Red Dead Redemption: Wayhaught

03: I guess I... I'm afraid.

a.n: I attempted my first ever time jump this chapter - I hope it worked okay! I tried to include a few details of things which may have happened throughout the month they've known each other, but if anyone is interested in more specifics I could maybe do a little add on chapter at some point with little fun stories of gameplay experiences between the two.

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in this chapter...

Nicole finally introduces the idea of meeting in person - how will Waverly take it?

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One month had passed since the first time Nicole and Waverly first started talking and barely a day had gone by where they've missed their daily scheduled chats - except the occasional night shift or night out at the bar. It had quickly become both girls favourite part of the day, for Waverly it was a source of excitement and every night felt like both the first time meeting Nicole again yet also as though they had known each other forever. For Nicole it was a source of escape, she felt safe and comfortable with Waverly and their conversations brought her some hope and joy after long, stressful days at the station. Spending four to five hours a night with the sounds of the outside world completely faded away, just talking with another person forms such a unique and intimate bond between two people who know so much about each other, yet have never even seen one another. Nicole revelled in hearing the craziness of Waverly's day-to-day life (which she had been unable to keep 'confidential' as soon as she began to trust Nicole deeply) hearing tales of possessions, cults and even vampires. Even though she struggled to believe a lot of the things mentioned, she loved the way Waverly seemed so passionate and giddy about the adventures and it was enough to make Nicole question everything she'd been brought up believing. Neither of them had explored their family history with the other, but they had an unspoken understanding that there were some traumatic memories which there never felt like an appropriate time to discuss, but their understanding of each other was enough that they were both okay with that.

A lot had happened in a month, as would be expected when you invest so many hours into a game: together they had set up a fully functioning Moonshine business (which was technically Nicole's as Waverly would rather help her than make her own); Waverly had been run over by three different trains (they had tried to have a romantic moment climbing atop and watching the sunset whizzing by). She had also somehow managed to blow herself up twice when trying to break into cabins, had accidentally killed her horse (which resulted in 10 minutes of crying before Nicole took her to buy a new one) and had unwittingly put two bounties on Nicole which did not impress the redhead. Despite this, her aim had improved drastically, so long as the person wasn't on horseback and was at least five feet away from her. Another thing which frustrated the redhead was that Waverly had taken to killing her instantly at the slightest mention of hunting for food, demanding that they only live off foraged goods. They had bickered back and forth for hours about whether it was sustainable to live just off plants in the game and whether the morals of real life mattered online, which they eventually agreed to disagree on.

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"Hello there, Bacon Doughnut." Nicole's soft, but growly voice lulled through the headset.

"Nicole! It's been ages, you know it's Angel Pants now!" The giggly younger girl replied, feeling butterflies in her stomach as she was brought back to the first time they ever spoke a month ago.

"I know but today's a special day." The sultry tone in Nicole's voice gave Waverly goosebumps, and even though they hadn't ever labelled anything, she felt an overwhelming sense of adoration for the girl on the other end of the line and the fact they were celebrating such a special, spontaneous connection they had formed.