Author's Notes: I couldn't decide whether I wanted this prompt to be super serious, modern AU or no, and then I accidentally deleted it when I was halfway through writing it, so I just said screw it and wrote a fun, modern AU to NOT match my furious mood. Prompt: "I thought you were dead." + "Marry me?" & Arya/Gendry. Sorry for the lame title, but I couldn't NOT make a joke about the Hamburglarer when it presented itself to me.

Disclaimer: Not mine at all.

The Beer Burglarer

More often than not, Gendry gets stuck at work for some stupid reason. Of course a fifteen top strolls in ten minutes before close. It's no matter that they've already broken down the salad station and are about to start cleaning up shop. Nope, he's gotta buckle down and cook five steaks well done and make sure that every meal is cooked to perfection so they don't get sent back to the kitchen and he's stuck doing more work. It's a wonder he's able to slip out for even a second to shoot Arya a text letting her know what's up.

By the time he's putting his helmet on and revving up his motorcycle, he feels like he's been thoroughly pummeled, like he took Arya up on one of her fencing lessons and got the bad end of the stick. The ride home goes by in a blur, not particularly a good thing, but he's lucky to only live a few miles away from the restaurant. Soon enough, he's sliding his key into his apartment and lets out a sigh.

Go figure the apartment is pitch black and silent. Arya's already gone off to bed. He doesn't blame her, seeing as how it's one a.m. and he told her not to wait up for him, but he does feel a little frustration. He was looking forward to catching up on their favorite show that she DVR'd for him. Another night then.

Tiptoeing into the kitchen in the dark, Gendry fumbles around in the fridge, popping open a beer that he can sip on before heading off to bed. It's impossible for him to crash right after getting home from a shift no matter how exhausted he is, his brain still running a thousand miles per hour. He's walking around in the dark, not even bothered about turning on a light, when he gets a sudden wake up call with a pot to the face.

"Fuck!" Gendry shouts, stumbling back and tripping over something - feels likes a dumbbell but it could be anything for all he knows. He crashes to the floor in a puddle from his dropped beer.

The light flickers on, but his eyes are closed and he's lying sprawled on the floor in a puddle of beer and his face really fucking hurts.

"Oh my god!" a voice cries out. "Gendry, I am so–" There's a thump on the floor next to him and then hands on him, first his chest and then his face. "Oh my god, Gendry, wake up! Gendry! Oh shit!"

At first all he can do is groan and slowly raise a hand to his face. It feels…wet. He blearily opens his eyes, all too aware of the bright light, and then catches sight of a worried face hovering above his. Arya's face. He's never seen her look so terrified before, her gray eyes wide as saucers and face pale enough to give snow a run for its money.

"Oh hells, I thought you were dead." Arya practically throws herself on him, awkwardly wrapping her arms around him since he's lying on the ground.

Gendry grunts and goes to sit up, pushing her away as gently as he can. When he touches his face again, he pulls his hand back and catches the sight of blood on his fingers. She damn near broke his nose with that hit. Well, at least now he knows for sure that she could defend herself. "What in the seven hells was that for?"

"I heard someone sneaking around in the apartment and I didn't know…" Arya bites her lip, looking decidedly young and foolish. She screws her face up, as if this whole thing is his fault. "You weren't home. I thought it was a burglar."

He just goggles her. "A burglar? Kind of a shit burglar to just rifle in the kitchen to steal a beer." He shakes his head, but it hurts to do that, so he stops. Well there goes going to sleep soon. "Didn't you get my message? I told you that I got stuck at work."

Arya frowns and shakes her head slowly. "I guess my phone died."

"Bloody hell." Gendry sighs and lays back down on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. His entire body apparently did not hurt from work, but Arya sure remedied that. "Sometimes I don't know why I want to marry you."

The moment the words come out of his mouth, he wishes that he can take them back. He tenses up, eyes locked on the ceiling, and snaps his mouth shut so fast that his teeth clack painfully.

Arya's hands on him go stiff too. He can't tell what she looks like because he refuses to look at her, refuses to see the anger in her eyes. They've never once talked about marriage before, at least not directly. When they were just friends, years ago, she talked about how she hated the idea of marriage, how she'd never get married, never settle down. When her sister got engaged, she faked throwing up. Love was for children. But he knew that he loved her the moment he first kissed her and he knows now that despite everything he does want to marry her, even if he's never brought it up.

"Marry me?" Her voice is so plaintive, so…frightened that he can't help but look at her. There isn't any anger in her eyes, just pure disbelief. Suddenly it hits him. She honestly believed that he hadn't wanted to marry her.

Gendry pushes himself up and grabs her hands, knowing full well what she looks like when she's about to run. She gets that skittish look, like an animal backed into a corner. He's never once tried to hold her down - Arya Stark is not a girl to be tamed - but he's learned over the course of the years, through friendship and relationship, how to help her feel comfortable again.

"Of course I want to marry you," he tells her, never once looking away from her eyes. "I've wanted to marry you since that first date."

"I pushed you into a pond," Arya points out.

"And I pulled you in after me." He grins, despite the pain it causes. The look on her face is worth every bit of it. "Only makes sense to propose to you while sitting in spilled beer after you break my nose."

Arya gives him a serious look, one filled with such intensity that most people would look away. Gendry doesn't look away though. "You can be such a stupid head sometimes," she says, which only makes him laugh. When he raises an eyebrow at her, she blows out some air and shakes her head. He needs to hear the words out of her mouth. "Of course, Gendry, of course." She throws her arms around him again, nearly in his lap, and knocks him back to the ground, mouth pressed firmly against his.

Broken and bloody nose worth it.