ᴍᴜʟᴛɪғᴀɴᴅᴏᴍ ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴇ | ᴏʟᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴇᴡ ғɪᴄs ғʀᴏᴍ ᴍʏ ɴᴏᴛᴇs

Silence (Arthur Morgan x male! reader)

Summary: When one simple job went wrong, the impact was quite big.

Warning: MY SHAYLAAAA, male reader, boom, high angst, Arthur learned sign languange, job went wrong, deaf male reader, blood, breakdown, love, sad.

based on this request, tq!

As usual, I'm sorry if there are any wrong sentences or typos or grammatical mistakes, please forgive me and again English is not my first language, so I try to improve my language and writing in this way.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The plan was simple.

Which meant, of course, it went straight to hell.

The target was a government payroll being transported by train just north of Lemoyne — heavily guarded, strictly timed, the kind of job Dutch called "the last big one," even though it was probably the fifth or sixth "last big one" this year.

You and Arthur had both voted no.

But in the end, Arthur rode anyway — because he always did — and you weren't about to let him go without you.

So you loaded up. Guns, masks, dynamite. Nerves so high your hands shook even as you checked your rifle. Arthur noticed, bumped his shoulder into yours and muttered:

"Still time to back out."

You smirked. "Not a damn chance. You think I'd let you die without me?"

Arthur rolled his eyes, but you saw the corners of his mouth twitch.

"Reckless bastard."

"Right back at you."

The heist started fine.

You and Arthur jumped the train from the ridge while Bill and Charles handled the rear. Bullets cracked like thunder as guards scrambled. You kicked a man in the chest, watched him roll off the side like a ragdoll.

Arthur was beside you the whole way — moving like muscle memory, like instinct.

He shouted to you as you made your way to the front car. "Gotta breach the safe!"

That means dynamite.

Which should've been simple.

But Bill had wired too much, or maybe the guards had left something volatile nearby. Whatever the cause, the moment Arthur lit the fuse and jumped back, you heard it — a sound like metal groaning before a cave-in.

And then

BOOM.

You didn't think.

Just moved.

Arthur had been closest to the blast. You grabbed him by the collar and threw him to the floor of the train, shielding him with your own body.

A wave of pressure hit you like a wall.

The sound—
It was everything and then nothing.

A ringing. Sharp and piercing.

And then silence.

A silence so deep, it felt like drowning.

You blinked awake at Arthur's face.

He was yelling something. You could see it — his mouth moving fast, frantic, hands grabbing at your shirt.

But you heard nothing.

Only that damn high-pitched whine.

"...what...? I— I can't—" you muttered, sitting up, head spinning, blood running from your ears. “Arthur—?”