Freedom ★

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A large billowing fire emanates from the town's saloon, it grows and grows. People scream from the fire, trying aimlessly to stop it from spreading.

The memory of the fire replays and replays as the fire erupts more and more.

Scott wakes up in a cold sweat, these night terrors seemed worse by the day, these memories of his past play tricks upon tricks every night. That day he never wanted to experience ever again.

The moon's light shines through the blinds of his tiny room, signaling it was still night. Scott closes his eyes and turns over, trying to sleep and shrug off this night terror.

But it doesn't seem to go away.

He groans stretching outwards as he gets up, if he can't sleep it might just be an early morning.

His day starts off normal, he gets dressed, has coffee, checks on his horse Ranger in the stables out back, and looks over some files he's kept in his office for a while.

As the morning sun rose, it illuminated a picture frame that sat at the edge of his desk. The picture showed four people gathered on a familiar saloon stage, having musical instruments in their hands, entertaining a crowd.

Scott's eyes land on the picture as the sun's light illuminates it, he reminisces on that day before everything turned bad. His friends were 4c, Nom, and Mae. He knew where two of them were since 4c stayed near the town's edge, building up his ranch. And Mae, she lived in the woods of Pity, Scott visited her sometimes, she was always happy to see him. Wondering how he was doing as the new town's sheriff. They would always tell stories as she lit up a fire. They reminisced on the past days, but always skipped over that one single day.

His last friend, Nom. He always cared for him, and considered him his closest friend. He sometimes wondered where he was off too these days, or if he was even alive. After everything that day happened he couldn't dare to face him. Nom saved him at the last second from the burning of the saloon, but both of them didn't come out without consequences. Scott touched his arm, his hand moving down his arm in slow motion, the burn scar that lingered across his right side felt like a memory of something he could never fix.

He picked up the picture and held it in his hands firmly, but then set it down not wanting it to be destroyed.

As the memories of his teenage years faded he heard a knock on his office door.

“Sheriff? Sheriff!” The voice was familiar, as it was Graecie, The town's saloon gal. Her voice seemed insistent as she knocked.

Scott got up slowly, walking towards the door and opening it with a creak.

“What can I do for you Miss Graecie?” He spoke, adjusting his coat.

Graecie fidgeted with her hands,

“Well, uhm, there is someone in the saloon that is insistent that they know you.”

Scott looked at her confused.

“What do they look like?” He asked.

“Oh! They have brown hair, brown eyes, uhm, a red scarf, black torn leather jacket, white shirt, dark brown pants, and boots and a pair of glasses.”

Scott's eyes widened as she described.

“I'll be down there in a minute. You can take your leave now, Miss Graecie.”

Graecie looked up at him and nodded, turning around to walk back towards the saloon.

His door remained open as he stood thinking about what Graecie said. It couldn't be him, surely. He's been missing for years. Even he started to believe he was dead.

But, he had to go investigate for himself.

He thought about taking Ranger, but decided that if it was him he wouldn't need to. So he walked down to the saloon and stepped inside.

The saloon this early morning smelled vaguely of alcohol as he stepped inside. It was a normal smell these days, what would you expect from a place like this?

Scott's eyes scanned the inside, spotting someone sitting at the edge of the bar near the stage. He breathed in and sighed, walking over to sit next to the person that was sitting down.

He didn't talk for a moment, not having the words to face him, or if it even was him.

The person next to him coughed and cleared his throat. Which made Scott look at him. And the person looked straight into his eyes.

He could recognize those in a heartbeat, it was Noms eyes. Still the same from when they were teenagers but just a little older with age.

Scott looked at him as his eyes and for the first time softened.

“Nom.” He spoke that one word, before Nom collapsed in his arms hugging him tightly. Scott moved his arms around him pulling him closer and tighter than they already were.

“I'm so so so sorry I wasn't here, or didn't come back. I had to heal, and then my parents moved farther away then I wanted them too, and I couldn't convince them or stop it.” He mumbled into Scott's shoulder.

Scott looked down at Noms head buried into his shoulder and spoke.

“Nom, It's alright. Why would I be mad?” He reassured and questioned to himself and Nom.

Nom sighed directly into his shoulder and relaxed the tight hold he had on Scott.

After a few moments Nom let go, adjusting to sit up straighter while looking Scott in the eyes again. Scott studied his face, noticing the large burn scar that went up his cheek and landed near his left eye.

Scott hesitantly lifted his gloved hand and touched the scar with a slow intent, and Nom let him. Scott's hand glided down the scar on his cheek before he let go, resting his hand on the bar.

Both of them were silent, looking at each other in comfortable silence.

“So, what are you now? and what have you been up too..?” Nom asked hesitantly. Scott sighed looking at him with his stern but softer eyes.

“You wanna start askin’ those questions now?” Scott asked, “Where have you been?” He rebutted.

Nom scoffed softly.

“Ya want the long version or a short one?” He asked.

Scott gave Nom a look.

“You can tell me in a few minutes, we should leave.” He spoke, starting to get up.

Nom followed as Scott started to leave, waving to Graecie before he left. They slowly walked up the sandy streets towards the sheriff office. Noms eyes scanned the familiar streets, taking in the sights of the buildings being a lot different than he was used to.

Scott stepped up onto the porch and opened the door to the sheriff office. Allowing Nom to enter first as he held the door open. Nom nodded his head towards Scott before walking inside.

The door closed with a creak and a click as Scott locked the door behind them.

“So. Tell me where you've been all these years?” Scott spoke first.

Nom sighed.

“Well, after I got saved from the saloon I was sent to a hospital a few towns over, and I was there for weeks, healing from those horrid burns.” Nom paused.

“I can't look myself in the eye without remembering that day. I know I did the right thing saving you but i-”

Scott interrupted, placing a hand on his arm.

“You did the best thing. I can't think about you without remembering what you did.” Scott held his hand firm on his arm.

“We both survived, and I think that's all that matters now.”

Scott looked him in the eyes.

“You're here. You're alive Nominal. That's all I care about.”

Nom gave him a slight smile, returning the look that Scott was giving him.

“I don't care about the scars, none of it. All I care about is you.”

Nom smiles brighter, and pulled Scott in close to him.

“And I care about you too.”

Nom grabbed the top of Scott's hat and pulled it off his head, setting it down on the desk beside them. Both of them moved closer until their foreheads and noses touched.

Nom looked like he was going to say something but put it down, which Scott noticed.

“What were you gon’ say?” He asked.

Nom looked away for a second, his face turning just a tiny hint of pink.

“It's nothin’.” He said.

“Say it.” Scott demanded.

“No.” Nom replied.

“Say it.”

“Fine.”

Nom looked towards Scott, directly in the eyes.

“I can't believe I actually fell for a person like you.”

Scott stood frozen, looking Nom in the eyes. The hold he had on Nom jacket becoming tighter.

“What?”

He questioned.

“I'm in love with you, Scott Dellhall.” He said seriously.

“I'm not lying to you, and I know you might not even think twice about loving me back but, I have been wanting to say this for years.”

Scott decided in his head that he was done with everything, and decided to make a change. He leaned in fast, connecting both of their lips together.

It wasn't the best kiss of all time, both of their lips were callused and not really chapped and or dry, But they both didn't have a care in the world. It was just them and the soft light of the morning drifting through Scott's blinds.

After a few seconds they let go, their eyes connecting to each other.

“First day back to Pity and this is what happens..” Nom commented.

Scott quickly let go of Nom and hit him in the shoulder.

“Be quiet.”

Nom scoffed, and was about to reply with a snarky remark but got interrupted by a knock on the door.

“I'll get it.”

Nom nodded, stepping a little to the side, even though he didn't need to.

The door opened with a creak as Scott saw two familiar faces staring at him.

“Howdy, 4c and Mae.” He spoke, “What may I help you with?” He questioned.

4c spoke up first.

“Well, Mae had an idea! And she wanted to run it by you, uh” 4c shrugged at the end of his sentence.

“Yes yes! well we want to find Nom and we know how much you still miss him, so I devised a plan on how to find him!” Mae giggled a little as she spoke.

“Well, about that-” Scott started.

“NOM?!??” Mae screamed and jumped back.

Scott turned his head to the side to see Nom ever so close to him.

He sighed.

“Well, I was about to say that I already found him, Until you yelled about it.” He replied.

Mae got her composure together and stood ever so closely to 4c.

Nom cleared his throat, and stepped past Scott towards Mae and 4c.

“Bring it in then.” He spoke.

Mae was the first to leap into Noms arms and right after was 4c. They hugged up with great force, which he didn't seem to mind.

Scott looked at them with an actual smile on his face.

“Cmon, join in Scott.” Nom said, look back towards him.

Scott scoffed.

“Alright, fine.”

Scott walked over and wrapped his arm closely around them all as they stood on his porch.

The minutes ticked by as they stayed until Mae let go.

“Scott?” She asked, looking at him.

“Yes Mae?”

“uhh, can we be a band again? at least for one night!”

Scott looked over to her with a look she couldn't quite place.

“hm. I might have an idea.” He replied.

—

A few days passed by quickly. Scott decided to take just a night off from his sheriff job to focus on something fun for the first time in his adult life.

He discussed with Mae about possibly doing a little concert band at the saloon. The second day of Nom being back he went into the saloon after hours to talk to Graecie.

He mentioned that he was in a band as a teen, and wanted to possibly have a spot in the few upcoming days to possibly be on the stage. Which Graecie was fully shocked that he was telling her any of this, but was fully on board for the band bit.

After he talked with Graecie, he went over to Mae again, wondering where she put the instruments a few years ago. Mae had seemed to forget but ran to go look for them either way.

Nom and Scott decided to talk about what happened a few days ago, and how their relationship would progress going forward. They left each other on a positive note, as they decided to take things slow.

Right one cue Mae came dashing through town, the sounds of instruments rattling against the cart it was in. She rode her horse all the way to where Scott was reading on his porch.

“I found them!!” She yelled excitedly.

Scott looked up from his sheriff log.

“Well, let's get this show on the road shall we?” He replied.

It took a few hours but they set up under the people's noses for an impromptu performance in the saloon.