Chapter Text
The sun is setting and you still aren't back. Even worse, the thunderstorm is not letting down, becoming stronger with each passing minute. Arthur grows sicker with worry at the sound of every thunder in the distance. You should've been back by now.
You went to Emerald Station to retrieve a package sent to you by your uncle in California, leaving after breakfast, hoping to be back for the afternoon so you could still return to your chore duties at camp. You had begged Miss Grimshaw to let you go and somehow she agreed. You'd been to the area before and were certain the journey would be easy, even with your new mare, Rosemary. It was a seemingly sunny day, perfect for a ride out east.
It started to rain just before you got there and you didn't worry much about it, but by the time you left it was pouring and you still had to cross most of the Heartlands back to camp.
Arthur had left very early in the morning for Valentine and by that time you were still fast asleep. He had passed by your tent before leaving, hoping to get a kiss goodbye. As he peeked inside you were still dreaming, a little smile decorating your face. He'd be a fool to wake you up so he headed north, leaving content with the image of you dreaming peacefully. What he didn't know is that you had been dreaming of him.
He got back to camp in the middle of the afternoon, drenched from head to toe as the storm had caught him a few miles back. Everyone was sheltered in their tents and he headed to his to change his clothes, thinking he could see you after. Maybe keep you company through the rainy night. But when he opened the flaps of your tent you weren't there. Curious, but not worried, he went to Miss Grimshaw's tent to ask about you and make sure you had safely returned.
Miss Grimshaw is one of two people who knows the two of you were involved, catching you late one night on the outskirts of camp, where Arthur would take you to have some alone time in private. Arthur had been pushing you into a tree, all hot and bothered, both your lips intertwined, when she walked in and saw you, your hands on his shoulders, his hands on your ass. No words were exchanged but you saw her look at you in astonishment and leave. You felt mortified and sick to your stomach. Arthur started laughing, looking down at you, pecking your face.
"Don't worry, darlin', it's alright" he said in between chuckles, noticing the worry on your face.
"You say that because you don't have to work with her!" you replied, worried she'd punish you with extra work, or worse, by telling everybody else in camp. You had promised each other you'd keep the relationship a secret until you were comfortable enough to take the next step. Luckily for you, it seems she hasn't told anyone. Yet.
The only other person who knows about you two is Hosea, the only person in camp Arthur had trusted to tell. Of course, he didn't have much of a choice when Hosea asked Arthur one day why his eyes followed your every move with such undeniable affection. This embarrassed Arthur because he thought he was being discreet. But Hosea just knew him too well. He could tell when Arthur was smitten.
With dry clothes on his back, Arthur finally reaches Miss Grimshaw's tent and inquires. "Miss Grimshaw, where's Miss Y/N?"
"She's not back yet, I'm afraid. She told me she'd be back by now." Arthur's heart sinks, his worry coloring his face. "I'm sure she's fine, Arthur, don't worry", she says, trying to ease the troubled lover in front of her.
Arthur heads to his tent, opening the flaps so he can see you and your mare arriving, hoping that you are not far off. But he grows more distraught as time goes by and, when he sees the sunset approaching he decides he can no longer wait. He warns Miss Grimshaw he is going out to look for you and gets on his horse. He starts galloping furiously, fearing for the worst, hoping for the best.
He knows exactly which road you'd take to get back because he'd shown it to you a few weeks ago, on your way to one of your secret rendezvous. He's sure you would not stray from the path, knowing your fear of getting lost in the wilderness. You'd only venture into it with him by your side, needing him there to protect you.
The further he gallops the worst the storm gets and it doesn't take long for Arthur to get drenched again. The night is creeping in and with it comes an unrelenting wind. He despairs at the thought of you out in this cold storm that shows no signs of easing. He stops every mile or so to shout your name into the wind, hoping you hear him and he finds you. His voice grows louder each time, the desperation fueling him.
It's been hours since you left Emerald Station and since then you've been under the storm, getting colder as it rages. You kept thinking you could get back to camp so you pushed your horse through it, hoping the storm would ease on the way. Before reaching Twin Stack Pass, the downpour turned into a thunderstorm, the lightning growling around you. After the loudest one, your mare, already spooked, dropped you down on the ground before you had time to react. You watched as Rosemary galloped out of view and you realized you were stranded, your back aching from the fall. You didn't want to stray from the road, hoping that someone would ride by and take you someplace sheltered. You rested your back against a large rock nearby where you could flag down any riders and waited. You watched the sky as it grew darker, feeling your clothes getting heavier. You soon began to shiver, feeling your entire body grow cold and numb.
You started thinking of the times Arthur had taken you someplace out west or east, where you'd set up camp in a remote place, far from anyone alive. You would help Arthur gather some wood and light a fire, big enough to last through the night, burning bright enough that you could see each other's freckles and scars, your eyes gleaming like fireflies. He'd take you in his arms and you would let him, your moans echoing in the night, rivaled only by the sound of wolves up in the mountains.
You're thinking of Arthur and his warm touch on those campfire nights when echoes of his voice reach your ears. At first, you think it's another memory but you begin to realize his voice is real, jolting you to get up. You try to place where the voice is coming from, stumbling to the road so he can see you.
"Arthur!", you scream louder than you expect in your weariness, your voice weak from the cold. He turns to see you standing up ahead by the road. He rides to where you were, knots in his stomach from looking at you. Even though it's already nighttime, he can see your clothes are completely drenched and your skin is sickly pale by the light of his lantern. He dismounts and you lock eyes, relieved to see each other. As he touches your face and arms, he feels your chilled skin.
"It's ok, darlin', I'm here. I've found ya" he says. He kisses you on your blue lips, the coldest thing he's ever felt. He leans into your ear. "I'll keep ya warm now, ya hear?"
You're relieved that he is holding you now otherwise you might have collapsed to the ground. You've become so numb you can barely feel the rain falling. But the moment that man lays his hands on you you feel a shiver down your spine, stronger than any thunder in the sky. You could swear his kiss could have brought you back to life if he had found you dead.
"Rosemary she- she got scared" you whimper back, trying to explain what happened. He can see tears falling down your cheeks despite the rain.
"It's alright, I came to get ya. You're safe now, I promise" he vows, kissing your cheeks where the tears fall.
Overwhelmed with worry, he begins to prepare you for the journey back to camp, making sure you are as dry as possible. He takes off your coat, it is so damp with rain it no longer does you any favors. He sees your blouse is just as bad. "I think it's best if we take this off, ok?"
You nod in approval and he undresses you until you're in your chemise. He quickly takes off his coat and puts it on you, placing the sleeves around your arms, one at a time, closing the buttons as fast as he can. His coat, despite being wet, has a drier lining and his body heat lingers inside, feeling as warm as his touch. He places you on the saddle sideways and he seats behind you, getting ready to ride again. His body heat irradiates around you. You finally feel some relief.
You wrap your arms around his torso and he motions his hips forward so he can be closer to you, holding you in a tender embrace. Your hands touch his back and your head is on the crook of his neck, his jaw shielding your face from the rain. He untucks his shirt from his pants and guides your hands under it so you can warm them against his skin. Your touch makes him shiver. He reaches for his bedroll in the back of his horse, unfurls it over your shoulders, and adjusts it as best as he can to cover you. "You hold tight now, darlin'. We'll be there soon."
The horse takes off at breakneck speed as Arthur directs him back to camp, trying to lead you as far away as possible from the storm still raging around you. Your head sways with every gallop against his chest and neck and you can feel his warm skin against your cheek, his beard chaffing your wet hair. After a while, Arthur's body heat starts to make you feel warmer, the cowboy keeping his promise.
Despite your weariness, you lift your head to look into his eyes, seeking comfort in them, finding just that. You mean to thank him for saving you but somehow you're not able to speak and he tells you "Just rest now darlin', don't worry." You lay your head against his chest again and he rubs a hand on your back, soothing you as best as he can. After some time, the pace of the gallops starts making you sleepy and you dose off to the sound of Arthur's loud and frantic breathing, leaving the storm behind.