Like a Cat {Arthur Morgan x OC}

10. Healing

"Ah fuck", Irene yells as Arthur cleans her wound. "Just a little more, you're almost done", He says to calm her as her fingernails dig deeper into his skin. "Don't patronize me", She growls.

As Arthur finishes cleaning the wound he wraps a few bandages around her waist.
Silence falls over the two. None of them want to start a conversation about what they've been up to.
They'd feel embarrassed to do so.
Arthur decides to cook some canned food after tightening the bandage for Irene.
He heats up a bean stew he bought a few days ago.
"You want some", He asks.
Irene nods weakly.

Arthur pours her some into a cup and hands it over to her. "Thanks."

Silence again.

Arthur feels uncomfortable with all this tension between them. "So what have you been up to lately", He asks politely as he eats his stew.
"Nothin' much." He knew it would go this way so he decides to dig deeper.
"Listen, about that letter you left." Irene's eyes widen. "I don't want to talk about it", She says immediately. "But I want to."
Irene is confused my Arthur's sudden protest. Normally he lets conversations drop when someone is uncomfortable, at least when it's not business.

"I read it and I understand what you meant. I was angry that I didn't fight for you and mad at Dutch for sending you away but I took the time to think."

Irene finds this situation awkward. She hates direkt confrontations like this but there is no way to go. She has to engage and listen.
"I... just needed time to think. My mind was all over the place", She says.
"I get it. I felt the same." Arthur smiles at her as he eats another scoop of his stew.

"I wanted to find you, I tried to, but then I realized that if fait does exist it would bring me back to you some day."
Irene laughs. "That's what you thought?"
"Yeah." Arthur is serious.

"All these months I thought about you. I tried to figure out if I was mad at you or not. In the end I understood your decision", He says calmly. "I don't want to push you to tell me your thoughts."
"No, I... I want to talk about it."
Arthur looks up at Irene's cat eyes in shock.
"In the heat of the moment I left the letter without thinking. I did need time only to realize that my decisions were stupid. Leaving and the things after. I became a different person."

Arthur eyes her up and down.
"Your clothes are nice and you're wearing a hat. That's different?" Both laugh.
"I killed people for fun, Arthur. When people wronged me I killed them out of pure fun, anger and sadness. Most of them didn't deserve a single scratch I put on them", Irene says.
Arthur only nods his head. "I know what you mean. I used to feel that way a lot. Now I try to not think about it. You should too. You always wanted to start new, right?"
Irene nods as she looks at the orange flames dancing in front of her.
"Thank you for saving me. They didn't believe me when I said I didn't know where you were. Situation was getting pretty hairy."
"Irene, you got stabbed."

A laugh escapes both their lips again.
Both missed laughing like this. Just completely happy and unbothered.

"Were you scared to see me", Arthur suddenly asks.
"Whenever I came to the Saloon, were you scared?" Irene smiles.
"Of course. I couldn't bring myself to face you."
Arthur smiles as well as he looks at Irene's face. "I did notice you either sitting at the counter or leaving, ya know."
Irene huffs. "Hat's not as good as I thought." They laugh again.

"Funny thing is... after you left Dutch was sorry." Irene looks up at Arthur, surprise written all over her face. "He was?"
"Yeah, it really affected the camp. You took on most of the work."

Irene looks down at the bandages covering her stomach and stab wound. "Have you made up your mind about things", Arthur proceeds to asks. "Dutch is willing to accept you back into camp."
Irene looks unsure of Arthur's request. "If that's what you want", He adds.
Irene takes a few seconds to think.
"I'm not so sure."
"Oh come on, Irene. Stop bein' a scaredy-cat and come back."
Irene laughs. "I guess I can give it another try."

Arthur leans back in satisfaction. "What were you doin' out here anyways", He asks further.
"Supply run to Emerald Ranch. Then those fuckers shot my horse."
A sigh escapes her dry lips. "We can do that and then go back to camp. It's not far."

Irene bites her lip. "And you really think Dutch will let me back in?"
"Of course. If he's sorry he means it." Irene huffs. "I'll be the judge of that, Arthur Morgan."