A/N: I apologize for the long wait on this chapter. I felt bad for the cliffhanger, so here's a nice, long chapter for you. I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you think.
Just a warning: there is some M rated content in this chapter.
Time was a funny thing, Maria reflected as she sat in a small café in the heart of Vienna. Time was constantly moving forward; time didn't stop or move backwards for anything. Time kept marching on no matter what was happening, and yet, in certain circumstances, time seemed to slow or fly by. While time was a constant, ticking clock, sometimes it didn't seem like it.
For example, the week after she had left the von Trapp household had been the longest week of Maria's life. After packing all her belongings and boarding a train to Vienna with her heart in her throat, Maria had hoped that time would pass quickly. She had hoped that by keeping herself busy with applying to jobs and wandering around the city, that time would fly by, and with it, the memories of her time with the von Trapp's would fade. However, she found that her hopes had been quickly shattered.
Time had marched on well enough, but as Maria had begun to notice, it moved at something akin to a snail's pace. Sitting in her small motel room applying to as many teaching jobs as she could, she had been under the impression that hours could have passed. She was wrong in that assumption. At one point, she had sworn she had applied to ten different jobs in ten minutes.
Her life seemed to have slowed considerably, when all she wanted was to be thrusted into a busy, time flying schedule that left no room for time to breath, let alone think. Being recently unemployed didn't help matters. Whereas with the von Trapps, she had been moving constantly with the flow of the children and their needs, her time now seemed unfulfilled. There was nothing but the agonizingly slow inching forward of time, and the memories that haunted her wherever she went.
She tried to keep busy. When she wasn't applying to jobs, she tried aimlessly walking the streets in an attempt to admire the beauty of a city she hadn't paid enough attention to before. As it happened, though in a completely different city, the memories still followed her everywhere.
In fact, just earlier that day, Maria had been walking past the window of a shop when a small stuffed animal caught her attention. She was instantly brought back to weeks ago when she had been walking with her seven charges and their father, and Gretl had pointed out that particular stuffed animal, squealing that she had to have it. The booming chuckle from Georg's throat had echoed in her ears as she looked into the shop, though he was nowhere to be seen. She swore she could feel the warm breath from his lips as he leaned in to whisper in her ear.
"I think I know what to get for her birthday."
As she looked into the window, Maria shivered. She knew Georg wasn't there with her, and she certainly knew that she couldn't possibly be feeling his breath against the shell of her ear, but it had felt so real. It was as if she had been transported back to that moment, and it only ripped her heart up inside her chest.
The past week had been excruciating. She willed the memories to extricate themselves from the hold on her heart, but she had been unsuccessful. Her heart constantly felt as if it were being torn in two as the memories never strayed from her mind for long.
It was the little things, really. As she would sit down for a meal, she would reflect upon how lonely it felt without the lively chatter of the children. As she went out on one of her walks, she found that she was constantly turning to count heads only to find that she was completely alone. As she would listen to music, she would remember just how beautiful the children's voices had been and how she longed to hear the sing once again.
She missed the children something terrible. They had been her whole life for months, and the emptiness inside her without their presence was a pain unlike any other. She missed the way they made her laugh. She missed the way they could chat endlessly. She missed the way the little ones would engulf her in hugs at random intervals.
As time went on, she began to miss the little things. Gretl's insistence on a bedtime story every night. Marta's quiet and subdued, yet vibrant personality. Brigitta's keen observations on nearly everything. Kurt's insatiable hunger. Louisa's need to prove she could do everything the boys did, but better. Friedrich's lively humour. The long chats she and Liesl would have when they had a moment to speak privately.
She missed them more than she ever imagined she could have. A pang hit her heart as she often remembered how she had left them without any notice. She wondered how they had felt when they had discovered that she was gone. Had they been angry? Had they felt hurt? Were they upset? Or had they gone back to a semblance of normalcy after the shock had subsided?
She truly hoped that they weren't upset. They had every right to be angry with her. Anger, she could handle. The idea that they were hurt and sad by her leaving was something that broke her heart. She hoped that they were happy. She hoped that they were able to go back to their lives without much trouble. She hoped that their futures would be full of joy and happiness, as they deserved.
It wasn't just the children she missed, though, she reflected, it would be far easier if they were all she missed. As much as she willed Georg to leave her mind, he wouldn't. He was a constant spot engraved on both her mind and heart. She wondered how he was. She wondered what he was doing. She wondered if he had been upset at all by her leaving, or if she had made his decision easier. She wondered if he was still with Elsa. She wondered if she would ever see him again.
She had, surprisingly, heard from him. One single text had been sent to her phone when she had woken up – or rather rose from a night of sleepless tossing and turning – the morning after her departure.
Captain: Why? [Sent at 12:35 a.m.]
She had stared at the message for the better part of ten minutes, her heart caught in her throat. It was one simple word, and yet, it elicited so many emotions from Maria. How could she explain to him why she had left? Her fingers had begun to type out a response. She had begun to tell him it was better this way. She had begun to express the confusion she felt. She had begun to tell him that she missed him terribly.
Her eyes had begun to blur as she typed. She realized her eyes had filled with tears as she had attempted to explain herself to him in a pathetic text message. She couldn't hit send. She couldn't do it. She needed time to think. She needed time to sort through everything she had been made aware of, and everything she knew to be true.
She felt cowardly for the way she had left. She felt as if he deserved an explanation. She had left with no warning, and no reasoning, and he had every right to be upset. If nothing else, she imagined he would be furious about the unprofessional way she had left her job, and the children who had come to depend on her.
At times, she regretted the way she left. At times, she felt the insurmountable guilt build in her chest as she remembered how she had not said a word to anyone, but rather left a measly two words on a page as a way of explanation.
Before she could feel too regretful, she was reminded of what she had been told that day. She was reminded of the engagement ring, of Georg's uncertain past, and the way he had held Elsa. She was reminded that she couldn't have stayed in that house. While a part of her knew she should have talked to Georg, to let him defend himself against rumours and gossip, she wasn't sure she could bear an answer from him. She wasn't sure she could bear hearing him confirm all that had been said. While the unknown hurt, she was sure that his confirmation would hurt a hell of a lot more.
And yet, despite all she had heard and witnessed, she missed him. She missed the way his face would light up when he laughed. She missed the safety of his arms. She missed the press of his lips against her skin. She missed the soothing tone of his voice. She missed the ease between them when they would talk. She missed him with a force that scared her.
He seemed to be at the forefront of her mind constantly. She would think about the conversations they had. She would think about the way he held her, kissed her, seemed to cherish her when they were together. What hurt most of all, is that she would think about the night they spent together before she had left.
She had felt almost loved in those moments she had spent with Georg; the weight of him on her as he murmured against her skin how beautiful he thought she was. He had made her feel exquisite. He had brought her a pleasure unlike anything she had ever known, and it haunted her. It haunted her that she was marked by him in such an intimate way. It was like he was branded on her, and all she had left was the ghost of his touch, a whisper of his breath across her skin that she was sure she would never feel again.
Before Georg, she had scarcely entertained the idea of physical intimacy with another person. It was just something that had never crossed her mind. It had never been something she sought out. Then Georg came along, and there was just something about him that Maria could never get enough of. She had suddenly found herself thinking more and more about what it would be like to go down that road with him. Every touch, every heated kiss, every press of his body lead her to yearn for something that was beyond her comprehension.
It wasn't until she had been in his room that night, his body pressing hers into the hard wood of the door, that she understood that her body yearned for his. And so, she had spurred him on. She hadn't been as scared as she thought she would be. She had heard horror stories of course; Jane had once confessed that the first time she had laid with a man had been rather uncomfortable, but Maria truly believed Georg would take care of her. She believed he would be gentle and patient, as he had been with her time and time again.
It had felt right. He had felt right. There hadn't been much doubt in her mind, nor had there been much fear. She trusted him implicitly. It had been beyond anything she could ever put into words. He had made her feel things she never dreamed. He had been kind, patient, and loving in every touch and in every movement.
It had been more than just a night with him to her. It had been a discovery of her own body and his. She had felt that it had connected them on a level that could never be undone. She knew for the life of her that she would never be able to forget that night and what they had shared.
She often lay awake at night wondering what that night had meant to him. Had that been what he wanted all along? Had it just been a meaningless encounter? Had he already forgotten it? Because she certainly couldn't forget a moment.
The questions stopped there. She couldn't bring herself to ask if it had meant more to him than a meaningless encounter. Each time her mind considered the possibility that he felt something, her heart split in her chest. How could it have meant more if his feelings laid somewhere else?
Of course, the doubt continuously flew through her head. She couldn't be sure that he had been planning to propose to Elsa, nor could she be sure anything Heidi had told her was true. She knew her decision to leave had been rash. She knew that it had been unfair to leave without an explanation. She knew all this, and yet, she couldn't bring herself to go back. She couldn't bring herself to find a reason for everything Heidi had told her. She searched her mind for something, anything that would explain the engagement ring and Georg's lies, but she often found tears prickling at her eyes after only moments of contemplating it.
Maria was brought out of her reverie when she heard the jingle of a bell, indicating the café door had been opened. She raised her head from where she had been staring into her tea, and she found her dark haired friend walking toward the table Maria sat at. Maria let a weak smile grace her face as she stood to embrace her friend.
"Oh, Maria, it's been far too long," Jane said, her arms wrapping around Maria's torso.
"You saw me a couple weeks ago," Maria replied, a soft laugh coming from her throat as she pulled away.
"Yes, well, we lived together and now I barely hear from you," Jane said, looking at Maria with a fond smile. Her smile quickly fell as her green eyes scanned over Maria's face. "Are you all right?"
Maria stilled. Was it so obvious that something was wrong? Was it easy to see that her heart was holding itself together by a thin thread? Could Jane tell that she was suffering internally? Maria opened her mouth to answer, but Jane beat her to it.
"You look like you haven't slept in weeks," Jane pointed out. Maria winced. It was true, she hadn't been sleeping. She was lucky if she got an hour of sleep in the night. Her mind often got away from her in the late hours. If she didn't have anything to do, her mind kept coming back to Georg, and she was powerless to stop it.
"I suppose I haven't been sleeping much," Maria said carefully. Jane eyed her curiously before sitting down. Maria followed suit, sitting in her chair as her eyes fell to the cup of tea sat in front of her.
For a moment, the two sat in silence. Maria wasn't sure what to say. She had asked Jane to meet with her as a pleasant distraction. She had hoped that Jane would lift her spirits, and they could just talk, but with Jane sitting in front of her now, Maria had no idea how to start a conversation. Her inner turmoil had dampened Maria's typical chatty ways.
"Did you just get into Vienna?" Jane asked as she began to remove her coat.
"Erm, no," Maria replied quietly. She glanced up at Jane, whose eyebrows furrowed.
"When did you get here?" Jane asked. Maria steeled herself for her answer that she knew was only going to lead to more questions.
"About a week ago," Maria said, her gaze turning back to her tea. As Jane fixed her with a look of confusion, Maria slowly brought the cup to her lips and took a sip. She ordered the tea as she usually took it, and yet, there was something off about it. It came to her almost instantaneously that for weeks, Georg had been preparing her tea in the morning, and for some reason, nothing else compared.
"What about your job? Weren't you supposed to be working for that family in Salzburg for the summer? The one with the absurd number of children?" Jane asked. Maria's fingers toyed with the cup in front of her.
"Well, yes, I was, but I left," Maria said quietly. She could feel Jane's inquiring eyes on her. Maria prepared herself for the questions. She had known that this line of conversation was likely, but she had hoped she would have the energy to brush it off. She found that she didn't have any energy at all.
"Did something happen? Were they mean to you? I thought you were finally getting along with that boss of yours?" Jane asked. Maria spared a glance up at her friend whose eyes were filled with both confusion and concern. Maria took a deep breath.
"No, they weren't mean," she said, feeling her voice wavering, "they were lovely, really. I just couldn't stay any longer."
Jane's eyes narrowed, clearly trying to piece together the puzzle of Maria's vague information. Maria cursed herself. Why was this so hard? She thought she could do this. She thought she could sit down and have a nice chat over tea with her good friend and forget everything, but that didn't seem to be a possibility. She hadn't let herself feel how exhausted she was until she was sat in front of Jane, attempting to have a conversation with her.
"Then why did you leave?" Jane prodded gently. Maria shook her head. She wasn't sure how to say the words. She wasn't sure how to explain. She hadn't talked to another person about the reasons she had left, and now that the opportunity had risen, she wasn't sure she could explain without losing her dignity in the process.
"I just needed to get away," Maria replied, hoping Jane would drop the conversation. She should have known better. Jane liked to be in the know for everything, and Maria talking in circles was obviously not going to satisfy her curiosity.
"Maria, obviously there's something bothering you. What are you running away from?" Jane asked. Maria felt her hands tremble slightly. Could she explain her reasoning?
She stared into her tea, seeing her reflection staring back at her. She could vaguely make out the details of her face; the dark circles under her eyes, the deep-set frown, the misery. Most prominently, she saw the heartbreak playing clear across her features.
"I needed to get away from him," she replied quietly. The words had come out of her mouth without much thought. She kept her head down, afraid of what she might see in Jane's eyes.
"Him?" Jane asked, the confusion clear in her voice. "The Captain guy?"
Maria stilled entirely at hearing his title. Her heart began to speed up just a little. It was ridiculous that just hearing his title could elicit such a strong reaction from her. Without a word, she let out a barely perceptible nod, keeping her eyes on her tea.
"I thought you were getting along," Jane said, her face still construed in thought. Maria nodded again.
"W-we were," she replied weakly. She couldn't bring herself to say the words. She couldn't bring herself to admit to why she left. It would make it so much more real. She kept her face down at her tea, but she could feel the heat beginning to rise on her cheeks. She could feel Jane's eyes studying her closely. A moment had passed before Jane let out a gasp, causing Maria's head to snap up. She knew when she saw the light in Jane's eyes that Jane had pieced together the puzzle.
"You were getting along a little too well," Jane said, her face visibly shocked. It was not a question, but a statement punctuated by the way Maria's face turned scarlet. "I can't believe this. In the two years we roomed together you never once mentioned interest in a man."
Maria began to fidget with her hands, suddenly finding the air stifling. She wanted to say something, anything to change the topic of conversation, but Jane seemed to have other ideas.
"So, why did you leave?" Jane asked.
"It was complicated," Maria replied carefully, not sure she wanted to dive into the details. She heard Jane let out a small laugh.
"Well, he does have seven children. I mean, who the hell has seven children in this day and age? My sister has two, and she's exhausted all the time. I can't imagine seven," Jane said, getting a distant look in her eye as her face scrunched up.
"It wasn't the children," Maria said almost defensively. The idea that the children could have driven her way was absurd in her mind. "The children are amazing. Each and every one of them is kind and brilliant in their own way. I cared about them deeply."
"So, what was the problem then?" Jane asked, the confusion etching itself back into her features. Maria sighed. Could she explain everything? Was she strong enough for that? She figured she would have to now. Once Jane started on something, she wouldn't stop until the whole picture was before her.
"There was someone else," Maria muttered feebly. Jane let out a scoff.
"He had another woman?" Jane asked. Maria stilled, trying to figure out her words. How was she supposed to explain the situation?
"Yes. He told me he would break things off, but…" Maria trailed off as the memories began to hit Maria square in the chest. The image of Georg and Elsa embracing seemed to flash before her, making Maria feel nauseous. Jane leaned forward, the anticipation clear on her face.
"But?" Jane questioned. Maria fidgeted with her hands once again.
"One of the maids found an engagement ring," she replied. Jane let out another gasp.
"He was going to propose to this other woman while stringing you along? What an ass," Jane murmured. Maria shook her head. Even though her doubts are what lead her to leaving him and his seven children, she felt almost defensive of him.
"I don't know what his intentions were," Maria replied quietly. "He's a good man, he really is. I just don't know how to make sense of it."
"You didn't talk to him about it?" Jane asked. Maria shook her head, feeling both guilt and shame flood through her body.
"I was scared. I was confused. I didn't want him to tell me that he had been lying about his feelings," Maria replied quietly. She felt as if a weight had been lifted off her by explaining, but her heart still felt heavy. It still felt as if there was a rope pulled tight around her lungs, squeezing every breath from her.
"Did he give you any reason to doubt him?" Jane asked. Maria stilled her trembling hands. She let out a gentle sigh.
"Not really. He was always sweet, and he said he wanted a future, but I don't know. We hadn't told anyone about us. And then I found out about the engagement ring and his murky past after his wife had died, and I just wasn't sure what to believe," she said weakly. When she said it out loud, it almost seemed ridiculous to her. Her reasons didn't really sound like reasons at all, but rather excuses to leave.
"Did you want a future?" Jane asked quietly. Maria stilled once again. She knew the answer without a doubt, but she was almost afraid to say it out loud. She was afraid to admit to it, knowing it would never happen.
"I did. I wanted to try. I wanted to see where things went. I feel foolish thinking about it now, but I thought maybe we could make things work," she replied, the sorrow clear in her face.
Moments passed as Maria watched her tea as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. She felt a somber air fall over the table. She could feel Jane's eyes on her, but Maria could not bring herself to look up. She was ashamed. She was ashamed of the nature of her and Georg's relationship. She was ashamed by the way she had trusted him so easily. She was ashamed by the way she left. She was ashamed by the utter pain she felt in her chest at the thought of him.
Maria was slightly unsettled by the silence. She wanted to say something to justify her actions, but she couldn't find the words. In that moment, she felt exhausted, entirely drained. While she felt freed slightly by having told another person about the situation that she found herself in, it didn't help the true heaviness that had set over her body. She felt, well, numb. It wasn't until Jane's voice sounded that Maria lifted her weary head.
"You're in love with him, aren't you?" Jane asked. Maria felt her blood turn to ice. In love with him? She hadn't considered the possibility until now. Was she in love with him?
"I-I don't know," she stammered, her heart beating a mile a minute. The words began to spill from her lips before she could stop them. "There were times I thought maybe I could be, but we hadn't even been in a proper relationship. It was too fast. But the way he would look at me, sometimes I could hardly breathe. I-I've never felt that way before."
Jane watched her with a looked of compassion and empathy. She had a small smile on her face as she watched Maria carefully.
"Time isn't a judgment on love," Jane replied, her voice gentle. "Some people fall in love in a day, and some people fall in love over many years. If you love him, you should go back. You should talk to him. Otherwise, you're just going to keep torturing yourself over all the things you don't know."
Maria shook her head. How could Jane even suggest such a thing? Had she completely forgotten the part where there was another woman?
"I can't. I can't see him again. He's probably moved on anyways. He could be engaged by now," Maria replied, her heart sinking to the floor as she spoke the last sentence. I truth, she didn't know. It was wrong to assume that of him, but wasn't it a possibility? Couldn't he have entirely moved on with his life by now?
"Or he could have broken things off like he said he was going to. The choice is up to you, but what if you misread things?" Jane asked. Maria let out a dry laugh.
"It's hard to misread an engagement ring," Maria replied bitterly. Jane nodded sadly, her eyes roaming over her friend's face with concern.
"I suppose that's true," Jane replied softly. She was silent for a moment before her eyes brightened and she leaned closer across the table to Maria. "Why don't we go out tonight?"
"What?" Maria asked, blinking several times at Jane. Go out? Maria wasn't sure she was in any kind of frame of mind to go out, especially the way Jane did things.
"We could go out for dinner tonight, just the two of us," Jane said, her face brightening significantly. "Maybe we can take your mind off everything. We can go out on the town and have a good time. What do you say?"
"I don't know, Jane," Maria replied quietly. She wasn't sure she was up for a night on the town, but she did suppose it beat being trapped in her motel room with only her thoughts to haunt her.
"Come on, Maria. I won't take no for an answer," Jane said. Maria studied her friend's face for a moment. She supposed going out might not be such a bad thing. Perhaps Jane would be able to distract her from her ever persistent thoughts.
"Okay," she told her softly. Jane let out a squeal of excitement, clapping her hands together.
"Oh, we're going to have so much fun!" Jane exclaimed. Maria felt a smile form on her face. "We can stop by wherever you're staying, and you can come get ready at my place. It will be just like old times."
Maria nodded as Jane stood. Jane slid her arms into her jacket as Maria finished the last of her tea and reached into her purse do pull out a couple of bills. She placed them on the table before standing. Jane reached out, squeezing Maria's shoulder.
"We will have a great time, I promise," Jane said. Maria gave Jane a half-hearted smile. Jane spun on her heel, walking towards the door as Maria followed her. She only hoped that she would be able to put her thoughts out of her mind for one night and just enjoy the evening. She should have known that it would be too much to ask.
Maria walked out of the nightclub, her heart heavy and her nerves trembling. As the crisp night air touched her skin, she instantly felt her body cool considerably, but her anxieties never wavered. She walked further away from the club, the booming bass of the music becoming a dull thud as she found an unoccupied spot against the wall. She leaned back against the cool brick, letting her body slump with the weight of her mind.
She had tried. She had put every effort into having a good night out with Jane. She wanted to put everything in her mind aside in order to have a good night with her friend, but she couldn't. Even through the mindless chit-chat during dinner, here mind had reeled with thoughts of a certain home back in Salzburg. What were they having for dinner? Was there still lively conversation? Or had the children gone back into themselves because the first adult they had trusted in a long time had more or less betrayed them?
She had tried to focus on Jane's tales of what she had done over the summer. She had tried to listen to Jane talk about her boyfriend and her new job, but her mind kept wandering. She managed appropriate replies and the nodding of her head at the right times, but she felt subdued. She felt empty. She felt numb.
Maria was sure Jane had noticed the way she seemed to only give half-hearted replies and empty statements, but Jane didn't say a word. She acted as if nothing was wrong, and Maria was grateful. Maria didn't want to keep talking about the thoughts that haunted her or the ghosts of a better time. She didn't want to focus on it.
While things had been manageable, yet rather somber at dinner, when Jane had pulled Maria down the street to the nightclub that they had gone to only months ago, everything began to fall apart. Jane couldn't have known the memories that it would elicit as Maria had never told her about what transpired that night. Maria briefly considered mentioning something, but the words had died in her throat. She couldn't talk about it. If she started, she was afraid that the tears she had been holding back for a week would threaten to spill over.
So, she marched on. She resolved that she would go into the club with Jane and put all the memories to rest. However, when Jane had dragged her up to the bar, Maria had felt the panic rise in her chest. It had been there where Georg had spilt a drink on her. It had been there that he had given her his jacket. It had been there where she had first laid eyes on a man who had changed her universe.
She tried to keep herself steady, but in the crowded, noisy club, she had felt her knees begin to buckle under the weight of the memories the venue elicited. It had suddenly become too much. She could almost hear Georg's voice as she stood at the bar, his velvet tone speaking of his travels as she listened with attentive ears. She could almost feel his hand as it smoothed over her back after she choked on Max's martini.
She hadn't known then that he would be the man who capture her heart so entirely that everything else fell away. As she stood there, Jane chatting up a couple of old friends she had found, Maria began to feel a twist in the pit of her stomach. She felt sick. The air in the club was stifling, and she felt as if she couldn't breathe. Though, she reflected, she hadn't felt as if she could breathe for a week.
She had quickly informed Jane that she needed some air. Jane had offered to go with her, but Maria had only shaken her head. She needed to be alone. She needed a few moments to regain her composure. With unsteady legs, she had made her way out of the club, and felt brief relief.
Why couldn't she get him out of her mind? Why couldn't she push away the thoughts of him away long enough to enjoy an evening? Why was he a constantly pressing weight on her mind?
She couldn't give herself a solid answer. Only one response came to mind. Perhaps Jane was right, she thought to herself, perhaps you fell in love with him. The thought was enough to make Maria's knees feel as if they were buckling again. Could she be in love with him? It seemed so ridiculous. She hadn't even known she had felt anything for him until a few weeks ago.
Maria leant further back against the wall as if to steady herself. Her heart thumped furiously as her eyes found the starlit sky. As a little girl, she had always looked up to the sky when she needed to feel calm. As a little girl, she had believed her mother and father were up there looking down on her, and that had been enough to ground her in times that she felt as if everything was going wrong. When she looked up at the stars tonight, she didn't feel grounded. She only felt empty.
She brought her arms up to wrap around herself as she kept her eyes heavenward. She found herself angry. When she had been growing up, she had clung to the faith of God. Her parents had encouraged religion before their passing, and when they were gone, religion had made her feel closer to them. Now, however, she couldn't help but feel angry. She had been taught that God had a plan for everyone. Was this His will? Was the torment that raged inside her mind part of the path He had planned for her?
Maria shook her head. Perhaps it was His will. Perhaps the inner turmoil she was feeling would pave the way for her path. Perhaps her heart breaking would only show her the strength she possessed to get through anything. But in that moment, she certainly didn't feel strong enough. She felt lonely, lost, broken.
"Hello," a voice sounded that made Maria's nerves buzz anxiously. She knew that soft, velvet tone. It was the same one that she could still hear echo in her ears in the dark of the night. It was the same one she could remember filling her with a sense of joy and calm. However, now, it only filled her with dread and panic.
He couldn't possibly be there, could he? It wasn't possible. She was just imagining things. It was likely that it had just been the wind that she had misconstrued into the sound of his voice in the desperation of missing him. She was proven wrong when she let her eyes fall away from the sky, landing to her left where he stood, tall and broad shouldered.
Georg.
Her heart felt as if it had stopped entirely while her veins felt as if they were being filled with ice. She felt her lips part as she stared at him in utter shock. This couldn't be real. Was she imagining things now too? He certainly looked real, but he looked like the shadow of the man she had seen a week ago. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his face appeared to be somber and nervous. His hair looked ruffled, as if he had been raking his hand through it too often.
"I didn't expect to find you here," he said almost sheepishly. Maria could only stare back at him, still uncertain about him really being there. It was then that she noticed his starch white button up and dark slacks that she hadn't seen since he had returned from Vienna. She briefly wondered if he had returned to the disciplinary that he had once been before she had come to his home. She dearly hoped not.
Maria could only gape at him as moments passed. How was he here? Why was he here? How had he found her? Did he mean to find her? Or was he simply looking to enjoy a night out?
"What are you doing here?" she choked out, not giving much thought to the question escaping her lips. She watched as his features darkened slightly before he composed himself again, setting his lips in a neutral line. His eyes, however, remained dark as they scanned over her.
"I was about to ask you the same question," he replied. There was no edge or bitterness to his voice, but there was something sad that lay within his tone, something that made Maria's heart sink. She still couldn't fathom why he was there. She couldn't fathom that he was standing in front of her. She felt her legs turn to jelly, and she willed her lungs to inhale deeply, attempting to force the oxygen into her body.
How was she supposed to answer him? Was she supposed to come right out and tell him all the things that scared her? Was she supposed to admit to letting petty rumours and doubts drive her away? Did he even care at all?
"I-I," she began to stammer, but she quickly closed her mouth. She couldn't form any words. She couldn't think past the wonder that he was there, standing before her, when she had resolved that she may never see him again. She felt frozen. She couldn't move. She was just stuck, gaping at Georg as if he were a ghost – a possibility Maria had not entirely ruled out.
Georg didn't seem to be fairing much better. While his features were controlled, she could see the hard-set clench of his jaw and the twinge of disbelief in his eye as he stared through her with a gaze Maria was sure would light her up in flames. She noticed his hand absentmindedly patting the pocket of his slacks.
"You left," he said, and Maria was surprised at his tone. It sounded nothing like the man she had come to know, but rather like a small child. Her mind travelled back to the night he had come to her room when he had uttered those same words. "You left and you didn't say goodbye. Even to the children."
Maria felt her heart sink deeper in her chest as she heard the crack in his voice. He didn't sound angry. He sounded scared. He sounded unsure. He sounded, well, she had never heard him sound like that. She took a deep breath. She knew she couldn't keep staring at him without saying anything.
"I'm sorry," she breathed out. She knew it wasn't the right answer by the way a small flicker of anger flashed in his blue eyes. It faded quickly, but it had been unmistakable that it was there.
"Why?" he asked, his voice small. He took a small step closer to her, and Maria's breath caught in her throat. While there was still a good measure of distance between them, she couldn't help but feel petrified by his proximity. "Why did you leave?"
She looked away from him then, the heat of his gaze and the question he was asking becoming too much for her. She looked up towards the sky once again, hoping to find strength in the twinkling of the stars. The strength never came. She only felt more at a loss of what to say.
"Please don't ask me that," she replied quietly, her gaze landing on the cement at her feet. Perhaps if she didn't look at him, perhaps if she kept her gaze averted from the shadowy figure standing to her left, he would disappear. She let her eyes fall closed, willing the image of him to fade.
"No," she heard his voice say. She knew then that it was real. She knew he wouldn't just disappear. He was really there, and he apparently wanted to have this conversation now. "I need to know."
She looked up once again but kept her gaze at his throat. She wasn't sure she could keep herself together if she saw the emotions flickering in his irises. She wasn't sure if she could keep herself together at all.
"I don't know," were the words that passed through her lips in a breathy whisper. It was a far easier answer than trying to delve into the reasons that she left. She wasn't sure that she had the strength to explain it to him. She wasn't sure that she could force the words from her mouth without losing herself entirely in the process.
"Don't," he said, and Maria could see his fist clench at his side from the corner of her eye. "You've never been a good liar."
She swallowed hard. She knew she would have to explain it to him. She knew he wouldn't leave until she gave him an answer. She couldn't bring herself to answer. She couldn't hear her thoughts over the roar of her heart pumping in her ears.
"Did it," he paused. Maria watched as he swallowed, his fingers twitching at his sides. "Did it mean nothing to you?"
That made her head snap up to meet his eyes. She could see hurt there. She could see him struggling with himself, but she found that in that moment, she didn't care. Was he really asking if it meant nothing to her? She began to feel her blood boil. She hadn't ever been with a man before, and yet she had chosen to be with Georg that night. She had wanted to be with him because she believed he cared for her, but now he was asking if it had meant nothing to her?
"How could you ask that?" she asked, wincing at the hurt that so clearly seeped through her voice. She watched the confusion sweep across his face.
"How could I ask that?" he repeated. She watched his features darken as the frustration etched itself on his features. "Because you left! You ran away after that night, leaving nothing but two words on a piece of paper!"
Her heart sunk again. She was ashamed of the pathetic note, and she was ashamed for running away. He was obviously upset about her leaving, but she couldn't help but ask herself why. Was it because she had left him without a caretaker for his children? Or – and the possibility gave her a surge of hope she couldn't afford – had her leaving affected him too?
"Why did you run, Maria? If things were moving to fast, if I made you feel pressured in any way, why didn't you talk to me? I thought you trusted me," it was the last sentence that caused a pang to her heart as Georg's voice cracked and a broken look formed on his face. Maria began to doubt her reasons for leaving. Could she have been wrong? She let her eyes fall closed, and she saw the image of Elsa and Georg wrapped up in an embrace. The confusion grew deeper in her mind.
"It wasn't like that," she breathed out, opening her eyes but avoiding his gaze. She could feel his eyes burning a hole through her skin as he took another step toward her. She briefly saw his hand raise, as if he were going to reach out for her, but he quickly thought better of it. His hand fell to his side, his fingers twitching against his leg.
"What was it like?" he questioned. She wasn't sure what to say. She was confused beyond belief. She had let herself doubt him and believe the rumours she had heard. Over the past week, she had resolved to the fact that he would move on with his life as if nothing had ever happened. She believed that perhaps he would propose to Elsa, and his life would go on. But now he was standing before her, the pain etched onto his face, and she suddenly wasn't sure what to believe.
"Please, I need to know," he pleaded. "I'll walk away if you want me to, but I can't walk away without knowing why."
Maria inhaled deeply once again. Despite the cool night air, she felt heat prickle at her skin. She felt her heart pulse dangerously in her chest.
"I had a job to do, and I did it. The children have their father back, there wasn't much need for me," she replied gently. She knew it wasn't the truth. She knew that he knew it wasn't the truth, but rather an excuse to avoid saying what she really feared, what she was really running away from.
"They still need you, Maria. I haven't seen a single smile on their faces since you left," he said softly. Her heart broke. Had she really crushed their spirits with her leaving? Had they really not smiled since she had left? That stung far more than she believed anything else could as the guilt settled in her chest. She heard his shaky intake of breath. "They aren't the only ones."
She looked up at him, her heart filling with hope at the implications of his statement. She saw the turmoil written all over his face. It was as if he were struggling with the words to say.
"Nothing has been the same. You left, and nothing is right. The house is the same as it was before you came into it, but it's been far emptier since you left," he said, his voice shaking. She watched as he raked a hand through his hair. "It's not just the children. I need you too."
His words had knocked the breath from her lungs. He needed her? But for what? For when he got bored? She couldn't put the engagement ring out of her mind. She couldn't listen to his words without considering that there was another party involved.
"I'm sure Elsa will make things fine for you," she replied, surprised at the cool air of her voice. She instantly regretted the words that passed through her lips. She sounded broken, almost desperate. She watched as Georg's eyebrows just about retracted into his hairline at her words.
"Elsa?" he echoed, his brows furrowing in confusion. "Maria, what are you talking about?"
She took another shaky breath, feeling her nerves stand on end. She couldn't avoid the question any longer. She was going to have to admit to what she saw, and perhaps get her heart broken in the end.
"She fits your life better. You obviously care for her," she muttered weakly. Georg eyed her skeptically. He watched her as if he were watching another head emerge from her body.
"Of course, I care for her. She's been a great friend, and I'll never forget her support over the past two years," he said. Maria nodded, her heart splitting in the way she feared it would when she heard the words come from his lips. However, she had not expected the next words that left his mouth. "But, Maria, I ended things with Elsa."
Maria gaped at Georg, her eyes wide with disbelief. He couldn't possibly… But what about what she had seen? How was it possible that things made less sense than they had before?
"You did?" she asked timidly. She watched as he nodded slowly.
"I told you I was going to," he told her firmly. Maria felt her heart race in a whole new way. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Had she been so wrong? The guilt began to pile up in her chest at her impulsive actions.
"I-I thought…" she trailed off, her eyes leaving Georg's as she scanned the street in front of her. She didn't know what to say. He had rendered her speechless – something very few people had been able to do in Maria's case.
"What did you think?" he asked, his voice low as he took another step towards her. He was close now, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his body. Close enough that she could smell the earthy tones of his cologne. Close enough to make her mind hazy.
"I thought you wanted to be with her," she managed to choke out.
"Why on earth would you think that?" he asked, his tone one of disbelief.
"I saw you," she said quietly, turning back towards him. She could see the confusion deepen in his features. "I was walking past the door and I-I saw you holding her, and I just thought…"
He blinked at her several times before his eyes widened in realization.
"I was saying goodbye," he breathed out, and Maria swore she could hear relief coat his tone. "She took everything surprisingly well. We were only saying goodbye."
Maria stared at him in disbelief. Had she really read everything so wrong? Had she let her doubts spiral so far out of control that she had construed something innocent and harmless into something that wasn't real?
"You… you didn't love her?" she questioned, shame rising in her body as she realized just how wrong she had been. Georg let out a dry laugh, causing her eyes to scan his face. His features turned serious as she held her gaze in a magnetic stare.
"No. I didn't love her, and I didn't want to be with her," he replied gently. She nodded slowly but could not look away from his powerful gaze. There was something she couldn't quite identify behind the blue in his eyes. She watched as he swallowed hard, a battle of emotions playing out on his face. She wondered what he was thinking. She didn't have to wonder for long before he spoke.
"How could I want to be with her," he paused. She watched as he took a shaky breath. She could faintly see the rapid pulse at the base of his throat. His eyes roamed over her face, his eyes scanning hers before a small smile quirked on his lips. Anticipation coiled in her stomach as she waited long seconds for him to finish. "When I'm in love with you?"
Every nerve in Maria's body stood on edge. Had she heard him correctly? Had he said love? Surely, she must have misheard him, but as she looked into his eyes that filled with fear and admiration, she thought maybe she hadn't been mistaken. She couldn't believe it. She had convinced herself that he didn't want her, let alone love her. But here he was, standing before her with his emotions written clearly across his face.
His face fell, and she realized she was just openly staring at him. But she couldn't say anything. She was too struck by the gravity of her words. She couldn't find her voice in the void of emotions that threatened to burst through her chest. He was in love with her. But how could he be? Question rampaged through her mind, one sticking out more prominently than the others.
"W-what about the engagement ring?" she choked out through breathless pants. Georg looked as if she had just slapped him across the face. His face scrunched up, his eyes searching hers for an answer. Once again, Maria noticed that his hand began to pat at his pocket.
"How did you know about that?" he asked. Maria could hear a slight edge of annoyance in his voice, but she knew it wasn't directed at her.
"One of the maids," she muttered, her mind reeling. He obviously hadn't wanted her to know about it as he let a curse fall from his lips. His eyes, this time, were the ones avoiding her. It only sparked more confusion in Maria. Why did he have it? Why did he so desperately not want her to know about it? "I thought you were going to propose to Elsa."
Georg sighed as his body slumped ever so slightly. He looked defeated, and for a moment, Maria wondered if he had purchased it for Elsa, perhaps before she met him. He still wouldn't meet her eye, and it only clouded Maria's head with doubt.
"It wasn't for Elsa," he said so quietly Maria wasn't sure he had actually spoken. If is wasn't for Elsa, then who was it for?
"Oh, I see," was all she could manage as a reply as her head began to spin with all the unanswered questions. Should she just come out and ask him? Should she attempt to soothe her raging doubts? She was saved from her thoughts when he spoke again, finally turning his head back towards her with a smouldering gaze Maria was sure would kill her.
"It was for you." Just like that, Maria's whole world began spinning uncontrollably. He couldn't be serious. This couldn't be real. He couldn't have bought an engagement ring for her. They had only just admitted to having feelings just over two weeks ago. He couldn't have wanted to marry her. She shook her head. It wasn't possible.
"You can't-, we can't-, we just-," she stammered, but it was no use. She felt tongue tied. She felt completely and utterly lost with the gravity of what Georg had just told her.
"I know. I know," he said in defensive exasperation. She could see the mixed emotions playing on his face. He transformed before her in that moment. No longer was he the stoic man who had kept his emotions relatively close to the vest. He became all nerves and self doubt, and the inner battle was written across his face and spelled out in the way he began to fidget on the spot. "I know it's fast. I know it's absurd. I know how ridiculous it sounds."
Maria was rooted to the spot. She was struck by how nervous he appeared. She had never seen Georg so unsure of himself. He raked his hand through his hair once again, visibly attempting to get a hold of himself.
It hit her square in the chest just how wrong she had been. She had up and left thinking his feelings had been misconstrued, when she was the one who had misconstrued them. She had doubted him based off of gossip. She had let her trust in him waver because she hadn't been sure of her own feels.
Everything became clear. He had never been dishonest with her. His feelings had been genuine. Everything she had seen in his eyes had truly been there, and yet, she had let herself believe otherwise. The guilt began to creep up on her. Why had she doubted him? Why hadn't she been able to trust him enough to speak to him? Looking at the broken man before her, she knew she had made a complete and utter mess of things.
Georg's eyes found hers again. His gaze was wild and unpredictable. She could see the doubt in them, the doubt she had put there.
"I love you," he said. Maria's heart fluttered at the words. "I should have told you that before. I shouldn't have left any room for you to doubt my intentions. I didn't want to scare you, or maybe I was scared myself. I haven't said those words since…"
He trailed off as he got a distant look in his eye. She knew he was thinking of Agathe then, and she felt a twinge of pain in her chest. She wanted to reach out to him. She wanted to grab his hand, to comfort him, to let him know how sorry she was for leaving. He began moving before she could raise her hand. He began to pace in front of her, his hand once again patting his pocket nervously.
"I know it's fast, but I never thought I would be able to feel this way again. I thought that because I fell in love once, that was it. I didn't believe in second chances when it came to love," he said. He paused, flashing a quick glance at her as if to make sure she was still there before continuing his frantic pacing. "You have proven to be the exception. I love you, and I think I have almost from the moment I met you."
Maria was still rooted to the spot. His words elicited fresh tears to prickle at her eyes. Most of her life, she had gone without hearing those three words from anyone. Hearing Georg say the words in front of her now was nothing short of overwhelming. She wasn't sure how to respond. She couldn't think past the echo of his voice in her head relaying those words over and over.
She watched as Georg looked back at her. His face fell, and he must have mistaken her speechlessness for judgment, because he began rambling in a way she had never heard from him before.
"I-I wasn't going to propose. I was going to wait. I wanted to take things slow with you. I didn't want to rush you into anything you weren't ready for," he paused, raking his hand through his hair once again before looking at her properly. "But I knew that you were a miracle. I knew that I couldn't take you for granted. I knew that falling in love for a second time is a blessing. So, I bought a ring because I knew that I never wanted to let you go."
Long moments stood suspended between them as they looked at each other. Maria's heart had surely beat out of her chest by now. She couldn't say anything. She could only stand before him, gaping at him. Words escaped her. Thoughts escaped her. While she had run away under the impression that he had been partial to another, Georg had been so sure about her that he bought a ring. She wanted to laugh at the irony of it all. She wanted to cry at the way she had horribly misread everything. However, she did neither of those things as she felt too frozen to move.
Georg said nothing more. He stood mere feet away from Maria, his eyes wandering across her face as if trying to read her. She watched as he swallowed hard. His chest heaved as if he had just run a long distance. Maria had never seen him so nervous, so frantic, so entirely unlike himself. She could see fear reflecting in his blue irises. At one point, Maria had thought him incapable of fear. If anything, he inflicted fear in others. But now he was stood in front of her, his heart laid out before her, and everything out in the open. She wondered when the last time he had been so vulnerable was.
Neither seemed to know what to say for a long time. The air was thick with the gravity of all that had been said. Both were afraid that if they moved, the moment would be shattered along with their hearts.
Maria knew she had to be the one to break the silence. Georg had laid his feelings out in front of her. He had said everything he needed to say. He had been more open than she believed he had in a long time. There was almost nothing left for him to say. He had put everything on the line, and now it was her turn to speak. If only she knew what to say.
She had barely been able to open her mouth to speak before he was moving. He moved slowly as though not to scare her, but he ever so slightly began to invade her space. He stopped just before their chests met. His eyes peered down at her with a smouldering gaze that had the pit of her stomach doing flips.
If she thought she had been speechless before, she was proven wrong once again. His proximity stifled any thoughts passing through her mind. The smell of his cologne, the heat radiating off him, and the warmth in his eyes all reminded Maria just how much she missed him. She missed the closeness, she missed the feel of him, and she missed the way she felt completely and utterly safe in his arms.
After a week apart, she felt her heart surge at his proximity. The breath seemed to be knocked straight out of her lungs at the heat of his gaze. In that moment, she could think no coherent thoughts. She had only known one thing; she wanted Georg desperately.
She watched as his head moved down closer to her own. Her eyes fluttered closed as his forehead pressed gently against hers. She could feel his warm breath whisper across her lips eliciting a shudder from her body. He was so close that she could practically feel his lips against hers. She wanted more than anything to close the gap. She could hear the roar of blood in her ears as she inched forward slightly, her lips brushing across his ever so gently. She braced herself for more contact but felt utterly empty when his lips fell out of reach.
"Maria, look at me," she heard his voice say as he pulled his head back. Maria obliged, her eyes fluttering open to look at him. She saw a mix of emotion reflected in those ocean blue eyes; she saw the want, she saw the adoration, but most of all, she saw the fear. She inhaled sharply, awaiting his following words.
"I can walk away. If you don't feel-."
"Don't," she breathed out against him. Georg furrowed his eyebrows. "Please don't go."
That was all it seemed to take to make Georg relax. His features softened and a small smile graced his lips as he looked at her. He brought a hand up to her cheek, holding her as delicate as he would a glass antique. With all the care in the world, he brought her face to his, his lips gently pressing against hers.
Maria let her eyes fall closed once again as she focused on the feeling of him. His thumb stroked her cheek as he poured every emotion into the tender kiss. For the first time in a week, her heart soared. The feeling of him pressed against her was unlike anything else she had ever experienced. She felt safe, she felt cared for, she felt loved.
Not only did she feel loved, Maria reflected as Georg's lips began moving slowly over her own; she knew in that moment that she loved him in return. She wasn't sure when it had happened or how, but she knew somewhere along the way, she had fallen in love with Georg. It was clear in the way that she had been miserable over the past week without him. It was clear in the way the press of his lips made her feel as if she belonged, as if she was right where she needed to be.
She wanted to tell him. She needed to tell him. She couldn't imagine the doubts that she had put through his mind over the past week. She couldn't imagine the way he must have tortured himself believing that she had run because she felt nothing. But how did she say it? She had never uttered those three words to anyone before.
She brought a hand to his chest, pushing him back ever so gently. He gave no restraint, but he did not move far. He stayed in her space, his forehead falling against hers as their breaths mingled together in the cool night air. He covered the hand on his chest with his own, his thumb stroking her knuckles. His eyes stayed closed.
She nearly lost her thoughts as she felt his breath warm and gentle against her skin. She had to focus. She had to tell him. Gently, she brought a hand to his cheek, smoothing over his skin with a featherlight touch. She heard the small sigh that escaped him as she let her fingers graze over his jaw. Her heart thundered wildly as she focused on the words she wanted to say.
"I love you." It was nothing more than a whisper, but she knew Georg had caught every word when his eyes opened. For a moment, he only looked at her in disbelief. A grin slowly began to etch its way onto his features. His eyes sparkled as if he were holding the world in his hands. He gripped her hand in his, bringing it to his lips with agonizing slowness. Without looking away from her, he placed a gentle kiss to her hand, his lips lingering on her skin.
She was overwhelmed by the way he looked at her in that moment. He didn't need to say anything, as it was written all over is face; the desire, the adoration, the love. She felt a smile form on her own face as she looked up at him. Everything seemed to have fallen into place.
He brought his lips to her once again. Maria smiled against the softness of his lips, her hands snaking around his neck as his hands fell to her waist, pulling her more firmly against him. It wasn't long before the soft movements of their lips turned more insistent. She met him for every press of his mouth.
Every nerve in her body sprung to life as he pressed her further against the wall behind her. The cool brick contrasting the heat she felt flooding throughout her body at his every touch. He broke away almost suddenly, his chest heaving against her own as he fixed her with a look of pure desire that shot a shiver down her spine.
"I've missed you," he muttered as he moved to nuzzle her neck. She felt the scathing open-mouthed kisses he placed everywhere he could reach. Maria was grateful for the wall behind her holding her up as she was sure her knees would have given out at the pure sensations that he was eliciting from her.
It was then that she realized where they were. She felt her face flush as she glanced around the relatively empty street.
"Georg," she muttered, her voice coming out much raspier than she had anticipated. She felt him press one last lingering kiss just under her ear before she heard his voice.
"Do you want to leave?" he asked, his breath ghosting across the shell of her ear. She nodded weakly, her voice feeling entirely too unstable for words. He pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek before stepping back to put some distance between them. His hands slowly slipped away from her waist and she watched as he attempted to regain some composure.
"I'm afraid I parked quite a ways away," he told her, a small smirk gracing his lips. Maria nodded. She wasn't sure what they were supposed to do next. Had he planned on going home that night? Or was he staying in Vienna? On a surge of courage, she found herself speaking.
"My motel is down the street," she told him, her voice quiet as she offered the implied invitation. Georg seemed to think about this. His eyebrow raised as his eyes searched hers. She waited a long moment, willing him to say something. A small smile formed on his face as he held out his hand.
"Lead the way," he said gently. She gave him a smile before placing her hand in his, letting herself revel in the warmth. He once again brought her hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of it before interlacing their fingers.
Together, they began to make their way down the sidewalk after Maria had sent a quick text to Jane that she was leaving. Neither of them said a word. Maria was unsure of what exactly to say. Everything about the night had been overwhelming, emotionally taxing almost, but in a way, it had been perfect. She almost didn't want to say anything in the fear that it would ruin the evening, or that he would somehow disappear.
As they crossed the otherwise empty street, Maria spared a glance up at Georg. He looked impossibly handsome under the dim streetlights. He's in love with me, she found herself thinking almost dreamily. She sighed inwardly. Could this really be happening?
His head turned towards her, a smile upon his face. She felt herself flush at the way she was practically openly ogling him, but he only squeezed her hand in reassurance.
Georg's hands couldn't seem to keep still as they walked to her motel. He released her hand to put an arm around her, his fingers smoothing over the small of her back. It ignited a fire within Maria that she was sure wouldn't die out until she tasted him once again. His hand continued to ghost everywhere and nowhere all at once; over her shoulder, down her arm, along her spine. It was all with a featherlight touch that Maria was sure would drive her to insanity.
She resolved herself not to look at him, even when she felt his burning stare piercing her skin. She was sure that if she turned her head to look at him, they would have difficulty making it back to the motel room. She attempted to focus on putting one foot in front of the other on the cement sidewalk.
It was a miracle they had made it to her motel room. With a fumbling hand, she dug through her purse to find her key card while desperately trying to ignore the way Georg's fingers stroked at her back, seemingly dipping lower with every brush of his fingers. It was with trembling fingers that she managed to open the door, before walking on feeble legs across the threshold. She didn't need to look behind her to know Georg was following. She could feel his presence, even when his hand slipped away from her entirely to close the door softly, she could feel him behind her, his stare burning into her back.
She threw her purse on one of the empty chairs before slowly turning towards him. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes landed on him. He was looking at her as if he could devour her in that moment. She saw everything she felt reflected in his eyes. Wordlessly, he took steps towards her, encroaching on her space. She found she didn't mind at all. After a week of not seeing him, of not being able to touch him, she almost felt as if she had been deprived of air, and now that he was before her, she could breathe again.
He stopped just before her, his eyes looming into the very depths of her soul. With a gentle hand on her waist, he pulled her against him, her chest pressed against his. She could practically hear the beating of his heart in a frantic rhythm akin to her own. She could see his eyes darken as he watched her, exposing the raw need she knew was within him. But he waited. He moved no further besides the soft circles his fingers were tracing on her waist. She realized that he was waiting for her. He wanted her to move first. He wanted to be sure what she wanted. He didn't want to make any assumptions of where the night would go.
She stretched up slightly, until she felt the graze of his nose against hers. She watched his eyes fall closed as their breaths mingled together. With little hesitation, she brought her lips to his, feeling a tingle of anticipation travel down her body. He reacted immediately, his lips pressing insistently against hers with a hunger that made Maria incredibly dizzy.
Her hands came up to his chest, fisting the soft material of his shirt in her hands. He felt phenomenal. Every inch of him pressed against her was intoxicating, and all she could think was that she wanted more. As if sensing her thoughts, his tongue danced across her bottom lip in a silent question. Maria obliged more than willingly, opening her mouth to him and letting a shudder run down her spine when her tongue met his.
She felt lightheaded. She felt hazy. She felt on top of the world with Georg's arms around her. Absentmindedly, her fingers seemed to find the buttons of his shirt. She toyed with the first one that was fastened, rolling it between her fingers as if contemplating her next move. When she heard his groan of impatience, she pulled the button loose to reveal more of his chest. She let her fingers linger on the newly exposed skin before moving to the next button.
With agonizing slowness – Georg nipping at her bottom lip and his hands wandering down her backside contributed to her pace – she managed to undo all the buttons on his shirt. She tugged the material out of his trousers, impatiently pushing at his shoulders. She felt rather than heard his groan before he relinquished his hold on her to allow the material to slip off his arms and land on the floor.
Her hands went everywhere within reach, a desperate need boiling within her to feel the solid muscle and warm flesh of the man before her. His skin was scorching to the touch, only surging her on. She wasn't sure what had ignited such a fire within her, such a desperation to feel all of Georg. She had never given much thought to physical intimacy before she met him, and yet, now in this room, she wanted nothing more than to feel the weight of him on her. She wanted nothing more than to find the comfort of his body wrapped around hers.
Everything seemed to be on fire. She had spent a week torturing herself. She had spent a week with all the pent up emotions simmering on the surface. Now that he was there, his arms wrapped around her, she wanted to let go. She wanted to lose herself in him. She wanted to let herself release all the turmoil in the contours of his body.
She vaguely felt them moving. They stumbled in the direction of the bed. She managed to blindly step out of her shoes in the process. It was not graceful in the least, Maria reflected as her hip came in contact with a small table, but she couldn't bring herself to care, especially when his hand slipped under her blouse, his fingertips branding her skin as he traced a fiery trail across her ribs.
The back of her legs hit the edge of the bed. She felt her body fall back, and she unceremoniously brought Georg with her. The bed made a creaking sound as they landed. Maria broke away, a small giggle escaping her lips. She looked up at him and saw that he was smiling down at her, his eyes full of affection and desire.
He brought his head down, placing a gentle kiss against the tip of her nose as he brought a hand up to brush her hair across her forehead. Maria smiled at the man above her. She knew then as she looked at him with his ruffled hair, a stubborn lock falling on his forehead and a gentle smile on his face, that she would forever belong to him. There could be no other. He had captured her heart entirely, and she knew she never wanted to see another day without him in it.
She brushed the lock from his forehead and let out a small giggle when it popped back where it was. She saw the smile form on his face before she scooted up on the bed. She watched as he kicked off his shoes and followed her, he eyes never leaving hers.
He climbed over her, his eyes pouring into her soul as he watched her. His hand came to the buttons on her blouse. He toyed with the top done button, watching her for any indication that he should stop. She didn't stop him, but rather brought a hand under his jaw, her fingertips brushing against the ends of his hair.
He undid each button slowly, his eyes never straying from hers. Each brush of his fingers against her bare skin caused her to sigh softly. Only when the shirt was completely unbuttoned did his eyes leave hers, roaming over her torso. His hand followed his eyes, his fingertips tracing a path down her neck, her chest, her abdomen, to just under her navel. Her breath caught in her throat when she watched his eyes flick back up to hers, a burning deep within them.
He lowered himself, his lips trailing across her jaw. She let out a contented sigh, her hands smoothing over his back as his lips made their way along her neck. His hand moved over a breast, applying light pressure to elicit a moan from her. Everything he did, every touch of his finger, every press of his lips was igniting Maria on fire. All coherent thoughts left her as her fingers dug into the muscles of his back. All she could think about was the man above her and that there were too many clothes separating them.
Slowly, she sat up, pushing him back gently. She moved to remove her blouse, but he was already there, his hands slipping beneath the material to slide the garment off. He threw the article to the ground before bringing his hands back, his warm fingers grazing over her bare arms, her shoulders, her back, until they rested on the clasp of her bra. Without a word, he unclasped it and removed it from her, throwing it in the same direction as her shirt before he laid her back, his hands exploring her skin.
He brought his lips back to hers, kissing her with everything he had. She responded in kind, one hand gripping at his hair to bring him impossibly closer. She could feel his evident arousal pressed against her, and the sensation made her feel faint. She needed more of him. She needed to feel him entirely, to know this was all real and not some cruel dream.
She wasn't sure what made her do it. She hadn't thought it through. She couldn't recall ever being so bold as her free hand slid down his chest, trailing through the soft hair and warm skin. Her hand found its way to the edge of his slacks. She let her fingers linger there aimlessly for a moment. His groan came against her as he deepened the kiss, spurring on her movements. Without much coherent thought, she snapped the button of his pants open and pulled down the zipper before slipping her hand inside his boxers.
His entire body went rigid when her hand tentatively wrapped around him. A moan escaped him as he pulled away from her lips, his eyes squeezed shut. She wasn't entirely sure what she was doing, but it seemed that her bodily instincts took over. She gave a tentative stroke.
"Maria," he choked out. She repeated the motion and watched as his eyes snapped open. She couldn't see any blue. He looked at her with a heated, black stare that increased the desire pulling low in her body. He kissed her hard, his tongue sweeping over hers, his teeth nipping her bottom lip. As quickly as it started, he was pulling away, her hand slipping from his pants as he moved to stand.
He pulled down his remaining clothes, stepping out of them before kneeling between her legs. His hands came to the waistband of her pants, his fingers anchoring themselves inside. He looked at her, and she saw the question in his eyes. Without hesitation, she nodded, and before she knew it, the remainder of her clothes were being stripped from her body and Georg was covering her again, his lips descending on hers.
He had a hand in her hair while his other hand trailed over her hip, teasing her inner thigh. She groaned, wishing he would touch her where she needed him and relieve some of the pressure that was becoming unbearable inside of her. Instead, he rolled them over in one fluid movement so that his back was against the headboard and she was clumsily splayed on top of him.
She pulled back to look at him, only seeing the pure lust and want in his eyes. She felt herself blush under his scrutiny as she awkwardly straddled his thighs. She wasn't entirely sure what to do. In her last encounter with Georg, he had taken charge. Now, he only watched her as she tried to figure out what to do. She had been bold only moments ago, but now she felt uncharacteristically shy.
He smiled at her, leaning forward to place a languid kiss upon her lips, his hands settling at her waist. He pulled back slowly before letting his hands fall to her hips, ever so gently pulling her forward. As he shifted her body to line up with his, she understood. A gasp escaped her lips when she felt his length pressed against her. He lifted her gently, lining himself up before easing inside of her.
They both moaned at the sensation. Georg buried his face in neck, his lips and tongue mercilessly assaulting her flesh as his hips began a languid rhythm. Maria shifted her hips, meeting his every thrust. She vaguely heard the small sounds escaping her body as her eyes shut tight. She could only focus on the strong sensations flooding through her body.
Her body felt like there were sparks going off everywhere. The sensation of him inside of her while his hands guided her movements were overwhelming. Her heart thudded dangerously. The feel of him and the smell of him was enough to intoxicate her mind, leaving only the remnants of a deep primal urge that she hadn't know she had possessed.
She could feel Georg's mouth moving lower, nipping and sucking down her chest before beginning an assault on her breasts. Her hands gripped his shoulders, a liquid fire building within her so bright she thought that she might combust. His thrusts became more urgent, more insistent, and she had lost all sense of time and place. She could feel the burning low in her abdomen as she rocked her hips just as insistently, chasing her release.
It didn't take very long before she felt the chasm inside her break open, her body flying high as her release flooded through her in a blissful waves. She heard Georg's name pass through her lips. As she rode out the last of her release, she felt his body go rigid. She felt his moan against the skin of her shoulder before his body went limp.
He fell back against the headboard, bringing Maria with him. She rested against his chest, her head falling against his should as she attempted to catch her breath. She could feel his chest heaving beneath her, and she could hear his soft pants in her ear. His arms hugged her close to him, his fingers stroking tenderly at her back. She let out a contented sigh as she laid there, feeling better than she had in a long time.
She wasn't sure how long they laid like that. It wasn't until she felt Georg's lips in her hair that she feebly raised her head to look at him. He was watching her with a lazy smile on his lips. She pressed a gentle kiss against his lips, trying to convey the pure love she felt for him in that moment.
"You have no idea how much I've missed you," he muttered against her lips. She pulled back to look at him.
"I think I have some idea," she replied, feeling her face flush at the implications of her own words. She watched as he chuckled lightly, a crooked smile plastered on his face. Slowly, she rolled onto the bed next to him. He shifted down, pulling the sheet over them as she settled in the crook of his arm, her head laying against his chest, and her hand coming up to rest on his abdomen.
She felt blissful in that moment. She felt serene. Everything felt as if it had fallen into place as she was wrapped up in the arms of the man she loved, listening to the steady beat of his heart. She had no thoughts, her mind was blissfully empty as her eyes drifted shut. She couldn't recall being so comfortable in her life.
"Maria," she heard his voice say, breaking the comfortable silence.
"Yes?" she replied. His fingers stroked softly at her arm.
"Is it possible," he said, pausing as if not entirely sure how to finish the sentence, "that I take you home tomorrow?"
She raised her head from his chest, looking up to meet his eyes. She smiled. Home. That was exactly what it was. She had never felt quite at home until she had come across the von Trapp household. After her parents had died, she had felt she was a guest in her uncle's house, and she had never been quite comfortable in the dorms when she was in university. At the von Trapp house, with the children and Georg, she truly did feel, for the first time in a very long time, that she was home.
"Yes," she breathed out, before pressing a kiss against his lips. When she pulled back, she watched a smile form on his face. He pressed a kiss against her forehead before she laid her head back down on his chest.
Despite how sleepy she was, she couldn't stop smiling. The day hadn't turned out at all like she had planned, starting with Georg's unforeseen presence at the nightclub, but she was glad for it. She was glad that he showed up. She was glad she had found out the truth about everything. While she knew they still had things to talk about and things they needed to clear up, it could wait until morning. She just wanted to lay in his arms and drift of to sleep with the man who had wholly captured her heart.
She was just about to fall her sleep. Her body had relaxed, and her mind had cleared. She felt herself drifting off to the sound of the beating heart beneath her head.
"Maria," his voice sounded again. She felt her smile grow at the sound of his voice.
"Hm?" she replied, not bothering to move. She waited for his reply, eager to hear what he was going to say.
"I love you," he told her gently. Maria's heart once again fluttered in her chest. He had said the words before, but each time, her body reacted the same. She wasn't sure she would ever get tired of hearing him say the words, and she hoped he would never stop.
She pressed a kiss to his chest, just over his heart before laying her head back down.
"I love you too."