alicent hears the key in the lock just as she takes the duck out of the oven. yet, rhaenyra’s usual honey i’m home, both ironic and not, doesn’t follow.

confused, alicent hurries into the hallway. ‘my love?’ she calls out, a quick irrational fear quickly taking hold - it’s not rhaenyra, someone must’ve broken in, they picked the lock, this is—

—her girlfriend, thank Gods, and not a home invasion. it’s only her girlfriend, coming home from work - only her girlfriend, moving slow and hunched in on herself, lines on her face making her look older as she rubs her eyes and takes off her coat without a sound.

‘rhaenyra,’ she breathes, both relieved and worried. ‘you came in so quietly, i…’

the younger woman blinks, as if just noticing her. but, once their eyes meet, a soft - albeit tired - smile overtakes rhaenyra’s fine features. ‘oh,’ she sighs, walking up to her, wide palms finding her waist. ‘i’m sorry, my love - did i startle you?’

yes. ‘no,’ alicent lies. puts her arms on rhaenyra’s shoulders, fingers quick to find the nape of her neck, scratching gently and slowly. ‘hi,’ she murmurs.

rhaenyra’s smile grows; becomes a half-grin. ‘hi,’ she murmurs back, just before their lips meet in a soft, chaste greeting.

but - the lines on her face. and alicent isn’t sure whether it’s the closer distance or the lights or the angle, but there are circles under her eyes where there shouldn’t be any.

‘darling,’ she whispers. ‘is everything okay? you seem a little tired.’

against her lips, rhaenyra sighs, heavy. ‘everything is okay,’ she says, ‘and i’m a little tired. well, exhausted, really. it’s been a long week of putting out fires, but i’m home now.’ blue eyes, earnest and tender, take her in. ‘i’m better now.’

she had been having quite long days in the office lately, that much is true. with viserys planning on retiring several years down the road, rhaenyra’s been taking more and more responsibilities on under his tutelage. learning to run a corporation is no easy feat. as a cfo, alicent knows that better than most people.

fascinating, she thinks - how things change. only a year ago, rhaenyra’s been playfully nagging her to have better work-life balance, and nos, she’s the one back home on time enough to make dinner while her free-spirited girlfriend is several hours late.

alicent sighs. ‘we’re sleeping in tomorrow,’ she half-states, half-warns. rhaenyra grins into her quick kiss. ‘now go wash up. i’ll set the table.’

‘yes, mrs. targaryen-hightower.’

that makes alicent gasp in mock outrage. ‘putting my name last? also, do propose first.’

rhaenyra scoffs, her hands tightening their possessive hold on alicent’s waist, traveling lower to her hips. ‘as if i won’t. also, technically, i had already done that.’

‘everything that happened before we turned eighteen does not count.’

‘oh?’ rhaenyra’s brow rises in challenge. ‘i suppose that makes you a virgin, then.’

‘rhaenyra!’

her girlfriend only laughs as she wiggles out of her hold, whooping with glee at the butt smack alicent gives her just before she runs for the bathroom, a spring in her step and none of the exhaustion left.

she feels it more than she hears it - the warmth of a body next to her going further away, the bed shifting and dipping - and so she rises to sit up before she’s even fully awake. ‘alicent,’ she breathes, blindly reaching for her wife in the dark. ’s’mthing wrong?’

then, she hears a quiet curse, and as her eyes adjust to the dark and the reality of being woken up in the middle of the night, she finally makes out alicent’s shape perched at the edge of their bed. she squints at the bedside clock. it reads one pm.

‘darling, it’s okay,’ her wife whispers. a soft hand cups her cheek; brushes hair from her forehead. ‘go back to sleep.’ 

rhaenyra, now finally conscious enough to process her surroundings, largely ignores that. ‘what happened? are you in pain? Is it your ankles again - do you want me to massage—’

no, no - I’m fine, my love, everything is fine,’ alicent shushes her. ‘i just wanted a pickle. we should really start keeping them by the bed.’ she turns to face rhaenyra more, one hand cradling her very noticeably pregnant belly. ‘I’m sorry i woke you up. in my defense, you’ve become a terrifyingly light sleeper.’ 

i need to keep you safe at all times, rhaenyra thinks. she doesn’t voice it. ‘pickles it is, then.’ 

alicent catches her wrist as she tries to stand up. ‘rhaenyra.’ there’s a fond, exasperated warning in her tone. ‘i’m perfectly capable of getting a pickle myself. Go back to sleep.’ 

she shrugs. ‘it’s alright. I’m already awake, aren’t i? might as well.’ 

her wife raises one unamused brow at her faux-nonchalant grin. rhaenyra tries again. ‘or we could go together?’ 

‘darling. it’s a five minute trip downstairs and back. i think i’ll manage. it’s only my second trimester.’ the hand still holding her wrist turns gentle as it slides over her palm. rhaenyra watches, eyes downcast, as alicent laces their fingers together. ‘rhaenyra. what is it, really?’ 

she sighs. how does she communicate this without sounding completely bonkers? 

alicent’s eyes are soft as they watch her slowly stand up and circle the bed. they’re softer still as rhaenyra kneels in front of her, hands sliding up her warm hips to settle on the baby bump. this new curve of her wife’s body is rhaenyra’s new favorite thing about her. and this new curve of her wife’s body is rhaenyra’s new all-consuming fear. 

‘i don’t like the thought of you alone out there, in the dark,’ she confesses quietly. alicent’s silent as she lets her say her piece, and her brown eyes are filled with the desire to understand. ‘of you both. i know - i know i sound positively mad right now, but — the stairs, and with your ankles having been so sore lately, what if you trip? what if you get that hicks contraction and it’s too much, and I’m too busy snoring my way through the night to help you? i just…’ she takes a deep, shuddering breath as alicent finds her cheek again. ‘what if something happens and i’m not there?’ 

alicent waits a second before replying, and her thumb never stops stroking her cheek. she’s always been like this, rhaenyra thinks with sudden, longing type of gratitude - always endlessly patient with her, even when she didn’t deserve it.

‘you’ve always been quite protective of me,’ her wife murmurs. ‘now that I’m carrying our baby, i can’t even imagine what you must be going through. i know you want to keep me - to keep us safe, and i understand, alright?’ her other hand finds rhaenyra’s, on her stomach, and squeezes. ‘i understand, my love. but we need to work through it so you don’t stress yourself into an early grave, worrying about me. but — that’s a conversation for daytime.’ brown eyes twinkle, even in the dark, as alicent grins at her. ‘Tonight, we’ll go get a pickle together, and then we’ll go to sleep. alright?’ 

rhaenyra breathes out. something in her chest uncoils and settles.

‘alright,’ she says, and leans up to brush her lips against alicent’s waiting ones. ‘alright. i love you. i love you so much my heart drowns in it, sometimes.’ 

‘oh,’ alicent sighs. ‘i know exactly what that feels like. that’s how i love you too.’