Pausing to drop a small headcanon, before I forget I was going to write it.
I know there are a lot of different ways one can interpret the relationship between Dutch and Arthur, from a mentor-like situation to some sort of daddy/son kink (not judgin’ here, just categorizing) but in terms of the way MY Arthur works, here’s a basic outline:
The underlying fact of the matter to him is that, while he looks up to Dutch and has shaped himself into something of a protegee, Arthur wouldn’t view Dutch as anything close to a father. There’s only five years difference in their ages, and Arthur was already damn near a man in his own right when they found him, so at best he’d view Dutch as a role model, someone to respect but certainly not someone he’d view as a parental figure. To Arthur’s way of thinking, they’re closer to peers than anything, though the power definitely rests in Dutch’s hands when it comes to both their working and personal relationships.
At the same time, Dutch frequently refers to Arthur as ‘son’ in conversation. I believe in terms of their relationship, for the longest time it was used as a means to keep Arthur in his ‘place’ so to speak, to keep him at a safe distance and create an artificial barrier between them as the younger man matured. It’s become both habit now and also a sort of endearment that is ingrained from years of use. It also demonstrates that ‘power’ that Dutch possesses in regards to their relationship.
