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Compulsive Attraction: Chapter 2

A Karen Jones x Fem!OC longfic

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Summary: Iris overhears the other ladies of the gang trying to convince Arthur to take them into town. Once they finally do, Arthur turns to find Iris staring and decides to invite her to come on into town with them. While in town, chaos ensues. Punches are thrown, a woman is gallantly saved (much to her dismay), a new hobby may just be in the works and maybe an unexpected friendship or a little more than that? Who’s to say?

Word Count: 4.6k

Warnings/Tags: Once again, there aren’t many. Some violence against women, allusions to sex work, and a man does get punched. Also idk why Arthur is grinning so much, that might be so ooc and it’s for sure stupid but I just think he enjoys teasing Iris😭 OH and spoilers for the mission “Polite Society, Valentine Style”

a/n: This chapter took me a lot longer to write than I anticipated and turned out so much longer than I expected. I hope you enjoy! Also, please let me know if you wanna be added to a taglist for this

A Trip to Valentine

A light breeze rustles through the grass below the table Iris is seated at. It tickles the sides of her feet. The feeling is nice for a moment, until it starts to itch.

Breakfast had just been served so she's now enjoying the fresh air and good food. To everyone's surprise, she actually likes Pearson's cooking. It's simple and straight to the point. It also brings back memories of home. That's probably why she can tolerate it.

About two weeks have passed since Iris first arrived here, and she already has a routine. Sleep. Eat. Do the chores that are demanded of her because if 'she's going to eat up their supplies, she best be helping somehow.' That was easy for her to pick up on. Mostly because she hadn't even fully settled into camp when Miss Grimshaw started yelling at Arthur for not contributing enough. It was quite an amusing sight. This big, tough outlaw, whom Iris was just terrified of, being reprimanded by a woman half his size. That had been one of the only things that made her smile.

Oh, and eavesdrop. Eavesdropping is the final part of her routine.

And currently, that's what she's doing. Eavesdropping.

No one in this camp knows how to be quiet. Whispered conversations are louder than a freight train.

Iris loves it.

Dinner and a show. Well, more like breakfast and an old man being yelled at.

Uncle is stomping off towards the horses at the front of the wagon before she can even register why he was being scolded. But, from what she already knows about him, it was probably because of his laziness. If she had to guess.

The woosh of a match being struck brings her attention back to the other man, who is now lighting a cigarette and inhaling the smoke like his life depends on it. Arthur Morgan is the epitome of intimidating. Tall, broad, and handsome. Iris finds her stomach doing little flips every time she looks at him. She can never tell if she's afraid or turned on. Maybe both.

"If you're gonna take the old man into town…" a woman's voice cuts through the short-lived silence. Iris's eyes dart over to find Karen leaned up against the nearby tent with a hand on her hip, "could you take us too?"

Karen Jones, a woman who – well, actually Iris doesn't know much about her. If anything. Every time she's tried to approach her, Karen just turns the other way. She's pretty though, that's all Iris really knows. Blonde curls that bounce this way and that with each of her steps, red freckled cheeks that she always finds her eyes drawn to. If only she would stop giving Iris the cold shoulder…

Speaking of pretty, Tilly and Mary-Beth step up behind Karen and quickly join in on convincing Arthur to take them into the nearest town.

Despite Karen's cold shoulder, the other girls have welcomed her with open arms. They were extremely excited to have a new woman at camp. Mostly for the gossip. There's always something they have to discuss. Whether it's other gang members or it's Mary-Beth reading to her and Tilly, they're always talking. Though, those silly romances that Mary-Beth reads never sit right with Iris. Man meets woman, man falls madly in love with woman, woman falls in love with man and gives up her life for him, blah blah blah. None of that felt real enough for her. But, Mary-Beth likes them and Mary-Beth is nice, so she listens.

Arthur's gruff agreement followed by little cheers of victory from the girls snap Iris out of her thoughts.

They're already climbing up into the wagon, talking loudly about how excited they are and what they are going to do once in town. Iris doesn't even realize how intensely she's staring at the group until Arthur's eyes meet hers. Her cheeks redden and the stew in front of her becomes the most interesting thing ever.

"Wanna join us?" Arthur asks through a barely suppressed grin. Somehow her discomfort is amusing to him. "Might do 'ya some good."

The chunks of meat and vegetables are just so wonderful. Floating around without a care in the world. If only she could be more like them. She shoves her spoon into the bowl and stirs it around, disrupting the peace while mulling over Arthur's words.

Would they really want her tagging along? Being a burden. Annoying them. Besides, Valentine isn't a place she's too familiar with. All she really knows is that it's a livestock town and it always smells. Oh, and that her eldest brother almost died in a fatal horse on horse collision there. That's about it.

A trip into Valentine might not be the most ideal but, does Iris really know the meaning of that word? For fucks sake, she's living with a gang of outlaws now. None of this is ideal.

And he is inviting her…

"Sure." She finally responds, glancing up from the bowl to find Arthur waiting on her.

A warmer smile replaces his previous grin and he nods in her direction,

"Come on then."

The ride into Valentine is anything but quiet. Uncle asked the women to sing them a song and now they are. It's some song about a lady's crack and another lady who can't be screwed. Iris isn't even going to try and sing along, too afraid she'll mess it up. Instead, she's watching as the camp fades into the distance. Green trees inhaling the smoke of their campfires, lush leaves swallowing their tents.

Their singing and Iris's drifting thoughts swiftly come to a halt once they become aware of the shouting up ahead. The shouted words grow clearer as their wagon draws closer: It's something about horses…

A white stallion bolts past. Everyone's hair whips to the side from the sheer speed of the animal. With a tug of the reins and a quick 'woah there' from Arthur the wagon is brought to an abrupt stop. He is up and out without another word, already sprinting after the horse with his lasso in hand. There's barely anytime to process what's going on.

Mary-Beth lets out a huff of laughter while muttering, "There he goes again. Being a regular hero."

There's an apprecitive look on her face as she watches the man. Iris follows her gaze, curious to see why she's so impressed. The horse is giving him trouble, darting this way and that. Swiveling in between trees. But it seems to be growing calmer the more he speaks to it. Whatever he's saying must be really gentle, really calming. It must be something you wouldn't expect from a man like Arthur. Maybe he's talking to the horse like Javier spoke to her. "Everything is gonna be alright" and "there's nothing to be afraid of."

"Alright, well…" Tilly claps her hands together, bringing the girls' attention away from Arthur and back over to her. She's already wearing a smirk. A smirk that is directed towards Iris, “Tell us about you and Javier."

Mary-Beth perks up at that, very much ready for this gossip session but Karen seems to slouch further into herself.

Iris's eyebrows shoot up as soon as she processes Tilly's words. An awkward chuckle forces its way past her lips and she begins to smooth out her skirt.

"There uh - There isn't much to tell." She stammers.

That's probably the least convincing thing she could've said, in the least convincing tone. There's a lot she could tell, she just doesn't know how to tell it.

She's still fiddling with the fabric of her skirt. A blush is creeping up her neck and onto her cheeks.

It's obvious how she feels about Javier.

Little does she know, it's been obvious. It's obvious when she giggles at everything he says. It's obvious in the way she clings to him. How she follows him around like a lost puppy.

It's

Obvious.

Mary-Beth hums thoughtfully beside her, having her own opinion on the matter, "You spend an awful lot of time with him."

"Well, yeah!" Iris blurts out. Another awkward chuckle escapes her at that, and now she's rubbing the nape of her neck. "He's a nice guy."

That response pleases Tilly and Mary-Beth who are now oohing and ahing at this newfound information. Probably already forming their own over the top retelling of this otherwise mild conversation.

Karen, on the other hand, is glaring at the floor of the wagon like it just insulted her. She grumbles something under her breath but the others are too busy giggling and snickering now to notice.

Once Karen looks up from the floor she finds Iris with her head tilted back, mid-laugh. The wind picks her hair up and tosses it around, little black wisps flow freely just like her laughter. Sunlight illuminates every one of her features, brightens her crimson skin. Her cheeks are now redder than cherries. She's absolutely radiant. Karen shakes that thought away.

With her arms still crossed firmly over her chest and an added huff of annoyance, she begins searching for something else to look at. Because that stupid girl in front of her, the one she was just admiring, is too sweet. Too "perfect."

Karen could vomit.

The wet well-trodden dirt squelches beneath each girl's feet as they file out of the wagon. A heavy stale stench engulfs them, clinging to the inside of their nostrils. Sounds of sheep bleating, horse hooves sloshing the muddy road, and people shouting from different corners of the town surround them.

There's a few grimaces from the girls, mostly from Iris, who isn't used to this much commotion. She makes a quick glance around, trying to make sense of the place. People hurry from building to building, attending to their own problems and ignoring others. There's a man sawing a board, another eating an apple while leaning up against a support beam. Women are leaned over the balcony of the hotel, their corsets tight, their hair set just right.

Civilisation at its finest.

"Uncle, what're we doing?" Arthur asks, his words muffled by the sounds of the town.

"Well, we're going to do what any self-respecting maniac does…" There's a short pause as Uncle climbs down from the wagon, his words just as muffled but carried by the wind, "Put the women to work."

Karen lets out a scoff and responds in kind, muttering…something. Though, Iris is too distracted by the bustling town to pick up on it. There's a lot of horses and wagons passing by, men yelling at one another, women shouting down at them to get their attention. Her eyes are darting this way and that, her mind working a mile a minute.

It's been ages since she's stepped foot in any sort of town. The quiet rustling of grass and mellow song of birds is what she's grown accustomed to. That's why she doesn't notice when the girls run off without her or that Uncle and Arthur are already halfway to the general store.

The stench, the overwhelming noise, the constant buzz in her ears from it all, it's all she can focus on. Up until a wagon rushes past and splashes muddy water all over her, eliciting a sharp gasp from her lips. The once solid blue skirt of hers is now dotted with uneven brown spots, her vest and blouse just barely missed. Iris groans at the mess and looks up to find the people she just got out of the wagon with gone. Goddamnit.

She bunches up the fabric of her skirt to avoid getting it any messier and stomps around the corner of the unbuilt building in front of her. Luckily, Uncle and Arthur are just outside of the place next door and they seem to be partaking in a rather important conversation. She hurries in their direction, wanting to catch them before they leave her behind again.

"I lied…ringworm, then rats with the plague. Then you."

"Shut up." Uncle retorts just as soon as Iris makes her way to Arthur's side. Yep, very important. They both turn to face her, their eyes immediately drawn to the mud on her skirt. Of course. Arthur crosses his arms, his thoughts obvious in his features.

"Looks like – "

"Don't even." She hisses through gritted teeth.

Arthur's hands shoot up in mock-surrender. He's actually a little taken aback by her tone, not expecting something like that from her. "I'm just messin' with ‘ya. No need to get so hostile." He mumbles while shoving his hands in his pockets and casting his gaze towards the door in front of them.

Iris is quick to apologize. She's never been one for hostility and she doesn't want to leave the wrong impression, but sometimes even she can't help it.

The wooden door in front of them is creaked open with a push of Uncle's back, shutting them both up for good. "Ladies first." He says, gesturing wildly into the store. Arthur takes a step back to give Iris some room, she nods his way as thanks and steps up to the open door. But she's stopped by Uncle, who holds a hand out to deny her entry.

"Nuh-uh. I said ladies first." He has a wicked grin on his face, one that's barely visible through his scraggly beard, "That means you, Arthur."

To Uncle, this is the funniest thing in the world, but Arthur seems less amused. He sends a lethal glare his way before pushing past him and into the store. Iris bunches her skirt back up to follow after Arthur and gives Uncle a small smile to show that she appreciated the joke.

The inside of the store is a nice break from the chaos of town. A silence settles over the place after the quick "good morning" from the shopkeeper. The walls are adorned with all sorts of knick-knacks and posters, the wallpaper green and peeling away. Pots and pans dangle from the ceiling, alongside a strange looking chandelier. There's rows and rows of shelves lined up against the walls, that are stocked with any and everything someone may need. Food, alcohol (which Uncle is already making his way towards), tents, books, and so much more. Iris takes it all in with wide eyes.

A little counter displaying the more expensive items in the shop is the last section she notices but it's the most interesting to her. On it, there's a shiny pocket watch, some sort of special ammo, and a box. A nice little box. Rectangular in shape with a strange roundness in the middle. It draws her in. With its shape and size, it's a peculiar thing. Something she's never quite seen before. She bends down to get a closer look, her eyes dart straight over to the words of the advertisement that sits right beside the box:

"The Kodak Camera, "You press the button, we do the rest." Or you can do it yourself!"

Kodak. Camera. What an intriguing little thing. She inspects the box closer, reaching out cautiously towards it. It's cold to the touch, smooth and cold. There’s a knob on the top that could be used for anything. Whatever it is, Iris wants to find out. Then there's that little spherical thing in the middle.

She stares right into that sphere, studying it closely. What could it possibly be for? The contraption stares right back at her, unblinking.

"Wow…" she whispers in awe, her hand still resting on top of it.

Her mind is swirling with new knowledge and intrigue that's swiftly interrupted by a heavy weight on her shoulder, warmness seeps into her skin through the fabric of her dress. She yelps and whips around to find Arthur standing behind her, looking amused as ever.

He lets out an incredulous laugh, "Whatcha got there?"

"Oh, uh…" she stammers, swiveling back around to look at it. It looks pathetic now, a childish little thing. A dream not even dreamt. She begins smoothing out her skirt even though there's not a wrinkle in sight. “It's just something called a ‘cahmerah.’ Nothing important." She shrugs, trying to shake off the excitement she just felt, hoping it wasn't obvious to Arthur.

An eyebrow of his is raised, those big arms now crossed firmly over his chest. He'd look intimidating if he didn't have a dumb grin on his face.

"Y'know," he starts, that grin somehow getting even wider as he leans down to be on her level, "I think it's pronounced 'camera.'" But his drawl doesn't help the pronunciation whatsoever. If anything, it sounds even more strange coming from his mouth. "And besides, it looks important to you."

He's right. It is important to her. Now. But she was really hoping he didn't pick up on that.

An awkward moment of silence passes between them before Arthur straightens out and begins rummaging through his satchel. There’s the creak of leather, the crumple of some paper that is in his way and…

Then there's money. In his hand. He shoves it towards Iris without a word, expecting her to know what to do with it.

"No, no, Arthur – " She pauses, her gaze fixed on his outstretched hand. Does he want her to purchase the camera? If so then why is he giving her so much money? Of all people, why is he choosing her to show a sliver of his kindness to? "I can't accept that." She pushes the money back to him, refusing his generous offer.

"Take it." He demands, shoving it back to her.

So, she does so reluctantly, knowing she can’t exactly argue with Arthur Morgan. The money is crumpled and it’s obvious that he has had it for a while, but it's money. Fifty dollars to be exact. What is she gonna do with fifty dollars? The camera only costs twenty-five…

Arthur is up and out of the store before she can even ask him this or utter a simple thank you in response.

People aren't usually kind to her, not like this. And in the past couple of weeks, the only kindness she's been shown is from a bunch of outlaws. What a strange world she lives in. She shrugs this off though, not wanting to linger on the topic for too long, and swiftly snatches up the camera to bring it to the counter.

The shopkeeper eyes her curiously once the camera is set down on the counter with a firm thud.

"Gonna take some photos there, miss?" He inquires, leaning forward to get a closer look at the camera. But he doesn't even wait for a response before he's talking again, "It's a real nice camera, ain't it? You know, my wife told me somethin' the other night. Somethin' ‘bout how one photo taken with one of these things sucks the soul right outta you. Or somethin'." He shakes his head and chuckles at himself. "I never know what she's on about... Anyways, that'll be twenty-five dollars, ma'am."

Iris nods idly at his yammering and plops the crumpled up money in his hand as soon as he's finished talking. She doesn't have a clue what he's on about but she was raised to be polite. She leaves him with a nice smile and a quick wave of her hand and then she's out of the store with the camera and a pep in her step.

Outside, she finds Uncle and Arthur relaxing on a bench that is pressed up against the front of the building. Arthur has his head leaned back, his eyes closed and his hands crossed over his stomach. There's a peaceful expression on his face, one that makes him look pretty vulnerable. From what Iris already knows about him, he doesn't seem the type to let his guard down. Ever. It's a shock that he's even allowing himself a moment like this, especially in the middle of a town. Uncle, on the other hand, is wide awake, probably because of the bottle of brandy that is gripped firmly in his hand. He gives Iris a nod of acknowledgment before taking a big gulp of the alcohol.

The town has settled down somewhat. There isn't as much shouting and commotion as before. It seems like most people are either enjoying a drink at the nearby saloon or they're minding their own business. Iris takes a seat on the steps in front of the general store, letting out a soft sigh once she does. She's glad that she finally has a moment to just relax. The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions. Meeting new people, settling into a shared tent, having to remember how to interact with other humans. It's exhausting.

Though, her peace doesn't last long. A flash of pink and brown is all she sees in her perphial before Mary-Beth is in front of her, panting and frightened. She begins hurriedly explaining that Tilly and Karen are in some sort of trouble at the hotel. Iris can barely keep up with her, the words are tumbling past her lips so fast.

"Slow down." Arthur's gruff voice interrupts from behind Iris.

Mary-Beth explains again, slower this time. Karen and Tilly had picked up some drunken fellas from the saloon so they could rob them and now she has no idea where they are or what they're doing. She had seen Tilly go around to the side of the hotel and thought nothing of it. Karen brought some guy up to a room. But now, she's unsure where either of them are and they’ve been gone a while.

Arthur takes a deep breath once she's finished explaining and ushers her over to the bench so she can calm down.

"I'll go see if there's any trouble." He mutters while stepping up next to Iris, patting her on the shoulder as a silent attempt of letting her know that everything will be alright. "Stay here, you three."

Despite his attempt at soothing their nerves, Iris is still on edge. If anything bad happened to Tilly and Karen…well, she'd be more upset than she could imagine. Yeah, she hasn't known them for a while and Karen is a little mean to her but she still cares about them.

By the time she pipes up Arthur is already halfway to the hotel, the camera she had just bought long forgotten on the steps of the general store. Her voice is shaky and unsure when she calls out to him, but she knows she has to do this. It's the right thing to do. "I'm coming with you!" She shouts, her muddy skirt already gripped firmly in her palms so she can make her way over to him.

Arthur stops dead in his tracks at that and turns on his heels to face her, "No, you ain't!" He responds back matter of factly while pointing at her, leaving no room for argument. But there's a look in her eyes that he catches, one of genuine concern and obvious determination that causes him to let out a defeated sigh. "Alright, fine. Go check on Karen. But! Be careful. If anythin' happens, you come get me, ya hear?"

Iris nods firmly at his words, barely listening because she's already rushing off towards the front of the hotel. She's too quick to notice the look Arthur gives her and the words he mumbles under his breath.

The inside of the hotel comes to her in a flash, same as the greeting and questions from the man behind the counter. There's no time to answer him, no time to waste engaging in idle chatter. Not when someone is in trouble. She's up the stairs as quick as can be, bursting through the first door she hears commotion behind.

Inside, there's a man squatting over a box and as soon as he sees Iris he shouts and shoos her away, "Oh, get the hell outta here, will ya?" And she does, not wanting to stick around to find out what he was up to. The next room is where she finds Karen, crumpled on the floor with a man looming over her. His fists are balled up by his sides and there's a wild look in his eyes.

"Get away from her!" Iris is quick to yell from the doorway, wanting to help but unsure what else to do. The man whips his head around to look at who's there and scoffs at the sight, obviously unimpressed by the woman yelling at him.

"What's it matter to you, huh, girlie?" He slurs.

Now that the man is distracted Karen crawls off towards a dresser in the corner, pulling herself up enough to stand. Which is good and all until the man is stumbling over to Iris and grabbing at her.

“You jealous, huh? Want some of this…" There's an audible crunch before he can finish his sentence. He falls back, now just a limp pile of limbs. A sharp pain shoots up Iris's arm and her eyes dart down to catch a glimpse of her blood-drenched knuckles. She shakes her hand out, trying to rid herself of the pain and the initial shock she's feeling from her own actions.

When she looks up again, she finds Karen staring back at her, slouched over the dresser and rubbing her aching jaw where the man must've hit her. She looks almost impressed, despite the obvious pain she's in.

"What were you doing?" Iris finally asks, leaning up against the doorframe with her arms now crossed over her chest. A surge of confidence from knocking one guy out has her acting like some nonchalant cowboy.

Karen stares a moment before shrugging and averting her gaze, "Same as the rest, I suppose." She says through gritted teeth, her hand still rubbing at her jaw.

"What's that?"

"Makin' money so we can survive."

Iris hums in response, her whole demeanor having changed now. She's no longer some shy, anxious girl she's…Arthur Morgan. Or at least, that's who she's envisioning. This big, tough guy who protects the women and saves children. He's sweet when it matters, mean when it counts. That's how she aspires to be. Though she knows she could never be as strong, even as caring as she has seen him be. But she will try.

"You uh…" Iris starts, her eyes flickering down to the passed out man on the floor before she continues. What would've happened if she didn't show up when she did? She tears her gaze away from him to look at Karen, "You do that often?"

"Only when it's needed."

She just nods at Karen's quick response, at her brushing it aside. It’s obvious she doesn't want to talk about it anymore.

"Well, be safe." Iris adds, not wanting to pry any further but also not wanting Karen to get hurt.

Karen huffs in amusement at that, finding her attempts at being heroic almost admirable. Almost.

"I can handle myself, you know. New girl." And as she says this, as she pushes Iris's kindness aside, their eyes meet for a split second, a fleeting moment. Though it feels like forever. Swirls of olive green mix with a mossy color, creating something beautiful.

Everything melts between them. All of the jealousy and misconceptions float away, even if just for a moment. Red rushes up onto both of their cheeks. Before this can go any further they’re clearing their throats and turning the other way.

Iris hurries out of the hotel without saying another word, without even muttering a single goodbye. Karen stands in that room, where the passed out man still lays, wondering if maybe she was wrong about the new girl.

Dividers from: @thecutestgrotto and @saradika-graphics

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