Chapter 17

Dany was in the kitchen when Sansa emerged from a long morning study session in the library. They were several days into finals week and Sansa was stressed out. Dany's final was tomorrow but she was feeling confident so she had several hours to devote to Sansa before buckling down with her own studying. She quickly gave her tired girlfriend a hug and sat her down on a stool at the island where she placed a sandwich and a glass of water in front of her.

Sansa gave her a warm smile and said, "Will you be like this when I come home after a long day at work, too?"

"Absolutely not. By that time, I'll be a frazzled academic, too busy to pay attention to my frazzled academic partner," Dany replied without missing a beat.

Her remark hit where she'd wanted it to and Dany heard that wonderful laugh that she couldn't get enough of. She watched as Sansa took a bite of the sandwich she'd prepared and was satisfied by the pleased groan Sansa let out. After a few moments of watching her, Dany spoke again.

"You're nearly there, you can do this."

"I know, but I hate that they're at the end," huffed Sansa, taking a drink of water. "It never fails. I always have finals on the last two days. You're lucky yours is tomorrow."

"Well, let's not think about that. I'll probably have a late night but for now, I have a surprise for you. Finish up that sandwich and we can get started."

Dany's surprise was an impromptu video chat bake-off against Arya and Gendry. Earlier that morning, she'd seen Catelyn chatting with Arya on the tablet which was propped up on the kitchen island and when Dany walked by, Arya called her over to talk. Given the last thing Arya said to her through a tablet, she'd expected the girl to give her grief, which she did, but one thing led to another and soon they were talking about their favorite food shows. Arya quickly came up with the idea of a competition to get Sansa to unwind from studying. The younger Stark girl thought she could fluster Dany with some other ideas of how to get Sansa to unwind but Dany only rolled her eyes at the amateurish effort, and when she saw Gendry walk by Arya without a shirt, she was able to get Arya to blush with some carefully worded innuendos of her own. Arya laughed and their friendship was born.

"Okay, so we're going to bake bread and be judged by Gendry's roommate? How will that be fair? He can taste theirs and won't be able to taste ours," Sansa complained after Dany explained the challenge.

"It's just something fun. And he'll judge by how pretty it looks," Dany said patiently as she set up the tablet.

Arya came on and she and Gendry were soon high-fiving and trash-talking Sansa and Dany.

Sansa quickly got over her hesitation and was soon giving Dany orders on ingredients and where to find her favorite bowls and measuring cups. Normally Dany would have balked at such orders but coming from Sansa, she happily supported her girlfriend's desire to annihilate the opposition.

During the dough's rising times, Dany would fit in studying in the library while Sansa read in her room. When it was time to knead, the two of them traded off barbs with Arya and Gendry. Well, Gendry mostly just took orders from Arya while she did most of the verbal sparring on their behalf but Dany saw how he calmed her frustration when the dough wasn't as springy as it needed to be. He was a supportive boyfriend and Dany found she got under Arya's skin the best when she teased him about how wonderful he was. It seemed only fair to do so as often as possible given how much the girl liked to mess with Sansa, and Dany was nothing if not a loyal girlfriend who would vanquish all in her path to protect what was hers.

It was late afternoon and Dany was fairly certain their loaf of sandwich bread would win easily. But when it was finally ready to take out of the oven, Dany's breath was stolen by a loose strand of hair which had slipped its way out of Sansa's braid and came down over the side of Sansa's forehead, over her eye. Sansa had on these cute direwolf oven mitts and was carefully taking the bread pan out of the oven to set it on the stove. Dany had already set the cooling rack on the counter, ready for when the bread was cool enough to turn out of the pan. But that fucking fly-away. Her heart lurched with longing. With the oven mitts on, Sansa raised an arm to try to move it out of her eye and was only successful at getting flour on her forehead. The concentration in her brow, the red hair that Dany suddenly, desperately needed to grip with her fingers, it all drew her in and she was soon hugging and kissing her girlfriend.

"Hey!" yelled Arya from the tablet. "We agreed no PDA during this competition!"

Looking up into Sansa's eyes, feeling Sansa's arms around her, Dany carefully pushed the fly-away back over Sansa's ear and wiped the flour off her forehead. This was happiness. She had a girlfriend whose family did crazy puzzle competitions for fun, who came up with weird bake-offs over a video chat. And she was kind and intelligent to boot.

"We concede?" Dany whispered. Sansa looked at her in confusion but then she smiled and nodded.

Dany turned to the tablet and said more clearly, "We concede. You win."

"Hey! No way! I don't want to win by forfeit. I demand satisfaction!" Arya argued.

"That's what Gendry is for," replied Sansa.

"And don't worry, we'll leave your rug alone," Dany quickly added before closing up the video feed. She giggled, pleased that Sansa's competitive streak wasn't so severe that she would insist on finishing the game.

"Come on," Dany said, grabbing Sansa's hand and pulling her out of the kitchen.

"Where are we going?"

"Outside. I need to see you in the sunshine!"

The two of them raced out the door and Dany didn't stop until she had Sansa near the vegetable garden. Dany turned to Sansa, in awe of how the late afternoon sun hit her red hair, overcome by how radiant and glorious Sansa was. Dany was so happy she could feel the sting of tears in the back of her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Sansa asked softly.

"Sansa…" breathed Dany, her heart thundering in her chest. "Is it too soon to tell you? Is it too soon?"

Of course, it's too soon, she thought and began to panic. We've only just gotten together. Sansa isn't ready for this.

"I know I've been the one saying to slow down, to not let ourselves get carried away, and here I am not even a week after our first kiss and I'm bursting, Sansa. I need to say it but it's okay if you don't… I don't want to scare you."

Sansa's eyes searched her face until they widened in understanding. And then strong arms pulled her into a tight hug.

"Gods, I thought it was just me," rushed Sansa in a voice that was almost a sob. "How can it be too soon when we've been falling for months? I've already said my heart is yours, that I'm yours. I don't care about the timing, Dany. I feel it, too."

"Good," said Dany, pulling back enough to look at her girlfriend's tear-filled eyes and putting her hands up to cup her cheeks. "Because I'm in love with you. I love you. And I can't go another minute without telling you."

Sansa chuckled through her tears and then gently pressed her lips against Dany's.

"I love you, too."

*::::*

Dany thought this was the best finals week she'd ever had. Finally getting together with Sansa, supporting each other while studying, getting to know one another better, it was pure bliss.

Her own exam turned out to be a breeze. It certainly helped that Sansa had told her she loved her the day prior. And she used the rest of her time helping Sansa study, earning her laughs and smiles at dinner time or in the basement with Sansa's family, and distracting her for the occasional, breathless break in the library.

The nights before falling asleep were spent catching up on all the missed kisses and touches they should've shared before lockdown, all the cuddles and conversations, all the late nights where Sansa or Dany would've said it's too late to go back to a separate apartment or dorm room and to just spend the night together.

Sometimes they shared Dany's bed but Dany much preferred staying in Sansa's room, surrounded by Sansa's smell and her things. She enjoyed asking questions about trophies and medals, pictures of friends, and dolls and stuffed animals that still had their place on shelves. She wanted to know every single thing about her girlfriend.

The other thing she enjoyed was how Sansa's comfort level in their physical activities increased. Early on, Dany frequently asked questions to make sure Sansa was okay with different things, like the amount of pressure her teeth made on Sansa's skin, or whether the pinch on her nipples over her shirt was too much. In this way, it gave Sansa the confidence to ask her own questions.

Their makeout sessions were now very much heated and it took an incredible amount of willpower for the two of them to slow down or change their positions so they wouldn't get carried away. She could sometimes see Sansa's frustration whenever she did so, and Dany felt the same when Sansa was the one to pull back, but she never pushed. Dany wanted Sansa to be the one to initiate the next step.

After finals were done, dinner that night was a celebration. And the kids had a bit of a party afterwards in the basement. It was also a send-off for Theon, who was moving back to his apartment the next day. He got drunk but happily hugged Sansa and Dany and wished them well.

She and Sansa were tired that night so they didn't stay very long in the basement. Sansa smiled at her as she dragged her upstairs and they kissed lazily before falling asleep on Dany's bed.

Dany woke up the next morning and left a still sleeping Sansa in bed when she hopped in the shower. She wasn't in there for very long, and was shampooing her hair, when she heard Sansa come into the bathroom.

"Good morning, babe. Hope you slept well," Dany called out as she rinsed the shampoo from her hair.

The shower curtain opened and in stepped a very naked and blushing Sansa.

"Yes, I did," answered Sansa shyly.

Dany gaped at her, unsure at what to do, at what Sansa wanted. Her heart raced at the possibilities.

"We haven't actually gone topless with each other yet and I know it's sudden, but I just had this urge. And maybe it was stupid. It's a stupid idea, right?"

Sansa was chewing on her lip as her eyes kept trying to avoid staring but still ended up captivated by Dany's body, and Dany smiled at her eager girlfriend.

"Switch places," Dany said with a smirk.

Once Sansa was under the water, Dany allowed her eyes to take in her girlfriend.

"Wet enough for you?" Sansa asked, no doubt remembering that Dany had told her of how turned on she was whenever she got to see Sansa's wet skin from her showers.

"If you aren't now, you will be soon enough," Dany said huskily.

The redhead blushed, as expected, but then she lunged at her for a hug, which was not expected. Soon they were both blushing and gasping at the feeling of so much skin against skin.

They didn't have sex that morning, and touches remained above the waist, but Dany enjoyed the smug look on Sansa's face when their shower was done and Sansa traced the marks she'd left behind on the tops of Dany's breasts, knowing they'd last for days.

*::::*

As planned, a few days later Sansa, Jon, and Dany took their lists from Catelyn and went shopping. They went first thing in the morning because in demand items sold out fast and also because when they got back, Jon was going to leave the house and stay with Ygritte. Now that the two of them had made up and transitioned to a monogamous relationship, a distance thing wasn't going to work for either of them.

Sansa pulled up to the house and quickly took the groceries and supplies to the laundry room where she greeted her mother who was busy wiping everything down with disinfectant wipes. Produce would be washed separately.

Dropping her mask on the pile of things that needed to be washed, Sansa said, "Things were busy at the store and I wanted to be back before Jon left so I'll head back out to the pharmacy after he leaves."

"Okay, that sounds fine. Dany's already upstairs," her mother said and Sansa thanked her before heading up the servant stairs.

It was probably overkill. It wasn't as if Sansa had spent a whole workday in the factory like her dad and Robb did, but worry over Bran meant Sansa didn't want to take any chances and she told Dany and Jon to take showers when they got home. She walked into her room and promptly stripped, placing her clothes in a bag that already held Dany's clothes to be taken downstairs to the laundry room.

"It's been about twenty minutes since I sprayed down the bathroom so jump in whenever you're ready," Dany called out from her room.

Sansa smiled, grateful that her girlfriend didn't tease her for her over-protectiveness.

After she was done, she sprayed down the shower again with disinfectant spray, got dressed, and went into Dany's room.

"Any problems?"

"None at all," Dany said, pulling her in for a hug. "Busy but I found most everything your mom put on the list."

"Me too. I need to go back out to the pharmacy, though."

Dany laughed. "Does that mean you're going to do a repeat of all of this?" she asked, gesturing towards the bathroom.

"Yup."

"Better you than me. I'll leave the spray in the bathroom."

Not long after that it was time for Jon to go. Ygritte texted she was on her way and Jon said his goodbyes to everyone still at the house, having already said goodbye to Ned and Robb earlier in the morning.

They were all outside just as Ygritte drove up. Sansa hadn't seen her in a few months and she waved hi just as Jon was giving more hugs to Bran and Rickon, promising they would connect online to play video games together. Catelyn hugged Jon one more time and then hustled the younger boys into the house.

"Hey Daenerys," said Ygritte after she'd gotten out of the car.

"Hey yourself," answered Dany.

Sansa was surprised. "You two know each other?"

"Sure," answered Ygritte. "I'd see this one fending off the googly eyes of that one every now and then when I dropped in to say hi to Jon at the library."

"Oh," Sansa replied, feeling a bit uncomfortable. The gleam in Ygritte's eyes made her think she was missing something.

Her attention was soon on Jon, who was waiting to hug them.

"You two take care of each other and I'll see you soon. We'll do video chats and stuff, okay?" Jon gave a hug to Dany and then gave Sansa a great big bear hug. Afterwards, he carried his bags to Ygritte's car.

As Jon was putting his stuff in the car, Ygritte took a few steps closer to Sansa and Dany though she was still at least ten feet away.

"Hey, so Jon told me what happened. Sorry about that."

"What do you mean? You didn't do anything," said Sansa.

Ygritte grimaced and inhaled through her teeth. "Well, I didn't tell him to lie and don't worry, I've got plans to make him see the error of his ways about that. But I did kind of, sort of, definitely tell him to try to get with Dany here in the first place."

Dany let out a loud laugh and Sansa's mouth dropped open.

"What? She's hot," Ygritte said, looking at the two women like they were the ones who said something shocking. "I thought she could be pulled in as a third."

"Jon did not mention that," Sansa practically growled, then glared at Jon. "You did not mention that at all."

Jon grinned sheepishly, gave a half-hearted wave, then got in the car without answering.

Sansa put an arm around Dany's waist and pulled her close. In response, Dany's laughter got even louder.

"Now I'm almost regretting telling your brother we should keep it just him and me. I think I could have fun with the two of you," said Ygritte with a chuckle.

"It was nice seeing you again, Ygritte. Keep my brother out of trouble," Sansa said politely through clenched teeth.

Ygritte winked and walked to her car.

"Let me know if you change your mind," Ygritte called out.

"Bye, Ygritte," Dany said, leaning her head on Sansa's shoulder.

Sansa could feel her trying to stifle her laughter and it only increased her annoyance.

Ygritte laughed and got in the car, started it up, and drove away.

"She was just joking, Sans."

"Yeah, well, she wasn't funny."

Dany lightly gripped Sansa's chin and turned her face towards her.

"You're the only redhead I want, Sansa Stark."

Sansa looked into her eyes and softened.

She said, "She was right about one thing. You are hot."

Dany smiled. "Come on, sweet girl. Have a snack before you head out again," she said, pulling her back into the house.

*::::*

Sansa repeated her careful routine when she returned from the pharmacy. This time Dany told her that she would spray down her bedroom while she was in the shower and to come into her room when she was done.

When Sansa stepped out of the shower, she was surprised to see a bathrobe next to the set of clean clothes she'd set out on the sink counter. It wasn't her bathrobe; she'd left hers back at her apartment before coming here.

As in all things having to do with them, Dany left the clothes to give her a choice. They'd taken a few showers together and being naked together wasn't uncomfortable. But dry and naked together? On a bed? That would be new.

Biting her lip, she pulled on her underwear and the robe. She picked up the disinfectant spray that Dany left out and sprayed down the shower and then the sinks.

Walking into Dany's room, she glanced at the door to make sure it was locked. Turning back to Dany, she said, "All these weeks and I didn't know you had a robe."

"Huh," Dany replied with a smirk. "I wonder why that is."

Sansa flashed to those early days of quarantine, when Dany did all she could to fluster her with her body. She'd been so clueless then. Looking at Dany, she saw she was wearing a loose t-shirt and a pair of sleep shorts. It was early afternoon and much too soon for bed. Sansa smiled, knowing how her girlfriend wanted to pass the time before dinner.

"So, my room and the bathroom stink like disinfectant, and you have me in this robe. Whatever shall we do?"

Dany smiled and walked up to her, loosening the knot on the robe. "Whatever we want."

::

"I have something special planned for tomorrow," whispered Sansa as she kissed along Dany's stomach.

"Mmm, what?" breathed Dany.

Sansa's robe had long been removed, as well as Dany's shirt and shorts. Now they were just in their panties and they'd been kissing and touching each other above the waist for the last hour.

"Our date. I put in an order for takeout from the café you said we would go to on our first date. We'll have lunch by the heart tree."

Dany bit her lip and pulled Sansa up, wrapping her legs around Sansa before kissing her. Pulling away, she said, "How romantic."

Sansa liked the new position, feeling the heat of Dany's center against her.

"You feel so good, Dany," whispered Sansa as she tentatively pressed her hips forward and was rewarded with a small moan from her girlfriend. "Does this feel good?"

"Yes," whispered Dany, raising her hips to meet Sansa's slow grinding.

It continued like that for a while, their bodies sweating against each other, Sansa sucking hard on Dany's neck as a hand palmed her breast, Dany's hands gripping her back and arching into her.

"Sansa," gasped Dany. "If you want to stop or change positions, now would be a good time."

Sansa's heart started pounding so hard, she thought it would explode right out of her. She didn't want to stop. She wanted to see Dany fall apart beneath her. Sansa focused her thrusting to an angle that elicited the loudest moans from Dany.

"It's okay. I don't want to stop," whispered Sansa, rolling Dany's nipple between her fingers.

"Oh gods, just like that," groaned Dany. Then, seeming to remember what Sansa had just said, she asked, "Are you sure?"

"I want you, Dany." Sansa pressed her forehead against Dany's and asked, "Can I touch you?"

Dany whimpered, "Yes." She grabbed Sansa's hand off her breast and slowly pushed it down until Sansa slipped inside her underwear. "Soft at first. Harder when I tell you."

"Inside?"

"Please. But only if you're ready."

Sansa nodded, her arousal spiking at the feeling of Dany's wetness. She was hesitant at first but Dany reminded her that it was okay to be slow and exploratory. So, Sansa took her time learning what Dany felt like, listening to what inspired gasps and what caused uncomfortable creases in her brow. Eventually, she found a rhythm and position that was comfortable for her and worked for Dany. When she slipped inside her girlfriend, Sansa nearly panicked at how overwhelming it felt, wanting so much to please her girlfriend and worried she wasn't up to the task. But Dany whispered her name and they locked eyes. Almost immediately, Sansa relaxed and appreciated how even now, Dany was giving Sansa a chance to withdraw if she wanted to. One tentative thrust, and Dany's head dropped back on the pillow. Sansa nearly came right then at the sight, at the power she felt, at being able to make Dany feel that good. And she was thankful for Dany's words and sounds, letting her know how much pleasure she was giving her and helping her figure out what Dany liked, her breathy jokes about when to dip and when to stroke with her quill making Sansa smile. Making love with Dany was passionate but also fun and she'd never experienced it like that before.

Her gaze had been so trained on Dany's face, loving how she was arching up against her, that when she glanced down, she frowned at the underwear that hid what her hand was doing. The only word that formed in her mind was 'off'. And without warning, Sansa pulled away.

"Wha… Sansa!" Dany yelled out in a frustrated growl.

"Oh gods, I'm sorry! Did that hurt?" Sansa asked worriedly. She'd intended to pull off Dany's panties and didn't even think about how removing her hand would feel in that moment.

Dany threw her hands over her face and started laughing in between gasps as Sansa lay over her, pressing gentle kisses on her hands, bringing them down so she could kiss her face and lips, whispering apologies and explanations about panties.

Sansa at first felt embarrassed and insecure but Dany's laughter, which was soon joined by her own, became a comforting release between friends as well as lovers. As the laughter faded, Sansa looked into her girlfriend's eyes and saw all the love she ever wanted. Dany raised a hand to brush back her hair and leaned up to kiss her.

"I'm okay, it didn't hurt. Well, not in that way. I was close, though. That hurt."

"Really?" Sansa asked excitedly. It was reassuring to hear that she had been doing it right. Dany smiled at her and chuckled.

"Just shut up and kiss me," Dany said softly. "And give me a heads-up next time you plan on stopping."

"Can I still take off your underwear?"

Dany smiled and bit her lip as she nodded. Sansa sat up on her knees and reached for the waistband. Pulling them down Dany's legs, Sansa's breath caught in her throat at seeing a naked Dany below her.

"You're beautiful," whispered Sansa. She settled between Dany's legs and trailed kisses up her body and to her neck and then her mouth. Deepening the kiss until she could feel Dany's fingers digging into her back, trying to pull Sansa closer.

When Dany began bucking up into her, Sansa moved her hand to Dany's center and slowly worked to bring her back to the edge. There were less words this time as Sansa remembered what worked before.

She watched the way Dany yelled out 'harder' and thrusted up into her hand, the way her breathing got faster as Sansa complied, her moans louder and more frequent.

"Sansa… Sansa…" cried Dany. Sansa felt Dany's body begin to tense beneath her. It was awe-inspiring and she let her love for Dany keep her focused. The only thing that mattered in this moment was giving her the bliss that she deserved.

"I love you, Dany. I love you," whispered Sansa.

And that's when Dany came undone, crying out and holding Sansa's back as if she was the only thing keeping her together. Pride swelled in Sansa, as well as a bit of relief. A bit of awkwardness with the unexpected stop in the middle but it all worked out. She held her girlfriend, kissing her as she came down from her high.

After a while, Sansa moved so that they were lying next to each other.

"That was amazing," Dany breathed.

"You were amazing," replied Sansa, leaning forward to kiss Dany.

Dany pushed forward until she was laying on top of Sansa.

She whispered into Sansa's mouth, "I want to make you feel just as good. Can I?"

"Yes… I'm ready…"

They smiled at each other and Dany moved back so she could pull off Sansa's underwear. She moved forward to lay on Sansa again, kissing her and palming her breast until Sansa couldn't wait any longer.

Dany asked, "How do you want this, Sans? My fingers? My mouth? Both? My thigh works, too. Or you can touch yourself while I kiss you. Whatever you want."

Sansa wanted to say all the above, and oh how her heart raced at the thought of Dany's mouth on her, but the possibilities were also overwhelming and she wanted Dany's face close to her own during this first time.

"Fingers… please…"

Instead of moving her hand to where Sansa needed her, Dany proceeded to drive her wild with slow, wet kisses down her body, paying extra-long attention to her breasts. Any time Sansa felt the slightest bit of friction between her legs, she sought to increase the pressure, only to have Dany pull herself away. It was frustrating but it also increased her desire, tightening the tension until Sansa felt like she would snap at any moment.

After what felt like hours, Dany raised herself up, locked eyes on her, and cupped her with her hand. Sansa almost sobbed in relief, desperate for Dany to keep touching her.

"Do you want this?" panted Dany.

"Yes," whimpered Sansa.

"Do you want me?"

"Gods, yes, Dany, please. Please keep going."

Sansa gripped the sheets with one hand and threaded the other into Dany's hair. She looked up into warm, attentive eyes and nodded. Dany slid one and then two fingers inside her.

Kissing her hard while she held her fingers still, Dany then whispered, "Are you okay?"

The pleasure of it was too much for her to use words. Sansa could only hum and nod her head, moving her hips upward in an attempt to get Dany to press in deeper.

"You're so perfect, Sansa," murmured Dany, burying her face in Sansa's neck as she continued to whisper 'so perfect' repeatedly.

Sansa lost track of what happened next. Heated thrusts, firm pressure and flicks of fingertips that resulted in jolts of pleasure up her spine, breathless kisses that sent Sansa's heart soaring. She didn't care how much noise they were making, only that Dany would make it last forever.

And when Sansa was finally brought over the edge, a euphoria so high she hoped to never be brought back down, Dany held onto her so tightly; she couldn't tell if the shuddering waves she felt were coming from herself or from Dany.

Dany fell beside her and Sansa quickly turned to face her. Their lovemaking had been everything Sansa wanted and more; a natural progression of their relationship instead of something rushed because it was expected. She threw an arm over her waist and leaned forward to press both hard and gentle kisses on her lips. Sansa had no real intent other than to keep touching Dany, her girlfriend, her love.

They kissed each other lazily until they fell asleep, missing dinner. No one bothered them, though. And when they woke up, they took turns exploring and pleasuring each other with more than just hands and fingers.

*::::*

*::::*

Dany's head rested on Sansa's lap as she stared up at the red leaves of the heart tree. Summer was nearly done and school would be starting again in another three weeks.

They had finished their lunch and now they were enjoying the warm air and the shade of the tree. It was a peaceful place and after their romantic first date there several weeks ago, it became a favorite place for them to picnic and be alone. Sansa had told her it was one of her favorite places to go to be alone and find peace, and Dany liked how Sansa trusted her with it.

"I'm going to miss this when school starts again," murmured Dany.

"Lazy summer days are always hard to let go of," replied Sansa, her fingers slowly running through Dany's hair.

"No, I mean us. Being around each other all the time. I know we tried to give each other space so that it wouldn't be such a shock when summer ended and we went back but it'll still be a big adjustment having to move out. I should probably look for an apartment since the residence halls aren't opening any time soon."

After an annoying number of emails, the university finally decided that they would continue with online-only classes. Catelyn and Ned said she could remain there but Sansa had recently expressed an interest in going back to her apartment and Dany didn't feel comfortable staying at the Stark house without Sansa.

Dany's eyes darted to Sansa's face which looked pensive.

"What's wrong, Sans?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking…"

"Tell me."

Sansa looked down at her and smiled. "You know how Jeyne moved out?"

Dany's lips slowly curled into a smile. She'd been afraid that Sansa would think this step was too soon but it looked like she wasn't the only one thinking about it.

"Yeah?"

The redhead opened her mouth and then smiled, turning away.

"I was thinking, we've been sharing a living space for weeks, sleeping together every night, and I know the apartment is no country manor… I mean, sure, the bedrooms aren't joined by a bathroom…"

Dany clucked her tongue, shaking her head. "A shame for any future roommate of yours. I've definitely enjoyed the benefits of the shared bathroom here. So many lustful looks directed at me after my showers. The ego boost was very gratifying."

She waited, watching the flash of mock annoyance cross Sansa's face. But it was brief. The sly smile that came over her girlfriend's face caused Dany to raise a questioning eyebrow.

"As I was saying, no shared bathroom but the bedrooms are linked by a sizable walk-in closet."

"Hmm… interesting," Dany replied, sitting up and turning to face her girlfriend. "I imagine dressing with the closet doors open can lead to some very revealing situations."

"Probably."

"It would make it easier to share clothes…"

"Amongst other things," replied Sansa, biting her lip. "Except your clothes would be too small for me. And you'd be swimming in mine."

"On the contrary, I think I fit quite well when I'm swimming in yours."

As expected, a familiar blush began creeping up Sansa's neck. Flustering her was still one of her favorite things to do.

Dany leaned forward to press a kiss on the blush on her girlfriend's neck. At the sound of Sansa's sigh, she used her teeth to lightly nip her earlobe.

"Is that a yes?" Sansa whispered.

"Your apartment wouldn't happen to have a library would it?"

Sansa laughed. "I can pile up some stacks if that'll help."

"I guess that'll have to do," Dany said, and before she knew it Sansa's arms were thrown around her and she was pressed backwards to the blanket they were sitting on, Sansa's lips taking her own.

When Sansa began nibbling down her neck, Dany spoke again as if they hadn't been kissing at all.

"Moving in together is a sensible step. If you'll recall, I'm vying for the status of favorite Stark significant other and I think I have the edge over Talisa. Wouldn't want to piss off your parents by getting caught in their library again."

Sansa lifted her head.

"We've been caught three times already, Dany. I think they know it's one of our go-to places. Plus, after you ran out on me that time, leaving me to face my mother's glare alone, you're lucky I still kiss you in the library."

"Hey, first of all, it's not my fault there's no actual lock on the door. Second, and give me all the kudos for the pun, I was stark naked and you were fully clothed. Damn straight I grabbed my clothes and ran. And that's the only time that blasted rule was ever broken, by the way. Out of how many times we've kissed and made out there? Rickon and Bran interrupting a makeout session doesn't count, and that first time with your mom doesn't count either. Catelyn didn't even open the door and I had paused before the knock."

Sansa sat up quickly, her eyes wide in feigned fury. Dany sat up, biting her cheek to keep from smiling. Her girlfriend loved their fake arguments and she didn't want to be the one to ruin this one.

"A pause was not a full stop, though," argued Sansa, the piercing blue of her eyes making Dany's heart race, and she wished they weren't so far from the house. "Your fingers were still inside my underwear."

"On your hip! Barely a technicality!"

At that, Sansa broke character and laughed.

"All I'm saying is the sooner we move into our apartment, the better," Sansa said with a smile. She gave Dany a peck on the lips, then she began gathering their trash and utensils. Dany chuckled and began helping. When they were done, they began walking back, with Sansa carrying the bags and Dany holding the folded blanket.

She turned her head slightly to glance at Sansa. There was a smirk on her face, like she was trying not to look at Dany. Dany grinned, knowing what was on her mind.

"So… wanna risk getting caught a second time?"

"Fourth time," corrected Sansa.

"Whatever."

Sansa lifted her chin and crinkled her brow, as if she were actually debating the idea. But Dany could see the blush rising even more up her neck and onto her cheeks. She wasn't debating, she was imagining.

Without a word, Sansa increased the pace, her long legs striding back to the house with determination.

Dany happily watched the view from behind for several moments before speaking.

"What's the hurry, Stark?" Dany called out, wondering why Sansa wanted to get back so quickly.

Sansa didn't stop her speed-walking but yelled back, "My mom has to take the boys to the dentist today after lunch, remember? They should be leaving right about now. And Dad and Robb are still at work."

It took Dany a few seconds. Okay, maybe half a minute, tops. But she got it eventually and the next thing she heard was Sansa's laugh as she ran past her, yelling at her to hurry. A different girl might have felt embarrassed at how eager she looked but there was no way she was going to pass up the various possibilities an empty Stark house held.

Library fantasy, here they come.

A/N: Yay, I had so much fun writing this fic. I was a bit unsure at the start but it turned out way better than I expected. I just love these two. Thanks for reading and commenting and for being such a great fandom.

As for future stories, I'll be tackling some ideas for a different fandom that I've had on the backburner for months now, and I'll be busy with that for a while. And I'm always having Daensa ideas so I'll eventually get to those, too.

You all are awesome and I hope you're safe and healthy out there in this crazy world we live in. Cheers!