Fem reader
No necessary tags i think
You, who had just moved to the crossing, get roped up into helping one of the most notorious gangs around. Some people would call you dumb for being all alone at the Emerald telegram station so late in the night. some would say it was simply the wrong place at the wrong time. But, either way, they'd swept you up and convinced you to help their injured. You'd seen one of them before, the one with the red hair came into your office in Blackwater for some minor stitches the other day, lucky for them he recognized you.
You who thought it'd be the one time but you'd chosen this career because you hated to see other people injured and they managed to keep convincing you to patch em up. You who patched up the most mysterious of them all late one night after a shift that had left you dead on your feet. You were too tired to argue, just hopped on the back of his horse when he’d met you outside of the medical office, routine now, and rode off to a more secluded spot to work.
“What? no pushback today?” gruff voice in front of you teasing. More often than not it took you at least a little back and forth before agreeing, preferring to discover the who, what, and how. You didn't say anything in response, just made a very tired non committal noise and tried your hardest not to lean too much on his back and fall asleep.
You don't remember at what point in your little exchanges that you had started becoming comfortable around the gang but you had nodded off ever so slightly on the back of Arthur’s horse. When you came to a stop, an abandoned structure out in the woods ya’ll frequented, he’d woken you up by lightly tapping your thigh behind him. You were still so tired you didn't see the little wet spot you’d left on his shoulder where your drooling mouth had been.
“You alright darlin’ ?” Arthur’s voice was soft as he guided you off the horse after him. You didn't think twice about the tone.
“Just tired,” you nodded.
By the time you both walked into the little shack you'd woken up just a little bit, the chill air hit your skin much harder without the warm shield of Arthur's body in front of you. Luckily, his injury didn't need anything but a few stitches and some cleaning. You were back in your bed an hour later warm and dreaming distantly of whiskey and fire.
Arthur who had found you a few weeks later, all alone walking from riggs station covered in dirt. He almost didn't recognize you at first with twigs sticking out of your hair and your usually pressed and proper clothes ruffled up. “What the hell happened to you?” You jumped a little, eyes shooting up to meet his. You were still a little on edge from what had happened a moment ago. You didn't know what to say instead staring at him stunned until he hopped off of his horse and stood in front of you.
Now that he was so close you couldn't seem to look him in the eyes anymore, you stared at the ground hoping maybe it would open up and swallow the rest of you along with your pride. Warm hands came to rest on your shoulders squeezing gently. “Darlin’ ,” one finger on your chin lifted your eyes to his again, “what happened?” His voice was soft but still held the firmness he always spoke with. It took everything in your power to keep your lip from wobbling as he studied your face.
You looked at his chest instead of his face, swallowing around the knot in your throat before speaking, “I- Someone, stole my horse, ripped me off her and into a ditch.” You weren't looking at him but his eyes never left your face as you spoke. “Didnt even get to see who it was.”
When you looked up again your cheeks were wet. Arthur swiped a thumb underneath your eye, wiping away a falling tear. “Are you hurt?”
“A few bruises never stopped me,” your weak attempt at humor put a small smile on his face.
“Of course not darlin’ ,” the warmth from his hands on you seeped into your cold skin. It relaxed you, something in your body decided you were safe right here. “Do you know which way they took off?” he looked behind your shoulder surveying the road behind you.
You shook your head sadly.
His lips pressed into a firm line for just a moment and then he was ushering you onto his horse.
You tried to ask where you were headed, he hadn't continued in the direction you were traveling, but only said “home” in response.
Arthur Morgan who took you back to the van der linde gang camp, asking the other girls to lend you a clean dress and help you pick the twigs from your hair. Arthur Morgan who sat you in his tent after making sure you were alright and told you to sit tight while he took care of some things; Had Kieren and Sean watch the camp while he, Lenny, Charles, Javier, and John rode out.
Everyone at camp was extremely kind to you. Most of them you had only met in passing or during quick meetings, fixing up the members of the gang that typically got in the most trouble. It had felt like a family with how close everyone was here, how much they depended on each other. You never had much of that being on your own for most of your life. It was nice, even if you were just watching them play a game of cards at the table.
When Arthur and his posse came back they’d returned with your beautiful pure white mare named posy in tow. You’d leapt up when you saw her beautiful mane come through the trees. “Oh Arthur, you found her!” you couldn't help the tears falling from your eyes, you weren't sure if you would see her ever again. You hugged her around the neck stroking her soft coat before practically launching yourself at Arthur behind you. “Thank you,” it was his neck next that you’d buried your face in, not caring about the wet tears surely soaking his skin.
His hands buried themselves into your hair, almost pressing you deeper into him. He didn't say anything in response but this was better.
You didn't ask for the details and he never told you but, ever since that day nobody had even thought about bothering you. It was like there was an unspoken bubble around you, Arthur wasn't always with you but you still felt his protective presence everywhere you went.
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