WHY AM I HERE AGAIN
I have never watched Game of Thrones but plot bunnies don't care. Here we go.
Probably gonna have some OOC going on because, well, Cersei being rather murderous is tough to put in a modern AU. Also as I've never watched the show and there's only so much I can learn from character pages on the internet. Essentially, this is gonna be a hot mess, with porn and flirting and probably incredibly clumsy references I've tripped across in my (admittedly scant) research. Blame my brain.
On with the mess.
-GOT-
Sometimes Jaime couldn't believe such a place existed. Yes, they could have gone almost anywhere where nobody knew them, and lived simultaneously out in the open but with hidden secrets. But now... they didn't go out wearing signs, but there was no weight of fear that someone would see the resemblance and ask uncomfortable questions. And even if they had, there was little to fear. No legal reprecussions waiting around the corner.
There, they were free.
They'd moved to Dorne a year ago, and Jaime hadn't tired of the simplicity of openly walking down the street with Cersei's hand in his. Though her expressions of emotion were more muted around other people, she still gifted Jaime with little smiles when they looked at each other. They were both off work that day, had no plans and the weather was nice, so they were off out for some mindless wandering.
"Ready to go Cers?"
"In a minute."
She called back, so Jaime sat down to zip up his boots. Laces were just too fiddly for his prosthetic hand, and while there were apparently ways to tie laces one handed, Jaime had not mastered any of them yet. Cersei was never late for anything, so he wasn't worried her 'a minute' meant 'twenty or thirty minutes' and by the time he was done, Cersei had joined him near the front door. He took in her outfit, appreciating the way the fit of her black button-up shirt hugged her curves. Half the time, she simply stole his things to wear, which amused him constantly as she often got her own things tailored for a better fit, and Jaime's clothes swamped her now. They'd fit much better when they were young, when Cersei and Jaime looked so alike that matching outfits were enough to confuse even their parents about which twin was which.
Now he was a bit taller than her, so he obligingly dipped his head as Cersei leant up expectantly, stomach fluttering happily as they kissed. Their heights matched up quite well, he felt, pulling her in to his arms and feeling Cersei tuck her head into his neck, hair tickling his chin. When they first moved to Dorne, her hair had been longer, but it was hot in Dorne much of the time and she found the long hair impractical. Jaime didn't mind; it still felt soft under his hand, still smelled of her, still tangled nicely in his fingers when they were in bed together...
Jaime dragged his mind off that avenue. He doubted Cersei would object to him suggesting they while the day away in bed, but he did want to at least get outside for a little while before the brutally hot afternoon sun could rise overhead. Jaime debated for a minute whether to reach for the cover for his hand - his prosthetic was chosen for function over appearance, and while he actually kinda liked how it looked, sometimes he covered it up with the more realistic looking glove. Cersei knew his thoughts, and shook her head before grabbing his organic hand.
"You have nothing to hide, my brother."
"Don't you think people stare enough?"
Cersei smiked, rolling her shoulders in a lazy shrug before she leant up and kissed him again.
"Let them stare."
Firmly holding his hand, Cersei led him outside, stopping only to lock their front door behind them before they were on their way. They had no solid destination in mind, but they were outside and together, so Jaime was more than content to follow her lead. Just like always, he chuckled to himself. Cersei had even been the first one born, Jaime so determined to stay close behind her he'd apparently been holding on to her foot as she came out. Their mother had told that story a few times when they were young, joking that even as they were being born, the twins didn't give her a moment's rest.
There had been less jokes and stories as they aged, as their parents became wary of how close the twins were. The efforts to separate them had ultimately been in vain, but Jaime still liked to remember the early days sometimes.
"So, anywhere you want to go or shall we just walk and see where we end up?"
"You wanted to walk, so we shall walk."
Cersei answered simply, and so they picked a direction and went, ending up at a park twenty minutes from their home. Others were out enjoying the same weather they were, people walking with family or pets, some sitting on the grass with snacks and drinks to enjoy the sunshine.
His sister was not terribly fond of sweet things, so Jaime immediately suspected an ulterior motive when she suggested they stop off at the nearby stand for an ice cream. With the heat in Dorne, Jaime suspected business was rarely slow for anybody who sold frozen treats. Jaime picked out a little cardboard tub of ice cream, as it was more likely to stand up to a too-firm grip in his prosthetic hand (he had the movement and grip down fine, but force could occasionally be hit and miss, as several prematurely cracked eggs could attest).
His suspicions were quickly proved right, that spark in Cersei's eye as she ran her tongue over the soft scoop and held his gaze all too familiar. It was lucky he had something cold to eat, combatting some of the heat that spread through his belly in response since they were out in public. Which was absolutely why Cersei was doing it. She did so love to tease him.
A couple of people stared at his prosthetic where it held his cup, but Cersei met every stare with determination until the other looked away, and Jaime quietly basked in his sister's protective streak while they ate. Then was quite soundly distracted by her obscene gaze on him as she licked up trails of melted ice cream from the side of her cone.
"You don't even like ice cream."
Jaime's voice came out a little rougher than expected; a testament to the effect Cersei could have on him even out in public. She simply continued, and Jaime wasn't sure if he was disappointed or relieved when she was done with it, tossing the cone in the nearby bin alongside his now-empty cup. The two simply looked at each other for a moment, Jaime debating suggesting they go home very soon after her little display, when their little bubble was intruded upon.
"Let me guess, you're that sort."
Jaime blinked, he and Cersei turning to find someone staring at them, and looking quite angry considering he was a perfect stranger. Even though it was still quite early in the day, the smell of alcohol rolled off of the man in waves, and Jaime wrinkled his nose.
"That sort?"
"Yeah, the kind who come here. Just cus it's legal doesn't make it ok!"
Ah. While they were free of legal reprecussions in Dorne, there were still occasionally less pleasant social interactions by those in Dorne who were less than pleased with the laws permitting people like Jaime and Cersei to live freely as romantic partners. Cersei opened her mouth, no doubt to deliver some of her cutting Lannister wit with a sharp tongue, when someone else spoke up.
"Nobody is making you stay in Dorne. You could live anywhere. If they are that sort, there's really only here for them."
The inebriated man whipped around to see who was challenging him, and Jaime might have laughed at his shocked double-take if he weren't dealing with the surprise himself, as the person intervening in their defence was a very tall woman who was considerably broader in the shoulder than the rude, drunken stranger.
"Who asked you?"
"Nobody. But I doubt they asked you for your opinion, and you still saw fit to give it."
Clearly drunk enough to make even more bad choices, the man swung for her. Jaime and Cersei could only watch on as she neatly dodged, then returned fire and had the man twisted around with his arms pinned behind his back, wrists held in just one of her hands. The other was raised to her mouth, letting out a sharp whistle that drew someone over to them. It brought home the woman's impressive stature again, as the drunk man was dwarfed by the new arrival, while their would-be helper essentially stood eye to eye with him.
"Everything alright, Brienne?"
"I think this gentleman needs help finding his way out of the park. Perhaps into a drunk tank, judging by the smell, but I'll leave that up to you Sandor."
"Right. Come on you."
'Sandor' took possession of the drunk man, and he was soon escorted quite firmly away. Bemused by the entire set of events, Jaime stood up, and noted that she wasn't just tall, she was probably an inch or two taller than Jaime himself. He resisted the urge to look down and see if she was wearing shoes that gave her the last couple of inches. Cersei rose to her feet alongside him, taking his hand and leaning in to his side.
"Thank you. You didn't have to say anything."
Jaime spoke before Cersei did, sure that his sister would have simply insisted they didn't need her help. Which was true enough - though Jaime had lost some of his prowess when he lost his right hand, the twins had spent several years growing up in martial arts and boxing classes. Jaime wanted to learn, and Cersei refused to be told 'no' simply because fights were viewed as a boys pursuit. But he wanted to acknowledge the kindness of the stranger. The very tall stranger.
"Part of my job. I volunteer to keep an eye on the park."
"Parks need watching?"
He asked, confused.
"Mostly we clear fallen trees or clean up dead animals, but if there's none of that we just walk around and make sure nobody is causing trouble."
"It was no real trouble. Words of strangers mean little to me."
Cersei answered, and Jaime squeezed her hand gently, absolutely sure Cersei would roll her eyes at his insistence she play nice - this Brienne woman had been nothing but cordial to them so far.
"As they should, but it's still not fair on everybody here when someone disturbs the peace. Besides, I was right. Dorne really is the only place for people like you."
Jaime raised an eyebrow.
"That obvious?"
"I've lived here all my life, and those laws were brought in some fifteen years ago now. You start to spot the family resemblances. I'm Brienne, by the way."
"I'm Jaime, and this is my fiance Cersei. And yes, she's my sister" Cersei cleared her throat pointedly "sorry, my twin sister."
It wasn't the first time they'd introduced themselves as both engaged and related, but usually it was to other couples like them.
"Not married yet?"
"You have to live in Dorne for a year to apply for a marriage license. We've sent off for it."
Brienne nodded, and Jaime was sure Cersei wanted to tell him not to speak so openly, but even she couldn't deny the novelty of freedom in Dorne, nor the accepting attitude of the woman in front of them. Brienne's eyes had dropped, and Jaime felt a touch self conscious as he realised she was looking at his prosthetic.
"Kindly avoid staring."
Cersei said icily and Brienne jerked her eyes up, immediately starting to apologise.
"Sorry, sorry. I just noticed you're wearing a myoelectric prosthetic. I find them fascinating. There's a man at my fencing group who wears one, I help him to put his gear on sometimes. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
Jaime nodded.
"It's fine."
"You're not the only one around here either. There's a young man who... lives out here with his mother, and he walks around the park in shorts sometimes, so most people have seen he wears a prosthetic leg."
"So, you're just... fine with the way people like us live?"
As evidenced by the rude man who'd brought her in to their day, just because it was legal didn't mean everybody in Dorne accepted it. Brienne simply shrugged.
"Doesn't matter to me. If everyone is a fully consenting adult, and nobody is getting hurt, then it's not my business to mind. I'm sorry you all have to deal with people who mind and won't shut up about it though."
Jaime smiled.
"Lions do not concern themselves with the opinions of sheep."
Brienne turned to Cersei, raising an eyebrow.
"Excuse me?"
"It's something our father used to say to us. Before the disowning. Our family is old, and we have a crest with a lion on it" Jaime reluctantly let go of Cersei's hand so he could pull his collar to one side, showing the small crest he'd had tattooed just above his collarbone when he turned eighteen "and so we're often called the Lannister lions."
Brienne let out a small chuckle.
"I guess your father doesn't know much about lions. For one thing, I don't imagine lions and sheep actually meet very often. And for another, if lions didn't pay attention to the thoughts of their prey, they would be spotted very easily and never catch any lunch."
To Jaime's great surprise, Cersei laughed at that. It was small, muted like many of her responses around people that weren't Jaime, but it was there all the same.
"That's the first time I've wished father still spoke to us. I'd introduce you to him just to see his face when you deconstructed his favourite expression."
Jaime chuckled at the image Cersei's words created, and Brienne offered the two a small smile.
"I'll give him a new motto. Never take criticism from somebody you wouldn't ask for advice from. That's a lesson I learned early on when I heard a lot of that's for boys, usually from those I'd then flatten in a boxing match..." Brienne trailed off as she looked down at her watch, then gestured vaguely to the rest of the park "I should get back to work, in case there's any more charmers like the one earlier. Nice meeting you both."
"Nice to meet you. And thank you, again."
A small smile, a small nod, and Brienne headed off. Jaime waited until he was sure she'd be out of earshot before he turned to Cersei, in case his dear sister had some less than polite words for the woman.
"I still think we didn't need her help, but I'll admit. I like her."
Surprised, Jaime raised his eyebrows.
"Really?"
Cersei winked.
"What can I say? Tall and strong is my type. Lucky for you. And I do like a woman who doesn't let men dictate to her."
Jaime laughed, now pleasantly surprised.
"Blonde and dangerous is my type, which is lucky for you."
Cersei smirked up at him, gripping his hand in her own again.
"Are we done with our jaunt through nature?"
"Why? Did you have other plans?"
"I do, and as accepting as Dorne may be, I do think those plans would still get us arrested if we followed them in public."
Grinning, Jaime squeezed her hand.
"Then by all means, lead the way."
-GOT-
Is this likely to be especially in character? Probably not, but I'm having fun! Especially as I have discovered that while I'll never watch Game of Thrones, I am definitely in love with Brienne of Tarth.
