Gendry isn't entirely sure how they've ended up here, but he's not going to complain about it at all. He watches from a slight distance as Arya sets Rhae on her little feet, holding tightly to the one-year-old's hands. Rhae babbles happily and takes a few hesitant steps forward, her chubby legs bowed out. Arya's looking down at the babe, pride sparkling in her grey eyes. Even from a distance, Gendry can hear the encouragement that Arya's providing as their youngest child takes her first steps.
"You're going to be exploring with your brothers and sister soon enough, aren't you?" she says, laughing when Rhae babbles an incoherent response. They're toddling around the practice yard, roaming in circles and stopping when Rhae sees something on the ground that sparks her interest. A smile spreads across his face when Gendry watches the babe squat down and then lean back a bit to land on her bum. Arya shakes her head and kneels on the ground next to her, wrestling something from the babe's tiny fist. Gendry knows from experience that the grip of a babe can be stronger than even steel tempered by dragon fire - he doesn't envy Arya having to take something away from their daughter. Rhae shrieks in anger as whatever was in her hand is taken away, her little face going red.
"Dramatic," Arya sighs affectionately and stands, swiftly lifting the babe to her hip. Rhae continues shrieking, but Arya pretends that the noise has no effect on her. By the time Arya's halfway across the practice yard, Rhae's shrieks have quieted to fake tears. Gendry laughs at the eye roll Arya gives her.
That is, until his wife catches sight of him and strides over purposefully, already handing the babe over before she's even that close. Gendry takes her easily and cuddles her close, pressing a bearded kiss to her dark hair. Rhae tucks her body close to her father's chest and Arya swears the child gives her a dirty look.
"Don't encourage her," Arya chastises, not really angry.
"Ah, I haven't encouraged anything," Gendry retorts, smiling. Rhae pats his cheek with a chubby palm and he turns his head to kiss her hand. She giggles and pulls her hand away from his scratchy beard.
"Haven't discouraged her from that maddening shrieking," Arya shoots back. But even as she's talking, her hand snakes out and strokes against Rhae's ankle. The skin there is soft and pale and apparently ticklish, if the way Rhae scrunches her body up in Gendry's arms is any indication.
"She's just trying to express herself, like the other hellions," Gendry smiles, nudging Rhae's cheek with his knuckle, "Aren't you, littlest wolf?"
She bares her teeth at him in a happy grin, babbling, "papapapa," and giving him a particularly drool-y kiss on the cheek.
"Charmer," Arya murmurs fondly. "You have her? I want to check on the others before we start petitions for the day."
Gendry nods. "'Course. Maybe Rhae and I will see what Hot Pie's cooked up for sweets after supper."
"Don't even think about ruining her appetite," Arya threatens, pointing a finger at her husband.
"Listen to you," he laughs, then, speaking to Rhae, "To think your mama thought she would be a terrible mother."
Arya smirks - there's truth in his words. She'd been petrified when she found herself pregnant with Durran. Then he had been born and she'd felt love for the tiny babe like she'd never known. Her terror and apprehension over being a mother had lessened over the years, only to return triple fold when the twins had been an entirely unexpected surprise. By the time Rhae came along just a bit more than a year later, Arya felt as if she were finally getting a handle on being a mother. It helps that Gendry is an amazing father - hands-on and attentive to the children, even when he's busy with his duties.
She leans up to kiss her husband's bearded cheek, caressing his other cheek with her free hand. "An hour, Gendry, I won't do petitions by myself again," she scowls, recalling what happened last time.
"As you wish, milady," he grins cheekily, lifting Rhae's hand in a little wave as Arya walks off.
Arya finds the twins in their room with the septa. She's reading them a story, attempting to keep their attention for longer than ten minutes. They spot her and jump up from their chairs, scrambling over each other to get to her.
She kneels down and collects them in her arms. "Hello, little wolves. Have you been behaving?"
From the septa's long-suffering sigh, Arya figures that the boys have been rambunctious and stubborn, as usual. She eyes the boys - both with Gendry's dark hair, but Ed's got her stormy grey eyes and Alaric's got Gendry's icy blue ones, thank the Seven because otherwise there's no way to tell them apart - and shakes her head. "Haven't papa and I told you to behave?"
"Mama, we want play!" Ric exclaims, more outspoken than his twin. Ed nods in agreement, echoing, "Play! No sit!"
"Well," Arya adopts a mock-stern tone, "you haven't behaved for your septa. Little wolves that misbehave don't get to play."
"No!" Ed and Ric shout simultaneously, dropping to the floor and rolling around dramatically. Arya raises her eyes to the ceiling and prays to the Seven for patience. "We good, Mama!" they cry, all fake tears like their younger sister.
"Prove it to me, then," she says, grabbing each of their arms and standing them up. "Can you be good boys for your septa until I get back with your papa?"
"We good, mama!" Ed promises in his little voice. He pats Arya's hand before running back to sit with the septa. "Story, please," he requests calmly.
Arya nudges Alaric in the direction of his brother and murmurs, "I'll believe it when I see it."
She leaves the twins sitting with the septa, looking rapt as she tells a story about magic and dragons. Arya shudders a bit as she closes the door behind her.
Durran and Nourah are studying with Maester Zaech in the solar, enjoying some sun while they learn numbers and letters. Arya hangs back in the shadows for a moment, watching Durran's brow furrow as he works at the more complicated sums the maester's had him working on the past few days. Her oldest son has his tongue caught between his teeth, scratching angrily at the scroll with his pen. His facial expression is all Gendry, as is his struggle with numbers. Nourah, on the other hand, swings her legs under her chair and scribbles energetically on her own scroll. The maester is talking to them quietly and encouraging their skill.
"I hope you're studying hard," Arya says as she strolls into the room fully, "Father and I want to retire to the beaches and put you lot in charge."
Durran and Nourah look up and laugh at Arya's proclamation. "I'm only 10!" Durran exclaims, "I can't be in charge yet."
"Why do you think we'll leave Davos behind? He taught your father all he knows," Arya teases, pressing kisses to the tops of her children's heads.
Nourah shakes her head, "Durran's going to need more help than just Davos! He's hopeless."
Durran reaches out to kick his sister and Arya sighs. The two eldest Baratheon children either get along like fiends or fight like mortal enemies. She and Gendry hope they'll grow out of it soon. Constantly breaking up brawls is getting tiring. She shoots the boy a look and he withdraws his leg with a muttered, "sorry."
"Mama?" Nourah looks up at Arya with a sly little look in her eyes. Arya's learned to be wary of that look.
"Yes?" she replies warily.
"Can we go out to Shipbreaker's Bay?" she asks. "It's finally sunny! And we haven't been out in ages!"
Nourah sticks her lower lip out in a pout and Durran jumps up from his seat, agreeing with his sister. Arya looks just past their heads, out the window. The sky is blue and the sun is shining - a vast difference from the grey clouds and intermittent rain that had taken hold of the Stormlands for the past fortnight. She thinks of the petitions that she and Gendry have to do. Then she looks down at the children's hopefully faces and finds herself nodding.
"I think we can do that," she smiles, laughing as Durran and Nourah jump and scream in excitement. Turning to Maester Zaech, Arya asks that he find Gendry and tell him that petitions are going to have to be pushed back and hour or two and for him to meet them out on the Bay. The maester nods and smiles at the children's enthusiasm.
"It would be my pleasure, my lady," he bows his head in deference, even though Arya hates it. "Is he to bring Lady Rhae and the young masters with him?"
"He can bring Rhae," Arya says, "We will get the twins on our way down to the Bay."
The maester nods again and leaves the solar. Arya gathers Durran and Nourah and ushers then down the corridor so they can relieve the septa of the terrible twins.
Rhae babbles happily in his ear as Gendry makes his way for Shipbreaker's Bay. Gendry smiles and answers her as if he understands what she's saying. As they get closer to the Bay, Gendry can hear the shrieking and giggling of their older children and the noise spurs him to move a little faster.
He's not entirely sure why Arya's decided to push back petitions - she's usually the one that keeps them all on schedule. Ironic, since Arya's never done what people told her to do a day in her life. But as the Lady of Storm's End, she likes providing stability for the people of the Stormlands. But, as someone who still, more than a decade later, is unused to his lordship, Gendry's more than happy to shirk duties, if it means more time with his wife and children.
As the beach comes into view, so do Arya and the children. Arya's got each of the twins by the hand, standing with them in the shallows as they kick and splash each other. Her breeches are rolled to the knee and the salty air has coaxed some curl into her normally straight hair. She's laughing, her grey eyes sparkling even from a distance, kicking her feet in the water so she can splash Durran and Nourah. For their parts, Durran and Nourah are bent at the waist, splashing Arya and the twins with their hands.
"Should we join them, my little lady?" Gendry asks Rhae. She grins and shouts "mamama" loud enough to capture Arya's attention, even over the crashing waves. She looks over and grins at them.
Raising her voice, she shouts, "What are you waiting for? Get over here, stupid!"
Gendry's not sure how he got here - how he got so lucky - but he's not complaining.
A/N: fluffy gendrya and their babies after that angsty one i gave you guys the other day! i know arya's always going on and on about how she's not a lady and how she doesn't want to just keep popping out kids, but i firmly believe that she and gendry would have one baby, because arya knows the importance of having an heir, and then she would remember growing up with her siblings and she'd be unable to let their kid stay an only child. plus we know gendry and arya are constantly in bed together lol
anyway, enjoy! :)