AUTHOR'S NOTES: You know what? I'm not even going to try and justify this, it was just something that I wanted to write, so here it is; my only hope is that you guys enjoy it! (Don't worry, there IS a plot!)

So, this is going to be another multi-chapter story (I know, I'm an idiot!) but I just couldn't resist the temptation...in addition to that, I'm also starting yet another multi-chapter Mary Poppins fanfction, but I'm not sure when that will be posted. Also, don't be too surprised if a multi chapter Dick Van Dyke Show fanfction appears at some point. (Yes, I am trying to kill myself with all this work).

Just a quick note, my university workload is going to intensify pretty soon, I will try my best to update everything regularly, but please forgive me if things slow down a bit.

Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this! x

Better Than A Dream

Chapter One

Maria opened the door with a tentative creak; when she finally let her head peer into the room, her eyes were met with the gentle flicker of the flames that were dancing in the fireplace. It gave the room a warming glow – the kind that soothed her instantly and she felt her tensed muscles relax somewhat. She took a moment to let her eyes adjust to the dim lighting, waiting until the detail finally popped into existence. That's when she saw him.

"Come in, Maria" he beckoned – his voice little more than a purr.

He was stood by his desk – smiling brazenly at her – his jacket and tie had been discarded, and the first few buttons of his shirt were open – leaving just a small amount of his chest visible. He took a few steps forward and met her in the centre of the study.

"Hello, Captain" she greeted, her voice possessing the slightest tint of nervousness.

He looked deep into her eyes and gave her a warm smile – but the mischievous glint in his eye never left – and ran his fingertips delicately down her cheek.

"Relax" he whispered.

Then, before she could respond, his lips were on hers. For the first few seconds, the kiss was soft – giving them both time to adjust – but in no time at all, it had morphed into something fiery, something passionate, something that made the rest of the world go white. His lips moved sensually over her own and somewhere in the back of her mind, she registered his hand combing through her soft golden locks. Maria became so overwhelmed by the feelings that he was eliciting in her, she suddenly felt as if her knees were about to buckle; her chest was fluttering, and her mind was in a complete whirl. But there was something else, something she couldn't quite identify, it was new, but it was strong; it was a deep sensation, an ache that needed to be relieved and in the midst of Georg's kiss, all she knew was that he was the only one that could give her that relief.

She was torn away from her thoughts when she felt Georg's tongue purposefully moisten her bottom lip and without needing to think, she opened her mouth for him and let his tongue dance with her own. She was taken aback by how she didn't even need to think about her actions, how it all came so naturally; and when she heard – and felt – him moan into her mouth, she all but shuddered. His hand eventually moved down from her hair and found the zipper on her dress and pulled it down with a lustful sense of urgency. Within seconds, the garment was gone. Maria let herself whimper as the captain's hot palms began to caress her bare curves. He moaned in appreciation – not wanting to break their kiss. Maria reached up and began to toy with the remaining buttons of his shirt – slowly slipping them through their holes. When he didn't protest, she gave a light smirk and continued her actions until he finally shrugged the garment to the floor.

She was about to touch him when she felt his hand wander down to her hips and finding the edge of her underwear. She felt herself gasping against his lips as the throbbing between her legs became more intense. Now she knew what she needed. He toyed with the garment – running his finger along the very rim, before moving downwards ever so lightly – feeling the moistness of the material against his fingertips. Then, finally, Georg gave in to Maria's newfound desires and slipped his fingers inside…

Maria sat bolt upright with a sudden gasp – her chest heaving, and her brow dotted with sweat. She looked around in a blind panic before the world came back to her, she was in her own room, in the middle of the night and completely out of breath. It had all felt so real. She could feel the ghosts of his caresses along her curves, the sensations of his lips feasting on her own, and the arousal that had felt so real in her dream, was still simmering ever so slightly. She lay back and let out a shaky breath before covered her face with her hands. This had happened before. Maria wasn't sure of when it had all started, but that certainly hadn't been the first dream of its kind – all of which involved the captain. He just seemed to stir up something foreign inside of her and Maria felt like she was losing her mind…not to mention her self-control. She also scolded herself after having such dreams, knowing that such fantasies were sinful and wildly out of the question. He was a decorated naval hero of the highest class who – according to the staff – intended on marrying the baroness; and so he should! That's the sort of woman he should be marrying! And Maria, well she was nothing more than a mountain girl and a soon-to-be nun, no less! The last thing she needed was dreams that left her feeling unsteady and experiencing things she didn't fully understand.

Oh, she could understand them when she was in the dream, in such fantasies, she knew exactly what she was doing, but when she awoke, everything was a blur; she could barely recall her actions, and all understanding of her feelings would vanish. She was left just and innocent and naïve as when she started. It frustrated her to no end, firstly not knowing what she felt, but also not knowing why. Why was she dreaming about the captain in such a way? And what had he done to turn her into some sort of temptress? Well, she was in her dreams. She wanted to know why she woke up feeling breathless and empty, why she could still feel his touch even in the real world, and why he made her want things that she had never wanted before – things that she had never even considered! Desire wasn't something a nun was supposed to feel, yet Maria was becoming unbearably familiar with it – even if was still very much in the unknown for her.

Yet, she couldn't deny that in the real world – away from her dreams – there was just something about him that made her feel so stupidly giddy. The way her heart would flutter when his perfectly modelled frame would be illuminated by the lazy afternoon sunlight, or how he would laugh when he played with his children, or that utterly dashing smile he would give her whenever their eyes met. No, this couldn't be happening to her. Even though they had gotten off to a rocky start, they became closer as the weeks passed, in fact, they could probably call themselves friends. Once Georg had realised the error of his ways, he arranged for Maria to meet him in his study every night to discuss the children – even if it was just for her to say that they had all been perfectly behaved – and, often, they would end up going completely off topic and would tell each other stories of their lives before their paths crossed. Georg would recall his many antics of his earlier days in the navy and Maria would give him an insight into just how much trouble she caused at the abbey, they would often get carried away and would talk for much longer than anticipated, but neither of them minded. Well, Maria certainly didn't mind, and Georg always did seem to enjoy himself; could it be…? No, she thought, he couldn't feel that way about her – why would he? – and she couldn't let herself feel that way about him either.

With a deep sigh, she rolled onto her side – ignoring any of the lasting arousal that her dream had caused – and began to let sleep take her away once again; only this time, she hoped that she would be able to sleep peacefully.

Georg awoke – as he always did – at dawn. It was a sort of naval habit that he'd gotten himself into, but he often found that being up so early granted him some much-needed peace and quiet – which he often used to work or to brood. However, he did not have such a smooth awakening this time. He jolted awake and soon found himself sitting rigidly in his bed – his bare chest heaving and dotted with sweat. It took him a while to get his bearings, but after a few moments, he realised that he was simply in his room, alone with only the first beacons of sunlight for comfort. When he began to calm he realised that the dream he had just had had roused more than just him, as he found himself painfully aroused. He lay back against the pillows, rubbed his eyes and sighed with frustration, he'd had the same experience almost every night for the past couple of weeks and it was beginning to wear him down. The dreams were becoming ridiculous – and he knew that – yet he couldn't rid himself of them. The dreams always revolved around the same premise, him, in his bed, engaged in the most intimate of acts…with Maria.

He scolded himself every time, she was his children's governess, for god's sake! Not only that, but she also planned on being a nun. A nun! He was having erotic dreams about a nun! He used to be so in control of every aspect of his personality – renowned for his almost legendary self-control – but it seemed as though Maria elicited something else in him, something he hadn't felt for years…something that he couldn't quite name. She made him feel. Feel things he thought were lost along with Agathe, yet there he was, trying to figure out the subconscious nature of the dreams…and what it was he felt whenever Maria entered a room. It was ridiculous, he thought, that his heart rate seemed to increase whenever she was around, whenever she would smile, or sing or catch his eye. She was utterly magical to him and he was so captivated by every part of her. Yet he couldn't deny it and his dreams were further proof of that – not to mention his arousal.

With gritted teeth, he headed for the bathroom and a cold shower, hoping that he could clear his mind and let his body sort itself out.

They met each other on the way to breakfast and neither of them could deny the atmosphere that arose when their gazes met on the stairs. It was palpable. And there it was again, that fluttering in both their chests and that inability to break eye contact...

"Uh, good morning, Frauline" he eventually greeted – whilst trying to break himself out of the trance.

He eventually did so and was able to give her a warming smile. Maria returned the gesture – as if claiming some of his self-control as her own.

"Good morning, Captain" she replied – her voice as melodic as ever.

"I hope you slept well?" he asked kindly – it was a usual inquiry of his.

"Oh, very well, thank you –" she lied – feeling a little flushed as she tried desperately to forget just why her sleep had been so rudely interrupted, "—but, uh, the children did have me awake fairly early this morning" at least that much was the truth.

Georg smiled fondly.

"I do apologise –" he chuckled, "—they can be such rascals"

"I agree, but I love them for it"

There was something about those words, hearing her say that she loved his children…well, it made him feel something that he couldn't quite explain, something that he'd not felt since he was with Agathe. It was an almost maternal sensation, and the only similar feeling he could recall was when he'd learnt that Agathe was expecting Liesl.

"Well, it's nice that the children finally have someone who can keep up with them, I think I'm getting too old for all that running around!" he joked – earning a giggle form Maria.

"Oh, nonsense, Captain, you're far from old!"

"I appreciate the compliment, Frauline…perhaps you could tell me your secret one day?"

"Secret"? she suddenly jumped.

"To keeping up with the children" he explained as he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh!" she sighed, "Yes, of course"

"Come on, we'd best get to breakfast before we're missed"

"I quite agree" she smiled.

And with that, they descended the stairs – making sure to keep a safe distance between them.

It had been a long day and although Maria was never one to complain – especially about the children – she couldn't deny that they had really worn her out. They were relishing in their freedom and all the opportunities they had during the summer; they had spent the better part of the day running around the grounds, engaging Maria in a numerous variety of games – most of which she had taught them – and whilst she absolutely adored the time she got to spend with them, she hadn't realised just how tired it had made her until she finally got a moment to herself. If she hadn't cared so much about her manners, she would've practically wolfed down her dinner before putting the younger children to bed, but she pushed through and was now outside the captain's study – preparing for their nightly meeting. She stifled a yawn and then knocked.

His voice beckoned her with the gentle tone she was beginning to grow accustomed to, after all, he knew it was only her, so why would he need to be commanding? She opened the door with familiarity, but almost gasped audibly when she saw the room. There was the soothing orange glow of the fire and it filled the room like a warm embrace, she knew that Georg like to at least have some small embers burning – even in the summer…and it could get rather chilly. She took a deep breath, ignored the tension in her chest and stepped into the room, trying to thoroughly convince herself that nothing was the matter. He was leant against the desk – jacket discarded somewhere – and smiling at her warmly – his face illuminated by the glow of the flames.

"Good evening, Frauline" he greeted.

"Good evening" she replied, and it took all her strength to keep her voice intact.

Oh, why was her mind acting so foolishly? She was there to discuss the children, not get caught up in some silly fantasy with their father! As they began to discuss the usual topics, she reminded herself of this over and over again, hoping that it would somehow tattoo itself into every layer of her conscience, and yet, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop her mind from drifting into places that she wasn't quite comfortable with. She had never been one to explore her own sexuality, how could she be with her lifestyle? And yet she was suddenly finding it so fascinating and almost somewhat addictive; she had only known it in her dreams and yet her curiosity burned for it. Somewhere deep inside of her, she wanted to know what it was like in the real world. And she wasn't the only one struggling…

Georg tried so very hard to remain focused on the topic at hand, after all, he needed to hear about his children's behaviour and progress with their studies, but when Maria was in front of him, he could barely keep his mind on track. He wanted to give himself a thorough scolding, that he shouldn't be thinking such thoughts, after all, she was the governess and he knew that he was better than that, that he shouldn't be acting as if he were no better than a teenager; but one glimpse of her rosebud lips and sparkling eyes and he was stupidly transfixed. The memory of his dream came back to him, what those lips had felt like…how even though it was merely his imagination, that her touches had felt so real, burning into his flesh and into his memory. He wasn't prepared to forget those touches, Georg often thought he was a selfish man, and if the dreams were all he could have, then he would savour the love she gave him in them.

Their conversation came to some kind of end – neither of them could really recall how – and they found themselves in a new void of silence; it wasn't usually like this, usually, the discovery of their newfound friendship allowed them to talk easily with each other, but since their dreams had started, there was something new in the atmosphere and it was taking its toll on them.

"You look tired" he eventually said.

"What? Oh, I suppose I am a bit, the children were quite excitable today"

"I really don't know how you manage it" he smiled.

"Oh, it's no trouble, something only becomes a chore when you lose your love for it"

There was that word again, being used by her…about his children. He smiled again.

"I appreciate it more than you can ever know…" he was talking about more than just her governess duties, "…but I do hope they'll be kinder to you tomorrow"

"I'm hoping they've tired themselves out…although, they have been trying to persuade me to take them swimming in the lake, would that be permitted?"

"Of course! Sounds like a marvellous idea!"

"I'm sure they'll be delighted"

"Well, if you're going swimming, you'll need your rest" he almost teased.

He moved towards her as she rose from her chair and – without thinking – brought a guiding hand to the small of her back. Then everything froze. Both of them – almost simultaneously – felt their breathing catch in their throats at the sudden contact, Georg's hand was warm and seemed to burn through the material of her dress – creating a pool of heat on her back. And, as for Georg, he couldn't believe how wonderful the curve of her spine felt beneath his palm, it was almost soothing, like it was beginning to fill his desire for affection, his want for a connection with another person. He felt his heartbeat quickening and his mind weakened.

Maria turned to face him, and when their eyes met, all else was forgotten. The flames that lit the room were bouncing hypnotically off his eyes – drawing her deeper into his gaze – and then, there was his look of awe, how it softened his features and let his bottom lip hang ever so slightly. She felt something rise in her chest as her gaze lingered on his lips for a little too long, a feeling that they had both known so well in their dreams; it was anticipation, curiosity and want. But it wasn't fuelled by lust – quite the opposite – it was something different, something somehow stronger and more emotional…something that stemmed from the deepest parts of them. Georg – feeling himself give in to the fluttering in his chest – brought a shy hand to rest on her cheek and watched as Maria eyes almost shut from his touch; she didn't shy away and so he took the next brave step and leaned in…slowly. Maria held her breath as he came towards her – her heart beating against her chest – but there was that oh so familiar flutter of excitement, and deep down, she hoped that he wouldn't pull away. And he didn't.

Soon his lips met hers and it was as if weeks of tension and pent up emotions were finally released, leaving them in a wake of glorious freedom; they'd never felt so wonderful. The kiss was soft and shy, neither of them quite sure of what the boundaries were, so they kept it calm, and gentle, for the mere acknowledgment of the act was enough to drive them into sweet disbelief. They kept their faces close when they eventually pulled away – their foreheads almost touching – and Georg could see the heaviness of Maria's breaths. God, she was so beautiful.

"Maria…" he breathed, not quite sure what to say.

But all possibilities melted away as their eyes met once again and this time, they leant in together, meeting halfway for a kiss that was instantly more passionate than the last. Georg wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as he gently massaged her lips with his own; she was shy at first, but Maria eventually began to kiss him back, feeling herself being drawn into the pleasure of it all. These sensations were so new to her, but she found herself giving in to them; she had only known them in her dreams, but in reality, they were far more spectacular than she ever could have imagined. She could hardly believe that it was happening, that she was actually kissing the captain, that he had wanted to kiss her; she knew that she had developed some feelings for him, but she didn't know what they meant, but now she was sure, now that she was living something that she'd told herself would only exist in her dreams, she knew exactly how she felt.

She was pulled out of her thoughts somewhat when she felt Georg's tongue slowly moisten her bottom lip, asking so delicately for her permission; the gesture sent Maria into some kind of autopilot and she timidly opened her mouth for him and felt herself moan when his tongue began to dance with hers. Whilst they were slowly getting whipped but by their passion, there was still a tenderness to Georg's actions, the last thing he wanted to do was to scare her or for her to think that he was only using her to fulfil his most carnal desires; no, it was far from that, he adored her in every possible way. He adored how caring she was towards everyone around her – including him – and adored the way that she, on her first day in the villa, had managed to make his heart beat again after so many years. He needed her in so many ways.

Now following her heart only, Maria slid a hand up to his hair and revelled in the softness of his locks and unknowingly pulled him closer – somehow deepening their kiss – it made her heart thump wildly, accompanied by a growing ache in her most intimate area. Her lips felt cold when Georg broke their kiss, but he didn't give her time to dwell on that, for he soon began to trail kisses along her jaw and all the way down her neck. She arched against him, giving herself over to these new delectable pleasures. He stopped at the crook of her neck, but kept his face buried there, savouring the softness of her skin and the sweetness of her scent.

"Maria…" he panted, "…tell me to stop"

He didn't want to, god he didn't want to, but his feelings and attraction towards her had been building for so long and he began to doubt his own self-control and he was not going to do anything that she wasn't comfortable with. He could feel her breathing rapidly against his body, and the feeling of her moving against him was almost too much to bear.
Maria felt herself being torn. Deep down, she was nervous and so inexperienced, she had no idea what she should do or what she wanted to do; but she trusted Georg immensely and her mind was clouded by her attraction for him. She took a few seconds to ponder before finally speaking.

"Please…don't stop" she panted – her hand still raking through his hair.

She heard him groan, one that she'd never heard before but instantly knew the meaning of, it sent something so very strong shooting through her and she needed to kiss him again. Georg seemed to sense this, and soon he was capturing her deliciously swollen lips in another fiery kiss. He trailed his hands down her body – savouring the way her curves felt. His actions caused his arousal to grow, she was so beautiful, and his feelings were so strong. He moved a hand – as steadily as he could – upwards to caress one of her breasts and she arched against his hands in response, silently asking for more contact. He granted her wish, whilst also moving his lips back to her neck.

"Maria…" he groaned beside himself.

He slowly reached around – still giving her time to object – and found the zip of her dress; he thumbed the object for a few seconds before sliding it down to expose the skin of her back to the warmth of the still burning fire. She shifted her arms in such a way that caused the dress to slip from her body and pool at her feet. She looked so much better than in any of his dreams. He brought his lips back to hers and once again trailed his hands up and down her curves before he felt her hands begin to undo the buttons of his shirt – which soon joined the dress on the floor. Maria wasn't quite sure where these behaviours were coming from, but she knew that they felt so right, like they were made to be together in this way – to bask in their feelings that had now been released. She began to explore his heated skin and smoothed her hands across his torso, taking note of each muscle and the light dusting of soft hair…he felt exquisite.

Georg was beginning to lose any remaining self-control as her hands trailed down his body and he moaned into their kiss. Her actions began to slow as she became unsure of what to do next, so, in response, he led her across the room to the small sofa that stood against the wall – never breaking their kiss as they moved. He laid her down and hovered over her before leaving a trail of kisses across Maria's collarbone – each one eliciting a sweet moan form her lips. He reached around to undo the clasps of her bra, and when the garment was removed, Georg couldn't hold back his gasp. Maria looked up at him, almost terrified that she'd done something wrong; but as Georg looked back at her – her cheeks flushed, hair messed, and lips swollen – he fell for her even more.

"Maria…you are so unbelievably beautiful" he breathed before giving her an almost comforting kiss.

When he felt her relax again, he moved his lips down to the newly exposed flesh, and kissed every inch of her breasts before taking one of her nipples into his mouth. She moaned again, feeling the ache between her legs intensify; she found herself on the verge of begging for something, she wasn't quite sure what, but she knew that she desired something more…and Georg was the only one she wanted to give it to her…
The warmth of his mouth around her nipple felt so good and she felt herself being fully swept up in her newfound emotions, completely without the knowledge of how to control them…or even if she wanted to. He moved away from her breasts and began to trail his kisses down her stomach until he reached the edge of her underwear. He sat up slightly and thumbed the edge of the garment – once again giving her plenty of time to tell him to stop. But she didn't.

Soon, she was completely bare in front of him, and Georg took at few seconds to fully admire the beautiful woman beneath him. He feathered light touches across her thigh before he finally reached the place where Maria ached for him the most; and at the first touch, she threw her head back with sheer bliss, moaning as she did so. She was so responsive, and Georg loved every single sound she made, every buck of her hips and the way she felt beneath his fingertips. She was magical. He kept caressing her with small circular motions, causing her to writhe beneath him – her breaths and moans encouraging him in his act – and when he brushed across the spot that seemed to be made of nothing but lava, it was also she could do to hold back her cries. Georg didn't still his actions and the sheer force of the pleasure he was giving her rapidly intensified, it seemed to grow more and more powerful with each stroke; she panted heavily, and she could feel something strong begin to coil within her, it grew more and more intense until the bubble finally burst, and everything became white. She arched into him – crying out in ecstasy – as her orgasm swept through her, leaving her utterly breathless.

Georg watched her in the throws of passion with adoring eyes and he felt his heart swell for the wonderful woman that had trusted him so. When she finally came back to earth, he leant forward and kissed her solidly; however, the ache hadn't dulled for either of them, and when Georg's arousal brushed against her thigh, neither of them could hold back their moans. Their eyes connected at that moment and the same unspoken plea came from them both.

"Maria…" he began in a strangled breath.

"Please, Captain…I…I…" she couldn't bring herself to say it, but she wanted him. She had suspected it when he first entered her dreams, but now she was sure.

She leaned up and kissed him before muttering another 'please' against his lips.

He wanted her too and knew that he wouldn't be able to stop himself. Not now. He sat up and quickly freed himself of the rest of his clothing before moving back down to hover over Maria and claiming her lips in a heated and almost desperate kiss; their tongues duelled, and her hand began to rake through his hair – pulling him even closer. They craved each other.
He eased his throbbing arousal into her as slowly as he could possibly manage – halting for just a second when he reached the barrier of her innocence. He would've waited longer, but the sighs that left Maria's lips as he began to fill her were just so intoxicating and he was truly under her spell. With one long thrust, he pushed himself all the way in and listened as Maria let out a gasp that was the perfect mixture of pain and pleasure. He held himself there, letting her adjust to him, but also to take a moment to revel in how wonderful she felt around him. Eventually, she arched her hips upwards, letting him know that she desperately needed the friction that only he could provide.

His thrusts were rhythmed at first, keeping at the steadiest pace that he could manage, but she just felt so good and she drove him to utter madness. The taste of her kisses, the smoothness of her skin, the sound of her moans and the feeling of her muscles tightening around him…god, he adored her beyond words. Her nails dug into his back as his movements quickened and he began to drive into her with a sense of urgency that went far beyond lust…no, they were feeling something far more profound.

"Oh, Maria…" he gasped as he felt the beginnings of his own release building at the base of his spine.

She was whimpering beneath him and he knew that she was close too. Soon the regularity of his movements vanished, and he became almost wild, wanting to find both his and her release; and it didn't take long. His movements grew even quicker before they both descended into the chasm of bliss and the air was filled with loud pants and moans of ecstasy. Maria's back arched off the sofa and she clung to Georg desperately as he groaned her name and spilled into her. Then, slowly, they came back to reality.
Georg remained hovering above her, looking down at her with an intense look that Maria couldn't quite name, but she felt herself returning it. He leant down and kissed her again – which brought her back into the present. As he pulled away she wriggled from beneath him and began to gather her clothes from the floor – dressing herself in each garment as she retrieved it.

"Maria?" Georg questioned – slightly panicked. He got no answer and all he could do was watch as Maria's skin began to vanish beneath her dress.

He pulled on his trousers and took a gentle hold of her wrist before she could head towards the door.

"Maria, what's the matter?"

"Nothing" she said quietly – not quite meeting his gaze, "I just think I should get back to my room"

There was a brief and stiff pause as Georg mind ran through every possible explanation…each one more terrifying than the last.

"Maria…you don't…regret it do you?"

Then she looked at him.

"No, not at all…I could never regret it, but…"

"But?"

She gave a gentle sigh.

"I just…need time to think"

He nodded.

"Okay…"

Maria could hear the worry that was lacing his tone and she became flooded with the guilt of causing him to worry. She didn't have any regrets over what they'd just done, but it had been so overwhelming, and she needed time to calm herself and to contemplate all that had happened.

"May we talk about this in the morning, Maria?" he asked nervously.

"Of course"

She looked at him for a few moments and still found herself to utterly drawn to him, some strange yet natural force that she couldn't understand. She took a step forward before timidly pecking his lips; and then, she was gone.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So, there you go! Not really sure what to say other than I hope you enjoyed it.

Please let me know what you thought and if you want me to continue with it.

See you soon! xxx