Chapter 25: Arya
"Arya, just stop it. You're going to burn the house down. And I don't want to have to deal with the fallout of that."
"I'm fine. To your corner, good sir."
"Don't make me make you."
"Pshh, like you would."
"That's it." And Jon's hands were forcefully around her middle dragging her away from the stove.
"Hey! Stop that!"
"Gendry, grab the pan. Now." Gendry took over stirring the stir-fry.
"Traitor," growled Arya through gritted teeth.
"It's a bitch finding housing at this time of year, I'd imagine. And besides, we'd probably get blacklisted for burning down one of Frey's houses."
"Traitor," she repeated.
"I'm adding chili peppers to this. Speak now or forever hold your peace."
Arya lifted herself onto the counter and sat, watching as Gendry and Jon cooked.
It was stupid that they weren't letting her cook. She was perfectly fine at cooking. She cooked all the time at her house. Honestly, one incident with baking when you were eight and shouldn't be allowed in a kitchen anyway…
Talk about blacklisting.
"Can you not sit on the counter? I need to get at the knives." Jon was back in front of her. She had a strong desire to stick her tongue up at him and say something about where he could get his knives…but she didn't quite have the line and it seemed a little petty. So she slid off the counter and went and stood behind Gendry, sliding her arms around his waist and sticking her hands into the front pockets of his jeans.
"Oy. None of that while I'm around," commanded Jon.
"None of what?"
"The fondling."
"This isn't fondling."
"Robb would think it is."
"Robb's stupid, and also not here. Do you report to him or something?"
"No, but I don't lie to him either."
"So when he asks you if you hear me having sex in the next room over, you tell him?"
"He doesn't ask that question."
"That's lucky. When he asks that question, how will you respond?"
Jon didn't answer.
"I think this is ready," interrupted Gendry. "Fetch your bowls, children."
"We aren't children," pouted Arya, handing him one for himself.
Gendry rolled his eyes. "Well, you are."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Am not."
"I think the fact that we are literally having an 'am-not-are-too' conversation means that you are, in fact, a child."
"You're right there with me, bubba."
"You keep telling yourself that." But his smile was gentle as he walked away from the stove and settled himself at the bar.
"Arya, shut up and eat your stir fry," grinned Jon.
She stuck her tongue out at him this time.
"Child," muttered Gendry under his breath.
"Are you here this summer? I keep forgetting to ask you," said Jon, blowing on some fried peppers.
"I suppose. I was going to be home, but…" Gendry's eyes were far away for a moment, and Arya dropped her fork and placed her hand on his knee. He glanced at her, and there was a sad gratefulness in his eyes that made her want to hold him as tightly as she could.
But she sat still and just rubbed her thumb up and down.
"So, I don't really know. I might help my advisor with a research project, I might do some travelling, might just stay here and work at Mott's. We'll see."
Jon was nodding. "Have you ever been to the Reserve up north?"
"Nah. I've only seen pictures."
"You should go. It's beautiful and in summer you might manage not to freeze your balls off. Though…" Jon cocked his head to the side, "that would have its benefits."
"Watch yourself, Jon Snow," commanded Arya. Jon grinned. Gendry snorted.
"Are you saying you wouldn't love him if his balls froze off?" teased Jon.
"Watch yourself, Jon Snow," said Gendry.
Jon laughed.
"We'd be creative. Against your wall," said Arya.
Jon shrugged, trying not to look disturbed at the prospect of it.
"I'll think about it," said Gendry, "I've never been north of White Harbor before. Could be cool to see the Reserve."
"There's some pretty excellent summer trails north of Shadow Tower."
"Shall bear it in mind. What about you. Home? Here? Elsewhere?"
"Valyria. Looking at some plate tectonic stuff with Rosby."
"I didn't know that," said Arya. "I thought you were home this summer."
Jon shook his head. "Got a grant last week. Should be fun. If unbelievably hot."
"I thought Valyria was still in trouble because of the nuclear stuff," said Gendry.
"Nah. I mean, it is. But not the part we're going to. That's more to the south. I suppose technically we're going to the Lands of the Long Summer, but it's right on the coast of the Smoking Sea, so…I don't know the geography well. Should probably look at a map before I go."
"And grow a brain," grumbled Arya.
"I suppose if I go to the place where there was the meltdown, then I just might grow another one," grinned Jon.
The front door burst open. "Don't mind us," called Aurane. "We aren't here."
Arya heard the voices of two girls giggling and saw the three of them climb the stairs to Aurane's room.
"How often does that happen?" she asked Gendry, raising an eyebrow.
"I bought new earplugs, if anyone wants them," called Daemon from his chemistry room.
"Are we really going to need earplugs?" asked Arya.
"For Aurane—yes."
Jon stretched, yawned, and put his bowl in the sink. "Off to work with me. Good gods, I will be glad of a break. Guarding a wall is just stupid sometimes."
"Have fun," grinned Arya as he trotted out the door.
She reached out a hand to Gendry.
"What are you doing tonight?" she asked him quietly.
"I need to work on my master's thesis. I'm super behind at the moment. Because of…well…" she nodded.
"Do you want me to stay here, or go? I don't want to distract you."
A wry smile crossed his face. "Well, if you go home, I can look out my window to yours and see you and that will distract me. But if you stay here, I bet you anything I won't get anything done."
"I'll go to Ned's to study. He's probably drowning in Linguistics at the moment."
Gendry nodded.
Then there was a banging from upstairs. Arya started. Then a loud groan, and someone calling something indistinct.
Arya's eyebrows shot up.
"Old house, thin walls," sighed Gendry. She heard a different moan, a higher pitched one, and someone calling "just like that, yes!"
"Are we like that?" she asked.
"Why do you think I have the earplugs?" called Daemon.
Arya felt her face turn bright red. Gendry chuckled.
"Get out of here," he grinned, "before we give them some competition.
"I'm sure he would welcome it," then Daemon's tone darkened, "Even if I would not."
She put her bowl in the sink, pecked Gendry on the cheek, and slipped out the back door.