"Dad."

Ned made a noise to indicate he was listening.

Jon sighed from the table. "I have to ask you something. Something important."

"Okay," Ned said agreeably, taking a seat across from his fourteen-year-old son.

"Did you always love Catelyn?"

Ned was startled. "What do you mean by that?"

"It's just…I've been doing the math," Jon said slowly. "And, well, I always thought it was strange that Robb and I were the same age…but then I realized that he's six months younger than me. So Mom—Catelyn, I mean, not my real mom—was pregnant with Robb when I was born."

"Well…yes," Ned conceded.

"I don't understand." Jon hesitated. "You didn't cheat, did you?"

"No, I would never," Ned said quickly. "It…well, it's a bit complicated…"

"I've got time," Jon said with a hint of a challenge.

Ned chuckled. "Well…let's see. I guess it all started when your mother and I broke up, actually…"

.

Ashara swiped a hand over her eyes. "So…"

"So…" Ned echoed, unwilling to meet her eyes.

"So this is it," she said quietly.

"I guess so." He swallowed. "This is…I'm really sorry, Ashara."

"No, don't be." She forced a teary smile. "You didn't do anything. You just—we just…can't take this relationship anywhere."

"I'm sorry," he said again.

"Don't be," she insisted with a little more force than was necessary.

"I do want us to be friends," he said rather lamely.

"So do I." She wiped at her eyes again. "I'm sorry, Ned, but I…I'd really like to be alone right now. You know, to process everything."

"Oh, right, yeah, of course," he blurted, jumping to his feet. "I…anything you need."

She saw him to the door and gave him another watery smile. "I'll, um…not see you?"

"I, um, right," he said, feeling rather stupid. Impulsively, he jerked forward and kissed her cheek. She winced and he pulled away quickly. Stupid. "Well, um…"

"Goodbye, Ned," she said, and closed the door on him. A loud sob sounded from within.

Ned shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked home. He and Ashara had been dating since college, but adulthood had turned them both into different people. They both wanted different things and they couldn't keep pretending they were on the same path anymore. Ending the relationship was inevitable and they couldn't keep looking for excuses to put it off.

That didn't make it any easier. You didn't just spend four years with one person and try to go back to normal like it'd never happened afterwards. Ashara had been his first real girlfriend, the first girl he'd ever loved, his first…well, his first. They'd talked about marriage and kids and growing old together.

And now it was over.

He trudged up the stairs to his apartment and flung himself on his bed. He wished it would absorb him.

The phone rang. Ned snatched it up, afraid it was Ashara.

"NED!"

Worse than Ashara. "Robert, I'm really not in the mood."

"I haven't even said anything yet!"

"I know that tone of voice."

"And I know that tone, and it says you're not having a good night."

"That would be correct," he said, rubbing his temple.

"You'll feel better if you come out tonight."

"Normally, that would be sound advice, but this really isn't the time, Robert," Ned sighed.

"Ned. Neeeeed. Come on, don't pansy out!"

"I'm not pansying out, I just don't want to go out."

"You're coming out. Or so help me I will come over there and drag you out myself!"

"Goodnight, Robert." Ned slammed the phone on the receiver and flopped back onto his bed. He'd call Robert tomorrow and catch up with him then; tonight, he just wanted to mope.

But fifteen minutes after he'd hung up with Robert, a pounding on his door brought him out of moping.

"What do you want?" he asked moodily as he opened the door.

Robert shoved his way into the apartment. "Seven, you look awful."

"I told you, I'm not feeling up to it tonight—"

Robert waved a careless hand. "You'll feel up to it when you have a couple beers in you. Come on! Don't make me go by myself!"

Ned sighed. "Oh, just for a couple of beers."

Robert roared in triumph and clapped Ned on the back as they headed to the bar on the corner, their usual haunt. The bartender recognized them and had two beers waiting by the time they reached the counter. Ned chose a small table in the corner, away from all the other patrons.

"What's eating you, Ned? I haven't seen you this upset since…well. In a while."

Ned knew what Robert was going to say. That he hadn't seen him this upset since Lyanna died. An at-home abortion gone wrong. That was what they said, anyway. Ned could never help the sneaking suspicion that it wasn't entirely an accident on Lyanna's part. She hadn't been herself since she broke up with Robert for Rhaegar Targaryen; even when Rhaegar was locked away with the rest of his psychotic family, she wasn't quite the same. Robert ranted and raved that Rhaegar had messed her up and she died because of him, for all the good it did him. It didn't matter now; Lyanna was gone and Robert had found other women. His current babysitter was Cersei Lannister, an attractive heiress you didn't want to cross. Ned frankly didn't understand what Robert saw in her except for her looks; she was still in college and seemed to snap at Robert more than smile at him. But Robert was happy and Ned supposed that was all that really mattered.

He took another swig. "Ashara and I broke up," he said, and he was embarrassed about how much his voice cracked.

"Really?" Robert stared at him for a minute. "Well, shit."

"Yeah." Ned took another swig. "We sort of knew that it was coming."

"I'm sorry, Ned." Robert hesitated. "How did it happen?"

Ned shrugged. "We just got to talking, decided this was the best thing for both of us."

"Well, at least you didn't fight about it," Robert said, clearly troubled.

"No," Ned agreed.

They sat in silence for a long moment.

"Are you upset?"

Ned shrugged again. "Not the way I thought I would be. I mean, I am upset, don't get me wrong, but I feel a little…lighter."

"That's good." Robert clapped his shoulder. "Hey, you know what we ought to do?"

"No but I don't think I'll like it."

"STRIPPERS!" Robert yelled, loud enough to make the guys down the bar cheer.

"I don't want strippers—"

"Nonsense! Every man loves strippers! And you're single!" roared Robert. "You don't have to worry about a girlfriend getting upset anymore!"

"Will your girlfriend get upset?" Ned asked pointedly.

Robert scoffed. "What Cersei doesn't know won't hurt her. Come on, Ned!"

"I really don't want to—"

"Come on!" And Robert dragged Ned out of the bar.