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When Arya heard that Hot Pie was moving out of his Kings Landing apartment she had more-or-less blackmailed him into letting her take over his lease. Though his place was small, he had only one roommate where she had three, and according to Hot Pie, the guy was such a workaholic graphic designer that he’d barely even noticed whether or not he was home.
Trying to succeed in her first year of teaching had been a flipping nightmare what with Willow, Meera and Shireen all sharing the same flat. What had worked when they were all students was not going to fly now they had real jobs.
Arya had always loved books. She’d spent her whole childhood reading. But none of that prepared her for what it actually meant to teach English Literature at an exclusive private girls school. Her second year of teaching at Kings Landing Ladies College was going to be different. She was going to get more sleep, she was going to eat more healthily, she was going to exercise regularly, and somehow, she was going to get on top of her workload even if it killed her.
She moved in on a Saturday but her new roommate, Gendry, was at work. Apparently this was not unusual.
The room she’d taken over from Hot Pie was large and airy. Plenty of room for her desk and bookshelves and all the essentials. The one thing that didn’t fit was her treadmill.
Gendry and Hot Pie had furnished the shared space simply but comfortably. The lounge was huge and plush, the one table solid and extendable, the TV well-placed. Hot Pie hadn’t moved anything out apart from one buffet and hutch in which he’d stored his recipe books and cheffing paraphernalia. It seemed to leave a perfect opening for the treadmill and she could only hope Gendry would agree because the removalists' costs to get it out again were not something she wanted to even consider. She was happy to share it with him if he were ever not working.
When it came to the kitchen there were a lot more gaps. It seemed Hot Pie had provided most of the kitchen equipment. She had brought some of the essential items that he was obviously missing but she made a mental note to replace a few things to contribute to their shared space.
By the time she heard the door open late that night, she was sitting at her desk marking student papers. She wandered out to meet this Gendry character.
When she opened her bedroom door she found a very large dark-haired man contemplating the treadmill.
“Is that ok there?” she asked anxiously.
He spun around, his bright blue eyes wide.
“I’m Arya by the way.” She smiled and reached out her hand to shake his.
“Err, yeah, hi. Gendry,” he replied, taking her tiny hand in his enormous one.
“Nice to meet you, roomie!” she said cheerfully.
He shrugged. “And you.”
“I hope my treadmill isn’t going to be in your way? You can use it whenever you like.”
“It’s fine,” he said. “I’m barely here ‘cause of work. But thanks.”
A silence fell between them. Gendry looked awkwardly at the floor and then sort of cast his gaze up as far as her knees before they dropped to the floor again.
Arya smiled to herself. He really was going to be the perfect roommate. Nothing to say and absolutely beautiful to look at.
“Well, guess I better get back to my marking,” she said. “See you round, Gendry.”
“Yeah,” he murmured. “See you round, Arya.”
Their pattern of interaction was quickly established. Other than one hissed conversation he had on his phone in the kitchen that very first night, she barely ever heard him. They seemed to seamlessly coordinate their bathroom usage and kitchen usage without even having to discuss anything. Arya very much enjoyed emerging from the bathroom in the morning to see him eating cereal in just his pyjama pants with his hair all tousled. To repay him for the view, she took to making double quantities of whatever meal she was cooking and leaving it in the fridge with a post-it note saying, “Gendry, I’m terrible at cooking for one! You can eat this if you feel like it.” It felt like a fair exchange - some eye-candy to ogle for her, in lieu of an actual social life, and some good food for him - to help him keep his strength up and keep that ogle-cycle going. Sometimes she may have let herself drift off to sleep, her head on a pile of student’s essays, imagining how it might feel to be wrapped in his enormous arms but she tried to keep that sort of thing to a minimum. He was a man after all, not a piece of meat. But his lack of spoken words did little to help her round out her picture of him.
It was the perfect living arrangement.
And then they were quarantined.
Hot Pie had come to visit. Arya heard Gendry say more in one evening than she’d heard him say in three weeks. He even laughed .
And then three days later Hot Pie had called to tell Gendry that the sore throat he’d complained of was the dreaded lurgy that had people locking themselves indoors. Shortly after that call they were contacted by the local health authorities who explained to them what their quarantine would look like. Given they’d had the same exposure they at least weren’t required to keep any particular distance from one another. That would have been really tricky in such a small space.
The world was getting weird anyway. Arya’s school had been frantically prepping to teach students remotely. It was her own nearness to Hot Pie’s genuine case that served as the straw that broke the camel’s back. They locked down the school and moved all classes online.
When Gendry called his firm to update them, they told him they’d just made the decision to work remotely.
Arya looked at her roommate. “Gendry? I think we’re going to be seeing a lot more of each other.”
He nodded grimly.
She wandered out of her room in her black suit, blouse and bed socks at “recess” one morning after teaching her class online, to find that Gendry was in an online work meeting and she’d just walked into the scope of his webcam.
“Gendry!” One guy said loudly. “Have you been holding out on us? Since when do you have a girlfriend!”
The obviously casual tone of the meeting and Gendry’s stuttering failure to explain himself led Arya to wander over so she could be seen.
“Hi guys,” she said, waving. “I’m Arya. I’m Gendry’s roommate.”
All the little windows open on Gendry’s screen were populated by trendy looking men about Gendry’s age. They all started introducing themselves at once.
She laughed. “Hang on,” she said, holding up her palms. “One at a time!”
“I’m Anguy,” said the dark-haired guy with the man bun in the top left corner. “Nice to meet you, Arya! I’d never have picked our Gendry as someone who had a girl for a roommate!”
“Not sure Gendry had much of a say in the matter,” she said. “I sort of forced his last roommate into letting me take over his lease when he moved out. Gendry had no idea who he’d be living with until he came home one night and found me here!”
“I wouldn’t have complained!” said the next guy along with blonde shaggy hair. “I’m Ned. It’s so nice to meet you, Arya. I haven’t seen an actual woman in a week since work shut down. I just have to look at these ugly mugs all day. You make such a nice change!”
“Shut up, Ned,” said Gendry.
“What do you do, Arya?” Ned asked, ignoring Gendry. He picked at the collar of his hoodie. “You look all dressed up for someone stuck in their apartment. Are you working from home too?”
“I teach English Literature at Kings Landing Ladies College. The students are all in lock-down too so we’re doing a lot of online teaching that looks very much like what you guys are doing right now.”
“But with more actual work taking place,” Gendry muttered.
“I’m Tormund,” said a guy with flaming red-hair and beard. “You look pretty little next to Gendry.”
Arya shrugged. “I am little. Either that or Gendry’s unnecessarily huge.”
“It’s both.” Tormund chuckled. “He’s a wimp though. You could probably take him.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she replied, nodding.
“I’m Lem,” said the last guy, blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. “And I knew about you, Arya. The last week we were in the office together before all of this happened, Gendry was heating up a container of something that smelled absolutely amazing. I asked him what he was eating and he told me that his awesome roommate kept leaving him these incredible leftovers.”
Arya looked down at Gendry who, as usual, wouldn’t quite meet her eye. She nudged his shoulder with her hip. “Awesome roommate, hey?” she said fondly. “I’m making a cup of tea. Want one?”
“Sure,” he said eagerly. “Thanks.”
“How do you have it?”
“Just normal black tea-”
“-English Breakfast?”
“Perfect. And just a tiny splash of milk.”
She grinned at him. “Brown tea?”
He laughed. “Yeah.”
“That’s exactly how I have it.”
As soon as Arya was out of the line of the camera all the men started talking urgently in low voices.
“-Gendry, why didn’t you tell us your roommate was hot!”
“-Are you going to ask her out? If you don’t, can I?”
“-cannot believe you get to be holed up with someone that beautiful-”
“-Lucky bastard.”
“Err, guys?” Arya called, grinning to herself. “Our flat is pretty open plan. I can hear everything you’re saying.”
There was an awkward silence until Gendry cleared his throat. “So back to the client proposal...”
She made their tea and tried to stay out of the shot as she placed his cup down beside his keyboard.
For the first time, Gendry actually looked up at her, met her eye and smiled. “Thank you,” he mouthed to her.
Arya smiled back, ignoring Gendry’s colleagues calling her name as she walked quickly behind him and back into her room to get ready for her next class.
That afternoon she’d set her class of eight senior students a writing exercise and they were all looking focused in their little windows on her computer screen, typing away, while she jotted down some notes in her teacher planner for what she had to prepare for the next day.
There was a knock at her bedroom door and all the students looked up.
She muted the microphone on her laptop.
“Yes?” she called.
Gendry opened the door and came towards her carrying her favourite mug.
“You made me tea?”
“Yeah,” he said. “And I wanted to say sorry about the guys earlier.”
Arya grinned up at him. “That was pretty funny.”
“I’m glad that’s how you’re taking it,” he said, relieved. “You could choose to be really offended.”
She shook her head. “That’s not really me,” she said. “I’m pretty relaxed.”
“I know,” Gendry said, smiling.
Arya cast a glance at her screen and saw that every single one of her students had stopped typing and were watching her interaction with Gendry with eyebrows raised and little intrigued smiles on their faces.
“Oh, gods,” she said, turning her screen so he was no longer in their line of sight. Then she realised her bed was in view. She turned it back again but Gendry filled the screen once more.
Gendry suddenly realised what was happening and his eyes went wide. He leapt towards the door and out of the shot. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I thought you maybe had another break from teaching. It went quiet in here for a bit.”
She laughed. “It’s ok. I muted my mic. But I think I’m about to have a conversation very similar to the one you had this morning!”
Gendry nodded, mouthing “Sorry!” again as he backed out her door, pulling it closed behind him.
“Who was that, Ms Stark?” was the first question she fielded as soon as she un-muted her mic.
“Was that your boyfriend? He’s cute!”
“Girls,” said Arya sternly. “We are not having this discussion. You have five minutes until your work needs to be submitted.”
She picked up her mug and admired the perfect shade of the tea. She took a sip. No one ever managed to make her tea the way she liked it. She mentally gave Gendry fifty points for being an awesome roommate. Next time she cooked she’d find out what his favourite meal was and see if they could get the ingredients delivered in their wacky post-apocalyptic new reality.
Gendry and Arya started to talk. At first it was about what groceries they needed to get delivered and what times he’d have to be in online meetings using their shared table so he could lay out his drawing boards. Each time either of them made a cup of tea, they automatically made a second, delivering it in exchange for a grateful smile. Gendry asked her if she had any good books he could read and they started having little discussions about where he was up to and what they liked about the characters and what was happening. She even found herself occasionally appreciating his literary insights. He started lending her some of his favourite books too, titles she’d meant to read for ages but never gotten around to. They were made so much more enjoyable by the discussions she could have with Gendry about them.
They were both thankful for the treadmill. They’d take turns on it every morning and every night to stop themselves going stir-crazy. They’d even started watching through old TV series together while one of them exercised and the other one flopped on the couch.
Every time Gendry’s colleagues caught sight of Arya, they always called her over to say hi. She would check with him if it was an ok time and Gendry would roll his eyes good-naturedly. Every time Arya’s students caught sight of Gendry they would pepper her with prying questions to which she point-blank refused to respond.
When on the third Saturday afternoon of the city-wide lock-down it became apparent that Gendry and his workmates had stopped even pretending to work and had started playing online video games instead, Arya was invited to join in and she promptly whipped the lot of them.
When they switched back to the online chat, Arya pulled out the chair next to Gendry and sat beside him at the table, close enough that they could both be seen in his little window.
“How did you do it, Arya?” Lem was asking. “I’ve never seen anyone so deadly in that game.”
She shrugged. “I have a lot of brothers. If you didn’t speak video game in my house when we were teenagers, you might as well not have existed.”
“Gendry!” Tormund cried. “If she weren’t so tiny you might snap her in half, I’d say you were living with the perfect woman!”
“Arya,” Ned pleaded. “Can’t you come over here and lock yourself down with me?”
“I think you’re a little confused about the idea of a lock-down, Ned,” Gendry replied.
“Yeah, well you can be all smug about it, can’t you, Gendry?” said Anguy. “You’re actually in lock-down with the girl we’re all collectively falling in love with.”
“Are you still cooking for him, Arya?” Lem asked. “I’ve been living on those noodles that come in a polystyrene cup for three whole weeks now. If I don’t get the bug everyone’s getting, I’ll probably die from that!”
“Seeing as you’re all seething with jealousy anyway,” Gendry said. “I might as well tell you that Arya asked me what my favourite meal was so she could make it for me tonight. And we’re gonna eat it while we watch her favourite movie.” He paused for effect. “ Winter Is Coming !”
“Arya, will you marry me? Please?” pleaded Ned.
“I used to be in love with the big woman who lives in the apartment above me but now I’ve seen you play video games and I know your favourite movie is Winter Is Coming, I think I’m in love with you too!” added Tormund.
“How’s Hot Pie doing?” Arya asked Gendry, ignoring the prattling of the faces on his laptop.
Gendry grabbed for his phone to check his messages, holding it between them so Arya could read his screen.
“How cute do they look with their heads bowed together like that?” Anguy commented.
“And their hot date tonight,” Ned muttered.
“Is it a date then?” Tormund asked. “Are you two getting cosy during quarantine?”
Arya read through Hot Pie’s messages with half an ear on what Gendry’s friends were saying. She didn’t hate the idea of their hanging out being thought of as a date. She glanced over at Gendry and noticed that the tips of his ears had gone bright red. She thought of a way she could maybe make everyone’s day.
Grabbing his phone, she held it between them, typing into the text box so only he knew what she was saying.
Want to pretend tonight is a date just to give your bored friends something to talk about?
Gendry laughed and she could feel his shoulders shaking beside her.
He took the phone. I guess they are in danger of dying of boredom. Maybe a little romance plot might lift their spirits.
Might lift my spirits to be honest Arya added
Mine too Gendry typed back. How do we play this?
Let me take the lead. They’ll find it more entertaining that way.
And more convincing. I should warn you I’m not much of an actor.
Now you tell me.
“Alright,” she sighed. “You caught us.” She wound her arm around Gendry’s enormous bicep. “What do you think are the guidelines about people starting a relationship while in lock-down together?” she asked, grinning.
“You have got to be kidding me,” Anguy said, shaking his head. “Is this for real?”
Arya looked up at Gendry who was watching her carefully, his cheeks pink.
“You try being a hot-blooded woman and having to walk past this magnificent example of the male form every morning wearing only his pyjama pants while he eats his cereal.”
“And you’ve heard me complaining about how no one ever knows how to make me a cup of tea,” Gendry added spiritedly. “Imagine finding yourself in lock-down with someone who brings you a perfectly made cup of tea almost on the hour?”
“So, just to be clear, she wants you for your body,” Anguy observed. “And you appreciate the way she makes you a lovely cup of tea.”
“Amongst other things,” Gendry muttered, rubbing at the back of his neck.
Arya turned to him with interest. After such a strong start, she wanted to see where he’d take it. “Such as?” she asked sweetly. “Which of my good qualities first made you suffer love for me?”
“What?” he asked, confused.
“She’s quoting Shakespeare, you dickhead,” cried Ned. “See Arya? Gendry’s just a beefcake. You teach English Literature. You need to be with someone who’s read more than one book!”
“Well, Ned,” said Gendry defiantly. “I’ll have you know that Arya and I talk about books all the time.”
“It’s true,” Arya confirmed, winding her other hand around his bicep so that she was essentially cuddling his arm. “Gendry even helped me work out how to approach teaching a really complex poem the other day. He may be a beefcake, but he’s so much more than just his incredible muscles.”
“There she is again complimenting your bod, Gendry,” Anguy teased. “But we’re thankful you have such a strong appreciation for all that tea and reading.”
Arya could see Gendry was getting flustered. “I’m not going to talk about Arya’s body with you , Anguy,” he retorted. “It goes without saying that she’s the most beautiful woman any of us have ever seen.”
All four faces on the screen nodded dejectedly.
Nice save , Arya typed into the phone, showing it to Gendry under the table.
“Fellas?” Gendry said loudly. “If it’s ok with you, I think Arya and I might sign off. Same time, same place?”
The other four mumbled their goodbyes and started getting ready for another video game tournament. Gendry clicked his laptop closed.
“That was fun,” said Arya, unwinding her arms from where they were still entangled with Gendry’s.
He grabbed her hand. “Hang on, Arya,” he said. He took a deep breath in. “That wasn’t just to save the little game we were playing. I do think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. That first day you moved in I called Hot Pie and shouted at him very quietly for a very long time for failing to warn me that I was about to start living with a veritable goddess.” He gestured toward Arya. “But then we were both so busy I thought maybe it would be ok and I could just try not to make an idiot of myself in front of you in the rare times we saw each other.” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “But then this lock-down happened and we were together all the time and instead of getting fed up with you like you might expect at such close range, you’ve been so kind to me, and I’ve just found myself wanting to spend more and more time with you.”
Arya gave him a soft smile. “You have?”
Gendry nodded. “And it’s not like I don’t have any thoughts about your frankly unbelievable body. I have to have that show on while you’re on the treadmill because if I don’t... It’s too much for me, watching you in your little shorts and that singlet… I just have to leave the room.”
“Huh,” said Arya. “I wonder what the odds are of that?”
“Of what?”
“Of couples getting together during quarantine.”
“Arya,” Gendry asked, his voice low. “Are we-?”
“Getting together?” Arya asked, grinning. “You betcha.”