Jon Snow & Sansa Stark - Game of Thrones Fanfiction

The Hunger Games

"As always, ladies first!" Cersei Lannister had a bright smile on her face. Her hair, in a color that couldn't be natural, was covered in useless and overpriced decorations. She didn't seem to notice that here, right in front of her, she looked hopelessly out of place. She was hopelessly out of place.

"Sansa Stark!"

Jon's heart stopped beating in his chest.

This couldn't be happening. This was impossible. Sansa's name had been in that bowl only once. Statistically there was an almost zero chance of that one tiny paper with her name on it being picked. But it seemed that statistics were not exactly in their favour.

He clenched his jaws and swallowed.

Sansa looked vulnerable when she climbed the few stairs leading her to the stage. She looked over her shoulder a few times, as if she hoped that someone would volunteer to go in her place.

But no one did so.

"A round of applause for our first tribute!" Cersei reached for Sansa's arm and lifted it up, as if Sansa had just won some kind of prize, as if she was a champion, a hero. As if she wasn't a lamb about to be deported to get slaughtered. "And then our second tribute..." Cersei walked towards the other bowl and a long minute seemed to pass while her hand searched for the right note.

All that time Sansa stood there. Her chest was moving up and down rapidly and her eyes were wide open. In her neck her veins were visibly beating. And who could blame her? There would be twenty-three other contestants in that arena. And most of them would be stronger or more experienced with weapons than her.

"Jojen Reed!" Cersei waved the small note in the air and Jon watched how a flimsy boy made his way through the other waiting boys.

She was not gonna survive this. Sansa Stark would leave and would only come back dead.

And Jon could not let that happen. "I volunteer!" He raised his voice and he saw how each and every head on the main square turned towards him. "I volunteer as tribute!" He screamed once more and all of a sudden everyone stepped aside to let him through. When he walked past Jojen he saw surprise on the boy's face, but with firm steps Jon climbed the stage and positioned himself next to Sansa.

"What are you doing?" Sansa shook her head and hissed between her teeth, but Jon reached for her hand and squeezed it.

"Making sure you'll come back home again." He straightened his back and lifted his chin while Cersei let her glance wander over him.

The smile on her face only brightened and she clapped her hands almost dramatically. "Well, well, what a turn of events!" She could barely hide her excitement. "For the first time in years the North sends a volunteer!" She wrapped an arm around Jon's tensed shoulders. "What's your name?"

Jon cleared his throat. "Jon. Jon Snow." He looked over the heads of the crowd to avoid their staring glances.

"You're a brave young man to volunteer like that." Cersei cocked her head. "Is that boy somehow special to you?" She looked at Jojen who was still standing frozen in front of the stage.

It seemed he still couldn't believe that he was not going to fight in these hunger games. It seemed he still couldn't believe that Jon Snow, who didn't even know him, had voluntarily taken his place.

"No." Jon shook his head. "But she is." He turned his face towards Sansa and he tightened his grip on her hand. "I'm not letting her go in there without me."

Cersei bit her lip, but the excitement glimmered in her eyes. "What a wonderful story. I'm sure that the capital would love to hear more about it." She turned towards the camera, now pointed at her. "One more round of applause for Sansa Stark and the brave Jon Snow!" She screamed, but her hands were the only ones actually applauding.

As soon as the cameras had all the footage they needed, the loyal men of the King's Guard guided Jon and Sansa away from the crowd.

The palm of Sansa's hand was sweating in his and her lips were forming a straight line. "What the hell were you thinking?" Sansa exploded as soon as they were out of earshot. "Do you realise what you've done?"

Jon nodded. "I do."

Sansa didn't reply, but her cheeks reddened more and more with each passing second. "We will both die!"

"We won't." Jon shook his head firmly. "I will make sure you won't. I will protect you. I will teach you everything I know about surviving and fighting. With my help you stand a chance." He reached for her other hand too and his glance met her's. "You're smart. You're a fast learner. You have patience. You're gonna win this and you're gonna come home again."

Sansa shook her head and a tear rolled down her cheek. "But you won't." Her lip trembled. "If I come home, that means you won't."

"I know." Jon let out a deep sigh. "But I'm okay with that, really. If I know that you'll survive, I'm okay with me dying."

"But I'm not!" Sansa raised her voice once more. "I'm not okay with you dying. And for sure not for me." She shook her head. "How can I ever be happy again when I know that the man I loved died so I could live?"

Jon dropped his jaw and licked his lips. "You love me?" His throat was dry all of a sudden and his words were nothing but a soft whisper.

"Of course I do!" Sansa broke free of his hold and she grabbed his shirt to pull him closer towards her. "I was just..." She stumbled over her own words. "I was waiting for you to say something to me. I wanted you to take the first step and I..." She shrugged. "I thought we'd have more time."

Jon wrapped his arms around her and tears escaped his own eyes when Sansa let her head rest against his chest. "I'm sorry I waited until now to make my move." He sighed. "But I just can't watch you die." He kissed her bright red hair. "I'm sorry."