Work Text:
Mary Ann woke up to an empty bed. She stretched out and blinked, looking around the room. Ernest sat at his desk in the corner with his typewriter quietly clicking away and a dim lamp illuminating his work. Pages sat beside him already.
Mary Ann slipped out of bed. "Ernest."
He jumped slightly, looked back, smiled. "Hey. Sorry, did I wake you up?"
"No. Not to worry." She walked to his side. "A new project, or...?"
"Yeah. I don't know, I just felt inspired. I'm on a bit of a roll, but I can move if you can't sleep."
"When you gotta write, you gotta write," she shrugged and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be back."
"Okay." He turned and started clicking away again.
Mary Ann went to the kitchen and fixed some tea for them. According to the clock, it was 1:47 am. She went back into their room with two steaming mugs and set one down on the desk beside him and the other, her own, on his other side.
"Thanks," he said quietly, his face creased with concentration. Mary Ann watched him for a moment. It was adorable when he focused on something, his face would scrunch up and his eyes would shine. She slid her arms around his shoulders and sneakily read a couple lines over his shoulder. He got to the bottom of the page and pulled it out, setting it on the stack growing beside him.
He took a sip of his tea. "Mmh. Perfect. Thanks, honey."
"No problem."
Ernest smiled as he put a fresh page into the typewriter. "Aren't you tired?"
"Not really, actually. Aren't you?"
"Nah. Motivation hit." He took another gulp of tea and put his hand on top of hers where it rested on his chest. "You can look if you want."
Mary Ann grinned. "Are you sure?"
"Hell yeah. Just keep them in order."
Mary Ann took the stack and sat on the floor beside him, her back against the chair he sat on and her head under his elbow. "Don't you want a chair?"
"I prefer this."
Her eyes darted across the pages, taking in the words. Her heart pounded and her eyes widened. "Wow."
"Hmm?"
"This is... so..." Mary Ann trailed off.
"I know, probably riddled with spelling mistakes."
"No... I mean, yes, but... this is good."
Ernest laughed. "Compared to what I usually write?" He pulled the page out of the typewriter and handed it down to her. "That should be it for now."
There was quiet for a while as they drank tea, Mary Ann read and Ernest watched her read anxiously.
She finally finished, straightened out the pages quietly.
Ernest hardly dared speak, but he did. "So...?"
Mary Ann didn't say anything. She set the pages down on the floor beside her. Ernest realized her shoulders were hunched over and shaking. He dropped to the floor beside her. "Mae, darling, what's wrong?"
She looked up at him with a tear-streaked face and a grin. "It's beautiful."
"Oh. I-I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?" She wiped at her eyes with a sleeve.
"Because..."
"It's really good, Ernest." She caught him off guard by throwing her arms around him. "It's perfect."
"I'm glad you like it."
"I guess I'm your muse?" She laughed.
"Of course. You just- I love you."
"Love you, too."
Ernest set the pages back on the desk and put a paperweight over them and then bent down and scooped Mary Ann up. She laughed. "I'm able to walk."
"I know," he grinned. He walked over and gently set her down on her side of the bed. She pulled him down by his tie. "Are you still not tired?"
"Nope."
"Me neither." Mary Ann kissed him long and hard. Ernest eventually gently pulled away. "Let me get into bed at least."
Mary Ann smiled and pulled him over her. He flopped down onto the bed on her other side. She kissed him, short and sweet, and then collapsed onto the bed. Ernest rolled up and leaned over her, kissing her again. "Don't just leave me hanging," he murmured with a smile. Mary Ann reached up and trailed her hands through his hair. "Never."
~~
After, Mary Ann curled up against Ernest's chest. "I love you," she murmured.
The man rubbed a thumb over her shoulder. "I love you, too."