Snake Skin | John Marston

No To Peace

John Marston— a serious man with little patience, yet he found himself being patient enough with Miss Colter, even after she chose to disappear from his life time and again. Perhaps that was why he felt the need to keep her close—because she wasn't afraid to leave. If she ever did, he wanted to be there to witness it.

A few days had passed since John's emotional outburst. They had mutually agreed to avoid the topic, but inevitably, their resolve weakened.

"I'm always honest... maybe not always good... but I'm always honest," John stated, standing beside Y/N on the Clemens Point dock.

"You gave me quite the speech, Mister Marston," she teased, playfully shoving him away.

"Hey, don't push me into the water."

"Or what?" she shot back, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "You can't swim, cowboy?"

He didn't answer her directly, only sighed. Y/N picked up on his reluctance and covered her mouth with her palm in mock shock.

"You can't swim!" she exclaimed, her surprise feigned but her laughter genuine. She playfully nudged him closer to the edge of the dock.

"Be careful!" John warned, gripping both of her wrists as she edged closer to him. Their eyes locked, and her radiant smile tugged at something deep within him. "Or what—?"

In an unexpected turn of events, they both tumbled into the lake with a loud splash. John quickly scrambled back up, clinging to the edge of the dock, water streaming down his face. He gasped for air, scanning the surface for Y/N, but she was nowhere in sight. Anxiety prickled at him as he called out, "Y/N?!"

John's gaze caught Y/N as she surfaced from the water, moving with an effortless grace. She waved her arms to maintain her balance and wiped the water from her eyes, flashing him a smile that melted his earlier worries. Y/N pursed her lips in a mock apologetic manner, and John nodded in understanding. They didn't need words; their eyes conveyed a deeper connection. Both had their reasons for silence—John, not being the talkative type, and Y/N, having never really had someone to confide in. They were more alike than they realized.

As John removed his jacket, squeezing out the excess water, Y/N made her way back to shore. She climbed out, her brown dress heavy with water, clinging to her body like a second skin. The soaked fabric revealed her figure in a way that made John instinctively avert his gaze, a faint pink hue creeping across his cheeks. He held a deep respect for women and refused to objectify her, even if the sight of her was hard to ignore.

Just then, Mary-Beth rushed over with a cloak. "Oh, you! Cover up, darling, before you catch a nasty cold!" she exclaimed, wrapping the fabric around Y/N and gently guiding her away from the scene.

John could have sworn he heard someone whistle at her as she left.

"Hey!" he shouted at the onlookers gathering to gawk, irritation coloring his tone. "Show some respect for the lady, you animals!"

"Have some respect for yourself, Marston. You bring a whore around, and she acts like one. Why are you acting shocked? Personally, I think she liked the attention..." Micah sauntered in as if he'd been personally invited, standing tall with his arms crossed. It seemed trouble followed him wherever he went—or perhaps he brought it with him.

John wasted no time. He charged at Micah, grabbing the front of his jacket and delivering a punch straight to his teeth, sending him staggering back. Before a full-blown brawl could erupt in camp, Kieran and Arthur intervened, prying the two apart.

Just as they separated, Dutch stepped in, his tone authoritative. "Boys! What is going on here? Why are you two fighting like children?"

"Marston, tell him, buddy," Micah spat blood, a manic smirk playing on his lips. "Tell him! No? You won't? It's because he brought another mouth to feed! That bitch is nothing but a cold-blooded baby killer, and he brought her straight to us! She probably mounted him like a horse, that's why he's so in love with her! And she keeps disappearing and reappearing—ain't that suspicious, Dutch? She's a spy! Why come back after you left once? Nobody wants her here anyway. We should turn her in and take the—"

Before Micah could continue his tirade, he was abruptly silenced by a blow to the back of his head. Everyone froze in surprise as Miss Grimshaw delivered the blow with her shotgun, knocking him out cold. "I can't stand listening to this nonsense. Arthur, get him back to his tent. Why is everyone still here? Get back to work!"

People scattered, but John remained rooted to the spot. He took a deep breath, casting a glance toward Y/N. She stood by her tent, clutching the cloak tightly around her shoulders, her face a mix of irritation and worry.

Just as John prepared to approach her, Arthur's hand landed firmly on his shoulder, halting him. "Don't. You've done enough, Marston."

Y/N watched, heart sinking, as John met her gaze for a brief moment before turning away, leaving her alone with her thoughts.