Warnings: Violence, implied domestic violence, canon-compliant coarse language, and Jaime/Cersei sex. I'm really sorry about the last one…but there's nothing explicit.
Three
Lysa arrives at the hospital with a stricken Catelyn Stark and Robert Baratheon with her. Bringing up the rear is a stoic Ned Stark, a smug Petyr Baelish, and a disgruntled Cersei Baratheon.
Brienne and Jaime hurry to meet them.
"Where is he?" Robert booms, and Brienne rears back at the wave of whiskey fumes that washes over her with his words.
"The doctors are still with him; nobody's allowed in yet," Brienne says.
"Bah! I'm the King of Rock and Roll—they'll let me in!"
Cersei rolls her eyes.
"For the gods' sake, Robert," Ned snaps, "this is a hospital, not some over-priced restaurant! Let the doctors do their jobs!"
Robert glares and swells, his mouth opening.
"He's right," Jaime says, at his most soothing. "The doctors need space and time; you will only distract them."
Robert turns his glare on him but Jaime's expression doesn't change.
"Even Lysa can't go in right now," Brienne says.
Lysa turns towards her. "You said he was all right!"
"We're conducting an investigation," Jaime says calmly. "We're not going to share everything we know while we're doing that."
Lysa glares and Brienne notes that despite the tissues in her hand and Lysa's glittering eyes, there are no tears.
"I should have been with him," Lysa says, then her shoulders begin to shake and she covers her face with her hands.
Catelyn rushes to her sister's side and puts an arm round her, murmuring comforting words as she leads her to the side, where Baelish joins them.
"Did the doctors say how long they're going to be?" Ned asks.
"They thought they would have news for us in about an hour," Jaime says.
Ned glances at Catelyn, who nods.
"Let's go get a coffee, Lysa," Catelyn says, her voice calm and soothing. "We have our phones; they'll call us if we can get in earlier."
Lysa nods, sobbing now, and allows her sister to lead her away, Petyr Baelish trailing in their wake.
Cersei rolls her eyes as the trio leaves the waiting room, and Robert glares at her.
"What would you know of grief, you bitch? You're the one who most likely did this to Jon, just to hurt me!" Robert growls.
Cersei sneers. "You're assuming I give a shit about your feelings."
Robert takes a threatening step towards her and Ned and Jaime spring towards him, each grabbing one of his arms.
"Touch her, and I'll kill you," Jaime hisses.
Ned's eyes widen at Jaime's words then narrow. "I'm Chief of Police, Robert," he says. "I will throw your ass in jail if I have to."
Cersei smirks.
Robert catches sight of her face and roars, lunging for her, dragging Jaime and Ned along with him.
Brienne yanks Cersei out of the way, stepping in front of her just as Robert shakes off Ned's hand and swings his fist. Brienne dodges but the blow glances off her cheek. She coldcocks him, sending him sprawling to the floor before Ned and Jaime can pull the enraged rock star away.
"What by the flames of R'hllor is going on out here?"
They stop in a frozen tableau and stare at the enraged doctor standing at the door of the waiting room, quivering with rage. A redhead, the men are all momentarily distracted by her beautiful face.
Brienne presses her hand against her bruised cheek, her knuckles aching, and scowls.
"Just a slight disagreement between husband and wife," Cersei says, her voice silky.
The doctor's gaze rakes her from top to bottom. "Take this disagreement to the police station, where it belongs," she snaps, her eyes even more contemptuous as she turns her attention to Robert, now sitting up and dazedly shaking his head. "All of you: out. Right now."
"What about Jon Arryn?" Brienne says, taking a step forward.
The doctor's fury softens a little as she takes in the red mark on Brienne's cheek.
"He's resting. We've given him something for the pain, but it's only a matter of time."
Ned frowns. "What, exactly, is wrong with him?"
"The Tears of Lys," Jaime says heavily. "He's been poisoned."
Ned's eyes narrow and he glares from Jaime to Brienne and back again. "You're right, Doctor," he says, "it is time we took this to the police station. Where it belongs."
*/*/*/*/*
They're put in separate rooms at the police station and grilled by detectives. Three hours later, Brienne is the first to be allowed to leave. By then, it's after eleven at night. She waits another hour then texts Jaime to let him know she's going home and she'll pick him up at his apartment at 7:30.
*/*/*/*/*
Jaime reads the text when he's finally released from his interrogation at one o'clock.
Makes sense, he thinks as he calls a cab and heads to his apartment. There's nothing else they can do now, anyway. He smirks as he remembers Ned Stark's angry order to stay away from the case and let 'correct officials' investigate. He's positive Brienne will agree to that as much as he did.
*/*/*/*/*
Jaime walks in to his apartment and flicks on the light.
He's not even surprised to find Cersei seductively draped along his couch.
*/*/*/*/*
"Jaime, is it?" she says as he hands her a glass of Arbor Gold.
"It's been Jaime before," he says with a shrug.
"Has it?" She sips her wine, her eyes dark and heated. "There have been so many names over the years."
"You told me once you liked that," he says. "Made it seem like you were fucking a different man every time."
"We haven't fucked for a long time now."
"As I recall, you're the one who told me not to come back." He lifts his right hand, the gold glimmering in the light of his living room. "I'm even more useless to you now."
Cersei makes a small grimace of distaste. "Did someone finally catch you breaking in to their safe?"
"Something like that," he says.
She grimaces again. "Spare me the gory details."
"Of course," he says. "You're not here for me, anyway, are you?"
"They think I'm the one who poisoned Jon."
"Yes. I know."
Cersei steps close, placing her hand flat on his chest, right over his pounding heart. "You know I would never do something like that."
"I know you would absolutely do something like that," Jaime says and forces himself to step away, silently cursing the fact that his desire for the cursed woman is still as powerful as it has always been.
Cersei's eyes grow cold and haughty. "So you think I'm guilty, too."
"I didn't say that," he says with a smirk.
Her eyes narrow. "You know I hate it when you play word games with me...Jaime."
At least Tywin's training still holds, Jaime thinks. Never break character, even when you think you're alone.
He sips his Northern whiskey and smiles. "You would absolutely poison someone if it suited your needs, Cersei. But if you were going to kill anyone, it would be Big Bobby B, not Jon Arryn."
She sniffs as she takes another sip of her wine. "You do know me better than anyone," she says.
Yes, he thinks, and he still can't stay away.
She finishes her wine and puts the glass down on the bar behind him, leaning in so her body brushes against his.
"I hate that fucking asshole," she growls.
"You should have left him years ago, when I begged you to run away with me."
Cersei scoffs. "To go where? With what money? Two small children and Tywin nipping at our heels? I grew up in poverty before Tywin rescued me, Jaime, and I am not about to give up all that Baratheon money and lifestyle now."
He gently pushes her away. "Then why are you here?"
Cersei blinks those incredible green eyes and says, "I've missed you."
No, he thinks, you need me. I just don't yet know what it is you want me to do.
Jaime's smile is bitter. "I'm sure."
"You don't know what he's like! All...big and fat and hairy, and still mourning his first wife, that insipid cow!" She shakes her head and presses against him again. His cock reacts and she smiles.
"You've missed me, too—I can tell," she purrs and kisses him.
*/*/*/*/*
She tells him to keep the gold hand on.
*/*/*/*/*
"Tell the truth," Cersei purrs, her head pillowed on his shoulder, her fingers playing with the golden hair on his chest. "You're playing at being Jaime Lannister just for me, aren't you? I hear he's almost as rich as the Lannisters of Casterly Rock." She lifts her head and smiles a satisfied cat-like smile. "This is a long con for you, isn't it? So you'll have something to offer me that's better than what I have with Robert."
Jaime stares into her green eyes, feels her soft breasts pressed against him, her leg sliding over his as her hand slides down his chest and stomach to—
"Yes," he groans, arching into her familiar touch, "yes."
*/*/*/*/*