Come Back To Me โ J.V.
gif from @ormund-hightower
jacaerys velaryon x betrothed!reader.
summary: after days of believing jacaerys might be dead following the battle of the gullet, y/n learns that he came back home to her.
warnings: none i just want my boy back.
authorโs notes: that fucking episode ruined me i need fluff.
THE SEA STILL SMELLED OF SMOKE.
Even days after the Battle of the Gullet, the winds that swept across Dragonstone carried traces of ash and salt, as if the Narrow Sea itself remembered the blood that had stained its waters. Every report that arrived from the ships returning to harbor made Y/Nโs heart pound harder.
No one would tell her the truth.
Not at first.
Every answer she sought seemed wrapped in careful avoidance, hidden behind sympathetic looks and half-finished sentences. Servants lowered their gazes whenever she approached, while knights and messengers exchanged uneasy glances before offering the same frustrating response: they did not know.
Yet rumors drifted through Dragonstoneโs halls like ghosts.
She heard that Prince Jacaerys had fought bravely against overwhelming odds, leading men into battle with the same courage that had always made others follow him. Some claimed they had seen Vermax soaring through walls of smoke and dragonfire, his emerald scales flashing amidst the chaos before disappearing into the flames. Others spoke of burning ships, shattered fleets, and the sea choked with wreckage.
There were survivors, they said. Men who had escaped the slaughter and returned with tales of fire raining from the sky. There were casualties tooโfar too many to countโand with each passing hour the lists of the dead seemed to grow longer. But when it came to Jacaerys, certainty vanished.
No confirmation arrived. No raven carried his name among the living or the dead. As the days stretched on, the whispers gradually faded, replaced by something far crueler.
Silence settled over Dragonstone like a storm cloud, heavy and suffocating. It was the worst kind of silence; the kind that left room for hope and despair to exist side by side, tormenting her with every heartbeat.
For three endless days, Y/N remained in her chambers overlooking the sea, unable to eat, unable to sleep, staring out the window as though she could somehow summon Vermax from the horizon.
Her betrothed.
Her future husband.
The man she had loved since childhood.
The man who had promised her beneath the godswood trees of Dragonstone that he would return from every battle.
โBecause I have something worth returning to.โ
The memory hurt.
Especially because she no longer knew whether he was alive.
Outside her chambers, servants moved quietly. Guards spoke in hushed tones.
Everyone feared giving her news.
Because no one knew what news existed to give.
Then, shortly before sunset on the fourth day, hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor.
Y/N barely looked up.
She expected another servant, another apology, another uncertainty.
The door opened.
โMy ladyโโ
She stood immediately. โWhat is it?โ
The maid looked breathless. โHe lives.โ
Tears immediately filled her eyes, and for a moment it felt as though everything around her had come to a standstill. The world blurred into silence, the air caught in her lungs, and even the frantic pounding of her heart seemed to falter beneath the weight of what she had just heard.
Y/N stared. โWhat?โ
โHe lives,โ The maid was smiling now. โThe prince lives.โ
For a moment Y/N simply stood there.
Then she ran.
There was no thought of composure or dignity as she broke into a run, racing through Dragonstoneโs stone corridors and down its winding staircases. Guards and servants alike scrambled out of her way, startled by her urgency, while anyone unfortunate enough to linger in her path was quickly left behind.
Her skirts tangled around her legs as she raced toward the harbor.
Toward the ships.
Toward him.
Please.
Please let it be true.
Please.
The harbor was bustling with activity as sailors unloaded supplies from arriving ships, their voices mingling with the crash of waves against the docks. Above them, the distant roar of dragons echoed through the sky, a reminder that even here, the war was never far away.
And standing at the end of the dock surrounded by soldiers was a familiar figure.
Alive.
Gods.
Alive.
Jacaerys.
His dark curls had grown longer, falling untidily around a face marked by exhaustion. Damaged armor hung heavily from his frame, a bandage wrapped around one shoulder while bruises darkened his jaw. He looked worn and battered by battle, but most importantly, he was unmistakably alive.
Y/N stopped running.
A sob escaped her lips.
Jacaerys turned as if he had felt her presence.
The moment his eyes found hers, everything else seemed to fade into the background. The soldiers surrounding him, the bustling harbor, the crashing sea, and even the war itself ceased to matter as his entire focus settled on her.
Only her remained.
โY/N,โ His breath caught. โMy love.โ
Her eyes immediately filled with tears. โYou idiot.โ
A smile appeared on his face. A weak but beautiful one.
Then she was running again.
Jacaerys barely had time to brace himself before she crashed into him.
His arms wrapped around her instantly.
Holding her.
Clinging to her, almost desperately.
As if letting go would somehow make her disappear.
Y/N buried her face into his chest.
โYou stupid, stupid idiot,โ Her voice broke. โI thought you were dead.โ
Jacaerys closed his eyes for a moment, allowing himself to feel her warmth against him and the steady beat of her heart. After days of uncertainty and survival, the simple reality that she was truly there in his arms felt almost unbelievable.
โI know.โ
โI hated you.โ
A laugh escaped him. โYou did not.โ
โI did.โ
โYou love me.โ
She pulled back just enough to glare at him through tears. โI hate you right now.โ
He laughed again.
Gods, even laughing hurt.
But hearing her voice was worth every ache.
His fingers brushed tears from her cheeks. โYou cried.โ
โDo not sound pleased about it.โ
โA little.โ
She smacked his arm.
Jacaerys immediately winced.
The smile vanished from her face. โOh Gods.โ
โIโm fine.โ
โYou are not.โ
โIโm alive.โ
โYou look terrible.โ
He grinned. โYou always know exactly what to say.โ
For the first time since hearing he lived, Y/N laughed.
A watery, trembling laugh.
Jacaerys stared at her.
Gods.
How many times during the battle had he thought of this?
Of her?
When arrows darkened the sky, when ships burned around him, and when Vermaxโs cries echoed through the chaos, her face had remained at the forefront of his mind. Even in the moments when death felt inevitable, thoughts of her were what he clung to most.
He had pictured her face.
Over and over.
The one thing keeping him from surrendering to fear.
Now she stood before him.
Real. Alive.
Beautiful.
More beautiful than memory.
His hand rose to her cheek.
The harbor around them had grown strangely quiet.
Everyone watched but neither noticed nor cared.
His voice came out softer than intended. โI thought I would never see you again.โ
Y/N immediately looked away, fresh tears appeared.
โDo not say that.โ
โIt is true.โ
โNo.โ
โY/Nโโ
โNo,โ Her voice cracked. โYou are here.โ
Jacaerys swallowed.
The pain in her eyes struck harder than any blade.
Slowly, he pulled her closer, resting his forehead against hers. โI am here.โ
The words were almost a whisper.
โI came back.โ
โYou nearly didnโt.โ
โI know.โ
Silence lingered.
Eventually Y/N spoke. โDid you think of me?โ
Jacaerys stared then laughed softly. โEvery moment.โ
She looked up. โTruly?โ
His thumb gently traced her cheek as a soft smile touched his lips. โEvery moment,โ he murmured before pressing a kiss to her forehead. โWhen the battle began.โ Another kiss followed near her temple. โWhen our ships were burning.โ His gaze softened as he brushed a kiss against her trembling cheek. โAnd when I thought I might die, you were all I could think about.โ
Y/Nโs breath hitched.
Jacaerys smiled gently before pressing another kiss against her skin. โI was not thinking of glory,โ he said softly. โNor victory.โ His voice lowered as he rested his forehead against hers. โI was thinking about the fact that if I died, I would never get to marry you.โ
Her eyes widened at the confession. The prince who commanded fleets, who was destined for greatness, and who always seemed fearless now stood before her looking unexpectedly vulnerable. For perhaps the first time, she could see the fear he rarely allowed anyone else to witness, as though the thought of losing her frightened him far more than any battle ever could.
Y/N cupped his face. โThen do not leave me again.โ
Jacaerys closed his eyes, leaning into her touch. โIf I can help it, I never shall.โ
โYou promise?โ
โI swear it.โ
โOn what?โ
A smile tugged at his lips. โOn my crown.โ
โThat is not yours yet.โ
โMy dragon then.โ
Y/N giggled. โDangerous.โ
โMy life.โ
Y/N immediately shook her head. โNo.โ
His expression softened. โThen I swear it on my love for you.โ
Neither spoke for several moments.
Because some promises felt too sacred to interrupt.
Finally, Jacaerys leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers once more.
The harbor had vanished again.
The war had vanished.
Only the two of them existed.
And after days of fear, grief, and uncertainty, Y/N finally allowed herself to believe the truth.
He was alive, and he had returned to her at last. In that moment, she did not see a prince, a warrior, or the future heir to a kingdom; she saw only the man she loved standing before her.
And as Jacaerys held her against his chest, feeling her heartbeat beneath his hands, he realized something that no battle had ever taught him.
Victory was not surviving the Gullet.
He came back to her and thatโs what matters.












