Chapter Text
“This is stupid.” Brienne groaned while removing Margaery’s latest clothing option.
“No, it’s not.” Margaery frustrated, let out a sigh and explained. “trust me when you walk into the room, you’ll have all eyes gawking at you.”
“As if they don’t notice me enough already.” Brienne retorted. It was bad enough being so tall but adding her looks with clothing that was not her style and a full face of heavy makeup made people watching her even more uncomfortable than it already was. She wasn’t pretty like Margaery or Sansa. Sensual, silky silhouettes that could entice anyone within a twenty-foot radius. While Brienne was stocky, broad and could easily be mistaken for a man from afar…and up close. Brienne the Beauty they hollered down the school halls mocking her. Any attempt to be sexy made her feel more like a clown that anything.
“Come on Brienne, you’ve spent most of your life focused and consumed by your work.” Margaery said while holding up two outfits to Brienne’s body, looking to Sansa for her opinion before both of them agreed on a saturated blue dress Margaery wore to Loras and Renly’s wedding the year prior. “Here, I think this will be perfect.” She throws the rejected option onto the floor and confidently hands the dress to Brienne. Brienne slips into the dress and starts to pull it up her body. As she adjusts the dress, she thinks about what Margaery said. She didn’t deny her claims. She worked hard to get her job writing for This World Now and enjoyed every minute working for them. She pictured her 6-year-old self, picking the magazine up, looking through pages and pages of beautiful scenery alongside preserved historical swords and battle armor. In awe of the destinations, she devoted herself to hone her writing skills in hopes of being able to write for the magazine. Sure, anyone could travel to these massively known places, but Brienne wanted to inspire people about the history of these places, the significance of their structural style and to check out some of the lesser known spots of the world that were just as amazing. Her younger self’s voice ringed in her mind: One day I’m going to travel the world to write and inspire people about these places! Brienne smiled to herself. Here she was living her dream, travelling to these places and hopefully inspiring a handful of people too.
Brienne sighed then spoke to Margaery. “That’s very thoughtful of you,” and choosing her words carefully continued, “but I don’t want you girls to spend your money on me. With you backpacking in Essos next month and Sansa flying out for Jon and Ygritte’s wedding in the far North I wouldn’t want to cause any trouble for you.” Brienne turned around to face the mirror while Sansa helped with the dress’ zipper. While the dress was just above ankle length on Margaery, on Brienne it stopped right above her knees accentuating her long legs. The dress hugged her body and highlighted what little curves she had but around the breast had been a little looser which made sense to Brienne. She wasn’t as blessed as Margaery, but her breasts weren’t nonexistent either.
“I- I don’t know how I feel about this.” Brienne stammered nervously while staring at her reflection.
“Are you serious! You look fucking hot Brienne!” Sansa exclaimed as she poured three glasses of champagne for all three of them.
“Are you sure? This is a little much.” Brienne says as she tries to pull her dress down a little more.
“Nonsense!” Sansa says as she downs her second drink and hands Brienne her own while refilling hers. “The dress is perfect and goes with your astonishingly blue eyes.” Taking a sip of her third drink she continues, “We just want you to let loose and have fun. What better opportunity to do so than your 26th birthday clubbing and bar hopping around the city.”
Brienne half-heartedly smiled, took a sip of her champagne and looked down at her drink. Her whole life did revolve around work. University wasn’t filled with long nights of drinking, but rather long nights stuck in the library. Even after moving to Kings Landing for This World Now Brienne never had much of a social life. Her co-workers would try to convince her but eventually gave up trying to coerce her into getting drinks after work. She would only let loose with Sansa and Margaery in their flat or back on Tarth with her family during holidays. Three years of living in a new city and never meeting any new people besides her building owner and co-workers. It was never a necessity to meet new people when she had all the people she needed but most importantly trusted. The insults thrown her way made Brienne build walls, so any sort of kindness given to her was taken as cautionary. Looking back to her friends who were working on opening another bottle of alcohol Brienne thought to herself, one night out won’t hurt anybody right?
With that, Brienne chugged her glass of champagne, marched over to Sansa and Margaery grabbing the bottle of alcohol and drinking like her being was dehydrated. Stunned looks upon her best friends quickly turned to loud cheers and chanting. Brienne managed to chug a fourth of the bottle before Sansa took the bottle back. “Whoa girl, ease up we got the whole night.” Sansa tried to chug the remaining three quarters left until Margaery snatched it back. "Now you have to slow down too or your mother will take it out on Brienne later." The three of them laughed until their stomachs ached. Margaery and Sansa were already out the apartment door with their things. Brienne smiled, wiped her mouth and re-applied her chapstick before the three of them headed downstairs and jumped into a cab.
The ladies arrived at Lord’s Light, a club with an intense light show, fire dancing go-go dancers and free fireball shots on birthdays. After Margaery told Beric the DJ that it was Brienne’s, they brought her up on stage and sat her on a chair while the fire dancers came around and danced around her. She felt her whole body flush and tingle as two dancers, male and female, sandwiched her. Bottle service came shortly after, singing happy birthday and bringing them shots of fireball. When they finished downing around two shots each, Beric on cue, played “Fireball” by Pitbull and the three of them rushed to the dance floor. Dancing, spinning, and sweating tightly together for what feels like forever. Brienne started to loosen up after those shots, for she didn't care if she looked ridiculous dancing. She was having fun with her friends on her birthday and that's all that mattered. Sansa tapped the two of them and yelled over the music.
"This is fun and all but we still have more places to go!" leading them out of the club.
"Where to next?" Brienne asked.
Sansa and Margaery smiled mischievously "You'll see."