[for Jon]

[onceaqueen]

Susan and Jon had avoided speaking about Ygritte ever since Jon had gone and convinced Ygritte to come back from wherever it was she had been hiding. Even after her encounter with Ygritte at the archery range, she had not spoken of her at all to Jon. She knew it was dishonest, and yet after the conversation in which she had confessed her feelings

Comments

[handandahalf]

Susan had certainly not been the only one at a loss for how to avoid talking about the situation with Ygritte; Jon had scarcely known what to do with himself sometimes, the effort of keeping his mouth shut was so great. He had succeeded in not starting That Conversation for what felt like months now-- but tonight he was too restless to stay silent any longer, and so he gathered his thoughts before opening the door for the conversation to start.

"Have you seen where Ygritte has set up her new camp?" he asked, hoping it sounded nonchalant enough, his back still turned to Susan as he rubbed a wet cloth over his face.

[onceaqueen]

Susan knew Jon well enough to know when he was trying to sound nonchalant; he was about as successful as she was at it. "No," she said, "I haven't." She realised, after she said it, that it made it sound as though she had not seen Ygritte at all since her return, though that was not the case. Her cheeks grew hot with embarrassment, and she was glad Jon was not looking her way.

[handandahalf]

"Oh," Jon said, surprised, turning as he dropped the cloth in the wash basket, his expression more inquisitive than he'd meant it to be. "I'd thought you would-- that is, that she would have asked you-- I'm babbling," he concluded swiftly, coming to sit on the bed with a sheepish expression. His breath exhaled in a soft sigh, and he looked up at his wife, reaching for her hands with both of his. "We ought to talk, no?" he offered, though even the thought of it set his heart beating faster with anxiety.

[onceaqueen]

She was eager enough for the chance to sit down with him, and gratefully took his hands. "I suppose we should," she admitted, "though I don't know what to say or how to say it." It was difficult to meet his eyes, and she found herself looking at her knees instead. "I haven't seen where she's living now, but I did see her the other day, when I went to practise shooting."