Disclaimer - I own nothing...probably not even my brain.
It was a chilly winter evening in Purgatory and Waverly Earp was getting herself ready for another night behind the bar at Shorty's. She didn't mind her job, really. Most of the bar's patrons were regulars who adored her, and any outsiders couldn't even think about raising a finger to her without enduring their wrath.
Humming to the tune of a song she remembered hearing on the radio that morning, Waverly bustled around the bar. When it came time to check the taps, Waverly braced herself. It was like a game of Russian Roulette but with beer instead of bullets. She scrunched her face and hesitated a moment before pulling each tap at arm's length.
"Thank goodness," Waverly uttered with relief to no one but herself when she checked the last tap and survived the experience without a shower of cold beer.
Quickly moving along, Waverly began restocking the refrigerator with bottled beer. Swiftly pulling the cold beers to the front, she slipped the warm bottles to the back. She gathered the empty cardboard boxes into her slender arms and carried them to the back door. Using her hip, Waverly pushed the door open and slipped outside.
There was a light dusting of snow on the ground and the breeze swirled her hair around. Waverly shivered and tossed the cardboard into the dumpster behind the building and turned to make her way back into the warmth of the bar. She hadn't bothered to put on a jacket, knowing that she would only be outside for a moment.
Just as she reached for the door, Waverly heard a small cry from beneath the dumpster. Stopping in her tracks, she waited with her ears perked. There it was again, a faint, but high pitched cry.
Tiptoeing to the dumpster, Waverly listened for the sound again. Smiling to herself, she knew exactly what was causing that sound.
She dropped to her hands and knees, unfazed by the snow, and ducked her head low enough to peek under the dumpster. Sure enough, there were three small kittens huddled together on some old pieces of cardboard.
"Well that's no place for you guys to stay," Waverly fretted. "It's far too cold out here."
Without thinking twice, Waverly flattened herself onto the ground to reach beneath the dumpster. She carefully pulled at the cardboard until the kittens were within her reach. Scooping them toward her body, Waverly tried to keep them from running back to the safety of their hiding spot. Although she managed to keep hold of the two black kittens, the orange tabby bolted out of her grasp.
Sighing to herself, Waverly thought it would be best if she could get the first two kittens inside before trying to go back for the third, just in case they tried to make a break for it, too. She climbed to her feet with a kitten in each hand and made her way back inside.
She glanced around and sat the kittens down to grab her coat. Stuffing it into an empty beer case, Waverly crafted a makeshift cat bed and gently placed the kittens inside.
"Alrighty," Waverly said to her new companions, "you two stay put while I go fetch your brother or sister."
The kittens just looked up with their big, bright eyes. The smaller of the two yawned and curled up in a ball. Waverly's heart fluttered at their adorable little faces as she turned away toward the door.
Somehow, the air seemed even colder than it was just a few minutes ago and Waverly regretted her decision to use her coat as bedding instead of wearing it. She quickly dropped down to the ground again, hoping the kitten didn't run far. To her relief, the tabby was back where she first found it.
"Okay, you," she said softly, "let's go inside with your buddies."
Waverly reached her arm slowly toward the kitten who flinched and scooted backward. She pulled her arm back a few inches and wiggled her fingers in what she hoped might seem enticing to the frightened creature. The kitten cocked its head and took a hesitant step forward.
"That's it, come on just a little bit closer."
The kitten stepped forward again and sniffed Waverly's hand before gently nudging her with its tiny head. In a swift motion, Waverly grabbed the kitten and rolled to her side.
"Well, hello there," she cooed to the kitten, before climbing to her feet with a smile.
It was just before opening at Shorty's, but Nicole Haught was in desperate need of some hot cocoa. These cold, snowy days made her crave the stuff.
I'm sure Waverly won't mind if I stop in a bit early, she thought to herself with a smile. It was that special smile; the one that nobody but Waverly Earp could bring out at the drop of a hat.
They had been seeing more of each other lately, whether it was in the police station, at Shorty's, or just running into one another around town. She would flirt and Waverly would respond in that nervous way that seemed like she was always unsure about what to say next. Nicole could be rather overt with her flirting, but it wasn't her fault that Waverly was so darn adorable when she squirmed a little.
As she opened the front door of Shorty's, Nicole quickly swept her vision through the bar and came up empty.
"Waverly?" she called out as she continued making her way toward the bar where they first met.
After glancing around once more, her eyes were drawn to the back door. As Nicole led herself around the bar, she was stopped in her tracks by a sight almost adorable as the human she was seeking.
Two pairs of big yellow eyes stared curiously at her from the confines of their makeshift bed. Without another thought, Nicole crouched down to pet the kittens.
"Well aren't you two just the sweetest," she whispered as she made herself more comfortable on the floor. She scooped up the kittens and situated them on her crossed legs before picking one right back up and nuzzling her face into its soft fur.
The back door opened abruptly and revealed the real reason she came here. Waverly looked a bit like an angel with her snow-touched hair being blown around by the wind. Nicole's eyes focused on the object of her adoration and realized that Waverly was carrying a third kitten.
In the same instant, both women smiled at the sight of the other.
"Waverly Earp," Nicole nearly purred, "I'm not so sure these kittens are up to code. I certainly hope the health inspector doesn't pop in for a surprise visit."
Waverly brushed the hair away from her face and readjusted the kitten as the door swung to a close behind her.
"Oh, well, y'know," Waverly started, "I doubt a health inspector will come all the way out to Purgatory with this snow storm that's blowing in. And really, I just couldn't leave them outside in this weather. It's so cold and the snow is laying on the ground and the sun is already starting to go down. I couldn't possibly have left them out there."
Waverly was rambling and Nicole kept smiling through every moment of it. One day, Waverly would be too comfortable with Nicole to go on these rambling sprees (she had a feeling about these things), but for now, Nicole was going to enjoy every run on sentence and every awkward pause.
"Of course," Nicole agreed, making firm eye contact. "You wouldn't be the Waverly Earp that I know if you just left them to fend for themselves."
Waverly blushed and diverted her attention to the kitten in her arms. "This one gave me more of a challenge," she mused, running her fingertips through its fur. Nicole just watched as Waverly pet the kitten for a moment.
"Oh, goodness, Officer Haught!" Waverly blurted. "Surely you must have come here for a reason."
"Well, I was in search of a steaming cup of hot cocoa," Nicole remembered, "but I think my heart's been warmed enough by these precious bundles of joy. You must be chilly from going outside without a coat. Come on, sit down here and these kittens are guaranteed to warm you up, too."
Waverly hesitated before asking, "are you sure you don't want that cup of cocoa? I can whip it up in no time at all."
"I'm quite certain that I would much rather have your company to share with these kittens."
Waverly glanced between Nicole and the kittens and took a step forward. Nicole's heart skipped a beat as she reached a hand out to steady Waverly's descent to the floor. One of the kittens on her lap immediately hopped over to greet its sibling.
Nicole languidly moved her hand from its position near Waverly's elbow to the orange tabby. Her fingertips brushed the back of Waverly's hand before burying into the kitten's fur. Their bodies weren't far from one another and Nicole could feel the involuntary shiver as it swept through the woman at her side.
Nicole fought the mischievous smile on her lips as she shifted herself to lean back against the bar and subsequently moving slightly closer to Waverly. She grazed her fingers past the kitten and over Waverly's smooth skin once again.
Soon enough, the kittens were falling asleep in a heap. They were nestled on the barely touching legs of the women beneath them, bodies rising and falling with every breath. Nicole let her hand slide off the kittens until her pinky finger was resting over Waverly's. Neither woman wanted to move apart or disturb the kittens, so they let themselves fall into an easy silence.
Nicole could feel Waverly's sight shift up. She could feel Waverly's vision burning at the side of her face. Slowly, she turned her head, wanting to see firsthand the look on Waverly's face. She wasn't disappointed when their eyes met before Waverly's darted down to Nicole's lips for the briefest of moments.
Sensing that Waverly was about to pull away from the intimate glance, Nicole whispered "wait" and linked their pinkies together more tightly. She leaned a touch closer to Waverly until their foreheads were almost touching and stopped herself. Nicole wasn't kidding when she said doesn't want to wait if she sees something she likes, but she wasn't going to push any further than Waverly was willing to go. From this moment, it was up to Waverly.
Nicole closed her eyes and exhaled softly, but before she could finish her breath, Waverly stole the last of it. Soft lips gently pressed against hers and moved ever so slightly before pulling away. Waverly released her pinky so place her hand fully over Nicole's. Unable to keep her eyes closed anymore, Nicole open them to see Waverly's lips turned up into the brightest smile. Closing the distance, Nicole's lips pressed forward, seeking confirmation that Waverly wanted this just as much.
When Waverly's lips began to move against her own, Nicole laced their fingers together and kissed with a hint more urgency. Just as she was about to move her other hand up Waverly's arm, the front door of Shorty's crashed open.
"Alright sis, I'm gonna need a few shots of whiskey to get this night started," Wynonna announced with a dramatic flair.
At the sound of the crash and her sister's voice, Waverly jerked away from Nicole and smacked the back of her head on the bar. The kittens scattered in different directions and Nicole froze. Throw some bad guys at her and she could act quickly, but the gun wielding sister of the girl she was just kissing? Yikes.
"Waverly?" Wynonna called with concern. Her voice was growing closer and Nicole just hoped she wasn't carrying her gun.
Wynonna popped around the corner of the bar and her expression immediately changed from concern to a frown of feigned disgust before she disappeared back around the bar.
"You two need to get a room," Wynonna tossed over her shoulder, "and I need to find that whiskey."
Nicole couldn't help but laugh when she looked at Waverly and noticed the bright shade of red she had turned.
"You might also want to catch those kittens before they get too far," Wynonna added as an afterthought.
Nicole and Waverly looked at each other briefly before bouncing to their feet and dashing after the scared kittens.
AN - I actually started writing this before we even found out that Nicole is a cat person (because who doesn't love kittens and fluff? :)