(A/N: Again, thank you for all the reviews. I appreciate it A LOT...it helps me when I write because at least I know that people are reading this. I hope you guys find this one to your liking too. Enjoy!)
Arya was in the middle of composing an email to her parents when a pop-up message appeared to indicate that Bran was online.
No_one: Hey ugly
Branflakes: Back at ya
No_one: Very funny. You at home?
Branflakes: No. I'm actually under your bed
No_one: Brandon
Branflakes: Yes I'm at home
No_one: How's Storm's End?
Branflakes: Okay, so far. We haven't really been around much
No_one: How come?
Branflakes: Mom's making us help with sorting boxes and stuff
No_one: Poor you
Branflakes: Cry for me. How's King's Landing?
No_one: Okay. Better than I expected actually
Branflakes: Because of Joffrey?
No_one: Not my type. Maybe if you ask Sansa
Branflakes: Who's your type? Gendry?
Arya stopped typing for a while. She was debating whether to tell Bran about Gendry but decided not to. Bran might be more mature than her or Sansa, but he's still her 14 year-old little brother, and there are stuff you don't really like telling your brothers.
Like stuff about liking the eldest son of a family friend.
Branflakes: Ha! I knew it! So it's Gendry you like?
No_one: Shut up. I had to go pee.
Branflakes: You shut up. Your status said 'typing' but you never sent the message anyway
No_one: Soooo…are there any girls out there that you like
Branflakes: I'll tell you if you tell me about Gendry
No_one: How about I kick your ass. Hey! What's your favorite Doughnuts in Dorne doughnut flavor?
No_one: Okay that sounded funny
Branflakes: Dornish cheesecake. Why?
No_one: Do you know that I've actually met the owner?
Branflakes: SHUT UP!
No_one: I know right! He's a friend of the Baratheons. Well, the son, I mean
Branflakes: Can you get me free doughnuts?
No_one: Maybe :P
Branflakes: That's probably the reason why Gendry's fat
No_one: He's not
Branflakes: Not what?
No_one: Fat. He's not that anymore
No_one: And he wasn't fat in the first place. Just chubby
Branflakes: Arya Stark for the defense!
Another pop-up message appeared.
Rock_on: THE PARTY DON'T START TILL I LOG IN!
No_one: Have you been listening to Ke$ha?
Branflakes: Does it really have to be $
Rock_on: Hey Arya!
No_one: Hello baby brother!
Branflakes: Will Kesha sue me if I spell it without the $?
Rock_on: I'm not a baby
No_one: Yes you are. Now drink your milk.
Rock_on: Theon made me drink beer one time
No_one: I'm telling Dad
Branflakes: WILL SOMEONE ANSWER ME WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE KE$HA & NOT KESHA?!
Another pop-up message, this time from…
SnowPrincess: SANSA IN THE HOUSE!
No_one: SO ANNOYING
SnowPrincess: You just miss me
No_one: Uh…NO
Branflakes: Arya, tell Sansa who got an Extreme Makeover, King's Landing edition
No_one: WHAT THE HELL
SnowPrincess: Oh. My. God. Who?
No_one: Gendry Baratheon
Branflakes: Why didn't you even make her guess!
SnowPrincess: WHAAAAAAAT?! How?
No_one: You can't call him Chubby Fingers anymore
SnowPrincess: Send me a photo or everything's a lie!
No_one: I don't have a photo of him!
SnowPrincess: LIE!
No_one: WHATEVER
Rock_on: Bran just sneezed his head off. HAHAHAHA!
Branflakes: Hell yeah! I shot snot straight into your arm!
Rock_on: Gross!
No_one: Are you guys actually in the same room?!
Rock_on: Haha
No_one: Seven hells
SnowPrincess: So…Gendry?
Arya stopped typing. She was weighing the consequences about telling Sansa, but knowing her sister, she'd do everything in her power to get them together. Arya didn't think it would be a good idea, considering Gendry might actually be seeing someone named Jeyne.
She might tell Sansa, but not today.
No_one: Have to go. Dinner time.
Branflakes: :(
SnowPrincess: TTYL!
Rock_on: Later!
No_one: Tell Mom and Dad I said hi.
Rock_on: Okay
No_one: I miss you guys…
Arya logged off quickly. She missed Bran and Rickon, Mom and Dad, even Sansa, and she didn't want anyone to know that despite her decision to stay with her older brothers, she missed the rest of them. She wanted to prove to her parents that she's okay with her decision to not live with them for the whole year. Still, that didn't stop her from missing every single one of her family.
She had just closed her laptop when she heard three soft knocks on her bedroom door.
"Come in," she said, plopping down on the bed and turning the TV on.
She saw Jon peek inside, his face breaking into a smile as soon as he saw her. "Cersei was pretty worried when you didn't go down for dinner. Aren't you hungry?"
Arya shook her head. "Nope. Tommen and I had a pretty heavy snack this afternoon, so I'm not really hungry right now."
Jon lay down on the bed, his head on her lap. "We're leaving for Ramsay's in a few. Do you want to come with us?"
And see Gendry with Jeyne? No fucking way.
"I think I'll just stay in for the night. I'm thinking about getting into the Jacuzzi while there are no guys in the house."
"Great idea," Jon said. "We don't want anyone seeing you in your bikini, now."
Arya stared at him in confusion. "Anyone? I don't understand."
Jon sighed. "Let's just say, I'm ready to kick some guy's balls if he gets near you in a not-so-brotherly kind of way."
Arya was still clueless.
Jon stood and smiled half-heartedly. "We should get going. I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Have fun."
"I plan to."
"Who's driving, by the way?"
"Joffrey," Jon replied. "We're getting in his SUV, except for Gendry."
"Ah."
"Gendry's picking up Jeyne before heading for the party, so he's using his own car."
Yes. Thank you for the reminder, Jon.
"Shoo! Get your ass out of my room! Enjoy!"
She heard Jon's laughter as he closed the door behind him.
"This party sucks."
Joffrey took a seat on the couch, right beside Robb, who seemed to be slightly drunk. "We should've asked Arya to come with us," Joffrey continued.
"I told you, I asked her before we left," Jon answered. "She wanted to stay in for the night. I think she just wanted to hoard the Jacuzzi for herself."
They all laughed, all except for Gendry who looked like he was lost in thought.
Arya. Bikini. Jacuzzi. Arya. Bikini. Jacuzzi.
Gendry had to mentally shake his head at the thought of seeing Arya, wearing a bikini in the Jacuzzi. He looked at his watch. Maybe there's still time to run back home?
He had a little trouble listening to the conversation because he couldn't get the image of Arya in a bikini out of his head. In the few weeks since she's been staying with them, the closest to a naked Arya he's seen is a tank top and those shorts that usually annoy Jon because they're, well, short. And because they were shorts, Gendry couldn't help but admire those legs. They might not be long, but the skin of her legs looked silky smooth…her thighs well-toned…
Seven hells. Focus, Gendry.
Arya. Bikini. Jacuzzi. Arya. Bikini. Jacuzzi.
Gendry stood abruptly, startling the others.
"I have to go," he said, groping for his car keys. "I, uh, I'll see you guys at home."
Everyone was confused by his sudden departure but decided not to ask questions. If Gendry wanted to, he'd tell them why. But right now, he looked like he was in a hurry to rush out the door.
"What about Jeyne?" Theon called out.
Gendry ran his hand through his hair, messing it up even more. "What about her?"
"Didn't you promise her you'd drive her home?"
"Actually, no," Gendry said. "I promised to drive her here, but I think she's leaving with some of her other friends or something. I'm not her boyfriend, anyway." He shrugged into his jacket as he walked off, calling back to the group. "I'll tell Ramsay on the way out! Have to go!"
His voice trailed off as he rushed out of the crowded living room.
"What the hell was that all about?" Robb asked, shaking his head.
"You know," Joffrey said. "If you try to figure my brother out, you'd find yourself even more confused than you originally were. I stopped doing it years ago and my life has never been better."
The Starks were seriously contemplating this, Joffrey had to laugh.
"Alrighty, people!" he exclaimed, fists in the air. "Time to fire up this party!"
It was close to 11 pm when Arya finally decided to check out the Jacuzzi. She tried asking for Cersei and Robert's permission before they retired for the night, but they simply scolded her for even asking.
You can do anything around here, just as long as it's legal! Robert said.
Arya tried to store that information in the back of her mind, just in case she needed it in the future.
She donned one of her favorite bikinis-a simple black one that flattered her petite frame. She might have a small build, but she had curves in all the right places. She would have preferred to be less pale, though, so she might have to spend more time outdoors this summer.
She walked towards the pool area, going further back to where the outdoor Jacuzzi was. It was big enough for about a dozen or more people to get in, and Arya wondered if the Baratheons ever held pool parties here.
Probably, she thought. Maybe Jeyne's been here with Gendry.
She literally shook her head to erase the image.
She came here to relax, and images of Gendry and Jeyne in the Jacuzzi is not helping with the relaxation. She finally decided to just get in and let the bubble jets relax her tensed muscles.
She must have dozed off for a bit because the next thing she knew, someone was shaking her awake. She looked up and saw Gendry sitting on his haunches, his hand placed gently on her shoulder. She felt groggy with sleep; she didn't even know if she was imagining him sitting there and smiling at her.
He must have sensed her confusion because he quickly explained his presence. "Sorry to wake you, but I was pretty alarmed to see you alone out here. And asleep. Do you know that you're not supposed to sleep while in a Jacuzzi? You could drown in there, Arya."
They stared at each other for several minutes, their gazes not wavering one bit. Arya was fully alert now, no longer feeling tired or sleepy. Instead, she felt lightheaded and a bit breathless. She could feel Gendry's gaze move slowly from her eyes…to her mouth…her neck…down to her chest.
And Gendry Baratheon didn't look like he was ashamed for doing so.
If she must, she admitted that she liked having him ogle her like she did with him during her first morning there. She thought it was weird that she was in her most flattering bikini, submerged in water, while he was sitting there fully-clothed and undressing her with his eyes.
"I'll be back," he said, getting up and going back inside the house.
Arya was a bit stunned by her boldness for she was able to return this eye-fucking of some sort. The next time he came out, he was wearing just his shorts and a towel draped over one shoulder, and nothing else.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
He strode barefoot back to the Jacuzzi, pausing to drop the towel on the ground beside them. Arya thought she must have done something to please all the gods out there because at that moment, Gendry Baratheon stepped into the water to where Arya was waiting with bated breath.