An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
As the afternoon stretched on, Sadie suggested they play a couple hands of poker. Arthur declined, deciding instead to relax and enjoy watching Sadie take everyone at the table for all their money.
He pulled out his journal, sketching the scene ahead of him, Sadie bent over the table pulling her winnings toward her. Carefully watching the other men at the table, reading their actions, knowing she wouldn’t need his help, but ready to step in if she asked.
The last couple of weeks had brought them closer, they shared more in common than he would have originally thought and she had this way about her, calming and infuriating at the same time as if she knew all the right buttons to press. She was one of the few to see through his lies and bring down his walls. Other than Charles, very few people in camp seemed to notice the change in his behavior or looks, she may not have known what caused them but she had noticed.
His mind wandered back to the first time she noticed, a few weeks after the bite. He had been doing chores around the camp, if anyone had been paying attention they would have seen him showing off. Charles had told him to be more discreet, but Arthur knew no one in camp paid him any mind, he was just expected to be working, the work-horse.
“You’re looking well, Arthur!” Her voice carrying from the nearby scout fire. He stopped in his tracks, looking back to her, she still spent much of her time alone. ”You’re always working, come sit with me, take a break.”
She always had looked out for him, encouraged him to take more time for himself, even then when she barely knew him. He felt the sadness in his core, for all that she had been through to still care so much about someone she barely knew. He refocused his attention on Sadie at the table, she still held a considerable amount of chips, but she had let her guard down and now two men stood behind her.