Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Peace, glorious peace.

For how long, Dany couldn’t say. She was terrified at every turn that something else would go wrong. There were three days left until Christmas and gods, if she could get through it without the house burning down or mortally embarrassing herself in front of Jon Snow– if she ever saw him again– that would be a miracle. A Christmas miracle.

She stared at her new tree. It seemed to be even better than the original, if that was possible. There was a patch in the back that was missing some branches, but Jon had moved it in such a way that you couldn’t even tell. She didn’t want to risk making cookies even though he promised the oven was fixed, so she was nibbling on some from a local bakery that were probably better than any she could make anyway.

Her laptop was tossed carelessly aside on her couch; she was having a bit of a solo Christmas party, since other than Jon and his stoner cousin Rickon, she didn’t know anyone else yet. Well, she knew Margaery and by extension– although she’d never met him in person– her husband Robb, but Margaery was busy with her own holiday festivities. She had also left for the Reach to be with her family for the holiday that morning, and thus was unavailable.

Although she had promised she’d send her gift along in due course, Dany wasn’t holding her breath. Margaery was a dear friend from their prep school days, but she was also a notorious flake who expected things but rarely offered them in return. She was glad she’d been able to get her Christmas cards out in time, although no one in Essos had commented that they’d received them yet, which was annoying.

Rhaegar had sent her a text, saying he would miss her that Christmas, he hoped that she would consider coming to Dragonstone soon. Dany hadn’t replied yet; she was still so angry she hadn’t been able to close on that violin for him and was still contemplating what to give him instead.

Drogon pawed at her sketchpad, set on her knees. She glanced at her cat, who was fully recovered from Tinsel-Gate. “What?” she asked, scratching his ears. “I’m working.”

It was just an idea. She was a children’s book editor and publisher, but hadn’t ventured into actually writing one on her own. She had been toying with an idea, sketching it out; she had always loved drawing and illustrating.

A wolf and a dragon, who were friends. In the North.

“I’m pathetic,” she groaned, falling backwards and hitting the pillows behind her.

Drogon meowed; she hoped he was disagreeing, but knowing him, he was agreeing.

“Oh shush.” She pushed the sketchpad aside and stood, stretching. Perhaps she’d watch a movie before bed; her life was so boring these days. It was super early in the morning in Essos, she could give Missandei a call, but she was already planning on seeing her best friend soon. Missandei got a cheap flight to visit her on Christmas Eve and stay until New Year’s, which was kind of all Dany could look forward to at this point.

If she survived long enough to get to Christmas Eve.

Dany made towards the stairs, when a flash of headlights in her driveway distracted her. She frowned, going to the window. She wasn’t expecting anyone. She peeked out the curtain and frowned even deeper, her eyes narrow slits. A fancy Land Rover was in her driveway, the headlights so bright it obscured her vision of whomever was driving. Doors slammed and snow crunched, two figures approaching the walkway towards her porch.

She unlocked the door, throwing it open, and was greeted with her worst nightmare.

“Baby sister!”

“What the fuck!?”

Her brother Viserys stood at the base of the steps to her porch, in a very thin leather jacket, designer jeans, boots she was sure still had tags on them, and sunglasses– although it was night– perched on his head. His silver hair was so bright it gleamed with the snow. He scowled at her, affronted. “Is that any way to greet your favorite brother?”

“You and I both know Rhaegar is my favorite brother, because he doesn’t just surprise me all the damn time. What are you fucking doing here?” She hated cursing, but Viserys brought it out of her. He was a leech of epic proportions and no doubt was in need of cash. And he’d gotten in a fight with Rhaegar, it was the only time he came flying into her life. She walked out onto the porch, to see the icing on the cake of this particular disaster.

Jon Snow was standing with Vis’s luggage. He was in the same gray sweats he’d been wearing the day before. He smiled sheepishly. “Uh, hey Dany.”

“What…” she stuttered, gaping at Viserys. “What are you doing…how did you…”

“That small town train station didn’t have a taxi stand, could you believe it? My phone wasn’t working, but this Uber was right there waiting for me.” He leaned in to give her a hug, hissing into her ear. “I don’t have any cash, so make sure you tip him well, kay’? Gods, it’s freezing! I’m going inside!”

Without another word, her brother waltzed into the house, slamming the door behind her. She stood in place, ice and snow seeping through the bottoms of her thick socks, and she stood stupidly in front of Jon, in a sweater with three dragons tied up in lights and a pair of leggings that she knew had a hole in the crotch and prayed to all the deities of the known world he couldn’t see.

It wasn’t like she was expecting visitors.

“Uh…” she began, closing her eyes, at a loss. “He…that’s…”

“Your brother Viserys? I gathered. He told me on the way here from the train station.” Jon’s smile was so thin, she feared he was angry, but after a second, she noticed in the light from her decorations that he was trying not to laugh or smile too broadly. He shoved his hands into his pockets, shrugging. “I was dropping off my cousin at the train station and he looked…lost and a bit of a mess?”

“That’s Viserys,” she muttered.

“Pardon the stereotype, but I figured he was related to you. The hair, at least…but then he made sure to tell me immediately he was Viserys Targaryen and could I take him to his sister. He was so adamant that I was an Uber, I figured what the seven hells, I’ll take him.” He chuckled. “He’s quite a talker.”

She nodded, rolling her eyes. “Yes, he definitely is. He’s also cheap as shit and never has any money. I am so, so, so sorry I will…let me go inside and…”

“Oh gods!” Jon exclaimed. He laughed. “I don’t want payment. Didn’t I tell you I don’t live far? I’d be coming this way anyways, don’t worry about it.”

So much for not being mortified in front of Jon Snow again.

She smacked her hands to her face, groaning. “I’m so sorry. For…everything.”

Jon shrugged and stepped backwards towards his car. “I’m not.” He smiled briefly, giving her a small wave. “You better see your brother…he’s…” Concern furrowed in his brow. “Looks like he’s gesturing for you.”

Dany turned around, to see her brother in the doorway. He was waving at her, yelling. “I can’t get the shower to work! Also, do you have another bottle of vodka? I broke the one in your kitchen.”

She cursed in Valyrian, stomping up the steps. When she turned around to say goodbye to Jon, he was already in his car, waving again. She sighed. “Fuck.”

Viserys appeared again. “Dany, be a dear and get my bag, I already took my shoes off. Did you pay him? I’ll get you back.”

Dany grabbed Vis’s designer suitcase, hauling it up and inside the house, counting in her head.

This was what, number six now?

“I could smother him. Could drown him in the bath. Maybe I'll switch out his sleeping pills and…”

“Oh Dany, you love him. I’m glad he’s with you. I was worried you would be lonely.”

“Rhaegar, I’m not lonely and besides you don’t even usually celebrate Christmas.”

“But Mother did and I know it means something to you. Don’t worry about Viserys, he will forget why he’s there and come back.”

Dany was just so irritated. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, she was getting Missandei at the train station since her bestie wanted to make a full excursion of it and fly into the Riverlands and then train it up. She just had to wonder how she would get Viserys to disappear when her friend arrived.

Missandei hated Vis. It all went back to when he thought she was a waitress the first time she visited them in Pentos. Then got worse a week later when he walked in on her changing at their beach house in the Summer Isles. And it went downhill from there.

“Where is he now?” Rhae asked.

“In the bath, something about the Northern climate chilling his bones or messing with his aura or something.” She rolled her eyes. Her water bill was going to be over five hundred bucks that month. “By the way did you get my Christmas card?” She was proud of those cards. She’d drawn the image on the front of the card herself, of her new house, with the Northern mountains in the background. There was a tiny Drogon in one of the windows if you looked close enough.

Rhaegar tutted. “No, I’ll check when the post comes later.”

“Hmm.” After a few more minutes complaining about Viserys, she hung up. She didn’t expect him down for awhile, so she bundled up and put on the new boots she’d gotten at the sporting goods store in town. Far more suitable for the weather.

Drogon ventured onto the porch but no further. She stomped down her driveway, hands in her pockets and her chin buried under her scarf, stopping at her mailbox. She’d painted three dragons on it, under her name. “Nothing,” she mumbled, feeling a bit like Charlie Brown, when she found it empty. She wasn’t sure what to expect.

“Good morning!”

Dany whipped around, seeing Jon Snow and Ghost walking towards them. He looked exhausted, bags under his eyes and extra lines around his lips. She wondered what he did for a living. He seemed to be everywhere and anywhere all at once. “Oh,” she exclaimed.

Ghost wagged his whole body, licking her hands. She grinned, kneeling to let him kiss and “hug” her. Jon grinned. He was holding a canvas tote bag with a present— the bright silver bow peeked from the top. “Easy Ghost, you’re coming on too strong.”

“Oh he’s perfect.”

Jon lifted up the bag. “I have something for you. Your mail was misdelivered to my house.”

“Oh…I’m sorry.” All she did was apologize. She stood and reached for the wrapped package of envelopes he handed her from the bag. As she flicked through the top few, her stomach started to fall. “Oh…oh…no!”

Jon glanced at the envelopes, alarmed. “Is there something wrong?”

“My cards!” All of her cards. Every single one of them stamped with the label Return to Sender- Lack of Postage. Tears filled her eyes, a few managing to spill over her eyelids before she caught herself. She tried her best to suppress them; he would think her foolish to cry over Christmas cards. Plus, didn’t she want to avoid further embarrassment with this man?

It was just one bloody thing after the other. She hurriedly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I’m sorry…I…”

He was handing her a Kleenex he’d plucked from his pocket. She took it without a word, blowing her nose. He frowned, his gray eyes strained. “I’m so sorry Dany. I…I wish I could…”

She shook her head hard. “No, no, no you’ve…you’ve done more than enough. It’s just this…it doesn’t matter. It was my mistake. I didn’t check the rates to Essos I should have…”

“No, it’s a bloody joke. They probably changed the rates halfway through the month.” He glanced at the bag he still held, hesitating. “Ah…now might not be a good time to give you this…”

She glanced at the bag. “Why? What is it?”

“Um…so…it seems we have a common friend.” Jon thrust the bag at her. To her surprise, his cheeks were as red as Ghost’s eyes, which darted between them. He mumbled, “Margaery Tyrell…she’s married to my cousin and ah well…she told me to give you your gift but she uh…mislabeled them and well I opened yours by accident…”

It couldn’t be possible. Daenerys was sure the universe didn’t have it out for her that bad.

Except it did.

Because Margaery— she would murder her if this was intentional— always got her the same thing every year. If the labels were switched that meant Jon— hot, cute, helpful, greatest butt ever Jon— saw what Margaery got her for Christmas.

And was trying not to melt into the snow he was blushing so hard.

It would have been cute, his embarrassment, if she also did not feel the same way, pushing into the open lid and peering at the black and red lace garters, thong, and bra set. The icing on top was the card that said in Marge’s swirling hand: I know just the guy for you to wear these for! Love you! Kisssssessssss!

Oh. Oh gods. She could not speak. Even Valyrian, her native tongue, didn’t come to her then. She could only gape at Marge’s note and run through the events that had just taken place. Marge. Present. Lingerie. Wrong Name. Jon. Opened. Her. Gave. Now.

The lump in her throat quelled enough for her to choke out: “Thank you.”

“Um…Marge is…she’s got a…”

“She’s dead,” she breathed, her eyes huge. She hoped to the seven hells and all the fourteen flames of Valyria that Margaery did not do this on purpose. That Jon wasn’t the guy she mentioned in the note, but of course he was. She shook her head, whispering. “I had no idea she was your…”

“Cousin-in-law? More like…”

“Sister,” she finished, remembering what he’d said about Rickon being more of a brother. She crumpled the paper, lingerie, and box together, shoving it angrily into the bag with her mail and Christmas cards. She tossed her hair over her shoulder, her embarrassment hot enough to keep her warm through all the coldest of Northern winters. “Well…thank you for bringing this to me. I hope you and Ghost have a lovely rest of your day.”

Jon tried to smile, except it was a grimace. “She means well…I think?”

“No, she’s a horrible human being and I cannot believe I am friends with her.”

“Honestly, she wasn’t the sort of person I thought Robb would date, much less marry, but it’s never a dull moment.”

Dany shook her head, her lips pressed so tight they were white. “Hmm. Thank you Mr. Snow.” He opened his mouth to correct her, she was sure, but she held up her hand, eyes closed. “No, let me walk out of this with what little dignity I think I have left.”

He dropped his gaze, nodding. “Aye, come on Ghost…uh…Merry Christmas Eve…Eve.”

“Hmm.” Dany waited for him to walk away, his feet crunching in the snow, before she turned around and marched back up to her house, slamming the door behind her. She fell back against it and sank onto the floor, screaming at the top of her lungs.

A door at the top of the stairs burst open and Viserys peered over the bannister at her. “What the bloody hells was that about?” He didn’t wait; she knew he wouldn’t. “Oh Dany, this Northern air is just not doing it for me. I got a flight out of White Harbor, can you drive me later tonight? I’m going to Sunspear, Arriane Martell is having a last minute thing. You know I can’t miss those. Thanks sis.”

Dany remained seated on the floor, vacantly gazing in the distance, not seeing anything. Because yes, a drive to the airport at night when it was supposed to snow again was exactly what she needed right now.

At least Vis was leaving.

“Ding dong, ding dong, Christmas bells are ringing!” Dany sang at the top of her lungs, her hand looped over the top of her steering wheel, feeling happier than she had in a week.

She’d deposited Vis at the airport, grateful to see the back of him. In the less than 24 hours since her brother had shown up, she felt she’d aged twice as fast. She loved him, but in microdoses to the point that yes, 24 hours was too long. Rhaegar had his flight information in the event he decided to change his plans and stop in Dragonstone, but that was not her problem because he was gone.

And the snow wasn’t too bad either, she thought, crossing over from the White Harbor district into Winterfell, still about 45 minutes from home, but there was no one on the road and things seemed fine, so she’d decided to take a few back routes, to see some Christmas lights and enjoy the scenery.

She knocked her head side-to-side, singing carols from her Christmas playlist, upbeat once more, because Missandei had landed in King’s Landing and would be on a flight to Riverrun, then her train to Winterfell. They were going to go ice skating and drink hot chocolate and open presents and…

Click…click…click…

Dany’s eyes lowered immediately from the road ahead of her to her dashboard, where a red light flashed “CHECK ENGINE” at such dizzying speed she automatically drifted to the side of the road. She pumped the brakes, thinking perhaps it was an error, but the clicking sounded again. She bit her bottom lip, wondering if she could make it to Winterfell, when a loud “THUNK” came from under the hood and she was coming to a hard stop, the front end of her SUV nudging against a massive pile of snow near a sign that conveniently told her Winterfell was still 50 miles away.

And she was in the middle of nowhere.

She sat in the driver’s seat for about ten minutes. Perhaps fifteen? Maybe even a full fucking hour.

It was hard to tell when you were having a mental breakdown.

After however long she sat in place, she finally turned off the car, struggled with her seatbelt and pushed the door open to get out, using her foot to flick up the car hood. She knew a bit about cars; she liked to follow Rhaegar around as a kid, but that was when he had in mind to tinker on vintage engines or decide he wanted to build his own electric vehicle.

She used her phone to shine on the engine, since there were no street lights. Thankfully the moon was out and with the reflection off the snow, it was plenty bright. She fiddled here and there with the engine, wondering what had it screwed up. “Talk to me,” she muttered.

Some kind of guardian was listening, because a few minutes after she asked for help– from the car– the flash of headlights distracted her and the sound of an engine winding down alerted her to someone slowing down near her. She peeked around the hood of her car, to see the last person she expected– nay, ever wanted-- to see, leaned towards an open window.

“Car trouble?” Jon Snow asked.

Dany stared at him. She wasn’t even smiling. Her eyes narrowed. “Are you stalking me? You have to be stalking me now. This isn’t funny!” She lifted her head to the sky, screaming, shaking her fist. Nervous breakdown continuing. “Stop doing this! I didn’t do anything to deserve this!”

Jon walked around the front of his Range Rover. He ignored her shouting, removing his phone and lifting it up. “I saw your license plate, called a tow just in case, I know…”

“The guy, yeah sure, of course you do. Man about town.”

He ducked his head, sheepish. “I guess. Uh…what happened? Why are you out here so late?”

“I have a question for you! You always pop up when I least expect it and always after some disaster, let me guess, you’re some kind of Christmas spirit here to teach me a lesson? Well let’s have it, teach me a lesson!” She waved her hands, turning around and stomping into the snow. “All I want is a happy Christmas, but no, I’ve got trees falling and burning and Christmas cards returning and Vis appearing and leaving…at least he’s gone now, but then my car breaks down and here you are and…”

Jon leaned towards her, his mouth open, hesitating, trying to speak, but she had been cutting him off at every turn, until she stopped, and he closed his mouth, grimacing.

Because her foot had sunk into something off the road while she’d been walking backwards.

It was…like mud? Except…not mud?

She looked down at her boots; at least they weren’t the super fancy ones. Her camera flashlight scanned the ground and it took a moment, but her brain registered what had happened.

Poop.

She’d stepped in poop.

And not just any poop. No, not dog poop or cat poop, this was poop that looked like it had come from some wild animal or a bear or creature from the beyond. Small mercies was that it wasn’t entirely fresh so it didn’t stink, but it was certainly fresh enough to have smeared on the bottom of her boot.

“I seem to have stepped in…”

“Reindeer poop,” Jon concluded.

She looked down at it. “Huh. Reindeer poop?”

“Hmm…my buddy owns the land around here. He has a farm. Reindeers. They walk along the road from one pasture to another. He uses them for a petting zoo, Christmas village thing…has an ice rink and…” he trailed off, running his fingers through his hair, muttering. “Tormund’s Bear Village…something like that…ah…”

Dany sighed. She stepped sideways, avoiding the rest of the poo and walked onto the road, scuffing her heel in the snow to get off as much of the befouling substance as possible. She didn’t stop until she was in the center of the road and stood in place, gazing in each direction.

“Ah, what are you doing?”

“Waiting for a car to come and kill me.”

Jon half-laughed, half-shouted. “It’s not that bad!”

“Easy for you to say!” she bellowed, whipping around and storming towards him. She was half in tears. “This has been the worst Christmas ever, so many disasters, one after another, and tomorrow is Christmas Eve! I’m terrified of what will happen to me next!” And she was supposed to go do that stupid Bear Village thing tomorrow with Missandei to go ice skating!

He reached for her shoulders, his bare hands squeezing at her thick puffer coat; she thought she could feel them, warming her straight through to the tips of her freezing toes. “Dany, it’s going to be fine, shit happens.”

“This sure is a lot of shit…literally!” she screeched, lifting up her boot.

He laughed again and shrugged, dropping his hands. “I could tell you so many shitty Christmas stories, believe me.” She didn’t know him, but by gods, she felt like he had her number and what did it matter? He’d already seen her bloody lingerie! She waved her hands, silently challenging him. Jon sighed hard, breath vapor puffing out. “Uh…let’s see, I could tell you about the time that Rickon got so stoned at Christmas dinner he ate the entire turkey and had to go to the hospital to have his stomach pumped? There was the time that my cousin Arya got a new set of bow and arrows and decided to test it on an old stag head in my uncle’s study but she missed, it went out the window, and into my shoulder?” She snorted, trying not to laugh at that. He smiled, continuing. “Or the time that my ex-wife decided it would be really funny to buy a house without telling me and then use my credit line to do it?”

Her eyes widened. “She what!?”

“Oh yeah, big shitty dump of a place in the country that she thought we could just move into. She got it in the divorce.” He cocked his head, smirking. “There was also a time when I had to work all Christmas and instead of gifts, my cousins decided they would come and sing carols and it was so bad they literally woke up someone in a coma.”

She cocked her head. “Where do you work?”

Jon was about to open his mouth, but the sound of a car approaching, with a heavy diesel engine, prevented him from speaking again. He cleared his throat. “Looks like Tormund’s here.”

“Bear VIllage guy?”

“Aye, he’s got a tow truck. Can give you a lift back to town too.”

Dany closed her eyes; oh gods, she scared him off with her raving. She knew it was presumptuous, but with the way her luck was going, of course he wasn’t going to give her a ride back. Or come into the house when she offered. And maybe…whatever happened after that. How stupid of her to even think such a thing! He had to seriously wonder if his life would be in danger entering her house. “Uh…thanks…”

A giant man with flaming red hair and beard leaped from the cab of the tow truck, wearing a pair of coveralls and a t-shirt. His arms were like hams. He boomed, throwing his arms into the air. “Crow!”

“Hey Tormund.”

Dany frowned, as Tormund grabbed Jon around the shoulders and lifted him clear into the air in a gigantic bear hug. “Wow,” she murmured.

Tormund dropped Jon and turned to look at her, waggling his thick eyebrows. “Well hello there! Future Mrs. Crow!”

“What?” she wondered out loud, at the same time Jon, who was pink in the face and not from being lifted off the ground, she suspected, sputtered: “Tormund, shut up!”

“Oh it’s a secret? Well okay then. What have we here? Let’s take a look before I strap this baby up.”

Dany shivered, stomping her feet in place. “How long will this take?”

Jon glanced at her and then rummaged in his pocket. “Here.” He thrust his car keys at her. “Take my car back home. I can get it from you tomorrow, I’ll stick with Tormund and if there’s nothing wrong, I’ll bring your car back to your house.”

She gaped; what? He was seriously doing this? “I…I couldn’t,” she gasped, pushing his keys back. “No Jon…”

“It will be fine! We’re neighbors, I’ll get it tomorrow, just leave the keys in the cupholder, it’s no big deal.” He walked around to the passenger side, leaning in and swiping a couple things from the dash; it looked like his wallet and an ID badge of some sort on a lanyard. He pushed the keys at her again, gray eyes wide. “Please? It’s freezing and you’ve been to the airport of all places, plus you know, the reindeer…”

She closed her eyes, praying that that memory could one day be wiped from her brain. “Jon, really…”

“Looks like you’ve got a clogged engine, Little Dragon,” Tormund boomed from under the hood. He frowned. “What kind of gas did you put in this?”

“Whatever was the cheapest.”

“Hmmm…well we’ve got lower octane up here, because of higher altitude. You need to be using the fancy stuff for this engine.”

Naturally. Honestly, she didn’t care. “I want to go to bed,” she mumbled, taking the keys from Jon. She walked around to his driver’s side and climbed up. He removed her bag from the front seat of her car and placed it next to her. She leaned back in the seat and bit her bottom lip, studying him. What an oddly enlightening evening this had turned out to be. He gave her a tiny wave and she sighed, waving back. “Thank you again…I…”

“Don’t keep thanking me, Dany.” He chuckled. “I’ll see you tomorrow, I’ll drop it off after Tormund fixes it.”

“No charge for future Mrs. Crow!”

Dany had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but Jon flushed again. He waved and she smiled weakly, turning to look out the windshield and at the road ahead, gently easing the Range Rover back onto the road.

About halfway home, Dany realized that hanging on his keys was a keychain of a crow.

Odd, she thought, flicking idly at it. She’d have to ask him about that.

Since it was clear they’d be seeing each other again.

“And then he called you Future Mrs. Crow?”

“Yeah, that’s what I said.”

Missandei skated loops easily around her, as Dany continued to totter on her blades. She used to take lessons as a kid, but it seemed her brain and body had completely forgotten any sort of knowledge she’d taken on when it came to this sport. “That’s interesting, implies obviously that Jon is going to make you his future wife, which I will have to be the judge of and approve of, because I do need to see what he looks like for final confirmation.”

“You will, he tends to pop up daily.”

“And he’s been the savior through all these disasters?”

“I told you, yes,” she huffed, pushing away from the wall and trying to take a few uneasy glides, but instead just kind of stood in place on the ice, sighing. “But ‘Crow’ that’s an odd nickname?”

“I mean, you’re a dragon in all variations of your nickname, so there’s that.” Missandei spun as though she were born on skates. She lifted her face to the sky, the sun still rather bright in spite of the chill and occasional flurry. “Despite all these disasters, I say you may end up with the best Christmas gift. A date with a really hot guy.”

“Missy!”

“Come on, you have practically been on how many dates now? Like six? And he told you in a not so subtle way, mind, that he used to be married, which means he is not now, which means he’s single.” She wagged her finger. “And everyone seems to like him. And he volunteers at tree farms and helps out damsels in distress.”

“I was not in distress!”

“Darling, you stepped in reindeer shit, you were in considerable distress.”

Fine, Dany would admit to that one. She flicked one of her braids over her shoulder, lurching towards Missy, who caught her by the hands and began to glide backwards, dragging her along like a child. She sighed. “I don’t know that much about him,” she tried to protest, but she didn’t even believe herself. She knew more about Jon than she had any of the other serious men in her life— all two of them— before she went on a first date.

Outside of what he did for a living, of course.

And he didn’t seem put off by her insane brother, terrible luck, and raving lunacy the night before.

Her car was in the driveway when she woke up and he’d taken his back. She’d gotten Missy, they went for hot cocoa at the bakery, shopping on the High street, watched a couple movies, ate tons of good food at a local pub, and now were fulfilling her perfect holiday fantasy of ice skating in the open under the dying sunlight.

It would be way too cold for her and Missy soon, but she was determined to at least skate a few loops of the pond without needing Missy’s support or tottering like a damn fool. Then they’d have mulled wine and watch one of the pageants of the slaying of the Night King. The North was weird. But since it came at the hands of a Dragon Queen, she was fine with sticking around a bit longer in the cold.

“Hey Dany!”

Missandei had just spun her a little too fast, so at the sound of her voice, she turned, but it threw her off balance. The toe pick of her probably not very sharp rental skates caught in a divot in the ice and she felt herself flying forward, her feet scrambling to stay steady. Her so-called friend let go of her, startled, and Dany found herself flying backwards into the arms of Jon.

She really should see these things coming by now, she thought, eyes closed momentarily. His arms were very strong, holding her in a bridge position, her upper half caught in his arms and her body straight, knees bent at 90 degrees and feet still on the ice. She tilted her head backwards and up, staring at him looking down at her, a bemused smile on his face. Today his curls were loose underneath a black beanie. “We really should stop meeting like this,” he said.

“Tell me about it,” she grumbled, turning carefully with his help. He pulled her backwards, towards his chest and she managed to get her feet around, so she was toe-to-toe with him on the ice. Her hands rested on his forearms and she gazed up, swallowing hard. “Thanks…again.”

“Pretty sure you’ve thanked me enough for the next century. Are you okay?”

“Fine, not really steady on these things.”

“You just have to relax a bit in the knee.”

She snorted. “Of course!”

“What?” he asked, confused, his brows wrinkling.

She waved at his entire being. “You! You know how to ice skate, of course!”

In hockey skates, his hands in thick hockey gloves, he crossed his arms over his chest, a little peeved. “Well I am from the North. There’s not much to do in the winter, you know.”

“Well I’m from Essos. We swim in ponds, we don’t skate on them.” She stuck her arms straight out on either side of her, like a scarecrow, and jerked her head to Missandei, who had stopped skating and was standing in place, watching the interaction with no doubt a smile and a ‘I knew it’ expression, if Dany knew her at all. “This is my best friend Missandei.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Jon.” He offered his hand, which Missandei took immediately, cocking her head and grinning. It had the effect Dany thought it might have, which was scaring Jon. He swallowed hard, throat constricting and backed away slightly. “Um, Dany I was wondering…”

Missandei grabbed her by the shoulders. “Yes,” she exclaimed. She wiggles her brows. “Yes, the answer is yes, whatever it is. Go Dany, my feet are frozen, I’m going to turn in. You have some fun! Learn some moves!”

In Valyrian, Dany muttered, “I am going to kill you”, but Missandei was already skating off, waving and giving her a thumbs up. She forced a smile up at Jon. “Um, I really can’t do this…uh….this skating thing.”

Jon offered his hand. “Here, I’ll help you.”

“You’ve been doing that way too much.”

He chuckled, turning slightly and skating off, tugging her with him. “Well, it’s Christmas Eve, perhaps your luck is changing.”

She could only hope and pray and beg and barter for it at this rate. Dany said nothing, focusing on her skates, pushing off one at a time, mimicking Jon. He was a better teacher than Missandei, and after several minutes, she’d made it around the ice rink once and then about five minutes later, she realized that he’d let go of her and was skating backwards, as she picked up some speed, impressed with her success. “I’m skating!” she laughed, her hands still out for balance.

Perhaps she’d put a scene in the book of the wolf teaching the dragon how to ice skate in her book.

Oh gods, knock it off Dany, she thought, turning to grin at Missandei, who had her phone up, recording. She waved. “Missy! Look!” She picked up a little more speed, excited, and feeling the cold night air rush over her warm face. It was so fun! Also rather freeing, especially after all the drama of the last week or so.

Jon grinned wide. "You're skating, see?"

She laughed, beaming. "I am..." she trailed off. She saw Tormund over by the skate rental. He gave her a thumb's up and a huge wink, before throwing his head back and laughing. She frowned. "Crow..."

"What?"

"Tormund calls you Crow, it's on your keychain, why?" 

"Oh," Jon laughed. He shrugged. "I was in the military, in the Night's Watch, before I went to college. I met Tormund there."

"Oh...the military? That's..." she trailed off, still a little confused. "I don't get it."

Jon laughed again. "Crow is what they used to call the men in the NIght's Watch, because they wore black furs. We still wear all black, but nothing that looks like a rug from Ikea."

She laughed with him. For some reason that made her feel a lot better, she wasn't sure why. It also filled in a little more about him. The duty, honor thing, not letting her flounder. Except...she bit her bottom lip. She didn't want to think he was only doing those things because he felt he had to. She let go and skated a little more, far more confident in her abilities. 

For the next several minutes, she skated, until she spotted Jon out of the corner of her eye. He was keeping an eye on her. He was really very handsome, she thought, focusing on the sparkle in his eyes and how his pale skin shined in the light from the hundreds of criss-crossing twinkle lights over the pond. There were more adults now on the ice than kids, since it was getting so cold, and the pageant would probably be starting soon. Handsome and kind and...and...well, even if he was helping her because he thought he had to he really...he really didn't need to...and it just showed what a kind person he was. 

The whole thing, she thought, it was just...it was so...Christmas. She looked beyond where he was standing on the ice, to the evergreen trees, the mountains far off to the horizon, and snow everywhere. It was what she’d wanted this whole time.

She exhaled and made a decision.

Now or never, she thought, looking at Jon.

Crow. Snow. Whatever, she was going to do this.

With a push off her blade, she pumped her legs, heading straight towards him. She was going to do it. She was going to kiss him. It would be magical. She’d skate right into his arms and pull him in and plant one right on him.

Except why did she think that would work?

Why in the seven evil hells of Westeros did she think after all she’d experienced the last week, that this would work out in any way, shape or form?

Because she was a hopeless romantic.

Because naturally it did not go the way it did in her head. Her foot hit a divot in the ice, at the same time Jon reached for her, but she was going faster than she thought. She screamed, flinging herself at him, except he wasn’t ready because he came down with her, both of them crumpling to the ice, Jon hitting hard on his beautiful, beautiful butt and she flipped over him, screeching.

And her head hit the ice and all she could think was “Oh no! I broke his butt!”

There was a bright light.

It was the end.

This was death.

She’d skated to her death, Christmas had finally killed her.

Except the light flickered a few times and there was a kind, scratchy voice saying her name. “Daenerys? This is Dr. Seaworth, can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can please.” She squeezed both her hands, and realized her left one was in the palm of someone, who squeezed back. The man– Dr. Seaworth, she gathered– chuckled softly. “Excellent, excellent, can you open your eyes for me again?”

The light came back and she opened her eyes fully, blurry images coming into focus. She was in a hospital room, the voice was coming from a scruffy older man in a white lab coat and dark blue scrubs on her left side, and he had a tiny little light he was asking her to now track with her eyes, which she did. Up-down, side-to-side, all around. “Did I pass?” she mumbled.

“With flying colors, my dear. You gave your friends quite a scare. That was a bit of a hard fall on the ice, but you’re in the ER at Queen Alysanne’s.”

Dany rolled her eyes down, noting she was still in her sweater and jeans, but the ice skates were off. She didn’t have her boots on, just a pair of red socks. “Huh.”

“Can you tell me what happened?”

“Um…I fell…and…” She groaned, shaking her head slightly; it ached terribly, but she didn’t care. “Oh gods!” She pressed her hand up to her forehead. “I broke his butt!”

Davos frowned, his twinkling blue eyes narrowing behind his glasses. “You broke…whose butt?”

“Jon Snow! I broke his butt!”

“Ah…” Davos coughed delicately into his shoulder. He smiled gently, patting her shoulder. “I can tell you with certainty, as I was the one who was here when he came in with you, that you did not break his…his butt. He can tell you himself.”

She dropped her hand, staring at the door to the ER room, where Jon stood. Except instead of his regular clothes, he was in the gray sweats she’d seen him in before…but…they weren’t…oh. They weren’t sweats, she realized, but scrubs! “You’re a doctor!?” she exclaimed.

Jon laughed, hands in his pockets. “Aye.”

“Oh gods, you must think I’m certifiable!”

“No more than anyone else.” Jon stepped towards her, a bit gingerly, and winced when he leaned against a computer monitor on a cart next to her. He lightly tapped his hip. “Just a bruised tailbone, nothing serious.”

It was the worst of them all, she decided. The worst disaster of her Christmas. She’d broken his butt, hit her head, and was in the damn ER on Christmas Eve! All because she’d tried to kiss him! And she…she…her eyes sprang open again. “I said it,” she blurted.

Davos, who was typing into a computer next to her, glancing over. “Excuse me?”

“I said…I said…you…” She moaned, hands over her face again, voice muffled against her palms. “You heard me say I broke your butt!”

Jon choked a laugh. “It’s okay, people say all kinds of things when they hit their head.”

“But it was me!”

Davos came back over to her and patted her forearm. “Dany, I’m going to have you stay overnight for observation, you took a nasty fall and I don’t like that you blacked out for so long. Your CT scan was clear, but regardless, I want to be safe. You’ll have a cracking headache for a bit, I’ll make sure you get some aspirin.” He chuckled again. He was downright giddy, she thought, eyeing him curiously. He lifted his hand from his pocket and patted the light that was attached to the bed, moving it out of the way. “I’ll leave you with Dr. Snow. You’re in good hands with him.” His lips twitched. “And his broken tailbone.”

Now Jon was groaning, shoving his face into his hands. She wanted to burst into tears. Davos smiled, bid her a “Merry Christmas”, and walked out, sliding the door shut after him, leaving her to her embarrassment.

And Jon’s too.

That was kind of nice to see, she thought, glancing sideways. “He seems…fond of you?” she offered.

“Something like that. He’s my Missy, I guess you could say,” Jon said, smiling briefly. He licked his lips and straightened up, moving closer to her. His hand dropped to cover hers and in all seriousness, he whispered, “I was a bit scared there a moment when you fell. Then when you said…” She sighed hard. “What you said…well…I knew you’d be okay.”

Dany couldn’t believe this, truly. “What a disaster,” she mumbled.

“I don’t know about that.”

“Oh? You tell me how this isn’t one horrible unmitigated disaster?” She truly had nothing left to lose now. She lifted her hand up, gesturing. “I”m in the ER because I fell ice skating because, well…I was skating to you, because I was going to…to…”

“To what?”

“Kiss you!” she sputtered.

And to her surprise, he didn’t really react. He didn’t laugh, didn’t grin, didn’t exclaim “Oh what!? Hell no, I only like you as a friend!” or some such nonsense. Instead, his brow wrinkled, and the corners of his eyes crinkled, and he set his lips in a line. He seemed to be thinking about something. Then, he glanced above her, and sighed, closing his eyes and whispering, “Oh Davos…”

That was not what she wanted to hear. “Huh?”

He pointed up. Dany rolled her eyes upwards again, spotting what he had seen a second before.

Mistletoe.

It was fake, a plastic sprig of it, with a red bow, but it was taped awkwardly on the light fixture. She realized that’s what Davos had done. He wasn’t moving it out of the way, he was putting the mistletoe on it!

Her mouth fell open. “Oh,” she breathed. Well, yes, he was right about that. “He really is your Missandei.”

“Thing is, he’s not pushing me to do anything.”

“Huh?” She turned her head towards him again.

Jon smirked. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled a little sheepishly. “Well, I wanted to kiss you when I saw you kicking your tree while it was down in the snow that morning.” He sighed. “And again, when you were all upset about the violin. Also, when your brother thought I was an Uber driver and you were so embarrassed. Then when I gave you that stupid gift from Marge. You have no idea how much I wanted to kiss you.” He took a deep breath, continuing, and she could only stare. “Then again, in the snow, after you stepped in reindeer poop. Never thought that could be sexy, but somehow you did it. So I told myself, I would kiss you on the ice rink, under the stars, on Christmas Eve, and it would be the best Christmas, since you seemed so determined to have one.”

He took another deep breath, pointing up at the mistletoe. “But now, I really have nothing stopping me, because it’s mistletoe.”

“Jon,” she whispered, but it was his turn to cut her off, unlike all those times she’d done it to him.

He pressed his mouth fully to hers, stifling her protests, and causing her heart to skip a few beats. The pulse-ox monitor on her fingertip began to beep in the background, her heart rate rising.

The man could kiss.

It was the gentlest, kindest, yet most insistent kiss she’d ever gotten.

His lips were firm, pressing to hers, and the tip of his tongue barely grazed the seam of her lips. She opened underneath, allowing him entry, her arm looping around his neck, as he stumbled over her, a knee on the edge of the bed, to keep from crushing her. His breath tickled her cheek and she dragged her hand through his hair, curling the ends around her fingertips.

After a few seconds, the pulse monitor blaring now, he pulled away, but touched his forehead to hers. “Merry Christmas Dany,” he whispered.

Dany giggled. Wow. She bit her bottom lip, staring straight into his eyes, and saw nothing but affection and dare she think– love?-- shining back at her. She laughed softly. “Merry Christmas Jon.”

He leaned back in, to kiss her again, and she eagerly let him, thinking several things at once as he moved to stretch beside her on the narrow hospital bed. The first, she really couldn’t wait to see what he thought of Marge’s present when it was on her. The second, well…

What a bloody great disaster this Christmas turned out to be.