It has been a while, I had a huge writers block. I started writing again with my other story, which is the reason that I wasn't really happy how that turned out. But with this one I took a little bit more time and I am actually quite happy with how this chapter turned out. It gave me hope and more ideas for this story, which hopefully for you means that I will upload a little bit faster. Or a lot faster. I don't promise anything, but this chapter is here and I hope you enjoy it!
The note that was laid down on the kitchen counter some days ago stated it clearly, today Robb would come by and they would discuss the fate of the apartment. Gendry already knew his part of the bargain, he wanted to keep the apartment. It was close to his work and it already felt like his home. He still was happy that Robb would help with the negotiation, because he was emotional vulnerable when he had Arya opposite him. He hadn't see her since last week, she hadn't been home in the weekend and one of them was out of the house at least until midnight during the week. It was now Wednesday evening and he had his paperwork ready, which was a miracle because he hated paperwork. He wouldn't go out of the apartment and that was it. He would stay here and ask for her share and arrange the cost, it was that simple.
He heard sound from the front door, Arya's clear voice could be heard in the kitchen and the longing started building up again. No Gendry, you need to move on and get your act together. He just finished making coffee and filled a mug for himself, in the meanwhile he heard the footsteps coming in his direction. He took a breath, try to steady himself for the discussion that for sure would start and then he turned around. He kept his face blank when he saw Robb and Arya standing in the kitchen. When he first met people he always had a blank expression or looked angry, that came in handy now. He could keep his emotions to himself, no one needed to know how he truly felt. He mentioned with his head to the kitchen table and sat down on one side, with his paperwork in front of him. Arya clearly was less prepared, because he didn't saw any documents from her on the table when they sat down.
"Hey Gendry, good to see you." Robb tried to keep it light of course. Trying to get rid of the tension that everyone could feel in this room. The problem was that Arya now nervously shifted and Gendry reacted with a tight smile. The tension was now even ticker in the air.
He cleared his throat, just say it and arrange it and you can go on with your life. "I have been thinking about what to do now, for the past weeks and I know what I want." He made eye contact for a fleeting second with Arya to be the dominant in this conversation, but soon shifted his steely gaze to Robb. First he would be more influenced by his gaze, Arya was used to it now, and the second reason was of course that Robb will be the reasonable one in this negotiation, for sure. "I don't want to move out of this apartment, this is my home now. I think that Arya is able to find some living arrangements with someone." He grabbed one of his documents and shove it to their side of the table, "You just have to sign this, to declare that I own the apartment."
"No way!" Arya was clear with her response.
Robb raised an eyebrow and looked at Arya, "It is a fair offer, and we all offered our place for you. You could move out easily, look for your own place and then this is all over."
That felt like a stab in the heart, it was over, they were over. Why can't he just accept that or actually why can't he still not comprehend that? Not that any of what went on in his heart showed in his face. He just wanted her to sign the paper right? He wanted her gone, so he could sleep in his own bed again.
"No it is not fair because why can he keep the apartment? I want to keep it, he can find his own place." Arya stated and then Gendry's eyes widened. No that is not what he wanted and now his face also showed his surprise.
"This apartment is close to my work. I don't have a place to stay before I would move out and I just don't want to move out. This place has been my home for a long time and there are no apartments close by my work that are this good. I have the paperwork already here, you just have to sign it." He gave the paper a small push to Arya. Please don't make this harder than it is, please just sign it and then it is all over.
She crossed her arms and in that moment he knew it would be a hard negotiation, "No this also has been mine home for a long time and I don't want to move out."
"Please Arya, mom and dad would want you to sign." Thanks Robb that was the worst thing to say. Did he really think that Arya would fall for that. Forbid her something and she would desire it. She was going for the hard way.
"I am not doing this for Mom and Dad, this is about what I want and I want to keep living in this apartment." She was glaring at Robb and Gendry almost felt as an intruder. But this was not about Arya and her family, this was about him and keeping his home, the only home he had ever known.
"Well I am not moving out." That was the only statement he could make without looking weak. He just wanted to make that clear. They could never kick him out, because the apartment was just as well hers as it was his. That was the reason that she just needed to sign the papers, giving her part of the apartment to him. Only she wouldn't be Arya if she didn't made it difficult for him.
"And I am also not moving out." She didn't say anything more, she now just started a glaring contest with him, instead of Robb. He wasn't going to back down now, he kept staring in her grey eyes. They were beautiful, full of fire and he tried to forget the feelings that he had for the girl behind the eyes. It was the hardest thing to do for him, he had know her for years and he shouldn't think about that. When he thought about that, he wondered why they had broken up and that would be fatal.
Robb interrupted their staring contest, "And that is not going to work. Or you both sell the apartment, which also would be fair, but it also would take time, before both of you have another place and before we have a buyer. Or one of you takes the whole apartment and Arya, he has the papers ready. We could deal with it now and then you can move out within a few days. That is what I would recommend." Gendry then started to wonder if Robb even knew Arya. She really wouldn't be moved by his recommendation and argument, the opposite actually. She would try to find another option than the ones he had given her.
Then Arya looked at him and ignored Robb, "Okay I have an idea." Keep your emotions in check Gendry, she reads you better than anyone, make sure you don't show her anything and she continued while he tried to keep his face blank. "We will see who first will move out. We are adults and when we meet someone else we probably will move in there. So why try to find another place and spend money on moving, when we both can stay here. The past weeks also went okay and well we both don't want to move and I also know we are both to stubborn to sign a damn paper. We both need a better reason to move out and when someone has a good reason to move out then the papers lay here to sign, I will make sure I also get the right papers."
"No Arya, you can't do that." Robb looked at her with wide eyes, "they are not going to be happy about that."
That was the reason why he didn't say no and because she was right, they both were too stubborn and from somewhere inside he hoped that she still had the same kind of feeling that he also had. The feeling of not being able to let go yet, the same thing you have when you are addicted, he needed to slowly get used to the idea that it was over. He still didn't accepted it fully and that was normal after years of friendship and love, right? The problem was also that the reason for their break up never had been lack of love, it had been lack of acceptance from the outside world, her world and family. In fairytales they make you believe that you can overcome that, but this was reality and only now he started to realize that. It only had taken him a few years of harsh reality, in the beginning their love had blinded them. And their relationship had crumbled after the feelings of being in love were gone and he would always love her, but in reality that would never be enough. Or that was what he told himself every day. Still he couldn't let go just yet and that was the reason for his answer, "okay."
"What." Now Robb looked at him incredulously. "It is a crazy idea and do you really agree with it?"
"Well she is right, I will just buy a better couch that is more comfortable and it will be alright. I don't expect that I will move out first and she will say the same, but we will when we meet someone else. So to be housemates isn't the worst idea." And I can't let it go just yet.
He tried not to look smug when Arya even looked surprised for a moment. "Well then that is arranged, thank you Robb for helping." Arya already stood up and wanted to walk out.
"Wait Arya, nothing is arranged, you just prolong the inevitable and no one will be okay with this arrangement." Robb argued with her while standing up to follow her. She turned around and then looked to him.
"Well we are okay with it and I think that is the only thing that matters, goodnight Robb. I will let you out, follow me." She walked out of the kitchen and he could still hear Robb arguing with her. Robb was probably right, this was a bad idea, a very bad idea. Because now he would know when she would be over him and started dating a guy that was from her uptown world. Gendry didn't know if he was ready for that. He finished his coffee and went back to the couch. He had been serious though, he would buy a new couch, this one was old and not comfortable enough to sleep on for the coming weeks and even months. He turned off the lights in the living room and closed his eyes. He had been tired of his anxiousness the whole day and now he could finally sleep.
He was almost asleep when he heard Arya walking to the kitchen, to get a glass of water. He knew that she likes to have some water before she went to sleep. Even when she could be stealthy, he was a light sleeper and he couldn't fall asleep with her moving around. After a few minutes he heard the switch of the kitchen light, to turn it off. He heard Arya walking by, but then he didn't hear her footsteps anymore.
"Goodnight, Gendry." Her soft voice pained him. She was already gone to the bedchamber, before he could decide if he should answer her. He murmured, "goodnight Arya," and then went to sleep.
Later he wondered if he had been drunk when he agreed to her terms. She just had to sign the damn paper, now he had to live with her in the same apartment for a much longer time and he didn't know how he was going to survive that.