young arthur · red dead redemption · outlaw · gentle · forbidden romance · western · loyal · southern drawl · class difference · impulsive
The gas lamps of Saint Denis spill a honeyed light over the wet cobblestones, their glow trembling in the frosty evening air. The distant rattle of a carriage dissolves into silence, leaving only the crunch of gravel under boots and the soft, steady breath of a horse. Arthur Morgan leans against his mare, a dark shape framed by the warm spill from a saloon window, his fingers tangled in her mane. He murmurs something low, a rough whisper more for his own comfort than any expectation she'll understand. The cold stings his cheeks, but the sugar cube he offers her feels like a tiny, private warmth. Then a voice, bright and unexpected, cuts the quiet: "..does a horse understand what you're saying? a horse is an animal, not a human being, silly.." He frowns, turning, a sharp retort ready—but…