Chapter Text
Watching the man’s life drain from his eyes was exhilarating. Dutch’s clothes were soaked in blood as he drove that knife into the man’s chest. Dutch had the man pinned against a wall and when the man finally slumped against Dutch and stopped breathing, Dutch couldn’t help but smile.
Dutch had killed plenty of men before, but this was different. The first time he did it like this was a few months ago. He had gotten into a fight with some bounty hunter and the two ended up on the ground. Dutch had shoved the blade of his knife into the man.
It was so different from any other time. Usually when he killed someone it was from afar with a bullet to the head. But this, this was personal. It was up-close and with his knife. He would get blood everywhere and would walk away aroused.
It started out small. He would only leave camp to kill someone like this maybe once or twice a month. But then it became once a week. And it seems like it’s becoming twice a week now.
Dutch should be at camp with Hosea. The older was most likely worried, maybe suspicious. After all, it was only last week, and now this week, that Dutch started leaving twice in a week.
He pulled the knife out and the body slumped against him. Dutch pushed it to the side, but didn’t turn to watch it hit the ground. He turned in the opposite direction instead to exit the alley and pulled himself onto his horse.
The ride back was quiet, except for the occasional bark of a fox or the hoot of an owl. He could see the camp as he rode.
Once there he slipped off his horse and made his way to the river the camp was next to. He knew better than to sleep next to Hosea covered in blood. So, he shed his clothes and stood in the river. It was a slow moving one, and it went up to his hips.
Dutch heard the crack of a stick and turned to see Hosea standing on the shore. “What’s with all the blood?”
Even in the dark Hosea could see well. It was one of the many things Dutch liked about him, well he didn’t like it at that moment. “Hunting,” he answered quickly. It was technically the truth, he was hunting. But Hosea didn’t need to know it wasn’t animals he was hunting.
“I didn’t see anything on your horse,” Hosea pointed out.
Dutch shrugged before bending over to plunge his hair into the water. When he looked up, he could barely make out the suspicious look on Hosea’s face. “Sold it.”
“Still though, your clothes are soaked in blood,” Hosea looked down at the pile of clothes. “Did you wrestle it?”
“It got all over my shirt when I carried it over the horse,” he really wished Hosea would stop asking questions.
Dutch knew it was wrong. He wasn’t sure why he liked it so much, after all he never killed without needing to. He stole from the rich and gave to the poor, but here he was, washing the blood of an innocent man off.
Hosea couldn’t know, he wouldn’t understand.
Dutch walked out of the river and pressed his lips against Hosea’s. “Did I wake you up when I came back?”
Hosea nodded as they turned back to camp, “You did. I meant to stay awake and wait for you but I must’ve fallen asleep. You had me worried.”
Hosea waited by the tent while Dutch fetched a union suit from his horse. When Dutch returned they entered the tent and laid down beside each other. “I don’t ever mean to worry you. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, yeah?”
Dutch had gotten a little money from the man he killed, maybe he could buy something for Hosea. Something to appease the man and his worries.
“You better,” Hosea interlocked their fingers.
——
The two had returned back to camp after a trip to a nearby town. Dutch had a grin on his face since the two left the town.
While Hosea was in the general store grabbing canned goods, Dutch was getting him something. Specifically a simple ring on a chain. The ring had an inscription on the outside, with Dutch’s name of course.
As soon as the horses were hitched and their saddles were off, Dutch pulled Hosea into a kiss. Hosea’s hand cupped his face and when they pulled away Hosea had a smirk on his face, “Where is this coming from?”
Dutch, with that grin still on his face, said, “I got you something.” He pulled the necklace out of his pockets and slipped it onto Hosea.
“Oh you shouldn't have, that’s really- it has your name on it.”
Dutch rolled his eyes, “Yeah. That’s because you’re mine.”
Hosea’s brow perked up, “Oh? I didn’t know you were… possessive. Is this also your way of saying you want to top?”
Dutch’s face flushed, “No I- well- no I’m fine with how things are and I just… you’re mine. You’re mine and I’m yours.”
Hosea pressed his forehead against Dutch’s, “We need to get you one, with my name on it.”
Dutch closed his eyes. The thought of wearing Hosea’s name while killing someone… It was wonderful. “We’ll get it next time we’re in town.”
“Like you said, I’m yours and you’re mine,” Hosea murmured.
Yeah, this felt good. Dutch would make sure the world knew Hosea was his. He would happily spell out the man’s name in his own blood if it meant Hosea would love him for eternity.
——
Dutch followed a man in the town. He kept to the walls and shadows, making sure not to be seen. It was now the third time this week he left to go kill someone.
He knew exactly why it was the third time this week. The ring with Hosea’s name on it hung around his neck. When Hosea got it from him Dutch couldn’t help but slip a hand in his pants and think about killing a man with that ring on him. He rushed to go hunt again as soon as he got a moment to himself.
Hunt. He’d only recently started calling it that. It was fitting. He’d follow his soon to be victims and stalk them like a predator. Then he’d kill them, slowly, and watch the life drain from their eyes. Though he never ate them, like a real animal.
But now that he’s thinking about it… bringing home pieces of a victim and watching Hosea eat it. He felt his blood rush south at the thought.
He knew exactly why it was the third time this week. The ring with Hosea’s name on it hung around his neck. When Hosea got it from him Dutch couldn’t help but slip a hand in his pants and think about killing a man with that ring on him.
Dutch shook his head and pushed the thoughts away. He couldn’t get distracted, not now.
The man turned into an alley and Dutch smirked, finally. He entered the alley and pushed the man against the wall. One hand covered the man’s mouth while the other held the knife to the man’s throat.
He dragged the blade against the man’s throat and watched the line of blood appear. Dutch watched as the panic in the man’s eyes faded into nothingness. He had to hold up the body now.
Dutch slid the knife into its holster as he stared at the blood. He used the hand that was still on the body’s mouth to tilt the head upwards. He leaned forwards and ran his tongue along the cut.
Fuck.
Dutch should be disgusted, ashamed. But he could feel his pants tighten and he knew he’d be doing this every time from now on.
He should really be ashamed. What if Hosea saw this? He would be disgusted. Or… maybe he’d kiss Dutch and taste the blood on his lips. No. Dutch can’t think about that. He knew Hosea would hate him.
He was fucked up in the head, truly.