Challenge accepted
Fake dating AU
Robert Baratheon is retiring from politics and the Lannisters throw a little retirement party. Out of courtesy and politeness, Eddard Stark forces his family to go. After a while, Joffrey starts poking fun at Sansa until Margaery sweeps in to save the night by pretending to date Sansa.
āSo Iām standing there barefoot, my lasagne only mid-eaten, the car has caught on fire and my boyfriend is coming out of the portable toilet with a roll of toilette paper rolled up his torso-ā
Sansa walked past Arya as fast as she could. She didnāt want to listen again to that unrefined story of hers. The first time she had to sit through that story had scarred her enough for life. She did not want to hear it ever again.
Sansa made her way over to the table where the drinks were being served. She hated the party. The only reason she was there is because her father had forced all Starks to go. āItās important that we all attend. To show our gratitude to Robert for his services.ā Sansa could still hear Robbās snort and Arya mumbling disgruntledly upon their fatherās words.
This year Robert Baratheon retired from politics after nearly 40 years in the office. Everyone at the Stark household except for Ned had cheered upon the news, but their bliss had quickly faded away as soon as they learnt whose name was among the candidates running for the open position. The list was pretty dreadful as it were āwith names like Baelish, Stannis and Euron Greyjoyā but when you added Joffrey to the bunch, it only made it that much worse. And because Eddard Stark had a place on the council, he had been invited to Robertās retirement party, which the Lannisters pretty much singlehandedly organised, aided with the Tyrellsā money.
Sansa poured herself a double whiskey and downed it all in one go. The drink burnt her throat but in a pleasant way. She sighed contently whilst filling her glass up again.
āThought Iād find you by the alcohol stand.ā A voice called out from behind her. Sansa pursed her lips together and clutched her glass tightly in her hand. āYou picked up that trait from your father, surely.ā Cersei Lannister chuckled dryly as she stood alongside Sansa. She didnāt cast her even once glance before she grabbed the closest bottle of wine and emptied it all on her glass.
āNice party.ā The redhead forced a smile on her face but she knew Cersei could see right through her. Not that she particularly cared, but she still had to put on a faƧade for her fatherās sake.
āOh, is it? Youāve barely been here for 10 minutes, most of which youāve spent drinking my alcohol.ā Cersei had drank half glass by the time she turned to face Sansa. Once she did, she looked at Sansa up and down, as if searching for something in particular.
āYou can scarcely call it āyour alcoholā when itās meant for the guests, canāt you?ā Sansa flashed the blonde woman her brightest smile, albeit it was a fake one. Both women knew. Still, they both had to keep up the appearances.
āHmm, I see that, unlike your dress, your boldness has grown larger.ā The redhead was wearing a navy blue cocktail dress, with a golden strip on both shoulders. Sheād found the exact dress that combined perfectly sophistication with a hint of sexiness. It was cut right above her knees, which meant it was short enough to be considered seducing, but still long enough to be an appropriate option to wear among her fatherās colleagues. She completed the look with a pair of black heels.
āWhat can I say?ā Sansa titled her head to the side casually. Her tone was polite and even borderline playful. āTime does wonders to a person, wouldnāt you say?ā
āIndeed, it does.ā Cersei tried to suppress the growl out of her voice, but she didnāt hide it quite as well as she would have wanted. āSoā the woman scanned the room lazily when a thought popped into her head āis that uncivilised sister of yours around?ā Cersei smirked, thinking sheād hit the nail on the head to get a rise out of the girl, but instead Sansaās eyes lit up. She titled her head towards where Arya was standing.
āHmmā she hummed āI believe sheās telling an uncivilised story to your kids.ā
Cerseiās head couldnāt have spun faster. She looked across the room until her eyes landed on Arya. She was with Tommen and Myrcella and it seemed both kids were extremely enjoying themselves. Cersei didnāt like that one bit. Not only were her children getting along with a Stark, but by the hand gestures Arya was making Cersei knew that story was not for kids.
Before Sansa had the chance to add some witty remark, Cersei sprinted across the room to snatch Tommen and Myrcella away from Arya. The brunette blinked at the abruptness at which Cersei had taken the kids away, but she didnāt give it much thought and made her way to the alcohol stand instead.
Sansa grinned once Arya was by her side. āI take it Cersei didnāt like your story?ā
Arya shrugged nonchalantly. āI donāt see why not. That story had everything: action, drama, suspense...ā
The redhead chuckled and shook her head āIām sure once you think it through youāll know why she didnāt find it so amusing.ā
āWhat about you?ā Arya redirected the conversation as she grabbed another beer. Sansa was not entirely certain, but she couldāve sworn that was Aryaās fourth. āAnything I missed?ā
āNot really. I only made small chat with Cersei.ā
āNothing with Cersei is ever āsmall chatā.ā Arya puffed. āHow much longer must we stay here?ā
āI donāt know.ā Sansa scratched her chin. āI believe Father wants us to stay at least long enough to hear Robertās speech.ā
Arya growled audibly at that. āWell, thatās gonna take forever then.ā Sansa agreed.
Both sisters turned their back to the stand and looked at the attendants. There was Robb chatting amicably with Theon Greyjoy, who hadnāt been previously invited but Robb had essentially begged their Father to let the boy come and so after much pleading heād reluctantly agreed. If only for Robbās sake. His son had said Theon would be the only thing that would keep him sane for the night. Sansa believed Greyjoy would have the contrary effect on her brother, but she didnāt say anything. At least he had a friend to keep him company.
Then there was Jon, standing awkwardly in a corner. He was talking with some other boy Sansa did not know but he seemed comfortable enough around him so she was happy for him. And because of their young age, Bran and Rickon had been left at home with Hodor, their sitter.
Lastly, the remaining Starks, Ned and Catelyn, were stood next to Robert Baratheon himself. The man laughed loudly at something her Father had said and Sansa was glad that, despite being surrounded by Lannisters, Ned had found somewhat of a friend.
There were more people than Sansa would have expected, still she only knew a handful of them, half of whom were her own family. As for the rest, Sansa either straight up didnāt like them or didnāt deem none of them interesting enough to strike a conversation with.
āIām gonna go pee.ā Arya said, ever so ladylike. āIf I havenāt come back in 5 minutes, donāt come looking for me. Presume me dead.ā
āUgh, please do come back instead of sneaking off with Gendy again!ā Sansa called out after Arya as the brunette walked away. She didnāt know if her sister had heard her or not. She supposed she had.
Sansa sighed and finished her drink. She turned to the table and started to pour herself another one, already planning on joining Robb and Theon when someone came up beside her. Sansa prayed to the Old Gods that it wasnāt Cersei again.
āThatās a bold choice for a dress.ā It was not Cersei who spoke, but at that moment Sansa wished it had been. āThatās too slutty even for you.ā
Sansa turned around slowly, whilst displaying the fakest smile sheād ever put on. āJoffreyā she said lightly. āHow are you?ā
āBetter than you, thatās for sure.ā He snickered. āWhatās up with the whore attire? Itās not like youāve got someone to impress. Unlessā his eyes gleamed in a way that made Sansa shiver āyouāve dressed up like this for meā.
āIām afraid that would not be the case.ā Sansa pursed her lips together. Being around Joffrey always made her feel uneasy, even while they were dating. There just was something that was not right with the boy. After everything that happened, Sansa believed sheād grown stronger but being there, alone with him, she felt every hair at the back of her head stand up. Her whole body already tensing.
āOh?ā Joffrey furrowed his brow, his tone growing unkinder by the minute. āWhat then? Are you trying to rig the elections by showing off your cunt? So that dear olā daddy will win? I hate democracy.ā
āMy Father is not even running for the position.ā Sansaās hand closed around the glass tightly. She was determined not to lose her temper if only for her Fatherās sake. Even so, Joffrey was making that task very challenging for her.
āYouāre doing it for me then?ā Joffrey took a step closer to Sansa. His breath reeked of cheap vodka and Sansa had to suppress a grimace. She noticed the glass on his left hand was full, which meant that was not his first drink of the night. āYou know, tonight after this, I could come pay you a little visit-ā He grabbed her arm forcefully as he inched even closer.
āJoffrey, donāt-ā
āSans, darling!ā Both heads turned around and were greeted by the sight of one Margaery Tyrell, who has approaching them with a beaming smile. āIāve been looking everywhere for you! You had me worried.ā She hugged Sansa tightly and planted a soundly kiss on her right cheek as she withdrew away. Her eyes never leaving Sansaās face. āWhat a beautiful dress! You look absolutely stunning.ā
The fact that sheād completely ignored Joffrey made the boy furious. āMargaeryā he called, malice dripping off his voice, but he tried to disguise as courtesy. Only he didnāt fool anyone. āI was not aware you were coming.ā
Finally, Margaery looked at the boy. She smiled easily at him, as if she was actually pleased to be talking to him. āOh, I wouldāve arrived sooner, but Grandmother ran into an old friend of hers by the entrance and we were held back a few minutes.ā
āI see.ā Joffrey nodded his head. He didnāt match Margaeryās smile, opting instead for a scowl. He had planned to have his fun with Sansa for a while longer, but it didnāt look like Margaery would be leaving them alone anytime soon. Instead, the brunette slipped her arm around Sansaās waist and pulled her flush against her.
Sansa for the life of her didnāt know what to make of it. Joffrey and Margaery were staring each other down, not saying a word, and the redhead felt as if the lion and the rose were silently trying to scare the other away.
āIām sorry I had to make you wait for so longā Margaery told Sansa casually after some time, as if the latter had been actually waiting for her.
āOh, itās no problem.ā Sansa smiled back at her. She realised Margaeryās smile seemed more sincere when it was directed at her, in contrast to the oneās she threw at Joffrey which āin Sansaās opinionā appeared to be mocking the boy.
āI didnāt know you two were friends.ā Joffrey spat at them. At that, Margaery actually threw her head back and so laughed loudly youād think sheād just heard the greatest joke of all time. āDid I say something amusing?ā He growled. Sansa could feel rather than see the tension between Joffrey and Margaery. She didnāt like it one bit and wanted so desperately to make it stop. But she didnāt know how to cut in. It looked like they were playing at a game Sansa did not know the rules of.
āWell, yes.ā Margaery chuckled as her laughter died down. Then, she turned to Sansa right as Joffrey chose the worst possible time to try and end his drink in one go. āI thought you wouldāve told him by now weāre dating.ā
If Sansa hadnāt been so busy choking on air, she wouldāve laughed at the way Joffrey accidentally spat out half of his drink on his clothes and his eyes bulged comically. Margaery noticed straight away Sansaās confusion, so she took advantage of the fact that Joffrey was distracted drying the alcohol stains on his clothes and inched close to Sansaās ear. āI can get rid of this little bastard in no time, just play along.ā
Sansa nodded her approval and silently thanked her lucky stars for Margaery. Sheād known the girl for a few years now, and ever since the beginning, sheād looked up at the older girl with such admiration. Everything about Margaery fascinated Sansa.
A couple of months into their friendship and Sansa was already enamoured with everything the brunette did. It wasnāt until Margaery casually told the redhead about her preference for women that Sansaās mind began to wonder whether she had a shot with her. The thought scared her at first, back when she deemed herself to be as straight as an arrow, but as weeks and months passed, she realised sheād started to see Margaery in a different light. Or maybe it wasnāt a different light at all. Maybe her feeling had always been there but she had not realised it until then.
The thing is, ever since Sansa found out this new piece of information, she couldnāt help but notice every single little thing about Margaery. Like the way her nose would scrunch whenever she smelt something she didnāt like ālike curry, smoke or gasolineā and the way she would close her eyes and breathe in contently when she smelt something she fancied ālike roses, fresh pastries, the sea or Sansaās perfume, although Sansa tried not to think too much about the last; lest she allowed herself to get her hopes up when she was certain a girl as stunning and perfect as Margaery wouldnāt notice a silly girl like herself.
Still, from time to time, she would let herself dream about what it would be like to be with Margaery, to be able to wake up next to her every day and be the reason behind her smiles and giggles, to be the first and last thing on her mind, to be the one Margaery wanted to spend her days and nights with.
It was Joffreyās voice that brought Sansa out of her trance and back to reality. āYou what?!ā He was looking directly at Sansa as if sheād done him a great wrong. His face was bright red and his hand gripped too tightly on the glass. āJust when I thought you couldnāt be more disgusting, you do this.ā He gestured at Sansaās general direction, as if that would be explanation enough. āYou dragged poor sweet Margaery into this fucking mess of yours. You perverted her with your deviating ways.ā
Sansa had kept her cool this long and she had intended on doing so until Joffrey got bored and walked away on his own, but the very same moment he had demeaned Margaery like that was all it took for Sansa to snap at him. She took a daring step closer to him. āYou talk to her again with such insolence and I promise youāll regret it.ā
āOh, yeah? And what are you going to do?ā Joffrey mocked.
āIāll send Lady whilst you sleep to make sure youāre reminded of your place.ā She gritted her teeth together.
āYou, bitch.ā Joffrey spat. āYou canāt talk to me like that!ā
āOf course I canā Sansa countered. Her blood was boiling and she felt like she was seconds away from doing something her Father would without a doubt chastise her later for. Still, she didnāt find it in herself to care. Not when Joffrey had insulted Margaery so blatantly. āIf you knew whatās best for you, youād walk the fuck away.ā
Margaery widened her eyes and turned her head towards Sansa. It was the first time sheād ever heard the Northerner curse.
āLast time I saw youā the boy foolishly charged once more against the redhead, thinking he could still win the argument āyou were dating that Bolton boy; so what happened that turned you into a dyke?ā He snarled āWasnāt his cock good enough?ā Sansa didnāt know whether it was the remark or the laugh that came after that infuriated her most. She clenched her fists as her shoulders began to shake. It wouldnāt take long before she lost whatever remained of her composure. But Sansa had long lost interest in looking calm and collected, her sole attention being now focused on the boy.
āPardon meā Margaeryās voice came out mellow and calm, but she was ready to throw hands. She let go of Sansa in order to stand between Joffrey and the redhead. She wouldāve blocked Sansaās view if it werenāt for Sansaās height. Still, she intended on becoming some sort of human shield for the Northerner. āAnd who do you think you are to talk to my girl like that?ā She took a defiantly step closer to the boy āshe can dress however she pleasesā another step āsay whatever she pleasesā another one āand date whomever she pleases.ā Joffrey ended having to recoil a couple of steps back in order to maintain his balance. āLet this be the last time you disrespect Sansa, because so help me Gods, if I ever hear you say a single bad thing about her again I will hunt your ass down and beat you up so badly your own mother wonāt recognise you.ā Margaery was normally a very diplomatic and collected person, but Joffrey was managing to push every single one of her buttons.
āCome on, Margaery. You canāt possibly want to be around her.ā He pronounced the last word as if it actually physically pained him to say it. āLet me take you out instead. Iāll show you what a real relationship looks like.ā
āIāll say this one more time and I swear it will be the last.ā Margaery blinked almost flirtatiously. Her tone was soft but her eyes left no room for misinterpretation. She was furious. āStep the fuck away from my girl.ā
Realising now Margaery had also turned on him, he decided to back down. āYou know what? I have no use for her anyway.ā Joffrey took a step closer to Margaery, which was compensated by Sansa stepping forward as well. The action resulted on Sansa being pressed firmly against Margaeryās back; the latter had to use some strength to hold the redhead back, lest she lost her nerves and pounced on the blonde. āYou can keep your bitch.ā
And that was that. It was then, right as the boy laughed cruelly at his own comment that she lost it. Even though Sansaās anger was off the roof, it was Margaeryās punch that collided with his face. He threw some insults her way but Margaery couldnāt make out the words, given that his hands were cupping his bloody nose.
āYou fucking dykes! Youāll regret this! You both will!ā He yelled before storming off. As he ran to the bathroom, the brunette noticed the silence surrounding them and she casted her glance to the side in order to see the other attendantās reaction.
The first person she saw was Cersei Lannister. The woman pursed her lips together but said nothing. She just stared at Margaery down for a few seconds before running after her son to aid him. Robert Baratheon cursed aloud and begrudgingly went to the bathroom as well. Margaery also noticed both Tommen and Myrcella offering her a tiny smile, displaying no kind of sympathy for their brother before Jaime Lannister was by their side. He calmly told them to go with him outside.
On the other end of the room was Theon, wearing a shit-eating grin and no doubt already planning on congratulating Margaery afterwards. Stood by his side was Robb, and although his face betrayed no emotion, he gave the brunette a subtle thumbs up.
āWooooo!ā Arya suddenly yelled, throwing both her hands up in the air, as if celebrating a touchdown. Her beer long gone. āNow this is a party!ā Her smile matched Theonās.
āI wouldnāt have done that if I were you.ā Came a voice from behind Margaery. āI mean, I wouldāve, I definitely wouldāve because that douchebag had it coming butā Sansa grabbed Margaeryās bruised hand with much delicacy āIām not sure thatās gonna sit well with your Grandmother, and much less the Lannisters.ā
āWellā Margaery chuckled despite what happened āsomeone had to shut him up. Let me worry about them later.ā
āThank youā Sansa relaxed now that Joffrey was out of sight; her smile was timid but sincere āreally.ā
āNo need to thank me, sweet girl.ā Margaery smiled brightly at the redhead. āIāve wanted to do that for ages, if Iām being honest.ā That earned her a chuckle from Sansa.
āMargaery.ā The brunetteās smile faltered away as soon as the voice came. She turned around slowly.
āGrandmother.ā Margaery pursed her lips together. She knew her act would have consequences and even though she was well aware Grandmother Olenna didnāt like the Lannister boy one bit, she knew sheād have to deal with the result of her actions.
āMay we speak alone?ā It was a question, but the tone of voice with which it was accompanied left no room for objections. Margaery nodded, muttered āSorryā to Sansa and started to walk behind her Grandmother.
Not a full ten seconds had passed that Arya was by her sisterās side. āSo, you two banging?ā Arya bluntly asked Sansa once Margaery was out of earshot. She grabbed a beer from the table and took a large sip. āI heard Joffrey muttering something about you two dating. Althoughā she added āhe used a much crasser terminology.ā
For the second time that night, Sansa choked on her spit. āWha- weāre not- I meanā she corrected herself, remembering Margaery had indeed referred to herself as her girlfriend. Not wanting to blow the Highgardenerās cover she quickly said: āWe started out as friends!ā
āYour point?ā Arya tilted her head to the side and watched her sister expectantly. She didnāt particularly care about who Sansa was or wasnāt shagging, but she figured watching the redhead ramble would be a close second to the most fun sheād have that night so she was determined to stretch this conversation as much as she possibly could.
āI mean, you knowā¦ā Sansa was visibly struggling to find the right words but given that Arya was in no rush she watched amusedly as the taller girl gesticulated ambiguously with her hand in the air. āWe were friends, so we decided to take it slow.ā
āHow come none of us knew you two were a thing?ā The shorter girl asked.
āItās still pretty new. We didnāt want to jinx it.ā Arya hummed, seemingly content with the answer.
āI have to sayā she paused to take another sip of her beer āyour girl does clean up pretty nice. Sheās caught the attention of every single man āand some womenā since the moment she entered the building.ā
The jealousy that coursed through Sansaās body then was both unexpected and foreign. She had definitely noticed how extremely beautiful Margaery looked that night. The dress she wore was a shade of deep forest green and whereas Sansaās straps had been relatively thin, Margaeryās were fairly broad, to make up for the plunging neckline she was showing off. The top half of her back was bare but her hair cascaded down flawlessly and covered some skin.
Sansa couldnāt blame the attendants for staring, because the sight was truly mesmerizing, what she did disapprove of, however, was how most of those looks seemed to only be directed at her cleavage. When the realisation crossed her mind Sansa felt a sense of possessiveness and, although she wouldnāt admit it even to herself, the thought āmineā did come to mind.
As Arya cleared her throat, it occurred to Sansa that her sister was still waiting for an answer. āNo surprise here.ā Sansa shrugged casually as her gaze was directed at Margaery. The older girl was at the far end of the room, speaking with Lady Olenna. āSheās beautiful.ā
Arya followed Sansaās eyes until she saw Margaery. It did not go unnoticed by her sister the fact Sansaās expression softened upon seeing the older girl. Arya smiled softly āmostly to herself. Sheād known from the very first instant that Margaery had lied about dating Sansa, but she also knew about her sisterās feelings for the Tyrell girl. The redhead was pretty good at disguising her emotions, so only a very observant person would notice it. And despite her many flaws, if Arya was one thing was observant.
āYouāll still want to be careful around Cersei, though.ā The shorter girl warned after a couple of minutes of comfortable silence. āSheās gonna want to strangle you as soon as the bastard is okay. The Lannisters are going to take Joffreyās ex-girlfriend dating a lesbian as a great insult. It hurts their pride or some shit.ā
āI knowā Sansa sighed. She turned around and poured herself another glass of whiskey. āLetās worry about that later, okay?ā Arya nodded. She was about to add something else when she spotted out of the corner of her eye Margaery and her Grandmother approaching them. Arya excused herself in order to give her sister some privacy.
āSansa, I would like you to meet my Grandmother.ā Margaery offered her Grandmother a glass of wine and poured herself another one.
āOlenna Tyrell, dear.ā Sansa was expecting her to hold out her hand but the woman never did. āI take it youāve heard about me.ā She took a sip of her own drink which prompted Margaery to do the same.
āI have, maāam.ā Sansa nodded. āI apologise for causing such a scene tonight.ā She lamented.
āNonsense.ā The woman shook her head, taking the heat out of it. āThe only thing Iām sorry for is that you couldnāt take a swing at him yourself as well.ā Sansa smiled timidly.
āGrandmother!ā Margaery snickered. āWhat will Sansa think of us? You raised me to be well-mannered.ā
āAnd so Iāve done, dear.ā Lady Olenna solemnly said. āYou did well by your girlfriend when you knocked the troubled boy off his high horse.ā Sansa blushed as she noticed Lady Olenna had referred to her as her granddaughterās āgirlfriendā.
āI take it youāre not angry at Margaery, then?ā The Northerner sheepishly asked.
āI would have preferred my granddaughter to have had the decency to wait to pull off something like away from so many prying eyes, butā Lady Olenna sighed āI know just how loyal the girl can be to the people she loves and if your honour was on the table, well then, there was nothing nobody couldāve done to stop her.ā
Sansa glanced at Margaery and was surprised when the older girl blushed and refused to meet her gaze. āThatās very kind of you to say, maāam.ā The redhead thanked the woman.
Lady Olenna hummed. āAnyway, Iām spotting the cheese plate I was promised about 10 minutes agoā She looked over her shoulder. āIf you ladies will excuse me, Iām going to eat the food I paid for.ā The woman bid her goodbyes, leaving the two girls alone.
āSorry about her.ā Margaery shook her head. āShe can be a tad blunt sometimes.ā
āItās okay.ā Sansa shrugged. āI like her.ā
āIām glad.ā Margaery smiled easily at Sansa.
There was something at the back of her mind that was nagging Sansa. She didnāt know how to subtly approach the subject so she just dove right in. āWhy did you say we were dating?ā The question and the boldness with which Sansa said it took Margaery aback. āI mean, if you wanted to defend meā upon the lack of a direct response Sansa decided to clarify āyou couldāve just done so without telling him we were a couple.ā Sansa tilted her head to the side expectantly.
āAnd whereās the fun in that?ā Margaery winked flirtatiously. The gesture made Sansa blush once again. āBesides, you look marvellous, darling. It would only be fit for you to have a date for the night.ā Sansa tried not to think about the fact that her heart was beating faster with every word Margaery spoke. āUnlessā she added on second thought āyou wanted to be with someone else?ā
āNo!ā It was almost embarrassing how quick Sansa declined the suggestion. She felt her face turn even redder, so she cleared her throat. āSo, does this mean we have to keep up the charade all night long?ā She chuckled to cover up her eagerness.
There was a gleam in Margaeryās eye that made Sansa shiver, but in a good way. āWanna find out how many people we can scandalise by being extra affectionate in public?ā
And if there was something Sansa was unable to do was deny Margaery anything. āGame on.ā
Chapter 2













