A/N: So I haven't even finished watching the series or reading the books, but when I discovered it was Arya/Gendry's ship week I really wanted to write something for it so I tried. This drabble is set in the TV series so Gendry finds out she's a girl when they're still with the Night's Watch. It doesn't really have anything to do with the prompt; I just used the word in the fic ah. I wrote something for each Arya/Gendry Week prompt; I'll be posting them in this collection. Sorry if the title is pretty random; if I come up with anything better I'll probably change it in the future.
Arya's never felt freer, or more stifled.
In the midst of a large group of men, boys, and prisoners making the long journey to the Wall, no one pays her much attention and she is left to her own devices. There is no one to tell her how to dress, when to speak, where to go and what to do, and she is finally free to decide herself what she wants to do every day.
But at the same time, she's never been more careful—to find secluded spots every time they make camp, to steer clear of certain people and keep a hand on Needle at all times, to busy herself drawing water and studying her surroundings and bothering Gendry as they walk, just to keep the images and memories that still haunt her dreams at bay.
It's a bit of a relief, actually, when she tells Gendry her identity—there is someone she can speak openly with now, someone she doesn't have to watch herself with, and Gendry for the most part doesn't treat her any differently: she's still annoying little Arry to him.
One night they set up camp not too far from a small stream, and she waits until it is dark out to stir from her spot on the ground. It's difficult enough finding privacy to relieve herself, let alone bathe, and Arya Stark has never minded a little dirt but being covered in layers of grime after days of not washing is a bit too uncomfortable even for her—her skin feels sticky and itchy and she longs to scrub it clean.
She's about to stand when the bushes rustle and someone stumbles back towards the camp. Another boy whose name she doesn't remember, hair damp and the shine of water on his skin: he just came back from bathing.
Arya frowns in his direction; she thought everyone would be asleep by now. She can't watch for other people approaching and hide in time if she's in the stream.
Then she sees Gendry lying not too far from her bedroll, on his back and snoring, and she gets an idea.
"Gendry!" she hisses, walking over and nudging him with her foot. "Gendry, get up."
He grunts and shifts slightly, so she kicks him harder.
He cracks one eye open to glare at her. "What? I'm sleeping."
She crouches by his side so he can see her face; the moonlight settles in the blue of his eyes. "I need to bathe."
"Well, go bathe then," he says, staring at her like she's the stupid one.
"I need help," she explains.
He sits up at that, his brow furrowed in confusion and his cheeks… is he turning red? "I'm a blacksmith's apprentice," he sputters. "I never learned how to wait on anyone or help them bathe—"
Stupid. "I don't mean help like that," she snaps, though she makes sure to keep her voice low. "I mean I need you to keep watch for me so if someone comes you can warn me."
He raises his eyes to the sky for a moment; the night is dark but littered with stars, providing faint visibility. "As m'lady commands."
Arya kicks him again, hard enough to draw a pained wince. "I told you not to call me that!"
He grumbles but stands, following her through the sleeping bodies sprawled around them. The ground at the edge of the stream is softer, dirt crumbling beneath her feet into the clear, trickling water, and as they make their way further downstream, she finds a good area with bushes and tall weeds growing nearby to block her view of the campsite.
"I'll be quick," she says, pulling off her shoes and putting one toe in the water. It is cool, refreshing, and she relishes the thought of sinking into it, letting it envelop her body and wash away the filth and sweat and worries of the past few days.
She's about to start removing her shirt when she realizes Gendry is still there; she whirls around but sees that he has turned his back to her. "Don't peek," she warns, just in case.
She can only see the blackness of his shadow but she swears she can hear the smile in his voice as he answers, "I wouldn't dare, m'lady."
Her bath begins much more quickly than she expects; when she shoves him into the water, he pulls her down with him.
Apologies if this is terrible/OOC/full of inaccuracies/all three; concrit would be appreciated!