It was 1899, and the years of outlaws and bandits were coming to an end. It was more apparent now than ever, that everything had fallen apart. Everyone had been tense for weeks, and it was clear pretty early on that things were falling apart. None of it was out of nowhere, but the way things panned out, in the end, left your stomach twisted with regret despite you expecting such. Arthur and John were a difficult loss to comprehend. Micah came back after we parted ways with them and explained that both of them had been found dead in the caves. Both of them had so much life left to live, but it's not like you would voice those opinions towards anyone anymore, they all seemed so different now.

There was often a thought that plagues you whether or not picking Dutch's side was smart. Siding with Arthur would've been a death sentence apparently, but deep down you knew Dutch had gone too far off the deep end to be reasonable.

The main reason you stayed with the side of the gang was Javier. You were aware of his flaws, he'd follow Dutch until the ends of the Earth out of pure devotion, regardless of how moral his choices were. Javier was too loyal for his own good, but that's why you loved him. It was a difficult time to love another man, but both of you persevered. Endlessly devoted to one another just as he was to Dutch. But right now, he seemed to be falling apart.

You'd pulled him aside, late during the night like you'd done so many times before. This time, it wasn't to secretly hold one another, nor was it a gentle and sweet conversation. No. The energy was tense, and Javier looked like he was ready to crack.

"Qué estamos haciendo- we don't have time for this right now." He sounded utterly fed up. Normally he was a gentleman, he made it clear that he didn't care how difficult it was to be in a gay relationship, he loved you. Javier quickly tried to correct himself, a tenseness still present in his voice. "Shit. I'm sorry, mi cielo. I'm sure this is hard for you. But just trust me, I'm handling everything."