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norafike · 4 years ago

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Despite all this, I still love you 17

Bit of a darker chapter so warning for violence in this one. It does get fluffier towards the end with some Lem looking after Nora, :). Hope y’all enjoy this one and if anyone prefers to read it on AO3 here is the link.

Gonna tag the lovely @journal-of-an-outlaw because they have responded so positively regarding my chapters on ao3 and I am always so happy to read their comments.

Also gonna tag the wonderful @bucketofcowboys because we’re getting married soon and I want to share my greatest accomplishment with them. Love you baby.

Nora slowly stood from her seat, staring with wild eyes at the headless rider as the horse came to a halt in the camp. For a brief moment everything was quiet and the slightest of noises such as a pin drop could possibly be heard.

Everyone stood bewildered at this strange display and Nora slowly walked over to a hyperventilating Mary-Beth who had tears running down her cheeks from the horror. She placed a hand on the female's shoulder but not to brashly and would gently whisper calming words in the girl's ear in the same manner that Lem would do whenever Nora grew hysterical.

“What's that over there?” Arthur usually wouldn't have been heard but it was dead quiet and even his whispers were picked up on and Nora looked over at the bushes in time to see the slightest of movements in the distance and her heart sank to her stomach as soon as the bullets whizzed by.

Before she was cautious and gentle but now she needed to get Mary-Beth out of the open, taking her hand and pulling her away from the field and over to one of the many crates and tables lined up and no quicker did their attacker start to fire most armed members who were present began to shoot back, concentrating solely on the trees and bushes as that's where the enemy was hiding.

Even Lem, who had avoiding fights for the majority had taken to helping the Van Der Linde gang; bravery and concentration present in his face while he shot from the table. Nora had bit the inside of her cheek to focus on getting Mary-Beth inside the house and upon Dutch's instruction, the majority of gang members all began to flee indoors.

Abigail was close to entering the building but Jack in his fear ran to John's side, shouting “Papa” over the bullets and like the bastards they were, to attack a hideout knowingly unsuspecting these attackers began to fire at the boy as he scattered over the dirt. His mother screamed at him to get back and eventually John had neared him enough to pick him up and carry him over to the worried woman who briskly took him from his grasp and carried him inside.

“Hide upstairs.” Nora shouted at Mary-Beth and later at Lem as he ran past to hide indoors. She slid behind cover at the fountain with Arthur and with her lancaster in hand would shoot at any movement she caught a glimpse off and a lot of the time a pained cry would follow as she successfully hit a target.

When she looked to her right she saw the canoe filled with O'Driscoll's, their uniforms obvious and quickly she shot that way so they couldn't catch them off guard. “Bastards are comin' in on boats.” And another shot, taking her target successfully.

For the first time in what felt like forever, she was able to participate in a fight without the unsettling nerves inside and had returned to that former self where she felt confident in her bravery and skill but not all these good films could last forever when a bullet ricocheted off of the fountain in front of her. It missed her by inches but how close of a call it was startled her and the want to protect the group became lost and replaced with the severity of the situation they were in.

Arthur picked up immediately on the change of air around her, kicking her shin gently and dragging her back towards the house with John behind but she managed to break free from the firm grip held on her shoulder. She pushed Arthur inside the building and he almost did step outside to grab her and prevent whatever foolish antics she had building up inside but John only shook his head which stopped him from doing so. “She ain't one of us, son.” He hadn't even noticed Dutch standing there.

“She's fightin' for us, both her and Lem were.” Arthur spat through gritted teeth. He elbowed his way past his father-figure and ran up the creaky staircase to stand out on the balcony to in the very least, help Nora from above but when he got there it was quiet and Nora wasn't found.

“Is she inside?” He met Lem on the landing but her companion only looked confused.

“W-Who?”

“Nora she's not out there anymore.”

“I came out here to find her, s-she ain't hiding.”

And they both shared an equal look of worry when the realisation kicked in and making matters a whole lot worse both men realised that not even Sadie Adler was inside when she had been instructed too. It annoyed Arthur to no end that both women had failed to listen and were stuck out there and the O'Driscoll's were not dying down, only growing in numbers. He shared one worried glance with Dutch and before he could decline anything his son was gone, back out in the open to find Sadie and their friend.

“Mrs Adler!” Arthur called out and got no answer, not from the front of the house and so he quickly turned around to investigate behind it and conveniently just as he did so he heard the familiar cry from her. It was just as before if her own home back in those mountains and thinking she had been in danger he quickly broke into a sprint and ran for the direction he believed her to be, soon finding her fighting three O'Driscoll's at once with an ease that frightened him.

“You seem to be handlin' yourself.” He commented and the woman only chuckled before pocketing the knife and switching it for a gun. “Come on, Arthur. We can take these bastards.”

“We need to get inside.” Was all he had to say but the woman did not listen to instruction and decided to run off further into an onslaught of O'Driscoll's men.

Arthur groaned at her incompetence, running after her.

“Arthur help Nora!” She cried out and her finger had been extended over towards the female. He turned just in time to see her get tackled to the floor and wrestle for a small while as the attacker brandished a knife dangerously close, but she was struggling to keep the blade away. He didn't aim as he fired and she flinched with the gunshots so close to her, arms covering her head and although he was dead as his body went limp the blade was still able to slice part of her shoulder and she cried out at the sting of it.

“Shit.” He muttered running to her aid and kicking the corpse off of her. From the small wound in her shoulder and the dead man laying on top of her, the clothes she wore became soaked in blood. “You alright?”

“Yeah.” She held a hand up but shrieked with the ache and pain that flared through her arm, the wound cutting deeper than she initially thought or felt and it hurt to move it further up than she liked. Arthur quickly pulled her to her feet which didn't help matters but couldn't do much but leave her standing before they had to fight more O'Driscoll's.

Nora's hand was covering the wound to prevent the blood and her arm was bend awkwardly to shoot at them but she was capable of continuing with the fight alongside the other's, a wound wouldn't inconvenience her.

“Nora get inside.” Arthur warned her once part of the firing ceased and she was ready to defend herself before she noticed riders coming in from the roads. She pointed and he sighed as they kept coming and luckily for them Charles soon would join in to help them.

With Sadie, Charles and Arthur they were unstoppable all three were strong and capable when it came to a fight. Nora helped but her arm would restrict her some times so she couldn't fire as much as she pleased, to focused on the pain to aim properly but they all dealt with the lot of them and managed to succeed in the fight they were so unwillingly thrown into.

“We'll talk to you two later.” Arthur warned the woman over the unsettling quiet the camp returned too and he followed Charles around to the front in time to see Dutch and Hosea emerge from inside.

“What fun that had been.” Dutch remarked before walking over to the headless rider.

“But who is this poor fool?”

“It ain't Kieran is it?” Nora muttered but her words were heard. “No, I don't think it is.”

“Good.” She nodded.

Arthur looked at Grimshaw who had been leading both the women outside and he called the authoritarian over. “What is it, Mr. Morgan.”

“Miss Morgan here's got a nastier wound on her shoulder than thought, think you can patch her up.”

Grimshaw smirked as she handed her shotgun over to Mary-Beth who only seemed surprised with the weapon given to her. “I know I can patch her up.” She replied before pushing the female back inside the house. As she disappeared indoors Arthur could hear how Grimshaw turned around to mention Lem's worry over being left outside but Nora didn't give an answer only sulking in silence.

Dutch pointed for reverend to call him over, before motioning at the corpse with his hand. “Swanson, bury this fool somewhere far from here and as for the O'Driscoll's- burn them.”

Mary-Beth tapped Arthur's shoulder and the enforcer looked behind to offer her a kind smile, one she reciprocated. “If we don't know who they killed, then could that mean Kieran's alive?” She whispered into his ear because she worried about somebody overhearing.

“It could but Mary-Beth we shouldn't get our hopes up.” He hummed but she stopped listening at the 'it could', this smile present as she walked away to join Karen over by the river. He sighed once she disappeared and took the opportunity to walk back inside just as Susan told Nora off for moving or something.

“How's it goin' in here?” He asked and Nora gave him a harsh glare before turning away.

“Nora's not happy being fussed over- said that someone else should be looked at before her.” Lem answered.

“Is someone else injured?”

“No, nobody is.”

Arthur sighed before taking out a cigarette to pass over to Lem, who only shook his hand to decline the offer. “How are you feelin', Nora?”

“I'm fine, arm's stiff. For a dead guy he managed to cut it deeper than I thought.” Nora then hissed through her teeth when Susan prodded the flesh near the wound with her finger and the only woman only chuckled at her reaction.

“How are the other's?”

“Oh fine; most of 'em are used to this. Jack's gonna be shaken up for a while but I don't think he saw too much.”

Nora tutted. “Poor kid.” Susan pulled away with a pleased smile, wiping blood off of her hands and into the material of her skirt. “Now you make sure not to use that arm too much and you-” She turned around and pointed a slender finger at Lem, giving him a stern eye. “You make sure she listens.”

“I'll try.” Lem sighed. “Nora's as stubborn as they come. Might have to tie her hand down.”

“Tie it down if you have too.”

He thanked the woman as she left the pink room before he sat next to Nora on the table. Grimshaw had to undo part of her blouse and pull a strap down on her chemise in order to expose the wound for care and before Nora would find herself embarrassed by such a scandalous display, as of right now she sat there with the chemise slowly sliding further down and unbothered by it.

“I ought to go wash off some of this blood soon.” Nora's good arm was stretched out before her and she looked at the staining on her sleeves and hands, disgusted by just how much she had got on her.

“Want me to send one of the women over to help you?”

Nora looked up to answer, ready to reply with a ‘yes’ but an idea flashed in her mind when she remembered that her best friend had been sitting by her. “Thank you but Lem can help me.”

“You can g-guess again if you think I'm gonna help.” She gasped at his quick wit and looked over, expecting him to be flushed red and stuttering more than the usual but instead he looked at her with a smug grin and Arthur broke out into a fit of laughter at it. “How kind of you, Lemuel.”

“I know.” He chuckled. “If you really want my help then I s'pose I can, wouldn't be the first time.”

“It wouldn't be?”

“Nora gets shot or s-stabbed often, Arthur.”

“Seems a hassle lookin' out for her.” Lem laughed and shook her head; taking her hand and pulling her to a stand when she requested his favour. “Nora looks out for me a lot more than I do her.”

“Now you know that ain't true.”

“She gets injured more often than not due to m-my idiocy. She's just bein' polite.”

The three left the house and Dutch greeted them with a small wave as he went back to helping with the bodies still lying around camp, groaning as he tried dragging one over near the river. “Lem an' I should get goin', y'all seem busy and I wouldn't wanna intrude longer.”

“Ya make a mess an' run when it's time to clean up is it?” Arthur was only joking with her and she realised it quickly when she laughed along, nodding slowly. “Guess you saw through that half-lie.”

“You just watch that arm okay?”

Lem mounted his horse and reached down to take Nora's hand and with Arthur's help he had pulled her up to sit on the rump of his own horse to minimise the strain she'd put on the injury if she had mounted Casper. “I will.” She replied, adjusting to sit comfortably.

He waved them off as soon as they left and watched until they had disappeared behind the trees.

...

Lem waited outside the door while she climbed into the bath, giving her the privacy needed until she called him in. It wasn't the first time this had happened of course so by now he should have been used to it and yet every time he always got so nervous, just as any gentleman should in such circumstances.

He took to smoking to calm his nerves and it worked for a short while before he had heard her gently call his name, saying that he was allowed in. He took a dip breath as he flicked finished off his cigarette, placing the butt in an ashtray and gently opening the door to walk in. She smiled at him gently, pushing some bubbles closer to cover herself a little more.

“How are you feelin'?”

“Tired mostly and sore.”

“I saw that cut, weren't anythin' nice.” He replied as he walked over to the side of the bathtub. She chuckled lowly, watching every move he made from the way he would awkwardly swallow his nerves or how slowly he dipped his hand into the water only to quickly pull away when his fingers brushed over her knee.

“Cuts usually ain't nice.”

“But some are better than other's, leavin' no scars.”

“What's another scar to the collection.”

Lem nodded slowly before taking a handful of soapy water to clean off some of the blood on her shoulders. He avoided her gaze completely as he focused on the stains but felt her staring, almost meeting her eyes a couple of times before snapping back into her senses and remembering exactly where they had been. “Your brothers aren't gonna be keen on knowing you got injured again.”

“And your aunt won't be happy knowing that you got caught up in all that.” She replied and his soft chuckle had lightened the situation a little, making less intense and awkward than it needed to be.

“Try not to move while I clean near the wound, Nora.” He warned before taking his hand to some of the flesh near. He didn't touch the wound but the area around it was still fairly sensitive and she hissed when his hand make contact. “Shit.” He cursed and followed it with a string of apologies that she smiled at, waving a hand to dismiss his worry. “It's fine.” She told him and he slowly went back to cleaning the area near the wound again.

He noticed how her jaw clenched to prevent her from crying out again and he disliked how she did that but he continued wiping the blood away, as gently as he could manage. “How'd you get that scar on your forehead again?” He asked once he noticed the silence building between them and she raised her good arm to run a finger over it.

“Thought I told you recently?”

“You may have brought it up.”

“I bring it up often for you.” Lem chuckled at her words and nodded slowly. “I like hearin' it.”

Nora rolled her eyes as she pushed more bubbles her way but they were slowly beginning to dissolve into the water as she remained there. “I had been runnin' around Blackwater when I was younger, chasin' some friends as any child did and I didn't see two men carryin' a plank of wood down the path.” A smile began to form on Lem's face and she hadn't even finished her story yet. “I ran straight into it and went flyin' back, got this cut as a reminder to not go chasin' my friends about. Ma was worried and Pa was pissed, although he was pissed more with me than anyone else.”

“Hard to think that the tough Nora Morgan that I know and l-love who fights whole armies, stubbornly, is t-the same girl who ran into a wooden p-plank.”

“Know and love?” She gasped and Lem arched an eyebrow at the repeat of his own words when he realised what he had said his face sank. “W-Well.. not quite i-in-”

“You've gone soft, Lem.”

“Oh, quiet will you.” He replied and she laughed at the red in his cheeks. She pointed over towards the door where a towel hung for her and asked him to bring it over so she could finally get out of the bathtub. He did and just as before closed his eyes and held it open while he waited for her to climb out. “You don't need to close your eyes, ain't like you ain't seen anything before.”

“I'm jus' being p-polite, Nora.”

She grabbed the towel and wrapped it around her before walking behind a pretty divider that clean clothes for her were waiting, most notably a shirt she had seen Lem wear once before. “Didn't realise you had spare clothes with you.”

“I pack a shirt just in case.”

“In case of what?”

“You gettin' covered in blood; like you so notoriously do.”

She rolled her eyes but only managed to pull one sleeve on; struggling with the other as her arm would burn at the most slightest of movements. She walked out and smiled at Lem who had since opened his eyes but had been looking at the paintings on the walls instead. “Mind helpin'?”

“’Course not.” He had to slide the one sleeve down to slip the other one onto her bad arm but with some movement, she had finally gotten the shirt on comfortably. She was ready to do the buttons up to but Lem decided that he would like to help her with that too, making quick work of a task that probably would have taken her a little longer.

He reached the top button and looked up and for the first time their eyes finally met. His breathing became laboured and just like a couple of days prior he found himself leaning ever so slightly closer to Nora but before anything more could happen he finally regained his bearings and looked away, clearing his throat to break the awkward tension between them.

“We should go now, can't keep the bath occupied for too long I'm afraid.”

#rdr2 #rdr2 lem #lem fike #lemuel fike #lem fike x original character #mary-beth gaskill #arthur morgan #john marston #rdr oc #some fluff #dutch van der linde #VDL Gang #van der linde gang

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norafike · 4 years ago

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Despite all this, I still love you 10

*Contains spoilers for Chapter 3 mission; A short walk in a pretty town.

Depictions of violence, please read at your own risk as the material can be unsettling for viewers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It took a day or more's journey to travel as far as Rhodes from the business she underwent back at Valentine. Even longer due to Maggie's distraction.

The female hitched her horse near the Gunsmith, noticing the unsettling silence that haunted the town. Nobody could be seen for miles and the store's looked empty whenever she peered through the windows inside. She wondered why Arthur sent the letter, requesting for her help, given that there was not a soul around.

“Hello?” She called out for nothing, expecting something to call back to her. Silence was met and so she decided to walk deeper, seeing where the men she was meant to meet lurked. “Arthur?.. Sean?”

She saw them eventually, hiding near a building all talking amongst themselves. She smiled at Sean and took a stand near him before whistling for her horse to trot on over to where they waited. She tethered him to the correct post, standing near. “How are you feelin' gentlemen?”

Micah snorted the minute she opened her mouth, gripping his gun belt and kicking his leg up onto a crate near to trap her between him and her animal. “Jus' fine, yourself?”

She tried not to visibly cringe once he spoke up, but could not help but scrunch up her nose in disgust. She used the tip of her finger to push him away. “I was doin' so much better before you started talkin', Mr. Bell.”

“I feel like we've gotten close enough, call me Micah.” He grinned and she had to bite her tongue to not snap back at him. “Of course, I'd like to know you.. a little better.”

“A shame I'm gettin' to know Kieran a little better first.” And Sean let out a roar of a laugh at her subtle way of dismissing his offer, this displeasing Micah enough that he left her alone.

"I am only kidding of course." She made it known so none of them would go ahead and tease the poor boy when they returned to camp, after all he was not considered highly amongst the group and the last thing he needed was someone taking her words the wrong way.

Micah snorted again before walking away from the female, ignoring her subtle giggles from behind and taking the lead with Sean on their walk into town. It had been far too quiet for Nora's liking before but now, while they were exposed like how they were.. well she felt more uneasy than ever.

“None of it feels right.” She mumbled under her breathe, going unnoticed by the others. They talked before Arthur raised his voice over them, finally addressing the situation and repeating what Nora had said earlier. Sean turned around. “Now none of it feels right?” His accent was thicker here but before anyone had time to process what they were saying and shot rang out, setting them into ‘fighter’ mode. Nobody had noticed Sean, yet.

She covered her ears as she followed the men behind cover, finally taking a moment to compose herself and assess the situation. Here, she counted visible faces and let out a choked sob when she counted one short; Sean not being present. Nora faced Arthur, fear reflecting in his eyes and through a shaky voice managed to ask him the dreaded question. “Where's Sean?” He frowned; not asking and instead taking her deeper into the alley they hid in once the bullets to close to be comfortable.

“We'll worry about Sean later.. are you okay to fight? I feel we got half the family after us.” She slowly nodded to answer. “Good.”

He ran out of the alley, both revolvers in hand and began to fire blindly down the road. She watched until he disappeared around the corner, taking a shaky breath she soon followed, her revolver in hand.

“Sean.” Her voice was small once she noticed the boy lying in the dirt, an unmistakable pool of blood around him and only growing. With the little strength she had left she managed to force herself into hiding behind a few crates, her vision growing more blurry from the tears that kept falling. She wasn't even trying to hit anything, only shooting behind her to make it seem as though she was helping but in reality she was only trying to not blackout as she always does. Her voice was called by an invisible creature, sounding similar to Lem but not quite her friend but it was familiar enough to feel safe.. she focused on it, it repeating one phrase over and over. ‘Come back to me, Nora.’ The very thing Lemuel had said that night with the flammable-moonshine explosion. It kept her distracted and it kept her awake..

“Stay low, girl.” Arthur seemingly appeared from nowhere, crouching by her side and shooting in any direction he heard bullets. He knew of what happened to Nora in situations like this, seeing it many times before and when the reality of Sean's fate kicked in the thought of preventing Nora's emerged. “I'm stayin' low. Make way to the General Store and sneak around the back through there, bastards are hidin' away where we can't see 'em.”

“And risk endin' up like Sean?”

“You can stay here, but I'm going. Prevent you lot endin' up like the kid.” With that she made haste over to the shop, ignoring Arthur's cries for her to run back. It was silent inside but that didn't mean she wasn't careful creeping through, her gun entering or leaving a room before she did at all times. She presumed that Micah and Bill dealt with a lot of the Gray's as the numbers were thinner now, but that didn't mean she didn't take out any herself.. feeling no guilt in doing so either.

“Bastards.” She cursed under her breath as she searched for the remaining bunch.. slowly finding one cowering behind a few barrels. He begged for his life, raising his hands in the air. She staggered for a moment, moving to holster her weapon and the man began to thank her for her “generousity” yet Sean had so much stripped away from him and she remembered it quickly. She put the gun away, opting for a more *satisfying kill and using her knife, she placed the steel against the man's neck and cut as deep as allowed. His blood ran down her hands, onto her lap and he fell lifeless.

She didn't notice the blood, didn't care for it.

…

“Where's Williamson?” She asked; met with silence from the two men who provided no answer.

“Well..?”

“We don't know, lady. Why, you gonna kill him too?” Micah spat and without thinking she lunged towards, gripping the lapels of his jacket and pushing him back. He made contact with the side of the wall, gasping with the wind knocked out of him and not expecting such a small woman to have this much strength, she was almost as feisty as Mrs. Adler and he admired her for it. “No, but I'll kill you asshole.” She shouted and finally Arthur stepped in, wrapping his arm around Nora and pulling her off of the antagonistic individual.

“You're fucking crazy, woman.” Micah hadn't learned his lesson.

“Enough!” Arthur yelled; scowling at the pair of them. “Let's find Bill and get out of here.”

“Whatever.” Nora grunted, walking past the men and back down towards the gunsmith. Arthur watched after her, maintaining a distance as he soon followed behind. She wasn't in any place to be alone right now and he knew it.

“Stop right there!” Sherrif Gray in his bitter tone called out, revolver pointed straight for Nora. She froze in her tracks and raised her hands, looking at the group with a fake smile. In some man's arms she noticed Bill and subtly pointed at him so Arthur could see.

The two finally joined her, Micah on her right and Arthur on her left so she stood perfectly in front of Leigh Gray. How she could spit at his name, a disgusting roach of a man she never had any liking for.. the killing of her only friend which he allowed being the final straw and so god help her she was going to make sure he got what he owed. “You gonna let our friend go, Leigh?”

“I plan on takin' you all in.. or killin' ya if need be.” He replied; his threat meeting deaf ears. She didn't care, couldn't find it within her. “That a threat..? Or a promise?” And Micah looked over astonished as she continued teasing him.

“I ain't playin' games girl-.” Leigh began, but Nora raised her hands to dismiss him. “Never said this was no game, jus' let my friend go.”

“Ain't gonna happen.”

“Very Well.” She was quick, just as skilled as Arthur and unexpecting. A few shots were fired and the Gray's fell, some falling off of the porch of the gunsmith and onto the roads.

Bill clambered forward, completely astonished but holding thanks he needed to pass on. He placed a sweaty palm on her shoulder, reluctantly muttering a quiet ‘thanks’ and walking away.

“Sean.” She cried before running over to the body. The thrill died down and reality kicked her in the face with a steel toe cap boot. Her friend really had been killed, his face disfigured and unrecognisable and her chest tightened when she saw him lying there, on the ground. Her brave face shriveled and she let out sobs, earning an eye roll from Micah but a gentle pat regardless. “Bill, take the boy an' get him buried. I'm gonna ride with Nora back to camp, I don't think she should be alone.”

She chuckled at Arthur's instruction, despite there being no humour behind it. “I'm twenty-four. I can look after myself.”

“Trust me, I know that. I've seen it.” He replied with a light smile. “Jus' need an excuse for me not to be seen alone cryin'.” She laughed as he tried to lighten the situation, there was no time for mourning.

“Come on, let's get you out of here.”

She managed to wipe away a small tear, following him over to Casper and climbing into the saddle without fail despite an ache in her muscles slowly kicking in. Everything coming down and having an effect. “Thank you.” She managed to whisper, following Arthur out of the town.

“It ain't nothin'.”

#rdr2 #rdo #red dead online #red dead 2 #lem fike #lemuel fike #rdr2 lem #rdo lem fike #maggie fike #arthur morgan #micah bell #sean macguire #bill williamson #lem fike x original character

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norafike · 4 years ago

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Despite all this, I still love you 16

“It's a pleasure to see you here!” Dutch cheered as he quickened in his steps to greet the female. Nora kicked herself from the saddle and closed the distance between them, taking his hand for a handshake before following him over towards the porch where Arthur stood, watching with an eyebrow raised. “I had Trelawny and Miss Gaskill travel into Saint Denis to buy you a dress for a such a formal occasion, they're all waiting upstairs in my room with.. Molly.” The way he said her name was forced and bitter and he grimaced at the mention.

Nora bit her tongue to not snap at him, give him a scolding for his treatment of the woman who grew up an aristocrat and instead forced herself to silently follow behind him up the stairs of the house and quickly he had pushed her behind the doors and closed them. “Dutch placed the dress here.” Molly said as she reached beneath the bed to pull open a white box, it wearing into nothing and covered in dust from the time spent away. Nora took it from her hands and placed it on the old mattress before pulling the garment out. “It looks beautiful.” She mumbled and the corner of Molly's mouth had twitched into a small smirk.

“Actually, Mary-Beth came and asked me what would be a good picking for a formal event and I said that my Ma would've said somethin' beautiful but not too flashy. They returned with this old thing and I had fixed it up a little for you.”

Nora nodded as she held it against herself, her hand running over the gold embroidery. She admired the small patterns before laying it out on the bed to admire it at a greater distance, a feeling that this had been one long dream she had yet to wake from. “I ain't never had somethin' like this to wear… it's strange.”

“You'll get to admire it plenty, for now it's best we get you ready before Dutch gets annoyed at the time we're wasting.”

...

The mansion was extravagant and lit so beautifully in the night that she found herself staring in awe at its exterior, mesmerized by the small details and the aura of superiority it held.

Arthur had an arm held out towards her that she took gratuitously and together the pair had followed behind the other men as they entered the party together. She behaved accordingly and spoke only when addressed and eventually Dutch had turned on his heel to face her with a gentle smile, at the same time addressing Bill and Hosea. “Why don't you go and join the party while Arthur and I talk with Bronte.”

She agreed with the idea and walked with the men outside, stopping short outside of the door so Hosea could turn to them. “Bill, listen out and gather what information could be useful. Nora for now blend in, I've told Arthur to come your way if he finds anything interesting.”

“So wait for Arthur.” She sighed and Hosea only could give her a sympathetic smile. “Sorry, you couldn't do more.”

“It's fine, just glad you boys were polite enough to invite me along.” She gave Hosea a toothy grin before finally leaving their sides to stand near a group of women who held their chins high and eyes pointed down in looks of disgust. They scoffed when Nora stood near them and would occasionally spare a giggle amongst themselves, trying to disguise it by drinking from their champagne glass but Nora was far more observant than she had let on and noticed straight away their snobby attitude.

Usually she would punch an individual if they had acted like this and in any other circumstances she probably would have done so anyway, but she chose to dig her nails into the palm of her hand and pretend to not notice.

As the party went on she had taken to drinking more champagne than cared to admit and slowly her head began to grow heavy, but she persisted on with the mission and engaged in simple pleasantries with the occasional guest who passed by and eventually she felt a cold hand squeeze her shoulder, a chill running through her flesh at the contact. “Come with me.” He whispered, gently taking her hand and pulling her from the main ring of people and towards a secluded path where she realised that he was following one of the mayor's servants.

“Arthur?” She whispered and he only shushed her as they snuck into the house. They both took extra care in their steps and at one point the servant turned briskly on his heel and had almost caught the pair of them had it not been for Arthur's quick thinking.

He stepped forward and looked left and right before continuing on their pursuit, waving over his shoulder at her. “Come on.” She listened to instruction and broke into a gentle jog to catch up with him, the echo of her movement was loud and Nora exhaled a sharp breath through gritted teeth as she worried somebody would march over and question them about their antics.

When they were confident that the coast was clear, they both ascended a staircase and stopped short just at the top to see the servant enter a room. Arthur turned back towards Nora and extended a finger to point at the door and quietly spoke to her. “While we were bein' escorted up here our guide had shut the door before we could even get a look at it.”

“So it could be somethin' important?” Arthur nodded slowly. “It could very well be, yes.”

After a couple minutes of waiting and nobody leaving the room they had been watching, Arthur had decided that they should sneak over and hope that somehow there was another exit so the room was empty. In a big house like this neither doubted the possibility of another entrance and so quietly they tiptoed over and pushed the door open, holding their breaths in case someone was waiting on the other side.

Collectively they let out an exhale of air when they were met with an empty room and both relaxed as the door closed behind them. Nora would keep an ear open in case somebody decided to approach the room they weren't supposed to be in but fortunately for them the house was eerily quiet.

“C'mon, we need to get out of here before someone catches us.” Arthur slipped some documents behind his coat before taking Nora's hand and walking her out of the mansion and back to join the party. This time they didn't bother going quietly and rather chose quickness to exit the building. Eventually, they reunited with the other men and subtly, Arthur would pat his chest where the papers were hidden to inform Dutch that he in fact stole something of value to them.

“We should go quick.” Hosea informed as he slowly pushed the group outside. “Lenny should be around with the wagon but the longer we hang around the more likely we'll be caught for stealin', at least that is, if someone saw you.”

...

“Arthur, why don't you an' I talk about what you found and Nora-” Dutch turned and faced her with a false smile. “I assume you'll be headin' back home now?”

“Might stay a small while, but I do need to return before my brother's end up killin' Lem.” She shared a chuckle with the leader and just as she said that the man she mentioned had emerged from inside the old plantation house to lean against one of the pillars. She gasped when she saw him but shook her head and smiled. “But I guess I'll be stayin' longer since he's here.”

Sharply Dutch turned on his heel and scowled when he saw Lem standing there. Maintaining this ‘great leader’ persona, Dutch only shook Lem's hand in greeting before ignoring any further social interactions and entering the house. Unfazed by this, Lem only managed a small chuckle before he walked over to join Nora's side. “What are you doin' here?”

“Nice seein' you too.”

“I didn't mean it like that, just surprised was all.”

“I w-was just playin'.”

Nora took his hand and walked with him over to the round table where Mary-Beth had been sitting with a bowl of stew in hand. She mainly prodded at the chunks in the bowl and found it hard to really sit down and eat, the worry of what could have potentially happened to Kieran becoming far more concerning. “Hey, Mary-Beth.”

She only managed a lazy wave, putting on a brave face now since she had become accompanied by two new people. “How are ya feelin'?” Nora asked.

“Oh I'm fine, thank you for askin'.” She answered. “ I guess I'm still worryin' about Kieran. What if somethin'… what if somethin' bad happened.” Nora reached forward and placed a hand on top of hers, breaking out into a small whisper. “I'm sure he'll be okay, nothin' to worry about.”

Mary-Beth looked back and forth before leaning closer to speak with her, worried of being thought of as strange if someone were to overhear. “I can't shake this feelin' that he's not okay.” She told and Nora's eyebrows furrowed when she heard this.

“You really are worried, ain't ya?”

“Oh more than anythin'.”

Nora nodded. “I ain't seen or heard anythin', but I am lookin'. Eat up for now okay, Mary-Beth.”

“I'm not really that hungry.” She explained before taking the still-full bowl and walking away from the two.

“Poor girl.”

Lem folded his arms and leaned against them on the table. He gave her a subtle smile that she picked up immediately and for a short while all the two of them had been doing was staring at each other in silence. “How long had you been here anyway?”

“F-Few hours maybe.”

“Ah, they let you in?”

“No. Bill Williamson was on guard duty but eventually he let me enter the camp- was hesitant because nobody was here. Leader wise.”

“Big bad Bill.” She shook her head and smiled coyly at Bill when he looked back at the mention of his name. He only stared down at her before turning back around to face the fire, noticing the dancing flames.

Nora opened her mouth to speak more before a blood-curdling scream ripped through the quiet camp and Mary-Beth frantically pointing towards the entrance. When Nora turned to look that way her eyes began to widen and her mouth hung open in shock at the headless rider coming in.

#rdr2 #lem fike x original character #lem fike #nora morgan #Bill Williamson #lemuel fike #arthur morgan #dutch van der linde #mary beth gaskill #hosea matthews #molly o'shea

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norafike · 4 years ago

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Same sorta photo's, but this time they're matching

#red dead redemption 2 #red dead community #red dead online #lem fike #lemuel fike #red dead oc #lem fike x original character

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norafike · 4 years ago

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“𝓦𝓱𝔂 𝓲𝓼 𝓲𝓽 𝓘 𝓮𝓷𝓭 𝓾𝓹 𝓲𝓷 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓼𝓸𝓻𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓫𝓵𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭?”

“𝓖𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓪𝓽 𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓭𝓲𝓷' 𝓲𝓽 𝓘 𝓰𝓾𝓮𝓼𝓼”

#red dead redemption 2 #red dead community #red dead online #lem fike #lemuel fike #red dead oc #red dead redemption two #rdr2 oc #lem fike x original character

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norafike · 4 years ago

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I need to update my Lem and Nora fic on here again because I've added 2 new parts to ao3.

Anyway, here is Chapter 28

And chapter 29

We're almost at the big '30' over on AO3. 👀

#red dead redemption 2 #red dead community #red dead online #lem fike #lemuel fike #lem fike x original character #despite all this I still love you #rdr fanfic

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norafike · 4 years ago

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Despite All This, I still love you 7

Nora had returned to camp with Lem not long before her brother's had done. Their argument cut short when they realised that they had been left alone in Valentine.

Cripps greeted the brother's fondly when they arrived; his arms open wide for a hug. "It is good to see you both!" He cheered, taking them by their shoulders and walking them further into the camp to catch up.

"They're gonna be chattin' all night, I reckon you and I could slip away from 'em all completely unnoticed." She commented as the pair of them watched from a distance.

"M-Most likely." He muttered.

She nodded gently, patting his shoulder before walking away to sit back in her tent. Seeing as her brothers weren't fond of him and he had no place of his own to lie low for a little while he had taken to sit on the chair just outside, close enough to still talk with her if he needed.

"You don't gotta sit out there, I don't mind you sitting in here." She called out towards him.

"I feel a little i-intrusive jus' entering your tent."

Nora gently chuckled at his comment, stepping closer and leaning against the post to get a better look at him. "I'm inviting you in, there's no intruding."

"Guess you're right."

She noticed the forlorn look on his face and left the cover of her tent to stand in front of him. She placed her hands on her hips and crouched to be at a similar level as he was, even though it only made her smaller. "What's with the long face?"

He hummed as he looked at her, but gave no immediate response. Instead his hand reached forward to brush a strand of her red hair behind her ear, it coming loose from her braid. "I'm okay, perhaps a little exhausted."

"We done a lot of work today."

"You done a-a lot of work.. I guess I'm jus' getting old."

"You've barely turned thirty." She chuckled. "Don't remind me." He whined after this but she remained amused.

"There any other reasons or are you just tired."

"That's the only reason, Nora Morgan."

She wasn't convinced by his constant reassurance but chose to not continue with the topic anyway. "Can I ask you somethin'?"

He nodded.

"Why don't you play guitar in front of people?" He winced at her question despite it being innocent enough to prompt such a response. She noticed just how uncomfortable he became by it and quickly apologised from not realised the sort of response it would illicit.

"If you don't wanna talk about it, you don't have too."

"No, no." He waved away her worry. "Danny-Lee t-taught me how to play, he taught me a lot of things so it's hard to p-perform in front of other's without.. rememberin' all that drama."

"I understand." She let out a quiet sigh, hushing her voice so the men couldn't overhear. "It's not the same but I get all freaked out over the loud noises because it reminds me of that night.. but you already know all this."

They remained shrouded in an awkward silence before Nora cleared her throat and stood properly. She gently grabbed his hand to bring him inside her tent despite his best attempt not to.

"Jus' sit here."

"But-"

"Please." He couldn't be bothered to argue further, instead choosing to listen and sit on the edge of her cot as per instruction. She left shortly after and he thought about leaving to return to the moonshine shack but the thought of upsetting her kept him from doing so. Later, she returned with two bowls of stew freshly made.

"Cripps had me bring these over, I was on my way to grab the harmonica."

"Did you grab it?"

"No; Cripps' need to talk with me made me forget." She let out a quiet sigh. "Regardless, I did enjoy his brief story."

"What story did he tell this time?"

"Only that damn Tennessee bank job one." Lem laughed at her answer as he took the bowl from her hand. She sat next to him and prodded at the chunks of meat for a little bit. "I swear for someone who has seen a lot, he only ever tells the same little stories."

"They are his best; he used to have more a few years back but he's forgotten them it seems."

"That's right. You've known him for a while isn't that right?"

"Yeah." He nodded, taking a mouthful of stew to pause the conversation. "Him and Aunt Maggie were meant to be married once."

"Cripps said when I first met Maggie."

"What a disaster that had been." He explained, vaguely. He noticed her face and how she silently urged him to continue. "Cripps decided that he didn't want to marry, Aunt Maggie. She didn't take too fondly on his decision neither but at least they reconciled."

"Sorta." Nora added. "They have their moment here and there."

"Don't most people?"

"Guess so."

...

In the following day's she had begun to spend more time with Arthur Morgan and a few of his associates. Dutch still made her feel at an unexplainable unease whenever he was near, but she figured that perhaps she wasn't as good as a judge of character as she thought.

Regardless, she began to spend longer at camp, these people slowly warming up to her presence on their grounds. While most of the men still were wary the women had become far more open and talkative towards Nora and she soon found friends in Mary-Beth and Tilly.

"Miss Morgan." Susan called, her strides long to catch up with her as she prepared to leave after a few days of staying. She pulled on the reins of her horse and looked down. "Yes?"

"I hate to be a bother, but John Marston has asked for you and Arthur to meet in Valentine."

"Me?"

"Yes you, do you know anyone else here named Nora Morgan?"

"No... It's just I hadn't expected him to ask for me."

Susan's lips tightened into a frown. "Neither did I." She stormed off and given that she had no other plans for that evening she had decided to ride out towards the livestock town where she was expected.

...

"Marston." Nora greeted when she neared him. He gave her a subtle salute with his fingers, gently waving her over. She noticed how Arthur had yet to arrive and so she took a moment to engage in idle conversation.

"I must admit, I was confused as to why you asked for my help with whatever it is you got planned."

"Arthur praises you a lot, figured in the chance of something going wrong that you'd be good to have around."

"Trust me." She let out a sigh. "Of all the people back at camp I'm not the best option."

"Don't make me think that, Miss."

When Arthur did arrive they didn't waste time by engaging in idle conversation, rather they chose to get the job started as soon as they could and that way they would have time for conversations later. However, John wasn't very descriptive in what it was they needed to do as he kept his answers short and simple. At first Nora thought it was about sheep coming in but when he told Arthur to purchase a rifle she began to have second thoughts.

They rode out soon after, leaving the town and turning around the mountain into the open plains of the Heartlands where Arthur had asked a second time what this job had been for. "Some sheep are comin' in from Emerald Ranch." He explained finally, but Nora zoned out soon after this as the mention of the all too familiar Ranch how disinterested her.

She hadn't been paying all that much attention until John had called for her and from the annoyed expression she had gathered that he had been calling for her a couple of times. "Miss Morgan." He shouted again, this time louder and she looked forward with an apologetic smile. "Do you have any experience with herding cattle?"

"Some.. done it once mainly. Why?"

John frowned but Arthur only chuckled. "This dumbass here doesn't know either. If we need it you can help."

"Of course."

He smiled at her before turning back to focus on the roads just in time as John had pulled them off of it and up a ledge. She remained mounted while the men approached the edge to look at what they believed to be the herd and a few ranch hands coming in and by luck, it had been.

The job was for Arthur to shoot near them and spook them off which had gone well, the problem was herding near fifteen sheep back to the livestock in one piece which could have been a problem and for the better part of this journey all Arthur and John would do was bicker back and forth about everything and nothing. She grew tired off their chatter and took to riding a little further forward, making sure that the sheep were still heading the right direction while Arthur did most the work.

...

Nora accompanied them back into town, following them into the smaller saloon where Dutch Van Der Linde had been supposedly waiting. She didn't need to go in with the men, after all, it wasn't her who he needed to speak with and so she waited outside for the men.

She lit a cigarette to pass the time, focused on the horses and people that passed by rather than anything else. John and Strauss left the saloon and briefly greeted Nora and telling her that she could go inside if she so pleased. She was going to but when a group of armed men showed up with Leopold and John held in their grasp she saw no other alternative but to raise her hands in false surrender.

"Dutch Van Der Linde!" One man, dressed far too fancy for being in Valentine called out. She looked behind her at the window and noticed the man he called remained at the table, albeit confused.

"You don't know me, but you keep robbing from me!" He shouted again.

She didn't pay too much attention to the conversation shared, too much focus on John and Strauss who were balancing on the edge of death. Eventually Dutch did come from inside the saloon with Arthur in tow, using his natural charm to try and sway the enemy.

Before she could even process anything Arthur had quickly shot at the two men who held Strauss and Marston and all hell broke loose as the fighting began.

She quickly threw herself over the railings to duck behind some of the boxes that lay conveniently on the ground, crouching low near Leopold. The shooting gradually got louder and she grew more uneasy, more afraid and she had a job to steady her breathing during the ordeal but it didn't stop her from helping.

Getting her bearings, she raised her gun to the people and blindly fired a couple of times and from a pained scream she assumed that she had caught somebody. However, hiding here wasn't going to do any good and the horses had been moved across town. At Arthur's word the group all crossed the dirt roads, losing their hats in the process and unfortunately for Strauss, the ability to walk properly as a bullet became lodged in his leg.

She stumbled for a moment as she came to a halt to help Dutch move the man from being exposed. Cursing a couple of times as she carried the man towards a wagon. "Place him in here, John and Arthur, shoot." Dutch instructed. Nora pushed Strauss inside and began to push the wagon through the town, it being used as perfect cover during their escape.

"Keep shooting." Nora cried, struggling to keep focus on keeping the members alive during this shootout and not crumble through fear with the hail of bullets that rained over them. Her breathing became more erratic but they pushed on, the horses in sight although jumpy. "When we get to the horses, put Strauss on Nora's horse and you two stay behind!" Dutch sent another instruction and the male nodded. He pointed at Nora. "Come back to camp with me, we're gonna need the help."

"Of course."

When the opportunity arrived they grabbed it, fleeing the wagon and running towards the horses to calm them as they bucked wildly from the gunfire. Wasting no time, Arthur picked up Strauss from the wagon and broke into a sprint as best as he could towards the animals, sitting Strauss on the back of Casper. Nora mounted up and followed Dutch out of town while Arthur and John remained.

They arrived at camp quickly, the horses tired from how hard they were pushed and immediately Nora rewarded them both with a sugar cube. "Men!" Dutch called and immediately Javier and Bill ran over and with Dutch's word helped Strauss off of the horse and over to Miss Grimshaw to help with the wound.

The camps leader turned sharply on his heel and pointed a long finger towards the O'Driscoll as he sat against a rock. Kieran looked up with wide eyes, thinking that he was in trouble for whatever reason at the harsh glare cast on him. "You and Miss Morgan here pack up Arthur's wagon, prepare the caravan to leave and the horses." He told before walking off and approaching the women with more commands. Nora turned back with a gentle smile as she noticed the scared expression on his face. "Wanna make a start on Arthur's stuff?"

"Yes, o-of course." He managed to say, quickly walking across the camp to Arthur's wagon. She followed behind with a small smile and began to gather the bits of clutter on the tables while he focused on the larger things.

...

She carried a few rolls of blankets into the wagon ahead while he placed the chest he had his clothes in and a few other materials belonging to John. Seeing as this was their only instruction they were lost on what else to do but sought out more work regardless.

Kieran found work in fixing the wheel on Strauss' wagon whereas Nora chose to accompany the women in packing up the final of their belongings. While she did so she was ready to approach Arthur once she noticed his return but stopped herself when he and Dutch began talking. No sooner than he had been there he had left again, this time with Charles and from a passing comment exchanged between the two she picked up that they were on their way to find a new camp.

...

"You were right about this spot, Charles." The caravan arrived a few hours after Charles and Arthur set out. The majority of their journey making up most of that time spent on their way here.

Kieran, while still not trusted, was allowed to move to Clemens Point untied albeit he sat in the back of the wagon alone in contrast to those who were able to travel together. While Strauss and Swanson did sit at the front they spent the journey ignoring the former O'Driscoll but would converse loudly amongst themselves.

When the wagon stopped he looked around before climbing out and with those long, authoritative steps, Dutch approached. "Take care of the horses, O'Driscoll." Oh how he detested that nickname.

"Grimshaw!" He called after. "Let's make this camp a home!" He detached the horses from the wagon's and when few gang members rode in shortly after, he made sure to take care of them more so out of his love for the animal than duty.

"Hello, fella." Nora greeted as she stepped closer.

"Hey, Nora."

"Mind some company?"

"No, 'c-course not."

She sat near him on the rock while he brushed through the dirt on Branwen. His eyes fixated on the horse in front of him rather than on the girl who spoke to him.

"What do you do 'round here Kieran?"

"W-Well I mainly take care of the horses a-and do most the chores. Why?"

"Jus' making conversation." Kieran finally worked up the courage to turn around and face her. "May I ask why you chose to speak with me miss an' nobody else?"

"You seemed lonely, but I can leave you lonely if you rather it."

His face, which had been screwed up previously, softened slightly and for once he was able to relax as he noticed the genuine kindness come from her. "I don't mind a bit of company miss."

"Good because I probably would have stuck around regardless." She chuckled, watching him as he resumed tending to the horses. "Say, Kieran." He turned back to face her, slightly annoyed with having to stop tending to the horses.

"Yes, miss?"

"Do you like fishin'?" His face lit up at the question. "W-Well I do. But I doubt I'd be allowed too."

"Nonsense." She chuckled. "Stick with me an' none of 'em will give ya grief and we can invite Arthur along."

"I doubt Mr. Morgan would want to spend any time fishin' with me, Miss."

"Ask enough times and I'm sure Arthur will." She noticed Kieran's face drop as she said this. She raised a brow and thought she may have said something wrong, but quickly Arthur spoke up from behind her. "Arthur will what?"

She startled at his words before turning around. "I was discussing fishing with Kieran here."

Arthur's frown only tightened as if he hadn't quite caught on with what she meant. "Taking Kieran fishing and the idea of askin' you to tag along was brought up."

"Now?"

"No, not now." She crossed her arms, giving a gentle shrug. "Maybe next week or somethin', I got business back home but I can make time. If he's allowed to go that is."

"The O'Driscoll can go but I'll keep an eye on him." Nora cheered and clapped her hands, but Kieran wasn't too thrilled with the idea. "Grand, if it's alright with you both I'm gonna bring Lemuel along."

"Lemuel?" She nodded towards Arthur, a bright smile on her face. "My friend, he's been a bit glum as of late an' I think a fishing trip'll help."

"Alright, but don't go bringin' your entire posse down here."

"I ain't gonna, jus' Lemuel and I."

He still looked displeased but nodded regardless, accepting these terms of hers. "Lem's an alright fella, we spoke."

"Exactly." She looked over at Casper as he lazily grazed at the grass. "I must head off now, but I'll see you both soon." She looked over at Kieran now and gently placed her hand on his forearm.

"You don't worry 'bout these fools, they all act tough but I come to learn that it's nothin' more than an act." She gave him a gentle smile, retracting her hand. "I don't know 'em that well, but I reckon things will be fine an' even if they ain't, s'pose I got your back."

"T-Thank you."

She gave him a warm look. "Don't worry about thankin' me, it's the decent thing to do."

#rdr2 #rdo #red dead online #lem fike #lemuel fike #lem fike x original character #arthur morgan #john marston #kieran duffy

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norafike · 4 years ago

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Despite all this, I still love you 15

That Saint Denis trip was the last she had seen of the gang, having left promptly thereafter to return to her own family. Lem was more than excited to see her return, running up once her horse rode in to greet her with a fond smile and Cripps exchanged a small word with her brothers about it, often teasing.

“You ought to take him out and have a long word with him.” Cripps mentioned to Harry who had been picking at chunks in his stew. The man shook his head slowly but when he looked over at his sister talking with the same person he disliked he couldn't help but feel bitter. “Why does she bother with him, he's a nuisance.”

“Well, Lem's not all bad once you know him.” Cripps commented to lighten the situation but Harry only rolled his eyes.

“She shouldn't have forgiven him back then, can't count the times one argument made her upset or angry.”

“Don't forget they were as bad as each other, Lem also found himself upset when they would argue.”

But Harry only shook his head slowly, eating more of his stew. James looked back and forth on the situation and nodded in agreement with everything both men had to say, not taking a specific side. “Look, shouldn't what matter be how Nora feels?” Cripps asked but Harry only let out a huff.

“If havin' Lem around makes her happy, why should it bother you? Ain't like you're around often enough anyway.”

“I'm around plenty, it's her who isn't.” Harry remarked. “And why's it matter what she thinks?”

“Because for one, she raised you both. You were young and as was she and instead of turning you into some orphanage she took you in and raised you into the men, better suited to be children, you are today.”

“All she did was babysit for a few years.” Cripps rolled his eyes, feeling like his ears were lying to him at how rude Harry was being and all of it starting due to his dislike in a certain friend of Nora's. Cripps finished the stew and stood, not before pointing a finger at the brother. “She taught you a lot of things necessary for survival. You wouldn't have lasted five minutes if it weren't for her.”

Harry didn't like that and promptly left the table to return to his tent for the night, leaving James and Cripps sitting alone with the younger males mouth hanging agape. James struggled to apologise on behalf of his twin, not finding an excuse to provide for him and so Cripps let out a little huff before resuming to the stock of his business, checking over everything ready for sell.

“How's Kieran?” Lem asked her. She beckoned him away from the camp to avoid eavesdroppers and had him sit down on a rock next to her. “Poor thing's gone missing.”

“M-Missing?” He gasped.

“Last I saw him he was drunk, not thinking clearly and I worry about what has happened to him.”

“Well, I'm sure he's gonna be fine, Nora.” Lem calmed and she gave him a light chuckle before shaking her head. “It's a nice thought to have but I'm afraid that…” She paused as she found it difficult to carry on with the sentence and began to pick at the thread of her blouse to distract her for a brief moment before she was able too. “Well, I'm afraid his time has inevitably ran out. I don't think Kieran ever had too long left.”

“That's v-very negative, especially f-from you.” Lem furrowed his eyebrows and Nora could only nod slowly, recognising herself how she had become a lot less hopeful in her words. “I know, I'm sorry.”

“Don't be.” Lem looked over towards the campfire, ignoring the look on her face. “It's life after all.”

“Yeah.”

...

She sat near Lem on the rocks as they watched from a distance, Kieran fish. The man had occasionally turned back to talk with the two of them but for the most part they sat in comfortable silence.

“How many fish you caught Kieran?” Nora piped up to ask him and he looked down into his bucket to count how many he had in there. “Roughly f-five or six.” He answered.

“That's not bad.” She replied and Kieran nodded gently with her words, focusing on not blushing at her compliments or how kind he realised she was to him.

“We should start headin' back soon before the gang think you decided to run away, that or they think one of us murdered the other.”

He knew it to be spoken in some truth but he didn't wish to return quite yet, at least, not until it was well past nightfall and the majority of his unfortunate campmates had since retired to their cots or bedrolls to sleep. “With any luck they'll think you murdered me, then I can slip away and-” He had stopped himself quickly when the realisation struck that he hadn't meant the words he was about to say.

“Let's go.” He lowered his fishing rod and picked up his bucket in the same hand, taking Branwen by the reins and leading him over to Clemens Point. He wished to travel further to fish but with his past no members of the gang would let him travel too far out on his own and even when he had the odd permission to go far someone would grab his shoulder and warn him of what would happen if he stepped out of line.

But with Nora he felt like he could break the rules just to spend time with her that wasn't lived in fear for someone to tease or belittle him.

...

“A party at the mayor's?” Lem gasped when she so casually brought it up and the female nodded slowly to confirm it before handing out two cards between them. He looked at them briefly before turning them over, ready for their game to start once again.

“Someone Dutch and I became acquainted with has invited us along as like his guests. I'm not sure what we'll be doin', but I'm not so excited for it.” She explained to him.

“Can't believe you're actually g-gonna be going in that house. I used to admire the mansions in Saint Denis- when I would p-pass through there.”

Nora looked up, noticing the concentration on his face as he pulled a card from the deck, biting his lip in suspense as he pondered over the number before letting out an exhale of air when the number didn't go above twenty-one. “I did too, I guess.”

She reached forward and pulled out a card before sighing out loud as the kind brought her over the desired number and Lem snorted when he learned she lost to him again. “You gotta be cheatin', mister.”

“Guess I'm just lucky.” Nora laughed aloud when he said this and shook her head in disbelief at the claim. “You're by far the unluckiest person I met, Lemuel.”

“How k-kind of ya.”

She raised the bottle in a toast before taking a swig of it's liquid, scrunching her face at the bitter taste and gagging on it a little. “Tastes like piss.” She whispered before pouring the rest of its content out on the ground and noticing how Lem began to hide his laughter behind the back of his hand at her reaction to the beverage. His face began to turn red at his concentration to stifle the laugh which made it more obvious than it was and his joy elicited a bright smile on her face. “You're an ass.”

“I know.” He grinned before gathering the cards up once more and shuffling them together. She looked on fondly as his hands worked at the deck and took in how effortlessly they moved just to rearrange the cards for them and how gentle he had been with dealing and quickly she blurted out. “You have nice hands.”

Lem's eyebrow arched and he stopped the task to look up at her and they locked eyes before bursting into a fit of laughter at each other's expressions. Deep down she was mortified for saying such a sentence and was quick to blame it on the liquor that got to her head and he agreed knowing it to not be true, he knew Nora better than most. “Y-You have nice eyes.” He replied and she blushed a little.

“You do too.”

“Not me.” Lem shook his head before flipping his two cards over to start their game once again. Nora copied and watched as he reached forward to take a card. “I hate my eyes.”

Nora pouted, seemingly forgetting the game they were playing before she remembered and forced herself to draw from the deck and she grinned at the close call she got to going over again. “You have.” She paused to think for an answer. “You have nice lips.”

“I have nice lips?” His ears surely must have been playing tricks on him but when he looked up and saw that smirk he knew she was just teasing now and he chuckled lowly at it. “Thanks.” But he still wasn't sure how to properly respond to it.

“You have nice lips t-too.” He mumbled.

“I know.”

Lem rolled his eyes but his focus began to deteriorate and so their game had to come to an end abruptly. He gathered all their cards and returned them to that draw in her desk before excusing himself to leave for a break to catch some fresh air. She let him leave and once he felt he had travelled far enough from the camp he was quick to find a near tree and place his head against the trunk, letting out a deep sigh from his gut.

“Cigarette?” He startled when her voice caught him off guard and quickly turned around with his hands held high to show he was defenceless as if she was some predator to him and she snorted at the reaction before shaking the packet in the air for him to see. He didn't appreciate how amused she was at his fright but took the cigarette regardless, putting it in his mouth and striking match before lighting it.

They stood in a silence that would vary between awkward and comfortable and would occasionally flick their eyes towards one another before diverting their gazes away, their behaviour like teenagers again. The corner of Lem's mouth twitched into a subtle smile when he noticed how nervous she grew around him and when his cigarette had finished he flicked the few embers out a discarded the rest of it on the ground. “So.. you think I h-have nice lips huh?” He was teasing and she knew it and yet she couldn't avoid the flush to her cheeks.

“Yes.”

He leaned down towards her and cupped her cheek with his palm; his thumb tracing gentle patterns along her freckles and slowly he would lean towards her until their noses were brushing against the other. Her breathing hitched and it became hard to think clearly and she wanted to lean into his touch and close the gap between them but something was restricting her from doing so. “Thank you.” He whispered before pulling away.

She stood bewildered as he sauntered past towards camp again and Nora managed an intake of air once it finally caught up to her what just had happened and she silently cursed at him for his torment.

#rdr2 #red dead 2 #rdr2 fic #fanfiction #lem fike #lemuel fike #lem fike x original character #original female character #now they're flirty #thing's about to get wild though

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