... And the one time he didn't.

Singing

Sansa is coming into the stables when she hears the song, she feels like she has heard it before but can't quite place it. The voice that is singing, though, is more than familiar and as she silently makes her way through the horses and mares, her suspicions are confirmed, Podrick Payne can sing.

She knows he can fight, and listen and be funny, but singing? That's a new one.

He is unaware of her presence as he finishes washing the horse, she listens intently to the song about the maiden that found her lover after the wars; it's a bittersweet tune but he's smiling as he alternates between washing and petting the animal with an obvious fondness for the task.

She wasn't particularly troubled when she decided to come to the stables to see to the horses her but Podrick's song seems to have calmed something inside her, anyway.

When he finishes she has to make her presence known so she walks up to him and kindly states "That was lovely Podrick."

He startles and turns to her wide-eyed, almost tripping over the bucked with the water and soap "Lady Sansa!" he exclaimed higher that one would expect of a seasoned warrior like him "you gave me a fright" he said recovering.

She knows it was mean to catch him unawares, so she offers him a smile "sorry about that"

"It's alright, I was just too focused on the job; I didn't hear you coming in, my lady" his voice is gruff, tinted with embarrassment.

"I'm glad you didn't, I enjoyed the show, I didn't know you could sing"

"I don't sign often, my lady, mostly while I work" he looks down like he wants to hide from her.

She pets the horse he's working with "I'm going to have to pay more attention to your work, then."

"I'm sure you have plenty of more important things to do, my lady"

She shrugs "Maybe, but I used to enjoy songs, and I can always say I'm supervising your work" she ends with a wink and a smirk that he finds unexpected and something he knows he can't say.

"I hope you find it to your satisfaction then, My lady."

That night, Sansa wakes from a nightmare, pulse racing and she feels hot from exertion, and she was running through the woods scared, the dogs were chasing her she thinks… the nightmare already fading as she takes long breaths to calm herself. Unbidden, a song plays in her head as she's about to fall asleep once more; it brings Podrick's face to mind and something in her head falls into place.

She gets out of bed, dons a robe and some furs, put on warm boots and sets on a path to the lower level of the castle.

"Podrick!" She calls as she knocks on his door. She's not trying to be discreet, she's loud and she's frustrated at him and she wants answers.

"Lady Sansa? what- what are you doing here?" he's still coming out from slumber and confused as he opens the door of his room.

She doesn't say a word, she is just staring at him like she's trying to read him "Is everything alright?… is Ser Brienne?" his eyes widened as worry for his lady wakes him up.

"No," she says and she keeps looking at him eerily. Her chest is heaving; she was obviously agitated when she decided to come to him in the middle of the night. He notices her stated of dress, then, her hair undone. Her posture tight and her eyes fiery.

"Then what is it, my lady?" he tries softly as he is confused and well aware of the hour.

She looks resolute and makes her way into his room.

"Tell me about the song Podrick, tell me the truth" she demands fiercely.

He tenses and she can tell he knows she knows, except she doesn't really she's just grasping at something… her nightmare "My lady," he gulps "I don't know what-"

But she stops him before he can lie to her "and she waited for all night, dressed in blue and drinking wine 'til dawn came without her knight"

"Lady Sansa"… he pleads, uselessly he can see unwavering resolve on her face.

"That's the song you were singing this morning was it not?" her inquiry is softer this time.

"Yes" he admits in defeat.

"I don't remember ever hearing that song before and yet I just woke up with the melody in my head." Her tone is vulnerable and betrays confusion and mistrust.

That's the last thing he wants from her so the confession comes easily "you have heard the song before, my lady"

"What do you mean? I can't recall…"

"You had nightmares" he states with more confidence than he feels.

The realization hits after a short moment "after…"

"Yes, after you escaped the .. after your escape you used to have nightmares"

"I don't remember…" she says as she takes a seat on his bed, it still is warm from his sleep. He remains standing

"A few days after your escape it was my turn to watch over the camp during the night, Lady Brienne warned me."

Sansa nods along listening to his story intently but anxiously, she has tried not to think of those cold days when she was scared and miserable and still hurting all over, the days before they reached Castle Black.

"She told me not to be alarmed if I heard you trashing in your sleep, that you had been having nightmares that it was only normal, after everything you went through" he won't meet her eyes but his voice is pained like she had never heard it before.

"She told me not to touch you, that even if I meant to calm you…"

"Pod-" she whispered, her eyes pleading.

"The last thing you needed was to wake up to some man with his hands on you"

She can't refute that, "And you never did".

"No. Even though I wanted to, maybe I should have, you… you were in pain, sometimes you cried in your sleep."

"So you … sang to me?"

"I tried talking to you first, but one day it occurred to me that maybe a lullaby would help" he shrugs like it was nothing when it obviously was everything. "I sat close enough for you to hear me and sang as many songs as I could remember until you were back to normal"

"And you never said anything" but his troubled eyes answer her before he even utters the words.

"Lady Sansa, what would I say?"

She stands in front of him she studies his face for a while, enough for him to blush at the proximity, she is sure she is blushing too but that's not important right now. She takes her had to his cheek and stands on her tiptoes before placing a kiss on his cheek lingering a second to murmur "Thank you, Pod, for everything."