The Stag and The Frog - (GendryxMeera GOT fanfic) Part 1: Alone

26: Because of her

Gendry couldn't sleep. This was nothing new, as he hadn't slept for days. But this time it wasn't because of anxiety, nervousness, or sadness. It was because of her.

Because of the tingling emotion spreading all through his body when he thought of her. When he thought of her eyes that were the color of swamp water looking into his. When he thought of his fingers getting stuck in her curly hair. When he thought of her pressing her lips against his.

The moment when she kissed him was stuck on a loop in his mind. How her lips had been so soft against his. How her hand had stroked his. How everything else had faded to exist at that moment. He never wanted to forget that moment. He wanted to live in that moment forever.

But the truth she had told him also kept nagging on him. How it threatened her, him, and the entire kingdom. He had seen it with his own eyes when looking into the king's eyes. Something dark and sinister that scared him.

He wished he could see her again, but he didn't know how to. It wasn't like he could just waltz into the Reeds' tent in the middle of the night. Howland Reed seemed to have a friendlier attitude towards Gendry than most of the other lords but even he wouldn't tolerate that. And he couldn't just ask her father for her hand in marriage either since Meera just like himself was the last of her house. Gendry knew that she would never give up her name or her lands. Not for him, and not for anyone. She was those lands, and those lands were her. He could never ask her to leave.

But even if those moments on the castle balcony were all it would ever be he didn't regret it. Because those moments had given him hope.

He was laying in his bed in the tent he shared with Devan, who appeared to have fallen asleep as soon as he hit the bed. Devan was very good at sleeping. And eating. And talking. But right now Devan was quiet for once. This wasn't always the case when he slept, as Devan also talked in his sleep at times. Usually, it sounded like he was trying to charm some poor servant girl.

The tent wasn't very big. It had two beds, one on each side of the entrance. By the foot end of each bed stood a trunk containing their belongings. The walls of the tent were yellow, of course, that color followed Gendry everywhere now. The color of House Baratheon. Lanterns were burning right outside the entrance, creating the of the guards outside.

Suddenly a shadow appeared on the opposite wall. The shadow was dull as this side of the tent wasn't lit up but he could still see it clearly. Something was standing right outside the tent.

Gendry got up, wondering what was going on. He untied some of the strings that held the tent wall together to peak out.

And there she stood. Meera Reed. Seemingly trying to find a way to get into his tent.

"Meera, what are you doing here?" he whispered, afraid to alert the guards by the entrance of the tent.

"I heard what happened at the council. I needed to know how you were doing," she whispered back.

He didn't answer. Instead, he pulled her in close and kissed her. And suddenly nothing that had happened during the day mattered anymore. Because it was only them in the world. The king's hateful eyes didn't matter, the lords' despise towards the commoners didn't matter, the foolish words Gendry had uttered towards the king didn't matter. Their lips touching was all there was and all there ever would be.

"I'm fine," he said. "I am now at least."

He took her hand and pulled her into the tent, away from whatever eyes could be out there.

"Someone could see us out there," he said. "I don't want to get into more trouble with the other lords than I already am. We should be safe in here. The guards won't come in and Dev is asleep."