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It was only a day since Arya arrived and it hadn't ended but she felt like the last few hours had become days.
Arya had been dismissed after the Queen announcing a feast to honor her name day and her safe return home, which would be celebrated in three days. Arya was not too happy but she wasn't about to tell the Queen what she really thought.
Gendry on the other hand was asked to talk privately with Jon. Arya didn't really care; they had become friends during her absence so whatever it was they needed to talk about it was none of her business but she couldn't help to feel a bit jealous.
Arya decided to wait for him but as she waited the dark castle brought unwanted memories.
When he finally came out they walked in silence not sure where they were going. "Are you going back to the smithy?" Arya asked as they entered a small courtyard. Torches surrounded the small square and there was a fountain in the middle.
"S'pose so but," Gendry mumbled, "I also have a chamber here I can use." He sat on a bench. "A chamber that you've never used." Arya stated as she sat on the fountain's edge beside the bench.
"I don't want to stay here." Gendry didn't answer. "I feel like a child again. Earlier… I could have sworn… I saw Jory, my father's head guard." Gendry turned and gave her a questioning look.
"His dead, I know. I rather spend another night on the stupid ship than here." The stupid bull's silence made her feel stupid. Arya lost herself in the Red Keep's memories when water was splashed on her face. Gendry had reached behind him to splash her; he had a mocking grin on his face.
"I would invite my lady to my humble smithy and share a cot just like the two bastard boys in King's Road but gods forbid what your brother the King might do." Arya smiled understanding. "Then, my dear Bull, thank the gods I'm not a lady." He smiled at her but answered nothing. His face went down again.
After a few seconds of silence Arya spoke again. "Gendry," He looked up at her, his expression unreadable. "Why aren't you talking to me?"
"Whatta you mean, I've been talking to you all day." Arya could tell he was really confused. "Yes you have but not really…" He sighed and stood up.
"What do want me to say? Do you wish for me to keep saying how much I've missed you?" His voice was sharp and she could feel her anger building up. "That's not what I meant you stupid bull." Arya was about to stand up when Gendry walked up to her, staying only inches away from her body.
"Then what did you mean, truthfully I think you should be the one talking m'lady. Why did you wait so long to come back?" His hands were against the stone holding him above her. His eyes were boring into her and she could see the anger that fed hers.
"I had nothing to come back to!"Arya shouted as she pushed him away but he stayed in place. Gendry pulled her closer from the waist and her hands were trapped between their chests.
Arya remembered slaying him over and over in her dreams and the reason why she would. "I have nothing." She whispered back feeling the fight leave her as his blue eyes pierced her. "Then you are more stupid than me." Their faces only inches away, his angered gone.
Throughout supper Arya kept thinking about her dreams and killing Gendry, she only did it to keep him from leaving her. She didn't want him to abandon her again because she couldn't live through that a second time. Is that what loving a man was?
Arya knew what was coming next. "Is this the part where we kiss and confess undying love to each other Lord Baratheon?" She smiled at him as he grinned down at her.
"I'm not sure Lady Stark, I lack experience with this matters." Arya couldn't find a proper sentence to answer so she pulled him down by the collar and closed her eyes.
Their lips met slowly and unsure but Gendry pressed against her harder and soon turned the kiss rough. Arya had forgotten her name when Gendry pulled away abruptly. "What do you know of Hot Pie?"
Arya never thought of keeping taps on her baker friend and did not really care in the moment. She only wanted to feel Gendry's lips against hers. "Why in the seven hells are you thinking of Hot Pie while kissing me?" He only laughed at her question and pulled her on her feet.
Before Arya could properly react, and that's saying something, Gendry was pulling her through the halls. "Where are we going you stupid bull?" To say that Arya was irritated was a bit of an understatement, why couldn't they just stop and kiss again. Soon enough she kicked herself mentally for sounding like Sansa. Poor, strong Sansa that had sufffer so much, Arya needed to see her sister...
They entered the kitchen and Arya realized what was going on before she spotted him. Hot Pie was still Hot Pie only taller and better dressed. "Oi, baker." Gendry called out. Hot Pie turned. "What in the seven hells took you two so bloody long? I've been waiting all day for my lady to visit her old friend." Of course he knew she had come back, word must have spread very fast.
When Hot Pie took Arya into a hug she noticed her fingers intertwined with Gendry's and she refused to let go. They visited with Hot Pie for hours, mostly laughing about how stupid and lucky they all were back in King's Road.
...
Gendry couldn't wait to be alone with Arya again but Jon needed a word making him feel anxious.
"She's back," Jon sighted happily, " and what are you going to do about it Bull?" Jon only used Gendry's nickname when they taunted each other but there was no taunting in his question.
"What do you mean m'lord Crow?" He smiled amused but Jon's face was serious. " I meant that I bloody noticed your hand on her leg, I also noticed her looking at you every bloody minute to make sure you were real and that you blushed like a maiden when Arya's namind day feast was announced and I do not want to know what in the seven hells you were thinking about."
Jon walked up to Gendry. "I also know she went to your chamber before getting dressed. Tell me Gendry Baratheon, and tell me the truth, what happened in that room with my little sister?" Jon's face was red with anger and it surprised Gendry to see him so pissed.
"Nothing, of course nothing happened." Gendry couldn't help his anger flaring. "If you're going to cut off my arms for hugging her once then you are better off doing it right now because I will I hug Arya again and as many times as she pleases." He knew shouting back was a bad mistake but Jon was being a complete idiot thinking Arya would want to do more than hug him.
"Arya only sees me as an older brother or something and if she's still the little wild she-wolf we both knew then I would have no hands right now if I had tried anything inappropriate."
Jon's face turned amused after a beat and laughed. It only made Gendry's anger build. "You stupid Bull she does not look at you like she looks at me, her brother. But you are right, if she's still the same wild Stark, you would probably be dead right now." Jon turned serious again. "She didn't come back right away when the war ended, she didn't want to come back. I hope she is the same Stark girl and not a complete stranger."
Jon turned around and walked to the door. "I have my crow eyes on you Gendry. You are a brother to me but no harm will fall on her, ever again."
Just like that he left leaving Gendry stand there like an idiot but also relieved he didn't have to explain the thoughts that made him blush at supper.
But was it true that Arya didn't look at him as a brother and why in the seven hells would he be stupid enough to try something with her...
Gendry wasn't sure how to approach Arya after supper and he sure didn't mean to release his anger on her but he had a good point, Arya needed to answer some questions. He also wanted to understand and clear why Arya looked at him like that and not brotherly like. But before he could help it they were joking and kissing. Gendry remembered his conversation with Jon and pulled away.
Now here in the kitchens there was nothing else he wanted to do but snatch Arya away and kiss her now that he knew she felt the same, whatever it was they were feeling. He could act as a fool and say they were in love but there was something else in between them that went deeper, if possible, than love.
Gendry sneaked away from them and soon was walking in the dark corridors hoping to make it to his chamber before Arya would notice him missing. He had almost reached his chamber when unfortunately, or fortunately maybe, he felt a hand on his shoulders and saw her beside him. To say Gendry was scared of her and her control over him as a great understatement.
c: hey... love you guys, I'll hopefully finish it next chap.