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He had so many encounters with Gwynne throughout Winterfell over the last few days he was left sore and exhausted. He tried to sleep at night, but when she snuck into his room and put her fingertips against his skin, he knew they would spend the remainder of the night doing anything but sleeping. Both Robb and Theon had begun to notice how much he was off his game during their sparring sessions. He could barely keep his eyes open, let alone wield a sword properly.
He had spent the better of the afternoon losing his sparring sessions to his half brother. He was covered in dust from the dry ground they were training on, his body aching from the beating he had taken all day. He groaned with each step he took up the castle staircase. Had his room always been up this many flights of stairs? They seemed almost never ending.
He hadn't noticed the thin arms reaching out to grab him from a nearby passageway. He didn't have time to draw his sword, he had been so distracted by the memory of Gwynne's body against his. He panicked for a quick moment before he felt her familiar touch. His body relaxed, his hands reaching forward to rest his palms against the bricks on either side of her face. He framed her there, between his arms, like the most precious thing he had ever seen, and rested his forehead against hers.
His lips curved into a smile. "You could have gotten stabbed, Gwynne. You shouldn't sneak up on me like that."
She laughed lightly and watched as Jon's smile widened. He always smiled when he heard her laugh. "I saw you out with Robb and Theon today...you're so off your game you couldn't have stopped me if you tried."
His hands moved so quickly she hadn't even noticed he had grabbed a hold of her wrists until he pinned them over her head and against the cold wall. A startled gasp slipped through her lips, completely caught off guard by his swift movement.
He didn't ask permission to kiss her. He didn't even hesitate. He had spent so much time tasting her it had become a craving that was near impossible to resist. He claimed her lips with his own, his tongue quickly finding hers. He pressed his body up against hers and heard her moan against his lips. The sound of her only made him want her even more.
She tried to free herself from Jon's grip but the struggle was useless. She wanted to reach out and touch him, to run her fingertips over his broad shoulders, to feel his hair between her fingers. Not being able to touch him proved torturous for Gwynne. So instead she pushed her hips out, grinding her body against the bulge growing between them.
Jon growled against her lips, pulling away to look at her. His forehead once again rested against hers, one hand releasing one of her wrists only for it to end up being held in place by his other hand. His free hand traced the skin from Gwynne's collarbone, inching down her chest. She shivered under his touch as his fingers came between her breasts, her breath hitching for a moment before he continued to explore further down her body. Her body shook when his hand found a way under her skirt. She shut her eyes and bit her lip as his finger trailed further up her thigh, coming to the much anticipated stop between her legs. He slipped a finger through her undergarments and smirked when he saw how moist she already was.
Carefully, he edged a finger inside her, covering her mouth with his to stop her from crying out and attracting unwanted attention. He moved his finger inside of her and found himself desperate to thrust into her the way his finger did.
"I want you." He finally whispered coarsely against her lips.
"Then take me, Jon." She assured him.
That was all he needed to hear. He slipped his finger out of her, much to her dismay, and reached around to grab a firm hold of her. He lifted her up effortlessly and pressed her against the wall again. She did her best to gather the fabric of her skirt to remove the barrier between them. He unbuckled his pants as she opened herself up for him.
Anxiously, Jon grabbed a firm hold of himself and found his way inside of her. He slipped in effortlessly, her juices welcoming him as she adjusted to his size. She buried her fingertips in his messy hair, resting her forehead against his shoulder as he took her in the staircase.
His entire world seemed to melt away when he was inside her. No matter what was going on, when he was with Gwynne, she suddenly became the only thing in his world. He wanted to make her smile, make her laugh and hear her moan more than anything. And each time he was with her, he did everything within his power to get those reactions from her.
A few moments ago, he had been ready to fall onto his bed and pass out for the night. But now, feeling Gwynne's body wrapped around him, he couldn't be more awake. His entire body was on fire from the intensity of being inside of Gwynne gave him. She was so tight, so wet, he felt his knees nearly buckle beneath him.
Gwynne could feel herself begin to tighten around Jon, the feeling of him inside of her overwhelming her easily. She tried to silence herself from moaning by gently biting down on Jon's shoulder, letting out muffled moans into the empty stairway. She felt herself reaching the edge and let go, drawing out a long groan against Jon's skin.
He gritted his teeth, trying desperately to hold on just a little while after. But she felt so good convulsing around him. He thrust himself as deep into her as he could before letting himself go. He panted for air as he filled her with his seed. He felt Gwynne shudder against him and couldn't help but smile, giving her a quick kiss on her neck.
"Jon. Jon, wake up."
Her voice beckoned his eyes open by the second time she called his name. He felt dazed, being awoken so suddenly. He studied her face, his eyes tracing the lines of her lips as they curved upward into a smile. It took a few moments, but gradually Jon realized that being with Gwynne had merely been a dream. He sat up quickly when he realized that they were far away from Winterfell, leaving anyone a threat to them.
"Is everything okay?" He reached for the sword resting beside his bed and pushed himself out of bed, keeping the blade held tightly in his hand.
"Yes, Jon, everything's fine. Relax. I didn't mean to startle you."
He let out a relieved sigh and sat beside her on his bed. "What is it?"
"Do you hear that?" She paused for a moment so he could listen closely. "They're playing music downstairs. I crept by the hall and everyone's drinking and dancing."
Jon could tell by the eagerness in her voice that she wanted to go downstairs and join the festivities. He laughed and put his sword down on the mattress.
"Alright. Give me a few moments and I'll change."
As Jon led Gwynne downstairs and towards the music, he couldn't help but wonder what she was trying to achieve by doing all of this. By running away from Robb and Winterfell for a few days all she would achieve is upsetting Jon's Lord father and having to deal with the consequences. If she ran away from marrying Robb, by returning she would simply be giving her hand to him once again. Unless that was part of her plan all along?
If she ran away from Winterfell and her betrothed, would that make Ned question his choice for his heir? Was she hoping that Ned would look at her as a coward and decide that she was not fit to give him grandchildren? No, she wasn't longing for that. Jon knew her well enough to know that a part of her was looking forward to one day being his brother's wife. She had always tried to hide the way her eyes seemed to light up whenever Robb came close. Even to this day, if Jon looked hard enough, he could see it. Whatever she felt towards Jon was clouding her judgement of what was right and wrong, of what was expected of her.
But for the life of him, he couldn't give her up. Robb would have the luxury of having her for the rest of his days. Surely his brother would allow him a mere few days with the only girl he had ever loved. Even if he wouldn't understand it now, Jon knew that one day Robb would.
A husky woman came by with a wooden tray of mugs. She handed one to Gwynne and then to Jon and quickly disappeared as quickly has she had come. Music was playing all around them, the shouting and drunk laughter nearly overwhelming the up beat tempo as the guests drank throughout the night.
Gwynne and Jon found a table far away from the madness to enjoy their conversation together. Once they had a few mugs of ale, Gwynne had pulled a reluctant Jon to his feet and dragged him closer to the music. He couldn't remember another time when he had felt so calm and satisfied. The last time they had shared a dance, Lady Stark looked as though she wanted nothing more than to murder him herself. But here, no one was staring him down or whispering to the person next to them. Everyone was too preoccupied with their own fun to care what Ned Stark's bastard was doing. Not to say they even knew who he was. Ned wasn't one to parade Jon around happily and introduce him to the people of neighbouring towns. Which just made it all the more perfect.
Jon wasn't much of a dancer. He never was and the Gods know he never would be. But being with Gwynne somehow made it all the more easier. He moved his body in time with hers and felt as carefree as a child. Only Gwynne could bring that distant feeling out in him.
But despite it all, the harsh reality of the situation they had put themselves in managed to bring an abrupt end to Jon's happiness. The question was burning at his lips until he was finally able to get it out. "What do you plan to tell father when you return to Winterfell?"
The smile slowly faded from Gwynne's lips as she thought it over. She continued to sway with Jon, back and forth, as the pub musicians continued on with the first slow song all night. She had taken the slow melody as an opportunity to calm her racing heartbeat, but Jon's question seemed to make it erratic once again.
"I don't know. I don't suppose he's going to be thrilled about the whole thing."
Jon couldn't help but laugh. "No, I somehow don't think he's going to simply let it go."
Her nose wrinkled, the way it usually did when she was thinking intensely. "I'll figure something out. Your father has always been kind to me. I'm sure now will be no exception. Though I imagine I'll be restricted to my bedchamber for quite some time."
He waited a heartbeat before he spoke again. "Would you regret it, then?"
Gwynne simply smiled as she glanced up to him. She shook her head. "I'll never regret this."
Looking into his eyes, Gwynne found herself confused as to how she never realized how much Jon had truly meant to her. All these years they spent together could have been spent trying to create a lifetime they could never truly have. They could have quietly made their way to the springs below the castle and spend the night with no one to interrupt them. Or they could have snuck outside Winterfell's walls to share a meal together in the wilderness.
Instead, she had spent so much time trying to fight what she felt for Jon. Her heart wanted Robb, but it yearned for Jon in a way that was vastly different than his brother. She had tried to understand it all and had spent countless nights tossing and turning to try and decipher what it was she truly wanted. It was hard to believe that it had taken all these years, but she finally knew what she wanted. She wanted a future she could never have. And she wanted it with Jon Snow.
But she owed Ned Stark everything. When her father died and left her an orphan, Ned could have easily pushed her aside and forgetten about her. But he did the exact opposite. He had brought her into the castle, under the same roof he shared with his wife and children, and made her a part of his family. Never once did Gwynne ever feel unloved when she was with the Starks. When she awoke in the middle of the night, crying and screaming, Cat had rushed into her room and held her, rocking her gently until Gwynne had fallen asleep once again. When she had been attacked and almost raped, all those moons ago, Ned put the men who attacked her to death without sparring a moment's thought. He did the same thing he would have done if that had happened to one of his own daughters.
They had given her everything and yet a part of her wanted to run away from it all. She understood her future and who would be in it. She was sure Jon would be nowhere to be found. After all, he had sworn to join the Nights Watch for as long as she could remember. Jon wouldn't be her future, Robb would. She would vow to spend the rest of her life with him and would bare him children to carry on the Stark legacy. She loved Robb, but she loved Jon as well. Her days with Jon were limited, the both of them knew. And no matter how much they tried to escape reality, every once in a while it would rear its ugly head as a reminder that they were to soon be separated.
"In three days time, I will return to Winterfell." Gwynne finally said.
Jon's body tensed. She was his for three days and then he would lose her forever. He straightened his back and reminded himself that though he would be losing her soon, she was his for now. "I'll take you back to Winterfell."
She gave him a confused look as the tempo of the music changed and they made their way back to their awaiting drinks for more. She took a seat across from him and took a gulp of ale for courage. "I thought you never wanted to go back."
Jon shrugged, keeping his eyes down and focused on the drink in his cup. "I'm the reason why you're still here. I should have brought you back when I first stumbled across you. I can't run away from father's punishment."
Gwynne reached forward and placed her hand over his. It was then, and only then, that Jon finally tore himself away from his cup and looked at the young girl in front of him. She gave him a smile of reassurance as she squeezed his hand gently. "We'll take your father's punishment together, then. Two of us went into deciding this. I'm not going to let you take all the blame."
Jon smiled back but he knew it wouldn't play out the way she thought it would. He knew his father would demand that Gwynne stay in her bedchamber for the next little while. He would post guards outside her door and have them follow her wherever she went if she were permitted to ever leave. His father would be furious with him, but Jon was more scared of what Cat could do than anyone else.
Cat looked to Gwynne as though she had given birth to her herself. She took extra pride in Gwynne knowing that she would soon be wed to her first born son an the heir to Winterfell. Sansa was Cat's first trueborn daughter, but that didn't stop Lady Stark from enjoying the excitement of Gwynne's upcoming wedding. It would be many years since Sansa would be wed so Cat was more than happy to imagine her son marrying Gwynne. When she found out that Gwynne had run away with her Lord husband's bastard, Jon knew it would be anything but pretty.
"I need some air." Gwynne told Jon, gently freeing her hands from his grip.
"I'll come with you."
Gwynne accepted and turned to walk towards the back exit of the pub they were staying above. Jon took a giant gulp of ale, finishing whatever was remaining in his cup and put it down on the wooden table before following her out the back.
Gwynne took a seat on one of the logs that were out back with a few more, huddled around a small fire pit. She stretched her hands out towards the flame and felt the warmth against her skin. It was a small reminder of life and it brought a smile to her face. She has to live her life for those who weren't able to finish theirs. For her mother and her father, she had to do whatever her heart wanted, even if it was just for a few more days.
She looked over her shoulder and watched Jon's features as he sat beside her and kept his eyes on the fire. Another smile spread across her lips before she knew what was happening.
She loved him. No matter who she may end up spending the rest of her life with, she truly, unconditionally loved Jon Snow.
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