Ahhhhh I'm getting so busy as the summer progresses, and then I'm going to start taking a summer art class that's going to take up all of my time so I'm really not sure if I can keep up my crazy posting schedule. There. You've been warned.

Summary: In which Gendry freaks out for no reason and they both attend the annual Stark summer carwash.

The sound of a guitar screeching jolted Arya from her sleep, causing her to jump up violently, nearly screaming.

"Fuck!"

She blinked, whirling around to see Gendry, who looked like he also might have pissed himself a little, slam his hand on his alarm, silencing it.

"Sorry," he said, gasping for breath, "I forgot to turn off my alarm."

"Don't you have work?" Arya asked, her heart still racing. "Won't you be late?"

"Arya," he said, turning to look at her, "it's Sunday."

"Oh, right."

She blinked again, trying to get her head straight. Trying to think. Her mind was running in different, very confused directions, and she needed a moment to sort it out. Yesterday, they had gone to Braavos, and it had been perfect. And then... And then...

"We had sex," she said out loud, before she could stop herself, and turning bright red when she did.

"Well, yeah," Gendry said, as though she was stupid.

She took a deep breath. Had they really done it? Was she really not a virgin any more? It seemed... Weird. A good weird though.

"Hey, are you okay?" Gendry asked, sitting up and placing a hand gently on her shoulder. "You're not... Regretting it or anything, are you?"

He almost sounded scared.

"No," she said at once, and it was true. She didn't regret it. "I'm just... Thinking about it, I suppose. Is that weird?"

"No," Gendry said with a shrug.

"I mean, I knew it would happen," she said, shaking her hair out of her eyes.

"You did?"

"Well, yeah," Arya said with a frown. "Didn't you?"

"I mean, eventually," Gendry sputtered, and then he narrowed his eyes. "Wait... How did you know to let your mum think you were spending the night at someone else's house?"

Arya shrugged smugly.

"I dunno, I guess I thought I'd rather be safe than sorry," she said.

"Safe..." And then, suddenly, Gendry's eyes widened in horror and he leapt from the bed in alarm. "ARYA!"

"What?" She yelled back.

"WE DIDN'T-YOU-WE DIDN'T USE PROTECTION!" He shouted in horror, grabbing at his hair. "Shit! Shit! How can I be so bloody stupid?"

"I know," Arya said with a pleasant frown. "I thought you had experience."

"Arya! This is no laughing matter! You could end up pregnant or-!"

"Will you calm your tits?" Arya snapped, stretching. "Luckily for you, I know you're stupid. Don't worry, I'm on the pill. Like I said, better safe than sorry."

"You are?" He gasped, looking immensely relieved.

"Yeah," she said, running her fingers through her tangled hair. "Ever since we started dating."

"Ever since..." He said, looking flabbergasted. "But how...? How did you explain that one to your Mum and Dad?"

"I told them I had bad cramps," she said with a shrug. "They believed me."

"Ever since..." Gendry repeated stupidly, staring at her. "You planned on seducing me ever since we started dating?"

"Probably before," Arya said with a wicked grin, "but who's keeping track?"

"Oh really?" He asked, climbing back into bed and pausing a breath away from her lips. "Well then, I never really stood a chance, did I?"

"So glad you finally figured that out," she said, right before her kissed her. "Ugh."

"What?" He demanded, pulling back.

"One, you have morning breath," she said, laughing at him, "and two, there is no way we are going to be fooling around for a few days, or several. Give me time to recover."

"Fine," Gendry said grumpily, rolling off her. "And just so you know, your breath doesn't smell like a bed of roses either."

"Aww," Arya said mockingly, sticking out her lower lip, and Gendry flipped her off good-naturedly.

Gendry got up and padded, naked, to his dresser drawer, where he fished around, and then threw a pair of shorts and a t-shirt at her before getting some clothes for himself. As Arya pulled the shirt over her head, she couldn't help but look him up and down again, something that did not go unnoticed.

"Are you checking me out?" Gendry demanded, putting on his boxers.

"Yes," she said, "and don't act so scandalized. It's not like you weren't trying to show off or anything. Tell me, does everyone flex when they put on their boxer shorts, or is that just you?"

"I was not flexing," Gendry snapped, putting on his t-shirt.

"Oh no?" Arya asked, wriggling into her shorts. "So I just, what? Hallucinated?"

"Sounds about right," he teased.

After punching him in the arm, they set about brushing their teeth (Gendry having to spend a very long time fishing around for a spare, clean toothbrush for Arya to use), and then, stomachs both growling, decided that breakfast would be a good idea.

"What do you want to make?" Gendry asked as they walked into the kitchen. Arya shrugged.

"I dunno," she said, "I'm shit at cooking. Everything I make either burns or tastes like an old woman's vagina."

Gendry nearly tripped and fell flat on his face.

"You have such a way with words," he said drily, getting two cups out of the cabinet and setting them down on the bar.

"So..." she said, hopping onto a bar stool. "How are we going to do this?"

"Well, luckily for you, I can cook," Gendry said, putting tea bags in the cups and then putting a kettle on the stove. "Unlike you, I actually listen when Hot Pie talks."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Arya said, waving him off. "So what'll it be?"

"Eggs and toast?" Gendry offered. "My culinary skills only go so far."

"Eggs and toast?" She asked, wrinkling her nose. "It seems a little under dramatic, this being the morning after and all."

"What do you want me to do? Bake a stack of pancakes with pigeons flying out of them?" Gendry demanded.

"No," she said. "Eggs and toast sounds good."

"Good," Gendry said, "because that's all I know how to make."

Arya helped him by putting in the toast, and then, when the water went off, she filled both their cups and hopped back on the bar stool, watching as he prepared their eggs.

"So," she said, taking a sip of hot tea, "are you still coming to the car wash next week?"

Gendry turned around.

"I guess," he said, frowning. "But do you think it's a good idea, given, you know... What we just did? Don't you think it'll be a tad bit risky?"

"Why should it be anymore dangerous than before?" Arya asked as he scooped eggs onto her plate.

"Because," Gendry said, looking like he was trying to put his thoughts into words and failing. "Fine. Whatever. I'll go if you want me to go."

"Thanks dear," she said, shoving eggs into her mouth.

"Besides," Gendry said with a smile, "I must do as my lady commands."

"Watch yourself boy," Arya said, shaking her fork at him. "Or no sex for you."

She grinned at the look on Gendry's face.

"Now get the toast," she said.

"I'm not your bitch," he snapped, but he went to get the toast all the same.

Ooooooooooooooooo

Gendry had been right. Despite Arya scoffing at him, now it was more difficult than ever to remain normal around her in public. Or maybe it was the fact that she was wearing nothing but a black bikini that was causing him to use all his will power not to go over to her and snog her face off.

SPLOOSH!

"ARGHHHH!"

Arya nearly feel off the top of the car laughing as Gendry whipped around to see Rickon, her youngest brother, grinning at him, hose in hand, having just sprayed him in the face.

"Wake up dolly daydream!" He said, laughing as Gendry spat a good deal of water out of his mouth. "You're like a zombie today!"

Really, Gendry thought sourly as he wiped water out of his eyes, I'll be glad when he goes off to camp again. Actually, that really wasn't true. He liked Rickon the same as all of Arya's brothers, but still. It wasn't exactly fun having water shot in your face when you were trying very hard to concentrate on not kissing your secret girl friend.

"I didn't get much sleep last night," he grumbled, snatching the hose from Rickon, who laughed.

"Oh didn't you?" Arya asked, eye brows raised. This time, it was Gendry who sprayed her with the hose.

"I had lots of work to do, nosy," he said. "I'm finishing up my classes in a few weeks."

It was true. Besides the quick hang out session, he and Arya hadn't spent any time at his apartment since their last encounter. She had been spending more time with her family to divert suspicion and he really had been busy with school.

"Oh, right," she said, shaking her hair out of her eyes. "Hand me some more soapy towels, will you? And Rickon, get off your lazy ass and come help me."

"He's the lazy one!" Rickon protested.

"Come on," Arya said. "Gendry can be surprisingly helpful when he wants to be."

Did she just wink? Bloody-

"Who's ready to wash some cars?" Robb asked, bursting from the house and dressed in a pair of thoroughly ridiculous swimming shorts.

"How did you ever get married?" Arya asked, eyeing the shorts, which were a vibrant shade of clashing colors.

"I don't see you with a boyfriend, Ms. Judgmental," Robb said, pouting. Gendry shot Arya a pointed look, and she bit back a smile "And Jeyne likes my shorts, I'll have you know."

"They say love does crazy things." Arya said under her breath.

"I wouldn't know," Gendry said, hosing the soapy suds off of Ned Stark's SUV.

"Yeah me neither," she said, grinning at him again.

"Are you two making fun of me again?" Robb asked through narrowed eyes.

"No," they both said quickly, and he scowled.

"So, Rickon, how's soccer camp?" Gendry asked, continuing to wash away the soap tracks Rickon and Arya were leaving with their towels.

"Great," Rickon said.

"Excited to go back?" Gendry asked.

"Yeah," Arya's youngest brother said, but then he frowned. "It's not as cool as Bran's rock climbing camp though."

"Yeah," Arya cut in. "Get this, he's probably climbing up the face of a cliff right now!"

"Cool," Gendry said as Robb started to dry off the car.

Just then, Jon came out of the house, wearing black and looking grumpy. Gendry tried not to cringe. It seemed that the harder he tried, the deeper he dug him self in with Jon.

"Jon!" Rickon and Arya cried, both grinning.

"Shouldn't you have a shirt on?" Jon demanded, raising an eyebrow at Gendry.

"Oh come on Jon," Arya joked. "Look at him! It almost seems like a crime against nature to make him put on a shirt."

Gendry shook his head at her, trying not to laugh. Bad idea, Arya.

"And shouldn't you be wearing a shirt as well?" Jon snapped at his younger sister. Robb sighed.

"Let's just finish up this car, all right? We can start World War III later," he said as Rickon blinked, confused, not knowing what was going on in the least.

"What was that about World War III?" Sansa asked, stepping from the house as well, wearing a soft pink bathing suit and skirt.

"Nothing," Robb, Arya, and Gendry chorused at once. Sansa raised an eyebrow.

"We were just talking about Rickon's summer camp," Arya said quickly, before Jon could say something sour. "And I was telling Gendry about Bran."

"Oh yes," Sansa said, smiling as she adjusted her floppy sun hat. "And did you hear, Gendry? Jon's been hired to be manager of a new magazine!"

"Really?" Gendry asked, grinning at Jon. Jon did not grin back.

"Yeah," Arya said quickly. "It's supper cool. It's called Beyond the Wall, and they're going to be traveling all over the place, taking photos and getting stories and-"

"Yes, yes," Jon said, blushing slightly. "It's all very exciting."

"And I'm going down with my parents to visit my new university," Sansa said, grinning.

"Oh really?" Gendry asked. "Where is it?"

"The Vale," Sansa said. "We're going there for a long weekend."

"Yeah," Arya said. "Poor me, I'll be all alone at Winterfell for a whole weekend, with everyone gone."

Gendry felt his heart jump.

"Yeah," he said, catching her eye. "What are you going to do with all that time on your own?"

"I dunno," she said, and there was a definite grin on her face. "I'll think of something."

;D

Dunno if I can post another chapter tomorrow, but we'll see