Dutch Van der Linde X Female Reader X Arthur Morgan
Summary: a progression of your relationship and the gang's downfall.
Word Count: 3400
~Horseshoe Overlook~
Your terms of your relationship with Arthur and Dutch was still new to you all but it was still exciting. You couldn't explain it but it was Dutch that seemed to adjust the fastest, but that made sense since it was all his idea in the first place.
Arthur was still nervous to overstep his boundaries, whether he was upsetting you or Dutch, he just didn't want to risk messing anything up. But whenever he was around you he relaxed completely, he loved you and id this was how he got to be with you, that was good enough for him.
Your relationship with Arthur wasn't public like your relationship with Dutch was, that was a mutual decision made by the three of you. You may all be alright with the arrangement but other people might not be so understanding, even if Dutch convinced them to not comment on it. It would be less complicated this way.
You where standing outside of Dutch's tent with him, his arm wrapped around your waist as he pressed a kiss to your lips. He pulled away from you and looked over your head, stroking his hand up and down your back as he nodded his head in the direction behind you. You glanced over your shoulder, to see what Dutch was looking at, and saw that Arthur was preparing his horse.
"Go keep him company, yeah?" Dutch suggested, getting your attention back onto him.
"Sure" you smiled, resting your hands against his chest rather than his shoulders. "I love you" you said sweetly.
"I love you too" Dutch hummed, kissing you again before patting your hip as you pulled away from him. You gave Dutch another smile before walking over to Arthur.
"Need some company?" you asked as you got closer to Arthur, grabbing his attention.
"Sure, wouldn't do any harm" Arthur nodded, looking at you over his shoulder and smiling to himself.
Arthur mounted his horse before holding his hand down for you to take, which you did. You mounted the horse and wrapped your arms around his waist as you both rode out of the camp.
"So what's the plan?" you asked, wondering where he was heading in the first place.
"I was just heading into town to sell some things" Arthur told you. It was a boring task, something that he hadn't even thought twice about, but now that you were accompanying him he knew that it would be enjoyable.
"Sounds good to me" you hummed as you gave his waist a slight squeeze, making him smile.
Arthur rode up to the fence before dismounting his horse. Instead of letting you dismount by yourself, he reached up and placed his hand on either side of your waist, carefully lifting you down.
Before he could pull away from you, you draped your arms over his shoulders and lent up to kiss him. "I love you" you whispered against his lips.
"I love you too" Arthur spoke without hesitation because he meant every word. He would never tire of hearing you tell him that you love him, even if he had to share your love.
You could only really express your affection with Arthur outside of the camp or in the privacy of the tent that you share with Dutch, if you were in camp all you could do was speak quietly. Sometimes you wished that it was different but you knew why it had to be this way. At least you got to be with him when it was just the two of you. Perhaps that was why Dutch encouraged you to spend time together, not that you were complaining, because he understood that you didn't get the same chances to be together that you and Dutch did.
~Clemens Point~
Hosea sighed as he walked away, leaving Dutch and Arthur at the table, he couldn't keep arguing about the flaws in Dutch's plan. He just wouldn't listen to reason.
"I think Hosea is right" Arthur dared to comment, hoping he would listen if two people tried to convince him.
"Do you now?" Dutch asked, turning to look at him.
"It's just...risky" Arthur told him cautiously.
"Well, alright then. It would do you all well to remember who calls the shots around here" Dutch warned him.
"Dutch-" Arthur sighed, beginning his argument but not getting the chance.
"Y/n won't be able to accompany you this afternoon" Dutch told him blankly as he turned away.
"She won't?" Arthur asked, his face dropping in disappointment and confusion.
"No, she won't" Dutch stated as he walked away, not leaving any time for argument or explanation. Arthur frowned to himself before shaking his head, attempting to dismiss the thought. What was that about?
Dutch stepped into his tent, where he found you. He smiled to himself as he walked up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist, pressing his chest to your back.
"Hi" you giggled, relaxing back into the embrace, knowing exactly who it was ever before he rested his chin on your shoulder.
"I have some bad news" Dutch told you, his nose brushing against your jaw.
"Oh?" you turned to face him, waiting for the news.
"Arthur is going on a job this afternoon, he can't take you out" Dutch told you as his hands fell to rest on your hips. He saw how your face dropped for a moment before you shook it off and smiled again.
"Oh well, it's just one afternoon. You'll still be here, right?" you asked as you wrapped your arms around his neck.
"Of course, my love" Dutch grinned before distracting you with a kiss.
-----
The next morning you wandered over to Arthur's tent, stepping inside to see him sitting on the edge of his cot as he buttoned up his shirt.
"How was the job yesterday?" you asked as you stepped to stand in front of him.
"Job?" Arthur asked, his brow furrowing in confusion before having realisation wash over him. That must have been the excuse Dutch told you. "Uh, it went alright. Easy enough" he shrugged, his hands dropping to his lap.
"I missed you" you sighed, pouting slightly which made Arthur chuckle fondly.
"I missed you too" Arthur smiled and he meant it. You glanced around before leaning down and pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "Careful, someone could see" he warned you halfheartedly, he certainly wasn't going to stop you.
"I know but...we haven't had anytime together recently" you reminded him, sounding disheartened.
"I know" Arthur sighed, feeling as disappointed at you.
"Today. No arguments, yeah?" you asked.
"Yeah, sounds good to me" Arthur couldn't help the smile on his face.
"I love you" you whispered as you lent down and gave him another quick kiss.
"I love you too, darlin'" Arthur whispered back as you pulled away from him.
That was the first time that Dutch had used your relationship against Arthur, seemingly punishing him for not doing what the older man wanted. It was the first time but it wouldn't be the last.
~Shady Belle~
You sighed to yourself as you crossed the camp, away from where you had seen Dutch speaking with Mary-Beth. You weren't stupid, you recognised the way he looked at her because it was the way that he looked at you, a look that you hadn't seen him direct at you in a while now. You couldn't blame him, you knew that you couldn't, you were with both him and Arthur after all.
But wasn't that all Dutch's idea in the first place? A scheme that he plotted by himself and then surprised you both with. That moment still didn't sit right with you but then you wondered how else he was supposed to bring up the subject of sharing you. Then the question started playing on your mind again, why did Dutch encourage your current situation in the first place?
"Are you alright?" Arthur asked as you began to pass him, too lost in thought to even notice him until he spoke. As soon as he saw you, he saw the look of conflict on your face.
"Yeah...could we talk? Privately" you asked.
"Sure, come on" Arthur nodded. If you needed to talk about something, he would be there for you.
You and Arthur walked out of the camp, making sure to go unseen.
As if with perfect timing, Dutch finished his conversation with Mary-Beth and turned, catching a glimpse of you and Arthur disappearing among the trees.
Dutch's jaw clenched before relaxing again, perhaps he should have been paying attention to you rather than Mary-Beth but he wasn't the type to acknowledge when he was in the wrong. Not recently anyway. It made him think back to that day in his tent, when he suggested the idea of sharing you, when he put his plan into action. He had seen the way you and Arthur interacted, how you looked at each other. You clearly cared deeply for each other.
Now, Dutch wasn't sure whether your love for Arthur ran deeper than your love for himself but that didn't matter much. He could see the tide changing and wanted to get ahead of the game. He cared for you and he cared for Arthur, he honestly didn't have a problem with the arrangement, if he did he wouldn't have suggested it in the first place. But when Arthur questioned him that day about something so unimportant, Dutch saw a way to use it against him, to use it to his advantage.
Dutch couldn't say when he started seeing everything as a game to be played and won rather than a life to live, when he started seeing everyone as pawns rather than people. Even you and Arthur.
"Hey. Just saw Morgan wandering off with Y/n, I don't like it Dutch. You want me to check it out?" Micah asked, seemingly appearing out of nowhere and now standing beside the other man.
"You're being paranoid" Dutch assured him.
"It don't feel right, Dutch. I think you should do something about it" Micah advised, something that he seemed to do a lot lately.
"There is nothing to worry about. Arthur is loyal and Y/n wouldn't turn her back on me. Have some Faith, Micah" Dutch told him. Dutch knew that Micah was worried about you both plotting against him, that wasn't what was going on and he knew that.
"Whatever you say" Micah shrugged before walking away. Dutch released a breath before just heading for his tent.
Once you were far enough away from the camp, you slipped your hand into Arthur's. "Have you noticed that Dutch has...changed?" you asked, knowing that Arthur of all people would notice it.
"Changed? Changed how?" Arthur frowned, looking down at you.
"I don't know, I can't quite explain it. He's more distant...downright neglectful if I'm being honest. The way he talks, the way he acts, the way he seems to believe every word Micah says, like he trusts him more than us at times. He just isn't the man he used to be and I don't understand it" you explained. "Maybe I'm just imagining thing" you sighed when Arthur didn't respond.
"You're not imagining things, we've all noticed it. He has changed and I don't know why, it feels like he's losing his damn mind. He's going to get us all killed if nothing else" Arthur nodded, assuring you that you weren't the only one seeing the difference.
"Was there anything we could've done to prevent this?" you asked, looking up at him.
"There was nothing we could do, we couldn't even have known. This isn't your fault" Arthur assured you as he stopped walking, gently turning you to stand in front of him.
"I'm worried about him but...but can I be honest with you?" you shifted nervously.
"'Course you can" he frowned slightly, running his hands up your arms.
"When I look at him...I don't feel the way I used too. I think back to how we used to be and I feel a warmth in my chest but when I look at him now it feels cold, like he isn't Dutch anymore" you confessed, hanging your head.
"I'm sorry" Arthur wasn't sure why he was apologising, he hadn't done anything wrong. He was just sorry that you were upset, that this was effecting you, you didn't deserve that.
"It's sad...but it's okay. That just life, I guess, it happens sometimes. People change and people fall out of love" you shrugged gently.
"You don't love him anymore?" Arthur asked, his eyes widening slightly in surprise.
"I do, I mean...I don't know. I saw him talking to Mary-Beth again and I didn't feel cheated or angry, I just sighed and felt...tired. Like...disappointed but not at all surprised" you told him, not sure how you were feeling or how you should be feeling.
"You deserve better than that" Arthur spoke before thinking. You looked up at him and met his gaze, searching it for a moment.
Maybe he was right, you did deserve better, you deserved something else. Arthur has always treated you well even before you started seeing each other, he always makes you smile, he makes you feel a way that Dutch hasn't made you feel for a while now.
"Maybe you're right but things could still change, right?" you asked hopefully.
"Right" Arthur nodded before pulling you towards him, wrapping his arms around your body as he held you against his chest. You wrapped your arms around his middle and smiled as he kissed the top of your head.
Arthur found himself disappointed, disappointed that you couldn't see what was happening. The end of the gang was coming and it was going to be messy. You were optimistic, hoped that things could go back to normal and he couldn't blame you for that. He was annoyed that you couldn't see that you deserved better. Now, he wasn't saying that he was better or what you should settle for, he thought that you could do better than him, but you at the very least deserved somebody to loved you and treated you better than Dutch had been treating you recently.
It was Dutch who made you cry and Arthur who dried your tears. Something that you remembered as you relaxed in Arthur's warm and safe embrace.
~Beaver Hollow~
Things did change but definitely not for the better. More lived were lost, as was more of Dutch's mind. It had been rough to put it simply. You and Dutch were drifting apart while you and Arthur grew closer. You had also grown closer to Abigail, John, Sadie, and Charles before he left. It felt like you all had an understanding, that something bad was about to happen and you would only have each other when that thing finally came.
Finally, the day came and the dam broke, leaving you all where you were now. It had started with Arthur and Micah aiming their guns at each other, Arthur having just learnt that Micah had been the rat all along. You weren't surprised.
Then Dutch got involved, rightly so, but he made a huge mistake. He took Micah's side and upholstered his gun. John returned to the camp and joined Arthur without hesitation, while Javier and Bill joined Dutch. Arthur tried to convinced them but they wouldn't listen, it was hopeless.
"Y/n, come on. We have to get moving" Dutch's voice broke you out of your thoughts. Oh right, you hadn't chosen your side. Actually you had chosen, having already predicted this day coming, you just hadn't moved from where you currently stood.
"Dutch, please think about what you're doing" you pleaded, as if there was any chance on him seeing the light and changing his mind now.
"I have, now lets go" Dutch ordered again, only earning a sigh from you. You nodded in acceptance before walking over to Arthur, standing by his side.
"Y/n, what do you think you are doing?" Dutch asked through gritted teeth.
"I'm doing what's right. Micah has been lying to you, manipulating you. He was the one who talked to the Pinkertons, Arthur and John have been nothing but loyal to you. I know why I'm standing here but I have no idea why you are standing beside him" you told him sternly.
"So naive. That's your problem. You thought that things would just work out, go back to normal and be good again. Times are changing, things change and we can't fight that. You can't understand what I'm doing, what I've done. You're so naive that you couldn't even see that I didn't only have your interest in mind when we came to our little arrangement" Dutch sneered, nodding his head at Arthur. This time you were taken back, had he really just called you naive and stupid?
"I know you've been playing a game, hoping you would win everything in the end, I've known that for a while. Was what we had always just to manipulate Arthur? I'm not stupid, I know that things change and I understand that. I know that you've changed but that doesn't mean that I have to like the man you've become" you didn't falter, you wouldn't allow yourself too. It was all too clear now. You relaxed and felt even more sure of yourself when Arthur took your hand in his as a comforting gesture.
"Always known you were just a whore. How long have you been fucking Morgan?" Micah asked, clearly amused as he looked between you both.
"Micah" Arthur warned lowly.
"Since we set up camp in Horseshoe Overlook, I'm not ashamed of that" you told him, meeting his gaze without flinching.
"Fucking hell, Dutch" Micah chuckled, looking at Dutch as if he was...disappointed in him?
"That's enough" Dutch snapped at him but Micah only chuckled again.
"Dutch" you spoke to get his attention and he looked back at you. "Just so you know, so that you don't sit and wonder about why it happened this way. I am not standing here because of you or because of Arthur. I'm standing here because it's the right thing to do. Goodbye Dutch" and with that you let him go, released anything you were holding onto, you rid yourself of that burden. And it was a huge relief, a weight off of your chest and your hold on Arthur's hand tightened slightly.
Then the gunshots started, the Pinkertons showing up. During the chaos, Dutch's group escaped through the trees, leaving the three of you to escape through the caves. Arthur told John to go on without him, to get back to his family, and told you to go with him. You agreed before wishing John good luck and chasing after Arthur, you couldn't leave him alone and you knew that John would be alright.
That left you both where you were now, trudging down the mountain with a slightly beaten up Arthur. Still, he wasn't has beaten as Micah had been when he ran off. Arthur winced as the rocks beneath his feet slipped, causing him to stumble slightly. You wrapped your arm around his waist and placed your hand on his chest, looking up at him with concern.
"Do you want to take a break" you asked, understanding if he needed to sit for a moment.
"No, we're almost at the bottom. I'm fine" Arthur assured you and you nodded before continuing to push forward.
Finally, you both reached Arthur's horse who was loyally waiting. "Where are we going?" you asked as you both approached the horse.
"We'll meet with John and the others, then go from there" Arthur sighed as he pulled away from you, supporting his weight by himself.
"Sounds good to me" you nodded, glad that you would get to see the others before doing whatever it was that you were all going to do.
"Y/n" Arthur spoke softly, making you turn back to him. "Now that we'll all be going our separate ways, now that everything is changing, you can go on by yourself. We don't have to be...together" he told you, avoiding meeting your gaze and making you frown.
"Arthur, I didn't side with you and John because of our relationship but I do love you. I love you so much. You're a good man, you've made that so extremely clear over the last few months. I don't want to go anywhere without you, if you'll have me of course" you promised him, stepping closer and resting your hands on his chest.
"I love you too" Arthur seemed to sigh in relief before he cupped your face in his hands and kissed you. "Let's get out of here" he winced slightly in pain again as he pulled away from the kiss.
You nodded in agreement as you completely pulled away from him. Arthur mounted his horse before giving you his hand to help you up. You made sure not to hold his waist too tightly as you rode away, not wanting to hurt him further, as you headed for safety.
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