Love me?

23:44 Juh 0 Comments

Title: Love me?
Author: Juh (Lillith)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 810
Characters: Arya Stark, Gendry Waters
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. (Do I really have to state that?)
Summary:  Modern!AU. Arya and Gendry talk about their feelings. Or almost that.

~*~*~*~

Gendry was tired of running after her like a lovesick puppy. He was lovesick, but what's the point of loving and not being loved? He thought she would feel the same way, so he stuck around and waited. And waited. And waited. She didn't feel the same way. For her, he was a friend. Her best friend. And she wouldn't date a friend. Or kiss a friend. Or fall in love with a fucking friend. But he was stupid enough to wait and hope. But not anymore.

He looked around for the first time since he realized his feelings for her. Looked to see that she wasn't the only girl in the world. He could find love somewhere else. So he went after it.

It wasn't easy. Many dates, many different faces, some quite nice conversation, many more that were too terrible to even remember. It was hard to find love. Yet, loving her had been so easy.


She noticed the dates. He was never available for their usual programs now: some Karate training or fencing practicing... He was always well shaved and stopped wearing his old hoodies and jeans. She asked why. "I want to look nice for the ladies.", he answered with a shrug. She called him stupid for that. "They have to like you for what you are!", she replied. He smiled that smiled she hated, the one that meant 'I'm older and wiser than you, child' and answered "They don't know me, Arya. They will have to like me for my looks at first."

"Why do you want to find a girlfriend, anyway? You never had one!"

"That's not true! I dated Jeyne Heddle for 2 years."

"And that was 3 years ago! She broke up with you... What happened?"

I fell in love with you and she noticed, he thought. "It didn't work out."

"Then why keep trying?"

"Why not? Being in love makes me feel good. Happy, hopeful... Well, when it's not making me want to kill myself.", he smiled her favorite smile, the one that made his blue eyes shine.

"You talk like someone who's already in love.", she mocked.

He looked embarassed for half of a second.

"No, I just... remember how it was."

"Jeyne got you really good, huh?", she nudged him, smiling. "I didn't know you liked her so much... I'm sorry you're not together anymore."

He shaked his head, smiling. "It's okay. Love comes, love goes, love comes again." He looked at her, uncertain if he should ask the question that was at the tip of his tongue. He almost decided not to, but they were friends, right? "What about you? Why did you never have a boyfriend?"

She considered the question for so long that he was surprised when she answered; he wasn't expecting it.

"I loved a guy once. I felt exactly what you said: happy, hopeful, a complete sap.", he chuckled. "But like you and Jeyne, it didn't work."

"You never told me this. Who was this guy, what happened?"

"He was dating someone else. I never told him. Why should I? He was happy..."

"Do I know this guy? What's his name?"

"It doesn't matter now."

They fall silent for a minute or two. He spoke first.

"You still like him?"

"I don't know. Sometimes, I think I do."

He never had felt jealousy before. At least, not that much of it. Arya had loved someone once. Some guy he could know, someone he could be a friend of! He clenched his fists and jaw, his breath getting heavy, when she called his name.

"Gendry, what's wrong?"

The worst wasn't his selfish feelings, though. She had loved someone and, much like himself, never could really enjoy it. Arya always seemed to not need anyone and the only time she could have needed someone (the mysterious guy), she was left alone.

"Gendry, what the hell? Talk to me!". She grabbed his arm and shook him. He came back to Earth after that.

"Sorry. I was... Nevermind. I'm sorry things didn't work out between you and this guy."

She smiled his favorite smile: that one that made her look acessible, so different from the independent, almost untouchable person she was for everyone else. Everyone else, but him. That smile was just for him.

And for a second, instead of jealousy, he felt sorry for the mysterious guy; he would never had her smiling like this for him.

And suddenly, everything felt right again. They were best friends and he was happy for it. She seemed happy for it too. Everything was right.

But there was just one more question he needed to ask.

"What happened to the guy you liked?". He didn't say 'loved' on purpose.

She smiled his secret smile and started walking. A few steps later and without looking back, she answered:

"He became my best friend."