Chapter 14

While fishing entertained Arthur 'bout as much as Pearson cooking raw meat, he couldn't deny there were moments that he'd enjoyed the simplicities of it all. Memory-wise, he hadn't done this with Hosea and Dutch for a long while. But they had been busy with preparations for whatever next big score last time.

Hosea, he understood. He saw what was happening and wanted an out to all of the blood soiled. Dutch, on the other hand, well he'd doubted there was anything slowing him down then.

They didn't travel too far, merely going some places away, and beginning to fish.

"Got another one," Kieran said, grinning in satisfaction as he placed it inside the small box that Arthur'd stored. He looked at him, noticing his eyes were closing. "Arthur."

"Huh? What?" He snapped out of his doze.

"You closed your eyes again." The man wasn't irritated actually, if anything else, amused.

"I ain't caught one yet," Arthur replied.

"Cause you're not trying hard enough," Kieran laughed. "Just standing there like a bear. Be careful or you might scare all of 'em away."

The older man grumbled, "It ain't even the goddamn fish. It's me."

"It's just how it goes. Keep trying and you'll get it."

"Why ain't we just turn around and come back tomorrow?" Anything to get out of this, even though it would be temporary.

"This is my opinion from experience from land based fishing. There is much less noise and no shadows to spook them fish are more actively feeding at night 'cause they have a better chance of not being seen and hunted by predators. I always have much more success at night." He laughed. "Come on, chin up."

Arthur hummed. "You'll learn fishing ain't for me, boy."

"You got to learn to enjoy these moments." The boy chuckled.

He rolled his eyes. "It's just standing there with a rod and doing nothing."

"Not nothing."

Silence...

"You know, you ain't got a high opinion of yourself, Arthur."

"What?" He blinked. Not another one of these sort of conversations.

"You ain't got a high opinion of yourself," he repeated. "Whenever you accomplish something, you take it for granted."

First, a widow. Second, Hosea. Now, he was getting told by the lowest former albeit honorable O'Driscoll of them all? What had his life turned into?

Not having the heart to say anything too scathing, Arthur responded to the accusation with, "I consider myself pretty humbled, boy."

Kieran looked nervous 'bout what he was going to say, but he came out with it. "Humbled or too pure and not even recognizing it?"

"Huh?" His eyes now darted at him. Whatever the hell was Kieran getting at?

"You ain't perfect, Arthur, ain't nobody is. But you didn't even know me and heard my side of the story before judging me, came up with some false story so I wouldn't be tied up." If he only knew... "You'd also helped Mrs. Adler when you ain't have to. In the short time I have been here, you have always been helping people, doing favors, throwing yourself forward. You ain't ever giving yourself enough credit."

Arthur didn't believe a word Kieran was saying at all. The man admired him, probably as much as Javier admired Dutch this time around. That ain't something he liked. Unknown to Kieran, last time, he didn't allow him to explain himself. He immediately saw an O'Driscoll and went along with the torturing of the man in order for him to squeal 'bout Colm's location. His insight in the future gave him some things to consider, but it came with careful consideration. His view was at best, from tinted-views instead of knowing who Arthur Morgan ever would be or was.

Everyone he'd ever loved had died or left him. His parents, his wife and son, Mary, Hosea, Dutch, Javier, Bill, Lenny, Kieran, Sean. Everyone. He was a broken man. Didn't have any reason to believe that he could be otherwise. Didn't have any reason to believe that folks wouldn't leave him yet again.

That was all he knew how to do. Ruin things. Get the people close to him in scores of trouble or not being good enough.

"You ain't known me for long, Kieran, you'll be gone too." He lowered his rod and collected the small jar, no longer in the mood for conversation

"Says who?" Kieran actually challenged back, disengaging from his activity and following. "You ain't ever known yourself. You would put yourself in harm's way for people without even knowing them. You have something you believe in, but you ain't ever believe in yourself."

This spookily reminded him of Sister. Damn...

"And how do you know this?" Arthur asked, his tone rising. "You only been here for a few days."

"A dishonorable man would not go above and beyond to make sure someone they didn't know and could be lying ain't tied up. A dishonorable man would not comfort a widow they have no reason to comfort. A dishonorable man would not put people's well-beings before his own."

Was Kieran going to give this up?

His morality changed purely 'cause he saw Dutch for what he was. However, he didn't question a lot of actions he did beyond that. He knew all the time what he did was bad, and still did it.

Although one could debate he did it purely for survival, that still didn't make him a good man. It didn't make him evil, but it doesn't make him good.

Even with saving John, one could look through a different perspective. Did John deserved to be a free man? The reason Arthur saved him was to avoid John in prison 'cause in Arthur's eyes John didn't deserve to be captured.

Nevertheless, he was a thief and a murderer. He'd killed plenty of people who weren't in self-defense. A lot of his actions were unforgivable. Kieran, on the other hand, well he ain't ever had a choice. Arthur did. And that was the difference.

"You're assuming you know all 'bout me, Kieran, don't make that mistake." He found his voice.

"Well, shoot me."

Arthur froze, his eyes turning to him, wide. Did he just say-

Kieran looked back at him. "If you're a bad man, shoot me."

Arthur was shaking his head. He could never hurt Kieran, not ever again. It wasn't out of morals like the bastard would think, but merely 'cause he wouldn't shoot a man who saved his life. He couldn't. He couldn't even imagine aiming his revolver at him.

"You ain't a bad man, Arthur." he said. "Everyone knows it. Everyone except yo-"

"HEY!" a voice interjected, coming from the water and running towards both men.

He pinned Kieran. "Hey! You ain't allowed near my lake!"

Arthur gripped the ugly man and wrapped his arms around him, surprised by the overprotective fury brimming up inside of him. He recognized the idiot. "Calm down, boy, you ought to go get a normal place instead of swimming in the goddamn waters, you bloody fool."

He tossed him onto the muddy ground.

"Bout as naked as a jaybird!" Kieran grumbled as he stood back up on his feet.

"Hey! Why don't you take a break and come on in?! You ain't allowed to be coming this far out here and having no fun!" The naked man recovered to his feet and stared at them enthusiastically, having no reaction to what just occurred.

Arthur couldn't help the shot of amusement ripping up. "Why don't ya go back home? Ain't got no place being out here."

The naked man laughed. "Oh, oh, oh, this is my home! Look at the nature!" He motioned with both arms as if proclaiming a great speech. "My lovely abode!"

Kieran nudged Arthur on his shoulders before indicating to the man and murmured. "You actually seeing this shit? There's someone that needs to go to confession."

"I feel bad for the fish," Arthur nodded in agreement.

"I have to keep the blood pumping! See y'all fellas later!" The naked man jumped right back into the water and began to swim.

A small part of Arthur contemplated just shooting the crazy freak. It would definitely make the fish' lives a lot more easier. But no matter, the man was harmless even though he'd just assaulted Kieran, and the fishes would probably move elsewhere.

"You're okay?" he inquired, wondering what happened to him being able to shrug off things so simply, so...

"Barely a scratch," Kieran admitted grouchily, "now where were we?"

Arthur'd remembered the earlier events and was 'bout to tell him. The man clearly lost his line of thinking. He'd took advantage of this instantly. "You were talking 'bout your first few days here."

"Ah yes," Kieran said, seeming to recall the story. Arthur actually fought laughing out loud as Kieran began to break down the tale. "Well, the first days weren't really that bad. It was..."

At least the other matter was dropped.

Arthur's note: Not a long chapter but this chapter wasn't planned originally, and I feel like there wasn't a whole lot to do here. There will be a lot more bonding moments with these two soon. Sooner than you will expect.

I love writing Chapter 6 Arthur who is totally still angsty about the whole Dutch leaving him to die thing and Kieran who is still recovering from the O'Driscolls.