"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you," Arya recited as she pushed the suspect up against the wall, and then yanked his arms behind his back so she could handcuff him.
"I didn't do anything, you stupid bitch," the man spat as he struggled against her.
"Of course you didn't; I'm just taking you to the police station to reward you for being an outstanding citizen," she quipped, and then tightened the cuffs even more. Grabbing his arm, Arya guided the suspect to her police vehicle. "Come on, Prince Charming, we have a ball to get to."
Firmly, Arya pushed the suspect's head down so he wouldn't hit his head, and then closed the door behind him once he was all of the way in the car. The detainee uttered profanity filled slurs as Arya drove him to the station, but it didn't bother her. Even before she applied to become an officer, she knew that she would have to develop a thick skin in order to handle the criminals…and co-workers.
"Take these cuffs off of me and I'll show you what I can do, twat," he threated as he legs kicked the divider.
Arya made eye contact with him in the rear view mirror. "Like you did earlier?" The delivery was monotone and her face was blank. Criminals were hardly original with their threats or name-calling. After being called every derogatory name in the book, she had become desensitized to those antics by now. "If it is going to be a repeat of before, I would rather you not. It was embarrassing enough the first time."
A scream filled the car and he kicked the divider again.
"I will say this," she commented as she took a glance back before focusing on the road again. "You throw a better tantrum than my five year old niece and, boy, let me tell you, she can throw a tantrum."
The car became immediately silent.
Ten minutes later, Arya arrived at the police station and went straight to booking. She wasted no time in completing her report and had a fellow officer proofread it as she went to grab a doughnut and cup of coffee from the break room.
"Everything looks good." The report was handed back to her when she arrived back at his desk.
"Thanks, Mitch," she threw two fingers up in a slight wave as she made her way to her desk.
"No problem," he muttered.
Arya filed her report, and then tied up loose ends before leaving work for the day.
"Marco!" Arya yelled as she raised her hands in the air.
"Arya!" Marco copied her actions. They laughed at each other. "What can I get for you today, Officer Stark."
Arya seemed to give it some thought. "Ehh…I don't know," she shrugged. "Should I get the meat lover's pizza with green peppers or the chicken and bacon ranch?"
Out of habit, she put a cigarette into her mouth and was about to light it when Marco pointed to a sign.
"Seriously," her eyes pleaded with him. "Just this one time."
"No," he laughed. "Last time you said the same thing and the time before last. We are trying to class this place up and we can't with your cigarette smoke filling the place."
"You mean classy with a 'K'?" Marco mock glared at her as Arya began to walk to the door. "I'm going to be outside with my unclassy behavior. I'll take the meat lover's pizza."
"Just hold on a second," he called. "I already have it ready."
Marco pulled a pizza out of the warmer and walked over to her.
"How did you know I would order this," Arya asked as she opened the pizza box.
"I anticipated your needs." Marco wiped his hands on his apron, and then cut off the neon sign that said 'open'.
"I've been known to anticipate some needs myself," she said suggestively as she waggled her eyebrows, and then took a bite of her pizza.
The pizza man laughed, and then crossed his arms over his chest. "You couldn't handle me, Arya."
"Meet me in the back out my car after I finish my slice and I'll make a believer out of you." Arya took the pizza and led Marco to her car. As she pulled her keys out of her pocket, she sat the pizza on the hood of the car. After she put her pizza in the passenger seat, she pulled her wallet from her pocket to pay Marco.
"It's on the house," he said as he waved he shoved her hands away in offense. "You're one of our best customers—it's on us today."
"Thanks," Arya smiled at him. "So, are we going to do this or what?"
There was a shared grin between the two before Marco enveloped Arya in a hug.
"Enjoy your pizza." He shook his head and walked away.
"Your loss," she yelled, and then chuckled to herself.
Arya and Marco would joke around about being sexually interested in one another, but they really weren't. They were both single, but there wasn't any romantic or sexual attraction between them. Now, Marco was incredibly attractive—that much was true. But, he was too good of a friend or, worker of a restaurant she frequented and joked around with regularly, to think of him beyond his current status.
Besides the term attractive, Arya didn't know if she had a type per se. The guys she had interest in had nothing alike besides being appealing to look at.
To be honest, Arya wasn't even sure what she wanted. And every time someone would ask her what exactly did she want, she would say, "Not this." Even she didn't have the faintest clue what the hell that meant. Perhaps, it had to do with the fact that Arya felt that people were trying to force her into a lifetime commitment when she wasn't sure if that was a commitment she could make. Maybe she wasn't meant to settle down. Or, she was still too young to tie herself to someone for the rest of her life.
Arya was only twenty-five. She still had time to figure out what it was that she wanted.
At first, she thought that her second thoughts about her impending marriage were jitters or, at least, that was what she tried to convince herself. But, in her heart, Arya had been unsure about getting married even when she said yes. She accepted the proposal because she was afraid of letting her parents down as well as everyone else who had supported her relationship, she didn't want to hurt her boyfriend by saying no, and she was unsure as to what she wanted so didn't want to end the relationship.
With the TV on mute, she watched some cliché love story with a happy ending. As she ate her pizza, a piece of sausage fell on her chest. She picked up the runaway meat and threw it in her mouth.
'Hollywood love stories are bullshit,' Arya thought as she sipped her beer. Why couldn't they show something realistic for once? But then again, people liked to be fed bullshit. They knew that these moves were fantasies. People watched movies all of the time as an escapism mechanism.
These fictional couples always had to overcome insurmountable odds, incompatibility, or both and end up together in some unrealistic fashion. Why couldn't the movie play on? Why couldn't the viewers be shown the regret and animosity the two felt for one another because of their dumbass decisions?
Arya flopped onto her back and looked at the ceiling.
Only Hollywood would have you believe that true love conquered all in the end. Life taught you otherwise.
She loved Gendry and he left. He didn't come back for her and proclaim his love—damned the consequences. But, Arya supposed that was a dangerous and foolish love. It was one that could have ruined his life.
Most importantly, they never spoke about love or being in love. Arya doubted that Gendry would have said either. He always tried to draw lines that Arya routinely muddled. And every time, he would re-draw it as if he expected Arya to listen the next time, but she never did.
Or it could have been lust.
He was young and inexperienced and she had been throwing herself at him. Yoren was right; Arya did want Gendry to pop her cherry that bad.
Either way, Gendry was a good person. Even to this day, Arya still held to the opinion that if anything had happened, it was because she wanted it to happen. Whether or not she was being taken advantaged of (which she wasn't), it was her lust that did most of her talking. The other part, the one she could barely admit, was that she did want to make love to him. It was the only thing she had dreamt about the whole summer after she left Wholistic Core:
Her dreams were passion filled and sweaty and Arya would wake up with a devastating ache between her legs. Without a second thought, she would finish herself off after she woke up.
Arya went downstairs and saw an abundance of food on the table. This was how the Stark family meals looked when the servants cooked. Fancy, foreign foods would be prepared and there would be a variety of fruits, breads, and beverages sitting on the table for their disposal. Only when her mother decided that she wanted to cook for the family or they had their days off was when the table wasn't completely covered with food.
The young woman fixed herself a plate, grabbed an apple, and poured herself some water. Hungrily, she bit into her croissant and moaned at the deliciousness of it.
"Hey," Arya heard Sansa say.
In a suspicious manner, Arya glanced at her sister, "Hey yourself."
"Why do you hate me," Sansa asked in a quiet tone.
Arya sat down her piece of bacon and looked at Sansa. There were a thousand things she wanted to say to her and nothing at all at the same time. How could she adequately explain how she was feeling without strangling her older sister?
"I don't hate," she offered plainly.
"Yes, you do," Sansa looked hurt as she denied Arya's answer. "I've tried for years to be a good sister and the one time I mess up, you hold it against me and hardly speak to me because of it."
A loud exhale was released from Arya's mouth. "Sansa, I DON'T hate you. I'm just so fucking tired of this whole victim act—of everything being about you. What about the things you have done to ME?"
"I have never done anything to you," Sansa quickly contradicted. "And everything is not about me nor do I put on a victim act," she cried.
"Then you are one hell of a revisionist historian because you seem to believe your own reality, which are filled with lies." Sansa stared at shock at her sister.
"Oh really, what have I done," she inquired. "How do I paint myself as a victim?"
Tension radiated off of Arya as she ate her food before she decided to speak.
"I wasn't upset at you for taking Joffrey's side two years ago," Arya began. "It's something that you would do—automatically assume I was in the wrong without even asking me. But, it was when you accused me of hating you so much that I would try to hurt you that upset me. You made a fight that had absolutely NOTHING to do with you all about me supposedly hating you. It was about you, you, you!" She took a deep breath. "You seem to think that everything I do is in reaction to you and it isn't—it never was. You used to say that I was always bothering you, but I was a kid, Sansa. I was just having fun and doing stupid shit to irritate you, I never did anything to hurt you." Arya took another bite of her food. "You may have not started Arya horseface or Arya underfoot, but you sure as hell went along with it…you didn't try to defend me. You even told Joffrey about it. And for a very long time, I thought that I was ugly and I accepted that. I mean, even pretty Sansa agreed."
"Arya, I was just—"
"AGAIN! It's about you," she cried. "Will you ever stop? Arguably the worst day if my life and you had to make everything about you." Tears streamed down Arya's face as she spoke. "You said everything in your power to try to hurt me, and then when I said something, you began to cry as if you didn't just get through saying crude shit to me. And you just let me take all of the blame for it because you were too afraid to get in trouble yourself. And I took the blame because I can't force you to have a backbone and accept the negative consequences. You have to learn that on your own. I've never hated you—I've just hate the weakness that lives in you."
Sansa looked as if she had been slapped in the face. With that, Arya left her sister to her own thoughts.
A week later, Arya left with her parents to go visit Braavos. They took a tour of the city before scouting out schools and determining which would be the best one for her to attend. After careful deliberation, Braavos Preparatory Academy was chosen. The registration was quick and painless and the Stark trio checked out a model room and the campus one more time before getting a bite to eat.
Arya excitedly spoke about her new school when she noticed that her mother wasn't really into the conversation.
"What's wrong, mom?" Arya was worried. Catelyn looked to be usually sad and was staring into her cup of coffee.
A tight smiled appeared on Catelyn's sad face and she grabbed her cup with both hands. "Nothing." She took a glance at her daughter, and then stared back to her cup.
"Mom," Arya extended her arm across the table and clasped her mother's hand.
Tears started to fall down her face and, quickly, Catelyn grabbed a napkin and dapped at them. "It's just…you just moved back home a month ago after being away for two years and now you are going move out again in a few weeks," she sniffed. "I feel as if I barely had any time to spend with you."
Ned wrapped his arms around his wife and whispered into her ear. It seemed to make Catelyn cry more.
"I'm going to miss her so much." Her head burrowed further into Ned's shoulders and he wrapped his arms tighter around her.
"It'll be all right sweetheart." Ned kissed her on the forehead, and then gently rested his chin on her head. "Everything will be fine."
"Mom," Arya began as she got up and sat next to her mother. "We still have the summer and I'll be able to visit you more."
Catelyn looked at her daughter, and then pulled Arya into her arms.
"Thank you." Catelyn decorated her daughter's face with kisses as the young woman "ewwed" and playfully tried to escape.
After she came back from her visit to Braavos, Arya spent a great deal of time with her mother. Arya helped her mother with gardened and, in turn, was taught the fundamentals of gardening. Her mother had all kinds of gardens that ranged from flowers to vegetables to fruits. They would toil in the sun together and Arya would tell her mother about her adventures at Wholistic Core. Catelyn responded by telling her daughter what she did as a youth.
Other times, Arya would volunteer her time in her mother's clubs like the community service, mentoring, and even the sewing club, despite being terrible with needle and thread. Catelyn seemed to cherish the extra time Arya had decided to spend with her.
"When are you going to forgive, Sansa," Catelyn seemed focused on the flowers ahead of her as she spoke.
"What do you mean," Arya wiped the back of her hand against her forehead to wipe some off.
Catelyn raised an eyebrow before taking off her gardening gloves. "Sansa isn't you, Arya. She doesn't see things the way you do or react the same way. She tries to see the good in everyone, where as you see them for how they are. You have to let who her who she is and forgive her for who she is not? Accept that you two are wired differently," she said in a nurturing tone. "Your opinion of her is just a toned down version of how you claim others think about you."
"Mom," Arya sighed. "Sansa just…she's irksome. Everything is always about her and she always sees herself as some sort of victim that things just happen to."
"That's not fair, Arya." The sun continued to bore down on them unrelentlessly. "Something occurred to me the other day…I apologized for not listening to you about the fight, but I never apologized to you about Sansa. What happened there?"
Arya stilled for a second. "You heard what happened?"
"No, I heard the tail-end of a presumably much larger argument," Arya helped her mother off of the ground.
"We both said some things we shouldn't have said," she began. "I was the only one who was caught." Arya wondered what was the use in continuing to make her sister suffer for something she was over. "I'll go talk to her."
"Thank you," Catelyn hugged her daughter.
As a peace offering, Arya went up to Sansa's room with a plate of lemon cakes.
Gently, she knocked the door before opening it.
"Do you mind if I come in," Arya showed her the plate of cookies and Sansa gestured for her to enter.
"Sure. What's up," Sansa said in a tone that had a hint of uneasiness. Arya sat the cookies on the bed as the both of them took one off the plate.
"I'm sorry," Sansa looked at Arya in surprise.
"For what?" There was a genuine look of confusion on Sansa's face.
"For the things I've said to you and how I treated you back then," Arya explained.
"No, I'm supposed to be apologizing," Sansa corrected. "I shouldn't have said those things to you. You were right: that fight wasn't even about me. Also, I shouldn't have approached you the way I did. It was uncalled for."
Arya shook her head. "Sansa, you don't understand." Arya exhaled, and then looked at her hands. "Yeah, you should have approached me that way, but for years you made an effort to at least try to get to know me. I have never done that. All I ever did was bother you and look down upon you for being like the rest of them: for liking boys and going shopping. I was being self-centered—not trying to understand other people and only thinking about myself as well as how I believed that no one understood me. I can see why you thought I hated you. But, I don't and I never have. I've always loved you, always." As an afterthought, she added, "And you aren't weak."
"Still," Sansa whispered. "I shouldn't have said those things to you. I didn't understand how much my opinion matter to you or how much my words had an impact on you until Ned and Mycah asked why you weren't talking to them as much." She shook her head. "I guess I was jealous because you may not have as many friends as me, but you do have real friends. I like my friends, but we aren't nearly as close as you are with Ned and Mycah.
"I shouldn't have called you stupid," Arya admitted. "Or that guys only liked you to get into your pants—that was mean-spirited."
"But, it was true, right." Her sister shrugged. "Not the stupid part, but when guys are so nice to me. I mean, so really do like me, but the rest are just trying to have sex with me. I was as equally mean-spirited myself."
The two girls lay on the bed together as they ate cookies and tried to start their relationship anew.
Before Arya knew it, she had moved to Braavos and school had started. The remainder of her weeks was spent with Mycah and Ned visited a few times, but not too much. Arya figured it was because he was going to college in Braavos and they wouldn't be down the street from each other. Her transition was easy enough and she loved her new school. The kids were awesome and the teachers were great. It was a laid back atmosphere that took school seriously, but in a fun way.
Ned would visit her a few times a week or she would visit his dorm room. Sometimes, they went out to eat or would do things together. If Arya needed him to, Ned would help Arya with her homework and let her bounce ideas off of him to help her. Eventually, they had become inseparable.
People thought that Arya had a college boyfriend and she would insist that they were just friends. But, Ned didn't look at her the way a friend should. He was clearly love struck and had been for a while. Arya wonder if she led him on or if he feelings were based on their friendship like hers had developed with Gendry. Some days she didn't think about the raven haired, blue eyed boy and other days he was all she thought about.
At some point, she learned to suppress her thoughts of him. Some days, it felt like he didn't exist. How could he? No one who complimented her that well would just enter her life only to live it again on his or her own violation.
Over time, she started to see Ned in a new way—in a more than friendly way. Often, she found herself just looking at Ned for know reason at all or smiling just because. Arya may have teased Ned a lot—in a friendly way, of course—but he really was a sweet guy. He was funny and treated her really well. They couldn't talk about almost anything, but he would listen to her and would incredibly understand her. He tried to be the shoulder that she leaned on and was there whenever she needed him.
They were listening to Death Cab for Cutie with the volume on low as Ned rambled on about something when Arya suddenly said:
"Ned, you talk too much." Arya looked at him curiously as she ran her fingers through his hair.
"Sorry," he blushed at her touch.
"Don't be," she muttered. Ned's eyes had widened in shock when he saw her lean in for a kiss. He was about to say something, when Arya said, "Don't ruin the mood, Ned."
Arya pulled Ned in closer to her to deepen the kiss as Ned wrapped his arms around her.
The next few days, they spent their time making out when they were alone, which was a lot. Ned was as eager as she expected him to be and he was half bad either. But, what would Arya know, she had only kissed one guy before him and that was once.
"We should go out on a date," Ned suggested after they broke apart. "A real date where I bring you flowers and take you to dinner."
"Ned," Arya began. "I'm just fine staying in. We don't have to go out."
"But, I want to," he explained. "I want to take you to nice places because that is what people do when they like each other—they go out and have a good time."
Ned placed a kiss on her nose before kissing Arya on the corner of her mouth, and then her lips.
"Okay, fine," she relented before they went back to making out.
When March rolled around, Arya spent her spring break at home.
As she and her dad watched movies, they shared cookie dough ice cream out of the carton. Catelyn walked in and stared in disgust of not eating out of a bowl.
"Don't worry, mom, we're going to finish it," Arya promised.
"That's not my only worry," she said, and then placed a kiss on Arya's forehead and one on Ned's mouth. Catelyn's lips lingered against Ned's for a moment just before Ned began to tickle her. "Stop, Ned," she giggled. "Stop," she whispered again as he tried to grab her. Arya felt vaguely uncomfortable at the sight. She knew this meant that they were having sex later on tonight. "I don't want your appetite's to be spoiled for dinner."
"We'll be fine, Cat," Ned said as he unexpectedly grabbed his wife and she fell into his lap. "You can NEVER spoil a Stark's appetite; you should know that by now."
Her parents began to peck at each other's lips.
"Am I not right here," Arya said as she stared at the TV. "This could give me a whole new set of issues to deal with."
Catelyn hit Arya, and then disentangled herself from Ned.
"Dinner will be ready in twenty," she announced. Catelyn walked into the kitchen, and then peaked around the door frame, "That reminds me: can you help me with something, Ned."
Arya looked back and forth between her parents.
A sly smile materialized on Ned's face.
"No problem," he said as he got up.
"Eww, gross," Arya laughed.
"What?" Catelyn put her hands on her hips.
Arya cackled into the couch cushions. "You know what."
"Arya, your father and I aren't about to go have sex," Catelyn stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "Besides, sex is not gross—it's what made you and your siblings."
No," Arya said as she looked at her parents. "I'm pretty sure it's gross when you know your parents are about to fool around."
Catelyn waved her off, and then grabbed Ned's hand as they left out of the room.
During dinner, it was hard to miss that her parents were smiling from ear to ear. Arya waggled her eyebrows, which her mother ignored. Ned tried to hide his smile as he ate his food.
"I just can't believe that you aren't going to prom," Sansa said as she picked at her food. Her older sister was back in town for the weekend. She heard that Arya was on spring break and wanted to visit. "It's not like you had any other chance to go since you were at that camp for two years."
Arya cut up her steak as she listened to Sansa. "I decided to go after all."
"Really?" Bran said in a perplexed tone as her family looked at her.
"Yeah, really," she played down. "I can't changed my mind anymore."
"It's not that," Bran began. "You were just so set on not going, is all."
"Well, Sansa has convinced me of the error of my ways," she supplied, but Sansa didn't look confident in her younger sister's words.
"That's great news," Ned offered. "Are you going to go with anyone? It's a little late to be looking for a date, you know? I mean, if you are going with anyone, that is."
Sansa and Catelyn started to rattle off potential dates as Arya held her hands up in front of her.
"Hold you horses, you know," Arya laughed as she looked at her mother and sister. "I don't need you to find me a date."
"So, you're going by yourself," Sansa asked. Curiosity colored her face as she waited for an answer.
"No," she stated.
"So, who is your date?" Catelyn glanced at her daughter as she gestured for Ned to pass her some food.
"Ned," Arya supplied.
As Sansa was about to speak, Robb walked in.
"Sorry, I am late, everyone," he apologized as he quickly made himself a plate and sat down. "So, what did I interrupt?"
"Arya just said that she is going to prom with Ned," Rickon provided.
Robb laughed. "You're going with Ned Dayne?"
"What's so funny about that?" Arya stared at her older brother as he grinned to himself.
"Nothing," he dismissed. "It's just that Ned has had a thing for you for years. Kid has got it bad." Robb smiled to himself as he ate. "He would KILL for a chance to be boyfriend."
"Well, he doesn't have to." Before Arya stuffed her mouth with food, she muttered, "Because he is."
Sansa started choking.
"Wait? What?" Ned looked at Arya expecting an answer, as did everyone else at the table. "I'm going to need you to repeat that for me."
"Ned and I are dating," Arya gave a smile as if to say 'surprise'.
"For how long?" Sansa asked in shock.
"Since December."
"What?" Sansa gasped unbelievingly. "You've been dating Ned since December—four for months and didn't say anything. How did it happen? I mean, like, how did he ask you out? Where did he take you? How was the date? What was your first kiss like? Did you like it?" Her sister asked a series of questions in a rapid-fire manner.
Arya stared wide-eyed at Sansa as she tried to formulate answers in her head.
"Umm…" She looked around the table at her family. "It just did," she answered weakly.
"Your first kiss doesn't kind of just happen," Sansa said in an exaggerated voice. Arya didn't want to correct her sister and tell her that she was two years too late for her first kiss. That would lead to a discussion she never wanted to have…ever.
"Well, mine did just happen," Arya tried to downplay.
"I can't believe you kept this a secret from us for four months," Catelyn was in pure disbelief. It boggled her mind that Arya could be this secretive—for no reason.
"I didn't see it as a huge deal," she explained.
"How can you not see it as a huge deal," Sansa exclaimed. "This is your first boyfriend."
"Oh God," Catelyn groaned. "You and Ned will be attending the same university in a few months."
"Mom!" Arya gave Catelyn a dirty look.
"What?" Catelyn leaned back in her chair. "I am just being realistic. Ned is a nineteen-year-old guy and you two will be going to school together—you'll have a lot of alone time. He might want to…"
"MOM!" The girl stared at her mother in shock. "Seriously?"
"Honestly," Robb began. "I wouldn't be concerned about Ned trying to make a move on Arya—if anything were to happen, it would be she initiate it."
Did Robb just throw her under the bus? Her older brother read her expression.
"Arya, I'm just saying he waited how many years to make a move?" Robb drank his beer. "It's more likely that you made the move that resulted in you two dating. Ned just doesn't have it in him. Not saying that there is anything wrong with that."
"The only reason Ned didn't make a move is because I shot him down the first and only time he tried to kiss me when I was thirteen," Arya informed before realizing what she said.
"Ned tried to kiss you when you were thirteen," her father repeated.
"Dad, it was forever ago—lets move on."
"Arya," Catelyn said to get her attention.
"What?" Arya leaned forward in her chair. "Ned tried to kiss me and I pushed him away and nothing happened after that, I promise."
"Why didn't you tell us?"
"Because there was nothing to tell," Arya bit a piece of her steak. "He tried to kiss me at his parents party, but I refused him. I didn't tell you all about it because I didn't see it as a big deal and you were so happy that I made a friend that night."
Catelyn did the mental math for a moment. "Hold on, Ned tried to kiss you the first night you two met."
Arya groaned and rested her head in the table.
When Prom rolled around. Arya actually enjoyed herself. She wore a simply white dress with a black lace built and black heels. Sansa put a few curls in her hair and she wore earrings that dangle. As a finishing touch, Sansa put some body glitter on her. Her parents had given her the sex talk days in advance, but Arya didn't plan on having sex with Ned that night. It was so cliché and she wasn't looking for romance, but she was trying to have sex by a deadline either.
Once they actually arrived at the place Prom was being held, Arya and Ned went to talk to some of Arya friends, they took pictures, and danced for a bit. The after Prom that the school held was enjoyable as well, and then they went with some friends to go midnight bowling and to eat before she and Ned went back to her room.
It was six when they arrived to her room. After the both of them took off of their shoes, they fell asleep in Arya's bed.
When the school year ended, Arya went back to her parent's house and Ned visited as much as possible. Her family didn't give Ned too much grief because they liked him and they knew he was a good guy. Mycah wasn't too surprised by the development between Ned and Arya when he first found out back in January. The dynamics of their friendship wasn't much too different considering that he and Arya had been friends first and for way longer.
Around September they have sex. They are at Ned's place and Arya doesn't want to go back to her dorm. Instead, they cuddle and Arya decides she wants to have sex instead. Shortly after it begins, it ends. Ned apologizes profusely and Arya finds that she doesn't care too much that it was over in a jiffy. She finishes herself off, and then waits an hour before she and Ned attempts another try at sex. It was five minutes tops.
Times flies by and before Arya knows it, a year has gone by.
Jon invites her and Ned to a Halloween party that he is throwing. He had ended his tour two months prior and would be back home for a few more months. The party is custom themed, of course and Ned goes as Ken from Street fighter and Arya goes as Chung Li. Although Ned isn't as muscular as Ken, he still looks nice in his custom.
Once the party ends, it's just Jon, Ygritte, Sansa, Willas Tyrell, Ned, Arya, Robb, and Jeyne left.
They all are sitting at a table playing cards, but not really paying attention. Ygritte is sitting on Jon's lap as she gulps from a Hennessy bottle. She passes to Jeyne in order, so she could take a sip.
The topic at the moment is first kisses.
Arya drinks out of the Vodka bottle as she listened to the discussion.
"Ugh, my first kiss was horrible," Ygritte, complained. "His breathe smelled disgusting and he was shoved his tongue down my throat. I almost threw up in my mouth," she made a face, and then added, "Jon made me promise that I wouldn't tell you all about our first kiss."
Jon pinched his girlfriend's side and she wiggled on his lap in response.
"Everyone know that that is not true," Jon made clear. "I had my first kiss when I was fourteen. I was walking this girl named Olive home from school, and then gave her a kiss when I dropped her off at home."
"Was there tongue, groping, or anything?" Ygritte probed.
"No," Jon answered. "Just a kiss on the mouth."
"How boring," Ygritte yelled. "What about you Robb?"
"Mine wasn't exciting either," he shrugged. "I got to touch her knee."
"Bare skinned or clothed," she asked excitedly.
"Clothed."
"Next!" The red head looked at Sansa, a fellow red head. "Please, tell me you have something interesting."
"We kissed under the st—"
"Next!" Jeyne was the next victim.
"Spin the bottle—it was a peck," Jeyne shrugged.
Arya was in a buzzed state as she laughed at Ygritte. She sipped out of the Vodka bottle once more, and then lay on the floor.
"Ned," Ygritte called out. "Even though I should know better, I'm expecting for you to surprise me."
"Just a little tongue," he admitted.
"Thank God," she exclaimed in relief. "Man, you guys have no excitement or adventure about you." She shook her head at the group.
"Wait," Arya peaked her head above the table. "Just a little tongue? We almost had sex."
Robb choked on his beer and Jon whipped his head to look at Ned.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Ygritted jumped up. "Details."
"No, we didn't," Ned denied.
"Yes, we did." Arya got up and swayed on her feet ever so slightly. "I asked you to kiss me because this random guy tried to kiss me and I rather it have been with a friend than some guy I didn't like."
"That didn't happen, Arya," Ned said in an upset tone.
"It did," she gasped. "I was lying in my bed and you were leaning over me and I asked you to kiss me," Arya explained. "And we were having some type of disagreement, and then you gave me some bullshit kiss before we started making out—you know, like really going at it." Ned was silent. "I can believe you don't remember. Ned, we had taken off each other's shirts and I was on top of you pulling off your shorts when you put a stop to it. Then you mumbled something about me being fifteen."
Ned got up and began to walk out the room.
"What is your problem, Ned," Arya yelled at her boyfriend.
"That wasn't me," he yelled back.
"Yes, it was," she responded in outrage.
"No, it wasn't". Ned walked over to Arya and stood in front of her. His eyes were watery. "That couldn't have been me because when you were fifteen, you were at Wholistic Core."
Arya dropped her bottle of Vodka. Not Ned. Gendry. Fuck.
"All of this time, I thought that I was your first kiss," Ned said quietly.
"It's not that big of a deal, Ned, it was just a kiss," she dismissed.
Ned looked at her as if he was slapped. "Just a kiss—you almost had sex with the guy for Gods sake."
"Almost," she emphasized. "But, I didn't. I had sex with you first."
"Only because HE put a stop to it," Ned yelled. "You would have had sex with him if he didn't."
Arya didn't deny it.
"Ned, I don't see why you are upset; this happened before we even started dating," she explained.
"You don't see why," he repeated. "I thought that I was your first kiss. The first guy you were ever interested in and it turns out that there was another guy you never mentioned."
"Ned, he was just a friend," she weakly explained. "It was just a kiss that got out of hand."
"Please, Arya," Ned began. "If you weren't the least bit interested in that guy, you wouldn't have asked him to kiss you whether or not you realize it."
That's not true," she immediately contradicted.
"Okay, if it had been me or Mycah, would you have asked," Ned questioned.
Arya became flustered. "No, it was different."
"How so," he perched his lips.
"He was my best friend," she muttered.
"I thought Mycah and I were you best friends," Ned corrected.
"The both of you are, but—" Ned finished Arya's statement.
"It's different." Her boyfriend couldn't look at her.
"Yeah," she finished softly. "Ned."
"Look Arya, I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"Okay."
They left the topic alone and by late December, Arya wasn't sure if she still wanted to be with Ned. She cared deeply for him, but it seemed as if she was holding on to a relationship that had already ran its course. Everything she did with him was out of habit and being with him was comfortable, safe, and predictable, but not challenging. He seemed like a friend.
By mid January, they had broke up.
Arya began to frequent the House of Black and White to escape Ned. She saw him everywhere. Ned wouldn't show up at this particular coffee shop because he said that it was too artsy for him after they visited a few times.
"Where's your boyfriend," a handsome blond waiter asked. Arya had seen him in the coffee shop before and found him attractive, but they never spoke. She had been with never and wasn't interested in him. "I haven't seen him these past few weeks.
"We broke up," she volunteered.
"What a shame," he shook his head. His blue piercing eyes bore into her. "A man does not let go of a woman like you."
"A man did not let me go," Arya mocked. "I let him go."
The waiter grinned at her before giving Arya a once over. He slowly licked his lips. "A man does not let go of a woman like you."
After a few more visits, she finally learned his name.
"Jaqen H'ghar," he sat down two cups of coffee, and then reached a hand out for Arya to shake.
Arya looked at his hand for a moment before shaking it. "Arya Stark."
Jaqen firmly held her hand before placing a kiss of the back of it. Arya's stomach fluttered. His blue eyes bore into her again as Arya examined the waiter. In addition to his hypnotizing eyes, his hair was less that an inch long with full lips and some facial hair.
"Nice to meet you," he said after letting her hand go.
"Nice to meet you to," she smiled faintly.
During every visit, Jaqen would show Arya either a painting of his or read her one of the poems he wrote. After a while, Jaqen decided that it was time for him to teach Arya get in touch with her inner artist. They spent their time painting, writing poetry, and molding clay.
On this particular day, they were painting, but it wasn't your usual brushing a paintbrush against a canvas type thing. Jaqen had filled balloons with paint and attached them to the wall. He and Arya were throwing darts at them.
"And how is this art," Arya asked as she burst a balloon.
"It's about liberating yourself, lovely girl," he spoke softly. "We lived in such a caged society that we need to break out every once in a while."
"Okay," she rolled her eyes as she continued to throw darts at the balloons.
After they were finished, Arya wet a face cloth, so she could wipe the paint from her face. As she wiped, Jaqen walked over and took the towel out of her hand and slowly, but thoroughly cleaned her face. The air became sexually charged and Arya didn't know that wiping paint from someone's face could be so erotic.
It was no surprise when Jaqen's lips touched her face. Sensually, he placed kisses all of her face and neck, but never touched her mouth. Kisses were placed on each eyelid, her ears, under her ears, her chin, her nose, across her forehead, and then he moved to her collarbone.
With ease, he slid her pants and underwear off, and then taught Arya the true meaning of eating out.
The cold counter cooled Arya's back as she spread her legs wider and encourage Jaqen to continue to pleasure her with his mouth. A series of unintelligible moans exited her mouth as she tried to contain her pleasure.
After Arya came down from her high, Jaqen helped her off of the table, and then placed a kiss on her mouth.
"Pretty woman, " he began before kissing her hand. "Would you allow me the honor to make love to you?"
"Make love," Arya said taken aback.
"Yes," he repeated to assure she did not hear him wrong. "I believe that every woman you lie with you should make love to. Love is an art. And art is must be enjoyed at its highest pleasure. Sex is for amateurs. Love is for artists."
"I don't know," Arya said in an unsure tone.
Jaqen gently grabbed her from behind and let a hand slide down her thigh. His fingers stroke her expertly as Arya knees buckled. She tried to fuck herself on his hand to which Jaqen laughed at.
"I'm going to teach you how to make love like an artist," he whispered in her ear. "Okay?"
"Okay," she repeated as Jaqen bent her over the counter. He left for a moment before she heard the noise of a condom wrapper opening, and then he entered into heart a painstakingly slow pace. After Arya got used to him, Jaqen began to pick up pace and it was in that moment she could not ask for a better teacher.
In May, Arya watched as Jaqen walked around his room butt naked as he spoke on the phone. He was making arrangements for a showing of his work. Arya took a cigarette off of the nightstand and lit it as she watched him.
They had been lovers since the end of February and Arya found that she very much enjoyed this arrangement. There wasn't any expectation of commitment, so there wasn't any jealousy. Arya and Jaqen respected each other's need for independence and never asked for anything more than a little companionship and intense lovemaking.
Arya played with the zippo lighter in her hands as she stared at her lover's ass. She could still see the bite mark from last night. Jaqen was very firm, but soft and gentle.
Suddenly, Jaqen sat on the bed and pulled a cigarette off of the nightstand. He held it between his fingers as he spoke. "No, Marquis, that will not be satisfactory. I asked for one simple thing. Is that so hard?"
Jaqen placed the cigarette in his mouth and Arya lit it for him. She rested her hand on his thigh as he spoke.
"I don't ask for too much," he said into the receiver. "I just ask of one thing and I expect you to make it happen."
After finishing his cigarette, Jaqen crushed it in the ashtray and began to place kisses beneath Arya's breast and down to her navel.
Without a second thought, he hung up on the person, and then abruptly pulled Arya on her back. Out of habit, she opened her legs to him.
A quick peck was placed on her mouth.
"I've had many lovers, but the passion inside you is unparalleled," he remarked.
For the next nine months, Jaqen indulged in every facet of Arya's sexual curiosity. He would push her to the edges of her sexual pleasure until she hanging on for mercy. Coital bliss was endless and Arya's sexual education was enriched.
"My parents would flip if they knew that I had a lover—an older one at that," Arya said into the pillow.
"Why is that," Jaqen rested a hand on her hip to get her attention.
"You're 35 and I am 20," she laughed. "They would think you were taking advantage of me."
Jaqen shook his head. "A man does not advantage of Arya Stark—she takes advantage of them."
Arya gave him a cheeky, lazy grin. "A man should tell my parents that."
In late February, they mutually decided to stop being lovers. They had learned all they needed to learn from one another.
Arya had no intentions on getting into another relationship of any sort when she found herself on an accidental date with Aegon Targaryen.
To get away from Braavos for a while, Arya had visited Dragonstone for a change of scenery for the weekend. She had decided to eat at a popular restaurant called 'The Mad King' when a breathtakingly good-looking man sat next to her. He had silver hair and violet eyes.
As she was about to order, he spoke.
"You should get the dragon stake, it's to die for," he suggested.
"And why is that?" Arya raised an eyebrow.
It's the best thing in here," he stated. "Everything is delicious, but the Dragon stake…is a huge slab of meat with all kinds of spices and it is so tender and hot. You should try it with Dragon's Blood."
"Let me guess," Arya said. "Is that red wine?"
The man widely grinned at her and nodded his head to indicate that she was correct.
"So, do you just go around making menu suggestions or is there a reason you are sitting next to me," Arya asked.
A faint blush appeared on the man's cheeks. "Apparently I have been stood up," he said. "So, I came to the bar to order a meal, and then leave."
Instead, they ended up talking until closing hours. The silver haired man introduced himself as Aegon Targaryen and they exchanged numbers so they could meet up again. Arya learned that twenty-seven and that he came from old money just like her in addition to being a practicing lawyer.
They would meet up a couple times every few months before Aegon suggested that they made their relationship official. Arya's family took an immediate liking to Aegon. He was a charming man who was well read and vastly intelligent. Aegon spoke multiple languages and was well cultured. As much as the Starks like Ned, Aegon was several leagues above him.
Aegon was hilarious and adored Arya like hell. Every need he fulfilled and every desire he explored. His woman would never be found wanting.
When she was twenty-three, he proposed.
As fulfilling as the relationship was, Arya wasn't sure if she was ready for marriage. There relationship was fine as it was, right? Aegon wanted to get married and said that they could wait a few years before having kids, but Arya wasn't sure what she wanted. She said yes, but she wasn't sure if all her second-guessing about her impending nuptials was a good or bad thing. Their families and friends congratulated them, but Arya found it hard to be happy about her engagement. Was something wrong with her?
While Arya tried on wedding dresses, she panicked and wouldn't let herself out of the dressing room.
Arya explained to Aegon that she was overwhelmed and needed some time to herself. It was all too much and happening too fast. She said that they needed to slow down and get in touch with who they used to be. It wasn't about finding themselves, but making sure that they weren't rushing into marriage. So, they went on a break.
Three o'clock in the morning, Arya found herself sneaking out of the apartment of a man whose name she didn't even know.
She never felt freer in her life.
When Arya explained that she couldn't marry him—that they needed to go their own separate ways, Aegon didn't look at her. A few days later as Arya packed her things out of their apartment, Aegon fought for her. He said that they were meant to be and that she was just scared. But, Arya shook her head and said no. She didn't know what she was looking for, but this—whatever it was, wasn't it. Heartbreak was scattered all of his face as she walked out of their apartment.
Arya moved back in with her parents. They let her stay in the guesthouse so she wouldn't feel like she was living with them.
'That's love,' Arya thought as she finished her fourth slice of pizza, and the washed it down with beer. It's messy and ends in heartbreak. If her love life had been a Hollywood movie, it would have on the highest notes. With Ned, it would have ended with them going on a date for the first time to show that the guy got the girl after all of this time. With Jaqen, they would write it so the two lovers would fall in love and couldn't be parted from each other. And with Aegon, Arya would have changed her mind and ran back to him because she really was scared, but wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
But, where would it have ended with Gendry?
It would have been a long, emotional hug with him getting in his taxi and Arya sitting in the same position upset. Later on that night, Gendry would have come back and said something cheesy like 'their love could conquer all odds' or some shit.
But, life is not a Hollywood love stories with movie script endings.
"Hey, Arya," a male voice called to her.
"Yeah, Captain Lucas," she answer as she walked over to him.
Captain Lucas handed file with a sheet of paper on the outside.
"Can you follow up with this witness?" He asked.
"Sure, no problem," she responded, and then walked away and grabbed her jacket.
Arya arrived to the place in a timely manner and waited at the front desk for someone to come help her. She tapped on the bell a few times before calling out:
"Hello."
"Can I help you, officer?" A Latino man walked through a door that was behind the desk and appeared in front of her,
"Hello," Arya greeted. "I'm Officer Stark." Quickly, she pointed to her badge. "I just have a few questions to ask Justin Franklin."
The man seemed to think for a moment. "Honestly, I don't know where he is, but I can ask someone for you," he offered. "You can follow me if you like—it'll be quicker that way."
Arya followed the man through the garage and Arya's jaw dropped at the man before her. It couldn't be. Could it? Arya wondered how long had he lived in Winterfell.
Before her guide could tip his co-worker off to her presence, Arya acted. She pulled the handcuffs out of its strap and stealthily approached her subject as he faced away from her.
Without hesitation, she pushed him against the wall, rapidly cuffed him, and said, "Gendry Waters, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you," Arya recited as she pushed the suspect up against the wall, and then yanked his arms behind his back so she could handcuff him."
Arya began to pat him down as Gendry tried to turn away from the wall.
"Hey!" She yelled. "Who told you to stop looking at the wall?"
" Officer," Gendry said. "You must be mistaken. I've never broke a law in my life," he explained. "There had to be some way we can sort this out."
"Didn't I tell you that you have the right to remain silent?" She said as she pushed him against the wall.
"Yes, but—"
"But, nothing," she interrupted as she continued to pat him up and down, and then squeezed his ass.
"Are you sexually harassing me," he questioned in disbelief. "Can I have your name, officer?"
"Why? So, you can report me," she asked. "They aren't going to believe you anyways. Name is Officer Stark—Officer Arya Stark."
Gendry turned around. "You gotta be shitting me," he laughed. "Let me out of these cuffs, you twerp."
"Hey, now, " Arya teasingly warned. "You are talking to an officer of the law."
She uncuffed Gendry and he picked her up and his arms and gave her a huge bear hug.
"Gendry," she laughed. "You are going to break me in half if you don't loosen your grip."
"My bad," he said as he smiled at his old friend. "It's just—it's been so long."
"I know," she agreed as she slightly pushed him.
"And you're a cop like you said you would be. That's great," he congratulated.
"Thank you." Arya looked at Gendry and saw that he was covered in grease. "And you became the mechanic you always wanted to be."
"Well, that wasn't hard." He shrugged. "I was already working on cars when I got to Wholistic Core. I just needed to be licensed, was all." Gendry looked at her uniform again. "So, what was it that you stopped by for?"
Arya stared at him blankly for a second. "Oh…I needed to ask Justin Franklin some questions is all. I can come back another time," she waved off.
"Okay, I let him know," Gendry said.
Arya reached into her pocket and pulled out a card. "You should give me a call sometime, so we can catch up," she said as she smiled at him. "My cell number is on here—you can reach me anytime."
"Anytime?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Anytime," she repeated before leaving.
Her smile didn't leave her face for a whole week.
Arya and Gendry met up a few days later for beer.
"You're fifteen minutes late, Gendry," Arya said as she tapped her watch.
"I'm sorry about that," he apologized as he reached down to give her a hug. "But, I didn't think you would mind too much."
"Oh, why is that," Arya leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs.
Gendry gestured for someone to come over and Arya turned her head and saw hot Pie walking towards their table.
"Hot Pie," Arya said as she hugged her old friend.
"Hey, Arya," Hot Pie smiled at her.
"I hope you don't take this the wrong way," she began. "But, what are you doing here?"
"I live here," he stated. "Gendry and I are roommates and when he told me that he ran into you, we'd thought we would surprise you."
"This was a good surprise," Arya looped one arm onto both of the men's arms and walked back to their table.
Gendry explained that he had only stayed at Wholistic Core for two years before leaving. He enjoyed his time there, but that it was time to move on. He did all of the necessary things he needed to get his license and worked at King's Landing for a few years before deciding he to move. It had gotten too expensive to live in King's Landing. As he was doing his search, he found that Winterfell had a better standard of living and cost was way cheaper in comparison.
He and Hot Pie had ran into each other by accident and had started talking when Hot Pie mentioned that he was thinking of moving and needed a roommate. They had been living in Winterfell for two and a half years.
The next time they met up, it was just she and Gendry. They were watching crappy B movies and drinking drunk on cheap liquor. Sometime during the night, they went from watching the movie to making out on the couch.
Arya fell asleep on him.
They didn't remember what happened the next day
Gendry lay across the width of his bed as he looked at the ceiling. Arya had been to his place a thousand times by now. She lay next to him, but her eyes were closed instead.
"Are you off tonight," he asked. "Like you aren't on stand by or anything?"
"No," she mumbled.
"Good," he replied. Gendry started rambling on about philosophical ideas as Arya got off of the bed. She walked around to the other side and looked into the mirror, and then Gendry. She wanted him—much more than she did when she was fifteen and just discovering her sexual desires.
Arya unhooked her holster and radio and sat it on Gendry's dresser. She then took off her shoes before unbuttoning her shirt. Lastly, she let her pants slide down her legs. Arya just wore her hat, shirt, bra, and panties.
Gendry was still rambling. He hadn't noticed her state of undress.
Unhurriedly, she crawled on the bed near Gendry's head and it took him a moment to notice that she was wearing fewer clothes than before.
"Arya—" Arya cut off Gendry as she swung one of her legs over his body, so she could straddle him.
"Nine years, Gendry, nine years," she said before kissing him passionately. Gendry responded to her kiss and put his hands on her waist. "I'm tired of waiting."
Gendry slipped Arya's police shirt off her shoulders and left moist kisses her collarbone. Arya moaned at his touch. Gently, she pushed him away as she reached for the bottom of his shirt and Gendry helped her take it off. Arya's hat fell off her head and onto the floor as she planted kisses all over Gendry's torso.
Their mouths met in frenzy while Arya undid his pants with one hand.
She pulled his pants to his knees, and then asked him where his condoms were. Gendry reached and got it for her and let her roll the condom onto his dick. In haste, Arya pulled off her panties and sank onto his cock with unrestrained fervency.
Their moans filled the air as Arya began to rock her hips.
Gendry's eyes closed in intense pleasure as he felt repeatedly felt Arya's warmth sheath him cock. She was in control—as always.
They looked at each other.
Finally.