take me back in time

way too much physical contact

Needless to say, that I was right.
Arthur, Charles, Bill and Javier came into camp that night totally trashed, all of them.
I sat by the fire with the other women as they strolled in, guilty looks on their faces.
Well, maybe not that guilty, but a bit for sure.
"Arthur Morgan! What in the name of God has happened to you?!", Susan Grimshaw snapped at him, building herself up in front of them.
I studied him secretly; mud all over his clothes, in the face, swollen features, black eye on the right, blood all over him and cuts here and there.
It was gross and, please forgive me, hot as hell at the same time.
"Well... Bill pissed someone off and ya know how it goes.", Arthur explained simply, ignoring the withering looks Grimshaw gave them.
Javier chuckled lightly. "Yeah, we had a goo' time, Miss Grimshaw."
"All of you: clean the hell up and do it quickly! I do not tolerate this dirty look of yours in my camp. I won't say it again!", she bellowed, shooing the men away with her hands.
They giggled like little boys, separating as they went to their own tents. Arthur stopped in his tracks, glancing over to me with a curious look on his face but then he continued to his tent, cleaning himself up.
Tilly snapped me out of my thoughts.
"So... tell me Sophie, do you have a man back home?", she asked.
I nearly choked on my beer. "Euh... No."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
Karen giggled, pointing with her beer to my face.
"Yar not that ugly, Sophie. Nobody was interested in ya?"
"Why, thank you, Karen. But no. Not really, I guess.", I replied carefully.
The little flirt with one of my co-teachers doesn't really count, right? Because, well, he isn't even born yet; ha-ha.
"Not really? What does that mean?", Mary-Beth asked me.
I sighed. "Well... I was engaged once, but it didn't work out."
"Engaged? Really? Wow... how was he?", Mary-Beth was always curious, especially if it has something to do with romance.
"He was nice, at first. But then my daddy died and I... Well, I guess I changed and he couldn't keep up with it.", I explained quietly, no need to let the whole camp know my sad love story.
"U-uhm... I'm sorry to hear that, Sophie.", Tilly said, reaching over and patting my hand.
"Ah, don't be. Long time ago now. I'm over it.", I replied, giving her hand a small squeeze.
"That's good. So... what do ya think about the men 'round here?", Karen asked in a groggy tone.
"W-what?"
"Yeah, ya know what I mean... which one would ya like to have?", her voice was low, her finger pointing at some of them, Javier, Bill, Charles, John, Arthur, Dutch, Lenny.
"Karen!", Mary-Beth said embarrassed, her face lit up like a tomato.
"Ah, com' on, Mary-Beth. Don't be like that, just a little fun, right?", Karen said back, a big shit-eating grin on her face.
Tilly chuckled then she whispered: "I would take Arthur, that's for sure."
"I agree."
"Me, too."
"I bet ten bucks, that he's a helluva' lover in bed."
Jesus... that was not the kind of conversation I felt comfortable with.
"Come on', Sophie. Tell us yar favorite outlaw...", Karen said, wiggling with her eyebrows.
"Ahh, fuck it... John or Arthur, I'd say.", I told them, fidgeting around on the tree, blushing like hell.
The women laughed loud, turning the whole attention of the camp towards us and I nearly died, right then and there, really did.
"Both of them? Goo' choice, Sophie. That's a new way of thinkin'... I like that."
"Ya like what?", a low voice said from behind me and I froze.
"The way our newest gang-member is thinkin', Mr. Morgan.", Karen explained to him, a dirty grin on her lips. The others giggled, exchanging smutty grins and glances.
Arthur sat down next to me in new clothes, black jeans and a dark-green shirt, three buttons open at the collar, but who notices that, right? His hat was missing but all of his gun equipment was there and he looked way cleaner than before.
"I don't get ya and I dunno if I reall' like to.", he said confused, his eyes wandering back and forth between the giggling girls.
Karen stood up, one hand pointing between us.
"Ya go ahead and tell him, girl.", she said with a wink, while turning and heading to her tent with Tilly and Mary-Beth in tow.
After they left, Arthur turned his upper body in my direction, eyes searching mine, one hand on his knee, the other holding a bottle of beer.
"I... u-uhm..."
I snatched the bottle out of his hands taking a big gulp of it, because I needed it more than him for sure. Arthur chuckled lowly but he didn't complain, watching me carefully all the time.
It baffled me; his blue eyes were so intimidating, his presence next to me let my body buzz in all the strange places.
"How did ya know?", he asked, not amplifying on what Karen said or that I stole his drink.
"Know what?", I replied a bit confused.
"'bout the bar fight?", his voice was low and husky.
Well, I'm from the future, you're just a game character and I know everything that is going to happen, thanks for asking.
"Just got a feeling about it, I guess.", I told him, avoiding the real answer.
"Mhm...", he hummed deep in his throat.
We sat there for a while, listening to the guitar Javier played at his tent, looking down into the flames, enjoying the night as far as possible. To be honest, it was cold, freaking dark and I felt very unprotected without a roof above my head and walls around me. Never thought, that I'd miss my little house that much, the comfort it gave me.
Heck, I miss my shower, my couch, even the fridge and most of all, a running toilet.
"Thank you for today.", I said after some time.
He looked up again, face unmoved.
"Yar welcome."
It was so strange... I knew everything about this man right next to me, every little detail the game gave us, Mary, Eliza, Isaac, but he was so different right now, so real. A man with feelings, doubts, emotions and principles, just like an authentic man. Strange.
I could feel and see his anger, his loss, his pain in every movement, in every step and if I'm honest, I would love to just wrap my arms around him and tell him everything is going to be okay, but that wouldn't be a good idea, I guess.
Wrapping your arms around a dangerous and tough outlaw in the middle of camp would look very strange though.
"What?", he asked, recognizing the sad smile on my lips.
"Nothing."
He chuckled lowly. "I dunno what to thin' 'bout ya, Miss."
"Me neither."
Arthur huffed and laughed at the same time, his hands rolling the empty bottle I gave him back between his fingers, elbows on his knees.
"I...", he began but was interrupted.
"Ahh, Miss Kendall.", a deep familiar voice called over the fire and we both looked up.
Dutch stood on the other side of the fireplace, hands resting on his gun belt, weight on one foot, his dark eyes examining the scene in front of him, lips forming into a small smile.
"Yes, Mr. Van der Linde?"
"I heard about your deal with Hosea and I'm very grateful for your effort but I may have another job for you, if you're willing to take it."
"What is it?"
"Well... at first, we gotta make sure, that you can defend yourself, Miss.", Dutch explained, gaze shifting and resting on Arthur.
"Ahh... Jesus, Dutch... Really?", he spoke up with annoyance in his voice.
Dutchs eyes hardened. "Yes, son. I insist upon it, my dear boy."
I nearly laughed out loud, the way Dutch pronounced insist always got me.
"Well, if ya insist...", Arthur murmured next to me.
"I don't quite get what you're saying, Mr. Van der Linde."
Arthur stood up, one hand scratching his neck. "I'll take ya out tomorrow morning, Miss."
"Excuse me?"
Dutch chuckled low. "Shooting, Miss Kendall. To see how well you can handle a gun of your own."
"U-uh. Do I have another choice?"
"No."
"Well, then... Okay, I guess."