Because It Was Theirs
Disclaimer: Melisandre's magic has not work and I am still not George R.R. Martin or HBO therefore I do not own any of these characters of the book series and TV show.
Day 2:
Forbidden: not allowed or banned
He shouldn't of let it get this far to begin with.
From a young age, he had been told that those of a lower class shouldn't interact with those from a better society and had more money than him. They should be treated with respect. A bastard like him shouldn't be friends with someone like the Starks.
Not that it stopped him. His conscious might have been yelling at him all the time he was with her that she shouldn't lower herself to be friends with him, but the pull of wanting her company was too strong to be ignored. She was brilliant and amazing. This ball of mischievous energy, that could ignite and explode at any moment. Anyone too close to the flame could be burnt without a seconds notice, whether it be with a sly comment or a full blown rage.
Arya Stark pulled Gendry Waters in hook, line and sinker.
But that wasn't an excuse.
The minute her parents found out about them-whatever they were- she had been banned from seeing him ever again. A working-class born bastard mechanic wasn't worthy of the precious little Miss Stark. She could protest all she wanted to, it didn't change their mind. No matter how much she fought them, it didn't matter in the end. She was forbidden to have contact with him.
Arya had tried to explain how much Gendry meant to her. That he was her best friend and knew her better than anyone else. It was all in vain. Her parents were dead set against her being with him, in any way, they we're 'looking out for her future prospects'. They thought that she would forget him after awhile, move on with her life and be with someone who was much worthier than him.
And that's what scared him the most. After a while she would move on, and meet someone better than him. He would be a little sentence in the story of her life and the rest of it would be so much brighter than this.
So he moved away, far away from Winterfell and the rest of the Starks. There was nothing holding him there or where he was now, in his hometown of King's Landing. The only reason he moved in the first time, away from his place of birth, was because he wanted to go and explore the world. Now he was back, only because the simple thought of her being with someone else, in the way she had been with him, killed him. It made his heart feel as if it had been engulfed by flames and torn into the tiniest of pieces before being grounded into dust. He had said goodbye, said it was for the best, tried to be as convincing as possible, only just managing to stop himself from pulling her into his arms and taking everything back. Watching her beg for him to stay, hold in tears and finally break down into sobs and running into her house, pushing past her siblings and parents, when he had drove away in his car-having seen it from his rear-view mirror- was definitely the worst and hardest thing he had ever done in his life.
It would be better this way, he tried to convince himself. Better for the both of them. She would be able to move on and forget about him, find something better to do with her life other than be with him and he wouldn't have to watch it happen. He stood a chance of getting on with his wretched stupid life, even if it had to be without her.
So when he opened the door to his miserable flat in the Flea Bottom complex, to see Arya Stark standing there after two months without any communication, he was a bit more than shocked.
'You going to invite me in or what stupid?' she snapped at him, with her usual snarky bite. Stuttering, he moved out of her way and held open the door, letting her enter his flat.
She inspected his apartment and for once he wished he cleaned up more often. Once she heard the door shut behind them, she turned around and faced him.
'So' she started 'I ran away from Winterfell'
It only took one sentence from her to completely shock him. Although she had done less in the past that had caused a similar reaction.
'What-what-what do you mean you ran away from Winterfell?' Gendry finally asked incredulously.
'What I said stupid' she returned 'I left Winterfell'
'But-but-but-why?' he begged confusedly.
'Because I'm tired of being told what to do!' she suddenly cried out, throwing her arms up above her head in an exasperated expression and started to pace round Gendry's flat, leaving him to only to watch her rant. 'My family want me to be a proper Lady. Like Sansa, like my Mum. They tell me that's what I should be- who I should want to be- even though I'm a grown adult. But that's not me! And when I finally find someone, who loves me the way I am, they push him away, thinking that it's for my own good.'
She had stopped at this point and was now directly in front of him, her eyes locked with his, so fierce that he couldn't look away.
'Arya' he sighed 'You know they just want they think is best for you-'
'Exactly!' she interrupted 'What they think is best for me. They don't know what actually is, because they don't truly know me. Not really.'
'They're your family' Gendry argued back 'Of course they know you.'
'No they don't. Not the way you do.'
That stopped him, leaving him to just open and close his mouth stupidly, since he had no response that. It had been two months and she still thought he knew her best of all. What could he say to that?
Deciding that there really wasn't anything he could say in reply, Gendry ignored her comment and tried to be the responsible adult 'You should ring your parents and let them know where you are.' he turned to reach the phone 'They're probably worried sick-'
'They know I'm fine' she answered 'I've been gone two weeks anyway. They know I'm not going back anytime soon.'
'Two weeks! Arya, what have you been doing for two weeks?!' he exclaimed
'You know' she said, slowly walking closer to them 'the usual. Travelling. Looking around. Deciding where to go' By the time she had finished, she was right in front of him, the distance between them merely centimetres.
'R-r-right' he gulped. What are you fucking doing Waters?! You've been this close to her before and now you're deciding to act like a blushing little girl! 'And where have you decided to go?' he managed to get out.
'Anywhere I want' she smirked, raising her face to his and whispered to him, her breath on his lips, 'With anyone I want'
She swooped in, her lips claiming his in a kiss, so alike to the ones he had tried to forget that he couldn't do anything else but return it. Because maybe their love was second nature and was an instinct.
When they pulled away, he looked back into her eyes and took a breath to steady himself for what he was about to say. 'Look, you need to go back to you're family, they were right, you and me, we can't be together, it's forbidden-'
'Don't you try and push me away again' she swore 'I'm not letting you go again'
But he persisted 'You're too young to be out on your own-'
'I'm not too young. I turned eighteen two weeks ago! Or did I mean so little to you that you could forget me so easily?' she yelled. One look from him, told her everything she needed to know. Of course I didn't forget! I could never forget, no matter what. 'And I wouldn't be on my own! Not if you came with me!'
He sighed and closed his eyes. 'It doesn't change anything. I'm still just a bastard mechanic. I'm not enough'
'You are not a bastard mechanic!' she shouted 'And you are more than enough for me. You're- you're perfect for me, whether you were a bastard mechanic or the king's son, it doesn't matter'
Maybe it wasn't right, maybe this was the real turning point where he would go his separate way and let her live her life. Or maybe their love was too selfish to allow that.
'They can't tell me what to do anymore' she said to him 'And neither can you. So when I ask you to come with me, you can't tell me that I should go back to Winterfell or go home, because that isn't home anymore. Not when you're here. What you should do is answer me.'
She glared at him, like she always did when she was annoyed with him, and he couldn't help but smile at how normal it felt to be back with her. Her cute glare, scrunched up her face and he used to just kiss it away. It was ridiculous how much he missed those little things after two months, how much he wanted to do that right now. How much he needed to.
Because maybe they had to have this love.
'Alright' he said quietly 'You and me'
The glare on her face disappeared within moments and she glowed. Quickly grabbing his hand, she tugged him along towards the hallway leading to his bedroom, joyfully ordering him to 'Hurry up and pack, because we've got stuff to do!'
And all he could do was smile, because this was them.
It was natural, instinctive, selfish and so necessary.
And it was forbidden.
But that didn't matter.
Because it was their forbidden love.
