sixthiterationlogs | it's a little thing called puppy love

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it's a little thing called puppy love

WHO: Sansa Stark
WHERE: In front of her home
WHEN: Dec 8th
OPEN TO: Open
WARNINGS: will update if needed
STATUS: Open

Raleigh had told her about the strange boxes that arrived now and then for people without warning or clue as to who sent them. It was in one of those boxes that he had gotten his cat and she knew that Margaery had gotten her puppy the same way. Sansa didn't consider that it might be possible she would get a box of her own, though.

So imagine her surprise when she stepped outside with the intention of going for an early morning walk only to stop at the sight of a box sitting on the front step. Freezing, her lashes fluttered as she blinked at it and the fact that her name was written rather boldly on the lid. Her lips parted in surprise as she glanced back and considered calling out for someone to come look just in case what she was seeing was a trick of the imagination. Not that she did actually call out. Instead, she turned back to make sure the box was still waiting for her and pressed her lips together when she saw that it hadn't disappeared.

Closing the door gently behind her, she took a careful step closer and then another until she was right in front of the box where she could kneel to get a closer look. She started to reach for the lid when suddenly the box jumped just a little, causing her to jump a little as well. She froze for a second, holding still for a heartbeat or two, before finally opening the box to see what was inside.

The way the box had moved clued her into the fact that there was most likely something living inside but nothing could have prepared her for the sight of a white, fluffy puppy inside. Almost immediately she was cooing as she watched the puppy wriggle in excitement at the sight of her. Then the puppy was doing its best to get out of the box, its back feet scratching against the side as it tried to pull itself up and over in an attempt to get to Sansa.

"Ooh, you little sweetheart." Sansa giggled, reaching in to scoop the puppy out into her arms. Then she sat right there on the front step of her home, giggling again as she tried to avoid the exuberant 'kisses' the puppy was trying to give her face.

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Sticking to the familiar is something that Sansa is familiar with, especially here in this strange place where she has her family back. Not all of them but enough to make her wish that she never has to go back to the world where she had nothing but pain waiting for her. Hearing that the woman had enjoyed talking to Robb made her smile, though, and she nods. "Robb is smart and very patient. He had to be as the oldest of us."

So she imagines that he wouldn't have made the woman feel bad about not being handy when it comes to plants.

Then she chuckles softly, rubbing a hand down the puppy's back while nodding a little. She could explain why Arya was suspicious but means talking about things that she doesn't like to talk about. Things Robb probably wouldn't want her to talk about. "Arya is suspicious about most things. I am sure she meant no offense by it."

"I thought so and it clearly suits her." Sansa stated proudly as she leaned down to brush a kiss over the top of the puppy's head. Then she looked up at the question, smiling softly. There was a hint of shyness too. Or perhaps, coy was the appropriate description. "A friend of mine came up with it."

Which probably would have given Margaery enough to latch onto but her friend was also good at reading her too. Especially when Sansa was so very obvious about what she was thinking or feeling.

Glancing over her shoulder to the door, she seemed cautious for a second before looking back at her friend with a growing smile. "His name is Raleigh."

"Nah, bring Akira when you come. Yuki comes and goes, anyway, so it's not going to be a problem even if they aren't best friends. I can't see it being an issue."

Raleigh smiles at her, softer then. "I never mind when you visit. I want you to come whenever you get the time."

"A friend?" She asked, her smile taking on a knowing look. "Tell me about your 'friend.'" Given the unhappiness and the cruel men that Sansa had come into contact with, Margaery was wary to see Sansa risk getting hurt again. Yet, it was a risk that was needed, so that she could actually be happy again, as she deserved.

Margaery placed Gilbert on her lap, holding the squirming puppy in place. For all appearances, they were simply discussing their dogs, not the matters of Sansa's heart.

"I think I have seen him about. He is very handsome." She said, silently encouraging Sansa to say more.

She smiles at him again, nodding at his reassurance that it's okay for her to bring Akira to visit. She is hoping that the cat and dog will get along to make things easier on them both but it's one of those things where she would have to wait and see.

Then her smile grows even while she thinks about when she can go over to his place. "Are mornings usually okay?"

Sansa looked up at the sound of Robb's voice, smiling brightly at him as she quickly crawled to her feet and held the puppy close to her chest. She had already considered the fact that it might be hard to keep the puppy fed but she was determined to find a way to do it. Even if it meant that she would have to eat a little less herself.

"This is Akira." She smiled warmly at him, the joy evident on her features as she turned so that Robb could see the puppy's face. "Isn't she beautiful?"

Sansa didn't need to look at her friend's face to know the expression that would be there but she still glanced up to see the knowing look on Margaery's face while she moved to sit down too. She knew that Margaery would be concerned about any man that Sansa might be intrigued by but it wouldn't be nearly as bad as her brothers. Not that it was bad that they would be concerned too since she knew they were only looking out for her but she wasn't in a rush to tell them about Raleigh.

As it was, she seemed to hesitate for a moment before she continued on with Margaery. "He's very sweet to me. He was the first person I met and the one to bring me to the Inn where I found Jon. I told him my name was Alayne but he wasn't mad at me when he found out I lied."

"I saw him without his shirt on." She whispered a moment later, ducking her head a little again as she smiled to herself.

She grinned, pleased and amazed at how well things had developed for her friend. It seems in only a short while, she had lost her heart to someone. There was less reason to worry than there might have been in King's Landing. There were no political stakes here and others were more concerned with survival than playing the game. Raleigh was nice enough. He would treat Sansa like a lady.

"Good," she told her friend, placing an arm about her shoulders. "I know him to be a hard worker and a good man. So long as he respects you, I might find him worthy enough of you."

The image of Robb shirtless flashed in Margaery's mind, remembering how it was when she had seen him that way for the first time. Leaning closer, she asked in a soft voice, "Have you kissed him?"

"My brother was like that, too," Peggy shares, thinking of how Michael could be so patient until that even exhausted and he would become irritated with her until she saw the error of her ways. "It's fine, I assure you," Peggy promises calmly with a smile. "If anyone were to arrive here claiming they know someone related to me, I might bear the same wariness," she allows.

She doesn't even have to guess. If someone came here and told her that Michael were still alive, she wouldn't believe them, point blank. So she doesn't fault Arya at all.

"How many of you are there?"

Sansa notes the wording and nods slowly, a look of understanding crossing her features. She wants to ask the woman what happened to her brother but she knows that such things are hard to talk about. So she continues to smile at the reassurance. "I'm relieved to hear that."

"Here? There are four of us so far." She answers, tilting her head to the side. "The only ones that are missing are our younger brothers, Bran and Rickon."

She hopes they will show up some day too.

While Sansa was definitely intrigued by and drawn to Raleigh, she wouldn't quite be ready to admit to losing her heart to him. The last time that she believed that she was in love with someone, she had pushed aside all caution and reason to pursue the person she thought was meant to be her true love. Doing so had done nothing but bring her pain and the death of her father. But Raleigh was already treating her far better than Joffrey ever did.

She smiled softly when Margaery wrapped an arm around her and said something about thinking Raleigh could be worthy of her. Then came the question about kissing and the blush in her cheeks most likely gave her away. Not that she said it out loud because suddenly she was turning to face her friend.

"You can't tell Robb or anyone else." Her eyes were wide as she focused on the other woman. "Please, promise me that you will keep this a secret. I want to tell Robb and Jon myself, when I feel it's right to do so, and not a moment before."

"I'm a morning person," Raleigh says, smiling a little wider. "So I think mornings are going to be pretty great, really, if you want to come by and go for a walk with me while I check my lines down at the river? I can teach you how to fish, too, if you want to learn."

It's not something he thinks of Sansa doing, fishing, but maybe it's something they can do together.

"Your parents were quite busy," Peggy remarks, trying not to be too lighthearted in her quips, but she still feels like that's the case as she thinks about what on earth she would ever do in a family of six children. She knows it's quite common in some places, but some days, even herself and Michael had felt like too many people. "Will you have to share this beautiful animal with all four of them, then?" Peggy jokes, as if the dog is going to mind having too much attention paid to it.

Raleigh could never be Joffery. Even at his worse and even with as little as Margaery knew of him, there were very few that could match that level of cruelty. It would have been apparent by now. Such a dark heart would be difficult to hide, especially in an environment that provided so much stress and frustrations.

Margaery grinned, nudging Sansa gently. "You look as though something has happened. What is it? Did he tell you that he has feelings for you?" It had all happened so quickly it seemed, but that was no different than how things had gone with Robb.

"Sweetling, you know that I would never betray your confidence. Not even to Robb." It might put her in an awkward position, should Robb discern that she had this secret. However, Sansa was her friend and she would never betray her confidence. "If it eases your mind, I swear I won't tell your brothers."

She can't help but be charmed by the sight of his smile and it makes her own grow as she continues to look up at him. "I like mornings too."

At least she has a brand new appreciation for them now.

While she doesn't know much about fishing, she does nod at his suggestion because it's something that she can learn and it gives them a perfect excuse to spend time together. Not that they need an excuse but she still likes the opportunity. "If you don't mind being patient and taking the time to teach me, I would love to learn."

She means fishing and only fishing, she swears.

From what little Jon has told her about the man destined to be her next husband, it seems that Sansa might have found someone who could be as cruel as Joffrey if not worse. She doesn't know everything but she can remember the dark worry in her brother's eyes as he made her promise that she would run away from Winterfell and to him if she ever goes back home. It's something she hasn't shared with anyone else yet.

"No, nothing like that." There hadn't really been a lot of talk of feelings but she suspects that is only because it's all so new. "We haven't known each other for that long yet. He only just found out that I grew up in a castle."

Then she relaxes when her friend promises not to say something to Robb. She knows it will put Margaery in an awkward position but she leans into the other woman with a smile. "Thank you. I will tell them soon, when I know more, but I want to be sure first."

The corners of Sansa's mouth twitched a little in response to the quip but she couldn't quite bring herself to smile when she thinks about her parents. Not yet. She would have to admit that their home was often busy with children and she wonders if there would have been more Stark children if things hadn't gone so terribly wrong. Now, it is up to her to carry on the name. Arya too, if she survives the path in her life that she has taken.

"I won't have to but I will." She looks down at the puppy with a little smile before glancing up. "Especially if I can teach her to help us do different chores."

"Did you have only the one brother?" She asks, too curious not to ask.

If only Margaery had known what became of her friend. She would have done all that she could to free Sansa from Baelish's grasp and take her to the far safer High Garden. She would have been spared from Ramsay Bolton and married to a far kinder husband. At least here, she was granted a new life and a chance to truly love a good man.

"I can only imagine how he responded to that. I tell so few that I was queen." Which is far different than the woman she was in Westeros. "You have spent some time with him, though? What do you do together?" Her grin becomes slightly mischievous.

"You don't need to worry, Sansa. I would never betray your confidence. Tell them in your own time. Though," she leaned closer, "you must tell me more about Raleigh."

"I'll teach you anything you want to learn," Raleigh says. He smiles at her, soft and slow, and reaches out to touch her hand lightly. He feels more and more for her as time passes and he thinks this is serious. It's been a long time since he's felt like this about anyone; what he feels for her is a lot deeper than most women he's been with.

"You just have to ask, Sansa."

It isn't the first time that she has seen that kind of smile on a man when he looks at her but it is the first time she finds herself reacting to it. It's like a little jolt to her system that makes her feel warm and almost giddy as she bites her bottom lip, briefly lowering her gaze as she fights the urge to kiss him. Right there. Out in the open.

When she peeks at him, the gaze could be described as flirtatious though it's not something she is aware of. It's a genuine reaction from a woman attracted to a man. Which she is. More than that, she cares about him too. Quite a bit, already.

"That's all it takes?" She asks, her voice softer and almost a touch huskier than before.

"When it comes to me? Yeah, that's all it ever takes. You just have to ask and I'll do it for you," Raleigh promises her. He knows she has brothers there, true, but he is willing to do just about everything for her. He's already feeling very strong feelings for her and a strong connection. Every day just makes it a little bit stronger.

"I'm always happy to do what you ask of me."

"I suppose she turned up in one of those mystery boxes," Robb said as he stepped forward to scratch the wiggling puppy behind the ears. He couldn't help the way his throat went a bit dry at the feeling of the fur beneath his fingers, but he swallowed quickly against it and returned Sansa's smile. We was glad she had something to make her happy here, something of her own.

"Have you fed her yet? I reckon I've got some things she might be interested in."

The very strong feelings along with the strong connection seems to be something that Sansa is all too aware of and shares in. The only issue is that the intensity behind how much she wants this, whatever it is exactly, scares her. It scares her because life has a tendency to yank the things or the people that she wants away from her before she can have a chance to hold on.

Looking up at Raleigh as he promises that he will do whatever she asks of him, she feels a flicker of fear over the idea that she might lose him and that feeling spurs her on. "Will you kiss me?"

Raleigh isn't the kind of guy who says no when pretty girls ask him to kiss them so he cups her cheek and slides his other arm around her waist to pull her close, kissing her softly.

Everything he does with Sansa is soft and steady, coaxing her to trust him and be comfortable with him and simply relax. There's no need for anything rushed with her.

Sansa knows that it is quite risky to ask Raleigh for a kiss when they are out in the open on the front step but she doesn't see anything wrong with it. Yes, she knows that she should talk to her brothers first, to inform them that there is someone she wants to kiss, but that will come later.

She pauses long enough to put Akira on the step before sliding into Raleigh's arms, noting once more how gentle he is being as she meets the kiss and returns it with the same softness.

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it's a little thing called puppy love

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