CHAPTER I

The Apology

in which an apology goes a long way (again)

It was a not-so-beautiful Saturday morning during the final days of a warm summer in Avonlea. The weather had changed overnight, the sky turning into cloudy grey treacle that announced the seasonal change. An almost sixteen year-old Anne Shirley-Cuthbert had woken up earlier than usual and had been reading one of the books that she had borrowed from Diana before her bosom friend left for her vacation, Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. The main character was a young woman who always seemed to have her nose stuck in a book who was hoping for the classic brooding adventure she was used to find in her favourite novels. Anne daydreamed about finding those rather romantic adventures one day.

After finishing her book in the early hours of the morning followed by an also early breakfast in Green Gables, she decided to go for a walk despite the relatively unpleasant weather and, without even thinking, ended up making her way towards the Blythe's farm.

It was not the first time that something like this had happened. Even since their talk after the wedding, the Blythe boy crossed her mind more often that she would like to admit. It was as if some strange connection or magnetism had led her there. Again. Seven months had passed since Bash and Mary's wedding yet things had remained more or less the same in Avonlea. Gilbert had eventually decided to stay in town and work the his farm with Bash whilst attending school as a normal boy his age. College could wait, that's what he said, at least.

"Tragical romance and all?"

"Remains to be seen"

Those two sentences wandered her mind a number of times a day. Sometimes it came to her right before her poached eggs in the morning; sometimes while reading her favourite book; and some other times just before falling asleep. This last one occassion happened to be Anne's favourite, for it usually led to Gilbert Blythe starring in her dreams − yet she would never admit that to herself.

Things had been quiet over the summer and they had had the chance to become more familiar with each other. It was common for Anne and Gilbert to spend time together since they were in friendly terms after the wedding. That moment had marked a before an after in their relationship, if they had ever had any kind of relationship before, Anne thought. They shared the afternoons reading, practising spelling or revising a variety of subjects so that they could still both be top of the class. There was, however, still a rivalry between the pair, although it was evidently stronger coming from Anne's side. After all, it was friendly anyway.

Friends. She wondered how they had arrived to this point, from him calling her carrots and her not being able to talk to him, to this situation in which they met repeatedly, almost every day. She smiled to herself. She was content.

Leaving her thoughts aside for a moment, she knocked at the boy's door.

"Anne" he said in his usual softly spoken voice while he embraced and scanned the sight of her with a spark of admiration that never left his hazel eyes. It was the kind of look that was reserved only for Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, although he did not know that by then.

"Gilbert"

"Anne" Gilbert said again, then shaked his head lightly while furrowing his eyebrows. "Hi, I-I wasn't expecting you today. What brings you here?" he added, leaning against the door with a polite smile.

"Nothing, really. I was just bored, and you know, Diana's out of town until tomorrow, so..." she quickly replied.

He looked at the ground with a bit of disappointment in his eyes. Of course, it was that. She would have never come to him in the first place. She would have never see him at his first option.

"Yeah, right" he said, the smile returning to his face as he looked at the girl's ocean-blue eyes. The corners of his eyes crinkled. "Wanna come in?"

With a nod, Anne made her way into the Blythe's home. What used to be the house's living room was now a chaotic display of books, boxes, clothes and blankets. "Sorry for the mess" he slowly scratched the back of his neck. He explained then that Bash and Mary were out of town for the day and that he had taken his time alone to tidy up his father's humble belongings and make some space in the house for the not-so-newly married couple.

"Oh" she bit her lip as she took a look around the room. "I can come back later" she suddenly said, avoiding his eyes. "Or tomorrow. Yes, you know what, I'm going to leave" and quickly turned on her heels. Swiftly, his hand grabbed her wrist firmly.

"Anne" She stared at him, blinking. Gilbert kept his gaze on her, softening his eyes. "Don't leave" his voice was trembling now "What I mean is that... I like it when you are around. Stay?"

"I like it when you are around" seemed like another group of words that wouldn't leave Anne's mind for weeks. So she decided to stay, giving him a gentle smile along with a nod and helping him around with the display of boxes around the room.

They enjoyed a comfortable silence between the two of them, but there was something bugging Anne's head, something that she needed to let out.

"I know my timing is terrible since it's been almost two years since your father's" she said, abruptly and therefore, catching the raven haired boy off guard "but I... I-I just needed to tell you, you know? I needed you to know" Despite being aware of how splendorous she was with words, she was at a loss this time. He stared at her with a look of confusion. 

His eyes turned softer and she could tell that the topic was still a delicate one for him. "We already talked about this, Anne" he muttered with a calm voice.

"I-I know but I was so childish back then I-" Anne rumbled.

"You know, after my dad's... funeral, you were the only person I wanted to leave that house and come after me. And you did. Even though it didn't turn out the way I wanted to, I still appreciated it back then. I still do, Anne" he said, clenching his jaw. He was not mad at her, but something in the tone of his voice felt serious.  "So, there's nothing to apologize for. It's all water-"

"Under the bridge. Water under the bridge". She held his gaze for a moment.  She remembered his words. She remembers my words, Gilbert thought. A slight sad smile appeared on his face, but his eyes were glossy and the girl could tell that he was fighting back some tears that were already being formed in his eyes.

"Gil I'm so sorry" she regretted bringing the topic out instantly. "I shouldn't have said anything, I-" Anne scrutinized the boy, who was sitting cross-legged in the wooden floor next to one of his father's boxes. He stayed silent, almost absent, until the girl stood up and kneeled down beside him.

She hugged him lightly.

He felt vulnerable but relieved at the same time. He did not cry at his father's funeral and neither did he afterwards, since he basically ran away from it all and hopped into a boat without even knowing where it would take him to. But now, with a certain the read-headed girl sitting right beside him, he felt comfortable enough to cry in front of someone. He let out quiet sobs while Anne hugged him − the two teenagers stayed like that for a long time, sitting on the floor, being both physically and emotionally closer than they had ever been.

Gilbert Blythe woke up a few hours later, laying surprisingly comfortable on the floor, with a pillow under his messy curls and a wrapped in a cosy blanket. When he groggily got up the floor, he found a folded piece of paper in the dining table, which, with an appropiately neat handwriting, read:

Dear Gilbert Blythe,

I had to leave before it got dark. I am beyond sorry about that. I really did enjoy your company today.

See you on Monday at school to beat you in our first day back,

Anne (with an E) Shirley-Cuthbert

He let out a light chuckle as he hold the note in his hands, before folding it carefully and keeping it in one of his pockets. The foolish smile now plastered on his face had made him forget about the earlier events. Stratching the back of his neck, he thought of the girl that never left his mind lately, and kept that smile for the rest of the day.

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A/N

Hi!!! This is like my first fanfic ever lol, so if you've made it til here, THANK YOU SM for reading and please, don't be a silent reader <3