you've got to promise not to stop when i say when

pt viii

"You did what?! Seriously? When? Just now?" Arya questioned, getting overexcited and far too loud for Sansa's liking. "Oh my god that's why you asked about him bringing a date! Oh my god Sansa, this is insane! You've got to tell me everything!!"

"Shut up shut up shut up!" Sansa whisper yelled at her sister, face stern as she grabbed hold of Arya's hands to still her, the sharp flailing movements were going to draw attention. "Shit, he's coming back be quiet or I start talking about Gendry again okay?!"

Arya immediately frowned, "You wouldn't."

"You're about to blurt the worst thing I've ever done to the entire table. Try me."

Arya relented at that, slumping back in her chair. "Fine. But you are going to tell me everything later."

"Shut. Up." Sansa angrily muttered through her gritted teeth, trying to keep her face light and open and like she wasn't on the verge of heart palpitations.

Realistically, Sansa knew this secret couldn't be secret forever, nothing stayed secret forever, but she'd really appreciate if it wasn't told to her entire family by her sister.

"Bad as in... bad?" Arya said, not lowering her voice even slightly. "I always imagined tha-"

"Arya!"

"What? I didn't say anything."

"Yeah but as if anyone would ever believe you'd imagined Joffrey..." Her sister visibly recoiled, disgusted at the mere thought. Sansa couldn't imagine Arya imagining Theon either, but it was different. Theon has a reputation and it had always seemed to the two Stark girls that he tried hard to keep that positive.

"Okay, you're right."

Sansa lifted her wine glass and rested her forehead on the cool glass, eyes closing as she sighed her relief. "Thank you."

She opened her eyes when she felt eyes on her, giving a soft smile immediately, expecting it to be her mother that stared. She followed around the table and instead saw Theon with a look that she could only define as concern. But fuck, Theon was impossible to read ninety nine percent of the time and god knows what he was thinking then. Probably wishing they could've stayed in that hallway.

Sansa wished they could have stayed in that hallway.

——

When she was younger she wanted summer all year round, but age had brought a love of the cold. She was used to the cold, it felt so much like home. Leaving the restaurant and needing to zip up her jacket was satisfying. If her apartment was closer and if she wasn't towering in her heels she'd have chosen to walk home.

Sansa pulled out her phone and started looking up a taxi service, lifting it up to call when Robb came up from behind and brushed against her arm. A half hearted nudge that had lost momentum before it even started.

"Put that down Sans, we'll give you a ride."

He was trying to be brotherly, trying to connect with her, and it already had Sansa on the verge of tears.

She gave him a smile and shook her head no, "oh no, don't worry, it's fine."

Robb lost his hopeful smile, looking downtrodden and hurt and it made a lump form in her throat.

"Sansa, please, I need to talk to you."

"I.."

"Sorry Robb! Girls night!! Face masks, nail varnish, all that shit!" Arya yelled as she ran behind Sansa and with a death grip dragged the redhead towards her car. It was rude to Robb, but Sansa was endlessly grateful. She didn't want to speak to Robb about things before she'd figured them out herself, and she didn't want to do it all in front of Talisa.