meds4sale | Open Post

The Medicine Seller didn't take lovers often, and those relationships rarely lasted past the point of his partners realizing he really wasn't human. But Arthur seemed... at ease about it.

He liked this quiet and comfortable intimacy as much as he enjoyed talking with the other man, or more... passionate communication.

So he would stay. As long as Arthur wanted him. If he was still mortal, then the Medicine Seller would cherish whatever time they had together. If not... well, that would be a conversation they could have about not drawing unwanted attention a decade or so down the line.

It was coming close to dawn, and he remembered the last sunrise he spent with Arthur, the man withered to barely a ghost, and he took a moment to appreciate how hale and healthy he looked.

And then his ears perked up, and he promptly dove into thicket, tails thrashing wildly behind him. There was an alarmed squeak and a crunch, and he wriggled out of the brambles with a hare clasped in his jaws.

Trotting up to Arthur while looking quite pleased with himself for catching breakfast, he gave him a playful headbutt.

Arthur was content with wandering the woodland with his companion, stopping if something interesting came his way, or the like, but the stew had been filling and he didn't hunger too much. Plant life was all frosted or coated in snow, he'd not find bees again until spring, and most animals were bedded down for the night or keeping well away from the smell of bear and fox.

The world was quiet, dampened by the snow, the occasional rustle of rush or leaf litter betraying something else about them, a bird or in the case of the fox's catch, a fine hare. He grunted and gave his ear a lick as they headed back to the cabin.

When before he hunted or wandered alone, he almost always timed it to get back to the cabin when he could shift back, not wishing to be spotted by locals. Now, he was okay with taking their time.

They returned to the little house on the lake as the sun was already pretty far up and-after a quick check around to make sure they weren't being watched, he shifted back to being human and made his way back inside, cursing the cold for freezing his balls off. The fire had died in their time out but after getting his union suit back on, he stoked it back to life.

The Medicine Seller didn't need to change back right before entering the warm (albeit not as warm as it had been when the fire was going) cabin, and was less inclined to curse the cold. Instead, he took a moment to shake the snow out his fur, set the hare to the side and stretch.

The Medicine Seller, now less fuzzy but looking a little disheveled from their evening stroll, stood on two legs, gingerly flexing his fingers to get warmth back into them. He then got relatively dressed in his light green juban, and layered it with the quilted and cozy hanten, collected the hare and joined Arthur by the hearth while picking fur out his teeth.

"I am thoroughly reminded why I prefer to set snares and traps," he remarked.

"It is a little thin. Probably better in stew than roasted."

Arthur watched the little fox stretch and then change, a far less painful looking process than his transformations. He watched him pile on the layers and was again reminded he needed to get some actual clothes. He only had a handful now, and what he was currently wearing was his most warm.

As he picked hair from his teeth he chuckled and nodded.

He had a look at the hare and nodded. "Yea they don't give much" he agreed

Rabbit starvation, they called it. Could eat a hundred of the little things and not gain so much as a point from how lean they got in the winter. With a stew they'd at least get whatever fat was on the creature.

Idly trailing a finger over the collar of Arthur's union suit down to the topmost button, giving it a suggestive wiggle, he made a soft hum at the back of his throat.

The sun was rising and they had nowhere else they needed to be.

"I will get get breakfast started in a moment, but... how are you feeling? No pain or fatigue?"

Arthur would take whatever meals he could get out here, even if it was some variation of stew day after day. The hungry bear in him and the fact he had very little for additional supplies due to lack of money meant he couldn't be picky. Not that he was, he endured Pearson's cooking for quite some time after all.

Besides, whatever the medicine seller concocted, it was always something incredible, and far better than what his few cooking abilities could achieve.

The tease to the button did have him brush his fingers lightly over the other's own, but their intimate fun could wait until later.

"Tired for sure." he said, and after the adrenaline of the shift had taken place, he was left exhausted. Usually he just laid down and had a late lunch after such an event but, he didn't want to nap just yet, he wanted the other to lay with him...For warmth, and to ensure when he woke this wasn't some sort of dream.

He pressed a gentle kiss to Arthur's brow and nodded. He wouldn't hound the man about his health, but he was what he was, and the occasional check in would hardly hurt.

And a good meal after the body went through a dramatic physical shift would certainly help.

"Rest and warm up then," he murmured softly, lips lingering just a moment longer before he stood to get their breakfast ready.

The Medicine Seller did have supplies - the winter saw his magical box practically become a larder; nuts, dried fruit, stock fish, dried fish, dried kelp, and dried mushrooms, potatoes, onions, roots and tubers and gourds, pickled and brined vegetables, along with sacks of flour, sugar, salt, rice, and his luckiest trade; a large pot of miso paste. Just a little taste of home, insofar as much as the Medicine Seller considered something 'home'.

He skinned the hare and prepared the meat by dicing it finely, seasoning it with salt and ginger, and rolling it into balls much as he'd done when they had camped by the pool. This time it was not cooked with summer vegetables, but instead sweet potato, turnip and onion, in a broth of salt, miso paste and fish. It was the kind of meal he'd prepared so many times he could practically do it in his sleep, and it wasn't long until he was ladling a heavy portions into their bowls.

Arthur smiled at the kiss. If he was dead and this was the afterlife, not so bad at all.

Despite his want to sleep, the call for hot good food kept him up, and he sat and watched him pull out all manner of ingredients for their breakfast and prepare them a soup of the meager rabbit.

It smelled heavenly when being cooked and even better once finished and bowled up for them. He inhaled the steam and smell of strange and wonderful scents, able to pick them out a bit more thoroughly with his slightly heightened senses. The fish with the rabbit was something he'd never consider, nevermind the rest of the combination, but he trusted the man not to create anything foul.

Arthur had a spoonful and sighed at the taste. "Delicious work darlin'" he said, kissing the man's temple as they sat on the worn rug by the fire instead of at the table this time.

"I am glad to hear it," he replied, leaning into his warmth. It was far more pleasant here with him by the hearth and he really had no desire to stand on ceremony with formalities.

He liked cooking for Arthur and, as of last night, found he quite liked Arthur cooking for him too. Hot soups and heavy stews were probably going to be a staple for them until the weather began to warm, and it seemed Arthur was a dab hand at the latter.

Perhaps he was being overly sentimental, but he decided to allow himself that little indulgence.

Later he would ask him more about what happened; why those he'd worked so hard to protect had abandoned him and left him for dead. But such things could wait. The Medicine Seller knew all too well how full the world was with tragedy; for now, they could just enjoy their happy reunion as long as possible. Hot breakfast and a nice, long nap seemed a good place to start.

"I really do love when you call me that," he remarked, sipping the broth and nibbling his vegetables.

The heat of the fire and the warmth of the meal soothed his sore body, the other pressed close to him while they ate equally as comforting as the soup. More so. He'd have company that wanted to be with him but also expected nothing of him. It would take some getting used to but he was happy.

The last year or so prior to his "death" had been rough, one disappoint after another, hardly ever catching a break. But along came a little fox who found enjoyment in being with him. He'd not take it for granted.

Arthur looked at him at that, "What? Darlin'?" he asked

"Mm," came the hum of agreement from around a mouthful of rabbit and sweet potato.

He swallowed, and bussed his head against Arthur's shoulder.

"I know endearments are much more common here, but I cannot help but like hearing such things from you."

Arthur paused in his meal to set his spoon down and give the other man's cheek a caress. "Then I'll keep callin' yea that." he smiled.

He kissed his temple, returning to his meal but glad the other found the endearment okay.

After their meal and the clean up, Arthur lay down for a morning snooze, pulling the other man into bed with him for warmth and to hold. He buried his face against his chest, lulled quickly by his heat and scent, and tugged the covers over the both of them. The bed wasn't made for two but wasn't like they were trying to keep separated anyway.

It was a narrow fit, barely big enough for one, but he wasn't about to complain. The bed was much more comfortable than his reed mats on the forest floor, and it was made all the more comfortable by Arthur's warm weight. He stroked his fingers through his hair, longer than it was when they first met, and still that lovely shade of umber gold.

His other hand was trailing along his back, over his spine and ribs, pleased he could feel more flesh than bone now that Arthur was returning to a more healthy weight.

For the first time in a while, the Medicine Seller made sincere plans for the future, before his racing mind ran out of steam and he too drifted off.

Arthur slept for several hours, warm and in the arms of another, he woke only when his internal clock said he had to take care of Buell. Opening his eyes, he found himself laying comfortably atop the medicine seller.

Smiling lazily down at him, he kissed his lips lightly before getting up, making sure the blankets were still tucked around the other man before pulling on his boots and going outside. The cold woke him up immediately and he got to work cleaning up and feeding the horse.

The kiss got a sleepy snuffle from him and a sleepy attempt to chase his lips before settling back into the pillows with a sigh.

The Medicine Seller slept deeply for another half hour before his subconscious started to miss the extra warmth.

Stirring slowly, he took a moment to dwell on how pleasant a dream that had been, and clung to the scent of Arthur that still seemed to permeate the air around him.

His eyes fluttered open and he blinked.

No, not seemed.

He peered blearily around the cabin, a faint and content smile on his face.

Not a dream at all.

He could hear the sounds outside of Arthur tending to Buell and so he slipped out of bed, tightening the hanten around him and tugged on his pants and shoes. He made some effort to tame his hair, tying the majority of it back with his bandana, but it seemed intent to do whatever it pleased until he could be bothered to take a brush to it.

He peered outside, watching Arthur in his longjohns with a fond smile. He really did cut a charming figure.

"Would you like some help?" he asked, stepping out into the brisk air. The sky was clear, but he could see grey clouds on the horizon promising snowfall later that evening.

Arthur was just finishing up mucking out the little paddock for the stallion when the medicine seller came out and offered his help. His normally groomed appearance now made a bit more messy drew a smile outta him.

"Uhh I think I got this but could use a bath if you wanna get some water boiling for us." he said.

Normally he'd just take a dip in the lake but as it was partially iced over, he had no intention of freezing his balls off.

Oh, a bath sounded excellent, he thought. He'd seen a pair of pails inside that he suspected were for getting water up from the lake inside.

It was three trips - he'd collect the water, get it boiling over the fire, head back down to the lake to get more and then return to tip the hot water into the tub before starting to boil the next two pails of it.

By the time he'd added the last batch, the water was nearly the perfect temperature and the air in the cabin had grown warmer with the rising steam.

He gathered his supplies - a towel, soap, herbal oils, a washcloth, a nail brush and his brush and comb. Arthur's hair was looking like it could use a bit of love as well, and he set them aside. As he mentally went through his checklist, he spotted something in the compartment that made him chuckle.

By the time Arthur wrapped up, the Medicine Seller would be waiting for him, reclining on the bed with a familiar pillow.

Arthur returned a little later, smelling strongly of horse and sweat from the work, and he took a moment to warm his hands by the fire before backing up and looking at the bed where the medicine seller lay.

He laughed at the sight of the pillow, "You kept that thing?" he said, removing his boots and going back to the fire to warm his feet. He was grateful for his healing abilities as he was quite sure he would have lost some fingers and toes from working in the cold. Really needed to buy himself a gun and start hunting for the trapper to get himself some gloves and a coat at least.

"Mm," he affirmed, getting up from the bed to join Arthur by the fire, tossing another log on. The air outside had that metallic scent that promised a bitter and snowy night.

"I did. It is a rather comfortable pillow. Bath is ready whenever you are."

He ran a finger along the collar of his union suit.

"...This could use a wash as well. Weather permitting, I can launder our things tomorrow if you like?"

Arthur looked down as the other man traced the cloth with his long fingers and he leaned in to press a fuzzy kiss against his temple. "Making breakfast, doing laundry, careful now, may have to marry yea." he teased

He pressed another kiss to the man's cheek before undressing and heading for the steamy tub, "Joinin' me?" he asked, dipping his hand into the water.

The man had gained some new scars on him since they last saw one another. A faint ring around his right shoulder were the bear had bitten him, and then another more ugly one in his left shoulder that looked like a mangled bullet wound.

Now there was a thought. Not that they could; they were some decades off from that even being a gleam in the eyes of the law.

Not that they had to pay that any mind.

"Of course. And just because you can turn into a bear does not mean you have to live like one," he mused, untying his hanten and undressing.

A few drops of oil in the water gave it a pleasant earthy herbal scent. He'd save the floral oils for his next trip into town - wealthy women always paid a pretty penny for his aromatics, and the money would be good to help restock when their supplies ran low.

The scars were new. Over their long week together, the Medicine Seller had become intimately familiar with the scars that crisscrossed Arthur's body. There was, what he could only surmise, was the bite from the bear; the other...

"That looked as though it was was painful," he said, running a finger over the knot of scar tissue.

"Was asked a couple times by a few of the gang why I smelled so different after we first parted ways." he chuckled "God forbid any of them bathed even half as often."

Arthur tossed his union suit aside to be washed later, having a look at the other man himself as he undressed. The caress over his more recent scar had him frown and sigh. "Got caught by Colm O'Driscoll. Wanted to use me to get to the rest of the gang and turn them in for a fine price to the law. Got shot and was sick for quite awhile after I got away. During my escape I cut out the bullet and cauterized the wound with a candle. Don't recommend it."

The temperature of the water was perfect and he sank into it with a pleased sigh, scooting far back as he could so that the medicine seller could sit with him too.

No wonder it looked as though it had healed poorly; a sour wound that deep never quite healed right, werebear or not.

Not for the first time the Medicine Seller wished he'd been with the other man; good medicine was a luxury few could afford, but he would have happily provided.

"You mentioned O'Driscoll when we were camping. One of the many gangs that roam the region, yes?"

He got in, a bit gingerly at first, but as his body adapted to the hot water, he let out a pleased sigh. Oh, it had been months since he'd had anything but a luke-warm wash, and the heat felt exquisite.

With one hand on Arthur's knee, the other stroked idly along his leg as he soaked in the warmth.

"Yea, Colm and Dutch was allies, a long, long time ago, then Dutch killed Colm's brother and in revenge, Colm killed Annabel, a woman Dutch loved. After that, the Van Der Linde gang and the O'Driscolls was always at odds with one another. Colm never really cared about his men though, if they could shoot he usually hired them. Don't know if they're still about, probably but under new leadership and name as Colm was hung actually not long before you and I met up that mornin'"

Arthur recounted the old rivalry, soaking in the hot water and enjoying the caress along his leg.

"Honestly I ain't caught up much in the world since I became a bear, don't even wanna contact John. Best he think I'm dead to avoid bringing the law down on either of us again."

He kept his touch slow and even, more to soothe than to tease while Arthur recounted his last days and the Medicine Seller got a better idea of the interpersonal relations of his former gang.

"It is difficult to keep up with the news out here."

And everything in the states was so far apart; once the Medicine Seller might go a week or so without hitting a town in his travels, but here, a month could easily pass with him barely seeing signs of human settlement.

"You called John your brother before. If that fraternity was mutual, I am sure he would wish to at least hear you were well."

Regardless of all the questions that would probably bring up.

"...Or do you think it better to cut ties with your old gang entirely and start fresh?"

...As fresh as one could, at least.

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just pretend there's definitely a nook in the house with a tub <_<

i am fully prepared to chuck canon out the window for the sake of bathtime

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will never forgive rockstar for denying us arthur with a scar after the colm incident lol

for all the detail they put in the game and they didn't think to do that

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