Work Text:
Blinding Lights
Arya smoothened her skirt as she studied her reflection in the mirror. She looked like she always did, just a little paler. She was nervous. She wanted to laugh, she wanted to hide in her room and not go out to the party. But she will. She had to because tonight was the night that she was going to tell Gendry how she felt.
*
She saw him entering because of course she did. Her breath stuck in her throat. He looked absolutely ravishing. His blue and black sweater complimented his eyes and hair so well that she felt her knees go weak. Who was she kidding? She cannot do this. She absolutely cannot.
“Do you want a handkerchief, Arya?” Ygritte’s voice broke her out of her Gendry-induced kaleidoscopic vision.
“Why?” She asked confused, still not taking her eyes off Gendry.
“Because you are drooling,” Ygritte replied, sniggering.
Arya flushed. Finally looking away. “No- actually, I was just surprised with the number of mistletoes hanging around this year.”
Ygritte gave her a knowing look. “Yeah, we are hoping to make some changes this Christmas, you know shake things up a bit.”
God, she wanted to make some changes too. She really did but her nerves were getting the better of her. Arya had known Gendry ever since she remembered. He was her best friend, even if he was Jon’s friend first. But as years went by, they got closer. The line between their friendship was so blurred that everyone was surprised how they never crossed it yet. At first, it was because she was young and Gendry was in a relationship, then she was in a relationship and so back and forth it went. And now, now after 25 years of knowing each other, they were still standing in still water. Don’t get her wrong, sometimes someone stirred the water with heavy stones of jealousy for both sides. But they were never brave enough to take the next step. But tonight, it was going to change.
“I’m so tired of you two eye-fucking each other instead of actually fucking each other.” Ygritte sighed.
Arya sputtered.
“Oh, don’t give me that look. We know. Hell, even the aliens know. The last contact NASA made was about you two.” Ygritte rolled her eyes.
Before Arya could reply a chant of 'kiss, kiss, kiss' filled the room. She turned and saw Sansa, who was now brightly red, standing beside Podrick under the mistletoe.
It was adorable how those two can still be so shy around each other after over 2 years of relationship.
“And that was why we put mistletoes everywhere.” Ygritte whooped as she joined the chant.
Smiling she looked across the room and saw Gendry looking at her. Her stomach flipped. Nerves fluttered inside her as she raised her hands to wave him hello. He gave her a brilliant smile. She moved to join him, and he moved towards her but at the last moment changed his course making her confused. It wasn’t until she looked up that she noticed that there would have been a mistletoe above them.
*
Disheartened over their last almost encounter she went over to sit by Jeyne and Robb’s one-year-old, Val. At least Val won’t turn from her.
“I don’t think I can do it, Val,” Arya said as she sat beside Val’s small chair. Val looked at her with her adorable smile.
“Aya.” Val chirped making her smile despite her raging emotions.
“I think I was wrong. If he really liked me, he wouldn’t have run away at the thought of a kiss.” Arya said morosely.
“Kiss!” Val repeated happily.
“Are you teaching Val to chant too?” Robb asked as he bent to pick her up.
Arya froze not knowing how much of it Robb had heard but relaxed as she noticed Robb and Val calling Jeyne over. He mustn’t have heard much or he would have said something.
Another chant of kiss, kiss, kiss rose. Arya perked up. Rising up to see her parents standing below another mistletoe. She joined in the chant watching happily as her father kissed her mother with so much love and tenderness that it made her eyes shine a bit.
“Hey, Arya.” Gendry’s quiet voice said from behind her making her jump.
“Hey.” She answered trying not to sound like a teen who had a crush on her brother’s best friend. She was now an adult who not just only had a crush but was outright in love with her brother’s best friend, thank you very much.
“Merry Christmas.” He gave her a warm smile, his eyes twinkling.
Oh my.
Gendry was handsome just on his own but smiling Gendry was among god’s most beautiful creations.
“Merry Christmas.” She answered praying she didn’t sound too breathy.
“Someone get me a knife!” Theon yelled.
Arya and Gendry looked away concerned. What the hell happened?
“Theon?” Robb asked giving Val to Jeyne.
“I need to cut the tension between these two,” Theon said pointing, to her horror, towards her and Gendry.
Flushing furiously both of them took a step away from each other.
Both cursing Theon internally.
*
“I am not leaving it to chance!” Ygritte said as she pulled Jon.
“Leaving what on chance?” Jon asked confused.
“This.” She turned around and kissed Jon soundly making everyone laugh.
“We are together,” Jon said smiling, placing a kiss on Ygritte’s nose.
“I know but I also know that you and Gendry will be standing underneath one of those and I wanted to kiss you first.”
Another burst of laughter followed; Arya saw Gendry going red at the same time giving Ygritte the finger.
Arya took in a deep breath. The party was going to wind up soon and she needed to talk to Gendry. She walked up to him. When he noticed her, his whole face lit up making Arya’s heart hammer in her chest.
As soon as she reached him, someone started chanting Kiss, kiss, kiss again but to horror, and deep-down (not that deep-down, really) happiness, everyone in the room was looking at them.
Gendry’s face changed. He suddenly looked uncomfortable, a little serious. Arya’s heart sank. She was wrong, absolutely wrong. Today was a mistake. Why did she think that he liked her too? He obviously did not.
But Gendry did not move, he took Arya’s hand and placed a soft kiss on the back of it like she was a freaking princess. Everyone groaned.
Her hand tingled where his lips met her skin. Her heart cracked where her hopes were stored.
*
Arya tried to avoid Gendry after that. She could not bear to look at him. She knew it wasn’t his fault for not reciprocating her feelings but God, she wasn’t this bad that he couldn’t even give her a small peck on the lips.
“Arya, let me explain.” Gendry’s soft voice made her freeze.
“Explain what?” Arya said coolly.
“It wasn’t like that.”
“I don’t know what you mean, Gendry.”
“Yay!” Rickon yelled. “Mistletoe. Arya and Gendry! KISS!”
A chant of 'kiss' rang. And Arya sighed and closed her eyes. Poor Gendry was going to have to kiss her out of peer pressure. She stood there, realising too late that the room had gone quiet. She opened her eyes and saw the crowd dispersing and no Gendry in sight.
*
Anger had started to overtake her disappointment. One was ok, two were bearable but Gendry ran away from her four fucking times. She was not a fucking troll and she had not eaten onions or garlic for lunch or dinner. She strode towards Gendry with purpose. Fuck telling him about her feeling. She saw Gendry’s eyes widen as she approached her but she was too angry. She took his hands and dragged him towards the nearest room.
They needed to have some words.
*
“What the hell is your problem?” Arya yelled as soon as the door was closed.
“Arya- “Gendry started apologetically.
“Don’t ‘Arya’ me!” She turned furiously. “I get it. You don’t like me but I am not that hideous or smell that bad that you felt the need to embarrass me in front of everyone.”
“Arya- “
“I don’t want to hear your excuses! I want the truth!”
“Arya- “
“Stop saying 'Arya'! Just tell me, dammit.” She said her voice going a little hoarse and she was so angry with him, with herself that she turned away. Not wanting to look at the pity that would inevitably give while trying to explain how she was like a little sister to him.
“Arya, I- “
“Please, just- “
A warm hand clasped on her lips making her breath hitch. Her eyes widened as Gendry looked at her a little furious, a little sorry, a lot in adoration.
“Just let me explain.” Arya had a sudden urge to bite his hand gently just to see if his breath hitched like hers did when he touched her.
“I am going to remove my hand now,” Gendry said and Arya almost wanted to shake her head no because she didn’t want to lose the feeling of his warm hands on her sensitive lips.
“Arya, I- “Gendry pushed his hand in his hair, letting his fingers move through those raven locks like there was an answer there. “I didn’t kiss you under the mistletoe because- because- “
He stuttered and looked at Arya with such softness in his eyes that Arya almost melted.
“Because?” Arya encouraged softly.
“Because I didn’t want our first kiss to be like that.” He said not looking away from her. His eyes were growing darker with every passing beat.
The words hit her like a blow to the heart. Not the one that makes your heart hurt but the one that reminds you why you’re alive. She looked at him her eyes huge.
“How- why- “She cleared her throat. “How did you want our first kiss to be?”
If possible, his eyes went darker. Arya gulped.
“I would have taken you to a proper date.” His voice was low, it did things to Arya.
“There’s food here.” Arya breathed.
“Then we would have gone to Hot Pie’s for his DIrewolf Pie.” He said moving closer.
“We can tell him to bring it tomorrow.” She replied, her voice was getting huskier.
“I would have accidentally touched your hand- “his fingers grazed hers so lightly that it was as if her mind playing tricks, gooseflesh rose on her arms.
“Then?”
He leaned forward. “Then I would have driven you back like a gentleman and said wished you goodnight on your doorstep.”
“There is a door behind me.” She whispered back.
A slow smile overtook him, something inside her clenched so violently that she shivered. “I know.”
When their lips met it was nothing short of fireworks.