Jaime and Brienne are walking down the streets in bright moonlight. He has his arm snaked around her to rest on her hip, and Brienne tries her best not to stumble in the blue high heels. Margaery shall be damned, again, though they don't make blisters for once.

They went to a bar with Tyrion and his girlfriend Shae. They have been dating for a while, but he didn't want to say at first, probably fearing that this would destroy it, but when she introduced herself as his girlfriend, calling him her "lion", Tyrion knew their status, which is why he seems a lot happier than Brienne ever remembers him to be. Brienne is honestly happy for him. She knows how hard it is to find someone to care about you if you don't apply to the standards. It took her long until she met Jaime, so she really knows what she is talking about.

However, a fancy bar required fancy clothes, which is why she had to summon Margaery again, who instantly had a petrol skirt with a white top ready for her.

"I hope that Father won't destroy anything," Jaime says after a while.

"What do you mean?" Brienne frowns.

"Shae doesn't have a grand background. She works as a bartender, let's not forget. While I wouldn't care if she was homeless for as long as she made Tyrion happy, Father gives a lot on the picture the Lannisters are supposed to deliver. So it might be that he objects a union that is not matching our social standing," Jaime grimaces. "I hope that if Tyrion and I put in a good word for her, he will look past that, though."

"She can stand her ground against them, I'm sure," she shrugs. "She has a quick tongue."

That is what Tyrion likely loves about her as much as her stunning looks.

"That's right," Jaime agrees, looking ahead. "Ah, home sweet home."

They make their way up the stairs to the apartment, Brienne opens, walks inside and kicks off the high heels at once.

"Freedom," she sighs. "I'll just change out of these."

"No striptease for me?" Jaime grins. She rolls her eyes, looking over her shoulder, before she heads into the bathroom. Jaime chuckles to himself as he heads into the kitchen to get a bottle of juice from the fridge. He finishes it in a few swigs and wants to throw it into the trash can, when suddenly a red rectangular card catches his eyes, sticking out of the rubbish like some flag. He tilts his head to read the top line.

"Blue Eyes?"

"What is it?" she calls out from the bathroom.

"Why is an invitation for a class reunion in the trash?" he asks. It takes her no more than five seconds to emerge for the bathroom, not for once caring that she only wears the skirt, the bra, and the loose over shirt, "Stop going through the trash."

"Does that mean you won't go?" he asks, drinking her with his eyes, but Brienne is really too angry and flustered to care for his feral grin. "Yes, that means I won't go anywhere near those people ever again. You know by now that High School was torture for me. I want nothing to do with these folks ever again. I built up a life without them. So I don't think I have to give them the satisfaction to laugh to my face another time."

"Why would they laugh to your face now?" Jaime frowns.

"Because some people apparently never get out of High School," Brienne shrugs. "I should know. While it was lucky coincidence that I met you, the day up to that point was torture – because of aforementioned school bullies."

Jaime chews on the inside of his cheek, contemplating, but then drops his self-conscious smile to look at her in all earnest.

"You don't have to run from them, you know?" he argues.

"I don't run from them," she argues. "I want nothing to do with them."

"Or you could take it as an opportunity and prove them all wrong," he argues.

"With what?" she snorts.

"Well, you happen to have perhaps the best looking boyfriend this town has seen," he winks at her. "I'm always good to use for display. I do that for a living."

"I don't want to go, period," she retorts, hugging her arms.

"And that would be fine, but if you think you can't go because of them, then I have something against it," Jaime argues.

"Why?" she makes a face.

"Because you are not afraid of anything, but those guys will hold you back for the rest of your days if you let them haunt you," he tells her now in all earnest. "I can tell you that bit from experience, really. I let something haunt my life for a very long time, Brienne. You know that the very best. I don't want you to let those folks haunt you – because they were and are plainly wrong."

"I don't care for what they think of me," Brienne argues.

"Just that you do," he retorts. "And you will always – because they still control you in a way, even though they have no reason and no means."

"Other than setting the freak up on fake dates?" she huffs. Jaime walks over to her, and pulls her into his arm, "You are good at your job, you are a good friend, you are beautiful, sexy, strong, unique, and fierce. They have nothing to accuse you of. And if they dare to do that, they are simply telling lies."

He leans his forehead against hers, "I don't say you have to go. I just don't want you not to go because you feel like you are not good enough. You are better than them all."

"You haven't ever met them," she huffs, though her voice is soft and affectionate.

Because those words sink right through her skin into her heart.

Because he means them.

"I don't have to meet them. You are the best, so you are naturally better than any of them," Jaime shrugs before he kisses her lips, holding her close.

"Maybe I should after all," she shrugs, smiling against his mouth.

And so, Brienne finds herself on the reunion a few days later after all. Renly, Loras, and Margaery didn't come. Margaery is abroad this week, because of a fashion show where she gets to display some of her work, and Renly and Loras, understandably, don't want to go back to the place where both received a fair share of beat up for loving outside the heterosexual norm. While it's no longer a big deal in their life today, it was a huge deal back when they were young, and even though both are way past High School, there are just things they don't find worth the revisit.

So that leaves Brienne glancing at tinsel in the school colours, balloons in the school colours, and people looking way too much like they did back in High School. Before she went, Margaery had a dress tailored for her, stating that she would have been there for support, would she not have the fashion show, so the least she could do was to leave everyone gaping at her. Which is why Brienne wears a lavishly pleated, violet dress that hugs her torso tightly. The pencil skirt leaves enough room for her to move freely, though, something she was very glad about when she first tried it. It has only one shoulder that is slightly flared, with a triangular flap to make it a bit edgy. Against better judgment, Brienne really feels confident in this dress. It covers what it is supposed to cover. She can move, she can breathe, and when she looked at herself in the mirror, she didn't jump away either.

Not to mention that Jaime was all over her for the matter, though that is nothing new.

"Oh, goodness, is that you, Brienne?!"

Brienne tears her head around to a bunch of girls she can instantly identify as ex-cheerleaders. She never had much trouble with them, except for the comments she got from everyone anyways, though they never really pulled tricks on her. They just laughed along.

"It says so on the name tag," Brienne replies with a crooked smile, stepping closer.

"Now look at you," the girl grins. "You look like a completely new person, dear."

"… Thank you, I suppose?" Brienne grimaces.

"I mean, you are even taller than I remember you to be. But that's nothing you could ever really help, right?" the woman goes on. "I was surprised to see that you would come after all. You haven't been to a single reunion so far. I always found that such a pity."

"I was busy each time," Brienne shrugs. "What can I say?"

Busy pouring venom over them, watching some action movie with lots of blood and weapons alone in her apartment to forget her pains.

"I hoped that maybe all would come after all, but the other three of your clique won't show up, huh?" she grimaces.

"Well, I think you can hardly blame Loras and Renly," Brienne argues. "High School was anything but a good experience for them."

"Oh, it was just a bit of teasing," she argues.

"They got beaten up because of their sexual orientation," Brienne retorts, trying her best to keep her anger in check. "I don't think that this is just a little tease."

And she is instantly back in High School.

"We all were kids back then. Kids do stupid things," she shrugs.

"They got beaten up in the last year of High School likewise. Then you aren't really a kid anymore," Brienne argues vehemently. "And it wasn't like people pulled their hair. Renly had a broken nose and more than one black eye. And Loras got his fair share, too. Those were all but trivialities."

"Oh, now don't look so sour. You know how I mean it. I know that it wasn't nice what some folks did, but in the end, we were a class, and I always found it a pity that it broke apart so quickly once we graduated," the woman in orange chiffon dress replies. "That's all I'm saying."

"It wasn't just not nice, it was violent what some folks did to Renly and Loras," Brienne retorts, clenching her fists.

Is it okay to backhand her by any chance?

"Calm down, Brienne," the woman argues peaceably. "I don't mean to make you upset or so, or defend the folks who did it in the past."

"Just that you do," Brienne huffs.

"Look, I don't want to fight. I am glad that you came," she tells Brienne, rubbing her arm once, making the tall blonde woman frown only more. "I will see you later, hopefully."

And with that she disappears. Brienne puckers her lips. She expected that, but it still stings that some people never seem to change.

However, she is pulled out of her thoughts when she hears way more familiar voices and laughter, making the small hairs stand upright.

"Brienne the Beauty!"

She sucks in much needed air as the band of idiots walks up to her.

"Now look at you. Seems you give the name a reason at last," one of them winks at her. "I hope you didn't take it in a bad way, with the little joke we played."

Brienne puckers her lips, "Why should I take offence in a bunch of guys setting me up on a fake blind date by any chance? It was such a lovely joke after all. I could laugh just thinking about it."

"Oh, c'mon, Blue Eyes. It's always been just a tease. Had you not run off, we would have bought you a beer and we all would have laughed about this by the end of the night," another argues.

"Oh, I bet you laughed about this by the end of the night, possibly longer," Brienne snorts dismissively.

"That you always have to take things so seriously. That's always been the issue. We were just making a bit of fun, but you always took offence in it. You know, showing a bit of sense of humour would make things a lot easier for you," the first one argues.

"Oh yes, those who get bullied should just better laugh at it. Then the bullies wouldn't have to deal with, the Gods forbid, their conscience," Brienne retorts.

"That's just what I mean. You are still so tensed up, Brienne. We were making fun back then," he argues.

"You had fun at our expenses," she corrects him. "Because I didn't find it funny to be humiliated during the prom, just like I didn't find it funny that you made bets about who'd get to have sex with the Beast first. Just like Loras and Renly didn't find it funny to get beaten up. Or like they were called names and had words smeared on their lockers. Just like Margaery didn't enjoy it what you hollered at her for not outing Renly by dating him. If you didn't get that until now, you really never got out of High School."

"Oh, c'mon. You can't tell me that this is still the thing. It's been years!" he argues.

"That you set me up on a fake blind date with Hyle happened not long ago, I may remind you," she retorts.

"Do we have a problem here, sweetheart?"

The men frown as Jaime, dressed in the finest Armani tuxedo that money can buy, looking like someone who just landed with a jet after he had a photoshoot for the Vogue, takes his stance next to Brienne, snaking his hand around her hip, after he handed her a cup of punch.

"And you fellows are?" Jaime looks at them.

"Those are the High School friends I told you about," Brienne replies, self-consciousness returning to her at once.

Because she has support.

She is not alone with this.

She is not alone.

"Oh, and here I thought it was those arses who set you up on that blind date," he frowns.

"They are," Brienne shrugs.

"Oh," Jaime nods slowly, but then extends his hand to the leader of the troupe, takes it, and squeezes very tightly. "I owe you my thanks."

"What?" the man blinks, wincing at the iron grip Jaime has on his hand.

"If not for you, I wouldn't have met this gemstone here," Jaime replies, holding Brienne a little closer to him. "So really, I can only thank you that you pretty much pushed her into my arms."

"What?" Hyle speaks up at last. Jaime tilts his head at him, "Well, after she ran out of the restaurant, she ran into me. So… I can only thank you that you made that happen."

He lets go of the man, pulling Brienne closer to himself once more, the affection and the bit of possessiveness visible in his features.

"Hey, aren't you the guy from the posters? Lannister, Jaime Lannister?" one of the men asks.

"The one and only," Jaime agrees.

"Wow, Blue Eyes, who would have guessed that you'd get yourself a millionaire?" the leader chuckles.

"Billionaire, but who's playing hypocrite?" Jaime grins.

"My, my, seems that we are right in the end after all. No need to be upset if that's the outcome, right, Blue Eyes?" the leader grins at Brienne. "This is really funny, thinking about it."

"You know what's really funny?" Jaime smiles at him, "No, what?"

"That I have all means in the world to make your lives living hell. It takes me three phone calls to make you lose your job, and dig up whatever small crime you may have committed over the years. One phone call and I know when you had a parking ticket," Jaime grins at them broadly. "Because I may say that I am quite… protective of my sweetheart. And after what I heard about you, I can't really say that I like you by any chance. In fact… I'm quite tempted to make you suffer, but my dearest told me that you are not worth it… and after I got to make your acquaintance… I can only agree. C'mon, Blue Eyes. I want to shake the hips a bit."

Brienne waves over her shoulder as Jaime pulls her away, leaving a bunch of men speechless at last. Jaime pulls her to the dancefloor before Brienne can contemplate on the fact that she doesn't like dancing at all. He pulls her close, kissing her once, before leaning his forehead against hers to search her eyes with his, "Are you alright?"

"This was more satisfactory than I thought it would be," she admits. "So… yeah, you get to tell me that you told me so. But did you really have to threaten them?"

Jaime was just supposed to make his appearance and yes, drop a few comments and his apparent wealth. At least that is what Jaime convinced her of before they went, but he never mentioned that he'd go… that far.

"I gave them an outlook," Jaime argues. "And don't get me wrong, I already made those phone calls in ages."

"What? Since when?" Brienne frowns.

"Right the next morning after I first met you," Jaime shrugs. "No one gets to treat my lady like that without me making sure that there is a way to get them by the balls if opportunity and situation grant it. Just one word, and I will make that phone call, trust me."

"I trust you," she replies meekly. "But you don't have to make that call."

"Yet," Jaime huffs. "Ah, at last I get my dance with my sweetheart."

Brienne frowns, realising only just now that they are moving to the music after all. A blush creeps to her cheeks at once.

"So? Aerial dance move next?" Jaime grins. "We could do that Dirty Dancing thing?"

"You try that once and I will be so much dead weight that I will bury you underneath me," she warns him. "And by the way, I hate that movie."

"Ah, almost forgot," Jaime chuckles. "You are not at all into chick flicks."

They keep close, letting the music rain down, and both, if subconsciously try to pretend that this is the dance they would have had back in High School, had they attended at the same time, at the same school.

The two mostly keep to themselves that evening, though Jaime takes his dear pleasure to put his affection for Brienne to obvious display, running his hand up and down her thigh, whispering in her ear, and the like, earning Brienne some almost jealous glances from a few of the women, and awkward glances from the men who deceived her back in High School.

And it serves them so very right.

"I think it's time for us to head home. This is rather dull after all," Jaime sighs, offering his hand to help her up from the chair. Brienne, as always, doesn't take it, "At last."

They make their way down the hallways, when suddenly a very drunk, very staggering Hyle almost bumps into them.

"Brienne the Beauty!"

"Hyle."

"I wanted to 'pologise for the shit we've pulled," he tells her in a too loud voice. "The blind date thin'."

"It's fine," she tells him. "You should quit the alcohol for the night, though."

"The lady's right, so if you'd let us pass," Jaime tells him in a light voice, tough he can't keep the annoyance out of it.

"To think that we made bets 'bout who'd get inside Big Brienne first seems so far away now," Hyle giggles drunkenly. "'Specially cuz you got yourself a billionaire now. Seems that the misfits can get lucky after all. Is good for you. I always feared that no one would take pity in you, but now someone's did at last."

"I did not take pity in her," Jaime tells him, stressing each syllabus.

"Hm, then maybe you wanted somethin' exotic. She's always been the queerest bird of the flock, weren't you, Blue Eyes?" Hyle looks at her, blinking repeatedly.

"Hyle, you are drunk," Brienne tells him peaceably, pulling on Jaime's arm. "We want to head home now, so if you excused us?"

She means to walk past him, but that is when the drunken man grabs her by the arm, "Wait, wait. I always wanted to know why you didn't fuck me, ye know, back in High School. I mean, I almost had you there. Did she tell you? I had her all the way down to the underwear, but then she's chickened out last sec. And that though she never chickens outta anythin'."

Jaime plants himself in front of him threateningly, "I take for granted that you are just dumb and drunk, but one more word from you about her and I will knock your teeth out, understood, fellow?"

"Did she let you fuck her? I always thought she'd stay a virgin outta principle," Hyle goes on, not seeming to care, even glaring at Jaime as though he was ready to pick a fight. "Did she feel good, hm?"

Jaime already swings his fist to send the man flying… just that the man is sent flying before he gets a chance to. His eyes fall on Brienne, whose arm still stands high in the air after the punch she just delivered. She blinks furiously herself. Brienne didn't intend on doing it, but that is something that gets her to the point that blind rage takes over, if only for a few seconds of time. But it takes no more for her to throw a punch.

"Still the same," Hyle giggles, dazes, scrambling on the ground like a fish out of water. "Still the same kinda butch. I guess at some point we never get out of High School."

Jaime bends down, pulling the man up by the collar, onto which a bit of blood trickled from his split lip, "So now, Shitface. The next comment I hear from you, or the next time you dare approach her, let along touch her, and I will simply kill you, you understand? I. Will. Kill. You. I will take you apart piece for piece – and no one will come looking for you. Do we get each other?"

Hyle blinks at the man who just morphed into a lion.

"Do we?" he demands, pulling tighter on the man's collar. Hyle manages a small nod.

"That better stays that way," Jaime warns him. "I told your friends already, and I tell you again: It takes me just one phone call. Though I might make it my personal obligation to do that myself. And trust me, I'm not as nice as I look like. There are few things that get me raging, but little shits like you who think they can treat my girl that way are the kinds of people that get my blood boiling to the point that I could easily snap someone's neck."

"S, sorry," Hyle babbles. Jaime releases him at once, allowing him to crash to the floor again, before he grabs Brienne's hand and starts to walk away. "Keep that in mind!"

Jaime keeps an iron grip on her hand as he pulls her down the hallways until they are outside and inside the car. Only there he lets go of her and bangs his hands on the steering wheel violently.

"Jaime?" she looks at him.

"Is your hand alright?" he demands.

"Yes, I know how to punch without injuring myself, you know that," she argues, her frown deepening.

"I'm sorry," he then says.

"What would you be sorry for?" she frowns.

"I never should have convinced you to come here. I thought it would be good to close this chapter for you, to get some closure, but now that shitface screwed it all up. I should have punched him to pulp, easy as that," Jaime growls. Brienne extends her hands to take his and stop them from slapping the steering wheel, forcing him to turn to her, "It's fine."

"Nothing about this is fine," Jaime argues.

"It is to me. I have you. I told you that I don't care about them. They are things from the past," Brienne tells him. "You were right, though. I should have faced them long ago. Because now they really are just some relicts from the past. I don't feel scared anymore. I saw all those folks who were just like they were back then, Hyle included. What would upset me about people who are still the same as they were before? They can't change. That's what I know now. I changed, that is what matters."

"You mean that?" Jaime looks at her.

"You know that I can't lie," she tells him.

"I mean it, though. Just say a word and that guy is gone," Jaime grunts.

"And I already told you that I don't need you to play the prince rescuing the damsel in distress. I can defend myself – and I'm no damsel in distress," Brienne argues. "Tonight proved it, right?"

"I was honestly caught off-guard for a moment when you sent him flying," Jaime says, a small smile flashing over his white teeth.

"I was myself," Brienne admits. "Can we just drive home now?"

"As my lady wishes," Jaime nods, starting the engine. "But the next guy who dares to call you Blue Eyes gets his teeth knocked out. That is my pet name."

"I won't make any guarantees," Brienne chuckles, leaning back in the seat. "Jaime?"

"Yes?" he asks, his eyes focused on the street.

"The reason why your aim is off when shooting a bow is that you started holding your breath before you let go of the string," she tells him.

"Seriously? That's a rookie's mistake," Jaime makes a face. "But then again… you just take my breath away."

"That was not as smooth as you thought it was," Brienne snorts.

"I found it quite smooth," Jaime grins.

"You are lucky that you are driving, or else you'd get a punch in the arm right now," Brienne warns him.

"Why the violence against me?" he mewls. "We could have a lot more fun in the car."

"Focus on the road," she replies in a flat voice.

"Oh, c'mon, just a bit. The ride home is long," Jaime argues, planting his free hand on her thigh, but Brienne swats his hand off, "Because you were so nice tonight, I warn you not to do that. Because you won't get your reward if you keep going with that."

"What? What reward? Why didn't I hear of my reward yet?" Jaime cries out with feigned urgency. "Tell me more of that reward!"

"Keep your hands to yourself and drive us home safely, then maybe you'll get it after all," Brienne grins.

"Who could have guessed, Blue Eyes," Jaime wiggles his eyebrows at her.

"One more word, and the reward is that you get to do the dishes for a week," Brienne warns him, folding her long arms over her chest.

"Fine. Fine. But you have to give me a hint at least."

"No."

"Yes. Just one."

"No."

"C'mon."

"Red gift bag."

"You mean… Gods, you are killing me right now, woman."

"Jaime, stop speeding! We'll get a ticket or pulled over by police!"

"The hell do I care. You said the code word!"

"Jaime!"