Chapter Seven: Yo.
"Motherfucker!"
Arya rushed back to take orders, her normal swift movements were clumsy and half of the time she needed to restart from scratch, forgetting what to do, three, five, six, costumers kept on coming and the bar was half full, and it wasn't even dark yet.
Mya was too used to Arya's swearing, "Her mood is as lovely as our sweet brother today."
"Seven Hells!" Gendry screamed behind them.
Bella nodded, "A very good likeness."
"Hey, doesn't he warship R'hllor or something?"
"He tends to forget."
"Pfffft."
"What's wrong, Arry?" Barra, their youngest sister, was the only one concerned.
"Everything!" Arya gave them beers despite what they asked for, only bothering to make mixes for new costumers, she was afraid to look up, knowing that their numbers were increasing by the second. She eventually left everything and took out her cellphone, dialing the same number for the tenth time this shift; the gods were finally merciful and the man picked up. "Where the fuck are you, Naharis?!"
"Heyy, Arry, what's up?" the Pentoshi answered gleefully, noises coating his voice.
"Your head, on a damn spike, in the very near future!"
Daario laughed, "Sweet as ever!"
"Where the fuck are you?!"
"Far... far away."
"You neglecting ass!"
"Hey, no need to be bitching, I left you a note."
She squeezed the paper in her hand, her nails digging in her palm. "What the heck do you mean by 'Cover for me xoxo'?! Your shift started two hours ago, Yoren is not here, and did you freaking forget today is a Saturday?!"
"Of course I didn't. That's why I ditched."
"Fuck you!" she almost shouted.
"Sure, anytime... anywhere... but not tonight, I've got a party going on."
"Screw you and you party, get your godsdamn ass back here or I'll shave that hideous purple beard off of your stupid face."
"Don't go making dangerous threats, now."
"I'll punch some teeth out too don't worry, asshole, say goodbye to your stupid golden tooth!"
"Just calm down, call Sat."
"He just left!"
"Shae?"
"She's sick!"
"Ohh– I'm sorry Ar, I'm about to lose you 'cause I'm about to drive into a tunnel in a canyon on an airplane... pshhhht pshhhht Oh! Is that a dragon?! Pshhht-"
She heard a long beep and Arya threw her phone onto the wall, crashing it to pieces and yelling inhuman curses.
Mya bent to look, "Was that a new Iphone?"
"Damn, that thing costs more than we make in a month." Bella said, drinking her beer.
"Calm down, Arry." Barra finished.
She took a deep breath, but there was no use, "I'm so fucked."
Bella smiled at Mya, "Our brother wouldn't like that."
"Guys stop being bitches," Barra scolded them.
Arya glanced at Edric, who was at the stage, she knew they were talking about him and she also expected the guy had a thing for her, but Arya kept those thoughts to herself. The only one who mattered was the beautiful walking piece of art standing in front of the stage behind him, almost as angry as she was.
She forced herself to look away from Mag, and made two mixes at the same time, each with one hand. Soon enough this would end in a disaster, she knew. "Guys, seriously, don't you have something to play? I'm sorta busy."
Mya groaned, "Remember the repairs? The guy Yoren hired just made things worse, now all the instruments work but Gendry's."
"We'll just be sitting here til Ed figures something out, don't mind us." Bella added.
Arya didn't, she was serving four people at once, people were coming from all directions and her siblings were nowhere to be found, if she needed help Arya had a mind to ask them, but everyone was scattered around the club by now.
"Pyp!" she yelled once she saw Jon's large eared friend, "Thank the gods! Go find me the rest, I need all the help I can get."
"Help with what?!" he screamed in her ear.
"I want help with serving."
He shook his head, "Aegon is stoned, Jon is drunk, Theon both. And Robb is so whipped Jeyne didn't let him come. The rest didn't make it, and I don't think the girls would be of much help."
She shook him desperately. "Then you help, Pyp, pleaaaase."
"Oh!" he turned to the side, "Is that my soulmate calling for me? I gotta go!"
And he was gone, Arya was left surrounded by costumers at every corner, attacking her with orders and she managed her best to serve almost half of them without losing her sanity, a Tequila here, a Martini there, numerous beers, Manhattans, Vodkas and soon Arya knew she would not able to keep up much longer, the table was filled with unwashed glasses and uncleaned spills and angry people who've been waiting for too long.
"Arya!"
She turned around to the sound of her name, locking her eyes with big blue ones and for a moment the pressure faded, "Are you okay?" Gendry asked, "You look like you've seen Plumm's famous six foot tall manhood."
Arya wiped her shaky hands on her apron, gulping, she was not okay, and she knew better than to lie to him. "No I'm not. Yoren is gone for some private business, Daario ditched me for some party, Satin can't be reached, Shae is sick and took the day off... my friends won't help... of gods..."
"They left you alone?" Edric asked, worried, the loud music probably permitted him to hear her name and for that Arya was grateful.
"Fuck it. I'll give you a hand." Gendry announced, jumping over his way to her, if Arya wasn't frightened by costumers she would've been impressed by the move. "Ed, you go play with the girls already, maybe you'll attract some attention and the bar would slow down."
"On it."
"But... but.."
"Shut up, you were about to start crying there," Gendry stood before her, "Some lady tears would be sweet to watch but not on you."
"Fuck off," the words just came out, Arya got her composure back. "Alright go wear some- never mind, nothing will fit you anyway. Take orders and give them to me – here take this notebook – if they asked for a beer or any drink straight out of a bottle give it to them, hand me the orders, and wipe out the drinks from the table. Can you do that much?"
"Yes, gotcha." Arya was surprised to see Gendry this serious, she half expected he'll complain and demand to give some of that work to her, but he practically ran and started to do what he was told.
He changed since the day he came by the mansion, the jests and flirtation with other girls were still there, but instead of arguing with her all the time Gendry actually started offering friendly conversations, they talked, and he even made her laugh now and then, though she was wishing this wasn't just for Edric, heck she prayed it wasn't.
The line was moving faster and Arya thanked the Seven so many times she thought she'll turn into a septa soon, but Arya couldn't help but feel slightly nervous, from the earlier pressure, or Gendry being so near, she could not tell.
Sandor came from nowhere, wearing his usual grumpiness, "Rivers, have you seen the Stark girl?"
"Nope, no idea, Sansa's around somewhere." Arya threw him a bottle and he caught it, "Take a beer and go."
She was really surprised to see Mag pulling an actual good job, he was taking all the orders and moving back and forth in light speed, it was fascinating to watch him this focused, he kept convincing most costumers to take easier drinks, especially the females, in which Arya was for the first time grateful. She was keeping up with good speed, had three drinks in different mixers and no orders on postpone.
She turned around but her drink spilled from the mixer and into the floor, she cursed and went to bring a clothe but her boot made contact with the liquid and Arya felt her feet slipping and soon her body was swaying to the side, the floor was rough, she knew. Putting her arms in front of her face instinctively, she braced for impact and closed her eyes, but it didn't happen, instead she felt almost a pleasurable shock of electricity run through her body; it took her time to realize that a pair of strong arms were wrapped around her, and a warm familiar scent went through her nose when she breathed in his shirt, it was perfectly fitting, like their bodies were made for each other. The electricity was gone and replaced with warmth and an abnormal sense of rapture. Holy shit!
Gendry wanted to say something but he stopped, looking equally shocked, when Arya pulled herself away with fright, he stood there staring at her like she was an alien, then looked at his hand in disbelief, "Electricity, too?" he asked himself, and it took him time to regain his cool, the Bull shook his head, "Physics is a bitch."
Arya was long gone; away from him and what he made her feel just by one touch, and went back to restart the recipe and clean the floor, her hands shaky and her mind dozed. She spent a long time researching with Jon but it was hard to separate facts from exaggerations; touching your soulmate leads to a strange body reaction turned out to be a fact, Arya thought she bumped into him but it must've been just his keyboard; she always made sure to never get close, that was bad, very bad, she suddenly found herself wanting more than just a touch. Get a grip! She told herself.
The rest of the shift Arya made sure to stay away from him as much as possible, though the pair proved to be very well at team work, the orders went very fast and smoothly, more than they ever did with Daario, even if she made all the mixes herself, Gendry handled all the rest without question, although the guy seemed puzzled as well but recovered more quickly. He was a hardworking guy, she noted.
She was amidst making a Bloody Merry cocktail when Arya heard cries and loud screams, and tables breaking. Another fight, she thought, not taking her focus off of what was in her hands, clubs without a few quarrels a night weren't real clubs.
That's when she heard Yoren's voice yelling, "Take it outside, punks!"
It was the sweetest sound she heard all night, that... and Mag's voice when he touched her. Arya looked up with joy, "Boss!"
"What in the seven hells is going on here?" the owner looked at Gendry and back at her, "He ditched again, didn't he?"
"Yes," she grunted, finishing the order and giving it away, "Got last minute help."
"On a bloody Saturday. I'll pluck his teeth out this time, I swear it." He went through the back to come on the other side and Arya felt the weight of the world off of her shoulders. Not until she heard Jon's voice through the door.
Theon. She immediately knew, Arya didn't think twice before slipping out of the bar and heading to the door, the scene outside had a lot of ridiculous familiarity in it.
"Her again?!" Arya exclaimed when she saw the same silver haired woman, with Drogo, three of his bulky friends, and her brothers at the other side. Theon had a black eye in process but no one seemed pleased yet.
"What the heck is wrong with you?!" Bran said in disgust, who made an entry right after her.
"She has silver hair and purple eyes!" Theon tried to justify himself, "She was asking for it."
"Fuck you." The girl said.
"Theon," Jon sighed heavily, his hair everywhere on his face, "Could you please stop thinking with your dick?!"
"Perhaps you should start thinking with it every now and often."
He received another punch.
Everyone winced, "Deserved it." Arya muttered, impressed by Drogo's agility, but his girlfriend pulled him away. "What did he do this time?"
"He was grabbing my ass like it was a rugby ball." Thank the gods Drogo didn't seem to understand what the girl was saying.
"Look," Theon said, wiping out his bloody nose, "I didn't know that he was there behind me."
"That doesn't make it okay to grab a girl's ass!" Jon yelled.
"Well, here you go." He put a hand in the air, "My whole life is a lie."
Another punch, this time from Jon himself, though it didn't seem half as damaging as his other bruises.
"Fantastic! Take turns would you not? Bran, c'mere, get a punch too before it's too late, I know you want it. Arya, stand in line."
"What's wrong with you man?!" Bran answered.
"Everything is wrong." Theon snapped, "But nobody seemed to give a shit. Why would you? I'm the worthless adopted brother no one cares about!"
Arya rolled her eyes, "Brother, this is really not the time to bring up family issues." Theon was acting stranger than usual; she knew but forgot to do something about it, it needed to be maintained, fast, before Greyjoy gets himself killed.
He closed his eyes and opened them again, with determination, "I regret nothing!"
"DUDE!"
The girl didn't hesitate to translate, in Dothraki most like, Drogo told her something with a deadly smile and she nodded, "He says he'll rip your heart out."
"Lovely."
Jon forced him toward Bran and fixed his hair, "Listen, tell him that he's a drunken idiot and he doesn't need to make such a fuss about it."
"I would," silver hair shrugged, "But it won't make much difference."
"We're so dead." Bran whispered, struggling to maintain Theon in a straight position.
Arya looked behind her, hearing numerous steps, the rest came in a hurry; Aegon, Pyp, Grenn and Sansa behind them, who led them there.
"Pull him out of here before he gets himself killed!" Sansa urged.
"Too late, sis." Arya said.
Aegon kept staring at the girl, wide eyed. "Aunt?"
The girl looked at him in recognition, "Oh Aegon. What's up?"
"My life on the line," Theon answered for her. "Not much."
"What are you doing here, Dany?!" Aegon said.
The girl turned to her khal, telling him something with a proud smile. He smiled back, not for what she said, but her bright face most like, and he turned to Aegon nodding, "Yo." He greeted way too casually.
Arya held her laugh.
"He's my soulmate, nephew." Dany said.
"Nephew? Nephew?!" Theon almost yelled, "I've been hitting on Aegon's aunt?!"
"Yes." Aegon seemed mesmerized with the fact too, staring at the Khal. "N-nice to meet you."
"Oh fuck me. I need therapy after this."
"You needed therapy way before that, brother." Arya told him.
"Just leave the retard alone." Grenn said lazily, "Just look at him, everyone's satisfied."
"Yes, please." Jon added, "He'll never do it again, we promise."
"Not after finding out she's Egg's aunt." Greyjoy added, and Bran shushed him desperately.
"Not him, he's not satisfied." Dany said, translating everything Drogo was saying, "Drogo says he'll let you go, but he wants an arm."
"What for?! One of his is three times as big."
"For the love of all gods, shut the fuck up." Pyp yelled at Theon.
"To break it obviously," Dany explained, "Or a leg it makes no matter, he says."
"He has fascinating terms, that one."
Jon pushed Theon away, "Tell him no, one more punch anywhere, his choosing."
Drogo smiled and spoke, "Arm or die."
"You're a shit negotiator."
"Do you really want me to translate that?" Dany didn't seem to pity Theon anymore. There was more Dothraki talking, she resumed, "If you didn't give an arm, he'll kill all of you, figuratively speaking... I hope." She turned to him and then back, "And they'll hurt the girls too, he says – wait, you will?"
He nodded.
Her brothers didn't seem fazed, until they realized Sansa was there too, Jon's eyes widened. "Theon, give him that fucking arm!"
"No way! I like to keep them both thank you very much." Theon murmured, "Tell him to leave poor Sansa alone, Arya though... he's welcome to go all out, but I'm not sure who's gonna hurt who."
"How godsdamn considerate." Arya said angrily, looking at them; they were all huge in build, three they were, she can maybe dance her way and perform a couple techniques here and there, certainly applying damage to one of them, but no way in hells she can do anything with the UFC fighter. She glanced at their own side, Aegon, Grenn, and Jon might stand a chance, Pyp and Bran were out of the question, and certainly not the half dead Greyjoy who brought them in this mess to begin with.
"Aunt, how could you be taking his side in this?!" Aegon was pleading.
"He's my soulmate."
"I'm your blood!"
"Blood doesn't hold me at night."
Drogo blabbered some curses, and nodded to the three behind him and suddenly they were all on the move toward Bran and Theon, Arya and Jon made their way in front of them immediately, Grenn pushed Sansa back, and the confrontation began.
Arya never saw who threw the first punch, but all she knew that chaos and screams erupted and that the smallest man on the right was her target. Swift as a deer, quiet as a shadow. Arya lowered herself on the ground and recalled everything that Jaqen taught her, she took a deep breath and put a hand on the floor, fixing her foot and slid the other in the air as hard and steady as she can, the man with the opal eyes didn't even see her there. He was too strong to fall completely, but his right leg failed him and in an instant he was kneeling on the floor; that was all the chance she needed. Fear cuts deeper than swords, Arya kicked him with all the strength she had on the groin and he groaned in pain, he aimed to grab her but she pulled his arm away and twisted it, earning a shout. Arya secured him, aiming for a final jap on the back of his neck but a door bursting and a shout stopped her.
"What the bloody fuck is going on in here?!" An alpha voice beamed over them, and the fighting stopped for a second.
Arya took a moment to absorb the surrounding, Drogo was holding Jon and Grenn' s heads, each with one arm very easily, Aegon and another man were against the wall, the brick falling behind the silver haired boy's head, Pyp and another one were on the floor, Pyp with a lot of bruises and she suspected that most of the shouts came from him, whilst the last follower was grabbing Theon and pulling him off of the floor and Bran didn't really seem to mind. With all that, Dany was just standing there with complete indifference, like she was watching an episode of Top Gear on cable.
Sansa was standing against the corner, with a look of pure horror. She saw the man entering and her face lit up, "S-Sandor?"
He walked in angry steps, but once he was in front of Sansa the expression switched in a magical way, and the face he wore now was worried and almost nervous, he breathed heavily and cupped her face with his large hand, but oh so delicately. "Are you okay, Little Bird? Did anyone touch you? If there's one scratch on you I swear to the gods-"
The redhead's face was incomparable. If anyone looked at her they'll know that she'd seen a real knights in shining armor for the first time in her life, she gulped and shook her head, "N-no I'm okay." She glanced at her right, to the one who was holding Theon, "This one pushed me roughly though."
He smiled, "Oh he did?" Sandor let her go as smoothly as he can, and made his way to the holder, grabbing him from the head like he was a puppet, and smashed him onto the wall once, twice, thrice, until blood leaked on the brick, "You did?" he dropped him, unconscious.
So much for the knight in shining armor for a few short moments...
"Let them go, Drogo." Sandor growled.
Drogo pushed his two victims on the floor, and grinned at the huge man, and to Arya's surprise, Sandor was evidently taller.
"You know each other?" Arya found herself asking aloud, the man at her hold tried to free himself, but she twisted his arm harder and he cried in pain, submitting.
Drogo answered her, "Cage fighting days, he says." Dany translated.
"Screw Mag, this guy is my new favorite brother in-law." Theon said breathlessly, earning glares from everyone.
As if he heard his own name, Gendry walked in a similar hurry, the color gone from his face. "Arya?" he looked at her, horrified and yet relieved at the same time.
Theon laughed.
What is this? A soulmate intervention? "I'm the least you should be worrying about, trust me." She twisted the arm more, giving out a yell of pain as proof.
"For the sake of R'hllor, woman, let the guy go, now." He told her angrily, Arya rolled her eyes and released her opponent, only to leave him to moan on the floor. Although out-heighted by both giants, Gendry still was equally big. "Look here, Hulk, leave the girls alone. You can have the fuckboy."
"Hey, I'm right here!" Theon yelled.
"Bugger that." Sandor grabbed her brother, and punched him in the mouth so hard blood split on the floor and Arya saw two teeth knocked out as tribute. Everyone made numerous sounds varying from 'Ah' ,'Oh' and 'Ouch' some muttered 'Serves him right' and 'Finally someone did it', the latter being Arya. "Here, Done?"
Drogo said something with a mouth twitch, and signaled his friends to draw back.
"Well, fuck you too." Sandor answered.
Dany seemed amused. "You speak Dothraki?"
"No, but I speak faces."
Drogo forced Arya's target up and obviously mocked him, the man walked in shame, glaring daggers at her as he picked up his fallen comrade and made his way out with the rest. No one seemed harmed, except Theon and poor Pyp, though the wounded egos stroke everyone.
Gendry gave her one more disapproving look and walked inside with a sigh, Arya made sure her siblings were okay and when the guys picked up the fuckboy and started for their cars, she walked inside as well.
She noticed that Daario was back and serving all alone, under the watchful supervision of their boss, their eyes locked and Arya flashed him a very pretty middle finger, going for the fridge and taking out two beer bottles and made her way to the back where she found Mag exhausted against a wall on the floor. The back hallway was empty but for supply boxes and faded lights, but pleasurably cold and isolated that the music was barely heard.
She handed him a beer and took a place next to him, carefully and not too close, her body wasn't ready for another sudden contact. They sat there in silence until they both exhaled a noisy breath of exhaustion, she drank. "I don't get paid enough for this."
Gendry didn't look her way, "Don't do that shit again."
"With those people around me? I'll make no such promises."
"No seriously," he turned, devastating blue eyes shooting through her. "Don't you ever do that again."
She shrugged, "Why would you even care?"
"Gods, you're so different." He said, frustrated. "Why can't you be more like your sister?"
Not that shit again. She moved to stand up, hearing it over and over again in her life, Arya never wished to hear those words from her own soulmate; it didn't make it any less painful.
He instantly blocked her way with his arm, Arya sat back, avoiding contact like it was poison. "That came out really wrong. Gods forbid I don't want you to be anything like her, what I meant... that you could've avoided the fight like she did... that's what I tried to say."
He was saying the truth. Somehow the seriousness of his tone was starting to weary her, "If you ever compare me to Sansa again I'll pierce a sword through your heart, with the pointy end."
"Sensitive subject isn't it?" he laughed, "You're so different. Special, I mean. Though I annoy you all the time, but it is really not intended, it's just a reaction I guess, from all the frustration you give me."
"I don't give you shit."
"Shh, I'm talking." He waved her away, "Almost all the time girls throw themselves at me like a band of leeches, and I fucking hate it. You... you are something else, you are amusing, and tough, and that I'm really thankful for. You're the first female that treated me this way... you're like... aah, a buddy, I guess." Buddy-zoned? Huh? Wait til Theon hears this, she'll never see the end of it. Arya resisted the urge to slam her hair against the cold wall. "Even if you are my soulmate."
Arya wanted to clean her ear or pinch herself, ask him to say it again for confirmation but she knew what's said was said. Her heart was thundering against her chest, a group of birds desperately trying to flee out of her ribcage. No. No way. He doesn't know. He's not supposed to. "I-I'm not your soulmate!"
"Sure you're not, if so, take off your clothes and show me your tattoo." He dared her, his eyes more serious than his words, "I'd show you mine, but it's on my cock."
No. Don't. Don't even think of how it would look there. Don't. But she found her mind going there anyway. Godsdamnit! "How did you.."
"How?" He laughed, "Your words m'lady, they left a mark on me remember? Shit. I keep forgetting you're a lady, that thing about cocks, I should've never said it. It's actually on my chest-"
"How? My words... I'm sorry... how could they?"
"What are you talking about?" his eyebrows closed together, like she was mumbling nonsense, "You words, Arya, 'Holy fucking Maggish hotness' very foul but very expected from your vile tongue, but I grew to like them, what's Maggish by the way?"
No.
No!
NO!
"No!" she found herself yelling, "My words- No! They were I'm sorry, my words were I'm sorry!"
"Lord of Light, Arya, how drunk were you?" he leaned against the wall, and pulled the hem of his T-shirt over his shoulders, Arya sucked in her breath, glad but also mortified by the tattoo on his right chest that distracted her from all that defined muscles he had on him. 'Holy fucking Maggish hotness' it said.
And once again, Jaqen was mocking her. A girl doesn't even know what she's saying when she's overwhelmed, a man knows.
Arya found herself up and walking toward the door, fleeing from him and the humiliation it came with it. He knew. He knew all along.
Quick as snake, Gendry grabbed her by the arm and whirled her around, pulling her into him, the electricity and pleasure came back and suddenly she found herself wanting to scream, the feeling was almost nonsense. "Holy shit," he stared at his hand again, "You feel that too don't you?"
She wanted to free herself but again the idea of hurting him got automatically dismissed.
"You knew, right?" his eyes pleading, "Please tell me you knew."
"Of course I fucking knew!"
"Oh thank god," he closed his eyes, "Thank god. I thought I was crazy, you were ignoring me, I desperately tried to get your attention but goddamnit you were unmoved to every attempt."
The flirting. The teasing. The fights.
Even if he never shows interest in girls-
Why is he only like that with you?-
Our brother wouldn't like that-
And Arya released herself when she saw the chance and ran... ran in hopes of finding out this is a dream, a dream that was too good to be true.
