happy birthday

[rangerbecket]

WHO: Raleigh Becket
WHERE: The Inn
WHEN: 11 December
OPEN TO: All
WARNINGS: none
STATUS: yes

---

It had taken Raleigh most of the day to realize that it was his birthday but, in his defense, the place doesn't really have clocks or calendars. Since arriving, he's been keeping track of the days as best he can and the best he can figure, it's December 11th. That's his birthday and the weather certainly fits with it so he guesses, for all intents and purposes, he's twenty eight now.

He never expected to make it to twenty eight. Jaeger pilots don't exactly have long life expectancy and the way the world had been going before he came here, Raleigh didn't think he'd be living very long. He'd been working top of the wall for top rations and there still wasn't ever enough food; coming here meant good food even if he'd had to work just as hard for it. Twenty eight is a luxury. He wishes he could have a cake or something but he doesn't think he's had a birthday cake since he was a teenager, or something, and he's about ninety percent sure there's not any flour or sugar for such a thing. Still, he's hopeful, so he's stuck his head in the kitchen a couple times in hopes of spotting Kate to ask her. He can make it himself, he knows how to cook, and he's perfectly willing to share it.

He just wants something to mark the day, if he can, so around dinner time he finally gets in the kitchen with his catch for the day and starts working on cooking it. It's a little more than he usually ever cooks for himself but he wants to eat with other people today, share a meal and some conversation, and he's got a smile and a kind word for anyone who happens upon him. He hopes he's not in Kate's way, either, because he knows the kitchen is her domain (and she's good at it). He just wants something special for his birthday.

"Think you could help me lay out the plates?" he asks, not sure who's ducked their head in.

Comments

[turned_to_steel]

She badly wants him to kiss her right on the lips but she understands why he chooses to kiss her on the forehead instead. She smiles with pleasure as she looks down at the gloves with a nod. "I'm pleased that you like them."

Then she looks up. "Can I come with you tomorrow? To check the lines?"

[rangerbecket]

"Yeah, if you want to come with you can. I can teach you how, if you want to learn?"

Raleigh doesn't suspect a girl like Sansa Stark knows anything about fishing but he's happy to teach her everything he knows. "Bundle up, though. It's cold."

[turned_to_steel]

Raleigh would be right in thinking that she didn't know much about fishing but she recognizes that she can't get by in this world without learning things that she needs to. Like, fishing.

"I would like to." She tells him with a nod before smiling. "I will, I promise."

[rangerbecket]

"Happy to take you fishing, then. I think you'll be good at it, after a while to learn how. It doesn't take much. Just some practice, after all, and you're a smart woman."

Sansa's one of the brightest women he's ever met. He's got no doubt she'll pick up on it quickly.

[turned_to_steel]

"You might be the first one to say that." At least the first one in a long time. Most people didn't think she was all that smart but that was because they liked to think they were better than her and everyone else.

She smiles as she brushes it aside. "But thank you. It will be good to know something else that is useful."

[rangerbecket]

"I want you to be able to take care of yourself," Raleigh says firmly. It's important to him. He thinks if his own sister were here, he'd want the same, but he cant speak for Robb or Jon. He does know that sooner, rather than later, he probably needs to talk to the Starks about Sansa.

"I want you to know that you can provide something, be useful, and contribute. It's an important thing."

[turned_to_steel]

"If you teach me about fishing, I can start to do that." She tells him, nodding. Truthfully, she wants to be able to take care of herself and those that she cares about. That is why she is throwing herself wholeheartedly into learning as much as she can. She smiles a little at him again.

"I know, that's why I want to learn as much as I can beyond making clothes and cloaks."

[rangerbecket]

"Not gonna be hard. I bet you'll pick it up quick," Raleigh says, grinning wide at her. Maybe he's a little biased where she's concerned but he thinks that Sansa can learn quickly; she seems to be a bright girl overall.

"It'll give us a chance to spend a lot of time together, anyway. Usually takes me at least an hour to check the lines every morning."

[turned_to_steel]

Sansa isn't sure about actually having to touch fish but she pushes down any hesitation on her part because it's something she will just have to learn. That and it's better than anything else she has had to deal with over the last long while.

Then her smile grows as he points out how much time it takes to do the job and what that will mean for them. "That sounds perfect."

[rangerbecket]

"It'll be something that's easier when the snow's gone," Raleigh points out. "Though I don't know how long the winters are in this place. When I first got here, it wasn't cold like this. It was hot at all, more cool and dry, but it definitely wasn't full of snow like it's been since you showed up."

Raleigh grins at her, teasing. "Did you bring the snow, Sansa?"

[turned_to_steel]

She starts to laugh softly when he teases her but then her father's words about winter rang through her head. She sobers a little before glancing down and thinking about it. "I might have."

Then she looks up at him and flashes a small smile, feeling somewhat breathless with her next words. "Would you still like me if I did?"

[rangerbecket]

"I like snow," Raleigh says, lifting his hand and brushing his fingers along her cheek and jaw; he tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear, loving the feel of how soft and silky it is. She's so beautiful and he can't stop looking at her.

"I don't mind if you brought it with you, so long as it means that you came along with it. I was just teasing a little, Sansa."

[turned_to_steel]

"I know you were." He doesn't confirm that he would still like her anyways but the touch tells her more than his words can. The way his fingers slide over her skin before delving into her hair sends a delicious little thrill through her. The tenderness behind it causes her features to soften as she leans into his touch. "But thank you for saying it out loud."

[rangerbecket]

"It gives us an excuse to want to keep close, anyway," Raleigh says, grinning at her. Curling up on a snowy morning is one of the few things that he thinks is perfect in the world and he thinks Sansa might be into that too, considering the course of their relationship so far.

"Are you warm enough? Or should I try to wrap my arms around you and keep you a little warmer?"

[turned_to_steel]

"That is the one nice thing about cold weather." Sansa nods her head, offering a sweet smile as she thought about what it would be like to curl up with him when it was cold. It made her blush a little but she had heard the serving girls in Winterfell talk about curling up with their husbands or lovers if the nights got chilly. Now she understood what it meant.

She focuses on Raleigh, knowing that she shouldn't say yes but she can't help it. "I'm a little cold. Not bad but maybe just a little."

[rangerbecket]

"Do you need me to warm you up?" Raleigh doesn't mind doing that at all but it's probably a bad idea to do it right here in the inn in front of everyone. Then again, is he trying to hide this? No. He cares about Sansa, thinks she's sweet, and there's no reason to hide that they enjoy one another's company.

"Well, after we eat, I think a little warming up could be arranged. Far be it from me to let a pretty girl have cold feet when I can solve that problem."

[turned_to_steel]

Sansa isn't trying to hide what is between her and Raleigh but she knows that her family has to be told, especially her brothers. She knows that Jon will have concerns but Robb will want to handle things properly. Much like how her father would expect to handle things if he knew a man was interested in her.

But she isn't too focused on that at the moment as Raleigh asks if she needs him to warm her up and something in his smile causes a strange little warmth to bloom in the pit of her stomach. "Do you mean going back to your place?"

[rangerbecket]

"If you want to come and hang out after dinner, yeah," Raleigh says. He tries to keep it casual, considering that he doesn't know if Sansa is as into him as he is into her but it's hard to be casual when he does care about her. He enjoys spending time with her.

"It's just nice to not have an empty house for a little while, anyway, and I would walk you back if you didn't want to make the walk by yourself. I just think the company could be nice."

[turned_to_steel]

"I think it would be nice too." Sansa smiles warmly at him, a hint of color still resting in her cheeks as she studies his face. The idea that she might not be as attracted to him as he was to her would shock her completely because she is rather sure that it's obvious just how much she is drawn to him. No one else makes her smile so much and there is certainly no one else she is interested in kissing.

"I like your house and I enjoy spending time with you." She drops her gaze shyly.

[rangerbecket]

"Well, after we eat, I think we can take a walk down to my house and spend a little time there before I bring you back to yours. I wouldn't want your family to worry."

Raleigh knows she has a lot of family here and he'd worry about his, if they were in such a place. He wouldn't blame her brothers if they worried about Sansa.

(Raleigh doesn't really want to give them anything to worry about.)

"Sound like a plan?"

[turned_to_steel]

"They won't worry too much as long as I am not gone all day." Sansa thinks the might worry before that but she doesn't really think that Raleigh would expect her to stay too long.

Going to his house would give them a chance to talk as well.

"Sounds perfect."

[rangerbecket]

"Good."

It doesn't take him long to eat, mostly because he's always been a fast eater and he's motivated to get a little time in with Sansa after the meal is done. It's probably more logical to just do that here in the inn but, honestly, he likes the privacy of his house compared to the more public space of the inn and the buildings of the village.

When he's finished, he offers his hand to her, wanting to hold hers as they walk back down toward his house. "Come on. Let's make it a quick walk so you don't get too cold. There's an awful lot of snow out there, Miss Stark."

[turned_to_steel]

Sansa can hardly eat when they finally sit down to have their meal. She makes herself eat, though, because she knows Raleigh has prepared the food and because she knows it will make him happy. Still, she probably eats just as quickly as he does and so she is ready to go by the time he is.

Sliding her hand into his after they deal with their dishes, she smiles warmly. "The snow doesn't bother me, Ser Becket. I barely notice it when I'm with you."

Again, she blushes and looks away as she walks with him to his house.

[rangerbecket]

"Is that because of me or because you're a princess from the frozen north?" Raleigh asks. It's teasing, lightly teasing, because he loves to see the color rise up on her cheeks when he does it.

"Because if I'm going to take credit for the snow not bothering you I want to know if it's truly because of me."

[turned_to_steel]

"I would say that it's mostly you and maybe a little bit about the frozen north part. But definitely mostly you." She tells him in a soft voice, still blushing but she can watch him now as she says it. Maybe it's a little easier because she has kissed him a couple of times.