Chapter 5

It had been a month since his return and things had finally begun to return to normal for the pair, for the most part at least. Gendry had returned to his normal bull-headed self much to Arya's pleasure, but continued to bed women any chance he got yet always came back to Arya in the night. If anything Arya was getting tired of the simpering women he chose, couldn't he at least find a girl who did more than giggle and flirt.

"The lad has finally come to his senses." Said Lem "Knows he could have any woman he wants and is taking full advantage of that."

"He might as well be a whore himself" Arya said in an attempt to sound like she was joking " At least he would be getting coin for his work"

Anguy and Lem roared with laughter as Gendry came walking up to the group.

"What's so funny? " asked Gendry sure the joke was somehow on him if Arya was involved.

"We're just talking about the tale of this bull that has been flitting from town to town leaving no brothel unturned no cunt left dry. " said Anguy holding in his laughter. "Truly a rare hero indeed"

Gendry ears shone bright red from embarrassment. "A tall tale no doubt" he said in a poor attempt to regain composure.

Arya grinned. She had missed this awkward Gendry.

"Girls have been saying he fucks like a bull too with the way he..." Lem began tears beginning to pool in his eyes from laughter.

"ALRIGHT! We'll spare your feelings...for now" said Arya cutting him off . "Let's go I got some dirt clumped in my hair"

Gendry practically jumped at the opportunity to leave the laughing pair behind.

The two took off towards a nearby pond and Gendry found a tree to lean against as Arya began removing her clothes.

She jumped in letting the cool water surround her body. "I think it was when I was bathing that I thought about you the most" said Arya as she surfaced.

Gendry couldn't help but groan and turn red once more. Arya laughed as she waded in the cool water.

"You can't just say stuff like that Arya" Gendry scolded " Think of how that sounds before you say it."

" I don't care. It's true." Said Arya as she scrubbed her hair. " It was so cold in the morning and it's boring when there's no one to talk to. Well Arguy had offered..."

" Of course he did" said Gendry in a gruff voice cutting her off. " I hope you didn't agree to that"

"No, but Ned Dayne did the few times he visited." Arya said nonchalantly as she stood to wring out her hair. " Well he didn't really stand guard, so much as just joined me."

At this Gendry couldn't help but jerk his head around in shock. His jaw locked and he looked ready to hammer more than an anvil.

"Kidding" said Arya as she broke into laughter at the sight of his face.

She was still laughing when she looked up and saw his jaw tightened even more. She followed his gaze down to where her breasts were exposed out of the water and she quickly submerged herself deeper in the water.

Gendry whipped back around quickly, his face red yet again. His hands still clenched in two fists.

"That was your fault! You shouldn't joke like that!" he rambled quickly "Anyway, I don't believe you ever would with that little lord"

" What's wrong with Ned?" Said Arya who had returned to scrubbing."And you don't even join me, so what makes you think he would, he's even more uptight than you "

Gendry smirked, glad to hear her slight jab at the squire.

"It's much too improper for a little lady to be bathing with grown men" she said in a mocking version of Gendry's low voice.

He remained silent, he wasn't going to have the same argument yet again.

" Besides, I don't know what your so shy about. I'm sure at this point you've seen as many tits as Tyrion Lannister."

Arya dissolved into a fit laughter before quickly dunking underwater ,narrowly avoiding an apple he had just thrown in her direction.

—

It had been the perfect day, by Arya's standards anyway. She was able to bathe in peace, go hunting with Anguy and Gendry and had returned in time just as dinner was being served. They we're camping out tonight so there were no whores for Gendry to get distracted over. She would have her friend to herself, just like old times.

Once had their fill of stew and ale, the men settled in for a game of cards. Arya and Gendry sat by the fire listening to Tom's songs. Arya content with her full stomach layed her head down on Gendry's lap humming along to the tune while Gendry sighed with contentment and played with Arya's hair as he hummed along too.

They had fallen into a new closeness since his return, but this physical closeness served as a reminder that he was remembers how she would stiffen at her mother's embrace or pull away if her father tried to stroke her hair when she was upset. What she would give to have those moments back.

Maybe that's why she had been feeling so attached to Gendry lately. Perhaps all her confusion towards him was her minds way of atoning for the lack of affection she had given her family.

When the song finished Gendry stood up slowly. "Let's go to bed" he said to Arya as she followed him to their corner of the camp.

Once changed into her night shirt Arya laid down. Gendry did the same but kept an unfamiliar distance from her.

" I know I bathed today so it can't be possibly be my stench keeping you that far" said Arya laughing.

Gendry remained quiet on his back with his hands grasped across his stomach.

Arya let the silence hang over them. Gendry was always a man of few words but this silence was not one of their comfortable ones.

"I was so stupid Arya. I'm such a fool" Gendry spoke suddenly, a slight tremor in his voice. "I should have known she could never really want me. "

"Gendry" Arya said softly "Who?"

That woman, Arya! She played me for the fool and she was right.I was nothing more than a means to an end. I always am to any high born."

" Bet they all had a good laugh about the stupid bastard who thought all he was getting was expensive wine and a good fuck" he said bitterly.

"You slept with her?!" Arya raised herself on her elbows to look at him. "Gendry she bought and took you ,why would you..."

"Picture it, you're me never been with a woman and there she is naked using all these fancy words. How could I not." Gendry said eyes still facing the stars.

Arya wanted to make a joke about men only thinking with their cocks, but stayed silent.

"She had me under her and there I was loving every moment of it when she starts tieing my wrists. And I'm so stupid I let her, not even putting up a fight."

"They took my blood Arya. She put leeches on my arm, on my chest, on my cock. They told me I was Robert Baratheon's bastard and that my blood was needed. A lot of good that blood has done me, I was better off before not knowing who my father was."

Arya saw tears forming in the sides of his eyes. She willed him to look at her.

"And then the threw me behind bars as if they were throwing out scraps from the meal before." at this he turned on his side to face her, still keeping the distance between them.

" I let her have that power over me. I gave her power because she was of noble blood... because she was a woman." He said disgusted with himself. " I was just this poor stupid boy who wasn't thinking, that let himself get taken advantage of, I had no power...no control.

"I won't let that happen again. He said almost growling "I'll kill who I want, I'll fuck who I want and how I want. I won't care about anyone"

Arya felt tears forming in her eyes as she heard him speaking like this. No she was the one who was filled with hate. He was the good one. The one who calmed her nightmares, the one who always reminded her there was still good.

She reached out tenderly pulling his body to her, his head in her chest as she caressed him the way he had done to her so many times before. She stroked his hair wishing this simple act could fix everything.

" I used to have nothing but names on a list." Arya began " And then I found you. And you weren't some comforting mother or a many faced man, but you were there. A stubborn bull headed boy that cared about me. Not because I was Arya Stark of Winterfell and not because I was a woman but just because I was just Arya."

She could feel his hands wrapping around her, stroking her back.

"Most of my family is dead, but I have a will to fight on, a will to be good and that's thanks to you." Arya continued on "Without you I might be dead or at least just a shell of a girl. With you I know my name and have hope that someday we can find happiness again. You've done that for me time and time again Gendry and I'll be here to do the same for you."

"There's nothing we can't overcome together."

Finally got around to updating. Loved reading the comments and I'm sorry to disappoint some of you (Wright) :(, I love them so much as a couple, but I don't it would ever be easy for them. Will hopefully get the next chapter uploaded soon. Again please share your thoughts in the comments! :)