Dutch Van der Linde X Female Reader
Summary: you meet with Dutch and you try again, this time with the real Dutch Van der Linde.
Word Count: 2300
After telling you the truth, the full truth about himself and his gang, Dutch had returned to the camp and explained the situation to Hosea, seeking his advice and perhaps his approval. After finding out the truth about Dutch, you had told him to visit you the following afternoon if he wanted you to give him a second chance.
So that was what Dutch was doing now, dismounting his horses outside of your manor. He walked up the steps and knocked on the front door, waiting patiently and trying to ignore the anxiety he was starting to feel.
He waited and, for a moment, he worried that you wouldn't answer, that you had decided that you wanted nothing to do with him. But, after a moment, the door opened and there you were.
"I...hello, Dutch" you greeted him. You knew that it would be Dutch when you opened the door but it still managed to trap your words in your throat.
"Miss L/n, I...thank you for agreeing to see me again" Dutch attempted a natural smile, finding himself unsure of what to say, something that he wasn't used to.
"You're welcome but this isn't a business meeting, no need to be so formal" you assured him, a fond feeling filling your chest.
"Very well" Dutch nodded, making you smile slightly. You stepped to the side and allowed Dutch to walk into the entrance way of your home.
"Uh...come into the lounge" you hated that you felt awkward around the man that you felt completely comfortable with only two days ago. "Do you want something to drink because I'm definitely having one?" you asked as he followed you into the lounge.
"Yes, thank you" Dutch accepted your offer with a small sigh as he sat down on the couch.
You poured two drinks before walking over to Dutch, handing him one glass and keeping the other for yourself.
"How have you been?" Dutch asked as you sat down on the other side of the couch.
"You mean since yesterday?...not too bad. I've had a lot to think about" you shrugged.
"And what have you been thinking?" he asked, both eager and afraid to hear your answer.
"I was thinking that I probably shouldn't see you again...but then I was thinking that I missed you and I hated myself for that" you told him, deciding to be perfectly honest.
"I truly didn't mean to hurt you, I didn't mean for things to go so far but I fell for you" Dutch said but he had already told you that.
"Y'know...it doesn't bother me all that much that you're an outlaw, what bothered me is that you lied. If I had met you, the real you, and you didn't lie to me...I would've still fallen in love with you" you confessed. "But I suppose you didn't really care about that, you only wanted to steal from me so you had to lie to me" you sighed, your words stinging Dutch because he knew you were right. He made a mistake.
"I'm so sorry" Dutch whispered, truly ashamed of himself.
"You should be but you've already apologised so..." your words drifted off. "I am interested in trying again...but only if you are completely honest with me. Even about the bad stuff, I need to know the truth to be able to trust you" you told him.
"I promise I won't lie to you again" Dutch sounded sincere as he met your gaze.
"Can you keep that promise with the lifestyle you have?" you asked.
"I can...as long as you promise not to share anything with any law enforcement" Dutch told you.
"I promise" you nodded.
"Then I can keep my promise" Dutch assured you. "I would like to suggest something" he spoke up before you did.
"Okay..." you watched him, waiting for his suggestion, wondering where this was going.
"I was speaking with my good friend Hosea, who I mentioned yesterday, and he suggested that I could bring you to the camp and introduce you to everyone. So you don't feel like I am hiding anything from you" Dutch suggested.
"You want me to come and meet your gang?" you asked, eyes widening.
"Obviously you don't have too but I would like it and it may help" Dutch nodded.
"...okay, yeah...let's do that" you agreed. Seeing his life, having proof that he was being honest this time, that could really help you trust him again.
"Are you sure?" Dutch asked.
"Yeah...I want to know you, the real you. This is the best way to do that" you nodded.
"How does tomorrow evening sound?" Dutch suggested.
"It sounds good" you smiled slightly.
"I'll come and pick you up" Dutch returned your smile. "Thank you for giving me another chance" his face softened.
"Don't waste it" you advised, making him chuckle softly.
"I won't" Dutch promised sincerely.
- - - - -
Just like he said he would, Dutch picked you up the next day in the later hours of the afternoon. Riding up to the manor as you stepped out of your front door, smiling softly at him as you walked down the steps.
Dutch dismounted his horse and met you half way. "You look beautiful, as always" he complimented once you were standing in front of him.
"Thank you" you chuckled quietly. "I want to make a good first impression" you confessed, smoothing down your skirt.
"They'll love you, don't you worry about that" Dutch assured you, making you smile.
Dutch lifts you up onto the back of his horse before mounting it himself. You wrapped your arms around his middle as he rode away from the manor.
It wasn't a very long tide to the camp and once you got there, Dutch dismounted and hitched his horse before helping you down. You already knew that people were glancing in your direction but you ignored the feeling.
"Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone" Dutch smiled, placing his hand on your back as he guided you into the camp.
The first person that Dutch introduced you to was Hosea Matthews, which wasn't very surprising. The older gentleman was polite and welcoming, you found him easy to talk too. Dutch actually had to interrupt you both and pull you away to meet some other members of the gang. You could certainly see why Dutch thought so highly of Hosea.
The next gang members Dutch introduced you to were a group of men sitting by the campfire. You quickly learnt that they were Arthur Morgan, John Marston, and Charles Smith. Arthur had welcomed you with a kind smile and a handshake, as did John. Charles gave you a polite nod and a small smile. Dutch had already warned you that Charles wasn't much of a talker and that Arthur and John weren't always good with talking, both of them having a habit of saying the wrong thing. You understood, having already heard enough about the three of them to know that you liked them.
Just before you were about to leave, a blonde woman walked over. She introduced herself as Sadie Adler and you introduced yourself. The two of you talked a little bit but as you were walking away, you noticed her give Dutch a warning glance which made you smile slightly. She joined the three men at the campfire as Dutch walked you away from them.
Then Dutch showed you over to where three women were sitting. Dutch introduced you to them and you learnt that they were Mary-Beth, Tilly, and Karen. Just from that encounter with them you got a feeling for their personalities. Karen was a little more outspoken than the other two, just saying whats on her mind, which you respected to an extent. The other two gave you small waves and smiles, welcoming you and asking you about yourself. You could already tell that Mary-Beth was a little more soft spoken than the others, that she was a dreamer and you liked that about her already. You actually quite liked all three of them.
Making your way back through the camp, you met Abigail and her son Jack. Jack was a sweet kid, smiling and shaking your hand, making you smile and laugh. Abigail introduced herself and seemed friendly enough.
Dutch when guided you over to a table where three men were sitting. The red headed man was the first out of his seat, greeting you with a large smile and enthusiastic handshake, introducing himself as Sean. Then his behaviour made sense, you remembered Dutch telling you about him. It was Lenny who placed his hand on Sean's shoulder and pulled him away before introducing himself and the other man that was with him, Kieran.
Walking over to another table, Dutch introduced you to Javier, Bill and Micah. Bill only nodded at you and Dutch seemed to put himself between you and Micah, which you understood from what he had told you. Javier was nice though, being the only one of the three to actually speak to you.
All in all, you found everyone to be polite and welcoming. From the brief interactions you had with them and from what Dutch had already told you about them, you liked most of them already.
Dutch guided you back over to the the campfire, where Arthur, John and Javier were now sitting. The two of you were about to sit down but, out of the corner of his eye, Dutch saw Micah approaching Lenny. He sighed, knowing that wasn't going to end well and he didn't want you to get the wrong idea about the gang just because Micah couldn't keep his mouth shut.
"Are you alright?" you asked, getting Dutch's attention back on you.
"Of course" Dutch assures you with a smile. "Will you be alright on your own for a moment? I have to tend to something" he asked.
"Of course, I'll be fine" you smiled up at him.
Dutch couldn't help but smiled because you looked genuinely happy, maybe the two of you could be alright after all. He pressed a kiss to your temple before walking away.
You just took a seat at the campfire, being greeted by the three men already sitting around it. It wasn't long before somebody sat down beside you and you looked up to see Hosea.
"Hello, Mr Matthews" you smiled at him as he sat down.
"Please, Hosea is fine" he assured you. "How are you finding the gang?" he asked.
"I'll be honest with you, I had no idea what to expect on the way here but I've been pleasantly surprised" you confessed, making the older man smile.
"I'm glad to hear it. Dutch spoke about you a lot, it's nice to finally meet you" Hosea told you kindly.
"He spoke very highly of you when he told me about that gang. It's nice to meet you too" you replied.
"I would like to apologise for how this all came to be, I never meant for anything to go this far, it's not what we do" Hosea sighed slightly, sounding completely sincere. And he truly did feel bad, since he was the one to point Dutch in your direction in the first place. "Dutch messed up and he knows it, trust me, I gave him an ear full myself" he assured you, making you chuckle quietly. "But he really does love you, he feels awful for lying and hurting you. I don't think you have to forgive him or anything but I wanted you to hear it from somebody else. If you do forgive him, he will do everything he can to not mess up again, I believe that" he told you.
"Thank you, Mr Matthews. Your word means a lot to me" you admitted, recalling how highly Dutch spoke of Hosea
"Hosea" he corrected you.
"Thank you, Hosea" you corrected yourself with a smile.
"What are you two talking about?" Dutch's voice made you both look up at him.
"Oh nothing" you smiled as you patted the space on the log beside you.
Dutch sat down without argument, smiling as you lent against him and he wrapped an arm around you, all of you listening to Javier's music.
You spent the rest of the evening at the camp, speaking with the gang members and getting to know them better. All in all, you had a really good time. They were so different from the people that you usually had to surround yourself by, they were rougher around the edges but they were free and kind, and you liked them.
- - - - -
Once your night at the camp came to an end, Dutch took you back to your manor on The Count. Dutch dismounted the horse before lifting you down and walking you up to the door, feeling like the night had gone well but hoping you felt the same.
"Thank you for giving me a second chance. I know I don't deserve it but I really appreciate it" Dutch spoke as you opened your front door.
"You're not doing a bad job at making things better" you assured him as you turned to face him again. "Tonight I saw the true Dutch Van der Linde and I think I like him better than the banker Dutch Van der Linde" you confessed, making him laugh a little.
"So, I can see you again?" Dutch asked, feeling a little foolish that his confidence had up and left him.
"You can..." you smiled before placing your hands on his chest and leaning up, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. His hands instantly came to rest lightly on your waist, returning your short kiss. "Would you like to stay?" you asked, inviting him into your home.
"Of course, I'd love to but maybe I shouldn't" Dutch sighed, resting his forehead against yours.
"I would like you too" you assured him.
"...who am I to argue with you?" Dutch asked, the two of you smiling at each other.
You took his hand in yours and guided him into your home, closing the front door behind you both.
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