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outlawsworld · 4 years ago

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Trusting Strangers - Chapter 10

Arthur Morgan x Female reader

Summary: Reader and Arthur's relationship is growing. You go on a job together and end up with a night under the stars.

Warnings: violence, mentions of rape and a whole lat of fluff.

Notes: This chapter was so much fun to write! I hope you are still enjoying it and don't forget to let me know what you think and like and reblog ❤️ I've got so many ideas of what's going to happen so please bare with me! 🤠

Chapter 1

You walked into your tent feeling the rush of excitement wanting to burst out of you. Every inch of your body was ecstatic and you jumped around your tent quietly letting a small burst of your happiness out before you exploded. Your cheeks started to ache from smiling so much and you could feel the hot redness filling them. The last thing you expected from tonight was to end it in Arthur's arms again, with his soft lips against yours. Only this time he didn't pull away from you, he didn't leave you standing in the woods alone. You undressed into your nightwear and laid on your cot staring at the tent ceiling. Your eyes were dry from such a long day but you couldn't sleep with the thoughts of the night flooding your head. It must have been the early hours of the morning before sleep finally took over your body. When you woke up your body were sore. You hadn't had much sleep over the last couple of days because of everything being on your mind and it was starting to take it's toll. As you sat up from your cot your eyes suddenly widened as you realised that what had happened last night wasn't a dream. Quickly you pulled on your trousers and blue shirt. You fell over whilst trying to pull your boots on, rushing, eager to see Arthur. As you stepped out of your tent you saw the rest of camp was already in full flow. Everyone was already going about their daily chores, the sun was high in the sky and the morning birds had already sang their songs. You must have slept in, which was a first for you. As you scanned the camp you found that Arthur had already gotten up and left, Dutch and Bill too. Then your eyes landed on a very angry looking Mrs Grimshaw. Your eyes met which meant there was no escaping her wrath now. She marched over to you as you still stood in front of your tent, looking very much bewildered by the fact you had slept in.

''Miss (Y/N)'' Mrs Grimshaw was now directly in front of you. ''Are you feeling well rested?'' she looked at your face sternly waiting for an answer.

''I guess, Mrs Grimshaw'' you looked at your feet trying to ignore her gaze.

''Good, now get to your chores. Seen as this is not a usual thing for you I will let you off'' she smiled at you. ''Don't let it happen' again'' she pointed her finger at you before marching over to Pearson. You smirked under your breath. You knew she was the one that let you sleep for so long, she must have known how little rest you were actually getting. However, she needed to act tough in camp and if anyone knew you had gotten away with it then there would be hell on. Charles and Kieran had already done all your chores with the horses so you spent the day washing clothes in the river. You didn't mind it so much when you were now able to sit on the sand and look out across the water. No one disturbed you except Sadie who came to wash the pots beside you for a bit. She was curing Pearson again for treating her like a maid.

''I'd love to shove that stew pot up where the sun don't shine'' she giggled. ''Damn bastard''.

''I won't be eatin' my food from that again'' you both laughed as you carried on with your chores.

''So....'' she paused looking at you with a intrigued smile on her face. You glanced at her furrowing your brow in anticipation to what she was about to say. ''Where did you and Arthur sneak off to last night?''. You felt as if your heart momentarily stop beating and a flush of heat rose to your cheeks.

''Sadie Adler'' you shook your head at her. ''I didn't take you for a gossipin' kinda gal''.

''Oh I ain't but I saw the way you looked at each other whilst dancing'' her voice was soft now and joking aside. ''then you run off into the woods'' she cocked her eyebrow at you before a devilish smile appeared. ''Can't fool me. I know something goin' on. You two have been ignorin' each other for days and then suddenly you are back smilin' again. I ain't a gossip, I'm just nosey''. You couldn't help but laugh at her comments. Sadie was probably the only girl you trusted with something like this, she was the most like you. She wasn't a fan of gossip and you knew she wouldn't tell the others. Your rose cheeks had already given away your secret. ''I won't tell anyone, I promise'' she pleaded whilst motioning a cross on her heart. You scan around to make sure no one was lurking or close enough to hear your convocation.

''Alright, alright but you don't tell a sole'' you sighed, defeated. ''I ain't good at this and to be honest I didn't want anyone knowin' until we had figured it out'' you took one more quick look around before closing the distance between you and Sadie. ''So, I kinda care for him....a lot. We've been spendin' so much time together that I didn't even realise I had feelin's for him. Nothing too excitin' happened in the woods last night. We just talked and.....Well... we kissed but that's it'' you spoke in a whisper. Sadie's jaw dropped slightly before she smiled.

''I knew it'' she cheered quietly. ''So why the hell were you both igorin' each other for so long?''. You explained the situation to her and spoke about all the confusing feeling you had. Sadie listened to every word intently, you didn't realise how relieving it was to actually speak to someone about everything. It was as though a big weight had been lifted off of you and you could understand your feelings a lot more. You had learnt to keep your feeling to yourself but being able to talk to someone made you feel so much lighter.

''Well I'm glad, for both of your sakes, that you worked it out'' she smiled sweetly at you. ''Can't believe out of all the men in the world to be sweet on, Arthur Morgan, was the one for ya'' she teased you. You both giggle as you finished the last of the clothes that needed washing before gathering them up and heading back into camp. Sadie stayed at the river side, trying to prolong facing Pearson again. As you were hanging up the wet clothes to dry you heard Uncle call you which drew your attention to him. He was stood by one of the big trees in camp with Arthur, who must have returned from his job this morning. Uncle also called Bill and Charles over to him which made you wonder if you were going to be asked to go on a job. You slowly made your way over to the four men smiling sweetly as you and Arthur briefly made eye contact.

''What are you talkin' about?'' Bill asked, clearly irritated by the old man.

''Arthur, is above a little stick up I heard about'' Uncle teased which Arthur immediately took offence to and was quick to defend himself.

''No I'm not'' he growled.

''But you just said.....''

''Hey I'll do it'' he cut Uncle off before giving a devilish grin. ''As long as you ride with us'' he pointed at Uncle who's face went pale. You, Charles and Bill all glanced at each other amused by the shock on Uncles face.

''I got a serious medical condition'' he fumbles for an excuse. Arthur started to laugh in the old mans face.

''Yes, you are a compulsive liar'' Arthur chuckled whilst taking a drag from his cigarette.

''No need to be like that'' Uncle turned his attention to you and Charles. ''Charles, (Y/N), have I ever lied to you?''.

''I hardly know you'' Charles responded confused by the question.

''Don't look at me, I've been here for less time then Charles'' you smirked. Arthur wouldn't back down, if Uncle didn't ride with you all, then the job wasn't happening. It didn't take long before Uncle gave in and agreed to help before mounting up. He explained that it was a supply wagon carrying payroll which supposedly won't be guarded.

''As long as we get paid or you get shot, I'm happy'' Arthur bellowed before putting out his cigarette and mounting up. You couldn't help but giggle under your breath at the way he antagonised the old man. Charles, Bill and yourself also mounted your horses and followed Uncle out of camp. You rode beside Arthur and noticed the Deputy badge pinned to his shirt.

''Law man now, huh?'' you teased pointing out the golden badge.

''Seems like it'' he smirked back at you. ''Somethin' to do with Dutch's plan apparently''.

''I hope you don't get too attached to it or you'll be takin' us all in yourself''.

''I guess we will have to see'' he teased you back. Your heart lit up when he looked at you, he always managed to spark something warm inside your chest whenever your eyes met. When you reached the location that the wagon would be passing through your mind was elsewhere, so much so that you almost ran into Charles' horse. Your cheeks blushed with embarrassment as Arthur watched you fumble back into reality with a smirk on his face. The five of you waited patiently for the wagon to appear over the hill. Uncle was right, it wasn't guarded, just the driver and one other man. You rode over as it turned off at the crossroad. Bill heckled them to pull over and Uncle stopped his horse in front of them so they had to stop. Bill had his gun on one man and you had yours pointed at the other while Charles and Arthur looked in the back and grabbed what they could. You looked over your shoulder and saw another wagon quickly coming down the track.

''Shit, we've got company'' you yelled. The wagon coming down the track was being followed by men on horses with guns who had spotted you trying to rob the other wagon. Before you knew it they were coming after you. ''Charles, Arthur, hurry up. We need to get outta here''. They quickly jumped from the wagon and mounted there horses before the five of you galloped away from the on coming attack. Bullets were flying past you, barely missing you and the men were gaining speed. You spurred Dallas into a faster gallop as you grabbed your rifle from over your shoulder. Arthur and Bill were already shooting back at the men who were on your tail. You turned in your saddle, hoping Dallas would follow Uncle and Charles, as you began to fire back at the men. A bullet flew right past your shoulder and you aimed your rifle at the man who fired it, taking him down with one headshot. The three of you managed to pick off a couple of them but there were too many.

''Quick, get of the trail. Into the woods'' Uncle called out to you all. You turned back in your saddle and followed him with Arthur close behind you. The five of you galloped through the trees, getting hit from small branches that you were unable to duck under. A small house with a barn was just on the other side of the trees which would be a good place to hide and lay low. You followed the boys by dismounting Dallas and giving him a small slap to flee the area before going into the barn to take cover and rest. For now it looked like you had lost them but you knew the best thing was to wait until it was dark before leaving for camp. You went to the back of the barn, hidden behind a stall wall, and sat down with your back leaning against the wooden panel. This would be the last place to look if someone came in as it had great cover, just in case you fell asleep. The others stayed at the front of the barn, out of view from you but you could hear their mumblings. Charles was on watch and you soon heard the light snoring coming from Uncle and Bill.

''You alright?'' you looked up to see Arthur's tall figure stood looking down over you.

''Yeah, how about yourself?'' you asked in a hushed voice. He came and sat right next to you, not leaving much space between the both of you.

''I'm alright'' he smiled sweetly at you. ''Shouldn't be too long till it gets dark and we can get outta here. He's a fool that old man''.

''Better then delivering letters'' you smirked trying to lighten the mood. Arthur nodded in agreement. You wanted to carry on the convocation but you knew it was better to keep quiet in case there were any men looking for you outside. Instead you shuffled closer to him and rested your head on his broad shoulder. He slightly tensed at first but then rested his cheek on your head as he relaxed. It was a good job the others couldn't see you now or they would definitely know something was going on between the two of you. The comfort of having him right beside you meant you slowly kept on falling in and out of sleep. You felt his warmth as you leant against him, each deep breath he took and the hitch in his breath whenever you moved because he didn't want to disturb you. When you woke up fully, you realised Arthur had also fallen asleep next to you with his head still resting on yours but it had gotten dark outside so you knew you had to wake him. Gently you placed your hand on his chest and shook him. He was an extremely light sleeper and that was enough to alert him, he sat upright before turning to you. His eyes looked deep into yours as he moved his hand to gently caress your cheek before placing a light kiss on your lips. The small gesture ignited the warm feeling in your chest and you couldn't help the shy smile you gave him as he stood up to wake the others. You took a deep breath to remind yourself of the situation at hand, rather then keeping your mind on Arthur, and stood up to return to the others. There was a light coming from the house as a couple of men approached the front door. It was a couple of the men from earlier asking the owners of the property if they had noticed anyone running through here.

''Damn. L-L-L-L-Let's just....Keep this calm'' Arthur instructed. ''See what happens''. You all took cover in the barn hiding behind pillars and stall walls. You found yourself in the same place you had been in all night, crouched down, occasionally looking around the stall wall to see what was happening. The owner pointed out that he heard noises at the barn where you were currently taking cover. Two men approached the barn quietly and began to look round. The five of you remained still as the men searched the barn.

''The place looks empty to me'' one of the men shouted to the other. He was about to walk away when Bill kicked an empty can by his foot which caused the man to turn back realising we were all hidden there. God damn it Bill. Is he not capable of staying hidden.

''Shit'' Bill cursed as he shot the man at the front of the barn. The men from the house were alerted by this and started firing on all of you. You got up from your cover and ran to the front of the barn to shoot at the men coming from the house. It was dark and misty which made it hard for you to see where the men firing at you were coming from. You could only see outlines of people as they moved and they now had you surrounded. Charles and yourself were still based at the front of the barn, gunning down anyone coming from the house while Arthur, Bill and Uncle took on the others coming from the side. The men were coming out of nowhere and there was no way of telling how many were firing at you. There was a bright glow coming from the corner of the barn, you turned to see that one of the men had thrown there lanterns which had smashed setting fire to the dry wood.

''Shit.....Fire'' Charles shouted to all of you. The fire grew rapidly, like an untameable stallion rising up. Before you knew it the fire had spread to the roof of the barn and the smoke was burning at the back of your throat everytime you took a breath.

''If we don't get outta here soon....we're gonna be charcoal'' Arthur was now by your side, blocking the small bits of debris that was falling from the roof from hitting you. You took a step back, looking up to the roof that was about to concave and engulf you all in flames.

''This way'' you herd Bill call out to you from the back of the barn. He had found a small opening that you could climb through to get out. The heat from the burning wood was kissing your skin and you could barely see through the smoke. You followed Bill and Uncle out of the small gap with Charles and Arthur right behind you. Taking a deep breath of fresh air as you ran back towards the trees for cover. You decided to split up into two groups. Arthur was with Uncle and Charles with Bill.

''(Y/N), with us'' Charles beckoned you to follow him. You and Arthur quickly glanced at each other not wanting to leave one another but you had no time to think or argue. Following Charles and Bill, you quickly ran through the woods and tried to find some cover. "If you do anything stupid Mr Williamson, you're on your own" Charles threatened as Bill scoffed back at him. There were some big boulders that the three of you managed to hide behind. You managed to catch your breath while crouching down for cover, listening to any oncoming people. A small group of men soon appeared in the tree line with their rifles at the ready. The three of you remained quiet as you aimed your guns at the men walking in your direction. You waited for Charles to give you the signal to shoot but you heard shots being fired from deeper in the woods. They were coming from where Arthur and Uncle had gone. The group of men turned their attention to the sounds.

''Come on boys. That way'' one of them spoke up. Just as they were about to run off to the noises. Charles stood up shouting at you to fire. All three of you were now shooting at the group of men. They immediately took cover but between the three of you, you managed to take some of them out. Your shots were now useless as the bullets were bouncing off the trees. The best way of getting to them was to flank them. You shot Charles a quick look which he nodded at, knowing exactly what needed to be done. Charles and Bill both stood trying to draw the men's fire as you took the opportunity to sneak round and attack them from behind. You kept crouched down as you quietly made your way around them, keeping yourself in the shadows. There were four men left and you had a good shot on all of them from your new position. You took cover behind a tree and noticed Arthur and Uncle had now joined Charles and Bill behind the rock. Arthur managed to kill one of the four men as the man glanced out from behind his cover. Leaving only three to deal with. You aimed your rifle at the first man, taking him out smoothly. The other two men turned to you as you had now given away your position. Shots were now being aimed at you, you crouched behind the tree for cover knowing that this would give the boys the opportunity to approach them and take out the last two men. Arthur and Bill did just that and the two men fell down dead.

''We all still alive?'' Arthur asked. You stood up from behind the tree and regrouped with the four men.

''Just about'' Bill answered gruffly.

''Yeah, I'll deal with you later'' Arthur turned his attention to Uncle. His brow was furrowed and his face had gone red with anger.

''We got some money, didn't we?'' Uncle defended himself.

''Leave it, go on, get out of here'' Arthur shooed them all away. ''Everyone split up, come on, get going''.

''Good luck gents, (Y/N)'' Charles nodded to you and you watched as they all left in different directions. You were about to run off in another direction when Arthur gabbed your arm.

''Not you'' he smirked. ''You're comin' with me Darlin'.'' the rumble in his tone made you shiver. You followed him through the woods as he whistled for his horse. Dallas was nowhere to be seen but you suspected he would have gone back to camp. Siego came cantering over, through the trees to you both . Arthur mounted then held out his hand to help you to sit up, behind the saddle. Once you were both on you wrapped your arms round Arthur's waste to keep balanced and he kicked Siego into a steady canter. You had plenty of practise riding bareback so keeping stable on the back of the horse wasn't too hard a task for you. The smell of cigarettes and whiskey reminted from Arthur's shirt as you clung onto him. ''You alright back there'' he shouted to you as he placed on hand to rest gently on your lower thigh.

''Yeah, just fine'' you smiled at his touch. ''Where are we goin'?''.

''I wanna show you somethin'.'' you rode together quietly until Arthur turned off the track and up a steep hill through some trees. You stared blankly through the trees to try and understand why he had brought you to this place. ''Here'' he pulled Siego to a halt and dismounted before helping you down. ''Follow me'' he pulled out his lantern and lit it as you followed him up the rest of the hill until you came to a clearing where Arthur stopped. It was a small patch of open grass right on the very peak of the hill. You turned to him, cocking an eyebrow at him, confused to why he brought you to this little area. He smirked when he saw your confusion. ''Look up''. You did as he said and looked into the pitch black night sky.

''I don't see much, just a couple stars'' you pointed out.

''Keep lookin'.'' Arthur spoke softly as he blew out the lantern. Suddenly the black sky was filled with millions of stars that filled the darkness with light and colour. You had never seen anything so beautiful in your whole life. Each star was visible and glowing so brightly that you didn't need any lights to see. Your jaw dropped and your eyes widened at the spectacle of the night sky.

''It's beautiful'' you spoke breathlessly. ''How did you find this place?'' you didn't want to look away in case your eyes were playing tricks on you.

''I stumbled across it one night as I was out thinkin'. Thought you might like it'' Arthur sat in the grass. You decided to lay down next to him and stare at the sky, he followed you and laid his back on the grass.

''What were you thinkin' bout?'' you turned to look at him. The light from the stars twinkled in his eyes as he faced you too.

''You'' he admitted. He lent up on one elbow so he could hover almost above you. ''You're all I ever think about'' he paused looking deeply into your eyes. That warm feeling in your chest came back, you bit your bottom lip whilst he looked over you. Every inch of you was trembling with a mix of excitement and nerves. Heat rushed to your cheeks and you could feel flutters in your stomach. He was so close to you that you could feel his breath on your skin. You longed for him, looking at his lips, only inches away from yours. He took your glances as a plea and leant in to kiss you gently. Your whole body began to tingle as he moved his free hand to your hip. You moved your hand and tangled your fingers in his light brown hair. As both your lips moved against each others the kiss slowly became more intimate. Arthur's hand started to wonder from your hip down your thigh to your knee. He grasped a hold of the back of your knee and brought your leg over his hips until you were straddling him. Your torso now pressed against his and using your elbows on either side of his head to balance yourself. You didn't break the kiss, still desperate for one another. The feeling of his warm body in-between your legs made your thighs burn. His hands started to wonder up and down your body leaving warm trails where he touched. It was perfect, just the two of you under the beautiful night sky. The way you felt in this moment was something you had never experienced in your entire life. It was as though everything you have ever needed in life was right there with you and nothing could break you apart. You could feel his heart racing in his chest as you were laid over him. Each time you took a breath you would look into each others eyes and melt back into the kiss again. The kiss started to become passionate and hungry for one another. Both your tongue's dancing together in synchronisation. You felt how hungry he was for you as his manhood grew under his trousers. Suddenly, you panic. All the good that you were just feeling was flushed from your body and panic overtook it. Heat rushed from your body to your skin leaving you feeling cold inside but sweating in pure fear. You broke the kiss, got off his hips and stood up in a mad rush. Each breath you took seemed to get harder and harder until you felt like you were suffocating.

"Whoa, easy" Arthur was by your side before you knew it. He wrapped his arms around you and pulled you close to his chest whilst whispering softly to you. You could feel the tears stinging your eyes and you buried your face in his shirt, gasping for breath. He held you while you cried trying to calm you down. "Easy. It's alright. I'm here" he whispered to you. You listened to each word he said, hearing the raspiness from his thick acent. As you breathed heavily, you took in his smell and the feeling of his muscled chest beneath your fingertips. Focusing on him, every breath he took and sound he made brought you slowly out of you panic until you managed to catch your breath. He didn't let his grip on you go until your breathing was back to normal and the sounds of your whimpers had stopped. Quietly he took a step back just releasing you enough so he could see your face. "You alright? I didn't mean to scare ya" he spoke softly. You raised your head to look at him. Your eyes were bloodshot from crying and small wet trails ran down your cheeks.

"It ain't your fault" your voice was shaken. "I'm just damaged goods" you shook you head as you stepped away from him. You were so embarrassed and frustrated by your blind panic that you daren't look at him. You found a spot on the grass and sat down with knees hugged to your chest. Arthur came and sat by your side again and you hid your face from him in your knees.

"You ain't damaged goods" he nudged you, trying to cheer you up. "Wanna talk about it?" you looked up from your knees to catch his concerned look. You felt sick to your stomach at the thought of how you just made him feel. He had done everything to make this moment perfect and you screwed it up. You owed him an explanation.

"It wasn't your fault. I guess I just panicked..." you paused to take a deep breath. "I've only ever consented to this sorta thing once and that was before.... For a long time I was forced into lettin' those men touch me and use me at their own pleasure. They would hold me down or beat me until I gave in. Or they would just force themselves upon me. I guess I just associate being touched in that way to....well, to back then. It wasn't you at all Arthur" you looked into his eyes. He looked at you the same way he once did when you were tied to the wagon, you saw the sorrow in his expression. Tears threatened to leave your eyes again. You wanted more than anything to be intimate with Arthur in this way but ghosts from your past haunted your mind. "I've never been more comfortable with anyone before. I just got memories that flash through my head and I just panicked. I'm sorry".

"You have nothin' to be sorry for (Y/N)" he cut you off. "What happened to you, I'm surprised you let me touch you at all" he gave you a sweet smile as he laid down on the grass. "Come 'er" he held his arm out for you to lay down with him. You laid on your side next to him with your head on his shoulder and arm over his chest. "We don't have to rush into anythin' your not comfortable with. I promise you, no one will ever hurt ya again, not as long as I'm around" he pulled you in tighter to his body and you felt safe and secure. You were so glad he understood, he didn't force himself upon you because he was in the mood. All your fears slowly drifted away as he held you in his warm embrace. You knew you could trust Arthur but now he confirmed that he would never hurt you. Not just with his words but by his actions. The night sky was still full of bright stars, glistening down for just the both of you to enjoy. You spoke sweetly to one another for a couple of hours until you felt your eyes getting heavy. You can't remember when you fell asleep but you knew you had never felt more comfortable then in Arthur's arm's that night. As though nothing in the world could hurt you as long as he was there.

Chapter 11

@nena-ma

#rdr2 #rdr2 community #arthur morgan #rdr2 arthur #rdr2 photography #red dead redemption two #red dead redemption 2 #red dead redemption arthur #arthur morgan x female reader #arthur morgan fanfic #rdr2 fanfic #red dead fandom #red dead redemption fanfic

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meowdymista · 4 years ago

Text

Van der Driscoll Pt 7

Part 6 - Masterlist

Part 8

This is a bit of a filler chapter, which is stupid for the ratio of original wording to in game script ratio. Next one will be more engaging, I promise. Also sorry for the long wait; I took time off from writing last week because it was my birthday, and then England swept into a second lockdown so it’s been poo trying to prepare especially in work because I process somms for small-medium businesses but whatever. No one is getting much for Christmas this year lol

****

You find, much to your relief and Arthur’s annoyance, that Sean’s chaotic charm and energy swallows everyone’s attention over the next few weeks. He’s loud, boastful and brash: The Irish Terrier as Arthur and his adopted fathers call him.

You can’t help but find his totally unapologetic nature comforting. Whilst washing shirts, you overhear him get Molly to admit she considers him no better than a chimney sweep from the local bog - and immediately crucify her for it, calling her “snotty nosed” and a “right little madam”, much to her dismay. After the weeks of dirty looks (despite little to no actual confrontation), Sean brings a breath of fresh air. With him nearby, you know exactly where you stand and whether anyone in the vicinity is plotting against you.

“Please, Y/N,” groans Arthur into his hands one evening. “Please tell me you ain’t makin’ friends with that bastard.”

“Why?” you ask, genuinely surprised. “Isn’t he like a little brother to you?”

“Yeah, but not in a good way.” He moves his hands to give you a look of despair. “What’s wrong with Lenny? Or Tilly? Or Mary Beth?”

“Karen’s fun,” you muse, earning yourself another groan.

“Always with the loud drunkards,” he grumbles.

“Mmhm, and what was it Dutch said? When you go missing he checks the saloon, and if you’re not there he checks the jail?”

“Shurrup.” He wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you onto his body, grinning as you protest, laughing.

“Don’t play innocent - Hosea’s been telling me stories!”

“Ahh, don’t go listening to him. He spins stories for a living, and anyway I was a kid in most of them.”

“And the stories I’ve heard from Lenny?” you smirk, still fighting despite it proving futile with you laughing so much. He growls, peppering your exposed skin with kisses as you wrestle playfully.

You cry out when a flailing limb makes contact with one of your swollen breasts. Arthur immediately releases you, watching you with concern as you try to rub out the punch without swearing.

“Y’alright?”

“Fine,” you huff. “Just sensitive is all.”

“I’m sorry - shouldn’t be playing so rough with you when you’re… in the way tha’ you are.”

“It’s fine, Arthur,” you repeat firmly, staring him down. “I’m fine. You didn’t knock my stomach, so we’re fine. Like I said, I’m just sensitive.”

He hums doubtfully.

Following a shootout with the Pinkertons and the law in the middle of Valentine, Dutch had ordered the camp out of Horseshoe Overlook and ushered you south east into the state of Lemoyne. On the other side of Dewberry Creek, Arthur and Charles had scouted a hideout chistened Clemens Point. Arthur hadn’t been the keenest to tell you that story, but you had weaseled it out of him.

Micah had recommended the dried out river bed, but when Charles and Arthur had arrived to scout it, there was an abandoned camp nearby, complete with a dead body. Whilst trying to assess the location’s risk to a group of outlaws should they move in, Arthur had moved some crates to find a woman with her two children.

“I guess I saw you,” he mumbled sadly, avoiding eye contact. “An’ the mess I might leave you in one day.”

You rubbed his shoulder patiently. “What happened?”

“I told ‘em to go ‘cause we needed the land.”

You were confused by the guilt still plaguing him and told him so. With a heavy sigh, he described how the girl translated her mother - that their father had been kidnapped and how it took Charles insisting otherwise to convince him to go look.

“So it’s really thanks to him we found this place,” he says gesturing at the open space bordered with woodland and lake.

If anything, you prefer this new destination to Horseshoe Overlook, and not just for the absence of bad memories. You love the sense of freedom swimming gives you: how it makes you weightless, how easy it is to tilt your head back and listen to the low rumble of the earth and water. You also enjoy that the road is more than a stone’s throw away here. A wanderer would have to purposely go out of their way to discover the camp, to hear the noise or see the light of the campfires. Clemen’s Point made you feel safe, even with the occasional canoe sailing by with a wave.

The new location lifted everyone’s spirits. So much so, Dutch dragged Arthur and Hosea out fishing. They returned hours later - singing and surprisingly sober - with deputy badges and a boat load of fish. Whilst the shiny badge continues to earn Arthur a lot of gib from you and everyone else in camp, Dutch insists the news is beyond fantastic.

“We are inaugurated in the local law!” he cries during one of his many speeches. “Hiding in plain sight!”

Still tired and snacking throughout your waking hours, you are relieved to find your morning sickness has passed its peak. Whilst you feel like your veins are popping out of your skin, Arthur insists your stomach is beginning to curve. You accuse him of an overzealous imagination until you try (and fail) to button the jeans from your past life as an O’Driscoll and your shirts that still fasten offer little to no breathing room.

“Think a trip to town is in order.” You jut out your bottom lip, demonstrating the distance between the buttons and their corresponding holes as your lover looks on laughing.

“I think you might be right.” You don’t resist as his fingertips tilt your chin up to plant a kiss on your lips. “Let me go see if Pearson’s got a list and we’ll head out. Think they’ll do another couple hours?”

“Don’t really have a choice,” you grumble, stealing Arthur’s worn blue shirt from under the cot. You can hear Sadie and Pearson bickering even from the edge of camp, so it doesn’t surprise you when Arthur’s tone cuts through the noise.

“-ain’t cooking work?”

Looking over, you see Arthur has taken the expostulating Mrs Adler aside. You look away quickly - there’s no reason to ruin an acceptable day by agitating her enough to start shouting at you too. Her and Pearson have been at each other’s necks since she’s pulled herself out of the worst of her depression, almost as though he has become the target of her grief.

You focus your attention on preparing the cart. A trip to town means a trip for supplies, and with so many mouths to feed, horseback wasn’t a viable option.

"How are you, Miss?"

You turn around, surprised at being addressed directly by someone other than Arthur. Seeing Kieran’s familiar pastiness relaxes you a little. As an ex-O’Driscoll himself, you trusted him the most not to stab you after Arthur and the little boy, Jack.

"Fine," you reply flatly, brushing out the tangles of the shire’s mane.

"We ain't really had much time to talk since we was in Tall Trees a few months back, have we?" You hum in response, trying not to flash any amount of flesh by moving too much. The poor boy was skittish enough. He immediately begins to help you, being the horse fan he is.

"I never even suspected a thing, Miss,” he gushes. “So I bet you anything Ol' Colm won't have neither."

"So you two were close, huh?" You barely contain the sarcasm.

He shrugs off the question awkwardly. "Which feller was you again?"

"Well I must’ve been good if you have to ask." You feed the shire a carrot, avoiding eye contact. "I was Thomas," you admit quietly. The following silence is prolonged. Doubtful.

“Thomas Donoghue?” You shrug your shoulders. “So you were friends with Paeder then?”

“Peter?” You respond coolly. “Never knew him.”

He opens his mouth as if to argue, but Arthur is marching across camp, shouting back over his shoulder to Mrs Adler. Spooked, Kieran bolts to a safe distance, doing nothing but look on as Arthur helps you up onto the back of the cart.

Acknowledging you with a sneer, the other woman takes her place on the bench up front. “So I’ve graduated from choppin’ vegetables to shopping?”

“Shut your goddamn mouth…” grumbles Arthur, reins in hand as the cart moves off. You give Kieran a small, apologetic wave farewell, but it’s difficult to contain the relief of your companions’ timing. Paeder was a private matter, and one which you had no desire to discuss out loud. You’re sure the shaky man meant no harm, but some things were better buried.

“You cooled down then, yet?” Arthur asks the widow, distracting you from your thoughts.

“I guess,” she grumbles. “And I ain’t no scullion! And I sure as hell ain’t takin’ orders from that sweating halfwit!”

You can almost hear his eyes roll. “Well I guess we all gotta do our share, princess.”

“Where’s that letter?”

“Oh, you reading his mail now?”

Sadie throws him a dirty look. “Robbing and killing’s ok, but letter reading’s where we draw the line?”

You stifle a smirk as Arthur pulls it from the inside of his coat, knowing he’s been had. “Here.”

“Dear Aunt Cathy-”

“You are somethin’ else…”

“I haven’t heard from you in some time, so I prayed to the Lord above that your health has not deteriorated further… bla bla bla… s’boring… Oo! Wait a sec, listen to this! Since we last corresponded, I have travelled widely, making no small name for myself.” You all laugh out loud. “Before you ask, I am still yet to take a wife, but I can assure you it is not for lack of suitors.” Arthur barks out laughing again as Sadie giggles. “He ever actually talked to a woman he ain’t paid for?” she asks in disbelief.

“Look, we’re all hiding behind something.” Whilst his tone advises the limit of fun has been reached, the smile is still audible.

“And what’s this? Return to Tacitus Kilgore?”

“Oh that? That’s Dutch’s idea. All mail to be sent to the same alias. Whenever we set up somewhere new, Strauss, he heads into town, tells them to start expecting mail from a Tacitus Kilgore or whatever they changed it to… Here, gimme that back. We got work to do.”

You all sit quietly as the cart rolls into Rhodes. The locals watch you, wary of the unfamiliar faces, but you keep your head high. Strangers smell weakness. It’s better to come off aloof and avoid trouble than to present as vulnerable and be beaten down at every turn.

“Ok, here we are.”

“So what’s the plan?” Mrs Adler points a pistol at the side of the building, squeezing one eye shut as she gauges the iron sights. “I shoot the shopkeeper, while you-?”

“No! You insane?”

“Well I thought we was outlaws…?”

“Outlaws! Not idiots!" he hisses, pushing down the gun as he looks around for any witnesses. "We rob fools that rob other people! These people- they’re just tryna get by! So you head on in there, and you buy us some food to eat. And no guns.”

“Are you sure?”

“This time.” The two of you share a look again as he helps you down. “There’ll be plenty o’ time for killin’ soon enough.”

“What are you doin’?”

“I’m gonna go check the mail, nothin’ exciting.”

Sadie shrugs and saunters off. Arthur sighs and shakes his head, touching your arm. "You gonna be alright?"

"Here's hopin'."

"Any trouble, holler. Stay outta her way best you can though, alright?"

Knowing that his concern lies with your companion's open hatred for anything remotely O'Driscoll rather than your ability to defend yourself, you nod. Blowing him a cheeky kiss, he waves back at you with a grin as you enter the general store.

"-flour, oats, salt, eggs, apples if you have them..."

"Sure, not a problem,” responds the shopkeeper as he begins to gather the goods. “Big family, have you?"

"Somethin' like that." Mrs Adler barely spares you a glance as the titter of the doorbell announces your presence. "And you sell clothes?"

So Arthur had explained to her your purpose for the journey. You're flattered, if a little bewildered at this kind gesture. From the looks she’s been giving you, you’re surprised she has buried the hatchet of your past so quickly.

"We do. Not the widest range of ladies fashion, I'm afraid."

"That's alright. I'll look at everything you got."

"Of course, Mrs…?"

"Kilgore," she smirks, turning to bat her eyelids at you. You realise then that her request is completely unrelated to you. Why wouldn’t it be? You’re not the only person that has been swept into the Van der Linde gang with little more than what you were wearing on your back. From Arthur’s story, she escaped with nothing more than her wedding ring and her nightclothes, so it’s only natural that she is also in need of a new wardrobe. "What? You don't even trust me to handle the shopping by myself?"

"You're not the only one in need of new clothes, Mrs Ad- Kilgore." You force a polite smile at the sales clerk whilst Mrs Adler browses the shelves dully. "What are the biggest sizes you have in stock? Any maternity wear by chance?"

"Ain't many women round here makin' babies," he sighs, pulling out a few options. You can feel Sadie's eyes burning past you at the pile. "You're best tryin' Saint Denis or ordering outta the catalogue. There's a tailor in Blackwater I heard is pretty good for that sorta thing, but it's quite the journey-"

"Too far for me, I fear." You flick through the pages as Mrs Adler leaves to try a few things on from the pile in front of you. Writing a quick list with estimated sizing, you purchase the largest button up shirt and skirt for sale. The trousers will have to wait for another day - you know investing twenty dollars in a pair that you'll breach the waistline of in a matter of weeks is a luxury you can't especially afford right now.

Mrs Adler on the other hand spares little expense with a sturdy pair of jeans. Finally out of the cumbersome skirts, her whole character changes and suddenly you feel the same pit of dread you did when faced with a full camp of spitting Van der Lindes all those weeks ago.

Intimidated, you step outside whilst she settles the bill. You take a short wander up the main road, taking in the familiar buildings with apathy. Who would have thought you would end up here again? Now you’re not so apprehensive about your life span, you can see how rundown this dusty crumbling town is. The few shops that are open have seen better days, and the best kept building is the bank. You feel your skin crawl as you spot the large parlour houses on the horizon. Of course this place is struggling to survive - anywhere that profited from slave labour deserved to rot. Part of you hopes it’s slow perilous march to abandonment continues: it would be disappointingly merciful to see a place be lost to one good shoot out.

“I’ve birthed foals with more strength than you!” Mrs Adler’s cursing sinks your stomach as you navigate your way back to the store where a man is helping her load the cart. “Hell, my sister’s newborn had more strength than you and he came out bright blue!”

“I’m trying.”

“Try harder!”

Spotting Arthur, who is strolling back himself, fills you with relief. The shopkeeper walks back to the porch, checking the list before walking back. “I think this is everything,” he says, swinging the sack of salt on the cart.

“Thanks… here, take that for yourself, okay.” She flicks a silver coin and he catches it out of the air, scowling.

“Thanks,” he spits.

“Well, give it back then! Jesus! I didn’t ask for his goddamn help..." She pushes the sack on more securely to stop it rolling off when the cart moves. “OK, get on. I’m about done here.”

“Why don’t you drive?” suggests Arthur coolly after making sure you’re sat safely amongst the supplies. “C’mon lady, get a move on.”

She scowls as she takes the reins. “I like Sadie, not lady.”

“I know. So you get everything?”

“I think so.”

“And some… new clothes, I see?”

“Don’t start,” she sighs, the heat returning to her voice. “I can wear what I damn well want. Like I told you, my husband and I shared all the work. I wasn’t some little wife with a flower in her hair baking cherry pies all day.”

“Yeah, I don’t doubt that. You sure look the part now. Won’t be long before you’re smoking cigars and playin’ the harmonica.”

“I’ll have you know I used to love playing the harmonica before… well… my house and everything I owned got burned to the ground.”

“I know... I’m real sorry. About what you… you know. Maybe I’ll keep my eye out for another one.”

“I don’t want no pity,” she snaps. “Just… treat me equal and know… nobody’s taking nothing from me ever again.”

Arthur hums in comradery. “Just don’t kill the camp cook…”

A horse gallops up alongside you. “Hey there! What are you folks up to?”

“Just heading home,” says Arthur casually, adding a quiet “keep it cool, Sadie”.

“You’re in Lemoyne Raider country. You need to pay a toll to pass through here.”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“You don’t think so?” The hairs on the back of your neck prickle at the anticipation of conflict. You realise with a sinking stomach that you’re completely unarmed. “How about you pull over right now?”

“Pull over?” he repeats incredulously. Your eyes scan the bags and boxes around you. There has to be something here that can double as a weapon of some kind.

“That’s what I said.”

“Hey!” calls Sadie coolly. “How’s about this?”

A pistol cracks and the Lemoyne Raider cries out in pain. She ushers the horses on with a Go, go, go! as Arthur stands up, drawing his revolvers and firing. You duck down as bullets fly over your head, your hands scrambling for anything that could be of use.

“What the hell was that?” cries Arthur furiously.

“They was gonna rob us!”

“A new pair of pants and you think you’re Landon Ricketts!” He curses loudly as more men run out in the road ahead.

“I’m gonna run this son of a bitch down!” she shouts, pulling the wagon over one raider and off the road.

“Well you wanted to see some action, lady, now you got your wish!” Arthur slings his longarm from his back and shoves it in your direction as he continues to fire. You can see more men coming out from between the trees and you take aim, knocking them down one by one as Arthur clips off any extras over your head.

“You alright there, Sadie?” you shout over the gunfire. Arthur is still firing behind you, but she’s out of your line of sight from where you’re crouched behind sacks of grain.

“Of course! You think I can’t handle these fools?” You don’t retaliate and you can almost hear her voice aim at Arthur. “Told you I could shoot a gun, didn’t I?”

“I don’t remember asking you to prove it,” he grunts, tossing you extra ammo just in case. The last bastard is fleeing south down the dirt track. You take aim, but he’s out of range.

“Yeah you run, you goddamn coward!” screams Sadie before taking a steadying breath. “I think we’re good here. Nice shooting. I’ll drive us back-”

“No! Pass those reins here!”

“Why?”

“Because you’ve caused enough trouble already.”

She doesn’t find grounds to argue, instead looking back at you, her face straight and unreadable. “We showed those bastards, huh?”

“Remind me not to get on your bad side,” Arthur scowls.

“They was clearly plannin’ to bushwhack us!” she argues, facing forward again.

“You did good, but that’s a lotta mess to make near camp. Hope it don’t bring anyone sniffin’ around.”

“Are you gonna tell Dutch?” she asks mockingly.

“Maybe… if he asks. But, maybe not.”

“So who did they say they were? Lemoyne Raiders?”

“Yeah, somethin’ like that. Who knows… Anyway, don’t you go ribbing Pearson about that letter.”

“How dare you? I wouldn’t dream of it!”

“Riiight, you wouldn’t…”

“I have travelled widely, making no small name of myself…”

Arthur laughs. “I won’t be giving you no mail to post any time soon, that’s for sure.”

She chuckles too. “I just wanna peak in that journal of yours. The mind boggles.”

“Not a chance…”

“You didn’t get yourself killed then, Miss Adler?” calls Pearson, strolling over smugly as Arthur pulls up near the horse station.

“Not quite,” she responds truthfully.

“Well, I’d like to say I missed your refined conversations, but I’d be lying.”

She accepts the box shoved into her chest without complaint. “I… I enjoyed myself out there.”

“Yes, we err… Mrs Adler did ok!” He holds up his arms and lifts you down gently by your waist.

“At shopping?”

“Yes, at shoppin’...”

The double meaning doesn’t go unrecognised by Sadie who thanks him with genuine gratitude.

“Don’t mention it. I would ride with you again, Mrs Adler, if you will ride with me.”

“Maybe,” she laughs. “If you prove you can handle yourself.”

“Well, they say I lack finesse, but I ain’t afraid of gun smoke.”

“We got this, Arthur. You’ve already done me a big favour today.” Turning to you with a smile, Arthur accepts the repeater you proffer. It’s best to remain unarmed for now - there’s no need to risk one of your lesser fans finding an excuse to regard you as a threat. “Okay, Miss High and Mighty. And… nice pants by the way.”

“You okay there, Y/N?” He wraps an arm around your waist, pulling you in close to his side. “You manage to find something too?”

“Just about,” you admit. “Had to put in an order. How long do you think we’ll be around here for?”

“Until we can’t most likely. Everything alright? They didn’t catch you or nothin’, did they?”

“Of course not, Arthur.” Your weak smile is genuine and heartfelt at his concern. “I’m not above shouting when I’m shot.”

“‘Course not.” He rubs your back, leading you back to your shared tent. “You gonna try them on, or what?”

“Nah, I figure I might as well make the most of still being able to fit in this stuff, even if it’s only for a few more days.”

He laughs, pulling you into a big hug. “Fair enough.”

From under his arm, you spot the rousing attention of Herr Strauss nearby. You nudge him in warning, but it’s too late.

“Ah, Herr Morgan! How are you enjoying yourself out here?”

“Well enough, I guess,” he replies gruffly. “And you?”

“Well, it turns out the pursuit of freedom is not a cheap business. Not for us, and not for some of the locals.”

“Sharking, already?”

“I prefer to call it banking.”

“You ain’t the one handing out the beatings,” snarls Arthur.

“No, but I am the one feeding the women and children in the camp,” he retorts. “What choice do we have, Mr Morgan?”

Arthur sighs. “Ah, I don’t know. Well, come on then! Tell me who…”

You stop listening as Strauss reads off a list of names, and only tune back in to hear Arthur ask how many he expects to be able to pay.

“With enough encouragement, both of them!” he chuckles, his black eyes twinkling from behind the round spectacles.

Sighing, Arthur returns to where you’re sat on the camp bed. “I’m sorry, darlin’. I’d best be gettin’ on.”

“Don’t worry about it.” You stand up to kiss him. “The gang comes first.”

He grimaces at that, but doesn’t dispute it. You give him another kiss for good luck and wave him out camp before dropping the flaps, not missing the glare of bitterness from Sadie across camp.

#red dead fic #rdr2 fanfic #rdr2 fic #red dead fanfic #arthur morgan x female reader #arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan x o'driscoll #meowdymista

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elizacornwall · 4 years ago

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Vengeance is an Idiot's Game - Chapter 24 - After Effects

Read all the published chapters here. -------------------------------------------------- Her head was pounding something fierce. Waking up later than usual, the sun was glaring into Eliza’s face and all she wanted to do was to cover herself with her blanket, disappearing from life. She felt sick and hungry at the same time, not sure which feeling should take priority. Turning away from the painful blazing ball in the sky, she pulled the blanket over her head, not ready to face the day yet. How much did she drink last night? She had a couple beers before the dance, then there was whiskey at the campfire… The dance. She could feel her face flush red as the memory came back. Dutch’s initial invitation and then Sadie, practically throwing her into Arthur’s arms. Sure, Sadie had done it in a very elegant way, an elegance she wouldn’t have attributed the woman before, yet she still… What, passed her on? Set her up? For the last ten years of her life, this was what she had tried to escape. Her father wanting to fix her up with some man of his choosing, and now Sadie Adler was playing matchmaker too? It was infuriating, humiliating. Knowing what she did about Eliza’s feelings towards her father, how could she have done this to her? Yet… Dancing with Arthur had certainly been preferable to dancing with Dutch. Maybe she had just wanted to spare her from Molly’s anger… She had admitted to Sadie that all she’d gotten from the pretty redhead was angry glances and cold silence whenever she had tried to talk to her. The pounding in her temples intensified and she decided not to think about this conflict in her mind anymore for the time being. It was bad enough to wake up as if she had been rolled over by a stagecoach, she didn’t need to ponder over whether she’d been thrown in front of it by someone she trusted too. Bottom line was, she had liked dancing with Morgan and thinking back to the way he’d gently held her waist… Her stomach lurched as the strange sensation bubbled up again, and she could just about throw off her cover and stumble around Sadie’s wagon before she involuntarily emptied the contents of her gut onto the ground behind it. She felt dizzy and the whole world was still spinning. Keeping herself upright by desperately clutching onto the wagon next to her, she managed to shuffle back to her cot. The sunlight still hurt her eyes, and she groaned loudly as she let herself fall on the edge, annoyed to have let it get that far.

“Welcome back to the livin’, little Miss Sunshine”, Sadie’s hoarse voice sounded from her right, the grin on her lips audible without needing to see her face. “You sleep well?” The blonde woman was leaning against the wagon, taking in her undoubtedly pitiful appearance. Eliza was even wearing the same clothes as last night, boots included. Her answer only consisted in another pained groan and she buried her head in her palms, elbows resting on the knees. She was not ready to welcome the world right now. She ignored the approaching footsteps, wishing everyone would just go away. “You’re awake! Here, I got some yarrow off Charles, I’mma make you some tea with it. Should help with your head.” With great effort she lifted her head, squinting up at Morgan who was holding out a bunch of pretty red flowers in front of her face. She couldn’t help but cock one eyebrow, smiling slyly. “I thought you’re supposed to bring the lady flowers before you ask her to dance.” The range of expressions on his face was all worth it, surprise at her quick thinking quickly transforming into a bashful glance, then there was a trace of embarrassment and finally concluding in an eye roll of annoyance. She stifled a laugh. “I ain’t asked you to dance”, he just muttered, but the colour in his cheeks betrayed his overly blasé tone. “If you’re well enough to go spewing sarcasm I wonder if ya need this tea at all.” So, he was shy too, as well as a gentleman. How in the world was he a murdering, thieving outlaw again…? Eliza laughed, wincing as it sent a fresh jolt of throbbing pain through her head. “Thank you, and my apologies. Some tea would be lovely”, she answered, eyes closed and rubbing her fingers against her temples in a fruitless attempt to ease the headache. He returned a few minutes later, passing her a cup with steaming water. The flowers were now submerged at the bottom, releasing a touch of orange colour and a strange, astringent smell. Morgan sat down on the little stool, Sadie had taken up the space next to her on the cot. Eliza bowed her head, stretching her neck out slowly. “Thanks guys. You can head off and do whatever, I’ll be fine. There’s no use in sitting here mothering me”, she murmured, half irritated and half ashamed by their overprotective manner towards her self-inflicted misery. Sadie chuckled. “We ain’t goin’ anywhere, might not look like I’m dyin’ like you do, but I ain’t feelin’ like a spring chicken either.” Arthur hummed in agreement. “Where’s your flower soup then?” Eliza replied in slight jest, lifting the cup to her lips. It was still too hot to drink, so she blew on the surface. She tried a careful sip to taste, but ended up singing the tip of her tongue anyway. What was a little extra discomfort in her current state. It was bitter, with a hint of a heavy sweetness in it and she pulled her face into a grimace. “Couldn’t you get some nicer tasting flowers?” “Hmm, might have, but they wouldn’t help ya with the headache, Miss.” Grumbling, she shot Arthur a dark look. Tea against headache, she didn’t quite believe in it, but there would hardly be any Laudanum to be found in an outlaw camp who’s only drug addict recently decided to come clean. Curse the Reverend and his righteous virtues. Morgan was observing her, a measuring look in his eyes. “When’s the last time you’ve eaten?” His question caught her off guard, she couldn’t remember being put on the spot like that. She could feel him exchanging a glance over her head with Sadie. “Err, yesterday morning, I think? I was out on my walk for the rest of the day, didn’t think to take anything with me.” Sadie gave her a little clap on the head which immediately flared up in a new wave of pulsating pain. “Ow, Sadie! What was that for?!” “No wonder you’re feelin’ so darned lousy girl! You’re s’posed to eat before you’re downing beers an’ whiskey like ya did!” Sadie’s volume exceeded her temporarily very low noise tolerance and she shrugged her head between the shoulders like a tortoise. The blonde woman tutted but Arthur was already on it, picking some

food from the kitchen wagon, ignoring the complaining Pearson. Eliza would have to bring him an extra fat kill soon to thank him. Her stomach didn’t feel as bad as it had done earlier, but the thought of food made her a bit queasy. Nibbling at the oat cake he passed her, she tried to think of an excuse for them to leave her company, she didn’t fancy being babysitted too much. Arthur spoke up, pulling her out of her thoughts. “How much do you remember? You wasn’t shy drinking down that whiskey at the fire.” She could see him looking at her out of the corner of her eyes and avoided his gaze, concentrating intensely on the cookie in her hand. “A fair bit I think. Everything up to the campfire, the songs there and… didn’t you pull me away? Because of something the boys said?” Frowning, she tried to recall the events of last night at the fire. There was a bit of flirting, an argument, then Arthur and her sat at the cliff. “Oh. I got angry at you. I’m sorry”, she murmured, still not looking at the man. “’t’s alright, you was drunk. I been yelled at before, don’t bother me much no more”, he laughed, making her feel a bit better. “You weren’t entirely wrong either I suppose. I ain’t the best explaining myself, don't think I worded things the right way.” She stole a shy look at him through the strands of her hair that had fallen out of the plait in the night. He smiled a warm smile, but his eyes had a sadness in them. Clearly he wasn’t happy about his inability to express himself. He didn’t strike Eliza as someone who couldn’t put things into words however, even if he was a bit blunt at times. She had always liked blunt honesty better than sweet lies. “I also remember you showing me the north star”, she said gently in an effort to make him feel better. It worked, a little at least, and his smile widened. “Yeah? We gotta be careful what we’re getting’ up to, you seem to remember an awful lot for having been in such a state last night”, he chuckled. “At least you won’t be gettin’ lost anytime soon.” Sadie gave a hearty kackle when a loud voice sounded from halfway across the camp. It was the Irish lad that had come home last night, Sean. “And t‘ere she is, the famous lady Cornwall! Fallen out ‘er pop’s hands into ours!” He approached with wide steps, coming to a standstill in front of her and taking her hand into his with a bow, planting a kiss on the back of it. “Name’s Sean MacGuire mylady, pleasure ta make your acquaintance!” Learned politeness made her smile and nod as she stared up at him. The volume he spoke in hurt her head and he was no less energetic now than last night when he had been drunk. She ignored her inner groan and stood up, giving him a little curtsy to play along with his overly flamboyant introduction. “Please, call me Eliza. I’m not overly fond of my father’s name I’m afraid. How do you do?” She put on her thickest English accent and had to swallow her giggle at the look on the faces of Sadie and Arthur. Now that was entertainment. “An’ you’re from the island! Ain’t she a wonderful sight. Never seen a fairer lass in all of the old kingdom If ye allow me to be so blunt.” He grinned at her, quite handsomely she had to admit to herself, with his boyish charisma. She faked a high pitched titter and held her hand in front of her face as if to hide a flattered blush. “She’s a right catch, ain’t she! Don’t you go and fish in the wrong pond now boy.” Karen had appeared in her night gown still, even though the sun was way past it’s highest point now. Her voice was light and playful but had a warning tone to it which Sean too seemed to notice as he stepped back quickly, letting go of Eliza’s hand. The blonde girl flung her arm around his shoulders, and he held her waist. “Don’t you go get a crush on the bastard here, he’s broken many hearts and none of ‘em deserved it. Well, maybe some did”, Karen mused, “but you wouldn’t. He likes putting on his charm with beautiful women.” She still sounded light hearted, but her body language was stiff and almost possessive, gripping Sean’s shoulder tightly. Eliza

let her lips curl into a slanted smile and shook her head. “Don’t worry, my mother taught me not to trust Irishmen, no matter how charming”, she replied, hearing Sadie give a chuckle in the background. Sean was appalled, but he didn’t speak. “Besides, I wouldn’t dare cross you, you can be well scary did you know?” Karen gave a barking laugh and seemed to ease up a bit. Sean gave her an uncertain smile, visibly relieved. “I just had to welcome our newest member, always good to ‘ave some new blood on board ain’t it! No big deal”, he justified, a bit too quick for it to be natural. Karen steered him around, pulling him away. “Well you met her now, let’s go before Sadie knocks you out again. She ain’t looking too happy and I can’t blame her, you bein’ such a loudmouth all the time. Sorry ya had to deal with him”, she added, directed towards them, “He just gets excited every time he sees a new pair of knockers. We’ll leave ya in peace now.” And with that he was pushed towards the girls’ tents. Eliza let herself fall back down onto the cot with a sigh. “How do you do, ey?”, Sadie mocked. “I see we’ve got to work on your language yet!” “You’ve got something against my accent? At least one of us can speak English properly!” Eliza replied, laughing. Sadie jostled her elbow into her ribs. “You mean fancy speech, with lots’a words and no meaning behind ‘em. Don’t seem so proper to me, don’t you agree Arthur?” The man had sat there in silence for a few minutes now, quietly watching the exchange with Sean and Karen unfold. He hummed. “I don’t mind it, think it sounds quite nice.” Sadie threw the butt of her cigarette at him in protest. Eliza just laughed as they squabbled and sipped the rest of her yarrow tea. It made her face scrunch up in distaste, but if Charles reckoned this helped with headache it was worth a try, he had yet to let her down with his knowledge of the nature all around them. She might ask him to accompany her on another hunt if he could spare the time, would be good to feel useful once more. One day she would have to find her own way of making money for the camp, doing daily chores wasn’t exactly her idea of an exciting life running with an outlaw gang. If she asked nicely, he might show her how to hunt bison, one of those beasts would feed the entire gang for a week! Sadie’s loud exclamation snapped her back into reality. “How dare you Morgan! I ain’t never been unfaithful to my Jakey. Not in life and not in death!” She crossed her arms and puffed up her cheeks. Eliza set her empty cup on the dirt before her and looked anxiously from one to the other, trying to figure out why on earth Arthur would make such an insulting suggestion. It wasn’t long before Sadie’s lips twitched however and betrayed her act. Arthur just sat there, eyebrows raised expectantly, giving her a quick look and eyeroll that made her chuckle. “You’ll have to forgive her behaviour, she’s a bit of an actress, our Miss Adler. Don’t like to make it easy for anyone to understand her.” He stretched indulgently and groaned, getting to his feet. “I better get on some task or other, Dutch’s gonna chew me out if I don’t do anythin’ useful today.” Sadie gave up her play at this, her face suddenly fierce with excitement. “Got anything in mind, cowboy?” “Nah, Hosea mentioned he might have a lead on somethin’. Figured I’d check up with him. You stay here and sleep off yer bottle ache.” He collected his hat and made to leave, when he seemed to think of something and stopped, turning to look at the younger woman. “Hosea also said something ‘bout it possibly involving you, I’ll see what he has to say and let ya know when we got a plan, alright?” Her heartbeat quickened at the prospect of a job. She swallowed and nodded, suddenly half excited and half terrified. He let his eyes linger on her for a moment before he set off towards the horses, where Hosea was brushing his Silver Dollar. Sadie cleared her throat and got to her feet as well. “Imma go try and sleep off this nasty day, you should do the same. Little doe like you needs all her

strength for a job!” The blonde grinned at her, but Eliza thought it looked rather kind. Her idea of some more sleep sounded like exactly the thing she felt up to right now.

#rdr2 #rdr2 fanfic #red dead redemption 2 #red dead redemption 2 fanfic #mywriting #eliza cornwall #arthur morgan #Vengeance is an Idiot’s Game #arthur morgan x original female character

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boffeeceans · 5 years ago

Text

Arthur Morgan and female reader one shot

Word Count: 2189

I could tell Arthur wasn't doing very well these past few weeks. He had just been coughing a bit at first, nothing too bad so i didn't think much of it, but it became worse and worse as the weeks went on. He always acted like nothing was wrong when I asked him if he was okay not knowing how much he worried me, to me he was like a big brother or a father figure even and I didn't want to lose him. I decided that I was gonna talk to him and basically force him to tell what was going on as soon as he came back to camp.

---

Night came around and Arthur slowly rode into camp, I watched how he struggled to dismount his horse from my spot at the campfire. It hurt me to see him struggle like that. He used to be able to swing his leg over the horses like it was nothing. I watched him walk over to his tent not taking his eyes off the ground, he sat down on his cot with his head in his hands. I had never seen him this broken and it hurt more than anything else.

I took a deep breath, stood up and made my way towards Arthur. "Hey there big guy." Arthur looked up at the sound of my voice, his eyes were glassy and bloodshot, he gave me a weak smile as I sat down next to him. "How are you doing?"

Arthur looked back at the ground. "I'm fine." His voice was weak and breathy, he clearly wasn't fine.

"you're not, I can tell. hell I think everyone can tell." My voice was firm, my eyes never leaving him.

A sigh left him "Don't worry about it, okay?" He looked back at me and gave me another weak smile.

"How the hell could I not worry about it," I raised my voice. "when I can hear you coughing all night? or see you struggle to get on and off you horse?" My voice was brittle and my eyes started to fill with tears. Arthur gave me the softest look, worrying me was the last thing he wanted to do, but not telling me anything was only going to make it worse.

Arthur grabbed my hand and gave it a weak squeeze, he looked me in the eyes before he spoke, "I'm sick, (Y/N)" It felt like someone was squeezing my throat shut when he said that. I knew as much, but hearing it made it all the more real.

My breath was shaking and I was trying my best to hold my tears back. "What is it?" my voice was barely above a whisper.

My heart sank at the next word that came out of his mouth.

"Tuberculosis."

My entire body started shaking. This couldn't be happening, i was going to lose the person I cared most about, the person that could always cheer me up no matter what, my shoulder to cry on. My father figure. I couldn't hold back anymore, the tears started crashing down like waterfalls.

Arthur wrapped his arms around me and let me cry in to his chest. He ran his fingers through my (H/C) hair like he did all those other times when he tried to calm me down, but how could i calm down knowing he was going to die? "I don't want to lose you Arthur." My voice was muffled and broken.

"I know..." I could hear in his voice that it hurt, hurt to speak but also hurt to see me like this. He moved me so he could look me in the eye and wiped the tears from my cheeks. "You're going to be alright."

"How the hell am I going to be alright without you here?" I couldn't live without him, he was the only person left that truly cared about me.

Arthur grabbed my shoulders. "You're not that fragile 12 year old girl that wouldn't leave my side anymore, you're a grown woman and you can take care of yourself now."

I thought back to when I first met Arthur. I had barely touched his satchel when we he turned around and tightly grabbed my wrist. He looked at me like he was going to kill me then and there. I was scared for my life and immediately started crying, but his looked softened and he asked me if i had any family or somewhere to stay. the answer was no, so he took me to camp and has treated me like I was his own kid since then. 10 years has passed and I was gonna lose the only person that really cared about me.

I hugged him tightly, resting my face on his shoulder and once again staining his shirt with my tears. "i just-" I was struggling to talk between the sobs. "I just don't want you to die, I'm scared Arthur."

"I know kid, so am I." His response caught me off guard, he was the guy that would run straight into gunfire without a second thought. He ran his fingers through my hair as I listened to his breathing and slowly started to doze off.

---

A couple weeks have past, the gang was completely falling apart and Arthur's condition kept getting worse. We rode back to camp from the train robbery, John got shot and Dutch had said that they couldn't save him. I wouldn't be surprised if he just left him to die like he did with Arthur, Dutch always said that Arthur was like a son to him. No sane person would leave their son to die like that. my thoughts were cut short by Tilly, she told us that agent Milton and his men took Abigail to Van Horn. Dutch always told me that we never left anyone behind, but that was exactly what he did leaving Tilly, Mrs. Adler, Arthur, jack and me behind.

Arthur gave Tilly his money. "Take Jack and (Y/N) and you wait at Copperhead Landing for Abigail and Mrs, Adler."

"No, I'm coming with you guys." I could tell that Arthur didn't have much time left and i wasn't leaving him now.

"(Y/N)-"

I didn't let him finish. "I'm coming with you and there is nothing you can do to stop me." My voice was firm, I was dead set on my decision.

"Fine then." Arthur turned his attention back to Tilly and Jack and said his goodbyes. He mounted his horse and looked back at Sadie and me. "Mrs. Adler, Ms. (L/N). Ride with me!"

And so we did. We rode most of the way in silence the only sound being the hooves of the horses hitting the ground.

"I think you should cover us and we'll go in there and get her" Mrs. Adler told Arthur holding the rifle out to him. Arthur gave her a 'Are you kidding me' look. "'Cause you're the better shot I mean."

"That ain't what you mean. I can still fight!" I didn't believe her either but that doesn't mean that I didn't agree.

"I know, Arthur. But, just... do it my way honey. it's for the best" Arthur looked in my direction hoping I would take his side.

"Just listen to her Arthur. Get up in the lighthouse and cover us."

Arthur thought it over for a second, but eventually grabbed the rifle from Mrs. Adler and took his position up in the lighthouse.

Mrs. Adler and I got in cover and waited for Arthur to make the first shot, bullets went flying by once he did.

We took down the pinkertons one by one until we got to Abigail, Mrs. Adler went in first and I followed shortly after. Two Pinkertons were tying Mrs. Adler up, I was ready to shoot them, but someone grabbed me from behind and put a gun to my head. "Wasn't expecting for you to be here Ms. (L/N)." I could tell it was agent Milton form his voice.

I kept my mouth shut and listened to the gunshots that came closer and closer, hoping that Arthur would arrive soon. Agent Milton also heard it and started moving backwards, out of sight from the door. I once again needed Arthur to save my life, proving that i couldn't live without him.

The gunfire died down. The door got kicked down, I heard two gunshots and bodies falling on the ground. "Okay ladies, let's get out of here." Arthur paused. "Where's (Y/N)?"

Agent Milton pushed me forward back into view, still holding me close to him with a gun against my head. "Right here." He said as he pulled down the hammer. Arthur turned around while coughing. "That's quite a cough."

Arthur's eyes met mine then agent Milton's. "Sure. Tuberculosis. I'll be dead soon... and you with me, Mr. Milton."

"You'll be dead, sure... but I'm gonna be just fine"

I had to think quick, there had be something i could do.

My knife.

My hand brushed against the handle of my knife. Arthur continued coughing, he bend over and rested his hands on his knees.

"We offered you a deal, Mr. Morgan... you should've taken it"

Arthur saw what I was trying to do, he looked back up and gave me a small nod while saying: "I'm a fool, Mr. Milton."

Agent Milton told Arthur about Micah. Micah, I should've known, but I could worry about that later. I finally got a hold on my knife, I thought quick and stabbed Milton it the leg. He could barely hear his scream because of a bullet flying by my head, I fell to the ground, the ringing in my ear was unbearable. I held my hand to the side of my head and felt that the bullet scraped my ear. My heart started racing when I heard another gunshot, I turned around fearing the worst, but calmed down when I saw Abigail helping Arthur to stand up and a very much dead Agent Milton on the ground. Arthur held his hand out to me, but I got up myself fearing I might bring him down with me if i took his hand.

We left the building and got on our horses, shooting our way through the remaining pinktetons until we were in the clear.

"Hold up a moment." We came to a stop at Arthur's words. He dismounted and started talking to Abigail, He told her about John and she looked about ready to collapse. Abigail and I had our agreements, but it pained me to see her like this. He walked over to me and gestured me to dismounted. I stood in front of him and looked him straight in the eyes, he put his hands on my shoulders.

"You go with them and take good care of yourself, you hear?"

"I'm letting you go back there alone."

"Not gonna happen."

"But-"

"But nothing, I'm gonna let you get killed out there just because you're stubborn."

I pulled Arthur into a hug, tears streaming down my cheeks. "I love you, Arthur. I can't go on without you!"

Arthur pressed a kiss on top of my head. "I love you too, kid, but like I said you can take care of yourself now." I didn't want to let him go, but I had to. Arthur urged all of us back on our horses. "You're good women... good people. The best. Go get that boy, there'll be time for sorrow later." Abigail gave him the key to the chest with all the money, she was a good thief i had to hand it to her. "Go on, get out of here" Arthur gave me one last weak smile and a nod before we rode off.

---

I had no idea how much time had passed. We made it to Copperhead Landing without any trouble, I had convinced the others to not take off immediately, but wait just in case. I was standing alone, my eyes fixated on the road, hoping that Arthur would ride up any second. My hopes were contently bought down though, multiple people rode by, but not one of them was Arthur.

I could hear a horse approaching from the distance, I was ready to be disappointed until the moonlight shone on their hat. That was Arthur's hat no doubt, I could recognize that hat anywhere. I smiled and was about to call out his name when their face came into view.

It was John.

I looked around, hoping that Arthur was riding behind him. He wasn't. Tears started to form in my eyes again. John came to a stop in front if me and dismounted. "Where's Arthur?" John didn't say anything, he just looked to the side. "Tell me john! Just tell me..."

"He didn't make it..."

My whole world came crashing down, I shook my head. "It's not true. tell me you're lying! please..." John wrapped his arm around me in an attempt to calm me down. grabbed his shirt and kept telling him to tell me that it wasn't true until my voice gave out. My knees buckled and collapsed to the ground taking john with me as I sobbed into his shirt, unaware of the others gathering around us.

From that moment on I decided that I was never getting close with anyone ever again.

#rdr2 #red dead redemption #red dead redemption 2 #icriedsomuchwhilewrtitingthis #Arthur Morgan #female reader #red dead fanfic #red dead fandom #rdr2 fanfic

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hoeseamatthews · 5 years ago

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Request for kiss prompt #5 with Sadie and female s/o

5. Throwing their arms around the other person’s neck, hugging them close before kissing them passionately on the lips.

Pairing: Sadie Adler x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 780

You’re not entirely sure how long it’s been exactly since you last saw Sadie. Weeks, perhaps a month has passed by. You’ve stopped keeping track of the days now, mainly because you lost count, but on the other hand, it was only making you miss her even more.

How long she vanishes for depends on how long it takes for her to track down and travel to her target before she brings them in for her payment, but the lack of contact as a whole is what sends your mind into overdrive the majority of the time.

It’s not because she doesn’t care about you, because she does. She’s been clear with you on that ever since you two became a fully fledged item, and she’s also been clear on how demanding her profession can be at times. If she lets her focus slip, the entire thing could turn out to be a wasted effort.

To keep yourself from worrying too much, you busy yourself with cooking something up in your cabin. Rabbit stew. Nothing special, but it certainly fills the gap, and you’ve made a lot more servings than you meant to. It’s a habit that you just can’t break, no matter how many times you’ve eaten alone over the weeks, but at least there’s definitely enough left over for later if you happen to be craving another bowl.

Humming a tune to yourself, you’re just about to dish up your stew, but the sound of your mare stirring outside stops you. You try brushing it off as nothing, that perhaps a buck darting into the bushes spooked her, but your horse is so docile, and it’s so out of character for her to spook at anything at all.

You wait for a moment, frozen in place while you’re listening out for any more signs of there being a disturbance outside. You’re praying it’s not bandits. You’ve never had any trouble before, not in your own home, but you’ve never ruled out having an encounter with the rotten no-good bastards someday. When the thunder of hooves outside your cabin is followed up with a neigh from your horse, you know that despite yourself, you have to step outside.

“Hey, who’s out here?”

You poke your head around the cabin door, scanning the area before you fully exit the cabin. There’s no sign of the horse or rider than charged along the path not even a minute ago, and when you’re certain the coast is clear, you turn your attention to your horse, patting her and softly shushing her to calm her down.

“You got a bit excited there, huh, girl?” you coo, “What’s gotten into you today? This ain’t like you.”

“She must know you got a visitor.”

At the sound of that voice, you whirl around, already beaming from ear to ear before you’ve even fully turned around. Once you’re over the shock, that is.

Sadie stands before you, hands sitting on her hips, grinning while she looks you over. God, she’s just as beautiful as you remember her, and you’re absolutely dumbfounded for a moment while the fact registers that she’s here. Home at last, and you don’t have to worry about her anymore for the time being.

“Good lord, you’re back!”

You’re breathless, and you find it in you to shift your feet and close the distance between you both. You throw your arms around her neck, holding her tightly, and you melt into the embrace when Sadie curls her arms around you.

“I missed you so much, y’know.” Sadie hums, kissing the side of your head, “You got no idea.”

“Not as much as I missed you.”

You smile, pulling back solely to look her in the eyes. You’re lost in them, and the ache in your face from the amount of smiling you’ve been doing finally subsides. Or perhaps you’ve gotten used to it, or you’re just too happy to care.

“What is it?”

Sadie chuckles to herself, snapping you out of your daze, and that’s when you realise you’ve been staring for too long. With a shrug of the shoulders, you laugh, unable to think of some sort of cover up, so you decide to finally throw it out there.

“I just…love you, Sadie!” you beam at her, “I finally said it. I love you, I love you, I lo-”Sadie interjects with a kiss, and you giggle against her lips while she holds you in her arms with no intention of releasing you just yet. Seconds later, she breaks the kiss and rests her forehead against yours, meeting your gaze with eyes full of adoration.“I love you, too, (Y/N).”

#sadie adler x reader #rdr2 fanfic #rdr fic #rdr2 fic #red dead redemption 2 fic #sadiexreader #red dead redemption 2 fanfic #rdr fanfiction #prompt

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flamehairedwritings · 5 years ago

Text

The Fire In Your Eyes: Chapter Four

Characters: Arthur Morgan x Original Female Character

Rating: The whole series will be E, 18+ ONLY for violence, gore, character deaths, animal deaths, parent deaths, swearing, grief, sexual themes and sex.

Summary: Saved by Arthur Morgan when her town is attacked, a young woman’s past comes back to haunt her when she has no choice but to join the Van der Linde Gang.

The Fire In Your Eyes Masterlist

Please don’t copy, steal or re-post my work; credit does not count.

The Underrated Joys of Escapism

Conversation had flowed more easily after that. The girls informed her of the lack of feminine products at the general store in the nearby town of Rhodes and she learned that she should indeed stay on Miss Grimshaw’s good side. In fact, they delighted in filling her in on exactly what everyone was like in the camp.

“... Do not give Bill a compliment, he’ll think you’re in love with him...”

“... Make Charles laugh and I’ll give you fifty dollars, I swear...”

“... You’ll probably be woken up every mornin’ by Abigail yellin’ at John, who probably deserves it...”

“... Oh, Lenny’s just so sweet, I just don’t quite know what I want to do with him—”

“Karen...”

“... Arthur’s a little gruff, but a sweetheart, really.”

“Oh, yeah, he’s a real sweetheart,” Mary-Beth enthused, her smile widening. “I mean, he rescued you, didn’t he? That’s how sweet he is.”

“Yes, that was very kind of him,” Ada agreed, keeping her smile easy.

Please don’t ask me, please don’t—

“So, how’d he do it, what happened?”

Oh, Christ.

She’d hoped the personal questions would have waited at least another day or so, but, with her wide smile and big eyes, Mary-Beth was obviously sweet on Arthur, and eager to hear of his heroic deeds, a fact further proven by Karen and Tilly sharing a glance, their lips twitching.

Noted.

“Uh, he found me in a cabin. I’d escaped from my home and hidden in there. We were then pinned down by gunfire but he threw dynamite out of the window to give us a chance to escape.”

“I love a man who just happens to carry ‘round dynamite,” Karen drawled.

“Oh, is that so, darlin’?”

Ada’s head whipped up at the Irish accent, her back stiffening.

A man with shoulder-length ginger hair grinned at them, his hands in his pockets.

“Well, I guess I better start carryin’ ‘round some dynamite in me pocket. Though, that could be dangerous.”

“What would it blow off, exactly,” Karen retorted as she lifted a bottle of whisky to her lips, an eyebrow arched.

“Your favourite past-time, darlin’.”

The man laughed as she rolled her eyes and winked at her before his blue eyes settled on Ada’s own.

“Hello, we haven’t been introduced.”

“Sean, this is Annie Sawyer. Arthur rescued her from Strawberry,” Mary-Beth beamed.

“Is that right? The grumpy bastard does have a heart, then,” Sean chuckled, holding his hand out to her. “It’s nice to meet you, sweetheart.”

“You, too,” Ada smiled warmly as she accepted his hand, though her heart pounded in her chest.

What in the hell is an Irish man doing here? A former O’Driscoll? Oh, calm down, not every Irish man is an O’Driscoll.

With a flourish, Sean took her hand in a gentle grip and bent at the waist, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand.

“Jesus...” Karen muttered beside her as Ada made her smile widen a little more. “Trust me, darlin’, he’s no gentleman.”

“Oh, love, I’ll be a gentleman if you want me t’ be.” Releasing Ada’s hand, his eyes had already darted to Karen. “You know I can be.”

“Mmh, I’m sure I don’t.” Karen pressed her lips together.

“We’ll see, won’t we.” Winking at her again, his attention then returned to Ada, her eyes still fixed on him. “Welcome to the camp, darlin’. Let us know if you need anythin’. And may I say, what lovely fire-y hair you have, almost as lovely as mine.”

“Oh, thank you.” She involuntarily tucked a few curls behind her ear, her stomach twisting slightly.

“Well, ladies, I shall leave ye to ye’re evenin’.”

Bowing low, the girls snorted as he backed away before straightening and turning on his heel, whistling a tune to himself.

“Well, that’s Sean,” Karen muttered, shaking her head as she took a sip of whisky. “The bane of my life.”

“Ain’t they perfect for each other,” Tilly stage-whispered to Ada, making Karen shoot a glare at her as Mary-Beth broke into laughter again.

Twenty four hours earlier, she’d been in the same position. With a couple of changes.

Lying on her back on a blanket instead of a bed, she was staring at cloth instead of a canopy.

What had remained the same, though, was that she was unable to sleep.

Rather relieved at feeling tired, she had excused herself shortly after Sean had introduced himself and found Miss Grimshaw by the girl’s wagon to politely ask her where she may be able to sleep. The older woman had gestured behind her, whereupon Ada realised she would be sharing a patch of barely covered ground with some of the other girls.

She’d done as directed, lying on her side beside Tilly who was also settling down. Karen and Mary-Beth had lain on the blanket shortly after, and they’d both soon fallen asleep.

Ada hadn’t even closed her eyes. The day had seemed endless, as if fate had been forcing her to stay locked forever in the worst day of her life. She should have fallen asleep instantaneously, gratefully fallen into an unconscious slumber from grief and exhaustion. The sounds of trees and insects and people were all too unsettling, though, too unfamiliar. The camp was quiet, a few members of the group having a murmured conversation a little way off around the fire they’d eaten at. She didn’t know who the voices belonged to, not having been introduced to anyone else.

Her mind wouldn’t quieten, either. It kept chanting at her to make a plan, but how could she when she had no control or choice?

It needled at her, making her spine prickle so she’d have to turn every few minutes. She might have dozed here and there, but it was very light, bodies and blood filling her mind, every sound making her eyes snap open, and when the sun had started to rise she’d given up completely and found herself once more sat on the fallen tree, staring out at the lake.

Maybe at noon I’ll collapse and finally get some rest. That would be nice.

“You okay?”

Good God, there are people everywhere.

Looking up, a woman she hadn’t seen before approached from down the bank, a tin cup in her hand. Her blonde hair, darker than Karen’s, was braided and twisted over her shoulder, and she had a bright mustard blouse on, tucked into brown trousers.

Ada smiled instantly, inhaling a long breath as she straightened her back. “Yes, I’m fine, thank you. Just woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep.”

The woman hummed as she sipped from the cup, and took a seat beside Ada.

“I’m Sadie.”

“Annie.”

Sadie nodded, holding the cup between both hands. “I’m sure people have been offering their condolences, and I would but... Well, I know it don’t help that much.”

Sadie gave a faint smile as Ada looked at her, not having caught her surprise in time for it not to show.

“I lost my husband recently. The O’Driscolls killed him. These guys rescued me, too. I was a mess. I didn’t want to talk to anybody. Didn’t feel much like livin’ for a little while, actually, but... you just have to keep goin’, don’t you. Find somethin’ worth livin’ for.”

A corner of Ada’s mouth lifted. “I guess that’s why I’ve not been able to sleep.”

“You just need time. You’ll figure it out.” Sadie gently nudged her with her elbow. “You seem to be doing okay though, it’s good that you’re talkin’ to people, I saw you chattin’ with the girls.”

She smiled lightly. “Well, it’s a nice distraction.”

“Yeah, I can understand that. You’ll be fine, though. From what Arthur said, it sounds like you can really handle yourself with a gun.”

Ada exhaled a laugh as her eyebrows rose. “Well, I’m no Black Belle but, yeah, I’m not too bad.”

Sadie chuckled, a husky, rich sound, and arched an eyebrow. “Maybe we can do some shootin’ together sometime. Show these boys how it’s done.”

“I’d like that.”

And Ada found that she meant it. The other women were lovely and kind to her, of course, but it was a welcome relief to be able to talk candidly with someone who understood.

“All right, then, I look forward to it.” Sadie tapped a nail against her cup and stood, rolling her shoulders back. “Hey, maybe we can do some practise shootin’ on some O’Driscolls.”

Ada watched her head up towards the camp, and the manners her mother had tried to drum into her made her feel a twinge of guilt at not offering her condolences about Sadie’s husband but, as the other woman had said, how would it help? No, it was enough that they understood one another.

Shared trauma was a strangely comforting occurrence.

Sadie passed Miss Grimshaw and they nodded at each other, that tight, sugar sweet smile on Susan’s lips.

“Mornin’, Mrs Adler.”

“Good morning, Susan.” Sadie’s overly bright tone made Ada’s lips twitch; she was very much warming to her.

She swiftly softened her expression, however, when Miss Grimshaw caught sight of her, her smile widening as she approached.

“There you are. Oh, honey, you look beat!”

Wonderful. Thank you, Susan.

“Did you get any sleep at all?”

Ada stood, unsure as to whether the older woman’s concern was genuine or she was worried about her new worker already being down for the count, and shrugged lightly.

“Oh, yes, I got a couple of hours. It’s just, I’m getting used to it, I suppose, being here.”

Susan gave what she probably thought was a sympathetic expression. “Yes, new places can be a little unsettlin’ at first. But we move a lot so you’ll have to get used to it.”

Ada’s chest tightened. Of course they’d have to move a lot, they were on the run from the law, she knew that, but there it was, the suppressed panic that she had no choice, that the routine would change before she could adapt.

“Oh, I’m sure I will. I’m sure I’ll sleep well tonight, too.”

“Mhm. Well, follow me, honey,” Susan gestured for her to follow with her hand, “We got piles of washin’ to do to keep you occupied in the meantime. And I found you some boots!”

Wonderful.

Days passed without incident, and Ada settled in, much to her relief, more easily than she had anticipated, swiftly establishing a routine. She would wake early, talk with Sadie or Abigail over breakfast as they were usually awake at sunrise, too, then carry out whatever tasks Miss Grimshaw deemed important for that day. She heard snatches of information, or Karen just told her outright; currently there was something going on in the local town with two large families that despised each other.

“We’re playin’ ‘em both like a fiddle,” Karen had grinned.

Her intuition to not tell them her real name was correct, then.

She kept mainly to talking to the group of women, the men seemingly either always out on ‘business’ as they called it or sat around the camp halfheartedly carrying out various tasks, but she was gradually introduced to everyone.

Ada swiftly discovered Sean had never had any association with the O’Driscolls; there was completely and utterly no way he could have. Colm would never allow a man who talked as much as he did to be in the gang. He made her laugh, though, and gifted her, with enough flourish to make Karen sigh wearily, a small knife which she kept tucked into her belt. She apologised to Lenny the second evening she had been there and thanked him for being so generous. He’d shaken his head dismissively with a warm smile and said not to worry about it. She’d warmed to him completely as they’d eaten their stew, talking about inane things like the weather or what bread they liked best.

Charles, John, Bill, Pearson, Strauss and Javier had greeted her quietly and kept to themselves, the Reverend Swanson had stumbled past her the next morning, and Uncle had sat next to her at her third dinner and started singing loudly, to which everyone joined in. Hosea had talked with her that same evening, offering his condolences and asking her non-invasive questions about herself that she answered truthfully. After discovering she enjoyed reading and she missed her books, they had discussed their favourite novels, and then the next morning he gave her a book, a gesture so touching from the old con man that she had nearly wanted to embrace him.

As for Dutch and Arthur, she hadn’t spoken to either of them since they’d talked in Dutch’s tent and that suited her fine. Dutch kept to his tent, reading or talking with the men, and Arthur left early every morning and returned in the late evening.

She was, surprisingly yet mercifully, finding that she liked this band of outlaws and, with their seeming acceptance, felt she could breathe a little easier now.

It took Micah, the man who’d watched her as he’d leaned against the tree, to bring her back to reality.

It was the morning of her fifth day of being in the camp and she was repairing an old blouse Susan had given her to have. She was using strips of material she’d found and was trying to do her best with what was turning into quite an unusual assortment of colours and patterns, needing a new blouse to wear as dust and sweat was starting to make wearing her current one unpleasant.

This damn heat. I miss rain.

A shadow suddenly fell across her.

Blinking, Ada glanced up.

“Hello, Mr Bell.”

He smiled at her, in that vaguely unnerving way, his eyes fixed on her, and nodded.

“Good morning, Miss Sawyer. What are you up to?”

“Oh, I’m just fixing a blouse. I’m in need of a new one.” She smiled politely as he sat beside her, suppressing her lack of delight.

He rested his elbows on his knees, leaning into her space to inspect her stitching. Her jaw moved slightly as she sat back to create some distance and he huffed out a laugh of amazement as he too sat back.

“That’s fine work, Miss Sawyer, you can barely notice the stitches. You’ve got a talent for it.”

“Thank you, Mr Bell.”

His smile, having lingered, widened now as he tilted his head “Please, call me Micah.”

Her polite smile lingered too, restrained. “All right, then.”

“I hope you’ll accept my apologies for not having talked with you sooner. I didn’t want to intrude upon you at such a difficult time.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you, Micah.”

Now please leave.

He fell silent, just looking at her, and she resented herself for doing so but she couldn’t stop her smile from widening as she searched for something to say. Just as she was about to open her mouth to ask him about his day, his hand went to her knee, and squeezed it so lightly.

“If you need anything, Miss Sawyer, anything at all, you can come and ask me.”

She stiffened, her mind going blank for a moment or two. She could feel the heaviness of his touch on her, of his eyes on her, and she couldn’t think what to do.

There was no doubt in what he was implying.

“Take your hand off me, Micah.”

Something flashed behind his eyes at her calm, low words. She held his gaze, her body still.

Then, he laughed, dropping his hand from her as he leaned back.

“Miss Sawyer, you are a surprise, ain’t you. Not quite the pretty little meek flower I was hoping for. That’s a shame.” He smiled. “More... entertainin’, though.”

He stood then, much to her masked relief, but just as she thought he was going to turn away, he looked to her again, his tongue running along his teeth.

“You know, Arthur and I were in your pretty little town not too long ago. Gave you all quite the show. I’m very grateful you didn’t get in the middle of it.”

He then nodded at her, and walked away, whistling to himself. She stared at his back, her lips parting as a held breath rushed out of her. She felt cold sweat sliding down her back, her hands frozen.

A man had been broken out of jail only a few weeks ago by another man and they shot all who’d been in their path. Skinny and Maddy had been killed in their cabin. She used to talk with them in the store and used to help Maddy braid her hair. Maddy got excited about the spring and liked to watch out for flowers every day, she was going—

“Good mornin’, sweetheart.”

She snapped back to attention, her eyes darting up to watch Sean walk towards her, that wide, lopsided grin on his face.

It fell slightly at her expression.

“You all righ’, darlin’?”

She nodded swiftly as she dropped the blouse to the floor, wiping her damp hands on her skirt. “Yes, sorry, you just startled me.”

“Uh-huh.” He eyed her, his gaze darting over to Micah who was seating himself at a table a little way off, unsheathing a knife from his belt. “You were talkin’ wi’ Micah just now, weren’t ye?”

“Yes, he was just introducing himself.” Clearing her throat, she smiled. “What business are you getting up to today?”

Ignoring her deviation, he sat beside her, an unusually serious expression taking over his features.

“You know,” he started, lowering his voice. “If he gives you any kind o’ trouble you let me know, all righ’?”

She arched an eyebrow, her smile widening as she ignored the faint tightening in her chest. “You? And what will you be able to do about it, Sean MacGuire?”

He laughed, the easy demeanour returning. “Oh, sweetheart, there’s a reason there’s a bounty on me head.”

“Didn’t you just happen to be there as the gang robbed places?”

“Oh, you wound me, ye really do. Here I was about to invite ye on a day out.” He shook his head mock-sadly as she perked up, her mouth opening a little wider.

“A day out?”

“Aye.” He side-eyed her, sighing faux-dejectedly. “I thought ye might like to come into town wi’ me, be reminded there’s an actual world out there.”

She almost laughed at the excitement that roused within her. Yes, she felt safe and confident with her routine, but... Lord, she was growing restless. There was only so far she could wander in this camp and this invitation felt like a strange sort of permission that she did indeed have some freedom. And freedom overrode any sort of need for security.

Why, though?

Her eyes then narrowed slightly as some of the excitement ebbed away.

“... What’s the catch?”

He held his hands up, his eyebrows raising. “No catch, darlin’. Just don’t want ya goin’ crazy... ‘nd maybe ye could get a new shirt instead of... whatever the hell that is you’re makin’.”

She pressed her lips together as she weighed the pros and cons, thought about everything that could go wrong, thought about if she could take Sean in a fight, if it came to it...

No, everything was surface level with Sean. This had to be genuine and thank God for it.

“I would be delighted to join you, Sean.”

He grinned, practically nearly jumping to his feet as he held a hand out to her. Undeterred as she batted his hand aside and stood unaided, he began to stride towards the scout camp up on a small hill to the north of the main camp. Following after him, she kept her gaze straight ahead as they passed Micah, though he was too focused in his game of five finger fillet to notice them.

Striding up the hill, he gestured at the small pack of horses, flinging his arm out.

“Pick yourself a horse.”

Her eyebrows rose as she looked to him. “Any one?”

“Yep. Any one without a saddle.”

She blew out a breath as she looked back to the horses, taking a few steps closer to them. They didn’t lift their heads from their grazing, used to people moving about amongst them. She studied each one in turn, assessing their build and matching them against each and every scenario she could think of in her head.

“Jesus, get a move on will ye or you’ll be sharin’ wi’ me.”

“Oh, Lord...”

Hearing him laugh behind her, Ada’s lips twitched and she moved towards a bay horse at the back of the group, it’s head lifting, hay hanging out of it’s mouth. It watched her, it’s ears twitching as it chewed.

“Hello,” she murmured, reaching a hand out slowly and settling it on it’s neck.

The horse turned it’s head a little closer towards her, sniffing at her. She held her hand out, allowing it to sniff.

“He’s a real nice one.”

A dark haired man stood on the other side of the horse, smiling somewhat nervously at her as he stroked down the horse’s back. He spoke quickly but earnestly.

“He’s quiet and calm and ain’t too much trouble, I think you’ll like—”

“Jesus Christ, Kieran, what are ye doin’ lurkin’ amongst the horses? You been shaggin’ ‘em again?”

“I don’t shag, sleep,” Kieran corrected himself swiftly, glancing at Ada, “with the horses, Sean, you know I don’t.”

“I don’t know what the hell you do, O’Driscoll, and I don’t dare ask. Toddle off and get her a bloody saddle, would ye.”

O’Driscoll?

Ada stared at Kieran as he muttered under his breath and moved between the horses, her hand frozen on the horse. He seemed to sense her sudden agitation, his ears twitching again as he shifted slightly, his head turning towards her once more.

Sean chuckled behind her as he approached, stroking his fingers down the horse’s forehead as his muzzle nudged against her forearm.

“That’s our camp freak, he...” He trailed off as he glanced at her, noting her tight features. “You all righ’, sweetheart?”

Get a hold of yourself.

“Yeah, fine.” She smiled as she stepped back from the horse as Kieran returned, watching him settle a faded blanket over his back before placing a saddle on it.

Sean watched her watch him, and she heard him curse under his breath.

“Oh, shit, I wasn’t thinkin’,” he murmured, standing beside her. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, he was with the O’Driscolls but he saved Arthur’s life and is with us now. We give him a hard time but he’s fine.”

She just nodded, watching as Kieran tightened the straps and adjusted the stirrups. Then, she turned to Sean and smiled widely.

“Shall we get out of here?”

He grinned, tugging on a curl of her hair as he passed her. “Aye, let’s get away from these degenerates.”

After securing a bridle to the head of the horse, Kieran handed the reins to her with the same nervous smile.

“Thank you,” she said automatically, meeting his gaze for a moment, before she turned away, murmuring gently to the horse, “Come on.”

Leading him away from the group, Ada followed after Sean, very much ready to be distracted.

“What’re ye gonna call him?” he asked as he mounted his buckskin horse, gathering the reins into his hands.

“I don’t know.” Also mounting, Ada patted the horse’s neck, allowing him a moment or two to get used to the weight of her. “I don’t know his character yet.”

“Well, we’ll see what he’s like in the kind of trouble we get up to.”

She arched an eyebrow. “I’m not looking for trouble today, Sean.”

He grinned as he urged his horse into a walk, Ada doing the same. “All righ’, all righ’, just some light tomfoolery, then. Who should we be?”

“What do you mean?”

“We don’t like to use our real names often in places for obvious reasons, so who shall we be?” He nodded at Lenny, the scout for the east entrance to the camp, as they passed him, who frowned slightly and opened his mouth, but before he could say anything Sean continued, raising his voice a little as he pressed his horse into a trot. “I say we could pass as brother and sister, twins even, with our gorgeous red hair ‘nd blue eyes.”

Ada laughed as her horse drew level with his, her brows raising. “You’ll have to copy my accent, then.”

Sean mock-gasped in horror. “How dare you suggest such a thing. We’re plainly Irish. Let’s hear you do the accent.”

“Sean.”

“Come on.”

“Sean—”

“Either that or you’re a mute and have to let me say what I like—”

“Oh, fer fuck’s sake, that’s the last thing we need.”

He threw his head back with a laugh as they emerged from the trees and turned onto a larger path. “Jesus Christ, a brilliant accent and a curse, are ye tryin’ to make me fall in love wi’ ye woman?”

“That would be incest, dear brother,” she grinned, maintaining the accent.

“Aye, but I think they like that down here.”

She laughed as he urged his horse into a canter, prompting her to do the same.

“How’d ye get so good at the accent anyway?”

She snorted. “Oh, you’ll just laugh.”

“Oh, now you have to tell me.”

Ada slid her gaze over to him, trying not to smile as he grinned.

“I used to practice accents I heard as a child, to entertain myself.”

Sean laughed, thoroughly delighted. “Ye didn’t have many friends, did ye.”

“What gave it away?”

It was only a short ride to the town of Rhodes and Sean talked the whole way, informing her of what little there was to do in the town, but she revelled in every moment. She felt she could breathe a little easier away from the eyes of the camp, and passing workers in a field, seeing other people, made the world feel wide and full of possibilities once more. Perhaps she could leave at some point. Perhaps she could think of a plan sometime soon. Perhaps. It was a short ride of freedom but she grasped it with both hands.

They slowed their horses as they passed a sign that read ‘Welcome to Rhodes’, and Sean led them towards a hitching post infront of the general store. Sliding down from the saddle, Ada pulled the reins over her horses’s head and tied them securely to the post before she surveyed the main street. It wasn’t long but there was the usual necessities, the general store, the Sheriff’s Office and jail, the gunsmith, an undertaker’s and a bank. People bustled about, carrying packages or buckets, wagons and horses came up and down the street and people sat and talked on porches, their voices carrying.

“Right.”

Sean’s cheerful voice pulled her from her observations and she turned to him, finding him also observing the street, a certain glint in his eye.

“Why don’ you go into the store and get yerself somethin’.”

Ada arched an eyebrow as she stroked her horses’s neck. “I don’t have any money, Sean, and I don’t fancy lookin’ at things I can’t afford.”

Shaking his head, Sean shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out a handful of coins, holding them out to her.

“Here, get yerself somethin’ nice.”

Staring down at his hand like he was pointing a gun to her, Ada noted they were all dollar coins.

“Sean, I can’t accept that.”

He tutted and pushed his hand closer towards her. “Ah, shut up and buy yerself somethin’ pretty.” When she didn’t move, still staring, he tutted again and took her hand with his other one, carefully dropping the coins into her palm and making her fingers close over them. “I’ve got some business to attend to, when you’re done just sit out here, I won’t be long.” He started to turn away then paused, looking back at her and lowering his voice. “Oh, and steal somethin’.”

That pulled her out of her daze.

“Excuse me?”

He smiled, holding his hands out slightly. “Ye with thieves now, darlin’. Ye’ve got to fit in.”

She placed her free hand on her hip, arching an eyebrow. “I’m not going to steal something, Sean.”

“Why?”

“Why?” she scoffed. “Because it’s not right.”

“And?”

Oh, dear Lord.

“And the shopkeeper needs to make a living.”

He laughed. Actually laughed at her. “It’s nothin’ personal, Annie. We’ve all gotta make our way in this world.”

Christ...

She’d heard that before.

He took her long, exhaled breath as a, resigned, agreement, and patted her arm. “Good. Now, don’t forget, you’re as Irish as good whisky, dear sister. Enjoy!”

She watched him stride away in the direction of the gunsmith and exhaled another breath. The weight of the coins in her hand made her look down at it again and she uncurled her fingers a little to count the coins.

Twenty dollars. Twenty.

“Jesus...” she breathed, suddenly very much aware she was just holding twenty dollars in her hand. Turning to her horse, she rooted around in the saddlebag with her free hand, hoping to find something to hold the coins in. Feeling cloth brush against her fingers, she pulled out a bandanna and clumsily fashioned a make-shift purse, carefully pouring the coins into it and tying all the corners together.

Glancing around the street, Ada then made her way up the steps and into the store. A bell tinkled as she pushed the door open, prompting the shopkeeper to lift his head, his gaze sweeping over her. After assessing her, he smiled warmly, straightening his back.

“Good afternoon, miss.”

“Good afternoon, sir,” she answered, returning his smile as she approached the counter, her accent perfect.

“Is there anythin’ in particular you’re looking for?”

“Yes, I was wonderin’ if you had any blouses?”

“We got plenty of men’s blouses, miss, but no women’s, I’m afraid.”

“Oh, that’s fine,” she waved her hand dismissively, widening her smile. “Anythin’ will do fer me, I’m not picky.”

“Just over in that corner there, then, ma’am.”

“Thank you.”

Moving to the shelves he’d indicated, she smiled to herself as she slid her fingers over a shirt, feeling the material.

If Mama could see me now.

─

Ada watched the people and horses passing by, her hands folded on her lap, covering her coin purse, her thumb idly pushing her ring around her finger, a parcel at her side. A light breeze blew and she inhaled a long breath. She kept her mind clear, just focusing on what was around her.

It was so wonderful, to be so calm. To be so free.

She could be anyone she wanted right now, an Irish woman waiting for her brother, a nameless woman enjoying the afternoon, a person waiting for their friend or lover. She understood Sean’s joy for it now. It was intoxicating to present whatever version of yourself you wanted to to the world, to have no expectations placed upon you.

“My darlin’ sister!”

Realising she’d closed her eyes, Ada opened them to find Sean beside his horse, beaming at her.

“Come on, Ma will be expectin’ us home.”

One corner of her mouth lifting higher than the other, she gathered the coin purse and parcel into her hands and moved down the steps to her horse. Lifting the flap of the saddlebag, she placed the coins inside along with the parcel and secured it tightly. Climbing up into the saddle, Sean already atop his horse, they turned their horses onto the road, heading out of the town.

“So, what’d ye steal?”

Her eyes widening at his jovial tone, she glanced over her shoulder. “Keep your voice down, you...”

“Curse at me again, go on.”

“No.”

“Fine. What did you get?”

Tossing her curls over her shoulder, she gestured at her saddlebag. “I bought a new blouse... and stole an apple.”

The widest grin she’d seen on him yet spread across his features as his head whipped to the side to look at her. “You bloody did it?! Ha! That’s my girl! It’s not gold or jewellery but it’s a start, I s’ppose. Where is it?”

She resisted the urge to be pleased with herself, keeping control of her smile. “I didn’t think it would make you this happy. I gave it to Faithful.”

“Who the bloody hell’s Faithful?”

She patted Faithful’s neck, her lips twitching.

“The bloody horse is Faithful? Oh, Jesus...” He shook his head as he sighed. “Right, and why Faithful?”

She, unsuccessfully, tried to hide a grin. “To remind me to be faithful to my morals.”

“Jesus Christ, right, let’s get you back to bloody camp so we can make a real thief of ye.”

Her laugh carried across the fields as they kicked their horses into a canter, dust rising in their wake.

As they reentered camp, Ada found she was still smiling. She felt lighter, her situation not so impossible now. It was incredible what less than an hour of normality could do. Well, near normality.

Dismounting at the nearest posts they came to, she pulled the reins over Faithful’s head, loosely wrapping them around the pole.

“Good boy, thank you,” she murmured as he snorted, tossing his head a little.

“You are most welcome.”

“Not you, Sean.”

“I don’t get a little thank you for takin’ ye out on the town?”

A smile pulling at her lips, she turned to him. “Thank you, Sean. I mean it.”

Grinning, he inclined his head. “You’re welcome, darlin’ Annie. Oh, and, hey, I got ye this...”

Reaching into his saddlebag, he pulled out some sort of crumpled emerald green material.

“The colour of our homeland, dear sister.”

Taking it from his offered hand, it unfurled to reveal a blouse.

Beaming, her mouth dropped open as her gaze darted up to him.

“Oh, Sean, it’s beautiful. Where did you get it? I didn’t see a tailor’s.”

He just looked at her, having the good grace to look the barest amount of sheepish.

“You stole it?!”

“Why anyone would leave a pretty thing like that out to dry I’ve no clue.”

“Sean.”

“What, it’s their fault!” He held his hands out innocently, all sheepishness gone as he grinned roguishly.

Exhaling a short breath, she fought hard to not imitate his infectious smile. “There’s no point in telling you to take it back is there?”

“Absolutely no point at all.”

“Lord...” Still keeping a grip on the blouse, Ada shook her head and reached into her saddlebag, retrieving the coin purse and parcel. “Fine, I’ll keep it.”

“There’s hope! We’ll make a proper thief of ye yet, sweetheart, you just wait.” He nudged his shoulder against hers as they moved around the horses.

“I didn’t steal it.”

“Whatever makes you sleep tonight, darlin’.”

“Well, here, this will.” She held the bandanna-wrapped coins out to him.

Sean made a dismissive sound as his brow furrowed. “Ah, no, Annie, you keep it. A little ‘welcome to camp’ gift from me.”

“The blouse can be that gift. And this certainly isn’t little.” She pushed it further towards him.

“Nah, that was a ‘welcome to town’ gift.”

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes as they came to a stop before the path. “Well, then, how about you look after it for me.”

Raising his eyebrows, he looked down at the purse, then back up at her.

“I think I can do that,” he smiled, his fingers closing around the material, and in a flash he had it in his pocket.

“Yes, I thought you might...”

Ada trailed off as the sound of hooves suddenly thundered down from the north path. Both of them taking an automatic step back, they watched as Charles and Arthur stormed into camp, pulling their horses into an abrupt halt that had them skidding in the dirt slightly.

“Miss Grimshaw, Mr Pearson, your assistance, please!” Arthur called as he swiftly dismounted before striding around his horse to Charles’s.

Ada then saw the man sat behind Charles, his head lolling to one side. Arthur helped him down as Charles supported him from his position, gripping his shoulder, and as his head rolled back she saw the bruises and blood that covered him.

“One of yours?” she murmured to Sean, continuing to watch as Miss Grimshaw and Charles took over, helping the stranger over to the table nearby.

“Aye, one of ours,” he answered, sliding his hands into his pockets. “A rather interestin’ fellow.”

“I'm learning that’s not a compliment in this camp.”

Sean laughed as her lips twitched before he quickly shushed himself as Arthur looked over to them, his lips pressing into a thin line.

“Quiet now, lass, we’re about to be bored to death,” Sean whispered to her as Arthur approached.

“So, Lenny told me you two went out of camp.”

Ada couldn’t help but feel a slight sense of betrayal from the young man she’d started to rather warm to. Surely it wasn’t that bad, was it—

“Aye, I took the lovely lady out into town to—”

“You went into Rhodes?”

His abruptness seemed to catch Sean off guard, but he swiftly recovered.

“Aye, it’s not good for anyone to be cooped up in this mad place fer too long—”

“Do I have to remind you, MacGuire,” Arthur cut him off again as he stepped closer, prompting the other man to rise to his full height, “We’re wanted men involved in two mad as hell families. We got bounty hunters lookin’ for us up and down the God damn country who ain’t afraid to take us dead or alive. We can’t afford to just go dancin’ into town like God damn idiots.”

“All righ’, Morgan, it was jus’ a bit of fun—”

“Yeah, well, people have died over ‘a bit of fun’, haven’t they?”

Sean’s mouth opened then closed as he stared at him. Ada glanced between them, but before she could speak Sean exhaled a harsh laugh and turned on his heel, striding away. Pressing her lips together, she turned on Arthur, lifting her chin to look at him.

“I don’t know what you were referring to but I gather that was incredibly unfair of you.”

“Excuse me?” He gazed down at her with more of an air of exasperation than incredulity at her challenging him and that just incensed her more.

“He was just being kind, Mr Morgan, I needed new clothing and a breath—”

“You need anythin’ like that you speak to Miss Grimshaw.” He was already looking away from her, dismissing her as his eyes searched the camp.

Pressing her lips together, she adjusted her stance, standing directly in front of him and forcing him to look at her once more. “I don’t want to take any more charity—”

“It ain’t about that.” Now his full attention was on her as he wrestled to keep his voice low. “I don’t think you quite realise the danger we’re in—”

“If there is any danger I can handle myself and you know that—”

“As far as I know you can hold a gun and point it without shakin’. Beyond that I don’t know what you can do.”

His words stung but she clenched her jaw, begrudgingly accepting he was right, and that wouldn’t do.

"Perhaps I just need the opportunity.”

He arched an eyebrow as he exhaled a humourless laugh. “Is that what you want is it? An opportunity? Oh, what, you want to go out there seekin’ danger now? Think you’re invincible now you’re runnin’ with outlaws?”

God, she wanted to wipe that patronising look off his face.

“Need I remind you it was you who brought me here, Mr Morgan.”

“Yeah, but I might need remindin’ of the reason why.”

That stung, too.

“Some horseshit about saving people who need saving, and you obviously thought I could handle myself here.”

She didn’t know whether it was her coarse language that stunned him into silence, the truth of her words or he was just holding his tongue but he didn’t answer her, his jaw moving. She didn’t look away as they stared at one another, neither wanting to back down.

He’s not agreeing.

Don’t do it─

“Give me your gun.”

“Excuse me?” Now he looked incredulous as he glanced down at her extended hand.

Arching an eyebrow, she raised her chin. “It appears I’m going to have to prove myself, Mr Morgan, to ease your apparent distress at my safety.”

Now that certainly stunned him.

“No, I ain’t givin’ you my gun.”

“Fine.” Looking to the side, she moved her hand in the same direction. “Lenny?”

Lenny, having been sat reading under a tree nearby and trying very hard to look like he wasn’t eavesdropping, raised his eyebrows in slight alarm.

“Yes, Miss Sawyer?”

“May I borrow your gun, please?”

“Uh...” He glanced at Arthur, though only briefly, as he stood, closing his book. His curiosity won out. “Sure.”

Stepping closer, he pulled his gun from its holster and held it out to her, the corners of his mouth lifting. “You’re not gonna kill anyone, are you, Annie?”

“I hope not.” Taking the gun, she lowered her arm and offered him the parcel and blouse, which he took swiftly, before she turned, glancing at Arthur as she strode away.

Lenny followed quickly behind her, not overly fond of the idea of being left with Arthur to be chastised. The older man exhaled a long breath as he watched them for a moment, before he, too, slowly followed after the woman.

Ada moved behind Arthur’s wagon and down to the bank, gripping the revolver in her hand and familiarising herself with the feel of it. It was a standard Cattleman with a black steel frame and an ebony grip.

Perfect.

Four empty bottles lay strewn across the sand, most likely from Reverend Swanson, and she came to a halt, wetting her lips.

“Lenny, please can you set those bottles on that rock?”

“Sure thing.”

Lenny apparently hadn’t been the only one listening in on their arguing as she could hear the rest of the camp forming an unsubtle audience a little way behind her, unashamedly gathering to watch as they murmured to each other.

She kept her eyes on Lenny, though, studying the angle at which he placed the bottles.

“All right, Annie, there you go.” He grinned at her as he ran past, joining the group.

Arthur stood towards the back of the audience, a little higher up on the bank, his mouth set in a thin line. He was hesitant to underestimate her due to her confidence, but then again he’d known many a confident person to make a fool of themselves. Would she really embarrass herself that way, though? Especially in front of everybody? Nah, Miss Sawyer didn’t seem that kind of fool. She was headstrong and damn stubborn, but not a fool.

He watched her closely as she stood straighter and raised her arm, drawing the hammer of the revolver back.

“Ten dollars says she does it,” Karen whispered to Tilly, who smiled.

“No deal ‘cause I think she’s gonna do it, too.”

Somewhere behind them, Micah snorted.

Ada exhaled a slow breath as she stared at the bottles, blocking out the sound of the group. Then, she squeezed the trigger.

She moved quickly.

In quick succession, the bottles blew apart one after the other, glass falling onto the sand.

“Holy shit!”

“God damn!”

The group spoke over each other as Ada lowered her arm and allowed herself a small moment of pride, a smile pulling at her lips.

“Someone get this girl a drink!”

Her smile widened as she finally turned to the group, finding most of the men drifting away back to their duties as the women grinned at her.

“I don’t drink, Uncle.”

“Well, someone get one for me, then!”

Wanting any excuse to open the whisky, the women followed after Uncle, talking over one another. Sadie, who Ada hadn’t noticed before, stood further beyond them, down on the south side of the bank. She smiled proudly and nodded at Ada before turning away and heading along the shore, returning to her post.

“Wow, that was somethin’,” Lenny beamed as he stepped closer, holding his hand out.

“Oh, thank you. And thank you for letting me borrow it.” She returned his infectious smile as they swapped, she giving him the gun, he her blouse and parcel.

He shook his head as he holstered it. “Don’t mention it. I wouldn’t mind seein’ that again.”

She watched him as he wandered away, smiling to himself as Karen could be faintly heard trying to get a rousing song going.

Ada’s smile lingered, too, as she smoothed her skirt down, before she realised that just left... Arthur.

Her smile vanished as she looked to him.

He stood only a few feet away, his arms folded, his features expressionless.

“You enjoy bein’ a child, do you?”

She sighed, her teeth grazing over her lower lip as she raised her eyebrows. “No, I don’t.”

Dropping his arms, he stepped closer, gesturing behind her. “Well, you’ve proven you can hit unmovin’ targets. You ain’t proven you can hit somethin’ that’s shootin’ back at you.”

“No, I just haven’t proven that to you.”

“Well, you obviously wanted to prove somethin’ here.”

“Yes, that I’m skilled with a gun, Arthur, and that if I feel like taking a break from camp and going out for less than an hour then I can handle myself if something comes up. I understand your concern for this camp but I believe this time it was misplaced.”

“Oh, you’ve done more than target practice, have you? You killed, have you?”

“I killed an O’Driscoll back in Strawberry before you found me, I told you that.”

“And what has that done to your conscience?”

That made her pause, and he took full advantage of it, refusing to break their gaze.

“You been thinkin’ about it at all? Sure, he deserved it but it’s a hard thing to take a life. Could you do it again?”

She didn’t respond.

He shook his head. “Well, I hope we don’t get the opportunity to find out, Miss Sawyer. It could be your life that’s taken while you’re decidin’.”

A cold smile settled on her lips “What an unburdening that would be to your conscience, Mr Morgan.”

He watched her as she walked away, his jaw set firmly.

He should’ve disagreed with that, protested vehemently, but he had the feeling only more angry words would have been exchanged. He knew he’d been hard on them, and, yeah, perhaps unfair to Sean, but the amount of bounty hunters that had taken Trelawney and how close they’d been to the camp had rattled him.

He could admit she was a good shot, could probably handle herself and was maybe as good as Sadie, but that didn’t mean she had to be put in a position to prove it. It wasn’t just her, too, they should all keep their heads down for a while, or, hell, even move on, maybe.

Arthur sighed heavily, pushing the brim of his hat up.

There’s never a quiet day.

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whirlybirbs · 6 years ago

Note

did I just put off sleeping for 6 hours last night despite having work early in the morning just to read your entire miss turner x arthur series. of course I did :) absolutely amazing!! genuinely can’t wait to read more sometime!✨

GOLD BARS & PETTICOATS ; A.M.

summary: arthur rides back into camp to learn that miss turner has gone off on her first heist. she comes back, arthur is proud, + revenge is a sweet little thing.pairing: arthur morgan x reader -- turner as a placeholder surnamea/n: hehehe i love this high-class bad bitch, also arthur being anxiety man. this is a part of my simpler said aloud series! here’s the masterlist that’s in terrible need of an update.

Arthur Morgan rides into camp along side Charles with two large bucks draped over the backs’ of their horses. It’s mid-day by the time they unload, skin, and clean the meat of the early morning hunt -- just in time for Pearson to begin prepping dinner.

It’s oddly quiet, however, for noon in the camp.

He’d thought nothing of the lack of a usual welcome upon arrival, however as blue eyes scan the outskirts of camp, Arthur is quickly socked with the absence of Miss Turner.

He swallows down his worry and stands, blood soaked through the front of his shirt from skinning, and approaches Dutch’s tent as he wrings his hands clean with a rag Pearson had unceremoniously chucked at him.

“Where are th’ girls?” Arthur asks, trying not betray his poker face, as he stops front of Van der Linde himself. He wrings his hands again, this time out of bubbling anxiousness.

Dutch pulls his eyes up from his book. He leans back. “They’re due back any time now, my boy. Trelawney brought them along with him into town. Something about a tea party in a pretty little garden and plenty of folks lookin’ to be robbed blind.”

Dutch waves it off, as it it’s nothing.

Arthur hums. He nods. He looks away.

However, he lingers.

Dutch notes the moment of contemplation hitching him to his spot.

“Miss Turner,” Dutch supplies, “Jumped at the opportunity, Arthur. Her and Hosea seem to have become fast comrades. She’s mentioned to him that she dislikes the idea of purity in her reputation. If she is going to run with us, she said, she wants to pull her weight --”

Dutch waves his hands.

“-- So let her. Let her be inducted alongside the wolves, let us rid ourselves of a lamb.”

There’s something sinister in the way Dutch says it -- but Arthur leaves it alone. If he’s learned anything from Dutch, it’s not to push. So, the outlaw simply nods and drops his chin.

“Right, Dutch.”

So, he putters. Arthur wonders if this is how you feel when he’s out on a job -- it’s a palpable mix of anxiety and fear and excitement that sits on the edge of his heartbeat. Every sound from the trail beyond the woods has his chest dowsed in a fire-bathed clench.

Maybe he should have tried harder to protect you from this life.

Sadie Adler spares him a pitied look while he paces and Arthur wonders if it’s really that apparent that he’s that worried.

The sun’s about to set, dinner’s about to be served, and Arthur’s about to ride out on his own to find all of you when the parade rides into camp.

It’s certainly a sight to see -- feathers and colorful petticoats and face-paint and fans, all accompanied by the singing and laughing of Mary-Beth, Tilly, Karen, Miss Grimshaw, and yourself. Trelawney is in stitches at the head of the herd, shaking his head as the group hops from their steeds.

“-- Where’d you learn that whole accent anyways?” Tilly’s asking you as she hitches her horse, “Seemed t’ have all them folks awfully charmed.”

You spur Hugo towards the post, patting his neck happily as you grin and shrug -- you turn on the saddle, waving a hand and slapping your fan open. Your voice crescendos high, into something like a lacy sigh, when you coo. “What? This lil’ bit?”

More laughter. Miss Grimshaw shakes her head.

Arthur rises from his cot with an amused grin, watching the theatrics with a massive amount of amusement. Tossing his journal aside, he approaches quickly -- quickly enough to glare at Kieran when the makeshift stable-master moves to offer you a hand down from Hugo.

You grin, so wide and bright, at Arthur, he can’t help but mirror it.

“Hi, you,” you croon, “Careful, I’m eighty pounds heavier than I was.”

Arthur snortst as he slides his hands around your waist and lifts to help you down from the tall Suffolk Punch -- and sure enough, you’re right. He grunts.

“What in th’ hell --”

You move, hiking your skirts up.

Kieran, behind Arthur, squeaks and turns on a heel.

Arthur’s eyes widen, hands moving to swat at the sudden display of indecency --

Then, you pluck a gold bar from the band of your stockings.

Karen’s eyes go big, Tilly and Mary-Beth falling in around the gathering members of the Van der Linde gang. The ladies, all done up in frills and curls, seem to go a bit ravenous at the sight.

“Where did you --”

“How?!”

You beam. “They were in the safe. While you were all doing th’ whole singing bit, I brought that french fellow upstairs --”

“Oh my god --” Trelawney, even, is caught off by your competency.

“It really is easy to knock someone out!” you say quickly, pride surging up as you grip Arthur for balance, digging through your skirts to brandish more bars. They keep coming as you explain, “So I stuffed him in the closet after he opened the safe to show me his riches and --”

Arthur gawks, blinking at the eight gold bars in your satin-gloved hands.

The whole group falls silent at the glow in the evening sun.

“... Jesus Christ.”

“Miss Turner,” Trelawney says, then, “I believe you might have been born for this sort of work.”

You grin.

Arthur, then, splits into a laugh so loud it catches everyone off guard. He’s bowing then, gripping his knee as you laugh along, peels of laughter high and gleeful.

“Y’ shoved ‘em in yer skirts -- ?”

More laughter.

You throw your hands, eyes twinkling at him. “Sorry, my pockets were full!”

And then come the bills. You pry the thousands of dollar bills from the pockets in your petticoat and the girls holler with excitement, mimicking the same action. Arthur, then, is gob-smacked -- he looks up at you all, eyes darting between the combined wealth.

“Who th’ hell did y’ rob?”

“Waylon Robbins’ personal accountant.”

There’s a dangerous glint in your eyes as you say it. Revenge, Arthur thinks, is a wonderful thing when it’s you -- he’d gladly let you rob him blind. His money, his name, his heart. All of it.

You pluck a handful of bills from the clip and a gold bar, only to pass them Arthur’s way.

“Here’s your share, Mr. Morgan,” you pat his chest, “For all your trouble.”

He kisses you like you’re his only source of air, then, pride mingling with passion and the combined jeers around the two of you only spur him on. Arthur pries himself from you slowly, greed flaring in his mind at the idea of dragging you far away from everyone’s eyes.

“Welcome t’ th’ outlaw life, Miss Turner.”

#simpler said aloud #arthur morgan imagine #arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan reader insert #arthur morgan x oc #rdr2 imagine #impossiblygoodguac

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journal-of-an-outlaw · 5 years ago

Text

Price to be Paid - Chapter 14

Is This a Bad Idea? Ao3 Link

Words: 3055

Note: I’m so sorry it took me this long to update!! Wordtober has been my focus this month so once that is done I’m back to weekly updates. Anyways! Hope you all enjoy, there is some violence and fluff in this chapter to be warned!

Sadie decided to ride along, too.

She had been heading back from guard duty when you and John blew by and hollered until you stopped and picked her up. When she heard it was a secret rescue mission you two were off to, her eyes lit up, and she motioned for you to help her swing on to the back of your saddle.

John nearly lost it at having to ride with two women. He was used to only men who were steel strong at his side, and although he would never admit being slightly afraid of Sadie, you were softer and less experienced so he could take out his frustration on you. John felt out in the open and exposed riding with you two and he made it known.

Sadie heckled John right back after a few minutes. “This horse is carrying two and still riding faster than you, Martson! Wish I had time to grab Bob and show you how a real outlaw rides.”

Bob, Sadie’s horse, had been left at camp. You never knew why she named him something so simple but at least it wasn’t a name to be forgotten anytime soon.

While the two of you rode on she held on to your waist with one arm, the other brandishing her pistol up in the air and ready for the first sign of danger. Her hair wiped around her face as she called out directions of where she had seen the others disappear to. Sadie was someone you truly admired for her strength and courage in the face of danger.

“John! Take a left up here, I saw them head over the hills and off towards this way.”

The man led his horse after her directions, and you rode on for nearly an hour. The sun had long since crossed the horizon and you hoped Eclipse would be able to see the bumps and dips the land formed in utter darkness.

“Hush now, I see lanterns ahead,” Sadie hopped down from Eclipse once the two horses had come to a stop and walked over to John. “I’ll stay here with Marston, Moore, see if you can coax those fine men into lettin’ us pass. I have a feeling they’ll like you more.”

“Me?” you turned and watched the two smirk over at you. “Why just me?”

John sighed and at least had the dignity to look a bit bashful as he answered. “If we could bat our eyelashes and wiggle them hips to make men listen like you do, we would head over there.” Your face blushed furiously as you spurred Eclipse over to where the men were positioned, the soft laughter of John and Sadie following you.

“Evening gentlemen! May I pass on through here, or is something wicked coming?” A heavy Southern drawl somehow found its way out of your mouth, unknown to the strangers blocking the road that it wasn't normal.

“Why is a pretty thing like you out alone this late?”

“Just heading home, sir. I live up on the farm past that lake and ride this way every night.”

“Unfortunately ma’am, we can’t let you up that way. Heard there was outlaws in these parts, ready to take advantage of whatever fine things come their way.”

“What if one of you fine, strapping boys was to accompany me?” You ducked your head and batted your lashes, watching them fall under your spell. Flirting had never been your strongest point but these two targets were especially easy.

In the distance, John and Sadie creeped up the hill guiding his horse. The guards never noticed and eventually let you pass under the ruse that you would be returning to their post soon with some sort of gift. You blew them each a kiss as you rode by and made to meet with the others, careful to not look back in case they decided to follow you over the hill and into the heat of the action.

You nodded at John when you joined up. Something made you want to impress him, like being Arthur’s younger brother meant he had to like you too. “They’ll be good, we should have nearly an hour. I told them I lived a good ways off.”

Sadie chuckled from the back of Old Boy. “I’m sure they were more than good, YN. But let’s go, I see a farm off in the distance there and some lanterns flickering about.”

The three of you raced off, and you felt your heart beat faster in your chest. Hopefully no one would hear it if they stood too close, but the danger hiding ahead had you gripping the reigns tighter and tighter. Not even three days after you and Arthur finally admitted your feelings to one another and here you were riding straight into danger to make sure he was okay. You really, really hoped he would be alright.

The negative thoughts and what if’s running through your brain pushed your spurs into Eclipse and she picked up the pace.

Sadie guided the three of you off the path and into a patch of woods. She pulled out her binoculars to try and see but it was too dark. “Damn, can’t see a thing. John, you think we should wait or advance? Could be our boys holed up in that stable.”

John contemplated his options. “I don’t see their horses anywhere nearby, hard to know who we’re helping if they’re far enough away. Maybe I can ride up and see.”

“Look! There’s someone joining them.”

You moved forward to wave as four men approached the building tentatively, holding their light high above their heads in search of something. Sadie pulled her binoculars out and held your arm down suddenly.

“They ain’t our boys, YN. I think that’s them Cornwalls the guards we ran into were talking about. John, why don’t you and I come in from the back and surprise those fellers. YN…” She turned back to you and paused for a moment. “You can hold the horses and be ready to help us get out of here. Ain’t sure how this is gonna go.”

You felt a resentment at the image you had built for yourself and that you couldn't do anything more in this moment except hold horse reins. You floundered, but eventually agreed, watching John and Sadie creep off towards the wooden structures. Their guns glinted in the moonlight and you wished more than anything to be with them.

“C’mon, girl, let’s go sit and wait.” Eclipse moved slowly in the dark, her ears drawn back and eyes wide. She sensed the static electricity in the air as you walked her and John’s horse quietly to the other side of the trees.

The moon was high in the sky, wispy clouds crossing its light every so often. Your arms were covered in goosebumps as you and John left so fast you didn’t remember to grab a coat, a thought you now regretted. As the year moved on the night temperatures dropped lower and lower, forcing heavier layers to be worn at all times.

“S’just the boys, go help them,” you muttered to yourself after a few minutes. Why were they all making a big deal? Wasn’t it supposed to be a simple stage coach robbery?

Through your binoculars you witnessed why your original thought had been so wrong.

Shouting and rounds of gunfire made you jump and snapped your attention back to the barn, which was now partially engulfed in flames. As the bullets flew through the air you could see the small bursts of light each time the gunpowder ignited. Your heart pounded as you desperately searched for some sign of life of those you knew.

Shadows danced as figures moved out of cover to shoot and back again, but your position on the wooded hill offered no hope at distinguishing faces. Trying to see this far away was hopeless, but you knew you couldn’t leave your position and risk the horses running off.

You sure hoped those figures moving towards you were friendly.

Four bodies slipped into the night as the barn continued to burn. It was nearly all engulfed in flames which lit up the area a bit and you breathed a sigh of relief as you saw Charles, Bill, Uncle, and finally Arthur move into the tree line. John and Sadie were nowhere in sight.

“Charles! Arthur!” You whispered loudly. The men were a decent ways away and didn’t hear you, but you were cautious that being any louder would signal the Cornwall men to your location.

Moving Eclipse forward slowly, you tried to catch the group as they began to run through the trees. The fact that John and Sadie were missing was nagging at the back of your mind.

“Alright fellers. We better split up so we don’t have too much trouble, now.”

You heard Arthur grunt. “Trouble you caused, Uncle! You better hope Cornwall doesn’t follow us out of here. Now, we tied the horses up around here somewhere, Uncle you ride back with Charles, Bill and I will head different ways. Don’t lead anyone back to camp!”

Arthur stood and watched the others ride off, pulling himself up onto Zeus. He didn’t hear you approach right away but the two horses nickered and he drew his gun up out of habit without seeing who it was.

“YN? That you?”

You held your hands up mockingly, “It’s me, cowboy. Put that thing down.”

“What in the hell are you doing out here? Dutch send you?” He closed the small space between you and swept you into his arms. You could hear how fast his heart was beating as you rested your head on his chest.

“No, rode out with John and Sadie. Wanted to make sure you were alright, does robbing a carriage normally take this long?

“No,” Arthur chuckled while scanning the woods around you, “it doesn’t. Where are Mrs. Adler and Marston? Don’t see ‘em with you.”

You shook your head. “I thought they were with you. We stopped up on that hill and they went down to help. I haven’t seen them for half an hour at least. I got stuck babysitting the horses.”

Arthur rubbed his jaw and continued to look around. The area was silent, even the sounds of the others riding away had faded and left you alone. The burning from the barn was silent at this time of the night.

“Let’s head back, see if we can find them.”

Riding back out of the woods proved of little use as John and Sadie were still missing. Arthur didn’t have to say it out loud for you to know what that look on his face meant. It had been too long since they snuck off and far too quiet.

A scream pierced the air that you recognized as Sadie’s. Both of you spurred off in that direction as two shots rang out as well.

“Take that you shit eating scum!”

At the edge of the woods you saw why they had been delayed. John held a smoking gun out as a Cornwall man had Sadie held up by the neck. She fought and wiggled about but couldn't escape his grip. From the looks of things John had just taken out another who was approaching through the trees but never made it close.

“Just leave me with the girl, scar face, and walk off like nothing happened. Mr. Cornwall will let you all live for once!”

‘Not a chance!” John’s ragged voice replied. “Get back before I shoot you too.”

The guard chuckled darkly at this, pulling a knife out to point at Sadie’s neck. You looked over at Arthur, unsure of your next move but found him dismounting and motioning for you to stay put. You nodded, happy to not approach the men.

Sadie moved again and yelled as the knife cut into the chest. It was pure rage that poured out of her and not an ounce of fear. You found yourself again admiring her tenacity while staring death in the face.

She must have caught sight of Arthur coming up as she started laughing, and spit on the ground.

"You fool just about to meet your maker! You ready?" She swung her head back and slammed into the nose of her attacker just as Arthur jumped on his back. All three went sprawling, and Sadie frantically lunged after the knife that had fallen in the grass.

John watched, gun aimed at the guard, knowing that if he fired he could hit either of his gang instead of the damn Cornwall man.

Your hands were numb from how hard you gripped the reigns and how useless you felt sitting up on the hill. You wanted to cry out but couldn't risk distracting someone you cared about.

Finally Sadie found the knife and swung around, meeting the neck of the taller man. He gasped and spluttered, hands clawing at the metal weapon but was gone in moments. She wiped her face with blood covered hands in an attempt to clean herself, but it had the wrong effect. She ended up looking downright terrifying.

As soon as the movement stopped you charged in, angry and scared about what could have gone wrong.

"Arthur!!"

Your voice was laced with worry and fear, and he turned at the sound of your approach. It took everything you had not to throw your arms around him, but Sadie and John watched you run down the hill.

"Thank god you're all alright. I didn't know how to find you without causing a scene and didn't want to draw attention. Guess I didn't need to…"

John rubbed his face with his hand, dragging it slowly to release tension. "This is a god damned mess. Let's get out of here before someone comes looking."

Sadie wiped the knife off, and with John's help climbed up onto Old Boy to lead the way. Arthur trailed behind you.

Most of the ride back was silent, your head spinning from what you witnessed as you rode away. Another life taken, just like that. All that blood and fighting Sadie seemed to revel in seemed so forgein to you, like a language you didn’t quite understand.

"YN, can we speak? In private?"

Arthur’s voice pulled you from your thoughts. The small group had arrived back at camp already. Everything was silent except for the murmured greeting from whoever was on guard duty and the quiet movement of the lake.

After giving Eclipse a treat you followed Athur into his tent. Ms. Grimshaw had bulked up the exterior with walls now that winter was getting closer. They served as an excellent block from peeping eyes around camp.

As soon as the flap closed Arthur pulled you in to him. His lips covered yours with a hunger you haven’t experienced in a long time and it scared you how fast you felt the same. Your hands reached up and pushed his broad brimmed hat, earning a chuckle as it hit the ground. You could feel the low rumble from his chest as you were pressed up against him with one hand running through your hair and the other keeping you in place on your lower back. It was overwhelming and wonderful all at once.

Arthur gained confidence from the small noises escaping you and moved to kiss and suck on your neck. His stubble tickled slightly as it brushed along. You moaned as he hit a particularly sensitive spot, causing Arthur to groan back, hot breath against your neck.

His hands slid under your thighs and you felt him lift up, then lean back onto his cot. By now your heart was thundering in your chest and the blood pumping through your veins was hot and fast. Apparently the thrill of battle got Arthur going.

Hovering above you, Arthur paused for a moment. The space between you was small, and taken up by a shared breath as your chests rose and fell in time. Arthur’s gaze was locked with your own as if he was measuring how far he could push things.

“Should we stop…”

“No it’s...not yet.”

“We don’t have to, you know…”

Feeling bold you grabbed his tie and pulled him to you again, lips crashing into one another. You could have stayed like this forever, fighting for dominance but happy to lose if it meant Arthur would kiss your neck just like that again.

After awhile you pushed on his chest, needing a moment to think. He winked at you and moved to sit on the end of his bed, adjusting his pants in the process.

“Sorry to just jump you like that.” Arthur rubbed the back of his neck and you laughed softly, pushing him playfully with your boot.

“Don’t ever apologize for feeling like that, Arthur Morgan. It’s just...we’re…” you fumbled to find the right words, but Arthur reached over and squeezed your hand, knowing what to say.

“New. I know. You just looked so damn good with that wind in your hair I couldn’t help myself.”

He stood and stretched, the small strip of skin between his shirt and belt showing which made your face flush all over again.

“Guess I should get on to bed, it’s late enough and we got that ball coming up with Hosea soon so he’s making us get up and practice dance steps.”

Something in Arthur’s face made you stop. “Or I could...stay?”

He looked hopeful, smiling as you sat back down on his bed. “It’s awful cold out there and I’d hate for you to freeze. Maybe you should just sleep in my cot. You know, share body heat and all that.”

“Alright Mr. Morgan, I’ll share your bed. But no funny business, just good old fashioned sleeping for warmth. Like folks do.”

“Mr. Morgan!” You squealed as Arthur pressed you down on the bed again, hands held above your head and legs trapped below his. “Woman, that’s a dangerous game you play.”

“Well, I’m sure we can figure out some sort of punishment between you and I, Mr. Morgan.”

By the time you fell asleep you were sure the entire camp knew you two were together from the sounds that echoed across the small grass clearing.

#price to be paid #rdr2 #red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 fanfic #fanfic #reader story #reader fanfic #arthur morgan #arthur morgan x reader #writing #the price to be paid

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messrmoonyy · 9 months ago

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Sadie Adler | Blackwater

#Lord have mercy epilogue Sadie is something else #Sadie Adler kisses girls pass it on!!!!#I’m still clearing my drafts they’re piling up man I take too many pictures 😭#sadie adler #red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 #rdr2 photography #rdr2 community #Sadie Adler icons #rdr2 icons #sadie adler x reader #mrs Adler

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saxonspud · 5 years ago

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Outcast - Chapter 8

You sat at the table, eating, and casting your eyes across the camp. It was the first time you had eaten on two consecutive days, since being taken by the soldiers. That seemed like ages ago, but in truth, it had only been a few weeks.

Your previous life all but forgotten, apart from the mark on your back, which was a daily reminder. It didn't hurt anymore, but you only had to put your hand to your back, to feel it. The memory of how it got there lingered, like the memory of the soldiers.

Dutch looked at you, gazing around the camp curiously, as you ate your food. He noticed how your eyes were locked on the O’Driscoll tied to the tree.

“That man your looking at, Nizhoni. He’s an O’Driscoll, our enemy,” Dutch explained.

You frowned, “Why Dutch not kill?”

Dutch chuckled, “Oh believe me, I’m tempted, but he’s more useful alive.”

You sighed, “Dutch good, Nizhoni bad. Nizhoni kill enemy, Nizhoni kill soldier.”

Dutch raised his eyebrow, and stared at you.

“Was this when you ran away from the soldiers?”

You nodded, “soldiers not kill Nizhoni. Nizhoni hide in mountain!”

Dutch nodded, “well I doubt you’ll find many soldiers around here, you’ll be quite safe. I’ll make sure of it.”

You looked over at the man, tied to the tree.

“Man prisoner. Dutch keep tied to tree?” you asked.

Dutch hummed, “maybe,” he hesitated, “lets go and see what he makes of you.”

You walked with Dutch, over to the tree where the man was tied.

Bill, the man who had tried to kill you, seemed to be questioning him.

When he saw you with Dutch, he stopped and glared at you. Given half a chance, you figured he would like it to be you tied to that tree.

The man glanced at you, then at Dutch. You thought he looked terrified.

“Now Nizhoni,” Dutch began, as he wrapped an arm around your waist, “this little weasel is Mr Kieran Duffy. You remember, Sadie, Mrs Adler?”

You nodded, “Dutch help in mountain.”

“Yes that's right. His friends decided to kill her husband, then they...well they did to her what the soldiers wanted to do to you!” Dutch concluded.

Bill looked at you, the glare was gone. It had been replaced by a look of pity. He had been a soldier, he knew the score.

“Nizhoni kill soldier. Not hurt woman again.” you stated.

Bill nodded, and looked back at Kieran.

You glared at Keiran with the same hatred you felt for the soldiers.

Kieran looked at you, fear in his eyes, then he glanced between Dutch and Bill.

“Please, don't...don’t let her...I heard about Indians...” he wailed.

“Then I suggest you start talking, boy!” Bill growled.

“Ok, ok, just...keep her away from me,” Kieran hesitated, “Colm, he’s hold up in a cabin, I can take you there, only...don’t let her touch me!”

Arthur walked over, and drew his knife, slicing the ropes.

“C’mon, you better not by lying boy. She’ll still be here when we get back,” he smirked.

Dutch chuckled, “You go with ‘em Bill, take John as well.”

Bill nodded, and followed Arthur, glancing over his shoulders a couple of times to look at you.

Dutch squeezed you gently, “nice work, Nizhoni. I think even Bill is warming to you. Now lets go and see if we can find Susan, get that shoulder checked.”

You both headed back towards the tents, Dutch still with his arm wrapped around you. As you passed his tent, you noticed that the woman who shared his tent, was gone. You thought nothing of it. The thought disappearing when you saw Susan appear from behind a wagon.

“Ahh Susan,” Dutch greeted, as he removed his arm from around you, “can you change Nizhoni’s bandage, I think all the jolting from the wagon caused the wound to bleed a little.”

Susan frowned, casting glances between you and Dutch.

She rolled her eyes, “Come with me, Nizhoni. Best if we do this in your tent.”

She grabbed some supplies from the back of a wagon, and you followed her back to your tent.

“Come see me once your done, Nizhoni. I’ll show you the rest of the camp.” Dutch yelled.

You glanced over your shoulder, to see him watching you, with his fingers hooked in his belt.

Once you were inside your tent, Susan closed the flap.

“Sit down, and I’ll take a look.”

She gestured to the cot, so you sat down and removed your tunic.

As she removed the bandage, she looked at the tunic, you had laid on the cot.

“I think,” she began, “we should try and find you some… different clothes, Nizhoni,”

“Different?” you questioned.

Susan smiled, “yes, a little more substantial, like your winter clothes.”

You shook your head, “winter clothes, for mountain. These for now. Nizhoni make more. Nizhoni hunt for skins,” You stated.

“So much for Hosea’s suggestion,” Susan huffed, as she finished removing the old bandage.

Susan looked closely at the wound, it wasn't bleeding anymore, and the stitches had stayed intact. She gently wiped away the dried blood, and wrapped it with a clean bandage.

“How does it feel?”

You moved your shoulder, “not hurt. Good,” you replied.

Susan smiled, “just be careful, no going hunting yet, you don't wanna pull those stitches.”

You rolled your eyes, “need skins. Make clothes.”

Susan shrugged, “well I guess you could ask Charles, or buy some at the butchers in Valentine,” Susan rolled her eyes, “now I guess you should go find Dutch, seeing as he’s so keen to show you around.”

You put your tunic back on, and rolled your shoulder. You weren’t sure why you couldn't hunt. Your shoulder felt fine. You just needed to find someone to go with you.

You walked out of your tent, and glanced around. You weren't too keen to ask Charles, of all the people here, you felt he was more likely to judge you, for your past. Maybe some one else could go with you whilst you hunted. No one needed to know that Susan said you shouldn’t.

You headed over to Dutch’s tent, but stopped half way, when you heard shouting.

“I’ve seen you, Dutch Van Der Linde, arms wrapped around your little redskin! Am I not good enough for ya anymore, ya want something more exotic!” Molly shrieked.

“Don’t be ridiculous Molly, I’m just taking care of her,” Dutch responded in measured tones.

“You stay a way from her! I’m warning you Dutch, just stay away from her!” Molly screamed.

“Miss O’Shea, I suggest you go take a walk, and calm down, before you say something we’ll both regret.” Dutch growled.

You watched, as Molly stormed out of the tent, she saw you standing there, and stopped.

“You little savage!” She hissed, “You stay away from him!”

She rushed away from the tents, the colour of her face, matching her hair.

You wondered if that's what all the people here thought of you still. Bill, John and Abigail had already called you a savage, when you were in the mountains. Now Molly. You began to feel again, like you didn't really belong. You wouldn't run this time though. Hosea had been right. You shouldn’t sneak away, you should explain, or at least try to explain, why you should leave. For now, you would take refuge in your tent.

Your turned to walk back the way you had come, until you heard your name being called.

“Nizhoni, come here,” Dutch called out.

You turned around, and slowly walked towards him.

“Nizhoni not want trouble,” you muttered, looking at the floor.

Dutch gently took your chin in his hand and tilted your head, so you were looking at him.

“There wont be any trouble,” he whispered, as he gently swept a loose hair behind your ear.

You sighed, “Nizhoni not belong. Nizhoni savage!”

Dutch frowned, “you most certainly are not. You belong here as much as anyone.”

Dutch smiled and put his arm around you, as he walked with you, away from the tent.

“We’re all different, and we accept each others differences, that's what makes us family.”

You frowned, “Dutch like Nizhoni. Molly not like Nizhoni. Warn stay away!”

Dutch stopped and dropped his hand, so it rested on your bare thigh, the tips of his fingers gently moved across your skin. His other hand, cupped your cheek, and he gently turned your head, so you were looking at him.

“I do like you Nizhoni, I like you a lot. I’ll deal with Molly!” He concluded.

You looked him in the eye, and a hint of a smile crossed you face. You had begun to trust him again. He made you feel safe.

Dutch stroked you cheek with his hand, “You truly are beautiful, Nizhoni,” he whispered, as he kissed your forehead.

Your smile turned into a frown.

“Why Dutch put mouth on skin?” you asked.

Dutch chuckled. “Its called a kiss, Nizhoni. Its a show of affection. When you like someone.”

You tilted your head, “Dutch like head and neck?” you asked curiously, remembering the kiss he had given you in the mountains.

Dutch smirked, “very much, but I prefer...” He hesitated, “your lips.”

His lips pressed against yours in a gentle kiss.

After he pulled away, you touched your fingers to your lips.

Dutch smiled, “ain’t you ever been kissed before?”

You looked up at him, and shook your head.

Dutch chuckled, “c’mon, I better show you where we keep the horses!”

As you walked over to where all the camps horses were hitched, you saw the white stallion. Breaking away from Dutch’s grasp you ran over to it, running your hand over its neck.

Dutch walked up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist, pulling you into his chest. His hands gently resting on your bare torso, savouring the texture of your velvet skin.

You slightly turned your head, and looked up at Dutch, you smiled. You always felt safe and comfortable when he was near.

“Nizhoni ride this one!” You stated.

Dutch chuckled, his fingers gliding across your stomach.

“I don't think so, that's The Count, he’s my horse. He’s fussy about who he lets on his back.”

You looked at the stunning white horse.

“Nizhoni, need horse. Nizhoni hunt.” you stated.

Dutch gently turned you around, he gently rested his hands on your shoulders.

“Once you’ve healed I’ll get you a horse.”

You frowned, “Nizhoni need hunt. Need skins. Make clothes,”

Dutch shook his head, “I can guarantee Susan wont want you using your bow, until the stitches come out. Maybe you can go into town with Arthur, and the girls tomorrow. Buy some skins.”

You sighed, but nodded reluctantly. You weren't sure you wanted to go near a town, with all those white people, all that hate. You knew, though, that there was no way you would be able to go hunting until your shoulder was healed, or without a horse to ride.

#rdr2 fanfic #original native american character #dutch van der linde #molly o'shea #bill williamson #kieran duffy #arthur morgan #susan grimshaw #wattpad #a03

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may85 · 6 years ago

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Title: Cross My Heart

Series: Country

Summary: Imagine Modern!Arthur, a Rancher, going out on a blind date for the first time in ages since his nasty divorce from Mary.

The Plus Size!Reader is nervous about the date. Will things work out between the two?

Pairing: Modern!Arthur x Plus Size!Reader

Game: Red Dead Redemption 2

Word Count: 1303

Warnings: Some cussing, nothing serious at the moment.

Notes: If you'd like to see something more in this series, please don't hesitate to drop me a line! Photos found on Google, aesthetic made in CollageMaker found in the Google Play Store.

Arthur slammed back his shot of whiskey, trying his best to calm his nerves. He wanted to run and forget about this whole thing… but he promised Sadie that he wouldn't bail. He thought back to the afternoon that he finally agreed to her stupid setup.

“No, goddamnit!” he cursed, throwing the bale of hay into the back of his pick up.

“She's a real sweet girl, Arthur!” Sadie argued.

“Who's a sweet girl?”

Arthur groaned when Kieran came over to help him finish loading his purchases.

“None of your damn business, boy!”

Sadie being Sadie continued the conversation, “Y/N,”

With a great heave, he and Kieran threw a bag of chicken feed in front of the hay, “Oh yeah! Y/N's a great lady, but what's she got to do with Arthur?”

Sadie stood with her hands on her hips, “I'm trying to get Grumpy Ass here to go on a date with her,”

Arthur was fed up with being ganged up on. He patted his wrangler jeans, searching for his keys. He glared at Sadie when he heard them jangle.

“Fork ‘em over Adler,”

She twirled the set and smirked, “Only if you promise to go out with Y/N,”

“Son of a- fine!” he growled, wiggling his fingers.

Triumphantly, Sadie grinned and chucked the keys to him, “Be at Charles’ bar Friday at 8… and take a shower, Arthur, or I'll sick Miss Grimshaw on ya,”

Arthur's eyes widened at Sadie's threat. Miss Grimshaw was his neighbor and he knew that she'd come a callin’ ready to smack the shit outta him, “You wouldn't dare,”

With her eyes squinted, Sadie bent at the waist, “Try me Morgan, try me.”

And that is what led Arthur to this… blind date. He gulped, feeling like a skittish horse.

“You need to slow down, my friend,” Charles said, taking the dirty shot glass from the bar.

Arthur sighed, “You know as well as I do that this is gonna end up bad,”

Charles shook his head, then looked over his shoulder. A small smile stretched across his lips as he jerked his chin towards the direction of the door, “You need to have some faith, Arthur,”

Arthur turned in his seat and could feel the breath leave his lungs.

The woman that had walked through the door was an absolute beauty. Her full figure filled out her purple plaid shirt and blue jeans. She wore boots, but he didn't linger too long on her shoes.

His eyes slowly moved back over her curves and he licked his lips, needing some moisture as his mouth began to feel like the desert. He watched her as she spoke to a waitress, which happened to be Mary Beth.

When his date smiled in thanks, he felt like the floor gave way. His chest ached and tummy rumbled at the foreign feeling butterflies. Even the spark that he felt when he met his ex wife wasn't that strong… and with that thought, he could feel his mood sour.

“Stop thinking about her and go over there to her,” Charles chided.

Arthur got off the stool and wiped his sweaty palms on his wranglers and straightened his shirt. With one last deep breath and putting Mary in the rearview, he made his way to the table where his date sat.

She was looking at the small menu when he stopped at the seat where he'd be sitting. Arthur cleared his throat, his voice deep with hesitation, “Y/N?”

She looked up from the menu and a soft, genuine smile lit up his whole world.

“You must be Arthur,” she rose and hugged him, which shook him to the core.

He gave her an awkward squeeze and pat on the back.

“I'm sorry. I'm a hugger,” she chuckled.

Arthur felt as though he was in a stupor. Everything about this woman so far had threw him for a loop. He shook himself mentally before he royally screwed this up.

“It's quite alright,” he said, with a chuckle of his own.

“It's nice to finally put a face with the name,” Y/N said, as they both sat down.

“Likewise,”

Mary-Beth came over to the table, grinning from ear to ear, “What can I get ya'll?”

“I'll have the pot roast and cornbread and a diet Pepsi,”

Oh god… that was his favorite.

Mary-Beth jotted that down and gave Arthur's foot a little kick for his staring, “And you?”

“Uh, I'll have the same. Beer for me, though,”

Mary-Beth winked and went on her way.

An awkward silence fell over the table, Arthur not knowing what to say. Y/N smiled, sensing his nervousness, “I don't bite,”

Arthur chuckled, his posture easing, “I'm sorry… it's been awhile since I've been on a date,”

“Divorce?”

He nodded, that old wound stinging. “What about you? You're too gorgeous to be out with an old man like myself,”

She shook her head and looked him dead in the eye, “You're not old, Arthur. In fact, you're beyond handsome and anything I could have ever thought of…”

Arthur felt his cheeks redden.

“I'm widowed, though,”

Annnnd he felt like shit, “I'm sorry,”

She smiled sadly, “It's quite alright. He passed a few years ago, so it doesn't hurt near as bad,”

He cleared his throat, “I feel like I've made a mess of this,” he hated feeling insecure. Scooting his seat back, he stood, only to be stopped by Y/N’s warm hand.

“Arthur, Hun. You're fine,”

His skin tingled and the butterflies fluttered even faster at her soft voice.

“Please sit down,”

He did so and it was the best decision he could've ever made in his life.

°°°°°°

Laughter echoed throughout the empty bar as Arthur clutched his stomach.

“Ya gotta stop girl. I'm gonna wind up pissin’ myself,”

“Then my job is complete,” Y/N giggled.

He wiped his eyes and sat back, taking in Y/N's rosy colored cheeks. He honestly didn't want the night to end so he offered the next best thing without trying to scare her off, “Care to take a walk with me Miss Y/N?”

She nodded, “I'd love that,”

Arthur helped Y/N with her jacket and he waved at Charles as they left.

The night was a bit cooler than expected. Y/N had her arms folded, trying to ward off the extra chill.

Feeling rather brave, Arthur put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side.

“Oh my God. You're so warm,”

Arthur chuckled, moving his hand up and down her arm.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, she spoke again, “I've had such a great time with you tonight, Arthur,”

He hummed, nodding his head, “Me too. I'd,” he paused to clear his throat, “I'd love to see you again,”

“Same,”

They had stopped in between buildings, staring at one another. Taking his hand, Arthur cupped Y/N's cheek, his thumb smoothing over the soft curve.

“May I?” he asked, his voice dropping.

She bit her lip, the plump flesh flushed as it slipped from her teeth, “You may,”

The second their lips touched, Arthur groaned and Y/N whimpered. He pulled at her full waist, wanting her flush against him.

Y/N had gripped his sides holding onto his belt, moving her lips in slow synchronicity with his. Arthur's stubble burned, but deliciously so.

With a light smack, a few more small kisses, Arthur rested his forehead against hers, “Damn woman… where did you come from?”

She giggled and Arthur wanted to hear it for the rest of his life. With his one hand still cradling her face, the other rested at the top of her backside.

“Can I see you again tomorrow?” she asked him, her eyes hopeful.

“Damn right you can Miss Y/N,”

#red dead redemption 2 #arthur morgan #arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan x plus size reader #arthur morgan imagine #may85 writes

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redmodernredemption · 6 years ago

Text

Torn Part 2

Torn Part 1

Characters: J. Trelawny, Reader, T. Trelawny, C. Trelawny

Pairings: None

Word Count: I have no clue, stupid writing program

Warnings: EVEN MORE HURT AND ANGST

Rating: T

A/N: You requested a part 2, and a part 2 you shall have! Enjoy!

He smiled as he walked through the park with his sons. Life had worked out okay for him, with a few changes. But he couldn't dwell on those changes. He had his sons to raise, and they were almost young men now. Tarquin was starting to grow sweet on a girl about his age, and Cornelius was well on his way to going to college.

He couldn't be more proud of his boys.

"Josiah Trelawny," a familiar voice called, and he turned to see you sitting on a bench. Christ, it had been years since he'd seen you. Seven years at best. And yet, it was as if time had had no affect on you.

You were still the stunning goddess he remembered. And that twinkle of amusement, the one that had been absent after you rode off back in Rhodes, had returned. Your (y/h/c) locks were longer now, and he could almost remember how it felt to run his hands through them. Life had been kind to you, and for that, he was grateful.

"(Y/N)," he answered, dismissing his sons with a wave as they wandered towards a group of girls. "It's been some time. How have you been?"

You smiled as he took a seat beside you, and his heart nearly broke. Christ, he was so certain he'd never see you again, or be graced with your smile. And yet, here you were. Smiling at him, as if he hadn't tried to hide the truth from you and hurt you in the process.

"I've been well. Traveling. I think of the gang often. How are they?" He sighed.

"Young Lenny died during a bank robbery here in Saint Denis. Hosea too. The gang just... fell apart after that. Everyone was choosing sides, and that Micah character was so deep in Dutch's ear. I left before it reached it's conclusion, but last I heard, three more died. Young Molly, Miss Grimshaw, and... Arthur."

You gasped, and he had to fight the urge to reach for your hand. His heart all but begged for you to be his again, but he knew the damage had been done. You had been so angry the last time he saw you.

"No," you breathed. "No, that can't be. How?"

"He'd been sick," he explained. "I noticed, but I was so... overwhelmed. I had my family here to protect, and then I was watching the family I'd been on so many robberies with fall apart. I almost stayed, though. I almost decided to drag Arthur away and get him some help. His cough... it had to have been tuberculosis."

"Thomas Downes. Fucking Strauss."

"Oh, he got kicked out by Arthur. And Arthur rather enjoyed it, it seemed. I don't know who's alive and who's dead, aside from you." She nodded.

"How's your wife?"

He looked away. He knew the question would come up, but he wished the answer was different. He wished he could say she was well, and he was simply giving her a bit of time to herself. He wished he could say that they had had more children, and he had been the faithful husband he should have been.

But that hadn't been the case in ages.

"She had been sick for some time. Long before I met Dutch and Hosea. I moved her here to Saint Denis to try and buy her a little more time..."

Your hand instantly took his, and he nearly broke down at the tender touch. He'd been home, thankfully, when his loyal wife had passed. He had been clinging to her hand, begging her for one more hour, one more minute. He had long given up asking for any more than that. He knew her time had come, but he couldn't stop himself from trying his best to bargain for more.

"She died loving the man she married. She didn't need to know about me or the gang. That's what matters. And I have no doubt that you were by her side, Josiah." He nodded.

"I was. And I still never told her. About any of it. It would have crushed her, and it would have made my sons hate me. I'll take that secret to the grave." You nodded.

"You're a good man, Josiah, and a loving father," you pointed out. "You were doing what you had to so that your sons wouldn't have to watch their mother die."

"I just wish I could have been an honest man sooner. Honest in work, honest in my marriage." His eyes finally met yours. "Honest to you."

And he meant it. He'd give anything to go back in time and be more than honest with you. To give you the option of being involved with him or keeping your distance. But then he wondered if you'd be sitting here if he had given you that option? Or would you have been another Van Der Linde casualty?

Maybe him being a liar had been the best for both of them.

"We've both changed so much," you murmured, and he finally noticed you fidgeting with something on your finger. A ring. You were wearing a ring. His heart sank a bit, knowing that you would now be forever out of his reach.

"You're married," he mused.

"Not yet. But working on it. He's a bounty hunter. So am I. So is... well, so is Sadie Adler."

He stared. Sadie Adler, the widow he had only spoken to a few times, was a bounty hunter? He had figured she'd died, seeing as though she was on such a dark path when he left the gang. He also had figured he'd still have his wife and been moved to New York or Chicago.

"Ms. Adler is still alive," he stated, a soft smile on his face. "She always was a tough one. Between you and her, there was enough hellfire to burn the world."

You smiled again, and his heart started fluttering. Time had not dulled his feelings towards you, but you were betrothed to someone else. He wouldn't ask you to be the person he had been, and that was the biggest change he had made.

"I... I often think of you," you began. "How you were always so respectful and affectionate. He's not you, but in many ways, he's as close as it gets. He's a good bounty hunter, and he's... he's looking for Dutch and Micah."

"He won't find them," he snorted. "Leave Dutch and Micah to Charles and John and Sadie, if John is even still alive." He quickly changed the subject. "Why are you here, anyway?"

"Tracking down a bounty. Last one before we leave. We want to settle down, start a family. Maybe set up a little homestead and start a family. He's thinking head west, like Hosea always wanted."

He tried to hide the hurt he felt. This could be the last time he'd ever see you, and he'd be alone again. No one to talk to about the gang's adventures. No one he could reminisce with. And maybe he deserved that, but it still hurt none the less.

"I hope you have a long, happy life with him. And I hope he gives you everything you deserve and more. And if he ever decides to be unfaithful, though I doubt he will, I know you'll castrate him yourself and leave him to die. I just... I wish the best for you."

You smiled and kiss his cheek, and he had to bite his tongue to hold back the words he should have said ages ago.

"Same for you. I hope you find someone again. No one deserves to be alone." You glanced up as the church bells rang out the time. "I've got to go. It was good to see you again, Josiah." He smiled and stood.

"Same to you, (Y/N). Maybe our paths will cross again one day."

He watched as you smiled and ran towards your horse, a different one than the one you had rode off on. This time, there was no hope of him ever seeing you again. He knew that. His part in your life was done, as was yours in his. But he also knew he'd never forget you, or how you had changed him and made him want to be a better man.

And he'd never forget the cloud of dust that tore his heart in two, and the fire in your eyes.

@peachestaxidermy @morlawny @weathur @ineedanoutlaw @postholdblackhole

#red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 #rdr2 fanfic #rdr2 spoilers #josiah trelawny #fan fiction #fanfic #angst #reader insert

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moveslikebuckywrites · 6 years ago

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Beautiful Distraction

Summary: The heat and humidity in Lemoyne is frustrating. So is laundry. So are emotions. The burgeoning feelings you have for the widow from Colter are making chores difficult.

Ship: Sadie Adler x F!Reader

Word Count: 1.5k

Rating: G, nothing super crazy here just a short fluff piece that popped in my head today.

Notes: My first attempt at a wlw fic and my first attempt at a Red Dead Redemption fic, hope y’all like it!

Also on AO3 here

If there was one thing in this world you hated, it was the humidity of the swamp. If there was one thing you hated more than that, it was laundry. It was your turn on washing duty, the least favorite of the long list of chores that were not your favorite. The washboard scratched up your fingers and staying on your knees made your back hurt. But fair was fair, and it was your turn in rotation.

You’d been with the gang a few months, it wasn’t your first choice. Troubles you’d rather not revisit meant this was the safest place for you. Safety in numbers and all that.

If you’d had it your way, you’d be doing some of the harder work. Feeding the horses or chopping the firewood. You had tended to fields, fed the pigs, gotten dirty for most of your life. If there’s one thing ol’ Grimshaw hated it was dirty.

Then Sadie had shown up, back in Colter, all sadness and heartbreak. You’d felt for her then, tried to be a friend along with the other girls. Figured she’d be gone when you got to Valentine, but she stuck around. Y’all got on like a house on fire; two farm girls in a world of gangsters. For her, it was revenge. For you, it was survival. Tough world out there for a girl with no one to provide.

You understood the need for the gang to lay low, but of all places, why Lemoyne? You thought you’d left this place far behind, after what the raiders had done to your parents’ farm. But here you were again. In the swamp and the stickiness, the humidity making your heavy skirt cling to you as you did the washing. Sweat rolling down your neck but finding no breeze for relief; only adding to the general discomfort of the current times.

This morning Sadie had threatened to murder Pearson over the crap chores she had to do. Arthur had taken her into town with him so she could have some space and, frankly, that made the day kind of boring. You spent most of your time together, doing the chores the other ladies didn’t want to. It was easier to pass the time with a kindred spirit. Something about Sadie just made you happier, when she wasn’t in camp you’d find yourself back on edge again.

You related to her in ways you couldn’t relate to anyone else in camp. Y’all understoodeach other. Understood what it was like to lose people, what it was like to work for a living. You liked her. Maybe a little toomuch.

For years you’d been aware of your inclinations towards women over men. At first, you’d thought it was from a place of jealousy. This girl’s hair was so pretty and looked so soft; or this girl had the prettiest green eyes you’d ever seen and yours were no match for their depth. One woman’s breasts were nicer, or maybe her voice was softer. They were always compared to yourself, without you realizing you weren’t actually jealous at all. Attempts to date men were lackluster at best. You just couldn’t see what the big draw was. Men were coarse and mean, you could count the number of decent ones you’d met on one hand.

Things changed during your twenties. Some drunks in a saloon had offered you and a friend 30 bucks to make out. Flat broke and desperate for food, you did. That’s when you realized that lust and attraction were supposed to have sparks, that those things you’d called jealousy were admiration. You wanted to be the one running your fingers through that pretty and soft hair or staring into those deep green eyes of an old friend or hearing a soft gentle voice whispering in your ear.

Sadie was just something else. The honey blonde hair, the quick and easy laugh, that low country drawl hardened by years of hard work. You’d never met a woman like her, and you were pretty sure you never would again. But these things were still frowned upon, and with her being a widow you were sure she could never feel the same. These had been the thoughts swirling amid your frustrations. The culmination of the heat, the sweat, this place, Grimshaw’s griping, and your unrequited feelings had brewed up the perfect storm.

When you saw Sadie come sauntering back into camp, you felt an even deeper pang of frustration. And saunter was the word for it, she’d gotten some new duds in Rhodes and you couldn’t help but stare. She had her pistol belts swung down low on her hips, her cloud of blonde hair pulled back messily with her wide hat brim covering her eyes. She looked like a hero from the Saint Denis picture shows and you completely lost focus on the washing. You sat there staring, not moving, not daring to.

Now you were certain you’d never meet anyone like her again. The pure audacity she had to have to do that, in this camp full of outlaws. To step up and say Nah, screw you guys and your ‘woman’s work’, I’m gonna be one of you or damn you all to hell; without actually saying a word at all. And now she was walking towards you, and you couldn’t even speak. It was like being caught in the crosshairs.

She flicked the brim of her hat up and turned one corner of her mouth into a mischievous grin as she approached you, “Whatcha think, Y/N? Pretty spiffy huh?” She spun around posing, waiting for your opinion.

“You…you look amazing, Sadie,” you stammered out. She was beautiful; absolutely stunning in fully being herself for the first time since you met her in Colter.

“As long as I look like someone oughta take me seriously,” she laughed as she sat on the ground next to you, propping herself up with her arms behind her back. Her shoulder was uncomfortably close to yours, making any concentration impossible. “I swear, Y/N, these fellas don’t know nothin’. Think if you’re a woman all you’re good for is cookin’ and cleanin’. Grimshaw don’t help none.”

“Everybody’s gotta do their part, I guess,” you say, unable to look away from Sadie’s face. The setting sun was illuminating the loose hair falling from her messy ponytail, giving her an almost angelic glow. She was so fierce, like a wildfire. In quiet moments like these, the bravado faded. You could see her. The softness in her eyes, holding back the hurt she still felt at the loss of her husband. The small smile in the corners of her lips, hinting at happy memories being recalled. The faint flush on her cheeks, highlighting the smattering of freckles from her time outside in the sun. She could tell you so much without saying a word, without even knowing she was telling you at all.

Her eyes always drew you in, bright and hazel, warm like the sun. They practically glittered when she was happy, and you loved seeing that. Like you were seeing it just then.

“You alive in there, Y/N? You’re awfully quiet, and you been starin’ at me for a while.”

Shit. Busted. You were so caught up you hadn’t noticed she’d been looking right back at you. It was strange for you to be at a loss for words, and yet here you were.

“Sorry, Sadie, I guess I was just caught up,” you smile at her apologetically, she just laughs.

“So, tell me honestly, cuz your opinion is the one I care about most here,” she says as she leans in closer to whisper, “Do I actually look cool, or do I look like I’m tryin’ too hard?”

“You’re beautiful, Sadie,” you say almost breathlessly before you can stop yourself. She’s only inches from your face, your mind is in a haze unable to think clearly.

“Ya really think so, Y/N?” she says softly, leaning in even closer.

“Y-Yes…” you stammer, “I’ve always thought so.” You can feel the heat rise to your cheeks. This is a new situation, a completely different Sadie than the one that left camp this morning.

“Glad to hear it,” she said as she stared deep into your eyes. You felt vulnerable, almost naked. Like she could read your innermost thoughts.

Before you could register what was happening, you felt her hand on your chin as she captured your lips in a surprisingly soft kiss. You were frozen, too shocked to react. You still couldn’t quite believe it had happened as she pulled away, smirking.

“I’ll see ya around, Y/N,” she said as she stood to leave. She tipped her hat and walked away towards the tent she shared with Karen, spurs jingling with each step. All you could do was stare.

“I don’t mean to pry,” a voice from behind you said. You turned to see Charles working on a wood carving near the fire; you hadn’t known anyone else was nearby. “If I were you,” he said, “I would go after her.”

That snapped you out of it. Washing abandoned, you set off in search of Sadie.

#red dead redemption 2 #Sadie adler x f!reader #Sadie adler

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simwoman2002 · 5 years ago

Text

Hidden Beneath the Surface

Summary: Arthur's been feeling really confused about his relationship with Sadie Adler. Mary-Beth happens to be the one that makes it all come to a head. Featuring Arthur Morgan x Sadie Adler and onesided Mary-Beth x Arthur Morgan.

“Hi, Arthur!” Arthur suddenly felt arms wrap around his neck tightly and he flinched a bit in shock.

“Mary-Beth?” he wheezed, grabbing an arm gently with a calloused hand and trying to carefully pry it away from his throat.

“Who else could it be?” The appendages finally released in their choking grip around his neck and he was permitted breath again. He turned in his chair to look at the girl standing behind him.

Her cheeks were rosier than usual, and her eyes had a look to them that wasn’t what he would consider usual in the least.

“Well, I don’t know. I was just guessin’, I reckon.” Mary-Beth leaned in close to his face, and he winced from the stench of alcohol flowing freely with each puff of breath, subtly attempting to avoid breathing in any of it.

“I was going to ask you, Arthur, if you’d like to dance with me,” the girl questioned, a flirtatious grin blossoming on her face. He furrowed his brow a bit, leaning away from her with a chuckle.

“I think somebody’s done slipped somethin’ a little extra into your tea,” Arthur shook his head, raising himself from his chair and starting to walk away. He was definitely more than a little bewildered at Mary-Beth’s sudden personality change.

Arthur was always aware of her feelings for him. She wasn’t exactly as secretive as she liked to think that she was. But she was never like this.

This was just plain uncomfortable. Sure, he liked the ladies thinking that he was something, but not when there wasn’t even a slight interest on his behalf.

“Oh, come on… Please?” Mary-Beth stumbled over into his path, and he was forced to stop before he ran into her.

He groaned and looked around quickly, trying to spot any other possible sucker for a lady.

Charles was absolutely nowhere to be seen. John was dancing with Abigail. Even Lenny had found somewhere to be that was not in his line of sight.

He rolled his eyes and huffed, looking back to the hopelessly intoxicated girl that was standing unsteadily before him with a very hopeful glint in her eye.

“Sure,” he finally conceded, and immediately found her arm linked in his as he was forced to follow along behind the girl.

Arthur huffed and glanced about in desperation, hoping to find some way to save himself from his current predicament.

It wasn’t at all like Mary-Beth to drink. She never participated in any of the more alcoholic aspects of their parties and when she did have liquor in her cup, he always noticed that she tried to surreptitiously empty it in a nearby bush after a few swigs.

What he couldn’t understand at all was how she ended up drinking any of it, let alone have enough to get intoxicated.

“Now, let’s have some fun!” Mary-Beth laughed, grabbing Arthur’s shoulders with her hands.

He carefully removed himself from her grasp and rather changed their position by taking her hands in his own.

Arthur then began to lead the dance in time with the music, working to avoid stepping on her feet as she stumbled along with him.

As they made their way around the small clearing of people dancing, a crowd mostly consisting of themselves, Dutch and Molly, and Pearson and Miss Grimshaw, Arthur happened to overhear a rather enlightening conversation unfolding nearby.

“Karen, what did you do to Mary-Beth?” he heard Sadie question harshly, that affected Southern drawl lacing every word as she launched her attack.

“Nothin’. I just loosened her up a bit.”

“Don’t play dumb with me. You done slipped some liquor into that girl’s drink, didn’t you?” Sadie growled, and Arthur could hear just how livid she was. More than likely, they’d be putting Karen in the ground tomorrow. Especially if she continued to irk the other woman.

“Well, she was moanin’ and groanin’ about ol’ Arthur again, so I figured I’d help her out. Y’know, give her a little push in the right direction.” Arthur could almost see the devilish grin on Karen’s face with that statement.

Of course she did that. It was really the only logical explanation for all of this mess that Arthur happened to find himself in the middle of. Karen always had a rather wicked sense of humor.

“More like a shove.”

“What do you care anyway? You sweet on ‘im, too, or somethin’?” Karen asked. Arthur raised a brow after several beats of silence, wondering exactly what Sadie’s lack of a response meant.

It was impossible to deny that he had begun to feel more than friendship for the fiery cowgirl. There was some inevitable attraction he felt toward her. The way she spoke, the way she walked, even the way she got that playful spark in her eyes when she teased him was enough to drive the poor outlaw insane.

“Naw! I’m just lookin’ out for the girl. Unlike you,” Sadie replied with evident venom in her tone along with an edge to it that Arthur couldn’t quite place.

“You’re no fun, Missus Adler.” He then watched as Sadie passed by, her braid swinging softly behind her as she stopped to hang her coat and hat on a hook attached to a nearby wagon.

“It’s so nice to be right here. Dancin’ with you,” Mary-Beth suddenly piped up, distracting him from listening to Sadie and Karen’s discussion.

“Yeah. Nice to spend some time with you, too,” he told her, uncomfortable beyond belief. He spun her around and when she came back toward him, she drew closer to him than he expected.

“Oh, Arthur. What would make my night perfect is if… Well, if you could kiss me…” Arthur’s eyes widened, knowing he needed to get out quickly, as she moved in.

He straightened to his full height as she tried to push her face into his, her lips puckered comically. Arthur would’ve laughed if it’d been anyone but him in the situation. However, at that moment, it was a bit hard to find humor when it was he himself dragged into the embarrassment of trying to keep a woman that he certainly didn’t feel attracted to off of him.

Just as he was preparing to run for his life, a wonderful, heavenly someone interrupted to rescue him from Mary-Beth’s unrelenting clutches.

“May I cut in? I need to borrow Mister Morgan for some, uh… Important matters,” a voice spoke up and Arthur immediately let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding.

Mary-Beth withdrew with a sour expression, glaring drunkenly at the intruder.

“Well, excuse you!” Mary-Beth cried indignantly. Arthur looked at his savior in all of her glory.

There Sadie Adler stood, her blue-green necktie around her neck and a snowy white button-up shirt accentuating the bright color of the scarf. He hadn’t felt this much relief in a while. There weren’t many situations that could unsettle Arthur, but this was certainly one of the few. Women that he certainly beyond a shadow of a doubt did not feel anything besides friendship for was one of those types of conundrums.

“Yes, excuse me. But I must insist for the betterment of both yourself and him. No offense, I just got to speak with ‘im.” For a moment, Arthur was sure Mary-Beth was about to scream and yell and make an attempt to do terrible things to Sadie. Judging by the expression covering her face, she assuredly would be doing something aggressive. But he was pleasantly surprised when Mary-Beth regained composure somehow and gave Sadie a calculating look. Or at least, as good of a calculating look as she could muster considering her current state of being.

“Well, fine. Jus’ don’t keep him long. We’re dancin’,” she slurred, staring at him with an unnerving, unbridled affection.

Arthur carefully stepped away from the younger girl, trying to ease back away before she could suddenly cling on.

Then, to his shock, Sadie took his hand in her own, almost dragging him along behind her. He suppressed a chuckle at how tightly he was being squeezed. It was humorous but also mildly disturbing. Sadie never had shown any sort of interest in him before. It was a little odd that she’d suddenly start now.

Unless it had been right under his nose the whole time. After all, he had been considered daft and pigheaded for a long time. Maybe he overlooked any signs. Maybe he didn’t know what to actually look for.

“You’re welcome, Mister Morgan,” she told him in a pish-posh voice as she talked around the wad of chewing tobacco in her mouth, trying to mimic Miss Grimshaw and failing miserably. She quickly released his hand from the bone-crushing grip she had it in. He held back a smirk at the light blush dusting her cheeks.

“Thank you kindly, Mrs. Adler,” Arthur expressed his gratitude, a casual smile on his face.

“That’s Susan to you. Don’t compare me to that hooligan,” Sadie winked with a smirk, ruining the entire effect as her mirth shined through.

“Well, anyway, I’m grateful.”

“Yeah, I figured you would be. Mary-Beth was pretty much smotherin’ you after all,” Sadie looked at him with an almost jealous and challenging glint in her eye and he couldn’t help but grin at her. It was really quite comical for the blonde woman to be so viciously competitive about someone that she didn’t even have to worry about.

“She’s not normally like that,” he spoke. Sadie simply shrugged in response but he could still see the stiffness in her posture as she sat down on the log nearby them, pulling out her knife and fiddling with it as she started picking the dirt from underneath her fingernails.

Arthur stepped over, lowering himself onto the log and facing an opposite view from Sadie. While she was staring at a party of people heartily enjoying themselves, Arthur was relishing the serenity of the lake nearby, little ripples accentuated by the moonlight and the frequently blinking fireflies over the water as the romantic music emanating from Dutch’s record player carried out so it surrounded the entire scene with a hazy glow of dreaminess.

The breeze was slightly flowing, and he breathed in deeply, a mix of warm summer air and the scent of hay slightly flowing off of the woman beside him just enough to make him feel the nagging desire for a little more.

“So… What’s so interestin’ out there on the lake?” Sadie suddenly spoke up, her head tilted slightly to the side so that a fresh wave of hay hit him along with a few strands of loosed hair tickling his cheek. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and chuckled lowly.

“Well, it’s certainly more peaceful than camp,” Arthur replied, returning his gaze to the beautiful soft light of the moon.

“But what’s so interestin’ is what I asked,” Sadie challenged, and Arthur could hear the grin in her voice.

“If you turned around, you could see for yourself instead of pesterin’ me about it,” Arthur told her, shaking his head and knowing that she wouldn’t follow along that easy. Her teasing had just begun.

But to his surprise, however, Sadie threw her leg over the log so that she was straddling it and pulled her other leg along as well so that she was facing the same direction as he was.

He watched her as her face shifted from that twinkling sparkle she got whenever she was joking around to a more softened expression that really suited her in some odd way. Her eyes seemed to lose that hard, determined look they always kept in favor of a gaze filled with wonder and amazement.

She was truly stunning. She had never looked so beautiful as she did in that moment and it was all he could do to restrain himself from saying something that’d surely ruin what they had.

He couldn’t fall in love with her. It was so against everything. They had both went through too much heartache. With her losing her husband and him losing all that he had. Even if he might be ready for something more between them, that certainly didn’t mean that she felt the same.

But they had grown much closer over time. For some reason, she had made more of an effort to be more friendly and sociable towards him, always taking the time to good-naturedly tease him when she got a chance. Whenever he was going to go hunting for the gang, next to Charles, Sadie was the first to volunteer to go with him.

Despite this newfound closeness, he didn’t really think she meant anything by it. Her heart undoubtedly belonged to her deceased husband, and unless this was her strange way of coping with his loss by hitting it off with another man, they’d never be anything more than what they were now.

Not that he’d ever take advantage of her emotions like that. He never had anything but respect for the woman, and certainly wouldn’t push her into anything.

“It sure is pretty,” Sadie softly murmured, her knee gently bumping against his as she repositioned her feet. Arthur smiled tenderly at her as he watched her face.

“Yeah,” he agreed, never taking his eyes off of her as he secretly thought to himself that she was the something that was pretty. Beautiful, in fact.

Not too far from them, the music transitioned into more of a slow song instead of the slightly faster-paced waltz. He caught Sadie’s sideways glance at him- and thought he spotted a dusting of a slightly darker shade of red covering her cheeks before she moved her head to face the other direction- as the music drifted out to them, truly fitting the mood between the two. However, he also knew that there was someone else that probably thought it fit her and Arthur just as well.

“I am sincerely afraid Mary-Beth’s gon’ want me to go back and dance with her on that one,” Arthur admitted, looking behind him nervously. To his great horror, he could hear Mary-Beth’s drunken giggles and calling of his name not too far off. He swallowed and tried to pinpoint exactly where Mary-Beth was at that moment.

“Don’t know how I’m avoiding this situation.”

“There you are, Arthur!” Mary-Beth suddenly materialized behind him and he suppressed a groan of irritation. “If you’re quite done talkin’ to ‘im, I’ll be takin’ him back for some more dancin’.”

Before he could ponder this train of thought much further, he felt a firm hand on his arm. His head snapped back around in shock as his blue-green gaze met the determined, frightfully irked countenance of Sadie Adler as she spat her tobacco on the ground.

“I’m sorry, Mary-Beth, but me and Arthur are dancing right about now. C’mon, Arthur,” Arthur furrowed his brow as he thought this over. She flipped her knife shut and tucked it away in her pocket as she stood up quickly. He shook his head, opening his mouth to speak, but Sadie just looked down at him and extended her arm, offering her hand to help him to his feet.

He stood up and they were both swiftly upon their way.

“Wh- You get back here!” Arthur glanced back but kept following Sadie as she held onto his hand with a death grip. Mary-Beth was attempting to stumble after them, but thankfully Charles intercepted and grabbed her, seemingly trying to keep her distracted. Arthur couldn’t help but scornfully question why he couldn’t have shown up earlier.

After only a moment, Sadie had turned around to face him, her eyes alight with an emotion that Arthur couldn’t exactly identify.

“Mrs. Adler, we don’t have to do this. I can dance with Mary-Beth. It ain’t that much trouble,” Arthur assured her, and to his great surprise, Sadie eyed him with an almost challenging expression.

He froze as she took his other hand and guided them both to rest low on her waist. She never removed her gaze from his own as she ran her hands up his arms and rested them on his biceps.

“First of all, call me Sadie. No more of this Mrs. Adler business,” her eyes hardened to accentuate this command. But then her expression relaxed back into that strange look she had only a moment ago. “Now, look, we can’t exactly get away from Mary-Beth completely, but she might be sobered up just enough to leave us alone,” Sadie informed him.

And then he recognized it. That hopeful glimmer in her eye that she hardly ever let show and that he himself had very rarely seen in her.

So inevitably, he felt himself cave in and practically melt into a big ol’ puddle of goo.

“If you’re alright with it, then I reckon it’s all good,” he replied finally, resisting the urge to move his hands up further at a more gentlemanly position instead of having them resting so near dangerous territory. But she had wanted his hands there apparently, so who was he to negate her wishes?

She squeezed his arms reassuringly and moved her hands up to rest on his shoulders. It gave him a small sense of déjà vu with the entire experience with Mary-Beth earlier. But this was definitely not Mary-Beth. This was so much better.

This was Sadie Adler- charmingly rough around the edges, attractively determined, stunningly beautiful, and otherwise an embodiment of nigh perfection in Arthur’s eyes.

They carefully moved with the slow, swaying tune of the movement. There was an evident sense of isolation around them as if they were in their own little world. Everyone had migrated to the other side of the camp to listen to Javier’s music and to join in the singing that Karen had merrily began.

It was just them.

Which made it nearly impossible not to step outside those friend boundaries. She seemed to be giving him signs that indicated she wanted him to overstep, but how could he be sure? One wrong move and he’d ruin everything. But at the same time, it was only fair to tell her how he felt. It would help him get it off his chest and it would also help to end this entire game of constant helpless infatuation.

He cleared his throat lowly, looking down at the ground between them. It was strangely hard to see due to the fact that their bodies were so closely drawn together.

“Mrs. Adler… Sadie… I have somethin’ I feel that I need to confess,” Arthur slowly stated. He truly hoped that it wouldn’t all be for naught.

“Would that be that you’re a terrible dancer?” her brown eyes glinted teasingly. He offered a fleeting smile in response. He couldn’t give much more than that, because he was entirely too nervous.

“As true as that may be, it’s… somethin’ else.” Sadie tilted her head slightly, indicating her attentiveness.

“Go ‘head.”

“I’ve been,” he trailed off, swallowing hard as they, swayed easily. “Been having these overwhelming feelings as of late. And I only felt it right to tell you ‘bout ‘em. ‘Cause they’ve been ‘bout you,” Arthur admitted, avoiding Sadie’s face and instead focusing on something in the distance.

“I’m terribly afraid that I’ve began to fall in love with you, Sadie Adler,” Arthur finally exposed the root of the entire conversation, assuming that it was time to be a man about it.

“It’s not right. And certainly not fair to you. I just knew that the right thing to do would be to tell you so you could be, I don’t know… Warned, I s’pose?” Arthur chuckled humorlessly but quieted soon after.

He had done it now. There was no turning back. No way to take back what he had said. At least now she’d know the truth.

But before he knew it, a gentle hand guided his head back to face Sadie’s. He had certainly expected some sort of hand contact, but not exactly this particular kind. He looked into her eyes bravely, preparing to face the fire.

There was fire, alright. But not the kind he expected to see. This was a much more preferred, yet scarier sort of fire.

“Arthur Morgan, what if I told you that I may have those same sorta feelings for you?” Sadie spoke, a slight smile tugging at her lips.

Almost immediately after that admission, Arthur was hyper-aware of their nearness. His nose almost touching hers and their lips only a few inches apart. Her fingers were threaded into the short, thick hair on the back of his head before his locks met the leathery surface of his hat.

Warm breaths of the sweet scent of her chewing tobacco washed over him with every exhale and the intense expression on her face only served to bring greater attention to her beautiful chocolate eyes.

He almost unconsciously leaned a little closer to her and that said breath hitched upon his nearness. Their noses were definitely rubbing against each other now and he could almost feel her lips against his.

“And would you mind terribly if I, um… Acted upon those feelings?” Arthur asked and felt his lips barely graze hers as he spoke.

“Not at all,” Sadie told him, her eyelids nearly falling shut with her gaze upon his mouth as her lips parted a bit in anticipation.

But he had to make sure that was what she definitely wanted.

“I’m gonna kiss you now. Is that alright?” She groaned in evident frustration.

“Screw this,” she mumbled under her breath before she finally met him in the sweetest of kisses. It was unlike any he had ever had before and would likely remain permanently unparalleled. Well, unless she kissed him again, that is.

Arthur’s grasp tightened around her waist, drawing her a bit closer to him. She slid her hand down the back of his head and gripped his neck firmly. Her other hand found itself on his chest as she carefully and deliberately kneaded the muscle beneath her fingertips.

He lightly squeezed in that place just below her waist where she had previously guided him, savoring every moment with the reverence deserved for such a beautiful thing.

“You was sweet on ‘im! I knew it!” Karen suddenly exclaimed. Arthur immediately pulled away, a bit embarrassed at being caught because he knew within a very short time that his and Sadie’s most recent development would be the latest camp gossip.

Arthur looked down at Sadie and almost completely forgot about the humiliation that was surely going to soon be brought down upon them. Her face was lit up in some flame that equally danced between her usual challenging anger and the magnificent sensations that they had enjoyed just a moment ago as she glanced between Karen and him.

After a second, however, she ended up pushing down the flame for him in favor of chewing out Karen.

But not before she gave him a mind-blowing kiss of such intensity that completely blew their first kiss out of the water.

“Yep, we’re together. Whatddya got to say ‘bout that?” Sadie boldly pushed forward in the conversation as Arthur tried to get his bearings.

Karen glanced between them both, and Arthur could see her suppressing a grin simply because of that humor-filled twinkle in her eye.

“‘Bout time.”

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