A/N: I don't know what took me so long to watch Anne with and E. I have always loved the story of Anne of Green Gables, and have even visited Green Gables in PEI on three separate occasions when I was younger. A few months ago, I finally came across AWAE, devoured it, and pretty much haven't stopped thinking about it since. I have so many feelings about this magnificent show and feel so lost now that it's over (is it too late for CBC and Netflix to get over their problems and renew it already?). I need more Anne. More Cuthberts. More shirbert. I'm sure since you're about to read an AWAE fic, I'm preaching to the choir lol.
I'm currently crawling my way out of a little writing drought so when I felt an urge to try writing something for AWAE, I decided to run with it. It's basically shameless fluff lol. Here goes and hope you like it.
"Okay, the coast is clear!"
"Everyone, over here! Hurry up!"
"Don't be a chicken, Anne!"
What felt like mere seconds after Miss Stacey had dismissed the class and departed the schoolhouse for an early afternoon train to Charlottetown, Josie had set her plans in motion to revive the old spin-the-bottle game.
She had made her plan known during lunch, when Miss Stacey had informed the class of her forthcoming early departure, by insisting that everyone stayed for the game after class was over and Miss Stacey was out of sight. And ever since Josie's announcement, the entire class seemed they couldn't contain their excitement. Hardly anyone had paid attention to the afternoon lessons, with far too many eager thoughts of the upcoming game and giddy glances cast between the girls and boys' sides of the classroom distracting them from their coursework.
A certain red-headed, freckled girl felt quite differently about the matter.
She, for one, was dreading the game.
Many months had passed since Anne had last participated in this very game. And to say that the affair had gone poorly was an understatement.
That dreaded event had to be one of Anne's most humiliating experiences since starting her life in Avonlea, with Billy, Josie, and others laughing at and teasing Anne when it had been her turn to spin the bottle, expressing their repulsion for her in a very public and confidence-bursting type of way.
Though at least that time, Cole had been there to bail her out. He had faced similar ridicule so they had banned together and made the most of the embarrassing experience.
But still, it wasn't a memory that Anne was fond of. And Cole didn't go to their school anymore so she was on her own this time.
She found herself rooted to the spot as her classmates flew past towards the designated corner of the room where Josie was assembling the boys and girls into a circle. Anne clasped and reclasped her hands against her stomach, over her brown high-necked dress and a white apron (a signature bland and unromantic look of hers, if Anne did say so herself), feeling conflicted and afraid.
Most of the girls were huddled together, whispering excitedly, and while many of the boys were trying to act more restrained, the dusting of pink across many of their cheeks told otherwise.
Yet still, Anne felt like she was under intense scrutiny as she remained rooted to the spot by her desk, with visions of the nasty girls from the orphanage and their taunting remarks flashing through her mind.
She swallowed and allowed her eyes to flit around the room, and, to her misfortune, she met eyes with Charlie, who was watching her expectantly near the congregation of teenagers in the corner of the room.
Anne turned away immediately. She had been made aware of Charlie's recent interest in her, and though there was nothing particularly wrong with him (after all, he was tall and seemed reasonably nice), she found his advances a little unsettling. On the plus side, at least it seemed there was one boy who was interested in her playing spin-the-bottle this time around, but on the other hand, the very thought of kissing him made her stomach turn, and not in the good way.
Instinctively, Anne's eyes sought an escape and looked towards the door at the back of the room. That was when she noticed Gilbert, who was one of the only remaining students still seated at their desk. He was scribbling something down in his notebook with his nose buried in a book, likely determined to cram in a bit of extra work in light of today's Queen's entrance exam study group being cancelled in Miss Stacey's absence.
Anne found herself feeling a mixture of relief and nervousness at the sight of Gilbert being there. It was certainly nice that someone other than her wasn't rushing over to the game, so she felt some solidarity in that. Gilbert was also nice to her, generally (whenever they weren't competing for the top scores in class), which made his presence rather comforting for Anne.
Well, usually.
There was perhaps the smallest chance that the nervous part of Anne's feelings had something to do with how she had started to notice a rugged handsomeness about him, now that he was getting taller and broader-shouldered, with dark, curly hair that had an attractive unruliness to it, kind grey eyes, and a strong-set jaw. Despite mostly enjoying their interactions, lately, Anne was having more and more trouble speaking in coherent sentences when he was around.
But, of course, Anne didn't like him or anything. Of course she didn't. She couldn't. He was her rival! And sometimes, close friend and neighbour, and she couldn't afford to disrupt that. The onlyreason Anne noticed Gilbert's looks was because Ruby had talked her ear off about them for years. Otherwise, Anne most definitely wouldn't have noticed them. Or him, in general. Surely.
Moody approached Gilbert then, nudging his arm with his fist, likely encouraging him to join the group. Gilbert closed his book and muttered something in response but Anne couldn't hear what he was saying and it was unclear whether he was packing up to join the game or to leave.
If Gilbert joined the game, would that change the way she felt towards the whole thing?
Noticing the direction of her gaze, Anne pulled her eyes away and redirected them to her own desk before he noticed her looking.
Gilbert tended to stand up for people who needed help and had even faced bullies like Billy before. Without Cole here, maybe he would help Anne deal with unwanted comments? If he even stayed for the game, at least.
But then another thought occurred to her: What if she spun the bottle and it landed on Gilbert?
Her face warmed.
Or, what if he spun the bottle and it landed on someone else?
This prospect was equally conflicting to Anne, and she found her body paralyzed to the spot for different reasons.
A gentle hand landed on Anne's shoulder.
She startled before realizing whom the hand belonged to. Anne felt a relieved smile form as she turned to the kind, beautiful face of her bosom friend.
"Anne, are you all right?" Diana asked softly, for only her to hear. She was adorned in her lovely, signature blue dress with a matching ribbon holding up half of her long, gorgeous dark waves of hair. "You'll join us, right?"
Anne's body relaxed slightly in the presence of her favourite person. "Oh, Diana… I just… I don't know if I can stand to endure that debaucherous game again," she spat and frowning in the direction of their classmates.
Diana closed her eyes and released a sigh. "I understand, Anne. I really do. And Josie can't force you to do anything against your will," she offered kindly. "But," she added with a twinkle in her dark eyes, "you must admit that you have a couple more prospects than you did the last time we played this game, right? Between Charlie, who has obviously taken notice of you, and, well…" With a knowing look on her face, Diana's eyes darted towards the back of the room, where Gilbert was still hovering near his desk.
Anne felt that warmth return to her face.
My dear friend is not only beautiful and brilliant, but also a mind-reader.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Anne lied, though the look on Diana's face told her that she wasn't convinced. She had an inkling that her face was a similar shade as her red, braided hair.
But the encouragement from her friend did make Anne feel the slightest bit more confident.
Between at least Diana and (she hated to admit it) Charlie wanting her to play, and the fact that she had a few more solid friendships than she used to, and that Gilbert was at least around, maybe, just maybe, the game wouldn't go as badly if she gave it one more try?
She had never been kissed before, and she had most certainly wondered what kissing was like.
Her heart began to thrum, ever so slightly, in anticipation. Even if it wasn't with her one true love, would her first kiss make her heart sing, or her mind soar through the clouds, or her entire being feel a part of it she hadn't known was missing had been found, like her favourite novels suggested it might?
Diana seemed to detect the shift in Anne's resolve and gently nudged her in the direction of their classmates who were beginning to assemble into a circle.
Anne released a breath. What harm would it be if she stayed for one game, anyways? Matthew and Marilla weren't expecting her home right after school today, since Anne normally stayed later for the Queen's entrance exam study group. So she could afford to stay for a short while.
She took a few hesitant steps forward.
And then–
"Ready for another round, orphan freak?"
Anne's toe caught a ridge in the wooden floorboards and if she hadn't grasped the edge of a nearby desk to steady herself, she'd have tumbled to the floor.
She kept her hand rooted there and found it impossible to straighten up, as her head began to spin and her breathing quickened.
Distantly, she could hear laughing.
Anne wasn't sure who had spoken, or who was doing the laughing. John? Josie? Billy? The girls from the orphanage? She couldn't tell. And she didn't really care to linger and find out. The only coherent thought that came to her mind then was: It's time to go.
Her body moved automatically down the aisle between the rows of desks and towards the exit, her feet treading softly, creating the sensation that she was floating.
She was vaguely aware of the eyes and chatter that followed her, but Anne paid it no mind. Despite suddenly being the centre of attention, she was suddenly feeling quite far away from her classmates.
How stupid she had been, thinking she could enjoy herself and fit in playing that game. She never had, and clearly, she never would. Maybe she just wasn't meant for frivolous activities like romance or kissing.
Moments later, Anne realized her feet had carried her to the coat room at the entrance of the schoolhouse. She stepped away from its doorway towards the canopy of coats and paused to catch her breath once hidden from view.
Anne came to her senses enough to remember that if she left without her coat or her hat, Marilla might kill her. And so, with shaking hands, she reached for her blue coat and slipped it on. It was when she was fumbling with the buttons when a breathless, wide-eyed Diana flew around the corner.
"Anne!" she gasped. "Oh, Anne. Don't listen to them." Diana grasped Anne's hands with her own and watched her with a mixture of concern and pleading in her dark eyes. "Please stay. It will be okay. I promise."
Despite her discomfort over the whole situation, Anne felt a rush of warmth towards her bosom friend, once again.
She turned to face Diana fully, feeling the tiniest bit steadier, but her resolve unwavering. She squeezed Diana's hands. "Diana, I am so grateful for you. Truly." She felt a small smile form. "But I'm just not up for this today. I think I need some fresh air and to go home."
A look of worry crossed Diana's features. Anne continued. "But you should stay, Diana. Please. The others will be devastated if you left. And you deserve every thrilling moment of it. Then you must tell me all about it afterwards."
Diana looked like she was going to say something else, but that was when another head popped around the corner. It was Gilbert's.
Anne's body tensed again and her smile dropped. She wasn't sure how much more of an emotional roller coaster she could take.
He approached the two girls slowly. "Anne," he said, his eyes finding hers. "You… um, forgot your books." Gilbert gestured to the neatly stacked bundle of books he was holding. He must have packed them up for her.
Anne blinked. "Oh," she said in a small voice. Her eyes dropped to the ground as she hurriedly released Diana's hands, took the bundle from Gilbert, and turned away to hide her embarrassment without saying anything more.
She placed the books on the bench and resumed buttoning up her coat, the tremble in her hands returning.
Gilbert just saw that whole thing. He must think I'm a freak too.
Tears prickled in the corners of her eyes. She sucked in a breath and tried to put on a brave face while she finished getting her things in order for the walk home.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Diana was saying something to Gilbert in a hushed tone on the other side of the coat room. Anne couldn't tell what they were saying and she wasn't about to ask.
Anne was just putting on her hat over her braided hair when Diana returned to wish her a safe walk home with a fond pat on the shoulder before returning to the classroom.
When Anne turned around with her bundle of books in hand, she was slightly surprised to see Gilbert still there, doing up his red and black plaid coat. Noticing her looking, he glanced at her from across the coat room. "Leaving too?" he asked while putting on his grey cap and reaching for his own books.
Anne frowned. Surely he already knew that she was leaving after making such a scene to bolt from the classroom. He wouldn't have gathered her books if he thought she was staying. So what was this about? Was he pitying her?
Ignoring his question, Anne instead asked in an accusing tone, "Why are you leaving?"
Gilbert shrugged. "There's a lot to do at home," he said simply and moving towards the door.
Anne nodded, wondering whether she believed him. Maybe spin-the-bottle just wasn't Gilbert's thing. He had told her he wasn't a "take notice" type of guy, after all. He didn't seem like the type of take part in meaningless activities with exams on the horizon, and his farm and Bash's baby to tend to at home. So maybe there was truth to what he was saying.
Either way, at least with him leaving, Anne didn't stand out quite as much.
Gilbert opened the door and gestured for her to go first. Anne exited the schoolhouse without so much as a backwards glance to see if anyone was watching or if Gilbert was following. Her priority was to put as much space between herself and the schoolhouse as quickly as possible.
She dashed down the steps, only slowing her pace when she reached the bush-lined path that would lead her home. She paused for a moment, sucking in a breath of fresh autumn air, and felt the tiniest trace of relief. Until –
"Hey, mind if I join you?" came Gilbert's voice from a few paces behind her.
Anne's breath caught for a moment. She had nearly forgotten he was there.
He lingered a few steps away, watching her with those kind, grey eyes of his. "I figured we're headed in the same direction, right?" he added while raising an eyebrow.
It's definitely pity, Anne thought sourly, a bit of anger welling inside of her. She didn't need pity. She needed to be alone so she could wallow in her embarrassment.
But Gilbert was right that they were going in the same direction, given they were neighbours, so now it would be awkward to reject his request.
Anne held her chin high. "Sure," she said nonchalantly. She swallowed. It was awfully hard to act cool when you had just been called a freak in front of the entire class and felt so very small.
He nodded before approaching and then they set off, side-by-side with their books slung over their shoulders, down the path lined with tall bushes to the right and farmland to the left. They began walking in silence while Anne focused on keeping her eyes trained ahead and appearing cool and collected. Gilbert's farm wasn't very far from Green Gables so he'd be with her for the better part of the walk, for better or for worse.
After a short while, Gilbert broke the silence. "You're awfully quiet," he observed, a note of teasing in his voice.
Anne sighed. If he was looking for a spirited academic debate, he was out of luck today. "Yeah, well… I've got a lot on my mind," she mumbled.
"Yeah? Like what?"
She glanced at him, instinctively searching for an indication that he was mocking her. But she couldn't find any. Rather, he looked genuinely curious, which brought her some reassurance that he wasn't just trying to tease her.
"It's that stupid spin-the-bottle game," she huffed. "It's a waste of time that could be spent studying. Or doing anything else, really."
She could sense Gilbert looking at her but her eyes were trained on the path. "I suppose it's a bit trivial," he offered.
Anne nodded, feeling a spark of energy return, perhaps because Gilbert seemed to get it. "There's just so much pressure to play it with no regard for other things I might rather be doing. And oh no, I am not falling for their pressure to play again. Certainly not after last time," she spat.
There was a short pause.
"What happened last time?" Gilbert asked slowly.
That was when Anne remembered that Gilbert had been working on the steamship the last time their class had played spin-the-bottle so he hadn't witnessed the embarrassing debacle.
She gulped and glanced towards him. As much as she trusted Gilbert wasn't the type to rub salt in her wounds, she liked seeming put-together around him rather than a blubbering disaster.
Though, now that he knew something had happened last time, if she didn't tell him, he could easily find out from someone else, with the entire class having been witness to it. And it was probably best if she were the one to explain it, rather than someone like Josie, who would probably recount the affair quite differently, or Moody, who wasn't a good storyteller.
She sighed. "Well, Billy, John, Josie, and many of the others humiliated me, to put it lightly."
"What did they do?" Gilbert asked in a sharper tone. "Are you all right?"
Anne smiled weakly. "I guess I'm fine now. No one… did anything to me. It's what they said that was humiliating."
And from there, Anne launched into the upsetting tale of her first encounter with the spin-the-bottle game, down the taunts and ridicule she'd endured, and Cole offering to step in to help her save face when it seemed like no one wanted to kiss her during her turn.
The sensation of tears prickling the corners of her eyes returned. "It confirmed my deepest fears, I guess. That I really am just an unkissable, unloveable, homely freak who still doesn't really fit in, even after all these years. I just… don't have time to deal with that again. I have more important things to focus on now."
She released a shaky breath, and then she remembered who she was talking to and was struck by another pang embarrassment.
Anne peeked over at Gilbert, who had been silent during her entire retelling of the event and found that he was gazing ahead with a confused and perhaps slightly disgusted look on his face, his eyebrows furrowed and the corners of his mouth pulled into a frown.
She cleared her throat, feeling a strong urge to hide, or at the very least, change the mortifying topic of discussion. "It's a good thing I'm destined to be a bride of adventure, though," she tutted while holding her chin high as she strode onward. "So none of that really matters anyways."
Gilbert released a breath and shook his head. Anne turned and was surprised to find that there was such a strong look of disbelief on his face that he seemed on the verge of smiling. Smiling! After what Anne had just confided in him, this was not the response she'd expected.
"You don't really believe any of that, do you?" he asked, eyebrows raised.
"What? That I'm destined to be a bride of adventure?" She was still rather confused by his reaction.
Gilbert did laugh a little then. "No, I think that suits you," he smirked. "I mean the… other stuff."
"Oh. That I'm an unkissable freak," Anne said, rolling her eyes. "Well, yeah. Sometimes," she admitted. Then she added unenthusiastically, "Well, I guess technically not now that Charlie has apparently taken notice of me."
Gilbert didn't say anything to that, so Anne continued.
"I mean, even for the classmates who don't feel that way, they still don't want the bottle landing on me and being stuck facing ridicule themselves. And with no one wanting it to land on me, it's best if I'm not there."
"I wouldn't say no one," Gilbert said.
Anne glanced at him. "Okay, fine. Maybe Charlie wouldn't mind then."
Gilbert was shaking his head. "Not just Charlie."
Something amount the way Gilbert said those words made Anne falter. She found her eyes lingering on him and her stride slowing. He matched her pace and met her gaze.
"Then who?" she asked softly, struggling to get the words out because he was looking at her with a familiar intensity that made it hard to focus or breathe.
Gilbert, for his part, seemed like he wasn't sure what to say. He closed his mouth and swallowed, and for the briefest of moments, his gaze flickered to her mouth then back up to her eyes.
Anne was on the verge of collapsing.
He doesn't mean..?
She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. The words, "Surely you aren't talking about yourself?" tumbled out before she could think better of it.
The regret washed over her immediately.
Oh God. What have I done?
Anne's face burned. She blinked and shook her head. "Sorry, just… forget I said that," she mumbled hurriedly before ducking her head and continuing to walk at a much brisker pace.
Gilbert didn't match her stride this time and trailed a bit behind her, confirming Anne's humiliating suspicions. She wondered why she had to go and sabotage herself even more on this horrible day. She truly didn't want to wreck her friendship with Gilbert. He was one of the few people she almost always loved being around and made her feel warm and safe. He was so easy to confide in and they were very close with each other's families, and Anne didn't want to disturb this amicable relationship they had developed, however competitive it got at times. She didn't want to make things awkward between them and lose him.
But then, from behind her, Gilbert said, "Well, what if I am?"
Anne stopped walking. Her heart was in her throat when she turned around and bravely met his stare. "Don't say that, Gilbert," she chided. "I don't want your pity. I shouldn't have brought any of this up." Her shoulders slumped as she released a slow, shaky sigh.
Gilbert caught up with her. His expression was serious. "Anne, you're not a freak," he said earnestly. "Don't listen to the idiots in our class."
Anne rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small sheepish smirk from sprouting. "Thanks," she said, without meeting his eyes. "But-"
"And for the record," Gilbert continued, not giving her any room to protest. "I think you're smart and wonderful and… lovely."
Anne's heart stuttered.
Gilbert Blythe thought she was lovely? Homely old Anne Shirley Cuthbert was lovely in the eyes of one of the most respected and handsome boys in Avonlea?
She peered up at Gilbert to find that he was watching her expectantly with what just might be a trace of shyness in his small smile.
Anne exhaled slowly, trying to ground herself. The corners of her mouth began to lift. "Well," she said, "I think you're quite smart and kind and…" Anne's mind reeled through the arsenal of descriptors she could use for Gilbert. She settled on, "lovely… yourself," in a slightly mocking tone as she borrowed his words. Anne nodded determinedly and felt a grin come easily.
Disbelief crossed Gilbert's face again, his eyebrows quirking and his mouth opening and closing before he smirked and started to laugh. Anne couldn't help joining in, as a feeling of relief and contentment seeped through her body.
The mood lightened drastically from there and they resumed their walking with the conversation coming more naturally. Anne's lighter and happier mood allowed her to turn her attention to topics like today's lessons from Miss Stacey, their homework assignment, and what she wanted to write in the next issue of the school newspaper.
The occasional flutter of butterflies filled Anne's stomach when her eyes met Gilbert's or their arms brushed during the conversation. She tried her best to focus on the beautiful fall foliage or the crunchy leaves beneath her feet to prevent her imagination or heart from running astray.
The path grew increasingly shady and foresty as they approached the fork that would lead Anne and Gilbert in different directions, towards their respective homes. It was the very spot that the pair had originally met, all those years ago, when Gilbert had come upon Billy bullying Anne and scared him off.
Anne couldn't help the memory from resurfacing and slowly came to stop, a pensive look on her face.
Gilbert mirrored the motion. He turned to her with a fond smile. "Well, that was...," he began, before he noticed her expression and added seriously "Hey, are you all right?"
In that moment, Anne wanted to say a lot of things, like to thank Gilbert for rescuing her from Billy in this very spot, to thank him for making her feel immensely better today, or for the nice conversation. But instead, what she blurted out was, "Did you mean it, what you said before?"
There was a long pause. "Did I mean what?" was Gilbert's reply. A mixture of curiosity and amusement flashed across his face.
Anne got the feeling he knew where this was going but was making her spell it out. She exhaled sharply and swallowed. "Just now, when we were talking about the spin-the-bottle game, you said some people wouldn't mind if it landed on me."
She looked at him encouragingly, hoping he would fill in the rest for her. But he gave no indication that we was going to do so. Anne frowned and directed her gaze to a most interesting brown leaf on the ground. "Would you?" she asked.
The amusement never left Gilbert's face when he opened his mouth, closed it, and shook his head, like he was contemplating something. "Would you?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Would I…?"
Anne felt some frustration bubble at his obvious deflection of her question. In classic Gilbert Blythe fashion, he was turning this into a game, a competition.
She folded her arms over her books and lifted an eyebrow. "Would I what?" she shot back, daring him not to answer.
The word games always came easily with him, though Anne realized she was toeing a line they hadn't yet crossed.
It seemed Gilbert wasn't about to back down. "What would you do if it landed on me?" he asked with a note of friendly teasing as he took a leisurely step towards her.
Anne's confidence wavered. Gilbert was standing right before her now, and his question had been quite direct. Anne knew what her answer was, but she wasn't sure she could voice it. So instead, she volleyed back.
In a softer tone, she breathed, "I asked you first," before peering up at him.
There was a trace of surprise in Gilbert's expression as his eyes roamed around her face, like he was searching for something.
Then he blinked and said, "Well," before sliding his book bundle from his shoulder and onto the ground beside them. When he straightened up, his expression was pointedly serious and calculating, with an eyebrow arched. He took a deep breath.
Anne's breathing came to a halt when Gilbert carefully raised his hand and the tips of his fingers traced her cheek and the line of her jaw. His eyes dropped to her mouth when he whispered, "Probably this."
The feeling of electricity rippling beneath Anne's skin was instant when Gilbert's lips softly touched hers. The kiss was chaste and brief, but it was enough for Anne's heart to all but burst in a swell of unbridled joy. She was just about to press against him more firmly when he pulled away.
Anne nearly pitched forward with a newfound dizziness. She gripped the front of his coat with one hand, while the other clutched her bundle of books for dear life. Gilbert's hands came to her arms to steady her.
Anne's mind was reeling but failing to form complete thoughts and, for once, her imagination was uninterested in venturing anywhere but the present moment. She found this state of mind to be foreign and befuddling yet so very wonderful.
Then their eyes met. Anne wondered if he felt the same way or if she was getting ahead of herself.
She noticed the rise and fall of Gilbert's chest and how, perhaps, he was holding onto her arms not for her benefit but to steady himself. "Are you…," he started, his eyes searching hers for something. "Is this okay? If not…" It seemed he couldn't get full sentences out.
Anne bit her lip shyly as she peered up at him. "That was my first… I mean, I've been imagining this," she breathed.
Gilbert's grip tightened slightly as he released a relieved sigh, his breath warm where it tickled her face. "I've been imagining this too," he admitted.
She lifted an eyebrow. "Well if you've been imagining kissing, why didn't you just stay for spin-the-bottle then?"
It took a moment for Gilbert to process Anne's question and when he did, his expression shifted from relieved to confused. With a miniscule shake of his head and warmness in his eyes, Gilbert said, "Because you weren't staying."
This conversation had caused Anne to stumble over her words a number of times, but no moment had rendered her as speechless as this one. "O-oh," she whispered as her cheeks burned, her lip trembled, and her eyes swam with disbelieving tears.
She held his concerned and adoring gaze for a fraction of a second more before her books slipped from her hands and onto the ground at their feet. Then, without leaving any room for doubt, she brought her hands to either side of his face and kissed him, rather forcefully.
Gilbert made a noise of surprise and even took a step back to gain his balance, but otherwise, he was quick to reciprocate.
His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer, and his lips began to move against hers, carefully exploring the feeling of her lips at different angles and pressures. Anne found her hands roaming from his face, to his shoulders, to the hair at the base of his head, unable to stay in one place.
Being the quick studies they were, it didn't take long to find a pleasurable rhythm that felt so good, so all-consuming, that the sensation clawed its way to the very top of Anne's highest ideals of earthly bliss.
After a final, lingering kiss, Anne slowly, reluctantly pulled away, without moving her hands from their most recent location gripping the collar of Gilbert's coat. She was breathing heavily and couldn't feel her legs.
"So," Gilbert mumbled, drawing her attention back to towards him. His face was flushed and he seemed rather dazed. "So… if the bottle landed on me, that's what you would have done? In front of the class?" he asked in amazement with a hint of mischief.
Anne was just about to smile when she froze and felt her heart sink. "Gilbert, we should move," she urged abruptly.
He furrowed his eyebrows and stared at her, not following.
Anne glanced around as the feeling of being under intense scrutiny returned. "We're in the middle of the path. If someone sees…" She swallowed and shot him a pleading look. "If they see us like this, they'll think you're a freak too."
If there was any shred of possibility that Gilbert was sharing this moment with her out of pity, out of kindness to her, she certainly didn't want to drag down his reputation for it.
Gilbert closed his eyes and sighed as his forehead creased with irritation. His arms didn't budge from their position around her waist. "Anne," he said and there was a frustrated edge to his voice. "I don't want to go anywhere. Please believe me."
He opened his eyes. They were filled with such kindness and adoration that Anne couldn't pull hers away from them. He gave her waist a reassuring squeeze.
Suddenly and against all odds, Anne found herself believing him.
The corners of their mouths began to lift as Anne's lingering doubts fizzled away.
Then he brought his hands to Anne's shoulders and leaned in for another kiss. It was simple and chaste and sent another flurry of electric currants through Anne's chest and limbs. He planted an even briefer kiss to her cheek before pressing his face to the side of hers and hugging her tightly.
"Sorry. I couldn't resist that," he mumbled sheepishly from just beside her ear.
Anne was a little relieved he couldn't see her blush, though her heartrate was rather hard to conceal from this position. "It's okay. That was… very romantic," she whispered through a small grin as she found just enough sensation in her arms to wrap them around his torso. "I just can't believe this is happening to me." Bravely, she let her body relax against his.
Gilbert sighed contentedly and held her tighter. "Me neither."
For once, Anne didn't care where they were standing or who saw. Because in that moment, she had never felt so supported and loveable and like she could take on the world.
A/N: Oh, that was so fun. I ended up loving writing from Anne's perspective as much as I thought I would. What do you think? Please feel free to leave a review (your comments are always so, so appreciated)!
So I wrote this intending for it to be a one-shot, but I've been thinking of adding one more chapter to show the aftermath of Anne and Gilbert's walk home, and also because I don't think I'm ready to say goodbye to this little story yet haha. Stay tuned and thanks for reading!