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lunarvampz · 6 months ago

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In Bloom (Arthur Morgan x Reader)

TW: MENTIONS OF SELF-HARM, TRAUMATIC MEMORIES, IMPLICATIONS OF PREVIOUS SEXUAL ASSAULT.

everyone kisses everyone and thats just normal, dutch is creepy, bill is a mankisser. arthur craves connection, he also craves new underwear. semen. reader jokes about trauma, arthur is bad at woman-ing.

word count for this chapter :7568

STARS : ✩★✩ - Indicate a swap in pov, from reader to arthur, arthur to reader etc. ENJOY!

Chapter 7 Juniper

“Well, hey there, Sunshine!”, A snarky Abigail swished over and sat beside you at the table. You held your cup of hot tea close to you, the steam heating the bottom of your face and you half-smiled. “Good morning.”

Every morning for the past week you’ve been here, Abigail had made a point to sit with you. She briefly mentioned the warm-up period for new people and how it felt for her, along with other tidbits about each person. “I reckon you and Mary-Beth will get along nicely, I saw your little collection of books, you both have a keen interest in… romance.”

She does not give up. You both exchanged knowing looks, hers a little more naughty. Yes, every day for the past seven days, Arthur had stopped by your station at least once, offering his help to you. It was a little awkward as he seemed indifferent to your presence in the camp, which was unusual. Abigail said he was keeping a front up when you asked her about it and that having you surrounded by everyone he’s family with might have freaked him out, but she didn’t know what was bothering him.

“Well, I’m off to feed the horses, you better get your behind moving too before Miss Grimshaw starts riding up it.” she laughed, already walking off cheerily.

Your job had been the laundry for the near future, Miss Grimshaw said it would be helping out whilst getting some time away to sit and process, but she emphasised getting the clothes clean and stain-free first.

Laundry was done once a week, so it was your first time. While it was everyone's responsibility to leave their dirty clothes in the designated basket, some people were either forgetful or lazy, so it was the laundry lady’s duty to search tents for washing.

You looked around the women’s area first, unsurprisingly, there was nothing but a blouse that must’ve been forgotten about. Next was the men's area, unsurprisingly, there was much to be picked up.

Searching through the tents, you found multiple dirty pairs of trousers, and you were honestly scared of what was on some of them. You got around, picking up stray sheets and shirts, and then there was one. One tent. Your breath hitched as you pulled back the panel, cautiously scanning for any items in need of a wash. Nothing. A clean one, he is.

Something caught your eye, sticking out from under his cot. Underwear… You shuddered, slowly bending over to pick them up. Oh my. A wet stain stared you in the face, you couldn't lie to yourself because you knew exactly what it was. A strangled cough escaped from your throat as you flushed pink, hastily laying the garment on the pile of items.

My dearest Lord, please help this man control his thoughts, so he may avoid situations like this, amen. Praying wasn’t a common occurrence for you anymore, but a little something for encouragement never hurt anyone.

——————————

You sat by the river and filled the metal basin, sprinkling washing soda into the water. After loading the clothes into the basket, you laid down in the sun and thought to yourself about many things, including the obscure position you were in.

Mere weeks ago you were being ordered around and mistreated by your own blood, and now, you were surrounded by the most welcoming bunch of people you’d come across in your life, which wasn’t hard to beat.

They understood what it was like to be unwanted and needing to fight for their own, they were stronger and closer than a regular family, they were ride or die.

The afternoon sun slipped through the tree branches, providing a slight warmth, probably one of the last hints of autumn before everything plunged into cold. You rolled onto your side, embracing the soft, grassy bank and everything that clouded your mind had dissipated in a brief moment of clarity, and for a short while, time slowed, and you felt truly at peace.

——————————

The laundry hit the table with a loud thud, causing a few turned heads, but they quickly resumed their tasks. It was a bit weird, considering you used to be able to yell and slam things, all whilst being ignored. Not even a glance in your direction was given, regardless of your cries.

Never mind all of that, you had a job to do.

Within a few minutes, the wet washing was pinned to clotheslines, earning you Miss Grimshaw's nod of approval.

“Looks good, thank you for helping out.” A kind voice came from behind you, causing you to pivot on your heels swiftly. “Mary-Beth, Hi. It’s the least I can do. Thank you.” You smiled nervously, this was the second interaction you’d had with her since being here.

Behind her, Karen and Tilly unloaded their belongings from the wagon. They had been out for half the week on a ‘score’. You weren’t sure what it was for, but you had no authority to ask questions. She held a book in her hand, you tilted your head to get a closer look. Pride and Prejudice.

“You have good taste.” You gestured to the book. She paused and looked at her hand for a moment before it clicked.

“Oh my gosh, thank you! Jane Austen is a literary genius, I’ve probably read this book more than ten times.” She smiled cheerfully, caught up in her whimsical world.

“I agree! I love her writing, I have my own copy of that somewhere in my belongings, along with the pile of other romances, I’ll lend you some if you ever wanted something else to read, maybe you could find a fresh book.” You smiled back, earning a nod and a thanks.

Karen beckoned her before she could open her mouth again, which is when she waved and turned around, scurrying back over to help the others.

It was almost too good to be true, this place. Open air, somewhat friendly people, the absence of disdain, and no one to confine you or tear you down. You looked around, watching nature surround you and sighed. The sun had risen fully, so all you had to do now was wait for the clothes to dry and maybe unpack a little too.

——————————

Mirror in hand, you inspected the freshly-healed scars that were scattered over your face, they were barely noticeable but felt like a permanent, ugly tainting of your body. Tears began to form as you rolled down the side of your skirt, facing the harsh lines that clustered on your hip, your own doing, over many years.

You remembered how terrified you were, balled up, naked, forcibly stripped of your clothes and examined like a specimen. The harsh hands of your mother grabbed and prodded at your limbs, looking for any other cuts or scars. She had muttered words like ‘stupid’ and ‘unwell’ as her eyes frantically scanned your skin.

She had found the blood on your clothes earlier, had come into your room, raging like a tornado and made you tell her everything, it went on for…

The tears had begun falling onto your blouse by the time you snapped out of it, you wish you could forget it, all of it, everything. The cutting, the abuse, the anger, the fear, that one life-changing day all those years ago. His face. You shuddered, fixing your shirt and putting down the mirror, slumping onto your bed. Bitterness filled your soul as you picked at the flowers on your nightstand, a sprig of juniper, and you wondered… Why you?

Sniffling quietly, you looked around your small space, happy with the work you had done, everything was unpacked and neatly organised. What caught you by surprise was Miss Grimshaw popping her head inside the entrance to tell you the laundry was dry. She saw your face, red and puffy, and frowned. “I know it's a tough transition.”

“A bit, but I’ll be okay.” You weakly smiled, wiping the remaining wetness from your face. A warm smile was given in return and with that, she pulled over the flaps and left you be. Laundry.

You pushed yourself up and ran your hands over your face, deeply exhaling. Drawing back the cloth, you made your way back over to the clotheslines, picking off the warm, crisp garments and folding them into piles. Each person had their initials on the hemline of each item, making things a lot easier on yourself.

After putting the piles back into the basket, you worked your way around camp delivering them to their designated places. First, the women, then the men, and finally…

Standing in front of his tent, you felt the jitters creeping up on you. His clothes were the last ones in the basket, his laundry only consisted of a few items, two shirts, some socks and some drawers. A tingle ran down your spine, recalling what you had found earlier.

The flaps of his tent pushed open, and Arthur came through them, almost charging into you, and he blurted your name with startlement.

“I have your uh… laundry here.” A nervous smile spread across your face as you offered up the basket in his direction. “Are you alright?”

“Fine, fine. Just…” He coughed, breathing heavily “Lost something a lil’ personal, I’m sure it’ll turn up. Thanks.” Looking down at the pile in front of him, he stopped for a moment. You were confused until you followed his line of sight, straight to the drawers. Those drawers.

Both of you looked each other in the eye. He knew. He knew that you knew. A pale pink flushed his cheeks before he quickly snatched the clothes up. “Uh, I appreciate it, thank you.”

“It’s my job.” You laughed dryly, wanting this to be over. “I’ll see you around, Mr Mor- Arthur. I’ll see you around, Arthur.”

“Of course. I better get back to it then.” He grunted quietly, before turning back into his tent.

✩★✩

Every damn day since that morning you had kept having dreams about her. Every morning you woke up with soaked drawers all because of her, it made you want, but it also made you slightly annoyed having to wash a pair every day.

The dreams didn’t stop, one night it was about her at the inn, then the saloon, in her bedroom, in the cornfields. All the places you had been together, devilish thoughts displayed themselves in your head every night. You didn’t know how to feel. It was unusual for you to feel like this, maybe you just missed what you had with Mary too much. Oh, Mary.

As you scoured your whole tent for today's pair of underwear, you became increasingly anxious that someone had found them. Shit. Laundry day. You began to heave and groan in annoyance, pushing through the panels of your tent only to find her, basket in arms.

✩★✩

You glanced at your pocket watch. 6:26 pm. Shoving it back into your pocket, you made your way to the stew pot as you had become quite hungry after a day of labour. The wind, now chilling, whistled through the camps surrounding trees and through the fabric of the tents, fanning the flames of the fire under the stew, and blowing your hair from your face. You reached for the pile of bowls, grabbing one off the top and serving yourself a portion.

It was difficult to find a place to eat, unwilling to sit amongst the men and scared to interrupt the women, after careful consideration, you found yourself sitting on the ground near a lonesome fire on a small hill near the edge of camp. You hummed to yourself, scooping bits of stew into your mouth whilst intently staring into the raging flames, wondering what tomorrow would bring.

You leaned against a crate, placing the empty bowl beside you and staring out over the camp. Everyone got along, regardless of the amount of shit they gave each other, you found it heartwarming and it was something you deeply yearned for in a familial way. One day.

The sound of hooves hitting the ground grew close, pulling to a halt at the hitching post. Two pairs of spurs came up behind you, and a voice followed, calling your name. You turned, a pleasant expression on your face as you greeted Dutch and Arthur.

“Miss, I am terribly sorry for not having a formal conversation with you earlier, it’s been a very busy week.” Dutch spoke regretfully, voice smooth and charismatic, now standing in front of you, Arthur by his side. “It’s a pleasure to have you join our family.” He smiled, a suggestive undertone in his charming voice, extending his hand for you to shake.

Pushing yourself up from the ground, you put your hand in his, but instead of shaking it, he brought his mouth to the back of it, leaving a kiss. Arthur raised an eyebrow, coughing slightly. He looked at you, almost lost for words and patted Dutch’s shoulder to let go, and Dutch looked at you, a sly smirk plastered on his face.

“Um, thank you, Mr Van der Linde.”, This oddly intimate moment made your voice small, definitely out of the ordinary for you, but maybe this was the way they did things here.

“Please, Just Dutch.” He stated. “Well, I need to go talk logistics over with Hosea, but you should come to mingle with the people in a few, and we’ll have a proper celebration for your arrival.” And with that, he turned around and walked off.

“Ignore him, he has a thing for pretty young women, despite being in his forties.” Arthur half chuckled, but before you could say anything, he spoke again. “Anyway, I’ll, uh, take your bowl for you, jus’ come down when you’re ready.” A slight smile pulled at his lips and he crouched down and swept the bowl up before following in Dutch’s trail.

You got a whiff of whiskey when he bent down, which would explain his at-ease manner, although he was definitely far from drunk. It had been a long time since seeing him inebriated, you almost forgot what he was like.

⬞“You alrigh’ there, little lady?” Arthur couldn’t help but stifle a laugh at your struggle to remain composed.

Shaking your head, you choked on your own saliva. Luckily, it only lasted a few more seconds before you could finally clear your throat and lean back into the chair, red-faced and a little embarrassed at yourself. You noticed the gruff men at the bar giving you a look that said, ‘Get over yourself,’ you slid down into the chair more, turning your attention to the glass on the table.

“Well, that was quite the show.”⬞

Your mind played back the memory in your head and a small chuckle escaped your chest, you couldn’t believe how you ended up in an inn with someone you barely knew. He took care of you.

The heat of the fire radiated on your clothing and exposed skin, flames casting orange tones against the surrounding area, you looked over at the other fire in the middle of the camp, pleased faces, enveloped in the same amber hues, laughing, joking, teasing.

A tugging in your chest pulled you forward, walking the same path the two men had taken into the heart of camp. Dutch was finishing up his conversation when he slinked over to you, taking you under his arm and proudly announcing to everyone your full name, where you came from and why you have decided to ride with them.

“Now I expect everyone to be welcoming to this fine young woman, make sure she feels at home.” With that, he gave you a squeeze and led you to the fire, where Arthur was relaxing.

He was sat on one of the chairs, legs spread, leant back with his hands resting on his thighs, one holding a bottle of alcohol. His hat covered his eyes, leaving the lower half of his face visible, and you could see his mouth contorting into a playful smirk as Javier said something you couldn’t make out.

Karen had scooted out of the way to make space for you on the log, patting the seat. You sat down and thanked her, adjusting your skirt.

“Miss Hotel, what a beautiful woman you are.” Karen chuckled loudly, taking a swig from the bottle in her hand, she offered you a drink but you declined, wary of how you were last time, and not wanting to be greedy.

“Is that seriously what I’m known as? Oh god.” Shame and embarrassment filled your chest. “No, no, don’t get your panties in a twist, girl. Abigail just fills me in about everything.” She reassured you with an inviting laugh, swinging her arm around you. “We need to get you out of your shell a little, then you’ll fit right in.” A devious grin plastered her flushed face.

“Something is telling me that Arthur’s lap is a nice place for your ass, I mean come on, look at him!” She teased, gesturing to him. You both watched as he adjusted himself a bit, tugging slightly at the fabric on his crotch and laughed softly at another joke from Javier about lawmen that you didn’t quite catch.

He took a long drink from the bottle in his hand, craning his neck to drink down the honey-coloured liquid. His hand returned to his leg, and you watched the exposed part of his chest rise and fall with a heavy sigh, it was gorgeous.

Karen snickered beside you, gently pushing your back and forcing you up before scooching over so you couldn't sit back down. You desperately searched for a different seat only to find them all filled, looking back at a smug Karen, she mouthed, ‘Go’, at you and once again gestured to him.

Here goes nothing.

You had no idea what you were going to say and by the time you had walked up to him, you just said the first thing that came to mind.

“Hey, um, is this seat taken?” Your voice was a little unsure, almost sounding like a squeak, your finger pointed to his lap. So smooth. This earned a few whistles, and a couple of laughs, a buzzed Arthur looked up at you, cheeks flushed, which you didn’t know if it was from the alcohol or your question.

He looked at you in astonishment for a few moments before cracking a smile. “Uh, no it’s not.” A yearning look in his eyes searched your face, wondering if this was a joke or not.

You stood there awkwardly for a second, debating on whether you were actually committing to this. Hell, might as well. Stepping forward, you watched Arthur’s eyes change from questioning to surprise, then from surprise to appetition.

He shuffled to sit up a little more, patting his thigh before guiding you down by your waist. “Well hell-o, Darlin’.” A low chuckle rumbled in his chest, slightly amused in his tone, grip firm and strong on your hip. Stiffly sat you were, careful not to move around, it was a little unpleasant but you had committed, so now you had to lay in the grave you dug yourself. “You don’t mind if I take a drink, do you?” Gesturing to his whiskey bottle, you calculated how much you’d need to drink to get tipsy, a good, long sip should have been enough.

Arthur handed you the bottle, a little warily at that, but you guzzled down a mouthful of the liquid quickly, swallowing and immediately coughing, to which he rubbed your back slowly and soon enough, it subsided.

“Thank you.” A grin adorned your face, beaming with laughter, you would never get used to the burn. Arthur’s chest heaved with a heavy breath, leaning into you whilst simultaneously pulling you closer, he was blood-hot and wild, something you felt a need for. Maybe older men weren’t all bad.

——————————

About an hour had passed and now you were certainly tipsy, borderline buzzed, but learning from your past mistakes, you hadn’t overdone it. Arthur was now edging into drunk territory, still perfectly articulate, but louder.

As everyone got increasingly intoxicated the atmosphere changed. Louder, funnier. The jokes got more abrasive and dirty, some of which you saw were hurled towards John about his ‘poor luck’, others towards Bill about ‘what way he swings’, and more that you didn’t really pay attention to.

Some of them had asked you some questions about your upbringing, which you answered truthfully, mentioning your strict parents and their neglect and favouritism without getting too specific or dark. Arthur’s thumb rubbed circles on your hip while you talked about it, and his face grew sorrowful.

You hadn’t noticed what he was doing until you felt soft caresses on your upper arm, which caused your head to snap back around to look at him, he looked up at you with doe-like eyes, filled with grief. “Oh, I’m so sorry…” His words were so quiet, that only you could hear them. “You’ve been through… So much.” Tender fingertips placed more gentle grazes on your shoulder before he rested his forehead against it.

It was shocking, to say the least, that this big tough man had a soft spot for unfortunate women, maybe that’s why he had been so helpful to Abigail. Big tough outlaw. You giggled, shrugging it off as it seemed he was content where he was.

“Ladies and gentlemen, in honour of our newest member, I propose a game! A game of getting to know people. Never have I ever seems fitting.” Dutch’s voice bellowed from a few meters in front of you as he approached the circle. “And would you look at that, she’s already found herself a nice seat, cozied up with the lovely Mr Morgan.” This earned a few whistles, a grumble from Arthur and a cheer from Karen. You laughed it off to not stir the pot and let him continue.

“Maybe a little spin the bottle later.” He taunted, ushering everyone to sit in a circle. “Now, does everyone have something to drink? Good. I’ll start.” He thought for a second.

“Never have I ever… Stolen something.” Everyone laughed and there wasn’t a single person who didn't drink, including yourself.

Tilly piped up next. “Never have I ever, read an entire book in one day.” Obviously looking at Mary-Beth as she sheepishly took a sip. Hosea took a sip and so did you.

It only took a few more questions before it started to turn dirty, as all games like this do. You had dodged drinking for the last few questions but when Javier spoke, you knew you were going to be the centre of attention.

“Never have I ever… lost my virginity.” He asked boldly, a scheming laugh following. Your back stiffened a little as you gently reached for Arthur’s bottle, quietly taking a sip and not making a big deal of it. This earned surprised looks from many people, including Arthur, who smirked and raised a suggestive eyebrow.

“Well, I didn’t know that.” He announced in a stunned tone, something shifting in his mood that you couldn’t put your finger on.

Eyes were on you as you looked around, an anxious pit forming in your gut and a clammy sensation covering your hands. Shocked were some, confused were others. Javier continued after, “Man, she was unforgettable, squealed like a pig when I ploughed her fields.” A cheering John patted him on the shoulder before announcing his own story, “At least she was into it, my first time was with a girl who tried so hard to get into my pants then when I decided to fuck her, she just… laid there and gave me an occasional moan.”

A bitter-faced Abigail huffed, covering Jack's ears as Tilly offered to take him away from the conversation. She rolled her eyes, listening to the men giggle amongst themselves, and cleared her throat.

“My first time was something special, Billy Mavis, whew, was he a man. Stole some wine from his parents and took me down to a lakeside, from there, it’s mostly a blur, but believe me when I say, I saw stars.”

Silence fell over the camp as she finished, the men had stopped laughing to themselves and, instead, scratched their necks as John grumbled in his seat. It amused you to see how quickly he had stopped laughing, although, you couldn’t grasp why he would be so annoyed by her comment.

Karen chuckled to herself before turning to you, you only registered what she was about to say as the smirk left her opening mouth.

“And what about you? I’m sure you’ve got quite the story, with a face like that, I reckon men would give up a lot to try their hand at you.” Her words reopened that pit in your stomach, a sense of dread looming over you as you watched everyone turn their attention to you again.

“Damn Arthur, you really know how to pick em’. Hey, Hermosa, if he can’t give it to you the way you need, you know where my tent is.” The chuckling flooded amongst the men again as Javier ‘offered his services’ and whistled. “Never fucking say that again. I mean it.”, Arthur hissed, pulling you against his chest which was puffed and solid. Something changed in an instant, whipping Arthur into alertness. His fingers dug themselves into your hip, it didn’t hurt, and you didn’t wince as it got tighter, but it didn’t stop.

“Chill, brother. We’re all friends here, right?” The smooth-talking demeanour dropped slightly and you could tell Javier was a little on edge. By this point, everyone had stopped again and the only noise that you could focus on was the crackling embers of the fire. Silence. Silence.

A simple cough drew everyone back to you, and you mustered up some confidence and lied.

“Well, Karen, you aren’t uh- wrong on that. But my first time… um…” Silence.

“Uh… It was with a boy I met a few months after my 15th birthday. It was pretty awkward, not a lot of chit-chat after he came in approximately 9 seconds and called me his ‘dirty pig’, I think he may have wanted to actually have sex with a pig, I’m not one hundred perce-”

“No way that’s what happened, oh, you sweet girl.” Karen heaved, you weren’t sure if it was an exaggeration but it cut the tension and that’s what you were grateful for. “He sounds like one of them weird farm boys, y’know, maybe a little slow and definitely is too touchy with the sheep.” She cackled.

“Ahah… Yeah, he was.” Whether anyone believed you is a burning question that was left unanswered, but things soon resumed in a more light-hearted manner. Well, light-hearted was a stretch, but everyone was laughing again, and soon, all was well.

——————————

You watched as the glass bottle spun, whirring around on the crate, anticipating where it would land, eventually, it came to a slow stop. Bill.

“You’ve gotta be joking.” John exclaimed, throwing his hands up in disbelief. Snickers were plenty as Bill rose from his chair, using his finger to beckon him over. “You ain’t a man till’ you’ve been with one.”

Everyone whistled and giggled to each other as they watched John get up and walk over to him. “Are you challenging me? Think I ain’t a man? Think about this!” In an instant, John grabbed Bill by the back of the neck and smashed his lips against his. It was brief but impactful, as Bill pulled away with a crimson flush.

With that, he reached for the bottle, oddly quiet, it spun and landed on a certain loud-mouthed ginger, who, strangely, cheered. “Come here ya’ big bear! Gimme a smooch!” By the sounds of it he was certainly out of it, way past the point of drunk, you knew he’d regret it in the morning.

All the men hoped to land on one of the women, but the numbers were not in their favour. Men would have to kiss men, and you prayed that if anyone got you, it was a woman.

Bill seemed nervous the second time around, less confident and timid. Sean, however, was jumpy, and before you knew it, the feisty Irishman had dipped Bill, passionately slobbering his tongue all over his mouth.

“Enough! Jesus, Sean.” Javier cackled, grimacing at the sight. Sean pulled off of him before turning around to everyone and bowing, almost stumbling as he stood up straight again.

“A’right, my turn!” Sean declared with excitement as he strutted over to the bottle, rubbing his hands together like a lucky mosquito before giving it a spin. Everyone excitedly tried to peer over to the bottle as it made its rounds, anxiously anticipating its next victim.

As it slowed, you watched people bunch together to avoid being ‘it’, and soon it came to an underwhelming stop. Karen. You looked up to find her face dumbfounded and pink, stammering out nothing but incoherent sounds.

“Hell yes! Come here and get some of this Irish sugar!” Sean hollered, making grabbing motions in her direction whilst puckering his chapped lips.

“Can it.” A sudden change washed over her as she stood up, she puffed her chest out and went straight for him, swigging her bottle of whiskey without swallowing and using her spare hand to reach for the collar of his shirt, yanking his body into hers.

Sweet liquid poured from their mouths as she kissed him, and it dripped down her chest into her cleavage. Suddenly she had disconnected from him and shoved his face in it. “Lick it up, Spitfire.”

Everyone watched as Sean rubbed his face in her tits, tonguing her skin for any remnants of liquor. The girls cheered her on as she held the back of his head, swinging her bottle in the air and laughing.

Soon enough she let him go, letting him up for air. You watched as he pulled away, drunk on more than just alcohol and giggly as ever.

Sean sat back down with a thud and a mildly shocked expression on his face, getting a pat on the back from John, and inconspicuously placed his bottle over his crotch, which only you seemed to notice.

Definitely something going on there.

“They should just give in already and have sex, everyone knows they have a thing for each other.” Arthur whispered into your ear, sending a tingle down your spine, his breath was hot against your skin and you hummed in agreement, trying to ignore his hand slipping off your hip and down to your thigh.

By the time you had turned your focus back to Karen, she had already spun it, and it had already slowed down. Dutch, Sean, John… Javier… Arthur… You. Fuck.

Karen slowly came over to you slowly swinging her hips with a devilish grin plastered on her face. This was certainly not your first time with a woman, but in this environment, it felt like the pressure was on, everyone was watching her intently, some shocked, some intrigued, and probably some horny. She stood over you and Arthur, still smiling. “You don’t mind, do you, Arthur?” She asked merrily.

You expected a similar reaction to what happened with Javier, instead, he chuckled and gestured to go ahead. Karen buzzed cheerfully, lifting her hand to your cheek and leaning down over you, and you craned your neck in response. She was far more gentle with you, her soft lips locking with yours, you smelled her perfume on her body and the booze on her breath.

It felt like she was purposely dragging it out, slowly elevating her moves, her tongue finding yours in a way no man could have. You were scared of pulling away and seeing everyone's faces, you could already hear the increased loudness of whistles and cheers, but all good things must come to an end. She pulled away slowly, saliva still attached to your lower lip.

“Oh my…” Arthur vocalised, watching the flush on your cheeks spread. You swear you heard him groan as he tilted his head back to stretch his neck. Karen winked at you, giving you a small and quick thumbs up when he wasn’t looking before returning to her seat across the fire.

The eyes of all of the camp members burned into you as you stood up from Arthur's lap and swiftly approached the bottle, following suit of those before you and giving it a spin. You tried to ignore how they looked at you, Javier eyed you down like he was digesting your body, how a python does to its prey.

If it landed on him, you were fucked.

Round and round it spun, clicking over from one person to the next until it came to a halt. You followed the line from the top of the bottle to… Dutch.

“I think we’ve all had enough for tonight.” Arthur sparked up, switch flipped in his brain. You let out a grateful sigh, thinking you wouldn’t have to go through with it.

“Now, now, rules are rules, spin the bottle, kiss the person.” Dutch chuckled heartily, cocky in his tone. Arthur didn’t say anything after that, just took another drink from his bottle and crossed his arms. Dutch smirked, tilting his head up to make eye contact with you. “Don’t be shy, I don’t bite… Usually.”

His hand patted his thigh and you awkwardly walked over, now standing in front of him. “Not sitting? Alright.” He sighed, pushing himself up from his seat and adjusting his vest. His figure loomed over you, charismatic energy pouring over you thick and sweet and he reached for your waist, pulling your body flat against his.

He arched his body over yours as he leaned in, side-glancing Arthur with a leer before pressing his lips to yours, it was painfully tender, in a way that could make a woman melt, you couldn’t resist the intoxication of his tongue and he slipped his other hand up your neck and into your hair, gripping at the base and bending your head back further so he could shove his face into your neck, moustache grazing your ticklish skin.

It wasn’t long before he tried to push it too far, trying to slip his hand down your back, and immediately the mood shifted, you suddenly tensed up, unable to move. He kept going, nibbling at your skin and almost copping a feel, you felt stuck in your mind, you didn’t want this to go on.

“That’s… uh…” You choked out, bordering a whimper, “Enough.” It strained you to get those words out, but you did, and he stopped. A weight lifted from your chest, now sober and alert. You looked around, Abigail looked at you with concern and Karen looked at Dutch in disgust.

You cleared your throat, readjusting your dress and sighed ever so slightly. “Excuse me, I’m a little tired, good night everyone.” You spat out quickly, before rushing off back to your tent.

✩★✩

“What was that? Are you serious?” You exclaimed, standing up from your seat, the alcohol had hit your system like a truck but you could still tell that whatever just happened wasn’t right. It was like he was purposefully trying t get a rise out of you.

“Just some harmless fun, Arthur. She’s just your friend after all.” Dutch laughed.

Bastard.

“You’ve probably just scared her half to death. What the hell is wrong wit’ you?!” You huffed, getting increasingly irritated.

“If it did, I will apologise tomorrow morning, she said she was tired, wouldn’t want to disturb her now.” He held the same smugness as always, it irked you sometimes but that's just the way it had been forever.

“Whatever.” Now was not the time to be arguing, everyone was drunk and if you had it your way Dutch would be going to bed with two black eyes. You looked around at everyone, said good night and left the main fire, you didn’t want to deal with that asshole anymore tonight.

As soon as you left you heard it all resume, and you pushed it out of your mind and went to go lay down and forget.

——————————

But you couldn’t. Usually, alcohol knocks you out but everything replayed in your mind and you couldn’t stop thinking about her. Hours had passed and you had gone through every memory from start to finish, twice.

Dutch took advantage of her, you didn’t care that the stupid bottle landed on him, or that she kissed him. Maybe slightly. But he took it too far, and you had noticed her rigidness as she walked away earlier, it was like watching a dying person stop breathing. Cold. Unsettling. You wanted to go after her, apologise, make sure she was okay.

You didn’t. Fucking idiot.

All your actions crashed and clashed in your head like waves falling in on themselves, you thought of her, you thought of Mary, everything you had done wrong there and everything you could do right here.

The guilt ate at your soul every single day of how things ended with Mary, you missed her for a long time and you still yearned for that type of connection again. You grumbled, not wanting to make the same mistake again and pushed yourself upright and out of bed.

Step after step, you found yourself making your way to her tent, palms sweaty and heart racing. Just do it, Arthur.

The fire had fizzled out into crackling embers, providing little light as you trudged across camp in the cold of night. The alcohol had worn off mostly by now so you quickened your pace to get out of chilling air and back into some kind of warmth.

Odd sounds came from her tent as you approached it like she was in pain or something. Swiftly, you pulled the tent flap aside to find her thrashing in her cot, mumbling incoherent words and kicking at her blanket.

✩★✩

Hands. Grabbing. Pulling. Ripping at your skin. Tearing, bleeding you dry. You scream, still. Unable to move, just speak. Still.

Stop doesn’t do anything, nothing does anything, they continue to rip your flesh from your body. His face. His face distorting uncannily, he got closer.

Closer.

Blank.

You awoke with a gasp and immediate burning in your nostrils as you began to sob. It took you a few seconds of holding your eyes shut, trying to force the memories from your head to realise the shuffling outside of your tent.

Suddenly the tears came to an abrupt end as they continued, you heard someone muttering to themselves. Unable to make out who it was, you sniffled before speaking. “Hello…?” Your voice was weak, you thought maybe they didn’t hear.

A familiar face slowly pulled back the drapery, poking his head into your tent.

“Arthur…” A sigh escaped your lips and you chucked to yourself a little, relieved.

He stared at you as you sat up, and carefully entered your room, “I just came to check if yer’ okay.” He mumbled, standing awkwardly in the middle of your tent, taking in your decor and items that splayed across your nightstand. “If you don’t mind, of course.”

“I’m okay Arthur, I promise. Have you slept?” You sniffled again, wiping your eyes as you checked the time—2:14 am.

“...No, I- I couldn’t stop thinkin’. But seriously, you seem upset. Are you sure yer’ okay?” He pressed, wanting some kind of answer. You were unsure how far he’d push, but you debated sharing the truth with him tonight. Only if he asked.

“Kind of, everything is just a lot at the moment, earlier didn’t help.” Your confession breathed life into the air, and Arthur pulled up your little stool to sit by your bedside. He reached for your hand which you gently took, and rubbed circles with his thumb on your skin. “I’m sorry for what happened, Dutch gets too carried away with trying to show off that he makes people uncomfortable.” He spoke quickly like he was rushing to get it out.

“It’s okay, it was just a game, I won’t participate next time.” You shrugged, accepting that some parts of this life you desperately wanted to fit into just didn’t fit right with you. And that was okay.

“It’s not. I brought you here for a reason. Let me make it up to you.” A pained look adorned his face, azure-stained iris’s longing for acceptance, a chance. “Please.”

You nodded, watching his face light up as you agreed. The soft light of your lantern brushed his face with golden strokes, capturing his beauty like an elemental artist. His lips curved into a smile as you two held each other in a never-ending gaze.

A question germinated in his eyes before he opened his mouth.

“What made you so upset?”

You swallowed, hard, looking away to the flame dancing in the lantern.

“Don’t worry.” It stung, knowing what was to come. He said your name with the same pain and disappointment that you became so familiar with whilst talking to yourself.

“Please, maybe it’ll help, is it me? I’m sorry for being so distant it’s nothin’ to do with you I swe-” He rambled, hand gripping yours tighter as he brought it to his forehead.

“It’s not that, please, Arthur. I’m okay. Earlier, Javier and Dutch just dug up some memories unintentionally, I just need to give it time and I’ll be fine.” His face dropped as you spoke, putting together the pieces in his mind.

“I- I don’t understand, I can make em’ apologise if you want. Anything.” He sighed, clutching at ideas to offer.

“I’ve had issues with men going too far before, it’s nothing new.” A brief chuckle escaped your lips as you looked down, making light of your trauma to avoid crying about it. It wasn’t a new technique but it always helped. Arthur removed your hand from his forehead, using his other hand to clasp around it, you barely noticed, until he softly whispered your name.

You looked up to see a soul-broken man before you, eyes wide, whites glistening. He put it together.

“I’m-” He paused, unable to speak for a moment. “I’m so, so sorry.” Instinctively he let go of your hand and backed up slightly. “Please tell me if I’m making you uncomfortable.” You laughed a little, shaking your head, grabbing for his hand again. Talking about it always made you uncomfortable, not because you had an issue sharing, but because it seemed silly to you, it happened so long ago.

“I’m okay, Arthur. Just, I don’t want to talk about it.” He nodded in response, standing up from the stool.

“I’ll leave you be, if you need me, you know where my tent is, get some rest.” He stood over your bed for a brief second before turning around and approaching the opening of your tent. You didn’t want him to leave, If he did, the warmth that cozied in your room would leave with it.

“Arthur.” There was a delicacy in the way you said his name, you saw the way he looked at you when you said it like that. He turned his shoulder to look back at you.

“Yeah? Anything else I can do for you, Miss?” His tone was saddened but hopeful, you didn��t think he wanted to leave either.

“Stay.”

“Okay.”

His agreeance was quick, and he moved slowly to the floor next to your bed, giving you a tender-hearted smile.

“What are you doing? Get up here, I’m not making you sleep on the ground again.”

“Oh.” He seemed cautious as he took his boots off and sat down on the bed by the end of your legs, you shuffled over to make space for him, which he slotted into after a few moments.

Stiff as a board, he laid behind you, keeping whatever space between you open, scared to touch you. You shuffled back into him, turning your head to give him a wide smile, grabbing his arm to cuddle onto.

He eased up, making himself comfortable behind you, the warmth of his chest radiating over your back, the autumn cold not being a match for his heating abilities. His head laid above yours, chin gently resting upon the crown and his legs bent into yours, like you were two pieces of a puzzle. Connected, at last.

“Good night.” It was merely a whisper, but he heard you.

✩★✩

Her chest rose and fell as you embraced her, silently. She had fallen asleep mere minutes after you started cuddling and you hoped her sleep would be a little more peaceful now.

Your mind was still running at a million miles, it didn’t take a genius to know what she meant and it made you sick to your stomach, that someone could do that, let alone to her. You’d find the man and shoot him dead if you could. But you couldn’t.

What mattered was right in front of you, in your arms sleeping soundly.

She looked so beautiful, you felt like a guard of precious art, the way you held her like this. It was more than friendship, way more. You closed your eyes, squeezing her slightly, before drifting off to sleep yourself.

#arthur morgan #fanfic #red dead redemption 2 #fanfiction #arthur morgan x reader #ao3 writer #ao3 fanfic #rdr2 #archive of our own #rdr2 fanfic

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lunarvampz · 8 months ago

Text

Under Arrest (Arthur Morgan x Reader)

Oneshot! Originally posted on Ao3 @/LunarVampz

This was originally for kinktober, never finished kinktober and felt bad leaving this one in the closet, plus I know how my dear readers are antsy for the next chapter of In Bloom. Have a sex scene. A little taste of the tidal wave to come in In Bloom in a few more chapters.

“You’re under arrest ma’am.” A low mocking tone slithered up behind you, entering your tent, hands grazing your shoulders and dropping to your waist. “On what charges, Deputy?” You teased back, leaning into his solid frame.

“Being too damn fine.” He chuckled, pressing his hips against your ass. Ever since Arthur had been made into a deputy of Rhodes, he proudly wore his badge and cuffs around camp, making sexual innuendos towards you about ‘punishment’ for your crimes. It was too cute, like a little boy with a firecracker gun.

“What’s the punishment?” You snickered, purposely grinding back into him, your hands over his that gripped your hips. Arthur groaned in satisfaction, leaning down to place soft, gentle kisses on your neck. “Whatever I want.”

You’d been waiting all week for this, he had been too tired to fuck you since he’d been out running errands for the stupid Gray’s and Braithwaite’s, but he had only had to attend a meeting with Sheriff Gray today, which meant he had time to relax. And regenerate.

Breathy pants escaped your mouth as he began to lick and suck at your skin, pulling your hands behind your back and holding them there with one hand, the other hand holding your neck in position. His tongue, wet and desperate, left an agonisingly long stripe, spanning from your collarbone to your ear, with his hot breath raising goosebumps on your arms.

A pleasured hum left your throat and fueled Arthur to let go of your neck and grab the handcuffs off of his belt. You attempted to walk forward to turn around, but it was met with a firm yank backwards, right into his crotch where you felt his hardened dick. He needed this as much as you did.

He stifled a husky laugh, slipping your wrists into the cuffs, making sure not to tighten them too much, but so you couldn’t slip out.

“Don’t think I haven’t been payin’ attention to your teasing, it takes a lot more than bendin’ over to make me crack.” You couldn’t help but let out a half-mocking sigh, you knew it wouldn’t, but it was fun. Arthur gritted his teeth, demeanour changing from asinine to authoritarian. “On your knees.”

You complied quickly, dropping down onto the rug beneath you. The familiar feeling of his hand in your hair made you smile, looking up at him like a satyric fool. His lust-filled gaze met yours as he pulled your head back, a perverse smirk plastered on his face as he bent over you. A growing heat pooled in your abdomen, no matter how many times you’d fucked each other senseless, it always felt like the first.

He grabbed a pillow from your cot next to you, placing it in front of you before guiding you down so your face was pressed against it, careful to ensure you were comfortable. Then, within a moment, he was yanking down your skirt and undergarments, laying a heavy spank against your asscheek, which earned a strangled whimper from you. The others were probably only a few metres away from your tent at the least, so you knew Arthur would make it as hard as possible for you to stay quiet.

A gentle finger traced the curve of your ass as he knelt behind you, trailing slightly down your thigh before turning around and dragging it through the centre, collecting your wetness on his finger. Bringing it to his mouth, he licked his finger clean, heaving in starvation while you laid there helpless.

“So pretty, so fuckin’ good.” He purred as he leant to kiss your ass, squeezing your thighs with his hands. “All on display for me.”

Hot breath hit your core, followed by an eager tongue softly licking your pearl, causing your back to arch in pleasure, you’d always been hypersensitive, something he tended to use to his advantage a lot. You let out soft mewls that got muffled slightly by the pillow and Arthur groaned, completely entranced in the taste of you as he got hungrier to get more, taste more, feel more.

Your lantern dimly illuminated the scene of depravity displayed inside your tent, hitting your skin in amber tones and plastering your shadow against the cloth. Feeling his finger circle your entrance, you couldn’t help but let out a long, needy whine, but then the sensations stopped suddenly, earning a huff of disappointment from you. Arthur suddenly reached over, shoving his bandana into your mouth. “Be quiet or I’ll make you wait another week.” He growled lowly and you knew to shut up from there on.

You heard the sound of his belt unbuckling then his zip undoing and not before long, you felt his tip rubbing against your lips, teasing your entrance. “You want it? Huh?” He laughed devilishly while you nodded frantically against the pillow. “Pathetic.” You almost protested until you felt his cock slide in gently, filling you entirely and pressing against your cervix. It took everything in you not to moan out but you braced instead, laden with pleasure.

It took Arthur all of five seconds to start thrusting, his hips driving into yours, filling the air with soft grunts and the smell of sex. All you wanted to do was cry out and scream, you couldn’t even grab at the rug for a release so all of it kept building up like an active volcano. He held you firmly in place, grabbing your cuffed hands and effortlessly pulling you upright, leaning you both back so now you were sat on him.

“Be a good girl and ride it.” His sweet voice filled your ears as you both sat there breathless for a moment. “Come onnnn. I know you’ve got it in ya’.” You began to rock your hips back and forth, sinking further down with gravity. Your head hung forward and you teared up, choking back a wave of unbridled pleasure that coursed through your body as his tip repeatedly rolled over your cervix. Arthur held you tight, occasionally pushing his hips upwards into you, which had both of you in a hot and sweaty mess.

Arthur moaned quietly, reaching his hand down your stomach to play with your clit, moving his fingers in slow deliberate circles to match your pace. “Is that good, darling? Just like that?” You nodded, tears creeping down your face from the pure bliss. “If only… Everyone knew… How helpless… You are…” He bucked his hips with his words causing a strangled moan to escape your mouth, you couldn’t take it anymore, and apparently, neither could he.

He yanked the bandana from your mouth and started to thrust again, pounding your cervix with such brute force, that you thought he’d break it. “Go on, let everyone know how good I fuck.”

With his permission, you let the floodgates open, the first noise escaping being a long, loud moan of insatiable lust, followed by something which, if someone heard it, could either have been screams of pain or pleasure.

“That’s a good girl, such a good girl for me…” His own groans and grunts quickly increased in noise as he seemed to start to tighten his grip. You felt yourself quickly approaching the edge, the mix of everything driving the force of a building tsunami. Each thrust moved the wave closer and closer, and by the looks of it, Arthur wasn’t too far off his climax either.

After a few seconds, you hit the point of no return and you called out his name. “Ngh-! Going t’…”

“Going to what? Are you goin’ to cum all over my cock?” He mocked sweetly. “Yeah, that’s right, Darlin’, let it out.”

“Going t’-” The end of your phrase was cut short by an extremely loud whine, floods of electricity pulsed from your centre, sending you stiff for a brief moment, too wrapped up in a haze to notice Arthur stopping. His knuckles turned white as he pumped a few more times, coming completely undone inside of you.

It took a few moments to completely ride out the high, and you both sat there, sticky and satisfied.

Arthur swiftly unlocked the handcuffs, freeing your wrists and you immediately hunched forward, lying down. “Nothing… Beats that.” You giggled, panting heavily and looking back at him, where he met you with a warm grin. “Absolutely nothing.”

He slowly pulled out, making sure to leave you lying comfortably, and did up his pants. He reached for the bandana and held it to your now-dripping pussy, pulling your underwear and skirt back up too. You lay there, almost lifelessly, taking in everything that just occurred, until you rolled over to face him.

“I am so tired.” Your voice, now hoarse, filled the quiet atmosphere and you sighed, relieved. Arthur got up and picked you up, placing you onto your cot, and pulling a blanket over you as you closed your eyes. He gave you a tender kiss before leaving your tent, probably to get ridiculed by everyone for being a prick.

#arthur morgan #fanfic #red dead redemption 2 #arthur morgan x reader #fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #ao3 writer #rdr2 #archive of our own #rdr2 fanfic

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