If it were any other day, Sansa Stark might not be so reluctant to get out of her own car. If it were any other day, she would have had food in her belly and would have remembered to bring her damn backpack, but in a frenzied rush out the door, she had forgotten nearly everything of importance, including her composure. Sansa cut the engine and sank back into the threadbare seat to let out a long breath. Would they even let me in without my UW ID? Things like this never happened to her, not to careful, collected Sansa Stark. Shit.

It was nearly one in the afternoon, and she felt nothing but disappointment in herself for messing up. Why did I sleep so late, damn it? The lack of preparation for her first day back at University of Westeros- Winterfell made Sansa wonder what else she may have overlooked.

"…. When people study the sciences, they generally overlook the beauty in them…there are pros and cons of course… depending on who you are and what you like…. But the thing about physics… is that it is relevant to all of us in that…."

As the professor droned on and Jon was in the middle of wondering whom in their right mind would grant Mace Tyrell a doctorate- when a tall, ponytailed redhead opened the squeaky door of the lecture hall and tried to quietly slip in without notice. She had only just taken a seat when Dr. Tyrell made an overt, unnecessarily long pause of annoyance at the girl's minor disturbance. It was only when she squirmed uncomfortably in her seat that Jon's breath had caught in his throat. Sansa? That same squirm had made many an appearance when Sansa was uncomfortable at family dinners. Not my family, though. The realization that she was here, in person, and not an illusion - settled itself difficultly to sit on Jon's chest, and for a moment he forgot to breathe.

It seemed like it had been only a few months since they had last seen each other, always an appropriate distance away and with careful hellos and how are yous. Evidently, Sansa looked much the same, though a bit stiff where Jon remembered softness. She was still very beautiful as she always had been, and in subtle places too like the slope of her neck and nose.

In truth, it had been years since they spoke, years since Jon had moved out of his foster home across from the Starks, and years since he had come over for dinner. Years since Robb died. By the time Jon had composed his breathing to settle his beating heart the professor dismissed the students and the lecture hall was emptying.

Jon shouldered his backpack and made for a quick exit, not meaning to lose Sansa in a sea of UW hoodies. "Sansa," he called, "Sansa, wait." His hand found her shoulder and Sansa turned quickly to meet his eyes, confusion clouding her face.

"Jon? What- what are you doing here?" Jon's train of thought, his list of what to say to her- everything left him when he noticed the fleece-lined collar of her jean jacket. Robb's jean jacket. It was outfitted with all the same patches and pins as he remembered, and he doubted greatly that Sansa had moved them even half an inch.

"Robb's jacket?" he asked, and fingered a patch near her shoulder. Neutral Milk Hotel it read. The band Jon had dragged Robb to go see the year they both turned 17. Jon gave her a small smile and said, "At that concert, Robb had spent fifteen minutes convincing the bouncer that we were of age."

Sansa's eyes fell to the patch, to where Jon's fingers were seconds ago, but where now scruffing through his hair, black as ink and just as curly as she remembered. "He was so set on us having beers that night that by the time we finally got them, neither of us wanted to admit that they tasted like toilet water." Jon recalled as he laughed -Sansa gave him half a smile.

"Jon. How are you?"

"Doing ok. Are you hungry?" Jon already started feeling the guilt in his Adam's apple from how much he liked his name on Sansa's tongue. Old habits.

"I'm fresh out of cash, actually." She said as she remembered her backpack, probably sitting on one of her kitchen chairs.

"That's not an issue. I know a place." he led them outside where a green car was parked, rusted in some places and dented in others. "Er, you may have to jiggle the handle a bit to get the door to open," Jon felt his face redden as Sansa fussed with the door and slid into the passenger's seat, her warm breath swirling about her face in the nippy January air. As he took his usual route to The Shadow Tower, he wondered what exactly he had gotten himself into. What was he supposed to say to her? It was too late to take back out of this horrendous situation… but how exactly could he talk to someone that he hadn't seen in…. four years? Five?

"So," Jon coughed as he slowed for a stop sign, "Do you have a major picked out yet…?" he peeked at her out of the corner of his eye, thankful that they weren't completely face to face just yet.

"No, uh, not quite. It's still my first year, so I'm just getting a feel for things." She looked out the side window, pointedly avoiding his glances.

"Right, right. So…you're taking physics then?"

"Yeah, are you taking it as well?" Sansa turned to face him in her seat, and their eyes met briefly before he turned his attention back to the road. Was that hope in her voice?

"Uh, sort of. I'm working on my masters right now so I'm just a teacher's assistant."

"You've graduated?" Sansa seemed defeated. There was so little they knew about each other. Maybe it would be easiest if he just… told her everything.

"Yes, I have." Jon made sure to add more brightness into his voice. They were going to have a good time if it killed him. "When I moved out I went to a community college in King's Landing, and got an associates degree in applied mathematics, lived in some microscopic apartment for a while and didn't sleep over the summers so I could work at saving up for textbooks… Then I got accepted here at Winterfell to finish a bachelor in physics and astronomy and graduated last May. They took me in again for a Masters and here we are, discussing it in my shitty car, on the way to a shitty pub… hope you like shepherd's pie."

"Oh yes, I love shepherd's pie." Sansa even sounded a bit excited. Please let her have a good time. Their eyes met again and Jon smiled at her.

"Good 'cause we're nearly there."

"So you're a science nerd?" She said abruptly.

Jon gave a hearty laugh. No-nonsense Sansa Stark. "I suppose I am one, yes. If you need help with your coursework let me know. My number hasn't changed."

They sat in a half-comfortable silence for the rest of the ride. Jon parked a block away and they stepped over partially melted piles of snow to reach The Shadow Tower, and Jon really, really hoped that this wasn't a huge mistake.