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It started with a kiss.
And not even one of those heart racing, palms sweating, knee weakening touches that left the bearer breathless and desperate for more.
No, it was just a over exuberant press of his lips against her forehead after their team actually won a game for once. Brienne pushed Jaime away with a frown, concerned that he already stunk like a brewery and it was only mid afternoon. Though it didn't take much, a couple of badly deflected crude comments, to finally persuade him to let her take his drunk self home. Jaime wrapped her up in what possibly was the best hug of her life when she offered, asking her to take him to bed too since he couldn't remember the way, and blushing furiously Brienne called his brother to come and take care of him.
It wasn't until days later, when she had grown concerned enough to seek him out, that she learnt his father was dying. And that twist of fate meant Jaime was due to inherit one third of a gold mine. Quite literally.
Jaime conceded just enough ground to let her into his space, finding safety in her company that allowed him to fall against her shoulder while they watched some ridiculous film together. There was some understanding of comfort as Brienne patted his head like an obedient puppy, desperately wanting to run her fingers through his hair instead. Both of them were heading towards half asleep and uninhibited as he moved a little closer to murmur something into her neck that sounded distinctly like Thank you.
Brienne only hoped Jaime couldn't feel the pounding of her heart under lips that seemed to be having trouble leaving her skin alone. It just made everything bubbling away inside her even more confusing.
She only had a small friendship circle, a few she had kept in contact with from university and one or two from work, but Jaime hadn't moved from antagonistic jerk to overly cocky friend until recently. And however much she was a sucker for a pretty face she could not, would not fall in love with him.
But there were these moments. The times when he had unintentionally made her feel like the most important person in his life, though Jaime couldn't help but follow each almost with a comment that reminded her exactly why anything more between them was probably a bad idea. Brienne knew of the woman he'd been involved with and avoided thinking about her as best she could. Though it was long over now, over before she really knew Jaime, and strangely she was now the one standing beside him for every one of the important days.
Brienne saw him through his accident; playing nurse and guard and at one point feeling like his wife of all things, only weeks after he recklessly stepped in the way of a mugger she was more than capable of handling. Jaime spilled as many hard truths as he had, some that she had already assumed, and Brienne still would hold his remaining hand if and when they lowered his father into the ground. She loved him like a hurricane, not like Renly which had been heartbreaking or Hyle which had been a mistake, but something she couldn't help being swept away with even when they weren't being particularly nice to each other. He made her feel everything, from hate to love and back again, and Brienne thought she may know him better than almost anyone else.
So, if it took a kiss to bury those feelings then only a kiss could save her heart.
Featherlight she trailed her fingers along his temple, down his cheek and over his lips, guessing the sudden smile that appeared on his face had nothing to do with her touches. And finally when she thought Jaime was asleep, curled around her like he had no better place to be and looking so damn tempting she knew she would burn in the seven hells for her boldness, did Brienne brush her lips against his for less than a heartbeat.
She never expected him to murmur contentedly and kiss her back, like he had been simply waiting for her to make a move.
Brienne pulled away when his tongue, the same one that curled neatly around things like 'stupid' and 'pig-headed' and 'woman', licked along her bottom lip.
"Aren't you going to finish what you started?", Jaime all but demanded, staring into her blue eyes like he'd been drowning in them for months and either hadn't realised or didn't have the courage to say so. "Kiss me like you mean it."
So she did, laughing at his eagerness to match every one of her movements, wondering why she had been nervous in the first place.
Because it felt exactly like falling in love.