Alone together ✕ Wayhaught

eight

"One more time!"
As soon as the play button gets pressed, speakers start blasting an upbeat runway song. The room is filled with the high electronic sounds and sassy singing of an auto tuned man's voice. The rapid beats of the bass pound in everyone's ears and Waverly can feel it all the way down to her stomach. Her heartbeat is synced up to the beat and in her mind she follows every count along with the rhythm.
"Five, six, seven, eight, leg, turn, bam!"
In the mirror she can see everyone copying her exact moves, some better than others. Her face is flushed and there's a visible sweat stain forming on her sports bra. She put her hair neatly into a ponytail earlier, but a part of it has escaped the elastic already and sticks out remarkably compared to the other slicked back hairs. A concentrated, determined focus can be read on everyone's face and Waverly checks each of them. A small blonde girl next to her sticks out from the rest of the group; she moves her body with such energy, it's tiring to even look at her. Waverly's eyes fall on her and she starts to smile immediately. She's truly lucky to have been able to teach such young talents. She understands now why she had always been welcomed in this studio, she understands the love for these kids now. The music reaches its climax and everything gets louder and heightened.
"Guys, get ready for the drop," she waits a few moment before she starts counting, "five, six, seven, go!" 
Waverly sticks out her leg and drops elegantly to the floor, in unison with all of her students.
"Roseanne, good job!"
A girl in the back makes eye contact with Waverly through the giant mirror when she hears her name.
"Watch your ankle!"
"Toby, bend your knee more. You've got it!"
Waverly is so focused on nailing the floor choreography and helping the kids cover up their mistakes, she doesn't even notice the tall figure standing in the doorframe of her studio. Nicole silently watches Waverly's every move, taking in each movement she makes. The final part of the music, and thus the dance also, has arrived. She sits on all fours for it and whips her hair - her ponytail - back and forth. Quickly, she jumps up again and does some other moves that Nicole would die for to see in slow motion. A twirl, a shake of her hip, Nicole is practically drooling. At the same time, she feels immensely proud of the dancing girl in front of her. In the short time that they've known each other, Nicole has really grown to love Waverly, and she hadn't really thought about it until this moment. She has never felt so proud of, attracted to and scared by one person all at once, and she doesn't know if she should run or protect her forever. She's always run away from love, just like Waverly did. But this time around everything seems different, like a mishap in the universe and a parallel world was created. Both of the girls never experienced lasting happiness in their lives, and now when they've found it in each other, everything is just so scary. Nicole was so busy staring at Waverly, she hadn't noticed the music ending. Waverly, wiping the sweat of her brow with the back of her hand, spots Nicole the moment she snaps out of her trance. Waverly has never felt this happy because of someone showing up to see her. Her heart thumps in her chest, because of her dancing and because of her Nicole. Quickly she tells her class they can go and get changed and does a small motivational speech she does at the end of every class before running up to Nicole. She grabs her and presses her face into Nicole's chest out of happiness, and Nicole wraps her arms around her in surprise.
"Hi", Waverly's mumbling voice sounds muffled against Nicole's shirt. She laughs in response and Waverly's head shakes because of the vibrations forming because of that laugh. She lifts her head again and strokes Nicole's cheek softly with her thumb. Not even two seconds later Waverly is standing on her tiptoes and pressing her lips against Nicole's. When she breaks the kiss, Nicole breathes out slowly and when she opens her eyes, she finds Waverly already looking at her.
"Hey", she says quietly.
"Was that okay?", Waverly whispers.
Even though she didn't really say it, Nicole knows what she means.
"Yeah," there's a small pause. She bites her lip, "I think it is."
They smile at each other and Waverly strokes  Nicole's cheek yet again.
"I missed you. Can I say that?"
"I just told you it was alright", Nicole reassures her with a half smile, "I missed you. I've been looking forward to seeing you all week."
"You just decided to stop by? How did you even know I was here?", Waverly laughs with a confused look on her face.
Nicole takes a moment to think about telling her the truth or ignoring her question.
"Uh, your Instagram story."
Waverly hides her face in embarrassment and whines about being so stupid and Nicole just laughs at her and wraps her arms around her torso again, calming her.
"I was stalking you", she jokes and wiggles her eyebrows.
"No, but really, I was on my way to my mother and I just wanted to see you."
"Your mom?"
While waiting for the response she grabs Nicole's hands and intertwines their fingers. Nicole looks down at them and swings their arms back and forth.
"Yeah."
"Do you mind if I come along?"
Nicole eyes dart up to make sure Waverly was being serious.
"Is that okay?"
"I mean, sure", she stammers, "Can I ask why?"
Waverly tells her she wants to ask both of them something important and Nicole cautiously approves of her going with.
"I need to take a shower first, I'm sweaty."
Nicole can't help but jokingly mimic Waverly.
"Do you mind if I come along?"
-
With rosy cheeks and damp hair, they sit beside each other in Nicole's truck. Waverly's playing with Nicole's fingers in her lap while Nicole drives them to her mom's house.
"I'm gonna have to visit you more often", Nicole commented. She looks over really quickly with a big smirk on her face, "you're so fucking sexy when you dance."
Waverly snickers and puts her feet on the dashboard.
"You mind if I have a cigarette?", Waverly asks as she rolls down the window. Nicole tells her no, but she didn't know she started smoking again.
"Oh yeah," Waverly reaches down in her purse to grab her pack of Marlboros and stops in the middle of her sentence when she sees her phone light up, it's Wynonna. She clicks the decline button before Nicole can look over and bust her.
"Wave? Are you okay down there?"
"Yes," she lights the cigarette that she sticked in her mouth, "never been better, babe." She winks at the concerned Nicole next to her to calm her down and it seems to work, she looks back at the road and sings along to the music mindlessly. Waverly stares out her window the rest of the ride, disquieted about the name that popped on her phone screen. Nicole's soothing voice telling her that they've arrived snaps her out of it, she'd been lost in her thoughts all the way.
"Are you sure you're okay? You seem a little bit out of it - are you not comfortable with me? Did you not like earlier, because if so-"
"Nicole!" Waverly has to stop Nicole's rambling and smiles at her. "I am comfortable with you. I loved earlier, really. I'm just tired, I promise." They look at each other for a minute and Nicole sighs and accepts Waverly's explanation.
"Let's go then", Nicole says as she takes the keys out of the ignition.
-
"Hi mom!", Nicole greets as she walks through the door. Her mom looks up and even though it hurts Nicole to see her mother get worse with every visit, she stays positive for her.
"You brought a guest, I see", her mom notices. "About time you took a girl with you, or am I seeing this the wrong way?"
Nicole's face heats up immediately and she groans out her disapproval of her mom acting like that. Her mom just shushes her and tells her it's a joke and winks at Waverly right after, making sure she knows too. All Waverly does is just laugh at the situation going on in front of her. As soon as she stepped into the house, she grew shy, something that's never quite happened in her life. First of all it's because of the fact she's meeting Nicole's mother. Maybe not as official as it usually goes; a fancy dinner, awkward silences and suspicious questions, but it's still just as nerve wrecking in this moment. Secondly, because she's about to ask one of the most important questions she'll ask in her life. And third of all, Nicole and her just had shower sex and the fact that her mom might notice that both of their hair is wet, makes her very nervous. Despite the nerves, Waverly still manages to introduce herself, but leaving the 'girlfriend - or what are we, Nicole' part out, instead just settling on saying her name and how she met her daughter. They talk some more while Nicole goes and does some basic chores at the house, things that her mom can't do by her self due to her state of health.
"Did you go swimming today?"
Nicole walks out the kitchen the moment her mom asked the question, not particularly at her, not aimed at Waverly either.
"Why? Oh. Oh, yes, mom. Yes we did." Nicole's eyes shoot to Waverly and they both share a look of guilt. Honestly, they want to burst out laughing, but they can control themselves when they think of the woman next to them finding out what they did before coming to visit her. She breaks the silence by asking the girls if they'd like a cup of tea and they both take her offer. She moves to stand up, but she barely can get on het feet, let alone walk to the kitchen and brew tea by herself. Nicole runs over to her and Waverly jumps up on her feet, reacting to the lady's struggles of getting up.
"Mom, I told you to not do that. I'll do it for you."
"No, honey, it's okay. I can do it myself, you have a seat."
"You have a seat, mom. You're so stubborn, you can't use your energy to do something useless like this."
With much disapproval from her mom, she manages to make her sit down again and she prepares the tea for all of them.
"Well, mom, Waverly actually came along to ask us something important", Nicole tells her as she sets down the tray with cups and cookies, "isn't that right?"
Waverly shifts on her seat and puts her hands under her thighs to stop wiggling so much.
"Yes ma'am, I actually want to ask you something quite personal." Her eyes find Nicole's face and she silently asks if she should continue. Nicole blinks slowly and nods her head, telling her that it's alright.
Waverly continues: "You know about Nicole not being able to afford your medication anymore, since she lost her job. And my income is pretty steady. I guess you don't really know me that well,"
"Well, my daughter has talked enough about you", she interrupts her.
"Miss Haught, I'm going to pay for it. Are you alright with that?" There's a pause, a long one. Nicole swallows harshly and looks at Waverly in disbelief, she wasn't expecting her to ask this.
"But child, I can't accept that offer. You're a sweet girl, but I can't make you do it."
"Please. If Nicole has told you enough about me then you would know I wouldn't want to see her anything but happy. And for her to be happy, you need to be cured. I promise you, miss, that I want to do this. Please let me pay for it. The doctor appointments, the research, the medication, all of it." She's got a pleading look on her face and she's sitting on her knees in front of Nicole's mom by now. For a few moments, all that can be heard is the ticking of the old wooden clock in the corner of the room, notifying every passing second that no one is answering. Then, as Waverly is about to stand up and back off, thinking she offended the woman, she gets wrapped in a tight, sudden hug. Nicole's mother has slammed her arms around Waverly and holds her as if she's her own child. Nicole silently lets out a few tears and long breaths, she can't believe this is happening.
-
Without saying a word, Nicole and Waverly sit next to each other in the car again. After she got wrapped up in the hug, Waverly was being thanked over and over again, and it didn't stop until the very last moment when the front door was shut. Nicole's eyes are red from her happy crying. They break the silence at the same time and they nervously try to soften the mood.
"You go first", Waverly says smoothly.
"Thank you so much. Waverly, are you sure you want to do this?" Waverly turns her head and looks at Nicole lovingly. She lets her hand run against the smooth skin of Nicole's cheek.
"I've done a lot of stupid things in the past. I wasn't about to make another mistake I would regret forever. I'm more sure about this than anything." Nicole's eyes well up with tears yet again and she lets out a sound of both happiness and relief. She grabs Waverly's face with both hands and pulls her in for a long, heartfelt kiss. When they pull away they rest their foreheads against each other. Nicole's eyes are closed and she's smiling like an idiot, Waverly's are opened and looking up at the face of the girl she loves.
"Nic", Waverly breathes.
Nicole hums in response and still doesn't open her eyes.
"I still have something I want to ask you." Her tone is so quiet, Nicole can barely hear it.
"What is it, baby?"
Waverly breathes out and gets lost in Nicole's chocolate brown eyes that are now focused on her. She puts a strand of red hair behind her ear and lets her hand rest on the side of her face. She bites her lip and follows her intuition, she's just gonna ask her.
"Go with me to Europe."