A Life Of 'Shine - Lem Fike

23

"I'd be surprised if they don't hang you in the next week, Harold. Look at you, you're a mess. Drunk as father on a bad day." Nora frowned, crouching down so she was in eye level of her younger brother. James had showed up at Lem's rented property, a frantic mess as he explained how his twin had one to many to drink and was running from the law after causing yet another brawl at the town's local saloon.

"He always drank."

"Even more than usual when his day didn't go as he liked. Now get up before you get in even more trouble and before the law catch you." Nora hissed, wrapping a heavy arm over her shoulders before lifting the drunken male off of the ground. Harry didn't help at all, resting all of his weight on her as she struggled back home.

Lem waited by the door, scurrying closer to his lover and the drunken mess once they were near enough for him to help. Ducking under Harry's other arm for support as he walked him back home.

"Put him in my room, he'll be out of the way there." Lem spoke in a whisper as he brought the drunken man indoors, Nora had let go to allow for the two to make their own way upstairs without her getting in the way, moving to sit on the table to wait for Lem's return.

"He's out cold. Before he blacked out though he did mumble something I-I didn't pick up, other than 'you and my sister.' Don't s'pose he knows?"

Nora chuckled, shaking her head as she read through an old book she had been carrying in her satchel,only putting it down once she finished the page to look at Lem.

"We live together and I'm pretty sure he's seen us around Valentine with our hands locked and arms around eachother. Either he thinks we're best friends, or he knows. We weren't exactly hiding anything either."

"No, I know. Was just hoping to tell him ourselves and not have him find out."

Nora nodded, using an old ribbon to mark her page before closing the book.

"Even if he found out that way, he wouldn't know for certain and I'm sure he would appreciate us telling him."

"James, too. Can't forget your other brother."

"Speaking of James, where did he go? I left him here when I went to get Harry and, he ain't here no more."

Lem was silent, his eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration as he thought over the response. He wasn't making an excuse, just trying to remember where the other Morgan child went.

"He said, but I don't know. S-sorry." Nora nodded, reaching to pat Lem's hand in an odd comforting way.

"All's fine, I trust him more than I trust Harry anyway. Before I met Maggie, I was running after Harold making sure he wasn't getting into more trouble, always drinking and fighting."

"Makes it sadder when you realise he's no more than a boy. Eighteen and a drunk, took to much after our father I'm afraid, but there's no time for pity- I just hope I survive long enough to put him on the right trail."

The two sat in silence for a while, simultaneously looking at the old floorboards in forced interest.

"You and I, that was unexpected. When I first met you, after you broke me out of the prison transfer. Well, I thought you wouldn't be as kind as what you really are. I witnessed this tiny woman kill a large group of revenue agents with no problems, I was scared of you."

He chuckled, pausing as he thought over his next choice of words carefully.

"At the boat, when Hixon showed up. You were very clearly frustrated when we were shot at once more, but you still stayed. You stayed until the very end and you're still here. You saved me and Maggie and for what reason?"

Nora looked confused, her mouth hung open slightly as she struggled for the words, closing her eyes when she found them.

"Call me stupid, but at that boat when you were hit in the shoulder shortly before leaving Annesburg, I realised you needed saving. You can look after yourself, but you needed me. I need you. You're a strange man Lem Fike and I guess I've always loved you, I only realised it after you nearly cooked me alive."

"I want to marry you one day, Nora Morgan."

It was sudden, too sudden and if Nora was standing she thought she would've been knocked off of her own feet. She stared at him but he never broke eye contact, she looked over his fave and paid attention to his eyes for the slightest hint of a joke, but there was none. She was good at reading people and from what she saw, he was deadly serious.

"That was foolish. I do need to watch what I say, guess I let the words come out before I had even realised what they were."

"I want to marry you too, it's just. Soon? I don't know."

This cheered him up. He looked glum, regretful almost but once Nora had finally spoke again this face he put on was quickly gone and replaced with the joyful expression she adored.

"I don't want to marry you tomorrow, even I know it's soon. But in the future, maybe."

"Maybe."