Chapter Text
The cold fall air stings her lungs as she Waverly peeks her head up from the huddle with Ewan and the boys trying to get a glimpse of auburn hair pulled back into a headband across the field.
“PROBIE! Get your head in here” Ewan barks.
Waverly snaps forward and squeezes tighter into the circle of firefighters gathered around staring waiting for Ewan to give the play.
This was the Annual Purgatory Fire vs. Sheriff Department Football game. Throughout the years the rivalry has been heated, with Fire and Cops seamlessly exchanging the championship title each year. But lately the officers have had all the bragging rights winning the last two years in a row. This due in part to Purgatory’s Sheriff’s Department brightest red headed deputy, Nicole Haught, starting her second year on the force leading the team as QB, her arm being touted as the “quickest gun on the gridiron”,this year was going to be different though, Waverly thought.
This year Ewan was the Captain for the Purgatory Fire Department, and after being 1st team all-conference in the Big City. Ewan had a plan to raise the Fire department back up to their former glory just like the phoenix rising up on the department emblem. Waverly was the first person Ewan hired on after being promoted to Captain. She finished first in all her fire academy classes and still holds the record for quickest time getting into full turnout gear plus apparatus. But her small size meant she was picked over after graduation, and it wasn’t until Ewan took a chance her that she finally landed a job with Purgatory Fire Department. She was determined to prove Ewan right, and show everyone what she was made of.
It’s the fourth quarter. Eight seconds of playing time left, Fire and the Sheriffs are tied up the Sheriff’s need a touchdown to win. Sheriffs have the ball on the 15 yard line. The Purgatory High school football stadium is quiet, but both teams could feel the tension pulsing off of crowd packed into the old worn bleachers. With not much else to do in Small Town Purgatory, the whole town showed up to watch the Saturday night game. Everybody watching, waiting for glory or tragedy.
Ewan lowers his voice, “This is it boys”. Waverly huffs and thinks. At least I’m not being called probie.
Ewan a little bit louder starts again, “We HAVE to hold them here, they have no choice but to throw the ball. Its fourth down and they can’t risk not stopping the clock again. That means Red Haught over there is gonna be throwing it to Wynonna.”
Waverly can feel the whole team, except Ewan, wince at her name. Wynonna was the Sheriff’s newest deputy, and very quickly being known as it’s fiercest. Already well known around town for her abilities to get things done in her own unique way, she was recruited onto the department on a special cross border task force. She’s Waverly’s older sister which means Waverly knows exactly what Wynonna is capable of, PAIN. This game was supposed to be two hand touch, but Wynonna had already found a way to break two firefighter’s noses in the first half. No one was looking forward to covering her.
Noticing the team wincing, Ewan snaps “Focus up. This is the plan: Charlie, Joe, and Carl you’re on the line. Earp, I want you covering your sister she can hit like a freight train but she’s got the attention span of a puppy. GET. IN. HER. HEAD.”
“Yes, Cap!” Waverly says urgently. Hoping her quick response would cover up the nerves swelling up to the surface.
Ewan continues, “The rest of you get on everything with a pulse, I don’t want a man free. Alright hands in.”
Their huddle breaks, and the sheriff’s offence is still gathered together 5 yards from the line of scrimmage. Waverly jogs over to the open side of the field where Wynonna had been lined up all game.
Breathe, just breathe. She tells herself. Whatever Wynonna does to you right now will never be worse than grape soda torture when we were kids.
The sheriff’s huddle finally breaks, but something’s off. Wynonna is staying back behind the Center getting ready to take the snap and Nicole is now heading to Wynonna’s receiver’s spot.
Waverly wide eyed thinks, those SHIT TICKETS. They’ve switched. They must have some sort of trick play.
Waverly’s mind starts racing to figure out how to approach the situation, but she gets lost in an instant watching Nicole confidently jog towards her. Nicole’s beautiful hair flawlessly tucked into her sheriff’s department headband, like she hadn’t just played three straight quarters of intense football, her short wavy reddish brown hair sticking out the back of the headband bouncing in rhythm with her steps as she slowed down to get into position.
Ever since Nicole had come to Purgatory and joined that Sheriff’s department, Waverly had been inexplicitly drawn to her. Waverly didn’t want to call it a crush, but every time she had spoken before to Nicole (which was a much fewer and far between than Waverly would have liked) she felt like she was in High School again filled with butterflies madly fluttering in her stomach trying to escape. She had never met someone so fearless, with so much confidence it border lined swagger, but at the same time be so effortlessly gentle and kind. She had never felt this way about someone before. Nicole terrified Waverly. She had spent weeks trying to find the courage to say or do something about it.
As Nicole settled up to the offensive side of the line, legs in a runners stance, and hands and arms out at the ready, Nicole looks up at Waverly with arrogant dimpled smile. Almost as though she knew she had already won the game. With her knees slightly weak from the redhead’s alarmingly effective smile, something clicks in Waverly.
Not this year Officer Haught. Waverly thinks. I don’t care how devastatingly attractive you think you are. We’re going home with that trophy tonight.
Ewan’s voice yelling from across the field snaps Waverly back to gravity of where and what she is doing.
“Stick to the plan, Earp! Nothing’s changed, just a new target.” He says looking at Nicole, and then winking at Waverly.
Nicole huffs air out her nose shaking her head at Ewan.
Waverly looks back at Nicole, and momentary panic set in. WAIT. Cap wants me to distract Nicole!?
Interrupting her train of thought, Waverly hears the referee’s whistle blow, signaling the clock to start
0:08 seconds turn to 0:07.
Waverly urgently thinking to herself. God how am I going to distract her?! I’ve barely talked to her. I don’t know how to do this, this is Wy’s thing.
Trying to mentally channel her uniquely unorthodox sister. Waverly quickly repeats whatwouldWydowhatwouldWydowhatwouldWydowhatwouldWydo.
It dawns on Waverly.
FLIRT. Wynonna would flirt her way through this. Gathering all of the Earpiest Earp courage she can muster, she looks up at Nicole, whose head is turned listening to Wynonna yell the cadence across the offensive line.
Fudge nuggets, I’m actually doing this.
Clock ticks down 0:06...0:05…
“Hey Haught, is that just your name or warning label?” Waverly says smiling at the red head in front of her.
Nicole’s full attention on Waverly now, wide eyed and startled, she stutters, “w-what??”
Waverly surprised, smiles back thinking, shit it’s working.
“Sorry was that too forward Officer?” She says sheepishly, “I just figured the Deputy with the best…*motioning to her breasts with her hands* HAIR in the Ghost River County might come with a warning label.”
Nicole’s jaw drops in complete disbelief. Did the girl voted nicest person in Purgatory just hit on me and in the middle of the game? WAIT is Waverly gay? Or Bi?
She was distracted so much in her gay panic that she doesn’t notice Lonnie, the center, snap Wynonna the ball. Or when Wynonna quickly turns and throws the ball straight for her head.
..0:04..
Still staring at Waverly, Nicole hears Wynonna yell, “HAUGHT!!” Nicole turns but it’s too late the ball hits Nicole in the temple and bounces up into the air.
Nicole wincing from the impact holds the side of her head as the ball falls right into Waverly’s hands.
Everything around Waverly seemed to quiet and go into slow motion. She looked over at Ewan, screaming and motioning her to run.
And that’s what Waverly did. She ran and she ran fast. She side stepped Nicole who was just now putting together everything that just happened in that last second and headed straight for the end zone. This by her estimation was 80 yards away on the other side of the field.
..0:03...0:02…
Running as hard and as fast as she could Waverly breaks away from the whole Purgatory Sheriff department team now on the defensive chasing after her. Her sister had always told her she was built like a tiny amazon, but it wasn’t until this moment that she really felt like it. Briefly checking over her shoulder she starts to think she’s in the clear as she crossing the 50 yard line. Until she hears steady breathing of some distinctly feminine getting closer, without breaking stride or momentum Waverly peeks one more time her shoulder and sees the stern concentrated face of one gorgeous read head closing in on her out running all other deputies and firefighters desperately trying to keep up.
GOD DAMN those amazing legs of hers. Waverly laments. In one of Nicole’s long strides it takes Waverly two. Waverly doesn’t want to admit it but Nicole is gaining on her and fast.
…0:01……0:00…
The scoreboard siren wails signaling end of the fourth quarter, but the games not over until the ref blows the whistle.
Coming up on the 25 yard line, Waverly can’t look back again. Desperately trying to find the next gear to shift her body into and make it to the end zone. She has to score and end it here. Willing herself forward more she finds a way to pick up her pace. Nicole’s breathing becomes louder and Waverly can feel the thuds of her footsteps quickly coming up on her raising the hairs on the back of Waverly’s neck fearing she might not be able to make it the end zone.
FUCK! Waverly pants. I HAVE to get it. There’s no more time left.
Bounding over the 10 yard line, Waverly can feel Nicole close enough to start to try and grab at the Purgatory Fire shirt she has cut into a crop top. Wiggling just out of reach after a few more strides, Waverly looks down she’s less than 5 yards to Victory.
Closing her eyes, Waverly jumps leaping forward stretching out her arms and legs as far as she can.
Following suit Nicole leaps forward behind Waverly with grabbing a hold of her hoping to pull her down before she can cross the threshold.
Angling downward, the ball securely in Waverly’s hands, she hits the ground, rolling on her shoulder then on her side finally cradled over as Nicole lands just over her tangled up in Waverly’s legs slowly rolling away as the inertia of the fall leaves them sprawled out on the cold dewy grass.
The first thing Waverly hears before opening her eyes, is the cheers from the crowd.
Then it’s the shrill Referees’ whistles.
Opening her eyes she sees the white hat ref, Juan Carlo, both arms stretched straight up in the air signaling. Touchdown.
She did it. Purgatory Fire had won. She had won. Waverly Earp, winner of football games.
Before she could say anything Ewan, Charlie and the rest of the firefighters had her lifted up on their shoulders chanting Probie, Probie, Probie!! As much as Waverly hated the moniker she smiled and enjoyed boys recognizing her, proud of her, and Ewan for trusting her. But she thinks he would have to be the head of some secret Order to prophesize an ending like that.
******
What. Just. Happened.
Nicole questioned still siting with her butt on the grass in the end zone in bewilderment as she watches Waverly get carted away like a war hero by those meat head firefighters, for the first time tonight starting to feel the cold fall air seeping into her skin.
Wynonna shoving her way through the crowd of Purgatory citizens flooding the field, saunters up to Nicole pulling a small flask out of her bra taking a sip before offering it to her teammate sitting on the ground. Nicole doesn’t move still stunned by events moments earlier. Wynonna pulls another drag from the flask and puts it back in her bra, then parks herself on the ground next to Nicole as the citizens’ move around them like boulders in the stream on their way out of the stadium.
“Naughty Haughty, don’t you know you’re supposed to catch the ball with your hands not your face right?” Wynonna asks as she jabs Nicole with her elbow.
The jab pulls Nicole back from replaying the last couple minutes in her head, trying to figure out how the younger Earp sister completely shook the cool calm collected Deputy Haught.
Nicole elbows Wynonna back, “Oh, go eat a dick Wy”.
“Aww maybe later, that firefighter Charlie was looking pretttyyy good..” Wynonna trails off looking over at the muscled firefighter taking off his shirt next to the engine and purrs.
“But first, you’re gonna buy me and the rest of the squad a drink for losing the game for us.” She says smirking.
“Yea I guess I had that coming.” Nicole groans as she gets back up on her feet. “I’ll meet you guys at Shorty’s, I have to go rinse off before I can face those hose draggers at the bar.”
“Speaking of hose…” Wynonna mumbles as she turns around and starts making her way to the fire truck Charlie is currently standing by.
As Nicole makes her way over to the Purgatory high locker room to wash the dirt and to be honest the embarrassment off of herself, Wynonna yells back at her from across the field waving a small dark blue square, “Don’t worry Haughtstuff I won’t run your tab too much!”
It doesn’t take Nicole long to squint and realize it’s HER wallet in Wynonna’s hand. She had snatched it from her gym bag before taking off after the firefighters on their way to Shorty’s.
Nicole sighs “Yep I guess I probably deserved that too”.
Letting her mind wander as she picks herself up, if only I wasn’t too fucking gay to function, then a pretty girl in a crop top with maybe the tightest abs I’ve ever seen, wouldn’t completely derail me. Come on get it together Haught. Looks like it’s gonna be a cold shower before the bar tonight.
***
As Nicole gets closer to the gym locker room, she starts to hear what sounds like music coming from behind the door, muffled by the old heavy steel door slightly agape. What pulls Nicole’s attention away from trying to figure what song is blaring in the locker room is the steam slowly seeping out from the bottom of the door. Curiosity peaked, Nicole quietly as possible opens the door the rest of the way. Not as though she would be heard since as soon as the door opens she is hit with a blast of Michael Jackson roaring from a small speaker sitting on the bench across from the open showers pumping out waves of steam and heat.
As much Nicole appreciates the King of Pop, she’s currently more interested in the sweet silky voice harmonizing along with him. She’s fixated on the voice as she steps closer to the shower entrance to see who’s singing, as they continue to sing the chorus..
“Just kiss me baby
And tell me twice
That you're the one for me
The way you make me feel
The way you make me feel
You really turn me on
You really turn--”
The singing stops abruptly, as Waverly, hair down still wet from the shower with nothing but fuzzy pink towel wrapped around her, turns the corner coming face to face with Nicole, freezes in place. Both staring at each other wide eyed, Nicole eyes can’t help but track down at the tanned toned arms and legs on full display.
How did I not know Waverly was built like a tiny sexy amazon?? Oh crap I’m staring. I need to say something. SHIT. Haught, don’t be perv. Make sentences, SAY SOMETHING WOMAN.
“ehh..You know you’re.a..lucky your sister basically gave me a concussion, otherwise I totally would have caught you out there”, Nicole finally stammers out trying to sound confident.
Waverly’s eyes narrow, in a way she’s only ever seen Wynonna do, like when Lonnie takes the last donut in the break room, pure Earp rage and determination.
Oh god, Nicole laments, what have I done.
Waverly huffs, “Wow soo competitive, Officer Haught”. Turning away from Nicole, continuing to dry her hair, as she walks back to her lockers, “I beat you fair and square. It’s obvious, the deputies just can’t keep up with us Firefighters in our peak physical condition seeing as all you guys do is chase donuts all day.”
How is she still so attractive when she’s so mad?
“Soo Cocky…” Nicole tries to say under her breath as she follows Waverly over to the lockers to change.
But Waverly hears her and fires back, “Don’t you have a maple bar you need to be harassing right now?”
“Isn't there a kitten stuck in a tree somewhere you need to be rescuing?” Nicole retorts.
Nicole wants to mean the all the stupid cop and fire trash talk she throwing back in forth with Waverly, but she can’t help but let the smallest smile come over her face. She’s never had her match been made like this before. She’s never been stopped completely in her tracks. Waverly Earp is something to be reckoned with, and she wants to be first in line to go toe to toe. It goes silent for a minute as Nicole tries to think of want to say next, not wanting this conversation to end. She can hear Waverly zipping up her bag getting ready to leave the locker room. Nicole turns to Waverly on the other side of the lockers; they both speak at the same time,
“Waver-“
“Office-“
They both stop, and Nicole starts again,” Nicole, you can call me Nicole. I was just going to see if you were going to Shorty’s? Per the bylaws of this sacred grudge match we hold each year, I owe you a drink and I’d like to make good on that”.
Nicole waiting for her response she can see Waverly smile as she picks her bag up and lifts it over shoulder; it’s brighter than all the stadium lights outside. And it’s the best thing Nicole’s ever seen.
“Well, Nicole…” Waverly pauses, “I won’t want to break any laws now would I? I’ll meet you there.”
As she’s passing Nicole on her way out of the locker room, Waverly gives her a sly smile, “I’ll be the one with the big ass trophy.”
Nicole shakes her head, and thinks maybe losing to the firefighters isn’t so bad.