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The One with the Bludger and the Bedside Confession
Nicole hadn’t seen the bludger coming.
One minute she was flying around, protecting the hoops in her red and gold uniform, and the next she was plummeting towards the ground.
The game had started innocently enough for a Quidditch match, especially for one between Gryffindor and Slytherin. But in a matter of minutes, Gryffindor was up by fifty, and Slytherin wasn’t even on the board. Nicole had been valiantly keeping the quaffel out of the hoops, with athletic dips and dives, much to the entertainment and amazement of the crowd.
It was after another save from the Gryffindor Keeper that one of the Slytherin beaters, Bobo del Rey, decided he needed to take matters in his own hands.
He patiently waited for Nicole to be distracted by the quaffel and then sent a bludger flying her way. Nicole didn’t even know she was in the bludger's path until she heard Waverly scream. She barely had time to process the warning before she felt the bludger hit her in the temple.
The Keeper lost her grip on her broom from the impact. She found herself falling towards the ground. And then everything went black.
--
Waverly didn’t really like Quidditch.
She had never enjoyed going to games, even when her sister played. Sure, she went and supported Wynonna because she was finally doing something that couldn’t get her in trouble with the school. Well not too much trouble, Waverly hoped. But regardless, she never understood why people watched the sport until she came to Hogwarts.
Nicole Haught had transferred in at the beginning of the year and by some chance, ended up as Wynonna’s roommate. She was some sort of Quidditch prodigy, being one of the most talented Keepers of her age. With her quick wit, somewhat sarcastic humor, and Quidditch prowess, it was no surprise that Wynonna and Nicole had become best friends in a matter of days.
Despite the fact that she was her sister's new BFF, Waverly didn't meet Nicole until a few weeks after her arrival at Hogwarts.
Waverly had first seen her in the library. Being a Ravenclaw, the brunette practically lived in the place. One afternoon, she was just finishing up her Advanced Charms homework when the peaceful silence was broken by a crash and a loud ‘oh shit!’.
The brunette's attention was quickly pulled away from her homework, and she strained to listen for anything that would explain the loud commotion. When silence descended again, Waverly tried to get back to her work. But her curiosity was getting the better of her, so she quickly stood up and headed into the stacks. After glancing down a few aisles, she came to the Muggle Studies section. It was here that she found the redheaded Keeper, flat on her ass, surrounded by a pile of books.
--
Nicole had been trying to do her homework.
Somehow she was already behind in her Muggle Studies class and needed to at least try to catch up. Scanning the shelves, she found the 8 or so books she had to read, no skim.
Climbing up onto the top of the desk, she began assemble her pile. After 7 successful retrievals, the last book she needed was one about Muggle transportation. Unfortunately, it was on the very top shelf. Not discouraged by its location, Nicole got on her tiptoes and reached for it. She was just able to get her fingertips on the binding, but was unable to pull it free. Despite a few attempts to get it off the shelf, the book was just not budging
Shooting a glance in each direction, and seeing no one, the redhead decided to just jump for it. With an athletic leap, Nicole pushed off the desk, hand aimed for the top shelf. Giving it a hard tug, the book finally came free from it had been stuck.
For a few seconds, Nicole thought she was in the clear…but sadly, her agile bound was not as successful as she thought it was.
Instead of sticking the landing, Nicole landed right on top of her books, causing the redhead to slip and fall backwards off the desk, bringing the pile down to the ground with her. Nicole landed hard on her back, the books falling on and around her.
The Gryffindor sat up dazed, rubbing at the tender area, sure she would find bruises there tomorrow. With a sigh, she thought, I'm just glad no one was around to witness that.
But as luck would have it, she was not alone in the library.
Nicole heard a quiet giggle come from behind her and she quickly whipped her head around. Her gaze fell upon the most beautiful girl she had ever seen, donned in Ravenclaw robes. The girl had long, wavy brunette hair, sun-kissed skin, and bright hazel eyes. Eyes that were swimming with amusement and laughter.
Her cheeks growing warm, the Gryffindor tried not focus on the fact that this gorgeous stranger was laughing at her. Nicole brushed the books off of her and stood on shaky legs. But before she could say anything, the brunette broke the silence.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to laugh, it’s just…”
“Just what?” Nicole asked hesitantly.
“You’ve got a piece of parchment stuck in your hair, just there,” Waverly chuckled, motioning to the Gryffindor’s head.
The redhead's blush deepened. She reached up, grabbing the parchment from where it had gotten stuck and tossed it on the desk next to her. Nicole nervously ran a hand through her hair, trying to regain her lost composure
After clearing her throat, the Gryffindor said, “Thank you for that. I’m uhh…sorry if I interrupted your studying."
With a glance at the books on the ground, the redhead shrugged and added, "I guess jumping for a book on the top shelf wasn’t my finest idea.”
With a shake of her head and a small smile, Waverly replied, “Don’t worry about it! Are you okay?”
Touched by the stranger’s concern, Nicole said, “Yeah, I'll be fine. I think it’s more of a bruised ego than anything else.”
Waverly giggled in response as she pushed off the bookshelf to approach the redhead. “Well…I can’t fix that, but let me at least help you pick these up.”
“You really don’t-”
“I insist! Can’t let your clumsiness cause another literary catastrophe,” Waverly smirked, eyes dancing with mirth.
Nicole’s angelic laughter filled the air as she shook her head. “Well thank you, I am sure the books appreciate your concern.”
It only took a few moments to gather all of them up from the ground. With the task complete, Nicole stood and faced the brunette. “Thanks again for your help…” she trailed off, raising her brow at the other girl.
“Oh right! Sorry, I’m Waverly Earp,” the Ravenclaw replied.
Sticking her hand out, the redhead drawled, “Nicole. Nicole Haught.
Waverly grasped the redhead’s hand in her own and gave it a small shake. She noticed how soft Nicole’s hand was and couldn’t bring herself to let go. The feelings that holding this girl’s hand sparked within her were new and not at all unwelcome. But all too soon, she felt Nicole release her grip. Dropping her hand back to her side, Waverly felt a light blush heat her cheeks.
“Well, Waverly Earp thank you for everything. I hope to see your pretty face around here again sometime soon,” Nicole winked. The redhead then picked up a few of the books and turned to leave.
“I mean it,” Nicole threw over her shoulder, smirking at the flustered Ravenclaw. She left Waverly standing in the aisle, blushing and seriously hoping she would see this Nicole Haught again soon. Very very soon.
--
As luck would have it, over the next few weeks, the girls continued to run into one another.
They caught each other in the library, on the quad, and in the Great Hall. After the few accidental run-ins, Waverly had begun to seek Nicole out whenever she had a free moment, the redhead doing the same. Nightly homework sessions, shared meals, and walks to class became the norm. In no time, the two had become fast friends.
It was in these moments where they discovered their shared love of spells, astronomy, and peanut butter. They had bonded over their childhoods and their future aspirations. They had become basically inseparable to the point where Wynonna complained that Waverly had ‘stolen her best friend.’ But under the guise of friendship, both of the girls felt something deeper.
As for Nicole, she knew she had fallen for the brunette from the moment she had heard her giggle echo off the bookshelves of the Muggle Studies section. Not wanting to ruin anything, Nicole had bottled up whatever she feeling in favor of maintaining the friendship.
As for Waverly, her feelings were new and extremely confusing. She had never felt this way about anyone, let alone another girl. Despite the attraction and desire she felt towards the redhead, the fear of losing her best friend kept her from doing anything about it.
But as their friendship grew and deepened, so too had each of the girls' feelings.
--
The two were in the library one Wednesday afternoon, Nicole failing to do Divination homework and Waverly reading for fun.
All week, Nicole had been trying to work up the courage to ask Waverly to come watch her Quidditch match against Slytherin. After days of interruptions and losing her nerve more times than she could count, Nicole knew it was now or never. So after a few minutes consisting of an internal pep talk, Nicole finally worked up the courage to break the silence.
“WouldyouliketocometomyQuidditchmatchthisSaturday?” she rushed out, words running together due to her nervousness.
Waverly looked up from her Hogwarts: A History book. “What?” the brunette replied with confused a tilt of her head.
Taking a deep breath, Nicole tried again. “Sorry, I uh…I just wanted to know if you maybe, umm, wanted to come to the Quidditch match this weekend? We’re playing Slytherin and it should be an amazing match. And I know Quidditch really isn’t your thing, in fact I know you really really don't like it but I-” Nicole rambled, suddenly nervous.
“Hey,” Waverly interrupted, reaching across the table to put her hand on top the redhead’s, whose eyebrows shot up at the contact, “I would love to.”
A dazzling, dimpled grin broke across the Gryffindor’s face. “Really?” Nicole asked, surprise evident in her voice.
“Of course! I may not like Quidditch, but I like you so…count me in,” Waverly replied, with a smile and squeeze of Nicole’s hand.
Beaming, the redhead flipped her hand to tangle their fingers together. Even though Nicole knew the brunette had meant it platonically, she couldn’t help the warmth that filled her chest or the way her heart soared.
And then Wynonna interrupted. Again.
“Hey Haughtstuff, practice got moved up an hour today. Let’s make like a bread truck and haul buns!”
Nicole quickly pulled her hand from Waverly’s grasp, both girls feeling the loss of the contact immediately
Sighing at the interruption, the redhead packed up her things and shot an apologetic glance over her shoulder at the brunette. Little did she know, she was leaving the object of her affections as disappointed as she was.
--
Nicole was nervous.
She knew how big the match against Slytherin was, and knew that as Keeper, she could win or lose this game for Gryffindor. Anxiously pacing the grass outside the locker room, Nicole tried to get her breathing under control.
“Psst! Nicole!”
The redhead’s eyes shot up and found Waverly peeking around the corner. She tried to smile at the brunette but, in her uneasy state, could only manage a tight grimace.
"Hey, Waves! What are you doing here?”
“I came to wish you luck, silly,” Waverly replied, slowly approaching the redhead. Eyes scanning the girl in front of her, she saw how tense and anxious Nicole was. This was dramatically different from the usually confident and cool girl she had come to know these past few months.
“Nervous?”
Nicole thought about lying and playing it off, but one look at Waverly and she knew she couldn't.
“Very,” Nicole replied honestly, hand coming to rub at the back of her neck.
“Hey…”
Coming closer to the redhead, Waverly continued, “I know this might not mean much, especially coming from a non-Quidditch person like me, but you shouldn’t be. You’re an incredible Keeper, Nic. According to Wynonna, you’re the best Gryffindor has had, maybe like ever."
At the doubt still swirling in Nicole's eyes, the brunette went on. "So while I might not know much about all this, I do know you’re going to go out there and give it your all because you’re amazing, Nicole, and you can do this,” Waverly said encouragingly, slowly winding her arms around Nicole’s waist.
Nicole melted into the embrace, drawing strength from Waverly’s words. Her arms came up to wrap around Waverly’s shoulders as she tucked the brunette’s head under her chin. Nicole’s hand ran soothingly through Waverly’s hair as the brunette burrowed deeper into the embrace.
They stayed like that for a while, both seemingly unaware of the amount of time they spent in each other's arms. Unfortunately, Nicole’s fellow Gryffindor’s coming into the locker room interrupted their moment. With a sigh, she slowly released the brunette and took a small step backwards.
“Thanks for this, Waves. I umm…I really needed it,” Nicole confessed, letting her confident façade fade once more.
“Anytime, Nic. Now get out there, make me proud, and kick some Slytherin booty!”
Flashing the brunette a dimpled grin, Nicole watched Waverly walk towards the stands, finally feeling ready for the match.
--
“Nicole!” Waverly screamed, watching the bludger fly towards the unsuspecting Keeper.
Her warning did nothing, and she could only watch helplessly as Nicole was struck in the head. The redhead was knocked off her broom by the sheer force of the bludger, sending her into a quick descent towards the sand underneath the hoops. Thankfully, Madame Hooch saw the whole thing unfold and was able to stop Nicole’s fall before she hit the ground.
Waverly had shoved her way to the front of the stands, trying to keep her eyes on the descending girl. When she reached the edge, she gripped the aged wood, holing onto it tight as she looked down, finding the redhead lying motionless under the hoops.
With a gasp, Waverly pushed off the wall, yelling, “Out of my way shit-tickets!”, as she broke into a run to get out of the stands.
She jogged onto the pitch and reached Nicole just as the rest of the Gryffindor team landed and dismounted their brooms. Dropping to her knees at the redhead’s side, Waverly quickly noted the steady trickle of blood coming from a gash at the other girl’s hairline.
She felt hot tears blur her vision as she gently cupped the redhead’s cheek with a trembling hand, willing Nicole to open her eyes and look at her.
The feeling of a strong hand on her shoulder turned her attention away from the Gryffindor. She twisted her head, eyes finding Wynonna kneeling next to her, eyebrows knitted in concern, and if she wasn’t mistaken, a tear or two in her eyes.
Her sister spoke quietly, careful not to further startle the Ravenclaw. “Come on babygirl, let Madame Pomfrey move her to the hospital wing.”
“I won’t leave her Wynonna, I can’t…” Waverly choked out, tears running down her cheeks.
“You don’t have to,” Wynonna murmured in reply. “We’ll be right behind them…I promise.”
Consenting, Waverly rose and immediately threw her arms around Wynonna, clinging to her sister as she finally released the sobs she had been trying to hold back.
--
The first thing Waverly noticed was how pale her best friend looked.
Lying there on the white sheets of the Hospital Wing, the redhead looked deathly pallid. Her fiery red hair stood out in stark contrast to the pastel hues of the room. Waverley also noticed that someone had changed her out of her Gryffindor Quidditch uniform and into a hospital gown.
Slowly approaching the injured redhead, Waverly sunk into the chair at her bedside, eyes darting over her features. The Revenclaw’s racing heart calmed somewhat when she noticed the soft rise and fall of Nicole’s chest.
The brunette gently reached out her hand and laid it onto the redhead’s arm. She tenderly rubbed her thumb in small circles, watching Nicole’s face for any sign of movement. The moment was broken by a soft voice.
“She's going to be okay, darling. I already took care of that nasty gash,” Madame Pomfrey assured.
It was then that Waverly noticed the faint white line marring the side of Nicole’s head. Looking at the scar reminded her the bludger, prompting her to ask, “And her head?”
Madame Pomfrey sighed. “That’s a bit more complicated. I’m afraid there’s not much I can do until she wakes up.”
Waverly’s eyes filled with tears as she nodded, turning back to the redhead. “Thank you for taking care of her,” she whispered.
“Not a problem, dear. It looks like she is in good hands now, so I am going out for a bit. If you need me, just holler.”
The brunette could only nod, not tearing her gaze away from Nicole.
--
Waverly didn’t know how long she sat there.
Wynonna and the Gryffindor team had come and gone. Madame Pomfrey had been back and left again, letting Waverly stay with Nicole, after much begging and pleading on the part of the Ravenclaw.
The room had gradually gotten darker and colder, but Waverly hardly noticed. She barely registered anything other than the steady breathing coming from Nicole.
She spent the first few hours in silence, anxiously watching for any change in the redhead’s condition. But, after awhile, the quiet had begun to taunt her, reminding her that Nicole wasn’t awake and wasn’t okay
So Waverly had begun to talk. She wasn’t even sure if the redhead could hear her, but Waverly talked anyway. She talked about everything and anything, telling Nicole about the most innocuous things. About the posters on the walls of her childhood bedroom and the pet fish she buried in her yard. About how her favorite way to eat peanut butter was on hot and sour soup. About her favorite constellation and her first time riding a broom.
She wasn’t sure how, but she gradually started talking about Nicole.
About the day they first met. About the time they snuck into the kitchens to get some food so that they could have a picnic by the lake. About the time Waverly showed Nicole the Room of Requirement, prompting weekly visits together from then on. And now she had moved onto Quidditch.
“…I don’t know if you know this, but today was the first time I have ever enjoyed watching Quidditch. I just never quite understood it before, you know? But seeing you out there…I…I get it. You fly with such grace, with such speed and precision. Every dip and dive is calculated. It was beautiful to watch. Honestly, I think I could watch you do that forever...” Waverly said, scooting her chair closer, taking Nicole’s hand in her own again. The Ravenclaw methodically began to run her thumb over the redhead’s knuckles, losing herself in the mindless motion. She found it incredibly soothing, feeling the warmth of life beneath her fingertips.
But despite the fleeting tranquility that came from the contact, Waverly couldn’t stop her thoughts from spiraling.
She couldn’t get what had happened this morning out of her head, the whole ordeal playing over and over again in her mind. The moment Nicole was struck with the bludger. Watching Nicole fall towards the ground. The blood on Nicole’s skin and uniform.
Letting out a shaky breath, Waverly continued to trace her thumb across the back of Nicole’s hand, trying to regain some semblance of calm. But as the feeling remained elusive, she decided to voice her innermost thoughts, hoping it would bring her some peace.
“When I saw Bobo line up to hit that bludger at you, it’s like time stood still. I tried to yell, to scream as loud as I could. I needed to warn you because you didn't see him. But I couldn’t get to you in time…” Waverly sniffled, reaching her free hand up to tuck a stray piece of hair behind Nicole’s ear.
Trailing her finger down the redhead’s cheek, she continued, “And then I saw the bludger knock you off your broom and I think my heart stopped. You were falling towards the ground and there was nothing I could do. God, Nicole, I have never felt that helpless in my entire life…” Waverly choked out, blinking back fresh tears.
“But now, sitting here with you…this is the most scared I have ever been. Seeing you here and knowing there’s nothing I can do to make this better…God Nic, the fact that you could never wake up scares me so damn much. Knowing that I may never get to see your smile or hear your laugh again scares me. But…you know what scares me the most?” she asked, eyes dropping from where they had been studying Nicole’s face.
Her hands wrapped gently around one of Nicole’s, bringing them up towards her face. She rested her forehead against their clasped hands and drew in a quivering breath, feeling the words escaping from her lips before she could stop them. “My feelings for you scare me because I... I have never felt like this before,” Waverly admitted, a tear rolling down her cheek. The brunette was so caught up in the moment and in her own emotional struggle that she didn’t feel Nicole stir beneath her grasp.
“You…you make everything incredible, Nicole. I could be having the worst day, but then I see you and instantly it’s 1000x better. You make me smile and you make me laugh. I honestly don’t think I’ve laughed this much in my entire life," Waverly revealed with a watery chuckle. "And you listen to me, like really listen to me, even when I’m rambling and not making any sense. You have a way of making me feel important and wanted. You make me feel like what I think and what I say matter. And you see me, for who I am, not for what I pretend to be. You see the real me, Nicole and I…
“…I think I’m in love you and I am terrified. I have never felt like this before. Somehow...somehow you’ve become my entire world. So I know it’s selfish of me, but I need you to wake up. I need you to come back to me, baby. You need you to wake up because I can’t do this without you,” Waverly confessed, lowering their clasped hands and dropping her head onto the bed, finally letting her sobs consume her.
Nicole felt Waverly’s head land on her stomach and the brunette’s hands grip her hand tightly. Slowly, Nicole raised the arm that was not trapped under Waverly and began to run her hand through the brunette’s hair as she croaked, “Did we win?”
Waverly stiffened and felt Nicole’s hand leave her head. She slowly sat up, trying to dry her tears. “Nic?” Waverly asked, disbelief in her voice.
“Hey Waves,” Nicole whispered, reaching up to wipe away the last few tears that had escaped the brunette’s bloodshot eyes.
“Hi,” Waverly replied with a watery smile.
Despite her sudden urge jump onto the bed and pull the redhead into a tight embrace, the Ravenclaw instead removed her hands from Nicole. Not sure what to do now with Nicole both awake and having potentially heard her confess her feelings, she made herself small in the bedside chair. She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Her hazel eyes shifted uneasily, looking anywhere but at the redhead.
Nicole was confused by the sight in front of her. Her best friend, and girl who just admitted to being in love with her, looked absolutely terrified. The cynic in her thought it was because Waverly admitted to feelings she maybe didn't really have, just because of the situation. Ignoring that voice and resolving to get to the bottom of it, Nicole tried to catch the shifting eyes of the brunette. After a few tries, Nicole finally caught Waverly’s gaze and held it. Behind those hazel eyes, the redhead saw pain and hurt, but she also saw uncertainty and fear.
“Waves…are you okay?”
With a strangled laugh, Waverly replied, “You’re the one in the Hospital Wing, shouldn’t I be asking you that?”
With a shrug, Nicole continued to study the brunette, hoping Waverly would she some light on why she was acting so out of character. But when she didn’t offer anything up, Nicole tried again. “Come here,” she said, patting the spot beside her.
“But your head…” Waverly protested weakly.
“Is fine!” Nicole interrupted. “…Well mostly fine, and as much as I appreciate your concern, what I really need is my best friend to get her cute butt up here and tell me why she looks so damn scared of me.
Despite her worry about Nicole’s head, Waverly acquiesced, not being able to turn down a chance to be near the redhead. She carefully laid herself in the spot Nicole had made for her, leaving a good amount of space between them.
“I don’t bite, you know,” the redhead whispered conspirationally, smirking at her best friend.
“I just…I don’t want to hurt you,” Waverly confessed, looking away from the redhead as hot tears filled her eyes.
Hearing the break in her voice, Nicole immediately scooted closer to the brunette. She carefully wrapped her arm around Waverly’s shoulder, biting back a groan as the movement jostled her hurting body.
“Hey, you won’t hurt me. I promise,” Nicole said, arm tightening around the brunette, bringing her impossibly closer. Between the feeling of Nicole’s arm around her and the comforting words the redhead was whispering, Waverly finally broke.
Sobs wracked her small frame, causing the brunette to shake under Nicole’s arm. Waverly turned and tucked her head under Nicole’s chin, wrapping her arm around the redhead’s stomach. She clung tightly to the injured girl, tears running down her cheeks, finally letting her grief consume her
As tears began to hit her gown, Nicole just hugged the brunette tighter. “Shhh…it’s going to be okay, Waves. We’re going to be okay.”
The redhead spent the next few minutes rubbing soothing circles on Waverly’s back as she whispered over and over again that they were both fine and were both going to be fine.
It was in these moments that Nicole began to process all that she heard.
Waverly, her best friend and the girl she had been in love with for months, had just confessed to having feelings for her.
Deep feelings. Real feelings.
In all the ways Nicole had dreamt of this moment, being bedridden in the Hospital Wing as Waverly cried in her arms was certainly not one of them. While the redhead couldn’t help the spark of hope in her heart, she also couldn’t forget about her inner cynic and the fear behind Waverly’s eyes. Nicole was still struggling to make sense of it all when, finally, it seemed as if Waverly was all cried out.
The brunette made no move to untangle herself from Nicole, which the redhead took as a good sign.
Unsure what to do or say, Nicole decided to break the silence with a safe subject.
“So…did we win?”
Waverly let out a watery chuckle at Nicole’s question. Of course, the Gryffindor would be worried about the game.
The brunette knew as much, so she had made sure to grill Wynonna for details hours ago. Sitting up and causing Nicole’s arm to drop from her shoulders, Waverly wiped away the last few tears on her cheeks. She turned to face the redhead, a small smile tugging at her lips.
“You did! Wynonna came in awhile ago and I made her tell me all about it because I knew once a certain someone woke up, it would be all she could think about.”
Nicole grinned sheepishly in response, reaching out to take one of Waverly’s hands in her own. She tangled their fingers together and gave a reassuring nod to her best friend, encouraging her to continue.
Giving a light squeeze to Nicole’s hand, Waverly began to regale her with the Quidditch tale.
“So apparently after we left the pitch, Bobo got ejected from the game for the stunt he pulled. Personally, I think he should consider himself lucky for only getting ejected. If it were up to me, he would be expelled faster than he could say Quidditch. But anyways, then Gryffindor went on some kind of scoring spree, scoring 60 unanswered points. Except then your woefully incompetent replacement let in a bunch of goals. Thankfully your Seeker caught sight of snitch and was able to grab it before Slytherin could even mount a comeback! And…well shoot, I don’t quite know what the final score was I forgot to ask…”
The entire time Waverly was talking, Nicole couldn’t help the warmth that spread through her chest or the rush of adoration that coursed through her body. Not only was the brunette the most adorable person on the planet, gesticulating wildly with the hand Nicole wasn’t currently holding as she described how the Seeker caught the Snitch, but she was also the only one who would have done this. She was the only one who knew Nicole well enough to have gone out her way to figure out how the match ended. Nicole felt her heart swell as she was overcome with how deeply she was in love with the girl sitting in front of her.
“God, I love you,” Nicole sighed reverently, interrupting Waverly’s play-by-play.
With a sharp intake of breath, Waverly asked, “W-w-what?”
Not realizing she had said it out loud, Nicole momentarily panicked. She hadn’t meant to just go right out there and say it, but Waverly had been so cute talking the match that it had just come out. Her feelings had bubbled to the surface and she hadn’t been able to hold them in any longer.
Resolving to just go for it, Nicole sat up in bed and scooted closer to Waverly. She carefully took the girl’s other hand in her own, tangling their fingers together. Chocolate brown met hazel, as Nicole gazed tenderly at the brunette.
“I’m in love with you Waverly Earp. And I’m not just saying it because I heard you talking to me while I was out." Feeling Waverly tense at the words, Nicole just squeezed her hands and continued.
"And I’m also not just saying it because I’m slightly concussed…well maybe a bit more than slightly. But I am saying it because you’re my best friend. Because your smile never fails to brighten my day. Because I can’t imagine going through life without you. But most of all, I’m saying it because you are, without a doubt, the kindest, sweetest, and most beautiful girl in this entire world. God, Waverly, I’m so in love with you and I have been since you laughed at me that day in the library. So as long as you want me, I will be by your-”
Waverly interrupted Nicole’s heartfelt speech by surging forward to press their lips together. She moved with such force that she knocked Nicole back into the pillows. Waverly landed softly on the redhead's chest, keeping their lips pressed together. Mouths moved against each other sweetly, each girl relishing in this newfound level of intimacy.
After a few moments, Waverly slowly pulled away, grinning at the redhead beneath her. Her grin slowly faded though, as she couldn't help the whisper of doubt in her mind. Opting to voice it, she whispered, “Nicole…you sure this isn’t the concussion talking?”
The redhead's initial reaction was to laugh, thinking the comment was more teasing than anything. But she soon turned serious as the fear and uncertainty she had seen earlier in Waverly’s eyes returned. She knew she needed to reassure the brunette, to put her mind at ease. Nicole trailed her hand up Waverly’s spine, up and over her shoulder, finally bringing it to cup the brunette’s cheek.
Taking a deep breath, she looked into the eyes of the girl she loved and bared her heart, “Trust me, I may be concussed, but I have been never been more sure of anything in my entire life.
“Really?” Waverly whispered, almost in disbelief.
“Yeah baby, really. Honestly Waves…I never thought in a million years that you would feel this way about me. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy…I umm…I never thought you would want to be happy with me. But by the grace of whoever is up there, you want me and want to be with me. And that scares the shit out of me. But I know that I am in love with you, so…what do you say we just be scared together?”
Tears of joy welled up in Waverly’s eyes as she gazed as the girl beneath her. “You’re amazing, you know that?” the brunette replied, turning her head to press a kiss to the palm of Nicole’s hand. “I am so glad you woke up, Nicole.
With that, Waverly leaned down and connected their lips again. But before the redhead let herself get lost in the feel of Waverly’s lips against her own, she leaned back just out of reach. “It’s going to take a lot more than a bludger to keep me away from you, Waves. You’re kinda stuck with me,” Nicole hummed, a dimpled grin breaking across her features.
“Somehow, I think I’ll manage,” Waverly replied, bringing herself down towards Nicole once more. Her mouth hovered over the redhead’s, just out of reach. “I love you, Nicole Haught."
“And I love you Waverly Earp, more than you could possibly know,” Nicole replied, rising up to capture the brunette’s lips in a kiss.
The kiss was not perfect by any means. It was messy, with way too much teeth because they were both smiling so much. But it was a kiss that would be the start of their forever. So in that way, it was pretty damn close to perfect.
-- End --