A/N: I've gotten mixed reviews for the last chapter. I wanted to explain why I wrote it as such, but I realized I don't really have to. I'll just make this better than the last and keep my fingers crossed that it's worth reading this time.
For the SanSan and JoffSan question, I've gotten a Willas/Sansa request too and now I'm confused hahaha. But I'll figure something out. As for the jealous Gendry requests, I'll make it worth the wait. Remember, Uni's starting soon and Arya's a new face! And the Gendrya smut requests…hahaha. They can't just keep rutting like bulls, come on guys (even if I secretly want them to)! But they'll come, don't worry. PUN INTENDED J
Thank you again for the reviews and for bearing with my shipper feels. GRRM, you the man.
Gendry found Arya under her favorite acorn tree. She was sitting there; arms hugging her legs, chin propped on her knees. She looked so small; smaller than usual, with her body hunched over. He could see she had the saddest look on her face, at least what little he saw of it from a distance. He wanted to watch her from afar before he goes over to fetch her.
She was playing with the grass by her feet, tugging a few before letting the slight breeze blow them further away. Gendry slowly walked over, at a ready this time just in case she jumps up and runs away again. Seeing a shadow loom over her, blocking what little sunlight there was left, she lifted her head to check who it was. She propped her chin back on her knees, making Gendry think that she's still pissed. She surprised him by reaching her hand out to him, even as she continued to sit there staring at her feet. Gendry immediately took her hand and sat beside her on the grass.
"What happened, Arya?" he asked after a while. He looked at her, carefully watched her as she still played with the grass but giving his other hand a squeeze, as if asking for some reassurance that he's still holding it. Gendry gave it a squeezed it back before shifting to let his fingers thread through hers. He heard her sigh.
"I'm sorry," she muttered under her breath. "I have no idea, but it's several things clumped as one or I don't know, really…"
"There must be a reason? I mean, I honestly don't know what I did wrong, but I will admit to staring at Dany longer than I should have, so maybe that's what has you so pissed at me? And the way I handled it back in the car, I shouldn't have met your anger with my own. But I'm sorry about that, if it pissed you off. I just want you to know that you don't need to get into these little fits of jealousy. There's no cause for that, Arya."
She finally looked up, shifting to face him this time. "I'm sorry, Gen. I overreacted earlier. Remember that guy who struck a conversation with Sansa? I'm used to that, really. That people see me only after they see my sister. So I get these little bouts of jealousy over my sister from time to time, although it's nothing serious. And then Dany walks in, in all her unburnt mother of fucking shit and trueborn queen my ass and lady of the seven most whatever glory, and I just couldn't push that jealous feeling away. And you were ogling her, as you admit."
"You know I love you, right?" he asked in all seriousness, his brows drawn together in deep thought.
"Yes," she mumbled.
"Then you should know by now that jealousy would get you nowhere because there is nothing to be jealous about, not with anyone. Do you understand that now?" he asked, putting stress on the nothing to be jealous about part.
"I'm sorry," she said again, this time looking him in the eyes. "We're good?"
"Always," Gendry said, placing a small peck on her nose.
"What was that?" Arya asked, her nose wrinkling in disapproval. "That wasn't even worth calling a make-up kiss."
"Ahh," Gendry said as he tilted his head upon realization. "So you're just trying to get in fights with me so you could get make-up kisses."
"I was actually aiming for make-up sex," she laughed, but Gendry's eyes darkened at the thought of make-up sex. "Okay, loverboy," she said as she got up, dusting the grass off her pant legs. "I assume my brothers are about to start a war, so let's get us home."
Jon ran his hands through his curly black hair as he walked quietly down the stairs in hopes of finding some leftover dinner in the fridge. He was hungry now because he and Robb were too busy telling off Arya and Gendry about their little drama earlier than to eat dinner.
He was surprised to find Arya eating a slice of cake in the kitchen, Nymeria sleeping on the floor beside her. "Why aren't you asleep?"
"Can't sleep," Arya said as she took a forkful of chocolate cake into her mouth. "What are you doing up?"
"My stomach's protesting," Jon explained. "I think I just dreamed of a giant pizza chasing me down the entire length of Trident Avenue. What? Don't laugh! It's not even funny! This freak pizza has arms and legs, like fucking arms and legs, Ar! It's like Garbage Pail Kids back when it was still being shown on Saturday morning cartoons!"
Arya couldn't stop laughing. She could just imagine a giant meatlover's pizza, with strings of cheese hanging from its sides, while it chased her brother down Trident Avenue. "I'm sorry," she said in between bursts of laughter. "That was the most amazing picture in my head right now. Did it come with chili pepper flakes?"
"Not funny!" Jon said, although he was trying to bite the side of his cheek to keep from laughing.
They fell silent when the laughter died down. Reaching over to his sister's plate, he grabbed the fork and took a huge slice of the cake to put in his mouth. Arya did not protest at all and just gave him a lopsided grin. They don't get to bond over midnight snacks in the kitchen since her brothers left Winterfell, and now that she's here, it's either she's with Gendry or Jon's busy being annoyed at them both.
"Seriously, Arya," Jon started with a serious tone. "If you're going to fight with your boyfriend, don't do it in public. I've learned that long ago. Remember when I was still with Ygritte? She used to pick fights with me all the time, where it got the point where we were having shouting matches at a restaurant. Then she started getting overly jealous over everyone I cross paths with, it started getting crazy. It bothered me so much that I finally decided to call it quits. You know how that went."
"Totally," Arya said softly. She was playing with the fork and melted icing, drawing swirly patterns on the plate. She knew Jon loved Ygritte as much as she did Gendry now, but it was one of the darkest times in Jon's life. And it may probably be the reason why he swore off dating for a while.
"Are you ready for Uni?" Jon asked as he changed topics. He walked over to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. "Media and Communications sound like a pretty exciting course."
"You know how I'm bad with numbers," she responded, her eyes widening a bit in disgust. "Bran's the mathematician. I'm just better with words."
Jon snorted. "Well, obviously."
"Hahaha, very funny, Stark," Arya said as she threw her brother a mock glare. "You feel like eating the last of this?" She asked as she pointed to the last small piece of cake on the plate. Jon reached over to steal it from the plate and into his mouth.
"I figure Drogo's not going to be very happy with you eating calorie-filled cakes in the middle of the night," Arya teased as she got her own bottle of water from the fridge. "Imagine wasting all the time, effort and money at the gym when you're only going to take quick forays into the kitchen in the middle of the night."
"Okay, Ellen Degeneres," Jon said, placing his hands on Arya's shoulders to steer her out of the kitchen. "Your comedy timing's a bit wonky because it's 1 am and normal people usually sleep at 1 am. Yes, I know. I'm not normal like you. We're Starks, after all."
Arya laughed. She took Jon by surprise when she suddenly turned towards him and encircled her arms around his waist. She pressed her face onto his shirt and inhaled his scent which was actually just the fabric softener. It was all male, very clean and comforting.
It smells like every childhood memory of Jon she had back in Winterfell.
"Thank you," Arya muttered, her words muffled by Jon's shirt.
"For what?" he asked.
"For just being you," she answered softly. "Overprotective big brother, grumpy friend and annoying human-pizza hybrid," she joked, reminding him of his nightmare earlier.
"You hang out with Gendry too much," Jon said. "The guy's a big ball of cheese and you're starting to turn into one. Go on back to bed, get some sleep."
Jon watched as she took the stairs two at a time, chuckling to herself. Nymeria was following at her heels, her paws padding softly up the wooden steps as quietly as her master did. Jon called out softly to Arya and said with a goofy grin, "You're welcome."
Gendry looked at the alarm clock on his bedside table. The numbers blared loudly in red, indicating that the time was 1:30 in the morning. Blaming the coffee and chocolate cake he had after dinner, he was now paying for it by tossing and turning in bed. Completely giving up on sleep, he reached over for the remote beside the clock and switched the TV on. After two rounds of channel-surfing, he settled for an old Robin Williams-Ethan Hawke starrer, Dead Poets Society.
He was surprised to hear his phone beeping for an incoming message. Grinning to himself, he knew that there is only one person who would send a text in the wee hours of the morning.
Arya: Can't sleep.
His fingers quickly tapped a response.
Gendry: Me too.
His phone beeped not one minute later.
Arya: You're awake!
Gendry: Too much coffee and chocolate cake.
Arya: I just had cake.
Gendry: What? Why didn't you text me earlier?
Arya: Jon was with me.
Gendry: Everything okay?
Arya: Yeah. Just some sibling bonding.
Gendry: That's good.
Arya: Actually, he said I'm turning into a cheeseball like you.
Gendry: Hey! There's not enough cheese going on in this house.
Arya: Why are we even texting when you're just down the hall?
Gendry let out a soft chuckle, muttering, "Is that an invitation?" although he didn't send that. His eyes went back to the TV screen right at the moment where Robin Williams' character John Keating was teaching Ethan Hawke's character how to give a barbaric yawp. He watched the scene for a while, remembering the first time he saw this movie.
Carpe diem, the saying was repeated over and over in the movie. Seize the day, it meant. Feeling very much like John Keating at the moment, he typed a reply to Arya's last text.
Gendry: Wanna snuggle?
Her response came mere seconds later.
Arya: Are you asking for a real snuggle or just something else?
Gendry: Just wanna snuggle.
Arya: HOW VIRGINAL
Gendry: Get your ass in here!
Arya: Aren't you the romantic.
Gendry: I'm counting to 10…
The door opened and closed, as Arya crept in quietly. Gendry watched as she tiptoed her way to the bed, flinging the covers aside for her until she settled in with him. Arya covered his mouth with her hand when he started laughing.
"Quiet, stupid!"
"That was fast."
"I was planning to bust your door even before you asked for a snuggle."
"So I had you at snuggle?"
"Actually, you had me at get your ass in here."
"Sexy ass."
"I know."
"Snuggle time."
Arya turned to her side, her back facing his front. Gendry flung his arm around her waist, his hand creeping under her shirt and positioning it to span the smooth flatness of her tummy. Their legs were entangled under the covers, his right thigh going between hers from the back. He buried his nose within the wild disarray of her long, brown hair and inhaled the scent of her fruity shampoo. He felt her sigh and relax; her back molding comfortably into his front as if they were two parts of the same person.
"Sleepy time," Arya yawned, snuggling deeper under the covers.
"Have you seen Arya?" Robb asked Sansa as soon as she walked inside the kitchen. "Renly's coming over to take you girls and Cersei out shopping. I haven't seen her since I woke up."
"Have you checked her room?" Sansa asked, taking the seat next to Jon in the breakfast nook.
"I haven't," Robb admitted, pausing a moment from spreading cream cheese on his bagel.
"She's probably still asleep," Jon said as he took out the carton of orange juice from the fridge. He crossed over to the cabinets, reaching inside to take a glass before joining the others. "I couldn't sleep last night and I went down to find something to eat. She was already devouring the last slice of cake when I got here."
"You were up in the middle of the night? Why?" Sansa asked.
"Weird ass freak pizza nightmare," Jon said nonchalantly, taking a big gulp of his orange juice.
"What?" said Robb and Sansa at the same time.
Jon waved his hand in dismissal. "Nothing. You want me to check on Arya?"
"Cersei wants you girls ready in two hours," Robb pointed to Sansa before turning to Jon. "I'll go up and check on her. I'm done with breakfast anyway," he said as he took his plate and drinking glass and put it in the sink. "You coming with us this afternoon for paintball? I'm meeting up with the guys at Varys. Not sure if anyone else is coming."
"Yeah," Jon answered. "Just need to check something at Tobho's for my car. I'll meet you guys there. San, maybe when you girls are done you could meet up with us at Varys? We're meeting up with Gendry, Joff and Theon and a few friends. You'll get to meet a few of our friends. Sandor and Willas will be there."
Sansa shrugged. "Sure. I'll tell Cersei."
"Alrighty, then," Robb said as he grabbed his phone and keys from the table. "I'll go check on Arya. I haven't seen Gendry, either, so I might as well check up on him too. He's probably still in bed."
"Later, bro," Jon called out.