Work Text:
'Fifteen Things'
or 'Fifteen Things Gilbert Beilschmidt Will Never Tell Anyone…
… namely Anneliese Edelstein'
1) When Gilbert Beilschmidt saw Anneliese Edelstein he thought she would be the most stuck-up, uptight, rich girl snob he'd have the pleasure of ignoring… and that she was also one of the most gorgeous he'd seen. Not that he'd ever admit that aloud.
2) Gilbert is actually really good at Physics. He can even be considered a genius. But since he has a tendency to skip classes and talk back to teachers, his over-all grades were far from being impressive.
3) Gilbert's first meeting with Anneliese Edelstein wasn't the most pleasant either. They were both late for class – which is a rare occurrence itself because Anneliese Edelstein was never late and Gilbert would usually be found in an abandoned classroom doing anything but studying. Since they were the only ones who didn't have a partner and they were both late, the teacher decided that they would be working together on the research project.
And no, they couldn't switch partners.
Anneliese was mortified. Gilbert merely yawned but inside he was thankful that he'd come to class for once. It was instant dislike between the two. They snapped at each other every chance they got; they were always bickering and trying to prove the other wrong. It was exhausting. But he was enjoying every second of it. Why else had he started to attend first period classes for?
4) During freshmen year, Gilbert had nearly tried to gauge his eyes out when he accidentally caught the ever volatile ass of a president and the football "hero" of their school making out in a broom closet. He hadn't been able to look at the two with a straight face since then. The whole thing was all-together scarring and it was something that he would rather not talk about in fear of the horrible mental images resurfacing.
5) When the rumors surfaced about one of his friends – Antonio Carriedo – was going out with Anneliese Edelstein, Gilbert was seeing red. He'd been in a constant bad mood that entire week. His jokes were a bit harsher, he snapped easily and his unfortunate friend had been at the unwitting end of his temper. Poor Antonio didn't know what he'd done wrong.
6) When the rumors where proven false, the tight feeling in his chest disappeared… and, of course, he'd apologized to his friend who had a knowingly smug expression on his face that resulted in Gilbert punching his face in annoyance.
7) He had a huge crush on Elizaveta Héderváry when they were kids. It was short-lived however, it ended the moment she had crushed his face with a frying pan when he had the incredible misfortune of standing behind her when her skirt flew up… he didn't even look!
Okay. Maybe he did.
8) Six days later after punching Antonio's face, he found out that she had indeed been going with someone. It wasn't Antonio. But it was some rich, "suave" bastard from the senior class. Gilbert didn't know who that guy was but he just knew that he wouldn't like the other male either way.
9) He likes her smile. It's really nice and her usually stoic and gloomy face brightens up considerably when she smiles. He's been seeing her smile a lot lately. Grudgingly, he still wants to keep seeing her smiles… even if it wasn't meant for him.
10) He tried an experiment. She's seeing somebody and he decides it was best to be rid of his ridiculous infatuation with Anneliese Edelstein. So he makes it his duty to avoid her every chance he gets. He pushes aside the sudden hollow feeling that looms over him every time he avoids her eyes or when he ignores her in the hallways. (He is suddenly reminded of the many times where he stops by her locker where they have friendly arguments about random topics and a smile makes it way to his lips before he can suppress it.)
He's beginning to miss her but continues his act nonetheless. It takes two more days of avoidance that she finally gets a clue and starts avoiding him as well… which is good. But that means she's also spending more time with him… and that doesn't sit too well with Gilbert.
11) He lied. Seeing her smile at him makes his blood boil. He wants to be the only person she looks at like that. Wants to be the only person who sees that adorable expression on her face when she's embarrassed. They couldn't even be considered 'friends' – they weren't even on speaking terms, for God's sake – and already he's being possessive. That's going to be a big problem.
12) Seeing her cry had hurt. A lot. He wasn't even supposed to see it. He was keeping up his usual schedule of cutting classes that day; he slipped inside what he first assumed was an empty Home Economics room for a quick afternoon nap. He stiffened when he heard a muffled gasp. Imagine his surprise when he found Anneliese Edelstein – of all people – crying in a corner. Or at least she was trying her hardest not to let any tears show. She stood up abruptly, about to leave when he blindly reaches out and hugs her from behind. She struggled against his hold but he doesn't let her go. Soon she stops struggling all together and then she starts to cry. She turns, burying her face into his shirt and he lets her. He doesn't know what to say, having lost the ability to speak the moment he saw her cry.
The words slip from her mouth before she knows it. And as her story progressed, his hands start to shake and it takes every bit of self control not to beat that cheating bastard to the grave. She must have realized it too, because she makes him promise not to get involve. He doesn't respond, he just holds her tighter and waits for her to stop.
13) He got suspended for punching the bastard that broke her heart. He got into a lot of trouble after that. His parents had even called and he had an earful from his mother. It was worth it though.
14) He fell in love with her when she visited his apartment at the second day of his suspension. He wasn't expecting any visitors that day so he wasn't at his most presentable when he answered the door. She came early and she was dressed in casual clothing (a simple purple dress that made her lilac eyes shine brighter).
She let herself in and nagged him about his taste in sleepwear. When she found out that he hadn't eaten yet (since she did not consider cereal as a proper meal) she cooked him a meal. He was pleasantly surprised to find that she was an excellent cook.
The whole day passed by in a blur, the things he remembered the most were the way she smiled, the sound of her unbidden laughter… and when she was about to leave, how she gave him a hard glare that scared (but only a little) and confused him. What had he done wrong this time?
"I told you not to get involve, didn't I?" She scolded him about resorting to violence and how he got involve despite her asking him not to… then her glare softened and she's smiling softly at him.
"But... thank you, Gilbert."
Not ruffian. Or brute. Or barbarian. Or any insult.
He decided that he liked the way she said his name.
By the time that she was gone, she would still be the only thought in his head. And it's at that moment when he realized what he really thought of Anneliese Edelstein.
15) The first time he kissed her was purely accidental. They were in his apartment, doing their project in silence, when he decided it was far too quiet for his liking. He cracked a joke. Two. Three. And at the tenth joke he is irritated at her lack of response. He leans forward… a bit too close. She decides that it's also the best time to turn her head in his direction to snap at him. His lips brush against hers. Her lips are soft.
When he kissed her it wasn't fireworks or an explosion. It was a nice feeling that warms his whole body. Kissing her was like coming home after a long, exhausting trip. It was a sudden epiphany that this was where he belonged.
He pulled away. Saw the wonderfully adorable blush that stained her cheeks, the way her eyes lit up in wonder and moves in for another kiss.
She kisses him back.
.
.
.
He doesn't mind spending the rest of his life with her. As cheesy as it sounds, it's the truth. He tells her this. She turns into the most adorable shade of red, she looks flustered and, in her embarrassment, she starts calling him names, not all of them were pleasant, but he laughs at her and pulls her into a hug.