Chapter Text
"O’er the wild waters labouring far from home, for some bleak pittance e’er compelled to roam. Few hearts to cheer him on through his dangerous life, and none to aid him in the stormy strife. Companion of the sea and silent air, the lonely fisher thus must ever fare. Without the comfort, hope, with scarce a friend, he looks through life and only sees its end."
Anne sighed, dropping the book on her chest where she left off. She was starting to lay uncomfortable, but she didn't want to disrupt the serenity by pulling her head from Gilbert's lap. She stared at his white ceiling, quickly glancing at him. He was watching a documentary on Youtube with headphones, so he didn’t clash with her reading. It was one of Blue Planet with David Attenborough, but after watching the first five minutes, she realised she’s seen it twice already and went to lay on his lap. A good book in the comfort of your boyfriend was a lot better anyways.
She turned her head, now facing him. Gilbert caught her eye, smiling, and resumed watching. Anne closed her eyes for a moment. That smile. It still made her feel ridiculously happy, to a point where she wondered if it was healthy. She wondered if he had the same problem.
An idea sprung to mind. She picked her phone out of her front pocked, unlocking it.
'And here we have,' she exclaimed, pointing the camera to him as she filmed. Gilbert removed his earphones, smiling confused. 'A Gilbert bird in his habitat, it’s an odd one – quite rare too. The male Gilbert often has dark feathers and light eyes. It is the biggest dork in the wildlife, as he is incapable of fighting and rather watches the other birds. He often resides in his room or in the for- ah!', she squealed as he dragged her upwards, making he straddle his lap. Her knees sink into the soft mattress.
'What're you doing?', he asked, a glint in his eye as he intertwined his fingers behind her lower back. She lowered her phone and shrugged innocently, playing with the strings of his hood.
'Being David Attenborough, obviously.' She was devastatingly bored, but it seemed like her idea had put a stop on that.
He smirked, 'Change of aspiration?'
'Why, Gilbert, can't I be an artist and a biologist? I'd be the first! I'd be revolutionary! I can already imagine it!'
Gilbert's smile broadened, gripping her tighter. He looked silly with his curls bouncing and green eyes shining and she couldn't help but adore him even more. Anne leaned down, softly kissing his lips. His hands left her waist, fingers caressing her jaw and hair. It made her annoyed with herself, even after a year of dating this idiot of a boy, he still made her heart do somersaults like she used to do in the meadows behind Green Gables.
Gilbert dragged her down, her chest flat against his. He lowered himself as well, making them both lay on the bed.
Slinging his arms around her, he kissed her temple. 'I like you a lot more than David.'
'You're ridiculous.'
'I know, but you're ridiculous about me too.'
She was stunned for a moment. There he had her. Anne could deny it, her competitiveness never taking a break, but here she was, comfortably laying on Gilbert's chest. Anne grinned, shy, and hid her face in his chest. He chuckled.
'Hey, Anne?'
'Hm?', she was dozing off. Laying with him on a lazy Sunday with the last warm rays of sunlight made her tired. She tightened her hold on him. He was always warm, she thought as she pressed her nose into his sweater. Whilst her fingers were usually cold (She didn’t know why – she blames it on her biological parents she doesn’t know the names of.), his were always warm. Her mind slipped to a memory of last autumn, when she’d forgotten her gloves at school on a particularly cold day and he’d been cupping them between his hands, keeping them warm. They had only been together for a month, and then it had felt too intimate. Anne smiled at the thought of how comfortable they’ve become with each other.
'I need you to be awake, Anne.'
She cracked her drooping eyes open, staring straight into his. He seemed... nervous. She frowned.
‘Are you okay?’
'I love you.'
Anne held her breathe as her gaze softened. He loved her. Gilbert Blythe loved her. Meaning he loved every part of her, every crack and crinkle in her mind and body. That meant he loved her wandering thoughts and rambling, her intelligence, how she cared for him. He even loved her absurdly red hair. He loved her.
Oh my, she felt her heart hammer, no doubt he felt it too.
'I love you too,' she whispered softly, expressing every letter with care. She did. She loved his dark curls and piercing eyes. She loved how he made her feel, and his intelligence is one of his most attractive traits. She loved his artistic talents – her eyes involuntarily flitted to the slightly unfocused picture of her on his wall, where she was beaming at him with golden glitter dusted on her cheeks. She loved him. It was so easy, now that she thought about it. Like it was ingrained in her soul before her fingers felt the delicate etching too.
Gilbert and Anne beamed at each other, nudging noses and brushing lips. They took it slow, their relationship, but she had an inkling things might change now.
Suddenly, she shot up nearly slamming their teeth together. He groaned at the loss of contact.
'What?'
'The test for English! I said I was going to help you study but-', then he had dragged her onto the bed because he had missed her even though he'd seen her on Friday night when they went to watch a movie.
'I don't care anymore.'
'Don't lie to yourself, Gilbert Blythe. You care a lot about school.'
He smiled, twirling a piece of her hair around his finger. Anne pouted, he was trying to distract her. Just because she knew he loved her (Stop blushing, Anne, you look like a tomato), didn’t mean he had her wrapped around his finger. Absolutely not.
'I have a compromise you won't be able to resist,' she exclaimed haughtily, chin up. He dropped her hair.
'Continue.'
'Every time you get something right, you can kiss me,' she sent him a brilliant smile, his eyes gleaming.
'Interesting proposition, Anne. Let's try that.'
Anne held her hand out, going to shake his hand firmly, the edges of her lips quirking upwards. He grabbed her hand, and a second later pulled her towards him, capturing her again.
'Gilbert!'