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Kieran Duffy much preferred the company of horses than people, especially the Van der Linde Gang. While they seemed well-mannered and kind to one another, they all collectively took any chance they could to abuse him. Even Jack- the youngest and, from his observations, the most innocent- had taken to throwing rocks at the "O'Driscoll Boy." That is, until his recent disappearance at the hands of the Braithwaite family and Angelo Bronte. Kieran despised that name yet every single time he opened his mouth to explain that he was no dedicated lackey of Colm's, they simply refused to listen.
The only one that seemed to treat him with any sort of kindness was Mary-Beth Gaskill. There was something about that woman that made Kieran feel different- he couldn't explain it in any possible way, only that she looked at him like he was normal. With her, he didn't have to keep protesting his innocence towards his connection to the rival gang. Instead, she viewed him as simply another human being- she saw him as Kieran Duffy, the awkward man with a keen interest in horses and fleeing any sort of social interaction. In fact, he turned to these two hobbies often after the gang had settled into Shady Belle. He clung almost religiously to the horse station, spending hours overlooking the beautiful creatures and allowing his mind to simply wander. However, he was constantly snapped out of his thoughts as he caught a certain feminine figure in his peripheral vision- Mary-Beth was the object in question, innocently strolling through camp and usually flanked by Karen and Tilly. Still, the shy man stood perfectly at attention when he caught even a tiny glimpse of her pink skirt.
It was well into the afternoon when Kieran decided to remove himself from Branwen's side- the Tennessee Walker let out a small snort in response- and return to camp. As he collected himself, he was finally approached by the lady who so often infiltrated his thoughts. She had appeared so quickly out of nowhere that Kieran was noticeably startled, distancing himself from Mary-Beth before realizing it was her.
"Oh, I'm sorry Kieran, I didn't mean to scare you." She spoke softly and genuinely, a tone that the ex-O'Driscoll wasn't quite used to hearing. As she spoke, the brunette shuffled the weight between her legs, causing her to sway gently against the soft breeze. It was now that Kieran noticed the weathered book in her hands, though he thought very little of it. He knew by now of her knack for reading, it was a trait he found endearing. She turned to face the setting sun, which had already begun to cast its golden glow on everything in its view- in fact, even Mary-Beth's pale, freckled face now was bathed in a golden hue. If anything, the glow only highlighted her striking features, making it easy for Kieran to get lost staring. Though her blue eyes were no longer trained on him, instead focused on the view to the west, she continued. "I just... was looking for a new spot to read my book, away from everyone. Seems you beat me to it." The brunette laughed much like she spoke- softly and almost in a whisper as if she wanted only Kieran to hear it. He let out a nervous chuckle in response, though he did feel a bit more comfortable upon hearing her gentle teasing. It reminded him that she, unlike the others, viewed him more as a friend than foe.
"I was just leavin', you're free to... um... claim this spot if you like." He stuttered through most of his words- a nervous tick that seemed to develop out of fear of the company he kept. However, around Mary-Beth, it appeared for a much different reason. He had come to fear her, yes, but mainly because she was so nice to him. Kieran could not comprehend how such a benevolent and winsome woman could exist amongst the other members of the gang. "I- ... I'll pull up a chair for you, miss."
"No, it's quite alright-" She began, reaching out to stop Kieran as he began moving back towards camp.
"It's... It's the least I can do." He stuttered once more, though he did stop in his tracks. He turned back to face her.
"Well... You see, the truth is that I didn't come out here to read. It's far too late and dark out for that." She admitted, gazing down at her feet almost bashfully. "I noticed that you spent almost all day here and I... I guess I got curious as to why. Though, to be frank, saying it aloud has made me realize just how inconsiderate it is of me to barge in and ask."
A mutual and abstruse silence filled the air, only echoed by the gentle hum of nature as it began to die down. Kieran eventually broke the silence, admitting, "I mostly stick to this spot to avoid everyone else. Here, I ain't worried about the horses calling me an O'Driscoll. Here, I'm just Kieran Duffy- not 'O'Driscoll,' or 'O'Driscoll Boy,' or 'Kieran O'Driscoll-' just... Kieran Duffy." He turned back to Branwen and, to compose himself, began patting her side, finding comfort in the soft whinny she responded with. Ever since he was a child, he found communicating with animals- especially the horses in the stables- to be much easier than doing so with people. Everything that the horses needed to say could be understood through simple noises- grunts, neighs, and so forth. With people, it was much harder to decipher their words and feelings. But maybe the only thing he needed to understand was that he wasn't wanted here. He stuck out like a sore thumb, yet he had nowhere else to go. If he took one step outside of the protection offered at Shady Belle, Kieran knew he would be hunted down by the O'Driscolls the way predators track down their prey- he was weak, he knew that already. He knew it well before everyone around him died and his time with the army was cut short. He was stuck in a world that abused the weak simply because they're easy to kick down on the way to power and wealth. He had more in common with the hapless beggars on the streets of Saint Denis than the Van der Linde gang. He too was doing what he had to do in order to survive, yet he was continuously overlooked or treated with apathy.
Mary-Beth had begun to move closer, now choosing to face Kieran. She took in the man's words, realizing now just how much the cruel nicknames the camp members had given him were getting to him. She had often seen the likes of Arthur, Bill, and Micah terrorizing Kieran, yet chose to stay out of it simply out of fear. "You know, the only reason they call you those names is because they've been hating and plotting against the O'Driscolls for what feels like an eternity. They can't allow themselves to trust anyone associated with the gang- it might make all those years seem meaningless. I think, if you give them time, eventually they'll come to realize just how trustworthy you really are." She put her hand on his shoulder, meant to comfort Kieran along with her words. He remained with his back to her, absentmindedly stroking his horse. "I know my words ain't much and... I don't have a clue how much it must truly hurt but... You just gotta push through it. It's the only way- those boys are always so harsh, but you can't let it get to you."
Finally, he turned to face Mary-Beth with a soft sigh. Despite the dying light of the setting sun, Kieran could perfectly make out the fine details of the woman's face, which was now giving him a shy smile. For a moment, he focused his attention on her features, taking in the many freckles that erratically dotted her nose, cheeks, and chin. The only way that he could possibly describe how he viewed her was with one word: "ethereal." He wasn't quite sure what it meant, picking it up from some conversation he had eavesdropped in, but it felt right. It was clear to him then that he never cared much for Colm O'Driscoll- the man or his ideals- but he was sure about who his heart settled on idolizing now: Mary-Beth Gaskill. Her sympathetic words had begun to root themselves into his abject thoughts. While it didn't completely kill off the feelings of self-doubt, there was a small weight lifted from his shoulders now, making it all just a bit more tolerable. While he chose not to respond, Kieran did return the small smile, hoping to convey how positively influential her words had been.
She did notice the expression and he could see a slight twinkle in her eyes, an emotion he couldn't quite pick out. "I also wanted to say... I know I treated you awful before and I'm real sorry. Being around you more, I started to realize something." She paused, allowing the smile on her face to grow.
"And what might that be, miss?" He asked, looking at her with a questioning glance. He was unsure what to expect the brunette to say, unable to read her facial expression the way she would read those books of hers.
She hesitated for a moment and the man noticed a soft blush spread across her cheek. "You ain't so bad, Kieran... The last thing I'd consider you to be is an O'Driscoll." She finally responded, clinging on tightly to the book in her hands.
"Well, I-" Kieran was interrupted by the sound of Karen and Tilly yelling, calling for their Mary-Beth. She turned her attention to them and signaled to them to shoo off. The two girls obeyed reluctantly, then Mary-Beth turned back to the shy man. "... Thank you, Miss Gaskill."
"Please, call me Mary-Beth. You ain't need to be so formal." She teased, then hesitated a moment before leaning in to press a quick kiss to Kieran's cheek. She pulled away almost as quickly as she had leaned in and turned her face away from him. Kieran stood perfectly still, taking a moment to comprehend what exactly had happened. For a moment, he even considered the possibility that he was going mad- perhaps it was just a figment of his imagination. Still, he could very much feel the soft touch of her lips against his cheek.
It was real.
The two remained in silence for what felt like a lifetime; they were both coming to terms with that one innocent kiss. This time, it was Mary-Beth who chose to break the silence. "I gotta go, don't want to leave the girls hangin'. I'll see you tomorrow though."
Kieran was unsure how to respond, only trusting himself to nod his head slowly in response. His cheeks now burned, giving way to his timid nature. Still, he cracked a small smile and waved. She followed suit and, almost reluctantly, turned her back to him. She walked off towards the chattering voices of Karen and Tilly, Kieran choosing to watch her until she was practically out of his sight.
Now alone once more with his thoughts and the horses, Kieran found himself listening to the sounds of the rest of camp- particularly, a rather drunk Reverand Swanson. Unlike most nights, in which the reverend would sing until he blacked out, the older man had chosen to rather histrionically profess a biblical passage to no one in particular. "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?"
Even long after the rest of camp had died down, as the campfire began to slowly flicker out and the only human movement was the shuffling of sleeping bodies, those words echoed in Kieran's head. They took over his every thought as he turned his back to the camp and began brushing Branwen once more. He didn't know much about what awaited him in the future, but he did know one thing: it was beginning to get a lot more tolerable because, at the very least, one person no longer considered him an O'Driscoll.
He could live with that.