summary: Your new horse throws you off, right into a damn river. Luckily, Arthur is by your side to warm you up.
2100 words, 11 minutes reading time
Maybe it wasn't the best idea to take your new horse to an excursion with Arthur. You have had a bad feeling about it, that's for sure, but you hadn't expected it to go this badly. It was difficult keeping up with Arthur, almost impossible to convince your horse into a consistent pace. Every rustling of leaves, or snake in eye shot scared the shit out of it. You have had three close calls of being thrown off in merely an hour. Your patience was running thin and you swore that you'd dismount any minute. If it wasn't for Arthur.
He was having a splendid time, watching you struggle. He teased the shit out of you. "Thought ya could ride?" "Have ya grown incompetent over night?" "I could ride better than that when I was Jack's age!" You'd heard a couple of very creative insults since you left the camp. The first few times you shot back, later you only gave him a bitter smile everytime he made a comment. Nevertheless, when you had long lost your patience, Arthur was still very calm about the riding situation. He'd wait patiently for you to catch up if you fell behind or speed up without any complaint if your horse was out of control and darted ahead. When you couldn't stir it into the right direction, Arthur would help by shooing it or blocking the way with his own horse. The teasings stopped eventually and he'd only ask you if you were okay when it reared up and you had to hold on with your dear life.
For the last ten minutes, everything was going fine. If you continued to travel with this speed, you'd be in Valentine shortly after sunset. It was quiet, only the Dakota River gurgled. You were about to cross it. Maybe you had let your guard down too much, you blinked and the next thing you realized was that you were flying through the air. With a splash that had Arthur pull his horse to an immediate stop, you found yourself plunged in the river. As you sat up you didn't know if you should be grateful that the water was deep enough to brake your fall without having your head split open on a stone or if you should curse it for the same reason, seeing that you were soaked from head to toe.
The first thing you saw after you helplessly scrambled to your feet was your horse, suspiciosuly calm as if it were sorry, standing next to Arthur's mare. Arthur remained seated on his horse, a wide, silly smile on his face. As you locked eyes, you were close to tears of frustration, just as much as Arthur was close to breaking out into laughter.
"Come on, y/n. Could have been worse. Could have been pierced on a stick or yer brain all splattered on a rock", Arthur tried to cheer you up.
"I guess", you sighed, climbing onto your horse once again. As you swunng your leg around the horse's back, water ran out of your pants like you had turned into a waterfall. The wet clothes stuck to your skin and you already started shivering. Summer meant nothing so close to the Grizzlies. The wind which you had barely felt before made every hair on your body stand up.
"We'll set up a camp nearby, get ya warmed up at the fire", Arthur suggested. He led the way, out of the river and off the track until he had found a nice spot for a camp. You were glad he hurried, because your teeths had started clattering and you lost the feeling in your toes, which were swimming in your soaked boots.
"This'll do", Arthur dismounted and quickly took a blanket off his horse, "get out of those clothes before ya turn all blue." You mumbled a thanks that was drowned by the clatter of your teeth. You hid behind a bush, struggling to get out of the clothes while violently shivering. The few seconds you stood stark naked in nature, before you wrapped the blanket tightly around you, didn't help either. You returned with the pile of wet clothes in one, and your boots in the other hand at the fire, somehow still managing to keep the blanket around you. You would have murdered for a hot bath.
The fire was still small, though Arthur was showing his skill in getting a decent campfire started. When flames grew bigger you felt the warmth on your frozen limbs. "I don't know if I ever want to sit on this horse again", you mumbled. Your teeths were still restless and your body still shaking. Arthur squated next to the fire, putting on a kettle with coffee. "It seemed sorry to've thrown ya off", he smiled, looking at you shortly before he decided you were not even closely enough dressed to make it appropriate to look. As you settled down Arthur went to get another blanket from your horse. You had decided to not go near it for now.
"Yeah, well...should've thought about it sooner. Why did it rear up anyway?", you asked, receiving the second blanket.
"Not sure. Maybe there was a wolf or bear nearby."
You grunted as answer. One blanket was wrapped around your lower body, it only reached to your ankles though. Your feet were still cold, despite having them as close to the fire as you dared. The sencond blanket was wrapped around your shoulders, your hands somewhere hidden underneath, gripping ends of the blanket to prevent if from slipping of. Your hair was still wet and clung to your forehead and neck. It was brutal with the wind. Arthur couldn't stand sitting down at the fire, because this meant looking at you - and he just couldn't do that. He wasn't sure what it was, but knowing there was nothing underneath the blankets but your bare body made him seek distraction quickly and urgently.
"Yer real unlucky...", Arthur said as he took the canvas from his horse. You knew exactly what he meant. Before you left camp, you both had decided to travel lightly, no spare clothes, no winter coats, nothing but your bedrolls, the blankets and a thin canvas that could serve as a tent in an emergency, you hadn't thought you'd have to use it.
"Oh, trust me: I know", you answered. There was a smile on your face that Arthur couldn't see, since his back was towards you as he set up the tent. You were cold and had a rough day on horseback, that was for sure. All your clothes were wet and you'd have to spend the night naked, wrapped in blankets. But you were also spending time with your all time favourite man...your best friend, so to say. You had known Arthur for years and you had grown comfortable around each other. If you could avoid it, you would never tell him that you have had a crush on him for the longest of times. You had never said and would never say something because you knew it was more comlipcated than that. You knew about Mary and that she had started to contact Arthur again and...yeah. A sigh escaped your lips as your thoughts ran wild.
Still, there was this little spark of hope that maybe, just maybe...
"Y/n", Arthur called you so you'd notice the hot cup of coffee he's dangling in front of your face.
"Sorry - thanks Arthur", you took it, almost burning your hand. You brushed Arthur's hand very briefly. It's not like this was unusual, not like you had never shaken hands before or tended to each other wounds if necessary. He probably didn't know that you held those memories dear, probably remembering every little affectionate attention he'd ever shown you. "Well, you got some nice warm hands, Mister", you wailed pitifully, looking up to Arthur.
He scoffed: "I didn't decide to go swimmin' in a freezing river." You smiled gently, the way he looked at you had you melting. Of course he was teasing again, but his gaze was gentle and caring. He didn't like seeing you shivering, you could tell.
"Would you...", you blushed at the thing you were about to ask for, "put your hand on my back." You saw Arthur's face freeze. It was as if he had stopped working for a few seconds, before he awkwardly looked around as if there was anyone close. "What?", he sheepishly asked. "Your hand. On my back", you repeated, finding pleasure in seeing Arthur so helpless, "I got it turned away from the fire. It's not warming up." "Well then turn around so it is towards the fire!?", Arthur wildly suggesting, too shy to simply comply. "'Course, but then the other side of my body is turned away from the fire. I mean - if you want to hold and warm that with your hand instead, be my guest!", you grinned cheekily.
Arthur took his place next to you, mumbling something under his breath which sounded like "god damn" and "tease". You maybe dropped the blanket from your shoulders a bit more than necessary, definitely more than Arthur would be able to cover with one hand, and the cold air sent a violent shiver through your whole body. This was instantly rewarded with a warm hand on your skin though. Your sigh of relief made Arthur stiffen up next to you, but you sipped your coffee in peace, finding comfort in his body warmth.
You sat for a while in silence before you exchanged some thoughts about the journey. With every opportunity, you shuffled a bit closer. You loved Arthur's smell and warmth that radiated from his body. This was your opportunity to get a closer to him. It was already rare to get him alone and away from camp; but this evening was different.
"Thank you", you mumbled after a while. Your head and arms rested on your knees, as your eyes were getting heavier and the night darker.
"For what?"
"The hand."
"Sure", Arthur cleared his throat. At first, his hand had remained still, but after a while Arthur had started to move it. His thumb was never restless but always caressing your skind gently. Also, the hand had wandered. It had started on your shoulder, then had traveled to the back of your neck, slowly sliding down ever so slightly. Now it was resting on your lower shoulder blade, his body warmth seeping through your skin.
Arthur sighed: "Sorry I can't do more. We should get some rest." Arthur looked at you from the side. You didn't want this to end.
"I could really do with a warm body next to me", you whispered.
Despite the red orange flames, you saw Arthur blush: "You mean-? Yer sure?" You nodded slightly. You weren't even sure if Arthur interpreted it the way you intended to, but when you both got up and crawled into the tent and he started getting out of his jacket and unbuttening his shirt, you knew you had an understanding. "Ya better share one of the blankets with me then", Arthur said in a hushed voice. His shirt was fully unbuttoned his jacket was rolled up and would serve you both as a pillow. You threw caution to the wind, unwrapped one blanket and threw it to Arthur, then lied down onto your bedroll. Instinctively, you turned your back to Arthur, lifting the blanket slightly. You knew he could see your exposed back, you knew he could probably see further down too; but you cared for nothing but his warmth.
He pulled you closer until his warm chest touched your back, an arm wrapped around you. You knew your back was freezing and you heard - no, felt, Arthur's sucked in breath when his torso touched yours. "'m sorry", you hummed, "I'll make it up to you."
You were exhausted. The constant shivering had worn you down and you knew you'd be off to sleep soon enough.
"Ya better. This is a one time thing, ya hear me?", Arthur mumbled in a gentle voice. Arthur held you close. His hand found yours, holding it, warming it. You sneaked your feet in between his legs, sighing happily. Arthur was so close to you, you felt his beard tickle your shoulder and neck. You couldn't possibly tell, the feeling hadn't returned to your back enough, but you wondered if the softness you felt in the crook of your neck were Arthur's lips. You certainly felt his hot breath at about the same spot.
Both of you knew very well this was anything but a one time thing.
-----x
needed this to hopefully recover from my writing block lol
anon ask: bestieee i dont know if youre still accpeting requests but i found your recent arthur fic the other day and it was 🤤🤤🤤 can i ask for some size difference hcs/a drabble with short/petite reader and big man arthur 👀
an: i love size differences, partly bc im short myself :P also assuming you wanted nsfw, so i did both sfw and nsfw.
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sfw
He likes to tease you
Not in a mean way, but a playful one
Like, if you're next to a tree stump and he's talking with you, he'll lift you up onto it so you're at his height and say something like 'that's better, my neck was starting to get a crick in it' and give you a boyish grin
(And goddamn, you love it when he smiles at you like that)
But jokes aside, Arthur especially loves your height when he hugs you
If you're standing in front of him, back to his chest, he'll wrap his arms around your shoulders and rest his chin on your head
It makes him feel like a protector instead of a ruthless killer, but he also just loves how you're nearly engulfed by his whole body
It's most noticeable when he's spooning you, holding you close and feeling how small you are compared to him
He also likes it when you sleep on top of him, your weight like a comforting blanket
When he's holding your hand, he marvels at the difference in size, and he even made a drawing of your hand pressed flat against his, showing how much smaller your hand is
Sometimes you'll wear his jackets (either bc you stole it from his wardrobe or bc he saw that you were cold and gave it to you) and they will drape over you like a cape
But probably Arthur's favorite thing about how petite you are is how your horse is a giant compared to you.
It's massive, tall and strong, and then there's you, small and almost looking like a child when you ride it
But you're just as strong and the contrast in size greatly amuses Arthur
nsfw
He will pick you up and pin you against any flat surface to fuck you
It drives him wild, seeing his cock push into your small little hole, swallowing all of him up despite how much he reams you open
He always tries to go slow at first to let you adjust to his size because he knows you're much smaller than him and because he can see your legs tremble as you concentrate on breathing and relaxing your muscles
But sometimes if you're impatient and begging for him to ruin you, he'll give into the temptation and fuck you open until all you can focus on is his cock pounding away inside you and his large form pressed against you
Arthur also loves folding you up in a pretzel, thowing your legs over his shoulders or just having one leg over his shoulder while the other is spread open for him
It makes him feel so much larger than he already is compared to you
You like it because he can go deeper and you swear you can feel him all the way up to your navel
Arthur also likes holding you down with his hands, sometimes just one hand pinning both your wrists together, it's not hard with how much smaller you are
What gets him going, is seeing you bend over to pick something up or for whatever reason, and he imagines taking you like that, bent over while he pins you over his cot
But he does also like it when you ride him, so small atop him yet riding him like a pro
Sometimes you wear his hat and that just makes him harder
Every session is intense and marks are left. On your thighs, on your chest and neck, and you wear them with pride, legs shaking and hole aching, but it's always worth it
Especially with how Arthur cares about you in the aftermath
He will carry you away to get cleaned and massage your sore muscles. He'll kiss the marks he left and pull you on top of him with a blanket to keep you warm as you fall asleep, but really, it's Arthur who keeps your warm with the body heat he radiates and you fall asleep to the love and care he gives you
drunk reader / grumpy arthur but it's funny and cute pls x
I think I did one similar to this, but I wrote another for your ask. Enjoy!
“Christ, woman,” Arthur grumbled, catching you once again. “Would you just stay still?”
You were laughing now, swaying from side to side, making his job all the more difficult. He had been trying for a few minutes now to walk you back to your shared tent, but you kept tripping on your own feet and almost dragging him down with you.
Listening to his groans and huffs of annoyance had sent you into a fit of giggles, unable to see it as anything but funny.
“Where ya takin’ me?” you slurred, clutching the front of his shirt in your hands. “I’m playin’ poker with Hosea!”
“Darlin’, you ain’t no good at poker on a good day, I don’t think you wanna be losin’ your money tonight,” he explained.
You frowned, looking up at him with a pout.
“I’m good at poker,” you whined.
Arthur shook his head, fighting off a grin.
“Whatever you say.”
“Pleeeeease can I play?”
“You can’t even stand up,” he sighed, watching you begin to fall once again. “Goddamn it, I can’t keep walkin’ you ‘round like this.”
Arthur reached down, hooking his arms around the back of your knees and hoisting you up into his arms. You squealed in surprise, wrapping your arms around him.
“C’n we go for a ride?”
“Right now? Hell, you’d fall off the damn horse,” he shook his head. “You’re goin’ to bed.”
“But it’s so pretty up there,” you whined, looking up at the stars. “Look, Arthur! Look how pretty it is.”
“I can see, darlin’,” he sighed. “Better than you can right now, anyway. I bet you’re seein’ three of me, ain’t you?”
You looked back to him with a dopey smile.
“If only I were so lucky,” you giggled, leaning in to press a kiss to his lips.
Arthur was stunned for a second, unable to hide the blush on his cheeks at your words and gentle kiss. When you made it to the tent, Arthur did his best to lower you down onto the cot, but you refused to let go of him. Your arms remained around his neck as he tried to pull away.
“C’mon, quit playin’,” he mumbled, hovering over you.
“If I'm goin’ to bed, you’re comin’ wit’ me,” you laughed.
“I’m not the one who finished off a bottle of whiskey,” he pointed out. “I can still walk and talk jus’ fine,”
“So can I!” you defended, pulling at him until he gave in and fit himself against you.
His warm body was pressed up against yours, his arms on either side of your head as you looked up at him with a pleased grin.
“Howdy cowboy,” you laughed, running your hands through his hair.
Arthur hummed lightly in response, leaning down to press his forehead against yours. There was something about your fingers scratching at his scalp, threading through his hair, and tickling the back of his neck that made him weaker than he’d care to admit.
“You are a nuisance, you know that?” he whispered, letting out a long sigh. “A loud, clumsy, drunken goddamn nuisance.”
You laughed again, brushing your nose against his.
“I ain’t drunk, mister.”
Arthur chuckled at that.
“Sure, you ain’t. Tell yourself that in the mornin’, sweetheart,”
You smiled up at him once more, continuing to brush your fingers through his hair before you cupped his face in your hands, running your thumb over his cheeks and his bottom lip. Arthur melted at your touch.
“I like it wh’n you call me sweetheart,” you admit, blinking up at him slowly.
Arthur blushed, once again, but didn’t bother hiding the grin on his lips. You were the only person in this whole world who got to see that specific smile on his face. The one smile he reserved for you and only you, when he was truly happy.
“Mm, well, you’re lucky I like sayin’ it, sweetheart,” he smirked.
“What do you like me callin’ you?” you asked.
Arthur shook his head, still grinning.
“Anything you like,”
“Sugar?” you asked, giggling as you pressed a kiss to his lips with each word. “Honey? Darling? Cowboy?”
Arthur’s laughter vibrated through his chest, making you feel it as well, before he gently flipped your positions. He laid back against the pillows with you on top of him, covering him as much as you could, and you nestled into his chest. His arms wrapped around you, one hand snaking up into your hair.
“My Arthur,” you sighed, closing your eyes.
“Mm, that one,” Arthur responded, knowing you were seconds off falling asleep on top of him. “I like that one.”
pairing: arthur morgan x reader /// words: 906 /// warnings: fluff /// summary: set post-game/arthur doesn’t die … you and arthur live a happy, safe, and loving life in the wilderness with your daughter /// requested by anon: domestic, cute, fluff
********************************
You hummed a soft lullaby that had been stuck in your head all day, hands covered in flour and egg as you kneaded the dough on the counter. Lifting the pile of dough into a cast iron pan, your gaze drifted to the window of the small kitchen, watching as Arthur heaved the axe over his shoulder as he finished chopping the wood.
Beside him, sitting in a wheelbarrow, the small toddler giggled, her golden hair reflecting the sun as she watched her father. Arthur chatted animatedly over his shoulder as he piled the split logs into the wheelbarrow behind her.
Laughing, you placed the bread in the oven. Times had been tough the last few years, running far enough away from both your pasts and the law before you and Arthur were able to settle down, into a life you both deserved.
“And you know what I told that lazy bum?” Arthur asked, his voice echoing through the clearing as he stepped onto the small porch, your daughter in his arms. Your daughter only laughed, nuzzling into her father’s arms.
“To get back to work, and stop goofin’ off!” Arthur smiled, pressing a kiss to her cheek before setting her down on her wobbly feet. Holding the door open for her, he stepped after her, catching her right as she was about to topple over the edge of the woven rug on the floor.
“Be careful,” you smiled, turning to the table with a pot of coffee.
A/N: A short lil domestic fluff fic <3 This, of course, takes place in a world where Arthur miraculously survives.
Word Count: 1.9k
“Do you think it’ll still be rainin’ tomorrow?”
It had been raining all weekend. It wasn’t a light drizzle either, it was pouring buckets from the sky, the horizon painted gray without a ray of sunshine to be seen. The weather was disgusting, and it didn’t show any signs of letting up any time soon. Due to the near flash flooding outside, you and Arthur had been stuck inside all day, because working outside was just not in the question. It wasn’t a total loss, because Sundays were usually you and Arthur’s shared day for downtime. It was more of the fact that you were on day three of being stuck inside that was driving him mad.
“I know we’ve been needin’ some rain, but damn this is not what I had in mind.” Arthur huffed, standing at the living room window that overlooked your and his property.
You were settled in the center of the sofa in front of the fireplace that was crackling with orange red flames, a book in one of your hands while your free hand lovingly stroked the fur of your and Arthur’s beloved canine pal who was curled up in a ball next to you. He snored lightly as he snoozed, because the weather was just so dreary that it was perfect for a nap.
A/N: Of course, this is set in a world where Arthur survives and all is happy and well.
“What will tonight’s journal entry entail?”
The sky was painted with hues of orange, purple, and the faintest hint of blue as the sun set behind the horizon. Nightfall was well on its way, soon to be arriving within the next few minutes. The sky was already dotted with twinkling stars, accompanied by the crescent moon hanging high in the sky. It was yet another peaceful night over your and Arthur’s homestead.
You had cleared the table after dinner, deciding to go ahead and wash the dishes before morning came around. You had taken Arthur’s plate for him, a smile appearing on your face when you saw that he had eaten every last bite of his dinner. You’d admit that your cooking skills were less than perfect in the beginning, but you could now confidently say that your cooking was consistently delicious.
Arthur would admit that as well, and he would even venture to say that you had impressively topped Pearson’s skills within the last 6 months of learning how to really cook. Neither of you were used to being fed consistently over a long period of time, so this was fairly new to you.
Bruises and cuts were pretty much everyday injuries for Arthur. He was constantly getting himself roughed up, whether it be from other people or the elements of nature that he endured everyday. Practically every time Arthur returned to camp, he needed to be mended and fixed up. He didn’t even have to ask anymore, since his injuries were usually a given.
Thankfully, Arthur’s scrapes and scratches usually weren’t too serious. Of course there was the occasional bullet graze or deeper gash that required a bit more of attention. For the most part though, Arthur typically remained pretty unharmed.
A/N: This takes place in chapter 3 at Clemens Point. If you can’t tell, I hate Micah and I am also really not a fan of Dutch. This is the Blessed are Peacemakers quest where Dutch, Micah, and Arthur go to make a parley with Colm O’Driscoll and I think we (me, myself, and I) needed to go back and redo it with a reader insert and make it fun :) Also this is my first RDR2 fic so be nice
Warnings: is an aggressive reader a warning?, mentions of kidnapping, mentions of torture, gory wound stuff? nothing out of canon for the game, Micah being an asshole, curse words
Word Count: 4.k (my hand slipped….)
Summary: Arthur goes with Dutch and Micah to make a peace offering with the O’Driscolls, only he doesn’t return.
**picture isn’t mine**
You lifted your head, hearing talk of the O’Driscolls. Your eyes left the shirt of Arthur’s you were patching up to find Dutch, Micah, Mr. Pearson, and Arthur standing just a little ways away at Dutch’s tent.
“They want a parley? It’s a trap.” Hosea commented. He wasn’t standing with the group but instead sat at a table reading a newspaper.
“Well of course, it’s probably a trap…. But what have we got to lose finding out?” Micah looked to Dutch.
You rolled your eyes at him.
“Get shot.” Arthur said.
“We ain’t gettin’ shot ‘cause you’ll be protectin’ us.” Micah put his hand on Arthur’s arm. Arthur turned and took a step towards Micah, who was quick to put his hands up and continue talking. “It’s a trap, you shoot the lot of them. If it ain’t a trap, that slim chance-,”
“I don’t see a point in any of this.” Dutch cut Micah off, shaking his head and moving away from his tent. He went to the table Hosea was at, leaning against it with both hands.
A/N: This has really no plot except I got upset because of what Arthur can say when he looks in a mirror and it makes me just wanna hug him and kiss the sad cowboah away. Also, I’m trying out Arthur calling his S/O pumpkin instead of the usual ‘darlin’. Here’s another Arthur Morgan fluff if you wanna take a look at it:)
Warnings: self image issues, Arthur having issues with himself as a person??? I don’t know the right way to word it, self conscious!Arthur Morgan, shy!Arthur Morgan I think?, sad but fluffy ending, very fluffy
Word Count: 2.2k
Summary: Arthur has issues with himself, but you do your best to make sure he knows just exactly why you love him.
**picture isn’t mine**
The light from the oil lamp flickered, casting ominous shadows across Arthur’s face.
He stood in front of the mirror in just a pair of jeans, studying his features with a scowl etched into his face. He was in the process of changing when he caught sight of himself on the reflective surface. He’d promised himself he wouldn’t look, but he couldn’t help it.
He could see more wrinkles by his eyes than he recalled from the last time he had looked into a mirror. For as long as he could remember, he had a few sunspots on his face. It came with years of working outside, of being out in the elements and exposed to the sun.
Scars littered nearly every inch of his skin. Some were big and nasty looking, while others were small and barely visible.
A hand on his side made him blink, pulling him from his trance-like state.
You were peaking around his shoulder, peering up at him with your brows knit together.
“Is everything okay?”
“Just fine, pumpkin.”
“Then why were you starin’ for so long?” You looked to the mirror, rubbing your hand up and down his side.
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