Work Text:
Soulmate words rock
Soulmate words suck
What’s a wet-tshirt contest momma?
“Yeah.” How am I supposed to find someone in 7 billion people with “yeah”
This is gonna be amazing!
This is going to be terrible…
* * *
Officer Haught absently rubbed the back of her left shoulder. She’d swear her words were tingling but that was probably just wishful thinking. Sighing, she returned to her paperwork, having about 7000 more things to sign. Being the newbie in the Sheriff’s office meant everyone tended to pass her the scut work, and Nicole wasn’t willing to rock the boat… yet.
Glancing around the office, the early morning sun reflected off the framed pictures, piercing her eyes and making her wince. She had come in early to get some of the paperwork done and had skipped coffee.
Rising from her desk she stretched and cracked her back, grabbing her hat and heading out to find some caffeine, taking the scenic route around town to familiarize herself with the layout and wondering what the rest of the day had in store for her in Purgatory.
* * *
Waverly was tired, Champ had kept her up all night (not like that!). He’d been telling her all about his new diet and every time she tried to get off the phone he made her feel guilty about how she’d been avoiding him. After agreeing to a dinner date, Waverly had hung up and tried to get some sleep, but the restlessness had stayed with her.
Wiping down the counters and cleaning glasses at Shorty’s was actually something Waverly kind of enjoyed. It was usually just her, so she had time to think things over or just enjoy the quiet. Her right side, right under her ribs kept itching; she absentmindedly scratched it without really thinking about the significance of the location.
Waverly was so caught up in thinking about Wynonna being back in town and the revenants, that she wasn’t paying attention when the tap suddenly sputtered to life and sprayed her in the face.
Fuck
* * *
“I didn’t know Shorty’s had a wet t-shirt contest” followed by “You okay?” jolted Waverly out of her panic over the tap.
“Yeah,” she said reeling, shaking herself off and looking up to meet the newcomer’s eyes she continued, “Yeah, and I think you’re my soulmate?” Waverly watched the strangers’ eyes widen.
Nicole Haught froze in the middle of stepping forward when she heard the other woman’s words, could this really be her soulmate? Frantically she tried to remember what she had said, to be honest she’d been a little distracted by the woman, even covered in beer she was beautiful. Taking her hat off and fiddling with it in front of her, she looked up quickly when she realized.
“Oh shit, are your soulmate words about a wet-tshirt contest?” She was an idiot and her soulmate, Waverly, was going to kill her. Tiny Nicole already got crap for her common and practically useless soul word, she can’t imagine kids were any nicer to someone with something so… unique.
“Yeah,” Nicole’s heart skipped a beat at the repetition of her soul word, “My Mom and Dad were not too thrilled about it.”
Waverly flushed and stammered “Not that I have a problem with it, them, you… I mean, hi?”
Nicole couldn’t help but step closer, still separated from her soulmate by the bar. Reaching her hand out, she wasn’t sure why, she pulled back when Waverly abruptly took a step back.
“I’m wet.”
Nicole’s eyes must have betrayed her thoughts on that statement because Waverly quickly waved her hands, “Not that, oh my god,”
Throaty laughter from Waverly convinced Nicole she hadn’t ruined things completely, but she waited for the other woman to continue, nervous in a way she hadn’t been in a while.
“Beer. I’m covered in beer, I keep telling Shorty to replace the darn taps.” Laughing again Waverly grabbed a towel and began to wipe off her face and hair, stealing glances at Nicole.
* * *
Wynonna is gonna shit bricks when she finds out my soulmate is a cop. Waverly had to admit that made her giggle a little, internally. Officer Haught… Nicole seemed to get nervous when she laughed.
“What brought you in here today? We aren’t even open.”
Waverly saw Nicole’s face fall and backpedaled quickly. “Not that I’m not happy, I am, I mean super happy, just…” she trailed off unsure.
“I was out enjoying the scenery around town and got to wanting a cappuccino.” Haught offered tentatively.
“We don’t have cappuccinos.” Waverly wanted to facepalm, why was she so bad at this?! “But I could make you one? Upstairs?”
Nicole smiled and Waverly wanted to jump across the bar and hug her for being understanding. The movies always showed soulmate meetings as solemnly beautiful occasions and Waverly never thought that fit for her words. She’d worried about who her soulmate would be, who wouldn’t with words like hers?
It was part of why she was dating Champ. There’d always been speculation it wasn’t the exact first words from your soulmate, but the first words when you truly connected. Champ definitely seemed like the type to talk about wet-tshirt contests and she’d always wondered.
Nicole hesitated so Waverly stepped out from behind the bar and held out a hand. The officer gripped it firmly and smiled again, blowing Waverly away. Maybe she wasn’t doing so bad.
* * *
Nicole gripped Waverly’s hand and followed her upstairs. She still wasn’t on an even keel, and the tiny powerhouse who kept glancing back every other step as if to make sure she was still there wasn’t helping her regain her equilibrium.
Getting to the top, Waverly dropped her hand and motioned to the single chair at her kitchen table. Nicole sat down and watched the brunette grab a shirt and flee to the bathroom. Letting out a breath she looked around the room, it was homey, in the best way. Nicole felt the room was bright and cheery but still cozy enough to invite someone to come in and relax.
It told her a lot about Waverly as well. The floral touches on the curtains, to the pop of red on the kitchen wall above the sink, it spoke of someone who could make a home wherever she went and that was a special quality to have.
The woman in questioned returned to the room and blushed, throwing the few pieces of dirty laundry that had been spread on the bed (including a lace bra Nicole had been trying and failing not to imagine on Waverly) and sitting on the edge closest to the other woman.
That’s a good sign at least, Nicole thought, she still seems nervous.
“Are you okay?” Nicole tried to make the question gentle, leaning forward and propping her elbows on her knees to get a better look at Waverly’s face.
The woman smiled, “Yeah,” Nicole was never going to get tired of that, simple it may be, “Just not what I expected this morning when I started opening the bar.”
Nicole smirked, she might have been wanting to try and meet the enigmatic Waverly Earp, but she definitely had not expected the cheery woman she had heard so much about to be her soul match.
“It definitely was not on my agenda for the day but I can’t say I’m upset. Speaking of not what you were expecting… umm.” Haught paused, how do you politely ask if your soulmate is even attracted to your gender? “Have you ever, uh, with a woman. I mean, have you thought about it?”
Nicole knew she was going as red as her hair, and it was not a normal look for the unflappable cop but this was not a normal situation.
* * *
Waverly stopped and thought for a moment. It was a valid question, and clearly one her soulmate was not sure of the answer. To be fair, Waverly wasn’t sure how to answer it either.
“Well, I’ve never dated a woman, but I can’t say I’ve never thought about it.” She paused again collecting her thoughts. This was important and Nicole deserved an honest answer.
“It’s just easier to date guys, you know? We might live in Canada but Purgatory can be…”
“Judgmental?” Nicole asked with another smirk. Being a woman in a sheriff’s department also came with its fair share of side eyes and whispers behind her back.
“Yeah,” Waverly let out a breath. “so even if I might have thought about it, women, a time or too, well.” She shrugged. “Then came Champ and I didn’t really think about it after that.”
She sat up from where she’d been leaning closer and closer to where Nicole was on the chair, having her soulmate in front of her was practically hypnotizing.
“Oh shit.”
Nicole’s eyebrows flew up at the strong curse from Waverly, then frowned because she connected the name to the annoying man she’d given a speeding ticket to when he’d been driving a Jeep way too fast down the main street.
“So you and Champ?”
“Me and Champ.” Waverly’s sigh was long and low. “I want this I promise.” She grabbed Nicole’s hand again, squeezing a little desperately as if she feared Nicole would storm out at her next words.
“But I can’t do anything until I talk to him.” Rushing to explain she continued, “Until I break up with him. Which I am going to do, right now.”
Jumping up she turned to face Nicole, stopping to brush a strand of red hair that had escaped the woman’s braid from her face. Nicole grabbed her hand and pressed her cheek into it.
“I can stay here, if you want. Technically I’m on duty, but Nedley would understand, if I told him,” She looked up at Waverly earnestly, “That is if you’re okay telling him?”
Waverly’s heart wanted to explode out of her chest. This woman was willing to bend over backwards to make her feel comfortable, and that was not a feeling Waverly often had. Yeah, Gus and Curtis loved her, and maybe Momma and Daddy had a while ago, but no one really ever put Waverly first.
“I am more than okay with you telling him. Do you get soulmate days?” Most people did, days to deal with the intense first meeting, and later to take care of a soulmate if they needed anything. “Shorty will let me off, I know it.”
Nicole’s grin was happy and more confident after her answer. “Yeah, I get soulmate days. Why don’t I stay here and call in while you go find Champ?” Taking the hand against her cheek she kissed Waverly’s palm and squeezed before dropping her hand.
Waverly did not want to leave. She wanted those lips on hers, she wanted to get to know this woman, her soulmate, but she had something to take care of first.
“Okay, yeah, I’ll go… deal with Champ and call Shorty on the way to let him know.” Waverly went to grab her purse and had a moment of doubt.
“Don’t leave, please?” Waverly had taken a correspondence psych course and knew an abandonment complex when she saw one, or had one herself really. Could you blame her? Momma had left, then Daddy and Willa, later Wynonna, and most recently Curtis. Leaving took different forms but it was all leaving in the end.
* * *
Nicole saw the look on Waverly’s face and knew this wasn’t a passing question or a simple request. Stepping up to her soulmate slowly to give her time to back away, she took her sweet face into her hands and brought their foreheads together.
“Baby, I’m never going to leave, not when I know you’re coming home to me, okay?”
Nicole put as much emotion into the words as she could, knowing somehow that her soulmate needed to hear this, needed to know Nicole was all in.
Waverly’s face brightened and her eyes lingered on Nicole’s lips as she said, “Oh boy you are super, and I am definitely going to kiss you when I get back, but I have to go.”
Nicole might have had a little too much fun watching Waverly walk away in her high-waisted denim, but could you blame her?
Walking over to the bed and falling down on her back Nicole threw her arm over her eyes and breathed out.
“Holy shit, Waverly Earp is my soulmate. I have a soulmate, and it’s Waverly Earp.”
Saying it out loud helped it solidify in Nicole’s mind, and wow that was a game changer. She never knew that this is what she was going to find in this tiny town, way better than a cappuccino anyway.
* * *
Waverly sat in the diner nervously tapping her fingers on the table. She had texted Champ to meet her here, wanting to be in public for this. Soulmates were supposed to be respected, Champ knew their words didn’t match up, he had to know this was going to happen at some point but… well, Waverly would just rather there were witnesses.
Hetty had come by and checked on her bringing her a water and lemons with an arched eyebrow. Waverly had waved her off with some kind of excuse, she wasn’t sure what to be honest.
She jerked up in her seat when Champ came in, he went to her and grabbed the back of her head to bring her up for a kiss. Waverly ducked out from his hold, earning a “What the hell, Wave?
“We need to talk.” Blunt, to the point. Waverly had found it was the best way to get a point across to her boyfriend, ex-boyfriend.
Champ sat down with a huff and tried to grab her hand too. That was definitely something she was not going to miss. All of Nicole’s touches had been slow and gentle, with eye-contact from the redhead searching for any sign of hesitation in Waverly and Waverly knew that the other woman would have pulled away had she found any.
“I found them. My soulmate.”
“Your soulmate? What the hell, Waverly? Who is it? Where are they?”
“Keep your voice down, Champ.” Waverly glanced around, noticing Hetty had already perked her ears up and started heading their way.
“Why? We had a good thing going here, Waverly. Are you sure it’s really them?” Champ tried to reach for her hand yet again and the unwanted touch set something off in her.
Standing up and standing above the man she’s still not sure exactly why she was dating she put her hands on her hips and let him have it.
“Yes, Champ. It’s really my soulmate and we are done.” She tried to walk off, eager to get back to Nicole, when she felt a hand on her arm.
“Let go Champ.”
“You still haven’t told me who it is, you aren’t going anywhere until I get an answer.” His hand flexed on her arm, just tight enough it edged on pain.
Waverly sucked in a breath to tell Champ exactly what she thought of his tactics when a hand whistled past her ear and snapped Champ’s head back. He let go of her arm to cover his now bleeding nose.
“Jesus, Wynonna.”
“Hands off my sister, asshole. She said it’s over. Are you really gonna interfere with soulmates?”
Wynonna, Waverly didn’t know whether to be relieved or upset that yet another person was going to get in between her and going back to her soulmate.
Wynonna smirked as Champ slunk out and threw an arm around Waverly.
“What’s up baby girl? I thought you were supposed to be at Shorty’s now. I just swung by for more coffee, the stuff at the office sucks.” Her sister’s quick glance to make sure Champ actually left turned towards her just as fast. Squinting, Wynonna gave up the pretense of manners and dragged her outside.
“Spill now.”
“What is wrong with you, Wynonna?” Waverly ducked under her sister’s arm and stood beside her, glaring.
“I mean not that I’m complaining you dumped 8-seconds like the garbage he is, but soulmate? Who, what, when, where, why?”
The woman’s tone was teasing with an edge. Wynonna clearly was trying to hold back the worry in her voice. Wynonna’s soulmate mark was complicated, in that there were two. Neither of which she had met, at least as far as Waverly knew, although she has some suspects. Wynonna wasn’t exactly Ms-Overshare, so it was a little hilarious she was pumping Waverly for information.
“Nicole Haught. Sheriff’s Deputy. About 20 minutes ago. Shorty’s. and who the hell knows why anyone has soulmate marks.” Sighing, she crossed her arms waiting for Wynonna to get it out.
Wynonna froze.
“Well the lady thing is new?” A shrewd look from Wynonna made Waverly blush, “or not. Whatever keeps your chassis wet and all that. My question is, what exactly were you doing in Shorty’s that got her to say the infamous words?”
“Of course you remember the words, not my birthday, but my crazy embarrassing soulmate words are seared into your brain.”
Wynonna tried to look offended but shrugged off the accusation as probably true and continued. “That wasn’t an answer, Waves.”
“The tap exploded on me, it wasn’t like that. I wasn’t gonna do anything, not until I ended things with Champ anyway.”
She silently pleaded with Wynonna to drop it, everything in her body was singing and urging her back to her soulmate, back to Nicole, and even her big sister was not enough to tempt her to stay.
Wynonna mock-glared at her again and Waverly inwardly prepared for battle. Rolling her eyes her sister grabbed her up in a hug, kissed her forehead and gave her some rather explicit instructions Waverly did not need from a relative, sister or not, then shoved her towards the direction of the bar.
Saying goodbye, Waverly tried to control herself and not break into a run back to her apartment, wondering what Nicole was up to.
* * *
Nicole was bored, weird to say on such a momentous day, but Waverly had been gone for just long enough she had ordered her brain to stop fretting about what could be going on. She thought about snooping but that felt rude, and she’d rather wait to see what her soulmate was willing to share with her.
She bolted up when the door opened and struggled to find a place to put her hands, ending up resting one on her belt-buckle in an attempt to be casual.
“Hey.” Mentally smacking herself she wondered if she was always going to be this awkward around Waverly. “How was it? Are you okay?”
The look on Waverly’s face made Nicole’s heart leap up into her throat right as she bounced over and put a hand on Nicole’s shoulder, rising up on her tiptoes.
“It’s done, I’m okay. Can you just kiss me now?”
Nicole didn’t need anything more than that sweet invitation. Bending her head, she pressed her lips to Waverly’s and saw stars. She never really understood that expression until this kiss, perfect and warm and soft and Waverly. Nicole ran her hand around to the back of her soulmate’s head, gently cradling her head and deepening the kiss. Waverly’s other hand slid around to Nicole’s waist to pull her closer, and the shorter woman moaned.
Ending the kiss about killed her but Nicole pulled back, after one more quick kiss, almost melting at Waverly’s soft sigh, but they needed to talk.
Waverly tilted her head forward again to try and follow Nicole’s lips but paused when she saw Nicole’s face.
“Talking time, huh?”
“Yeah,” Nicole sighed, being an adult was hard sometimes. “Talking time. Wanna sit down?”
Nicole smirked when Waverly got busy scooting Nicole to the head board and curling up into her side. The other woman grabbed Nicole’s free hand in hers and intertwined their fingers, tugging a little as if to confirm they were really there. Nicole understood the need for reassurance.
“We don’t have to rush into this, if you want to take it slower. You just broke up with Champ…”
Nicole was cut off with a quick kiss from Waverly as the woman found her new favorite way to be shushed.
“I’m here with you, my soulmate. Yeah, we might have just met, but the fact you just checked in with me puts you loads above others I’ve dated.”
Nicole wasn’t sure what bothered her most about that statement, Waverly’s surprise at basic respect, or the fact it sounded like consent was not something others had offered her.
“I don’t want to just be better than your exes, I want to be worthy of the title soulmate, and rushing into something so new makes me worried we won’t be comfortable checking in with each other. It’s important to me that you enjoy what we are doing, whether that is cuddling or,” the heat in her eyes warmed, “more than cuddling. I’m not saying pump the breaks completely but, let’s just take the scenic route, okay?”
* * *
Waverly’s concern that she had done something to annoy Nicole already faded into the beginnings of something a lot like love. Yet again, her new soulmate was offering her safety, and to put Waverly first and that feeling was deliciously new.
“Okay, and thank you.”
“Your welcome,” a confused look passed over Nicole’s face, “Wait for what?”
“For checking in, for slowing it down, for existing with such a freakin’ beautiful face? Can’t a girl just be thankful?”
Waverly smirked and shifted, moving herself a little up Nicole’s side to pull her other hand free and prop herself up. Nicole spluttered at the compliment and stilled when Waverly slid a knee over her legs to straddle her properly.
“Slowly, Waves. We just said slowly.”
Grinning and flicking her hair over one shoulder Waverly thought that she was really going to enjoy getting to know her soulmate.
“We. Can. Kiss. Slowly. Sweetheart.” Waverly punctuated each word with a soft kiss across Nicole’s face, ending at her lips and drawing this wonderful woman into a deeper kiss before breaking off with a gasp.
“I look forward to knowing and loving every inch of you Nicole, and I promise you I will let you know the instant I feel uncomfortable. But for now, can I just enjoy kissing you?”
Waverly searched her soulmates eyes for permission and dipped back down into a kiss. Pulling back and enjoying the way Nicole followed her mouth with kiss-red lips, Waverly couldn’t help but think how scenic this route was really going to be.