A shiver rolled down your spine and you could barely hold onto your horse anymore. Your wet hair was glued to your forehead and flakes of snow were burning through the way too thin clothes you were wearing. You had actually been afraid that you'd never make it, that you'd never reach Castle Black alive. But here you were, safely within the walls that were supposed to protect it, safely within reach of the only person you still trusted.
"I've got you." Jon wrapped his arms around you while he helped you to get of your horse. His arms felt warm and comfortable and for a short moment you allowed yourself to close your eyes, to breath in the new smell that was surrounding him. "Bring her horse to the stables." He lifted his head up and then he took off his cloak to drape it around your shivering body. "Fill a tub with hot water for her." He gave another order while his grip around you never weakened. His arms went under your knees and as if you were nothing but a light feather he lifted you off of the ground.
"I hope I'm not too much of a bother?" Your voice was weak, but you wanted to keep on talking, wanted to stay awake. You were too afraid that if you would fall asleep before you had warmed up, you would never wake up again. "I had nowhere else to go. Sansa is held hostage in King's Landing. Arya is who knows where. Robb is on his way to war." And Rickon and Bran were dead, but you were not ready to add that yet, you were not ready to believe that yet, you didn't want to believe that yet. "We look up at the same stars and see such different things now..."
"We shouldn't have left Winterfell..." Jon spoke softly and his lips were forming a straight line while he carried you into the castle.
You had never been in another castle but Winterfell, but you were too tired and too cold to look around. "And there is another reason why I came here..." You hesitated for a moment, knowing all too well that Jon had vowed to never take a wife, to never father a child, to not have any life apart from the one he had chosen to live. But you had not vowed anything and no matter what you would try, you would not be able to change your feelings for him.
"What?" Jon raised his eyebrows a little while he used his foot to kick one of the wooden doors open. The bathtub was already filled with hot water, but Jon put you on a chair next to it.
"I love you, that's my reason." You could barely keep yourself up and your hands were trembling while you tried to untie all the strings holding your dress together. "I know that you can't love me back and I don't expect you to do so either, but I wanted you to know that." You took a deep breath while eventually your fingers gave up.
Jon swallowed. His eyes rested on you and for a moment you wished you could read minds. In absolute silence he took the strings from your dress between his fingers and continued where you had stopped. "How long will you stay?" His voice was barely a whisper and while he helped you to take off your dress he kept his glance locked with yours.
"I don't know." You shrugged your shoulders and leaned on Jon while he helped you to step into the bathtub. "Until I find another place to stay?" You avoided his glance and you let out a relieved sigh when you were eventually surrounded by hot water. "Until I have to leave this place?"
"Don't." Jon shook his head and his hands held onto you a little longer than they should have. "Don't leave. Don't leave at all." His voice was raw and his throat dry. "Rickon and Bran are dead. Robb is fighting a war he can't win. Theon betrayed us all." He took a deep breath. "I can't lose someone else I care about. I'll keep you safe here. For as long as I can."