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fanfic-obsessed · 6 months

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Empress

This AU really starts when Anakin finds his mother in the Tusken camp, but only truly works if there is a little set up before. It is imperative, for reasons that will become clear, to note that in this Palpatine has been manipulating Anakin with the Force, as opposed to only psychologically, since he was a child. Palpatine has been seeding the darkside, hidden deep so that it was never discovered (even by Anakin), waiting to sprout and spread the darkside like an infection at the appropriate moments.

When Anakin finds his mother as she dies, he loses it, but not to violence. Instead he panics and shoves every bit of Force that he can into his mother’s body to try and bring her back and heal her. Every bit of the Force, including the darkside seeds that Palpatine had been planting. Because healing is primarily a light sided technique, thus somewhat purifying, Shmi does not get the full force of the darkside infection that would have hit her son (so we avoid Vader!Shmi or even Full Sidious!Shmi) however there were a number of long lasting effects to the way Anakin panicked and brought her back (incidentally Anakin has now created two new deities for the Tuskans, which Shmi does note and will make use of later). These include:

A Force bond between her and Anakin that gave her Anakin's memories and feelings for the past decade.

A working knowledge of what Palpatine knew (From Palpatine’s Dark Seeds), though no firsthand memories.

Force Sensitivity that is powerful enough to use the various techniques she just gained the knowledge to use.

A significant hit to the moral centers of her psyche.

A Soul Deep and engrossing ambition to rule the Galaxy.

Now Shmi is not evil in the way that Palpatine is (Palpatine is the kind of evil that not only does whatever he wants to accomplish his goal, but actively goes out of his way to create as much collateral as possible and will in fact even mildly inconvenience himself in order to increase collateral damage) but she does now fall closer to Amoral than not. Like her first option is not to kill kids, but it is never not an option. Shmi does justify her new desire to rule the galaxy, based on the fact that she would be better at it than Palpatine.

By the time Anakin and Shmi have made it back to the Lars homestead, she has her son wrapped around her finger even more than she would have. She had also, through the careful recounting of how one of the men who had seemed so kindly to the slave children had actually been a child murder (couching it it in terms that one of Anakin's childhood friends, who it turned out had been a victim of this man, grave had been found and the man brought to a rather brutal justice), partially broken Anakin’s trust in Palpatine without ever letting on that she knew who Palpatine was.

After they get back to the Homestead, Shmi tells Anakin that she wants him to visit again and to bring Obi Wan (It was after they had talked about what had been happening since he left). Anakin loves Obi Wan as a brother, and as such Shmi loves him too. Padme has also fallen quickly under Shmi’s influence, which is good considering that Shmi intended to make Padme another daughter in law (Both because Anakin had a crush, and she wanted Anakin to have what he wanted, and because Senator and former Queen of Naboo is actually a decently powerful set of titles). Shmi gently shoos her sweet, oblivious son off the planet with her future daughter in law (it is for the best that her Jedi Son be off the planet for what she is about to do next) making them promise to visit soon.

Cliegg and Beru also fall quickly under Shmi’s spell. Owen holds out a bit longer (I am fully convinced that his ability to hold back Skywalker BS comes from growing up with Shmi, not his few interactions with Anakin) but is just as willing to follow Shmi’s lead within a tenday.

While a galaxy wide war is breaking out, Shmi quietly but very firmly takes control of Tatooine. Then, in spite of the fact she had not left the planet in decades, she quickly takes control of the rest of the Hutt Empire. Her identity remains hidden; she does not want to fight her son or his Jedi family because they do not yet understand her vision for the galaxy. They will, of that she is sure, but it will take time.

One of the many things she does is abolish slavery within her new Empire. It is both easier and harder than it would appear. Easier in that she does not care about the power or money of the people who made their living in trafficking of sentient life, so she does not care about the economics of the systems she dismantles. Harder because the Hutt Empire was built on slavery; there are significantly larger portions of every population of the Hutt Planets then anyone realized who had spent most of their lives enslaved, with no training or education and very little idea how to exist without being enslaved (with all the psychological and sociological implications therein). But she does it, quietly absorbing the fledgling Zygerrian Empire as well.

A year and a half into the Clone wars Shmi is finally ready to make her move.

In that time she has become well connected with Padme, who asks for approval to marry Anakin six months into the war (Approval that Shmi grants, on the condition that Padme also get approval from Obi wan, as Anakin’s older brother/father. Padme asks, and to the surprise of both Padme and Anakin immediately gets Obi Wan’s baffled, but pleased, approval. In this one marriage is not forbidden to Jedi, it really isn’t even discouraged. No one seems to want to marry a Jedi, as far as the Jedi are concerned. Date a Jedi, well that seems to be common fantasy. Sleep with a Jedi, all the time. But never marry. This all serves Shimi’s true purpose, to continue to break the trust between her son and Palpatine). They do decide to wait until after the war, when they can have everyone attend; in part because Palpatine is pushing them both in a really creepy way.

She makes her move by going on vacation with Cliegg to a world she knew, from her own spies, was about to be attacked by separatists. A world that it was highly likely the 212th would be deployed to. In the time it takes for the 212th to liberate the planet, it is a relatively minor battle so only takes a few weeks, Shmi and Clieg have connected with the battalion and convinced them to transport them (Shmi and Cliegg) to Coruscant. If asked, even Obi Wan, Cody, or the Natborn officers are not sure how they came to agree to take two civilians to the Core but everyone Shmi meets becomes absolutely convinced that it was a reasonable decision. During this trip Shmi bonds with Obi Wan, as her son’s brother/father/teacher. This was one of her goals, to get a clearer picture of who Obi Wan is, and through him the Jedi Order; Anakin’s memories and feelings are a bit mixed on the Jedi as a whole but she also knows, from Palpatine’s knowledge, that Palpatine had been manipulating those feelings for years. She finds that she does like Obi Wan. Because of this Shmi intends, beyond even what her plan calls for, that she would ensure that Obi Wan found happiness in her Empire.

Upon arriving on Coruscant Shmi sends Cliegg (in disguise) to meet with various criminal underworld leaders who know of her fledgeling Empire, while she meets with members of the Jedi council to plant the seeds of her Galactic Empire.

It is in this that we truly see the difference between Shmi and Sidious. Shmi wants to Rule the galaxy. Sidious wants to Subjugate the galaxy. Now granted the difference between the two is not as much as people who want the former would protest, but is greater than what the people who want the latter would claim. In this case ruling is a small group having a disproportionate amount of power over a larger group. Subjugation is a group or person asserting total control over another group or person. While a ruler can abuse the power they have, in order to subjugate someone, a being MUST abuse them to break them in such a way the subjugator can control them.

In spite of her forced amorality Shmi is actually a good person and wants to be a good Empress for the galaxy. So for her, subjugation is more work (realistically 90% of the galaxy is not going to notice if they are in a republic or an empire, and not just because the Empire had been disguising itself as a republic for a decade. That same 90% have comparatively simple needs and are going to be fine with a ruler who provides them. Whereas requires constant control measures to apply the exact correct amount of pressure to bend the populace to your will, without breaking them into rebelling. Ruling well is actually less costly) for less benefit. Because of that having the super powered warrior monks, who most of the beings that would oppose an Empress on principle are going to look to as a paragon of wisdom, buy into the idea that Shmi should be Empress and that they would be happier in her Empire makes more sense than eradicating them. Also, complicated feelings aside, the Jedi make up part of Anakin’s family and she does not want to hurt Anakin’s family.

Shmi also, at the behest of Anakin, took time to go with him to meet his friend Palpatine. While in the waiting room she speaks with Fox, on guard duty, who she recognizes from her talks with Cody as the person to place a bet with(No one suspects the stern commander of the Coruscant Guard to be the biggest bookie in three systems). After about an hour of chit chat (During which Palpatine has no idea he has met someone with all of his knowledge, who is planning to abscond with the Grand Sith Plan) Anakin and Shmi leave the Senate. Anakin semi anxiously asks her what she thinks of Palpatine, babbling a little bit that Obi Wan doesn't like him, but Obi Wan hates most politicians. Shmi, after letting a long pause stretch, says that Obi Wan has good instincts (Look I really want Palpatine to be faced with his own manipulation tactics) and casually mentions Obi Wan’s time enslaved and how that must have hond those instincts- which he had not told Shmi about but that she could guess. Again without directly accusing Palpatine of anything, Shmi manages to get across to Anakin that as the Chancellor, Palpatine actually currently has all the power and has used it to effectively enslave the clones and the Jedi. Fully breaking Anakin’s trust in Palpatine and tying him closer to the Jedi (where Shmi wants him). During this exchange Anakin asks what she had been talking to Fox about and she answers with ‘placing a bet’. Anakin lights up and guesses it is the ‘CodyWan Bet’, because literally everybody noticed their pining and that neither will admit it (Shmi uses that to drive the point home that both are effectively enslaved and do not feel free to be together if they might be ‘sold’ apart-a concept that Anakin is very familiar with).

I am not sure where it ends, except that Shmi does indeed become Empress and her Force powers work as such that she gains power through being loved, so in being a good ruler she stops aging. The Jedi do buy in and Palpatine does end up dead. Someone in Shmi’s smaller Empire, before she becomes Empress, discovers the chips and their purpose, which leads to the entirety of the Clones transplanting themselves (GAR, Cadets, everyone) to a planet in the former Hutt space (deeply freaked out over what they could have been made to do to their Jedi) and refusing all calls for like a year, while they dechip. The Jedi (all of them) transplanted themselves to the next planet over, waiting semi impatiently to be allowed to visit their men again. Shmi meeting Ahsoka after she becomes Anakin’s Padawan and deciding that, as her oldest grandchild, Ahsoka would have the option to be her heir if she would like (Ahsoka really wants to be a Jedi, but agrees to hold the status until another heir comes along-she gratefully passed the heir status to Leia when Leia was born, as she could not be knighted while still the Empress’s Heir).

Oh and Obi Wan does get to be happy with Cody in the new Empire, with frequent visits from Satine (I like the idea that they were childhood sweethearts/first loves that knew they would not fit well romantically but still loved each other and got to be overprotective of each other-Satine adores Cody, thinks he is perfect for Obi Wan and thy find time every so often to take an evening to drink over whatever ridiculous situation Obi Wan go himself into this time)

#star wars #star wars the clone wars #obi wan kenobi #star wars au #anakin skywalker #codywan #sheev palpatine #anidala #shmi skywalker #anakin and shmi #sw

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hometoursandotherstuff · 10 days

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Opportunity to own a piece of Rock Royalty for only $452K. "Kate's Lazy Desert" was crafted by B-52's iconic singer-songwriter Kate Pierson and her artist wife Monica Nation. It can be a trailer park, camp ground, or motel. Completely decorated vintage Airstreams plus a homestead cabin for the owner, caretaker, or guests. Check out this gem in Landers, CA.

"Roam if you want to," all trailers feature colorful retro design.

The all have a picnic table, barbecue grill, and a frame for an awning.

I like this one.

This one's set up a little differently. And, it has Tinkerbell on the wall.

This one's cute. Wonder why the wallpaper in the kitchen is so bubbled.

They all have pretty big baths, for a trailer.

This one has a nice bath, too.

Looks like a small, above-ground pool.

The private cabin for the caretaker, etc. The Love Shack!

It's a 10 acre lot, and the adjoining 5 acre lot has a cement slab w/all utilities connected so you could build a house or something.

The trailer park setup.

And, it's close to local attractions like Joshua Tree, Pappy And Harriet's, The Integratron, Giant Rock Boulder, and the critically-acclaimed restaurant La Copine.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/58380-Botkin-Rd-Landers-CA-92285/299170786_zpid/?

#air stream trailers #unique properties #trailer park #celebrity property #houses #house tours #home tour

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deejadabbles · 1 year

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Been seeing a lot of Bad Batch western AU stuff so here's some random thoughts I had, might make some fics based around them eventually.

The boys grew up on a nice little homestead (probably called something like Pabu Creek or something), Hunter, Crosshair, Tech, and Wrecker are all brothers.

Hunter's the oldest and inherited the family's ranch when their folks passed. Has a reputation for never losing his livestock when they get loose, as he's an expert tracker. There was a nasty incident when some poachers tried to steal his horses. No one really knows what happened when Hunter tracked them down.

Wrecker, for a while, just helped with the ranch but he started to take to more farm work the longer he helped their neighbors through rough harvests. One year Hunter used their savings to buy another stretch of land so Wrecker could start his own farm. The whole town pitched in to build his house and barns as a thank-you for everything he's always doing for them (everyone adores Wrecker, even if he is loud as all get-out)

Tech is, of course, the scholar of the family. While he did help on the ranch he much preferred his textbooks. Now he spends his days in his workshop, inventing new ways to improve farm work and the general lives of the town. Often visits the nearest city to sell his inventions and buy new books on any subject he can get his hands on. Everyone thinks he's a bit of a mad scientist.

Crosshair is...the black sheep of the fam. When their parents died Hunter and Cross fought almost constantly. Eventually, he saddled one of the family horses and just...took off in the middle of the night, leaving behind a note that said he needed to find his own path. Hunter wanted to go after him, but Tech convinced him to let him go, that he could only come back when he was ready. Rumor has it that he became a bounty hunter, but they still hope he'll come home someday.

Rex and Echo are their cousins. Both grew up in the city and were drafted into the army when the war broke out. After the war, both men still wanted to be of service, but also wanted a simpler life. So, when the latest letter from their cousin Hunter mentioned that Pabu needed a new sheriff, they took it as a sign.

Rex is the sheriff, well respected and beloved by the whole town. You can see him patrolling the streets and surrounding land at all hours. He checks in on every farm and house in the area regularly to make sure everyone's safe.

Echo is the deputy. However, he has to ignore the looks that linger on his prosthetic arm and leg. Most thank him for the sacrifice he made in the war, but are skeptical of his ability to protect them. Thankfully he knows his own skill and ability to adapt and never wavers in his duty. The town quickly learns they can put their faith in him.

Omega. Oh, this little one. She grew up in a convent after her parents died. She never took to that life well and always daydreamed about adventure and setting out on her own one day.

Unfortunately, that day came when the convent was burnt down. Omega was one of the only survivors and found herself suddenly on her own, alone and scared. She wandered through the forest for days, until she came across a camp of bandits. Thankfully some passers-by heard her screams as she ran from them and intervened.

Hunter, Wrecker, and Tech were just coming back from a supply run to the city when they found Omega running from some unsavory folk. Folk who...lets just say they rethought their choice to chase the girl when the brothers stepped in. Not sure what to do after that, they brought Omega back to their little town and the rest is history. Hunter finally officially adopted her after a year of her staying with them <3

#idk what possessed me to think of all this #but here ya go #the bad batch #star wars the bad batch #bad batch x reader #western au #cow boy au #tbb hunter x reader #tech x reader #wrecker x reader #crosshair x reader #captain rex x reader #echo x reader #deeja rambles #heacanons #bad batch headcanons

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red-dead-do-over246 · 11 months

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Fragile Like a Winter Rose

Everyone is used to all the women pining after Javier, but now the man finally has a woman that he's pining after. For five months to be exact. Right after he saved your life. (Javier x F!Reader)

*Mentions of abuse and possible alcoholism*

Guys, it's finally happened. I've become a hardcore simp for Javier ❤️and I adore that man to bits. Please, any asks for him, feel free to send in. I have so many ideas, but this is the only one I will write XD

Javier would never forget that moment.

It was a cold and rainy day when it all happened. Two months before Blackwater and that whole mess. He, Micah, and Arthur were riding out to check on a homestead that Dutch was talking big about. The three men took time to ride out, Micah complaining on the way, only to find that the place was already inhabited by a group of nasty degenerates.

At least they were drunk and nasty degenerates that could hardly shoot straight. The boys took care of them just fine.

There wasn't much money in the house (so Dutch was wrong again), but they did find you tied up and gagged in one of the master bedrooms. A young woman with wide, fearful e/c eyes, clearly terrified of the three men who just found her. Beautiful despite all the signs of obvious abuse, both physical and sexual, which was clear by the way you acted when Arthur tried to free you. You were aggressive, weak but aggressive. Your life must've been hell for a long while.

But thankfully, some talking to from both Javier and Arthur got you to trust them, if just by only a little.

"We're not good men miss, but we won't treat you bad." Arthur had told you, and your eyes softened a bit.

"Come with us." Javier offered his hand to you, but you didn't take it. You were a bit shaky and didn't trust men very much. However, you knew you were better off with them than on your own, so you followed and allowed yourself to come with them.

Then Micah ruined everything.

He's obviously not a sensitive man when it comes to these abusive issues and tried to force you onto his horse to ride with him. He didn't think much of it. The blonde outlaw just wanted the pretty woman to ride with him so he could look like the savior in both your eyes and Dutch's. However, you got the wrong message and freaked out so much that even the horses grew fearful.

"For Christ's sake Micah! Have some damn-" Arthur's scolding went on deaf ears as Javier took it upon himself to show you some kindness and good grace.

"You can ride with me, senorita. I'll keep you safe." He promised you, and you hesitated. You still have yet to say much of anything. Javier didn't even know your name.

But the shouts of angry men and guns caused you, without even thinking, to rush into his arms for protection.

"Aw shit! There's more of 'em!" Arthur shouted as he quickly mounted his horse. Micah already fired a few shots at the approaching men before mounting Baylock.

"They've got our whore!"

"Shoot the lot of 'em!"

Javier was quick to pry you off him and help you on Boaz before hopping up there himself. The three men plus you began to ride hard out of that area as the group of angry degenerates pursued them. Javier was in the lead as Micah and Arthur shot both bullets and curses in the direction of the men shooting back. The rain made it hard to see, but he knew that forward was better than backwards.

But through the yelling, hoof pounding, and gun banging, Javier could feel your tiny body as close to his as your arms were wrapped so tightly around his chest, he could hardly breath. Your head was also nestled into his back as you tried to block out all the noise.

He was a strange man. You just me him. You didn't even know his name. Yet, you've felt safer than ever just being there on the horse with him, something that Javier wouldn't learn till later.

You didn't just hold onto him. You held onto his heart. Since that day, and several months afterwards...

Everyone was now camped in a place called Horseshoe Overlook which was near the small livestock town of Valentine. Dutch had given a big speech about everyone earning their keep, which to the women, meant doing the chores. You've been with this gang for around five or six months now, and became close friends with the girls, even if you were different from the rest.

"Thanks for accepting me so easily." You told them as you guys got to work with the clothes.

"Y/N, you need to stop thanking us or I will ride out to the nearest saloon." Karen warned you, causing the other girls to giggle.

"Please don't." You said, the thought of her drinking making you worried. You've always had a problem with drunks as your experience with them has not been positive.

"See Karen? Listen to Y/N. She's one of us now." Tilly said as she leaned over a wash tin. Karen gave her a look.

"What do you mean? Y/N's a church girl. We're whores." Karen stated matter-of-factly and Mary-Beth hit her arm in a teasing manner.

"Don't say that." She said in that soft voice of hers, yet she was smiling. In fact, all of you were laughing now as Karen's comments kept you all in a joyful mood despite Miss Grimshaw harping on you guys.

After a few minutes passed, Karen nudged you.

"Your boyfriend's back." She stated plainly as she looked down to continue her work. Your face turned red, especially when you noticed Javier walking in your direction.

"Don't spread rumors." You hissed at her and she shrugged.

"Y/N, um..." The poor man looked a bit nervous as he rubbed the back of his neck and fiddled with his hands, "a few of us were headed into Valentine to check things out...care to join us?"

It was an easy excuse from him to spend time with you in the company of others which would make Javier relax a bit more. He saw your eyes look behind him to see the other boys that he was riding out with. When they landed on Bill, you shook your head.

Even though you've been with these people for a while, some of the men in camp still made you a bit uncomfortable with their stares and comments. Bill could be a nasty drunk sometimes, which gave you trauma. Plus, he was a bigger guy which intimidated you. Micah was just all around giving you creep vibes. Hell, even Dutch's flirtatious comments made you uncomfortable sometimes. So, you couldn't bring yourself to go with Javier.

"I'll pass this time." You said, and Javier felt his heart break a little.

"Ay...alright, alright...some other time." He said more to himself as he walked away, mumbling incoherent Spanish words and dragging his feet a little in a defeated manner. Karen then slapped your shoulder after he and the other boys rode out.

"Aww, Y/N! You broke his heart!" She scolded and you did feel a little guilty. However, that washed away quickly.

"Please...he'll probably drink with the others and get with the working girls as soon as he steps into town." You murmured, almost feeling a bit hurt yourself.

Truthfully, Javier was really the only man in camp that you felt truly safe around. Men like Hosea, Arthur, Charles, and Lenny weren't bad, but they didn't share a bond with you that you felt you had with Javier. All you could remember was that day he saved you and you were holding onto him like he was your lifeline. Ever since then, you felt he would protect you. So, the thought of him going out there and wasting away really hurt you, even though Javier had a right to do what he wanted.

"That's ridiculous Y/N. He's been pining for you for months now." Karen said nonchalantly.

"What? Where'd you hear that from?" You asked with a red face.

"Oh honey...It's written all over his face..."

Meanwhile at the saloon in Valentine, Arthur just learned the secret that Javier thought he's been harboring. He may have had a few drinks, but he also trusted Arthur and Charles not to share his feelings for Y/N with anyone.

"You need to ask her out." Arthur stated simply.

"I tried...but she didn't want to come with me." Javier told him solemnly, looking down at his drink.

"With us." Arthur emphasized, "You need to take just her somewhere. Go for a ride or somethin'."

Javier took those words to heart. He knew that you were still a little uncomfortable in camp, so maybe having just him around you would make you ease up a little. But on the other hand, Javier didn't want your bad experience with men to cloud your mind and make him look bad if he did anything wrong.

It didn't matter either way because as soon as he stepped out of that saloon, he and Charles had to go to Blackwater to rescue Sean...

The Irishman threw one of the loudest return parties ever. It was a wonder that the law didn't find you guys with all that racket. People were singing, dancing, and drinking. Javier had his guitar and was at the will of others with their requests. However, he had to cut his songs short as he began to wonder where you went off to. Javier was worried that something bad had happened. But when he set his guitar aside, he could easily spot you sitting at the cliff's edge.

"Eh Senorita, not enjoying the party?" He asked while sitting next to you.

"Noise just isn't my thing. I don't know Sean well, but he's a lot." You said with a slight smile, telling him not to worry.

"Be glad you didn't ride with him all the way from Blackwater." Javier said and you laughed.

"I thought you looked rather quiet. He took a lot out of you." You said and the outlaw nodded before laughing to himself.

"You're always out there saving people." You told him with a grateful smile, and Javier was glad that it was too dark for you to see him blush.

"Yes...um...Y/N?" His tone suddenly turned softer, shyer, and you noticed that he began to play with his hands in a nervous manner. Javier muttered something to himself in Spanish before speaking up once more.

"Would you...like to...go on a ride tomorrow?" He asked, gesturing holding a horse's reins with his hands while turning to look at you. You smiled faintly.

"Just you and me?"

"Just you and me, hermosa." Javier stated in a slight dreamy manner as he managed to meet your eyes. You didn't know that he just called you beautiful, but Javier couldn't stop himself. You were just such a gorgeous woman. You took his breath away! And you deserved to be treated like the lady you were.

"Then yes." You told him and Javier felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He gave you a wide grin.

"You've made me very happy, Y/N." Javier told you before looking over his shoulder to see that plenty of people were either going to bed or passed out at the tables.

"The fire is all open...want to join me for one last song?" He offered, again, rather shyly. You felt hesitation stir in your gut, afraid that Bill or Micah might come around. But with Javier there, you felt a little safer.

You nodded.

And as you sat there around the fire, Javier playing his guitar and singing in the softest voice for your benefit, you did feel your heart soar. Maybe Karen was right when she said he had liked you for a long time. You just didn't think a guy like Javier would be so dedicated to one woman for long, and you were so scared to let anyone in.

But how could you ignore his persistence? Javier was like a little puppy begging for your attention.

It made your heart swoon to think that the man who saved you, treated you so kindly, might actually love you. And you felt emotions that you haven't felt in a long time when he finished his song. It almost felt like he was singing it to you. You knew he deserved a sweet gesture for his gentlemanly manner that he's given you for months now.

You leaned over, cupped one side of his face, and kissed his other cheek.

"Goodnight." You whispered before getting up and quickly moving over to where the other ladies were sleeping. Javier was at a loss for words as his jaw dropped a bit. His guitar slipped from his hands as he absentmindedly placed his fingers where you kissed him.

Javier felt like he had been touched by an angel. You always were a fragile woman. Like the last flower to die in winter, just barely holding onto your life and beauty. If anything, Javier felt absolutely blessed to have gotten such a gesture of affection from you.

He didn't know if he was going to sleep much tonight. His dreams would be filled with you.

The next day...

Arthur had gotten up later than usual, and struggled to get out of bed as he felt more tired than when he went to sleep. However, Dutch had asked him to go into town with John today, so go he must. As Arthur moved to saddle up his horse, he noticed a rather familiar American Paint leaving camp.

The outlaw couldn't stop his grin when he noticed Javier in the saddle with you behind him. You had your arms wrapped tenderly around his waist as a smile graced your face--as well as a gorgeous flower in your hair.

As Arthur's eyes met Javier's, the older man gave him a smile and a mock salute.

He had taken his first steps with you, and Arthur knew that if he continued to be dedicated and caring with you, then Javier will get the future of love and family with you that he rambled on about to Arthur in that saloon.

To you, Javier was the best man amongst them all. And Arthur couldn't be happier for him.

#red dead redemption 2 #red dead redemption 2 x reader #rdr2 #javier escuella #javier escuella x reader #rdr2 javier #javier x reader #javier imagine

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morri-draws · 2 months

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Gale x Reader - 'Some Time Alone, Together'

Summary:

You plan some time alone with Gale to finally relax and bathe after so long in the Shadowlands, and to make passionate love

Rating: Explicit

TAGS: porn no plot, self-conscious reader, passionate sex, nipple-licking, cunnilingus, vaginal fingering, blow-jobs

Words: 4,099 | Ao3

(Note: This is my first time writing smut so please go easy on me lol)

After weeks in the Shadowlands, the relief you feel when you finally arrive in the outskirts of Baldur’s Gate is immeasurable. Even with protection against the Shadow Curse, just being surrounded by it seemed to eat at you, leaving you feeling a sense of hopelessness, as if you’d never be able to leave. But at last, you’re out of that dark and dreadful place, the sun is shining, and you are so close to finally being able to have a bath.

Once you and your party arrive at Wyrm’s Crossing and make camp, you take a little trip by yourself while the others relax, to a famous pleasure house called Sharess’ Caress. However, you’re not going there to let off steam, but to arrange something for the next day for you and someone special.

Over your time travelling together, you and Gale have become close. In fact, one night during your time in the Shadowlands, he declared his love for you, and you confessed yours for him, before making love under the wizard’s conjured starry sky, a pocket of beauty in an otherwise perilous land.

You talk over your plans with the Mamzell of the establishment and pay her upfront, before heading back to camp, where you have some dinner before heading to bed.

The next morning after breakfast, you talk with each of your companions in camp, encouraging them to have a day for themselves to relax and do what they choose. Once you’ve spoken to everyone else, you make your way over to Gale and ask him to head out, just the two of you.

You walk together from your camp at the abandoned homestead in Rivington and over the bridge to Wyrm’s Crossing. When you turn off the path to enter Sharess’ Caress, Gale’s expression becomes unsure. You look to the Mamzell behind the bar, who nods with a smile and speaks discreetly to another employee, who then leaves the bar and heads upstairs. You pull Gale aside to a vacant corner.

“I know what you must be thinking,” You say. “But I promise, the only person I am here to be with is you,”

His shoulders relax slightly, showing some relief, but you can tell he’s still not entirely certain.

“Let’s head upstairs,” You give a reassuring smile and take his hand in yours, heading to the back of the bar area and turning left up the stairs.

You lead him through a passage and up another flight of stairs until you step out onto a balcony. To the left is a set of double doors, surrounded by intertwining vines, rich green leaves blanketing the walls.

You approach the door and knock. The door swings open almost immediately, revealing a beautiful wood elf, her skin almost the same shade as the vine leaves, her hair the colour of cherry blossoms. She is scantily clothed in green and black lingerie.

“The two lovers,” She greets you and Gale with a smile, her voice silky.

She steps aside so you may enter. You step onto the shiny marble floor of the antechamber, multi-coloured tiles forming a mandala pattern in the centre. At the far end of the room is a large rectangular bath framed by vines and ferns.

“Before I leave you to it,” The wood elf says. “Are you sure you do not wish me stay? I offer many services beyond the erotic,”

“Thank you, but no. It shall be just the two of us,”

You look to Gale for confirmation and he nods and clears his throat. “Yes, thank you for preparing the room,”

The elf smiles and steps out, gently closing the doors behind her. Gale looks about the room, taking in his surroundings.

“You’ve picked a pretty place,” He says. “Very atmospheric,”

“Gale,” You approach him, slipping your hands around his. “It might be a silly idea after all, I just thought… well we’ve been on the road so long. Self-care hasn’t exactly been a priority. I know you said you like my… musk… as you so eloquently put it, but I personally can’t wait to have a bath,”

Gale smiles and shakes his head. “Not one of my best lines of conversation,” He chuckles. “In my defence, you are one of the only people who makes me nervous and when I am nervous, I can say… less than intelligent things. I hope I didn’t offend you?”

“Well… I wasn’t really offended, just a bit… self-conscious, and being in the Shadowlands so long… well I wouldn’t want to touch any water there with a ten-foot pole. But now we’re here, in civilisation, no shadow curse… just me and you in a beautiful room with a very enticing bath,”

He glances over at the crystal-clear water. “It does look very inviting,” His voice softens, taking on the sultry tone you heard during your encounter under the moonlight.

The encounter where despite the act that was performed, the two of you remained almost completely clothed. But even though it was you who planned this moment here and now, you had put aside your anxieties leading up to it, hoping that when the time came, it would all melt away. But now Gale gazes at you, his eyes soft but wanting, the bath waiting for occupants.

“Shall we?” Gale quirks a brow, a hand hovering over one of the clasps on his robe.

You nod, and he undoes the first, second and third clasp, slipping off his outer robe so he’s in just his undershirt and trousers. He slips off his boots and socks, placing them beside the bath, along with his neatly folded robe, before facing you again. Seeing that you’re in the exact same position as you were before, all garments of clothing remaining on, he steps closer, his eyes searching yours.

“What’s wrong?”

You shake your head, embarrassed, turning from his gaze.

“If you’ve changed your mind, that’s perfectly alright,” Gale says softly. “We can take turns in the bath in privacy. Or not do this at all,”

You meet his gaze again. “I do want this. It’s just… I thought I’d be alright once I got here,”

“What do you mean, my love?”

“It’s just… well, you’ve never seen me without… not wearing…” You sigh. “You’ve never seen me nude,”

“To be fair, you’ve never seen me either,” He chuckles.

“I… I’m self-conscious,” You hang your head.

He takes your hands in his, eyes locked onto yours. “I hope you know that I love you… all of you,” You lets go of your hands to cup your face. “The whole package. But I understand, I do. So, we don’t need to do this today, alright?”

You close the gap between you, your mouth finding his. You melt into his soft lips, desire flooding through your body.

“But I want to,” You say as you pull back.

Gale smiles. “Alright, what if… I look away while you get undressed and… you get in the water first?”

You think it over for a moment and nod. “Okay,”

“And you’re sure this is what you want?”

“It is,”

Gale plants a kiss on your cheek and steps back, turning to climb the shallow steps up to the attached bedchamber. He stands facing away from you and begins to remove his shirt, so you turn away to attend to your own clothing. Untucking your shirt from your breeches, you pull it over your head and drop it on the floor next to you. You sit on the edge of the bath on the tiled ledge and slip off your boots and socks, before standing again to remove your pants. You glance up to the bedchamber where Gale has his back turned, now wearing only his drawers.

Focusing back on yourself, you remove your bra and undies, adding them to the pile of clothes, and step up on to the bath’s ledge, dipping your toes into the water. The temperature is perfect, so you step into the bath and lower yourself into the water, until only your head and the top of your shoulders remain unsubmerged. You quickly give your armpits and intimate places a quick scrub before calling out.

“Gale… I’m ready,”

You inspect a series of bottles placed on the edge of the bath, filled with various bath gels, shampoos and lotions, as Gale comes into your peripheral. Given that he didn’t watch you undress, you give him the same curtesy, only hearing him slip off his underwear before he steps into the bath. You feel a foolish now for not considering that he too might be nervous. Perhaps that’s why he kept his clothes on during your last encounter?

He lets out a low, satisfied groan as he lowers into the water and you look his way as his sits on the inner ledge of the bath. You edge closer to him until you’re sitting beside him, your arms brushing against each other’s. He turns his head, his eyes finding yours.

“How lucky I am,” He says with one of his smiles that you love so much.

He extends his arm, inviting you to cuddle up to him. You oblige, moving closer and resting your head against his shoulder. You gently trace the markings on his chest, the symbol appearing warped through the rippling water. You move your head up, intending to plant a kiss on his cheek, when you notice something.

“There’s dried blood in your hair,” You say.

He wrinkles his nose in disgust and dips his head under the water, running his hands through his hair, before resurfacing with a gasp.

“Is it gone?” He asks, water drops clinging to his lashes.

“How about we give it a proper clean to be certain?” You reach for one of the shampoo bottles.

Gale inspects the bottle in your hand. “I have that same shampoo at home,”

You smile. “Good. Imagine you’re at home then, without a care in the world,”

You open the bottle, pour some of the shampoo in the palm of your hand and reach for his hair.

“You don’t need to do that,” He says.

“Let me look after you,”

You beckon him closer and he gives in, turning his back to you. You begin to lather the shampoo through his hair, massaging his scalp with your fingers.

“That feels… really good,” He sighs. “But I can’t imagine I’m at home, since I don’t get this there,”

“Well, maybe that’ll change,” You murmur in his ear.

You plant a soft kiss on the curve between his neck and shoulder and continue to work the shampoo into his hair, the floral scent absolutely divine. Once his hair is completely covered, you dip your own head underwater for a moment before getting more shampoo from the bottle, rubbing it through your hair. Once you’ve done that, you return your attention to Gale, brushing your fingers down the back of his neck and along his shoulders. You sit up on your knees to reach around him, placing a hand along his jawline and gently turning his face toward you, planting a gentle kiss on his already parted lips. He opens his eyes, his gaze flicking down to your now exposed chest. He turns his body to face you, snaking one hand up to your neck, his fingers lightly brushing on the sensitive skin there as he brings his face closer, nuzzling into the other side of your neck. At first, he kisses you softly, then hungrily, his teeth nipping at your skin. He plants a kiss on your collarbone and continues down, leaving a trail of kisses until his lips find your nipple. He strokes it with his tongue, your nipple hardening instantly. His lips enclose around it and suck it lightly. A quiet moan escapes you as arousal shoots through you and your body goes slack for a moment, your knee slipping off the side of the step’s edge. You plunge into the water, your vision blurring, bubbles coming out of your nose. Two arms wrap around you, pulling you upwards. You gasp as your face breaks the surface, and come face to face with Gale, his brow creased with concern.

“Are you alright?” He asks, wet hair clinging to his face.

You chuckle. “I’m fine Gale, I just slipped,”

He lets go of you, moving back a step. His gaze moves downward and you realise that your body is exposed, the water only covering your legs.

“You are exquisite,” Gale says in barely more than a whisper.

Embarrassed, you move to cover yourself, but Gale takes your hands in his.

“You do not need to hide from me, my love. My desire for you is stronger than it has ever been. I don’t know who or what made you feel self-conscious about the way you look, but whoever could balk at the beauty in front of me is a fool indeed,”

You wrap your arms around him, pulling his wet body into yours, skin slick against each other, his hardness pressed against your leg.

“Shall we take this to the bedchamber?” He murmurs in your ear, voice rich with lust.

“Yes please,”

Gale slips an arm around your back and hooks the other behind your knees, picking you up. He carries you to the edge of the bath and steps out carefully, kissing your forehead as he brings you up the steps and to the bed in the next room. He places you down gently on one side of the bed and kneels in front of you, your thighs encasing him. His lips crash into yours, his kiss hungry, his tongue exploring your mouth. You slide a hand up to his jaw, a thumb stroking along his beard, while your other hand rakes through his wet hair. He moans softly into your mouth, the sound sending hotness to your lower regions, slick pooling between your folds.

He sucks your lower lip before pulling away, his own lips pink and glistening. His eyes are dark, brown irises almost completely eclipsed by his dilated pupils. He places a hand on your shoulder, pushing you back firmly but carefully, until your body’s reclined, weight resting on your elbows. He cups one of your breasts between his thumb and index finger, taking your nipple in his mouth, his tongue swirling around the hardened bud as he gently squeezes. He does the same to the other side, a string of spit stretching from his mouth as he pulls away. He trails kisses down your belly until he reaches the crevice where your torso and legs meet. His lips brush against the sensitive skin, causing your legs to twitch. The corners of his lips upturn in a satisfied smile as he progresses down, closer and closer to your folds, until you feel his hot breath against where you want him most. His head dips, tongue finding its mark, flicking across your clit. You let out a small whimper, and he grasps your thighs, pulling you closer to the edge of the mattress. He strokes his fingers across your inner thighs while his tongue laps at your clit. He trails a finger up your thigh until it hovers around your entrance. He edges closer, his finger dancing around the edge of your entrance, before he plunges inside easily, your slick easing passage. He gets a feel for you with the single digit, his tongue still working you, before adding a second finger. You moan as your back arches and you lift your head to look at Gale, his wet hair hanging in front of his face in dark tendrils. As if he can feel your gaze, he looks up, his dark eyes boring into yours. Your core throbs, yearning for him, more of him, all of him.

“I want you,” You say breathily.

He pulls his mouth away, beard flecked with slick and spit. “Then you shall have me,”

He stands, his hard cock coming into view for a moment before he leans down to give you a wet kiss. He climbs on the bed, as if to be on top of you but you place your hands on his arms and guide him into a laying position. You pose yourself next to him in a semi-reclined position, your head level with his hips, and extend an arm, massaging his upper thigh before curling your fingers around his cock and moving your hand up the length, his skin hot and smooth in your fingers, Gale letting out a quiet sigh as your hand glides up and down. Your core throbs, begging for him, but you resist, wanting Gale to be completely prepared for you.

Dipping your head down, you lick along the sensitive spot on the underside of his cock. You move your tongue around his tip, before taking his cock in your mouth, his hot, slick skin sliding along your lips. You do this a few more times, letting the spit spill from your mouth, completely coating him, before pulling back, inspecting his now glistening length.

Pulling yourself up, you swing a leg over him, his body between your thighs, and reach for his cock underneath you, gently angling it up and lowering yourself onto him until his cock is nestled between your folds. You thrust your hips forward, his length sliding along your swollen clit, shuddering at the sensation. You pull back and thrust forward again, your breath hitching in your throat. Gale grasps your thighs, holding them tight. You tilt your head back and sigh as you bring your hands up to your breasts and play with your nipples between your thumb and index finger. Your hips move faster as you grind against his cock, your arousal flaring. Moving your hands down, you lean forward, cupping Gale’s face, your noses touching.

“Do you want me?” You ask breathily.

“More than anything,” He pants.

You reach down between your legs again and grasp his cock, slick with your saliva and juices, and line it up with your entrance. You allow just the tip inside at first, Gale looking between your legs then up to your face, his eyes wild, and you hold his gaze as you lower yourself onto him, until he’s fully sheathed inside of you, filling you, exactly where you want him, and now he’s there you want to unravel him completely. You rock your hips back until only the very tip of his cock remains inside you, before coming forward again and repeating the movement, hearing a wet popping sound each time the rim of his tip exits and plunges back inside you. His hands snake up to your breasts, massaging them with his thumbs. You lean forward until your breasts almost touch his face, and he takes one in his mouth, sucking and licking.

He pulls back, putting his hands down on the bed beside him to push himself up and scooting back against the bed’s headboard, his length pulling out of you with the movement.

“Are you alright?” You ask.

“Oh, yes,” He says. “I just want to be as close to you as possible,”

He extends a hand to you, inviting you back to him. You take his hand in yours and climb on top of him, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and lining up his cock with your entrance again. It slips in easily, your core slick with arousal, and you begin to thrust slowly, your face right next to his, his breath tickling against your ear. He holds you close, his arms wrapped around your back.

“Gale,” You breathe.

“Hmm,’ He responds, moving his hips in rhythm with you.

“I love you,” You whisper. “I love you more than anyone or anything I’ve ever loved before, more than words can describe,”

His entire body shudders, but he says nothing. You pull your face back to inspect his. His eyes glisten with tears.

“Gale?” You become still, panicked.

His shining eyes meet yours and he smiles, the purest smile you’ve seen from him yet.

“You truly mean that, don’t you?” He asks.

“Gale,” You stroke his cheek. “You know I don’t say things I don’t mean,” You smile.

He strokes your cheek with his thumb, eyes wide and full of adoration. “Who would think to be glad of being kidnapped by mindflayers, to be infected with their parasite… but without all that, I never would have met you. I never would have felt a love so pure, I can’t… for once words fail me. I think it would be easier to show you, if I may?”

You nod and he presses his forehead to yours, the parasite in his mind nudging against your own. You open yourself to him, your mind suddenly flooded with emotion as images flash before you. You see through Gale’s eyes, moments you shared together, of you speaking to one another, travelling together, him seeing you taking the lead, making decisions, important decisions, hard decisions. You see yourself sitting at camp, eating by the fire, talking to your companions, laughing, and in your heart, Gale’s heart, you feel such warmth, such admiration. Your mind reels with Gale’s questions and doubts and hopes and finally… acceptance. Acceptance that you love him, that you don’t want anything from him in return but his love. There’s no ulterior motive, no manipulation, just… you.

Your minds disconnect and you’re met with Gale’s eyes, searching yours, yours which are brimming with tears, but not with sadness, but –

“Joy,” Gale whispers. “Is what I feel when you tell me you love me,”

He presses his lips to yours, his hands resting on your thighs as he moves in you again and a gasp escapes you, pleasure flooding through you, the feelings more heightened than before since your heart and mind are full of Gale’s love for you and yours for him. You rake your fingers through his wet hair, your lips still connected, your hips rocking with him. He moves a hand down and finds your clit with his thumb, rubbing small circles on your swollen bud. Your lips break apart for a moment as you shudder at his touch, before crashing together again, his tongue finding yours. Your hips buck as arousal builds, his thumb working you, your breaths becoming short and sharp. You can feel it climbing higher, your crescendo nearing, closer and closer. Your mouth breaks away from his with a moan.

“Gale,” Is all you manage to say, your voice weak.

He wraps his other arm around your back, pulling your body as close as possible, his length reaching further inside you, your breaths becoming faster. He guides your hips with one arm while the other still works you, your thrusts desperate, harder, faster, the promise of your crescendo nearing, flooding through your body until –

A ragged moan escapes as pure ecstasy floods through you, your core quaking and pulsing around Gale’s cock, still inside you. He removes his thumb from your clit and wraps that arm around you as well, holding you tight as your body quivers, your face nestled into his neck. You stay like that until the pulses slow to a near stop and Gale flips you around, your positions now reversed, and kneels in front of you, positioning your thighs on top of his and against his waist. You reach your arms back behind your head and grab the headboard tight as he enters you again, his hands bracing your waist, your breasts bouncing with each of his thrusts. Waterdrops from his wet hair run down his bare chest, leaving shining streaks over the Orb’s mark. His breathing is ragged, his moans audible between the slapping of his hips against your thighs. His moans become louder as he moves inside you faster and faster, his fingers digging into the flesh of your thighs, until he draws back, his cock sliding out of you just in time before he comes, shooting onto your chest, his warm seed coating your breasts and stomach.

He reaches over to the bedside table, grabs a cloth and begins to gently wipe his mess from you.

“Sorry, I should have asked first,” He says.

You let go of the headboard and sit up, taking the cloth from him.

“That’s quite alright,” You smirk, finishing the job.

He lies back on the bed with a contented sigh. You put the cloth aside and lie next to him, resting your head on his shoulder, a hand on his chest.

“I suppose we should bathe again after that,” He chuckles.

“Not yet,” You reply. “Let’s stay here for a while,”

#gale x reader #gale x tav #gale fanfic #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #bg3 gale #bg3 fanfiction #gale romance #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #my writing

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queer-irritator · 8 months

Text

Stress Relief (Arthur Morgan x GN Reader)

Prompt: Reader stumbles upon an herbalist on a solo adventure and gets some useful information on a new plant that can aid a certain cowboy in relieving some stress.

Content warnings: Drug use, smoking, vomit, violence, hunting, peer pressure(??)

Takes place at Horseshoe Overlook, not proof read

Precedes Bloody Knuckles and Impure Thoughts

You’ve been running with the Van Der Linde gang for a little over a month. Hosea had caught you red-handed, trying to pick-pocket him. In your defense, he seemed like an easy target. An older, gentle looking man alone in a packed saloon? Usually things go off without a hitch. Luckily for you, Hosea was actually impressed by your skills, particularly with your innocence act when you got caught. You spent the night talking and drinking with him, swapping sob stories, and by sunrise you were following him back to a secluded camp on the outskirts of town. There was a mix of reactions from the rest of the gang, mostly you were welcomed, but a few members had their reservations about you, and some still do. When you drunkenly stumbled into camp following closely behind Hosea, you laid your eyes on the most beautiful human being you’ve ever seen. Arthur Morgan. You didn’t know if it was the alcohol or the cowboy’s stunning beauty that made your stomach do flips, resulting in you emptying your guts in front of practically everybody. But you heard Arthur’s low, raspy chuckle for the first time.

“You alright there?” Arthur questioned you, one eyebrow slightly raised.

“Oh yeah, I’m wonderful…” You replied, bracing yourself with a hand on a tree trunk. Your face was flushed red from a mixture of alcohol and embarrassment.

Luckily, since that first day you’ve redeemed yourself with most of the gang. Most importantly, you’ve redeemed yourself with Arthur. You tagged along for a homestead robbery and shot some bastard right between the eyes when he was on top of Arthur, choking him.

“Are you okay?” You called to Arthur, running over to him only a split second after discharging your gun.

Arthur shoved the corpse off of him and caught his breath, “I am now… Thanks to you.” he said, sitting up.

“Oh, it’s no big deal…” You tried to keep yourself cool and collected and slid your gun back into your holster.

“No big deal?” Arthur repeated your words as he looked up at you, his knee bent and his extended arm resting on his knee, “You saved my hide, that ain’t “no big deal” ‘round here.” He stood up with a slight grunt and gave you an approving slap on the back before walking over to his horse. “Yer alright, kid.”

You couldn’t hide the smile that crept onto your face. A weight you didn’t know you’ve been carrying around had been lifted. Getting Arthur’s approval of being part of the gang meant more than you thought it would.

Since then you started seeking out Arthur’s company more and more. You’ve developed a stronger bond with him, but have been careful to keep your attraction to the cowboy to yourself. You had a good friendship, and you didn’t want to screw it up.

Currently you were out hunting alone. You had a knack for getting perfect rabbit pelts with a bow Charles had given you. So far you got three rabbits, but you needed one more to have enough material to make a pillow cover. Plus, Pearson always appreciated the meat. You took out your binoculars and surveyed the field, looking for any rabbits in the distance. You spotted your final prey of the afternoon. Sliding off your horse quietly, you grabbed your bow and started to sneak up on the rabbit. You got into position and took aim, drawing your bow back. You let out your breath slowly and released your arrow, getting another pristine kill. You rushed over to grab the rabbit and stow it on your horse. Just as you were preparing to hop back on your horse to ride back to camp, a figure in the distance caught your eye.

You grabbed your pistol from your holster and started to approach a stranger a few hundred feet away.

“Hey there.” You greeted the stranger, cautious but not in a mood to spill more blood if it wasn’t necessary.

The stranger turned his head and gave you a wave, “Hello! Beautiful day out today, isn’t it?” He had a white horse with him that had bushels of herbs stowed on it.

You slid your gun back into its holster and got within a few feet of the man, “What’cha gathering?” You questioned, looking at the plants wrapped in burlap and sitting on the back of the horse, it looked the same as a patch of plants growing from the earth near the man.

“Some medicine.” The stranger bent down and picked a flower off the plant, “This plant does wonders for feelings of anxiety and stress!” He presented a funny looking green flower bud in his hand.

“Really?” You questioned him, inspecting the plant. You did have a lot of feelings of anxiety recently… “D’ya just eat it?”

“Oh, no no. This works best after it’s been dried. You smoke it, just like tobacco.” He explained to you. “Here, I have some ready to go!” Turning his back to you, he rummaged through a bag on his horse and handed you something that looked like a cigarette.

You took it from the man and inspected it and gave it a sniff. “It kinda smells funny.” You observed aloud.

“Ah, a small price to pay for the medicinal properties.” The man secured his goods on his horse and hopped up on it. “I should be going now, but I highly suggest setting aside a few hours when you smoke it. It can make you feel… funny.”

“Funny?” You looked up at the stranger, “Funny how?”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about it, but it’s also a good idea to have a friend or two around. Come find me if you need more!” The man commanded his horse to get going, leaving you slightly bewildered.

“Huh…” You carefully tucked away the cigarette and mounted your horse. On your ride back to camp, you thought of a particularly stressed cowboy that could use some medicine to help with that.

You arrived back at camp in the late afternoon. Camp was bustling with the women finishing up chores and Pearson putting the stew on the fire. You hitched your horse and grabbed your rabbits and slid the cigarette in your pocket.

“Got a present for you!” You called to Pearson, holding up the rabbits.

“You got perfect timing, kiddo.” Pearson praised you.

You laid down the rabbits on his workstation and got to work on skinning them. “You seen Arthur around today?” You questioned the cook.

“Saw him this morning… I think Dutch said something about him going into Valentine.” Pearson was always in earshot of whatever Dutch was hollering about, so he knew just about everything. “You sure spend a lot of time around him…” He hinted at you.

His comment made you whip your head towards him. “What are you talking about? I spend a normal amount of time with everyone..!” Your defensiveness was definitely not helping your case, and neither was a faint dusting of pink across your cheeks.

“Okay…” He dismissed you, not convinced by your shitty excuse.

You huffed slightly and collected your rabbit pelts and took them over to your tent and hung them up to dry.

Your tent was situated next to Lenny, he was one of the first members to make you feel comfortable and welcomed. You often had guard duty with him, and the two of you always end up slacking off and get a tongue lashing from Mrs. Grimshaw. Plus, your tent’s location gave you a great view of Arthur’s wagon. Right as you were about to start bitching and whining to Lenny about what Pearson had said, you heard the clap of horse hooves approaching camp. You turned your head to see Arthur, feeding his horse a snack and giving it a pat on the neck. Seeing Arthur lightened your mood by tenfold. You watched him as he exchanged a few words with Dutch and then headed over to his cot. Now that he was a bit closer, you noticed a bruise starting to form on his cheekbone and that he was covered in mud. You walked over to him just as he was sitting down.

“You okay, Arthur?” You asked him, concern laced in your voice.

He lifted his head slightly to meet your eyes, “Yeah, it’s nothing.” He always dismissed his own issues. Sure, maybe it was stupid to ask if he was okay when he clearly looked like shit, but you still had to ask. You looked him over now that you were standing only a few feet from him, he looked more tired than anything.

“Go get cleaned up, and I’ll wash your clothes.” You instructed him, you learned quickly that you need to insist he takes care of himself, or else he won’t do a damn thing for his health.

“Naw, really I’m fine.” He began to protest, slightly waving a hand in dismissal.

“Arthur.” You said sternly, giving him a glare. “Get your ass cleaned up, and I’m going to wash your clothes.” You instructed him once more.

Arthur furrowed his brows and met your glare for a few seconds before letting out a sigh and standing up, shrugging off his coat that was caked in mud. You gathered Arthur’s clothes, along with his boots and weapon holsters and headed off to the wash basin to get them clean. You kneeled down on the ground and began scrubbing his clothes clean. You lifted your head frequently to fixate on Arthur. It’s the first time you’ve seen him without 3 or more layers of clothes on. Arthur was slightly bent over at a barrel of water, washing his face in just his union suit. Other men around camp would often walk around in their union suit, especially early in the morning, but you never gave them a second glance. Arthur, however, was another story. He was quite more muscular than you had imagined, and his ass looked perfect. You tore your eyes away from Arthur and forced yourself to focus on getting his clothes and gear clean. You were definitely smoking that funky cigarette later, and dragging Arthur into your shenanigans as well.

A few hours later dinner had been eaten and much to your dismay, Arthur had changed into some real clothing. The sun had set not long ago and things were quieting down around camp. People were retiring to their tents, sitting around the fire, or getting ready to swap look-out shifts. You spotted Arthur smoking a cigarette, leaning on a tree at the edge of camp. You approached him, excited about the plans the man didn’t yet know he was getting roped into.

“Hey.” You greeted the cowboy nonchalantly. “Your clothes should be dry by morning.”

Arthur gave you a nod as he flicked the butt of his cigarette off to the side and blew out some smoke. “Thanks. Ya didn’t have to do all that.”

“I don’t mind.” You assured him. You looked up at the stars, trying to think of a plan if Arthur rejected your offer of smoking something a stranger gave you in the middle of the woods… Maybe you’ll leave that part out.

“Uhm, I got something for you- well, us. Something for us to share.” You glanced at him, becoming nervous all of a sudden.

“Well, aren’t you full of surprises? It my birthday or somethin’?” Arthur joked, making himself the punchline.

“I dunno, is it?” You chuckled softly.

Arthur shook his head with a smile playing on his lips, “Luckily, it ain’t.”

You reached in your pocket and took out the home-made joint you got earlier in the day. “I was out hunting earlier and I found some plants. Kinda like tobacco, but different.” You explained to him.

Arthur squinted his eyes slightly to get a better look at what you were holding. “Ya just picked some plant and made a cigarette outta it? Seems kinda… odd.” he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. He didn’t want to offend you, but this seemed idiotic.

“When you put it like that, you make it sound like I’m trying to kill ya.” You turned your body towards him, trying to seem more serious. “It’s not just some random plant though. It’s medicine that helps with stress. And you are the most stressed cowpoke I know.”

Arthur looked at you for a moment. He could tell this meant a lot to you, for some unknown reason. He glanced at the “cigarette” in your hand. He’s probably put worse in his body, “What the hell.” He states, taking the joint from you and lighting it with a match.

A smile spread across your face, glad that Arthur is letting himself relax a bit. You watched as Arthur inhaled the smoke. He suppressed a few coughs and blew out the smoke, knitting his eyebrows together at the strange taste.

“How is it?” You ask him, extending your hand toward him asking for him to share the smoke.

“See for yourself.” He passed the joint to you as he focused on not coughing like a kid trying to smoke for the first time. You brought the joint to your lips and inhaled, only to start coughing right away. “Jesus christ.” You shoved the joint back into Arthur's hand as you brought a hand to your mouth to cover your cough.

Arthur looked at you with a tinge of concern, “You sure this is safe?” He questioned you.

After taking a few deep breaths you had collected yourself, “Yeah… Yeah, I’m sure it’s fine…” You dismissed his concern. “Medicine isn’t always enjoyable, y’know.”

“I guess…” Arthur took another inhale of the joint, more prepared for the effects now. This time he only cleared his throat slightly before passing the joint back to you.

You decided to take two puffs this time, wanting the effects to start to kick in so you didn’t feel like such an idiot around Arthur anymore. Not used the smoking as much as the cowboy next to you, you still coughed a bit. You passed the joint back and forth a few more times.

“So, it’s just ‘sposed to make you… relaxed?” Arthur questioned, starting to think that this “medicine” was a sham.

“That’s what the guy told me.” You shrugged.

“Guy? What guy?” Arthur looked at you.

“Well… I was out hunting and there was this guy and he had these plants. And he said they help with stress and it might make you feel funny.” You confessed.

“Feel funny?” Arthur questioned you, glancing at the joint that was practically finished by now.

“Yeah…” You didn’t know why he was repeating everything you said. You snatched the joint from him and took the last drag of it.

Before Arthur could reprimand you for taking drugs from a strange man in the woods, a voice rang out from the other side of camp.

“God dammit, who the hell let a skunk in here?” John’s voice called out.

You froze, hearing John’s voice. You had forgotten that it wasn’t just you and Arthur alone outside. You sniffed the air, and then the joint, which did indeed smell similar to skunk. You tossed the butt over your shoulder quickly and glanced at Arthur, biting your lip to hold back a laugh.

Arthur was frozen as well, only his eyes shifted to meet your gaze. He had a dumbfounded look plastered on his face like he’d just been caught in the act of something deplorable. This caused a giggle to form in your throat. You put your hand over your mouth to try and keep quiet, unsure of why exactly you were trying to keep quiet.

John had wandered over to where the two of you were standing. “You guys seen a skunk ‘round here?”

You couldn’t hold it in anymore, you let a string of laughter escape your lips. Suddenly, you heard a low chuckle start to fill the air and you turned your head to see Arthur laughing as well. Of course this only caused you to laugh louder, you raised a finger to point at Arthur in surprise. You’d never heard him laugh like this before. Arthur placed a hand on his stomach and started to laugh properly now, not just a chuckle.

John was left baffled, “What the hell is wrong with the two of you?” he muttered more under his breath as he turned to leave you be.

Your laughter was booming now and your knees were starting to feel weak. You lightly slapped Arthur’s shoulder and pointed at John as he walked away, “He…he thought there was a skunk!” You wiped away some tears that were forming in the corner of your eyes.

Arthur’s laughter matched yours, surely the two of you were disturbing the entire camp by now. “What a jackass!” Arthur mocked John and placed a hand on your shoulder. Your face began to heat up, and both of your laughter began to die down.

You were down to letting out a laugh occasionally now as you looked up at Arthur, his features dimly illuminated by the moonlight and the lanterns around camp. He was absolutely gorgeous. He broke your trance when he spoke up, “Hey, are you hungry?”

You took a moment to tune into your body and hunger cues, but once you did your stomach growled, “Yes!” You gasped as you answered him, like he was a genius for figuring this information out. “We should go to Pearson’s wagon.” You proposed.

“I like that idea.” Arthur agreed with you, pushing his weight off the tree he had been leaning on and wandered over to Pearson’s wagon. He glanced around to make sure no one was around before rummaging through the wagon like a raccoon.

“Here.” He gave you some bread rolls, cheese, and apples.

“Ooooh.” You cooed at the haul Arthur had passed to you. “Let’s eat by the fire.” You began to wander to the fire pit before waiting around to hear his answer. “Yeah, okay, sure.” Arthur grabbed two beers from a crate nearby and joined you by the fire. He plopped himself down on a log, almost falling backwards.

You giggled at his lack of balance, “Be careful.” you warned him as you ripped off a piece of bread and placed some cheese on it and ate it in one bite. Arthur popped open the beer bottles and took a long drink of one.

You grabbed an apple and took a large bite. “Oh my god.” You moaned at the taste of the fresh apple in your mouth. “Oh my god.” You repeated yourself, mouth full of unchewed apple, “You gotta try this.” You held up the apple to Arthur’s mouth, somehow ignoring the shade of pink his cheeks had turned.

Arthur placed his hand over yours and guided the apple to his mouth and took a bite. You had finally begun to chew the food in your mouth, “So good, right?” You asked.

Arthur nodded and took another long drink of his beer, trying to distract himself from the sound you had made and the feelings it stirred deep inside him.

“Mh, good idea.” You said when you saw the beer bottle. You snatched it up and took a drink from your own bottle. You handed Arthur a roll with a piece of cheese in the middle, and the two of you happily stuffed your face in silence for the next few minutes.

Once all the food was eaten, and you took the last swig of beer, a wash of tiredness rushed over you and you let out a yawn. You scooted closer to Arthur on the log you were both sitting on, close enough so the outside of your thighs were touching.

“ ‘M starting to get tired.” You announced.

Arthur looked down at you, “Ya wanna lay down?” He was starting to feel tired himself, especially after the day he had.

You nodded in reply, “Here.” You got up and grabbed a tarp and laid it down by the fire and also grabbed a blanket. “A bed!” You proudly presented your shotty excuse for a bed.

Arthur chuckled slightly, “Alright. Well, get in.” He stood up, getting ready to retire to his own bed.

“You’re coming with me.” You enlightened Arthur as you grabbed his hand and led him to the makeshift bed. You sat down and tugged him down with you.

“What’re you doing?” Arthur questioned you, looking down at his hand that was being held by yours.

“Goin’ to bed, silly.” You told him like it was obvious. You let go of Arthur’s hand and lightly pushed him down so he was laying. You scooted right up next to him and laid down as well. You rested your head on his chest and pulled the blanket over the both of you. You made yourself comfortable at Arthur’s side, draping your arm on his stomach and closed your eyes. “Goodnight, Arthur.” You said, already half asleep.

Arthur accepted his fate, too stoned to protest or think about the consequences of everyone in camp seeing him like this in the morning.

“G’night.” He replied to you, lazily placing a kiss to your head as if this had been his routine for the last 10 years, before drifting off to sleep.

You awoke to the sound of murmuring. You blinked away the sleep from your eyes and adjusted to the harsh light of the sun. An unfamiliar presence was pressed up against your back and you heard a soft snore. Once your eyes adjusted to the daylight, you could see some camp members gathered around you, with knowing looks on their faces.

“I told you they’d get it on!” Sean’s voice rang through your ears.

Suddenly, the events of last night flashed through your mind and your cheeks were quickly heating up.

“Arthur! Get the hell up.” Dutch said as his figure was towering over the two of you.

Arthur’s hand that had been lazily resting on your side suddenly gripped you and pulled you close as he jolted awake, “What the hell?” Arthur groaned as he was ripped away from a peaceful sleep.

You reluctantly wiggled yourself out of his grasp and sat up.

“There is work to be done.” Dutch stated. “We ALL,” he paused to give a glare to the crowd that had gathered to gawk at Arthur and you, “have work to do.”

With Dutch’s warning, the small crowd dispersed with a murmur. Arthur had gotten his bearings now and sat up with you, a blush creeping onto his cheeks as he put on his hat.

“Just gimme five goddamn minutes…” he mumbled, rubbing a hand over his face. Arthur knew he would never hear the end of this.

#rdr2 #rdr2 arthur #rdr2 fanfic #arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan #red dead redemption 2 #red dead redemption 2 fanfic #arthur morgan x gn reader

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photo1030 · 1 year

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Leather and Lace - I’ll Be Home For Christmas

Summary: Its Christmas time and Arthur has been out in the cold, missing for several days

Warnings: A bit of swearing; but very tooth-decay sweet (sorry)

A/N: I was inspired by the other Christmas / seasonal stories and images that I’ve seen so I wanted to try it for myself. *I crunched this out pretty quick, compared to my usual schedule, to meet the “deadline” so this may not be my best work. (For those following my current storyline, this one is out-of-sequence due to it being Christmas time, but it does go with it)

*This AMAZING image is not mine. This comes from @randomscreenshotsworld

This image was a major influence on the storyline, so I thank you!!

It’s been a few days and the gang hasn’t heard from Arthur or John. With everyone tucked up in the mountains in the snow, Arthur and John went out for supplies. Local law has recently started collaborating with Pinkertons, and with enforcement creeping closer, Dutch feared getting cut off and surrounded. So before the Van der Linde gang could get trapped, Dutch pushed you all North. He figured with the coming winter, most people would head South, and hoped to find less densely populated areas for everyone to lay low and regroup.

The feeling in the air is low. Everyone is cold. Everyone is tired. Everyone is hungry. And, it is Christmas time.

Charles, Arthur and John had scouted ahead and found an abandoned house up in the foothills. Partially buried in the snow, it was large enough to house the group, along with some smaller cabins on the grounds. If you had to guess, it was a working farm at one time with the main house for the previous owner and the other buildings were the workers' quarters and/or various processing buildings. And by the looks of it, whoever lived here just up and left, maybe moved west.

The main house was solid, protecting all of you from the elements. Fires were lit in the fireplaces throughout the house, desperate to keep the cold at bay. After you had all arrived and Ms. Grimshaw had begun the process of setting up a secure camp, Arthur took John back out to scavenge for food, medicine, blankets, or anything to help stock up on needed supplies, while leaving Charles with the rest of you. His reasoning was that Charles is the best hunter of the group. Should something happen to either him or John, at least you all would have Charles to help provide. Plus, if Arthur himself isn't going to be in camp, he only feels safe leaving you with either John or Charles to look after you.

Your nerves are on edge with Arthur being gone so long. He is usually only gone a day or so in inclement weather, and its been two days already. The snow and winds are picking up fiercely and one cannot be out in these harsh elements for too long. Even someone as strong and capable as Arthur. But you try your best not to look too worried, for Abigail is in the same situation with John gone, too. And, she has little Jack to try to reassure as well. So in an effort to distract yourself, as well as the Marstons, you decide to try to make things more cheerful in your new location. It is Christmas time afterall. You, the girls, and Jack work to make Christmas decorations for the old house. Digging about within the house, you collect what few things you can find to work with, as well as your current supplies. You make colorful paper garlands and cut snowflakes and string them about the rooms. You bring in pine boughs and pine cones from outside to decorate the windows and fireplace mantles, placing candles about, glittering with their soft and inviting glow. Even Ms. Grimshaw is helping out. Her job is to take care of the camp, and she has made making the new homestead cozy and comfortable her top priority.

"Hey, I see something out there," says Javier, who is sitting on watch by the window. You and Abigail rush to the window as well, pressing against Javier's back to try to see what he sees. You all see a figure approaching, but only one. Its John. Javier and Charles rush out of the house and into the cold to help John stable his horse and carry what provisions he has with him. When he gets into the house, it is obvious that John is quite happy to have made it back. He's half frozen, but the good news is that he has a sack of food with him. "Thank God you're OK!" exclaims Abigail, elated for once to see the man. "Yeah, I'm alright. Freezin' as all hell, though. We got any coffee on?" John asks hopefully, looking over her shoulder to see if he can spot the coffeepot on the fire as he rubs his gloved hands together before blowing his warm breath into them in a futile effort to defrost his fingers.

"Where's Arthur?" you ask John, your voice laced with concern when you look around desperately and its apparent that John came in alone.

"We split up," says John, turning to face you in the small group that has gathered around him now. "We came down through the pass just as the weather picked up. Arthur thought we should cover more ground since we were losing time with the storm rolling in harder. So at the fork, I went right and Arthur went left," and he motions with his hands to reiterate. "I haven't seen him since we split, but I'm sure he’s fine," dismisses John with a wave of his hand, not paying attention to how your eyes shoot wide open in shock. The thought that Arthur was wandering out the cold by himself was almost too much to handle.

"What the hell is the matter with you two idiots?" asks Hosea, exasperated. "How are you supposed to be watchin' each other's backs if you're goin' two totally different directions?!"

"Don't get on his ass," huffs Dutch. "He came back with food, didn't he?" poses Dutch, pointing at John.

"Yeah, and without Arthur!" you interject, trying not to panic.

"Arthur is fine," Dutch says, trying to speak calmly, as he can see your nervousness starting to get the better of you. "He always is."

"I'm sure he's fine," you say, taking a deep breath and trying to remain calm, "but you don't know that for certain." You stare at Dutch, silently pleading for him to do something other than stand there. When Dutch simply stares back at you defiantly, you've made up your mind. "To hell with this, I'm going to look for him," you mutter, turning towards the door.

"No, you're not," Dutch warns as he walks after you.

"Like hell I'm not!" you snap over your shoulder.

"Like hell you are!" Dutch argues, his voice getting louder and moving to put himself between you and the main door. "'Cause the minute you leave here, five minutes later he'll be walkin' through that door!" he gestures with his thumb. "And if he sees you're gone, or you get your ass in trouble, or something happens to you, I'd never hear the end of it. I'll tie you to a God damned chair if I have to!"

You hesitate and lock eyes with the man before you. This plan doesn’t sit well with you at all, but with the weather, you know he's right. Your shoulders slump just a bit in resignation as you reluctantly give in to reason over your heart. "I can't just sit here and do nothing, Dutch", you say with a broken voice.

Sighing, "That's where you're wrong, (Y/N)," Dutch replies, his tone softer now and filled with sympathy for you. "'Cause that's exactly what you're going to do." He can be a cold man, but Dutch is fond of you and can appreciate the love between you and Arthur, as it reminds him of himself and his once beloved Annabelle.

"I'll go," offers Charles, stepping over to you and Dutch.

You turn your tear-glistening eyes to Charles, overcome with surprise and appreciation. "You will?" The robust man gives you a nod, placing his hand on your arm in consolation.

"What, so you can get lost, too?" pipes up Micah from the corner with a wave of his hand. "You're all crazy."

Dutch looks from Micah to Charles, raising his eyebrows with an expectant look. Micah has a point. Charles sighs, just ever-so-slightly. "I'll go out for an hour or so, see if I can find his tracks. If I pick up on him, I'll track him down. If I can't find a trace of him in a few hours, I'll head back. Fair?" he asks Dutch, to which the older man simply nods in agreement. He may be a rotten criminal, but to be honest, the idea of his adopted son lost in the frozen snow didn't sit to well with him, either. And he steps aside and let’s Charles out the door.

After a few hours, everyone hears the door rattle. Charles returns, but still no Arthur. When the burly man comes through the door, he instantly catches your eyes on him, but quickly averts his gaze in guilt. You slowly, quietly walk over to him with a blanket in your arms, ready to throw it around his broad, proud shoulders. "Sorry, (Y/N)," Charles says quietly. "I tried. I did. But I didn't see anything, not a sign." You say nothing, but simply nod in understanding. If anyone was going to find Arthur, it would be the best hunter/tracker in the gang. And even he couldn't do it. So unfortunately, all that you could do is sit and wait.

---------------------------------------

The next day is Christmas Eve. You've hardly slept all night as you see the first signs of the sunrise emerge on the horizon. You've been up sitting at the window, watching for Arthur and making sure a lantern was lit so that he could see a beacon through the snow, something to push forward to. You have an extra blanket at the ready, an endless pot of hot coffee and the fire stoked all night, waiting to welcome Arthur back into the warmth. Your mind raced all night with images of what kind of medical attention he would need and you wanted to be ready for it.

The snowstorm has stopped by the morning, yet you still sit at the window, staring out into the grey, hoping and waiting for some sign of your beloved. Morning carries into the afternoon, yet still no sign of Arthur. John and Charles both went out again for a few hours in vain to look, but to no avail, as the snow has begun to kick-up yet again as the afternoon falls.

Then suddenly, as your eyes continue to search through the frosted glass of the windowpane, you see that familiar shadow slowly lumbering through the snow. It is the unmistakable blue coat of Arthur's, lit by the lantern in his hand, and his huge, sturdy horse, Buck. Your eyes flutter to hold back your tears of relief. "Oh, thank God," you gasp in relief as you immediately jump up, throwing open the door. You dart out of the house, pulling your coat around you as you run. "Arthur!" you can't help but to holler to him across the yard. Arthur has finally returned and nothing else matters at this point in time. As soon as he recognizes you, a smile spreads across his tired and wind-chapped face. He’s frozen, that's for sure. Snow and ice is caked into his beard and his coat is plastered with white, but he is alive and in one piece. You run as fast as the powdered snow will allow and as soon as you're close enough to touch him, you throw yourself into his chest, hugging him tightly.

"What are you doin' out here in the cold," he chuckles into you hair as he deeply inhales your familiar scent like its his home, his arms folding you up against his chest. You can't even form the words to reply, as you are so overcome with relief. Hearing nothing but your sniffles in response to his question makes him pause and take in the state that you are in. 'Of course, she was worried', he thinks to himself. 'Damn fool, you keep forgettin' that.' “Hey, now, don’t be gettin' yourself all worked up over me. I’m alright," he insists, stroking your hair with his gloved fingers. "But if this is the kind of welcome I get, though, maybe I’ll stay out more often,” he teases.

Finally, you are able to get your mind together with Arthur's gruff voice ringing in your ears and pull back from him enough to look up at him. “You do and I’ll wrap my arms around your neck for a different reason than keeping you warm!," you half-heartedly threaten with a grin. You take a moment to take in his face, those features that you have been so desperate to lay your eyes on again. "Where have you been?!" you ask as you cup his face in your hands.

Arthur's chest rumbles with a faint chuckle, a gleam in his eye. "Oh, you can blame this big fella." He releases his grasp on you to turn to pat the hind-quarter of the 8-point buck draped across the rump of his horse. "John and I split up to cover more ground. I wasn't coming up with anything on my end, and then finally I saw this deer here. Had him in my sights, but couldn't bring him down. I tracked him, but he kept leading me further and further out." Arthur shakes his head as he recalls the last three days over again in his head. "I wasn’t about to let this meal get away from me, though," he grins at you. "A buck this size will feed all a'us for a few days. And I swear he knew I was comin’, too."

"Maybe he could smell you," jokes John as he and Charles have come out to greet Arthur and to help carry the carcass in. Arthur chuckles and nods at the joke at his expense. "Yeah, maybe."

"Glad to see you made back in one piece, brother." John claps him on the shoulder. "Yeah, same to you, John," replies Arthur warmly. For all their arguing and fussing, both men are happy to see the other safe and sound again.

"Come on," you say softly, tugging on Arthur's arm to pull him towards the house. "Let Charles handle the deer, and John can take care of Buck for you. Let's get you inside and by the fire. You probably can't even feel your feet by now." You smile up at him warmly and Arthur sinks into your care without resistance, as it is all he's been thinking of since he left, something to keep him pushing forward in the cold.

"Hell, I can't even feel my knees!" he jokes as he lets you lead him back to the house.

Charles brings the deer in under the overhang next to the house and quickly begins to skin and gut the animal. He cuts pieces of meat off the deer and brings them to Mr. Pearson who has already started to prepare food for Christmas Eve dinner. While Charles busies himself with the deer, you get Arthur into the house where its safe and warm. Upon entering, everyone greets Arthur, happy to see him return. After the initial round of "hello's", "what happened?", and hugs, Arthur takes a moment from all of the excitement to look around, noticing all of the decorations, and is pleasantly surprised by the cheerful atmosphere. "Wow, will you look at all this!" he says impressed. "Looks like you all been busy while I was out.".

"Just hush and get yourself over to that fire, would ya?" scolds Hosea, pointing at a stool by the fireplace with one hand, while pushing Arthur's shoulder with the other, ushering him in that direction.

As Arthur shuffles over to the hearth, your eyes begin to tear up as you watch him warm himself by the fire. You can't believe you are actually looking at him right now. You are scared to admit it, but you were having serious doubts if you would ever see him alive again. Noticing you sniffling and discreetly holding your hand over your mouth, he turns to you, his eyebrows knit together in concern. "Hey, now, what's this all about?" You just shake your head at him with a weak smile and wave him off, unable to speak. You are so overwhelmed by the relief to have him home again. He reaches out his strong arm to you as you walk over to him. "Come on, no, I told you I'm fine," he tries to reassure you again softly as he puts a hand on each of your arms, rubbing them slightly in an effort to offer you some comfort. All you can do is nod, looking down at his feet. He feels so bad for making you worry so. He lays a hand along your cheek, lifting your face up so he can see your glistening eyes. "Look, we can't have tears on Christmas, now. That just wouldn't be right." And Arthur gives you that smirk of his, that one that you can't help but love.

As the evening carries on, everyone is getting along and there is little complaining. The room is comfortably warm with the large fire going, thanks to the firewood that Javier and Bill gathered. Soon enough, tonight's Christmas feast is served. With warm feet, full bellies, and everyone accounted for, there is much to be happy for. Everyone spends the evening eating, singing, and playing card games and dominoes. Some are snuggling up to each other by the fire. Even Micah is being pleasant and joins in on the festivities. With dinner finished and cleared, you suddenly ask for everyone's attention and announce that you have Christmas gifts for all. You disappear to one of the back rooms and emerge with a sack that is bulging with its contents. With a huge smile, you begin to hand out all of the items that you have spent months preparing for tonight. Among the gifts are:

Socks for Bill, a scarf for Lenny, a new red neckerchief for Micah; you commissioned a knife to be made for Javier, made your own arrows for Charles (made after he showed you how to do it); a new teapot for Hosea, a book for Dutch, a gilded hand-mirror for Molly, a writing pen for Mary Beth, a broach for Ms Grimshaw, new combs for Tilly, and mittens for Uncle. A hand-knit a shawl for Abigail, a new leather saddlebag for John and, of course, wooden toys for Jack, who is just so excited that he begins to play with the pieces instantly. Plus a few other items for everyone else as well.

"I’ve been working on this since August! A little at a time, but I managed to do it," you say proudly as you stand next to a seated Arthur whose arm is wrapped around your waist, keeping you close to him. "Do you know how hard it’s been to keep this all under wraps?"

"Is that why we’ve been lugging around that extra trunk with the lock on it?" Arthur asks, looking up at you, suddenly putting the pieces together in his mind. "Yep!" you quip with a huge smile. You look around the room, watching everyone enjoy their new gift, and you are so happy to be able to bring just a little joy to your fellow family members.

With everyone else taken care of, you finally turn towards your beloved. You give him a sly smile and an arched eye-brow as you reach down and take him by the hand, your smaller fingers lacing with his much larger ones. "Come with me," you say softly and you pull him up from the chair he's sitting in and head towards the door. Donning your coats, you take Arthur outside as the snow starts to fall again, but this time, its gentle and airy, not blowing and harsh like its been for the past few days. It’s dark out now, but the moon is full, casting a bright silvery light to dance upon the snow which shines and sparkles like billions of tiny diamonds. Its actually quite peaceful and beautiful, now.

"I haven’t forgotten about you," you say as you stop and turn to face him. "I’ve saved the best for last," a look of mischief upon your soft face. You reach down and take hold of his wrist, lifting it up to his chest level and open his hand to set a drawstring bag into his palm. Arthur gives you a quizzical look before he lets his fingers fumble with the soft fabric. He opens the little pouch and pulls out a silver disc.

“A pocket watch?” he asks with a smile as he flips it around in his hand to admire the fine filigree etching that adorns its smooth surface.

"Open it," you reply simply, tilting your chin towards his hand slightly. He clicks open the item, pushing down on the top button to pop open the little door and sees the arrow and unmistakable markers of the cardinal directions. "It’s a compass," he confirms with a nod, his grin widening even more. (The irony of him holding a compass after being lost in the cold for the past three days isn't lost on him.)

"I know you lost yours in that poker game awhile back," you say, thinking back to a few months ago. "I tried to think of the perfect gift for my tireless wanderer." You cast your gaze from the compass in his hand to his beautiful blue eyes that catch the moonlight just so. "You know," as you lay your hands on his wrists as he holds the item between both sets of his calloused fingers, "The thing about a compass is, it doesn’t tell you where you are. It tells you where you’re going. So no matter where you are, Arthur, I hope you will always find your way back to me."

Arthur takes in your words and looks from the compass to your face. His heart swells so much he thinks it will burst. "I…I don’t know what to say." He is quiet for a moment, overwhelmed by your gesture. "I love you so, so much, (Y/N)." There is a tight knot in his throat, swollen with emotion. He holds your face with his large hand, his warm palm heating your chilled cheek. "But…I didn’t get you anything," he says, suddenly realizing it and feeling guilty.

"Says who?" you smirk. You reach your hands up to pull the collar of his coat up closer to his red cheeks to keep him warm. "You made it home alive and in one piece today. And all I want, all I’ve ever wanted, is you." Your large doe-eyes look up at him with such devotion that despite his ever-lingering self-doubt, Arthur can't help but to know your statement to be true. "In fact, I had a little chat with Dutch and told him that we’ll be “indisposed” for the next 48 hours." Your hands leave Arthur's wrists and snake their way around his torso and link together behind his back. When you do so, he brings his own arms around your shoulders to pull you in even tighter together. "So if you really want to give me a Christmas gift, Arthur Morgan, you will come with me into that cabin over there (tilting your head over towards one of the side buildings on the property that already has a fire glowing in the windows) and just... be with me, and only me." Secretly you can’t wait to see his reaction to how you've decorated your little nest for the two of you.

"I think I can do that," he confirms, touching his forehead to yours before pulling back again just enough to meet your gaze. "But I still don’t see how you’re making out on that deal," he jokes.

You smile and lift up on your toes to kiss his lips ever to gently. "Then I guess you’ll just have to improvise and think of something.”

You stand there together in the snow looking at each other, drinking each other in with mutually adoring eyes. You observe the fat snowflakes catch on each other's eye lashes and cheekbones, neither saying anything for a bit and risk ruining this perfect moment of contentment.

"Merry Christmas, Arthur."

"Merry Christmas, (Y/N)."

#arthur morgan #arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan x female reader #arthur morgan x f!reader #arthur morgan x reader fluff #arthur morgan christmas #rdr2 #red dead redemption 2 #arthur morgan x reader christmas

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immajustvibehere · 1 year

Text

Treat - Valentine's Special

Pairing: Arthur Morgan x gn!Reader

A drabble in which Arthur gifts you some chocolate.

masterlist

A little story for my fellow Arthur lovers who either have no significant other this Valentine's or someone who says "Valentine's Day isn't special it is just to profit from love. We love each other every day of the year so we don't have to do gifts, okay?"

560 words, 5 minutes reading time

Money has been tight in the van der Linde gang. A heist gone wrong forced all of you to lie low. And you have been lying low for two weeks now. That was a problem because it made finding leads more complicated. And even if someone found something, someone else had been faster. A stagecoach? Already robbed. A homestead with a hidden treasure? Burned to the ground. It was frustrating. Especially because the food Pearson cooked became more revolting with every day. The camp had run out of salt, sugar and any sort of vegetable that could have turned the food somewhat nutritious. No potatoes or carrots, no apples or peaches for dessert. Just meat the boys had hunted and some herbs that grew around camp.

You sat under a tree, gulping down dinner when you saw Arthur approach. He had returned a couple of minutes ago, you had seen him dismount, but then had lost sight of him as he headed towards camp and you away from it, finding a place to suffer through dinner alone and have some peace.

"Y/n", Arthur greeted, coming closer.

"Hey Arthur", you smiled, putting down your half-empty plate, "how are you?"

"'m fine, you?", he replied.

"I've been better", you admitted.

"I've something to cheer ya up, I-I think", Arthur stuttered. You could tell he was excited, flustered even.

"Is it a solid lead that won't blow up in our faces?", you quipped. Your happy chuckle made Arthur gulp as he squatted down next to you.

"'m afraid not. But I did manage to get my hands on some money today", Arthur explained before he pulled a chocolate bar out of his satchel, "Here ya go."

You took it reluctantly: "For me?"

"Sure", Arthur nodded, scanning your face for a reaction.

"You shouldn't have! I...I mean the gang needs the money so despe-", you started, your cheeks blushing.

"It's okay. The camp got its share", Arthur explained calmly. You looked at him while he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. So he bought this from his share of the money?!

You looked at the chocolate, still not sure if you could accept it: "Maybe Jack-?"

"I wanted you to have it", Arthur confirmed, "I also got a new bottle of rum if ya don't mind sharin'."

With great pleasure Arthur watched how you relaxed and cracked a smile. As he sat down next to you, you peeked back to the camp. Everyone was sitting at the fire, chatting and drinking together, and yet Arthur had decided join you instead. You felt a surge of emotion when you looked at Arthur again, now seated right next to you, so that your legs touched and you could see the blush on his cheeks clearly.

"Yer okay?", Arthur chuckled when he saw you smiling like an idiot.

"Yeah", you nodded, "Thank you for this."

"'course", Arthur shrugged as if it was nothing. Though he knew that today was special, because if the liquor would do its job properly, he'd confess his feelings sooner rather than later. He figured it was time he told you. Strangely enough, he didn't fear a rejection because deep down...he was sure you reciprocated his feelings.

The moment you had accepted the chocolate from him, he watched in awe how happy he could make you and knew from that second onwards, that he would chase that feeling forever.

#arthur morgan x reader #red dead redemption 2 #arthur morgan fanfiction #arthur morgan #red dead redemption community #rdr2 #rdr2 fanfiction #rdr #rdr fanfiction #arthur morgan x gn reader

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nicomundthered · 1 year

Text

To Be Hunted

pairing: Arthur Morgan x fem!reader

warnings: angst with happy ending, animal death briefly mentioned.

summary: from the prompt- Arthur teaching the reader (his girlfriend) to hunt.

word count: 5,217

a/n: repost from ao3.

Masterlist

It was late July, and hot as the fire Uncle just crudely pissed beside. Everyone sat miserably waiting for the scouting party to return. Dutch decided it was best to move camps, needing to be closer to some sort of wealth, so the ‘men of the camp’ were out searching for greener pastures. Or really just some place the gang had yet to tap dry.

You had been riding with said gang for the past eight months.

After your life didn’t quite end up as you planned, you kinda stuck with the mindset of: this world is rough so you gotta be tough.

Which really had already built you up too much. In truth you were found walking aimlessly in the Heartlands, after your horse had collapsed, dead.

If it hadn't been for Arthur being kind enough to take you to the gang, who knows where you’d be by now.

The fact was nobody gave damn about you, until he found you.

And you’ve enjoyed your stay for the most part. You had food, a place to sleep, and probably the most beneficial you had constant protection. However, you didn’t want to sound ungrateful or spoiled or anything, but Dutch was very protective of the ladies, and did not want them involved with much of anything. A little pickpocketing here, a little playing a damsel in distress there. But that was really it.

As a general rule he wanted all of you doing the domestic work, while the men got their hands dirty.

He meant it nobly you supposed, but for a woman like yourself, it didn’t sit right. You missed doing things, and going places. Even if it were risky or out of your comfort zone. You just felt like you could do, and perhaps be more.

That was all until you started going steady with Arthur. Then little, by little, you had picked up more responsibilities. Small, unimportant things if you looked at the big picture, but better than cleaning Bill’s soiled union suit.

You mainly helped steal livestock. Always late into the night, and always with Arthur by your side. And on the very rarest of occasions you’ve helped with some homestead robberies. They were a little more intense, and you could tell that they made Arthur a nervous wreck.

He had given you one of his revolvers and had shown you all the basics, but you still weren't great. If practice makes perfect, then how the hell were supposed to learn?

Your thoughts were interrupted as you heard horses and laid your eyes on Arthur leading the group. His freshly cleaned blue shirt was brown with mud and his coat was missing.

They hitched their horses, all looking very irritated, and seemed to be avoiding Arthur’s gaze.

“What the hell happened?” You called out while making your way to them, eyes worriedly searching Arthur for injuries.

“Damn O’driscoll’s.” Arthur stormed past you infuriated. He made his way to his tent and threw his hat onto his bed. Then he kicked the side of his trunk while muttering all kinds of things, then sat down with his hands in his hair, and his elbows resting on his legs.

You were frozen to the spot, not sure what you should or shouldn't do. This was, for sure, uncharted territory. Arthur didn't lose his cool.

Hosea walked up and stood beside you. “We were ambushed. Those damn Irish bastards somehow knew...If it hadn’t been for his quick thinkin’ I reckon we’d all be dead right about now.” He gently patted your shoulder and left you alone.

Your relationship was still pretty new. You’ve known that you’ve liked him since meeting him but it didn’t get serious until a few weeks ago.

And boy did it get serious, fast.

At first he seemed reluctant. He liked you, but you had to keep convincing him that you wanted the relationship. And then, after some questioning, and maybe even an ultimatum, he had told you about Mary and the damage that she’d done...and then, then he told you about Isaac.

You're not saying that you fully understood. You couldn’t, you had never had nor lost a child. But it helped you recognize and understand certain behaviors and tendencies of his. When he’d pull away from you, or why it took him so long to kiss you. Or, sometimes why he needed space. He was, at times, the most self loathing person that you'd ever met. It didn't necessarily hurt your relationship but it did make it, at times very challenging.

It happened the first time, a couple of days after he told you about his son. In a way, the confession freed him. He touched you more, albeit in private, but that was fine by you.

Then he asked if you wanted to take a trip to Strawberry.

You were excited, not having left camp in what felt like months. He bought you dinner, and offered to buy you a new outfit, but you declined. You hoped to soon earn your own money and buy your own clothes. He worked too hard for the gang to waste his money on a dress, when people in the camp were hungry.

He was anxious about something, and you weren't sure what it was until he nervously rubbed the back of his neck and stated that it was getting late, and that he could buy a room if you wanted.

You blushed and nodded ‘yes’ that you wanted to stay. He moved so quickly to pay that he almost tripped over his chair.

He grabbed your hand, his palm was uncharacteristically sweaty, and the other couldn’t stop fidgeting with his collar. As he led you up the stairs into the small yet cozy room.

It was your first time sharing a bed and you were worried it would be awkward. Especially because of how different he was acting.

You both stripped down to your underclothes. He complimented you and told you how beautiful you were. You both got under the covers, you were too worried that you were somehow pressuring him into this.

But in reality he was just waiting for you to make the next move.

The room was cold and Arthur was warm, and before either of you knew it you were snuggled closely, drifting off to sleep.

You woke to the sun creeping in from around the dark drapes. Disoriented at first until you felt his strong arms holding you firm against his body. You turned slightly, just enough to look at his face.

He looked so peaceful, something you weren't used to seeing. Dutch was gonna work him to death. And that was the thought that urged you forward. You softly kissed his brow, and then placed one on either side of his slightly parted mouth.

His eyes opened slowly and when they locked with yours, he could no longer hold himself back. His mouth explored, and his full concentration was solely on you.

The only way to describe that morning was, you, for the first time in your life felt complete.

Ever since your trip to Strawberry your relationship was different. He had developed an appetite that only you could satisfy. He still wasn't keen on public affection, he just wasn't comfortable with all the wondering eyes.

So you were the one that insisted on letting the camp know he was yours. It made you proud, and you knew that deep down Arthur was thankful for your boldness. So you’d grab his hand or reach up to kiss him anytime you felt that he needed it, or whenever you did, it didn't matter who it was in front of.

Though, you were still not sharing a tent. You wanted to, but didn’t want to push him into anything he wasn’t ready for.

That was the imbalance of your relationship. He sometimes wouldn’t talk, and sometimes neither would you.

As you watched him sitting on his cot, you realized that for as long as you've known him, you couldn’t recall ever seeing him like this. You didn’t know what he needed, and you didn’t want to make the wrong move. He truly was fragile. More so than anyone knew, anyone but you.

You slowly walked over to him, his head still hung low. “Arthur, you ok?”

He looked up hesitantly, the untrained eye wouldn't have noticed, but you saw the extra moisture in his eyes.

He plastered on a fake half smile and said “Would you want to go hunting with me tomorrow?”

You were taken aback and felt your eyebrows pinch together. “Arthur?...”

You gasped as he suddenly reached forward and grabbed both of your hands. “I just really think we should go hunting.”

“O..ok. Whatever you want to do tomorrow sounds good to me.” You tried to smile, but you felt it fall flat. Something wasn't right, and you were more than worried about him.

He stood abruptly “Good, we’ll leave first thing in the morning.” He kissed you on the top of your head and pulled you into a fierce hug that almost winded you. Then as quick as it happened, he let go, and walked across the camp to Charles.

You couldn’t sleep. Anxiety found its place in your chest, your breath was short, and your heartbeat felt a few beats quicker.

The hours ticked by slowly until the moon disappeared and the sun lit the sky a soft pink.

You sensed his presence and heard his footsteps, before you heard him gently calling your name. You turned over slowly pretending you had just had a good night's sleep.

He looked fully prepared for the day. Hat and coat were already on, and you looked over to your horses only to see that they both were saddled and ready.

“You about ready to go?”

You stood slowly, feeling probably how you looked, tired. When you studied his features from under the brim of his hat, you noticed that he didn’t look much better.

“Let me change and eat something.”

“Here.” He passed you a can of biscuits.

You looked at him a little angry at his impatience.

“Stew ain’t done yet, and I want to get out of here before Miss Grimshaw gets mad at me for takin’ ya.”

You nodded accepting both the biscuits and the explanation.

You wore your favorite outfit. It was a black buttoned up top with dark jeans that you liked to tuck into your black boots. It matched perfectly with your black hat that had a green ribbon around the base. You liked to call it your ‘outlaw’ uniform, because you always wore it when you were ‘outlawing’ (plus it made you feel badass), but Arthur hated that.

He hated what he felt that he made you into one. He hadn’t though, you would have become one, one way or another, either that or died. It was truly inevitable.

When you met him at your horses, he looked you up and down, a not so subtle frown on his face. He had grown to hate the outfit. It wasn’t that you didn't look great, it was the implications of it.

“I don’t want to hear it. I didn’t want to ruin any of my other clothes.”

He exhaled out of his nose and moved his horse forward, not even waiting for you to mount.

You stroked your horse lovingly, stuck one foot into the stirrups and then swung the other leg over until you were sitting high on his back.

You didn’t rush to catch up to Arthur. If he wanted to ride with you he’d have to slow down to your pace. You were gonna savor every second away from those annoying people you called your family. You weren't going to let his strange mood ruin your fun.

After a few minutes he seemed annoyed that you weren't beside him, so he turned around making a big circle and until you were riding alongside him.

It was then you noticed that he had two bows and what seemed like an excessive amount of arrows. You felt a thrill, more than a little excited to learn something new.

He led you to a spot not too far away from camp, maybe forty five minutes. And if you considered your slow pace, not far at all.

He offered to help you off of your horse, the first sign of your Arthur that you've seen in what felt like a long time. You accepted his hand as he helped you down.

He smiled at you as his hands naturally found your hips. He looked like he wanted to say something but instead he reached behind him and handed you the bow. “Charles made this for ya.”

“For me?” You looked at the dark wood with little vine-like carvings. “Wow, it's so beautiful.”

He swallowed thickly, and his eyes wandered not being able to look at you for too long. “You can thank him when we get back”.

“Oh I definitely will. I’ve always wanted my own bow.”

He looked back to you, the same strange expression on his handsome face.

“We’ll follow the sun a bit.” He pulled out his binoculars and looked ahead. “There’s always deer around these parts.”

“Should I be taking notes?” You were trying to poke fun to lighten the dark mood, but either he didn’t hear the humor in your voice, or maybe he didn't think it was funny.

“Nah, you've got a good memory.”

He then taught you how to hide your horses, but to never hitch them. That way they'd be able to come when you whistled. Which was very important when you had a large animal carcass.

Then he led you, on foot, through some trees, until you came upon an area of dense brush. He crouched and you copied him.

“Alright. Now I’m gonna teach you about tracking.”

You nodded like the diligent student you were. You liked ‘instructor’ Arthur. He was demanding and intense. It turned you on…

“You even listenin’ to me?”

You blushed and ducked your head. “Of course I am.”

“Then what did I just finish sayin’?” He stood, cocked his hips to the side, and then placed both hands on his gun belt.

You stood and tilted your head in an attempt of defiance.. “You were talkin’ about tracking.”

“What about it?”

After your long pause, he grew slightly frustrated. He took off his hat and pulled out his handkerchief to wipe his face and back of his neck. Then he messed with the fold of his hat before placing it back on his head.

He did the action to calm himself down. You suspected that it stopped him from fussing at you.

“Look, if you ain’t gonna take this seriously…”

“I want to learn.”

“Ok then.” He went on to explain how to track, and all the things you could find that animals left behind. Fur, droppings, and all kinds of fun stuff like that.

After tracking for a few minutes, he found a trail. He expertly followed it, speaking lowly, but still giving you plenty of pointers along the way.

Then he looked back at you and brought one finger to his lips. You quietly caught up. There were five deer, spread far enough apart to see individually, peacefully grazing on grass.

He whispered so softly you could barely hear him. He explained how to pick the right one to kill. You wanted to make sure it wasn’t sick, or had a fawn nearby.

He grabbed his bow, briefly showing you how to hold it, grabbed an arrow, and stood. Then he pulled the arrow back with his strong arm, gave a quick whistle, and when the deer looked up he let go. Killing the animal instantly.

The whole process was a bit sad to you. But the way that Arthur handled it, was the most humane way to do it. You needed to eat, the deer was food, and Arthur didn’t let it suffer.

You had never killed anything so seeing the animal laying there was a different experience. You ate animal every time you ate stew, and to eat stew someone had to do the exact thing you had just witnessed.

It was something that you’d get better at, you’d already felt less squeamish the more you looked at the dead animal.

“If we come across some more before it gets too late, I’ll teach you how to skin it, and the cleanest way to get its meat.”

Before you could protest the morbid idea, not quite trusting your adjusting stomach to go that far, he whistled loudly and after a few seconds you heard his horse galloping.

He took the arrow out, wiped the blood off, and placed the deer on the back of his horse. You went ahead and whistled for your horse as well, for some reason you wanted them to stay together. Then you both lead them to a secluded area, so you could continue your hunt.

“Ok, this next one is all you.” He gestured for you to take the lead.

You gulped. You had paid attention, you truly did. But having to remember things on the spot made you slightly nervous. That and the fact that Arthur wasn't himself. He was more intimidating and serious and that made you more than a little anxious. You didn't want to disappoint him.

At first you were doing great. After a few minutes of looking for droppings, you had found some, and that made the trail pretty clear. So you followed and followed, until you lost it completely.

He was positive and encouraged you. Afterall, this was your first time doing so. Frankly, he just seemed happy that you’d remembered some of his lessons.

Then a couple of hours later, you had lost count on how many animal turds you had inspected, you had finally found a small herd.

You smiled back at him, and as he caught up looking at what you'd found, he briefly let a smile escape through whatever was going through his head.

“Now what?” You stood close to him and whispered.

He nodded to your bow, which you pulled out, and went a step ahead and retrieved an arrow as well.

He stood behind you, so close that you could feel his breath on the back of your neck. He gently placed your arms where they needed to go pressed his body firmly against yours, pulling the bow back.

You held your breath as you felt his strong arms guide you, and when you felt his warm-calloused hands grip your hand and then your hip, you couldn’t help it, a little moan escaped as you looked up at him.

Unfortunately for you, this was at the same time he chose to release your arrow. It flew and fell a good ways away from the deer, causing the herd to disperse.

“Goddamnit!” He yelled.

You jumped at the unexpected outburst.

“Why can’t you just pay attention!?” He threw your bow down and started walking the opposite way, back towards the horses.

You stood frozen for a moment, and tried to understand what had just happened. Then when you were over the initial shock you picked up your bow and followed.

When you caught up you walked backwards so that you were facing him. “What the hell was that Arthur?” You were angry and your voice let it show.

His brows were pinched tightly and the brim of his hat was pushed down lower than usual.

He ignored you, and continued walking with long strides.

“Hey.” He didn’t stop.

“Hey!” You stopped in front of him, causing him to run into you before he looked up and stopped.

“What?” He had the nerve to grumble at you.

You took a deep breath and calmed down before speaking. “Look, I don’t know what's going on with you…”

“It’s nothin’.” He cut you off sharply.

“Well it's obviously something.” You took off your hat so he could see your expressions more clearly. “I know that I ain’t a natural or nothin’ but you don’t have to treat me like an idiot. This was my first time, and you know that.”

“You were distracted. You weren’t even paying any attention.” His voice was harsh and absolute. His eyes avoided yours.

“Yeah that's cause this guy who i've been courting had his big strong arms on me.” You said in a southerbell voice, while fanning yourself with your hat dramatically. You regretted it immediately when he didn't even smirk.

“Look I’m not going to apologize that I'm attracted to you.” You took a step forward getting just in his space. “And when you put your hands on me, I think of all the things those hands have done and can do.”

“A lot of killing.” He murmured

“Yeah...that’s true. But that ain’t quite what I was thinkin’.” You stood on your toes and kissed him.

It was the first time he hadn’t eagerly responded to one of your kisses, and an icey fear shot through your veins.

You took a giant step back. It all made sense now. “Are you trying to break up with me?” Your voice sounded dead to your own ears.

That got his attention. His whole face crumbled, and your Arthur came back. He took off his hat so that you could see him as he could you. “God no. How could you even ask that?”

“Well you seemed to be pretty annoyed with me.”

“I...I ain’t annoyed.” He sighed and shook his head.

You placed your hands on your hips, and raised an eyebrow.

“I’m really not.”

“You could have fooled me.”

“It’s not an easy thing for me to explain.”

Your face cooled down and your hands dropped by your side. “It’s ok we got time.” You looked up at him pleadingly. “Talk to me, please.”

He took a deep breath and nodded his head. He knew that he had to come clean, but he wasn’t sure he could do it. He looked around for a comfortable spot. “Fine. Let's go sit under that tree.”

He walked you over to a smooth boulder, under a big tree. You sat down side by side, thighs barely touching.

He placed his hands in his lap, as his fingers played with a tear in his pants.

You wanted him to speak first, no you needed him to speak first. Even though he said he wasn't ending things with you, it still felt like it. So you waited and waited, until he finally cleared his throat a few times and started to speak.

“Yesterday, when we was out lookin’ for a new camp.” He paused and worked his jaw a few times. “Everything was fine one minute. Bill was saying all these ignorant things and Hosea was schoolin’ him…” His eyes squinted at the memory. “And then out of nowhere, we were surrounded by O’driscoll’s.”

You laid your hand on his thigh, and without a second thought he grabbed a hold of it tightly. You felt a little less scared at the reassurance. His hand in your hand made the world feel right again.

“Dutch froze. He looked so shocked and angry. Like he couldn’t believe this was happenin’ to him.” His gaze was on the horizon, it looked as though he was reliving every detail.

“And then what happened?” You asked as your thumb rubbed circles on the back of his hand.

“He, he pulled out his guns and just started shootin’ em’.”

Your eyes widened. “Without trying to talk to them first?”

He shook his head. “He didn’t even try.”

“That doesn't sound like Dutch.”

“No it doesn't.” He sighed heavily. “Everyone but Dutch ran for cover. He just stood there in the middle of the field. Guns blazing. He looked insane, I don’t think he even blinked. I told everyone to cover him, while Charles and I went around them and flanked the bastards.”

“I’m glad at least you had a plan.” You said proudly. You knew that it wasn't important to him, but you always felt that he would make a good leader. He had something most leaders didn't, he actually cared about people.

He gave a humorless chuckle. “I suppose.”

“Why did you show up so dirty?”

“I came up on a group of them. I started shooting and then this sonofabitch tackled me from behind. We fell off of a small cliff and landed in mud.”

You panicked slightly. “You said you were ok.”

He turned, his piercing eyes stared straight into yours. “I’m fine...I know that we only fell for a few seconds but, but for the first time in my life...I was scared I was gonna die.”

“Cause he…”

“Cause I was afraid I couldn’t get back to you.” His eyes welled with tears and he quickly looked away in frustration. “Damnit, I’ve just never felt this way before, and I don't really know what i'm saying or how to say it.”

You sat quietly trying to take the confession in. Did you make him weak?

“...and if all of us would have died. What would have happened to y'all back at camp?”

“We would have figured something out.”

“None of you can even hunt.”

Then all the pieces fell into place, and the picture was clear. “Arthur I’m a grown woman..”

“And you're mine to look out for.” He squinted like he didn’t like how that sounded. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“No you are right. I am yours. Always. But you don't have to always look out for me.”

“I do though.” He turned fully towards you taking both your hands, reminding you of yesterday. “Look if I die out there, doing god knows what.”

You violently shook your head as tears welled up in your eyes.

“It, it could happen. And we both need to face them facts. If I were to not come back...I, I can’t die thinkin’ that you was left alone, not knowing how to defend yourself, or how to find food.” He leaned into your palm as you wiped a tear. “I ain’t strong enough for that. It scares the living shit out of me.”

He returned the favor and wiped some of your falling tears. “Don’t worry about me like that. I’d figure it out, you know I would.”

“I can’t help it. Leaving you would be the most difficult thing I’ve ever done, and knowing that I made you an outlaw. Knowin’ that you couldn’t find honest work, or an honest husband because of me...”

“It ain’t your fault. You saved me.”

He pulled you to him. Unable to continue. He just wanted to forget everything.

The hug was fierce and you held on for dear life, and you heard him whisper, mostly to himself “and you saved me.” He was anchoring you at this very moment, without it you don’t think you would have been strong enough to stay upright.

“And I couldn’t help but think that I never would have gotten the chance.”

“What chance?”

He pulled back so he could look at you. “To tell ya how much you mean to me.”

You smiled. “I would have known.”

“I love you.”

You smiled wide. Your whole body felt warm and your heartbeat quickened. “I love you too Arthur. So very much.”

He kissed you. It wasn’t gentle but it also wasn’t rough. A perfect balance.

He kissed you until you felt his ridgid shoulders soften, and all the stress of yesterday disappear.

He looked in your eyes and spoke softly. “I’m so lucky.”

“Make me a promise then, please.”

“Anything.” He responded resolutely.

“If you ever have something like that going on in your mind you talk to me. Ok?”

His eyes hardened a little.

“I’ve spent the last twenty four hours worried about you. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn't eat. I even left the biscuits you gave me back at camp. And if you would have just told me how serious this was to you I would have been a better student.”

He smiled. “You were a fine student. I was just a little impatient is all.”

“No I most certainly wasn't. I was far too distracted by the teacher. Even if he was a little impatient.” You winked playfully.

He smirked.

You turned serious again. “Promise me. Please?”

“Alright I promise. But you have to know by now I ain’t an easy man to live with. Sometimes I bottle up and I’m not exactly sure why. And I'm definitely not used to being loved...It feels amazin’ don't get me wrong, I just ain’t used to.”

“Then I guess I got to work on you then.”

Grinning at your playful tone, he started kissing you again.

It was much, much later before you both returned to camp. The sky was purple and stars were becoming visible. The campfire was blazing, and, thankfully, the night air was much cooler.

You brought back two deer carcasses. Mr. Pearson was very happy and began prepping them right away.

After dropping off the deer, Arthur grabbed a beer, while you walked over to your bedroll. You packed all of your stuff and just as you stood, Karen walked up with a knowing look about her.

“And where do you think you're going?”

You stood proudly. “Arthur and I are sharing a cot.”

“About damn time.” She laughed while sashaying away, looking for trouble.

On your way to his wagon you passed by Charles, who was carrying a load of firewood.

“Oh Charles, thank you so much for the bow. It is the most beautiful one i've ever seen.”

He smiled. “I’m glad you liked it. Arthur made me build it so fast I was worried I wouldn’t have time to add the details.”

“It’s perfect, honest. Thank you.”

“You are very welcome. Anytime you need something like that let me know. All I ask is to give me some time in advance.”

You chuckled. “Ok no problem.”

You made your way over to his wagon and paused while looking at all of his stuff. It wasn’t the first time you studied his pictures, but it was the first time you noticed Mary's was missing.

At the start of a vulgar campfire song you looked over to your strange family. Arthur was probably on his second beer by now, and judging by the way he was enjoying himself it would be far from his last.

You sat a few of your beloved trinkets down on the table next to his flower in a jar. Set a picture of your parents next to the one of his mother, and placed your bow next to his in the corner. Then you shoved the rest of your things, and your clothes under his cot. You’d have to get some storage of your own soon.

You stood back admiring your work. Everything of yours looked somehow better mingled with his.

Satisfied with how everything looked, you made your way over to the campfire. He saved you a seat, greeted you with a big slightly drunken smile, and offered you a fresh beer.

After a few bars and a few beers, you found yourself happily singing along.

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#arthur morgan x reader #Arthur Morgan x you #arthur morgan x female reader #my fics

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little-homestead-in-the-suburbs · 9 months

Text

Operation Functional Home: Take Two- Day 7

Project: Freezer clean and inventory

Cleaned out and organized my small freezer above my fridge.

SO MANY BANANAS! I apparently shoved lots of over ripe bananas in there this year, along with several bags of either freezer burned chicken and various roast poultry carcass frames (bones and scraps) for making soup stock.

Cooked up a big pot of poultry stock to pressure can tomorrow as well as two loaves of cinnamon banana bread to help clear out part of the freezer. Also disposed of some extremely freezer burned mystery meats and veggies that I just couldn't deal with.

Pics of the three containers of soup stock chilling overnight and one loaf of bread.

I also added a door inventory using dry erase marker to help track what I have, as a variation on my fridge calendar inventory. I've tried paper ones in the past but can't manage them as usually they get knocked off or something spilled on them.

Pic Left - freezer inventory, Pic Right- Fridge date inventory mostly for stuff I make or that goes bad quickly.

Improve:

- organized small freezer

-decluttered and organized food storage cabinet, trashed a lot of recycled containers in a swap for glass and limited recycled. Peanut butter jars are great for soups and freezer meals short term.

Maintain:

- kitten litter boxes, and quick sweep

- kept up with dishes 2.5 loads done

-made chicken stock

-made banana bread

-took out trash

-picked up yesterdays eating dishes

-took out compost bucket

#cleaning #clutter #unfuck your habitat #building new habits takes time #one day at a time #ufyh #undiagnosed neurodivergent #operation functional home #sustainability #neurodivergence #little homestead at camp #suburban homestead #home canning #home cooking #organization tricks

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khorren · 5 months

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Saoirse is Aisling’s younger sister. When their father abandoned them to follow Dragon, they were taken in by the Ulvstroms.

Over the years she became obsessed learning about Jormag and its domains of magic. She thought that if she learned magic related to this she could impress her father and show that she’d be extremely useful to have around. Paying off a team of Inquest scientists working inside the Crucible of Eternity she learned of some magic connected to the domains of Ice and Persuasion. She thought she researched this well enough, but the magic backfired and permanently altered her appearance amongst other things. Her hair and face in particular, forever marked with frost, and her eyes with an ethereal icy glow that left you feeling just a little uncomfortable if you stared for too long.

She still looked for her father and managed to track him down. Despite her new found knowledge of Jormag’s domains she was still unwanted by her father. For months she still followed him, over and over trying to prove her worth to him, but every time he would turn her away, disavowing all connection to her. Eventually, after a raid at her makeshift camp that nearly took her life, she accepted defeat and returned back to the Ulvstroms.

Back at the homestead she continued her studies, but this time into Wolf, hoping to keep the memory of her Shaman father alive, and not the monster he’d turned in to.

#gw2 #norn #gw2 norn #guild wars 2 #saoirse #i wanted a 2nd norn necro for.... reasons. o_o;

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sednonamoris · 7 months

Text

good, honest thieves

Pairing: John Marston x gn!reader

Summary: A fight with Micah leads to a lecture from Dutch. Loyalty is exactly what you've been raised on, but to what? To whom? The answer seems to be John every time.

Warnings: Knife violence, canon-typical violence, fish guts, strong language, Micah Bell's whole existence, sexist language/insults, Dutch being our fav little manipulator, blink-and-you'll-miss-it mild angst

Word count: 1,465

A/N: I've been waiting to write this altercation since I first started ghost story, so I hope you all enjoy it for this nice, short chapter 💕

Series masterlist • AO3

—

You miss out on a hell of a firefight. A lot of law dead. A lot of townsfolk dead. A run-in with Mr. Leviticus Cornwall himself.

You’re surprised that he deigned to show his face in the mud and the muck of Valentine, but if there’s one thing rich folk are good for it’s greed. From the sound of it, he’s none too pleased to have been robbed.

From the sound of it, it’s a lucky thing John and Arthur and Dutch and Strauss ain’t dead after all that.

The gang was quick to make a hasty retreat.

Now you’re camped outside a little town called Rhodes, farther south than you’ve settled in years. Arthur teases that you and Javier must be happy to be in warmer climes, but personally? You hate it. New Austin is dry heat and desert for miles. The air there bites, sharp and clean. Here it’s thick as molasses and wet with humidity. Sweat and condensation cling to everything. The very ground beneath you is mucky and muddy and lush with overgrowth, like the vegetation can’t stand it here, either. It claws and climbs its way out and onto everything. You’ve never seen undergrowth like this, swallowing trees and homesteads whole without discrimination.

Out of everyone, you figured Dutch would hate it most - you can’t count how many times he’s told stories about the Southern scum that put his daddy in the ground. But he seems in his element out here. The town is divided into factions he and Hosea have wasted no time playing against one another, and rumors of confederate gold have lit his eyes with that same gleam you saw before Blackwater. You know you won’t leave until he has it - he’s even got Bill and Arthur playing deputy while working leads.

Today they’re off with the sheriff chasing ‘shine in the hills, so camp is mostly quiet. Or it would be, if Micah wasn’t hanging around.

“Ghost,” he calls out, uncomfortably familiar. He approaches Pearson’s chuckwagon with open arms that are greeted only with a flat stare when you look up from the fish you’re gutting. You promised Pearson you’d take care of them while he does the shopping.

“Micah.” His name grits past the teeth you’re doing your utmost not to bare in warning; already he’s closer than you’d like.

“Haven’t seen much of you since I got back from Strawberry,” he says.

“I keep busy.”

“Not too busy for Marston.” He rocks back on his heels and raises his brows like he’s caught you out. Something about the way he says John’s name makes your hackles raise.

“Me an’ him are friends,” you chop off a trout head aggressively while making even more aggressive eye contact. “You and me, on the other hand, ain’t.”

“Aw, don’t be like that,” he wheedles. “I’m a real friendly fella. We oughta go drinking sometime and I’ll show you.”

It takes everything in you not to cringe at the thought. It’s one thing to work a job with him, when you have to, but spending quality time with Micah? It sounds like just about the worst thing you can think of. He has this slimy quality about him, and the way he talks about some of the others is enough to solidify your poor opinion.

Dutch can make nice with him all he likes. You won’t.

“We all heard what happened when you went drinking in Strawberry,” is what you say aloud. “Rhodes might not survive.”

He laughs through the fact that the joke was meant to be at his expense and leans closer. “You’re funny, Ghost. Real funny. I can see why John likes you so much. It’s too bad he’s so… Well, you know.”

“He’s so what?” If looks could kill, Micah would be stone dead.

“Useless,” he shrugs. “I mean, first he gets hisself half eaten, then he’s fleeced rustlin’ sheep— almost got his brains blown out in Valentine. Not to mention he let Morgan steal a two dollar whore right out from between his—”

All of the sudden you can’t hear past the ringing in your ears or see past the blood red of your vision. He’s snickering, leaning closer still, leering, and faster even than you can register you’ve grabbed him by the hair and smashed his face against the fish guts and the wooden table before you.

He cries out, somewhere between alarmed and disgusted and enraged.

Your filleting knife rests against his pulse point.

“Say it again,” you snarl.

Stark, killing hate reflects back on your knife blade with the whites of his eyes. “Goddamn you!”

“Not so funny now, huh?” He struggles in your grip. “Say it again.”

He opens his mouth and bares his teeth, likely to spit more profanities, when approaching footsteps stop you both in your tracks. You glare up at the intrusion to find Ms. Grimshaw. Her face is even more severe than usual.

“What exactly is going on in my camp?” she demands, hands on her hips.

“Micah was just apologizing,” you say. Your smile is a feral show of teeth.

He squirms in your grip, claws at your hands. “Get this goddamn lunatic off me!”

She purses her lips, unimpressed. “Ghost, unhand Mr. Bell.”

You let him go reluctantly, pressing the knife to his skin just a little harder before shoving him back. He staggers away and you wipe your hands down your pants and grimace.

Micah’s hands fly to his throat, like he’s checking it’s all still intact. His cheek shines slimy red with fish blood.

“You’re crazy!” he accuses.

“Ghost is plenty of things,” Ms. Grimshaw says before you can cut in, “but crazy ain’t one of ‘em. I suggest you learn from this particular mistake, Mr. Bell. Now go on, the both of you. Get! Before you make another mess for me to clean up.”

You murmur a chastised yes, ma’am under your breath.

Micah stalks away, glaring over his shoulder without another word.

All that’s left is the thunk, thunk, thunk, of your knife against the wooden table. You let yourself imagine each unfortunate fish is Micah, instead.

—

Dutch finds you later. You’re sat on a log overlooking the lake, glaring out across the water like it’s somehow responsible for everything that’s happened up until now. He sits beside you and lights a cigar.

“Ms. Grimshaw tells me someone tried to kill Micah today.”

His tone is neutral, but a quick glance out of the corner of your eye reveals a tightness in his posture that’s never a good sign. He lets out a puff of smoke and watches it fade into the horizon with squinted eyes.

“She tell you he had it coming?”

“Now, Ghost—” he starts to chastise, but you cut him off.

“I never pretended to see what you do in him.” His eyes widen and flash with wounded pride, but your face is set in defiance. “Maybe we’re all nasty killers and degenerates, but he’s worse. I ain’t gonna stand by while he runs his mouth about any one of us.”

His face is all severity and rough-cut gemstone. “Any one of us, or just John?”

Outrage flares your nostrils and twists your mouth into something ugly. “That ain’t fair! And it certainly ain’t the point.”

“Isn’t it?” His hand on your shoulder, so often a comfort through the years, rests heavy and threatening. Your pulse jumps. Your mouth feels dry. “We don’t have the luxury of doubt - not between any of us. Haven’t I taught you loyalty? Don’t I deserve your trust?”

That’s all it takes for you to deflate. “You have it. You’ve always done right by us, but—”

“There is no but,” he says. “Faith, Ghost! Faith.”

“Faith, then. Fine. Faith.”

The words taste bitter on your tongue, but his eyes soften all at once into that familiar, sparkling brown. “I knew I could depend on you.”

“Sure. Always.”

He leaves with one last squeeze of your shoulder and orders to look into the Braithwaite family - something to do with prize horses. After all, who better than the infamous Ghost Rider? The Van der Linde Ghost?

—

You stay on that log for a long time. Thinking. Smoking. Stewing in the not-quite-anger left in Dutch’s wake.

—

That night around the fire you and John gravitate to one another like always. He brings you a plate of fish and sits beside you; a little too close for friends, a little too friendly to be anything but.

Somehow it aches more than usual.

He chatters on about his day, but all you can hear is the sneer of Micah’s voice, and all you can feel is the burn of Dutch’s knowing stare. The sweat on your brow has little to do with Lemoyne’s oppressive heat anymore.

#john marston x reader #rdr x reader #rdr2 x reader #ghost story #fran writes #ch. 21

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