Work Text:
A/N: All recognizable characters and places belong to GRRM. Anyway this is from a tumblr prompt I saw but lost to the ether. Not beta'd.
Sansa and Sandor had been friends for years. They’d met through her ex-Joffrey. Sandor had worked for Joffrey's father as security in Kings Landing, the Baratheon's being an important political family. Sandor had been courteous and professional, often making sure she was alright as the others seemed to forget about her, but he’d left to move north when Joffrey's father had passed away. They re-met when Sansa had moved back home two years ago. She’d left Joffrey after things turned sour and returned home only to find her younger sister Arya was dating a guy named Gendry who worked for a guy named Sandor.
It had taken Arya three weeks to get Sansa to come out to the pub but once she did it became obvious that Sandor and Sansa had history and chemistry. Despite it being clear to everyone else a year and a half had passed without either one making an actual move. It was something that frustrated Arya to no end which she made Sansa’s problem whenever she could.
Since coming back north Sansa had made the effort to get along with her younger sister, it paid off in a new supportive relationship. Which was how Sansa ended up in a kickboxing class on a Tuesday listening to Arya complain about her and Sandor.
“Honestly Sansa it’s getting pathetic. You two clearly are into each other.” Arya said punching the bag Sansa was holding.
“We’re friends. I’m sure he sees me as nothing but … a little sister.” Sansa said, trying desperately to not show disappointment at the thought or let Arya punch the bag from her grasp.
“No, he sees me as a little sister, he sees you as future Mrs. Clegane.” Arya told her as their instructor called for them to switch.
“I doubt that.” Sansa blushed before getting into position to punch while Arya held the bag.
“Fine, whatever, neither of us can read his mind but what about you?” Arya asked.
“What about me?” Sansa asked, concentrating on her punches and making sure her form was right.
“What do you think of him?” Arya asked, annoyed.
Sansa stuttered in her punches as her mind whirled. What did she think of Sandor? Well Sansa thought of Sandor all the time. Thought about what he was doing, thinking and if he was possibly thinking of her. She thought about his muscled arms, his rough hands from working on cars all day with Gendry, thought about his crooked little smile and his grey eyes.
She tried not to think of the butterflies that erupted in her stomach at Arya calling her Mrs. Clegane. She tried not to think of the new blonde bartender down at their local pub who had started flirting with Sandor last week and she tried very hard not to think about what a disaster it would be if she confessed her feelings to Sandor and he did not reciprocate so instead she lied.
“He’s my friend, like my best friend.” Sansa said but Arya gave her an unbelieving look as the instructor called for them to switch again.
Later that night Sansa sat on her bed staring at her laptop, a TikTok replaying over and over again on her phone. Inspiration had struck her in that way that only happens when you are meant to be doing something else. Sansa was meant to be building the new bookshelf Sandor had hauled up two flights of stairs for her three days ago. She was meant to be organizing her new apartment, relishing in finally having her own space instead of sharing a tiny apartment with Arya in downtown Winterfell but instead Sansa had been laying on her bed scrolling TikToks.
A new trend of people telling their best friends about their romantic feelings had sprung up all over Sansa’s feed and she hadn't been able to look away for hours. She’d watched over and over again as people kissed their friends during a song, in the car, presented them with flowers or as in the last video she’d watched before inspiration had possessed her, presented a PowerPoint presentation on why the two should date.
So instead of building the new bookshelf Sandor had carried without complaint up two flights of stairs after having driven her to Ikea, the bookcase he had walked through the mammoth sized store with her to pick out Sansa had made a presentation. It wasn't a particularly good one, but it was made and a crazy sort of adrenaline was flowing through her veins as she looked from the laptop to her phone still playing the video, to the half-opened box containing her unbuilt bookcase.
Sansa: [Picture of a half open Ikea Bookshelf box]
I may be in over my head 👀
Sandor: Did a racoon get in?
Sansa: HAHA 😒
Sandor: Looks like a rat got to it
Sansa: Forget it
Sansa sighed, she wanted him to come over but now that she had initiated a conversation with him, she didn't know what to say. She felt silly and stupid, not at all confident and the thought that he would not react well to her proclamation taunted her.
Sandor: Need me to come over and check? Make sure your books are safe.
Sansa’s heart flipped, the adrenaline back.
Sansa: Or you could come over for dinner and help me build the bookshelf …
Sandor: The bookshelf you said you didn't need help with.
Sansa: I can make that chicken pasta you like
Sandor: With the good bread?
Sansa: Always
Sandor: I’ll bring Stranger just in case 🐁
Sansa smiled widely at her phone before squealing like a teen. She leapt off her bed grabbing her phone and heading for the shower. She moved quickly so she could shower, dry her hair, pick out a casual but cute outfit before running to the store a few blocks away. She moved quickly so she could appear casual when Sandor showed up.
Sandor came over fairly often. Usually after work, sometimes they went out with her sister and her boyfriend Gendry or met up with Sansa’s friends down at the pub but sometimes Sandor came over and Sansa would cook. She loved those times best.
It was domestic in a way that melted Sansa’s heart every time. Sansa would cook until Sandor arrived, then he would join her after washing his hands in the sink. He often brought his large black dog Stranger over and after eating the three would watch movies or tv on the couch. Every time they did it Sansa’s heart had grown more solid in her feelings for Sandor, but she had packed those away, so sure that he would never see her that way.
She was concentrating on making the right cut on the top of her bread loaf when her apartment door opened and she heard Strangers paws pad quickly to the couch as Sandor's voice filled her tiny apartment.
“Hey Little Bird.”
Sansa took a deep breath, steadied herself and then turned to find him in her kitchen archway holding his toolbox. She smiled widely at the sight of him. He was so tall and with his broad shoulders he filled the archway, his long hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and he had clearly showered after work as he was in his more casual clothes of dark jeans, boots and a black shirt fit tight across his chest.
“I think the bookshelf comes with a tool.” she told him with a little smile as he rolled his eyes.
“Can’t use those fucking things, tiny little bits of trash.” he said and Sansa giggled.
They’d had this conversation before when he had helped put together her desk three weeks ago. He’d thrown the included alan wrench out the window he'd gotten so frustrated with it.
“Alright big guy, you're the mechanic.” she told him.
“Aye I am.” he said, stealing a bit of chicken skin over her shoulder. She swatted at his hand making him laugh.
“So, dinner or bookshelf first?” he asked her, but Sansa was slightly distracted at him standing so closely behind her.
“I actually had something to show you first, if you could just sit on the couch, I’ll be right out.” she told him
Sandor gave her a strange look before doing as she asked. Sansa took a deep steadying breath again, popped the bread loaf in the oven and went out to her living room.
Sandor was sitting on the couch with Stranger taking up the rest of it. Sansa smiled at the sight of the big black dog sleeping with his head in Sandor's lap. Sandor was absently scratching Strangers head as he watched Sansa walk across the room to where she had set up her computer before Sandor had gotten there.
“You alright little bird?” he asked and Sansa nodded telling herself it was now or never.
She woke her laptop up and the tv screen came to life. A black screen with the message REASONS WE SHOULD STOP PRETENDING AND FINALLY DATE in big white letters.
“What?” he started to ask but Sansa just clicked over to the next slide.
The screen was black again and at the top in white letters; Reason 1: People already think we’re dating. She had listed on the screen the few times they had been mistaken for either a dating couple or married in the past months, there were more examples, but these were the most recent. Including their most recent incident when on their trip to Ikea a nice older lady in the parking lot had asked Sansa if her husband wouldn't mind helping her get a box in her car. Sansa had blushed but not corrected the lady, instead turning to Sandor and asking if he was willing to help. He had and Sansa had waved the little lady's thank yous off with a smile as she called Sandor her husband again.
Sansa read through the examples before looking at Sandor who was staring at the screen, so Sansa moved onto her next slide.
At the top of the slide was Reason 2: We’re compatible. Sansa had listed off things they agreed on over the years. Both little things and big things. Like how they had similar taste in music, preferring older rock bands, how they had similar pizza orders and preferred fantasy movies to action movies.
She’d also included bigger things, things they had talked about in 2a.m text conversations, long drive phone calls and walking home from late night drinks. Things like marriage and children, the number of dogs they’d have and that she agreed with him that living in an HOA sounded like hell.
Slide three came up with just a big picture of Stranger and Sansa on a walk. She had sent it to him when she had watched Stranger for two weeks when he’d had to go back to his hometown to deal with his estranged brother's death. It had been a tough two weeks for Sandor and Sansa had been there on the phone, over text and even one late night facetime call. It had been that experience some months ago now that had solidified her love for Sandor.
Under the photo were the words: Stranger likes me. Stranger still laid out on the couch gave a very helpful groan as he stretched into a more comfortable position. Sansa couldn't help the little laugh and smile that erupted out of her, she even loved his dog. She really hoped this would work.
Slide four came up with the title Reason four: You treat me right. Sansa skipped this slide quickly, afraid that if she spoke about the way Sandor treated her, she would cry. She didn't want to cry, at least not until after he rejected her and left forever. Which given how silent he was being, watching her with a furrowed confused brow as she went through her slides, was going to happen any minute.
Slide five was worse as it listed boldly Reason Five: I want to kiss you a lot. And then the final slide, black with big white lettering: In conclusion I want you to be mine.
Sansa stood next to the TV quietly for a moment before turning to Sandor who was still sitting on the couch. His mouth was slightly open, his brow furrowed and Sansa feared the worst until he stood, took two steps to reach her and scooped her up in his arms.
He wrapped his arms around her body, encompassing her waist with a solid hand on her upper back as he brought his lips down onto hers. The kiss was soft and rough at the same time, eliciting a sigh from Sansa as she melted into him. His hand slid down and as it lowered past her hip Sansa wrapped her legs around his waist. His other hand was in her hair as he supported her with a hand on her ass before pining her against her living room wall.
Sansa couldn't control her hands, they roamed over his back, his shoulders and his chest before she broke the kiss to catch her breath. He moved onto her neck kissing down to her collarbones and up again.
“Is this a yes?” she asked, her voice ragged.
“Fuck yes.” he told her before captured her mouth again.
Sansa would have let it go on forever if the smoke detector hadn't chosen that moment to scream to life.
“Shit the bread!” she said, wiggling out of Sandor's grasp and bounding for the kitchen.
The bread was charcoal and Sansa tossed it onto her stove as Sandor came into the kitchen.
“I thought we’d be done sooner.” she said as she looked from the bread to him before he laughed.
“It's fine little bird, we’ll order something.” he told her, pressing her into the opposite counter of her oven in her tiny kitchen.
He lifted her up, so she sat on the cool countertop, his hands on either side of her hips as he leaned down. He kissed her softly before pulling back.
“You planned this?” he asked looking at her.
“I saw a TikTok,” she told him and he raised a brow at her, “it was a girl telling her best friend she had feelings for him and then I watched about a dozen more until I got the courage to make the presentation and invite you over.”
“I didn't know you felt this way.” he told her.
“I didn't know you felt this way. I thought you only saw me as a friend or annoying little sister type, but I have had feelings for you for so long now.” she told him.
“Gods Sansa since the first time I saw you, I never imagined you’d want me back.” he told her.
Sansa captured his face in both her hands, “I have wanted you for so long Sandor.”
He nodded before capturing her lips again.
It wasn't until later, laying together under the blanket he’d pulled over them that Sandor saw the bookshelf box in her bedroom. He laughed, the sound reverberating in his chest in a very pleasant way for Sansa who was tracing patterns in his chest hair, too blissed out to move from his arms.
“What?” she asked quietly, her eyes closing as she felt so relaxed, so at home in his arms.
“I forgot about the bookshelf.” he said and Sansa chuckled.
“I really was going to build it myself.” she told him.
“Don’t be a silly little bird, I’ll build any furniture you want for a price.” he said, giving her a wolfish grin.
“Oh I fear I have no way to pay you sir.” Sansa played along.
“We can work something out I’m sure.” he said, turning over to capture her lips again, his hands wandering south of the blanket as Sansa gave a giggle.
As his lips went down her neck and past her collarbones Sansa had the crazy thought that she should really thank that TikTok creator but then she was distracted by Sandor's tongue and forgot everything that wasn't the two of them alone in her bedroom just as it should be.