Game of Thrones: Finding Yourself
Chapter 1 of a new, modern AU, Arya/Gendry story; hope you enjoy it.
Just a note in this Arya is sixteen and Gendry twenty-two, other character ages (such as the Stark siblings) can be gathered from that (using the TV ages as a base; example Bran being 10 rather than 7).
Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.
Chance Meeting
Twenty-two year old Gendry Waters sighed as he stepped out into the foul air that always hung over Flea Bottom; the slums of King's Landing. It was late at night; around the time the drunks and junkies would be leaving the bars. Gendry began to walk home; keeping his head down, trying to avoid eye contact with any of them. Flea Bottom truly was the worst place he knew; rife with crime, the police seemed to have given up trying to combat it. Gendry was trying to find a way out; for himself and his mother; but it was hard; they needed money. They both had jobs but they only offered meagre pay. In his case he was working at a garage as a mechanic; the owner Tobho Mott, was a nice friendly man. The only reason he paid Gendry so little was he had very little money himself. Gendry didn't mind; he would rather receive no pay at all than have Mott pay him and go hungry. However he wished he had some means to get enough money so his mother didn't have to work, especially where she was working now. She worked in a sleazy bar and Gendry worried constantly for her; especially since he had seen the dreg of humanity that went there and knew she was at risk. Not only the inhabitants made Flea Bottom terrible; it was also run down, many of the buildings were falling apart; more than half had no electricity or running water; not even indoor plumbing; Gendry counting him and his mother lucky that their house did.
As he walked, keeping his gaze away from potential trouble; Gendry winced as the cold air made the reddened skin around his right eye ache. Despite his mother's protests and her constant fear Gendry had taken a second job as a fighter in an underground fight club, to supplement his income. Using his size, strength and sheer stubbornness, something which earned him the nickname 'The Bull', he had remained undefeated in the fight club. Although that didn't mean he always came out unscathed; like now, his opponent had got a blow in and struck his eye; he knew by tomorrow it would start to bruise; maybe swell, leaving him with a black eye. He ran a hand through his thick, messy black hair and continued walking, the sooner he made it home, the better off he'd be. His mother was still at work and wouldn't be home for a few hours; his father; he never knew who his father was. He had been conceived on a drunken one night stand between his father and mother; afterwards his father disappeared, never entering his life. His mother never said anything about him; Gendry hated his father for that reason; leaving his mother alone to raise him, not even realizing he was a father most likely. His blue eyes narrowed as he remembered this, before stopping himself. Now wasn't the time to think about his father; he hurried on, desperate to get home.
As he walked he saw something, no, someone, ahead of him and slowed his pace. The figure was sitting on the ground, just inside the mouth of an alleyway. He walked forward cautiously and got close enough to see the figure was a girl; she was huddled up against the wall. Her brown hair was matted and darkened by dirt, it hung down to her chin, the fringe partially covering her left eye; what he could see of her face was also streaked with dirt and, judging by the wet streaks, tears. Her clothes were too big for her and hung on her skinny frame; they were patched and ragged, ripped in places. Going by how hollow her face was and how skinny she was, Gendry guessed she hadn't eaten for some time. What really drew his attention however was the blood; she had been bleeding. There was blood on her clothes and the few exposed areas of skin from the rips had scars, as well as scars on her fingers and one on the side of her neck, going up and disappearing under her hair. Gendry didn't know this girl, but he could tell she was in trouble; his heart went out to her. He walked over to her and knelt down next to her. She immediately tensed and he guessed she knew he had approached her. Her eyes shot open, grey and hauntingly blank of noticeable emotion. She looked at him with those wide eyes and Gendry realized when she leaned away from him, that she thought he was going to hurt her in some way.
Gendry sighed and when he spoke, he did so as gently as possible; trying not to scare her.
"Hey, I'm not gonna hurt you miss." He tells her; she doesn't reply, but he notices some of the tension leave her body, her shoulders relax. "Are you okay?"
He is haunted by her expression; he's never seen eyes so dead, on someone alive anyway. Slowly she nods and he looks around. "Do you want me to take you home?"
She had to live nearby, her clothes were dirty and torn, not an uncommon sight in Flea Bottom. Yet to his surprise she shook her head; he had a bad feeling about this.
"Do you…have somewhere to stay?" He asked; again she shook her head, confirming his fears, she was homeless.
He notes the blood again. "You should probably go to hospital…"
She shook her head again, this time more strongly and he is surprised; until he verifies that the blood is dry and all her wounds are healed over; the small amount of fresh blood on her clothes isn't hers. He sighs; he knows her can't leave her here; but he doesn't want her to feel scared.
"Listen, you can't stay here; it isn't safe; do you want to come with me, you can come stay in my home."
She looks at him blankly for a moment and then nods. He helps her to her feet and leads her to his house.
He opens the door and they walk inside; she looks around.
Gendry smiled lightly at her. "It's not much."
She just nods; going by her expression, she doesn't mind. He regards her carefully for moment; she is covered in dirt, but he remembers how skinny she is; and that starved look.
"Do you want to take a shower or get something to eat first?" He asked.
She doesn't hesitate to point to the kitchen; Gendry wonders if she is unable to talk. He takes her into the kitchen and gets some food for her; she tears into so fast Gendry is worried she'll make herself sick.
"Hey slow down, you'll make yourself ill." He warns her. She pauses and then continues to eat, at a more reasonable pace.
Once she is down he nods. "Okay, I think you should go get cleaned up; I'll show you how to work the shower." He tells her. "If you're still hungry I'll get you something once you come out."
She nods, smiling lightly this time; however it did not reach her eyes, which remained empty. He hurries up to his room, grabs some of his clothes and a towel; he gives them to her.
"Would you like me to wash your clothes, or do you want them thrown out?"
She gestures towards the bin and he knew she wanted them thrown out; bad memories or something he guessed. He shows her how to work the shower, gives her the towel and clean clothes and then leaves the room; she leaves the door ajar and passes her old clothes out through it. He hears the shower turn on and he picks up her clothes.
As he goes to throw them out, something falls out of her trousers pocket. He picked it up; it was a silver necklace that said the word 'Needle'. He slipped it into his pocket and got rid of the old clothes; after searching the pockets for anything that might help tell him who she is; but they were empty. He waits and when she comes out of the shower; wearing his clothes he smiles; his shirt is very big, coming down to her knees; the jeans were baggy and the legs turned up several times. She has something else to eat; but only something small and he leads her up to his bedroom.
"You can stay in my bed tonight; I'll sleep downstairs."
She smiles at him and nods; once she's lying down in his bed he remembers the necklace, he takes it out of his pocket and gives it to her.
"Here, this fell out of your pocket."
She takes the necklace and holds it tight against her chest; she looks up at him, for the first time he sees a sparkle of emotion in her eyes.
"Thank you." She whispers; her voice soft and airy; but proving that she can talk.
Gendry nods and after she slips the necklace on she drifted off to sleep. Gendry pulled the blanket gently over her; grabbed the spare blanket and pillow and headed downstairs. He sets everything up, removes his jeans and shirt and, in just his boxers; lay down to sleep.
Later on in the night; he is woken up by someone gently shaking his shoulder. He opens his eyes to see a blonde woman in her forties standing over him; his mother Alyssa Waters.
"Mom." He said; his voice raspy due to just waking up.
"Gendry, what's going on?" She asked. "Why are you down here; and who is that girl your room?"
It took a few seconds for Gendry's sleep-fogged mind to register his mother was talking about the homeless girl.
When he realized his eyes widened. "Oh yeah; I found her on the street; she was hurt, alone…I couldn't leave her there; she…she didn't have a home to go to."
His mother's eyes widened at that; he knew that something like that would really tug at her kind heart. "I see, so you let her sleep in your room; that's was very nice of you."
Gendry smiled and then; although he dreaded the answer; he asked. "How was work?"
His mother sighed. "The usual; working, trying to avoid the creeps…"
Gendry scowled; his mother got a lot of attention from the men in that sleazy bar; even though she was in her forties and approaching middle age; she was still a beautiful woman.
"I swear, any of them even try and touch you…" He snarled.
She shook her head. "Gendry, it's okay; just relax. Well, I'll see you tomorrow."
He nodded and she left for her room; Gendry lay back down and let himself drift off again; thinking about their current situation; the fight club; his mother, the risks she was exposed to, but most of all, thinking of that poor girl, upstairs in his room.
End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.