Josiah Trelawny X Shy Female Reader
Summary: The O'Driscolls kidnapped you a few days ago and they did a lot of terrible things to you. A few members of the Van der Linde gang see you and decide to save you, Trelawny takes it upon himself to help you.
Word Count: 3200
Josiah, Arthur, and Charles talked among themselves as they rode their horses alongside each other, returning to their camp. They saw smoke coming from the other side of a hill, so they decided to go a check it out, making sure there wasn't any threat near their camp. Once they got closer, they saw that it was actually an O'Driscoll camp and they knew that they had to do something about it, they couldn't let them stay this close to home.
They planned going back to their camp and grabbing reinforcements before going in but they wanted to look around first, to get an idea of how many O'Driscolls there were. They dismounted their horses and stalked around the camp.
The three of them paused when they saw you. You were a young woman, looking more than dishevelled. You were sitting on the lap of a young O'Driscoll man, who was sitting in front of their campfire. The three outlaws on the edge of the camp could see, even from this distance away, that you were very uncomfortable and there against your will.
They watched as another O'Driscoll walked over and spoke to the one that you were with, while you kept your gaze on the ground. The three outlaws where too far away to hear what the O'Driscolls were saying.
Anger built up in the three outlaws when the O'Driscoll stood up, pushing you to the floor. You landed on your hands and knees in the dirt as the pair walked away. Trelawny felt disgusted as he noticed the tears falling from your eyes silently, as you stood up and dusted off your torn dress.
Neither of them had to say anything, they already knew exactly what was going on and they all knew that they needed to get you out of there.
Instead of going back to their camp, they decided to take action. They crept around the camp, splitting up to get some advantage, before heading in.
You gasped when you heard gunshots, was the camp being attacked? Two O'Driscoll men ran past you with their guns ready, nearly knocking you down but you managed to stay on your feet. You froze for a moment before hurrying to find somewhere to hide from the gunshots.
Once the three outlaws had taken out all of the O'Driscolls, they began to search for you. It was Trelawny who found you, cowering behind some crates.
You heard the gun shots come to an end but decided not to move, you listened closely and heard footsteps approaching. You didn't know whether you wanted it to be an O'Driscoll or whoever attacked them.
Trelawny frowned at the sight in front of him, you were obviously terrified. He knelt down in front of you so that he wasn't towering over you, hoping that he would seem less intimidating this way, but you just pressed further back against the crate behind you. Clearly the O'Driscolls had affected you pretty badly.
"Hey, it's alright. My friends and I are here to help you, we aren't going to hurt you. My name is Josiah Trelawny" the man introduced himself. You studied him, he didn't seem cruel, he didn't look like he wanted to hurt you, and he had a kind but soft smile on his face.
"Are you an O'Driscoll?" you asked quietly. Josiah frowned, your voice was hoarse and scratchy. He assumed it was due to crying and not drinking enough, it was very clear that they hadn't been feeding you properly.
"Do I look like an O'Driscoll?" he asked with a small smile and you just shook your head, he definitely didn't look like or talk like an O'Driscoll. "I'm not an O'Driscoll. My friends and I are a part of the Van der Linde gang. We aren't perfect but we are much more decent than these O'Driscolls. I promise you will be okay with us. If you want to leave than you can, but let us help you" the man continued to assure you but you still didn't know whether you could trust him or his friends that he talked about.
"I have nowhere to go..." you sighed, your shoulders dropping in defeat as you wiped away some escaped tears.
"Then you can stay with us, we only want to help" Josiah offered with a kind smile.
"O-okay..." you nodded, what else could you lose? It couldn't be any worse than what you had experienced here, you just hoped that it would be better.
Josiah held his hand out to you, letting you take it in your own time. You hesitated for a moment before placing your hand in his, letting him carefully help you to your feet. He frowned at your dirty and torn dress, his frown only deepened when he saw the bruises up your arms and around your wrists, he imagined that the rest of your body was covered in similar bruises. He didn't even want to think about what they had done to you.
Trelawny took his jacket off before wrapping it around your shoulders, hoping to keep you warm as well as hide your bruises. You stiffened at first but relaxed when he moved away from you a little. You slipped your arms into the sleeves of his jacket, appreciating the kind gesture. You stayed quiet but were almost in awe at his kindness, it had been a while since anybody had shown any kindness to you.
The man smiled down at you before leading you over to where his two friends were. "I found her" Josiah told them, gesturing towards you.
You shifted closer to Josiah, gently gripping his arm. You were getting a little nervous around the new men but you had already developed a little bit of trust with Josiah, something about him made you feel comfortable. At least more so than the others.
"It's alright, they are good men. This is Arthur Morgan and this is Charles Smith" Josiah assured you, noticing your nervousness, you just nodded at him.
"What's your name?" Arthur asked you. You studied the two men and relaxed a little, they didn't seem like they wanted to cause you harm. But that didn't mean that you completely trusted them. You didn't answer the question, not wanting to give them your name, and the three of them could see your fear.
"You don't have to tell us until you are comfortable enough to" Charles told you with a small smile, and you just nodded again.
The three nodded at each other before the four of you walked towards their horses.
"Do you want to ride with me?" Josiah asked, not wanting to do anything without warning you.
"Yes, please" you nodded gently.
Trelawny smiled and nodded before lifting you up onto the horse. He noticed you tense when his hands touched your waist so he let go of you as soon as you were on the horse. Josiah mounted the horse behind you, hoping that his proximity wasn't making you uncomfortable. You were just glad to get away from those awful O'Driscolls as you all rode back to their camp.
-----
Once the four of you arrived at the camp, Arthur and Charles went to talk to Dutch about you while Josiah stayed with you. He led you over to a table in the camp, telling you to sit down and telling you that he would be right back.
You waited a few minutes in silence, looking over at the camp and all the unfamiliar faces. Since you still had Josiah's jacket on, your anxiously played with the cuffs of the sleeves.
It didn't take long for Josiah to return with a bowl of stew and a fresh cup of coffee, he placed both down on the table in front of you. You whispered a small 'thank you' before beginning to eat and drink, you were so hungry and thirsty. You couldn't remember the last time you ate or drank properly.
"We will take you into town tomorrow so that you can have a real bath and get some new clothes. I could ask some of the women to go with you if that makes you more comfortable" Josiah offered and it made you smile just a little, he really was being considerate.
"Could you go with me...please?" you asked, hoping that you weren't being a bother but Josiah had already been so kind to you. You already felt more comfortable with him than anyone else.
"Of course" he smiled kindly. Then there was a silence as you finished eating and drinking, Josiah never leaving your side.
"Can I ask...what did they do to you?" Josiah asked and you suddenly froze in your seat.
"I...I'd rather not talk about it" you cleared your throat, adverting your gaze, as you suddenly lost your appetite.
"How long have you been there?" he asked, now feeling guilty for asking you something so insensitive, of course you didn't want to talk about it.
"I...I don't know. A few weeks, I think...it was hard to keep track of the days" you told him with a small sigh.
Sometimes, while you were there, you would get so exhausted that you could sleep for a whole day and that led to you easily losing track of time. Or sometimes they would knock you unconscious and by the time you woke up, you had no idea how much time had passed.
"You're going to be alright here" Josiah attempted to assure you with a smile, and as crazy as it sounds his smile did put you at ease.
-----
You didn't sleep much that night, since you were still on edge because of being in a new place with new people. You just couldn't relax properly.
But the next morning Josiah took you into town, just like he said he would. He took you to a hotel first, a very nice one actually, and paid for you to have a warm bath. While you were bathing Josiah went shopping and brought you some clothes, including an outfit for you to change into after your bath.
You were very, very thankful for his kindness. You got to return to the camp that afternoon, clean and in brand new clothes.
After returning to the camp, and receiving some kind compliments from some of the women, you decided to do some reading. So you found a quiet part of the camp and sat on the ground in the shade, reading a book that Josiah had given you. But you kept having to push your hair out of your face. Your hair had grown longer than usual during your time in the O'Driscoll camp and it was a little irritating.
"Is your hair bothering you, my dear?" Josiah asked as he walked over to you, hating seeing you on your own. You blushed lightly at the pet name, you hadn't expected it.
"A little...its grown since I was...uh, kidnapped..." you explained as you looked up at the man, tucking some of your hair behind your ear.
"Come here, let me help" he smiled as he sat down behind you
"Uh..." you stammered, not sure what he was doing. But you relaxed when he began to brush your hair, his touch gentle and caring.
You smiled a little in amusement when you realised that he had planned on brushing your hair when he walked over to you, since he had to bring the hairbrush with him. You felt your body relaxing as Josiah neatly braided your hair, it made you wonder where he learnt to do that.
"Thank you" you smiled when he finished with your hair. You turned your body around so that you were sitting, facing, him.
"You're welcome" Josiah smiled, placing the hairbrush down beside him.
"You're a very kind man" you told him, wishing there was some way to show him how grateful you were for him and his generosity. He didn't have to go out of his way to help you but he didn't it anyway.
"Thank you, and you are a very nice woman" Josiah returned the compliment, making you smile and blush lightly. "How are you finding the camp?" he asked, hoping that you were fitting in.
"I like it...it's better than where I came from. Most of you seem like decent people" you told him honestly.
"They are. A little rough around the edges but decent people" Trelawny assured you and you nodded in agreement, you definitely thought that he was the best of them though.
-----
It had been a couple of days now since you joined the Van der Linde gang and everything was going just fine. It was dark outside but you couldn't sleep, so you were sitting alone at the campfire while everyone else slept. You glanced up when you felt Josiah sit beside you, the only company what you truly welcomed recently.
"Can't sleep?" Josiah asked, and you could hear the faint hint of sleep in his voice.
"No..." you sighed tiredly, staring into the flames of the campfire.
"You'll be alright, it's just going to take some time" Josiah assured you as he placed his hand on your shoulder, an attempt to comfort you.
You instantly tensed at his touch and Josiah frowned at this, noticing his mistake as he removed his hand from your shoulder. You actually felt a little guilty for making him feel guilty because you actually trusted Josiah more than anyone else and you really weren't bothered by his touch, it was actually welcomed but you couldn't control your instinctual reaction to an unexpected touch. You were just more defensive than you used to be.
You paused for a moment, thinking about what you were about to do, before shifting closer to Josiah. You silently leaned into him and rested your head on his shoulder, a gesture that told him that you trusted him. Josiah smiled softly to himself before wrapping his arm around you, holding you safely against him.
Josiah had found that he had been developing feelings for you pretty quickly. Despite you being so reserved, he was the only person who saw your personality that wasn't hidden under traumatic experiences, and he found himself falling for you.
"Josiah?" you whispered, wanting to get his attention as you both watched the fire.
"Yes, my dear?" Josiah asked, the pet name making you smile.
"I, uh...my name is Y/N...Y/N L/N" you told him, finally telling the man your name.
Josiah was a little surprised by what you said. Of course, he wanted to know your name from the very moment he met you but it was obvious that you didn't trust anyone enough to give them your name yet. He could understand that. He was glad that you finally felt comfortable enough to share the information, and that he was the one that you felt comfortable enough with.
"A beautiful name" Josiah complimented, deciding not to make a big deal out of it but he was smiling brightly to himself. His compliment just made you smile.
-----
It had been a few weeks since you joined the gang now and it was beginning to truly feel like home. You were sleeping normally, with the exception of an occasional nightmare. Your bruises had mostly faded, which you were more than thankful for. Overall, things were getting better for you.
Josiah had been out of the camp for a few days, finding a lead for Dutch, and you already missed him but he promised you that he would be back soon.
Your head perked up when you heard the sound of Josiah's horse riding into the camp. You had been getting along with the other members of the gang but you still felt closer to him than anyone. You smiled as you stood up, walking over to Josiah.
"Ah, there you are my dear. Looking as beautiful as ever" Josiah complicated smoothly before pulling you into a hug to greet you. You never tensed at his touch anymore, it was always more than welcomed.
"Thank you" you blushed as you hugged him back, feeling safe and cared for in his arms. "It's good to have you back" you told him honestly as you both pulled away from the embrace.
"I missed you, but I have returned with gifts" he told you with a charming smile, God you loved that smile. You laughed softly at his cheerful tone.
Josiah reached into the inside pocket of his jacket before pulling out a jewellery box, holding it out to you. You took the box from him and opened it to reveal a beautiful but simple necklace, you doubted that it was anything cheap.
"Wow...thank you" you said in awe, blushing even more because of the gift. Josiah took the items from you, placing the empty box in his pocket before putting the necklace on you.
You turned back to face Josiah, both of you smiling at each other. You had developed feelings for Josiah a little while ago but, because of some of your recent experiences, you had been hesitant to do anything about it.
"Y/N, would you like to see a show with me?" Josiah asked you, finally getting the courage to ask you on a date.
"I would like that very much" you nodded with a sweet smile, you couldn't be happier.
-----
That evening you got dressed up in the nicest dress you owned, and Josiah took you into town to see a show. The show was a lot of fun but your favourite part was being with Josiah and having his arm wrapped around your shoulders.
After the show, you both returned to Josiah's horse, hand in hand. Josiah stopped you as you reached the horse, turning you back to face him.
"I'm sorry but I have to ask, was this a date?" Josiah asked, just making sure. He was pretty certain that you were both on the same page but he didn't want to do anything that made you uncomfortable.
"Well, I thought it might be" you smiled, chuckling slightly. It was kinda sweet that he was a little nervous.
"Okay, good" he nodded, a smile forming on his face.
You both just smiled at each other in silence. Obviously, you both wanted to kiss each other but neither of you made the move, you knew that he was hesitant. You knew that he was being as careful as possible around you, and you appreciated that. You were still uncomfortable around new people, especially men, but you now trusted Josiah with your life.
"Can I kiss you?" Josiah asked gently, hoping that he didn't cross a line.
"Yes" you nodded with a small smile.
Josiah smiled before cupping your face gently in his hands, holding you like you were precious, as he leaned down to you. His lips gently pressed against yours and you instantly returned the kiss. The kiss was gentle and slow but still full of affection. It was honestly the most gentle gesture of affection you had felt in a long time.
The pair of you pulled away from the kiss with small smiles on your faces. That night, you and Josiah returned to the camp, hand in hand. You spent the rest of the night together, it was perfect.
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