Mature warning: Well as you might have figured out, this is Gendry and Meera's wedding night... which means they are about to do some mature stuff.
Meera laid on the bed in the lord's bedroom. Waiting for her husband to arrive.
The bed was sprinkled with flower petals. Purple and pink just like the flowers in her hair. They smelled like the fields of the Stormlands. The lands of her husband.
She wore a sheer lacy nightgown. Her shoulders were bare and so were her legs from the knees down. It felt weird wearing so little. After all, she was from the North, where full coverage usually was what the weather required.
Before leaving Meera by herself Marya had helped her get the wedding dress off. Marya seemingly didn't trust Gendry to undress Meera without ripping it. They had also had an embarrassing and educational talk about the duties of a bride during the wedding night.
She felt odd laying there. Like it wasn't actually her. This wasn't Meera Reed. She wasn't a blushing bride laying waiting for her husband to come and take her. Although she wasn't Meera Reed anymore, she was Meera Baratheon.
But she still was no blushing bride. So she sat up on the bed. The flower petals rustled on the covers. Some of them had attached to her hair and nightgown.
She looked around the room. His room. Their room. Candles were lit all around her. Flower petals were scattered on the floor as well. Marya had gone all out preparing the room for their wedding night.
The only thing missing was him. Her husband. Gendry. And he was the only thing she needed.
Suddenly she heard the door handle rattling. The door opened. And he was there. So handsome, so perfect, so nervous. He was hers and she was his. He was her husband and she was his wife.
He smiled at her. His smile hit her right in the chest. It made her insides flutter. It made her blush. She didn't know what to say and neither did he it seemed like. Suddenly shy towards each other when knowing they could do whatever they wanted. And they wanted to do so much.
Gendry walked up to where Meera was sitting and stretched out his hand towards her.
"Come here," he said.
She took his hand. She would always take his hand. His hand that still had the rough edges of a blacksmith. Rough, but not sharp. Worn in by hard labor and suffering.
And he pulled her in and embraced her. His arms around her. Her arms around him.
His hands touched her skin over the thin nightgown. It felt thrilling to have him so close. Welcoming. Like she had waited her whole life for his hands to touch her. And soon they would touch her bare skin.
She could hear his heartbeat. She could feel his chest move as he breathed. He seemed tense, perhaps scared. But she could sense him relaxing as she held him. Truth be told she was a bit scared too, but having his embrace relaxed her as well.
They were alone together. At last. No one could disturb them. Nothing else mattered. All that existed was them. And they could do whatever they wanted. Which was scary, but also exhilarating.
"My wife," he said and kissed the top of her head.
"My husband," she replied and reached up to kiss him.
His lips against hers felt so comfortable, so familiar, so safe. Kissing wasn't scary. They had that part figured out by now. But whatever came next felt a little bit scary. It was unknown, uncharted territory.
They held each other for a few more moments. Not saying anything. Just standing there together. Feeling each other so close. Calming each other down.
"Can we sit down for a bit?" he asked. "I think I'm a bit... overwhelmed by everything."
"Of course," she said. "It's been a lot for me too."
She took his hand and he led her towards the bed to sit down.
"We better not sit on the couch," he said. "Dev... ruined it."
"I know," she replied. "Brynda told me."
They smiled at each other, feeling some of the tension dissipate.
He sat down on the bed and she curled up next to him. Her legs under her. Leaning on his shoulder. She reached her hand in to take his.
"I think I just haven't taken it in yet," he said. "We're married. That was our wedding out there. I'm your husband and you're my wife."
"I am your wife, Gendry," she said. "It's real. And that's good right?"
"It's good. It's fucking amazing," he said and leaned over to kiss her. "It's the best thing that's ever happened to me."
Their lips met. Their tongues met. Their hands were still clasped together. His chest stroked against her breast.
He put his other hand on her shoulder. Actually touching the skin on her body for the first time. A vibration went through her as he did, starting at her shoulder and buzzing through every inch of her body.
She wanted this. But she wasn't sure she could have this. Not tonight.
"You know we don't have to..." he said. "We don't have to do anything just because it's our wedding night. I don't want you to feel forced."
"I know we don't have to," she said. "I don't feel forced. I want to. But there's something that worries me..."
"Tell me," he said. "You can tell me anything. I'm your husband."
"If we do... I might become with child," she said. "And I want to have your child. I will have your child. One day. But first I need to defend my home. And we don't know how long that fight will last. If I'm expecting your child I might not be able to see it through."
He nodded softly.
"I understand," he said. "Of course you need to be able to fight for your home for however long is necessary. I don't want to prevent you from doing that. We'll have the whole rest of our lives to... do that. When you're ready we will. Of course, I want to, but that's not important."
Meera smiled at Gendry. She had worried about telling him. But of course, there was no reason to worry. He would always listen to her and understand her.
"I want to too," she said. "I mean we almost did... the other day in the forge. But I hadn't thought it through, I just did."
"I would never take away your choice when it comes to that," he said. "Because it was for me... I didn't get to chose my first time."
He looked away from her as he said that, and looked down on the floor instead. Seemingly pained by the memory. She hated to see him in pain.
"Tell me, Gendry," she said. "I want to know."
"Promise not to laugh."
"I would never laugh at you. This obviously hurt you, why would I laugh at that?"
"Because it's... embarrassing I guess. It's just not something that should happen to a man, not something that should hurt a man."
She leaned her head on his shoulder.
"But it hurt you, my husband," she said. "And I want to know about it, and I won't laugh."
He sighed and leaned towards her, their heads meeting. He kissed her forehead. Preparing to tell a story preferred to not think of. The story of what had happened at Dragonstone.
"It was before I was who I am now," he said. "I was just a bastard blacksmith running for my life. My uncle Stannis captured me. He knew who my father was, even though I didn't yet. He needed my blood, king's blood he called it, for some kind of ritual. Performed by this red witch. She came into the room where I was held and convinced me she wanted me. She got me all... riled up and got on top of me. But then she tied me up and put leeches on me... on parts where you definitely don't want leeches. And just left me there. Scared, confused, and humiliated."
Meera put her arms around her husband from the side, embracing him. She kissed his shoulder.
"I'm sorry that happened to you," she said. "It sounds awful. Now I understand why you're so scared of leeches."
"I guess it wasn't the leeches' fault... but I still don't like them."
She released him from her grip and took his hand again.
"Was that your only time?" she asked.
It didn't matter to her how many times her husband had been with women before. She just wanted to know about him and what he had been through.
He shook his head and looked down at the floor again. He seemed a bit embarrassed to talk about this with his wife.
"Later, when I came back to King's Landing I tried to forget all about that experience. I went to a brothel... twice. To try to get it out of my head. But I couldn't. I cried both times because I started to think about it. Then later in Winterfell, before the battle, I was with Arya. We thought we were about to die. But I guess she just used me too. She wanted someone, anyone, and I was there."
She put her hand on his cheek and made him turn his head and look at her. Their faces so close together.
"I won't use you, Gendry," she said. "I hope you know that. And I want you, only you."
"I know," he said and leaned in and kissed her softly. "And I only want you too."
They continued kissing. Even if they weren't going to do more they could always kiss. Kissing was good. Kissing was amazing.
Her breast stroked against his chest and arm. Suddenly she felt his hand enveloping her breast, stroking the exposed skin with his fingers. Making sparks fly. Making the whole world vibrate. Making her whole body burn.
She put her hand on the inside of his thigh, quite close to his knee. Caressing his leg with her hand. Wanting to move upwards.
They weren't going to. But they wanted to. And they couldn't help touching each other. Because it was all they wanted to do.
Suddenly he leaned back, took his hand away from her. He leaned with his arms on his legs and looked forward, avoiding looking at her. She noticed his breathing was quite rapid.
He started to fiddle with the hooks of his jacket, unable to open them properly. His hands were shaking. Meera crouched down in front of him and took his hands.
"Why are your hands shaking, Gendry?" she asked.
"Isn't it apparent?" he replied with a smile. "I'm... affected by you. By you touching me. Wearing only that nightgown. It makes me want to rip it off you and take you right here on the floor. Now, I won't do that, I hope you trust that I won't. But that doesn't mean I don't want to. I want you so badly it hurts."
It hadn't occurred to her before just how much a woman could affect a man. How much she could affect the man in front of her. Her husband. That she could make him unable to undress himself. It made her want him even more, knowing that he wanted her that much.
"I trust you," she said. "And I want you too."
She leaned in and kissed him, putting her hand on the inside of his thigh as she did.
"You're not helping..." he said with a tortured smile and looked down where she had her hand.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I want to help you though. I want to take care of you."
She stood up.
"Come here," she said. "I'll help you undress."
He stood up as well. It was quite apparent how badly he wanted her.
"I'm sorry," he said, looking down towards his pants.
"I've told you, you don't need to apologize," she replied. "You don't need to be embarrassed."
Hook by hook she opened his jacket and slid it off him.
Then he stood there with only one layer between her hands and his skin. She could feel the warmth of his body through it. She could sense his heart beating. She could see the curvature of his muscles.
Meera decided to unbutton his shirt as well. Gendry didn't protest.
She pulled his shirt off. Unveiling his chest and arms. She put her hands on his chest and let them wander down his arms. His skin was so warm under her touch. On his lower arms were burns and scars from his time as a blacksmith. His upper arms still had the muscles of a working man, hard and with sharp angles.
Her hands wandered back up his arms towards his chest again. Chiseled and impenetrable muscles under her hands. She put her lips against his chest and continued kissing upwards, over his shoulders and neck. He tasted like the salt of the stormy seas below them. And he smelled the like the firewood in the burning ovens of the forge.
You could make a blacksmith a lord but you couldn't make him smell like one. Meera preferred the smell of a blacksmith anyway. He smelled like hard labor and honesty.
His whole body seemed tense like it was charged by some kind of energy, and he seemed to respond even to the smallest touch. His whole body vibrating under her hands.
Her lips reached his, pulling her in. She could feel his breathing getting heavier. She pressed herself against him and could feel the hardness in his pants. Wanting her, calling for her. It intrigued her, made her curious.
She moved her hands down his chest towards his abdomen. Where she discovered round marks. She stroked her fingers carefully over them and looked up at him with a wondering look.
"Leeches," he said.
She nodded before leaning in to kiss him. Trying to kiss his pain, suffering, and heartache away. She wanted him to know that she would never hurt him.
Her hands moved lower. Towards the edge of his pants. He seemed to hold his breath as she did.
"Can I touch you?" she asked.
He just nodded in reply. His breathing getting heavier in anticipation. His whole body tensed up, awaiting her touch.
She untied his pants. And her hand reached down to touch him. Very lightly at first. But even just that light touch made his whole body respond. She could feel his muscles tensing up and heard him gasping. She had never known before that her touch could have such an effect on a man and she enjoyed it. She enjoyed feeling him get stiffer in her hand.
She continued stroking him, softly but firmly. She kissed him as she did. There was a metallic taste on his lips, a taste of lust. Or maybe that was her own lips. She wasn't really sure where he began and she ended anymore. They became one, united in lust and need for each other. She felt a burning sensation through her entire body, converging at a spot between her legs. A spot she had never really been aware existed before.
Then the release came. A release of everything he had tempt up inside. All the loneliness, doubt, and expectations. All the pain, suffering, and heartache. He didn't have to carry it alone anymore.
He convulsed in a wave of satisfaction. She felt a wetness on her hand and wiped it off on his pants.
"Thank you," he said.
"You don't have to thank me," she said and kissed him softly. "I'm your wife. I want to take care of you."
"No one has ever taken care of me before. I've always been on my own."
"But you're not alone anymore. You have a wife now. I will take care of you."
"And I will take care of you."
Her whole body was still burning. Especially that one spot. She wanted more. She wanted him. She wanted everything.
He touched the straps of her nightgown.
"Can I?" he asked.
Meera nodded and he pulled the gown over her head. Suddenly she stood there naked in front of him. He dropped his own pants as well so he stood there without clothes on too.
"You are so beautiful, my wife," he said.
"And you are so handsome, my husband," she replied.
Their lips met again. Their skin met. Their breathes and heartbeats blended together. United into one. Forever.
Everything was blurry. Everything vibrated. Everything was them. There was nothing else in the world.
She felt his hands on her breast. She had never really liked her breast, they were always in the way when shooting a bow and arrow. But she liked him touching them. And as he touched her sparks ignited through her entire body. Radiating towards the spot between her legs. She heard herself moan, unaware that she was actually making the sound.
His hands continued to explore her body. His touch was soft despite the roughness of his hands. They went down her back and around her hips towards her belly. As his hands traveled closer to the spot between her legs she heard herself moan even louder. She wasn't really sure what her body was doing, but she liked it.
"Lay down on the bed," he whispered.
Meera didn't know what he was about to do but she knew she wanted it. So she laid down among the flower petals.
He leaned in over her, supporting himself on his arms.
"I'm not going to take you," he said. "Don't worry. I'm just going to kiss you."
"I trust you," she said.
"Just tell me if I should stop."
And he kissed her. Starting with her lips and then moving down towards her neck. As he got to her breast she heard herself moaning again. Her body was no longer hers, it belonged to him and it had turned into a puddle of tingling and vibration. She didn't know what to do with herself. Her hands dug into the sheet under her as he moved even lower on her body, down over her abdomen and hips. Getting even closer to the spot all the tingling and vibration pulsated into.
When he was almost there he stopped briefly.
"Can I?" he asked.
She could only nod in reply. And she parted her legs slightly. As she did she reached her hand towards him, looking for his. She needed something to hold onto. Everything was so overwhelming and new.
"I'm here," he said and took her hand.
He stroked his other hand lightly in between her legs, as to prepare her for what was to come. His touch was so soft but it still made her whole body react. Every muscle in her body tensed up at once and her back arched upwards. It was unbearable and unbelievable all at once. She was both in agony and in bliss.
She worried she might be hurting his hand because she was squeezing it so hard.
His lips moved even lower, first down her thighs and then inwards.
She screamed out loud as he reached that spot. As his lips so very softly touched it. As his tongue caressed it. As his breathe touched it.
The tension inside of her kept building and building. Everything around her disappeared as it did. It was only her and him. The whole world was tingling and vibration. The only thing that mattered was where his tongue was on her body.
He continued deeper. Inside of her. So softly but yet she had never felt anything more intensely. The touch penetrated her entire body and made it shiver and writhe.
Suddenly the tension came to a head. She heard herself scream as it did. All the tingling and vibration suddenly happened at once before disappearing in a burst.
By reflex her legs closed together, almost kneeing her poor husband in the head.
"Watch out," he said. "You don't want to explain to Marya how you knocked me out on our wedding night..."
He laid down next to her, away from her legs.
She rolled towards him and kissed him. He tasted like her, she liked it.
"Thank you," she said. "I didn't know... my body could do that."
"I'm your husband," he replied with a smile. "You don't need to thank me. I want to give you what you need. Always."
All the tension and nervousness was gone now. It was only them, naked on a bed. Curled up together. It wasn't scary. It was familiar, comfortable, and right.
He rose up a bit and kissed her. Then he put his arm around her and pulled her in, entangling them together.
"How did you know how to do that? With your tongue I mean."
"Well... it was Jon Snow."
Meera didn't know that her husband knew Jon Snow. The annoying man who she had escorted through the swamp and who had tried to kill a crocodile.
"You've laid with Jon Snow?" she asked, a bit confused.
"No, I haven't laid with him..." he replied with a chuckle. "Is that what you think of me, my wife? I'm quite sure both Jon and I like women."
"Some people like both," she said with a shrug. "My father does."
"Well, I don't. And I don't think Jon does either. But he told me once about how to... pleasure women. He was drunk at the time, the guy can't handle drinking for the life of him, and he told me some story about a wildling girl he fancied. About the things they did once in a cave."
"Do I seem like a wildling girl to you?" she said and laid down with her head on his shoulder.
"Well, you do look quite wild sometimes... A wildling girl from the swamp," he responded. "When your hair is messy. Like it is now."
He reached up and picked some petals out of her currently very unruly hair. She picked some of them up from the bed and sprinkled on him.
"But you're my wildling girl from the swamp," he said. "And I love you."
"I love you too, my blacksmith boy from Fleabottom," she replied.
They kissed again. Igniting the tingling and vibration once more. They never wanted to stop kissing. They never wanted to leave that room. They never wanted that night to end.
Meera took Gendry's hand, interlacing her fingers with his. Just like she had done that first day on the dock when they changed the fate of the kingdom. Just like she would do every day, for the rest of their lives. They would always hold hands, and they would always be together.