(A/N: I will always and forever say thank you for reading/reviewing/following and making this a favorite. It's been only about a week since I first posted this, and now I'm already on the 7th chapter. Hmm...looks like I might have to wait a while before I post between chapters if I want this story to go on for a while!
Chapter 7's up, although I'm apologizing in advance because I'm not sure how this turned out. I've revised a few times but I seem to be off recently so I'm going ahead and posting this anyway. In case you guys hate it, consider this a filler chapter. Harhar. I'll try to finish the next one to make up for this chapter. Sorry :(
But still...enjoy :)
"Do you ever wonder what it's like to fuck guys as hot as these ones running around the pool?"
Arya choked on her soda, some of the liquid coming right out of her nose. She turned to Renly, who was staring at Robb, Jon, Theon, Joffrey and Gendry as they played some sort of tag game in the pool-Marco Polo, she guessed-while Arya and Renly sat at the terrace overlooking the pool area.
"What the hell?" Arya shot back, wiping soda from her mouth and nose. "I'd understand if you're thinking about my brothers and cousin in that way, but for fuck's sake, just not your nephews!"
Renly laughed. "I was kidding, okay! It was a hypothetical question and not one you're supposed to think seriously about."
Ever since their first Sunday brunch together about two months ago, Arya and Renly had become fast friends. She figured out easily why Tommen, Joffrey and Gendry called their uncle the best uncle in the whole wide world. It's because Renly's just that-a fun, free-spirited, caring and loving uncle, with an I-don't-give-a-rat's-ass attitude. Arya thought about him as her Uncle Benjen…their one true savior during those times when he snuck them out for ice cream when Catelyn made them eat vegetables at dinner, kept them company during boring family gatherings, and took them to weekend movie dates when both their parents were too busy to take them themselves.
"Okay," Renly continued, staring back down to where the guys were pretending to drown each other. "let's just say they're not my nephews and not your brothers. Like they just happen to be in the pool as you walked in for some serious tanning, which you need, by the way." Renly said, pointing at her pale complexion.
Arya didn't know how to answer without giving herself away. She and Gendry tried so hard to keep everything as normal as possible, especially in front of the family. No one had a hint as to what happened that night, and they did their best to go back to how it was before the kiss. Arya knew they'd eventually get to the point where they'd just laugh it off, but it's been more than 2 months and Arya finds the task to be truly emotionally and physically draining. She'd often wonder if Gendry felt drained too.
"They're…ahhh…a pretty attractive group," Arya explained, but trying not to look at him in the eye.
"They are, aren't they?" Renly asked, pointing to Joffrey. "Look at my dear nephew, Joffrey. He's the very epitome of poster boy good looks, isn't he? Something like a Ken doll, or something."
Arya laughed. "And what do you know about dolls?"
"More than you know. Obviously, I prefer playing with dolls than playing with guns and skateboards."
"Oh, that I don't doubt," Arya said with a laugh.
"So," Renly continued with a twinkle in his eye. "Have you seen Gendry's abs? I swear he's been kissed by the GQ gods."
Exactly what I was thinking when I first saw him, Arya thought.
By this time, the guys moved from the pool and into the Jacuzzi.
Oh God. The Jacuzzi. Why did it have to be that damn Jacuzzi?!
She tried dismissing her wayward thoughts and did her best to sound unaffected. "Well, I guess he's got girls fawning over his looks," Arya said, trying not to stare at Gendry's sun-kissed and sweaty skin. "He's probably used to it already."
Renly raised a brow but opted not to say anything. Hmm…curious, he thought as he looked from his nephew to this young lady he now considers his friend. They say curiosity killed the cat, but I'm definitely a stag. Stags are known for their grace and balance, and I definitely am a stag.
Renly mentally shook his head. Focus, Renly! Focus!
He went back to studying the guys in the Jacuzzi and this girl sitting beside him. Something's definitely up, he thought, because he keeps seeing Gendry sneak glances in their direction, and he doesn't think his nephew has grown a sudden interest in him.
Hmm…something's definitely up, I'll say.
Must. Find. Out.
With that thought, Renly tried to suppress the sly grin that's threatening to show on his face.
It was a Wednesday night, and as usual, the Stark siblings were huddled in front of Arya's laptop to video chat with the Starks in Storm's End. It was a requirement from their parents since it was the only way they get to see the rest of them over at King's Landing.
"Robb," Catelyn said with a slight shake of her head. "How many times have I told you not to grow facial hair? It looks so untidy!"
Jon stifled a laugh.
Catelyn raised her brows. "Stop laughing, Jon. I'm including you in this conversation. You both look so unkempt, what would the young ladies say when they see you sporting unnecessary facial hair?"
It was Robb's turn to suppress a laugh.
"They actually have this absurd belief that the ladies prefer real men to have facial hair to intentionally make them look rugged, Aunt Cat" Theon said with a smirk. "Although I keep telling them that I have no problem with the ladies, even without facial hair."
Everyone laughed, even Catelyn. Well, everyone except Robb and Jon, who looked like they want to knock Theon out with a bat.
"And how's my little princess?" Ned asked Arya with a smile.
As stupid as she thinks it is, Arya tries hard not to show how emotional she is at the moment. Her throat's closing up and she's trying her hardest to keep the tears at bay. As much as she missed everyone, it was her father whom she misses the most. He's always the one she looks up to for advice and he's the one who helps keep her strength at times she need it the most. At 17, Arya still secretly loves it when her father calls her his little princess.
"I'm good, Dad," she said with a small smile on her face. "Robert and Cersei have been very good to me…to us."
Catelyn smiled. "Cersei tells me how much she adores you. You make me proud, Arya."
The guys made gagging sounds in the background, earning them a smack on the head each from Arya.
"How's Nymeria?" Arya asked, changing the topic.
She saw Bran wrestle the huge pet wolf to the front of the camera so Arya could see her. Nymeria must have recognized her owner on the screen because she started barking and wagging her tail. Arya laughed and touched the screen as if it would make her feel the wolf's soft fur. She missed her so much.
"How's my baby? Oh my god! Did she grow bigger than I last saw her?" Arya exclaimed, suddenly noticing how big she's gotten. Catelyn was trying to keep the wolf's tail from hitting her face, but Nymeria kept up with the excited tail-wagging. Catelyn raised her hands in surrender, much to her husband and her younger sons' amusement.
"Wait till you see her new tricks, Ar!" Rickon said excitedly. "Dad has a friend here who runs an animal training facility and he's been training our pets for a while now. His name's Syrio Forel and he's as good as Cesar Millan, I swear!"
"Dad," Bran said, turning to Ned. "Can we send them the video we took of them while in training?"
Ned replied, "Yeah, I could do that. I'll send it to Robb's email in a while."
"Hey, Dad," said Robb. "Do you think you could have the wolves flown over to King's Landing? Maybe if we could talk to the Baratheons about it?"
"No! We can't impose too much from them, Robb. They've already done a lot for us," said Catelyn in a firm voice, putting an emphasis on a lot.
"We'll see," Ned answered, giving the Stark siblings a spark of hope that their wish might possibly be granted. Catelyn was looking at her husband, but he only shrugged in answer.
"Mom, it's not as if we're staying here for free. I mean, you guys send them money for our food, right?" Jon asked.
"True, true," Arya and Robb said in unison.
Catelyn exhaled deeply, probably thinking that this is another one of those times when she loses another fight with her kids and husband. "Why am I always the bad guy here?" she asked.
"You're not, Mom!" Arya pointed out, her excitement at the prospect of reuniting with her pet was so obvious. "You're the best!"
"Yes, you all keep telling me that every single time I have to admit defeat," Catelyn said, frustration evident in her voice.
"Alright, we have to go," Ned said softly. "Mom and I are having dinner with a colleague and his wife so we have to get ready. But I'll call you, okay?"
With sadness, the Starks disconnected the video chat.
"I hope Dad talks to Robert and Cersei ASAP," Jon said glumly. "I miss Ghost so bad."
"Ugh! Don't remind me," Arya said. "Did you see Nymeria? How did she get so big?!"
A sudden knock on the door turned their attention from talking about their pets. Theon got up from the bed and opened the door. It was Gendry.
"Uh, sorry to interrupt," he said, looking a bit sheepish. "Pizza's here, so you should just come down when you're done."
"Thanks, man," Robb said, getting up from Arya's desk chair. "I don't know about you, guys, but I'm starving!"
Everyone piled out of the room, all except for Arya and Gendry.
"Sorry about the pizza," he said, shifting from foot to foot. "Chef Baelish is off for the night and my parents are out for a dinner meeting. No one can cook, so…"
"I can," Arya said, a shy smile appearing on her face.
Gendry looked surprise. "Whoa."
"Whoa, what?"
He shrugged. "Just didn't expect the Arya Stark to know her way around the kitchen."
She put her hands on her hips. "Did you just insult my cooking skills?"
Gendry laughed, raising both hands in mock surrender. "Whoa, hey! I didn't insult your skills! I said I didn't expect you to know how to cook. I didn't say you can't cook. That's a totally different thing, you know."
God, she looks so hot standing there with her hands on her hips. Hips that I'm sure I bruised that night in the Jacuzzi.
Stop that, Gendry.
"Okay, um, pizza's downstairs so…" he said, shaking off his once again improper thoughts.
"Yeah, okay. Um…" Arya said.
Awkward much?
"Okay."
"Okay."
But nobody moved an inch. They continued staring at each other, the few feet apart not preventing them from feeling the suffocating tension. Arya felt the goose bumps on her skin; as if an electric current is hovering in the room, and she wondered if Gendry was feeling it too.
"What are you guys doing?"
They both jumped at the sound of Tommen's voice. Gendry's little brother was looking at them weirdly; like they were caught doing something they weren't supposed to do. Except that they weren't really doing anything.
"Pizza," Arya piped in, trying to dispel the tension in the room. "Gendry came to say that pizza's here."
"Right, right," Gendry said with an enthusiastic nod. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"
Tommen still looked at them warily. There was something amiss between these two, and he knew his brother enough to know that Gendry was only this jumpy when he's nervous about something.
And Gendry definitely seemed jumpy.
"Jon asked me to come get you both. Because you didn't come down with the others?" Tommen said, although it sounded more like a question than a statement.
He looked at Arya and noticed the pink stains on her cheeks. She looks flushed, Tommen thought, trying to figure out if she was feeling off today. Maybe because of a fever or…
Did his brother just kiss Arya?!
He would have asked it out loud if only his brother didn't grab his arm and dragged him out of the room. "Come on, squirt! Pizza time!"
Okay, something's definitely up, Tommen's thoughts nagged. Maybe I'll find out soon enough.
Ned Stark called the following day to say that Robert and Cersei allowed Grey Wind, Ghost and Nymeria to be flown over to King's Landing. The Starks couldn't believe it at first, but Robert and Cersei confirmed the good news.
"We've had pets in the house before, so I don't see what the problem is with having your pets live with you here," Robert said. "There's plenty of room to run around, and Ned said these dogs are trained."
"Wolves," Robb corrected.
"Wolves?" Joffrey asked nervously. "Who the hell takes wolves as pets?"
"Apparently, we do," Arya said, rolling her eyes.
Okay, wait. Maybe sarcasm's not a good idea since they're letting our pets stay here.
"They're good wolves," Arya explained to Joffrey, who still seemed nervous at the idea of having wolves running around the house. "There's no need to worry about them ripping your head off because they're trained by professionals."
Stupid Arya! she told herself when she saw Joffrey blanch at the words ripping your head off.
Apparently, only Tommen looked excited about having wolves as temporary housemates. He looked as excited as Arya was, and even made her promise to let him walk them around the neighborhood.
Although they run around more than they walk, but Arya didn't tell Tommen that, so she only said yes.
She looked at Gendry and saw he was as equally pale as Joffrey was. He stared at her and mouthed, "Wolves? Really?
She tried not to laugh because he looked like he was about to cry.
"Don't be such a baby!" she mouthed back, in which he responded with an eye roll.
Ooh! This is going to be good!