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Hosea lies on his side, staring over the side of the cot at Kieran who’s asleep against Arthur's crib with an arm thrown over holding hands with the baby. He’s deep in thought and he sighs.
He momentarily tenses as he feels Dutch shift against his back, relaxes under the soft kiss that’s placed on his throat.
“You okay?” Dutch whispers against his skin, arms tightening around his waist.
“I am. I don’t think young Kieran is though.”
“He back in here?” Dutch asks, gently shifting to peer over Hosea.
Hosea sniffs, turning around in the ring of Dutch’s arms, burying his face in the man’s chest.
“I don’t know what to do Dutch. They’re both so scared.”
Dutch rubs his hand up and down Hosea’s naked back, hoping to calm the man’s worries. “I know Dear. We could get a cot set up in here for Kieran?”
Hosea smiles but shakes his head, his hair tickling under Dutch’s chin.
“And then what? No dear, you’re sweet but no. There’s not enough space.” Hosea falls silent, his smile dropping.
“What we need is to move away. Please Dutch.”
Dutch nods, a smile pulling at his lips, he taps his fingers on Hosea’s back.
“Where should we go, my love?”
His smile doesn’t catch on when he hears Hosea let out a shuddered sigh, “I-I don’t know Dutch, but we need to go. Our son deserves better.” Hosea sounds choked up, his voice warbling.
“Ssh Hosea, we’re okay. They’re okay. Arthur is okay.” Dutch coos as he pulls Hosea on top of him when he moves from his side to lay on his back.
“We’ll get out of here, Dove. I swear by it.” He promises as he tightens his arms around Hosea.
“Thank you Dutch.” Hosea whispers, laying his head down on Dutch’s collarbone and just letting himself be held.
“C’mon men! Let’s get this stuff moved!” Dutch orders, heaving a crate of belongings from his and Hosea’s tent into the back of a caravan.
A chorus of “Yes boss!” sounded as people bustled around.
Hosea watches, with a fond smile as he watches Dutch walk back to their tent where he kneels to the floor and begins working on packing another crate.
“Y’know dear, I reckon this is the most work I’ve seen you do in a long while, ain’t that right Arthur.” He winks down at the boy in question from where he’s perched on his hip, the boy beaming as he hears Hosea use his name.
“See, even Arthur agrees.”
“Well, I never! I work plenty.” Dutch gasps, hand over his heart in faux hurt. He gazes up at Hosea with a chest full of butterflies as the man softly laughs at him.
“Sure Dutch.” Hosea laughs again, before his face scrunches in confusion when he sees the look Dutch is giving him.
“What’s that look for?”
“You’re beautiful.” Dutch says simply, still staring at him.
Hosea blushes a deep red, pushing against Dutch’s head softly with his hand.
“Get back to work, you fool.”
Dutch laughs as Hosea walks off with their son before getting back to work on packing.
It’s when he’s carrying another crate to the caravan that he topples over, tripping and sending the crate to the ground with a loud thud.
Dutch, similarly, hits the ground with a thud as well, cracking his face against the grass.
“Fuck.” He cusses to himself, moving to push himself to sit on his ass.
Infront of him lays Arthur’s stuffed horse toy and Dutch picks it up, laughing to himself.
So, this is what parenthood is.
“Shit, you okay Dutch?” Lenny rushes over and reaches under Dutch’s arm lifting him to stand.
“I’m good kid” Dutch laughs, dusting off his knees.
“That was quite a fall Dutch.” Lenny looks at him as if he’s crazy but otherwise takes a step back.
“Dutch!” He turns to see Hosea jogging over.
“I’m fine, Hosea.” He reassures before the man could even ask.
“Well, what happened?” Concern is written on his face and a confused Arthur looks between them before he screeches causing both men to look down at him.
Dutch follows the direction his fist is pointing and laughs,
“This yours Little Prince?”
He gives it over and Arthur giggles to himself as he hits the toy against Hosea’s chest.
“It appears our son is trying to kill me.” Dutch says, voice serious and deadpan.
They stare at their boy, playing with his toy in his own little world. Neither last long. Both burst out laughing, causing Arthur jump and shoot a glare up at them for interrupting his game which in turn makes them just laugh even harder at how his lip sticks out and eyes squint.
Dutch lifts a hand to stroke at Arthur’s soft hair before covering his face with his palm. Arthur immediately beings to screech and giggle.
“Look at your face, dear.” Hosea frets, placing a finger to the cut in Dutch’s chin and Dutch smiles again, taking the man’s hand between his.
“I’m fine Dove.”
“Mm...” Hosea hums then grins,
“Then hurry up and get that crate packed, we’re all waiting on you, you lazy fool.”
“Don’t be cute Hosea.” Dutch deadpans, rolling his eyes but otherwise does as he’s told as he yet again repacks the crate and loads it up.
He’s going to miss Horseshoe Overlook, it really was a scenic area with good links, but he couldn’t risk his family with Colm sniffing about.
Unlike the first couple of times that they travelled with the boy, Arthur was wide awake in his place in Hosea’s lap, they forewent the boy sitting inside one of the wagons so they could keep a closer eye on him as they travelled the long distance to the new camp Charlse and John had scouted out before, it was a much better suited area than where Micah had originally suggested. How the man thought a semi dried up creek would be any good to them was beyond Dutch but at least the man was trying?
Dutch is pulled out of his thoughts when he hears a squeal followed by a sleepy chuckle, he glances over to see Arthur bundles in his blankets pointing at a small herd of deer they were about to pass, Hosea holding him around the waist as he fights the urge to fall asleep. There was something about riding up front on a wagon that always had Hosea near sleep each and every time and Dutch found it endlessly endearing as the man would lean against his side and doze. There was no sleep for the man however, as Arthur bounced in his laps, clapping his hands together as the deer spooked, bellowing their retreat.
“Was that fun, Arthur?” Dutch asks, smiling when the boy whips around to look at him almost as if he had forgotten his Daddy was even there, “They were called deer.” Dutch says, drawing out the word to encourage Arthur to copy him. The boy doesn’t, obviously, too young, and uninterested to even consider using any word that didn’t relate to Hosea.
“Here, let me take him from you so you can nap, Old Girl.” Dutch says, winding an arm around his son and lifting him into his own lap, one hand clutching the reins, the other around his son’s waist, keeping his blanket in place.
“Mm. thank you Dutch.” Hosea whispers as he lays more heavily against Dutch’s side, melting into sleep within a matter of seconds.
“Ssh, we gotta be quiet now, Little Prince, mama is sleeping, okay?”
‘Mama’ had started of a joke between Dutch, Susan, and a few other gang members. With Hosea’s attitude towards the boy and all things baby related, they had made an offhand comment, but much to Hosea’s chagrin, the boy had picked up on it. They had tried to rectify it but as it was encouraged by the gang telling Arthur to “find his mama” the boy refused to use anything but.
So, it became commonplace for Arthur to call Hosea that and truth be told, the man didn’t mind though he still cast an annoyed glance at anyone else who dared to refer to him in that way.
Arthur looks up at him with wide eyes before he points across the way where a coyote was laying with its pack.
“That’s a coyote, Arthur.” Dutch says uselessly and Arthur grins at him.
“We’re gonna have so much fun in this new place, Arthur, gonna teach you how to fish and maybe even swim.” He sees Arthur flail his arms about in excitement as his daddy simply talks to him. “Or maybe we’ll wait until you’re a little older…”
Dutch smiles, relaxing into his seat as he focuses on guiding the wagons behind Charlse’s horse. With Hosea slumped against him and little Arthur bouncing about in his lap grabbing for the reins himself, Dutch feels loose and content.
Dutch looks up when he hears his name called, John greets him as he leads the wagon through the trees. The area looks perfect, surrounded by water and trees with plenty of space for their tents, wagons, horses, and campfires.
“Good job with this place boys.” He says as Charlse walks over.
“We here?” Hosea mumbles sitting up, one side of his hair stuck up from where it was pushed against Dutch.
“Afraid so, sorry you couldn’t have slept longer Old Girl.” Dutch replies, lifting his hand to flatten Hosea’s hair back down.
“Don’t worry Dutch, we’ve got all night for that. Or at least until the tent is put up.”
Hosea looks down at Arthur sitting in Dutch’s lap, rocking side to side not looking at them.
“What you up to Arthur?” Hosea asks and Dutch looks down at the top of the boy’s head.
Arthur whips his head around at his mama’s voice, and Hosea gasps seeing what was in the boy’s mouth.
“How on earth did you get that?” Dutch asks, watching as Hosea fently pries his pocket watch from the boy’s hand, taking the chain from out of his mouth.
“I think we’ve taught him a little too well.” Hosea laughs, “We’re raising a thief.”
Dutch shrugs, “The boy was bound to pick it up some time or another. He’s surrounded by thieves. His own mama is a kleptomaniac.” He teases and Hosea laughs.
“I am not! I just see something I like and I take it.” Hosea says matter-of-fact.
“So does a kleptomaniac.” Dutch deadpans, face serious.
“Oh shut up.” Hosea leans down to stage whisper into Arthur’s ear, “Your Daddy is a mean mean man, Little Prince.”
He shoots a look at Dutch and after a second they both descend into laughter.
Dutch looks over the lake, they’d been in this new camp for a couple days now and despite moving more East than any of them were comfortable with, everyone was grateful for the warm weather the move had brought. Even Hosea was losing layers due to the warmth. Dutch sighs, content, when he spots the boat in the distance and his brain comes alight with an idea.
Dutch turns on his heel and makes his way through the camp. He stops when he sees Arthur playing in the centre of their tent, bouncing what looks like a wooden block on the floor in front of him, and walks behind the boy.
Arthur squeals when Dutch picks him up, throwing him in the air before catching him again.
“Hello Arthur.” Dutch laughs, walking the boy out the other end of the tent. Hosea is stood across the way near Silver Dollar, fussing the stallion with a brush and no doubt getting his waistcoat covered in fine silver hairs.
“Hey Old Girl!” Dutch calls and Hosea looks up, his face splitting in a grin when he sees Arthur excitedly wave at him.
“Hi Dutch. Hello Little Prince.” Hosea greets, inclining his head up when Dutch goes to kiss him.
“I had the most wonderful idea!” Dutch exclaims and Arthur looks up at him with a wide smile.
“Oh great.” Hosea deadpans but is quick to smile when Dutch shoots him a faux betrayed look.
“You’ll like this, I promise.”
“Sure Dutch.” He says but waves his hand and gestures for him to continue.
“You mentioned that lake you found, and I’ve been thinking what if we go fishing?”
“Fishing?”
“Of course. We haven’t been out just the two of us in lord only knows how long.”
“Quite right. But Dutch,” Hosea starts, rolling his eyes at Dutch’s ‘yes my dear?’, “It wouldn’t be the two of us.” As if on que, Arthur gurgles to himself, kicking his feet about as he grows bored,
“Oh, I know that. It’d be good for the boy to get out.” Dutch looks at him with pleading eyes, tilting his head close to Hosea’s batting his lashes sweetly. Hosea just sighs, pushing Dutch’s face away.
“Fine. But-” He points a finger in Dutch’s smug face, “I get to ride with Arthur.” With that, he pulls himself up onto Silver Dollar, looking down at Dutch expectantly.
“Of course, mama.” Dutch snickers at Hosea’s glare but hands Arthur up nonetheless, hands still held out until Hosea settles the boy between him and the saddle horn, a hand resting on their son’s belly.
“Come one then.” Hosea laughs and Dutch gives him a look before mounting The Count.
They ride in companionable silence, enjoying the scenery that passes them by and their son’s excitement at, once again, being on a horse. Hosea looks across to Dutch and sees the man already looking their way.
“What you staring at you fool?”
Dutch’s mouth morphs into a sappy smile and he leans forwards against The Count’s neck.
“You’re beautiful.” He says simply and Hosea rolls his eyes.
“Shut up.” Heat raises along his cheekbones anyways.
“Never.” Dutch says, kicking The Count into run as he looks over his shoulder to see Hosea’s shocked face turn into a grin as he spurs Silver Dollar into sprinting up behind them.
They continue to ride, laughing like loons even Arthur giggle-screams as the wind blows his hair every which way, he claps his hands in excitement and looks up to grin a gummy smile at Hosea, the man responding with his own smile, nose scrunching.
“It’s just down here.” Hosea says, leading Silver Dollar down a path that leads to the water bank. He hears Dutch cuss as he had to force The Count to turn around back to the trail Hosea had passed down.
It was his own damn fault for riding off without Hosea.
Hosea dismounts, lowering Arthur from the horse to the floor.
Arthur stands beside his legs gripping his hand as he eagerly watches his daddy stop and join them.
“Took you long enough.” Hosea says letting go of Arthur’s small hand when the boy tries to tug away and stumble over to the other man, watches as Dutch greets him and picks him up to sit on his hip.
“Well if you didn’t wait until after I passed the turning, I wouldn’t have taken so long to get back.”
Hosea raises an eyebrow,
“Well if you didn’t feel the need to show off, you wouldn’t have overshot the exit.” He shoots back and laughs when Dutch’s lips turn into a pout.
Hosea turns, pleased with Dutch’s silence, and walks of to where he was sure he had seen boats the last time he had come here.
And sure enough, two row boats sat unused on the bank.
“I’m sure they won’t mind us borrowing one of these.” He looks over his shoulder and sees Dutch talking softly to Arthur, the boy smiling and reaching up to try and grab Dutch’s moustache, he smiles at Dutch’s love-full eyes.
“Give me a hand with this?” He calls and Dutch nods without looking up, entirely smitten with their boy.
“You just sit their Arthur.” Dutch says, placing the boy in the centre of the boat.
Dutch and Hosea share a look when he giggles as the men start to shove the boat across the land and into the water.
“Hop in, Old Girl.” Dutch says, before giving the boat a final push, hopping in before his pants could get wet.
“I’ll row, you just rest up.” Dutch says sweetly and Hosea rolls his eyes, though he does lean back in the boat wiggling his foot when he feels Arthur grab the toe of his boot.
“Just stop over there.” He motions and Dutch angles the boat in the direction.
“Just here should do, we should really be coming out earlier if we want to catch anything real big.” Hosea says, standing to his feet, lengthening out his fishing rod.
The hours pass slow and filled with companionable talk about nothing, Dutch standing at the other end of the boat, rod gripped in one hand while he holds Arthur’s hand in the other, only letting go when he feels something bite at his hook.
Arthur, when he wasn’t hanging off of Dutch, seemed content to sit in the centre of the boat playing with hookless flies and snacking on the cheese they had intended to use for bait.
Hosea finds his attention drawn away from fishing, a feat within itself, and more often than not his eyes lay on Dutch and their boy.
His eyes widen when he sees the boy move.
“Nono! Don’t touch that, Arthur.” Hosea cries, holding the boy back from trying to grab the fish from the bucket at his feet. Arthur stares up at him in betrayal, pouting at his fun being ruined. Hosea finds it alarming just how much he looks like Dutch in these moments.
“Naw, let the boy be Hosea, he’s touched worse things.” Dutch laughs recalling the time the boy had come stumbling into camp, trying to hand everyone who paid him half a glance a fist full of horse manure.
“We’ll see how you feel about him touching fish when he wakes you up with a fist in your gob again.”
Dutch winces at the thought and Hosea gives him a pleased look.
“That’s what I thought.”
“Come over here Little Prince, we don’t want to be touching all that. It’s yucky.” Dutch says, picking Arthur up by the back of his shirt much to Hosea’s chagrin and kneels in the boat, pulling Arthur to sit on his thigh with both his arms wrapped around the boy’s stomach to hold his fishing rod in front of them both.
He smiles when Arthur eagerly holds onto the rod with a toothy determined grin.
“You having fun Arthur?” Dutch asks, watch as the boy bounces on his thigh, staring over the edge of the boat before he laughs upon seeing his reflection ripple.
Arthur whips his head behind him, almost hitting Dutch in the face in the process, a wide-open mouthed smile aimed at Dutch almost as if he was checking that his daddy had seen it too.
Dutch laughs, kissing the boy’s forehead,
“I saw it too son, don’t you worry.” He whispers, leaning forwards to run his fingers in the water disturbing their reflection again. Arthur squeals excitedly throwing his arm out to copy him and Dutch leans forwards with an arm securely wrapped around Arthur’s stomach as he lets the boy splash his arm about in the water.
The water splashes back and hits him in the face but he doesn’t react, simply enjoying Arthur’s joy in the new experience.
Hosea sits on the bench, watching Dutch sleep on the floor of the boat with his back to the bench, chin tucked to his chest, a leg stretched out in front of him and the other bent at the knee. Arthur lays sprawled between his knee and chest, passed out and drooling.
Hosea smiles as Dutch sleepily pets down the boy’s back, the action long since become muscle memory.
He angles the boat back in the direction of camp, glancing at the shoreline to see The Count lying down and sunning himself as Silver Dollar grazes.
He watches as The Count bolts up to his feet upon realising his rider was moving away from him, snorting, and stomping his feet before he makes to move after them, Silver Dollar looking up and following after him. The Arabian’s need to have Dutch in his sights while away from camp was a situation that amused Hosea greatly; he was just glad that the horse had finally learnt to stay put rather than following close with every step Dutch took.
As the minutes stretched by in silence Dutch had awoken to the feeling of the boat’s gentle rocks and the soft mumbling as Hosea sang to himself unaware that Dutch was listening in.
He continues to rest against the bench, eyes closed as his hand carries on with the soft grazing against his son’s back. Truthfully, it was beginning to get too warm for Arthur to be asleep on his chest like this, Dutch can feel how his shirt sticks hot and damp against his skin with sweat.
Upon hearing Arthur’s snuffled sleep noises, Dutch decides that he would face any amounts of heat just to continue to hold his son like this.
“Mm don’t stop.” He mumbles when Hosea’s soft singing dies down, smiles when he hears the man’s squeaked surprise.
“We’re coming up to the dock.” Hosea says and Dutch peaks his eyes open, smiling up at Hosea as the boat comes to a stop and the man stands causing the boat to gently sway.
“Come on.” Hosea says softly, laying his hand against the top of Dutch’s head which Dutch pushes into briefly before he also stands, struggling in the rocking boat with a hand supporting Arthur to him.
Dutch groans when his knees crack, shooting a glare at Hosea’s bit back laugh.
“Want me to take the boy?” Hosea asks and Dutch shakes his head, sparing a glance at Arthur’s soft blonde hair.
“No, I’ve got him. You deal with the fish.”
“Such a gentlemen.” Hosea laughs, stepping out of the boat and onto the dock, dropping the sack of fish by his feet as he offers a handout for Dutch to take. An offer Dutch takes willingly, appreciating the help as he climbs out of the rocking boat, holding Arthur to him hoping that the boy doesn’t wake up.
“I’m going to get these fish to Pearson, why don’t you put Arthur up.”
Dutch hums an affirmation, leaning down to catch Hosea’s lips in a light kiss before he walks of in the direction to their tent.
Hosea laughs at Pearson’s disgruntled shout, sauntering off to where Dutch disappeared to, ducking between the tent flaps, sealing his family from the bustle of the rest of the camp.
The sight that greets him fills his heart, and Hosea feels his cheeks ache with how wide his smile is.
On the cot lays Dutch, passed out shirtless with Arthur sat on his chest in nothing but his diaper, holding onto Dutch’s chest hair in a tight grip as he giggles at his Daddy’s snores.
“Did Daddy fall asleep on you, sweet one?” Hosea asks, sitting on the bed beside Dutch’s legs, laying a hand on Arthur’s warm back.
Arthur looks at Hosea with a smile, holding out his arms to be held and Hosea eagerly picks him up, tucking his small head under his chin as he moves to lay on the cot himself.
Hosea smiles to himself when Arthur butts his head to his collar bone, nuzzling into the fabric of his vest, a hand gripping on of Hosea’s fingers as he drifts off to sleep.
With a final glance at Dutch’s face lax in sleep, Hosea sighs content.