A Rest of Swords

Part four

First of all, I'm not sure why I'm going in this direction. I'm absolutely not familiar with this kinda stuff but I liked the idea and wanted to try it out. Ok I just realized you have no idea what I'm talking about but you will when you read it.

I hope it won't appear strange to you that Brienne is this nervous and self-conscious regarding what they've already shared, but it just felt right to me to write it like this, I hope you'll agree with me when you read my description of their thoughts and it won't bother anyone - if it does, I'm sorry.

When they finally broke apart, both were a little breathless.
"Will you do something for me in return now?", Brienne asked.

"Everything."

"Take a bath", she said in a demanding tone that was clearly pretended. "You look terrible." But she couldn't suppress the grin spreading across her face and he laughed as well.

"As Mylady commands", Jaime said obediently and even performed a mocking little bow. She slapped him playfully in return.

"Ouch", Jaime said, rubbing his left arm for show.

"I'm not a Lady, Ser Jaime." It was obvious that she wasn't actually crossed with him, but this phrase he had already heard so often made something in Jaime stir uncomfortably.
Why is she always so concerned about others referring to her as a Lady?, he asked himself. She is, after all, even if that's not what she sees in herself...but does that mean no one is allowed to? He knew that she had this side somewhere inside of her and he liked it. She was a Lady to him, but that was not the place or time for discussions.
Later, perhaps...with the right opportunity...

"Whatever you say...", he simply replied now, but the smile he gave her was clearly saying that he certainly didn't agree.

Brienne turned around to pick up the sword she had dropped in the first shock of seeing him. She bowed down, grabbed it and wanted to return it in the sheath at her waist, but when she looked down, she remembered that it was already occupied by Oathkeeper. The familiar look of the sword at her side made her smile, she drove her thumb over the golden knob, but was distracted by Jaime calling her name - well, somewhat her name.

"Bri." She had never liked nicknames, they were meant for little girls and decent highborn Ladies, played you down to something small, soft and needy, and the Gods knew she hated nothing more than to appear weak - but somehow, from his mouth, it didn't sound like that at all.

"Hmm?" She looked up from the sword and at the man who had given it to her.

"You must be exhausted and sweaty from your...training...with the trees, as well", Jaime stated and nodded towards what was left from the one she had been working on when he arrived. Brienne blushed a little. She didn't even want to imagine what she must have looked like when he entered the godswood.
What am I going to tell him if he asks why I was doing that?, she wondered. Could she just admit how his leave had left her nearly broken? No, that thought horrified her. Letting him know how weak she was when it came to him? Definitely nothing she would normally admit, but it was Jaime...her Jaime...if she couldn't be honest with him, with who else could she possibly be? Maybe he isn't going to ask anyway. She pushed the thought aside. What had he been saying again? Ah yes, exhausted from training.

"And?", she asked, eyebrows raised in confusion. She had no idea what he wanted to say by that.

"Well, I just thought...perhaps you would care for a bath, too?", he said as innocently as possible, but the sparkle in his eyes gave him away. The coin dropped and Brienne's eyes widened.