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Mary awakens to the sweet chirping of songbirds outside the window.
The sun will be up soon, the sky dusted in hazy pinks and blues of the faint morning light. While peaceful, there's a faint, looming dread that comes with the quiet of early mornings, knowing that this precious time in bed will be coming to an end. The day will begin, and this moment will be gone. And already, the never ending list of things to do is running through her mind—breakfast to be cooked, animals to be fed, the garden to be tended; patches to be sewn into skirts and pants, a mile-long grocery list to be fulfilled in a trip to town.
It takes a lot to run a home.
Their home, she thinks, her heart warm.
Soft snores from the man behind her pull her back to reality. She grins. Perhaps the morning chores can wait just a little while longer.
With a contented sigh, Mary turns over, her smile growing at the sight of her love, her heart , resting so deeply. Fondness tickles her chest, and she finds she must resist the urge to place a kiss on his stubbled cheek. She succeeds in holding herself back for now, knowing that every moment of precious sleep counts. Especially now, laying with him in the early morning hours, this is one of the few moments where she sees true peace in his expression—no scowls or frowns. There is no pinch in his brows. He looks soft and utterly serene. After living such a hard life as he had—always on the run, never knowing if a night would be his last—it must be nice being able to simply rest, not carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders any longer.
She wonders what he dreams about, or if he dreams at all these days. His old life? This new life that they’ve made for themselves? Or perhaps the one that’s yet to come, now growing in her belly?
Affection swells in her chest. Unable to help herself, she reaches out, placing her hand over his, smoothing her thumb along his knuckles.
Arthur draws in a breath through his nose, grumbling softly as he opens his palm to her before intertwining their fingers. His eyes stay closed. “You watchin’ me sleep?”
His voice is rough and warm and drowsy—a heavenly sound that wraps around her like a blanket. There’s the faint beginnings of a smile tugging at his lips.
“Why, yes, I am,” she replies softly, teasingly, as she gives his hand a squeeze. “Just thinking about how handsome you are, even with that bit a’ drool on your chin.”
Still not opening his eyes, his brow furrows as he reaches up to wipe at his chin, then the corner of his mouth. “I ain’t droolin’,” he grumbles. “Unkind woman—not lettin’ me sleep and makin’ up lies about me.”
She hums, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his cheek—at last. The scratch of his stubble against her lips is a feeling she’s come to know well in the years she's known him, one that brings its own comfort. It always takes her back to when they were young and stupid, sneaking around the back of her father's house when no one was watching.
“Callin’ me handsome,” he huffs.
Mary’s light laugh has him cracking an eye open, the sternness in his expression slipping ever so slightly when he sees the warmth in hers.
“But you are,” she insists, reaching out to brush the stray locks of hair from his forehead, before letting her hand rest against his cheek for a moment. “That’s not a lie.”
This time, he opens his eyes, blinking blearily, still half-asleep. He’s never been one to take genuine compliments, always brushing them off and turning sour at the mere hint of a kind word. But there are times where he doesn’t outright deny her, times where he sputters, losing himself as a deep blush paints his cheeks, blooming down his neck and to his chest. And yet, he still hides it behind a gruff, stony exterior, a shake of his head—desperately hiding how touched and flustered he really is.
Almost shy.
A side of him that no one else gets to see.
It’s incredibly sweet, especially now as he seems too tired to argue. A simple scoff is his only response.
Amusement tickles Mary’s chest. “And you do drool,” she teases. “Sometimes.”
“Ain’t like your snorin’,” Arthur replies, fighting to stay awake. “Been in a camp with more than a dozen men and ain’t none a’ them loud as you.”
The errant twitch at the corner of his mouth should not be as endearing as it is.
Mary gives him a lazy smack on the arm. “Now who’s makin’ up lies?”
A laugh escapes him, and he sighs as he melts into the mattress, sleep already taking hold again. “C’mere,” he mumbles into the pillow, reaching out, coiling his arm around her waist and pulling her close. “Why don’ you go back to sleep so you can leave me alone?”
“You silly man,” Mary chuckles, reveling in the feel of his body, warm with sleep, against hers. It’s odd, knowing this happiness after so long. Such warmth and comfort she had almost forgotten in the many years they were apart. Now, however, it feels as though it never left.
And yet, there’s a prickling ache in her chest, knowing that this moment won’t last. It never does. Soon, they’ll have to leave their bed, pulled away from each other as the beginnings of sunlight peek through the curtains.
As if sensing her shift in mood, Arthur tightens his hold on her, somehow pulling her closer to him. His lips press to her forehead, his hand placing hers against his chest, letting her feel the steady beat of his heart. She closes her eyes.
“Let’s lay here awhile longer,” he murmurs into her hair. “Got plenty a' time.”
A smile tugs at her lips as she lets herself melt against him, her worries fading as she feels the familiar pull of sleep. The world comes to a stop just for them, time mercifully standing still as she’s lulled by the soft sound of his breathing, the way his hand smooths lazy circles on her hip.
She loves him—more than anything she loves him.
It’s almost overwhelming, this wave of hazy warmth that comes over her as she nestles into him.
Her husband. Her rancher. Her outlaw.
Her Arthur.
“I love you,” she murmurs into his skin.
She can almost see the smile on his face, his voice as hushed as hers as he easily replies, “I love you, too.”
And again, Mary catches herself smiling.
Yes, she thinks, they can stay like this awhile longer.