A/N: General disclaimers and all that jazz.
One Cannot Delay The Inevitable: Chapter Two
Rating: T
Tags: ModernAU! & OOC!
'You ready? I'll be at your dorm soon.'
One little text message had the capability of throwing Daenerys into a maelstrom of emotions and she stood up so fast that her desk chair fell over backwards onto the floor. Missandei looked up, startled at Daenerys' sudden movement and set the book she was reading down on her bed beside her.
"Everything okay Daenerys?"
"Um, sort of. Jon is on his way over so we can go to the gym."
"And?"
Daenerys glared at Missandei and waved a hand down her body. She still wore her school uniform, having thrown herself into her studies as soon as they got back from their lunch and moping in tortured silence about one Jon Snow.
"And I haven't gotten ready! I don't have an outfit ready for the gym and I'm not cleaned up and…"
"I'm not sure what you need to do to get 'cleaned up' but I already picked out your outfit and hung it up in your closet. Get changed and then I'll help you with your hair."
Stunned, Daenerys walked over to her closet and saw the gym outfit Missandei had picked out. She quickly stripped off her school uniform, her garter belt and bra. Daenerys was comfortable in her own skin, nudity not bothering her and Missandei had seen her naked a dozen times over. She pulled on a pair of yoga pants, sports bra and an athletic singlet top.
"Okay."
Without another word Daenerys walked over to where Missandei stood behind her desk chair, having righted the wooden chair and Daenerys sat down. Missandei pushed Daenerys long hair off her back and over the front of her shoulder. With a few deft twists of her fingers, the other girl hid the straps of Daenerys' sports bra behind the straps of her singlet and tightened up the usual braids that Daenerys wore her hair in.
"There. You are all set. Here's your phone, keycard and purse. Do not forget to get a water from the vending machine downstairs."
Daenerys stood up on shaky feet, her thoughts and emotions still wrapped up in one tangled ball concerning Jon Snow and she fidgeted with her fingers. Missandei slapped her hands and Daenerys shook her head.
"I should cancel and tell him I don't feel well. I can't do this right now and I feel exposed."
"Breathe Daenerys. In and out. In and out. You love going to the gym with Jon and working out with him. He's relaxed and carefree while pushing his body to its limits remember? Besides, Grey Worm is coming over to study for a test and I don't want your nervous energy to make him nervous too."
Daenerys forgot about her thoughts of Jon and looked at Missandei with a raised eyebrow. Missandei blushed but turned Daenerys and pushed her towards the door. Daenerys half-protested and managed to turn around just as Missandei pushed her outside into the hallway.
"When did this happen and why didn't I know about it?"
"You were too busy moping and studying to pay attention to anything over the past two hours. Now, go."
Missandei smiled to take the sting out of her statement and Daenerys waved goodbye as she walked towards the common area on the first floor of the dorm building. Daenerys had just picked up her water bottle from the vending machine when there was a knock on the front door and Daenerys glared at the other girls who crowded by the door. She smoothed back her hair, ran her hands down her legs and with a deep breath opened the door.
"Hey there."
The witty, sarcastic comment she had on the tip of her tongue disappeared as Daenerys had her first look at Jon and his slightly sweaty form. She knew from previous experiences that Jon wore a tank-top underneath his t-shirt but today he wore a tighter t-shirt than normal and the sweat made it cling to his muscular frame. She couldn't blame the other girls behind her as they gasped and swooned but she could stop them from doing or saying anything stupid. She walked out onto the porch and firmly shut the front door behind her.
"I was almost afraid that you would cancel or say that you were too busy studying to make it."
"So, you already worked out ahead of time?"
"No, I was…a bit frustrated about something that Robb and Theon had said and went out for a short run before I came to pick you up."
Daenerys placed a hand on Jon's forearm and looked up at him in silent inquiry. He gave a strained smile and shook his head.
"It's nothing Danyi. Just them being stupid is all. Come on."
The two students walked for a few minutes and then into the recreation center. They swiped in with their ID cards and broke away from each other to go into their separate locker rooms on the second floor. Daenerys put her belongings into a locker, shut it and walked back out into the gym. Jon waited for her and opened the door for her. They signed in and walked over to an empty section of the gym to warm up.
"Oi, there you are Snow! I figured you chickened out of the workout once you saw what it consisted of."
"And let you believe that you can one-up me Tormund? As if."
A giant red-headed and bearded man lumbered over to them and clasped Jon in a manly embrace. They backed away and Tormund nodded at Daenerys. Daenerys smiled and nodded back.
"Is today a hard day for you guys?"
"It's Tuesday lass. Coach Davos over there is plotting to kill us."
Tormund stage whispered dramatically behind his large hand and the older man in question, Coach Davos, glared at them. He walked over and looked up at Tormund with stern eyes. Despite the height difference, Tormund straightened, as did Jon and another boy by the name of Gendry walked over.
"If you have time to crack jokes Tormund then I guess you are all warmed up. Jon, finish up and meet us over at the squat rack. Hello Daenerys."
"Hello Coach Davos."
Jon grinned at Daenerys and motioned for her to continue warming up as he walked away. Daenerys stuck her tongue out at him but did as he asked.
"Has he asked you out yet?"
Daenerys jumped and turned around with a hand over her fast beating heart. Arya Stark stood behind her, straight as a board and hands clasped behind her back. The youngest Stark daughter stood dressed in attire like Daenerys' and waited for Daenerys' answer.
"No, and don't be ridiculous. Where is Coach Syrio Forel?"
"Awaiting us as soon as you are warmed up. Ready?"
Daenerys nodded and for the next hour put her body through a tremendous workout. Daenerys would have quit working out with the short and demanding fencing coach if she hadn't seen real results of her training and the fact that Jon's eyes constantly roved over her as she worked out. His gaze was heavy and warm, appreciative even, and it always gave Daenerys that little bit of extra motivation to finish strong.
"Concentrate on using these muscles to complete the exercise Danyi. Just like that. Smooth and steady now."
The rough callouses on Jon's hands as they moved across the bare skin of her back sent shivers down Daenerys' spine and she unconsciously leaned back into his touch. Jon corrected her form by pressing his hands into her back and Daenerys concentrated on not letting the weights drop back down. She finished and saw Coach Syrio Forel's attention focused on Arya.
"What are you doing over here? Coach Davos couldn't have let you go yet."
Daenerys wiped her face with her towel and took a sip from her water bottle. Jon had stripped off his t-shirt and Daenerys appreciated the way that the stretchy fabric of his tank-top moved and hugged his muscles. Jon chuckled and ran a hand through his hair.
"Coach is letting us have a break before we hit the last exercise. You're finished, right?"
"Yes, and I'll stretch with you when you're done."
It went unsaid that Daenerys would watch the last of Jon's workout with Tormund and Gendry. A habit that had developed over time and one that Daenerys most certainly did not want to give up. Jon grinned and hurried back over to where Coach Davos and the others stood waiting when Coach Davos barked out a command. Daenerys followed at a slower pace, her body tired from the workout and she grinned at the taller, imposing form of Brienne.
"Who will win the match today Brienne?"
"Tormund won last week so…"
"Jon."
Both women grinned as they said Jon's name at the same time and Arya joined them a moment later. Brienne acknowledged Arya with a nod of her head and the three ladies returned their attention to where Jon, Tormund and Gendry were cranking through deadlifts. The amount of weight and repetitions the three men worked past and up to impressed Daenerys and she leaned over a stand as she watched Jon. He faltered and had to set the weight back down. Daenerys raised an eyebrow, Jon's misstep abnormal and looked at Arya when the other girl poked her.
"Stop teasing him."
"I'm not. I haven't said anything."
"Then put those away."
Arya poked Daenerys' breasts and Daenerys flushed as she realized that due to her positioning Jon had gotten an eyeful of her cleavage. The fact that Jon noticed and was distracted set the embers ablaze in her lower stomach and she straightened back up. Jon resumed the exercise and completed it with ease. Tormund had the gall to laugh and whispered something to Jon while pointing at Daenerys. Jon flushed, shook his head and punched Tormund in the shoulder.
"Boys!"
"Yes Coach."
The final set must have arrived because all three boys weren't quite so eager to snatch up the weights and they paced around the weights. Coach Davos barked a command and Jon stepped up to the weight bar first. He batted his curls away from his face, a useless gesture, and tied them back when they simply fell back into his face. Due to the way that he had set down the weights during his last set Jon had his back to her, and Daenerys drank in his physique when he placed his hands on his hips.
"You'll burn holes into his back if you stare at him any harder."
"Quiet Arya. The guys need to concentrate."
Brienne came to Daenerys' defense this time around and Daenerys was grateful but didn't take her eyes off Jon. She knew that her best friend had a considerable amount of strength and that he knew his own body's limits, but the weights were much heavier than the last time Daenerys had seen Jon perform this exercise. Daenerys gripped the stand until her knuckles turned white and held her breath. She let it out gratefully as her lungs burned for air when Jon completed the exercise set and dropped the weights onto the ground.
"Let's see what you can do Gendry."
"Yes Coach."
Gendry took to the weights and Arya straightened almost imperceptibly. The younger Stark daughter had very few restraints when it came to voicing her opinions or what she felt passionate about but no one could get her to comment on how she felt about Gendry. The younger boy (Jon and Tormund were both seniors while Gendry was a junior) performed the exercise three times but on the fourth repetition struggled. He couldn't get the bar higher and dropped it with a defeated groan.
"I'm sorry Coach. I just can't…"
"It's all right there son. You couldn't lift the weights even once last week. Tormund."
Tormund clapped Gendry on the shoulder as he passed the younger boy and glared down at the weights. He swung his arms back and forth, beat his chest and then settled in. Four times he lifted the bar high above his head but on the fifth he struggled. The weights dropped back down onto the floor with a thud and accompanied by Tormund's growl. Tormund stomped over to Jon and poked him hard in the chest.
"Don't get cocky there pretty boy. This only makes us even. Bwah!"
The competition between Jon and Tormund was much talked about between themselves and their friends but there was no ill will between the two seniors. Jon smirked and nodded his head. Coach Davos stepped between the two of them and both seniors took a step back.
"We are finished for the day lads and remember to stretch. I'll see you three here tomorrow at the same time. Understood?"
"Yes coach."
Daenerys smiled at Jon as her best friend approached and she handed him his towel and water bottle. He took both, wiped his face and drained his water bottle. He motioned over to the section of the gym usually reserved for yoga classes and grimaced. Daenerys stepped in close and ran her hands down his arms.
"What hurts? I knew that weight looked too heavy. What were you thinking? Oh, that's right you weren't. Stupid competitive men."
"I'm fine Danyi. I pushed myself hard today or were you not watching?"
Jon grinned down at her and gripped her shoulders in his hands. Daenerys rolled her eyes and searched his eyes for any lies or misdirection. She couldn't tell and let him lead her over to the spot so they could stretch.
"You seemed to be pushing yourself hard as well today. You're getting quite toned and your definition is starting to show."
"I didn't know that you were watching so closely Jon."
Daenerys winked as she bent over to touch her toes and she let her elbows touch the ground. She moved her shoulders in such a way that the muscles in her back flexed and she heard Jon inhale. She held the stretch for a moment and then eased her way back to standing up straight. Jon stood there spellbound and Daenerys arched over to the side.
"You need to stretch as well Jon."
"R-Right."
The two best friends finished stretching in silence and they walked out of the gym. Jon went to put back on his t-shirt but before he could Daenerys snatched it from him. Jon looked down at her and raised his eyebrows. Daenerys smirked back up at him, held his shirt behind her back and stepped into the women's locker room.
"It's a warm night Jon and you don't want to overheat. You did just work out pretty hard after all."
Before Jon could protest, Daenerys stepped further into the locker room and giggled as she went to the locker where her belongings were. She turned around and almost bumped into Ygritte. The taller red-headed woman stopped, opened her mouth as if to apologize and closed her mouth with a snap when she saw that it was Daenerys. Daenerys went to step around Ygritte but the other woman blocked her way to the exit.
"Excuse me. I'm trying to leave."
"Loosen your death grip on Jon's free time. I would like to talk with him but with you constantly by his side it makes it difficult to have a private conversation."
Ygritte hissed out her demands and stepped closer to loom over Daenerys but Daenerys didn't back down. She was one of two of the last remaining Targaryen's and when she came of age she would file for sole ownership of her family's business empire. That daunting task posed a much bigger obstacle than an ex-lover of Jon's and she glared back up at Ygritte.
"And when we last spoke I told you that you would never speak to Jon alone again while I'm around. You nearly broke him and he is still haunted by what you said and did."
"You don't know what-"
"And I'm not the only one who feels that way. Sansa and Arya both feel the same way."
Ygritte went to interrupt and Daenerys would have liked nothing better than to rip into Jon's ex-girlfriend again but Jon was waiting for her. She stepped past a stunned Ygritte and out of the locker room. Jon leaned back against the wall as he waited for her, his head tilted back and eyes closed. Daenerys took this brief opportunity to reign in her infamous temper and smiled at Jon when his eyes popped open.
"Come on sleepy head. Let's get you back to your dorm where you can shower and go to sleep."
"I'll walk you back to your dorm Danyi."
Pleased with Jon's gruff response (not that she had expected anything less) Daenerys fell in step beside him and they walked across campus in companionable silence. Jon's dorm wasn't too far from Daenerys' but it was in the opposite direction and Daenerys had at first tried to stop Jon from walking her back to her dorm. His honor as a Stark and his gentleman's upbringing prevented him from not escorting her and Daenerys really did feel like a princess when Jon reminded her of this. The two of them stopped outside of Daenerys' dorm and Jon carefully ran his hands down her arms.
"Make sure to stretch again if anything starts to tighten up and drink plenty of water. I suggest you take a bath too, as it will soothe any aches you might have."
"Speaking from experience, are we?"
Jon coughed, embarrassed, and Daenerys chuckled.
"Stop being so bossy and let me take care of you as a friend should. Otherwise, I'll have Missandei force you to take a bath and replace your stash of candy with a healthier alternative."
"You wouldn't dare! And how do you know that I have a stash of candy in my dorm?"
Jon grinned, eyes shining knowingly and Daenerys huffed. Her pretend annoyance vanished when Jon pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. The action never failed to make Daenerys' insides melt and tonight held no exception. Feeling brave and wanting to thank Jon for everything he did; Daenerys grabbed his bicep, stood up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. She flushed, her eyes fixed on the ground and she whispered her goodbyes as she slipped through the front door. She closed it and leaned back against it, her heart hammering in her chest. She focused her attentions and glared at the rest of the girls that stood with a multitude of expressions on their faces.
"Get back to whatever it is that you all were doing. There is nothing to see here."
Margaery Tyrell smirked but ushered the other girls away. The beautiful senior stared at Daenerys until Daenerys squirmed and Margaery laughed.
"How long are you going to cling so tightly to that title of 'best friend of Jon Snow'? You are merely delaying the inevitable."
"Like you are any better. How long are you going to keep his older brother Robb pining for your affections?"
"Not for too much longer but it is so much fun to see him grovel."
Margaery disappeared further into the dormitory and Daenerys walked up the stairs to her room. She remembered at the last moment that Missandei had a 'study session' with Grey Worm and knocked. The door swung open and Missandei stood on the other side with a knowing grin. Daenerys dramatically leaned into her room and looked around for any signs of Grey Worm.
"He left a while ago once we were done studying."
"That quick huh?"
Missandei flushed, pulled Daenerys into the room and shut the door behind her. Daenerys laughed and set her belongings down on her desk. Missandei sat down on her bed and looked at Daenerys.
"I see that you have acquired another of Jon's shirts."
"Oh. I forgot to give it back to him."
"Where you wearing it earlier?"
Daenerys shook her head and pulled out her toiletries so she could shower. She stripped naked and wrapped a towel around herself. Missandei still sat and waited for an explanation.
"Give it a rest Missandei."
"Fine. What about that kiss you gave him just now?"
The flush spread down her face and to the top of her chest at the memory and Daenerys grabbed her toiletries. She walked out of the room to Missandei's laughter and grumbled the entire way to the showers about no good, nosey best friends.