Work Text:
The blonde bites her lip and looks across the table at her companions with a wicked grin. "Never have I ever--"
"Stop," Wynonna declares loudly, entering the kitchen with Nicole trailing behind, "I do not need to hear what my baby sister has been getting up to." She glares pointedly at the younger brunette, sitting at the large, family-sized dining table in the open plan kitchen and dining area of their currently-absent aunt's house, and her sister rolls her eyes in reply.
Steph groans. "Okay, fine," she sighs heavily, then squeals. "Oh I know! Let's play the crush challenge!"
Wynonna pulls a container of leftover take-out from the refrigerator that the younger group had left, having ordered and eaten already earlier in the evening. She sticks it in the microwave and punches a few buttons.
"How do you play that?" Chrissy asks. She glances at Waverly, who shrugs, also in the dark.
The blonde already has her phone out of her pocket and is scrolling through her music player. "We put this song on and pass 'it' around by pointing at each other. When the beat drops, whoever got pointed at last has to call their crush.
"Like make an actual phone call to their crush," Chrissy asks to clarify.
Steph nods. "Exactly. Right here, in front of us."
"I dunno," Waverly says, uncertain, "let's just play buzz or something."
"Of course you'd pick the multiplication one, nerd."
Waverly looks at timer counting down on the microwave. "They'll be gone in two minutes 40 seconds. We can wait and keep playing Never Have I Ever."
"Nah, it's the perfect amount of time for one round of crush challenge," Steph counters.
"Another beer?" Wynonna asks in the kitchen area, shoving an icy cold bottle from the fridge at Nicole before she can answer.
"Thanks," the redhead says, and leans back against the counter to watch the younger girls while Wynonna raids the cupboards looking for any more booze or snack secret stashes while their take-out re-heats in the microwave.
The tinny sound of an electronic drumbeat increases as Steph turns the volume up as high as her phone will go. She pauses the track and returns the slider to the beginning of the song. "Okay so I'll point first, then you keep it going, okay?"
Chrissy nods, and Waverly shrugs, taking a sip of the too-sweet white wine she'd bought for the evening because Steph likes it, and she always felt like she had to work to keep the girl's friendship. She pulls the sleeves up of her oversized fluffy white sweater. "Okay, go."
Steph presses play and points at Waverly. Waverly points to Chrissy, and Chrissy to Steph, and so they go around a few times.
"Aha!" Wynonna shouts, pulling a bottle of whiskey out from behind a stack of biscuit tins in the so-called 'Christmas cupboard'. "Merry fuckin' Christmas to us, ho ho hos!"
At the table, the beat drops and the high-pitched tone of Steph screeching pierces the air over the swell of music, which quickly gets stopped. Waverly groans and covers her face with her hands. Steph claps her hands and resumes pointing at Waverly. "You! Do it, Waverly, call your crush!"
"I can't," she mumbles through her hands.
"You don't have to," Chrissy says, gently rubbing her best friend's back.
"Yes she does," Steph crows, "just call him." She gyrates in her seat, lip pinched between her teeth. "I'm dying to find out who this mystery man is you've been secretly lusting over."
"I haven't," Waverly says, dropping her hands for just a moment to protest weakly.
"C'mon, what do you have to lose, babygirl? If there's someone you like, shoot your shot. Better not be Chump Fuckin' Hardy, though," Wynonna warns. "That kid is a little shit and you know it."
Waverly splays her fingers just enough to look at her sister through them and quickly closes them again like shutting window blinds. She mumbles something no one can understand.
"Stop being a pussy," Steph prods.
Waverly looks to Chrissy helplessly for support, but her friend nudges her instead. "You've been wanting to do this for how long?"
"Go on, Waves," Nicole pitches in, "anyone lucky enough to be your crush would love to hear from you. What do you have to lose?"
"Come on," Steph whines.
"Okay, okay," Waverly concedes, scrunching her eyes and rubbing her face one last time before pulling her phone from her pocket. She scrolls her contact list and pulls her sweater up over her chin, trying to half-bury her face. She presses the call button and holds the phone to her ear, grimacing through the longest pause ever waiting for the slow, rural towers to connect. Her eyes flicker around all her friends, her sister, and settle on Nicole's big brown eyes looking back at her.
"Yes!" Steph waggles her eyebrows and starts sexy-dancing as best she can on her chair across the table from Waverly.
Across the room a phone rings. Nicole breaks her eyes away from Waverly, who it feels is looking so deep into her soul she may just see the pain hidden beneath. She forces a chuckle at the blonde's ridiculous antics, and slides her phone from her back pocket. She stares at the screen. A photo of herself, Wynonna, and Waverly stares back at her, Waverly front and centre in the picture, a beaming smile on her face. She laughs, confused. "You're calling me." She looks up at Waverly, whose expression is blank as she meets and holds her gaze. She feels her stomach drop. "Waves?"
Waverly doesn't say anything, she just holds her phone to her ear, and in Nicole's hand, her phone continues to ring. Nicole glances at Wynonna, who is staring at the phone in Nicole's hand, her mouth hanging open, and the open bottle of whiskey in her hand surprisingly not raised yet to drink from it. Wynonna looks across at Waverly, and Nicole follows the movement. Waverly finally stops looking at Nicole and looks at her sister instead, for a moment, before her eyes return to meet Nicole's again.
The phone in Nicole's hand stops ringing, and in the silence of the large room they hear her voicemail pick up from Waverly's phone. The younger girl pulls the phone away from her ear and ends the call.
Steph chuckles awkwardly, looking between the two, before addressing her friend. "Are you serious?"
Nicole remains frozen to the spot, shocked by her best friend's little sister's unexpected revelation, and frowns slightly, a little concerned about what her big sister's reaction will be.
"Yeah. I'm bi," Waverly says, her voice clearer and steadier than the worried expression on her face would indicate.
Silence hangs between them, and Wynonna finally takes a slug from the whiskey bottle.
"Ew," Steph says quietly, curling her lip.
The room is no longer silent as one chair is shoved away from the table and Waverly rushes away from the group and up the stairs, quickly followed by Chrissy doing the same, but not before she sends the blonde a death glare.
Wynonna finally reacts by clearing her throat. Steph sucks her teeth and tilts her head disapprovingly, and Nicole gets a flashforward image of her at 40 asking to speak to the manager at every place she goes. Downing her drink, Steph turns to look at the two older girls behind her, and is taken a little aback by the hardened look on Wynonna's face.
"Get the fuck outta my house," the brunette growls.
"Excuse me?"
"Get the FUCK--" she says, slamming the bottle onto the counter, liquid sloshing up and on her hand. Nicole reaches out and grabs her other arm just above the elbow, holding her back.
Steph, as airheaded as she may be, thankfully reads the mood. She slips her phone into her pocket and reaches for her bag sitting at the end of the table. At the door, her hand on the knob, she turns her head, and with a critical once-over of both women and a glance upstairs, huffs dismissively. "Freaks," she mutters under her breath, but still loud enough to be heard.
This time it is Wynonna who holds Nicole back, as Steph wisely disappears out into the chilly evening.
"Hold up, Red. As much as I'd like to watch you kick the snot out of that little cunt--" she jams a pointed finger in the direction of the door.
"Please don't say you're gonna kick the snot outta me instead," Nicole says, only half-jokingly.
Wynonna lets go of her friend, licks the spilt whiskey off her hand, then picks up the bottle and takes another swig. She leans back against the edge of the dining table, facing her friend, and sighs. "No."
"Phew," Nicole feins and takes an extra long chug of beer, burping silently as the beverage fizzes in her stomach.
"Not yet, anyway," Wynonna says, narrowing her eyes. Nicole slowly takes another gulp of beer, her mouth suddenly dry. Wynonna cocks her head to the side. "You like Waverly too, right?"
Nicole coughs as a small amount of beer goes down the wrong pipe. "Umm, what?"
"Don't act dumb. You like-like her too, don't you."
The redhead winces and rubs the back of her neck as she is sometimes wont to do when nervous. "You knew?"
"I'm not stupid, Nicole."
"I know that."
"I mean, I thought she just thought you were cool and," Wynonna rolls her eyes back for emphasis, "nice and whatever. I didn't think she felt..." She takes another sip of whiskey. "Anyway. Small town and all, limited dating options."
"Gee thanks," Nicole teases.
"Not what I meant, Haught." Wynonna pinches the bridge of her nose. "Fucking hell, you're not making this easy."
"Sorry."
"Look, I've always hated every guy she dated or seemed interested in, or was sniffing around her. Even if she is eighteen now, she's still my baby sister. No one is good enough for her."
"I get it, no one ever will be."
"Correct." Wynonna points a finger gun at her friend and clicks with her mouth. "But! Her happiness is the most important thing in the world to me, and if there is anyone in the world I trust to treat her right and make her feel special every day of her life, it's you, ya big marshmallow."
"Thank you, I think?" Nicole finally exhales all the way and rolls her shoulders to relieve some of the tension. "I must admit, you're taking this a whole lot better than I thought you would."
"Ugh," Wynonna rolls her eyes, "I've had to watch you mooning over her for months, this is not news to me. I just thought one day I'd be picking up the pieces of you off the floor when she eventually settled down with some local dipshit asshole fuckwad a million miles beneath her."
"Honestly, that's what I thought would probably end up happening too. The smashing to pieces part. Not the you picking me up part. I figured I'd still be hiding my feelings for her from you," Nicole says with a shrug.
Wynonna rolls her eyes. "As if you could, idiot! I know I can be a bit shit at all this friendship stuff sometimes but -- and I'm only gonna say this once so listen up -- I care about you too, and you don't need to hide your hurt from me, ever. Or feelings, or whatever." She jiggles the bottle in her hand. "Just get me drunk enough first that I won't remember being nice to you."
Nicole's eyes glisten with moisture and her face softens at her friend's words.
Wynonna gestures to her friend's face with a circular wave of her hand. "Okay, you need to stop that, whatever that is, before it gets any worse."
"Sorry," Nicole says, but her eyes still gleam and her genuine smile brings out the dimples in her cheeks.
"Now," Wynonna says, drinking again directly from the bottle, "isn't there somewhere you oughta to be right now?"
Nicole's eyes glance up at the ceiling in the direction of Waverly's bedroom. She looks back at her friend, uncertain, and sucks in a deep breath.
"Go, dipshit." Wynonna tugs the shoulder of Nicole's sweater to get her moving, and, shaking her head as the taller girl walks past, turns around. Looking out the window she spies Steph standing out in the cold, her skimpy clothing providing no protection from the icy wind. She huddles under the porch light on her phone, probably calling someone to drive her home.
With a chuckle, Wynonna twists the lock on the door and flicks off the porch light, her heart leaping with glee as the action draws a surprised and slightly scared yelp from the blonde.
Upstairs, Nicole tentatively knocks on Waverly's bedroom door. She hears a sniff, some murmuring and shuffling noises, before there's a "come in." She turns the handle and half opens the door, but leans on the door frame rather than entering.
"Hey, Waves."
Chrissy squeezes her friend's forearm and stands, catching the hand Waverly reaches out with to stop her. She squeezes it and lets go, and holds up the phone in her hand. "I'd better go and drive Steph home before she freezes out there. Call me?"
Waverly nods, and Nicole steps into the room to make way for the younger girl to leave. "Seeya, Chrissy."
"Bye Nicole," she says, and disappears down the hall.
Nicole steps into the room and tucks her hands awkwardly into her back pockets. "So."
"I'm sorry about before," Waverly begins with a giggle, though her eyes are damp from recent tears. "I shouldn't have done that in front of everyone. I should have known you're way too kind to humiliate me by letting me down in front of everyone, so I'm really sorry for putting you in that position."
"Waves," Nicole begins.
"Honestly, Nicole, I'm so sorry if I've made things weird, between us, or.. or between you and Wynonna. I've had a few glasses of wine and just kinda got caught up in the moment."
"Waves," Nicole tries again.
"I wish we'd never played that stupid game, we should have just waited--"
"Waves," Nicole interrupts, this time more forcefully, and it works to stop Waverly's ramble mid-sentence.
"Yeah?"
Nicole steps closer, but still only half-way to the bed where Waverly sits. "I..." She sighs. "You haven't made things weird, I promise." Waverly starts to scoff but Nicole presses on. "Honestly, I'm glad it was me you called. I hoped... I didn't believe I could be lucky enough that you would, but you have no idea how much I wanted it to be me."
"You did?" Waverly stands and takes a couple of hesitant steps towards Nicole.
Nicole smiles, and as is always the way, the warmth of it draws a smile out of Waverly too. "Yes, I... I kinda have a crush on you too."
"You do?"
"Yes," Nicole sighs, taking another step forward and reaching out her hands, which Waverly takes in her own, her thumbs grazing softly over Nicole's fair skin. "I do."
Waverly looks down at their joined hands and back up at the taller redhead, her eyes gleaming with joy this time. They grin awkwardly at each other for a few moments until a crinkle appears on Waverly's forehead.
"Um, but what about Wynonna?"
"Actually she's surprisingly okay about it." Waverly's eyes widen. "I know! She kinda already knew. I mean, I am one hundred percent sure she already knows the exact place she'd dump my body if I ever hurt you, but," Nicole smiles, "that doesn't worry me because I'm planning on never doing that."
"Oh yeah? What else are you planning on doing then," Waverly asks with a coy smile.
Nicole grins. "Asking you out, for a start." She clears her throat dramatically. "Waverly Earp, will you allow me the honour of taking you out on a date?"
With a giggle and a squeeze of their hands, Waverly accepts. "Yes. Please."
"Awesome," Nicole says, her cheeks dimpling extra deeply. They grin at each other for a moment. "Are you okay? With this, with us? Chrissy and Steph?"
"Yeah, umm, Chrissy already knew, she's been really good. And uhh, well Steph is going to gossip about it, I'm sure, but I don't care. Not now that I know Wynonna is okay and that you want to go out with me too."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." She thinks back to the cryptic little talk her aunt Gus had had with her a few weeks prior about life surprising you, how convinced she had been at the time that her aunt couldn't have known it was Nicole she was crushing on, but now she wasn't so sure. "It might not even come as much of a surprise to some people as I was worried it would. I'm a little bit scared, it's just... new, you know. But I'm not ashamed."
"Good." Nicole squeezes her hands. "You're pretty amazing, you know that? You're really brave."
Waverly sucks in a deep breath and lets go of Nicole's hands, but only so she can wrap her arms around the taller girl's waist. Nicole's arms quickly find their way around her, and she leans into the warmth and listens to the beating heart beneath her ribs. It's not the first time they've hugged, but in a way, it feels like it is all new again. Nicole rests her chin on the top of Waverly's head.
Clomping boots up the stairs and along the hallway shatter the moment and they separate as Wynonna steps into the room, one arm covering her eyes and the other waving around in front of her feeling for obstacles. "Please tell me you're decent."
"We're decent," they both answer.
Wynonna lifts her elbow and opens one eye, half-disbelieving. Upon seeing her sister and friend just standing side by side, she drops her arms. "Oh. Okay. Um so," she points over her shoulder, "are we gonna watch this movie or what? And our dinner is getting cold."
"Oh, uhh, yeah," Nicole stammers, and looks at Waverly. "Um, you wanna watch with us, since your friends left?"
"Yeah, okay," Waverly says, looking to her sister for confirmation of her approval.
Wynonna turns on her heel to leave. "Alright but no smutting in front of me or I'm turning the hose on both of you," she calls out behind her. The girls both laugh, and Nicole holds her hand out for Waverly to take. Their palms slide together, fingers interlace, and they follow Wynonna downstairs.