Til Death do we part [Arthur Morgan X Reader]

Rescue

your clothes stick to your skin and leave you shivering as the sun rears its head to warm you again. You can hear boisterous laughing, shouting, and Javier.

You stand from your seated position, nearly falling as your legs get readjusted to not being bent, getting a good view of Javier being dragged by a mule—its clearly painful, the way he reaches for his leg. Your fingers wrap around the bars, wanting to call out to him but finding you had no voice.

The mule stops just out of sight as they crowd around him, you tear your gaze from where you last saw him to ahead of you.

Just in time to catch a glimpse of him.

Your conversation with Javier rings in your head, moving your gaze to the floor as emotions swirl inside. Javier was right. You have to tell him.

They bring Javier up to the cage beside you, his eyes widening the moment he sees you but quickly narrows as he looks back to the soldiers harassing him.

One notices, and decides to get cocky. Taking three long strides to stand beside your cage your eyes narrow, grip tightening against the cage.

"We have an angry one here," he taunts. Your hand shoots out, gripping him by the jaw and slamming him into the bars,

"Remember my fucking face," you hiss hoarsely,  his hands flail panicked for a few moments before he jabs his fingers into your injury, eliciting a cry of pain as you crumple to the floor as they laugh loudly at your pain.

The larger building across the road suddenly erupts in an explosive fire, startling the group and drawing their attention. As they cross, Arthur and Dutch run for your cages, and god are you glad to see them, Dutch takes the liberty of shoot the locks free before he goes to help Javier.

Arthur shoots the chain free from the top of you cage, his hands immediately cupping your face— pure relief on his face.

Maybe Javier had a point.

Arthur quickly engulfs you in a hug—nose buried into the nook of your neck. You can feel and hear him take a deep inhale in—he must've really missed you.

"Come on, let's get you out of here," he says, finally pulling away. "Can you walk?"

"Sort of, yes." You nod, fingers digging behind the collar uncomfortably,

"We'll figure out how to get that off you later," he takes a moment longer to take in your appearance before tearing his gaze from you, helping you up in the process before picking Javier up and slinging him over his shoulder.

"Keep us covered," he hands his revolver to you,

"You know I will," you reply in confidence, the cold steel a familiar presence in your hands. You follow after him, shooting whoever stood in your path as Dutch led the group out.

First it was through cornstalks just outside the gate, weaving through the rows to try and lose them, then it was down into the forest— crossing the narrower part of a river, Dutch took Javier from Arthur and agreed to meet you both back at base—leaving just you and Arthur to hold them off.

Normally that wouldn't irk you, however something just seemed... off.

You scowled at his retreating form, biting your tongue only because he was carrying Javier to safety.

You huff, reloading the revolver behind a rock as Arthur used a rifle he'd gotten from Dutch amidst the fighting, picking them off between your firing.

Eventually things fell silent, leaving you two to look at each other—

"Think we got em all?" You ask, peering over your cover,

"Yeah," Arthur responds, glancing around, "at least for now,"

He turns to look at you again, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Is this a good enough time?" You ask quietly, "theres something I want to talk about," Just thinking about it makes all your anxieties pool into your stomach.

"When we get back to the gang," he responds, "I promise we'll make time for that conversation,"

You let out a small breath, laughing slightly, "Of course, of course—don't even worry, it can wait."

You'd rather get it over with, but you have to admit you're not exactly safe until you're off this island. Regardless, you can't help but feel a little disappointed.

"I've kept to my promises so far haven't I?"

"Huh?" It doesn't click immediately, but when it does you laugh, "I guess so, I'll keep holding you to it."

He chuckles a bit, "I'll show you the way back, come on," he holds his hand out, and you're not sure if he's just sunburnt or blushing, but regardless you slide your hand into his like it had belonged there from the start.

He gently pulls you along, carefully helping you around the terrain, how careful he's being makes the confession just slip from your lips.

"Actually, Arthur," you murmur. He stops in his steps, turning to look at you with a concerned look,

"Is something wrong?" He questions when you don't follow it up.

"No, Nevermind, it can wait," you bite the inside of your cheeks, flushing red at how close you'd gotten to confessing—though this feeling had begun to gnaw at you.

"If you say so," he shrugs lightly, turning back towards the path he had been leading you on.

Way to go (Y/N)... way to go.

"We're almost there," he points up ahead, towards ruins in a clearing not too far ahead "At the top of these ruins,"

Humming in acknowledgment you take a moment to actually take in your surrounds, but find yourself focusing back on how... natural it felt to hold his hand.

"Arthur," you call out again.

No way in hell were you going to chicken out again.

He turns, stopping to look at you.

God was he handsome, despite how absolutely wrecked he was somehow he managed to be the most handsome person you could look at.

"Arthur I love you."