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When Kieran is released from his time tied to the tree, Arthur is a near constant at his side. They were inseparable. If there was one, the other would more often than not, also be there.
When Arthur was sick, Kieran was beside himself with worry, the space beside him suddenly empty without his little friend.
During this time, Sean had stayed close, joking with him in attempts to keep his nerves down.
Yeah, Kieran was uncomfortable at first, unnerved by this man’s constant nattering but now he has long grown used to the Irishman’s presence and would go as far to say that he enjoys the man’s company.
“Kya!” Kieran is pulled out of his thoughts of the man as he hears Arthur coo at him. He watches as Hosea sighs with a smile, lowering him to the floor and watching as his son skitters across the dirt to where Kieran is sat with Branwen.
Kieran was quick to take to Hosea, he enjoys the man’s calm and almost motherly personality. It differs so much to the other men in this camp, the ones who would walk past him and sneer or threaten him while he just sat and ate.
They weren’t all like it. Most of the women were kind, Sadie Adler hated him and he’s almost positive that Karen was just indifferent to him. Some of the men just didn’t care about his presence one way or another, Charlse didn’t talk much, Uncle spoke to him without the hissed tone of anger. And there was always Sean, with his goofy personality and complete lack of personal space.
Hosea wasn’t like any of them, well, neither was Dutch but the leader was a riddle Kieran was yet to solve. He didn’t ever speak down to him, despite his obvious qualms with Colm, spoke to him as if he was just another part of the gang often going out of his way to shoot down those who got too aggressive with him.
“Heya Arthur” Kieran coos, holding his hands out for the boy to climb into before he picks him up and sits him in his lap. Arthur doesn’t sit still, wiggling around to look up at him with his wide smile beaming.
Hosea smiles as Arthur sits in Kieran’s lap. He doesn’t regret letting the boy build up his relationship with the young man, if for nothing else, it gives Dutch and himself time for themselves.
Arthur babbles up at him, his chubby fist waving at where Branwen is lying down, sunning herself. Kieran gently takes Arthur’s fist, carefully bring it forwards to rest softly against her short hair.
He’s not worried about how the mare will react to Arthur, she has always been a gentle soul with everything and everyone. She doesn’t even bat an eye when Arthur shrieks with a giggle, bouncing his tiny fists against her side.
“Sshhh, we gotta be quiet.” Kieran whispers, smiling when Arthur just brushes his tiny fingers over her hair, transfixed at the texture of it tickling his fingers.
Branwen just continues to lie there, putting up with Arthur playing with her coat.
“Arty!” The horse looks up with an annoyed look at being interrupted, standing up and walking away from Kieran and Arthur.
The boy looks up with a giggle, his arms held out to be lifted up when he sees Sean.
The man does, bouncing Arthur on his side as he flops onto the ground next to Kieran.
“Duffy” He greets, grinning. Kieran feels his face heat up and he tucks his chin against his chest.
“Sean” He quietly whispers in turn.
“Yes, hello to you to, Arty.” Sean grins, as Arthur bounces in his lap, waving his hands in the man’s face.
“What have you been up to?” He asks the boy; he only gets a series of excited babbles in return. Kieran watches on in tender amusement as Sean seems so carry on the conversation.
“Oh yeah?” Sean asks in a dramatic shocked voice and Arthur giggles, standing from his lap as he waddles towards where Branwen moved to.
He points to her and squeals, a gummy grin splitting his face when Sean encourages him.
“Lenny! Where are you!?” Everyone jumps at the voice ringing over camp. Sean and Kieran stand in an instant, Sean darting forwards to grab a shocked Arthur and holds him out as Hosea rushes over to take him.
Micah comes waltzing into camp, blood spattered up his shirt and face, ranting and raving as he jumps off of Baylock. Kieran catches the stallion’s reins before he can run into camp.
The man walks past them, glaring at Hosea and the baby in his arms.
“Huh, so you kept the little blight.”
“Go to hell.” Hosea sneers with a glare, moving to bring Arthur closer to his chest.
“You first.” The taller man replies, simply.
“Lenny! We need to fucking talk!” He yells again. Hosea takes a step back with the sudden yell, he looks behind him to see Sean and Kieran stood close together with frowns.
“What is all this yelling!?” Dutch comes running out of his tent, Lenny, Charles and Ms Grimshaw following close behind him. He pauses when he sees Micah covered in blood, then looks over to see an angry Hosea holding Arthur’s face into his neck.
He frowns, walking over to his partner and son, staring at Micah the whole time.
“Mr Bell, what is the problem?”
Micah seemingly ignores him, pointing over at Lenny.
“You left me! You went yella!” He growls, jabbing a finger into Lenny’s chest.
“Get off of me, Micah!” He demands, slapping Micah’s hand away, “They were gonna lynch me, what did you want me to do!? You said you had it covered, it’s not my fault you can’t hold your own.”
“You watch your mouth boy!” Micah shoves at him and Lenny is quick to launch back at him, fist flying to knock against the older man’s jaw.
Micah growls and before anything can get out of hand, Charlse and Bill grab the two while Dutch shouts.
“That is enough!”
“Lenny, go cool off.”
“Yes boss” Lenny says before storming off into camp.
“Dutch-” Micah starts, but the leader holds up his hand.
“Mr Bell, you have some nerve showing up into camp looking like that.”
“Where you followed?” Hosea asks.
“What are you tryin’ to say old man?”
“Micah, were you followed?” Dutch repeats.
“No! No, of course not boss, you think I can’t shake a couple law dogs?”
“Yes.” Hosea mutters under his breath earing a glare from Micah, and Hosea glares straight back.
“You betta be right, Micah, ‘else you’d be putting this whole gang in danger.” Dutch almost growls, ignoring the men as he walks off, Hosea following close behind with Arthur not long after.
“Ffuck sake” Micah growls when the men are far enough away, “What you looking at boy” he spits at Kieran when he storms off.
Kieran and Sean are left standing alone in the camp clearing, they turn to each other before promptly breaking down into a fit of giggles. Kieran lifts a hand to cover his mouth as he stares at Sean’s face, scrunched up in a laugh.
It was ridiculously hot, the heat of the summer had kicked in full force and everyone was affected by it, all but knocked out of commission.
No one was fully dresses, not even Dutch was in his classic blacks and dark reds, instead walking around shirtless like the rest of the men. Hosea had started to dress little Arthur in a loose-fitting shirt, airy but still providing protection from the sun, it caused a little uproar from Dutch at first, seeing as it was his shirt but the man was quickly quelled into silence.
They’re sat under a tree, shrouded in shade, Branwen and Ennis laying close by simply in want to escape the sun. Sean looks up from where he’s leaning against Kieran’s shoulder when a ball hits his face.
“What the fuck?” He squints into the sun only to see Dutch stood there, a shit-eating grin on his face, Arthur on his hip.
“Mr MacGuire, I need you to look after the boy.” He drops Arthur off into Sean’s lap and leaves, without even waiting for Sean’s answer.
“Dick.” He mutters.
“Sean!” Kieran frowns at him.
“Whaat”
“Not in front of Arthur” He scolds before taking the boy and sitting him in his own lap.
“He’s heard worse.” The man murmurs under his breath.
“Kyaa!” The boy squeals.
“Hello Arthur, you’re gonna stay with us today!” Kieran grins when Arthur makes a series of happy sounds swaying side to side in his lap.
Sean stares at the two, the happy smile on Kieran’s face and the huge grin on Arthur’s makes him feel giddy.
It’s not long after that Sean falls asleep, head against Kieran’s shoulder again as the man rolls a ball back and forth with Arthur.
“O’Driscoll! Get them damn horses fed!”
Kieran startles to his feet, Sean falling flat on his back at the sudden shift with a curse.
“R-right away ma’am!” He nods before rushing to where the hay and water pales were kept.
“Fuck” Sean groans, rubbing his head as he glares off in the direction of the woman who interrupted his sleep. Again.
He looks back around to see Arthur push himself off the ground before he begins toddling off in the direction that his friend took off to. Sean heaves himself off the ground and catches the boy around the waist to place him on his hip.
“How ‘bout I pick you up if you wan’ to follow ‘im. So you don’t get covered in shit, ay, Arty?”
As he walks the boy over to where Kieran stand bent over placing down a bale of hay down in front of Old Belle, Nell II and Maggie, Boaz trotting over to nose at Kieran’s side in interest.
“Nice ass, Duffy.” Kieran startles, straightening up as his face flushes a bright red.
“S-sean! Not in front of Arthur!” Kieran splutters before he scurries off to complete his tasks.
Sean laughs, bouncing the boy in his arms. “Y’know little man, you make this whole relationship business real difficult.” Arthur giggles and screeches, causing Sean to grin.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re real cute. I get it.”