Until Death - Red Dead Redemption II

Act XII: The First Punch

"Not another word," Arthur grumbled, sitting down against a tree. Nothing Jack would say could make him feel anything other than pathetic. He just lost everyone he knew for some boy he met on a whim.

"Arthur-" Jack interjected,
"Things was fine. Things was as they've always been. Until you showed up and now I'm out of a bed, a family, and I've helped kill damn near fifty people." Arthur expressed, Jack sitting in front of him against an adjacent tree.
"What? Why you thinkin' that I'm the problem?" Jack yelled back. How could Arthur be mad at Jack for his "family" abandoning him?
"Why are you thinkin' yer not the problem!?"
"Dutch is the problem! He kicked you out like a goddamn animal!" Jack protested,
"Watch yer tongue that man raised me!"
"Sure he did and how far did that get ya? You're a lost outlaw who's wanted in almost every part of this godforsaken country!"
"I told ya to watch your mouth boy!" Arthur screamed,
"It's not my fault you're dull enough to care about a man that treats you like shit!"
"That's my family!" Arthur shouted,
"What kind of sorry excuse for a family kicks their own out on their ass for who they're seein'! Might as well-" Arthur lunged at the boy. Landing a hard hit to his cheek. Jack growled, grabbing Arthur by his shoulder and swinging a fist into his temple. Arthur threw Jack onto his back as the brunette threw his foot at Arthur's gut, sending the man to the forest floor as well.

"You fuckin' fool!" Jack yelled, a word so foul that Arthur paused a minute before jumping back on top of the kid. Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and sending a punch into the boy's face, followed by another before Jack kneed Arthur in the groin, followed by an uppercut strong enough to make Arthur bite his tongue.

Arthur fell over hard, dirt flying into his mouth as he coughed up blood. Jack kicked the man in the ribs as he laid on the floor,
"Get up!" Jack yelled, pissed off at Arthur's weakness. Arthur listened, pulling Jack to the floor once again and elbowing him in the nose. Blood quickly streaming down the boy's face.

Jack growled, the older man climbing on
of him and wrapping his hands around the boy's neck. Strangling him as Jack did the same, choking Arthur within every inch of his life until Jack threw their heads together hard enough to make them dizzy.

The two began to cough harshly before resuming their tumble. Arthur pulled Jack up to his feet before punching him in the gut, directly into a set of scars that knocked the wind of the boy. Jack scratched at the man's face, drawing blood before Arthur head-butted the kid, cutting his forehead on Jack's teeth.

"Goddamn you!" Arthur yelled, Jack grabbing him by his shirt and swinging him into a tree. The blonde man hit the tree with enough force for him to crumble to his knees. Bleeding from his head Jack jumped onto Arthur once more, however this time he pulled out his knife. Arthur's bloodied eyes widened as he watched Jack swing his knife down to his head. To Arthur's luck, his arms blocked the blade just in time to avoid the knife's piercing blow.

Arthur held the knife away as Jack pushed down, the blade slowly lowering to Arthur's neck before Jack stopped. Looking down into the eyes of the man he loves so much, he dropped the knife. His hands were bloodied and shaking as he rolled over and began to sob slightly.

That was one of the only times Arthur had ever fought in a fight where he didn't immediately win. Despite Jack being smaller than himself the boy can fight well. For some reason.

"Jack?" Arthur moaned, sitting against a tree as he assessed the damage to his body. A couple of bruises, a few scrapes.
"Sorry." Jack sat up and said as he wiped his nose.
"No, I'm sorry." Arthur had also never apologized like this before, "you're right." He said, the older man looking defeated at that realization.

The brunette wiped the blood from his face, burying his head in his lap as he sat curled up against a tree. The smell of iron-scented blood still lingered on his hands.