-WAVERLY'S POV-

*THUMP* was the noise I made when I fell on the floor.

"Grmrmph...Ouch" was all that I could say before someone entered the room.

The Night was dark but the moon still managed to lightly sneak behind the curtains. Another soft light appeared suddenly and it made me, hardly open my eyes, I was confused and lost. I felt my anxiety and heartbeat rising. I instinctively curled up into a ball and hid behind my hair. Until one peculiar familiar voice, instantly allowed me to breathe again.

"Hey, are you okay? Waverly... can you hear me ?" said Nicole as I saw her kneeling down in front of me.

"Hi, hmmm, where am I?" I tried to ask slowly letting go of the grip around my legs looking up behind my brown messy highlights, still incredibly confused.

"You're on the floor... Are you okay?" I heard her say sweetly.

"Oh, wow...Did I fell?" everything was blurred in my head, which hurts, so so bad.

"Probably in your sleep, yeah...but it's ok, here let me help you.." added Nicole chuckling kindly as she took my hand and gently helped me sat back on the bed. I curled back in a ball and started to swing on myself, letting a profound sigh out of my longs

After a second, I opened my eyes again to adjust to the soft beam of light coming from the living room. That's when I saw her kneel back on the floor. I immediately craved her touch, it's crazy how I never had enough of her body on mine. Her body, wow, her curves where enchanting. Without even realizing it, I travelled my gaze across her skin until I met her deep chocolate eyes. She looked back at me and a shiver went down my spine to every inch of my insights. I was melting.

Nicole was there, her red hair wrapped up in a messy ponytail and not even the little dark circles under her eyes could make her any less beautiful. She was stunning. I couldn't help a smirk appear on my lips when I realized this magical woman was actually here, only for me. Nicole's low voice made me flinch and came down of my cloud:

"How do you feel?"

With that question, I knew she was giving me the space to decide whether I wanted to share my feelings or not, her kindness was unbelievable.

"I had a really awful nightmare...I'm so sorry I woke you up..." I mumbled with guilt.

"Hey it's okay, I had a nightmare too..."

"Oh..." I stopped talking when I smelt a familiar scent tickling my nose, "WAIT, DID YOU MAKE WAFFLES?" I exclaimed in joy seeing the full plate next to her with the pastries bathing in maple syrup.

"Hahaha yeah, my creative, slash, oddly consumable production, is brought to you by the 2 am insomnia!" she joked as I joined her in a burst of clear laughter.

As I let the laughing take over me, I gave up on my muscles and relaxed my body, I bent down a little, hoping I could steal a bite from the plate. But a strong headache combined with the sudden urge to puke caught me off guard. I must have turned green and look ridiculous,

"What's happening to me..." I started rubbing my face with my hands, trying to recall why the hell I felt like I was in a parallel dimension.

"Hmm...You are drunk..?" hesitated Nicole still incredibly cautious.

"Is that how it feels?... It's horrible...It's like the world is ending but I have to feel everything hurts till the end..."

"Wait, you never got drunk?" asked Nicole with a confused/concerned look, as I let my eyes appear behind my fingers in shame,

"Nooo..."

Her questioning look still on me, I added,

"The alcoholic tendencies in my family kept me from it. I wanted to be better. I wanted to be stronger. And...I...failed." and the tears rushed out of my eyes. It hit me. I was like them now. Nothing better than my family. I had given up on everyone when I started giving up on myself. I had to face that no matter how hard I tried, I always have their blood, always be a heartless monster.

-NICOLE'S POV-

"I am a Monster..."

Her words resonated through the room as I sat there, helpless, willing to give her the world.

"No" I snapped and we both startled, I couldn't believe I didn't think before talking. But it was done now and she deserved to hear it. Even if she didn't believe me. Even if she didn't forgive me. I had to try. So, for the first in a long long time, I opened my heart to her, a kind of stranger, in four words.

"You are just broken..."

Her face immediately shifted towards me, and her gaze pierced my heart. She was so, beautiful, in each and every way possible.

"And it's okay, I'm here..."

I stopped thinking and entered my instincts. I wanted to feel her warmth, make her hear my heartbeat rise whenever she is around. Make her believe my words, every word, since the first time we talked. I sat gently on my bed and shivered when our naked thighs touched. In a breath, she had buried her face in my neck. I was living again.

After a while, I started playing with some of her highlights falling in a cascade on both of our bodies to cope with the intense need of pulling her a little closer each second. And in the comforting silence of our embrace, her broken lane sounded like an angel,

"How do you do it..." she swallowed and kept going "How do you make it stop hurting so bad...?"

"What makes you think I know?" I asked suddenly following other protective reflexes.

"Your eyes..." she simply answered, pulling away from my neck so that we could look at each other again. She didn't add anything, she was right, I knew, but still, I couldn't believe that she cared enough to notice.

"Honestly, time is the best healer of our hearts..." I looked down at the plate of waffles on the floor and chuckled to myself for the irony of being a philosopher of love with a broken heart, so I added: "Hum, but your aware that you're asking me? The one who made waffles in the middle of the night to keep her mind busy, right?.."

She laughed a little. YAY, I had made her smile again. I felt her grip tightened around me, her face regained the natural place in the crook of my neck. I took a deep breath when I felt the tip of her lips on my bare skin, still amazed that it wasn't just a dream.

"How do you feel?" she asked out of nowhere making me startled, her eyes were softer, maybe she was getting tired.

"Better...How do you feel?"

"Warmer..."

I felt my heart popping out of my chest when the flow of memories appeared in my head. I immediately felt so vulnerable, hoping that I wasn't the only one, still thinking about a certain time on a certain boat when all felt so right.

"Do you still need to check my condition?" she asked with a little laugh.

She REMEMBERED. I jumped joyfully in my head. My belly fluttered in butterflies, I was in pure awe in front of everything about her.

"How are your bruises by the way?" I asked with a smirk, closing my eyes for a second in the scent of her salty and fruity hair. She gave me a confused look not knowing whether I was serious or not, so I added, "Just standard procedure, I promise..."

She mumbled,

"I really hope it isn't, you know?"

My heart stopped beating, she was now facing me, her beautiful features a few inches from mine.

"Why?" I asked in a breathe. I saw her gaze shift as if she had just realized what was happening, and she rested her head back on my shoulder,

"Cause then, everyone you save would fall...for...you..." and before I could think, she had fallen asleep in my arms.

Her grip loosened up around my hips. Her chest was lifting slowly, steadily. I didn't dare to change her clothes, she was still in a T-shirt and bathing suit. I imagined for a second the salty taste of her skin, and I smiled. I saw a shiver running under my fingers on her arm. The thought of her getting cold brought me down from my cloud, slowly, like a dream.

I gently passed one arm under her back, the other behind her knees and laid her down. I collected the five blankets she had thrown on the floor, probably in the turmoil of her nightmare, and placed them back on her curves. I HAD to take my eyes off her but I couldn't. I burned to lie beside her, to become the guardian of her days and nights.

But it was all happening far too fast. At the end of the day, I had to face it. I was just me, a little camp counsellor full of too many insecurities. In a final impulse, I chased a few brown locks from her forehead with my fingertips. Her closed eyes were at peace, she could finally rest, my smile grew bigger.

I managed to get up and take the waffle plate. Climbing down the stairs from the mezzanine, my eyes still captivated by her presence, I whispered,

"Oh Waverly, you saved me first."

-The next morning, at 10.04 am, WAVERLY'S POV-

So first things first, I am...Hot. Like, I'm not cold. Yeah, I also happened to be Captain Obvious. WHATEVER. My point is, I never in my life woke up feeling so warm.

I opened my eyes, easier than last night. And my smile grew big remembering her words. We were both broken, we both saved each other, and she happened to be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I'm one lucky bitch. I chuckled to myself thinking it was a thing Wynonna would say. I continued to laugh lightly as I roll over, like a kid, on Nicole's king-size bed.

But one warm ball of red fur stopped me. I turned around slowly like in the movies, hoping that it was her. Still, the only things my face met were big green eyes and a moustache snout. A cat, just a cat, but so much sassiness it made me smile bigger.

"Oh, well hello there...Miss..." I noticed it's collar "Calamity Jane...Look like you kept me warm last night, it was life-saving, thank youuuuuu" I ended in a yawn, stretching before sitting on the bed trying to wake myself up.

I gasp in front of the view. Nicole's room was on a magnificent wooden mezzanine and right next to the bed was a bay window. I stood up and opened every curtain, captivated by the blue water stretching as far as the eyes can see. I eventually turned around and looked at the other wall. Nicole had hung up a corkboard. On it, she had pinned several pictures, some with her best friends, Jeremy and Rose, one having tea with an old lady, some landscapes. Next to it, she had hung a schedule of her weeks, and as I went over the paper with my fingertips, I realized with joy that she was not working today.

I climbed down the stairs, a little surprise that I hadn't seen anyone yet. !Before I noticed, on the table, a note written on a beautiful paper trapped under a glass of water which contained two fresh poppy flowers.

Good Morning Waverly,

I hope you slept well and the blankets were enough to warm you up (and CJ didn't bother you too much, although, she seemed to love you right away). In case you still feel a little groggy, I left the medicines next to you. Sorry that you're waking up alone, I'm out on my morning hike/jogging but don't worry, I'll be back soon with breakfast. In the meantime, the shower has a beautiful view and you can borrow some of my clothes. Basically, my cabin is all yours, I'll be happy to see you when I get back, but please don't feel any pressure. I guess I'll see you soon or not, you decide, I wrote my number bellow anyway. PS: I really hope you didn't have anymore nightmare, I put an extra blanket on the floor just in case. And there are some waffles left in the fridge if you cannot wait ;)

All the light from my heart to yours,

*Nicole*

Did I say I was melting? Well, now I had turned into jelly. This little cute wink face though. I let the heat rush to my cheeks, my smile was invaluable.

I hopped joyfully to what I thought was the bathroom. WOW, AND what a BATHROOM. The blue and grey tiled walls were just adorning a navy blue, shiny shower. I closed the door behind me and put my shirt and bathing suit on the bluestone sink. A large window replaced the back wall, giving the illusion of washing oneself in the seawater.

As I close the curtain behind me, I was struck with pleasure by the smell floating in it: Vanilla Dipped Doughnuts. Nicole's precious scent. My favourite. I let the warmth of the water wash away the hangover. And time flew in a heartbeat.

-15 minutes later-

I heard the front door slam, and I came down of my daydream. I opened the shower's curtain and walked out, desperately looking for a towel. But no matter where, I had nothing in sight. Not even a small carpet. I ran back reluctantly behind the curtains when I started freezing. I took a deep breath, kinda panicked and yelled,

"NICOLE? ARE YOU BACK?"

I heard her step in front of the door and she answered sweetly,

"Hey Wave? Are you okay in there?"

"Yeah, hmmm, I just...Do you have a towel?" I mumbled embarrassed.

"Oh, no sorry, I blowdry my body..." she started joking before adding, "I'm kidding! Give me a sec'"

After a few seconds, I heard her steps get louder as she came back.

"Do you want me to drop it in front of the door or...?"

"You can come in! I'm in the shower, don't worry..."

"Ooh, okay.." I shivered when I heard her voice flinch.

The main bathroom door opened as I popped out my head from the shower's curtain. Nicole was wearing a black sports bra with high waisted tights shorts. Her red hair messy in her ponytail were still dripping a bit from sweat. A drop drew its way down her body to inside her breasts. I stopped breathing, I stopped thinking, I wanted her so bad, that I could've brought her inside the shower with me.

Instead, I just gave her my best 'I am not checking you out' smile and held my hand out to her. She gave me a smile that light up a warm wave in my insights. She had an indescribable way of looking at me. I couldn't think straight anymore.

And of course, me, my naked body, my clumsiness and I, tripped over the shower curtain and landed in her arms.

Cupid, when I mentioned your sense of humour earlier, I back it up now that I'm mortified, naked and pathetic. For now, I couldn't pin a point on why I never had a better day after my birthday, but guess I was about to find out.