With a Partner

Part 3

 Waverly had a student climbing across her shoulders when Nicole caught a glimpse of the other woman from across the building. A bright smile lit up her face and Nicole just knew her whiskey gold eyes were twinkling. Despite the cold outdoors, everyone inside wore the barebones amount of clothing they could. Waverly still seemed to radiate warmth, in her tank top and shorts, always with at least an inch of midriff exposed. Though she was a little too warm, Nicole felt a shiver run down her spine.

Nicole's students were rushing into the changing rooms, as she leaned against the doorframe leading into the training room, a watchful eye following them all. Waverly noticed her and waved to her with a brilliantly charming grin. Nicole waved back, doing her best to not seem overly enthusiastic. Waverly had a tendency to bring out Nicole's inner awkward tween. She would forget how to be smooth, how to hold herself, or how to be a functioning human in general.

Waverly Earp, coaching her students towards the front of the building, felt like a light at Nicole's back even though she couldn't see the other girl from her vantage point. They didn't know one another well, yet, but Nicole liked knowing the other girl was there. She was comforted by her mere presence. Every break Nicole got, she would at the very least enjoy a glance at Waverly.

She was completely exhausted by the time her classes were finished. Nicole was doused completely in sweat. She pulled off the top portion of her Taekwondo uniform, leaving her in a tank top and loose linen-adjacent pant. Turning only slightly to get a look into the giant mirror along the wall, Nicole re-tied her hair up into a severe braid close to the back of her head. Despite her exhaustion, Nicole was avoiding going home, so for the first time in forever she decided to stick around and do a thorough cleaning job of the classroom and the changing rooms.

The building had completely emptied by that point, except for the telltale music coming from the far side. The tunes weren't bad, so Nicole didn't mind as she tiredly forced herself to focus on cleaning. She was completely exhausted when she finished. Nicole plopped down on the squishiest mat she could find in the gymnastics section just to reset herself before leaving for home. Trying not to fall asleep on accident, Nicole glanced over to the source of the music. She was pleasantly surprised by the view she saw.

Waverly Earp was dancing, alone and completely lost in the music. Her eyes open and focused, but she wasn't completely aware of her surroundings. Nicole had never seen someone with such a masterful control of their body. She was a beautiful blur that did not stop moving until the music slowed and come to a halt. Nicole clapped softly as she stepped forward to let Waverly know she was there.

"That was beautiful. Have you been working on that piece for long?" Nicole asked, unsure of the proper terms to use in regard to Waverly's performance. All of the words and phrases which came to her seemed unworthy or cheezy. She was scared Waverly would assume Nicole had been sticking around just to watch or that she would seem predatory or creepy somehow when in reality she was just in awe.

"Not really. I'm just going through the motions... whatever feels good, whatever comes to mind and seems right in the moment. You're here later than usual." Waverly was surprised to find that she wasn't alone and a bit bashful at having been seen dancing. Mostly, she just wished she wasn't covered in a thin sheen of sweat, chalk dust and grime. Her dance class was cut short and the empty floor had beckoned. Waverly glowed with pride at Nicole's praise.

"Do you dance like that often?" Nicole asked. "When it's late here and you're alone?"

Nicole really didn't mean to sound at all strange or creepy. She just didn't like the idea of Waverly being in the building or the parking lot late at night. Waverly seemed completely capable of taking care of herself, but she was still only one person. Waverly wasn't a very big or threatening kind of person either, and the building was in a pretty rough part of town. Nicole didn't get a good feeling about the situation. She thought Waverly was taking unnecessary risks.

"All of the time, actually. Almost every night." Waverly admitted almost bashfully. "What about you? When was the last time you got to dance?" She asked with a tender expression and a glimmer of laughter in her eyes. Nicole got the feeling she knew where Waverly was going with this.

"Uhm, high school probably. It's not really my thing... and watching you really only reinforces that notion." Nicole replied, leaving out the few times being home alone, belting out at the top of her lungs and dancing wildly just for the stress relief. She figured that didn't really count anyway.

"Dancing isn't really meant to be a performance art." Waverly corrected Nicole as she reached forward, taking both of the redhead's hands and leading her out onto the blue springboard floor. "Anyone can dance. The technicalities aren't important. It's only important that it comes from the heart."

Nicole was struck by the words, but her heart rate picked up in response to Waverly's smiles and her hands warmly grasping her own. She knew next to nothing about dancing and her long limbs were more of a hindrance than a help. Waverly pulled her in a bit closer and led Nicole across the floor as the music changed. The redhead swallowed hard. She stumbled over her own feet more than once, but Waverly only smiled gently and continued to lead her through a couple more songs.

"If you're this good on a dance floor, it must be amazing to see you go full blast on a floor routine." Nicole commented, reaching out and twirling Waverly with a laugh.

Nicole took a while to relax and allow herself to be guided and to sink into the music. Her legs were still sore, but she was having so much fun by then that she didn't mind. Waverly could see the difference in her, she had relaxed into the music, her hips had actually begun to move and a smile had grown across her face. Finally, the other woman was having fun along with her. Waverly's own heart stuttered in response.

Nicole was so strong and Waverly had seen her decimate opponents and her board breaks, but those same hands were so gentle in her own hands. Nicole spun Waverly away from her and the younger Earp couldn't help a giggle. Nicole pulled her back and Waverly halted with a solid thump, her back hitting Nicole's front as the taller girl caught her. Strong arms looped around her middle and she felt her breath leave her body. Chills ran up and down her spine. Waverly met Nicole's for a long moment and Nicole released her, feeling almost frozen under the weight of the gaze.

"I, uhm, would you like me to accompany you to your car? Just to make sure you get there safely, it's gotten pretty late." Nicole offered still feeling awkward. Waverly laughed and stepped away before gathering her things and accepting the hand she was offered. This was such a Nicole thing to do... and Waverly could feel herself falling further and further.