Chapter 7

"Gendry?" Dany asked him worriedly. "Are you okay?" He had a blank look on his face and had been unresponsive for the last few minutes.

Gendry blinked and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I'm fine, I just, I gotta go." He stood up and left the library.

"That was weird," Jon said once Gendry was gone.

"Yeah," Robb agreed, "there's something odd going on with him."

"What makes you say that?" Dany asked.

"Arya told me that Gendry promised to call her today and he never did."

"So?" Jon asked indifferently. "I hook up with girls that I promise to call all the time and I never call them."

"But I feel like Gendry's different, you know? Like he actually cares about Arya, that she's not just 'some girl' to him."

Dany shrugged. "I don't know what to say Robb. If you want to know what's up with Gendry, why don't you ask him?"

"What if he won't tell me?"

"Then don't pry," Daenerys said sternly. "If he won't tell you then it's obviously his business, not yours." With that, she stood up and left.


The next day, after class, Daenerys heard someone calling her name. She whirled around and saw Jorah Mormont running towards her. When he reached her she asked, "Hey Jorah, what's up?"

Breathlessly, he said, "I was wondering if you want to join my study group."

"Your study group?" She didn't even realize that there was a study group for her world religions class.

"Yeah, it's me, Doreah, Irri, Jhiqui, and Quentyn. Oh, and Drogo."

Daenerys considered for a moment. She wasn't too fond of Jorah, he could be really annoying at times, and even Quentyn could be a bit irritating, but Drogo was a completely different story. Dany had been admiring him from afar since the first day of the semester. He was incredibly good-looking, with luxurious black hair, dark, tan skin, and large, rippling muscles that made Dany go weak at the knees. Maybe joining Jorah's study group wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Sure, why not?" she told him. Jorah smiled, told her the details, and went on his way. Dany smiled the whole way home to herself as she planned what she would wear to the study group the next night.


"Which one?" Jon held up two ties for Robb to compare.

"The blue one," Robb told him. Jon threw the red one on the couch next to Robb and began to tie it around his neck as Dany walked into the apartment. She looked at Jon confused and asked, "What's all this?"

"Jon has a date tonight," Robb answered.

"With Ygritte No-Last-Name?"

"Yep," Jon said looking down at his tie annoyed. "But only if I can tie this damn tie."

Dany rolled her eyes. "Here, let me help." She went over to him and untied his tie so she could start over. As she tied she asked, "So where are you taking her?"

"I was thinking that Italian restaurant downtown," he responded. He looked at Dany as she finished looping his tie around his neck and pulled it tight. "Thanks," Jon said when she was done.

She smiled. "No problem."

"It's getting kind of late," Robb announced.

"Yeah," Jon said as he glanced at his phone, "I should probably go now." He shrugged on his jacket and opened the door. "I'll see you later!" he called before shutting the door.

Once he was gone, Robb turned to Dany. "So how was class?"

"It was fine," she answered.

Robb looked at her suspiciously. "What aren't you telling me?"

Dany laughed. "What do you mean?"

"You seem like you're in a better mood than usual."

"Well that's because I'm joining Jorah's study group tomorrow."

Robb was confused. "I thought you didn't like him."

"I don't, but I do like Drogo."

"Ah, now I get it."

Dany smiled. "So where's Gendry?"

Robb shrugged. "He came back at around eleven last night and I saw him briefly this morning, but other than that, I haven't seen him."

"Hm," Dany said falling back onto the couch next to Robb, "I wonder where he's been."


Gendry took a drink of his Jack Daniels and leaned back on Margaery's couch. He had had a rough couple of days and all he wanted was to rest on his own couch in his own apartment, but he was too afraid to face his friends just yet. He closed his eyes and thought back to the day before, when he had gone to apologize to Arya.


Once he had left the library, Gendry went in pursuit of Arya's dorm. He had been completely wasted when he walked her home the night before, but he somehow managed to remember the way there.

When he got there he realized that Arya might not even be there. He contemplated going back to his apartment and calling her, then decided that he might as well go in and see since he already came all this way.

He knocked on her door, amazed that he remembered her room number, and instead of Arya answering, it was a girl who looked almost identical to her. He guessed that the girl was Arya's roommate.

"Hey," Gendry said awkwardly, "Is Arya there?"

"I'm sorry, who are you?" the girl asked.

"Oh, sorry, I'm Gendry, I really need to talk-"

"Gendry Waters?"

"Yeah, how many other Gendrys do you know?"

"Right, sorry, but I don't think Arya wants to talk to you. But it was nice meeting you!" She began to shut the door but Gendry stopped it with his foot.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Jeyne Poole."

"Look, Jeyne, can you ask Arya to just give me a chance to explain myself?"

Jeyne sighed and looked behind her. Then she turned back to Gendry and opened the door all the way. "Come on in," she said.

He stepped into the room and immediately noticed the pluthura of One Direction posters scattered all over the walls. He raised his eyebrows and looked at Jeyne.

"Are all these yours?"

She looked down sheepishly. "Yes."

He let out a small laugh before crossing the room to where Arya was sitting. She was at her desk, giving Gendry an angry stare. "What do you want?" she asked bitterly.

"I just wanted to apologize for not calling you and..." he trailed off, not knowing how to tell her delicately.

"And what?" Arya urged him to go on.

"And for sleeping with Margaery."

Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. "You what?" she shouted.

"I'm sorry, I was wasted and it just happened, but I swear that it won't ever again."

"Fuck you!"

"Arya, please-"

"I think it's time for you to leave." Jeyne grabbed Gendry's arm and led him out of the room and into the hallway. She closed the door behind them. "I don't think it would be a good idea for you to come back. She can hold a grudge for a pretty long time."

"Okay," Gendry said sadly, "will you just let her know that I am truly and deeply sorry?"

Jeyne nodded. "Yeah, I can do that."

"Thanks." Gendry turned around and left, wondering if Arya would ever forgive him.


"Hey babe, did you miss me?" Margaery asked playfully as she came into the living room and sat down next to Gendry on the couch. She planted a kiss on his lips and asked, "What'cha watching?"

Gendry hadn't even realized the TV was on. He shut it off and looked at Margaery. "Are you okay with me staying here?"

"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?"

"You don't think I'm a burden?" Gendry joked.

Margaery giggled. She pulled him in and kissed him on the lips again, harder this time. Gendry pushed her onto the back of the couch and gripped her waist. He didn't know why, but he had a strange feeling that said, "This isn't right." He tried to push that thought away as Margaery helped him pull her shirt up and over her head. As he went down to kiss her neck, the feeling came again. But this time it was followed by the realization that he missed Arya and the way she made him fight to be on top. All of a sudden he stopped kissing Margaery and sat up. She looked at him confused.

"What's wrong sweetie?" she asked, sitting up and putting her arm around him.

"Don't call me that," Gendry said sternly. He pushed her away. "And don't fucking touch me." He stood up and started putting on his coat.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked angrily. "And where the fuck do you think you're going?"

"I'm going home, this was a mistake," he told her.

"You fucking asshole! If you walk out that door you will never see me again!"

Gendry smiled. "That's the plan."