We're Dead, No Redemption

Pretty Boy Who?

WARNING: Anti-gay slurs, general homophobia

Arthur's temporary mare seemed thankful for the slower ride home. He patted her faded beige neck as they walked into Valentine, where a small crowd was still gathered at the entrance.
"My horse!" The man that Arthur had grabbed the horse from ran over as they two slowed to a stop. He took the mare's reins and grinned at Arthur, clearly relieved. "You really were just borrowing her!"
"A'course." Arthur slid off the mare's saddle and patted her rump fondly. "She rides well."
"Thank you, mister!" The man tipped his hat to Arthur before mounting his horse and riding away.
Arthur couldn't help the proud little smile that spread as he watched him leave. Some people were giving him odd looks, however, so he decided to head off-
Is that Boaz at the saloon's hitching post?
Arthur cocked his head curiously and walked over. Javier's American Paint stallion turned his head and watched him with a pale blue eye, nickering softly at the sight of him. This caught the attention of the filthy brown Ardennes beside him, who Arthur now recognized as Brown Jack.
"What're you boys doing here?" He asked, walking over to them and feeding them both a carrot he'd snapped in half. Boaz munched the carrot happily and showed his appreciation by trying to nip him.
Stallions.
A familiar voice caught Arthur's ear. He swore he could hear Javier boasting about something inside the saloon, loud enough to be heard but not loud enough to be understood. Arthur had to see what he was up to now.

A few heads turned when the cowboy entered the bar, but most people ignored his entrance. Javier noticeably perked up where he and Charles stood beside a red-haired (and well endowed) prostitute. The Mexican waved Arthur over before pushing off the wall and just walking over to him.
"Arthur!" He put his hand on Arthur's shoulder, guiding him over to Charles and their new female friend. "Arthur, I want to introduce you to a new friend of ours. Evangeline, this is Arthur Morgan."
Evangeline seemed very impressed with the cowboy before her. She put her hand to her chest and gave him a flirty look. Arthur, for his part, wasn't very impressed. He decided to play along for Javier's sake.
"Hello, miss Evangeline." He took her hand and kissed the back of it. Evangeline grinned, Javier raised his eyebrows and Charles muffled a laugh, apparently the only one catching on to his act.
"My, mister Morgan, you are bold!" Evangeline took her hand away, her face now almost as red as her hair. "I like a man that goes for what he wants!"
"Oh, don't let this fool you," Javier said, getting Evangeline's attention again. "He's really a big pussy cat. Especially in bed~"
'You bastard,' Arthur seethed mentally, giving Javier a death glare. Javier shrugged innocently and put his hands behind his back.
"Yes, he's right." Charles couldn't help smiling, meeting Arthur's 'I'll kill you' glare with an innocent smile. "Just a pussycat."
"He purrs, too~"
"JAVIER ESCUELLA-"
The saloon doors bursting open stopped Arthur from ripping into the Mexican man. A heavy-set red-haired man fell onto his back...And Bill stalked in after him, fists bruised and red.
All the saloon occupants were now interested, several of the men getting fired up and placing bets over who would win. Bill yanked the redhead to his feet and got in his face, grit teeth hissing something Arthur couldn't hear.
"I can't tell if he's going to hit the man or kiss him," Charles commented. Arthur hid a smile as Javier laughed beside him.
Charles' confusion was soon cleared as Bill drew his bruised fist back and socked the man dead in the jaw. The redhead stepped back before raising his own hands. As if on cue, Javier ran over and grabbed the man into a choke hold. Another man grabbed him by the shirt and tried to yank him off, so Arthur body-slammed him.
Chaos quickly descended as the entire bar fell to duking it out. Charles seemed to get lost in the confusion, Javier had the time of his life being a slippery bastard and causing men to hit each other by accident and Arthur was mostly just dodging punches and returning the odd few. He followed the fight as it soon spilled outside, the fighters dragging a few other unfortunate people into it by throwing stray items away and hitting them.
Arthur had a bad feeling the battle would turn into a fight to the death for several people, so he turned to pull Bill away from choking some poor sod-and a rough voice called to him.
"Hey, pretty boy!"
Arthur stiffened. He turned slowly to the fat redhead that had helped Bill start this battle. The man didn't seem to be doing too well, blood dribbling down his chin from a split lip and both eyes darkened with bruises. Still, he made a 'come here' motion to the cowboy.
"I heard your Spanish friend talkin'," the man snarled, blackened teeth spreading into a smile. "You a faggot, pretty boy?"
If Arthur was a wolf, all of his hackles would be standing on end. His hand ghosted over his gun's holster as he walked slowly-stalked, more like-over to the redhead.
"You lookin' to die, friend?" He asked, his voice hard. The redhead just laughed.
"You talk hard but you're just soft," he jeered. "I was wonderin' why you had so many female friends. Now I know, you're just as soft as they a-"
He didn't finish the rest of his sentence. A woman gasped as Arthur shoved her aside to get to him. He seemed to lunge at the man with invisible claws bared.
Both men landed in the dust hard, the redhead's breath knocked out of him. Arthur didn't let him rest before drawing his knife and laying it across his throat. Several men around them sprang into action with that, two of them grabbing Arthur from behind and trying to drag him off.
"Hey!!" Javier got back into the fray, yanking one man off his friend. "Leave him alone!"
The man was sent stumbling into another, causing another fight. The redhead used Arthur's brief distraction to rip the knife away from his neck and roll over so he was on top of Arthur.
"You like this, pretty boy?" He taunted. Arthur kneed him in his fat gut in response.
Both men rushed to stand and put their fists up, circling each other like fighting dogs. The redhead made the first move, swinging at the opposing cowboy. Arthur dodged it and sent his own swing. The two men danced around each other like that for a bit, swinging, dodging and blocking, until the redhead stumbled and Arthur got on top of him again. This time he didn't play games and drew his gun. The redhead watched with wide eyes as he pointed it at his forehead and started to squeeze the trigger-
"Stop! Don't shoot him!!"
Redhead and cowboy turned their heads to see who had spoken. A black-haired man rushed over and grabbed Arthur's shoulder, pathetically tugging in an attempt to get him off. Arthur, caught off guard, agreeably put the gun away and backed off.
The black-haired man helped the redhead to his feet before turning to Arthur. "I-I'm sorry about Tommy," he stammered. "He-He didn't mean...Any of it..."
Arthur glared at Tommy. Tommy glared back at him. The man beside Tommy-his cousin, maybe-led him away while worrying about the copious amounts of blood flowing down his face.
Javier startled Arthur by walking up behind him. He gave him an apologetic smile and handed him his hat again. "You okay, Arthur?"
Arthur mulled over the question as he put his hat back on. He hurt everywhere and was shaking from left-over anger, but otherwise he didn't feel too bad. He gave Javier a shrug in response.
"We'd better leave before the law arrives," Charles spoke as he dodged a still-brawling duo of men.
Arthur facepalmed. "I told Mary-Beth to take my mare home," he hissed under his breath.
"If it's the blue roan I saw being led into the stable, I don't think she listened to you," Javier said cheekily. Arthur chuckled slightly.
"She would put it away," he muttered. Javier grinned and punched his shoulder lightly.
"She likes you! She wanted to help! Cut her some slack!"
"You boys get home." Arthur started walking to the stable, followed by Charles (apparently the only man of the three that was sane enough to tuck his horse away). Javier threw his hands into the air and dropped the subject.
Arthur's new horse poked her head out of her stall door eagerly, ears pricked. She watched Arthur with her dark eyes as he signed a bit of paper saying that yes she was his, no he didn't steal her there was a trade, yes he wanted tack, all that fun stuff. Charles hung back with him to help out a little, secretly wanting to see the mare that required all this fuss.
Arthur was soon released to go and tack up his new mare. The tack that came with her was all shiny and new; black leather with sterling silver accents. It would've cost a fortune under any normal circumstance. Arthur made a mental note to never lose any of this should the horse die, the funds from her tack alone would be more than enough to cover the cost to get another one.
Charles whistled low, leaning against the stall door and looking over the horse as Arthur tacked her up. "She's a good one," he said. "How'd you get her?"
"That's a long story, and I am tired of talking."
That came out harsher than intended, but Charles seemed to get the hint. He watched in silence as Arthur moved carefully around the mare. She didn't seem to care less what her rider did as long as it didn't interrupt her hay for too long. As a result, her tacking up didn't take very long.
The mare was even more impressive in the daytime light. She was more grey than blue, her fur sharing the colour of mountain rivers (to a certain extent). Her black feathered legs were strong and healthy, her mane and tail were acceptably long...There was no doubt this horse came from a very handsome bloodline.
"Feller said she was French," Arthur said when he noticed Charles staring. "She understands English easily enough, thank God."
"She's a good one." Charles mounted up on Taima, who-quite frankly-seemed to be getting pissy that there was another mare in her general vicinity. Charles ignored her antsy head-tossing and gathered his reins. "Let's see how fast she runs."
"You're on!"
The two men galloped off, leaving Javier and Bill behind. Neither man was going to be very pleased and Arthur would most likely get an earful from Dutch about leaving them behind with the risk of the law, but it didn't matter at the moment.

(Is Javier OOC? GOOD! I will write sassy Javier until the day I die
"Does this mean JaviArthur is canon here?"
My dear reader...I have no idea. You tell me what to make canon and I'll make it happen, romance isn't my focus in this story)