Chapter Text
Sansa arrived on campus half an hour earlier than expected, but she did not care. Her head was buzzing with excitement and she couldn’t keep still. Although this wasn’t technically her first day of college, but only an open weekend for future freshmen before the summer break, she felt as though a new page in her life was about to be turned. Looking around the park, she spotted a green bench under a shady oak and walked over to sit and wait for Joffrey.
They had been dating for almost two years now, but being older, he was finishing his first year in college. Being apart had been hard, especially on Sansa, but she also thought it was a good thing. Their relationship had taken a turn she did not particularly enjoy: Joff had been meaner and meaner towards her, treating her badly and calling her names. Yet the next minute he could be the most adorable, attentive and caring boyfriend. This had left Sansa quite confused, and his going away to college had almost been a relief. But after this summer, Sansa would be joining Joffrey and she was determined to fix their relationship and go back to that perfect time when they had first gotten together.
Sansa watched her surrounding as she waited on the bench. Everything around her seemed peaceful and everyone looked so grown-up! In her naïve high schooler mind, she daydreamed about how college would be next year.
“Sansa!” She heard suddenly, and looked up to see Joff, walking towards her flanked by a tall and muscular boy she recognized to be Meryn, Joffrey’s best friend. She smiled brightly as the dreamy, blond haired freshman she called her boyfriend caught up to her.
“You look good.” He said, taking in her long auburn hair, her little summer dress, eyes lingering on her modest cleavage a bit too long to Sansa’s taste.
“Thank you, I-"
“Aren’t you going to give me a kiss?”
She dutifully obeyed and placed a chaste kiss on Joffrey’s lips, trying to ignore Meryn’s proximity. Joffrey took the opportunity to place his hand securely on her hip, pushing with his tongue, forcing her to deepen the kiss. She let him do as he wished before breaking the embrace, flushed, and more than a little embarrassed.
“You know I don’t really like doing that in public…” She whispered, hoping he wouldn’t get mad at her objection.
“Well you’re going to have to get used to it babe, we’re not in high school anymore, you know. Things are different around here.” He told her with a smile, but his voice had an edge to it. “Come on, let’s go to the library, I have to pick up something, and then I’ll show you around.” He continued casually, taking her hand in his.
***
At the library, Joffrey and Meryn left Sansa by herself once more, promising to be back soon. All the tables seemed taken, so she settled for the one closest to the window, where only one person was sitting.
“Hi, hum, sorry,” She started shyly, “Is this seat taken?”
The boy, no – man – that was her high school mind speaking, he definitely was not a boy – didn’t even look up to her and simply grunted. Sansa slid into the chair, wringing her hands together nervously. She observed her taciturn neighbor intently, finding nothing better to do while waiting for Joff. His hair was fairly long and dark, hiding a portion of his face so that she couldn’t see it properly. He seemed intent on reading his book, his eyes focused on the pages, head hanging down. Her eyes dropped to his torso, clad in a dark short-sleeved t-shirt from which she could the end of a tattoo peaking.
“Do you need something, girl?” She heard him rasp, his voice like steel on stone.
Sansa blushed furiously before looking up into his eyes. She involuntarily flinched when her gaze settled on the mass of twisted scar tissue on the side of his face that had been previously hidden by his hair. She swallowed hard.
“I’m – I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to stare I was just –” Her voice died out, not wanting to make things worse.
He must have noticed her mortified state because he didn’t say anything else and returned to his reading.
Sansa mentally berated herself for having been this childish. She blinked back the stinging tears she felt forming in her eyes. This day was absolutely not going how she had imagined. Seeing Joffrey again had made her more nervous than anything, and now she was going around insulting strangers at the college she was going to attend next year!
Breathing deeply she calmed herself, and decided she would at least make it up to the man seating at the table.
“So what are you reading?” She asked tentatively, not knowing whether she wanted him to actually answer or ignore her again.
He raised his head to reply, and she held his gaze, a small encouraging smile hesitantly drawing itself on her lips.
“Are you new here?” He responded, one eyebrow raised in curiosity.
“Oh, I don’t actually go here, I’m just visiting my boyfriend! But I’ll be starting after summer, I’m really nervous.”
“Word of advice then: don’t talk to people in the library, if they’re here, they’re trying to work.”
Sansa opened her mouth as to answer him, then closed it again when the meaning of his words hit her. She blushed again.
“Oh, right… I’m sorry.”
She looked down at her lap, deeply embarrassed and hoped Joff would be back soon.
“It’s my physics textbook,” He mutters under his breath, a bit ashamed at having rebuffed the poor girl so harshly, when she was only trying to be nice.
“Excuse me?”
“I said, I’m reading my physics textbook.”
“Oh okay!” She answered, a bright smile back on her face. “What are you studying then?”
“I’m a Mechanical Engineering major.”
Sansa was about to say something when she felt a hand grasp her shoulder.
“Ah Sansa, I see you’ve met the Hound.” Came Joff’s voice from behind her back.
“The Hound?” She questioned, glancing towards the man whose face suddenly looked much darker.
“It’s a nickname, you idiot,” shot Meryn at her interrogation, “It’s because he looks so scary,” he continued, mocking.
“And you better watch your fucking mouth around a scary dog, no one really knows what can happen,” her neighbor growled between his teeth, before turning to Joff, his fists clenching so tightly they turned white, “you should keep your monkey on a tighter leash, man.”
Sansa held her breath at the tension in the air as Joffrey and the man they called the Hound stared at each other, before both finally broke into laughter.
“My real name’s Sandor,” He said to her, “I’m Joff and Meryn’s RA.”
Sansa smiled with disbelief, a part of her relieved, but she noted nonetheless that Sandor’s fists hadn’t loosened.
“What’s an RA?”
“It means Resident Advisor, there’s one on each floor.” Joff rolled his eyes before shooting an apologetic glance at Sandor, “you have to excuse her, she’s just out of high school.”
Sansa bit her lip at the disdain and contempt that bled through Joffrey’s words. She let him take her by the hand, guiding her to the dorm building, still accompanied by Meryn, but not before looking one last time over her shoulder at Sandor, intrigued by this encounter.