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Holidays were always a big deal with the Stark family. Especially as the children grew up and moved out, winter holidays were the only time the large family estate would again fill with warmth and laughter and noise. Margaery had thought she was used to loud families, growing up the younger sister to three brothers and a whole host of cousins had proved for a loud and lively upbringing. Beyond that, she thought she was used to the Starks, she had met every member of Sansa's immediate family at least once over the course of their three years of dating, but all of that was nothing to prepare her for Winterfell at Christmas time.
Sansa was talking the entire way up from where they parked their car at the end of the drive to the front door, “-and don’t bother asking Jon what his plans are now that he’s gotten his masters, it’s impossible to get a good answer out of him. Talisa and Robb are trying for another baby, so unless you want an extremely detailed discussion of cycles and estrogen don’t bring it up. And please, please, you know how much I love you, but if you sneak your hand up my skirt at dinner again, I’ll withhold sex for the whole visit.”
Margaery who had been smiling, entertained by her girlfriend’s chatter suddenly dropped the expression, “But Sansa-”
“No buts!” The redhead cut her off, “I’m positive my dad knew what you were doing last time and after Bran and Rickon walked in on us when we visited for Easter, I don’t want to take any chances where my family is concerned.”
The Tyrell pouted, but she knew that everything was up for argument. More importantly, she knew that her bottom lip jutting out and her eyebrows crinkled together were a strong argument.
“Don’t give me that look!” Sansa warned.
If anything, it deepened the pout. Sansa merely huffed a disproving chuckle, ducking her head in to press a quick kiss to Margaery’s pouting lips. She felt the frown dissolve into a smile beneath her kiss before Margaery was suddenly jerked away from her. Sansa opened her eyes to see Lady dragging her girlfriend up the driveway by the leash, clearly excited at the prospect of seeing the rest of her littermates.
They were overwhelmed from the moment they walked in the house. Catelyn had opened the door and let out a little shout of excitement before pulling the girls into bone crushing hugs. Lady took off like a shot and loud excited barking confirmed that she must have found the rest of the Stark dogs, Catelyn was already talking a million miles a minute.
"- you two aren't the last to arrive, nearly though. Ned’s gone to the airport to pick up Bran, his flight got in just a little bit ago, Robb and Jon are just out back gathering firewood, before your father gets back. Arya and Gendry got here last night.." she trailed off as the aforementioned sister appeared in the entryway to greet the new comers and they were pulled fully into the crazy mess that was the Stark winter extravaganza.
The house was full of life, aside from just the Stark children and their significant others, Theon Greyjoy was seated on the couch, making faces at Ned Jr. who was happily giggling in response. Ned and the final Stark child arrived home just then, Bran freshly done with finals season at his college, after doing the rounds, hugging Sansa and Margaery, Ned shot a disproving glance at the pile of dogs rolling around all over the front room, “Someone get the dogs outside, this is crazy.”
Sansa and Arya were put up to the task. The redhead merely had to give her dog a single look before Lady pulled herself up and trotted straight out the backdoor, “Greywind, Shaggy, Summer, out!” She ordered, hands on her hips in a commanding stance. The dogs were up and out, following Lady’s example, leaving only Nymeria. Ghost was already running through the woods behind the house.
Arya tried to copy her sister, “Nymeria! Go outside!” She commanded, eyebrows furrowed. The dog rolled onto her back, tongue lolling out to the side as she stared up at Arya, “Nymeria!” A low whine emitted from the dog’s mouth and Margaery and Gendry couldn’t help but chuckle at the display.
“She’s normally a really well behaved dog.” Gendry confided, “I think she just likes embarrassing Arya like this.”
Margaery could believe it, though she was initially a little nervous around the large dog, Lady had proved herself incredibly well behaved. She was an overgrown lapdog, if anything. Nymeria was something else entirely, the first time she met Nymeria, the dog had leapt up on her, front paws easily landing on her shoulders, and enthusiastically licked Margaery’s face until Arya was able to pull the dog off by the collar.
“Nymeria!” Arya herself growled, clutching the hound by the scruff of her neck and using it to drag the dog away towards the back door. Nymeria simply lay as though she were boneless, letting her legs flop to the sides as Arya threw her entire weight into dragging the dog that weighed nearly as much as she did.
“You dang useless, ball of fur.” Arya muttered, finally managing to pull the dog all the way to the door and push her out, closing it on the dogs out in the yard.
That task accomplished, Catelyn swept into the front room to round up help, “Girls, kitchen!”
“But Mom.” Arya whined.
“No buts! Let’s go.”
Arya trailed towards the kitchen, followed by a smirking Sansa, and Margaery moved to join them but Catelyn intervened, “Where are you going, Margaery dear?”
“To help in the kitchen.” She said as though it was obvious.
“Don’t be silly, have a seat. You’re a guest.”
“But-”
“No, I won’t hear it. Relax, I insist.”
Reluctantly, Margaery gave in and made herself at home on the couch beside Theon and Gendry with Ygritte perched on a nearby armchair. They were a regular outsider clan, though Theon fit in better than any of them having the advantage of growing up in the Stark home. The Greyjoy was playing passively with Robb's baby.
"I can be a bit much." He confided conspiratorially to the brunette beside him, "I've been spending holidays with the Starks since before I can remember, but it can still be overwhelming."
Margarey laughed in agreement, "I thought three brothers were a lot. They're nothing on this."
“I’m an only child with a single mom, talk about culture shock.” Gendry weighed in.
Everyone turned to Ygritte, expecting her to throw in her opinion on the Stark home so far and when she realized all eyes on her she just chuckled, “My family growing up was bloody wild, this is nothing.”
The four of them exchanged small talk, before Talisa- Robb’s wife- came from the kitchen her hands laden down with glasses and a bottle of red, “Can I interest any of you in some wine?” She asked.
“Please.” Margaery smiled gratefully at the same time that Ygritte threw her hand up in affirmation.
Talisa chuckled, “You’ll get used to it.” She promised, setting down the glasses on the table. She quirked an eyebrow at Gendry, “Are you twenty one yet?”
The boy blushed, “Nearly.”
Talisa stared him down for a second before giving in with a smirk, “Nearly is close enough.” She handed out the glasses and then pressed a kiss to her baby’s head on her way back to the kitchen, “You behave yourself for uncle Theon.” She cooed, the baby gurgled in reply.
The four outsiders made comfortable small talk before they were interrupted by some shouting coming from the hallway to the kitchen. Robb, Arya and Rickon all came tearing down the hall into the living room, tangled in a scuffle. Margaery could see Rickon standing on his toes, his arm all the way up in the air, and a triumphant smirk on his face.
“It’s mine, all you beggars can be away!”
“You already had four!” Arya protested.
Robb was focused on trying to reach the pastry clutched in his younger brother’s hand. Though Rickon was the youngest of the Starks, he was the tallest. Thin and long, he height was all he had on the rest of his siblings.
“Too bad you didn’t grab it first!” He crowed down on Arya.
“What is it?” Theon called from the couch.
“The last of Sansa’s lemon cakes.”
At that, Margaery had to smile to herself, lemon cakes were Sansa’s specialty and the brunette could easily understand how an all out brawl between the Stark siblings would break out over the pastry. Sansa had prepared a box the day before as a peace offering in hopes that it would keep her siblings on their best behavior. Now it would seem that in less than an hour the Starks had eaten their way through the full batch.
In seconds, Margaery watched Theon’s face go from amused to deadly, “I didn’t get any.” He hardly looked at the brunette beside him before depositing the baby in her arms, “Hold Ned for a sec.”
Before Margaery even had the baby situated properly, Theon was upon the arguing Starks.
“Gimmie it, Rickon! I haven’t had any, and you know they’re my favorite.”
“Everything’s your favorite.” Robb accused.
The boys continued to argue while Arya gave up reasoning completely and was instead- “Is she climbing Rickon?” Margaery asked in disbelief.
Gendry just laughed, not at all surprised at his girlfriend’s antics, “Yeah. She’s trying to at least.”
Just as the younger Stark girl had monkeyed her way up so she was nearly sitting on her brother’s shoulders, Cat came out of the kitchen with a severe face and a wooden spoon in her hand, “What in God’s name are you four doing?”
The adults all froze, and Margaery could easily see what they must have looked like as children being reprimanded by Catelyn. Then as one they all began trying to explain, talking over each other in a jumbled mess of words. The Stark matriarch just rolled her eyes, then her gaze shifted to the couch, “Where are your manners? Just leaving the guests on their own like that while you four fight over sweets?”
Again there was embarrassed silence before Arya broke it, “Gendry’s been here tons before so he doesn’t even count as a guest.”
“Yeah!” Rickon joined in, “And Sansa and Marge are practically married so she doesn’t count either.”
Margaery tried to downplay how much it meant to her not only that Rickon was using a nickname for her, but that she was so seamlessly included in the Stark family.
Catelyn shook her head at her children, “Go set the table or do something productive.”
“Yes, ma.” The four of them- Theon included- chorused together.
They held it together until Catelyn left back to the kitchen, then they all dissolved into a fit of laughter. Rickon brought his stolen lemon cake down to finally take a bite, but inches before his face, Arya snatched it away and popped it in her mouth.
“Let’s play Monopoly.” She suggested before anyone could raise more arguments over the pastry.
Margaery couldn’t see how such a game would possibly not result in war and destruction with the highly competitive Stark siblings, but a consensus was reached and the board game was set up in moments. Rickon, Theon, Gendry, Arya, Margaery, Jon, Ygritte and Bran all crowded around the board, the siblings bickering in what must be a tired rehashed argument over who got to be what piece.
Eventually the pieces were chosen and the game began. Margaery found it easy to fall into the background and relax, content to just watch the drama play out, and make faces or coo at the baby in her arms.
After the first few rounds of the board all the properties were bought, they were so mixed up it was clear there would be some serious bargaining in the future. Margaery was plotting through how to trade in order to claim control of both the red and yellow properties (her usual strategy) when Sansa emerged from the kitchen. She paused a moment in the entryway of the living room, smiling at the sight of her girlfriend squished on the couch between her brothers.
It was hard getting the whole family together as they grew older, and it meant so much to her that Margaery fit in with the loud Stark clan. Her heart fluttered a bit when she caught sight of the baby in Margaery’s arms. The whole scene just looked so right .
Shaking herself out of whatever daydream her mind had sprinted off into full of large backyards and picket fences and a big dog and toddling babies, Sansa strode into the room. She carried a tray of lemon cakes that were greeted with loud approval. Theon took the tray and held them on his lap, insisting on handing them out one by one to everyone fairly in order to avoid another wrestling match.
Margaery looked up at Sansa across the room from under her lashes, and just like that Sansa’s thoughts went from wholesome, imagining her life and future with Margaery straight to the gutter. The lopsided smirk she shot the redhead conjured images of those lips somewhere much different, and she felt her cheeks heating up just from the look.
Sansa rounded the couch and wrapped her arms around Margaery’s shoulders from behind, pressing a kiss to her girlfriend’s neck, “Are you winning yet?”
The brunette hummed in contentment, “Not quite, though I am about to cheat your brother out of some valuable properties though.”
Sansa’s interest was piqued as Margaery’s turn rolled around and she plastered a coy smile on her face, shifting forward in her seat between Gendry and Jon on the couch to regard Rickon on the floor across from her. She knew that the move would give the youngest Stark a peek down the neck of her sweater and she had absolutely no shame in using that to her advantage, “Rickon, I’ll trade you those two red properties for my railroad and the electric company.”
It was an awful deal, and everyone knew it. Unfortunately for Rickon, everyone also knew of his devastating crush on the older girl. The eighteen year old had been in love with Margaery since the first time Sansa brought her home to meet some of the Stark family two years ago, and he could hardly string together a full sentence together around her.
Just as everyone expected, Rickon turned into a blushing stuttering mess and managed to mumble out some sort of agreement, handing over the cards. Arya smacked her younger brother on the back of the head, “Lovestruck idiot.” She reprimanded. Rickon blushed brighter red, the tips of his ears flaming as Jon picked up the dice to go next.
Sansa chuckled and shook her head at her girlfriend’s antics. Bending over the back of the couch, she nestled her head beside her girlfriend’s, “You’re evil.”
“That’s the way you like me.” Margaery singsonged.
“That’s what you keep telling me.”
“How much longer to you think you’re going to be cooped up in the kitchen? I miss you.” Margaery had a hint of a pout around her lips, a pout Sansa was powerless to resist.
“Probably not too much longer, I think mother has just about exhausted herself on Christmas evening prep.”
“Good.” The brunette smiled, craning her head to capture Sansa’s head in a slow kiss. She cradled baby Ned in one arm and used the other hand to wrap around Sansa’s neck and pull her in closer and deepen the kiss.
They made out unabashedly until something hit the side of Sansa’s head and she pulled back with a blush. Margaery was much less embarrassed, she shot a glare at her most likely suspect- Arya. The older boys were looking away, blushes rising on their cheeks, Rickon’s jaw was one the floor (the poor boy couldn’t look away), Arya was smirking, holding a few more houses in her hand to use as ammunition, “Stop sucking my sister’s face, it’s your roll.”
Margaery barred her teeth at the girl, but dropped the expression soon, picking up the dice.
In the end, Margaery and Arya were the only two left, the properties split evenly between them, and with no end in sight they called it a tie. Well that and it was getting close to dinner time and everyone else had lost interest in the game.
Everyone else that is, except for Sansa who had become Margaery’s personal pillow, the brunette half curled on her lap while she did her very best to wipe out the remainder of Arya’s money. When the girls finally called a truce and began picking up the pieces, Catelyn called everyone for dinner. There were so many people that in order for them all to fit (without sticking Arya and the younger boys at a kids’ table), the Starks had resorted to creative methods. The table was actually the usual dining room table and a folding card table and the chairs were a mismatch of older wooden ones, folding chairs, even some plastic yard chairs.
They were packed in so tight, Margaery ended up half on Sansa’s lap. Neither of their chairs had arms, and the brunette happily curled into her girlfriend’s side, ignoring how the proximity made eating slightly more difficult.
Later that evening, they fit themselves carefully in a tangle of limbs in Sansa’s twin sized childhood bed, and the redhead found herself unable to fall asleep. She felt Margaery’s even breaths puff out against her collarbone and a weird sense of quiet settled over her body. Margaery always put her at ease, but something felt different about this. Something with an odd taste of finality, like this was what she had always been waiting for, like everything else had been leading to this.
She remembered the first time she met Margaery and it felt like the world tipped off its axis and her stomach fell straight out of her body, and this was similar but so different. She pressed a kiss to the top of Margaery’s head and breathed in the comforting smell of her conditioner and let her eyes drift shut.