▷ Sweater Weather - The Neighbourhood

«Touch my neck and I'll touch yours»

A/N - I absolutely dislike this chapter because it's so long and so chaotic and idk, I don't like the way it's written but... enjoy!

___

[DON'T PLAY THE SONG YET!]

July 22nd
(two weeks after the wedding)

AnnE
trip to the library today???
need something new to read

Gilbert Blythe used to love the sound of his phone beeping when he knew that a certain redhead was texting him.

When they were in high school, texting became a daily thing. They talked about books, movies, music, or they simply texted whenever one of them couldn't sleep at night, until they eventually fell asleep in their respective beds.

However, this time, the boy simply types a reply before putting his phone down, on the kitchen table.

Gilbert
another day perhaps?
helping bash and mary with the move in
sorry!

AnnE
sure!
:)

The whole "move in thing" is an excuse, of course. A lame, not quite elaborated excuse. And Anne's smiley face is something he should worry about — her passive-aggressive attitude can be terrifying and it's already making him bite on his thumb's nail.

Truth is it's not like he doesn't want to hang out with her — actually, there's nothing he would want more than spending time with her, with Anne, with his Shirley.

But the thing is they've been "hanging out" for two weeks after the wedding and everything that happened at the wedding,

and yet the events of that night haven't happened again. No kissing, no talking about their feelings... everything about that night has seemed to fade away except for the fact that they are back to being friends.

Kinda.

They're not exactly friends but they're not lovers either. There's something strange floating around whenever they're together,

it's exactly as if they'd gone back to 2018.

"Morning, Blythe"

A sleepy Sebastian Lacroix appears in the kitchen, snapping the boy out of his thoughts.

"Bash" Gilbert says after a prolongated yawn, acknowledging the presence of the older man in the room. "Good morning"

Bash pours himself some coffee on the kitchen counter, his back turned to Gilbert.

The boy is thankful that he's accepted his proposal of staying home, even though Bash was a bit reticent at first. Soon his girlfriend, Mary, will move in as well and at least they could do is to give some use to this house. Mary just got pregnant ant Gilbert suggested using his father's old room as a new room for the baby.

The room had been closed for months and perhaps a new life could make some good use out of it.

"You're gonna scratch the table of you keep doing that" Bash says once he turns around to face Gilbert. He casually leans his back against the kitchen counter, watching the boy fidget with his coffee cup.

"Sorry"

"You look deep in thought"

"Yeah, I... I kinda need advice?" Gilbert mutters with a voice that's a mix of sleepiness and embarrassment.

"You? Asking me for advice? This is new"

Gilbert hates asking for advice, and even though Bash is really wise when it comes to matters of the heart, Gilbert hates having to ask him.

"I know"

"Is it girl advice?"

The usual mocking and toothy grin is inevitably plastered on Bash's face. This is exactly the response Gilbert was expecting — and there's nothing he can do about it but being honest.

"Yes"

"I saw you dancing with Anne at the wedding so I doubt you need my advice"

Thoughtful, Gilbert rests his left elbow on the wooden table, then his head on his hand; his own curls caressing his palm.

"Bash, please. I really need you right now. I can't tell Diana or Ruby because they're Anne's best friends... and I know for a fact that Anne would literally murder me if I told Fred or Jerry"

Bash takes his seat in front of Gilbert.

"Okay, kid, tell me about it"

"Don't call me a kid! — I'm 20"

"Right" Bash chuckles. "But you do look like a little kid when you talk about Anne"

Gilbert shoots him a glare, making Bash raise his eyebrows immediately.

"Alright, I'm sorry. Tell me everything"

"Right, so... about two years ago, when I was sort of dating Christine-"

"Yeah, that girl from Philadelphia"

Gilbert narrows his eyes; a pinched expression on his face.

"Don't interrupt me" Gilbert says. "When I was dating Christine and I came back for Christmas, Anne and I got into an argument, completely caused by my jealousy because she was still dating Charlie.... so we argued and then out of nowhere... I kissed her"

Gilbert could swear he's heard Bash biting back an enthusiastic laugh.

"This is new"

The hazel-eyed boy rubs his brow as if he was trying to ward off a painful headache.

"Bash, focus"

"Oh, trust me, I'm more than focused" he says. "Who needs TV when you have your overly complicated dating life"

"We're not dating! Focus, Bash!"

"Sorry"

"So, as I was saying" the boy says. "I kissed her and she- she kissed me back but then I left because I got scared and... guilty too. We both cheated, you know? I felt terrible, but really good as well. Kissing her was amazing, but I knew I had to leave. Then, she came home and visited me two nights after that and... she said it was a mistake. She said we could go back to be friends and I- I got so mad at her. Because I couldn't understand how she could even think of us as friends after what happened so..."

"So that's truly the reason why you two didn't talk to each other for-"

"Two years. Until the wedding. Although I did bump into her last summer and then, of course, she came to the funeral... and that... was the last time I saw her before applying for that stupid exchange scholarship in England. Although it wasn't that stupid, now that I think about it..."

"Why not?"

Bash watches Gilbert as the boy lies back on his seat, deflated and perhaps relieved.

"Because it made me realize how much I missed her"

Sebastian Lacroix doesn't speak, amazed, he looks at the younger boy. Perhaps he was right, perhaps even John Blythe was right. Perhaps seeing the world and being on his own for a while made him mature enough in a way that he couldn't have if he had stayed in Avonlea.

The older man wipes off a silent, sad smile when he looks at the boy sitting across the table. He's known him since the day he was born but right now he could swear he's facing the vivid image of John Blythe, his best friend.

"Because it made me realize that I could never forget or get over Anne" Gilbert continues speaking, tearing his heart open in this sort of monologue. "That's why I didn't even try to date anyone back in London... because no one, no one could ever compare to her"

"Wow, Blythe, have you... have you told her that?"

"I told her I loved her" Gilbert says. "At the wedding, I told her I never stopped loving her"

Bash puts his memories and a bit of sadness and melancholy aside and lets his teasing smile come back.

"Oh, so you're a romantic one"

"Shut up, Bash"

"I just can't really see why you need my advice for if you already told her you loved her"

Gilbert takes a deep breath, remembering the events of that night. Everything was perfect, everything was perfect until...

"I... I don't know"

"You told her you loved her and you two looked quite fixed one on the other during the wedding, what went wrong?"

"I... we... kissed? And then slept together-"

"You slept together? Wow, Blythe, and I thought you were slow! Congrat-"

"No, not like that! We actually slept"

"Oh, so you slept together"

"Yes"

"And how was it?"

"It was... nice. I'd never slept with anyone before"

The memory of her body against his makes him smile faintly and shiver at the same time. Her back fit so perfectly against his chest, her hair caressed his chin in a way that still sends goosebumps down his spine and just the remembrance of the smell of her cinnamon perfume...

"Do you want to do it again?" Bash asks.

"Do what?"

"Sleep with Anne"

"Oh" Gilbert mouths, biting his bottom lip. "Of course I want to do it again"

The boy looks down at the remains of his morning coffee.

"Then be a man. Ask her out"

"It's complicated, I... Perhaps it's not the right time..." he says. "Do you get what I'm saying?"

"No, not really"

"I don't wanna put any kind of pressure on her" Gilbert admits — that's the only thing that's been keeping him from talking to her. "I'm scared it might scare her away"

"You slept together. In the same bed"

"So?"

"Do you seriously think she's scared?"

"I don't know. She just sneaked out of the room, you know? And then, the worst part is... oh God"

The boy buries his face on his hands, shaking his head.

"What is it?"

"No, no, it's too embarrassing"

"What?"

"I... she... I... Ipattedherback"

"You what?"

"The next morning, I patted her back" he says, speaking very clearly now. "I woke up so happy to finally have... and then... I kissed Diana and Ruby on the cheek during breakfast and... I patted Anne. On her back. Twice. I patted her back"

Bash doesn't say anything, his jaw basically hanging from his face.

"I patted Anne's back"

"Yeah, I heard"

"Yeah..."

"I can't believe you did that, Blythe. I knew you were an idiot but I never thought it would be this bad"

"Well, I am an idiot"

"Haven't I taught you anything?!"

"I'm sorry! I'm just too frustrated and- and confused, it's been two weeks and we're back to being just friends"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, seriously"

"You need to talk to her, Blythe. Clearly, the only flaw in your relationship is the lack of communication"

Gilbert looks up to Bash in complete disbelief.

"Lack of communication? I told her I loved her! I told her the truth — that I never stopped loving her"

"And?"

"And she didn't say it back. She said she wanted me, not that she loved me. It's fine by me, but a part of me was hoping she'd say it back"

Gilbert remembers every single part of her speech. She said she wasn't over him and he knows he isn't over her, so why are they not together? Why haven't they talked properly about their feelings?

"Just because she didn't say it doesn't mean she doesn't feel it"

"Feeling poetic this morning, eh, Bash?"

Bash shakes his head. "You just need to find those words you wanna hear in the unspoken stuff"

"Unspoken?"

"Looks, smiles, stupid words that at first seem pointless... I don't know, Blythe. The little things. You should know, you're the one who's been obsessing with this girl for years"

"I'm not obsessed with her!" He says. "Am I obsessed?"

"Or you could simply talk to her and eventually the magic words will come out"

"And what do I say? «Hey, Shirley, wanna make out again and then declare your unconditional love for me? Please?»"

"I think a «Would you go on a date with me?» would be more romantic, but that's completely your choice, you know"

"I can't talk to her about this. I'd embarrass myself too much" he says. "She, on the other hand, must be enjoying this torture, I'm sure. She's always been super calm when it comes to romance and that kind of stuff. I bet it doesn't even cross her mind"

___

"Can you believe him? Can you actually believe him, Cole?"

"Don't yell, I can hear you perfectly clear"

Clearly, Anne isn't enjoying any kind of torture. She's been yelling at the phone for twenty eight minutes, and Cole McKenzie is trying to do his best to calm her nerves down.

But it's not working.

"He... he had the nerve, the audacity of patting my back! My back! Who does that? A grandpa? Is he a grandpa? What is he, eighty seven?

"Anne, relax"

Anne paces from one side of he's room to another, biting on her nails.

"I can't stand him"

"You love him"

Anne drops her whole weight on her bed, keeping the phone close to her ear.

"I do love him but he's incredibly stupid" she says. "Two weeks! I've been waiting for two weeks, suggesting plans and everything and he- he's avoiding me! What does that even mean?! Has he grown tired of me already? Ugh! And then- then we hang out with the rest and he acts super normal!"

She even asked him to go to do this week's grocery shopping with her! And he said he was busy!

All we ever do is go to the fucking library!

Who the hell does he think he is?

"I open up my heart to him and that's what he does? Ignore me?"

"He's probably just nervous"

"Ha! Nervous? Gilbert Blythe? He's done this kind of stuff thousands of times"

"Anne-"

"He told me he loved me- wait, hold on"

Anne covers her phone's speaker as she walks towards the door, bringing her ear closer to the wooden surface.

Hm.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to make sure Jerry wasn't eavesdropping"

"Hasn't he moved out yet?"

"No, not yet. They're buying some furniture for the apartment and they're taking things slowly. But anyway, as I was saying, he played that song for me and... and... and then he goes on and treats me as a friend? We made out for thirty minutes!"

"I think you should-"

"Maybe... maybe he's grown tired of me already"

"Impossible"

"I don't know, Cole. Think about it. Lust, attraction... that's temporary, ephemeral..."

"It's really not the time to get poetic, Anne" Cole says. "You have to to talk to him and make things clear"

"And what do I say? Hello, Gilbert, feel like making out again? No! I can't do that- he's the one who has to make the next move"

"Anne, you're an empowered woman. Take the lead"

Beep.

"Uh, oh, no- fuck"

Anne stares at her phone screen. There's an incoming message that makes her heart race.

"Anne?"

"Fuck. Fuck, fuck. He just texted me, agh!"

After that, all Cole can hear is a thumping noise.

"Anne?"

"Sorry, I dropped my phone"

"Girl, I'm gonna hang up"

"No, no, Cole, wait!"

"You have a text to answer" he says. "And have some mercy on him"

Gilbert
need a ride for aunt jo's tomorrow?

Anne stares at the phone again, not knowing what to answer of if she should even open the text. It's simply there, on her blocked screen, waiting to be answered.

Hm. Jerry took the car but Diana's here for the weekend (she's trying to reconnect with her family and all) so Diana said she would drive her to Charlottetown tomorrow.

AnnE
diana's driving me
but thank you :)

Gilbert
see you there then
:)

___

July 23rd

Diana picks her best friend up that morning. Anne's awfully quiet today, eyes fixed on the flashing trees that come and go with the wind on the right side of the road.

"So, what about Gilbert?"

Fuck Diana. Fuck Jerry. Fuck Fred. And most specifically, fuck Ruby. All they ever do is talk about Gilbert. Isn't there anything else to talk about? Like the trees, or-

"Anne?"

"What about him? We're friends now"

"When are you going to tell him how you feel?"

I kinda already did.

Anne has told her friends that she was enjoying their friendship. But she wasn't. She wasn't enjoying it at all.

"I don't know. Whenever" Anne says. "How's home?"

"It went... pretty well. They wanna get to know Fred better. Minnie May adores him, by the way"

"Who wouldn't? It's Fred"

"Yeah" Diana says. "Seems like they're willing to give him a chance"

"Are you moving back to Avonlea, then?"

"No" Diana's eyes stay focused on the road. "Mom knows that it'll be better for my piano career to stay with Aunt Jo"

"Yeah..."

"Are you sure you're okay with this whole "being friends" thing?"

"Absolutely"

"And are you okay with Jerry taking the car every day?"

"Absolutely not!" Anne says, more relaxed now. "Ever since he got his driving license he's been taking the car every single day! Last time I got the car was to do some grocery shopping"

"How thrilling"

"Thrilling indeed"

"So how have you been going to the library for the past two weeks?"

"Excuse you, Diana Barry-Wright, are you interrogating me?"

Diana laughs. "The absence of an answer is quite suspicious"

"If you're so interested, Gilbert offered to drive me there, alright? And before you say anything, those were not dates"

"Sure"

"I'm serious! I just needed some books and so did he"

"Right, because neither of you own a thousand books already"

"I don't know what you're talking about" Anne huffs, crossing her arms over her chest, eyes focused on the road again.

"I'm just saying you two should stop looking for lame excuses to see each other"

Anne's answer comes out as a groan.

"I know you hate it when someone that's not you is right" Diana says. "But you have to admit this is getting out of hand"

"It's not!"

Diana exhales deeply. "Anne, it is. I don't know what you two talked about at the wedding, and I'm glad that you two are back to being friends but..." her eyes drift from the road to her best friend, whose eyes are focused on the road before her. "Come on, Anne, you're even wearing the blouse"

Crap. She's noticed.

"I just like this blouse"

"You only wear that blouse for special occasions"

"Shut up and drive, Barry"

"You know, Fred told me once that Gilbert told me he specifically loved a see-through blouse you wore once... wonder which blouse it is"

"Is that what you two do at night? Talk about Gilbert and I instead of making love like a fifty year old couple?"

Diana doesn't reply or talk about it anymore. The little smile Anne's trying so desperately to wipe off her face tells her everything she needed to hear.

___

The gang is gathered in some of the many rooms of Josephine Barry's mansion, sitting on the floor in circle and talking about trivia stuff — or so Anne thinks, because she's been daydreaming for longer than she should have.

It's not like she doesn't want to pay attention to what her friends are talking about, of course not! It's just that Gilbert Blythe has chosen a white shirt to wear for the occasion and he looks... interesting, to say the least.

He's sitting right in front of her, Ruby to his left and Fred to his right. He's talking to Ruby about something she can't quite process because his mouth is very entertaining to watch — the way words leave his lips is truly mesmerizing.

She knows she's fucked. Because she wanted to be more than friends but she doesn't know how.

Thank God, their friends had not noticed anything, or so they believe. Anne and Gilbert are trying to act as the best of friends, being just as friends or perhaps even more as they were before things got complicated.

"Anne?"

"I, uh! Yes, sorry" she says. "What were you saying?"

Diana eyes her. She knows what's up. "I was asking you if you could choose something to recite later at the party"

"You're telling me aunt Jo wants me to recite? Me?"

"Well, you're the English student here, right? I'll play the piano, Fred will be performing as well, Ruby will deal with the decoration and Jerry will be in charge of the photos, and, you know... you do your thing"

"And what will Gilbert do, perform a sample CPR?"

From the other side of the circle, Gilbert starts laughing, covering his face with a hand.

"And what are you exactly laughing at?"

"Here we go again" Jerry says.

"Careful, Shirley, you don't want to faint again, right?"

"Why would I faint?"

"Don't know, it's way too hot here, don't you think?"

They stare into each other's eyes for a few seconds, forgetting about the fact that they're not alone — then, they burst into laughter, and the stupid tension suddenly disappears.

"Clearly you two are back to being best friends and it's kind of annoying" Fred adds. Ruby, on the other hand, doesn't hide a wide smile.

Gilbert leans forward, still sitting, and lifts his hand, palm open for Anne to high five.

"The best of friends" she says once their hands crash.

"Kindred spirits" he says mockingly, biting his bottom lip to bite his smile.

"Well, since you two are so kindred, he can read too"

"What? No!"

"You're reading something Gil, and that's it" Diana says. "You always seem to avoid every single task you're assigned and you won't escape from this one"

Looking at the girl in front of him, whose eyes are not discretely fixed in him, he already know what he's going to read just an hour later, even though he knows he couldn't ever recite anything as great as her.

___

"Good evening. My name is Anne Shirley-Cuthbert and this is a poem I wrote a few nights ago"

Just a matter of years and the stage has stopped feeling so intimidating. Anne remembers how years ago she couldn't even imagine to be reading out loud for a crowd of people, and much less to be reading a poem of her own creation.

But here I am, she thinks. Right after Fred's performed one of his songs from his still unreleased LP, it's her turn.

There's a crowd of about fifty guests staring at her, eyes and ears waiting for her short recital.

Ruby looks as she's already waiting to start clapping, Diana's wearing a sly smirk that Anne can't really seem to read and Gilbert-

Gilbert's staring directly at her.

For a split second, Anne feels as if she's travelled back in time. Suddenly, she's not standing in the middle of a stage ornamented with flowers and candlelight — she's standing right by the blackboard, Josephine Barry's guests have been replaced by her schoolmates from senior year and perhaps she feels a little younger too.

The only thing that remains, the only thing that hasn't changed, is the pair of hazel eyes holding eye contact with hers.

She shakes those thoughts away before clearing her throat. Then, she starts reciting a poem that had been messing around her head for a long time — she merely put it into words a couple of sleepless nights ago.

"Every day I keep wondering
how you feel so familiar
how every thought on you,
I've thought it before,
how every glance,
we've held it before,
how every smile,
you've flashed it before,
how getting to know you,
felt more like remembering you.

I was looking for myself
for so long,
nothing worked,
nothing lasted,
nothing amused,
until I found you.

I found you
then I knew it.
It was so familiar,
so safe,
so natural,
so scary,
because all this time
you and I were the same.
Emily Brönte said it herself,
and I knew then,
Wuthering Heights or not,
that whatever souls are made of,
yours and mine are the same,

that staring at you is staring
at my reflection in a mirror.

It's you,
the one I loved in another life
and the one I'd love
in a different time,
in a different place,
in every other existence."

Anne doesn't even have time to nod or bow down when a storming round of applauses begin.

"You clearly are more experienced than I am"

"It's not a big deal, really. You did the same thing in class not long ago"

But I only looked at you.

"Yeah, you're right"

"I'm always right"

"Well, it's my turn"

"Good luck"

"Hello" he says. "I'm so honored to be here tonight performing for one of Josephine and Gertrude's infamous parties"

The audience claps. There's a certain smile flashing from down there — her blue eyes are crinkled and if he's not wrong, there's a hint of a proud expression on her face. He can't help but flashback to a couple of weeks earlier, when he was in this same stage, reading his speech for Fred and Diana's wedding.

Everything and nothing has happened since that day.

"I chose this poem, because... It's been running around my mind for a long time" he says, eyebrows furrowed. "I didn't write it myself because I'm not as scandalously talented as Miss Shirley-Cuthbert but..."

He clears his throat.

"In you
I have found all I
never dared dream I could
deserve of have — the kind
of connection that it's rare"

Gilbert lifts his eyes as she those lines. Anne, from the audience, is looking straight him her, and when he does notice her gaze, he continues to stare at her. He knows this poem by heart and he is not going to give up on the pure pleasure of simply staring at Anne.

"Being known in a way that
touches the deepest parts
of me. Accepted in a way
that blows my mind"

In you,
what I have always
desired to give now has a
place to call home. I have
been a skeptic, but you are

my undeniable miracle.

The questions don't matter
anymore"

Eyes locked, he gives her a crooked smile from the stage before reciting the last lines of a poem she knows very well.

"We have finally
found each other
and that
is enough"

___

6:28 p.m.

It's when the party's over when he finally approaches her, with a hesitant pace.

"Hey" she says, enjoying the last sips of her drink when she sees him walking towards her.

Her friends, sharing knowing smiles, leave them alone.

"Hey, Shirley, want me to take you home?"

"Sure. But can we stop by the beach first? I'd love to watch the sunset"

"Of course"

___

After a twenty-minute drive, the breeze of the beach caress their skin; they're standing at some sort of cliff, the beach to their feet and Gilbert's Jeep parked not far away.

"Isn't the world a fucking remarkable place?"

Gilbert opens one of his eyes to look at her, to admire her. Anne's eyes are still closed, her hair is dancing against the wind and her arms are open, as if she was hugging the air.

"It's the first time I come to the beach, you know" Anne suddenly says. "Ever since I got back from New York, I didn't have the chance"

Gilbert is about to say something but she keeps speaking. He doesn't really know if she's talking to him or to herself in some of her soliloquys.

He's not going to ask or complain, anyway.

Whatever her intentions are, he's pleased.

"I think this is my favorite place in the whole world"

Gilbert continues watching her,

then closes his eyes too.

"I think this is my favorite place in the whole world too"

"The sun is about to set" she says. "We should go down"

He follows her down to the wet sand, where the waves are crashing. Mesmerized by the way her hair moves and the beautiful contrast it makes against the white blouse, she watches how she takes off her shoes as soon as they get to the sand.

She sits near the water and he does exactly the same: he takes off his shoes first, then he sits beside her.

[PLAY THE SONG!]

They stay silent for a while. Anne's eyes are fixed on the crashing waves — blue against blue.

He watches her instead.

It reminds him of that one time at Josephine Barry's. She was staring at the water under the moonlight, he was staring at her, under the moonlight too. He could get use to this dynamic. He'd always watch her, no matter what's before him. It will always be her.

"You're quiet" he says. "What are you thinking about?"

"I..." she replies, eyes fixed on the horizon — the sun is hiding. "I'm just appreciating the beauty of the clouds going backwards and how the mixture of peachy orange and pink slowly fades into dark blue. It happens so silently, quickly and slowly at the same time... it's like some sort of a gradual event that never ceases to amaze me... A slow building in crescendo into something beautiful. I've watched many sunsets but I believe each one I watch turns into my favorite. I'm so glad to live in a world where there are sunsets"

"Wow" he says, not noticing how he's stared at her the whole time. "I..."

She looks back at him.

"What? What is it?"

"Nothing- it's just that... I missed your poetic interventions so much. They leave me speechless"

She smiles faintly. "Yeah, maybe that's why I didn't win that literary contest"

"So? You don't need a prize to prove yourself. It sucks ass that you didn't win but..." he gulps. "But I think you're too good for them"

"Really?"

He nods.

"You're such a poetic soul, Shirley. You have a beautiful and intimate relationship with words, as if you had magic in your fingers. Not everyone can appreciate that. You will be a wonderful author. I know that. You're talented, and brilliant. You're a mastermind and perhaps not everyone can understand that. You don't need a prize to prove yourself"

She looks at him, holding the urge to lie him down on the sand and kiss him.

"You'll be a wonderful doctor too, you know"

Anne's eyes go back to the ocean. Right now, she considers herself lucky. Not everyone has someone to talk about their ambitions like this. If she could choose just one person to talk to forever, it would be Gilbert. And not everyone had the certainty when it comes to choosing his favorite person to talk to.

"I hope so. I'll work hard to get where I want to"

She knows what I think about
And what I think about
One love, two mouths
One love, one house

A strong breeze of wind comes by, making Anne shiver.

Fuck, I should've brought a jacket.

"You cold?"

"What? No, I'm fine"

He raises his eyebrows, lifting his chin a bit as well. The hint of a teasing smile appears on his lips, but fades away completely before she can say anything about it.

"Of course you're cold"

She watches him as he takes his black denim jacket off. "Here, take it"

She pushes it back to him. "I'm fine!"

"Stop lying to me — I can tell when you're lying"

"Okay"

It's weird. How they haven't kissed or anything since the wedding. How they're just... friends, back to zero again but still he has this tiny details with her that makes them look like a couple.

Although they're not a couple.

Anne finally accepts the jacket, which conveniently matches her black denim skirt. She tries to ignore Gilbert's awestruck gaze on her. Even though she loves it when Gilbert stares at her, she can't bare this stupid tension between them.

He has to feel it too, right?

She shivers again.

"Come here"

Before Anne can protest, he puts his hands around her torso, drawing her closer to him. He positions her between his knees, her back against his chest.

"Is this okay?" he asks.

"Yes", Anne quickly replies, relaxing a bit as she rests her head on her chest.

They watch the sun, which is finally setting, his breath against her neck. His arms sneak around to wrap around her, and he opens one of his eyes to check if she's smiling as widely as he is.

"I love it here. I could watch the ocean forever"

"Yeah, I know what you mean"

She chuckles. "Of course you do"

"What does that mean, smartass?"

"That you always know what I mean. It's no surprise, asshole"

Asshole. She's always called him an asshole. Perhaps that's what Bash meant by "unspoken stuff". Perhaps the silliest of words could mean everything he needed to hear so desperately.

I love you.

"I'm a mind reader, you know" he says.

"I bet you can't read my mind right now"

"Easy. You're thinking of how beautiful the ocean looks right now, and the other colors in the sky. Put it more poetically, the way you would say it, and there you go"

"Nice try" she says. "But no, that's not what I was thinking about"

"You'll have to tell me then"

"Not a chance"

He buries his face on her shoulder and she closes her eyes. He wonders when was the last time he felt this peaceful. Perhaps it's the sound of the crashing waves, the lonely sound of the breeze making her hair dance, or perhaps it was the company what made everything so perfect.

"Do you know what a sex on the beach is?" Anne suddenly says, making his body tense up.

"Holy- what- what? Why?"

"It's a cocktail"

"Oh. Okay"

Anne tilts her head to look at him. He's already staring at her, very intensely. She wonders how he's fully dominated the art of eye contact all these years ago.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing, um..." he mutters. "It's getting dark. We should get going"

Anne watches him stand up and shake some sand off his jeans. As always, he offers his hand to help her stand up.

Silently, they walk back to his car. Anne wishes she could read his mind, because she suspects the "sex on the beach" thing has messed him up a bit.

"So... um- Fred's staying with Diana and Bash and Mary are out for the weekend" he says after five minutes of a silent drive.

"So?"

"So- do you want to, um- come over and... hang... out?"

Anne makes it seem like she's considering his proposal, even though it's a clear "yes".

Perhaps this could be the perfect chance to prove herself. Perhaps Cole was right, perhaps she should give up on this stupid tug of war game and be... what did Cole say? Oh, yes, an empowered woman.

Perhaps she should be an empowered woman.

She has to be an empowered woman.

Why must the girl wait for the boy to make a move anyway?

"Sure" she finally says.

Anne has always loved car rides with Gilbert — it was one of the things she missed the most when they weren't friends. He always seemed so comfortable whenever he drove, so laid back yet focused on the road at the same time.

She notices how his eyes switch between the road and her — and her body. She's not stupid, she knows the effects she causes on him. So she moved to raise her skirt just a little, showing a bit more of her thighs.

Gilbert clears his throat. "Uh, so- it's dark outside, isn't it?"

"We just watched the sunset, what did you expect? It's the course of nature, Gilbert" she says, playing with her hair. "Just a series of logical events"

"Mhm" he nods.

"Some things are simply bound to happen"

"I agree"

His words mark the end of the conversation until they get to his house half and hour later.

___

"So, here's the dining room"

Anne follows Gilbert inside his house. There's no one else there apart from them, and everything is quiet.

She was kind of expecting watching a movie or something like that, perhaps a much needed talk between them. But what she wasn't expecting at all was a house tour.

"Gilbert, I've been to your house before"

"Right. That's true"

Anne can tell he's nervous but she can't tell if she finds his behavior cute or extremely frustrating.

"I've literally had dinner here. On this table" she says, patting the wooden surface of the table. "A few times"

"Uh... Dinner! Food! Are you hungry?"

She eyes him up and down. The only lightning of the room comes from the dim light of a lamp right next to the couch that Gilbert always left on. The whole atmosphere makes Gilbert look more handsome than he ever has, but again, Anne always gets that thought whenever she sees him. She could swear he gets more and more attractive every day.

"A bit, yeah" she replies after a few seconds of analyzing him.

"Good, uh- let's go to the kitchen"

Anne follows him to the kitchen. She knows what he's doing — he's trying to keep himself busy to shake some thoughts out of his brain.

He does that a lot. Concentrating on a single task to move feelings aside.

"So... here we are! In my kitchen!" He says, moving from one side of the small kitchen to the other in some sort of "voilá!" gesture.

Anne leans against the door frame.

"Are you going to show me how to use the microwave too?" she says, eyebrows raised. "Maybe something even more hi-tech? Like a kettle? Maybe a toaster?"

"Are you telling me you want a toastie?" He says, blinking twice.

"No, that's not what I want"

Anne wonders if he's going to fully understand her words.

"Okay, I have some-"

Apparently not.

"Oh, fuck it"

Gilbert is about to open one of the kitchen's cupboards when Anne takes a few rushed steps towards him and backs him up against the wall, kissing him deeply, teeth colliding.

"I-Ice cream, I have ice cream- in the fridge" he says between kisses. "Cookie dough"

"I don't want ice cream right now" Anne groans, perhaps a bit angry or frustrated. How could he possibly be so slow?

"Then I don't have anything else to offer. I forgot to do this week's grocery shopping"

Anne has to contain her laugh there — she doesn't know if he's being serious or if he's joking around.

"Fuck it, Gilbert, you're so stupid"

"You make me stupid. Sorry"

"No apologies" Anne whispers, hands moving to his curls. "Just kiss me"

"Fine"

"Fin-"

She's about to reply when Gilbert cuts her off with a kiss. It seems like he's decided to take the lead then, and without any effort, grabs her and makes her sit on the kitchen counter top.

"Just to... be clear... you don't want anything to eat?" He asks out of breath.

She giggles, her hand at the back of his neck pull him closer to her mouth.

"You're an asshole"

Gilbert smiles foolishly, as if she'd said something very witty, and kisses her again. For a few minutes, the only thing they can hear is the sound of their lips against each other's and a couple of giggles coming out their mouths every once in a while.

"Shirley?"

"Mmh?" she says, resting her forehead against his.

This posture is a bit sexual, and they both know that. She's sitting on the counter top, legs open for him, who's standing in front of her, to be closer. She's wearing a black denim skirt (which he absolutely loves, especially when she's wearing that see-through white blouse) and that gives him the chance to caress her thighs as he kisses her.

"Pretending to be just friends is the hardest yet hottest thing I've ever done" he whispers before going for her neck this time.

She smiles, although he doesn't see. "Shut up"

"Stay the night" he mumbles against her neck.

"What?"

"Stay with me tonight" he says, facing her now. "I don't wanna be alone and we could, like- watch a movie. Even read,vid you want to"

"I can't- you know, Marilla-"

"Oh"

"But you know, I've lied to her before..."

He grins widely before helping her off the counter.

"You're serious?"

"Yeah" she says, a bit shy now. She doesn't know what "staying the night" implies, but she kind of has an idea.

Gilbert offers his hand and leads her out of the kitchen with him. Anne suspects get wants them to go to his room, but they stop midway to continue kissing.

It's at the foot of the stairs, right against the house's main door where the kissing intensifies, similar to the kisses they shared at the wedding.

"This... blouse" he says, kissing what he suspects is the sensitive spot on her neck. "Has always been my favorite"

His words make Anne giggle, half nervously, half excited.

What Anne does next is what makes Gilbert's mouth go dry: she takes off her blouse, without any effort of change of expression on her face.

"There you go, if you like it that much" she says.

Gilbert stares blankly at her, eyes wide open. He's obviously seen her wearing a bikini before, so nothing should change. But right now, with her black denim skirt and her black lacy bralette and the contrast of her long, messy and a bit wavy (because of their improvised trip to the beach) red hair...

"So?" Anne asks, not knowing where her confidence is coming from. Was this too much?

"I see you'te trying to torture me" he says.

"Maybe"

"Alright" he says, his own hands unbuttoning his shirt but his eyes still locked on hers. "I've noticed you staring all day, I figured you must really like my shirt, then"

His shirt quickly falls to the floor, just like hers. Anne separates a bit from him, taking his hand and dragging him up the stairs, to his room.

"Come on"

Between laughs and the nervousness of what might come, they go upstairs.

Gilbert slams the door close with his a kick of his foot, mouth still attached to Anne's. There's not much time for them to think or process anything. They stand in the middle of the room, chest against chest, hands on each other...

If they weren't so desperately fixed on each other they would hear the noise of a car being in the driveway.

It's the slam of the main door after being opened and the voice of Sebastian Lacroix calling from downstairs what suddenly breaks the spell they seem to have been put through.

"Gilbert?"

Both share a panicked look. Bash is home, they're half naked and he could come up to Gilbert's room any minute.

"Fuck, fuck, it's Bash! Crap- fuck, Shirley! Where's my shirt?"

"What is he doing here? You said he was spending the night at Mary's!"

Anne looks at him as if she's about to slap him.

"That's what I thought! Where's my shirt?!" He says, eyes searching every corner of the room.

"Shit" Anne curses under her breath.

"Anne, where's my shirt?!"

"Fuck"

"Where's your shirt?!"

"I DONT KNOW! I can't think properly under pressure!"

Gilbert's eyes scan the room until he comes up with an idea. Anne notices him staring fixedly at something and it's when she turns around when she knows what he's thinking.

He's staring at his closet.

"No. Gilbert, no, absolut-"

"Shut up" he says as he grabs her by her wrist and pulls her with him into his closet.

"Just wait" he says. "Bash probably forgot his toothbrush, he'll go away soon"

Anne is awfully silent. The only thing Gilbert can hear coming from her is her own breathing. He feels, since her back is pressed against his chest in the confused closet, how she nervously inhales and exhales.

He can't see her face, but just imagining the annoyed look on her face makes him laugh.

"Is this funny to you?"

"No, not really" he whispers, and thank God she can't see him right now. "It's more of a nervous laugh, actually"

"It's not a nervous laugh"

Gilbert chuckles against her ear. She obviously knows him very well.

"Well?" she demands. "What are you laughing at?"

"It just amazes me how we have a tendency to be stuck together at closed spaces, Shirley"

"God, this- you- you're such a cliché. You make me sick"

Gilbert chuckles again. This time, his hands move to rest on her shoulders, massaging them and feeling her tense up. If she think she's the one that knows everything, she's wrong. He knows her very well too.

"Sick, really? Is that how I make you feel?" He whispers.

Anne doesn't reply. Gilbert moves one of his hands to her pulse point, feeling it quicken.

"Give me an answer"

"You make me sick, Gilbert Blythe"

"You know... I'd believe you, really, but turns out I'm a doctor and... by the way your muscles are tensing up, and how your blood pressure is clearly rising and how your hand is conveniently grasping tightly at my arm..." he whispers. "I'd say I'd make you feel other things"

"Such as?" she says, turning around in the tiny closet to face him in the dark.

"I don't know. You tell me, since you're so good with words, Shirley"

"Am I?"

"Yes" he murmurs with a low voice. "Weren't you the one that wrote a romantic story about a dashing hero with dark curls and sparkling hazel eyes...?"

"There's plenty of boys like that"

"True" he says. "But I bet they can't do this"

He's about to kiss her when the bedroom door opens. They stay there, paralyzed in the middle of something.

"Blythe, get out of the closet. Literally speaking. I know you two are in there, Anne's purse is downstairs... and so are your shirts, you horny mokes. Mary's scandalized"

"Crap" is the first thing Gilbert days after hearing Bash slamming his bedroom close again.

___

Anne and Gilbert are fully dressed again after a few minutes. Apparently, there was a change of plans and Bash and Mary decided to stay at the Blythe's that night for no specific reason.

Gilbert walks Anne to the door. She hasn't said a single word after what they would forever call "the Bash incident".

"Well... today was... interesting, to say the least" she finally says once they're under his porch.

"Yeah" he says. "I'll drive you home, let's go"

"I'd rather walk"

"Fine, we'll walk then"

Anne is quiet.

"Shirley, don't worry about Bash, seriously" he says. "He just likes to annoy me, that's it. He won't say a thing about- about that situation"

"It's fine" she says. "I'm just tired and... inevitably embarrassed"

"I'll see you soon, though? To finish... that thing, um, our thing?"

"Sure" she says.

"Well, uh- good night, Shirley"

"Good night, Gilbert"

Anne hesitates.

She's about to get the keys to open the door when she turns around.

He's still there, casually standing in her driveway with his hands stuck in his pockets and his white shirt. His curls are dancing in the swift breeze of the night and even though she can't really see from the distance, she could swear his hazel eyes are sparkling too.

So she decides she can't leave him like this and wait until she sees him tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

She decides to run to him, much to his surprise.

She grabs his face with both hands, cupping it and pressing her thumbs against his cheeks in a silent caress.

In the shadows, their faces are so close she an smell his sweet fragrance of apples and aftershave, and perhaps a bit of sea salt in his hair. She holds eye contact with him for a few seconds and before he can even process the fact that Anne's touching his face, she leans forward, flossing the distance between them.

His hands wrap around her waist under the jacket she's borrowed from him, pulling her closer. She hums at the contact of her chest against his, and after a few minutes, he breaks the kiss.

"What was that for?" He asks, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Consider ir a 'thank you' for walking me home"

He smiles even wider. "I think I like this new way of saying 'thank you', you know"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah" she says, noticing how his arms are still wrapped around her figure. He's drawing circles on her back, over her silky white blouse.

"Well, I should- I should get inside"

"Okay"

His arms leave her and she suddenly misses his touch.

"Gil, I-" she says — there are words that she wants to say but don't leave her lips. "I- well, good night"

Gilbert nods. Always so polite, always so charming.

"Night"

Anne gives him a short smile before turning her back to him and walking to her door.

Before getting in, she turns her head to find Gilbert leaning his back against his car. Of course, being the gentleman he is, he's not going to leave until she's inside.

She waves him goodbye for the last time that night and he, feeling younger than he is and a bit bold because of that recent kiss, gives her the wink of an eye, sending butterflies through her stomach.

Anne gets inside as fast as she possibly can, because if she stayed under the porch for a bit longer, she knows she'd have to run to him and kiss him again.

What she wasn't expecting was Marilla Cuthbert to be waiting for her in the hall, right at the foot of the stairs with her usual stern expression and her hands on her hips.

"Where have you been?"

"Oh. I was at Diana's, you know" Anne gulps. "In Charlottetown"

"Charlottetown" the woman replies with a suspicious tone, eyebrows raised.

"Yes"

Anne knows she shouldn't lie to Marilla — she doesn't even have to! She's 20, she's an independent young woman and she doesn't have to come up with excuses-

"Jerry came home almost two hours ago"

-but Marilla can be terrifying. It's the passive yet aggressive tone in her voice what makes Anne's mind try to come up with a quick excuse.

"Oh... uh..."

"You were with Gilbert Blythe, weren't you?"

"Me? What? Why?"

Is is really that obvious?

"You shine all over when you see Gilbert"

Anne's cheeks get as red as her hair; her eyes widen; her teeth biting her bottom lip.

"Well, I- I have to go to bed! It's late"

Marilla watches her daughter run pass her then up the stairs. She hears the soft slam of the door once her daughter's gotten to her room.

She wonders what could've happened to her, because she looks and even sounds so different to the Anne that came back from New York not more than two weeks ago.

___

It takes twenty minutes to Gilbert to get back home. It's been a long time since he's had a walk on his own, just enjoying his own company and admiring the dim small town lights.

"Bash, I'm back!"

Bash puts his head around the kitchen door.

"So, I'm not going to ask about what's pretty obvious but... did you hear what you wanted to hear or not?"

Gilbert smiles to himself. "I kinda did"

"Unspoken stuff?"

The older man could swear he catches the glimpse of a spark in the hazel eyes that speak directly to him when he says:

"Unspoken stuff"

___

In her room, Anne changes to a pajamas and minutes later, her body finds comfort in her pillow after a long day.

Her pillow, that has captured muffled sobs so many times before; her pillow, in which Gilbert Blythe rested his curls once.

Anne lies on her side, hands under the pillow and a wide smile on her face. She believes she can still hear the sound of the waves, the feeling of the sand caressing her bare feet and his arms-

his arms wrapped around her body, bringing her closer to him. Between the sheets, a few grains of sand to her feet make her smile even wider. Marilla would kill her if she found out, but right now, Anne can only think of him.

What Marilla Cuthbert wonders from the bottom of the staircase is pretty obvious — they all know, friends and family, what's happened to Anne.

She's in love.

___

A/N

First of all I'm so so sorry that it's taken me so long to update! I've been busy with school stuff and the lack of inspiration wasn't helping, but here it is!

Hope you liked this chapter! It's not the best and I know that a lot of you wanted to see Shirbert dating but life's complicated and they're complicated, so they're going through this friends-with-benefits thing.