‘Not long,’ he answered truly, lifting himself in order to rest on his elbows. It was odd to feel warm again–though, in perspective it wasn’t entirely warm, but anything was warmer than the brutal north, and he was glad to be leaving it. He had been torn for some time, he hadn’t wanted to join her but he owed it to her. More than that, he wanted her to succeed. He wasn’t wanted in the North, and in the end, he wanted to do what was right.
That path lay with Margaery.
‘First night I’ve slept this well in…months, really,’ he admitted, pulling his gaze from her to look thoughtfully towards the porthole. ‘Helps not freezing my arse off, but.’ He let the sentence end–in truth, he knew it was because he felt a measure of safety and familiarity at her side
She followed his gaze, light and sound and the smell of sea salt drifting in. It was warm, not too stuffy but enough for her to appreciate the lack of cold. It had seemed that no matter how long she had been in the North, winter had not agreed with her. She’d come to tolerate it well enough but she had always felt...out of place. Roses grew in their glass gardens even in the midst of winter but their roots could not spread from that one spot.
A soft sound escape her lips, neither chuckle nor hum. “It’s almost strange, you know--feeling warm again. I’ve been so long without it.” Her hand reached out for him, fingers making contact with his shoulder and then the crook of his neck. He radiated warmth, so much so that might have lulled her back to sleep with help from the rocking ship. The briefest of smiles touched her lips as she turned his head to face her with just the tips of her fingers.
“Did I ever thank you for accompanying me?”