Red Dead Redemption II Preferences and Oneshots

Arthur Morgan: In Sickness and Health Part 2

Arthur Morgan X Female Reader

Summary: Arthur decides to take you somewhere private to have your final goodbyes.

Word Count: 1340

Things had been difficult, not only for you but for the whole gang. Things were rough, you were getting sicker and weaker while the gang was getting smaller and smaller. Arthur was pretty sure that everything was coming to an end.

As Arthur watched you getting sicker, he knew that he had to make a decision. You were more important to him than the gang right now, if helping the gang was going to harm you than he just couldn't do it. So he put all of his attention into you. He stayed at the camp with you unless he had to leave and there was no other choice, even if you told him that you would be fine.

Then the time came for the gang to move on and move camps again. Arthur knew that the journey would be hard on you and he refused to do it. Instead, he took you and set up a smaller camp somewhere a little closer so that the journey wouldn't be too hard on you.

Arthur had told the gang where you both would be but continued to refuse to travel with the gang.

It was a harsh reality but Arthur knew that you didn't have long left, he knew that you were sugarcoating your situation for his sake but he wasn't stupid. He knew that you were going to die but he would not let you die on the road while trying to find a new place for the gang to live.

Arthur took you to your new camp for two, a small camp set up on a mountain top. The dark reality of why he chose this place was that this was where he wanted your last moments to be, somewhere beautiful, he also knew that you would like your body to be buried here.

You lay in front of the fire while Arthur made some food. You were feeling weaker and weaker by the second and in that moment you knew...it was time.

"Arthur..." you wheezed out, using your remaining strength to push yourself up so that you were sitting and leaning back against a rock.

Arthur instantly turned to look at you, hating that you looked so sickly now. You opened your mouth to say something but the words got stuck in your throat, how could you say it? Arthur watched you struggle to find your words, he watched the tear roll down your cheek as you released a shaky breath...and he knew. 

Arthur nodded, feeling the defeat fill him as tears brimmed in his eyes.

Not knowing what to say, Arthur stood up and walked over to you. You groaned quietly as Arthur lifted you off of the ground, carrying you over to the edge of the mountain. He sat down and let you curl up in his lap, resting your head on his shoulder.

The sun was setting behind the mountains and trees in the distance, the remaining sun light reflecting off of the water, and the low sun casting an orange glow over you and Arthur.

"Arthur..." you whispered, causing him to look down at you with glossy eyes. "...don't mourn for me...well, mourn a little. Like...a few months...but then move on" you smiled with a weak laugh, Arthur just smiled down at you. He was in complete awe about how you could joke around in a time like this, it just reminded him about how much he loved you and how much he would miss you once you were gone. "The gang needs you, don't push them away. They are your family" you asked of him, raising your hand to caress his cheek.

"Okay...I promise...thank you, for everything" Arthur nodded, keeping one arm around you while he used his other hand to brush his fingers through your hair.

"For what?" you asked, keeping a small smile on your face as you looked up at him.

"For being you and existing, for giving an idiot like me a chance" he smiled even though a tear was rolling down his cheek, which you brushed away with your thumb.

You attempted to lean up but you just fell back against his chest. Arthur frowned slightly but cupped your face in his hand, leaning down to press a lingering kiss to your lips. You both lingered there for a moment before pulling away. Arthur curled his fingers in your hair as he rested his forehead against yours. Your heart shattered as you felt one of his tears land on your cheek. You hated that you were leaving him.

The pair of you sat in silence, watching the sunset. Arthur's arms were wrapped around your body while your head rested on his shoulder. He wanted to remember what it felt like to hold you in his arms while you wanted to remember his warmth and the sound of his heart beat.

"I'm going to miss you" your voice came out quiet but you knew that you had to speak because you could feel your eyes becoming heavier. You could barely keep them open and it was getting even harder to breath.

"I'll miss you too...so much. I love you, Y/N" Arthur said, just loud enough for you to hear as he placed a kiss on the top of your head, wrapping his arms around you a little tighter.

"I love you too, Arthur..." you smiled softly as you placed a gentle kiss against his neck, before burying your face in the crook of his neck and relaxing.

It was silent for a little while longer before Arthur was certain that you weren't breathing anymore. He didn't want to check because that would make it real but he could sit here forever with you in his arms.

"...Y/N?" Arthur asked with a shaky voice but he was met with silence, and his heart broke. He let his first sob escape him as he nuzzled his face into your hair, just holding you closer for a while.

Arthur finished watching the sunset with you, finding it difficult to let you go. He knew that it was your time and he thought he had prepared himself but nobody can completely prepare themselves for something like this. He just lost the love of his life, something that he never thought would happen. Reality was hitting him hard.

-----

When the morning came, Arthur buried your body where you could see the sun set every night. He made a marker for your grave, a cross with your name on it. He promised himself that he would come back with flowers and give you a better grave marker.

Arthur sat beside your grave, looking out to where the sun would set if it wasn't early afternoon. It had been a few days since your death now and Arthur had sent a letter to the gang to let them know and to tell them that he would be joining them soon, but he was going to spend a little more time here. He wanted his final goodbyes and some time to collect himself before returning to them.

Arthur flinched and looked up when he felt a hand land on his shoulder.

"Hey, Arthur, how are you feeling?" John asked with a sympathetic smile, not exactly sure what to say to his friend.

"What are you doing here?" Arthur asked, his voice hoarse and thick. John could tell that Arthur had barely been sleeping or eating and he was pretty sure that he had been crying as well.

"Paying my respects" John sighed as he placed the flowers that he brought on your grave, before turning back to Arthur. "When are you coming back?" he asked, the whole camp had been wondering when Arthur would return.

"I don't know...soon" Arthur shrugged carelessly, too exhausted to care much about what John was asking him.

"Alright" John nodded before sitting down beside Arthur, joining his friend and watching the scenery below them. John knew that he couldn't do anything to make Arthur feel better, but at least this way Arthur wouldn't be alone.

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