ᴍᴜʟᴛɪғᴀɴᴅᴏᴍ ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴇ | ᴏʟᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴇᴡ ғɪᴄs ғʀᴏᴍ ᴍʏ ɴᴏᴛᴇs

"You Deserve Better, Kid" (Arthur Morgan x teen sister!reader)

Summary: sometimes you gotta stop for a while

warning: ARTHURRR MORGANN DHFHFUR, pure fluff, Susan being Susan, scolded, light angst?

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.

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The morning sun hadn't even risen high yet, and you were already up — sleeves rolled, hair messy, hands sore. You'd been sweeping, scrubbing, cooking, mending — all before breakfast. The camp was quiet except for the soft crackle of the fire and the distant rustle of Hosea's papers.

You didn't mind the work; you liked feeling useful. But lately, it seemed the harder you worked, the less anyone noticed. The stew pot got emptied before anyone remembered to thank you, and when something went wrong, someone always found a way to blame you.

Like clockwork, Susan Grimshaw's voice cut through the air.

"You call this clean? I told you to scrub the pans properly, girl! Useless if you can't do it right."

You bite your tongue. "Sorry, Miss Grimshaw. I'll fix it."

Arthur was nearby, sitting on a crate cleaning his revolver. His eyes flicked up when he heard that tone in Susan's voice — the one that made you shrink smaller every time. He'd watched it happen more than once now, and the more he did, the more it made something sharp twist in his gut.

He stood up slowly, wiped his hands on his shirt, and walked over.

"Susan," he said evenly, voice deep and calm but carrying enough weight to make her pause. "That's not necessary."

She looked up, eyebrows raised. "Oh, Arthur, don't start. Someone has to keep her in line—"

"She is in line," Arthur interrupted. "She's been up since dawn workin' harder than half the damn camp combined. Maybe a 'thank you' wouldn't hurt instead of bitin' her head off."

You froze. No one ever defended you like that.

Susan opened her mouth, ready to argue, but Arthur's expression remained cold and steady. "She does more than her fair share. Maybe folks oughta remember that before they start barkin'."

There was a silence — the kind that made everyone nearby pretend to be busy. Susan pressed her lips tight and huffed. "Fine. But don't come cryin' when she starts slacking."

Arthur didn't even glance at her as he turned to you. His voice softened. "You done with that stew?"

You nodded slowly, still a little stunned. "Uh... yeah. Mostly."

He smiled just a bit — that rare, soft look that was just for you. "Good. Leave it. We're goin' out for a bit."

You blinked. "Where?"

"Anywhere that ain't here."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The two of you rode out toward the lake near Valentine. The air was cool, the water shining in the sun. Arthur set up a blanket under a tree and handed you a small paper bag.

"Got us somethin' from the last job. Figured you could use a break."

Inside were a few sweet biscuits and a small bottle of sarsaparilla. You laughed softly, shaking your head. "You're spoilin' me, Arthur."

"Nah," he said, leaning back with a grin. "Just treatin' you how you ought to be treated."

You both sat there in peaceful silence, watching the ripples on the water. The wind carried the sound of birds and the occasional horse neigh from the distance.

After a while, he glanced at you, his voice gentle.

"Don't let 'em make you think you ain't worth nothin', alright? You work hard, and I see it. Always have."

You smiled, eyes stinging a little. "Thanks, Arthur."

He nudged your shoulder lightly, teasing, "Ain't no need to thank me. Just means next time, you let me handle the cookin'."

You giggled. "You'll burn the stew again."

"Yeah, well..." he chuckled, "maybe then they'll start missin' you 'round camp."

You leaned against his shoulder as the sun dipped lower, painting the sky in soft gold. For the first time in a long while, you felt warm, safe, and seen — because no matter how harsh the world got, Arthur Morgan would always be your big brother.

And he'd always make sure you remembered your worth.