Chapter Text
Two years ago
Brienne sat in the centre of the bed, her sapphire eyes drowsy and droopy as she stared at Oberyn packing. They had neglected to closed the drapes last night so the sun blasted them right in the eyes this morning. It bathed Oberyn in a rich light that emphasized his olive skin, coffee-brown eyes. In the brilliance, Brienne seemed to melt into it, and was outlined only in the explosion of freckles all over from forehead down to her chest. She clutched the comforter to her chest, the rustling sound drawing Oberyn’s attention.
His grin was playful but reproaching. “Baby, come on. Don’t do this.”
“I can’t help it,” Brienne told him. “You’re always traveling now.”
“Not always,” he pointed out, zipping his suitcase shut. He straightened up. Lean as a rake but muscular, Oberyn’s body was built for speed and efficiency rather than strength. Thus his movements were easy and light despite hardly getting any sleep last night. Brienne went to him, crawling on her hands and knees before she got close enough to rise to a kneeling position. With a shy smirk, she reached for the towel knotted around his hips.
Oberyn watched as she exposed his body to her blue gaze. “You want me to miss my flight?”
“I don’t want you to go anywhere.” She told him honestly, cupping his face. With her height, they were almost at level despite him standing upright and her kneeling on the bed. “I thought we’d have more time now, together, with your promotion.”
As regional director of sales and management for Dayne Systems International, Oberyn traveled frequently. Sometimes he was gone for close to three weeks before he was off again a few days later. It was brutal, to be honest about it. There were so many nights Brienne was left alone. She could go out but her friends were few and she wasn’t a big fan of being out late anyway. Her job at the museum kept her busy but that was only for eight hours and only more when there was a major exhibit.
Since Oberyn’s growing absence, she had redecorated their living room, signed up for language classes and had steadily advanced to the next level, discovered new restaurants with Margaery, met Margaery’s new boyfriend, saw her Dad Selwyn and a lot of other things. It left her exhausted and when Oberyn was home during the weekend, he’d much rather stay in bed recovering until he had to leave again. She couldn’t even remember the last time they had breakfast together. Or done anything together except for quick fucks that scratched a mutual itch.
Oberyn began kissing her neck, licking and nipping at the freckled skin. He dragged the sheets from her body. She sighed. “I miss you so much.” As his kisses became more fervent, she arched her neck in offering. Soft, tasting kisses were pressed on her skin, moving up her throat, to her jaw, then down, to the pulse, further until Oberyn mouthed her nipple briefly. He rubbed his lips across the broad expanse of her chest, mouth opening to pull one nipple then the other between his teeth. She speared her fingers through his thick black hair, angling his face up so she could kiss him on the lips and lick.
“What would you have me do, baby,” he murmured, pushing her easily back to bed. She smiled up at him as he rested on his elbows above her. “You want me to quit my job, be a stay-at-home husband?”
“No. I just want you here, with me, more often.” She met his kiss before pulling away. “The only time we’re together is when we fuck.”
He grinned. “We do know how to make it count.”
“I want us to do other things besides fuck.” She said as his lips trailed down her chest. Helplessly, she cooed in pleasure as he tongued her swollen nipples. “And when we fuck, I don’t want us clocking in the numbers. I want it thorough and extensive. I want us to take our time.” She threaded her fingers between his and kissed his palm. “I miss that. I miss when things were slow between us and we didn't have to squeeze things in.”
“Time, huh?” Oberyn dropped beside her, a fist stacked under his chin. She turned on her side to face him.
She nodded. She kissed him on the lips, her palm fluttering down his chest, flicking at a flat nipple. Then he suddenly shoved her on her back and kneed her legs apart. She gasped, laughing.
“I can take a later flight.”
“I have to be at work!”
“You’re the boss. You can be late.” He grinned at her and pressed himself against the warm niche between her legs. “And we are going to take our time, baby.”
For three months, Oberyn cut down on his travels. Brienne was touched that he did that, and ensured he enjoyed being grounded more often now. There was no avoiding his flying weekly but at least she didn’t only have him during the weekends. They had TV marathons, went shopping, cooked together. They went out with old friends, went to Margaery’s book reading that got them so hot they ended up fucking in the stockroom of the bookstore.
It was three beautiful months. What made it even more was Oberyn broached the subject of starting a family.
They were taking a stroll in the park one afternoon. A cool, autumn day, the trees were a rich explosion of varying shades of vermillion, the sky blue, and Brienne kept warm with Oberyn’s arm around her. They approached the swings and for some reason, Brienne’s attention was caught by a little girl with dark braids, small dimples framing her smile as her father helped her onto a swing. The father had dark hair and without having to look too closely, could pass for Oberyn. Nothing extraordinary was happening but Brienne’s heart raced at the idea of her own child and Oberyn as tender as the father helping his daughter on a swing.
As Brienne set the table for their dinner and Oberyn took care of the salad, he remarked, “I saw you. Today.”
She glanced at him. “You saw me today doing what?”
He smiled and put more pepper. “You. Staring at the cute little girl.”
Brienne flushed and finished setting the table. She checked their wine rack for what could complement their meal. “Well, she is cute.”
She was choosing between a chardonnay and sauvignon blanc when Oberyn said, “Would you like one?”
“Hmm? What one?”
She turned and saw him staring at the ceiling, an amused smile on his face before he turned his dark eyes on her.
“I’d like to see you grow with my baby, Brienne.” He said seriously. “If you want.”
She was grateful she wasn’t holding the wine bottles. Blinking at him in disbelief, she said, “Did you just. . .did you just say what I think you said?”
“You mean about my wanting to put my baby in you? Or how I want to fuck you seven ways to Sunday until you swell with my baby?” He smiled as she blushed at his crudity. “Indeed. Do you want to?”
She swallowed. “Do you want to?”
“Very much. And only with you.”
Oberyn went to her and gazed at the wine bottles. “I guess tonight is the last time you’ll be having one of these.”
“You want to start tonight?” Brienne asked, shocked.
He slanted her a hot stare. “Why not?” He grabbed her by the waist and made her blush harder as he pressed his erection against her thigh. He kissed her hard on the mouth and she kissed him back just as hard. “I want a family with you, Brienne. Don’t you want the same thing?”
“Yes.” She whispered, grabbing him back to kiss him again. “Yes, Oberyn. Yes.”
They fucked every night that week. Some mornings too. It was exhausting and not in the best way all the time. Brienne was stiff from fucking Oberyn in awkward positions and even more awkward places. But she wanted a baby and she wanted him, and knowing he wanted the same thing got her heady with desire and very wet.
Come Tuesday, Oberyn left for his weekly travels as regional director.
He returned on Saturday morning. Brienne was half-asleep as Oberyn pushed his tongue in her mouth and pulled her panties down. She wasn't very wet and it hurt a little but her legs opened to him, anyway and she whispered that she missed him.
He left the next Tuesday.
Returned on Friday evening. They fucked on the couch, Brienne gritting her teeth at the cramps squeezing low in her belly. When he pushed his fingers in her cunt on Saturday night, he encountered the string of her tampon. "We've only just started," he told her, kissing her on the cheek and pulling his fingers out.
Another Tuesday saw him leave. He returned on Saturday night. Brienne was fast asleep already. He was too tired to fuck.
One month after Oberyn was back to his original flying schedule, Brienne was ducking and running as the sky pelted her with raindrops that grew bigger in size by the minute. She had just come from the loft of an artist that the museum was desperate to feature because of her dizzying, dramatic work that was visceral in yet-unscaled levels. Brienne never brought an umbrella and she cursed the rain as it finally exploded from the sky and began to drench the world below. Having no choice, she sought shelter in some random shop.
She was fumbling for the clasp of her purse, needing to call work to say she was late coming back when somebody cleared his throat. Startled, her bag fell and out spilled its contents—her lipstick, keys, her cellphone, a roll of gum, a small packet of travel tissues. Her blue eyes widened in horror as the most beautiful man she had ever seen got down on one knee and reached for the item that had rolled closest to him—a strip of condoms gone stiff from having been stashed and ignored at the bottom of her purse for so long.
Warm, emerald eyes sparkled up at her. Still down on one knee and the strip of condoms in his hands, he spoke.
“I’m Jaime Lannister. What can I do for you?”