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It always made her smile, how oblivious he was to it all. He never seemed to notice the appreciative stares from women of all ages. Eyes that would follow him or watch, filled with curiosity and lust as he focused on the most menial of tasks. He just went about his daily life, none the wiser. Perhaps, she once thought, he was so used to it that he no longer paid it any mind. After all, Jaime Lannister had always been a gorgeous man.
Of course, once upon a time she had been the one giving secretive glances of her own to his golden beauty, watching him from afar as she pined. She had been a young girl then, only 16 years old and a child compared to his 27 but she had found herself with a huge, incurable crush on him anyway. This of course was much to her sister’s amusement. “Sansa and her Golden Knight” Arya would bemoan but Sansa held fast to her admiration and never spoke of it to any but Arya. She was too afraid to talk to him, knowing if she did she would make a fool of herself, so she forced herself to watch from a distance.
In truth he was beautiful, tall with bright golden hair and a smile that could stop anyone in their tracks. She would watch him from the corner of her eye, admiring him as he laughed with others. Since their families ran in the same social circles, she saw him at parties, holidays and various events, always with him looking handsome in a tuxedo, not a hair out of place.
She could see him from where she stood beside her mother, his tall, impressive form clad in a deep grey suit and black shirt, open at the collar. He was standing with his father, who was an even taller man in an even darker suit. The Lannisters were the ‘Golden Lions’ of Westeros society, and with their flaxen hair it was easy to see why.
By Jaime’s side was a woman with dark red hair, curvy in a way that Sansa could never hope to be and she felt her heart fall a little.
She watched as the woman, who looked incredibly bored said something that had earned her a glare from the Great Lion, Tywin Lannister, himself. The woman did well to school her features after that. Jaime only looked harshly to his father, the light dimming in the Young Lion’s emerald eyes.
“Sansa, focus” her mother’s chiding whisper pulled her back to the present and away from Jaime.
“Sorry mother” she gave a nod and resumed helping with the desserts.
If the parties were held at the Lannister estate she would wander to the library to look at all of the family photos. It was there she saw the first photo of Jaime in his uniform. The sight was devastating. He was a police officer with the King’s Landing Police Department, a man dedicated to saving the lives of those around him and it left her in awe.
Sansa found herself in the Lannister library once more, this time a girl of 18 who was about to graduate high school. She walked to the center bookcase to the photo of Jaime in his uniform, standing proud as his father pinned a badge to his chest.
Her finger ghosted across the frame’s edge as she smiled. A man who stood to inherit the biggest fortune in Westeros had set it aside and chosen to protect and serve. What sort of man he was, truly. Beneath the good looks and fortune, who was Jaime Lannister? She remembered the woman from several Christmases ago and how Jaime had not brought another woman to an event since then. Not that she had noticed.
The door to the library opened and she turned to see the Great Lion come in and make is way to the liquor bottles on the sideboard.
“Ah Miss. Stark” he said flippantly as he grabbed a bottle and examined it.
“Mr. Lannister” she greeted.
“Hiding in the library again I see” he commented and she felt her cheeks heat at having been caught more than once.
“Yes, sir” she nodded.
“I would be too if I did not think I would be caught” his emerald eyes fixed on her and she felt herself pinned to the floor. “Your mother tells me you’re to be an artist.” Sansa gave a frown and he raised a brow. “Not true?”
“In truth I am already an artist, Mr. Lannister, I do not need a college to tell me that” she reasoned boldly. “I will be going to school to learn animation and digital illustration, so that I can make art a career rather than a hobby. Sir.”
“Smart girl” he gave a nod. “I daresay the painters of old have been replaced by technology.”
“I love to paint, but if I can illustrate and animate digitally I can work with a large studio and support myself,” she replied. “Then I will be able to choose any medium I want to enjoy in my personal time.”
“You’re a motivated young thing aren’t you” the Great Lion mused.
“Determined, sir” she moved away from the bookcase and the photo, wondering when she would get to see it again.
She graduated high school and went away to school, carrying the torch for Jaime Lannister along the way. She spent years studying design, art and illustration, honing her skills to zero in on digital illustration. She enjoyed art school, but did not make many friends, finding most in her age bracket flighty and immature. None of them were Jaime.
After graduation she took a job illustrating backgrounds for a comic book company based in King’s Landing, while it was small tasks to start she had a promise of future, expanded work. She was happy, or rather, contented.
It was a few months before her 21st birthday that everything changed.
She was sitting on the terrace of a small coffee shop-slash-cafe ‘The Human Bean’ in King’s Landing, doodling a characterization a pair of golden retrievers that were seated across from her when she heard her name.
“Sansa Stark” she quickly looked up at the deep voice’s source, eyes wide with shock to see the golden beauty of Jaime Lannister standing on the sidewalk. He wore faded jeans and a henley beneath a worn leather jacket, blonde hair falling across his forehead in such a sinfully boyish way it should have been illegal.
He had spotted her hair first, he laughed as he admitted it, but when he approached was impressed with her drawing, he did not know she was an artist. Ordering a coffee, he joined her at her shaded table. His easy smile made her stomach flutter as they talked for several hours, finding that they had a lot in common.
He had asked to keep in touch and she did her best to control her blush as they exchanged numbers and social media. They parted ways with a flippant ‘talk to you soon’ and she smiled the whole way back to her apartment.
She had not expected to hear from him, and certainly not that night.
Sansa was brushing out her hair when her phone chimed. Turning it over she saw a name that made her heart race. Unlocking it she opened the message to find a photo of herself at the cafe. He must have taken it before he approached her; her focus was on the tablet in front of her as she drew, her face in profile the look of concentration.
“Something serious” his caption read.
Her phone chimed again and another photo popped up, this time a photo of very fat cat in a very tiny bowtie with a party hat on.
“Something not so serious” the second caption read and she laughed.
“LOL” she typed her reply. “I need that cat in my life. Also, thank you for my new Instagram profile photo, stalker.”
“You’re very welcome” his reply came quickly. “I will get you a fat cat for your next birthday.”
She laughed to herself, feeling her cheeks heat at the idea of spending her birthday with Jaime.
That was how it began.
Like most things, it started small; the occasional meme, a silly cat photo here, a quick message there. Soon the floodgates opened and they were talking as much as possible every day. Instagram messages turned to texts, then texts to phone calls. Her heart would race when her phone would chime and she would hide his messages, ensuring no one else could read them.
Soon, he asked if he could run into her at their coffee shop on purpose some time.
“Hi” she smiled shyly as she entered the coffee shop’s veranda. “It’s good to see you.”
“You too” he stood from his chair to hug her before helping her to her chair.
“It shouldn’t feel weird, we’ve talked so much” she laughed nervously. “But I am nervous.”
“I don’t think it is weird at all, I am grateful to finally see you laugh in person rather than just an ‘LOL’ when I send you a photo of a particularly fat cat or one of those ridiculous snapchat selfies you send” he smiled.
“I can’t help it” she laughed. “Fat cats are just so cute.”
“Who knew the way to Sansa Stark’s heart was through fat cats” he grinned as the waitress arrived and they both ordered.
Their coffee dates, or at least she hadn’t dared to hope they were dates, became regular meetings. Then the occasional lunch. Then dinner. The dinner and movies at their apartments. It was months later with his charming smile in place, he had asked her to be his.
“Are you alright?” she asked him as he fidgeted with his cuff once more.
“Yes I--” he paused, then shook his head.
“Jaime?” she asked and he stood abruptly and went to the door of her apartment and she was suddenly terrified that he meant to leave. “Please don’t go.”
He stopped where he had set his jacket and a small bag earlier, zipping it open to pull something out before returning to her side, “I did promise you a fat cat for your next birthday” he placed a stuffed cat into her hands with a nervous smile.
“He’s so cute” she smiled at the fat cat in the faux cardboard box. “Thank you.”
“Happy Birthday” he said softly.
She watched him closely and saw that his emerald eyes were still dull, “Jaime, what’s wrong?” she asked as she set the stuffed cat on the table and moved to him.
“I have a favor to ask,” he said softly, taking her hands.
“Anything--”
“Don’t say that until you know what it is” he laughed nervously.
“Jaime…”
“I’m in love with you, Sansa” he said softly. “And I’d ask you to be mine with the hopes that someday you could love me in return. As I so dearly love you.”
She stared up at him with wide, watery eyes, “Yes” she choked on a sob. “I mean, you don’t have to wait, I love you. Have loved you.”
His emerald eyes were luminous as he smiled down at her, “Yeah?”
“Yeah” she nodded.
“Thank the Gods” he pulled her into his arms and lowered his lips to hers.
It was the best birthday in memory.
He was her first, her only, and nearly a year later she finally confessed her teenage crush on him, of being too shy to talk to him when she was 16. He in turn in admitted to noticing her beauty, her fiery hair long before he recognized her instantly at the cafe. He told her he had crossed the street with the hopes of talking with her that day and was delighted to find her such wonderful company. He had felt lecherous when he learned her age years ago, but he did not mind their age gap now. Neither did she.
Their second Christmas together they went to the Lannister party together, having successfully avoided last year to spend their first Christmas together, alone and wonderfully naked. Hand in hand they faced the lions, and wolves respectively.
“You don’t need to be nervous” he assured her, kissing the back of her hand as they walked up the steps.
“Easy for you to say, you don’t have to face the Great Lion” she told him.
“I have to face the Mother Wolf” he raised a golden brow. “I think we’re even.”
She laughed as the door opened and they were ushered inside to hand over their coats. Jaime wore a black suit with a white shirt and red tie, a tie she had tied for him as he kissed her temple, neck and shoulders. She wore a long sleeve dress of deep blue that came to her knees, a modest, elegant piece.
“Jaime you made---” Tyrion’s voice trailed off as he took in their joined hands with a large smile. "And here I thought tonight was going to be boring.”
“Tyrion” Jaime greeted his brother.
“Jaime---” Tywin Lannister turned now from where he stood with her father, a highball glass of whisky in hand. His sharp eyes raked over them, cutting through them until he gave a nod. “Finally a suitable woman” he said loud enough for the room to hear, breaking the tension around them.
She felt Jaime squeeze her hand impossibly tight.
In truth, Jaime was more than she could have asked for in a partner, and 18 months after their chance meeting at the cafe, he proposed on bended knee in front of his squad mates at KLPD and she had never hesitated when she said ‘Yes!’.
Sansa made her way to their cafe, excited to meet Jaime for a quick lunch before he got back to work. While she worked from the apartment they now shared, he still had to leave every morning for his shift and she always hated to see him go.
Rounding the corner she felt her heart begin to race and the half dozen King’s Landing Police cars parked at the cafe. Her feet quickened, hands trembling at the idea something had happened.
Upon getting closer she saw Jaime standing with several other uniformed officers, looking sinfully gorgeous in his dark blue uniform. The photo in the Great Lion’s library did not do him justice, not in the least. He was all broad shoulders, hard angles and golden beauty. A few of his squad mates nodded to her and Jaime turned to smile at her.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“Of course” he assured her. “They just wanted to be here to see.”
“See?” she was confused until he dropped to one knee, pulling a ring from his shirt pocket. “Yes!” she cried out before she could stop herself.
“I haven’t even asked yet, impatient woman” he laughed and his squad mates joined him.
“Sorry, go ahead” she wiped tears from her eyes.
“Will you marry me, Sansa Stark---”
“Yes” she nodded, sobbing into her hands as he stood and slid a beautiful gold solitaire onto her left ring finger. She smiled as he kissed her, a promise of their future in that kiss.
They married at his family’s estate, Casterly Rock, in an elegant, understated ceremony with only their families and a few close friends present. He wore a black tuxedo and had absolutely no right to look that sexy in public. She wore a vintage tea-length down from the 1950’s that she had fallen in love with at a second hand shop and altered herself.
Their ceremony was beautiful and she cried as he kissed her, making her his wife forever.
“I should have guessed” the Great Lion, now her father-in-law, smiled down at her when he danced with her at the reception. “It was not the first time I noticed you looking at his photo in the library,” he continued, referencing their conversation from all those years ago.
“If I thought you wouldn’t have noticed, I’d have stolen the photo” she smiled up at him and he laughed, loudly, shaking his head.
“You’ll keep him on his toes, that is for certain” he remarked.
“You’re just being nice because you want more grandchildren” she smirked.
“I’d prefer some that aren’t spoiled little shits, if you don’t mind” he told her.
“Done” she paused. “I want a copy of the photo.”
“Done” the Great Lion smirked.
Sansa loved being married to Jaime. After their honeymoon in Pentos their life settled into happiness. Almost a year after they married they said goodbye to their apartment and moved into a small Victorian in the old part of town, near the historic parks. He had been promoted to Lieutenant and she was now working on large scale renderings for a local video game developer, making quite a bit of money.
On their first anniversary he brought up children and she smiled brightly at her handsome husband.
“What would you say to having my children, wife” he asked casually as they returned home from a lovely, romantic dinner.
“Jaime” she moved into his embrace. “When?”
“Soon I should hope, I am not a young man these days” he teased.
“You’re not even forty, Jaime” she rolled her eyes and he hauled her closer.
“I’m serious” he smoothed her hair back. “I want children with you, Sansa, I think I have since the moment I realized I was in love with you and I was going to marry you.”
“Well then, husband” she pushed his suit jacket away. “You’d better get to work.”
Her husband was even more determined than she was and while they quite enjoyed making a baby, it didn’t take long for her to be puking her guts out as he held her hair, beaming with pride.
“You’re so damn smug” she shook her head as she rinsed her mouth out. They were both in the bathroom of the Baratheon home, attending the annual Memorial Day party.
“I am, actually” he agreed.
“They’re all going to think we just had sex in here” Sansa wiped her face.
“We could, if you’d like” he smirked and she laughed.
“I don’t even feel remotely sexy right now” she checked her sundress to make sure she hadn’t made a mess of herself.
“You’re still stunning” he pulled her into his arms, hugging her as he kissed her temple. “My pregnant wife.”
“My smug husband” she laughed.
Sansa was smiling once more as she watched Jaime talk to their 3-month old son, Leo, unaware that several other women at the cafe were watching him with heated gazes. She couldn’t really blame them, before them was an incredibly handsome man who obviously loved his son.
In and out of uniform her husband was still eye-catching. In the past few months his golden hair had earned a few threads of silver, ‘childbirth’ he’d teased her for their appearance. Still he was handsome, faded jeans, henley and a baby on his chest, he was hard to resist.
“He’s hungry, I think. I can take him or there is a bottle---” Sansa told him as Leo started to fuss.
“I can handle it, wife” he smiled at her, cradling the tiny miracle they’d created. “You do this enough at home, give those fine breasts of yours a rest, you promised them to me later.”
Sansa smiled, “I promised them to you until death do us part, Lannister.”
“Damned right you did, Lannister” he smiled as he grabbed a bottle from the bag and cared for their son, unaware of the ovaries exploding around him.
Sansa could only smile, watching the man she had loved for so long as he effortlessly fed their son in the cafe where they fell in love. Jaime Lannister had always been a handsome man, and he’d always been the love of her life.