Gendry rolled away from her as their breathing began to wane. Her nether regions slick from their joining. Arya felt hot as she sat up and pulled the furs over Gendry's body. He watched her slowly, remembering how just a couple hours before he had proposed to her and she turned him down. Yet she still told him to join her in her room that night.
Arya looked towards the window, it was pulled open to let the moonlight in, Gendry reached for her, his fingers touching her skin and Arya looked back at him.
"Don't leave." Gendry whispered and Arya's eyes widened.
"How?"
"You wouldn't refuse a proposal, then make love to me to just stay in Winterfell." Gendry pointed out and Arya hid her face.
"You're not going to be staying. You'll probably be sent down to Storm's End to rally anyone loyal to your name. What does it matter where I go?" Arya drew her knees to her chest and laid her head on them.
"I can help protect you if you come with me. We'll be meeting the war with an army. That is better than going off on your own."
His voice was soft and gentle and Arya wished she had not taken advantage of their last night. The ache in her chest was getting to be too much.
"You can't beat Cersei with an army. I have another role to play and I intend to fulfill it."
"Then that's it. You leave, execute the queen and then what. What happens when you finish your list? Do you allow yourself to live? Arya, what does this mean to you?" He gestured between the two of the them and silence filled the time. He then sat up and reached for his clothes.
"What are you doing?" Arya asked and Gendry let out a heavy sigh.
"I am sick of being used by highborns. It had been the story of my life for as long as I can remember." Gendry didn't even look at her as he stood, pulling his clothes on.
"I wasn't using you." Arya crawled over the other side of the bed and grabbed his arm. Gendry stilled, but didn't look at her. "This is not something I can explain right now."
"I need you to."
"Gendry"
"No. I am not stupid. I wouldn't have gotten my title unless someone asked Daenerys to do it. I'm sure she has her own motives for it, but someone asked her." Gendry then shook her hand off and continued getting dressed.
"I needed you to be safe. I needed you to have a future if I died and couldn't secure it for you. If Daenerys dies and I fail, you could pledge your allegiance to the crown. You could restore Storm's end. Davos would help you." Arya hurried and Gendry turned on her words.
"You do not decide this for me. I do not want it. You understand me? I have only ever wanted to get back to you. I thought you were dead for years. I pledged my allegiance to your brother, to respect what you wanted me to do for Robb."
Arya stayed quiet, her eyes tearing slightly. Gendry wanted to kiss her in that moment, but his stubbornness was eating at him.
"I need to know that this is not nothing to you"
"It's everything to me" Arya mumbled and she looked away when a tear fell on her cheek. "It scares me to know that I can lose not only you but all of this. My brothers, my sister, my home"
"Your pack" Gendry finished breathlessly and Arya nodded. She grabbed his tunic, fisting the material, her watery eyes pleading with him.
"So I need you to let me go. I'm going to leave and I need you to do whatever you have to to stay safe and help win this war. Do not pine for me" Arya's voice raised slightly and Gendry leaned forward to kiss the tear on her cheek. "Promise me." It was a plea.
Gendry pulled away, touching his forehead to hers.
"I promise I won't pine for you. I will stay safe. I will gather the men so we can win this war. But I will love you till my dying breath. I am your family now" Arya let out a soft sob at the words and Gendry kissed her. The desperation in their kisses increased.
Gendry prayed that one day they would be able to take their time, let the night wane on till the sun comes up in the morning. He imagined how those days would go where he could worship her body. But they only had tonight and soon the sun would come up and their night would end.
Arya was stripping the clothes he had just pulled on, her kisses demanding and her sighs evident that she wanted him again.
Gendry worried he might not have another round in him, but when Arya's naked chest brushed his, her nipples hardened and sensitive, his cock was aching once more.
"Gendry" Arya moaned between kisses and he pushed her to lay down. His body hovering over her. His mind playing images of Arya riding him just an hour before until she needed him to finish them off. This time he was going to be on top. Start to finish. He felt his trousers pushed down as he moved his hand to her inner thigh. The skin quivered under the touch and his fingers felt the stickiness of his own seed that had escaped down to her thighs.
She cried out when his fingers finally touched her and she bore her hips down. Gendry nipped at her neck, letting her fill the air with her sounds. His thumb rubbed above her opening which was then filled with two of his fingers and her legs fell open completely. Her body responding to his touches like it was meant to.
Gendry waited till she was on the edge before taking one of her nipples into his mouth, suckling gently as he removed his fingers.
Arya protested for a moment before her eyes flew open and a moan escaped her mouth as he filled her. He grunted against her breast as her walls fluttered to accommodate him. Her body also shuddering as she reached her own release from the stimulation.
He waited for a moment for her to calm down.
"What are you waiting for?" Arya husked, her legs wrapping around his waist. He looked at her, her eyes half lidded and twinkling in lust and love. She hadn't said the words, but as she let him thrust into her and her mouth sighed his name, he knew.
The heat of both of them kept the cold from overtaking him and one of his hands stroked her skin and down her side before grabbing her thigh for leverage. Leverage to angle himself deeper, harder with every thrust.
He could almost just watch her as he made love with her. He could get lost in the way her hair curled from sweat, the gray of her eyes stormy when she did look at him. She reached for him, pulling him closer and he felt her lips on his skin and then her teeth, he grunted when his skin prickled with pain and he knew she had marked him.
She began to wrestle with him more, she grinned when he pinned her hands above her head with his free hand and thrust into her harder.
"Arya" Gendry growled out and Arya began to moan louder. Her body responding more to his as she let herself submit.
He didn't know how much time had passed when she finally cried out his name, her hands gripping his hand and her thighs tightening around his hips. Gendry held off his own release knowing it would be the last time, but then Arya leaned up, peppering soft kisses on his neck and chest.
The softness and gentleness in which she had moved cause him to moan out his fingers digging into her thigh, possibly leaving bruises behind.
Arya poked him in the ribs when his weight got too much and he flipped them over so she was on his chest. His cock slipping from her. Arya stayed on his chest. Her feet curling around his legs.
"It's cold" Gendry murmured. His eyes half closed wanting sleep. Arya reached for the furs, her body was warm but she knew Gendry had southern blood. "I love you Arya"
It was a whisper said so softly that Arya thought she could ignore it. But the more she felt his heart beat against her, she closed her eyes and nuzzled against his chest.
"I love you too Gendry" Arya murmured as she felt his arms tighten around her. She concluded that when morning came it would be very hard for her to leave him, but she had to.