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When Tormund finished his rounds around the “Wilding” side of the camp, he made his way back to Jon’s tent to watch Sansa leave in a hurry.
“Everything alright?” Tormund asked gently, closing the tent behind him.
“Just difference of opinion is all.” He answered, telling Tormund about his and Sansa’s conversation walking closer as he did so.
The older man, stood still as Jon rested his head against his chest. “We could die tomorrow, I…I don’t want to be alone tonight.” the request came as a whisper. They’ve been together a few times before Jon’s resurrection, a few messy interactions that left both wanting more and since Jon’s return have been of a less sexual nature. Not that Tormund was complaining. He was fine lying in bed talking until Jon fell asleep, reassured that he was still alive when they woke up the next morning.
In the quiet hours before the dawn, Tormund woke first with Jon’s curls tickling his noise. He laid there, his hand slowly caresses Jon’s back humming an old lullaby his mother sang to him. When the song finished, Jon was still asleep curling in tighter around Tormund.
“I shouldn’t be in love with you.” Tormund confessed, “You’re a crow, a lord crow at that, but you care deeply for your people, you family and us free folk. Maybe because of Ygritte maybe not but I love you Jon Snow and I swear as long as I breathe i won’t let anything happen to you or your sister. I go where you go, your enemies are my enemies, your family is my family.”
Ten minutes later Jon was up and they prepared for the battle. Hours later they stood on one side of a clearing Bolton and his man stood on the other. Minutes later Ramsay led Rickon past the forward lines close enough for them make out the figures and then let him go. Rickon came running forward and Jon moved to get back on his horse only Tormund stopped him.
The older man threw himself on top of Jon pinning him to the ground, he heard the northern lords yell around him but Sir Davos calmed them down. Jon tries to struggle anything to get Tormund off of him, screaming his voice raw to let him go. The willings’s breathe in his ear ‘it’s a trick, torment tells him, the gesture was normally an arousing one now it brings him to tears. “I have to try he’s my brother.”
Tormund holds him tighter, “I lost too many people Jon Snow, I won’t lose you too.”
Soon enough Jon stops fighting, but Tormund doesn’t let him up he shifts his weight so he’s not crushing his crow. Tormund looks up to see the arrows flying at Rickon the boy trying to keep his speed. He forces his eyes down on Jon, trying anything to comfort him but he feels Jon’s body turn rigid under him.
“Get off of me.” Jon commands, his voice breaks but he manages to put enough force behind it for Tormund to comply.
Once Tormund is off of him, Jon sits up he doesn’t run to his horse to save his brother he just sits there and watches as Rickon got closer, Ramsay had stopped shooting arrows infuriated that Jon didn’t take the bait and was allowing him to get farther from his range till he lets out one last arrow. Jon doesn’t look away as the arrow sinks into Rickon and the boy falls to the ground. At that Jon holds back a scream but allows the tears to fall again and he’s not the only one.
Davos sends a few men to retrieve Rickon’s body. Tormund pulled Jon against him, the young lord fought against it, he stood up addressed his soldiers and the battle began. Jon leading them from the front lines and Ramsay safely far way, tormund tried to stay as close as he could, they covered each other as well as they could and when they were separated Tormund fought to return to Jon’s side.
The battle was hard fought but they won, Ramsay was in the dungeon and Tormund sat in an empty room seeing to his injuries.
“You’re a hard man to find.” Jon said sheepishly, and he gingerly walked into the room, holding a bowl, cloth and bandage.
“Not really.” Tormund replied, “that for me?”
“Yes.” Jon answered, setting the bowl on the table, he looked at the cut that ran across Tormund’s arm. “I’ll need to clean it out, before i can stitch it.”
And Jon does, he spends hours carefully and meticulously cleans and sows Tormunds cut. “Undress.”
“Jon.”
“I need to know if you’re all right. Please.” Jon begged, with a sigh Tormund finished shedding the last of his layers. Once Jon was satisfied, he turned to leave only stopping when Tormund grabbed his hand.
“What about you?”
“I’m fine.” Jon replied steadily, ripping his hand from Tormund’s grasp, “I know you saved my life, but he was my brother. I want to forgive you, I need to forgive you but I can’t not right now.”
“I understand.” Tormund replied, turning back to Jon so he could get dress.