Sansa was sitting in Arya's room when her sister walked in.
She carefully noted her messier than usual hair and the pajamas she had worn last night, a somewhat mismatched gift from Rickon last Christmas. Care Bears didn't really suit Arya.
She smiled at Arya expectantly, assuming that she had been doing something naughty, when Arya walked over to her closet and pulled out her nicest black dress shirt with a pair of black dress slacks.
Sansa frowned, knowing that was funeral attire in Arya's mind, and stood to get the elegant black heels from the top of the closet, another gift, but unlike the pajama pants, these were one that she never used.
"Gendry's mother died Monday. The funeral is at two. He called last night to tell me. Well. This morning I should say. It was four in the morning." Arya told her.
"How terrible. I know Gendry was close with his mother. I'm sure it was a comfort to have you with him."
Arya smiled tiredly. She hurried to the bathroom attached to her room and Sansa waited patiently with a hairbrush until she came out fully dressed.
She grabbed Arya's hand and led her down the hall to her own bedroom where she sat her down at the vanity and set to work on taming the massive mane of hair.
"I don't think there is anything even you can do for these bags." Arya said, gesturing at the dark circles under her eyes.
Sansa hummed in response and put the brush down temporarily to turn Arya to face her. She grabbed some concealer and a bit of mascara, hiding the marks and making her eyes pop. She didn't play any further, knowing Arya wouldn't appreciate it.
She set back to work on her hair, styling the long curls into an elegant twist. Leaning down to look in the mirror beside her sister, she admired her work.
Arya touched her cheek softly, "Sansa you really are good at this. Thank you."
Sansa beamed at her little sister. Popping a kiss on her cheek, they both stood when Rickon yelled that Gendry was at the door for Arya.
"He's sad and he needs you. If anyone is going to help him through this, it's you." Sansa told her sister. "You're tough as nails and the only reason I think I actually made it through what happened to me."
Arya looked at her for a moment before wrapping her arms around Sansa's too thin waist.
"I'm never going to be one hundred percent, Arya. Neither will Gendry. But you've gotten me almost there. I'm going out again. I can go almost all day without a panic attack. There's good days and bad days. I'm able to live. And Gendry will get there too. Just keep doing what you're doing." She told her softly. "Now go down there to him. I don't expect you to come home tonight, so I'll cover for you with mom and dad."
Arya kissed her cheek and hurried down the stairs to where Gendry stood in a solemn gray suit.
Sansa watched as he hesitantly held a hand out and Arya took it, pressing into his arm.
Yes. Gendry would be just fine with Arya to look after him, Sansa thought as they walked out the door, stepping aside to let Sandor in.
She beamed down at him and decided that she was very glad that she thanked Arya for helping her get through her own trauma. Or else she wouldn't be able to go out for ice cream with Sandor and Dani.
As she walked down to him, a negative thought wriggled in that she would probably never be able to do more than this. She didn't know that she'd ever be able to do anything physical with him.
As if he could read her thoughts, he smiled down at her, a smile only she was privy to, and brushed his lips across her forehead, "I'm happy."
She returned the smile warmly and grabbed his hand, taking the lead through the door, as he always let her do so that she never felt forced into doing anything.
Me too, she thought.
R&R please and thank you.