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There's no doubt in Sansa's mind that Margaery's the most beautiful girl she's ever seen. When she glides into Sansa's apartment on move-in day (because gliding is really the only way to describe it, the graceful way that Margaery moves) and sets down the paperwork on her living room table, Sansa can't stop staring at her.
"I'm Margaery Tyrell, your Resident Advisor here in the Keep. I'm in room 217, so just bring these forms by when you're done unpacking and sign up for a fire and safety inspection time. I'll have snacks!" She beams at Sansa before gliding back out into the hallway and Sansa has to lean against the wall until her heart stops beating so fast.
Sansa finally makes her way to Margaery's room that evening.
"Sansa Stark, right? I was wondering when you were going to drop by," Margaery says with a smile as she invites Sansa in. Sansa blushes furiously and she's not sure whether it's from the fact that Margaery remembered her name or that Margaery was waiting for her.
"It... it took me a while to get unpacked," Sansa replies. She glances down at the kitchen counter. "Are those lemon cakes?" she asks excitedly.
Margaery nods. "I just found the recipe yesterday, I hope they're good."
"They're my favorite," Sansa says before taking a bite. She chews then flashes Margaery a thumbs up. "Delicious."
A grin spreads across Margaery's face and Sansa finds herself blushing again, because Margaery's even more beautiful when she smiles.
"Just so you know, Sansa, I try to keep an open door policy. I don't expect the residents to, but I like to make myself available. So, if you ever need to talk or anything, feel free to stop by. I tell everyone this, but wanted to reach out to you especially since we both have single rooms." She rests her hand on Sansa's shoulder. "If you like, we could be as close as sisters."
Sansa smiles. A graceful, beautiful older sister is what she's always wanted, and Margaery fits the bill perfectly. "I'd like that."
When Joffrey breaks up with her two weeks into the semester, Margaery's room is the first place she goes.
"It's not that I'm upset that he broke up with me, because he was a complete ass," Sansa says, curled up on the floor with one of Margaery's fluffy green pillows. "I guess I had just sort of accepted my future with him and now that I don't have that anymore, it's a little weird."
Margaery slips down onto the floor next to Sansa, brushing her fingers through Sansa's long auburn hair. "You're a beautiful girl, Sansa, inside and out. You shouldn't have to settle for anyone who isn't worthy of you."
Sansa reaches out and squeezes Margaery's other hand. "Thanks. We were together so long, though. It's going to be difficult to adjust to being single, I guess."
Margaery smiles and continues to play with Sansa's hair. "If you like, you could come home with me next weekend for fall break. I know Winterfell is a ways away, but Highgarden is much closer and it's lovely during the fall. Not as lovely as in the spring when all the roses are in bloom, but lovely just the same. My brother Willas will be there too, and who knows, maybe the two of you will hit it off."
"If he's half as gorgeous as you are, I think I'll like him," Sansa muses aloud, then blushes when she realizes what she just said.
Margaery just smiles more before pressing a quick kiss to Sansa's cheek. "You're so sweet, Sansa."
Highgarden is just as beautiful as Margaery described it. The leaves on all the trees have turned and the air is just crisp enough for fall.
"Winterfell looks nothing like this," Sansa comments as they drive through the town. "It's all cold and stony. Here it almost seems like the town is alive."
"It's why I love it here so much," Margaery replies. She reaches across to the passenger's seat and squeezes Sansa's hand. "I'm glad you came with me. It would have been awful thinking about you being trapped in Kings Landing all break."
Sansa's heart does a little flip at the idea of Margaery thinking about her. "I love it already."
When Sansa is setting her bags down in Margaery's room, her eyes fix on a framed picture on the dresser. Margaery is wearing a gorgeous low-cut dress and although the boy next to her is ridiculously handsome, Sansa can't take her eyes off Margaery.
Margaery notices Sansa looking at it and laughs. "God, prom. What a nightmare. I went with my younger brother Loras' friend Renly. I thought he was interested in me, as much time as he spent here, but it turned out it was Loras he was interested in." She rolls her eyes. "Whatever."
I would have chosen you, Sansa thought. She's about to comment on Margaery's dress, but a knock on the door stops her.
A tall, gorgeous boy with curly brown hair steps into the room. "Dinner's almost ready, are you two coming?" It had to be one of Margaery's brothers, the two could almost have been twins with their brown eyes and brown hair, and Sansa found herself unable to take her eyes off him.
"Yes, Loras, we're coming," Margaery replies. "Did you get Willas?"
"That's where I'm going next." Loras turns to Sansa and smiles. "You must be Sansa, Margaery's told me so much about you."
Sansa blushes and smiles back. "Thank you... I mean, it's very nice to meet you."
"Same. Hurry up though, Margaery, Grandmother's here and you know she doesn't like to wait."
Margaery rolls her eyes again. "Fine, we'll be down in a minute." Loras leaves and Margaery turns to Sansa. "Okay, two things I probably should have mentioned to you before. First, my brother Willas is lovely and the nicest guy you'll ever meet and also he's paralyzed from the waist down and in a wheelchair."
"Oh," Sansa says, not really sure how to react. "I'm sure he's very nice still."
"He is, and that's why I think the two of you will hit it off, I just... I didn't want you to be startled. Especially because of the second thing I should have mentioned, which is that my grandmother is here and she can be a nightmare. Especially with new people. Renly met her once and now he always asks to make sure she isn't here before he comes over." Margaery smiles weakly at Sansa. "I mean, I'm sure she'll love you, because you're amazing, I just... she can be very judgmental, so try not to let that get to you."
Sansa takes a deep breath, trying to process all of this information at once. "Okay." She smoothes out her skirt. "And I look fine?"
Margaery nods. "Beautiful." She offers her hand to Sansa. "Ready to go?"
Sansa nods and slips her fingers through Margaery's. "Ready."
Dinner went far less than perfectly, and Sansa is still upset about it later that night.
"Seriously, Sansa, you have to forget it. She's old, she doesn't know what she's talking about most of the time." Margaery sits down on the bed next to Sansa and slips an arm around her shoulders. "Everyone else loved you."
"Not Willas," Sansa pouts, remembering how the oldest Tyrell boy had barely looked at her.
Margaery shrugs her shoulders. "He can be difficult some days, I'll admit that. But if he doesn't like you, he's a complete idiot." She runs her fingers through Sansa's hair, brushing a lock that had fallen against Sansa's cheek back behind her ear, and Sansa lets out a soft gasp at Margaery's touch. "You know how I wanted us to be like sisters?" Margaery asks, her voice almost a whisper. Sansa nods, unable to speak as Margaery's soft hand cups her cheek. "I don't think I want that anymore."
Margaery leans in and kisses her gently on the lips, and Sansa thinks she might melt on the spot. Margaery just looks at her, trying to figure out Sansa's reaction. "Sorry, I just-"
"No," Sansa says. "I... I liked it." She's blushing so much she feels feverish, but Sansa pulls herself together enough to kiss Margaery back. Her lips are soft against Sansa's and she tastes like the lemon cakes they'd had for dessert and it's honestly the most wonderful thing in the world.
Margaery drives the two of them down to the botanical gardens the next morning. "Some of the flowers aren't in bloom anymore," she explains as they pull into the parking lot. "But it's still my favorite place to go in all of Highgarden."
"So is this a date?" Sansa teases.
Margaery's eyes sparkle. "Maybe."
The gardens are mostly empty of visitors, with light music playing from speakers hidden in the bushes, and Margaery grins as she takes Sansa's hand. "We should dance," she says, and Sansa just smiles as Margaery wraps her other hand around Sansa's waist. One of the things they had bonded over those first few days in King's Landing were the ballroom dancing classes they'd had to take when they were younger, and both of them still remembered the steps as they waltzed around the rows of flowers.
"It really is beautiful," Sansa comments when they're done.
Margaery squeezes her hand then drags her down the path. "I haven't even shown you the best part yet, come on!"
Margaery leads her to a small enclosed dome. When she opens the door, they're surrounded by roses of all different colors and thousands of butterflies fluttering all around them. "It's... it's perfect," Sansa says, trying to take it all in at once.
"They keep the temperature controlled for the butterflies," Margaery explains. "My senior project in high school was getting them to put all the roses in here. They're my favorites, and if it was already going to be warm, why not?"
They sit down on a bench in the middle of the dome and Sansa laughs when the butterflies keep landing on Margaery's hair. "They just can't keep away from me," Margaery says.
"I don't blame them," Sansa says, daring to lean in and press her lips to Margaery's. She can feel Margaery smile against her lips before kissing Sansa back.
Sansa gasps when Margaery pushes her onto the bed that night after dinner and crawls on top of her. "I... have you done this before?"
Margaery nods and places a kiss on the soft skin behind Sansa's ear. "Does that bother you?"
"No," Sansa says, drawing in a sharp breath as Margaery's hand reaches down to cup her breast. "I just... I don't know what I'm doing. Even with Joffrey, we never..." She trails off, a little embarrassed by her own innocence.
Margaery brings her hand up to caress Sansa's cheek. "I can teach you," she says softly. "And we don't have to do anything you don't want. What do you want, Sansa?"
Sansa blushes, the heat between her legs spreading throughout her entire body. "I want you," she admits.
Margaery smiles. "I want you, too, Sansa."
Sansa whines when they start loading up Margaery's car on Sunday morning. "I don't want to go back to King's Landing."
Margaery smiles as she shuts the trunk. "I know, I really needed this break, too. And I'm so glad we were able to spend it together." Her eyes sparkle as she looks at Sansa.
Sansa blushes, remembering how Margaery's fingers had slid deftly between her legs. "Me too," she says quietly.
Margaery's smile widens. "You know, what we did... that's really only the beginning."
Sansa's eyes grow wide. "Really?"
"Really. If you thought that was amazing, you just wait. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve I'd rather not pull out when my parents are just down the hall, but once we're back..."
She trails off, arching an eyebrow suggestively before climbing into the driver's seat. Sansa grins as she climbs quickly into the passenger seat, far more eager to get back to King's Landing than she ever thought she would be.