Work Text:
All I See Is You
An in depth analysis of Wayhaught’s admittance of feelings / first kiss scene. Katherine Barrell and Dominique Provost-Chalkey bring this to life in ways we never thought any actor could. The micro expressions, the small gestures and hesitation are all on point to what a genuine pair of individuals would look like when confessing feelings for one another. A phenomenal performance that helps us all connect with the characters that they are.
Screenshot essay written & captured by: @Umachica
Image editing & story formatting by: @JaymieSarner
***
A quiet day at the precinct. The Sheriff and the head of Black Badge have made their way to Happy Hour at Shorty’s.
Only one co-worker remains and she isn’t happy. She flaps her folder shut with a huff and walks away from Officer Haught who is busy filling out a motor vehicle accident report. While she is momentarily distracted by Nicole’s coworker, Waverly walks in with purpose. Her face speaks of all the terror in her heart as she fixes her gaze back on her goal.
Nicole doesn’t notice her until she speaks. Waverly does her best to maintain intense focus.
Waverly: I'm about to do something crazy...
She asks if Nedley's out, her eyes travelling to and from the empty office as Nicole answers. Waverly the planner, is planning. For once it’s completely on the fly.
Waverly pushes through the counter’s gate and breezes past Nicole.
Nicole: Uh...you shouldn-...what is she doing?
( Record scratch : Cameo by Stetson! #BringBackTheStetson)
Waverly is on the verge of panicking, and still can't quite believe she's doing this. She throws her purse down onto Nedley’s desk as if to ground herself to the situation. She is now committed.
“Wave?”
Nicole says with some concern, trying to figure out this puzzle of a confusing crush out.
Nicole: What Earpness is this now?
“Oh shit.”
Waverly says under her breath as she throws her coat down onto the couch. She is already frantically whimpering as she starts slamming the blinds closed! She is NOT here to just talk things over.
Her heart is racing at 1000 bpm. Nicole tries an upbeat greeting and gets quite literally shoved out of the way. While she is Waverly’s goal, she's an obstacle in this moment.
“Scuse me.”
Waverly: OhHiNicoleBeWithYouInOneSec!!
Nicole: Excuse you? Excuse me! Did you just shove me aside in MY workplace?
All Nicole knows is that her crush/friend, that had rejected her earlier that day, is acting weird again. Waverly is being pushy (literally). Nicole allows for more shenanigans with Waverly than she normally would, but in her workplace there is no nonsense.
“What is your problem?! "I don’t understand why you..."
...are acting like this , was probably what she was going to say...but Waverly climbs her like a Redwood and Nicole’s mind is suddenly blank and they are on fire. Sounds fill the air and they don’t even know which of them are making them.
Nicole immediately softens and starts stumbling backwards. She needs air and opens her eyes for a reality check. Waverly is on her tiptoes and has just had her first taste of Nicole. She NEEDS MORE so she pulls Nicole back in while still surging forward into the cop that is stealing her heart. I swear she’s walking pointe all the way to the couch. Nicole knows she should probably be stopping this to see exactly what's going on...but she just keeps her hand on Waverly’s arm as they walk backwards. This feels even better than she thought it would.
Until her boot clips the couch...
Nicole moans / gasps because she is falling both literally and figuratively. Waverly doesn't miss a stride. She just mounts up her cowboy.
“Oh God” one of them breaths.
Waverly braces her hand against the armrest as Nicole grabs her torso. They surge into another kiss.
Deliriously happy Nicole, frantic Waverly.
Nicole's knees open and lift. Her body's so frikkin ready for this.
Nicole's brain catches up and she pumps the brakes just a little.
"What happened to friends?" with a grin because Nicole is half joking and half wants to know what changed. Is Waverly sure? I don’t think she’s expecting a long and complicated response here, she’s just checking in, but in doing so she reminds Waverly that she had a speech to deliver.
Waverly surges back up and catches her breath because…This is it. She has to tell her now. She’s worried over these words repeatedly, and she just has to say them.
"You know what I've always wanted?"
Nicole's face contorts as she isn’t quite sure how to respond to this and her body is wondering why the heck they’ve stopped.
“What?”
Aroused and wary Nicole. She has been having the same dream every night since she laid eyes on Waverly. The dream of this happening. Still, she’s not sure if Waverly is ready for this. If she will run away or not. Her mind is still trailing a little behind Waverly’s right now.
One of the many ways we can tell Nicole is wrestling with herself. You can see her reining the lust back under control. She forces herself into "listen" mode with a huff
Nicole: Holy crap, Waverly. You cannot just DO THAT and then ask my brain to function. But okay, I’m listening.
Waverly spills out her speech like she can't get it out of the way fast enough. She's terrified, hopeful, excited, and trying to get everything out before she loses her nerve and bolts. But she's come up with this speech, dammit, and she hopes it's romantic. She hopes it sweeps Nicole off her feet. This is Waverly's Move(™) and if it doesn't work, she’s not sure what she'll do.
“To parachute out of a plane at fifteen thousand feet. Yeah. To swim far, far out into the ocean until I can’t see the bottom anymore.”
"To eat geoduck..." Nicole looks like she is a complicated math meme. She’s trying to keep up and knows Waverly just paused for a reaction but she's still a step behind.
Nicole: Uh Waves...what are we talking about? I thought....what?
So she just says, "Isn't that the one that kind of looks like a p-"
“Yeah, it is.”
"Point is, I've always wanted to do things that scared me but..." she looks up here, gathering her words.
( Record scratch : Dom has mentioned before that throughout Season One the Director had to ask her to slow her speech down repeatedly. It wouldn't be surprising if she actually caught sight of a crew member giving her a slow it down gesture here. She immediately slows, which could be half her conscious decision, but maybe half guidance as well.)
Waverly gulps and half nods before continuing.
“Well it’s not so easy to be brazen…”
(Cue: Wildwood by Fleurie) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMBPvhYp3r0
Waverly looks at her hand on Nicole's thigh.
Waverly: Uh...shit...why is my hand there?
She moves her hand and takes a deep breath, because here it goes. We’re getting into the heart of the speech.
“...when the thing you want...”
“...th-that scares you to death…”
Waverly uses a little hand gesture to try to indicate the two of them.
“...is sitting right in front of you.”
There. She said it. She told her. Why did that take so long to admit not just to herself, but Nicole as well? That she wants this person in front of her.
Some of the best things in life are the surprises it throws us...about what we want. Who we want.
Waverly wants Nicole.
Nicole’s face softens and melts into a look of love and enchantment. Nicole finds this very romantic, and also adorable because...
"I scare you..."
Nicole is taken aback by the realization, and her heart is melting right here.
Waverly gives a grin that says a lot. It acknowledges that being scared of Nicole is a little silly but also says “Duh, of course I’m scared. This is something I’ve never had to deal with before.”
With Nicole looking at her like that, Waverly goes into her next bit with more happiness and confidence.
"Yes. Yes you do. Because..."
"I don't want to be friends."
Nicole's breath stops. Her eyes go wide. Is Waverly gonna say what she thinks she might say? Is she? There's some uncertainty in Nicole's face, because there can always be a curveball with that kind of a lead up. She is an Earp after all.
Waverly is all serious here. She needs Nicole to see the sincerity of this statement. This is the statement she's gone over in her head repeatedly and this is her declaration.
She gulps once more, nervous.
Waverly: Here goes nothing...
“When I think of what I want to do most in this world…”
Her eyebrows twitch a little, she takes a deep breath,
“...it’s you.”
Nicole: Oh...my God...wow! My heart's still burning over you...
Waverly realizes she just blatantly said ‘I wanna do you’.
Waverly: *wince* Wow, that sounds kind of crass when you look at it that way. Oops!
Nicole on the other hand is completely won over because she has taken it the way Waverly meant it.
Nicole: Look how adorable this girl is even when she's embarrassed.
Those are stars in Nicole's eyes. She's struck dumb.
Waverly: Oops, I Earped.
“Oh God. That sounded much more romantic in my head...”
Nicole: God, she's amazing...
Waverly is begging for assistance because Nicole is still being silent. It hasn't been that long, but it feels like it because Waverly just took a massive step.
She came out to Nicole and said she wants to be with her.
“Just...jump in any time Nicole because I really really don’t know how to do this.”
Nicole closes her eyes and smiles, amused with Waverly's nervousness and also reminding herself that yeah, she should probably say something now.
Nicole is staring at Waverly with added heat because she wants Waverly to see what she is doing to her.
“Oh sure you do...”
The tone is soft but low and warm and honeyed. Waverly’s heart melts. Her breath catches when she sees that Look.
Waverly: Oh...wow...
She takes another heavy breath, feeling returning heat, and grins at her own awkwardness.
"Maybe I should just stop talking..."
Nicole's brain has caught up now. She sees it's time for her to take over and she does. Waverly has this handy dandy scarf and Nicole's gonna use it to show Waverly The Way. The sexy sexy way.
“See? You’re getting better at this already.”
Waverly resists at the last second.
Nicole: Dammit girl. Why?
Nicole's expression says it all. Earp girls are confusing.
Trying to be brave and going for a smooth line, Waverly tries to prove she can hold her own in this. That she does, in fact, know how to be sexy despite an awkward start. She's excited to get this show rolling again.
“Maybe you should stop talking too...”
Nicole: Damn...
Nicole looks at her like, ‘Oh, a little spice there. I see. Let's stoke that fire a little more’
Nicole flashes a look of defiance and challenges Waverly back, using the same heated tone as before.
"Maybe you should make me."
She follows it with a brilliant, dimple popping smile to reassure Waverly that this is part of the game and that this is what she wants too. Game on.
Waverly looks at Nicole’s lips. Then up into her eyes. Then down again...and falls. Her lips actually tremble...
Then she goes in for it.
Nicole is absolutely luxuriating in this moment and she tilts her head back and sinks into the couch as Waverly pushes forward.
Everyone, we have Wayhaught lift off! Kind of literally actually, because...
Nicole remembers she's a top cop. She both wants to take the lead for Waverly's sake and NEEDS to because her body demands it right now.
For a split second, Waverly looks like she thinks they're gonna make out while sitting up. She goes in to wrap her arms around Nicole's shoulders. That's sweet Waverly, really. Considerate Nicole’s hand is on Waverly’s back as she presses further forward and helps gently lay her lover back.
She actually falls back with a mild look of surprise when Nicole keeps going forward.
Both: Oh wow...this...this is...really happening.
Nicole grins conspiratorially like an idiot because they totally shouldn't be doing this on her boss’ couch, but screw it. She thought this was never going to happen, but it is.
Nicole: Oh this is gonna be fun!
Nicole: Let's just get you wrapped around me.
Nicole takes Waverly's leg and lifts it up and over her hip! Waverly is all for it and Nicole goes full right hip down between Waverly’s legs, her belt buckle giving off a sexy flash.
Waverly makes a useless little fist because she's not even sure what to do at this point. She's just enjoying the moment. The taste. The sounds.
You can see Nicole's arm coming back down to grab onto (maybe?) Waverly's hips.
She presses in and pulls Waverly up.
They break apart for a split second as Nicole presses in and pulls again. Waverly recalls that there is more to the world than just Nicole's lips and regains limb control. She cups just under Nicole's ear with one hand and the other makes a grab across Nicole's shoulders, holding her close.
Nicole’s hand slides further down Waverly's thigh, over her hips to her waist. If Waverly had been wearing a skirt instead of tight leggings that hand could have been going places. Those pants seem thin enough as it is though, to be honest.
Nicole pauses them for tender romance moment. She wants Waverly to know this is more to her than just a fun make out session. Nicole tugs gentle at Waverly’s bottom lip as if she is worshipping the sight beneath her. Her mouth hangs open ready to swallow Waverly whole again.
She lifts Waverly's chin just a little to reposition her for the next kiss with the softest expression on her face.
The kiss she delivers is soft too...slotting in a stealthy tongue.
Quickly followed by a much more passionate one where Nicole sucks in Waverly’s bottom lip.
Nicole GRINDS into Waverly. Waverly forgets her hands again as they ball into useless little fists before she reaches back up to put a hand on Nicole's neck.
Nicole follows that with a sweet quick kiss and a playful grin that Waverly shares this time. The nerves are gone now and they are absolutely elated.
They found each other. They finally met in the middle.
Please select your favorite fanfic to continue the scene.
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Bonus: Their grins serves as a transition back one of two immediate boner killer / kind of unnerving sights, depending on your viewing media of choice.
Either;
Full Episode: A grinning Constance Clootie about to be left crying in the Salt Flats
Or
Youtube clip: Dom giving you a knowing look and judging you for watching this scene for the 34,502,364,827,304,985 time today.
Just hurry up and turn to the fanfic already...