Reminder of mature content!

"Sorry if I missed something, but you've told her to come and find you?" Davos asked for the third time.

"Yes." Gendry answered, he began to nibble at the skin connecting his nails to his fingers.

"But you have sent your men on with your tent?"

"Yes." He repeated, exasperated.

"So, she is just going to suddenly know where you are and come and find you? Forgive me, but that seems a bit of a challenge." Davos scratched his chin.

"She will know where I am, she always does." He assurred him.

"I haye to be the one to remind you but what if she doesn't come and find you? What if she has already left?"

"She hasn't. Don't ask me how I now because I'm damned if I know but I just do."

"Well feel free to share my tent, I'm leaving in the morning. Don't know why I've got to go, was hoping I could go home now all this business is done, back to my Marya, but apparently I'm needed still."

Gendry moved on to his other hand and began to chew on the skin on his thumb first.

Davis looked at him.

He had thought to take him back to Marya, let her mother him a bit. He had a soft spot for the boy and Marya could do with having someone to mother, something to do when he was away.

Then the dragon queen has made him a lord of Storms End, a Lord Davos should swear fealty to.

He could see the boy didn't want it but he would carry the burden as best he could. Davos hopes he would be on hand to guide him.

"Well if you're determined in this, it's a fool's errand mind, then I best leave you to it. I want to write to Marya, let her know I'll be home soon. I'll keep some ale back for you, should you be needing a roof and somewhere to wait until morning."

Gendry nodded absent-mindedly and made a noise of agreement but Davos could tell the boy was lost on his thoughts.

"If you keep eating your fingers like that you'll be like me!" Je joked holding up his hand where Stannis had cut the top of each finger off.

Gendry responded with the same noise and continued to stare out.

Davos stood and patted Gendry on the shoulder. The lad was smitten and would have his heart broken, Davos knew. He made a promise to himself that he would make sure he would look out for the lad, make sure they didn't end up with another fall out from a failed Stark and Baratheon courtship. Gods knew he had had enough of them for a lifetime.

Gendry's foot circled a stone as he sat there, biting little it's of skin.

What if Davos was right, what if she didn't come?

He let out a large sigh. Davos was right, he was a fool. Whatever happened, they would still go thee separate ways. Again. When he had spoken with her earlier in the day he had seen the haunted look in her eyes. If only he had got to Kings Landing sooner. He cursed himself for trying to do the Lordy thing of getting men behind him. Another mistake. It's all he kept doing recently. Ever since the Long Night, whatever he tried to do, didn't work out the way he planned. He'd spent many a night since going through it in his head. Why had he asked her to marry him? What in seven hells did he know about marriage? He'd never even been to a wedding before. What was the point of them 'cept making kids be legit... he couldn't remember the word. Not bastards.

At least he knew he'd fathered none. There had been one night, the first night he slept in Storms End as it's Lord, where he berated himself for spilling outside of her. If she was expecting his babe she might have stayed. But he knew that wasn't her. She would have made sure there were no consequences of their coupling. He knew it was selfish, to try and keep her with him, but she was all he knew. He didn't know how to do any of this. He wishes he could just leave, pick up his hammer and disappear to see what was so great across the narrow sea, surely they'd need a blacksmith there?

But he would not. He would not shirk his duty. He would stay and do as best he could.

"I thought he'd never go." Her voice was low and far away but still caused him to jump.

"Ow!" He's ripped some skin of his finger and it began to bleed.

Arya did her annoying yet enticing thing with her eyebrow that caused it to curve and frame her eye with a look to both berate and flirt with him.

"You're hopeless, you know that?" She walked over and took his hand in hers. "Let me look. ''Tis But a scratch. You'll live." She made to drop his hand but seemed to change her mind as she did so and raised it to her lips instead. She kissed it softly.

"Silly bull. Or are you a stag now?"

Gendry rolled his eyes "Don't. I've had it up to heat with all that crap already. No wonder you're leaving it all behind."

"Boring isn't it, shove up or I'll sit on you." She pushed him slightly but didn't let go if his hand which had turned and held hers lightly in its grasp.

"Sorry, no room for you. You'll have to sit on my lap your highness." He smiled, wondering how far he could push her.

Arya tilted her head and smiled

"Fine." She moved to sit astride him.

"Do you remember that time in the Peach?" She asked, using her free hand to trail through his hair. She didn't know if she liked it this short.

Gendry screwed up his face.

"Vaguely. I pretended to be your brother didn't I?" He didn't like where this was going

"Mm. then you told me off and said you would ring that girls bell for her."

He shuffled in his seat to try to hide his enjoyment of her close presence.

"Again, a bit why?"

"Did you?"

"Did I what?"

She rolled her eyes and leant back, deliberately grazing the hard lump that had begun to form

"Ring her bell. Was she one of your 'three'" she put particular emphasis on the three and Gendry felt shame.

"No. I didn't. Didn't go back there did I." He released her hand and put his arms around her waist in a vain to keep her still.

"Did you want to ring her bell?"

Gendry was confused. Why was she on about the girl from the peach for whilst writhing on his lap.

"Too long ago, can't remember. Why?"

"Wouldn't it be easier if I were just a tavern wench and you some not from the village." It wasn't a question and Gendry was starting to feel uncomfortable. He held her firmer.

"Why can you never just speak normal, always these weird questions. Why bother with the what if's? You're not a tavern wench and I'm not some lad from the village, not anymore anyway, thanks to you." That stopped her in her tracks and she looked up at him.

"I had to keep you safe."

"Why bother if you had no intention of coming back?"

She couldn't answer him, scared to let the words form in her head.

"You're right. Why bother talking. I want you and you clearly want me. .." she smirked as she looked at his groin

"You want me to ring your bell Arya Stark, that it?" He laughed and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Fine, I'll go." She pushed her feet on the ground to push herself up. Gendry pulled her in tighter.

"Don't go. I know you will eventually and soon but can't we just enjoy these last few nights? I know what I said was foolish-"

"Which time?" Arya cut in

He paused and looked thoughtful "All of them?"

She laughed and buried her head into his shoulder.

She felt him tense and grimace.

"Is it still bothering you?" Arya looked concerned.

Gendry shrugged half heartedly

"Bit."

"Let me see." It was a command and he was too tired to argue.

Arya pulled away and began to undo the strings of his leather doublet. "I like the markings by the way, nice touch though a stag or bull wouldn't make them."she pulled the loosed doublet away and untied the strings of his shirt.

"No but a wolf could." He whispered softly as he took a loose lock of hair that had fallen at her face into his hand and placed it out of her eyes, behind her ear.

She stilled for a moment before pulling the shoulder of the shirt down to see the red and purple outline of the wound.

"This should have healed by now. What have you done with it?"

"Nothing."

"You haven't put any more salve on it?"

"Not since I left Winterfell. The morning after you left." He answered for her. She poked it hard and he grimaced, clenching his teeth together.

"Well then you're stupid. It won't heal properly without the yarrow in it. I'll get you some in the morning." She admonished him.

"Careful Arry, you almost sound like you care then."

She pulled back at looked at him. The pain in his eyes wasn't just from the wound to his shoulder.

"Oh Gendry, is that what you think? That I don't care?" She tilted her head to look at him from a different angle. He closed his eyes and didn't answer.

She studied him for a moment before bending her head and kissing the edge of the mottled bruising at his shoulder lightly. She felt his hold on her tighten in response so she kissed him again, this time on the bone that ran from one side of his chest to the other. She paused to allow him a chance to stop her before kissing along the bone to the other side of his chest and up his neck. She felt him swallow.

"Stupid bull." She murmured as she kissed his chin.

Gendry couldn't take anymore. He shuffled and pulled her in closer and took her mouth with his. He kissed her eagerly and she responded in turn.

He pulled her arms so they went around his neck and pushed them both of the box so he could stand, her legs still around his waist.

He lost track of who's hands were who as they undressed and he pushed her against the wall of the dragon pit.

"Someone might see." She giggles and it was so unlike her that he grinned widely.

"Princess Arya of House Stark can do as she likes." He laughed before taking her uncovered breast in his hand as he used his thumb to circle the nub. She seemed to like that and pulled at the strings of his leather trousers.

"Patience was never one of your gifts was it he laughed before taking the nub into his mouth."

"Why waste time?" She shrugged as she pushed her hand down the loosened trousers towards her prize.

He groaned as she began to squeeze him.

"Every night." He mumbled into her chest as he let go of her breast and used his free hand to loosen her ties, the other hand keeping him steady against the wall. He gasped as she gripped tighter and shimmied out of her trousers and pulled his down at the same time.

She knew what he was trying to say "yes, every night until I go."

He nodded and opened his eyes to look at her. They looked into each other's eyes as he moved her further up the wall and himself closer. Arya gave the smallest of nods and closed her eyes, waiting. He pushed forward until he was a whisker from her entrance and waited, grinning.

When she didn't feel him enter her, her eyes snapped open.

"Gendry what are you-" he looked into her eyes again, into the grey mist and she into his sea blue before entering her forcefully. She gasped and her eyes closed. He tried to watch her as he moved inside her. Watch as her face betrayed her before his eyes too fell in concentration and he began to quicken his thrusts.

She could feel his panted breaths on her shoulder as he pulled her even closer to him, Arya's body completely covered by his. She pulled at his hair and yanked his head back so she could kiss him. Her body against the wall, eager for him to touch her everywhere. She felt odd, it felt different from the tones in Winterfell. More urgent. Arya knew how to move more now, to angle her body to where she wanted him. She would never say it, but she likes when he took charge. For those few minutes she could let someone else decide the dance, the moves, the feints. She could just enjoy it.

She felt his thrusts get faster and knew what that meant.

"Spill outside." She managed to groan. Desperate to reach her own release before he captured his."

He was getting more erratic now and her eyes snapped open

"Gendry!" She warned before he pulled from her and spilled against her leg.

"I know, I'm sorry, got carried away." He panted, rearing his head on the rough stone of the wall.

"Well next time, don't." She whispered

"So they'll be a next time?" His eyes were still closed when she looked up at him but she saw the outline of a smile in the starlight.

"As long as you keep stum and don't tell anyone and do that thing with your mouth then yes. I think we can come to some sort of arrangement." She tried to keep her face emotionless but the simple smile on his face as he looked down at her made her blush.

"Well mi'lady. I'll have to see what I can do!" He gave her a long kiss on her forehead before letting her legs drop from his hips.

He bent down to pick up his trousers and pulled them up, tucking himself away.

He down at her, to the glistening sheen of sweat on her face and he cursed himself for falling for her even more. A fool in love is a fool indeed. He thought to himself as he bent his head and began kissing her from her neck, to her heart, to the scars on her stomach then diving for the sweetness of her forest.

A fool indeed.