AU in which Ned, Catelyn, Sansa and Rickon are in King's Landing and Gendry is in Winterfell for three years.
Disclaimers: I don't own these characters, unfortunately.

Gendry sat on the log of a dead tree, he was hungry and tired for the long walk.
They had walked in that damned woods for many days, no inns and no houses in sight; in the daytime the sun had burned their skin and in the night time the cold had bitten their bones.
And yet, neither of them complained about their condition.
Gendry stared at his travel companion and smiled. The four-and-ten Lady Arya Stark looked like a skinny and starving boy; her face was soiled, her hair was short and tangled, her clothes worn. Anyway, the smith could only think how the wilderness suited her.
He stretched his legs and took the boots off, sighing in relief.
"We need to find an inn. Soon." Arya said as she was closing herself in her cloak.
No fire allowed.
"M'lady is tired to sleep beneath the stars?"
Arya looked at him, an angry light in her grey eyes. "I'm no lady. And we need a bath. Your smell will kill me soon."
"Neither m'lady is smelling like flowers."

The girl ignored his comment and gave him some stale bread and old cheese. They had their miserable dinner quietly but Gendry couldn't stop himself from smiling like a fool. They were dirty and chilled; they could be headed in every moment of their travel. Still he couldn't stop thinking that Arya had chosen him to escape.
"What are you smiling for?" she asked, looking at him.
"We will be headed, soon or later. I'm already doomed and everybody thinks I've kidnapped a young lady."
"I told you hundred times: I will protect you. And I have kidnapped you."
Gendry smiled stupidly. He liked the idea of being kidnapped by a young and pretty lady.
"However... I'd like to be a hedge knight. You could be my squire." she said smiling like a child.
"You need to say vows, Arry. And you need a horse. A knight without horse is no knight! And you need a sigil. And a shield."
Arya thrust her sword in the sheath and looked up to the sky. It was growing darker and darker.
"Sleep, stupid Bull. First turn is mine."

As Gendry was slipping, Arya began to think about that night.
It had been a boring evening. Dinner and polite conversations. Dance and polite conversations.
Plump lords and boring ladies had filled her mind with no-point stories.
She could not remember why, but Robb had sat beside her, his handsome face was angry and worried.
"Arya, do you know why our father's men are here?"
She'd denied and stared at the group of loyal warriors.
"They will come back to King's Landing with you. Father has found you a match."
Those words had hit her stomach like a punch.
-I don't want to be a wife. I want to live here and travel. I don't want to bear some stranger's children.- she was angry and disappointed.
-We have duties.- Robb was angry as well, but he was a man of honour. He is a man. And the heir of Winterfell, he can't understand.
The following day, with no plans, she had entered in Bran's room to take his clothes. She had entered in Robb's room to steal his coins. She'd entered in the kitchen to steal bread, cheese and meat. No plans, but a fact: she had to escape.
The night time had come soon, too soon, too dark.
It had been easy sneak out from the castle and enter in the forge. She had woken Gendry and begged him to follow her. And then, they escaped.
Now she was free.

When the sun was high in the sky, they reached the gates of a small town.
Gendry felt all people's eyes on them, while they were walking in the main street. Arya sensed his discomfort and tried to reassure him.
"We're strangers, they just want to be sure we won't rape her daughters or steal their gold. If you keep acting like an idiot, they will become suspicious. And the girls look at you 'cause you are a pretty lad."
He raised a brow. Was he pretty? He was sweaty, dirty and smelly. He was dressed like a beggar. He doubted it.
"So you have kidnapped me because I'm pretty!"
Arya gave him a punch in the arm and laughed. "Stupid Bull, stop being stupid. We have to find an inn."

The inn was tiny, not so dirty and quite warm. Arya blessed the bath: she washed her hair twice as the hot water was relaxing her muscles.
When she walked into the dining hall, hungry and relaxed, she found Gendry surrounded by pretty girls. Annoyed, she raised her brows and set in front of him.
He was clean as well. He had no trace of dust or mud in his face and his hair was bright and soft. For a moment she imaged herself touching it.
"A-Arry! These girls are the innkeeper's daughters. They just offered us two cups of beer." he handed a cup of sour beer to his companion, his face red as his eyes were shifting from the girls to Arya.
She thanked them and drank a long sip, her eyes fixed on girls. They were flirty and smiling, completely comfortable with male strangers. Maybe lowborn girls usually act this way, she thought bitterly.

When the dinner had arrived, they were alone again. She was quite amused of Gendry's expression: his face was red, his ears were red and he couldn't rise his eyes.
"They just surrounded me." he tried to explain.
"Oh, you're so pretty, pretty lad." Arya blinked at him, imitating the girls. She could not longer hold back the laughs, because Gendry's expression was funny, his face bright and red and he truly was pretty.
He smiled back because that moment was perfect. She was smiling and laughing in a way he couldn't remember, in a way that totally fitted her.
"You know, you shouldn't giggle like a girl." he whispered instead.
She looked at him peeved.
"I don't giggle like a girl."
"Yes you do. There's nothing wrong with it, you're a lad-"
"I'm no lady." she hissed angry, "And I don't act like a girl."
She stood up and left the hall, while the innkeeper's daughters were joining him.
Stupid bull, those are girls.

After a couple of hours, Gendry walked into their room; he was drunk, his face raddened and he smelled of wine.
"Arya..." his voice was uncertain.
"What?"
"Are you angry?"
She gave no answer, just made room for him in the big bed.
"There is nothing wrong in girls." he whispered, laying down beside her.
"Girls are stupid."
"You are not stupid at all."
"I'm not a-"
"A girl?" he asked laughing. "Do you have a cock between your legs?"
Arya punched his shoulder, tired and sleepy.
"Goodnight Bull."
"Goodnight Arry."

Notes:
I swear you adventures, bunnies, flowers and blood. I'm not good with angst things but I'll try. First of N chapters, dunno the length of this story.
English is not my native tongue, sorry for errors or not-so-good quality. :( I just like to write and I use it to improve my English.