By the time Waverly got back inside, there were two empty beer bottles on Champ's tiny dining room table, and his bare feet were up on the coffee table while he flicked through TV channels.

"What was that about, Wave? Oh, and can you bring me another beer? This one is half gone."

"Champ, I was outside for less than ten minutes, and that's your third. What were you doing, chugging them?"
"Well, yeah," he said, grumpily. "I came back from a trip with my buddies early and not only is my truck out of commission, but my girl seems more interested in chatting with some cop than spending time with me." He slammed his near-empty beer bottle on the coffee table and sat up, turning towards Waverly.

Waverly didn't blink. "I'm not 'your girl,' Champ."

"What?!"

"I'm a human being. I'm my own person. I don't belong to anyone, including you."

Waverly wasn't looking at Champ, busying herself with putting away the pie she had prepared and glasses she had set out for her evening with Nicole. She really didn't want Champ questioning her about that right now.

After a few moments, Waverly felt Champs big, strong hands wrap around the sides of her hips and pull her backwards, towards him. He didn't pull hard or hurt her, he just melded himself to her back, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Waves. I know you're not 'mine' in that way. You're your own beautiful woman. That's why I love you so much. I just thought you'd be happier to see me after a whole week away."

Waverly's resolve was dissipating, softening at Champ's warm hands and warm words, reminded of what had drawn her to him all those years ago, and kept her with him still. She stilled her hands and turned around in Champ's arms, resting her own on his shoulders, dangling her hands behind him.

"I'm sorry, too, Champ. It's not that I'm not happy to see you. It's just that… I don't really like surprises. I had plans with Nicole tonight, and you know I hate breaking plans. I just feel bad for blowing her off."

Champ smiled wide, "You always have been a planner, Waves." He chuckled under his breath, letting his hands roam over Waverly's body. He leaned in, peppering kisses on her neck. "So sorry I ruined girls' night," he chuckled.

Waverly groaned a bit in frustration over Champ's dismissal of her evening with Nicole, but Champ took it to mean that she was enjoying his assault on her neck.

"There's the Waverly I know…" he whispered, lips pressed just under her ear.
Waverly's stomach dropped, and she pushed back away from the counter, shoving Champ back and away from her. He looked back at her, eyes wide and uncertain, as she angrily huffed out, "That's the problem, Champ!" She paused, releasing a defeated breath. Softer, she said, "That's the only Waverly you know… or care about."
She swiftly moved into the bedroom, slamming the door harder than she intended, but not regretting it in the slightest. Waverly knew Champ wouldn't chance coming in there now; he'd sleep on the couch. She sank into the bed, holding her head in her hands and wondering how she ended up there.

As Nicole turned the page, she glanced over the top of her book to see her overweight, orange cat circling her feet for the third time that Sunday afternoon. "Lolly, lay down already!" she laughed at her old companion. Lolly was nearing the end of her first decade, and she had been with Nicole for almost her whole life. Nicole smiled as she almost immediately curled up between Nicole's calves and started purring softly.

Nicole's phone chimed twice, and after finishing the page, Nicole casually reached over the check the message, presuming it was another reminder from her mother to schedule a dentist appointment.

"Almost 30-years old and she still smothers me…" Nicole thought.

But it wasn't her mother. Instead, Nicole was pleasantly surprised to see "Waverly Earp-1 image attached" splayed across the screen.

Grinning, she slid her finger over the lock button, and was greeted with a shot of the Earp kitchen counter, covered in baking ingredients: flour, butter, brown sugar, salt, blueberries, maple syrup, and more. It was accompanied with the caption "Just a little preview to get you excited for tonight… ;)"
Nicole chuckled to herself, thought a moment, and then typed out a reply before she could chicken out.

N: I'm sure all that's gonna make a delicious pie, but if you wanted to get me excited for tonight, you should have sent me a selfie. (Spoiler alert: I already am excited!) ;)

A few minutes passed, and Nicole tried to refocus on her book, knowing that Waverly was likely baking and wouldn't respond. But she kept catching herself glancing over, willing the screen to light up with Waverly's name.

Fifteen or so minutes passed, and Nicole started getting anxious. Had she stepped over a line?

She set her book on the coffee table and went into her kitchen, leaving her phoneand hoping to take her mind off of the text. She pulled a glass from the cabinet and filled it half way, taking a long, slow chug. With just a sip or two left, the bottom of the glass clinked back down to the counter; Nicole took in a big breath, staring down into the sink. She refilled the glass. Repeat.

On her fourth long gulp of water, the silence in her apartment broke with two shrill, high-pitched chimes. As Nicole set the glass down again, she was surprised to see her hand shaking slightly, and she slowly and deliberately took a few strides back into her living room and picked up her phone, swiping immediately, even with her shaky hand.

Immediately, all of Nicole's fears vanished, and a hearty laugh tumbled out of her throat without intention.

Staring back at her was the bright, bubbly, and beautiful face of Waverly Earp, filling the entire frame. She smiled from ear to ear, but was being intentionally goofy, having patted flour all over her face and hair, crossed her eyes, and painted striped "war paint" under her eyes and down her nose in what Nicole could only assume was blueberry juice. The tip of Waverly's tongue hung out of the side of her mouth, completing the picture that was so perfectly Waverly.

A warmth filled Nicole and a smile stretched across her face as she stared at the picture, and then, almost just as quickly and easily, she groaned and dropped her head when she realized how thoroughly and completely she was falling for Waverly.

"Good god, I'm screwed," she said aloud, looking to Lolly for a bit of comfort. Of course, the old cat provided none.

A moment later, another message came through, and Nicole replied immediately.

W: That'll teach you to ask for something you're not ready for!

N: Oh, Waverly. I'm ready for anything you've got. ;)

Waverly was pleasantly surprised with how quickly Nicole's reply came, but she wasn't prepared for her own reaction. It was the first time she'd ever texted with the deputy, and she hated how much she loved the flirtatious tone in this conversation. She hesitated, and then hit send.

W: Well I guess we'll see about that, Officer!

And then a quick follow-up:
W: Can't wait, by the way. See you in a few hours—you can come earlier, if you'd like!

Waverly immediately regretted the last addition. She didn't want to seem too eager, but noting that it was just 2:36, she didn't want to wait more than five hours to see Nicole. Champ had left shortly after lunch, mumbling something about helping his mom with something before their family dinner. Whatever his excuse, it was a welcome one. They had barely spoken since their argument Friday evening, and things had been tense around the homestead. Waverly noticeably relaxed when she heard the wheels of his newly-gassed-up truck churn down the driveway. She knew one of them would have to eventually apologize, but she'd be damned if she cracked first.

Waverly was brought out of her daydream by another text message.

N: Want me to bring over some dinner to compliment that blueberry pie?

W: That sounds great! I'm okay with whatever… I'm pretty easy!

N: Well then… I guess that's good to know. ;)

Waverly's face grew hot with embarrassment at the realization of what she'd said. She flailed around the room for a moment, talking to herself, trying to come up with a response.

"Should I take it back? Make a joke? Gah!" She thought to herself. She was so flustered—a feeling she was experiencing more and more because of Nicole. She stopped for a moment, taking a breath, and held the phone out at arm's length. She tilted her head down and covered her face with her other hand, splitting her index and middle finger enough so she could peek up at the camera with one eye. She snapped the picture and then double checked it. Pleased that she looked like a good blend of bashful and cute, she sent it to Nicole and a reply came back quickly.

N: Hah! See you soon, Waves. :)

At 6:43, Nicole pulled her truck up in front of the Earp homestead, grabbed the bag of Chinese food, and started up to the front door. Her stomach churned with a mix of hunger, nerves, and excitement as she knocked. Waverly answered the door almost immediately, smiling wide.

"Welcome, Officer Haught!" she said, moving aside so Nicole could step inside. Nicole nodded and brushed past Waverly into the house. As she turned around, she fully took in the shorter girl, from head to toe. Waverly was barefoot, in dark, tight jeans, and an oversized light blue sweater that hung loosely off her right shoulder, a white tank top underneath. The front of her hair was pulled back and tied loosely with a band on the top of her head, the rest flowing down her back and around her shoulders. If she was wearing make-up, Nicole couldn't tell. She looked clean and fresh, but bright and like she was lighting up the whole room. It took Nicole's breath away, momentarily.

Coming to her senses, she held up the bag.

"I hope Chinese is okay? I wasn't sure what you'd get, so I ordered a few different things."

"Chinese sounds great! Come on, I'll get some plates."

Waverly bounced into the kitchen, pulling two plates down from the cabinet and helping Nicole take out all of the white cardboard take-out containers and going through them, one by one.

Their conversation was light and easy, picking out the best parts of all the dishes Nicole had brought, deciding to open a bottle of red wine, and discussing their inevitable pie dessert.

"Oh, so you did have some flour and berries leftover to use in an actual pie? I thought they all ended up in your hair," Nicole teased.

Waverly laughed, freely. "I sure did. And lucky for you, if tradition holds, the messier I am while baking, the better the finished product. This pie is destined to be my best yet." She beamed at Nicole and Nicole's heart began to race. It must have played on her face, because Waverly's eyes changed, and the air grew thicker.

Nicole had promised herself that she would keep things light. She knew she was developing feelings for Waverly, but she also knew that the girl was straight and attached, and she would only complicate their friendship and break her own heart if she let herself run with those feelings. But she was finding that goal much harder than anticipated in practice. It was one thing to tell herself to be calm and normal around Waverly. It was another thing all together to look into her eyes and hear her laugh and smell her shampoo, and generally have all of her senses assaulted by Waverly Earp. It was intoxicating, and Nicole was beginning to question if this movie night in was a good idea.
"Hello?! Earth to Nicole?" Nicole snapped out of her Waverly-induced haze to a hand waving in front of her face. She blushed.

"Sorry, sorry," she said, shaking her head slightly.

"Hey, where'd you go?" Waverly reached a hand out, wrapping it around Nicole's forearm and pulling her eyes to make contact.

"I'm sorry, Waves. I don't know where I went…"
"Is… is there somewhere else you need to be…?" Waverly asked, hesitantly.

"No! No, not at all," Nicole said, confidently. She wrapped her opposite hand around the small one resting on her arm. "I'm right where I want to be."

They smiled at each other for a moment, before Waverly broke eye contact.

"Well then, ya wanna eat before this gets cold? We could go ahead and put a movie in, if you want."

"Sounds perfect. I didn't know what type of movie you'd be in the mood for, so I brought a few of my favorites, but I'm totally fine with something else if you have one in mind."

"Well what did you bring?" Waverly asked, brightly.

Nicole reached in her bag, pulling out four DVDs.

"Pitch Perfect, Ocean's Eleven, Scream, and the first Hunger Games?"

"Ohhhh… four good choices!" Waverly hummed to herself, jokingly pretending to be deep in thought as she picked up the two plates and started walking towards the living room. Nicole grinned and grabbed the wine bottle and two glasses from the rack on the wall.

"You know, we deal with so much scary stuff and death as it is… how about Pitch Perfect?"

"Sounds good to me!"

Nicole moved around to the TV, put in the DVD, and clicked on the TV. When she turned around, Waverly had settled herself into the middle of the couch, plates down and was pouring wine for them both. Given Waverly's position, Nicole had no choice but to sit immediately next to her, leaving barely six inches between them.

The movie started without much additional conversation, both quietly enjoying the food, wine, and each other's company as the beginning scenes rolled. Occasionally, they caught each other's eye as they laughed, and after a few moments Nicole noticed that Waverly was settling into the couch and closer to Nicole as she sat back, done with her dinner. Nicole finished a few minutes later and mirrored Waverly, picking up her glass of wine and settling all the way back into the couch, wedged as far into the arm and corner as she could.

In the movie, Beca walked around the student activity fair, making it to the Barden Bella's table and meeting Aubrey and Chloe the first time.

"I don't care what this movie and the sequel say, I will always believe that Beca and Chloe are deeply in love with each other." Nicole said with a laugh.

Waverly looked over at her with a questioning smile and a glint in her eye. "What?"

"You've seen this before, right?" Nicole asked.

"Actually… no. I haven't."
"Whaaaat?" Nicole asked, incredulously, grabbing the remote to pause it. "You've really never seen this? Oh that's so exciting. I love watching my favorite movies with people who have never seen them. It's the closest I'll ever get to experiencing it for the first time again."

Nicole turned towards Waverly, fully, and pulled her left leg under her, sitting on her foot.

"So, that girl is Chloe. I'm not spoiling anything by telling you she's one of the other main characters. But, like, and this is not just me being crazy—there are whole theories about these two online—she and Beca have insane chemistry in this movie. They are totally into each other. It's not really canon, but it's undeniable. I love it."

Waverly stared at her for a minute, enjoying seeing Nicole get so genuinely excited about something.

"Well, how do you know?"
"That they totally love each other?"

Waverly laughed. "Yeah! I mean, if it's not an actual storyline, what gives you that impression?"
"You'll see. It's just the way they look at each other and are always drawn to each other. It's almost as if they're magnetic. They move through each other's spaces so naturally, and they're always really concerned about each other."
"I mean, but couldn't they just be best friends?" Waverly's question was innocent and gentle. There was no tone of confrontation between the two. On the contrary, they both seemed to genuinely enjoy the back-and-forth.

"They could be, sure. And that's all they are in the movie. I don't know. But the way Chloe looks at Beca? I don't think I've ever looked at a woman that way if I wasn't completely into her."

Waverly laughed softly, bowing her head.
"Okay, okay. Fair enough. Well start it up again—I need to see these sparks flying!"

They smiled at each other again, but both felt the mood shift, only slightly. Nicole had only realized about halfway through the conversation what a terrible idea it was to be talking about chemistry and looks like that, especially when she was certain she was giving Waverly that look as she told her that there is a difference.

Waverly, for her part, was simultaneously intrigued by Nicole's insistence that these two 'best friends' had an unspoken connection beyond friendship, and mortified by her last comment about sparks.

Sparks were something she'd felt since she first laid her eyes on Nicole that night. Sparks she felt when she first opened her door and saw her there—all leggy and gorgeous with her hair down and a tight black tshirt over jeans with a hole in the knee. Sparks she felt when she touched Nicole's arm in the kitchen earlier. And sparks she definitely felt right then as she realized they had inched and settled closer and closer to each other in the couch. Only about an inch of space separated them now, and it put Waverly on high alert, but moving away from Nicole would be awkward and something that no part of her wanted.

They both trained their eyes on the screen, relaxing as the minutes passed and the scenes rolled. Waverly caught Nicole singing along with the songs more than once—and she thought it was adorable. After the shower scene where Beca and Chloe sing Titanium, Waverly looked over at Nicole.

"Okay, I totally get it. They totally want to get it on."

"Yes!" Nicole patted the couch, triumphantly. "I told you! I'm so glad you see it, too." She beamed at Waverly.

"I sure do," she laughed. While they giggled with each other, Waverly reached up and behind Nicole, having to lean over her to reach a blanket draped across the back of her arm rest. Their bodies went flush for a moment, and Nicole's ability to continue the light laughter was completely stunted. She held her breath until Waverly had settled back in her same seat, unfolding the blanket and seemingly oblivious to the effect she had just had on the other girl.

"Sorry for reaching across you like that," Waverly said, casually. "I am just getting chilly. What about you? Want to share?" Waverly held up a corner of the blanket towards her in invitation.

Nicole absolutely wanted to share a blanket with Waverly, but her head told her it would be a bad idea.

"No, no, I'm good, thanks." She smiled briefly and turned back towards the movie. Though, she could have sworn she saw a look of disappointment flash across Waverly's face.

Waverly, for her part, was slightly disappointed. Every moment spent there with Nicole was more and more confirmation to her that the looks that they shared and the moments that passed between them—however fleeting—were of the same type that she watched flit across the screen between Beca and Chloe. She was looking for any excuse to touch Nicole or look at Nicole or hear Nicole's laugh that she could.

The movie went on, without incident, and the two shared moments of laughter and singing along and other idle chatter. As the credits began to roll, Waverly leaned her head back on the couch and just gazed at Nicole. They were halfway through their second bottle of wine by this time, and she was beginning to feel whatever resolve or lingering uncertainty she had over her growing feelings dissipate. She was so happy in that moment. Just sitting there in her presence, stomach full of food and wine, throat full of laughter, and heart—she couldn't deny it—was full with Nicole.

"I'm really sorry, Nicole," she said, softly.

Nicole's head whipped around towards her, confusion twisted up in her face. "Sorry for what?"

"For the other night. I could tell how upset you were when you dropped us off. I should have insisted that you stay and Champ go somewhere else. I'm really sorry."

Nicole's face went slightly paler as Waverly spoke.

"Oh, no, no, Wave, it's really fine. I wasn't that upset."

"I was," Waverly said, without thinking.

They looked at each other for a moment before Nicole took a deep breath and spoke again.

"Okay, so I was pretty upset. But I had no reason to be. Your boyfriend came home and surprised you. That's really sweet. It's just—I haven't really made many friends in Purgatory yet, so I was really looking forward to that on Friday. But tonight has more than made up for it," a beaming smile returned to her face.

Waverly reached out a hand from under the blanket and took Nicole's in hers, lacing their fingers. She knew she probably shouldn't, but she needed to be in contact with this other girl.

Nicole's breath hitched, and she stared at their interlocking fingers, afraid to move the slightest inch or it would burst the bubble they had entered.

"It wasn't really that sweet," Waverly said after a moment or two. Realizing she was not being clear, she spoke again, "Champ coming back. He just wanted to get laid. He wasn't trying to be sweet. Honestly, we haven't really spoken at all since that night. He left way early for his parents' this afternoon. I don't think he's ever done that. He doesn't really get along with his dad."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Waverly. I'm sure you'll work things out," Nicole's words betrayed the thoughts in her head, and she kept staring with laser focus on Waverly's hand in hers.

"I'm not so sure…" Waverly trailed off. A comfortable silence grew over the pair for a while, both looking at their hands and exchanging soft smiles, neither sure what to say or if anything needed to be said. Nicole thought—for the most fleeting moment—that Waverly might be thinking about kissing her. But any lingering thought to that effect was quickly dismissed when Waverly jumped up, without warning, shouting about pie.

"Pie! I totally forgot the pie! I promised you!" She ran into the kitchen and hurriedly pre-heated the oven, needing to finish cooking the pie for another 8 minutes—the exact length of time Waverly knew she needed to get it piping hot again.

Nicole laughed a little, despite her inner disappointment at the sudden loss of contact and the moment, and followed into the kitchen.

Waverly bustled around, putting the pie in the oven when it beeped, pulling a carton of vanilla ice cream out of the freezer, and stretching up on the very tip of her toes to reach two bowls on a high shelf for the dessert. Nicole watched her move, enthralled, a smile creeping over her face. After a few moments, Waverly caught Nicole's eye and she looked over at her, smiling, questioningly.

"What?"
"Oh, nothing," Nicole said. "It's just… you put on an apron. It's really adorable." Nicole knew she would have never said that if she hadn't been 3-glasses of wine deep, but seeing the crimson blush spread over Waverly's face made her glad she did.
"Hah! Well, I'm a bit of a klutz, so it's a must-have when I'm in the kitchen. I was only half-joking with that picture I sent you earlier. The flour in my hair was not done on purpose." She sheepishly smiled before peeking into the oven.

They stood in comfortable silence for another minute or two, waiting on the pie. When the oven beeped again, Waverly gleamed, grabbed her hotpads, and slid the pie out of the oven onto a cooling rack on the counter. It smelled and looked perfect. Waverly looked so proud.

Waverly dished out the pie and then plopped a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of each, handing both bowls to Nicole.

"Dessert is served, ma'am!" she said with enthusiasm.

"I can't wait. It looks delicious," Nicole laughed.

"Here, you take these in there. I have to get us a couple of whiskeys."

"Oh, no, really, that's probably not a good idea…" Nicole said, hesitantly.

"Oh," Waverly stuttered. "It really goes well with this pie and ice cream! Are you sure?"

"It sounds delicious, it's just that I should probably not have anything else to drink… it's getting close to 10:00 and I'll have to drive home here soon." "And I'm not sure I can keep my composure around you if I have anymore alcohol," Nicole thought to herself.

Nicole could have kicked herself for causing the defeated look on Waverly's face that followed her last audible statement. But truly, Nicole didn't know what else to say.

Waverly opened her mouth twice, as if to start saying something. Both times she stopped herself.

"What? What is it, Waves?"

Waverly hesitated again. "It's… it's just… I mean… I don't know. Nevermind, I'm being weird."
Nicole set the two bowls down on the breakfast table in the kitchen and stepped towards Waverly.

"No really, what is it?" Nicole had an idea of what Waverly was grappling with, and she really hoped she was right. But she couldn't be the one to mention it. It had to come from Waverly, and even then, Nicole wasn't sure it was such a good idea.

"I… I was just going to say you could stay here tonight if you wanted to be able to have a few more drinks, but it's really okay if you don't want to and totally no pressure, it's fine with me if you don't or can't or whatever, I just wanted you to know you have that option." Once Waverly started talking, she rambled through the run-on sentence.

Nicole smiled, "Waverly, I would like that, but are you sure? What about Champ? Won't he be coming back here later?"
"I don't know? Probably not. Most nights, if he's not home by now he either doesn't come home at all, or stumbles in the door around 4:00am and can't even make it to the bedroom. I find him passed out on the couch at least three times a week when I get up to make coffee." She looked at the floor, sadly.

"Oh," Nicole said, really unsure of what else to say.

"Well in that case, if you're really sure, I'll take that whiskey." Nicole had no idea if Waverly was really sure of what she was asking, but she was really sure that she both really wanted to stay, and really knew it was a terrible idea for her own self-preservation. But the way Waverly's face lit up when Nicole said that made Nicole glad she was listening to her heart rather than her head.

"Great. That's great. Okay… take those in there, I'll be right behind you!"

The excitement in Waverly's voice was palpable and contagious. A huge, dimpled grin cast over Nicole's face, and Waverly felt her knees buckle a little bit at the sight.

As Nicole sat back down on the couch, a new wave of anxiety coursed through her.

"What am I doing? Getting drunk with Waverly and sleeping over? This is a terrible idea." She thought to herself.

A moment later, Waverly sauntered in, glass in each hand and having lost the apron she was wearing only seconds before. The apron must have shifted her sweater slightly, because it hung further off Waverly's shoulder, exposing more collarbone and cleavage than it had earlier in the night. Waverly bent over the coffee table towards Nicole, setting down the two glasses before rounding the table and planting herself right next to Nicole again, thighs brushing as she sat down.

"Yup," Nicole thought, "A terribly, wonderful idea."