It was interesting to explore the North through the eyes of a tourist. Although Arya was a resident of the North, it was a vast territory and she hadn't had much chance to explore it due to being young. Of course, she visited places with her family, but she never got the opportunity to explore her homeland on her own.
At the same time, Ygritte offered insight about an outsider's perspective of the North, especially when compared to where she came from and other places she'd visited while on active duty in the army. There were many customs and beliefs that Arya had to explain to her travelling companion just as she believed that there would be many things Ygritte would explain to her in the future.
The North was far too big to explore if they'd plan to explore the rest of Westeros as well as Essos, so they settled on visiting a handful of cities that captured the essence of the North.
As they walked through the city of Hornwood, Ygritte noted that it was slightly 'warmer' in the North than it was north of the wall. Intrigued, she took in the unfamiliar territory as she involuntarily voiced her observations aloud. With a slight tinge of bitterness, she noted that there was better infrastructure, stable government, and a well-oiled economy. She grumbled about her homeland being fucked over all while the North's ancestors reaped the benefits the Free Folk had been denied. Arya inquired as to what made Ygritte believe this, to which the red headed woman explained:
"You live in the North, you know how it went down," she vaguely reminded. "Or are you a know nothing like Jon," she quipped as she smiled at the younger woman. Knowing that Ygritte wasn't being malicious, Arya waited for her to continue. "History is written by the victors and the causalities of war are forgotten about." Arya gave Ygritte's statement some thought. "You Northern folk erected this ginormous wall to protect yourselves, and then treated the folks who remained on the other side as hostile outsiders. You say shit like 'winter is coming'," she mirthlessly chuckled. "Well, we experience fucking winter just about every goddamn day. You guys have something resembling seasons—it's just fucking cold further north.
"Sure, we have our communities and shit, but that fucked up shit you guys did with the Wall has fucked us for thousands of years. We may not care about that class shit that you southern folk love adhering to, but that doesn't mean that we're not pissed off that we were made to live in an environment that is barely suitable for human habitation.
"Our government is in shambles because it's every man for himself with all other territories in Westeros refusing to prove any type of support or assistance. We barely have any resources to support ourselves and, even if we did, we have no one willing to trade with us for things that would improve our lives. Our homes, our roads, our buildings, and shit are poorly made due to having a shitty government. And, you think the North has a shit agriculture," she gave a harsh cackle. "The weather down here may be harsh on the crops, but at least the weather gets warm enough to grow something…sometimes. And, you all have specialized greenhouses, communities built near fucking hot springs, food provided to you from the Neck, as well as being able to trade goods with the south." Ygritte looked at Arya. "Again, tell me how the North didn't fuck us over."
Arya recalled her history lessons from school. From what she remembered, humanity originated in one place before people migrated to other areas for reasons both known and unknown. When it came to territories and the cultures that came with them, it all made sense until it got to the Wildlings and the North.
Although Arya has always had questions about the Wildlings and why the Wall was built, her teachers treated her question as if it were blasphemous. They'd claim, 'Wildings are savages and barbarians', but Arya countered that they weren't all that different from Northern folk and both came from the First Men. She'd never met a Wildling a day in her life, but based off of her assigned readings and research for projects, they two were still very much similar. It wasn't until she got to Wholistic Core that her questions were answered.
It was explained that the Wall was built to protect itself from a vastly different tribe that was a threat to the Northerns. Unfortunately, the Wall separated the ones who'd camped further north from the ones who camped south of the wall. Those south of the Wall now lived in a territory referred to as the North. Over time, after the Andals conquered the southern part of Westeros and, despite keeping a vast majority of their beliefs as well as way of life, the Northerns were influenced by the Andals, which warped their view of those living above the Wall. So much so, that they forgot why the Wall was built and the narrative changed from there being an outside threat to their former tribe members being seen as hostile enemies.
Since it took the Free Folk longer to become a 'civilized' nation than those south of the Wall due to the harsh environment, they were seen as barbaric and hostile.
What Arya didn't realize what how much of an impact the Wall had on both groups. She knew that Wildlings had difficulties, but she didn't understand the extent of them. It was one thing to read about them and a completely different thing to hear about them from the mouth of one of their citizens, especially because it's the North's fault why they were in the predicament they were in. To make matters worse, no one wanted to help them. There wasn't any reason why the North should hate Wildlings, but the Wildings had every reason to hate the North.
"Don't get me wrong," Ygritte began again after a moment of silence. "There are a few good things about living Beyond the Wall, but only a few. We don't feed into that hierarchy and gender role bullshit for one. We're self-reliant and don't rely on bullshit status to get us what we want. And, despite our disorderly government, when push comes to shove we have each other's back."
"What made you join the army," Arya randomly asked. "I mean, I know you said you wanted to escape, but why the army?"
Ygritte chuckled.
"Remember when I said that Beyond the Wall had very few good things," she reminded. "Well, job opportunities aren't one of them…my mum and I don't have the greatest of relationships and I never got along with my stepdad. And it's not like I could run to my real dad—I don't know the bastard. But, when it came to my stepdad, she always fucking took that cocksucker's side over mine. Always; even when she knew wrong." There was a trace of hurt apparent in Ygritte's face that Arya couldn't detect in her voice. "Eventually, enough is enough and left home. Crashed at some friend's places for a while, but I was tired of it—of everything and had to get out.
"I was at the Market one day and saw a recruiting officer," she explained. "For years, I'd either scoffed or ignored them because the South had some nerve trying to recruit Beyond the Wall after what they did to us. But, I was desperate and that was definitely getting the fuck away like I wanted."
Arya was confused. "The North recruits Wildlings?"
Ygritte snapped her head and looked at Arya. Passionately, she corrected her travelling companion, "Free Folk. We're not Wildlings, savages, barbaric, or that other shit you Southerns use to look down on us. We both came from the First Men, but the South fucked us over and pretends as if we're savages when Free Folk share far more similarities with the North than the North does with the territories below them."
Shamefully, Arya blushed at Ygritte's tirade. Of course she wouldn't want to be labeled as a Wildling—no one Beyond the Wall would. Mentally, she chastised herself at the mistake, especially when she overlooked that Jon never called Ygritte a Wildling. Once or twice he referred to her people as Free Folk, but never as Wildlings. Due to the normalcy of referring to the Free Folk as Wildlings in the North, Arya never stopped to think that maybe that didn't like to be called that. That title alone refers to its derogatory meaning of how the North and the rest of Westeros viewed them, especially when they never had anything good to say about them.
"I'm sorry, I should've known better," she apologized.
"Just…just don't use that word again," she replied. "Even when I'm not around."
Arya nodded.
"And, yes, the North recruits Free Folk," she answered. "We're technically apart of the South even though they don't acknowledge or support us. It's irrelevant that we don't adhere to Westeros practices and customs since we never legally declared ourselves independent of the South, despite the Wall being built. We're simply viewed as a territory of the North that acts autonomously, but is still ruled by the North. Because of this, our government isn't acknowledged. Perhaps, it if w were better structured, we would've gained independence long ago, but we already know why Beyond the Wall can't.
"And this is why the South can recruit Free Folk." Ygritte shrugged as she sipped her coffee.
The Free Folk confused Arya; she understood that their living situation, but they were proud people and what the North did was fucked up. If she were apart of the Free Folk, she'd die before she enlisted in the North's army. It didn't make any sense.
As if reading Arya's mind, Ygritte said, "It does. You southern folk have phrases like 'the North Remembers', but really the Free Folk remember. Not everyone—hell, not even most Free Folk—will enlist in your army because of the shit the South did to us and continues to do. Like I said, we both came from the First Men and we're way more similar than dissimilar, which is why a handful of Free Folk, like myself, volunteer. Yes, there are a lot of self serving reasons and, no, I'd never fight for any army below the Neck, but the North—they're my kinfolk and there's no use in us constantly fighting. As misguided as people think it is, I'd give my life for them." Ygritte stole a look at Arya. "Besides, if the North wasn't able to handle temperatures slightly above chilling, I wouldn't want to fight with them—they'd be as useless as those southern cunts."
Arya laughed out loud.
The North's winters were legendary.
Arya found it humorous how Ygritte differentiated between when she called the North, the South and when she was truly referred to the southern part of Westeros. She emphasized the South a lot when she said it, which indicated that she was referring to the North. When she spoken about the southern part of Westeros, it was usually with disgust and annoyance.
In deep thought, Arya bit her doughnut. "So, the North isn't afraid of Free Folk turning against them—I mean, in the army?"
At this, Ygritte cackled loudly. Tears streamed down her eyes at the question. "Gods no," she answered after he laughter subsided. "The North may be hostile to us at times, but overall, they tolerate us. The Crownlands, Riverlands, The Reach, and shit—they'd NEVER take us. Probably kill us for even asking to join them based on principle alone. And forget about Essos or Sothoryos. If the Free Folk aren't in the army, the furthest they travel south is the North. We'd have no reason or incentive to want to rebel, especially because we know jack shit about most cultures," she explained. "And since the only ones who enlist feel a sense of loyalty to our Northern kinfolk, we'd never turn on you guys. The North relies on shit like that—as well as our shitty situation Beyond the Wall. You're appreciative of the food and stability that you don't think to turn on them." Ygritte stole a piece of Arya's doughnut. "Ironically, they have a no tolerance policy for discrimination against Free Folk—you can hate us all you want as a regular citizen, but once you join the army, either you bury that shit deep or get over it."
For the rest of their stay, Arya and Ygritte visited museums, historical locations, and ate the local food. It was slightly different from Winterfell, but good nonetheless. There were a few weird tasting items, but they didn't let those few items define the overall deliciousness of Hornwood crusine. They spent their last day wandering aimlessly around Hornwood and get a feel of the land in an unofficial capacity.
Most people take off bright and early, but Arya and Ygritte said 'Fuck that noise' and left six o'clock in the afternoon instead.
Since Ygritte drove them to Hornwood, it was Arya's turn to drive to Widow's Watch. The culture was also somewhat different than Hornwood and Winterfell due to its location by the sea, but they also had many similarities. They ate various seafood dishes and even observed the day in the life of a fisherman. If they were most people, the only exciting parts would've been catching huge fish and exciting tales, but not Arya and Ygritte. They were enthralled. Admittedly, there were some boring parts, but spending time with the seamen was definitely exciting. They cursed, bullshitted, and drank tons of ale before they went home and slept well until the afternoon.
They also enjoyed the folklore from city to city. Each city had their own version of the same story and the new details and twists were fascinating. The two women wondered how the other cities tales would different and which tale had the most staying power.
Arya wouldn't compared Winterfell food to Hornwood and Widow's Watch due to bias, but she believed that the other two towns were equally as good and that they both had unique flavors. Ygritte preferred Widow's Watch because it was different and she'd never had seafood before.
After spending two days each in White Harbor and the Neck, they briefly stopped through the Twins before they got back on the road to the Vale. Despite really not wanting to see them, Arya visited her aunt and cousin for a few hours. By the end of the visit, Arya just about pulled her hair out before she bolted out the door and to the car. Usually, the Stark kids got roped into spending time with their aunt Lysa and cousin Robin, but Arya wasn't going to put herself through voluntary torture or even be manipulated into it. The less you let Lysa get under your skin, the less you felt guilt about not humoring her. And, honestly, Arya was guilt free.
It was noticeably warmer in the Vale, but they also had harsh winters as well. Although the Vale was a fairly conservation place, Arya and Ygritte was captivated by its beauty and culture. Its historical buildings were in pristine shape and they oral history of the Vale was captivating while they emoted and included intimate details in their narrative. They were treated to similar experiences in Old Anchor as well as Gulltown, and then proceeded to the Crownlands.
While they travelled through the Riverlands, they stopped and visited both Harrenhal and Maidenpool.
In the various towns they visited, Arya had bought and mailed postcards to her family and friends. She also took pictures of her and well known or beautiful locations and sent them out as well. Occasionally, she recorded certain moments. But, most of the time, she enjoyed immersing herself in the new environments as well as chatting up the locals. The locals new they were tourists based off of their accents—more so Ygritte than Arya. Despite not being intimately familiar with the area, Arya was knowledgeable about the Riverlands due to her mother and her mother's side of the family.
She impressed Harrenhal and Maidenpool natives with her depth of knowledge regarding the area that went beyond a simple google search. She even knew some things that they didn't. Curious as to how she knew so much, Arya explained that her mother was from the Riverlands, specifically Riverrun. Once she told them that her mother was a Tully, the people noticeably lit up and gushed about the Tully family.
Arya was used to seeing that reaction when people found out that she was a Stark, but it's rarely happened with her when it pertained her mother's name. They were an important family in political circles, but to see how common folk behaved hearing the Tully name was an eye opening experience.
The natives invited Arya and Ygritte to a home cooked meal and offered them free boarding. Arya politely turned down their offer, but accepted their other offer of being shown around town.
Unlike the other towns they already passed through, the Riverlands food was in ways that the other towns weren't. The weather was perfect for cultivating crops; consequently, they ate an abundance of fruits and vegetables. They also had a mixture of fish and red meats, which she devoured all of it in no time.
They stayed longer than planned as they swam in warm rivers and hiked in dense, plush forests.
Reluctantly, they departed for the Crownlands, despite being further back on their schedule than planned.
Dramatically, Ygritte sighed as she looked at her phone.
Arya glanced at the name and raised an eyebrow as she chuckled. "That Bitch?"
"My mum," Ygritte said as way of explanation. "She's been calling me since we left White Harbor and I don't want to fucking talk to her. We—we haven't even spoken since I left Beyond the Wall and that was five fucking years ago. What does she have to say to me now that she couldn't say while I was living with her?"
Arya bit her lip and remained silent. She figured that Ygritte needed to vent.
There wasn't much she couldn't say about dysfunctional child/parent relationships. Although she'd been upset with her parents an occasion or two, her relationships with her parents was filled with love and fondness. They may have not always understood each other, but they tried.
Arya knew the same couldn't be said for Ygritte; despite her know that Ygritte loved her mom regardless.
"Does she usually blow up your phone," Arya asked.
Ygritte nodded. "No."
"Well then, just see what she wants and go from there," Arya advised.
For a moment, Ygritte considered her words. "Okay," she agreed. "But, after we get to King's Landing. If she says anything to piss me off, it's not a good idea for me to be caged in a car."
Arya laughed as she turned up the air.
Gods, it was unbelievable hot. She didn't se how southerners lived like this.
They arrived to King's Landing a few hours later. After the two women checked into their room, Ygritte left to go find somewhere else to speak to her mother. Arya didn't think it was a privacy issue, which wouldn't bother her if it were, but more so Ygritte needed literal space to speak with her mother.
Arya picked up her phone and dialed.
A familiar voice said, "Hey."
Arya's stomach jumped as a wide grin spread on her face. "Hey," she parroted. "I'm in King's Landing."
"Really?" When Arya mapped out her road trip, she calculated how long it'd take her to get to the capital. She and Gendry exchanged texts the entire time as she shared her trip with him. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming to town? I could've took off or some shit."
Arya rolled her eyes as she rested a knee against the edge of the bed, and then lowered her hand to hold her weight. She flopped onto the bed and unsuccessfully fought against a smile. "Fuck that noise," Arya declared. "The next words out of your mouth better be, 'Arya, I've already cleared my schedule for you.'"
"Yeah, if I gave up sleep alto—"
"Arya, I've already cleared my schedule for you," she interrupted. "Say it."
"Maybe if I traveled back to the fut—"
"Arya, I've already cleared my…"
"Schedule for you," he finished.
"Really," she said in faux surprised. "This is why we're besties—you always put me first."
Gendry chuckled into the phone.
Arya bit her lip and asked, "When can I see you?"
As Gendry and Arya spitballed a good time to meet up, Ygritte walked into the room with bloodshot eyes.
Softly, Arya mumbled into the phone, "I have to go." With concern, she stared at her friend. "What's wrong?"
"My mum," Ygritte croaked. "She's dying." Harshly, Ygritte wiped the tears away as she sniffled. "She's been trying to tell me for weeks and I ignored her."
"Oh my Gods," Arya whispered.
Ygritte leaned against the wall and slid down, and then cried into her knees.
Awkwardly, Arya stood in front of her before he crouched in front of Ygritte and placed a careful hand on her shoulder. After a while, Arya sat beside her as Ygritte bawled between her knees.
Thinking of how her mother used to comfort her, Arya wrapped an arm around Ygritte's back and gently rocked the older woman. It seemed to calm her somewhat, but the tears still came. Her body shook and anguish filled every tear as Ygritte processed the fresh news of her mother's impending death.
Some time later, Ygritte went from bawling to non-stop sniffling and leaned against Arya's arm as she clutched it.
"I should hate her," Ygritte admitted. "I should be glad that she's dying, but I'm not."
"Hate her later," Arya remarked.
"She was the only family I had," Ygritte murmured.
In the early hours of the morning, the two ladies silently laid on the floor as they stared at the ceiling. They shared some random bottle of liquor they grabbed from the mini fridge.
"I gotta see her," Ygritte declared. "I gotta leave tomorrow. I'm going to take a plane to an airport near the Wall, and then take a bus from there."
"Okay." Arya bit her lip. "Do you want me to call Jon?"
Ygritte wiped her face, and then sat up. "No. I—I just can't deal with him in my life right now and I don't know when I'll be able to."
"Okay."
"Please do not tell him," she requested. "I don't really care that Jon knows, but you know how he is…he's going to want to drop everything and be there for me and that complicates shit. My emotions are already fucked enough as it is to be dealing with a supportive ex boyfriend."
"Alright," Arya replied. Arya didn't like keeping secrets from Jon, but Ygritte's mother's death was an understandable exception. It wasn't her place to share that information, especially when explicitly told not to. She only asked if she could tell Jon so Ygritte could have someone be there for her when she left. But, if Ygritte didn't want him there, then Arya's lips were sealed.
"I guess the rest of the trip is cancelled?"
Ygritte sighed. "No…it's not. It's—it's not." For a moment, the red headed woman paced back and forth. "Just give me 2-3 weeks max, all right? This trip will now serve as a great distraction from my mum impending death."
Silently, Arya drove Ygritte to the airport.
They hugged for a while before Ygritte picked up her suitcase and entered the airport.
Arya met up with Gendry at the Red Keep.
As soon as Gendry saw her, he smiled, and then met her half way. Gently, he pulled her into his arms and they held each other for a while. Arya smiled into his chest, and then deeply inhaled him.
Tears prickled in her eyes.
Most people would ask, 'Do you want to talk about it?'
Gendry said, "Let's get something to eat."
In relief, Arya gave a small smile and followed him.
Gendry took her to his favorite burger joint. They order greasy burgers and fries and shared a large chocolate shake.
Although Arya told Gendry about her trip though text messages, they were the abbreviated versions. This time around, in detail, Arya spoke about each place she and Ygritte visited and just what made her favorite places in those locations stand out. Arya told him her how road trip had fared so far and what her favorite places were in each location. Enthralled, Gendry listened to her as she gave vivid descriptions of places he'd never been and all of the rich history that came with it. He smiled as her face lit up in enthusiasm and she smiled at his infectious grin.
Arya then spoke about how similar she and Ygritte were and that she was happy that they'd decided to travel together. Arya had countless stories about her time with Ygritte and the things they'd done or spoke about. She then asked Gendry about him.
Gendry told her about his work life and that he'd looked into some other jobs, but that he didn't think they'd pan out. He didn't have any exciting stories to tell her, so Arya told him to tell her his favorite moments.
"Well…a lot of my favorite moments include you," he admitted. "I…I don't have a lot of favorite moments. I do have a hazy one of my mum…there was this one night. My mum must've had a hard night at work and I think I saw it on her face. So I ran upstairs and pretended to be asleep so she'd just go straight to bed. I mean, I wanted to spend time with her, but I also wanted her to rest," he explained. "But then, she came into my room and sat on my bed for a while. I don't how long she was there, but she started gently shaking me." Gendry smiled in thought of that night. "When I looked at her, she said, 'why didn't my little bull stay up for me?' And I told her why. "She said that I was such a good and smart boy, that—that I always made her days better and that she looked forward to seeing me at the end of each night." Gendry's eyes glistened as he bit his lip. "And she looked, so sincere and, and truly happy to spend that time with me. She pulled out a bag of peanuts that she bought from work because she knew I loved them and we ate them together. After we finished, she laid down with me and just…kept telling me over and over how much she loved and how grateful she was to have me in her life.
"The next day, she was dead," he bitterly spat out. "Some guy stabbed her because she wouldn't give him her number. And people watched as she bled in the street."
Gendry wiped his eyes as he looked at the table.
Arya reached across the table and took his hand in hers.
"I'm sorry to hear that happened to your mom…to you," she said softly.
Gendry clenched his jaw, but didn't let go of her hand.
"I'm sad Ygritte's mother died, but not for the reasons you'd think," she admitted. "I know nothing about her, not even her name. But, death…it's always some abstract thing until it isn't. And then the reality hits you as to just how unpredictable and inevitable death is. And that's so fucking unfair. One day my mum's going to die, my dad's going to die, Jon, you—me," she opened up. "And there's not shit we can do about it, except live life, right?" Tears fells rolled down Arya's face. In a semi-distraught state, she wiped them away. "There's nothing we can do. What kind of bullshit is that? Everything we are, everything we achieve means jack shit in the end. What's the point—wha, what's the point in finding meaning in life if it all amounts to nothing?"
Gendry brought her hand to his mouth as he looked at her. "What other choice do we have," he countered. "We're wired to want to find meaning even if it means jack shit in the end. Life's a journey, right? And Death's its inevitable destination. I don't know if there's life after death or just nothingness, all I know I don't much and I want to enjoy what I do have before I'm gone. That's enough for me. You need to find what's enough for you."
Around five, they arrived at the place Gendry shared with his foster dad.
On their way there, Gendry held her close as he firmly grabbed her arm. A part of Arya wanted to exclaim, 'I can protect myself!' Although, Gendry knew that, he also knew Flea Bottom and she trusted his judgment over her pride. Not that she'd ever admit that aloud.
Gendry led Arya into a one-bedroom apartment.
Everything was small, from the kitchen, to the bathroom, to the bedroom, and the couch. Hell, her bedroom was bigger than this apartment—a fact that simultaneously shamed Arya and made her feel sorry for Gendry.
Gendry brought the both glasses of water and turned on the TV that broadcasted an unclear picture. Gendry banged on it a few times, and then tinkered with before the pictured cleared.
They watched on old TV shows as Gendry intently paid attention and laughed at some of the jokes. Once or twice, he changed the channel because he already saw that particular episode or he was tired of watching it over and over. Eventually, he settled on a new episode of a reality court show.
At first, Gendry tried to be a gracious host and said they could watch whatever Arya wanted, but she honestly did care and he knew better than to ask twice.
In amusement, smiled as Gendry excused himself to go to the bathroom. He'd down three large cups of water and she wasn't surprised that his bladder was making his pay for it. Sure, it was great to drink a lot of water, but still…it was a lot of water in a short time.
As Arya sat alone of the couch, it was now obvious just as to how much she missed him: his presence, his aura, and his Gendryness.
It was obvious when she left Wholistic Core and when she saw him again, but the vanquished ache in her heart and the loud pumping in her chest made it cleared just as how much she missed her best friend.
Intently, she stared at Gendry when he re-entered her line of his. He smiled at her as he walked over her legs and sat beside her. His eyes were still impossibly blue and she bet his lips were still just as soft.
"What?" He grinned at her.
Arya kissed him.
She wanted to kiss him senseless: partly because of how much she missed and the other part because she needed him not to think. Sometimes, he thought too much and she just wanted to enjoy the moment without his doubts and second-guessing.
And she could feel it. Gendry was losing the battle…his will to question. It was weakening.
Quickly, Arya slipped her tongue in his mouth, as she was half seated on his lap and the couch.
Gendry groaned into her mouth and tightly gripped her thigh. She felt his hips buck forward and his cock harden.
Reluctantly, Arya broke their kiss, "When will your foster dad be back?"
"Umm…" Gendry couldn't think for a moment. "Uhh…tomorrow. Sometimes he stays in his shop and tonight's one of those night."
Arya nodded.
"Good." Arya smiled. She then grabbed Gendry's shirt and lifted it over his head, and then kissed him again. Finally, his will broke as hungrily Gendry kissed her. He maneuvered Arya so that she straddled his lap as he thrust up against her. Arya tightly gripped his shoulder while she firmly rubbed against him as the friction increased between.
She gasped, he groaned; she sighed, he moaned.
This time, Gendry broke the kiss.
"I thought we were trying to be just friends," he questioned.
" We are," Arya replied, as she placed kisses on his face and neck. "But, we can be friends with benefits."
Gendry pondered her response as Arya sucked on his ear.
"I missed you being inside of me," she huffed in his ear. "Don't you miss being inside of me? Nice, tight…and warm." Gendry swallowed. "And when you'd get deep as fuck?" Arya slid a hand put them and reached into her panties and touched herself. "Remember when you'd hold my legs apart and pound into me." She'd shuddered and gasped. "Or how I ride you until you couldn't hold your cum? Remember—remember how breast feel against chest and how my juices taste?"
Arya pulled her hand from her panties and held them in front of Gendry.
Ever so slightly, his head nodded in agreement as he leaned forward towards her fingers.
Arya slowly moved her hand away from his mouth.
In annoyance and frustration, Gendry glared at her.
"Remember?" She lifted her fingers to his nose. "Remember how I taste?"
"Yeah," he croaked, and then eagerly took her fingers in his mouth. His warm tongue licked Arya's fingers cleaned as he moaned his pleasure. She slightly moved her hips and Gendry made a strangled noise. He was almost fully erect.
As Gendry stood up, Arya slid off of his lap, but he gripped her arm so that she wouldn't fall. He hurriedly threw cushions off for the couch, and then pulled out the bed that served as a couch spring when it was put away. It barely looked big enough to fit Arya, but Gendry slept on this every night?
Her thoughts were interrupted when Gendry kissed her as he slid a hand into her panties and between her legs.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck," she gasped.
Firmly, Gendry rubbed her vagina as he lowered her onto the bed.
Arya felt the fabric against her skin as her stomach touched the bed, which Gendry then hurriedly flipped her over. He carefully slid off her panties, and then rested a leg on each shoulder.
Tenderly, he peppered kisses on her thighs as Arya wiggled. Gendry held her hips against the bed and continue. She hated when he teased like that. Sure, she kissed his stomach a few times, but Gendry liked to stretch out the tease rather than jumping in. Without warning, he shoved some fingers into her vagina and Arya bit her lip in surprise. He strokes were tender and knowing as Arya tightly shut her eyes and breathed deeply.
"Your pussy looks incredible," he said in awe. "Just looking at it makes me want to cum."
Arya glared at him. "You better not."
"I won't," he promised. "It's just…" His warm tongue licked her entire pussy with one brush. "It's been a while, but I'm not going to cum until I'm balls deep in you."
Arya's stomach knotted up in anticipation.
"You want that too, don't you," he asked. He sucked and rubbed on her clit as he touched himself. "You want me balls deep, don't you?"
"Yeah," she gasped.
"Good." He wrapped her legs around his neck. "Don't worry, I'm gonna feed your pretty pussy every inch of my cock."
"Mmm…" Arya moaned in anticipation.
"Gods," he moaned into her vagina. "You're so wet for me." Involuntarily, she lifted her hips forward as Gendry buried his face further between her legs. A whimper escaped Arya's lips. "So so wet," he mumbled. "Gods, you're pussy loves me…it's so fucking swollen and sensitive." Unexpectedly, Arya yelped when Gendry stuck his fingers back into her.
Once again, he licked his fingers as he stared at her engorged vagina.
Gendry placed feather kisses on Arya's stomach as he made his way up her body. As he did so, he slowly lifted her shirt to discard it. Arya propped her body up on an elbow and helped Gendry get her shirt over her head. He then expertly removed her bra, and then sucked on her breasts.
He slipped an expert hand between her legs as he continued sucking to which Arya gave out a chocked sigh.
This was nirvana.
Arya lightly rested a hand on Gendry's hand as he hand involuntarily grabbed and released it over and over. The other tightly held onto his back as her left leg wrapped itself around his way while the right lay against the bed.
Without her permission, her hips meet his hand thrust for thrust. Although part of pleasure was alleviated, for the other part, it wasn't enough. It was just a bullshit snack for a starved person; an appetizer instead of a feast and, most definitely, Arya was ready to feast.
The throbbing between her legs was unbearable. She needed to be filled, to feel friction—pressure. She yearned to be stretched. Gods, she ached and her vagina needed a cock to grip. Fuck fingers.
Oh, fuck, his fingers.
No, no, no…his fingers were nice, but she needed his cock. She needed his thick and deliciously long cock in her…sliding in and out and filling her. She needed every inch of him like he promised.
"Stop fucking around, Gendry," she spat in frustration. "Enough foreplay, I need you in me now."
As Gendry got up on his knees, he smirked, which earned him a glare. "Don't worry, I'm going to give your cunt something bigger to grab onto." Although he wasted no time undoing his pants, apparently, he wasn't fast enough; Arya shoved his hands away as she unzipped, and then pulled down his underwear and pants together. She glared at him again.
"Do I need to help you step out of them as well?"
Gendry narrowed his gaze at her as he stepped out of his clothes, and then placed himself between Arya's spread legs. "Be nice," he warned.
"Shut the fuck up," she whispered, and then kissed Gendry.
Gendry rubbed the head of his cock against her entrance and as about to enter her when he asked, "Do you got any condoms?"
"You don't?" Gendry bit in lip at their predicament.
"I haven't been with anyone other than you," he admitted. "I don't really have the time and I'm shit at picking up girls, so I never got them."
"I haven't been with anyone else," she admitted as well.
Gendry seemed to consider something. "I can go out and buy some."
Arya thought about their situation for a moment, and then smiled. She kissed him as she wrapped her legs around his hips. "Or I could get the morning after pill," she suggested. "We've only ever been with each other, so that rules out STD's and the pill will handle the birth control part."
Gendry smiled as they kissed, and then slid a tongue into her mouth.
His head rubbed against her vagina again, but firmer this time.
"Stop being a cocktease," She mumbled into his mouth.
A familiar pressure slid against her wall as Gendry entered her. Arya practically sobbed in relief and Gendry groaned into her ear. It was deep and masculine. She almost came on the spot.
She was wrong…this was nirvana.
Arya opened her legs wider as Gendry settled more comfortably between her legs. Gods, the friction and how he stretched her. It was almost too much too soon. It didn't hurt; Arya's body was incredibly relaxed from the foreplay, but it'd been a while. And he felt good and she felt…full.
His slickened cock easily slid in and out of Arya as she pulled him closer.
"Gendry—deeper, Gods, please go deeper," she sobbed.
Gendry put her legs on his shoulder and gave her measured strokes. He slowly fed Arya his cock from the head to the root.
It drove her wild.
"Gendry…Gendry," she gasped.
Deeply, she kissed him as her nails clawed at his back. Gendry hissed at the slight pain, but picked up his pace to which Arya responded favorably. She still wanted more and he was going to give her what she wanted. Fucking Christ, Arya's vagina held onto him as if it was a vice and he wanted to pound into her like a jackhammer. He knew she the increased intensity, but he wasn't going to take her there yet.
He pumped into her once, and then twice before he bottomed out.
Arya's eyes snapped out.
"You okay?" Gendry assessed her reaction for any distress.
"Yeah." She licked her lips, and then rubbed his hip. "Yeah."
Gendry continued bottoming out as Arya's back arched up off of the bed. Quickly, he pulled out of her, and then flipped her onto her stomach. Before Arya knew it, Gendry slid into her again after getting her on her knees. She held herself up on her elbow as Gendry slammed into her from behind.
Loudly, she sobbed in pleasure into the bed.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, Gendry!"
"You love it when I'm balls deep, don't you." Arya moaned in affirmative. "You love feeling my balls hit your ass, don't you?" Arya moaned again. "Say it," he demanded. "Say, 'I love when you're balls deep, Gendry.'"
As he spoke, Gendry pulled her further onto his cock as he arched her back for her.
A sharp gasp escaped from Arya.
"Say it." Fuck. He was playing mind games with her. He knew she got off of shit like this, but it was usually when she was in control. But, Gendry also knew that, every once and a while, Arya got off on being dominated. "Say it."
"I love it when you're balls deep, Gendry," she repeated.
"Good girl." He firmly slapped her ass as he watched his cock go in and out of her. Gendry then rubbed and squeezed it as he then looked at how her pussy gripped him. Gods, this was so fucking hot. Fucking Arya and hearing her moan and beg beneath him always made him harder and cum just as hard, especially when she pushed back.
Fucking hell, she was pushing back…and she was clenching too?
Gendry knew he was going to last long. He upped the intensity and firmly rubbed Arya's clit.
"Fucking hell, Gendry," she gasped.
Gendry leaned forward and had his body cover hers as he torso rested against her back, and then pounded into Arya. At that moment, Arya was experiencing a sensory overload as Gendry pounded her into the bed.
Suddenly, she climaxed.
Her orgasm was intense and unforgiving as Gendry continuing stroke to help her ride it out. He grinded his hips and slammed into her hard. Arya liked a little pain when she climaxed…just a little, which Gendry obliged her.
"Fuck, Gendry, fuck!"
"Yeah," he mumbled in her ear. "You know I always take care of you."
Arya turned her head and Gendry leaned in for a kiss: tender and languid.
"Mmm…" she happily sighed.
Slowly, Gendry pulled out of her and kissed her forehead. Arya tiredly chuckled, and then deeply inhaled. She forgot how affection Gendry was during sex, especially afterwards. He then lapped at her remain juices and wrestled two smaller, less intense orgasms out of her.
Arya got up and rest a couch pillow against the back of the couch and patted it. Gendry obliged her and relaxed as Arya straddled him, and then took his cook in her hand. Passionately, she kissed him as slowly jerked his cock. She knew what he liked—she doubted she'd ever forget it.
She stroked his length with one hand and put slight pressure on the head of his cock with the other. Every once and a while, she'd stroke his length and play with his balls. After a while minutes, she increased her pace and a few strokes later, semen was splattered on his stomach,
Deliriously, they smiled at each other.
They exchanged tender kisses before they fell asleep in one another arms.
In pleasure, Gendry moaned, and then opened his eyes and watched as Arya sucked his cock. He threaded his hands behind his hand and let her do her thing as he closed his eyes. Sometimes when he focused on nothing but the sensation, his pleasure increased. He felt Arya's warm tongue traced the length of his cock, her lips suck on the head, and her mouth encircle his cock.
Gendry cracked his eyes when he felt the weight on the bed move. Just as he did, Arya sank onto his cock.
"You did all of the work last time," she reminded. "It's my turn."
Gendry grabbed her hips as she rode him into oblivion.
The next day, Gendry's eyes fluttered open sleepily. He felt Arya's warm weight in his arms, and then stared down at her. She was snuggled face first in his chest in his arms.
"You finally up," she mumbled.
"Yeah," he answered. "How long you been up?"
Tiredly, Arya yawned. "I never really fell asleep," she admitted, and then sniffed. "Probably for like ten minutes on and off, but it's too noisy outside."
Gendry knew what she meant. He grew up falling asleep to the noisy streets of King's Landing, so he was used to it. But, for someone who was used to sleeping in complete silence, it was distracting, just like sleeping in complete silence was distracting for someone who grew up going to sleep to noise.
"Sorry about that," he unnecessarily apologized. Gendry washed up and got dressed before fixed Arya eggs and toast. He poured her a glass on orange juice as they discussed their plans for the next two days.
"How's Ygritte?" Gendry put the couch back together as Arya cleared their dishes off of the table.
Arya shrugged. She spoke to Ygritte, as Gendry got dressed. "As well as you'd expect."
Gendry nodded in understanding.
He quickly browsed the mail, and then opened one of the packages. Arya noticed Gendry smiled at its contents before he placed it in a shoebox.
"What was that?"
"Umm…the pictures you e-mailed me," he explained. "I got them developed."
He handed her the box and continued to straighten up.
Arya's stomach fluttered as she looked at the pictures. They dated all of the way back to Wholistic Core. Gendry must've asked if they could send him any copies they had. Pictures from the Core mainly consisted of her, Gendry, and Hot Pie. They were a handful that were only and Gendry. The rest of he photos were from her road trip.
"What's your favorite picture?" Intently, she looked at him.
Gendry shrugged, and then scratched the back of his neck. "I don't know…I have a lot of favorites," he replied. Arya walked in front of Gendry and handed him the box. Briefly, looked at the box, and then Arya. "I liked the fishing trip one," he explained. "The one where you accidentally dropped your fish back into the sea and the one in the Vale where you're overlooking all of Eyrie. And I love all of the ones in Harrenhal, especially the ones in the woods." Gendry's voice was so low, it was also as if he'd been whispering.
Arya had no clue why she'd been standing so close to him, but once she looked up at Gendry, he kissed her and she was glad to have invaded his space.
She liked this friend with benefits thing.
Slowly, they broke apart and smiled at each other.
"Let's get you back to your hotel so you can wash up and change."
Arya gave him a quick kiss on the mouth. "Okay."
Since Arya was already familiar with King's Landing, they settled on bowling and the movies. For her trip with Ygritte, they decided that for the first half of the trip, Ygritte would have official tour guides show her around and the second half would be Arya, the former citizen, showing her the rest. Their plan made it easy to make plans without Gendry all without abandoning Ygritte. Before Arya and Gendry went bowling, they grabbed brunch, and then wandered around the area for a bit.
They played three games of bowling, which Arya won each game and it wasn't even close. Gendry was an average player, but Arya was better. They then went to the movies and watched two of the showings. One was an action/adventure selection and the other was a psychological thriller. Gendry laughed as Arya dozed off in both movies.
By the end of the night, they ended up at Gendry's job where he worked as a bartender at a place called 'Brotherhood Without Banners' just outside of the capital.
As Arya and Gendry walked through the bar, they heard someone say, "I'd never thought I'd see the day Gendry brought a girl to BWB."
'It's a too late for that, I'm now his ex-girlfriend,' Arya thought.
"Yeah, Beric, as in girl who is my friend," he emphasized. "We're not dating. We're hanging out since Arya is passing through town."
"Oh really, what for," Beric asked.
"My friend and I are doing a road trip of Westeros and King's Landing was one of the stops," she explained.
Beric looked around. "Where is she?"
"Family emergency," Arya said as way of explanation. "When she gets back, our trip will continue."
Gendry held a hand up. "That's enough of nosing around in other peoples business," he warned. "Arya came here to get a drink and play pool NOT be interrogated by you."
Beric chuckled. "No harm, no foul, right," he looked at Gendry, but his question was directed toward Arya as he then looked at her.
"Right." Arya shrugged.
Gendry rolled his eyes and sighed. "Whatever." As he said each man's name, he pointed to them, "The nosy one is Beric and that's Thoros—they owns the place, that's Lem, Anguy, Lommy…"
Arya and the men chatted for a bit as Gendry got the two of them drinks.
"So, where're you from, if you don't mind me asking," Thoros questioned.
Arya laughed. "Umm…I'm from the North—Winterfell specifically."
"Really," Thoros said, as he intently stared at her. "I know this is a small world, but you wouldn't be Stark by chance?"
In surprise, Arya's eyebrows shot up. "Actually, it is. How did you know?"
"I knew your father," he explained. "Well, most people know of your dad, but he actually help me open this place." He gestured to the bar.
"Really?"
Thoros nodded his head. "Yep…that Ned Stark is a good man—of course, you know that already. Anyways, Arya's not a common name down here and you're accent is clearly Northern," he explained. "Besides, you definitely got the Stark look; I see your old man when I look at you."
Brightly, Arya smiled.
Gendry and Arya then went to play pool. They played against others, but there weren't any stakes. They lost more games than they won, but neither one seemed upset about it. Eventually, they played against each other. Arya was pretty good, but Gendry was better and they both knew it. Although the match up was intense, it was light and playful.
Arya moved around the table, and then squeezed between Gendry and the table to take her shot. Slowly, she bent over her as ass hit Gendry square in the crotch. Involuntarily, Gendry grabbed her hip and squeezed before he stepped to the side and gave her room.
"When then, fuck my ass and call me Sally," Beric said in disbelief. When Gendry first walked in with Arya, he didn't believe they were dating, but he'd been teasing Gendry since the younger man always talked about how he was too busy to date. And he was less interested in casual sex, but he was definitely fucking the Stark girl and they weren't even dating. Beric speculated that since they knew each other that may have been why Gendry was okay with it.
But, when did he lose his virginity? And how long had he been having sex?
All of the men who worked at BWB minus Gendry talked about getting ass all of the time even when he knew they weren't. But, Gendry was clearly having sex and was tightlipped as fuck about it. And he was fucking a Stark girl to top it all off.
Stark.
Beric figured that Gendry's secret keeping nature was what made him appealing, especially for a girl like her. She probably wanted a walk on the 'wild side' and to get involved with a bad boy. She was going to find out the hard way that Gendry was a good kid through and through.
Beric and Lommy joined the two at the pool table and asked if they could play. Beric as clearly the best player of the four, but Arya and Gendry were better than Lommy.
"So how does one of the princesses of Winterfell and a poor kid from Flea Bottom meet," he inquired. Arya glared at Beric for calling her a princess.
"Getting sent away from beating the living shit out of Joffrey Baratheon and his cronies," she answered.
Beric raised an eyebrow.
"That was you?" He smiled. "You're definitely good in my book based on that alone."
Neither Beric nor Lommy asked what why Arya beat his ass because, either way, it was a deserved ass beating.
"Yeah well, despite Joffrey starting the fight and all of the other shit he pulled, I was the one who got in trouble for it," Arya explained. "I was expelled, and then my parents sent my to a rehab camp—that's where I met Gendry."
Lommy frowned in confusion. "You went to a rehab camp…what the fuck is a rehab camp?"
Gendry sighed. "It's like a camp for troubled teens and adults that helps you find out why you have behavioral problems and how to manage your behavior." At Lommy's inevitable question, Gendry replied. "I never got into shit, but Tobho entered me in some voucher lottery and I won." He waved his hand to indicate that the rest was history. "The voucher program was just to provide opportunities for people like me—poor and shit with no opportunities or connections. That's where I met Hot Pie."
"Oh…" Lommy nodded that he understood.
"And you two became as thick as thieves," Beric concluded.
Arya gave a tightlipped smile. "Yep."
'Oh…they definitely hooked up during camp,' Beric thought.
After Gendry dropped Arya off at her room, she pulled him inside and asked him to stay.
"It's late," she stated. "Please…"
"Fine." Gendry took off his shirt and shorts and lay beside Arya in just his underwear. Contently, Arya snuggled into Gendry's arms and fell asleep instantly.
With friends like these, who needed girlfriends?