All The Same

Prologue

"Damn you! Why do you need to run away, Gendry?" Arya yelled at a frantic Gendry as he threw the items that were on his bed, arranged so he could just throw everything in the backpack.

"I told you I want to try and find my father, or at least find out about him. All I know of my past is that he got my mom pregnant and then she never heard from him. Arya, I just want to find my family. I need a family, I need a purpose I can't just keep on with the way things have been. You wouldn't understand it, you have a family. You are the founding family  of Winterville, for Christ's sake! You guys are the closest thing to royalty that this city has. I should call you m'lady or something fancy like that!"

"Gendry, first of all don't you dare start calling me m'lady or I will punch you. Secondly, you are always welcome at my house, you are my family. Thirdly, who cares if my family found this place, it doesn't matter." Arya reached for Gendry's hand while he was in the middle of throwing socks into one of the side pockets of his backpack. "Please stay Gendry, I need you here to keep me sane. Please just stay so I can finish my Senior year, then we can go travel and search for your father, together."

Arya felt the tears starting to form in her eyes, she thought of the memories that they shared in the time they spent together. Her first day of middle school when she was getting bullied by two boys and this high school freshman walked by and told them to be nice or he would make them regret it, and how their friendship began that moment. That moment also lead to Gendry becoming best friends with Jon, because they were the same age and on the soccer team together. Arya remembered the trips to the movies and hanging out at each others houses.Going to Gendry's Senior Prom because he decided the last minute to go, and cheering when his name was called at graduation.

Gendry zipped up the backpack and let out a deep breath. "You know I care for you, but I just can't stay, not any longer." He gently tipped Arya's head up with his hand so he could see her face, and so he could look into those big gray eyes one last time. "Be safe, shrimp. Maybe one day we will run into each other again."

Arya threw her arms around Gendry one last time before he left her. "I hope we do run into each other again, soon. I will miss you, you stubborn bull headed boy."

"I will miss you too, m'lady." Gendry bends down to kiss the top of her head before letting go of her.

Once she is out of his arms she runs out of his room and slams the door behind her not even looking back because she knew that she needed to get out and in the safety of her brother Jon's car before she completely lost it.

"Goodbye, Arya Stark, I will miss you more than you will ever know." Gendry shrugged into the backpack as he looked out his window from his tiny studio apartment watching Arya run into the arms of her brother Jon.