Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Chrisssyyyyyy.” Waverly was whining. “It’s too hot to be outside. Do we have to?”

Her friend rolled her eyes at her. “Come on, Waves. Nothing cool ever happens in Purgatory, so the one time we have some excitement in town, we can’t miss this!”

Waverly huffed. ‘This’ was a cycling race, with multiple stages over multiple days, and today’s stage for some unknown reason was set to finish in Purgatory of all places. The preparations had been going on for days now, with barriers set up along the main drag, support cars and team vans parked all over town, and some of the teams had rented all of the available rooms at the Wainwright hotel for their riders for the night.

Waverly knew this was a big deal for the town, but it was the middle of August and it had been blistering hot and humid for days and she was miserable. Her shirt was sticking to her back and she could feel even more sweat running down her spine. The sun felt too hot on her skin and even with her sunglasses on, she had to squint a bit. The thought of standing out there for who knows how long to watch some dudes in spandex race across the finish line just wasn’t all that appealing to her at the moment.

But Chrissy had her by the arm and was dragging her along, trying to find a good spot along the main road to watch the finish.

“Here, I brought you some ice cold water. And some frozen grapes.”

Waverly smiled at her friend then. She loved frozen grapes, but what she loved even more was seeing her friend so excited about something, so she let herself get pulled to a spot of Chrissy’s choice and tried to make herself as comfortable as possible in the heat.

“Okay, okay! I’m here. Let’s do this!”

“Yay! Trust me, this should be fun. Those women will just be zooming down the road here, so this is a good spot to see all the action.”

“Women?” Waverly looked up, surprised.

“Yeah. This is the women’s version of the Tour of Alberta. It’s the first year they are doing it; usually it’s just a men’s race.”

“Huh.”

Waverly was intrigued now. She wasn’t a sports fan in general, and she always thought cycling was beyond boring. She just didn’t get the appeal of watching guys that were presumably all doped to the gills ride their bikes around for hours on end. But she could get behind supporting an event that was about giving women their fair shot in a sport where men always got all the money and glory. It’s why if she had to watch hockey or soccer, she insisted that it had to be women’s hockey and soccer. And while she wouldn’t admit it out loud, she did also enjoy watching a bunch of very fit women do something they were really good at. Maybe this day in the hot Alberta sun wouldn’t be so bad after all.

When Chrissy and her had found a spot right near the finish line, Waverly noticed just how much of a big deal today’s event was for the town. Nearly all of Purgatory’s residents were out here, some even with folding lawn chairs and picnic baskets. There was an announcer with a large sound system that was blasting some music while they were waiting for the riders, and Waverly could see a few groups of kids and their teachers who had made their way over from the high school. They were swinging around cow bells to make noise. It was a pleasantly bustling atmosphere that almost made Waverly feel like she was in a different place, and not in this normally boring backwater town in the middle of nowhere in Alberta.

“Alright, everyone”, the announcer’s sound system was squeaking loudly, “here we go! The riders are just on the outskirts now and should be here in less than five minutes! Let’s give them a warm welcome!”

The noise and cheering picked up. Waverly looked down the road from where she was standing. She couldn’t see any riders yet, but she could feel the excitement building in the crowd. Chrissy was clapping her hands next to her and bouncing up and down. The cow bells were ringing even louder than before, and there was a good amount of hollering happening.

And then she spotted the first riders down the road. With the heat, the air above the pavement was flickering and it almost looked like a mirage, but after a few seconds, Waverly could make out a group of riders quickly approaching the finish line.

“Holy shit, they are fast!” Chrissy exclaimed loudly.

And she was right. Things all happened very quickly in that moment. Waverly could see a group of maybe 25 riders barrelling toward the finish. They were sort of riding in a pack, but the first six or seven riders appeared to be riding almost in a line, one behind the other. They were maybe about 300 meters away from the finish and Waverly assumed that they would cross like that, in a line. She spotted a rider in about fourth or fifth place who all of a sudden veered over to the side and catapulted herself to the front, stomping on her pedals with a power that Waverly had never seen up close like this before. That rider crossed the line about half a wheel length ahead of the next rider and Waverly saw her briefly punch the air in obvious triumph.

Then, it was all over in a flash. The remaining group of riders sped across the line in a blur to loud cheering and music, and then a few stragglers came across, but not really all that far behind the lead group. Waverly was baffled. The whole thing was fast and exciting and way more fun to watch than she thought.

Finally, the announcer’s words came back into focus. “What a finish, folks! In first place, we have Nicole Haught from team Speed Theory Cycling, followed by Kate Wright and Anne Bellville, both from team Sho Air Twenty20. Let’s give all of the riders a round of applause!”

More cheering and loud applause. Waverly looked over to the side, next to the barricades. She could see some of the riders congratulating each other there, and then spotted the woman who won the race today sitting on the pavement, leaned against one of the barricades. She was panting heavily and completely drenched in sweat. Waverly wasn’t surprised. It felt like it was about 40 degrees outside and she was sweating herself just standing out here. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to race in this heat.

The race winner, Nicole, seemed unable to move from her spot on the ground for the time being. A few of the other riders came over and clapped her on her shoulder or gave her a high five. She nodded at them, but Waverly could see the sheer exhaustion on the woman’s face. After a few moments, she watched as someone handed Nicole a bottle of water and the woman proceeded to pour it over her face and neck. Her jersey had already been drenched before that, but now, the white fabric appeared almost see-through and Waverly couldn’t tear her eyes away from the woman. She was tall, Waverly could see that even though she was sitting on the ground. Her long, muscular legs were stretched out, glistening with sweat and water. She had pulled off her helmet, revealing sweaty red hair that was sticking to her neck and forehead but was otherwise being held back by a pair of sunglasses that she had slid off her face and on top of her head. And then there was that damn nearly see-through jersey that was tight around her torso, revealing a white sports bra and a firm, toned body underneath.

Waverly suddenly felt even hotter than she had been, and her mouth had gone almost completely dry. She knew she was staring, but there was something about the image in front of her that wouldn’t let her look away. And then the woman looked up, right at her and smiled.

“Whoa.” Waverly muttered.

“What?”

It was only then that Waverly remembered that Chrissy was still standing next to her and had reacted to the sound Waverly was making. She blushed furiously, looked away from both women and cleared her throat.

“Okay, looks like things are over now, so can we go back inside, where there is AC? I am dying out here.”

Chrissy groaned a bit at that, but relented. It really was too hot to be out here.

Chapter Text

Waverly had spent the rest of the afternoon at Shorty’s, where it was pleasantly cool and dark. She wasn’t scheduled to work until later, but she had offered to help out anyway, since she was happy to be inside and away from the heat of the day.

Chrissy had stuck around for a little while, keeping her company and chatting about the race they had both witnessed earlier. But even without Chrissy, Waverly likely wouldn’t have been able to shake the images from the afternoon from her mind. She had enjoyed herself. The excitement in town had been a nice change from the usually quiet and boring summer afternoons, and it had been nice to see everyone out and about for something other than Happy Hour at the bar. All in all, it had been a memorable afternoon.

And then there were the images of women in skin tight shorts and jerseys that kept flashing through Waverly’s mind. Or, more specifically, images of one woman sitting on the ground smiling at her, face flushed bright red with exertion. It didn’t take much for Waverly’s imagination to take that image and turn it into something decidedly less innocent.

Get a hold of yourself, Waverly.

She shook her head as she walked over to Gus to ask if she needed any help. She knew that a couple of the teams had reserved a few booths at the bar for the evening for what they had called “a recovery meal”, and Waverly wanted to make sure that everything was ready for that and for the regular influx of Purgatory residents who would likely show up for a cold beverage after a long hot day.

“I think we’re all good here” her aunt told her. “Can you check with Bob in the kitchen, though? He might need some help getting everything set up for feeding all those women later.”

“Sure thing, Gus.”

She wandered into the kitchen where the cook was busy hauling big heavy pots of water around.

“Bob, can I do anything to help?”

Bob grunted, shifting a large pot onto the back burner of one of the stoves.

“Nah, I got it covered. They told me most of the riders will be eating pasta and chicken, so that’s not much prep and the sauce is already done. Just gotta get the water ready to go.”

Waverly nodded. She could see and smell a large pot of what looked like a simple marinara sauce and pre-portioned packs of pasta ready to go. That seemed like a much easier night for the kitchen than the usual menu of burgers, fries, steaks and sandwiches.

“Alright. But holler if you need anything.” She smiled at Bob and went back behind the bar.

A little while later, the door opened and several groups of women stepped into the bar. It was still early, but Waverly assumed that they likely wanted to have an early dinner and then head off to bed before they were starting their next stage of the race tomorrow. She smiled as she helped the groups get situated in their booths. It was a welcome change to see the bar full of young women around her age instead of the usual testosterone fest at Shorty’s.

She spotted the group that included the race winner. There were six women, all wearing grey sweatpants and light hoodies with their team name and logo. They were all rather tall and lean with the exception of one dark haired woman who was shorter and built like a tank. She gave them a moment to get settled before she walked over to take their orders.

“Hello ladies! My name’s Waverly and I’ll be taking care of you tonight. Can I get you all some water to start?”

“That would be great” the dark haired woman replied. “And we’ll be sticking to water for today.”

Waverly nodded and made her way back to the bar. A few moments later, she returned with a pitcher of water and several glasses. As she was setting everything on the table, she made eye contact with Nicole.

“Thank you, Waverly.” Her voice was soft and she smiled brightly at Waverly, showing off a set of dimples. Waverly smiled right back, but quickly ducked her head when she could feel her cheeks getting uncomfortably warm.

After a second or two, she composed herself enough to ask everyone for their food orders. As expected, most of the women ordered the pasta and chicken breast, but when it got to be Nicole’s turn to order, she looked a bit apologetic.

“Could I get the chicken, but could I get it with just some plain rice instead? And maybe some sauce on the side? I think our team manager called ahead to ask about the rice?”

Waverly could tell that Nicole was uncomfortable with deviating from the rest of the group’s orders, so she tried to be reassuring.

“Of course, not a problem. Is this a food allergy? Should I tell the cook so he can take some precautions when making your meal?”

Nicole shook her head, looking relieved. “Yeah, and no, that’s fine. As long as I don’t actually eat it, it’s fine. But thank you for checking.”

Waverly returned to the bar, put in the food orders and helped Gus take care of some of the other booths and a couple of regulars that had made it into the bar by now. Things were busy, so she didn’t have much time for any further interactions with the riders beyond bringing out their food and refilling their water several times. She was in the middle of pouring a beer for Sheriff Nedley, who had come in for a ‘quick mingle’, as he called it, when she noticed Nicole approach the bar.

“Can I get you anything else? More water?” She put the beer down and turned more fully to the cyclist.

“No, no. I’m good. We’re just about to head out anyway. I just wanted to say thank you for taking such good care of us tonight.” There was that smile again, and Waverly took a moment to just appreciate everything about the woman standing in front of her. She really was tall, with long arms that she used to prop herself up against the bar a little bit. While her jersey and shorts earlier had left little to the imagination, Waverly now noticed just how strong she looked with her broad shoulders. But what was most striking about her was the sense of calm she exuded. She looked comfortable in her skin, and relaxed.

“It was my pleasure. You guys are easy to please. I wish all of the patrons here were as pleasant to deal with as you.”

Okay, Waverly, think you can fit in the word pleasure just one more time in that sentence? Sheesh!

“I’m Nicole, by the way. Nicole Haught.” She held out her hand and Waverly took it. It was warm and soft and strong and for a moment, Waverly couldn’t remember how to form words.

“N-nice to meet you, Nicole.” She shook her head a bit to regain her composure and carefully took back her hand. “You won today, right? Congratulations on that!”

“Thanks! It was a bit unexpected. I’m not much of a sprinter. That’s usually Ashley’s job.” Nicole turned a bit and pointed at the dark haired woman in her group.

“Well, from where I was standing, you did a pretty good job at sprinting today.”

“Nah, I just got lucky. The stage profile was a bit hilly, so the pure sprinters like Ashley got hung up a bit behind the lead group. I lucked out to be near the front with other non-sprinters like me and managed to surprise them, that’s all.”

Waverly couldn’t help but smile at that. “Well then, Nicole Haught, congratulations on your lucky day today.”

In that exact moment, Gus walked up to Waverly and grabbed the beer for the Sheriff. “Ladies, I don’t mean to interrupt, but we got a few customers needing some attention.”

Waverly pushed back her shoulders. “Right, sorry Gus. I’ll be right there.” She turned to Nicole one more time. “Sorry, but I gotta get back to this.”

“No worries, Waverly!” She winked.

Waverly gave her a little wave and turned to serve her other customers. She saw the women leave the bar out of the corner of her eye and she felt a twinge of disappointment that she didn’t get a chance to talk to Nicole again, but she quickly focussed on work and she was busy enough that she forgot all about it until she walked over to clear the table in the booth the group had been sitting at. Among the empty water glasses and crumpled napkins, she saw a little piece of paper with her name on it.

“Waverly,
I hope I didn’t get you in trouble with your boss earlier! Maybe I’ll see you at the start line in the morning? That would make it two lucky days in a row for me! We’re set to roll out of town at 9am.

Thank you again for tonight!
Nicole”

Underneath her name was a phone number, and Waverly quickly folded up the note and stuck it in her pocket.

9 am couldn’t come soon enough.

Chapter Text

It had been a long rest of the night for Waverly, complete with wrangling several customers who were belligerently drunk before 10pm and had to be escorted out by local police. It was well past 3am when she finally got home, and for a moment she debated ignoring the 9am start of the next stage of the bike race. She could really use the sleep. But then she remembered Nicole, her note, and just her general presence and she decided to at least show up, even if not fully awake at that point.

She regretted the decision when her alarm blared at her three hours later. Huffing, she sat up and rubbed her eyes, grabbed her phone and shot Chrissy a quick text.

W: Going to watch the start of the bike race this morning. Want to meet me there? I’ll bring coffee.

With that, Waverly got in the shower, turning the water to cool, both to help wake up and to start out another hot summer day feeling refreshed. After she slipped into a pair of shorts and a tank top, she checked her phone.

C: Good morning to you, too!
C: Let me get this straight: you WANT to go check out the bike race now?
C: I had to drag your ass out there yesterday! Why the sudden change of heart?
C: Is there something you’re not telling me??? SPILL!!!

Waverly shook her head, but smiled.

W: Some of the teams were at Shorty’s for dinner. They invited me to come and watch the start.
W: I can’t turn down an invitation like that! I’m a nice person!

C: Yeah, yeah, I know. You have a sash.
C: Meet you there at 8:45?
C: And don’t forget the coffee! Since you’re such a nice person!

Waverly responded with a thumbs up emoji and was on her way out the door to make good on her promise to supply the caffeine. When she stepped out the door, the sun was already feeling hot on her skin, and she knew it would be another scorcher for everyone, but especially for the cyclists. She thought back to the image of Nicole sitting on the ground after the race, looking positively baked after a hard sprint in the sun.

Nicole. She’d spent more time than necessary thinking about the woman. She definitely left an impression, and not just because of her appearance. Although, to be fair, Waverly had spent a considerable amount of time thinking about long legs, strong shoulders, and that smile. But it was mostly the quiet confidence that intrigued her. Granted, they barely spoke more than ten words with each other last night, but there was just something about the way Nicole held herself, chin up, proud but not overly so. It made Waverly want to know more, and it was the reason why she was currently on her way into town when it felt like she had only just left there a couple of hours ago.

Waverly made it to the coffee shop and picked up something cloyingly sweet for Chrissy and an iced coffee for herself. While she was waiting for her drinks, she remembered Nicole’s note and the phone number that were both still tucked away in her pocket. She decided to send a quick text.

W: Hi! This is Waverly. The bartender from last night. I got your note.
W: Obviously. I wouldn’t have your number otherwise. I promise I’m not a stalker!
W: I just wanted to wish you a good ride today. Is that what you guys say to each other? Good ride? Like break a leg, but more…appropriate?
W: Don’t break a leg, please!
W: Anyway, I’ll be at the start, so maybe I’ll see you there. If not, have a good ride!

Luckily, at that point, the barista called out her name to let her know that her coffees were ready, so she didn’t have any more time to add to that embarrassing ramble. Before she could grab her drinks, her phone pinged and her heart almost stopped.

C: Got us a spot. The riders are all here already. Hurry up with the coffee, woman!

Just Chrissy. Waverly made her way outside and went to find her friend. The closer she got to the area, the more she was wrapped up again in the overall excitement in the air. It was a little more subdued than the sprint finish yesterday, but it was still noticeable. There were team cars, a lot of bikes, riders, team mechanics doing some last minute tweaks, and again the announcer and his music system, which was playing some upbeat song Waverly didn’t recognize.

She found Chrissy easily. Her friend had a knack for finding the perfect spots in a crowd, and this morning was no different. From where she stood, they could see the start area and most of the riders who were gathered already and chatting idly with each other.

“Here. Mocha with extra sugar. I really don’t know how you manage to drink something this sweet.”

“Thanks, Waves! And good morning! I didn’t think you’d be out here for this.”

“Like I said, they invited me. It’d be rude not to show.”

“Yeah, yeah, nicest person in town. I know. Oh hey, look. One of the riders is coming our way. Isn’t she the one who won it yesterday?”

Waverly’s heart stopped for a moment. Nicole was indeed coming over, carefully rolling through the crowd on her bike.

“Good morning, ladies. Waverly. It’s nice to see you again.”

Nicole was smiling, showing off her dimples. Waverly couldn’t respond immediately; her brain was too busy cataloguing everything about the woman in front of her. She was in her cycling shorts and jersey again, this time not as see-through as before. She was wearing her helmet, with her sunglasses tucked into the air vents of it. Waverly could see tan lines around her eyes, and around the area where the helmet straps where secured, and she immediately thought about other parts of Nicole’s body that would have pretty distinct tan lines: arms, thighs. She swallowed hard.

“N-nice to see you again, too. Are you all set for your stage today?”

“As set as I’ll ever be. Today is going to be a hard one. Mountains, and lots of them. But after today, it’s only one more day and then this race is done. I’m looking forward to putting my feet up for a couple of days after this.”

Chrissy joined the conversation, then. “Oh, where does the final stage end?”

“Calgary. Right downtown. Should be a mass sprint there.”

“Oooh! Wave, we should go!”

Nicole smiled even wider. “Yeah, you should. It’ll be exciting! We’re going to try and set up Ashley for the big win there, and get her to win the sprint classification overall.”

Waverly’s brain was having trouble following the conversation. It was still stuck on thinking about tan lines and legs. With a shake of her head, she managed to focus enough to take in the excitement of her friend at the idea of going to the city to watch the final stage finish.

“Okay. I’ll have to see how that works with my schedule, but if I can make it happen, we’ll be there.”

Nicole nodded and then glanced back toward the other riders. “I should probably get back there. We’ll be rolling in a few.”

“Right. Okay. Well, have a good ride today, Nicole!”

“Thank you, Waverly! And thanks to you both for seeing us off this morning. It’s always nice to see a bit of a crowd at the start. Makes for a good morning, good vibes for the stage. Maybe I’ll see you in the city on Sunday!”

With that, Nicole rolled back over to where the rest of her team was positioned. Waverly looked at their matching jerseys and bikes. It was the first time that she actually noticed the bikes. They looked expensive and not even remotely comfortable. The saddles appeared to have no cushion at all, and for most of the women, the handlebars were set so low that Waverly had no idea how anyone could ride hunched over like that for longer than a few minutes. She was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt Chrissy tug at her arm.

“Wave? Earth to Waverly!”

“Hm?”

“You might want to tone down the staring just a little bit.”

“I’m not, I’m not staring. I was looking at their bikes.”

“Sure. The bikes.”

Chrissy shook her head, but smiled at her friend. Waverly busied herself with her iced coffee, hoping to cover up the blush she was feeling on her neck and cheeks.

Just then, they heard the announcer call out the one minute warning, and all of the riders were getting themselves ready for the start. Waverly didn’t know the rules for cycling races, so she wondered whether the teams were lined up in a particular order or more on a first-come-first-serve basis. The riders appeared relaxed and not too worried about the countdown that was happening. And then, a horn went off and they slowly started riding off. Slowly being the key word, and Waverly was confused.

“They don’t seem to be in much of a hurry.” she said to Chrissy.

“Oh yeah. This is a rolling start, meaning the real start line is a couple of kilometres down the road. It’s safer this way and gives them all some time to warm up before the racing starts.”

“Ah. That makes sense.”

“Also, Nicole said today is a mountain stage, so I don’t assume that they will be going all out right away. The real drama with those stages happens when they are all on some crazy uphill section.”

Waverly nodded. “How long are the stages?”

“I don’t know the exact length, but they’ll be out there for a good four hours or so. Maybe longer if there is a lot of uphill road to ride.”

“Four hours? Holy shit! That’s a long time to sit on a bike!”

Chrissy chuckled. “Yeah. I don’t think I could do it.”

“So how do we find out who wins today’s stage? Is this on TV somewhere?”

Chrissy frowned at that. “No, sadly not. The women’s races hardly ever get any media attention. They might have like a local newspaper dude covering the finish, but even that doesn’t always happen. I’m guessing the best way to follow this race is checking the teams’ social media accounts.”

“Wow. That sucks! I mean, I get that it’s a niche sport in this country, but I know I’ve seen TV coverage of men’s races. And here these women are busting their butts in the heat for days and no one is paying attention?”

“Well, looks like you’re paying attention now.”

Waverly rolled her eyes at her friend. “You know what I mean.”

“I do. Like I said, check online. You should find some info there. Team websites, Twitter, there is likely even a website from the race organizers, so they might have some stuff on there, too.”

“Okay, I’ll check it out. But for now, I’m going back to bed! I’ll text you later so we can figure out the trip to the city on Sunday.”

Waverly hugged her friend goodbye and made her way back home. The coffee and excitement of seeing the start and talking to Nicole had kept her surprisingly awake, but now the lack of sleep was catching up with her. She also had another late shift coming up, so she needed to be rested and ready for that, especially considering that she was now planning to drive into Calgary with Chrissy to watch the final finish.

She made it home and to bed in no time, and after closing the curtains and locking the doors, she slipped back under the covers. She pulled out her phone one last time to set the alarm for later, and just as she was about to put it back on the little table next to her bed, she decided she’d look up Nicole’s team on Twitter. They were easy enough to find, but it didn’t look like they posted a whole lot. She found an announcement that they would be participating in the Tour of Alberta, but not much else about the race. She did, however, find an account run by the race organizers who had posted the results and a few photos from each stage so far. She hit “follow” and then put the phone down and closed her eyes, thinking about a certain cyclist with red hair.

A few hours later, Waverly woke up to incessant buzzing from her phone. It wasn’t her alarm just yet. Instead, she had a bunch of notifications:

“@TourOfAlberta: Exciting uphill battle today. Check out the top 10 below”
“@TourOfAlberta: Here is a short video of the key breakaway”
“@TourOfAlberta: Heat was definitely a factor today. Many stragglers and DNFs”

C: Ran into Gus and she told me you have a late shift tonight. I could drive tomorrow, and you can sleep some more in the car?”

N: I didn’t break a leg ;)

Chapter Text

Waverly sat up in a hurry, almost feeling dizzy from the movement. Nicole had texted her back! All of her earlier rambling text messages flashed through her brain and Waverly groaned.

Oh my god, she must think I’m a complete weirdo.

She went to text back, but was still a bit groggy after just waking up. While she was staring at her phone deciding what to write, another notification popped up.

N: I did get dropped today, though. I finished, but well behind the lead group.
N: So none of the glory for me today. *sad face*

Waverly chuckled a bit at that.

W: Awww. Poor you. I hope it wasn’t too much of a blow to your cyclist ego?
W: PS - glad you didn’t break a leg!

N: My ego is fine, thank you for asking!
N: I’m just glad you weren’t there to see me ride in just barely beating the broom wagon!

W: Broom wagon?

N: A car that literally picks up stragglers that won’t be able to finish. Sweeping the road, so to speak.

W: Ouch! That sounds like it would be a humiliating experience! I’m glad you were spared and finished!

N: I did, and I’m feeling pretty good about my day overall. Especially since it started with seeing you.

Waverly dropped her phone and fumbled as she went to pick it up again quickly. Was Nicole flirting? How should she respond to that? Flirt back? Ignore? Where was Chrissy when she needed her for advice?

W: Well, I’m glad I could contribute to a good day, even if the cycling part didn’t quite pan out as you’d hoped.

There, that was safe. Nice, friendly, but safe. There was a bit of a pause in the texts, and Waverly wondered if her response was maybe a bit too safe and would sound like a rejection of sorts to Nicole. Then, another ping.

N: Waverly, you made every part of today better! So thank you for that.
N: I have to run (or, well, hobble). Post-stage massage, then food, bed and getting up early for another stage. Rinse, repeat.

Waverly could feel herself blushing, not just because Nicole had just told her that she made her day better, but also because her brain helpfully supplied images of Nicole receiving her massage. After a few steadying breaths, she managed to be coherent enough to reply.

W: Well, then I won’t keep you any longer.
W: Oh, Chrissy and I will make our way into the big city tomorrow to watch the final stage finish. I hope I’ll see you there, and not in a broom wagon!

N: Awesome! I’m already looking forward to it! I’ll be working extra hard to impress, so look for me near the front ;)

W: Will do! Have a good rest, Nicole! I’ll see you tomorrow.

N: You too, Waverly! Can’t wait!

Waverly was still sitting on her bed, now grinning widely. She didn’t know exactly how long she sat there like this, but she suddenly felt a fresh burst of energy and she was practically bouncing by the time she had freshened up a bit and got herself ready to get to work her shift at Shorty’s.

When she got to the bar, the place was already fairly busy; not surprisingly given that it was a Saturday evening. Waverly immediately spotted some of the same customers that had caused her trouble the night before, but instead of being annoyed, she just shrugged her shoulders and headed behind the bar smiling to herself.

“Someone’s in a good mood!”

Gus gave her a little smirk along with the gentle teasing.

“Maybe. It’s been a good day!”

“Ah. Well, that’s good. I ran into Chrissy earlier. She said something about the two of you driving out to the city tomorrow morning?”

“Yeah, that’s the plan.”

Waverly knew she was being a bit evasive. Normally, she would want to share the details of her plans with Gus, maybe even invite her to come along, since Gus didn’t get to go to the city very often. She didn’t like the city traffic, so she only went if someone else did the driving. But in this case, Waverly wanted to keep her options open and not have to worry about factoring her aunt’s schedule into her day off. But she also didn’t want to be completely selfish about the whole thing.

“Is there anything I can pick you up from the city? I don’t really know yet what our day will look like; we don’t have a whole lot of firm plans for tomorrow. But I can stop at that cooking store you like, or at the big outlet mall.”

Gus smiled at her niece, then. “Nah, it’s okay, kid. You two go and do what you need to do without worrying about having to make specific stops. Just have fun and be safe, okay?”

“Okay.”

At that, Waverly grabbed her phone to text Chrissy about the details. After a bit of back and forth, they agreed that Chrissy would pick her up at 8am. That would put them on track to be downtown by 10, giving them plenty of time for a late breakfast and wandering around a bit before the racers were expected to make their way to the finish line. Chrissy had looked up the race schedule and told Waverly that there was a bit of a festival area set up near the finish line that would open at around 11am, and that they were expecting the racers to get to the finish at around 1pm. All in all, it sounded like a fun adventure with a lot of activities that Waverly had never done before, and she was more than a little excited.

Waverly’s shift flew by and she barely had time to take a break. It appeared that most of the town was in the mood for some fun, but luckily, things remained on the calm side of things for a Saturday night. They only had to cut off one customer, and he took it fairly well and let himself be taken home by his buddies. But something told Waverly that nothing could have killed her good mood that evening. She had plans for something entirely new, and she was curious to learn more about both Nicole and the cycling races that were so much a part of meeting the woman.

After closing the bar with Gus and heading home, Waverly spent a bit of time researching. She checked the Twitter feed of the race organizers to see if she could spot anyone she knew in any of the day’s race photos they had posted, but no luck. She did see some rather stunning pictures of a mountain pass they apparently went over, and several photos of the day’s winner and the overall leaders, but none of them were Nicole or her team.

She remembered her earlier conversation with Nicole about the “broom wagon”, so she looked up a few cycling specific terms and read up on the Tour overall, how it worked, how they had different classifications of winners, and she read up a bit on the various teams that were part of the race. She learned that Nicole’s team was a local team from Calgary with riders that were known in the city but not much beyond that. She also learned that the organizers had invited three very high profile teams, and that most of the top 10 ranked riders were on those teams. She briefly wondered whether that wasn’t somewhat unfair to the local riders, but then she thought that maybe this was a good opportunity for someone like Nicole to rub shoulders with other more well-known riders and maybe make some important connections that way. She also ended up being even more impressed that Nicole had managed to out-sprint the other riders in Purgatory the previous day.

After spending much longer than she initially wanted on her research, she had so many questions to ask Nicole. She couldn’t wait to see her again!

Chapter Text

The next morning rolled around and as promised, Chrissy knocked on her door just before 8am, two coffees in hand.

“You’re my hero!”

Waverly was running a bit behind schedule and was equal parts tired and bouncy, which had led to a series of little accidents that morning, including a shattered coffee mug on the floor. But with Chrissy there and ready to drive her to the city, Waverly finally found herself feeling somewhat more settled. The coffee also helped! Chrissy had likely picked up on her nervous energy but chose not to comment on it, which she was immensely grateful for. She knew they’d likely revert to their usual friendly banter in no time, but for now, Waverly was happy to just sit in the car, sip on her coffee and watch the scenery roll by.

As they got closer to the city, Waverly’s nervousness increased and she was starting to feel a little out of her depth. She was fidgeting and sighing loudly.

“Wave, calm down. It’s just a fun trip to the city. Nothing we haven’t done a million times before.”

“I know, I know. Sorry. I’m just excited. Nicole texted me last night before my shift, and it was fun. I just don’t know if I’m reading too much into it.”

“She texted you?”

Chrissy’s head had snapped around, and she was grinning at her friend.

“Yeah. She left her number on a note the night before. And I wished her a good ride for the mountain stage, so she texted back last night.”

“Oookay. Why am I only hearing about this now? What did she say?”

Waverly felt a bit guilty, then. She knew she hadn’t told Chrissy about the note Nicole had left and the texts, even though they normally shared those kinds of news with each other immediately. But she also knew that it had taken her a little while to wrap her head around what was happening. It wasn’t until Nicole’s very obviously flirty texts that she was ready to admit to herself that she was interested in Nicole.

“I’m sorry, Chris. I wanted to tell you, but I also didn’t really know what was going on myself, until last night. And I’m telling you now, right?”

“Waves, no worries. I’m just teasing. But now spill!”

And Waverly did. She told her about the note, the texts, and she even read some of them out loud to her friend. She also told Chrissy that she thought Nicole was very attractive.

“No shit, Sherlock. The woman is hot! And don’t think that I didn’t see you staring at her legs at the start yesterday.”

Chrissy winked at her then, highlighting that this was all friendly banter between friends, but that she was also here to support Waverly and be her wing woman today.

“I didn’t stare! Okay, maybe I did. A little.”

“It’s okay, Waves. For the record, I already like her better than most of the douchebags in Purgatory that try to get your attention. And it’s not like this has to lead to anything big. Just have some fun and enjoy.”

Another wink and many shared giggles between friends later, they arrived at their destination. It was Sunday, so traffic wasn’t bad and most of the city appeared pretty much deserted. But the closer they got to the area where the race was set to finish, the more they saw people out and about enjoying the sunny morning. Waverly was struck by how many families were out with their kids, many of them on little bikes and testing out their own little racing legs.

They grabbed a quick breakfast and made their way over to the festival near the finish line. The atmosphere was fun, and friendly, but also laced with excitement. There was a stage with speakers playing music, lots of little tents set up and food trucks around the outside. This was definitely an event, and both women were immediately drawn to the energy of the crowd.

“Wave! Over here! Look, there is a “spin the wheel” to win something! Let’s go!”

Waverly shook her head in amusement, but followed her friend. Chrissy excitedly spun the wheel and won a water bottle - very useful in the heat! Then both her friend and the guy manning the booth convinced her to try her luck as well. After hesitating for a moment, she did. She gave the little wooden wheel a good spin and it rattled on and on until it finally landed on a little symbol Waverly couldn’t decipher right away.

“Oh, lucky you! You won a helmet!”

Chrissy bounced on her feet next to her as the guy went to grab two boxes that were sitting behind him.

“Congratulations, Miss! This is our most versatile helmet. Good for road riding, commuting, mountain biking, pretty much anything you want to do, it’ll do. Let’s check you for the right size.”

Waverly tried on two helmets to find the one that fit best and then picked out a colour she liked. She was a bit overwhelmed. She didn’t even own a bike, so she wasn’t entirely sure what she’d do with a helmet, but she figured she could always give it away. That said, she was excited that she had won. She had never won anything in her life before.

Hanging on to her brand new possession, Waverly dragged Chrissy over to the food trucks, where they grabbed an iced tea and some snacks before they found a spot from where they could watch the race. Chrissy had spotted a bit of an elevated retaining wall of sorts and they climbed up to sit with their legs dangling over the side. It was a perfect vantage point with a bit of shade from a building nearby, which Waverly was very grateful for.

After spending some time people watching and chatting, they heard the stage announcer tell the crowd that the riders were getting closer to the finish, essentially giving the audience a ten minute warning. He also mentioned that the racers were all bunched up in a big pack, as expected, and that they would get to see the big mass sprint that everyone had been anticipating.

“Nicole said they’ll try to set up their sprinter for the win today, right?”

Waverly nodded. She didn’t really know what that meant or what that would look like. She’d only ever seen the small sprint the other day and she hadn’t been aware of any tactics going on for that.

“When teams try to set up their sprinter for a win, they usually have a couple of the other riders leading the sprinter, riding ahead of them to let them draft for as long as possible and as fast as possible. And then, just before the finish, the lead-out riders will peel off and the sprinters will duke it out at the line.”

“Huh. How do you know so much about cycling?”

“Oh, that’s all because of dad. He loves watching the Tour de France when it’s on TV, although secretly, I think he only likes it because it’s soothing and boring and he can fall asleep while it’s on.”

Waverly laughed at that. She could very much imagine how Sheriff Nedley would tune into a bike race only to be fast asleep minutes later.

“Anyway, I caught a few things here and there over the years just listening to it in the background.”

“Well, I’m very glad you did and that you’re here with me now to explain this stuff. I wouldn’t know what to look for if it weren’t for you!”

Chrissy softly nudged her friend with her elbow, smiling. They were both happy to be there for each other, enjoying the sun and having a fun outing. But mostly, Chrissy was happy that Waverly was getting out and doing things, trying something new, instead of the same old, same old daily routine in Purgatory.

“Here we go, folks! My trusty team just told me that the racers are only about a kilometre away now, so they’ll be here any minute now. Get ready to cheer them on!”

Waverly and Chrissy sat up a bit, looking down the broad stretch of road in front of them. After a few seconds, Waverly could see the large group of riders stretched out across the entire roadway. The cheering got louder and people where whistling, whooping and clapping as the women got closer to the finish line.

And just like Chrissy had explained, Waverly could see riders wearing the same team colours lined up behind each other, but also the odd lone rider in there without any teammates in front of them. It took some squinting, but Waverly eventually spotted the jerseys of Nicole’s team, and Nicole riding right in front of Ashley among a group of other riders. It all looked rather dangerous, with the riders barrelling toward the finish at top speed, swaying their bikes side to side as they were pushing down on the pedals. There didn’t seem to be any space between riders and Waverly assumed that it wouldn’t take much for complete mayhem to ensue in that moment. But that never happened. All riders remained upright and as predicted, Nicole pulled over slightly to the side and sat up on her bike, letting Ashley catapult herself forward toward the line. Less than a blink later, the riders crossed the finish and Waverly had no idea who won. There were three or four women that looked like they crossed at exactly the same time.

“Folks, give it up for the riders! That was a crazy finish and so very close! First place goes to Coryn Rivera from Team Sunweb, and we’ll have to go to the photo finish for second and third! It’s between local sprinter Ashley Simmons from Speed Theory Cycling and Chloe Hosking from Ale Cipollini.”

The remaining riders rolled through the finish and the cheering died down a little, but was still noticeable. Waverly watched as the riders from the various teams found each other in the area behind the finish line, sharing hugs and smiles and congratulatory words.

She also spotted Nicole, who was clearly out of breath but grinning widely and high-fiving her teammates. She felt a little bump against her arm.

“You wanna go over and say hi?” Chrissy smiled at her.

“Yeah. I do!”

Both women jumped off the wall they had been sitting on and made their way closer to the riders. They were mostly behind the barricades, so they couldn’t necessarily walk right up to them, but Chrissy managed to pull Waverly into a spot where she was standing right in Nicole’s field of vision. It didn’t take long for her to spot Waverly. She said something to her teammates and slowly rolled over on her bike.

“Hey!”

The dimples were out in full force today.

“Hi! Oh man, that was so exciting! We saw how you were right in front of Ashley there for a while!”

Nicole chuckled a bit, but was still visibly trying to catch her breath.

“Yeah, that went better than expected. With all the big sprinters lined up like that, getting third for her is a dream result! Although it looks like she just missed out on winning the green jersey.”

“That’s for the sprint classification overall, right?” Chrissy piped up, although Waverly assumed that she already knew the answer and only asked the question for Waverly’s benefit.

“Yeah. We got close, but the other teams had their big guns here, so no green for us. But getting this close is pretty awesome, too.”

Nicole was noticeably happy with how things had played out for her team. Waverly hadn’t really realized before that moment just how much of a team sport cycling was. She had always thought that it was more one woman and her bike against the elements. But after Chrissy’s explanations and after having seen Nicole give her all just to help Ashley gain a small advantage for the final push, she could see that it was very much about accomplishing something together.

“Well, congratulations to you and your entire team. That was awesome.”

Waverly was grinning ear to ear at this point, looking at the red and sweaty face in front of her. She almost wanted to jump and hug her, just to let her know how happy she was for what Nicole had accomplished that day.

“Thank you, Waverly! And thank you both for coming today to watch this! It means a lot!” After a short pause, Nicole added “I have to go put on a dry shirt and pants and then I’ll be back for the award presentation that they are doing on the stage. Will you two stick around for that?”

“Of course!”

With that, Nicole disappeared into the sea of riders. Waverly looked over at her friend, hoping that it was okay that she had made the decision to hang around without really checking in with her. However, Chrissy seemed more than happy to stay and immediately went to find a perfect spot near the stage.

It didn’t take long for the award ceremony to begin. And just as the first awards were about to be handed out, Nicole reappeared and made her way over to Waverly and Chrissy.

“Mind if I watch from here with you? I don’t have to be up there today, am just here to support Ash.”

“We don’t mind at all” Chrissy said with a wicked grin.

Waverly looked over at Nicole. She was in a t-shirt and sweatpants, but otherwise still somewhat disheveled from the race. Waverly could see sweaty hair sticking out from underneath a snapback that had the team name on the front and Nicole’s name on the back. She could also see that the general euphoria that Nicole had exuded just after the finish was now replaced again with that quiet confidence. Nicole was smiling and watching the stage, clapping her hands occasionally in support of the riders receiving their awards. When it was time for Ashley to be called up for her third place finish today and second place in the green jersey competition, Nicole yelled out her name and raised both hands in the air, celebrating her teammate’s success.

Waverly barely paid attention to the stage itself, and at some point, Nicole must have felt her eyeing her and she turned her head to face Waverly more directly. Waverly blushed but didn’t look away and for a while, they were just staring at each other, not saying anything.

“So, what’s with the helmet, Waverly?” Nicole asked after a while. “Are you here to try out for one of the teams?”

“Hm?”

Nicole was grinning, pointing her chin toward Waverly’s hands that held on to the helmet she had won earlier.

“Oh, no. No. I won it. At the festival. Chrissy made me spin the wheel and I won.”

“I didn’t make you do anything!” Chrissy protested.

“Okay, you convinced me. You and that guy from the booth.”

“Ah, well, congratulations! That’s a very nice helmet! It’ll look great on you!”

“Um. Yeah. Maybe. I don’t even have a bike, though, so I’m not really sure what I’ll do with it. I might give it away. I always see lots of kids in Purgatory riding without helmets.”

“That would be very kind of you. And smart, helping to protect the next generation of riders! But how about you hang onto it for a little while and I’ll come and take you out on a ride sometime? I have no more races this month so I’ve got a bit of free time, and I happen to have an in with a few bike shops that would give you a bike for the day.”

Waverly turned her body to fully face Nicole, then.

“Um. I don’t know, Nicole. I haven’t…the last time I was on a bike, I was maybe seven years old and the bike had a banana seat and pink tassels on the handlebars. I’m not even sure I remember how to ride.”

She felt Nicole’s hand touch her forearm lightly while the other woman was looking right at her. For a few seconds, nothing else existed - just her and Nicole.

”Don’t worry, Waverly. It really is like they say, you never forget how to ride a bike. And I’ll bring one that’s sturdy and stable. I can even go find some tassels, if you’d like.” Nicole smirked, but then continued. “And if you really don’t like the idea of riding, we can always meet up for coffee sometime. Up to you.”

Waverly was still looking at Nicole, at her big brown eyes that were so open and genuine. How could she say no to that face?

“Uh, okay. If you’re okay with watching me make a total ass of myself on a bike, then I’m in. But only if promise not to laugh and you have to promise to bring one with a proper saddle! I’ve seen yours. That thing looks more like a modern torture device!”

Nicole laughed loudly at that and Waverly found that it was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard.

“It’s a deal, Waverly!”

Chapter Text

Waverly was lying in her bed and staring at the ceiling. She couldn’t sleep. She kept thinking about her day, kept glancing over at her new helmet that was sitting on her dresser. The rest of the day had flown by. After they had said goodbye to Nicole, Waverly and Chrissy had grabbed lunch at a small Indian restaurant, both still buzzing from their time watching the race. On their way back to Purgatory, they did stop at the cooking store and Waverly picked up some new muffin tins for herself and a fancy French press for Gus. And Chrissy had spent the entire drive home teasing Waverly about her upcoming date with Nicole.

“I don’t even know if this is a date” Waverly had protested.

“Wave. Come on. A hot woman, one who’s sent you flirty texts and who smiles at you the way she does has promised to organize a bike for you and take you out on a nice ride. And she said she’s brining tassels!”

Chrissy had looked at her then and waggled her eyebrows at her friend. It prompted both of them to burst into loud laughter that didn’t quite stop until they reached Purgatory.

A date. Waverly hadn’t been on a date in a while, and if she was being honest, she wasn’t even sure that what her high school boyfriend had called “date” would qualify as one. So now here she was, in her bed, still vibrating with excitement from the day and undeniably nervous at the thought of going on a date with Nicole.

Just then, her phone pinged.

C: I know you’re in bed now overthinking your date.
C: Stop!
C: It’ll be fun. Nicole is nice.

W: You know me too well!

C: Seriously, don’t worry. Even if you guys don’t take this any further, it’ll still be a fun day. You get to goof off on a bike with her!
C: Look at it as just that. A fun day with a fun activity. If it ends up being more, great. If not, it’s still a good day.

W: You’re right. Thank you!

C: I’m always right! :)

W: Thank you for coming with me today.
W: You’re a great wing woman!

C: That’s what friends are for. Love you, Wave!
C: Now sleep!

W: Love you back!

Waverly felt more settled after that. She was still nervous, because she really wanted this date to be good and lead to more. But she tried to tell herself to just enjoy the now, see it as a fun day out with a nice woman and just let things develop from there.

The next morning was blissful. After lounging around in bed and enjoying a shower and breakfast, Waverly was set to swing by Gus’ house. She wanted to drop off the French press, check in on her aunt and see if she needed any help. Gus had mentioned that she wanted to do some yard work, and with two sets of hands, they might be able to get that done before the heat of the day really set in.

By the time she made it to her aunt’s house, Gus was already knee deep in a pile of junk metal that she had gathered from around the property and piled up near the driveway. She spotted Waverly’s Jeep and stopped her work to walk over and greet her niece.

“Gus! You look like you’ve been busy! How long have you been at it already?”

“Hey kid. I got up early. Wanted to get this done before it gets too hot out here. How was your trip to the city with Chrissy?”

Waverly couldn’t stop the gigantic smile that took over her face.

“It was totally amazeballs! Here, I brought you something.”

She pulled out the bag with the French press and handed it to Gus, who frowned slightly. Her aunt had never been particularly good with gifts, or receiving help from others, and usually it involved either tricking her or just putting up with a certain amount of protesting before Gus would relent and accept the gift. This time, as soon as she could see what was in the bag, she looked up at Waverly with wide, happy eyes.

“Oh my. I’ve always wanted one of these. How did you know?”

“I pay attention, Gus.”

Gus pulled her into a hug and kissed the side of her head.

“Well, come on inside. I’ll use this to make us some iced coffee. And you can tell me all about your trip, yeah?”

Waverly smiled and followed her aunt into the house. They made the coffee and then sat on the covered front porch, looking at the mountains in the background. Waverly told her aunt a little bit about her Sunday, about watching the bike race and having a fun time with Chrissy. If Gus was surprised at her niece’s sudden interest in the sport of cycling, she didn’t mention it. Instead, she seemed to just enjoy spending some time with Waverly and sharing part of their day off.

At some point, Gus went back inside to get them both a refill on the coffee, and Waverly checked her phone. There were four texts from Nicole.

N: Good morning, Waverly! I hope you made it back safely yesterday!
N: I wanted to ask you about your schedule, so we can find a day for our bike ride.
N: (I didn’t dream that, right? That I asked you and you said yes? Please tell me that really happened!)
N: My week is pretty open. Let me know what works for you, okay?

Waverly immediately texted back.

W: Good morning! How sore are you this morning? Be honest!
W: And no, that wasn’t a dream :)
W: I’m free all day on Wednesday. For the rest of the week, I work late shifts at the bar, so free during the day but would have to be ready for work by late afternoon.

She could see three dots dancing at the bottom of her screen, indicating that Nicole was writing something back. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest at the idea of maybe seeing her again so soon.

N: Not too sore, thankfully. But also not overly energetic at the moment.
N: Good news is that all I have to do today is easy stuff around the house, and only the cat can see how slow I am right now ;)
N: Wednesday sounds perfect! I could be in Purgatory by around 10. I know a few nice areas out that way for a ride.

W: Wait, you would come all the way out here?

N: Of course, Waverly. I asked you out on a date, so of course I’m picking you up.
N: And really, there are some very nice spots to ride near your town.

It was a date. Nicole had called it a date! A real, actual date!

A date with bikes.

W: Okay :) I’m looking forward to it.
W: Still a bit nervous about the bike riding part, tbh

N: You’ll be fine! Trust me.

In that moment, Waverly heard Gus clear her throat. She hadn’t noticed that her aunt had come back outside and was sitting next to her again, sipping her coffee.

“Whoever you’re texting has got you smiling enough that I’ll have to put my sunglasses on just to be able to look at you, kid!”

Waverly blushed hard, but Gus smiled at her and waved her hand.

“Go on. I’m just gonna sit here and enjoy the view for a bit longer.”

“Thanks, Gus. I’m just arranging something. For Wednesday.”

She looked back down at her phone and saw two more messages.

N: So Wednesday at 10? Sound okay?
N: Let me know where you want me to meet you.

W: Yes, sounds good.
W: Can you meet me in front of Shorty’s bar? My place is a bit out of town and hard to find. This is easier.

N: Shorty’s it is. See you then. Have a good day, Waverly!

W: You too, Nicole!

Waverly put her phone down and looked over at her aunt, who was watching her out of the corner of her eye and smiled. She thought about telling Gus that she had a date, and that she was so excited for it, but she was pretty sure that it was way too soon to even think about bringing her family into the picture. For now, she decided to keep it to herself.

After helping Gus for a while with some of the yard cleaning work, and then running a few of her own errands on her day off, Waverly made it back home. She had been thinking about Nicole and their upcoming date all afternoon, and the longer she thought about it, the more she realized that she had no idea what to expect, and worse yet, she had no idea what to wear.

W: Chrissyyyyyyyy! HELP!
W: What does one wear to a cycling date???

She didn’t get a response right away. Assuming Chrissy was busy, Waverly set out to find her own answers using her laptop and Mister Google. Just as she was in the middle of reading about appropriate shoes for various kinds of biking, her phone pinged.

N: What height are you?
N: For science. I swear I’m not a creep-o!
N: (It’s so I know what size bike to bring for you)

W: :)
W: I’m 5’3

N: Perfect!

Nicole followed that with a text full of emojis. Bikes, sunshine, mountains, and several happy faces. Waverly laughed and went to reply, but before she could even start typing, another text came through.

N: Have I mentioned yet that I’m REALLY looking forward to this?
N: I mean it.

W: Me too!

Chapter Text

By Wednesday morning, Waverly was a bundle of nervous energy. With Chrissy’s help, she had picked out an appropriately sporty but cute outfit and sturdy shoes. It was a date, so she wanted to impress, but she also wanted to show that she was practical and ready for the activity that was such a big part of who Nicole was.

Nicole had texted her when she left the city, and then again from a spot about half an hour outside of Purgatory, to give Waverly an approximate ETA. At just before ten, Waverly was all set. She was parked in front of Shorty’s waiting for Nicole. Only a few minutes later, she saw a small blue Subaru with a loaded bike rack pull up and come to a stop across the street from her. She got out of her Jeep, smiled and waved at Nicole.

“Hey” Nicole got out of her car to greet Waverly.

“Hey yourself.”

They both just stood there for a moment, taking each other in. Nicole was wearing a short-sleeved blue plaid shirt and slightly baggy shorts, along with her sunglasses. It was a decidedly different look than the skin-tight cycling clothing Waverly had seen her in before, but it was still very much Nicole. Her chin-length hair was sticking out to all sides a bit and Waverly wondered whether she had been driving with the window down. And then there was that smile and those dimples that Waverly couldn’t get enough of.

“Shall we?”

Nicole motioned for Waverly to get into the Subaru and held the passenger door open for her.

“Yes, please.”

Nicole got in, but didn’t immediately start driving. Instead, she turned and faced Waverly more directly.

“Okay, so I was thinking…there’s a nice, easy trail that I rode last fall. It’s down by the river, not far from town. Are you up for that?”

“Sounds good to me, but really, you’re the expert here, so I’ll defer to you on that.”

Nicole chuckled.

“Good. Do you want to text anyone, let them know where you’ll be?”

“Oh, you mean in case you’re an axe murderer luring me into the wilderness? Nah, I think I’m good. I trust you. And Chrissy knows we’re meeting today, and she knows your name, so if you are planning anything, she’ll find you and kick your ass.”

Nicole laughed.

“I have no doubt about that!”

With that, she put the car in gear and started driving toward the river. The drive was short and mostly quiet. The two women chatted a bit about their week so far, with Waverly expressing her amazement that Nicole was even up for getting on a bike again so soon after a stage race.

“Well, to be perfectly honest, I feel most comfortable with myself when I’m on a bike. And I was nervous about asking you out, so I picked the thing that is my comfort zone.”

“You were nervous?”

Waverly was in disbelief. Nicole seemed so sure of herself, so confident. And Waverly was just, well, Waverly.

“Yeah, I was. Big time.”

The admission came with a soft smile, and Waverly couldn’t help herself. She put her hand over top of Nicole’s that was resting on the centre armrest, and gave it a little squeeze.

“I was nervous, too. Still am.”

Both women laughed, then. It felt good to be honest, and not have to pretend to be totally cool about everything. Waverly thought back about how often she would hang out with guys with their fake bravado and how annoying and exhausting that was. This, here, was so different and so much better. She felt like she could be herself.

They reached their destination and Nicole parked the car in a small lot near the trailhead. When they got out and walked to the back of the car, Waverly finally noticed the bikes: two mountain bikes. She was a bit surprised, having assumed that Nicole would show up with the same bike from the race. Nicole must have noticed her confused facial expression.

“I hope this is okay? These are going to be better for riding on a trail like this, and they’re also a lot sturdier and more comfortable.”

“Oh, yeah. Totally okay. I just wasn’t expecting, well, to be honest, I have no idea what I was expecting.”

Nicole nodded and took both bikes off the rack. With practised moves, she got everything ready, and went to grab her helmet from the back seat. She then handed Waverly a pair of sunglasses.

“I brought you these for today. They should help with the glare and keep any debris out of your eyes, too.”

Waverly put on her own helmet and the sunglasses, and twirled into a little pose.

“Ta-dah! How do I look?”

“Beautiful.” Nicole beamed. “Here, let’s immortalize this moment with a quick selfie. You up for that?”

“Absolutely. But only if you send it to me after.”

They positioned themselves so that the photo included them with the river and mountains as their backdrop and snapped a few different pictures, some with goofy expressions, some with them both simply grinning into the camera. Nicole then attached the photos to a text and sent them off to Waverly.

“Okay, almost ready. But before I forget…” Nicole went back to her backseat to grab something. “Here. For your bike.”

She held up a pair of pink tassels! Waverly couldn’t believe it.

“Oh my god! You are such a dork! Where did you even find those?”

“Never underestimate my determination when I’m trying to impress a pretty woman!”

They both laughed at each other then, and Nicole held up the tassels with a questioning look on her face, waiting for Waverly to let her know if she wanted them attached to her bike or not. Waverly only nodded, with the biggest smile on her face.

Nicole stepped closer and quickly fastened the tassels to the ends of Waverly’s handlebars.

“There. You’re all set.”

“Thank you for this, Nicole. For all of it.”

“Trust me, it’s my pleasure.”

And now it was time for Waverly to get on the bike. She was still nervous, but with Nicole at her side, she felt ready to give it a shot. Nicole helped her adjust the saddle to a good height and quickly explained the gear shifters and brakes, and it all seemed straightforward enough. Waverly took a big breath and got herself ready.

“Okay, here goes. But remember, no laughing!”

She felt Nicole’s warm hand on her shoulder then and looked at her.

“You’ll be fine. Just relax and let your muscle memory kick in. And I’ll be right here with you.”

And with that, Waverly took off. She was a bit wobbly at first, but the parking lot was wide and flat and gave her enough room to find her balance, and less than 20 seconds later, she was riding away toward the start of the trail, feeling the breeze in her face.

Oh my god. I’m doing this!

A few moments later, she heard Nicole come up next to her on her bike, looking over at her.

“You doing okay?”

“Yes! Oh my god, Nicole. This is so fun!”

She knew she was grinning like an idiot, and she didn’t care. She was riding a bike along this beautiful trail with a beautiful woman next to her. This was the best date ever!

They rode along in silence for a little while, Nicole just letting Waverly get used to the bike and the trail, while she herself seemed to just be enjoying the views all around her. After some time, they hit a stretch of the trail that followed the curves of the river and got a little narrower and bumpier.

“I’m gonna go ride ahead of you on this stretch. Just watch me and do what I do, okay?”

Waverly nodded and followed Nicole. She watched Nicole get out of her saddle and stand on the pedals for a few of the bumpier spots and Waverly did the same. She was a bit nervous at first, but after barely even noticing the bumps and feeling stable on her bike, she upped her speed a bit and caught up to Nicole.

She noticed that from her spot riding right behind the other woman, she had the perfect view of her very athletic body, with her muscles visibly working to propel her along. It was a view that was was both immensely enjoyable but also a little bit distracting and it resulted in Waverly almost veering off the main trail at one point. She let out a surprised squeak, but quickly got her bike back in the proper direction. Nicole must have heard, because she immediately turned to check in on Waverly.

“Everything okay? Need a break?”

“I’m fine” Waverly croaked. She was blushing furiously. “Keep going.”

Nicole chuckled and kept riding. A little while later, they reached a part of the trail where the river got wider. With it being the middle of summer, the water level was pretty low, so there was a good amount of sand on the side that almost made it look like a beach. Nicole slowed down and came to a stop, and Waverly did the same.

“How was that? Not too scary, I hope?”

“Not at all! This is so much fun! And this bike is seriously amazing. I don’t even really notice the bumps I ride over.”

“Good! It’s a full suspension bike, so it absorbs most of the bumps, for sure. Do you want to take a little break here? I brought some water, and snacks.”

“You brought food? How? Where?”

Nicole grinned and then dramatically moved her hands behind her back and pulled a few things out of the hidden pockets in her shirt.

“The magic of functional bike clothes!”

She held up a couple of energy bars, two fruit gels and a bag of nuts. She also pointed to Waverly’s bike where a fully filled water bottle was attached to the frame with a bottle cage. Nicole's bike held another bottle.

“You’ve really thought of everything.”

They both pushed their bikes down the small embankment and found a large rock to lean them against and sat down, drinking their water and sharing one of the energy bars. It was comfortable, and Waverly was ready to learn more about the woman beside her.

“You said you knew this trail before today. Do you come out this way often to ride?”

“Yeah, quite a bit, actually. Especially in the late summer and fall, when the road races are over and I just want to have some fun on my mountain bike. It’s my little escape from the craziness of working full-time on top of training and racing.”

“So cycling doesn’t pay the bills?”

“Ha. I wish. But no. Most of the time, we pay out of pocket for our travel and accommodation at races and all that. It’s a hobby, and an expensive one at that. But I love it. It keeps me sane and grounded, and it’s gotten me through a few rough patches in my life.”

Waverly turned to face Nicole then. She could see that Nicole’s body language was open, so she felt okay to ask a follow-up question.

“How so?”

“My parents and I aren’t exactly on speaking terms, and haven’t been for a while. I moved out at 16, and it was hard sometimes. I felt like I didn’t really belong anywhere. But out on my bike, it’s just me and nature and I don’t worry about anything when I ride. And then, there is my team, and they’re kind of like family. We spend a lot of time together, and we definitely bicker like sisters!”

Waverly could tell that Nicole was sharing, letting her get to know her a bit, but also that she was trying to pull the conversation back to the lighter side at the end of that.

“I can imagine. I’m guessing it’s kind of like being on a road trip when you guys are out for races like the one you just did?”

“Yeah. We don’t do stage races very often. We’re just a small, local team and all of us have jobs and family obligations, so we mostly do little day races here and in British Columbia. Places that are easy to get to and don’t require having to take a bunch of vacation days to make it happen.”

“Fair enough. But you did just do the Tour of Alberta.”

“We did. We got invited to do it, to represent local cycling in the province. We were all so excited about it. It’s not often that you get to line up with the big name teams and riders in our sport. I admit I was a bit star struck on the first day.”

“So that was a really big deal for you and your team then?”

“It was.” Nicole took a bite of her piece of the energy bar and a sip of water. “So now you know all about my very time consuming and expensive hobby. Do you want to tell me a bit about yourself? Hobbies?”

Waverly noticed how carefully worded that question was, and she appreciated it immensely. Again she was struck by just how different, and nice, this was compared to her previous experiences with dates.

“Hm, let me see. Hobbies. I like learning things, researching. I mostly love history, all kinds, and ancient languages. I took a few online correspondence courses for that. I’m not sure if this technically counts as a hobby, but I guess right now it is. I might look into doing something more with it in the future, like getting a proper degree and teaching, or something.”

“That’s so unusual, and fascinating. Why ancient languages?”

“Well, it kind of comes with learning history. Once you dig into the original texts for a lot of things, they're often in Greek or Latin. And at some point I got tired of having to track down the translations and decided to learn some of these languages myself.”

“That makes sense. But that’s also a level of dedication to something you don’t see very often. If you don’t mind me asking, what got you so interested in history in the first place?”

Waverly sent her a grin then. “Oh my, you’re a brave woman, asking me about history. If Chrissy was here, she’d warn you that this could lead to an hour long ramble.”

“By all means, ramble away. I’m all ears” Nicole grinned back.

“Okay, so, my last name is Earp. As in, Wyatt Earp. Growing up, I always wanted to know more about him, learn about my family history. And things kind of spiralled out of control from there.”

“Wow. So you’re telling me I’m out riding with American Old West royalty today?”

“Haha. Not royalty. But yeah, the Earp family spread out a bit over the years, and some of us are here, in the middle of nowhere in Alberta.”

“Well, Purgatory, from what I’ve seen, has a good amount of old school vibes going on, so it’s kinda fitting. I mean, you have a saloon! And likely your fair share of cowboys and questionable characters, as well as a stunningly beautiful barmaid. It’s all very on brand.”

Waverly laughed then and ducked her head to hide her blush. This was the third time today that Nicole had called her beautiful, all while looking at her with genuine adoration. It was almost enough to make Waverly’s head spin a little.

Nicole likely saw her blush and offered her an out. “What do you say, Waverly Earp, should we ride back?”

Chapter Text

On the ride back, Nicole led them on a slightly different path that looped back to the parking lot through the trees, instead of right along the river. To Waverly, the ride felt magical. She was surrounded by greenery, and she could hear birds and insects buzzing through the air. The sun was peeking through the trees and illuminating patches of the trail, while other parts remained shaded and cool. Nicole rode right next to her and at some point showed her how to do little jumps over the occasional rock or twig on the trail. By the time they reached the parking lot, Waverly’s cheeks were hurting from smiling so much.

“I think I understand now why you enjoy being out on your bike so much. This is way too much fun.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it, Waverly!”

They were at Nicole’s car and ready to load the bikes back on the bike rack, but Waverly wasn’t quite ready to head back into town just yet.

“I have a proposition” she said, and Nicole turned around and smirked.

“Yeah?”

“There is a lookout not too far from here. On a good day, you can see almost all the way to the city from there. We could head up there for a bit, if you’d like. Unless you have to be back in the city soon?”

“I don’t. I have the whole day, and a lookout sounds great.”

Waverly was beaming. Both women packed up the bikes and gear and made their way down a deserted set of backroads. As they were driving along, Waverly spotted something.

“Can you pull over up there for a second?”

Nicole did and Waverly jumped out of the car and headed toward a little shack at the side of the road. It was a little self-serve farm stand. Waverly grabbed a little box of fresh raspberries and deposited some money into a little shoe box and walked back to the car.

“Found us a snack for the lookout.”

Nicole nodded and smiled. After following another dusty road to its end, they found themselves on a small plateau overlooking the area. They parked the car, grabbed a small blanket Nicole had in her trunk and found a spot right on the edge of the plateau to sit down.

They sat next to each other on the blanket and Waverly was pointing out the major landmarks.

“This is an amazing spot” Nicole said. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

“You’re very welcome. It’s one of my favourite places out here. My sister and I used to come out here a lot.”

There was a bit of a pause in the conversation, but Nicole was simply looking at Waverly, waiting, giving her the space to either continue or change the topic.

“We lost our dad when we were both pretty young, and we used to come up here just to get away from the town and the people who were so full of pity for us. We’d come up here with bags of peanuts to feed the squirrels, or we’d try to see who could spit cherry pits farther than the other.”

“So if I see a bunch of cherry trees growing up here, that’s why?”

Waverly laughed at that.

“I’m sorry that you lost your dad, Waverly. What about your sister? She still around?”

Nicole’s voice was gentle, her face open. It was a stark contrast to what Waverly usually got when people asked about her family.

“Yeah, she is. Well, right now, she’s not. She’s travelling. Last I heard, she was in Greece somewhere. She sends emails with very wild stories. Which is very Wynonna.”

Waverly trailed off, but smiled. She didn’t really know what else to say, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.

“She sounds fun! Also, Wynonna, Waverly, Wyatt, I’m detecting a pattern here.”

“Ha. Yeah. The Earps are big on the names starting with W. And not all of them are good, let me tell you. Wynonna told me that my mother wanted to call me Welcome. Welcome Earp, can you imagine? Apparently, Wynonna vetoed that.”

Nicole scrunched up her face a bit.

“Welcome is a bit of a weird name, for sure. I like Waverly, though. Pretty. Unusual. Interesting. Suits you.”

“Charmer!”

“Just tellin’ the truth.”

They were both grinning. Waverly held up the raspberries for Nicole and she grabbed one, but instead of eating it herself, she held it out for Waverly. Carefully, she leaned in and let Nicole plop the berry into her mouth, all while never taking her eyes off Nicole’s.

The berry was sweet and juicy, and for a moment, Waverly was overwhelmed by the different sensations around her, with Nicole so close to her. But she didn’t want to pull away either, so instead, she held out a berry for Nicole, who responded by parting her lips just a bit and to let Waverly feed her.

Waverly’s heart was hammering in her chest. They were so close to each other that she could see the various tones of brown in her eyes, and she could smell Nicole’s perfume that was warm and earthy. She also couldn’t help but stare at those lips, and she was pretty sure that Nicole was doing the same.

After a few moments, they both pulled back a little, but their bodies were still leaning toward each other so that their shoulders were almost touching. It was tantalizing, being so close, the promise of touch less than an inch away. But it also felt right. Exciting and safe at the same time.

Waverly didn’t know exactly how long they’d been sitting like that, but at some point, their water was gone and the snacks were eaten, and even though she didn’t want to leave Nicole’s company, she thought it was probably time to head back.

“Should we make our way back into town?”

“We probably should. I’ll say, though, that being here with you makes me not want to go back at all, ever.”

“I know what you mean. I feel the same way.”

After a few more seconds, they both got up and packed up their things and headed back to Nicole’s car. The ride back was quiet, with both women just enjoying each other’s company in the car. They both had their windows rolled all the way down and Waverly was letting the various smells wash over her. She felt happy, content.

Eventually, they reached town and Nicole drove Waverly back to her Jeep that was still parked in front of the bar. Nicole got out and walked around to open the passenger door for Waverly.

“Why thank you. Such good manners.”

“I try.” She smirked.

Waverly stood next to the car, looking up at Nicole.

“Nicole, thank you so much for today. I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun. Thank you.”

She lifted herself up on her toes and pressed a soft kiss to Nicole’s cheek. When she pulled back, Nicole settled one hand on Waverly’s arm and let the other drift down to her hand and gently squeezed her fingers.

“It was my pleasure, Waverly. I had a wonderful time as well. Maybe we can do this again sometime?”

“I would love that.”

They both let out a breathy laugh, and Waverly noticed that Nicole was now holding both of her hands in her own. They felt soft and warm and everything about it just felt right. She let go reluctantly when Nicole let her hands drop carefully.

“Have a safe drive back into the city, yeah?”

“I will. And you enjoy the rest of your day, okay? Bye Waverly.”

They parted and Waverly walked over to her Jeep. Before she got in, she turned and saw that Nicole was still standing there, leaning against her car. She smiled and waved, and got in her Jeep and drove off. Her entire body was buzzing, and she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. Her head was spinning, cycling through the various images of the day. Nicole riding ahead of her, Nicole producing snacks for their break by the river, Nicole feeding her berries. She was about half way home when she pulled over and pulled out her phone.

W: I’m pretty sure today was one of the best days of my life. Thank you again for making it so special.

Then, she shot a text to Chrissy.

W: OMG OMG OMG!!!
W: :) :) :)

Chapter Text

Waverly couldn’t stop smiling. She got home, but found that she didn’t really know what to do with herself. It was late afternoon, and she needed get some of her chores done, but she just couldn’t be bothered. She wanted to talk to Chrissy about her date with Nicole. Hell, she wanted to shout from the rooftops of Purgatory that she just had the best date of her life.

She stood in the middle of her kitchen, bouncing on her feet, trying to decide what to do. Chrissy would likely be off work soon, and maybe they could catch up over a drink or two. Until then, she’d have to find a way to entertain herself and burn off some of the extra energy buzzing through her system. She grabbed her phone and pulled up her playlist. Dancing. That should do the trick.

And so she did. She was twirling around her kitchen, singing along to Janelle Monae and Bruno Mars. She was so caught up in the music that she almost missed the incoming text notifications.

C: I take it your date went well?
C: Tell me everything!

Waverly waited for the song to finish before she replied.

W: I will. Over drinks?

C: I’m in!

They arranged to meet up at Shorty’s an hour later. While Waverly technically wasn’t a huge fan of going to the saloon on her night off, she really wanted to meet up with her friend and tell her all about her day with Nicole. Before she put her phone away, she scrolled to the message Nicole had sent with the photos that they had taken earlier that day. She opened them and smiled, quickly saving them to her phone. She also decided to post one of the goofier looking photos to her Instagram account, but before she got to that, she searched for Nicole on the platform and found her easily. Unsurprisingly, most of the photos Nicole chose to share were cycling related, but there were also some of a big orange tabby cat. Waverly smiled to herself and hit “follow”. She then posted their photo, tagged Nicole and closed the app.

When she arrived at Shorty’s an hour later, Chrissy was already there and had grabbed a booth in the back corner. It was a little tucked away, hidden from prying eyes of other customers.

“I don’t know how you do it, Chris, but somehow you always manage to snag the best spots!”

They hugged and Chrissy sat back down while Waverly made her way over to the bar to order their first round of drinks right away. When she got back, Chrissy was staring at her grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

“Okay, girl, spill. I want details.”

“Oh my god, Chrissy, it was, I don’t even know how to describe it. It was amazing. She brought these mountain bikes and we went on a trail down by the river, and it was so much fun.”

“You did okay on the bike, then?”

“Yeah. I mean, I was a bit unsteady at first, but got the hang of it after a few metres. And then we were just riding along, and it was so nice. That bike was so awesome, too. It just rolled right over all of the rocks and bumps.”

Chrissy took a sip of her drink and nodded at her to continue.

“So, anyway, we rode along the river and then she brought snacks, so we took a break.”

“She knows the way to your heart if she knew to bring snacks for you!”

Waverly laughed at that. She had a bit of a reputation among her friends when it came to snacks. She always brought some, even for very short outings, and usually ate most of them herself. Initially, she justified it by noting that she was often the only vegetarian in the group, and she just wanted to ensure that there would be at least something she could eat. But at some point it became kind of a running joke between her and her friends, complete with snack related nicknames.

“She also actually brought tassels!”

Now Chrissy was laughing. “Oh man, she’s got a good sense of humour. I like it!”

After telling her friend about the rest of her date, Waverly pulled out her phone to show off the photos. She saw a couple of notifications on her home screen.

N: I had a wonderful time with you today as well, Waverly! Thank YOU!
N: And I really hope we can do this again, soon :)

Instagram: N_Haught90 started following you
Instagram: N_Haught90 liked your post

Grinning, she showed Chrissy her phone so she could see the notifications as well, and then she pulled up the photo of Nicole and her by the river.

“Damn, you two look cute together! So what are you gonna do for date number two?”

Waverly’s eyes widened. “I don’t know. I feel like I should be the one organizing this one, after she came all the way out here today. But I don’t know what she likes, other than cycling.”

“Well, aren’t you Miss Researcher? I’m sure you can put those skills to good use in this case.”

“Yeah, I guess. I didn’t see much on her Instagram, other than photos of bikes and some of her cat. But I guess I can dig a bit more and see what I can find.”

Waverly suddenly felt nervous. The day with Nicole had been amazing as a whole, but she also truly appreciated just how thoughtful Nicole had been in organizing it all. And she really wanted to return that favour, but she just didn’t know all that much about the other woman. She was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt Chrissy nudge her arm.

“Wave, it’ll be okay. Do some research and see what you can find, and if you can’t dig up much, there are always options like asking her out for dinner. Everyone likes dinner!”

Waverly blew out a breath, trying to slow down the thoughts that were running through her mind at a dizzying speed.

“Yeah, you’re right. Dinner would work. But I’ll see if I can come up with something else, first.”

“Okay, but how about you reply to her now to let her know you’re up for date number two, even if you don’t know the details right now? Don’t leave her hanging.”

“Okay.”

She quickly typed out two texts to Nicole.

W: I would love to hang out with you again soon, Nicole!
W: But this time, let me pick the activity? If you’re up for that

N: As long as it’s not axe murder, I’m very much up for that!
N: Looking forward to it already

Chrissy chuckled and nodded in approval. The two women spent the next two hours chatting away, occasionally throwing ideas for possible date locations at each other, although none of their ideas seemed to fit quite right. Eventually, they called it a night, settled their tabs and went home. Before she hopped in her car, Chrissy pulled Waverly into a tight hug. Waverly felt so lucky to have her as her friend, as someone she could confide in and who would always remind her not to overthink everything.

When Waverly got home, it was still too early for bed, and her mind was already running through all kinds of scenarios for seeing Nicole again. She settled on her couch with her laptop and started her research. She found that Nicole had a surprisingly limited footprint when it came to social media, and most of the items she found there were cycling related, with almost no personal information available. After some time and a few frustrated huffs, Waverly closed her laptop, laid back on her couch and stared at the ceiling.

She was thinking about her day when it suddenly hit her: the ride with Nicole today had been an activity that was very much about Nicole sharing her passion with Waverly. So then, the next date should be about sharing something about herself with Nicole. She quickly typed out a text to Chrissy.

W: Dancing! I’m going to take her dancing!

Chapter Text

It had taken a couple of days, multiple texts and one voice mail for Waverly to arrange a good time and location for her next date with Nicole. After they had figured out a day where they were both not working or training, Waverly started looking into suitable locations in the city for a night out that would involve some good music and dancing. It took some solid searching, but she eventually found the perfect spot.

Initially, she had thought about surprising Nicole. But when she started planning it all, she decided that it might be safer to let Nicole in on the broad idea at least, to make sure she wasn’t about to plan something that the other woman wouldn’t enjoy at all. She thought back to their bike date and remembered that Nicole had given her a choice of a bike or coffee outing, ultimately leaving the decision in Waverly’s hands, and she wanted to extend the same courtesy to Nicole.

W: Okay, so for Sunday, I’d like to take you for an activity that I really enjoy
W: Dancing
W: You up for that?

N: Absolutely!
N: Although…this is where I have to say: please don’t laugh
N: I’m not a very good dancer. But I’m in.

W: I won’t laugh! And I’m sure you’re not nearly as bad as you think!
W: But are you sure you’re okay with it?
W: I can always take you out for a nice dinner instead, too.

N: Hmm. Dinner sounds good, too. Why don’t we do both?

That made Waverly smile. She had sort of already planned to do both. She wanted to take Nicole for a bite to eat first, and then move on to a gay bar she had found. At first, she hadn’t specifically looked for gay bars for their night out, but when she stumbled on one in her online search for good places to go dancing on the weekends, she found herself quickly enthralled by the idea. She had only ever been to one other gay bar in her life and that was years ago and she had been too young and too shy back then to really enjoy herself. She felt like she was due to give it another shot. She also really liked the idea of having a safe space to dance with Nicole without having to worry about the prying eyes of strangers watching two women have fun on the dance floor.

W: I’m totally in for grabbing a bite first
W: How do you feel about Thai food?

Waverly remembered that Nicole had some food intolerances, so she wanted to make sure they were both on board with the options she had circled on her list of restaurants in the city.

N: Are you a mind reader? I’m eating Pad Thai right now!
N: It’s my favourite!

The next text that came through was a photo close-up of about half of Nicole’s face. She was sitting at a table outside somewhere, shoving a ridiculous amount of noodles in her mouth, cheeks resembling a chipmunk. Waverly snorted.

W: It’s settled, then. Thai food first, and then I get to drag you on the dance floor!

N: Looking forward to it, Waverly!

The days until Sunday felt like an eternity. Waverly and Nicole texted each other daily, although with Waverly’s strange work schedule and Nicole’s job and training routines, they didn’t always get to connect as much as Waverly would have liked, and she was starting to count down the hours until she would see Nicole again in person. It didn’t help that her work shifts between Thursday and Saturday all seemed to include unusually frustrating encounters with drunk customers. She couldn’t wait for the week to be over.

By the time Waverly was on her way to the city on Sunday, all thoughts about her frustrating work week had evaporated and been replaced with giddy excitement. Nicole had texted her the address and directions to her apartment, so Waverly could pick her up. It didn’t take Waverly long to find the building. She parked her car and got out, feeling a mix of nerves and anticipation. She rang the bell and Nicole buzzed her in, so she made her way up the stairs to apartment 2127 and knocked.

“Hey!”

Waverly’s mouth fell open. Nicole looked stunning in dark jeans and a blue button up shirt that brought out the colour of her eyes and hair. It looked very different than the cycling outfits and sweatpants that Waverly had seen her in so far, and it took her brain a few seconds to regain control of her facial expression and ability to speak.

Nicole noticed and just smirked.

“H-hey. You look nice.”

“Thanks. So do you! Do you want to come in for a second? I need to find my jacket, and then I’m ready to go.”

Waverly nodded and followed Nicole into the apartment. It was small, but functional, and the open floor plan made it look bright and welcoming. She walked past a small kitchen into the main room that had a small couch and a TV and a book shelf and not much else. Well, not much else except for three bikes. Two of them were hooked to the wall, presumably to keep them out of the way but easily accessible at the same time. One was set up on an indoor trainer in the corner of the room, next to a rack that held numerous trophies and medals.

Waverly was staring at the bikes when she felt something touch her legs. She looked down and saw the orange tabby cat that she had seen in a few of Nicole’s Instagram posts.

“Well hello there!”

The cat purred in response and rubbed its head against Waverly’s shins. Just as she kneeled down to get a better look at Nicole’s furry roommate, the other woman reappeared from her bedroom, holding her jacket.

“I see you’ve already met CJ.”

“I have! She’s so cute!” The cat had half climbed into Waverly’s lap at this point and was clearly enjoying the attention she was getting.

“Huh. She’s not usually this friendly with people she doesn’t know. She must really like you. Are you a cat person, Waverly?”

“Cats, dogs, bunnies, hamsters, horses, I love them all.”

She straightened up from where she had been kneeling, which prompted a short, but loud meow. Waverly turned to the cat again.

“I know, I know. I’m gonna kidnap your mom here for the evening, but she’ll be back, I promise.”

The cat responded by hopping on the couch from where she stared at both women, clearly expecting more attention. Waverly smiled.

“So, umm, I don’t know how to tell you this, but…I think you have too many bikes.”

Nicole chuckled.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, it looks a bit excessive, right? Bikes are definitely a bit of an obsession for me. I’m not as bad as some of my teammates, though.”

“Are you telling me they have even more?”

“Yup. But, there are bikes for many different purposes. This one, here, is my road race bike. It’s set up pretty aggressively for the type of races we usually do. And then, there is this one.”

She walked over to the bike that was set up on the trainer and Waverly followed, looking at it more closely.

“This is my time trial bike. See the different handlebars? They’re so I can tuck my body into an aerodynamic position and create the least amount of drag possible. It’s built for that, for efficient, fast riding. But it’s harder to handle so wouldn’t be great during a group ride or sprint races where you have to be able to react quickly to other riders around you.”

Waverly nodded. She could see that it was a very different kind of bike. It looked even more uncomfortable than Nicole’s road bike.

“And you’ve seen my mountain bike already. Awesome for trails, but heavy, and the big tires aren’t good for road riding. Too much resistance.”

“Makes sense. And you ride them all?”

“I do. And if I’m perfectly honest, I would love to add a cyclocross bike to the collection. Those look more like the road bike, but they have wider, knobby tires for racing in grass and mud. I did a race last year on a borrowed bike and had way too much fun.”

Waverly was smiling now. She could see the appeal of racing off-road in the mud a lot more than she understood the draw of riding on paved roads for hours on end.

“So, you’re telling me you want another bike?”

“I always do. It’s a bit of a thing with cyclists. We go by the n+1 rule, where the ideal number of bikes to own is n+1, with n being the number of bikes you currently have.”

That explanation made Waverly laugh. It was nerdy and dorky, but also showed commitment to the sport in a way she hadn’t really grasped before.

“You’re serious? That…that’s amazing! Although, you’re gonna have to move to a larger place if you add more bikes to the three you already have.”

“Good point! Although I think I have the wall space for one more right here.”

Nicole pointed at a small spot next to the TV, all while grinning goofily. She seemed genuinely excited to share her bike obsession with Waverly. After a moment, she held out her hand.

“So, what do you say? Shall we get out of here and you show me what you have planned for tonight?”

“Absolutely!”

Waverly took her hand and held on while they walked out and down the stairs. Nicole had held her hand before, briefly, when they said goodbye after their first date. But that had felt a bit cautious. This, now, was solid, and Waverly threaded her fingers between Nicole’s, smiling at the other woman as they walked over to her car.

Chapter Text

They drove to the little restaurant Waverly had picked as their first stop for their night out. It was busy, but Waverly had called ahead and reserved a table for two by the window. It had been another sweltering day, and both women were grateful for the overhead fans and the breeze through open windows. A server brought them water and the menus, but Waverly noticed that Nicole didn’t even take a look at hers.

“Let me guess, you’re getting the Pad Thai?”

“I know, I’m predictable. It really is my favourite food, though.”

Waverly smiled and shook her head slightly. She browsed through the options on her menu and eventually ordered an eggplant and tofu stir-fry for herself, while Nicole stuck with her choice. As Nicole was handing back the menus to their server, Waverly noticed a barely healed cut on Nicole’s forearm.

“What happened there? Did one of your bikes fight back?”

Nicole snorted.

“Actually, yes. Not one of mine, though. I work in a bike shop right now, mostly as a mechanic, but I also do their bike fittings. I had a bit of an argument with one of the bikes I was working on the other day.”

“Ah, so your days are pretty much 100% about cycling, both work and play?”

“At the moment, yeah. That’s not necessarily the long term plan, but right now, it works well for me. The schedules are flexible, I get to learn everything there is about building and fixing bikes, and the people are fun. And they are very accommodating when it comes to my racing schedule in the summer.”

“Makes sense. And what’s the long term plan?”

Nicole didn’t respond immediately and leaned back in her chair a little. For a moment, Waverly worried that she had ventured into unwanted territory with that question.

“I’m not 100% sure. I initially came to Calgary to go to university here, and I did, so I might do something with that criminology degree that’s collecting dust on my desk at home.”

Waverly could hear that Nicole’s tone was a bit tentative now, which was very different than most of the conversations they had had up to that point. She could sense there was a story buried under that degree.

“It sounds like there’s a ‘but’ coming.”

At that, Nicole let out a breathy laugh. Waverly could see that she was a little tense, but maybe also simply weighing her options of how much to share about herself, given that they really didn’t know each other all that well.

“Yeah, there is one. I enjoyed getting my degree, and what I learned there, don’t get me wrong. And it opens a lot of doors for sure. Buuut…one of my favourite things to do right now at my current job is a cycling safety course we do for kids, and I’ve found that it’s my highlight of the week, the thing I get giddy about when it’s on the schedule. Teaching little kids, hanging out with them, showing them a few things about their bikes, it’s the best. And I kind of want to…I don’t know…explore that a bit more.”

As Nicole was talking about that, Waverly noticed that the tension was now replaced with excitement. The woman in front of her had sat up taller, chest puffed out, and was using her hands to describe how much fun she had teaching those kids about riding safely. Waverly was picturing Nicole crouched down in front of them, adjusting their helmet straps, demonstrating how the brakes worked much like she had done with her when they were out riding on the trail in Purgatory. She couldn’t stop the smile on her face and the warmth in her chest as she was listening to Nicole talk.

“Sounds like maybe you should look into your options for some sort of teaching job maybe?”

Nicole smiled broadly.

“Yeah, maybe.”

Just then, their food arrived and they both dug in. It was one of the better stir-fry dishes Waverly had ever tasted and Nicole seemed equally enamoured with her Pad Thai. They finished their dinner and Waverly had to wrestle the bill away from Nicole, reminding her that this was her turn to work her charm and impress with date number two. It earned her a huge grin from the other woman.

“Waverly, I’m already thoroughly impressed.”

“Alright, but this was only the first part. Let’s head out so we can get to the Twisted Element before they get too crowded.”

“Lead the way, Miss Earp.”

Waverly looped her arm into Nicole’s and walked them back to her car. After a short drive, they found the bar and headed in. It was Sunday, so it wasn’t as busy as it might have been the night before, but there was still a good crowd scattered around the bar and the dance floor. Waverly pulled them to the bar and asked Nicole if she wanted a drink.

“I think I’m good with just a water for now.”

Waverly asked for two waters for her and Nicole and they found a spot where they could stand side by side and observe the crowd for a bit. It was a good mix of people, and Waverly immediately felt comfortable knowing that no one in here would bat an eyelash at how close she was standing to Nicole. In fact, she felt so comfortable that she pressed herself a little closer to Nicole’s side, still just scanning the room. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Nicole looking at her and then she felt a careful arm slide around her, with Nicole’s hand casually resting on a table top behind them. Waverly could feel the warmth of Nicole’s arm against her back and leaned into Nicole’s side, letting their bodies touch just a bit, all the while smiling into her water.

After some time, Waverly started swaying on her feet a bit with the music. She thought now was a good time to get both of them on the dance floor, so she grabbed both of their water glasses, placed them on the table behind them and pulled Nicole over to the open area of the room.

She started moving to the music, still looking around a bit, and then back at Nicole. What she saw there made her stop. Nicole for some reason looked positively terrified. Waverly stepped closer to her and placed her hand on the other woman’s arm.

“You okay?”

“Umm. Yeah. Just, I’m a terrible dancer, so this is a bit…scary.”

Nicole’s eyes were locked with hers and Waverly could see that she was willing her nerves to calm. She squeezed Nicole’s arm in support.

“Hey, if this is scary, why did you agree to come dancing with me?”

Nicole sighed.

“Well. I…I like spending time with you, and this is an activity you picked, so it’s obviously something you enjoy.”

“It is, but we could have done something else, too. I want you to enjoy yourself, too, you know?”

“Oh, I am. I mean, maybe not 100% right this second, but I’ll get over it. You stepped out of your comfort zone the other day when you went bike riding with me. I can do the same for you. I want to do the same for you.”

In that moment, Nicole smiled at her and Waverly could see that she absolutely meant what she had said. She looked nervous, yes, but also determined, and Waverly figured that if Nicole could help her get on a bike for the first time in almost two decades, then she could help Nicole get comfortable on a dance floor with her.

“Okay. But promise me that if you need to stop or take a break, you let me know, okay?”

Nicole nodded, and swallowed. Waverly put both hands on Nicole’s shoulders, getting her to focus on her and only her.

“You’re okay. Just focus on me. Move with me. This is also kinda like letting muscle memory do its thing.”

Nicole gave her a shaky smile.

“Okay, but no laughing.”

“Never.”

Waverly pulled them a bit closer and felt Nicole’s hands come to rest on the sides of her waist. She started moving then, gently at first, simply following the base beats of the song that was playing in that moment. Nicole was looking at her and after a minute or two, she could feel her relax a little. Her shoulders had been pulled up and stiff up to that point but were now relaxed and she could feel how Nicole’s hands were sliding a little more toward Waverly’s back, no longer holding on for dear life.

However, relaxed didn’t actually mean that Nicole was following the beats. In fact, most of her movements were comically off-beat, which meant that the two of them were bumping into each other at random intervals. Waverly was trying hard not to laugh, but at one particularly out-of-sync hip bump that sent her stumbling backwards a little, she snorted loudly.

Nicole heard it and poked her shoulder.

“Hey! I said no laughing!”

“I’m not!” Another snort. “Okay, maybe I am, a little. You just…have…no rhythm at all.”

At that, they both burst into a fit of giggles. It felt good, not just because it felt goofy and light and fun, but also because it meant that Nicole could take a bit of teasing without being offended. Waverly still wanted to make sure that she knew this was all in good fun, so she flung her arms around Nicole’s neck and pulled her closer, stilling her movements a little.

“It’s honestly kind of nice to know that you’re not perfect at this. And I really, really appreciate that you’re willing to do this with me.”

She was beaming and Nicole was grinning right back at her.

“Oh I’m far from perfect, Waverly. And hey, we can’t all be star dancer material. I’ll gladly leave that to you!”

“Charmer!”

They were still standing very, very close and it gave Waverly an opportunity to control both of their movements, to simply direct Nicole’s body to sway along with hers. Nicole let it happen and after a beat or two, they actually started moving in sync a bit more. Waverly smiled and upped the tempo of their movements a little and Nicole followed along, giving Waverly full control of how they moved together. It was still a little stilted, and not as effortless as Waverly was used to, but it was fun.

They spent a good amount of time dancing, mostly to upbeat songs that were fun and let both women simply enjoy the music. After a while, the DJ switched to a slightly different block of songs, with the beat decidedly more sensual than previous songs. Waverly let her instincts take over without really thinking too much about what she was doing, and she found herself with one leg pressed between Nicole’s, moving her hips and torso against the other woman. She felt Nicole’s movements stutter for a second and glanced up, seeing an impressive blush creep up her neck and face. Nicole’s eyes were locked on hers and she was biting her lip, but still trying to follow Waverly’s movements. Seeing how Nicole was reacting made Waverly smirk, and she felt her own body respond to the friction between them and to the heat coming off Nicole’s body. For a brief second she wondered whether this might be a little too forward for only their second date, but then she felt Nicole’s hands slide down her back and come to rest low on her hips, encouraging and challenging, and Waverly was more than happy to oblige.

After a few more seconds, Waverly settled her own hands behind Nicole’s neck at the base of her hair. She could feel her pulse thumping wildly against her arms and noticed that Nicole’s face was still flushed but entirely focused on her. It felt good, more than good, to be in Nicole’s arms like this and see so clearly that she was obviously interested in Waverly, enjoying the feel of their bodies moving together. Waverly’s mind drifted and she started thinking about what it would feel like to be this close but not on a dance floor, and she was pretty sure she was now blushing madly herself. Nicole just smiled.

The song changed to a harsher beat, and Waverly decided to lead them back to the spot near the bar for a break.

“You want some more water? Something else?”

Nicole shook her head and stayed put while Waverly went to grab a fresh glass for herself. When she came back, she could see that the dance floor had cleared out considerably, and a quick glance at her phone told her that they had been dancing for much longer than she initially thought. Time with Nicole just flew by. She tucked herself back next to the other woman, this time facing her and away from the rest of the crowd.

“Was that okay?”

“That was more than okay, Waverly. It was fun! I hope I wasn’t too much of a klutz out there?”

“Well, maybe a little. But in the best way!” Waverly was smiling brightly at her, trying to impart that Nicole had nothing to worry about in that department. Nicole might not be the best dancer out there, but she had shown Waverly that she was open to trying things even if they weren’t really in her wheelhouse. That meant more to Waverly than she could express in that moment.

They stood there for a while longer, enjoying each other’s presence while the crowd and music around them faded into the background. Waverly knew they should likely head out soon, since she still had to drive back to Purgatory and Nicole had told her she had an early training ride on her schedule. She also knew she wouldn’t mind spending a few moments with Nicole in a place where they weren’t surrounded by a hundred sweaty strangers in a bar.

“Should we get out of here?”

“Yes, please.” Nicole grinned.

They both breathed a sigh of relief when they stepped out into the street. The air had cooled off a bit and after a couple of hours in a muggy, sticky bar it felt like heaven. They got back to the car and Waverly drove them to Nicole’s apartment. She pulled up in front of the building and put the car into park and turned it off, but didn’t move to get out right away. Nicole turned to her, a soft smile on her face.

“That was so much fun. Thank you for organizing this!”

“You’re very welcome, Nicole. I’m glad you enjoyed yourself, even if dancing maybe isn’t on the top of your list of things you like doing.”

“Hey” Nicole placed one hand on Waverly’s thigh. “I meant it when I said that I enjoy spending time with you, no matter what we do.”

“Okay.” Waverly felt her stomach flutter at those words and the hand on her leg.

“Also, you…you are a very good dancer! Seriously good! And I…well, let’s just say that I very much enjoyed the close up view I got of your dancing skills.”

Waverly chuckled at that and thought back to those moments when she was practically grinding herself against Nicole and making her blush madly. When she didn’t say anything back right away, Nicole leaned a bit closer and grabbed a hold of both of her hands.

“I should probably head upstairs and let you get on your way. I know you have a bit of a drive ahead of you.”

“Yeah.”

“But before I do, I have a question.” There was a brief pause. “Can I kiss you?”

Waverly exhaled. She had hoped that this is where this conversation was going, but she was also nervous. She locked eyes with Nicole, and she could see a hint of nerves there as well, which somehow eased the flutter in her stomach a bit.

“Yes.”

She watched as a huge smile appeared on Nicole’s face and she leaned closer. It was a bit awkward in the car, with armrests and the gearshift blocking them a little, but Nicole managed to move herself close enough to rest one hand on Waverly’s cheek, letting her thumb brush along the skin there. And then she leaned all the way in, and all Waverly could feel was soft lips moving gently against hers. She felt her own hands move toward Nicole, grabbing her neck and torso and pulling her closer, and for the moment, it didn’t matter that their angle was awkward in the car, or that they were both sweaty from the heat and dancing, or that she still had a good hour and a half drive ahead of her. All she could think, all she could feel in that moment was Nicole’s lips on hers. It was perfection.

When they pulled back, she watched Nicole’s expression turn from something like awe to giddiness, and she felt her own facial muscles stretch a grin further than she thought possible.

“Wow.”

They both laughed.

“Yeah. Wow.”

Nicole leaned back in for a second kiss, this one brief but no less wonderful. Waverly felt like she was flying.

“Thank you.” Nicole breathed out a small laugh. “And thank you for tonight! I had a lot of fun.”

“Me too! Thank you for indulging me!”

“Anytime, Waverly. Anytime. Have a safe drive back, okay? Maybe, if you want, text me when you get home? So I know you made it back okay.”

“I will.”

Nicole gave Waverly’s hands one last squeeze before she opened the door and got out.

“Bye, Waverly. Talk to you soon!”

“Yes, soon! Have a good night!”

She watched as Nicole closed the door and walked into her building. Waverly thought she could see a bit of a spring in her step and smiled to herself. After taking a few steadying breaths, she turned herself to sit properly in the driver’s seat and drove off.

Those lips!

The roads back to Purgatory were empty, which was not a surprise this late on a Sunday night. She did her best not to let her thoughts drift back to Nicole and her body and lips too much, so as to not be too distracted while driving home. Instead, she put on some music, hummed along and found herself back on the main drag of her little town in no time.

As promised, when she got home she sent off a short text to let Nicole know that she had made it back safely.

W: Made it home no problem.
W: Thank you again for tonight. Sleep well!

She was surprised to see the little dots moving, indicating that Nicole was still awake and typing a response.

N: Thank YOU! I had an amazing time.
N: And I can’t stop thinking about you.

Chapter Text

Waverly felt like she was in a fog for the entire next week, high on adrenaline and Nicole Haught. She kept thinking back to their night out and to their kiss in the car. When she wasn’t day dreaming about Nicole, she was texting her. All in all, her mind was so preoccupied with a certain cyclist that she forgot things, misplaced things or couldn’t follow conversations.

On Monday, she forgot to put coffee in her coffee maker, so all she got was hot water. She chalked that up to not having had a lot of sleep the night before. On Tuesday, she met Chrissy for lunch to catch up. On her way out of the diner, she couldn’t find her car keys, and after some frantic searching she realized that she had left them in her Jeep, but had locked the doors. Luckily for her, Pete from the local gas station/auto shop was at the diner for lunch that day as well and after Chrissy paid for his meal to encourage him to help, he used a wire hanger to open the Jeep for Waverly. On Wednesday, Waverly showed up late for her shift at Shorty’s, fully convinced that she was signed up for the late shift, when she was in fact supposed to be there for the lunch shift. On Friday, she spilled a pitcher of beer on a group of customers.

Waverly was fully and completely distracted. In any other week, under any other set of circumstances, she would have been annoyed with herself. Waverly Earp didn’t forget things. Waverly Earp wasn’t distracted to the point of near recklessness. Waverly Earp was the planner, the nice person, the person who was always on top of things. Now, she was out of it, and it didn’t bother her one bit.

That’s because the cause for her distraction was that she was happy; happy, giddy and excited to see where things would go with Nicole. They both had a very busy week, and Nicole had told her that she was set to take a trip to Edmonton that weekend for a race in the city. It meant that there was no opportunity to see each other again for a little while, but they made up for it with copious amounts of texting. Every time Waverly heard that familiar ping from her phone, she smiled even before she could see who the text was from. She even told Nicole about all of her mishaps that week, despite feeling slightly embarrassed about the sheer extent of her distraction. It still made for some amusing and flirty conversations with the other woman.

W: I broke three plates at work today.
W: The week of mishaps continues.

N: Oh no! I hope you are okay?

W: Yeah, totally fine. Just distracted.
W: Just like every day this week so far.

N: Is that so?
N: And what were you thinking about, Miss Earp?

W: Hm, let me think.
W: It’s entirely possible that I was thinking about kissing you.
W: I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that.

N: I feel the same way!
N: Although, minus the mishaps. My week has been accident-free so far.
N: *knocks on wood*

W: Yes, please no accidents for you!

N: I do think about that kiss a lot, too.
N: And about you in general.

W: Me too!
W: I know this week is super busy for both of us, but I’d like to see you again.
W: Maybe after you’re back from your race weekend?

N: Yes, please!

They made plans for Waverly to drive to Calgary on Monday afternoon, to meet Nicole after her shift in the bike shop. Nicole offered for Waverly to stay the night, since it was Waverly’s day off and she didn’t have to be back at Shorty’s until Wednesday.

N: You could stay the night, if you want. To make the trip worth your while.
N: I don’t mean this to be presumptuous. I can sleep on the couch, you get the bed.
N: You might have to share with CJ, though.

W: I would love to stay.
W: And we can figure out the sleeping arrangements then.
W: But…are you sure there is room for me among all your bikes? ;)

N: Haha!
N: There is always room for you, Waverly.

That sentence echoed in Waverly’s mind for the rest of her week. By Saturday morning, Nicole was on her way to Edmonton for her race weekend. She had sent Waverly the link to the event website but told her there likely wouldn’t be much coverage on there until after the weekend. Waverly had used the information to set a few news alerts for her phone, ensuring that she would get notified if any of the local news stations showed any footage from the race. And she was hoping that Nicole would tell her all about the race when they would see each other on Monday.

Waverly was in the middle of her shift on Saturday evening when she spotted Chrissy strolling in. Her friend found a spot at the end of the bar. It was busy, but the two of them usually managed to steal a few minutes here and there to chat when Waverly was working. Gus didn’t mind since Chrissy was a paying customer and didn’t interfere much with Waverly’s work.

“Chrissy! What are you doing here tonight? I thought you were having dinner with your dad?”

“I was, but he cancelled on me. Something going on at the station. Life of the Sheriff’s daughter, I guess.”

“Bummer! What can I get you?”

“A vodka soda and an update on what’s going on with you and your cyclist.”

Waverly blushed.

“She’s not my cyclist. We’ve been on two dates, that’s all.”

“I know, I know, Waves. I’m just teasing.”

Waverly shook her head, but smiled. She pulled down a glass and started mixing the drink for her friend, adding a piece of lime to the rim of the glass at the end.

“Here you go. And, if you must know, there isn’t much of an update right now. We’ve both been working this week, and she is in Edmonton for a race this weekend. So other than a few texts, we haven’t had much of a chance to connect.”

“Ah. Fair. But knowing you, I’m sure you already have plans in place for seeing her again. You’re the planner!”

Chrissy knew her too well. She held up a hand to her friend, signalling that she would be right back after depositing a few drinks on the other side of the bar.

“Yeah, I’m driving back to the city Monday afternoon.”

“I knew it! So, that’s for dinner or something more?”

Chrissy was smirking into her drink, and Waverly knew where this conversation was headed. They had been friends since kindergarten, and Chrissy had always been the one person in her life who knew everything about her crushes, her dates, her break-ups and her hook-ups. When Waverly first figured out for herself that she liked girls, Chrissy was the first person she told. They told each other everything, and they had each other’s backs. But it also meant that Chrissy didn’t hold back when it came to asking more private questions about Waverly’s love life.

“Chrissy!”

“What? If you are planning to drive out there for the afternoon, that would mean spending the evening with her, no? And I know you’ve been thinking about getting a close up view of those tan lines for a while now, so it’s a fair question!”

Waverly rolled her eyes, and leaned a bit closer to her friend. She didn’t really feel like sharing her plans with anyone sitting nearby that might overhear their conversation.

“Yeah okay. If you must know, yes, right now the plan is to stay the night. But, before you take this conversation to something that’s no longer PG-13, she offered to sleep on the couch and give me the bed.”

“Oh, so chivalrous!” Chrissy waggled her eyebrows at her and continued. “Something tells me that the fact that she offered that makes you want to see those tan lines even more badly.”

Waverly groaned but grinned.

“Oh my god, Chrissy.”

“What, am I wrong?”

They both laughed for a moment and Chrissy sipped on her drink waiting for an answer.

“No. You’re not.”

Chrissy lifted her glass and Waverly clinked her water bottle against it.

“You go, girl. Get it! Just remember to tell me the details afterwards. That’s our deal. I’m your wing woman and in return, I get to live vicariously through you!”

“Oookay.”

They both laughed and chatted for a little while longer before Chrissy called it a night. She reminded Waverly to give her a call when she got back from the city and to text her any time before then if she needed anything.

The rest of her shift was busy but otherwise uneventful, which Waverly was grateful for. And for the first time since Monday, she actually made it through a full day without any mishaps. She was about to text Nicole about that but then stopped herself. It was late, or rather early, and she didn’t want to disturb Nicole’s sleep the night before a race. Instead, she went home and crawled into bed thinking about Monday and what her next outing with Nicole might hold. And she was definitely thinking about those tan lines.

She awoke on Sunday around noon. She realized that she had forgotten to plug in her phone when she went to bed, so it was dead when she got up. She plugged it in and went about her morning routine. She wasn’t in much of a hurry since she still had a few more hours before she had to be back for another shift at the bar.

After a long, leisurely shower and breakfast, Waverly went to grab her phone from her nightstand. The entire screen was lit up with notifications.

“CTV News Edmonton: Rain made for slick roads and crashes at today’s cycling criterium”
“Edmonton Journal: Chaotic Finish at Pedalhead Road Race”
“Global News Edmonton: Local cyclist crashes hard at Pedalhead race event”

Chapter Text

Shit!

Waverly almost dropped her phone, but scrolled down to see more alerts about the race. Her heart had skipped a beat or two, and was now drumming hard against her ribcage. Her brain immediately went into worst-case-scenario mode. All she knew right now was that there had been a crash, but of course she assumed right away that it had involved Nicole, and that Nicole was hurt, maybe badly.

She was starting to panic, and her one reliable coping strategy for pretty much everything was to plan. She could do that. She could plan to drive to Edmonton if necessary. She could plan to be there for Nicole, take some time off work and stay with Nicole to help out so she could heal. Waverly was half-way into calculating how long it would take her to drive up to Edmonton when she remembered that she didn’t even know yet if Nicole had actually been involved in that crash. She’d have to do some research to find out, so she glanced back down at her phone, determined to find out what exactly had happened at the race.

It was only then that she noticed that the remaining notifications on her home screen included a few texts from Nicole.

N: So I had a bit of a crash today.
N: I’m okay, though. Just some road rash and bruises
N: They are sending a couple of us to the clinic to get checked out, which means I’ll be home late.
N: I’ll text you later, as soon as I can

The final text from Nicole was a photo that Waverly assumed was meant to show that she was okay. The picture showed Nicole standing near her team van in front of a mangled bicycle. Waverly could see skin scraped off Nicole’s chin and her jersey was ripped open on her left shoulder, showing angry red skin. She couldn’t see much else in terms of any other injuries, but she was grateful that Nicole was upright and in good enough condition to text.

Waverly blew out a breath. Nicole was okay, at least according to her texts. She wished she could see it for herself, though, to confirm. Up until that morning, she hadn’t really considered that cycling and racing came with its risk of crashes and injuries. She was obviously aware of the possibility of falling on a bike, but she had never paid enough attention to races to know just how common crashes were or how serious those could be.

She tapped one of the news alerts and was immediately greeted by a photo showing several cyclists on the ground, bikes and bike parts strewn across the road. The next photo showed a rider on the ground surrounded by team staff and medical personnel. Even though she knew that Nicole said she was okay, Waverly felt that she didn’t have the stomach to look at any more pictures like that. Instead, she sent a couple of texts to Chrissy.

W: Nicole crashed today at her race. She texted, said she is okay
W: I hope that’s true. I saw some race photos. It looked nasty!

And after she gave herself some time to take a few deep breaths and get her hands to stop shaking, she typed out a message to Nicole.

W: Oh my god, Nicole. I’m so glad you are okay aside from scrapes and bruises.
W: That still sounds (and looks) painful, though.
W: I hope your teammates are okay as well!
W: Please let me know when you get home. I’ll be working, so will be up late. Text anytime, no matter how late.

Waverly made her way to Shorty’s. She knew she likely wouldn’t hear back from Nicole for a few more hours, but she made sure the ringer on her phone was set to loud and she kept it in the pocket of her jeans so she would at least feel the vibration to alert of her any incoming messages even if she missed the ring tone. She was able to focus on work for a while, but still found herself thinking about the images she had seen from the crash.

At one point, she heard the ping from her phone.

C: Yikes! That’s not good. I looked up the photos, too. I didn’t see Nicole in that pile though
C: Have you heard anything more?

W: No, not yet.

Waverly jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Gus looking at her, concern written all over her face.

“What’s going on? I know you’ve been a bit distracted all week, but that was different. You look worried today.”

Waverly sighed.

“You remember that cycling race that came to town a few weeks ago?”

“What about it?”

“Well, I…I sort of got to know one of the cyclists. She, her name is Nicole. We’ve hung out a couple of times, and she’s so nice. I…like her.”

“Okay, and?”

“She raced today, up in Edmonton. And she crashed. I’m worried about her. She texted and said she’s scraped up but otherwise okay, but I’m still worried.”

At that, Gus pulled her into her side by her shoulder.

“Ah. I’m sorry to hear that. But girl, if she says she’s okay for now, that’s the important part. There’s not much else you can do. It won’t help her if you worry yourself sick over here.”

Waverly melted into the embrace from her aunt. She knew that Gus was right. Nicole had said she was okay, had even sent a photo showing that she was alright. She still worried and she felt helpless just having to sit around and wait for the next message to come through.

“I know. You’re right.”

Gus pulled back a little and looked at her.

“Come on, kid. How about I make you some tea and you sit and take a ten minute break? And then you tell me a little bit about her. If she’s got you this worried after you’ve only known each other for a few weeks, you must really like her.”

Waverly nodded and sent Gus a small smile. She still thought it was too soon to really tell anyone other than Chrissy about her interest in Nicole, but she could really use some reassurances from her aunt right about now. She sat down with her tea and gave Gus the Coles Notes version of her outings with Nicole, leaving out a few details here and there. Gus nodded along and offered some colourful commentary when Waverly shared the story about the pink tassels. It felt good, and Waverly was starting to feel more grounded again.

Some time later, after both Gus and Waverly had gone back to work and were in the middle of serving customers, Waverly felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She slipped into the kitchen and found a quiet spot hidden away behind some shelves.

N: I’m home now. Tired and sore, but I’m okay.
N: I got checked out by the doc and it’s all good. No broken bones. Just some impressive bruising and road rash.
N: Ashley crashed pretty hard. She broke her collarbone and cracked a rib…got a concussion, too. She’s okay otherwise, but race season is over for her.

W: Shit. I’m so sorry to hear that.
W: I’m glad there aren’t any broken bones for you. I was a bit worried after I saw some of the race photos online.

N: :(
N: I didn’t mean to worry you. I really am okay, I promise.

W: Okay. I’m glad.
W: I assume you’re off to bed now? I hope they gave you some painkillers to help with getting some rest

N: Yeah, I’m all set.

Waverly could see that Nicole was typing out another message, but it was taking a while. After a minute of watching the dots move and then disappear again, Waverly was just about to type a good night message when Nicole’s text finally came through.

N: I have a question.

W: Yes?

N: Are you still up for coming to the city tomorrow?
N: I would still love for you to come, I just know I’m probably not going to be as energetic as I would like to be for you.

W: Nicole, you don’t have to be energetic…or anything…for me. You just have to be you.
W: And yes, I would still like to come, if you’re up for that?

N: I’m very much up for that, Waverly.
N: Thank you!
N: And now I am going to hobble to bed, but I’ll sleep much better knowing that I still get to see you tomorrow.

W: Sleep well, Nicole!
W: I’m looking forward to seeing you, scrapes and all.

Waverly was relieved. Nicole was okay, bruised but okay. And she still wanted to hang out tomorrow. It might change their plans a bit, but as long as they still got to see each other, Waverly was happy. She sent a message to Chrissy letting her know that Nicole was okay and that she was still going to drive to the city tomorrow, and then she returned to serving her customers for the remainder of her shift.

She really meant what she had texted Nicole: scrapes and all, she couldn’t wait to see her again.

Chapter Text

On Monday afternoon, Waverly was on her way to the city. Traffic was atrocious and the drive took a lot longer than she had anticipated. Nicole had texted her earlier in the day to let her know that she wasn’t going into work that day and told Waverly that she could come over anytime. It meant that Waverly had left Purgatory a couple of hours earlier than planned, but it also meant that she hit the early rush hour traffic. By the time she got to Nicole’s apartment, she was overheated, frustrated and behind schedule. She had wanted to pick up a few things to maybe cook Nicole some dinner and let her rest, but after spending almost two hours stuck in a hot car, the last thing Waverly wanted to do then was to walk into a crowded grocery store. She decided that that could wait until later. For now, she just wanted to see Nicole.

She rang the bell and it took a little bit longer than last time for Nicole to buzz her in. When she reached the apartment itself, Nicole was standing by the door but had her face turned away from Waverly at first. She was talking to her cat, scolding her for apparently trying to escape when the door was open. After a few seconds of that, she shifted and faced Waverly, opening the door fully.

“Hey.”

Waverly grimaced a little. The skin on Nicole’s chin was scraped off, some parts looking light red while others looked dark and angry. The chin and part of her jaw were bruised as well.

“Hey you.”

She lifted herself up on her toes and pressed a very light kiss to Nicole’s cheek, away from the bruising. Nicole sent her a goofy smile in return.

“Come on in. I was just making some iced tea. You want some?”

“Sure.”

She stepped inside and put her bag on the floor by the door. The cat was still sitting right behind Nicole, likely still plotting her escape, but when Waverly closed the door, she flicked her tail and trotted into the living room. Meanwhile, Nicole turned and walked very gingerly into the kitchen area.

“You know, if you tell me where things are, I can make the tea and you could sit and rest.”

“Nah, I’m fine, Waverly. Besides, it’s a good thing to move around a little and not stiffen up completely. Go ahead and sit down. I’ll be right there.”

“Okay, if you’re sure?”

Nicole chuckled and nodded, and Waverly made her way into the main room. It was nice and cool, with a breeze coming in through the open windows. She sat down on the couch and felt some of the tension from the drive melt away.

A minute or so later, Nicole walked over with two large glasses of iced tea in her hands. She winced a bit when she bent down to put the glasses on the little table by the couch, and Waverly instinctively reached forward to grab the tea from her.

“Thanks!”

Nicole moved around and slowly sat down next to her. She was wearing a light long-sleeved shirt that looked a size or two too big for her and some sweatpants, so Waverly couldn’t really see much of her injuries other than the ones on her face.

“How are you feeling? I see the chin, but I’m guessing that’s the least of your worries.”

“I’m okay. Pretty sore today, for sure. But nothing’s broken, and I’m very glad about that. This,” she waved her hand over her body and legs, “it’ll take a day or two and then I won’t even feel it.”

“I’m so glad nothing is broken. Have you heard from Ashley? How is she doing?”

“Yeah, I talked to her this morning. She’s pretty banged up. They actually kept her in the hospital overnight in Edmonton, mostly as a precaution because of the concussion. She’s supposed to come home today or tomorrow.”

“Yikes!”

Waverly felt almost nauseous at the news. She knew that Nicole and Ashley had been riding with the main pack when everyone crashed, so it really was just a stroke of luck that Nicole walked away from that without any major injuries. Nicole must have seen some distress showing on Waverly’s face because she moved to take her hand and squeezed it.

“Hey, I’m fine. And Ash will be, too. Crashes are part of racing, and we all know that when we sign in at the start.”

“Okay.”

Waverly’s voice was quiet and breathy. She really didn’t like the idea of Nicole crashing at all, much less crashing regularly as part of the sport.

“Do you…have you crashed like this before?”

Nicole squeezed her hand again.

“A couple of times, yeah. It happens. I’ve been pretty lucky so far, given all the years that I’ve been doing this, I only ever broke a bone once. And it’s not like we crash all the time. The finish area yesterday was pretty narrow and the roads were wet, and there were a lot of nervous riders in the field. It was a bit of a perfect storm. That’s pretty rare, to get that kind of environment where one small mistake brings down the whole group.”

“Okay.”

“I really am okay, Waverly. Don’t worry, okay?”

Nicole squeezed her hand again and grinned at her, tilting her head sideways. She was clearly trying to cheer her up, ease her mind. Waverly chuckled a little, then. Even with her bruised and scraped chin and tired looking eyes, Nicole Haught was adorable. Waverly should be the one checking on her and trying to make her feel better. Instead, Miss Crash Victim herself was currently doing her best to reassure Waverly.

“Okay.”

Waverly tried to relax a little. Nicole was sitting next to her, in one piece. She was fine; maybe a little banged up, but fine. And Waverly was usually not one to get worried about injuries too quickly. Growing up with Wynonna had meant that she got to experience her fair share of mornings when her sister would sit at the kitchen table with a bruised face and bloody knuckles. Her high school boyfriend had gotten injured playing sports more often than other people changed the sheets on their bed. She should be used to this, she should be okay with this. But there was something not sitting right with her and she couldn’t quite exhale just yet.

“Nicole…”

“Yeah?”

“I know this might sound weird, and…and you can say no. I just…I think I’d feel better, less worried, if I could see for myself...”

She trailed off then, unsure how the other woman would take her request. They had gotten to know each other a bit, and they had kissed, but they were still in that phase of testing, of feeling out what worked and what didn’t.

“See? You mean you want to see where my skin is currently missing its upper layers? See it in all its glory?”

“Yeah. If that’s…if you’re okay with that.”

Nicole just smiled. Waverly could see something that looked like amusement flash across her face.

“I’m okay with it. In my team, we tend to take photos of our worst road rashes and compare them. Sort of like comparing battle scars, I guess? And if it helps ease your mind a bit, to see that it’s nothing more than a big scratch, I’m all for it.”

Waverly gave her a tentative smile. She couldn’t quite believe her ears. Cyclists brag about road rash? But then she remembered the old rodeo guys that were regulars at Shorty’s and how often they would share stories about their worst injuries like they were war time stories. She guessed that this wasn’t all that different.

Nicole eased herself off the couch and stood in front of Waverly, turning to show her side and back when she gently pulled up her shirt. Waverly could see that the skin on about half of her back and across her entire left shoulder looked almost like the worst sunburn she’d ever seen, but with added lacerations. There were some parts that had clearly bled at some point and were scabbed over, while others looked bright red but without any visible scabbing. She could see some darker bruising around her upper ribs, too.

Nicole looked at her over her shoulder, carefully scanning Waverly’s face, before she lowered the shirt again.

“There are some harsher bits on my leg, but I have those covered up so the wound doesn’t stick to my pants.”

Waverly’s eyes went wide at that and Nicole quickly attempted to lighten the mood a bit.

“Hey….eyes up here! I know you’re thinking about what’s in my pants right now.”

That did the trick and they both snorted loudly. Waverly was blushing madly, her mind moving on from seeing burnt skin to imagining pale, soft skin and strong hips that were currently covered up by sweatpants. Nicole lowered herself back down on the couch, and Waverly placed a gentle hand on her lower back to help her get settled again.

“Thank you.”

“No problem. Did that…help?”

“Yeah. I know it’s weird, but yeah.”

Waverly felt better. The injuries looked painful, but she could see that they were more a nuisance than anything else. She could live with that. And she would do her best to help Nicole with letting her skin heal.

“It’s not weird. I mean, it’s not really how I imagined taking my shirt off in front of you for the first time, but I get what you mean. Sometimes it’s important to see things with our own eyes.”

They were both grinning at each other then. Waverly had been focussed on cataloguing Nicole’s injuries, but she didn’t miss the fact that Nicole’s body looked toned and strong, back muscles on full display. And where the skin was unharmed, it looked soft and very, very touchable.

They settled into the couch, Nicole squirming around a bit before she found a position that was comfortable. After a few moments where both of them just sipped their tea and relaxed, Waverly remembered her initial plan to cook dinner.

“So, I had big plans to bring over some groceries and cook you dinner tonight. But then I got stuck in traffic on the way in, and those plans kind of flew out the window then.”

Nicole looked surprised.

“You want to cook for me?”

“Yeah. Or, cook with you. I wasn’t sure just how sore you are and what you’d be up for. But either way, I’ll have to run out and get some groceries for that. What do you feel like eating?”

Waverly thought she saw Nicole’s cheeks redden, but the moment passed before her mind could catch up to it. Instead, she focussed on the dopey smile on Nicole’s face.

“Well, I’m kind of enjoying just sitting here with you, so how do you feel about ordering in? There’s a decent sushi place just down the road that delivers, and I know they have some good vegetarian options, too.”

Waverly tilted her head at Nicole, then. She hadn’t told her that she was vegan. Nicole saw the confusion and just shrugged.

“I noticed the choice of tofu stir-fry the other day. Not that that means anything, but if you prefer vegetable options, I know they have great rolls for that.”

Waverly smiled brightly at her. She couldn’t quite believe her luck. Nicole wasn’t just a hot athlete with a killer smile and dimples, she also paid attention, quietly. And she seemed genuinely invested in making sure that Waverly was comfortable and having a good time.

“Ordering in sounds good to me. I did grab a bottle of my favourite white wine from Shorty’s before I left last night, so we do have that in my bag.”

“Alright. Sushi and wine it is, then.”

Chapter Text

They placed their order and Waverly got up to put the wine in the fridge. On her way back to the couch, she noticed that something was missing in the room.
 
“Nicole, where is your bike? The race one.”
 
“Ah. Well. We dropped it off at the bike shop last night. With the crash, I have to take a good look at it, make sure the frame is still okay and replace a couple of smaller parts that broke or got bent. It’ll take a couple of days to get it back in race shape.”
 
“Good thing you can do all that yourself at the shop.”
 
“Yeah. And, the next race I’m signed up for isn’t for another two weeks and it’s a time trial, so I’ll need my other bike for that anyway.”
 
“You think you’ll be healed up enough by then?”
 
“I hope so. Road rash usually heals pretty quickly. At least to the point where it no longer bothers me for riding. I’ll have to see about the bruises. A couple of them look a little nasty, but it should be okay.”
 
A little while later, the doorbell rang. Waverly pushed Nicole back into the couch and got up, buzzing in the delivery guy and paying for their food. After she deposited the food with Nicole, she went and grabbed them both a glass of wine and settled back on the couch.
 
Nicole was happily munching away on one of her rolls when Waverly suggested a game to get to know each other a little more.
 
“I know it’s cheesy and cliché, but I kind of like doing the ’20 questions’ thing.”
 
With her cheek full of rice, Nicole mumbled out her reply.
 
“I’m in, but what are the rules? Do I get to pass if I don’t want to answer a question? Or is it more like Truth or Dare? What do you have in mind?”
 
Waverly laughed a bit at the idea of playing Truth or Dare with Nicole. She was pretty sure they would just dare each other to kiss each other the entire time. At least that’s what she would do in that scenario.
 
“No real rules. Just answer whatever you feel like sharing. And skipping a question is fine.”
 
Nicole swallowed her bite and put her food down on the table, glaring at CJ who was inching closer to where she could smell salmon on Nicole’s plate. She took a sip of her wine and grinned at Waverly.
 
“Okay. You start.”
 
“Alright. We’ll start with something easy. Do you have any nicknames? Any that you like or really hate?”
 
That question immediately prompted loud laughter from Nicole.
 
“Yeah, yeah I do.” She was still giggling. “Most people make puns around my last name, so I get a lot of ‘hot’-something as nicknames. To be honest, most of them are cringe worthy, although the occasional one is funny.”
 
“I bet. That sounds a bit annoying. What about close friends, do they just call you Nicole?”
 
“Yeah, most of them do. My little brother calls me Cole. That’s about it.”
 
“You have a brother?”
 
“Yeah. He’s a few years younger than me. We don’t talk that often. I think I mentioned to you that things between my parents and I are a little…complicated?”
 
Waverly nodded.
 
“That made it harder to stay in touch with him for a few years. We’re working on re-building some of that, although I’m not entirely sure how successful we are with it. But we’re trying.”
 
More nodding. That had gone a lot deeper a lot more quickly than Waverly had anticipated, but it felt good. She could see that Nicole didn’t mind sharing, even the things about her life that sounded complicated and laced with pain.
 
“What about you? Any nicknames I should know to avoid at all cost?”
 
“Ha, no. Well, maybe don’t call me princess. There’s one guy in my town who does and it creeps me out. Good friends usually call me Wave or Waves. Some variation of that.”
 
Nicole smiled at that.
 
“Wave. I like it.”
 
“Okay, next question. Favourite drink, alcoholic or non-alcoholic?”
 
“Oh. Well, on the bike, I have to drink a lot of electrolyte drinks and I kind of hate them, so I hate anything that reminds me of them. I prefer plain water, but if we’re talking booze, I enjoy drinking beer, the occasional wine” she lifted her glass, took a sip and put it back down “and I stay away from hard stuff. What about you?”
 
“Wine and whiskey all the way!”
 
“Whiskey, eh? I’ll have to remember that.”
 
Waverly could see that Nicole was shifting around on the couch a bit. She looked uncomfortable. Waverly leaned back a bit more and patted her thighs, motioning for Nicole to stretch out her legs and lay them over top of hers. Nicole hesitated for a second but then did as Waverly suggested. She let out a content sigh and reached out one hand to hold one of Waverly’s, squeezing it gently.
 
“Can I ask the next question?”
 
Waverly grinned and nodded.
 
“Okay. Biggest pet peeve? Just so I know what not to do around you.”
 
“Hm. Probably when people don’t take me seriously. I get a lot of folks who look at me and see someone who’s friendly and tiny and they don’t think I can stand up for myself or take care of myself. I’ll have you know that I know judo and jiujutsu and can have you on your back in two seconds flat.”
 
Nicole raised one eyebrow at that.
 
“Huh. Well, when I’m healed up, I’d like to see that, Waverly. Not because I don’t believe you, I totally do. I’m sure you could kick my ass without much trouble. But I would like to see those skills demonstrated if you are up for that.”
 
“Absolutely. But only after all your bruises are healed! I wouldn’t want to add to your collection. What about you? Do you have any big pet peeves I should know about?”
 
“I guess…I’m not a fan of people jumping to conclusions about me without really knowing me. They’ll see someone who’s athletic and who likes working with her hands, and they assume I can’t handle myself intellectually. Or they’ll learn that I’m gay and all of a sudden, that’s all they can see and they don’t even bother trying to get to know me.”
 
Waverly heard how Nicole’s tone got a bit darker during that response, and she couldn’t blame her. She’d been on the receiving end of judgements about her choice of partners, and people making assumptions about her based on her last name, so she knew how that felt. One of her hands was on top of Nicole’s knee and she gave it a very gentle squeeze in solidarity.
 
“I know what you mean. And for the record, I’m glad we’re getting to know each other better. I like what I see so far, but I’m sure there is a lot more about you that I have to learn still and I’m looking forward to that.”
 
Nicole smiled at her brightly then.
 
“Ditto, Waverly. Ditto.”
 
They continued their game of questions for a little while longer, but at some point, Nicole started yawning and wincing a bit more with each movement.
 
“I think it’s time to get you to bed, rest up that sore body of yours.”

Nicole yawned again and Waverly laughed, knowing that it really was time to call it a night.

“Okay. I’ll show you where everything is in the bathroom and I'll grab a few blankets for myself for the couch.”

“No, Nicole. You crashed, you’re sore, you get the bed. Your body really doesn’t need the added discomfort of sleeping on the couch. I’ll be fine out here.”

At that, Nicole sat up more, groaning a bit with the movement. 

“That doesn’t feel right. You drove all the way out here to hang out with me. And I offered the bed when we made those plans.”

Waverly could see that Nicole was determined. Determined to be courteous and stick to her word. She could sense that there was little hope of convincing the other woman to take the bed, and so, in a flash of bravery, she suggested a solution that might work for them both.

“Well, if your bed is big enough for both of us, then maybe we could share? That way, you can stick to your word and I can make sure that sore body of yours gets to be comfortable tonight.”

Nicole blinked at her. 

“Just to sleep, Nicole. And only if you’re comfortable with that. Otherwise, I’m afraid you’re going to have to live with me being on the couch.”

“O-okay.”

Waverly’s heart was pounding. She wasn’t exactly sure where her sudden boldness had come from, but she was happy with the outcome. She knew, of course, that Nicole was hurt and sleeping in the same bed would just be that, sleeping. But the thought of being so close to her, in one bed, definitely put butterflies in Waverly’s chest. 

Nicole, for her part, seemed a bit speechless at the moment, but she was smiling, and Waverly took that as a sign that the suggestion wasn’t completely unwelcome. She got up off the couch and held out her hand.

“Okay. Come on, sleepyhead. Take me to bed.”

Waverly winked and watched as Nicole appeared to choke on air for a moment. She was clearly a bit flustered and it made Waverly grin widely. After a few seconds, Nicole allowed Waverly to pull her to her feet and she led them into the bedroom.

The room looked just as sparsely decorated as the rest of Nicole’s apartment. There was the bed, which looked plenty big for two, and a small dresser and a chair that was currently apparently the cat’s bed. She turned to face Nicole, who was watching her take everything in.

“Bathroom is over there. There is a shelf in there with fresh towels, so just grab what you need.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Waverly grabbed her bag and stepped into the small bathroom. She took some time getting herself ready for bed while also looking around at the various items on the counter. She noticed a rather large package of gauze and other medical supplies that reminded her that Nicole would likely need some time in there to get ready for bed herself. She quickly finished her routine and stepped back into the bedroom, where Nicole was sitting on the bed, waiting.

“All yours. Do you need any help with changing any bandages or something?”

“No, I think I’m good for tonight. Thank you, though.”

With that, Nicole disappeared into the bathroom. Waverly looked around and tried to figure out which side of the bed Nicole usually slept on. It wasn’t really obvious, so Waverly slipped under the covers on the side facing the wall, leaving the window side for Nicole. 

After some time, Nicole emerged wearing a soft looking t-shirt and loose fitting shorts. With her arms and legs now less covered than before, Waverly could see more road rash; a lot more of it. Nicole’s entire left leg looked raw, and there was a large bandage peeking out from underneath her shorts on the side of her leg. Waverly also spotted a nasty bruise on her left elbow that looked swollen and also had most of its skin scraped off.

It all looked painful, but then, Nicole twisted her body a bit to reach something on her dresser and the movement lifted her shirt, exposing her hip above the waistline of the shorts. What Waverly saw there made her gasp. The area around the hipbone was so badly bruised it almost looked black, with various shades of purple radiating out from it.

“Nicole…” she whispered.

Nicole glanced down to check what Waverly was looking at.

“Ah. That. Waverly, I know it looks harsh, but it’s really not that bad. I mean, yeah, that will take a little while to completely heal, but it’s not broken. Just a bad bruise.”

“Okay.” 

Waverly’s voice sounded shaky and small then. She didn’t like seeing all these wounds, and she was beginning to realize that Nicole was more hurt than she had let on. Or maybe it wasn’t so much that Nicole was hiding her injuries and more that she herself just didn’t think it was a big deal to be hurt as much as she was. That last thought made Waverly wonder about Nicole, how she grew up, how she got to a point where she pretty much shrugged off whole body injuries like they were nothing.

Waverly didn’t say anything more then, just patted the bed next to her. Nicole gingerly climbed in and sighed in relief when she found a comfortable position for her various bruised limbs. She had positioned herself so that there was a respectable distance between them, bodies not touching, but Waverly could still feel the warmth from Nicole’s body next to hers. Nicole was so close. They were in bed together. All of a sudden, Waverly’s nerves were all over the place.

“This okay? You’re comfortable? I didn’t know what side of the bed is yours, so we can switch if you want? And I don’t want to crowd you, so tell me if I should move over a bit, okay?”

Her rambling was halted when she felt a soft, warm hand on her shoulder.

“I’m good, Waverly. Is this okay for you? I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. I can still go on the couch if this is too much.”

Nicole was looking at her with so much concern that it made Waverly’s heart clench. 

“No, no. It's good. I’m just a bit nervous, that’s all.”

“Nervous?”

“Yeah.” Waverly’s voice was quiet. “I’m in bed with you. And I know we’re still just getting to know each other, and I know it’s just to sleep, but it feels good to be this close to you, and it makes me nervous. But good nervous. If that makes any sense.”

Nicole smiled at her and moved her hand up to Waverly’s cheek, holding it gently.

“It makes total sense. And if it helps at all, I feel the same way.”

“You do?”

“Yes. Definitely! I mean, this isn’t really what I had in mind for the first time you’re in my bed, but it feels good. To have you here, with me.”

Waverly knew she was blushing then. Nicole had thought about being in bed with her?

“Oh really? What did you have in mind?”

Nicole smirked, a flash of mischievousness playing out on her face.

“Oh, you know…more candles, fewer bruises…less wincing, more moaning.”

Waverly’s jaw fell open, and there didn’t seem to be enough air in the bedroom. She was pretty sure that her entire face was beet red, and her brain was misfiring completely. Meanwhile, Nicole just grinned at her, squeezing one of her hands playfully. 

“A tongue-tied Waverly. I like it!” More smirking. “Seriously, though. This, tonight, might not be exactly what I had in mind, but it’s perfect. Having you here, with me, is perfect. So thank you, for driving all the way down and spending the evening with battered and bruised little me. It means more than you know.”

The last few words hit Waverly square in her chest. She had regained her composure a little, and found herself just staring at Nicole. She leaned in slowly, still watching Nicole’s face. She wanted to make absolutely sure that she was okay with what Waverly was about to do. When Nicole didn’t pull away and just smiled, Waverly closed the last bit of distance and pressed her lips against Nicole’s. This time, they weren’t in a car, with awkward seat angles and gearshifts making things complicated. This time, Waverly had full access to Nicole’s lips and body, and she moved herself over a bit more, carefully grabbing Nicole’s neck. She was mindful of the bruises and wounds on Nicole’s face, but she wanted Nicole closer, and Nicole obliged. They were still kissing, and pretty soon, Waverly could feel Nicole’s arm around her, and her chest pressed against her. It felt perfect, and Waverly felt like she was floating. 

After some time, Waverly pulled back just a bit to breathe. Nicole was looking at her with a dopey smile, breathing heavier, cheeks pink. And even though Waverly’s body desperately wanted to continue what they were doing, she could also see how tired Nicole was. She leaned in for one more brief kiss and pulled herself back a little more.

“As much as I would love to just keep kissing you, I should actually let you get some sleep, I think.”

Nicole’s lips pulled into a little pout, and Waverly laughed.

“Don’t worry, Nicole. There’s more where that came from. And as soon as you’re healed up, I plan to show you.”

That earned Waverly another big smile.

“Okay, okay. I guess you’re right. You’re just so damn kissable.”

“So are you! More soon.” She placed another quick peck against Nicole’s lips. “Good night, Nicole. Sleep well, okay? And if I hog the covers, just poke me.”

“Good night, Waverly. Sweet dreams.”

Chapter Text

Waverly woke up very early the next morning. She knew it was early because the sun was barely up yet, the light coming through the window showing only a faint glimmer of daylight. It took her a few seconds to remember where she was, and then it hit her with a bang. She was at Nicole’s, in bed, with Nicole next to her. The next thing she noticed was that she couldn’t move. She was on her side, and she could feel and see Nicole’s arm draped over her waist, holding her against her body. Waverly could feel Nicole against her back, could feel her breath in a soothing rhythm. In front of her, Nicole’s cat had curled herself against Waverly’s chest. She was well and truly sandwiched in between a cat and a very warm body behind her.

For a while, Waverly just laid there, enjoying the peacefulness of it all. She didn’t know at what point in the night Nicole had rolled over to be her big spoon, and she was a little bit surprised by this level of closeness, but she enjoyed how safe and warm she felt. After some time, Waverly knew she had to move, though. She needed to go to the bathroom. With small, cautious movements, she tried to extract herself from Nicole’s arms, but as soon as she did, Nicole stirred a bit and tightened her grip on Waverly. Waverly giggled a little and tried again, with the same result. Nicole pulled her even closer.

Then, she felt, more than heard, Nicole mumble into her neck.

“Mmm…stay. ’S too early.”

Waverly smiled. Grumbly Nicole was adorable.

“I’ll be back, I promise. I just have to go to the bathroom real quick.”

She heard a huff behind her and something that sounded like a whine, but Nicole released her and Waverly got up, which earned her a glare from CJ. She mouthed a quick “sorry” at the cat and headed into the bathroom.

By the time she got back, the cat was gone and Nicole had rolled more onto her side of the bed. Waverly wondered whether she had felt a bit weird about waking up with Waverly in her arms like that. She crawled back under the covers and just laid on her back for a few seconds when she felt Nicole’s arm reach for her again. Her eyes were still closed but she was clearly at least somewhat awake. Waverly smiled and nestled herself into the space right next to Nicole again and allowed her to pull her close. Nicole buried her face into Waverly’s neck, goosebumps erupting when she felt soft breaths against the sensitive skin there.

“Are you always up so early?” Nicole mumbled into Waverly’s hair. “I don’t even think the birds are awake yet.”

Waverly laughed a bit then.

“My whole sleep-wake rhythm is always a bit out of whack. Comes with working strange shifts.”

“Mm.”

Nicole pulled her closer, pressing her own body against Waverly’s from shoulder to ankle. Waverly’s body reacted with a shiver, followed by a flash of heat that travelled from her chest outward in all directions. She felt comfortable, yes, but she was also acutely aware of just how good Nicole’s body felt against her own. She could feel her pulse quicken and her breathing pick up a bit.

“Feels good.” Nicole whispered.

“Yeah.”

Waverly didn’t move. She felt Nicole press a very light, barely there kiss against her neck, and just as she was about to turn around to face the other woman, a loud shrieking noise interrupted them.

Nicole jumped a bit and then turned to her side of the bed where she found the culprit: her phone.

“Urgh. Stupid alarm. I forgot to turn it off last night. Sorry!”

She rolled back over and was about to lean on her elbow when she winced loudly. 

“And I forgot about the stupid elbow.”

She flopped onto her back, sighing dramatically.

“Hey, it’s okay. I assume the alarm was set because you have to go to work?”

“I do, but not until noon. I meant to change it last night, but got distracted.”

Nicole sent a dazzling grin her way, and Waverly was immediately reminded of how they had ended their evening, kissing in bed.

“Distracted, huh?”

“Yeah. Very much so. In the best way.”

Waverly smiled. She wanted to lean in for a kiss, but she thought that morning breath kisses were maybe a little too intimate for the stage they were at. As she was debating what to do, Nicole’s cat reappeared and jumped on the bed, meowing loudly. Nicole chuckled.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, CJ. You’re starving. You’re such a drama queen.”

Waverly smiled at the interaction between Nicole and her cat. CJ kept meowing while moving around in circles between the two women in bed, rubbing her head against whatever body parts she could get to. Nicole looked up and straight at Waverly and after a few seconds, she leaned in and kissed Waverly. It was slow and soft and Waverly forgot all about her earlier reservations. When Nicole pulled back, Waverly almost let out a soft whine. This felt entirely too good and she didn’t want it to end.

“Okay, Miss Early Bird. How about some breakfast?”

“Mmm. Sounds good.”

Nicole got up and Waverly followed her into the kitchen. After feeding the cat, both women took stock of what Nicole had in her fridge and pantry.

“I’m an oatmeal and fruit kind of girl in the mornings, so I have everything for that. And there’s coffee and tea and I have some almond milk in the fridge for smoothies. Does any of that sound appealing? If not, we can head down to the diner that’s only a few blocks away.”

Waverly smiled. She really wasn’t ready yet to share Nicole with the outside world again.

“Oatmeal sounds good. How about you let me make it and you get yourself showered and ready for work?’

“Waverly, you don’t have to do that. I can make breakfast.”

“I know you can, Nicole. But I also know that you’ll likely need some time to get yourself ready and cover up all of that road rash properly. I don’t mind, and CJ will keep me company.”

Nicole hesitated a bit.

“Okay, but let me at least get the coffee started for us.”

“Deal.”

They moved around the kitchen together for a little while, Nicole pulling out a French Press and some expensive looking Hawaiian coffee, while Waverly got out everything she needed to make some oatmeal. When Nicole disappeared in the bathroom to get ready, Waverly found her phone and pulled up some music, humming along to her favourite tunes.

She was so focussed on her task that she almost didn’t notice when Nicole reappeared behind her. Waverly turned to see the other woman standing in the kitchen wearing dark cargo shorts, work boots and a white tank top, holding a dark short sleeved work shirt in her hand. Waverly could see strong, well defined shoulders and arms with the most ridiculous t-shirt tan lines she had ever seen. Nicole’s skin was so pale that the contrast between the parts that were usually covered up by her cycling jersey and the exposed lower arms was even more pronounced. It made Waverly giggle. Nicole noticed what she was looking at and she grimaced a little.

“Yeah, I know. The tan lines are pretty epic this time of year. I’m actually surprised you didn’t comment on the leg ones last night. They’re even better than these, especially with the added sock lines.”

Waverly shook her head and smiled. She had been so worried about Nicole’s injuries that she didn’t notice anything else. But now she couldn’t help but think about how much she really wanted to see Nicole’s legs, without shorts or bandages.

“Trust me, Nicole, I plan on spending some time with all your tan lines very soon.”

At that, Nicole blushed and smirked.

“I can’t wait.” She said seriously. “Right now, I was going to ask you for a favour.”

“Yes?”

Nicole lifted one hand that was holding some very light gauze and a few other supplies.

“I have to…wear my work shirt at the shop, and it’s pretty stiff and scratchy. Most days, I don’t mind, but with the road rash, I kind of want to cover that up a bit before I put the shirt on. But I can’t really reach the back of my shoulder very well, so I was hoping…”

“Of course I’ll help you with that.”

Waverly stepped closer to Nicole and took the gauze and tape from her, nudging her gently to turn around a bit. She cut off a piece of gauze that would be big enough to cover the exposed part of Nicole’s shoulder, with the tank top covering most of her upper back already. With gentle hands, she carefully placed the gauze on Nicole’s skin, noticing that it felt hot to the touch, truly like a burn. She cut a few pieces of tape and secured the gauze, trying her best not to tape it directly to any red or scabbed parts. When she was done, she leaned forward and pressed a very light kiss in the middle of the gauze against Nicole’s shoulder.

“There. All done.”

Nicole turned around to face her, a shy smile on her lips.

“Thank you.”

She pulled on her work shirt and buttoned it up, leaving the top two buttons undone. Waverly stepped closer and gently traced the name patch that was stitched on just above one of the chest pockets.

“You look…”

Nicole raised an eyebrow. “Waverly,” her tone was low and growly, “don’t you dare make a name joke!”

Waverly just grinned and pushed herself up on her toes, silencing Nicole with a kiss.

“I was going to say that you look very professional and capable, and if I had a bike, the only person I would want working on it is you.”

“Uh huh. Why is it that I think you were about to say something else?”

Waverly put her hand on her chest in mock exasperation.

“Nicole Haught, are you calling me a liar?”

“Never, Waverly. Never.”

They both giggled then. Waverly enjoyed that things with Nicole could move from tender and serious to goofy and fun and back in the blink of an eye. It felt comfortable and good. She remembered how other dates in the past often felt like work to her, where the conversations dragged or got awkward. With Nicole, things just felt right.

They sat down and enjoyed their breakfast, sharing easy banter and their plans for the rest of the week. At some point, their conversation turned to when they might be able to see each other again.

“I actually get next weekend off work. I had booked it off a while ago. Ash and I had plans to drive into the mountains for some solid trail riding, but we’re both out of commission now. If you want, I could come up to Purgatory?”

Waverly paused mid-chew.

“I would love that, Nicole. But are you sure that you don’t want to spend time with Ashley?”

“Well, I’m sure her boyfriend will be glad to have her at home for a while now. He’s a good guy and he’ll likely pamper the shit out of her for the next few weeks. I would just be hanging out at home with CJ anyway.”

“Okay, in that case, I would love for you to come and stay with me. I’ll think of something we can do that isn’t super physical.”

Nicole grinned. “Well, I wouldn’t mind some physical activities.”

Waverly shook her head and laughed.

“We’ll see about that.”

They finished up breakfast and Waverly offered to drive Nicole to the bike shop, since it was on her way out of town anyway. When she pulled up to the shop, Nicole unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned over for a quick kiss.

“Thank you again for coming to see me, Waverly. I’m sorry that the crash messed up the plans a bit, but I truly enjoyed just spending time with you. And waking up with you in my bed felt amazing.”

“Mm, I agree. Best part of the day.”

Waverly carefully brushed her hand against Nicole’s cheek and pressed another soft kiss against her lips before she got out of the car and disappeared into the shop. Waverly watched and smiled. Nicole really did look hot in her work uniform.

Chapter Text

Back in Purgatory, Waverly spent the next few days throwing herself into work. She was determined to get through the week without being the distracted disaster she had been the previous week. Sure, she spent a lot of time reminiscing and day dreaming about that morning in Nicole’s bed, but she did her best to not let that get in the way of getting her tasks done. She was expecting a visitor for the weekend, so she had to get the Homestead in tip top shape before then. And she had to work. She took on a couple of extra shifts during the week and convinced one of the other staff members to take over her Saturday shift so she could spend the weekend with Nicole. That meant that when Waverly wasn’t at work doing double shifts, she was at home cleaning and redecorating.

On Wednesday, Chrissy had agreed to come over after work and help her move around some furniture. It also doubled as their catch-up time, and in between shoving the couch into a different corner and polishing the old wood floor, Waverly told her friend all about her night at Nicole’s.

“Wait, so you’re saying you slept in the same bed and kissed but nothing more?”

“That’s what I’m saying. Nicole could barely move without wincing in pain all evening, so I’m giving her some time to heal before we take this any further.”

“Ah, fair enough. I’m not sure I would have had your level of self-restraint, though.”

Waverly laughed.

“I’m not saying it was easy. Especially when I woke up and she was spooning me.”

“Ah, so there was a bit more than kissing after all?”

Waverly slapped Chrissy with the rag she was holding.

“Get your mind out of the gutter, Chris. We were sleeping and she’s apparently pretty cuddly when she wakes up in the morning. Nothing more.”

“Alright, alright.”

They laughed and continued cleaning the Homestead. After a couple of hours, they decided to call the one and only local food establishment that delivered to the outlying properties in Purgatory. Waverly had just refilled Chrissy’s wine glass when they heard a knock at the door.

“Wow, that was fast.”

Waverly got up to get their food and opened the door to none other than her sister.

“Wynonna?”

“What’s up, babygirl?”

Waverly just stood at the door, mouth hanging open, and watched her sister push her way into the house and drop a dusty old backpack on the floor.

“What…why….what are you doing here? I thought you were in Greece?”

“I was. And now I’m here. Hey Chrissy! How’s it going? Is that wine for me? Because I’m very thirsty! Did you know they don’t allow alcohol on the Greyhound?”

“Hey Wynonna! I didn’t know you were coming back to town. Waverly never said anything.”

Chrissy looked at her friend with raised eyebrows, unsure of what was going on in that moment. Waverly just shrugged her shoulders, looking equally as confused.

“That’s because I didn’t know. Wynonna, what are you doing back home? How come you never said you were coming?”

“Geez, Waverly, what’s with the interrogation? Way to make a girl feel welcome. I just thought it was time to come back. I thought you’d be happy to see me.”

“I…I am. This is just a little…unexpected.”

The three women were startled by another knock. This time it was the delivery guy with two bags of Chinese food.

“You guys ordered food for me? Aw. You shouldn’t have, but thank you!”

Wynonna grabbed the bags and took them into the kitchen, leaving a dumbstruck Chrissy and Waverly at the door to pay for it. They both just shrugged at each other and made their way into the kitchen. They divided the food, albeit a little less equally than Waverly would have liked, and shared a meal in the newly redecorated living room. After a while, Chrissy excused herself and drove home, squeezing Waverly’s arm in support as she left.

“Call me if you need anything, okay?”

“Thanks, Chrissy. And thanks for helping me here today.”

Waverly turned back around and found her sister sprawled out on the couch. She took a few seconds to collect her thoughts before she walked over and sat down.

“So, tell me about Greece.”

And with that, the sisters spent the night catching up, or rather, Wynonna spent it sharing wild stories from her travels while Waverly was sitting there, listening and wondering what had happened that brought her sister back. She was happy to see her, she truly was, but she would have preferred a bit of a heads up to plan for this. She wasn’t sure whether Wynonna was just passing through or not, and having her here most definitely threw a wrench in her plans for the weekend with Nicole.

After a few hours of listening to Wynonna’s stories, Waverly excused herself to her bedroom, while Wynonna stayed on the couch, insisting that she’d rather sleep there than in her old childhood room. Waverly had grabbed her a few blankets and pillows and left her sister with the remaining bottle of wine.

“We’re gonna have to talk about your choice of alcohol, babygirl. I can run into town tomorrow to get some proper stuff.”

Waverly rolled her eyes.

“Night, Wynonna. Sleep well.”

When she was sitting on her bed, she found herself feeling a bit dazed and overwhelmed. Having Wynonna home all of a sudden made her head spin. She pulled out her phone to text Nicole.

W: So…something happened tonight. My sister came home.
W: I had no idea she was even planning to come for a visit.
W: I’m also not sure if this is a visit or if she is staying.

N: Wow. That sounds like a strange evening for you.
N: How are you doing with that?
N: I know you prefer to be able to plan ahead a bit. So a surprise visit probably isn’t on your list of things you enjoy.

W: I’m okay. A bit shocked. I’m glad to have her back, though.
W: This might change our plans for the weekend. She’s staying at my place, well, our place. I don’t know how you feel about visiting now, since that’ll mean having to contend with my sister while you’re here
W: She’s not a bad person or anything. Just a…big personality.

There was a bit of a pause in the texts, and Waverly wasn’t sure how to interpret that. She hoped that Nicole would still be up for coming to see her, but she also knew that she was throwing a big unknown at her. They still didn’t know each other all that well, and Wynonna was definitely a wildcard. Waverly assumed that Nicole might need some time to think about it. But then, her phone pinged.

N: I’m okay to still come up for the weekend if you’re okay with that.
N: But we can also find another time for that if you would rather spend the time with your sister and catch up. That would be totally understandable, too.
N: I’m good with whatever you’re most comfortable with, Waverly. Honestly.

W: Nicole, I really want to spend the weekend with you. Having Wynonna here is unexpected and weird, but I don’t want that to change our plans.
W: As long as you’re okay with that.

N: I am. And, just to remind you, I work with little kids once a week, so I know a thing or two about dealing with big personalities.
N: :)

Waverly laughed at that. Nicole had a good point. Dealing with Wynonna was often more akin to dealing with a five year old, so if Nicole could handle that, she should be okay with meeting her sister.

W: Sounds good. You still okay to come up Friday evening after work and meet me at Shorty’s?

N: Yep. I’m already looking forward to it.

They exchanged a few more texts before saying goodnight, and Waverly felt more settled. Texting with Nicole and ensuring that their weekend plans were still on was important to her. Now she would just have to figure out how to tell Wynonna about Nicole and the weekend visit. She was out to her sister, so she wasn’t worried about that part. But she also remembered the last time Wynonna met a potential date and how that encounter ended with her sister pulling out the ridiculously large family heirloom gun and threatening the poor girl. Waverly never heard from her again after that and she really, really wanted to avoid a similar situation between her sister and Nicole.

She flopped back on her bed and stared at the ceiling.

Fudgenuggets!

Chapter Text

Waverly didn’t sleep well that night; she couldn’t seem to manage to slow down the mess of thoughts swirling through her mind. At some point, after hours of tossing and turning, she gave up and got up. It was early still, but she decided to start making some breakfast. She could always try for a short nap later.

She was in the middle of plopping some toast into the toaster when she heard Wynonna shuffle into the kitchen behind her.

“I’m sure it’s illegal to make this much noise before the sun is fully up.”

Waverly chuckled a bit at that. 

“I’m sorry. I’m not really used to having someone else in the house anymore. I didn’t even notice I was making a bunch of noise.”

Wynonna waved it off.

“It’s okay. I was only half asleep anyway. My body is still on European time.”

“There’s coffee if you want some. Toast?”

“Coffee sounds good. Thanks, babygirl.”

They both sat around the small kitchen table, Wynonna burying her face in her coffee mug and Waverly idly chewing on her toast. She wanted to talk to her sister about Nicole, about her weekend plans, but she didn’t know where to start. So for now, she kept her mouth busy, buying herself some time to find the right words. Before she got there, Wynonna cleared her throat.

“Listen, Waverly, I know this was unannounced, me showing up last night. And I don’t want you to think that you have to change anything about, well, everything, just because I’m here.”

“It’s okay, Wynonna. I love having you here. I’m glad you’re home.”

Wynonna grimaced at that. 

“Wave, I know you. You’ve probably spent the whole night scribbling things on a flip chart to adjust your plans around me being here.”

That mental image made Waverly laugh.

“Okay, maybe the surprise visit part threw me a little. But I’m still glad you’re here. You’re staying, right? At least for a while?”

Wynonna shrugged, almost spilling her coffee in the process.

“I think so. We’ll see. I’m not exactly one for long term plans.”

They both fell silent for a bit after that. Waverly was staring into her coffee, still trying to decide how to bring up the topic of Nicole. She was nervous and moving around in her chair, trying to get comfortable.

“Alright, Wave, spit it out. I can see that you’re working on a whole speech in your head right now. And you’re making me dizzy with all your fidgeting.”

“I…how did you…okay, yeah. There is something. I had…no, I have plans for this weekend. With someone. A date, actually, a weekend visit…”

Waverly trailed off, not sure how exactly to phrase the rest of what she had to say. Wynonna leaned back in her chair and smirked at her.

“Okay. Go on.”

Waverly knew she was blushing at this point, nervous for a whole host of reasons, but she continued.

“She’s a cyclist. I met her a few weeks ago at a race, and I…I really like her, Wynonna. She lives in the city, but she’s coming up here for the weekend, and she’s staying with me.”

“Okay. Does your cyclist have a name?”

“She’s not my cyclist. Why does everyone keep saying that? Her…her name’s Nicole.”

“Alright, I get it. You invited Nicole here for the weekend so you can get laid, and now I’m here and you’re worried I’ll ruin your plans.”

“Wynonna!”

“What? You’re telling me you didn’t have plans to do the nasty with her?”

“No, actually, I didn’t, Wynonna. She, uh, she crashed last weekend in a race and is likely still too hurt to…I don’t even know why I’m telling you this.”

“I don’t know either, babygirl. If you’re not worried about me cock-blocking you…or, wait, do you guys even call it that or do you prefer some other term? But, seriously, Waves, what are you worried about?”

Waverly sighed. This conversation was not going according to plan at all.

“Do you remember the last time I had a girl over for a date when you were here? That was a few years ago. Do you remember what you did?”

Wynonna’s face was scrunched up in confusion. She looked like she was trying to remember but coming up empty, so Waverly pressed on.

“You threatened her. With Peacemaker. You pointed a gun at my date, Wynonna.”

That description seemed to jog Wynonna’s memory and she frowned.

“Waverly, that gun wasn’t even loaded. And it…it didn’t mean anything. I was likely drunk and it was a joke.”

“Yeah, well. Loaded or not, she didn’t know that. You chased her out of the house and she never talked to me again after that. And I would really like to make sure that doesn’t happen again. Especially not with Nicole!”

Waverly got up from her chair then and paced around the kitchen. She needed to make sure that her sister understood how important this was to her, and she wasn’t sure that she was getting anywhere with that.

Wynonna watched her for a little while and then got up to stop her pacing. She stood in Waverly’s path, forcing her to look up and at her.

“Listen, Waverly. I’m sorry. That was dumb and I’m sorry that it ruined things for you with that girl. I know I haven’t always been a great sister to you, but I can promise to try and be better.”

Waverly didn’t know how to respond to that, so she stayed silent, allowing Wynonna to continue.

“I promise I won’t threaten this Nicole woman, unless she deserves it. I mean, I do want to meet her and make sure she’s good enough for you…because I’m your sister and that’s my job. And that’s what Peacemaker is for, after all.”

That statement prompted Waverly to slap Wynonna’s shoulder.

“I’m kidding, babygirl. Well, sort of. But I can be on my best behaviour, for you. And if you want me to stay somewhere else this weekend, to give you guys space and private time, I will.”

Waverly could see that Wynonna was serious about that offer, and suddenly she felt guilty for ever thinking that her sister might do something that would jeopardize her time with Nicole.

“No Wynonna. You don’t have to leave. You just got back! And, I mean, where would you even go? This is your house, too.”

Waverly could see Wynonna’s face contort into a small smile. She knew that her sister had a hard time with seeing Purgatory as her home, and even more so with seeing the Homestead as anything other than a place that held hard memories and an occasional roof over her head.

“Waves, I mean it. If you want some alone time this weekend, I understand.”

Waverly placed both of her hands on Wynonna’s shoulders, forcing her sister to look right at her.

“Do you promise not to threaten her?”

“If she’s trustworthy, I won’t.”

“Okay. And do you promise not to knock on the wall and make lewd comments in the middle of the night?”

At that, Wynonna smirked.

“Way to spoil all the fun! But wait, didn’t you say Nicole was too hurt to do anything that might warrant those lewd comments?”

That last sentence made Waverly blush, because it revealed her own hopes as to where she wanted this weekend to go. Yes, Nicole had been hurt a few days ago, but Waverly was hoping that her injuries had healed at least to some degree, and that they might be able to go a little beyond the kissing that they had been doing so far. She groaned loudly, looking back at Wynonna. This was the kind of conversation that she was used to having with Chrissy, not with her sister.

“Well, yes…but in case she’s feeling, uh, better, I just want to make sure you’re not going to scare her away.”

“I knew it! You do want to get laid!”

Waverly huffed and rolled her eyes.

“Not the point. Can we…get back to you promising not to be rude if…if you do hear something that might sound like…uh…you know?”

Wynonna grinned and winked at her sister suggestively. 

“Yes, Waverly. I promise. And I’m sure with some earplugs and enough whiskey, you won’t even have to worry about me.”

Waverly scanned Wynonna’s face. She knew that her sister meant it when she said she would try and behave. It was just that Waverly knew that she could be, well, impulsive and not exactly think things through before acting. After a few seconds, she decided to trust her; to at least trust that if she did anything outrageous, it wouldn’t be to intentionally sabotage Waverly’s weekend. And she decided that she would give Nicole enough of a heads up about her sister’s personality that Nicole wouldn’t take it personally. Or at least she hoped she wouldn’t. 

She blew out a long breath. 

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah. Okay. Just, please don’t scare her away. She’ll actually be here tomorrow evening. She’s coming to Shorty’s after her work shift is over.”

“Alright. Drinks at Shorty’s it is. I’m in! And now, I’m going back to bed. All this talking early in the morning is exhausting!”

Waverly shook her head as she watched her sister retreat to the living room and collapse back on the couch. If she was being honest, going back to bed didn’t sound like a bad idea right about now, but she could also feel the general anxiety in her bones and knew she would only go back to tossing and turning some more. Instead, she decided to text Chrissy and see if she had time for a coffee catch-up before her friend had to be at work.

W: Think we can get together for coffee before you head to work?
W: On me

It didn’t take long to get a reply.

C: Absolutely. Meet you at the Java Hut in 20?
C: Everything okay?

W: Yeah, everything’s fine. I think.
W: Would just love to see your lovely self and maybe you can help me get over my nerves for my upcoming weekend with Nicole

C: I’ll do my best :)
C: See you in a few

Chapter Text

By the time Waverly arrived at the coffee shop, Chrissy was already there, waiting at a corner table. Waverly ordered and grabbed their coffees and joined her friend.

“Hey. You look like shit.”

“Thanks, Chrissy.”

“Seriously. You look tired. I mean, I don’t blame you. Wynonna showing up out of the blue would throw me for a loop, too.”

Waverly grimaced. Even though she felt a bit better about her sister being in town after their talk at breakfast, her head was still spinning a little, trying to adjust to this rapid new development.

“Yeah. I didn’t sleep much.”

Chrissy lifted her coffee mug and clinked it against Waverly’s.

“Hopefully, this will help. So…is Wynonna back for good? Or just visiting?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure. I talked to her a bit last night and then again this morning. She says she is going to hang around for a while, but you never know with her.”

Chrissy nodded, looking at her friend with concern.

“I mean, I’m glad she’s back, you know? She’s my sister, and I missed her. So of course I’m glad she’s back. It’s just her…her timing could be better.”

Chrissy nodded again but stayed silent. Waverly knew that her friend was giving her the time and space she needed to say what she needed to say. It was one of the things she loved dearly about Chrissy. She always knew when to nudge and push, but also when to just sit and let Waverly figure it out on her own.

“And, I mean, it would have been nice to get a bit of a heads up that she is coming. And now she’s here, and staying, and I wanted to spend the weekend with Nicole…”

At that, Chrissy did finally speak up.

“Did you postpone your plans with Nicole?”

Waverly shook her head.

“No. I talked to her. Told her that Wynonna is here and sort of left it up to her to decide if she was still up for coming here. And she is. She’ll be here tomorrow night as planned.”

Waverly could hear how her own voice got quieter and quieter during that sentence, insecurity seeping into her skin with every word she uttered. Nicole knew her sister was in town and Waverly had warned her about Wynonna’s personality, but she couldn’t help but worry that no amount of warning could prepare her for the experience that was Wynonna Earp.

“Okay. That’s good, right?”

“Yeah. I just…you know what Wynonna is like. And I worry that it’ll be too much. That it’ll push Nicole away. That Wynonna will say or do something stupid and I’ll never hear from her again.”

Waverly felt Chrissy’s hand on hers then, squeezing gently.

“Hey. I’m sure it’ll be okay.”

“I don’t know, Chris. I mean, I warned Nicole. Told her that Wynnona is kind of a lot. And she said she’ll be okay. And I talked to Wynonna this morning and told her Nicole is coming to town.”

“You did?”

“Yeah. I mean, it was weird. A weird conversation to have with someone you haven’t seen for years. But I told her about Nicole and made her promise not to do anything stupid.”

“Okay.” Chrissy let out a long breath. “Okay. That’s good. And hey, maybe those last few years away have helped Wynonna calm down a bit, too.”

Waverly laughed at that.

“Yeah right. You saw her last night, right?”

“I did. And sure, she showed up unannounced, ate most of our food and drank our wine. But at least she didn’t, I don’t know, start a drunken bonfire and set the Homestead on fire, or get the cops called out to your house on her first night back.”

That earned her a crooked grin from Waverly.

“You’re right. It could have been worse, I guess.”

“Much worse!”

They both laughed a bit then, and Waverly tried to let go of some of the tension that had taken up residence in her body ever since her sister stepped through the door last night.

“Waverly, it’ll be okay. You talked to them both. They both know about each other. That’s all you can do, really. And, I mean, come on. I’ve seen how Nicole looks at you. I’m sure she’d still be interested even if your family was the actual mafia.”

More laughter. It felt good, to be here talking to her friend. She felt more relaxed already and she was starting to realize that she really had done all that she could. She had made it very clear to Wynonna that Nicole meant a lot to her, and she hoped that her sister would stick to her word and behave while Nicole was in town. As for Nicole, all Waverly could do was hope that the connection they had was strong enough to withstand the whirlwind that a weekend with her sister around would likely be for all of them.

“Thanks Chrissy!”

“No problem, Waves. Also, I’ll be around. I can help keep Wynonna in check on Friday when Nicole gets here, and after that, if you need me as a buffer, just call and I’ll come over. Okay?”

Waverly could feel tears prick at the back of her eyes. Maybe it was because she was so tired and emotionally stressed out, but just knowing that her friend was here, supporting her, and offering to help meant more than she could say with words in that moment. So instead, she pulled Chrissy into a tight hug, trying to express her gratitude that way. Chrissy hugged her back and allowed her some time to collect herself before they both had to head out and face their days.

The rest of the day and most of the next day flew by. By late Friday afternoon, Waverly was both exhausted and a nervous mess knowing that Nicole was already on her way to Purgatory. She had sent Waverly a text when she left work not too long ago.

N: On my way now. I can’t wait to see you!
N: A little PSA: I didn’t have time to change after work, so you get me with chain grease all over my arms and all. I hope that’s okay.

W: More than okay, Nicole. I can’t wait to see for myself what you look like when you get a little dirty ;)
W: There’ll be a cold beer with your name on it waiting for you at Shorty’s!

Friday nights were always busy at the bar, with people from all over town coming in to end their work week with a few drinks and maybe a game of pool. Tonight was no exception. Chrissy was there, and Wynonna was over by the pool table harassing some of the locals into playing with her. Waverly barely had a chance to talk to either of them. But being busy helped with not constantly checking her phone to count the minutes until Nicole would get there. In fact, she was so busy that she didn’t actually notice Nicole come in until she saw a set of very familiar hands fiddle with a beer coaster at the end of the bar.

“Oh my god, Nicole! When did you get here?”

Waverly smiled brightly at her and was tempted to run around the bar and pull Nicole into a hug, but she stayed put for the time being, just squeezing the other woman’s hand instead.

“Hi Wave! Not…not long. Maybe a couple of minutes.”

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you. It’s been…a bit of a zoo in here tonight. Sorry.”

“Hey, no worries. You’re at work, I get it. I’ll just sit over here and relax, you do your thing.”

“Alright. You want a beer?”

“I’d love one. Something dark-ish if you have that.”

“Coming right up!”

Waverly walked over to the taps to get a beer for Nicole. She was in the middle of filling the glass when she saw that Chrissy had grabbed a chair next to Nicole, no doubt to chat and keep her entertained until things would slow down a bit for Waverly.

She spent the next hour or so serving customer after customer while Nicole and Chrissy seemed to be enjoying themselves. Out of the corner of her eye Waverly caught them chatting easily and joking with each other and it made her smile to see the two of them getting along so well.

After the dinner rush had died down Waverly found herself drifting over to Nicole and Chrissy, lingering when she could. It was only then that Wynonna must have noticed the new face and sauntered over from the pool table, grinning and winking at Waverly as she walked up to Nicole.

“So, you must be the cyclist that this one over here can’t stop talking about.” She extended her hand and Nicole shook it firmly. “I’m Wynonna, the sister she no doubt warned you about.”

Nicole smiled at that.

“She did…warn me. Nice to meet you. I’m Nicole.”

Wynonna smirked, her eyes flicking down to Nicole’s work shirt with the name patch.

“Haught? Like hot? Please tell me that is actually your last name and this isn’t just some shirt you grabbed at a second hand store.”

Nicole rolled her eyes, knowing full well where this was going.

“Nope, it’s my shirt. I came here right after work and didn’t have time to change. And before you start, let me just say for the record that I’m pretty sure I’ve heard every pun out there, so if you want to impress me with a good one, you have your work cut out for you.”

“Ah. That sounds like a challenge to me. Chrissy, what do you say? Was that a challenge? Because I’m absolutely up for that.”

Chrissy rolled her eyes and was just about to say something when Waverly cut in.

“Wynonna, Nicole literally just got here. At least give her time to order another beer before she has to put up with you making a mess of her name all night long.”

Waverly glanced at Nicole then, trying to impart with her expression that she was truly sorry for anything Wynonna would say to her. But Nicole just grinned.

“It’s okay, Waverly. Let's see if she can find one that is actually funny. No harm in that.”

While she was talking, she never took her eyes off Waverly, and it felt reassuring. Waverly could feel a slight blush make its way up her cheeks, but she also noticed just how solid Nicole was in her own personality. It made her feel less worried about what was about to transpire.

“Yeah, Waves, it’s okay. But please do get a refill here for Haught-stuff. On me.”

Waverly rolled her eyes. Wynonna hadn’t paid for a single one of her drinks since returning to Purgatory, and she doubted that that would change tonight. She knew that eventually, Gus would have to pull her aside and talk to her about the rather impressive tab she had managed to rack up already. But for tonight, Waverly simply did as told and added Nicole’s beer to said tab before she went back to serving her other customers.

The rest of the night was a bit of a blur for Waverly. The onslaught of customers was relentless and she had almost no time to chat with Nicole, or with Chrissy or Wynonna for that matter. The three women appeared to have fun in their corner at the bar, though, and Waverly was glad to see that Chrissy stuck around for almost the entire night.

When the activity in the saloon finally died down and the last customers were leaving, Waverly let out a sigh of relief. Wynonna and Nicole were still at the bar. Nicole was nursing her beer, having stuck to two plus a lot of water in between despite the ongoing urging from her sister to join her in her whiskey tasting endeavours. Waverly was in the middle of wiping down the bar when she heard her sister announce that she was leaving.

“Alright, Haught-wheels, it was nice to meet you tonight, even though you’re a total lightweight, but I’ve gotta go. Waverly, go take your girl home! And remember, no banging on my couch. I still have to sleep there when I get back tomorrow.”

“Wynonna!”

Waverly’s face had turned a dark shade of red and she was trying to think of a good comeback when the last few words of that sentence finally sank in.

“Wait, where are you staying tonight? You’re not coming home with us?”

“Not tonight, babygirl. I have a job interview very early tomorrow morning and Chrissy offered that I could crash in her guest room tonight. It means not having to drive all the way out to the Homestead and back into town tomorrow morning. Which means more time to just sleep for me! And you know this face, it needs its beauty rest. But I’ll see you two tomorrow night?”

Waverly’s brain was struggling to catch up with what her sister had just said, but eventually she managed to say “yeah, see you then” just before Wynonna was out the door and gone.

Just like that it was just her for the night and Nicole and Waverly couldn’t wait to get home. Gus, who had overheard some of the conversation from her spot near the pool tables where she was clearing off some tables simply waved at her.

“Go, Waverly. I’ve got this.”

Waverly frowned.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Go. Nice to meet you, Nicole! Make sure you get my niece home in one piece, yeah?”

“I will, Mrs McCready.” She gave Gus a little mock salute and held out her arm for Waverly, who looped her own into it and pulled Nicole out the door as fast as she could. Once outside, Nicole walked her over to her car but handed Waverly the keys.

“I’ve had two beers, so I probably shouldn’t. I hope that’s okay?”

“More than okay, Nicole. Also, you don’t know your way around here. I’m happy to drive.”

They got in the car, but before starting the engine, Waverly turned to face Nicole properly.

“Hi.”

Nicole was smiling brightly at her.

“Hi back.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t really hang out much tonight. It was just so busy. I hope Wynonna didn’t bug you too much?”

“Hey no. No worries at all. I knew you’d be working. It was all good, I had fun! Chrissy is hilarious. And Wynonna was fine. Bit heavy-handed on the Haught-puns, but otherwise fun and friendly.”

Waverly’s face scrunched up in confusion.

“Fun and friendly? Are we talking about the same Wynonna? The one who told us not to bang on her couch…and told us that within earshot of my aunt?”

She watched as Nicole’s facial expression went from smirk to shock as the implication of that last statement sank in for her.

“Oh shit.”

Waverly laughed then.

“Hey, it’s okay. I don’t think she heard that part. And if she did, that would be okay, too. Don’t worry.”

She leaned forward then and pressed a soft but short kiss against Nicole’s lips.

“I’ve been dying to do that all night!”

Dimples appeared and Nicole tilted her head sideways a bit, grinning.

“Me too!”

“Alright. How about I get us home now so I can kiss you properly, without car logistics to worry about?”

More grinning.

“Sounds good to me, Waverly!”

The drive to the Homestead didn’t take long but felt like an eternity to Waverly. Nicole had looped her fingers around Waverly’s right hand and was busy staring out of the window to try and make out the scenery outside. But living outside of town meant no street lights, no houses, so all Nicole could see were dark shapes of trees and maybe some ranch land. Every now and then, Waverly pointed out some landmarks that weren’t really visible in the dark, and both of them giggled at Nicole’s attempts to actually see anything out there.

When they pulled up to the Homestead, Waverly started feeling nervous again. She knew the house was old and falling apart in places. She had done her best to clean and make it more presentable, but it was still the Homestead, and she was worried about what Nicole might think. Nicole grabbed her bag and they walked up to the house, fingers laced together.

As they stepped across the threshold, Waverly stopped and watched Nicole take everything in.

“Wow. This is such a cool old place!”

Waverly could feel the shocked expression on her own face.

“You…uh…you like it?”

Nicole turned around to face her, looking excited and curious.

“Absolutely! This is amazing! It’s like even the nails in the walls have history, you know? Rustic, charming. Have you always lived here?”

At that, Waverly ducked her head a little. She was too exhausted to get into the Earp family history now, but she could see the fascination with the house written all over Nicole’s face.

“Yeah. It’s our family home. I grew up here, until I moved away for a while to live with my aunt. I moved back here a couple of years ago, though. I’m trying to keep it from falling apart completely, and let me tell you, some days, that’s not as easy as it sounds.”

Waverly could tell that Nicole was watching her closely, waiting. She’d done this before, just giving Waverly the space to decide if she wanted to continue talking about her family or change the topic. This time, Waverly decided to steer them toward her bedroom and get them settled for the night. There would be more than enough time to talk this weekend, but right now, all she wanted was to curl up next to the other woman.

“Here, this is the bedroom. And the bathroom is across the hall. I put a towel out for you by the sink. Do you need anything else?”

“No, I think I’m good. Thank you!”

Waverly smiled and pushed Nicole into the bathroom. Instead of just sitting on the bed and waiting for her turn, she walked back downstairs into the kitchen to make some tea. By the time she came back upstairs, Nicole was sitting on her bed in her shorts and t-shirt combo. She could see that the road rash was still there but had healed significantly since the last time they had seen each other. And her elbow looked less swollen but still covered in shades of blue and green.

“I made some tea. Herbal, not caffeinated. You want some? Or some water?”

Nicole smiled.

“I’m good. I drank a ton of water at the bar. Thank you, though.”

“Your injuries look…better.”

Nicole glanced down at her body and grimaced a little.

“Yeah. The hip is still pretty sore, but the rest is much better.”

“Good! That…I’m so glad to hear that.”

Waverly carefully placed her mug of tea on the table next to her bed. Her nerves were out in full force again. Realistically, she was beyond tired and really just wanted to sleep. But just having Nicole here with her set her imagination on fire.

“I’m gonna hop in the bathroom and get ready. Make yourself comfortable.”

“Okay. Uh. Wave…”

“Yeah?”

“Do you…is there a side of the bed that’s yours?”

“Not really. I usually kind of sleep in the middle? So, just pick a side and I’ll try not to roll right on top of you later.”

When she realized what she had just said, Waverly’s eyes went wide and she quickly turned around and practically ran into the bathroom.

What the fuck, Waverly?! Roll right on top of her? Super subtle!

It took splashing some cold water in her face and several minutes of breathing techniques for Waverly to regain some composure. She finished her routine and slipped back into the bedroom, where she found Nicole under the covers on the far side of the bed. Waverly crawled in beside her and laid on her back, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. After a few seconds, she felt a hand on her forearm.

“Hey…”

Waverly glanced over, but didn’t know what to say.

“Waverly, I…I want you to know that…that you don’t have to be nervous with me, okay? I like you. And the way you kiss me makes me feel all warm and fluttery inside, and in case it hasn’t been completely obvious, I think you are very, very attractive, so of course I wouldn’t mind if we…take this a step further. But only if you want to, and only when you’re ready.”

Waverly could feel herself exhale, but her voice wasn’t ready to respond just yet. She felt Nicole cup her cheek and brush her thumb against her skin.

“I really do want that, Waverly. But how about tonight we just sleep?”

“Oh god, yes please.”

The words tumbled out of her mouth before Waverly even had a chance to think. And for a moment, she was mortified. Here she was, in bed with an insanely hot woman who just told her she was up for more than kissing, and Waverly had jumped at the first opportunity to shut her down and opt for sleep instead.

“I mean, I don’t want you to think that I don’t want to…I do. I just…it’s been such a long day and I’m afraid I’m about to pass out. And I really, really want to be able to give you my full attention when we…”

Nicole cut her off with a kiss then. It was brief and when she pulled back, Waverly could see and hear the amusement in the other woman’s voice.

“Waverly, it’s all good. Don’t worry, okay? And for the record…I'm more of a morning person anyway.”

That made Waverly grin.

"Okay. Good to know."

Nicole leaned back in for another kiss, this one longer and so very soft that Waverly almost felt like she was dissolving into the air in the room. When Nicole pulled back, Waverly looked at her and took a moment to truly appreciate the woman in front of her.

“You’re amazing, Nicole. Thank you!”

“So are you! Now, sleep. The sooner you do, the sooner it'll be morning.”

At that, a slow grin spread across Nicole’s face and Waverly felt the skin on her chest and cheeks heat up like someone was holding a flame to them. She smiled and then hid her face in her pillow. They both settled into the bed and Waverly could feel Nicole’s arm draped over her waist. She let her own hand rest on Nicole’s forearm, squeezing gently.

“Good night, Nicole.”

“Night, Wave.”

Chapter Text

When Waverly woke up the next morning, she was curled completely into Nicole’s body. Their legs were entangled and her arm was resting on the other woman’s stomach, and because Nicole’s t-shirt had shifted during the night, her arm was right on Nicole’s skin. Unlike the last time when they woke up together, Waverly didn’t wonder about the closeness or feel like she should move back. Instead, she shifted even closer, nuzzling her face into Nicole’s shoulder.

Nicole was still asleep, breathing softly and in a steady rhythm. Waverly took some time to really notice what it felt like to be so close to her. Nicole was warm, from sleep, but also just in general. Waverly had already noticed a few times now that Nicole’s body seemed to run a few degrees warmer than hers. She smelled nice, like a combination of vanilla and various other smells that reminded her of being in Uncle Curtis’ garage when she would watch him fix up the lawnmower. There was a hint of sweat there, too, but it wasn’t unpleasant at all. It was all just very Nicole.

Waverly could still see where Nicole’s skin on her chin had taken a beating, and there was a faint patch of yellow on her jaw where it was still a little bruised. The rest of her road rash on her shoulder and back wasn’t visible in this position, but Waverly could see Nicole’s legs sticking out sideways from underneath the blanket and saw the marred skin there. It didn’t look as bad as last Monday, when the side of the leg had looked like someone had run a cheese grater over it repeatedly. Now, it looked mostly scabbed over and less angry than before. As her eyes were trailing down further along Nicole’s long legs, she finally noticed the tan lines Nicole had mentioned in passing, and it was a sight to behold. The upper parts of Nicole’s thighs were mostly covered by her shorts, but Waverly could see a strip of very pale skin, and then, starting just above Nicole’s knees, the skin was deeply tanned down to just above her ankles. Her feet were completely white, and it almost looked like she was wearing socks in bed. The sight made Waverly giggle slightly and because she didn’t want to wake Nicole, she tried to turn her head into her pillow to muffle the sound.

“Mmm. What’s so funny?”

Nicole’s voice was hoarse and grumbly from sleep and a good octave lower than her usual talking voice. Hearing it did something to Waverly, but she was also still trying to control her giggles.

“Nothing, nothing.”

Nicole turned over a little and firmly gripped Waverly’s waist, pulling her closer. The grip made Waverly squeak and squirm, now fully unable to stop the giggle fit that was taking over.

“If it’s nothing, then why is your face red?”

Waverly was snorting now, trying to extract herself from Nicole’s grip.

“It’s just…I just…those tan lines…”

At that, Nicole released her and pulled back a little, trying for a mock stern expression that didn’t quite work out because Waverly could see the sleepy grin that was stretched across her face.

“Waverly Earp, are you laughing at me? At my hard earned cycling tan?”

Waverly was still giggling and could barely breathe.

“I would never…okay…yes…I’m totally laughing at you. It just looks too funny. Your feet! They are so white. I’m pretty sure they are their own source of light in the dark.”

Now Nicole was giggling, too.

“Yeah, yeah. Hey, at least you’ll always be able to find me in a dark room.”

When Waverly’s giggle fit finally died down somewhat, she propped herself up on her elbow and looked over at Nicole, who was still grinning at her.

“Good morning. Did you sleep okay?”

“You mean before I woke up to you making fun of my feet?”

“I wasn’t making fun of your feet! Just your tan. Your feet are perfectly fine, just for the record.”

“Okay, good to know. And yes, I did sleep well. How about you?”

“I did, too. I’m pretty sure I was out like a light last night.”

Nicole didn’t respond in that moment, just looked at Waverly and moved herself a bit to put her hand on Waverly’s waist again. Waverly could feel the mood shift in the blink of an eye.

“Best part, though, was waking up with you.”

“Yeah?”

Waverly could feel Nicole’s hand move up and down her waist now, not straying far, but moving around enough that she could feel it against her skin and the contact made her shiver. In response, she leaned over and kissed Nicole. It started soft and slow, but when Waverly shifted her body to press herself more firmly against the other woman, the kiss quickly became more heated, earning a pleased gasp from Nicole. Waverly could feel that Nicole’s hands had slipped just under the edge of her shirt on her lower back, holding her steady. It felt like an anchor, a grounding force and she was deeply grateful for that because within seconds, her brain had gone from goofy morning fun to completely incoherent. She had been thinking about this moment for a while, and now it was here and it felt like Waverly was being swept away by a rip tide.

Her own hands moved under Nicole’s t-shirt, careful not to push too far at first. But when her first tentative touches led to more gasps and Nicole pulling her more fully on top of her, Waverly’s movements became more confident. She wanted to be absolutely, 100% sure that they were both on board with where things were going in that moment, so she pulled back from their kiss and hovered above Nicole, seeking eye contact.

“Nicole, are you sure?”

Nicole was a little breathless from their kissing, but replied instantly.

“Very sure.”

“Okay, and you’re healed enough? Nothing hurts?”

At that, Waverly watched Nicole’s expression shift and soften, saw that the other woman was struggling to swallow. It was almost like Nicole wasn’t used to someone checking in with her, making sure she was comfortable. Waverly waited for her to answer, not wanting to spook her then.

Nicole’s voice was a little shaky when she finally replied. “I’m good, Waverly. I want this. I want you.”

“Good. Because I want you, too!”

This time, Nicole was the one who initiated the kiss, leaning up and pulling Waverly’s head down to crash their lips together. What had been soft and gentle before quickly turned passionate and fiery. For a few brief seconds Waverly felt waves of nerves wash over her, but that quickly disappeared when Nicole pulled both of their shirts off with confident movements. And for the first time in Waverly’s life, she was able to not think, to just be in the moment, and it was glorious. They shared gasps and quiet laughter, traded moans and explored each other in a way that felt both almost unreal and too real to Waverly. And yes, there were a few awkward moments that come with being with someone new for the first time, but instead of dwelling on them, Waverly found herself just rolling with it all, moving with Nicole and allowing herself to get completely lost in the experience.

When both women had come back down to earth a while later, Waverly found herself in the exact position she had woken up in: tucked into Nicole’s side, her arm across her stomach, legs entwined. Only now, they were both naked and Waverly could truly bathe in the glory that was Nicole’s firm but soft body. They were both still breathing a little harder than normal, and Waverly could feel Nicole’s stomach move with the breaths she was taking. She ran her hand over her abs, up her side and to her neck, pulling Nicole closer for another kiss.

“You’re incredible, do you know that?”

Waverly ducked her head and blushed, unable to respond right away.

“You really are. And I don’t just mean this…” Nicole was waving her hand between both of their bodies. “I mean in general. I’ve never felt so drawn to someone before. It’s like a moth to light situation. But I do also mean this. That was…wow.”

“Yeah. Wow is right.”

They both chuckled a bit then, bathing in the afterglow but also in their shared memories of their morning together. After a few minutes, their moment was interrupted by Nicole’s stomach growling loudly. It made Waverly laugh.

“Oh wow. That was loud and clear! Let’s get you some breakfast before this gets out of control.”

Nicole blushed a little, looking slightly embarrassed, but quickly got up and followed Waverly into the kitchen. After some debate, they settled on a tofu scramble and fruit, opting for easy and quick over the more elaborate suggestions Waverly had come up with. It was a good choice because in between preparing their food, the two women kept stealing kisses and touches, meaning that it took a lot longer than anticipated before they were finally digging in. Nicole in particular was practically inhaling her food, and it made Waverly’s eyebrows shoot up a little.

“Nicole, did you eat dinner last night?”

With her mouth still full, Nicole sent her a sheepish grin. After she chewed and swallowed her food, she replied.

“Um. Not really. I had a quick snack before I left work, and then just forgot.”

Waverly shook her head at that. She had been so busy at the bar last night that she didn’t pay attention to whether Nicole had ordered food or not. She got up and grabbed the pan, scooping a second helping of the scramble onto the other woman’s plate. Nicole smiled gratefully and continued eating, looking only slightly less like a starved animal than before.

After a few more bites of food and a couple of sips of coffee, Nicole came up for air.

“So, tell me, what do you have planned for today?”

“Right. So, since you’re feeling better injury-wise, I was thinking I could take you for a little hike? It’s nothing too strenuous, just a nice little trail that leads to my favourite lake around here. And we could go for a swim!”

Waverly was excited about her plan. She loved that lake and loved the idea of just spending some time with Nicole, away from everyone else. However, she immediately noticed a look of slight panic on Nicole’s face.

“Oh. I…uh…I didn’t bring anything to swim in, though. Did you tell me to and I forgot?”

Waverly laughed.

“No, silly. You don’t need wear anything to swim in that lake. It’s super secluded and hardly anyone knows about it.”

A smirk appeared on Nicole’s face.

“We’re going skinny dipping?”

Waverly smirked right back.

“Well, I did tell you that I wanted to spend some exclusive time with your tan lines, remember? And I promise not to laugh this time.”

Nicole got up from her chair and moved over to Waverly, leaning down for a kiss but she didn’t quite pull all the way back when the kiss was over. Instead, she brushed her lips along the shell of Waverly’s ear, leaving a trail of smaller kisses before she whispered:

“Alright then. Let’s go and get naked. Again.”

Chapter Text

It had taken a little longer for Waverly and Nicole to get ready for their lake swimming adventure. Between stealing kisses and getting distracted by the views when she watched Nicole change into her outfit for the day, Waverly spent a lot of time thinking about how she had woken up that morning. In those moments, she could barely form a coherent thought and as a result, she almost forgot to pack the essentials, like towels, for their trip. When they finally made it out of the house, Waverly remembered to shoot a quick text to Wynonna to let her know where they were going and when they would be back.

W: Hey! How did your interview go this morning?
W: Nicole and I are going on a little hike today. We should be back at the Homestead this afternoon.

She didn’t hear back right away and assumed that her sister might still be busy with her interview or post-interview celebratory activities. She decided to quickly check in with Chrissy, too.

W: Did Wynonna really stay at your house last night?

The response was immediate.

C: What? No. She didn’t stay at the Homestead? Why would you think she stayed at my house?

Waverly frowned. She was sitting in the driver’s seat of her Jeep, still parked in front of the Homestead, looking down at her phone. She felt Nicole’s hand on her arm.

“Everything okay?”

“Hm? Oh. Yeah. I think so. I just…I thought my sister stayed with Chrissy last night, but she didn’t.”

“Oh. Could she have stayed with another friend in town?”

“I guess so.”

W: She told me last night that she has a job interview this morning and would stay in town because of that. She said you offered the guest bedroom.
W: She definitely didn’t stay at the Homestead.

C: Huh. I didn’t see her after I left Shorty’s last night.
C: I’ll ask around a bit. Maybe dad knows something. I’ll let you know what I can find out.

W: Okay. Thank you! You’re the best!

C: I know I am!
C: Now go back to whatever you were doing with Nicole!
C: PS – I want details later!

Waverly put her phone away and turned to Nicole, who was watching her with concern in her eyes.

“Chrissy is going to see what she can find out about where my sister stayed last night. Who knows. It’s Wynonna, she could have just stayed in the supply room at Shorty’s with her favourite whiskey.”

“Okay. We could go into town and see if we can find her?”

Waverly hesitated for a second. They could do that, and it might alleviate some of the worry she was feeling for her sister. But then she remembered the conversation she had had with Wynonna where she had offered to make herself scarce for the weekend. She shook her head and smiled a little.

“No, no. It’s alright. I’m sure she’s fine and had her own version of fun last night. Let’s go to the lake!”

“Okay, if you’re sure. I’m okay with whatever, you know that, right? I’m just happy to be here and spend time with you. In whatever way.”

That last comment made Waverly lean over in her seat and press a soft kiss to Nicole’s lips.

“I’m sure. Wynonna is a big girl, she’ll be fine. I’m sure we’ll see her later when we get back. And for the record…I feel the same way about spending time with you.”

With that, they drove off and toward the mountains. After a bit of a drive, they reached the trail. It wasn’t a particularly well maintained one, more of a deer trail, which made for some entertaining stumbles when Nicole’s long legs got caught in some underbrush or Waverly got her bag tangled up with the remains of an old fence. At one point, Nicole joked that she didn’t know that Waverly’s definition of a short, easy hike actually meant wilderness survival. Waverly laughed and nudged Nicole along until they hit a clearing that revealed a beautiful turquoise lake hidden away between the trees. Nicole stopped dead in her tracks.

“Wow.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah! This is…incredible. What an amazing place. It feels almost…magical.”

Waverly smiled. She could only agree with that. The lake had always held a special place in her heart. It was a getaway point, a place where she could go and hide from the rest of the world and just sit and enjoy the stillness around her. Seeing Nicole take it all in and react the way she did made it even more special.

Waverly walked past Nicole and placed her bag and the towels on a patch of moss. She took off her shoes, walked toward the edge of the water, dipping her toes in. It felt wonderful. The day wasn’t as sweltering as the past few weeks had been, but it was still warm and the water had absorbed some of the heat of the summer. It felt perfect and she couldn’t wait to get in. When she turned around, she spotted Nicole watching her closely with a small smile on her face.

“The water feels amazing! Are you ready?”

Nicole nodded but just continued to stare at her, unmoving. Waverly knew she had an opportunity here to be brazen and maybe push a few of Nicole’s buttons, so she locked eyes with the other woman and started slipping her shirt over her head. She knew she had succeeded in her mission when she saw that Nicole stood frozen in her spot, unable to look away. Waverly carefully stepped out of her shorts, leaving her only in her underwear. She was still faced towards Nicole, taking in her reaction to the little show Waverly was putting on, but then she turned, giving Nicole a view of her back and removed the remaining items of clothing before running into the water.

After a few splashes and squeals at the cool water hitting her skin, Waverly looked back towards the shore. Nicole still stood where Waverly had left her, staring.

“Are you gonna join me or do I have to come over there and drag you in?” Waverly challenged, splashing a bit of water toward Nicole.

That was all it took. Nicole shook herself out of her stupor and quickly removed her own clothes, one by one. Now it was Waverly’s turn to watch and stare. She grinned a little when Nicole was in her underwear, showing off her tan lines in all their glory, but that grin morphed into awe when Nicole pulled off her bra and boy shorts and made her way toward the edge of the water. Waverly watched with rapt attention as muscles moved and shifted in Nicole’s body. Of course Waverly had noticed just how athletic Nicole’s body was when they had shed their clothes in bed earlier that morning, but seeing it out in the open, fully displayed for her was a whole other story. All of a sudden, Waverly felt warm despite being submerged in cold water.

A few seconds later, Nicole jumped into the water head first and disappeared beneath the surface. Waverly assumed that she was swimming towards her and braced herself, but she still jumped a little when she felt something brush against her leg. Nicole emerged, head tipped back, with a full, dimpled smile on her face as she wrapped her arms around Waverly’s body.

“The water feels amazing.”

“Yeah. But you feel better.”

After seeing Nicole’s reaction at the shore, Waverly felt encouraged to continue her brazen flirting. But she also just followed her own body’s needs to get closer to Nicole, and so she jumped up a little under the water and wrapped her legs around her body, propping herself up a little with her arms on Nicole’s shoulders. She could feel Nicole’s grip tighten around her waist in response.

“Mm. So do you. That was quite the show there, Miss Earp.”

“You like?”

Waverly wiggled herself against Nicole’s body a little more, fully intending to see how far she could push an already somewhat flustered Nicole.

“V-very much so.”

Nicole pulled her upper body closer and leaned in for a kiss. Waverly closed her eyes and got lost in the feel of it all, Nicole’s body against her own, lips moving with purpose, kissing and nipping. She almost forgot where they were when all of a sudden both women heard something crashing around in the undergrowth near the shore. They froze, looking toward where the noise was coming from.

“Shit.”

“I thought you said this is secluded and no one knows about this lake?”

The crashing noises got louder, and Waverly felt Nicole let go of her, but only to position herself protectively slightly in front of her in the water.

“It…it is secluded. And that sounds more like an animal. Humans don’t usually make that much noise coming up that trail.”

At that, Nicole’s eyes grew comically wide.

“Animal? Are we talking…bear?”

Waverly placed her hand on Nicole’s arm, trying to reassure.

“Could be. If it is, we should be okay. I mean, they can swim, but it likely won’t come in here with us being in the water.”

Waverly wasn’t sure if that information was helpful for Nicole or not. She could see that she was staring intently toward the shore, trying to make out the source of the noise. She was still positioned somewhat in front of Waverly, and she could feel her breaths coming out in short pants, hands curling into fists at her side.

“I think this is where I should tell you that I’m a city girl through and through. I’ve seen signs of bear activity on some mountain bike trails, but I’ve never actually encountered one. And I’m not sure that I like the idea of my first encounter being when I am naked in a lake.”

Waverly moved her hand toward Nicole’s shoulder, urging her to turn around a bit and look at her.

“Hey. It’ll be okay. If it is a bear, we don’t have anything interesting in our bags, so we’ll be fine. It’ll likely just move along.”

She could see that Nicole was nervous, if maybe slightly less freaked out than a few seconds ago. When the crashing noises increased, both women looked back toward the shore. They could see some branches moving, then some more, and then a big body was pushing into the clearing. Waverly absolutely expected a bear, so her brain had to do a double-take when what she saw didn’t look quite right. It was a deer. A big one, but just a deer. She felt Nicole’s body go from completely tense to slack in the blink of an eye.

“Oh thank god.”

Waverly laughed and went to hug Nicole. They both let out a sigh of relief and Nicole bent down to let her head rest on Waverly’s shoulder for a few seconds. They turned toward the shore again and watched as the deer took in its surroundings. It spotted the two women in the water and immediately moved away from them, cautiously planning its escape. Less than a minute later, they watched as the deer bounced into the undergrowth again, crashing against branches as it hurriedly moved away from the two humans in the water.

Nicole let out another long breath.

“Oh man. I don’t think I’ve ever been so relieved to see a deer.”

“Me too! I almost peed my pants a little. Well…I’m not wearing any clothes, but I would have…peed my pants.”

That made Nicole laugh a little and she took a step away from Waverly.

“Are you telling me you peed in the water?”

Waverly smacked her arm, feigning offence.

“No! I said almost. Jerk!”

Feeling relief, both women started laughing loudly, and Waverly began splashing Nicole with water, which triggered an extended water fight between them. Sometime later, when both of them had cleared the nervous energy out of their systems, Waverly grabbed Nicole’s hand.

“How about we go and dry off a bit?”

Nicole nodded and Waverly pulled her out of the water. She spread out a towel for both of them to lie on and handed another one to Nicole to wrap around her body for warmth while she grabbed the last towel and did the same. They both sat down and let their bodies warm up in the sun. After a moment or two, Nicole laid back, letting the towel around her body fall as she stretched out in the sun. Feeling emboldened by the move and by the comfort Nicole displayed, Waverly let her own towel fall to the side and rolled over to curl herself into Nicole’s side. The contact made her skin erupt in goosebumps.

“Cold?”

“Not if you wrap that hot body of yours around me.”

Nicole chuckled but obliged and wrapped both arms around Waverly, pulling her as close to her body as possible.

“Better?”

“Mmm. Thank you.”

Waverly felt lips press a soft kiss against her temple and she let herself relax in the sun, feeling safe and protected in Nicole’s arms. After a while, she heard Nicole mumble something into her hair and she had to pull away a bit to fully understand what she was saying.

“You know, eventually I’m going to have to put my clothes back on. This is perfect, but all that white skin of mine is going to end up lobster red if I’m not careful.”

“Oh. And we couldn’t have that! That would ruin your perfect tan lines!”

Nicole laughed and poked her side.

“Hey! If you keep making fun of my tan lines, I’m gonna have to grab you and throw you back in the water!”

“You wouldn’t! Here, let me be your sunscreen for a while, just a few more minutes. And then we can get dressed and head back.”

Waverly propped herself up a bit and crawled on top of the other woman, spreading her body over Nicole’s, trying to shield it from the sun as much as possible. Nicole for her part wrapped her arms around Waverly’s back to steady her and hummed contently.

“Deal.”

Chapter Text

By the time they got back to the Homestead, it was evening. They had taken the route through town on their way back, Waverly giving Nicole the tour of Purgatory, this time with the added benefit of daylight. Waverly had pointed out all three important buildings in town: the municipal building that housed the mayor, the police offices and the library, Shorty’s and her favourite coffee shop. Nicole had let her ramble on about the town’s history and had even asked a few follow-up questions, encouraging Waverly to dive deep into her knowledge of local events and town mysteries.

One mystery that Waverly still tried to solve was where her sister had stayed the night before. Chrissy had texted her when they were still at the lake and told her that she had seen Wynonna at the store in town, but that she had had no luck finding out where the older Earp had spent the night. Waverly was relieved to hear that her sister was roaming around town and made a mental note to try and corner her about her whereabouts tonight. It felt like old times, Waverly worrying about her sister and making sure she wouldn’t have to bail her out after a night in the drunk tank. Waverly didn’t mind. This was sort of the dynamic they had slipped into as sisters when they got older, and Waverly considered it a form of giving back for all the times Wynonna stepped in to protect her in high school. Sure, she would prefer not to have to worry about her older sister getting herself into trouble, but she was okay with it if it meant having her back in town for now.

Waverly had shared a few of her thoughts on Wynonna with Nicole on their drive out to the Homestead. Nicole could obviously tell that she was worried about not knowing where her sister had spent the night, and so Waverly shared some basic facts: that they grew up without their parents from a very young age and that Wynonna’s way of dealing with that often involved cop cars showing up at her aunt and uncle’s house when they were growing up. Waverly didn’t go into the details or share the full extent of Wynonna’s long history of troubles with institutions of authority. Most of it simply wasn’t her story to tell. She just wanted to explain why Wynonna taking off for the night set off a few old alarm bells for her. Nicole listened and didn’t appear to judge either of them based on what she heard. She simply squeezed Waverly’s hand a few times, showing her support.

As they drove up the driveway at the Homestead, they could see that the lights were on and Waverly assumed that meant that Wynonna was home. She could feel herself tense up a bit, and Nicole must have noticed because she turned in her seat to face Waverly.

“Hey, if you need a few moments to talk to your sister, I can hang out here. Or take a walk around the property or something.”

“What? No. No, Nicole, it’s all good. I mean, yeah, I’ll talk to her, but you don’t have to sit out here by yourself for that.”

“You sure? I don’t mind at all. It’s a nice, warm night.”

“I’m sure. Let’s go inside and see what we can whip up for dinner.”

“Okay. But listen, if at any point you need me to disappear for a bit, just, I don’t know, send me a sign and I can give you guys some space.”

Waverly grabbed Nicole’s hands, both of them, and squeezed gently.

“Thank you, but Nicole, it’s fine. Don’t worry, okay?”

Both women stepped out of the car, grabbed their towels and bags from their day out and walked into the Homestead. As they crossed the threshold and got inside, Waverly immediately smelled it. It was a smell she associated with growing up, with evenings spent in blanket forts with her sister that were Wynonna’s approach to calming her down after an upsetting day. It was the smell of boxed macaroni and cheese with burnt hot dogs. Waverly hadn’t smelled it for years and it brought a smile to her face.

“Waverly! Haught-Racer! Excellent timing! You’re back just in time for dinner!”

Nicole looked a bit confused by the sight in the kitchen. Wynonna was at the stove, wearing a frilly pink apron over her usual outfit that included leather pants and boots. She was holding a wooden spoon in one hand, a bottle of whiskey in the other and waved at them to sit down.

Waverly wasn’t completely unfazed by the scene in front of her either.

“You made dinner?”

“Hey! Don’t act so surprised. I know how to feed people.”

“I know you do. I just…wasn’t expecting this.”

Waverly carefully dropped her bag near the doorway and walked into the kitchen, peeking over her sister’s shoulder into the pots and pans on the stove. Sure enough, it was Wynonna’s specialty and as much as it stirred warm, comfortable feelings in Waverly, she also knew that neither Nicole nor her would be able to eat that. For the time being, however, she said nothing, not wanting to burst her sister’s bubble right away.

Nicole for her part had sat down at the kitchen table, looking a bit unsure of her role in the current interaction.

“I wanted to surprise you guys! How was your hike? See anything fun?”

Wynonna had turned, looking right at Nicole, clearly expecting her to fill her in on the details about their day. Nicole looked slightly uncomfortable and Waverly was just about to answer for her when she stammered out a response.

“We, uh, went to a lake for a swim. Saw a really big deer. It was fun.”

Wynonna turned, grinning at Waverly.

“Are you telling me you took Haught-bod here skinny dipping in the lake by the old mines?”

Waverly chuckled. She knew that Wynonna would immediately put two and two together. Nicole was blushing now so Waverly walked over and sat on her lap, hoping to convey that she had nothing to worry about.

“Of course I did, Wy. It’s tradition.”

“Hell yeah it is! Good job, babygirl!”

Wynonna walked over and gave Waverly a loud high-five, followed by clapping Nicole on her shoulder. Waverly could see the look of utter confusion on Nicole’s face and it made her chuckle a little.

“That lake is a bit of a secret location. I’m not sure that anyone other than Wynonna or I know about it or how to get there. So we’ve always kind of used it as a spot to bring a date for a fun day. Well, Wynonna did. I really only ever brought one other person there before you.”

“Yeah, Haught-wheels. You should feel honoured! We’re both pretty secretive about it. Well, Waverly more so than me. You’re in rare company now of those who get to see the Earp sisters naked in that lake!”

Nicole’s eyes were wide as she listened. She was clearly still trying to find her footing in this conversation and it looked like she was somewhat panicked about how to respond to Wynonna’s comments about seeing her sister naked.

“Wow. Okay. I do…feel honoured…that you took me there. Thank you.”

Waverly leaned in then and placed a soft kiss against Nicole’s cheek.

“You’re welcome. I had a great time with you there. Faux bear included.”

“Eww, babygirl! I don’t need to hear your terms for each other’s naked parts! Now, come on, dinner is ready!”

“No! Wynonna! There really was a…we thought it was a bear. But it was just a deer. Anyway…”

She got up from Nicole’s lap and was about to explain to Wynonna that they should probably make some alternative arrangements for food when Wynonna pushed her down in a chair and put two plates in front of them. Nicole looked like she was working hard to school her facial expression at the sight of the food in front of her. Waverly watched as she scooped a few macaroni on her fork, carefully avoiding the burnt bits of hot dog. Before Nicole could shove the fork into her mouth, Waverly placed her hand on the other woman’s arm. Nicole looked up and Waverly just shook her head at her, which triggered a sigh of relief and Nicole put the fork down on the plate.

“Wynonna. You know I love you, right?”

“Of course you do. I’m awesome.”

“You are. But you suck at cooking! I really, really appreciate the gesture, and I know that nine year old Waverly would have loved this and inhaled every last noodle on her plate. Adult Waverly is vegan, though, so how about we call for delivery?”

For a brief second, something flashed across Wynonna’s face that looked a bit like disappointment, but it was chased away quickly by a mischievous smile.

“Well, maybe Nicole here likes my cooking. What do you think, Nicole? Have you tried it? Good?”

“Uh, I…”

“Actually, Nicole has some dietary restrictions, too. No pasta for her.”

Nicole looked up at her and Waverly could see the sheer gratitude written across her entire face. It made her giggle a little, but it also made her shake her head a little at the other woman. Nicole had been a second away from eating a fork full of burnt noodles just because Wynonna put it in front of her. Waverly made a mental note to pull Nicole aside later and let her know that it was okay to say no to her sister, even if that meant having to face an offensive comment here or there.

“Ah, so you’re both made for each other, then. Food pussies. Okay, well, if you don’t want to eat my food, go ahead and take care of yourselves then.”

At that, Wynonna leaned back against the stove, plate in hand, and took two demonstrative bites of her own creation. Waverly watched as her sister’s face changed from defiance to disgust as she chewed and tasted her food. Finally, Wynonna turned around and put her plate on the counter before she quickly walked out of the kitchen, whiskey in hand.

“Well, go on, losers! Go call someone to bring us food. I’m hungry!”

Waverly snorted and went to grab her phone. She returned and sat back down on Nicole’s lap, who looked a bit shell-shocked from the previous interaction.

“Hey. I’m sorry about her. I told you she can be a bit much.”

“Oh. Yeah. No, it’s all good. I’m just experiencing some whiplash, I think. It was such a nice and quiet day with just you. My brain isn’t quite there yet when it comes to your sister.”

Waverly smiled.

“It’s okay. It takes most people years to wrap their head around my sister.”

At that, Nicole finally smiled back and pulled Waverly close for a short kiss. After a moment or two, they heard footsteps shuffling back into the kitchen.

“Hey! No making out on the kitchen table! That’s gross. I eat here. And speaking of eat, have you ordered the food yet?”

“Wynonna!”

Waverly rolled her eyes at her sister while Nicole giggled a little and buried her face into Waverly’s shoulder.

“I’m just saying! I’m hungry!”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. But if you don’t behave, I’ll call in for food just for Nicole and myself and you can eat your own concoction that is still on the stove.”

Wynonna huffed and walked back into the living room. Waverly could feel Nicole giggle against her shoulder, soft breaths hitting the skin on her neck. With a shake of her head and a big smile on her face, she called the restaurant for delivery and made sure to ask for some extra spring rolls for Wynonna, knowing those were her favourite. When she was done with placing the order, she looked back at Nicole, who was holding her in her lap, one arm wrapped gently around her waist, the other loosely draped across her legs. Nicole was smiling at her, clearly enjoying this moment of calm before they would go join Wynonna in the living room. As she was looking at her, idly running her hands through Nicole’s hair at the back of her neck, Waverly couldn’t quite believe her luck. Here was this amazing woman, who was solid and grounded and gentle, not to mention insanely hot, and she was still here, with her. After a faux bear scare and almost having to eat Wynonna’s scary food, Nicole was still here. And Wynonna was, too.

Waverly was pulled out of her thoughts when Nicole gently nudged her nose with hers and placed a brief kiss to the corner of her mouth.

“Should we go in there before she comes back and accuses me of defiling you on the kitchen furniture?”

“Yeah. Let’s. We’ll save the defiling for later.”

With that, Waverly got up and sauntered into the living room, but not without looking over her shoulder and winking at a blushing Nicole who was a bit too stunned to follow right away.

This is going to be fun!

Chapter Text

Their food had arrived not long after Waverly placed their order, and after a small tug of war, Nicole managed to get to the door first and paid for their meals. Wynonna stayed true to form and inhaled her food, chasing down her bites with healthy sips of whiskey while making fun of Nicole for her choice of beverage: water. Nicole for her part seemed a bit more relaxed and able to defend herself against the barbed comments coming from Wynonna. Waverly sat back and enjoyed herself, intervening occasionally to ensure Wynonna’s antics weren’t going completely off the rails. She still wanted to talk to Wynonna about her whereabouts last night, but for the time being, she allowed herself to just enjoy the food and the company.

“So, Haught-mess, how did you get into cycling?”

“Well, the cycling in general has been a thing since I was about four years old. But I got into racing through a teacher in high school. He noticed me riding to school every day and apparently clocked my time one morning. Pulled me aside to talk to me about getting on a team after that. And the rest is history as they say.”

“Ah. I didn’t know they had that many cycling teams in Calgary, to be honest. I mean, it’s freaking winter for eight months of the year here.”

“Oh yeah. I didn’t grow up here. That was in Vancouver. Less snow there, more rain, which is a lot easier for training year round, for sure.”

“Whoa. You’re telling me you left the west coast to come to this hell hole of a province? Were you running away from something? You’re not an axe murderer, are you? Because that sure sounds like running to me, and trust me, I know a thing or two about that.”

Waverly, who was sitting next to Nicole on the couch, could feel her stiffen next to her. If she was honest, this was the moment she was more worried about than any silly threats that Wynonna might have thrown Nicole’s way. Nicole had mentioned to her a couple of times that her family situation was complicated, and she could tell there was pain there. Wynonna, like a heat-seeking missile, had zeroed in on that to poke and prod Nicole for an answer. She was about to cut in and change the topic when Nicole started to respond.

“No, not an axe murderer. Let’s just say I had to get away from my parents. I have a sort-of uncle in Lethbridge who owns a bunch of apartments and he let me stay in one of them rent free until I finished high school. Hence Alberta. And then the University of Calgary wasn’t half bad, so I moved there and just kind of…stayed.”

“Huh.”

Waverly could see that Wynonna was staring at Nicole, sizing her up and maybe pondering her next question. She could still feel the tension in Nicole’s body and moved herself a bit closer, allowing their bodies to touch a bit. She shot Wynonna a glare, hoping that her sister would get the hint and drop the topic.

“Well, welcome to the shitty family club, then. Let’s toast!”

Wynonna raised her glass and Nicole followed suit with her water.

“Nope, nope, nope! We can’t toast with water, dude. Come on, one little sip of whiskey won’t hurt. I know you’re probably watching your body fat or some shit, but toasting with water is just a no-no.”

This time, Waverly did cut in.

“Wynonna, don’t bully Nicole into drinking something she doesn’t want to drink.”

“How can anyone not want to drink whiskey? That’s all kinds of wrong. I even got the good stuff for us tonight!”

“Nothing against your whiskey, Wynonna. I actually don’t drink any hard liquor at all. Ever.”

Nicole had said that last statement nonchalantly, barely even noticing the shocked expression on Wynonna’s face.

“What the hell? Why?”

“I’m gonna pass on answering that for tonight. Maybe another time. And I would toast with a beer, but I really do have to watch my carb intake a bit. I’m still in the middle of racing season and don’t want to jeopardize what I’ve worked all winter to build up.”

Waverly placed her hand on Nicole’s knee, squeezing gently. She marvelled at how quickly and firmly Nicole had managed to shift the conversation away from a topic she was clearly not prepared to discuss with Wynonna.

“Okay, okay. I think it’s stupid, but I’ll allow it. Toast with water, I mean.”

Wynonna clinked her glass to Nicole’s and then to Waverly’s, mumbling something about parents and then downed her drink and poured herself another.

Nicole glanced at Waverly and smiled.

“Speaking of racing…I wanted to invite you to come watch my next one if you are free. It’s in a small town in the Okanagan, surrounded by wineries. The race itself is going to be super short, couple of hours max in terms of time commitment, but I was thinking we could check out some vineyards after? Spend the night?”

Waverly didn’t need to think twice about that offer, but before she could even take a breath to accept the invitation, Wynonna cut in.

“Awww, Haught-rod, that is so nice of you. I’m in! Just book a separate hotel room for me. I don’t want to have to listen to you two all night long!”

“Wynonna! I’m pretty sure that invitation was for me, not for you.”

Nicole placed her hand on Waverly’s arm, halting any further attempt to get her sister to back off.

“No, it’s okay. You can both come. That’ll probably actually be less boring when you have to wait around until I’m done racing. I can arrange a B&B or something, that’ll be cheaper.”

“Nicole, are you sure? And I really enjoy watching you race, so that’s not boring for me at all.”

“Yeah, I’m sure. This one is a bit of a different kind of race. It’s a time trial, so it’s one person at a time against the clock. They can be a bit boring to watch, because you don’t get any exciting breakaways or sprint finishes. It’s just one rider after another doing a short course alone.”

“Dude, that sounds boring as shit!”

Nicole chuckled when Waverly threw a crumpled up napkin at her sister for that comment.

“Yeah, I know. But you’ll have Waverly to keep you entertained. And wineries to look forward to.”

“Right. Okay. Like I said, I’m in. Waverly? Come on, don’t make me beg. Because I will.”

Now both Nicole and Waverly were laughing.

“Okay, okay. I’m in. It’s next weekend? I’ll have to shuffle around a few shifts to make it happen, but I will. And you…” she pointed a finger at her sister “…you need to promise that you won’t throw anything at the riders and that you’ll try to stay out of trouble, okay?”

Wynonna held up both hands defensively.

“Hey, when was the last time I got into trouble, huh?”

“Oh, I don’t know. That depends on where you actually were last night. I know for a fact that you lied about staying at Chrissy’s.”

“Ooops. Well. I told you that because I knew you wouldn’t ask me any more questions if I said Chrissy’s name. I guess I should have known you’d ask her about it, though.”

“Yeah, you should have. So…where did you stay last night? And did you really have a job interview this morning? Or was that a lie, too?”

Waverly watched as Nicole got up and walked into the kitchen, pointing at her glass to indicate she was getting more water. She knew that Nicole was just giving her a moment alone with her sister and it made her like the other woman even more than she already did.

“Uh. I called a friend and he was on his way through town anyway, and him and I just, we got a hotel for the night.”

“Okay. Does this friend have a name?”

“He does.”

Waverly allowed for a few seconds of silence after that, but when she could tell that Wynonna wasn’t going to volunteer who this friend of hers was, she sighed and let it drop. She knew she would have to do her own research to find out more about this mysterious friend and why Wynonna lied about him and what she was up to. She made a mental note to talk to a few regulars at Shorty's who generally knew everything that was going on in town.

“Listen, babygirl. I know I should have just told you, but when I offered the hotel in our conversation the other day, you got all upset, so I just went with the Chrissy thing. I was safe, had a good time…no, an excellent time…and you two had the house to yourselves last night. I hope you made good use of that!”

At that, Waverly rolled her eyes but blushed hard. She didn’t know what to say, but she couldn’t stop the bright smile that split her face in that moment.

“That good, eh?”

“Wynonna!”

“Oh no worries, Waverly. We’re both adults. I don’t need details, but it’s good to know that we both had our fun last night.” Wynonna shifted a bit and turned her body toward the kitchen before she yelled: “Hey stud! You can come back in now. Sister talk is done.”

Waverly blushed even more and heard a noise that sounded like Nicole choking on her water in the kitchen. A few seconds later, she emerged, red faced and looking a little unsure about re-entering the living room. Waverly recovered first and took pity on Nicole.

“Well, I think we’re gonna call it a night, Wy.”

“Right. Well. I’ll be down here on the couch if you need me. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. I bought ear plugs, too, so you don’t need to worry about me hearing anything.”

Waverly gently slapped Wynonna’s arm as she got up and walked over to Nicole and pulled her upstairs to her bedroom. Nicole was clearly still a bit flustered, but managed to recover somewhat by the time they reached Waverly’s room.

“You okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, fine. I’m just not really used to…that.”

“That being my sister calling you stud?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, you better get used to it. Because she’s not going to let that go anytime soon. And also, I mean, you are. Might as well embrace it.”

Nicole shot her a lopsided grin then. Her cheeks were still a bit red and she looked slightly shocked but also clearly pleased.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

Nicole nodded.

“Alright, then…stud…how about you get yourself ready for bed? You don’t want to leave me waiting for too long now, do you?”

Waverly laughed when Nicole’s eyes got wide and she turned and practically ran into the bathroom across the hall. She was still grinning a few seconds later when Nicole returned with nothing but a towel wrapped around her.

“I’m going to take a shower, wash that lake water off. Want to join me?”

Now, it was Waverly’s turn to be flustered, but before she could even think, her mouth had already formed and spit out her next words:

“Yes, please.”

Chapter Text

When Waverly came downstairs the next morning, she was surprised to see Wynonna already awake and sitting at the kitchen table.

“Morning. Did you make coffee?”

“Not yet. I’m still trying to scrub the memories of you screaming in ecstasy off my mind.”

“Oh come on. We weren’t that loud.”

“You were a little loud.”

“Hey, I did warn you about my plans. And thank you.”

Wynonna looked up at her, tilting her head in confusion.

“For?”

“For not knocking on the wall. For not threatening Nicole. For cooking us dinner. You know, for being a pretty awesome sister.”

Wynonna ducked her head, but Waverly could see a small smile on her face.

“Well, she invited me on a trip, so it’s probably in my best interest to not be a jackass until after we get back from that.”

Waverly huffed, but she knew her sister was joking.

“Seriously, Waves. She seems nice. And that body combined with those dimples? I can see the appeal.”

“Yeah. She’s pretty great.”

“And you guys didn’t actually make that much noise. I just…couldn’t sleep.”

Waverly could see that Wynonna was fiddling with the hem of her shirt, looking lost in thought. She wasn’t sure whether she should press and ask a few questions or just give her space to decide for herself. She knew Wynonna spooked easily, especially with emotional conversations, but she also wanted to let her know she was her to support her, no matter what. She settled for silence, but she put her hand on top of Wynonna’s, letting her know she wasn't alone. They sat like that for a few seconds before Wynonna jumped up from her chair, startling Waverly in the process.

“I really do need some coffee. I’ll make some. Go wake up Nicole. I’m sure she’ll need some extra caffeine this morning, too.”

Waverly shook her head, concern for her sister still lingering at the back of her mind.

“You sure?”

“Yeah. Go.”

Waverly got up and walked over to Wynonna, quickly wrapping her into a side hug and placed a fat kiss on her cheek.

“You know I’m always here for you, right? No matter what.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. And now stop slobbering all over me. Seriously, I think Nicole needs to teach you how to kiss someone without licking the entire side of their face!”

Waverly laughed and made her way up the stairs. Nicole was still asleep, stretched out on her back. One of her legs was sticking out from the blanket, and she had one arm thrown across her face. Waverly slowly crawled back into bed, not wanting to wake the other woman right away. With careful moves, she slipped under the blanket and tucked herself against Nicole’s warm, soft skin. The contact made Nicole stir and she wrapped her arms around Waverly, pulling her closer.

“Mmm. Mornin’.”

Waverly leaned in and kissed the side of Nicole’s neck, inhaling deeply and lingering for a while. She heard Nicole sigh and felt her grip tightening around her body.

“Morning, sleepyhead. Wynonna’s making coffee, so she’ll no doubt be yelling at us to come downstairs soon, but I think we have a few minutes.”

“That so?”

“Mmm.”

Waverly propped herself up on one elbow to look down at Nicole, who was still trying to blink the sleep out of her eyes. She wanted to give Nicole a few minutes to actually wake up fully, but within a split second, Nicole grabbed her more firmly and pulled her on top of her. Waverly took the hint and captured her lips in a bruising kiss, pressing her body into Nicole’s. She let out a pleased gasp when Nicole used the hands on her hips to encourage Waverly to grind down. Things got more heated by the second and just as Waverly was about to let her lips travel down Nicole’s body, she heard a loud thump in the hallway near the door that sounded suspiciously like a kick to the wall.

“Yo! Horndogs. Coffee’s ready. You’ve got two minutes to come down here before I drink it all myself.”

Waverly sighed and let her head rest against Nicole’s collarbone. She could feel the chuckle coming from the body beneath her and it made her giggle as well. Nicole was rubbing her hands up and down Waverly’s back, soothing and encouraging her to stay put.

“Should we ignore her?”

“We could try, but my guess is that she’ll be bursting through this door in about five minutes if we don’t go down there. And I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer to be the only one who gets to see you naked this weekend.”

“I’d prefer that, too. And not just this weekend.”

Waverly pulled back then, hovering above Nicole to look into her eyes. There was more in that statement than just a response to the threat of Wynonna bursting into the room. There was a hint of a promise and she could see the sincerity in Nicole’s face, but also a touch of worry. Waverly wasn’t sure what exactly was going on in the other woman’s mind, but she knew she wanted to reciprocate the promise without pushing too far. She moved her hand to cup Nicole’s cheek and didn’t look away when she whispered:

“You’re the only one I want to be naked with.”

A slow smile stretched across Nicole’s face and she leaned up for a brief kiss. When she pulled back, she mirrored Waverly’s actions and cupped her face gently.

“Same. This weekend, and the next, and the ones after that, too.”

Waverly let out a breathy laugh. She was so happy she wanted to shout it from the rooftops, but for now, she stuck to kissing Nicole senseless. After a few more minutes of that, she pulled back, grinning.

“We should really head downstairs.”

Nicole pulled her lips into a small pout, but she moved her arms to let go of Waverly, allowing her to roll off her body and get up.

“That coffee better be good! Otherwise I might have to have a conversation with your sister about setting priorities.”

Waverly giggled and threw a t-shirt at Nicole before slipping her own over her head.

“Well, I do have a couple of things planned for today, so it probably is a good idea to get a move on and not spend the entire day in bed with you…as tempting as that is.”

“Okay, fine. But only because you’re cute.”

Waverly grinned and bounced down the stairs, Nicole following a few seconds later. Wynonna was in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with a mug in her hand. The shit-eating grin on her face told Waverly everything she needed to know. Nicole was in for some razzing this morning.

“Nice of you to grace us with you presence, stud. I know this one kept you up half the night, so how about some coffee and then you’ll take me to the diner for breakfast? To make up for me having to listen to my sister screaming your name multiple times last night?”

Nicole turned bright red but grinned, clearly not feeling too bad about the events of the night.

“I can do that. Food is a good idea anyway. Multiple times definitely means I need some replenishing this morning, too!”

“Gross! I didn’t need to know that.”

“Hey, you started it. Or, wait, actually Waverly started it. Last night.”

“Guys!”

Waverly swatted Nicole’s shoulder playfully, but laughed. It was good to see her holding her own with Wynonna, even though she had a feeling that this could get out of control very quickly. They had coffee and got ready to head out for the day, Wynonna tagging along for breakfast. The playful banter between them continued at the diner, although Nicole had toned it down a bit given the public setting. As they were finishing the last bites of their pancakes, Nicole looked over at Waverly.

“So, what’s the plan for today? I’ll have to make my way back home at some point, but was thinking around six or seven o’clock is fine for that. I’m all yours until then.”

Wynonna was about to say something but Waverly shushed her with a warning glare and a pointed finger.

“I have a plan. It involves heading over to my aunt Gus’ house first. She has a couple of ATVs that she keeps to get around her land and I asked if we could borrow them for the day. To goof around a bit and I can show you where I grew up.”

At that, Wynonna did cut in.

“That sounds entirely too outdoorsy and memory-lane-y. I’ll pass, but have fun!” Wynonna got up and grabbed Nicole’s shoulder, patting it a few times. “Nice meeting you, Haught-stud. Remember to book me a separate room for next weekend, with extra wine service!”

Wynonna walked over to Waverly and kissed her on her head briefly.

“Have fun, kiddo. Be safe. See you at home tonight.”

Less than ten seconds later, Wynona was out the door, but not before grabbing a donut to go that the server simply added to their bill. Waverly shook her head and glanced at Nicole apologetically. Nicole just smiled, paid the bill and let Waverly pull her outside to her Jeep.

It didn’t take long for them to get to Gus’ house. After a few minutes of properly introducing Nicole to her aunt, Waverly was eager to get to the ATVs and take Nicole out for a spin. They decided to take only one of them, with Waverly taking the first turn to drive with Nicole tucked behind her as her passenger. Waverly hadn’t been on an ATV for a while, so the first minute or two of their ride was a bit bumpy, but she settled in quickly and rode along one of the dirt trails toward the canyon that was part of her aunt’s land. Initially, Nicole held on to Waverly for dear life, squeezing herself against the other woman’s back with both arms firmly wrapped around her middle. After a few minutes, she seemed to relax a bit and didn’t hold on as tightly as before. And by the time they reached the canyon, Waverly could see Nicole smiling widely, looking around and clearly enjoying the ride.

Waverly came to a stop underneath a small group of trees near the edge of the canyon and killed the engine. She turned and saw Nicole grinning at her, hair sticking out in every direction after the ride.

“You look like you enjoyed yourself back there!”

“I did! That was so much fun!”

Waverly motioned for her to get off the ATV so she could climb off herself. She grabbed a couple of bottles of water and walked toward a little path. Nicole took her hand and laced their fingers together. She was still looking around, taking in her surroundings, but she also squeezed Waverly’s hand repeatedly, letting her know that she was very much focussed on her as well.

Waverly pulled them along the little path that wound its way into the canyon. The day had turned out to be sunny and hotter than the previous one and both women were grateful for the shade they were getting from the rocks and trees around them. After a few minutes, they reached what looked like a semi-open cave, with a ledge overlooking the rest of the canyon. Waverly stopped and pulled Nicole over to sit down with her by the ledge.

“This is beautiful. You really know all of the best spots around here, don’t you?”

“Yeah, well. Comes with the territory if you’ve only ever lived in one place. I used to come here a lot as a kid when we were living with Gus and Curtis. One time, I was out here and I guess I got side-tracked and forgot the time. It got dark and I just decided to go into the cave part back there and sleep, wait for the morning. Gus and Curtis freaked out. They had a search party out here and all. They found me just after midnight, curled up under a bunch of branches I had gathered for warmth for the night.”

Waverly smiled at the memory, even though she knew that she had caused considerable stress for the adults in her life that day. Still, she was a little proud of herself for knowing how to take care of herself in that situation and she was sure she would have been just fine, hunkered down for the night.

“Wow. How old were you?”

“Hm. I don’t know for sure. I think around six or seven.”

“Well, it sounds like six year old Waverly had a penchant for wandering off by herself. But at least you had the skills to keep yourself warm for the night. That’s pretty impressive for someone so young.”

“Yeah. I learned all that from Curtis. Although I don’t think he thought I would put those skills to use on my own at that age. I think he was secretly a little proud of me, though. He snuck a plate of cookies into my room that night, after I sat through the lecture from both him and Gus about how dangerous that adventure was.”

“He sounds like a good man.”

“He was. I miss him. And I wish you could have met him. I’m 100% convinced that he would have loved you and would have demanded to be out on mountain bike rides with you every weekend.”

Nicole laughed lightly and pulled Waverly into her side.

“Well, it would have given me an excuse to come out here more often.”

At that, Waverly pulled back a bit, scanning Nicole’s face and side profile. She was smiling and Waverly knew this was another one of those indirect ways of Nicole to tell her something without putting a ton of pressure on her. She tapped Nicole’s shoulder to get her to turn and face her more fully.

“You know you don’t need an excuse, right? You can come out here whenever you want. Whenever you can.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I know you have a busy life in Calgary, with your job and your training and racing. But I would love to, uh, see you more often, if we can make that happen.”

“I would love that, too, Waverly.”

“Okay, then, how do we do that? I guess I can come into the city on my days off. And you can, I don’t know, maybe you can come for training rides out here on weekends? When you’re not racing.”

“I like the sound of that. I can also bring a bike out for you more often and we can ride together?”

“As long as we’re not talking 4 hour rides into the mountains, I’m in!”

Nicole grinned and raised an eyebrow.

“But what if I tell you there’s a reward for a ride like that?”

“Oh yeah? What kind of reward are we talking about?”

Nicole shifted her body closer to Waverly’s, leaned in and whispered in her ear.

“A shower, a home cooked recovery meal and a long, slow leg massage.”

Waverly shivered. Nicole’s breaths were hitting her ear and her words settled low in her stomach. Her brain helpfully supplied images of Nicole’s hands rubbing and working out knots in her thighs and she knew she was blushing madly. How on earth does she do this to me so easily?

“Mmm. I’m almost convinced. You might have to demonstrate said leg massage first so I know just how much of a reward that would be.”

“That can be arranged, Miss Earp.”

They stayed on the ledge for a little while longer, idly chatting and planning how they would manage to see each other more often. At some point, Waverly knew they would have to get back to Gus’ house, drop off the ATV and head to the Homestead so Nicole could pack and head home. Even though she knew that she would see her again very soon for their race weekend getaway, she dreaded having to say goodbye for a few days. With a loud sigh, she pulled Nicole to her feet and back to the ATV.

For the ride back, Waverly wanted Nicole to drive. Nicole told her that aside from driving her car, she had never been on an ATV or anything similar before, so she was a bit nervous, but Waverly convinced her that it was “super easy”. She let Nicole get settled and stood next to her, pointing out the various switches, brakes and the accelerator. Nicole nodded but still looked a bit worried about it all, so Waverly slid in behind her, one arm around her waist and the other on Nicole’s right arm, showing her how to start the vehicle and get it moving.

It turned out that Nicole was a natural. The ride was smooth and safe from beginning to end and Waverly just settled in behind her, enjoying the views.

They reached Gus’ house and dropped off the ATV. Nicole thanked her for letting them borrow the vehicle for the afternoon and Gus being Gus just shrugged it off and told her to “come back soon so I don’t have to deal with my niece moping around at work all the time”. Nicole promised to do her best, which earned her a surprise short bear hug from the older woman.

By the time they made it back to the Homestead, both Nicole and Waverly could feel the heavy mood in the air. Neither wanted to say goodbye, but it was unavoidable for the time being. Waverly stayed downstairs in the kitchen with Wynonna while Nicole rushed upstairs to grab her overnight bag. It didn’t take long before both of them were standing in front of Nicole’s car, which was packed up and ready to go. Waverly held onto Nicole’s hands and was trying to focus on the fact that Nicole didn’t live that far away and that they could still talk to each other regularly. Nicole leaned down and pressed a very soft kiss to the corner of her mouth.

“Thank you for a wonderful weekend, Waverly. I, uh, I wish I could stay.”

“I know. I wish the same. But hey, we’ll see each other next weekend, and that’s soon, right?”

“Right.”

Nicole chuckled a little, but Waverly could see that she was also trying to keep her composure.

“And I’ll call you tomorrow night, maybe? We could FaceTime, so I can see you. And you me.”

“Yeah. I would like that.”

“Okay. It’s a deal. And, text me tonight when you are home?”

“I will. I’ll see you soon, yeah?”

“You will.”

Waverly grabbed Nicole’s face and pulled her down, kissing her with all her might. She hoped that Nicole would understand what she was saying with her lips against hers. Thank you. You’re amazing. I had the best weekend. And I absolutely can’t wait to see you again. She kissed her and held her close, savouring every last moment with Nicole.

When they broke apart, Nicole smiled and ran her thumb across Waverly’s cheek.

“I’ll text you when I get home. Bye Wave.”

And with that, she got in her car and slowly backed out of the driveway. Waverly stood and watched as she turned onto the road and drove off. A few moments later, she felt hands on her shoulders, turning her around toward the Homestead.

“Alright babygirl. Me thinks you need a stiff drink right about now.”

“Yeah.”

Chapter Text

Waverly found it a bit difficult to wrap her head around getting back into her regular routine the next morning. She had spent the evening with Wynonna for a while but she ended up going to bed pretty early, lying in bed and texting with Nicole. By the time the next morning rolled around and a mountain of chores was waiting for her, Waverly felt a bit dazed and not quite ready for it all.

The day dragged on and by the time she made it to Shorty’s for the evening shift, Waverly had lost all sense of time. She felt like it had been forever since she watched Nicole drive away from the Homestead, when really, it had been only a day. The shift was quiet, with only a few regulars coming in for a bite and a beer. After chatting with some of them for a while, Waverly decided that it was quiet enough for her to sneak away for a few minutes and call Nicole. It took a few rings before Nicole picked up.

“Hey! I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”

“Hi Wave. Not really. I’m on my bike, on my indoor trainer, but just cooling down, so as long as you can deal with me being a bit out of breath, we’re all good.”

Waverly smiled.

“I’ve seen you out of breath before and certainly have no problem with that.”

She could hear Nicole laugh a bit on the other end, and she tried to imagine what things looked like on her end right now. Was CJ spread out on the couch, watching her owner? Did Nicole watch TV while working out? Or did she prefer music? All of a sudden, Waverly wanted to know all those little things about Nicole and her day.

“Hey, want to switch to FaceTime so I can see you?”

“Uh. Sure. I’m a bit sweaty at the moment, though.”

“Even more reason to be able to see you!”

With a few quick taps on her phone, Waverly switched the call to FaceTime. After a second or so of seeing a blurry background, Nicole’s face came into view. She was indeed sweaty and flushed, but what caught Waverly’s eye even more was that she wasn’t wearing a shirt. She was sitting on her bike in shorts that looked like they had suspenders of sorts, wearing a sports bra underneath but aside from that, nothing else. Waverly lost the ability to speak for a few seconds.

“Wave, you okay there?”

“Uh. Y-yeah. Yes. Totally okay. You just look…”

“Sweaty? I warned you about that.”

“No, I mean, yes. But, I guess I wasn’t expecting to be able to see your abs in all their glory when I suggested the video call. If I had known this was the sight that would greet me, I would have called you a lot sooner!”

Nicole sat up a bit, still pedalling, and laughed.

“Why, Miss Earp, are you objectifying me?”

“Maybe?”

They both laughed. Waverly sat back a bit, enjoying the view.

“Hey, so I booked a B&B for us for next weekend. And I was thinking about timing. How late do you have to work on Friday?”

“I open that day, so should be done early afternoon. Why?”

“Well, I was thinking that maybe you and Wynonna can come here Friday evening and stay the night? That way, we can leave really early on Saturday. It’ll be a more direct drive from here. If that doesn’t work, I’ll come there early Saturday to pick you guys up, but it would be crack of dawn early.”

“Oh. I like the idea of coming over on Friday afternoon. We could pick you up from work?”

“That would be amazing! I have to work a bit later that day. Should be done by 6:30 though. Would that work?”

“Totally. And…you’re really okay with Wynonna coming along for this?”

Waverly watched Nicole carefully then. She wanted to be absolutely certain that Nicole was comfortable with having both sisters around for that weekend.

“I most definitely am, Waverly. I wouldn’t have offered otherwise.”

Nicole looked confident and calm when she said that. Waverly nodded, but she wanted to make sure Nicole knew that she could still say no.

“Okay. But if for some reason you change your mind between now and Friday, that’s okay, too. I don’t want you to think that just because my sister is in town now, you have to invite her along to stuff. We’re not a package deal for everything.”

“I know, Waverly. I really do think it’ll be more fun for you to have someone there with you, though. For the race part. And then afterwards, we can always drop your sister off at one of the distilleries there and spend some alone time.”

“Okay.”

“Good! Now I should jump in the shower and make some dinner. And CJ has been glaring at me for the last hour so I better give her some attention, too.”

Waverly laughed. Nicole had texted her a photo of the look CJ had given her when she returned home from her weekend away and it looked downright scary.

“Okay, I’ll let you get to that then, before CJ decides to plot revenge or something.”

“Ha. I’m sure she’s already well in the middle of that.”

They both laughed, said their goodbyes and hung up. Waverly had to shake her head a few times. Her brain was still a little stuck on the sight of Nicole in just a bra and shorts on her bike. But the call had given her an extra boost and made her feel better about getting through the rest of her shift.

Friday rolled around and after a small argument with Wynonna about not packing five bottles of whiskey, the sisters were on their way to Calgary to pick up Nicole at work. As expected, they got stuck in Friday rush hour traffic, which led to Wynonna yelling insults at other drivers in ways that had Waverly worried about her getting into an actual fist fight on the highway. Luckily, the traffic had kept moving, if slowly, not allowing either party to just get out of their vehicles. By the time they reached Nicole’s place of work, Waverly was fighting a raging headache and second-guessed her decision to let her sister come along at all.

They pulled up at the bike shop and immediately saw that the entire parking lot behind the shop had been fenced off with pylons and rope. In the parking lot, Waverly could see about 15 little children on bikes. In that moment, they were all lined up side by side on one end of the lot, listening to Nicole who stood a few feet in front of them. Waverly and Wynonna got out of the car and walked over toward the action. As they got closer, they could hear Nicole’s instructions for the kids.

“Alright, so to finish things off today, we’re gonna learn how to ride safely behind another rider. Can anyone tell me why that is important?”

Waverly couldn’t quite make out individual responses in the loud yelling over each other that followed, but she smiled at the enthusiasm those kids clearly had for what they were learning.

“All good responses. It’s important to know how to safely ride behind others because when we’re out on the road, that’s how we ride. In a line. Not side by side. And when you ride behind someone, you need to leave enough space so that if the rider in front of you makes a sudden move, you have time to react to it.”

Waverly watched as Nicole explained what a safe riding distance looked like and then both Wynonna and Waverly laughed as the kids started fighting over who got to ride first. After a minute or so, Nicole got them sorted out and they started off, one after another, riding around the parking lot. Despite the initial fights, the riding part seemed very smooth, and Nicole only had to remind them twice about making sure they kept their distance from the rider ahead of them.

Waverly looked at her sister who was smiling softly as she watched. Wynonna glanced over at her briefly and then turned back toward the children who were still riding around, but now a little less disciplined than when they first started. Nicole was correcting them, but with a smile and a gentle explanation rather than a stern lecture.

“You know, if I’d had something like that when we were young, that might have made a few things a little easier. Might have kept me out of some of the trouble, too.”

Waverly nodded. She knew that Wynonna had gone through a rough few years after their father passed away and she could see how the lack of supervised activities for children in Purgatory had made that time even more difficult for her. Waverly herself had always loved books and had buried herself in the stories she read. Wynonna would likely have dealt with things better if someone had given her an activity to blow off steam, but all that was available in Purgatory at the time was football for boys and cheerleading for girls. Neither was an option for Wynonna.

They were both so lost in their own thoughts and memories that they didn’t notice when the safety course ended and the children were loaded into cars by their parents. It was only when Nicole slowly walked towards them that Waverly snapped back to reality.

“Hey!”

“Hi. Sorry, this ran a little late today. We had some mechanical issues with a couple of bikes to start and had to fix those first.”

“Oh no worries. We enjoyed watching this. Those kids seem very keen on pleasing their instructor.”

“Ha. Sometimes, yes. Other times, they’re little monsters who try to run me over every chance they get.”

That made Waverly and Wynonna laugh. They could both see that Nicole said those words with love and not an ounce of actual complaint in them, and Wynonna looked even more lost in her own thoughts after that. Nicole squeezed Waverly’s hand briefly.

“Let me put away the pylons quickly and then we can head to my place, yeah?”

“Okay. Need help?”

“Nah, I’m good. This’ll only take a minute or two. You guys can wait in the shop if you want.”

Waverly nodded and pulled Wynonna into the bike shop. They were alone in there for a few minutes and Waverly was looking at the various bikes that were on display.

“Holy shit, babygirl, do you see the price tags on some of these? I could buy a car or three for that!”

Waverly walked over to where her sister was standing. The bike she was looking at was priced at over $8,000. Waverly sucked in a breath.

“Right?!”

“Yeah, wow. Which means you better not touch anything in here. Just in case the ‘you break it, you buy it’ rule applies to bike shops, too.”

Wynonna laughed, but did as told. She wandered over to the window where she spotted a bike that looked pretty old school. Waverly stayed in the back part of the shop, choosing instead to watch Nicole put away the pylons and ropes as well as a couple of the bikes the kids had been using. When Nicole was done, she grabbed her backpack and helmet and made her way over to where Waverly was standing.

“Thanks for waiting. Ready to get out of here?”

“Me, yes. Wynonna seems to have fallen in love with one of the bikes, though. We might have to drag her out kicking and screaming.”

Nicole chuckled and pulled Waverly over to where Wynonna was standing.

“See something you like?”

Wynonna turned around and grinned.

“Dude! This looks awesome. All this is missing is the banana seat!”

“Yeah. It’s a cruiser, made to look like that, but has all the modern bells and whistles for parts. They’re super comfortable for just…cruising around.”

Wynonna nodded and looked back at the bike. Nicole ducked behind the sales counter and grabbed her own bike, ready to head out. But before they did, Nicole lightly touched Wynonna’s shoulder to get her attention.

“If you want to come in one day and take one of these for a test ride, let me know. We can arrange something.”

“Okay.”

Waverly smiled. She guessed that Nicole had something up her sleeve with that offer and she made a mental note to ask her about it later.

They stepped outside and Nicole put her helmet on.

“Wait, aren’t you going to drive with us? Wasn’t that the point of picking you up?”

“Well, I don’t think the three of us plus bike fit in your Jeep, Wave. I don’t mind, I can ride home. I’ll probably be there faster than you two anyway.”

Waverly felt Wynonna elbow her in the side.

“Pretty sure that was a challenge, Waverly. What’s your wager, Haught-head?”

“Hm, let’s see. I already have stuff for dinner tonight in the fridge, but how about the loser buys the others a bottle of wine tomorrow?”

Waverly grinned.

“You’re on! But only if you promise to ride safely! No unnecessary risks!”

“Of course.”

“Alright, let’s see what those race legs of yours can do! See you at your place.”

Nicole nodded and got on her bike, but waited until both sisters were in the Jeep and buckled in. Waverly smirked and winked at Nicole.

“I like a good Riesling. And Wynonna prefers red when it comes to wine.”

Nicole laughed.

“Good to know. But something tells me I won’t be needing that information anytime soon.”

With that, she rode off and Waverly started the Jeep. Wynonna was grinning and egging her on to drive faster and Waverly knew that no matter the outcome of their little bet, she already owed Nicole. And this was only the beginning of their weekend. She couldn’t wait to see what was in store for the three of them tomorrow.

Chapter Text

Nicole beat them easily to her apartment. In fact, when Waverly first pulled up to the building and parked, there was no sign of Nicole and both Waverly and Wynonna assumed that they had gotten there first. They got out and waited for Nicole to come around the corner, Wynonna absolutely giddy with excitement at the thought of getting to rub it in all weekend. However, after a minute or so of waiting, Waverly heard her phone ping and saw a message from Nicole.

N: You guys coming up or no?

“What? How?”

“What is it, babygirl?”

Waverly turned her phone and let Wynonna look at the message. Her sister was just as shocked as she was.

“No way. That can’t be legit. She must have caught the bus somewhere or something.”

“Hm, I’m pretty sure with all the stops the bus makes, she would still be on it now. I’m guessing she just knows a few short cuts, but still. I totally thought we had her.”

“Well, let’s go up there. I bet she’s looking forward to a bit of gloating.”

They went upstairs and found Nicole in the kitchen, pulling out ingredients for dinner. CJ was staring at them, eyeing up Wynonna or more specifically, eyeing up the fringe on her leather jacket.

“Alright, Speedy-Haught, what’s your secret? I know for a fact that Waverly possibly broke a few laws getting us here as fast as possible and you still beat us. How’d you pull that off?”

Nicole chuckled.

“There’s a bike path that pretty much directly connects that area of town with this one. It’s a straight shot, no lights except for the one right here by the park. Also, no traffic.”

“Pfft. Not fair. But okay. A bet is a bet. You win. What’s your favourite wine?”

“Hm. If I had to pick, and assuming that you’ll grab a bottle when we’re in Penticton tomorrow, I’m gonna say Pinot Noir. They make really good ones there.”

During the exchange, Waverly had moved into the kitchen and kissed Nicole on the cheek.

“Can I help with anything? Dinner prep?”

“No, it’s okay. I prepped all of it last night, so I just have to throw it in the pan now. Veggie fried rice okay with you? I grabbed some chicken to add to the side for Wynonna and me. It’s my good luck food for the night before a race.”

“Totally okay with me. Are you sure you don’t need help?”

“I’m fine. How about you grab some beer and wine from the fridge for you guys and just chill in the living room? I’ll be right there. This won’t take long.”

Waverly walked into the living room and found Wynonna spread out on the couch. CJ was sitting next to her staring at her.

“Waves, I think this cat is plotting to kill me.”

Waverly laughed and sat down, offering a cold beer to her sister.

“She’s not. I think she wants to play with your jacket. Can’t blame her, those look an awful lot like rat tails.”

“Dude! Those are not rat tails. This is a badass jacket, thank you very much.”

“Okay maybe, but CJ doesn’t know that. You might be better off putting this somewhere where she can’t see or reach it.”

A little while later, Nicole appeared with plates full of food. Wynonna mock-proposed to her after tasting the first few bites of their dinner and pretty much passed out on the couch not long after they had finished eating. Nicole nudged Waverly to head to her bedroom while she found a blanket and pillow for the older Earp sister. Waverly knew they had to leave very early the next morning so she was more than happy with turning in early. She was even happier when she felt Nicole crawl into bed next to her, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her close.

“Mmm. Is it silly if I say that I missed this? I know you were only just in Purgatory last weekend, but I missed having you in bed with me.”

“Oh yeah?”

Nicole smirked.

“Yeah, but that’s not what I meant. I mean, I missed that, too. But I just…I like having you near me, like falling asleep with you.”

“Not silly at all Wave. I missed you, too.”

Nicole leaned in and kissed Waverly, slow and gentle. Waverly rolled them so she was half on top of Nicole, letting her hands roam. After a few minutes, both of them pulled back, breathless.

“I should probably let you sleep. I don’t want to be responsible for you being tired at your race tomorrow.”

“Hm. Yeah. Probably a good idea.”

Nicole leaned up and stole another kiss and then pulled the blanket over both of them. Waverly tucked herself into Nicole’s side, with her head on the other woman’s chest. She was asleep less than a minute later.

The morning rolled around way too quickly for all of them. Wynonna was still half asleep and communicated only in barely recognizable mumbles, and even Nicole was a bit grumpier than Waverly had seen before. They grabbed their bags and Nicole’s bike, got everything strapped to or packed into her car and were on their way before the sun peeked across the horizon. Wynonna was asleep in the backseat, snoring softly. Nicole was driving and sipping coffee from her travel mug and Waverly was enjoying the scenery as they drove.

It was a quiet drive through the mountains and toward the neighbouring province. Nicole seemed more awake now but still a little tense. Waverly assumed that maybe she was experiencing some race day nerves and she silently vowed to make the trip there as easy as possible for her. Part way, they traded spots and Waverly drove, allowing Nicole to rest a little, which seemed to help her relax a bit, too.

“You doing okay?”

“Hm? Oh yeah. I’m fine. I’m sorry. I tend to be a bit in my head before a race. Some of that is nerves, most of it is focussing, mentally envisioning what I want to do today.”

“Hey, no need to be sorry for anything. I get it. Let me know if you need anything, okay? We’re both here to support you this weekend.”

“Thanks, Wave. You being here and this, you driving, is already a huge help. Thank you.”

Waverly squeezed Nicole’s knee and they both returned to quietly enjoying the rest of the drive. When they arrived in Penticton and found their B&B, Nicole got out and checked them in while Waverly looked around, orienting herself. The B&B was part of a winery and was overlooking a huge lake. The view was stunning. It was still pretty early in the day but the sun was already hot on her skin and Waverly knew this was going to be a scorcher. In that moment she spotted a small swimming pool right behind the main building and she mentally high-fived Nicole for finding this spot. She knew already that hanging out in the pool with a glass of wine and Nicole by her side would be one of her favourite moments of this weekend.

Nicole returned with their key.

“Nicole. This place. It’s gorgeous!”

“Right? It’s a bit out of town so we’ll have to drive in for the race, but the views are pretty spectacular up here.”

“They are. And they have a pool!”

Nicole laughed.

“Something tells me I know where you’ll be this afternoon!”

“In the pool, with you!”

“I’m down with that. Now, let’s get our stuff into the room and then I have to make my way down to the race area. You can come with or you can stay here for a bit and take a cab down in an hour or so. Up to you.”

“Oh, we’ll come with you. We can explore the town a bit, too.”

“Okay.”

They grabbed their bags and brought them into their suite. Wynonna was only marginally more awake now, but she was aware enough of her surroundings to comment on the lake views out of their main window and on the complimentary bottle of wine that sat on their counter.

Nicole got herself ready and gathered her gear. She was clearly anxious to get into town and to the race area to get into her pre-race routine. Waverly understood and hurried her sister along so they could all drive into the downtown area together. They found a good parking spot near the area where the racers were gathering and Nicole grabbed her bike and a big duffel bag. She turned to the sisters who were already scoping out the place. Wynonna’s first priority appeared to be coffee while Waverly just wanted to wander around a bit and take in the sights.

“Alright. I have to go over and sign in and warm up and all that. There are about 60 racers here today and my starting spot is number 42; start time for me is just after 11am.”

Waverly nodded.

“You see that ramp over there? That’s where we start. And the fenced off area back there is the finish. It’s a short course, so it’ll be quick. I should be done around eight minutes or so after I start.”

“Noted. 11 am start for you. But others are on the course before you and you’ll be done really quickly.”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Got it. Now go! Good luck! Have a good race! I’ll see you at the finish line!”

Waverly got up on her toes and pressed a quick kiss to Nicole’s lips. They smiled at each other for a moment before Wynonna cut in.

“Have fun, Haught-shot! Go get ’em!”

“Thanks! I’ll see you two after.”

With that Nicole disappeared into a crowd of cyclists and Waverly turned around to see her sister already walking into the opposite direction.

“Come on, babygirl. If I’m gonna watch women in spandex all day, I’m gonna need some coffee. Preferably with some whiskey in it.”

Chapter Text

“Oh my god, Waves, look at those pointy helmets? It’s like we’re on the set of Space Balls!”

Waverly laughed. They were currently watching rider number 38 cross the finish line and she had to admit that the helmets they had seen so far looked a bit silly. She understood enough about physics and aerodynamics that she knew why they were shaped that way, but she couldn’t help but agree with her sister on the appearance.

“I wonder if Haught-Shot has one like that, too. If yes, I’m going to borrow it and wear it and you can call me Dark Helmet for the entirety of the rest of this weekend.”

Waverly chuckled and watched as Wynonna hollered at the next rider who was still a bit further down the road toward the finish. Her sister had somehow managed to talk another group of spectators into giving her one of their obnoxiously loud cowbells and hadn’t stopped making noise with it since. Nicole had been right; this was a bit of a different kind of race to watch. They still had the announcer and music system that Waverly had seen at her other races, but with seeing only one rider at a time, she had no idea how to tell who was winning and that muted the excitement a bit. However, Wynonna had been a non-stop source of entertainment, commenting on the riders, their outfits and their futuristic looking bikes and Waverly was glad that she had come along for this trip.

A little while later, they were expecting rider number 41 to come down the finish stretch, and Nicole would follow just after that. As they were looking down the road to see if they could spot something, the announcer’s voice got louder with excitement.

“Alright, folks, we have the first pass of the day coming up here. Nicole Haught from Speed Theory Cycling just passed Megan Shoot from Pro City Racing. If Haught can hold on, we’ll have her in the lead spot with less than 20 riders to go from here.”

Waverly’s heart fluttered with excitement. She leaned over the fence and craned her neck to try and spot Nicole and sure enough, she could see the shapes of two riders in the distance. Only seconds later, Nicole rode past them. Waverly could see that she was going all out, her mouth hanging wide open to draw in as much oxygen as possible while her legs were propelling her along. She was going so fast that Waverly barely had time to register anything else but she managed to yell out a few words of encouragement and watched as Nicole zoomed across the finish line to loud applause. The rider she had caught and passed followed a few seconds behind her.

“Holy shit! Those girls are fast with a capital F!”

Wynonna looked surprised. They had watched a few riders up until that point, so they had both seen the kind of speed they were generating near the finish, but Nicole definitely seemed to have an extra gear compared to the others.

“Come on, let’s go to the finish area and find her.”

Waverly grabbed Wynonna’s arm and dragged her through the crowd to find Nicole. They managed to get close to the closed off part where the riders were gathering and Waverly spotted Nicole standing near a fence, bent over and holding on to the fence for support.

“Does she look like that when you’re done with her in bed, too?”

“Wynonna!”

They got a bit closer just as Nicole stood up, took her helmet off and slid her sunglasses in top of her head. She spotted them and walked over, clearly a bit shaky on her legs.

“Hey!”

Nicole was smiling, out of breath and exhausted but she looked happy.

“Haught-Wheels! You look like you’re about to puke!”

Nicole laughed a bit but was still mostly just struggling to catch her breath.

“Close. I’ll be fine in a minute.”

Waverly was looking at Nicole, letting her eyes trail all along her body. Her face was bright red and sweaty and Waverly could see how hard she was breathing still. The top part of her zipper on her jersey was undone, presumably to help cool off a bit in the heat. It was only then that she noticed that Nicole wasn’t wearing the kind of cycling jersey Waverly had seen her wear before. Instead, she was in a one-piece suit that was tight to her skin all over, showing off every muscle, curve and bone in her body. All of a sudden, Waverly’s mouth was dry and she forced herself to look up and focus on Nicole’s face instead. Nicole for her part was grinning at her and Waverly knew that she had been caught staring. She decided to change gears and shift the attention back to the race itself.

“You were so fast out there! You caught the rider ahead of you!”

Just as she said that, the announcer cut in.

“And it’s official, we have a new leader for now. Nicole Haught will be in the hot seat. Let’s see if any of the remaining riders can challenge her time and nudge her out of the lead spot.”

Nicole turned her head, waved at someone who looked like a race official and then turned back around to face Waverly.

“Looks like I’m needed over there for a bit. I’ll have to sit in that seat over there, the hot seat, until someone else is faster and bumps me out of it.”

“Okay. We’ll be here, watching!”

Nicole leaned over the fence and placed a brief, sweaty kiss to Waverly’s cheek.

“It won’t be much longer. Half an hour tops for everything. You’ll be okay here?”

“Oh yeah. No worries. We’ll just continue cheering people on.”

“No way, babygirl! I won’t be cheering on anyone else now. They’re the competition. I want Speedy-Haught here to win.”

Nicole laughed and turned around, walking over to talk to a few of the race staff and then she sat down in a chair that was placed close to the announcer’s booth. Someone handed her a towel and a water bottle and she gratefully accepted both.

Waverly turned to Wynonna, who was keeping her promise and no longer actively cheered on any of the riders who were crossing the finish line. Waverly still did. While she wanted Nicole to win, she also knew everyone here was giving their best and she wanted to honour that.

They watched as one rider after another fell just short of beating Nicole’s time. There was one woman who came within two seconds of the winning time, but Nicole stayed in the hot seat even after the last rider came roaring down the finish stretch. It took a few seconds to get the confirmation, but then Waverly heard the announcer call Nicole the winner of the day’s race.

“Oh my god! She won!”

Waverly excitedly bounced up and down on her feet, clapping. Wynonna just grinned.

“You know that she is going to be gloating all weekend now, right?”

Waverly smacked her arm.

“Nicole doesn’t gloat. Well. Sometimes she does, but not with racing I don’t think.”

“Eww. I didn’t need to know that!”

“No. That’s not…whatever. It just means we can celebrate tonight. That should be right up your alley, no?”

“Hell yes! I’m in!”

In that moment, Nicole walked up behind them. Waverly turned and wrapped her arms around her in a congratulatory hug.

“Nicole! You won!”

“Yeah. Looks like I did.”

She was grinning and most definitely happy with herself, but she also seemed a bit surprised by the outcome.

“This means I have to go over there for the awards in a minute, but then we can head out. Can you hold on to my bike and stuff in the meantime?”

Waverly saw that Nicole had pulled on shorts and a team t-shirt and was carrying her duffel bag and helmet in one hand while pushing her bike with the other.

“Sure. We’ll wait here.”

“Wait, you trust us with your fancy bike? What if we decide to take it for a joyride?”

Nicole smirked.

“I would actually pay money to see that.”

“Oh yeah? Are you saying that you think I can’t ride this…thing?”

“No. I’m saying that it would look funny. Especially if you wear your leather jacket while doing it.”

At that, Waverly cut in.

“You know Nicole, she will totally take you up on this and likely crash your bike in the process. Are you sure you’re up for having to fix it after?”

That made Nicole grimace a little.

“Okay, fair enough. Let’s not crash it. Can you just hang on to all this for a bit? Awards won’t take long.”

“We’ll keep it all safe, I promise. Go! Get your medal!”

Nicole turned around and disappeared into the crowd. A few minutes later, the announcer got the crowd cheering loudly for the three fastest riders of the day and Nicole re-appeared, smiling brightly as she stepped onto a small make-shift stage to accept her prize. Waverly felt warm all over. She hadn’t known Nicole for all that long, but she felt so proud of her in that moment. She knew how hard the other woman trained and how dedicated she was to her sport, so to see her at the top of the podium for the day was amazing. Even Wynonna looked genuinely happy for Nicole and made it known by loudly yelling her name and shaking her cowbell vigorously enough that the crowd turned to check out the source of the noise. Waverly was a bit embarrassed at that but then she saw that Nicole was laughing and appeared to enjoy herself, so Waverly joined her sister in loudly celebrating the win.

A short while later, Nicole walked up to them, arms full with flowers, an acrylic trophy of sorts and a gift basket.

“Whoa! What’s all this?”

Wynonna immediately seized the basket and started poking around in it to see what it contained.

“Not sure. Chocolate, some coffee I think and local champagne. There might be other stuff in there, too. Feel free to dig around when we get to the B&B.”

Waverly took the flowers and handed Nicole her bicycle and bag.

“Come on, let’s go and celebrate!”

Nicole laughed.

“Yes. Let’s! I really, really need a shower first, though.”

They slowly made their way back to the car. Slowly because every few metres one of the other racers stopped Nicole to congratulate her on her win. It made Waverly realize that the women’s cycling community was probably small enough that a lot of the riders knew each other from other races. Nicole looked happy as she chatted with them, accepted hugs and even a slap on her backside from someone. That particular action made Waverly stop in her tracks for a second and she wondered briefly just how well Nicole knew some of the other cyclists. However, she quickly pushed down those thoughts when she saw Nicole turn and wink at her. By the time they got to the car, Waverly was back to grinning like an idiot. She was so very proud of Nicole.

“You’re the star of the show here today.”

“Yeah. I guess. I don’t win these things often. Mostly because when Ash is healthy, she’s always a beast in time trials and hard to beat. It’s nice to get to be on top sometimes.”

That statement earned her a loud snort form Wynonna, and Nicole immediately blushed when she realized how that had sounded.

“I-I didn’t…mean it like that…I mean…the race.”

Wynonna laughed and was about to say something in return when Waverly took pity on Nicole, looped her arm around her and dragged her to the passenger side of the car.

“I know what you meant.” She lowered her voice so only Nicole could hear and added: “For the record, I like when you’re on top, too.”

That statement didn’t help with Nicole’s blushing issue, but it made her grin as she got into the car. They had packed up all her gear and were ready to head back into the hills overlooking the lake and town. During the drive, Wynonna shared all of her observations about the race with Nicole.

“So, dude, tell me what’s up with those silly helmets. With the pointy end. Do you guys realize how dumb that looks?”

Nicole snorted.

“Yeah, we do. They’re aerodynamic and can actually shave a few seconds off your time without any extra effort, so they are a great piece of gear for these kinds of races.”

“Okay, but yours doesn’t have the pointy end. You don’t want to shave off those seconds?”

“Oh, I do. Mine is still aerodynamic, just a slightly newer version. They make them in less silly looking shapes now.”

“Okay, but you do know they look dumb, yes?”

“Yeah, we all know that, trust me. That’s why we only wear them on race day, not on everyday training rides.”

“Okay. Just checking. Also, how do you go pee in those tight suit things?”

Now Nicole was laughing and covering her face with her hands.

“What? I mean, I saw that yours is a one-piece suit. You can’t just pull the shorts down and go on the side of the road. So how do you do it?”

“Alright. I only wear the suit for short time trials, so the issue of having to go doesn’t usually come up with these. I can hold it for ten minutes if needed. And for the longer races, I wear shorts and a jersey so things are very...ummm...doable with that.”

“Huh.”

“Any other questions I can answer for you?”

“Yeah. How much longer ‘til we can drink by the pool?”

Waverly cut in, letting both of them know that they were only a minute or so away from the B&B. They pulled up to the property and were greeted by the Innkeeper who asked Nicole about her race. When she heard that Nicole had won, the woman promised to bring over a congratulatory bottle of wine later. Nicole thanked her and told her they would likely be by the pool for a while if she needed to find them.

They walked inside and Wynonna bee-lined to the fridge to grab a cold beer, offering one to Nicole as well.

“I gotta shower first, but then yes.”

“This can be your shower beer!”

Nicole tilted her head, confused. Wynonna gasped in shock.

“Don’t tell me you don’t do shower beers!”

“I…what…is that having a beer while showering? That sounds…weird.”

“Dude! Not having a beer in the shower is weird.”

Nicole was still confused but Wynonna pushed the bottle in her hand and disappeared out onto the porch that was attached to their suite. They watched as she flopped down on one of the deck chairs, yawning loudly.

“Wake me when you guys are ready for the pool.”

Waverly laughed, tugging Nicole into the bedroom they would share.

“You’ll get used to her. Trust me.”

“If you say so.”

“I do. Now, you want some help with that shower?”

Nicole blinked at her, put down the beer and tugged Waverly into the bathroom.

Chapter Text

“It really isn’t fair, you know?”

“What’s not fair?”

“That you ride around in this. In public. It’s very…distracting.”

Nicole grinned. They were standing in the rather large bathroom in their suite, Waverly pressed to her front and playing with the zipper of her skinsuit. They hadn’t gotten very far in terms of actually getting in the shower because as soon as the door clicked shut behind them, Waverly had pushed Nicole against it and started kissing her. Nicole didn’t seem to mind.

“Distracting, eh? Is that why you were a little tongue-tied earlier after the race?”

“Maybe?”

“Well, then I should definitely take it off now. Wouldn’t want you to be tongue-tied for the rest of the afternoon.”

They both grinned and just as Nicole moved to pull the zipper all the way down, they heard Wynonna’s obnoxiously loud cowbell in the hallway.

“Yo! Are you ready for the pool yet? I’m melting out here.”

Waverly huffed in frustration and leaned all the way against Nicole’s body, forehead against the other woman’s chest. Nicole just laughed.

“I’m going to kill her.”

“No, you’re not. Here…how about I shower real quick and get myself ready and then you can spend the afternoon ogling me in the pool. How does that sound?”

“Fine. But I’ll still take that stupid cowbell away from her. Otherwise she’ll use it in the middle of the night.”

“Oh god, yes, please do. I’ll help you hide it.”

Waverly turned and walked out of the bathroom to find her sister. Wynonna was sitting on the couch in a white, fluffy robe grinning at her. Waverly glared at her.

“What? Did I interrupt something?”

“You did. And if you don’t hand over that cowbell right away so I can hide it from you for the rest of the weekend, you can sleep outside with the raccoons!”

“Well, if it continues to be this hot, then I will totally sleep outside. Waves, really, I just want to get into the pool, so let’s go.”

“Okay, fine, let me get ready.”

A few minutes later, the three women walked outside wrapped in towels and robes and made their way to the swimming pool in the back of the property. The sun was out in full force now and Waverly understood why her sister was so eager to get into the water. They dropped their belongings on a couple of chairs and without blinking or thinking twice, Wynonna ran and canon-balled into the water. Waverly shook her head but also dropped her towel and made her way into the pool. She could feel Nicole’s eyes on her as she walked towards the water and turned around to see her standing there, looking very much like she had that day at the lake. Waverly could see that Nicole’s eyes were taking in the sight of her in her bikini. It made her blush but she also thoroughly enjoyed seeing what kind of effect she was having on Nicole.

“Haught-Shit. Stop ogling my sister and get in here. You look like you need some cooling off!”

Waverly giggled a little and slid into the water herself, immediately enjoying the coolness on her skin. She floated toward the edge of the pool and watched as Nicole shook her head, smiled and dropped her towel to join them in the water.

Wynonna immediately broke into howling laughter.

“Oh my god, Waves, I need my sunglasses! All that white skin, it’s blinding me!”

Wynonna had her eyes closed and was moving around the pool, waving her arms and pretending that she couldn’t see. Waverly couldn’t help but laugh along. She remembered her own reaction when she was treated to the sight of Nicole’s very, very white torso and feet for the first time.

“The feet! Waves, did you see the feet?”

Wynonna could barely breathe in between laughs.

“Hey! Don’t dis the tan lines! They’re what got you here this weekend!”

Nicole had made it to the edge of the pool and reached in to splash the two sisters who squealed and retaliated immediately. After a few moments, Nicole sat down at the edge of the pool, dangling her feet in the water but didn’t get in right away. Sitting there, Waverly saw the various patches of her skin that had been marred by her crash. It was all healed by now but still looked discoloured compared to the rest of her skin. Her hip also still showed some of the bruising, but to Waverly, Nicole looked flawless. She swam up to her, draped her arms over Nicole’s thighs and smiled up at her.

“You coming in?”

“Yeah, in a sec.”

Just as Waverly was about to respond to that, she saw the Innkeeper appear from the house. Nicole turned, got up and walked toward her. She was carrying an ice bucket, a bottle of prosecco, a few glasses and a tray of fruit and Nicole offered to help her with that. They pulled a small table over to the chairs and put everything on it. Waverly couldn’t quite hear what they were saying, but it looked like Nicole was thanking the woman for the drinks and snacks and then came back towards the pool and this time slid into the water all the way.

“She brought us some fruit and a bottle of something bubbly. Said it’s for winning the race today.”

“Aw. That’s so nice!”

“Dude! If this is how you get treated every time you win something, I’m coming along to all your races. Free booze and snacks!”

Nicole laughed as Wynonna jumped out of the water and rushed over to the table. Waverly watched her sister pour herself a generous glass and attack the local cherries that were part of the fruit plate. Meanwhile, Nicole swam up behind her and wrapped her arms around her. Waverly shivered a little when she felt Nicole’s lips against her neck.

“Mmm. I’m sad we didn’t get to finish what I had in mind for the shower earlier.”

The arms around her tightened.

“Me too.”

“Hey! No banging in the pool! I’m pretty sure that’s against the rules.”

“Wynonna!”

“What? I’m just saying. Places like these all have rules about that sort of thing. I know because I may have broken those rules once or twice in the past.”

Waverly was tempted to ask about that but then thought better of it. She really wasn’t ready to hear about her sister’s adventures in hot tubs and other bodies of water. Instead, she just shook her head and sighed loudly, prompting a chuckle from the woman behind her.

“Haught. I think you’re phone’s ringing.”

Nicole frowned briefly but got out and walked over toward her bag and pulled out her phone. Waverly could see that as soon as she recognized the caller ID, Nicole’s entire body language changed. It went from relaxed and happy to stiff and tense in the blink of an eye and it looked like Nicole was thinking about just letting the call go to voicemail. After a second or two, she picked up and walked over to the side of the house for some privacy.

Wynonna walked over to the pool, offering Waverly a glass of the prosecco.

“Here. It’s not whiskey, but it’s pretty good.”

“Thanks. Do you know who it is?” she asked, nodding toward Nicole who was facing the other direction now and all Waverly could see was her back.

“No idea. But she doesn’t look very thrilled.”

“Yeah.”

Waverly absentmindedly took a sip of her drink, eyes firmly trained on Nicole. She wanted to give her space and privacy, but she also wanted to make sure that she could react if Nicole needed anything. She could see that Nicole wasn’t enjoying the call. Her shoulders were hunched forward and she was rubbing one hand against her forehead multiple times. At some point, she started pacing back and forth a little and pinched the bridge of her nose with two fingers. Waverly wasn’t sure what was going on, but she could see that Nicole was upset about something. A little while later, she hung up but remained in her spot by the house for a few more moments. Waverly turned away, not wanting Nicole to feel like she was being watched, so she bumped Wynonna’s shoulder and pushed her over to the other side of the pool where they looked out toward the hill and the big lake at the bottom.

She heard Nicole slip back into the water some time later. She turned and saw the deep frown etched into her features. She didn’t want to pry but she wanted to acknowledge that she could see that Nicole seemed troubled after that call.

“Everything okay?”

“Hm? Yeah. Just…”

Nicole trailed off and didn’t finish her sentence. Waverly assumed it meant that she wasn’t quite ready to share what was going on, and she could respect that. She floated next to Nicole and slid one arm around her torso, pulling her in for a quick kiss to her cheek. She didn’t say anything else, but hoped that Nicole knew she was here for her. She could feel Nicole take a deep breath as if she was trying to push down whatever was troubling her with the oxygen she was drawing into her body. When Nicole turned to her, the frown hadn’t fully disappeared but she was smiling a bit again.

“So. What’s the plan for the rest of this afternoon? Hang out here? Or do you guys want to go scope out some of the wineries nearby? The Innkeeper told me that there’s a distillery just a couple of roads over from here, too.”

That got Wynonna’s attention.

“Distillery?”

“Yeah. I don’t think they make whiskey, because you’d have to age that for a few years. But they’ll likely have other fun things there.”

Wynonna immediately downed her drink and jumped out of the pool.

“Let’s go, slowpokes! There is a bottle of booze with my name on it waiting for me!”

Chapter Text

Waverly and Nicole managed to convince Wynonna to stay at the pool for a little while longer. Nicole lounged around on one of the lawn chairs in the shade near the house while Waverly had spread out a towel on the lawn in the sun. Wynonna stuck around while there was still prosecco left in the bottle before she excused herself and went up to their suite. The sun was hot and eventually, Waverly moved herself into the shade next to Nicole, reaching over to tangle their fingers together.

“This is nice.”

“Mmm.”

Nicole had been noticeably quiet since the phone call and Waverly was torn about whether to ask or to just wait until Nicole brought it up. She could tell that Nicole was trying to just go on with their day and maybe bringing it up would ruin that. But she also wanted Nicole to know that if there was something bothering her she didn’t have to pretend that everything was fine just for Waverly’s sake.

“Nicole?”

“Hm?”

“Are you okay? You’ve been a bit quiet. And…and…if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s totally fine. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

Nicole sighed and turned in her chair to face Waverly.

“That…um…that was my brother. On the phone. He called to tell me that my father is in the hospital again. He’s been sick for a while now. Cancer…um…in the esophagus, from decades of heavy drinking. It’s spread. Anyway, it’s…it’s not looking good.”

“Nicole. I’m sorry.”

“No. Don’t be. It’s okay. This was inevitable. We’ve all known that he would eventually drink himself to death. I didn’t think he would last as long as he has, to be honest.”

Nicole’s tone was matter of fact and Waverly knew that meant there was a long story there that she wasn’t ready to get into now. She squeezed Nicole’s hands.

“Anyway. My brother called to tell me that there likely isn’t much time left. He wanted me to have the option to visit, and that’s why he called.”

“And do you? Want to visit I mean?”

“No.”

Nicole stopped abruptly and looked down, away from Waverly and it made her worry.

“Hey. That’s okay. You know I won’t judge you, right? Trust me; I know how complicated things can be with family. You know what’s right for you in this, and that’s all that matters.”

At that, Nicole looked up at her with a pained smile.

“Thank you. For understanding.”

“You don’t need to thank me. I just…I wanted to let you know that you can talk to me. About anything. If you want. And if you don’t want to talk, that’s fine, too. Just…I’m here if you need anything, okay?”

“Okay. For right now, for today, I honestly just want to have a good time and celebrate. So what do you say, should we go upstairs and take your sister to that distillery?”

“That sounds good to me.”

Nicole stood up and pulled Waverly up with her, pulling her into her arms and kissing her deeply. Waverly gasped at the suddenness of the move but immediately looped her arms around Nicole’s neck and pressed her whole body against the other woman. When she pulled back for air a few moments later, Nicole was looking down at her with an expression she hadn’t seen before. It was a mixture of awe, affection, warmth and desire and maybe even something more and it made Waverly’s body feel like it was on fire from the inside out. Nicole didn’t say anything then. She didn’t need to. Waverly heard her anyway.

She could have stayed in Nicole’s arms for a lot longer, but she also knew that if they left Wynonna to her own devices for too long, she would likely riot at some point. With that in mind, Waverly placed one last short kiss on Nicole’s nose and pulled her upstairs to their suite to get changed. On their way up, they ran into the Innkeeper again.

“Thank you for the lovely prosecco and fruit. Those cherries are amazing!”

“Oh yeah. They come from our own orchard. They're the last of the season and are extra sweet now. Are you two about to head back into town?”

“No, actually Nicole told us that you mentioned a distillery nearby and some wineries to explore?”

“Oh yes. There are a lot of those up here in the hills. If you would like, we have a few bikes out front for guests to use. They’re a great way to get around up here and do a bit of a tour of a few different wineries. There are a few up here that have great little restaurants attached, too. “

Waverly looked at Nicole, unsure if she was up for riding another bike so soon after racing today. Nicole just smiled and nodded.

“That sounds fabulous.”

“Perfect. The bikes are in the little shed by the garage where you parked. It’s not locked, so just go grab them and put them back in there when you get back. Have fun!”

“Thank you so much! And thank you again for the refreshments by the pool! That was totally amazeballs.”

They made their way up to the suite and found Wynonna asleep and snoring on the couch, still in her robe and bathing suit. Waverly giggled and tip-toed into Wynonna’s room where she found the cowbell that she now had a chance to confiscate for the rest of the weekend. But before she hid it, she grabbed the opportunity to shake it loudly right next to her sister’s head.

“What the fuck?! Waverly! I swear to god.”

Wynonna had tumbled off the couch and was ready to launch herself at Waverly to tackle her, but Waverly was faster and ran into the room she shared with Nicole and locked the door. She heard her sister huffing and swearing in the living room area, which then evolved to threatening Nicole who was still out there with her. Nicole for her part simply reminded Wynonna about her earlier cowbell shenanigans and that they were now even. Waverly heard a grumble and a muttered “okay, but she owes me a drink for that” before she opened the door again to pull Nicole inside their room.

They got changed and wandered downstairs to grab their bikes for the evening. When Wynonna had heard about the plan to ride around to various wineries, she was suspicious at first, but then decided she could challenge Nicole to a sprint to see if she should maybe join one of the cycling teams herself. Nicole just laughed and pushed Wynonna out the door. They grabbed the bikes and with a few practised moves, Nicole adjusted their seats to the correct height and pressed a helmet into Waverly’s and Wynonna’s hands.

“Dude! No. Have you seen my awesome hair? I can’t put a helmet on that.”

Nicole stood up straighter and fixed Wynonna with a very stern look.

“You can. And you will. I’m not taking you anywhere without a helmet.”

“Whoa. Calm down. I didn’t know you had such a stick up your butt.”

“I don’t…have a stick up my butt. But I have seen a lot of crashes in my lifetime, and even small ones at very low speeds can leave you with serious brain injuries, so please humour me and put the helmet on.”

“Okay, okay.”

Waverly smiled at the interaction. She could see that Nicole was dead serious about not taking them anywhere without helmets on, but she could also see that Wynonna didn’t put up as much of a fight about it as she might have with others. She seemed to respect Nicole and it made Waverly smile to see that.

“Alright. Let’s go! I say we ride to the top of the hill first and then winery-hop our way back from there. What do you guys think?”

“Where’s the distillery?”

“About half way back from there.”

“Okay, sounds like a plan.”

As soon as they were out on the road, Wynonna took off, seemingly challenging Nicole to chase her. Nicole looked at Waverly with raised eyebrows and then smiled and shook her head before she took off after her. Waverly just laughed and followed along. She heard Wynonna hoot and holler, taunting Nicole until the road turned up toward the hill. At that point, the hollering turned into loud huffing and swearing with Wynonna struggling to maintain her forward momentum. Meanwhile, Nicole easily caught and passed her, riding up the hill like it was nothing.

“What’s up, Earp? This too steep for you?”

“Shut up, Haught. Not all of us go for early morning training rides in the Alps!”

When Waverly reached the steepest part of the hill herself, she could see why her sister was struggling. The bikes were decent but didn’t have the best gear ratio and her thighs were burning with the effort in no time. She half thought that Wynonna might get off the bike at some point and push, but she was stubborn enough to hold on, even if she was breathing hard and swearing the entire time. Nicole had made it to the top of the hill easily and was waiting for them at the first winery they had picked out for the night. She didn’t look like she even broke into a sweat at all.

“Holy…shit…Haught…how…do you…do this?”

Nicole laughed.

“Cardio. It’s a thing. Come one. First round’s on me.”

Chapter Text

They ate dinner on a patio overlooking the lake, enjoying several glasses of wine before they made their way back down the hill. On their way, they spent a considerable amount of time at the distillery, tasting pretty much everything they were offering. Well, Waverly and Wynonna were tasting while Nicole asked for water at that point. Wynonna was in heaven. She found a local white whiskey that she loved and bought a bottle to bring back to the B&B. They stopped at a few more wineries after that, Waverly bought Nicole her bottle of Pinot Noir for winning the bet the other night and then they watched the sun set over the mountains behind the lake. The rest of their ride back to the B&B was leisurely and quiet in the warm summer air.

Back in their suite, Wynonna grabbed a blanket and pillow and moved to the deck, turning the deck chair into a makeshift bed.

“It’s way too hot to sleep inside. I’ll be out here if you need me.”

Waverly raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. She knew from experience that it was next to impossible to convince Wynonna to change her mind on something, so she just shrugged and looked over at Nicole.

“You want to still sit outside for a bit? Or head to bed?”

Nicole didn’t respond with words, just took a few steps towards Waverly and pulled her into their bedroom. Waverly laughed.

“Okay then.”

Once they were in their bedroom, they both realized that Wynonna’s idea to sleep outside was not a bad one. The heat of the day was still lingering inside and Nicole immediately moved to open the window as wide as possible. Waverly proceeded to shed a few layers of clothing until she was only in a t-shirt and underwear and spread out on the bed, groaning.

“I hope it cools off soon. Otherwise I might not be able to stand having your very hot body right next to me during the night.”

Nicole laughed but mirrored Waverly in taking off her shorts before she laid down sideways on the bed next to Waverly.

“I’m sure we can find ways to cool off. You could hop in the shower if you want.”

Waverly turned to face Nicole and balanced her head on her hand and arm.

“In a bit maybe.”

They both looked at each other in silence for a while. Waverly thought about how they would have never met had Chrissy not dragged her out to watch the race come through Purgatory that one afternoon. She thought about how one split second decision to join her friend had changed so many things in her life for the better and she couldn’t quite believe her luck. She made a mental note to text Chrissy and thank her, again.

“What’re you thinking about?” Nicole asked, voice soft and warm.

“You. How I almost didn’t come to watch that race in Purgatory. And how I would’ve never met you then.”

“Mm. I hope you don’t regret it?”

Waverly lifted her hand and held it against Nicole’s cheek.

“No way. Never.”

“Good. Because otherwise, you’d have to sleep outside with your sister.”

Waverly playfully slapped Nicole’s shoulder and the move reminded her of a moment she had witnessed earlier that day in town just after the race.

“Nicole. Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

Waverly didn’t quite know how to put this delicately. She wanted to ask about the butt slap and just how close Nicole was with some of the other cyclists, and maybe there wasn’t a polite way to ask something like that. She’d had a few glasses of wine and whiskey and that helped with her decision to just go for it.

“Have you dated or slept with any of the other racers?”

Nicole’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline. She clearly hadn’t expected that particular question.

“Um. No. Not since high school. What…why do you ask?”

Now Waverly felt silly. Why had she asked? How could she explain that she’d been cheated on in her last relationship and that in its wake, Waverly had felt hurt and insecure in ways she hadn’t fully recovered from. How could she let Nicole know that she was falling hard and wanted to make sure that she could trust Nicole in that regard.

She looked down and began fiddling with the comforter between them, trying to find the right words to explain her question to Nicole. Just as she was about to plead with Nicole to forget that she ever asked that question, she felt a warm hand covering and stilling her own.

“You don’t have to explain, Waverly. If it makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to tell me. Obviously, we both have a past with exes in there somewhere, but I want you to know that I…I really like you. I feel something with you that I’m not sure I’ve felt before and I would never, ever do anything to jeopardize that. Okay?”

“Okay.” Waverly breathed out, voice shaky. “I really like you, too. A lot. And I…it scares me a little. And then I saw that other racer slap your butt this afternoon and it just…it made me wonder. And I know this is silly, and I probably shouldn’t have asked, but I needed to know and I don’t even know why it was that question specifically, but I needed to know.”

Nicole squeezed her hand and waited for Waverly to look up at her.

“It’s not silly. What you feel is never silly, Wave. The butt slap…that was Brit. She, uh, she’s very straight and very unaware of personal space or boundaries. She slaps pretty much everyone on any body part she can reach. I’m not a fan of that, but I like her. She’s funny and good to race with and a total riot at end of season parties, but that’s all.”

“Great. Now I feel extra stupid.”

“No, please don’t. It’s not stupid. It’s okay. I totally get that it made you wonder. And if you ever have a question like that again, just ask, okay? I’ll always do my best to answer any questions you might have.”

“Okay.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Can I ask you something, too?”

Waverly nodded. She assumed that Nicole would ask why she had been worried about that interaction and she thought it was only fair, given that she had just put her on the spot with her initial question. She took a deep breath and mentally prepared herself to tell Nicole about her last relationship.

“You said what you are feeling…with me…scares you a little. Scares you why?”

Waverly blinked a few times. This wasn’t what she had been expecting. As her brain tried to catch up with the question, Nicole noticed her hesitation.

“You don’t have to answer if you can’t or don’t want to. I just…if there is something I can do to make this less…scary, will you tell me?”

At that, Waverly grabbed Nicole’s hand and held it against her chest.

“Of course, Nicole. Of course I will. But it’s not…it’s not like you’re a scary person. It’s just that I’ve never quite felt like this with someone. It’s uncharted territory. But it’s all so, so wonderful and I want to be with you all the time, and I want to know about your days, and I want to wake up with you and I want to be the only one who gets to slap your butt. I think I…I think I’m falling for you, Nicole and pretty hard, too, and that’s what’s scary about it.”

A slow grin spread across Nicole’s face at those last words, and she pulled her hand back, but only so she could roll over and pull Waverly on top of her and kiss her deeply. When she pulled back, she was still grinning.

“I’m falling for you, too, Waverly. And you’re right, that is a bit scary. But we can be scared together.”

Waverly’s stomach felt like she had just launched herself backwards off a building, only instead of crashing down she was caught and held safely. Once again, she couldn’t quite believe her luck. She was staring down into Nicole’s eyes and all she could see was openness and warmth.

“Okay, but…I don’t want to be scared. I just want you.”

She leaned down and captured Nicole’s lips, fully intent on showing Nicole just how much she wanted her.

Chapter Text

After an opulent breakfast at the B&B and some explorations around town and the surrounding area, the three women were on the road back to Calgary early the following afternoon. Both Nicole and Waverly had to work the next day, so they were hoping to get to the city by the early evening and for Waverly and Wynonna to continue their trip back to Purgatory from there.

They still took the time to stop at some of the sights along the way, which is how Nicole ended up with a set of photos on her phone that showed Waverly and Wynonna posing in front of three big horned sheep, or “big horny sheep” as Wynonna liked to call them. What the photos didn’t show was that seconds after they were taken, Wynonna decided to antagonize the animals until two of them started charging her and her sister. In their hurry to get back to the safety of the car, Waverly tripped and scraped a good amount of skin off her knee and palms.

“Fudgenuggets!”

“Shit. Waverly, are you alright?”

While Wynonna was attempting to shoo away the sheep, Nicole ran over to her and was crouched down, helping her to her feet.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a scraped knee.”

Wynonna was still yelling at the sheep. “Yo. Lamb chops. Go home before I turn you into stew.”

Waverly groaned. “They’re not lambs, Wynonna.”

Nicole chuckled and then focussed on leading Waverly back to the car, pulled out her first aid kit and carefully cleaned and covered the wounds. When she was done, she leaned down to press a light, barely there kiss to the inside of her knee. It made Waverly shiver.

“There. Now you have your very own version of road rash. And a much better story about how you got it.”

Waverly chuckled and carefully ran her hand over her knee, squeezing some spots that she was sure would bruise a bit.

“Yeah. That hurts like hell, though. I don’t know how you managed after your crash. It’s just the knee for me. Your whole body was pretty much scraped up then.”

“I think the pain in my hip distracted me from everything else. Now come on, let’s get back on the road. And maybe let’s not pose in front of any more animals the rest of the way.”

“Good plan.”

They made it back to Calgary in good time. In fact, it was early enough that the bike shop was still open and Nicole had asked the sisters if they were okay with a little pit stop so she could drop off her bike before heading to her apartment. They got to the shop and Nicole was in the middle of unstrapping her bike from her bike rack when a tall, very fit man emerged from the shop and basically tackled Nicole. Waverly and Wynonna had gotten out of the car at that point to stretch their legs a bit after the long drive and were watching the scene unfold.

“Nic! You finally nabbed that win in Penticton! So proud of you!”

“Thanks, X. Legs were good and I’m happy it all worked out. No doubt Ash would have kicked my ass, though, had she been there.”

“Nicole, you gotta give yourself some credit. Ash will have your number in sprints any day, sure. But against the clock, you’re just as good if not better.”

Waverly watched as Nicole blushed a bit and ducked her head at the compliment. A few seconds later, Nicole turned toward her and pulled the man over to introduce them.

“X, this is Waverly and her sister Wynonna. Guys, this is Xavier. He’s my strength trainer, although as you can see he takes it a lot more seriously than I do.”

Xavier moved closer and shot them a dazzling smile before grabbing first Waverly’s and then Wynonna’s hand to shake it.

“Nice to meet you. I hope you kept Nicole out of trouble on this trip?”

Xavier was still holding on to Wynonna’s hand and Waverly grinned as her sister appeared incapable of forming words to respond, so Waverly piped up instead.

“Well, it’s more like she kept us in line and this one out of trouble.”

“Please!” Wynonna protested. “I only get in good trouble. I could show you, if you think you can handle it.”

The latter statement was directed firmly at Xavier, who smiled widely and leaned forward a bit to say something to Wynonna that Waverly couldn’t hear. She could see the smirk that appeared on Wynonna’s face in response and she had a bit of an idea where their conversation was going. She walked over to Nicole who had removed her bike from the car and was about to push it into the shop.

“I’ll only be a second.”

“Okay. I’ll come with you. I feel like I’m intruding over there.” Waverly nodded toward her sister and Xavier.

Nicole chuckled and pulled Waverly along into the shop. Waverly watched as Nicole put her bike in a rack at the back of the shop. Just watching Nicole be so comfortable in her element, both on and around bikes felt soothing to Waverly and she wondered if Purgatory would ever have enough demand to have a bike shop in town. For a moment, she thought about a future that included being able to wake up next to Nicole every day, watch her do what she enjoyed for work and settle into a life with her. She was startled out of her thoughts when Nicole gently touched her elbow.

“You looked like you were far, far away there for a second.”

“Yeah. Sorry. Just thinking.”

“About?”

Waverly wrinkled her nose. She wanted to tell her. In fact, all she wanted to do these days was to have long conversations about their future together. She knew that both she and Nicole had been tip-toeing around stating exactly what they felt for each other, but she also knew that Nicole had hinted a few times that she saw something special in what they had with each other. It was definitely a conversation she wanted to have, just not in the middle of the bike shop after a long road trip and more driving still to do to get back home.

“Rain check? Wynonna and I still have a couple of hours of driving ahead of us and as much as I’d love to stay here and sit on your couch and talk until the sun comes up, I do have to be at work early tomorrow.”

“Fair enough. Let’s get you to your Jeep. But Waverly?”

“Yeah?”

“You know you can talk to me about anything, right? And that I want to talk to you about everything, too.”

Waverly smiled and stepped into Nicole’s personal space. She put both hands on Nicole’s shoulders and leaned in for a short kiss.

“I know. And we will. Talk. When are you coming to Purgatory for your training ride this week?”

Nicole grinned. They had talked about doing this but not when exactly.

“Wednesday? Afternoon?”

“Deal. Now let’s go get my sister before she disappears with your friend and all we get is a postcard from Cancun six months later.”

At that, Nicole laughed and looped her arm through Waverly’s as they both walked outside to find Wynonna still chatting with Xavier.

“X, sorry to interrupt, but I gotta drive these two to their car so they can get home to Purgatory.”

“No worries. Wynonna, Waverly, it was nice to meet you.”

Wynonna waved her hands around in a gesture that looked like an awkward mix between an invitation for a high five and a “call me” before she turned on her heels and got back into Nicole’s car. Waverly said goodbye to Xavier before climbing into the passenger seat and less than two minutes later, they were back on the road towards Nicole’s apartment.

“So, um, Haught-Rod, how do you know your friend?”

“X? I ran into him at the gym a few years back. I was coming back from a bit of an injury and did a lot of strength work and he helped me out quite a bit. We’ve had each other’s backs ever since.”

“Good guy?”

“The best. Very loyal. He’s a bit of a quiet dude most of the time, but he’s the one friend I would call at 2am knowing he would put heaven and hell in motion to come and help.”

That earned her a satisfied grunt from Wynonna and both Waverly and Nicole shot each other a knowing look.

They made it to Nicole’s apartment, transferred Wynonna’s and Waverly’s belongings over to her Jeep and got ready to say their goodbyes. Wynonna kept hers short and sweet, clapping Nicole on her shoulder and thanking her for the weekend and the introduction to white whiskey. Waverly pulled Nicole away from the Jeep for a bit of privacy.

“You know, I really don’t like saying goodbye to you all the time.”

“I know. I don’t like it either.”

Waverly got up on her toes and kissed Nicole, but instead of keeping it relatively brief, Nicole leaned into her and deepened the kiss, pulling Waverly more firmly into her body. After a moment or two, both women pulled back panting heavily. Waverly was the first to regain her voice.

“Wow. You know, you’re not making this any easier.”

Nicole chuckled.

“I know. Sorry. I had to.”

“Okay, so, I should get going before Wynonna starts throwing things at us. Thank you so much for a wonderful weekend. I had the best time.”

“Me too.” Nicole breathed. “And I’ll see you Wednesday?”

“You will. I can’t wait.”

“Okay. Text me when you get home, yeah?”

“Yeah. And Nicole?”

Waverly had three words on the tip of her tongue; three words that she knew were real for her and perfectly encapsulated everything that was swirling around in her head and heart in that moment even if it was maybe a bit early in their relationship to say them. It would have been so easy to say it all, right then and there, with Nicole looking at her with that crooked grin on her face, eyes waiting for Waverly to finish her sentence.

“I…thank you. You’re the best.”

The grin on Nicole’s face got wider and Waverly felt two hands on either side of her face, pulling her in for one last kiss.

“Waverly,” Nicole whispered, her lips so, so close to Waverly’s ear, “I feel the same way.”

“You…you do?”

“I do. But we can talk about it for real when I see you again. When we’re not standing in the middle of a sidewalk with your sister glaring at us from your Jeep.”

“Okay.”

“Okay. Drive safe. Text me later!”

Waverly nodded and turned, slowly getting into her Jeep. Her brain felt fuzzy, like she was floating. Had Nicole just kind of told her that she loved her?

Chapter Text

Waverly and Wynonna made it back to Purgatory without issues, and despite being tired from an eventful weekend and a long drive they sat out on their porch for a while before heading to bed. Waverly was somewhat lost in her own thoughts for most of that as she contemplated what Nicole had said to her over the weekend and then again just before they said goodbye. Wynonna was a bit more talkative. She kept commenting on Nicole’s friend, Xavier, and wondered out loud whether Nicole would bring him along for her training ride to Purgatory on Wednesday. Waverly smirked, knowing only too well what her sister had in mind if that were to happen.

“Wynonna. I take it you exchanged phone numbers?”

“Maybe.”

“Okay, then, why don’t you call him and ask if he wants to accompany Nicole on Wednesday?”

“Babygirl. I can’t call him yet. That would look…desperate. Besides, I kind of want him to be intrigued enough that he comes up with that idea himself.”

Waverly rolled her eyes.

“Alright. Do you want me to mention it to Nicole?”

“No! Or. Maybe. Yes. Just don’t make it too obvious.”

Waverly chuckled. After downing her last bit of whiskey, she excused herself and went to her bedroom. She had texted Nicole earlier to let her know that they made it home safely, but she wanted to send her another note before crawling under the covers.

W: You know, texting you good night isn’t quite the same as being able to whisper it in your ear in person.
W: Thank you again for a wonderful weekend. I can’t wait to see you again.
W: Sleep well, Nicole.

It was late by now and Waverly was sure that Nicole had gone to bed a while ago, so she was surprised when she got a response back.

N: I know what you mean. I’m having a hard time falling asleep without you.
N: Is it Wednesday yet?

The final text from Nicole didn’t contain any words. It was just a small purple heart emoji, and when she saw it, Waverly’s heart almost stopped. She knew this was Nicole’s way of reiterating her whispered confession from earlier that day without actually using the words, and Waverly immediately thought about how Nicole had promised that they would talk about it all soon. She could feel her cheeks flush with heat as she stared at the little heart and decided to reply in kind: with a blue heart and a unicorn emoji.

The next morning came around way too soon for Waverly’s liking. She had to open Shorty’s today, which meant going in early, cleaning and getting the bar ready for the day. After weeks of sunshine, the morning brought the first rain in a long time and the grey sky perfectly matched Waverly’s less than chipper mood. She was in the middle of wiping down the tables when she heard the front door open. She groaned.

“We’re not open yet.”

“I know, Waves. I have coffee. Thought you might need one after your weekend. Which I want to hear all about, by the way!”

“Chrissy! Oh my god. You’re the best!”

“Oh I know.”

Chrissy walked towards her friend with a big smile and Waverly dropped her cleaning supplies to wrap her in a big bear hug. Chrissy handed her one of the coffees and they both moved over to the bar, where Chrissy sat down while Waverly continued wiping down some surfaces and cleaning a few glasses. After giving Chrissy a short summary of the weekend, she put down her rag and sat down across from her friend.

“I think she sort of told me that she loves me.”

Chrissy’s eyes widened.

“You think? Sort of? What does that mean?”

Waverly explained what had happened when they were standing in front of Nicole’s apartment the previous evening, and then the text exchange later that night. She pulled out her phone and showed Chrissy the heart and unicorn emojis, and to her surprise, her friend grabbed both sides of her face and placed a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

“Waves, I’m so happy for you!”

Waverly blushed and giggled.

“Thanks. I…I’m happy. So happy. I just wish she lived here and not in Calgary.”

“Yeah. Have you guys, um, talked about that? The distance thing?”

“Not really. She did say she wants to talk, for real, about us. Where we’re heading. But with Wynonna in tow all weekend, there wasn’t really time for that. She’s coming here on Wednesday afternoon for a training ride. I’m not sure how much time that means we’ll have, but we do need to talk about…us. I just…I’m a little worried about that.”

Chrissy frowned but put her hand on Waverly’s arm, squeezing it gently.

“What are you worried about?”

Waverly was sure Chrissy already knew the answer to that. They had been best friends since they were kids and Chrissy had been around to see and understand the source of her insecurities about herself, especially in relationships. But Chrissy also knew Waverly well enough to understand that the best way to help her friend in moments when the nagging self-doubt reared its head was to let her talk her way through and out of it.

“I don’t know. What if, what if she thinks this is going too far too fast? What if she wants to keep this casual?”

“Waves, do you think she’d really be saying things like that she’s falling for you and coming all the way out here just for a mid-week training ride if she wasn’t invested in this?”

Waverly paused and took a sip of her coffee.

“No. Probably not. But that also doesn’t mean that there’ll be an easy solution for the distance thing. Even if she does feel the same way about me as I do about her. I mean, she has a job there and a team. A life. And I have my own life here.”

Chrissy squeezed her arm again.

“Who knows. I mean, I’m sure it’ll take a bit of talking things through, but sometimes, these things can be sorted out more quickly than you think. And even if it’s not easy, I’m sure you will come up with something that’ll work for you both.”

“I hope so.”

“The woman seems pretty smitten with you, Waverly. If she’s even half as lovely as you describe her, then I’m sure you have nothing to worry about when it comes to talking about what the future holds for the two of you.”

“Yeah.”

Waverly felt a bit more settled and was determined just approach the conversation with Nicole as one where the two of them could explore some options together. It didn’t have to be all or nothing, black or white. With that newfound determination, she smiled at Chrissy.

“Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You’d be lost in your own thoughts and you’d be talking to your books instead of to human beings.”

Chrissy grinned but winked at her.

“Hey! Don’t make fun of my books!”

“I would never. And…you’re welcome. I’m just happy to see you so happy, Waves.”

Chrissy finished her coffee and looked like she was about to pack up and head out, and Waverly really needed to get back to work and re-stock the bar. She watched as Chrissy grabbed her rain coat and was about to hug her goodbye when Chrissy turned to her.

“Oh, before I forget. My dad told me that Wynonna bought some real estate in town. The old commercial building just off Main. The one that’s been boarded up since the Jones family, uh, left town. Do you know what the plan is there? What she wants to do with that?”

“She what?”

“Oh. She didn’t tell you?”

“No. I don’t know anything about this. When did that happen?”

Chrissy shook her head slightly.

“I’m not sure. I’m guessing that was that one morning a few weeks ago when Wynonna was MIA?”

Waverly was stunned. Wynonna hadn’t said a word to her about this. She had no idea what the plan was, or where in the world her sister got the money to make such a big investment. She didn’t know what to say.

“I…uh…thanks for letting me know, Chrissy. I had no idea. I’ll talk to her about it tonight.”

What was happening?

Chapter Text

Waverly didn’t see Wynonna until Wednesday just before lunchtime. She had no idea where her sister had spent Monday night, or all of Tuesday for that matter. The texts she had sent her to ask where she was had earned her a brief “I’m with a friend for a couple of days” with no further explanation. At first, Waverly had simply been worried, hoping that her sister was safe and staying out of trouble. By Wednesday morning, she was beyond irritated and when Wynonna strolled into Shorty’s that morning like nothing happened, Waverly was ready to snap.

“Yo. Babygirl. Give me your best whiskey. We are celebrating.”

“Wynonna! Where the hell have you been? You can’t just go MIA for two days and then come in here like this. And…what are we celebrating?”

“Whoa. Cool your pants, sis! I told you I was with a friend.”

Waverly huffed in frustration, turned and put a glass down in front of her sister with a bit more emphasis than she wanted to. Wynonna flinched at the sound and Waverly grimaced.

“Sorry. I just. Who’s this friend? I didn’t know where you were and I wanted to talk to you. And you just…disappeared.”

“Waverly. I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would upset you this much. I didn’t want to tell you until everything was completely finalized.”

Waverly looked at her sister and frowned.

“Until what was finalized?”

Waverly watched as Wynonna started fidgeting with a beer coaster.

“I, uh, I bought a house. Well, not a house. A building. The old commercial building off Main. It does have a suite in there, though, so someone can live in it, so it’s sort of a house.”

There it was. While Waverly technically already knew about this, hearing it from Wynonna directly still left her at a loss for words. She leaned against the bar, waiting for her sister to continue.

“I want to open a place to fix up and sell old motorcycles. I mean, the York brothers wouldn’t know what to do with a bike if it bit them in the ass. And I know a little bit, and my friend, John Henry, knows a lot. And the building was basically a steal, so…”

Wynonna trailed off and looked at her sister with an expression that was equal parts happiness and concern about how Waverly might react. It made Waverly want to run around the bar and wrap her in a hug, but she still had too many questions, too many thoughts to process.

“Wynonna…why didn’t you tell me about this?”

“I didn’t want to get your hopes up. Or mine. The deal wasn’t super easy to pull off, and I didn’t want you to be disappointed in me.”

At that, Waverly did walk around the bar and put both hands on her sister’s shoulders.

“Wy, I would never be disappointed in you because of some real estate deal. I wish you had told me, so we could have both, I don’t know, planned things together. I mean, I don’t know anything about motorcycles, but I think it’s a great idea.”

“You…you do?”

“Yeah. I do. And it means you’ll be your own boss, right? That’s a good thing. No one to fire you if you show up hungover in the morning.”

Waverly winked at her sister, hoping to convey that even though this came out of left field, she was here to support her.

“True. Although, John Henry and I will be partners, so technically he could fire me, I guess. But he won’t. If anything, he is more likely to be hungover than I am.”

Waverly laughed. Of course her sister would have found a business partner with just as much of an affinity for liquor as herself.

“Partner, huh? Can I ask, how did you get the money for this? And, please don’t tell me if knowing would make me an accessory to a crime.”

That last statement earned Waverly a hearty laugh from her sister.

“Oh please, Waves. I would never. I actually, uh, won the money. Fair and square…ish. And if someone wants to come looking for it, they’ll never find me here. I mean, this is Purgatory. Literally in the middle of nowhere.”

Waverly rolled her eyes. She had a feeling there was more to the story and it was likely connected to Wynonna’s sudden return from her years of travel, but in that moment, she couldn’t bring herself to care. Her sister was here and looking to put down some sort of roots, at least for a while. And she would have a job, a place to go that would keep her occupied during the day. And most importantly, it meant that she would stay in Purgatory for the time being. With Waverly.

This time, she did pull Wynonna in for a hug and didn’t let go for a long time. When she pulled back, she waited until Wynonna looked right at her.

“I love you, Wynonna. You know that, right?”

Wynonna nodded.

“Okay, so what are you going to call this business of yours?”

“Bike Docs.”

Wynonna grinned widely, looking at Waverly like she should understand that this was some sort of inside joke, but Waverly was just confused.

“Get it? Bike but also, oh, I haven’t told you yet. John Henry, everyone just calls him Doc. So, Bike Docs. Because he is a partner, and also for fixing what’s wrong with your bike.”

Wynonna sounded so excited about the name and about this business in general, she was tripping over her words now and gesturing wildly. Waverly could only smile.

“Okay, I get it. I mean, I don’t quite understand why his nickname is Doc, but it works. How about we have that celebratory drink now, huh? This one’s on me.”

“Yes! Best idea ever, babygirl!”

Waverly poured them both a glass of one of the better whiskeys Shorty’s had to offer and made a note to pay for it out of her tips later. She didn’t have time to hang out with Wynonna for much longer after that since the lunch crowd was starting to filter in. She also wanted to make sure she could get out of there on time to meet up with Nicole later, who said she would be in Purgatory at around 5pm and Waverly wanted to go home before then to shower and change into something other than her Shorty’s shirt. They had plans to meet up at the coffee shop in town, giving Nicole a bit of a break after her ride. Waverly wasn’t entirely sure what the rest of the afternoon and evening would look like after that and when Nicole would have to make her way back to Calgary. All she knew was that she would see her in only a few short hours and it made her stomach swoop in anticipation.

By 4pm, Waverly was at home getting changed, when she got a text message from Nicole.

N: I’m on track to be there at 5. I can’t wait to see you!

W: I can’t wait either!
W: Are you enjoying the ride?

N: I am indeed. It’s gorgeous out here.
N: I could do without the crazy drivers in their massive trucks, though.

W: I bet. Stay safe! See you soon!

Waverly finished by sending a kiss emoji and hurried to get herself ready to go back into town. She shot off a quick text to Chrissy, telling her that Nicole would be at the coffee shop in an hour and that she should swing by and say hi if she had time. Chrissy immediately responded and told Waverly to save her a seat.

Waverly made it to the coffee shop with time to spare. She snagged a table outside so she could watch for Nicole and sat down, slowly sipping her iced coffee and enjoying the sun. She didn’t have to wait long before she saw a familiar figure on a bicycle in a bright orange jersey that was easy to see form a distance. Unlike the times when she had seen her at races, this version of Nicole on her bike looked much more relaxed. She sat more upright on the bike and was looking around, smiling and clearly enjoying herself. A few seconds later, Nicole spotted her and rolled in her direction, grinning widely. She stopped right in front of Waverly’s table and pulled her feet away from her pedals with a click.

“Hey you. Fancy seeing you here.”

Waverly rolled her eyes at the cheesy line but couldn’t stop the bright smile threatening to split her face in half. She got up and pressed a brief kiss to Nicole’s lips, noticing that she tasted like salt and some sort of raspberry flavoured drink.

“Hi.”

Before Waverly could say anything else, she saw a car pull up and stop behind Nicole and she immediately recognized Nicole’s friend, Xavier, in the driver’s seat. Her eyes widened in surprise.

“I hope you don’t mind. I brought X along as my support vehicle today, mostly so I have a way to get back to the city later tonight.”

“Of course. I didn’t even think about that. I guess it’s too far to ride all the way here and back in just a few hours on an afternoon. Come on, you two. Sit. I’ll grab you a coffee. What do you want?”

She took Nicole’s and Xavier’s orders and disappeared into the coffee shop to grab their beverages. While she was waiting, she shot of a quick text to her sister.

W: You better get your ass down here. Nicole brought her friend Xavier along for the afternoon.

It didn’t take long to get a response.

Wy: Whoa! On my way. Don’t go anywhere. More importantly, don’t let him go anywhere without me!

Chapter Text

It didn’t take long for the group to completely take over the small patio in front of the coffee shop. Chrissy had arrived not long after Waverly went outside with everyone’s beverages and Wynonna showed up less than 15 minutes later.

“Speedy-Haught! Good to see you again, but please, someone needs to talk to you about your choice of spandex. That orange clashes with your hair! You look like a toddler who dressed herself.”

“Hi Wynonna. Good to see you, too!”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m really not here for you. I’d rather talk to your friend instead. He has better taste in clothing.”

“Wynonna!” Waverly hissed. “Behave.”

Wynonna rolled her eyes while Nicole just grinned at the two sisters. Meanwhile, Chrissy laughed at the banter between the three women, enjoying the fact that she was not the target of Wynonna’s remarks for a change. A few moments later, Wynonna grabbed Xavier by the arm and led him over to a separate table where the two sat and enjoyed their coffee. Waverly didn’t mind the arrangement because it meant that she got to have a quiet conversation with Nicole and Chrissy, without her sister’s antics. They sat and enjoyed the afternoon sunshine. Chrissy asked Nicole a million question about her upcoming races and Waverly simply enjoyed listening to Nicole patiently explain her and her team’s plans for the rest of the summer and early fall. Just as Nicole was in the middle of talking about a mountain bike race she had scheduled for the fall, Waverly noticed a Purgatory Sheriff Department vehicle pull up and stop in front of the coffee shop.

“Do I have to worry about a noise complaint coming my way soon?”

Waverly recognized the voice and faux gruff tone immediately. Sheriff Nedley was sitting in the car, window rolled down and sent them a stern look, but Waverly could see the corner of his moustache twitch in a small smile.

“Dad! Please! We’re just chatting.” Chrissy scolded.

The Sheriff simply grunted in response but got out of the car to greet his daughter. They exchanged a quick hug before Chrissy turned around to Nicole.

“Nicole, this is my dad. Excuse his lame jokes, he can’t help himself. Dad, this is Nicole. She’s one of the racers from the cycling race that came through here a few weeks back.”

Waverly watched as Nicole quickly got to her feet and held out her hand. Nedley grabbed it and shook it, smiling as he let go.

“Ah. So I guess that means you’re the ‘very fast racer’ that I got a call about from Mrs Hopper a half an hour ago.”

Nicole seemed a bit pale and not entirely comfortable with the encounter.

“I…uh, I’m not that fast.”

“Relax, kid. She calls the department about everything. As soon as she said bicycle, I knew it wasn’t anything to worry about. You didn’t get enough of Purgatory when you were here with the race?”

Nicole blew out a small breath and glanced over at Waverly.

“I’m on a training ride today. But also visiting Waverly.”

“Alright. Well, have fun on the rest of your visit and do me a favour and ride safely. Folks around here aren’t really used to seeing many cyclists so it’s probably a bit hairy to ride out here.I don’t want Mrs Hopper calling me back about a cyclist in the ditch later.”

Nicole simply nodded. Nedley tipped his hat, squeezed Chrissy’s arm and turned to get back in his vehicle. He yelled at Wynonna to stay out of trouble and then drove off.

Waverly could see that Nicole was still a bit tense after that encounter.

“You okay? Nedley can be a bit rough around the edges, but he’s a nice guy.”

Nicole turned to her and smiled tentatively.

“Yeah. I’m…fine. Just wasn’t expecting an encounter with town sheriff today. I was worried that I ran a stop sign or broke some bylaw against cycling down Main Street or something.”

At that, Chrissy laughed.

“Don’t worry, Nicole. My dad’s harmless, especially when he’s on his way to Happy Hour at Shorty’s. That is unless your name is Wynonna. Those two have a bit of history. I’m surprised they didn’t start a shouting match like they usually do.”

Waverly nodded knowingly.

“My guess is that my sister is a bit distracted at the moment.”

The three women glanced over to the other table where Wynonna was in the middle of explaining that she would benefit from some strength training to help with the physical work of repairing motorcycles.

Nicole turned to Waverly with a serious expression on her face.

“If she wants, I’m sure X can help her with the training. He’s a wizard when it comes to that stuff. Saved my season more than once.”

Waverly shook her head and laughed.

“No, Nicole. This is Wynonna’s version of flirting. The only exercise she’s ever done consistently is lifting a whiskey bottle.”

That made Nicole chuckle.

“Ah. Okay. Good to know. Let’s hope X is better at spotting the flirting than I am.”

“Well, you seemed to do just fine with me.” Waverly challenged and it earned her a broad grin from Nicole.

“That’s different. I saw how you looked at me that first day after the race. And then again the next morning. I knew you were interested, so it was easy to assume flirtatious intent after that.”

Waverly’s jaw went slack.

“You saw that?”

At that, Chrissy chimed in.

“Waves, everybody saw that. You were practically drooling.”

“I was not! I was…enjoying.”

Waverly was blushing madly now and Nicole simply pulled her closer and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“It’s okay, baby. I was enjoying, too.”

In that moment, Chrissy got up and pushed her chair back.

“Alright ladies, as much as I love hanging out, I have to get going. Nicole, nice to see you again. Have a safe ride back and I hope you come out here again soon. Waves, I’ll text you later. Don’t drool too much.”

Waverly threw her crumpled up napkin at her friend but laughed.

“I don’t drool! Now get out of here before I call your dad and tell him you’re harassing me!”

Chrissy waved and left just as Wynonna sauntered over to their table.

“Hey. I was going to show Xavier my new shop. Do you guys want to come and see it?”

Nicole looked up confused.

“Shop?”

“Yeah. It’s nothing yet. Just an empty building. But I bought it to start a motorcycle repair shop here. With a friend. Waves, what do you say? You want to see it?”

Both Waverly and Nicole nodded.

“Alright. I’ll catch a ride with Mr Zero Body Fat over there. See you there! You know which building, right?”

Waverly nodded again and glanced at Nicole and her bike that was leaning against the wall of the coffee shop.

“We’ll walk over. We’ll meet you there in a few.”

Wynonna and Xavier took off and Nicole grabbed her bike, pushing it along with one hand while threading the fingers of her other hand through Waverly’s. Waverly could hear the clack, clack noise that Nicole’s bike shoes were making against the pavement and knew this wasn’t the most comfortable way to get around for her.

“You’re okay to walk for a few minutes? I can grab the Jeep, too.”

“No, it’s fine. These are noisy, but not too bad for walking.”

They smiled at each other and continued walking down a side street toward an open area of town that housed a few businesses but not much else. After a few seconds of silence, Waverly stopped walking and pulled Nicole closer to her, facing her.

“I’m so glad you’re here. I missed you the past two days. Is that ridiculous?”

Nicole smiled at her softly.

“No, not ridiculous at all. I missed you, too. A lot. I didn’t sleep much without you by my side.”

Waverly sighed.

“I know what you mean. I really don’t like this distance bit.”

Nicole stepped closer and squeezed her hand.

“I don’t either.”

Waverly bit her lip. There were a million thoughts racing through her head, all of which revolved around wanting Nicole around her all the time, and she wanted to share those thoughts but she didn’t know where to start. Nicole must have sensed her inner turmoil and ran a hand softly against her cheek, grounding her a little.

“Wave, I spent the last little while thinking about the distance. I want to be with you. Every day. And…and if you want that, too, I can look into some options. I’m not super tied to the city.”

Nicole trailed off, watching Waverly closely.

“You’re not? But what about your job? Your team?”

“I can still be in the team if I live somewhere else. We have a few riders who live out of town. They make it work, so I’m sure I could, too. And the job, well, I’d have to look for something new. But I can do that. I never assumed that I’d be a bike mechanic for the rest of my life. I have a degree, I have some other options. The bike shop job is convenient and fun, but I can do something else, too. That is…if you want that. I don’t want to pressure you into anything, and I’m not saying we U-Haul it right away. Just that I could look into moving somewhere closer to you. If you want.”

Somewhere near the end of Nicole’s rambling, Waverly felt her heart expand in her chest and she grinned like a fool. Nicole was thinking about moving to be closer to her. And she had thought about it enough to have considered a few options. Waverly felt like she was walking on air in that moment.

“Nicole?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you. And I would love it if you moved closer. If you can make that work and still be able to do all the things that are important to you, then I’m all in.”

She watched as Nicole’s expression went from worry and hesitation to bright joy. She felt both of her hands on either side of her face and felt Nicole lean in, but just before she brushed her lips against Waverly’s, Nicole stopped.

“I love you, too.”

A split second later, they were kissing and smiling and Waverly wondered how she ever managed to live a single day without telling Nicole that she loved her.

Chapter Text

Eventually, Waverly and Nicole arrived at the building that was now Wynonna’s. The windows were boarded up and the outside looked a bit run down, but someone had clearly taken care of the building and parking lot to some extent over the time it had been vacant. It looked functional, if maybe in need of a bit of TLC. The front door was propped open and the two women could hear Wynonna’s voice inside. Nicole looked at Waverly.

“You ready to go in there and see what this is all about?”

Waverly just nodded and pulled Nicole along into the building. Because the windows and doors were boarded up, the inside was dark, with the only natural light coming in through a rather dirty skylight. The front part of the building looked more like a warehouse, but Waverly could see a couple of glass walls separating some office space in the back. She could also see a set of stairs leading up to what looked like a loft space.

Wynonna, who had been talking to Xavier when the two women came in, now stood still in the middle of the warehouse part of the building and was watching her sister carefully.

“What do you think, Waves?”

Waverly turned to Wynonna and could see that she was nervous. Waverly’s assessment of the building obviously meant a lot to her. She took a few quick steps toward her sister and grabbed her hand.

“This looks great, Wy. I mean, it needs a bit of love, but the space is great. Not that I know a whole lot about the kind of space you’d need for a repair shop. But I like it.”

“Yeah?”

Waverly grinned and pulled her sister in for a hug. “Yeah.”

“What about you, Haught-Wheels? You must know a thing or two about repair shops for things on two wheels. This look manageable to you?”

Nicole was walking around the space, checking it out. She looked at the windows, the back door and then checked some of the outlets and used her shoes to tap the edges of a floor drain.

“Yeah. I think you can make it work. You should get lots of light in here once the windows are fixed up, and I think there is plenty of space for a couple of hoists or repair stands. You’ll have to check the drainage to make sure you’re all good in case of any oil spills. And I think you need to look at where you can safely store chemicals here. But I think that’s all manageable in this space.”

Waverly and Wynonna looked at each other and then back at Nicole.

“Well shit, Haught. Maybe I should hire you. How do you know all that?”

“I, uh, worked in my grandpa’s shop when I was a kid. Summer job, before I, uh, left Vancouver. And, I mean, bicycle shops need most of those things, too, and that’s been my life for the past few years.”

“Huh.” Wynonna looked surprised and contemplative but didn’t say anything else.

Waverly took a few steps toward the stairs that led to the loft area.

“Mind if I take a look upstairs?”

Wynonna waved her hand at her sister, motioning for her to go ahead. Waverly grabbed Nicole’s hand and pulled her upstairs. The space had a small kitchen and a bathroom with a tub and shower, but the rest of the area was wide open. Waverly wondered how this could be used as a living space if it wasn’t properly separated from the shop downstairs. Meanwhile, Nicole was wandering around, checking out the ceiling and the windows.

“You could totally put up some cool moveable walls up here. Sort of like barn doors. This could be a super funky loft that feels more like a place in the city than out here in Purgatory.”

Waverly smiled.

“How do you know all this stuff?”

“My uncle. The one that gave me a place to stay when I came to Alberta. I think I told you that he owned a bunch of places and rented them out? He bought old, run down looking places and spruced them up and I tagged along sometimes to help out. He did the barn door thing a lot. It can look really cool.”

Waverly stepped closer into Nicole’s space and wrapped her arms around her waist.

“You race and fix bikes, you know how to fix up a living space, you can cook…is there anything you can’t do?”

Now Nicole was smirking.

“I guess I’m just good with my hands.”

The sudden flash of swagger in Nicole’s voice made Waverly’s stomach do a summersault. She felt warm and wished that they were alone and not within shouting distance of Wynonna and Xavier. She pulled Nicole even closer, pressing their hips together and sent her a dazzling smile.

“Oh, you absolutely are.”

She leaned up on her toes and kissed Nicole who deepened it without hesitation. Waverly let her hands slide down Nicole’s back and it was only when she felt padded lycra that she remembered that Nicole was still in her bike gear and would have to be on her way back to the city soon.

Waverly pulled back, feeling a little lightheaded.

“We should probably go back down there before my sister decides to come up here.”

“Yeah. Although something tells me that she might be a little distracted herself.”

Nicole smirked and nodded toward the edge of the loft space from where they could see the space below. When Waverly leaned forward a little, she could see her sister and Xavier leaned against one of the walls by the front door, and while they weren’t kissing in that exact moment, it very much looked like they had been doing just that. Waverly giggled and stepped into Nicole’s arms, leaning her head against Nicole’s chest.

“Oh boy. I hope your friend can stand his ground with the tornado that is my sister?”

She heard and felt Nicole chuckle.

“Oh, he sure can. In fact, I’m pretty sure he would be the guy who knows how to keep everyone safe in an actual tornado.”

After another short kiss, the two women made their way back downstairs, exaggerating their noise coming down the old stairs to ensure that Wynonna and Xavier heard them.

“What’s your verdict, babygirl?”

“It looks nice. And Nicole has some ideas for making it into a cool loft space, with moveable walls.”

“Does she now? Haught, you’re full of surprises. Maybe we can get together and you can tell me more about that?”

Nicole nodded.

“I’m in. But we’ll have to do that another time. X and I have to get back into the city so we should actually head out soon.”

Wynonna groaned, clearly not ready to let Xavier go just yet.

“Okay, I guess. Maybe we can come meet you two in the city on Friday? You working?”

Both Nicole and Xavier nodded.

“Yeah. X is helping with the kids safety course that afternoon. You could swing by and watch?” Nicole asked, looking over at Waverly.

“I can make that work. I’ll have to be back at the bar Saturday at noon.”

Now both Nicole and Xavier were grinning widely while Wynonna let out a “whoop” and pumped her fist in the air. Waverly laughed. She couldn’t remember the last time her sister seemed so genuinely happy, and Waverly couldn’t help but feel the same way. She was looking at the three people standing in front of her and all of a sudden she couldn’t wait to see what the future held for the four of them. Then, she remembered that there was a fifth person involved in their future, and one she hadn’t met yet.

“Wynonna, are you going to introduce me to your business partner at some point?”

“Doc? Oh yeah. He is in the city today buying some supplies. But he should be back late tonight. I’ll bring him over to Shorty’s tomorrow if you want.”

“I want. So far, all I know is that he has a strange nickname. I’d feel a bit better about your future business adventures if I can put a face to that. Just so I know he is actually real and also not some guy on a Most Wanted list somewhere.”

“Alright. You bring the whiskey, I bring Doc.”

At that, Wynonna patted Waverly’s shoulder and moved the group out of the building before she locked it up again. Nicole grabbed her bike, quickly took out the front wheel and popped both into the hatchback of the car that Xavier had driven to Purgatory. Wynonna pulled Xavier around the corner of the building, no doubt to let him know just how much she was looking forward to seeing him again in a couple of days. Waverly grinned and took the opportunity to grab Nicole and push her up against the car. Nicole’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“Whoa. Forceful!”

Waverly grinned.

“You like?”

She started pressing light kisses all along Nicole’s neck and jaw and heard soft sighs in response.

“Oh, I love.”

“Good. Because I love you! And I’m just giving you a taste of what’s to come on Friday night. I assume that Wy will be spending it at Xavier’s place, so it’s just you and me, baby.”

Nicole leaned down and captured Waverly’s lips in a passionate kiss.

“I love you, too. And I can’t wait!”

Chapter Text

The next day, Waverly was gearing up for Happy Hour when the sheriff walked through the door. Waverly checked the time and frowned a bit.

“Sheriff. You’re early. I hope that doesn't mean that you're here on official business?”

“Hello Waverly. No, not really. But I’m meeting Chrissy here today and this is the only time that works for her.”

Waverly smiled, relieved. Sheriff Nedley came in for Happy Hour every day, like clockwork. She always looked forward to chatting with him for a few minutes before turning her attention to the rest of the customers. They’d known each other since Waverly was very little, and with Chrissy being her best friend, Waverly had spent a lot of time at Nedley’s house over the years. She’d seen a much softer side of him, mostly when he was out of uniform and doing everything he could to make his daughter happy. His Happy Hour persona was somewhere between the soft, friendly dad and the gruff sheriff, and Waverly always enjoyed having him around for a beer. It was also the only time at Shorty’s that everyone else seemed to be on their best behaviour, making Waverly’s job much easier for a little while.

“Ah. Say no more. I know she's has been super busy lately, so I’m glad you managed to get her to squeeze you into her hectic schedule.”

Waverly winked at the sheriff and turned to pour him a beer. Nedley chuckled.

“Yeah. Speaking of busy, I hear that you’ve had a pretty full plate yourself lately. Lots of trips to the city and such.”

Waverly blushed a bit. She knew that Chrissy likely wouldn’t have told her dad the specific reasons for Waverly’s trips to Calgary and the weekend away, but Nedley was a very observant guy and probably noticed that Waverly had switched shifts a few times over the last couple of months to be able to go and see Nicole. She wasn’t sure just how much she wanted to share with him, but she also didn’t want to feel like she was hiding anything.

“Yeah. I’ve, uh, I’ve been visiting Nicole. The cyclist. You met her yesterday.”

“Ah. Yes. She seems nice. Did she make it home okay? I’m sure with all the cowboys out here driving like they’ve never learned a single rule of the road in their lives, it’s not always easy to hold your own, and safely, on a bicycle.”

“Yeah. She actually had a friend with her yesterday to give her a ride back, but yeah. I’ve heard some stories about people forcing her off the road a few times.”

Nedley grunted and crumpled up a napkin that was sitting next to him on the bar.

“Well, you tell her if that happens again out here, she can come in and give me the license plates of those morons. I’ll sort them out for her. I might even think about doing a bit of an awareness campaign. Get people to be more cautious when there’s a cyclist around. Lord knows it would be better for the town, too. I always worry about the kids riding to school and such.”

“I will. Thanks, sheriff. Oh, I see Chrissy just walked in. I’ll leave you two to it, but holler if you need anything.”

Nedley nodded at her and turned around to greet his daughter. They both decided to find a booth that was a bit more private than sitting up at the bar, and after Waverly grabbed a drink for her friend and put in their food orders, she busied herself with serving the rest of the regulars who always showed up for Happy Hour. She was in the middle of carrying a pitcher of beer and several glasses over to a table when she spotted Wynonna and a man in a hat walk in and snag two spots at the bar.

“Babygirl! Meet Doc. Doc, meet my sister Waverly.”

Waverly extended her hand and the man, Doc, took it, but not before removing his hat and holding it to his chest.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Waverly. I have heard a lot about you.”

Waverly took a good look at the man in front of her. He seemed a bit old-fashioned, with his hat and shirt and vest and an enormous but well-maintained mustache, but pleasant enough.

“Funny, because I’ve hardly heard anything about you. Other than that you’re my sister’s mysterious business partner with a strange nickname.”

“Now, I would not call it a strange name. It is merely an old family joke. We are a family of dentists, for many generations, and I am the first to, well, stray from the pack a bit. The name is merely a reminder that I am not quite fulfilling the family destiny, and it stuck.”

Waverly tilted her head to the side a bit. If there was anything both her and her sister could understand it was the idea of having to escape expectations associated with a family name, so she sent him a smile, hoping to convey that she still got the bits of the story he hadn’t shared in those few sentences. He smiled back and for a moment, it was almost like they were having a silent conversation before Wynonna interrupted.

“Alright, so how about a whiskey?”

Waverly chuckled. Of course her sister wouldn’t want to have a conversation of any length without some liquid entertainment. She walked away and came back with a bottle and two glasses, placing them in front of her sister and Doc. She had a few more questions for him, but she also didn’t want to seem like she was going to interrogate him, so she left the two to their own devices for a while to go and take care of her other customers. When she returned, the two of them were well into their second or third drink and staring intently at what looked like a floor plan for the new shop.

“Waves, come check it out. We drew up a bit of a plan, and I want to run it by Haught-Racer tomorrow. You think this looks okay?”

Waverly pulled the paper toward her and looked at it carefully. She could see how they were going to divide the warehouse part into several stations for specific jobs and where they wanted to put a sort of front counter area. The rest looked like unintelligible scribble to her.

“Well, I don’t really know anything about motorcycles or about running a shop like that, so I don’t know if you should even ask me for advice on this. Nicole will definitely be the much better person to talk to.”

“I know, I know. But I do still want to know what you think. Does it look okay so far?”

Waverly looked back down at the plan and studied it carefully.

“It does. Maybe you want to think about having an area where people can sit down and have a coffee if they’re planning to wait there? For quick jobs or to wait for someone to pick them up? Doesn’t have to be much, just a couple of chairs and a small table and a coffee maker. I could make sure you guys have banana muffins on hand there, too.”

Wynonna looked surprised.

“You would do that?”

“When I have time, sure. I can’t promise that you’ll have them every day, but I can make bigger batches and we can freeze them, too. You can pull them out in the morning and just heat them up.”

Wynonna quickly grabbed Waverly’s face with both hands and placed a sloppy wet kiss on her forehead.

“I love you, babygirl! See, Doc? I told you she’s awesome!”

Doc just smiled and tipped his drink toward Waverly before he took another sip. Both he and Wynonna seemed genuinely excited about their business and Waverly was happy to see that. She wasn’t entirely convinced that it would play out okay financially over the long term, but they could cross that bridge when they got there. For now, it gave Wynonna something to do and something to look forward to, and Waverly was all for supporting that.

Seeing her sister make such concrete plans for her future also reminded Waverly about her own thoughts about what her future might bring, and those thoughts definitely included Nicole. She was happy to see that her sister respected Nicole enough that she wanted to involve her in some of her plans for the shop, but she was even happier that the two got along well on a personal level. Thinking back to how Wynonna had reacted to people she dated in the past, it was a relief to Waverly that she didn’t have to worry about any bad blood between the two most important women in her life at the moment.

With her thoughts now firmly on Nicole, Waverly excused herself for a few minutes and slipped out of the back door to get some air and to shoot off a couple of texts to her favourite red-haired cyclist.

W: Just thinking about you. I miss you.
W: I hope work was good today?

It didn’t take long for her to get a response. Her phone pinged and when she opened it, she was greeted with a photo of a smiling Nicole. She was still in her work outfit and wearing a backwards hat, presumably to hold back her hair while working on bikes. Waverly could see smudged dirt and maybe grease on Nicole’s chin and neck, but mostly what she saw was an almost blindingly big smile on her girlfriend’s face.

N: This is what I look like every time I get a text from you. I can’t stop smiling!
N: Just heading home now and then off to a team meeting. I’ll see you tomorrow, right?

W: You bet your cute ass you will. I can’t wait!

N: <3

Chapter Text

“Waves! Come on! We gotta get going if we want to be there on time. I don’t want to be late and miss it!”

Waverly groaned. Wynonna had shown up at Shorty’s just before lunch and had given her a countdown to their scheduled departure to the city every 15 minutes for the past 3 hours. She was clearly anxious to get going, and so was Waverly, but she still had to wrap up a couple of tasks behind the bar before they could be on their way.

“Yes, Wynonna. I know. And we’ll leave here in 10 minutes, just like we said. Now get out of my hair so I can actually finish up here. Otherwise we really will be late.”

About half an hour later, the two women were on the road towards Calgary. Waverly had been looking forward to a nice afternoon drive in the sun, but now her sister was sitting next to her and nervously bouncing her leg and loudly popping bubbles with her gum. After about 20 minutes of that, Waverly snapped.

“Wynonna! Stop the bouncing! You’re driving me crazy!”

Wynonna stopped and looked at her sheepishly.

“Sorry. Just…nervous.”

Waverly’s gaze softened a bit, but she was still feeling frazzled. The tension in the car was palpable enough that Waverly felt her own nerves fray for no good reason.

“Why are you nervous? We’re on our way to see Xavier and Nicole. I thought you’d be excited and happy to see him?”

“Oh, I am. I'm totally happy to see him. I’m nervous about Nicole.”

Waverly frowned.

“What? Why?”

Wynonna didn’t immediately respond. Instead, she was playing with the fringe on her jacket, twisting the strands in her fingers. After a few moments of tense silence, she looked up and at her sister.

“It’s just that she…she seems to know about how to set up and run a repair shop. More than I do. And I want to show her the plans and I want to hear her thoughts about the loft. And I’m worried that she’ll look at my plans and see some sort of fatal flaw in it. That she’ll see that I don’t really know what I’m doing.”

At that, Waverly put her right hand on her sister’s knee, stilling the renewed bouncing. She squeezed gently.

“Hey. You’ve got nothing to worry about. You said Doc knows a bit about this stuff and you both came up with the plan together. I’m sure it’s a solid plan.”

Wynonna nodded but didn’t look convinced, so Waverly continued.

“And you know Nicole. You’ve seen how patient she is. Even if she sees a fatal flaw, as you call it, she would just sit down with you and help you fix it.”

Wynonna sighed. “You think so?”

“I know so. And you do, too. You spent a whole weekend plus road trip with her. You know she put up with all your shenanigans and never once judged you for it. Not even when you got some crazy sheep to chase us down a hill.”

Waverly saw a small smile pull at her sister’s lips.

“I guess.”

“Wynonna, you’ll be fine. I think your plans are good already. And if Nicole has some ideas for how to make them even better, she’ll share them with you. That’s if you can spare enough time for her before you disappear with Xavier for the night.”

Now Wynonna was really grinning and seemed to relax into her seat a bit more.

“Well, I was thinking we could maybe go somewhere for a drink and a bite, the four of us. I can talk plans with Nicole for a bit and then we do our own thing? I’m sure you can’t wait to get some alone time with Haught-Wheels either.”

Wynonna waggled her eyebrows at her and Waverly just groaned but smiled.

“Yeah, alright. Now, let’s enjoy the rest of the drive and stop bouncing your legs or I’ll throw you out into a ditch.”

A little over an hour later and after some traffic related swearing from both women, they arrived at the bike shop. As last time, the main parking lot behind the shop was roped off and full of kids on little bikes. Waverly scanned the area and saw Xavier, who was currently observing and directing a group of kids who were attempting some sort of emergency brake maneuver. There was a lot of screaming and it looked a bit chaotic, but Xavier seemed to take it all in stride, calmly re-directing kids as they went past him.

It took her a little while longer to spot Nicole. She was at the edge of the parking lot, crouched down in front of a little girl who was sitting on a bench. It looked like Nicole was cleaning a scraped knee and trying to calm down the clearly distraught kid. Waverly watched as Nicole carefully moved her hands over the girl’s knee, talking to her as she went. She could see that Nicole was smiling gently and then held out an assortment of Band-Aids for the girl to choose from. The whole interaction reminded Waverly of the incident on the side of the road with the big horned sheep when Nicole had patched up her knee. She couldn’t help but notice that Nicole was treating the girl no differently than she had treated Waverly then, staying gentle and calm but not babying the kid. After the girl picked out her favourite Band-Aid and Nicole put it on, she could see her girlfriend holding out her hand to the kid and saying something that the girl clearly thought was amusing. They walked hand in hand over to the girl’s bike and Nicole helped her get her helmet back on and gave her one last encouraging squeeze to her shoulders before sending her back into the group.

“Welp. If that was my girlfriend, I’d be pulling her into the back of the bike shop right now to make babies.”

Waverly was startled out of her thoughts. She had forgotten that Wynonna was still standing next to her, and she had obviously seen the whole scene play out as well.

“Not how it works, Wynonna.”

Waverly gently hip-checked her sister, but smiled. She had a point. Nicole was clearly good with kids, and Waverly filed that away in her column of “good to know, for later” items about Nicole. They both watched silently for a while longer before Xavier noticed them and waved, which also drew Nicole’s attention their way. She gave some instructions to the group of kids and slowly wandered over toward the sisters.

“Hey.” She said, a dimpled smile breaking out on her face.

“Hey back.”

“How long have you two been standing here? I didn’t see you pull up.”

“That’s because you were busy playing superhero for a little girl, Haught-Rod. We’ve been here for a few minutes. Long enough to see you pull your “let me take care of your knee” routine on someone other than Waverly.”

Waverly glared at her sister for a second before turning back toward Nicole.

“Ignore her. We got here when you were over by the bench with the girl. I didn’t want to interrupt. She looked very distraught.”

Nicole nodded.

“Yeah, although I think that was more the shock of falling than anything else. She picked the dinosaur Band-Aid and is now roaring at everyone over there.”

Both Waverly and Wynonna laughed, looking over at the girl who was riding small, fast loops around a small circle of pylons, clearly not even thinking about her scraped knee anymore.

“Kids are so resilient.” Waverly said, almost more to herself than directed at anyone in particular.

She could see something flash across Nicole’s face, but it was gone before she could really pinpoint what it was. Instead, Nicole just nodded and hummed in agreement.

“I gotta get back there for a little while. Feel free to sit on the bench or go inside the shop if it’s too hot for you out here. We’ve got about another 15 minutes before all the parents get here to pick up the little racers.”

Nicole turned but shot one last smile and wink at Waverly before she went right back to a group of kids that was lined up near one side of the parking lot listening to instructions from Xavier. Looking at Nicole’s back, seeing her in her shop uniform, did something to Waverly and she had to clench her firsts to focus her thoughts on feeling her fingers dig into her own palms. She couldn’t wait to have Nicole to herself later that night.

Chapter Text

Waverly and Wynonna lingered a little bit longer to watch Nicole and Xavier demonstrate some hand signals, but when several parents showed up, the sisters excused themselves and hung out inside the bike shop. Waverly found a little chair and sat down while Wynonna walked about the shop and the repair area, most likely thinking about the layout of her own business in the process.

Sometime later, Nicole appeared, carrying pylons and rope. Xavier was still outside talking to a group of mothers. Nicole spotted Waverly on the chair near the front desk and winked at her.

“Almost done. X said something about going for a bite and drinks?”

Waverly was just about to respond when her sister cut in.

“Yeah. I want to show you some plans for my shop and see what you think. Is that okay? I figured it’d be more fun with a drink or two in hand.”

“Totally okay. Let me get changed real quick and then we can go.”

“No way, Haught-Bod. Let’s go. I’m thirsty! Plus, I saw how much my sister enjoys seeing you in that shop uniform.”

At that, both Waverly and Nicole blushed and Nicole smirked. She looked over at Waverly, silently checking in with her, and Waverly just nodded.

“Okay, but let me at least scrub some of the dirt off. Two minutes.”

She turned and disappeared into a staff washroom in the back corner, and Waverly got up and walked over to Wynonna, smacking her arm lightly.

“Can you not broadcast all my secret thoughts right in front of her?”

“Dude. If you wanted that to be secret, maybe you should tone down the ogling. I’m pretty sure that was visible from space!”

“It was not!”

“Waves, it’s okay. She’s cute. I get it. Don’t worry about it.”

Waverly huffed. She wasn’t about to try and hide her feelings for Nicole, but she hoped that Wynonna could keep her commentary to a minimum for the rest of the evening.

Eventually, Nicole reappeared and her and Waverly hopped into the Jeep while Wynonna caught a ride with Xavier. They decided on a little taco place downtown that offered a good selection of beer and margaritas. They found a corner table by the window and Waverly slid onto the bench seat next to Nicole, pressing herself as close to the other woman as she could. After not having seen her for a few days, she had almost forgotten how good it was to feel Nicole’s arm slide around her back and to feel her leg press against her own. She sighed and relaxed.

As soon as their server took their orders and left, Wynonna pulled out some papers; the floor plan, a bit of an inventory list and some scribbles that included Waverly’s banana muffin idea. She smoothed out the papers and pushed them towards Nicole without saying much. Nicole looked up at her and must have noticed the nervous expression on Wynonna’s face, because she immediately sent her a smile and turned her attention toward the plans. After a few moments of studying them carefully, she looked up.

“This looks really good, Wynonna.”

“Yeah?”

“Absolutely. Very solid.”

In that moment, the server reappeared with their drinks. Wynonna snatched hers from the tray and held it out for a toast.

“Here’s to hopefully not fucking this up!”

Waverly could see that Nicole wanted to say something but then decided not to. Instead, they all clinked their glasses and Nicole went back to looking at the plans. She started asking Wynonna a few questions about the layout and the two women fell into an easy conversation about where the repair stands should go and how to place some fans around the building to ensure proper ventilation. Waverly didn’t pay much attention to the details of the conversation. She was more fascinated by how easily Nicole had managed to reassure her sister and was now offering ideas and suggestions without ever making it sound like Wynonna’s original plan was lacking in any way.

Eventually, they finished their food and were on their third round of drinks. Waverly nudged Nicole a little to see if she wanted to head out soon. She knew her sister and knew that she could easily stay there until the early hours of the morning, but Waverly had other ideas. Nicole nodded at her and smiled and Waverly turned back toward Wynonna and Xavier.

“Alright, Wy, I think after this drink, you two are on your own.”

“Yeah, yeah, babygirl. I know you’re itching to have Haught-Mess to yourself. But Nicole, one more thing. I was thinking. I know you and Waverly have talked about you moving a bit closer to Purgatory, and, um, there’s a loft space there. It’s yours if you want it.”

Both Waverly and Nicole stared first at Wynonna and then at each other in shock.

“What?”

“Really?”

Wynonna snorted and took another sip of her drink.

“Yeah, really. You could make it your own. And I mean, that would be good for me, too. I could come ask you shop questions much more easily, and it would make Waverly happy. Two birds.”

Nicole still looked surprised and a little unsure.

“Uh, thank you so much for the offer. I don’t know what to say right now. I, uh, I kind of want to talk this through with Waverly first, and then get back to you. Is that okay?”

Waverly squeezed Nicole’s leg, wanting her to know that she was in full support of the idea overall, but that she would also appreciate being able to talk it all out and see what Nicole thought about that idea.

“Fine! You’re such an adult! But yes, you two talk it out and then let me know. And now, get outta here. X and I will stay for another drink, but we’ll see you tomorrow? Breakfast at your place?”

“Yeah, okay. That works.”

Waverly and Nicole finished their drinks, paid and headed out, but not before confirming the timing for breakfast and making sure that Xavier was the one keeping them both on schedule for the morning. Waverly did have to be back in Purgatory for a shift at the bar after all. They drove the short distance to Nicole’s apartment and rushed up the stairs and inside, both clearly impatient and wanting to be able to close the door to the outside world. As soon as they did, Waverly grabbed Nicole’s shirt and pushed her against the inside of the door, pressing her lips to her girlfriend. It felt like she had been waiting forever for this moment, like she had been holding her breath and now it was finally time to release all the pent up energy. She felt Nicole’s hands land on her hips and pull her closer. They were kissing and it was heated and Waverly could feel the slightly scratchy fabric of Nicole’s work shirt against her arms and hands where she was still hanging on to the shirt, pulling Nicole close to her body. She lifted one hand and moved it to Nicole’s neck, stroking near her ear, which earned her a small gasp. Just as she was about to repeat that motion, she heard a loud meow and felt soft fur brush against the back of her legs. She pulled back with a bit of a jump.

Nicole seemed slightly stunned at first, but then they heard another meow, this one even louder, and both women laughed.

“CJ! You sure know how to interrupt a good moment!”

Waverly turned and saw that the cat was standing right behind her, glaring at the two women. She was clearly not impressed with being ignored, voicing her displeasure with another half meow, half scream.

“Okay, okay,” Nicole sighed. She placed a brief kiss to Waverly’s mouth and then moved toward the kitchen, followed closely by the cat. Nicole looked back over her shoulder toward Waverly.

“Let me just take care of Miss Princess over here and then I’m all yours.”

Waverly laughed and walked into the living room area, dropping her overnight bag near the door to the bedroom. She was in the middle of opening the window a bit to let some air in when she heard Nicole walk up to her and felt her wrap her arms around her waist, pressing a soft kiss to Waverly’s shoulder.

“Now, where were we…”

Waverly turned around in Nicole’s arms and smiled up at her. She looped her hands around her neck and enjoyed how Nicole held her, close but not tightly. It didn’t feel cloying or overwhelming like it sometimes had with past dates. It didn’t feel possessive. It felt right. And for a second, all she wanted was to drag Nicole into the bedroom and resume what they had started at the door. But she also wanted to talk about their future, or more specifically, about this idea of Nicole moving to Purgatory.

“I believe we were about to talk about Wynonna’s offer for you to live in the loft above the shop.”

Nicole pulled back a little, just to get a better look at Waverly. She was smiling, but Waverly could see that there was a hint of nervousness there, too.

“Okay. Then, let’s do that.”

Nicole gently pulled Waverly over to the couch and they sat down. Nicole grabbed one of Waverly’s hands and held it in both of hers.

“So, let me just say right away that that came totally out of left field for me. I somehow thought your sister wanted to live above the shop herself. Or that maybe her business partner would move in there.”

Waverly chuckled a bit.

“Yeah. I thought the same. I had no idea she was going to suggest this, or that she was even thinking about it.”

Nicole ducked her head a bit and took a moment to consider her next words.

“I, uh, what do you think about the idea? Of me living in Purgatory?”

“I love the idea. Nicole, I mean, we’ve sort of talked about this a bit. Not much and more in the context of you living closer, and I didn’t even dream about a scenario that would bring you into my town. But I love the idea a lot. But only if you also think it’s a good idea. I don’t want you doing something big like moving just because you feel you should.”

Somewhere in the middle of Waverly’s rambling, Nicole had looked up and right at her, a slow smile spreading across her face. She waited until Waverly was completely done saying what she needed to say and then squeezed her hand.

“Wave, I would love to live in Purgatory. I mean, I’ll have to sort out what that would mean for work, and training and all that. But I love the idea. And if you do, too, then, um, then I’m all in.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. If you’re in, I’m in. All the way.”

“And, do you think you can make this work with racing and training?”

“I know I can. I had a team meeting last night and I talked to Holly. She moved away from the city about a year ago, but still races with us. There’s the odd event she’ll skip, but she’s still a full part of the team and at all the races. She said it takes a bit more pre-planning for some things, but it’s really not much different than for some of the girls who live on the other side of the city.”

Waverly nodded, but let Nicole continue without interrupting.

“It’s more the job thing I’d have to figure out. An hour and a half each way is a bit far for commuting every day. I’m sure I could do it for a bit, though, while I look for something else a bit closer.”

“You think that would be okay?”

“For now? Yeah. And hopefully I can find something else quickly and not have to worry about doing that drive in the winter much.”

Waverly nodded again. It sounded doable. She certainly hoped that Nicole would find a new job before winter, so she wouldn’t have to worry about her driving around in the snow and ice every day, but she was sure they could figure something out. It sounded manageable, sensible. And then there was the part about the idea of Nicole moving to Purgatory that made Waverly’s heart do summersaults.

“Okay,” Waverly breathed.

“Okay?”

“Yeah. Nicole?”

“Hm?”

“Take me to bed.”

Chapter Text

The next morning, Waverly woke up with a very naked Nicole curled around her, who was still sleeping soundly. She thought back to the first time they woke up like this and marvelled at how deeply content she felt then and now. Knowing that they would get to do this even more often felt better than anything she ever remembered feeling in her life. Waverly made a mental note to thank her sister, but not after ribbing her a little for making an offer like that to Nicole without mentioning it to Waverly first.

After a few minutes of just lying in bed and enjoying the quiet, Waverly felt movement. Seconds later, CJ was in front of her face, staring at her. Waverly smiled and reached out to scratch the little feline’s head, which immediately resulted in a few loud meows.

“Shhh. Your momma is still sleeping.”

That meant more meowing.

“Is okay, Waves,” Nicole mumbled behind her. “'M sorta awake.”

Waverly grinned and turned around, facing her. Nicole’s eyes were still closed, but she was smiling and pulling Waverly closer by her hips. Waverly leaned up to press a short, sweet kiss to the corner of her mouth.

“Morning, sleepyhead.”

Before Nicole could answer, both women felt a pounce, followed by Nicole’s groan when CJ landed on her torso.

“Remind me to not let her in the bedroom again when you’re here. She’s better behaved when it’s just her and me.”

“Aw. No, baby. I could never live with being the reason she has to sleep alone outside.”

Nicole chuckled.

“It’s not outside, Waves. It’s the living room, with a perfectly fluffy couch and blankets.”

“Still…”

Nicole sat up a little, propping herself up on one elbow.

“What about if I buy her a nice, new cat bed? Would you feel better about having her in the living room, then?”

“Only if you add in some new cat nip toys, too.”

Waverly grinned at Nicole, knowing full well that Nicole would have bought a bunch of extra toys and treats anyway to appease her cat.

“That can be arranged, Miss Earp.”

Nicole grinned back at her and leaned over, effectively pinning Waverly in place underneath her, and kissed her deeply. Waverly kissed her back and for a while, they just enjoyed the heat that was building between them. After a few moments, Waverly pulled back.

“Mmm. As much as I love this and would love to continue, we have to meet my sister for breakfast in an hour.”

Nicole sighed. “Right. We should get ready.”

“Hey. You’ll still have me for a couple more hours.”

“I know, I know. I just wish I had more time this weekend, to make it out to Purgatory again. Be with you some more. And maybe talk to your sister about that loft some more.”

Waverly hummed. “You still like the idea of moving into the loft? After sleeping on it for a night?”

“I do! What about you?”

“I love the idea. A lot. Anything that gets you closer to me is fine by me, but I especially love that you already started looking into your options, with your team. It, uh, it means a lot to me to know that you really want this, too.”

“I do,“ Nicole smiled. She leaned forward again to kiss Waverly again, but only briefly. “And now we really should get ready. Otherwise, we’ll be late, and if that happens, X will never let me hear the end of it.”

The remainder of the morning was fairly uneventful. They met a very disheveled looking Wynonna and Xavier at the diner and watched Wynonna demolish an entire stack of pancakes without saying a word or responding to some of the barbed comments Waverly was throwing at her sister. After breakfast, Waverly and Wynonna had to be on their way back to Purgatory, but not before spending some time saying goodbye to Nicole and Xavier in a way that left both of them breathless.

The sisters didn’t talk much on the way home. At some point, it seemed like Wynonna was asleep, but when Waverly heard some annoyed huffing, she realized that Wynonna was indeed awake and showing her disapproval of some of the drivers around them, but she wasn't nearly awake or energetic enough to actually talk. The only conversation they did manage was a one and a half sentence exchange when they were almost back in Purgatory.

“I take it you had a good time with Xavier last night?” Waverly asked, smirking.

“Mm.”

Waverly dropped Wynonna off at home before making her way to Shorty’s. She had an hour or so to get into her groove before the weekend lunch crowd would roll in and she did her best to ignore the tired feeling in her body and bones. It was later, in the middle of the lunch rush, that Chrissy showed up with two large coffees in hand.

“Chrissy! So glad to see you, but you do know that we make coffee here as well, right?”

“Please, the stuff you make here is caffeinated dishwater. I brought you some actual coffee.”

Waverly laughed but gratefully accepted the offered coffee.

“Don’t let Gus hear that you think her coffee is terrible. But thank you!”

“No problem. Now, tell me about your Friday evening.”

Waverly grinned and launched into a long description of her afternoon and evening in the city. She even included a detailed account of Nicole putting a bandage on the little girl’s knee and how happy it made Waverly to see that Nicole was good with kids. At some point during that part of their conversation, Chrissy’s eyebrows shot up and Waverly stopped talking and turned around, thinking her friend had seen something that took her by surprise.

“What? What’s going on?”

“Waves! What if, I don’t know, but what if Nicole could teach a safety course like that here?”

Waverly blinked.

“Um. I don’t know. I mean, do we even have enough kids here who ride bicycles?”

“Well, maybe not right now, because riding here means taking your life in your own hands every time you do. But if she did a safety course for the kids, plus my dad wants to do a public awareness campaign for drivers, it might get more people out to ride?”

“Huh. It’s not a bad idea.”

Chrissy nodded excitedly. “Right? I’m gonna go talk to my dad about it. See what he thinks. Okay?”

Before Waverly could even respond, Chrissy had grabbed her coat and bag and was out the door. Waverly shook her head at her friend’s antics. Sure, she liked the idea. She just wasn’t sure if there was even any kind of demand for a program like that in their small little town that was usually covered in snow and ice for seven months of the year. She decided to let Chrissy explore it some more before even mentioning it to Nicole. She didn’t want either of them to get their hopes up too soon.

Sometime in the late afternoon, Wynonna showed up, ordered a greasy burger and some drinks and joined Waverly at the bar. She was more awake now and back to her usual sarcastic self, and Waverly was happy to have her there as entertainment during her work shift. As Waverly was getting closer to the end of her shift, she was looking forward to getting home and crawling into bed. She always enjoyed spending nights with Nicole, but predictably, they never got a lot of sleep on those nights, and she was fading fast now. She let Wynonna know that she was set to close up in about 15 minutes.

“Are you coming back to the Homestead with me? Or staying in town?”

Wynonna spun around on her bar stool, looking unfocussed after one too many whiskeys.

“Coming with you. Let me just run to the washroom, and then I’m ready.”

Wynonna disappeared and Waverly busied herself with wiping down the bar one last time when she heard the door open. Without looking up, she yelled out a polite but firm “I’m sorry, but we’re closed now” and continued with the rag in her hand. She heard steps coming closer and groaned. She didn’t feel like dealing with yet another drunken idiot who didn’t know the meaning of “last call”. Just as she was about to look up and give this person a piece of her mind, she heard a soft voice that she would recognize anywhere.

“That means I got here just in time, then.”

“Nicole? What are you doing here?”

Chapter Text

“Hi baby,” Nicole said with a smirk as she walked over to Waverly to kiss her.

Waverly kissed her back, a bit stunned still.

“Hi. Not that I’m not absolutely ecstatic to see you, but why are you here? Is something wrong? Did something happen?”

“No. No, nothing like that. I just, uh, I missed you, and didn’t feel like sleeping alone tonight.”

“Oh.”

In that moment, Wynonna reappeared from the bathroom.

“Okay, Waves, I’m…whoa! Haught-Wheels! Either I drank way too much or you’re really here in the middle of Shorty’s on a Saturday night.”

Nicole chuckled.

“Maybe it’s both?”

“Pfft. Please. I can still stand and talk. That means there’s still some more whiskey waiting for me at home. I take it you’re coming with us?”

Nicole looked over at Waverly, who still hadn’t fully recovered from the surprise of seeing her girlfriend.

“I, uh, hope so?”

At that, Waverly finally snapped out of her stupor.

“Of course you’re coming with us, dummy. I’m sorry, I just really didn’t expect to see you and I’m tired, so my brain is taking a while to catch up right now. But, I love that you’re here. How about we get out of here and to the Homestead so I can show you just how much I love that you’re here?”

“Gross! Haught-Rod, I love that you’re here, too, and I’m going to pick your brain a bit more about the shop tomorrow, but please don’t be too loud tonight.”

Waverly walked past Wynonna and lightly smacked her arm, all the while pulling Nicole along with her. Nicole looked at Wynonna and just shrugged.

Once outside, Nicole let go of Waverly’s hand and motioned toward the road.

“I’m parked over there, but I’ll follow you to the Homestead.”

“Okay. See you there.”

They exchanged a short kiss, and Waverly dragged Wynonna over to her Jeep. She was tired and really just wanted to get home, curl up with her girlfriend and sleep. On their way to the Homestead, Waverly drove a little more slowly than she normally would have, ensuring that Nicole was able to follow her easily. There was something oddly comforting in looking in her rear-view mirror only to be blinded by the headlights of the car following her closely.

When they got the Homestead, Waverly pulled up close to the house, leaving lots of space behind her Jeep for Nicole. She jumped out and yawned. Wynonna had fallen asleep on the way and was leaning against the passenger side window. Waverly sighed a little, knowing it would take a little effort to wake her and coax her into the house. She heard Nicole come up beside her, boots crunching in the gravel.

“You need help getting her inside?”

“Well, I was just going to open the door, let her tumble out and then convince her to get her ass inside. You have a better idea?”

Nicole smiled and kissed Waverly’s cheek.

“I do. Can you take my bag? I've got this.”

Waverly watched as Nicole opened the passenger door. As predicted, Wynonna didn’t really wake up. She just sort of slid out, grumbling a little at the unexpected movement. Nicole caught her, pulled her up and sort of tucked her against her chest and hip. It looked a bit clumsy, but it was surprisingly efficient for getting them inside the house. Once inside, Nicole maneuvered over to the couch and carefully lowered Wynonna onto it. Meanwhile, Waverly grabbed one of the blankets they kept in the hall closet and tossed it over her sister.

It took only a few additional minutes for both Nicole and Waverly to be ready for bed. Waverly let out a big sigh of relief when she finally crawled under the covers and her head hit her favourite fluffy pillow. She sighed again when she felt Nicole’s arm circle around her waist, pulling her closer.

“That’s a lot of big sighs. You okay?”

“Yeah. I’m just so tired. It feels good to be in bed. And, you’re here. I can’t believe how lucky I am.”

Waverly felt a soft kiss on her cheek and knew Nicole was smiling just from the way her lips were curled against her skin.

“M pretty sure I’m the lucky one. Night, baby.”

“Night, Nicole. I love you.”

Waverly awoke the next morning to the sounds of someone cooking breakfast in the kitchen, and to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. The spot in bed beside her was empty and she flopped back, staring at the ceiling with a smile. Nicole was here. Nicole had come out to Purgatory late at night just to surprise her. And now, Nicole was in the kitchen making her breakfast. After blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she grabbed one of her old hoodies and made her way downstairs. Nicole was indeed in the kitchen, whipping up what looked like pancake batter and washing some fruit. Waverly had no idea where the ingredients for this had come from, but she assumed that Nicole must have brought it all in her car.

At some point, Nicole turned around to grab a plate and spotted Waverly standing there, leaning against the door frame.

“Oh, hey baby. Very stealthy! How long have you been standing there?”

Waverly grinned and sauntered over to Nicole, looping her arms around her neck.

“Not very long. I was just enjoying the view.”

Nicole smirked. “That so?”

Waverly leaned up to kiss Nicole, but before she had a chance to really go for it, she heard a loud groan from the living room.

“Haught-Bod! You really are here. I thought for a second it was a drunken fever dream. And you’re in my kitchen making pancakes! I take it back. I don’t want you to live at the loft. I want you to move in here with us!”

Both Waverly’s and Nicole’s eyes opened wide in shock, neither of them fully sure whether Wynonna was joking or not.

“On second thought, no. That would mean having to listen to you guys bang all the time. Let’s stick to the loft idea.”

While Wynonna wandered over to the coffee maker to pour herself a mug, Waverly and Nicole looked at each other, both shaking their heads. Nicole finished making pancakes and they ate, watching Wynonna load hers with fruit and syrup only to then roll it up like a taco and eat with her hands.

“I swear, sometimes I think you were raised by wolves of something.”

Her mouth still half full with food, Wynonna mumbled a response that Waverly couldn’t understand. She raised her eyebrows, waiting for Wynonna to finish chewing.

“I said, not wolves exactly, but also not really role models of normal behaviour.”

Waverly knew she was right and didn’t know what to say, so instead she got up from the table, kissed Wynonna on her head and grabbed everyone’s plates and put them in the sink.

“Alright, Haught-Cook, you wanna come to the shop with me, check out some more plans?”

“Actually, I, uh, brought a surprise. For both of you.”

Waverly turned to look at Nicole.

“You did?”

Wynonna jumped up from her seat forcefully enough to send the chair toppling over backwards.

“Surprise! Okay! Let’s go see what it is!”

Nicole chuckled and got up, grabbing Waverly’s hand gently.

“Ready?”

Both sisters followed Nicole’s lead out the door and onto the porch. Nicole had them stand side by side and instructed them to stay there while she walked over to her car and disappeared behind it. When she emerged, she was pushing two bikes. The first one was the one Wynonna had looked at longingly when she had visited Nicole’s work for the first time. The other was a small mountain bike, complete with tassels.

“Wynonna, this one’s for you. A sort of housewarming gift for your new business. You can ride it or just display it. Whatever works best.”

“What? What do you mean this is for me?”

Wynonna took a couple of hesitant steps toward Nicole and the bike.

“It’s yours.”

Wynonna turned toward Waverly, her mouth hanging wide open, and then she turned back toward Nicole and wrapped her in a bear hug and squealed.

“Oh my god! This is the best thing ever!”

She grabbed the bike from Nicole and threw her leg over it and rode down the driveway in a flash, whooping and hollering the entire time. Nicole watched and laughed, but then turned back toward Waverly, who was slowly walking toward her.

“And this one’s for you.”

“Nicole. What, I mean, that’s too much.”

Nicole silenced her with a brief kiss.

“It’s not. It’s not nearly enough. But for now, it’ll do. We can go for rides together now, or you can goof off with Wynonna when I’m not around.”

Waverly looked down at the bike. It looked similar to the one Nicole had rented for her when they went on their first date, and she even had those damn tassels on it again. Just seeing that brought back so many memories, and Waverly felt a little overwhelmed by it all. She had to blink back tears that were stinging at the back of her eyes.

“Thank you. I don’t know what to say,” she whispered, throat thick with emotion.

Nicole kissed the side of her head.

“You don’t have to say anything. How about you get on it and go catch your sister before she tears up the entire driveway down there. And I’ll go get your helmet and we can ride into town?”

Waverly grinned.

“You brought a bike for you, too?”

“I did indeed. I know you have a shift later, but I thought we could ride around a bit this morning. I’ll even buy you an iced coffee when we get to town.”

“Deal!”

That is how the three women found themselves riding along some of the more scenic backroads from the Homestead to town. Wynonna was having so much fun with her new bike that she kept riding ahead at high speed and then stopped to let Waverly and Nicole catch up with her, but not without heckling them the entire way. When they got to town, they made their way to the coffee shop and flopped down on a small bench outside. Nicole went inside to grab their beverages while Waverly and Wynonna were giddily recounting the various maneuvers Wynonna had pulled off on their way in. They were in the middle of sipping their coffees and enjoying the sun when a car went by but screeched to a stop right in front of them.

“Waves? Nicole?”

It was Chrissy. She threw her car into park and got out, practically sprinting over to the group of women.

“Chrissy. Good to see you. What are you up to?”

“Well, I just had coffee with dad. Nicole, I didn’t know you’d be here today.”

Nicole grinned at her.

“Hey Chrissy. Nice to see you again. It’s a bit of a surprise visit for me.”

“Well, this is great timing. I literally just talked about you with my dad.”

Nicole blinked.

“The sheriff? You talked about me with the sheriff?”

“Yeah. Waves, he is fully on board with our idea. Have you told Nicole about it yet?”

Nicole looked back and forth between Waverly and Chrissy, confusion clear on her face. Waverly grabbed her hand and smiled.

“I didn’t have a chance to do that yet.”

“Well, do you want to tell her now?” Chrissy asked, clearly eager to share the news.

“Sure. And you’re positive that this is a go? Your dad is really on board?”

Before Chrissy could respond, Nicole cut in.

“Um. Could you guys let me know what is going on?”

Waverly chuckled a bit. Nicole was genuinely confused and the look on her face in that moment was priceless. She turned to fully face her girlfriend.

“I didn’t want to say anything until Chrissy had a chance to talk to her dad. The thing is, her and I were talking the other day about you moving here and how you would need to find a job. And Chrissy came up with the idea that maybe you could teach a cycling safety class for kids, or even also for adults, here. And she went to talk to her dad about it and apparently, he supports the idea.”

Nicole’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline, but she didn’t respond right away. Instead, Chrissy piped up.

“Not only does he support the idea, the department would fully fund the course. He also said that if you’re up for it, you could help him with an awareness campaign for drivers around here. How to drive safely when there are bikes around and maybe keep folks in line a bit, too. He said he wants to meet you to talk more about it all, but he was all over this idea. Said he’s been thinking about doing more on that front for years.”

After a few seconds of silence, Nicole finally responded.

“Really?”

Both Chrissy and Waverly smiled at her.

“Really. I know it isn’t much, and likely won’t cover all your expenses in a month, but it is a start?” Waverly said, with a cautious but hopeful tone in her voice.

At that, Wynonna joined the conversation.

“Well, I’m not gonna charge you anything for the loft for the time being. Especially if you help out with getting the shop up and running. And, if you want, you can always work on the side for me. Help out here and there. We could even have a little corner for bicycle repairs at the shop, too.”

Nicole was again silent for a while and Waverly could see that she was struggling to maintain her composure. Her eyes were wet and she was rubbing her hands against her pants repeatedly. At last, she managed to get out a few words.

“I, uh, I don’t know what to say.”

Waverly squeezed her hands in support.

“You want to give it a try? See how it goes and go from there?”

A bright smile slowly appeared on Nicole’s face, and Waverly felt her insides flutter in response.

“I do. I absolutely do.”