Every Last One Of Them - Red Dead Redemption II

Act Two - Bonded For Once

The boys sat in the treehouse, the sun beginning to set as they talked for the first time in forever.
"I was afraid they'd like you more than me," Arthur mumbled as he began to blush,
"You know you're their favorite right?" Hugh scoffed,
"No John is."
"Yeah, you're probably right actually."

John was the youngest. The youngest is always the favorite, they're around the most often. The older the kid gets the less they spend time with their folks. So they lose ranking.
"Everyone I've ever known has either died or left me. I didn't want it to happen again." Arthur explained,
"Y'know I worried about the same thing. But then I realized, they wouldn't abandon any of us."

Dutch and Hosea were low-down criminals on the outside. But on the inside, they were caring, nurturing, and all but perfect parents. Despite a little armed robbery and being on the run for the majority of their lives, none of the kids could ask for a better childhood.

"I know, I guess I was just being stupid." Arthur groaned, rubbing his face as it began to grow even darker outside.
"You and Ron still close?" He asked,
"Yeah. He's my brother, but... we're in a bit of a rough patch right now." The things they did to survive while living in the woods weren't pretty, they killed, they maimed, they did whatever it took to make it another day. Hugh did it for Ron, he did everything for his brother. But Ron has never forgiven his brother for the things he did.

"He worries 'bout you y'know?" Arthur sighs,
"He does?" Hughie inquires,
"You're all he talks to me about, it's not always nice but he loves ya. A lot."
"I did some goddamn fucked up things to keep us alive, I don't think he's ever forgiven me for that." Sometimes Ron will ignore their past, but it comes in waves the memories of what happened. And when he's thinking about it he wants nothing to do with Hugh.
"He talks about how he still has nightmares."
"Yeah. Yeah, I know. But I did it for him. If the lord gave me the chance I would do it all over again."

He'd kill a town, he'd blow up an orphanage, Hugh would chew off his own arm for his brother. He's his family, the only one who's always been beside him through thick and thin.

After a moment they decided on camping around the treehouse for the night, which seemed nice and peaceful. And why ruin the moment? So they lit a fire, sitting around it as they laid out some bedrolls Arthur had tucked away in the hut.

"You ever dated? Can't remember." Arthur asked, looking through the flames to meet Hugh's emerald green eyes.
"Not all of us are blessed with your looks." Hugh groaned, taking a drag of his cigarette before exhaling the smoke with a sigh.
"What?" Arthur asked,
"Stop actin' dumb you know you're good lookin' just as much as the sky is blue."

Arthur always played dumb about his looks, or so Hugh thought. But in reality, Arthur really didn't think he was attractive.
"No whatchu mean that like yer ugly?" Arthur asked.
"I didn't say that... damn." Hugh inhaled the smoke once more, it's peaceful out here with Arthur.
"No, I ain't mean it... your good lookin'."
"Thanks. Being pandered to. Story of my goddamn life." Hughie then put out his cigarette, snuffing it against the wood, leaving a black circle in the texture.

"You ever even kissed a lady?" Arthur asked, scoffing at Hugh's lack of care about putting a smoke out on his treehouse.
"Yeah. I'm not a virgin if that's what yer askin'."

Hugh lost his innocence a few days after his nineteenth birthday. He was out on a ride, looking for some work to bring home a few bucks. He then came across a girl, Sarah was her name. A pretty blonde girl, the first thought Hugh had upon seeing her was, that sucks.

She was laid underneath a horse, squealing as she tried to wrestle her way out from under the stallion's weight.
"Help! Mister please!" She begged Hugh as he yanked his horse to a stop.
"Keep still." He said, lifting up the horse with all of the strength he could possibly manage. He got it up just enough for Sarah to get her legs free.

Some pleasantries and a few beers later. He was no longer a virgin.

"Then why haven't you got a lady?" Arthur asked,
"Doesn't interest me." Arthur widened his eyes almost comically, nudging Hugh with a limp hand.
"How not?"
"I dunno. I've never wanted to be with a lady." He's never had that interest. Never. Yet he has been with a lady, which further embellished his lack of interest in women.
"What are you nun?"
"No, I want to do things. Just not with wome-" Hugh's heart skipped a beat, he paused dead in his tracks as he looked up at Arthur with worry.

"Ohhh," Arthur said,
"Well. Shit. Guess the cat's outta the bag now."
"So you ain't interested in women... like at all?" Arthur scooted even closer to Hughie, apparently deeply interested in the idea of not liking women.
"I was for a while. But it was all just too wet for me in the end, men are so lovely and dry." Hugh cackled as Arthur sighed,
"Hmm."

They sat for a moment, listening to the crackling of the fire as the night swung in full force.
"You're actually the first person I've told. Haven't even told Ron. Gotta admit I was the most worried about tellin' you. Thought you'd run away." He was worried Arthur might hit him or something, be uncomfortable, and assume he was gonna assault him or something.

"Nope. I hate everyone equally."
"That's... nice...?" Hugh mumbled,
"You have any booze on ya?" Arthur asked with a smirk that could cut glass,
"Uh, yeah I got some whiskey." Hughie then pulled out some liquor he had taken from a man he robbed days ago. Strong booze too.
"Don't be shy hand it over!" Arthur then practically ripped the bottle from Hugh's hand.

The blonde boy took a long swig from the nearly acidic liquid as Hugh watched in astonishment. He downed it like it was water.

They passed the booze around a few times, drinking more and more until the world started to get a little fuzzy.
"You ever been wit' a man before?" Arthur asked, taking out his own liquor and downing a small bottle of some Guarma Rum.
"W-What?" Hughie mumbled,
"You ain't no virgin, I know you've been wit' ladies. But what about another fella?"
"No not really." It's not for a lack of trying though.
"Why not?"
"No one would have me..." Arthur cackled as Hugh put on a false frown. The two giggled like schoolboys.

They stumbled about drunkenly, laughing and singing sea shanties until Hughie bumped into a phonograph.
"Oh shit, there's music?" He asked with a smile, grasping the machine with excitement, "Ooh there's Chopin-" Hughie then played the song. Nocturne No. 20 in C-Sharp Minor.

It wasn't a dancing song, it was a slow-dancing song. So without any care in the world, Hugh grabbed Arthur's hand and pulled him into a slow motion. Maybe it was the whiskey, maybe they were losing it but it felt nice to just dance together.

Suddenly the tone shifted, Hugh looked into Arthur's eyes without hatred for once in his life. The campfire illuminates Arthur's beautiful eyes as Hughie throws all caution to the wind and kisses him. They stay like that for a second, stuck in a kiss until Hugh backs away.
"Sorry." He mumbles as Arthur stands there with his eyes wide open,
"Why you apologizin'?" Arthur asked, embracing Hughie once more as they formed another kiss.