disclaimer: I only own the plot :) nothing else!

note: thanks for reading and sorry about the first chapter being a wall of text! I didn't use word and I think that's why the layout got messed up D: i tried fixing it now!


One especially quiet Saturday night Sansa nipped out for some fresh air as there was hardly anyone at the bar anyway. She spotted that dark, looming figure propped up against the wall next to the entrance. She watched his breath form clouds in the cold night air before she shuffled a little closer to say 'hi' to him.

He did his usual grunt and nod of the head in response and they just stood there for a while in silence. She knew his name was Sandor and he'd been working for her uncle for many years now. He was the bouncer and she suspected he did some other dirty work for Petyr when he needed him to.

Usually she found the big man standing in the shadows like he was now. Only on a couple of occasions she'd seen him break up a fight or throw a customer out. It was a sight to behold, that was for sure. Sansa had tried to stop her mind, but it had a way of wondering. She had to wonder why he was so silent and closed off. Had she been similar to the way he acted only a few weeks ago? She wondered what happened to him. Never had she felt like talking about her feelings, or about what had happened to her parents. She'd just wanted to be left alone. But for some reason, she had gotten it in her mind that this guy, Sandor the bouncer, he might understand what she'd been through. Maybe, one day, she'd find the courage to strike up more of a conversation with him. Until then she'd just greet him with a small 'hi' and welcome his grouchy nod in response.

The young redhead drifted along with the flow of her new-found life and let everything happen to her as it came. She didn't have a lot of strength or happiness in her to give, but she found as time passed, the constant pain in her chest became a little bit more dull. It was good. She had something to get up for in the morning and everything was a tiny bit better.

But as her cold, dark mood slowly started to thaw around her she started to notice more of her surroundings again. The way her uncle would touch her just a split second too long to be just friendly. The way her aunt was spiralling deeper and deeper into depression. The shady business her uncle did with some of the underworld types that frequented his club. The same people that came there every week, high on drugs and the ones that would suddenly never be seen again. She'd been living in a haze before, but things had started to become crystal clear. It hardened her from the inside, yet somewhere she was grateful she was starting to feel and experience things again, even though they were bad.

Earlier this week some kids she hung out with at school had offered her a cigarette and she had somehow picked it up over the following few days. She knew it was bad, but she felt the need to break out of the norm, to do something stupid. It was time for her break on Friday night at the bar and she grabbed the pack of cigarettes before heading outside. The usual greeting took place between her and Sandor and she leaned back against the cool brick wall, pushing a cig between her lips and opening her newly bought lighter.

Before she knew what was happening, the cigarette was gone and she was staring into the angry face of Sandor, only a few centimetres away from her own.

Sansa's lips where still agape with shock as he pulled away a little more, crushing the cigarette in his large fist before throwing it to the ground with a grunt.

'Why would you do that?' He rasped, his voice was deep and had a rough edge to it. It was how Sansa had expected it to sound, but she was still taken aback.

For a split second, she felt like that girl she was before. Naive and good natured, shocked when people where rude or mean. Shaking her head lightly, she frowned before crossing her arms across her chest defiantly. 'What's it to you?' She returned, trying to sound angry but there was a quiver in her voice.

He huffed at her and she saw him raise his eyebrows for a second. It was strange to see his face in anything else than a frown or a scowl. He had dark facial hair that was slightly unkempt, but it suited his face. His hair was long and he sometimes wore it back in a messy ponytail. But the most noticeable thing about his face where the scars covering the right side of his face. Sansa didn't know how he had gotten them or if it was something he'd been born with. Now he was so close, she felt her hands tingle. She wondered with they'd feel like against the skin of her palms.

He was frowning at her again now as he shook his head and let out a barking, humourless laugh.

'It's not you.'

She was about to sneer something back at him when they both noticed someone stepping outside and looking over at them. It was her uncle Peter and he immediately asked if they where okay out there. Sansa nodded and walked over as her break was nearly done anyway. Feeling Peter's hand resting on the small of her back as he escorted her back inside, Sandors eyes burning in the back of her head.

Slowly and with surprising encouragement from her uncle, Sansa started going to college a little less and started working at the club more and more nights. She was becoming addicted to the rough reality of the place and even though she had reached a point where things had started to shock her again, she couldn't get enough of all these emotions, good or bad.

One colder Sunday night, Sansa found herself outside again standing in silence with Sandor a few meters away from her. He'd been sneaking glances at her ever since the cigarette incident, but to her annoyance she just hadn't been able to smoke again after. It was raining and they shared the space underneath the small shelter above the entrance.

Before she went inside she looked over, hoping to catch his eye but he was looking off into the distance like he usually was.

'Are you cold?' she asked softly, blinking as he slowly turned his head towards her a little bit more, deep grey eyes meeting with her clear blue ones. All he did was shrug, but he seemed taken aback by her question. He turned his head away again and Sansa smiled to herself as she walked back inside, humming softly under the blaring club music.