Summer child~Brandon Stark x Reader

Chapter 38- Can never Forget

Once I was dressed, I decided to bring a few more sets of dresses to Bran's room. This room isn't technically mine any longer, so I shouldn't treat it like a large closet. I almost tripped on the sleeves of a rosey winter dress when a boy beside me caught it for me. I look up in surprise. "Thank you..theon!?" "Yes?" "What are you doing here?" He folds the sleeves over my arms and walks along side me. "Talisa is warming Robb's bed at the moment and I was bored so." He teases. "So you figured you'd bother me?" "Yes. Precisely." "Well I have things to do." "On a schedule are we?" "I don't mind you. You may wish for my hate but I truly don't mind you Greyjoy. Do me an honor and visit with me tomorrow. We can have a chat. It'd be nice to talk to you." Theon seemed taken back, but was easily charmed by the idea. "Yeah that would actually seem fitting y/n." He smiled. "I'll be off. I'll see you soon." I smiled a departure as we made it to Bran's bedchambers. He leaves. I open the door with quite some difficulty. Bran was hastily lacing up his doublet with a blush. "Who was that you were talking to?" "I've seen you before don't worry." I snicker. "It was Theon." "Oh?" "Yeah he was bored. Lonely perhaps..I'm not sure." Bran rested his hands on his lap and Hodor tidied up the bed clothes on the wood floors. "Hodor. Take us to Rickon's bedchambers please." He smiled kindly to the half giant. "Hodor." Hodor chimes happily. He places the clothes aside and lifts Bran into his arms. I set aside my dresses and walk behind them with my hands clasped. Once we made it to Rickon's, I knocked softly. "What? Who is it?" "Y/n and Bran." I head several shuffling noises coming from the other side of the heavy door until a sudden click. "Come in." He mutters. Rickon was clad in new larger clothing that better fit him than the old small tunic he wore. I arched my eyebrows that Osha was standing there watching him. None of my business.. Rickon walks to a mirror. He seemed to be angry. He pulls at the tunic he wears And stubbornly stomps his foot. He turns to viciously glare at Osha. "You. Do. Not. Fit." "I do." "What don't you get Rickon?!" "I LIKE MY OLD CLOTHES!!" He hollers. "THEYRE TOO SMALL!" Osha yells back. Rickon grabs the glass on the shelf next to him and hurls it past Osha only for it to collide with the wall and shatter into a hundred pieces. Osha doesn't even flinch. Rickon turns back to the mirror. "You aren't listening." "Look Rickon you aren't going to wear these either." "What? Am I going to roam in the nude??" He sneers. "Don't be ridiculous! Those are too tight as well! Can you not feel that?" "Leave me be!!" "Your ankles shown in your old breeches and your arms too. You're much too big for those. And these are too tight for you." "Just say it! I'm fat!! All of the hags of Winterfell know it! You know it I know it!!" "Stop! Just try this one!" She tosses him another set. He removes the tunic and hurls it at her. Bran glances at me uneasily. "Sorry... Bad time." He whispers. "It's fine. Wild child." An understatement! The now shirtless Rickon throws on another tunic that was just the tiniest bit too big for him. He lets out an ear wretching scream and Osha hurries up to him to cover the boy's mouth. He fights her and she tackles him to the ground until he cannot move. He struggles and pulls at her arms kicking the air. She sinks to the ground with him holding him firmly. He finally stops struggling. He looked pissed. His eyes were cold and black. Osha still held onto him. He was tense. He looked around his room. At the mirror, the new breeches, at Shaggydog foaming at the mouth beside him, at Bran and I. He frowned and began to cry. Osha sighed and let go of him. He sat there in her comfort and sobbed. "You'll understand soon." She murmurs to me. Bran frowns. "Do you understand?" "Yes." "What?" "The things he...I cannot explain it. But he is having a hard time with getting past everything. Growing up if you will." Rickon listened to Bran's words and cried louder. Shaggydog whimpered and crawled on his paws towards Rickon. "Sweet boy." Osha crooned and stroked his hair. He made a few sobbing noises and laid against her chest. Osha motioned us in and Hodor set bran down. He opened his arms and Rickon got up whimpering and walked over to bran throwing himself into his brother's arms. The young boy looked up at me. Bran whispered to Rickon and he got up and smushed his face against me. I didn't expect it. I wrapped my arms around him and rocked him. He buried his face in my arm, and then my chest crying softly. "Do you like hugs my little lord?" He nods. "What's wrong?" "Bran." "Bran??" Guilt washed over Bran's face. Even Osha looked surprised. Rickon stared teary eyed at his brother. "I don't forget i want to forget make me forget." He cries softly. I strokes his hair similar to how Osha had. He crawls closer to Bran. "I didn't want this. I didn't want this. I wanted to be with you I didn't want to go." He cries. He punches Bran in the chest Osha gets up and he screams slamming his head into Bran's chest. He wraps his arms around Bran. "You can never let me go again! Ever!! Don't ever leave again!! Don't ever go!" He shouts. Bran hugs Rickon slowly who pants with exertion. "We can be strong. I cannot be what I am supposed to. Not if you leave. I promise I'll give in. I promise I'll try. If you promise to never leave."
***
Arya's POV
Clang! Clang! clang! I was so sick of these wooden sticks! I block Gendry again. I swing the stick around and collide it harshly with his side. He lets out and oof! and I stab his ribs with the rounded edge of the stick and he lets out another yell. He doubles over and laughs at me. "You going to hit me again?" He grips his stick and charges at me. I block him and kick his stomach throwing him flat on the ground. He looks up at me as I press the rounded edge on his back. "What was that babe?" He chuckles and shakes his head. I circle him before stopping on his other side. "Get up and fight." I kick the stick to him and bend my knees ready to attack. He gets up and throws a few good blows to me but most of them i block off. He was good. But not good enough. Another hit and he's laying on the floor. I hear steady quick walking. "Arya! You're fighting in here?!" "Where do you expect me to fight? Out there?" The septa glares at me. "If I am to practice my fighting skills which I do so at my own will thank you, I will do it here. You never know if the threat will be inside. Need to learn footing on such a slippery surface of ground. Have the advantage anywhere I go." Gendry chuckles again and I stomp on his back-gently. "Let my daughter be. It's alright, you've done your job." I turn with a glowing smile. Father. With a huff, the septa stomps away. "If you're truly going to learn to fight our real enemies.." He hands me a black sharp edged shard of what appeared to be glass. "Obsidian." Dragonglass. "Learn to fight with something that will kill them." I stabbed at the air and did a few dance moves. I swung it harshly. "I like this." "I thought you would. Be very careful with it. Put those poles away and help this poor lad up. Will you sup with us this evening? You are welcome boy." "Yes sir it'd be an honor." Gendry stands and bows to my father. In return my father gives him a warm smile and departs. "I like the sticks. I don't die." I laugh along with his stupid joke.

Y/n's POV
Rickon stayed quiet during breakfast. I noticed about half way through, Lord Stark leaves. Lady Stark seems to know where he is going but says nothing. I do note Arya's absence. Half the reason Rickon was quiet for breakfast wasn't due to his uneasy emotions. It was due to him stuffing his face with pork sausages and rather after rasher of bacon. If I ate as many eggs as that child did...he didn't mind his manners either. Jelly and grease was smeared over his lips and the surrounding area. Sansa cleared her throat. Rickon didn't get the hint and Lady Stark ruffled his hair. She seemed to wish none of it happened to. Be stuck in the past. I saw it when she looked at her children. She saw her boys. A young lord to be who only learned on a wooden sword. A bastard boy watching from the shadows. A beautiful red haired lass who always had pleasing reports about her from the Septa. A feisty brown haired girl who was more interested in shooting arrows than practicing embroidery. A small lovable brown haired boy climbing the castle walls for one of his last times. A wild little blonde boy clinging to his mother's leg not even large enough to ride a pony. Sometimes it was as if she didn't even see Talisa or me. the wives of her eldest sons. She wouldn't see Rickon's betrothed either when she was chosen for him. Eddard finally came back. He said nothing and continued to dine with us. I bit timidly into a cube of cheese. I looked at Sansa but listened to Lord stark. "She was with him yes." "And what was she doing exactly?" "Doing what Arya does. Being wild." "Meaning???" "Fighting love. Nothing more." "With the bastard?" "Yes. Just fighting with him Catelyn nothing more." "She likes him. I know my own daughter." "We can't do anything to stop it either. You know how Arya is. We should've suspected this." I sipped my tea and smiled at Sansa who looked dubious to why I was "staring" at her. She smiled and went back to her own chatter. "Nothing." "What do you mean nothing?" "How is that wrong?" "How is it not? Her children would be bastards!" "She'd do it with or without my permission. If I forbade it she'd do it Cat. I do not know what she is thinking but we need to relax. We have more pressing matters. Please calm down." Lord Stark places a soothing hand onto Catelyn's who sighs and frowns. She grasps his hand and they lace their fingers together. Arya was obviously the topic of conversation. And marriage. Catelyn felt troubled by this. I don't blame her form her perspective. But I still would side with Arya on this. I whip my head around all thoughts lost when a platter clangs between Bran and I. Bran stares at it..blinking a few times. He wipes his mouth with his cloth and turns to Rickon annoyed. He blinks again. "You ain't listenin to me!" "So you throw a plate at me?? Scratch up mother's silver would you? Great job!" "Oh shuttup! You were too busy lookin around to pay attention to a thing I was sayin. We were talkin!" "And you made a mess." "I did not. It had the least food on it!" He wasn't lying. But that didn't mean there wasn't a mess. Winter berries and doughy biscuits were smushed in a purple and blue paste. There looked to me something else in the mix that I couldn't put my finger on. "This is what happens when you don't listen to me. You're Rude." "I'm rude?? You threw a PLATE at my head!" "YOU DIDNT-" "YOU COULDNT THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE??? LIKE HEY BRAN!" He glares at his little brother and everyone stares at them both. Rickon pouts. His face flushes in embarrassment. "Ugh." Bran groans. "Hodor!" Hodor comes up quickly to the table and lifts Bran. "Come on." Bran sighs calming down a bit. Rickon walks over cautiously. Shaggydog trails closely behind and Summer nips at his scruff when he pushes Hodor's legs. Rickon looks up at Bran worriedly. I try to listen to their faint talking. "What do you need?" "I i just wanted to talk to you." "What about Hmm?" He reaches down and ruffles the blonde curls on Rickon's head as they leave the room. "Somethin i don't want others ta hear.." "Oh? Bet I know what this is about.." And I heard no more.

A lot of enjoyment books are about reading them for it. But authors do add things for certain reasons. Id like you all to think about this for me. The reader is well at home in Winterfell. There's that haunting presence behind them. False security. But in a real life situation, they are trying to cope. They cannot be scared every day of their lives waiting. Now think about Rickon. He's obviously going through some rough times. Small things make him blow up. He is growing up on top of it and isn't taking that well. Imagine the pain this 12 year old is going through. He means no harm. Think about these things for me okay guys? I added This outburst for a reason.