Chapter 4
Jon's first deployment had him home less than a year after he left. All he wanted to do was lie down in his old bed and watch all the movies that had come out while he was gone. Instead, Robb and Theon dragged him to a party.
Robb did not want his half-brother being all anti-social on a Friday night. Jon deserved a good time while he was on leave.
Besides, Jeyne was going to be at the party.
Jeyne wasn't beautiful, but she made Robb's pulse quicken and his trousers tighten. He had kenned her forever but hadn't, until last year, noticed how much she had blossomed into a young woman over the years.
He refused to discuss her around Theon or Jon. Theon made horrible, lewd comments and Jon…Jon just made horrible comments. Jon could be strange sometimes.
Tonight, Jeyne was wearing a tight black shirt over an equally tight pair of jeans. No jewellery but, then, Robb was not all that into fancy birds. They reminded him too much of his sister, Sansa. Jeyne was Sansa's best friend, a fact that made the girls more apt to giggle than be disgusted.
Jeyne was sweet and soft-spoken. She laughed at Robb's words, put her pretty hand on Robb's chest, and asked him all sorts of questions so that they talked long into the night. And drank. They drank all night until Robb's head felt light and his world was blurred at the edges.
Jeyne was so sweet…
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Jon had no interest in any of the birds at the party. They were either Sansa's mates or university girls who would not look at him when he was out of uniform. Everyone was drunk or on the way there, and no one had anything interesting to say. It was horribly boring.
He swallowed the awful punch that had been provided (spiked liberally with cheap vodka) and contemplated getting a beer. Honestly, he just felt so much older than everyone here, like he had grown up faster than them, even if they were the same age as he was. It was a queer feeling.
Feeling Theon's presence, he grimaced.
"Oh, ho," Theon chuckled, his hot, alcohol-heavy breath blowing across Jon's face. "Don't tell me Jon fucking Scott is jealous because Robb's taken our little Jeyne?"
"Piss off, Theon," Jon snapped. Theon grinned, unfazed.
"Ye ken, Jeyne's fit and all that, but you could find yourself another girl. Trina over there's got Jeyne's hair. She'd go for you. She never did have much taste. She's not even that bad."
Jon turned his back on the annoying twat and downed an unhealthy amount of the god-awful punch. Theon, because he was a dick who didn't know when enough was enough, dragged a stool over and sat down.
"Come on, Scott, you're depressing me. Let's find you a girl."
Jon tossed back the rest of his drink. He stood up to leave, only to find the back of Theon's hand on his chest keeping him there. He glared into dark eyes that weren't the least bit glassy.
"What is it you want?" Jon asked bluntly, tired of Theon's games, tired of Theon's face. They had never been friends. Why was Theon heckling him now?
"Like I said, you're depressin' me. You're getting awfully mopey for someone who just saw his brother go off to shag a pretty girl."
"Do you ever think, Grey, about what you're doing here? You fuck these girls and you never think about what they fe-"
"-and that's got what to do with you and our brother?" Theon's ever-present, secretive grin was insufferable. Jon wanted to hit him. "Hmm?" Theon looked up at him from crossed arms.
"I don't have to explain shit to you."
"Defensive. Nice approach. Seriously, though, let's find you a pretty bird." Theon paused in mock thought. "Or is it a pretty bloke you'd be wanting?"
"Piss off, Grey."
"So it is a bloke you want!" Theon crowed.
That was it. Jon wrenched himself away from Theon and stormed off, determined to continue his sulking elsewhere.
He had forgotten that going outside through the only door meant Theon would come out eventually, too.
The prick took a fag break not ten minutes after Jon left, joining him on the balcony. He leaned on the railing, flicking the cigarette's ash over the edge while it was still red-hot. Jon hoped no one below got hit.
"S'not like it's a secret," Theon said, picking up where he left off. "Dense as you are, you probably didn't ken but me an' Robb, hell, me an' everyone in there-" he jerked his thumb back towards the apartment, "-kens it. Ye just…" Theon waved dismissively. "…let off this air."
Jon snorted. He looked straight ahead, feeling Theon's eyes on him. This night couldn't get any worse, could it? Now he had his prick of a foster brother telling him he was such a poofter nigh on everyone knew it just from being around him. Wonderful. How's your evening going, Jon? It's going great, thanks for asking. Just super. Everyone could piss off.
"Nothing to be ashamed of. M'self, I'm an equal opportunity lover."
"Good for you," Jon groused, settling further down in his slump on the railing.
He jumped, feeling Theon's breath ghosting on the back of his ear. It was surprisingly sweet.
"If it's a bloke you want…"
"I don't want anyone. Especially not my brother."
If Jon had kenned or thought to look, Theon's grin would have told Jon he understood all too perfectly.