The soul mate revelations aren't an exact science. Some people get the name tattooed on their wrist within days of meeting, some get it years before. Some don't get it all but those people find love with others who don't have a soul mate tattoo either. There's a freedom there Jaime supposed, in knowing your love isn't a product of some higher being's machinations but having someone tell you who you belong with definitely cut down some stress. No reason to have your heart broken by another. Except as stated it isn't an exact science. Some people get it before they met the person, some get it sometime after knowing the person. In those cases it usually popped up within half a year. Jaime had known Brienne for five months when he noticed the black script imprinted on his wrist.
The first thing he had wanted to do was go to her to see if his name was on her wrist as well to make sure it was her but he rejected that idea because if it was, what would he say to her? The next thing he thought of doing was calling up Cersei to gloat about the fact that he would not be condemned to a life of lying in bed trying to warm the cold spot his sister left when her soul mate's name popped up on her wrist. Cersei who, after meeting Oberyn Martell a few days after staring at O. Martell in black ink upon her skin, left Jaime behind without a glance back. He shouldn't have been surprised. She had left him behind before for fanciful dreams of Rhaegar Targaryen being her soul mate or Osmund Kettleblack or even Robert Baratheon but she came back to him every time. She wouldn't this time. Oberyn gave her the push she needed to get away from Tywin, he gave her the freedom and love she had always craved, the kind of love and freedom that Jaime obviously didn't give her enough of to satisfy her thirst for it.
To say that Oberyn, along with most Dornish people, were a passionate bunch would be an understatement. Perhaps it was better this way. Jaime would never be able to give Cersei what she wanted and he was destroying himself in more ways than one by trying. They were married now with a son and a daughter - Elian and Loreza - with another kid on the way and running a successful business together. Last he saw his twin was on Christmas. Her hair was dyed dark brown, the hot sun blazing down on Dorne made her milky white skin tanner and the infamous Lannister eyes somehow looked a duller shade of green and blazed with happiness and love while trained on a man that wasn't Jaime.
So with that in mind he vetoed calling Cersei, he didn't need her to know it had taken him six years after she left him for him to find his true love. Ultimately he decided to call Tyrion who promptly showed up to Jaime's penthouse with wine and fake sympathy.
Tyrion sat and listened to his brother bemoan the gods for giving him a soul mate which Tyrion found quite comical. He thought of what his father's reaction would be when he found out Jaime was destined to be with Brienne Tarth and he couldn't hold in his laughter any longer.
"Thank you for being so understanding." Jaime deadpanned. Tyrion giggled impishly before speaking.
"You have a soul mate, big brother. A soul mate that you already know and are quite fond of though you deny it. I don't see the problem. Some people wait years to meet theirs or they die and where are they left then?" Tyrion reasoned.
Jaime supposed he should be happy. Others had it worse than him, Tyrion did. Jaime's eyes briefly flickered to the name in dull, grey ink on his brother's wrist: T. Jones. Jaime remembered Tysha Jones well: her perpetually flawless chocolate skin, her dark curly hair meticulously coiffed, her honest warm eyes always looking at Tyrion, one of the most socially ousted people from King's Landing to Casterly Rock, with such pure love. The day she died her name on Tyrion's hand faded to gray as it did when anyone's soul mate died. He should be grateful but damn it all if he didn't want to build something better than what he had with Cersei on his own, not because a tattoo told him too. Brienne was a stubborn, strong wench who didn't know her own worth. She wouldn't believe Jaime's feelings were his own and not the result of the bloody thing. It's not like he could lie, she had it too. Not that he'd lie to her anyway.
"What am I supposed to do, Tyrion?"
"Actually talking to her might be a start." Tyrion replied sarcastically.
"And say what? 'So I guess we're soul mates, funny that'?"
"I wouldn't recommend that as a conversation starter, no." Jaime sighed, resting his face in his hands.
"I don't see what the big deal is. Deny it all you want but you've wanted her before this. You like the fact that she can match you blow for blow. She doesn't fall for your charming smile or Lannister looks. She's changed you for the better and father is almost as repulsed by her as he is of Tysha and Oberyn. She's perfect for you." Jaime wanted to deny Tyrion's claim about how long he's wanted Brienne but really it was just for the sake of disagreeing with his brother.
He had no idea when it started. He worked for his father in the finance business, not his choice but he wasn't as cunning as Cersei and definitely not as smart as Tyrion. He was more of an athlete than a student and after a sports injury destroyed his dreams of professional rugby he had to join the family business as his father always wanted. Tywin was the one who had hired Brienne because Jaime had been sleeping with every secretary he had been given or he fired them outright. Hate was a strong word but he certainly didn't like Brienne. Her large form lumbering about his office, staring at her ugly face every day and he definitely didn't like her blunt honesty about not liking him either. That was foreign for Jaime. Even if he didn't reciprocate their attention or was only using them, women always fell for him if only for his looks but not Brienne. He had rationalized it by saying she was hardly a woman. He wanted to get rid of her but she was on Tywin's payroll so he couldn't fire her. He tried to transfer her but his father wouldn't let him. So thus he was stuck with her.
It was funny how they became friends. He made fun of her constantly and she didn't make her disdain of him a secret. He often wondered why she didn't quit but she stuck it out. One day there was a power outage and they got stuck on an elevator. Jaime was especially mean to her but was also bored so he figured they could play poker, strip poker just to have more ammunition to tease her. He was surprised when she agreed and maliciously happy. He wasn't smart but he was a poker champion. It surprised him even more when she effortlessly beat him and embarrassed him when the elevator opened and they were found with him in only his underwear and her with her shirt off. Not a position he wanted to be found in with her of all people. After that the two had been stuck in the building while it was being held hostage by some hired thugs who had it out for the Lannisters. He saved Brienne from being raped, she saved him after Locke cut his hand off. They escaped together and she took him to a place to hide out while Locke and his crew, the Bloody Murmurs, hunted them down. She saved him from dying of blood loss. She put his hand on ice and stopped the bleeding with some herbs she had in her purse. Her father was a hemophiliac she said, she kept the herbs on her in case he had an accident. She called a doctor friend of hers to help save his life. While they waited he had pulled out a flask and drank until it hurt less and in his pain and alcohol induced haze he told her the truth about the whole Kingslayer situation.
The Targaryens used to be "the kings of the finance world" with Aerys Targaryen at the helm. Mad Aerys Targaryen was a pyro maniac and was about to burn a hotel, which was hosting a finance conference, to the ground with everyone (himself included) still inside. Jaime had to beat him almost to death to stop him and Ned Stark walked in on the ordeal. He went to trial, pled self-defense like his daddy's lawyers told him, the truth didn't matter. He got away with 100 hours of community service and 3 months worth of anger management courses, Aerys had been in a coma ever since. People said Jaime did it to rid his family of any competition. Without Aerys, the Targaryens fell to ruin. Thus Jaime was dubbed the Kingslayer. The only ones who knew the truth were Tyrion, Cersei and Brienne.
She had been sympathetic and shocked at the truth. After that he couldn't shut up. He told her about him and Cersei. About how lonely he was. About how much he hated his job. About how much he hated Oberyn Martell, not for anything he did but because he had Cersei. He told her about how much he loathed his father and about how much he despised Aerys Targaryen for ruining his already questionable reputation. He culminated it all by telling her that at times he felt like Tyrion his was the only person in the world who truly cared about him. Brienne had looked him as if she'd never seen him before, he supposed she hadn't. Before she could comment on it her doctor friend showed up and took him to some private hospital miles away from Kings Landing. They were able to reattach his hand, though he didn't have full function of it. The only reason he had it all was thanks to Brienne. They were a lot closer after that, though Brienne still called him out when he was being a prat. They stood by each other when they had to testify at Locke's trail, they spent most of their time together, even outside of work. He didn't mind being seen with her. She was an ugly wench for sure, though her eyes were astonishingly blue, however he didn't mind people staring at them together. Actually as he got to know her more she didn't seem as ugly to him. Funny how that works.
It certainly didn't help when she befriended Margery and she began doing Brienne's make up. She cleaned up stunningly well. He had to hide from her the days he knew Margery was dressing her so he didn't make a fool of himself but it meant nothing. Okay, she was affecting him in ways that only Cersei had before. He didn't say anything to her, hadn't planned on admitting his feelings at all because he didn't want to lose her friendship but now he was given no choice in the matter.
"You're thinking much too hard." Tyrion commented.
"And you hadn't been when you were in my position?"
"When I was in your position I was just glad that I had a soul mate at all. You should be too. Go talk to her, brother, and do try not to make a fool of yourself in the process. " He sighed and grabbed the wine bottle and poured himself another drink. He was going to need to get a lot drunker to deal with this.
Later on that night, Jaime found himself stumbling through the streets. He had drank a lot with Tyrion and after his little brother had finally passed out Jaime had snuck out and now he was on his way to Brienne's house. Some part of his brain thought this may be a bad idea but the drunker part said what better time than the present? So that's what he went with. He finally managed to drag himself up to her apartment building after nearly getting hit by a car. He had a key so he let himself into the building, climbed to the fourth floor and to her apartment. He knocked loudly three times. He figured that was polite. He had a key to her apartment as well and he knew where she hid the spare so he could've just waltzed in.
"Who is it?" She asked with annoyance.
How do I wish to announce myself? He wondered.
"Your one true love." He said, though it sounded more 'our one two glove' whatever that meant.
"Jaime, you're drunk. Go away." She said through the door, her annoyance not wavering however even in his state Jaime could hear the fear in her voice. Jaime sighed, the emotion in her voice sobering him if only minutely.
"I'm wasted, not blind. I can see your name imprinted across my wrist as surely as you see mine. Let me in, wench." He heard a sigh on the other end before the lock mechanisms clicked and the door flew open. She looked normal, weary but normal. His eyes flickered to her wrist. There it was, J. Lannister clear as day for the world to see. The skin around the black lettering was an angry red, almost like-
"Did you try to scrub it off?" He asked incredulously.
"I thought someone was a playing a joke on me. Wouldn't be the first time." Jaime remembered Brienne telling him of how in her college years she had fancied herself in love with Renly Baratheon and how as a prank some dolts named Red Ronnet Connington and Hyle Hunt had written his name on her wrist making her think they were soul mates until Renly gently informed her of the prank and that he was in fact gay.
"Perhaps it is a joke, a cosmic one. Wouldn't be the first time for that either." Brienne continued. Jaime stared at Brienne before shaking his head and chuckling with a bitterness to his tone.
"You daft, blind wench."
"Excuse me? What-" Jaime cut Brienne off before she could go on a tirade.
"You don't see. You've never seen. Before your ignorance was cute, nay, amusing but now it's just..." He laughed bitterly again.
"What do you mean?" She asked with a trembling tone.
"It is literally written across our skin but you still refuse. Can't see past your own insecurities to the truth you so staunchly ignore or deny or are you just that oblivious?"
"It's late and I don't have time for this so just spit it out, Jaime." She ordered sternly, half turning back inside.
"I love you, okay?!" He practically screamed, not giving a damn about her neighbors.
"What?" Brienne stopped in shock.
"You heard me wench. I love you and you don't even- you don't even realize or worse you don't care and you're so wrapped up in your own head and what other people say that everything I say, every way I try to show you goes completely over your head."
"Jaime... you're drunk, you don't know what you're saying."
"Oh that's awfully convenient except the universe has other plans, unfortunately for you." He replied angrily, gesturing to their arms which prompting Brienne to begin trying to hide hers. Jaime shook his head, raked his fingers through his hair and let out another bitter laugh.
"Is it really that horrible? The prospect that maybe, just maybe someone could actually love you and only want love back? Of course there'd be bedroom benefits-"
"Jaime!" She exclaimed, turning beet red.
"But all I really want is you. That's all I've wanted for quite some time." Jaime said, tiredly plopping down next to her apartment door. He heard Brienne sigh and then felt her slip down beside him.
"It's not that it'd be horrible being with you, Jaime. It's not even that I hadn't thought of it before this stupid brand popped up. It's the fact that you're you and I'm me. Our worlds shouldn't mingle outside of business." Jaime was silent before he burst out laughing. He looked at Brienne with clear amusement and watched her confusion turn to exasperation. He began laughing again as she rolled her eyes.
"You're you and I'm me? That's what you're going with. What is this? A Nicholas Sparks novel." He managed to get out through guffaws.
"When I think of the ideal rom-com heartthrob you're farthest from my mind, trust me." Brienne bit out.
"For good reason too. I'm not some hopeless Jerry Macguire archetype."
"No? You show up at my apartment, drunk off your ass and profess your love to me. Sounds very Jerry Macguire to me. You going to tell me I complete you next?" Brienne joked.
"According to this you do." He said showing his wrist to her with her name clearly marked.
"I already knew that in here." He continued pointing to his heart before rolling his eyes.
"Or whatever the male love interest would have said."
"No that's pretty much it." Brienne answered quietly.
"Of course by now the female lead would have kissed the pansy sap by now."
"End scene, cue credits."
"Mmm. Of course this is real life."
"Jaime..."
"Don't let me down easy Brienne, I'm a big boy I can take it."
"I'm not trying to let you down easy. Do you have any idea how difficult this is for me? To accept that a romantic relationship is in the cards for someone like me? That I have a soul mate is some kind of cruel miracle, let alone the fact that soul mate is you."
"Cruel miracle?"
"For one I have to put up with you for the rest of my life."
"As if you could have ever gotten rid of me."
"Now I have to put up with what everyone will say, the gossip, the stares, your father."
"Fuck my father."
"I'd rather not." Brienne said with a mock disgusted look. Jaime gave her a rare withering look.
"Who cares what anyone else says? I don't and you shouldn't especially when the gods have obviously seen fit to throw in our faces what we already knew but were too stubborn to admit. I love you and not because some stupid tattoo says I do. I'm unworthy of you but I do love you and I want you. All you have to do is say the word and I'm yours." Jaime replied with no joking in his tone. He stared at Brienne with such startling intensity that the thought of not believing him didn't even cross her mind.
"I... I do want you Jaime but-" He cut her off before she cut continue with a press of his lips to hers. Part of her, the jaded part screamed for her to rebel against this but mostly she tired of having to. What was the point of having a soul mate and having it be someone she had feelings for anyway if she was just going to push him away and make them both miserable? Besides he was a good kisser though she'd never tell him, his ego was inflated enough as is. Brienne breathed deeply as Jaime pulled his lips from hers softly.
"Damn. Tyrion's going to kill me. Pretty sure he wanted to witness this himself so he could tell the world I told you so."
"And? Next time we kiss, I'm not doing it in front of your brother just to satisfy him."
"Next time?"
"Next time." Jaime smiled widely and brightly at her.
"Knew you couldn't resist me." He said in a flirtatious tone.
"Don't start flattering yourself." Brienne answered rolling her eyes, standing up and walking into her apartment. She paused at the door and looked back at him.
"Are you coming or not? Full disclosure, we are not having sex." Jaime stood up and walked over to Brienne, invading her personally space.
"I'm not worried, we've got plenty of time for that." He brushed past her and walked into her apartment with a smirk. Brienne rolled her eyes but felt her lips twitching into a small smile. Perhaps living forever stuck with Jaime wasn't going to be as bad as she made it seem it would.