as those words spilled into the air that they had both polluted with whatever feelings possessed them only moments ago, daenerys found a small smile stretching across her petals that as of late ; had only known grief. coming to westeros had been an awfully large step for her. for as long as she had conquered the free cities of essos, she had known LOVE. but the people of westeros were not the same as they were east. and coming here to a place that had belonged to her ancestors for centuries –– to the place in which she was born and stolen from as a child, on the run in a protection from robert baratheon’s spies … it felt just as unfamiliar as every place she had ever lived in essos, apart from that one house that willem had taken them to ; the one with the big red door. it was within that instance, that she finally understood why dragonstone had felt so cold and foreign to her –– kings landing even more so. because she belonged to the capital … it did not belong to her.
the look in his eyes spoke of the embarrassment that came cradling over his darkened features and instead of letting him look away, the mother of dragons trailed a finger or two over his jawline –– ensuring that his vision remained anchored on hers so that he could see the smile that had made itself a refugee across her porcelain features. “for somebody who has never been good at words, that came out as though you have practiced it a thousandfold. in fact, had i not known any better, i would say that you have been spending too much time with my hand, jon snow.” an eyebrow raised, smile evergrowing as she finally allowed her fingertips to leave his features –– the touch of air instead of his warmth skin a shock on her system. head pressed itself to his chest now, right atop the scar that sat above his heart and she listened to it beat for a short while, assured that he was very much a human.
“do you think that you are able to find home in people?” she asked, murmured whispers spilling against his bare skin as her heart beat in time with his, accepting that she had found a love that she had not been searching for. ice and fire ; they had finally come together. perhaps, this moment was meant to be. together, they would be unstoppable against anything or anyone who dared harm them. the wolf and the dragon ; as deadly as their enemies and the people who had harmed their families. “i am looking forward to seeing the north. i have lived in essos for a majority of my life, however. as long as i have you by my side –– to keep me warm, i’m sure i will survive.”
HE TRIED TO turn his head, tried to look away from her, embarrassed by his own words. they had never been his strength ; he was no singer, nothing close to a poet, not even much of a TALKER . . . but the soft grip she held on his jaw kept him from hiding. he could feel heat rush to his cheeks, a blush no doubt spreading A C R O S S them. aye, they both had shed their clothing long ago, had just been entwined around one another, exchanging breathless moans only moments ago, but he had never felt near as VULNERABLE as he did now. never had someone looked at him like she did, like there existed no one other in the world than him. && when she looked at him like this, like she was NOW, he couldn’t believe why someone like she, graceful && intelligent as she was, would waste a single second of their time on him.
the smile she showed was a small reassurance, some of his earlier embarrassment fading, but he doubted the latter sentiment ever would. that may have troubled most, && at times it troubled him as well, but his life had been one of doubts before he had even taken his first breath. there was a SAD comfort in it, really.
he had begun to settle back into that comfort when her fingers moved from his face to his chest, resting lightly atop the scars that littered his torso. she had seen them before, seen them MORE than just a time or two ; her eyes never lingering on them long. whether out of RESPECT or FEAR, he did not know && was not eager to find out.
there was a CHILL he seemed to carry with him, one that had nothing to do with the weather, one that came from those ugly half scars, permanently frozen somewhere between healed && fresh, whatever MAGIC that had brought him back damning them to this fate. . . damning him. when she spoke though, the warmth of her breath fought off that chill ; her words && the rhythm their hearts seemed to SHARE melting the ice that surrounded him.
❝ i think many things can be home, even if they aren’t the place you were raised. anything that makes you feel safe, feel loved. . . that can be home. && though the NORTH may not be yours, i promise to make it feel like one. it may not happen instantly, we northerners are a stubborn people ; we’re wary of what we don’t know, but i will make them know you && once they do, they will LOVE you as much as i . . . ❞
the word had rolled off his tongue && fallen from his lips so easily, the gravity of it, of what L O V E meant, nearly missed him entirely, but the silence that fell between them made his cheeks flush once again.
