Holiday Fic #2

[juno_chan]

Title: Betterment
Rating: M
Word Count: 1644
For: fields195
Prompt: Ned/Cat: An awkward reunion with Jon & Lysa leads Ned and Cat to realize how lucky they are to have each other.

Comments

[thecivilunrest]

I really love the bit about how Ned's really just selfish and he wouldn't wish away Cat and their bbs, but this whole thing is just flawless. You get inside Cat and Ned's heads so well and it's absolutely perfect.

[juno_chan]

Thank you!! Oh Ned, eternally feeling guilty for SOMETHING out of his control!

[lainemontgomery]

Ohhhhhh my goodness. I know I've told you this before, but I LOVE the way you write Ned. For a character who we see so much POV from in AGoT, he's very rarely written with detail or nuance in fic. But you nail it EVERY SINGLE TIME. I love so much about this- the sad little pow-wow between Ned, Robert, and Jon, when Robert's all "OMG WASN'T WAR THE BEST?!" and Jon and Ned are like "......" AMAZING.

AND GUH Cat and Ned are both so distressed by the Arryns and the Sweetrobin situation! I love how you emphasize the fact that both Cat AND Ned have a major stake in this, because they each love one of the people involved. SO MANY SADS.

And of COURSE Ned feels guilty about not wishing that his and Jon's fortunes were reversed, because NED. This is all so sweet and sad and tender and beautiful, and I loved every word! <33

[juno_chan]

THANK YOUUUUU MY LOVE!!! I think sometimes people tend to de-angst Ned, and I mean, c'mon, brooding-angsty-cranky!Ned is the best! And eeee, I'm glad you liked the bit with Robert, that might be my favorite because ROBERT, HE WOULD THINK WAR WAS JUST THE BESTEST EVER.

And of course Ned feels guilty because Ned feels guilty about EVERYTHING. OH NED.

I'm so glad you enjoyeeeeed!! <33

[angary]

Aw, I love that touch of the blue rose petals and the promise, since they kept cropping up in Ned's chapters. Reading this made me re-realize the pure irony of the war's aftermath for Jon, Ned, and Robert. You also did a brilliant job of juxtaposing Ned's sympathy for Jon with his guilt in knowing he would never trade the life he and Cat built together. OH, NED, SO CONFLICTED ;__; But that is one of the reasons I love him, and you portray that aspect of him so well.

On another note, poor Lysa and Jon! Great setup of the parallel between two couples that ended up with completely opposite outcomes. Fantastic Cat/Ned sexytimes toward the end, too! This is a lovely, layered, and heartwarming - and simultaneously heart-wrenching - fic.

[juno_chan]

Thank you! I find the parallels between Robert and Ned, and Ned and Jon, and the ways their lives ended up going endlessly interesting, so it was fun to get to explore that a tiny bit here. And ooooh, I love me some angsty-Ned! ;-)

Glad you enjoyeeeed!!