An Unfortunate Face (Arthur Morgan x Reader)

(1.) The Good Samaritan

The Wild West, 1880

"Fifty-one, fifty-two, fifty-three," Arthur counted, handing the money to the older man in front of him.

"Good job, Arthur," said Hosea as he recounted the money in his head.

"So, uh, may I have my share?" Arthur asked meekly. He always felt awkward asking for his part of the score when a job happened, even if he was asking Hosea.

"Of course, son. Half, as promised," Hosea nodded, handing the younger man a thin wad of cash.

With more than enough money in his pocket, he mounted his horse with a wide grin and rode off towards the nearest town.

Hosea watched Arthur ride away with an easy smile; the boy was proving himself to be extremely useful and growing into a very smart, very kind young man, even if he was following in Hosea's footsteps, robbing and hustling folk.

Arthur used one hand to cover his eyes as the sun hit his eyes, the warm light reflecting off the barren desert for miles ahead of him. It had only just begun to set as Boadicea's hooves tapped against the ground and the cool breeze whipped through his clothing; he loved rides like these.

The town slowly came into view as his horse trotted onwards, already knowing his route by now. They'd only been camping outside of town for a few weeks, but Boadicea was a very smart horse, and Arthur figured she deserved more carrots for that. After all, they'd made good money today.

"You hungry, girl?" he chuckled, patting the beefy hump of her shoulder. She seemed to get excited at the promise of another snack, and without warning, her pace suddenly quickened.

Arthur hadn't even realized how quickly he was riding into town until the general store was only several yards ahead of him, forcing Boadicea to slow down. She was a very smart horse.

He slowly dismounted her and hitched her to a nearby post, making sure she was comfortable and secure. When he was sure that she was okay, he quickly ascended the steps and swung the door open, revealing the familiar clerk.

"Arthur," the store owner greeted as he looked up from the tobacco shelf he was stocking.

"Hey, Mr. Richie," said Arthur, predictably walking over to the display of chocolate bars.

"Keepin' outta trouble?" he asked.

"Not exactly, but I'm tryin'," Arthur grinned as he grabbed two bars and a few apples.

"Glad to hear it," Mr. Richie joked back as he stood up and slowly walked over to the register, mentally ringing Arthur up as he went.

"Yes'sir. I'll see you in a few days, when Boadicea needs a few more snacks," he smiled, grabbing the small sack Mr. Richie had placed his goods in.

"Well y'know I'll be here," Mr. Richie nodded at the boy, closely watching him as he left the shop.

Arthur was quick to reach into his sack and hand Boadicea the freshest apple of the bunch, which she quickly devoured. She'd barely given him a second to breathe before she was sniffing his hands to look for a snack, and she would've succeeded if Arthur hadn't already been one step ahead.

"We gotta make these last, girl," he chuckled, softly rubbing her snout. "C'mon."

He placed the goods in Boadicea's saddle bag and buckled it up, making sure that his sneaky horse couldn't reach her way around to steal one. When everything was secure, he threw one leg over her back and mounted her, eager to trot around town a little longer before he had to head back to camp.