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Sansa sighed in boredom at her nursing station at Winterfell General Hospital as she stirred her tea. It was just past 11 on New Year’s Eve and all of her patients were asleep and she was caught up on paperwork. Her best friend and future sister-in-law, Margaery, was also on duty but she was still getting a few patients settled for the night. This left Sansa to contemplate her tea some more pondering if this New Year would be better than the last. It would have to be right? While her career was right where she wanted it for now, her personal life the last few years had been filled with controlling stalker types like Ramsey or lovely but ultimately closeted homosexuals like Loras.
She had sworn off men this past year, focusing on herself and her career and never felt more happy and like herself and lately she even found herself interested in men again. Well, one guy in particular, but sadly he had started dating a woman seriously around the time she started to realize what the butterflies in her stomach told her about her more than friendly feelings for him.
Interrupting her very important staring off into space, Margaery plopped a sample bag in front of Sansa. “Be a dear and run this down to the lab. I’m dead on my feet and it’s my turn for coffee.”
“Are you this bossy with Robb?” Sansa asked.
“Yes, and he loves it.” Margaery said with a simpering smile and Sansa couldn’t help the face of revulsion she made.
“It’s Theon’s turn tonight.” Sansa said dismissively, wanting to turn her thoughts back to a certain charming but now unavailable man.
“He’s with a patient.” Margaery pointed out.
“He’s playing Fortnight with the 10 year old appendectomy patient in room 12.” Sansa replied with a huff.
“Still counts.” Margaery picked up the bag for the lab again and dangled it in front of Sansa. “Did I mention Tyrion is working tonight?”
“Tyrion? I thought he was off and Daenerys was working.” Sansa said hoping her voice did not betray her excitement that the man she was thinking about had come back early from his vacation.
“He volunteered and you know Danny was hoping she could get to Jon’s base at the Wall before midnight and it’s a long drive. It’s sad not to be kissing your S.O. when the ball drops. Good thing your brother’s a cop and this is a sleepy town so he can swing by on his shift to kiss me.”
“I wonder what Tyrion’s girlfriend, Shae, thinks of him picking up a New Year’s Eve shift.” Sansa replied, trying to hide her sudden interest in the conversation.
“Not sure, but I have a feeling there’s trouble in paradise. Why else would he be here on New Year’s Eve?” Margaery asked. “Maybe you could go find out.”
Sansa snatched the sample with a dramatic sigh. “The things I do for you... and you.” she shouted at Theon who flipped her off behind his back so his young patient/opponent couldn’t see.
Her heart betraying her excitement she headed for the elevators and went down two stories to the lab. She quickly ran into the bathroom taking her long auburn hair out of her messy bun, fluffing it, and applying some lip gloss from her pocket. Tyrion had been off for two weeks, but it had felt like two months and he had barely responded to her texts. She knew he hadn’t been excited about visiting his awful family in Casterly Rock but he had been excited to show his girlfriend his hometown. Shae was a foreign beauty a few years older than Sansa but still a decade younger than Tyrion and the first woman he had been serious with in years.
As Sansa approached the specimen drop off window, she could see a despondent looking Tyrion staring blankly at his computer screen. Even with a long face, Sansa thought he was one of the most attractive men in her acquaintance. He had beautiful green eyes, lush dark golden curls, and a full beard that Sansa had to restrain herself from touching. She knew he had no idea how handsome, no sexy, he really was as he had far too much of his self-esteem wrapped up in his dwarfism and a facial scar from a car accident two years ago.
“Hey you! Why didn’t you text me you were working tonight? How was your trip?” she said concerned by his lack of communication. They were friends right?
“Terrible.” he said horsely in his deep baritone voice, the timber of which caused a funny feeling in Sansa’s tummy.
“Terrible as in Cersei got drunk and smashed the china again fighting with Robert or terrible as when Jaime resigned in a fit at the big Lannister Corp Christmas party.” Sansa questioned trying to lighten his mood.
Tyrion smiled in surprise ever so briefly at her recollections of his stories before his face fell. “Terrible as in my father stole my girlfriend.”
“WHAT!” Sansa shrieked. She had always had a bad feeling about Shae, thinking her a bit shallow, but had dismissed it as small twinges of envy on her part for Tyrion’s affection.
“Is it really stealing if the girl in question threw herself at him?” Tyrion pondered resignedly. “She took one look at his wealth, power, and towering height and suddenly a dwarf lab tech lost all appeal. Funny that.” He said sarcastically sighing. “I’m such a fool.”
“What did you do? You didn’t stay there with her and that soulless bastard did you?” Sansa said angrily. His father was a nasty piece of work, and was always trying to bring Tyrion down.
“Gods no! I wanted to just come home to lick my wounds but Jaime insisted we take up Brienne’s offer to celebrate Christmas in Tarth with her family. I’m glad we did. They were lovely, the island was beautiful, and it gave me sometime to think.”
Brienne was the occupational therapist that had helped Jaime learn how to use his left hand after he had lost his right in the same car accident that had scared Tyrion’s face. Sansa was friends with her through the Volunteer program at the hospital and knew she and Jaime were crazy about each other.
“Think?” Sansa asked curiously.
“Yeah, about lots of things.” He looked at her seriously. “Do you want to get out of here? Get some air and something to eat? I think that Taco Truck across the street is open super late tonight for all the New Year’s Eve revelers.”
She nodded and sent Margaery a text she was going on break, while Tyrion handed over the lab to his young, nervous coworker Podrick with instructions to call him if he needed him. They both retrieved their coats and met in the lobby.
It was a crisp, cold evening and the stars twinkled in the sky as Sansa waited for Tyrion at a picnic table in front of the hospital while he retrieved their tacos from across the way. She had insisted on treating him, but he forced her into a game of rock, paper, scissors that he ultimately won. She spent the time fussing with her hat and coat and wondered if her puffy white coat and pink hat with the giant puffball on top were too childish. Probably not at all what the sophisticated, high maintenance women like Shae would wear. But if she had learned anything in the last few years, it was to be herself and she liked how she dressed and the hat made her laugh when Arya had given it to her for Christmas.
Luckily the line was short, and Tyrion was back in no time. Sansa pulled up the live feed of the giant disco ball at the Red Keep in King’s Landing on her phone and noted there was still fifteen minutes or so until midnight. Not realizing how hungry she was, she scarfed down her tacos before noting that Tyrion had barely touched his.
“Don’t tell me your not going to eat those! Eat before they get cold!” she scolded.
“Yes dear” He sighed dramatically and took a bite his eyes rolling in the back of his head as a little moan escaped his lips “I forgot how good these are. I usually just bring my lunch or if I met with Shae, well she wanted something more high end that wasn’t cooked in a kitchen on wheels.”
Sansa snorted in derision. “Her loss.” She caught his eye and smiled. It truly was her loss, Tyrion was a great catch and she was sad she had only become aware of her burgeoning crush on him just as he started dating Shae. But now...Sansa hesitated. Was it too soon after his breakup to try to pursue something? Probably, but she was afraid of losing her opportunity again. But how did she let him know she was interested? Ugh, she was truly terrible at flirting and relationships in general.
She let Tyrion finish his tacos before continuing, “You deserve better than that, Tyrion. Better than a gold digger like Shae.”
“Part of me knew. She always seemed a little too materialistic and in hindsight I think it was my last name that ultimately caught her attention. I was just lonely. It’s been a long time since I have been in a relationship and it was nice to have somebody you know?” He asked looking at her for validation. “I don’t think we were ever a right fit and to be honest I don’t even miss her. It was more the idea of her. I guess I’m not into casual dating, I just don’t think I’m built for it.
“I do know, but I also know what it’s like to be with somebody who is completely wrong for you or worse somebody who is completely bad for you. This year of not dating has been good for me. I feel more balanced, more sure of what I want. I don’t want to just date anybody to fill a whole in my life. I want what my parents have. I want a home and a family of my own. I want a partner to stand by my side through all of life’s ups and downs. I’m tired of settling for less and I won’t anymore.” She blushed staring at her hands. “I want to know what it’s like to fall in love.” she whispered, suddenly feeling very young and perhaps a bit naive.
“I want that for you too Sansa. Any man would be lucky to be yours.” Tyrion said and Sansa couldn’t help but hear a strange note in his voice like wistfulness ?? Her heart started thumping a mile a minute and the thought that maybe, just maybe, he liked her too. Clearing his throat and trying to sound casual he asked “So now that the New Year is upon us, do you think you’ll start dating again?” He asked not looking at her.
“Perhaps.” She stared at the clock on her phone noting there was a minute or so left until midnight and decided it was now or never. “There is a man I’ve had a crush on for awhile now, but I’m not sure he’s interested in me.” she said and was pleased when he finally turned to her with a look of disbelief on his face
“What kind of dumbass wouldn’t be interested in you Sansa? You’re warm, giving, funny, and intelligent. You are beautiful on the inside and out.” he said grabbing her hand with his own and a flood of tingles raced up her arm at his touch.
“Well, he’s older than I am for one.” She squeezed his hand gently, hoping he would gleam something from her words.
“That might be a good thing, somebody older might be ready for something serious if that’s what you both want.” he said trying to be helpful. But she could tell he still wasn’t quite understanding what she was trying to imply in the conversation.
“He also just got out of a bad relationship.” she said and she felt his hand tense in hers as his eyes widened as he slowly absorbed the subtext of this conversation. She continued talking “So I’m not sure if he’s ready to start seeing anybody yet.”
He gulped and she could see color flood his face and he took a few moments to reply his eyes shifting to the picnic table as if suddenly it was the most interesting thing in the world. “Maybe he wanted to ask you out before that other woman came into his life, but didn’t think there was anyway you would ever come to see him as more than a friend.” he said hesitantly with an edge of raw emotion in his husky voice.
“I wasn’t looking to date anyone at the time but somehow this dynamic man began to slip through the cracks of my armor. I only became aware of my feelings as he developed his for another.”
“Sounds like bad timing.” Tyrion said sadly. “But I think that whatever he felt for his ex was only a fraction of the feelings this man has for you.”
“Has?” Sansa asked hopefully, staring deep into his emerald green eyes.
“Has, definitely has. I think you may have been the person he thought of when he stared at the ocean for hours on end in the last week, seeing your blue eyes in the waves.” He blushed and Sansa smiled brighter at his poetic words. She knew he was a romantic at heart, but then again so was she.
“Do you think it’s too late or maybe even too early to see where this relationship could he heading?” she asked gently and was rewarded with a broad smile.
However before he could reply, a loud noise emanated from the speaker of her phone indicating the ball had dropped at the Red Keep and that the clock had struck midnight. Sansa could hear loud pops around them as some fireworks exploded in the sky. Tyrion gave her a look full of warmth and pulled her hand to his chest.
“I think anytime would be the perfect time for us,” he said dropping the pretense “but is there anything better than the New Year for new beginning?” he asked. He stood, straightening himself and then addressed her seriously “Will you go out with me Friday night if you are free?”
The giddiness in her heart caused her to act bold as she finally raised her hand to comb her fingers softly through his beard as she cupped his cheek. “I would like that very much, but aren’t you forgetting something?” He looked perplexed and she rolled her eyes. “It’s midnight on New Year’s Eve Tyrion.” she said. Deciding she had waited long enough, she leaned forward and kissed him sweetly and briefly on the lips.
His eyes shining in surprise and happiness, he looked back up at her gathering her face in his hands. “Happy New Year’s Sansa.” He said in a sexy voice before he kissed her long and slow and deep making her lightheaded and breathless. He pulled away first, touching her forehead to his. “Gods I’ve been wanting to do that for so long.” She leaned forward to kiss him again when simultaneously both of their phones began chiming with messages. He checked his quickly with a frown. “Duty calls, the vehicular trauma in the OR is burning through blood units. Pod needs help.”
She nodded grabbing her stuff and running for the hospital “One of my patients just coded.”
He followed at a trot behind her with his short legs shouting after her. “7 o’clock Friday? How about dinner and ice skating?”
“Perfect!” she replied on the run.
“Sansa!” She turned to look at him at the door smiling. “Be sure to wear that hat.” he said with a twinkle in his eyes.
One year later……
Sansa held onto Tyrion’s hand, eyes squeezed shut, as he guided her to sit down at a table. It was New Year’s Eve once again and they had just had a fun evening with Jaime and Brienne sledding when he told her he had a surprise for her and that she needed to keep her eyes shut once he started the car.
She waited patiently at the table, while he left to get something, playing with the pink and white scarf with large puff balls on the end that had been a gift from Tyrion to match her hat. Tyrion reappeared a moment later and the smell coming from the plate right in front of her told her she was exactly where she thought they were. They were at their table, just as they had been a year ago when they first kissed. Laughing and cuddling they ate their tacos, reminiscing about the last year events. Sansa couldn’t believe she’d ever be this happy, to be head over heels in love with the most wonderful man in the world.
This time when the clock struck midnight, Tyrion wasted no time in kissing her although she thought it odd how he trembled in her arms but chalked it up to the cold. When he pulled away, he quickly scrambled from the table before dropping to one knee before her and pulling out a ring box.
“Little did I know this time last year, that the coming year would be the happiest year of my life and it’s all because of you. I love you Sansa Stark. Let’s please make this New Year another great beginning and say you’ll be my wife.”
“Yes, yes, yes!” she cried through her tears, dropping to her knees to wrap her arms around him, pulling him close to her. “I love you Tyrion Lannister and I can’t wait for what the New Year brings because I know you’ll be with me!”