Wynonna looked beautiful.

And she looked happy. And glowing. And peaceful. And proud, and everything that Waverly had always wanted her sister to feel.

She was all too aware of the anxious concern in Wynonna’s piercing blue eyes, and she opened her mouth in an effort to speak, but the lump in her throat trapped any words she could find low in her chest.

“Babygirl, say something," Wynonna croaked, huffing out a nervous chuckle. “Does… does my butt look good in this?”

Waverly’s dam broke.

She shrieked, loud and high pitched, her eyes welling with tears as she brought her hands up to cover her mouth.

“Wy you look beautiful, oh my god.”

Wynonna beamed, her own eyes misting as she blinked back tears.

“There’s the reaction I deserved," she teased, her smile soft. "Thank you.”

Waverly launched herself forward, enveloping her sister in a giant bear hug. She beamed, squeezing her eyes shut in an effort to hold back the tears as Wynonna's arms closed around her, and she hugged her back tightly for a long minute.

“I can’t believe this is really happening," Wynonna whispered, low and shaky. “I’m getting married, Waves!”

Waverly squeaked.

“Yes you are! I’m so proud of you, Wy," she whispered. “For everything. For who you are. I love you so much.”

"I love you too. But please do not make me cry before I've even made it down the aisle!" Wynonna sniffed, her chuckle rumbling against Waverly’s chest. She pulled back, her hands resting on Waverly's shoulders as she held her at arm's length. She smirked, her eyes playful as they dropped over Waverly’s dress. “Also, you look smoking right now. Haught’s gonna have a full scale meltdown.”

Waverly giggled.

“I hope so," she stated, "because I saw that suit this morning and I didn’t fare much better myself.”

“Okay, this sisterly love is very touching," Mercedes interrupted, "but you’ve both just spent a small fortune on hair and make-up, and this bitch has a very sexy bride waiting for her so let’s break this up and get you married!”

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Nicole bit her lip, excited anticipation rippling through her as the room shuffled with the sound of people standing, and the bride's entrance song began to play.

She hadn't seen Waverly since the brunette had rushed out of the door that morning, with a flirtatious quip about the way Nicole looked in her jet-black suit, and a heated kiss that had made the redhead immediately too warm in her stiff-collared shirt.

Which meant she hadn't seen Waverly in her bridesmaid's dress.

And Nicole had a sneaky, suspicious feeling that it might just be a lot for her to take.

She swallowed, her eyes widening as Mercedes made her way down the aisle, and she saw for the first time the dress that Waverly would be wearing.

Mercedes looked beautiful.  

And if Mercedes looked beautiful, then Waverly...

Yeah.

It was definitely going to be a lot for Nicole to take.

When the brunette finally took her first step onto the aisle, her eyes finding mocha almost immediately, Nicole forgot how to breathe.

She was absolutely certain that her heart rate was subhuman, and she could feel her palms prickle with sweat as her stomach flipped and her throat swelled tight.

Waverly looked beyond stunning. The emerald green material of the dress clung tight to her waist and her chest, dropping low over the curves of her breasts. The light material moved elegantly as Waverly walked, and the slit up the side was enough to leave Nicole’s stomach in a puddle on the floor before her.

Holy goddamn fuck.

How had she managed this?

How had she been lucky enough to find herself someone who made her feel this way? And who wanted her back?

Waverly smiled softly, her eyes almost mischievous as they mapped Nicole’s complete lesbian breakdown, and the redhead huffed out a watery chuckle, shaking her head at the cheeky spark in her favourite gaze.

She was besotted.

She was head over heels in love, and she knew it.

She managed to tear her eyes from Waverly for just long enough to watch Wynonna enter, but before the bride could reach the end of the aisle, Nicole’s gaze found her girl once again.

“Bet you can’t wait to be the one standing at the other end,” Chrissy whispered from beside Nicole, nudging her softly with her hip.

“I honestly can’t," Nicole breathed, her eyes still entranced by Waverly. “She looks beautiful.”

“She loves you, you know." Chrissy murmured. “I can see it.”

Nicole’s stomach dropped.

The words were simple enough, but there was just... something in the way they rang.

Something in the hushed, almost secretive tone of Chrissy’s voice that just didn't… fit.

Like she was sharing something unexpected. Like she was saying something Nicole wouldn't know.

And it made her blood run cold.

She snapped her gaze from Waverly, her brow pulling tight as she searched Chrissy’s face.

Chrissy paled.

Nicole’s stomach dropped harder.

“I-I mean, obviously she loves you," Chrissy stuttered, waving her hand dismissively. "You know that, she’s marrying you and all." She chuckled emptily. "Why would she do that if she didn't, right?”

Nicole blinked.

Her palms prickled with sweat, and her throat ran dry as she held Chrissy’s gaze, her jaw tightening at the fleeting look of panic in sheepish eyes.

Nicole narrowed her eyes.

Chrissy blushed.

“But, you know. Just in case you don’t know." She laughed weakly. "She definitely loves you.”

Nicole’s heart sank.

Chrissy’s voice may have been a whisper, but it was a fraction too high. Her gaze may not have wandered, but it was wide and panicked.

And she was fooling no-one.

“How long have you known?” Nicole demanded. Cool and calm, and everything she didn't feel beneath the surface.

Chrissy blanched. She shook her head, a stuttering jumble of a denial beginning to fall from her lips, until Nicole arched an eyebrow, her lips pursed tight.

“Uh… kinda since the minute she posted the photo," Chrissy mumbled, her eyes barely holding Nicole’s anymore in her sheepish remorse. "We… we all knew."

Nicole closed her eyes. 

“Christ,” she sighed. “Wynonna?”

"Especially Wynonna.”

"What?" Nicole’s eyes flew open. "Why have you allowed it to carry on?" She hissed, her deflation beginning to morph into anger. "God, Waverly’s gonna be so embarrassed!”

“Well we-we weren’t going to," Chrissy pleaded, "but then…”

"Please, be seated."

Chrissy’s words were cut off by the sound of the registrar's voice, and the shuffle and murmurs of the room around them settling back into their seats.

Nicole ran a hand over her face as she sat, Chrissy’s apologetic face burning in her mind.

They knew?

They fucking knew?

The whole time?

She felt sick.

All she could think about was Waverly, and the anxiety and the nerves that she had gone through over this, and more recently over how to come clean about the charade and the nature of their relationship.

And it was all for nothing.

Why?

She exhaled shakily, fighting to calm her racing brain as the ceremony started, and Waverly caught her eye once more.

The brunette frowned, concern lacing through hazel eyes as they mapped Nicole’s face, and the redhead schooled her features as quickly as she could.

She smiled softly, throwing the brunette a wink.

They had a wedding to get through.

She would have to deal with this later.

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

“Hey, wifey…” Wynonna murmured, nudging Rosita’s shoulder with her own as they sat around the table.

Nicole grinned as Rosita’s eyes widened, her lips curling slightly at the corners, and she visibly melted a little at the words.

“Yes, Mrs Bustillos-Earp?”

“Is it acceptable to get drunk now?” Wynonna grinned.

“Oh shit, you’re asking me now?" Rosita laughed. "Is this married life?"

“Don’t get used to it," Wynonna scoffed. "I just don’t wanna be denied sex on my wedding day.”

Nicole chuckled, leaning a little closer to Waverly instinctively.

The ceremony had been beautiful, and the meal had been amazing, and Nicole was fully loving being a part of this amazing little family. Sure, she had friends, but she had never been a part of something like this. Of acceptance, and love, and found family. And she could really get used to being a part of something like this.

She leaned in, planting a soft kiss against Waverly’s temple, her hand finding the brunette’s thigh beneath the table.

She would be lying if she said she hadn't been struggling a little.

Waverly looked so beautiful. The dress and the waves in her hair, and the radiant glow on her cheeks and in her eyes as she'd watched her sister marry the love of her life. And Nicole was having a hard time figuring out which way was up.

She grinned as Waverly turned to meet her gaze, her eyes softening impossibly further as she leaned to brush her nose over Nicole’s.

"Oh my god, you guys are in love!" Rosita exclaimed.

And maybe three hours ago Nicole might have heard a playful tease, but now, under the uncomfortable revelation that their fake engagement charade had fooled nobody, Nicole could hear the exclamation for what it really was.

Surprise, and excitement.

She squirmed a little in her seat, her smile tight as she avoided Rosita’s eyes.

“And thank sappho for that!” Wynonna cheered, holding her glass out in gesture. “Haught, not to be sentimental on main, but you made my dreams of laying out a spot for the love of Waverly’s life today come true. So thank you dude.”

Nicole smiled weakly, nodding as she held her own glass up.

Waverly had been busy, swept up in the ceremony and the photos and the speeches, and Nicole hadn't had a moment alone with the brunette to even begin to explain the situation that had unfolded before her.

She wasn't entirely convinced that her sister’s wedding was really the place to share this revelation with her either, but if there was one thing Nicole would and could never do, it was lie to Waverly Earp. 

And so she just needed a minute alone.

“Who is it next then? You two, or us?" Kate teased, and Nicole felt her chest tighten with nausea.

She could feel Waverly tense a little beside her, and she could see the sheepish look in Chrissy’s eyes, and she could feel the uncomfortable guilt crawl beneath every inch of her skin.

"Well, we haven't even set a date yet," Waverly tried, her cheeks tinting with a blush as she pressed herself closer to Nicole.

"Well what are you waiting for, Haught-Wheels?" Wynonna challenged. She smirked. "You proposed in thirty seconds, I thought you were in some kind of rush?"

Nicole laughed emptily, any possible retort caught tight in the back of her throat.

This wasn't fair.

She needed to tell Waverly. Sister’s wedding or not.

Waverly deserved to know. 

By the time the meal was finally over, and Waverly was finally done with her duties for half a moment, Nicole was practically vibrating with nervous energy.

She took a deep breath, catching Waverly’s hand as she headed towards the bar.

“Wave, can we talk?”

Waverly halted immediately.

“Is everything okay?” She whispered weakly, her eyes wide as they searched Nicole’s. “That sounds ominous.”

Nicole swallowed.

She shook her head, painfully aware of Chrissy and Rosita stood not six metres away from them.

"Not here, baby," she pleaded. "Could we maybe just step out for a moment, please?"

Waverly nodded, her brow creasing in her confusion. She swallowed visibly, and Nicole felt immediately guilty for the flashes of fear through hazel eyes. She squeezed Waverly’s hand, tugging her close to her as she led the brunette away from her friends, and out into the foyer.

“What is it, Nicole?"

Waverly’s voice was small, and strained, and her eyes misted slightly as they watched Nicole in anticipation.

"I…" Nicole faltered. She had no idea how to phrase this. The last thing she wanted to do was to cause a rift between Waverly and Wynonna, or her friends, but she couldn't leave the brunette in the dark. So she needed the right words.

"Nicole, you're scaring me!" Waverly urged, her voice edging from small into panic and frustration. "What's wrong? Is it me? Have I done something? Please don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts, I don’t know if I can deal with…”

“Baby, no!” Nicole yelped, her own eyes flying wide at the words. She pulled Waverly’s palm upright, drawing, for the first time, a soft, but very clear X across the centre. “It’s not that. God, it’s definitely not that.” 

Waverly stopped, her eyes softening round the edges as she watched the movement.

Nicole took a deep breath. 

“They know, Wave.”

“What?” Waverly frowned. “Who knows what?”

“Everyone. They know we aren’t engaged.”

Waverly paled.

“What?”

“Chrissy slipped up," Nicole explained. "She told me they knew right from the start.”

Waverly dropped Nicole’s hand. Her eyes widened, flaring with panic. 

“Even Wynonna?”

Nicole nodded.

“Especially Wynonna, apparently.”

Waverly fell quiet, and Nicole held her breath as she watched the colours change in the brunette’s eyes. From uncertainty, to panic, to confusion, and finally bleeding into anger. Waverly shook her head, her eyes closing as she fought to process the information she was hearing.

"I just… I don’t understand!" She shot, her eyes much more fiery when they snapped open once more. "For six weeks? Why didn’t they say?”

“I don’t know,” Nicole breathed, shaking her head. "The ceremony started before I could ask."

Nicole was fully aware that it wasn't scientifically possible, but she was almost certain she could see the fumes spilling from Waverly’s ears.

“I’m gonna fucking kill her!” Waverly growled.

Nicole winced.

“Wave, it’s her wedding day!” She tried, reaching out for Waverly’s hand as the brunette made to leave. “Please don’t...”

She trailed off as Waverly pulled away, her heels clicking against the tiled floor as she stomped off in the direction of the reception room.

Nicole sighed, resigning herself to her guilty fate.

She guessed it wouldn't be a real wedding without a little drama, would it.

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Waverly’s blood boiled as she stormed through the hall and into the reception room, her fists and her jaw clenched tight with her agitation.

Her mind swam, anger and frustration and betrayal and humiliation bleeding together into one giant mass of fury that she couldn’t contain. And guilt. She knew this was her own fault. She knew she wasn't the victim in this situation, but right now that was only making her more agitated.

This was her lie. Her rolling ball of chaos that she had let get out of control, and yet somehow it had been spun on its axis, and Waverly was the one being played the fool. Had been all along.

And it infuriated her.

“Why did you lie to me?”

The words were out before she'd even reached Wynonna, spat with an unbridled agitation across the last few metres between herself and her unsuspecting sister.

The conversation around them fell to a hush, and the few faces collected around Wynonna stepped back, eyes dropping to the floor.

Wynonna frowned.

“Excuse me?” 

“Why did you lie to me?” Waverly demanded, her finger pointing in accusation at Wynonna's chest. “You told me you believed me.”

She was aware, as her body always was, of Nicole catching her up behind her, and the redhead’s mere presence began to calm the fury in her veins.

She pushed it down, taking a few steps away from Nicole before her magic took too strong a hold.

She didn't want to be calm.

She wanted answers.

“You said you were happy for me!" She chided, her voice pitching higher in her frustrated incredulity. "You threw us a goddamn party!”

"Ah." Wynonna nodded, her face softening as the reason for Waverly’s outburst seemed to click in blue eyes.

"Yes, ah!" Waverly spat.

“I am happy for you," Wynonna insisted, her voice calm and steady, and she placed her drink down on the bar as she turned her full attention to her sister.

“But you knew it wasn’t true!” Waverly yelped.

Wynonna nodded.

Waverly’s stomach clenched, the tears threatening to burn in the back of her eyes at the confirmation.

“How?” She croaked.

Wynonna took a step closer to her, earnest blue eyes searching her own.

“Babygirl, I know you," Wynonna huffed out a chuckle. "I know when you’re lying. I’ve known every time since the day you were born, you think I wouldn’t see through something like this?”

Waverly blushed, her gaze dropping to the floor.

She felt sick, humiliation gripping every part of her body, and she suddenly really regretted taking those steps away from Nicole.

“Why didn’t you say?” She whispered.

Wynonna shrugged.

“I figured you said it for a reason. I figured maybe you were going through something, and you needed to get it out.”

“Oh, don’t bullshit me," Waverly scoffed. "I know you just as well, Wynonna, and since when would you ever let something like this slide?”

Wynonna paused, her eyes flickering with something almost amused as she looked between Waverly, and the space behind her where she knew Nicole was standing.

Waverly held her breath. 

"Okay, fine," Wynonna sighed, her lips curling at the edges and her eyes sparkling with something a little softer. “I was messing with you. I saw that post and I assumed you'd fucked up! I figured it was meant for your venue. We all did, and we teased you for it! But then you said you were engaged, and I thought you were joking with us." Wynonna shrugged apologetically. "But when it turned out you weren't, I wanted to see how far you’d take it. I was going to tell you, but then…”

Wynonna trailed off, chuckling softly as she flicked her eyes once more to Nicole.

“Then what?” Waverly demanded.

“Well, then I met Haught.”

Waverly’s stomach dropped.

She fell quiet, her eyes wide as she processed the unexpected words.

“What?”

Why would that have changed anything?

“I met Haught-shot here. And I saw the way she looked at you,” Wynonna grinned, shaking her head. “And I saw the way you looked at her. And it was… disgusting. And it was real. Even if your stories weren’t.” 

Waverly’s head swam. So not only had Wynonna seen through her lies, but she'd seen what had been right in front of Waverly all along, before Waverly had?

“So I… we…" Wynonna shrugged sheepishly, gesturing to Rosita, Chrissy and Mercedes behind her. "We figured we’d give you some time. Give you a chance to figure it out. In case you threw it away when it wasn't needed.”

Waverly swallowed hard.

She had no idea what to think anymore, and her anger had given way entirely to her humiliation. She took a step back, her body searching for Nicole’s comfort in the space behind her.

“You embarrassed me," she murmured, barely able to meet her sister’s eyes as her skin rippled with the heat of a blush.

“You lied to us, Wave," Wynonna stated, soft, and calm, and easy. "Which, by the way, is a whole thing we need to unpack later! But you lied to us. We just didn’t call you up on it.”

Waverly fell quiet, her jaw tight. She knew, somewhere deep down, that her sister was right, but her embarrassment was too strong, and she couldn't bring herself to accept the words.

“I love you," Wynonna continued. "And I want you to be happy. And this thing here…” She chuckled, pointing between Waverly and Nicole. “I’m not apologising for shipping this. This is what you deserve.”

Waverly dropped her gaze. She didn't know what to think, what to feel, or what to say, and all she knew was that she needed Nicole’s reassurance, and to be away from the watchful eyes of her friends and her sister for just a few moments. For long enough to understand.

She exhaled shakily as she felt Nicole’s hand rest on her lower back, and she leaned back into the touch. 

"You need a minute?" Nicole whispered.

Waverly nodded. She smiled weakly as Nicole kissed her temple, pulling her tight against her as once again she led her out of the reception room, and into the foyer. 

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Nicole watched sympathetically as Waverly paced the floor of the foyer, her heels echoing with every stamp of agitated feet.

“I can’t believe they did this to me, Nicole!” Waverly groaned. “Fuck, this is so embarrassing!” 

"I know, baby," Nicole assured, "but it's okay. It'll be okay, at least they know now and you don't have to tell them."

“I don’t… I don’t know what’s real anymore," Waverly whispered, her eyes reddening with the first threat of tears. "First it wasn’t real, then it was real but I didn’t know it was real, and apparently everyone else knew it wasn’t real but they also knew it was real, and then it was real for real but they didn’t know that, and now the only person who’s been played the fool here is me!”

“Waverly!" Nicole stepped forward, blocking the brunette’s path as she took her hands in her own, encouraging Waverly's gaze to meet her earnest eyes. She smiled softly. “Baby, you are a lot of things, but a fool is not one of them.”

Waverly sighed, her shoulders dropping a little under Nicole’s attention.

“Everyone lied to me, Nicole," she whispered, her eyes filling with unshed tears.

“You know full well that you lied first, Wave.” Nicole spoke softly, careful to keep any hint of accusation out of her voice. That wasn't her intention. She knew Waverly knew that really, beneath the layer of hurt and anger. “And you had your reasons, and maybe they did too. And yes, the whole situation was a mess... ”

She chuckled softly, shaking her head as she considered the absolute insanity of the past six weeks, even crazier now in the light of the new information.

Waverly huffed out a small laugh, dropping Nicole’s hands in favour of running them over the spread of the redhead’s suit jacket, and Nicole knew she was finally beginning to see through the red mist.

"I can’t tell you that I’m sorry, Waverly," Nicole murmured, wrapping her own hands around the brunette’s waist and pulling her close. "Because I’m not. I’m really goddamn glad your friends let you think they believed you, because if they hadn’t… well the last six weeks wouldn’t have happened. We wouldn't have happened."

Waverly dropped her gaze, anxious hazel eyes fixated on some unseen seam on the lapel of Nicole's suit.

“Wouldn’t we?” She whispered, small and vulnerable.

Nicole's chest clenched.

She couldn’t have this.

She couldn't have Waverly fading away in fear about this. About them.

She needed to tell the brunette how she really felt.

Waverly deserved to know. 

“Well maybe." Nicole shrugged. "Maybe we’d have found each other a different way eventually, but if this meant I got to meet you sooner then I’m not gonna be mad about it. Because I wouldn’t pass up a single second with you, Wave.”

“But wouldn’t you have preferred it if we’d found each other for real?” Waverly murmured, her voice a little shaky as she let her eyes flick back to Nicole’s face.

"We did find it for real, Waverly," Nicole assured, her arms closing tighter over Waverly’s waist as the brunette exhaled slowly. “This - all of this - it pulled us together, but it hid us. All it’s done is hidden what’s been there all along. It’s like glitter in the dust…”

"Glitter?" Waverly whispered, her eyes sparkling warmer, and her lips beginning to curl into a playful smirk. “Glitter is really bad for the aquatic environment.” 

Nicole quirked an eyebrow.

Waverly giggled.

“Sorry, please go ahead.”

“It’s like glitter in the dust, or salt in the sand," Nicole continued, her voice lighter with the visible relaxation in Waverly’s eyes. "Hidden by everything that surrounds it, but when you’ve been looking at it in the right light… you can see it for what it really is.” 

“And what is it?” Waverly whispered.

“Beautiful." Nicole grinned.

Waverly raised an eyebrow.

“Salt is beautiful?” She teased.

“Are you gonna let me be romantic?” Nicole huffed.

Waverly smirked.

“Why don’t you…” She wrapped her hands around Nicole’s neck, pulling the redhead down until their lips were almost touching. “Cut the poetic crap, and just reassure me by telling me how you feel about me, Haught?”

Nicole huffed out a laugh.

Easy.

“I’m in love with you.”

Waverly’s eyes widened, her jaw dropping slightly at the confession, and her lips curled into the softest smile Nicole had ever seen as their meaning seeped its way into Waverly’s veins and took hold in her chest.

Nicole grinned. She couldn’t help but say it again.

“I’m so in love with you, Earp.”

Waverly bit her lip, shaking her head in disbelief.

“So is that the glitter, or the salt, or the dust?" She teased. "I’m not sure anymore.”

“Oh sure, mock my efforts at romance, why don’t you," Nicole huffed, her tone offended but her eyes playful.

Waverly grinned. She tugged gently on the baby hairs at the nape of Nicole’s neck, and the redhead shivered.

“I’m in love with you too,” Waverly murmured.

Nicole would swear blind her heart burst.

“Yeah?” She beamed, her entire body prickling with elated goosebumps as Waverly’s words rippled over it, and she couldn't help the giddy giggle that escaped her lips.

“So bad, Haught." Waverly chuckled, brushing her nose over Nicole’s.

Nicole kissed her.

Sweet, and lingering, and giddy.

“So… I would like to ask you, officially,” Nicole murmured as they pulled back, her eyes finding glittering hazel once more. “To not be my fiancée anymore.”

Waverly raised an eyebrow.

“That had better be more romantic than it sounds," she retorted.

Nicole grinned.

“I’d like to ask you to be my girlfriend.”

There was a moment of quiet, and Nicole held her breath.

Then Waverly squealed, her hands clutching at the back of Nicole’s neck as she pressed her body tighter against her in her visible excitement.

"Is that a yes?" Nicole laughed.

“There’s absolutely nothing I’d love more," Waverly breathed, her lips already pressed against Nicole’s as she pulled her back into a searing kiss.

Nicole jumped, feeling Waverly do the same as a burst of whoops, cheers and applause rang out from the door that led to the hall, and both spun to find the source.

Nicole laughed as Wynonna, Rosita, Mercedes, Kate, Chrissy and Perry all tumbled through the doorway, holding glasses aloft as they whistled and cheered.

She glanced at Waverly, grinning as the brunette scowled at her sister.

The action might have suggested lingering anger, but Nicole knew the soft spark in those hazel eyes.

And so did Wynonna.

Wynonna winked, and Waverly grinned.

"A toast!" Wynonna cheered. "To Waverly and Nicole, and the not- engagement!"

Chapter Text

“Jesus!”

Nicole jumped at the shriek from behind her, and she spun just in time to see Wynonna flail a little on her tiny stepladder.

“Shit!” Nicole lunged forward, her arms outstretched in an effort to catch the brunette before she fell.

To no avail.

Wynonna huffed, her jaw set tight and her eyes flaring with something that looked, thankfully, a lot more like irritation than pain as she lay sprawled across Waverly’s lawn, surrounded by toppled lanterns and wrapped in a string of fairy lights.

Nicole sighed.

“How is this the second time you’ve ended up on the floor, Earp?" She chastised. "It’s literally a string of fairy lights and they are not that high!”

“Look I came here under the lure of alcohol and hot dogs," Wynonna huffed, flinging the fairy lights off of her. "I don’t need to help your sappy ass with this shit.”

Nicole smirked.

“We both know you’re just here for Waverly," she retorted, grinning as she held her hand out to help her friend up.

Wynonna smirked, her lips playful but her eyes softening as she took the offered hand, allowing Nicole to help her up.

“I think we both know I’m not just here for Waverly, Haught." She grinned. "But tell anyone that, and I'll shave your head in your sleep."

Nicole chuckled. 

She and Wynonna had grown infinitely closer over the two years of her relationship with Waverly, and these days they were almost inseparable.

But they were still incapable of saying pleasant things to each other most days, and so the softness in blue eyes now made Nicole’s chest feel warm. Even if it was accompanied with a delightful threat.

“Guys, a little help?” Jeremy called, his voice strained as he balanced on his own ladder, awkwardly fighting to hold up the remainder of the fairy light string that led to Wynonna's waist.

"Sorry, Jer!" Nicole started, practically yanking the string of lights from Wynonna, and jogging the few feet to assist her best friend.

“Calm your shit, Haught-potato, we’ve got this!” Wynonna scolded, grabbing Nicole’s shoulders and spinning her away with a shove. “Go finish putting your little love notes out.”

“They’re clues!” Nicole huffed.

“Whatever, Casanova, just go do your thing!" Wynonna retorted, already climbing back up her ladder. "You’ve got one hour until Waverly gets home, and unless you plan on proposing in your track shorts, you need to leave the tech stuff to the experts.”

Nicole exhaled slowly, nodding her agreement as she backed away almost reluctantly.

Her clues were already laid, of course, but Wynonna was right. She really didn't fancy doing this in her track shorts and her old college hoodie.

She scanned the yard, the lanterns and the fairy lights and the copious numbers of lilies, and her stomach swooped hard as her nerves hit her for the thousandth time that afternoon.

This was it.

This was finally it.

The real proposal.

And she had no idea whether Waverly would see it coming.

She shot Wynonna one last nervous glance, huffing out a laugh as the brunette winked before nodding her head sharply in the direction of the house.

Nicole’s nerves ran higher than ever as she made her way through the house, and into the bedroom she'd shared with Waverly for the past eighteen months. She watched her own reflection carefully in the mirror as she pulled on her deep, emerald green suit. The one she knew was Waverly’s favourite. 

She watched her own eyes; fear, and anticipation, and nerves dancing behind their reflection. 

But also a spark she knew well.

One that had only appeared since Waverly Earp had crashed into her life in the most unorthodox of ways, and turned her whole world and her whole being upside down.

One that showed content, and true happiness, and genuine love. For Waverly, and for who she made Nicole.

And fear be damned, she was damn set on asking the love of her life to marry her tonight.

◇~~~~~~~~~~💍~~~~~~~~~~◇

Waverly beamed as she waved goodbye to the last of the suppliers who had attended her venue's last wedding fayre of the season. It had been a good day. A great day. She'd met plenty of new prospective clients, had booked in three weddings for the following year, and her new Saturday help had made a killing in the little shop. 

She'd been surprised Jeremy had scurried off so early, considering the sheer number of sales he had been making all morning, but he had insisted he had somewhere to be and had been very cagey when she had questioned him.

Even so, Waverly was practically floating as she made her way through the halls to her foyer, intent on cashing up her till and making her way home for the evening. The cleaning could wait until tomorrow.

She pushed her way through the door, and abruptly stopped in her tracks.

The lights had been dropped low, and the hushed quiet of the dimness drew immediate attention to a tiny string of battery-powered fairy lights on the surface of her desk, wrapped delicately around a single lily, and an envelope.

An envelope with her name on.

In handwriting she would recognise anywhere.

Waverly frowned. Had Nicole been here? And she hadn't come to find Waverly?

She bit her lip as she picked up the envelope, pushing down the hint of disappointment as her chest began to buzz instead with excitement and anticipation. 

She felt the butterflies begin their first flutters in her stomach as she peeled open the envelope, pulling the neatly folded paper out with enthusiasm.

Waverly,

I have a surprise for you.

All you have to do is follow the clues, and I'll be ready and waiting for you.

Clue one is done, I thought we’d start

where I first confessed you had my heart.

Clue two leads where we staged our kiss, but interruptions made us miss.

I can't wait to see you, baby.

I love you.

N x

Waverly squealed.

Firstly because the lights and the flower and the note and the rhyme were all just adorable, and the words had been written in the most delicate of lettering, and the page was scented with Nicole’s perfume, and the entire thing was just about the most romantic thing she had ever received.

And Nicole had done a lot of romantic things over the past two years.

But secondly because she loved a puzzle. And this seemed like one with the best possible answer. 

She read the words again, grinning as her mind and her memory instantly and effortlessly supplied her with the answer she needed.

Where they had staged their first kiss.

Waverly grinned almost giddily.

Was that where Nicole was? Were they having an impromptu hot tub date? 

Waverly could barely contain her excitement as she switched off her till, figuring anything there was left to do could wait until the morning. She gathered up her lily, holding it delicately between her fingers as she practically skipped to the bridal lodge, her pulse racing at the thought of a romantic date night with the love of her life.

She didn't even bother to go into the lodge. She scurried around the back, heading straight for the terrace and the hot tub that awaited her.

She frowned.

No sign of Nicole, but in the centre of the covered hot tub was another lily. And another set of fairy lights.

And another envelope.

Waverly’s fingers shook as she reached for the note, her anticipation building in her veins. If Nicole had laid multiple clues, then this was beginning to feel like a little more than a Saturday night hot tub date.

She peeled back the envelope, her heart racing and her mind in overdrive as she read the words.

Here I missed my chance to kiss you, 

but god I really REALLY wanted to.

So clue three leads to where I made my move, 

pretending we had a charade to prove. 

A game I know you saw straight through,

and felt how much I wanted you.

Waverly’s stomach dropped.

She felt her heart soar, catching in her throat in a lump she couldn't swallow back.

Holy shit.

She knew what this was.

Of course she knew what this was.

The clues, the trail, the lights.

Nicole had told her what this was two years ago, sitting in Waverly’s kitchen in a backwards cap and ripped jeans. 

Back when things were fake, and when Waverly was falling.

Waverly’s entire body was trembling. She wasn't sure she had ever been so nervous, or so excited, and she had absolutely no idea how she got to her car. Or how she got home. The tears burned hard behind her eyes as she pulled into her driveway, and she practically slammed on the brakes in her desperate haste to find Nicole.

Though she knew.

She knew exactly where Nicole was.

And she knew exactly what she would find when she got there. She knew this story, and she knew its ending, and somehow that made her all the more desperate to get there.

She stopped at the front door, her mind reeling and her fingers shaking. She wanted nothing more than to run. To ignore every other clue, and every light or lily or envelope, and to run through the house and straight into Nicole’s arms.

But also, she was smitten. She was smitten with the idea, and the romance, and the effort that Nicole had put into this, and she would be damned if she wasn't seeing this through the way her incredible girlfriend had intended for her to.

She pushed her key into the lock, kicking the door closed behind her with more enthusiasm than she should have, and she scurried through the house without even a second glance to her surroundings.

She knew where she was going.

To the place where Nicole had made her move.

To where Nicole had first kissed her with that goddamn fire those years back, under a pretence that never was. 

She giggled giddily as she entered the kitchen, the dim lighting met with the soft glow of another string of fairy lights, another lily, and another envelope.

Waverly’s eyes filled with tears.

Somehow this felt more intense; more emotional knowing exactly where this hunt was leading her. Waverly was pretty sure she was twice the total wreck right now, that she would have been had she been in the dark over the ending of this.

She sniffed, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand as she peeled open the envelope.

That first kiss was no pretence. 

No lie could EVER be that intense.

Now your sister calls me her best friend, 

but the night we met was all pretend. 

Clue four will lead you up to find 

your dress that blew my smitten mind.

Waverly squealed.

She couldn't help it.

Just to know that even back then, when she had been crushing hard, Nicole had been crushing right on back.

Smitten.

She knew it now. Of course she did.

But to see the words on the page before her made her feel giddy, and she danced her way excitedly up the stairs to find that golden dress that she had worn for their faux engagement party.

She found it in the bedroom. Dry cleaned, and hanging on the outside of her closet.

With a lily propped in its hem, a fairy light string around its hanger, and an envelope taped to the front.

Waverly wasted no time. She peeled back the envelope, almost vibrating with her excitement.

Dress to impress, all fire and flame. 

Then find the next clue where you cry my name.

Waverly blushed.

Where she cried Nicole’s name?

That could only mean one thing, surely? And she certainly did do a lot of crying Nicole’s name, she couldn’t deny that!

She smirked as she scurried to the bed, dragging back the duvet to find no fairy lights, no lily, but an envelope sat beneath the sheets.

She frowned.

Your dirty mind is incredibly hot, 

but I meant where you yell at me a lot. ;) 

Waverly giggled, shaking her head.

"Forever a goddamn tease," she muttered, turning back to the dress that hung from the closet.

Dress to impress, Nicole had said.

She grinned, slipping her shirt over her head as she reached for the hanger. She had to admit, she loved the way Nicole’s eyes darkened whenever she wore this dress, and if her girlfriend wanted her in it tonight, then who was she to deny such a request?

With the glamorous golden dress in place, a little more makeup on her eyes, and a check of the waves in her hair, Waverly was ready.

She scanned her last clue once again, chuckling as she rushed to the bathroom where she assumed she would find her answer.

Where she yelled at Nicole a lot.

Where Nicole was forever having showers that went on for way too long, and used way too much water, and Waverly nagged her almost daily for the environmental impacts.

She giggled as she found the lights wrapped round the shower head, and the lily and the envelope slotted behind the wire.

I promise to make my showers less long...

But find the next clue where your clothes DON'T BELONG!

Waverly blushed. She bit her lip, slinking almost sheepishly out of the room and down the stairs.

She knew exactly where this was. And she was pretty sure she had some clothes there right now...

She crept into the living room, her blush growing across the tips of her ears as the soft glow of fairy lights shone from the small gap between the sofa and the wall.

The small gap in which there was, more often than not, a pile of Waverly’s discarded clothing, that Nicole was forever putting away, and forever nagging her about.

Waverly huffed out a sheepish giggle as she found her lights wrapped around a discarded bra, a lily and an envelope sitting in each cup.

When you leave these piles, I get very stressed,

but I can't stay too mad when you end up undressed.

Waverly giggled.

She could almost hear Nicole’s soft snigger as she'd written each of her hammy clues, and the thought only made her love her girlfriend more.

This last clue will lead you through one final door,

and maybe - just maybe - to forever and more.

If you cast your mind back, to when we first began,

then I hope you'll recall that you know where I am.

I'm waiting for you, baby. I love you. 

Forever and always.

N x

Waverly took a deep, shaky breath.

This was it.

She did know. She knew where Nicole was, and now there was nothing stopping her. No more clues, no more obstacles, no more time.

She shook her hands out, steeling her nerves as she made her way slowly to the door that would lead to the yard, and to the scene that she hoped would set up the rest of her life.

She pushed back the door, and stepped into the garden.

She gasped, her breath catching hard in her chest, and her entire body erupting in butterflies. 

She'd known what to expect but she hadn't realised how beautiful it would be. 

The sheer number of lights, and lanterns, and flowers, and in the middle of it all was Nicole. 

And she looked so beautiful.

So beautiful, and so radiant, and so electric, and so goddamn nervous.

Nervous! As if she would ever have anything to be nervous about.

She huffed out a watery chuckle as she met the warm mocha eyes she loved so hard, and she giggled as Nicole’s dimples popped, and the redhead gestured around her cheekily.

She was entranced.

She watched Nicole for a long moment, not trusting her trembling muscles to carry her as she let her eyes map those dimples and those eyes, and the way Nicole’s fingers fumbled in the pocket of her suit, and the way the fairy lights danced in her hair.

And the lily pinned to the lapel of her suit.

Waverly sighed, well and truly smitten, and completely unable to tear her gaze away.

Until the opening notes of Hot For Teacher rang out around her, and she laughed openly. 

She loved the way that Nicole had tied all of the elements of their charade in with the reality of their love, and turned it into something solid and tangible that Waverly could feel in every one of those clues and lights and flowers.

And even the song. The throwaway joke, back when this was fake, had still become a memory for them. A turning point in their story, and Nicole had collected it and stamped it into their reality. And slowly every memory they had together had become something real, no longer something from some kind of before.

And it made the tears burn stronger in Waverly’s eyes.

Then it morphed, the notes blending softly into the melodic tune of the song that Waverly had associated with Nicole and with love for two years now. 

And Waverly couldn’t help it. 

She ran.

She barreled herself down the path, throwing herself unhesitatingly into Nicole’s open arms.

And Nicole’s grunt and stagger made it more than clear that this was never a part of her plan, but she embraced Waverly anyway, holding her tight as the unbidden sobs began to wrack the brunette’s body, flowing from her chest and into the crook of the redhead’s neck.

By the time Waverly finally allowed her arms to be prised from her girlfriend's neck, and she pulled back to search Nicole’s gaze, those mocha eyes were misted with tears. And it made Waverly’s breath catch hard in her throat.

"Baby…" Nicole murmured, taking a step back.

"Yes!" Waverly whispered, her head already nodding of its own accord as she grabbed at Nicole’s suit jacket to keep her close.

Nicole huffed out a gentle chuckle.

"You gonna let me get through this romantic speech?" Nicole grinned, shooting Waverly a wink as she rested her hands over the brunette’s own, lifting them gently.