Legends of The Wild, Wild West (Arthur Morgan x John Marston)

An old flame

It was a very sunny morning.
Not a single cloud in sight.
Birds were flying up high in groups like little black dots on the blue velvety sky.
Although it was a little before the afternoon, the town was mostly calm, and all the townsfolk were minding their own business.
It was a perfect day.

"Shit..." Arthur thought to himself, standing outside the hotel in Valentine, "This town sure does smell like shit."

He leaned his back on the wall lighting a cigarette. He took a drag and exhaled slowly, looking up and getting lost in his thoughts.
"What could she possibly need now from me, I wonder..."

"I can't do this Arthur. Please don't make me choose between you and my family!" Said a younger Mary Linton, while she was staying with Arthur in that very same hotel.
"But you're making me choose between my life and your vision of a perfect one I can never live!" Younger Arthur yelled back.
Mary sighed and looked at the floor.
Arthur stared at her sad doe eyes, "Mary, did you bring me here to break my heart?" He asked, barely it keeping together.
Mary softly brushed her hand on his face, while trying to take in all of his rugged beauty for the last time. He knew that look, and tears started to well in his eyes, "l'm doing what's right for both of us, Arthur" she said, as her voice started breaking, "one day you'll understand".
She caressed his face one last time and got up quickly, putting on her gloves and racing to the door, leaving Arthur behind looking completely defeated.

"...Arthur? ...Arthur?!"
Arthur snapped back to reality to his finger burning from the cigarette that he had barely smoked. He quickly threw it on the ground and stepped on it in frantically.
"O-Oh, hey, Mary" he greeted her, trying to appear nonchalant.
"Hey yourself." She replied in confusion.
"What'd ya need?"
"Let's go inside."