Hang Em' High [RDR2 X FEM!Reader]

Bones, Blood And Memories

Please look at the start of chapter one, I have added a warning. I love you all and please enjoy!

TW// sick, vomiting.
Your eyes fluttered as the cool wind blew on your lashes. Slow breathing breezed past your neck as you remembered the night previous. Arthur had his arm woven tightly between the soft skin of your arm and tummy. You felt safe in his warm embrace. Arthur moaned as he woke up. Stretching his body out flat like piece of freshly made dough being rolled out by a rolling pin.
"Morning love." You mumbled as you did the same
"Good morning." He groaned. You rolled over and cuddled into his chest, placing your ear over his heart. Listening to the beautiful song of it beating. Dum dum, dum dum, dum dum, a smile grew on your face. Arthur made you feel complete. After a few minutes of laying there you both instinctively heaved yourselves out of bed.

Walking out of the tent together the sun striked your eyes, causing waves of pain to bounce throughout your head. You and Arthur both looked at each other with alarmed eyes before your bodies emptied out the toxins of last night onto the grass. No Mrs Grimshaw in sight this time.
"Morning you two love birds!" Cheered an unforgettable Irish voice. You looked up in discomfort to see Sean standing there with the cheekiest of grins on his face. "Better out than in I always say!" He laughed and walked off.
"Cheeky bugger" you grinned under your breath before heading over to breakfast because god knows you need it. Receiving your scrambled eggs you went to sit with everyone
"Jeasus, don't you look rough!" Stated Sadie, shoving eggs into her mouth as you sat down
"Good morning to you too Sadie!" You replied.
"What are the plans for today, Dutch?" Asked Arthur
"Don't know, quiet day I suppose." Answered Dutch, sipping on his steamy coffee
"I need ya' to come and meet me, Micah and Sean over in Rhodes." Yelled Bill from over by the horses, saddling up."
"Great I do always love spending time with that greasy turd," mumbled Arthur sarcastically to you. You ate your breakfast while chatting mainly to Hosea about the wildlife, you always had appreciated animals and you were glad someone else in camp liked to talk about it too. You stood up to brush your teeth, but when you moved your feet to walk, your left foot got tangled in something. Wind flew past your hair, the ground came flying towards you and you stuck your arms out to break the fall, but you didn't see the sharp rock which sliced your hand along the thumb part of your palm. Blood trickled down your cracked skin and your wound throbbed as you spied Micah retrieve this leg back under the table. Tilly came running around with Sadie to help you up. You stood there in shock for a moment with the pairs hands on you worriedly. You were observing your options, pondering which would have the best outcome. You couldn't be bothered to weigh everything out so you went with what felt best. You leant over Micah
"Do that again and I'll grab you by the throat and turn you inside out. I get jokes, in fact if anyone else had done that I would of laughed, but you are just a horrid man, Malcolm."
"MICAH!" He corrected
"Good for you?" You saw that Micah was so furious with embarrassment he was turning red. Job well done, you scanned the camp for Arthur and he was no where to be seen.
"Here, let me clean up that wound for you y/n." Smiled Tilly.

You sat down in Tilly's tent
"I don't know what it is Tills I just couldn't let it go, I'm sorry for making a scene." You apologised and she gripped your hand, investigating the injury
"Are you being serious?" She laughed "ive been running out of things to talk about and that was so cool y/n! I would give anything to speak to Micah like that."
"Do it. Put that greasy pig in his place," you suggested
"I would but, I don't know he just scares me," she confessed
"He scares you? That man is all bark and no bite, trust me." You reassured her while she bandaged up your hand.
"Y/n!" You heard your name being yelled by Bill
"What!?" You yelled back, stretching your neck out to catch him in view sight
"Are you coming?" He questioned
"In a minute!"
"Alright," he mumbled, waving his arm away and setting off for Rhodes with Sean and Micah
"Looks like you're all done miss y/l/n" she smiled and you thanked her.

Rhodes was the perfectly written town. Not a single mumble of chatter could be heard as your horse strode past the buildings sluggishly. You squinted slightly as the beams of sunlight crashed against your sensitive eyes. The sun was hotter than usual today causing your hands to sweat against the leather reins of your horse.
"There she is, my better half." Arthur exclaimed as he offered out his hand to help you down.
"In all her wonderful drunken glory!" Added Sean
"You're one to talk! What's the plan then?" You questioned while you tied your horses reins to the rotting wood fence
"Just going to talk to them I think." Replied Bill. Micah kept quiet, knowing better than to start anything with you. You, Sean, Bill and Arthur made jokes to fill the emptiness of the town on your journey. The emptiness soon dawned on you. Rhodes had always been a quiet town, but there was always a few people walking around, always a few drunks at the very least.
"Guys, this don't feel right to me." You confessed
"Now, it don't feel right?" Scoffed Sean.

Have you ever looked Death in the eyes? Daring it to come after you. Cheering it on almost like a goal keeper challenging their opponent taking the penalty? Have you ever watched the life drain out of someone's eyes? Their person, the thing that makes them who they are get sucked out. Before all that remains is bones, blood and memories. Every time your eyes had ever glimpsed at that person rushes into your head. Every laugh, giggle and smile sends tingles through your body as you realise this person has just been taken away from you. They've moved onto the next chapter, whatever that may be. You will never get to touch them again, you will never get to ask them for advice or have a joke together. They are gone. Possibly never to be seen again. They went from living to still and empty within a matter of milliseconds.

Seans body lay flat out on the ground, his once cheerful face covered in his own blood. The silence that rung through your ears was deafening, so loud that it drowned out the rain of gun fire that showered throughout the battlefield. Arthur lunged at you, taking you to the ground, shielding you from any harm with his chest.
"Arthur, I-" you croaked
"I know love, I know," he whispered. He dragged you behind a horse cart. Your broken heart was racing on gifted time. The relentless sun powered onto your face as a cool breeze intervened. Your breathing grew stronger and your sadness flushed into anger as your eyebrows sank. You wet your top lip and grabbed your gun.

An eye for an eye.

Bullets fired from your weapon. Destruction showered out from each shot. You didn't miss. You never do. You moved out from your cart and began walking down the centre of the road. Foolish may it be, you shot anyone who attempted to shoot you before they even got the chance. All that practice payed off. It felt like Sean's talent and skill had been drained from him and sucked into you. Call it adrenaline, call it whatever you like. But to you, all you could think about was Sean watching you and you felt invincible. You scanned your hopeless surroundings for Arthur. He was no where to be seen. Panic pounced through your veins when you heard a bang. You shot around to see Arthur through a buildings window
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING GET BEHIND SOMETHING Y/N!" He screamed, you sprinted into the same building. A few minutes later, the painful noise of gun fire slowed down before coming to a complete stop. The three, once five of you, retrieved into the road. Bill came out from another destructed building with a gun to his head with several other men. Arthur was in no mood for games and shot them all. Bill's face had gone pale like he'd seen a ghost. You dragged your feet along the rocks to Sean's body. You fell to the ground beside him. You focused on his masterpiece eyes. Your shaking hands pushed his soft eyelids shut.
"I'd make a joke about how if I was so annoying you could of just said you didn't want to talk to me, but I don't think that'd be in good taste aye Sean?" You laughed through your tears. Exactly how Sean would of wanted you to. Arthur crouched next to you, rubbing your back. You rested your head on his chest. You had Sean's face cupped in the palm of your hand.
"I love you Sean," you croaked, with a painful lump in your throat "see you on the other side buddy, whatever that may be I know your already annoying everyone else there." You laughed once more as tears fell off your face.
"I'll miss you." You whispered to him and planted a kiss on his forehead. You stood up and dusted the dirt from your pants, wiped your face and shivered.
"I know a nice place we can bury him." You explained
"Wherever you think is best." Arthur hugged you tightly. I think deep down, he knew you needed reassuring that he wouldn't be next.

Sean's unmissable laugh may be gone, but his memories will stay. His name will never be forgotten. A loveable man, who made others laugh no matter the circumstances. A cherished friend, long gone from this beautiful nightmare we call life. But never gone from your mind.

Rest In Peace Sean Macguire.