A/N: Thank you, if you're still reading this. Sorry I haven't updated in a while and have been posting one-shots. I'm trying to think of how this story goes from here & how it'll end. I've revised a lot from how I wanted it to end at first, but now I pretty much have an idea.

I'm excited to see the 2nd episode because Gendry/Arya time!

You might find a text towards the end that's VERY FAMILIAR. Of course, GRRM is the man.

Enjoy :D

Arya was a nervous wreck. It was her first day at university, and it sucked to be the new girl.

"You okay? You seem nervous," Gendry said as they walked across the parking lot and up the school's front steps.

"I'm not nervous."

Gendry laughed. "Oh but you are! If this death grip you have on my hand means you're all nerves..."

"Sorry," she muttered as she let go of him.

Gendry took her hand back and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "You'll be fine, Arya."

"I'm close to puking in my mouth, you know."

"Just breathe and try to relax."

Arya gave a few ragged breaths until Gendry stopped and held her by the arms. "I said breathe and relax. You sound like you're about to give birth."

"Okay! Okay! Let's just get this over with!"

"I'll help you relax. Kiss me."

"Are you fucking serious? We're in the middle of the school steps."

"Are you ashamed of being seen kissing me?"

Arya rolled her eyes. "So demanding."

But she stepped in and did it anyway. She only wanted to give him a short kiss, but Gendry had other things in mind. When his hand went to her nape to pull her in deeper...when his head tilted to the side to deepen the kiss...when Arya felt his tongue lazily curl into hers...she knew it was going to be quite a show they were putting out there.

"Ahem. In full daylight and in public."

Gendry and Arya jumped apart and saw her brothers standing there, along with Theon and Joffrey.

"Come on, you two. Let's keep that kraken in your pants for now, Baratheon," Robb said, patting Gendry's back. "School's officially starting in fifteen minutes!"

Arya entered the classroom warily. She took a quick scan of all the faces staring back at her, her anxiety coming back in full force. She hated being the new girl in school, although she hasn't felt that way since her first day at her old school in Winterfell. With a little shake of her head, she walked towards the back where she found an empty seat beside...

Holy shit!

"Seven hells! Edric!" Arya exclaimed happily, plopping unceremoniously on the empty seat beside him. "I'm glad there's someone in this class that I know! I don't think I could take any more of this new girl thing. It sucks how people keep staring at you like you're some kind of martian or something," she finished with an eye roll.

Edric laughed. "Uh, hello? New boy, remember?"

Arya's eyes widened in surprise before the realization sunk in."Oh, right! Totally forgot we're both new around here," she finished with a nervous laugh.

"No worries," he said with a smile. "How's your first day, so far?"

"Well,"she started. "I walked into the wrong classroom for first period, couldn't find the next room for third period, ketchup in my blouse during break," she said, pointing to the small red splatter on her cream-colored blouse. "And my brothers warned me about this female professor who actually has the…what was Theon's term for it? Hots for Gendry? "

Edric laughed. "Well, consider yourself warned. Hey, look."

He nodded towards the giant of a man who just entered the classroom. He was probably the tallest man Arya has ever laid eyes upon, save for her dad who was over six feet. This man was a little on the heavy side, although it was probably because of his imposing height. He had salt and pepper hair; complexion a little pale in Arya's opinion. She guessed this was their last professor for the day when he placed his stuff on the teacher's desk right up front. Arya felt the lump return in her throat when she noticed at how the man was slowly assessing the entire class.

He took off his modest brown coat and draped it over his chair, taking his time folding the sleeves of his white long sleeves before turning his back to the class to write something on the white board.

Professor Hodor Hodor

The class started snickering including Arya and Edric, although some were louder than others. Professor turned back to face the class and addressed them, in a deep, booming voice.

"Hodor," he started, looking at each of their faces. "You may call me Professor Hodor. I will be teaching Film Appreciation for the entire semester. We will be tackling different film genres, camera angles and tricks, discuss cinematography, teach you how to analyze films that may or may not be of your preferred genre…"

He droned on for the rest of the hour, and Arya found herself genuinely interested. Professor Hodor seemed nice and interesting, and Arya was surprised that the rest of the class would agree with her. Despite their initial reaction, everyone seemed to like him now.

When class ended, they all filed out of the room with a renewed excitement that the first day has finally ended. Arya was laughing at something Edric said when she noticed Gendry standing in front of the classroom; his back leaning on the wall, his backpack slung over one shoulder. The smile on his face was replaced with a scowl, although Arya did notice that he did his best to put the smile back on.

"Gendry, hey!" Arya said, feeling those little butterflies fluttering inside her stomach again. She was surprised that he went all the way to this side of the building just to see her, and she couldn't help but blush at how happy that made her.

He walked towards them, placing a kiss on top of her head and a nod to Edric in greeting. "Done with your classes?"

"Yeah. I'm ready to go home because I feel like I've aged ten years," she said with a tired smile. "I'll see you tomorrow?" Arya said to Edric, who were looking at them with an amused smile.

"Yeah. I have one last stop to make before I head home," he said, slowly backing away from the two. "Have fun, you two!"

Gendry held his hand out for a handshake. "See you, bro."

Arya nudged his side with her elbow, earning a groan from him. "See? That wasn't so bad now, was it? So very mature of you."

"That's because I get you all for myself now," he chuckled as he placed an arm around her shoulders. "To hell with going home. I'm kidnapping your for a while."

"Mom?"

Catelyn tore her gaze away from her laptop to look at Bran, who was standing at the study's entrance. Taking another quick glance at the wall clock, she noticed that it was already close to midnight. She had been busy pounding away on her laptop, balancing household expenses and sending out business emails that she'd lost track of the time.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'll be done in a few more minutes," she said, stretching her back and rubbing the back of her neck to ease the tension if only for a bit.

Bran walked towards her desk and took a seat on the large swivel chair in front. "Mom, what time is Dad coming home? I need to ask him about tomorrow's game?"

Catelyn muttered a curse. Bran and Rickon had a soccer game tomorrow and Ned promised both boys that he'd be there. "Dad won't be home till late, sweetheart. He'd probably be here by 1 am, 2 at the most."

Bran's face fell. "But he promised to go to the game tomorrow. He couldn't make it the last two times, and he promised that he's coming to see us play tomorrow."

"I know, Bran. Dad's just really tied up with work right now but if he says he's coming, then he's coming," Catelyn said, returning to her composing emails on her laptop.

"I just wanted to make sure that he remembers the game tomorrow. It's pretty important for me and Rickon, that's all."

Catelyn pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Brandon. You're 14 years old and Rickon's 13. You're both big enough to understand that your father's going through a really rough time with the company. You don't have to add more pressure when your father's pressured enough as it is."

"No, trust me. I understand, Mom. I really do. But Dad made the same promise twice before and he never came," Bran argued, his voice growing stronger now. "It's just one game, Mom. If we win this, we're off to the finals. This is really important."

"I understand what happened last time, Brandon, and we already apologized for it. And it's not as if Dad was out on a vacation, so don't take that tone on me, young man," Catelyn said, a little angry now that her son was reminding her and Ned about how to be parents. "When your father comes home, I will remind him. Go to bed, it's midnight."

"I'll wait for Dad."

"Go to bed, Brandon."

Without further argument, he turned around and walked out of the study.

Rickon knocked on the door of his bedroom and raised his brows in question. "So? Are they coming tomorrow?"

Bran was lying in bed, tossing his soccer ball up into the ceiling and catching it before it fell on his face. "She said she'd remind Dad when he gets home."

"Dad doesn't have time for us anymore, ever since we came to Storm's End. He's always tied up with work," Rickon said, diving on the edge of Bran's bed. "You want to hear the truth, Bran?"

"What?" Bran asked as he kept tossing from the ceiling to his hands. Somehow, deep in his heart, he know what Rickon was about to say.

"I don't think Dad's going to make it to the game."

"Me neither."

Rickon sighed, tousling the curls that have already grown long enough to fall over his eyes. "So, if they don't show up tomorrow…Mom or Dad…we go on with the plan?"

Bran looked over at his brother and nodded. "As planned."

"Ice cream. Definitely ice cream."

Gendry laughed at her. They were spending the rest of the afternoon lying under their favorite acorn tree at Red Keep Park. Arya would have preferred to be kidnapped somewhere further away from here, but it was a weekday tomorrow so another rendezvous must be planned for another time.

"Maybe," Gendry said, squinting his eyes for a better look. "If you look harder, you could actually see the chocolate chunks and the marshmallows."

"What about that one?" Arya pointed to another clump of clouds. She threw Gendry a look; studying his profile as he stared at the sky to make out shapes from clouds. It must be a stupid, childish game they're playing, but she loved these unpredictable moments with him. Sweet and gentle one moment, hot and horny at another. She continued with the task of silently admiring him-long, thick lashes framing his lids; perfectly shaped nose that she remembers bumping into hers when they kiss; a strong jaw that gives him a rough and rugged look; and his soft, raven black hair that she loved to thread her fingers into. He was gorgeous in every sense of the word, and he doesn't even realize it.

"What are you staring at?" he said with a chuckle. He was still looking at the sky, but he knew Arya was looking at him. He knows and feels it.

Arya quickly turned her gaze back to the horizon. "What can you make out of that?"

It was a while before he answered. "Joffrey's shorts?"

Arya hooted with laughter. Gendry looked at her and thought that she was the prettiest thing he's ever seen on God's green earth. Arya Stark made things happen to his insides, like that fluttering in his stomach and that tightening in his chest.

God, I love her.

"How could that be Joff's shorts? Unless they're bloomers, then I can't see how they can be that!" Arya exclaimed happily.

"He keeps them in his bottom drawer," Gendry joked, rendering another fit of laughter from Arya.

They lay there in silence for another few minutes, until the sky turned from orange to near black. Reluctantly, Arya sat up and started picking out the grass from her clothes before standing. "Come on, Baratheon. We need to get back."

With a sigh, Gendry stood too, brushing the grass off his jeans and shirt. He chuckled softly when he saw the grass sticking out in her hair, although she was oblivious to it. He leaned closer and started picking out the bits of grass, as Arya stood there staring up at him with those pretty round eyes of hers and plump lips waiting to be kissed.

"I'll wear a gown of golden leaves and bind my hair with grass,

But you can be my forest love, and me your forest lass."

Arya stared up at him with a puzzled look on her face. "You're a forest lass?"

"I was quoting poetry, my lady."

"Ahhh…very charming, my lord."

Gendry leaned over to give her a short but sweet kiss, before stepping back and taking hold of her hand. "Let's go home."

It was the day of the soccer game, and Bran & Rickon's team lost. It wasn't the reason for the Stark brothers' anger, though.

Bran slammed his locker door. He was furious, and it wasn't the same feeling he got in the past when his mother apologized for his father for not attending their soccer game. This time, he was shaking with rage. Not only did their father miss the game, but so did their mother. In anger, he hastily put on his change of clothes and turned to Rickon.

"We're doing this, right?"

Rickon nodded. He was angry, too. "When do we do this?"

Bran heaved a deep breath. He made sure there was no one else in the locker room who could hear this conversation. "Tonight. I don't feel like talking to them both."

"Me neither," Rickon replied, as he stuffed his dirty uniform and shoes into his bag. "So…Sansa or Arya?"

"Sansa lives in a girl's dormitory, so it's off the list."

"So, it's Arya then?" Rickon asked, slinging the bag strap over his shoulder.

The brothers walked out of the locker room and towards the parking lot where their driver was waiting in the car. Before getting in, Bran looked across to where Rickon was and said, "Arya."