A/N: I'm not a fan of short updates, but I desperately wanted to post this and I couldn't extend it. This is set during the honeymoon like the previous two chapters and is otherwise unrelated. And no, I can't get them to leave the bed I guess.

The way her eyelids fluttered just then. He knew she was awake, but he spoke in a quiet voice, "Maria…darling, we have to get up."

No response.

"Maria." He kissed her neck and buried his nose in her hair.

She sighed, "Mm…Georg." But she still didn't open her eyes.

"Maria," he smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Georg," she smiled lazily.

He chuckled, "Baroness you are terrible. Now I know why you're always late." He kissed her nose.

She giggled back, "I don't know what you mean, Captain. I've never had a warm, soft, cozy husband that kept me cuddling in bed until recently." Still reluctant to open her eyes, Maria rolled over so her face rested in the crook of his neck.

He stroked her back. "Soft?"

She nodded.

With feigned toughness in his voice Georg asked, "Who are you calling soft?"

"You, Captain." She moved one hand over his chest. "Underneath all this muscle you're just a big softie." She finally opened her eyes and lifted her head so she could stare into his blue eyes, sleep slightly clouding her vision. "That's why you'd rather cuddle with me than get out of bed." Maria smiled and rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes again and drawing patterns on his body with her fingers.

He opened his mouth to speak but realized that to truly prove his wife wrong he would have to leave the warmth and comfort of her embrace. Perhaps he was a 'softie'.

She chuckled and pointed her finger at his chest. "You lose, Captain."

He smiled. Maybe he really didn't mind it, though. Georg had to admit to himself that he had loosened up a lot since becoming engaged to Maria. In fact, he had done so ever since she had arrived at the villa. He sighed. "It's your fault, Baroness."

He felt her smile against him. "I know. But I like you this way." She kissed his chest.

Georg remembered how he had been before Maria had come into his life. He had been moody, depressed, angry, distant, and any other word of the kind. Sure, he had been functioning. Yes, he had still generally kept up his role in society, but his life had carried no meaning. Vaguely, he knew that he had kept himself going for the children's sake so that they would not have to suffer the loss of their father, and then most likely, their home.

Of course, he hadn't exactly provided them with much more than the physical necessities of food and shelter. He hadn't provided them with love. That was where Maria had come in. She had given them more love than they had ever experienced in the past four years and it had helped them grow stronger. In turn, she had forced him to be more open and to let them in, and eventually, to let her in. If that made Georg von Trapp a softie, then so be it. He would rather be like this.

Maria shifted against him and sighed.

Yes, he would much rather be like this. Every part of him was more alive with her around.

"Thank you, Maria," he said quietly.

She lifted her head up and looked at him, her brow furrowed in confusion for a moment as she interpreted what he was thanking her for. Georg saw comprehension dawn on her and her features softened. She looked at him lovingly and leaned down to kiss him slowly. She pulled back and regarded him again, moving her fingers through his hair and down the side of his face, playing absently with his ear.

"You don't have to thank me Georg," she replied just as softly. "We saved each other." She kissed him once more before returning to lay her head back on his chest, snuggling deeper into his embrace.

After a few moments Maria's breathing became soft and even, leading Georg to believe that she had fallen back to sleep, but she spoke up again, "Let's sleep in a little today darling. We can order breakfast here in the hotel?"

"Of course, dear." It was evident that they both wanted this precious moment to last a little longer.

He cleared his throat then, as if to demand attention as he would with the children. "But we have to get up at a decent time tomorrow. After all, this is the third morning in a row that I've let you coddle me. I'll forget how to be a Captain if you keep me this soft."

Maria giggled, "Oh, I'm sure we can find a way to make you hard again later, Captain." She grinned wickedly, though he couldn't see it, "One blow on that whistle of yours and—"

She was cut off by Georg's finger pressed to her lips, "Oh, ho, ho, my little Fräulein, I think I've been a bad influence on you." He chuckled at her look of mock surprise and innocence.

"I haven't a clue as to what you're talking about, Captain." They settled back against the pillows. "Now," she began, her voice firm, "let's get back to cuddling, we wouldn't want to waste this lovely morning." She hugged him tightly and shut her eyes again.

"Yes, Captain," he replied, amused.

"That's more like it," she muttered and they both let a comforting silence fall upon them, leaving them each to their own thoughts.

Not surprisingly, their thoughts were of each other.

Reviews are always welcome, good and bad, I want to know what you think. I haven't forgotten my other story either, I'm just horribly stuck. Bear with me.