ARYA
She was mad.
Scratch that, she was furious
Stupid bull-headed Gendry had the nerve to tell her he was busy. Her! not his other stupid friends, her!
oh sure she'd bet he was busy
Yeah, busy fucking that whore. As if she hadn't already noticed- he had the fucking nerve to tell her that he had something to do- she just wished that the "something" he was "busy" "doing" didn't have a name or perfect womanly curves.
With a deep sigh Arya dragged her feet across the hardwood floor of her darkened apartment in a fuming trek to her soft bed. She registered Nymeria lifting her sizable head from where it had been resting on her crossed paws to stare at her, as if considering the state of her mood. The quiet whimper the wolf-like creature let out was proof of the anger rolling off of Arya's petite frame. She honestly could not figure out why she was so bothered by the idea of Gendry and the skank he had taken up spending time with- they were definitely no good for each other anyways, she decided. They wouldn't last, she was sure of it, Jeyne was so- so, she was just too- too-
She let out a frustrated growl, and finally having arrived at her unkempt bed, flopped down on her back. Technically she had never actually met her, but she had seen enough to know- her and Gendry? no, definitely no good for each other. She was comforted by the thought before her stomach did a strange flip when, after a moment,she realized that Jeyne's frame actually complimented Gendry's almost perfectly-her head the perfect distance from his lips so he wouldn't have to strain his neck as much as he would probably have to if he tried to kiss her- not that he would want to do that anyways. Her light brown hair and delicate skin made Gendry's blue eyes look impossibly bluer when she stood next to him, and worst of all- his smile was brighter when he smiled at her, which was a lot lately from what she could see from her hiding spot behind the library where she would scurry off to when she spotted them together, reasoning that he wouldn't want her to spoil whatever obviously entertaining conversation they were having. She was in his literature course, Gendry had told her that much before awkwardly changing the subject- smart too, and actually old enough to have a chance she thought, her anger wavering, changing into something softer- something weaker.
She closed her eyes tightly- she would not be weak, not for a stupid bull-headed engineering major. Not for a stupid stupid stupid idiot with a heart stopping lopsided grin, or a dumb jerk with the lightest blue eyes that would have you think you were in the sky, lost in his gaze.
No, that stupid bull could fuck whoever he damn wanted too. "Ring their bells" as he would say, gosh what a stupid thing to say, who even came up with something so stupid? Stupid Stupid Stupid
She wanted to scream, instead she rolled over, intending to seek out her gym bag to find a healthier outlet for her anger. She let out a yelp mid-roll when her back made contact with the dull edge of a cardboard box. She searched for the offending object and chucked it angrily full force across her room, registering it was a box of tampons only when the small packets went flying in every direction to coat the floor of her already messy room.
"Is it that time of the month again? has it been cramping your style?"
The familiar voice made her eyes snap to her doorway where, even in the dark, she could see her sisters auburn hair and green eyes almost glowing with laughter at her poor excuse of a joke.
"You could knock, you know"
"I could, but I have food" her mood lightened at the thought of food, her stomach moaning in agreement- when was the last time she had eaten?
"Lemon cakes?"
"Lemon cakes" she affirmed, making her way towards her small kitchen, turning on every light in her path.
She groaned, couldn't she just sulk peacefully in the dark?
"Why are you 'Sulking'?" Sansa asked, the arch in her auburn eyebrow painting a picture of her confusion "Is it over a guy?" she almost squeaked
"What?"
"You asked me if you could sulk in peace?" she answered, eyes bright at the prospect of her baby sister finding a guy worth sulking after
Damn her angrily vocal nature
"Tell me everything!" she squealed
Only Sansa would be excited about her moping over a guy
Arya reached for a shiny lemon cake from the plate Sansa had unpacked and lain out neatly on her small island, residue of the burger she had eaten yesterday still streaked on the gray marble. She hadn't eaten since yesterday she realized as she popped the heavenly pastry into her eager mouth.
"S'nothing" she said, her mood souring just a bit at the reminder
"He doesn't think of me that way" Im too young, too wild, too not what he's looking for
Dammit, there she was being weak again
"It's not like that" she finished, trying to pick her pride up from the gutters where it now lay along with every other sighing and pining girl's sense of dignity. But it was far too late, Sansa already had that look on her face- as if she were a puppy someone had just kicked
"Do you want to talk about it?"
She considered saying no, she really did. But then she thought that Sansa might leave- and take her lemon cakes with her.
So she told her about the stupid Bull
"Green is definitely not your color"
"What?"
"Considering all of the different flavors of curse words that just spilled out from your mouth- some of which I have never heard, by the way- you're Jealous" she stated, as if it were an everyday thing- no biggie
Jealous?
"I am not! Uneasy, confused, maybe a little disturbed, but not Jealous" She spat the word, mocking it, Arya did not get Jealous- ever
"All different shades of green, my dear sister" Sansa said knowingly, popping the last lemon cake into her mouth
"Hey! that was mine!"
Why was everyone taking things from her today?
"Think about it, Arya!" Sansa said, all auburn hair and skater skirts as she made her way out
She did nothing but
"Arya!"
Shit
"Arya, wait up!" his voice was distant, still far enough to loose him, Arya thought, staring intently at the corner she had to round to get to her apartment, as if urging it to come closer
She quickened her steps, her calves protesting the movement, still sore from the hours she spent running- running out of anger, confusion, and jealousy- apparently.
Before she could round the corner to her apartment that was only a few blocks from the campus he caught her elbow and spun her around.
Damn her stubby legs
"Why are you avoiding me?" he asked, still holding her by the elbow, his big hands calloused in just the right way that made her shiver-his grasp warm even in the chill of the autumn afternoon.
For a moment she was struck by the blue in his eyes, two deep pools of azure looking at her with that look that he always got when he's thinking too hard.
"Me?" she said, feigning innocence
"Yes, you" still refusing to unhand her arm, he pulled her a little closer and she shuddered. The look in his eye had changed, she could tell he was annoyed to have to chase after her
good
"You nearly ran when you heard me call after you- why?"
She struggled against his hold only to feel his grip tighten- not enough to hurt her, just enough to communicate that he wouldn't be letting go- at least not before she answered his questions
She struggled a little harder and she saw Gendry look around knowing they were making a scene in the middle of the street. His grip loosened the slightest bit and it was enough for her to pry her arm free, shooting daggers at the man that had plagued her thoughts for the past week.
"I'd love to stay and chat Gendry, but I'm really awfully busy" She turned his words against him and she could tell he was about to ask 'with what?' before there was a spark of understanding in his deep stetted eyes
"Is that what this is about?"
"Is what what this is about?" she said, still faking ignorance
"You're still mad about the other night" he observed, his face softening in the way Sansa's had two night before. He felt bad for her, He thought she was pathetic
Of corse he did, he had Jeyne and who did she have? Nymeria? Lemon Cakes?
A pastry and a dog- wow wasn't she just the picture of popularity, she thought bitterly
"I'm not mad!" she snapped, his eyebrow lifting at the outburst of anger obviously amused that she had just proven his point "I just have things to do" she finished, in the most seductive voice she could muster without her teeth chattering- trying to hint that whatever she would be doing-it wouldn't be alone. She cringed a bit at the sound of her voice, falling flat of seductive as her short shorts did little to shield her from the windy afternoon.
He noticed, obviously- he notices everything. Gendry immediately began to shimmy out of his brown leather coat to place it around her slightly shivering shoulders. Before she realized his intention she was engulfed by the thick fabric that still held traces of his body heat and smelled so deliciously Gendry. It felt too much as if she were engulfed tightly in his embrace and she had to ball her fists to not clutch the fabric and hold it to her nose, inhaling as much of the wonderful scent, memorizing what it would feel like to be in his strong arms.
"what things?" he asked gently
"Just things" she snapped "Im going out" she decided on the spot, her voice betraying the spontaneity of the statement that almost came out as a question
"Are you?" he asked, his eyes slightly loosing focus, his eyebrows knitting together again, his adams apple bobbing in his throat as he swallowed in the fascinating way that it did.
"With who?" he pressed
"Why do you care?" she spat, the bitterness in her voice foreign in her own ears
"Why don't you go and question you fuck buddy instead?" she tried to spin on her heel in a dramatic exit- but of corse all sense of melodramatic flare was lost when Gendry took hold on her arm again- in the possessive way that infuriated her and also somehow fed her hope that maybe one day, she would be more to him that just Arya- more than just another one of the guys.
"What are you talking about?" his voice was hushed as if she gave a shit what anyone else thought
"Your Fuck buddy, Jeyne- Thats why you stopped acknowledging my existence, isn't it?" she almost yelled wincing at the sound of her voice- she sounded needy, she sounded jealous.
He went silent- there was no denying, no pleading for her to listen, no 'I can explain!' not angry retorts that it was none of her business, no flush in his cheeks or stuttered words
nothing.
and it stung, it stung sharp and bruised as she felt her chest tighten, her breath catch, her heart break.
"Goodbye, Gendry" she said, disregarding his presence with a dismissive hand gesture, trying to mask the hurt
She spun around on her sneakered heel and this time no warm calloused had reached out to stop her. So she left, all misty eyes, soft sobs, and clenched fists as she made her way up to her apartment to put her heart back together.