bridie

𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝚬𝐚𝐬𝐲 - 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝑺𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒙 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 ⋆🐾°

summary - fempov. you actually have to help with one of the missions for the gang. can you keep your mouth shut long enough for it to work…

a/n - i loooooveee charles that’s my husband irl btw guys so i hope you all like this! i actually have not finished rdr2 so there shouldn’t be any crazy spoilers but i just had to write for him. reader is a woman only as it made the most sense for the direction of the reader’s story. also i am so bad at writing romance; please bear with me aha

warnings - violence, swearing, guns, robbery, crime, lewd comments. pretty much everything you see in red dead redemption. also very light sexual talk, it’s more the aftermath but romantic. just read at ur own pace. reader is supposed to be a bit of a loudmouth lol

You’ve been asking to help out the gang for a while now. Since you got to Horseshoe Overlook, you’d been asking Dutch for things to do, asking Arthur if you can tag a long, even asking Pearson if you can’t hunt for him.

Ultimately, you were always left with the more simpler of tasks. Cutting the vegetables, washing the clothes, cleaning the weapons. It bored you.

“It ain’t right!” You say, ranting for the sixth time today, pacing in front of Charles as he sharpens his blade. “I may be a woman but… I can help! Arthur has no problem calling Sadie to help!” You kick your boot against the dirt. The river bubbles past in a way that would soothe most people, but to you it just feels like the rushing of another wave of irritation drowning you.

“You can help, can’t you?” You look right at him now, hands on your hips. Most people would never expect you and Charles to be an item. He’s quiet, observant, stoic and prefers to keep his cards close to his chest. You on the other hand? A real loud mouth. Constantly talking, complaining, laughing, supporting. You wear your heart on your sleeve, it’s endearing.

“Me and Arthur are heading into Valentine to see if we can get some information about where these bounty hunters have taken Sean, maybe you could come along” he hums softly, looking up at you. His dark eyes have that knowing look, the one that makes you feel silly for complaining, but nevertheless you can’t hide your smile.

“That’s why I love you” you grin, rushing over to kiss his head before charging up the hill, hollering for Arthur. Charles huffs out a laugh as he takes his time getting back up there.

“Alright” Arthur smiles at you, sitting on a bench beside you in Valentine. You look around, taking a breath. It’s a simple job, but with the way you’re sweating you’d think you were about to crack your way back into Blackwater. “All you gotta do, is flirt with the-“

“Flirt?” Charles asks, leaning against the wall nearby. “I thought she was gonna act drunk” he frowns. Arthur shakes his head. “She acts drunk, they’ll just push her away, she flirts and they’ll think they got a chance” he mumbles.

You glance at Charles, his mouth is slightly open as if to argue, but his jaw tightens as he nods. You smile softly. “It’ll be nothin, part of the job” you attempt to reassure him. Arthur nods his head towards a pair of lawmen across the street. “Flirt, find a way to get that office open and then you can look for the information that’ll tell us where they’re heading with Sean” he nods.

You nod back. “I got it, I got it” standing up to head over. You suddenly realise you don’t really know how to flirt, it’s a miracle you got Charles. You saunter over, trying to remember how you’ve seen Mary-Beth do when she pickpockets.

“Well look at these two handsome fellas” you smile all big, fluttering your eyelashes as you walk right up to them. The two men glance between each other before looking at you. “You know we’re lawmen?” They ask. You tilt your head, almost confused. “Course I do” you giggle.

“Never seen a working girl try her hand at a lawman” one of them mutters. Your smile almost instantly drops.

“Excuse me? Working girl?” You say, your more casual stance returning, and suddenly the skirt that Tilly helped you put on feels like a hindrance rather than a thing of beauty. “You thought I was some whore? Huh? Is that what I look like?! Your voice raises as the men stand, attempting to decrease the tension.

Across the way, Charles begins to smile. Arthur shoves him softly. “Don’t laugh, this ain’t how this was s’posed to go” he can’t hold in his smile either, watching a lady cuss out two lawmen. “I wanna speak to whoever is in charge of you two fools!” You snap, pushing into the law building. They follow you eagerly, attempting to de escalate the situation, they aren’t gonna fight a lady.

“Ma’am, there ain’t no need for this” one says, his hands up in apology. The door suddenly opens as Arthur and Charles walk in, feigning ignorance. Arthur seems to have fun doing shit like this.

“Woah, woah! What are yall doing to the lady?” He says. The lawmen attempt to explain, looking to them for help. “These two crooks called me a working girl! Assumed I was a whore!” You recall. Charles eyes are scanning the papers, you hold back your smile. He’s so efficient, so clever. Suddenly you can’t wait to get back to Horseshoe Overlook.

“Why don’t I take you down to the saloon ma’am?” Arthur smiles, holding out a hand. “A real meal for a real lady, these fellers ain’t got a clue” he says. You huff. “I should think so, you two ought to learn a thing or two!” His hand is warm as Arthur guides you outside. His hand on your waist as you walk together towards the saloon.

Rounding the alley, Charles stands there, holding up a letter inscribing the journey of Sean’s bounty hunters. You grin, jumping to hug Charles. “You got it! You got it! I didn’t ruin it with my big mouth” you laugh, smiling as you kiss his cheek. He squeezes your hip. “You did it, it was you”

Arthur is already walking toward his horse, smiling. “Anybody gonna praise my hard work?” He teases, swinging his legs over. You sit behind Charles on Taima. Hands finding his, you whisper in his ear. “You gonna reward me for all my help when we get back?”

He smiles, shaking his head at your whisper. He shifts slightly on the horse. You’re getting under his skin, like always. “I guess you do deserve a reward”

Back home, you lay beside Charles. The sun is low, and your bodies are spent. The sweaty panting of exceeded pleasure has turned into soft breaths and skin on skin contact. Your fingers trace his chest, legs intertwined. The fullness in your lower belly feels immensely comfortable.

“So I did good?” You ask softly. These moments always make you softer, quieter. “Yeah honey, you did real good. I was a lot happier seeing you argue than flirt” he hums. A giggle leaves your mouth, leaning up to look at him. “I was thinkin… I don’t think I can flirt, I don’t remember how I even flirted with you”. He laughs, rubbing his fingers along the dip in your spine. “I don’t think you did.. you shouted at me more than anything, laughed too loud at my under the breath comments and forced me to talk to you about gang business” he says, his eyes almost in longing.

“I sounded real annoying, you sure that’s what made you fall in love with me?” You ask, eyes on his. A part of you is always worried he’ll begin to find your volume and boisterous personality tiring or obnoxious… but he never does. “not annoying at all, it’s what made me love you” he nods like it’s a fact rather than a sweet statement. His plump lips press against yours passionately, lovingly, his tongue brushing against your lip as your noses bump. The pull apart is slow, faces still in close proximity.

“So when’s my next mission?” You ask, smiling wide. He shakes his head, smiling as he pulls you to rest. “We’ll see who needs a good shouting at next…”

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬 - 𝑱𝒐𝒆𝒍 𝑴𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝒙 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 ⁀➴

summary - joel is teaching you how to track, trying to hunt some deer when a horde chases you guys into a secluded building where you’re forced into a close situation…

a/n - this is my first fanfiction so do give me some grace lol. this is of course game joel, not pedro pascal joel. i hope you enjoy reading and i would greatly appreciate any likes, comments or reblogs! i get all my gifs and dividers from pinterest, if anyone needs credit please lmk!

warnings - swearing, violence, hunting, mentions of blood and of course the end of the world. spoilers for game so just tread lightly if you’ve somehow never played! fluff. and reader is supposed to be closer to joel’s age, although never mentioned so imagine yourself however you’d like!

i did not proofread and i tried to do word count but it won’t let me copy and paste everything, sorry! :(

“I lost it again” you mutter, boots softly kicking around the leaves to find any small trace of hoof prints in the mud. You and Joel had left for this hunting trip yesterday evening, originally you were supposed to just be following Joel, letting him track until it was time for the shooting to start. It was his idea for you to learn, maybe he just likes making you look dumb, asking for his help and all.

“Reckon it went this way” Joel says from a few feet back, fingers pointing up the path through the dense forest. You frown, squinting your eyes to try and find what he’s looking at that makes him so right. “How can you tell? It all looks the same to me” your arms cross. Your backpack slightly heavy from carrying your supplies, it’s spring. The loss of snow makes travel so much easier, plus you don’t feel so suffocated walking around in thick jackets and woolly hats.

“See how the plants have been shoved aside? Like somethin’ ran straight through em right?” He says, like it’s obvious. He starts again, walking at a good pace. You’re grateful to let him take charge for a little while.

“So… how’s things with you and Ellie?” You ask. Everyone has noticed the riff between them since they first arrived. Frequent movie nights and guitar lessons turned into cold shoulders and awkward silences. “It’s… fine” Joel mumbles, he’s not one for talking, even after being at Jackson for so long he barely makes too much conversation with anyone. He’s polite, friendly. The real conversations seem to limit between Tommy, Maria, Ellie, and you.

“Quiet” Joel hushes you. You frown, you weren’t even speaking. The distant shuffle of hooves sounds in the distance and you and Joel speed forward, trying your best to stay quiet. The noise leads you into what seems like a small village, desolate houses and buildings in your path as you make your way towards the deer.

“I hope this is worth it” you whisper. He looks back at you smirking, the crinkle by his eyes making his eyes look even better looking. “It will be”.

Crouching behind a large tree trunk, you see them. A small group of whitetail deer. The scene is almost… peaceful. The plants have overtaken the buildings, the birds and the insects buzz around them in almost perfect harmony. You’d never think there were fungus covered monsters roaming this world.

“They’re beautiful” you whisper, turning to look at him. He’s already staring at you. He doesn’t look away, just smirks as he pulls out his bow. You feel blood rush to your cheeks, shifting your body to watch him. He chuckles. “Oh no, this is all you” he nods. Frowning as he gently guides you to sit in front of him, he guides your hands. “Joel… Joel, if i fuck up we’re not gonna be able to follow them all the way across the damn state” you try to back out as his fingers guide yours into the right position.

“There ya go, steady” he keeps his voice low, his Texan accent making his tone even huskier as he leans back slightly to give you some room. The loss of his hands makes you shiver. “Pull it all the way back, hold your breath and shoot when ya ready” he nods “you can do it”. His words of encouragement do little to settle your nerves, but you ignore the heat swelling in your gut as you focus on the deer.

It happened before you even knew it. The sharp whine of the deer, the string of the bow leaving a burn on your fingers and the harsh thud of the deer’s body falling right to the floor, the rest bolting into the woods. “I did it!” You gasp, standing, doing a little jog to it. You crouch down, gently stroking its neck. It’s dead.

“Good shot, didn’t suffer” Joel nods, smiling shortly. “Ya did good” he pats your back, letting his hand linger for a moment before the loud whistle and creak of clickers suddenly erupted. You twist your body, pulling your rifle from your waistband. The footsteps, the screaming, the clicking.

“It’s a horde” Joel says, his body tense, ready to run. “What about the deer?” You ask, but your feet are already moving. “We can find a new one, come on!” He shouts, and you burst into a sprint.

Despite his age, Joel is agile. Hes a little ahead of you, sprinting into buildings to try and find any semblance of safety. Your legs burn as you run, but the roar behind you makes it impossible to let yourself give in. The constant fear of stumbling creeps into the back of your mind.

You both clamber over a truck, hauling ass towards what looks like an old fish bait shop. “Joel, there!” You gasp out as he charges towards the shop, slamming open the door, you run inside. He slams the door shut, grunting as the infected pound against it. You look around in frantic panic, finding a large freezer, jumping to action you yank it from its slot in the wall, groaning in pain as you use every ounce of strength to push it against the door. Joel moves back, you both pant. Staring at the door to make sure it’ll hold.

It doesn’t take long for them to hear some other strange noise and bolt towards that. A few linger outside, so you sit against the wall, pulling your backpack off. Head in your hands, you sigh.

“What?” Joel asks, rubbing his face tiredly. The look of annoyance on your face is evident, what does he mean what?! “The deer, we spent almost two days tracking that group, and when I finally get one, those stupid fuckers ruin it” I kick the freezer against the door. Joel pulls his own bag off, planting down on the floor beside me.

“There’ll be other deer, I’ll take you out again” He mumbles. “What matters is that you’re alive” his hands don’t ever seem to stop moving. Always reloading, crafting, picking up things. You barely realise what you’re doing before your hand is in his, your head against his shoulder.

“It’s gonna get cold in the night” he grumbles, pulling away. The sour taste in your mouth makes you cringe. Why did you do that? You watch as he lays down his bag, pulling out a blanket. He uses his backpack as a pillow. You turn to make yourself comfortable when he suddenly pulls you atop him, your head on his chest, his arm around you. “Oh” you smile, blushing. “I’ve never seen this side of your, Mr. Miller”

“Just for warmth…” he admits, but the slight smile and tint in his cheeks suggest otherwise. The slow rise and fall of his chest lulls you into a soft sleep

The walk back to Jackson is peaceful, well, as peaceful as it can be. You did have to kill a couple infected, only runners though. That’s something to be grateful for. The conversation between you and Joel flows easily, way more than usual.

He seems like a different person when he’s outside, more comfortable than when he’s safe in the walls of Jackson. You find yourself staring at him, stopping from the harsh noise of hooves. Joel grabs your arm, yanking you behind him as horses rear up in front of you, coming back down to see… Tommy and Ellie?

“What are you two doing out here?” You ask, frowning. Tommy sighs. “You two have been gone way longer than you shoulda been, thought you mighta hit trouble, came with to see what was happening” Ellie’s eyes gaze at Joel’s protective stance.

“We did. Managed to snag a good deer and got chased down by a horde… how’d you find us?” Joel asks, approaching Tommy to catch a ride with him. “Tracked you” Ellie mutters as she helps you up onto her horse. You frown.

“Can everyone track but me?” you ask. You only hear the deep huff of laughter from Joel. You can still feel the warmth of his body against yours, you probably won’t forget that for a while.