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Sheila hears Tex’s bike pull up outside the shop. With a smile, she stands up straight and dusts herself off, cringing at the smear of oil on her apron. But oh well, better her apron than her nice skirt.
She greets her girlfriend with open arms, and with a roll of her eyes, Tex lets herself be pulled into the hug. After a moment of awkward back pats on Tex’s part and a big bear hug on Sheila’s part, Tex shoves her face into Sheila’s cleavage and blows a raspberry.
“Texas!” Sheila squeals, jumping away from Tex and glaring at her. The glare doesn’t last long, though, because Tex has the most adorably smug smirk on her face, and a hand on her hip, and she’s got sweat on her brow and a low-cut top on, and she’s… beautiful.
“Sorry I’m late, had an errand to run,” Tex says, walking over to the car in the garage and peering into the hood. “What’ve we got?”
“Just an oil change and a tune-up,” Sheila explains, giving Tex a thumbs up. “I’ve done most of the work. Actually, I was just about to take a break! I’ve got muffins cooling inside, and it’s time for a taste test.”
“Oh, hell yeah,” Tex grins and starts towards the door, but Sheila catches her by the collar of her motorcycle jacket.
“Hold on a second, missy,” Sheila says playfully. “Remember the rules.”
“Only one muffin a day,” Tex recites dryly, turning around and giving Sheila an unimpressed look. “I know, mom.”
Sheila smirks and pulls Tex in for a kiss, their lips slotting together like it’s second nature, because it is. They’ve been together for almost two years, and Sheila always makes sure to get a kiss whenever Tex is within arm’s reach, because who knows when she’ll be gone again.
Not that Tex still disappears often for days on end, that phase ended six months ago, maybe more, but they’re both busy women. You’d think working together would mean they’d see each other more often, but you’d be surprised. Usually, Tex is in the other garage, helping out with the motorcycles, while Sheila works on the cars and trucks in the main garage.
The kiss ends, they part, Sheila keeps her hand on Tex’s cheek, cupping her jaw. She looks into Tex’s eyes, warm brown meeting harsh green, and smiles, kissing her nose.
Tex grabs Sheila’s left breast and deadpans, “Honk.”
Sheila huffs and lightly taps Tex’s cheek, stepping away from her and taking her hand, letting Tex lead the way into their house.
“So what errand did you have to run?” Sheila asks as they sit down with their muffins. Or, Sheila sits down at least. Tex stays standing, leaning against the wall with her foot up on one of the chairs.
One of Sheila’s nice, wood, chairs, that could very easily be ruined by a dirty boot rubbing all over them.
But right as Sheila is about to ask Tex to remove her boot, she notices Tex’s cheeks have a rosy colour to them, and she’s staring out the window, chewing her lower lip lightly.
“Nothing too important,” Tex finally answers. “Don’t worry about it.”
Sheila sighs. “Okay…”
She can’t help that disappointed feeling she gets whenever Tex keeps something from Sheila. Sure, she has her secrets, but she gets vague about the smallest things sometimes, and it makes Sheila feel like Tex doesn’t trust her.
Tex has gotten so much better at relationship things, though. So Sheila will let this slide, because pushing Texas to do anything only makes her less likely to actually get it done.
Sheila takes pride in knowing Tex that well. Not many people do, and it’s truly an honour to be one of the few capable of getting through her shell and into her true heart and soul. Not that Tex puts a mask on around others, no, she’s too honest for that. But she takes her softer side and keeps it hidden, almost curls protectively around it. And while Sheila loves Tex’s cooler, tough self - after all, it’s the part of her she first fell in love with - she loves the amount of love and kindness in her heart much more.
Really, she just loves all of Texas.
“These are really fuckin’ good,” Tex says, mouth ful.
Sheila laughs. “Thank you, sweetie.”
The flush to Tex’s cheeks return, and she swallows before turning to Sheila with a raised eyebrow and a, “‘Sweetie?’”
“Should I not call you sweetie?” Sheila asks, cocking her head. “You don’t usually have a problem with it.”
“Well, you’ve only ever called me sweetie in the bedroom, and I tend not to have a problem with anything in there,” Tex points out with a wink, and now it’s Sheila’s turn to blush and smile wryly. “But sure, go for it.”
Sheila smiles wide. “Okay, then, sweetie.”
Tex chokes on the next bite of her muffin and then says, “Okay, actually, maybe not.”
Sheila laughs.
—
“Hey, can we talk?”
Sheila sets aside her magazine as Tex climbs onto the bed. She’s wearing a baggy AC/DC shirt and a pair of black panties, which is such an amusing contrast to Sheila and her matching striped pajamas that she can’t help but smile.
She runs her fingers through Tex’s hair and pulls her in for a kiss, and then says, “Of course. What is it?”
That rare blush is back on Tex’s face as she sits back. “You know I’m not good with words, but I guess I just want to say thanks.”
“For what?” Sheila asks, putting her hand on Tex’s shoulder, trailing it down her arm, until she’s holding Tex’s hand.
“For dealing with me,” Tex says jokingly, a half-smile on her face. “I’ve had to sort out a lot of my bullshit since we started dating, and you were the one holding this relationship together through it all. You weren’t like the others I’ve been with. When I ran, when I panicked and left you for weeks - sometimes months - on end, you waited for me. You wouldn’t let me leave.”
Sheila says, simply, “I would have let you leave if I knew you wanted to.”
“I never wanted to,” Tex replies. “And to this day, I don’t know how you somehow knew that. But I’m glad you did. I know it hurt you, but I’m selfish enough to still be glad you waited for me to come around, every single time. No one else would do that for someone like me.”
“It worked out,” Sheila says, leaning over to give Tex a kiss. “You’re not selfish, Tex. I’m glad I waited, too. It’s all been worth it.”
Tex looks… relieved. “I’m glad you agree,” she says, then sighs. “Like I said, I’m bad with words. And I’m pretty sure words can’t describe how much I love you, anyway. So…”
Tex stands up and walks over to dresser, where she’s draped her jacket. She digs around in the pocket and returns to the bed, holding the item in her hand behind her back, and Sheila’s throat gets tight.
It can’t be what Sheila's thinking. It can’t be. Tex wouldn’t- Tex couldn’t-
“I’m hoping this can tell you everything I can’t say,” Tex says, and then pulls her hand out from behind her back.
In her palm is a black velvet box, and when Tex opens it to reveal the most beautiful diamond ring Sheila’s ever seen, Sheila feels tears well up in her eyes.
It was what Sheila was thinking. Tex did.
“Sheila…” Tex takes a deep breath and meets Sheila’s eyes, soft green meeting watery brown, and asks, “Will you marry me?”
The words get stuck in Sheila’s throat as she looks into Tex’s unwavering gaze. She feels a few tears fall down her cheeks, as she struggles to get the words out, feeling herself stutter and stammer. The bitten-back smile that crosses Tex’s face gives Sheila a hint to what her face might be doing right now.
“I… yes,” Sheila finally gets out, and Tex full-on grins, slipping the ring onto Sheila’s finger. Sheila grabs Tex’s shoulders and pulls her into a hug, crying into her smaller girlfriend’s shoulder. “Yes, Tex, of course, yes!”
Tex laughs against Sheila’s chest, hugging Sheila tight enough that Sheila begins to worry she may not be able to breathe.
“I love you,” Sheila says through her tears, rubbing Tex’s back and kissing her cheek. “I love you, Texas.”
Tex leans back and captures Sheila’s lips in a kiss. A kiss that is passion and hard presses and so undeniably Texas that is has Sheila crying even harder.
Tex tucks her head against Sheila’s chest once more after they part, and mumbles, “Love ya, too.”
And then, after a pause, Tex shoves her face into Sheila’s cleavage and blows a raspberry.
“Texas!”
“Just a reminder that you agreed to spend the rest of your life with that.”
“I am fully aware of what I signed up for, sweetie.”
Because of course Sheila knows what she signed up for. She signed up for bruised knuckles and smudged black lipstick and leather.
She signed up for ruined sappy moments, hard rock, suspicious muffin disappearances, and nighttime restlessness.
She signed up for ups and downs, sickness and health, better or worse.
And she’s so, so excited.