sillywhistle

[sillywhistle]

A 30-day writing challenge for Maria and Georg! For the next 30 days, I will be posting a one-shot a day that has been inspired by a quote from a love song that you may or may not have heard of! I thought it was fitting since Maria and Georg were brought together through music. The link above is to go and read it on FF.Net, but you can also read it under the cut!

Hope you like it!

The Lady In Red

[There's nobody here, it's just you and me,

It's where I want to be,

But I hardly know this beauty by my side,

I'll never forget the way you look tonight]

The Lady In Red - Chris Burgh

Returning to the party after stepping out onto the terrace with Max for a smoke, Georg failed to keep from smiling when he caught sight of his wife standing to the side after scanning the room with his eyes. She was holding their little girl, swaying in time to the music with her while she watched the dancing and let her grab at the beads hanging around her neck, and he had to admit she looked a dream in the floor-length red gown she had bought. It was daring for her, what with it having an open back and being slightly more fitted than the other gowns she had in the armoire, but he was most certainly a fan of it.

When it dawned on him that people were beginning to notice he was staring, he decided it was time to go over there before he made an idiot out of himself and so he turned and made his way around the perimeter of the ballroom. She spotted him before too long and they shared a smile, the love he had for both her and their darling Rosemary only deepening when she pointed at him and she squealed at seeing him when she turned her head. He chuckled when she reached her chubby little arms out towards him, leaning away from her mother, and he pressed his lips to her forehead as he perched her on his hip.

"I say, the two of you are looking very beautiful this evening," He said while draping the skirt of the white dress she had on over his arm, his hold of her tightening when she rubbed at her eye with the back of a hand and snuggled further into him. Even though it sounded bad, he was glad she was getting sleepy because it meant he would soon have Maria to himself and he had been waiting to dance with her all night near enough. He let his arm fall from around her and reached out to run his hand down Maria's back, causing her to look up into his eyes. "I think we ought to be getting this little lady up to bed now."

She hummed in agreement. "Neither of us will get a thing done tomorrow if she's in a foul mood from lack of sleep."

"My thoughts exactly," He confessed. "How about we both go? I imagine getting her settled will take half the time with two."

"Well, that and you still struggle to put her cloth on straight which means you need me to do it." She teased.

He rolled his eyes at her before pecking at her cheek. "Come on, the sooner we go up the sooner we can come back down."

Wordlessly then, they walked around the perimeter of the ballroom and into the foyer before heading for the staircase and starting to make their way up to their room. Before they could get too far though, the sound of Liesl calling to them caught their attention and they turned to watch her approach. "I can put her to bed for you if you would like me to," She said when she came to stand in front of them, smiling as she accepted her baby sister from her father when she threw her arms out in her direction. "I know what to do, I used to do it with Gretl every night, and you shouldn't have to abandon your own party."

"I…well, I mean, we appreciate it, darling, but are you sure?" He shared a look with his wife, taking her hand in his.

"I am, I promise," She nodded. "You haven't had a moment alone all evening, so I told the others to leave you in peace too."

Maria laughed at that, stepping closer to Georg with a squeeze of his hand. "I have no idea what we would do without you."

"I know, I'm wonderful," Liesl teased with a shrug. "Go on, go back to the party."

Georg reached out and laid his free hand on the back of her neck, leaning in to press a kiss to her brow before he led Maria around her and the two of them made their way back down the stairs. Once they were back in the ballroom, he released her hand and turned to her before drawing her into his arms and revelling in the smile she gave him as they began to dance. It was a waltz they were familiar with, one they had been dancing for years and were able to get through without thinking all that much about, and it felt wonderful to be able to lose themselves in the moment after having been made to wait so long.

He turned his head a little to the side so he could let his cheek rest against hers while they glided around the room, feeling her smile as he traced circles onto her back with the pad of his thumb. The more they danced, the more the other couples and the rest of the world faded away into nothingness and all he wanted was to savour every small step they took together.

Just him and his magnificent lady in red.