SATURDAY
It was hard to remember the last time Brienne had enjoyed of a good Saturday trip out of Invernalia. Probably not since winter, when she and Jaime went to visit her family, and even that time wasn't as fun as this intends to be. She received Sansa's text yesterday afternoon, and didn't hesitate for a single moment. Jaime was in at once, and to their surprise, somehow Sansa had managed to convince Sandor to join them, too. Brienne was so excited about this plan with her boyfriend and friends that she had woken up early and is already ready, waiting for Jaime and her guest in the kitchen, having a coffee.
Jaime is the first one to join her; all wet hair and that smile that always leaves her breathless pasted his sleepy face. Brienne watches him, dazzled, as he slides into a t-shirt before kissing her again and pouring a cup of coffee for himself.
"Where is the girl who plotted everything?" he asks, looking around. "Is she already gone?"
"Not yet. I heard her showering like two hours ago, but she hasn't come down yet. I think she is still getting ready."
"You think it's for Sandor? Because I bet he'd like her even with a bag over her head!" Jaime jokes. "I'm all curious about what she told him yesterday to persuade him to come to the festival in Salinas. You know, that scary place with children, laughs, music and what is worst, people having fun around!" Brienne laughs with him because he's right. Sandor isn't a party person, he usually feels more comfortable with just the three of them than with a crowd of people around, but she bets spending another day with Sansa Stark had something to do with making up his mind. She still doesn't know what exactly happened between the two of them in the past and hasn't dared to ask her boyfriend yet, though it's obvious that since Sansa is there, Sandor is troubled, to say the least.
"Who knows, yesterday they spent the day together and she arrived late…"
They hear a clatter of heels coming down the stairs and Brienne shuts up as a stunning Sansa walks to the kitchen, leaving both of them speechless. She is wearing a coral-colored short dress with round neck that hugs her waist and matches her hair, and a pair of nude peep toes that makes her legs look even longer than they already are. She has also combed her long hair and done her makeup, and Brienne thinks she'll be the most beautiful girl for 50 kilometers around Salinas today. Jaime whistles and takes her hand, making her giggle and spin around as the skirt floats around her tights like a flower.
"Sandor will have a hard time pushing aside all the men that will flock to you around you today!" Jaime teases her with a wink, making her blush until she is the same color as her clothes.
"Don't listen to him, you look amazing," Brienne intervenes. "But don't forget to get a jacket, it'll cool down in the evening."
"Yeah, I know, don't worry. Hasn't Sandor come yet for you?"
"He called a few minutes ago, must be in his way," Jaime explains, barely seconds before the sound of the engine of his van arrives from outside, and some moments later Sandor bursts through the door of the Bed and Breakfast.
"Hey!" Jaime says, though Brienne doubts his friend is listening to him; he only has eyes for Sansa, his gaze roaming over her once and again, from her toes to the last hair of her head. Sansa smiles and blushes again, brushes her hair behind her ear and looks nervously at the tips of her shoes, and Brienne wonders if Jaime was right, if there is really something going on between them. The girl finally looks at him and her lips form a small "o" when their gazes interlace. Fine Sansa, I get it, I get it, Brienne laughs to herself, because she thinks she has never seen Sandor so dressed-up, and it's really a great view. He's wearing his inseparable jeans, though this time he's combined them with a nice white shirt with the brand logo embroidery on the front, the sleeves rolled up to the elbows and a pair of shoes she has never seen him wear before. She wonders if the label of the shirt would be still hanging from somewhere, because that was her and Jaime's last birthday present and she is pretty sure Sandor is wearing it for the first time.
"Hi Sandor," Sansa says.
"Be careful not to go down with those heels over the pavement, miss."
"Well, if that happens, I'll need someone to hold me," she replies playfully with a grin and he returns it in which seems to be a joke of theirs, while Jaime elbows Brienne, amused at the scene. "I'm going to pick my friends up. We'll meet at Salinas in a while, right?"
Sandor nods and she takes her purse as his eyes follow her until she leaves the house. "Don't make any joke, Lannister," he grunts to Jaime as soon as she is gone and he notices his friend has opened the mouth to say something.
"Hey, I wasn't going to say anything!" Jaime complains.
"You look great Sandor," Brienne compliments him.
"Yeah, you do! I'm sure Sansa thinks the same," Jaime finally says, unable to shut up any longer and winning a snort and a frown from Sandor. "Just saying I'm glad you've finally found a special occasion to wear the shirt we bought you!"
"Yeah, whatever. Fine, let's go. If I have to spend the day around Beric Dondarrion I'd better have a drink before he arrives."
Forty minutes later the three of them are having a walk through Salinas. The village is full of people and life; the streets crowded with children and families. There are terraces everywhere to have lunch outside, plenty of food stands, and musicians playing at every corner filling the air with many different songs that interlace one with another as they move from one street to the other. Brienne is enjoying it all like a child, a smile on her face and Jaime's good arm wrapped around her waist. They've already been together for three years, and she still feels so foolishly thrilled about being with him, of that confident smile with which Jaime looks at her every now and then, as if to reassure her how proud he is of showing to the world that she's his girl. She feels so lucky to have found love with him that she doesn't even care about the looks they still get from people. She's used to them by now, how Jaime catches the eye of women wherever he goes and the sideways gazes that fall on her after, wondering how it's possible that such a big ugly woman, even taller than him, has been able to get such a gorgeous man. Brienne understands it, because sometimes she still asks herself the same question, but it's long since she cared. However odd they look as a couple, they are happy and nothing is going to ruin it, especially not today.
Sandor walks next to them, nervously scanning the mass of families and couples that crowd the streets behind his sunglasses, looking for Sansa. Brienne knows he feels awkward, not fitting in with the happy people, the music, and the colored flags that hang from side to side of the street, and she hopes they meet Sansa and her friends soon so Sandor cheers up again. They head to the main square, where a big stage has been set up and Sandor scans the people for the hundredth time until finally a flash of red catches his attention. Sansa finally sees them too; she waves a hand, smiles warmly and rushes to where they are, followed closely by Jeyne, Beric and Podrick. She apologizes for not arriving earlier – something about Pod not being ready when she arrived at his house – and Sandor finally grins and relaxes now that she is with him again.
After the greetings, they resume their walk, Brienne chatting with Beric, Jeyne and Sansa each at one side of a pleased Pod - the trio laughing happily, probably recalling similar childhood moments together - and Jaime and Sandor watching them closely from behind. Brienne notices how Sansa turns from time to time to flash a smile at Sandor that he returns, though she knows the man is probably wondering when her friends are going to leave her alone, or looking for a way to sneak off with her.
It's 2 pm when they finally sit to have lunch at one of the terraces at the main square. They join two tables, order two pitchers of sangria and the seven of them sit around, not without Brienne noticing how Sansa finally leaves her friends side to sit beside Sandor. Lunch passes by among lively chitchat, good food and sangria. Jeyne and Beric are nice and intelligent and she likes talking with them - even though, for some unknown reason to her, neither Sandor nor Jaime like the guy. Pod is funny; though his attention goes to every pretty girl that passes by their table and she is sure he'll leave them as soon as he has a chance to meet one of them. Brienne watches Sansa and Sandor talking with the rest of the group though always keeping an eye on each other. Their hands brush when Sandor fills Sansa's glass, and Brienne even catches a moment when Sandor has turned to speak with Jaime that Sansa stares at him without being noticed, a goofy smile on her pretty face.
"I think your guest has something for my broody friend," Jaime whispers in her ear.
"I think so too!" she replies, earning a kiss on her lips when she turns her face to him, and she wonders if she'll ever get used to the excitement she feels when he kisses her like that.
"Maybe one day he'll be as happy with her as I am with you," Jaime says, softly caressing her cheek with his thumb, and she knows she's blushing and grinning foolishly at her boyfriend when she gets a second kiss.
"Hey you two, we are eating!" Sandor finally interrupts them, although Sansa elbows him as soon as his words leave his mouth. "What?!" he frowns when all of them including Jaime laugh at his comical expression. Someday I'll tell you the same, Clegane, Brienne thinks to herself.
That dress is too short for her own good.
Sandor is watching how Sansa dances in the square with Jaime and the rest while he leans on the counter of one of the drink stands that surround the main square. A dance band is playing on the stage now and the place is filled with people moving to popular songs that speak of summer loves and parties, most of which he has never heard before. Yes, her dress is too short and too tight and her legs too long and she's too damn beautiful for that ugly village. She is dancing now with Jaime, moving her hips, spinning around and miraculously keeping her balance over those shoes. The intellectual pairing of Dondarrion and Poole dance in each other's arms, while Payne, after having already danced with at least five different girls, is now flirting with a blonde one.
Sansa laughs, dances and sings all the lyrics among the crowd of people, and looks at him with a pleading look from time to time, probably waiting for him to join them, but Sandor didn't sign up for that.
"You should go," Brienne tells him, following his gaze, "or you'll regret it later."
She is taking a rest from the dancing and is sipping a Coke through a straw beside him.
"I don't dance," he grunts.
"Usually me either, but today is a special occasion. Come on, she's looking forward to it!" she says as Sansa glances again to where they are when Jaime whirls her around. "Otherwise, I'll take my boyfriend and she'll be at the mercy of the many men who are watching her now," she teases him.
Sandor knows Brienne is right; Sansa and Jaime are drawing everyone's attention on the square, a blur of red and gold as they dance, both good-looking, young and smiling among the rest of the people that fill the square. He frowns and turns to look at Brienne instead, oddly jealous of them, feeling ugly, big and awkward for the zillionth time in his life.
"How can you stand it?" he asks. "Jaime having the eyes of all women on him."
She shrugs. "Don't know, I feel kind proud of it. I know it's me who he wants to be with and at the end of the day, it's me with whom he goes to sleep every day." She sips her drink again; then her voice gets more serious. "Though it wasn't always like this. I know I'm not good looking and I never had a boyfriend before, but I tell you that I had never felt uglier and more insecure than when I first met Jaime. What has someone as amazing as him have to do with me? I'm even bigger than him and have never known how to dress in a feminine way!"
"I remember Jaime telling me that you refused to date him several times, we had some beers talking about that. I bet those were the first times he heard a 'no' as an answer coming from a woman!"
"I'm sure they were!" They both chuckle at the memory of those first moments of that relationship. "But then I regretted not having said yes earlier. My fears didn't allow me to realize that he was sincere and really liked me, and if I hadn't overcome them I'd probably have lost him and now I'd be alone. I don't want that happening to you, Sandor," she says, gently placing a hand over his arm. "Listen, I know how you feel, especially when there qre more people around that make you recall all your flaws, and that you've gotten used to live on your own, but I think she is worth taking the risk. Haven't you noticed how she looks at you? She took two hours to get ready this morning and I assure you that it wasn't because she was meeting Podrick Payne! She likes you and she is leaving tomorrow. Don't waste the time you've got left with her whining at this bar with me and pitying yourself, big boy!"
Sandor pats Brienne's hand and gives her a half smile. She may be a pain in the ass sometimes, but if there's something he likes about her it's that she always says what she thinks. Jaime fell in love with that and he has learnt to appreciate it too. Sandor watches square again; Jaime is now dancing with Jeyne, but Sansa isn't with them anymore. He looks around, looking for her coral dress among the people until he finds her at one of the bar stands with a paper cup on her hand and a remorseful look on her face, while a man is yelling something at her. Sandor thunders to her side with long strides and puts a big protective hand over Sansa's shoulder.
"What the hell is happening here?" he growls, looming over the man.
"This stupid girl threw her drink all over me!"
"I-I'm sorry, I just turned and didn't see you…" she stammers.
"So it was accident and she has apologized. We are fine, aren't we?" Sandor tells the man, though what he really wants is to punch his red ugly face.
"Watch your step girl, you've ruined my blazer!"
"She said she's sorry, didn't you heard her?" He frowns menacing and takes a step towards the man, shielding Sansa behind him and ready to kick his ass if necessary.
The man looks up at him, probably weighing what he's going to get himself into if he keeps offending the hulking mass of man that has come to defend the girl.
"Your girlfriend shouldn't be alone if she doesn't know how to drink!" he spits before finally turning around and leaving them alone.
Sandor takes a deep breath before turning to face Sansa, who is staring at him, her lips parted in surprise and an expression between sorrowful, amused, and proud in her face.
"What a jerk!" he says, before his lips turn into a grin at Sansa's expression. "Are you OK?"
She nods, then bites her lower lip. "I just wanted another glass of sangria, but I bumped against him and all of it ended on his blazer and he began to yell at me…" she tells him, showing him innocently the empty glass she hasn't let go of yet.
Sandor laughs, amused with the situation and her comical faces, realizing that he hasn't let go of his grip on her shoulder. "It seems that I can't leave you alone, little bird."
She shakes her head and smiles widely, "Thanks, for saving me again." She then throws her arms around his neck and plants a soft kiss on his cheek. "My hero."
Sandor feels her lips over his skin and smells her sweet perfume, fighting the temptation to turn his face and meet her mouth. Instead, he takes her right hand from his neck and lifting it over her head makes her spin around, her skirt brushing his thighs in doing so and getting a cheerful squeal from Sansa.
"Let's get you that drink, little bird," he whispers in her ear when he makes her stop by catching her in his arms. Sandor takes her by the hand to the counter, asks for a sangria and watches how she smiles, happy as a child, before sipping the straw. He wonders if she's a little tipsy already, though he doesn't care; she is funny as hell and under the counter, where nobody can see them, their fingers have interlaced. She has that cute innocent grin on her lips when Brienne approaches to ask to join them, and he follows the girls into the crowd, not caring this time what bloody song is being played or that he doesn't dance at all.
Fortunately, Jaime takes pity on him and brings him a beer. He stands by his side for a while as the girls move to the beat of whatever silly popular latin song the singer is singing at that moment.
"Nice performance, just now," he teases and Sandor snorts and chuckles in a replica of their typical conversations. "I think she likes you, man. Maybe it's the shirt. Brienne chose it; you should have used it earlier!"
"Maybe. Clearly it makes me more handsome."
"Listen, we are leaving in a while," Jaime explains. "Brienne's new guests arrive at 8 pm and I'm taking them for a sightseeing tour tomorrow morning; but you two should stay. I think Sansa isn't done with the street fair yet."
That's how half an hour later, they all meet at a corner of the square. Jaime and Brienne have to go, and it seems that Dondarrion and Jeyne too – something about a dinner with his parents. Podrick arrives with the blonde girl wrapped by the waist and with what are clearly lipstick marks on his neck.
"Hey guys! This is… mmm… Brenda," he stammers.
"Gwen!" the girl complaints.
"Gwen, Gwen. We're going to stay around here for a while. Don't worry about me, I'll manage to get back to Invernalia on my own," Pod tells them, looking at his shoes and scratching his neck, the blonde smiling goofily at him again. With that the new couple leaves the group again under the astounded look of his two female friends, though Sansa seems a bit sad to know that the party is over.
"I think we'll stay a little longer too," Sandor says, taking the keys of his van from his pocket and handing them to Brienne, "Take them back to Invernalia, we'll return in Sansa's car. Well, if that's what you want." He looks at Sansa and sees how she nods and lights-up like a Christmas tree because of him; and he nods back and grins as he thinks that maybe coming to Salinas wasn't such a bad idea.
They talk as they walk together along the busy streets, while he watches, stunned, how she giggles joyfully at his silly attempts to make her laugh. Sandor soon forgets the music, the crowded streets, or the children paying and running around, everything that isn't her, really. He doesn't mind anymore the things that usually keep him from these events, and enjoys the simple pleasure of walking quietly with her around that village where nobody knows them; as any other couple who are simply spending a festive day together.
After a while, Sansa stops to buy a cotton candy in one of the candy stands that are in the streets, and soon her lips are covered in pink sugar and her hair is dotted with small pink cotton clouds. Sandor picks a cloud from a strand of her hair and shoves it in his mouth under her astonished gaze, just before she bursts out laughing, waving the stick of cotton between them. Though the candy is too sweet for his taste, he thinks he wouldn't mind tasting the pink sugar that still remains on the corner of her lips.
Their hands brush as they walk, their fingers fumbling for each other's for a moment, and he tingles at her touch. Sandor peeks out of the corner of his eye to see how she blushes and grins while looking elsewhere, and knows she has felt it too. When they stop to listen to one of the street bands playing at a corner of a street, he dares to place his arm protectively around her shoulder, keeping her close to him and she smiles, comfortable under his arm, oblivious to the people around them. Later, Sansa decides to stop to buy a gift for her friend Myranda at what seems to be a hippy stand managed by a woman with a long white dress and flowers in her hair. She chooses a leather purse that she thinks will suit her and, as soon as she pays for it and they resume their walk, she leans slightly to his side again, looking for their previous closeness - something Sandor is more than pleased to grant again.
Their steps lead them to the Main Square again, where the band is still playing the main hits of that summer to the joy of their devoted public, and they order another drink in one the stands around the square. Sansa sips her new sangria as she moves to the rhythm of the music, while Sandor watches her leaning against the stand, his beer already half emptied, spellbound by her hips and the knowing smile she throws in his direction - seductive and sweet, beautiful; a smile just for him. He listens for a moment to the lyrics Sansa is humming along with the singer, some song everybody but him seems to know.
Me without you,
And you without me,
Tell me who can be happy.
I don't like this,
I don't like this…
I've been looking for you,
Shouting in the streets,
Drinking like a man gone mad…
Sansa whirls in front of him, the skirt of her dress and her long red hair dancing around along with her. He isn't fully aware of what he's doing when he takes a step forward and grabs her waist, making her stop, holding her with both hands; her back pressed now against her chest. The music keeps playing its hot rhythm about love and madness, about not being able to live without the person you want, and Sansa's hips still move with it under his hands, following the song, brushing slightly against him. He presses her closer and wraps her in his arms, lowers his face and traces with his lips the curve of her long neck, watching how she sighs, moving it slightly to her right to grant him further access until he leaves a soft kiss in the crook of her neck and feels how she trembles within his arms.
Sandor turns her around to face him - eyes locked in her blue, palms burning over her waist - unable to stand any longer the urge of tasting those lips that have been smiling for him for hours now. It's been long since he last kissed a woman, though hells if he doesn't remember how it's done. Sansa's chest rises and falls in anticipation, her head slightly thrown back, lips parted, wanting, inviting. He presses his mouth to hers, tasting the sugar on her lips, her skin warm and soft. He doesn't know who makes the first move when their mouths open to the other and their tongues meet and tangle and kiss and suck, but they both are hungry for the other and are reluctant to stop. Sandor pulls her slowly against one of the columns of the arcade until her back hits the stone, a hand firmly on her lower back, the other cupping her face, lips thoughtfully working hers. Sansa's glass of sangria hits the floor next to their feet and soon her hands fly to his chest grabbing his shirt as a sweet moan leaves her lips. He smiles into their kiss and nibbles at her lower lip, pleased and proud to elicit such reaction in her, praying to not be dreaming and wake up alone at home.
Somewhere from beyond them, the singer still sings his ardent jingle; I've been looking for you, shouting in the streets…
His mouth finally leaves hers to catch a breath, and for a moment she moves forward a few centimeters to chase him; lips swollen, cheeks flushed, eyes still closed. Sandor looks at her then and grins, realizing that maybe the last six years of his life are summarized in that instant, an odd moment of the future where they were meant to meet, no matter how far they've run from Invernalia, no matter what they've lived before. I've been always looking for you, just for you Sansa Stark, shouting alone, drinking like a mad man in a mess of life, until now…