In another life, I would be your girl

We keep all our promises, be us against the world

In another life, I would make you stay

So I don't have to say you were the one that got away

The one that got away

Arya was sitting on the roof above her bedroom, she had been doing the same nightly routine since she was five and she wanted to see the stars. Now she was 16 and she was waiting with a cold beer in her hand. Just in time, she heard rustling next to her with some huffing and puffing followed by something like sounded like "fuck". She rolled her eyes and turned around just in time to see Gendry, her next door neighbor, climbing to the roof from his bedroom window.

"Aren't we too old to do this?" Gendry grunted as he sat down next to her with a beer in his hand

"You are too old for this" she simply stated as she smirked before drinking some of her beer.

"Hey, I'm only 3 years older than you" he pointed his beer to her "I'm not a grumpy old man"

"You sound like one though" she glanced sideways towards him with one raised eyebrow.

"That I do" he chuckled as he clinked his bottle to hers.

They remained in companionable silence for a few minutes. They'd been friends since Gendry moved next door, after Davos and Marya had adopted him. Their broodiness and bluntness made them fast friends, they spent most of their free time together talking about everything and nothing at the same time.

"So…" Gendry fidgeted with the label of his beer. Arya tensed, she knew this was coming but she didn't want to ask, she didn't want to know.

"I've decided I'm going to go with Robert" Robert was his biological father, Gendry had found out about him after doing some research. Research Arya had helped him do. He wasn't just Robert, he was Robert Baratheon, the richest man in all King's Landing. When Gendry got in contact with him, he asked him to move in with him so they could get to know each other and maybe learn how to run the company. Gendry didn't know what to do or say so he just said he'd think about it. Arya had been dreading to know what he had finally decided.

Arya opened her mouth and then shut it, closing her eyes she tried to calm her racing heart.

"Before you say anything, I know Robert is a douche and maybe I don't like living in a big mansion in King's Landing but he is my family and I… I just got to know," he was facing her now with pleading eyes, he needed her to understand.

"But… I… Davos and Marya are your family" she hated how desperate her voice sounded, how her eyes were filled with tears

"They always will be" his own voice breaking

"Listen, I'm not asking you to understand. I just need to know that you're ok with me doing this"

She wasn't going to be ok with this, he knew this. They had discussed this before. She had said that Robert was using him, that he really didn't care about him, that this was a mistake.

Her face masked everything she was feeling as she looked straight ahead not meeting his pleading eyes, her tears were dry and her expression was cold and distant. Sighing, Gendry stood up. Glancing backwards as he left he whispered:

"Goodbye Arry"

After two years, Gendry was back in Winterfell. It felt strange and familiar at the same time. As Arya had predicted, things with Robert didn't work out. Gendry wanted nothing but to be like him or continue the family business which was basically everything that was wrong with society and what Gendry believed in.

He had tried to keep in touch with Arya, he really did. He had sent her emails and text messages but she'd never answered back. Eventually, he gave up and tried to move on. But now, he was back and she was standing right in front of him with her arms across her chest and an I-told-you-so look in her eyes. He didn't know who kissed who first or who took out the first item of clothing first. Desperation took over as hands touched, groped and fondled. Gasping, grunting, panting until pleasure was enveloping both.

That night Gendry learnt about the accident, how she was driving and a drunk driver collided into them. How Rickon had died and Bran had lost his leg. He saw the scars, kissed each one of them, tried to erase the pain away.

"I'm leaving" she simply said as she was curling next to his chest, her fingers playing with the few hairs that laid there. He tensed her arm around her, pulling her closer to him.

"I'm off tomorrow. I don't even know where I'm going, I just… I can't be here. It's too painful" she sat up, not daring to look at him. He silently watched as she gathered her clothes. When she was nearly at the door, he crossed the room in two strides.

"No. Don't go. Stay. Stay with me" he pleaded holding her hand. She stiffened and walked away. Tears threatening to fall over the abyss, just like those years ago that seemed so far away.

"That's not fair! You left me!" she shouted, tears now falling freely down her cheeks, "You needed to go and it broke my heart but I knew I couldn't stop you. That I wouldn't… that I shouldn't"

"Arya, I…"

"Goodbye Gendry"

2 years later

"You're back" he states as he looks at her up and down. He hands her a cold beer, he's bartending at a bar near the houses. She sits down and looks at him as he works. She may or may be not staring at how his arms flex under his shirt every time he pours a pint.

"You look... good" she says once he settles in front of her with a beer of his own.

"Thanks. So do you" he fainlty smiles.

"Why?" Why are you back? He doesn't need to finish the question, she knows what he's asking.

"I just figured that everything I need is right here"

"Good"

"Good"

They clink their beers as they smile at each other.