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"You didn't have to come with me."
Waverly looked up from the map and at the red head who was trying to split her attention between the brunette and the road. The long drive ahead and focus on the map was a welcome distraction from the events of the last few days. Breaking up with Champ had been just as unnecessarily long as she expected from the boy. That and Wynonna getting on her about not going to college and choosing to stay at home instead...she just needed a break.
"Don't be silly, Nicole, of course I did. Now please pay attention to the road. I'd rather not end up a statistic on pamphlets handed out in driving schools."
There was a soft chuckle from across the car and Waverly smiled gently. She marked off a path on the map and looked out the window, reading a sign as they passed.
"I think we're going the wrong way."
"We're fine."
"Are you sure? It says here-"
"Waves, just let it happen. It'll work out. We're fine."
The other girl sighed and continued to look at the map.
"If I'd known we'd end up lost I wouldn't have come. If we end up in Texas and not California, I'm catching the first plane back to Purgatory.
"Fine."
Waverly huffed, "I could never leave you alone. Too much could happen to you by yourself in a strange place."
"Fine."
Waverly looked over at Nicole and saw a small smile curling her lips, infecting her own. Her heart fluttered like a butterfly and she let out a sigh.
"You're impossible."
"I told you. You didn't have to help me move."
"And I told you. Yes. I did."
Waverly flattened out her map again and traced line she had planned out this morning.
"I definitely think we're lost."
---
Waverly sang loudly to the radio, grabbing Nicole's hand as she belted out the end. The blonde threw her head back in laughter, the sun coming through the car and bouncing off her short hair. Waverly was mesmerized. The brunette let go of Nicole's hand with a blush.
"Why aren't you singing?" she asked.
Nicole just shrugged, "I just like to listen."
There was silence in the car for a few moments and Waverly leaned her head against the seat and looked over at the red head.
"Are you going to join the college paper?"
Nicole shook her head, "Nah. I'm not really about that."
Waverly frowned and turned a little to face Nicole. "When you joined the newspaper and I asked you why, you said it was because journalism was your passion. What happened?"
The prettiest blush fell across Nicole's cheeks and she bit back an embarrassed smile with a shrug. Waverly didn't push it and looked back out the window. She leaned forward in her seat and strained her neck to read the upcoming sign.
"Are we going to right way?"
Nicole just laughed.
---
A bump in the road jolted Waverly from her sleep and she let out a soft sigh. She heard the soft sound of singing from the drivers side and opened her eyes.
The light from the car counsel fell into the soft curves of Nicole's face as she sang gently. The sound warmed Waverly's body and she snuggled back into the car seat. She would pretend she was asleep for a little longer.
---
Waverly had her arms crossed tightly in front of her chest, her brow furrowed as she huffed.
"I can't believe you're making me sit in the back."
Nicole looked at her in the rear view mirror and chuckled.
"Just until we're through the mountains."
"This is highly unnecessary."
"You grabbed my arm and almost made me drive off the cliff."
"You were very close to the edge! I told you about the time Wynonna literally drove us into a ditch just to scare the shit out of me."
"Yeah but you guys were fine. Right?"
"Nicole! That's not even the point here. Do you like to light of my childhood trauma?"
Nicole didn't even answer, she just turned up the radio. Waverly sighed and rested her arm on the box next to her. Her eyes wandered to the contents and began shifting through. If Nicole was going to banish her to the back seat then she was allowed to go through her stuff.
It was filled mostly with miscellaneous things like jewelry boxes and tiny mementos. She pulled out a picture frame and felt a soft aching in her heart. It was a picture of Nicole holding her little brother in her lap. She knew that the red heads relationship with her parents was far from sunny. She was moving out of state mostly to get away from them. They had severed all ties and now Nicole was going to do the same it seemed.
Waverly placed the frame carefully back into the box and pulled out another picture that was a team picture of Nicole and the rest of the Purgatory High softball team. There was only one other picture and Waverly almost dropped it in surprise.
She hardly remembered taking the picture but there it was plain as day. Waverly and Nicole with their graduation gowns on, Nicole's arm around Waverly's shoulder and the smaller girl's head on the red head's shoulder. Nicole's head was resting on top of hers, a content smile gracing her face. She was beautiful. Waverly bit her lip and felt tears stinging the back of her eyes so she didn't even notice that Nicole had pulled over.
"Okay, Waves, we're out of the mountains you can come back up front."
Nicole had already gotten out of the car to stretch her legs when Waverly put the frame back into the box and got out of the back seat. The red head grunted in surprise when Waverly threw her arms around her in a hug, stumbling a little in surprise.
"Geez, I didn't realize you'd be this happy to be out of the back seat," Nicole chuckled, returning the hug. Waverly didn't say anything, she just squeezed her harder.
---
Waverly pulled the blanket up over her nose, her eyes darting around the car.
“I can’t believe you didn’t bring any weapons, Nicole.”
Nicole snorted and pulled the blanket down from Waverly’s face.
“What was I going to bring? An arsenal?”
Waverly moved to her side as best as she could in the cramped quarters, facing Nicole who was laying on her back. Both girls were tired and didn’t feel like driving any more so they decided to pull over into a rest stop for the night instead. So they put the seats down and pushed all of Nicole’s boxes to the side to create a small space in the middle of the boxes for them to sleep for the night. Nicole had managed to pull her comforter and pillows out of one of the boxes and now they were laying next to each other in the back of the car. It would all be very romantic if Waverly wasn’t sure they were going to be murdered.
“At least a baseball bat,” Waverly said pulling the blanket back up to cover her face. She was no stranger to guns. Her Daddy had been sure of that. But she couldn't believe she didn't think to bring one with her on the trip.
“Waverly, why would I bring a baseball bat to college?” Nicole said raising an eyebrow.
“Protection. Plus you were on the softball team so.”
Nicole laughed and reached blindly into a box. She pulled out a flashlight and handed it to Waverly.
“Here’s your protection.”
Waverly grabbed it and held it close to her chest, “I’ll take it. It’s better than nothing.”
Nicole just shook her head and turned her head to face Waverly. She stretched out her arm as best as she could and beckoned Waverly to move closer. Waverly happily snuggled closer to Nicole, her head resting on her arm. Nicole squeezed her gently.
“I’ll protect you, Waves.”
A blush crept up on Waverly’s cheeks and she clutched the flashlight closer to her chest.
“Plus,” Nicole said with a sly smile, “if someone does try to murder us, I’ll probably be the first to go because I'm the gay one.”
“That’s a horrible thing to say, Nicole.”
The red head just chuckled and squeezed her again, “Go to sleep, Waverly.”
Waverly let her body relax and closed her eyes, trying to sleep. When she was just on the verge of sleep she felt Nicole pull the flashlight from her grasp. She could have sworn she felt a soft kiss on her head before she fell asleep.
---
When Waverly awoke her arm was draped over Nicole’s stomach, her head nestled into the crook of the other girl’s neck. She looked up and saw Nicole was still sleeping, a small smile on her face.
---
“Come on, Waverly. Don’t be a coward!” Nicole called from below. That was one thing that Waverly would not allow was for Nicole Haught to call her a coward.
“I’m not a coward, Haught!” Waverly yelled down at her.
Nicole made a vain attempt to splash water up at the brunette, “Come on then! I won’t let you drown.”
Waverly looked down at the lake from above on the tiny ledge. She would have never agreed to take a break and go swimming if this is what Nicole had in mind. Although she had to admit that Nicole did look very alluring in her bikini. Waverly sighed. The things she’ll do for potential love. Shutting her eyes tight, she made the running leap and jumped off the ledge. She squealed as she flew through the air, the cold water of the lake hitting her over heated skin with a sting. She swam back to the surface and gasped for air.
She heard Nicole’s laugh floating towards her as she tread water. “See, it wasn’t that bad.”
Waverly wiped the hair sticking to her face and huffed at Nicole. “You’re lucky I didn’t die. That was a long fall.”
Nicole swam closer to her and pushed a piece of brunette hair from Waverly’s face. “I wouldn’t have let you die, Waves.”
Their legs brushed against each other as they treaded water and Waverly blushed. Nicole placed a tentative arm around Waverly’s waist.
“I just want to make sure you don’t drown,” she explained softly.
Waverly just nodded and bit her lip. “Nicole, why did you stay on the newspaper if journalism isn’t your thing?”
Nicole blushed, her eyes reflecting the water, “You were there.”
Waverly knew it was stereotypical, them swimming in the lake on a summer afternoon. But she would always say their first kiss was perfect.
---
“Welcome to California,” Waverly read the sign happily, squeezing Nicole’s hand that was laced with hers. She looked over at the red head who was smiling happily at her.
Nicole quirked an eyebrow at her, “I told you we were going the right way.”
---
Waverly nuzzled Nicole’s cheek with a deep sigh, the thin sheen of sweat on their bodies cooling them in the humidity of the room. She ran her hand through Nicole’s short hair, messy from their previous activities. Brown eyes were blown out in the afterglow of an orgasm, making Nicole impossibly more beautiful as she looked at Waverly. Nicole kissed Waverly softly, their lips sliding together lazily.
Waverly hummed happily and cuddled closer to Nicole, their naked bodies pressing together. “I like your new dorm.”
Nicole snorted, “It’s great. But I like it better with you in it.”
Waverly pecked her lips again, “It was nice that your roommate decided to spend the weekend at home instead.”
“Well, I’m sure walking in on us making out had something to do with it.”
“You’ve always been excellent at first impressions.”
Nicole rolled her eyes playfully, “I bet she hates me already.”
Giggling, Waverly ducked her head into Nicole’s neck, “Impossible.”
The silence settled over the exhausted girls for a moment before Nicole kissed Waverly’s forehead and said quietly, “I’m going to miss you.”
Waverly cupped Nicole’s cheek, “I’ll miss you too.”
---
Nicole sat on the bed, watching Waverly flit around the room making sure she didn’t leave anything behind.
“Waverly, your train leaves in fifteen minutes. We have to go now.”
The brunette stopped and gave the other girl a look, “It seems as though your trying to get rid of me, Haught.”
Nicole rolled her eyes with a small smile, “You know damn well I’m not, Waverly. I’m the one that insisted you take the latest possible train back home. I just don’t want you to yell at me if Wynonna leaves you at the train station because it comes in so early in the morning.”
Waverly was ruffling through a pile of clothes that had been left from their morning activities until she found what she was looking for. With a happy smile she slipped the Purgatory Softball sweatshirt over her head and let Nicole’s scent over take her.
“Okay, now I’m ready.”
Nicole chuckled, “I’m not getting that back, am I?”
Waverly shook her head and tugged the sweatshirt tightly around her, snuggling into it. Nicole walked up to her and pulled on the strings of the sweatshirt, bringing her close and kissing her softly.
“You’re lucky you’re so damn cute.”
---
When they sat in Nicole’s car, Waverly looking over at Nicole with an enamored smile and their fingers laced over the center counsel, she couldn’t help but feel like they were at home.
“Nicole?”
“Hm?”
“I’m glad I came with you to move in.”
“Me too, Waves.”
Waverly became distracted by a sign that they passed and she craned her neck to look behind them in an attempt to read it.
“Are you sure we’re going the right way?”
Nicole sighed, “I told you before. We’re fine and it’ll work out. Have I been wrong before?”
Waverly didn’t even need to answer. She just leaned over and kissed Nicole’s blushing cheek.