Chapter One

4:58

4:59

5:00

'Yoren, I'm off!' called Gendry to the head chef, ripping off his apron and pushing through to the little locker room.

'Hey, can't you wait a minute?' replied the older man angrily, 'At least until Hot Pie gets here?'

'Nope!' said Gendry, 'I… I've got a doctor's appointment!'

It was a lie, but it bought him a few seconds to grab his jacket and dash out of the shabby little diner.

Gendry hated waiting tables at The Wall, but it was what he had to do to pay the rent. He was a terrible waiter, clumsy and forgetful, and he was only really there because Hot Pie recommended him. Hot Pie was a passionate, brilliant chef, and the main reason why The Wall went from a grotty, greasy diner in the day, to the most popular quirky little restaurant in Westeros. He also happened to be Gendry's best friend.

As he unchained his bike in the car park outside The Wall, Gendry heard his name being called from behind him.

'Gendry! Hey, Gendry!'

He turned towards a pale, dark-haired young man in a black hoodie, waving at him from the side of a very shiny new Mercedes. Gendry squinted- he really should wear his glasses rather than always leaving them at home- to see his school friend Jon Snow, a nice but angsty orphan who lived with his uncle and aunt out in the countryside in an amazing mansion called Winterfell.

'Hey, Jon!' he called, wheeling his bike over, 'How are you?'

'I'm great thanks,' Jon replied, then glanced at his watch. He bit his lip and looked quizzically at Gendry, 'Sorry, but I promised my cousin I'd be at the gym five minutes ago, fancy coming for a catch-up?'

Gendry paused for only a moment. Although he'd come up with an excuse for Yoren, he really didn't have anything better to do that evening, so he nodded. 'Sure. Can I put my bike in the back?'

…

Arya threw a flurry of blows at the punchbag and then dropped back to look at the clock. It was ten past five, and Jon had promised to be there by five. She punched the bag again, letting out a throaty groan of anger as she did so.

'Everything alright, Cat?' asked Jaquen, her coach. He was wrapping his hands nearby and smirking at her. He always had a smirk on his face. It annoyed her intensely, because she knew- she just knew- he was laughing at her for being so little and weak.

He had also nicknamed her Cat, because he said she was all claws, and accused her of purring when she spoke. Arya thought Jaquen was much more of a purrer than her, always speaking in a deliciously sexy, deep voice that sang of undercurrents.

'I'm fine,' she said, storming away to a bench, where she sat to take off her gloves. Jaquen came and sat next to her, and she turned her body away from him, annoyed.

'You know, a girl could do with making some friends,' he said.

'I don't need friends,' she answered, not looking at him.

'Cat, you've been here six hours every day for the past two weeks,' he pointed out, not unkindly, 'It's your summer holidays, don't you think you should- I dunno, go shopping or to the beach or something?'

'Shopping's boring. The beach is too far away.'

'Don't you have any friends from school, Cat?' he asked. Arya knew Jaquen was only looking out for her, but she really didn't need to be reminded how lonely and anti-social she was.

'Leave me alone, Jaquen!' she shouted. She was about to attack him as he had attacked her, but a hand fell on Jaquen's shoulder instead, and she looked up at Jon Snow.

'Is this guy bothering you, Arya?' he asked, coldly. She stood up, seizing her gloves.

'No, it's fine,' she said, 'Let's go, Jon.'

She marched away to the exercise bikes, and Jon followed her, sending one last dirty look at Jaquen.

'Don't you want to box?' asked Jon, and Arya shook her head. She reached up and pulled her hair bobble out, letting her wavy brown hair fall down across her shoulders.

'No, I fancy a swim, you coming?' she said, tipping her head to one side. It was only then that she noticed the strapping man beside Jon. 'Oh, hey. Who's this?'

'Gendry,' he spat out, feeling a bit dazed by this wild, gorgeous girl. 'Gendry Waters.'

He stuck his hand out and she shook it firmly.

'Yeah, this is my friend Gendry,' said Jon, 'We went to school together.' He turned to his Gendry 'And this is my cousin, Arya Stark. Sorry, she's a little bit mental.'

She shoved him for that, but she was smiling.

'Anyway, are you coming to the pool or not?' she asked.

Jon looked at Gendry and shrugged. 'I haven't got my trunks.'

'Get some from the shop downstairs,' she said, and walked away to the ladies' changing room.

…

Money was clearly no object for the Starks. Gendry had picked out a pair of hideous red floral trunks- too big for him- from the sale bucket in the shop, but Jon had a streamlined designer pair, and now, as the pair of them walked through to the pool to meet Arya, Gendry felt very exposed.

Arya was doing lengths, and it took her a little while to spot the pair of them, but when she did she swam over to the edge and clambered out. Gendry tried desperately hard to keep his eyes on her face, but it was too difficult. She was lean and well-muscled, with creamy white skin and black-painted toenails. Her breasts were small and pert, and she had on an speedo swimming costume with cut out panels in the side, giving glimpses of her bare belly. He longed to press his warm hands to that shivering, wet flesh, make red patchy marks on her pale skin…

'Gendry?' she was asking, smirking, 'I asked if you'd been to Hawaii recently?'

He was confused for a second and then remembered his shorts. She was smiling cynically.

'Yeah, very funny,' he said, rolling his eyes.

'I know I am,' she replied, raising her eyebrows quickly and playfully.

Jon took Gendry's towel and wandered off to put them down on a sunbed, and Gendry moved closer to the edge of the pool and peered in, unable to look at Arya.

'Is it cold?' he asked her.

'Yep,' she answered, and pushed him in.