Wherein Waverly and Nicole try to make good on being just friends following the spat in Nicole's cruiser in episode 1x09.
Sort of an AU? But more like a filler? ...It can be both! And all fluff. That's all I write, really: fluff one-shots.
"…Well maybe… just friends…"
"Yea, sure, Waverly. Whatever you want."
Coffee. They agreed to coffee. Shorty's Saloon. 3:00PM. Between lunch and dinner when the bar was closed. Waverly didn't feel like setting up for the night alone and Nicole had a few hours between her first and second shifts.
Easy. No pressure. Familiar spot.
Easy.
Nicole Haught stood outside the diamond-shaped windows of Shorty's front doors. She shifted the duffle bag in her hand, a change of clothes she hadn't had time for at the station. She also held her white Stetson respectfully to her chest.
Instead of eagerness, Nicole's heart felt heavy.
It was all too familiar.
High school. College. The academy. Lather, rinse, repeat, Friends. Once in a blue moon did the cycle break. Just not this time, apparently.
It had been stupid to think this was gonna end any differently. All those little breadcrumbs of hope Nicole had been feeding on, those little smiles and glances and touches…
Stupid stupid stupid. I blew it.
If only she hadn't been distracted outside the station the other day. If only she had been listening to what Waverly was trying to confess, instead of frustrated about Purgatory being its weird Purgatory self. She did get the chance to apologize, but the damage was already done. And here Nicole was. Standing outside Shorty's to hang out with her Just Friend, Waverly Earp.
God. Damn. It.
Taking a deep breath, Nicole pressed into the heavy doors but they didn't budge. She rapped a knuckle against the window and waited. After a few seconds, she heard the click-chunk of a deadbolt. Enough time to smooth her frown into an easy-going smile.
Waverly poked her head out, relief etched in her features. She twisted at a white bar towel in her hands. "Oh thank God," she chirped with a broad smile. "I was afraid you weren't gonna show." Waverly held the heavy door open for Nicole to slip in before relocking the deadbolt behind them.
"Promise is a promise," Nicole replied, hopefully managing to mask her bitterness. She held up her duffle. "Mind if I change? Hoping to squeeze in a run before evening shift. Gotta be fresh for all that paperwork." She shot Waverly a mock-serious look and was rewarded with a smile.
"Of course!" Another chirp as Waverly tossed the bar towel over her left shoulder. She pointed at the back "Staff" door. "I'm almost done cleaning the coffee machine. How do you take yours?"
"I've heard good things about that Shorty's cappuccino. Two sugars?"
A sunshine smile with a finger-gun. "You got it," Waverly replied as she swept behind the bar over to a partly disassembled machine, chrome pieces glistening from a recent rinse.
The Staff room was hardly more than an over-sized closet with a safe for cash, an old computer for inventory, and a cracked window with an ashtray on the sill for smoke breaks. A shitty toilet latch secured the door, enough privacy for Nicole to peel off/fold her uniform shirt and khakis and swap over to running shoes, blue-striped pants, and a long-sleeve Purgatory Sheriff's Department henley.
Threading fingers through long red hair, Nicole pulled out the French braid and snapped a hair tie to her wrist as she exited the break room.
Back at the bar, Waverly was struggling to kneel on an unstable bar stool to reach a high cabinet. A tan wrist barely crested the edge, fingers feeling blindly as Waverly's tongue stuck out the side of her mouth in concentration. Her hockey-style Shorty's shirt rode up higher than normal, Nicole noticed, before dismissing that thought immediately.
"Just friends."
Nicole strode up as she finished binding her hair in a simple ponytail. "Need some help?"
Hazel eyes lit up in response. "Could you? The lunch crew likes to hide the espresso grounds in the back to screw with me. Still as hilarious now as it was three years ago." Waverly rolled her eyes before spinning playfully on the bar stool on her knees.
"Three years, huh?" Nicole asked, light and conversational. She dropped her gym bag and Stetson on the counter then flipped the small wooden divider to reach the inside of the horseshoe-shaped bar.
Where the shorter Earp needed a stool, the Officer stood up on tip-toes before her fingers wrapped around a crinkling bag of coffee in the cabinet. When she turned, Nicole could have sworn she saw Waverly's gaze… somewhere else. For just a second.
"Just friends?"
"Since I was 18." Waverly accepted the bag (which smelled of a rich dark roast) then measured out a few cups into the coffee machine. The device fired up with a steaming hiss accompanied by warm bubbling sounds.
Turning back to Nicole, Waverly started counting on her fingers. "Before here, I worked at JD's Restaurant down the street. Didn't pay as well, but more time to read. I bagged groceries at Safeway before that. And I delivered pizza for one shitty week when I was 16. Hated that job. And in between, I taught some summer gymnastics and dance classes at the rec center for really little kids. That was fun."
"Busy and popular girl," Nicole remarked as she leaned her backside against the bar. It was strange being on this side of the counter, like she didn't belong. Like they were equals instead of customer/server.
Like… friends?
As she started steaming the milk, Waverly shrugged off the compliment. She shot Nicole a curious look. "What about you? What did Pre-Officer Nicole Haught do?" There was a strain to Waverly's smile, like it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Not as rich a life, I'm afraid."
"Try me." There it was. That warm smile returned as Waverly scooped sugar into a coffee mug.
"Well," Nicole started, her hands running along the counter edge behind her. "I worked at Tim Horton's almost every weekend from high school through university. …Not the same one. Transferred to a different store when I went away for college. But the same routine. Still remember all the menu numbers by heart." She smirked at another memory. "I was also a lifeguard for a miserable summer when I was 16."
Long hair swept over a shoulder as Waverly looked over at Nicole. "Ooo! How was that? I always wanted to lifeguard but the pool is too far away."
Reaching up, Nicole pulled at her ponytail and to show Waverly. "You see this red hair, right? I spent more time bathing myself in sunscreen than I did watching the pool. When one sunburn ended, another would begin. But I was trying to buy a car so I had to stick it out." She tossed the red strands back over her shoulder and shook her head. "I'm just happy I didn't get skin cancer… that I know of." She shot Waverly a theatrical, fearful look.
The smile on Waverly's face was hard to read. It was a soft, thoughtful crinkle. And just as a faint red started to touch her cheeks, she turned back to the coffee machine. Waverly deftly mixed the espresso into the cup before topping it with foam. She started to slide the mug over to Nicole, but suddenly thought better of it. Waverly snapped her fingers and started digging around under the bar.
Nicole leaned over to reach for the cup, but a hand appeared from below to gently slap her knuckle.
"Just a second! I keep forgetting I bought these." Waverly appeared a second later with a small container of cocoa powder and a couple of round stencils with simple designs. She offered the metal, paddle-like set to Nicole. "I saw 'em on Etsy. …I tried the foam pouring trick from YouTube, but I couldn't even do like a basic heart." She sighed and rolled the cocoa powder cylinder between her palms.
It was hard for Nicole to hide an endearing smile. Because she had just pictured Waverly hovering at the bar, making cup after cup of espresso and trying to artfully pour milk in. It also made her select a stencil without thinking it through.
Nicole held up the flat metal stencil of a heart, then had to bite her lip to keep the blush from spreading. The choice was not lost on Waverly, whose eyes widened.
Scrunching up her face, Nicole tried to hide the stencil behind her back. "Sorry. I didn't—I wasn't trying to—I just thought since you said you had trouble doing a heart the other way… this could count as a success." She closed her eyes and gave a deep sigh.
God. Damn. It.
Waverly's voice was soft and small, but confident. "Okay."
Nicole's eyes shot open. The other woman wasn't awkward or blushing. She just held out her hand and offered that crinkling smile. "…okay?" Nicole repeated.
"The customer is always—mostly—right… right? And I said I owed you a coffee, right?" Waverly made a grabby motion with her hand.
"Fair enough," Nicole said with a small clearing of her throat.
With that, Waverly turned and dusted a (slightly lopsided) heart over the top of the steaming cappuccino. She presented it back with a dramatic flourish. "And thus, the debt is repaid."
Nicole nodded her thanks and took a sip. She could feel the foam coat her upper lip, but it was hard to take her eyes off Waverly, who stared back intently.
"So? How is it?"
Warm. The cocoa powder adds a nice flavor. Sugar cuts the acid of the espresso. All in all, solid.
"Pretty good," Nicole said with a nonchalant shrug. She allowed herself another deep sip before swiping her thumb over her lips.
Waverly scowled. "'Pretty good?' That's it?" She crossed her arms over the bold SHORTY'S type on her jersey.
Well, we are just friends… Friends can be honest, right?
Nicole tried to soften with a lilting question. "I've had better?"
An offended (if good-natured) scoffing noise. "Your gratitude is overwhelming."
"I'm kidding. It is really good. A good pick-me-up before my run. Thank you, Waverly." A pause. "…I have had better, though. If I'm being completely honest." Nicole allowed herself a teasing smile.
Waverly poured herself the rest of the espresso, unruffled by the critique. "Where at?" She wrinkled her nose in thought with one eye skyward. "I think the best coffee I've had is in the city at the fancy hotel we had for Prom. So good with like homemade whip cream and everything."
"There's this amazing café in Las Vegas where…"
Oh.
No, we are not going into that right now. Not on a first—er, not on a chill friends hangout between friends and only friends.
Nicole cleared her throat. "…well, they made a mean mocha cappuccino."
"Did it have a fancy—?" Waverly trailed off as she made a gesture over the top of Nicole's coffee.
"…It did. The logo of the café with lots of swirls."
That faux-scowl returned. "Damn it. I knew it. Back to YouTube, I guess." A smile curled across Waverly's cheek as she patted the cocoa container over her own coffee, this time a sprinkled star on top. She settled in next to Nicole, mirroring her lean against the bar counter. They were just far apart to not be touching.
"I've never been to Vegas," Waverly said thoughtfully with a loud sip. "Never left the Ghost River Triangle, actually. Been here my whole life."
"Not even for, like, a family vacation? Or a school trip?"
A derisive laugh in reply. Waverly's nose wrinkled with the barest hint of a scowl. "Just to the city. School trips to the museum or the stockyard for 4H stuff. And no family vacations. Daddy died when I was 6 and Aunt Gus and Uncle Curtis were too busy with Shorty's or their farm to bother with something like that. Though now with Uncle Curtis gone…" She trailed off, long hair slipping over her cheeks as her head tilted down.
Reaching out, Nicole gently touched Waverly's wrist. She was slow and careful, trying to avoid the awkwardness that happened in her cruiser. Two soft strokes before the hand returned to Nicole's coffee mug.
We should go somewhere, Nicole wanted to say. She could even mean it in a friendly way… sort of. Mostly. Maybe.
"I never did much as a kid either," Nicole said instead. "Didn't start seeing any of the world til I graduated college. And that was mostly training camps and emergency management excursions sponsored by the government."
After a few moments in silence, Nicole nudged Waverly's side with a gentle elbow. "Well, I'm glad you stuck around Purgatory."
Waverly gave a small sniff as she reached up to push her hair back. "Me too" was barely audible past a soft smile.
An alarm on Nicole's phone chimed, a reminder to start her workout soon so she'd have time to return to the station to shower before paperwork. But she wasn't quite ready to leave just yet.
"Gotta go?"
"…I've got time." Nicole took a slow sip, smiling into the cup. "So, what is a day in the life of Waverly Earp?"
Chuckling, Waverly stroked her chin. "With Wynonna? I don't even know anymore."
"Hard to plan around?"
"Impossible," Waverly confirmed with a sigh. "Used to just be yoga, study, Shorty's, sleep. And occasionally I'd go out with—well…"
Another nose wrinkle and tight smile. Waverly certainly did that a lot, each with a different meaning. This one seemed a mix between embarrassment and a scowl.
…Champ. Of course.
Waverly did not elaborate. Instead, she took a deep sip of her coffee before continuing. "…but with Wynonna and Dolls and their coming and going all hours of the day and night… Some days I'm grateful I make it to work, if only for the familiar routine." Her face fell as she glanced behind them.
Nicole followed her gaze to an empty booth near the door with a large spread of paperwork. Official looking documents were arranged in haphazard stacks.
"Anyway." Waverly cleared her throat and pushed up from the counter. "I'm keeping you from your run." A tired, evasive smile as Waverly busied herself with stowing the cocoa and stencils back under the bar.
Rumbling out an "Okay," Nicole relinquished her empty coffee mug to the busy woman. As she started to gather her duffle and Stetson, a snapping noise turned Nicole's attention.
"Hey! What are you doing for dinner?" Waverly stood with her arms crossed, hip thrust out, expression neutral.
Oh!
It was hard for Nicole not to stare back, heart stuck in her throat. "I—I was… I don't—"
Waving a menu, Waverly skipped over to Nicole. "You'll probably be hungry after a run, yea? I could ask Martin to fire up the grill early so you could take something back to the station?"
Oh…
"Oh. That would be… really great, actually. Lunch was forever ago."
Not as great as—well.
Waverly smiled broadly. "And you could save the trip to your car and just pick your stuff up when you get back, right?"
Finally regaining her composure, Nicole managed a smile of her own. "You just want an excuse to try on my hat."
"Maaaaaybe," Waverly returned with a singsong. She walked her fingertips over to the white cowboy hat. But instead of trying it on, she stowed both under the bar in a clean, safe spot. "…not while you're looking, obviously."
"Obviously."
Surveying the menu, Nicole asked, "Which is your favorite?"
"Oh! Hmmm!" Her long hair swayed with her head-tilt. "Probably the nachos, though only because it's like the only vegetarian thing on there." A nose wrinkle and a shrug.
Vegetarian. Noted.
"Pass," Nicole replied with a grin. She pointed at an item under SANDWICHES. "How's the chicken salad?"
"I'm told it's great. I'll get Marty on it when he's up from his nap."
Pulling her wallet from her pocket, Nicole waved a $10 bill.
Waverly shrugged it off. "On the house. I know the manager." She winked and flicked a towel at Nicole to vacate the bar. "Get going, Haught! No rest for the wicked!" And just like that, Waverly pushed through the double doors to the kitchen and was gone.
Folding the bill, Nicole tucked it into the large glass (empty) tip jar before pulling her wireless ear buds from a zippered side pocket. A hard guitar riff started up in her playlist, "Bury Me With My Guns On" escorting Nicole down the Purgatory street.
Nicole rapped on the glass once more, out of breath and feeling the chill of the air through her henley. She smiled broadly at the sound of the deadbolt. That smile froze on Nicole's face when she was greeted not by Waverly, but a stern older woman.
"Mrs. MacCready."
"Officer Haught," the woman returned cooly, dark eyes hard. She did allow Nicole entrance, but with sharp, abrupt movements. Gus called for Waverly, who was apparently in the kitchen.
There was an awkward silence as Gus headed to the closest booth, paperwork waiting at the table. She continued writing for a few moments, allowing Nicole to quietly catch her breath and rub the chill from her arms.
"So."
"Yes, ma'am?" Nicole replied with respect, stretching out her calves on the wooden steps. She smiled awkwardly.
Gus did not return her smile. "You know, Champ used to come around. Begging for freebies. Free food. Free booze." It was a loaded, simple statement. She glanced over at Nicole significantly before returning to her papers.
Defensiveness burned in Nicole's chest. "I'm not Champ, ma'am. I offered to pay. Waverly wouldn't let me." She gestured to the tips jar, her folded $10 bill from earlier balanced upright.
Gus's dark eyes flicked over to the jar, an impressed pull at her cheeks before her stoic expression took over. "Hm."
The comparison was not lost on Nicole. And it felt like she'd just passed a test of some sort. Especially since this was the longest conversation she'd ever had with the matron of Shorty's.
A shout drew Nicole's attention to the kitchen. "You're back!" Waverly grinned wide, holding a styrofoam container in triumph. "Perfect timing! Just pulled the fries from the deep fryer." A plastic bag rustled at her wrist as she bagged the container with a few packets of ketchup.
With Gus watching, Nicole pushed away the temptation to go back to the familiarity behind the bar. She fixed a smile to her cheeks and met Waverly at the apex of the horseshoe counter. Nicole's duffle and Stetson were already waiting for her.
"Have a good run?" Waverly asked.
No. I couldn't stop thinking about you. I ran away so hard from this place that I was out of breath for 10 minutes… then I had to run all the way back.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
"It was fine, thank you. Everything okay here?"
Waverly's voice was a warm chirp. "Perfect! Thanks for keeping me company earlier." She patted Nicole's collection and pushed it over. "Good luck with all that paperwork tonight!"
"Thank you, Waverly," Nicole said warmly. "For—well—everything." Her fingertips accidentally brushed Waverly's wrist, but the woman didn't flinch. In fact, she smiled wider.
Setting her Stetson on her head, Nicole tipped it at Gus MacCready as she padded up the steps. The woman's chin raised in acknowledgement, but she returned to her documents.
Outside in her cruiser, Nicole opened the passenger door to stow her food and duffle. A flash of pink caught Nicole's attention out of the corner of her eye. Inside the bag stuck to the Styrofoam container was a post-it note. On it was Waverly's SnapChat handle with a doodle of a cowboy hat.
Nicole smiled and settled into the driver's seat before pulling out her phone. Tapping into her own app, she added a "Waverly95" and sent an invite from "NHaught."
Nicole turned on the cruiser on and angled towards the municipal building (a quick 5 minute ride a few streets over). She would have plenty of time for a shower and change before starting on her evening work. The day off tomorrow would be a welcome distraction from… all of this.
Except her phone pinged as she pulled into the private lot. New SnapChat from "Waverly95."
A series of images streamed onto Nicole's phone. All of Waverly at Shorty's in her Stetson.
Waverly at the piano pretending to play.
Waverly making a face next to the grainy image of Wyatt Earp, her finger a pretend-moustache.
Waverly with an arm around Gus, who looked to be mid-conversation and confused by the phone in her face.
Waverly pursing her lips with the hat tilted over one eye.
Waverly pretending to talk to a beer mug wearing the Stetson, a fake laugh frozen on her face.
Wait.
Wait wait wait.
…What?! What was that second to last one?!
But it was gone, the app timer ticked down to zero.
God. Damn. It.