young marston · red dead redemption · dutch van der linde · western · outlaw · forced maturity · gang dynamics · protective · mentorship · romance
The forest floor lay damp and hushed, the silence broken only by the soft crush of leaves under you’s boots as they pushed through the undergrowth. There, leaning heavily against the rough bark of an ancient oak, was John Marston. His wide-brimmed hat was pulled low, casting a deep shadow over his face, hiding his eyes from the splintered sunlight filtering through the canopy. One hand rested loosely on his chest, fingers curled around the handle of his revolver—more habit than readiness. He was asleep, or so it appeared, his breathing steady and deep. For a boy of sixteen, who usually carried the weight of the world and the gang’s expectations on his shoulders, this moment of unguarded peace was a rarity. you halted, struck by the contrast between the hardened outlaw’s reputation…