Best Charthur Slow Burn Fanfics
The best slow burn Charthur (Arthur Morgan/Charles Smith) fanfiction on AO3, curated by popularity. Readers love the anticipation, the meaningful character development, and the eventual payoff of a well-earned romance.
Top Charthur Slow Burn Fic Recs
2 slow burn Charthur fics matched, followed by other top-rated Charthur stories.
Call to Motion
Slow Burnby 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
Only Lost The Night
Slow Burnby KBstories
"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
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
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
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
“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
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)
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
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
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
"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
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.
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
Love Is The Soul Of A Neat Irishman
by pipdepop
Sean’s got a lot of love to give. To everybody. Whether they want it or not.(Or: Sean makes it his mission in life to cheer Arthur up – much to Arthur’s dismay. Luckily, Charles is around to help.)
and i looking up at the stars
by anderfels
“Don’t come to a party. Don’t want a drink. Don’t see no problem sittin’ out in the woods alone all night. At a party. Like you’ve been kicked outta bed for crumbs.”“From the tragedy of your singing, I figured it was a funeral I was missing.”Sean's party set in Chapter 2. Arthur looks for Charles, a
Strange Visitor
by Necromantic
That beaming light at Hani's Bethel does more than simply shine down on Arthur, and he takes away more than just a few meaningless trinkets. Explanations don't come easy, certain events have left their mark, but the only direction a man can truly go is forward.---A reimagining of that strange little
i'd tell them put me back in it
by scrolling_upp
The last shot is accompanied by the trail of a cry, shrill, angry, fearful. Arthur lowers his revolver. Blinks. Tongues at a bloody tooth from getting hit while strangling an O’Driscoll, spits red mucus onto one of the bodies on the floor.The crying starts up again, as if sensing Arthur’s confusion.
Sunrise
by pipdepop
He’d tried, in the end, he really had. And it had been hard; so damn hard. Would’ve been so much easier to crawl off into the woods like a dying dog and let himself be reclaimed by the wilderness. But, getting them folks out, sending them to safety, doing his best to protect them from the Pinkertons
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
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.'
Find More Charthur Slow Burn Stories on AO3
Browse the full AO3 archive for slow burn Charthur fanfiction, sorted by kudos. Then read offline with Fanfict Reader.
Why Slow Burn Charthur Fanfiction Works So Well
Arthur Morgan/Charles Smith — The loyal outlaw Arthur Morgan and the quiet tracker Charles Smith, two men who find understanding and respect in each other.
Slow Burn — A romance that develops gradually over time, with tension building across chapters or the entire story.
Their mutual respect, shared values, and gentle dynamic creates a relationship built on genuine connection and trust. Readers love the anticipation, the meaningful character development, and the eventual payoff of a well-earned romance. That's why slow burn Charthur fanfiction is one of the most consistently popular combinations on AO3.
More Charthur Tropes
Charthur · Friends to Lovers
Best friends who realize their feelings run deeper than friendship.
Read friends-to-lovers →
Charthur · Hurt/Comfort
One character is hurt (physically or emotionally) and another provides comfort and care.
Read hurt-comfort →
Charthur · Fix-It
Stories that 'fix' canon events that fans found unsatisfying, usually character deaths or relationship outcomes.
Read fix-it →
Charthur · Angst
Stories focused on emotional pain, drama, and intense feelings.
Read angst →
Charthur · Fluff
Light, happy, feel-good stories focused on sweet moments and happiness.
Read fluff →
Charthur · Canon Divergence
The story follows canon faithfully up to a chosen moment, then branches: one different decision, one survived death, one secret told early, and everything downstream changes. One of AO3's largest tags, because almost every 'what if' is a divergence.
Read canon-divergence →
Slow Burn in Other Ships
Love slow burn? Explore the same trope in other popular pairings:
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