The Ballads of Rebirth (Arthur Morgan x Reader)

Whispers of An Early Morning Traveler

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Lee returned to your side after hanging up the phone. Once again he was stared at, all eyes on him. He was the only visitor, after all it was six in the morning. Two more hours and you should be awake, at least from the doctor's estimate. They assumed you had passed out from exhaustion and blood loss, judging by your clothes and your feet, but still it was an estimate. There was no telling when you woke up.

You looked peaceful, despite being bruised and bloodied. It made his heart lurch.

He'd have to wait. Waiting was something Lee was good at, or rather, he had learned to be good at. This week had been beyond insane, only a few days before the wedding, you hadn't even found a dress. The plan was a very simple wedding, married at the chapel in the woods, Lee inviting his close friends from childhood, and then a small party at the apartment. The honeymoon would be a trip to Chicago, as you'd always wanted to return to your home city. Lee wanted to see a sprawling city, larger than Richfield. But a wedding seemed so fruitless now, it was very possibly there would be no wedding and Lee would be left alone again. It seemed outlaws always weaseled their way into his life, and the outcome was never good.

What would he tell his father? His father probably already expected an old flame had returned. His father would die before he would get to see Lee married. The thought scared him, one day his father wouldn't be here, and that day would be coming very quickly.

Arthur was there within minutes of his call, he looked tired too. It seemed like all three of them were.

His heavy footsteps knocked Lee out of his deep thought, Lee simply nodding to him.

Arthur looked vacant at the sight of you, sighing as he sat down next to Lee's chair.

"When'd they find her?"

"Couple hours ago. I think, at least. Not too sure."

"This whole mess.." Arthur trailed off, still staring at you with watchful eyes.

"I know." Lee laughed dryly.

Silence ticked on. Coughs rung out through the building. Arthur looked around, grimacing at the sight of gaunt and pale faces.

"I looked like all these people a few months ago," Arthur muttered.

"Surprised she was even able to be around me, I looked damn near like a skeleton." He continued.

"She's not like that." Lee responded dimly, leaning back into his chair.

"You're right."

Lee was so damn tired, heaviness pulling on every part of his being. But he had to be there when you woke up.

"You know.. you know she used to cry over you?"

Arthur glanced at Lee.

"For the longest time I couldn't figure it out, it would be small things, a mention of a journal, candy, anything. She'd tried to hide it, until one day I finally asked her. Felt like shit of course, but I had to know."

"Even at night, when I moved in with her, she'd cry late at night, small sniffles when she thought I was sleeping. I'd wake up and feel so broken about it, maybe even a bit jealous. I wondered why she still cried over you." Lee's eyes were clouded with emotion. Dark, and glossy.

"I thought about her every night," Arthur cleared his throat after a moment.

"I had no idea if she was alive or six feet under. But I couldn't search for her - I couldn't. I wasn't well enough."