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There was something enduring about Lemuel that despite the many tight situations he’s gotten not only himself, but you in as well, made you readily agree to just about anything he suggests.
So now here you are perched up in a goddamn pine tree, Lem himself boosting you up to the first branch which was above your head, you shakily climbing the rest until you could see across the valley.
“Now just tie yourself up there, make sure yer secure.” He calls up.
“Don’t gotta tell me twice,” You laugh nervously and suddenly Lem is doubting his plan. He’s never seen you as anything less than sure, confident, and uncomfortably calm in sticky situations. Compared to all that you sound terrified.
“Maybe we should-”
“Lemuel Fike!” You snap. “My ass is already up here, now go get into position.”
“Yes, yes, of course,” he flushes. “I will come back for you I promise.”
“I know you will,” you reply softer. “See you in a bit.”
“See you in a bit.” He repeats.
You slip your prized rifle off your back, and set it up so it rests on another branch. Peering through the sight, he was right, there was another moonshine camp not too far from your shack and a road block not too much further. Then you see Lem, tearing through the camp on his horse faster than you’ve ever seen, in fact you don’t think you even thought he had it in him. But there he goes, you watch his back like a hawk, taking out anyone who even reaches for their gun. You aim mostly at their hands and they become frantic trying to figure out where the shots come from. Lem makes it through and you feel yourself relax a little, and force yourself to wait, knowing they have to chase him as part of the plan. You gotta say it’s pretty clever, as goofy as Lem is he comes up with some interesting ideas. They follow him right through to the road block where the revenue men let him right through, opening fire on the Moonshiners, who start shooting back. It’s a bloodbath, but Lem is clear. You pick off a few of each, making sure everyone is down.
“Hey,” Lem calls up. “How’s it going?”
“Yer a goddamn genius Lem,” you laugh, relieved to hear his voice again.
“I would not go as far as to say something like that…” he blushes, thankful you can’t see him before he moves to the base of the tree. You look down and immediately regret it. Your body freezing in fear as the ground looms far below you. “You can come… are you… are you okay?” he squints up at you, and even from far down below can tell you’ve gone pale.
“I... “ you swallow your pride, one hand clutching your rifle, the other clutching the closest branch to you. “I c’ain’t move Lem… I’m… I…”
“It’s alright, I am coming up,” and sure enough with agility you didn’t know he had in his gangly limbs he had scaled up the tree until he was on the branch below you. “Here, hand me your rifle, I will be careful with it I promise.”
Had you not been terrified of dying from your body hitting the ground you would have been touched by the careful way he took your most prized possession from you. “Alright, now I want you to turn onto your belly and put your legs down towards me. Can you do that?”
“No,” you whimper, closing your eyes tight, your newly freed hand gripping another branch.
“Hey listen,” he speaks gently. “The rope is tied to you and the tree, I won’t cut it until I got a hold on you, okay, you hear me?” You nod, eyes tightly closed. He places his hand on your knee and gives it a gentle squeeze. “I’m right here alright?” His hands find your hips and you reach one hand out to touch his hand taking a deep breath. You slowly turn and he guides your leg down. You are now between him and the tree trunk and you feel him shift. “I’m going to cut the rope now okay?”
You feel sick with relief as you get to the last limb, Lem jumping down then turning and holding his arms up to you. You lean forward and let yourself fall, he catches you in his arms and the two of you are chest to chest. His hands on your waist from where he caught you and yours resting on his shoulders.
“There, safe and sound,” he hums, looking pleased with himself for getting you down in one piece.
“Thank you Lem, I don’t know what got into me.” You blush and he gently lets go of your waist. Your hands slip off his shoulders and down his arms where you can feel the muscles flexing beneath his soft flannel shirt.
“Everyone has got something they’re afraid of, “ he shrugs, then without thinking , brushes some pine needles free, tucking your hair back behind your ear. You're still gripping one of his upper arms. Both of you look down to your feet blushing, but instead of pulling away you squeeze his bicep, nervously looking up, breath hitching as you take in the way he’s looking at you. You swallow then lick your lips.
“I would very much like to kiss you right now,” he says.
“I would very much be okay with that,” you reply before he bends down as you lean up, your lips meeting in a shy, careful kiss, which you follow with another then a more firm, sure kiss, hands fisting in each other's shirts as it deepens. He cups the back of your head gently, as you tilt your head and open your mouth, inviting his tongue in. He moans into the kiss and you hook your fingers in his belt loops pulling his hips flush with yours as he backs you into the tree.
Your hands roam over his back, sides and chest as the kiss continues until you’re breathless and the world has grown almost too dark around you and the bugs start biting.
“We should be heading back, Maggie gets worried when I keep you out too late,” you tease lightly and he laughs leaning down and kissing you once more. You card your hand through his hair before resting your palm on his cheek.
“Thank you for saving me,” you sigh one last time.
“Please,” he pushaw’s “after all the times you’ve saved my sorry hide, it’s the least I can do.”
The two of you head back to Maggie’s hand and hand, making it back just as the sun sets. She’s waiting on the porch and you pull your hands apart, faces heating, but she only scoffs at the two of you, getting to her feet.
“Was wonderin’ when you two would quit with the longing looks and just get it together already,” she grumbles, heading inside. “Whatever you get up to, keep it in your tent out back…” She’s muttering to herself as the door shuts behind her, leaving you two severely red faced.
“I-uh…Aunt Mags...” Lemuel coughs through his embarrassment, “She’s always been rather presumptuous.”
“It don’ bother me none, I’ve always been an Impetuous sorta person,” you turn, looking up at him demurely, before hooking your fingers back into his belt loops, tugging him forward in a suggestive motion. He responds with another heated kiss, only stopping when Maggie comes back out to extinguish the lantern hanging by the door.
“I said keep it in your tent!”