A/N: As I mentioned in the summary, you will need to read Moments of Truth to understand these one-shots but you don't have to read them to understand Moments of Truth. These are simply M-rated outtakes both from that story and possibly after (though in the same universe) depending on when the muse strikes. If the one-shot does occur at a specific spot in Moments of Truth, I will call that out in an authors note at the beginning.

This particular one shot is Maria and Georg's first time set after the opera in Chapter 18 of Moments of Truth. I do repeat a bit of the dialogue and scene setting from Moments of Truth at the beginning, but this time, I don't skip over the explicit details. Enjoy!

Maria watched as Georg emerged from the bathroom in a set of navy blue silk pajamas. The intimacy of seeing him in such clothing caused her to blush, and she dropped her eyes. He stepped forward, cupping her chin and lifting her head to face him. "All you need to do is tell me to stop, and I will."

She shook her head. "I don't want to stop."

"Okay." He leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a deep kiss. She responded immediately, opening her mouth to him as her own hands moved to his shoulder blades. On the surface, the kiss seemed no different than others they had shared, but underneath, there was something unique about it, an intensity that Maria had never experienced. It simultaneously thrilled and terrified her.

"I need you to talk to me," he said, pulling back slightly from the kiss. "I want to make sure that you are completely comfortable with everything that happens between us."

Maria nodded, slightly breathless already even though they had done no more than kiss. She knew where he wanted the night to go, and in many ways, she wanted the same thing. But after eight days of over-thinking, she found herself quite frightened, and she was struggling a bit to overcome that fright. "I just. . . can we go slow?"

"Of course, Darling." He kissed her again, slow and sensual, and she felt his hands move from her hips up her sides, caressing her through the thin fabric of the nightgown. "You're tense," he murmured against her lips.

"I'm sorry." It was just as she had feared–her past had ruined her for him. She would probably never be able to relax enough to make love to him and then why would he even want to marry her?

"Let's get you relaxed," he said, for once oblivious to the thoughts running through her head. Gently, he led her to the bed, helping her to lay down on her stomach.

"Don't I need to be the other way?" she asked, trying to turn over, but he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. She was inexperienced, but she had some medical training and she knew the basic mechanics of what was going to happen.

"Not just yet, my love," he told her. She felt him straddle her legs, felt the silky texture of his pajama bottoms brush against her calves. Before she could wonder long what he was doing, she felt his hands on her back, gently massaging the tense muscles there. It felt wonderful, and she could not stop the small moan from falling from her lips. "That's it," he coaxed, his warm hands relaxing her taut muscles. "Just let yourself relax and feel." She did as he asked, and her muscles slowly loosened as her entire body lost much of its tension.

Maria was not sure how long he massaged her for, but she was feeling quite relaxed when she felt his warm hands directly on her skin just above her knee. He continued to move them slowly upwards, pushing her nightgown up as well as he went. Maria expected the intimate touch to scare her further, but it surprisingly felt natural. "Are you still enjoying yourself?"

"Mm-hmm," she hummed, too lost in sensation to say anything more coherent. He chuckled slightly, his hands gliding over her shoulder blades and down to her lower back before dropping lower still. She gasped, part surprise, part pleasure, as he placed them on her buttocks, squeezing gently.

"Do you mind if I take off your nightgown?" he questioned after another couple minutes. She shook her head, raising her torso off the bed so he could pull it over her head. The cool air of the room raised goosebumps on her exposed back, but he quickly chased them away with his warm hands. He leaned forward, and she felt his lips press against her shoulder blade, his tongue darting out to gently caress her skin. She now felt something building between her thighs, a heat that she had never experienced before but one which she instinctively wanted to satisfy. Her hips pressed forward, pushing the spot where the heat was most intense against the mattress in an attempt to get some relief of the pressure. As she did so, she felt Georg's hands slide down her legs before moving upwards again, his fingers sweeping her inner thighs this time. He stopped just before reaching the place where she wanted him most, and she moaned in disappointment. "Turn around for me, Darling," he whispered, and she complied immediately, willing to do anything he asked in order to feel more of the heady feelings coursing through her blood. He smiled at her as his hands continued to work their magic on her skin, skipping over her breasts in favor of caressing her stomach and thighs.

At some point, her eyes slid shut in pleasure, trusting Georg to take care of her. Suddenly, she felt one warm hand cup her left breast, massaging gently, and she gasped as she opened her eyes to see him watching her carefully, a smile on his face. She returned the smile, and he continued to squeeze her breast gently before moving on to the right one. Though he had briefly touched her there before, it had been over her clothes and was for a far shorter duration than the current time. It certainly had not left her nearly dizzy with pleasure as she currently was.

His hands slipped downwards again, briefly caressing her thighs once more before they came to rest on the waistband of her underwear. "Can I take these off, my love?"

She nodded then swallowed hard when she remembered his instructions from earlier. "Yes," she told him, and he smiled gently upon hearing her speak. Slowly, he pulled the last piece of fabric from her body.

"So beautiful," he breathed as he tossed the underwear to the side. Leaning forward, he kissed her firmly, letting his hands return to her hips. One of them began to circle inwards, and Maria could not stop a small gasp as her legs started to close. He gently pressed on her hip to stop the movement. "There is nothing improper between you and I, my love," he reminded her. "But if you want me to stop, I can."

Maria certainly did not want him to stop; in fact, she was beginning to think she might spontaneously combust if he did not continue. Reminding herself once again that she was no longer a postulant and that the man hovering over her was to be her husband, she relaxed her legs. "Don't stop," she told him, her words breathless. He smiled, and his hand continued its journey. When his fingers brushed against the molten heat between her legs, she could not stop the gasp that fell from her lips. Grinning, he leaned forward, his tongue tangling with hers as he kissed her thoroughly. His hand continued to move between her legs, his fingers brushing gently over her center. Her hips thrust forward automatically, seeking more contact. Seeming to understand her desire, he pressed his thumb more firmly to the spot where she wanted him most, swallowing her moan.

Maria had thought the kisses and small touches he bestowed on her before were the ultimate pleasure, but she was rapidly realizing just how wrong she was. She had never felt anything remotely similar to what she was currently feeling. And while part of her–the part that perhaps had never fully given up the thought of her in a wimple–was feeling wanton at their actions, that part was growing rapidly smaller. A much larger part of her was feeling pure bliss and complete love and surrender to the man touching her so intimately. If he had not already had her heart, she would have given it to him completely in that moment. She supposed that was the reason God wanted what they were doing to be an experience only shared by husband and wife.

His fingers began to move faster, and the pleasure became even greater, something Maria would not have believed possible before it happened. He had pulled his lips from hers, and her moans now filled the room, but she could not bring herself to care about their volume. "Let yourself go, love," he told her, his thumb pressing harder right at her center. "I've got you." She did not understand him at first, but as his skilled fingers began rubbing tight circles right at the spot aching for attention, she started to get an inkling of what he meant.

"Georg. Oh. Oh!" she cried. Her entire body tensed and then almost immediately released as the pleasure crashed over her, blinding in its intensity. He continued to stroke her as she trembled beneath him until she finally sank into the mattress, unsure of exactly what had happened but wondering when she might experience it again. He smiled at her as he removed his hand from her center, trailing it over her upper thighs languidly. "What was that?" she asked when she finally found her voice.

"That, my dear, was an orgasm," he told her matter-of-factly. "From your expression, I'm guessing your first." He smirked, looking quite satisfied with himself. Under other circumstances, Maria may have called him out for that, but she was feeling that perhaps he deserved to be smug.

"Women can have them, too?" she questioned, confused. "I had only read-"

"Read?" he asked, his hands stilling on her thighs.

Maria blushed. "One of the more. . . interesting parts of my nursing text discusses the process somewhat. But it just mentioned the male orgasm, the releasing of seed."

Leaning forward, he kissed her. "Given the nature of the text, I'm going to guess it makes the process much too clinical. I suggest you forget about it."

"But how will I know what to do?"

"Trust your instincts."

"But-"

He pressed a finger to her lips to stop her protests. "No buts, Maria. I know you are a very passionate woman. I have no concerns that you will not know what to do." She frowned, still not believing him, but her mind soon turned to a different problem.

"You haven't come inside me yet," she realized.

"See? I told you that you would know what to do." He grinned cheekily at her, but he quickly grew serious when he saw her slightly stricken expression. He shifted his weight to his knees so he could frame her face with both hands. "Maria, I know this is all new and frightening for you. I want to make sure you are ready for what happens between us and that you enjoy it, too."

"I did. I am. I. . . want to continue." As she said the words, Maria realized she spoke the complete truth. He seemed to sense that as well, for he kissed her again, slow and sweet, as his hands began to work on the buttons of his shirt. When he discarded it, Maria took a few minutes to let her hands run over the muscles of his chest, enjoying the soft, warm skin. She had seen him without a shirt a few times while he was swimming with the children, but she knew the situation was much different now.

As she followed a trail of dark hair down to the waistband of his pants, she looked back at him. She saw the love and devotion shining clearly in his eyes as he nodded at her, and the last of her fear melted away. She trusted him completely. She was ready to give herself to him. With that thought in mind, she slipped her hands under the waistband and pushed them down. He helped her push them off his body, and she lingered at his calves, enjoying the feel of his muscles beneath her fingertips. When she had finished exploring his legs, he rolled off of her so he was lying beside her in the bed and then pulled off the last piece of his clothing. She could not stop the small gasp at seeing his erect manhood lying against his stomach. Though she had seen a fair number of naked men while working as a nurse and had even seen one or two aroused, she did not remember their arousal being quite so large. A bit of fear seeped back in as she wondered how he was supposed to fit inside her.

He let her continue to stare until she finally dropped her gaze. Only then did he reach over, grabbing something from the bedside table. "What is that?" she questioned.

"Prophylactic," he explained. At her still-confused expression, he clarified. "To prevent pregnancy."

Her eyes widened. "Isn't it a sin?" He raised an eyebrow as he looked between their naked forms. She blushed. "Right. I. . . didn't even think of that."

He kissed her gently. "It is not something I expect you to consider. This is your first time, Maria. It is for you to enjoy and me to worry about the details."

"Thank you."

"My pleasure." He kissed her again, longer and deeper. "We can still stop," he told her, slightly breathless as he pulled away. She shook her head.

"Please don't." He nodded, reaching down to roll the prophylactic over his erection. Once complete, he rolled fully onto his side as he stared at her, a soft smile on his face. "We'll go slow," he promised her. She nodded. He kissed her again, letting his hand wander down her body almost lazily. He stroked between her legs a few times before pulling his hand away and moving so he was lying over her. Reaching down, he grabbed his erection in his own hand, pressing it into her folds. Both gasped at the contact though he did not yet enter her, instead contenting himself by teasing her with his head. Maria found herself once again thrusting upwards, seeking more contact, and he hissed with pleasure as the tip of him entered her unexpectedly. Quickly, he reached a hand down to still her hips before she could take him in further. "Slowly," he reminded her, his words slightly breathless. She nodded, not trusting herself to say anything else. He pulled out again, and she almost cried out at the loss of contact, but he had soon pressed himself into her again, slightly deeper this time though still not letting her take more than the tip of him. Maria was grateful for his consideration, remembering how large he looked.

Maria was not sure how long they continued like that with Georg thrusting into her a minute amount more each time, but eventually, she felt him press against the membrane inside her no one had crossed. His eyes met hers, the question evident, and she swallowed hard before saying, "Take me." He let out a small groan as he pushed forward, breaking the barrier before stilling once more. It was certainly painful, but it was not as bad as Maria had feared and certainly not as bad as some other women had made it seem. Maria did not feel that he was tearing her in two; rather, she felt that he was stretching her in a way that was somehow both unpleasant and pleasant.

Maria suddenly felt his leg trembling beside hers, and she looked up to see that his face was taut. "Go ahead," she told him, and she heard him sigh in relief as he pulled himself out slightly before pushing back in. He still did not sheath himself all the way, but Maria was finding herself less and less worried about how he would fit inside. Instead, she was focused on the heady feelings coursing through her body at feeling how wonderfully he filled her, thinking that it could feel more wonderful as he filled her further. She was not even feeling much pain anymore, just a dull ache that was easy to ignore. With that thought in mind, she pushed her own hips upward on the next thrust, taking him much deeper than he had been going. He gasped in surprise, and his eyes darkened noticeably.

"Maria," he choked out, stilling once more.

"Please, don't stop," she told him. She needed to feel more of him, needed to feel that surrender she had felt before. She clutched at his shoulders, trying to pull him closer, and he gave a strangled cry. He pulled out again, pushing back in immediately, this time sheathing himself fully. But it still was not enough; Maria wanted more. Remembering his earlier suggestion that she trust her instincts, Maria wrapped her legs around his thighs, and the change in angle allowed him to slip even deeper.

"Oh, God," he moaned, his own hips pressing into the contact. She saw him clench his jaw as he pulled out again, now moving faster though Maria sensed he was still holding back. She tried to meet his thrusts as best as she could, and on one particularly deep one, she rotated her hips slightly, still seeking more contact. His eyes met hers, so dark they were almost black, and Maria watched as the tension finally snapped. He cursed loudly, and his hips began to piston so quickly that Maria had no hope of keeping up with him. Instead, she moved her legs slightly higher, remembering how much he enjoyed the deeper penetration, letting her hands smooth down his back as he gave in to his passion. Surprisingly, though he was certainly not being gentle, Maria felt no pain at all, only a pleasure quite similar to the one she had felt earlier. She wondered if it would reach the same conclusion when his thrusts suddenly grew erratic, a look of pure ecstasy forming on his face. He let out a long, low moan, and despite her lack of experience, she knew he had reached his own end. She watched the play of emotions across his face with fascination. He was saying something, but he was incoherent. Still, Maria could tell he was enjoying himself, and that alone made the experience pleasurable for her.

When he finished, he collapsed against her, his full weight resting against her for a few seconds before he managed to push himself to one side. Maria watched him for a moment, smiling slightly at the serene expression on his face. They had done it. After all the anticipation and worry and gossip, Maria expected to feel differently, but the truth was, it had not been significant as she had expected. Of course, she would remember the night for the rest of her life and look back on those memories with pleasure, but in the end, being with him had not felt particularly momentous. It felt right, as if she had finally come home.