Chapter Text
“Oy wench!”
Brienne almost dropped her grocery bags. There was only one person in the world who’d call her that.
She slowly turned around and there he was. Jaime Lannister. His golden hair was shining in the summer sun and a big grin adorned his face as he walked towards her.
Her mouth dropped open as she stared at him in total disbelief. “What …? Why …? How …?” she stammered, unable to form even the easiest sentence.
Jaime’s grin grew even wider. “How is it I’m here?” he helped her out. “Well I didn’t know where to spend my holidays, and since I heard only good things about Tarth with its mountains and lakes and meadows I thought I’d give it a try. I never would’ve expected to meet you here with Sansa and Margaery being off to Dorne.”
The way he said the last sentence made it all too clear he was perfectly aware that Brienne wouldn’t accompany her two friends for their party holidays in Dorne. Even if he didn’t know her at all, it was way too obvious with her ungainly appearance that she wasn’t much of a party girl.
Instead she loved coming home to Tarth for holidays and visiting her father. This little island meant safety, comfort, and being at ease with herself. All of which she scarcely felt in King’s Landing where she went to university and met smug Jaime Lannister.
“Soo … What are you up to?” he asked as he slipped his hands into his jeans pockets.
“Uhm … Just doing some groceries …,” she muttered while she was still trying to make sense out of his presence here. “How long do you plan on staying?” she finally blurted out. She had only three weeks on Tarth and she didn’t want him to spoil it by making her feel uneasy and always having her to fear she might run into him.
“About a week,” he said. After a short pause he added, “Well, since I’m here all by myself and I have no idea what to do I’d appreciate it if you could be my guide. I’m sure Tarth has a lot of beautiful places only natives know about. I’m not really the standard sightseeing tourist kind of guy.”
Brienne goggled at him while the meaning of his words sank in. Was he really just asking for her company? That didn’t make any sense to her whatsoever.
“Stop gawking at me like a cow. Let’s meet up here tomorrow at 10 am. And you better have a great tour ready, wench.” He winked at her and turned to leave but stopped in his motion. “This outfit suits you well by the way. You should wear stuff like that more often.” A cocky smile appeared on his face as he deliberately eyed her up and down. And then he left.
Brienne’s face burned like fire. It was summer and it was hot and since she was at home she just wore flip flops, a pair of jeans shorts and a flattery shirt that bared a bit of her left shoulder, showing the thin strap of the black bathing suit she wore underneath. In comparison to her wide and long clothes she always wore at university this was quite a bit more revealing, yes, but did he really have to point it out? She wanted to disappear into the ground thinking about the way he gazed up her legs from toes to thighs.
~~~~~~~
When Brienne lay in bed that night all she could do was think about whether or not to go and play Jaime’s tour guide tomorrow. There wasn’t even a single reason for her to do it, really. Or was there? She had to admit that he did have become remarkably nicer the last few weeks of the semester. His once hurtful remarks did have become quite playful and his smug smiles seemed somehow almost sincere now.
On a closer look she thought that his behaviour towards her might have changed when she had stood up for freshman year Pod against two older bullies in front of half of the campus. The boy was shy and insecure but also very sweet and nice, and Brienne hated injustice. She knew Pod from the swimming club and she also tutored him occasionally. It came naturally to her to help him when she saw these two assholes shoving him around on campus. They laughed at her and called her cruel names when she stood in front of Pod but their words didn’t reach her, over the years she had learned to ignore such insults. The guys tried to pick up a fight with her but since she was a good fifteen centimetres taller and way more muscled than both of them she just had to plant herself in front of them, glare threateningly, and they chickened out.
When it was over she realised that quite a few people had gathered to watch the spectacle. As she glanced around it was Jaime’s face that caught her attention. Their gazes locked for a moment and he gave her a short but genuine smile before he turned and left.
After that she often felt as if he was staring at her during the classes they had together. More and more often he came to her for help with things he didn’t get during lecture. At first she’d turned him down since he’d always been an ass to her but unfortunately she felt bad about ignoring people who asked for her help and eventually she gave in.
He still made jokes on her expense but they weren’t mean anymore. As they started spending a fair amount of time together she soon found out that he could be really passionate about things he liked or thought important. They were very much alike in this regard. Their discussions were heated and sometimes going on for hours. He was very amused when he found out about her passion for the Middle Ages, medieval sword fighting in particular, and decided that ‘wench’ would be a perfect nickname for her. She tried to talk him out of it but since he could be as stubborn as a mule sometimes she gave up and simply endured it since.
Somewhere down the line she realised that maybe, maybe, Jaime wasn’t as awful as she initially thought. But him showing up on Tarth, wanting her to be his guide wasn’t something she’d ever have expected to happen. It felt like some kind of freaky parallel universe, a place where the sky is green and rain tastes like strawberries.
~~~~~~~
Brienne showed up at their meeting place half an hour early. Her hands were a bit sweaty and her stomach felt tingly. To calm herself she sat down on a bench, closed her eyes and took a few deep breathes. She startled when she felt someone touching her shoulder. It was Jaime’s, once again grinning, face that she saw when she looked up.
“Did you even leave this place since I left yesterday or how come you are here this early?” He cocked an eyebrow at her and let his hand fall from her shoulder by brushing ever so softly down her upper arm with his fingertips.
Her heart skipped a beat and her gaze dropped automatically to her watch where she noted that he was over twenty minutes early, too.
“And what are you trying to achieve with showing up early for a change?” she retorted, in order to hide her blush over her over-punctuality.
“I’m in anticipation of an amazing tour through Tarth. I could barely sleep last night because of all the excitement.”
Brienne wanted to punch him in his handsome face. He sounded surprisingly sincere but she couldn’t help thinking that he was messing with her. “Well, nobody forced you to come here. Besides for someone who grew up in Lannisport Tarth will surely be quite boring.”
His face became serious when he said, “I think that is for me to decide, wench. Let’s get going.”
Brienne had decided to show Jaime the stony shores with the blustering waves beneath first. Over time the crushing water had carved obscure yet beautiful forms and figures into the rocks. Since she was always fascinated with them she hoped Jaime would like them, too.
She found it hard to decide which things he might have deemed interesting. It was quite awkward for her to just show him around and tell him stuff. That changed, though, when he responded eagerly and they started to play a game of guessing what which of the curious forms could be. She’d always played it alone when she was little. It was fun to finally have a partner in this.
But when they started to argue about each and every rock – a dragon or a duck, a cart or a book, a bottle or a human head – she cut it off and decided that they should head back to Evenfall, the only town on Tarth and with its 50.000 inhabitants quite small, really.
Since both of them were hungry they settled for a late lunch at one of the restaurants along the harbour promenade. Brienne told him a little bit about the history of Tarth while they ate and cleared up that her last name had nothing to do with the island. It was just a curious happenstance.
After that they went to explore the old town of Evenfall; visiting the marketplace and a little flea market, gazing the beautiful architecture and Jaime showed Brienne in which hotel he stayed (of course it was the most expensive and luxurious one as befits a Lannister).
It was late afternoon when Brienne felt that she had shown Jaime everything Evenfall had to offer. They were strolling down the harbour promenade again when she thought of bidding him good bye. But before she could say something he spoke up first.
“So, tomorrow same time same place? You’ve shown me great stuff today but I don’t feel like I have seen things normal tourists wouldn’t have seen either,” he stated with a chuckle.
That gave Brienne a pause and she couldn’t help but gape at him yet again. It had taken some time for her at the beginning of their tour to calm herself and overcome her undeniable anxiety but with all of his japes and quips he’d succeeded in making her quite comfortable after all. There’d been moments when she’d even forgotten that she was supposed to dislike him. She had to admit that this day had been surprisingly fun but she couldn’t believe that he wanted to spend another with her. It seemed odd and made her stomach feel tingly again.
With a mixture of confusion and excitement she agreed on his proposal and he went off with a big grin on his face which seemed to be quite planted there lately. She almost believed that she’d also seen some kind of relief in his features but that must have been her imagination.
~~~~~~~
The next day they went hiking. Brienne texted Jaime beforehand so he could dress accordingly.
There was an amazing mountain plateau not too far from Evenfall that also allowed a little climbing. When Jaime learned that it was one of Brienne’s hobbies he insisted on her showing him some tricks and handholds. He was strong enough and learned quickly but his footwork lacked accuracy, so he slipped a few times despite her assistance. He laughed when she inspected and patched up his scratches.
It was way past noon when they settled down on a little group of rocks and Brienne produced two self-made lunch packages out of her backpack.
Jaime’s green eyes were glowing with delight. “I knew I chose the right guide,” he said grinning and padded her thigh.
His hand lingered a little longer than she thought would’ve been necessary but unwanted she found herself missing his touch as soon as his hand left her skin. To hide her sudden blush she busied herself with unwrapping her sandwich.
They ate in surprisingly comfortable silence and gazed upon the in turns stony and grassy landscape. They sat so close that their shoulders brushed against each other from time to time. Brienne didn’t mind as didn’t Jaime it seemed.
After they had filled their bellies they went to explore the plateau a little more. They walked by a narrow but wild stream that ended into a waterfall. Brienne showed Jaime the hidden cave behind it which she’d discovered when she’d been a little girl. The cave led to an underground lake that glowed in all shades of blue, green, and white in the light of their electric torch. To Brienne’s relief Jaime seemed genuinely amazed by the sight of it.
For their way home Brienne chose a route that led them along the coast and allowed them to marvel over the amazingly blue sea that surrounded Tarth. When the sun slowly began to set the blue faded and the water glistened in all kinds of red, yellow, and orange.
As they walked by a deserted beach Jaime suddenly took Brienne’s hand. “We’re going swimming!” he proclaimed with a big grin on his face as he dragged her across the sand towards the sea.
“What?! No!” Brienne protested, feeling a sudden blush creeping up her neck. “We have neither swim clothes nor towels. We–,”
“Screw that!” he interrupted her. “It’s warm. We won’t catch a cold. Be spontaneous, wench!”
“No!” She stood abruptly. “You can go. I’ll wait here.” She sat down, cross-legged and arms firmly folded over her chest.
“Come on now. Don’t be a spoilsport! It’s boring if I go alone.” He got to his knees in front of her and looked her straight in the eyes. As he slowly leaned closer to her her belly began to tingle furiously and she cautiously turned her face to the side.
What in seven hells is he doing? Heat crept from her neck to her face. Was he teasing her or what was he trying to accomplish with–
She jumped and a girlish scream escaped her mouth when she felt his fingers creeping up her sides and tickling her. Jaime started laughing as she began to wriggle under his touch. She fell back on the sand, trying to roll away from him but his quick fingers were unyielding. They danced up and down her sides and over her stomach.
“Jaime … No … Please stop …,” she managed to gasp between insuppressible giggles but he ignored her. Before she even knew what they were doing, they were both laughing and rolling through the sand, bound in a fight in which he tried to tickle her breathless and she tried to get him off her. First her hands were on his shoulders to push him away but he gripped her waist with one hand while the other continued to torture her. She wanted to get a hold of his wrists but he was quicker.
When they finally stopped rolling around and Brienne realised in what kind of position they were in, her stomach became a big tight knot. Jaime was lying on top of her, his weight pressing her into the sand, his arm still around her waist. Both of them were red-faced and panting. Her laughter got caught in her throat when she saw the look on Jaime’s face. His eyes were glowing with delight, his pupils blown, and only the slightest hint of a smile played around the corners of his mouth. She didn’t know how to react to his closeness. She could feel his breath on her face and despite herself she suddenly felt the urge to run her fingers through his tousled golden hair. They were staring at each other for what seemed to her like aeons.
Suddenly Jaime jumped up. He grabbed her backpack and started running. Brienne stared at him, trying to comprehend what exactly he was up to.
“What are you doing, Jaime? Give me back my backpack!” she shouted, standing up and brushing the sand off her clothes.
Jaime looked back, still jogging away from her. “Come and get it!” he shouted back with a grin, holding the backpack up like a trophy.
“Are you serious right now?” she muttered to herself but still started chasing after him.
Since he had a lead by a good thirty meters and the sand was relatively difficult to run on, it took her quite some time to catch up to him. It was when she almost had him that he turned around abruptly and let her crush into him. She stumbled backwards but he took a hold of her waist and prevented her from falling.
“Gotcha,” he said, holding her close and grinning from ear to ear. He dropped the backpack, grabbed her wrist, and before she knew what was happening he dragged her into the ocean. A few moments after he’d dived her underwater she emerged spluttering and snorting while he was having a laughing fit.
“Have you lost your mind, Jaime?!” she demanded to know between coughs and while she wiped the salt water out of her eyes.
He wasn’t able to answer because of all his laughing. Brienne glared at him but didn’t fail to notice the way his drenched t-shirt clung to his body, leaving no room for imagination. The sight of his toned arms and chest bathed by the ocean made her blush involuntarily.
“You’ll get that back, Lannister,” she grumbled and jumped at him. She had him underwater in less than a second and held him there for a bit, for revenge and because he deserved it. He struggled hard under her strong grip and when she finally released him he crushed through the surface, gasping hard for air.
“You cheeky wench,” he managed to say when his coughing fit had subsided.
A short sparkle in his eyes warned her against his following attack. He splashed a big wave in her direction before he darted at her. If it weren’t for the water she’d have easily dodged him but the way it was he had her immediately underwater again. They wrestled for a moment before she tried to swim away from him. He followed her however and wrapped both his arms around her waist.
They emerged together but while Jaime gasped for air Brienne took only one deep breath and pushed herself back and downwards. When they were both underwater again her action had the desired effect and he let go of her. She swam a few strokes and emerged. Her lungs were hurting and she was panting like crazy but she couldn’t help the smile on her face. While she waited that Jaime came up, she brushed some wet strands of hair out of her face.
A few seconds went by but Jaime didn’t emerge.
“Ha Ha, very funny, Jaime,” she shouted, turning around to look for him. “Would you please come up already?”
But he didn’t. She kept looking around but the water surface was still. He’s just messing with me. She was sure of that but she couldn’t help becoming more restless with every passing second.
“Jaime, would you please just–“
A big splash of water caught her from behind and she felt Jaime’s arms closing around her upper body while the sound of his laughter filled the air.
She turned around, wrestling in his grip, and rolled her eyes at him. “You’re the funniest boy there is.”
“I know!” he answered cheerfully, completely ignoring her dripping sarcasm. “One of the many reasons you like me, wench!”
Brienne went bright red and placed her hands on his chest to push him away. “I– Why would I like you? You’re an ass, Lannister!” she retorted, intentionally avoiding his gaze.
“Well, because, Brienne” He seemed to have great fun at deliberately stretching the syllables of her name. “you just spend two entire days with me without complaining even once.”
“So? That doesn’t m–“
“So,” he interrupted her, gently loosening his grip a little. His gaze flitted over her meager bosom and she became uncomfortably aware of the fact that her shirt clung to her body just the same way his did. “Maybe we could finally stop pretending that I’m only here to visit this beautiful island.”
Her heart skipped a beat or two and her face turned crimson. Her hands curled into loose fists on his chest. “Why– Why else would you–“ The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them but she fell silent when she noticed his hands on her hips. His thumbs slid under the hem of her shirt just enough so he could draw lazy circles on her skin.
“Why indeed,” he said quietly, his voice a deep grumble.
Brienne could barely breathe. His eyes were boring into hers and she wasn’t able to look away. When he slightly cocked an eyebrow at her she at least found her voice again.
“I– I don’t know. So if you please could stop joking right now …”
“Do you really think I’m joking?” He tightened his grip a bit and his forefingers slid under her hem.
“How couldn’t you?” she asked with a slightly shaky voice. “You always mocked me. You always said I was freakish, more man than woman. Why would that change?”
It just didn’t make any sense to her. How could it be possible that Jaime Lannister was looking at her right now with such affection and desire that her legs turned to jelly? It had to be a joke.
He suddenly took a step back and put his hands on her shoulders. “I’m really sorry I was such an arrogant, shallow ass. I only realised what an interesting person you are when you stepped up for that boy against those bullies. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I really tried to make it up to you after that.”
She couldn’t help but smile at this and made him smile in return.
“So I hope you believe me that I honestly and deeply regret my shitty behaviour. Please forgive me.”
His eyes were beaming with expectation but Brienne couldn’t do anything but stare at him.
He waited a few seconds for her to respond but when she did no such thing, he added, “Would you please stop staring at me with these amazingly blue eyes of yours and let me kiss you already? Because that’s literally the only thing I’ve wanted to do the last few weeks.”
Brienne blushed furiously at that but finally managed to nod. “You’re forgiven, Lannister,” she said quietly and took a step forward.
His arms snaked around her waist and pulled her against him. The water splashed between them and both of them sniggered. Brienne didn’t know where to put her hands, but Jaime noticed and placed them on his chest. Letting his own rest on top of them.
And then his lips met hers. They were wet from the water, just like her own. He kissed her slowly and very careful at first, letting her time to familiarise. Her clumsy movements betrayed her lack of experience. But then again it wasn’t a big secret that she’d never even had anything close to a boyfriend. And if Jaime was irritated he didn’t show.
When she’d adjusted he gently pushed his tongue against her lips and coaxed them open. She couldn’t suppress the little moan in the back of her throat when he entered her mouth. His salty taste made her stomach tingle. Her hands found their way around his neck and into his hair to get a better hold of him.
She suddenly felt his fingers under her shirt and on her skin again. Shivers went up her spine when he pressed his body hard against hers. She wanted this kiss to last forever but they eventually had to part to gasp for air.
Jaime leant his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. He chuckled quietly.
“What is it?” Brienne asked a little nervous.
“Well that’s finally a part of Tarth that nobody else has seen.”