GoT fanfic: White as Snow (Part II of IV)

Tumblr - JONERYS Appreciation Week

Day 3 Prompt: Modern Day AU

Summary: A modern Cinderella Story of a child whose world is turned upside down after the death of a parent. This child made to feel inferior, and in servitude to their own family. Will the love of another help pull them out of their darkness.

PART II: Silver Spoons

++o+ Age 17 +o++

Daenerys and Jon kept in touch over the last two years, mainly exchanging the occasional email and a quick phone call on birthdays. The night of their first kiss was never discussed, as though it never had happened.

Another thing the young friends avoided was conversation about anything romantic in their separate lives. It was an unspoken rule between them. With Dany living in Chicago and Jon in New York, both knew that a romantic relationship would not work. So they enjoyed their friendship.

Dany did go on occasional dates, but nothing serious. There was never anyone that made her feel the way Jon did. No one that made her care enough. She wouldn't even kiss them, she just knew it wouldn't mean anything.

So why bother? She would always think.

Jon had Catelyn Stark to contend with, she always made it clear that he was not part of the family. Just a burden she had to deal with on top of her own five children. The Stark children, as her five were called. The older Jon got, the more Catelyn expected of him. Jon's junior year was especially hard. Robb took a year off school in order to study abroad and intern in Europe, without her first born around Catelyn had more time on her hands to concentrate on Jon.

To concentrate on all Jon was doing wrong that is. His responsibilities increased, nothing was ever done to her satisfaction. Jon barely had time to study, let alone date. There was never a girl that intrigued him the way Dany did. No one even came close to making him smile the way that only she could.

+++o+++

Dany stares at her laptop, controlling her urge to throw her cup of tea across the room. Hating what she is reading. It is so unfair, she thinks to herself. Hasn't Jon suffered enough?

Hi Dany,

I am being a coward today and telling you this in an email…

Every time you ask me about my plans for college, I either ignore the question or give you a half truth. I hate not being honest, especially with you.

Long story short, it has been decided that I will not be going the college route. Catelyn needs my help at home, especially with Arya and the boys and the money is just not there.

Please don't be upset for me. I'm okay with the decision. Truth is, I don't really want to discuss it. I hope you can understand.

Talk soon, Jon

Dany lowers her head into her hands, trying to control her emotions. She knows college is not for everyone, and that is fine. But what bothers her is that for years now she has known that Jon has dreamt of college. She knows he works so hard to get good grades and he is talented fencer on his school's team.

Dany pulls up the main Targaryen Enterprises webpage, navigating quickly to the community outreach tab. Dany worked at her family's company all summer and played an active role in managing the college internship program. She remembers their generous scholarship program, it is open to students from across the country to apply.

Her stomach falls, the deadline for application has passed. It would not be fair to take away from students that researched ahead of time and met the deadline.

Picking up the phone Daenerys calls the head of the scholarship program to ask for a favor. Even if she were to never see Jon Snow again, she knows she loves him and she wants what is best for him.

Her next step is looking up the staff list at the high school she knows Jon attends, pleased to see the staff list with photos is listed. Writing down the name and contact information of the school's College Guidance Counselor she formulates her plan.

She will fix this, she has to.

+++o+++

"Jon!" Dany yells from the subway platform, waving her arms frantically. She is so excited to see him.

Jon's smile is huge, seeing her he sprints over to meet her. Pulling her petite frame into his arms for a tight hug.

"I can't believe you are here, you must be exhausted. How was your flight?" Jon asks, concerned that she may be too tired after her international trip to hang out.

Dany used her spring break to fly to Targaryen's offices in Paris, with college starting next fall she wanted to spend a week in the Paris office to experience international business, she is considering the major.

"I'm fine! Come on, let's get something to eat," Dany smiles. "Actually, do you mind if we just order room service at my hotel?"

Jon just smiles, agreeing to whatever she wants.

+++o+++

"Yeah, it was two months ago when my guidance counselor admitted that he had filled out the Clarke Foundation scholarship application on my behalf, I was just shocked. I'm just not used to anyone doing something nice for me," Jon admits sadly, feeling a tightness in his chest. Meeting Dany's eyes as she sits across from him at small table in her suite, he sees how much she cares for him. "It just means so much to me, I won this amazing scholarship based on merit. For my grades, fencing and all of my academic achievements."

Clearing his throat nervously, Jon never talks about his feelings. "Like for the first time ever I did something right in my life."

Dany forces her face to remain the same, although her stomach just dropped. She went to great lengths to set up Jon's scholarship, and cover up her involvement. Hearing Jon explain how much it means to him and why makes her feel trapped. How can she take that away from him, would he even understand why she did it?

No, she can't. She loves him too much, it is too late.

"That's wonderful, Jon. I'm happy for you," she says, looking away.

They continue to talk about college, upcoming summer plans. Dany is still deciding between Brown and Harvard, she was accepted into the early admissions program for both schools. She loves to hear about his siblings. Even Sansa is getting to be much nicer as she grows older.

"She said what?" Dany laughs wanting Jon to tell her again how Catelyn stark stuttered in horror upon finding out about his full scholarship to NYU. Dany smiles while cutting into her burger as Jon watches her closely.

"Are you going to eat that entire burger with a fork and knife? I may have just discovered the first thing I don't like about your Daenerys Targaryen!" Jon laughs.

Dany blushes and gives him a small shove as she joins him in laughing. "No, I am just cutting it in half. It's easier to pick up that way. Back to your story please, Catelyn's head spinning off."

Jon chuckles as he tells Dany again how furious his stepmother is that he will be leaving for college in the fall. Dany smiles happily, knowing her secret role in his story and glad to see him to alive and free.

Hours later, sitting on the couch and talking Jon and Dany finally discuss the elephant in the room.

"You are still the only girl I've ever kissed," Jon blurts out, instantly regretting being so honest with her as her eyes widen.

Dany is shocked, because he is so handsome, girls must throw themselves at him all the time. She know she would if they went to the same school. But she's also been in love with him since she was eight years old.

"Are you going to say anything?" Jon says, trying to break the tension.

Dany smiles at him and decides that sometimes actions are more telling than words. Moving slowly closer to him as he sits on the couch she watches his eyes carefully. Jon smiles and pulls her close, welcoming her into his arms.

"I don't want to ruin our friendship, but just for now… Just for tonight." Dany's voice trails off as she decides to be bold.

Her heart racing as she sits on Jon's lap, facing him. Before she can think of her next move Jon grabs her face and kisses her roughly. The moment his lips touch her, Dany feels as though she is on fire. Without hesitation their tongues begin a slow and sensual dance.

Her hands moving to touch his chest she loves how strong he feels under her hands. Jon holds her hips as they kiss, he longs to shift her closer to him. His dick is so hard, he wants to feel her pressed to him.

When Dany pauses to catch her breath Jon's lips go to her neck, kissing and gently biting. She gasps loudly, wanting him in a way she has never experienced before.

"Jon," Dany moans, crying out his name as she rocks her hips. Rubbing her sex against him, feeling his hardness.

"Shit, Dany," Jon hisses as his hips rise to meet hers. Suddenly his hands are roaming up and down her arms, and her back.

Feeling bold he grabs her ass and rocks her more tightly against him. Dany bites his lower lip in response, both groaning with pleasure and need. They continue kissing and touching each other for a while before Dany takes his hands and places them on her breasts groaning with pleasure as he immediately caresses her.

"Will you spend the night? I have an early flight back to Chicago in the morning…but I don't want you to leave," Dany whispers.

Jon studies her face, trying to decipher what she is asking.

Dany kisses him slowly, "I'm a virgin, I am not asking you to have sex. I just want you to be next to me tonight."

"I was totally down with sex, if you had wanted that," Jon deadpans. For a moment Dany is stunned and then she realizes he is joking.

Both laugh as they get up and walk to the bed, they don't go any further that night. Jon pulls Dany in his arms and holds her as she falls asleep. Only then does he kiss her forehead, whispering "I love you, Dany." Before letting go and sleeping himself.

++o+ Age 18 +o++

"You okay, Jon?" Robb asks his brother, genuinely concerned. Sure Jon is a very broody person by nature, but he has been incredibly cranky the last week. "You are still coming to my graduation party this afternoon, right?"

Jon fights the scowl, wondering how dense Robb can be and still have been accepted to Brown University. Jon is also graduating, having walked to get his diploma right next to Robb in fact…Snow and Stark as last names lined them up together. Yet this graduation party is for Robb alone.

Although Robb is a year older, his study abroad in high school puts him one year behind. He will be a freshman in college at same time as Dany and Jon.

Whatever, Jon should be used to it by now. Always a second class citizen, always ending up last.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Jon painfully remembers his guidance counselor admitting that his scholarship from the Clarke Company was in fact from Targaryen Enterprises. Clarke being one of their subsidiaries.

Just finding out days ago, Jon has not fully processed the news. It was Dany that set all of this up, every last piece of the puzzle. There was never a scholarship, the money probably came out of her trust fund!

"Yes, Robb. I'll be at your party. I wouldn't miss it," Jon snaps.

Must be nice to have so much money to just throw around.

+++o+++

Dany smiles nervously as she enters the country club banquet hall that Catelyn Stark rented for Robb's graduation party. As her father needed to be in Manhattan for business, the timing of this party worked out well with their trip.

And Dany was anxious to see Jon again after so many months. Busy with her own graduation week in Chicago she hasn't had time to email Jon, so she is anxious to see him today.

As she walks through the party, smiling at a couple of people that she has met over the years, she searches for Jon. Spotting him, surprised to see him staring at her intently and brooding she waves and smiles. Jon nods his head, motioning for her to follow him out the side door of the hall.

"Jon! I missed you, how are you?" Dany cries cheerfully as she leans in to give him a hug. She is surprised when Jon takes a step back.

"We need to talk, Dany," Jon says coldly. "Let's walk in the garden, no one is out there now."

A sense of dread falls over Dany, she can tell he is very upset, angry even.

They walk in silence to the garden, now a safe distance from the banquet hall where no one will hear them.

"I really don't appreciate being your charity case, Dany!" Jon hisses at her, all of the feelings he has been bottling in for the last week coming to the surface at once. "How could you do this to me?!"

Dany instantly feels sick, realizing he knows about the scholarship. "Jon, I wanted to tell you. I did! When we at the hotel, and then-"

"Why didn't you then? What excuse do you have? You were too busy sitting on my lap and sticking your tongue down my throat," Jon yells.

Dany's eyes widen, shocked he would say that to her. Shocked he would throw their intimacy back in her face. Tears welling in her eyes. "Just let me explain, please."

"You don't get it, Dany! Why would you? You are Daenerys Targaryen, one of the wealthiest women in the US. Born with a silver spoon in your mouth!"

"That is not fair, just because I have money doesn't mean that my life is perfect!" Dany cries, tears streaming down her face. She never imagined that Jon would ever be so angry to talk to her like this. "Jon, try to understand why I did it. I love you, I have loved you for so long and it has killed me all these years to see you mistreated! Your life is like a modern day Cinderella story, evil stepmother and all!"

Jon scowls, "So that makes you what? The prince that saves the day?! I never knew you could think so highly of yourself. Wow – you really are something, Dany."

Wiping her tears, she tries again to explain. "It killed me that you wanted to go to college, it was finally going to be your time be free, to get away. And Catelyn tried to take that away from you. I had the means to fix things, so I did!"

"Don't you get it? How can you not see what is right in front of you? The last ten years of my life has been lie after lie," Jon pauses to control the shaking of his voice. He refuses to cry to her, not now. Not ever.

"For years I have had to just accept the lies told about me! That I was shy. That I was tired. That I was sick. That I preferred to be alone. Everything my family needed me to pretend to be, so they wouldn't feel bad about pushing me to the side!" Jon is shaking with anger. "I just never expected something so deceitful, so calculated from you Dany."

Dany bursts into tears, it is killing her to hear his pain and know she caused it. "I love you, Jon Snow. Please forgive me, please. I only did it because I care about you."

"My answer is no. I do not forgive you," Jon says coldly, Dany burying her face in her hands and weeping. "Being in love, does not justify your lies and manipulations."

"Jon, please! If we can just-" Dany pleads until he cuts her off.

"Goodbye, Dany," say as he walks back into the country club leaving her alone in the garden to compose herself.

As Dany returns to the party she is surprised to find her father holding a microphone and motioning for her to join him at the podium. Suddenly Robb and Catelyn are also at the front. As always, Dany does as told by her father.

"I know we are here for Robb's graduation but we wanted to lift a glass to both Robb and my daughter, Daenerys Targaryen. Both of these fine young adults will be students at Brown this fall! Dany scans the party guests for Jon, he is nowhere to be found. In that moment Robb places a friendly hug around her shoulders as they pose for pictures.

Jon watches from the balcony, he hates the sadness that washed over him. Seeing Dany with Robb is just a painful reminder that she is out of his league. She always has been. It's time he accepted it.

With resolution Jon know what he has to do.

+++o+++

The next Monday Jon calls NYU and lets them know that his financial funding has fallen through. He wants to cancel his enrollment. As the woman on the phone places him on hold he is shocked when the coach of the fencing team at NYU answers the transferred call.

Later, Jon hangs up the phone…stunned. Jon will be on a sports scholarship for being on the fencing team.

It's a miracle…but then why does he still feel so bad.

+++o+++

Dany gets an email from the Targaryen offices the next day, advising her that scholarship recipient Jon Snow has turned down the scholarship. It is settled, Jon has turned his back on her and all of her money. That's what he sees her as, a spoiled girl with a silver spoon in her mouth. She is heartbroken.

Ten years ago, they were just two kids eating cookies and milk in the kitchen of a funeral parlor.

She sadly wonders how things got so complicated.

+++o+ End of Part II of IV +o+++

Author's Note: Part III of White as Snow will be published for Day 04 of Jonerys Appreciation Week (Wednesday 9/27). Prompt: Angst