The carriage was cold but Clegane covered her in furs and she had the gloves and cloak to keep her warm so it was in no way uncomfortable. She soon became used to the jolting of the road and the rattle of the horse's hooves, it became almost soothing to her. She occupied her time mostly by watching the scenery beyond the window. She read her book idly, losing interest quickly. Mr. Clegane sat in silence most of the time making Sansa more and more aware of the barrier that had grown between them. But when she attempted idle chatter with him he didn't dismiss her, he listened to her like he had that day in Wintertown and she was surprised that she still had subjects to talk about after that day.
She even fell asleep at one point, waking to find her husband gazing at her with a strange expression on his face. He had jumped when her eyes opened and quickly looked out the window.
When the sun began to disappear behind the hills in the distance they stopped at an Inn for the night. It was small but fit their needs. They were shown to a small room that boasted naught but a bed, a lumpy armchair next to a fire, a small window and a washing basin. It wasn't much, but to Sansa, tired of jolting around in a cold carriage all day – it was heaven.
She sat on the edge of the bed timidly, feeling it sink beneath her weight.
Sandor paid the owner and ordered that he bring dinner to their room, "and bring a bath for my wife; a small luxury after our travels."
He gave the man another coin and the keeper bowed and left. Soon after a basin was brought in and maids filled it with steaming water. Their food was set out on a small table and a large jug of wine which Sandor claimed.
He poured himself a glass and looked over to her as she stripped herself of her gloves and cloak, having already shed her bonnet when she was in the carriage.
I'll give you privacy, little bird," he rasped, taking his mug of wine and heading to the door. I'll return when you are done.
She smiled at him gratefully and he looked at her once before closing the door behind himself, "lock it" came his muffled voice from the other side and she quickly followed his request. Only when he heard the latch slide shut did the sound of his retreating footsteps reach her.
Later after she had ate, bathed and sipped at a small glass of wine, she slipped into a night gown and after unlocking the door for Mr. Clegane, crawled between the sheets of the bed. She was surprised to find it quite comfortable as she lay back against the puffy white pillow. The room was dark; the sun had long retreated behind the horizon and the room was lit in a soft orange glow from the fire.
Sansa tossed and turned but sleep would not some to her. After what felt like an eternity, the door opened and Sandor ducked into the room. He turned and locked the door behind him and glanced at her lying in the bed, curled up on one side feigning sleep.
She heard him sigh as he moved across the room to the basin where he filled it with water from the jug beside it and washed his face. She heard him undress and felt her heart skip unevenly.
There was quiet for a while after he had removed his boots. Then she heard a horrid creak as he sat down in the uncomfortable looking chair. After a while of waiting and listening to his breathing she sat up.
There he sat; leaning back awkwardly in the chair, his head lolled back his eyes closed but a frown marking his brow, his cloak draped over himself to provide some heat as he sat as far away from the fire as possible.
"You are not going to sleep there all night are you?"
He lifted his head and opened one eye, squinting at her, "aye, hence me sitting in it trying to sleep."
Sansa's mouth opened then shut. Then finding some burst of confidence she reached over and pushed the corner of the cover she lay beneath down on the side next to her.
"Here, sleep here with me. It isn't fair that you should sit in that awful thing. And it is a cold night. We are man and wife after all. And I'm frightened." The last was a lie, she felt very safe with him near her, but she chirped her words knowing they would get him to bend to her will.
He looked at her for a long while then with a muttered "fuck it" threw the cloak to the ground and stood up. He wore nothing but his trousers and linen shirt and he slipped in between the sheets silently. He lay without touching her, his back to her.
She wanted to shuffle closer to him and cuddle against him, like she used to with Arya but…different. She lay staring at his back for a time, until finding her eyes drooping too heavily she rolled over onto her side so they were back to back and closed her eyes.
"Goodnight, Sandor" she whispered, tasting his name on her tongue for the first time, listening to his slow steady breathing.
She was surprised when she heard the low rasp of his voice bid her goodnight in return, and she smiled and slept soundly
V
It was just after dawn when Sansa was pulled from the warm glow of sleep back into reality.
Her eyes flickered as she regained consciousness. She smiled and yawned, nuzzling her faze into the warm solid object beside her.
She felt arms tighten around her and jerked awake to find herself for the second time in a room that wasn't her own.
The next thing she realized was the solid, warm body tucked into her own behind her. Her back to his chest, his legs tangled with hers, her hair splayed across her pillow. One arm was around her waist, wrapped tight around her stomach protectively. The other…she blushed and felt her heart quicken to find it around the swell of a breast. The heat of him was like fire. But a good fire.
She tried to wriggle away, scared of what his reaction would be should he wake and find them in such an intimate position. But as soon as she moved his arms tightened and his face nuzzled into her hair at the back of her neck. That sent a shiver all down her spine and she felt a heat quicken between her legs. So she lay there, allowing herself to enjoy her husband's arms around her, feigning sleep with a smile on her face.
But all too soon she felt him wake, yawning and huffing then stiffening as he came to awareness. Then his arms were gone, gently setting her right in her sleep but removing himself from such an intimate hold on her. But he stayed in bed with her a while longer. She could feel his warm breath on the back of her neck still and a small tickle of her scalp made her realize he was touching her hair gently. Then he was gone, sitting up and dressing himself.
She lay still listening to him pull his boots on then a large, warm hand gently shook her shoulder.
She opened her eyes, blinking a few times to feign the grogginess of just waking up and looked up into that scarred face.
"Time to go, little bird" he said softly, and then turned around to face the door, giving her privacy while she dressed.
She wore the same dress as yesterday; her clothes still packed away in the trunks tied to the carriage. When she had donned her cloak and gloves she picked up her bonnet and tapped Sandor's shoulder lightly. He turned and nodded to her then held the door open for her as they left the room.
V
They rode mostly in silence that day, Sandor scowling out the window while Sansa leafed through another book. After a while she sat back and sighed, gazing at the roof of the carriage very bored.
"How far away is Clegane House?" she asked, looking to Sandor.
"We will be there by sundown tomorrow night, if all goes well."
"Will we stay in another inn tonight?"
"Yes, there is one I usually stay at when I travel down, it's ju-"
The carriage suddenly jerked and fell to one side causing Sansa to topple out of her seat and land right into the lap of her husband.
They had stopped moving and Sandor quickly helped her right herself. They stepped out of the carriage to find the driver curse and climb down from his seat, one of the boys that rode the back jumped down too. The back right wheel was lodged in a deep puddle of mud, deep enough that the horses would not be able to pull it out.
"We'll need to push it out, come, Sansa stand back," Sandor ordered, peeling off his jacket and handing it to her.
He, the driver and the boy all lined up at the back of the carriage, pushing against it structure. Grunts filled the air and their feet slipped in the mucky ground but the carriage began to move forwards.
Sansa blushed as she watched the muscles move beneath her husband's thin shirt and turned away. They had stopped on a forest path, mucky and narrow and surrounded by trees.
The loud groan of them all heaving the wheel out of the mud reached her and she turned back. The carriage righted once more on the road and Sandor walking towards her. He was breathing hard and he reached out and took his jacket back from her.
His hand brushed her and she felt a jolt in her stomach. The memory of that large hand cupping her breast earlier that morning pooled a heat between her thighs that she found very distracting.
He dipped his head to look at her face as he shrugged the jacket back on, "everything alright?" he asked her.
She nodded quickly, "yes I'm just tired is all" she excused.
He nodded and guided her back to the carriage with one hand on the small of her back, "we'll be at the inn soon enough," he said and she tried her best to ignore the heat that seared from his hand through her clothes to her skin. She shivered as she climbed back into the carriage.
For the rest of the journey she feigned sleep, listening to his steady breathing and concentrating on the rock of the carriage and not on thoughts of his hands on her.
V