Chapter Twenty-three

Sansa arrived in English class the following morning full of trepidation. Tyrion had to know about her and Jaime. Unless somehow she was kept out of it completely. However, for some reason Sansa highly doubted that. She forced herself to sit in the front row even though she wanted to sit in the back and hide.

She took out her notebook, her English book, and pen and busied herself with doodling on the blank page before her while she and her classmates waited for Tyrion to arrive.

"I heard Dr. Lannister had to get Jaime out of school quick because he was banging, like, a dozen girls."

Sansa paused in her doodling at overhearing that somewhere behind her and she strained to hear what else was being said.

"I heard he has to go to a support group for sex addicts," another student said.

"My roommate's friend heard he had orgies at his house with all of them."

"I heard he wanted to marry one of them."

Sansa felt some of her unease abate. If these were the rumors being circulated about then she might have nothing to worry about. They seemed more centered around Jaime and his proclivities rather than Tysha or any of the other girls' identities. And just how many others had there been?

"I heard—"

But whatever was about to be said was cut off by Tyrion entering the room. Sansa sat up straighter. It wasn't as though Tyrion would call her out in front of the entire class if he knew about her. She just wanted him to find some way to let her know he knew so she could not wonder if he did. If she knew he knew then she could just deal with it from there.

He gave nothing away though. He looked at her the same, and interacted with her the same as he did any class. Sansa thought perhaps she was out of the woods until it was time for him to dismiss the class.

"Sansa, would you please see me after class about your last assignment, please?" he asked.

He knew. Sansa was sure of it now. When the last student had filed out the room, Tyrion went to the door and shut it. He then went to his briefcase while Sansa tried to find a way to something – anything – to defend herself.

Tyrion pulled a white cardigan out of his briefcase and silently walked over to her and placed it down on her desk. "I believe this belongs to you," he said.

It did. She'd left it at Jaime's and had just realized it upon seeing it. Yup, Tyrion knew. She looked at him, speechless. She opened her mouth and managed to get out, "I…"

"Did he hurt you, Sansa?" Tyrion asked quietly.

"No."

"Is that the truth? I would like to be sure. As much as I love my brother and wish to help him, I also believe that he cannot be helped unless he is aware of the consequences of his actions."

"I didn't sleep with him," Sansa blurted out. Oh, God, could this be any more embarrassing?

"That is a comfort, but he didn't do anything like blackmail you or assault you, did he?"

"No. I was… willing." She bent over and buried her face in her hands. "Oh, God, I'm so embarrassed. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Tyrion."

"Why are you apologizing? Aside from the fact that it was foolish and unwise to involve yourself with a professor knowing how the school frowns down on it, you've nothing to apologize for. It's not as if your refusal would have stopped him from seeking out others."

Sansa dropped her hands from her face and sat up. She looked at him, pained. "How many others were there?"

"Two."

"The rumors say a dozen."

"Oh, I'm sure if anyone was keeping a tally there have at least two dozen over the past few years," Tyrion drawled.

"Do you hate me?" she asked.

Tyrion shook his head. "No, Sansa, I do not hate you. I am…displeased because of my brother's actions and that you were one he had managed to…"

"Seduce?"

Tyrion made a face. "Yes. May I ask why? I seem to recall you discussing with me a boy you were unsure if you had feelings for…?"

"Jon. My best friend. And I do…and he does as well. We kind of started dating yesterday…"

"Mosel tov."

Sansa barked out a laugh, uncomfortable as it was.

"Much healthier to be with someone closer to your age. Plus, not a professor," Tyrion said.

"Your brother is very charming," Sansa said slowly.

Tyrion smiled. "I'm aware."

"And he believed in me and…honestly, I don't know what I was thinking. I went a little crazy when Jon started dating someone and Jaime just kind of…"

"Slipped in?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Well, he's not one to waste an advantage. Most Lannisters don't."

"I got caught up in the idea of this hot older guy that thought I was something special wanting to be with me. I think I romanticized it and made it more than it actually was to be honest. Not one of my shining moments, to be sure."

"Sansa, I do hope you know that it was not only dangerous for him but for you as well. One of the other girls? She isn't even sure if she's going to stay here. As soon as the student body discovered what had happened, she started getting harassed. It's a difficult lesson to learn in this world that while a man may be forgiven for his unsavory actions, the woman gets it much worse. Do I think that's right? No. It's a double standard to be sure, and as I said— I love my brother, but I would prefer he bear the brunt of his actions than you or that other girl. I'm aware of how charming my brother can be. The problem is that he uses his powers for evil rather than good. You were both victims of his behavior."

Sansa nodded. "I'm still sorry. What I did…I wasn't thinking."

"Let it be a lesson to you. One that you learn and move on from. I'll not let anyone know about you."

"Thank you."

"Now I think you should probably see to the young man that's been pacing outside this door for the past ten minutes," Tyrion said with a smirk and went to the door to open it.

Jon was on the other side. He looked at Sansa worriedly and darted a glance at Tyrion.

Sansa found herself smiling. How could she not? Jon was there.

"If that smile is anything to go by, Sansa, I think you've made the right choice," Tyrion said.

"I think so, too," Sansa replied and gathered her things quickly. "Thank you, Tyrion," she said to him on her way out.

"You are quite welcome," he said in return.

Once out in the hall, Sansa hugged Jon tightly.

"Everything okay?" he asked softly.

"It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life, and I'm feeling good," she sang.

He laughed. "I like that."

"Come on, I'll tell you what happened on the way to the cafeteria."

xxxxxxxxx

They didn't make it to the cafeteria. They ended up on the quad, sitting together on the grass. Jon sat back against a tree, his legs spread in front of him and Sansa sat in between them. His arms were wrapped around her middle and she trailed her fingers up and down his forearm as she told him about her discussion with Tyrion.

"Do you mean that?" Jon asked when she was done.

"Mean what?" she asked and turned in his arms so that she rested against his chest on her side.

"That you went a little crazy when I started dating Ygritte," he said and began running his hand through her long locks.

Sansa nodded. "Yes. Couldn't you tell?"

"I knew you weren't acting right, but I didn't know why exactly. You told me it was because you were afraid to lose me."

"And I was."

"Yeah, but how much of that fear was due to the fact you had feelings for me that went beyond friendship?"

"I think…"

"Yeah?"

"All of them."

He broke into a smile and bent his head toward hers. "Really?"

"Yes," she whispered and lifted her head for a kiss.

Jon had meant for it to be a chaste kiss since they were in public, but the instant his lips touched hers he forgot all about that. He touched his tongue to hers and kissed her ardently. "I missed you," he whispered breathlessly and pressed his forehead to hers.

"When?" she asked softly.

"Last night as soon as I left you, I missed you," he confessed. "Is that too much?"

"No," she said and played with the ends of his hair.

"Maybe we could do something tonight?" he asked.

"Like make out in your room?" she asked and then laughed.

His face heated, but he wasn't going to lie. That's what he wanted – his hands and lips on Sansa. It was all he'd thought about the night before. Just the little taste of it on the beach and he wanted more. It had kept him up most of the night, thinking about having Sansa in his bed.

Yet Jon knew Sansa wasn't sexually experienced and he wanted to be the one she explored it all with. First and foremost he wanted her to feel comfortable though. He would not push; he would never push.

"Maybe a movie," he said. "…and then we could make out."

She smiled. "I'd like that."

xxxxxxxx

"Little Dove, I've never seen you prepare so much to go out with Jon," Margaery said later that evening after Sansa had finally dressed after going through half a dozen outfits. Finally, she had settled on a pair of black leggings, a maroon a-symmetrical top and a long checkered scarf that went down to her waist, and a pair of black boots with no heel.

Then she'd pulled her hair up, then down, then up again. She'd washed her face twice and reapplied her makeup. Now she was finishing up and felt a tad on the hot and sweaty side with all the work she'd been doing.

"I need another fucking shower," Sansa groused as she sat down on her bed. "Christ. What is the matter with me?"

"You're in love," Margaery said and turned around in her desk chair to face Sansa. "You want to look your best for him. It's normal, don't overthink it."

"But it makes no sense that I should go from being fine looking like a grub when I go out with him to not only changing half a dozen times and washing my face twice to reapply, but I also spent ten extra minutes in the shower shaving and trimming and clipping everything on my body."

"Did you spray on any perfume?"

Sansa threw up her hands. "Fuck! No, I forgot."

Margaery giggled. "Just do it now, ya big freak."

Sansa got up and went to her dresser and began to systematically apply perfume to the spots Cosmo had told her to apply perfume to. "Can I ask you a sex question?" she asked her friend.

"Of course!"

"What sorts of things could I do to…drive Jon wild? Like how could I touch him...?"

Margaery snickered and Sansa looked over in time to see her friend pick up a vintage Raggedy Andy doll off her bed. Margaery held up the doll. "Do you want me to show you on the doll, Sansa?"

"You suck," Sansa said and laughed.

Then the knock came. "Hold on!" Margaery called out and then jumped up and took Sansa by the shoulders. "South of the border is an obvious choice," she said, "but if you rub the nape of his neck with your fingertips it will get him hard as a rock in seconds. Also, if you scratch just ever so lightly over his chest, especially in the nipple region, that will make him catch his breath. And I bet if you touched Jon's ass he would be putty in your hands."

"Neck, chest, nipples, butt," Sansa recited. "Got it."

"Don't put any pressure on yourself, okay? Jon is so into you I don't think he can see straight. Just remember that this is Jon and you guys have fun together."

"Sansa?" Speak of the devil.

Margaery went to the door and opened it with a smirk. "Good evening, Jon Snow. Wow! You clean up nice, huh?"

"Uh, thanks," Jon muttered.

Sansa grabbed her purse and came to the door. "I like that shirt!" she exclaimed. "Look at how cute you are!" It was a white and blue button down striped shirt tucked into a pair of jeans.

"And look how beautiful you are," he said.

Sansa smiled and stepped out of the room. "Thank you."

"I trust you'll have her back home at a reasonable hour?" Margaery teased.

Jon smirked. "I can't promise that."

"Wow! Jon's gettin' a lil' saucy!"

Sansa just shook her head and laughed. She pulled on his hand. "Come on."

Jon allowed her to pull him down the hall and once they got into a blessedly empty elevator, he pushed her against the wall and kissed her until her knees completely left her. Then he was the one pulling her with him out of the elevator as she tried to make her brain work.