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Nicole was softly smiling while she was watching her small wife literally skipping around the kitchen. Waverly was getting ready to shoot a new video for her freshly started cooking channel. Yes, you heard it right - cooking channel! From all the things she could have done, she could have started a cooking channel was the last everyone would have guessed she will get into but here they were. Waverly prancing around the kitchen while Nicole was leaning against the doorframe and watching her. She did that a lot. Three months have passed since she got her back but it still felt like yesterday. Even if a lot of things happened since then - having Waverly back was something she cherished the same way as the first day. Simply watching her was making Nicole smile and her heart flutter with happiness.
The first three weeks were hard. They all needed to readjust and get used to each others presence. They had to learn live with their fears, nightmares and also they had to learn how to accept the others coping mechanism. Wynonna was little distant and anxious, Waverly tired and overwhelmed, Nicole herself gave new meaning to word “protectiveness”, only Doc was seemingly happy and alright.
Those first three weeks they cried a lot and they talked a lot. Trying to explain and sort out their feelings and emotions which their reunion brought with itself. Nicole gave Waverly space and safety to allow her to compartmentalize the time she spent away. Fortunately, it didn't take long for Waverly to find herself and after three weeks back she told Nicole that she wanted to get married. She wanted to get married – now. No fuss, no stress and mostly no waiting. She wanted to marry Nicole right away – so they did that. They have exchanged vows on the homestead under a simple white arch decorated with flowers and ribbons. Doc made the arch himself right that afternoon when Waverly came up with the wedding idea. Chrissy helped with decoration and flowers the next morning and the vows were exchanged later that afternoon. They spent a nice evening at the homestead with their friends having a simple dinner before Waverly and Nicole left and went back to Purgatory. Wynonna wanted them to stay at the homestead and offered that she will leave so they can have it for themselves but Waverly said that it was just a trick to get out of the cleaning, so she and Nicole left leaving Wynonna and the rest of the band to it while they stayed at Nicole’s.
Staying in the town was better logistically too. Nicole agreed with a hurried wedding with one condition – that they will go for a superb honeymoon instead. Waverly loved the idea, getting away for a few weeks was a blessing. So, while Waverly with Chrissy decorated the homestead for the ceremony Nicole was booking their honeymoon. She kept the destination secret but the grin on her face told Waverly everything she wanted to know. Her love did everything she could to make her happy and from that look and kiss, she gave her it was obvious that she managed to find something great.
A few hours later she found out that Nicole booked them a flight to Brazil. They will spend three weeks under the sun on a warm beach. Honestly, it was pure luck, Nicole searched for the cheapest flight for that day and Brazil popped up which was great. They packed light and had a really nice trip. The place was fantastic and those three weeks were perfect. Waverly was super excited and happy what made Nicole happy in return. After arriving they have spent three days just resting, tanning, swimming and enjoying their honeymoon the way newlyweds should - making soft and slow love lost in each other for hours. But then their curiosity won and they started exploring the neighborhood. Unexpectedly Waverly fell in love with local cuisine and from there it went down quickly.
Before Nicole could comprehend what has happened Waverly was full-blown obsessed with cooking and when after coming home she mentioned that she wants to make a cooking channel on YouTube Nicole didn't even flinch. What her baby wanted that she got and that led to this moment. The moment when she was leaning against the door frame watching her wife’s petite form running up and down the kitchen while setting it up for shooting. Waverly was really excited and she had a reason for that. The channel was up just for a few weeks and she posted just five short clips. Which were made, if she wants to be honest, in a hurry and yet it got great reviews and number of watches she has never expected. Motivated by that she was trying hard now to make the new clips even better, hence the lights and new semi-professional camera instead of her mobile phone was placed in the middle of the small kitchen.
Waverly fumbled with a small reflector in her hand and threw a little annoyed glance at her wife.
- Nicole, - she said with even tone despite her slightly stressed mood. – could you please help me with this? – she asked lifting the lamp in her hands.
- Of course! – The redhead answered finally pushing herself off the doorframe and walking to her wife. – What do you want me to do? – she asked taking the lamp from Waverly.
- Could you please put this up there on the top of the cupboard?
- Sure. – Nicole stepped closer and reached out getting the lamp on the top without effort. Shuffling it a little bit she tried to aim it on the table where Waverly set up most of the ingredients. – Is it ok? – she asked turning her head towards her wife.
- I think so, plug it, please. – Waverly said and turned her attention to the table. She was making a fruit and lettuce salad but with a twist coming in the form of added pasta and eggs. It was a risky experiment but as they say life rewards the brave.
Soft light glided over the kitchen after Nicole plugged the lamp in and Waverly smiled happily at the way how it lit the table.
- Thank you. - She said while checking the last time the camera, making sure the shot was right before grabbing Nicole by her hand and tiptoeing to kiss her cheek. – I’m ready, let's do this.
Nicole kissed the top of her head and waited until her wife walked around the table. Waverly took a few deep breaths before smiling brightly into the camera.
- Ready. – she said and Nicole turned the camera on. The brunette charmingly welcomed her viewers and started chopping up the prewashed vegetables and fruit while introducing the recipe. Everything went well and Waverly gave herself a quick mental pat on shoulder noticing that she will have an easy job editing the raw material. She glanced at Nicole who was looking at her smiling and Waverly felt her heart skip a beat under her gaze.
- We need four boiled eggs so I will put them quickly into the water so they can cook while we prepare the salad. – she said smiling into the camera before reaching for the eggs her eyes still fixed on her wife.
Nicole always had the ability to look at her in a way which made her knees go weak and stomach flutter with a thousand butterflies. Believe it or not, since her return from the garden it got even “worse” – what actually is the best. Waverly had no clue if it was simply in her head, if the long months of longing left this imprint in her soul or if it was Nicole’s own pain which made her gaze more intense and meaningful. She hated every minute spent in the garden away from Nicole and Wynonna. She really did. Never in a million years would have she imagined that something good could come out of it. But something beautiful and amazing did.
She grabbed two eggs and placed them into the water reaching after another two absentmindedly.
Days, weeks and months passed since she, not so very gracefully landed at the bottom of the stairs in the forest, yet the force behind Nicole's grip on her while they hugged each other didn't ease. The arms around her were strong, secure and protective. The way Nicole kissed her was sometimes soft sometimes needy but always full of unconditional love maybe with a hint of fear. It was intense and magical.
- Waves!
- Hmm? – she looked at Nicole who was looking at her with wide eyes. – What? – she asked the redhead. Nicole just nodded towards the pot. Waverly looked down and her eyes went as wide as Nicole’s.
- Oh, fudge nuggets! – she yelled looking at the guayabas floating in the boiling water. What the hell?! Grabbing quickly the ladle she tried to fish them out as quickly as possible.
- Is that some new trick? -Nicole laughed watching how Waverly tossed the guayabas into the sink.
- It is your fault so please be quiet. – Waverly walked around the table and turned the camera off, obviously she jinxed it and now she will have to cut this mishap out. Stepping closer to her wife she nuzzled into her arms.
- I have been thinking about you a lot while I was away.
Nicole smiled and kissed her forehead.
- Really? I thought that you had better things to do. – She said trying to avoid the heavy emotions this conversation could bring and wondering why her wife brought this up now.
- I told you already, there were no Victoria Secret Angels in the garden.
Nicole chuckled. She asked that questions weeks ago in an attempt to lighten the mood after one of the difficult conversations they had. It worked. Waverly was shocked at first then she laughed and in the end she very effectively made her forget every angel except for her.
- I was thinking about which moment it is what I should be grateful for. The one when you stepped into Shorty’s with that cute dimpled smile which made me all flustered in a second. Or the one when you signed the papers which made you a rookie deputy in Purgatory Sherrif Department. – Rubbing her forehead on Nicole’s jaw she let out a soft sigh. - Maybe I should be grateful for Nedley keeping an eye on you and offering you the job in the first place and that leads us to the reason why he was watching out for you and I don’t know what it all means.
Nicole smiled and pressed a soft kiss on her wife’s lips.
- It was fate or destiny, call it whatever. We were meant for each other and with what we know at this point I’m sure that it doesn’t apply just for this life. We will be together forever – one way or another. I love you and always will, the rest doesn’t matter.
The redhead said with stone cold conviction in her voice. Brushing her knuckles over Waverly’s face she smiled before leaning down and kissing her softly. Their lips played with each other with a comforting familiarity until Waverly didn't push herself tighter into her wife and deepened the kiss. Their tongues brushed and swirled against each other softly.
- I think that I need a break. – the brunette whispered taking her wife's hand and dragging her upstairs. If they have learned one thing from this it was that they can’t take each other for granted. Every minute counts. There is no room for anything else but love.