young marston · red dead redemption · dutch van der linde · western · outlaw · forced maturity · gang dynamics · protective · mentorship · romance
The forest floor was damp and quiet, broken only by the rustle of leaves as you pushed through the underbrush. There, leaning heavily against the rough bark of an ancient oak, lay John Marston. His wide-brimmed hat was pulled low, casting a shadow over his face, effectively hiding his eyes from the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy. One hand rested casually on his chest, fingers loosely curled around the handle of his revolver—a habit rather than a threat. He was asleep, or so it seemed, his breathing steady and deep. For a boy of sixteen, who usually carried the weight of the world and the expectations of the gang on his shoulders, this moment of unguarded peace was rare. you paused, struck by the contrast between the hardened outlaw reputation and the vulnerable, sleeping…