Chapter Text
Its not something they've ever really talked about.
Nicole knows Waverly's family. She's met almost all of them, except the ones that Waverly herself doesn't see.
"You've met everyone important", is what Waverly tells her.
Waverly doesn't know Nicole's family.
She knows that she lives here, in Purgatory, alone, that she moved here for her work.
She doesn't know why Nicole doesn't go home, not to visit, not for Thanksgiving or Christmas or her birthday, doesn't know where exactly Nicole moved from, doesn't know why she hasn't met anyone related to Nicole.
They're lying together, the early morning sun peeking through the blinds, illuminating Nicole's naked back in a way that is so, so beautiful, when Waverly decides to ask.
"Hey Nicole," she leans herself up on an elbow, runs her fingertips over the small of Nicole's back, hears her sigh contentedly.
"Yeah, Wave?" Nicole mumbles back sleepily.
"So you've met everyone important in my life," Nicole sighs like she knows what's coming, "and I was just wondering if I was going to get to meet yours?"
"Wave," she sighs again, rolls over to look at Waverly, eyes pleading with her to let it go, "can we not talk about this right now?"
"Why not? Why don't you want me to meet your family?"
"It's not that, it's just-"
"What is it? Are you ashamed of me or something?"
"Waverly, no!"
"Because I came out for you Nicole," She's sitting upright now, confusion etched across her features, "I told everyone who matters to me how much you matter to me, told them all about this part of me that nobody knew about, and that wasn't easy. Why won't you take a risk for me?"
She doesn't know when she teared up, but she feels a tear escape down her cheek, and rubs at it stubbornly.
"Waverly, it's not like that!"
The sharpness in her voice is what finally causes Waverly to stop, to look at her.
"Baby, Waverly, I promise you it's not like that." Nicole sits up now too, reaches for her hand, and there's sincerity, and something like fear in her eyes that makes Waverly shift so that she's tucked under Nicole's arm again.
"I haven't," Nicole starts, and her voice is already thick with emotion, "I haven't seen any of my family in years. Not since I was a teenager."
"Why not?"
"Because that's when I came out to them. They didn’t take it well at all. They let me stay until I finished high school, but they told me not to come home again once I was at college. Even after college I tried to get in touch with my brother, thought maybe he'd want to see me," Waverly turns in her arms, wipes the tears that have escaped down her cheek, kisses the tracks they left behind.
"I'm so sorry Nicole, I had no idea."
"Its okay, I should have told you. I’m sorry I ever let you think I was anything but proud of you."
“And I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions. I’ll let you finish next time.”
They settle into a comfortable silence, Waverly tracing her fingertips up the inside of Nicole’s arm, feeling herself drifting off to sleep again.
“Hey, Wave?” Nicole mumbles, sleepiness muffling her words a little.
“Yeah?”
“You have met my family. You introduced me to my family. You are my family.”
Waverly makes a mental note to talk about this again when they’re both a little more awake, to tell Nicole that she’s always going to be here in ways that her real shitty family never was, to tell her how Wynonna loves her like another sister.
To tell her how much she, Waverly, loves Nicole.
For now she settles for letting them drift off to sleep in the early morning light.
“Yeah Nicole, I’m your family.”