Chapter Text
JORAH
Cafe by the Narrow Sea, from the reviews that can be seen on the internet, is said to serve to-die-for lemon cakes and the best Essosi coffee that any Westerosi has ever tasted. The cafe is situated at the edge of King’s Landing, where the golden sands of the beach meet the crystal blues of the Narrow Sea. And every summer, when people, both local and foreign, crowd the beach, they flock through their doors just to experience such delicacies, possibly post them on social media, and eventually come back for more.
But that’s not how Jorah finds out about the place. And their lemon cakes and coffee are not the reason he keeps going back as he doesn’t enjoy sweets nor does he even like the taste of coffee, preferring tea over it.
He finds out about the cafe through his friend, Petyr, who is apparently dating the one who makes their famous lemon cakes and wants him to possibly invest in the business.
It’s not a bad idea, Jorah thinks to himself when he sees just how popular the cafe is to the masses.
But the reason he keeps coming back? The silver-haired waitress that gives him the most beautiful smile he’s ever seen ever since walking through their door.
Daenerys.
He tries to push away that thought, not wanting to sound like a creep, and forces himself to believe that it’s because of the way they make his tea and the minced meat pie he orders from time to time that he keeps finding himself sitting at his usual booth, pretending to read the newspaper while occasionally glancing at the counter just to get a glimpse of her.
But Daenerys’ beauty is not the sole reason he’s so drawn to her. No. Her laugh whenever he tells her something hilarious that’s happened at work or during a business venture, her attentiveness to his preferences (how he likes his tea with no sugar and just a splash of milk and that he wants his pie on a warmer side than having it fresh out of the oven), and her gentle demeanor when talking to asshole customers is what pull him further.
He likes talking to her. Likes listening to her the most. Taking in every detail that she shares from when she first moved to Westeros after her brother died from getting caught up with a notorious gang in the East and how she met Sansa, she and Missandei stumbling upon her while looking for a place to stay.
Oh, how Jorah wants to fulfill her dreams when she tells him about them. Being able to go back to school to study history and possibly end up working at the National Museum to share the beauty of the past with young minds and shape them into appreciating what their ancestors have forged for them.
That’s when he starts leaving hefty tips in the jar. Receiving a gasp of surprise from the three girls when they see how much he’s given. And eventually, giving Daenerys a separate one.
“Why?” Daenerys asked the first time while looking at the bill in her hand. “This is too much.”
“For college.” He simply responded, giving Daenerys a wink before waving goodbye to the others.
-
For several months now, Jorah has been coming and going to the cafe, doing the usual; buying a cup of tea, maybe something to eat once in a while, talking with Daenerys when time allows it, leaving a tip then leaving to do business as usual.
But today is different.
After parking his car, Jorah smiles when he sees the cafe void of customers early in the morning. Perfect for what he has planned. He then looks at the bouquet of sunflowers sitting on his passenger seat and takes a deep breath to calm himself, looking at his rearview mirror in an attempt to make him more decent and presentable.
“You got this,” Jorah smirks to himself before grabbing the flowers and exiting his vehicle.
It’s Missandei he sees first upon entering the cafe, pouring some coffee beans into the machine at the very edge of the counter. Next is Sansa, who greets him with such formality that it makes him laugh, shaking his head as he greets them back.
“Please, just call me Jorah.” He says with a smile. “No need to be so formal.”
“Alright.” Missandei smiles back, her eyes locking in on the bouquet in his hand before looking at him completely. “What’s with the flowers? And would you be having your usual?” She asks, already reaching for the jar of tea leaves behind the counter.
“Yes, please. And the flowers are for Ms. Targaryen.” He responds, shoving a hand in his pocket as he nears the counter and watches Missandei prepare his drink. “I understand that today is her birthday.”
“She might be a while,” Sansa replies while filling the display case with the lemon cakes. “She slept at Daario’s last night.”
That catches Jorah’s attention.
“Daario?”
“Her boyfriend,” Sansa says coolly. But Jorah doesn’t miss the way she gives Missandei a subtle look from across the room.
Of course, she has a boyfriend. Jorah thinks as he waits patiently for the tea. How could she not with her looking like she’s been kissed by the gods. He thinks of how stupid he must look to the girls, coming into the cafe with flowers, probably looking like some lovesick old fool. Why didn’t I ever ask her that?
His thoughts then get cut off when a roar of an engine resounds from outside the cafe, making him look out the windows only to be disappointed to see the reality staring right at him; Daenerys getting off a worn-out Harley, her beautiful, silver locks cascading down her shoulders as she pulls off the helmet. But what catches his eye is the sadness on her lips, her eyes trailed down as the man, whom he assumes is Daario, takes off his helmet and visibly scolds her, almost shouting at her, in front of the store. He sees her nod at whatever Daario said and turns to walk into the cafe before stopping when Daario reaches over to slap her in the ass.
Jorah’s grip tightens around the stems of the bouquet when he sees the discomfort painting on Daenerys’ face.
“How did she end up with such an asshole?” He asks himself.
“Believe me, we ask the same thing every day.” Missandei replies and Jorah can’t help but feel embarrassed that he’s voiced his annoyance out loud.
His eyes follow Daenerys til she gets inside and puts on the best smile he could muster and hope that the flowers and the gift he’s prepared for her would be enough to lift her spirits.
“Good Morning, Daenerys.” He greets her.
“Oh, Jorah!” She says in surprise, her eyes looking at him then at the flowers before going back to meet his eyes. “It’s early. You’re not usually here til 11.” She adds.
“I know but I wanted to give you this to help brighten your day.” He holds out the bouquet to her, her eyes widening in surprise once more. “Happy Birthday.”
“You remembered?” She asks as she takes the flowers from him, a small smile forming on her lips as she presses them to her nose. “You even got me my favorites.”
“I could never forget.”
She looks up at him, her amethyst shining brightly it makes Jorah’s heart swell. “Thank you.”
He could look at those beautiful eyes all day. Would drown in them if he was given a chance and just allow himself to be surrounded by those purple hues and make them shine more vibrantly than the sky with the affection he’s ready to give.
“Also,” He reaches in his pocket and pulls out a velvet blue box, opening it to reveal a ring with two pearls intertwined with each other locked into a necklace. “I don’t know if this looks similar to what you lost back in Essos but I still hope you like it.”
“Oh, Jorah,” Daenerys sighs in wonder as she looks at the necklace, her hand reaching out to caress the pearl. “It’s beautiful. But it’s too much.” She frowns as she looks up at him once more. “You didn’t have to.”
“I know.” Jorah grins and pulls the necklace out from its confines. “But I wanted to.” Holding up the jewelry from the chain, he asks. “May I?”
Daenerys looks around, her eyes meeting her friends who seem to be smiling and nodding at her before she agrees and pulls her hair to the side, turning her back to Jorah as he carefully locks the necklace around her neck.
He then takes her hair, making it flow down her back once more and smiling widely when Daenerys turns to face him.
“Beautiful.”
It’s all he says and he knows it’s enough to express his feelings.
“I also made dinner reservations at Casa Martell and I hope you would consider joining me.” He says with such ease before looking at the counter and smiling when Missandei gestures to his tea.
“Uhh I can’t—” Daenerys says as Jorah takes out his wallet and shows his card to Missandei, tapping it against the machine then dropping a tip in the jar.
“It’s not a date if that’s what worries you.” Jorah grins as he thanks Missandei and Sansa, turning back to Daenerys. “Think of it as a business transaction. I am investing in your cafe after all.”
That makes Sansa and Missandei gasp, Jorah chuckling at their reaction as he awaits Daenerys’ response.
He doesn’t get any.
“At least think about it, please?” His voice goes soft as he nears her, taking out another bill and placing it in Daenerys’ free hand. But his brows furrow in confusion when he sees a burn mark on the side of her wrist, Daenerys pulling her hand back immediately to subtly cover it. “My number is on the card.” He points at the card sticking to the wrapping of the bouquet and smiles as he adds. “Text me when you’ve decided.” Giving her a wink, he waves goodbye at the other girls soon after before exiting the cafe.
Jorah couldn’t help but feel worried when he gets in his car. The burn on her hand looking fresh and the way that Daenerys pulled away to hide it just makes him question further where and how she got it. Although he already has his suspicions. He tries not to think too much about it, not wanting to sour his mood on such a special day, and focuses on the smile she gave him when she received the flowers.
He looks back into the cafe and smiles when he sees the girls crowd her, looking at the necklace around her neck. If he’s being honest with himself, he’s quite disappointed that she didn’t immediately say yes but that’s okay. It’s already what he expected when he saw her with that scoundrel earlier.
But he doesn’t worry himself about that either. He’s confident that she would say yes to his offer for dinner. He just has to be prepared.
Taking one final look at Daenerys, Jorah backs out of the parking lot and drives out into the city.
“Call Petyr Baelish.” He says out loud and the computer on his dashboard responds with a robotic voice.
“Mormont.” Petyr’s voice resounds in the speakers of his car. “Just left the cafe?”
“I assume Sansa gave you a play-by-play of what happened?”
“You can say that.” He can hear the man smile. “And I see you’ve also seen the boyfriend?”
“Scrawny ass kid.” Jorah tuts. “Not a competition. You never told me Daenerys had a boyfriend.”
“Never came up.”
“Anyway, I need Sansa Stark’s number,” Jorah says nonchalantly as he stops at a red light. “Preferably before noon.”
“And why do you need such information?”
“I’m heading over to Ros’ and I need to confirm some details.”
Jorah rolls his eyes when he hears Petyr’s laugh, stepping on the gas when the green light shows up. “Say no more, my friend. I’ll let her know you’ll be in touch.”
DAENERYS
“Fuck!” Daenerys curses under her breath when she sees her phone dead.
She starts to regret not taking up Jorah’s offer to pick her up from her apartment as she looks at the time on her Uber’s dashboard and sees that she’s already 30 minutes late. And to top it all off, she can’t even send Jorah a text to tell him that she’s on her way and that her Uber driver got lost trying to find shortcuts along the way.
She sighs and leans back against her seat, closing her eyes as she prays that Jorah wouldn’t be too mad at her for being late and not even giving him an update.
Her hand then finds its way to the pearl ring around her neck, her thumb caressing the smooth surface of the gemstone as she relieves the events of this morning. How sad she was when she woke up knowing that Daario forgot her birthday, how he burnt her with his cigarette in his annoyance when she whined to him about it. She was ready to forget about today and just drown herself in her work but the flowers and necklace Jorah gave were just enough to make her smile.
And just when she thought that was enough of the surprises, a man, who introduced himself as Jaime, stopped by the cafe and handed her a big white box that made the girls squeal in excitement when they saw the red cocktail dress with a matching pair of black evening shoes and a red clutch.
“I’m telling you, Dany,” Sansa smirks as she takes the dress from the box and presses it against her body. “Jorah likes you. Why else would he be hanging around our cafe almost every single day?”
“He said he likes the way we make the tea.” Daenerys reasons, picking up the shoes to examine them.
“That’s bullshit and you know it,” Sansa says as she twirls around with the dress. “We just dunk the bloody tea bag in hot water and put some milk. He can do that at home instead of wasting his money here.”
“Maybe he doesn’t have the time—”
“If you don’t believe me, ask Missy.” Sansa interrupts and places the dress back in the box.
When Daenerys turns to Missandei, her friend just laughs while refilling their coffee machine with water.
“I’d have to agree with Sansa,” Missandei says, giving Daenerys a knowing smirk. “He doesn’t smile at us the way he smiles at you. And you should have seen him when he saw you with Daario.” Missandei adds, a sad smile forming on her lips. “I felt bad for him just watching him stand there while waiting for you to finish with that douche.”
“C’mon,” Daenerys frowns at Missandei’s comment. “He isn’t all that bad.”
“Do you really want us to believe that?” Sansa scoffs and reaches over to take Daenerys’ hand, exposing the cigarette burn on her wrist. “He wouldn’t do this to you if he isn’t all that bad. And I know Jorah saw this too.”
“What do you want me to do then? Leave Daario and run off with some man I barely know?” Daenerys retracts her hand and winces when she pulls down her sleeve to cover the mark. “How do I even know he won’t do the same? That him being nice is just a trick and he’s actually worse than Daario?”
“He’s friends with Petyr and I think he would tell me if his friend is a psychopath or not,” Sansa argues.
“But I’m not friends with Petyr so I can’t really trust that.” Daenerys retaliates and sighs as she moves to cover the box. “Maybe I shouldn’t go. I don’t want him to expect anything from me.”
“And waste this beautiful dress and a chance to celebrate your birthday at the most expensive restaurant in the city?” Missandei joins in and places a hand on Daenerys’ shoulder. “Just go to the dinner, treat it like a formal business transaction.” She smiles at her friend. “He did say he wants to invest. Just hear him out, if it goes well then great, if not, well at least you get free stuff. Win-win.” Missandei chuckles.
Daenerys contemplates her friends’ words. He did say it was a business transaction and not a date. She can do that, right? And for months that she’s known Jorah, she hadn’t sensed anything bad about him, nothing out of place. He always looked so put together and if what her friends say is true, what did he like about her anyway? She’s just some girl working at a cafe who just makes enough to get by. She’s uneducated even, no one special. Yet, she managed to catch someone’s eye.
She sighs then looks at the box once more, thinking of the money Jorah spent to get her such things. It’s just dinner. There’s no harm in that right?
Looking at her friends, she gives them a nod and smiles. “Alright. But you both have to help me get ready.”
The girls look at her giddily as they both respond, “Deal!”
“Ma’am, we’re here.”
Daenerys opens her eyes when she hears her Uber driver speak, seeing the words Casa Martell written in elegant script shining brightly in front of her when she looks out the window. She then thanks the man and carefully steps out of the vehicle, taking a deep breath, her hand instinctively reaching down her wrist to rub her thumb against the small plaster that now covers the mark before walking up the steps and through the crystal doors.
“Reservation under Jorah Mormont?” She tells the receptionist, following the man through the hallway and into the dining area, feeling relieved that he didn’t decide to leave from her tardiness.
She’s only heard stories about this place, how every known name across the country and the next makes it a point to visit such a prestigious restaurant. How the food was mouth-wateringly good and the wine so rich that you wouldn’t want to miss even a single drop. The ambiance breathtakingly beautiful as the establishment sits on a hill, giving you a full view of King’s Landing’s city skyline.
But such privilege comes with a price and Daenerys knows, even though she hasn’t any idea how much the food here costs, that even three months of her paycheck wouldn’t be able to buy her a meal in this place, making her feel anxious at how Jorah could afford such and spending it with someone like her.
“The door to your left.” The man tells her, pulling her from her thoughts. “And may you have a lovely experience here at Casa Martell.” He adds.
“Thank you.” She whispers.
She looks at the door and worries her lip, imagining Jorah sitting inside, waiting for her for such a long time. Taking a long calming breath, she reaches up to grab the handle and slowly slides the door open.
“Daenerys,” Jorah stands from his seat when he sees her with his lips curved to a smile as he walks towards her, holding his hand out to her. She gives her hand and returns his smile, feeling her heart jump in her chest when he raises her hand to his lips and presses a gentle kiss against her knuckles. “You look stunning.” And Daenerys couldn’t stop the blush rising on her cheeks from his comment. “Red is your color.”
“Thank you for the dress.” She says shyly as she looks at him, truly looking at him, and couldn’t help the attraction she feels when she sees the way his powder blue shirt compliments his eyes and how the navy jacket hugs him in the perfect places, showing off his muscular physique despite being covered. His maroon tie compliments her red dress and she tries not to think that he’s planned it, considering that he bought her that dress. And his pants, how she wishes she never looked down, for the way the fabric forms around his thighs just shows how beautiful his body really is.
He then leads her to her seat, pulling the chair out for her. “I’m sorry I’m late. My uber got lost on the way.” She feels embarrassed, taking her seat and looking around the table, seeing that Jorah’s almost finished his wine. “I would have texted you but my phone died on the ride here. I’ll pay for the drinks you got while you waited. It’s the least I—”
“Nonsense.” Jorah interrupts as he takes his seat across from her. “You’re worth the wait.” He smiles and picks up the menu laying in the middle of the table. “What matters is that you’re here and you can enjoy your birthday.” She then takes the menu when he holds it out to her. “Do you want to start with anything to drink? An appetizer too?”
She scans the menu and tries to choose something simple.
“I’ll get the champagne, please.” She says shyly.
“And did you want to order food as well? I am feeling kind of hungry.” Jorah chuckles.
“Oh—umm,” This is my fault. Daenerys thinks to herself as she quickly looks back at the menu to choose something. Pasta. Shrimp Pasta. Something she knows. Something simple and easy. And she knows as well that it would go well with her champagne. “I’ll have the Shrimp Pasta as well, please.”
A server then appears at the door and Jorah smiles as he nears the table.
“Ready to order, Sir?” The server asks and Jorah takes a peek at his menu once more before setting it down.
“I’ll be having the Buttered Salmon, go a little light on the butter, please.”Jorah starts and then gestures toward her. “The lovely lady will have the Shrimp Pasta and if you could send us a bottle of your finest champagne.”
“Very good, Sir.” The server says and disappears to the door.
-
Despite her nerves earlier and the anxiety she felt upon arriving, Daenerys feels more at ease with Jorah’s company as their dinner affair goes on into the night.
She starts telling stories about when she first arrived on Westerosi soil, how she felt a connection to the country where she was born but didn’t grow up in. How she always longed to see the infamous castles of old and taste their famous food and how her father refuses to let her go, always reasoning that there is no money to be wasted for such a frivolous desire.
She even shares the first time she met Sansa, how they immediately got along because of their shared love for adventure. How Sansa praised her for taking such a big leap of fate in moving to another country and starting on her own.
Daenerys laughs when Jorah tells her of his teenage years in his homeland, Bear Island. How different life in the country and in the main city is with the people still practicing the old ways, hunting to get their food, raising animals to sell to the mainland. She then looks at him in awe when he tells her how he helped raise animals on his family’s farm, tending to the livestock and training the horses, riding them through the forest when he wanted time for himself.
“I bet the food that we are eating came from Bear Island.” He jests before taking a sip of his champagne.
Daenerys couldn’t help but consider herself lucky tonight. How the day turned a complete one-eighty from having Daario hurt her and scold her for being ‘too needy’ to Jorah surprising her with gifts she never expected him to give. They were only acquaintances, after all, she doesn’t even know if she should consider him as a friend, if he even considers her as a friend. But after tonight, she thinks that maybe they could be more—no! This is not a date. She can’t. Not when Daario exists. She reminds herself and blinks her thoughts away. After this, they will simply be friends. Yes, friends. She gives herself a nod and sips on her champagne to distract herself. This is a business transaction after all. A business transaction with a friend in an upscale restaurant with the most romantic view she’s ever seen right outside their private room window, wearing the dress and shoes that said friend has given her. Friends do that to each other, right? Right?
“Oh before I forget—” Jorah says as he takes the last bite of his fish, folding his cutlery in the middle of his plate. “About the investment at your cafe.”
“Yes?” Daenerys squeaks, putting down her fork to listen.
“I’ve talked with Petyr about the concerns Sansa has and I understand that not only are you understaffed but you need some repairs too. The oven especially.”
Daenerys can’t help but feel nervous about how businesslike Jorah sounds. She’s never dealt with any business transactions before other than purchasing from a store and selling items from the cafe. But she sits up straight and folds her hands on the table in an attempt to seem professional.
“I’m willing to shoulder any costs that you may need for the cafe in the first year. You name it, repairs, ingredients, new equipment, anything.” Daenerys couldn’t help but gape at him like a fish out of water upon hearing what he is offering. “And in return, all I ask is five percent of the total profits for that same year and the next.”
“If I’m understanding this correctly, you want five percent this year and another five for the next?” She asks genuinely, trying to understand further for her to properly share it with the rest.
“No. I only ask for five for both years. So that two-point-five for the first and another two-point-five for the second.” Jorah explains.
“But—” Daenerys couldn’t believe it. How is he willing to give a lot and only expect so little in return? “You’ll barely be making money off of us. Is that even allowed in the rules of investment? If there even is any?”
“I’m unlike other investors because I usually just play by my own rules.” Jorah chuckles and picks up the champagne bottle, filling both their glasses. “Your cafe is a small business but a very popular one at that. I’m simply helping it grow.”
“But why?” Daenerys can’t help but ask. “Because Sansa asked Petyr?”
“That played a small part to it, yes, but also because I want to and I can.” He grins and picks up his glass before lifting it. “So, do we have an agreement?”
She looks at him and can’t help but feel overwhelmed by his generosity. Is someone really that selfless to put so much money into something so small? She doesn’t even know if it’s real, if this dinner that she’s having is a dream that she’ll be woken up from soon. But she smiles nonetheless and tries to enjoy the blessings she’s recently received after such a long time.
Lifting her glass, she gives Jorah a sincere smile, her eyes staring deeply into his sapphires and she can’t help but think how beautiful those eyes look. That the kindness of this man in front of her and the care and attention he keeps giving her makes her want to drown in them and never be saved.
“I’ll have to tell the girls first. And our manager of course.” She reasons. “But I’m sure they will be happy with your offer.”
“Cheers to that.” Jorah grins at her and reaches over his glass, Daenerys meeting halfway to clink her glass against his, taking a hearty sip of the bubbly beverage right after.
Jorah then looks around after placing his glass down, his eyes closing as he begins to sway his head. “I love this song,” Jorah says and Daenerys tries to pinpoint what song was playing through the speakers. She then turns to face Jorah when she hears the chair scrape against the marble floors of the room, her eyes looking up at him when he stands at her side, his hand stretched out to her. “May I have this dance?” He asks and Daenerys could hear her heart pounding loud, her cheeks turning red at the sudden question.
She’s never danced with anyone before. She doesn’t even know if she knows how. She doesn’t want to embarrass herself by accidentally sending Jorah to the ER from repeatedly stepping on his toes. So she looks at his hand and bites her lip as she tries to think of an excuse.
“I don’t know how,”
“Don’t worry.” Jorah smiles. “I’ll lead.”
Inhaling deeply, Daenerys looks at his hand and gives a small nod, placing her own on his and standing from her seat to follow him by the floor-to-ceiling windows of their private dining room. She hears the saxophone playing smoothly in the background, her ears enjoying the sweet sounds as Jorah places her left hand on his shoulder, Daenerys gasping slightly when he places his right hand on her waist. Slowly, they sway to the music, the sounds of the piano and saxophone making her feel like she’s walking in the clouds and Jorah’s eyes looking deep into hers, seeing so much emotion in just one look.
She can’t help but feel mesmerized at how magical the moment seems. This man she’s been talking to for months, who has been nothing but kind and gentle towards her, telling her that he cares about what she thinks and what her desires in life are, always ready to listen to anything she has to say, either it be stories or simple ramblings of her day.
At that moment, she wishes Daario would be the same. To be a little more attentive to her and show her that she’s an important part of his life. But he’s only ever showed such emotions at the beginning, swooning her with words she wanted to hear and promises she was expecting him to keep, only to be disappointed and feel stuck in the end.
They never danced like this, they’ve never even been on a proper date. And every time they would go out to eat at some friend’s pub, it was always her footing the bill, even taking care of things that she has no business in.
At that moment, she wishes that she was with Jorah instead. Wishes that she met him way before Daario even came into her life. She can’t help but feel sad, feeling the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. But they halt and her eyes blink in surprise when she suddenly hears Jorah sing.
“We go to a party and everyone turns to see. This beautiful lady who’s walking around with me.” Her breath hitches and her thoughts of Daario disappear, her heart focusing on the beautiful timbre of Jorah’s voice as he serenades her, the purple sky of King’s Landing being the only witness to something so enchanting. “And then she asks me ‘Do you feel alright?’ and I say ‘Darling, I feel wonderful tonight.’”
The music carries on and Daenerys can’t help the smile forming on her face as she sways with Jorah across the floor. Her hand slowly slips down from his shoulder and ends up pressing against his chest. She keeps her eyes locked into his, sapphires and amethyst having their own little dance as they express unspoken emotions.
Jorah continues his song.
“I feel wonderful because I see the love light in your eyes. Then the wonder of it all,” His voice takes a slight peak, and slowly, his head leans down, their foreheads almost touching as he continues singing in a soft voice, almost a whisper for only her to hear. “Is that you just don’t realize how much I love you.” Daenerys eyes grow wide as she realizes the words and sees the way Jorah looks at her at that very moment, his face leaning in closer, their lips only inches apart.
Her heart swells, almost to the point of bursting at how romantic everything is. How so much effort was put in on her special day and all from a man that isn’t her boyfriend. The tears she was holding finally make their appearance, flowing slowly down her cheeks and Daenerys has to pull away to wipe them away, wrapping an arm around her waist in an attempt to console herself.
“Daenerys?” Jorah calls her and she starts to feel bad for ruining such a beautiful moment. “I’m sorry if I scared y—”
“No. no. Please don’t apologize.” Daenerys inhales deeply as she tries to calm herself down, wiping the remainder of her tears before turning back to face Jorah. “I just felt a little too overwhelmed, is all.”
“What made you feel that way?” Jorah asks and Daenerys feels her heart break a little when she sees the confusion in Jorah’s eyes.
What does she tell him? That she wishes he was her boyfriend instead of Daario? That everything he’s done in the span of hours was the most romance she’s experienced compared to the two years she’s spent with the man she calls her partner? She would look like a fool, to say things so petty to a man who’s only ever shown her goodness. And what if what Sansa and Missandei said was true about Jorah liking her, she doesn’t know what she feels for this man. She’s only ever talked to him at the cafe and this is the first time they’ve been alone together. She would rather receive a million cigarette burns from Daario than break this man’s heart.
“Is it because of Daario?” Daenerys eyes grow wide when Jorah mentions Daario’s name.
“How do you know him?”
“Missandei told me about him when he dropped you off earlier at the cafe.” A small frown forms on Jorah’s lips, making Daenerys do the same as she anticipates Jorah’s next words. “I don’t know if you or any of your friends noticed but I care deeply about you, Daenerys. If you ask me why and how that came to be, there are just too many things to list and I don’t think I will be finished before the night ends.” His soft chuckle helps lighten the mood but still doesn’t change the sadness that slowly envelopes her. “I want to take care of you, Daenerys, give you the life you always wanted,” He takes both her hands and presses them against his chest, his thumbs brushing against her knuckles. “To go to college like you always dreamed of and teach the children at the museum. And most of all, I would never hurt you.”
“I—” Daenerys doesn’t know how to digest these words, doesn’t know what to say to his sudden confession. It’s just all too much for her right now, to be surrounded by such beauty, such love, and she doesn’t know if it’s something worth taking. She sighs and looks at her hands in Jorah’s grasp, relishing in the feeling of his warm hands, thinking if these hands would stay true to the owner’s words and dare not hurt her like how Daario does. To neglect her like how Daario does.
“You don’t have to say anything now,” Jorah says, releasing one of her hands and holding her chin between his thumb and forefinger, tipping her head back gently for their eyes to meet. “What matters to me right now is that you know of my intentions.” He then lifts her hand and turns her wrist, gently pressing a kiss on the plaster over the burn mark.
-
They arrive at her apartment just past midnight. Jorah turns off the engine and steps out of his car before walking over to her side and opening the door to help her out. Despite Jorah’s revelation at dinner, she has to admit that she had an amazing night. They found another topic of conversation to talk about and slowly eased on from there, ending up with laughs and giggles as they enjoyed their after-dinner tea.
She walks up the three steps to her apartment and watches Jorah open the backseat, taking out what seems to be a stack of books before walking over to her.
“My final gift.” He says as he holds out the books to her, Daenerys taking the stack and smiling when she sees the title embossed at the front. “Song and Histories of the Seven Kingdoms. You said you wanted to learn about history. These books will surely give you a head start when you go to college.”
“Oh, Jorah,” Daenerys runs a hand against the cover, her finger trailing the gold lining of the letters. “I can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve given me.” She looks up at him. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Just think about what I said. That would be enough for me.” Jorah smiles and reaches up to cup the side of her face, his thumb gently brushing against her cheek. “I had a wonderful night tonight, Daenerys. Thank you for having dinner with me.”
“I should be the one thanking you. You didn’t have to do all that for me.” She sighs a happy sigh and leans her face against Jorah’s hand.
“As much as I would want to keep you, I know I have to let you go or else I won’t hear the end of it from Sansa.” That makes Daenerys chuckle, nodding at Jorah to agree on his farewell. “May you have sweet dreams, Khaleesi.” Jorah whispers and before she could even react and ask what that word means, she feels Jorah’s lips press against the corner of her lips, her heart racing and her eyes wide open at the sudden intimacy.
She sees a grin on his lips when he pulls away, his eyes glowing like the moon as he keeps his eyes on her. What does she make out of this man? This seemingly subtle knight who desires to sweep her off her feet. The events of tonight start replaying in her head. The dinner, the dancing, the almost kiss and the confession. If Daario wasn’t in the picture, she would happily fly into this man’s arms and allow herself to give back the affections he’s given. But that’s not her life. Her life is sad and meaningless, skating by everyday in order to survive. Her friends being the only support she has, and now, Jorah.
She wants to be happy and she imagines that life with this man would be just that. So, she allows herself to pretend, even just for the final moments they are together. To feel the joy she’s been longing for.
“Jorah.”
“Yes, Khaleesi?”
“I want to be happy. Even if it’s just for this moment.”
She then reaches up to curl a hand around Jorah’s neck, pushing herself on her toes as she pulls him down, her eyes closing and their lips finally meeting.
Her heart finally explodes when she feels the intensity of Jorah’s kiss. How gentle his lips move against hers, gradually moving into a passionate connection as she feels his tongue slowly run against her bottom lip. She gives him that permission, allowing Jorah to cross that barrier that was only supposed to be meant for Daario. Because tonight, there is no Daario. There is only her and Jorah underneath the silver moon in the middle of King’s Landing.
“Because you kissed me, does this mean you consider this as a date and not a business transaction?” Jorah asks as he pulls away, his hands slowly circling around Daenerys’ waist.
“Yes, it was a date.” Daenerys smiles, both her arms wrapping around his neck.
“Good.” Jorah smirks. “It was a date to me all along.” He adds before he leans down once more to resume their kiss.