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eaaaazygurl · 2 years

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Take A Gamble That Love Exists (Part 1 of 2)

Possibly Chapter 1 of 3 (If I continue the story!)

Pairing: Arthur Morgan x F!reader

Summary: You and Arthur Morgan, Dutch Van Der Linde's right hand man, have been good friends for just over a year now since he rescued you from the O'driscolls. After fleeing Valentine and the Heartlands from the law and playing two families like a fiddle, Arthur is in dire need of some downtime. You manage to convince Arthur to take some time away from his duties and visit Big Valley, but unbeknownst to the both of you, your true and most deepest feelings for eachother make themselves secretly known to you both.

Wordcount: 3000+ (A long read, feel free to come back and finish it as and when if it's too long.)

Some little visual keys:

Pandora - White Arabian, female, Arthur's mount.

Starstreak - Roan Blue Missouri Fox Trotter, male, Your mount.

Arthur is dressed in his Colter clothes for the first half of the story and then in pretty much all black atire in Big Valley. Use the GIF as a reference!

Disclaimer: I am aware that there are no legendary fish in Big Valley. Let's just say for the purpose of this writeup that there is ^^ Also I've changed Sean being captured from Bounty Hunters to O'driscolls for story purposes! Also, I'm not the best writer so apologies for that. It's a hobby afterall ^^

Feeling a sharp snapping gust of cold icy wind catch your already frozen face, you narrowed your eyes over towards the white Arabian mare who struggled against the breeze, whinnying in complaint. The man mounted upon the beautiful white steed gently brought his hand over her opalescent neck fur, gently cooing praises and calming chatter as she began to slow her pace and relax a little, struggling somewhat to keep her footing on the steep upward climb of the track ahead in the dimming evening sunlight.

You and Arthur Morgan, notorious Outlaw and right hand man to the infamous Dutch Van Der Linde, had been trekking this particular stretch of mountain for some hours now, just north upon the border of Mount Shann and Hawks Eye Creek. On a bright sunny day, the conditions of Big Valley would often present itself as delicate and gentle towards travellers like yourselves, but unfortunately for the both of you, a hidious snow storm trailing upon a flurry of wind from the Grizzlies had pulled in overnight as you pitched up a stay inside the little hotel within the confines of a small town named Strawberry. The conditions seemed manageable from the town, though as you gained height on your accent having taken a wrong turn, those conditions only grew worse. Icy winds and the occasional flurry of snow would feel like the tip of a knife against your sore cheeks as you went onward.

"How's Pandora holdin' up?" You attempted to call over the bluster of wind catching the lip of a small cliffy overhang, creating an almost squeal as it passed through blades of dried grass.

Arthur had turned back briefly to look at you, making sure you were close by and not falling behind, "Agitated but otherwise okay, how about Starstreak?"

Starstreak was your mount; a large Blue Roan Missouri Fox Trotter Stalion with a streak of white across his muzzle earning his name. Although less bothered than Pandora by the sharp temperatures, the burly horse still expressed signs of displeasure at the continuous bout of frozen wind, "Really not appreciatin' this wind very much. Do ya think we should find shelter?"

"Think we should. This ain't any good on the horses, nor fair. How about we go over to that overhang?" Arthur had pointed his gloved hand to the left, towards a section of cliff from the mountain, his thick blue winter coat also struggling to maintain it's formality during the storm.

You followed his hand towards the suggested shelter and gave Arthur a loud, "Sounds good to me!" Before following him along, finally slipping under the cover of the natural roof of stone where no wind or snow could touch you. Both you and Arthur dismounted, encouraging both horses into the deepest section of the overhand to evade the weather and began gathering some wood for a small fire. Anything warm right now would be a blessing.

As you left and soon there after returned, a cradle of twigs within the loop of your arm, you met Arthur's amused gaze with a confused, "What?"

"Oh nothin'," Arthur sniffed, "I jus' thought this was meant to be a relaxing trip away from Dutch's constant erands. Now I'd rather endure an entire week of the old fool in my ear."

Arthur had a very dry sense of humor and a life times supply worth of excellent sarcasm, something - one of the many things - you admired about the Cowboy, "Well you know me," you chimed in with a smirk as you stumbled over to a ring of rocks placing down the twig bundle,"I like the adventure, crave the adrenaline!" You slumped down onto your knees, prodding the stick pile, watching as Arthur began to light it. The man gave you a side glance, a brow raised, "Yes and you seem to enjoy getting yourself into near-death situations on a lot of those adventures of yours as well, especially where O'driscolls are involved."

"Well what can I say?" It was true, you spoke with a fond memory of almost having scooted off of a cliff with some O'driscoll lad that had attempted to capture you in an abandoned lawman wagon. The horses had escaped their reigns and split off sideways luckily enough, and you had lept from the cage just before the wagon itself had barreled over the edge of a deep overhang, the O'driscoll meeting his fate along with the wagon itself as they collided with the ground a long distance below, "Life would be very boring without a bit of danger."

Finally after a few attempts, the small campfire had smoldered and lit. Small dancing orange flames ushered in a soothing warmth for your close-to-frostbitten fingertips, and the gentle snorts from both mounts finally confirmed their enjoyment and thankfulness for the heat.

"Ah, all things considered though," Arthur's low voice had you snap your attention towards him as you dug through your satchel and unravelled a few meaty bits, handing Arthur one and you keeping the other. You began to cook a chunk of venison over the flames, listening to Arthur as he spoke onward, "I really needed this. Thank you Y/n."

"You hardly ever give yourself a break Arthur, I'm just grateful that you did choose to come along." You gave Arthur a cheerful smile, pulling your hand back once the chunk of meat had browned and cooked. It was true, Arthur did need this. After things went awry back in Valentine and half of the town had been gunned down, the gang had migrated further East from all that they briefly knew, and better yet, further East from the money they had desperately needed to start a new life elsewhere. Whilst you may not have been a member of Van Der Linde's infamous gang that Arthur held dearly, Dutch did know of you; the Valentine Massacre had almost been a fatal blow to Arthur, Dutch, John and Strauss until you and your small band of Posse members had lept into action to shield them from gunfire until they had escaped. You thought that day would have been the last you ever saw of Arthur Morgan, and he had thought the same, but a simple hunt out in the dry grasslands of Lemoyne had brought you both back together after sticking two separate arrows into the same deer.

Arthur hadn't had a decent break since then. Dutch was more addimant than ever to solve the gang's drying supply of money, and so he had Arthur on his feet constantly.

"Well," the burly man outstretched his arms in a deep yawn. It was still half a day's climb towards the valley's purple ocean of flowers where the two of you intended to reach, and the sun was beginning to drown under the horizon bringing with it a much deeper chill, "Think we best set up a few tents and camp here for the night. Best shelter we will probably find for now, and the horses seem content."

You gave Arthur an approving smile and a small nod, pulling yourself up and away from the warmth and glow of the fire to retrieve your camping equipment and bed roll from Starstreak. It wasn't long before you noticed something was amiss: "Ah shit- for goodness sake!"

Arthur, who was pulling the a wrapped up tent and bedroll from Pandora, glanced over towards you with a concerned frown, "Everything okay there?"

"Nope." Your fingertips trailed over the clean cut upon Starstreak's saddle where your tent and saddlebags originally were attached, "Some asshole has stolen my tent and saddlebags..." fingers pointed towards the damage and missing luggage, "Lucky for me I decided to put my guns inside the hotel or they'd have been stolen too." Expelling an irritated huff of air from your nose, you stood back a few steps and placed a hand to your forehead, "How did I not realise when we saddled up?"

A gentle hand met your shoulder as Arthur took to your side, investigating the damage, "Don't blame yerself Y/n, I missed it just as well as you."

"What am I gonna do now? They even took my goddamn bedroll! Who takes someone's bedroll?!" Your arms were up in the air, fingers outstretched and eyes wide as your expression soured. Arthur on the other hand had crossed his arms and snorted a laugh, amused at your priceless expression as he shrugged, kicking a loose stone under his boot, "That? I can't answer."

"I guess it aint that bad out to sleep without a blanket," A gust of harsh winter chill caught your back as the wind pulled at the neck of your burgundy leather jacket, earning a shiver that ran the length up your spine, "Okay, it's pretty rough. 'Least I don't wear dresses and skirts though, I'd be frozen solid." You weren't like many women out here in the wild country of America. Most women were quiet, soft spoken people who tended to washing dishes and cleaning dirt from men's garments. Faces were powdered with rouge lips and frilly dresses with corsets to boot. You on the other hand couldn't care less about dawning dresses to impress the numbers. You hadn't a care in the world for all of the men and women who curled their lips in disgust at your fashion sense; tight dark grey pants, an oaky brown gunbelt, a yellow and black checkered long sleeve shirt with black suspenders and a lovely Tiltham hat you held close like your own child. That hat had been your father's and the silver-gold crow branded hair pin that kept your plait of hair together, your mother's. On colder days like the one you and Arthur were surviving, your burgundy leather jacket came in useful, although it didn't entirely keep the heat in and cold out. Still, you were grateful to not be in a dress.

As you investigated the cuts further, you caught Arthur staring from the corner of your eye. His crystal blue eyes were dead set on you, his brow slightly furrowed and his lips pressed together tightly. Just from that expression alone, you could tell he was deep in thought and horribly conflicted.

Pulling back from your saddle, you raised a brow and lent heavily on one leg whilst the other splayed out to the side, foot tapping against the stone surface below. Your arms were crossed and there was a small smirk forming across your lips, "Okay, what's got you in a bother Arthur?"

You watched, amused, as Arthur attempted to collect himself, standing upright and tense as he brushed his hand against the back of his neck, squinting as another blistering pulse of frozen air hurtled down past you both, "Me? Ain't bothered I just-- well you know, I guess I-- oh for Christ sake." The Cowboy spun on his heel and made for the fire, the daylight now completely seeped from the sky and replaced with a sheet of black. He threw down the camping equipment and began to unravel the rope that held it all together, keeping the tip of his boot against the fabric as to not allow it to be dragged away by the wind that managed to pass through the overhang. You followed close behind, offering a hand in help to prop up the wooden poles that held the tent upright, "Hey, come on now what's wrong?" Your voice was gentle, softer than velvety rose petals. Arthur couldn't hold his composure at all every time to used 'that' voice. It was sweet, innocent... and something he couldn't ignore no matter how hard he tried.

You and Arthur had been extremely close friends ever since the day he had rescued you from the O'driscolls that Summer just under a year ago. The tail-end of winter was slowly drifting away into a pleasant Spring, despite what the weather brought right now. For those months of yours and Arthur's frequent meet-ups, you had become closer with each passing day, confiding in eachother about your past and present dilemmas. Arthur saw a lot of himself in you, and you saw a lot of yourself in him; two orphaned Outlaws destined to traverse the wild west in search of a dream that always seemed just out of reach. You were both seen as the 'enforcers' of your respective group of people, the protectors if it were. A responsibility that bothered you both more than you liked to imagine. Arthur had also trusted you enough to speak about his past relationships with Mary Linton and Eliza, the barmaid. The thought of ever crossing paths with Mary had always filled you with dread, not because you were terrified of her but for the fact that you were convinced she wouldn't be leaving your path looking entirely human. From the way Arthur spoke about himself in such a negative way and how Mary had always strung him along just to disappoint him, you could see that the woman had damaged him. Broke his self esteem and made him a shell of his former self. Now that empty hole had been replaced with regret, self doubt and self hatred, though even still, Arthur retained those beautifully well mannered and kind qualities about him. He still had a heart even if he himself didn't believe in it, and despite all of that and Arthur's unwillingness for physical affection towards anybody, he was comfortable enough to allow you to embrace him when he needed it. There had even been a few times on your longer missions together, where wagons were involved, that you had accidently fallen asleep against Arthur's shoulder, waking some hours later to find his arm around your waist so that you didn't fall from the wagon.

You knew now at this very time, Arthur was panicked about something. You tied the last of the poles down and waited for him to finish up with the tarp before you came to stand in front of him.

"Can't hide anythin' from you can I?" His voice hinted defeat, but he relaxed and sat himself down in front of the fire, "Guess I just don't want you freezin' to death out here... I mean-- you can take my bedroll. I have a thicker coat, can use it for a blanket-"

"Arthur." You were quick to stop Arthur from an inevitable slew of worried gibberish, placing your hand against the back of his, "I won't let you do that."

"But-"

"What is it you're worried about?" You already guessed what it was, but you wanted to hear it straight from Arthur's mouth. It took a few long seconds before the man sighed outward with a wince, "I don't wanna share the bedroll cause it ain't right, invading your personal space. I probably stink and I'm sure you don't wanna be sharin' a bed with someone like me."

There it was, the same old self depreciation that Arthur more often than not spoke of. There was a moments silence, your sad eyes meeting Arthur's much more anxious fleeting pupils. He glared down into the floor.

"Arthur." You started, shuffling over to sit close beside him. You rose your hand to place underneath his stumbled chin, forcing him gently upwards to meet your gaze, "First and foremost, you don't stink. We literally had a bath yesterday at Strawberry." You then smiled softly, taking your hand away now that you had Arthur's full attention, "and I ain't worried about you sharin' your bedroll with me. If anything you'd probably keep me warm!" There was an amused twang to your voice, and you watched as Arthur's shoulders relaxed slightly. "But of course if it's too much I can always sleep outside of the bedroll, that's no fuss. Whatever makes you comfortable, Arthur."

The flames crackled and spat, sending a beautiful amber glow upon your skin. Arthur watched intently as the licking flames cast a wonderous light show upon your figure, the shadows created by your lashes and falling strands of hair only adding to your complexion. The sound of a coastal horned owl cooed overhead, chittering crickets encased the surrounding grasses and a jack rabbit lolled on past in the dead of night. Gentle clopping hooves bounced off of the cliff face as Starstreak and Pandora rocked slightly at a standstill, lazily huffing as though they were sound asleep.

Finally, Arthur bowed his head in agreement, "Okay, we can share the bedroll but only if you're comfortable."

"Are you?" You didn't want to invade on Arthur's privacy and comfort, and gave him a particular look that ensured he was telling the truth.

"Only if you're okay with it, then I'm comfortable." Nestling into the confines of the small tent, Arthur stripped off his clothes until he was in his red union suit, folding his discarded fabric into piles ready for morning.

You however didn't tend to wear union suits or night gowns, so you decided to simply kick off your boots and leather jacket, placing your hat against them in a separate pile.

Next you began wriggling yourself down into the bedroll, silently thankful for the warmth it brought. Then, a much deeper and more welcoming warmth caught your back as Arthur joined you. You had both embraced before, but this was different. The bedroll was really only meant for a single person, so Arthur was pressed up against you.

"O-oh. Sorry I--"

"I'm fine Arthur, but if it's making you feel comfortable then I'm more than willing to--"

"No it's fine! I mean... if you're alright with being this close?" His voice was stricken with worry, paranoid that he may be making you feel odd and in discomfort, but you simply giggled softly, "It's perfectly fine Arthur, keeps me warm."

With that, Arthur settled. His breathing began to slow and you guessed he was already slipping into slumber. The day had been long and Arthur was already encumbered with the previous stresses of camp life and Dutch prattling on about money, especially with his newfound position as Deputy Sherrif of Rhodes. Soon you found yourself drifting. The heat and crackle of the fire sent you into a relaxed spiral until finally you felt your world drown out into nothingness.

Sleep.

* * *

A harsh ray of sunlight caught the lid of your eye, disturbing you from your strange dream filled with galloping deer within the Heartlands. It had been a rather comfortable sleep, one that you found yourself enjoying much more than any night at a hotel, despite being asleep upon hard ground. As you attempted to shift, you found yourself locked into one position. You attempted to move once more, but again, you didn't budge, and soon you felt a pressure around your waist drag you somewhat backwards, a soft groan echoing behind you. Your eyes slowly trailed downward to catch sight of a strong arm encased around your figure: Arthur...

Admittedly the sensation of Arthur pressed up against your back whilst having you in such a soft and warm embrace made your stomach flutter, though you weren't quite sure why. In fact, the more you thought about it, the heavier the scent of tobacco and mint became as it caught your nostrils and the sensation of Arthur's hot and heavy breath catching the rim of your ear, the stronger that gut feeling grew. It felt extatic, sending a sudden shockwave of strange emotions rippling throughout your nervous system. Your bright eyes widened, freezing you in place as the strange feelings engulfed you like a tsunami.

Arthur groaned outwardly, shifting as he stirred. The beam of morning light had now traveled to shine upon his own face, disturbing him from his own slumber as he twisted awkwardly, releasing some tension around your waist but not fully letting go. Now you had a chance to roll around and face him, even if you weren't quite sure why you felt the sudden urge to do so.

With great caution, you slowly swiveled your way around to face the Outlaw that had you encased in his arms. He was still very much asleep, his eyes were closed and mouth ever so slightly parted open. Oh how peaceful he looked right now, the tension that usually lased his expression was all but absent, the wrinkles now lax and so much less defined. His brows didn't furrow, lips weren't twisted with anxiety and those beautiful eyes weren't squinting. As you gazed at him some more, you couldn't help but focus on all of the smaller details of his face. Brown-blonde stubble that coated every inch of his jawline apart from two small scars that were carved into his chin. Crows feet forming at the corners of his eyes. His semi-medium length blonde-brunette hair fell so gracefully over his face.

You suddenly caught yourself gawping. What were you thinking? This was your best friend and yet here you were, drooling over his features like a drunken harlot. Yet, you couldn't help but think about how beautiful and handsome Arthur was, so relaxed and peaceful in front of you. Silently cursing yourself again you bit down on the inside of your cheek with protest. You were confused. These emotions were all brand new to you and you didn't quite know what to make of them. Maybe it was the cold, or dehydration? Maybe you were simply famished.

"Y/n?"

Shit.

"O-oh my god Arthur- I'm sorry I didn't intend to be so close I-" now you were the one stuttering. Arthur on the otherhand seemed far less stressed than last night. He let out a soft smile and small sigh, shaking his head at the sight of your scrunched up face, "Hey, it's okay! I didn't mean ta grab you like that either I..."

Arthur trailed off. At least you weren't the only one feeling the pinch of embarrassment. Though... you rather enjoyed being in his embrace, even if the thought of you enjoying it so much made you confused, "It's okay Arthur. If anything, I'm well rested and didn't freeze to death during the night. I am very much alive." You attempted to calm to mood with a bit of humor. This worked, Arthur chuckling lowly as he blinked the sleep from his eyes, "Fair enough."

You relaxed. The sound of Arthur's husky morning voice sent another strange pulse of confusion through your veins and you felt your heart rate pick up it's pace suddenly.

"You seem a lot less stressed this morning," You attempted to make small talk in hopes of pushing your odd thoughts to the side. Arthur shrugged, "Guess I am. You have a fine way with words Y/n. Thanks for last night and uh... not freakin' out this mornin'." As he thanked you, he pulled himself up to sit, gently pulling his arm away from your back, "Got a lot of ground to cover though. Best we get a bite to eat and be on our way."

The empty feeling of Arthur's presence leaving you made you feel oddly disappointed, but you shook your head, shooing those thoughts and feelings away and replaced the shaking with a smile and a nod, "I am starved."

It hadn't taken long for you both to change, take down the tent and replace the items onto Pandora's saddle. Arthur tended to cooking the rabbit you had caught the day prior just outside of Strawberry whilst you brushed the dirt from Pandora and Starstreak, feeding them a well deserved carrot each as you prepped them for the rest of the journey.

"At least the storm has passed, don't think I'll even be needin' my jacket." You spoke with a chipper tone as you slumped down next to the fire and across from Arthur, who too hadn't bothered to put his blue winter coat on.

"Yeah it does seem a lot warmer now. Horses will be happy," with a beckon Arthur tempted you over and you accepted, shuffling across to sit beside him as he offered you a cooked rabbit leg. You happily chewed down onto the stringy flesh. It wasn't much pleasant, but you appreciated the food you had, you could have both been out of pocket if it wasn't for that rabbit.

Just as the day went on and the sun rose into the cloudless blue stratosphere, you and Arthur had both ventured onward. Without the battle of wind and snow to contend with you had both made excellent progress over the toughest section of your trip.

"Oh finally..." your voice left you as you pointed out towards a pleasant stream, a spare hand gripping onto the reins of your mount, "Almost there, just gotta follow the river now."

Among all of the vast countryside you had toured Arthur around, Big Valley had to be your favourite. You both made your way on horseback, following the weaving stream until the treeline opened up into a vast open meadow surrounded by mountain ranges and a thick ring of dense pine forest. Your senses were immediately hit with the fragrant smells of purple lavander and fresh spring water.

Letting out a thankful sigh, you pulled against your reins and joyfully let out a hearty "Hyah!" Urging Starstreak onward. Arthur was quick to join you, gaining on you quickly as Pandora sprinted after you. Soon they had come to your side, Arthur beaming a playful smirk, tipping his hat with a wink before thundering off.

Finally skidding to a hault some ways away, Arthur lept off of Pandora and turned to face you as you began to slow your stalion with a "Woah there boy!"

That's when you felt the weight of you become lighter than air, feeling a gust of wind and a sudden gasp as you finally realised Starstreak coming to a standstill without you upon his saddle, better yet your world had spun upside down.

Arthur had somehow managed to whip you off of the giant beast and hoist you over his shoulder, a long hearty laugh leaving his chest as he began to spin in circles.

"Arthur!" Your squeal was full of amusement and joy as he slowed, gently placing you down onto the ground, "You're full of surprises aren't ya?"

"S'pose I am." It wasn't a common occurrence for Arthur to have this much fun. He was tough as nails and often pushed away the idea of 'fun' unless it had been on simple outgoings with you. At least with you, hidden away from the prying eyes of the gang, he could let loose a little.

After your playful little spat, you both began to prep a fresh and much more inviting camp for the few days ahead. This area of the Valley was one of the most beautiful, painted green and purple with the most wonderful of scents.

Arthur had rebuilt the tent and prepared a cooking pot as well as a make-shift hitching post and horse feeding station. You sauntered off into the treeline just some meters ahead to gather firewood, a leather sling resting over your shoulder.

Pine was a decent sort of wood for a campfire, but the sap didn't make for a pleasant surprise when it would catch light and spit hot embers at your legs. Nevertheless, it's what you had and you were fully aware of such occurrences.

It must have been midday by now, you had spent a good half an hour picking your way across the tree-lined terrain, nestling the various twigs into the sling as you went. Pausing you took a quick glance through the treeline to spot Arthur resting lazily against a fallen tree trunk, his hat covering a majority of his face to block out the sun. He really needed the rest.

Humming softly with a content smile at the sight of a snoozing Arthur, you made your way deeper into the forest, flicking a few brave insects away with your hand as you pushed on through the undergrowth.

The serene sound of songbirds filled the midday air as you picked your way across the soft undergrowth, eyes focused downward for any loose sticks and twigs. It hadn't taken you long to gather a large wad, bending down to pick up the last of the tree debris needed for the fire before a sudden snap alerted you. Your hands froze, head flicking upward and your breath hitching in your throat. Wide eyes scanned your surroundings like a hawk until finally you caught the intruder in your sight.

It was just an ordinary man thankfully. He had stopped just ahead of you, leaping down from his chestnut stalion with a hunting bow strapped to his back: "He must'a come this way."

Guess I better make myself known before I end up like the next animal he's huntin'.

Raising to your feet, you let out a clear cough, waving your hand innocently with a greeting smile, "Hey there, mister. Fine day for huntin'."

You'd clearly startled the man, because he almost whipped the bow from his back as he spun to face you, chest heaving, "Christ lass you almost gave me a heart attack! This ain't no place for women. Go back to your man or somethin'."

That hit a nerve. You hadn't even known the man five minutes and already he was belittling you, "Excuse me? I can handle myself just fine out here, thanks."

"Y'wanna bet? Can you down a 200 kilogram Grizzly with one arrow?" He sounded awfully confident. You'd been up against those beasts before, nothing but fur, teeth, claws and muscle. Even you knew that one simple arrow couldn't defeat the king of the forest, though you humoured the man for the fun of it, snorting sarcastically: "One arrow won't cut it tough guy. Unless you wanna prove it to me."

The jaws of the man parted in dismissal only to be cut off by the deep gurgling cry of a Grizzly bear nearby. You saw the excitement spark in the strangers eyes, spinning to face the direction of the sound whilst he readied his bow. His Chestnut stalion whinnied an anxious complaint before turning tail to charge off into the opposite tree line. You couldn't blame the poor creature, even you readied your knife and pistol, though you were certain that simply wouldn't be enough.

"I will prove I can down the beast, miss. Just you see!" With a childish skip the stranger scrambled further up the rooted slope, scrambling on various pebbles and fern leaves as he went.

It didn't take long before you spotted a disturbance a little further up from the stranger; brown fur, full of muscle... beady devilish eyes...

With a foolish cry of victory, the man began to wave his bow in the air, "Woohoo! There he is! Come down from your castle you big beast! I'll have your pelt for a throw rug!"

He'd got the attention of the beast alright. The thundering of paws crashing against pebbled terrain had you step back a few paces as the brown terror came barrelling through the treeline, jaws parted in a terrifying roar. You watched intently as the stranger pulled his bow back, arrow settled against the string. With a grunt, his hand released. He was a good shot, that arrow had dove deep into the eyesocket of the creature earning a pained cry as he skidded to a hault. For a moment you wondered whether he had actually downed the animal and the stranger too began to let out a victory cry, spinning to face you with a smug laugh.

The earth shifted. A shadow began to loom over the man and his face dropped, pailing with fear. Your feet began to shuffle back some more, but you just couldn't pull your eyes away. Not a sound was able to leave your throat no matter how wide your jaws parted in a silent cry for help. Running won't do him no good now. Fate had ultimately been at work here. All you could do was try and help.

Your hands met the wooden handle of your pistol, whipping it from your belt as you began unloading bullet after bullet into the creature's skull.

It wasn't enough.

Great jaws swung down and latched onto the strangers head. Only his jaw was visible. The man let out a horrific scream before the inevitable crunching sound of his skull popped and cracked under the pressure of the Grizzlies jaws. Blood spurred, pouring down the chest of the now obviously deceased man before his head was completely removed from his body.

You went to unload your gun once more, but the clicking sound your revolver made had you feel an icy terror build within your chest. You'd ran out of bullets. Your satchel had been left at camp and that was too far to run to without the bear barrelling you down first.

Your veins ran cold. You wanted to run but it was impossible. You were like a deer in a trains headlight. Frozen.

The Grizzly slammed his forepaws onto the ground, wet rouge liquid dripping from his sodden jaws. He then made his advancement, colliding with various natural debris as he gained on you.

An explosion ringed out beside you, the flash and bang startling you from your frozen state. Within a matter of moments the giant creature came crashing down, gravel encasing his blooded muzzle and eventually came to a standstill just inches from the tip of your boots.

"What the hell were you thinkin' standin' there like that?!" Arthur's terrified growl had you almost buckle at your knees as you let out a terrified choke of a sound, spinning round to throw yourself into Arthur's chest, arms coiling around him tightly.

It took a moment for Arthur to understand the sudden explosion of emotions, but as soon as he relaxed, his eyes investigating the Grizzly for any movement to which none came, he embraced you. Arthur pressed his head against the parting of your hair, eyes closed firmly as he began to rock ever so slightly to calm you, "Shhh there, there... 's alright now darlin'. You're safe." Fingers carded throughout your hair as Arthur comforted you. His eyes trailed the landscape until eventually it came to fall upon the decapitated victim, a hand still gripping the bow tightly. Arthur's throat bobbed as he gulped down, adams apple rolling in his throat.

He then quickly whipped his rifle onto his back and slipped his arms to the back of your legs and shoulders, pulling you upwards to carry you out of the treeline.

"I'm so sorry." Your voice was but a whisper as you buried your head into Arthur's chest.

"Got nothin' to be sorry for, sweetheart." Arthur's voice was so angelic in this tone; soft and sweet and yet held so much deep masculinity that gave you a sense of protection. Those strange butterflies in your stomach began to hatch from their chrysalis' once more.

"I'm meant to be this big-shot Outlaw who can put a bullet through a man's skull within the blink of an eye... yet here I am. How embarrassing..."

Arthur shot you a stern look as if to silently scold you for being so negative about yourself. He knew who you were; an O'driscoll's worst nightmare. They may have had you captive twice, but Colm had created you through murder and dispare. Killing your parents and giving you that scar across your right eye had brewed you into a woman tougher than a workhorse. The old fool had created a threat for the gang he ran. That, however, didn't mean you weren't allowed to fear things. It didn't mean you weren't allowed to show emotion.

"Y/n... y'do realise you're allowed to feel like that?"

You returned Arthur's gaze with a sigh, "You might change your opinion of me though."

He froze, eyes boring down at you intently. His face was emotionless until eventually a smell cracked from his rough exterior, "Seriously? That's what you're worried about? Y/n, you're the one who told me to be true to who I am, take yer own advice!"

Eventually Arthur came to a hault just in front of the little campfire, setting himself down so that, as he sat, you ended up upon his lap. Slowly Arthur removed the strands of hair from your eyes, gazing into them with his own beautiful oceanic sparkle, "So... now we've got that oudda the way... how you feelin'?" His gaze remained, fixated on your own. You wanted to desperately for Arthur to stop staring into you, but something instinctual and intense kept you there. For a second you didn't respond, before finally clocking on with an awkward giggle, "Well," you sighed outward, "I did try to warn the man. One arrow would never take down a Griz' unless it had dynamite attached to it."

You both discussed the situation for a while longer. Eventually your conversation ceased, and the Cowboy just sat there, watching as the sun began to set upon the horizon. In comparison with your previous night, this one was much more enjoyable. Arthur had gently placed you down next to him after a while, proudly presenting his perfect catch: a downed Pronghorn and one with a good amount of meat. You both spent the next few hours feasting until you could no longer fill your bellies, and soon there after the whisky you had purchased at Strawberry had popped open. You both enjoyed yourselves well into the night, not drunk enough to make fools of yourselves but also tipsy enough to crack a joke and find that particular sentence for the next half hour extremely

Finally you had met your match, yawning heavily until your eyes began to water, "I am exhausted..."

Arthur let out a bellowed laugh, smirking as he did so, "Told ya you'd yawn before me!" But as he said that, a drawn out yawn escaped his jaws. You gave Arthur a snort of content victory, a brow raised as you sauntered over to the tent, "Oh what a shame. I also said I'd get your hat without you noticing," as you spoke, your hand rose slowly to reveal Arthur's worn gambler hat, winking playfully before disappearing into the tent.

Arthur was left gawping, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as he slowly pushed his jaw closed, "You son of a..." He paused. Smiled. Shrugged and finally strode over to the tent, gazing in at you. Unsurprisingly you had already fallen into a deep sleep, and so Arthur carefully shuffled into the blankets himself.

For a long while he simply lied there, eyes tracing your blonde hair as he lazily messed with the strands. A strange warm feeling began to encase him as he studied you, a smile forming on his lips. That's when he froze, clearing his throat and bit his bottom lip, "Oh no Arthur don't you dare." He spoke to himself in a low tone, "We ain't doin' this. Not to her. She deserves so much more than me." He then shuffled deeper into the blankets, sighing heavily, "Jus' the drink talkin'..."

* Part 2 will be uploaded shortly! I had to separate it into two parts as it was too long to fit all into one post! *

#arthur morgan #rdr2 arthur #rdr2 community #rdr2 fanfic #arthur morgan x reader #rdr2 #red dead redemption

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