AN-And it's complete! Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoy it!

November

As time went on Arya found it more and more funny how scared she had been of making a move on Gendry. Except for the adage of kissing not much else had changed in their relationship. They still spent nearly every night sitting at the bar and laughing with Hot-Pie and Lommy while waiting for Aegon to get off work. They still took turns teasing Davos and trying to goad him into telling them more stories about his youth. He had told Gendry once after a long shift and a few beers that he had been a roadie for several years when he was in his twenties and Arya was determined not to rest until she had heard all of his scandalous stories. He kept telling her he didn't have any but she didn't believe him.

They still ran into each other at the Acorn and did homework together and sat by each other in class. Gendry had started to walk her to her next class and she had started coming by his studio a couple times a week to study and help his with his sculptures. And make out in his chair while they watched movies. He had even come over to her dorm room one Saturday and joined them for a marathon of Shireen's favorite sci-fi trilogies.

Arya still wasn't sure if this new found closeness meant that they were dating or not so she refused to so much as even think of him as her boyfriend. She decided she wasn't going to label it, she was just Arya and he was just Gendry and sometimes they made out. Sometimes they didn't.

There was no need to put a label on it or demand that he be exclusive to her when what they had was already good enough for her. Besides, she wasn't worried about him seeing other girls. They spent enough time together she was pretty sure she would know about it if he was.

The thing that had most of Arya's attention when she wasn't with Gendry was trying to decide what she was going to major in. She had to declare it by the end of the next semester and she still had no idea what she wanted to do. Sansa told her to picture where she wanted to be in five years and said that it would help her decide but when Arya did that all she saw was a foggy gray blankness. She had only as far as what she would be doing until she graduated college planned out and even then, she didn't know what she would be graduating with. Asking her to picture five years in the future was pretty much impossible.

Aegon had even less helpful advice telling her to pick the easiest thing she thought she could make a career out of. Hot-Pie told her that she should major in cooking and Lommy had quickly seconded him but Arya knew they had ulterior motives in that so she ignored them. Gendry told her that she should pick something she loved and when she told him that the only thing she really loved was boxing he had brushed a chunk of hair out of her eyes and told her to major in that then. Arya was too busy kissing him to tell him that wasn't a major, stupid.

Davos had more practical advice, telling her to pick a field that she could happily work in and be passionate about. She'd asked Jaqen for advice and had gotten an unhelpful 'a girl will pick what a girl will pick.' She'd considered asking Sandor as she was still fighting him twice a week even with his match against his brother over. But considering that they never exchanged more than six words in the ring a night she had a feeling any advice he had would be even less helpful than Jaqen's. She'd asked all of her family members and their advice ranged from practical (her mother's 'Business is never a wrong choice.') to irrational (Rickon's sage 'Baking so you can send me sweets').

In the end, the best advice ended up coming from Theon of all places. Arya didn't tell him this as she knew that it would go to his head and then he would start giving people unsolicited advice about all things in their lives. Odds were that he had to give sound advice at least once in his life. Enough monkies in a room would eventually type Shakespeare as the saying went.

She would take out her phone and stare at the text message often, even though the words were already burned into her brain. The advice was simple enough, but deciding what it meant for her was a much harder story.

Theon: You should major in something you love so much that you'd do it even if you weren't making any money.

XxX

The problem with Theon's advice was that she already knew what the thing for her was. She loved fighting, she always had. She had done it for years in Bravos and then for months at the House. She had paid to do it in Bravos and at the start of the House. Even now the advanced classes she took with Jaqen were deducted from her wages. When she was young, she had begged her parents to let her learn how to fight but they refused fearing she would become too violent. As it was, she had been prone to pulling her sister's hair in fights and stomping on people's toes when they angered her. It was unfortunate no one had told them that fighting classes might have helped channel Arya's rage into a helpful outlet but she found it by herself later on.

KLU had a lot of programs but Arya couldn't major in fighting, they taught a few martial arts entry level physical education classes but Arya had sat in on one of them once and found it to be an insult to the craft.

Arya sighed and tucked her arm behind her head as she stared up at the black ceiling above her. It was her third sleepless night in a row and she had spent hours trying to toss and turn as quietly as she could so she didn't wake Shireen where she slept in the small bed across from hers. This shouldn't be such a difficult decision but then again, she was deciding on the path of her future.

She supposed her mother was right and she could always just major in business just to declare something. She could always change her major later, it would be a hassle but not the end of the world. At least if she majored in business, she could always open her own boxing gym one day and know how to run it in both the craft and the books.

Arya sat bolt upright in bed as the idea blossomed in her mind. Her own gym. Winterfell had a small marital arts studio but only the one and there were limited classes there. If she opened her own place, she could have kickboxing, boxing, fencing all kinds of things.

Arya bit her lip and slipped out of bed, pulling her phone off her desk as she passed on her way into the hall. The fluorescent lights burned brightly and it took her eyes a moment to adjust to the harsh brightness after the darkness of her room. Arya pulled the name up in her contacts easily, it was one of the last people she called after all.

The phone was already on its second ring when Arya suddenly feared she was calling too late but when he answered Gendry sounded as awake as he had when she'd called him after class that afternoon.

"You okay?" he asked, and she could hear the now familiar whir of his machinery on in the background.

"I've decided on what I'm going to major in." Arya admitted in a hushed voice that did not conceal her excitement.

"That's awesome. What is it?" Gendry asked curiously as the machine sound faded as he walked away from it.

Arya bit her lip, suddenly unsure if she should tell him about her plans to open a gym in Winterfell. Out here in the bright hallway lights it seemed almost silly. But Arya was so happy about finally seeing a path for her future that it made her giddy and as such, slightly fearless. "Business. I want to open a boxing gym one day. In Winterfell."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment as Gendry digested this and it was just long enough that a ball of doubt began to form in Arya's stomach, sapping away slowly at her joy.

"That sounds like a great plan Arya." Gendry finally said, his voice softer and was it Arya's over exhausted imagination or a little sadder? "You'll be amazing at that."

"Thanks." Arya scuffed her bare foot against the tile floor suddenly feeling a little reckless and an overwhelming urge to see his face and know what he was thinking in that moment. "I can't sleep. Can I come over?"

Gendry answered almost as soon as the question left her mouth, "I'll be over in ten minutes."

XxX

Arya didn't bother to change out of her pajamas but she did slip back into her dorm, careful not to let in too much light and wake Shireen, to grab her boots and jacket. It was chilly at night here but still nothing compared to the freezing temperatures Winterfell was already facing. She couldn't wait to go home for winter break, she could feel the snow under her feet already.

"You didn't have to wait outside." Gendry admonished her as she hopped into his jeep moments after he pulled up to the curb. "It's not safe."

Arya simply gave him a look that made him bark out a laugh at himself. "Sorry, forgot who I was talking to for a second." His smile at her was so sincere that the pang of annoyance Arya had felt at his words melted away and she leaned across the seat to plant a kiss on the corner of his mouth. She watched Gendry out of the corner of her eye for the whole drive trying to see if he looked disappointed about her current life plan but if he was, she couldn't tell.

They drove in companionable silence down the empty streets. It seemed as if everyone in the city was asleep except for them. Arya loved the city at night when it was quiet and empty like this. She felt like she could be anyone in those moments, do anything. There were no rules she was supposed to follow, no expectations she was supposed to keep. The city and the movement of the jeep lulled her into a calmness and by the time they pulled up in front of Gendry's studio Arya was beginning to feel her sleepless nights catching up with her.

She followed Gendry inside and tried to hide a yawn but she wasn't sure how successful she was. There was equipment scattered around a metal work bench in the corner, whatever he was working on this time was small enough to fit on the table. The last they had talked about his art he had been working on a series of bulls, as she got closer to the table she could see that was what he was working on now, the sculpture was only half-formed but even without touching it Arya could tell the horns were sharp enough to draw blood just as the rose's thorns had been. Gendry's sculptures were as dangerous as they were beautiful.

"You must be excited." Gendry's voice suddenly pulled Arya from her thoughts and she looked back at him over her shoulder. He stuffed his hands into the pocket of his hoodie as he stared at her. "Knowing that you're going to move back to Winterfell."

Arya leaned back against the work table and crossed her arms over her chest defensively. This right here was why she had been worried about starting something with Gendry. It seemed like they already had an expiration date, even if it was quite a way in the future. "It's not until I graduate." Arya reminded him, surprised at how soft her own voice sounded. It was like she was trying to coax Nymeria out of a corner, like the time she and Shaggydog played too hard and he'd ripped into her skin. She had been too upset to let Arya touch her for several minutes.

Gendry shrugged and looked around the studio instead of meeting her eyes. "You might change your mind again."

Arya's hands curled into fists. "I won't." she bit out through clenched teeth the tone in her voice finally making Gendry meet her eyes again. She stared him down, allowing the vulnerability she felt to show for once. "I've already told you I'm finishing out school here in King's Landing. This new plan doesn't change that."

Gendry looked at her for a long moment before sighing and taking his hands out of his pockets to tug at his black hair. "I just..." Gendry trailed off before he dropped his hands and looked at her, his blue eyes deeper than she had ever seen them. "I don't like the idea of losing you."

The words hung heavy in the air between them as they rolled over and over in Arya's mind. She knew Gendry liked her, he wouldn't be kissing her if he didn't, but that was the first time he had said something so intensely romantic to her before. She found that her heart was beating harder than it ever had before and she pushed off of the table and let her arms drop to her sides as she walked closer to him. He watched her approach wearily like he was unsure if she was going to hit or kiss him.

"You're not losing me." Arya whispered as she came to a stop in front of him. She reached her hands out and curled them into the front of his hoodie, pushing up onto her tiptoes as she pulled his face down to meet hers, "I'm right here." she whispered against his lips before Gendry cupped the back of her head in his hand and pulled her forward to kiss her fervently.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and Arya was pretty sure her feet left the floor for a moment. By the time they pulled apart they were both breathless and Gendry rested his forehead against hers, his eyes boring down into hers as their breathing returned to normal.

"Stay with me tonight." Gendry whispered, his voice hoarse.

A shiver went up Arya's spine at his words. She hadn't spent the night at his place before, they hadn't done anything more than kiss yet. Despite how much she cared about Gendry and wanted him she wasn't sure if she was ready to do anything else yet. Her thoughts must have appeared on her face because Gendry brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes before whispering, "We don't have to do anything. I just want to sleep next to you."

Bone deep tiredness suddenly settled over Arya and she found herself nodding before she even thought it through. Gendry smiled and pressed a kiss against her forehead before taking her hand and leading her up the staircase with him. Arya felt her heart pounding in her throat the whole time she followed him upstairs. She had never shared a bed with a boy not related to her before and she suddenly had rampant fears running through her mind. She wondered if she snored but no one had ever told her that she did before. Her roommates hadn't said anything about it. She did sometimes kick and thrash but she hadn't done that for a while. Her mother claimed she used to talk in her sleep as a child but Arya was pretty sure she had outgrown that by now.

Gendry's bed suddenly looked a lot smaller than the last time she saw it and Arya toyed out of her boots nervously. Thankfully Gendry kept on his t-shirt and sweatpants because Arya didn't think she would be able to handle sleeping next to him if he wore anything less.

As if he could see her nerves on her face Gendry hesitated before climbing into the bed. "You don't have to stay if you don't want too."

Arya shook her head and striped off her jacket, draping it over the edge of the chair. "I want too." she whispered before sliding into the bed beside him and laying down nervously on his pillow. It smelled like Gendry and the scent made some of her muscles untense as she relaxed.

Gendry leaned over her to switch off the bedside lamp plunging them into darkness cut only by the moonlight coming through the uncovered windows. Arya wondered if Gendry was close enough that he could feel her heart pounding but he didn't touch her as he settled down next to her. She wondered if he regretted asking her to stay or how she was ever going to fall asleep with this nervous feeling in her stomach when she felt Gendry's hand move along the blanket. She tensed wondering if he was going to make a move she wasn't ready for but he merely took her hand in his, wrapping her smaller fingers up in his larger ones. Arya let out a sigh of relief and intertwined her fingers with his before closing her eyes letting the sound of Gendry's breath slowly lull her into sleep.

XxX

Dawn was just breaking when Arya awoke, feeling incredibly warmer than she had when she had fallen asleep. It took her a moment to place where she was and another moment to realize that they had both shifted during the night and her head was now resting on Gendry's chest. He had an arm wrapped around her shoulders and their legs were tangled together and trapped around the sheets.

Arya considered moving, to put some space back between them but Gendry was so warm she didn't want to move. She snuggled closer into his chest and in return his arm wound tighter around her. Arya closed her eyes and let sleep take her. She could get used to this.

XxX

"Who are these people?" Robb asked curiously, bending closer to peer at the photo tucked into the corner of Arya's mirror.

Robb was in town for the weekend for a conference for their father's company. He had been working for their father ever since he graduated from UoW and their father had taken to sending Robb to conferences instead of going to them himself. Part of Arya thought it was because he didn't want to leave their mother any more than he had too but another part thought it was his way of making sure Robb saw more of the country than Winterfell.

They had met up at Sansa's apartment before they went over to Arya's dorm so Robb could see where she lived. Arya was pretty sure that was code for making sure she wasn't living in squalor so he could report back to their mother that he had in fact checked in on both of the girls.

The picture he was looking at was one Lommy had given her. He liked to consider himself an amateur photographer and Arya had to admit he did have an eye for it. In fact, over half the photos on her Instagram now had been taken by him. The photo Robb was staring at was from the last day before the semester started and he had taken it with a tripod and a timer on the boys' back porch. He was testing out a new camera and they were all buzzed enough to humor him and be subjects of his photos. He'd given them all copies after he'd developed them as a thank you.

In the photo Arya was sitting on the railing of the porch with Gendry on one side of her and Aegon on the other with his arms wrapped around her back and Lommy's shoulders. Hot-Pie stood on the other side of Gendry with his arm around Gendry's sholders like he was patting him on the back but Arya knew he'd been trying to give him bunny ears but hadn't managed to do it before the photo snapped.

"Those are my friends." Arya said, rolling her eyes at the long sigh of relief Robb let out at her words.

"Thank the Gods. We've been worried you hadn't made any." Robb shook his head with a cheeky grin as Arya swatted him on the shoulder.

"Jon and Sansa have met my friends!" Arya cried, sounding more offended than she actually felt. She had missed her brother's teasing.

"I haven't met that one." Sansa said pointing towards Gendry in the photo. Arya thanked the Gods she didn't have the Tully red hair as she didn't blush as she shrugged her shoulders.

"That's Gendry. Jon met him." Arya felt the need to add, mainly hoping that it would take any suspicion off of her. She had just spent the night at Gendry's again the night before, she really didn't want to be fielding any questions about him with her siblings until she knew what they were.

"I should get to meet him if Jon's met him." Robb suddenly pipped up making Arya swing her head to look at him so fast her neck popped.

"I think he's working today." Arya threw out quickly even though she knew he wasn't. She didn't want to parade him around her siblings like a pet. Gendry would not appreciate it and she didn't want to do it.

"I knew Jon was your favorite." Robb pouted causing both his sisters to roll their eyes at him. Arya didn't feel like protecting Robb's fragile ego by correcting him.

Besides, he wasn't wrong.

XxX

Tucking her legs underneath her in the chair Arya double checked her booking information before purchasing her tickets back home. She couldn't help the grin that began to spread across her face at the thought of going home, even if she was only going back for one week out of the break's three. She couldn't leave her job for that long.

"You buy them then?" Gendry asked as he came up the stairs to his loft and caught sight of the grin on her face. Arya shut her laptop and nodded as he sat down on the low table across from her.

Her and Sansa would be leaving Christmas Eve and coming back to King's Landing New Years' Eve. She figured that was the safest bet in making sure Sansa didn't quit her resolution right before the finish line.

"Where are you spending Christmas?" Arya asked curiously as she placed her laptop on the table beside Gendry. When she had told him about going home for the holiday, she had asked him what he usually did for Christmas. It was a delicate subject to bring up as he had never met his father and his mother had passed several years ago, he had no other family that he knew of and Arya had feared that he would tell her that he always spent the holiday alone. She had forgotten for a moment that blood was not all that made a family.

"Davos invited me over for dinner round his place. I'll spend the morning at Tobho's with everyone from the shop." Gendry shrugged like it wasn't a big deal but Ayra could tell from the nervous bounce of his leg that he was anxious about going to Davos's and meeting his family. She knew that the two of them had hung out outside of the bar often, once she saw Davos at Gendry's birthday party she realized that their relationship was more than just bartender and patron. She had seen the looks Gendry gave Davos sometimes, like he was the father he had always wanted. She'd also heard Davos call Gendry 'son' more than once. She didn't comment on it, it wasn't her place. The two of them had found a kindred spirit in each other and she was just happy that Gendry had people to be with come the holidays.

"How long will you be gone?" Gendry asked curiously.

"Just a week."

Gendry nodded and his leg didn't stop bouncing. Arya rose her eyebrows at it and was about to ask him what was bothering him when he suddenly looked up at her, his eyes intense. "You are going to come back right?"

Arya felt a piece of her heart melt at the sincere worry in his tone, he really was afraid of losing her. She scooted forward to the edge of the chair so that their knees were touching as she reached up and placed her hands on either side of his face. While she was touched by his concern, she didn't like the idea of Gendry being so worried about her leaving but she didn't know what else to say to prove to him that she wasn't going anywhere.

She kept her eyes locked on his as she leaned closer to him, putting every ounce of reassurance she could muster into her voice as she whispered, "Of course stupid."

His surprised laugh was cut short by her kiss.

December

Arya wondered if finals got worse with every year or if she was just imagining it. Judging by the amount of stress everyone in her classes seemed to be under she wasn't. Shireen had made flashcards for every single one of her classes and whenever Arya saw her, she either had her face hidden by them or they were scattered around her on her desk. She was pretty sure Aegon was living on a diet of gummy bears and energy drinks and she hadn't seen Lommy in two weeks.

Considering they were only sophomores Arya was dreading what final's week would look like come their senior year.

Thankfully they all somehow survived it although looking back all Arya could remember was one long sleepless blur filled with way too many textbooks and waking up in a panic at three am that she had answered a question wrong. When she stayed at the studio Gendry would pull her back to his chest and the sound of his heartbeat would lull her back to sleep. The nights she slept in her dorm she would get up and sit in the hallway with her textbook, pouring over material for exams she had already taken. It wasn't until Shireen caught her one night after she'd been out there for two hours and told her gently that knowing the right answer wouldn't help her now that Arya finally stopped doing it.

The last night of the semester and the day before they had to be out of the dorm for the break, Arya dragged Shireen with her to the boys' house for their Christmas party. She had been trying to get Shireen to come out with her all semester as she actually liked her roommate, much to Arya's surprise, but the girl was very studious. She did go out to a few parties at her uncle's house but she was always home sober by a sensible time. Arya didn't care if Shireen drank that night or not but she wanted her to at least have one night in college where she stayed up until an unreasonable hour and just had a good time.

Shireen protested until Arya told her they had to wear ugly Christmas sweaters and then she agreed only if they made their own which was how Arya found herself wearing a black sweater covered in green tinsel where if she raised her arm she would look like a Christmas tree, ornaments and blinking lights and all. It turned out Shireen was a crafting wizard as was apparent by the snow globe she had made on her sweater. Arya had a feeling if she and Sansa ever hung out there would be glitter and yarn involved.

They walked to the boys' house as it was the easiest way for them to get there and Shireen had looked so nervous about walking the streets at night that Arya had to remind her several times that she was scarier than anyone they were going to run into. The thought did not seem to calm her.

Thankfully when they arrived at the house it was not a wild raging party like Arya had feared it might be. When Aegon told her to come over she never knew if she would be walking into a house filled with thirty people or three. This time it was just four.

"You're still alive then?" Arya asked Lommy as she took her jacket off in the entry way, Shireen looking around nervously.

"I survived!" he cried happily, throwing his arms into the air in happiness and making the bells on his sweater jingle loudly at the movement.

They had all met Shireen at one time or another stopping by Arya's room so she didn't feel the need to reintroduce them as she gently led Shireen further into the room.

"Nice sweater." Hot-Pie nodded at the snow globe on Shireen's shirt as she sat down across from him.

She mumbled a soft 'thanks' that made Arya roll her eyes. "She made it." she interjected when it seemed Shireen wasn't going to tell them. "She helped me make mine too."

"What even are you?" Aegon asked as he passed her a beer.

Arya huffed in fake annoyance as she rose her arms over her head, completing the Christmas tree image. "I'm a tree, duh."

"A very nice tree." Gendry agreed, scooting over to give her room to sit between him and Shireen. Arya rolled her eyes at him as he put an arm around her shoulders and pressed a quick kiss to her temple.

"You're very talented." Hot-Pie said causing Shireen to blush and look at her feet. Aegon kicked Arya's foot and gave her a knowing look which she returned.

"We have cookies!" Lommy suddenly declared as he sat bolt upright so quickly beer sloshed out of his bottle.

"Yes! We're decorating cookies!" Aegon jumped up and led the way into the kitchen. Arya could see Shireen's shoulders relaxing at the thought of doing such a normal holiday activity. "Aren't they beautiful?" Aegon asked as he stopped in front of the kitchen counter and waved his arm over bowls of frosting and a platter of cookies all shaped like penises.

Arya burst into laughter as Gendry groaned and buried his head in his hands. She expected Shireen to blush or look appalled but to her surprise she was laughing too.

Hot-Pie surveyed the counter with a surprisingly critical look for someone looking at penis shaped cookies that Arya knew he had to have made considering they weren't burnt. He picked up one of the bowls of frosting and frowned. "I don't think we have enough blue frosting."

He looked around at everyone as they burst into even more laughter, surprise written on his face before he realized what he had said and burst into laughter of his own.

XxX

To her surprise, Shireen seemed to really enjoy hanging out with her friends. They had decorated the cookies with a disturbing amount of detail. Lommy even made a little sweater out of frosting on one of them. They had then watched Christmas movies and ate so many cookies they all felt a little ill. Gendry walked them home despite Arya's insistence that they were capable of doing it on their own.

They spent the rest of the evening finishing packing. Shireen was spending the entirety of the break back home in Storm's End and Arya met her severe looking father when he came to pick her up. Despite the seriousness of his face Arya could see the resemblance to Renly and she was struck again by how much Gendry had their same coloring. The thought fled from her mind when Shireen leaned over to hug her good-bye as they parted ways. Despite everything they did together she hadn't realized they were that close yet.

Arya was spending the break when they weren't in Winterfell crashing on Sansa's couch, it was a lot more comfortable than the boys' couch and then she didn't have to deal with Aegon constantly asking if her and Gendry were having sex yet or if she wanted any pointers. She loved the boy but he sometimes didn't understand the meaning of the word boundaries.

Gendry picked her up and took her to Sansa's, she was at work so Arya even let him come inside. She wasn't ready for him to meet anymore of her siblings because she was worried that would pop the happy bubble they seemed to find themselves in. Besides, they still hadn't put a label on what they were yet. Ayra didn't really feel like they needed to, it wasn't like either of them were seeing other people. But she didn't know how she was supposed to introduce him, what if she said boyfriend and he corrected her? What if she said friend and he corrected her? This whole dating thing was way more confusing than Arya had ever expected it to be. She'd thought once you started kissing the person you liked the confusion would be over. She was very disappointed to find out that she was wrong.

"What's with all the yarn?" Gendry asked curiously as he stood uncomfortably in the small entryway. Arya sighed as she surveyed the overflowing baskets of multiple colors of yarn scattered throughout the apartment. Sansa had started mailing off her scarves last week so there actually wasn't as much as there used to be.

"Don't ask." she said with a shake of her head as she deposited her bags by the couch. She hoped he didn't ask as then that might lead to questions if she knitted and Arya had been working painstaking hours for the last few days on a project that she didn't want him to know about yet.

Gendry shrugged as he came closer into the apartment, surveying the artwork on the walls.

"This is where you got my rose right?" Gendry asked, pointing to an advert from the Rose Festival Sansa had framed on her wall. Arya nodded as she plopped down onto the couch. Gendry walked around the room curiously for a moment more before joining her.

"Nice place." Gendry finally said causing Arya to nod. It wasn't her style but it was still a nice little apartment. "Is that you?" he suddenly asked, getting up to grab a framed photo Sansa kept on a bookcase next to the TV. Arya groaned and buried her face in a pillow already knowing what photo he was grabbing. She had asked Sansa to get rid of it for years to no avail. She had even stolen it and burned it once only to come over and find it back on the mantel again like a ghost. Turned out Sansa had the digital copy so she could just reprint it no matter how many times Arya destroyed it.

"You look cute with long hair." Gendry said over her groans causing Arya to flip him off. "And in pink."

For that she threw the throw pillow at him. It needed to live up to its name after all.

XxX

The next week passed too quickly and too slowly all at the same time. It passed slowly because Arya was counting the days down until she got to be back in Winterfell again and every moment she was alone seemed to drag on for hours. At the same time, it passed quickly because she was spending full days at the boxing gym taking on another instructor's classes as they were on vacation. The time she wasn't at work she was finishing her knitting project with Sansa's tutelage or hanging out with the boys or Gendry. Hot-Pie even taught her how to make gingerbread from scratch although they shaped these ones in just boring Christmas shapes like trees and ornaments. She brought a plate of them to the owners of the Acorn and they told her to let Hot-Pie know that their offer of a job still stood.

The time she spent with Gendry passed quickest of all. She was helping him finish up a slew of commission pieces before the holidays. It seemed his work was really starting to take off and his pieces were getting noticed. He was starting to take in mail in orders and he had one as far as Dorne. He was up to his ears in work so Arya was glad to help him out passing him tools or holding larger parts of sculptures in place as he welded them. Truthfully the process would probably go a little faster if they stopped making out between every piece but Arya wasn't about to complain.

Despite the fact that she had slept over at Gendry's a handful of times by now she made sure to go back to Sansa's apartment every night. There were some conversations she just didn't want to have with her sister. Besides, she had her own project to finish.

Sansa and her were flying out to Winterfell early Christmas Eve and there wouldn't be enough time for Arya to see Gendry before they left so she brought his gift with her when she went over to his studio the night of the twenty-third. They hadn't discussed if they were going to give each other gifts but Arya didn't care if he got her one or not. She had worked hard on his and wanted to give it to him.

For the first time since the break had started there was no equipment running when Arya let herself in through the unlocked door of the studio. Gendry called out to her from the loft, where he stood at the top of the stairs and peered down at her.

"Are you hungry? I made dinner." even from the bottom of the stairs Arya could see how nervous he looked and she was quick to nod despite the gnawing nervousness in her stomach that had ate away any appetite she might have had. Gendry had never cooked for her before though and she wasn't about to spoil that. She picked the best she could at the spaghetti he had made, it was good she was just too nervous to force much of it down.

Gendry must have noticed something was wrong because he asked her several times if she was okay. After the fourth time Arya gave in to her nerves and pulled the badly wrapped gift out of her of her coat pocket. She really needed to learn how to wrap gifts neater. Maybe she could get Sansa to teach her that too.

"This is for you." she said shyly as she passed it to him. Gendry took it slowly like it was a bomb that might explode.

"You didn't have to get me anything." Gendry said.

Arya shrugged and tried to look nonchalant as she admitted. "I didn't. I made it." She hadn't known what to buy him and after hours of dragging Sansa to every store in the mall she finally admitted defeat. Gendry was a very practical person and she didn't know what to get him now that they weren't just friends. She decided that a more personal gift would be better so she had pleaded with Sansa to teach her how to knit something before Christmas.

Gendry rose his eyebrows in surprise at that before setting the gift on the table and standing up quickly. "Hold on a second."

A bit taken aback Arya nervously fidgeted with Needle as Gendry ran down the stairs. She could hear him looking for something and before she had much time to regret giving him a gift he was back up the stairs with his hands behind his back.

"I'm a shit. I forgot to wrap it." he admitted with a blush.

Arya looked up at him in surprise. "What?"

"Your gift. I forgot to wrap it." Gendry explained as he sat down on the table across from her, his hands still behind his back.

"You didn't have to get me anything." Arya said with a shake of her head. She really hadn't expected him too. It was part of why she was so nervous giving him her present.

"I didn't. I made it." Gendry repeated her own words back with a cheeky grin that made Arya roll her eyes.

"I don't care if its wrapped." she admitted because she didn't. The very thought that Gendry had made her something was making her heartbeat faster.

Gendry hesitated for a moment before pulling his hands out from behind his back and passing Arya the object in his hands. She took it but kept her eyes on him, resisting the urge to look down at the metal sculpture she could feel in her hands.

"Open yours." she said softly and Gendry picked up the present off the table as he looked at her. "We'll look at the same time." she explained causing him to smile.

He was able to pull the paper off easily as Arya had used the bear minimum for tape to hold it together. The gray woolen hat fell into his hands as Arya looked down at her own and drew a deep breath in surprise.

A dark gray wolf the size of both her hands stood on a metal log with its ears alert and its back slightly arched like it was hunting something. The metal Gendry had used for it had been pounded so thin that the planes of its back looked like real fur. It was more intricate than anything she had ever seen him make before, she could not even fathom how many hours it had taken him to make this for her.

"It's beautiful." Arya breathed looking up at Gendry and letting out a startled laugh when she realized he had put on the hat she had made for him. She was relieved to see that it fit him she had been worried she had made it too small or messed up too many rows and it would unravel the moment he put it on.

"You're beautiful." Gendry said his eyes searching hers as she blushed. "I love the hat. How'd you know I needed one?"

Arya shook her head, "I didn't. It seemed like the easiest thing to make." It hadn't been but Arya didn't think that he would have worn a scarf. She chose not to comment on the first part of what he had said because she didn't really know what to say to that. She could hear it echoing in her mind even as she asked, "How long did it take you to make this?"

It was Gendry's turn to blush and she couldn't see his ears but she was certain that they were red as he looked down at his feet.

"I started making that the first time you came here." Gendry admitted as he looked back up at her. Arya could hear her heartbeat in her ears as he continued, "You made such a big deal about me not having any wolf sculptures I knew I had to make you one."

The thought of him working on something this beautiful for her when they weren't even really friends yet left Arya speechless. After a few minutes she was able to clear her throat and she looked down at the wolf again as she asked. "When did you finish it?"

"Last night."

Arya looked up at Gendry so fast her vision blurred and he shifted under her gaze. "You deserved something perfect. That was as close as I could get."

She ran her fingers down the wolf's spine with a newfound appreciation before she settled it on the small end table beside her as careful as if it were made of crystal. "It's perfect." She assured him as she slowly stood up and closed the half a foot of space between them. Arya put her hands on either side of Gendry's face as she leaned down to kiss him and he reached up to wrap his arms around her waist. She wasn't sure if she moved or if he pulled her down but somehow Arya found herself straddling his lap on the coffee table, their kisses hungry and their food long forgotten.

XxX

"I can't breath." Arya wheezed, tapping her father on the back to get him to loosen the hug he had wrapped her up in. They were standing in the foyer of the house she had grown up in and it was packed with everyone trying to hug her and Sansa as much as they could. Sansa and her were the last ones to arrive for the holiday so the house was packed to the brim with people. The five dogs darting around their feet weren't helping any matters.

"Sorry love." her father said as he slowly loosened his hold on her as if he was afraid that if he let her go she would disappear into thin air.

"It's okay." she assured him as she tucked her head against his chest. "I've missed you too."

He pressed a kiss against the crown of her head and Arya could have happily stayed in the circle of his arms if it wasn't for the insistent headbutting at the back of her knees. Arya stepped out of her father's hug to plop down on the ground, Nymeria clambering into her lap the moment her backside hit the floor. She used to sit in Arya's lap all the time when she was a puppy and even now that she was fully grown, she thought she could still fit. Arya rubbed her ears affectionally and tried not to get knocked over by her weight.

Nearly an hour passed before Nymeria let Arya get up off the floor again but she didn't really mind. She had missed Nymeria more than she would have thought possible so it was a bit of a relief to see that she had missed her as well. She didn't have to sit in the foyer alone, Rickon stayed with her and regaled her with the story of how he had stood up to the class bully who had walked away from their confrontation with three days of suspension whereas Rickon had only gotten one. Arya was all too happy to tell him that if he needed any tips on how to defend himself from punches she would be glad to show him. Despite the fact that Rickon was already bigger than her he knew that she was not a person to be trifled with and gladly accepted her offer. Thankfully their mother had been out of earshot for their conversation.

By the time Nymeria finally got off her legs to the sound of food hitting her dish Arya's legs had fallen asleep. She was only able to get to her feet by letting Ygritte pull her up and leaning heavily against her as they made their way to the couch. She kept scanning her fingers for the ring but it seemed Jon still hadn't given it to her yet. She would harp on him about it but considering she didn't even want to bring up Gendry to her family yet she wasn't about to start dishing out relationship advice to anyone else just yet.

She stayed up late talking to her family until they slowly drifted off to bed one by one. Jon and her were the last ones up and he finally told her that they needed to go to sleep because they both knew Rickon and Bran were going to wake them up at an ungodly hour. Arya fell asleep in her childhood bed and was surprised by how she no longer thought it was the most comfortable bed in the world. She had been spoiled by Gendry's large bed and the warmth of his body from beside her. Nymeria stretched out half on top of her and Arya had to turn her face so that she didn't fall asleep to the smell of dog breath.

It was good to be home.

She couldn't have been asleep for more than a couple of hours before two huge weights hit the bed and Arya sat bolt upright with a shout that was lost to the sound of her siblings' laughter.

"You guys are the worst." Arya huffed as she fell back against the pillows which were quickly pulled out from underneath her.

"Hey at least you didn't get a face full of dog droll." Sansa said holding Arya's pillow above her head and raising her eyebrows at Arya's halfhearted glare. Nymeria whined from beside her, clearly as unhappy as she was about being woken up so soon after falling asleep.

"Come on Arya! Presents are waiting." Bran said with a smile as he wheeled his chair closer to the bed and tugged the blankets off of her. Arya groaned at the cold air before sitting up.

"Fine but I get to wake up Theon." Arya sighed before she opened the bottom drawer of her nightstand and pulled out one of the Nerf guns she kept stashed there for this purpose.

"I told you she didn't take them all to school!" Rickon said shoving Bran's shoulder as Arya loaded the gun with its bullets.

XxX

Theon wasn't very happy about being woken up by being peppered with Nerf gun bullets but at the reminder of presents his ire faded quickly. He got to wake up Robb and Jeyne which helped too. Rickon joined him in jumping on the bed around the couple and Arya watched laughing from the doorway with Bran and Sansa half expecting the bed to snap under all of their weight.

The noise they were making woke their parents and Jon and Ygritte who shared a high-five at not having to be subject to the wake-up call. It got worse with every sibling that got woken up and being the last one up was never fun as was apparent from Robb and Jeyne's cries of 'enough already!'

The rest of the break passed in a blur of snowball fights and wrapping paper and more sweets than Aya thought she had ever eaten before in her life. She posted a photo of some of the cookies they had made on her Instagram and Hot-Pie pestered her for the recipe for Jeyne's chocolate fudge peppermint cookies for an hour until Arya finally caved and sent him a picture of it.

Arya had woken up extremely early one morning and her mother had been the only other person awake. Arya managed to convince her to go ice skating with her on the pond out back and the story of how Gendry had taken her skating back in August had been on the tip of her tongue but shouting had cut her off as Theon and Robb raced each other to the ice. Something about being back in the familiar walls of their Winterfell home always sent them all careening back to childhood.

Being back in the familiarity of Winterfell was exceptionally strange for Arya as she had spent nearly the last year wanting nothing more than to be back there. She couldn't deny that she was happy to be home or that she had missed it dearly but she wasn't filled with dread at the thought of leaving it again. She was beginning to realize that goodbyes weren't forever. She knew that she would be back in Winterfell one day, more than likely for good. Until that day she was happy to be where she was in King's Landing. It may have been a different path than she had expected her life to take but that didn't make it any less the path she was supposed to be on.

She had been scared that when it came time to leave for the airport she wouldn't be able to bring herself to get on the plane but it was surprisingly easy to say goodbye. She blinked back the tears threatening to spill from her eyes as she hugged everyone goodbye but it was easier this time because she knew she would be seeing them again shortly for Bran's high school graduation. It was easier to say goodbye when one had a deadline for the next time they would be together.

Their flight was delayed by several hours which Arya spent watching the snow fall outside the window longingly and trying to ignore Sansa's pacing. She was suddenly grateful she wasn't sitting beside her sister on the flight home because she was certain that she would drive her to either insanity or murder.

The thought gave Arya pause as it occurred to her that she had just thought of somewhere else as home while standing in Winterfell. The wait didn't feel so long after that.

XxX

It was past ten by the time they pulled up to Sansa's apartment building and she all but sprinted inside to change. Arya knew that she was going to meet Margaery that evening and she couldn't help but watch her race around the apartment to get ready in amusement. Arya had texted everyone that their flight was delayed so she was just going to meet Gendry and the others at the bar.

She figured she could wait a few more minutes before she left to join them. There was something she had felt like she needed to say to Sansa ever since she had told her a few weeks ago that she had found out that Margaery had been the one leaving her the flowers and that she had in fact known about it for months. Arya knew how hard this resolution had been for Sansa to keep, especially with Margaery in her life. Honestly, learning that Sansa had known where the flowers were coming from and didn't throw everything away to pursue Margaery had been a shock for Arya. Her sister wasn't very well known for seeing things through and Arya found that she was proud that Sansa had finished this out. She could see the changes in her sister, she was a much more independent person now than she had been when the year began. Arya was proud of her; it was a surprising feeling but not all together unpleasant.

Sansa was struggling by the door, trying to put on both her shoes and coat at once. Arya cleared her throat to get her attention.

"Before you go, I just wanted to say-" Arya hesitated with a frown, her face scrunching up as she tried to get the words out. Why were words from the heart so difficult to say? Arya finally managed to get the words all out in one breath, the words tumbling from her mouth like they were racing each other to get out. "I just want to say that I'm proud of you for sticking to your resolution."

"Thank you." Sansa said, the surprise evident in her tone. It was not lost on either of them that was easily the nicest thing Arya had ever said to or about her. "And thank you for helping me keep it."

Arya shrugged and shoved her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket. She ginned at Sansa as she finished putting on her shoes, "No problem. Now get out of here and go and get your girl."

XxX

Arya walked to the bar feeling like she was bouncing. Her heart felt a hundred times lighter having seen her family and Winterfell. She didn't even mind King's Landing milder temperature so much after getting to play in the snow again.

The bar seemed to be even more packed than it was last year and she was thankful for her small frame as it made darting through the crowd fairly easy. She spotted a familiar form sitting at the end barstool and she slipped up next to Gendry as she tried to fight down a blush as she thought about what they had done the last time she had seen him.

She tapped him lightly on the shoulder to alert him to her presence and he looked over at her curiously before his face broke into a large smile. Arya smiled back at him and stepped closer to him as the crowd surged around them to the upbeat dance music that the bar only brought out on holidays.

"I saw your photos. It looked like you had a good time." Gendry called as he passed her a whiskey he had clearly ordered after she had texted she was on her way.

"It was great." Arya admitted as she took the glass thankfully. She waved at Davos as he caught sight of her from the other end of the bar. "What about you?"

"Well I didn't have any dog piles but it was still a good holiday. Davos's wife is pretty great." Gendry said as he reached his hand out to put on her waist to steady her as someone knocked into her with their exuberant dancing. They called an apology to her as they moved further into the crowd.

Gendry rolled his eyes and took the pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, holding it up like a question. Arya nodded gratefully and followed after him through the crowd, careful not to spill her drink as they pushed their way to the back porch where the smokers usually hung out. For once it was empty, the acrid lingering smell of smoke the only sign that anyone had been there at all.

Gendry passed her a cigarette which she took gratefully and he lit his own as he looked down at her questioningly.

"Did you want to stay?" he asked, his voice hesitant like he wasn't sure if he should be asking.

Not following his question Arya shook her head, "Stay where?" she asked as she took a slow drag of the cigarette.

"In Winterfell." Gendry said, his eyes not leaving hers. She was surprised to see the amount of vulnerability there in them. Had he really thought she wasn't going to come back?

"No." Arya admitted because the thought of staying hadn't really crossed her mind. She had been scared it would too but it hadn't. Sure she was filled with the thought of coming back but that wasn't until she was done here in King's Landing.

Gendry smiled a little at that and nodded and Arya was a bit relieved he had dropped the subject so easily. She wondered how long he had been worried that she wouldn't come back.

"Do I get to kiss you at midnight?" Gendry asked suddenly causing Arya to let out a startled laugh.

"Sure, if you play your cards right." Arya said with a smile, both of them knowing she was just teasing.

"Cool. I've always wanted to kiss my girlfriend on New Year's Eve." Gendry said nonchalantly making Arya's breath freeze in her throat. She was suddenly grateful she hadn't had a lungful of smoke when he had said that.

"Am I your girlfriend?" Arya asked, surprised by how soft her voice sounded.

Gendry hesitated for a moment before he shrugged, his voice matching hers in volume as he replied. "If you want to be."

Arya paused before she stubbed out her cigarette and carefully placed her drink down on one of the benches. She could feel Gendry watching her curiously as she struggled to find what she wanted to say. She stopped in front of him, only inches between them as she tried to decide if she should just say 'yes' or something more profound. In the end, she did neither.

"Of course I do stu-." Gendry grinned and bent down to kiss her, cutting off the last word in her mouth. Arya didn't mind as she rose her hands up to tangle in his hair. Gendry wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off her feet, spinning her in a brief circle before setting her down again. Arya wondered if she would ever get used to the magic of kissing him, she very much doubted it.

Gendry brushed a piece of hair behind her ear and cupped her face in his hand before he leaned down to kiss her again. Arya pushed up onto her tiptoes as she wound her fingers into the lapels of his coat to bring him closer to her.

Arya had thought when she had come to King's Landing that she would never be happy anywhere that wasn't Winterfell, that wasn't home. She hadn't realized yet that a person could have more than one home. King's Landing had never been part of her plan and as such she had never thought that she would be able to be happy there. She had never been so happy to be wrong.

The sudden sound of catcalls and whistling made Arya slowly pull away from Gendry and she glared over her shoulder at Lommy, Hot-Pie and Aegon who stood grinning at them from the doorway. Arya rolled her eyes at their comments and Gendry snapped at them to shut up as he put an arm around her shoulders. Arya leaned against him as Davos pushed past them to quickly sneak a cigarette before he had to go back to the bar. Arya smiled at them all as she burrowed closer to Gendry's side. She had come to this dirty city with every intention of leaving it almost as soon as she got there. She had never planned to even make friends and yet here she was with a whole pack.

The sound of the countdown began to float out the open door and Davos cursed as he stubbed his cigarette into the ashtray and pushed past the boys into the bar, they followed after him hurriedly but Gendry and Arya stood where they were, the music loud enough that they could hear it through the closed door like it a second heartbeat, like it was the pulse of the city itself. They could just make out the countdown from behind the closed door and they joined in on a whisper as Gendry looked down at her in wonder. At the sound of the loud cheers coming from inside Gendry rested his forehead against hers before leaning down to kiss her softly. Arya couldn't believe how far they had come in the last year and she wound her arms around Gendry's neck as she smiled against his lips.

"Seriously you guys, you're missing it!" Lommy's voice suddenly called out to them and Arya waved him off and continued kissing Gendry. Lommy groaned in disgust before letting the door shut behind him. There was nothing happening in that bar than was better than what was happening out here. Arya knew that for a fact because Gendry was out there with her. They stayed out there kissing under the stars long into the new year.