He was quickly losing his patience.

He wasn't used to this, really. He just wanted to go back to the motel they checked into last night and bury himself beneath the warmth of the crisp, white sheets. He wasn't against trekking up a famous waterfall per se, but he woke up in a foul mood. And her excitement wasn't helping his mood.

"Come on, slowpoke. Stop grumbling your way up to the top."

"I wonder why you're so perky today. It's actually infuriating."

"Because one of us has to be cheerful this morning and sadly, it isn't you."

Gendry stopped in his tracks. Placing his hands on his hips, he looked back to where they came from and was surprised that they even got this far considering he was complaining every step of the way. "I'm tired, Arya."

Arya rolled her eyes. "You're not. You're just annoyed that I had to drag you out of bed at 5 a.m. for this trek. Now, get your slow ass moving or else we'd be here until noon."

She turned her back on him and kept moving forwards, not even looking back to check if he was following. Gendry took a deep breath and proceeded up the trail.

They had been planning on a trip for this summer and Gendry had been rooting for a trip somewhere with snow all year round. Unfortunately for him, his best friend had other plans. And anyone who knew Arya knows that she always gets her way. So Gendry finds himself boarding a plane to some small island in Braavos; getting in a small speedboat that took him to the town proper where at least, to Gendry's relief, it was a little more civilized. They checked into a small motel called Peach Motel, whose name Gendry thinks lacks a little creativity. It was almost midnight when they finally got their room each, and Gendry was practically singing Hallelujah to the high heavens when he finally jumped on the bed.

But then his best friend had to come knocking on his door (more like hammering her fists on it) at 5 a.m., without even caring if the people next door would file a complaint against them. And now at 7 a fucking m, he was on a trail up the famous Seven Great Falls of Braavos.

"What's so fucking special about this waterfall anyway?" Gendry muttered to Arya as soon as he caught up with her.

Arya turned to give him an incredulous look before turning back to the trail. "This, good sir, is the famous Seven Great Falls of Braavos. So we get on this trail," Arya said, waving her hands around to point out what was obvious even to an annoyed Gendry. "Then we find one waterfall each, until we get to the seventh. But," she said, holding her pointer finger up for effect. "The higher we get, the steeper and narrower the trail gets. But they promised us a great view as we progress."

"You mean, this trail is the easiest? Because we haven't gotten to the first waterfall yet," Gendry grumbled even as he trudged forward again.

"You know what," Arya said, as exasperated as he was now. "You can just go back down and I can finish this trek myself. The trail is hard enough as it is and I don't really need a grumpy old man adding to the stress."

Gendry watched as she hefted her backpack higher before moving again. She was almost to the end before the trail takes a right when Gendry started picking up pace again, although he was careful not to follow too close behind. He felt a little embarrassed about being the grumpy old man she called him to be because he knew she was right.

After ten minutes of silently avoiding sharp rocks, pouring sand out of his shoes and silently muttering curses, they both heard the sound of water splashing from a certain height, flowing onto a small body of water before rushing towards a narrow trail. Arya turned to look at him, a smile creeping up her pretty little face. Gendry found himself smiling too before rushing in the direction of the falls. They were almost scrambling over rocks now until they finally saw it; the first of the seven waterfalls.

"Wow," Gendry said in awe, watching as the waterfall appeared in sight. They stood beside each other, looking up and around to survey the area. There were about six of them there; the other four were in the water while it was just him and Arya out of the water.

"Amazing, huh?" She said, giving him a smug grin that Gendry returned with one of his own. "Is it worth grumbling over?"

"Pretty cool," he answered, watching Arya as she walked towards the small body of water. "If this is just the first, I wonder what the other six would look like. This is already pretty much paradise lost."

"But found by Gendry and Arya," she added, taking off her shoes and sitting on the embankment. She dipped her toes first, wiggling them a bit before submerging half of her legs. He knew, because that was how clear the water was.

Gendry took his shoes off too, placing his backpack beside hers before taking the space beside her. They remained like that for a while; just sitting beside each other in silence as they basked in the early morning sun and the surprisingly warm water. The other people there were playing around; their screams and laughter echoing throughout the wall of rocks and amidst the sound of rushing water.

"We should get on if we want to see the other six falls," Arya said as she got up. "Come on, Grumpy Gendry. We have a trek to finish."

It was almost noon when they reached the sixth.

They were standing side by side, mouths agape, as they stared at the glorious sight before them. Gendry was amazed he had the solid stamina to get this far, but then again, Arya's feisty spirit and adventurous heart made it all the more bearable.

This was the most amazing sight he's ever seen in a while. Staring at the approximately seven to eight foot deep natural pool at the bottom, they were told that it was appropriate for cliff jumpers. Feeling more daring now, he nudged Arya by the side and said, "You up to a little jump?"

Arya chuckled. "That's not even considered little, but you can bet your sweet ass I am! Race you to the top!"

And off she went, leaving a laughing Gendry on her heels. It was a shorter trek up there; the sound of Arya's laughter ringing all the way up the cliff, making Gendry feel a little more adventurous. His best friend always knew how to keep him on his toes with her child-like energy. He was having the most fun he's had since the night of Jon's party, when him and Robb drew phallic representations on a drunk Jon's leg with a permanent marker.

"I WIN!" Arya shouted out as she drew to a stop right at the edge. The sound of her voice echoing throughout the place, give it a little creepy effect seeing as they were the only people up there.

"I LET YOU WIN!" Gendry shouted back as he approached her. He was sweating profusely, his feet were aching, his muscles throbbing from the exertion, but he was feeling elated and it was mostly Arya's fault.

"So this is the part where we jump, right?" Arya said, a huge smile spreading across her face.

Gendry gave her a cheeky grin. "You jump, I jump, remember?"

Arya gave him her famous eye roll, even as she grabbed his left hand with her right. She mutters, "stupid fucking cornball" under her breath, but she knows Gendry heard her. She took a peek down below to the pool where they would end up in. It was a pretty scary drop, but Arya Stark doesn't back away when a new adventure strikes her fancy. She gave Gendry a sidelong glance but quickly looked straight when she saw that he was actually studying her.

"You're nervous," Gendry said, giving her hand a tight squeeze. He felt her squeeze back; welcoming the warm, tingly feeling he got where their palms and fingers touched. He mentally shook it off as he took several deep breaths to calm his nerves. Yes, Gendry Waters was nervous as hell.

"On three?" she asked.

"On three," Gendry answered with a nod. "One…two…"

"WAIT!" Arya said, tugging his hand before they could jump over. She saw an irritated expression on his face which quickly turned into a worried one once he saw how she was staring at him with a somewhat pained look.

"You okay?" Gendry asked, pulling her hand so she could face him directly. "We can skip the jump if you think it's suicide," he added on a teasing note.

"No! I want to do it!" Arya said in protest. "I just…"

He realized she was struggling and so he kept silent.

"Gendry?

"Hmm?"

"I know this is the furthest thing to killing ourselves, but do you ever feel a bit more daring when a once-in-a-lifetime chance comes sneaking up on you?"

Gendry's forehead creased. "Like, right now?"

"Yes."

"What once-in-a-lifetime chance are we talking about?"

Arya stared at him with those big, startling grey eyes of hers, and something in his insides made his stomach flutter. When she said the words, she saw him blink a couple of times, as if making sure he heard the right thing.

"What?"

"You're stupid," she snapped at him. "I know you heard me."

"You want me to kiss you?"

Arya pulled her hand from his grip. "You know what? Never mind. It was just a spur of the moment thing. Are we going to jump or what?"

She took several deep breaths, her hands fisted at her sides, her shoulders straightening up a bit. The sunlight was touching her hair, making the brown a little lighter than usual. She lifted her chin in defiance, as if his questioning her request hurt her feelings. And maybe they did, but it wasn't because Gendry didn't want to. Maybe he had been waiting for this chance too since years ago but he couldn't gather up the courage to make a move.

"Arya."

"What?" She kept staring straight ahead, her knuckles turning white from how tightly she was squeezing them closed.

"Look at me."

The moment she turned to him, Gendry leaned forward to place his lips on hers, giving her a gentle, close-mouthed kiss. When he pulled back, she had the prettiest surprised face he has ever seen, and Gendry couldn't resist emitting soft laugh.

"You jump, I jump, right?"

Arya nodded slowly, even as she still looked stunned to silence. Feeling his fingers thread with hers one more time, they stepped towards the edge and jumped.

"I plan to sleep for ten years, thank you very much," Gendry said, his words muffled by pillow. He plopped face down on the bed as soon as they got to the motel room. He felt tired down to his bones; he just wanted to sleep for days.

Arya dropping her backpack beside his at the foot of the bed before taking a seat on the carpeted floor next to it. She was quiet for the duration of the trip back. Gendry had been silent too, although he spoke more than Arya did.

"You want to get something to eat?" he asked as he crawled towards the ipod dock and went through his ipod's playlists. He's looking for this one song that's been a constant earworm since the week before, where the image of Arya kept popping in his head.

"I love this song," she murmurs from where she was sitting, although he could hear her perfectly well.

Good, he thought. Because he's slowly associating the song to Arya and everything that she's making him feel.

You want to stay with me in the morning

You only hold me when I sleep

I was meant to tread the water

Now I've gotten in too deep

For every piece of me that wants you

Another piece backs away

Gendry slithered across the bed, closer to her as she sat on the floor, leaning on the side of the bed. His head was touching the side of hers, loving the fruity scent of her shampoo and the feel of a few wisps of her hair as they touched his cheek. He was still lying face down, content with the comfortable silence enveloping them. She just sat there, staring at her tired feet which were crossed at the ankles. He swears he felt her move an inch closer and he fights back the smile that's trying to spread across his face.

"Maybe I should go back to my room…call it a night?" she said as she stood and made to grab her bag.

Gendry reached out to grab her hand before she could move away. He felt her tense, although he couldn't tell what she was really feeling because he still had his face buried in the softness of the duvet. Besides, he wasn't really feeling that brave just in case he would get the reject stamp across his forehead.

Cause you give me something

That makes me scared alright

This could be nothing

But I'm willing to give it a try

Please give me something

Cause someday I might know my heart…

"Gendry?"

Her whisper was laced with half-surprise, half-fright. He still didn't raise his head to look at her, but chose to tug on her hand one more time so she could take a seat beside him on the bed.

"Gen?"

She said again until he finally raised his head to look at her. Her beautiful grey eyes were full of questions, her brows were furrowed in confusion. He just continued to stare at her until suddenly, everything became clear to him because right at that moment, it was all about Arya and what she was making him feel.

It was always about Arya.

I never thought that I'd love someone

That was someone else's dream…

Gendry sighed when her lips met his as she crawled onto his lap; her arms entwining around his neck, her fingers threading themselves into his soft black hair. Gendry loved the feel of her weight on his lap as she sat astride, the slight pressure on his hips when her thighs lightly squeezed together. His hands went to her lower back, sneaking under the hem of her soft, cotton t-shirt until it met the smoothness of her small back. He wanted to deepen the kiss but he didn't want to scare her away. With just the tip of his tongue, he ran it along her lower lip, and then smiling when he felt her shiver in his hands. Taking that as an encouraging sign, he tilted his head to the right and deepened the kiss.

Gendry's senses were on a high. He could hear the song still softly playing overhead, Arya's small gasp as he ran his hands along the length of her back; the way her breath hitched when he laid on the bed and grabbed her thighs to keep her with him. He could smell her shampoo and the way her long brown hair cascaded around his head when she leaned over him for yet another kiss. Her skin felt warm under his touch, her mouth was searing hot as she met him kiss for kiss.

This could be nothing

But I'm willing to give it a try

Please give me something

Cause someday I might call you from my heart

But it might be a second too late…

He took his time with her; moving in slowly until she felt the pain and discomfort of her first time ebb away with the soft, soothing words he was whispering in her ear. Arya arched her back as her thighs drew him in closer; her slender neck arching as well as she threw her head back in pure bliss. And when his thrust went faster and his strokes ran deeper, Gendry felt her nails rake from his shoulders down his back as she gave him both pleasure and pain.

When he felt that he was about to go insane with need, he could only focus on the feeling of his body as it strung tight…like it was about to break into a thousand little fragments. His thrusts became erratic, but Arya met them as hard and as fast as she could until he felt her back shoot up from the bed and she came as hard as he did then. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the back of his head because he wanted to see her and how he made her feel. Through dark, glossy eyes, he watched as she threw her head back, her mouth open but making no sound at all. Her eyes were shut tight, almost like she was squeezing the life out of them because there were no words that either of them could say to describe this moment.

Maybe except…

"I love you, Arya…"

And the words that I could never say

Gonna come out anyway…

Gendry felt Arya's hands grip his back as she held onto him, as if he would keep her anchored safely before she's swept away by the intensity of his words. He buried his face on the side of her neck; placing soft kisses instead of little nips because he suddenly became aware of what came out of his mouth.

Please give me something

Cause someday I might know my heart

Know my heart, know my heart, know my heart…

He almost wanted to take back the words, if only for fear of scaring her. Was it too much? Too soon? But he meant it and realized that he wanted it said, even if she won't say it back at that moment.

He raised his head when he felt the softness of her palm on the side of his face, and he closed his eyes when she said it.

" And I love you…"

And in that blissful moment, Gendry let his lids close because he knew that he didn't really want to take the words back.

"I hope you had fun here in Braavos," the girl behind the reception desk said. She handed his credit card back to him, her pretty face lighting up with a sincere smile, and he could tell it was not the kind one usually gives because it's required. He read the name printed on her silver nameplate-Amy, it said.

Gendry flashed her with a smile of his own. "Thanks, Amy. It's been really fun here."

He noticed that Amy's smile widened even more at the mention of her name. "We hope you and your girlfriend come back soon."

Girlfriend. Was that who she is now? He knew he probably looked ridiculous with a silly grin plastered on his face, but Gendry was past caring.

"You look pretty happy this morning," he heard Arya say as she returned from her quick trip to the washroom. She was eyeing him nervously; as if she was scared that he would up and disappear right before her very eyes. "What has got you smiling like a stupid bull?"

He had to laugh at the image of that. "Only Arya Stark can come up with descriptions such as stupid bull. Because how in the world can one say a bull is stupid?"

She threaded her fingers through his when she felt him give a slight nudge. Holding hands with Gendry felt so right, that simple act was making her stomach do somersaults. "Well, for starters, you are a bull and you are stupid. End of discussion."

He threw his head back and laughed. Letting go of her hand in exchange for draping it across her shoulders, he kissed her by the temple and whispered, "I rut like a bull, too. Or maybe a stag, whichever you prefer."

"I'd say a bunny, perhaps, but bunnies are soft and squishy and you are neither of those," she said with a chuckle.

Gendry groaned. "We're supposed to be at the airport in an hour. You can't say things like that to me when there's barely time enough to grab something to eat."

She ignored how his eyes suddenly darkened at the thought, choosing to look at Amy behind the reception desk. "See you again soon!" she called out with a wave.

Gendry raised his hand in Amy's direction too before pulling Arya closer to him. "Let's get out of here. The sooner we're home, the better."

He leaned in to her as she raised her face to his, meeting his lips for a short but sweet kiss.