Chapter Text
"Yeah yeah, I'll go. Yes I will. Yes, No-Yeah I won't forget. Yes Mother, no not Edric. Why? What do you mean why, we're just friends that's why and he's very much in love with Sansa, helllooo. It's really not necessary, no. Fine fine, I'll bring one. Yes, you heard correctly. Uh huh- next Saturday the 19th. Yeah, I'll be there, WE will be there. Yes, okay, bye mom, yeah I love you too. Give my love to dad."
Arya sighed heavily as she hung up the phone and plopped herself down onto Gendry's couch. They had been having their weekly weekend movie marathon in Gendry's apartment when Arya's phone rang, giving Gendry the perfect opportunity to pause pitch perfect and go refill the popcorn bowl. "That sounded stressful." He said from the island in his open kitchen.
"That was stressful." Arya replied.
"What's Mama Stark got you in a ruffle about now?"
"It's her and Dad's 35th anniversary next weekend, and they're having a celebration. The one you almost forgot to RSVP to." He shrugged sheepishly at her.
"Hey! In my defense, you go through my mail all the time, I figured you might have RSVP'd for me already. Plus shouldn't it be a given that wherever you Stark's are is wherever I'll be?"
"Fair point, I guess."
Gendry glared in Arya's direction and she stuck her tongue out at him. "Real mature, you sure you just graduated university?"Arya narrowed her eyes at Gendry before remembering what they were talking about.
"Anyways, every one of my siblings is showing up with a date, even Rickon." Arya paused to pout angrily. Gendry held his laughter in at how ridiculously adorable she looked. "Robb's bringing Talisa obviously since they're married. Jon has Ygritte, Sansa is taking Theon, Bran is bringing Meera and Rickon is bringing Shireen."
"My cousin?! SHE'S a BABY." Gendry spoke, as he moved from the kitchen towards the couch to sit beside her. It would be so easy to close the distance.
"She's 18 Gendry." Arya rolled her eyes at Gendry's dramatics. "Anyways, my mom wants me to bring someone, so that there isn't any asymmetry in her photos. How ridiculous is that? All because of her photos. The woman has gone mad Gendry, she has truly gone off the rails this time."
This time Gendry rolled his eyes at Arya.
"Who are you bringing?" Arya asked suddenly. It wasn't something she thought to ask before, mostly because Gendry was always to himself whenever his love life was regarded.
His eyes widened."Why are you asking that?" It wasn't a strange question by any means. It was just strange because, well, how was it obvious to everybody but Arya that Gendry wanted to bring Arya, that he wanted to be with Arya? He mentally scolded himself for not telling her all those months ago on her birthday like he had planned to that he wanted to take her out.
Arya laughed, "What's the big deal? I never thought to ask before but now that I think about it I never do. So, who are you bringing?"
Gendry scowled at Arya before answering her."Nobody."
"Nobody? How come?"
This truly bewildered Arya. Gendry, by no means, was a bad looking fellow. In fact, Arya might even consider him to be the most handsome man she's ever seen. Her feelings for him provided a bias towards that statement, but anyone who didn't have eyes for Gendry but just simply had eyes could see how attractive he truly was. Growing up together in Winterfell, all the girls Sansa hung out with seemed to always take a liking to him, not that he ever noticed. He was always too busy rolling around in dirt with Arya and arguing with her about why the Winterfell Wolves soccer team were superior to the Storm's End Stags. It was growing up together, sticking through life together and always being there for one another that made her fall hard. He had always been Gendry her older brothers best friend, but then he became hers. Well not really. Not entirely. His heart wasn't hers, but her heart was his and the poor fool didn't even know it.
Gendry snapped her out of her thoughts when he opened his mouth to respond to her.
"Dunno, just didn't want to go with somebody I didn't want to go with."
Arya squinted her eyes at Gendry, utterly confused by him. The big oaf is probably too stubborn to realize he's an enigma.
"That doesn't make much sense, why wouldn't you just ask somebody that would want to go with you?"
"What if she doesn't want to go with me ?"
"Why wouldn't she want to go with you? You're terrific Gendry! A little stupid, sure, but terrific nonetheless" Arya beamed. It hurt her to think that there is somebody else out there that Gendry wants and it isn't me, she thought glumly.
"You sure have a way with words, Arya. My best friend, ladies and gentlemen."
"There's nobody else here Gendry."
Gendry rolled his eyes before bringing the conversation back to where it was meant to be."So what do you suggest I do then?"
"Ask her to go with you. The worst she could do is say no." She might be sad at the prospect of Gendry actually bringing a date, but she would in no way derail his happiness.
Gendry looked at her curiously before nodding his head,"Okay."
"Okay." Arya just stared at him.
"Hey can I ask you something?"
Arya really hoped he wasn't gonna ask her for more advice regarding his love life. This was a can of worms she really regretted opening.
"Yeah, you can ask me anything." And it was true, because Arya for all that Gendry has known her has never been anything short of honest. He could always rely on her to tell him the truth and call him out when she thought he was being stupid and he would always push back just as hard.
"Will you go with me to your parents 35th anniversary party?"
Gendry wished his phone wasn't by the other end of the couch charging, because the look of pure shock on Arya's face was one he didn't want to forget, even if it was at his own expense.
"What?"
"Will you go with m-"
"No no, I heard you, but it's -i- What? It's me you want to go with?"
Gendry had never seen Arya so flustered, and he was quite proud that it was all because of him.
"Yeah. And just so we're clear, I don't mean it in a friends type of way. I mean it in like a 'I like you, I hope this leads us into a relationship' type of way." Gendry had no idea where this surge of confidence came from while he spoke to Arya, but he was thanking every last of the seven for it.
"You like me?" Arya asked, a little breathless.
"I think we've established that I do in fact have feelings for you yes. Are you okay? Do you want water?"
Arya grabbed the pillow by her side and flung it at Gendry, who caught it easily. "I like you too. Why didn't you ever say anything?"
"I did just say something, Arya. It's sort of what we've been talking about this whole time. And if you like me too, why didn't you say anything, huh? I know you say I'm the stupid one, but I dunno, you might be giving me a run for my money." He laughed as she glared at him.
"So we like each other."
"Yup."
"And you want to take me to my parents anniversary party."
"Uh huh."
"As a date."
"Correct, which, by the way, you still haven't answered."
"Oh, right sorry." Arya laughed. "Yes, I would love to go with you." Gendry smiled at her from his end of the couch. "Mom will be thrilled to learn her photos aren't going to be asymmetrical, and it'll all be thanks to you." They both started laughing and then settled down and resumed their movie marathon, a little more cozy than usual.
---
Gendry was scared, not because it was a date and it was Arya, those two thoughts alone happened to seemingly calm and excite him all at once. It made it easier even, because it was Arya he knew it would be just fine, it would go great.
It was her family that scared him. They all absolutely adore Gendry, they always had after Robb and Jon brought him home after school one day. But they all absolutely adored Arya even more and why shouldn't they he thought to himself. So he imagined the mere prospect of Gendry showing up to Catelyn and Ned's anniversary party with him on Arya's arm would make alarms ring in all their heads.
"You know you don't have to worry right? It's going to be fine, they already love you." They were both currently standing outside of the Stark's residential manor, Arya waiting for Gendry to get a hold of his nerves before they went in.
"That was when I was Robb and Jon's best friend, your best friend. Now I'm your date."
"Well you better get used to it, I'm almost certain they've got hundreds of other party's lined up after this one."
Gendry felt his heart flutter. He knew he and Arya were too good together to not be together, but even hearing about having an actual future with her made his senses going into overdrive. "You really want me?" he asked, disbelief etched into every layer of his voice.
Arya looked up at him, her gaze sharp and longing "Of course I do. I always have." Gendry felt himself melt at her words and before he could stop himself, leaned down and kissed her. It was soft and languid and it made Arya dizzy. They pulled away, foreheads resting against one another.
"Fancy going to those other parties with me then?" Arya asked, with a tinge of amusement in her voice.
Gendry laughed before nodding his head against hers. "Every last one, I'll be there."
And he would be.