Work Text:
I have made a terrible mistake
Dany came to this existential revelation as she was halfway out a window in the bathroom of one of a million guest rooms in a several century old Northern castle. She wasn't quite sure if her revelation was related to the fact that she was getting married to the wrong person and figured it was best to get out of it now-- so she'd bolt-- before she ruined not just her life but someone else's-- because she didn't love him-- or if this revelation was because she was currently stuck in the window wearing a wedding gown that greatly resembled a cloud poof.
And said gown was now snagging on the ancient window clasp that had likely not been opened since sometime in the first century. Or whatever.
She also had decided to make this great escape on the fifth floor. In the winter. With snow and ice on the eaves beneath her.
Dany closed her eyes, hanging from the window, her hair falling over her head to shield her face although if anyone was thinking of looking up it wasn't like it was going to shield her identity. How many silver-haired brides could you find at Winterfell these days? Especially the evening of the wedding between said silver-haired bride to the heir of the Stark family and fortune. She exhaled hard, blowing some of the hair up, and lifted her head, gazing down at the eaves.
She could make it. She was spry and all that.
Knock, knock
"Dany?"
The simultaneously shrill and raspy voice belonging to what was going to be her future mother-in-law startled her out of her predicament. She stifled a yelp and pushed hard on the sides of the window, thrusting herself out Winnie-the-Pooh style, her feet kicking up behind her. The force of the movement coupled with a gust of wintry wind had her dress blowing over her face and she kept her screams to herself as she slid down the sloping roof, bumping gently into another dormer beneath her.
She fumbled with the dress, shoving it down and glanced at her escape route. She pushed herself forward, scooting down again, dropping to a balcony on the third floor. Only two more left, she thought, rather proud of herself, and hoisted herself over the railing, shimmying sideways to a gigantic maple tree. "I can do this," she mumbled. She was already this far.
How could she go back now?
What was she going to do? Just wander in to the godswood and say "Whoops, sorry dear, I didn't finish my hair and makeup because I looked at myself in the mirror and didn't know who I was and realized on my wedding day that I wasn't in love with the man I was supposed to marry, and also your mother is insane and will hate me no matter what so might as well jsut get out now while I can?"
Yeah, she wasn't doing that.
At least Cat would be pleased. She’d be pissed and furious at the embarrassment, but she'd never approved of Dany for her eldest and most beloved son anyway. Now he could go marry that nice Margaery Tyrell who had been making eyes at him at every single event and who Dany was half tempted to ask if she wanted to marry Robb and just step in so there was a wedding.
But alas, she hadn’t.
Also Robb was just....he was like Prince Charming or something. This on its own would have almost all women clamoring to be with him.
Dany? She wasn’t sure. She didn’t think it felt right. It was just…off.
There was no spark, no "oompf." And it wasn't just because they hadn't had sex yet. Robb had thought it would be romantic, a reset so to speak, if they waited until their wedding night. It was a bit old-fashioned for her, but it sounded sweet and lovely, and she thought "Okay, sure." Now she realized that even if she had it wouldn't have mattered. He was just too....perfect.
Plus, Dany was fairly certain she might be in love with someone else.
This was the biggest problem she figured she'd be dealing with, if she went abotu actually marrynig Robb. To be honest, she truly should neve rhave let it get this far, but he was so sweet and kind, and she just kept suppressing all those other feelings, buryign them under layers of denial and "la la la la, I'm not listening" to her inner voice. Robb was safe, he was dependable....he was...
Boring.
Dany had had an unpredictable and sometimes downright terrifying life, so Robb was all she'd ever wanted. A safe, happy home, where she could have a safe, happy husband, and have safe, happy children. White picket fence and all that shit. Boring, boring, boring.
She hung on the side of the maple tree's wide trunk, her feet resting precariously on a thin branch, and her dress snagging all around her, creating a cobweb effect. Dany was a spider, stuck in this tree, and if she kept standing here, she was going to get caught out soon enough, either by Cat finally busting through the bathroom door and looking out, or some guest or whatever out for a cigarette break.
"You can do this," she mumbled to herself. How many times had she snuck out of foster homes? Countless. This was jsut one more home she was trying to escape. She took a deep breath and swung her feet off, reaching for another branch, shimmying a little further down.
And her shoe caught.
Dany had wanted to wear boots; they were getting married in the winter, in the North, outside. Yes, it was technically inside the glass gardens, surrounded by plants and things, but it seemed more appropriate. Noooo, her future mother-in-law wouldn't hear of it, Dany would be wearing high heels. Which were now causing a major problem.
"Fuck," she cursed, shaking her foot out of the damn thing. The red-bottomed sole white heel remained stuck in the branch and she was now one-shoed and hanging from the tree. She had probably three more stories left to go. She could do this.
Another few minutes later, she was able to probably just jump into the snow; except this time the other shoe stuck on the long train of her dress, and she went tumbling straight over; ass over teakettle, as they said, and landed in a giant thud in teh snow.
Tulle flew over her face again; her legs went out from under her, and she was sure now she was showing off her undergarments to the world if anyone decided to take a peek. She cursed in Valyrian, struggling to upright herself, gathering skirts and tearing what she could, and now she was barefoot.
In the snow.
In the winter.
At Winterfell.
And she had no true escape plan.
"At least I'm out," she mumbled, looking up at the open window where she'd fallen from. She took a deep breath and turned, scanning around where she'd ended up.
She was on the north side of the castle, near the stables. The godswood was over to the west, a bit too close for comfort. The kitchens were on the far south side which was good because it was less likely for her to be caught by some cater waiter. All the guests should be seated, but she couldn't risk it.
"Daenerys Targaryen!"
Oh shit.
Dany whipped her head up, in time to see a flame red flash in the window she'd pushed herself out of. "Fuck," she mumbled. It was either Cat or Sansa, both of whom were the worst people in the world and now the hunt was on. She really had to get the fuck out of here.
Keep calm, keep calm.
The cold was starting to get to her, her arms bare in the floaty dress which looked like she'd been painted in feathers. It was beautiful. It was expensive. It was designed by her future sister-in-law.
And she hated it.
It was also not conducive to a winter outdoor wedding or escaping from the roof of a castle. The neck tied around her in a halter style, with rows and rows of floating feathery tulle and lace, fanning out into a train that was longer in the back than the front and was designed to show off the crystal studded heels she’d be wearing and also the matching coat. The coat, of course, she’s left upstairs. Damnit.
The ground was frozen solid, what little not covered in fluffy white snow feeling like cement beneath her bare feet. She gathered her skirts, her skin still flushed and warm from the adrenaline of the escape, and she ignored the beginnings of numbness in her toes, hurrying towards the stables.
There had been a plan, since they'd be going to the other side of the castle for the reception in the great hall, to have the "newlywed car" be a gilded sleigh pulled by reindeer. Yes, fucking reindeer. No horses for the Starks, no, they had to go find bloody reindeer. Like she was Mrs. Claus running off for a getaway weekend with Santa. She would have preferred a dragon.
Unfortunately there were no dragons to be had, so Dany had to settle for a reindeer.
Along the stables the reindeer were already hooked up to the newlywed sleigh, along with several others that would shepherd guests back and forth. Like Christmas Ubers or something. She could not believe the shit that Robb's family wanted to pull for this wedding. It was seriously the event of the decade, but she was going to throw a massive wrench into that plan.
Dany was surprised she wasn't hearing whistles and dogs barking-- wolves in the case of the Starks-- being set off to hunt her down and drag her bodily back to the godswood to continue the wedding. "What are you doing?" she hissed to herself, her head buzzing.
Running away from a miserable future.
Gods, she had to get out of here. She was freezing, she had no shoes, and honestly she just had to ride this psychosis to the end and figure it out later.
Missandei, her maid of honor, would undoubtedly know what happened when no wedding occurred and she’d hightail it to her hotel at the B&B in Wintertown, so Dany might as well head there. She glanced sideways.
At the reindeer.
“Bingpot,” she muttered, sprinting to the sleigh. She clambered up and into the monstrosity, silver and bedecked with bells and ribbon. The reindeer hitched up to it turned its head to curiously peer in her direction. She lifted reins and called out. “Mush!”
Nothing happened.
Hmm. “Go!” she shouted. She tugged on the reins. She knew how to ride horses and grew up with them. Reindeer were just fluffy horses with antlers right? Nothing again. The reindeer turned its head back around and carried on eating from the container attached to the hitching post. Dany closed her eyes, dripping her head. “What are you doing?” she repeated, rhis time a whisper.
“Yes, what are you doing?”
The voice, raspy and deep behind her, came from beneath the flannel blankets piled in the seat behind her. Dany screamed, throwing the reins in the air, startled and that did it. The reindeer pulled his head from the food and immediately began to run, making for the open gate.
Damn a sleigh moved fast.
Wind caught at her skirts, pulling them back around her and she flailed, caught off guard and not secure in her seat.
Owner of said voice cursed, tossed a cigarette she hadn’t even smelled or noticed over the side into the snow and jumped over from the back into the seat beside her, a blur of black leather and denim. He snatched the reins and pulled on them, bringing the reindeer to a manageable trot, and brought the sleigh over to the side of the main drive out of the castle grounds.
And the man she was in love with— who was definitely not her fiance— whipped his head around, dark curls flying about his pale face and his gray eyes flashing.
“Daenerys Targaryen what the fuck are you doing?”
Dany didn’t even think— she hadn’t so far. so why start now?— blurting out: “I’m running away.”
Gods knew what he would think, perhaps he'd start yelling and then she'd be carted off to the godswood, forced through the whole thing. Or otherwise would just create a scene as she admitted to everyone in the North that she didn't love their favorite son. Or maybe he'd just wander off and leave her to her frozen devices. She held her breath, waiting, staring wide-eyed at his curious gray ones, which pierced straight into her soul.
There was a quiet beat while he thought. And then suddenly, he smiled, long and slow, white teeth flashing canine like against his dark beard. “Well. We best get going then.”
The breath she'd been holding escaped in a semi-sob, and she fell forwards to bury her face into her hands.
And Jon Snow turned away from her and snapped the reins, the reindeer running off and speeding the sleigh away from Winterfell.
–
They rode in silence for a period of time. Dany wasn't sure how long it was, just that she was finally starting to freeze to death as the adrenaline wore off. Her feet were tucked under her layers of tulle and she'd wrapped the plaid blanket from the back bench around her bare shoulders and back, trying not to shiver too much as her captor? Savior? Something, whatever, drove her off from the castle.
The only sounds came from the rhythmic "clop clop clop" of the reindeer hooves in the snow and the merry jingling bells attached to the harness and around the side of the sleigh. It was giving her a bit of a headache, but that could also be the insane pressure she now felt to figure out what she just did, and trying not to wonder what was happening back at the castle.
She swallowed her dry throat, sniffing slightly. Her nose was frozen and she screwed her eyes up to see if she could tell if it had fallen off. Nope, just super red. "Um," she finally said, sliding a glance sideways. "Where...where are we going?"
"You tell me."
"I don't know."
"You didn't think that far ahead after you jumped out of a window and went running to a reindeer sleigh you didn't even know how to use?"
"I did so know how! He just didn't listen to me."
Jon snorted, tugging slightly on the reins to slow the reindeer down to a light trot, the sleigh continuing to skate across the ice at a brisk pace, but slow enough so the wind wasn't pulling her hair back from her face and chilling her cheeks. He dropped them loosely over his knees, shooting her an amused look. "You left a ton of chaos back there. Care to share why?"
Because I'm in love with you.
It had been percolating for close to a year now, ever since she first met him. At first she thought he was a standoffish asshole. Which, he was, but then she started to see beneath that tough, snarky, and silent demeanor. He rarely showed up when she would be around Winterfell, he never stayed long when he visited Robb in King's Landing, and if she was at a dinner or drinks where he might pop in, he'd have half a glass of beer or a few sips of whiskey and be out the door.
It bothered her; she wanted Robb's family to like her, which she learned quickly would only ever be his sister Arya and his two youngest brothers. His sister Sansa wouldn't like her even if she could cure cancer or give her eternal youth or something. Same with Cat, Robb's mother. No one would be good enough for her precious little boy. It was disgusting how much she fawned over him. Should have been a major red flag early in the relationship, but Dany was a bit blinded by the fact that Robb even liked her.
Gods, she needed to talk to her therapist. Davos had decided to leave on vacation to some safari in Essos, she was going to blow up his voicemail the moment he returned.
Although he had already prodded her a litle on why she was still with Robb even though she was having doubts closer to the wedding. It was just jitters. It was her past exprience coming back to haunt her. The longstanding emotional trauma she'd had seeing her parents' marriage disintegrate and then her failed first attempt with Drogo go down the drain.
Except....except…
Except when Jon was around, she found herself wanting to be nearer to him. To listen to him speak. To watch him interact with others. To just...be...there.
Gods, she was pathetic.
It wasn't until last night that something clicked.
At least, she thought it clicked, now she wasn't so sure, even if she was fairly certain she was in love with him. She definitely felt more for him than she did his brother, which was not something you should feel before you married the said brother.
"What a clusterfuck," she blurted, not realizing that she was speaking her internal monologue.
He glanced at her again. "Say that again."
She frowned. "Wait."
"What?"
She turned her head quickly, shifting on the bench, her shivering slowing as she began to feel that peculiar warmth in her belly, beginning to spread out to her limbs. It was that feeling that always was there, under the surface, when she was near him. The feeling she felt with him that she'd never ever felt with Robb. She always chalked it up to how he probably made everyone feel nervous. It was his whole "Prince of Darkness" thing he had since he wore all black, never spoke, and had a permanent scowl on his fine features.
Except lately, she had begun to wonder if he felt the same too.
She looked around, shifting on the bench, recognizing the mountains and trees around them. A gravel driveway appeared through the thinning trees, and she gasped. "You're taking me to your house!"
"Only place around here to hide you."
Not really. He could have taken her to the hotel. The train station. Turned around and dropped her straight in the godswood to deal with the fallout of her decision. Instead, he brought her straight to his house, hidden in the Wolfswood, close to a set of waterfalls and glen that he'd shown her on one of her first visits to the castle.
A set of waterfalls and glen that she'd learned he never took anyone, since it was his favorite place in the North. Again, she ignored the feelings, once again her brain telling her that it had nothing to do with her and everything to do with trying to get her to like him or something, since he was Robb's brother.
But Jon Snow didn't care if anyone liked him.
It was part of that weird cold charm of his.
Jon said nothing further, bringing the sleigh to a smooth stop in front of his house. It was by no means remotely close to Winterfell in size, but of the same old stone and with a couple additions of timber. It was a former hunting cabin or cottage or something, if she remembered whatever Robb had been telling her, set in the wood in the event the masters of the home didn't want to trek back to the castle.
"Now it's hermit Jon's," he'd sniggered, in what everyone had laughed at good naturedly, but Dany had sensed with a tone of nastiness. Robb often belitted Jon under the guise of friendly brotherly love. For some reason Jon just smiled vaguely and ignored it. It always bothered Dany.
She stumbled headfirst out of the sleigh, her feet numb from cold and her skin a dull pink from the wind. All that adrenaline had worn off and she was shaking. "Jon," she chattered. "Cold."
Jon gathered her up in the tartan blanket that had been on the bench, wrapping it around her and hoisting her legs over his arm, carrying her to the house's front door, which had a pretty pine wreath on it. Odd, she never figured him for decorating.
It took her a second to realize the symbolism of what was happening, when he stepped over the threshold.
She was in a wedding dress. He had wrapped her in a blanket that she now remembered was embroidered with 'Just Married' on it. And he was carrying her over the threshold groom-bride style.
"Eek," she screeched, startled at the realization. It hit him at the same time and he dropped her to her feet rather uncerimoniously, jumping back like she'd burned him. She rubbed her hip, glaring at him and straightening up. "Thanks a lot, that hurt!"
He grunted, shutting the door after Ghost wandered in, bringing a last gust of cold air with him. When the door latched, a rush of heat hit Dany, bathing her in a fuzzy glow. She closed her eyes, sighing, and almost fell back in a puddle. It felt so good. She turned around, arms crossed, rubbing at her upper arms briskly to get some feeling back into it, and spotted the fireplace that Jon had gone to tend. "Ah!"
Jon crouched, stoking a flame back to life, and tossing a few logs back onto the few flames. "So," he finally said, glancing sideways. He smirked. "You ran off."
She bit her bottom lip. No snarky response this time. It had truly dawned on her; she'd run off. "Yeah," she whispered, falling onto the couch, her hands cradled in her lap. She exhaled, releasing the tension in her shoulders, her eyes closing as she slumped backwards, every remaining speck of energy in her body escaping with her breath.
All it left was a blank space in her head, where all the thoughts and feelings and implications of what she'd done resided. She truly did not know what to do right now. What to say. She kept her eyes closed, only hearing the sounds of the warped wooden floors creaking, the hiss and spit of flames in the hearth, and the occasional "click click" of Ghost's nails. For all she knew, she might have fallen asleep.
Until she startled, eyes springing open, the sensation of warm cotton covering her feet. She gaped down, watching Jon tug on a pair of men's socks over her ankles, bringing them up to her calves. He said nothing, straightening up and gesturing for her to raise her arms. She swallowed hard, doing as he bid, and he tugged a worn hoodie, more gray than black, over her head. She glanced down, spotting 'Westeros Army' on the breast, with stenciled 'SNOW' beneath the insignia.
He gave her his hoodie to keep her warm.
"Robb never let me wear his clothes," she mumbled, half to herself, half to whoever would listen. In this case, Ghost, who was now sitting silently in front of her, his red eyes almost smiling, crinkling in the corners. She reached a hand out, ruffling his pointy ears. "You're such a good boy."
"He's the best boy," Jon said, coming around the side of the couch. He pushed a hot mug into her hands.
She sighed, staring at the tea he'd given her-- he knew she didn't drink coffee. "I really don't know if this will help, but thank you."
Jon stuck out his other hand, this one holding a bottle of amber liquid. Her eyebrows perked up and she held up the mug, into which he poured a couple fingers of whiskey. She drew the mug up to her lips and sipped, eyes closing as the alcohol instantly warmed her. "Thanks," she mumbled.
He eventually sat down on the coffee table in front of her, his arms draped over his knees. He stared for a moment, as silent as his wolf, only his eyes-- gray, not red-- weren't smiling. "Daenerys," he breathed, her name dragged out and rumbling.
"I don't want to talk about it," she protested.
"Too bad, you need to say something."
She exhaled hard, frustrated. Of course he was right, she did have to say something beyond that she had just run out on her fucking wedding. She glanced at him, her eyes hooded from fatigue and cold. "Did you talk to anyone yet?" she breathed, her heart stilling in anticipation.
His lips twitched; it was his one tell when he was about to lie, something he could not do well. "No."
"Liar."
"Fine."
She cocked her head. "Well?"
He puffed a breath. "My phone blew up with messages and calls from just about everyone. Ranging from....I can't believe she did it to where the fuck is she to I'm going to kill her. You can judge who said what."
Arya was probably the one who couldn't believe it, Robb wanted to know where she was, and Cat or Sansa or both were going to kill her. It wasn't hard to figure out. "I have to talk to Robb," she began, about to heave herself to her feet, but to her surprise, a hand stilled on her shoulder, nudging her back onto the couch. She sank back into the cushions, curiously peering at him. "What?"
Jon hesitated, his brow wrinkling. "I just...not yet. You need a few."
"I ran out on my wedding."
"Yes."
"You took me to your house."
"I did."
"In a fucking sleigh!"
"Well you got into it."
"But you were already in it!'
He frowned deeper. "I was."
Wait a second.
She cocked her head, puzzle pieces beginning to slide together in her mind. "You were in the sleigh. Not in the godswood. You're the best man...were the best man...you..."
Jon tucked his bottom lip underneath his top teeth, worrying it. The steely aloofness had disappeared. He now looked as confused and exhausted as she did. "I..." he began. He paused. Huffed. Worried his bottom lip again. Huffed again. They had all day, she thought, watching him coming up with the words. His eyes darkened and he dropped his head, releasing an exahusted sigh. "I couldn't."
It was on a breath, hardly audible. She set the mug on the table beside her, leaning forwards, one of the blankets he'd dropped over her falling off her lap into a puddle on the floor. She sat on her hands, so as not to reach for him, to grab his shoulders and shake him and scream at the top of her lungs, because that's all she wanted to do right now.
He couldn't!?
"Couldn't what?" she gasped. Tears flooded her vision; she knew. She knew it was the same reason why she'd ended up in that sleigh. She locked her eyes on his, trying to see beyond the shutters there. She lifted her brows and whispered a soft plea, "Jon."
He reacted before she knew what was happening.
A blur of black, he lurched forwards, capturing her cold flushed cheeks between his warm rough palms, and crashed his lips onto hers, in a frenzied, desperate kiss. It sent shocks straight through her spine to her toes, startling her briefly before she realized what was happening, her heart surging up into her throat in relief. He feels the same, she thought deliriously. She sobbed, ripping her hands out from under her to tear into his hair, as needy as him, pouring everything she had within her-- it wasn't much at this point, but she had to-- into the kiss.
It seemed to last for eternity; gods knew she didn't want it to stop. This was the most alive she had felt in her life, certainly more than she'd ever felt with any other man-- even the one meant to be her husband.
He was the first to tear away, but he kept his hands tangled in her knotted mass of curls, his forehead touching hers. They both heaved for breath, noses brushing, and her eyelids fluttered open to meet his gaze, one hand cupping the back of his neck and the other now curled around the front of his flannel shirt, feeling his heart hammer into her palm.
"Dany," he breathed.
He never called her that. It was always her full name. It was too personal. She smiled shakily, whispering back, "Jon."
He pressed a few more kisses to her lips, aimless, and she fell backwards, tugging him with her, smothered by his warmth. After a moment, she stilled. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes and eventually dropped onto his cheeks. "We'll figure it out," he said softly, still cupping her cheek.
She hiccuped, the sobs coming, the ones she'd kept contained not just through this morning and afternoon but for almost the past year, since she met him. "I didn't know," she repeated, over and over.
Didn't know she loved him. Didn't know he felt the same. Didn't know that it had to be now, of all times, and why now, too? Why couldn't the realization have come before?
He gathered her close, breathing into her hair, smoothing his palms over her back. "We'll figure it out," he kept repeating.
She squeezed her eyes shut, burrowing into him, and let her mind go blank, at least for the time being, satisfied in knowing that at least it all hadn't been for nothing. At one point though, she wasn't sure how long it had been since she'd breathed let alone said anything, she began to laugh.
Laugh at the absurdity of the entire situation.
"I ran out on my wedding. And jumped into a sleigh. With a reindeer."
Jon cocked his head, watching her peculiarly. He probably thought she'd gone off her rocker. "Aye," he drawled.
She continued to laugh, pulling away and covering her face with her hands, maniacal. "I thought you hated me!" she sputtered, still laughing. She was now in an absolute fit. She jumped to her feet, pushing hard on his shoulders, knocking him back slightly, but she still laughed. "You never called me by my name!"
"Yes I did!"
"You said 'Daenerys', never 'Dany'!”
He rolled his eyes. "It was still your name!"
"You never said a bloody word!"
"Because you were with Robb!" he shouted.
When he got angry, his Northern accent grew thicker, sometimes unable to understand, the flat vowels almost nonexistent. Somehow “Rooooobb” had just become “Raaaaaaahhhhb.” At least anger was something, she thought, beyond the last year of indifference and coolness.
She exhaled hard, pinning her hands to her hips. “I was with Robb because I thought it was right. He was…kind.”
Jon smirked. “If that’s the most emotion you have for him, I guess that explains running off.”
“Maybe I wouldn’t have if I’d make and realized all this sooner.” She glared at him, until she couldn’t, her shoulders falling. She was so tired. “Jon…why? Why didn’t you say?”
He walked towards her and cupped her face in his hands, thumbs skimming atop her cheekbones. He was frowning, pained. “Because,” he whispered, sad. “Because it wouldn’t be the first time Robb had something to him that I wanted more than anything but could never have. Why would this have been different?”
It broke her heart. They had a strange relationship, cousins raised as brothers but pitted against each other by Catelyn, Jon always knowing he was second best. But they were best friends at the same time.
She reached up, covering his hands with hers, and closed her eyes tight, tears squeezing out to track down her cheeks. She knew what they had to do. It was going to hurt, but no one in this situation would ever have come out unscathed.
“Jon,” she whispered.
“Don’t.” He knew what she was going to say. Except he moved closer. It was the only way.
She dropped her hands and he wrapped her up close, their faces buried into each other’s necks. “I love you,” she whispered, not sure if he heard her.
If he did, he didn’t say anything. She didn’t expect him to say anything. She pulled back, wiping at her eyes and heaved a deep breath, smiling shakily. “Well, I have some calls to make.”
Jon handed her his phone, smirking. “I know Missy is your first but Arya wants to help too.”
She took the phone, glancing at the ALL CAPS texts from his youngest sister and rolled her eyes.
At least someone was enjoying this.
Turning to go to the room she presumed was his office, Ghost on her heels, Jon called out, “Dany.”
She paused, glancing over her shoulder. “Yes?”
“Take all the time. I’ll be here.”
And that’s all she needed to know.
One Year Later
"Do you think this is the right thing to do?"
"It's fine, Dany."
Dany knew that Jon thought it was fine, but he was as nervous as she was too. She felt like a war bride or something, rending her garments in anticipation. Except it wasn't so much a war bride seeing her returning husband from years go by. It was someone who was seeing her jilted fiance for about the fifth time in a year. Each time her stomach flipped, nervous and hoping that it would get easier, but it never really did.
Despite the fact that Robb had moved on, rather quickly actually, to Margaery Tyrell. It worked in everyone's favor. Catelyn was furious, angrier than even Robb had been-- he'd just been sad and a bit disappointed overall-- until he came home and said he was dating Margarey. All that anger disappeared and Cat began planning their wedding, which if word coming from Arya was true, would be soon since he was ready to pop the question.
It was more the awkwardness of the Jon-Robb thing. She had confessed to Robb, that day she'd not shown up and had shimmied out the window, that she was in love with someone else. He'd asked her, point blank, if there was someone.
"Not really," she'd admitted, sitting across from him on a sofa in what had been the bridal readying room. She was in jeans and a sweatshirt, the ruined dress stuffed in a box somewhere. She'd closed her eyes, sighing hard. "Not anyone...I wasn't cheating on you, Robb."
"Oh I know that, but..." he'd trailed off, and then lifted his face, his blue eyes bright and clear. He'd smiled sadly. "It's Jon, isn't it?" The silence was all he'd needed and he'd smiled a little wider, chuckling. "Well, this is the first time I've lost to him, I guess."
And that was kind of all the confirmation she'd needed that Robb was never the one for her. If he saw it as a competition with his cousin/brother.
She was still nervous.
This was it though. The first time she would be seeing Robb not as just his former fiancee, but as Jon's girlfriend.
It had taken a few months before both were comfortable to start seeing each other as more than friends. About another couple months before they were spending the night at each other's houses. A month later they were moving in together; he was staying at her townhouse in Wintertown and then they'd visit the house in the Wolfswood on the weekends, until finally she just moved into the Wolfswood house.
And if Jon's constant fluttering was any indication, Dany had a sneaky feeling he was hiding something in his pocket.
They were going to the holiday dinner at the castle that evening, but before, Jon wanted to take a sleigh ride, "for old time's sake."
"Are you going to hook Ghost up to the harness?" she joked, still fidgeting aimlessly with her gloves, while he snapped on Ghost's GPS tracker in case the wolf decided to run off for some evening fun.
He snorted. "No, it's the only time he won't listen is when I try to make him a sled dog."
Ghost panted, his feet dancing a clicking tune on the hardwood, eager to get into the snow. She smiled, ruffling his ears. "Good boy." She made a move towards the door, but Jon shot his arm out and grabbed her wrist.
"Wait."
Dany frowned, spotting one of her old plaid scarves in his hands. "What's that? I already have one." She tugged on the white cashmere she had wrapped around her neck, tucked into her camel coat.
He shook his head, gesturing for her to turn around. When she did, she gasped softly as he dropped the scarf over her eyes. "It's a surprise."
"It's a sleigh, Jon."
"Still."
She sighed, exasperated. "Well I can't see!"
"I'll guide you."
"If I trip and fall on my ass...."
"I'll laugh and take your picture, then help you up."
"Fair enough," she grumbled, since she knew he'd do the same to her. She held her hand out, which he took, and opened the front door, freezing air blasting her in the face. She hissed; she never would get used to these winters. With some care, she toddled wherever he was taking her, the sleigh, she imagined, her feet crunching on the snowpack.
They stopped and he took a deep breath behind her, taking off the scarf. She blinked a few times, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. Except it wasn't quite that dark. She gasped, her hands covering her mouth, grinning behind them, staring down the path out of the wolfswood. "Oh Jon," she breathed.
He'd lined it with old fashioned lamps, linked together with strings of twinkle lights. The sleigh was also bedecked in lights, with Rudolph the reindeer harnessed to the front. She bit her bottom lip, remembering the last time they had been in a sleigh at Winterfell. Now it was a bit different, riding one towards the castle instead of away. She exhaled slowly, reaching for Jon's hand. "It's beautiful," she whispered.
"Come on," he said quietly, tugging her towards the sleigh. He helped her up into it and reached for a red plaid blanket, draping it over their knees. Ghost took off down the path, absolutely not interested in anything other than the flurries that had begun to fall.
The bells attached to the sleigh were slightly muffled by the "clomp clomp" of Rudolph's hooves, trotting down the path. She leaned against Jon, stilling her heart from its frantic, nervous beating. It would be okay, she told herself, over and over again. Things were different this time.
He had the reins looped loosely around his wrists, the reindeer familiar with the path. "Dany," he said quietly, breaking the stillness.
"Mmm?"
"I have something I wanted to give you...before everything tonight."
She lifted her face up, curious. They decided against presents for each other, still getting used to their new normal as a couple and saving up for a big trip to Essos to see some of her old stomping grounds out there. Her stomach did a couple little flips, thinking back to his fluttering earlier and the wonderings she’d been having about a certain question.
“Jon,” she warned, sitting up a little straighter.
He brought the sleigh around off the path towards the clearing with the waterfalls. There was a circle of lights here too. He took a deep breath and reached into his coat pocket. She drew a sharp breath herself, spotting the small box clenched in his hand.
He opened his hand slowly, his eyes locked on hers. She tore her gaze away long enough to watch him flick the box open with his thumb, revealing a gleaming ruby stone set on a silver band, the setting twisted like thorns around the ruby. Or flames, she thought, viewing it closer. “Jon,” she whispered, biting her bottom lip. She lifted her eyes to his. It was too soon…it was…
He took the ring out and held it up, where it caught the lights from the sleigh, casting a warm glow on his hand. “It’s not an engagement ring. Well…not yet. I…I know how fast things moved for you…before.” He took a deep breath, shakily releasing it. “And I just…I wanted you to have something…a year out from everything…a promise.”
Godsdamnit, he was too sweet for his own good sometimes. Her grumpy, grouchy, old-man Jon was acting like a shy schoolboy about to ask his date to the prom and offer her class ring. At least, that’s what it seemed like in her romantic comedy brain. She reached for his hand, stilling it, and smiled gently. “Jon,” she breathed. She cupped her hand around the back of his neck, warm underneath his scarf. Her forehead touched his and she sighed, shakily herself. “You don’t need to promise anything to me. I know.”
“I know, but I wanted…”
She giggled again. “I know.” It was understood between them. Nothing had to be said. She pressed a kiss to the corner of his lips, nose brushing his, their breath mingling in the cold. “It’s gorgeous.”
“We can put it on your right hand if that makes things less…awkward.”
“Sounds good to me.”
He pulled off her mitten, and the shock of cold air didn’t stop the gasp in her throat when he slipped the ruby onto her hand. It fit perfectly. “It belonged to my mother,” he murmured. “And I didn’t even have to get it fit to you. Perfect.”
It was that, she thought, nodding, and blinking tears. If anything so they wouldn’t freeze on her face. She grinned. “We don’t do things the normal way, do we?”
He chuffed softly. “What? Average couples don’t get together after the girl runs out on her wedding to the guy’s cousin?” He said it teasingly, but she was just as nervous as him.
They had to do this, like a bandaid, just rip it off. All was well. They were together, his aunt and cousin would be thrilled she still wasn’t marrying Robb, and Arya would probably throw a party.
She snuggled into him, closing her eyes and hugging his arm with hers. “Come on Jon, let’s go.”
He clicked his tongue and off they went, the sleigh speeding down the path towards the castle, Ghost loping after them, and the reindeer bells echoing in the night.
fin.