Game of Thrones – Modern AU

Rickon – 14, Bran - 18, Arya – 19, Sansa - 21, Jon - 23, Robb - 24

Arya:

Arya didn't know what to think. Stood here by the grave with her family and close friends, the small bunch of flowers deposited on their joint gravestone, she felt utterly lost. One month ago, this same day her parents had been involved in the horrendous car crash that turned her whole world upside down. That resulted in Sansa moving back home from University so that she could look after Bran, Arya and Rickon.

But that wasn't what was bothering her, what was bothering her was the muscly, auburn headed figure standing next to her half-brother, Jon and his girlfriend, Ygritte. The figure of course was Gendry and, today of all days when she was meant to mourning the deaths of her beloved parents, her head was filled with images of his plump lips and his perfect abs that she had seen whenever they had gone swimming. Gendry, looked up from the ground, meeting her gaze and gave her a small sympathetic smile. Arya hurriedly turned away and stared fixedly at the floor. Dammit she thought all she was going to get was sympathy, all she was to him was Jon and Robb's little sister. Nothing else.

When everyone had laid their numerous flowers and candles down, the group headed back to the carpark. Arya skulked at the back. Whilst Robb his head on Jeyne's shoulder clutching her hand paced a couple of metres ahead of her. Sansa, chatting away to Theon, with bran and Rickon on his phone in tow, lead the way. Jon and Ygritte followed them just ahead of Robb, whispering quietly in each other's ears, and stealing chuckles. Arya scuffed the gravel with her shoe, as she followed the others down the path from the churchyard to her car.

"You ok?" A familiar voice questioned to the right of her. She turned startled and knocked heads with Gendry. Bringing her head up to her head she muttered gibberish under her breath.

"I'm sorry" He apologised. "I didn't mean to scare you! I just wanted to see if you were doing ok?"

"Yeah. As ok as you can a month after your parents died, I guess." She replied sarcastically.

She thought he may throw her a quizzical look and lop off to tell Sansa, as most people did. But instead he laughed. "Yeah I guess that was a kind of stupid question."

As they reached the carpark, he turned to face her. "Arya can I ask you for a favour."

Here it was she thought. Asking her for Sansa's number as so many did before.

"Could I grab a lift with you? I just don't feel like third wheeling with them". He chuckled as he gestured behind him to Jon and Ygritte, who were kissing furiously against Jon's Audi, Ned at Cat had left them all a fair amount of money. She looked and him startled.

He shrugged his shoulders "It's fine if you want to be alone though I get it".

"No! No." She replied. "I just thought you were going to ask something else, is all. Hop in she gestured to the passenger side of her Golf GTI. The drive back to the Stark house was quiet. Arya kept conversation to a minimum and when she finally pulled into the long winding driveway of the countryside estate, she was relieved.

Supper was a loud affair. After all the Stark children felt the need to celebrate the lives of their mother and father, and with the only way they saw fit, alcohol. Sansa had cooked, their mother's famous lasagne recipe and Robb and Jon had found the famous Stark Gin, which of course resulted in chaos. Bran had taken Rickon, upstairs as he had begun to feel sick and Robb, Jeyne, Jon and Ygritte, were playing couples snooker, in the games room. That left Sansa, Theon, Gendry and Arya, snuggled around the firepit in blankets outside. Sansa yawned and Gendry laughed as Theon gathered her up in his arms to take her to bed.

"So, it just us then Milady." Gendry chuckled as he poked Arya in the ribs.

"Seems that way, doesn't it bull." Arya replied, as she wriggled away from his grasp, turning to face him as she stared into his bright blue eyes.

"Arya, when I asked you earlier for a lift, you said that you thought I was going to say something else. What was it?" Gendry asked, gazing into her eyes.

Maybe it was the fact that it was just the two of them and she trusted him. Maybe it was because of the alcohol and the fact that his endearing blue eyes were so close to hers. She didn't know what it was. But she told him the truth.

"I thought you were going to ask for Sansa's number. Ok?" She replied.

"Well… I…What made you think that?" He asked, a shocked look on his face.

"Oh, come on everyone does! But I feel like you don't have a chance, her and Theon are besotted with each other. Sorry to burst your bubble." She laughed, patting Gendry affectionately on the arm.

"Ha! Yeah, I can see that. He's good for her though. Especially after Joffrey." He said as he fake retched at the name of his half-brother. Arya chuckled, and felt Gendry's warm arm around her back, as she snuggled against it shivering.

"Arya what if I told you that Sansa wasn't the Stark girl I wanted?" Gendry questioned.

"Haha. Everybody wants Sansa." She yawned.

"Not me. What if I told you, I liked someone else?" He spoke softly, Arya's brain whirred. What did he mean someone else, she didn't have another sister? Stupid bull she thought getting confused as usual. She turned to face him, and she could have sworn they were much closer than ever before. He rested his forehead on her shoulder and muttered "I meant you. It's always been you, only you."

Arya gasped as she felt his hot lips on her neck and bringing his chin up to her face, her lips found hers, as she pulled him towards her for a searing kiss. She practically melted against him there and then, as she scrambled onto his lap, so she was straddling him and deepened the kiss. Her tongue exploring every inch of her mouth. He pulled away reluctantly and smiled.

"Yeah so about Sansa's number?" He queried cheekily, placing a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Stupid bull" she replied as she smacked him on the arm, her smile restored for the first time in a month.