AN: This was originally Chapter 48 of my moments series 'Snatches of Sunshine', but someone *cough* suggested to take it out and complete it. This One-Shot is the result of my attempt.

I hope you like it – if only a bit - this is really something I struggled with. That rhymes!

[Oh and, Happy Birthday, dear someone ｡^‿^｡]

Inky Tryst

He's more myself than I am.

Whatever our souls are made of,

His and mine are the same.

Emily Brontë

„Gilbert!"

He lifted his head up from the paper he had just been writing on as her voice resounded through their house.

Warily he put the pen back into its holder. It was one thing when she called him 'Gilbert Blythe'. But it was hardly ever a good sign when she simply called him by his first name.

Soon enough the door of his study was being pushed open, and an upset Anne stepped inside before shutting it just as forcefully.

Before Gilbert could react in any way, she started whimpering, "I'm so fat! I'm so fat I can't even close the buttons on my blouse anymore!" A furious tear crawled down her cheek.

He needed some time to grasp the situation, and did so by studying her from head to toe.

His wife looked a little bit messy with her flushed cheeks, her wuthering grey-green eyes and a few strands of hair falling out of their hold. He would never tell her something like this – knowing very well it would only infuriate her - but to him she never looked as beautiful as when she wasn't in control of everything.

Gilbert now noticed too that her blouse was not tucked into her skirt as usually, and that indeed the last few buttons were still open, causing the fabric to swing lightly.

Even her small feet were still bare, and Gilbert felt a little sting in his heart as his eyes returned to her face. He hated to see her upset.

"You are not fat, Anne-girl", he finally spoke in a soft voice, "You're pregnant. And we knew we would have to get you some maternity clothes eventually."

Anne wiped a new angry tear away with the back of her hand and crossed her arms in front of her chest, glaring at her husband and his usual calmness.

Sometimes he could bring her to a white heat.

"You know", she finally hissed, her voice still a bit raspy from all her sobbing, "after all those years I finally know why I broke that slate over your head!"

Gilbert raised his eyebrows, confused about how the here and now was linked to that incident back then. "Oh?" Was all he was able to utter.

"I think deep down inside of me, I always knew you would do this to me someday!" She blurted out in anger.

He fought hard to stifle a grin. He wished he could tell her how adorable she was when she was angry – he wouldn't love to tease her so if she wouldn't be – but this too was one of the things he would never say aloud.

Instead he rose and walked slowly towards her, suddenly having the insistent feeling of falling in love with her storm-like sight all over again in his chest.

Anne kept her eyes glued to the floor, too angry with him over the fact that he could simply stay the way he was, while she had to go through all of these wearing changes.

Her body stirred as Gilbert placed his hands gently on her arms, but still she refused to meet his eyes.

"Did you really have such thoughts in your head when you were eleven…?" The intimacy of his low voice caused her to shudder. Anne didn't even have to look at him to know how handsome his smirk would look right now. It was one of the things which had gotten her into this situation in the first place.

Another reason not to return his gaze, "This is not funny, Gil."

"Oh, I know…" he gingerly leaned in to kiss the soft skin on her neck. Gilbert withdrew and waited a few seconds if there was any rejection to come, but all he could find where the goosebumps on her skin.

"You know… if you would have told me back then…"

Anne bit her tongue to keep her mouth from letting out a snicker. He absolutely shouldn't think that she was peaceable just now.

Gilbert placed a finger under her chin to lift her face, his hazel eyes dancing between her grey ones.

She knew he was searching for any sign that everything was alright again, but she didn't feel like that at all.

"Gilbert, I'm serious!" she exclaimed rather frustrated, trying to push him away but surrendering soon. "Have you even looked at me at all! Do you know how I look! Like, like a-"

He shushed her by placing a finger to her lips, shaking his head, "No. I don't want to hear it. Whatever nastiness you have to say about yourself, I won't let you do so. Because I know it's not true."

He could feel – almost hear - a small crack in his heart when a single tear ran down her face. It hurt him whenever she didn't see herself the way she really was. The way he saw her.

"Anne…" he tenderly cupped her face in his palms, looking pleadingly at her. "Have you looked at you at all? Because I have. I look at you every day. And every day I find something new to fall in love with. Especially since I know you carry our child."

He removed one warm hand from her face and gently slid it under her wide blouse, resting on her growing belly.

"I don't think you have ever looked as beautiful as you do now."

He leaned in to kiss her cheek with all the adoration he felt. "And you are by no means 'fat', Anne. How can you even utter such a word relating to you? The only roundness you have is where our child is sound asleep."

Anne looked pensively at him, biting her bottom lip. She was torn between her desire to believe his words and let him soothe her, and all those stirred up emotions and fears inside of her.

"Do you really mean that, Gil?" she finally whispered, and her voice sounded so thin and insecure as if she would be a girl all over again, not a woman of twenty-five who would be mother in a few months.

He only smiled at her and then leaned forward, noiselessly turning the key of the door she was still pressed against.

Anne blinked confused, following his movements, "What, what are you doing?"

He brought his hand to her neck, caressing the skin there with his thumb, his soft lips following soon.

"Giving you an answer", he murmured as his mouth travelled without haste upwards to her ear, causing her body to tremble.

Anne placed her hands on his arms, not really knowing if she was about to stop him – if she wanted to stop him, "But Gil…"

"Hm", he grinned, breaking the last opposition in her as he claimed her mouth with his in a way he would usually only do when they were alone in their bedroom.

Without breaking the kiss, he led her to his wooden desk, impatiently shoving the scattered papers and documents aside, not noticing how he knocked his ink jar over, a few blue droplets dripping onto his written words.

Anne's eyes opened wide as he encircled her waist and smoothly lifted her up on his bureau, a startled loud finding its way into his mouth.

"What", she broke the kiss and used her hands to keep him at distance, "What are you doing?"

"Why don't you ask your eleven year old self", Gilbert grinned impishly before capturing her lips again, pulling and teasing softly, waiting for her to give in.

"But…" She couldn't say if it actually was his mouth that kept her from speaking or more her own desire, which was trying its very best to drown all those voices of reason inside of her. "...your... work..."

"It's Saturday anyhow…" he mumbled, his bold hands wandering down to the hem of her cyan skirt, brushing her naked ankles, "And there are things more important than work."

The heat arising where his lips and fingers touched, spread relentlessly through her veins, keeping her from objecting further. Her fingertips tingled and burned demandingly until she decided not to torment them any longer and let her hands travel upwards to his hair. Anne too messing it up in a way she would normally only dare in their bedroom.

"Dr. Blythe!" The sudden call caused them both to stop their movements abruptly and look at each other, their chests rising and falling heavily, their hearts palpitating. The precarious situation mingled with their bottled-up passion causing them to nearly burst out laughing.

Her footsteps came closer and closer until she stopped right in front of his door.

"Dr. Blythe", Susan knocked.

Anne opened her mouth to ask him what to do, but Gilbert silenced her with his fingers.

"Yes?" Fortunately she wouldn't notice how husky his voice sounded, separated through the wall.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but have you seen Mrs. Doctor dear? I was looking for-"

"Yes Susan, she's here with me." Gilbert tried not to look at Anne so he could contain his laughter. "I, um, just make a short examination."

"Oh." Susan was about to thank him for the information and turn around as she furrowed her brow.

A medical examination in his study? Why wouldn't they-

"Oooh…" she uttered as realization hit her, and embarrassed covered her mouth immediately. It certainly hadn't been supposed to escape her.

Anne's cheeks turned crimson as she heard Susan walking away. "Oh no, Gil", she made a painful face. "Do you think she assumes something?"

"Pretty sure, yes", he chuckled, lowering his face again.

"But", she shoved him away, "won't you do something about it?"

"Why yes", his eyes twinkled cheekily, "I'm making sure it won't just stay an assumption."

While his lips returned their attention to her face, his fingers sneaked down to her ankles again, slowly sliding her skirt upwards.

"Gil", she could barely keep her thoughts together with all those jolts he caused everywhere on her skin, "I think you are out of your mind - this is your study. Your desk."

His low chuckle against her neck sent a shiver down her spine, "And I think you are right about both things, Anne-girl."

She moaned as he kissed the hollow of her throat, bringing her hands back to his hair, "Gilbert," she breathed, "I just want to make clear that I never gave my consent."

He laughed and lifted his head to look her in the eyes, his twinkling mischievous orbs speaking for themselves, "What, don't you grant your husband some pleasant memories he can reminisce while he is stuck here, snowed under with work?"

He barely touched the corner of her mouth with his ardent lips then, knowing exactly how tantalizing it was to her.

"Would it help then?" Anne panted with closed eyes, trying to bring him down to her again, releasing her from this sweet torture.

"Mm…" he murmured against her other side, a perky grin spreading across his face as he perceived her pleading whimper.

Not intending to torment her any longer, he captured her mouth in a passionate kiss, allowing his fingers to slowly wander upwards and expose more and more of the smooth skin of her slender legs. Anne parted her lips to welcome him, shuddering as their tongues met.

Finding his feathery touches on her body too maddening to endure, she crossed her legs around his thighs, pulling him closer by doing so.

Her lips curled into a smile as she could feel the effects she undeniable had on him - despite her growing body, and despite all her sudden, insufferable changes of mood.

No, she had not really believed that he would stop loving her so immediately. Her true fear lay in those gnawing doubts if he would – could – still find her desirable at all. Because that was exactly what she wanted to be to him. No matter how long they would be married someday. Anne knew it would kill her inside not to find this certain sparkle in his hazel eyes anymore.

"Gilbert…" she purred, moving her hands from his curly hair down to his navy tie to loosen it.

"Hm?" He parted from her to rid himself of this garment before returning his attention to her addicting skin again. It were moments like this, when he felt and tasted and smelled her, that Gilbert wondered how he even succeeded in not kissing her for hours.

"If you would meet me now… would you still fall in…" she sucked in her breath as he slid her silken blouse down on one side, kissing her bare shoulder, "…love?"

"Who would be the father then?" he asked in a hoarse voice, occupied with trailing her skin with burning marks.

"The father?" Anne was sure she would soon lose her mind completely if he wouldn't stop doing what he was doing.

"If you are pregnant…" He opened her white blouse further, kissing the skin above her corset, "And we meet… who would be the father of the child?"

"That's not… what matters, G-", she groaned loudly as he pressed himself into her even though their bodies were still separated through numerous layers of clothes.

"…Gil", she gasped, for some moments forgetting what it was she had wished to know seconds ago.

"Well it matters to me…" he slid his hands under her skirt and lifted her a little so he could pull down her drawers.

"Gil." She looked challenging at him, his lacking seriousness ripping her out of her daze.

"Anne." He returned her gaze just as firmly, pausing his movements for some moments. "If my lips, my fingers, my eyes, and my heart don't give you the answer, then you are blind."

He dropped the fabric to the ground and brought his now free hands up to her face, cupping it in his palms, "I would fall in love with you at any time, any age, and any circumstances. There is not one form of you I could not love."

He pressed his hot lips firmly to hers, leaving not one doubt on his words. It was just as if he would fill her heart up with himself completely. Making it whole and warm again.

"I love you, Gil", she whispered between his kisses, encircling his neck, caressing the soft skin of his nape. "I'm sorry I'm so complicated and arduous."

"Don't ever be sorry for anything you are, Anne. For I wouldn't love you if you weren't."

They continued their vows of love in unspoken ways then, with fingers and lips, tongues and breaths.

Anne opened his waistcoat so he could shrug it off his shoulders and searched for the holder of his suspenders. As she opened the clip with her fingernails, she suddenly giggled against his lips.

Gilbert broke the kiss, looking at her in wonderment, "What is so funny now?"

Anne shook her head as she removed the suspenders from his shirt and leaned in to kiss his cheek, "They are just such a Gil-y thing. One of the few things which haven't change since you were fourteen." Covering his face with butterfly kisses she opened the first buttons.

"Oh, there are some other things I kept as well, you know."

Anne placed her hands upon his warm chest after opening it all the way down and looked quizzically at him, "Oh?"

Gilbert nodded with a sly smile on his lips, pulling softly at her bottom lip, "This particular girl…"

"Ah…" Anne chuckled, unfastening his pants, "How ironic."

"What so?"

"That the suspenders are there to keep your trousers in place and the girl undoes", she whispered teasingly, and Gilbert assaulted her lips at such boldness.

Impatiently she pulled his remaining garments down and encircled his shoulders. Gilbert gripped her thighs and lifted her slightly to draw his wife to him.

Anne gasped as their bodies united, not knowing if she would lose her sanity over the burning feeling in her groins, or this maddening sensation his sucking lips aroused on her neck. She took one hand off him to prop herself on his desk while her legs pulled him even closer in.

When the movements of their hips became fiercer and her limbs were nothing but melting wax under the flame of their love instead of providing support, she wrapped both her arms around his neck once more, leaning against him, chest pressed to chest, falling and rising in unison by then.

Gilbert tightened his hold on her as he kept on kissing, teasing, and intensifying the friction between their bodies.

Anne lifted her head from his shoulder and placed her hands on his cheeks to gain his attention, claiming his lips with hers. She could feel how close they both were to stumble over the edge and she wanted to be connected with him in every way possible once the sensations would wash her away.

He should be her anchor and he should be her storm.

A tremor shot through them as their souls fell and shattered in million pieces of lights and then merged all over again, this ball of fire sending ardent sparks through their veins.

They both breathed heavily as awareness was slowly finding its way back. Anne's eyes fluttered open and she withdrew her face, looking at him.

He returned her gaze, their eyes sinking into each other as deep as their bodies already were. Her fingers travelled tenderly along his jawline as Anne stopped abruptly and leaned perplexed forward, "What…"

"What?" Gilbert watched her confused, squeezing her where he still held his wife firmly.

Anne lifted her hands and turned them, looking puzzled at her palms. Finally a chuckle escaped her lips as she showed her fingertips to her husband.

"I'm afraid I left some marks on you, Gil", she giggled, brushing his skin there where blue ink was witness of their love.

He craned his neck and spotted the fallen jar, the smeared blue droplets on his paper. Gilbert raised his eyebrows amused, thinking that she had left her marks long ago.

"Was this something important?" Anne asked, suddenly worried.

"No", Gilbert shook his head with a laugh, "Nothing I can write again in a few minutes."

"Oh," Anne blushed and dropped her gaze for one second, and Gilbert was amazed how she could still redden over such little things after all those years they knew each other. But he loved her even more for it.

He pressed his lips to her warm soft cheek.

Anne smiled, "You know Gil, of all the characters, tales, love stories, and adventures I ever created with ink…"

He tilted his head wondering.

"You are my masterpiece."