Chapter Text
Dusk had settled over Purgatory and painted the horizon in streaks of purple. After a long day of horseback riding and swimming in one of Purgatory’s few clean lakes, Waverly and Nicole had returned to the homestead with a pleasant fatigue in their muscles. They leaned on each other for support as they stepped onto the front porch of Waverly’s house. When they reached the front door, Nicole took her hat off and fidgeted with it. Waverly found it adorable. It was always nice to see cocky Officer Haught morph into bashful Nicole.
“So I guess this is goodnight, huh?”
“Only if you want to leave,” Waverly said. “I’d really like to drag today out as long as possible.”
Truthfully, she didn’t know when she’d have another day to spend with Nicole. The war with the Revenants was near its boiling point. Wynonna and Dolls would need as much help from her as she could offer, which meant very little time for the relationship she had started to cultivate with Nicole. She was surprised she was able to have today free, but she had a feeling Wynonna had something to do with that.
“I would love to stay,” Nicole said, and the shy smile Waverly had become so fond of made an appearance.
Ten minutes later, they sat on the porch together with two mugs of hot chocolate and a blanket over their knees so they could enjoy the sunset. Neither could hold back their yawns as the sky darkened, though both of them tried valiantly, but it was Waverly who succumbed to exhaustion first and dozed off against Nicole’s shoulder.
When she opened her eyes again, it was to the sound of Nicole’s soft voice above her. She was surprised to find she was still on the front porch, but she had shifted positions in her sleep. Or maybe Nicole had moved her. Either way, her head was now on Nicole’s lap and the blanket that had covered her knees earlier had been draped over her whole body. She felt a light touch against her scalp and Waverly realized Nicole was combing her fingers through her hair.
“You know, this wasn’t supposed to happen,” Nicole said, and Waverly wasn’t sure if she was supposed to respond, or if Nicole thought she was still asleep. “This was supposed to be a fresh start away from messy feelings and the trouble they bring, but then I ran into you and that plan went right out the window.” Yeah, she definitely thought Waverly was still asleep. Nicole sighed, and for a moment, her fingers stopped their ministrations. Waverly almost pouted—it had felt good—but then she remembered she was supposed to be sleeping.
“I think I might be a little bit in love with you, Waverly Earp,” Nicole said, and it took all of Waverly’s self-control not to react to that bit of information. “I’m in love with you, and it’s terrifying. I know I shouldn’t be scared of that feeling, but there’s so much that could go wrong.” Waverly felt Nicole take a shaky breath before she continued running her fingers through Waverly’s hair. “You’re going through a lot right now. I don’t know exactly what it is, but I do know it has to do with whatever Deputy Marshall Dolls and your sister are up against. I know that it’s dangerous.”
She went quiet again and Waverly was tempted to blow her cover so she could look up and make sure Nicole was okay. But then Nicole continued. “I know it could take you away.” The ‘from me’ went unspoken. “But I’m selfish. I want a lifetime of showing you how much I love you. So I need you to be careful, Waverly. I need you to stay safe.”
Waverly rolled onto her back to look up at Nicole, only to find her gazing down at her with an expression of tender adoration. Maybe she had known Waverly was awake all along.
She reached up and placed the palm of her hand against Nicole’s cheek. “I promise I’ll stay safe.”
Judging by the soft smile that appeared on Nicole’s face, she had heard the unspoken “I love you, too,” tied up in the promise.