Chapter Text
The only reason Arthur was on a bear hunt with Micah was because he thought Dutch had ordered it.
Arthur got cornered by Micah a week after the other man’s return from Strawberry as Arthur was looking after the horses at the edge of camp. He kept on pestering Arthur, saying he had a huge score planned for them and that it wouldn’t even involve shooting anyone.
"Since you were so disappointed in me after the last one." Micah explained, showing off his humbleness. Arthur wanted to ask which time because he’d never been impressed with the man's leads, but Micah just kept talking.
His words sounded sincere, but he had a glint in his eye that Arthur wanted no part of.
He did keep going on and on about it, and finally let slip that this was a bear hunt he wanted to take Arthur on.
Arthur turned away from his horse, finally face to face with the white hate and blond mustache Micah was so proud of.
"I ain’t going hunting with you much less bear hunting, Mr. Bell." Arthur snapped, sick of the man’s badgering.
"Aw, come on, old Morgan-.”
Arthur narrowed his eyes dangerously
“You’re older than me, jackass.” Arthur snapped, satisfied by the twitch of anger on Micah’s face before he covered it again
“Well, Dutch ordered it, so unless you wanna go argue with him, then I say we just get going.” Micah growled, clearly frustrated with Arthur as well.
Arthur sighed in exasperation. It wouldn’t be the first time Dutch had ordered others to take Arthur on jobs, but this one was coming out of no where.
“And why would Dutch care so much about this bear?” Even if Arthur wanted to bring the argument to Dutch, which he didn't, the man was out of camp.
“Said we needed to work together. Plus, the pelt is worth a pretty penny. He wanted to send the two best men for the job.” Micah explained to Arthur like was 5 years old.
“What, so Charles and Javier? They’re our two best hunters.” Arthur huffed.
Micah was growing more frustrated as Arthur was stubbornly refusing to do what he wanted. Arthur wondered what about their previous interactions would make Micah think he’d want to be left alone with him for any length of time.
"Listen I didn't want to bring it up," Micah's sneer told Arthur he had been waiting the whole time to say what he was about to say, "But Dutch's noticed you've been slacking. I've been doing my best to assure him you're still with us, but after all these weeks you've been ignoring the Strauss's debts, well,” Micah shrugged helplessly.
“You’re barely back from a massacre, what do you know?” Arthur’s anger hides his true, fearful thoughts. It should have been laughable for Dutch’s approval to hinge on Arthur going bear hunting for him, but Arthur was frustrated with how believable it sounded after the last few weeks. Dutch had been all over the place since Blackwater.
“I’m just repeating what Dutch himself has said, cowpoke.” Micah held up his hands in surrender.
Arthur's fingers were clenched so hard around the horse brush that he had to take a few breaths just to make sure he didn't break it.
The conversation ended with Arthur packing up his black shire horse and following Micah out of camp.
Arthur was so wrapped up with Micah’s frustrating pestering that he hadn't realized how few people were in camp to noticed their argument which meant no other gang members witnessed the two ride into the trees together.
Micah led the way up north to the Grizzlies. Arthur followed on his all black giant of a horse that made Baylock look small carrying Micah.
Hosea had given Arthur the horse to sell in town so he could buy a new horse, but the big dumb oaf had softened Arthur’s heart well before reaching Valentine, so he had kept him for now at least. The big gelding was sweet and wanted desperately to make friends with everyone, including Baylock, which clearly irritated the stallion as they rode up the increasingly narrow paths.
Arthur could relate to being irritated by his riding companion.
Arthur would have preferred to ride in silence, but Micah seemed to be taking this bonding mission seriously and kept breaking the quiet to talk to Arthur.
“What you lot have going on is special." Micah had been ranting for some time of his admiration of how Dutch ran his gang. Arthur only half listened, choosing to grunt occasionally and gaze out over the foothills leading to the mountains.
"I ain’t had no one to call brother in years, not since my own brother up and left me to follow his women, but I see this group, this family, really working.” Micah scoffed. Arthur perked up at the peak of Micah’s family.
“What didn’t his wife didn’t like your robbing? Or did she just not like you?” Arthur laughed, not finding either hard to believe.
“Amos was weak in general, but especially with his women,” Micah said bitterly.
Arthur rolled his eyes under the brim of his hat, but he eyed the back of Micah’s head.
“Would you ride with him if he came back?” Arthur asked emotionlessly, watching him for a reaction.
The man didn’t twitch.
“Nah, he was always dragging me down. Never could do anything right.” Micah said convincingly.
Arthur frowned, not sure what he was expecting.
“Guess it works out for both of you then,” Arthur remarked.
“I heard you had a woman once, Morgan.” Micah said abruptly.
Arthur bristled. He did not want to discuss Mary with him.
"Did you now." Arthur tone was a cold warning not to continue.
“Folk in camp whisper about all the gossip. Whatever happened to her?” Micah asked oh so innocently.
“I stayed with Dutch. She didn't.” Arthur growled aggressively.
Micah finally turned around in his saddle as if realizing he’d said the wrong thing at last, eyeing Arthur with a raised eyebrow.
“Right. Sorry, I asked big boy.” Micah used an affectionate nickname Dutch had for Arthur.
Had Dutch used that nickname around Micah before? He didn’t often use it, but when he did, it gave Arthur a rush of pride.
Now it felt like a slap in the face.
“Drop it, Micah. I ain’t in the mood to talk about that.” Arthur said with less fight, just coldness.
“Guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You guys are the biggest prudes I’ve ever traveled with, that’s for sure. I mean, what’s the point of traveling with a whole gaggle of women who won’t even sleep with you even if you pay them?” Micah laughed hard at his own joke.
“I ain’t ever seen you doing laundry.” Arthur pointed out.
“That’s cause I’m busy providing, Morgan. And I guess they ain’t all bad. Jenny was real sweet. It’s too bad what happened. She and I did spend a night together, before, well, you know." Micah said almost wistfully, but Arthur couldn't help the sharp glare at the confession. He remembered seeing Micah clinging to the polite and naïve girl around camp, more than once making her giggle as she worked.
Arthur had also noticed Jenny suddenly avoiding Micah towards the end of their time in Blackwater, but he had hoped it was because she had rejected him. Now he was very worried about what he had seen.
"I don’t want to hear it. And don't talk about that around Lenny, he was sweet on her." Arthur growled, knowing very well that Micah had known and ignored Micah, laughing to himself.
Arthur wondered if Micah was that cruel to bring up his advances on a dead girl nearly half his age, or if Micah was so in his own reality that he thought Arthur would also find it amusing.
All Arthur could think of was Micah teasing Lenny about his crush, resulting in a screaming match between Micah and Lenny that no one but Dutch scolded Lenny over. Not even Miss Grimshaw, for all she tried to keep the peace.
Plodding along the rocky path, Arthur kept his eyes on his horse's mane and focused on just getting through this trip.
Micah seemed to catch the hint he’d gone too far because he fell silent for a time after that. Arthur was just starting to ease the tension out of his body when Micah spoke again.
“What do I gotta do to make you like me, Morgan?” Micah asked like he was a kid asking his Pa why the sky is blue.
Arthur narrowed his eyes. His shoulders stiffened again, but shouldn’t be surprised to be called out with his distaste so obvious.
“That’s easy,” Arthur said slowly, pausing before he said even slower,
“Change.”
While he was satisfied that the man was at least cowed into silence, Micah’s stupid cackle that he let out did nothing to make Arthur feel better about this trip.