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It had started out as a calm day, most of the gang in camp and enjoying the spring weather after being trapped in colter for so very long.
But this came with an issue, specifically that many members of the gang had more volatile tempers when ‘trapped’ within the camp, so a few members, even while enjoying the spring sunshine, were waiting for something to explode.
Older members of the gang had strategically placed themselves in areas so that should trouble break out and get out of hand, they could intervene quicker.
This was why Arthur found himself leaning on the table by the provision's wagon, keeping half of a watchful eye on the camp and the table where Bill was sitting and nurse a bottle.
The man was ignoring him, knowing better than to fuck with Arthur, and in turn Arthur was more looking toward the fires where other gang members had settled, Hosea sitting at the main fire reading a book, Dutch watching the area by the tents and Miss Grimshaw watching the scout fire.
However, he was still paying enough attention to notice when Bill latched onto something in the surly way of his.
“The princess is finally doing some work” he called and Arthur glanced up at John who had recently returned from a run to town.
Pink scar tissue twisted when the younger man scowled, skin recently healed but still looking irritated, the faintest yellow tinges of a bruise still coloring the area around his eye just a stubborn as the man himself and refusing to fade.
“fucks crawled up your ass Williamson” the man questioned, even though he obviously didn’t care, more looking toward the stew pot and the coffee sitting beyond it. Or possibly the crate of beer bottles by the dish bin, the younger looked like he could use a drink.
Arthur figured Bill would leave it alone after John showed little interest, but the larger man was in a mood, evident by Arthur's current position watching them, and it showed he had latched onto John specifically when the man started back toward the fire, a brown bottle in his hand.
“I just think it's funny” the man said, making John stop and turn his head.
Arthur could see him lifting a brow, “what's funny Bill?” he prodded, even though Arthur could hear it in his voice that the man would regret asking.
“I find it funny” Bill stopped to take a drink “that all of us have been working our asses off, while you’ve been sitting around having your every need met by the women” Arthur could see the color of anger raising in John's face, Bill could not and kept going “ain't hardly been doing shit round here let alone putting money in the box, what are we keeping you around for”
John slammed his bottle down on the table and leaned over it, lips curling as he snarled at the man, and that was Arthur's signal to move forward “you don’t know what you're talking about you lazy son of a bitch”
He stopped when Arthur slid into a seat smoothly and reached out, curling his arm around the other man's deceptively small waist and tugging him back until he sat onto Arthur's lap “easy Marston” he rumbled in warning as the man turned to furrow his brows at Arthur, the blonde glancing at him before looking at Bill “we all do our share Bill” he gave the other man a warning.
Though all it seemed to do was egg him on, Williamson laughing as if Arthur had been joking “sure” he chuckled “ain't no doubt you think the princess does his part” Arthur's brow twitched, and his lips thinned, Bill took the hint and changed his tactic “I mean” he rushed out “It's just disrespectful is all! The hell is the last time Marston had guard duty? Or you for that matter, Morgan? I ain't seen your ass out there relieving the rest of us!”
Before Arthur could say something, John wiggled in his lap, elbowing Arthur in the ribs by accident as he struggled to get out of his grip and possibly punch Bill.
Arthur almost wanted to let him.
“When’s the last time you did something other than a half ass guard rotation while drunk off your ass?” John snapped, continuing to struggle even as Arthur tightened his grip, “your one to fucking talk, barely do shit around here, least I could say I was laid up”
“Easy” Arthur warned and John twisted around to glare at him.
“It's true!”
Arthur narrowed his eyes, lips pressed into a thin line and shutting the younger up “it’s a nice day, don’t either one of you numb skulls ruin it with a pissing contest” he glared at Bill while subtly tightening his fingers on John's waist.
“He started it!” John tried to defend.
“I was just saying”
Arthur grunted sharply to cut the other man off “I ain't care who started it” he snapped and then glared at Bill “go soak your head Williamson, then if you're so concerned about guard duty, ya can take Lenny's rotation tonight”
Seeming to realize he was already in enough shit with what he’d already said, Bill got up from the table and skulked off, disappearing toward the scout fire like a properly scolded child. And if he wasn’t properly scolded, then miss Grimshaw would let him have it if he gave her any shit.
Maybe she would smack him around a bit too, the man could probably use it.
With the threat gone, John sighed and leaned back slightly against Arthur's chest, closing his eyes for a minute while breathing before lifting his head and shifting on Arthur's lap for comfort, lifting one of his legs to cross over the other.
Arthur took it as an invitation to wrap his other arm around the man, hand resting on his knee, while the other stayed on the youngers hip. The movement easing the tension in the youngers joints, “wish you’d of let me punch the bastard”
With a snort, Arthur shifted to rest his chin on the younger man's shoulder, no one in camp even batting an eye at their position. Ain’t no one in a gang of murderers and thieves care what they got up to, and what’s better, those that would knew better than to say anything around Arthur.
He’d beaten his fair share of ass over lesser comments in the past, and everyone knew it.
“It’s a nice day” he repeated, “be a shame to ruin it”
John snorted and shifted to pull a battered back of cigarettes out of Arthur's satchel, catching one with his lips and striking a match on the table.
In retaliation for the theft, Arthur reached for the younger man's drink, taking a swig from it before sighing and relaxing “it is a nice day” John said after a minute, Arthur grunting at the obvious statement that he had already made, twice.
Then grunting for an entirely different reason as the younger man shifted in his lip in just the right way, Arthur crinkling his nose to look at John's mischievous expression “be a shame if we wasted it”
Lips curling into a smirk, he shifted up and kissed the other, pulling back to steal the cigarette from his hand before tilting his head “go saddle the horses, princess”
John scowled at the name, but it didn’t stop he from hopping up and walking toward the hitching post.
Arthur watching him and mentally thanked Bill because his shit stirring was going to have a fantastic result.
Who would have guessed.