Red Dead Redemption II Preferences and Oneshots

Kieran Duffy: Rest

Kieran Duffy X Female Reader

Summary: You help Kieran get some well deserved rest.

Word Count: 1200

You had always been kind to Kieran, even when he was tied to that damn tree, so he couldn't even blame himself for growing attached to you. You had offered him water when nobody else would even look his way. Then, when he was trusted enough to walk around camp and care for the horses you were the only one who didn't watch him like you were afraid he was going to betray you. You were the only one who didn't call him 'O'Driscoll', you were the only person who made him feel like a person.

You were nice to him, the only person that Kieran felt comfortable enough to talk to without having to keep his guard fully up. Yes, Kieran liked you more than he probably should but of course he did. He had tried to address his feelings for you but you seemed completely oblivious to how he felt. It's not like he expected you to return his feelings but you didn't even seem to notice them, he was painfully aware that you only saw him as a friend. He figured that you didn't even see him as a friend, you probably just felt bad for him. Your kindness had to be out of pity.

Kieran was over by the horses, brushing Branwen's mane. He was attempting to focus on the task at hand but all he could focus on was you. You were sitting on the outskirts of the camp, where it was quiet, leaning back against a tree with a book in your hands.

Gathering up as much boldness that he could, Kieran placed the brush down before walking over to you. The sound of footsteps approaching made you look up from your book, a smile appearing on your face when you saw Kieran.

"Hey, Kieran. Are you alright?" you asked with a smile as you closed your book.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine...I'm just taking a break from the horses" Kieran told you, shuffling his feet nervously, which you thought was absolutely adorable.

"Taking a break? You? I never thought I would see the day. You're always working or getting yourself busy with the horses, sometimes I think you prefer them to us" you joked but there was a lot of honesty behind your words.

"I do...mostly. I just know where I am with them, I guess. It's always been that way" he shrugged, hoping that you didn't just think that he was weird.

"What do you mean?" you asked curiously as you placed you book on the ground and patted the grass on the other side of you. Kieran just smiled shyly at you before sitting down beside you.

"Well, I...I-I used to work with horses...when I was a little boy" Kieran told you but when he saw how interested you seemed in what he was saying, he decided to continue and tell you about himself. "My pa came over from Ireland. He got sick...and died. My ma got sick and died...it was cholera. After that I was alone, and...the stable, where I worked, threw me out. I was living in the West. We'd travelled out there 'cause pa thought he could become a farmer...in California. Well, we never made it to California. I joined the army, but uh...that didn't work out well. Then I fell in with some outlaws. They got killed and I fell in with the O'Driscolls. They gave me a choice: ride with 'em or die. So...wasn't much of a choice. Now...I'm with you...and all I now is folks all seem to die...and....I still love horses" he finished, adverting his gaze from yours.

"How can somebody be so sad yet so sweet?" you smiled softly as you placed your hand on his, hoping to give him some comfort.

"Uh...I don't know" Kieran stumbled over his words, a light blush on his cheeks due to both your hand on his and the fact that you had called him sweet.

"It was a rhetorical question, Kieran, you aren't suppose to actually answer it" you laughed softly.

"Oh...do you want me to leave?" the man asked, looking down at his lap.

"What? No, of course not, why would I want that?" you shook your head, taking hold of his hand. You liked Kieran's company, of course you didn't want him to leave.

"Was that...rhetorical?" Kieran asked, looking at you with a cute but confused look on his face.

"Yeah" you laughed softly and Kieran just smiled at you. "How long has it been since you slept properly?" you asked a little more sadly, noticing the dark circles under his eyes.

"Uh...a little while...probably before the O'Driscolls actually" he told you with a small shrug.

"You need to rest...it's not good for you" you frowned, a little worried about him.

"I-I will eventually, you don't need to worry about me" Kieran assured you, even though he actually liked that you cared enough to worry about him.

"I don't believe you" you sighed before letting go of his hand, Kieran instantly missed the contact. "Come on, lay down" you ordered, gently patting your lap.

"What?" Kieran asked with slightly widened eyes.

"Just do it" you rolled your eyes, smiling to yourself.

Kieran nodded before slowly laying down, resting his head in your lap. He looked up at the blue sky, turning his head slightly to look up at your beautiful and kind face. He couldn't help the smile on his face. He sighed and his eyes fluttered shut as he felt your fingers gently running through his hair, he craved the tender gesture.

Slowly, Kieran fell asleep like that, with his head in your lap. You entertained yourself while he slept by playing with his hair, smiling at his peaceful face.

-----

You sat against the tree until Kieran woke up again. When you felt him stirring so you removed your fingers from his hair and looked down at him.

"Hey, sleepy-head" you smile at him, loving that adorable sleepy look on his face. Kieran cleared his throat as he sat up and turned his body to face you.

"H-Hey. T-Thank you for...bein' so nice to me" Kieran smiled at you, a blush spreading over his cheeks.

"Anytime" you smiled back as you stood up. Kieran frowned at the fact that you were leaving but figured that you couldn't stay here all day. You noticed the frown on his face so you leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss to his forehead before walking away.

-----

Kieran walked through the camp, noticing that he was getting more glances from people than usual. What did he do wrong now? He just kept his head down as he headed to get some stew.

"Hey...O'Driscoll" Sean called as he walked over, a wide and amused smile on the Irishman's face.

"I'm not an O'Driscoll..." Kieran frowned, this was really starting to get old now.

"You trying something new with your hair or something?" Sean asked with a laugh, taking one last look at Kieran before shaking his head and walking away, laughing to himself.

"What?" Kieran asked, more to himself than anyone. What did Sean mean by that?

Kieran walked over to Arthur's tent, which was empty since Arthur was out of the camp at the moment, and bent down to look at his reflection in the small mirror. His eyes widened and his face flushed red when he saw that there was a neat braid on the side of his head, obviously you had put it there when he was sleeping. He touched the braid and mindlessly wrapped it around his fingers, a smile appearing on his face. He would definitely let you do it again.

Requests?