"Have a great rest of your night," Waverly smiled sincerely at the last customers leaving Shorty's, as she followed behind them with the master key and went to lock the front doors.
A booted foot stepped inside however, letting the door push against it.
"Am I too late to be served?"
Waverly recognised that voice anywhere.
As she pulled back the door to see her beautiful girlfriend standing there, she ducked her head coyly.
"I'd always serve you, no matter what the time," she smiled, leaning up to give Nicole a kiss on the cheek.
Before they could fully savour in their moment, it was broken.
"Ew, gross, break it up would ya," Wynonna said, chewing on her gum, as she pushed past the in-love duo.
Waverly rolled her eyes in amusement, as Nicole couldn't take her own off the small brunette.
Dolls walked up after the stomping Earp and straightened his collar.
"Waverly," he nodded his head in greeting, "Officer Haught," he did the same to his other colleague, "nice evening right?"
He gave a small wink to his red-haired friend, before squeezing past the pair and joining Wynonna near the pool table.
Waverly went to walk back into Shorty's but Nicole gently pulled her back so they were now flush against each other.
"Hey you," she whispered before leaning down and fully taking Waverly's lips with her own.
The smaller Earp moaned lightly into the embrace and wrapped her arms around Nicole's shoulders, extending onto her tiptoes to get impossibly closer.
Wynonna had spotted them but let them have their moment, for a few minutes anyway.
Dolls tried all he could to not look at the kissing couple, out of respect.
He cleared his throat as he perched onto the pool table, crossing his arms over his chest.
Wynonna decided to be less polite and hoisted herself up onto the pool table, giving an exaggerated 'hrumph' in the process.
"Successful day today Earp, you did good," Dolls said, avoiding eye contact and instead checking his pistol before holstering it again.
Letting her legs kick back and forth beneath her, she rested back onto her hands and ducked her head to look right at Dolls.
"Holy shit, was that a compliment?" she said, giving his shoulder a small nudge with her own.
"Don't let it get to your head Earp…"
"Too late!" She sing-songed, jumping off the pool table.
Dolls straightened his posture and became slightly more alert, as Wynonna made her way to standing right in front of him, mere inches away.
Dolls didn't let it show, with his normal vacant but powerful expression lacing his features, but his heart was now racing; pulsing under his skin with urgency and desire. He controlled his breathing with ease and raised his eyebrow slightly in question at Wynonna's intent.
Opposite, the Earp's heart was doing the same but her facial features more telling and definitely less controlled. Blue eyes sparkled and lips closed with a quick lick of the bottom lip. She shifted her weight back and forth on her feet and flicked up her own eyebrow in challenge to Doll's.
She moved in carefully, so her lips were now brushing close to Doll's ear.
Wynonna willed her heart to calm and the fire burning to simmer down just slightly. Closing her eyes to prevent her mouth from spilling the truth, she went for witty humour instead, for that was the safety zone.
"You said I did good," she whispered with sarcasm, before leaning back only a little, "you complimented me, you actually complimented me sincerely Xavier, are you becoming soft?"
She raised her eyebrows playfully, all telling signs of arousal and desire now replaced with protective walls and humour defence tactics. Dolls knew all her barriers and much like his own, he wanted so badly to knock them down but the incessant need to guard oneself always overpowering any innate physical and mental attraction.
"You wish Earp," he counter-played his own response.
Wynonna retracted her hand from his knee, which she hadn't even realised she had put there, before turning around to see the two other girls locking the front door.
"Please take your time you two, it's not like we have somewhere to be," Wynonna said with her usual dose of sass.
Nicole looked confused.
"But we literally don't have somewhere to be," she asked, as she and Waverly walked over to the pair.
Wynonna looked around.
"Yeah, well,", she looked slightly caught-out, before she scoffed and tutted her tongue, "well, speak for yourself not-so-Haught-right-now."
And with that and a flick of her hair, Wynonna bee-lined for the basement, where she knew she could get some much-needed alcohol.
Back at the bar, Waverly placed a comforting hand on Dolls arm.
"Good day today?" she smiled sweetly.
Dolls always appreciated Waverly's calming presence.
"It actually was," he gave a small smile in the corner of his lips, "but I made the mistake of telling your sister she did a good job - won't be hearing the last of that one."
And in all honesty, he was happy to not hear the last of it. Any small excuse to have Wynonna be in his company, he would happily take.
Waverly laughed at the truth of it. Wynonna would use anything to tease someone but looking into Dolls eyes, Waverly wasn't as in the unknown as Dolls might have thought, she could tell he enjoyed her sister's attention, more than he would admit.
The weight of Waverly's stare was starting to sit heavy on his stable but fragile walls, so he made his excuses that he should check Wynonna hadn't drunk the whole of Shorty's and headed to the basement.
Nicole finished turning off the main lights and walked up to be just behind Waverly, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's waist.
"Those two need to talk it out right?" Nicole asked sincerely.
Waverly let her eyes shut a while, leaning her head back into the security of the red-head's shoulder.
"Do they ever. I guess it's a complicated but heated triangle," the smaller girl put her arms on top of Nicole's, "what with her, Doc and Dolls… it's a constant battle of her feelings. And his, Dolls I mean, he's been fighting with his emotions since they first met… I think anyway."
Nicole nodded her head in agreement, placing a small kiss to the back of Waverly's head.
"I don't think you're far off the truth at all baby."
Waverly turned around in her girl's arms and went in for a hug.
"So, you think we should go save them from their intense sexual tension and unspoken feelings?" Nicole piped up, earning a laugh from Waverly.
"And to stop Wynonna stealing all the whiskey, yeah," the small Earp nodded.
With half an hour passing and many arguments later of how Doc would be able to tell if Wynonna stole 10 bottles of his finest Whiskey, they were now all settled in Waverly's Jeep, heading onto the open road back to the Homestead, where they would drop Dolls off at his motel on the way.
With just the sound of wind rushing past the windows and the deep hum of tyres on tarmac, Nicole let her head sink back into the safety of the headrest, her hand resting on top of Waverly's which was stroking her thigh. She turned her head to the left and admired the profile of Waverly's face, the way her eyes were glistening in the moon's shine and how her hair flowed over her right shoulder.
Caught in the act, the smaller Earp, turned for a fraction of a second to notice the stare. She couldn't help but let the smile take over her lips, as she turned her attention back to the road.
Nicole leaned over and tucked brunette hair behind Waverly's ear, lightly stroking down her cheek before she retreated her hand, bringing it back to rest on top of her girlfriend's hand.
As a few seconds passed, Waverly was revelling in the content feeling of living in the present moment.
From the backseat, a sound interrupted their thoughts.
"Huergh…!" Wynonna verbally exclaimed with a retch, earning a hearty laugh from Nicole.
The red-haired girl turned her attention over her shoulder, to see an awkward looking Dolls and a smug looking Wynonna.
'Not for long', Nicole thought.
"Jealous Wynonna?" she asked, raising her eyebrow in jest.
The older Earp sank into her seat a little, not-so-subtly eyeing the man next to her.
"Na-uh, I am fine thank you very much," she raised her chin, "I'm a lone wolf, a survivor, look out for number one, y'know, numero uno."
Officer Haught had to suppress a laugh, and so did Dolls.
"Sure thing Earp," Nicole turned back in her seat and gave Waverly's hand a squeeze as she did.
In the backseat however, Dolls and Wynonna caught each other's eyeline and both gave the other a quick casual smile with an accompanying nod of the head and then faced their respective windows.
Wynonna lightly bashed her forehead into hers, clenching her eyes shut and mouthing 'what the fuck Earp', before lightly banging her head a few more times for good measure.
Dolls was pretty sure he could hear the girl doing just that but chose to ignore it, seeing his motel approaching in the distance and thanking the heaven's for the get-out.
"This is you Dolls," Waverly smiled, pulling up to the motel and putting the Jeep into park.
"So it is," he smiled kindly at the young Earp and got out of the truck, leaning back into the car.
"Take care you two," he tapped a gentle hand onto Nicole's shoulder looking at the duo, "and uh, see you tomorrow Earp."
He gave a deep smile, a flick of the eyes, a pause and then departed.
"You got'cha," Wynonna said weakly, as the door closed, leaving their goodbye half answered.
Dolls slowly started strolling away.
Waverly lightly slammed her hands onto the steering wheel, as she looked at her girlfriend and Nicole nodded to her in affirmation.
"Are you serious Wynonna?" Waverly said, in a sisterly yet assertive way.
"Hardly ever, why?" the older Earp questioned back with a deadpan expression.
"You're letting him walk away…" Waverly started.
"Again," her girlfriend finished.
Wynonna crossed her arms in front of her chest, a classic defensive pose, before sinking sulkily into the car seat.
"Just drive," Wynonna said quietly.
It hit deaf ears.
"You like him right… just tell him that," the smaller Earp insisted, "it's so gosh darn obvious that he likes you too. I just think things would be easier if you both let it out."
Wynonna rolled her eyes, sitting up slightly and looking out the window at her friend's nearly fully retreated figure. A smile immediately graced her lips and her heart fluttered.
Well, shit.
She impulsively lent forward, grabbing the shoulders of both her sister and her fast becoming really good friend, before looking back and forth between the duo.
"If this goes tits up, I'm dragging you both down with me."
And with that, Wynonna went to leave the car with determination, sat back abruptly, stomped her foot and with a 'fuuuuck', she pushed open the car door and dived out, leaving herself no room for backing out.
She stood up in the cold night air and her eyes widened.
Both Nicole and Waverly were looking out the window with their full attention. Knowing the Earp needed a boost of confidence, Nicole opened her car door with a quick movement and hit Wynonna forward with a jolt, sending her into an awkward run/walk, until she was now marching forward on her own.
"Wait," Wynonna shouted, her voice weaker than she'd hoped, "hold up!"
With that, Dolls turned around, both shocked and internally elated to see the approaching figure of one Wynonna Earp.
Back in the car, Waverly had crawled so she was now perching on her girlfriend's lap, their faces squished up against the window.
"Are they talking, can you see?" Waverly asked excitedly.
"I can see what you can see babe," Nicole giggled whole-heartedly.
"Roll the window down, we need all senses on this," Waverly exclaimed, rushing to roll it down herself, no time could be wasted.
The fresh air of the night flowed into the car, as the faint voices of the BBD duo could be heard in the distance.
"Everything okay?" Dolls asked, his hands buried in his jean's pockets for warmth.
"Is it?" Wynonna said impulsively, her eyes looking up to her friend with need and a softness about them.
She stepped a little closer.
Dolls bowed his head slightly.
"Us… this… tell me I'm wrong that there's not something here," Wynonna asked, placing one hand on her own chest and the other on Dolls.
He let his eyes shut at the contact.
"Wynonna…," he said quietly, the Earp retracting her hand at the sound of his voice, "I can't…"
She held her breath. She doesn't cope well with rejection, not that he couldn't if he didn't feel what she felt but she just wasn't sure she could cope with it. Not now.
"I can't do words; I find it… challenging but can I show you that there is something here?"
Dolls stepped forward, so they were now sharing their mutual body warmth in their cold surroundings.
Wynonna couldn't do anything but slowly nod twice, her body frozen with anticipation and yearning.
Hesitating only slightly, Dolls laced one arm round Wynonna's back, the other sliding skilfully into Wynonna's own waiting hand.
Giving the Earp another moment to let him know this isn't what she wanted but getting nothing but approval back, he lent down and let his own burning lips meet Wynonna's, their passion lighting fires within each other.
Breath being shared and lips sliding cooperatively against one another, as body movements became instinct and automatic.
Throughout the night air, their moment was joyfully interrupted by shouting coming from the car.
"Woohoo! Yes Wynonna!" Waverly and Nicole were both screaming and cheering from the front seat of the truck.
"Payback for the amount of times she's interrupted us, ey?" Nicole laughed, wiggling her eyebrows at her girlfriend before going back to cheer and whistle out of the window.
Not letting her lips leave their destined place upon Dolls's own, Wynonna stretched out her hand backwards to give a solid and confident middle finger back to the occupants of the Jeep.
Waverly and Nicole stopped their celebration and just settled back into the seat, the red-head using the lever to push them back nearly flat, pulling Waverly into a hug as she did so.
"I love our little family Waves," Nicole smiled, looking up through the roof of the truck into the starry night's sky.
"As do I baby, as do I," Waverly grinned, giving her girlfriend a kiss on the cheek before settling in to the body warmth and waiting for her sister to come back.
It could be a long wait but they both knew it was 100% worth it.