A/N: I'm the worst, this took forever. My keyboard is being fickle these days and only working sometimes, nightmare. But, here it is. I LOVE YOU ALL THANKS.
The text chime of his cell phone is what woke him up, pulled him from the sated and much needed sleep he had just been joyfully apart of. His face was turned into the pillow, he was laying on his side facing his bedside table, Arya wrapped around him from behind. Her face was pushed into the back of his neck, her soft little breathes puffing against his neck as she slept.
He liked the feeling of her arms wound around him, just as he liked his arms wrapped around her. There was something soothing about being held, he was man enough to admit it. He laid in her embrace, feeling both drowsy and cozy, eyes slipping shut, until his text chime sounded again.
Arya made a noise of annoyance in her sleep at the interrupting sound. This wasn't the first time they'd slept beside each other, they'd had many a sleepover in their short friendship, but this was definitely the first time that they'd slept so close and weren't ashamed of it. He reveled in that, in the feel of her warmth on his back, her heart beating steadily like her breathing.
He reached over for his phone, careful not to jostle her too much as not to wake her, and swiped to unlock his cell. The screen was too bright in his dark room, his eyes squinting to take in the message on his screen.
– I'm in love with your girlfriend.
Gendry's brows furrowed in confusion, squinting past the bright light of his screen to see who the message was from when another one came in and caught his attention.
– Platonically, of course. Bring her around more! Tommen and I want to see more of her and you!
He couldn't help but smile at the message from Myrcella. Apparently Arya had hit it off with them better than he'd originally expected. It warmed him that the people in his life were fond of her, though he didn't want to think of the expectations that it brought up.
Arya stirred behind him, her arms tightening around him for a moment before she released him to lay on her back and stretch. He quickly shot a text back to Myrcella – Glad you enjoyed her company, I'll be sure to bring her by sometime – and then turned over to face the sleepy-eyed Stark in his bed.
"Hey." He mumbled, voice all rough from sleep.
She smiled and rolled over so that they were both facing each other. "Hey, yourself."
They both just gazed at each other with tired eyes for a few moments, before Arya chuckled and reached up to pat down his wild hair. "That is the most serious bedhead I've ever seen."
"You should talk."
Her sloppy bun was falling all over the place, sitting lopsided on her head, pieces sticking out and falling from the back. Arya just raised a brow and give him the finger, which made him chuckle. "Fuck off."
He laid there smiling at her for a minute. It was still pretty dark in his room, light peaking out from beneath the shades covering the windows and it gave off an easy sort of vibe. He couldn't help but look over her features, think about how emotionally drained he'd been last night, and the things that had transpired just before.
"We're dating." Escaped his mouth before his brain could catch up.
Arya smiled bright and chuckled as she nodded. "Yes we are."
"You're my girlfriend."
"Yes, I am."
"I'm not going to lie," He reached out to tuck some hair out of her face and behind her ear. "A part of me seriously believed I made that bit up. You know, concussion and all."
Arya's eyes were soft, searching his gently before leaning in the short distance between them and kissing him. Her lips were lightly pressed against his, it was chaste, sweet, and warmed his chest.
She pulled back and smiled at him, placing her hand on his neck and running her thumb over his jaw. "Shut up." She whispered with a smile.
He smiled back and closed his eyes. It was nice here – cocooned in his bed with her hands on him and her eyes all soft and warm. He could stay in this moment for eternity and never want to leave.
Eventually, Arya removed her hand and sat up, causing his eyes to open. She stood from the bed and walked towards his bathroom, "Hold up, I've gotta pee so bad I think I might die."
He snorted and laid flat on his back, rubbing hands over his tired eyes, careful of the gnarly bruise still wrapped over his skin. He needed to email his professors and get all the homework he'd managed to miss the past few days, and as soon as he didn't feel like death he had to go back and make up for all the lost time on his portraits project in Shae's class – thankfully his trip to the hospital would get him out of the trouble he'd most likely be in. He sighed, mind moving a mile a minute trying to remember all he had to do and who he needed to contact at the school, that he didn't even realize Arya was back until she jumped on the bed.
She laid back in her spot, cozying into the blankets and smiling at him. "So... you're my boyfriend."
"Yes, I am." He laughed lightly. "We've established this."
She had that wolfish glint her her eye, the kind that spoke of embarrassing questions and answers, the one that would make him both laugh and blush. He was a little unprepared for that this early in the whatever time it actually was.
"So, that means that we're best friends but I get to kiss you whenever I want."
There was a small smirk in his smile as he nodded at her, "Yes, that is true."
Arya leaned forward to kiss him, a soft slide of lips that had him aching for more. He brought his hand up to entwine in her hair and she nipped so softly at his lip that a small pitch of air escaped him. She pulled back, that glint still in her eye, in her smile.
"And that means I can ask you anything and you'll tell me, right? No matter how embarrassing or ridiculous?" She asked a little innocently and it clashed terribly with that mischievous spark in her metal eyes.
He chuckled, maybe a bit nervously. "Yup."
That flicker in her gaze grew brighter and he swallowed a bit heavily at the sight, unsure of what was to come next. He was a little aroused by the thought, a little nervous, but overall he wanted to laugh. This was his life now; lying in a bed with Arya Stark and her impish looks and her wicked ways. He would like nothing more than for it to last forever.
"So, I can touch you whenever I want?" She bit her lip coyly, that dangerous glint still in her eye. "Or, wherever I want?"
He felt her fingers begin to gently crawl up his chest, over his t-shirt. He wondered if she could feel how intensely his heart was beating beneath it.
"Because I have to say, Gendry, I've been awfully curious about some things." She continued with a wicked smirk.
"Is that so?" He asked, a smirk of his own emerging.
"Hmm." She smiled and nodded, "Tell me... was I your first kiss?"
His face dropped in a mock-glare and he pinched her side, causing her to let out a laugh and it was hard for him to keep the straight face he was attempting to put on. "That's just low."
Arya laughed and kissed him quickly and repeatedly as she apologized. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She smiled into the kisses, causing him to smile too. "But, was I?"
He grappled her onto her back, both of them laughing the whole time. He kissed up her neck gently, causing those laughs to become breathy little mewls. He reached her ear and breathed, "Yes." So quietly that she almost missed it. Arya quickly wrapped her legs around him tight and flipped them in an impressive move that left him stunned and her straddling his waist.
And then she was leaning back down to kiss him once again.
It was soft and warm; just like her. But, it quickly manifested into something a more intense without many real push. His large hands came up to cup her back and waist, the hand that had been lazily trailing up and down his chest was now firmly planted on his jaw. The intensity of the kiss lasted for a while more, fading in and out as they learned each other's mouths and lips, the things that made breaths hitch and quiet little exhales.
Arya on top of him was one of those things he'd often fantasized about but totally never thought would be a reality. The truth was nothing compared to the feel of her fleshy thighs all sleep warm and smooth bracketing his hips, her breasts pushed into his chest, and her hands framing his face. He kissed her open and hard, licking into her mouth, biting her lip, his hands possessively covering her back and hips. Arya bit back a moan as she moved above him.
Gendry flipped her quickly once again, just needing to feel her spread out below him. Her legs wrapping instinctually around his hips, the kiss never broken. Her hands slide up his shirt, gripping at his back, and he couldn't help but grind into her.
The kiss broke with a loud moan from Arya, and Gendry took that as an opportunity to kiss down her jaw and neck, their hips moving gently against each other in a desperate sort of way that spoke of just how much they were enjoying this. He was painfully hard and aching, straining in the confines of his sleep pants and pressing into the heat of her body from where he was nestled against her. He bit at her collarbone and she cried out again, her hands gripped tight in his messy hair.
"You're..." Arya spoke around a gasp. "You're mine now."
Gendry groaned into her mouth, reclaiming those tempting lips once again, nodding vigorously. "Yes."
"I've wanted to get you like this for a long time." She moaned. "I've wanted to fuck you since I saw you looking stupidly hot stacking books in the library. No one should be allowed to look that hot in a library. It's offensive."
"Arya." Gendry rumbled, catching her attention. "Stop talking."
Sure, there were things they probably needed to talk about, things she wanted to ask and things he just wanted to say, but they both knew with the energy surrounding them that now was not the time. He kissed her again, bit at her lips and licked into her mouth. She responded to every nudge and push, giving back exactly what she got.
Her legs were wound tightly around his waist, her hips bucking up into his. The bed was warm, the light was barely there and soft from where it was peeking in around the curtains on his window. The mood felt right and charged and his chest felt like it was going to explode with the weight of it.
Gendry thrust down into her hips, her back arching and head thrown back as her breathing hitched rapidly. He was hard and heavy in his pants, pressing insistently into her heat; it was maddening and addicting. No wonder everyone went around chasing this high.
Her hips began bucking up to meet his, swirling little circles that left sparks going off behind his eyes. Her rapid breathing interrupted by moans. Her hands gripping tightly at his wide shoulders. He breathed heavily into the space between her breasts as he thrust his hips down sharply, pulling a gasp from her open mouth. They weren't even kissing anymore, just rutting against each other and gripping tight onto warm skin.
He couldn't take it anymore, it was simultaneously too much and not nearly enough. He felt the tightening in his stomach, his balls heavy and throbbing drawing up; he was about to fucking come in his pants like a preteen. And yet, he honestly couldn't even bring himself to care when Arya was muttering his name in her breathless tone, a moan immediately following it.
He thrusted his way through his orgasm, which had hit him so hard and suddenly that he couldn't breath for a moment, his body taught and shoulders shaking with the effort of keeping himself from collapsing on top of her as ropes of hot come stained his shorts.
Arya's breathing was heavy enough to cause her chest to heave, her nipples tight and pronounced beneath the fabric of his t-shirt. He couldn't stop himself from taking one into his hot mouth, licking over light cotton of the borrowed shirt. She gave a yelp and her legs tightened around his waist, her hips pushing up to meet his, pushing harshly against his sensitive dick and dragging out a groan from him. Arya collapsed back onto the bed completely and pulled him down atop her.
His head ended up buried in her neck, his hips still slotted between her legs. "Holy shit." She breathed out, hand threaded into his wrecked hair.
He made a noise in agreement, totally not yet functional from his seriously rocking orgasm. Like, how did one even go back to touching themselves after they got off with another person? Where was the fun in that? The intensity?
Arya's fingers wrapped and pulled through his slightly overgrown locks, lulling him into a sedate state of pleasure and comfort. He could stay wrapped up in her soft body forever, honestly.
"I've never gotten off with anyone before." Her breath still returning to her and it made her sound a little winded when she spoke. "Usually it's just me and my vibrator, thinking about what your perfect hands would feel like all over my body."
Gendry groaned into her neck as his dick gave a valiant effort to get it up again so quickly. He had no doubt that he could be ready again not far from now, but it was near impossible at the moment. It didn't stop his dick from trying, though.
"Arya." Gendry all but whined, gently nipping at the skin of her neck. "You can't just say things like that."
She looked like she was stuck in a deja vu moment, but the grip on his hair and her sinful little smirk pulled him out of wondering what she'd been thinking about. "I'm pretty sure I can now say all the sexy things I want. You just came in your pants grinding on me. I have rights now."
Gendry snorted and held her tighter to him. "Shut up."
They laid like that for a while, all quite and warm. He needed to get up and shower, change at the very least, seeing as how the come was drying in his boxers. But, Arya was so very soft and warm and comfortable.
Eventually, the sticky feeling of drying come in his underwear made him move off her. He rolled onto his back and sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I need to shower."
"Oh?" Arya smirked playfully. "You don't love the feeling of coming in your pants?"
He snorted, "Certainly not the after effect."
She moved in closer to him, lying on her stomach and leaning on his chest. She smiled at him with a bit of that predatory glint still in her eye. "Mind if I join you?"
He could feel the heat of a blush on his skin. Of fucking course he didn't mind. He'd only been fantasizing about getting Arya naked and wet since junior year.
"You want to shower with me?"
He wasn't even sure why he was asking that. Or why he was even opening his mouth at this point. Just nod, Gendry. Just gesture and get up and make this happen for yourself, you insolent slouch.
Arya leaned down kissed him all filthy and deep, biting his lower lip and releasing him with a smirk. "Gen, I've literally been thinking about you naked for the better part of two years. Yes, I want to shower with you and I want to touch you everywhere, right now."
He basically sprang into action. He was a virgin in his early twenties with the girl of his dreams practically demanding to get him off. His brain went into overdrive. He could not compute.
Arya just smirked in all of her confidence and comfort, removed herself from him and the bed, and stood. She made sure he was watching her – as if he'd be doing anything else, and pulled the shirt from her body. He was getting hard again, he and his dick were one and on the very same page. She stood with her torso bare for just a second, letting him drink in the sight of her amazing breasts and soft skin, before shucking her shorts and stepping out of them and her underwear.
She was miles of smooth pale skin and smirky-smiles; he was would never make it.
She turned and walked into his bathroom, leaving him lying on the bed as if he'd just been petrified and staring after her bouncy ass. He was up like a shot as he heard the water turn on, pulling his shirt overhead and stepping out of his horrific stained bottoms. She was under the spray, skin all wet and glistening; his cock was full and heavy where it was curving up towards his stomach, back in record time.
He slid into the shower behind her, moulding his body to her's, lips finding her neck under the hot spray and nipping there. She let herself lean back into him, head resting on his chest as his arms slipped around her waist, holding her to him. They stood like that for a few moments, quiet except for the sound of running water, eyes closed, wrapped up in one another.
"I thought it'd be weirder." Her voice sounded loud in the quiet space, even though she'd spoken at basically a whisper. Her fingers moving soothingly over the forearms wrapped around her waist. "Going from, 'Hey you're my best friend' to 'Naked shower time'."
His head was resting on her's and when he nodded, she could feel it. "I know what you mean."
"But it's not weird. Like, at all." She moved her head to look over her shoulder at him. "Is that weird?"
"Well, we're weird, so maybe it's normal?"
She smiled at his stupid, but genuine answer, shaking her head and turning in the embrace. Her arms wrapped around his neck, warm from the water and dripping down his back. He hissed at the sudden contact of her stomach pressing into his swollen cock.
"I think I remember putting in a request to touch you."
"I may remember something like that, but I should go check the requests box, just to be safe."
Arya laughed softly and shook her head, "You're so stupid." She leaned in to kiss him, pressing herself even closer to him, like she'd climb inside of him if she could.
He backed her gently into the shower wall, the warm water beating against his back, her mouth hot and hungry against his. His hands wandered from where they had been at her sides up to her breasts, wonderful and heavy in his hands, indescribably soft and smooth. He cupped them, thumbs coming up to press into her nipples. She let out a moan around their kiss and he unconsciously thrust into her stomach.
She quickly maneuvered them so that his back was against the wall. He knew that if he was paying attention and really truly wanted to, he'd be able to stop her from manhandling him by sheer strength. But, he didn't want to stop her, and since his brain was currently offline, he was in no position to try and fend off her quick moves and scary show of strength.
Arya leaned over and grabbed a washcloth from the little cradle beneath the shower-head, wetting it and smoothing it over his lower stomach and scrubbing lightly at his happy trail. He should feel at least a little embarrassed that Arya was cleaning the dried come off his body, but then her hand wrapped around his cock and he saw stars. His head hit the tiles, his neck and body arched, a low moan escaped between his parted lips.
"Fu-ck."
She'd ditched the washcloth and it was just her hot hand on his overheated skin, gently and slowly moving it up and down his hard length. He could barely breath, the pleasure so consuming. In an abstract way, he'd always known it'd feel incredible to have another's hand on him, but this was near indescribable. Maybe he was just too turned on to really form the words, but he didn't care.
"I like watching you like this." Arya murmured, only slightly drowned out by the water loudly hitting tiles and his own labored breathing.
"Don't you think it's a little early to be discussing kinks?" He tried for a joke and quickly failed as her hand began stroking faster and curled tightly around the head. "Fuck, Arya."
"Hi, I have my hand wrapped around your cock, I don't think it's too early for anything now." He felt a spark of arousal shoot through him at her words and the movement of her hand. "But, for the record, I've been thinking about you like this for a long time."
He brought up a hand to his eyes, head titled as far as it could go, his back slightly arching from the wall as she quickened her pace and began using her other hand as well. He bit his lip to hold back a moan, breathing harshly through his nose.
"Fuck." He groaned, pounding his free fist into the wall beside him before going back to biting his lip.
"No, don't do that." Arya brought one hand up from his cock to place on his lips and he almost whined at the loss of sensation. "I want to hear you."
He groaned again, hand still covering his eyes. "It's too much... I-I can't."
"What's too much?" She whispered, placing kisses on his chest and collarbones, nipping and sucking marks onto his skin.
"This." He hissed out around a tight moan. "I'm gonna come."
"So, come."
He breathed in quickly through his nose and held his breath as her hands increased their rhythm and pressure, squeezing tighter as she quickly moved her hands. He let out a heavy breath as he came across her hands and stomach. He slumped against the shower all as his heart rate slowed and his breathing regulated.
He removed the hand from his eyes and looked down at her standing in front of him, come spattered across her pale skin, her lips red from biting and her eyes dark. She looked ready to pounce.
She practically jumped as she leaned in to kiss him, her arms going around those wide shoulders and her hips thrusting against his sensitive cock. He gasped and flipped them under the spray, kissing down her neck and to her breasts, bending to lick at her nipples and nip at the delicate skin there. She sucked in air and moaned as she grabbed his wrist and pushed his hand to her center.
He kept teasing her breasts as his shaky fingers curiously traced the soft flesh of her mound, the lips opening easily for him as his fingers dipped inside of her heat. She was soaked, wetter than he'd imagined, and his fingers slipped in easily. She moaned as he traced the inside with a finger, going up to find her clit. He knew immediately once he'd found it, her body jerked and stiffened, like she'd been electrocuted and her breathing became quicker.
He thumbed at her clit, panting into her neck, as his fingers of his other hand pushed into her. She was slick and hotter than anything he'd ever felt without being burned, but he felt like he was burning, like he was being consumed by fire. He pushed one in, slowly at first, but her hips were moving and he could tell she was use to more, so he put in two more. His thumb was still toying with her clit and his fingers were moving in and out now, quickly, frantically, as her breathing hitched and she sounded high-pitched.
Her hips were pushing down to meet his fingers, twisting and bucking, she was close. He doubled his efforts, feeling the curl of arousal in his own stomach from the sight of her bare and open before him. He curled his fingers and pushed his thumb harder against the sensitive bud and she shook, going silent before letting out a high moan. She slumped against him as he gently continued to move his hands, wringing out as much of her orgasm as he could before removing them from her.
She was still breathing heavy, shaking her head as she pushed him to stand under the water, running her trembling fingers through her hair. "Wow."
"Yeah?" He asked.
"Yeah." She nodded. "Wow."
He smiled stupidly to himself as they washed their hair.
They managed to pull themselves from beneath the spray and exit the shower, billows of steam and muggy air met them. Arya had a towel wrapped around her luscious frame and for went clothes for the moment, dropping down on the bed and curling up to evade the slight chill from the air. He was about to join her when he phone rang, Arya groaned, eyes already closed once again, and he snorted as he picked it up from where it lay on the bedside table.
Flashing on the screen was a picture of Shireen play-scowling and the name she'd inputted herself. "Princess Shireen of Dragonstone, what can I do for you."
His cousin's voice was bright and excited, "Gendry! Why am I always the last to know everything, I thought we were tight? I just got a call from Myrcella saying you've finally gotten yourself a real life girlfriend?"
He could hear the multiple question marks in her voice, Shireen was easily excitable. "Uh, yeah. I do." Gendry brought his free hand up to lace in the back of his hair. "Why is Myrcella going around blabbing?"
"It's not blabbing, Gendry." He could see the eye roll in her voice. "She's keeping us lesser folks informed. You have to fill me in on all of this crazy, you're allowed to talk to the actual Baratheon children now? Shocked."
He snorted and shook his head. He loved Shireen, she was more his sister than cousin, but more of a friend above all else. He hadn't caught up with her in a while and he felt a tad guilty for that. He'd make it up to her.
"I'll fill you in, don't worry. But, yes. We're dating, it's not that exciting, no need to alert the media."
Arya gave the finger from where she was still curled with her eyes closed. "Fuck you. I'm very exciting news."
"I expect a hang out soon with the both of you. I can't wait to meet her!"
"Bye, Shireen."
"Bye, Gen." She chuckled as she hung up.
Gendry placed his phone down and laid beside her. Arya immediately moved so that she was curled into him and also half on top of him. Her towel began to slip from the movement, exposing miles of soft naked skin. He couldn't stop himself from running his hands over her hip and thigh, up her ribs and to her breast. She gave a small intake of breath once he reached the soft mound, thumb finding her nipple easily. He leaned down an found her lips, unable to stop touching and kissing her. She was bare and willing beside him, how was he not suppose to take advantage?
He'd just rolled her over on to her back, licking into her mouth and nipping at her lower lip, ripping soft little whimpers from her chest, when his phone rang loudly in the quiet room. He sighed, head falling into her neck and Arya made a displeased little sound that made him smile. He moved to grab it and saw it was Renly calling.
"Hello."
"You little shit."
"Nice to hear from you too, uncle." He tried to ignore the erection that throbbed gently between his legs.
"Shireen just texted me. You and little Stark have finally decided sexual tension was so passe? Thank god."
Gendry rolled his eyes. "Does everyone in this family feel the need to inform everyone else about everything?"
"Welcome, darling."
Gendry snorted and shook his head at Renly's sass. "Yes, Arya and I are now dating. Sorry I didn't call you the literal moment it happened."
"I accept your apology." Renly smirked.
"I'm hanging up now."
"Be sure to invite us to dinner once in a while. Don't hermit yourself away just because you're in the honeymoon phase and want to have sex all the time. Trust me, I vividly recall what that was like."
"Lalalalala." Gendry sang loudly. "I didn't need to hear that ever, thanks."
"Bye, Gen." Renly laughed.
"Bye." He threw the phone and collapsed on the bed beside Arya, an arm thrown over his face. "Our families are never going to leave us alone, are they?"
"Probably not." Arya answered.
The front door slamming open and the loud voices yelling spoke of exactly how very not alone they now were and would most likely always be. Gendry heaved a great sigh before pushing himself from the bed and pulling on pajama pants and going out to greet the guys.
Arya rubbed her eyes and made herself get up from the bed as well, rummaging through Gendry's shit to find a soft shirt she liked and some basketball shorts to pull on. She could already hear Lommy asking questions and she could hear Gendry answer them. She quickly made her way out of the bedroom and into the main room where they all stood.
Lommy looked both worried and skeptical about the things Gendry was saying, things like – I'm fine, don't worry, it was okay. If she were in Lommy's position, she probably wouldn't believe a word coming from Gendry's liar mouth either, so she didn't really blame the skepticism that was radiating from the blonde.
Pod was seated at the bar counter and Hot Pie stood beside him, leaning against it. They both looked on with loose worry and furrowed brows, but neither looked as contrite as Lommy who had his arms crossed over his chest. When Arya came into the room, his green eyes shot to her and narrowed.
"I thought you said you were going to stop him."
So, Gendry told them he'd went through with it, then. Arya crossed her arms as well, but kept her face open and definitively not defensive. Now wasn't the time to get into a fight, she'd had enough of that for the day. She locked eyes with Gendry, who looked both nervous and guilt-ridden.
"Well, that was the plan before he convinced me otherwise. But, it really was fine, Lommy. Everything worked out alright."
"Oh, well I'm so glad that everything worked out alright." Lommy bit out angrily. "But what if it hadn't, Arya? I asked you to help us, not enable him!"
Gendry looked down all guilty, shying away from Lommy's harsh tone and glassy eyes. Pod and Hot Pie stared at Lommy's back, worried and relieved all at the same time. Arya knew why Lommy was upset, knew that he cared, she suddenly felt like total shit for not calling him last night and letting him know that all went okay, not letting him in on the plan. Because, it might not have worked and maybe Arya wouldn't have been enough to pick up the pieces. She'd let her feeling for him cloud her judgement as a friend, Brienne would've skinned her alive if this was a situation between them.
"I'm sorry, Lommy. I really am. I should've called you last night and that was my bad. But, you have to understand that it ended up being for the best. I just had to trust Gendry's gut on this one. But, I promise to always defer to your wealth of knowledge in the future." She came up and wrapped herself around the blond boy who cared too much and squeezed him tight. "I have some exciting news though."
"Oh, and what's that." The sarcastic tone was still biting, but his arms had come around her shoulders to hold her to him.
"Gendry and I are together." She staged whispered in his ear.
There was a moment of silence before he literally screeched. "You shut your whore mouth!" He pushed Arya back to look at her, eyes all wide and mouth morphing into an excited smile. "Gendry, tell me this is true or I'll punch you."
Gendry rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "It's true."
Lommy began to jump up and down, gushing. "Oh, fuck yes, finally!" He moved over to Gendry and smacked his arm hard.
"Ow, fuck!" Gendry cried, rubbing his reddened skin. "That hurt!"
"If you ever do something stupid like that again without telling us, I'll do a lot worse."
Arya's phone started ringing from the other room and she left Lommy and Gendry staring at each other, Pod jumping in between them with a placating smile. She grabbed it from the bedside table, Sansa flashing on the screen.
"Hello?"
"Um, why did my best friend just call me complaining that she "didn't even know that Little Arya was dating yet"? What is Margaery talking about?"
Arya sighed, "Fucking Loras."
"Arya." Sansa said sharply. "Why do Loras and Margaery think that you're dating?"
"Because..." She groaned, rubbing a hand over her eyes. "I'm sort of dating Gendry now."
"Excuse me, what?"
"I'm sort of dating – "
"Oh, no, I heard what you said. Since when? And how are you sort of dating him."
Her sister had that intense sound to her voice, the pitchy bitchy one that use to be how she always sounded in her youth. Arya knew what that voice meant. Sansa was hurt that she wasn't told first, and she was mad because she was hurt.
Arya sighed, "It literally just happened, Sansa. Like, literally just happened."
"So... you two are officially official?"
"Yeah, I guess so. It happened last night, a lot of things happened last night that I need to fill you in on, but right now the guys are here and Lommy's sort of pissed at Gendry and I'll be home later and tell you every last horrifying detail, okay?"
"Don't think I'm letting you live this down."
Arya rolled her eyes as her sister hung up, already exhausted by the conversation she'd be having with Sansa when she got home later. Her family was dramatic by nature, this situation was no different. Everyone probably knew she was Gendry's girlfriend by now, she was waiting for the text from Jon and Ygritte actually.
She moved back out into the living room where Lommy was seated in his armchair, white russian in hand, and the guys were splayed over the rest of the furniture. Gendry patted the spot beside him on the couch as Pod scrolled through Netflix. She burrowed into his side without hesitation, now was so not the time to feel weird or uncomfortable in front of their friends. Everything needed to remain normal and fine, she wasn't in the business of screwing up the dynamic of friendships because she was now screwing one of the friends.
"Princess Bride?"
Gendry nodded, "Princess Bride."
It was fitting, and not just for calming Lommy down. It had become sort of their thing, not just Lommy's. Arya smiled and sprawled out over the couch and the people on it like she always did – head on Gendry's thigh and legs thrown over Hot Pie's lap.
"Arya." Lommy shouted over the opening of the movie. "How swoony is Pre-Pirate Westley?"
"The swooniest." She replied without hesitation, Gendry playing with her hair.
The barbecue was stupid.
It was a stupid idea and Arya was annoyed at her family for being so pushy and aggressive in their loveliness.
Arya had left Gendry's after the movie and a long makeout that had the guys gagging and wooing, immediately going over to Brienne's to scream before heading home to Sansa where she would have to give detailed descriptions of every minute. Brienne had been chill about it, because she was Brienne, which Arya really appreciated.
Sansa, on the other hand, had not been chill. Like, at all.
Hence, the barbecue.
She'd cornered Arya as soon as she'd gotten back from Brienne's dorm and dragged her into the bedroom, forcing her to spill the whole story. They stayed up in her bed, Sandor groaning from the other room about being forced to sleep on the couch while they chatted all night. She told Sansa about Gendry's fight in the coffee shop, the concussion, and the talk with Cersei that followed. She told her sister everything else that followed, too. What happened that morning and what it was like. Sansa screamed a lot, Sandor grunted and turned up the tv volume.
It had been almost a week since she'd spent any real time with Gendry, who had returned to school and the library a couple days ago after he drove back out to the Stormlands to talk to his mom. Arya was almost positive the only reason he went at all was because Tobho was refusing to let him back to work until he did. She got a Facebook message that night from Lia thanking her for being around for her son and a congratulations on their new relationship status. She also was apparently delighted to attend the family barbecue this coming weekend.
That's how Arya found out about the barbecue – from Gendry's mom. Apparently Sansa thought it was the best way to get to know everyone and the least weird way to do it. Sansa was the worst.
So, currently, Arya was helping Benjen and Sandor prep the food for the grill while Sansa ran around making sure everything was clean and not messy and that Bran and Rickon at least smelled nice. Jeynie was setting up bowls of chips and Theon was sorting through the liquor with Brienne. Jojen and Meera were placing napkins and plates at the table Margaery was seated at while glaring at her phone as she texted furiously.
The front door opened and the loud woos that followed meant it was Ygritte and Jon. They appeared in the kitchen carrying more alcohol. "Hey, kids!" Ygritte smiled, kissing everyone's cheek with her hands full of beer.
"Hey, guys." Jon followed her outside to the backyard with his load.
"Do we really need this much booze for a family gathering?"
Both Sandor and Benjen turned to look at her with blank faces and brows raised. Arya rolled her eyes.
"I'll need as much as I can if I have to suffer through this shit." Sandor grumbled as he continued to cut up ribs.
Arya punched his shoulder, "Fuck off."
This wasn't going to be that bad...was it?
Brienne sauntered back into the kitchen, leaning against the counter and snagging bits of cheese as the they prepared the meats. "When's Gen getting here?"
Arya looked up at the clock on the stove, "He said he was picking up his mom at like four, so." She slapped Brienne's hand away from their prep food. "What time did Pod say he was coming?"
Brienne shrugged, being very casual and non-Brienne like in her leisure. "Soon."
Arya narrowed her gaze. "Soon is not an answer, Brienne."
"Chill out, cub scout." Brienne smirked and slinked back outside.
"Stop trying to sound cool!" Arya yelled after her.
The doorbell rang out and Rickon bounded after it, mostly as an excuse to escape Sansa and the gel in her hands. "Rickon! You look ridiculous, take care of yourself!"
"Yeah, Rickon, you look like a disgusting pig-person!" Ygritte over-dramatically yelled as she walked back into the kitchen, handing both Benjen and Sandor a beer, pulling chuckles and sniggers out of everyone.
Rickon came back in with narrowed eyes and the boys, minus Gendry, trailing behind him. "That's really very funny and mature, guys."
Ygritte leaned against the counter, sipping at the beer in her hands. "Where's your girlfriend, Rick? Does she know how gross you are?"
"She sure does." He smirked back, waggling his eyebrows.
"Rickon!" Sansa screeched as Ygritte leaned forward to high-five him. "Aw yeah."
Lommy dropped his arm on Rickon's shoulders, laughing. "You're terrible. I like you."
"At least one person does." Arya muttered, causing the finger from Rickon as he went out back. "Hey guys."
Hot Pie had already moved over towards the food prep, setting down the dishes he'd pre-made and struck up a convo about the various meats with Sandor and Benjen. Arya moved away from the counter, knowing she'd only be a nuisance at this point, and brought the other two outside. Pod, instantly found Brienne and Lommy dropped down beside Bran, Jojen and Meera.
She moved instead over to where her older brothers were setting up the drinks, Jeynie and Ygritte in an actual conversation about how underrated 98 Degrees had been as a band. Arya poured herself a soda and leaned against Robb's arm as she sipped from the solo cup.
"What's up, Nym?"
She just groaned and drank more soda before sitting up and narrowing her eyes at both her brother's in a fierce glare. "Don't be weird tonight."
Jon looked shocked, but like fake-shocked – hand over his heart and everything. "Arya, we'd never do anything to embarrass you."
"Yeah," Robb continued on in their super fake offended-ness. "We're not even the embarrassing brothers. That human pig-person Rickon doesn't even have gel in his hair." He gestured over to where their youngest brother was seated next to Margaery, taking selfie's with her.
Rickon just threw up both middle fingers without looking.
Sansa floated past frantically and boxed Robb on the ear in an eerie, but fantastic, display of their mother. "He has your terrible curly hair, Robb. You know how bad it looks without gel."
Robb rubbed his ear, "Fuck, Sans. We're just fucking with you. God, you don't have to get all Mom on me."
Sansa just threw up the middle finger as she went back inside, never turning around. She was gifted like that.
"I mean it." Arya continued. "He's my best friend and we literally started dating last weekend and this is excessive and totally weird, so don't make it any weirder."
"Aw, come on, Nymie." Robb and Jon huddled up close to her in that annoying way they use to do to her all the time when they were little with big smiles on their faces and zero personal space between them. It still made her want to punch them. "The whole point is to make it weird. He's your first real boyfriend, we've got to do the whole 'over-protective older brother act'. It'd be a disservice to your relationship not to."
"Oh, is that right." She rolled her eyes and pushed out of their huddle, turning on them with narrowed eyes and a pointed finger. "I will actual murder you."
Robb chuckled, nudging Jon who was smiling beside him. "You hear that? She's going to actual murder us, instead of the fake kind."
"I've got so much dirt on you, do not make me use it."
Robb's eyes narrowed, "You wouldn't dare."
"It was in the year of our lord, 2003 when I, Arya Louise Stark, stumbled in upon Robb, Jon, Theon and a pool float-y – " Arya began yelling before being cut off by both her brothers, shushing her.
"We had an oath!"
"Don't be weird!"
"Arya?"
Arya whipped around to find Gendry in the doorway to the kitchen with his mom, laughing at her. "Hey, hi. Hey."
Ygritte looked at her with a weird face, "Are you having a stroke or something?"
Arya shushed her before making her way over to Gendry and his mom, Sansa already introducing herself to Lia Waters and hugging her. God, Sansa was hugging Gendry's mom.
She stopped in front of Gendry – god, had he always been so tall? Fuck. No, wait, not right now. Right now she was officially meeting his mom and basically everyone she cared about was around them. Not the time to picture climbing him naked.
"Hey." Gendry said softly as she approached.
"Hi."
She looked up at him and smiled, their stupid and annoyingly dumb eye contact was interrupted by Sansa pulling Arya by the wrist and planting her in front of Gendry's mom. She was pretty, and young, she must've had Gendry young to look that good. She had soft blonde hair that fell around her in gentle waves and ice blue eyes, much lighter than Gendry's. She must've been fucking stunning in her youth because she was fucking stunning now.
"Uh, mom, this is Arya. Arya, this is my mom." Gendry was so awkward, bless his heart. He gestured beside him with on hand while the other was stuck up in the back of his hair.
"It's really nice to finally meet you, Ms. Waters." Arya smiled at the older woman.
Gendry's mom rolled her eyes, "Lia, please. You know better than that, Arya." She smiled then, all warm and soft, and Arya felt her throat tighten a bit. That was a nice smile. That was a mom smile. Was it weird that she just wanted to fall into Lia's arms and be held by her? Probably.
"Sorry." Arya smiled. "Lia."
"Your home is beautiful." She addressed both Sansa and Arya then, smiling that perfect smile at them both. Arya wondered if Sansa felt it too.
"It's our family home." Sansa smiled softly and explained. "The younger boys still live her with our uncle, Benjen, and we're always around to help out. I don't think we'll ever be able to part from it, even when we're all gone."
"It never gets any easier." Lia smiled gently at them. "People say it does, but it doesn't. I lost my parents quite young, so I know it's not something you ever truly get over."
Sansa had those doe eyes going as she listened to Lia, the open puppy face that meant only one thing: she was a total goner for Gendry's mom.
"Why don't we introduce you to everyone?"
Lia smiled again at Arya and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to take much more of it. They went around and introduced Gendry and his mom to everyone they wouldn't know, her brother's behaving themselves for now. Sansa whisked Lia away to one of the tables, Rickon coming over to sit with them and Gendry's mom absolutely cooing over him and his curls.
It was then that Sandor and Benjen came out with the food to grill while Hot Pie carried out the food that was already done. Robb and Jon joined them at the grill, whispering conspiratorially about something and Arya glared at them from where she stood with Gendry so they didn't get the any ideas.
Gendry gently placed a hand on her elbow, drawing her attention from whatever the men of her family were plotting and to him. He smiled down at her and chuckled, "So, this is a little..."
"Weird?" Arya supplied. "Yeah, I'm totally aware. But, that's Sansa for you, so get use to it."
"Oh, I plan on it."
Arya rolled her eyes. "How have your classes been? Anyone giving you any shit over this?" She reached up and gently fingered the fading bruise around his eye.
"Nah." He shrugged. "They sort of stay away from me now, think I'm all tough-guy swag now."
"Oh, do they?"
"Yeah." He laughed. "What's so hard to believe about that?"
"Uh, literally everything you just said."
They did that thing where they were annoying and smiled at each other while holding eye contact, ignoring everyone else. She'd missed him this week, which sounded irrational and stupid, but she had. She had grown terribly dependent on him and his friendship, the same way she was with Brienne.
Maybe this was the stupidest thing she'd ever done, because the thought of him not ever being in her life again was rapidly becoming too hard to even fathom. And she was no stranger to people being taken from her too soon. But, looking up at him now, she couldn't find it in her to not want this.
Robb stalked over and broke their intimate and gross eye contact, throwing an arm around Gendry's shoulders and smiling as he guided him over towards the grill. "Hey, Gendry, why don't you come over and help us with the food."
Arya glared at her brother and crossed her arms. "What is this, boys only club? No girls allowed?"
"It's all about the bonding, Arya." Robb smirked as they walked away, Gendry looking a bit pale and stricken. "Isn't that what this barbecue is for?"
"Yeah," Jon called, "Don't hog the guy!"
"2003!" Arya shouted back and both Robb and Jon glared at her and stopped smirking.
Arya slunk to the table with Lommy, Pod, and Brienne, Hot Pie dishing the food over at the buffet table. She groaned and dropped her head onto the table, knowing her friends were laughing at her.
"Aw, it's not that horrid, darling." Lommy squeezed her shoulder and pulled her to him.
"Yes, it absolutely is."
Brienne scoffed, "They're not even doing anything to him. They're literally just grilling with him and talking. Although," She amended. "He does look a bit terrified, but I can't tell if that's because Sandor is there or because every adult man in your life is threatening him right now."
"What?" Arya's head shot up and she immediately looked over to Gendry and her family. Gendry was in the middle, staring at the grill with intent while Robb still had his arm around Gendry's shoulder and Sandor stood glaring at him with his arms crossed. "Oh, for fucks sakes."
"Stop scaring my nephew." Robb looked up and away from Gendry to where Renly and Loras stood in the kitchen doorway, smirking. "He doesn't have the same constitution as we do, I'm afraid."
Lia stood from where she was seated with Sansa to hug Renly, who pulled her in nice and tight, Loras did the same. When they broke apart, Loras went to sit with his twin sister and Renly sauntered over to the grill with that smirky-smile still present.
Arya couldn't really hear what they were saying, but Gendry was looking at his uncle like he was salvation and her older brothers were laughing. Sandor looked stoic as usual, but he liked Renly, so his posture was less 'I'm threatening' and more 'mildly annoyed'. Renly pulled Gendry away from the grill as a pretty dark haired girl came around the side of the house and into the backyard.
Gendry and Renly went up to her, pulling her into hugs and guiding her over to where his mother sat. Arya met them there.
"Arya, this is my cousin, Shireen."
Stannis' daughter, right. Arya vaguely remembered meeting her before. Shireen smiled at her with the same Baratheon features as the men standing next to her and Arya found that even with the scarring on the side of her face, she was beautiful. How annoying that all the Baratheon spawn were beautiful.
"Arya, hi! I've heard so much about you!" Shireen smiled and pulled Arya in a gentle embrace. Her energy was soothing and nice, much like Gendry's mom.
"It's wonderful to meet you again." Arya found herself saying. Was that weird?
Shireen smiled and laughed, "Yeah, we were really young the last time we saw each other, some Christmas party in the late nineties, I believe."
"Probably." Arya chuckled.
Sansa guilted the guys into moving the tables after that, arranging them so that it made one big table that they could all sit at. Margaery, Loras, Renly, and Shireen sat beside each other gossiping about one thing or another, Jeynie sat between Robb and Sansa, Theon squished Jon between him and Ygritte – who was once again far away from Jeynie. Arya noticed as she sat herself between Gendry and Brienne that Bran wasn't in between Jojen and Meera like he would normal sit, but instead sat next to Jojen and Rickon, whispering quietly and and making eyes at his best friend.
She nudged Gendry and subtly nodded towards her younger brother. "You think they figured it out?"
Gendry looked over as they leaned in close together to whisper, their eyes locked and then gently lingering on each others lips when they looked away. "Uh, I'm gonna go with for sure."
She knocked her shoulder into his for his sass, but leaned up again, gentler this time. "They weren't too terrible, where they?"
"Who? You're brothers? Nah. They were just being overprotective and like, threatening me if I ever hurt you and whatnot. You know, the usual."
"Gendry, this is not a teen movie, shit like that doesn't happen in real life. I'm going to punch them."
He chuckled and shook his head. "It's fine, Arya. Honestly. I'm sitting here in one piece and Sandor "The Hound" Clegane, actual hero of mine, did not kill me for dating you, so I'd call it a good day."
"You're so annoying."
"Shut up and eat your food, Stark. I almost died in the making of it."
God, she was so in love with him.
A/N: TELL ME ALL. TELL ME THINGS. COME FANGIRL WITH ME ON TUMBLR.