song_of_ice | Duplicity Inbox

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Duplicity Inbox

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Dominant
Highrise #45
@zokla

[He knew the answer even in asking it. They both lived similar lives, alone and struggling to come in the world against various odds. They found comfort in the animals connected to them, slowly winding their way until they could find themselves together in the end. That was what the story had seemed to him. He wouldn't claim to be a romantic by nature, but he had some understanding of fate, despite his attempts to always fight it. Daenerys was the natural course in his life, the destination and home he had been working towards. What else was she going to feel but loneliness in this place? Not simply living apart from him, but the others she loved. It was what he felt when she was gone from the city as well.

He leans into her touch, letting his eyes fall shut as her fingers ghost along his jawline. In turn, his free hand dances against the line of her neck, curving up until he could cup her cheek, cradling her face gently. These sort of touches were natural for him, instinct to always remain close to her and be connected in some shape or form. Spirit, heart and blood called for it, though he could never fully explain why, let alone try to fight it.]

I know, Dany. [Not just her loneliness. He knew that better than words might express. Seeing her still made him feel that loneliness, despite her presence back in his life. It only reminded him of the time that she was gone and the space that she filled had been empty.] Resisting is the best option we have, but these aren't slaver cities that you can collapse with an army. They have stronger magic we do. It's going to take time and patience, it might not even be possible to win, but it's something I'm willing to do.

We can't live like this anymore.

[And as much as he deeply hated saying this, he still pushed the words free, bitterness in his voice:]

You need a submissive.

[ Her heart's compass remains locked on Jon, a fate that Dany wouldn't change. One can't actively change what their heart seeks, no matter how inevitably unrequited their love may stay. She doesn't know many details about his life there, perhaps a small blessing, but she knows that Jon Snow doesn't keep anything in his life that isn't essential, important, to his well-being. She wouldn't come between what he deems most important.

Morality may play into choices they make moving forward, but Dany will never make demands of him. Not there. Home is different. Much as she remains a queen, she isn't one of the city. Granted, their situation would be easier to fix if there was a physical ruler that they could overthrow... alas.

She'll steal moments with him, always be open to having him in her home, around and with her. It's a mutual craving for closeness, and it doesn't feel wrong.

Her jaw tightens when he's so frank. She knows he's not wrong, but her face still twitches with the desire to refute. There's the spark of hope that they'll manage a way to end the way the city is ran, even if they're in it for a long haul. Then, when he adds that, her face slides into a blank neutrality as her body shifts slowly, but only slightly, away from his. He may not have liked saying it, but he still did. ]

No. I won't. [ She glances down to the carpet, holding onto his hand more tightly, a preserver of strength, fearing that her own resolve could dwindle. Emotion returns to her features, face twisting with a bitter regret, a sadness, a frustration, that envelopes her, as she locks eyes with him once more. ] How could I do that to someone? After all I've stood for, all I've done. I would be a hypocrite and for the first time, I'd feel shame for an action of my own. [ She's felt shame before, but mostly from outside influences. She has confidence in herself, but not in actually accepting that another person is a submissive to her.

Plus, there's the issue of actually finding one. Not that she's considering that, given she refuses to do it. ]

[Her love would never be unrequited. Her heart was locked on him and his could never untangle her from its depths. However he might have forward with his life or changed in this city, there would always be an element of Daenerys that was linked with him, both by fate and whatever else crafted them. She was his other half...but as he learned, sometimes two halves were kept apart for one reason or another. The city had done this to them and he would never forgive them for this.

Just as he would never forgive himself for causing her pain or betraying his honor.

As she starts to draw slightly away, he wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. He wasn't willing to relinquish this proximity or intimacy, even with the hard truths. His face darkened, her words touching on his own struggle, something that hadn't changed even after Sansa, Lucrezia and so many other tried to tell him he did what he needed to. He would carry guilt for however long he could remember this city.]

I know. I know that I'm asking you to do a horrible thing. I broke my honor in this city. I broke the promise I made to myself as a boy. [He betrayed their future by turning away from it and making other plans, but that remained unsaid.] I don't want you to become what I have, but if you don't make your own plans, they will force a contract on you.

[And possibly worse.]

You could do it to protect someone. That was my first contract.

[ Sad a tune as it is, she's familiar with the repeating barrage of not getting what she wants for her heart. Guided by a need to take the throne had ended in breaking threads in places she never wanted to. Jon, though, he can be at her side through it all. The journey they've gone on together makes sense. Fighting together, inspiring and appealing to common senses, travelling to the North to do as she must. Love has been muddled for her on any other occasion in life, but not with Jon. Having him at her side rings with crystal clarity.

She resists his tug, only for a moment, forehead creasing as she continued to speak. Her body works to relax once he begins to answer though, the intensity on her face not decreasing. She lets her leg rest snugly against his, eyeing him carefully. Protest flares in her expression when he goes on about having broken honor, her heart aching when he mentions a boyhood vow he'd made. Her lips part -- why would she ever not want to be similar in spirit and heart to Jon (which is precisely what he's 'become' translates to, for her.) Her lips purse a little, anger flaring at the idea of a forced contract.

Then, some of the tension she feels drifts away with his final suggestion. ]

You found someone who's need you could fulfill? Truly? [ Her tongue slips out to wet her lips a bit, expression turning inquisitive. ] I couldn't allow them to force a contract on anyone else through me. [ Which is why she needs to take care of this ASAP, cause there's really no 'allowing' when it comes to Duplicity. ] How did you find them? On the streets? [ Over the network? ]

[It caused no end of troubles when the first contract was signed, and while she doesn't remember it, he can still recall the fight they had over their jealousy on the cruise. Afterwards, they never raised the subject of a submissive with each other, preferring not to know. Now, he was pushing her to find one, if only to spare herself from being forced and having to endure whatever other punishments might be in store. He was finished with the program, she wasn't.

She's still close to him at least, yielding to his tug and desire for closeness. As much as this discussion pained him, he wasn't going to allow it to separate them just yet. Too many months apart and now the possibility of a life time. He needed more of her than this, just some lingering essence of her that could always remain with him, fixed in his mind.]

When we arrived, we were forced to be on a ship for several days in an attempt to get the new arrivals contracts. We were roomed with strangers and she was staying with me. We talked and I learned about her past. I offered to help her in the city and she agreed. Whatever terms I've made with those I contract with, they help set them. It doesn't have to be intimate. Being a dominant, we can give them protection. They can move to a home of their own, one far from the Down, either with you or on their own. You can help them have better trades than they would on their own.

It doesn't make it easier...it never gets easier. [He swallowed.] I'll hate any man that you contract with, even with me telling you to do it.

[ Dany's hung up on the idea of submitting to looking at an entire group of people as slaves. She's unwilling to give in, no matter the consequences. Then, though, Jon offers a different set of appeals to her. She'd always loathe the label of 'Submissive,' yet from the tilt of her head, hopefully it's clear that she hadn't fully considered how life between people who hold a contract might actually be.

She shifts just so as he finishes, reaching to gently squeeze the middle of his leg, near his knee, attempting to be reassuring. ] I would never sign a contract with someone and expect an intimate relationship, I promise you that. There's...currently no one I feel drawn to like that. [ Kind of an awkward admission, but okay! It's the truth. ] At least not when I'm in full control of myself. [ There's an edge to her voice then, bitter at the effects that certain events have had on her. But she clears her throat, smiling softly, sweetly at him. ]

What of those...collars? Are they always required, when a contract is at play? They're too much like... [ her eyes shut, discomfort swelling in her stomach at the imagery of seeing slaves tortured and crucified ] -- what I've seen before. I...I can't bear insisting a shackle be worn. [ Her eyes close again, face turning down, emotion springing onto her face, eyes welling up. She shakes it away, looking back to Jon. A new strength rises within her, confidence striking back up as she holds her head higher. ]

Then I'll find someone who needs my protection. If I look and have that aim, I can set aside what expectations they mean for us to have. [ She holds his gaze, pausing, eyes heated as she moves in closer to him to rest her brow on his once more, drinking his presence in. She whispers: ] I could never submit to them, Jon. Not like they seem to want us to.

[He has no right to be jealous, frustrated that he'd expose that side to her again, but it was still as fresh and sharp as the first time he had seen her intimate with someone. Whether she wanted to or not, circumstances in this world would push her into the arms of someone else. That was the way of things. He had been resistant for as long as possible, but the storm and its effects, it took away any will he had left.

He takes an unsteady breath as she squeezes his leg, still higher than his knee, more than he was expecting.] No one yet. You will find someone that you feel close enough to that you would want to look after and protect. It happened before, it will again. [And it wasn't his place to be jealous over it.]

They're required if you are still in the program. If you have been here a year, they're through with you and you become a citizen of the city. Submissives wear a collar, Dominants something else. I didn't look at what it was, only that I didn't have to wear it and didn't mean to. [But he knows what's bothering her and why. He reaches for her, pressing a kiss to her temple to try and soothe away some of these worries.

Seeing her so upset, hearing the emotion in her voice, it pained him deeply.] I didn't want it to be this way for us. If Nissen hadn't lost the war...I can't say things would have been better, but there wouldn't be shackles.

[Fingers tangle in her hair as she presses her brow to his, his eyes falling shut as he reveled in being at her side again. It seemed so surreal, more of a dream than reality. He had longed for her, even in not wanting her to appear in the city, and here she was.] All we have are our small rebellions. It's better than accepting things as they are.

[ Her head shakes softly, pushing away that idea. Heart already full, she doesn't think she could have enough affection for another to have it match what she feels for Jon. What good would falling more deeply than mere friendship do for her, anyhow? Part of her knows that he's correct, though: she doesn't verbally push, only looking to him with pleading eyes. Not for him to give anything to her, to be more than what he can be, but for him to understand that she's firm in knowing she won't form certain sorts of bonds with anyone. She knows she can love Jon, like this, and have it settle in her being. It could be a dangerous game, true, but she's willing to risk it.

She takes in his answers, looking down over his chest a couple of times, wanting to caress a hand there. Other than Drogo, she's never felt such a brand of security beside a man as she does with Jon. It's from love, shared attraction and physical intimacy. Those distractions flickering in her eyes, she continues to listen.

She murmurs with that kiss to her skin, then leans into the touch of his fingers in her hair later on. Seems there are always a deal of distractions when it comes to being with him.

Her chin tilts while their faces are so close, brushing her lips against his. Chaste and unassuming, yet fully felt and warm. ] Thank you. For everything. Being you. Being here. With me. [ She'd rather neither of be there, but that's mutually felt and needn't be said. Eyes sparkling, she draws back to smile softly, bringing a hand up to cup over his jawline, up against his cheek. ] If you weren't here, from where I'd come from and what was going on at the time, in the North, I can only imagine how long I'd have stayed stubborn as an ox.

I should've come to you, more. I'm sorry I haven't. [ A beat as she glances to the side. It's awkward, but nothing new: she'd wanted to say it, too. ] You've followed their rules, in your way, and you've also a harvest of happiness. [ She smiles warmly, holding his face so he keeps her gaze. ] Don't be guilty for that. Please. There's too much darkness thrust on us here for us to get bogged down with circumstances that I know are...at least somewhat adaptable.

[ Vague, and hey, she's not even totally sure what she means by it. There they sit, though, close and entrenched with another. Willingly bound together. Her head tilts as she considers a curious notion. ]

Do they allow Dominants to live in the same houses here? I know they can't sign contracts together. But what of families? Or a group of people that may wish to be like one? [ Asked of curiosity, really! She'd never insinuate they might be able to live together... really ... totally ... she'd never subconsciously wonder if that's a possibility. ]

[There was always some level of distraction with Daenerys. However much he was focused on what she said or thought, there was always a part of him that wanted to continue touching her, caressing her, whatever other options there might be. He naturally stood and sat close to her, drawn closer as their bodies instinctively turned together. No matter where they were or what happened, there would always be that level of connection that was impossible to break.

Even if her kiss is chaste, the one he tries to return is not. It may not be deep and hungry, but he knows in his heart that its full of want and desire for more. It could be swift and tight, but there would always be an element of lust there as well. His lips chase hers, lingering there as he claims another kiss.] I wish you would have asked for me sooner. You shouldn't have had to face this alone. [He couldn't have made things better for her, but he might have at least helped push away some of the loneliness.

He doesn't know much about their future, still firmly left behind on the boat. However, seeing Sansa recently, he knows that his sister wasn't fond of Daenerys at all. It was disappointing, but not something he had challenged here. It wasn't the time or place. Daenerys was strong and stubborn, if she was facing animosity, she likely did it without shaking.] I think you'd stay that stubborn no matter when you are brought here. Strange they didn't give you that label when you arrive. [He smirked.] It was mine.

[She tells him not to feel guilty, but he does all the same. In a sense, he let her go, and a part of him deeply regrets that choice. He is happy, but Daenerys was as much a part of him as the rest. Losing this, it near broke him.] Whatever the path I chose, it didn't change how I feel about you, Dany.

[The question comes with a number of pitfalls, the first being his current living situation on the edge of the city, now complete with Lucrezia. The other being how he knows the city responds to Dominants being open together.

The latter is easier and more comfortable to focus on.]

Before the Creator took control, we could be reprimanded or punished for being open together. Two Dominants living together now might mean reeducation. This sort of relationship...it goes against what the city expects.

[Which means that it's the perfect rebellion, in small ways.]

[ Dany's always been lonely, not ever fitting truly into the peg she was born to be in. Perhaps that was one of the reasons they're so naturally drawn together. Two souls, lost more than not. One an abused little girl who went through literal fire to be born fully into a queen; one a bastard who, much as his father's moral compass set straight to inclusion and fairness, may have never fully fit into his family but became a leader others like him. Truthfully, they both were born to help save the world, and Dany knows that, and it's part of why she can't forever sit back and let the powers in Duplicity remain as they are.

But a carnal energy built between them in that moment steals her attention, and she won't resist it. She doesn't deny herself physical desires: her mouth blends into his, kissing him wantonly and fully, breathing in a moment before she gives a tiny smile at his words. ] Then I won't face it alone anymore. [ Even if they both knew that, literally, she could. She has.

She's not unaccustomed to people having attitudes toward her yet with her very clear drive of aiding everyone by being a good queen, it would've blown right over her head as to how Sansa could've been so unhappy with her. It's best for both women that Sansa was sent home, but not necessarily the greatest for Jon. Company from the North must be warm and welcome. She laughs, eyes rolling up a little for his joke, lips pursing together the tiniest bit as she smiles over his playfulness. ] I love these moments you let anything else go, and I can see right into you, Jon.

[ But she breathes in when he mentions that how he feels for her hasn't changed, knowing he speaks truth. She waits for his answer and gives a gentle nod. ]

I wouldn't wish for you to suffer reeducations. [ She can deal with anything, thanks very much. ] Do you know others who are doing it right now? What they may be enduring? [ A beat, head tilting a little to the side. ] I should probably find a space more suitable eventually. [ Sooner than later, really. ] I've walked by the housing available. Some of it's quite nice.

[She wouldn't have to face any of this alone. She didn't need him, not truly. Daenerys was a woman who could face a great deal of opposition and adversity, coming out of it stronger and harder. That didn't mean, however, that he wanted her to have to do that. Even if it was silent support, a watchful eye that he kept on her from the shadows, he would do what he needed. She was too precious to him and this city had harmed her before. He couldn't stomach it happening again.

One kiss turned to two and the noise she made had his breath coming heavier and more rough than before. If she was wanton, he was no better, responding to her like a wolf in heat. Thankfully she pulled back enough to speak with him, allowing him a moment of clarity and a chance to fill his lungs with air.

Compliments had always been difficult for him. He could only look to his feet before finally meeting her eyes again, waiting for the heat to pass from his cheeks.] I thought you could do that already?

I knew some, but many left. We...[He swallowed, a lump in his throat.] We were attempting it, but we kept it secret. After you were gone, things became more severe. There is a friend of mine, she was ticketed because we- [He couldn't finish the words, not wanting to fully give voice to the things he's done.] She is a dominant as well.

There are houses available. I found one near the edge of the city that has a park for Ghost.

[ Intensity regularly defined who she was, and she smoothly goes from desire to more clearheaded moments of sharing words. The heat growing inside of her doesn't dwindle, ever present when she so much as sees Jon. Small and developing quickly even when she speaks to him, sends him written messages.

A closed but full smile rises on her face when he pauses over the given compliment, her own cheeks rising, full and earnest. ] I can. But it's nice to remind you. [ He's so sweet and tender a man, and she can't help but love seeing him exposed.

Her attention shifts easily into absorbing his answer, the details he gives. She nods slowly a few times. ] They want to prevent people here from being able to fully have all they may desire. [ She reaches out for his hand, intertwining his fingers with hers, squeezing. ] But what we may want isn't wrong. It's our heart's way of telling us what to pursue. And where's the wrong in that? [ She means for it to be more inclusive a phrase about desires, rather than directly about just the two of them.

She doesn't let go of his hand though, smiling faintly. ] Ghost should be as happy as he can here too, in spite of the change in temperature he's accustom to. [ It feels nice, simple, talking about the pup. ] Is it only the two of you there? [ WELL she had to ask eventually? ]

[It was strange to talk with her this way. Not the sudden shift from desire to lucidity, that was a common state with him whenever he was with Daenerys. It was that she seemed eager to reach for any happiness she might here. Where he had been for such a thing for himself, he could only feel fear for her, fear that she might be hurt somehow.] I told you I love you here before, the first time I said it. You were so angry at me because you were afraid that we would be punished and I would be hurt. [It was the way of Dany, not caring for herself but for others first.] I told you that choosing what we wanted and who we wanted, it was a rebellion in itself.

[Just not as eloquently or as well as he was now.] The only wrong is when you will eventually go back to Westeros. It was months before you came back, I didn't think you would. I don't know how long it is until they take you away again.

[It was inevitable that they would come upon this conversation and he deeply did not want to discuss it. Fear of hurting her, guilt and fear that he might hurt Lucrezia, his heart being pulled in two different directions. All of it left him feeling a bit sick.

Still, she asked and deserved the truth.] I purchased it when Sansa arrived. It was supposed to be for my submissive, Christine and Sansa, to give them more room than what these places they give us can offer. They both disappeared and I asked Lucrezia to stay.

[ She can't herself: Dany smiles brightly when he says he'd told her he loves her for the first time, but then her brows knit together. She couldn't help but smile again as he told her his own reaction in the time. And, in response, she leans over to press one full kiss onto his lips before drawing back to look into his eyes. ] It is a rebellion, and one I'd gladly do time and again. The circumstances from before, when I was here earlier, they must have been different and caused me to react that way. [ Another kiss. ] I would never wish for you to be punished. [ A heavy breath. ] But I wouldn't stop you from having what you want. For, honestly Jon, I know you can endure as much as I.

[ Her expression darkens, sadness for what he's gone through due to her leaving. She reaches to pull both of his hands against hers, looking directly into his warm eyes. ] If I knew of my being made to return to Westeros, I would come to you and tell you. I vow that to you, Jon. [ It's all she can promise, in terms of that.

She listens, keeping her own emotions duly in check. She hasn't been lying when she's told him to not be ashamed of having made a life there. Still, it's not easy to actually hear the finer details. ] The woman you've fallen in love with. [ Obviously. ] Did I meet her? Before, when I was here? [ Asked carefully and precisely. ]

[Each kiss makes his heart lift in his chest, his body leaning more and more towards hers. He's almost tempted to shift her onto his lap, but he doesn't want to move or break this spell between them. Her being here with him, holding his hands and feeling the same towards him that she always had.] I can and I'm willing to, but I understood what you were afraid of. [He pressed his brow to hers, smiling softly.] It's why I tell you to get a submissive, if only to keep you safe.

[But he has no desire to even think of the men she might be with. He has no right to be jealous, but it's in his heart all the same.] We don't know when we're going to return. One day, you are suddenly pulled back into Westeros. We never have the chance to say goodbye.

[He watches her carefully, seeing the signs of her hurt and feeling like an ass for putting this on her. It makes some of this intimacy difficult, but he doesn't relinquish it all the same.] No, you never met her before. [He hesitated.] Lucrezia wasn't- she and I weren't together when you were here. That came after.

You- we agreed never to talk about anyone else we might be bedding, to keep from hurting each other.

[ Dany's jaw does set a bit tighter, defensive that anyone would think she needs protections. She sighs very quietly in spite of herself though, knowing that she does. ] That's the only reason I could ever do it. [ Her head tilts a teeny bit, consideration of if Jon shares in her opinion on that. If it's the only reason he would. Surely so, right?

Defiance flickers in her eyes, but she eases it away. Or, tries to her. Her voice sounds tighter, and she shifts in closer to him, leg actually rising a small amount as if she might get into his lap. ] If I am allowed only that, then I'm telling you I would. I wonder never let you hurt if it were in my control. [ He knows more about this place than she does, so he's probably right about the way it works, but she's persistent in this.

Her chin rises a bit as he speaks more about Lucrezia, unable to wholly mask her jealously. She won't let it overtake her, though, she makes that promise to herself for the sake of both of them. Then, her brow knits before her face blends more toward a false neutrality. ] That makes sense. I don't disagree. [ But, Lu is more important to Jon than a simple bedfellow. ]

You don't wish for the two of us to meet, then? [ Frank and brief. She needs to know his feelings on this before she verbally moves forward. ]

[It was once. Now he had no desire to take another submissive. He still needed contracts, but the need wasn't as great as it once was. It was only Lucrezia now, but the bonds of it were far different than what he had with Christine or Anya.

His hand curls around her leg, amused by the flare of defiance and fire in her eyes. The city would find further ways to provoke her and she would forever fight back against it. He knew that well of her and admired it all the more.

It was no good thinking about his jealousy and what would come of it, but he still was dreading the day he might learn someone else had come to her bed. It was why he also didn't blame her for her own, if their roles were switched...

Meeting though, that made him swallow hard.] Would you want to meet her?

[ It'd been a dangerous question to pose. As she absorbs his nerves, lives in that pause while he swallows, her bright eyes sparkle with the emotion of preparing herself for the dam to break.

He responds with that question, causing her to delay for a moment, glancing off to the side in a contemplation that doesn't reach her heart. She knows the answer to this question, but she also hears Jon's doubt. Her brows knit together, forehead creasing and stiffening, emotion stretching on her face until she pulls her expression into a sad smile. She reaches to clutch onto both of his hands, pressing her forehead against his temple for a second. ]

I would. [ She won't lie. Keeping a tight hold on his hands, she shifts back to look into his eyes again, brows still knitting as she tries to work through her anxieties and doubts. ] Selfishly. Maybe you're right. That we should keep what happens in our intimate lives completely...separate. [ She swallows then, looking down at their hands, blue eyes flicking up to meet his. A heat springs up in her eyes, attention working to switch to something that hurts her less. They're still so close to one another, and nothing could make her give up being intimate with Jon. ] But, I hope you know, Jon...I will still always want to have you with me, when it's right. Like this.

[ She exposes her heart in that moment, showing a rare flicker of desperation to appeal to her own possessive and jealous natures, ones she cannot fully tame. She doesn't let them balloon out, but there they are beneath the surface of what else she tacks on. She may want Jon to be happy, to know more of this woman he loves, but she doesn't want to be deprived on his attention, either. ]

If I were in your place- [He broke off, not wanting to consider it. He would go mad from the jealousy, the devastation of thinking that he wasn't hers anymore and that the only home he had known in Westeros was closed off to him. This went beyond lovers, it was a connection that he never understood until he met her and a sense of belonging that he had only imagined before. To have this safe haven taken by someone else, he'd never be able to stomach it.] You're a better person than I am, Dany.

[But it still made him uneasy to think of Lucrezia and Daenerys crossing paths. One or both of them would be in pain, feeling insecure and lonely. It wasn't something he wanted to introduce into their lives but clearly was going to be inevitable.

He just couldn't picture a scenario where he'd be able to make such a meeting happen. His desire to protect and shield would always run paramount, even if it meant protecting them from himself.]

Even when I'm not here, you're a part of me. [He was never good with words, but he trusted her to understand him. He can feel her fear and knew the look in her eyes, the vulnerability and trepidation. Daenerys might be a powerful queen, but he knew how much she needed love and affection. It seemed unfair that for such a short amount of time, he had given that to her and now in the city it was limited. It tore at him, pulling him closer to her as he cradled her cheeks between his hands.

Gently, he brushed a kiss to her lips, afraid to release her and leave this room.]

Selfishly, I want to be with you like this, when it's right. [There was no fighting this, they had long ago acknowledged that this was inevitable.] I'm here, Dany and I will come back whenever you want me to. Just us.

No. [ The word slips out easily, muted but deeply felt. Her head shakes lightly, a sadness having spilled into her eyes. No greater show of emotion; no tears or anger. ] I'm a person who's chosen to leave love behind for a call greater than myself. I would not ask anyone to do so unless they're in similar binds. And, you, my dear Jon...are not. [ He loves Lucrezia, and Daenerys doesn't need to physically be around them to confirm that.

She quietly hopes to herself that she'll meet the other girl by happenstance. There's much to be said for a wandering mind, even if the outcome of such a metting may not be desired.

Listening, a forced brand of warmth having risen in her expression, she sincerely keeps Jon's words close to her heart. She always understands him, or she thinks she does, and that's enough to maintain the strength of their bond.

She swallows hard, neck straightening and chin lifting slightly, when both his hands are felt on her cheeks, eyes shutting with the press of their lips together. She's strong, and she's meant all she has to say. Dany doesn't falter when motivated, nor does she lie about matters of the heart. She yearns for him to stay with her, to be with her always, to choose her, and it's in that moment of abrupt weakness that she knows it's time to part. She's never afraid to show emotion in front of him, but shedding tears over the lonely road she's set upon (one she continues to tell him she can walk, she'll plow, she'll move mountains to traverse) is not something she's capable of. Not then. Maybe not ever.

They're so close that he must've seen the sting of tears, moisture breaking but not turning into true drops. She kisses him back, a bit of force put behind it. The moment starts breaking under her, if she were to be honest. She knows the return of her lips has been harder but as it breaks and she looks to Jon, she reaches to mirror his hold on her cheeks. The feel of stubble under her hands is electrifying, and spite for what she knows will be the tail end of her words, for herself, twists in her stomach as she starts to speak again. ]

I couldn't bear it if you said otherwise. [ Because he has to know that. No lies, but she knows how dependent she's being, too. There are far greater weights on her than that, in the moment, though. ] Thank you. For coming to me. Being more level. Stable. I know I say I could suffer through anything, but I don't want to. [ Suffering through the punishments of the LIES guards and laws. No one would want to, but she's rarely so direct about her own vulnerability. Strength and stubbornness define her.

Peering into his eyes, she swallows again. ] I won't hesitate to call on you again, when I need you. [ Speaking of the future, of closing this moment. She doesn't want him to go but her heart's been exposed a great deal that day, and she's no longer as confident in holding her composure as she'd like to be. With a glance down, away, to the side, hovering out of bounds of the living room and nearly toward the front door, she can't bring herself to speak direct words to make him go. So. Another swallow, body tightening a bit, gaze still cast down. ] Thank you, Jon...

[ 'I love you' goes unspoken, but it swirls inside of her. Enough for her to shift back suddenly, working to catch his hands in hers. The gates of her own heart and raw emotion swing shut, for the time-being, as she smiles softly, forcibly, at him. ] I think I'm...tired. I'm sorry. I need...to rest. [ To be alone. Not to cry or anything. Nope. Nor to deny the want within her core, still roiling as ever when she's with him. ]

[He loves her. There is no question or doubt about that. All roads in his life were leading him to the moment that they would meet and come together. She was his home, his family. The decisions that he made in this city were made without full knowledge of his future, their future. He had chosen not to return and face inevitable death, never knowing that Daenerys rescued him, as she had in so many other ways. He let go of Westeros and in letting go, he opened himself up to another love and another life.

It was almost as though he were two sides of himself, splitting him apart. He loved Lucrezia and would return to her, but he loved Daenerys and there was an always inevitable return to her. Regret and longing were doomed to be a part of his life from now on. Whatever he chose, he would face that prospect.

But there was no denying that when Daenerys hurt, he hurt as well. The force of her kiss is returned in equal measure, insistent and hungry. After so long without her, his body and heart craved her presence. He needed her as much as she needed him, that other part of him that had been empty his whole life.]

I don't want you to face this on your own. [Not this city and not this loneliness.] I love you, Dany. [And he did. That was never a question and never something he'd deny. His life though was leading away from Westeros now.

Another kiss, another stroke of her cheek.] It's selfish of me, but I want to be here with you as you face this, the city...all of it. [He couldn't let her go. Even as he saw her tears and knew that she would would pull back, walling her emotions away so that she might face them in private, he couldn't walk away from this.

He squeezed her hand, his eyes holding hers with the same intensity as her kiss.] Don't send me away yet, not like this.

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