Archive of Our Own

Waverly Earp stood behind the bar at Shorty's, stacking empty glasses, and trying to work out what the hell was going on.

Nicole was there.

Officer Nicole Haught, with whom she had started to build a strange sort of friendship, was sitting across the bar in a booth with some buddies from the police station, drinking beer after beer. And, apparently, ignoring her.

Nicole, whose smile the first time they'd met was so bright and warm Waverly felt like it had lit up the whole of the dark empty bar, not to mention Waverly herself; was sat looking like dark clouds had fallen, and so shrouded her light.

Because Nicole was there; and yet she wasn't there at all.

As for Waverly, well she was busy cycling through the same set of emotions she had been all evening. She'd started with the simple happiness she always felt when she was in Nicole's company, when she'd first seen her walk into the bar that evening. Then confusion, as instead of the warm smile she was used to, Nicole just gave her a tight nod, and made no attempt to come over and say hi, or even just to smile at her from across the room.

Nicole always smiled at her from across the room.

Fear, that she'd said something or done something stupid. Anxiety that maybe Nicole was ashamed to be seen with her in front of her work colleagues. She was an Earp, after all.

But then she'd watched her more carefully, and started to see things, and then started to worry. She didn't understand how the guys she was sat with couldn't see it; Nicole wasn't in herself at all, but off somewhere else entirely. Her body language awkward, her laughs forced. The way she looked down at the beer in her hands like it was medicine to be taken rather than a simple good time. For chrissake, the fact that she wouldn't even look at Waverly. They'd become oddly close in the short time they'd known each other, and Nicole was so upstanding and honourable, Waverly couldn't believe that she suddenly would retreat from their friendship without at least an explanation why.

And so this brought Waverly back to confusion. What was going on? And why hadn't she talked to Waverly about whatever in hell it was?

Sighing, Waverly put the last glass in place and turned away, to serve a waiting customer.

Nicole was not usually a big drinker.

And she'd never normally turn to a bottle for answers or absolution. If she was honest, she knew that she frowned a little on those who did. In her line of work she'd seen too many drunken fights, too many beatings. Vehicles wrecked because of drink; lives wrecked too. So she had little respect for those who slipped off into alcohol's easy embrace at the first sign of trouble.

But one day a year she gave herself a break from her own judgement, and boy did she drink.

She had initially been grateful for the opportunity when her shift mates had suggested going for a beer, knowing that this would give her an excuse, and the chance to at least start the evening with company.

Plus, well, they'd suggested Shorty's. And she knew that that meant there was a chance she'd see...

She'd regretted that almost the second she'd walked into the bar and seen Waverly. Waverly, who she knew she'd been crushing on, hard, from the second they'd met.

She'd walked into the bar at the back of the group of her colleagues, and saw Waverly notice the uniforms, and a look of hope flash across her face as she'd scanned the group for Nicole. Nicole had seen the moment she'd seen her, and how her expression had turned to pure happiness.

Nicole's heart had surged, then broken. She had looked away quickly, unable to bear these feelings on top of everything else that day.

Some part of her already knew that it wasn't just a crush.

The end of the night, and there were just a few stragglers left. Waverly watched out of the corner of her eye the last couple of guys in Nicole's group finish their drinks, teasing her as she said she'd stay for one for the road. "Good job, Haught! Who knew you were such a cliche of a cop? Hard work all day then hard liquor at night?"

Waverly saw the half smile Nicole had painted on her face slide off as they turned away from her. Then, once the door had closed behind them, saw her take a breath, close her eyes, and sit back in her seat. Hunched, and haunted.

Enough was enough. "Time, guys," Waverly said to the drinkers at the bar. "Can you start drinking up now please?"

She told Gus she was happy closing down herself, sending her on her way, then everyone else left in the bar too.

Nicole was concentrating on working her way determinedly through her final beer, and didn't notice she was the last one left in the bar until Waverly turned off the main bar lights. At the drop to half light she raised her groggy head to see Waverly, standing a couple of paces in front of her, biting the corner of her lip uncertainly.

For the first time in the night, Nicole looked properly into Waverly's eyes. And when Waverly saw the open look there, of apology sure, but also of a palpable pain, maybe even a need, she felt something inside her twist and fall.

She went over, sat down next to Nicole. Hesitated a second, before simply saying, "Hey you."

"Heyy."

Waverly had grown up around drunks. Still, she didn't think she'd ever heard anyone slur the word hey.

"Is everything okay, Nicole?" She asked the question quietly, gently, not wanting to pry, but unable to contain the concern she was feeling. Nicole didn't answer, just looked down and away; which was of course an answer in itself.

Waverly put a careful hand on one of Nicole's on the bench between them, and saw her head tilt and drop woozily down to look at the touch; saw a look something like surprise cross her expressive face. And then she looked up again. And Waverly saw the exact moment when the dam broke. When Officer Nicole Haught started to silently cry.

Oh, shit, thought Waverly. Her arms were around Nicole, who had first just leant into her, and then turned fully into the hug, putting her own arms around Waverly's waist, and clinging on to her, desperately, head buried against Waverly's neck, shaking with silent shuddering tears, as Waverly tried her best to sooth her, stroking her back, her hair, holding her close.

And thinking, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.

Waverly was book smart for sure. But she wasn't always so quick when it came to analysing her own feelings.

In her defense, with the childhood she'd had, learning how to ignore her emotions and just keep carrying on was a useful skill. A vital one, on the days she was ignored by her father, bullied by her eldest sister; then with that problem solved in the worst possible way, subject to taunts in the school yard and then a Wynonna shaped hole at home.

No, ignoring her own wants and needs was her own particular defense mechanism, where Wynonna went for drink, mischief and men.

So though she had realised she'd been in a particularly good mood recently, she hadn't known exactly why. She hadn't noticed that the free and happy feelings she'd been having had started the day she'd first met Nicole. And she hadn't twigged that the days of euphoria, where she felt like she could take on the world, blow revenants away with a look, heal Wynonna with a smile, all coincided with days when her and Nicole had spoken.

She knew that she liked meeting Nicole, sure. First for coffee, and then for a couple of drinks, and then for one of the simplest and nicest evenings she can remember, just watching old movies round at Nicole's, eating popcorn, and teasing each other for their tastes in drink. Nicole with her regulation beer, Waverly with her whisky.

And she knew that, okay, she was maybe a little bit over excited about these occasions, spending as long on her outfits and hair as if she was going out-out somewhere. But it had been a long time since she'd made a new friend, she thought. A long time since somebody new, and anywhere near as interesting as Nicole had arrived in Purgatory. So she was surely just excited because of that.

And, she rationalised, it was nice having a friend that was seemingly just hers. She didn't have to share Nicole with Chrissy, or Stephanie, or anyone. Her and Wynonna seemed to have this needly, bantering sort of thing going on. But she felt like Wynonna never saw her Nicole. The considerate, kind, focussed, funny Nicole that Waverly got. She liked that this Nicole seemed content to just hang out with her, and never once suggested asking anyone else to join them.

The looks that Nicole gave her that she thought Waverly didn't notice didn't exactly hurt either. She didn't really know what to do with them. But it felt good. It was very flattering.  That was it. She was just flattered.

But then one day last week, as she sat in her room, feeling incredibly and inexplicably low, she had finally worked it out.

She had been looking at the calendar on her phone, trying to work out if she had got her dates mixed up and the way she was feeling was just a particularly unruly case of PMS. She confirmed that couldn't be it, and then found herself opening her messages, scrolling to the last one Nicole had sent her. It was a simple 'Running late, be there in 10, sorry!' from the last time they'd had coffee before Nicole went on a series of night shifts.

She stared down at the message and the name on the screen; wanting to text Nicole and tell her she was feeling so sad, and she didn't know why, or why she wanted to tell Nicole, but just knowing that she really really did.

And then noticed the date on the message. Five days ago.

She switched back to the calendar. Then back to earlier messages between them, figuring, counting.

Five days was the longest she'd not seen Nicole since they'd met.

And this was the saddest she'd felt since they met.

She'd been so happy since they'd met.

Since they'd met.

Oh, shit, she'd thought.

She'd put the realisation aside, stuffed it down, promising herself she'd bring it out again when she was feeling a little less unbalanced.

But she hadn't, and now here she was, with her arms around Nicole, and tears of empathy and emotion gathering in her own eyes, and she couldn't deny what was going on any more. The feelings that had surged in her when Nicole had turned and folded herself into her were so powerful she felt like she was holding onto Nicole for dear life too, the two of them clasping at each other like the other was a life-raft in their own personal storm.

Waverly just felt so protective of Nicole. She felt strong, felt Nicole lean on her, draw from her. She felt her own genuine sadness, for whatever Nicole was going through. She felt anger building, at whatever or whoever had hurt her so. And such tenderness towards her. Such...god.

She just felt. And guessed, knew really, what that meant.

Nicole had calmed, and for a long moment, they were just holding each other. No tears to excuse it, just a simple connection that neither wanted to break. But it couldn't last for ever, and so eventually Waverly pulled back, caught Nicole's eyes, smiled encouragingly. Saw her sit back, looking a little embarrassed, but her body language looser and easier now. She wiped her face with her sleeve, sniffed.

" 'M so sorry. Sorry Waves. I didn't mean to do that."

"Shh, hey, it's okay Nicole. It's okay. Are you? Okay, I mean?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I'll be alright. It's just...I have this day, you see."

Waverly didn't.

"Anyway. It doesn't matter. Doesn't matter. I'm sorry."

Waverly looked at her, looking tired now, wrung out, swaying a little from the drink.

"Listen, I really have got to close this place up, Nicole. But I'd like to see you home, if that's alright with you?"

Nicole shook her head. "M'alright. I can look after myself. It's today. Have to, don't I."

Waverly thought. "I know you can," she soothed, "but you'd be doing me a favour, Nicole. If I can see you home I won't have to worry about you. And what sort of barkeep would I be if I just kicked my customers out on the street? I'm just doing my duty, Nicole."

This last was a complete fabrication, she'd kicked out innumerable drunks in the past neither knowing nor caring how they'd get home. She just hoped Nicole was drunk enough not to realise the thinness of the excuse, but would just hear the word duty and go along with it.

Seemingly, she did. She looked owlishly at Waverly, then nodded. "Kay, Wave. C'mon then."

She stood, a little too quickly, and had to take a step to right herself. But then held out a hand to Waverly, as if Waverly was the one that needed helping up. She was looking down at Waverly with something approaching her normal cocky and charming demeanor, tear streaked cheeks or no. Waverly smiled, feeling relief, and, well, something more. Something that made her blush.

They got to Nicole's apartment, and as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Waverly followed her in through her front door, and then right into her room; where Nicole made a bee-line for her bed, taking off and leaving in a line of detritus one shoe, the other, her jacket and her belt; then she crawled into bed and under the covers, uniform and all.

Waverly picked up and hung up the jacket and belt on a hanger, set aside the shoes neatly, and then, out of useful jobs to keep her legitimately in Nicole's room, stood uncertainly for a second. "I'll just get you a water, Nicole."

"Mm. Thanks, Waverly. Waverly. Waves." Nicole's eyes had closed, and she repeated the name quietly to herself.

Nicole was curled up on her side when Waverly came back in with the water. She walked over, put the glass on the bedside table, and saw Nicole open bleary eyes and search for her, still with a forlorn sadness in her eyes. And so, nervous but unarguably drawn, Waverly couldn't help but sit down on the edge of the bed, and then once she was there, couldn't help but reach out a shaking hand and carefully, gently, start to stroke Nicole's hair.

She saw the change. Saw Nicole's eyes drift shut again, and her face relax. Kept up the slow caresses, as she heard Nicole's breathing grow regular, then thick, then deep and slow and even. Allowed her hand to still, and rest, as she gazed down at Nicole, now sleeping peacefully, and felt her heart stammer and lurch.

She's beautiful, Waverly thought. How have I never noticed that she's so beautiful?

Nicole woke with a start. Groggy, disorientated, feeling the scratch of her uniform shirt, registered the wan light coming in through the window and guessing it must be close to dawn. A little surprised to be waking up after what she guessed was a decent few hours sleep. Most years on this day she was restless at nights, waking frequently and tossing and turning through the night. That's if she could go to sleep at all.

In fact, she thought to herself, she felt strangely okay. Better than she ever did the morning after the day before.

How much of that is because of Waverly? her brain asked before she had a chance to stop it. She sighed internally. Probably quite a lot, she reckoned. She thought back to the night before, most of her memories hazy, except for the one searing truth that she couldn't ignore.

The way she'd felt when Waverly had held her.

It had been so overwhelming. She'd felt a comfort like she'd not known on that night, maybe more than she'd ever known. She'd found herself sobbing into Waverly's embrace, and letting her just soak up her tears and her pain. And for the first time, she'd actually felt some of the burden she'd carried all these years lift.

Besides which, having her own arms around Waverly had just felt so right. Nicole was filled with a grumbling sort of defeat; not at all sure how she was supposed to get through the rest of her Waverly-hug-less life, now she knew what it felt like.

Maybe it's better I stop this whole friend thing before I get in any deeper? she thought.

Just the idea of it hurt.

Still half asleep, but increasingly aware of her physical discomfort she pulled her shirt off, wrestled off her bra, fumbled under the pillow for a t-shirt and pulled it over her head, and kicked down her uniform pants. Slightly more comfortable she moved onto the next problem. Mouth dry and sour, she wrestled for a while with the necessity of leaving the warm cocoon of her bed to fetch water; when she saw there was a glass already there on the bedside table.

She reached for it, and then jumped practically out of her skin when she also caught sight of a figure across the room, curled up in her chair.

"Jesus! What the?!"

The figure moved, and she saw then it was Waverly. Who looked just as shocked and confused as to what she was doing there as Nicole had been.

"Jesus Christ! Waves? You scared me!"

Waverly could see Nicole's wide eyes and startled posture, sat bolt upright in bed, but registered that her tone wasn't actually angry, just shocked. Waverly blinked sleep out of her own eyes; her first coherent thought being that Nicole looked rather cute ruffled as she was, hair sticking up, and in a creased t-shirt. Then she came to her senses and social reality kicked in, and with it Waverly's nervous ninety mile an hour ramble.

"Shitting hell Nicole. I'm so so sorry, I can't believe I fell asleep here! I just sat down for a second, I swear, I mean you were pretty drunk, I'm really sorry to say that but you were, and that's okay, it's not a problem, just I was worried about you, I was worried you were going to be sick or something, so I just sat down for a second..."

Nicole actually laughed. "Whoa, whoa, slow down Wave. Its okay, really. I'm just glad you weren't some burglar or something! Thank you, I guess?"

Waverly looked both mortified, and more than a little guilty. Truth be told, Nicole had been sleeping soundly on her side, and Waverly was an Earp, and so had been around her fair share of passed out drunks. She knew that aside from a sore head in the morning, Nicole would be absolutely fine.

No, the fact of the matter was that after the evening of worrying about if her and Nicole were even friends any more, and then all that she'd felt when Nicole had broken down, she simply couldn't bring herself to leave. So she'd sat down in the chair across the room from Nicole's bed, telling herself it was only for a minute. Then another minute, then another. At some stage she'd closed her eyes, as looking at Nicole was not helping her to process the churning emotions she'd felt that night, just generating more. She'd started to try and put her thoughts in order; and guessed she must've dropped off.

Nicole was taking long gulps from her water, watching Waverly. Noticed that she'd covered and wrapped herself up in one of Nicole's sweaters, which Waverly seemingly only realised herself when Nicole glanced at it, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh god...I'm so sorry." Waverly pulled the sweater down and stuffed it back down on the chair behind her where she must have found it. Caught the faint scent of Nicole on it as she did so, a woody perfume and hint of sweat, and felt a quick double beat of her heart, even as her embarrassment grew. She could feel her cheeks flush, as she stood, and whispered, humiliated. "I'm so sorry Nicole. I'll go now."

"No don't - I mean, you don't have to go yet. I mean...I want..." Nicole looked up at Waverly who was now stood with her arms wrapped around herself, looking cold and small in the pale dawn light, but still, as always, beautiful. How did she do that? Nicole sighed, ran a hand through her hair. And gathered all her courage. How much stranger could this night get, right?

"I'd like to talk to you about last night before you go, Waverly. And you look freezing." She shifted to one side of her bed, held the covers up. "Warm up for a second?"

Waverly's eyebrows raised, whilst her mouth dropped. Realising that not only was Nicole not mad at her, she was also offering for her to get in bed with her. Hypnotised, not quite believing what she was doing, she nodded, and gingerly got in bed next to Nicole, then half hunkered down, half pulled the covers up.

"So..."

"So."

"Do you remember everything, Nicole?"

Do you remember the way I held you? Do you remember you falling asleep with my hand in your hair and my heart on my sleeve?

Nicole grimaced. "Sort of. I remember the bar. I remember you taking me home. I don't really remember getting here, or going to bed. Was I...was I really bad?"

"You were fine, Nicole. You just came in and went straight to bed." Waverly felt strangely disappointed that Nicole hadn't remembered her lulling her off to sleep. Then she noticed Nicole's changed clothes, and added in a stammer, "You went to sleep in your uniform, Nicole, I didn't..."

Nicole let out a low laugh. "You're alright Waverly, that was me just now. Although, I wish I'd known I had company before I stripped off."

Heat flushed Waverly's face. She let out a slightly strangled uh huh.

Nicole carried on in a soft voice, coloured by her own chagrin. "Anyway. I just want to say thank you for looking out for me, Waverly. I really didn't mean to end up getting like that in front of you. I'm so sorry you had to deal with me in..." Nicole exhaled, rubbed her eyes, "in that sort of a state."

"Hey," said Waverly firmly. "It's okay. You were fine, Nicole. I know that whatever it is must've been really bad to...to have you that upset?" She didn't want to push the question, but wanted to give Nicole a chance to talk, if she wanted to.

Nicole shook her head, sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, it is. Was." She stared off into nothing, before going on quietly. "If it's all the same Wave I don't think I want to talk about it. Not sure I can. Not yet." She risked a look over at Waverly, who was looking back with such a look of tender concern it made Nicole's heart clench.

And wonder what on earth she thought she was doing. She was lying, half dressed in her bed at five in the morning, with this girl, this amazing woman that she felt such things for, sat next to her and listening to her being as vulnerable and open as she'd ever been with someone.

And she probably doesn't have the first clue what it means to me, thought Nicole.

Nicole breathed out heavily once more, and then slid on her back down to the bed. Stared up at the ceiling.

"I keep on forgetting how little we know about each other, Wave."

Waverly slid down too, but lay on her side, watching Nicole.

"I guess. But Nicole. I feel like...I may not know much about you. I don't know the important things, yet. But I feel like...like I know you."

Nicole struggled. She wanted to believe this, felt like maybe she could believe it, because damn if it wasn't exactly how she felt about Waverly too. But it was too hard to think it might not be true after all. It felt too good to be true, on this of all nights. She thought for a moment, and then decided. If this was already going to be the worst night of her year, she may as well make it a two-for-one deal.

"Do you? I mean...do you? You know I'm gay, right?"

Waverly hesitated. Where did that come from?

"Sure. I sorta just assumed, Nicole."

Nicole turned on her side, looked directly at Waverly. "Do you know that I...I've kinda got a crush on you, Waverly?"

Waverly felt a tenseness that she hadn't even realised had been there inside her release. Yes, she had known, really. But to hear Nicole name it, say it out loud, whilst looking in her eyes, so close to her, so close. Waverly shivered.

"And...did you know that it's making being around you harder and harder?"

One of Nicole's hands was on the bed between them. Waverly brought hers up, and gently laid it on top.

"It needn't be, Nicole." Waverly watched Nicole so closely, saw first her reaction to the physical contact, saw her swallow and almost flinch. Then a flash of a hurt, almost a bitter look, passing into resignation, then sadness. Waverly squeezed her hand, and started to shyly smile, thinking that for the first time that night she had a chance to heal at least one part of Nicole's pain.

Nicole caught the smile. Looked puzzled. "What?"

Waverly pulled on Nicole's hand, pulled it down under the covers, and then laid it on her own hip. Saw Nicole's eyes widen in shock, then, as she slid her own hand back up Nicole's arm until it was resting on her shoulder, saw something like the start of a wondering hope in Nicole's eyes. And whispered.

"Because I've kinda got a crush on you too, Nicole. A kinda, really big, enormous, wow this is scary but it feels so so amazing, sorta crush."

There was a moment of just dumbfounded shock.

And then Nicole smiled. A wide, warm, incredulous, dimpled, proper Nicole Haught smile.

Waverly thought, this, this, is the exact moment when I fell in love.

She shuffled a little closer, not touching yet, faces just a breath apart, for the first time both of them able to look honestly into each other's eyes, drinking each other in, savouring the beautiful unbearable anticipation.

And then it was too much, and they both moved, and their noses touched, and then after a heartbeat, after an eon, so did their lips.

They were slow, at first. Soft presses of dry lips, a caress of a kiss, gentle, needful, wondering. But then gradually Waverly moved closer into Nicole, who slid one arm under Waverly's pillow, then moved the other from her hip to wrap around Waverly's back, as they kissed, and kissed, something like a rhythm building, and then, then, Nicole pulled.

And with the warm rush that was their bodies pressed together, the simple kisses were no longer enough. Like they'd agreed it, like they'd been doing this for years, they opened their mouths and their tongues touched, exploring at first, and then at the sweet intoxicating taste of each other soon they were kissing deeply, hard.

At some stage Waverly's hand crept round to the back of Nicole's head, and as she pulled her in, and let Nicole's tongue push into her mouth, Nicole moaned, a low resonant moan from somewhere deep inside her. Waverly pulled back a second, breathless, "Are you okay? Is this okay?"

Nicole laughed, her voice shaking. "Yes, Waverly. This is okay. This is so more than okay..." Her eyes softened, and she shook her head. "I can't believe it."

Waverly smiled, her own happy amazement shining through. "Believe it, Nicole. And, believe this. Please, please don't feel under any pressure. Because I can take this as slow as you want. Whatever you're comfortable with. And I know you've got something going on at the moment, and I don't want to push you when you're not ready, and...but...because..."

"Waves." Nicole said, quiet, reassuring. Grounding Waverly, who she could see was going off into her own head.

Waverly hesitated. But they were so close, and how could she not say what she meant now?

"I want to do...more. I know we only just...but. I want to take it further. I want you, Nicole."

Nicole's eyes fluttered shut, and she breathed. Focussed on the amazing sensation of Waverly in her arms. Forced a self-inventory. Drunk? Not any more. Just doing this for comfort? No. Waverly in her room was comfort enough. She had a shadow of a memory suddenly of Waverly's hand on her head the night before. Waverly's simple touch had been enough, she didn't need more for that reason.

Was this just desire, was this just going to be tonight?

She opened her eyes, and looked at the face so close to hers, open and hoping but understanding and patient and loving and... Wait. Loving?

Yes.

Nicole fell, too.

"We'll take it slow, Waves. So slow. You tell me what you want, what you don't?"

Waverly nodded seriously once, then laughed. "Ohh, thank God..." as she pulled Nicole back in.

So much for slow.

When they'd started kissing again, the pent up desire combined with the explicit consent they'd given each other - and they started to burn. Their kisses grew deep, then too hungry, malcoordinated, little sucks and bites taking their turn amongst the hard kisses as their hands started a desperate roam on and around each other. Nicole pulled Waverly closer in, slipped a hand under the back of Waverly's shirt, gasping at the dual sensation of soft skin and of Waverly's own hand sneaking up her front, smoothing and pressing and then finally, nervously, incredibly, touching Nicole's breast, a whimper falling from her parted lips as she felt the soft swell through Nicole's shirt.

It was so much, so much, and Nicole couldn't help but reach down and pull one of Waverly's legs up and around her waist, and then she slipped her own leg up and between Waverly's, and the sensation of that touch caught them both, moans mingling and hot breath gasping in the cold morning air. But then too much became not enough at all, not nearly enough: and Nicole rolled them, rolled Waverly onto her back, and then she was on her, their legs entwined, and Nicole gazing down in simple joy at the way that Waverly was looking at her. Like this was the first thing Waverly had ever found she didn't understand, like she wanted to know more, like she couldn't wait for her knowledge to grow.

And so Nicole shifted, adjusted, until their legs were as entwined as they could be, each other's core touching the other's leg as close as kissing; and then she looked down at Waverly, eyes glittering and dark with desire, and then she pushed.

"Ohhhhh...ohhh...my...." As Nicole set a rhythm going they both started to gasp and moan. Waverly's hands fluttered and pulled, one moment in Nicole's hair, pulling her in for a kiss, then slipping to shoulders and trying to press in against bare skin through the neck of her t-shirt as Nicole moved focus to Waverly's neck, kissing and sucking as she ground down and against Waverly, sinous and constant and strong, taking them both higher and higher, as Waverly wrapped both arms around her shoulders and arched and gasped.

Nicole dimly thought through the haze of instinct and desire, this is not how this is supposed to go. Not with a new lover, definitely not with Waverly. They were both still in their clothes, they'd barely touched each other, normally there's so much she'd want to do before, with Waverly she wanted to do everything before...but damn it felt so good, it felt like something primal, to be moving against her like this, to feel the soft but strong body below her respond in kind, the arch of her back, the pressure of her own thigh up against Nicole urging and spurring her on...still, Waverly must've somehow come to the same place, because for the first time she felt just a hint of a push on her shoulders instead of a pull.

With self-control she didn't know how she found, Nicole stilled, pulled back, looked seriously down at Waverly.

"You okay? Too much?"

A vigorous shake of the head. "No. It's so so good. I can't explain how...God Nicole, this is incredible. It's just, I'm gonna...and I don't want this to stop. I don't want this to end."

Nicole let herself take in the sight for a second. Waverly gazing back up at her with her hazel eyes darkened with need, cheeks flushed, mouth a little swollen from the kissing. But it was the trust, the trust she saw there that shook her to the core.

She let a slow, maddeningly sexy smile break out onto her face.

"This is the advantage of sleeping with women, Waves. We can just keep going..." a kiss, "and going," a hint of a grind, "and going" then both, together.

Waverly groaned, frustrated, needful, chasing Nicole's lips up, then fell back, panting again, body starting to respond without her permission to the movement that Nicole had started up again. And she looked seriously into Nicole's eyes, and whispered, shakily but so, so sure.

"Good. Then, I want you to touch me. I want you to make me come."

The words were nearly enough to tip Nicole over herself, but she managed to stop herself, instead moving her hand down to the waistband of Waverly's jeans, and wrestled the button open, and then the fly, but then found there was still no way she could get in with the skin-tight material. So she unceremoniously pulled and yanked the jeans down, Waverly giggling a little as both of them pulled and pushed them off, and then they grappled off Nicole's underwear for good measure. Then Nicole came back up, and Waverly lay back, and looked up, waiting, breathing heavily with anticipation and excitement, and Nicole slowly lowered herself back into position, eyes closing and a wordless sound falling from her lips as she felt the increased contact between her centre and Waverly's thigh. She slid a hand down Waverly's front again, this time only finding the slight barrier of underwear, slipping her hand inside, and down, and then. And then.

Then Nicole's vision whited out for a second as she touched Waverly for the first time. Half aware of the grasp of nails into her shoulder and the shudder from below, but her world mostly comprising of the incredible sensation, oh Jesus so soft, so wet, so warm and...Waverly pressed herself up into Nicole's hand, and she came back to herself, remembered her job here.

And so they resumed their rhythm, and Nicole found Waverly's clit, and caressed and pressed as she pressed herself back into Waverly, head now dropped against her neck as their bodies just moved, and ground and thrust, and then the fire was building and rising, and she heard Waverly's whimpers grow louder, into yes, Nicole, oh my god Nicole, yes there, right there, oh my god oh my god oh....ohhhhhhh.

She felt the orgasm rip through both of them at the same time, both shivering, shuddering, hips bucking and hands clenching, a shout real or of their hearts she couldn't tell, a long wild blissful moment, the end of one chapter of their lives and the start of another.

And then they came back into themselves, and Nicole was lying heavily on Waverly, panting, and Waverly was lying languid and loose, her arms dropped boneless around Nicole's neck still, just her fingertips scratching lightly at the skin there, as if to say the words she couldn't; my god Nicole. That was amazing Nicole.

I think I'm in love with you, Nicole.

Eventually, they found words.

And then they lost the rest of their clothes, and found each other, again.

And Waverly found that if kissing Nicole's lips was intoxicating, kissing her body was pure addiction.

And found she wanted to kiss everywhere, and so she did, she did, listening to the sound she could listen to forever, of Nicole breathing out, Waverly, oh, Waverly, and then when she found herself between Nicole's legs, found herself nearly crying at a sensation she hadn't known she needed; of Nicole slowly coming apart under her, as she tasted her, her arousal, and then her climax.

When Nicole entered her for the first time, she realised she would never want to do this with anyone else ever again. The strange vulnerability of needing something, somebody, so much, and the safety she felt when Nicole took such care with her and her need, satisfying it; and then surpassing it.

Eventually, they fell asleep, in each others arms, in each other's hearts.

When Waverly finally emerged from a deep and dreamless sleep, much later that morning, she found Nicole awake already. Looking at her with a soft, tender look. Waverly's heart filled up, then brimmed over.

"Hey you", said Nicole. Her voice was changed, settled, sure.

Waverly took a breath. Smiled.

"Hey", she whispered back.