Until Death - Red Dead Redemption II

Act II: Striking A Deal

Arthur had just returned from doing his camp chores, nobody told him to do such tasks but he'd feel a little useless if he didn't just help out around camp just a little bit. He doesn't mind doing them, they're simple. Well simple enough to do while thinking of other things.

As he carried pale after pale of water across Overlook he kept thinking of Jack. Thinking of his lips, strangely enough. Thinking of the way the human face is shaped and how well it treated the fellow. Arthur had spent a better part of a decade getting his skills to draw a human accurately enough to make them recognizable. And even then they were nothing more than sketches.

Arthur had taken Yorke home, well what he calls home at least. Jack was currently lying in Arthur's bed, he'd slept there for the night. Arthur slept on a spare cot they had stuffed in the back of his wagon. While it might be a bit dusty he's slept on and in much worse.

Jack was out quickly. Almost inhumanly so. Looking up from the floor where he slept Arthur saw Jack's hand, dangling over his head. His hands were scarred. The white lines all over his palm and fingers, serving as a memory of the past. Arthur had lived a life of crime and had very few lines he hadn't crossed. Yet Jack's hands were more scarred than his own, which was both intriguing and to some extent frightening.

Arthur briefly considered climbing into bed with Jack, it'd be nice to feel someone that close for once. But he ain't gonna sleep with no man. He'd only shared a bed with one other person in his life. That being Mary of course, of whom he had been engaged to. She broke it off. Her family wasn't much of a fan of him. And it'd be a lie to say it didn't affect him greatly, no matter how hard he tries to pretend that it didn't.

Jack awoke to the sound of footsteps. Heavy yet timid. Like someone attempting to be quiet, and failing miserably.
"Christ!" Jack screamed as he made eye contact with Arthur who was all of two inches away from his face.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to spook ya'." Arthur mumbled, a bit startled by Jack's outburst himself.
"Well, you sure as shit failed at that blondie." Jack panted out. The man scoffed a bit, holding out a cup of what was coffee judging by the pleasant smell. A lie of a scent. As the liquid was bitter and far from pleasant and sweet. Arthur patted the boy on the back before leading him out of the tent.

Slowly walking out of his tent, Jack realized it wasn't even a tent. It was more of a curtain around a wagon shade. For privacy he reckoned, however with the constant breeze through camp it blew around so much it might as well not be there at all. Jack squinted, at the direct brightness of the sun, and sighed under its warmth. Downing his bitter coffee he took a deep breath, took in his surroundings. Sounds were all about, everyone around the camp working or walking about, chattering and occasionally glancing over at the outsider.

Jack had never cared much about people staring. He's more or so used to it. However, the rather large tent in the center of the camp caught his eye, a well-dressed older man in black eyeing Jack while speaking with another feller with light grey hair. They looked like they were in charge, but Jack ignored them. Arthur followed behind the smaller man and noticed the way Dutch and Hosea spoke together, most definitely about his guest.

"Wait here. I'll be right back," Arthur said, firmly patting Jack on his shoulder as he walked towards the others. Abiding without another word, Jack wandered around the camp for a while. Not much in terms of entertainment around here. However, he did take a glance at Arthur's things, just what was out in the open.

A flower, strangely pretty. Encased in glass. A few photos, one of a woman. The back of the frame labeled her as "Beatrice Morgan" must be his mother. Nice looking lady Jack thinks, must be where Arthur gets his looks from. The next photo was also framed. Closer to his bed too. Another woman, this one younger though. Had to be around Arthur's age.