Just something I wrote and figured I might as well publish to see if anyone liked it. It's unedited as it's late a night (also I'm hopeless at editing. So attack away.)
Nym would lay out her long body on the floor, large head resting on her paws and her too intelligent eyes never leaving her master. Looking more wolf than dog she stood waist height on Gendry and on her hind legs she could rest her fore paws on even the tallest of men with Gendry being no exception. Brave souls would great her with a head rub and soft words but most simply gave her a wide berth but Gendry had never seen Nym light-up around anyone but her master. He'd seen the giant creature reduced to a pup around her master, wrestling her small human like a member of her own pack and yipping and nipping playfully. It was also the only time he'd seen The Cat laugh and her cheering laugh like the sweetest music he'd ever heard. The Cat was normally so stone-faced and showed less emotion than he'd thought possible, a smirk of triumph, the eye-roll she offered when annoyed and that soft, angry huff of defeat. There's hurt buried deep in her eyes that most wouldn't recognize but Gendry has and odd fascination with her eyes and the hurt in hers in similar to the one he sees in his mirror. He wants to talk to her but he finds her unapproachable, either she's working – she seems not to have a specialty in the gym because he's seen her teach everything from yoga to kick-boxing – or she's fighting, surrounded by larger, tougher looking men that Gendry, despite his size and fighting prowess, wouldn't like to meet after dark. So instead of going up to talk with her, like any normal man would, he focuses his attentions on her beast of a dog, Nym. Every day he makes the effort to move a little closer to the beast and before long he's greeting the dog with a head scratch and earning himself a lick or two to his face and hands. He finds himself at ease with the dog, something he hadn't expected having had very little experience with dogs in the past and Nym seems to have very little love for anyone but her master. It comes as a shock when The Cat comes up to him one day and actually talks to him.
He's come to the gym after work and he's got his forearm wrapped in white bandage from sustaining a welding burn at work, his fault he tried to weld in a tricky spot and ended up leaving a strip of skin exposed between his gloves and fire-retardant over-jacket, but Nym seems to have taken a personal interest in his injury. She's prodding him with her wet nose and offering him – what he can only assume – a sympathetic whine. Gendry just rubs her head and tells her that he's fine, forgetting that she's just a dog and probably doesn't understand what he's saying.
"She's not like that with most people." The Cat offers, she's standing in front of him and Gendry didn't even hear her approach. He's head her voice before but it's never been directed at him and somehow that makes it different. Her voice is soft, melodic almost and slow speech pattern indicates a great deal of thought behind her words. She cocks her head a Nym and the dog leaves Gendry's side and goes to hers, earning a buffeting head rub and a smile from The Cat.
Gendry can't seem to find the right words to respond, seemingly shocked despite his desire for weeks to talk with her. He starts with a shrug, gathering his words and unsticking his mouth. "I guess I just like dogs." As soon as the words leave his mouth he realizes that it's a lie, he doesn't really care for most dogs and in that second he can see that The Cat knows it's a lie.
"No you don't," she tells him knowingly, he's always picked her for the type to know when someone's lying or not and he hopes that he hasn't ruined whatever miniscule chance he has, "but Nym's special like that." She continues and even offers him a wry smile one that seems honest on her slim face.
"Your right and Nym is special." Gendry answers and rises from his crouch to stand across from her. He notes how small she is in comparison to himself, short and slim with her muscles that make her so strong dwarfed by his own bulging ones. He doesn't forget that he's seen her take down a man larger than him with almost no effort on her behalf – the man may have been untrained but it still left Gendry in awe. "I'm Gendry by the way." He says offering her his uninjured hand and tries to coax a soft smile only his face. However his face may look The Cat drawn in by it and takes his hand. Both their hands are callused and rough but Gendry finds the similarities pleasing against his skin.
"I know." The Cat returns upon releasing his hand, "My name isn't really Cat so you might as well call me 'Arry." Her name sounds like 'Harry' with the 'H' cut off and it doesn't quiet suit her but rumbles around pleasantly in his brain.
"'Arry, alright then." He muses over her name but a smile on his lips, "Well it's good to officially meet you."
"And you too, Gendry." She's actually smiling now, a smile similar she gives to Nym and it causes Gendry's stomach to flip. "Are you going to a class today?"
"Not with this." He tells her shaking his injured wrist and 'Arry gives him a sympathetic shake of her head.
"Well, I'm teaching a Power Yoga class if you'd like." She invites, tugging at her hem of her tight sleeveless shirt, looking almost nervous but he's found that Arry never truly looks nervous.
"Thanks but you won't catch me dead in a yoga class." He answers automatically, thinking of the ridicule he'd receive at work if his coworkers ever found out, "Reckon I'll stick to cardio." She laughs at that, the sweet sound that's called to him so many times.
"Suit yourself. Flexibility is good for fighting." She sings, her words seeming less thought-out than normally and there's a freeing lit to her voice. There's a sparkle in her hurt-filled eyes that Gendry is truly intrigue by, finding himself leaning towards her and 'Arry doesn't flinch. They stand there for another long second, closer than a normal conversation requires and a stare too intense for new aquatics. Finally it's 'Arry who moves, her gray still sparkling eyes flicking to the clock above Gendry's head and a sigh leaves her lips. "Well I better not be late, can't leave the Yoga fiends waiting." She tells him before spinning away but not before giving him one last smile. Nym doesn't follow she just nudges Gendry's bandaged wrist one last time before sinking down to the ground, head on paws and eyes on Gendry.
"You are pretty special, aren't you?" He offers to Nym who just snorts in an arrogant fashion, her eyes telling him that she knows exactly how special she is, "And 'Arry is special too." This time Nym blinks her solemn eyes and affixes them to her master who's just entered the glass-walled yoga room.
For a week Gendry kicks himself for not taking her up on the offer to do yoga because he can never seem to catch her alone. He wants desperately to talk to her again but doesn't have the guts to talk to her when she's around other people, as if his words for her need to be private. He ends up spending more time at the gym as a result and always makes sure he spends a solid few minutes with Nym. Once he catches her smiling at him while he's stroking Nym's soft fur and there's a kindness in her eyes that Gendry treasures. After what seems like an eternity he finds her alone again. He's coming out of the locker rooms, freshly showered and it's right on closing time. Arry is sitting in one of the fighting rings and six-pack of beer beside her and her eyes wandering over the empty gym, as always Nym is close by her sleeping in the center of the ring. Her eyes swing over to him and she throws him a smile, something she always makes sure she does when she sees him.
"You closing down the gym tonight?" Gendry asks her, eyes flicking towards the exit before deciding that this is a perfect opportunity to talk to her.
"Yup. Just waiting for everyone to leave before I lock the doors." She answers before taking a long swig from one of the open bottle and sighing contently clearly enjoying the taste of the cold beer.
"Ahh," Gendry murmurs trying to keep the disappointment from his tone, "So that's means I should be getting out of here then." He's only ten or so feet from her and he can see the contemplation on her pretty face.
"No it's alright." She shoots him another smile, "You want one?" she's got an unopened bottle in her fist and she's raised it invitingly at him. He can't resist smiling at her, a beer sounds perfect and drinking with her is an impossible offer to refuse.
"For sure." He says as she passes him the beer and pats the spot beside her, which raises Nym's attention long enough for her to look at Gendry before huffing and dropping her head back to sleep. The beer is icy cold in his hand but he feels impossibly warm as she sits beside her. The fighting is one of the proper MMA cages and the opened gated is barely wide enough for them to sit besides one another, the six-pack the only thing separating them. She cracks open his beer with an opener on her key chain, leaning across him in a way that causes Gendry to take a sharp inhale of air. Her scent reminds him of a rainy day with undertones of some fruity body scrub and dog from Nym, it's fitting for her and Gendry can't help but like it. To do something with him self and to quench the sudden thirst he's got he talks a long sip from the beer before inspecting the label. It's a great tasting beer and Gendry see's why when he reads the label, it's an expensive imported beer from Winterfell the type of beer you drink for taste and not for their alcohol content.
"Nice tasting beer."
"Yeah, it's one of my favorites." She advises him, taking another sip and smiling at the taste.
"You don't meet too many people who like Winterfell beer here in Braavos." It's a excellent beer far better than the Penthos Blue Ribbon swill that everyone drinks due to it's cheap price and inoffensive taste. Gendry got a case of PBR in his fridge that he knows will be particularly tasteless after drinking such fine lager.
"I guess not." She tells him but there's something in her voice that seems sad and Gendry reckons it's got nothing to do with the number of people in Bravos not drinking Winterfell Brew. "I spent a bit of time in Winterfell when I was younger, I guess it just reminds me of my time there." She shrugs and Gendry can recognize the deliberate effort not to let her emotions out. They both drink from their respective bottles all the while Gendry wondering what was going on in her head.
It takes a while to get a conversation going but once it does it flows freely and Gendry is surprised at how funny 'Arry can be when she emerges from her serious façade. She doesn't let the topics stray too far from MMA, the gym or Nym, never letting the conversations turn personal and Gendry's pretend he doesn't notice. A one point she lets it slip out that it was her half-brother that first taught her how to fight and that her mother was strongly against girls fighting but that she had loved it anyways. Jon, her half-brother, had taught her Sambo and fighting style that Gendry knew was popular in the North but she spoke no more of her family after that. She further told him that the great Syrio Forel had trained her in Judo but it had been Jaqen H'ghar, one of the top fighters at Faceless, that had truly immersed her in MMA. In fact, she'd moved to Braavos on Jaqen's advice and it had been him who'd gotten her the job at Faceless. Gendry said to her that he'd gotten into street fighting in his home town of King's Landing and he'd loved it but after proper training he'd won a few paid fights in Westros. That he'd never knew his father and he'd been teased as a child for being a bastard but that after his mother had died a local welder had taken him in and helped him get his welding qualifications. He told her how'd he'd only moved to Bravos a few months ago and before that he'd worked in Westros for a contracting company known as the Brotherhood that had been working along the Kings Road but the Westros Civil War had made the job too dangerous. That he liked Bravos but he missed the cooler climates of northern Westros and 'Arry had agreed with him, stating that she missed seeing snow in the winter. She admitted sheepishly that, yes, Nym really did have a little bit of wolf in her but swore Gendry to secrecy because wolf-hybrids were illegal in Bravos. Gendry had laughed at that, suspecting it all along but promised not to say anything about it.
They drank slowly and the hours ticked away quickly but it was only after finishing the shared six-pack did Gendry realize how late it had gotten. He groaned when he looked up at the clock but didn't regret for a second his extended talk with Arry.
"Shit, it's really late. You should have gone home hours ago." Arry spoke first, jumping to her feet and turning to face Gendry. Despite the hour Gendry felt no desire to leave but knew he ought too, he had work and sleep depravation and welding weren't a good combination.
"I guess." Gendry answered, rubbing his face, feeling a sudden tiredness. "We'd better get going. Do you have a car or would you like a lift home." He asked and he pulled his car keys from his pocket.
"No, it's alright. I live in the apartment upstairs but I'll see you out." She told him with a reluctant smile. Gendry nodded understanding and filed away that tidbit of knowledge for later. They walked together to the front doors of the converted warehouse, both walking slowly and seemingly not wanting their time together to end. At the doors they paused, Arry unlocking it with her keys but neither making the move to open the door yet not saying anything.
"I had a really great time, thanks." Gendry offered clearly his throat with difficulty and tossed her a warm smile.
"Me too. We should do this again."
"We should. I'll bring the beer next time." They were both leaning in at this point and when Arry smiled Gendry closed the distance and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was meant to be a quick little thing, chasse and harmless but when Arry pressed a hand to his chest and opened her mouth, Gendry found himself unable to draw away. His hand found the small of her back and he drew her too him while deepening the kiss at the same time. Her little calloused hands roamed his chest before linking behind his neck and holding herself to him while all Gendry's hands did was glue her to his body. The only pulled away when the need for oxygen became too much and even that felt like pulling two magnets apart. Their eyes were locked on one another and their breathing ragged but Gendry's lips pulling into a triumphant smirk.
"We should do that again too." He told her hoarsely and Arry gave him a quick little laugh with a hungry look in her eyes.
"Definitely." She ginned as they detangled and it was the last thing they said to one another before Gendry slipped outside into the cool night air with a wide grin on his face.