Title: Freude
Rating: PG
Words: 1,945
Summary: We always find ways to be reunited with ourselves when the most precious thing we have has been lost.
Author's note: For la-folie-me-guette, I wanted to write something for her birthday because she's a sweet person that I consider as a good friend. But yeah this is a very, very late present (Shout out Belgianwhovian who is truly marvelous to accept to be my beta)

Maria Anna fidgeted with her gloved fingers. The heavily circular table was hiding her hands. She had already finished her tea and her mind kept wandering off. It wasn't often that she was invited into the house. If there were to be tea parties they were mostly hosted at Constance's or a common friend's. The richly decorated environment was extremely intriguing to her. It was a mélange of sobriety and elegance. It reflected the personalities of the inhabitants very well. The thing that captivated her the most was the huge clock upon the chimney, ticking the time away. She laid her eyes upon the contract on the table which the master of the house was reading with the utmost of care. It had been over 10 minutes now and restlessness was awakening.

Was there something out of order? Or was he just making sure that no detail was left out? It was making her tense. Even if her host didn't have the habit to talk or voice thoughts out loud, this was making her feel a little on edge. She released her hands to place them upon her gold and black silken dress. This was really important. She started doubting herself. Had she made mistakes while creating it ? Was the handwriting easy enough to the eyes ? Was there a divergence that could lead to a possible cancelling ? Her lips were burning to ask if everything was according to the agreement. She was about to open her mouth to inquire when suddenly the callused hand took a quill to drench the tip in ink. A smile couldn't suppress as, with a swift movement, the bottom of the paper was signed.

They both stood up and the freshly signed contract was handed over to her.

"Thank you, I'll give Constance the good news. She'll be thrilled." Her host just nodded and started gathering the supplies from his table. She observed how he closed the inkpot with slow and measured gestures. "We're both extremely grateful toward you, and Therese, to help us out."

"All the pleasure is mine," he replied.

She looked at him. The man, who first could appear to others as cold, seemed a bit in his own world. His eyes weren't looking into hers and his tone was neutral. The way his shoulders were slightly hunched and the way he stood upon his feet betrayed the fact that his mind was anywhere but here. It had been quite a journey to discover who the Hoffkapellmeister was. But now the man had no secret for her anymore. Antonio Salieri was an open book once you could see the façade he had carefully constructed to keep people at bay. And more than once she had seen through the image he had made of himself, she had seen the real him before he had even noticed that he was showing himself.

"You loved my brother didn't you ?" It was an impertinent question, she knew. But she had to ask, her curiosity was something she was unable to keep in hand. The way the Italian composer looked up at her showed he wanted to avoid the question. He wasn't angry at her. The Hoffkapellmeister removed himself from the table and stood in front of her to shake her hand.

"I am a married man, Miss Maria Anna." His tone was cold and dismissing. But his dark brown eyes were giving him away. She laid her hand inside of the Italian composer's.

"I am sure he loved you back, you know." She smiled. "He may have said it to me; even if his words may have been telling me only half-truths. He couldn't hide about whom he was talking, certainly not to me."

The way he took her fingers told her that her words had touched him more deeply he would ever admit. It didn't look like he wanted to block out what she had just said at least. They fell silent and when he finally released her hand, a spark of sadness resided in his eyes.

"He's gone now," His tone was unstable. She heard it, she had analysed everything of him for so long. "And it could never have been," he added with a low and rasped voice. His answer satisfied her, he had loved her brother the same way Wolfgang had done. It gave her peace.

"You are right, it could never have been," The butler opened the door and she went to the entrance hall, the Hoffkapellmeister accompanied her. She brushed her dress, attempting to make the wrinkles go away. A last glance, to take in the environment.

She turned herself to the Italian composer with a final greeting: "My salutations to Therese, tell her I'd be happy to invite her over for tea."

"I'll tell her when she comes back from her social obligations at the court." He smiled slightly and she was glad he left out his mask when being around her. "My kind regards to Constance."

The young woman saluted him and the door was opened for her. She made her way upon the pavement where carriage was already awaiting her. Thanking the coachman she got in. The drive took a few minutes since they seemed stuck in traffic. Her mind wandered off. There wasn't anything planned for the evening, which was a relief. These last few days had been extremely busy for her part, writing letters and getting contracts signed was exhausting.

It was with an immense satisfaction that she left the carriage, in order to open the door of the apartment. The stairs weren't all that much but she gladly took off her shoes upon entering the main room. Her hands went to her hat. She put it on the table together with her gloves and purse. A few steps further into the room she noticed something strange. It was quiet, very quiet. She grinned in delight, at last Franz Xaver must have fallen asleep. The newborn had been really difficult at night, screaming his tiny lungs out whenever he could. It was as if he mistook the day for the night and vice versa.

"Constance ?" she called. The woman of the house wasn't anywhere to be seen. Only silence replied to her, she ventured into the apartment, wondering where the younger woman was. "Constance?"

"I am here." The voice was coming from the back. Maria Anna smiled and made her way to the bedroom. She stopped at the archway of the door. Constance was in front if the mirror, corset obviously discarded as she was only wearing her undershirt. The younger woman's blonde hair was down as she looked at herself from the side. Her blue eyes were sparkling with energy.

"What are you doing?" inquired Nannerl amused as she watched Constance pursing her lips at her reflection.

"I don't look too ugly do I?"

Maria Anna frowned at the question. Constance was a woman to whom appearances deceived. What to others stroke as silliness and teenage behavior was merely a way to conceal the strong woman that hid underneath. Constance had a soft and kind heart. But she also knew how to run a house more than anyone else. Next to that her prowess in business matters had floored more than one person. Her charms and personality made any room shine like no other. Her beauty had blinded Nannerl more than once. Any self-doubt was unlike her.

"You look, and always will look, beautiful." Constance beamed at her compliment.

Maria Anna walked up to the dressing table and sat down. The younger woman's blue eyes watched her as she started to take hairpins out of her hair. She looked in the mirror to Constance who was visibly inquiring if everything had gone according to plan. "Antonio has signed the papers; he'd gladly buy more of Wolfgang's music sheets. At the sole condition he gets to pick them."

The younger woman's smile was everything Maria Anna needed to make herself feel good. Her heart felt light as Constance walked up to her. It was really good news because it meant they were able to pay even more debts off, which Wolfgang had left behind after his passing. It made the younger woman ecstatic and the older woman felt herself overwhelmed by happiness.

"If it's his wish I have no problem granting it to him. He has, in the end, given us so much already for the requiem. It's extremely kind of him to want to buy more," said Constance. She stood right behind Nannerl.

Maria Anna closed her eyes when the delicate hands went to her dark blond curls. Cautiously and with care the other woman helped her to take out the hairpins that kept her hairdo up. She whispered a thank you before continuing the conversation. "Has Aloysia already made preparations to her moving in with us?"

"Yes," Constance snorted, as she held some hairpins between her lips. "Looks like she really wants to help us out this time. She is going to visit Sophie and mama first before she comes by Vienna." She mumbled. A few other hairpins were out and Nannerl's hair fell upon the older woman's shoulders. A sigh escaped the musician's mouth. It always was a sensation of relief when her hair was loose.

"Sounds exciting, I am curious how she is going to handle the changes of everything around her." She opened her eyes again as she said the words. Constance picked up a brush and brushed her hair. The soft tugs were slightly tilting her head backwards. The younger woman was always delicate in her gestures toward Nannerl.

"She'll certainly frown and judge, but in the ends she'll accept and understand that this is what makes me happy," a few more strokes with the brush and Constance beamed at the older woman with a cheerful voice. "Voila it's done I hope you like it. I am going to make dinner now, since it's just the two of us."

The younger woman was about to turn herself when Maria Anna turned around to take her wrist captive. "Constance?" The way Nannerl then settled herself more comfortably on the little bench to face her could have been more elegant. But that was unimportant.

The blue eyes were quizzical as they questioned the older woman. Maria Anna released the wrist and slowly her arms encircled the younger woman's waist, having the woman so close to her was a gesture she missed every day they weren't able to embrace. Now that there was no one else home, she permitted herself to let go of the restraint she had put on herself.

"Ich liebe dich," said Nannerl while her nose and cheeks disappeared in the soft fabric of the undershirt. Constance's smell was the most exquisite one there was and she would never have enough of it. The way her heart was fluttering at the mere touch was everything she needed to feel comforted.

The younger woman smiled as she looked down at the older woman who was burying herself in the folds of her clothes upon her swollen belly. "Ich liebt dich auch, meine Geliebte," she whispered back. Her hand caressed the older woman's dark blonde hair, enjoying the warmth Nannerl was giving her through the hug.

She let a short silence settle in before breaking it: "Come let's go, otherwise dinner will never be ready."

Maria Anna released her from the embrace. Constance leaned over and laid her lips upon the older woman's, relishing in their soft texture. Nannerl's kisses were always tender. She broke the kiss before her mind would wander to other things than food. One last smile was given to the woman she loved and she disappeared to the kitchen.

Author's note: This suddenly popped into my head out of nowhere. I have no idea if you expected this or not. Anyway I hope you liked it even if it's extremely short and not so much accurate to the canon (its just I wanted a cute scene between Constance and Nannerl).