Ned Stark isn't his father. Lyanna Stark is his mother.

His mother loved him.

His father, his real father, supposedly did as well. His real father, who is Rhaegar Targaryen. Who didn't kidnap and rape Lyanna but who married her in secret instead. Rhaegar Targaryen, whose name he carries.

His name isn't Jon Snow. It's Aegon Targaryen. The name doesn't feel like his, yet neither does the name he's carried his entire life.

Who is he?

He closes his eyes and takes comfort in Rhaegal's presence. Rhaegal returned soon after the vision. They were concerned for him and angry with Bran. Rhaegal didn't know what Bran did exactly, but they knew he was involved in making him feel this way.

They wanted to destroy Bran. They want it still. An ugly part of Jon wants that as well.

Most of him doesn't. Most of him knows only one thing.

He needs to be away from his family. Away from Bran, from the anger and betrayal the sight of him inspired. Away from Arya and Sansa, who saw the same vision he did. Whose attempts at assuring him their feelings for him haven't changed ring hollow and false. He even needs to be away from Ghost, who he can't see without being reminded of when he first held him. The belonging he felt back then. A direwolf different from his siblings, but still a direwolf. Still part of the same family.

The lie grows more bitter the more time passes.

In some ways he wishes to be away from Rhaegal as well. Away from the proof that he's a Targaryen.

In most ways he wishes to remain with them. Right now he needs Rhaegal's strength. Rhaegal still worries over him, but they aren't panicking. They're calm in a way that makes it easier for him to remain in control of himself.

Being in control doesn't lessen the chaos raging inside him.

He's a Targaryen. He's not a Snow.

His life is a lie. Jon might understand why his – why Lord Stark acted as he did, but that doesn't make the betrayal hurt less. Lord Stark couldn't tell him the truth when he was a child, the risk of him revealing it was too great, but why didn't he tell him when he was older?

Why did he hurt him like this?

Jon is aware he's wallowing in self-pity. He doesn't care. Right now there's no room for anything but hurt and betrayal.

"Would you even like me if it weren't for my blood?"

The question slips out without thought. It makes him grimace. He doesn't want to know the answer.

Rhaegal responds before he can take the question back.

Of course they would. They like him for who he is, not what he is.

Rhaegal is honest as always, but he cannot bring himself to believe them.

"Without my blood, you wouldn't care for me." Not beyond what he means to Daenerys.

Jon immediately forces his mind away from Daenerys. He can't think of her right now. Can't think of what it means that they're... that they're related more closely than he thought they were.

Distracting himself is made easier by how unimpressed Rhaegal is with him. Rhaegal thinks he's acting like a moron. Not in an endearing way either. Jon knows they aren't lying, dragons are honest as so few are.

He's still incapable of believing their claim. Rhaegal might be honest about the fact his blood no longer matters to them, but they never would've paid him any attention without it. He would've just been another mortal, important only in how he affected their mother.

"If I wasn't a dragon, would you have grown to love me?" Jon asks, amending the question to better clarify the issue he's struggling with. One of the issues, at least.

Understanding rises in Rhaegal.

Their reply is blunt as ever.

No.

Even having expected the answer, it still hurts. The only reason Rhaegal loves him is because he's a Targaryen.

Why does that matter?

Rhaegal's confusion makes a bitter smile grow. Why does it matter indeed. It's only his entire life. Only countless memories of shame and envy. Of resentment and feeling as though he's never good enough. As though he doesn't belong. What does it matter none of that was real?

His anger frustrates Rhaegal. They aren't frustrated with him, but with their own inability to understand why this is important to him.

He wouldn't love them if they weren't Fire either.

The statement is so unexpected it breaks through his anger. A denial almost falls from his lips but Jon catches the words in time. Rhaegal deserves an answer delivered with true thought. If Rhaegal weren't a dragon, if they were human instead. Would he still love them?

"I think I would," he says honestly. "Not in the same way, but I'd still like you." He'd like the strange and arrogant man Rhaegal would be. Or the strange woman. He'd like their certainty of who they are and how they fit into the world. He'd admire how they'd never feel the need to change no matter what anyone says. How they'd never apologize for being who they are.

Isn't that what drew him to Daenerys in the first place?

Rhaegal's surprise helps him tear his thoughts away from Daenerys. The surprise is followed by pleasure, and their affection gains a deliberate tint. It causes Jon's own to grow. To Rhaegal, it genuinely doesn't matter whether or not Jon would like them if they weren't a dragon, for the fact is that Rhaegal is a dragon. They can't even imagine being anything else. But they're pleased Jon would still like them even if they were something else.

Rhaegal doesn't say anything more, considering the matter to be done with.

Jon wishes he could let go of this matter as well. Wishes the pain would go away, wishes he'd stop feeling betrayed.

He wishes he'd never learned of his true parentage.

No, that isn't true. Not entirely. He's glad to know his mother loved him. He's more glad than he can put into words. His mother wanted him. He isn't a mistake.

He isn't a Snow either. Isn't a part of House Stark. It's irrational of him to feel so, Lyanna being his mother means he's as much a Stark as – as Catelyn's children are Tully. He, in fact, belongs to House Stark more than he ever did as a Snow.

Doesn't stop him from feeling as he does. He feels hurt. Feels betrayed in a way he hadn't known he was still capable of. He feels lost.

He fears he always will.

The following days, Jon avoids his family. Not an easy task, but he manages.

He manages because his family lets him. Arya and Sansa watch him with worry, and their desire to speak to him is clear. They let him escape whenever their paths cross, though.

Bran, no longer welcome in his tent, is the easiest to avoid, and Jon hates the part of him that's almost relieved over Bran's injury. No matter the anger he feels, he should never be glad for what happened to Bran. And he isn't, not truly. But he's glad at how easy it makes it to avoid Bran.

The only one he doesn't avoid is Ghost. On the first day, Ghost gave him space until night fell, and then he snuggled up to him and refused to leave. Any attempts at making him go away were met with dismissive gestures and unimpressed looks.

Rhaegal didn't try to chase Ghost away. Because Ghost is part of him. Being a Targaryen hasn't changed that.

Their certainty was enough for Jon to relax. Enough to let him find comfort in Ghost. It's unfair to Ghost that he needed Rhaegal's help for that, but that doesn't change what is. Without Rhaegal, he would've kept trying to avoid Ghost. Not forever, he could never abandon Ghost. But it would have taken more time before being comfortable with them again.

Jon knows Arya and Sansa won't allow him to avoid them forever, but he needs time to work through his feelings. Needs to figure out who he is now. He cannot think of himself as Aegon Targaryen, yet at the same time, it feels wrong to keep thinking of himself by a name that isn't truly his. It feels wrong to think of Arya, Sansa and Bran as his family, despite the fact they're still related. It feels wrong to wear the cloak Sansa made for him, it feels wrong to carry Longclaw, the wolf pommel a constant reminder of who he isn't. Jon tries to stop feeling as he does but it proves to be an impossible task. He feels like an imposter.

He feels like a fool.

On the fourth day, his family decides they're done with his avoidance. Arya and Sansa approach him and order him to come with them. Jon might have refused, except Ghost gives him a look that makes clear he'll drag Jon along by force if needed. Jon resigns himself to the inevitable.

Arya and Sansa take him to their room. Bran is present there. The sight of him causes renewed anger to rise. Jon does his best to keep it contained. Yes, he's angry, but he also doesn't wish to lose Bran.

He only just got him back.

Rhaegal is paying more attention to him than usual, but they don't come over. They're skilled at distinguishing whether their interference would help matters or not. Part of him wishes Rhaegal would come over anyway, but he knows that would complicate things. More importantly, it would give him an excuse to avoid this conversation. While Jon would like nothing more than to flee, he also doesn't want to lose his family. Which means they need to talk.

He doesn't need to initiate the conversation. His anger is a cold and vivid thing.

Arya steps forward and hugs him, careful not to touch Longclaw.

It causes his anger to crumble. Despair takes over instead.

Arya isn't his sister.

Jon ensures Longclaw won't touch her and hugs her back, wishing more than ever he'd never learned the truth. Wishing she was still his sister.

She isn't.

"You're still my brother, Jon."

The words are even more painful than before.

"I'm not." They're still family, the only comfort he has left. But he isn't her brother.

"Yes, you are," Arya says fiercely. Jon shakes his head and tries to step away from her, but Arya tightens her hold on him, refusing to let him escape. She lifts her head and gives him that stubborn look of hers. The one that reveals it won't matter what he says, she won't change her mind about this. "I've never thought of you as my bastard brother or my half-brother. You're my brother. You'd still be my brother even if we didn't share blood. You'd be my brother even if you were a Lannister."

Jon lets out a startled chuckle, or perhaps it's a sob. It's hard to tell.

"She's right."

Sansa accompanies the words by embracing him as well. The looks she gives him is as soft as it is unyielding.

"You're still our brother. You would be even if Lyanna wasn't your mother."

"So that's it?" he returns, not knowing whether it's an accusation or a plea. "Me not being a Stark bastard doesn't matter?"

"Not in the way you fear it does," Sansa says gently. "You were raised as our brother. You share our blood. You're our brother."

"I no longer feel like I am." The confession is almost impossible to get out. He knows Arya and Sansa are being sincere, knows their feelings truly haven't changed, but that doesn't stop him from feeling as though they did.

It doesn't stop him from feeling like a stranger imposing on a family not his own.

"You're family," Bran says softly and it causes another wave of hurt and betrayal. If Bran truly believes that, then why didn't he tell him the truth?

"Then why didn't you tell me?" he demands, doing his best to keep his anger contained. The result is that he sounds despairing instead.

"I didn't want to hurt you," Bran says. The words ring as hollow as they did last time.

"You did hurt me." In ways Jon hadn't known he could still be hurt.

"I'm sorry," Bran says softly. While the apology is sincere, it doesn't lessen the pain Bran caused. Jon would have been devastated by the discovery of his real parentage no matter how he learned of it, but if Bran had been honest from the start, Jon wouldn't have felt betrayed as he does now. He wouldn't feel as though he can never trust Bran again.

"Would you have ever told me?" Or would Bran have kept lying to him their entire lives?

"There were more paths in which I told you than paths in which I didn't," Bran says as though it's a real answer.

"I thought you struggled to see the future," he bites out, his anger starting to gain the upper hand. Jon forces it back under control. He cannot afford to let his temper get the best of him.

Arya and Sansa are following the exchange between him and Bran with careful eyes, but they don't interfere. Part of Jon wishes they would. Wishes they'd offer him an opportunity to escape this conversation.

This is a conversation he needs to have if there's to be even a chance of mending things with Bran.

"I do struggle," Bran says, eyes growing distant and the air growing heavy, but then Bran forcefully returns his attention to the present. "I do it anyway for our family."

And that matters. Bran has changed so much, but he's still the boy he grew up with. He's still family. He still loves them.

It makes the betrayal cut even deeper.

"You should have told me."

"You weren't hurt on the paths where you never found out," Bran says and it makes everything so much worse. It explains why Bran acted as he did, but it doesn't explain how he could think this the right course of action to take.

"I'd rather be hurt than lose my trust in you." As he's lost it now.

Bran looks to be in deep thought. Not as he is when using his powers, but as though he's truly considering Jon's words. Jon can't believe Bran needs to consider them at all.

When Bran speaks, his voice is resonant.

"From now on, if I see you lose your trust in me because I kept quiet, I'll tell you."

Jon bites down the scathing retort that wishes to escape. This promise is what he needed to gain from Bran. Dismissing it would be a disservice to them both.

"And you'll do the same for us."

Sansa's remark is as hard as the look she gives Bran. Arya's expression shows she's in full agreement with Sansa. They might not have been betrayed by Bran themselves, but they could have been. They're struggling with broken trust as well.

They want to mend that trust. As they mended it with each other. As Jon mended it with Sansa.

They've all made mistakes. This might be a far greater one than Jon thought possible, but if Bran can vow it won't happen again, they should be able to overcome this. No matter how impossible that feels right now.

Bran inclines his head, agreeing to Sansa's demand.

"I still love you," Jon says, needing him to know that. No matter how angry or betrayed he is, that will never change.

"But you no longer trusts me," Bran says, speaking the words Jon hadn't wanted to say out loud. Jon grimaces but doesn't deny it. To do so would be a lie. "That's all right," Bran continues, not seeming to be hurt by his reaction. "You'll trust me again later."

Jon feels something that could almost be called humor. He also feels a whisper of hope. He cannot bring himself to believe Bran, the pain is too recent for that. But perhaps his belief will be proven wrong.

He wants to be proven wrong.

"Great," Arya says with relief, before she gives him a playful smile and pushes him towards Bran. "Now go hug your brother."

Jon hesitates. Not because he doesn't wish to hug Bran, but because it feels wrong to claim him as his brother. As it feels wrong to claim Arya and Sansa as his sisters. The problem lies with him, not with them, but this doesn't make it feel any less wrong.

"I still think of you as my brother," Bran says and Jon stops acting like a fool. No matter his own feelings, he should respect those of his family.

He goes over and hugs Bran. Bran hugs him back, loose and distant in a way it didn't used to be, but just having him hug back soothes the gaping hole inside Jon just a little. Rhaegal is pleased.

"We're still family," Sansa says, embracing him and Bran both.

"And family stays together," Arya says as she joins in on the hug.

Ghost decides it's time to join in as well. By jumping on top of them and pushing them all down the bed. Jon quickly places a hand on the back of Bran's head as they go down, to ensure he doesn't get hurt, but most of his focus is on Longclaw and how it might touch Arya. Fortunately, Ghost aimed his paw so it would be between Arya and Longclaw. Ghost was also careful to make all of them fall down the bed, Jon's precaution to keep Bran safe unneeded.

"Ghost!" Sansa exclaims indignantly before sputtering because of the fur covering her mouth. Ghost ignores her, tail wagging with satisfaction as he gives them a pleased look.

Arya laughs. It causes Sansa to laugh as well, and while Bran doesn't, Jon can see him smile.

Jon is smiling as well. He's still angry with Bran, still hurt and betrayed. But he has hope it will fade. Has hope things will heal between them. For the first time, Jon feels ready to confront his parentage in full.

For the first time, he feels as though he won't lose his family along the way.

Before he can confront his parentage in full, there's one last thing Jon must do.

He needs to talk with Sam. Sam knew and didn't tell him. It's a betrayal that cuts as deep as Bran's does.

Just like with Bran, Jon needs to stop acting like a coward and start mending things between them. Or try to, at least.

He meets Sam in a private room.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asks. It's the most important question, for Jon truly doesn't understand why Sam didn't tell him. Even less so than he did with Bran. Bran has changed so much and Jon is still getting to know the man he's become, cannot yet predict how he'll react to things. Sam, though... he thought he knew Sam. He thought he could trust him.

"I wanted to," Sam says, anxious and pleading. Jon is not impressed by the answer. If Sam wanted to tell him, he should have.

Sam lets out a frustrated sound before words rush out of him.

"I wanted to tell you the moment we met in White Harbor, but how was I supposed to do that? Just go, Jon, you know how you thought you were Ned Stark's bastard your entire life? Turns out that's not true, you're the long lost heir to House Targaryen instead. Surprise!"

That would have been far more preferable to Sam keeping this from him.

"It wasn't my place to tell you, you needed to hear this from Bran," Sam continues. Jon keeps quiet. Both because he wishes to hear Sam's full answer, and because he fears that if he speaks now, his anger will get the best of him.

His silence causes Sam to talk even faster than before, all but stumbling over his words in his haste to get them out.

"So I decided to keep quiet until you went to Winterfell and spoke to Bran. But then you were going Beyond the Wall instead and I realised I had to tell you. What if something happened to you? What if you died? You deserved to know the truth. Except I couldn't tell you then, this was going to addle your mind and what if that cost you your life? You were going beyond the bloody Wall! So I was going to tell you after you came back. I really was, I swear. Except you didn't come back, you almost died. You're still recovering from your injuries, and you're living in the place you died and you're worrying about Daenerys and Bran said it didn't matter whether you know or not, which isn't true of course, and I've been trying to convince him to tell you but not yet. Not until Daenerys woke and you could leave this place. I swear I was going to tell you when that happened. Even if Bran didn't agree, I was going to tell you."

"You should have told me when we met in White Harbor."

The words escape without thought, far colder than he intended.

It doesn't make them any less true. Sam should have told him when they met. It would have hurt, but not as much as this does.

He thought he could trust Sam. Sam might not be related by blood, but he's family nonetheless. If Jon can't trust him, who can he trust?

"I know," Sam says, miserable and full of regret. Jon forces his anger down. If he lashes out now, he'll make things worse.

Sam takes a deep breath and looks at him with the steel not many people know he holds within.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you in White Harbor. I'm not sorry I kept quiet after."

Jon manages to contain the anger that wishes to break free with the greatest of efforts. Instead he forces himself to consider Sam's words in earnest.

Or rather, he would have had Sam not continued talking.

"You're still recovering, you aren't thinking clearly and this was not the right time to tell you. So I kept quiet, and I'm not sorry for that."

Jon clenches his jaw and closes his eyes so he doesn't have to see Sam. The sight would rouse his temper further, and Jon needs to consider this with a clear head.

Because what Sam says is true. He's been struggling to remain clear headed ever since he arrived in Castle Black. Been struggling with the memories of pain and betrayal. As much as it pains him to admit it, Sam is right in saying this wasn't the right time to tell him. Sam wasn't truly lying about his parentage either. Jon had asked what it was Sam wanted to tell him before, and Sam told him he wished to wait until after Jon had healed. Jon had agreed to that. It isn't fair to blame Sam when Jon himself had been content to let the matter rest.

Yet this doesn't change that Sam broke his trust by not telling him in White Harbor. Jon understands why he did it, but this doesn't mend the damage that was done. Sam is family. Sam is his brother. Aside from Edd, he's the only brother Jon is still capable of trusting in full.

Or rather, he was capable of that.

"Never again, Sam," he says, opening his eyes and holding Sam's gaze. "I understand why you kept quiet, but never again keep something like this from me. I need to be able to trust you."

That last comes out more a plea than a command.

"Jon, I swear, never again," Sam vows and it helps temper the worst of his anger. He's still hurt and betrayed, but just like with Bran, he now has hope he and Sam might be able to overcome this. "Though really, I can't imagine learning about another life altering secret like this," Sam adds and Jon feels his lips twitch with a whisper of humor. It's true, no other revelation should be able to top this. Then again, given all that's happened, reasoning like that is daring the gods to prove him wrong.

Sam gives a tentative smile back, and when Jon moves over and clasps his shoulder, Sam's tension fades in full. Jon will be angry with him for a long while yet, something he tells Sam in the interest of being fair, but it should fade. Their relationship should heal. Which means it's time to confront the relationship he's been avoiding with all his might.

Daenerys. She's his aunt. He's her nephew.

They're family. Not merely an illegitimate and distant relation, they're true family.

How will that change things between them? For him the change isn't great. He still loves her the same as he did before. Still wishes to make her happy. Still wishes to be with her.

He fears it won't be the same for Daenerys. Fears he'll be family first, everything else second. He'd already considered the possibility before, but it seems so much more real now.

Daenerys will love him for being family. She would even if their relation was illegitimate, but now it will be even stronger. She'll still disagree with him, still follow her own rules and no one else's, but she'll also love him as fiercely as she does Maester Aemon. The desire she feels for him, the fondness. All of it will become second to the knowledge that they're family.

Jon doesn't want that. He wants her love but not like this. He wants her to love him for who he is, not for the blood he carries. Part of him wishes he could keep this knowledge from her, but to do so would be to betray Daenerys. They're family. She isn't the last of her House. She deserves to know that. So he'll tell her. And it will throw yet another complication between him and Daenerys. His crown already makes it so he cannot enter a relationship with her without being unfair to her, but this makes it so even without his duties, he wouldn't feel comfortable deepening things between them. He'd always wonder whether she was with him because of their relation or because she loves him as a man.

Jon cannot imagine her loving him as a man. Not when part of him is already thinking of how their familial relation will secure her aid against the Night King. Daenerys loves her family. She won't let him face this threat alone. The fact he'd support her against whatever threat she faces in turn feels like a hollow comfort. Her aid isn't why he'll tell her they're family, it truly isn't, but it's a thought he cannot let go of.

He tells himself their relation won't matter. Tells himself to trust Rhaegal's claim that Daenerys will fight the Night King of her own volition. Tells himself to trust Daenerys herself. She's a good person. She wouldn't leave countless innocents to die if she had the power to prevent it. Part of him truly does believe that, but no matter how hard he tries, he cannot convince himself in full. Not as long as he's in Castle Black.

Not as long as she doesn't wake.

All of this, all his worries and fears, would be so much easier to handle if he could just talk to her. If she could just tell him her thoughts. Daenerys has never lied to him, is as blunt and honest as only dragons are, and he would give anything to hear her thoughts. Even at worst, even if all his fears do come true, at least he'd know for certain. He'd know how to proceed from there on out.

To do that, Daenerys needs to wake up.

She doesn't.

Thinking of Daenerys inspires tears like always. Rhaegal's longing resonating with his own.

The problem is that now he's started thinking of her, he can't stop. He misses her. Her laughter, her teasing, her flirting. Her joy in life. Her temper and her conviction. He misses everything about her.

She needs to wake up.

His own mood is making Rhaegal feel worse, and that is something Jon refuses to let continue. He wants Rhaegal to feel better.

The problem is how to do that. Jon, despite starting to feel better, is still morose a lot of the time. Rhaegal is affected by that. Oh, Rhaegal knows he wishes for them to feel better, and they appreciate that, but that's not enough. Not for Jon.

So what can he do to make Rhaegal feel better?

The only thing he can think of is something he wished to wait before doing. Something Daenerys should be here for.

Except he doesn't know long she'll remain unconscious. It might be days, it might be weeks. It might be months.

It might be forever.

Jon forcefully pushes those thoughts away when Rhaegal grows exasperated. The whole point is to make Rhaegal feel better, not make them feel worse.

What he's considering doing would accomplish that as nothing else could.

It's something Daenerys should be here for.

If she was given the choice between being able to witness this herself or making Rhaegal happy, she'd choose Rhaegal's happiness every single time.

"Let's fly."

Rhaegal's surprise is followed by overwhelming joy. Rhaegal had agreed to wait to do this until Daenerys woke, wishing to experience this with their mother as well, but the joy they feel now reveals this decision to be a mistake. Dragons are born to fly. And they love flying with their loved ones more than they love anything else.

This will be their first true flight together. Escaping the Night King and Castle Black doesn't count, Jon wasn't in the right state of mind during those times. Flying with Rhaegal while clear headed will be something else entirely.

It will be the greatest thrill possible, a rush nothing else can ever compare to. It will be wonderful and intoxicating and utterly addicting. The moment he starts flying with Rhaegal, Jon knows he'll never be able to stop.

Rhaegal won't allow him to stop either.

Rhaegal eagerly lowers their shoulder so Jon can climb on. Climbing on is as natural as breathing, even easier than it was with Drogon. When he settles down Rhaegal's back, Jon knows with absolute certainty that this is where he belongs. Then Rhaegal throws themselves into the sky and oh, he was wrong, he was so wrong. This is where he belongs, in the sky with Rhaegal, the winds embracing them as they dance to a song only they can hear. Jon isn't sharing Rhaegal's senses, can't hear the song for himself, yet at the same time, he knows how Rhaegal will move, can almost taste the melody they're dancing to. It's dizzying and breathtaking and the two of them could stay here forever and wish for nothing more.

It takes a while before Jon realises he's laughing. How long has it been since he did that?

Does it even matter? Time is meaningless, nothing existing beyond the joy that now consumes him. A joy amplified to even greater heights by Rhaegal's own delight, their feelings resonating with his more strongly than they ever have before.

He was right, flying with Rhaegal is addicting. He'll never be able to give this up. Then Rhaegal dives and manages to make things even more wonderful. It takes everything Jon has not to urge them to go beyond what is safe. He knows he could do so much more than merely dive with Rhaegal, could dance through the sky like they were born here. The problem is his hands and generally atrophied condition. While he's healed enough to fly, the strength Rhaegal requires from him even with these relatively calm maneuvers is already pushing his limits. He won't be able to keep this up for long, and a wilder flight would put him at risk of setting back his recovery.

Of course, even if Jon did urge Rhaegal to perform more spectacular maneuvers, Rhaegal would refuse exactly because it would strain his injuries. Jon will have to settle for this until he's healed in full.

He could settle for this forever and never regret it.

When his hands start aching too badly, Rhaegal ends their flight. They're as giddy as Jon himself is, and when Jon gets off, they all but bounce over to Drogon and Viserion. Drogon is warming the infirmary, while Viserion is napping besides them.

Rhaegal throws themselves on top of them both. Drogon grumbles like usual, but their affection is clear. Viserion is less pleased with being woken like this, and when Rhaegal playfully nips at their neck, Viserion whips their tail out and entwines it with Rhaegal's neck before dragging them off without mercy. Rhaegal lets out a choked yell that turns into their version of laughter when Viserion starts up a playful wrestling match. Viserion's own annoyance is lost under the excitement of a game. Drogon watches his brother play, content.

Jon's flight with Rhaegal drew an audience. Among them are his sisters and Ghost. As always, Sansa is keeping a lot further away from all dragons than is necessary, but Arya and Ghost are closer by. Jon goes over to where Ghost is standing next to Arya and kneels down in front of him, burying his hands in snow white fur and scratching Ghost's favorite spots with almost too much force, ignoring the way it makes his hands throb. Ghost's tail wags like mad and Jon swears he can taste the ice that is Ghost's presence. A stark contrast to the endless fire that is Rhaegal.

"Looks like someone's feeling better," Arya says with amusement. When Jon meets her gaze, he realises he's grinning like mad. He feels alive as he never has before. Flying with Drogon is nothing compared to the glory that is dancing with Rhaegal.

"That's one way to put it," he says, his voice coming out more breathless than intended.

Arya grins back. Then she bends down, grabs some snow and throws it at him. Jon laughs and throws snow back.

And suddenly they're having a snowball fight. Running around like children and giggling like them too. Just like they used to do back home. Ghost joins in on the fun as well, and Jon and Arya team up in order to take down the direwolf.

When Jon's gaze falls on Sansa, watching the game with a smile, he shares a mischievous smile with Arya. Sansa's eyes widen and her hands fly up like they'll be enough to keep them at bay.

"Don't you dare."

They dare. Snow flies and hits Sansa without mercy.

Sansa laughs. She laughs as he hasn't heard from her in ages, laughs like the girl she used to be. Then she grabs snow of her own and joins the battle.

Jon is unable to stop smiling. He knows he'll need to quit soon, his body is letting him know he's approaching his limits. But not yet. He can keep going for a little while longer.

He didn't count on Rhaegal, who breaks off the wrestling with Viserion so they can offer him some aid. They sweep a wing out and bury his family beneath snow. Jon laughs as they resurface with a splutter. Rhaegal is pleased.

The pleasure makes way for startled aggravation when snow hits them in the eye. Confused, Jon looks up to see what could have done that.

He sees a bird, talons still holding traces of the snow it dropped down Rhaegal's eye. When Jon looks to the side, he sees Bran, seated outside and eyes showing him to be warging. It makes his chest tighten.

Bran still likes playing in the snow as well.

And then Viserion lands next to Bran and sweeps a wing out, covering him beneath snow. For a moment Jon is worried, Bran can't get out of the pile on his own, but then arms break through the frozen powder and wipe it off his head. Allowing Bran to breathe again. Bran looks at Viserion with vague consideration. Viserion looks back with challenge and anticipation.

Viserion is daring Bran to retaliate.

Bran's eyes go white.

And suddenly the air is filled with countless beating wings. Hundreds of birds taking to the sky, darkening the air as far as the eye can see.

Viserion hops away from Bran, delighted as they watch the approaching avian army. The avian army, armed with twigs, rocks and other things light enough to be carried in talons.

The birds fly towards Viserion and drop their ammunition. Trying to hit Viserion. Who's dodging by using their speed to the fullest, slithering over the ground with lightning quick movements. Viserion could burn the birds away, could blow them from the sky by using their wings. But there would be no challenge in that. This is a game. And it's one Viserion is enjoying immensely.

Bran is enjoying it as well.

Jon looks at Arya and Sansa, needing to share in the wonder of this. Arya is watching Viserion with delight.

Sansa is watching them with wonder. For once, there's no fear of what dragons are capable of. There's only wonder at the magic they bring.

Jon lays his hand on Rhaegal as they come over, his other hand holding Ghost. He feels better than he has in far too long. Feels like himself again.

He feels like everything will turn out alright after all.

The high of flying doesn't last. When it fades, Jon starts feeling like an imposter once more. The poisonous whispers of what will happen after Daenerys wakes return as well. At the same time, it's easier to remain in control of those feelings. Easier to push them aside and consider matters with a clear head. When those feelings do gain the upper hand, Jon merely needs to go flying with Rhaegal in order to regain control of himself.

He goes flying a lot more than is needed to remain clear headed. Flying is addicting. Jon can't imagine a day going by without dancing with Rhaegal. Rhaegal is in firm agreement with this decision. While they'd been content to wait before, now that they've flown with him once, they regularly call him over to do it again. Jon isn't complaining.

He still struggles with being in the place he died. Still feels flashes of terror when he catches the black of his brothers from the corner of his eyes. Still misses Daenerys more than he can put into words. But it's manageable now. He no longer feels like he's balancing on a knife's edge, just one wrong step away from falling forever.

He can wear his cloak again without feeling as though it doesn't belong to him.

His calmer state of mind couldn't have come at a better time. The longer Daenerys remains unconscious, the higher tensions start running. A direct result of her children growing more frustrated the longer she remains unconscious. Dragons being agitated is not good for people's peace of mind. The three of them are handling her condition better than anyone else is, but this doesn't mean her absence isn't weighing on them.

They distract themselves in various ways. Drogon spends most of their time warming the infirmary, only giving up their place when they train or go feed. Viserion plays with Rhaegal, and now, with Bran as well.

And they fight with Drogon. They scratch and bite with a viciousness they don't show when training, they draw blood without hesitation. The first time it had happened Jon had worried, but Rhaegal was utterly concerned by the battle happening. Daenerys' people confirmed this is normal behavior as well. Or rather, it is when Daenerys is injured. While the three of them will never cause serious harm to one another, battle offers them an outlet for their aggravation. Given that the other option is them taking their frustration out on Castle Black, Jon forces himself not to worry about the injuries they're causing. Despite how deep the gashes seem to his eyes, he knows this is the dragon equivalent of cuts and bruises.

His worry is harder to keep under control when Rhaegal, who's healing at a phenomenal rate, starts getting into these fights as well. With Viserion, not Drogon. Drogon won't touch Rhaegal in anger until they've healed in full. Another display of the gentleness none would ever expect from someone as foul tempered as them.

Viserion, on the other hand, has no trouble fighting Rhaegal as viciously as they do Drogon, creating stinging cuts and throbbing bites. Rhaegal responds in kind, filled with a ferocity Jon never expected them to feel towards their brothers. They also ignore Jon's worry. Jon is glad for that. While he doesn't enjoy these battles, Rhaegal needs an outlet.

Because even with the outlet Viserion offers, even with Rhaegal now flying with him, Rhaegal antagonizes Drogon worse than they ever have before. They insult their strength, their intelligence, and so much more. The only line they don't cross is implying Drogon isn't capable of protecting their family. Everything else is fair game. This Jon did try to interfere with, Rhaegal's behavior isn't fair to Drogon, but Rhaegal made clear they have no intention of listening. The flip side of how accepting they are of Jon's own behavior. They expect the same acceptance in turn. Jon tried to argue that they're being unfair to Drogon, but Rhaegal countered that Drogon doesn't mind their behavior. In fact, they're pleased with it. Or rather, they're pleased to be able to do something to make Rhaegal feel better. Jon doesn't entirely agree with that, Rhaegal makes Drogon so furious they either exhaust themselves with training, or they start a fight with Viserion. Or both. Even after, Drogon remains tense and even more foul tempered than usual. Literally the only reason Drogon hasn't attacked Rhaegal is because they're waiting for Rhaegal to heal in full. And Rhaegal is taking full advantage of their refusal to initiate battle.

Rhaegal can be such a brat.

Still, despite the slowly rising tension, things are going fine.

And then Daenerys' people arrive. The arrival isn't unexpected, they were informed long ago that an advance party would arrive by horse. Viserion might refuse to carry another unless their family's life is at risk, but they have no trouble being a messenger.

Their arrival might have been expected, but his own reaction to their arrival wasn't. It causes the amount of time that has passed to hit him in full.

It's been over a month. It is, in fact, starting to near two months. Near two months since they faced the Night King, near two months since Daenerys was injured. Near two months and she's yet to wake.

How much longer will she remain unconscious? Days, weeks, months? Will she remain unconscious for years?

This isn't fair. Jon knows he shouldn't be thinking this way, life is never fair. If anything, Daenerys' current condition is a stroke of incredible fortune. It's nothing short of a miracle she survived her injuries in the first place.

It doesn't make it feel any less unfair. Daenerys is supposed to be awake. She's supposed to draw the eye wherever she goes, supposed to act however she wishes and make people scramble to keep up with her. Supposed to make people misjudge her by introducing herself in the most threatening of ways, before obliterating expectations by being more generous than any could dream of. She's supposed to find wonder in her surroundings and live life to the fullest.

She's supposed to be awake.

Among the advance party is Tyrion. Not as a rider, he took advantage of his small stature to come along as a passenger. Missandei and Ser Barristan are absent, however. They stayed behind with to keep the fleet organised. Part of Jon is relieved by the news all have made it safely to Eastwatch, but most of him is still struggling with the fact it's been near two months since Daenerys was injured. It's been near two months since last he spoke with her.

She needs to wake up.

"So, Rhaegal has chosen you as his rider," Tyrion says two days after he arrives. The first day he became blackout drunk after seeing Daenerys. Jon is seriously considering the same. He avoids Daenerys in general, seeing her makes him burst out crying every time without fail. But he sees enough of her.

She's lost weight, her cheeks hollow despite how careful her people are to ensure she gets enough sustenance. Her skin no longer holds the glow of the sun, the color washed out and her scars looking near ghoulish. Even with her being unconscious, she has dark circles under her eyes as though she hasn't been sleeping well for too long.

The worst part is how lifeless she looks. Even with the rise and fall of her chest, she seems more dead than alive.

She looks like Ygritte did when he last held her.

"Rhaegal's first loyalty still lies with Daenerys," he tells Tyrion, forcefully dragging his mind away from Daenerys. He and Rhaegal will spiral again if he doesn't.

Tyrion relaxes. Tyrion would have already been told this by the others of course, but it helps to hear it from him as well.

Tyrion questions him further. Jon manages to answer a few questions before his longing starts resonating with Rhaegal's and he bursts out crying. When that happens, he sends Tyrion to Sansa. She can answer his questions just as well.

As it turns out, she answers them better than he expected.

"I've been informed we're now in an official alliance," Tyrion says the next day, eyes shrewd and considering. "Through marriage."

Jon is surprised only for the briefest of moments. Then wry amusement rises. Sansa should have mentioned this view before. She's right, though.

"If it makes you feel better, I was just as surprised by it as you were," he says.

Tyrion cracks a smile. Doesn't lose his considering air, though.

"I love Rhaegal," Jon says, speaking nothing but the truth. "I'll do all I can to make him happy."

"You better," Tyrion says, yet while his voice is light, the warning in it is anything but. "Daenerys won't stand for anything else."

No, she wouldn't. Rhaegal might have chosen him as their rider, or in other words, married him, but that doesn't mean Daenerys will stop protecting them. She'll respect their choice, but she'll also ensure he treats her beloved child with the respect they're due.

He truly hopes she'll stay and aid them against the Night King. Things will become so much more complicated if she doesn't. Rhaegal won't leave him, but they won't leave their mother and brothers either. Finding a compromise between those desires won't be easy. Jon cannot abandon his family, in the same way Rhaegal cannot abandon their own.

According to Daenerys' people, no compromise will be necessary. Their captain will not rest until she's destroyed the one who dared to harm her child. Part of Jon agrees with that. Daenerys isn't merely kind and generous, she holds a rage inside her none can extinguish. A rage that never burns more brightly than when her loved ones are threatened.

An irrational part of him is still convinced she'll leave instead. It leaves him in a foul mood. Even flying is no longer enough to get rid of his aggravation. Part of that is caused by Rhaegal's own temper, growing worse the longer Daenerys remains unconscious, but most of it is caused by the fact that it's been near two months.

And then two months pass. It makes him despair.

How much longer do they need to wait? Until the rest of her people arrive? Until Sansa can no longer put off her return to Winterfell? Longer still?

Daenerys needs to wake up.

"It's been two months!"

Rhaegal's agreement becomes deliberate, their aggravation as great as his own. They might not be able to keep track of time as men can, but they do experience its passage. And Daenerys has been unconscious for too long.

Jon continues pacing beside them, frustrated and angry and desperately wishing Daenerys would wake.

"What if she never wakes?"

Mother will wake.

"You said that a month ago as well." And she's still unconscious. Stronger, so much stronger according to Rhaegal and their brother, yet still she refuses to wake!

And then both their longing takes over and Jon bursts out crying. Rhaegal doesn't, dragons cannot cry, but they feel like they're sobbing as well. They miss Daenerys, miss their mother. They miss her more than they can put into words. Every day that passes only makes her absence more painful.

She needs to wake up!

Days later, without warning, she does. Jon walking with his family when Rhaegal's joy hits him like a sledgehammer, stronger than anything he's ever felt from them before. He whirls towards the tent Daenerys is in just in time to see Rhaegal and Viserion all but crashland next to Drogon, throwing the entire tent aside in their haste to get to their mother.

Jon runs. He's barely aware of his family calling after him, can't think of anything but the need to see Daenerys. Her children are hiding her from view but he knows. She's awake. After all this time, she's finally awake.

He needs to see her.

Rhaegal moves so they're no longer blocking his vision and all the breath rushes out of him.

Because there Daenerys is. Upright as though she hasn't been unconscious for months, dressed in sleeping tunics, her hair loose and falling down like sunlight, and her hands holding on to Rhaegal as though she fears they'll disappear if she lets go. Her expression is filled with frantic concern and she's demanding whether Rhaegal is all right, is he hurt, can he still fly? Part of Jon takes note of the fact he can understand her perfectly even though she's speaking Valyrian, but most of him is drinking in the sight he'd feared he'd never see again. Daenerys, full of life as she should be. Daenerys, utterly ignoring her injuries in favor of her children. Daenerys, bright and beautiful and awake.

Rhaegal lifts their wing, sunlight playing over the golden scales of their scar as they move their wing this way and that, demonstrating their mobility while they assure Daenerys that they're fine, they aren't hurt, they can still fly. They accompany the message with reassurance, love, and a happiness Jon has never felt from them before.

Next to Rhaegal is Drogon, delicately nuzzling Daenerys' arm as they radiate pure bliss. Viserion, half on top of Drogon's so they can be nearer to Daenerys, shows the same bliss as they gently nose her hair. It's a tight fit for all three of them to be able to touch Daenerys, but they make it work.

Part of Jon is aware that people are arriving, sees his brothers gather through Ghost's vision and sees Arya and Sansa coming to stand beside him from the corner of his own vision.

Most of him is trying to figure out whether or not he's dreaming. He wonders if he'll wake up to find Daenerys unconscious once more. The thought is one of the most terrifying he's ever had. Then Daenerys smiles and it's impossible to think beyond the wonder of that. Her smile is bright and relieved and so full of life. Jon is moving towards her before he even realises what he's doing. It makes Rhaegal glance at him. Daenerys follows their line of sight.

Jon has missed the storm of her eyes more than he can put into words.

The moment she spots him, those beautiful eyes widen with too many emotions to name. Then she's reaching for him, about to step towards him except she cannot move without losing hold of Rhaegal.

Rhaegal lifts her up with their nose and trots over, Drogon and Viserion quickly moving with them so they don't lose contact with Daenerys. Rhaegal sets Daenerys down in front of him.

She stumbles and Jon is barely in time before she falls down and oh, this isn't a dream. The sensation of her in his arms, the warmth she radiates, tangible even through all the layers he's wearing. The way the wind catches on her hair, the intensity of her eyes. Daenerys is awake.

Daenerys grips one of his arms. Part of Jon is aware she's still touching Rhaegal but most of him sees Daenerys only. He hadn't truly forgotten the way she could look at him, but it's been so long since it's as though he's seeing it for the first time again. Daenerys, looking at him as though she can see into his very soul. Daenerys, looking at him with a wonder even more impossible to understand than usual. Jon knows he doesn't deserve this, but that doesn't stop him from selfishly wishing she'd look at him this way forever. Then Daenerys speaks and everything else ceases to matter.

"You saved Rhaegal," she says in voice rough with disuse and she's talking to him. There are no words for how precious a gift that is. She could yell and rage at him, could curse him out and condemn him for all eternity, and Jon would only be grateful she was capable of doing so in the in the first place.

Daenerys lets out a ragged breath that causes his worry to rise again. She's been unconscious for months, and the injury to her midriff still hasn't healed in full. She shouldn't be exerting herself like this.

He doesn't get the chance to voice his worry before Daenerys continues speaking.

"Anything you ask, anything at all, I will do."

Part of Jon is aware this is a lie. If he asked her to enslave anyone, if he asked her to harm the innocent, Daenerys would go back on her word in an instant.

Most of him is mesmerised by the sudden rage she shows, all consuming in a way that makes him want to weep with relief. This, this is how Daenerys should be. A bright fire that won't let anyone extinguish who she is.

Daenerys tightens her grip on him, and even with the dark circles beneath her eyes, the hollow cheeks and washed out skin, even devoid of jewelry and wearing a simple tunic, she looks more like a dragon than she ever has.

When she speaks, it's a threat and promise all at once.

"We are going to destroy the Night King."

There's no fear, no doubt, no hesitation. Not even a hint of the despair Jon has grown so used to seeing in those who've faced White Walkers, never mind the Night King.

It's impossible to resist the need to share in that fire. He has just enough time to see Daenerys' eyes widen with surprise before his lips meet her own and everything falls away.

Kissing Daenerys is nothing like what he thought it would be. He thought it would be overpowering, that it would hold a passion so intense there's no room for anything else. It is overwhelming, but not in the way he thought it would be. It doesn't burn. Instead it's warm and almost achingly sweet.

He was right, Daenerys tastes of magic. It's a different magic than that of her children, though. Her warmth isn't like stepping into a fire. It's something far more powerful. Something far more gentle.

Daenerys tastes like spring.

When they separate and Jon opens the eyes he hadn't realised he'd closed, he sees Daenerys look at him in a daze.

"If I'd known that was all it took to have you kiss me, I would've vowed to destroy the Night King ages ago."

Jon feels a helpless smile grow and cups her cheek, his thumb stroking over her skin. Part of him fiercely wishes he wasn't wearing gloves but most of him revels in being able to touch her at all.

Daenerys is awake. She's awake, and she just made all his worries fall away.

"No, you wouldn't have." Not like this. Not in a way that makes him feel lighter than he has since his family was still whole.

Because Jon knows. He could walk away from the Great War this very moment, and Daenerys would go burn down the Night King herself.

"I think you're underestimating just how much I've wanted this," Daenerys says with a smile as wicked as it is giddy. Then she surges forward and oh, there's the fire he was expecting, the burning passion that leaves room for nothing else.

It's a passion that involves a lot of tongue.

Only when Drogon roars with impatience do he and Daenerys separate. Part of him is aware that Rhaegal is telling Drogon to let Mother be happy, part of him sees Daenerys smile up at her children with overwhelming love, but most of his attention is on the audience he abruptly remembers is present. It looks like everyone in Castle Black has come out to watch the show. The reactions range from shock to amusement, and cover everything in between for good measure. It's his family that holds his attention the most, though. Bran, brought outside by his brothers, is watching with faint satisfaction. Ghost, standing in between Arya and Sansa, doesn't truly care about the show he and Daenerys are putting on. He's merely happy that Jon is happy. Arya, however, is grinning at him in a way that lets him know she's never going to let him live this down.

And Sansa is completely exasperated. Jon feels the back of his neck heat up a little. Sansa has a right to feel like that. Not only did he just prove that his claim of not acting on his feelings for Daenerys was a complete and utter lie, but he did the one thing Sansa asked him not to. Namely, act on his feelings in public.

He can't find it within himself to regret his actions. Not when Daenerys is finally awake again.

His full attention is drawn back to Daenerys when she tells Drogon she'll be all theirs in just a moment. When he meets her gaze, Daenerys smiles at him with delight before she kisses him again. Not as wildly as she did before, but not as softly as the time before then either. This kiss is vibrant and playful, and Jon can feel her joy as he can with Rhaegal. The feeling isn't as strong as it is with Rhaegal by far, but it's undeniably present.

Even without that, Jon would know how happy she is. He can feel her smile against his lips.

He couldn't stop himself from smiling back even if he wanted to. He knows this won't last, there is so much he needs to tell her before there's even a chance of anything happening between them. There's so much she needs to know that could so easily change her feelings for him.

Right now he cannot stop himself from kissing her back. From giving her everything she desires. All his fears, all his worry over what would happen when she woke, and Daenerys erased it all just by being herself. No matter what she decides to do next, Jon will follow her lead.

He wants to make her as happy as she makes him.