Chapter Text
When Nicole walked into Shorty’s Saloon that first time, dark clothes and dark eyes, she wanted whiskey on ice and a bit of quiet to silence her mind. She sat herself at the bar and waited until the mustachioed barkeeper came by. He was non-intrusive and efficient and started her tab with a generous pour since she was a new face. Maybe even because she had a nice face.
Just from her first sip, her mind was calming, her shoulders looser.
She was settling into that quiet when a figure dropped onto a stool a few seats over.
Nicole cut a glance at the woman who had her head down on the bar. She caught the look of sympathy on the bartender’s face as he set a glass of something clear and bubby next to the girl without a word. As he walked away, the girl’s small hand reached out blindly and gently thanked him with a squeeze to his hand.
Nicole thought it was nice and went back to her drink. A few sips later she heard some heavy rustling and looked over again. The girl was digging through her purse and Nicole got a good look at her. She was stunning with dark hair and smooth skin. She looked young, but something told Nicole she was probably a bit older than she looked – the way her jaw set, her focus, the tension in her posture. A life lived, some sorrow, a hint of infinite sadness that reverberated in the space between them and called out to her.
Nicole glared at her whiskey. It always softened her heart like this.
“Wynonna, please. I need you.”
Nicole’s brow raised.
“He was in our bed. He was with Stephanie Jones of all people, he knows she bullied me in high school! And even when I caught him, he said he won’t leave! I need you to come kick his ass out! If you don’t, I’m getting my shotgun and I won’t be held responsible for my actions!”
Despite herself, Nicole smiled into her glass.
“I know, I know! I don’t know what I ever saw in Champ or why I let him move into the Homestead with us. It’s literally the dumbest decision I have ever made.”
Nicole heard a soft squeak in disagreement and her smile widened. “Okay, but I need my big sister right now! Who stopped you from getting arrested last month when you started a bar fight!”
A long moment later, “Thank you,” followed by a soft, “See you in the morning, Nonna,” and finally, “I love you, too.”
*
Waverly groaned and let out a long sigh, shoving her phone back into her purse and dropping her head onto her arms again.
“That Champ guy sounds like a real shithead.”
Waverly’s head whipped to her left where a tall woman sat, elbow leaning on the countertop, slender fingers dancing along the rim of her glass, mouth curled into an easy half-smile.
“What kind of idiot,” the stranger drawled as Waverly’s gaze traveled from worn leather boots and long jean-clad legs to a disheveled shirt with the top two buttons undone, “Cheats on a catch like you?”
“Um.”
“Sorry,” the woman murmured, lifting her glass as if that explained everything. “Makes me speak my mind. Blessing and a curse.”
For the first time since Waverly left the Homestead that day, she smiled.
“I’m Waverly,” she offered.
Brown eyes met hers and Waverly could see a faint scar along the stranger’s left eye. A thrill of curiosity ran down her spine.
“I’m Nicole. Pleased to meet you, Waverly. We can go back to our drinks now,” she said resolutely, as if she realized she might be overstepping, but Waverly was already standing up and scooting her purse and glass over to sit next to Nicole.
“Or you can tell me about yourself since you already know the shitballs day I’ve had.”
Nicole drained her drink and turned in her seat to face the smaller girl, her legs so long they bracketed both sides of Waverly’s stool, instigating a closeness that was surprising.
Waverly felt warm.
“Hmm,” Nicole dragged on the sound and Waverly stared at her mouth. “I’m from the city, no one took me seriously for a while, not my parents, not my coworkers, not even my wife.” Nicole grimaced.
Waverly’s heart dropped. “Wife?” she said. She liked women!
“Mhm. I signed and sent in the divorce papers last week before driving up here. Couldn’t stay in the city anymore. Needed a change.”
“But Purgatory? Of all places?” Waverly asked.
Nicole looked into Waverly’s eyes, gaze sharp. “Drive was only a few hours, I could afford the down payment on a place to live and I already had a job offer. I’m meeting with my new boss tomorrow, then I start bright and early day after.”
“Wow. You’re brave. The thought of doing any of that, much less all at once, terrifies me. I’ve never even left Purgatory.” Waverly’s face reddened in embarrassment at her confession. She must seem pathetic. She picked up her vodka soda and took a drink to have something to do with herself.
When she looked back at Nicole, the woman was smiling tenderly. “That’s okay. You have time, you’ll do all sorts of crazy things.”
Hope burst within Waverly. She wished that was true. “How do you know?” she asked.
“Well, you just threatened to shoot your ex with a shotgun. You’ve got fire. If you want something, I think you’ll go after it.”
Waverly was smitten. Who cared what gender Nicole preferred? If she kept saying things like that, Waverly would just have to keep her as a friend.
“Thank you,” she said shyly.
*
Nicole was in for it now. She stared at the dark-haired girl. She could feel her energy, once muted and dampened, alive and electric. Waverly’s emotions were like an open wire, all charged up and thrashing, no hiding it. What she felt was on her face, in her eyes, and her smile was so sweet.
Nicole wanted that sweetness and she groaned, raising a hand for another drink.
Waverly tilted her head, openly studying her and Nicole knew she was in trouble.
She picked up her fresh drink the second it arrived and took it down in one go. She set the glass on the bar top with a thud and leaned closer to the girl, into her space so that Waverly knew exactly her intention.
“Can I convince you to come home with me?”
Hazel eyes blew wide at the invitation. Soft lips parted in shock and Nicole felt drunk in her want to kiss them, but she pulled her body away, trying for some sense of control over herself. She was coming on strong, but part of her felt compelled to do it. Even if Waverly shut her down, she had a feeling the attention would make the girl feel good. Feel better about the day she had. Forget a boy who had cheated on her and consider that a woman wanted to fuck her for no other reason than she was so goddamn attractive.
Waverly seemed to catch her fumbling self and stiffened her spine. “Excuse me?” she whispered. “I’m not…”
“You wouldn’t have to do a thing,” Nicole found herself saying. She didn’t even want to shut up. “I’d take care of you. It could be a one-time thing. One of those crazy things you do,” she offered.
Waverly sat back. “You…you would do that? No reciprocation?”
Nicole smirked. “You clearly haven’t seen yourself. I could only be so lucky.”
Waverly’s face was flaming red. “I don’t know what to say.”
Nicole nodded. “It’s okay. Longshot.” She laughed softly, reached into her pocket and pulled out some cash, dropping it onto the bar and then grabbed a napkin, scribbling her number on it, leaving it in front of Waverly.
“Hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable, Waverly,” she said. “Call me if you change your mind.” She stood up, and her hand reached out as if about to cover the smaller one on the table, just for a pat, but she thought better of it and pulled her hand back. “Or call me if you want to talk. That’s okay, too.”
She could have sat there longer, wanted to stay there and make a fool of herself more, but she had a tender heart and couldn’t bear the thought of making a beautiful woman uneasy. She couldn’t stop her wanting either and it always left her walking that fine line. She strolled out the bar and into the parking lot, stopping by her Grand Cherokee and sighing. Though her buzz was already gone, her brain swam, and she laughed at herself. She couldn’t believe she did that only a week after her divorce. She felt lighter leaving than she had when she walked in.
Yeah. She would be just fine.
As she inserted her key into the lock, she heard the swinging of the saloon door and looked up to see Waverly rushing out, clutching her purse and halting in place when their eyes met.
Waverly seemed to steel herself and marched over to Nicole, glaring up into her eyes.
“One night, nothing weird.”
Nicole’s gaze darkened and her voice dropped low. “Is my mouth on your cunt weird?”
“Holy shit.” Waverly bent forward, hand holding her stomach like she’d been shot. “You’re the devil.”
Nicole could not believe the universe. She walked round her jeep and opened the passenger door, offering her hand to Waverly, who followed hesitantly, taking her hand and looking up into Nicole’s eyes, searching.
Nicole brought the back of Waverly’s hand to her chest, pressing it there. “You say stop and I get my ass up and out the goddamn room, I swear.”
“Don’t forget that I have a shotgun,” Waverly threatened as she let Nicole help her into the car.
Nicole leaned close to her ear as she was seated. “That a promise? You gonna unload on me, baby?”
Waverly gritted her teeth together, head falling back. Nicole dropped a chaste kiss on her jaw and locked the door, going to the driver’s side. An impossible ride later, tires crunched over gravel as Nicole turned into her driveway. Her home was in a remote area past the Pine Barrens. She had been drawn to the privacy, knowing how judgmental small towns could be.
She looked over at Waverly whose eyes were staring down at her thigh where Nicole’s hand had settled during the drive. Nicole pulled, forcing her legs slightly apart and Waverly’s breath staggered at the insinuation.
Nicole released her seatbelt and hung one arm over the headrest, looking down into Waverly’s aroused expression. Her eyes were dark and her neck flushed. Nicole slid a finger beneath Waverly’s chin and tipped her face up. Waverly looked ready to hyperventilate.
Nicole pressed a firm kiss to soft lips, then pulled back to look into Waverly’s wide eyes. She repeated the kiss once more and waited. “Breathe,” she said. “We can stop.”
A slender hand clutched at her collar, stopping her from pulling back. “N-no. Keep doing it.”
Nicole complied. She pressed kiss after kiss, gentle and sweet until Waverly’s grip on her shirt tightened and kept her from pulling back, forcing Nicole to stay kissing her. Caught off guard, Nicole’s lips parted and Waverly pressed into it, making Nicole moan as Waverly opened up to her.
She introduced her tongue, barely licking into Waverly’s mouth and the other girl shivered, both of her hands sliding up Nicole’s neck and tangling into her auburn hair, forcing their mouths together harder into a deeper kiss until it was all open-mouthed and dirty.
Nicole undid Waverly’s seatbelt for her and squeezed upwards along her thigh. Waverly broke the kiss, shuddering and struggling to breathe. Nicole felt drugged and ran her hand higher, close enough to make Waverly’s hips jump.
“Oh God, Nicole…” Removing her touch from Waverly’s thigh, Nicole pressed her open hand against Waverly’s abdomen over her shirt before slipping underneath and reveling in hot skin. “Please…” Waverly begged and her hands crept back into Nicole’s hair to drag her into another kiss, this one desperate and hungry. “Please,” she repeated against Nicole’s lips.
Nicole ran her hand higher and pushed under the bra that was in her way, letting a small breast greet her palm. So soft and warm. “Fuck,” Waverly cursed against her mouth, giving up on the kiss and dropping her head back, trying to breathe as Nicole tugged and pinched her nipple.
Nicole pulled back to look at the beautiful thing at her mercy. She felt white-hot pleasure stun her low in her gut. She was weak with lust and dropped her hands, both of them gripping Waverly’s hips. Hazel eyes opened in question at the loss just in time to watch Nicole grunt, lifting and practically dragging Waverly’s body over the center console, guiding her over the gear shift and into straddling her lap.
Waverly’s jaw dropped and she cried out helplessly when those hands pulled her center roughly against a hard abdomen. Nicole felt the second the brunette lost control in her lap, grinding down and squeezing her eyes shut so tightly it made Nicole burn with desire. Pushing the shirt and bra up again, she laved her tongue along each of Waverly’s nipples, unable to stick to just one until her hot mouth was swallowing and biting hungrily at swollen flesh.
Waverly’s hips snapped in time with Nicole’s guiding hands at her waist, contributing to her thrusts with a heaviness that lured the angelic girl to shudder and whimper as she found release and freedom in dirty clothed grinding.
The hands in Nicole’s hair gripped and pulled until her mouth was forced off Waverly’s glistening chest. Sense slowly trickled back into Nicole’s mind as she looked into eyes that were staring at her in disbelief.
“I…I came,” said the shy voice.
Nicole’s throat felt hoarse at being forced to talk at a desperate time like this.
She punctuated her words with a slow roll of her own hips. “Then come again.”
Waverly’s eyes closed and she wrapped her arms around Nicole’s shoulders, tucking her face into her neck, giving her the warmest hug Nicole had ever received. “I want to,” she whispered where no one could see her.
Nicole couldn’t take it with all the things she was feeling, the forefront being a despairing need to worship. She pulled the keys out of the ignition, pushed her car door open and protected Waverly’s head with one hand as she held the girl close and maneuvered them out of the vehicle, her boots crunching as she carried her up the porch steps and made it through the door, up her stairs, and into her bedroom, Waverly’s legs wrapped around her waist and her face still tucked away, lips pressed innocently to her skin. Like Waverly wished to do more, but only knew how to be still in her arms.
Kicking off her boots, she climbed knee first onto her bed and slid forward until she could deposit her precious cargo safely onto the mattress, hovering there as limbs untangled from around her and they stared at one another, lips parted and gazes hooded, chests heaving.
Waverly brought her shaking hands to Nicole’s shirt to undo the buttons, but Nicole knew better than to let this girl fade away in fear for even a moment. She pushed the hands away and kindly took Waverly’s face between her palms, pressing their lips together. “It’s okay,” she promised.
Taking a second to remove Waverly’s boots and socks and toss them aside like an afterthought, she laid her long body atop Waverly’s petite one and they kissed until their mouths were puffy, until the shaking went away, replaced by want and one deliciously aroused little thing writhing beneath her.
Nicole sat up enough to pull Waverly’s shirt off in one quick movement before settling back into her, and reached under to unhook her bra and that too disappeared along with Nicole’s face as she got lost in warm skin, groping Waverly’s breast with one hand and sucking on the other, swirling her tongue, pulling, nipping and grazing her teeth on flesh.
She kissed down the middle of Waverly’s abdomen and the lower she went, the harder the girl panted until she grabbed at Nicole’s shoulders, stopping her.
“Wait!” she squeaked, and Nicole grinned up at her. She had a feeling.
She dipped her tongue into Waverly’s belly button and the girl cursed. “Don’t want my mouth on you?” she asked.
She waited for Waverly to catch her breath and meet her gaze again. “It’s not that I don’t want it, but…”
“Well, I want it,” Nicole rasped, and Waverly crumbled, nodding desperately, pupils blown.
Nicole knew it was the first time someone was doing this for her so she went slow, massaging her thighs and calming her before unbuttoning her jeans. Waverly looked tormented by the pace at which Nicole dragged her zipper down and Nicole cupped her sex over her jeans for good measure, wild with the way Waverly bucked into her touch, her grip firm until the girl relaxed and stared up at her like she was the universe, the stars, and divine intervention itself.
Only then did Nicole remove Waverly’s pants, underwear with them. She kissed Waverly’s calves and lingered on her thighs, coming close to her apex, but backing off and switching until the muscles there quivered. Waverly made no move to speed anything along, looking lost in the pleasure of each touch and kiss. No matter how slow and agonizing, Nicole could see how grateful she was for the prolonged exploration, like she was starved for it. It weakened Nicole and as much as she wanted to dive headfirst between Waverly’s legs, she took her time and settled in slowly, hooking each of Waverly’s legs over her shoulders to stave off her desire to shut her legs. Waverly tried but stopped when she realized where she was trapping Nicole and they both shared a smile at the attempt. Nicole wouldn’t have minded, and she thinks Waverly knew it because she let go of some of that tension and watched Nicole dip her head down for an exploratory probe of her tongue.
And then slow was out the window because Waverly was delicious and her pussy was liquid heat. Soft and delectable and gushing. Nicole’s mouth pulled at the swollen lips, giving Waverly a different kind of kiss, tongue pressing hard and flat from entrance to pulsing clit. Waverly’s hips jumped and her head pressed back into the pillows, the sensations completely foreign as Nicole went down on her. Hands fisted sheets and Waverly couldn’t stop the shameless grind as she sought more of that talented mouth and Nicole was only so happy to give it to her, head moving up and down until she pressed her tongue into the little hole that was clenching and unclenching uncontrollably.
“Fuck!” Waverly cried, her body arching as Nicole pushed her tongue as far as she could. Waverly’s legs wrapped tight around her face, forcing Nicole to grab her thighs and spread them wide, holding them open as she sucked and pulled Waverly’s throbbing clit into her mouth.
“Shit, shit, shit,” was all the girl could whisper, head lolling from side to side, and then she froze when a single finger pressed into her, moving fluidly in and out. “More,” she begged, and one finger became two as Nicole fucked her slow and deep, still holding one of Waverly’s legs up, her mouth starting a steady suckle on her clit as she moved her fingers faster and faster, releasing Waverly’s leg to slide her hand over the girl’s breast, and Waverly careened over the edge, mouth hung open, unable to make a sound as her stomach clenched and she thrashed beneath her lover, pushing her hips down, trying to get more of that mouth and those fingers as there were explosions behind her eyes and she became soaked and messy between her legs, on fire and in bliss.
Nicole worked Waverly down slowly and then cleaned her with her mouth before sitting up on her knees, swiping the back of her hand over her face as she took in the wonderful sight of the spent girl in her bed, breathing hard, but visibly relaxed and pleased. She would get cold, Nicole thought, and she dragged the blanket from the end of her bed over their bodies while she settled into the space next to Waverly.
She watched as Waverly’s soul came back to her, lips breaking into a disbelieving smile and the girl’s naked body turned and folded into her own fully clothed one. The room was getting darker as evening was beginning to transform into night.
“Thank you, Nicole,” was whispered into her shirt and Nicole smiled back.
“You’re welcome,” she whispered, and then Waverly was breathing deeply, lost to sleep. Nicole lay there a while longer, taking stock of the uncomfortable wetness between her legs, feeling a satisfaction more than she could have ever known at the body huddled into hers.
The sweet and long kiss she pressed into Waverly’s hair before she closed her eyes was her first warning sign.
*
Waverly awoke, knowing precisely where she was and what had happened the night before. She didn’t even have to open her eyes to know she was on top of the woman she had met at Shorty’s, her hand fisted in the material of a dark shirt and her head on a steadily rising and falling chest.
There was a pleasantness between her legs that made her squeeze them together and burrow closer to the warmth beneath her. An arm pulled her close and she froze, waiting to see if there was any more movement. When she was sure Nicole was breathing evenly, she opened her eyes and squinted as morning blinded her. She glanced around the room. It was nice, almost bare, but neat. Blue carpeting and white walls. A nightstand by the bed, a beautiful mahogany dresser and a wooden rocking chair with a jacket neatly folded over the back. The only disorganization came from two pairs of boots strewn across the floor along with Waverly’s clothes.
Waverly pulled the blanket back to look down at her naked body and shook the smile off her face as she rolled out of the bed, careful not to wake her bedmate. She tiptoed despite the sound-dampening carpet and picked up her shoes and clothes, hugging them to her chest as she walked past the door that had been left open, searching until she found the bathroom at the other end of the hall.
She locked herself in, dropping her things and rushing to the toilet to relieve her bladder, sighing as she did so. She flushed and hoped the sound down the hall wouldn’t wake Nicole. She got her clothes on, foregoing her underwear and staring at them, sighing in resignation as she shoved the offensive item into her pocket.
She stared at herself in the mirror as she washed her hands, at first not recognizing the girl looking back. Then slowly, a giddy smile spread across her face and she had to cover her face with wet hands, shaking her head in disbelief at herself. She felt like her chest was cracking open with excitement and euphoria. What had she done?
Who was she? Was this her finding out? Nicole had called it one of the many crazy things she could do when she proposed it, and her heart beat faster. What would she do next? Who knew? Certainly not her.
Well, maybe some mouthwash, she thought as she rummaged through the cabinets.
She took deep breaths and forced herself to focus. She needed to find her purse and get back to Shorty’s where her jeep was.
She pulled the door open, only to shriek and jump at least a foot in the air at the sight of Nicole leaning there against the wall opposite the bathroom, tiredly rubbing a hand up and down her face.
Waverly’s hand settled over her heart. “You scared the bejeezus out of me!"
Nicole chuckled. “Sorry to ruin your little sneak-out, I had to pee.”
Waverly made a defensive “hngh!” sound. “I wasn’t!”
Nicole raised a single brow until Waverly deflated. “Okay, I kinda was.”
Nicole crossed her arms, and as she passed Waverly into the bathroom, she paused by her side, leaning close to press a kiss to her cheek and murmur in her ear, “Let me brush my teeth. I’ll drop you back to the bar or wherever you want. I’m sure you can find something to eat downstairs. We can be strangers after that.”
The door clicked behind her and Waverly rolled her eyes at herself. Why couldn’t she be more cool about a one night stand. Nicole clearly had no hang-ups about what they’d done.
“This is totally cool,” she consoled herself as she made her way down into the kitchen. It was after seven am. She perused the fridge, eying the boxes of blueberries and strawberries, but couldn’t bring herself to mess up even a single dish, so she settled for grabbing a banana off the counter and sitting awkwardly on a stool at the kitchen island as she slowly nibbled on it, eyeing the garbage can in anticipation of throwing away the peel.
Nicole’s footsteps announced her arrival before she strolled into the kitchen, in the same clothes from the night before, face looking refreshed. She opened the fridge and pulled out a yogurt cup, shaking it at Waverly in question.
“No thank you.”
She pulled out a box of eggs next and shook them as well.
Smiling, Waverly repeated herself.
Next was a package of turkey bacon, then some cheese and when those met resistance, Nicole pulled open her freezer and pulled out a bag of tater tots.
Waverly laughed and wanted to say yes, but also wanted to escape, so she declined again.
Nicole shrugged. She opened her cupboard and pulled out some granola bars, holding the box out, but didn’t seem surprised at the refusal. She grabbed one for herself and tore into it. Waverly climbed down from her stool, having finished her banana and felt strangely seen when Nicole, without taking her attention off her breakfast bar, pushed her foot onto the pedal that opened the garbage can for her.
Waverly dropped the peel in and then took Nicole’s free hand, squeezing it, receiving a smile in return. Nicole jutted her chin in the direction of the front door, and they headed out.
Waverly found her purse on the floor of Nicole’s car and it was a painless drive back.
“Thank you,” she said and she meant it more than she had ever meant those words before.
“My pleasure,” Nicole said, and Waverly believed she meant that, too. They shared a hushed sort of smile before Waverly got out of the car and went to her own jeep. She opened the door, then glanced back. Nicole waved and looked over her right shoulder, reversing her vehicle and disappearing down the dusty road.
Waverly sat in her car and drummed her fingers on her steering wheel, restless until she remembered. She dug through her purse quickly and found the little paper napkin with Nicole’s number. She had no intention of using it, but the way she stared at it all the same should have been her first warning sign.