Happy Thanksgiving! I will be busy next week, so I'm posting this early. For those not celebrating this holiday, enjoy the story anyway!
-It's been a while since I've written a gendraya, so forgive any poor characterization/voice.
-It's "underage", but really, there's no smut, it's just there to warn people that I am writing about a minor becoming married and a mother... but there's no smut.
GENDRY AND ARYA
He was just a greaser, a high school dropout, would amount to nothing, and he had no right to befriend a daughter of wealth. That's what everyone said or thought when they saw Gendry Waters. Very few people actually gave him the chance, and only one woman, well teenager, loved him for who he was, who he still is.
She is now his wife, this young girl who loved him for who he was, and is. Her name is Arya Stark. "Stark", synonymous with "Baratheon", "Kennedy", "Tyrell", "Rockefeller", and so on; and he married into said family. They had only known each other for a few months before they were wed, family honor required that they have a shotgun wedding to save face. Two years later, with their son in his arms, they stand before the Stark mansion, ready for another family Thanksgiving.
They all had once hated him, thinking that if only Arya hadn't gotten pregnant, they would have broken up eventually. As it is, they are now stuck with each other.
He turns toward her as they approach the front doors. "Let's run away and eat turkey at the diner."
She smirks at him, "Two years running you ask that question, what makes you think I'll say 'yes' this time?"
"Third time's the charm?"
"Stupid." She pecks him on the cheek, caresses their son's cheek, and hefts the should bag a little higher, before ringing the doorbell. Gendry sighs as the door opens, revealing the family steward Vayon Poole, 'Another holiday season, another hell' he thinks, before following Arya into the foyer.
THREE YEARS EARLIER
Gendry was working on his car, a twenty year old man employed at a local garage who recently broke up with his short-term girlfriend, Jeyne Heddle. His mood was foul and his boss, garage owner Tobo Motte, pulled him from jobs as he was being temperamental, when this rich high school girl drives up in a black, convertible mustang. Everyone else was busy, so he grabs a rag to clean his hands, and walks towards the girl.
He can hear the problem rumbling from the shiny beast before she cuts the engine. "I can hear the problem already, so I'll just skip the 'how can I help you' routine, and say it's gonna need to stay here overnight."
She frowns at him. "Since you know so much, how about I pay you double, and you get it done before the day is over?"
He looks at his watch, noting that it's almost closing time, 5:30, and contemplates how his night would be shot if he did that. He doesn't feel like pandering to a rich snobby girl, but he could use the extra money for rent, food, gas, electrical, and who knows what else. He had already once experienced a month of no power, and he'd rather not relive that. "Fine." He directs her to drive her car over to his spot, next to his own beat up car, before he goes to tell his boss he'll close the shop tonight.
He has a chance to check her out as he walks back to the cars. She reminds him of his ex, Jeyne, in that their both skinny brunettes. She's younger, though, with smaller curves and a long face. However, her eyes are a striking silver and he thinks that anybody who dated her would obviously get lost in them, more then any other feature of hers. "So. Got a hot date tonight?"
"What?"
"Well, why else would you need the car fixed so soon?"
"Not that it's any of your business, but it's my brother's car. And since I damaged it, I don't feel like putting up with his anger over his 'baby'."
So she's a bit of a rebel. Or her brother was just a kind guy who loaned the car willingly. Or both. Her image goes up a little. He opens the hood and starts to work. She stays there, watching over him. "Most girls would wait in the waiting room. There's coffee or soda if you want."
"No thanks."
"Suit yourself."
She huffs. "Just because I'm a girl, does not mean I have to fall into every womanly cliche."
"Thank god. I'm tired of cliched girls." That earns him a smile from her, and he smiles back. "It's your brother's car, but you brought it in, damaged. You must like driving. Are you interested in the mechanics of cars?"
"Not really, just the driving part. My brother, Jon, likes the inner workings of them, though. He's my best buddy too; I usually like to hang out with him while he works on them."
"He lets you drive it, too?"
She laughs then, "Not without him present." She sobers up. "But I wanted to wipe the smile off of this girl's face at school. So..."
There's silence but for his tinkering. She starts up the conversation again, "How come you're tired of cliched girls?"
"Not that it's any of your business, but I've recently broke up with a girl just like all my previous girlfriends. I'll probably find another girlfriend just like them, and then the endless cycle will continue. Sex, drugs, yelling at me for more money, more work, yadda yadda yadda." He looks at her to gauge her reaction. She's blushing at his crassness, but hasn' t looked away. She's climbing the respect ladder.
"I'm sorry."
"Not your fault." He turns back to the car. "Well, I think that about does it."
"What? You said it would need to stay overnight! It's only been an hour, did you trick me?"
He laughs. "It was close to closing time. I didn't want to take on a new job so soon to going home. I like you, kid, so you don't have to pay me double if you feel so cheated."
Glaring at him, she takes out her purse, "No, I'll pay you what was promised. Just don't call me kid!"
"OK... kid."
Handing him the money, more like slapping his hand, she states, "I'm sixteen, an adult, and I'd thank you to remember that." With that, she huffs into her brother's car and drives away, leaving him smirking and scratching his head.
PRESENT DAY
His brother-in-laws, his father-in-law, and their Baratheon male friends are watching a football game. He and Arya are also there, drinking a beer along with everyone else. Sansa, his sister-in-law, had once claimed that Arya was poison in the kitchen, so she was exempt from the traditional cooking crew. Gendry is immensely thankful, as she is his only champion in the spacious den.
On one side, Eddard Stark and his war buddy, Robert Baratheon, were regaling young Rickon and Tommen with WWII stories, of which they were both lieutenants serving in the army in Europe at the time. Gendry himself had heard the stories time and time again, and is glad he is on the other side of the room, watching Arya's older brothers play pool. Jon on one side, Robb the other. He and Arya would take the place of the losers. Their son, Gene, was under the watchful eye of babysitter-in-training Myrcella, in the next room over. Every now and then, when there is a lull in the den, Gendry would catch snippets of the TV his son was glued too. Two televisions in one mansion! Truly a sight to behold.
He is brought back to earth when Robb asked him how his job was going. "Fine. You'll be glad to know I've been promoted."
"So my sister won't have to work anymore?"
He bristles at the old implication that he can't take care of her. She responds for them, however. "Robb, you know I love to work, I wouldn't dream of quitting now."
Robb wonders about little Gene, needing a mother. Arya is about to snap, Gendry can tell. But she's calm when she replies, "Gene has me, and he has Gendry. This is a new world, a new time. Women don't have to stay in the kitchen, or even at home. Especially with the innovative day care the company has, I can work to all of our contentment."
"Doesn't Gendry need a warm meal when he comes home?" Queries Rickon, away from the war stories. It's an innocent question, from the twelve year old, not meant to hurt. He's just curious about things that are not the same as his home life. As with all young teens, he's just learning that the world is not the same as his home.
Arya smiles at him, "Of course he doesn't. I'm sure he'd like it, but it's not mandatory. In fact, he's not a bad cook himself. Sometimes, we have fun cooking together, making it a family event rather then a chore for one of us." She glances at Gendry. "Sometimes, it's even romantic." He smiles at her.
Jon snorts at that. "It's a shame you broke up with Edric Dayne back in high school. I'm sure you guys could have hired a cook, and a maid too. What's he in now? Oh yeah, his father's winery."
It's an old insult, one of many old ones, but it still stings. He tells Arya to partner with Tyrion, sitting alone in the corner, before he leaves for some fresh air.
He's granted twenty minutes of peace and quite outdoors, before everyone's called to eat. He's pleased that he's sitting at the end of the table, next to Arya, and Eddard, who sits at the head of the table. He knows his father-in-law was less then pleased with him getting Arya pregnant, and marrying her when she still was in high school, but he also knows Eddard has grown to slightly respect him, knowing how well they've managed thus far. If there is one thing to be great full during this Thanksgiving, it is his relationship with Mr. Stark improving.
ONE YEAR AGO
Gene was crying, a fever burning his little body up. It was the middle of the night, and Arya had just graduated high school, just gotten a job as a car designer at the local branch of the car company based in Detroit, GMC, and didn't have any leave time. She would need the car in the morning, and the sleep tonight. So he did the only thing he could think of, and called his father-in-law. Eddard. Despite his grumbling and complaining, Eddard came over within twenty minutes, and drove Gendry and Gene to the hospital.
The trip was traveled in silence, Gendry in the back with Gene, trying to keep the baby calm and reassured. Frankly, Gendry looked silly, making faces and holding brightly colored toys and pretending to share a blanket with the babe. At the hospital, big brawny Gendry looked even more awkward as he held his bundled baby gently, but it was a cute sight; so the nurses said. He was attentive to the doctor, and made no comment about the fact that he'd have to pay a nice price for the medicine, but he resolutely prepared for what he and Arya would have to do to get Gene feeling better.
Then Eddard drives them to the local 24 hour pharmacy to pick up the medicine. At the counter, he turns to Gendry, "You're a good father. I've never witnessed just you and Gene together, usually Arya is around. If half the men I knew were as sacrificing as you are with their kids, this might be a nicer world." He says nothing else, but pays for the medicine when it comes out, and walks to the car before Gendry can protest his generosity.
The ride back is silent as well, Gendry unable to come up with something to say. When he exits the car with Gene, he asks Eddard if he'd like to come in for a beer before heading home.
"No, thanks. Put that boy down to sleep. Also, it's about time you called me Ned. Next time your family visits, call me that."
It's the first time Gendry is referenced as part of his own family, and he feels that a bridge has been built between him and the Starks that day. "Yes sir. And sir? Thank you."
Ned just nods, then drives away.
TWO YEARS AGO
There was a knock on Gendry's door. He barely has a chance to open it when his face has a painful meeting with a fist, then his butt has a painful encounter with the floor. He has never met Arya's father before that day, but he knows it's him from pictures he's seen in the papers about the famous Stark family. He wants to fight back, yell, or call the police, but that would most likely be unwise considering he fucked the man's virginal daughter. That's the reason Eddard Stark was here, Gendry thought.
He gets up, rubbing his chin, begging Stark to hold on a minute with his other hand outstretched in defense. But the older man shakes his head. "I'm not here to kill you, boy, I'm just here to protect my daughter's honor."
"What do you mean?"
"You don't know?"
"I know that I love your daughter, sir."
"So you don't know. Son, you better pray that your "love for my daughter" is real, that it'll help you in the future, because right now, you impregnated my daughter."
All the air left Gendry's body. As he fell to a chair, Eddard invited himself to the couch, a disapproving look on his face as he surveyed Gendry's one room apartment. "I'll help you buy a house, but you'll have to get new furniture on your own."
Gendry stares at him uncomprehendingly. "What? Why are you buying me a house?"
"You will marry my daughter. The house will be my and my wife's gift... to Arya."
"I can't marry her!"
Eddard assumes a dark look. "The hell you won't! You expect her to be a single mother? Think again, buddy. You don't marry her, I will personally make your life a living hell!"
"That not what I meant!" Gendry sputters, "What about her finishing high school? She told me she wants to go to college."
"I am impressed, albeit just a little bit, that you care about her dreams. In any case, she will finish high school. She told me she doesn't want to go to college anymore, that she can find a job locally. She told me your job situation, so for the first few months of this arrangement, I'll help you financially..."
"No, sir, you don't have to do that. I can take care of her."
"And the baby?"
"Yes."
"Your determinism is admirable, but misplaced. There's no way you can provide for them with what you make." He looks at his watch. "My wife is expecting me soon. We will talk another time, and make preparations." Standing up a glaring at Gendry, his parting remark does nothing to reassure Gendry. "If you try to run away, or shirk your duty, or harm my daughter and grandchild in anyway, I will use whatever is in my powers to find and destroy you."
A FEW MONTHS LATER
Gendry is standing at the altar, sweat falling down his back. He looks towards the Weirwood behind the table of offerings, and prays to the Old Gods to grant him the luck to survive the wedding. Behind him, on one side, stands the Stark family, and their relatives. On the other side flows their friends. The only people here for Gendry is his best man, Hot Pie, and his boss, Tobbo Motte. He never knew his parents, having been given up to an orphanage as a baby, and what friends he had in high school disappeared after he dropped out.
When the music starts, and he hears people behind him stand to recognize the bride, he remembers that there's one other person here for him; Arya. He calms down slightly, and turns when he hears the music recede slightly.
A vision of beauty greets him. She hasn't started to show a bump yet, so her dress is very flattering against her body. The dark grey of her dress matches her eyes perfectly, and her cape of wolf fur is so lush looking against her soft skin, he has trouble breathing. He notices a wolf brooch holding the cape together, before he looks into her eyes, and smiles.
She smiles too, a big one, before she turns to her father and kisses him. Eddard turns to Gendry, and goes to shake his hand. It's bruising, and he doesn't smile, but for Arya, Gendry just nods to her father.
They turn to the Child of the Forrest, who is actually an eighty year old man shorter then Arya. The man drones on about love and commitment, and all that. They're made to recite their personal vows. All this flows through one ear, and out the other. It has been rehearsed so many times, that Gendry is free to pay attention to other details. Arya's warmth beside him, her perfume, her dress. She has never been so beautiful to him, and would probably never wear such a dress or perfume again.
He's reciting his vows to her, to be faithful and dutiful and to anchor her all the days of their lives. In the back of his mind, he wonders how he can be her anchor, when she anchors him? She is a proud woman, a proud Stark, despite the situation they find themselves in, and he feels that she should be placing her cloak around his shoulders instead.
They come to the part of the ceremony where the man would take bride's cloak off her, and drape her with his own. Gendry gets as far as fingering the wolf brooch, but doesn't release it. He hears her father standing up, no doubt thinking that Gendry wasn't going to go through with it, but Gendry ignores Eddard.
He smiles at Arya, and she smiles back, trusting him. He strokes her neck for a few beats, before going to stand behind her. Eddard has made it as far as the aisle between the pews, before he sees Gendry taking off his own cloak. Since he was an orphan, he has had to make his own family colors. He has chosen a bull to represent himself, with the colors of oaken brown and forest green. It is this cloak that Gendry places over Arya, over her own furry Stark cloak.
Instead of cheers, as there usually is at this point, there's a hushed silence, made even more awkward by the Forrest Child who is also speechless at this change of ceremony. Gendry goes back to his spot, and notices tears of joy on Arya. Instead of waiting for the words announcing their marriage complete, he grabs her face (wiping away a few tears in the process), and kisses her. She kisses back, wrapping her arms around him.
Most of her family believes he has made a mockery of the wedding, but when Mr. Stark comes to shake their hands in congratulations, his grip is not as painful as the one earlier, and he tells Gendry he's surprised that he went through with the wedding, and impressed that he was able to find a way to honor Arya in a unique way. It's a start. He moves to hug his daughter before Gnedry can make a proper reply.
They leave the hall not as Mr. and Mrs. Waters, but as Waterstark, the first of a new household.
PRESENT TIME
Sitting around the table, passing bowls and platters of Thanksgiving fare, Gendry is almost at ease. Meals are usually better then any other activity with the Starks and their friends, usually less degrading chatter and more chewing. It was still uncomfortable, though, having Mrs. Stark talk relationships and money with those present and unmarried.
Sansa and Sandor were dating, and the only unmarried couple at the feast. If possible, Sandor was probably less welcome then Gendry was, but there was the underlying current that at least he hadn't knocked up Sansa and had sworn to marriage before children. No doubt others were hoping they'd break up before that happened. As it was, the only reason he was allowed at the table was Sansa's insistence that she could not be in the same room as Joffrey (seated further down the table away from the Stark girls), without Sandor to make her feel better.
Girlfriends and boyfriends of the others were not present, but were talked about. Catelyn would talk to Robb about his girl, Jeyne Westerling, and told him to commend his lady on her fine achievement in volunteering with nurses, and helping her family to donate money towards various charities.
Around the table they went, more or less the same story. Jon's girlfriend Ygritte, the up and coming model with Vogue. Bran's girlfriend Meera Reed, a girl from a family close to the Starks, who was doing honors work in high school. Myrcella, with the foreign boyfriend whose family was loaded with money from oil rigs in the deserts of Dorne. Rickon and Tommen were too young yet to have girlfriends.
Then she came to Arya and Gendry. "I hear you've been promoted, Gendry. Congratulations."
Gendry thanks her, and she moves on to question Sandor with his new job. In Gendry's mind, that could have gone much worse. She didn't ask for details, what he was expected to do now that he earned more, what plans he and Arya were making for the money, or if Arya would quit her job. But, neither did she comment that it was still unworthy of their family, or complain that it should have happened sooner. Gendry likes to think that the cold Mrs. Stark had thawed just a bit towards him. Maybe it was with Sandor in comparison, or maybe she really thought better of him in general...
Perhaps Gendry's relationship with his mother-in-law will improve as well. Deciding to err on the side of positivity, he smiles at Arya (causing her to look beautifully confused) and thinks this Thanksgiving is worth remembering; one that he was accepted by Catelyn Stark.
Gendry is thankful for the chance to redeem himself in the eyes of his in-laws, thankful for having the love of such a beautiful, and worthy, spitfire of a wife. It had been a long road, but they had traveled it together, with honor, and no one could say they didn't shirk their duties. He had done right by her and her family, never once having to back up on his word that he could take care of his family. Pride blooming, he just laughs when Arya elbows him in the ribs for answers to his stupid grin.