Red Dead Redemption II Preferences and Oneshots 2

Charles Smith: A Rough Day

Charles Smith X Female Reader

Summary: Charles is having a rough time and you go to check on him.

Word Count: 1500 

You knew that something wasn't right with Charles recently, you knew that something was wrong. You just didn't know what. Over the past few days he has been even quieter than usual. It's true that he never really spoke too much around the camp anyway but he normally spoke more to you, and recently he hadn't been.

Today he had been worse than ever. You can't remember him saying a single word all day, having only nodded at you when you greeted him. Something certainly wasn't right.

It was mid afternoon when you started looking for Charles, wanting to make sure that he was alright, but couldn't find him anywhere. You also noticed that his horse was missing, you wondered where he had rode off too.

Figuring that if anyone knew where he had gone it would be Arthur, you walked over to him. "Hey Arthur, have you seen Charles?" you asked. "Yeah, I caught him as he was heading out. Said he was going hunting" Arthur told you and you just nodded but he could see the concern on your face.

"You know him pretty well, does something seem...wrong with him to you?" Arthur asked. You were a little relieved that he had noticed the difference as well, that you weren't just being dramatic.

"Actually yeah, I'm a little worried about him" you confessed.

"It's Charles, I'm sure he'll be fine. But if you're really worried, I think he was heading north from the camp. He probably hasn't gone too far" Arthur told you, knowing that if something was wrong with Charles you were the one who should go to talk to him. 

"Thanks Arthur" you smiled, grateful that he knew where Charles was heading.

Arthur wished you good luck and only minuted later you were riding out of the camp to find Charles.

-----

Charles sat in his little camp, a few miles from the gang's camp. He had found a quiet little spot that was surrounded by trees, offering him the peace and quiet that he was seeking. As well as some comfortable seclusion. The spot he had picked was a small opening, only wide enough to fit the camp but giving him the view to look up at the sky.

He propped himself up against the tree behind him, mindlessly staring up at the clouds. He was mildly aware that it would get dark soon. 

Completely lost in thought, Charles barely noticed the few tears that rolled down his cheeks. He sighed to himself, not even bothering with them, as he lit up a cigarette.

-----

You hadn't been riding for too long before you came across a makeshift camp, you instantly rode over to it to see if it was Charles. As you got closer you saw Charles's horse hitched to a tree and knew that you were in the right place. You dismounted your horse and hitched it to the same tree, before walking over to the small campfire. There was Charles, sitting on the ground and leaning back against a tree.

"Charles, there you are. I was worried about you. Arthur said you were going hunting" you sighed in relief, glad that you had found him. Only as you got closer did you noticed the redness of his eyes. "Have you been crying?" you asked, even more concerned about him now.

"No" Charles answered blankly. He didn't sound embarrassed or ashamed, but he was definitely lying to you.

Charles took a drag of his cigarette, that you didn't even realise he was holding, and that only concerned you more.