Best Charles Smith Slow Burn Fanfics
The best slow burn fanfiction featuring Charles Smith (RDR) on AO3, curated by popularity. Readers love the anticipation, the meaningful character development, and the eventual payoff of a well-earned romance.
Top Charles Smith Slow Burn Fic Recs
2 slow burn fics featuring Charles Smith, followed by other top-rated stories.
Call to Motion
Slow Burnby mangochi · Charthur
“Hey.”Charles looks up, squinting against the sun, and focuses on the figure looming above him. It’s a bright day on the mountain, and all this damned snow is doing nobody any favors. “Arthur,” he says. “Good morning.”“Huh? Yeah, mornin’.” Arthur tilts his head, scratches at his jaw, and tucks his c
Only Lost The Night
Slow Burnby KBstories · Charthur
"Arthur should've realized, then and there, that a gesture of kindness is like pulling a trigger – it shifts the course of fate just so, and things will never be the same again."Charles and Arthur regroup after a brush with death.
Out of the Dark
by sky_daybreak · Charthur
Arthur knows he's dying, can feel the unstoppable pull of it, feels the spirit appear behind him to take him along. And yet, he finds he does not want to die. There is so much that went wrong, so much he regrets and he wishes, with all his being, he could change it. Could at least ensure those that
And In The Morning I Loved You Too
by pipdepop · Charthur
Since this... thing between them started, on a surreal, star-soaked night just outside of Blackwater, Charles has learned two things.One: Arthur Morgan sleeps like the dead.Two: the rest of the gang seem to view Arthur’s tent as communal property, and will happily barge in at any time of day or nigh
Your Words Are All I Breathe
by pipdepop · Charthur
Micah catches Arthur and Charles cuddling, and scurries off to tell Dutch. He does not get the reaction he was expecting. Hosea thinks the whole thing is highly amusing.
Blind Fortunes
by Gingersnap741 · Charthur
“Hello there! Ah, I see you’re new around these parts. I’m old around these parts. Blind Man Cassidy is my name. If you’d like your fortune told, I just ask for a bit of gold.” He holds out a tin coffee can smothered in rust, full of empty, whistling desert air. Heat broils up around them and makes
take it, if you can
by shades · Charthur
It was a nice respite, Arthur thinks, watching Charles stand, the glint of the sun in his dark hair, his eyes far away, considering, but it wasn’t ever meant to last.
You Raise Me Up
by antimorston (lasagnatheory) · Charthur
As it turns out, Charles is the only person in camp who can pick up Arthur.
It's Not a Big Deal (It's Alright)
by Monotom · Charthur
The members of the Van der Linde gang had watched the two men dance around each other for so long now, that most of them were getting tired of it. Every time they saw Charles smiling at Arthur, or Arthur braiding Charles' hair, they all thought the same thing. Just get together, already. OR 5 times
Helping Hand
by Magisey · Charthur
It doesn’t matter that his throat hurts. It doesn’t matter that he can hardly swallow. It doesn’t matter that a handful of hours ago he’d been slowly dying with a rope tight across his trachea.What matters is the image of Charles, with the sun burning on his shoulders like a devil, face cast in shad
Quiet For So Long
by KBstories · Charthur
"And Arthur knows, before he even opens his mouth, that he shouldn't pry. That he shouldn't drag the vulnerability lurking beyond those words into the light – yet he asks, 'What changed?', and Charles looks at him, eyes warm.'I met you.'"Charles and Arthur explore some things, and figure out some ot
American Spirits
by werewolfsquad · Charthur
There was a rumor that Dutch van der Linde sold his soul at a crossroad in exchange for the shapechanging beasts that followed at his beck and call. Frankly, Arthur didn’t buy it. He followed Dutch and Hosea because they fed him. Some deal with a devil had nothing to do with it.
Find More Charles Smith Slow Burn Stories on AO3
Browse the full AO3 archive for slow burn Charles Smith fanfiction, sorted by kudos. Then read offline with Fanfict Reader.
Charles Smith in Slow Burn Fanfiction
Charles Smith — Quiet, principled hunter of the Van der Linde gang who never wastes a word or an arrow, and one of the few members to escape the life intact. His steadfast bond with Arthur anchors the fandom's flagship ship.
Slow Burn — A romance that develops gradually over time, with tension building across chapters or the entire story.
Readers love the anticipation, the meaningful character development, and the eventual payoff of a well-earned romance. Charles Smith's role in RDR makes them a natural fit for slow burn storylines, which is why this combination is one of the most popular in RDR fanfiction.
Charles Smith Ships
Looking for slow burn fics with a specific pairing? Try these Charles Smith ships:
Slow Burn with Other Characters
Love slow burn? Explore the same trope with other popular characters:
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