Chapter 6

Waverly might not have been ready to talk about her feelings, but that didn't mean she wasn't willing to let them brew to the surface during the movie, or allow them to spill over. She was sniffling and wiping her eyes by the time the credits began to roll, not entirely sure if she was crying for herself or whether the denouement had just really tugged at her heart strings.

"Hey, you okay?" the gentle touch to her leg, as much as the soft question jolted Waverly back to her surroundings, and reminded her that she wasn't alone. She had gotten lost in the movie, and almost forgotten about Nicole's presence, a feat that she would have thought impossible, considering her growing attraction to the other woman and their positions on her bed. They had started off with about a foot of space between them, but now sat shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip. She wasn't sure who had moved, but suspected that they had gravitated towards each other.

"Sorry, I'm a mess," she said, her voice thick with tears. She wiped hastily at her eyes, suddenly embarrassed in front of her dry-eyed companion.

"Aww. Waves." Nicole's voice was soft, syrupy sweet. And Waverly's heart did a little flip at the way her shortened name sounded from the other woman's lips. Then almost jumped out of her chest when Nicole reached out, cupping her cheeks as she brushed the tear tracks away with her thumbs. "You're as beautiful as ever. And you never have to apologize for your emotions."

Waverly's breath caught in her throat. Her cheeks heating in a blush that rapidly spread down her neck and up to her ears, leaving them burning. Her brain flailing for words as she got lost in those wide, chocolate brown eyes, that just brimmed with sincerity and kindness and compassion and all the things that made her stomach flutter and her heart skip a beat and her palms sweaty.

For a long moment, she thought that Nicole was going to lean in and kiss her. Her gaze flicked down to the other woman's lips, slightly parted, and looking so soft and utterly kissable. But then Nicole pulled her hands away slowly, dropping them into her lap and wringing her fingers together. Waverly was equal parts disappointed and relieved. As much as she had longed, in that moment, to feel Nicole's lips on her own, she wasn't even 24 hours into a break-up. Even though she had initiated it and it was one hundred percent the right thing to do, she still needed to work through her complicated thoughts and feelings on the matter. If Nicole had swooped in and made a move that quickly, she would have been just like Champ, and all the other guys who'd hit on her in the past, who thought more with their little head.

But Nicole was proving to be a friend, as well as a potential suitor. She was willing to put aside her attraction, and whatever else was building between them, in favor of being there to support Waverly. And that meant everything.

"I'm sorry. Champ used to always make fun of me whenever I... she trailed off, realizing it was unfair of her to continually compare Nicole's behavior to that of her ex.

"Can I ask you a question? And I don't mean to offend you but...what did you see him?"

Waverly flinched, as Nicole seemed almost angry at the question.

"I'm sorry. I'm not...It's just...He's...and you're..." Her hands flailed as she tried, and failed to explain.

"It's okay, you're not the first person to ask me that. " Waverly didn't have to cast too far back to recall all the times she'd had to defend their relationship. But she also didn't have to work to remember that some of the very same people who had been criticizing Champ lately were the ones who had pushed her into his arms a few years ago. Lauding his looks, his athletic accomplishments, his family's status. Implying that while she certainly could do worse, she wasn't likely to do much better.

But for all the times she had fielded that question, she couldn't help but feel like Nicole was the first person to want a genuine answer.

"I'm sure you've heard stuff about my family. Earp is not exactly a popular name around here."

Nicole dropped her gaze for just a moment, but it was long enough to confirm to Waverly that the other woman had in fact heard the whispers and rumors that, even all these years later, still circulated around town. She figured that was the case, but the knowledge still stung.

"People talk," Nicole said softly, her gaze coming up to meet Waverly's once again. She looked almost sheepish as she made the admission. "But, that doesn't mean that I listen. Whatever you want to tell me about your past. Your family. I want to hear. But, until then, I'm not paying attention to the things people say."

That was different. Most of the time when she met someone which was an admittedly rare occurrence in a town as small as Purgatory, they immediately want all the salacious details. And the would usually pry for them under the guise of friendship.

Waverly nodded, offering up a small smile of thanks. She had a feeling it would be easier said than done, for Nicole to avoid the rumor and the gossip, but she was grateful that at the very least the other woman wasn't going to judge her for it, or let it scare her away. "Without getting into all the gory details, let's just say that my family's reputation isn't the greatest. I grew up in the shadow of that. I struggled really hard to feel like I fit in. That I was good enough."

A small furrow formed in Nicole's brow, as a frown tugged at her lips, but she didn't say anything. Simply reached out, gently laying her hand over Waverly's and giving it a soft squeeze, of support, of encouragement.

"I dated a bit, in middle school and freshman year, but nothing serious. You know it is when you're 12, 13, you go to a dance or the movies, your palms sweat holding hands and two weeks later you're dating each other's best friend."

Nicole let out a soft chuckle, nodding.

"Then, sophomore year, Champ started hanging around. He was one of the most popular guys in school. Played football and baseball. His family has some money. Not rich by any means, but wealthy by purgatory standards. He was sweet, carrying my books, buying me lunch, driving me home. All my friends kept telling me that I should go for it. That's it's not like I had any other guys lining up to go out with me. I was an Earp, after all."

Nicole's gaze grew stormy. She opened her mouth to say something, snapped it shut. Waverly felt a fluttery warmth in her chest at the way the other woman was so ready to jump to her defense over something that had happened years ago.

"So I went out with him. And he was a good guy. We had fun. And everyone told me that he was a keeper. That I wasn't going to get any better. And looking around, they weren't wrong. It it wasn't Champ, it would've been Pete York, or Jeremy Yonge, or Carl Davies. They are all decent enough guys. But, they were all cut from the same cloth. Small town, limited dating options," she said with a shrug, repeating the same line she had said so many times over the years.

She glanced over at Nicole, trying to gauge what she was thinking, but the other woman's expression was unreadable. Waverly's gaze dropped to her hands, fidgeting with the ring on index finger as she awaited judgement.

"I'm sorry, that you felt so limited," Nicole said softly after a long moment. "You deserve so much better than settling." She reached out, laying her hand over Waverly's, her fingers stilling under the gentle squeeze. Waverly's heart seized in her chest at the touch, heat radiating up her arm at the contact. And a warmth spreading in her belly from the sentiment.

"I grew up in small town, not much bigger than Purgatory. But, I was so focused on getting out that I guess I never really took the time think about settling down. Not that it would have mattered, there were maybe three other out kids in my high school. And two of them were guys."

Waverly couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Talk about limited options. The other girl...Did you guys...?"

She was had barely begun to process her sexuality now, in her twenties, she couldn't imagine being that self aware, or that secure in herself, in her teens.

Nicole chuckled as well. "Not even a little bit. I'm sure she was a perfectly nice girl, but we moved in completely different circles."

"Let me guess, you were the popular jock, and she was the shy nerd?"

"Ehh, wrong," Nicole imitated the sound of a buzzer, as she nudged Waverly's shoulder lightly. "I was a jock, sure but I was far from popular. Women's baseball and basketball aren't exactly the top of the high school food chain."

Waverly scoffed. "Oh, please, that smile? That charm? No way everybody didn't love you."

"You think I'm charming?" Nicole's dimples popped as she flashed Waverly a wide, smug, yet still sexy smile. Waverly blushed, but didn't deign replying. "But no. I was taller than half the boys in my class until probably eleventh grade. And definitely stronger. Tripped over my own two feet every time I had a growth spurt. Had braces until I was fifteen. Was kind of shy. Definitely insecure."

"Aww, you sound adorable." Waverly's tone was teasing, but she was only half joking.

Nicole snorted. "Trust me, it wasn't. And my mom would happily show you the pictures that prove it."

Waverly shook her head, still not sure if she believed it. "So, did you date at all, in high school?"

"A little bit. A few dances. The bowling alley once. Roller skating twice. Mostly just because some guy asked, and I didn't really have a reason to say no." Nicole shrugged. "Maybe a little curiosity on my part, to see what the fuss from my friends was all about."

Waverly was surprised that Nicole had (using the term loosely)dated guys.

"Needless to say, never did feel that "it," that spark," Nicole said with a shrug.

Waverly nodded, she could certainly understand that. She wanted to ask, if not in high school, then when Nicole had realized her attraction to women. When she had started dating. How many woman she had dated. But she wasn't sure if that would be impolite She certainly wouldn't ask any of her straight friends how many men they'd dated.

"I guess I kind of always knew," Nicole added, as if reading Waverly's thoughts. "In grade school, I was always a little tongue tied around the popular, pretty girls. In high school I watched the cheerleaders more than the football players. But, like I said, I was focused on keeping my grades up, getting a scholarship, and getting out, so I didn't spend too much time trying to find someone. It just wasn't on my radar. There was a girl at one of the basketball camps I went to, summer between junior and senior year, we flirted a bit, made out a couple times under the bleachers. And a friend of a friend that I was introduced to at a party, senior year. But it wasn't until I was in college that I started actually dating."

"How did your parents take it?" Waverly asked. In one respect, she was lucky, she didn't have to worry about being disowned by her parents, but she did still have family to consider. Gus and Curtis had taken her in and raised her like she were their own. She didn't want to ever disappoint them. And she had just gotten Wynonna back. She didn't think that this would come between them, but she had no way of knowing for sure. As much as Waverly prided herself on being independent, she knew that it would break her to lose them. Not to mention, once again being the talk of the town.

"Fine. It really wasn't a big deal. I came out the beginning of senior year. My dad cracked the cliche joke about how at least I wouldn't get knocked up. And my mom tried to set me up with the daughter of one of her book club friends. They were more upset when I told them I wanted to go to the police academy."

Waverly nodded, in a way she could understand that. Policing was a dangerous job. "Pretty sure Gus would skin me alive if I told her I wanted to join law enforcement." She chuckled, remembering the blowout when Wynonna revealed that she'd gotten a job on guns and gangs task force working out of the police station. It had probably been worse than the blowout they'd had when she was a teenager, running with those same gangs.

Nicole chuckled. "Bet you'd fill out the uniform real good though."

Waverly wasn't sure who blushed harder at the comment, her or Nicole. The other woman's wide eyes and dark red cheeks telling Waverly that she hadn't meant to make that comment out loud. Of course, that also told Waverly that she'd thought it, and probably other things. A fact which should have made her uncomfortable, but only served to make her stomach flutter in a nervous sort of thrill.

"Still wouldn't look as good in the Stetson as you," Waverly said with a wink. She bit her lip as she stared at the other woman, waiting to see how the attempt at flirting would go over. Nicole's eyes, if possible, got even wider, her blush growing even deeper. The air between them crackled with electricity. Waverly's breath caught in her throat as she waited to see if Nicole would rise to the bait or let it drop. Honestly not sure what she was hoping for.

She never got the chance to find out, however, as the door to her apartment swung open and Wynonna burst through.