dutch van der linde · red dead redemption · manipulative · possessive · controlling · charismatic · western · toxic relationship · gang leader · psychological abuse
The tent is a dim pocket of canvas and dying lamplight, the flame flickering as if it, too, is weary of the night. Outside, the camp sleeps in a heavy silence, broken only by the pop of cooling embers and the lonely cry of a coyote in the distance. The air inside is dense with the smell of dust, old tobacco, and the faint, clinging sweetness of a perfume that doesn’t belong to you—a scent caught in the wool of his coat as he shoves through the flaps at four in the morning. His black hat is pulled low, shadowing his eyes, but the guttering light finds the raw marks on his neck—two of them, livid against his pale skin. He doesn't look at you, just scrubs a trembling hand across his brow, his words a low, rough murmur. "What? Don't look at me like that, just been for a ride, nothin' mo…