Every Last One Of Them - Red Dead Redemption II

Act Four - Let Go Of Me Damnit!

Hugh's eyes open groggily, hungover so badly the world is spinning. As he came to he noticed his lack of clothing and began to panic. He thought he and Arthur were just some sort of dream, had it really happened?

"A-Arthur?" Hugh groaned, poking his head out of the hut to find absolutely nothing. Arthur's bag was gone, and so was he. He'd left in the night or something. "Shit," Hugh mumbled to himself, this cannot end well. He just slept with Arthur. Of all people. How the hell do they move past this? And where has he gone?

Hugh stumbled to his feet, gathering his things and getting dressed as he stepped outside with a bad feeling burrowing into his gut. The fire outside had been teased, it was still burning hot and bright.

Hugh snuffed out the flames before heading back home, he hoped to god Arthur wasn't there. He's not sure if he can face him right now. He stumbled back home, finding everyone besides Arthur.
"There you are! What were you thinkin' disappearing like that." Hosea scolded him,
"I'm gonna go lay down." Hugh groaned, rubbing his forehead.
"What where's Arthur?"
"I don't know. He ran off." Hughie was doing his absolute best to rush this conversation so he could lie down and rest. He's far too nauseous for this drama.

Hosea gave up on the conversation and Hugh wandered into his and Ron's room.
"Jesus you look like shit. What happened?" Ron asked, looking up at his twin with a grin.
"I drank too much," Hugh mumbled, lying down with a groan.
"Where's Arthur?" Ron asked as well,
"I don't know he was gone when I woke up."
"Did you do somethin' to make him mad?" Ron sat up in his bed looking over at Hugh with intrigue.

"I don't think so, he made the first move." Hughie rubbed his head as he tried to soothe his headache.
"The first move?" Ron asked,
"Ah shit... no I meant- god my head is killin' me."
"Oh, my lord. I knew you were sweet on him!" Ron all but cheered as Hugh barely comprehended what was being said. And without much else, he completely passed out.

| TEN HOURS LATER |

"Oh my god Hugh get up!" Ron shook him,
"Wha-what?" Hugh asked, just barely waking up.
"Arthur still hasn't come home." Hugh was actually beginning to worry now. It's not like Arthur to vanish off the face of the earth without as much as a heads-up. He's far too loyal to ever abandon them so either he's in trouble or he's seriously pissed off.

"Do you know anywhere he could be?" Hugh asked, stumbling to his feet as his hangover finally faded enough that he could bear being awake.
"No, but John might," Ron said, Hughie nodded.

The brunette wandered outside where he found John poking at a dead mouse with a stick.
"Hey quit that! Those things are covered in diseases. Now you know where Arthur could've gone?" John set down the stick and nodded,
"I saw him go up there-" John pointed to a separate stretch of the forest that he'd never really explored. That stretch is towards the mountain, it's always wet and full of puddles and streams that Hugh always manages to step in.

He thanks John and wanders into the forest, he takes a great deal of time to get through and past any and all bodies of water.
"Arthur!" He shouts, not a sound besides a few birds flying away in fear.
"ARRRTHHHUURRRR!" He shouts once more, still not a peep.

There are no formed trails, or anything even remotely interesting for that matter. It's just ferns and bushes coating the floor and making it almost impossible to walk around in without tripping.

He walks around more, eyes darting back and forth even quicker as he really begins to worry. There are wolves in these woods, bears too. He hoped to God Arthur didn't end up being mauled to death.

However, just as he was thinking of giving up the search he spotted a peculiar tree. A weeping willow that had branches removed to form a sort of passageway underneath the leaves. Hugh wandered over to it, stumbling over himself before finding his way under the tree's hood.

He found Arthur, dead asleep with his journal held in his hand.
"Jesus Christ." Hugh groaned, wandering over. He was about to shake him, wake him up but his curiosity got the better of him, and he picked up the journal. Despite the fact that he probably shouldn't, Hugh read the passage with curiosity.

April 11th, 1887

I don't know what happened. I've always been sweet on him, but I didn't know how far it'd go. I thought it was just some sort of childish crush. That I wasn't attracted to him, that I was just being a dumb kid. But what we did felt good.

Despite this, I did what I always do when I'm confused. I ran away. Like a coward. I'm hiding out under the willow tree, I don't know what to do. I have to head back, but what the hell am I to say to him? How am I to move on like nothing happened?

I just hope he doesn't re

That's where the passage ends. And all Hughie could think to do was sit down and try and process all of this information. This was something Arthur had always wanted, he was attracted to him. But it seems as though he's also confused. Confused enough to hide in the woods just to avoid him.

As Hugh attempted to slide the book back under Arthur's arm the blonde shot awake,
"What the hell'r you doin'!" Arthur shouted,
"I was lookin' for you!" Hugh tries to back up but only manages to get himself grabbed by Arthur who holds him with anger.
"Were you reading my journal?!"
"Let go of me damnit!"

Arthur squeezed the other boy just a bit too tightly and he snapped, Hugh threw a fist into the side of Arthur's jaw.

Arthur lunged at the younger man. Landing a hard hit to his cheek. Hugh growled, grabbing Arthur by his shoulder and swinging a fist into his temple. Arthur threw Hughie 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!" Hugh yelled, a word so foul that Arthur paused a minute before jumping back on top of the other boy. Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and sending a punch into the boy's face, followed by another before Hugh kneed Arthur in the groin, followed by an uppercut strong enough to rip open Arthur's chin.

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

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

The two began to cough harshly before resuming their tumble. Arthur pulled Hugh up to his feet before punching him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. Hugh scratched at the blonde's face, drawing blood before Arthur head-butted the other boy, cutting his forehead on Hugh's teeth.

"Goddamn you!" Arthur yelled, Hugh 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 Hughie jumped onto Arthur once more, they paused for a moment.

They looked at each other with such intensity, riled up and bloodied they essentially gave up and kissed. It didn't take more than a few minutes before they were once again going at each other like animals. And without the booze this was different, this was a sober decision between the two boys to do something so profoundly intimate.

A choice they'd soon come to accept.