Where people age until they reach 18 and then stop aging until they meet their soul mate so they can grow old together AU
Gendry sits in his kitchen table, eating breakfast when it happens.
Well, when someone points it happened.
"You look old" says Bella, looking at him intensely.
"Shut up" Gendry mutters, taking a bite of his sandwich. He ties to act as if Bella's words dosen't affect him, but he keeps pushing it.
"MYA! DON'T YOU THINK GENDRY LOOKS OLD?!" Bella yells at their sister, who was in the bathroom, fixing her hair.
"Leave him alone!" Mya yells back, "it's just his face."
"But he does" Bella whines, pouting like a child.
"Bella, I'm 22, I'm not even old!"
"But you look old! You don't look 18 anymore!"
The comment rubs him in the wrong way, and he tries to control his temper, inhaling deeply. He takes another bite of his sandwich, and he ends up chewing with more strength that he needs.
"Bella, that was rude…" Mya says entering to the kitchen, ready to leave for work as soon as she eats her breakfast of toast and coffee.
"Me rude? He has a soulmate and he didn't told us!"
"Enough!" Gendry slams his hands on the table standing up, "I am leaving. I'll see you later."
Gendry still hears Bella mutter "I don't understand why he lies to us."
"Oh, come on! Is not such a big deal!"
Gendry is working under a car, so he doesn't try to stop his frown to deepen.
Gendry has been working during the afternoons in Mott's Garage, in order to pay his college and rent for a couple years no. And like every afternoon for the last four years, his unexpected best friend, Arya Stark was visiting him… and teasing him.
"I mean, sure, you look old, but that's your type of face! Not like me that I'll always have a baby face." She laughs, "Or like, you know Ygritte? She looks younger than Jon so people sometimes even doubt they are soul mates and…"
"I don't mind looking old!" Gendry snaps and quickly rolls himself out, "She says I look older as if I had aged… and… what if she is right?"
"What? You haven't met your soul mate yet."
"Exactly! What if I don't have one! What if I'm aging because… because if not… I'm not supposed to meet anyone." Gendry hates how he sounds, pathetic, scared…
"Oh, Gen…" Arya sits beside Gendry on the floor, they have never been especially touchy feeling, specially Arya, but she would never tease him for something like that, "Is… is not that…" She places a hand on his shoulder, trying to not be awkward, "You are not aging… you… maybe… you look tired or something…"
"Good try, Arya."
"No! I swear! Plus, I've known you since you are 18 I would've notice if you looked older!"
"Yeah," he laughs, "talking 'bout it, you are turning 18 next week… ready to stop aging for a while?"
"For a while? Yeah right, I plan to stay like this for a looong time, my friend."
It's a little over a year later when the subject is again approached… by Bella.
"Hello, older brother" Bella greets that moring, her mascara from last night still on her face and an unmistakable smell of 'party' that Bella always carries on Sunday mornings.
"You are older Bella." Gendry groans. He is sitting on the couch, a bottle of water in his hand and covered by the unmistakable smell of beer.
"Uh-uh, I was born before, but I'm certainly younger" she sings, Gendry can't help to wonder how Bella is never hang-over?
He is hang-over.
"Not now Bella, my head is killing me…"
"Had a fun night?" she sits in the coffee table in front of Gendry, a mischievous smile on her face.
Even before Gendry can answer, the door of his room opens, and Arya comes out, wearing one of his hoodies.
"Oh God, it really was a fun night" Bella laughs, loudly.
"Bella…"
"Don't worry, I didn't corrupt your brother" Arya says, sitting beside Gendry. She grabs Gendry's bottle and drinks half of it in one swing.
"I don't' want to be rude, but Arya, you really look haggard." Bella grabs Arya's face, checking it, and for a second she holds her breath.
"Well, yeah, I'm hang-over Bella…" Bella looks at her brother again, and at Arya….
"Arya, tell me the truth, did you had sex with my brother at any point of your life?"
It takes both of them almost a minute to register what Bella just asked.
"What?! Bella what you are…" Gendry can't even start form a coherent sentence, his face is as red as it can get.
"No, never" Arya answers, she is blushing but tries to act non-chalant.
"Are you sure? Maybe a kiss? Or something…"
"Bella! Leave her alone!" Gendry stands and pulls his sister into his room, closing the door behind him. "What is wrong with you?!
"You love her." Bella smiles and hugs her brother.
"WHAT?!"
"You do! Don't you? No, you do! I know" Bella is holding Gendry at arm's length, inspecting him.
"Ghaa…-"
"You never stopped aging because you met when you were 18…"
"Again with that!? Bella, leave it!" Gendry walks to the door, but dosen't open it.
"And she is losing the baby fat in her face! Mya has just started losing it last month, when she met her soulmate."
"Bella…" he inhaled deeply, "just… leave it, ok? I… I don't want to scare Arya off."
"Why would she…?" He turns and looks at Bella with a tired smile.
"She was fifteen when I met her… is… is weird."
"You have to tell her." Gendry just roll his eyes, and opens the door.
Arya is standing in front the door, her eyes wide open.
"Arya… what…"
"The walls are thin." She says simply, and before anything else can happen, she stands on her tip toes and kiss Gendry on the lips.