Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"when was the last time you washed, mr bell?"

it was a lighthearted joke, but micah made a sound which could only be described as a snort of mock offence against your neck as he wrapped his arms around your waist from behind.

"excuse me, madam? that ain't no question to be asking a gentleman." he huffed, his wiry moustache tickling the shell of your ear. "besides, that's the way you're greeting me after i ain't seen you for a few days? what if i died out there, sweetheart? wouldn't be caring about how i smelt then, now would y'?"

it had been a boring few days without micah around. he had gone off to strawberry with a few of the other gang members for a big score which was passing through the area, and though he wanted to take you along for the extra firepower you had too much to get done around camp after so much of your time when you were meant to be doing your chores spent out and about with micah robbing folks blind. so that old crone grimshaw confined you to camp while the others went off having fun without you. the days passed fairly painlessly, but you had to admit there was something about that arrogant smarmy asshole not being around you all the time which made you feel weird. you didn't miss him, that's not what that feeling was. totally.

yours and micah's relationship was a tricky one. neither of you had officially labelled the other as your lover, but micah made it pretty clear to everyone else that he had staked his claim over you over the last few months. pulling you onto his lap when the two of you were sat around the campfire, constantly running off with you to a quiet place just outside of camp where the two of you could be intimate in peace, and now this. micah bell was nuzzling your neck in the middle of camp. micah bell. nuzzling. in the middle of camp. could he really blame you for letting the first thing that came to your mind slip out the moment you felt his heat envelop your back, and the heady scent of tobacco, whiskey and sweat which attacked your senses?

"okay, there's a lot to unpack there." you turned to face him and wrapped your arms around his shoulders before beginning to walk him to the outskirts of camp to spare yourself the looks of shock, confusion and disgust from some of the camp members. he walked backwards with you, his eyes glinting with the desire for misbehaviour and his icy blue gaze never leaving yours.

"number one, you sure as hell ain't no gentleman."

"i can't fault you on that one." he chuckled and you rolled your eyes.

"two, you wouldn't have died out there because if you did people would have heard the celebrations from here to the grizzlies." micah narrowed his eyes at you, but you smiled sweetly. "well, i wouldn't be celebrating of course."

"damn right you wouldn't. but you would be a sight as a widow. a long black lacy dress hugging them curves o' yours juuuust right. you'd get a dead man stiff as iron, you know that?"

you couldn't help but laugh as micah punctuated his words by grasping at the curves of your waist and hips, groping at the plush flesh he found there and letting out a quiet growl at the sound of your small whine at his rough hands.

"you're a perverse man, micah."

"why thank you dear. ain't you kind."

"and number three..." you stopped walking

as you reached the border of camp, where the dense cover of trees concealed your view of it. micah stopped with you, his hands lingering on your hips. "you still haven't answered my question."

"i had a bath in valentine about a month and a half ago. that good enough, sweetpea?" he knew you liked pet names so he deliberately chose the most ridiculous ones to make you cringe.

"no, it isn't. i don't know what the hell you got up to the last few days and i'm not sure if i wanna. but what i do know is that you need a wash. i don't care whether that's in a hotel or in a river somewhere, but you gotta clean yourself up. for my sake." when you saw micah's face, his lip curled at you in incredulity, you knew you had to take another approach. suddenly, a wonderfully devious idea swept into your head. you began to play with the collar of his shirt coyly, not meeting his eyes.

"if you want, i could join you." you muttered innocently. if micah had large ears they would be pricking skyward. his eyes were wide as he looked at you.

he laughed through his teeth, suddenly grabbing both your hands and forcing you to look at him.

"my darlin', you play a dangerous game. teasing me like you do."

you giggled sweetly. "teasing? i ain't teasing. i'm just proposing a deal to you. we both benefit. i get you clean, and... well, you can get me dirty."

micah let out a low groan at your words. "never thought i'd say this, but i'm looking forward to a good wash."

"good. you're getting one." you laughed as you moved out of micah's embrace and began walking back to camp. "wait here, i'll get the soap."

you heard the complaints from your man get swallowed up by the trees as you rushed back to the clearing where camp lay. you went over to your bedroll and rifled through your belongings, letting out a hum of triumph when you found your small drawstring purse filled with fancy soap you had stolen from a saloon bathroom in saint denis. you picked up your favourite one: sandalwood and charcoal. the scent was dizzying but it kept you smelling good for long times when bathing properly wasn't an option. micah had commented on how he liked the scent before, so you hoped he would like it on him.

you walked back out to the clearing where micah was stood where you left him, waiting patiently for your return. his eyes brightened when you came into view.

"so, we going?" he smirked.

"so desperate." you teased. "yes, we are. there's a stretch of river not too far from here. the water's clear, since the sun's overhead it should be fairly warm, and since hunters have poached the creatures there to excess there isn't any reason why anyone should come down and bother us."

"river? you really wanna bathe out in the wilds, darlin? i thought someone like you would be happier in the security of a hotel. plenty of privacy..." he purred, looking you up and down like you were a piece of meat which made you fluster for a moment. he noticed this, his cheshire cat grin growing ever wider.

"usually you'd be right. but something about being bare in the wild, with an even wilder man..." it was micah's turn to fluster as you traced his chapped lips with the tip of your finger before trailing it down his chin. he raised his head instinctively, shivering at the contact as you grazed down his neck, settling your hands on his chest. "...it all sounds so damn beautiful."

"that it does." micah growled as his hands grasped your ass making you gasp. he laughed as he withdrew from you, as you took his rough hand in yours. "now show me where this river is."

"certainly, sir. right this way."

it was several minutes walk away from camp but it felt like moments with all the laughing you were doing. micah revelled in that sound, and made joke after joke just to keep hearing it. it was only when you told him that you were close that the jokes started becoming more and more suggestive in nature, and instead of laughter micah got flustered slaps to his arm and false eyerolls which didn't make your true feelings any less apparent.

it was only when you began hearing the sounds of the flowing water and began to see shimmers poking out from behind a final layer of trees that micah's incessant flirting came to a pause.

"we're here." you smiled at him, leading him further to the water's edge. "and at the perfect time too." you looked up to find the sun directly over the slow moving stream, keeping it at a refreshing yet not too uncomfortable temperature.

"and you're sure nobody's gonna disturb us, sweetpea?" micah cocked his head.

"i'm sure."

"good. now get those damn clothes off before i cut em off ya." micah took a seat on a large grey slab of rock, his eyes locked on your figure.

as much as you would have loved to take him up on his offer, you liked the clothes you had on and you weren't the type to budget for new clothes when you already had perfectly functional ones. so you had to be as careful as possible as you removed your outer layer of clothes only leaving your corset and chemise which you enlisted micah's help with removing. for a man with such heavy hands he was quite deft at undoing the bows and buttons, you assumed it was because he was so used to the delicate mechanisms of his revolvers, knowing exactly how to take them apart and put them back together when cleaning them.

after all but ripping his own clothes off in his eagerness and leaving them in a messy pile next to yours which you had neatly folded, the two of you stood before each other. and in this moment, despite both your desires and confidence, neither of you knew what to do first.

he had seen you naked before, but never like this. in broad daylight, your skin bare to him and illuminated by the rays of sun which broke through the trees. every scar, mark and dimple on show. and my oh my, what a show it was.

you had your own admiring to do. the man's body was every bit as rough and rugged as the man's demeanour and speech. his wiry chest hair was speckled with gold and grey, and the skin there was just as tan as his forearms considering he had his top shirt buttons undone most of the time. the thing you were most looking forward to seeing was his stomach: you had seen the outline of his paunch through his shirt on many occasions, and you had to say it made the man so much more attractive to you. you had never understood why the girls at camp gossiped about it in such a mean way. it was hot to you. you loved just how much of him there was, how broad and built, perhaps not sculpted but certainly art within itself, a new form entirely of its own.

you let your eyes drift further down, and as your eyes fell upon micah's already hardened cock you let your growing arousal get the better of you as you licked your lips subconsciously, squeezing your thighs together in anticipation. micah, still admiring every inch of skin you had on show for him, noticed. he chuckled darkly, before walking slowly toward you.

you stood like that for a few seconds. and after those seconds passed, he was on you.

his lips moved voraciously at yours as you pressed your body against his. he let out a groan and another laugh as he looked down to admire the sight of your breasts pressed up against his chest before shoving his tongue roughly into your mouth again. he felt your aching cunt press against his own straining erection and growled into your mouth, impulsively grinding up into the heat between your thighs.

"easy there, cowboy." you laugh as you move away from him, still tasting him in every corner of your mouth. "remember your end of the deal."

micah tutted. "i was trying to make you forget."

"as long as you still smell like that, micah, there is no way in hell i'll forget. you get in, i'll sort out the soap."

micah grumbled under his breath as he dipped his leg in the water and let out a sigh of relief as he felt the river was a comfortable temperature that wouldn't cause his balls to drop off. knowing what was coming next, keeping his balls would be highly preferable.

as you took out the soap from its pouch and turned to face micah, you saw him half submerged in the water, his hair wet and plastered to his face. you hadn't had the pleasure to see his hair wet before, but it was an improvement to the scraggly untamed mess which usually covered his head.

"come on in, darlin'. the water's just fine."

you didn't need to be told twice.

micah let out a satisfied grunt as you stepped into the river and waded out to greet him with another kiss. the water swirled around you at the perfect speed, which was obviously having an effect on micah as it flowed past his still obvious erection as he was breathing shakily through gritted teeth, his face growing red.

"you enjoying yourself, mr bell?" you giggled, pressing another kiss to his neck.

"shut up and get us clean before i dunk you under."

and thus you set to work. you lathered up the bar of soap and gave yourself a quick wash with it to show micah that he had nothing to worry about.

"look, it don't bite." you teased as you lathered your upper body in suds. if micah was actually paying attention instead of drinking up the sight of your breasts glossy and covered in bubbles, maybe he would have been offended.

you had to move to shallower water to wash your legs, bending over just enough to give micah a show. you turned to look at him and for once in his life micah was mesmerised into silence. maybe you would have to utilise that trick in camp and he'd stop being an asshole towards everyone. you kept that tucked in the back of your mind as you waded back out to your man.

you cupped his cheek in your hand which made him snap out of his trance. he feigned irritation that you had taken so long, even though you both knew if he could have stayed there watching you forever, he would.

silently, you lathered up the soap and began running it gently across his shoulders, down his chest and his upper arms. his body was still tense, as he looked down at you with something indescribable in his eyes. it was a sparkle of something. something gentle, sentimental, loving. it was a look you had never seen in his harsh blue eyes which had seen such cruelty, and in a person who committed such cruelty in turn.

"you can relax, micah. i've got you." you whispered, pressing yourself against him as you draped your arms over his shoulders to wash his back and underarms.

"i know you do, doll." micah sighed, his voice shaky and his breathing uneven.

you noticed the warm droplets falling on your skin which you knew weren't from the river. you didn't want to embarrass him out of being vulnerable with you, so you kept yourself pressed against him as your hands glided across every inch of skin that he left above water.

"um, darlin?" he spoke up after a few minutes.

"yes?"

"would you.... could you wash my hair?" his entire body was trembling as you held it close to you.

"of course, sweetheart."

micah sighed happily at the pet name. you imagined that if you had called him sweetheart at any other time, he would have been grumpy with you for patronising him. so you relished in this now.

you walked him over to the shallows where he knelt down in the water, his face pressed into your abdomen.

you occasionally cooed and shushed him gently if he had any form of reaction to your hands moving through his unruly hair, taming it with your fingertips. you started at the roots, lathering up your hands and massaging his scalp. you felt micah's breath hitch against your skin, his forehead pressing gently into your stomach. you took that as a sign he was enjoying himself.

your hands moved down to the lengths, then to the tips. perhaps you could convince him to let you trim his split ends and tidy him up a little. but that was for another time. today you were devout, worshipping him in exactly the form he came in.

"now i'm gonna have to lower your head into the water to wash all the soap out. do you trust me, micah?"

he looked up at you, and in that moment he had never looked so beautiful.

"i trust you."

he let you move behind him, kneeling down and holding his shoulders. slowly, you lowered his head down into the water. his face was submerged for a moment and then came back up. his eyes were firmly closed, his nostrils flaring.

you ran your fingers through his hair underwater as his head rested on your lap. you worked out the final tangles and washed his face with the soap, just as gently as you had washed every part of him. you cupped his soapy face in your hands before giving him a kiss, his lips quivering under yours.

you let him get up and splash his own face with water. you wished you could have stayed here forever. the tranquil sky with its lazy clouds strolling across paths of sunlight, the faint sound of birdsong, the rushing water, the-

your thoughts were disrupted as a large splash of water crashed at you, completely soaking you. you immediately looked toward the source, who was laughing maniacally.

"aw come on, sweetheart. lighten up." he pouted as you waded toward him.

"it's just that you've never been so... vulnerable like that with me before."

"well i hope you're not getting used to it." micah grumbled as he picked your legs up and wrapped them around his waist.

"i'm not. i just mean that i like it. you're beautiful when you cry."

micah gave you a confused look. "men ain't meant to be the vulnerable types, sweetheart. we ain't beautiful neither. i sure as hell ain't."

"i wish you could see yourself the way i see you." you wrapped your arms around micah's shoulders which were much less tense than they were before you came.

micah didn't speak, only giving your neck gentle kisses. you laughed as his moustache scraped against you. your giggles turned into whimpers as he sucked at your delicate skin, biting down gently. not enough to hurt, but just enough to remind you he could hurt you if he chose to.

he began to carry you toward the shore, setting you down on the bank but continuing to suckle down your neck to your collarbone, his hot frenzied breath causing no end of pleasure against you.

he moved down to your chest, enamoured by the soft mounds of flesh. he looked at you then, giving you a smirk.

"what you thinkin, cowboy?"

"i'm thinkin i wanna mark up these tits."

"mark away." you consented without thought. micah let out a low chuckle as his rough lips pressed against your breasts with reckless abandon, his tongue lapping at your nipples before sucking on one, teasing it between his teeth while groping the other one, making sure neither were neglected for a second.

you let out a shaky exhale as you felt his teeth mark your flesh which he soothed with gentle kisses.

"i ever tell you how much i love these things?" micah mumbled in between licks, his head now buried between your breasts.

"you haven't told me you love anything of mine." you replied.

"well, i do. i love this, too." he lowered his hand down between your legs, which you immediately spread open for his hand. you let out a moan as his calloused fingers pinched at your clit roughly, beginning to rub it in slow wide circles.

you sat up ever so slightly so that you could reach for micah's cock, which throbbed immediately in response to your soft hand around it.

"you poor thing, it must be so sore." you teased.

"oh, it is. positively excruciating." micah chuckled as your palm ghosted over the tip before trailing down to the base, pumping it in your hand.

"you won't mind if i kiss it better then?" you smiled sweetly as you moved back into the water. catching your drift and laughing in incredulity, micah switched places with you so that he was sat on the bank. he spread his legs so that you were between them, enjoying the sight of his cock right next to your beautiful face. a primal part of himself wanted to rub every inch of your skin with it, both for the feeling and to also remind you just what you were for, and who you belonged to. but that was old micah thinking. after today, he was left with a lot to think about. though it was hard to think of anything but how good you looked as you parted your lips and took his cock into your mouth.

Chapter Text

the sound micah made was nothing short of spectacular, and every time you indulged him in this way you got to experience it. his jaw was slack, his mouth almost as wide as yours as he gasped for air. nobody had ever touched him with such voracity and care before you, and even with that aside he had been touch starved his entire life. seeing him this overstimulated as you gave the tip of his practically weeping cock soft kitten licks across the slit, smearing precum onto your tongue, made you even more desperate for him. who would have guessed? a strong, independent woman who had fought off gangs of men single handed, could skin a bison using only a butter knife (not that you ever would) , and was an intellectual equal of dutch van der linde himself, finding herself needing some scoundrel’s cock in order to feel whole? micah guessed it. and oh how he loved being right.

“you’re such a good girl, lapping me up like that.” he managed to pant as he let his head fall back, one arm moving to run his fingers through your hair and gripping gently at it while the other arm gripped at the smooth rock behind him to stabilise himself. “you’re a little whore, ain’t ya? my pretty little whore, so good at her job.”

you couldn’t help but groan as those words fell from his mouth, the vibrations causing micah to chuckle and pull tighter on the roots of your wet hair, pulling your mouth further onto him. you hollowed your cheeks as you took more and more of him, your tongue sliding across the underside coating every inch in your saliva. every time you took another section of his length in, you withdrew to his tip before taking more. this change in pace gave micah just enough pleasure to keep making those breathy grunts but not enough to push him to finish. no, you were worshipping his cock in the same way you worshipped the rest of his body, making sure you gave it as much attention as you could for as long as you could draw it out. 

at last you were able to make it down to the base, drool escaping from the corners of your mouth that your man was so kind as to wipe away with his thumb before sucking it clean. you couldn’t help but gag around his girth as the tip of his cock pressed against the back of your throat insisting further access which your gag reflex was simply not allowing. but that didn’t stop micah from bucking his hips and holding your head down for several seconds, grinning widely as you struggled to breathe at the infiltration. he released you just as your mind began to fog and as you gasped for breath he grabbed your chin between his forefinger and his thumb, gently tilting your head upward to meet his gaze. he was still fighting for his own breath, looking entirely undone for a man who usually looked such a way. sweat glistened across his forehead, his eyes that usually glinted with danger like the flash of a dagger now were sparkling. a man entirely transformed by the pleasure of your worship.

he bent downwards to capture your mouth in a sloppy kiss, not caring that the taste of his cock remained inside your mouth and only caring to feel as much of you as he could. he hauled you out of the water harshly, and you let out a squeal as you fell on top of him breaking the kiss for a heartbeat before you dove back into it. you straddled his thighs, still dripping from the river and dampening his skin further. 

“oh micah.” you whispered against his lips, as you rubbed your pussy up and down his length, still covered in your saliva. the head throbbed as you pressed your clit against it, finding leverage pressing your hands against micah’s chest and winding your fingers through his wiry chest hair as you pressed your hips downward, moving back and forth against him. micah was in awe at the sight, smirking as you pleasured yourself against him. his patience evidently began to draw thin however, as after a while he grabbed the plush of your hips forcefully, digging his fingernails into your skin as he lined your entrance up with the tip of his cock before forcefully bringing you down so your hips met his. his cock throbbed as it was finally sheathed inside you, but micah only gave you moments to adjust before he began moving your hips for you.

you gasped at the sudden pain at the fullness which quickly effervesced into pleasure as it always did, the initial fullness and stretching of your walls to accommodate micah’s girth making you moan shamelessly. 

“aw, would you look at that? is the whore enjoying herself?” he asked you with that drawl of his, but you moaned your response as you looked down to watch his cock sliding in and out of you with ease, which micah clocked and laughed at with a sadistic glint in his eye. “you just love my cock, don’t you? you don’t even consider the consequences of this. your little mind can’t comprehend what this all means right now, can it?. well, i’ll do the hard work for you. this right here means you’re mine. mine to worship, and equally mine to ruin. and you love that, don’t you?”

“i do, but that’s big talk coming from the dick i’m riding.” you laughed as micah scowled. he went to roll you over so that he was on top but your thighs kept him locked lying underneath you. 

“ah, ah.” you scolded him, leaning forward so that your face was close to his, your breasts pressed up against his chest. “what happened to nice soft micah from a while ago? i’d rather be fucking him than whoever you are.”

“well, i’m afraid you’re stuck with me. because i haven’t a clue who you’re talking about, missy. now if you just-” micah grunted, straining to move himself only to find that from this position, you were pressing every part of him onto the floor. he released his grip on your thighs to find some kind of leverage on the ground and instead you grabbed his wrists before bringing them above his head. he initially fought back against your grip but as you began to grind your hips in circles he began to relinquish more and more control, submitting to the pleasure quicker and quieter than you expected. too quiet for your liking.

“now where’s that big mouth of yours gone now, sir? have you finally reached the conclusion that it’s better when you’re docile?”

“never.” he tried to sound authoritative but his voice came out breathy and desperate, his pupils blown large as he looked up at you, pleading without daring to let the words fall from his lips. he let out a whimper as you became tighter around him at the sight of his pleasure alone. now the question was, could you get him to admit he enjoyed being vulnerable while getting yourself off at the same time? let’s see.

“blessed are the meek, micah.” you kept your grip firm on micah’s wrists, holding them with both hands while bouncing your hips up and down, intermittently changing your rhythm to grind your clit against him as his cock throbbed inside you, desperate for the attention you weren’t giving it which made the resumption of your riding all the more sweet for micah, who couldn’t get a word out apart from the breathy moans and desperate grunts of your name. 

once you were sure micah wouldn’t continue trying to break free of your grasp, you took one hand away from his wrists and began running it across his body just as you had done while bathing him. you cupped his cheek, your thumb catching the tears that rolled down his cheeks which were red and puffy from his exertion. your hand travelled further, caressing his chin which he instinctively raised to receive more of your gentle touch. it was only when you ran a finger delicately along his adam’s apple and took hold of his throat that micah looked to meet your eyes.

it was always micah that did the choking, and yet here he was looking up at you as you began to add slight pressure to the sides of his neck. not enough to make him dizzy or disoriented, but enough to remind him just what position he was in. in this moment, he had no control over you and had no choice but to submit, to allow you to worship him and give his body the pleasure it had been denied for so long before you appeared in his life, the feeling that was so heavenly that he knew deep down he could never deserve such a thing. he could never deserve you, not once in a thousand lifetimes. so if this was some kind of dream or fantasy then so be it, he would enjoy every moment he could being yours.

you watched as this admission showed itself through micah’s body relaxing, his stormy eyes clear like seaglass. you could see your own reflection in them, and you looked just as debauched as your man did. you couldn’t help but smile, reaching to press your lips against his to stop them from quivering, your hips rocking back and forth as the head of his cock brushed against that perfect spot inside you over and over and over. 

secure in the knowledge that he had no intention of thwarting your efforts to dote on his body, you slowly removed your other hand from his wrists. sure enough, he kept his hands above his head and held your gaze. though he wanted to beg for more of your touch, he wasn’t that far gone. but you knew those eyes well enough, he was practically screaming for you to touch him. you fulfilled his request gleefully.

you ran your hands across micah’s chest, lowering your head to suck and nip at the skin there and watching him squirm slightly as you tugged gently at his wiry chest hair. your pace suddenly became unforgiving, riding his dick for all he was worth. the sound of the rushing water was obscured by the moans that fell from micah’s lips and the coos and whines of encouragement that fell from yours, as well as the sound of skin slapping ruthlessly on skin that the two of you had been acquainted with for what felt like forever since that first night together all that time ago. you could feel micah’s cock throb within you, as he began sloppily bucking his hips upwards chasing his end.

“you’re too good for me, doll.” micah rasped, his head tilting to the side gasping for air and his back arching desperate to reach deeper inside you. he didn’t care at this point that he was giving into the pleasure and forsaking everything he stood for. it was for you, it was with you, it was in you. 

“oh mr bell, i thought you knew that by now. now, you gonna cum for me?” you grabbed his chin and moved his head so you could see each other come undone. you needed to see it, that release, that innermost part of your lover come forth and be laid bare to you. micah did the exact same thing when he pounded into you any other time, in fact he demanded to see it. to know he was the one to cause such vast euphoria was something he enjoyed more than anything else in the world. and now you could see why, your lover unable to meet your hungry eyes as his kept moving upwards, perhaps to heaven. well, you both knew there was no chance for him getting there. so you provided him with this slice of heaven on earth, to soften the blow just a little. no woman had ever given him the time of day before you, and yet here you were giving him your everything. and you would never let him forget that for the rest of his life. 

micah could only nod, letting out the most sinful of grunts as you felt his muscles tense below you. you slowly sunk down onto him and began grinding your pussy on him in fast circular motions, tipping him over the edge as you raced to follow suit. and that you did, after feeling the warm ropes of his seed fill you as the tip of his cock practically kissed your cervix. it was only then that micah moved his hands from above his head to hold your waist and reach in between the two of you to rub your clit, prolonging your own orgasm as you let your head fall back and let out an exhausted but thoroughly satisfied sigh. 

you slowly lowered your body on top of his, not caring about the thin layer of sweat that covered both of you. nothing that another splash in the stream couldn’t fix. your lips fell on top of his, as you began to kiss lazily as if it was your first and last, not caring about the world around you. no, that didn’t matter to you. it rarely mattered to micah anyway, but the only thing keeping him anchored to reality was the feeling of your tongue diving into his mouth to clash with his. he tasted the same as he always did, stale tobacco and coffee. months ago, that would have repulsed you, and you did have to admit to yourself that it was an acquired taste. but now it was something you well and truly acquired, longing for it every moment of every day. 

after he had softened within you, you slowly withdrew from his embrace, causing him to tut with disappointment before his eyes fell on the sight of your pussy lifted from his cock and his cum dripping out of you sloppily. 

“now ain’t that something.” micah tilted his head, tearing his eyes away from the sight to look up at you with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “if you get pregnant, you gonna name it micah bell the fourth?”

“there’s no way in hell i’m doing that.” you laughed as you lay back against the rocks, spreading your legs and allowing micah’s roaming eyes to consume you. 

you looked up at the sky. the sun had moved westward, beginning to cast shadows amongst the trees. light still filtered through the broad green leaves, and the warmth of the midsummer wind caressed your bare skin. you loved these moments, though the were few and far between considering the life you were living. someday though, you wanted to get out of it. you’d live like this every day, allowing yourself to soak in the glory of nature not worrying who was after you or who you were after. maybe here, maybe in europe somewhere. you really didn’t care. and if micah was still with you by that point, or more accurately if micah didn’t pull anything stupid and get himself into shit, you wanted him to join you. sure, that was only a fantasy. you knew he would never, and could never, be tamed. you loved him, but of course there was no way in telling him that. not yet anyway. but there was time, you hoped. 

“you wanna head back?” micah murmured softly. you hadn’t noticed that he was lying beside you, gazing up at the sky in the same way you had been.

“not really. give me a few more minutes.”

“alright.”

the two of you lay in silence, enjoying each other’s subtle warmth as well as the sensations of nature surrounding you.

it was after three minutes that micah broke the silence.

“you love me, don’t you?”

you froze, slowly turning your head to him. but to your surprise, there was no smirk on his face. no mocking shine to his eyes that still stared out at the sky. he was being genuine, for the first time that you had seen. you hid your shock, before laying back once again.

“yes, i do.”

silence again. then a small chuckle rose from him.

“good. i would have felt like an idiot if you said you didn’t.”

the wind rustled the leaves overhead.

“i think i fell in love with you the moment you spoke to me. or i suppose, screamed at me. heh.”

the rock felt warm against your back.

“there was just something about you. no woman has ever made me feel like this. i didn’t think i even could feel in such a way. so deeply.”

you breathed in the air. it smelt like soap and grass.

“my whole life, i was taught that feeling anything at all was weak. and for weeks after you spoke to me i was sure i was sick or something. because there was no way i could admit to myself that for the first time  i wanted to care for someone. to protect them, to please them. for them to love me, in the way that i loved them.”

your mouth tasted of him.

“and i do love you. i can’t believe it, but i do. shit.”

you sat up, and turned to him. he was looking up at you. his eyes were puffy again, his lips parted and his chest heaved. 

“i just didn’t realise how much i did until now.”

he smiled at you. he didn’t grin, or smirk, or snarl. his words weren’t drawled, or leered, or spat. they weren’t followed by a sarcastic comment, or a lecherous look. micah smiled at you. now like a lot of things about micah, the smile was far from pretty. it broke up his face, making the scars and wrinkles all the more apparent. you could see the toll this life had taken on him, his slightly crooked nose and the circles under his eyes. yet he was so beautiful to you that you couldn’t help but smile yourself. 

“let’s head back. i promised arthur i would go out hunting with him before dark. i would ask if you wanna come with but-“

“you’d be right to assume i want nothing to do with it.” micah got up before offering his hand to you pulling you to stand. “but you make sure morgan keeps his distance, alright? if he so much as looks at you longer than he has to, you let me know. got it?”

“i got it, i got it.” you scowled as micah grunted, throwing your clothes over to you. 

micah helped you lace up your corset and you buttoned up his shirt, leaving the two upmost buttons undone to reveal the marks that were blossoming red on his skin. he looked at you slyly before reaching to undo the top few buttons of your blouse revealing the marks he had left on you a few days ago that you had grown tired of covering.

“and is this how you want them finding out about you and me, sweetheart?” he took your arm in his as the two of you set off back the way you came.

“i know you wouldn’t have it any other way, micah.”