#just like with dutch i did not think r* could make me like javier when i first started playing rdr2

[strandsofgold]

so, i guess i'm kind if in the minority of players who actually really liked guarma. like, don't get me wrong, i really disliked the limited area, but the scenery is beautiful and the missions, god the missions, are so damn good. they do so much for the characters and the themes and the story as a whole and they are honestly the missions i replay most frequently.

one of these days i'm going to write a meta along the lines of "hercule vs. dutch: honest revolution and grifts" but that's for another time. right now i want to talk about javier, his relationship with dutch, and the idea that he "should've stayed a good guy".

i've seen a quite frankly confusing amount of people say that javier "would've sided with arthur" if it wasn't for rdr, and that he "wouldn't have turned bad". and i have a few problems with this.

in every single camp, javier has a multitude of random encounters and conversations that divulge his past; a past filled with want for a better world, revolution, betrayal, heartache, and loss of family. and then he describes how dutch found him and brought him into the gang. how he gave him a new purpose, something to fight for.

the sense of loyalty javier has towards dutch is just as strong, if not stronger, than arthur's.

in chapter 3, javier is beginning to doubt dutch. he believes in him fiercely, but there are holes in his plans that he cannot help but question. when he asks dutch about it, dutch lashes out, telling javier in no uncertain terms that he not only needs javier but that he needs javier strong. and the way javier reacts really underlines how unsure javier is of everything and how much he relies on dutch and the image javier has on him. he hesitates, he stutters, clearly unused to dutch talking to him like that, but ultimately gives in, willing to follow dutch to the ends of the earth, because dutch saved him, gave him a new family, and has yet to lead him astray.

and then guarma happens. javier is shot and captured – he essentially sacrifices himself to ensure the others' safety.

dutch and arthur come to his rescue. they could have easily left him to rot, and it would have probably been easier considering how heavily guarded the place is, but they don't. dutch puts himself directly in the line of fire and takes the extra weight of a wounded javier on his back while holding guards back with the help of arthur.

dutch could have easily died trying to save javier, was willing to put himself in mortal danger for javier, and javier notices. of course he does.

twice now, dutch has saved javier's life and brought him to what will/has become his family. how can he not double down on his loyalty?

on top of this, as dutch unravels further and further in chapter 6, the one thing he constantly rambles on about is loyalty and doubt and how the people doubting him are the reason for their downfall. and javier, who at this point believes even more fervently in dutch than he did before, hears this and sees the way john and arthur have begun questioning dutch, a man who – as javier believes and points out to them – raised them and gave them a family and a purpose to their lives, and comes to the same conclusion as dutch: they're the ones who have betrayed them.

so yeah, the idea that javier would have sided with arthur if rdr didn't exist is just wrong, even if you exclusively look at rdr2.

i also want to dismiss the idea that javier "became bad" in chapter six or that r* butchered his character. they didn't. what javier does in the last chapter lines up with everything i've mentioned above, and it doesn't make him a bad guy. putting aside the dumb idea that any character in rdr2 can be described as bad or good, that all the characters aren't morally gray and complicated, javier, till the very end, fought for what he thought was right, what he belived was right.

javier explicitly says that he is willing to die for what he believes in, for freedom, and unlike dutch, whose ideals i believe have eroded and nearly been cast aside by the time the game starts, this is a constant for javier. i believe that javier fervently believed in the ideals and philosphy dutch used to believe in, as well as the family dutch invited him into.

this doesn't mean that he doesn't eventually become a traditional villain in a sense. honestly, it's like r* put a neat little bow on the entire thing, because javier seems to undergo the same changes between rdr2 and rdr as dutch had before and during rdr2: he becomes everything he was previously against, everything he swore to destroy. javier abandons his ideals, actively fighting against revolution in mexico, and works for a man who, in cutscenes, has women dragged away to be raped – a villain in every sense of the word.

in my opinion, rdr2 did the same thing for javier as it did for dutch – it humanised him, made him redeemable and sympathetic, ultimately making his reappearance in rdr and john's life all the more tragic and horrible.

[ttuesday]

Hello there! Thank you for writing all these amazing headcanons! <333 I get so much joy when there's a new post from ya!

I had a prompt in mind: what are the gang members like when they get reaaaaly drunk? Who gets sad & sentimental, who gets all funny and jokey, who is all sleepy, and etc etc etc?

now this is an interesting one hehe

Arthur

When Arthur's drunk, he does his absolute best to try to convince everyone he isn't that drunk. He tries to walk in a straight line to prove he’s ok but accidentally walks into Uncle.

He somehow has great hearing and joins in on every sing song within a five mile radius. Arthur could be talking to you on the outskirts of camp but if he hears someone singing by the campfire, he joins in immediately.

He gets into a very jolly mood when he's drunk and talks about anything and everything. He rambles on about so much he interrupts himself a lot.

If he's sweet on you then Arthur asks to hold your hand and he won’t stop holding your hand for the e n t i r e night. No matter where you go or what you do, Arthur will potter after you with his hand still holding yours. And whenever you look at him, Arthur has a big, proud smile on his face as he looks at your hand in his.

Charles

Who is this man? Where tf did Charles  go? He acts very differently than sober Charles. Whatever idea springs to mind, he wants to do it. If he wants to do interpretive dance in the middle of camp then that's exactly what he does or if he decides to go skinny dipping at 4am then off he goes, trying to find a lake or a river.

One second Charles could be laughing so much he's nearly crying, a second later he could start sobbing because he remembered that time he accidentally shot a lawman's horse when he was trying to aim for the guy. Please hug him.

It doesn't matter how drunk Charles is, he can still yeet anyone over Mount Hagen and he can go from fun and goofy to deathly intimidating in under 1.5 seconds.

And if you and Charles are dating then he just wants to kiss you. He kisses your temple all the way down to your jawline before kissing back up to your ear.

Dutch

Dutch gets quiet when he's drunk. He just kinda sits there and stares off in a daze for ten minutes. When someone talks to him, it's like he buffers for a few seconds before responding.

But when he starts talking, good luck trying to get Dutch to shut up. And this man needs everyone to stop what they're doing and give him all of their attention when he decides to say a speech. And if one person stops paying attention then Dutch storms off.

Dutch really does believe he's unstoppable when he's drunk. And if you don't believe him then don't worry, Dutch has no problem spending three hours explaining how all of his plans are apparently bulletproof.

If Dutch is sweet on you then he tries to flirt with you. But the more he drinks, the harder it gets for him to string a sentence together. "Your eyes..." he slurs his words but tries to stay composed "they remind me... of uh... eyes".

Micah

Micah is so goddamn laid back when he's drunk. Strangely people tend to get on with Micah when he's drunk but by the time he's sober again he's gone back to being... well, Micah.

He's nice ? Which is so bizarre but he actually makes an effort to talk to people without antagonising them and instead of taking offence to comments, he laughs them off and sees it as a joke.

As long as the conversation stays light, Micah keeps his happy demeanour and he isn't even a bad loser when it comes to poker and five finger fillet. In a way, seeing Micah so friendly unnerves some of the other gang members because of how baffling it is.

If he's sweet on you then Micah will continuously asks if you'd like to sit on his lap. Of course he flirts with you but he's a lot sweeter than normal and tells you that you could definitely do better than him so he understands if you reject him.

John

John comes out of his shell when he's drunk. Instead of keeping his mouth shut, he says whatever he thinks of. Yeah he gets into more fights cause he doesn't know when to stop talking.

He can fall asleep anywhere and at any time. You could be chatting with him by the campfire and slowly feel him lean against your shoulder as he starts to softly snore. He once fell asleep while standing up right with one of his hands on a barrel for support.

When John tries to go to sleep when he's drunk, he's like a kid trying to go to sleep at a sleepover. John loudly says the most random words and makes random noises before he bursts out laughing, thinking it's the funniest thing in the world.

If John has a crush on you and he's drunk, he tries to be so helpful. He constantly asks you if you need anything. If you ask him to get you something then he walks a few feet away before completely forgetting what you asked for.

Bill

Let's be real, Bill's already a hothead when he's sober and he's exactly the same when he's drunk. He's very fast to start a fight but if someone lands one punch then that's Bill done for the night. Usually he's a better fighter but he has terrible balance when he's been drinking.

He tries to be productive when he's drunk, thinking that now's the perfect time to do some chores and to go on guard duty. Everyone knows better than to leave Bill go out on watch when he's like this. One time he tried to shoot a squirrel cause he thought it was going to run into camp.

Bill rambles a lot too, mainly telling stories from when he was in the army or reminiscing about different robberies he's done with the gang.

Bill can get really anxious so if y'all are in a relationship, he needs your comfort. His mind starts racing and he worries about little things so for you to be there and tell him everything is alright truly means a lot to him.  

Javier

Javier gets very goofy when he's drunk. He's keeps things light hearted, joking about things but is still able to hold his tongue when needed and have proper conversations too.

Honestly, Javier is probably one of the most level headed people in comparison to the rest of the gang but because he tends to stumble and get his words mixed up, people presume he's completely wasted when he's had a few to drink.

This man LIVES for those 2am deep and meaningful conversations. He absolutely adores having them and being drunk helps him open up more about his feelings so he has no problem expressing his emotions.

Are you ready to be swept off of your feet, both metaphorically and maybe literally depending on if you'll leave Javier do that? He's such a hopeless romantic when he's drunk. If camp is near a field or woodland then he sneaks off, picks some flowers and shyly gives them to you.

Sean

Sean manages to go through every mood when he's drunk. Everything is funny to him and he tries to make jokes about whatever comes to mind. Usually he jokes about Bill and Micah which leads to one of them arguing with Sean.

That's when Sean gets angry and thinks he's able to knock out anyone with one punch. Normally he ends up accidentally walking into a table or tripping over himself cause of how focused he is at punching the air.

Then Sean gets all sad and sentimental, feeling sorry for himself cause he accidentally bruised his leg. He has no problem sitting on the ground and pouting for a while, hoping that someone will walk past and give him some attention for a while.

If y'all are dating then Sean will tell you over and over again how much you mean to him and how much he loves you. He just wants to cling on to you for the night and make sure you know how loved you are.

Hosea

I hope you're sitting comfortably cause Hosea's gonna tell you every single goddamn story he can think of. Hosea tells you funny stories, sad stories, how he first met John and how he conned rich people. He really likes to reminisce when he's drunk.

Towards the end of the night, Hosea eventually gets quiet and if there's a party at camp where everyone is celebrating, then he goes off by the outskirts for a while.

Hosea likes to sit back and watch as everyone enjoys the night. He can get very sentimental when he does this but he likes to enjoy the little moments of the night and savour it all.

If he’s sweet on you then Hosea makes sure you know how special you are and that you deserve the best. He doesn't necessarily flirt with you but instead wants you to know how great you are.

Sadie

When Sadie drinks, she gets sad. She doesn't mean to get sad but her mind wanders and she thinks a lot about everything that's happened in her life and how she's ended up where she is today.

She doesn't speak a lot and ends up getting stuck in her head with thoughts whirling around and around. It can get overwhelming which is why she isn't that keen on getting completely wasted on alcohol.

She doesn't like how crowded camp can get so instead she likes to go off and find a nice scenic area to rest. Normally that helps calm her mind but Sadie also gets sleepy by then too.

If Sadie likes you and feels comfortable around you then she leans against you as ye both sit there in a peaceful silence. And if you suggest it, then she'll hesitantly rest her head on your lap and fall asleep as you play with her hair.

Kieran

Kieran doesn't get drunk often. He hates waking up the next morning and wondering if he pissed anyone off or said something he shouldn't have.

He's very happy when he's drunk, only seeing the positives in things and always smiling. Kieran is still a little shy but he's more open to being involved with what the gang's doing, whether that be singing along to some songs or dancing with whoever to Dutch's gramophone.  

Because of how involved he can become with the gang when he's drunk, he can get involved in a few fights or arguments. But contrary to popular belief, Kieran doesn't back down and makes sure to get his points across.

Kieran gets more confident after a few drinks and flirts with you more than usual. The more accepting you are to his comments, the more he flirts with you. Though if you flirt back then he gets very flustered.

[writer-jamie]

how about arthur confessing his love for you after he learns he doesn’t have long to live 🥺👉🏻👈🏻

Late Night Confessions - Arthur Morgan x Reader

Summary: When Arthur is told he doesn’t have much time left, the first thing he thought about was you. And how he refused to die without telling you how he feels.

Thank you for the request @s-s-s-s-t-a-r-s !! ❤️

Warnings: Game spoilers

Word Count: 1,455

A/N: AHHHH! I’m playing the game and just as this request came through, Arthur was told he had TB. I’m so sad but i’m going to make this last chapter last forever! Also before i wrote this i made sure to research whether or not TB can be transferred via kissing (It can’t) so this willl have some smooches. This broke me to write but it’s fluffy and cute and sad. So get ready!

As Arthur stumbled into that doctors office and slumped down in the chair, he knew the news wasn’t good. The doctors ran a few tests and washed his hands before telling him. Tuberculosis. His world went black and white as the doctor told him that his time was limited. He was going to die, from an illness that he got from someone he probably didn’t remember. Arthur just had one question for him. “Can i be around people? Y’know kiss and stuff?” He asked. “Yes. Just cover your mouth when you cough and you should be fine. Try not to pass it on, we don’t need a Tuberculosis outbreak in Saint Denis.” The doctor smiled at Arthur. But it wasn’t a genuine smile, it was a smile of condolence. A smile that you give to someone on their death bed.

Arthur left the doctors office and slowly stumbled down the street, when he saw you. You were all he cared about, and now he was going to leave you forever. He felt like he should have cried when he was told, but he couldn’t. The outlaw couldn’t cry over something as simple as death, it wasn’t worth it. He knew he was going to die one day; from a shoot out or the law catching up with them, not from an illness that would slowly kill him over the next couple weeks. His vision went grainy as he walked forwards, seeing you walk alongside a deer. You both turned to see the man before walking off into the distance, leaving him alone to come back to reality.

“Miss L/N!” Mrs Grimshaw’s loud shouting broke you out of your daydream. You looked up and saw her standing in front of you, looking down at the open journal you were holding in your hands. “You can draw people when you have finished your chores! Get on with them!” She yelled before walking away. You wished the old hag would just shut up. You do jobs with Dutch and Arthur now, you shouldn’t be made to also do chores like the other girls. You wish you would be treated like Sadie, who gets to be a proper man around the camp, but that’s unfortunately the way the cards were dealt. You looked down to your hands and a blush crept up your cheeks. You book was open on the page of Arthur sketches. You liked to sketch people at the campfire so when Arthur decided to join you one night, you couldn’t help but sketch his features. After all, it was only you two, and he would never know.

You moved from your place on your bed and put the journal away before following Tilly to the next chore. “Wish that old hag would get off my back sometimes.” Tilly whispered to you as you finished hanging the clothes to dry. You smiled and bumped her shoulder. “Tell me about it.”

As Arthur rode back into camp, he saw you sitting around the campfire with the group. The group hadn’t been the same since what happened in Saint Denis, with Hosea and Lenny dead and John taken, there was only so much people could do without causing an argument. Beaver Hollow was a nice place, but at this point you were just running from the law all around the country and there was only so far you could run. The Pinkertons found you too easily last time, everyone blamed Bill for bringing them to you but you were sure they were close to finding you anyway, so it didn’t make a difference either way.

You hummed along with Javier as he strummed his guitar. He hadn’t played for months, it just didn’t seem right. You felt a tap on your shoulder and turned around, seeing Karen bring you some food. You shook your head but the woman basically forced it into your lap. You hadn’t eaten properly since what happened in Saint Denis. And then with Molly. She was drunk. She probably didn’t even tell them what happened but Susan shot her. She murdered her. Molly was a snotty bitch and she thought she better than everyone when she started sleeping with Dutch but she’s hadn’t always been like that. When you first joined the gang, Molly was sweet to you. She made sure you were safe and eating well, like a mother figure. When Molly started being sweet on Dutch, she left you behind and Susan took over. That woman had saved you muliple times and you owed her a lot, but she shouldn’t have killed Molly, espcially when she was as drunk as she was.��

Karen sat next to you on the log and smiled as she made sure you ate. It wasn’t much but it was something and it showed that Karen cared. And you were grateful for that. You knew that Karen was having a rough time, looking down a bottle everyday but everyone deals with grief and pain in their own way. When Arthur went missing after Saint Denis, you joined the woman down the end of the bottle and you would ride around town, shooting anyone who wanted to have a fight. You were going off the deep end and you couldn’t stop. Arthur managed to bring you out of that for a days that he was back before he started helping people again.

After you finished your food, Karen gave you a loving hug and rocked you gently. It was something you didn’t think you needed but it was so welcome.

The fire crackled as the night went on. You were alone with just your thoughts for a few minutes before a shadowed figure joined you at the fire. “What’s a lady like you sittin’ here all alone?” You looked up to see Arthur joining you on the log. “Actually i was waiting for you to get back.” You passed Arthur your cup of coffee and looked into his eyes. “Somethin’ botherin’ you, Arthur?” You asked, noticing the skin on his cheeks looking more red as you looked more at him. “Ah it’s nothin’.” He coughed slightly. You furrowed your brow and put your hand on his back.

“Arthur? What’s wrong?” You put your hand on his cheek and held his hand. “I’m sick. Very sick.” He told you and took his hat off, looking into your wide eyes. “Arthur, what kinda sick? Like what’s the matter?” Arthur took a deep breath and looked into your eyes. “I’m afraid I'm going to die. Before i do i need to tell you somethin’.” He put his hands in your lap and looked forward into the fire pit. “Y/N. Ever since you came here, when we found you in that barn. I’ve thought you are beautiful and..” He blushed deeply and looked down, moving slightly in his seat. “Christ, i’m rubbish at this.” He ran a hand over his face and rubbed his eyes. 

“Arthur..” You put your hand on his face and turned his face towards you. “Why are you only tellin’ me this now? When you are goin’ to leave me?” You tilted your head to face him. The sound of the fire was the only sound that was left. Arthur didn’t know what to say, and neither did you. You hoped that nobody would wander out their tent and see this situation. 

“’Cause i couldn’t die without tellin’ you how i feel.” He leaned forward and tucked a piece of hair behind your ear. “’Cause i love you.” You took a deep breath and looked at him. “Can i kiss you?” Arthur asked and put his hand against your cheek. “Are you allowed to kiss me?” You asked, unsure what the rules were for his illness. “Yea. I would never put you in danger.” You smiled and moved closer towards him before placing a gentle kiss on his lips. He pulled away when he felt water dripping on his face. 

“Y/N. Why you cryin’?” He asked and engulfed your cheeks with his big hands and held you close, rubbing away the tears. “’Cause i’m gonna lose you Arthur. And i don’t wanna lose you.” Arthur moved your hand to his chest. You mumbled as you felt his heartbeat drum against his chest. “You will be in ma heart forever.” You sniffled and leaned forward, placing your head against his chest. “I love ya.” He kissed your forehead and rubbed your shoulders. 

You sat up and placed your lips on his before placing a small kiss on his cheeks. “I love you too, Mr Morgan. Don’t you leave me just yet.” You pulled him into a hug. All he needed was you, and he knew he was going to be fine. 

[ladyboltontoyou]

Arthur Morgan x Reader: Murderous Times

TRIGGER WARNING: MENTIONS OF SEXUAL ABUSE, DO NOT READ IF THIS IS TRIGGERING.

Ask: Hey, I requested before and I'm not sure if it's okay to do it again. I'm so obsessed with your writing. Anyway, please do this one only if you feel like it and if you're comfortable. Basically, the gang is falling apart and Micah finds another way to get to Arthur-by leading his girl away from camp, putting a knife to her throat and almost assaulting her (Arthur comes to rescue of course) This can be after Micah's remarks about how he 'can imagine her slipping into his sheets' or other sly bullshit

Warning: MENTIONS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, DO NOT READ IF THIS IS TRIGGERING. There is no actual abuse but it is implied. Cursing, violence.

Pairing: Arthur Morgan x Reader

A/N: Hey, so first off, this is a very dangerous one-shot. I’ve never written about sexual assault before, and I probably won’t again since it’s such a serious topic. I was torn writing this because as a r*pe victim I know what it’s like to see it talked about so nonchalantly, put in fanfiction by people who have no idea what it’s like. But I want you all to know that I take assault VERY seriously. If I wasn’t a survivor myself there would be no way in hell I would write about something like this. I’d also like to take this opportunity to tell you all that my inbox is ALWAYS open if you want to talk about something like this, or if you just want to vent or get some advice. I know how it feels and none of you are alone in this. Sexual assault hotline: 1-800-656-4673 They’re open 24/7. Please do not hesitate to call. Help is always out there, and you WILL get through this.

“Would you look at her, black lung?” 

Arthur was so close to killing Micah then and there. And that rat-bastard wasn’t helping at all. The past week Micah had seemed to turn on everyone in camp beside Dutch and you. He had been giving everyone a hard time, insulting them left and right. But he had been kinder to you, kinder than normal. He’d go out of his way to help you and do the things Arthur usually did for you. Make your coffee in the morning, pull out chairs for you, things that you barely noticed. 

Arthur and everyone else noticed. Especially Arthur. And it drove him crazy. 

“Don’t know why she’s with you. You ever saw a woman that pretty before?” Micah asked as he took a long gulp of moonshine. 

You were across camp from the two of them, you and Mary-Beth were discussing books by the other campfire. Arthur swore you never looked more beautiful than when you weren’t trying to be.

“I can imagine slipping into her sheets. Think she’d put up a fight?”

Arthur turned to face the unwanted company and made it clear he was about to knock his teeth out. “You got a problem?”

“Oh no, of course not.” Micah held up his hands and laughed. “No problem at all.” He looked back to you laughing with the other woman and grinned. “The opposite of a problem, actually.”

***

“(Y/N), there you are!”

You set your coffee cup down and turned to see none other than Micah Bell walking towards you. You tried not to cringe as he sat down at your table. 

“Been looking for you. I need your help. I was walking a few of the horses,” Why the hell was that lazy bastard doing that? “And two of them got spooked and ran off. Charles's and yours. I managed to get his back to camp but yours won’t come to me.”

“What? Where did you lose her?” You stood up, your heart racing. Oh, if anything happened to her you might die.

“Don’t worry, she’s not too far away. We can walk there.” “Okay, let me go tell Arthur-”

Micah grabbed your wrist as you went to leave. “He’s not here, he’s in Saint Denis.

You furrowed your brows. What was he doing there? He hadn’t told you he was going anywhere. Not to mention you swore you saw him only an hour ago helping with chores. “Okay, let’s go then.” 

It would be a lie to say you didn’t have a bad feeling. You didn’t like Micah in the slightest. He was disgusting, dirty, rude. He had no respect for anyone but himself. You were one of the few people who knew he would kill Dutch in a second if he could get away with it.

But you loved your horse. You had to get her back before anything happened to her. Hopefully, she was grazing in a field nearby and not at the bottom of a cliff. “What’s with Arthur recently?” Micah asked as the two of you walked the trail that led out of camp. “He’s not been acting himself.”

You sighed, knowing what he was trying to do. “Listen, I don’t want to talk about him when he���s not here.” There was nothing you wanted to avoid more than entertaining Micah’s nonsense. 

“Fair enough, I was just wondering. He’s been sneaking out at night sometimes and getting back real early in the morning.” Did he really think you’d buy into his lies? You knew what he was trying to do. Anyone with common sense would know that he was trying to tear the two of you apart. 

“Where did you lose them again?” You tried to change the subject.

“A little up that a'way.” He pointed off the trail towards the deeper part of the woods. “You know, (Y/N), you’re one of the only good ones left in the gang. Everyone else is always questioning Dutch, especially Arthur. It’s like they’ve all turned on the man that’s been nothing but good to them.”

The only reason you hadn’t questioned Dutch was that you wanted to avoid that crazy bastard as much as you could. It pained you to see what he had become.

“Well thank you.” You muttered and looked around for your horse. You started calling out her name in hopes of shutting Micah up. But of course, that failed.

(The mentions of assault begin below this.)

“Why are you with him anyway? Not like he’s gonna last much longer.”

That was it for you. You were only annoyed before, but when he said that sentence you lost your shit.

“What the fuck did you just say?” You stopped in your tracks and faced him. 

“Oh, I meant no harm, it’s just-”

You stepped closer to him and slapped him right across the face. “I don’t care what you meant. I’m going back to camp and I’m going to tell Charles and Javier what you’ve done. Then we’re gonna come back up here, and if you haven’t found my horse by then we’re gonna-”

Micah had planned on leading you further away from camp but he figured this would work. He pulled his knife from his belt and grabbed a fistful of your hair, yanking your head back so he could press the blade against your throat. “You got a big mouth, don’t you?” His nice guy act was gone. “I been thinking of what to do with that mouth for weeks now…”

Oh, fuck no. No way. There was no way. 

“Let me go. Let me go or I swear to god-” He cut you off by pressing the blade harder against your throat. Thankfully he was just applying pressure and it didn’t cut you. But if he decided to slide the blade along your skin… 

“You’ll do what, huh?” He gave your hair a yank and you cried out. “You won’t do shit, sweetheart. Not a damn thing.”

That’s when you heard the sound of hooves. You glanced in the direction they were coming from and almost cried. 

Arthur swung off of his horse and tackled Micah, throwing him to the ground and wrapping his hands around his throat. No fighting. No punching. He was going to end his life then and there, and there was no force on earth that could stop him. 

You watched with one hand around your throat, rubbing the indent of his knife with your fingers. If Arthur didn’t show up you probably would have escaped anyway, but the thought of ‘what if’ was still scary. You knew Micah was evil, but you didn’t think he’d ever be a danger to you.

It ended as quickly as it began. 

Arthur stood up and rushed to you, cupping your cheeks with his hands. They felt hot. 

“Are you okay? Did he do anything to you? Did,” He hesitated and you could see how hard he was clenching his jaw by the muscles in his face. “Did he… did he touch you?”

“No.” You said and you saw him relax in relief. “No. He led me out here saying he lost my horse, and,” A lump formed in your throat as reality set in. “And then he had the knife at my throat.”

Arthur wrapped his arms around you in an attempt to make you feel safe. “Nothing’s gonna hurt you, darlin’.” He whispered and let you cry into his chest. “Nothin’. Not while I’m here.” 

You parted from the hug and wiped away your tears, looking down at Micah’s body. “What will we tell Dutch?”

“The truth. And if he has a problem with that then he can take it up with me. I won’t hesitate to do the same damn thing to him too.” Then was the moment you realized how much you meant to him. He would gladly kill Dutch for you without any hesitation. The man who had raised him. For you.

He pet your hair for a minute as you looked down at Micah’s body with glazed over eyes. “I want to leave, Arthur.”

“I do too, believe me. I want all of us to. But before I can I’ve got to get John and his family out of this mess. Sadie and the girls too. They deserve a better life than this.” 

You nodded and looked back to the man in front of you. “I know. We’ll get them out. We just need a plan of our own.” 

“Ours is the only plan I’ll have faith in.”