'Just calm down and tell me why you're so angry with me,' Maria sighed gently as she and Georg stood out by the lake before dinner one night.
'I saw you with that man when you were out in Salzburg earlier this afternoon, Maria,' He hissed quietly, should one of the children come outside.
'What? Georg, what are you talking about?' She furrowed an eyebrow in confusion as he brushed past her in order to sit on the stone bench.
'When you were standing outside of the tearoom whilst running your errands, so deeply in conversation with that young man?' He raised his brow.
Her eyes widened a little as she turned to face him. 'Do you mean Alfred? Georg, he's just a childhood friend!' He rolled his eyes as he scoffed.
'The conversation seemed a little too friendly when I saw you laughing with him and saw the way he was looking at you, Maria,' She looked hurt.
'Georg, what are you trying to say?' She asked gently, her eyes holding soft tears as their gazes met. 'Are you suggesting I was being unfaithful?'
'Of course not,' He growled as he stood up and ran his hand through his hair. 'I just saw the darkness in his eyes. It was desire, Maria, hunger!'
'You're putting two and two together and getting twenty-three, I swear,' She shook her head as she walked by him, his hand seizing her wrist.
'Don't try and make this little, Maria,' His voice was darker than she'd ever heard it and it made her nervous. 'You're my wife, you belong to me,'
'Georg, I swear that I gave him no indication that I was unhappy with you,' She whimpered. 'I love you more than anything!' She held his face.
'I love you too,' He sighed as he took her hips gently and brought her close. 'But I need a truthful answer from you,' She slowly backed away.
'I can't believe that even after I've just pledged my love for you, you still doubt me!' A soft tear rolled down her porcelain cheek.
'Maria,' He reached out to wipe it away, but she held up her hand to stop him.
'Please,' She shook her head as she brushed past him and made her way towards the steps leading to the villa. 'Don't say another word, Georg,'
'Brilliant,' He hissed to himself when he watched her cup her hand over her mouth as she made her way inside. 'Absolutely brilliant,'
Maria turned to face him when he entered their bedroom to dress for dinner, but then quickly turned back to her vanity to put on her pearls.
'Maria, you haven't said one word to me since our argument which was nearly an hour ago,' He sighed as he sat on the edge of their bed.
'Yes,' Her forehead creased a little as she carefully put her earrings in. 'I'm aware of that, Georg,' He made his way slowly up behind her.
'Darling,' He rested his hands upon her shoulders, but she leaned forwards so that they slipped off immediately. 'Maria, please,'
She sighed exasperatedly as she turned on her chair to face him, a perfectly sculpted brow raised in his direction. 'What?' She asked coolly.
'I just want to understand what went on between you and Alfred in Salzburg today,' He got down to her level and took her hands in his.
'We just met up coincidentally, Georg! People do that, you know, and there's no explanation for it! I guess I was just pleased to see him,'
'But that doesn't explain the laughing and the closeness, and the way that he was looking at you, does it?' She scoffed softly, dropping his gaze.
'I suppose he just said something funny,' She admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. 'And as for his gaze, I don't have an explanation for you,'
'I need time to think,' He sighed getting up from the floor and beginning to pace the room slowly. 'I need time to take all of this in,'
'Very well,' She whimpered as she stood. 'I'll move back into my old room until you've thought this over, Georg. That should give you time,'
He turned to face her as she forced her lower lip not to quiver at the unnecessary distrust he was feeling. 'You can't be serious,'
'Oh, I am,' She replied as she stepped a little closer towards him. 'I'm not punishing you for how you feel, I simply want you to trust me,'
'Maria, there's no need for you to sleep alone over this,' She silenced him with a simple press of her finger to his soft lips. 'Very well,'
'I'll come back up here after dinner and pack a small case and then I'll head to my old room,' She spoke gently. 'I do love you, Georg, but-'
'But what?' He reached out to stroke her cheek tenderly, and thankfully she didn't pull away.
'I'd feel a little awkward sleeping next to you when I don't know if you trust me,' She admitted. 'I wouldn't feel comfortable with all the tension,'
'I understand,' He sighed dejectedly as his fingers grazed her jawline. 'Can I at least kiss you now since I won't be able to before you go to bed?'
'You may,' A small smile formed upon her lips momentarily before disappearing again, Georg bringing her closer until their lips met gently.
'I think the space may do us good,' He looked deeply into her eyes. 'Just for a little while, until I can get my head around this,'
She nodded as she looked down at the carpet, her eyes brimming with soft tears of feelings of betrayal. 'I'll see you at dinner,' Her voice failed.
Before he could say another word, she had made her way through the bedroom door and closed it slowly behind her.
It was nearing midnight on that same evening as Maria lay on her back in her old bed, shivering as the thunder clapped loudly outside.
She hadn't quite realised how much colder she felt without Georg's arms around her as she was curled into his side. She was freezing.
She hesitated momentarily, before pulling back the covers and gently putting her shawl around her shoulders as she left the room.
Once Maria had reached the door that separated she and the Captain, she took a deep breath before slowly turning the handle and opening it.
'Georg?' She whispered gently as she padded across the floor towards the large bed in the centre of it, his soft snores filling the air. 'Georg?'
When she had spoke his name gently for the second time and he still hadn't stirred, she slowly slipped into bed next to him and sighed softly.
Feeling the cold continuing to seep into her bones, she shifted closer to her husband and lay her head in the crook of his arm. 'Maria?'
His voice made her start slightly as she looked up to meet his gaze, her hand resting upon his chest as she shivered violently.
'Please,' She whimpered as she went immediately into his strong arms. 'Please never doubt me again, Georg, I love you too much to hurt you,'
'I know, mein liebling,' He whispered into her golden hair as she began to sob softly into his chest, his hands running gently along her spine.
'K-Küss mich,' She pleaded softly, her eyes wet as the tears ran down her cheeks. 'Bitte Georg, küss mich,' He pressed his lips warmly to hers.
Their tongues tangled slowly as they held tightly to one another, their soft gasps and whimpers breaking the silence of the room.
'How did you find out?' She panted softly when they parted.
'Hmm?' He hummed in reply as he trailed hot kisses down the slope of her slender neck.
'How did you find out that I was being truthful about the encounter I had whilst running my errands?' A soft gasp left her as he nipped her neck.
'I didn't,' He breathed, looking lovingly into her deep blue eyes. 'I just realised I already knew,' They both shared a sleepy smile.
'Please,' She gripped his shirt and snuggled into his warmth. 'Please let me stay, I'm so cold without you, Georg,' He kissed her brow softly.
'Anything for you, mein liebling,' He settled down with her beneath the sheets for the night. 'Anything...'
A/N: Just a random one-shot that came to mind for no apparent reason whatsoever, hehe ;) If anyone was wondering, 'Mein liebling' is Austrian for 'My darling', and 'Küss mich, bitte Georg, Küss mich,' is Austrian for 'Kiss me, please Georg, kiss me,'
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