#─── the abnormal and vile (visage)

[vaniri]

Eye of the storm [Arthur Morgan x Reader] - CHAPTER 2/2

[chapter 1]

warnings: angst *insert “ah shit here we go again” meme here*, smut 😏, tuberculosis is still there

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You opened your eyes and blinked a few times, trying to focus your blurred gaze on what was before you. This definitely wasn't your camp and you needed a moment to gather your thoughts and recall where you were. Saint Denis, yes. You had stayed here with Arthur, technically to wait until your horse rests after her injury, but also to catch your breath and spend some time together.

You lifted your head and looked at your beloved man, still sleeping, as you noticed. You rarely woke up before Arthur, so you considered yourself extremely lucky that morning. Not spurred to work by anyone, you could just lie in bed snuggled up to your him, simply enjoying his warmth and peaceful snoring (which you personally found rather adorable than disturbing). Sometimes you were just watching his face, so blissful and beautifully relaxed in his sleep, and taking in his handsome features. It was always a challenge for you to keep your hands to yourself and abstain from caressing his cheek, or touching his scarred chin, or dragging a finger along his pretty and tempting lips. But you didn't want to interrupt his sleep. Not like that, at least.

An idea crossed your mind. You could surprise Arthur and make it up to him for yesterday. Make him wake up with your lips on his hardening member. You smiled to yourself at that thought when your hand, previously lying calmly on his steadily rising and falling chest, started its unhurried journey down his abdomen. Your fingers toyed with the last button of his union suit, but you decided not to undo it yet. Instead, you grabbed his still clothed dick and gave it a few strokes. Arthur purred in his sleep, then let out a soft sigh, but didn't wake up. His expression became even more serene though, his face looked so adorable now... Ah screw it, you thought, withdrawing your hand. You can get him off properly later, now just let him sleep.

Somehow you managed to slip out of his embrace and get out of bed without waking him. It was ten after nine, you saw on the clock, so you should still have some time to wash Arthur's clothes, and maybe even take a bath. You dressed up quickly, braided your hair, and having decided to go for washing the clothes first (so they could dry a little before their owner wakes up), you snatched them from the sofa, where you had left them yesterday.

Something caught your attention on your way to the door. Your own reflection in a mirror hung above the washstand. You hardly ever looked at yourself; not because you didn't like your appearance, but you rather found futile staring at your own visage absolutely pointless. You didn't have many occasions to do so anyway, as there weren't many mirrors in the camp. That was probably why you didn't even know you had changed so much. All that stress you've been living with, due to Arthur's condition and the situation the gang wound up in, made you visibly thinner. Not very much, but you could clearly notice it. And your face, you were barely able to recognize yourself; it seemed so sad and so tired, even though you just woke up well-rested. One look into your sorrowful eyes made it abundantly clear that all that madness, especially Arthur's illness, was taking a toll on you as well.

You didn't have much time to muse about it, as loud and heavy coughing broke out unexpectedly behind your back. You turned around immediately and rushed to the bed, flinging the clothes you were holding back at the sofa. You sat beside Arthur, who was strenuously trying to force out what was burning in his lungs.

"Hey, [Y/N]." He gasped out when his fit finally subsided.

"Hey, love."

"You awake already?"

"As you see."

"Well, at least I didn't wake you." He smiled mirthlessly, stifling yet another cough.

"You okay? Want me to go get you some water?" You cradled his cheek, checking if he was feverish. Luckily, he wasn't abnormally warm, nor showed any signs of excessive sweating.

"No, it's fine. I'm fine." Arthur put his hand atop yours, trying to provide reassurance. "What was you looking at there?"

"What?"

"In the mirror. You was standing in front of it for a while."

"Oh. I thought you was sleeping."

"Not since you left the bed."

"I just... saw my face there and it got me thinking. How these last few months changed everything. Me and you, mostly." You let out a weary sigh. "I just wish... that things were different. Like they used to be. I really miss our old days."

"You and me both. But sadly, you fell for a complete idiot who ruined everything because he hardly ever thinks about the consequences of his actions. Who can hardly think at all." A grim smile flickered across his face when he took your hand in his, entwining your fingers together. "And here we are. We knew it would end like that, sooner or later. With me dying and you mourning me-"

"You are not dead." You cut him off sternly.

"But I will be. Soon, probably."

"Please don't say that."

"You know it's true, [Y/N]."

Yes, you did. But you never let this thought take hold of you. You couldn't even imagine losing Arthur, not having him beside you when you fall asleep, not seeing his face first thing in the morning; being unable to talk with him about what bugged you or celebrate your small victories of the day together. The mere thought of not having him in your life terrified you so much that the only thing you could do now was cling to him and burrow your face into his arm, trying to hold back tears pricking your eyes.

How much time together you had left, you wondered, how many mornings like that, when you could just sit and talk, not giving a shit about the world around you? How many times you'll be able to cuddle up to him and feel his warmth, before death rips him out of your embrace? You didn't know, you couldn't know, and that scared you the most.

"You are not dead." You repeated, raising your head, your voice quiet and trembling with emotion. "You are not dead."

You didn't even know when your lips found his, clashing against them in a desperate and messy kiss. You were aware that you could possibly contract TB this way, but at that very moment you couldn't care less about that. You needed Arthur, you needed to feel him, feel that he was indeed alive and here with you. So you were kissing him passionately until you felt light in your head, clinging to him even more after he took you in his arms and pressed tightly against his chest.

You straddled him and deepened the kiss, pushing your tongue into his welcoming mouth. Arthur was kissing you back like a starved man and you could feel his arousal grow with every second of your makeout. He couldn't keep his hands to himself and touched you wherever they could reach. You purred contentedly when they grabbed and squeezed your ass, rewarding your man with a solid rut against his bulge. He let out a shaky moan and bucked his hips up to feel more so needed friction, grinding his hardening length desperately against your still clothed crotch.

"I want you, Arthur." You gasped out, trying to catch your breath between moans his moves elicited. "Oh fuck..."

"I'll take you from behind." He suggested, kneading your rear again.

"No, I want to see your face."

"And I don't want to accidentally cough in yours."

You snorted softly, resting your forehead against his.

"Okay cowboy, fair enough. We'll do it your way." You pecked his nose and dismounted him, taking in the effect you had on your man. Disheveled, panting, and sprawled in suggestively crumpled sheets, with that ravenous gaze he was devouring you with and a noticeable bulge between his seductively spread legs, he was a sight to behold.

A vile idea crossed your mind while fumbling with your buckle. You could give Arthur a little show and reveal your body piece by little piece, take your clothes off in a tantalizingly slow pace to whet his appetite even more. But one look at him made it obvious that it was completely unnecessary; it's been weeks since you two made love, his appetite was worked up enough at this point. And yours too, so you abandoned that idea and undressed as quickly as you could, throwing your clothes at the sofa. You could have just carelessly slung them on the floor, but you had to set a good example for your cowboy. You may be in heat and still have some manners.

"You too." You pointed at his underwear with your chin. "Off with that, I want to see you naked."

You were watching in anticipation as he undid the buttons, one after another, and shrugged his union suit off his arms. When he made sure your eyes were riveted on him, he slid it past his hips, revealing his half hard dick. You moaned excitedly when he gave it a few strokes, before removing his underwear completely and throwing it towards the sofa with a satisfied grin.

He didn't waste any more time; before you even opened your mouth to beg him to finally fill you, he crawled to you, caught you in his arms, and tossed on the bed. He managed to steal one more kiss before he rolled you over and positioned exactly how he wanted you - with your chest pressed against the mattress and your ass in the air. At that point, even without any proper stimulation, you were wet and wanting as hell. Arthur sure noticed that, but even though, he still took time to prepare you for his thrusting. He slid two fingers along your dripping slit, only to put them in you a moment later. He pumped them into your cunt in a steady pace, reveling in your soft breathy moans, and when he made sure he had you ready and aching for more, he withdrew his fingers and aligned himself with your entrance. Before he slipped in, he slid his now so deliciously hard dick up and down between your folds a couple of times, letting out a shaky moan when you moved in unison with him.

He couldn't take it anymore, so he finally entered you, with a firm thrust that left you breathless. Before you regained even a semblance of your composure, Arthur grabbed your hips and withdrew from you almost completely, then pushed into you again with full force. You felt so good around his length that he was nearly unable to control himself. He began rocking into you almost immediately, every thrust deep and forceful, followed by his guttural groans. And a muffled cough from time to time.

It felt amazing to be filled with his cock again, to feel it move inside your cunt. You tried to buck your hips towards his to get even more delicious friction, but his firm grip kept you in place. He intended to use you as he pleased and damn, that was hot. So hot that you had to bury your face in the sheets your hands were desperately clutching to stifle your wailing. Arthur didn't particularly like that, so he suddenly slowed his thrusting and reached for your arms. He forced you to lift your head when he pulled you up and pressed your back against his still pretty muscular chest.

"Let me hear you." He whispered softly in your ear and you nodded, purring contentedly when his lips sucked on your neck, leaving a mark on your skin.

His hips sped up their movements again, setting a steady rhythm, while his lips continued peppering your neck and arm with tender kisses. You definitely liked this position better - you could be closer with Arthur, feel his warmth and rapid heartbeat; he could freely explore your body, and he eagerly did. His calloused palms were tracing your sides up and down and kneading your breasts, while he fucked you in earnest, murmuring sweet words in your ear. The angle of his thrusts was perfect, his cock was hitting the right spot and sending sparks of unadulterated pleasure through your entire body with every move. You loved every second of it and let your man know about that by repeatedly crying out his name, not giving a single damn about the fact that the patrons sitting currently in the saloon downstairs probably heard it all.

"I'm close." Arthur groaned out, pulling you even tighter against his body and holding in place by wrapping his arm around your neck.

His thrusts became erratic, his desperate pounding made slapping sounds against your skin. You felt his hot ragged breath on the back of your neck, where he buried his face in a moment later to muffle his loud moan as he came hard, spilling his warm seed inside your cunt. That feeling set you aflame, you were so close, but still needed some additional stimulation to reach your orgasm. You begged in your thoughts that Arthur's hand would find a way between your legs, slink in there to rub your clit and make you come undone on his throbbing dick. Sadly, nothing like that happened. Your cowboy rode his climax out completely and then unexpectedly slipped out of your heat, leaving you empty and so cruelly unsatisfied.

"I'm sorry, love. I need a moment." He explained with an apologetic smile as he lay down on his back, trying to catch his breath. He also coughed a few times, covering his mouth with his wrist.

"It's fine. I think I can help myself here." You decided, ogling his post-orgasm body from head to toe, and straddled him. You felt his semen dribble out of you slowly when you sat on his lap, and it made you even more aroused than before, but you waited patiently until he rested a while and calmed his breathing.

When he seemed ready, you positioned yourself above his slowly softening, but still hard enough for your purpose dick, and grinded against it. You found the perfect angle pretty quickly and set a satisfying pace, making your clit slide up and down his gently pulsing member with the right amount of pressure. To your delight, Arthur wasn't only passively watching you work up your bliss; he propped himself up on one elbow and reached to your breasts, caressing them and rubbing your nipples with his thumb.

"Oh shit, fucking hell! Arthur!" You sobbed as you sped up the movements of your hips, rutting your bud vigorously against his shaft, while his hand played with your tits. It didn't take long before you threw your head back and wailed uncontrollably, as your orgasm hit you hard and spread through your body, shaking it and leaving you completely breathless.

When your ecstasy subsided and your wits came back to you, you felt remorseful for getting so carried away with your emotions that you let your desire take over you completely. You shouldn't have done this. Your moment of pleasure might have provoked another violent coughing fit, or even caused Arthur to lose his consciousness and worsened his condition. But one look at your beloved man, lying under you as relaxed as he hadn't been in weeks and beaming a contented smile at you, washed your guilt away. That moment of respite from all that shit going on around you lately, when all the problems went away and you could feel like all that mattered was you two, was probably worth the risk.

"You okay there?" You asked, dismounting your cowboy and plopping down beside him.

"Better than okay."

"Yeah, I can see that." You dragged a finger across his deliciously hairy chest. "So I don't have to apologize for jumping at you like that?"

"No. If someone should apologize for anything here, it's probably me. [Y/N], I'm sorry if I made you upset with what I said before. But I just want to be sincere with you instead of pulling the wool over your eyes and lying that I could get better, just to give you false hope. I won't get better, [Y/N]. And you know that."

"I do" You admitted somberly. "but a part of me, that idiot one I suppose, still believes in a miracle. Less with every passing day, but I still do."

You sat up and moved closer to him, feeling your heart flutter in your chest under his tender gaze, full of unadulterated love. Your hand cupped his face, his two days' worth of stubble tickled your thumb affectionately caressing his cheek.

"I don't know what future will bring to us." You whispered softly. "But I know for sure that whatever happens, I'll stay with you till the end."

"I know, [Y/N]. I trust you."

You pressed your lips against his, threading your fingers through his messy hair. Arthur kissed you back, gently and slowly at first, like he always did when you were alone and in post-coital bliss, but it turned into passionate and heated kissing very quickly. You didn't even realize when you landed under him, trapped in his arms and pinned to the mattress by his warm body.

You had no idea how much time with your beloved man you had left, but in that moment you made a decision to cherish every second of it, instead of wasting it by succumbing to your fears.

[vampyrisms]

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