RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 ONESHOTS & SHORT STORIES

Arthur X Reader - It's A Hell Of A Thing

hi i uploaded all my charles oneshots so i apologise for the charles spam!!

{this story is written from the perspective of a cis female who uses she/her pronouns}

summary - the reader finds out arthur had contracted tuberculosis

You had always hated when Arthur wasn't at camp. He was your rock. He kept you sane, in a world where it was heard to feel seen. He made you feel so loved and safe, so when he was out, it was sort of scary. Arthur always seemed to get himself caught up in a mess.

When the two of you became more than friends, you had felt so much more put together and you had thought it had had the same effect on Arthur but the past few months, things had been different with him.

You especially hated being alone at Beaver Hollow, where everyone was always fighting and you felt invisible without him.

Recently you'd noticed him avoiding you, going on long rides and being sort of reckless. Killing innocent folk, and just not caring for himself.

"Dutch, do you have any idea where Arthur is?" You fiddled with your hands, trying to hold back the obvious panic.

"Miss L/N, it is not my job to keep track of that man," Dutch shook his head, looking down on you like you were pathetic. Dutch used to be so different.

You turned on your heel, rolling your eyes. "I'm heading into Annesburg, going to ask 'round about Arthur, see if anyone's seen a man of his description," you called to Mary Beth, trying to seem carefree, though inside you were riddled with worry.

"Good luck, Y/N. Remember, it's Arthur, not Uncle. Shouldn't be in any trouble," Mary Beth tried to reassure you.

Somehow, you just couldn't believe her.

You flung your leg over your horse, picking up the pace as you left camp. Arthur Morgan, you better be somewhere nearby. You thought to yourself.

As you approached the town of Annesburg, you noticed Arthur's old Arabian horse tied up out the front of the sheriffs. "Shit," you muttered.

You walk into the rundown sheriffs office, to see Arthur, drunk out of his mind, in a cell.

"Arthur Morgan, what have you got yourself into? Sheriff, how much to bail him out?"

"He's got charges for horse theft, drunkenness and harassing an officer, as well as resisting arrest. He also tried to piss on me through the bars of the cell so I'm adding extra for that." the old sheriff grumbled, shaking his head.

Arthur had stayed quite this whole time. How could he let you see him like this? And how was he going to break the news?

You payed the fine and walked out with Arthur, who was being surprisingly quiet.

"Why the fuck did you do all that shit, Morgan? We've got Pinkertons on our tails, the law watching our every move and Colm's boys up our asses. We don't need you going off and getting drunk into the bargain," you hiss at him. "We can't have you just going off and-"

"I'm not going to make it through this, Y/N!" Arthur suddenly shouted. His eyes widened and he shifted his head down, refusing to meet your eyes.

"What are you talking about?" you ask quietly. "Whatever it is, we've always gotten through it." You try and grab his hand but his arm stays loose.

"I have tuberculosis, Y/N," his voice cracks.

"Oh, Arthur," you stare into his eyes. "You are the bravest man I know. You are going to get through this, I promise, and I'm going to help you. Now come back to camp...please?"

Arthur finally looks up and looks you in the eye. "I love you so much, you know that?"

sorry for the rushed ending i haven't written anything in ages. i think i'm going to end this story and start a new one ??? love you all