Arthur Morgan x Reader

Thirty-One

With a cheerful crackling sound, the flames of the campfire nibbled on the raw, rosy meat that was slowly starting to drip with water and burning fat.

The smell of burned flesh was in the air, mixed with a meaty scent that was anything from wet dog to the same smell that came from a fine steak.

With one hand resting on his knee and the other supported on the ground, Arthur sat opposite of you and stared into the lively orange.

His face was painted with a soft, almost golden glow that made his brownish hair seem almost a honey blond.

Even his eyes changed colour. The bright blue now looked like liquid gold and a touch of copper.

Warmth stroked your cheeks as a soft breeze danced through the valley.

With a gentle smile on your face, you let your gaze wander over Arthur.

He seemed to notice your staring and looked up to meet your eyes.

You had looked at him so many times already that day, he must have been tired of it.

But instead of saying a word, a huff made his shoulders rise.

A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?", he asked and tilted his head so that the black cowboy hat almost slid off. "Your eyes look right through me, these days."

Lost in throughs, you took a deep breath.

"You lied to me, didn't you?", you asked all of a sudden.

His eyebrows rose.

A hint of surprise lit up on his face.

"About what?"

You had to huff.

"That sounds like you lied to me more than once."

He swallowed visibly.

"Bad men lie."

With a smirk, you leaned towards him, the shadows of the flames dancing over your body and eyed him with such persistence that he visibly shifted.

"What did this bad man lie about to me?", you asked and couldn't help but smile.

His gaze sank. He tried to avoid looking at your face.

"Small lies, for small occasions.", he admitted. "Nothin' world changing."

"Well... I think you lied to me about Dutch."

He frowned, lips curled.

"Why would I lie about Dutch?", he asked, almost amused. "He has nothin' to do with ya."

"No. But he didn't order you to teach me how to shoot, did he?"

All at once, his widened eyes were on you again.

His lips moved, but he didn't managed to say a single word.

Just a small sound of surprise escaped.

"How did you find out?", he asked as the usual calmness returned to his eyes.

Chuckling, you leaned back and crossed your legs to sit more comfortably.

"It didn't seem very typical of Dutch to take care of someone who isn't one of his own."

"Dutch is a good leader."

You shrugged.

"Maybe. But he's not my leader. If I die, he wouldn't loose anything."

"He'd loose precious information."

Your eyes moved up to the sky.

Stars sparkled like coins of silver and dust.

The moon hid behind a veil of fog and clouds. But the bright rays of light still managed to kiss the pitch black outlines of the treetops.

"He already has a lot.", your eyes returned to Arthur. "I doubt he's farsighted enough to see that I could give him a lot more than what he already has right now."

He didn't reply anything, but the movement of his lips and a soft growl gave away that he wasn't pleased about the truth that you had managed to unravel.

"Dutch was a great man.", he explained instead. "He used to care for a lot more than just his own. Like a Robin Hood."

"Hm. How noble."

"He was."

"But not anymore, am I right?"

Again, he didn't dare to answer.

"Loyalty is important to me. It's all I've ever known."

Your eyes narrowed.

"Loyalty has to be earned."

"Oh, he earned it."

"But does he still deserve it? You took me from my home, probably without Dutch knowing about it, organised a bodyguard for the boys and took me to practice shooting. It wasn't Dutch, who wanted you to do all this, no?"

For a long moment, Arthur stared into your eyes.

There wasn't a single movement on his face.

His eyes seemed hard, harder than they usually were.

"I deemed it necessary.", he admitted. "I wanted you to know how to defend yourself."

A deep breath escaped you.

"What did I do to earn your loyalty?", you asked with a shaky voice. "What did Dutch do to loose it?"

A shadow crossed his face.

Again, he had to swallow hard.

But this time he seemed to think more carefully about what he'd answer.

Slowly, his eyes wandered over you, then to the campfire and into the flames.

The orange twitched.

A hissing sound filled the silence as thick drops of burning hot fat seeped out of the bear flesh.

"You asked me a question...", Arthur mumbled as if he had to remind himself. "Life doesn't give us what we deserve. If I wanted to help you take what's rightfully ours? If I wanted more?"

"Did it make you think?", you asked.

Your face felt hot all of a sudden.

The beating of your heart started to fasten.

"It did.", he nodded slowly. "But I also wondered... What will await me? Dutch and the gang is all I've ever known. All I ever had. If I leave now, I leave with empty hands. And I'll join you without anything in return. We will just be two lonely strangers."

Your heart skipped a beat.

"We don't have to be lonely.", you said without thinking about it.

His eyes jumped up to meet yours.

There was something hidden inside this blue of his.

Something moved on his face.

His fingers twitched as if he wanted to do something but didn't know what.

All by itself, your hand rose to hold out for him.

"Come to me, Arthur.", you whispered in a shaky voice. "I would always give you what you deserve."

His lips twitched.

"I'm a bad man.", he said, so weak, so heartbroken.

It was his last defence.

You smiled.

"What do a sinners sins matter to another sinner?"