Waverly arranges to have Wynonna pick them up outside the front doors of the medical centre on the evening that Nicole gets released. She's ready to leave it behind but the orderly won't let her out of the wheelchair untill her lift home shows up. He starts droning on about insurance and regulations. Thankfully, they aren't waiting long when Doll's car screeches to stop in front of them, almost hitting the kerb. The window rolls down, unveiling Wynonna with a shit eating grin on her face.
"Someone order a cab?"
The orderly finally helps her out of the wheelchair and Nicole feels giddy when Waverly chivalrously opens the door for her, and offers attentive hands that assist her into the car.
As she slowly gets in, Wynonna is tapping her fingers impatiently against the top of the steering wheel.
That explained the worn patch on the wheel of the jeep she usually drove.
Wynonna dons her characteristically charismatic and provocative smile saying, "Officer Haught, glad to see you no longer resemble battered roadkill. Well not as much as you did anyways. You'll be back to your fine self in no time," the middle Earp reaching into the back of the car offering a hand to steady herself with, showing affection for Nicole in her own peculiar way. She greets her with, "Evening Earp. Thanks," as she uses Wynonna's hand to pull herself in.
As she's settling inside, Waverly takes a hold of the seatbelt and leans over her, far closer than necessary, brushing off her chest as she looks to clip the buckle in. Nicole bets the mischievous smile that she's now giving her is the result of a probably very aroused expression on her own face. Waverly then shoots out of the car, closing the door behind her.
"Where's she going?" Wynonna is muttering as Nicole hastens to compose herself. The door across from Nicole opens and Waverly gets in the car. Wynonna quirks an eyebrow at Waverly in the rearview mirror.
"You drive like a maniac." Waverly states dryly, her left hand grabbing the right side of the driver's chair. Asking, "Do you think I'd leave an injured person in the back to fend for themselves?" as she moves towards Nicole until their thighs are touching.
"I'm not that bad! Jeez I can drive slowly Waverly," she proclaims, accepting of Waverly's seemingly innocent excuse. Nicole can see Wynonna's eyes rolling upwards in the mirror before they snap to her, and she's almost pleading,"Nicole don't listen to her," even calling her by her actual name to garner favour.
"Nice car," she says instead, partially changing the subject. Wynonna then spends most of the journey to Nicole's apartment regaling them with the tale of how she managed to convince Dolls to let her borrow his car. She's so enthralled with her storytelling that she doesn't notice the tender touches passing between the women in the back seat.
Inevitably she does catch them, as their actions grow bolder in Wynonna's continual ignorance. It's close to the end of the drive and Waverly's fingertips are drawing meticulous circles on Nicole's palm.
"Waverly what are you doing?"
"I-I'm just..." Waverly's panicked, cheeks starting to glow. She had told Nicole earlier that day that she wasn't ready to tell Wynonna about them just yet.
"Yes. She was just checking..." Nicole is trying to come up with an excuse as she's talking , her thoughts bouncing, crashing off each other, amalgamating into a jumbled mess of letters like the pile of scrabble tiles in their box, having been swept off the board at the end of a game played with her grandfather. They're preventd from any further embarrassment by a shout from Wynonna.
"Hey dickhead!"
Wynonna's head is all the way out the driver's window because she's spotted someone she knows and obviously doesn't like.
"Sorry", when she's finished rigorously shouting further obscenities at him, closing the window. "That guy is a total asshole."
"I think we gathered as much." Nicole says sarcastically while her eyes slide down to check on Waverly's flustered condition.
She's relieved that Wynonna seems to have forgotten about her previous question and even more relieved to see they're almost there. Wynonna parks as close as she physically can to Nicole's apartment building, and when they start to object Wynonna points out that it's a US marshall's car and that it's parked outside a police officer's home, which shuts them up.
They're inside her apartment, Nicole wondering how much longer she could stay standing, when Wynonna asks "You coming baby sis?" She expects her to say yes, starts walking as she throws a, "Feel better Deputy Dimples." over her shoulder, looking amused with the moniker. Waverly looks at Nicole mouthing the words 'one minute' before following her into the hall.
"I told Willa I'd help her with something. We can't be leaving her alone for too long or she might end up in another cult... " Wynonna's voice floating in before the door closes and the voices become muted. She thankfully collapses onto the couch, hissing when this brings on a wave of hurt. Just as she's questioning where Oakley is, her little head pops up from the floor to just above the seat cushion, mewing for attention. She's hanging back, seeming a little miffed that her owner's been missing for several days but evidently happy to see her home again.
"Hey there O. Sorry I left you but I'm back now." Her cat nuzzling into her hand as she rubs her head affectionately. "I hope you were good for Wave." Scratching under her chin and the other places she liked.
She hears, "Bye Haught! Don't go getting kidnapped again," front door slamming as Waverly enters the room. She smothers the anxiety that rears its head at Wynonna's careless statement.
Seeing Nicole stretched out on the couch Waverly makes her way over, lifting up long legs to sit down beside her and places them back over her own. She's deep in thought and Nicole's content to sit like this in silence, one hand still showering Oakley with affection, (who's still holding a grudge but has made her way onto the arm of the couch), and the other captured between Waverly's pretty hands. It was all a bit surreal after the past few days.
She's not sure what's caused that sombre expression on Waverly's face but she can guess it has to do with one of two things.
Revenants or Willa (and by extension Wynonna).
They hadn't talked directly about the revenant attack apart from that first night and then a short conversation two days ago, Waverly apologising for not telling her about it all in the first place and giving her a brief overview of the Earp curse. Nicole tended to shy away from talking about anything related to her kidnapping, including the revenants, not wanting to stir the box that held her thoughts and feelings about it all, a well secured box shoved to the back of her mind. She wasn't sure if Waverly had noticed her evasive maneuvers.
"Did you have any siblings?" Waverly suddenly asks, which isn't quite what Nicole was expecting. Not wanting to let it get serious before it had to, she says, "No. After my parents had me they knew they couldn't do any better," boastfully winking at her.
"Are you sure you didn't scare them off having more children?" she retaliates cheekily.
"Ouch Waves." Raising her free hand to her heart mockingly. "That hurt."
"I guess you shouldn't be so cocky then." she shot back.
Nicole replies, "You know you love it," and places her hand with the others.
Beaming at each other, they relax back into a comfortable silence, both pairs of hands fascinated by the other's.
Waverly eventually spits out what has her asking about siblings, ploughing through the words and ejecting them out at a rapid rate. "It's Willa - When we were younger she was the favourite...I was like the five hundred to one outsider." Nicole squeezes her hands delicately. "She was a bully, she mostly ignored me but she could be really mean - like torturing my teddies - I know that doesn't sound that bad but she did other stuff like pressuring me into some really dangerous stunts...Wynonna would stop her if she was around, but she couldn't be there all the time. Now Willa doesn't remember any of it. Wynonna wants her big sister back and I'm trying to play nice with her but she doesn't make it easy. Maybe it would have been better if Willa had just never come..." Her flow cuts short, her hand flying to her mouth, covering it as if to stop any more words escaping.
Nicole doesn't respond verbally, choosing instead to gently take the hand that's at Waverly's mouth and bring it towards her own, kissing her knuckles softly. When she does speak, she selects her words carefully.
"I don't want to overstep a line here but she sounds like she was a bitch when she was a kid. The whole situation with Willa is pretty crazy, it's going to take time to build a relationship with her and you've already got a pretty intense life. No one not even Wynonna could or should expect you to suddenly become great friends. "
She searches Waverly's face discerning that the distress and guilt that had been vividly apparent, are fading fast in their intensity. Reaching out, she curls a loose piece of hair around Waverly's ear, allowing her fingers to then drift through her hair.
"If she takes any of your teddy bears again you just let me know and I'll sort her out. Kidnapping is a very serious offence."
A giggle emerges from Waverly and It develops into a full-blown laugh, Nicole joining in but it promptly transforms into a cough. Her cat scampers away, frightened by the noise.
Waverly's frowning again.
Goddammit.
"We really need a safe word. Not for - you know - but for when you're in distress. You can't ignore your injuries Nicole just because we're making out. What about something like 911 or red?"
"I might not be able to talk..." Nicole says as she's smiling wickedly, "But it's a good idea. How about three taps on your collarbone?"
"Promise me you won't try to be tough, that if you're hurting you'll use it." Waverly has suspicion in her eyes.
"I promise Wave," she vows, deliberately solemn after hearing the substantial weight in Waverlys' words.
She spoils it by yawning and it's contagious. It's not even half eight.
"Go on, You go get ready for bed, just shout if you need anything." Nicole thinks about protesting as she's being pulled off the couch, but knows that she's already pushing her body to the edge of its limits today. Waverly's fatigue was also unmistakable and the thought of curling up in her arms sounded perfect.
It feels strange to be back in her bedroom, haltingly going about her nighttime routine, restricted from her usual speed and grace. She leans on furniture and walls, whatever is nearest, for balance while she goes through the steps. Finally conceding to the weariness creeping in, as well as a little dizziness, she sits down on the bed to change into a pair of pyjama shorts and a tank top. At last she's climbing under covers, relishing in the fact she's united with her own bed.
Waverly comes in wearing a nightshirt and a glass of water in hand, which she places on the bedside table nearest Nicole. She turns off the main light, leaving only the lamps on, and after hesitating for only the briefest slip in time, she climbs into the bed.
Waverly is lying on her back and Nicole's on her side, a gap of maybe a foot between them. Waverly has been full of confidence since that first kiss, going so far as to act brashly occasionally. That was apart from a few lapses - times Wynonna was around or when her oldest sister came up in conversation. These moments where her courage would flutter like a flag on a breezy day were becoming rarer. Nicole is clear on what Waverly wants and is understanding of her stumbles, happy to let her set the pace but unwilling to do nothing at all. She moves her right hand leaving it at the mid-point between them, a subtle way of encouraging her, making sure Waverly hears the shuffle of its movement. Sure enough Waverly's eyes drop and it turns out that's all the motivation she needs. She scooches in towards her, taking her hand and then her lips.
Legs tangled and arms entwined in a way that somehow doesn't aggravate her injuries, she falls asleep in Waverly's embrace, relaxed and content.
