No Time To Die- ARTHURMORGAN x O/C

part 16- Complicated

Claudia has always been one to run into trouble, but now she is stuck on the sidelines. The sun hung low over Shady Belle, casting a golden hue over the grand-manor. As she limps around camp, she sees Bill Williamson sharpening his knife near the fire. Even though they hardly knew each other, a small grin appears on his face.
"Look who decided to join the land of the living" he calls out, chuckling.
Claudia rolls her eyes, a smirk creeping on her lips. "Don't get used to it Bill. I'm just here to make sure you don't cut yourself".
Claudia makes her way around camp, Sadie and Charles smiling and asking how she is. Then Micah whining asking why is she still alive. She wanders over and sees Karen fiddling with a pack of cards next to the crackling fire with empty bottles scattered around her.
"Claudia! We thought you were still in bed!" Karen's exclaims, her eyes widen with a mix of surprise and concern. "You're supposed to take it easy."
"Yeah, well I can't resist a little fun" Claudia says, her heart warming at the sight of someone being happy to see her.
"Alright, but don't expect any sympathy," Karen warns her with a mischievous grin, shuffling the card. They share a laugh and for a moment, Claudia felt the weight of her injuries lift a little. Javier gets his guitar out as it's starts to get dark around camp. Most gang members sitting around a fire, including Arthur. His eyes gazing at the figure chatting to Mary-Beth at the other side of camp.
"Arthur, you're staring again," Charles chuckles, who approach silently, leaning against a tree near by.
Arthur looks up to him, caught off guard. "I wasn't looking."
"Yes you were." Charles smirks, crossing his arms. "You like her."
Arthur's shakes his head trying to maintain his composure. "She's just a good friend."
"Good friend? I don't think friends are that close! Why don't you just tell her how you feel?" Charles says.
"Because I don't want to ruin what we have," Arthur replies, the words tumbling out before he could consider them. It was true. The bond that he got with Claudia is precious to him, and risking that for something uncertain felt like a gamble he wasn't willing to take.
As the stars appear into the sky, Claudia wanders over to the campfire. "Hey Arthur!.." She slurs, Arthur sighs knowing that she is not allowed to be drinking "I was just telling Mary-Beth about the job we did with Trelawny."
Arthur chuckles, the warmth of her smile wrapping around him like a familiar embrace. "I bet you always manage to make it sound more entertaining than it is."
"Maybe I've got a knack for storytelling," She teases, "What do you think? Should I write a novel about our adventures?"
"You'd probably have to make quite a few edits first," He replies, smirking. "Half of what we do is illegal, and I doubt publishers fancy a prison break as their next big hit."
They laugh together , the kind of laughter that fills the air with comfort. In the moment, everything feels right. As the fire crackles, he eventually summons the courage to break a bit of the boundary that held them apart. "Claudia, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, what's up?" She replies, tilting her head slightly.
"Do you..uh.. see yourself sticking around here for a while?"
She looks down, picking the fringe of her shirt. "I hope so. You all have made me feel more at home than anywhere else. I don't want to go back to my life before, alone."
Arthur nods, feeling a flicker of hope. "Good. Just... don't forget that we are all here for you, no matter what."
"Arthur, you've..."
Before she could respond, Hosea announces across camp for a sing along, bringing everyone together. Claudia's attention flickers away, leaving Arthur sitting with his thoughts. Across camps he sees Dutch sat in his chair, with Molly standing over him yelling in his face. The poor girl, Arthur knew that Dutch treats her wrong but that's just Dutch.
"Penny for your thoughts, Arthur" Hosea says, sitting next to him with a bottle in his hand. The corner of his mouth twitches into a smirk.
Arthur sighs, shifting his weight on the log he sits on. "It's just... Claudia," he says, his voice barely above a whisper.
Hosea raises his eyebrows, "Ah Claudia, she seems to have a soft spot for you."
Arthur opens is mouth to respond but found the words stuck in his throat. "It's complicated, Hosea. She likes me, I know that much. But it's not... like that, not the way I want it to be."
"Complicated is between a man and woman, Arthur. Nothing simple ever came from love," Hosea says, a playful light dancing in his eye. "So what is it you want then?"
"It's just..." Arthur hesitates, searching for the right words. "I care about her. A lot. But she sees me as a friend, and maybe that's all I'll ever be to her."
Hosea chuckles softly, shaking his head. "You ever told her how you feel?"
"I tried but she just laughed at it and called me a friend" Arthur scoffs, rolling his eyes. His gaze shifts to the flames in front of him lost in thought. "I don't want to push her away. I just... I don't want to lose what we have."
"Sometimes you've got to risk losing something to gain something better," Hosea advises, his voice low and steady. "Take a chance. What's the worst that could happen? She might surprise you."
But Arthur shakes his head. "What if she doesn't feel the same? I've seen people get hurt over feelings, and I don't want to be the reason she'd doubt herself or feel bad."
"Then tell her you value her friendship, but that you'd like something more," Hosea suggests, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Chances are, she's waiting for you to be brave enough to make a move".
Arthur remains silent, pondering Hosea's words as the fire cracks and pops. The shadows around camp deepen as he feels a wave of uncertainty wash over him. "Maybe you're right," he finally murmurs. "But right now, I think I'd rather find a way to help her, even if it is just being her friend."
"If you need me, I'll be here to make sure you don't mess it up" Hosea says, giving Arthur a reassuring grin.
Arthur chuckles softly, appreciating Hosea's rare wisdom. As darkness envelopes the camp, he felt a sense of determination spark within him. He makes his way over to the other campfire where everyone is. "Hey Mary-Beth, where is Claudia?"
"Oh, Miss Grimshaw took her back to bed, She started yelling at her for being out of bed and drunk" Mary-Beth laughs, Arthur smiles seeing Susan Grinshaw helping drunk Claudia up the porch steps of the manor. Maybe he will get to speak to her tomorrow.