Portrait// Sandor Clegane (1)

8. Can I see?

Avalon found Sandor leaving Joffrey's room just as she was leaving Marcella's room for the night. She was almost done with the ocean it was turning out beautifully and Avalon's arms were littered with different shades of blue streak going down her neck and her chest. It matched her light blue trousers that she had rolled up mid calf. Barefeet walking down the halls as her arms were filled with paint brushes that needed to be cleaned before tomorrow or else they would be stiff for tomorrow but Sandor caught her eye.

'What do you say? Or are you tired?' Sandor questioned and Avalon could only nod. 'Where do you want me?' She couldn't breathe this was actually happening she had been wanting this for months. She was going to sit down and sketch him to be this close, to feel his scars, to look into his eyes, to paint him. She couldn't breathe she just nodded again.

'You got to clean those?' He asked gesturing to the brushes in her hand again she nodded. 'Are you going to talk?' He asked hesitantly. 'or did you become a mute since yesterday?' sandor questioned.

'Yes.' she said she choked out the word. 'I'm sorry I'm just a little nervous.'

'Of me?' sandor questioned.

'I've wanted this. I wanted to sketch you for forever I'm just excited.' she told him awkwardly.

'You gotta clean those first?'

'Yes... I do...' she agreed nodding her head but she didn't move

'Do you want to meet me in my room or yours?'

'Yours.' She said softly. 'I can bring my books over once I clean these. Or you can come to mine. Its dark do you candles? Of course you have candles that silly.' Avalon was babbling

'I'll come to yours.' he said simply walking away and she nodded and then quickly ran off to her room to clean her brushes. She had candles lit around the room for light and there was a knock at the door. She opened it a really a big smile on her face as she let him in.

'You sure you wanna do this?' Sandor asked

'Don't chicken out on me now, not when I'm so excited.' she told him he nodded looking around the room.

'Where do you want me?' She pointed at the chair.

'If that's all right...' he looked at the candles all around the room fire hazard he thought one wrong move and the bedding could catch on fire, the curtains could catch on fire, the artwork could catch on fire.

'That's a lot of candles.' Sandor remarked

'Oh... I'm sorry I didn't... It's just dark and I can't see without them. I can't see you without light and I'm sorry I should've...' She was babbling again rambling on. She was nervous this wasn't going to work they worked all day and the only time she'd ever get to sketch him was at night or perhaps at meals, she could do that but would he want to sit with her during meals, allow her to do that in his moments of peace? She bit at her lip anxiously.

'It's OK.' he said taking a seat

'Are you sure?' Avalon questioned

'Go on ahead. What do I do?' He asked he had never posed for a portrait before

'You just sit there, you can talk if you want tell me about yourself.' Avalon offered.

'My life isn't very interesting.' Sandor told her 'I'd rather hear about you.' Avalon looked up at him as she sat down across from him, her legs tucked under her.

'What do you mean?' No one ever wants to know about her the only ever want to brag about their accomplishments. She was just the help but she supposed so was Sandor.

'I don't know anything about you. All I know is that you're extremely talented and you've been at the capital for almost a year now I believe. So where do you come from? How do you start painting?" Sandor asked her

'I grew up in the free cities of bravvos.' Avalon told him. 'I bounced around there before going to Pentos. The people there, the culture and the fashion, everyone had a story to tell, and I sketched as many of them as I could.' Avalon told him. She worked on the left side of his face. The side she had grown so used to sketching. But she had never been this close before to see all the detail.

'Bravvos' he sniggered.

'We are not all thieves and murderers, faceless men,' Avalon told him.

'I didn't say anything.' Sandor told her as she got closer.

'Bravvos.' She repeated in his same tone. 'I know what people think but then they see my work and they change their mind about me. I made a name for myself.' Avalon told him.

'clearly or else the capital wouldn't have took you in.' sandor remarked.

'How did you get here?'

'I'm Joffreys dog.' Sandor told her.

'you're a guard but not a knight... why is that?'

"Knights are cunts. They also don't get paid.' Sandor told her.

'good point, I like money.' She agreed. He didn't remember the last time she had a conversation with a woman that he wasn't paying to fuck, and he didn't really talk to those ladies.

'Have you always been able to paint to draw?' sandor questioned, he looked between her eyes and her hand as she stroked the parchment with fine lines.

'Yeah I used to draw in the sand, sculpt things out of the sand.' Avalon told him getting closer once more. 'Then I started drawing it took me forever to save up for some parchment when I was younger and some charcoals but I was good and I loved bringing people to life,' she boasted. 'being able to capture just a single fraction of a moment into a picture... I love their eyes.' she told him she sketched away as she scooted her chair closer to him. She reached out a hand to tip his head to the side but stopped short. "May I?' She asked and he didn't know what she was asking, he just looked at her as she moved his head to the side and traced her fingers along his scars. He closed his eyes at her touch.

'Don't move,' she whispered leaning back her fingers trailing away from his face and she started sketching away again. Every scar every curve and groove the candles melted down to nothing and she still wasn't anywhere near done but the candle burned out. One by one the room darkened Sandor watched her. A yawn escaped her lips but she wasn't going to stop. Until sandor reached a hand out his large hand touching her cool skin she looked up eyes meeting his.

'Maybe we call tonight, we both gotta be up early tomorrow.' Sandor told her and she nodded slowly as he dragged his hand away from her. 'Can I see it?' But she pulled her sketchbook to her chest.

'It's not done yet.' Avalon told him

'I know that can I see it?' Sandor asked again.

'Not until it's done.' she told him and he nodded, 'can we do this again tomorrow?' she requested hopefully.

'Sure.' Sandor agreed heading out. Avalon stared at the sketch. Biting at her lip she fell asleep blissfully knowing that as soon as she finished the drawing she would not have Sandor out of her mind she would only be that more in love with him.