Chapter Text
Sansa: I hate you.
Randa: Oh Gods. What did he do?
Sansa: He stood me up.
Randa: No he didn’t.
Sansa sighed and took a photo of the empty side of the booth across from her. She sent it to Myranda, proof of Harry’s absence.
Randa: Shit. I’m so sorry Sansa. I am going to rip him a new one at work on Monday I swear!
Sansa: Don’t bother. I never should have agreed to this anyway. It’s too soon.
Randa: Too soon??? Sansa it’s been TWO YEARS! I finally get you to agree to a date and he STOOD YOU UP?! Unacceptable. He’s dead.
Sansa turned her phone over and picked up her drink. She had been waiting so long that the pub had gotten crowded. She sipped at her drink, regretting coming out at all. She knew she was right. It was too soon.
Sansa felt her phone vibrate under her hand and reluctantly flipped it over. She could practically hear Randa’s voice soften. Are you still there? Should I come meet you?
Sansa answered immediately. It’s alright. I’m leaving.
The throng of people started to enclose around her booth. She saw a girl eyeing her up, clearly waiting for Sansa to give up the valuable booth. Vulture. Sansa tipped her glass back and downed the rest of her drink. She started scooting out of the booth, but an enormous figure broke through the mass and slammed himself down into the seat across from her.
The man didn’t even take notice of her. Sansa felt frozen to the seat as she watched him. He was on the phone, his head down, and she could still see grotesque burns on the side of his face, though he tried to hide behind his black hair. The burns were harsh, but Sansa couldn’t get over the hideousness of the old red flannel he wore.
“Osha?” He yelled into the phone. “I can hear you now.” He sighed and put his hand in his hair. “So this is really happening, huh? We’re finally breaking up?”
Sansa felt her eyes widen. Okay, time to go. Sansa slid down the bench but was stopped by the now impassible wall of people standing in her way. There was no getting through, not on her own. She had no choice - she had to stay and listen to this strange man break up with his girlfriend.
“Yea, we know it’s been coming...I know…yea…of course you’ll still be my best friend. That’s all we’ve ever really been isn’t it?” Then he laughed. The man laughed! “I know. Love you too.”
What? Love? Is he breaking up with her or not?
Sansa wondered if she said it out loud - he finally looked up and caught her eye. It seemed like he only just realized she was there. Sansa blinked and looked down at her empty glass. “Sure.” He muttered into the phone. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
Sansa looked up again as he smacked his phone down on the table. “Fuck.” He groaned. It was strange how he didn’t look necessarily upset. More exhausted, really. He looked up at Sansa who was still stuck like a deer in the headlights. “Sorry.” He rasped. “Wasn’t expecting that to happen. Well…I was. Just - not right now. I guess.”
His brow furrowed and he looked back down at his phone looking like a lost puppy. And then it clicked. Oh. I see. She couldn’t help herself. “Is that how you pick up all the girls?”
The man squinted at her. “Excuse me?”
“You barge in on a girl alone and you just so happen to break up with your girlfriend on the phone in front of her. Do you want me to feel bad? Is that how it usually works?”
With every word he said, the more affronted the man looked. “Look I’m sorry for disturbing you. I just needed to find someplace quiet.” And he moved to leave.
Sansa, you bitch. She could see on his face just how wrong she had been. “Wait.” She stopped him. “I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. You didn’t just break up with me.” Sansa chewed her lip, not sure of how to continue – or rather, if she should at all. But he went on, a strange smirk on his face. “Weird to realize that I’ve spent four years with this woman and the whole time we’ve really only ever been friends.” He paused and shrugged his massive shoulders. “I can’t help but think it might have been a waste of time.”
“Oh trust me I know a waste of time when I see one. How about getting stood up after going out on my own for the first time in two years since my good-for-nothing husband up and left me for another woman?”
The man’s eyes widened across from her. “Touché.” They were both quiet for a minute and only then did Sansa realize just how loud the whole pub had become. “Well, let’s say we have a drink.”
Sansa glanced down to her empty glass. “I already had one.”
He grabbed her glass and stuck his nose inside, screwing his face up in disgust. “A little lemon drop for a little bird.” He laughed again and Sansa felt a strange warmth in her chest at the sound. “You need something better than that.”
He stood up so fast that he knocked into the table and pushed it closer to her. Sansa noticed that he was tall enough to see over the crowd. He waved in the direction of the bar. “Hey Bronn!” His horrible shirt lifted as he raised his arm over his head and Sansa found herself staring at the space of his hard stomach that exposed itself right at her eye level. “Get me two – “ He glanced down and Sansa looked up to meet his eye. But she was too late. She was caught. He only smirked at her again before turning away. “Make that six flaming wights! Three extinguished!”
He dropped down heavily into the seat and stuck out his enormous hand. “I’m Sandor.”
Sansa swallowed the lump in her throat. “Sansa.” She gave him her hand and it was quickly lost inside of his. His eyes were grey. She could see that now as he held her gaze.
Their silence was interrupted when the grungy bartender pushed through the crowd with a tray of shot glasses, half of which were on fire. “Am I supposed to drink that!?” She heard herself shout.
“Well, I’m certainly not.” Sandor laughed gesturing to his scars - scars that Sansa only just remembered were there.
Sandor distributed the shots took one free of fire and held it up to her. “Here’s too our miserable luck in love and our significantly poor timing.”
Sansa knocked her glass into his, bit back her trepidation and swallowed the flaming shot. As the liquid burned down her throat she watched the curious man across from her. She couldn’t help but wonder - maybe her timing wasn’t so poor after all.