Fandoms RDR Short

Best Short RDR Fanfics

RDR novellas — 10k to 50k words, polished and contained. Curated from AO3 and ranked by kudos.

Video Games 23 short fics Avg 21,953 words 10,000–50,000 words

Top 23 Short RDR Fanfics

Ranked by AO3 kudos. Mid-length RDR fics — 10,000–50,000 words.

1

Call to Motion

by mangochi

“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

6,000 kudos 19,144 words 8/8 chapters Explicit Complete
2

And In The Morning I Loved You Too

by pipdepop

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

4,273 kudos 25,971 words 6/6 chapters Teen And Up Audiences Complete
3

It's Not a Big Deal (It's Alright)

by Monotom

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

2,146 kudos 16,776 words 6/6 chapters Teen And Up Audiences Complete
4

American Spirits

by werewolfsquad

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.

2,005 kudos 30,728 words 8/8 chapters Mature Complete
5

Standoff

by Saber_Wing

Dutch caught Hosea's shoulder as he turned away. "Come on now, Old Girl, you're not–" The pet name was what did it. Hosea ripped his arm from his shoulder, pulling his revolver and shoving it into his chest. "I. Wasn't. Askin'." Dutch and Micah return to Clemens Point without Arthur. Hosea do

1,989 kudos 15,158 words 10/10 chapters Mature Complete
6

strong is your hold, o mortal flesh

by anderfels

Who knew maize could be such a maze, Arthur muses. Huffing at his own brilliant wordplay, he makes a mental note to tell Charles that joke. Later. When they’re not shooting bounty hunters in a cornfield game of cat and mouse.Set during the Chapter 3 mission 'Magicians for Sport', Arthur and Charles

1,814 kudos 20,224 words 5/5 chapters Teen And Up Audiences Complete
7

an act of observance

by rojohbi

He could leave. No one would blame him; this gang, once so tightly knit, is a nervous horse just moments away from bolting and taking the carriage with it. Charles doesn’t know why he can’t just make himself go.'You know exactly why', he thinks wryly, 'Of course you know.'

1,734 kudos 43,892 words 8/8 chapters Explicit Complete
8

We Tried the World (Good God, It Wasn't for Us)

by cowboy_cannibal

Arthur Morgan was a monster.He had known it since he was just a boy, long before Dutch and Hosea swept him off the streets in the wake of his father’s death. He had known it since before Hosea had taught him his letters and Dutch had honed Arthur’s nasty quickdraw into a deadly accurate shot. He had

267 kudos 35,462 words 6/? chapters Explicit
9

Follow me into the endless night

by haunted_blade

You miss them. “What?” You miss them. Your family. OR The events of the game from the perspective of Hosea Matthew's ghost

80 kudos 16,023 words 5/? chapters Mature
10

Dogs on Main Street

by gathersnomoths

Inside Matthews & Sons, Charles had to take a moment to orient himself. To the right, shelves of tools and the curled forms of tractor and lawnmower belts. To the left, household cleaning supplies and small necessities like pencils, thumbtacks, and cup hooks. Just next to the store’s center aisle wa

78 kudos 17,416 words 2/? chapters General Audiences
11

Secrets

by Wheat_Thins

Detective Arthur Morgan has been chasing John Marston and the rest of the van der Linde gang for the better half of his career, but the gang is always a couple of steps ahead of him. But when Arthur accidentally gets kidnapped by Colm O'Driscoll's gang--thanks to John Marston's failed attempt to ass

53 kudos 33,555 words 7/? chapters Explicit
12

Sons of Dutch

by Defnotmeyo

Arthur and John. Growing up and figuring out how to survive. TB? What TB? I plan on addressing it but Arthur is my boah.

53 kudos 13,384 words 11/? chapters Mature
13

The High Noon Hotel

by Arrestzelle

Javier and Arthur had been discussing the possibility of including a third man. As it turns out, John's their man.

48 kudos 10,792 words 1/1 chapters Explicit Complete
14

I Should Be Over It

by BabyBoiCthulhu

John’s had feelings for Arthur for as long as they’ve known each other. He can’t help it–no matter how hard he tries to push the thoughts away or trick himself into falling for someone else, they remain like a stubborn scar. When a moment of impulsivity lets his secret out, things grow tense between

47 kudos 11,654 words 2/8 chapters Explicit
15

Heaven Passing Through

by Cruelbydesign

Arthur Morgan has spent twenty years as the foreman of a dusty cattle ranch, burying his loneliness in his work. When John Marston, a young man carrying his own quiet history, starts working as the ranch's mechanic, Arthur finds himself undone by feelings he's never allowed himself to feel before. T

40 kudos 32,012 words 7/? chapters Mature
16

the curious couple and their unruly sons

by islabuck

Dutch Van Der Linde and Hosea Matthews. Not many people would take in and help somebody that wanted to steal from them, nor would a pessimist find seclusion in an optimist, but apparently, the both are fools. Having run away from their families, they decide on simply creating their own OR The famili

38 kudos 12,994 words 9/50 chapters Not Rated
17

Something Like a Home

by m_th_lde

A fix-it AU where Eliza and Isaac lives, and Arthur Morgan is finally happy !

32 kudos 39,486 words 9/19 chapters Not Rated
18

Red Dead Reloaded

by corvidaewritesshite

"Arthur had been looking for a fight. With the moon shining and the past few weeks causing a rash to come out on his left side, he’d be lying if he was to say he wasn’t just waiting to knock a few heads together to relieve the tension."Red Dead Reloaded is a retelling of Red Dead Redemption 2 with a

16 kudos 11,360 words 5/? chapters Mature
19

satan loves you

by batteri

joan temporarily moves out when she’s eighteen.

16 kudos 11,883 words 2/3 chapters Explicit
20

more than just a melody

by mMarston21

arthur brings his brother john marston to a band practice and just like that, everything changes.john joins the band. javier loses his place as lead singer.tension turns into something neither of them wants to name, right up until the night the band falls apart on stage and javier blames john for al

11 kudos 15,986 words 16/? chapters Teen And Up Audiences
21

Kolob Creek: Before We Knew Better

by VirginiaEverglades

Staff Sergeant Arthur Morgan is only passing through Texas. Isabel Ocotillo dances at the Lucky Bunny and spends most nights trying not to think too far ahead. About the restaurant she never opened. About the life she never left to build. It should have ended with a private dance. Instead, it turns

10 kudos 45,401 words 20/? chapters Mature
22

Удручённый невезением

by MrCulper

Многие назвали бы Джона Марстона удачливым сукиным сыном, но после того, как ограбление поезда под его руководством оборачивается катастрофой, сам он так не считает. В дальнейшем удача отворачивается от Джона всё больше и больше, а тем человеком, который уверяет его, что ему не так уж и не везёт, ка

6 kudos 13,966 words 3/? chapters Mature
23

No Dues Can Go Unpaid Forever

by louisadarling

"You can't keep running, Mari. The law will eventually get you, and I can't stand the thought of watching the little girl I raised swing.""You won't have to."Seattle-born Marigold Lenker finds herself stuck deciding between the outlaw life and the life her loved ones want for her. She chooses to esc

1 kudos 11,663 words 4/4 chapters Mature

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About This List

16,776
median words
35%
complete
6,000
top kudos
~67 minutes
median read time

This list of 23short RDR fanfics spans 504,930 total words. Kudos range from 1 on the newest entries to 6,000 on the most established. Most entries are ongoing works, so subscribe on AO3 for update notifications. The most common rating is Mature (9 of 23 fics).

Recurring tags across this list: Hurt/Comfort · Arthur Morgan Does Not Have Tuberculosis · High Honor Arthur Morgan · Slow Burn · Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence.

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