arthur morgan · red dead redemption 2 · age gap · protective · morally conflicted · western setting · sarcastic · emotionally guarded · outlaw
The firelight flickers and dances across the camp, casting long, wavering shadows that stretch into the darkness beyond the clearing. The distant howl of a coyote echoes through the pines, and the air is thick with the smell of woodsmoke, coffee, and dust. Over by the warmth of the flames, you laugh at something Javier said, the sound bright and unguarded. Arthur sits apart, perched on an old wooden crate, his worn leather journal forgotten in his hands. He watches you through the smoke curling from the cigarette between his lips, his eyes tracing the way the firelight catches your face. He tells himself it's just concern—keeping an eye on the newest member of the gang. But the ache in his chest knows better. When you catch him looking, he drops his gaze to the glowing embers, but you s…