Waverly hasn't been in all morning. It's the first day she felt in any way human and she's been impatiently waiting, head clearer than it had been since before she ended up here. She still feels like a shadow of her former self but she's healing fast.
She figures they might actually send her home soon. The only reason they wouldn't was the amount of injuries she has sustained and the high risk of infection. Though she'd be happy to leave the building, there was other things that she would miss when she was back in her apartment.
Handling everyday tasks was going to be tough by herself. She probably couldn't even open a jar, never mind cook a full meal. Maybe Waverly would be calling over a lot. Or maybe not as she mulls over the previous night's conversation.
Abruptly sits up in the bed when she hears a certain cheery voice greeting nurses in the corridor.
Waverly bounds in all smiles pulling something behind her. "Tadaa!" she thrills and proudly displays a wheelchair, bags hanging off the handles.
"We're going outside!"
She looks crestfallen at the tight expression on Nicole's face.
"...That is if you want to?" She's swallowing thickly, stomach churning, feeling impossibly vulnerable. Going outside meant seeing others, her injuries on display for everyone to see, made all the worse by the fact she'd be relying on a wheelchair, like she wasn't even strong enough to walk. She wants to stay here where it's safe and where she has some semblance of control over her life and the people that she saw. If she could, she would just pull Waverly into the bed with her, cuddle into her and remain there forever.
Not wanting to scare away the one bright spot in her life at the moment, she forces her facial muscles to relax and lets out a noise to signal that maybe she needs more convincing.
Waverly, understanding as ever, narrows the gap between them, body blocking the wheelchair until there's nothing but her alluring figure in Nicole's vision. Her voice wraps around her strong and reassuring, her expression empathic and thoughtful.
"It's not that far. You'll only be in it for a minute. "
Perceptive that it isn't enough, Waverly changes tactic.
"I promise that as soon we pass the nurses you can walk. That horrible woman Nurse Mildred won't let us out if you're not in a wheelchair - I mean who even calls their kid Mildred? She is terrifying. Did I tell you that she almost didn't let me bring those manuals in? Said they were too dusty, that they could cause an infection!" She's rolling her eyes and puffing out her cheeks in disbelief.
Nicole can see through Waverly's valiant attempt to cheer her up, identifying the hurt shimmering in her eyes and god she doesn't want to cause her any more pain.
"Thank you for doing this for me...It's just, I'm just sick of it all." She's weakly gesturing around the room, accusing the medical equipment and wheelchair of having her on edge, but they only symbolised small parts of her larger anxiety.
"I..." False start. Followed by a deep breath provoking her ribs and lungs to complain.
"I think I'm just scared," hesitant truth spilling from her lips.
What?
She hadn't expected to say it like that. She hadn't known how to explain her fears to Waverly and of it's own accord, her brain had simplified it and then outputted it. But it had summed it up perfectly. She was dreading letting people see what that monster did to her, and the accompanying pitying looks at her own inadequacies to defend herself. She was supposed to be strong, a protector of the people.
"I'm scared of looking like I can't take care of myself in front of everyone."
They were still figuring each other out, learning what made the other one tick, dancing around one another's little truths. But Waverly already knows how to comfort her, how to distract her from crumbling.
"It's not your fault Nicole. You survived going up against revenants and that makes you the furthest thing from weak in my book. Forget about the people who can't see that." The sympathy and admiration in her voice for Nicole and her situation is mixed with an anger at the people who would dare to stare at her.
"Maybe we won't even see anybody, we're not leaving the grounds. I just wanted somewhere that we could talk without anyone barging in."
Waverly recedes a little after her outburst, demurely changing topic.
"I brought you some stuff from your place."
Waverly gets one of the bags she's brought and she's taking out clothes that belong to Nicole, sunglasses and her favourite winter jacket while Nicole's stuck on an image of Waverly. In her apartment with her cat circling around her legs, deciding what clothes Nicole would need.
Probably chatting away adorably to Oakley about her choices.
Nicole wonders if her apartment will still smell of her when she returns home.
"Now you'll have a disguise." Waverly says cheerfully, but with a light coat of concern, bringing her back down to earth.
"Okay."
It'll be worth it.
Soft but firm hands help her stand out of the wheelchair and leave her to watch the overcast sky while they push the wheelchair behind a tree. It's baltic out and she's breathing a little heavily due to the exerted energy and unused muscles. Doesn't breath at all when the hands are back and one tugs gently at her sleeve before carefully lifting her arm and draping it over Waverly's jacketed shoulder while the other glides past the small of her back and around to lightly tighten on her hip. She hasn't moved and when their eyes meet, this time it is Nicole who looks away first. This simple act of support and affection has her blinking away the beginnings of tears. She hasn't cried after everything that had happened to her and she doesn't want to start now. Not when they were finally free of distractions.
After a pause, Waverly thankfully asks only, "Are you ready?"
"Sure." Keeps to an easy monosyllabic answer. She hadn't noticed Waverly pick up the bag again but it swings in a slow arc as they set off at their snail's pace, hanging from her free hand.
Waverly was right when she said it wasn't too far, but Nicole is still taking in shallow, wheezing breaths as she's collapsing into the small bench, sweat trickling down her back.
Nicole is already missing the feeling of Waverly holding on to her as they sit in relative silence. As was their routine she was waiting for Waverly to make the first move. She picks at the edge of the blanket Waverly has spread over the cold bench, pulling out blue threads. Waverly had at first busied herself with the few items in the bag - the infamous banana muffins, blanket and a flask- but had let them be. Nicole turns towards her and thinks Waverly might be admiring her lips. Or maybe she's just memorised at their warm breath mingling, warring with the cold air, ghostly battles appearing and disappearing frequently. Watches her escape the trance and mentally sends her wordless wishes to be brave.
"Things have been crazy lately. I wanted to explain, to talk, to..." Waverly's voice wanders off and her eyes get skittish. Nicole picks up on it, keeping it light saying, "Maybe this time we should figure out what exactly it is we're talking about," and smiles at her to let her know that she's remembering their conversation fondly.
No wrong steps this time.
Waverly returns a grateful smile and the timidness in her eyes is ousted, a small fire igniting in its place. Her gaze drops lower and Nicole feels their hands entwine willingly. She wonders if maybe Waverly forgot to pack gloves on purpose. The usually fleeting courage is still ablaze and building higher when their eyes connect again.
"I'm ready. I am but...so much has been happening lately. I feel like I'm being pulled in every direction. Powerless over my own life."
"There's no pressure, don't..." She's rushing to reassure her but Waverly cuts her off.
"No let me finish. The only time I've felt like I'm in control is when I've been here." Gestures towards the buildings. She's stoking her confidence, fueling embers into a roaring fire.
Eyes burning in all their bold glory Waverly reveals, "With you." These two simple words causing her stomach to flip pleasantly.
"At home Willa's made everything different. Wynonna just sees her big sister back...sometimes it's like I'm not even there. " Her voice breaks at the very end but she keeps going after a short pause. During this pause she shifts herself, moving one leg underneath her so she can face Nicole better.
"I was only six when Willa disappeared so I don't know her that well I guess."
Even now she's defending her sisters.
"None of them, not Wynnona, not Willa, Gus, my dad..." exhaling a soft sigh, "...They never asked if I was okay with any of it."
"Except you."
Nicole can only dumbly say "Me?"
"Yes you idiot."
Like summer rain catching her unaware, Waverly's hand touches her face and she leans in and lips press into hers and she sighs into them.
It's a contrasting blend of a kiss - gentle yet raw, and unsure yet brave. Electrifying her lips and storming her senses.
Waverly's hand is grasping at her shoulder and Nicole reaches up to slip her fingers around the wrist. Feels the other hand trailing around to the back of her neck squeezing lightly.
It's swallowing her whole, lasting forever and no time at all.
Waverly pulls back a few inches and looks surprised at her own tenacity. One hand has drifted onto Nicole's thigh and the other on the top of the bench. Unexpectedly Waverly asks her a question, "You know what I've always wanted?" Her astonished expression has turned intense. Between them, an unexpected snowflake spirals in its descent to land.
Still in a daze from the heady experience, she's caught completely unawares and she croaks out, "What?"
"To parachute out of a plane at fifteen thousand feet. Yeah. To swim far, far out into the ocean so that I can't see the bottom anymore. To eat geoduck."
Although unsure of where this conversation is going, her curiosity wins out and she asks, "Isn't it the one that kinda looks like a p... "
"Yeah, it is. Point is, I've always wanted to do things that scared me." Waverly visibly gulps but continues. "But, well, it's not so easy to be brazen when the thing that you want, that scares you to death, is sitting right in front of you." Her voice gets quieter towards the end and scattered in between her words are little outbursts of breath, almost gasps, signaling her nervousness.
"I scare you?" her questioning voice tender.
"Yes. Yes, you do. Because I don't wanna be friends. When I think about what I wanna do most in this world... it's you. " Nicole breaks into a wide smile, the last of her doubt swept away.
"Oh God, that sounded so much more romantic in my head." Waverly's coy gaze darts away to stare accusingly at the hand on the bench which she then curls in a fist, rubbing her thumb along her finger several times before she ceases. Unfurled, it flutters akin to the wing of a just released bird. Locking eyes again, she pleads, "Just jump in any time, Nicole, because I really, really don't know how to do this."
"Oh, sure you do." turns on the charm, dropping her voice a few octaves.
Waverly takes two shy breaths, "Maybe I should just stop talking."
"See, you're getting better at this already." Seductively latching on to Waverly's scarf, she pulls her in untill they're scant inches apart, pausing then to give her a last chance to back out.
She doesn't.
"Maybe you should stop talking too. " Eyes filled again with wild warm courage, Waverly leans in, barely room for a sheet of paper between their lips, her warm breath tingling wherever it landed.
"Maybe you should make me", Nicole gives her a crooked grin and a confident head tilt, challenging her suggestively despite a racing heart.
And then she's coming undone as soft luxurious lips capture hers, hungry kisses full of want, of desire. Feels a hand sliding up to the back her neck threading through her hair, the other one making its way to her jaw and cupping it, trembling slightly. All the doctors in the world couldn't come up with a better remedy for her than Waverly's incredible caress. It's causing her mouth and skin to electrify like lightning meeting the earth wherever she touched. She hadn't dared imagine it would be this good, this soul soaring, like an astronomer discovering a new star, a new planet, a new galaxy, another fucking universe.
She wants to kiss her a thousand times. Enough so she can always remember what she tastes like.
At this rate that'll happen before the day is over.
A split second of sweetly smiling at each other before they draw close again, stopping to linger at the final phase preluding the kiss, building it up before claiming one another's lips again.
They don't break stride as Waverly moves to straddle her, lifting her knee off the bench. Nicole helps her, guiding her unfortunately covered thigh to wrap around her side. Draws her fingers along her leg and up her side, faltering when they reach her jacket. Waverly doesn't notice the shift or the difference between the single pained exhale amongst their needy gasps. Nicole choses to ignore the inconvenient stabbing in her chest, instead focusing on taking advantage of a slight gap in their actions, by lightly rubbing her thumb over Waverly's bottom lip urging her on.
She's rewarded when Waverly presses firmly into her, pinning her against the bench, thighs clenching against her own, pleasure and pain melding into one. It's intoxicating and her body is reacting, expressing itself in a throaty moan which bubbles out of her, and scrambling hands that look for skin, one of them making its way underneath the bottom of her jacket and finding what it's looking for. She's grazing her fingertips along it, delighting in the delicious whimpers that are coming from Waverly.
Waverly succeeds in eclipsing the pain for a time but with her chest is getting tighter, her ribs protesting, and the bench digging into her back, she has to miserably break away. Waverly sighs when their lips part, eyes flying open and staring at her, with a look of hunger and bewilderment, breath ragged. The euphoric high that had consumed her is abandoning Nicole, and she's crashing, pain slamming into her body. Gritting her teeth and taking sharp staggered breaths, she's helpless to stop the obvious hints at her no longer hidden suffering.
Waverly comes to her aid with soft touches and asking, "Where's the pain Nicole?"
She manages to half point to her ribs before a particularly agonising attack dismantles her and she's bending forward, her fists clenching on whatever is nearest to them.
By the time it decreases to a tolerable level, Waverly has unzipped her jacket, alleviating some of the pressure, and is now holding her shoulders, pushing her back a little. Warm smooth fingers move downwards and Waverly's looking to her to see any signs of refusal. Permission granted, she tenderly lifts up her top and begins to check on her bound ribs treating her body with reverence and uttering soothing adonishments. She realises her fingers are wrapped up tightly in the soft material of Waverly's jacket.
My white knight.
Rescuing her from the bad guys. Freeing her from that hell hole she had been trapped in. Kissing her in a way that she can only describe in cliché for her now.
It sounds like a fairytale.
When did I turn into a fucking Disney princess?
She never thought she'd be that girl, always thought if there was any romantic rescuing it'd be her that would be doing it.
Her chest is still heaving but it's getting slightly easier to breathe.
It's hardly a voice, but she rasps, "I'm..." *cough* "...okay."
"Clearly you're not", but it's calmed Waverly a bit, even if it's only because Nicole is just about well enough to squeeze coherent words out. Her hands are still assessing her injuries and she's concentrating furiously, mouth barely parted. Since Nicole's life had been upended days ago, nearly every action has caused her pain, so it's worth it when she leans in to steal another kiss, teasing Waverly's lips, relishing in the fingers that press at her stomach.
It sends her into a coughing fit but it's totally worth it.
While she recovers, Waverly whose cheeks are tinged with scarlet, finds her voice and cheekily states, "Maybe I'm too much for you to handle if that's how you react after a kiss."
"Hey!" she says when she can, pouting. "I'm injured. In a few weeks I'll show you who's too much to handle."
"I'll hold you to that." Waverly gently nudges her, eyes crinkling into crescent shapes. She looks alive and more energetic than she's looked in ages, more like the woman who'd called her special that day outside the station.
Unburdened.
At this stage, snow is falling lightly, covering everything in a thin tranquil layer.
Waverly has already packed up everything but the blanket they're sitting on. After helping Nicole stand, she starts to fold it away. Waiting for her to finish, Nicole decides not to try moving without Waverly as she's already feeling unsteady on her feet.
No need to talk, she just raises her arm and Waverly burrows in. They don't move, preferring to stand for a moment, watching the scenic snow. Can feel her warmth even through all of their collective layers. Nicole is peaceful, breathing in Waverly's scent and probably little sparkling flakes of snow.
"C'mon." She hears her voice below and a little tug on her arm. "Don't want you getting pneumonia on top of everything else."
"Fine." Nicole lets out an exaggerated sigh.
