Chapter Eight: Her Brothers

Bran let out another miserable shout, Summer was again startled, but laid back once he knew it was only his master's sorry excuse of gaming skills. "Arya! I need help!"

"Can't I've got three on my back!"

"Holy fucking Mother! I'm dying! I'm fucking dying!"

"Use the phone! Use the freaking phone!"

"It's useless! My backup does a shit job at backing me up! I'm fucked in all dimensions!"

Arya's soldier was hiding behind a broken boulder, she took fast calculations, ran outside like a lunatic, and shot three in the head, and kept running to where Bran was.

"Arya!"

"Hold the fuck on!"

Bran was getting shot almost everywhere, four on his tails, his soldier's life was near its end when Arya's player showed up, shot them all, and there was a long moment of silence in the room after that.

"Well oops."

"Did you just-" Bran's jaw dropped, "Did you just KILL ME?!"

"It was a -"

"I thought you were my sister!"

"I'm sorry."

"We were on the SAME TEAM!" he cried, throwing his controller on the floor. "How could you do this to me?!"

"Now, now," Arya pointed at him with a finger, "What did we say about blowing off your steam on controllers?"

"Ugh!" He stared at the screen in disbelieve, "Oh freaking great, 12 against 31 kills! How did you even score that high?!"

"Double kills, and headshots." she fluttered her lashes at him.

"Fuck it. COD is not my shit. Let's hit Fifa."

Arya shook her head, "I don't do football."

"But we just played Rocket League." He waved the CD at her face.

"Well it had cars in it, you know I'm weak to cars, still no to Fifa." She frowned, "The idea of grown men fighting over some balls is so messed up in my head."

He grunted, "The Last Of Us?"

"You can't keep up."

"Alright, got it, Minecraft."

"I don't play that kid stuff," she rolled her eyes, shutting down the console, "If you swear a couple more hundred times in the next gameplay the Mother herself would come down on us for judgment day. And even worse, our mother would come up here and see Summer, and we'll get in big shit."

At the sound of his name, Summer came to lay next to her brother, Bran stroke him behind the ears, "I need him with me tonight, we'll sneak him out tomorrow."

When they were children, Arya and her siblings always had their pet Wolf-Dogs about them, around the house, and even outside where they went, it was a blessing. Arya was close to Nymeria as well, but since the Joffrey incident, she and Jory convinced everyone that the dog fled, but she hid her very well so no one would now. Regardless, after a few years the dogs grew evidently bigger, and more hostile by the day, each of them was the size of a pony, which was scary to normal people. And when a man brought a gun, a gift for their father, Shaggydog attacked savagely when he pointed at Rickon and he was hospitalized, fortunately the man didn't lose his entire arm but Catelyn permitted the dogs to step a foot inside the mansion ever since, keeping them safely away outside in the dog houses, to everyone's dismay.

"You are going to sneak him out, keep me out of it."

He sighed tiredly, rubbing his eyes. The sleeping pills had started to take affect, Arya noted. She threw them in his drink without his knowledge, she knew her brother wouldn't sleep soon at his own will, she was in the exact same situation a few months ago. "Thanks for doing this by the way."

"I promised I'll spend the night with you until you sleep, didn't I?" she pushed the empty chips bags and drained Mountain Dews and sat comfortably, hands on her thighs, "Now, let's talk."

"You're a shit talker." He said matter-of-factly.

"And you're a shit gamer," she shot big. "Ahhm, I don't know what to tell you exactly, but soulmates most of the time are the people that we expected the least, trust me on that."

Arya was trying to give the best advice she can come up with, but Bran seemed more depressed than he already was in the beginning of that evening, "That's what I'm afraid of."

"Why would you? It's beautiful." She blurted.

"It's... complicated for me."

"Look, here's what we're gonna do." She offered, "You're gonna either cry happily like Robb and Sansa did when they got theirs, or you're gonna be puzzled and pissed like me and Jon, there's no in-between. Now, if it was the latter, I'll take you out to practice our drills, how about that?"

"Why? So I would get my ass kicked harder than bloody COD? No thank you." He immediately rejected.

"I haven't done shooting in a long time, my skills are a bit rusty." Even that didn't convince him, she added. "Alright, how about we take Theon?"

"No way. I'll get my ass double kicked, that guy is a fucking eagle eye with a gun, besides," Bran seemed disgusted, "He even hit on my Trainer the last time I took him."

"Oh god... Osha?" They both made a face. "Okay... uh, let's talk more. Come on, fill me in."

He sat straight, thinking for a long time before he dared to speak, "Arya, there's this girl..."

Of course there is. "And?"

"I-I think she's my soulmate, I have a strong feeling, but in the same time I don't wanna put my hopes up too high, it will destroy me if she isn't."

Arya narrowed her eyes, "How would you know?"

He gulped, she could swear there was a hint of a blush on his cheeks, "I've been in love with her for years."

"In love?" she said it like it was something in another language she couldn't understand. Arya's experience with relationships was a tragic failure throughout her young years.

Her longest one was with Edric Dayne, handsome kid he was, she enjoyed it while it lasted, for entire two weeks before she dumped him, that was a record, she got sick of him telling her stories of Jon's late mother Wylla. Arya loved her brother the most, but the idea of Eddard having a mistress before her mother never seemed to sink in, she believed Jon popped up from thin air more than she believed her father had a relationship. There were a few more casuals, and more rejections, Mycah whom she had him friendzoned before he even finished his confession, that ratty creature Frey, whom she never even caught his name, thinking about it made her cringe. But there was one big crush in her teenage years, in which she will never talk about or even dare to remember. Although, none of those made her feel as a hormonal girl like Gendry did, she pushed that thought away immediately, even if it seemed to come back oft as not.

Bran continued, oblivious to her inner turmoil. "She makes me feel so strange, and, and weird. And godsdamnit, when I touch her... fireworks... fire-fucking-works everywhere." He circled his hand in the air like a complete retard, "Mag makes you feel like that too, right? Right?!"

The signs. Unlike Theon, Bran and the others never made the connection between her obsession with BB5 and the Mag situation, so it was a safe secret, so far. "Alright first of all, I don't interact with him that much so I wouldn't know." Oh you pathetic liar. "- And does this girl have a name?"

He looked around, like he was searching for people hidden in the furniture, "No soul must know, especially Theon."

"Look, I don't stay up late with our very chatty brother on snacks watching episodes of Skins and sharing gossip okay? Now spill it out."

He looked around again, and Arya suspected he was having second thoughts.

"Spill it out."

"Okay," he breathed in. "Itsjojensbiggersister."

Arya blinked, "It's so genital stripper? What are you talking about? Speak English, boy."

He sighed. "It's... Jojen's..." he closed his eyes, "Bigger... sister."

Arya's eyes widened. "Wait hold up. Maya?-"

"Meera."

"Dude!" she almost yelled, but took a moment to think. "Wait, she's the cool girl, right?"

He glared at her, "How many female friends do I have for gods' sake!"

"B-but she's like, what, seven years older than you?"

"Five, Arya, five." Bran was immediately on defense mode. "She feels it too, I know it. But she always plays oblivious because of the age gap!"

"Don't go making wild assumptions, now." She put her hand in front of her, "I wish it is her, but a bigger part of me doesn't."

"Such support, thank you so much." He rubbed his eyes again.

"Alright then, cougar hunter, it's your bedtime," she waved him to get up, "Come on, now, the pills had started to kick in, sleep sleep sleep."

"Wait, you gave me pills?! I thought that was Jojen's weed-" he looked at her, horrified, "I did not just say that. And you did not hear a thing."

"What thing?" she smiled innocently, pushing him into bed and putting the blanket on him despite his protest. "Use Summer as a snuggling pillow, should I summon Old Nan for some bedtime stories?"

"Get out." He turned aside to where Summer was laying, occupying a massive space on the double bed.

Arya laughed as she walked in the hallway; she was trying to ease him off, in fact, with all what Bran said, this Meera might probably be his soulmate, age did not really matter. She knew that Gendry was older than her too, but that stopped nothing. Again, she thought desperately. This man would not leave her thoughts, even with all the automatic reject reaction her mind had set against him. Arya was still not believing the results of their last encounter, sometimes she would rewind what he told her, she memorized every word, every face expression, every move, and touch. And still couldn't believe it happened.

He knew. She told herself again, he knew all along. Even with what Gendry said, desperately trying to confirm she had the knowledge of being his soulmate, but a part of her, feared that he was avoiding it. He hated highborn ladies, he probably knew and kept it for himself because he couldn't accept her, so he waited that long until things got out of hand. Arya knew that they were different, she had too many people behind her, why would a guy as Gendry Waters want a highborn lady, as demanding, and repulsive girl for his soulmate? His dream woman was probably a pretty girly blond waitress with nothing that ties her up. Her thoughts went back to the girls he flirted with, even if he told her that he hated it, why would he interact with them in the first place? If not for having such a soulmate that he had nothing in common with? He said he wanted to get her attention. But why the heck would he do that? She'd never flirt with a guy to get his attention, she feared his attention.

She punched the wall from frustration, and her knuckles cried in pain. Arya's phone vibrated, cutting off her thoughts, and she pulled it out, narrowing her eyes at Jaqen's fourteen hours late reply.

Me: You.. u fucking misleading fuck! Do I really talk that much when I'm under pressure?!

Instructor Creep: Yes, lovely girl ;)

She groaned, she was drunk on anger when she texted him that, still not believing she blurted out her thoughts of Maggish hotness aloud to her godsdamn soulmate. Arya had started wishing her words were the dull I'm sorry, but it was too late. Appreciate what you have, her father always told her. But as Ned's word always did, they give their meaning way too late.

She messaged him an angry: Wow such a fast reply, what are you on? Internet fucking Explorer?! and opened the door to her room, it took her a while to realize that something was amiss, or apresent, to put it better in words.

She found Theon lying on her bed very comfortably with a bag of Lays in his hand, pointing at her Tele, "Just missed the best thing that happened in this show for four seasons, Freddie's finally dead. Thank the gods." He drank a soda, and winced when the can hit his bruised lip.

She looked at the screen and was about to burst in laughter. Stay up late with Theon on snacks watching episodes of Skins. The fucking irony.

Her adopted brother didn't even seem fazed with Robb's intense, Ned style scolding they all received yesterday. The news reached him faster than lightning and by the time Arya arrived at the mansion, all her siblings and the friends involved were sitting in the game room, mostly drunk, and Westerling using first aid on what was left of Theon's face.

"One night... one night alone and you managed to make a fuck up with the size of Gregor the fucking Mountain!" Robb had yelled the moment Arya joined them on the cushions, and started with Jon first. "How did you let this happen?! I put my trust in you!"

Jon was putting plasters on his forehead, and pointed a finger at Theon, with no additional words needed.

He moved on to the silver haired man. "Aegon, you fuck! She was your aunt, why the heck didn't you persuade her?!"

Aegon followed Jon's league, and pointed at Theon with a glare.

"Arya, for gods' sake! How many times did I tell you not to get into man fights, huh?! You better be kissing my feet so father won't find out." Arya already had her finger pointing at Theon before he even started talking, "And where the heck was Tom in all this?!"

She pursed her lips, "I may or may not told him to take the day off..."

"You can't just do that! He doesn't work for you; his job is to protect you, not to be your freaking slave!" He was about to start with Sansa but the look on her face made him think otherwise, so he turned to the rest with gritted teeth. "Bran, Grenn, Pyp, I specifically told you fuckers not to get the idiot out of your sight, and what do you do? You let him go on a godsdamn death battle with a bloody UFC fighter!"

Pyp was passed out, Green shrugged and pointed at Theon.

"Stop it!" Robb had yelled in misery.

"You know, Robb, if you came with us this wouldn't have happened," Bran said defensibly, and everyone nodded in agreement, "You control him better than we do... well, you try."

He shot daggers at Theon, "I will not have myself involved with this... with this... bloody creature of a brother anymore."

"I'll tell you why, Bran." Theon mumbled, "Because he's whipped." He hissed in pain when Jeyne squeezed his bruise too hard, on purpose.

"You always go out with us when she's not around," Grenn said.

"Well, technically speaking, you do everything that Jeyne wouldn't let you do when she's not around." Arya added.

"Stop it! I'm not fucking whipped!" Robb finally yelled at his highest, "And FYI, Jeyne never tells me what to do." He crossed his arms.

"Honey, lower your voice, someone might come in." Jeyne said, too focused on what she was doing.

"Yes, sorry babe." His voice dropped to a whisper.

Everyone sniggered, 'Whiiiiiiped!' Theon yelled.

That was when Jeyne Poole entered the room, she absorbed the scene and had on a weird expression when she saw Theon's condition, it instantly faded and she glared at Sansa, "What the fuck Sans, you did not even bother to invite me?"

The moment he heard her whining; Theon had enough, he got up with a grunt, on his sloppy feet and somehow made it out of the door and into his room, more miserable than Arya had ever seen him.

And here he was, one day later, and his face looking even worse than she imagined it would be.

"You look like shit," she walked into the bathroom and back, with an ointment for her bleeding bruises.

"Well, you always look like Wednesday from Addam's family, that's a fact for you." he retorted, and sighed at the television, "What the fuck happened to this show?"

"They killed Chris, and it went downhill from there," she sat on a chair and applied the ointment, not liking to remember the merciless way they killed off her favorite character, such a perfect unreal human being he was. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your humble visit?"

"Wait, so I can't come and watch a show with my dear sister?"

"This episode is three years old."

He shrugged, "The gothic chick in there has a great ass."

"You never call me dear sister unless you need something."

"Why would I want anything from you?" he said, "You're shit at times of need."

"Thank you, I work hard for that." She took the remote and turned off the show she was sure Theon wasn't really watching. "What do you want, Greyjoy?"

"Look," he sat up, his casual act fading instantly, "This shit has been fucking torture, I don't think I can handle it much longer, even Theon has a limited amounts of 'I-don't-give-a-fuck's. You feel me?"

"Presuming I know what the heck you're talking about..." she rolled in her chair, "Is this related to the fact that you're being a massive dick lately – more than usual?"

"I'm about to drop a bomb here, okay?" He moved in a hurry, and stood in front of her, "I think - and don't freak out on that - I think it's related to the fact I've been a dick my whole life."

"Are you going to talk to me about your DNA format?" she said in indifference, "That's all I can think of. You're born with it, I'm afraid."

"Shhhh, just listen. I want a listener, and quiet." He almost looked nervous, much to Arya's surprise. "And utmost secrecy."

She raised an eyebrow, "From a scale of one to Eddard, how serious are you?"

He rubbed his damaged jaw, "I'd say... a Stannis."

Her eyes widened instantly, she got up and closed the door, almost panicking. "Start talking."

"This is serious shit, Ar, life or death situation here; my life, your death." He had his hands in front of him, moving it way too much.

"Oh gods... Oh gods... oh gods..." she said excitedly, "Should I bring my video camera? Fucking hells the Theon Greyjoy is about to make serious statement since... well, forever."

"Fuck off and take this seriously, I'm only telling you since Jon is useless and Robb already knows and unleashed his wrath on me."

"Wait. This is what Robb is being pissed about?" she leaned in, "Gods, Theon, just speak! I'm dying in here!"

"No one, Ar, I repeat, NO ONE must know. Robb didn't find it out, not entirely... he just... saw something that he shouldn't have. You owe me, remember?"

"Greyjoy, you either start story telling now or I'll torture the truth out of you!"

He paced back and forth in the room, debating in his head. "Fuck it. This is a bad idea!" he started heading for the door, but quick as a leopard, Arya blocked his way with a struggle, and soon it became a cat fight. "You can't leave me hanging like this!"

"I can't, woman! The only creatures that know are me and myself, and I!"

"That's why you need to tell me!"

"I'll start using force, ha!"

"Stop being a stubborn bitch!" she pushed him.

He stopped, sat on the bed, closed his eyes, and inhaled a deep breath. "Alright, screw this. Come sit with me."

Arya did what she was told in light speed. And waited eagerly but had a moment of doubt when she saw Theon pulling his shoes off, "Wait, dickhead, you're not gonna wave your stinky feet at me like you used to when we were children, are you? That prank is old."

"Silence!" he said, "And hey, did you notice when I stopped doing that?"

She was taken aback with the random question. "I 'don know-"

That's when Jon walked in on them, bags under his eyes, "Hey Ar – what the heck are you two doing?"

They stared at each other, Theon shook his head in panic, "The idiot was about to do the stinky feet prank," she said automatically.

"I thought you stopped doing that shit, man." Jon frowned.

Theon smiled, "Olds habits die hard."

"What is it?" Arya asked very impatiently, Jon chose the worst time to interrupt them.

"Okay, since Theon is here too..." he closed the door, and sat on the chair against the bed. "I need help with my soulmate."

"Hold up," Arya stopped him, "Why are you talking to us about soulmates?"

"Wait lemme rephrase that," Theon added, "Why the fuck are you talking to us about soulmates?"

He stared at them and shook his head, "Screw this, I'll ask Robb." He walked out of the room.

When he left Theon said, "See this, in three seconds he'll realize that he's an idiot and that Robb is not home. Three... two..."

Jon came back, "I really need help, okay?!"

"One."

"What is it Jon?" Arya was desperate to give him a solution. "Did you find her?"

"No, and I need to before I lose my wits," he sat down again, "You two are good at stalking, give me some ideas."

"Hey, I don't stalk, I research." Theon corrected.

Jon ran a hand through his hair, "My research has gone ashtray, I know every single redhead from Riverlands and no YKNJS."

"You lost me after K, too many letters." Arya said.

"You know nothing Jon Snow, in simple." Theon told her. "Look, Romeo, it is obvious now, she's not from Riverlands."

"You think?" Jon said, confused.

Arya rubbed her face, he really does know nothing, "Was there anything else, Jon? Besides from the red hair, for god's sake give us a hint or something."

"I already told you, I-" Jon's phone started ringing, he picked it up, "Speak of the devil, it's Robb."

Theon snatched the phone. "Hello, this is penis enlargement clinic, how may I help you?" he answered with a girly voice.

Jon took the phone back with a punch, Theon hissed at his shoulder muttering 'Domestic abuse!', "What is it? – No I didn't let him out... I swear I didn't, he's -" he looked at Theon then to Arya, a hand covering the mic, "What is he doing?"

"He's admiring Effy's ass." She said, and Theon nodded at that.

"He's admiring Fifi's ass," Jon told Robb, "No – I don't know... gods Robb, we're in the middle of something here, ease up with the Ned act." He hung up.

"It's Effy, Jon." Arya said.

"Yes, Effy's glorious ass. It is known." Theon said comically.

"Your Dothraki accent sucks," Arya told him.

"An accent," Jon's eyes widened, "Yes! A bloody accent!"

"What?"

"She had a thick accent, a... a... a..." he circled his hand, and finally snapped his fingers "A Redneck accent!"

"A Wildling?" Arya realized, "A redheaded wildling girl, who would've thought?"

"Nope, they don't call them that there," Theon said, "They say the girls with red hair are 'Kissed by fire'."

"Kissed by fire." Jon stood up. "Yes, a wildling kissed by fire..." he rushed out of the room.

"Now with that taken care of," Theon turned, bringing out his foot on the bed. "Well like the two of you had said, I stopped doing that prank years ago."

Arya nodded, the anticipation coming back.

"Well," he greeted his teeth, pointing at his ankle, "That's why."

What she saw was more shocking than Theon's attempt to flirt with Cersei Baratheon, which was by far the most disgusting thing her brother ever did, but not half as shocking at what was in front of her. "Holy shit!" She stood, walking nowhere and shouting. "Holy fucking shit, Theon!"

"No, you're not going anywhere," he pointed at her, panicking himself, "Sit down, Stark, sit down."

"You... you..."

"Yes."

"Seven godsdamn hells!" she sat down, her feet failing her, "When did this happen?!"

"Oh I don't know, sis. It usually happens at the morning of your eighteenth fucking nameday!"

"You have a soulmate!" she did not believe the words that were coming out of her mouth.

"Glad you grasped that much." He nodded.

"You deceived the whole freaking kingdom!" she pointed at nothing and everything, "Who is she?"

He circled his thumbs together, looking for the first time in his life, anxious. "It's really not that hard of a guess if you think about it."

"Who?! You flirt with everything that walks!" she had no idea, no guess, nothing. It was like figuring out was inside H'ghar's head, which was impossible at any given situation. The words... they were 'I can be your friend.' Who the heck would want to be friends with Theon?

"She... for fuck sake... I was head over heels for her, and when I was fourteen I confessed, and she gave me a flat out rejection." Theon was explaining, angrily but evidently way more seriously than she ever imagined he would, "You know why? Cuz some bitch made a rumor about me fucking a servant girl – which was not true by the way – I was as virgin as Jon is right now, but no, she believed them and threw me away like a piece of trash. So I thought, why the hell not? She thinks I'm an asshole, then I'll become one, to please her expectations."

"That's so messed up," she shook her head, "Who?!"

He didn't even seem to hear her, "Four years later, what do you know? She's my bloody soulmate, I prefer being tattooless my whole life than kiss her ass." He paused, "Actually, she has a lovely ass I won't mind – Fuck! Get it together, Greyjoy."

"Theon, pleeeease tell me who she is before I kill myself." Arya begged.

"It's not hard, okay?!" He finally seemed to hear. Standing up, he started heading for the door. "I flirt with every girl right? Now how would I treat a girl that rejected me?"

Arya just needed a few moments to think alone. She waited... and waited... and the realization hit her like a Lightbringer sword. Theon flirted with everyone. It was known. The people he doesn't hit on are herself, and Sansa... and... "Holy shit!"

Arya rushed to his room and knocked like a nutcase when she found the door locked, "Open up! I know your secret!"

He cocked his head outside, "And what is that?"

"It's Jeyne," she almost yelled, "It's fucking Jeyne!"

"And what do you want now, missy, an award?"

She grabbed his collar, "You're the biggest liar in Britain."

"Such a badass title."

Gods. His soulmate was Jeyne, even thinking about it was surreal. She wished Jon's soulmate wasn't called Jeyne as well or she'll lose her mind. He didn't just not flirt with her, he ignored her existence. He started acting strange from the first place since the day she arrived. He kept muttering nonsense about a girl when she was driving him back home that night. And the only time they talked to each other Theon seemed to pour his anger on the poor girl. Arya had no idea how she was blind to all this. "Does she know?"

"I don't know."

"What... what do you feel about her?"

"Let's see," he stroked his chin, a bad sign, something bad was coming. She knew. "I hate her, I wanna kill her, her existence bothers me. But at the same time, I fucking love her, she's all what I think about, and the only way I can have a decent orgasm is when she's inside my head." He took his head back inside, then out again quickly, "Both while masturbating and having sex with someone." He shut the door at her face.

"Gods!" she punched the door. "You bloody prick! I won't be able to sleep for weeks with those images!"

Arya almost jumped, she heard a howl, not a wolf howl, but a human's, a one a man makes when he hears that the war had just ended. Theon opened the door again to see what was going on. Jon came in running like a maniac. "Ygritte!" he yelled on top of his lungs, "It's YGRITTE!" her brother jumped and planted kisses on her cheeks, "I love my siblings!" he ran downstairs.

"And no kisses for poor Theon," Greyjoy commented, "I'm telling you. If Robb is whipped, Jon is on his way to slavery."

"Where are you going?" she asked him.

"Riverlands!"

"I hope Mother of Dragons breaks your chains one day!" Theon yelled in the hallway.

"Fuck you!"

"Jon, it's near midnight." Arya told him, but her brother was long gone. She turned to her other brother. "Go get him."

"Why me?" Theon protested, "I don't do well with halfwits, you know that."

"Just go!" she picked up her phone when it buzzed, she was surprised that Jaqen replied so fast. That was a first. But the number almost gave her a heart attack, and the message continent developed the attack to an almost heart failure.

Bullhead: I'm outside. We need to talk.

Her brothers were outside.

Again, Arya found herself running because of Gendry Waters, this time to him not away from him. Before her siblings interact with him and make more tragedies than the ones already made so far.


[A/N]

'Chris' from the TV show Skins is played by Joe Dempsie, the same actor who plays Gendry in Game of Thrones *evil laugh* #HadTo

On another note, thank you all so much for the support, you have no idea how much it mean to me! And no worries I friggin hate Author notes more than you do so I don't make one unless my life depends on it, and Joe IS my life so *~*