Work Text:
Thursday
He didn’t think he could do this.
Arya’s hands were running through her hair as she animatedly told him a story about something that happened at work. Something that he wasn’t sure he could recant because he was utterly overwhelmed by his intention to ask out his best friend by the end of this car ride. She was in the passenger seat of his car and he was driving her home from work, something he did often over the last several months. The carpool had always been enjoyable because he got to talk to Arya. And then it was enjoyable because he got to look at her. And smell her. And hear her laugh if he was lucky. Being in that close space alone with her with nothing else but the wind and radio had rapidly become a frequent daydream of his.
Gendry made sure to nod and laugh at all the appropriate bits of her story as he trained his eyes on the road, unable to steal as many glances at her as he wanted. He was starting to feel his heart beat in his throat.
Arya and Gendry had practically grown up together, and for most of that time they’d been attached at the hip, save for some years apart as they went through school and work and travel and the pulling apart of childhood followed by the putting together of adulthood. But eventually they had found their way back to one another seemingly without difficulty, save for maybe Gendry’s difficulty of more and more frequently wanting to kiss her when she was telling a story or dancing or laughing or even arguing. They became even closer than before now that they were both in their 20s and living more freely than ever in each other’s company.
He wasn’t sure when things shifted to make Arya the subject of all his spare thoughts, it was already happening before he had time to consciously acknowledge how beautiful and daring he found every part of her. And when he did finally acknowledge it, he knew he was fucked.
He was afraid of fucking up a lifetime of friendship by letting the boundaries of their relationship become either too ambiguous or too strict. He wanted Arya bad enough to risk everything they had built, so he thought he should try to be direct and clear about what he wanted, although now he wasn’t feeling confident in his ability to get the words out.
He pulled the car up to the curb of her apartment and Arya flashed her carefree smile at him, which did absolutely nothing to calm his nerves. “Thanks for the ride,” she said as she reached for the door handle.
“Arya, wait,” he managed to choke out. She leaned back into her seat and eyed him carefully.
“What?”
It felt like a whole minute passed while he just stared at her in the dim light of the car, all motor functions concerning speech having apparently abandoned his body. Her voice pulled him back to reality. “Gendry?” She had a slightly concerned expression and waved a hand in front of his face. “Hello? What’s going on with you?”
He shook his head quickly as if to clear whatever spell was over him. “Sorry, I, uh, I don’t know.” Great start.
“Are you having an aneurysm?” She teased.
“Maybe,” he rolled his eyes but not at her, at himself. He took a sharp breath. Just do it. “I was wondering….if…I thought maybe…” he took another breath through his nose. He could feel Arya’s still presence next to him, but he wasn’t looking at her. He couldn’t look at her, not yet. “I wanted to ask you a question and that question is would you like to go out with me on a date?” He spilled the words out more quickly than he wanted to. There. Some relief came just with getting it out there and sharing the weight of the proposition between both of them, rather than on his own. He shook his head again, and dared to meet Arya’s eyes.
A smattering of emotions played over her face. Shock. Relief. Confusion. Excitement. Anxiety. Gendry was a lifetime scholar in the many faces of Arya Stark. She was just as flustered as him. Interesting.
“Are you pulling my leg right now, Waters?” She eyed him cautiously, but only found sincerity on his face.
“Would you like me to be?”
“No,” she said quietly, still searching him.
“Good, because I mean it.” He managed to say the full sentence without tripping over himself.
Arya allowed a small smile to come to her lips. She inhaled quickly, “Okay,” she breathed out like she was trying to come to terms with this new situation. “Yes, I mean. Yes. Cool cool cool. Sorry,” she shook her head at herself in the same way Gendry had done a moment before, but he just chuckled at her disbelief. She said yes.
“So…Saturday?” He offered, perplexed.
“Saturday,” she accepted and couldn’t stop staring at him. He raised his eyebrows at her. He thought maybe they would stay in the car forever if no one said anything.
“Get out of here, Stark,” he playfully nudged her shoulder, which made his whole arm feel like it was on fire. “We both have to work in the morning.”
Arya rolled her eyes at him, biting back her smile as she opened the car door and stepped out onto the curb. “Text me once you’re home safe,” she commanded before she shut the door.
“As you wish, my lady,” he quipped. He stayed in park until he saw she was inside her house and then pulled away, driving extra carefully due to how high he was feeling from the warrior confidence that conversation required. Saturday, the word hummed in his body as he gathered speed.
___
Once inside, Arya had torn up to her room, purposefully avoiding her roommate that might be floating about. She wanted to savor what had just happened by herself. She laid back onto her bed with her hands over her mouth. She felt the initial shock of his proposal wear off and a surge of adrenaline went straight to her heart. Her eyes went wide and she could feel her heartbeat in every part of her body.
“What the fuck just happened?” She whispered out loud to herself. Was it a dream? Her denial was kicking in again. She was then hyper aware once more of his touch on her arm, something he had done a thousand times, and in recent years it had stirred a more-than-platonic reaction in her, but this time it had left her tingling, perhaps because she knew now for certain that Gendry returned at least some of her feelings.
Arya shoved her face into a pillow and let out some combination of a groan and a squeal. And then she rolled off her bed in favor of the shower, where she could continue to mull everything over in the steam and soap.
When she had returned to her bedroom several minutes later, she dug her phone out of her bag. There was a single notification letting her know that Gendry had made it home.
Gendry Waters 8:48pm: :)
Arya chastised herself for how much her heart seized at an emoji.
Arya Stark 8:50pm: Smug are we?
Gendry Waters 8:50pm: Oh, incredibly.
Gendry Waters 8:52pm: See you Saturday, Arry
Saturday. That was 2 days from now. Arya felt anxiety twist through her stomach. What was she supposed to do for 2 days? Usually she spent most of her nights with Gendry in some capacity - watching TV at his house, eating takeout in his kitchen, grabbing drinks with him and Hot Pie. She suddenly felt weird about seeing him before the date in a non-date context. It might become increasingly more difficult not to kiss him in said non-date context if she were to see him. Arya didn’t even know if kissing was on the table at this point.
She had never felt nervous around Gendry before. Well, she had felt butterflies here and there, which she was mostly able to ignore out of sheer force of will because she had been so convinced that it was never going to happen between them. But this was different. The walls were coming down and an onslaught of emotion penetrated her guard. The more she thought about the words “Gendry” and “date” in the same sentence, the more she felt like she might pass out, or throw up, or both.
Eventually sleep found her, although much later than she had hoped. She had been staring at that stupid smiley emoji Gendry sent hours ago at this point. She rolled her eyes at herself, took some deep breaths, and fell into a dreamless sleep.
Friday
Arya wasn’t sure if she should be texting Gendry. She didn’t know how to be casual, but she also didn’t know how to be flirty. She partially wished she could just storm into his house and start having sex with him - it could certainly ease the sexual tension that had begun following her everywhere.
“I mean, I’m sure he would love that,” suggested Meera, Arya’s roommate, in the morning over coffee.
“It’s a fun idea but I can’t help but feel like once I actually got into his house it would be awkward,” Arya countered.
“I guess there’s only one way to find out,” Meera winked at her conspiratorially.
“Ha, no. Absolutely not. I think I’m stuck doing this the old fashioned way,” Arya sighed, depleted by the pre-date anxiety.
“Arya Stark doing something the old fashioned way? I never thought I’d live to see the day.” Meera was teasing but Arya could hear the sincerity imbue her words.
“He asked me on a date. Like…a date. You can’t get more traditional than that.”
“He probably had his reasons for doing it this way,” Meera was gentle in her observations.
She felt Meera was right. But that didn’t help her think straight. She groaned as she finished the rest of her coffee and grabbed her bag before heading out the door to catch the bus to her day job.
Arya had been working her publishing gig at Red Keep Press in Kings Landing since she returned to Westeros 2 years ago. She got the job right out of university in Braavos, but the hours and pay weren’t quite up to par with what she needed to keep living in Kings Landing. So, a few times a week she would also pick up shifts behind the bar at the Bell Tower, a tavern just a few blocks away from Mott’s mechanic shop where Gendry worked. It worked out that they carpooled on Wednesday and Thursday nights. Or maybe it was just Gendry chauffeuring her around, since she didn’t have a car of her own to return the favor. He had insisted a long time ago when she first started the job, and she stopped resisting the favor after only a few weeks of trying to convince him she could just walk or take the bus. He wanted to do it, he had said. Plus, they were probably going to end up hanging out at one of their places anyway.
But today at the office Arya struggled to throw herself into her work as she usually could. She had a mountain of proofs to get through and approximately 50 emails to send, but she reeled as she cycled through a dramatic string of emotions all relating to Saturday night. Although it was a point in time, she could feel it as though it were a physical place she was rapidly arriving at, and she wasn’t sure if she was falling to it or running there, nor was she sure which she preferred.
Date. She was thrilled and slightly mortified. “Date” felt so formal, and she and Gendry were never formal. She didn’t know what to imagine. Fancy dinner? Ha, there’s no way it’s that, she thought, and it tempered her a little. Truth be told, she couldn’t think much further past the possibility of Gendry’s lips unfurling onto hers and his strong hands twisting into her hair. She thought she could endure just about anything to experience that.
Her phone buzzed.
Gendry Waters 2:53pm: You’re uncharacteristically quiet for a Friday afternoon. Did you forget to drink your usual 4 cups of coffee?
Arya Stark 2:54pm: Thinking about getting one of those hospital IV drips so I can just hook myself up to a constant source. And yes, I’m actually behind. Thanks for the reminder.
Gendry Waters 2:55pm: That’s genius. Get on it, Stark :)
Gendry Waters 2:57pm: I’m visiting my mum tonight and I can already hear her asking about you, so dinner plans with her might be in your near future. Just a heads up.
Great, now she would be meeting his mother. Not that she hadn’t met his mother, multiple times. But it would be in a potentially non-platonic setting, which was doing little to quell her strange new anxieties.
Arya Stark 3:02pm: Give her my best. I’d love to see her soon.
She put her phone away and tried her best to dive back into her work, sorting through stacks of files and becoming more preoccupied than necessary with the tidiness of her desk.
At home, Arya had flipped through through TV channels, finding nothing that could hold her interest. She tried reading for a bit, but her mind never strayed far from Gendry. She pulled out her phone and thought about texting him. She knew she had been a bit quieter than usual today and didn’t want it to come off as coldness or distance. The messaging app was open and she re-read his last texts, which reminded her that he was with his mother. She decided against it and texted Meera instead, who must have been working a late shift at the hospital.
Arya Stark 8:07pm: What’s up, Reed?
Meera Reed 8:09pm: On break at work. What’s going on?
Arya Stark 8:10pm: Just all alone with my thoughts in our empty apartment no biggie
Meera Reed 8:10pm: Lmao Arya. Do you need me to go on a practice date with you in the morning?
Arya Stark 8:11pm: Only if we get to practice kissing at the end 😘😇🤞
Meera Reed 8:12pm: Very funny. It’s going to be fine, just be yourself.
Arya Stark: 8:13pm: Ugh. I hate it when you’re right.
Meera Reed 8:15pm: Always am! Gotta get back to work x
Arya Stark 8:15pm: Peace. Oh also can you snag an IV drip for me so I can use it for caffeination?
Meera Reed 8:16pm: Definitely not. x
Arya’s stomach rumbled as she put down her phone. She found her way to the fridge and tugged on the door. There wasn’t much in there, just a 6 pack of ciders, some cheese and jam. In the freezer there were some frozen meals that definitely belonged to Meera and not her so she let them be. The chilled bottle of vodka did belong to her, however. She pulled it out of the freezer and set it on the counter top. She shuffled through the cabinets and found some crackers and an apple, and then grabbed the cheese from the fridge.
Meera had said to be herself, and being Arya Stark sometimes included getting sloppy in the comfort of her own home. She cut up some cheese and sliced the apple and slid them onto a plate with some crackers. She nibbled as she poured herself a shot into a “King’s Landing University” shot glass Sansa had gifted her for her birthday a few years ago, chasing the astringency with apples and cheddar. And then she poured herself another, tossed her head back, and tried not to think of Gendry.
She grabbed a cider from the fridge and reached for the speaker they kept in the kitchen. She paired it to her phone and put her music on shuffle, dialing up the volume as she drank the cider probably too fast to her nearly empty stomach.
And then she danced, the alcohol warming her from the inside and encouraging use of all her muscles. She lost track of how many songs past, but she poured herself more shots in between a few of them, most of her snack abandoned on the counter.
After a hazy amount of time, she took out her phone again.
Arya Stark 9:46pm: How was dinner??
Gendry Waters 9:48pm: Hey you! It was good - I just got home
Arya stared at that “you” for a full minute, blinking all too rapidly. And then, without contemplation or hesitation, she requested an uber.
___
Gendry had just pulled into the driveway of his one bedroom apartment when Arya texted him. He smiled to himself. Sometimes it seemed like she had a sixth sense that told her just when to reach out to him.
His mother, Lyra, had indeed asked about Arya just as he anticipated. He hadn’t been planning on telling her that he had asked her out, but his mum had a way of knowing something was different just by his way of dancing around the subject of Arya.
“You bring her over next week for dinner. I miss that girl,” Lyra had insisted just as Gendry anticipated.
“I will, mum. Don’t want to overwhelm her, though,” he countered.
“Why should it overwhelm her? She’s been over here a hundred times.”
“I suspect she’s probably reeling from the fact that I actually asked her out and used the word ‘date,’” Gendry laughed quietly. “I just wanted to be clear about what I was asking for.”
“That’s smart, though. She would probably be just as worked up if you had been unclear,” Lyra said, and Gendry nodded his head.
“That’s kind of what it’s been like for the last few months anyway. Plus, I like to see her squirm a bit,” he shrugged and recalled her startled look when he had actually asked her the question, her grey eyes frozen on his face. He hadn’t often managed to catch Arya Stark off guard, and when he did it was quite a feat.
He had a few dirty dishes in his sink that he paid attention to once he landed in the kitchen. He checked his phone again; Arya hadn’t responded to his last text saying he was home. Maybe she fell asleep.
He smiled to himself at the thought of her. He had been doing that a lot the past two days. No one had ever made him smile so much as Arya, and it was true ever since they were kids. But it was more than just smiling. Arya challenged him. She pushed him - in all kinds of ways - to be better, to be happier and smarter. And being with her just felt good. It had always felt like breathing the clearest winter air, but ever since she returned from Braavos it also felt like she was fire and he was steel - and he yielded to her completely.
Asking her out - although it had certainly taken courage - was less an act of bravery and more a complete unravelling of his will to her disposal. Or not disposal, as it had turned out. Her shock had been amusing to him, she clearly had no idea just how tightly he was wrapped around her finger.
She had been distant today, but he couldn’t blame her. He knew Arya. He knew she’d probably be a bit stressed out about the whole thing. But he also knew that if he had been out of line she would let him know, clearly and possibly loudly.
Gendry had just finished the dishes when he heard a knock on the door. He definitely hadn’t been expecting anyone. Hesitantly he opened his door, but instantly threw it open when he saw Arya standing on his front step.
“Arya - ” He could practically feel his face light up unintentionally. But oh well, he wasn’t trying to hide it anymore.
“Hey,” she said on an exhale. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment before refocusing on him. He noticed her face was a bit flush. His eyes narrowed.
“What’s going on? Are you okay?”
“Great. M’fantastic,” her speech slurred slightly. “Are you gonna let me in, dummy?”
Gendry immediately stepped back and held the door open for her. She took a heavy steps into his apartment and realization dawned on him.
“Arya Stark, are you wasted right now?” He gave her a look of mock-disapproval, at which she rolled her eyes, the action seemed to make her dizzy for a moment. She didn’t answer him, she just strolled into the living room and plopped herself onto the couch with a loud exhale that sounded like it had been trapped inside her.
“Did you have a wild night out?” He asked when she still didn’t speak.
“A wild night in. Or, I guess I’m out now,” she was fully leaning into the couch. Drunk Arya wasn’t new to him, but it was still amusing. He went to the kitchen for a glass of water and brought it to her, sitting on the other side of the couch.
Arya looked like she might fall asleep at any moment. Her eyes were heavy and she involuntarily swayed in her seat. She absentmindedly drank the water when suddenly she slammed it down and her eyes went wide. “Do you know what’s really good?” Her whole face was suddenly alight.
“What?”
“Music. Do you have any?”
“Do I have any music?” He wasn’t sure which direction her drunken brain was leading her.
“Yes.” She was attempting to focus on his face with a serious expression.
“Uh, yes I have music. Would you like to hear something?”
“Yes pleeease” she cooed, returning to her sway as if she were getting a head start on dancing.
Gendry connected his phone to the speaker and put on some upbeat music he thought would perk Arya up. It worked better than he expected.
“Oh my GOD I LOVE this song!” She stood up quickly, pushing too much weight forward and nearly collapsing onto the coffee table, but she steadied herself with her hands after only knocking over a few stray books. Gendry’s hands automatically jolted to her aid, but she was already fine. She snorted maniacally. “Sorry.”
Gendry was fully amused now. “S’okay. Are you gonna be okay?”
“I’m amazing everything’s fine,” she was throwing herself into an energetic dance routine.
“You seem it,” he said.
“Yeah I’m fine,” she was just spinning in circles.
“I meant you seem amazing,” he was testing her now.
Her eyes sparkled in the lamplight. “I am because you have such excellent music choice—” and then she was singing at the top of her lungs, jumping up and down to the beat - a one woman rave in Gendry’s living room. She was almost out of breath trying to sing and dance simultaneously at maximum capacity, which Gendry thought was the most beautiful and hilarious sight he had ever seen. Arya noticed he was laughing at her and started singing the lyrics directly to him, serenading him through an imaginary microphone until the final chorus ended and she collapsed back on the couch like nothing had happened. Gendry chose a slightly quieter song next in hopes to minimize the chance of her harming herself or his apartment with her enthusiasm.
She seemed winded so he handed her the water again. “Were you drinking alone?” He laughed quietly at the labored way she took the glass from him.
“Yup.”
“Why?”
She groaned dramatically. “Because!” Arya dared to make eye contact with him, and when she did the corner of her mouth turned up despite herself. “You make me fucking nervous, man.” She nudged his thigh with her foot and he caught it with his hand, holding it there.
A million questions ran through Gendry’s head, but Arya was nearly out of her mind drunk and he wanted to keep this about her.
“Is this about tomorrow?” he asked gently.
“Obviously,” her tone was thick but her eyes were pleading.
“Should I not have asked you?”
“Noooo no no. I mean, yes. I mean,” Arya shook her head as if to try to get some bearings, “You should have asked. It’s good that you did. Fuck,” she took a sip of water.
“I thought it might freak you out a little,” he laughed but was apologetic underneath.
“I’m fine, Gendry - it’s fine,” she took a deep breath, clearly not fine but he knew better than to point that out. “I just…” another breath, “a date, Waters?”
“Too formal?”
“Uh, yes.”
“Afraid I’m going to take you on some elaborate night on the town and hold doors open for you?”
“I mean, yeah that’s exactly it,”
“I think I know you better than that by now, Arya,” he found himself tracing patterns into her ankle. “I would only open doors for you to piss you off and you know it,” he gave her a mischievous grin, and she surprised him with something akin to a giggle.
“You’re an idiot,” she said as she closed her eyes unintentionally.
“I’m not the one who nervous-drank my way into a stupor and then showed up on my date’s doorstep,” she opened her eyes to glare at him, but her blush made it less menacing.
Arya sat up from her slouch. “Meera said I should just be myself. Which kind of led to the whole drunk thing but she’s right,” she shrugged, “because I,” she jabbed his chest with a finger, “am a fucking catch and you’re lucky to have me.” Arya’s face was turned up with an air of nonchalance and Gendry couldn’t help the loud laughter that was escaping him now.
“I wholeheartedly agree,” he smiled at her, “that’s why I asked you. And I wanted to be clear about what I was asking for. Didn’t want to confuse you or anything.”
Arya’s face was soft again. She really was a sloppy drunk. “Gendryyyyy,” she sighed and dipped her head onto his shoulder and he let himself run his fingers through her dark brown hair for several quiet moments while the music continued. He thought she had fallen asleep when her voice came muffled through his shirt, “I like you so much I don’t wanna fuck it up.” Her gentle confession lit him up.
“I like you so much, too, and that’s impossible, Arya.” She grunted a little in response. “How much did you drink?” His hand fell to her shoulder as she sat up.
“I’m not sure but I know a lot of it was vodka.”
“Damn, you really went for it. If you wanted to drink you should have waited for me, then we could both be hungover tomorrow. Solidarity.”
Arya smiled and leaned into his hand. “Felt weird about seeing you before tomorrow, but also… you’re the only person I wanted to talk to about it, so…” she threw up her hands.
“Have you eaten dinner?”
“Not really,” she admitted.
“Tsk tsk,” he teased and stood from the couch. “I’ll make you something. Otherwise you’re really going to regret it in the morning.” He held out his hand and pulled her up when she took it. Arya lost her balance for only a second, and he steadied her sway with both hands on her shoulders before guiding her safely to a kitchen stool.
“Thanks,” she said as he started pulling out various items from the fridge and shelves. He grabbed her water glass from the living room and put it on the counter in front of her.
“Drink,” he commanded, and she stuck out her tongue at him before obeying.
He stole a few glances at her while he assembled two grilled cheese sandwiches. She was propping herself up on her arm and playing with a strand of hair as her eyes wandered lazily around the kitchen. She looked like she was trying to suppress a smile when she caught his eye.
Gendry put both sandwiches on one plate. “How blitzed are you? Are you going to remember this in the morning?”
“I think it’s going to be hazy,” she had to concentrate on the words. Her voice was much more sing-songy when she was drunk.
He placed the food in front of her and she groaned with pleasure. “Don’t go too nuts,” he warned, “at least half of one of those is for me.”
“We’ll see about that.”
He stood at the counter while she ate in the fervent way that only a drunk person eats. “This is the best thing I’ve ever tasted,” she insisted through a mouthful of food, and he was already half in love with her.
She seemed drunk enough that she wasn’t going to be able to sober up before sleeping. He took the plate from her when she took the last bite, and she wandered back to the couch where she flopped her whole body down and stretch out, already yawning.
“I’m staying here,” she announced.
Gendry followed her. “Good. Do you want to take the bed?” He doubted it. She always refused on the innumerable occasions when she had passed out drunk at his place.
“Only if you’re in it,” she said with a mildly suggestive tone Gendry had never heard directed at him before. But her eyes were closed, and he knew it was just talk.
“That can wait til you’re sober, Arya,” he chuckled.
“Booooo,” she crowed as he pulled down the throw blanket that lived on the back on the couch over her tiny frame.
“I’ll see your drunk ass in the morning,” he teased. He heard her laugh softly.
“Night, Gendry.”
She was asleep almost instantly, and Gendry fought the urge to watch her all night. But he carried himself to his room and found sleep easily knowing Arya was safe in the next room.
__
Saturday
A sizzling sound woke her, followed by a dull ache in her head. She opened her eyes and recognized Gendry’s living room, tasting the staleness of alcohol in her mouth, and sat up way too quickly. “Fuck,” she clutched the suddenly sharp pain in her temples.
A voice floated to her from the kitchen. “Wow, good morning superstar. How’s the headache?” The hand accompanying the voice arrived next to her to gift her a cup of coffee and she moaned involuntarily. She looked up and was met with Gendry’s amused expression.
She sighed and crinkled her nose at him. “What did I do?”
“Confessed your undying love for me and prattled on about what you want to name our children.”
Her heart froze for one second but then she saw his smirk. “No, I absolutely did not.”
He laughed at whatever face she was making. “No, you didn’t. You said a lot of nice and funny things, though.” Gendry moved back to the kitchen and returned with a breakfast sandwich. “Soak up that vodka,” he said with an easy demeanor as he handed it to her.
Oh yes, she remembered the vodka. And ordering an uber. And throwing herself on Gendry’s couch, her head somehow finding its way to his shoulder. Shit. She looked up at him with what must have clearly horror in her eyes, but he just smiled his calm and ever-amused smile and it unwound something in her. No one should be allowed to look that sweet while she was this hungover.
“Don’t worry, it was cute,” he said casually, taking a seat next to her and turning on the TV. He radiated patience. It was infectious.
They ate quietly while some news channel played. The coffee and food slowly started cracking through her fog. She looked over at her best friend next to her and felt the rest of the nerves drain out of her body. She laughed at herself internally. Gendry met her gaze and saw her smile.
“What?” he asked.
“I was just really nervous. But I think I’m okay now.”
“That’s good to hear, can’t have you poisoning yourself every time I want to buy you dinner.”
She rolled her eyes, but knew he was right. She could see the understanding coloring his face and was grateful she didn’t have to explain herself.
“Besides,” he added, “Now I get to look forward to our second date tonight.”
Arya gave him a confused look.
He explained, “Last night was definitely the first. You had drinks, I made you dinner, there was mild flirting, and you even stayed the night.” His signature smirk was plastered onto his face and she nudged him with her shoulder, trying to hide how touched she was at the idea but staying close after she pushed.
“You might be onto something.”
She was suddenly aware of how disgusting she felt and was certain she looked. But Gendry tucked some of her stray hairs behind her ear and seemed pleased that she was even here at all. She mimicked the gesture, resting her hand on the side of his face. When he dropped his glance to her mouth she quickly met his lips with her own in a way that was both gentle and intense. He tasted like coffee, and his hands wandering over her back and around her waist pierced through the aches of her hangover. He seemed to melt in her mouth, and she drew him closer as she leaned back into the couch and he bit her lip playfully. Arya moaned softly into his mouth and he pulled away to smile at her before leaning back in to kiss her nose, cheek, her neck, peppering small kisses all over her skin and making her heart accelerate and an unavoidable grin took over her face.
“You should hang out here today,” he suggested, inches from her face again.
“It’s a date,” she smiled and leaned to pull him into another kiss, bewitching them in the lazy domesticity and comfort of the morning air.