Imagine, if you will...
Modern AU Arthur had a rough start. Mother died and father’s incarcerated, all the while he’s too young to legally care for himself. Bounces between foster homes for a couple years.
Then he’s folded into the fostering program run by the Van Der Linde Ranch, where Dutch is the glamourous face, but Susan, Hosea, and Bessie work directly with the kids. Here, the angry teen develops an appreciation for horses, hard work, and being a rancher.
Hosea and Bessie take him into the city one day for a supply run, end up at a huge Western wear/tack store. Anything and everything a rancher could want and Arthur? Eyes big as saucers. Trying hard to suppress his excitement, because he’s used to getting nothing, so he works to keep his hopes low.
When he’s told to pick out his first pair of cowboy/riding boots, he can’t hardly believe it. Tries to select a pair with a small price tag, no matter that the quality’s not the sort that’d suit the hard work he does.
Hosea and Bessie exchanging an understanding look, and Bessie nudging Arthur towards the higher quality pairs, ones that might withstand, well. HIM. When he does and they fit perfect? Hosea snares the box out of his hands, merrily pays for it because Arthur deserves a good, solid pair of boots.
Then Arthur walking out the store, holding tight to his boxed up boots, the biggest smile trying hard to break through on his face, all the while his head ducked bashfully because ain’t normal, being fussed over, and maybe things’ll get better from here? Maybe?
Credit to @sweet-by-and-by for the chat that lead to this.