"About what I said the other day, I just meant- well, I don't truly know what I meant." Mary walked beside Arthur, looking away sheepishly. "It's just..." She sighed, looking back to the boy but avoiding his eyes.
"You shouldn't say such things about yourself."
Arthur tilted his head, staying silent as they stopped walking. Mary grabbed his hand, hesitating for a moment.
"You are not ugly. I meant that." She smiled slightly, her thin eyebrows furrowed.
Arthur mumbled an obligatory 'thank you', staring down at their interlocking hands. He looked back up to her and smiled.
"You ain't too hard on the eyes yourself, miss."
Mary nudged him in the side playfully before they continued on their path around town.
This had started to become a bit of a routine for the pair of teenagers over the week or so, walking around town together. They didn't say much to each other, simply content to bask in comfortable silence. It was quite relaxing for Arthur, at least until Mary's hand would find his, and without him even realizing it, their fingers would interlock. When he did finally notice the sudden warmth on his skin, Arthur's cheeks would turn red as a tomato, and he had to will himself not to pull his hand away from the girl immediately out of embarrassment.
He supposed he wasn't quite used to having a friend yet. Especially when that friend happened to be a girl.
Arthur returned to camp later that day, where Hosea was discussing something with Dutch. The teenager sat down and pretended to read a book while he listened to the conversation. He still felt a little ashamed to eavesdrop on the pair, and he knew he couldn't afford to get into anymore trouble with them. However, he couldn't fight his childish curiosity.
"I really think we should do this at night, Dutch. If we get caught, he'll definitely recognize me. And you can't go alone-"
"Yes, but if there are less patrols during the day, like you said, we'll have a better chance to get in and out with no one being the wiser. Arthur, what do you think?"
Arthur looked up at the sound of his name.
"What do I think about what?"
Both Dutch and Hosea just gave him a look.
"Son, you don't need to spy on us." Dutch chuckled slightly but his tone was serious. "We want you to be part of the conversation."
Arthur nodded sheepishly and closed the book he wasn't reading.
"Fine. What you two talkin' bout anyway?"
"You remember the fella you punched a few days ago?"
"Yes..." Arthur didn't like where this was going.
"Well, Hosea's been takin' a look around, ended up finding where the man lives."
"So you wanna rob him."
"Well, I was thinking maybe we could rob him. If you're up for it, that is."
"Uh... I- I can't." Arthur looked at the ground, suddenly wishing he had kept the book open so he would have something to focus on. He had to admit, he was just a little excited about Dutch finally inviting him on a job, but even if his would-be victim didn't happen to be Mary's father, he still would've been more than a bit nervous.
"What do you mean?" Dutch tilted his head slightly, blowing a small puff of cigar smoke into the air. "We don't plan on killing anyone, if that's what your worried about. I know you're still worked up about-"
YOU ARE READING
Wild | RDR2
Fanfiction"A wilder delinquent you never did see." Arthur Morgan's life was never an easy one. After his mother died during his birth, his father turned to the bottle, his sadness morphing into rage, which he aimed at his young son. However, not all hope is l...
