My Girlfriend's Back (Wayhaught! F/F Wynonna Earp)

[wannablessedbe]

Hello hello my lovelies!!! I am SO GODDAM HAPPY to see some new Wayhaught fics here that other ppl have written! I really hope you'll keep them going, Stelena and FadedRose! I hope there will be MOAR new Wayhaught fics too!!! And if the new season of Wynonna Earp isn't inspiration enough, then I do not know what is. It's like they decided to make S4 a Wayhaught love letter to the fandom. I know I haven't been very present here for a while now...all I can say is that I've had my hands in other pots. But as long as there is queer content, I will always come here to play with it. (Ok that sounded really dirty, but you know what I mean--playing with the characters to put them in your own adorable scenarios). 

So since this season has given us more of vulnerable, angsty Nicole than we have ever seen before, here is a story focusing on sick!Nicole and protective!Waverly, which is a dynamic that I fully know 100% is there, but have never explored. This was a stretch for me, tbh. I think it's because when I write about sick Waverly, it's easy to imagine others (mostly Nicole) taking care of her, because I want to take care of her too and that is the point. But when I'm writing about Nicole, it kind of sort of feels more like I'm writing about myself, which is, um, awkward--? So I'm trying really hard to focus this story on how I'd want Waverly to take care of me, and just channeling that. I KNOW that Waverly is more than up to the task, that was never a question! And now that Nicole is so soft and hurt and vulnerable, she just needs this part of Waverly so much, I can't not write it. So I'm going outside my comfort zone for you guys here, you're welcome! Hope you'll like it. 

Note: this story is set in early S4, but I'm keeping it purposely vague, plot-wise, because I don't want to give spoilers for those who may not be fully up-to-date with the new eps. 

…………………………………………

My Girlfriend’s Back

A Wayhaught story for SFF

Chapter 1

………………………………………..

 

            Waverly slowly stirred awake, warm in her bed and surprised to find her baby still fast asleep beside her, breathing softly through her mouth with her beautiful red hair splayed messily across the pillow. Nicole almost always woke up first. Before the garden, it was just part of her police training to wake up early with full alertness; and since Waverly’s return from Evil Eden, as they’d nicknamed it, she’d been anxious and twitchy to the point of hypervigilance. Almost like she expected to wake up and find Waverly gone again, every time she opened her eyes. 

The petite brunette didn’t blame her love for this behavior; it was completely understandable and reasonable for Nicole to have these feelings. But…it still hurt Waverly’s heart to see it. They pushed off sleep for hours every night with their renewed, unquenchable sex drive (no complaints there), but when they did eventually drift off, the nightmares always came. Sometimes she slept through it, and Waverly just cuddled her and sang to her softly until the frightened whimpers passed; but more often than not, Nicole woke up gasping, or screaming, or sobbing. Waverly always soothed her back to sleep eventually; but it was just so heartbreaking. Way worse than the Cult of Bulshar nightmares she’d been having the year before…but no, that wasn’t last year, Waverly reminded herself. That was almost three years ago.

But no matter. Nicole was sleeping soundly and peacefully right now, safe in the arms of her angel; and Waverly wanted to keep her that way for as long as possible. The redhead had one arm slung across Waverly’s stomach, and Waverly snuggled up even closer, rolling from her back onto her side so they were face to face. They stayed like that for what felt like a long time, Waverly playing lazily with Nicole’s long, silky hair, just watching her sleep and relishing their closeness. The shorter girl was just starting to drift off again when Nicole whimpered in her sleep, her fingers twitching as her eyebrows knit together.

“Waverly…?” She mumbled croakily, with a little shudder. The petite brunette in question stirred, propping herself up on her elbow to stroke her baby’s soft red hair as Nicole shifted restlessly and started coughing into her pillow. 

“Shhh…I got you baby,” Waverly cooed, her hand sliding down from her taller girl’s hair to the smooth, pale skin of her back, rubbing light circles there until the coughing passed. 

“Uhhhghm,” the redhead mumbled, fingers twitching again; but she still didn’t wake up.

“Sweet girl…” Waverly cooed softly, cuddling up snugly under Nicole’s arm again. With their heads on the same pillow, the younger girl noticed her baby’s nose running gently in the glint of early morning sunlight; and she rolled over to grab a tissue from the bedside table. “There now…” Waverly hummed quietly to herself, delicately dabbing the wet underside of Nicole’s nose and the divot of her upper lip. Nicole’s fingers twitched again. She mumbled something unintelligible, and then her sleepy brown eyes cracked open, to find her angel’s glowing gazed fixed on her like they were the only two people left on earth.

“Are you okay?” Nicole blurted out woozily, her voice soft and croaky with sleep as she drew her arm back from Waverly’s waist and reached out reverently to touch the side of her face.

“I’m better than okay…I’m with you,” the brunette hummed, her hazel eyes bright as she leaned in to press a good morning kiss to her baby’s lips. Nicole giggled sleepily.

“You…are…so…corny,” the redhead mumbled against her fiancée’s mouth, returning the lazy kiss.

“And you completely love it,” Waverly hummed happily, still nuzzling the woozy girl.

“Completely…love it,” Nicole yawned, a broad, sleepy smile plastered across her face. They traded drowsy, languid touches for a minute; then the redhead pulled back with a sharp, quavering breath, tucking her head down and wrapping one arm snugly over her face. “Nntschx’iihh!! *Snffl.*” Her face scrunched up so tightly with the effort of holding back her sudden sneeze, Waverly thought she looked like a grumpy twelve-year-old for a moment; and it was painfully adorable.

“Awww, bless you baby,” the shorter girl cooed sweetly, reaching for the tissues on the bedside table again. “Here, you sound all sniffly.”

“Thadks…*snghf!*…sorry.” Nicole wiped her nose, and Waverly sighed. 

“Are you seriously apologizing for sneezing?” the younger girl reached out and tucked a lock of long red hair back behind her baby’s ear.

            “No, I’m…*snfl*…apologizing for almost sneezing in your face,” Nicole sighed, wiping her nose again glumly.

            “But you didn’t. And even if you had, I wouldn’t let you be sorry, because you couldn’t help it.” Waverly was playing with Nicole’s hair again, drawing out a reluctant half-smile.

            “You wouldn’t let me be sorry? How does that work, exactly?” Nicole teased, a fully-fledged, dimpled smile blossoming across her pale, sleepy face.

            “Oh, I have my ways…” Waverly wiggled her eyebrows teasingly, leaning in for another kiss, that turned slower, and deeper, and soon she found herself rolling half-on-top of the taller girl, their legs slipping automatically into deliciously familiar places. Nicole moaned softly; but then she put one hand on Waverly’s clavicle and gently pushed her back.

 “Wave…is it okay if we skip it this time? I’m just…so tired…” Nicole yawned again, and turned her head abruptly away, wrapping an arm across her face again to cover a few more soft coughs, ending with a wet sniffle and a firm rub at her nose against the back of her wrist. 

“Aww, baby. Of course it’s okay. I can’t even imagine how long it’s been since you got a good night’s sleep…of course you’re tired.” Waverly was giving Nicole her biggest heart-eyes now, playing with the ends of her hair. She thought her girlfriend—fiancée—was definitely probably coming down with a cold; but blurting out hey you seem like you’re getting sick had never been a winning strategy with her Big Tough Sheriff. Better to just tend to her symptoms as they arose. “Want me to bring you breakfast in bed?”

“I’m not that tired,” Nicole snorted, but a shy smile twitched at the corner of her mouth. “Besides, I have to do a perimeter check…we already overslept.” Waverly sighed.

“What if we let Rachel and Wynonna handle it today, hmm?” the shorter girl asked gently, propping herself up on her elbow again to lean over her baby and graze her fingers soothingly up and down Nicole’s back, dropping soft kisses across her face. “You haven’t had a day off from demon duty in eighteen months, four weeks, and…how many days…? We’re all here now. Let someone else have a turn, huh?” She said this last part teasingly, purposely phrasing it as if it were a gift to Wynonna to go check their property for demons, rather than a gift to Nicole to stay home and rest. But as sweet and jokey and smiley as Waverly tried to be, the former sheriff still pulled away, sitting up stiffly with an uneasy, uncomfortable look on her face.

“Baby, I…” Nicole shook her head, at a loss for words to explain why she wouldn’t feel safe unless she checked every trap on their property herself, and saw with her own eyes that the Earp homestead remained demon-free. 

But she didn’t have to explain; not to Waverly. “It’s okay,” the half-angel girl smiled with all the love in her heart, reaching out and squeezing her baby’s hands in her own. “It was just a thought. Here’s another thought—how about we all go, and that way you and Rachel can show me and Wynonna exactly what to do. Then another day, we’ll go without you.” 

“Yeah. That sounds good,” Nicole nodded, the relief clear in her voice as she smiled gratefully at the girl she loved more than her own life. Waverly grinned back, pressing one last quick kiss to her baby’s soft lips before they both climbed out of bed to get dressed. 

“Maybe after we’re done with the perimeter check, we can snuggle up and watch a movie? We haven’t had a Netflix and chill day for a very, very long time,” the petite brunette hummed, wrapping her arms around Nicole’s neck once they were both done dressing. 

“Mmm, yeah…that sounds…nice…” Nicole nodded, blinking slowly as her eyes glazed over and her breath huffed, a very cute crinkle appearing between her eyes as she slowly raised one arm, twisting her upper body away from Waverly again. “Eiihh’txscheww!!! *Snnfl.*” She bowed forward a little, shivering, nose buried in the crook of her elbow. 

“Aww, baby, bless you,” Waverly cooed, her biggest, poutiest puppy dog eyes shining with sympathy. She went to get the tissues again, but Nicole was already wiping her runny nose against the flannel of her sleeve with a sharp, hasty sniffle. 

“I’mb fine,” the taller girl sighed dismissively, looking slightly abashed as she rubbed her damp nose one more time against the back of her cuff. “You can put the puppy eyes away, okay babe?”

“Okay…” Waverly sighed unhappily, fighting the urge go full mama-bear and force rest, tea and medicine on her clearly unwell baby.

“Don’t pout,” Nicole teased gently, pulling the smaller girl in by the waist. “Or I won’t let you pick the movie later.” Waverly grinned, understanding that this was a roundabout way of Nicole saying that yes, they would stay home and rest once the perimeter check was done.

“Hmm, when you put it that way…” Waverly wrapped one hand around the back of her baby’s neck and pulled her down for a soft kiss, then led her by the hand, out of their room and down to the kitchen. But halfway down the stairs Nicole jerked her hand back, hastily muffling a string of sharp coughs, ending with another huffy-sounding Hhtkxshh!!

Oh, baby, Waverly thought, her heart thumping protectively in her chest. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here…but I’m here now. I got you. Padding wordlessly into the kitchen, the half-angel girl went straight to the stove to put the kettle on for tea, while Nicole slumped down bonelessly into a chair at the kitchen table, rubbing her eyes with another soft, croaky cough. Netflix-and-chill time couldn’t come soon enough.

Edited September 7, 2020 by wannablessedbe

[ID2006]

 Don't know the fandom but this is still lovely. There can never be enough caretaking fics out there.

[fieldofflowers]

seems like nicole is a bit ill for netflix and chill... but wonderful writing per usual 

[FadedRose]

Aww!! Your stories never cease to amaze me. I’m glad to see someone else trying out sick!Nicole for a change, even if it is a little bit out of your comfort zone. And protective waverly is super cute as well. 

I have another part written for mine. More wayhaught is still on the way!! It’s been sitting around for a while; I just haven’t gotten a chance to edit it and get it up 

[wannablessedbe]

Yay!!! Post it!! No time like the present 😉

12 hours ago, FadedRose said:

Aww!! Your stories never cease to amaze me. I’m glad to see someone else trying out sick!Nicole for a change, even if it is a little bit out of your comfort zone. And protective waverly is super cute as well. 

I have another part written for mine. More wayhaught is still on the way!! It’s been sitting around for a while; I just haven’t gotten a chance to edit it and get it up 

 

[jem]

AHHH THIS IS AMAZING. Thanks so much for sharing !! You always write the characters so well! And I am definitely gonna keep my story going. Working on it now  

[wannablessedbe]

OOPS I COMMENTED ON MY OWN STORY BY MISTAKE 😆

... does anyone know how to actually delete your own comment? I only know how to edit.

Edited August 25, 2020 by wannablessedbe

[wannablessedbe]

OH HAI! Once again it took me longer than I would have liked to post part 2 of this...I admit it really took me a while to get into the flipped headspace of vulnerable!Nicole and protective!Waverly, but I TOTALLY GOT THERE and I am very much enjoying the view lol. For real tho. I hope you all will enjoy this part as much as I enjoyed writing it. Happy Labor Day, hope you are having fun but also staying safe!!!

…………………………………..

My Girlfriend’s Back

Part 2

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            “Here you go, baby…careful, it’s really hot.” Waverly placed a steaming mug of tea on the table in front of Nicole, dropping a lingering kiss on the top of her head, one hand grazing through her hair. The redhead sighed softly, closing her eyes. But a second later, she felt a hard lump swelling up in her throat as her eyes swam with tears. It was just suddenly…so…normal. She’d been terrified for the last eighteen months that she’d never get to have this again. The simple, physical fact of Waverly making her a cup of tea, sitting in the kitchen and fussing over her, calling her baby. She looked down at the table, her throat closing automatically against the sob that threatened to rip itself out if she tried to speak. A tear dripped down the side of her face and splashed onto the back of her hand.

            “Oh, baby…” Waverly’s voice was full of tenderness as she cupped Nicole’s cheek in her hand, stroking away the tear tracks with her thumb as she sat in the taller girl’s lap and wrapped one arm securely around her neck, pressing their foreheads together. Nicole felt vulnerable and embarrassed; but also, a familiar sense of deep security that Waverly understood exactly what she was feeling, without her having to explain it. 

            “Sorry,” the redhead whispered, wiping her nose against the back of her cuff with a soft, wet sniffle as her angelic girlfriend stroked her cheek and played with her hair.

            “Shhh…no more sorrys, Nicole Rayleigh Haught,” Waverly shook her head seriously. “You have nothing to be sorry for. Okay?” Nicole nodded, wrapping her arm across her face as she broke into a harsh, dry cough. The hand that Waverly had wrapped around her neck now slid down her back, rubbing light circles until the jagged, irritable cough passed. Nicole sighed stuffily as she dropped her arm, and Waverly picked up the tea again, blowing lightly across the surface and holding it gently up to her fiancée’s lips. If it were anyone else, Nicole would have balked at the babying gesture…but it wasn’t anyone else, it was Waverly. Her Waverly. 

            Nicole rested her hand lightly on top of her baby’s smaller one and took a sip of the hot tea, sweetened with a generous amount of honey. She gave a small hum of contentment and closed her eyes. Waverly kissed her temple.

            “Good?” the smaller girl cooed, rubbing her nose playfully in silky red hair.

            “Yuh-huh,” Nicole nodded, sniffling again as the steamy tea loosened some of the congestion in her sinuses. She turned her head sharply away from the petite girl in her lap, letting go of the tea and burying her face snugly in her elbow. “Hhhghxiishew!!!” Nicole shivered in her seat, very aware of the snot that had just splattered the inside of her elbow before dripping down into Waverly’s lap. “*Snnfl*…ugh…Wave, I’mb sor—” 

            “Uh-uh.” Waverly cut her off, shaking her head with a soft, playful smile as she pressed one finger gently over Nicole’s lips, grazing the cool slickness of her still-runny nose. The redhead blushed and made a bashful face, which just made Waverly’s heart thump harder. “I already said. You can’t be sorry if you can’t help it.” She kissed her sniffly baby gently between the eyes, quietly noticing the clammy warmth radiating from Nicole’s skin, before hopping off her lap and darting out of the room, returning a moment later with a box of tissues. “Here you go, sweetie pie…just relax and drink your tea, hmm? I’m gonna make some breakfast.”

            “’Kay,” Nicole yawned in passive agreement, more than happy to sit back and let someone else be in charge, even if only for five minutes. It felt like a lifetime since they’d just sat in the kitchen like this…and she was so, so tired. The kind of tired that you woke up with and dragged around like a sack of rocks all day. Her head didn’t feel right; her ears were starting to pound faintly, like the echoing sound inside a seashell. And her throat felt scratchy, and her nose was stuffy and running…but, it was only a little. Not enough to be an excuse for anything. 

            “Hhhiiih…hhnk’iiishhxt!!! …*Snfl*… This time she rubbed her nose into the tissues when she sneezed; and she barely had a chance to sniffle before breaking into another sharp, rattling cough. She sighed softly into the damp tissues when it passed, feeling embarrassed and weak and a bit sorry for herself now, too. 

            “Aww, baby. Bless you,” Waverly cooed, her warm hazel eyes now as wide and sparkling with love as a cartoon character. Nicole could plainly see that her sweet Waverly felt bad for her and wanted to mama her. A hot, messy mix of feelings flooded her stomach; both embarrassed and ashamed of her weakness, yet eager to bask in her angel’s glowing affection, her special brand of warm, overflowing tenderness that the redhead had missed so much, her whole body had ached like an open wound. For a year and a half.

Looking away from Waverly’s adoring gaze, Nicole took another sip of tea, and yawned, resting her head in one hand with her eyes closed. They sat in comfortable silence for a moment while Waverly finished serving up the oatmeal into bowls, with brown sugar, raisins and sliced almonds. She would normally put in bananas and almond milk too, but they didn’t seem to have any. She gave Nicole a splash of regular milk, even though it wasn’t the best thing for her sniffles. 

            “Are you sure you don’t want to let Rachel and Wynonna handle the perimeter checks today, sweetie-pie?” Waverly’s hand was grazing Nicole’s cheek, rousing her from her sleepy daze at the kitchen table and placing the steamy oatmeal in front of her. “I know you don’t feel good…and you’re getting a fever, too.” Her small, gentle hand moved from the taller girl’s cheek, to her forehead. “There’s no reason you need to be out there tracking demons in the middle of a blizzard.” 

Nicole opened her mouth to argue, but a harsh, rattling cough came out instead. Waverly pressed a tissue into her hands, and Nicole clamped it woozily over her face, coughing so hard her head started to spin. She definitely felt like she could hear the ocean pounding in her ears; it was rather dizzying. A sharp, hitching breath deep in her chest stopped the cough suddenly in its tracks, as her spine trembled, and her eyebrows knit together helplessly.

            “Hheh’ishhk!! Ehhscheww!!! …*Snnfl.*” Nicole shivered weakly, trying vainly to mop up her runny nose with that one tissue that was completely soaked already. Waverly blessed her and kissed her temple and pushed the box of tissues right in front of her, playing with the soft hair at the back of her neck while she blew her nose woozily. They both heard the front door slam and felt the cold rush of winter air from outside.

            “Dang, Haughtpants! How much did you pay for the express ticket to snotsville?”

            “Wynonna, stop being such a dickbag! She’s sick. Can you seriously not be nice for two minutes?”

            “Geez, stand down Smoldez. I won’t be judged by someone who’s squatting in my bed while I sleep in the barn, yeah?”

            Waverly and Nicole both chuckled softly at the reassuring banter. Wynonna and Rachel were so much alike it was a little scary; even if they had only met once before an 18-month separation. And it was very clear that Rachel had bonded with Nicole on a pretty deep level in all the time they’d been here on the homestead together, with no one to rely on but each other. Waverly was deeply reassured by seeing that there was someone else here being protective of Nicole while she was gone.

            The clatter of boots and coats being shed in the front room was quickly followed by Wynonna and Rachel appearing in the kitchen, both ruddy-cheeked and with snow in their hair from their trek outside. They were shoving each other’s shoulders and laughing, for all the world as if things had always been this way. And even if they hadn’t, they all knew well the power of chosen family.

            “Hey, you okay Nicole? You sound seriously gross,” Rachel said, in a voice that was all concern and no teasing, as she took the chair beside her honorary aunt.

            “I’mb fine…*snghf!*…dod’t sit there, though.” The redhead gestured for the younger girl to move to another seat that was further away from hers. 

            “If you’re fine why can’t I sit here?” Rachel challenged, raising one eyebrow and crossing her arms over her chest while leaning her chair back on two legs, in a gesture that was so Wynonna-ish the others all stared silently for a moment. 

            “Because I…*snghf*…I don’t wanna catch your brat germbs,” Nicole smirked weakly. She looked so exhausted and pathetic that Rachel relented without any further teasing or sarcasm, moving across the table and looking meaningfully to Wynonna, raising her eyebrows expectantly. 

            “Yeah. For sure,” Wynonna nodded hastily. “Go back to bed, tater-Haught. Why are you even dressed? You look like the “before” part of a cold medicine commercial.”

            “Uhmmmmb…I missed the constant hyperbole without you around, Earp,” Nicole yawned, a soft smile tugging at her lips as she rubbed her eyes blearily. “I’d love to go back to bed…just…gotta do the perimbeter check f-first…*s-snfl*…iiihhschxiew!!!” She shivered, clamping two fresh tissues to her nose and mouth as her face scrunched up adorably. 

            “Bless you,” three voices chirped in harmony. Waverly, who had been standing protectively beside Nicole and playing absently with her hair, resumed her former spot in her fiancée’s lap, kissing her warm temple and wrapping both arms around her neck gently. 

            “Babe, are you really sure—”

            “We already did the perimeter check, dude. Figured you deserved a day off after eighteen months,” Wynonna shrugged, clearly pleased with herself though she played it off casually. 

            “Wait—you did? Every trap? All of themb? *Snf.*”

            “Yes, Nicole, all of them. Do you seriously still not trust me? Who did that shit every day when your leg was broken?” Rachel pouted, crossing her arms for real this time.

            “Ndoe, I do…of course I…*snfl*…I t-trust you…nnghiishxew!!” Nicole turned her whole torso away from Waverly’s body in her lap, muffling a wet, shuddering sneeze into her elbow. She sniffled deeply and wiped her nose on the flannel of her sleeve, coughing sharply. 

            “Bless you,” her family chorused again.

            “Ughhhh,” the redhead sighed miserably, finally dropping her head against Waverly’s shoulder, both arms wrapping snugly around the smaller girl’s hips in her lap. “Wave, I don’t feel good…”

            “Ohhh my baby…shhh, I know,” Waverly cooed, her small, warm hands back in Nicole’s long red hair, soothing them both. “Just eat a little bit of your oatmeal, okay? As much as you can. I’m gonna go find some cold meds for you. Then we can go back to bed and watch whatever you want until you fall asleep. Sound good?”

            “Actually”—Rachel cleared her throat. “You’re not gonna find any cold meds. Drugs store stuff was the first thing to go after BBD put up the quarantine border…but I think we have some ibuprofen still. I’ll get it.” The teenager ran upstairs, and Nicole sighed again. 

            “Dod’t worry, baby, it’s fide…it’s…*snghf!*…nod like I’mb dying…” Nicole rubbed her nose in some fresh tissues, eyebrows knitting together expectantly. “Hhhn’khiiishxew!!! *Snffl.*”

            “Actually it’s not fine,” Waverly shook her head, dropping kisses all over Nicole’s face while the taller girl coughed and blew her nose. “Watching you suffer is not fine. But I am my mother’s daughter…I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.” Waverly held her baby’s face tenderly in both hands, kissed her forehead one more time, and hopped off her lap to go back over to the stove. “Eat your oatmeal, please baby. I’m gonna make you the best home remedy you’ve ever had.”

            “Sweet. Make me one too, eh?” Wynonna chimed in eagerly. The other two stared at her blankly for a moment. “There is whiskey in this ‘home remedy,’ is there not?” Waverly snorted with laughter and shook her head.

            “How about you just have a shot of whiskey right now and save me the trouble?”

            “If you say so, sis.” Wynonna grinned, hopping out of her seat and ruffling her soon-to-be sister-in-law’s red hair. Nicole smacked her hand away half-heartedly, and Waverly chuckled softly to herself. It was so, so good to be home.

 

            

[fieldofflowers]

more😍yes

[jem]

This is ~absolutely~ wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing !! You’ve got the dynamic down perfectly ☺️☺️ 

[wannablessedbe]

OH HAI FRIENDS!!! Here is another part. I really have nothing else to say right now except GO TEAM WAYHAUGHT 💕💕💕

(Ok actually I do have just one other thing to say, which is WHY IS IT SO GODDAM HARD TO MAKE PARAGRAPH INDENTATIONS ON THIS SITE. I promise you, I know my grammarz rully good...lol)

…………………………………

My Girlfriend’s Back

Part 3

…………………………………

 

            After dosing her with ibuprofen, Waverly sent Nicole back to bed to get comfy while she made her home remedy. The redhead was more or less asleep again in the 15 minutes that passed before Waverly came upstairs to join her, cradling another hot, steamy beverage in her hands. The petite brunette sighed as she gazed fondly at her dozing baby; she looked so sweet and unguarded in sleep, sprawled out on her side with her arms stretched out slightly, as if she was looking for Waverly in her dreams. The exhausted girl was breathing softly through her mouth, her face totally drained of color except for the soft pink underside of her nose. 

Waverly hated to wake her…the fact that she’d passed out again so quickly was a major red flag to how awful she must be feeling, despite how hard she’d tried to push through with her “it’s nothing” and “I’m going to check the perimeter” mantras. The half-angel girl felt a sharp pang in her stomach when she thought about how painfully long her brave, strong, sweet girl was here all alone, with only one resourceful teen for company, feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders and no idea when or if they’d ever come back. She must have felt so deeply, relentlessly obligated to be okay no matter what…not that she’d been one to admit she needed a day off before all this madness happened, anyway. No matter how you sliced it, seeing Nicole go down this hard was unnerving. Especially since Waverly knew that the current state of their town was somewhere between “abandon all hope ye who enter here” and “zombie apocalypse.” Forget the cold meds, what if she needed a doctor? What if she needed antibiotics?

Stop catastrophizing, the petite girl told herself firmly. Not everything in their lives was always going to turn into a giant crisis. But that was why she knew she’d be better off waking Nicole now, knew her poor baby would feel better and sleep easier after drinking her mother’s cold-buster home remedy—a combination of hot tea, massive amounts of honey and lemon, turmeric, a dash of cayenne pepper, and, yes, a shot of whiskey to help clear her congestion and soothe her into an easy sleep. (It would have been better with a whole bunch of fresh grated ginger, too…but they didn’t have any). She set the hot drink carefully on the side table, and sat lightly on the bed, leaning over to rub her baby’s back and nuzzle her face into soft red hair.

“Hey sweetie pie…can you wake up for a minute? I have a special treat for you.” Waverly murmured right up against Nicole’s ear, slipping her hand down the back of the taller girl’s pajama top to scratch her nails lightly over sensitive skin.

“Uhhgmbff…*snghf*…” The woozy girl shifted under the blankets, making a cranky grumbling sound. She sniffled and rubbed her wet nose on the back of her knuckles, but didn’t open her eyes.

“I know…I’m sorry babe…please wake up for me. Just for a minute,” The shorter girl cooed, her nails grazing Nicole’s scalp now, kissing a path from her temple across the bridge of her nose. Finally, the redhead’s eyes cracked open.

“Wave? What’s wrodg? *S-snnfl.*” Nicole croaked, with a voice like broken glass. She blinked hazily, her brown eyes glazed and clearly still half-asleep at best. 

“Shhh, nothing’s wrong baby. I just want you to drink some of this, okay? It’ll make you feel better, I promise. Then you can go back to sleep, and I’ll cuddle you, hmm?” Waverly’s hand never left Nicole’s hair, and Nicole leaned into her touch like a cat. The redhead sat up a bit and sniffled again, scrubbing the underside of her slick pink nose with the heel of her palm, her face scrunching up in that cute grumpy-twelve-year-old way that made Waverly melt into a puddle of goo. The smaller girl got up and went around to the far side of the bed to where the tissues were, bringing them back to Nicole with a kiss on her forehead. Nicole took two and layered them together to blow her nose, producing a deep, wet sound that didn’t surprise either of them at this point. “Thahhhks…*s-snfl!*…ehh’iiishxew!!!” Nicole pitched over with the tissues cupped to her face, sniffling and shivering.

“Bless you baby,” Waverly whispered in her ear, kissing the spot and resting one hand on Nicole’s warm back, confident that that one sneeze was holding the door open for some friends.

“Uhhhh…*snnfl*…fuhhck…hhiiih…hht’khiiihshew!! Nnkxshh!!!” Nicole shivered and bent double with her breathless sneezes while Waverly rubbed her back, cooing and fussing over her. The sniffling girl wiped under her nose one last time (rather ineffectively) with her soggy tissues, and dropped them in her lap, reaching for a fresh one. The bottom of her nose was even pinker now, shining with a clear coat of watery snot that dripped down the divot of her upper lip—which she hastily wiped away with a fresh tissue before blowing woozily again.

“Bless you bless you! My poor little kitten…can you drink some of my special remedy now? I know it’ll make you feel better.” Waverly’s heart-eyes were so big now that Nicole felt them inside her chest, hurting her heart a little. She didn’t want Waverly to be so upset and worried…certainly not over her.

“Uh-huhmb…*snghf*…” Nicole nodded, woozily pushing herself into a more upright position; but then she immediately leaned away from the smaller girl, coughing harshly into her elbow, an uncontrollable itch flaring like wildfire in the back of her throat now. 

“Shh, it’s okay,” Waverly hummed when the fit finally passed, leaving Nicole panting and dazed and slightly more awake. “Water first, hmm? C’mere, I got you.” Waverly wrapped an arm securely around the taller girl’s shoulders, planting a slow, steading kiss on her warm cheek. Nicole eagerly accepted the glass of water Waverly passed her from the bedside table, drinking slowly but steadily until it was more than half empty. 

“Better?” Waverly cooed, taking the glass back and stroking Nicole’s flushed cheek with the back of her fingers. 

“Yeah…I was…really thirsty,” Nicole yawned, turning her still-woozy gaze to Waverly, who was beaming back at her with all her angelic glory. “Thadks, Waves. I really, really love you…*snfl.*

“I really, really love you too, baby,” the smaller girl beamed, kissing her between the eyes and resting their foreheads together for a moment, stroking her hair soothingly. 

“If you wadt mbe to stay awake, you gotta stop doihg that,” Nicole mumbled, with a sleepy smile as she slid her hand over Waverly’s in her hair and held it still.

“Oh…I’m sorry, babe.” Waverly grinned sheepishly. “Here, this is for you…then you can go back to sleep.” The petite girl turned and picked up the steaming drink from the bedside table, offering it carefully to Nicole. She redhead took a sip and groaned, whether in pleasure or pain Waverly couldn’t quite tell.

“Damn, baby…are you an andgel or a witch? ‘Cause this is some powerful brew.” Nicole lifted her tired eyes and grinned weakly, and Waverly beamed back at her.

“It’s mama’s recipe,” the younger girl shrugged, clearly pleased with herself as she snuggled down closer to her baby, getting deeper under the covers so she could cuddle more effectively. “It would have been better if the turmeric was fresh…and if we had some fresh ginger, too…those are nature’s anti-inflammatories, let me tell you. But the hot tea and the honey will soothe your throat, and the lemon, cayenne and whiskey will really clear you out. So you’ll rest easier.” Waverly nuzzled into Nicole’s shoulder as she spoke, her hand stroking lazy circles around the taller girl’s bellybutton under the covers. 

“Yeah…I’m getting that,” Nicole agreed with a yawn, turning her head away to wrap her arm across her face again. “Hhtchkx!!! *Snfl.*”

“Bless you. Don’t try to hold it in so hard, you'll hurt your ears,” Waverly instructed in a rather mama-ish way as Nicole sniffled and wiped her nose on her shirt cuff.

“Yeah yeah,” the redhead sighed stuffily, privately thinking that as long as her baby was cuddled up to her like this, she was going to do her damnedest not to spray her with germs, thankyouverymuch. She took another sip from the mug, holding the hot drink securely in both hands as her head dropped back against the headboard. “Oh, God. You’re so good at this, Wave…”

“Huh,” Waverly laughed softly. “I’m gonna remind you that you said that, every time you get sick and cranky and don’t want to let me help you, for the rest of our lives.” 

“Promise?” Nicole teased gently; but Waverly could hear the soft note of insecurity underneath. The promise you’ll never leave again part, the promise this is forever part. The smaller girl pulled back somewhat from her cuddly position to prop herself up on one elbow, so she was on eye level with her baby. Gazing seriously into warm brown eyes that were looking back at hers, so vulnerable and fever-glazed, and overflowing with love for her.

“I promise,” Waverly said, her voice warm and blazingly fierce at the same time as she cupped Nicole’s warm cheek in her hand and kissed her softly on the lips. Nicole jerked back in surprise.

“What’re you doing? You’re…*snghf*…gonna get sick…”

“It was just a peck. No tongue,” Waverly shrugged playfully, taking the hot mug back from Nicole and trading it for a few tissues, seeing that the redhead needed to blow her nose again. “Listen, we both know I already have every germ in my body that you have in your body anyway…every germ you had as of last night, at least. You don’t think you had these germs last night?” The petite brunette cocked her head and raised one eyebrow, and Nicole sighed wearily behind her tissues.

“I…*snghf!*…I know you’re right, but…let’s just ndot make it too easy, okay? I really don’t wanna get you sick…I already have enough to feel guilty about.” The redhead sighed and reached for her mug again; but Waverly intercepted her, taking both Nicole’s hands in her own for a moment.

“Hey. Look at me.” She waited patiently until Nicole looked up. “You have nothing to feel guilty about, Nicole Rayleigh Haught. Nothing that’s happened is your fault. Not. A. Thing. You’re the one who made sure we had a home to come home to. You’re my hero, and I won’t rest until you know that in your heart, no matter how long it takes. Okay?” 

Waverly squeezed Nicole’s hands tight, unconsciously conveying how deeply she meant every word she was saying. Her hazel eyes were blazing with such fierce conviction, Nicole felt her own eyes tearing up, another lump swelling in the back of her throat so she knew she’d break down sobbing if she tried to speak. She just nodded instead. Waverly beamed at her, stroking the stray tears from her face. 

Then Nicole pulled away sharply, and Waverly let her go with a jolt, automatically startled out of the intimate moment as the redhead wrapped an arm across her face, twisting her upper body away from the smaller girl as best she could. 

“Uhh’tchiiishxew!! …*sn-snfl*…hhetchshnk!!!” She sneezed so hard her chest hurt, and her ears pounded dully; she rubbed her sweaty forehead with her free hand to stave off the dizziness that was threatening to swoop over her, feeling Waverly’s warm hands holding her steady by the shoulders. The tickle was still prickling the deepest part of her nose, and she hovered on the spot with her arm still wrapped across her face, breathing soft, huffy breaths. 

“Hhh-hh…hhiiih…ahh’tchxooOOoo!!! …*snfl*…” She rubbed her wet nose on her sleeve and coughed wheezily into her elbow while Waverly plopped the tissue box into her lap, running a gentle hand once down the back of her hair and settling into gentle circles on her back.

“Bless you, sweetie-pie…I’m so sorry you have such an awful cold, you must feel horrible,” the petite brunette groaned softly, keeping up her backrub while resting her chin on Nicole’s shoulder. Nicole drew out a few more tissues and blew her nose thoroughly, rubbing and pinching impatiently to try to stamp out the tickle for a while.

“Yeah, well…could be worse,” Nicole sighed with a weary half-smile, gazing into Waverly’s shining hazel eyes that were so full of love for her. Waverly grinned back, leaning in to plant another kiss on her forehead.

            “C’mon now, finish your drink. Then sleep.”

            “Uh-hummb,” Nicole agreed easily, reaching for the drink again, which was still warm, but not so hot that she had to blow on it. She drank the rest down quickly without talking, while Waverly snuggled up quietly against her. When it was empty, she tried to reach across the smaller girl to put it back on the side table herself; but she was too woozy, and Waverly rolled over and grabbed it from her outstretched hand before it could fall and shatter on the hardwood floor.

            “Sorry,” Nicole mumbled, her voice faint and rough and heavy with sleep.

            “S’okay,” Waverly whispered, not wanting to get into another you can’t be sorry speech when her baby was so close to nodding off. Instead, she just snuggled deeper into the taller girl, until Nicole’s head was nestled on her shoulder for once, Nicole’s arm and leg thrown over hers, Nicole’s warm weight half pinning her down to the bed. She could feel the taller girl’s soft, regular breaths against her clavicle, slightly wheezy with congestion, and knew the redhead was fast asleep already; but she was also shivering lightly under the sheets, with the blankets bunched up around their lower backs. Carefully, Waverly reached down and pulled them all the way up, until they were both cuddled together inside a cozy, warm blanket-cave of only each other. It felt so cozy and comfortable and safe, it wasn’t long before Waverly drifted off, too.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 15, 2020 by wannablessedbe

[fieldofflowers]

love this! is there a chance of some contagion?

[NickG1998]

please add contagion i love this wonderful story keep up the amazing work

[wannablessedbe]

Thx my dears! I usually am not super into writing about contagion, I really like to focus on one person at a time...but this time, I'm pretty sure you'll get your wish 😉

[jem]

Your writing is always *chef's kiss*. I'm in love. I always have to point out the dynamics because, AHH, you write it so well! Looking forward to the next part. Oh, and thank you for the f/f recommendations.... I've got some research to do 😉

[fieldofflowers]

definitely keeping an eye on this one :)))

[wannablessedbe]

OH HAI FRIENDS! It's been a hot minute. Sorry as usual that I can't make my updates more regular...I don't really have any excuses to follow that up with, I'm just sorry. Hope it was worth your while. There might be a *teensy* bit of contagion afoot, and that might mean there will *have* to be at least one more part...ok enjoy!!

…………………………………

My Girlfriend’s Back

Part 4

…………………………………

 

           Nicole woke up with her sinuses pounding so badly, she felt like she’d been punched in the face while she was asleep. Sitting up just slightly, she was slammed with dizziness; absolutely everything inside her head felt wrong. Clogged nose and ears made her head swim slightly, and a scratchy feeling in her throat flared angrily when she swallowed. She gave a soft, involuntary whine of misery, cold and damp all over with sweaty fever chills, her limbs stiff from being curled up so tightly around Waverly’s warmth. The sweet half-angel girl in question was still fast asleep, her long brown hair fanned out across the pillow, with one arm wrapped possessively over Nicole’s back, slipping up under her pajama top so her small hand was splayed out protectively over the taller girl’s hot skin.

            The redhead immediately felt bad for inflicting her sweaty fever chills on her fiancée’s sleeping body, even though she knew Waverly wouldn’t want her to feel sorry. How could she not be though? She was drenched in cold, sticky sweat that was no doubt swimming in her miserable sick germs; and now Waverly’s body was, too. This was no good. The taller girl slowly sat up, her head throbbing nastily for a moment as the room tilted and spun around her. She pressed a hand to her forehead in a feeble attempt to steady herself, with a pitiful little whimper that no one could hear. Her nose ran sluggishly, and she tried to sniffle; but her head was so blocked up, she couldn’t, and it hurt her pounding sinuses just to try. 

            Shower, she told herself firmly. It was the only thing that could possibly make her feel better right now. A deliciously hot, steamy shower to soothe her chills and clear her head. Maybe another dose of ibuprofen, too. Was it too soon? What the hell time was it, even? Nicole had no idea. She decided to just focus on the shower; there was no space in her foggy head for more than one goal at a time right now. She crawled out of bed, shivering worse than ever as soon as her bare feet hit the cold hardwood floor. 

            “Ehhxkhiiiew!!! *Snfl.*” She pitched forward with a shivery sneeze into the crook of her elbow, loosening the congestion in her head a little. She wiped her runny nose on her sleeve, turning anxiously to look back at her sweet, sleeping girl; but Waverly hadn’t even flinched. She was really out. Nicole sighed softly in relief. Trembling with chills, she wrapped her arms around herself and stuck her feet awkwardly into her slippers, stumbling into her warm fleecy robe. As she crept woozily around the bed towards the door, the smaller girl shifted in her sleep and made a soft, plaintive, whimpery sound, reaching for the empty space where Nicole had just been.

            “Hey…*snfl*…hey, baby, shhhh. I’mb still here,” the redhead whispered croakily, wincing at the rough sound of her own voice as she knelt down and ran a hand lightly through the younger girl’s soft brown hair. Her first impulse was to give Waverly her own pillow to hold onto while she slept; but one glance at said pillow confirmed it was soaked with sweat (and, undoubtedly, germs), and would not be a very wise cuddle-mate for the girl she was trying with all her might to keep healthy. With a weak sigh, Nicole stood up again woozily and went to the closet, pulling out her baby’s favorite bonus blanket, and laying it next to her in a big, fluffy bundle. Waverly snuggled up to it adorably, burying her face in its warmth, and Nicole smiled, tucking her girl back in with another fresh, dry blanket on top of her.

            “Hhhhiiih…hhh-hh…*snfl*…” the woozy, shivering redhead turned away from the bed again, raising her arm expectantly as her back tensed and head dropped back a little, nose running. “AahhtxchOOoo!!! *S-snfl.*” She pitched forward into the crook of her arm, just as much to steady herself as to contain her snotty germs. She kept her nose pressed to her sleeve until she could grab a few tissues, glancing guiltily at sleeping Waverly again before contenting herself with wiping her nose roughly, afraid to risk waking her clearly exhausted baby with a loud blow. As miserable and sick as Nicole was, she worried about her angel, too.

            Half-angel, she reminded herself. Waverly was still half-human, and however much time had passed from her point of view in “Evil Eden,” she had obviously exerted a lot of energy when she busted out her big-gun, angelic-wrath powers. They hadn’t really talked about it yet; things in Purgatory were such a garbage fire, Waverly and Wynonna had just wanted to know what happened while they were gone. But Nicole knew her baby was wiped out; she could see it in her face. So, if chipper, bouncy Waverly was still sleeping after an all-morning nap, Nicole wasn’t about to be the one to wake her.

            As she clicked the bedroom door gently closed behind her, Nicole finally allowed herself a soft blow into the soggy tissues; but that just teased the inside of her head more, and her eyes snapped shut convulsively as her nose scrunched up and her eyebrows quirked involuntarily. “Hhheh’tchxiiiuh!!!” Her shoulders snapped forward so hard, she grabbed the railing automatically to stop herself from falling head-first into the floor. 

            “*Snghf*…*snfl*…whoaaaa,” the redhead sighed dazedly, wiping her nose repeatedly against the sleeve of her robe while her free hand steadied her against the railing, all the way down the short hall to the bathroom.

She turned on the hot water first, cranking it all the way up before adding just a little bit of cold to keep from scalding herself. Stumbling eagerly out of her sweaty pajamas, she groaned in pure, sensory pleasure as soon as the hot water hit her shivery skin. Closing her eyes, she let out an even deeper groan of happiness as she put her head directly under the streaming hot water, feeling it saturate her scalp, her neck, her shoulders; cascading all the way down her back. The steam instantly began to soothe her headache, loosening the cement-like congestion in her head, while all her stiff muscles began to relax as her whole body was saturated in warmth.

            “Ohhhh mby God…” she mumbled softly to herself, tilting her head up so the stream of hot water hit her directly in the face, beginning to work on her pounding sinuses. For a few minutes she just went quietly back and forth between letting the water hit her face, and then the top of her head running down her back, wishing only for a giant showerhead that took up the entire ceiling so her whole body could get hit at once. Eventually one of her ears popped, and then the other; then her nose started to really run. Realizing there was no point in sniffling, the woozy girl just cupped her runny nose in one hand, pinching it lightly in the space between her thumb and forefinger, and blowing softly into the palm of her hand. Even through the wetness of the shower, her snot was still way more slippery, and she could feel how much came pouring out. She turned her face towards the showerhead again and let it all rinse away, and then washed her hands thoroughly with the bar of soap next to the shampoo bottle, wondering if she was helping her family by keeping her hands clean, or hurting them by getting her germs on the soap…and if so, could she not just rinse the germs off the soap again?

            With her chills under control and her head reasonably clear, she reached for the shampoo; but as soon as she started to lather up her hair, she felt a fresh tickle spark deep in the back of her nose, making her lower lip tremble and her nostrils flare. She wanted to rub her nose to squelch the tickle out, but her hands were all sudsy. Instead, she scrunched her eyes up tight, and pressed the back of her wrist snugly against the underside of her nose, rubbing briskly back and forth, even while she knew it was completely pointless.

            “Hheh-ehhschiiew!!!” she sneezed into the steamy shower, not bothering to cover up now. “Aaahhkshxuh!! *S-snfl*…” Snot ran down the channel of her upper lip, making the tickle swell up until it reached all the way back behind her eyes. She turned toward the water and rinsed her hands quickly, desperate to wipe and rub her runny nose. “Iiiishkh!! Eh-ehhkschuh!!!” She blew her nose softly into her hand again, rinsing away another small river of snot before turning her face directly under the spray of the hot water in an attempt to pound the tickle out. A minute went by without another sneeze; but she still felt tickly and sniffly. Giving up on getting rid of the sneezy-sniffly feeling, she turned her back towards the hot water again and rinsed the shampoo from her hair.

            “Nhghxiishew!! *snfl*…” She sneezed into the steamy shower air again, arms wrapped tightly around herself as the blissfully warm feeling started to drain away. Suddenly the curtain was drawn back slightly, with a sleepy, pouty Waverly on the other side, rubbing the heel of her palm into her eye woozily.

            “Bless you baby…” the smaller girl yawned and blinked, looking slightly more awake now. “What’re you doing?” Nicole raised one eyebrow and smiled softly.

            “Is this a trick question, or…?”

            “No, I mean—why didn’t you wake me? D’you want me to come in?”

            “No, don’t—it’s getting cold anyway. I’m coming out.” Nicole turned off the water, shivering again as soon as the cool air replaced the warm water against her skin. As soon as she stepped out of the tub, though, Waverly was ready with a huge fluffy towel, which she wrapped around Nicole like a blanket, all the way over her shoulders, so she was completely covered.

            “Hold that for a minute, okay sweetie?” the smaller girl murmured huskily, leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss her dripping-wet baby on the cheek.

            “’Kay,” Nicole sighed, more than happy to let Waverly take over. The younger girl went and got another towel from the cupboard, shaking it out and gesturing to Nicole’s wet hair.

            “Sit,” she instructed gently, pointing to the edge of the tub. Nicole complied, wobbling a little as she balanced on the cold edge of the porcelain tub. Waverly grabbed her arm to steady her. “Just for a minute, okay babe?”

            “’Kay…” Nicole nodded, with another soft sigh that turned into a cough. Waverly rubbed the fluffy towel through her baby’s dripping red hair, while the woozy, sniffling girl closed her eyes and leaned into the comforting touch.

            “There you go…good enough,” The petite brunette smiled warmly. “Now let’s dry off the rest of you so you can get cozy again, hmm?”

            “Yes p-please…*snfl*…” Nicole unwrapped the front of her towel and ducked her head down into it as her breath huffed sharply. “Ehhhshxiiew!!!” Waverly’s hand moved automatically to the taller girl’s back, steadying her while she sneezed and shivered.

            “Bless you, cutie pie,” the younger girl cooed, kissing the top of Nicole’s damp head.

            “Thanks,” Nicole sighed wearily, rubbing her tender nose against the edge of the towel. “Now go, okay? I can dry myself off, I’m not an invalid. I just got my germs everywhere again; I don’t want you rolling around in it.” She coughed, ducking back into the towel.

            “Babe, you’re being ridiculous. You know that, right?” Waverly rolled her eyes affectionately. “You can’t keep me 100% safe from your germs, it’s kind of bundled into the whole couple thing. Especially the, uh, engaged thing, soon to be the marriage thing…” the smaller girl’s cheeks were growing very pink now as she chewed her bottom lip, looking shyly at Nicole as if she’d just passed her a ‘will you be my girlfriend yes or no’ note under the table in Junior High. “You know. ’In sickness and in health.’ Ring any bells?”

            “Yeah yeah…” Nicole grinned weakly back, her heart melting at the look Waverly was giving her, and the sentiment behind it. “I’m just trying to strengthen your odds of staying healthy, y’know.”

            “Yeah…I do,” the petite brunette hummed, sitting next to the taller girl on the edge of the tub and wrapping an arm snugly around her back, so Nicole could lean into her a bit. “And I’m just trying strengthen your odds of getting better faster, by showering you with love and affection and making sure you’re taking it as easy as you possibly can.”

            “I’m never gonna win another argument for the rest of our lives, am I?” Nicole grinned weakly, rubbing her pink nose on the end of the towel again. 

            “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll let you get one in from time to time.” Waverly smiled back sweetly, standing up with her hands on Nicole’s knees to kiss her forehead. “Now let me finish drying you off so we can get cozy already.”

            The redhead didn’t offer any further resistance as Waverly dried her off, helped get her into some fresh, warm pajamas, and sat her on the edge of the bed to blow dry her hair. Nicole didn’t normally bother blowing her hair dry, and the combination of the deliciously warm air and her baby’s gentle hands was hypnotic. The redhead was lulled into an almost trance-like state until her throat twinged, and she started coughing harshly into her elbow. Waverly turned the blow dryer off and sat patiently beside her on the bed, one hand resting lightly on the taller girl’s middle-back.

            “Aah’iiishxew!!! *Snfl*…” Nicole’s coughing bout was cut off abruptly with a sharp, quavering sneeze; she sniffled wetly, and Waverly passed her the tissues from the bedside table. 

            “Aww, bless you my poor little kitten.”

            “Thadks,” Nicole sighed, flopping down on the bed and yawning, eyes already closed. “Can I be done sitting up now?”

            “Awww, babe. Of course you can.” The smaller girl ran her fingers briefly through her love’s mostly-dry hair, and nudged her to get up off the end of the bed and get in properly, under the covers. “It’s already the middle of the afternoon…do you think you can eat something, hmm? I’ll make you anything you want…with, um, ingredients that we currently have access to,” Waverly joked lamely, keenly aware of their new reality in slightly post-apocalyptic Purgatory.

            “Can I have more tea?” Nicole yawned softly, limp with relief at being back in bed, warm and dry and fairly clear-headed, thanks to the hot shower. The warm and dry part, of course, was thanks to Waverly. 

            “Tea and…noodle soup?” the smaller girl nudged gently.

            “You mean noodle water,” Nicole yawned again, her eyes already closed. 

            “Tea and scrambled eggs?” Waverly tried again.

            “You barf when you touch raw eggs,” Nicole reminded her. “And we don’t have any, anyway.”

            “Tea and cinnamon toast?” the half-angel girl tried again valiantly, hoping against hope that Nicole wasn’t about to tell her that they didn’t have bread, cinnamon, or any form of sugar. 

            “…Okay,” Nicole agreed after a short pause, opening her eyes to smile up at her baby woozily, seeing the love and devotion written all across her angel’s face. “But you have to eat something too, Wave.”

            “Mm-hmm. I will,” Waverly grinned back, brushing a few stray locks of hair back behind Nicole’s ear and kissing the spot. “You still feel fevery…I’ll bring you some more ibuprofen with the food. It’s bad to take it on an empty stomach.”

            “Thaahh…” Nicole groped sleepily for a tissue, cupping it hastily to her twitchy nose as it started to run. “…Nghehkxiiew!!! *S-snfl*…thadks, baby,” the redhead sighed, squeezing the bottom of her pink nose lightly in the soggy tissue. 

            “Bless you baby,” Waverly cooed softly, passing her a few more tissues. “Anything you need, love. Anything. I’ll always be here. I promise. I’ll never let anything take me away from you again.” Waverly beamed, leaning in to kiss the sniffling girl’s forehead one more time. Nicole still thought she looked exhausted…and her color wasn’t so good, either. But what could she say at this point? Waverly would make some food and tea, and they’d lie here and cuddle for the rest of the day. As long as the petite brunette stayed by her side, that meant they’d both be resting. That was the best Nicole could hope for…for both of them.

            “Here’s your laptop. Pick out whatever you wanna watch, and I’ll be back in a jiff, okay?”

            “Okay, angel.” They grinned quietly at each other, and Waverly padded down the short hall to the stairs. Nicole winced at the sound of the younger girl breaking into a brittle, rattling cough, echoing down the hall as she went.

Edited October 11, 2020 by wannablessedbe

[jem]

🥰🥰🥰thank you so much for updating. i’m in love !! 

[FadedRose]

Aww, this is too awesome to stop writing now! Also, I love how incredibly descriptive you are in your writing. Pleeeaase give us another update  

[fieldofflowers]

bumping this bc i loooove your wayhaught writing