Author's note: And here it is, the next part of this very silly story of mine. I made myself work on it today - and the good thing about this kind of stories is that it's possible to actually write an entire chapter in one go. Can you imagine?
Anyway, I really want to thank you for the kind words under the previous chapter and I hope you will find this one equally amusing, while I try to work on some other of my many, many Anne stories.
God bless you all!
annewithagee
Part 2
"Oh for fuck's sake," Anne gritted her teeth in frustration before letting out a painful groan, caused by her most untimely grimace. Her hand was pressed against her cheek again, even though she had long lost her belief that it could easy the ache in the slightest.
And everything hurt.
"You're holding up there, Carrots?" Gilbert's voice came from the kitchen, resonating with the same kindness and consideration that she had come to know so well, and yet, she could hardly find it in herself to think very favourably of him now; then again, right now, she didn't really feel particularly affectionate towards any human being on this Earth. "I need another minute or two and I'll be there, or you can come here and take those pills on your own. So?"
"I'm not going anywhere," she muttered, her answer muffled by the pillow she had just thrust herself on. "I'm just gonna lie here until I die and then you'll have to deal with the corpse and – oh, fuck!"
"Now that's two swearwords in a row, Miss Shirley. I can't say I'm impressed," Gilbert commented jokingly as he finally entered the room and bestowed his gaze on his dearest Kindred Spirit's curled up form. He shook his head at her and sat carefully on the edge of the couch on which she was lying. And yet, his tone was gentle when he asked, "Is it really so bad?"
Anne mumbled something against the pillow, too quietly for him to make out any on the words she'd uttered.
He sighed wearily. "Anne, please, I'm trying to be helpful here. Does it really ache so much?"
"You ask that question one more time and I swear I'll punch you," she retorted, jerking up her head and dropping it immediately after, her whole body tense with discomfort. "I hate toothaches."
"I know," he sighed again, putting the glass in his hand on the tea-table and reaching out to massage Anne's back soothingly. She remained silent and so did he, until he remembered that there were better ways than fighting physical pain than rubbing the shoulder blades of the patient, no matter how love-struck the physician might be; he grasped her by the elbows and pulled her up to the sitting position. "Come on, I brought you something for it. It will still take some time for it to work, so the sooner you take it, the better, right?"
"And what kind of medicine is that?" she asked hoarsely, blinking away the tears that had already managed to well up in her eyes.
"As far as I'm aware, there's only one working for you, isn't there?" he responded with a grin, waving the small package before her eyes.
She smiled genuinely at that."I thought all things ibuprofen were banned from your house," she attempted lightly.
Gilbert shrugged, his grin widening. "It's not banned, it just doesn't really work for us. We're a paracetamol kind of family, you see."
"Then how -"
"Well, let's say I like to be prepared for whenever my best friend decides to develop a serious aching as soon as she finds herself under my roof."
Anne could not help but chuckle a little at that, her gratitude and appreciation reflecting clearly in the depths of her grey-green eyes. She accepted the medicine he had offered to her with a nod and took the glass from the table. Her eyes were closed when she drank and remained so for a few moments after, as if she'd been trying to fortify herself for the time necessary for the painkiller to take effect. Another wave of ache overcame her, however, and she realised with dismay that it was still a little too much for her to handle.
Without much thinking, she turned towards Gilbert and buried her face in his neck, groaning with much more emotion that could have possibly been justified, even considering the pain she had been struggling with. Gilbert's arm came around her almost instinctively, as he smiled at her antics, holding her close to him and hoping that this insignificant gesture – insignificant to her, anyway – could indeed bring her the comfort she so desperately needed, while simultaneously battling his own desire to cup her face in his hands and simply kiss the pain away.
His heart skipped a beat when he felt her fingers tighten on the fabric of his shirt and it is highly possible he would have caved then – but before he'd had a chance to do something so stupid as trying to make his ridiculous dream a reality, Anne spoke up, successfully rousing him from his meditations for good.
"You know what," she said against his collarbone, sending shivers down his spine. "Right now I could swear that, save Diana, you're the best friend I've got in the entire fucking world. And don't you dare diminish the compliment by fighting me over the f word in it."
Gilbert could do little more than laugh at her confession, his arms tightening around her slim silhouette just a little bit more. It would be a good few minutes before the medicine she had taken would start to work and somehow, he knew that she would not try to pull away until it did; and as long as she was there, trusting in the safety of this perfectly unromantic hug, he would not wish for anything else.
The best friend in the world was good enough for him now.
