Chapter Text
A couple months ago, Nicole thought she was a morning person. She woke up when the sun rose. It was early enough for her to make breakfast, relax, study, maybe even go for a walk. Nicole had always thought she was a morning person- until she rented an apartment with Waverly Earp.
Waverly Earp, who wakes up at 5:30 in the morning, getting dressed and ready in a manner that must seem quiet to her. But to Nicole, the only thing louder than Waverly leaving for her morning run is Waverly’s shower an hour later where the younger girl belts out songs like nobody’s business. Yeah, Nicole isn’t a morning person.
She’d met Waverly through her freshman biology study group, and Nicole seemed to gravitate towards her, but they were never friends outside of class. Then at the end of the summer after her freshman year, she’d gotten a text from Waverly- probably the first text that wasn’t in the group message- and for the last month they’d shared a small two-bedroom, one-bath apartment.
It’s not that she doesn’t like Waverly. The girl is a ray of sunshine. Nicole just didn’t know what she was getting herself into. Fresh meals that made her late to her classes and distracted her from studying. Mandatory “Roomie Movie Night” every Thursday. And being woken up at 5am, falling back asleep, and being woken up again at 6am.
Today, like most days, Nicole sits hunched over at her desk, studying with her door cracked open. Her mind is blurred, tired and unfocused, having gone to the gym this morning and attending two lectures just to come home and study. But she pushes through, albeit begrudgingly. She can’t nap and come back to it, seeing as how it’s Roomie Movie Night.
Nicole is just finishing up an assignment when Waverly comes in the front door, slamming it behind herself as usual. She hears the sound of the younger girl’s shoes hitting the floor, then some rustling as she put them on the shoe rack.
“Nicole?” Waverly’s cheery voice calls out.
“In here,” Nicole responds, decidedly less upbeat.
Waverly’s footsteps fall lightly down the hallway, then she’s pulling open Nicole’s door. The older girl continues putting her books into her bag, then looks up at the brunette, her breath catching for a moment.
Waverly- who must’ve also hit the gym today- stands there in a sports bra and a messy bun, already pulling off her sweatpants to reveal spandex and toned legs underneath. She’s all skin and sweat, looking at Nicole expantantly.
“Movie in half an hour?” Nicole asks, finally meeting Waverly’s eyes.
“Yeah, I’m just gonna shower and I’ll be right out. Did you eat dinner yet?”
Nicole hasn’t eaten dinner; she’s been busy with assignments, only taking a break to shower. But she ate a big lunch at the cafeteria and knows there will be popcorn later, so she nods.
Waverly narrows her eyes as if she can sense Nicole’s lie, but after a long moment she turns around, headed for the bathroom down the hall. Nicole takes the time to change into her flannel pajama pants and tank top, then goes to the living room to find a movie.
She’s let Waverly pick the last few times, but the younger girl lost her movie-picking rights when she chose Avatar last week, keeping them up well past the time Nicole would’ve wanted. So this time she picks out one of her own DVDs, a cheesy horror movie that she’s sure Waverly will hate.
Nicole makes the popcorn, sitting back on the couch with her feet on the coffee table while she listens to Waverly turn off the shower and rush around her room to get dressed. Nicole chuckles at the sound of commotion and the low string of curses that follows.
“You okay, Waves?”
“I’m fine,” Waverly responds in a strained voice. She comes out of her room holding her hip though. “Just bumped into my bed frame.”
Waverly reaches up, her pajama top lifting well above her shorts as she examines the spot for a bruise. The older girl watches only until she catches herself staring.
Nicole sits up and takes her feet off the table as Waverly turns off the lights, reaching for the remote to play the movie. When the brunette plops down beside her, Nicole hands over the popcorn, leaning back with an arm over the back of the couch. Waverly snuggles close on instinct, the back of her head on Nicole’s arm, their sides nearly pressed together.
Nicole stretches back, trying to relax and focus on the movie while Waverly squirms, pulling her feet up under her legs.
“Nicole, is this a scary movie?” Waverly asks, curling up closer at the thought alone. She’s never told the redhead that she hates horror movies, but she’s avoided them at Roomie Movie Nights.
“It’s not too scary,” Nicole says, dropping her hand to Waverly’s shoulder, rubbing circles to calm her nerves. “Do you not like scary movies?”
Waverly isn’t going to admit her disdain to the smug girl sitting next to her, so she just shrugs it off as an answer. They’re halfway through the movie when Nicole gets bored with her own choice, picking up her phone with the hand that isn’t wrapped around Waverly.
For a moment the younger girl doesn’t notice, her attention glued to the screen. Then there’s a jump scare, and Waverly grabs the fabric on Nicole’s abdomen and curls her head into the redhead’s shoulder, a stark difference from the casual cuddling they’d been engaged in. Nicole jumps in reaction to Waverly and not the movie, but drops her phone all the same.
That’s when Waverly notices the device, screen open on Nicole’s messages.
“Hey,” Waverly pouts, her grip loosening though her fingers still brush against Nicole’s stomach. “No phones on Roomie Movie Night.”
Nicole chuckles nervously, something about Waverly’s closeness suddenly giving her an uneasy feeling. She straightens her back, tossing her phone aside and using her sudden movement to shift away from the younger girl a bit.
Waverly notices, though, letting go of Nicole’s shirt. Her face falls a little bit but Nicole misses it, her eyes back on the TV. The movie is barely over two hours long, but Nicole drifts off at some point, missing the ending.
When she wakes up, the TV is left on the black menu screen, it’s dark outside, and the room is quiet except the soft snores of the girl beside her. Nicole looks down, finding Waverly’s face pressed into her shoulder, mouth slightly open as she drools onto Nicole’s bare shoulder. She wants to be grossed out but it’s a bit endearing, seeing the energetic girl at peace, her face soft and breathing calmly.
Nicole shifts just a bit, grabbing a couch cushion to ease Waverly’s head onto as she stands up. Looking around, she considers leaving her on the couch. But the couch is uncomfortable, terribly so, and there’s no blanket lying around to cover her with.
Then Nicole thinks about waking her, but Waverly looks so small in her sleep, her features softer than usual. So Nicole quietly, carefully reaches down, sliding her arms under the girl’s thighs and shoulders, lifting her off the couch with a heavy sigh.
Nicole pauses, making sure she hasn’t woken her. But Waverly just curls into the older girl’s frame, still breathing softly. Nicole walks to the brunette’s room, pushing open the cracked door with her foot. The room is dark, but even in the middle of the night Nicole can make out the bright posters covering the walls, the colorful, boho-style patterns on the bedspread.
Waverly has never made her bed a day in her life, making it easy for Nicole to place her under the covers, pulling the sheets up the the younger girl’s chin. She watches the rise and fall of Waverly’s chest, making sure she’s still asleep before Nicole backs out of the room, walking down the hall to her own.
Falling into bed, Nicole curls up in her nest of pillows and sheets. She pulls of her tank top at the last second, throwing it across the room because it smells like Waverly’s perfume and shampoo. She can’t get into the habit of relying on the brunette’s smell to fall asleep.
The next morning Nicole sleeps in until almost 7, because down the hall her roommate has forgotten to set her alarm.
Waverly wakes up disoriented, and she can’t remember how she got to bed. She notices the sun rising already, but she slept so well that it may have been well worth missing her run.
Nicole is pouring a cup of coffee when Waverly walks into the kitchen, groggy and yawning, her hair mussed and her arms covered with sleep lines from her sheets. Nicole thinks the younger woman might ask her about how she ended up in her own bed, but after a moment of just standing and watching Nicole, Waverly thanks her for the extra coffee in the pot.
For some reason Nicole had been nervous, but Waverly doesn’t mention it, so she reminds herself that it’s something any good roommate would do. Even a bad roommate might do it for Waverly.
A couple days later, Nicole finds herself sitting on the floor, propped up by the couch, right at Waverly’s feet. The younger woman is reading some history book, annotating and highlighting, not for class but just because she’d rather read than work on her math assignment, Nicole is sure.
Nicole, on the other hand, is engrossed in the revising and editing stages of her latest analysis paper. Waverly is playing soft instrumental music from her phone, and Nicole has never been big on having background noise while working, but the younger girl’s playlist doesn’t bother her one bit.
The two have found this to be a routine that works for them, sitting together in silence. Nicole also never cared much for company while studying, but Waverly brings a bit of peace to her silent study sessions now. It isn’t until Waverly puts her book down that Nicole is distracted.
Waverly leans forward, watching over Nicole’s shoulder as she works. Nicole feels a bit self conscious at the feeling of being watching, her fingers stuttering over the keys. It isn’t until Waverly’s fingers absentmindedly tangle in her hair that the older girl really pauses, her eyes fluttering closed as Waverly plays with her hair.
“Nicole, what are you doing tonight?” Waverly questions, giving Nicole a reason to turn and look at her.
“I was going to study, but it’s nothing that can’t wait,” Nicole responds, quirking an eyebrow at the younger girl. “Did you have something else in mind?”
Waverly grins then, big and bright, and nods.
“Wynonna wants to meet my roommate, which is you,” Waverly says, her fingers straying the Nicole’s shoulder to draw circles on her skin. “She’s having a game party. I don’t know what that includes, really, but she really wants us to come.”
“Okay, Waves,” Nicole says, chuckling at the brunette’s enthusiasm.
“Yeah?” Waverly asks, pulling her hand away to pump her fist excitedly. “Her friend Henry is bringing his Switch.”
“His what?” Nicole says, choking on air as she sets aside her laptop, shifting her body to face Waverly in full.
“His Nintendo Switch,” Waverly says, in a d u h voice. “Wynonna knows she can bribe me with Mario Kart.”
“Really?” Nicole asks, her voice lifting a bit. “Is it really that interesting?”
“What, you’ve never played?” Waverly responds sarcastically.
“No…”
Nicole sees her mistake immediately, a mix of shock and excitement flashing over Waverly’s face all at one. The redhead groans, crossing her arms on the couch cushions to prop her chin up as she watches Waverly.
“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Nicole mutters.
“Oh, I’m gonna kick your ass!” Waverly says. “After a some practice races, of course. I’m going to teach you so I can win fair and square. Then I’ll kick your ass.”
“What time?” Nicole asks, turning to gather up for laptop and notebook to bring to her room.
“In a couple hours,” Waverly says. “I’ll drive us there around 7.”
“Sounds good,” Nicole agrees. "I've got nowhere else to be."
“Wynonna says there will be pizza,” Waverly adds. “Jeremy from our old biology study group is coming too, and a couple other people.”
“You don’t have to sell it to me,” Nicole says with a laugh, standing over the younger girl, who looks up at her with a suddenly timid smile. “I’m there.”
Waverly nods, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. Nicole offers her a hand, pulling her up from the couch. They’re standing close for a second, way too close, and Nicole is frozen for a moment until Waverly steps around her.
Later that night, Nicole has changed from her sweats and tee to jeans and a crop top with an old windbreaker to complete the look. She feels stupid when Waverly grabs her keys, still in her comfy-casual hoodie and leggings. But then looking at the girl, Nicole remembers Waverly is stunning in anything, and she feels less overdressed.
The drive to Wynonna’s apartment is only twenty minutes, and they arrive there about the same time as Wynonna is returning with pizza. A few others start arriving soon after. Jeremy from freshman biology, his boyfriend Robin, and Wynonna’s friends Henry, Xavier, Rosita, and Chrissy.
Needless to say the pizzas are gone within minutes, but that’s all it takes for Nicole to feel like a part of the group. Wynonna offers drinks, and Waves turns her down since she drove. Nicole takes a shot of whiskey before joining Waverly at Henry’s Switch.
Waverly pats the carpet next to her, right in front of the TV because the younger girl insists she can’t see from the couch.
Nicole glances around as Waverly sets up the system. Jeremy and Robin have made their way to the couch to sit and watch while Wynonna and the others gather around the coffee table to play cards.
Nicole sits up as straight as she can in the cramped living room, but Waverly leans her back against Wynonna’s, making herself comfortable as the older Earp nurses a whiskey and passes out cards.
Nicole relaxes a bit at the sight, and she even joins the conversation at the table when someone turns to include the two girls. And maybe she accepts a few shots offered to her by the older Earp.
By the end of the night, Waverly is seething. Nicole has never seen her so upset, but somehow her features still have a soft look to them.
“I cannot believe you’ve never played,” Waverly grumbles, tossing away her remote to cross her arms after Nicole took first place from her again. “Seriously, I don’t believe you at all.”
Nicole laughs, resting a hand on Waverly’s arm.
“Would it make you feel better if I said I’ve played before?” Nicole asks, laughing harder when Waverly shoots her a glare. “It’s just luck, Waves, I’m sorry.”
“It’s not luck and you know it,” the brunette shoots back, picking up her remote to start a new race. “You’re good and you like winning, or else you would’ve let me win more.”
Nicole rolls her eyes but the smile doesn’t leave her face.
“Okay, well I’m going to make a trip to the restroom. Why don’t you start a race with someone else and get some practice in.”
Waverly scowls, but offers the remote to Jeremy, who comes to take over for Nicole. When Nicole asks Wynonna for directions to the bathroom, the older Earp stands up and offers to show her where it is.
She leads Nicole down the hall, only to stretch her arm across the door frame of the bathroom, blocking Nicole’s way.
“Alright, Haughtstuff,” Wynonna says, her voice stricter than it has been throughout the night. “Are you being nice to my baby sister? She says you’re an angel roommate but I don’t believe that. What are you hiding?”
Nicole just laughs nervously, tucking a hair behind her ear as her mind races for a response to the improv interrogation.
“Yeah, no, I’m not hiding anything,” Nicole says, smiling cautiously while the other girl’s face remains serious.
“That’s okay, I don’t expect you to tell me,” Wynonna says in a teasing manner. “Just remember I’m crazy and I love my baby sister, so don’t hurt her.”
“We’re roommates, what am I gonna do, put the toilet paper backwards on the rack?”
“Yeah, Haught, don’t do that,” Wynonna says, lifting her arm away from the door. “That’s fucked, really. But I mean as a friend, roommate, whatever. I’ve only known you for one night, but I see the way you look at her.”
“I don’t- Waverly isn’t-” Nicole stutters, blushing despite herself. “I don’t see her like that.”
“No, I understand,” Wynonna says, her voice quieter but her face closing in enough that Nicole can smell the whiskey. “Waverly is beautiful. Everyone loves her. Just don’t hurt her if you think you want to go there.”
Nicole decides to stop arguing since they’ve been back here a suspiciously long time. Instead she just nods, walking into the bathroom to shut the door. When she comes back out, she takes Jeremy’s place on the couch. Soon after, Waverly trades off with Robin.
Wynonna convinces Waverly and Nicole to play a couple rounds of Bullshit, but they leave soon after. Wynonna offers Nicole another shot of whiskey before they leave, and she accepts gratefully as everyone says a tipsy goodbye to the two girls.
The liquid burns her throat, making her a bit dizzier than before.
Twenty minutes later they’re pulling up to their own apartment, Waverly seemingly less giddy than she was an hour ago, and Nicole’s tipsiness is beginning to wear off enough to notice.
“You okay, Waves?” Nicole asks, climbing out of the girl’s Jeep and walking around.
“Yeah, yeah,” she says. “Just, you didn’t say much on the ride home. Or when we were playing cards. Was this okay? Did you not like them?”
“Oh, Waverly, no,” Nicole says, taking the younger girl’s arm to lead them to their apartment. “They were great. And Wynonna is great. I’m just tired, that’s all. I had fun.”
“Oh, good,” Waverly says, her voice chipper again. “I think everyone really liked you too. Jeremy was impressed with your Mario Kart skills. He never beats me. And Wynonna doesn’t offer whiskey to just anyone. I saw Henry try to take a shot after pizza and Wy nearly ripped his head off.”
“Oh,” Nicole says, opening their door. “Yeah, she seems nice. And she has good whiskey.”
Waverly laughed, pushing past the door. They don’t bother to turn lights on, they just take turns showering and say their goodnights and don’t see each other again until after their classes Monday.
Nicole thinks of her every other second while they’re apart, only sparing the seconds in between to chastise herself. She knows Waverly has been talking to a couple guys, has seen the messages and heard the stories from the girl herself. And roommates is a line she doesn’t want to cross, won’t cross.
So what if her heart seizes and her brain goes into overdrive when she sees Waverly smile or hears her voice. Waverly is not hers, and despite what Wynonna seems to think, it’s not really feelings , just an inevitable crush on a girl that everyone loves.