An Unfortunate Face (Arthur Morgan x Reader)

(3.) In Broad Daylight

You kept watching over your shoulder until you were sure Arthur couldn't follow you.

What the hell did you just do?

You just let five thousand dollars ride away on a horse, that's what.

But the money wasn't even the part that seemed to bother you the most. You couldn't stop thinking about his eyes, those light blue-green splashes of color.

You almost felt like you knew him. And not only did you know him, but you felt how he felt in that moment. Though he'd kept his composure well, and his comments witty, his pulse was racing.

He was an outlaw, a murderer, a robber, and many other things. So how were his eyes so kind, innocent looking...almost like a deer.

You wrestled with your thoughts for a few more minutes before pulling your horse aside to rest. You had noticed their slowing pace and figured it would be a good time to rest.

You moved up twenty or so yards and relaxed against a tree. Your horse nudged your arm with your head and sniffed your satchel, begging for a snack.

You gave in and handed them a snack before leaning against the tree again and closed your eyes.

Your eyelids became heavy and you drifted into a quiet nap.

***

When you woke up again, it was around noon.

You reached into your bag and realized how empty it had begun to feel. Strawberry was quite a ways from here, and the land was new to you, so you pulled out the spare map you had and began looking over it.

A new town, Valentine, was much closer than Strawberry, but it was farther East. You hadn't planned on ever really going this far, but curiosity struck you.

Valentine seemed like a small enough town, and if Blackwater was still running with bounty hunters, this place could be too.

You sighed, looking at your options. You folded up the map and grabbed a small can from your satchel.

"I'm eatin' real quick, then we'll go, yeah?" You smiled at your horse.

She snorted quietly and you opened the can, eating the contents quickly. You threw the empty can a few feet away from you and mounted your horse. If your projections were correct, Valentine wasn't very far.

"Let's go, h/n," you said, moving down the path.

***

Valentine was as much as you had expected. A little more, maybe, for the fact that it had two saloons and a barber shop, something you'd only ever known in Blackwater.

It felt good to be out in a quiet city again, not like Blackwater with its busy ports and loud townsfolk.

You trotted gently through the mud and searched for the general store, which was quite large. There was a doctor's office as well, which was entirely new to you. Maybe the East wasn't so horrible after all.

You hitched your horse and headed inside the general store to grab a few provisions for you and them.

When you exited, the sky had grown darker and the saloon was much rowdier. Wanting restful sleep, you opted for the Saints Hotel to spend your night.