Chapter 4

Cersei Lannister POV

The week before school was basically nonstop partying after orientation. I don't remember being this happy since the beginning of senior year. Jaime didn't go as hard as I did, but I think he just needs to warm up to college life. We're going to an event on campus for people to get to know each other tonight. It sounds like it'll be really lame, but Jaime really wanted to go.

We arrive at one of the event rooms in a building on campus, and Jaime looks really excited to be here. I honestly couldn't care less. "Aren't you excited?" He asks me.

"For what?" I respond.

"Making college friends," he says. "We need to branch out and not rely on each other so much." That comment scares me, I don't know what I'd do if Jaime abandoned me.

We get separated playing some icebreaker games. I walk up to Jaime after a while, he's talking to a couple guys. "Hey," Jaime says to me. "Guys, this is my sister Cersei. Cersei, this is Jorah and Bronn. They live in the dorm on the north side of campus."

"Nice to meet you," I say to them. They look nice, and I can already tell they'll get along with Jaime well.

"Do you live in a dorm?" Jorah asks.

"No," Jaime responds. "We live in a nearby apartment, it helps us save money and all."

"Where did you guys move from?" Bronn asks us.

"Winterfell," Jaime says. "You may have heard of it."

"Oh, I have," Bronn says. "Never been, but I heard the girls there are freaks." Jaime just laughs at that, but I don't find it funny. Honestly, it kind of grosses me out.

"Our brother is still there," Jaime says. "He's graduating this year."

"Do we have to talk about our brother here?" I ask. "I would love to forget he exists when we don't have to see him."

"What's wrong with him?" Jorah asks.

"He's a parasite on our family," I respond. "He's the worst." I would love to pretend it's just me and Jaime here at college, but of course Jaime loves Tyrion too much to do that. It's one of the few things I don't like about him.

…

When we get back to the apartment, I think Jaime can tell I'm a little anxious. "What's wrong?" He asks me.

"I'm just not feeling great about all these changes," I respond, sitting on the couch. "When you said we shouldn't rely on each other so much, it made me worry you were getting tired of me."

"Cersei," he says, sitting down next to me. He puts his arm around me. "I'll never get tired of you, that isn't what I meant at all. I just want us to make friends here, and for us to enjoy life outside Winterfell. I thought that was the whole point of going to school here."

"It was. I just worry you'll make a bunch of new friends and I'll be left behind."

"You won't be. Any friend I make will be your friend too. Plus, you wouldn't let me abandon you even if I wanted to." I chuckle, and he kisses me. We move to the bedroom, taking advantage of the freedom of living together.

Daenerys Targaryen POV

I've been spending a lot of my time volunteering this summer. I'm going to a second hand clothing store today to help them tag and price items. It's not a volunteer gig that I do a lot, but the women there are nice and it's easier than some of my other volunteer work.

I'm hanging up clothes on the sales floor when I see the door to the store open. Missandei is here with Margaery, they sometimes come by. "Dany!" Missandei calls out to me. I just wave and she walks over.

"Hey guys," I say. "Thanks for stopping by, I'm bored to death and I'm not even making any money. I'm debating getting a job when the school year starts."

"You should," Margaery says. "You would drive everyone to wherever you were working." I just chuckle at that. I don't know why everyone treats me like some other worldly beauty, I've never seen myself that way.

"Did you need help finding anything?" I ask them.

"We just wanted to say hi," Missandei says. "I feel like we haven't hung out enough this summer."

"How's Grey Worm?" I ask her. They've gotten pretty serious over the last few months.

"He's great," Missandei says, her face lighting up. "He's playing some basketball with the guys right now, and I already miss him."

"Ugh," Margaery says. "She's so sappy." I'm really happy for Missandei, she deserves a happy relationship. And she's been into Grey Worm since middle school.

"Well, let me know if you need help," I say. "Or if you want to distract me again."

Margaery and Missandei leave after a bit, and I still have a couple hours of volunteering left. I normally would go eat or something with Cersei after volunteering. It makes me sad that she went to school and I had to stay back. I know she isn't happy with my decision to stay either, but it's something I had to do.

…

I finally get to see Jon tonight. I haven't seen him except for one time briefly when we got back from our travels. The whole point was to spend the summer together knowing that I didn't have to leave for school, but I feel like I barely saw him. Now that the first week of classes is over, I've invited him to have dinner with me and my dad so they can get to know each other better.

"Are you excited to get to know Jon more?" I ask my dad as I'm preparing a salad for dinner. My dad is making lemon chicken, he used to make that all the time when I was younger. Seeing him make it again makes me think things are somewhat back to normal.

"I am excited," my dad responds. "But you know if he hurts you I'll have to make him pay for it." He's laughing, but I don't like when he jokes like that.

"Dad, stop," I say. "That isn't funny to me."

"I'm just protective over my only child." I'm the only child he has left, so I understand that. I'm just really hoping this dinner goes well, I know my dad is still warming up to social interactions. It still makes me uncomfortable when he makes jokes about hurting himself or other people, I don't want him to get back to the bad place that he used to be in.

Jon Snow Stark POV

I drive up to Daenerys' house and I sit parked in front for a bit. I'm nervous to go in, I've only briefly met her dad and I don't want to say anything that will trigger or upset him. I'm hoping that won't be an issue, Daenerys gave me the basic rundown of what and what not to say.

I knock on the door while holding the brownies I brought with me. I hope they like them, I bought them kind of last minute. Daenerys opens the door and immediately smiles when she sees me.

"Hi, Jon," she says, hugging me. "I'm so glad you made it." I walk in and see her dad come out of the kitchen.

"Nice to see you again, Mr. Targaryen," I say, sticking my hand out.

"You can call me Aerys," he says, shaking my hand. "And I can take what it is you brought." I hand him the brownies and he takes them into the kitchen.

"I'm nervous," I whisper to Daenerys.

"Don't be," she says. "He's really excited for this."

We sit down after I help Daenerys set the table and serve plates. I want Aerys to know I care and want to be helpful to them.

"So Jon," Aerys says as we're eating. "You're a senior now?"

"Yes, sir," I respond. "I applied to the college my brother Robb goes to."

"Have you heard back yet?"

"No, I think I'll hear back in December."

"Do you know what you want to do after high school?"

"I'm really not sure," I say. "I may want to take a gap semester and help my parents out. I know they'll need help with my younger siblings."

"Your father is Ned Stark, right?" Aerys asks me. Shit, what does he think of my dad?

"Yes," I say.

"He's one of the most honorable men I've ever met," Aerys says, to my relief. "I haven't spoken to him in a long time. Tell him to get in touch with me if you could."

"Of course," I say. "I'm sure he'd like that." Daenerys is smiling, I think she likes the idea of our fathers bonding together.

The meal is pretty uneventful after that, but when I get home I can't stop thinking about Aerys wanting to get in touch with my father. I'll ask my dad about it eventually. I mean, I hope that would make my dad more accepting of Daenerys and I's relationship. But that shows me that Aerys and my dad don't have any kind of bad blood, so I'm still incredibly confused as to why my dad doesn't want me dating Daenerys. He'll have to get over that soon, I'm not letting go of her anytime soon.