i finished wynonna earp like one month ago and have been itching to write a wayhaught fic so here it is! this is pre wayhaught kiss and post-breakup with champ

i do not crave anyone who will fix me; just someone who will hold my hand while i fix myself

Smile and wave, always her motto, always her way to go.

Growing up in Purgatory sucked, to be completely honest. She was smart, like, really smart. And she could see herself out there, maybe in Toronto or even New York, lecturing students about foreign languages or writing a thesis about some undiscovered history. And this place was literally entertainment-free, except for Shorty's, of which she had grown bored of once she started working there.

But she had an obligation, despite her sister's complete disregard for it until she came back on her 27th birthday, to break the curse once and for all; if not for her sister, then for her future offspring and generations to come – because she honestly couldn't see Wynonna getting married and having babies and she really wanted babies.

And she had grown up, learning that in order to be normal and carry on with her "harmless" inquiries about the Earps, she had to pretend to be stupid, which really wasn't that hard given that acting stupid was how she could get daddy to smile. So, smile and wave it was. Plus, she was a happy person, so that was a plus.

However, just because she was a happy person didn't mean she was happy all the time. Like right now, or today, to be specific, because she just woke up and didn't feel like going about her daily life of showing up at Shorty's and then at the precinct so she took a day off from Shorty's and didn't even bother informing Dolls or Wynonna since she wasn't even an official staff. And she found herself spending five hours since this morning, sitting by the lake and plucking at grass.

She glared at the lake, the very lake that August Hamilton was chained in, and she couldn't bear it. Her life – in her determination to stay and try to break the curse herself – had boiled down to this, researching dead people and counting down the deaths of the already-dead as her sister pulled the trigger one by one. Interesting as it was, she wanted normal, for once. She wanted an apartment, with a dog, and a car, and –

"Hey," a soft voice sounded behind her, an attempt to not startle her, she supposed.

She looked back and found the very person she had been so close to thinking about. – And Nicole Haught, she finished her thought to herself. She mustered a small smile, though she suspected Nicole could see right through her. "Hey."

The complacency on Nicole's face failed to cloud the worry clouding her eyes and Waverly swore she could look into them forever. The woman removed her Stetson and moved to sit down next to Waverly, leaving a respectable distance between them. Another thing Waverly loved – liked, oh my god – about the redhead, so respectful and kind, unlike a certain ex of hers.

"How'd you find me?" she asked.

Nicole smiled that smile of hers, like it was only for Waverly Earp and no one else, and Waverly found herself hoping for that. "I'm a cop. It's kind of what I do." Waverly nodded, accepting easily. "Also, Wynonna told me you've been acting weird." She hummed. "You okay?" Nicole asked.

Waverly looked up from the blade of grass she had just plucked and shrugged. "It's just one of those days, I guess." Instead of pursuing, Nicole just nodded, playing with her Stetson in her hands. After a few comfortable silent minutes, Waverly asked, "Do you think I would ever get out of here?"

"Of course!" Nicole said without hesitance, prompting Waverly to look at her in surprise. The redhead then shrugged and lowered her head as her cheeks reddened. "I mean, not now, since you're like in the middle of all the weird shit going on in this town which none of you is still going to tell me about," she added in teasing tone, causing Waverly to snort. "But you know, when everything is over, I'm sure you'd be one of those professors out in New York City, being smart and awesome."

"Yeah?"

Nicole smiled, sincerely this time. She reached out, paused for a second, before lacing her fingers with Waverly's, gripping her hand tightly. "I'd never lie to you."

Waverly tightened her fingers around Nicole's hands. She wasn't ready for anything further, not yet anyway, but this, this she could do. "Can you stay with me for a while longer?"

"However long you want, Waverly."

And they sat there, exchanging tidbits about the lives they had live until Waverly eventually found herself believing in Nicole's words.

it's short but it's something! review and tell me what you think! by the way, did you guys know that my name is nicole too?