Just a bit of mindless fun and fluff. Wanted to write something cute because they are the personification of cute!

No Guitars

Maria stared into her husband's eyes, her own pleading at him while her arms looped round his neck.

'Please, Georg.' She asked again, a smile tugging at her lips. Georg stared down at her as if tempted, but teasingly shook his head.

'Oh, you know how much I love it, darling,' she persisted, beginning to sway side to side with him as if they were beginning to enter a dance.

'Where's the guitar? I'll do it with the guitar.'

'I don't want you to do it with the guitar,' Maria replied stubbornly, 'please, Georg, only for me.'

He smirked down at her, his hands travelling farther down her waist to her hips. He adamantly shook his head again, knowing that it would provoke her to plead more.

'Sing for me, quickly...please?'

Georg gazed down at her twinkling eyes, whilst her fingers played with the hair at the nape of his neck.

He stared at her for a long time, saying nothing, until suddenly he drew in a small breath and released a word in song, much to her delight.

'Edelweiss, Edelweiss,' he crooned, maintaining eye contact. Maria started to smile at the sound of her husband's low, angelic baritone.

'Every morning you greet me,' he whispered, leaning in closer to her so their foreheads were nearly touching. His hand left its position on her hip to cradle her head, stroking her hair while he whispered the lyrics to her.

'Small and white, clean and bright. You look happy to meet me,' he smirked, kissing her lips briefly. Maria smiled, joyful that she had made him sing it. She couldn't often persuade him to sing, but as it was only the two of them and she had begged so profoundly, he had granted her wish. It felt even more special when he gazed down at her, uttering the words, as if he had written them especially for her and no one else could hear what she was hearing.

'Please darling, keep going.' She insisted, closing her eyes and leaning her head on his shoulder. They kept swaying on the spot, Maria smiling against his chest.

'Blossom of snow, may you bloom and grow, bloom and grow forever.'

Maria felt blessed and content hearing it, recording every word he sung to her memory.

'Edelweiss, Edelweiss...' He paused, detaching her from his body and staring burningly into her eyes.

'Bless my homeland...forever.' Maria looked at him with admiration and love as he smiled humbly at her once the last note had passed his lips.

'You should sing without the guitar more often, Georg, it was beautiful,' She said, 'thank you.'

'Just for you, my love.'

They had stopped swaying but Maria could still feel a swirling inside her head, and the look in Georg's eyes deeply intoxicated her.

She leaned upwards to kiss him, unable to part or even draw breath but just to feel his mouth on hers, and the dizzyingly sensational pressure behind it. She felt Georg lowering her backwards and she held onto his neck, trying not to fall. His mouth left hers and placed small kisses on her jaw and neck while she laughed and tried to keep her balance. After nearly toppling over her onto the floor he raised her back up and she fell against him, Georg loosely holding her as they both laughed breathlessly.

At that moment Liesl came in, and Maria drew away from his shoulder to grin almost sheepishly at her and stare girlishly up at her husband. Maria felt just a little bit embarrassed by Liesl interrupting them, although she couldn't understand why. Being silly and childish with Georg made her feel eternally youthful, so maybe it was the adult in her that felt so embarrassed to be exposed when displaying forms of affection in front of someone else. Maybe it was her religious ideals that made it hard for her to face up to the passions of being in love. Either way, Maria much preferred to be alone with Georg with even the smallest of intimate things and didn't even like kissing him in front of the children. She hadn't a clue why, but she suspected that it wasn't in her character to be declarative about it.

'I think we should go to bed now.' She said. He raised an eyebrow, smirking at her in a way Maria hoped Liesl couldn't see.

'I'd be happy to retire to bed with you, Maria.'

They parted from Liesl with a goodnight, and Maria took her husband's hand and lead him upstairs to their bedroom. Once inside, Maria felt the usual wave of security, familiarity and safety she associated with the room, being that having seven children meant that there was hardly any time or anywhere to escape to. She revelled in the mornings and late evenings when it was just the two of them alone, for the few moments in the day where they could be at peace. She leaned against the door, watching her husband throw off his jacket and tie and put on his night shirt.

'Could I perhaps have an encore?' She asked presumptuously, watching him do up the buttons.

'No, no, no, no, no. I've done it for you already.'

She sighed. 'Why not? I love your singing, darling.'

'My voice is far too imperfect to carry the weighty silence of no musical instruments, Maria.'

She walked over to her side of the bed, readying her nightgown.

'Please Georg.' She said, unrelenting in her objective.

'Absolutely out of the question.'

She slid her hand through the arm hole of the gown, casting him a look of incredulity.

'You can do it for an audience, but you can't do it for me?'

'I take the privilege of a well-tuned guitar and other people's voices drowning mine out.'

She eyed him as he sank onto the bed, reading the first few pages of a well-read book. Maria lowered herself onto her knees, folded her hands and raised her eye line skyward.

'Dear Lord, thank you for another wonderful day, for the lives and safety of my family and everyone at the Abbey. God bless them all. And dear lord, help me in showing my husband his singing is lovely,' she could see from the corner of her eye Georg throw down his book and stare at her as she said it, 'and help him understand that I love it when he does, that I would appreciate it if he did, and give him the strength to carry on singing. In the name of the father, the son and the Holy Spirit, amen.'

Maria slipped into bed beside him, who was still looking at her as she rested her head on the pillow.

'Are my prayers going to be answered?' She asked quietly, trying not to smile as Georg

discarded his book completely and slid down beside her on the pillow.

'I suddenly feel so enlightened.' He said sarcastically, trying to resist but failing when Maria opened his arms for her to slide into. Her head positioned itself naturally over his heart, his arms closed around her and held her tight against him.

She loosened his grip on her to raise her head to his, studying his sparkling eyes. 'Will you sing one more time for me, darling?'

He smirked, sealing her lips instead and kissing her fully and completely, drawing her body closer to his and wrapping his arms and legs round hers. He laid her head once again over his chest and, rocking her gently back and forth, whispered:

'Edelweiss, Edelweiss, every morning you greet me. Small and white, clean and bright, you look happy to meet me.'

By the time he sung about blossoms blooming and growing, Maria had fallen asleep, her breathing slowed, her eyes closed and the fingers entwined with his were limp. Georg smiled to himself, nestled closer into her, and with a small 'goodnight, my love,' laid his head to rest.