It was the middle of the night two months into their so called marriage and Arya was having another nightmare. Jaime reached over and shook her awake and then to her great shock he turned away from her and lay back down to sleep.

"What are you…?" She started to ask and then stopped.

"I'm going to sleep is what I'm doing." He told her.

"But you always…" She began. He had always held her after her nightmares. She had come to depend on it.

"I know I do and I'm starting to wonder why I've bothered." He said, still facing away from her.

Arya's eyes stung with tears but she said nothing. She did her best to fall back asleep on her own.

When morning came the next day, Jaime did not kiss her. She pretended to be asleep until after he had dressed and left for breakfast. Kalla came and found her mistress curled up in the bed hidden entirely by the blankets and bed linens.

"Are you alright m'lady?"

"No." Arya said, her voice shaken enough to make it clear she had been crying.

"What happened?" Kalla pulled back the bed linens to get a look at Arya's tear stained face.

"He didn't kiss me this morning...and I think it's all my fault...I've fucked up everything." Arya said.

"Have you tried talking to him?"

"I can't." Arya said.

"Yes you can. Wait here." Kalla ran out of the room.

Jaime had just reached the end of the long corridor when Kalla came running after him. "My Lord… please wait!" She called out. Jaime stopped and waited for her to catch up to him. "Lady Arya needs to speak with you."

"About?" Jaime asked warily.

"She's been crying m'lord." Kalla told him.

"Fine." Jaime followed her back to the room. Arya still sat on the bed. She had indeed been crying.

"It seems that m'lady has been upset because her lord husband did not kiss her this morning." Kalla said.

"Kalla!" Arya scolded her.

"I will leave you to speak alone." Kalla said, fleeing the room.

Jaime and Arya stared at each other in silence for a moment.

"Is it true? You were awake all those times… and you missed it?" Jaime finally asked her.

"Gods yes! I've missed the kisses, I've missed arguing and sparring with you...I've missed you!"

"Why didn't you say anything?" He asked, crossing the room to sit next to her on the bed.

"Because I was too angry and hurt about Bran. I don't know how to forgive that." She said.

"Then don't forgive me. Just let me kiss you anyway. Can you do that?" He asked.

"I could." She said, her eyes never leaving his. "But what will happen to us if you're sister comes to visit Casterly Rock."

"Nothing. It's over between Cersei and I. Why would I even want her when I have you?" He said.

"But you don't have me. Not really. I've been a bitch to you since the wedding...I don't want to be like that anymore…"

"Then what do you plan to do about it?" He asked, half a grin on his face.

"I could start by kissing you."

Her arms came around his neck and she kissed him slowly and warmly. He pulled her onto his lap so she was astride him and deepened the kiss. She was the one who began tugging off his tunic and he let her. After that she removed her own tunic and resumed kissing him, her body pressed close to his. Jaime's hand came up and cupped her breast. He moved to kiss her neck then he took one of her nipples into his mouth. She cried out at that, having never felt anything quite like it before. He moved to suck on the other nipple and at that she felt something stirring inside her that she hadn't even known she was capable of. She wanted him inside of her. She was so surprised at herself and that he had won her over so easily she pulled away to look into his eyes.

"What?" He asked about the way she was gazing at him.

"I just realized...I want you to fuck me."

He almost laughed at that. "Are you sure?"

"Gods yes!"

"Then I will… soon."

He took a long time that morning, making sure she was ready for him. And he was gentle with her as he had promised to be.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked her as she lay panting and naked in his arms afterward.

"No. Not just then anyway."

"But I did hurt you before…." He said sadly.

"Yes, and you're helping me heal from it."

He held up his golden hand. "I suppose you're helping me heal too."

(Author's note: I was thinking about ending it here...input is welcome...)