5 years later

Arya heard the sailors screaming commands as they tried to sail into port. Her hair was longer, but she still managed to pull it back as she tried to walk across the deck.

"Lady Stark, you must get below deck. This storm is about to break the ship apart." Her second in command informed and Arya looked around, the rain hit her skin and washed over her.

It would be refreshing if the waves had not picked up and the skies being green. She held the helm and she let out a heavy breath.

"How far out are we?" Arya asked and the man looked out towards where the shore should be, he held up his scope for a moment before turning back to his captain.

"We are in Shipbreaker Bay. No doubt about that."

Arya looked out to the water and frowned for a moment at the violent waters.

"We'll continue, have everyone start to prepare for docking as soon as we see shore." Arya commanded and held the helm firmly, her brown hair now wet against her skin and her clothes heavier than they were before they had sailed into the storm.

It was another hour before they saw shore, and Arya could feel the chill set in as she saw the castle she had spent so many years away from. The castle that held her husband in the eyes of the gods. Her stomach tossed at the idea of the possibility that he had remarried, or fell in love with someone else, or even got himself killed in a war. Even in times of peace there could be wars and he was a Baratheon after all.

She shook her head at the thought as the ship began to dock. The waters were tamer, but the storm was relentless. She reached up to undo her hair as the weight of it began to tug at her scalp. She walked down to the deck and began to pay her sailors individually. Their smiles grateful as they placed the purse of coins into their shirts. Arya's stomach clenched as she stood, ready to leave the ship as she knew they would be able to take care of her belongings once the storm passed.

She took a deep breath to steady herself as she took a step forward off the ship.

Gendry was in the Godswood that Stormy night. He often came here to think about her, pray that wherever she was that she was safe. Davos had told him multiple times that no one had heard from her except some stories about a ship with a Direwolf sails and mast head.

Stories could just be that, stories. He touched the tree, despite the storm he could feel the warmth, as if blood was pumping through the wood.

His eyes closed and there she was, her grey eyes wide and doe-like. Only when she looked at him, her lips parting in a whisper as she moved closer to him. The image was waning though. When she first left it was so vivid, he could remember her voice and their nights together but now even her image was blurry.

He sighed, pulling his hand back and opening his eyes. It was time to go back to his chambers, get into clean dry clothes. When he turned he stumbled backwards.

There she was, but it couldn't be. Her dark hair longer and weighted down from the rain. She wore clothes very similar to her style, but it was of a light weight, helping to keep her cooler in the southern regions.

Refusing to believe it was true, he closed his eyes again, knowing when they would open the vision would be gone. He would be alone again, but when his eyes opened again she was still there. Now a smile creeping on her face as she took a step forward.

"Arya?" He murmured so softly he knew she wouldn't hear it over the rain but she stepped forward anyways.

"My lord-" She started, but Gendry's hands were on her, his thumb trailing across her chin and jaw.

"Don't call me that" he growled for a moment before pulling her in for a bruising kiss. Arya moaned out at the sensation, letting him know that the time spent apart changed nothing for their attraction.

Gendry pulled away for a breath and pressed his head against her neck.

"Gendry, I am home now" Arya whispered and Gendry pulled her close, never wanting to let her go again.

It was then that Arya began to lead him away from the Godswood and into the warm castle. He still felt like she could just disappear, with every corner they passed. His heart quickening with each step.

Arya pulled them into his chambers, how she remembered them after so many years he had no clue.

"We should get dry and warm." Arya mumbled and Gendry stood there for a moment before he realized he would need to strip to make that possible. His cheeks reddened at the thought. She was his wife by the old gods, but it had been five years. "Don't be shy."

"It's been five years." Gendry pointed out and Arya turned away from him to begin undoing the buckles on her own clothing. He pulled at his own and let out a heavy sigh at the thought that she might change her mind about him. How could she remain in love with him when she had seen the world?

"We may be different, but we are still the same." Arya murmured, and Gendry saw her clothing drop, revealing her pale skin, some of it has been sun kissed but not much. Her hands began to settle at the hem of her tunic and she paused for a moment, watching his expression. She then pulled the fabric up over her head, revealing all of herself to him.

He in turn finally pulled his own tunic over and Arya let out a sharp gasp as her hands reached to touch the scars that littered Gendry's chest. Gendry stepped back in surprise for a moment before letting her hands slide over his skin.

"An uprising, we were called to war. Probably the second year you were gone." Gendry murmured, and Arya's hands were warm on his skin. She stared at the scars, tracing them before she looked up, realizing the closeness between them. Gendry blinked his eyes, they closed for a moment longer taking in the sensation of her skin against his.

Arya swallowed nervously, watching him slowly. His hand trembled against her side for a moment.

"I'm worried." Gendry admitted causing Arya to pull back in confusion.

"Worried about what?"

"That in the morning this will be a cruel dream, or that you will have gone away again." Gendry took a step back and walked to sit down on the bed he had grown used to sleeping alone in.

"I have came back finally and you still think I will just leave." Arya reached for his tunic and slipped it over her head, the hem almost grazing her knees.

"You did before."

Those words hit her hard as if someone had struck her unexpectedly. A feeling she was not used to anymore. He wouldn't meet her eyes now, deciding to pick at the fur that covered the bed. She let out a shaky breath and the cold settled on her exposed skin.

"I had to" Arya started and she turned to one of the lone tables in the room, her hand grasping the wood for some stability, "You wanted things from me that I could not give you then."

"I wanted nothing from you other than what we had." Gendry's voice raised slightly alerting her to his anger.

"What would have happened if I fell with child? Back then I was fragile and I was having those issues, I could dream of moments that felt so real. Me not being able to handle it, leaving you with a child, or worse hurting them or you. I needed time to heal!" Arya snapped and her knuckles pounded the wood as she could feel her eyes begin to itch, "Yes, you were content at first with us waiting for the boats to be built, you were content with me sharing your chambers, you were content until you wanted more. Our marriage you hoped would keep me here, allow us to have children and rule as Lord and Lady. I wanted to be content with staying, but I couldn't."

"I-"

"I needed to see the world when I was not running from something."

"Seemed like you ran from me" Gendry's voice was low and it made Arya turn, she saw his fingers, rub at his eyes and look down to his feet. She walked slowly over to him. "You never wanted any of this.."

"No, Gendry. I was running so I could come back to something. When I arrived back from Braavos, I did not even bother going to Winterfell, I felt like there was nothing there for me. Every day out at sea I knew I would come back here, Storm's End." Arya positioned herself over his lap, knees digging into the bed. "I wanted all of it, I just knew I needed to find myself again. Someone you never met, the Arya before the Arry, the little girl who only wanted to learn to dance and catch cats."

"Arya"

The name came out as a whisper, barely audible except between them. Her hands were at his shoulders to balance herself as his arms wrapped around her waist. They finally met in a kiss that was promising of more. Arya shifted lower on her knees and a groan erupted between them as their cores touched briefly. Gendry released his arms to pull the fabric over her head and toss it aside. His hands settled on her hips as he tried to lean back to admire her body.

"I want my husband" Arya moaned out, Gendry helped to shift her and himself so when she settled back, she could feel the burning pressure of him entering her. She cried out for a moment in relief as if an itch was finally being scratched. There was resistance until he helped her hips rise up and then the next second he was fully sheathed inside of her.

"Fuck.." His words groaned out and Arya's nails were digging into the muscles of his chest. His hands only began to move when her hips started to move on their own. His fingers sliding across her skin and caressing the rosy nipples he had dreamt of so often, then up to rub a thumb across her bottom lip as she cried out.

"Gendry.." She begged out as her hips rocked back and forth, wanting nothing more than to take them to the edge, Gendry breathed through the motions, wanting to last longer than this. One of his hands going to meet their joining and she tried to shift away from him. He held her firmly in place to rub her nub properly, letting her orgasm crash through her. Arya's body falling down to rest against his chest.

"You didn't-" Arya finally managed once her breathing slowed down.

"Cause I am not done yet" Gendry cut her off, supporting her back when he flipped them over, Arya moaned out as he stayed tucked inside her. "We are not done talking either." Gendry mumbled and Arya nodded.

He thrusted gently, recognizing she was still sensitive. Gendry kept his eyes on her, watching her as she kept her eyes half closed and legs relaxed to stay open as she gripped either him or the furs under him. His sweat dripping from him to her body and the bed.

She gasped out as she felt another release building, her thighs quivering and she pulled him in for a bruising kiss. It was urging him to keep going, but when he tried to spill his seed elsewhere her legs wrapped around him tightly. Her cries echoing in the room joining his own curses and pushing his forehead against hers.

"I apologize.. You kind of kept me in" Gendry whispered when they began to cool down.

"I know. And I'm not apologizing. I hope it quickens." Arya mumbles, her legs trying to shift her body upwards towards the pillows.

"Arya?"

"I told you I came home, I'm married to you. I would want a child one of these days." Gendry looked at her for a moment before his own eyes began to tear up. He tucked his head against her body. Arya ran her fingertips across his back, allowing him a moment to reflect on her words.

"Did you find her? The little girl" Gendry's voice let out a warm breath against her skin and Arya had to bite her lip to stop the shiver as it cooled the sweat covering her body with a sheen.

"I did. I also learned something." Arya looked towards the window, the shutters closed, but she could faintly hear the rain as the storm raged on. "I learned that love isn't weakness. I traveled the world where people taught me that loving someone isn't weakness. My family has sacrificed a lot for love, but none of it was in vain. My brother has found love time and time again just to have it shattered in front of him. I decide who I love and who I would be willing to die for. I choose you. I choose my siblings. I choose my pack."

Silence lingered between them for a moment before Gendry pulled back to look at the woman in front of him.

"Does that make me a wolf?" Gendry asked with a smirk and Arya rolled her eyes before feeling the tickle of his fingertips at her side.

"No. You'll always be my bull" Arya breathed out before Gendry was on top of her again. Giggles sounding out through the room.