You shouldn't insult people bigger than you.

[jrdnfshr-deactivated20210415]

maketheanvilsing:

Gendry rolled his neck, loosening up his muscles before grabbing needle and taking a good look at the damage. “Funnily enough, you are the only highborn lady I have met who dresses like a boy.” He smirked, winking at her to try and make her blush.

“You highborn lords and ladies get married off years before us lowborns do. You know about courting and marriage and titles. That’s a hell of a lot more than I know about the whole thing.”

He began looking around the forge, seeing what precious metals were used normally here to get a grasp of what castle forged steel was made from. He tutted at her, his back turned as he found an array of tools to help him with his task. “Answering a question with a question. Even I know that’s bad manners.”

“All I know is how I feel Arya. I know that we will never marry or have children. It’s just not something that’s done, and if you think giving up your name is worth marrying a penniless blacksmith like me then you’re more stupid than I thought.”

With that he shrugged off his over jacket, keeping his sleeveless tunic on. In kings landing he would usually work shirtless, but the long summer was nearing an end and he knew it was too cold for that. Even if he wanted to show off in front of his little lady.

Arya shrugged and looked down. “Well I highly doubt any of them had to do so because they were trying to survive on the road.” This was what she hated the most, being compared to other ladies. She wasn’t like them, at all and she would never be. Arya was her own person, she wasn’t a lady or a knight, or whatever, she was just Arya Stark. 

“Just because that happens, doesn’t mean I know a whole lot about it. I never truly paid attention to my Septa’s lessons and I was young, too young back then to talk about such things. Marriage is something I don’t really care for.” She said with a shrug. The thought of marrying some lord and spend the rest of her life living inside a castle didn’t work for her. She would run away and never come back if she got betrothed some day. 

Arya turned to looked at him and shrugged. “Well that’s all I know as well. I don’t understand this … I don’t know how to deal with these feelings, I never had them before. I just know I want to be with you and being around you makes me happy.” She sighed. “My mother would never allowed it … my brother would just follow her opinion and not allow it either. It doesn’t matter, Gendry … I’ll run away, give up my name and my titles and we can go somewhere else, start fresh. We can go to Essos or further away, it doesn’t matter as long as I get to be around you.”

She leaned against the wall as she watched him work. She couldn’t help but stare, he was handsome even when he was working, sweaty and all dirty. She remembered how she had admired him back in Harrenhal, but back them she still didn’t understand why she felt so warm, almost blushing because he had been shirtless in front of her. Now she understood.

[maketheanvilsing-blog]

Arya was unlike anyone he had met, a real northern lass with iron in her soul. He smiled to himself as he thought of her prettied up like a princess should be. The thought seemed ridiculous to him and he let out a small chuckle at the memory of her in the acorn dress back with the brotherhood. Her hair brushed and placed into delicate braids, her stockings and face clean from dirt. It was the scowl on her face that did it though. Gendry laughed so hard, wine came out his nose. It did not surprise him that she was not fond of a Septa’s lessons. She was probably the devil child that Septa’s warn each other about in Septa school.

“No, I can’t imagine you enjoying the thought of being shipped off and married to a lord you don’t know. You’d probably knock out a few of his teeth before he told you to act like a lady.” He grinned over his shoulder at her as he waited on the hot steel to melt.

“It doesn’t surprise me that they wouldn’t allow it. If you were my daughter, I wouldn’t allow it either...” He trailed off, the subject causing him to become deep in thought. He couldn’t read or write. Never mind knowing all of the etiquettes to eat food in a castle. He knew there were many rules - Gendry didn’t want to know past that. Why couldn’t they just use their hands?

“Please don’t say such things. Not lightly.” He warned, with a gentle tone. “Your life is not something to give up on a whim. Your family may cast you out, your name wiped from the records. No one is running away anywhere. Not when I just got you back.” He turned his back on the forge, giving her a warm smile. “Even so, I know you are just as stubborn as I am, so how do you propose we do this without anyone finding out?”

[maketheanvilsing-blog]

Gendry & Ygritte

Gendry needed some peace and quiet. After the proceedings of that afternoon in the forge; Gendry needed to clear his head. Winterfell's hall was full of soldiers, various lords and ladies who had travelled to the northern castle to lend a hand in the war; some even to keep a well-trained eye on the goings on of the northern armies.

Gendry wasn’t much of a politics follower. He knew the queen fucked her brother and he knew that her son was a right royal prick and in his opinion, anyone would do a better job at ruling Westeros. Thinking anymore on the subject hurt his head.

He had managed to sneak a bottle of wine from the hall, the noise too much for him to be comfortable in. He had a lot of thinking to do; the empty courtyard seemed like the perfect place to do this. Until he heard some footsteps behind him. He sighed.

“Can a man not get five minutes of peace and quiet?” He turned, exasperated. “Five minutes?”

[sterling-ryder]

maketheanvilsing:

Alive and well.

It had been years. Had Arya managed to get back to Winterfell on her own? Gendry felt a mix of guilt and pride- for leaving her and thinking about how strong she had become. The feeling hit his stomach like he had swallowed lead, and suddenly he felt anxious. Did she even want to see him? Had this entire journey been a mistake?

“I-I am glad to hear that milady has made it back to her home.” He smiled, an almost sad look on his face as he smiled at the king in the north. “Pardon my secrecy your grace, milady has described you well, but it has been many years since I heard her tales - I simply wanted to be sure of who I was talking to.”

He felt awkward. His master in the forge in flea bottom always taught him how to talk to highborn lords and ladies. Keep his head down and bow, address them as they should be addressed and do not go looking for trouble. Gendry tried, he really did. Trouble just always seemed to find its way back to him.

“Gendry, your grace. Gendry waters.” He couldn’t quite look him in the eye after that. “Just a bastard looking for some smith work your grace.” His head was bowed and he could feel the eyes of the guards on him. It made him uncomfortable.

waters. a bastard of the crownlands then. yet the more robb looked at the boy, with his thick black hair and his blue eyes, he was reminded almost of renly baratheon. he wondered then if renly ever fathered any bastards, after all he did spend a lot of time in the crownlands as a member of robert’s counsel. yet the thought was quickly struck from his mind. He remembered his father saying that renly was the very image of his brother in his youth. tall and handsome and charismatic but without robert’s penchant for food, drink, or wenching. “i don’t suppose you would know the name of your father would you gendry?”

[maketheanvilsing-blog]

Gendry frowned, his brows furrowing as he looked up to the King in the North. This. This was why he did not enjoy the company of highborn lords and ladies. He was a bastard, of course, he did not know whom his father might be, but they just loved to stick the knife in, didn’t they?

He gritted his teeth as he felt shame grow in the pit of his stomach. “No, I do not. Nor do I wish to.” His tone was not aggressive, but he had thrown his defences up, eyeing up Stark and his guards with concern.

A bastard didn’t have much of a chance in Westeros. A fatherless bastard has less so. “Your Grace.” He added, biting down on his tongue to stop him from saying something he would regret.

[chryswatchesgot]

Chrys Watches Got [x]

[jrdnfshr-deactivated20210415]

maketheanvilsing:

Gendry laughed when she punched him, knocking him off balance slightly. He rubbed the spot where she hit. Gods, that never used to hurt. “I think you mean, very special curcumstances. You think every highborn girl who dresses like a boy gets to see that?”

No one actually got to see that. No girl anyway, apart from her. People like him did not marry early like people of high born houses. There was no need to secure heirs to make sure that wars wouldn’t wipe them out. No need to secure the name of Waters that was for sure. Gendry was focusing on his craft. Once he perfected it, he could then look to marry. In his thirties or fourties, no earlier.

Arya would probably be married off in the next 5 years maximum. She was a Stark afterall.

His smile wavered and a frown seemed to set into his features. “What are we doing?” He asked, looking at her for some kind of guidance. “I don’t mind you staying, unless you have somewhere you need to be.”

Arya titled her head to the side and shrugged. “Have you met a lot of highborn girls who dress up like a boy?” She asked, raising an eyebrow. She wondered, with how many girls Gendry had been with. She had never been with a boy before, she had never even kissed a boy, much less do something more. Arya felt slightly self-conscious, he was most likely a lot more experienced than she was. 

She looked up to him and frowned. “I don’t know, Gendry. What are we doing?” She asked back. It wasn’t like they could walk out of the forge, hand in hand. Or do anything together in public. People would talk and this would never be accepted. Sighing, Arya shrugged. “We can’t assume a relationship, not in public. It would never be accepted and my family wouldn’t support it. They expect me to want to get married to a Lord. Or not get married at all.” She would run away though, if she was forced to marry someone she did not want, she would leave and never come back. And she would take Gendry with her. “I do not. Are you sure I’m not bothering your work?”

[maketheanvilsing-blog]

Gendry rolled his neck, loosening up his muscles before grabbing needle and taking a good look at the damage. "Funnily enough, you are the only highborn lady I have met who dresses like a boy." He smirked, winking at her to try and make her blush.

"You highborn lords and ladies get married off years before us lowborns do. You know about courting and marriage and titles. That's a hell of a lot more than I know about the whole thing."

He began looking around the forge, seeing what precious metals were used normally here to get a grasp of what castle forged steel was made from. He tutted at her, his back turned as he found an array of tools to help him with his task. "Answering a question with a question. Even I know that's bad manners."

"All I know is how I feel Arya. I know that we will never marry or have children. It's just not something that's done, and if you think giving up your name is worth marrying a penniless blacksmith like me then you're more stupid than I thought."

With that he shrugged off his over jacket, keeping his sleeveless tunic on. In kings landing he would usually work shirtless, but the long summer was nearing an end and he knew it was too cold for that. Even if he wanted to show off in front of his little lady.

[jrdnfshr-deactivated20210415]

maketheanvilsing:

Gendry was still trying to lean in to the kiss while Arya jumped away, taking a few seconds to register why she had pulled away from him. He blinked, shaking his head a little to try and gain his composure. With a cough he cleared his throat, crossing his arms over his chest in an attempt to look perturbed at the interruption and hopefully scare off whoever it was that succeeded in ruining his day.

It looked like someone’s Squire, by the clothing he wore anyway. He was clean, so that meant he wasn’t a soldier and he almost had an aire of unease around him- like he was still learning how to talk to people.

He glanced at Arya as he walked in, paling as he must not have expected her, and stopped to bow. After he used the proper airs and graces to greet a princess the boy turned to Gendry, stuttering.

“I-I am sorry to i-interrupt, I heard commotion and w-wanted to know if the forge was back in order.”

Gendry looked at Arya again, giving her a small smile before nodding at the boy. No words were spoken, but when Gendry raised his eyebrows at him, he scurried out as fast as he could.

Gendry waited until he though the coast was clear before moving towards Arya, smirking at her. “You know, we did this whole thing backwards. Usually people kiss first and you see my cock.” He laughed, pressing a small kiss to her forehead.

Arya stood to the side as she watched the whole thing happen. She nodded at the squire when he bowed to her. It was something that she still had to get used to, having people bow to her. She knew she technically was a princess now, but she preferred when she was treated as Arya Stark instead of princess Arya. She could see that he was in a way nervous and obviously embarrassed because he had just interrupted something between her and Gendry, even though she highly doubted he had any idea of what exactly he had interrupted.

Arya followed him with her eyes as the squire left the forge before turning back to Gendry and smiling. “I think if he could, he would dig a hole and hide inside. Poor boy, he was so nervous about coming here and realizing that he had interrupted us.” She rolled her eyes at his words and slightly punched him in the shoulder. “Well those were special circumstances, you thought I was a boy.” She leaned into him and sighed. “I should probably go, let you settle down.”

[maketheanvilsing-blog]

Gendry laughed when she punched him, knocking him off balance slightly. He rubbed the spot where she hit. Gods, that never used to hurt. "I think you mean, very special curcumstances. You think every highborn girl who dresses like a boy gets to see that?"

No one actually got to see that. No girl anyway, apart from her. People like him did not marry early like people of high born houses. There was no need to secure heirs to make sure that wars wouldn't wipe them out. No need to secure the name of Waters that was for sure. Gendry was focusing on his craft. Once he perfected it, he could then look to marry. In his thirties or fourties, no earlier.

Arya would probably be married off in the next 5 years maximum. She was a Stark afterall.

His smile wavered and a frown seemed to set into his features. "What are we doing?" He asked, looking at her for some kind of guidance. "I don't mind you staying, unless you have somewhere you need to be."

[jrdnfshr-deactivated20210415]

maketheanvilsing:

Gendry hadn’t expected her to initiate another kiss, but then again, Gendry hadn’t expected this to happen at all. Not until King’s Landing had froze over and the Wall came crashing down. He had attention from girls, some came up to him in taverns or the forge back with the brotherhood, but he had rejected each of their advances. They were beautiful, he knew that. All curves and rosy cheeks as they batted their eyelashes at him, but there was nothing there. No heart beat, no catching his breath. No one quite had a hold on him like she did.

The first kiss was gentle, asking permission to continue in this whole messed up situation they had gotten themselves into.

He wanted this kiss to be different. Gendry closed his eyes when he felt her lips touch his gently, and he immediately deepened the kiss. Still slowly, but with purpose he kissed her. Trying his hardest to pour every ounce of what he felt for her into it. Wanting her to know how much he needed her.

He barely heard the knock on the forge door.

Arya had never had any attention from boys before. As a young girl, she was known for looking like a boy, she was called ugly and horse face, she never thought she would turn out to have someone like Gendry interested in her. And then she spent years dressed like a boy, pretending she was Arry and not Arya, until she went to Braavos where she was more interested in training to become an assassin than finding a boy. Gendry was attractive, he most likely had plenty of girls after him, back in King’s Landing and now here, in Winterfell. She didn’t understand why he would be interested in her, not when so many beautiful girls would give himself to him so easily.

Arya was truly enjoying the kiss, enjoying the fact that they were so close and sharing their first intimate moment together. Everything about it was perfect and Arya wouldn’t change a thing. But as soon as she heard the knock on the door, she jumped away from Gendry, taking a few steps away from him and trying to regain both her breath and her posture. Which was hard because she had been kissing the boy she she had been wanting to kiss since they got reunited. She looked at him and offered him a small smile, before shrugging and turning around to look at the door, waiting for whoever it was that interrupted their moment to come in.

[maketheanvilsing-blog]

Gendry was still trying to lean in to the kiss while Arya jumped away, taking a few seconds to register why she had pulled away from him. He blinked, shaking his head a little to try and gain his composure. With a cough he cleared his throat, crossing his arms over his chest in an attempt to look perturbed at the interruption and hopefully scare off whoever it was that succeeded in ruining his day.

It looked like someone's Squire, by the clothing he wore anyway. He was clean, so that meant he wasn't a soldier and he almost had an aire of unease around him- like he was still learning how to talk to people.

He glanced at Arya as he walked in, paling as he must not have expected her, and stopped to bow. After he used the proper airs and graces to greet a princess the boy turned to Gendry, stuttering.

"I-I am sorry to i-interrupt, I heard commotion and w-wanted to know if the forge was back in order."

Gendry looked at Arya again, giving her a small smile before nodding at the boy. No words were spoken, but when Gendry raised his eyebrows at him, he scurried out as fast as he could.

Gendry waited until he though the coast was clear before moving towards Arya, smirking at her. "You know, we did this whole thing backwards. Usually people kiss first and you see my cock." He laughed, pressing a small kiss to her forehead.

[jrdnfshr-deactivated20210415]

maketheanvilsing:

Gendry could feel his heartbeat pounding in his head, the feeling of her so close seemed to drown out everything around them. Here they were alone, just the two of them, no titles or rules. No one to tell them that a princess and a bastard couldn’t be together- shouldn’t be together. Gendry hated that he couldn’t give her the things other men could, he would give her all the jewels in the world, craft weapons fit for the warrior she was, give her a castle and stability.

He had no money, no land, no birthright. All he could give her was his heart, and hope that she wouldn’t break it. He let out a shaky sigh, closing his eyes and closing the space between them.

Her lips were soft. He barely brushed his own against them, still terrified that this was some kind of cruel dream that he would wake up from to find himself still in the river lands. His other arm snaked around her waist, pulling her against him but making sure his hold was gentle. He pulled back then, smiling at her, wondering whether it was okay to do it again.

Arya stared into his eyes as he closed the space between them. This would be her first kiss, the first time she was with a boy in such a way. And the thought alone made her cheeks turn a soft shade of pink. She always thought her sister was dumb for talking about boys and thinking about how it would be like to kiss one and being in love, she never thought those things were for her and there was a time when she thought all of it was disgusting. But now, standing here in front of the only boy that was capable of making her feel such thing, she realized her sister wasn’t so much of an idiot after all.

Arya sighed when she finally felt his lips on her’s. The kiss was soft, his lips barely touching her’s, but she didn’t care. All of it was perfect and she wished she could freeze the moment, live it forever. She moved her arms up, wrapping them around Gendry’s neck and pulling him close, deepening the kiss slightly. After a few moments, she pulled away at the same time and offered him a smile. This was okay, this was more than okay, this was perfect. It made her sad that they could never make it official, that they won’t be able to share this with the world. Sighing, she pushed all those thoughts away and this time she initiated the kiss, slightly getting on her tip toes to press her lips against his.

[maketheanvilsing-blog]

Gendry hadn't expected her to initiate another kiss, but then again, Gendry hadn't expected this to happen at all. Not until King's Landing had froze over and the Wall came crashing down. He had attention from girls, some came up to him in taverns or the forge back with the brotherhood, but he had rejected each of their advances. They were beautiful, he knew that. All curves and rosy cheeks as they batted their eyelashes at him, but there was nothing there. No heart beat, no catching his breath. No one quite had a hold on him like she did.

The first kiss was gentle, asking permission to continue in this whole messed up situation they had gotten themselves into.

He wanted this kiss to be different. Gendry closed his eyes when he felt her lips touch his gently, and he immediately deepened the kiss. Still slowly, but with purpose he kissed her. Trying his hardest to pour every ounce of what he felt for her into it. Wanting her to know how much he needed her.

He barely heard the knock on the forge door.

[jrdnfshr-deactivated20210415]

maketheanvilsing:

He gave her a smile, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear and continuing to play with her hair as they got closer. It was a crime, the life he had been born into. A crime that the gods should let them meet and not give them a chance to love. A voice in his head gave him a reminder; fuck the gods, what have they ever done for you to believe in them anyway?

“I would like to think that there is nobody worse than that prick. I also have faith in your brother for not giving you away to someone like that.” He would never give you away to someone like me either, he thought.

“Never knew who my dad was, never cared. I didn’t need him anyhow, I turned out okay.” He gave her a smile, knowing the loss of her father must still be a rather touchy subject. It was not something he wanted to talk about, not now.

She was so close now, he could see the freckles that lightly dusted her pale face, the slight flush of pink on her cheeks from the harsh wind outside, the flickering glow of the fire reflecting in her eyes. Oh, those eyes. Silence stretched for a few moments, Gendry felt his mouth become dry, his heart beating irregular from being so close to her.

Gendry leaned in ever so slowly, his eyes flicking from her parted lips to her eyes, constantly asking for permission to see if this was okay. “Can I kiss you milady?”

Arya hated this, more than anything. She hated the rules, why couldn’t she be free to marry who she wanted? Why couldn’t she be free to do whatever she wanted? She was well aware of what the lords of the North expected, that her brother would eventually seek out suitors for her, to make the North stronger by uniting the houses through marriage. She didn’t want that, she would leave and would never come back. And she would take Gendry with her, the thought of them leaving, start a new life far away from Westeros where they were free to be together, where no one knew who they were.

Arya shook her head. “He would never. But my father didn’t know who Joffrey was, or he would never have allowed Sanda to become his betrothed.” She knew that much, her father would never have given any of them away to someone like that.

She looked down and sighed. “I’m just saying, if you ever get the opportunity … don’t waste it. I know I would give anything to see my father again.” 

Arya’s eyes went from his lips to his eyes and then back to his lips. They were so close that she could feel his breathing on her face. His touch was something she wanted so bad and she couldn’t help the happy sigh that left her mouth. Nodding, she looked up to him and smiled slightly. “Yes, you can. I wish for nothing more.”

[maketheanvilsing-blog]

Gendry could feel his heartbeat pounding in his head, the feeling of her so close seemed to drown out everything around them. Here they were alone, just the two of them, no titles or rules. No one to tell them that a princess and a bastard couldn't be together- shouldn't be together. Gendry hated that he couldn't give her the things other men could, he would give her all the jewels in the world, craft weapons fit for the warrior she was, give her a castle and stability.

He had no money, no land, no birthright. All he could give her was his heart, and hope that she wouldn't break it. He let out a shaky sigh, closing his eyes and closing the space between them.

Her lips were soft. He barely brushed his own against them, still terrified that this was some kind of cruel dream that he would wake up from to find himself still in the river lands. His other arm snaked around her waist, pulling her against him but making sure his hold was gentle. He pulled back then, smiling at her, wondering whether it was okay to do it again.

[jrdnfshr-deactivated20210415]

maketheanvilsing:

“You look like a lady, unless you’ve also grown a cock since we last met.” He couldn’t help it, even in the seriousness of the situation they were in, he couldn’t resist teasing her. He wanted a laugh, a smile. Even a hint of one would be enough. She looked tired and sad, he wanted to make her laugh like he used to when they were just Arry and Gendry.

The talk of his parents brought the mood back down, and he looked down at her; desperate to touch her again, to brush his fingers against hers in hope she would take a hold of them. He refrained. “I am afraid it’s just who I am. My parents were not married like yours. I didn’t even know who my dad was, I can barely remember my mum. Just memories, images … she had light hair and kind eyes… I think.”

The memories were shaken from him suddenly and he remembered where he was. “Arya, one day you are going to be married with a lord in a castle or a prince in a different Kingdom. I am neither of those things, I have no lands, no money to speak of. All I have is my craft and the clothes on my back … but the thought of you leaving to go be with someone else? It drives me mad.”

He lifted a hand, fingers twirling the hair tucked behind her ear as he slowly moved closer. “You need to know this, I can’t give you what a northern princess should be given.. but you have my word that all that I have is yours, my heart, my hammer and I’ll be damned if I don’t do everything in my power to make you happy.”

“You’re such an idiot.” She said, shaking her head. But she couldn’t help the small smile that appeared on her face. Arya enjoyed the fact that even though they were in a serious situation, he still managed to tease her and crack a smile out of her. That was what she liked about him, he always managed to make her smile. 

Arya looked at him and her eyes softened. She felt bad for him, he didn’t deserve this, the kind of life that was given to him. Such a gentle and humble man, he deserved the best in the world and she wished she could give him that. “I’m sorry, Gendry. That you had to go through that. Do you know if your father is alive? Have you ever tried to find him?” 

Arya shook her head quickly and sighed. “No, that’s not going to happen, Gendry. I’m not going to get married to some Lord and spend the rest of my life in a castle giving birth to little Lords and Ladies. I’m not going to lose my freedom, the choice of being whoever I want. And I’m not marrying anyone unless I want to … I’ll marry for love, no matter who he might be.” She shrugged. “I would rather marry you than marry someone like Joffrey. I would rather marry you than any of the lords, because I know you would be marrying me for me and not because of my family name and what comes along with it. What you have, who you are, it doesn’t matter to me, you should know that already. You’re Gendry for me, that’s enough.” 

She lifted her head to look up to him as he approached her. “I know. I’m no princess, I’m just Arya. And you’re no bastard, you’re just Gendry. And that’s perfect for me.” She shrugged. “I wish it was enough … I wish we could be something more … “

[maketheanvilsing-blog]

He gave her a smile, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear and continuing to play with her hair as they got closer. It was a crime, the life he had been born into. A crime that the gods should let them meet and not give them a chance to love. A voice in his head gave him a reminder; fuck the gods, what have they ever done for you to believe in them anyway?

"I would like to think that there is nobody worse than that prick. I also have faith in your brother for not giving you away to someone like that." He would never give you away to someone like me either, he thought.

"Never knew who my dad was, never cared. I didn't need him anyhow, I turned out okay." He gave her a smile, knowing the loss of her father must still be a rather touchy subject. It was not something he wanted to talk about, not now.

She was so close now, he could see the freckles that lightly dusted her pale face, the slight flush of pink on her cheeks from the harsh wind outside, the flickering glow of the fire reflecting in her eyes. Oh, those eyes. Silence stretched for a few moments, Gendry felt his mouth become dry, his heart beating irregular from being so close to her.

Gendry leaned in ever so slowly, his eyes flicking from her parted lips to her eyes, constantly asking for permission to see if this was okay. "Can I kiss you milady?"

[jrdnfshr-deactivated20210415]

maketheanvilsing:

He recoiled as she pushed him away. He felt like a child again, being shoved away like that. I didn’t want you thinking about me. He deflated. He stood there in silence, taking all of it. Taking the shouting, the things said because all in all, she was right.

He left her, and he was still paying for it. She might say it was forgiven, but it had left a larger scar than she wanted him to see. He tried to look at her, but found he was too ashamed to look at her in the eye. God’s, what had he done?

“Despite who you have grown to be, you are still Arya Stark of Winterfell. You’re right, you aren’t Arry, you don’t need protecting and it is not fair of me to presume otherwise. Forgive me my lady for what I am about to say, for a bastard like me shouldn’t say such things …”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “The only thing you could do to hurt me is walk out that door. If you choose to then I will leave, you will never see me again and you can forget about me.” He clenched his fists by his side and forced himself to keep talking.

“You could never be my family, because you will always be my lady. No other woman comes close to you. I … Arya please don’t make me say it.”

He finally plucked up the courage to look at her, and pleaded with his eyes for her to listen. “If this offends you milady then please open that door and walk away. A bastard like me cannot expect any other response to this, but Arya please, if you know of what I’m trying to say, don’t walk out on me.”

Arya stood still as she listened to his words. Could this be real life? Was he really trying to say that she thought he was trying to say? But why? She couldn’t understand why he would feel like that about her, why he would be interested in her in such a way. No, Gendry was such a good man, he deserved so much better than someone like Arya, a killer, an assassin. She would hurt him, she would end up doing something to disappoint him and he would get hurt. She wouldn’t allow that to happen, she couldn’t handle the thought of him getting hurt because of her. 

“Stop calling me a lady, I’m not a lady, I’m Arya.” She hated it, mostly when it came from him. It was like he was trying to put her on a pedestal that she didn’t belong, like he was trying to make her look more important than he was when all she wanted was for them to be equals. In her eyes, they were, she didn’t care if he was lowborn, he was her friend. Much more than that, if she was being honest. 

“And don’t call yourself a bastard, you’re Gendry. Stop putting yourself down like that, you’re too good for it. You don’t deserve it.” Arya shook her head and looked down. “It doesn’t offend me. And I don’t want to go, I want nothing more than to stay here with you. But you deserve better. You deserve someone who can give you a normal life, a happy and good life. I can’t give you that.” It would be looked down upon, if they were to announce their relationship. And with how things are right now in the North … she didn’t know if her brother could approve of it. 

Arya quickly took a step towards him and shook her head. “I know … I know Gendry because I feel the same way towards you. I won’t … I’ll stay if that’s what you want from me … I will stay.” She paused and looked down. “If I am to be a lady … there’s no one else I would rather have as my lord.”

[maketheanvilsing-blog]

"You look like a lady, unless you've also grown a cock since we last met." He couldn't help it, even in the seriousness of the situation they were in, he couldn't resist teasing her. He wanted a laugh, a smile. Even a hint of one would be enough. She looked tired and sad, he wanted to make her laugh like he used to when they were just Arry and Gendry.

The talk of his parents brought the mood back down, and he looked down at her; desperate to touch her again, to brush his fingers against hers in hope she would take a hold of them. He refrained. "I am afraid it's just who I am. My parents were not married like yours. I didn't even know who my dad was, I can barely remember my mum. Just memories, images ... she had light hair and kind eyes... I think."

The memories were shaken from him suddenly and he remembered where he was. "Arya, one day you are going to be married with a lord in a castle or a prince in a different Kingdom. I am neither of those things, I have no lands, no money to speak of. All I have is my craft and the clothes on my back ... but the thought of you leaving to go be with someone else? It drives me mad."

He lifted a hand, fingers twirling the hair tucked behind her ear as he slowly moved closer. "You need to know this, I can't give you what a northern princess should be given.. but you have my word that all that I have is yours, my heart, my hammer and I'll be damned if I don't do everything in my power to make you happy."

[sterling-ryder]

maketheanvilsing:

Gendry expected that. He shrugged and nodded. “That was a better answer than I expected m'lord. May I ask your name? My friend was a stark here and I wish to know if you are who I think you are.”

Gendry waited with bated breath for a response. He knew of the war waging between the lannisters and the starks, if the king in the north has been this successful then maybe there was a chance she made it home.

“She saved my life, she helped me escape from harrehall with my life, and I repayed her by leaving her. If she is here then I would like to apologise… if she is not then I need to pay my respects… your grace.”

Gendry never did like kings, or highborn lords born with a silver spoon in their mouth and a golden chamber pot for them to piss in, but this was Arya’s family. He’d be an idiot to insult any of them. Especially after what she did for him.

his friend was a stark? alas only a handful of them were left. if he was of the south robb doubted that he was at all acquainted with bran or rickon or jon. neither did he seem to fall into the particular crowd that sansa would find herself in the company of at kingslanding, so that left only one. she saved his life. certainly sounded like arya; as clever as she was kind— which did not work in the boy’s favour if he had wished to give a better impression. the abandoning of his youngest sister did not bode well with robb and the thin line that had settled on his lips and the rigidness in his shoulders said as much. “my sister is alive and well.” no thanks to you, added a bitter silent thought owed to an older brother’s protectiveness. “since you addressed me as ‘your grace’ i can only assume that you already know my name,” he said. “it is i who have yet to learn of yours.”  

[maketheanvilsing-blog]

Alive and well.

It had been years. Had Arya managed to get back to Winterfell on her own? Gendry felt a mix of guilt and pride- for leaving her and thinking about how strong she had become. The feeling hit his stomach like he had swallowed lead, and suddenly he felt anxious. Did she even want to see him? Had this entire journey been a mistake?

"I-I am glad to hear that milady has made it back to her home." He smiled, an almost sad look on his face as he smiled at the king in the north. "Pardon my secrecy your grace, milady has described you well, but it has been many years since I heard her tales - I simply wanted to be sure of who I was talking to."

He felt awkward. His master in the forge in flea bottom always taught him how to talk to highborn lords and ladies. Keep his head down and bow, address them as they should be addressed and do not go looking for trouble. Gendry tried, he really did. Trouble just always seemed to find its way back to him.

"Gendry, your grace. Gendry waters." He couldn't quite look him in the eye after that. "Just a bastard looking for some smith work your grace." His head was bowed and he could feel the eyes of the guards on him. It made him uncomfortable.

[jrdnfshr-deactivated20210415]

maketheanvilsing:

Gendry took a step back as Arya raised her voice. Now they were getting somewhere. No stepping around what happened, laying it all out in front of each other.

“I know I left! There’s not a day that went by where I wouldn’t think about you, what you might be doing, if you were safe. When Winterfell was won back there were stories of Robb, of your sister, but not you! I thought you were dead! I mourned you!”

He shook his head in disbelief and pointed to her scars. “Braavos was the safest place for you was it? Having your sight taken away, being beaten and stabbed? Why didn’t you come home? Why didn’t you come back to me?”

He recoiled as he saw her face when she screamed back at him. Oh no, what had he done? His feet were moving before his brain was and he managed to slam the door shut with his hand before she got there.

All of the anger had fizzled out of him at the look of disappointment and rejection on her face. He approached her with caution and brought up his hands, cupping them around her face and making her look at him. Those grey eyes were full of hurt, and it was breaking him.

“You can’t … please … please don’t leave.”

Arya shook her head. “I didn’t want you thinking about me, thinking about what I might be doing. All I wanted was for you to come with me, but you chose the Brotherhood. You were my family, Gendry, for so long you were the only family I had and you abandoned me. Do you know how much it hurt? I thought you didn’t choose me because I wasn’t worth it, because I wasn’t important to you, not as much as you were to me.”

Arya shrugged. “All of it was a lesson, all of it taught me something. And all of it made me stronger. I overcame every single obstacule that was thrown at me, all alone. I don’t regret any of it, I’m actually glad that I made the decisions that I made because it made me the woman I am now. And if you can’t accept that … then maybe we shouldn’t keep seeing each other.” She took a moment to breath before continuing. “It wasn’t the right time to come home. What good would I be? I was useless, without my training, I would be useless to my brother. And that’s the worst feeling in the world.”

She turned around when he caught up to her, not letting her leave the forge. Although, she didn’t realize just how close he was until the moment he felt his hands on her cheeks, cupping her face, making her look up to him. Her eyes locked with his for a moment and he could see all of it, the hurt, the sadness, disappointment. Arya shook her head, placing her hands on top of his and pushing them away. “I’m not the same girl I used to be, I’m not that Arya you used to know. I don’t want to hurt you, not anymore … you should let me go.”<

[maketheanvilsing-blog]

He recoiled as she pushed him away. He felt like a child again, being shoved away like that. I didn't want you thinking about me. He deflated. He stood there in silence, taking all of it. Taking the shouting, the things said because all in all, she was right.

He left her, and he was still paying for it. She might say it was forgiven, but it had left a larger scar than she wanted him to see. He tried to look at her, but found he was too ashamed to look at her in the eye. God's, what had he done?

"Despite who you have grown to be, you are still Arya Stark of Winterfell. You're right, you aren't Arry, you don't need protecting and it is not fair of me to presume otherwise. Forgive me my lady for what I am about to say, for a bastard like me shouldn't say such things ..."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "The only thing you could do to hurt me is walk out that door. If you choose to then I will leave, you will never see me again and you can forget about me." He clenched his fists by his side and forced himself to keep talking.

"You could never be my family, because you will always be my lady. No other woman comes close to you. I ... Arya please don't make me say it."

He finally plucked up the courage to look at her, and pleaded with his eyes for her to listen. "If this offends you milady then please open that door and walk away. A bastard like me cannot expect any other response to this, but Arya please, if you know of what I'm trying to say, don't walk out on me."

[jrdnfshr-deactivated20210415]

maketheanvilsing:

Gendry’s face darkened. “Blind? What do you mean blind? You know what? I don’t want to know.” He didn’t even think twice about it, a trait that never failed to get him into trouble; along with his quick temper. He lifted the hem of her tunic to see her scars.

It was a stupid thing to do, but Gendry was full of stupid impulsive decisions. He was a stubborn bull. He stopped when he saw then in the light of the forge… they were bad. Needle was forgotten, the forge was forgotten . The war, Winterfell, everything that had happened when they were apart was forgotten and Gendry felt his knees go weak. “‘Arry …”

If he had stayed with her, he could have protected her. He would have hammered that bitch to the ground, splattered her blood on the streets, he would have broken every bone on her body for what she did.

He was angry. “How could you let this happen? You could have died! How much use would you be to your brother if you died in some flea infested alley in Braavos? You’re family needed you! How could you be so careless? Running away to become an assassin! You should have come home!”

He didn’t realise he was shouting. He didn’t know if he was talking about her family or himself, he just knew how angry he was at her. How carelessly she would risk her life like this. He couldn’t stand it.

“It was a punishment, for breaking the rules. Jaqen made me blind for a while and kicked me out, made me live on the streets and beg for gold. But everyday the Waif came and trained with me with a stick and everyday I would get better. It was a good experience, I can fight blind just as well as I can fight with my vision.” Some people would see it as a horrible punishment, but Arya saw it as just another training, another skill that was important for her to have. 

Arya didn’t move away when he pulled her tunic up and allowed him to see the scars. They were bad, she knew that much but they were also a reminder of everything she went through and how she managed to overcome all of it. 

She frowned at him when he started shouting. How could he? Judge her for wanting to become stronger, more skilled. Jaqen had given her an opportunity, an offer that no one else ever did before. And it was all worth it, all the risks and all she went through. 

Arya pushed Gendry away with as much strength as she could gather and looked up to him. “Are you really judging me for making the decisions I did? You left me! You chose the brotherhood over me! You let me go, all alone, knowing very well what could happen. I was trying to survive. And back then going to Braavos was my only option. It was the only place I knew I would be safe, the only place where I knew someone would help me.”

Arya grabbed Needle and put it back on its scabbard before looking at him. “You know what? Fuck you Gendry. You don’t understand, no one does. Maybe you shouldn’t have come here.” She turned around and started heading towards the door. She didn’t want to argue, she didn’t want to see him angry, not him. She couldn’t handle it.

[maketheanvilsing-blog]

Gendry took a step back as Arya raised her voice. Now they were getting somewhere. No stepping around what happened, laying it all out in front of each other.

"I know I left! There's not a day that went by where I wouldn't think about you, what you might be doing, if you were safe. When Winterfell was won back there were stories of Robb, of your sister, but not you! I thought you were dead! I mourned you!"

He shook his head in disbelief and pointed to her scars. "Braavos was the safest place for you was it? Having your sight taken away, being beaten and stabbed? Why didn't you come home? Why didn't you come back to me?"

He recoiled as he saw her face when she screamed back at him. Oh no, what had he done? His feet were moving before his brain was and he managed to slam the door shut with his hand before she got there.

All of the anger had fizzled out of him at the look of disappointment and rejection on her face. He approached her with caution and brought up his hands, cupping them around her face and making her look at him. Those grey eyes were full of hurt, and it was breaking him.

"You can't ... please ... please don't leave."

[jrdnfshr-deactivated20210415]

maketheanvilsing:

Gendry didn’t really understand about her training, why she needed to give up who she was to become one of the faceless whatevers. She was somebody, why would she give that up? He glanced over at her as she talked, and then looking back at the sword.

“I have good news and bad news. Which would you like first?” He sighed, twirling the sword deftly and offering the hilt back to Arya with a small smile.

He stilled at the mention of … the waif? What? “What in the name of the seven is a waif?” He asked, confusion clearly on his face. He approached her, worry mixed in with his features. “What did they do to you Arya?”

He hadn’t meant to get so close, but all he could see where her eyes and he could feel his head getting cloudy again in this hot room. He would usually work shirtless, but the feelings he was having - that he definately was not admitting to himself that he had so that way he can keep pretending they don’t exist- he felt intimidated into keeping clothed and have a safe distance between the two.

He was finding the latter hard to do.

Most people wouldn’t understand her training and what it meant to be a Faceless Men. You had to give up on you were and become No One. To wear the faces and carry on the assassinations, you couldn’t have emotions that would prevent you from doing so. You had to stop being who you were, give up your titles, personal revenges, give up on your family and friends. Which obviously was something she couldn’t do since she was here. Arya shrugged at his question, it didn’t really matter which one she would get first since she would get both. “I don’t know, whichever is fine with me. You can give me the bad ones first and then the good ones.” 

“She was one of the Faceless Men, she trained me.” More like beat her up until Arya would give up, but Gendry didn’t need to know that. She looked down and shrugged. “When I left the Faceless Men, gave up so I could come here, she came after me and hunt me down. She was supposed to kill me and she almost did.” She paused and sighed. “She stabbed me multiple times on my stomach and I would’ve died if it wasn’t for a woman I met who helped me and took care of me … the Waif killed her for doing so. But after chasing me down through the streets, I ended up leading her into a trap. A dark room where I had the advantage due to learning how to fight when I was blind. I killed her.” 

Arya didn’t even realize how close he had gotten while she was telling him her story. But suddenly the room became quite hot and it wasn’t because of the fire burning on the forge. She didn’t know how to deal with these feelings she was having, she had never gotten them before and she never had anyone to talk to about them. It was true she now had her mother and her sister, but it wasn’t a subject she could just bring up like that, it was too embarrassing.

[maketheanvilsing-blog]

Gendry's face darkened. "Blind? What do you mean blind? You know what? I don't want to know." He didn't even think twice about it, a trait that never failed to get him into trouble; along with his quick temper. He lifted the hem of her tunic to see her scars.

It was a stupid thing to do, but Gendry was full of stupid impulsive decisions. He was a stubborn bull. He stopped when he saw then in the light of the forge... they were bad. Needle was forgotten, the forge was forgotten . The war, Winterfell, everything that had happened when they were apart was forgotten and Gendry felt his knees go weak. "'Arry ..."

If he had stayed with her, he could have protected her. He would have hammered that bitch to the ground, splattered her blood on the streets, he would have broken every bone on her body for what she did.

He was angry. "How could you let this happen? You could have died! How much use would you be to your brother if you died in some flea infested alley in Braavos? You're family needed you! How could you be so careless? Running away to become an assassin! You should have come home!"

He didn't realise he was shouting. He didn't know if he was talking about her family or himself, he just knew how angry he was at her. How carelessly she would risk her life like this. He couldn't stand it.

[jrdnfshr-deactivated20210415]

maketheanvilsing:

Gendry noticed. The look she gave as he approached her, how she held herself, and the change in her demeanour as he changed the subject. Was .. was that what he thought? The tension in the air felt heavy, as if he suddenly couldn’t breathe in the heat of the forge. He snapped out of his silent observation when needle was thrusted towards him.

He took a moment to steel himself and took the sword from her grasp, experimentally brushing his fingers against hers and perhaps lingering fir longer than he was meant to.

He knew what girls liked. Girls came in and out of the forge in the river lands when he was with the brotherhood. They leaned over to show their assets at him, laying a hand on his arm or bringing him food and staying to try and talk to him. He knew their intentions but he would not act upon them.

He would not birth a bastard. He could not. Would not. His mother deserved better, so did those girls, so did Arya.

He lifted the feather light sword with ease, eyeing it in the dim light of the forge. “You really have taken a beating. No smiths in Braavos?” He asked, trying not to look at her.

Arya kept her eyes on the ground, on the walls, anywhere but on Gendry. She had been expecting too much, why would he be attracted or interested in someone like her? At least in that way? She wasn’t like the other girls, she wasn’t attractive, she didn’t know how to act like a lady. Arya wasn’t even worried about the fact that they came from completely different world, how he was lowborn and she was highborn and this would never work, she didn’t care. Knowing Robb, she knew that he would support any decision that she made, he would allow her to be with someone that she loved, even if he was lowborn. But Gendry would never see her like that. The only reason that would make anyone interested in her was her status as a princess, the sister of the King in the North, but she knew Gendry wasn’t like that. He would never take advantage of her like that.

She leaned against a wall as she watched him take care of Needle. How he moved, he had been training judging by how much more fluidly he moved. “I wasn’t allowed to have Needle while I trained. They made me get rid of it, of anything that linked me to my past but I couldn’t. That was the only thing I had of Jon. So I hid it away, where they couldn’t find it. After getting it back, I was too busy running away from the Waif to go to a blacksmith.” 

[maketheanvilsing-blog]

Gendry didn't really understand about her training, why she needed to give up who she was to become one of the faceless whatevers. She was somebody, why would she give that up? He glanced over at her as she talked, and then looking back at the sword.

"I have good news and bad news. Which would you like first?" He sighed, twirling the sword deftly and offering the hilt back to Arya with a small smile.

He stilled at the mention of ... the waif? What? "What in the name of the seven is a waif?" He asked, confusion clearly on his face. He approached her, worry mixed in with his features. "What did they do to you Arya?"

He hadn't meant to get so close, but all he could see where her eyes and he could feel his head getting cloudy again in this hot room. He would usually work shirtless, but the feelings he was having - that he definately was not admitting to himself that he had so that way he can keep pretending they don't exist- he felt intimidated into keeping clothed and have a safe distance between the two.

He was finding the latter hard to do.

[jrdnfshr-deactivated20210415]

maketheanvilsing:

It was a little unnerving, how often she talked about killing people, he knew she had been through the worst that life could throw at her but it saddened him that such a good person had to do what she did to survive. He turned from the fire, (which was now growing in volume after having some kindling and coals to help it along) and looked at her. Really looked at her.

Arya was a woman grown, he could see the way her tunic fitted to her curves and how her face had grown with her. She was a little skinny thing but now she was lean, all slender muscle and dexterous. Gendry knew she was an attractive woman, he wasn’t stupid enough to not notice she wasn’t a little girl anymore.

He took a step towards her and faltered a little, not too sure how to lower these walls she had put up, not too sure how to tell her it was okay to be vulnerable around him. How he felt about her.

He stopped and sighed. “Let’s have a look at it then, I’ll see what I can do.” He was a coward, and he would always be a coward.

Arya had been surrounded by death for the past few years. It was all she knew and it made a mark on her, one that she wouldn’t get rid of anytime soon. Actually, it was something she would carry with her for the rest of her life. It was so easy for her now, to take someone’s life without the blink of an eye if it was someone she knew deserved it. 

She stood in the middle of the room, her eyes locked on the male figure in front of her. It was the first time since they got reunited that Arya really admired him. He had always been strong, built, muscular but he seemed to be even more now. They had both grown up, they were older and their bodies changed along with their personalities. Arya remembered when she first saw him shirtless in Harrenhal. Back then, she had felt this weird feeling inside of her, she didn’t know what it was back then because she was only a young girl, but now she understood. She had been attracted to him, not only physically but emotionally and getting reunited with him once again, all of that came to her once again. The walls she had built around her, would come crumble down, he just had to show her that he felt the same way.

Arya’s heart started to beat faster when he approached her. Her eyes locked with his and she expected something that never came. She masked the sad feeling that took over with a smile, which she hoped didn’t look too forced and grabbed Needle, handing it to him. “Yes, of course. Here you go.” She said quickly, looking down at the ground.

[maketheanvilsing-blog]

Gendry noticed. The look she gave as he approached her, how she held herself, and the change in her demeanour as he changed the subject. Was .. was that what he thought? The tension in the air felt heavy, as if he suddenly couldn't breathe in the heat of the forge. He snapped out of his silent observation when needle was thrusted towards him.

He took a moment to steel himself and took the sword from her grasp, experimentally brushing his fingers against hers and perhaps lingering fir longer than he was meant to.

He knew what girls liked. Girls came in and out of the forge in the river lands when he was with the brotherhood. They leaned over to show their assets at him, laying a hand on his arm or bringing him food and staying to try and talk to him. He knew their intentions but he would not act upon them.

He would not birth a bastard. He could not. Would not. His mother deserved better, so did those girls, so did Arya.

He lifted the feather light sword with ease, eyeing it in the dim light of the forge. "You really have taken a beating. No smiths in Braavos?" He asked, trying not to look at her.