▷ Staring - Tipling Rock

«You got me staring like a fool»

___

[DON'T PLAY THE SONG YET!]

August 25th

9:46 a.m.

MARILLA CUTHBERT leaves earlier than usual that morning. Apparently, ever since the wedding, she's become such good friends with Josephine Barry and Gertrude that she's spent most of the summer from one party to another. Marilla Cuthbert! Going to parties, fancy reunions and semi-royal breakfasts! Who would've thought?

As for her daughter, who had set up an alarm for 9 o'clock, is standing on the hall, patiently waiting for her boyfriend to pick her up.

It's a bit cloudy today, so Anne's chosen a high waisted, white skirt and a dark grey long-sleeved top. After all, summer is coming to an end and the weather is slowly changing into a chilly early-fall season.

She's checking her reflection in the hall's mirror when her phone beeps as well as she hears Gilbert's car pulling over the driveway.

"Morning!" she says once she's out the door, greeting him as he gets out of the car.

"Morning, Shirley"

He beams at her with the best of his crooked smiles. His outfit is much casual than the one he wore the past night for their first date. Now he's wearing a plain black T-shirt, jeans and a black and grey flannel that she recognizes from their high school days.

"God, I'm so hungry" she says, rubbing her hands together. "Where are we going?"

"Well, Miss New York" he looks at her with his eyes narrowed, his back leaning against his car. "This is Avonlea so it's not like we have a thousand options. Queen's Café?"

She smiles widely. When was the last time they'd shared breakfast at Queen's Café? Oh yes! It was that one time after they got their final grades at school. They tied and they were both so happy that he had spun her around in the air. The memory still causes butterflies to fly uncontrollably all around her stomach.

"Fair enough"

"Did you sleep well?" he asks, knowing that she hasn't. They texted until it was late and there are dark circles under her eyes that she's tried to cover up with makeup, but they still show.

Still pretty, he thinks, taking in the rest of her. Part of her hair is tied up in a top knot and the rest of it falls effortlessly down her back.

"I've only slept like... 5 hours?"

"You see, Shirley" he crosses his arms over his chest. "You shouldn't stay up late texting some lame guy. Not telling you what to do, of course. It's just a friendly suggestion"

She inevitably rolls her eyes at him, not even noticing.

"Don't roll your eyes at me"

"I didn't"

"Right, right, of course, you didn't" he says. "Well, I have a proposal for you"

"A proposal" she quirks her eyebrows in expectation.

"Why don't you drive today?"

"Me?"

"Yeah" he casually says, playing with his keys with his hands. "I know how much you miss driving since Jerry got his license and basically kept Matthew's old car for himself. You can drive mine"

"Seriously? Your Jeep? Your sacred, beloved Jeep?"

Anne remembers the first drive of many more in his Jeep. He drove her home after Billy Andrews' party and they sort of started being "friends" after that. He listened to her and he paid attention in a way nobody else before did.

"Sure, why not? Unless you're scared, of course"

"Scared? Me? In your dreams, perhaps"

"Fine, then you drive. You always complain about how I can't keep my eyes on the road anyway so... this time I'll just enjoy the views"

"So you're going to stare at me the whole ride?"

He looks down at his feet, smiling, then back up to her, doing his signature Gilbert Blythe look.

Idiot.

"I meant the trees, Shirley. Don't flatter yourself"

"Right. Give me the keys"

Gilbert throws his keys to her she catches them in the air with a quick move of her hand. They get into his car then and just as she starts the engine and pulls out of the driveway her mind goes back a specific moment that makes her smile instantly.

"First and last time I drove this car was the time I took you home when you were drunk" she mentions with her eyes focused on the road, although she knows that if she looked at him right now, she'd see the hair in the back of his neck standing up.

"Shit, no, don't remind me"

"You were right there, saying stuff like «Dude, Charlie's girl is so amazing»"

Gilbert scoffs. "Dearest girlfriend, could you please have some mercy on your poor boyfriend and shut up, please?"

"It's not my fault that you were obsessed with me when we were seventeen"

"Obsessed is an ugly word. Let's go for infatuated... and you were with me too"

Now it's her turn to scoff an indignant laugh. "I was not obs- infatuated with you!"

"Really? «Oh, Gilbert, I think we're soulmates, let's do a project on The Great Gatsby» sounds pretty infatuated to me"

"Shut up or I'll kick you out of you own car"

He looks at her, eyes crinkled. Anne's eyes are, however, focused on the road. She's always been much of a cautious driver than him. He can see now her side profile, her hair tucked behind her ear and falling down her shoulders.

"You look really pretty today, by the way"

He feels relieved the moment the words leave his lips. He couldn't even count the times he'd wanted to tell her how pretty she looked or how shiny her hair looked or how he liked her outfit when they were in high school.

Now it was his moment — he could tell her anytime he wanted.

"Thanks" she bites her bottom lip as she drives, half shy and half wanting to bite back a smile — for once, Gilbert can't tell. "You look really good too"

He leans back on the passenger's seat, head turned to his left to "enjoy the views" during the rest of the ride.

"And I'll look even better when my stomach is full"

___

One thing Gilbert notices is that after all this time, Anne Shirley-Cuthbert hasn't changed her coffee order. She still asks for her latte with oat milk and cinnamon sprinkles the same way she always did when they were in high school. However, she's seemed to change her usual banana pancakes with maple syrup for eggs and bacon today.

The conversation has faded away and for a brief moment, they enjoy a comfortable silence. She checks her phone every once in a while, showing him memes that almost make him choke on his food or some beautiful, breathtaking quote she's recently added to her Pinterest board.

Gilbert simply watches her as he eats too, too entranced on the sight of her. He can't help but think that he's never been this happy, that this is how things are meant to be, that there is no place he'd rather be right this moment that here, having breakfast with-

"Motherfucker" she suddenly says, dropping her fork and eyes fixed on her phone.

"Wow, thank you, Shirley. Beautiful words from girlfriend to boyfriend"

"Not you, it's Fred!"

"Fred?" Gilbert turns around, then looks to his right, as if he was looking for the actual Fred Wright to be around.

"He just texted me asking me where I am and what I'm doing at the moment" she says, reading literally for the screen with eyes narrowed. "What does he want? It's 10 a.m., I bet he suspects something"

Anne grabs her phone and holds it right in front of Gilbert's face.

He chuckles, gently putting her phone down. "So what, asshole? We'll have to tell them at some point. Jerry already knows"

"I know! But just imagine all the teasing we'll get!"

Gilbert shakes his head slowly, looking at her with his usual crooked smile. His girlfriend could be slightly overdramatic sometimes, so, because the occasion asks for it, he places his hand right on top of hers and says, with an equal overdramatic voice:

"My love, we'll face it together" he whispers, making her roll her eyes for the second time that morning.

"Are you willing to face the one and only Ruby Gillis? She's going to plan our wedding in one single night"

"That's impossible" he shrugs. "You don't believe in marriage"

Gilbert can easily remember all of those times at school when she used to rant about how complicated the idea of marriage was for her. Anne wasn't keen on the idea of "belonging" to someone else, and even though she had supported Fred and Diana's wedding (more than he did at first, that's for sure), he knew that Anne found the whole idea of getting married, especially being twenty, a bit confusing.

The idea of marriage was something that Gilbert had thought about before. Sometimes it came to him late at night, when he couldn't sleep a wink, sometimes when he saw Anne laughing about something. Why not? In the end, his parents had a happy life while married he didn't feel reluctant about the idea —much the opposite— of spending his whole life with someone and proposing in the future, perhaps four or five years from now...

However, he knew that, with Anne, the idea was completely off-limits.

"I see you're very good at remembering random stuff about my high school self, eh?"

"Well, I'm obsessed, right?"

Gilbert throws a napkin right to her face, and she's about to reply —probably with a good old yet classic Anne Shirley-Cuthbert insult— when Gilbert's phone beeps.

Fred
i miss you my love
what are you doing today

Gilbert
nothing in particular

Fred
well you should be doing ME

Gilbert
OKAY

Fred
we need a barbecue party man
just sayin
i have the best ideas

Gilbert
aren't you the one who sometimes lives in a mansion with his wife

Fred
true
let me talk to MY WIFE

Gilbert
I'M YOUR WIFE

Anne notices how Gilbert covers a growing smile with his hand.

"What are you laughing at now?"

"It's Fred" he explains. "He says we need to have a barbecue party or some shit like that"

The hazel-eyed boy doesn't even have time to put his phone down and keep staring at his girlfriend, because his phone (and Anne's as well) start beeping not once, but twice. Then twice again.

4 new messages from FRED WRIGHT FAN CLUB

Diana
FAREWELL SUMMER PARTY
TODAY

Fred
5 p.m. @ aunt jo's :):):)

Ruby
count me in

Jerry
same ^

"Today?"

Anne looks up to Gilbert. According to what they talked about last night, they were going to spend the whole day together at hers, considering that both Marilla and Jerry were going to be out.

"You know him" Gilbert shrugs. "Always the improviser"

"Fine" Anne nods. They still have a few days left to be on their own, anyway. "Let's go"

"Fine" he says. "First party as an official couple, Shirley?"

Gilbert lays his hand for her to take. She shakes it, sealing their metaphorical deal.

"First party as an official couple, indeed"

Shirley 🧡
coming

Gilbert
me too

Diana
ok here's what you guys have to bring

___

"Welcome to Fred and Diana's Summer's Farewell party!" Diana, with one of her many blue summer dresses, claps excitedly as soon as she spots Anne and Gilbert walking to the front door of the house.

Anne (and everyone else) can tell that she's growing up to be quite alike her aunt. She can easily imagine them as sixty-year-olds throwing fancy parties and drinking wine until late at night.

As for Anne, it's quarter past five in the afternoon and she's spent the last ten minutes complaining and whining about how late Gilbert and she are.

"Hey, guys" Gilbert says, giving Diana a quick hug and another one to Fred, accompanied with the usual back pat.

"Were you driving his car?" Diana asks.

"Yeah?" Anne blinks twice. "We- Jerry and Ruby had to stop by their apartment, so, Gilbert picked me up and he..."

"I just didn't feel like driving today" Gilbert concludes. Anne shots him a discreet (or so she thinks) thankful smile.

"Okay..." Diana says. "Did you buy the drinks, Gil, as I asked you?"

"Yeah, yeah. They're in my trunk" he points to his car with his thumb.

Diana's eyes quickly travel from Gilbert to Anne, then back to Gilbert, who's suspiciously smiling like a fool.

"And what got you smiling so hard?"

Gilbert tries his best not to lose it right there. Diana Barry could be the scariest person sometimes, especially when she goes on full-detective-mode.

"I'm not smiling, Di" he clears his throat after that. "This is just my face"

"Hm. Right. Well, I'll help you out with those drinks" the raven-haired concludes as she clings onto his friend's arm.

Anne watches as Diana and Gilbert walk to his car silently — by the previous look on her bosom friend's face Anne can tell she suspects something about Gilbert and her.

Someone shaking her shoulders from behind makes her turn around, a huge grin playing on his lips.

"Well, tiger-Anne, I guess it's up to us to make a bonfire"

___

As Gilbert and Diana prepare the drinks and the barbecue, Anne follows Fred to chop some wood. Apparently, Diana and Fred (mostly Diana) wanted to host the perfect end-of-summer party, bonfire, guitar and scary stories included.

"I think that's enough wood, boy scout" Anne says after wiping sweat off her forehead with the back of her palm.

"Don't you dare call me a boy scout again"

Anne laughs. She appreciates Fred. It was the kind of person she would trust with her life, if necessary. For a moment, she feels guilty because all she's been thinking about for the past week is how much she's going to miss Gilbert as soon as she gets back to New York. But truth us, she's going to miss all of her friends.

The last time they were all together like this was at the wedding, and soon she'll have to leave again for her last year of college. It's scary how time flies when you're happy, she thinks.

They both distribute the weight of the recently chopped wood and aim to the central gardens. Although Anne's been to Aunt Josephine's multiple times, she's still amazed at how huge the mansion is. No wonder Diana doesn't want to go back to Avonlea even though her parents have finally accepted Fred. This is a daydream.

Ruby and her brother are already there. The blonde seems to be telling the most wondrous of stories to Gilbert because he's almost crying because of the laughter. Jerry, on the other hand, is perfectly focused on cooking burgers in the grill.

"Anne!" Ruby quickly pulls her redhead friend into a tight hug.

"I'm glad to see you too, Rubs" Anne says. "But please, let me go. My bones are hurting"

After Anne and Jerry high five, Anne simply stands next to Gilbert, nothing romantical. Gilbert, however, probably forgetting that they haven't told their friends about anything, grabs her face as if he was about to kiss her — to kiss her mouth. She realises then that they haven't kissed since last night. Perhaps it was due to the fact that neither of them had truly processed the fact that they were together. She holds eye contact with him for a few seconds, watches how gaze drops to her lips and... quickly changing his mind, he kisses her cheek.

Their friends don't seem to notice, though, too bothered pouring some drinks for themselves.

"Uh, guys" Gilbert says out of the sudden. "We need to talk"

"What's wrong?" Diana asks and just like the rest of their friends, she furrows her eyebrows in confusion.

"Nothing!" Anne's eyes widen.  "Nothing's wrong!"

"Anne and I wanted to share something with you"

Anne holds Gilbert's hand, a visible flush creeping up her cheeks.

"So... we wanted to tell you that Gilbert and I are- well, we are officially... dating?"

For a few seconds, there is no sound, no answer, just the sizzling noise of the meat in the barbecue. Not even Jerry, who's known for a couple of days, says a thing.

"Holy fucking Mother of Sweet Jesus" Fred, obviously, is the first to open their mouth, with a tone of relief in his voice. "I thought you were going to say you were pregnant for a second!"

"There you go, classic Fred Wright" Gilbert says.

"Well, it wouldn't be anything odd considering what you've been doing all summ-"

Diana slaps his husband's arm. "Fred!"

"Wait, how- you guys knew?" Anne asks.

Surely, she wasn't expecting this. Gilbert and she have been more than discreet about the nature of their relationship!

"Of course we did" Ruby says, shaking her head. "Idiots"

"Jerry!" Anne groans, already marching towards her brother, poking her index finger to her chest in such a stern way that reminds him of Marilla. "You told them?"

"I didn't need to. They could literally smell the hormones, it was gross"

"We were just waiting for you two to be ready to tell us" Ruby explains. "We've known since the wedding"

So, after all this time, they knew?!

Anne's face is pure shock. Gilbert, on the other hand, is trying his best not to laugh. He looks at the ground, knowing that if his girlfriend knew he was laughing she'd whack him over the head with a book again.

"So no one's going to say anything? We're dating! Finally!"

"I don't even know what to say" Diana shrugs. "I've been waiting for so long I don't even know how to react"

"Anyone want a drink?" Jerry suggests.

"Seriously?!" Anne looks at her friends, then at Gilbert, giving him a "Would you help me with this?" kind of look, then back at her friends. "Not even a «We're so happy for you guys»?"

"It's pretty obvious we're happy about this" Fred says, standing now in between Anne and Gilbert and hugging both of them with extended arms. "You guys don't know how exhausting to watch you two were"

"Well, at least we can finally triple date" Ruby says, probably planning already a thousand plans ahead.

"We've been triple dating ever since you and Jerry got together" Diana says after taking a sip of her blueberry vodka. "These two just didn't know"

"Hey!"

"It's true" the raven-haired says, matter-of-factly. "If only we could travel back in time, you guys could see the way you used to act around each other"

Fred lets go of Anne and Gilbert and hands both of them a can of beer each.

"Let's not talk about the past and let's toast for a bright future instead" Fred says as if he'd spoken the wisest words he's ever said in his life.

"Cheers!"

After the quickest of toasts, Diana Barry and Ruby Gillis share a look of mischief and drag their redheaded friend inside, with the excuse of "We need to go to the toilet, the three of us".

"So? How was it?" Ruby asks.

Oh, so this is that it's all about, Anne thinks.

"How was what?"

"Everything! The first date, the first kiss, the first time..."

"Oh, so now you two want to know everything?"

"Don't be a brat, Anne!" Diana says, jokingly slapping her hand. "Do tell us"

"Oh" Anne says. How could she tell her best friends that their first kiss had happened almost two years ago? "Well, the first date went great... and the kiss... was great too"

"How is he in bed?" the blonde asks — clearly, she's grown up to be much less innocent than she was in high school.

"We haven't got to that part yet" there's an evident flush creeping up Anne's cheeks.

"What? Really? The Gilbert Blythe hasn't...? Wow"

"Sex is not that important! We've been getting used to this new thing of us being a couple and all"

Outside, the boys are not giving Gilbert such a bad time. Fred just beams at him, truly happy for his best friend, for his brother, to finally have found what he'd been looking for for years. Finally, that's exactly what Fred says:

"So, finally"

"Finally" Gilbert agrees, toasting their drinks together.

"I'm so glad this has finally happened" Jerry says. "You don't know how much she missed you"

"Trust me, I can imagine"

___

It starts getting dark after that. Anne and Fred manage to lit up a bonfire and they all sit around in circle. For a few seconds, it feels as if they were teenagers again, no worries outside the mansion's walls, just a group of six friends, a bonfire and an acoustic performance every now and then.

"I still don't see why we can't just play spin the bottle!" Ruby pouts — she's clearly had way too many drinks today.

"Um, maybe because our gang consists of three couples, one of them married and two siblings?!"

"Ah, my overdramatic tiger-Anne. Excuses, excuses" Fred tells Anne, leaning his head on her shoulder. "The reason why you don't want to play is that if I were to kiss your man, he'd fall in love with me right the second, isn't that right, Gilly?"

"Absolutely" Gilbert nods after taking another sip of beer. "Between you and me, Shirley's just my second choice. You're the love of my life, Freddie"

They all start laughing until Fred Wright stands up, very abruptly and holding a hand to his chest.

"Guys, guys" Fred says, a look of pain on his face. "Stop! I'm not feeling alright. Something's... wrong"

"What's wrong?" Ruby stands up. "Fred, are you okay?"

"No... my body... my whole body hurts... from carrying all the weight of this party"

"You're an idiot" Ruby says, slapping his arm and almost making him trip on his feet. "I got scared!"

"She always falls for this one, honestly!"

They all laugh, included Ruby. Classic Fred Wright, always the soul of the party. After that and a few burgers and way too many drinks, they seem to agree on playing impersonations.

"How was it? Oh yeah, I'm Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, dark, mysterious and a bit mean sometimes, I hate romance and I'm not romantic at all" Diana says.

"Well, I'm Gilbert Blythe and I don't date" Ruby says, wrapping an arm around Diana. "I want to be a doctor but I'm so stupid I can't tell if I've had a crush. Kiss me, Anne, kiss me!"

"He doesn't talk like that! At all!" Anne yells after almost choking on her beer.

"Shut up, Shirley" Ruby says, again with her best impersonation of Gilbert's voice.

"Okay, okay, my turn" Anne says, clearing her throat and trying to put a raspiness in her voic that's clearly not there. "Oh, man, I was made for rock and roll, I wanna write songs about my wife and be a star..."

"I don't talk like that. Do I talk like that? Di, look at me. Do I talk like that?"

"Yes, love, you do talk like that"

They laugh again, alcohol working its effects and perhaps the pure bliss of a summer night with friends.

"Well, I'm Ruby Gillis and I'm a hopeless romantic!" Gilbert tries to impersonate Ruby with a very high-pitched voice. "I wanna dance to Taylor Swift all night and I wanna steal my friend's love letters and send them to the love of her life without her knowing!"

"For the last time, they were not love letters!" Anne groans, although the fact that Gilbert refers to himself as "the love of her life" makes her eyes flutter under his gaze.

"I beg to differ, Shirley"

"See?! He does talk like that!" Ruby giggles, covering her mouth with her hands.

"Cut the alcohol for that one" Diana says, pointing at ruby with her glass. "Do I have to remind you of the state she was in at my wedding?"

"Let's not talk about the wedding. I was this close to killing her!"

"But you thanked me in the end, didn't you?"

Anne admits it with a nod and a shy smile as her eyes drift from Ruby to Gilbert, who's sitting not too far away from her.

After all, if it wasn't for Ruby, those letters would've never found their way to Gilbert. It if wasn't for those letters, Gilbert would've probably never gathered up the courage to play Lady in red for her at the wedding, and if it wasn't for that song and that not in the love board, she would've probably never been able to hold it all together and confess her feelings for him that night in these exact same gardens... and Gilbert would've probably never kissed her, or tell her he loved her... and who knows if they would be here now, the six of them, drinking and laughing under a sheet of stars.

It's curious how our fate is threaded by multiple coincidences.

__

August 26th

It smells like homemade butter tarts and scones.

Having a place is a dream. Sure, they've gone to the library, to the cliff and to Queen's Café as well but no place feels more like theirs than this little coffee shop around the corner of Cornelia Street.

And of course, coffee is always the best way to help them deal with the hangover.

"And I was re-reading The Age of Innocence and the writing is amazing" Anne, as per usual, is rambling about something. Not even the faint headache of her hangover is keeping her from talk and talk. "Seriously, Gil! You'll have to borrow it at some point because the quotes and the characters and... are you listening to me?"

"Yes, yeah, of course" he nods enthusiastically, but it comes out a bit forced, almost fake. "Go on"

"Okay. What's wrong?"

"Uh? Nothing"

"You're a bit off today"

And it's true. Ever since he picked her up about an hour ago, he seemed troubled a bit something. They decided to walk today, and Anne didn't bring it up on the way until now hoping that he'd tell her at some point, but he didn't.

"It's fine. Just hungover"

"Gilbert"

"I'm fine"

"You're not"

He looks at her then, and she catches a glimpse of... sadness? in his eyes that she doesn't like. His lips, however, curve up into a tiny smile.

"It's my dad's birthday on Friday" he says, his hands holding the coffee cup.

"Oh. I-"

"It's fine, Shirley. I'm fine" he furrows his eyebrows and Anne notices how forces a smile. "Can I borrow The Age of Innocence when you're done and admire your highlighted passages?"

Anne knows that Gilbert can be very self-protected with his own feelings, so, instead of trying pushing the words out of him, she extends her arm over the wooden table and places her hand over his, still on the coffee cup.

"It's okay" she gives him a reassuring smile. "We don't have to talk about it"

Gilbert lifts his gaze and meets hers, and for the first time in the past half an hour, he smiles in an honest way. Of course, he should've known that out of all the people he knew, Anne would be the most comprehensive.

He remembers when Jane Andrews came out of the closet during the final days of Senior Year. He was the first one to know and then, Jane told Anne. Of course, out of everyone else, she told Anne! She always understood everything, and she still does. That was just who she is. Smart, comprehensive, caring, Anne. Not even Bash or Fred knew what he was feeling like, and Anne, with just the simple gesture of placing her warm hand over his, knew.

Just like that.

"Thanks" he says. "It's just that I had an alarm on my phone, you know? He always liked to have a special dinner on his birthday and the alarm came off today, reminding me to buy the cake for him. It just shocked me, that's all"

"I understand" she whispers. "And it sucks"

"And to make things worse, you're leaving in five days. Five days!"

"I know. But we'll be just a few hours away from each other"

"Yeah but it's your last year of college and we'll both be stuck in the library all the time. I'll miss you"

"I'll miss you too. But let's not think about that now, okay?"

"Fine" he smiles.

"Fine" she smiles, knowing that even though years have passed by, the "fine" was still theirs. "Want another scone? My treat"

___

Later that evening, Gilbert is sitting in his desk, revising and flickering through the pages of some Anatomy handbook, checking his old notes.

The music he's listening to suddenly stops. Anne has just texted him.

Shirley 🧡
forgot to tell you earlier
Marilla wants you to come over
for dinner

Gilbert
me?

Shirley 🧡
duh
you're my boyfriend
of course it's you

Gilbert
ofc
sure

Shirley 🧡
is it awkward for you?

Gilbert
nope
maybe a little
it still shocks me that i'm your boyfriend

Shirley 🧡
it shocks me too
but in the best of ways ofc!

Gilbert
must be shocking dating THE gilbert blythe huh

Shirley 🧡
idiot

Gilbert
well
this idiot will be there at...?

Shirley 🧡
seven?

Gilbert
seven sharp!

Shirley 🧡
:) i love you

Gilbert
i love you more
i'll go back to anatomy

Shirley 🧡
anatomy huhhh

Gilbert
yeah shirley, gotta be the best doctor, remember???

Shirley 🧡
ofc
work hard on it!!!!

Gilbert smiles. He's about to put her phone down when he remembers there's a lot of pics he's taken of Anne today.

Might as well post something.

___

liked by jerryyyb, billytheman and 327 others liked this

drblythe she glared at me and it was terrifying

dibarry it's been 84 years...
itscxrdelia I WAS NOT GLARING AT YOU
drblythe graphic evidence says otherwise shirley

___

August 27th

10:32 a.m.

It's Wednesday morning and Anne is walking to Gilbert Blythe's house. He doesn't know, of course, but a little surprise never killed nobody.

"Hi!"

"Shirley! Hi"

He eyes her up and down. She's wearing a denim pinafore dress and a basic white T-shirt underneath — no makeup today, just her bare face and her freckles.

Anne closes the distance between them with a short peck on the lips.

"To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?" he says, leaning against the door frame.

"Well, Bash told Marilla you offered to paint the room for the baby today and I figured you could use some help"

Gilbert told her a few weeks ago that Bash and Mary's several tries for a baby had finally worked. Finally! Anne would never admit it to anyone, much less to herself — but she loved babies and she couldn't even hide her own excitement when Gilbert shared the news with her.

"Of course" he smiles. "Come in"

"Where's Bash and Mary?" she asks as she makes her way up to John's old room with Gilbert.

"At the hospital"

Anne stops on her tracks. "Did something happen?"

"No! Of course not" he says, wiping the look of concern off her face. "Just a regular check on the baby"

"Do they know the gender already?"

"Nope" he replied, popping the p. "Although Bash's a 99.9% sure that it's a girl"

"I bet he's right. Are you okay with all of this, though?" she asks, and for a moment he doesn't know what she means. "Like... using your dad's room for the baby and everything?"

"Yes" he says, and he's not lying. "It's a bit weird but I offered it. Besides, I'm happy you came. It'll be less difficult with you here"

He opens the door for her —always the gentleman— and hands her a paintbrush.

"Let's get to work then"

She ties her her in a high, messy ponytail and notices how he stares at her as she does so. Some things never change.

"I'm glad Mary said «fuck gender roles» and went for yellow paint"

"Of course you had to talk about gender roles while you paint a wall" he chuckles.

Gilbert loved so many things about Anne.

First thing he noticed, of course, was the undeniable good looks. The day he first saw her walking down his street he knew for sure she was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen.

But as he got lucky enough to meet her in depth, he'd realized that the thing he loved the most about her was her brain.

"Can't wait for that little baby to be around" she says, painting a stripe of yellow on the wall. "Boy or girl, I bet the little one's going to be so loved"

"I can't wait to meet him or her" Gilbert tells her, eyes fixed on the wall he's carefully painting. "Bash says they're going for Delphine if it's a girl and... John if it's a boy"

"That's really sweet"

Anne's words mark the end of the conversation for a while. They concentrate on the task, the sound of rain outside and the smell of fresh paint surrounding them.

"Gil?"

He turns his face to his right. She's standing right next to him, a few feet below his height, as always. She's looking at him with that innocent look she wears sometimes, and she's holding the paintbrush with both hands.

"Yeah?"

She grins. She grins in that classic Anne Shirley-Cuthbert's way and then... she shakes the paintbrush right in front of his face!

"Anne Cordelia Shirley-Cuthbert, did you just splatter yellow paint on my face?"

"Whoops"

"So mature, Shirley. You better start running"

___

"Thanks for walking me home"

After a while of chasing each other around the room and cleaning the latter mess, they were finally able to leave the room perfectly painted.

Now he's walked her home. It stopped raining about an hour ago and Anne said something about about a specific word for the way the ground smells after it's rained. Petrichor, she'd told him as they walked hand in hand to her house.

"Anytime"

"See you on Friday?"

"Two days without my lovely girlfriend? What will I ever do?"

"Hang out with your boyfriend?"

Gilbert chuckles. "Yeah, I think I'll help Fred with the songwriting process and all"

"Ah, our boy is becoming a rockstar, isn't he?" she says, leaning against her garden fence.

"They grow up so fast..."

They burst out laughing, showing no effort to hold it. Gilbert realizes how her laugh floats around the summer air like a melody he could forever listen to.

"Anyway..." she takes a quick look at her door, knowing she should get back inside.

"Anyway... see you on Friday"

And with that and a quick, tender kiss, they don't see each other again until Friday evening and their special dinner.

___

August 29th

That Friday, Gilbert parks his car on Anne's driveway. He's not sure if he's wearing the right clothes or if the bottle of wine he's bought for the occasion is too much — Neither Bash ir Mary we're home to guide them through the steps of the first official dinner with your girlfriend's family and even though he perfectly knew Marilla and, obviously, Jerry, everything about the upcoming seemed a bit scary.

He's about to knock when he realizes that the lights are off. That's odd. He checks the time on his phone to make sure that he's make it to the right hour.

It's 7 p.m.

After fixing his hair and checking his shirt has not a single wrinkle, he rings the doorbell.

"Surprise!"

It all happens so fast that Gilbert doesn't have time to realize who's opened the door for him. Suddenly, he's standing in the Cuthberts' hall, surrounded by friends and family.

Fred and Diana, Bash and Mary, Ruby and Jerry, Marilla... but Anne's nowhere to be seen.

"Wh-what is this?" he asks, completely perplexed.

"It's a birthday party" Bash says, from the corner of the room.

"We didn't want you to celebrate your dad's birthday on your own, so..." Diana says, pulling him into a quick hug.

"So we're celebrating it with you" Fred says, patting his back.

Gilbert's eyes get a bit crystalline. He doesn't want to get emotional in front of so many people but he truly wasn't expecting anything like this.

"It was all Anne's idea!" Ruby says with the usual tone of excitement in her voice.

"Where's Anne?"

As if she'd been summoned, the main door opens abruptly, showing a very hurried Anne Shirley-Cuthbert. She's wearing a shirt, polka-dotted black dress that Gilbert doesn't recognize, so he assumes must be new. She's carrying some box on her hands.

"Hi! Sorry, I'm late, the traffic was a mess and I had to pick up the cake... Gil!" she exclaims once she realizes he's there too. "You're here! Already?"

Anne checks the time on the hall's clock. She's three minutes late. Shit.

"Shirley"

"Hey" she says, locking eyes with him and then drifting to the rest of the people in the room.

"Shirley" he says again, walking to her. "You're the best girlfriend in the whole world"

"It's not like you've had a lot" she blushes as she looks up to him.

"Always taking things so literally" he takes a look behind, and, of course, everyone's looking at them. "You know what I mean"

"Yeah, I do"

He kisses her cheek, his lips lingering there for a moment; his hand on the back of her neck.

"This is adorable" Ruby whispers from behind.

Gilbert Blythe scratches the back of his neck. He's not used to being affective in front of so many people.

"Well" Anne says after clearing her throat. "This is for you"

Anne hands him the box. Just by the smell, Gilbert can sort of tell what it is. In awe, he realizes it's just an apple pie cake.

"This is my dad's favorite cake from... his favorite place in town, how did you...?"

"I may have helped her with that" Bash raises his hand.

"Thanks. I... I don't know what to say" his eyes constantly drift from Anne to the rest of people clattered in the tiny hall. "He would've loved this"

"Don't say anything" Fred quickly grabs him by the shoulders and guides her to the dining room, when everything is set for their dinner. "Let's just enjoy the night, Gilly"

___

"Thank you for tonight" he says once they're alone on her porch, secluded from all the noise that still remains inside. The dinner was already over and everyone else were still inside, saying their goodbyes to each other.

"It was nothing"

"It was everything" his voice comes out almost as a whisper, his hands reach for hers and hold both of them tightly.

"I just wanted to make you happy"

His lips twist into a sincere smile and his eyes crinkle.

Anne's mind travels back in time and then back to the future, repeating every single version of Gilbert Blythe.

She decides now, this lovey-dovey, cheesy version of him is her favorite.

Gilbert gently guides her hands to his lips, kissing her knuckles and letting his lips linger there for a moment. Then he brushes the kiss away with a silent caress of his fingers.

Anne lets out a breath that she didn't even notice she was holding. She's never kissed her there, just like the other night was the first time he had kissed her forehead.

Suddenly, it all makes sense for her. All the teasing coming from their friends, all the letters and poems she's written, all those times in her teenage years when she kept telling herself she wasn't romantic at all.

It's not that she wasn't romantic, it's just that she didn't know what it was to love and to be loved by Gilbert Blythe.

It's like every romantic standard she believed in before Gilbert came into her life had vanished completely.

It's like there's only ever been Gilbert.

Gilbert. Gilbert. Gilbert.

"You are the secret recipe my happiness, Shirley" he says, leaning in closer to her, forehead against forehead "Well, you and pepperoni pizza, of course"

"Cheesy"

"Me or pizza?"

She lets out a loud laugh before he lets go of her hands. With his now free hands, he guides her chin closer to his lips and kisses hers firmly. Anne hums softly before returning the kiss, lips sliding, her hands wrapped around his neck.

"You better not do anything like this again..." he says, motioning to her house with his head, meaning the party she's hosted for him.

"Why?" she breaks off the kiss, looking at him with curiosity, her hands resting on his chest.

"Because I'm not sure I'll be able to resist myself next time in front of all of our family and friends" he whispers before kissing her again.

How many times have we kissed? Anne wonders. And she can't even count the times they have, yet every kiss has been so special, so different, so exciting...

"Woah, look at that"

So lost on each other, neither of them notices how the front door opens and how a teasing Fred Wright leans against the door frame, eyebrows raised and arms crossed over his chest.

"Fred!"

"I'm sorry, tiger-Anne, but as much as I'm enjoying this, your boyfriend and I need to get back home"

___

August 31st

Anne's last day in Avonlea comes quicker than she expects. Gilbert and she have spent all day out, going from one place to another. It all started with a breakfast picnic on the beach followed by a little rendezvous in the woods, snapping photos with Jerry's borrowed camera.

___

liked by dibarry, jpye and 201 others

drblythe lady in red + woods

rubbbby ARE WE OUT OF THE WOODS YET
itscxrdelia nice pic

___

"Marilla! I'm home! Gilbert's here"

Anne drops her keys right next to the entrance's mirror, but she gets no answer.

"Marilla?"

Gilbert and her share a look before they head to the kitchen.

"She left a note" Gilbert holds the evidence with his hands, handing it then to Anne. Behind the grocery shopping's list, there's something written in Marilla's neat handwriting.

Went to Charlottetown, Josephine Barry invited me to a party!

Coming back late, I left you money for takeaway.

Marilla.

"Oh" she just mouths. "Well, guess it's just the two of us"

"Yeah"

With an apparent silent agreement, they head to her room. She closes the door behind her, and notices how something —she just doesn't know what it is— rises, unspoken, between them.

Gilbert paces from one side of her room to another and she just watches him before speaking again.

"Wanna play some music?"

"Sounds good to me"

She walks to her speaker system, plugs in the auxiliar cable to her phone and flickers through her Spotify playlists.

Gilbert hugs her from behind, hands wrapping around her lower torso. He rests his chin on her shoulder, her curly hair tickling her cheek.

Anne seems to find the right some, because Gilbert notices how she smiles right before hitting play.

[PLAY THE SONG NOW!]

"For old times' sake?" he asks, making her turn around; his hand lowering down to her hips.

"I just love this song"

"I love you" he says, grabbing her wrist as he spins her around the room and brings her even closer to him with a smart move. "You hear me? I love you"

She blushes under his gaze. He's got a hundred different kind of looks when it comes to her, but this one, this one that's a mix of adoration and desire that makes his eyes glitter so much...

this one is too much for her.

"I love you too"

Walking down the street tonight
I got my share of bad intentions

It doesn't take him so long to kiss her. She quickly slips her tongue into his mouth, deepening the kiss.

His steps guide her to her own desk, walking backwards. Without any effort, Gilbert grabs her by the torso and makes her sit on it. She giggles, her hand at the back of his neck pull him closer to her mouth.

It makes me wonder, I kinda wonder
I wonder how you look so right

She opens her legs for him, who's standing in front of her, to be closer. She mentally thanks herself for wearing a short dress today, because he's already making circles on her skin with his thumbs, keeping her legs steady.

"So this is where you wrote all those letters and poems, huh"

He feels her smile into the kiss. "Shut the fuck up"

"I remember your eyes... I remember your lips..." he says, his lips kissing her jaw now. "Sometimes I think I might be overreacting my feelings..." he quotes her own written words from perfect memory. If only he could tell her with every kiss how many times he'd read those... "Do you think you're overreacting now?"

"Definitely not"

"Good" he says, pecking her lips uncountable times, placing feather-like kisses from her lips, to her cheek, to her forehead, down her jaw.

"Gil" she whispers. "Check my drawer"

He does as she says, only to find a hip flask safely guarded in between some college stuff. She's clearly taken the "for old times' sake" way too seriously.

"Scandalous, Shirley"

"Well, wanna open it?" she suggests, her eyes drifting to the hip flask. "As a very wise man said once, "let's misbehave".

"No" he simply says, face and voice serious as he shuts the drawer close with a swift move of his hip. "I want to remember this"

"Remember wh-?"

Anne hates being told to shut up. On the other hand, she doesn't have any complaints when Gilbert shuts her up with a kiss. It's kind of become a habit in the new dynamic of their relationship and she's not going to protest at all.

"This song..." he whispers, kissing her neck, right on the spot he's learnt she likes so much. "This song always reminded me of you"

"It was on the mixtape you gave me after prom"

"Yeah" he whispers as his eyes travel from her lips to her eyes. "Because I used to stare at you all the time. It will always remind me of you"

He kisses her once again, short and simple on her lips, then separates a bit to take a proper look at her. Still stroking the skin on her thighs, he eyes her up and down. She's wearing that short, casual, black dress that she likes so much and he can see why — it suits her. With her dress, her red hair a bit messy but still smelling of cinnamon and her lips a bit plump... she's never looked any prettier.

"Stop staring" she says out of the sudden. "Fucking hell, you're a creep"

"I know" Gilbert replies with his usual smug smile. "Just enjoying the view"

"You're an ass"

With an inalterable expression, he leans forward, his lips closer and closer to her ear, and whispers:

"My ass is nice"

She lets out a loud laugh, throwing her head back, just like that. It's music to Gilbert's ears.

None of them say anything else after that. None of them is sure of who starts it, but as soon as they notice, Anne is up on her feet, they're kissing again and soon they're lying down on her bed; Gilbert lying on top of her.

He then tucks a strand of wild red hair behind her ear, and takes another long, loving look at her.

"What are you doing?" she asks very quietly, as if they were doing something secret although there's no one else home right now.

"Just... remembering this"

"This?"

"Our first time"

"None of us are virgins, Gil"

"You see, Shirley, I am a virgin when it comes to you" his left hand then moves to caresses her ribcage. "Everything with you is so new, so scary and so exciting at the same time. I fucking love it"

The thing is she knows exactly what she means. Every moment with Gilbert is new but comfortable at the same time. Every moment has the excitement of a first something,

a first spark;

a first sign of jealousy;

a first dance, at prom;

a first kiss, under falling snow;

a first fight, under the exact same snow;

a first confession; under pouring rain in July;

a first date;

and their first time.

"So you're just as nervous as I am?"

"Yeah" he says. "And twice as excited"

She chuckles. "Why does it feel like I'm sixteen again?"

"That's a good thing" he raises a teasing eyebrow. "That means I'm making you feel like a hormonal teen again"

"Shut up"

"But you're okay, right? With this-"

"Yeah"

"Just wanted to make sure that you want to..."

"I am"

"So... are you-"

"I said I'm fine, Gil" she chuckles, adding the roll of eyes. "Let's just get to it"

"I was going to ask if you were on the pill or something like that?" he asks very innocently, almost taking her by surprise.

Of course, he's a doctor, of course he's thought of several contraception methods.

"Oh" she says, blinking twice. "Yeah, I am"

"So... condom... or...?"

"Yeah, I still wanna use a condom. If that's alright"

"Yeah, yeah sure. I'll... go get it"

She giggles as he pecks her lips before leaving her side in bed. She watches him as he searches in his wallet. Classic Gilbert Blythe, always prepared for the occasion. Anne mentally tells herself to remind her to ask him how long he's been carrying that around in his wallet.

Gilbert would've expected anything coming out from Anne's mouth as soon as he turned around, but what he wouldn't have expected at all was to find her laughing at him.

"What now?"

"Nothing, um, can you, take off your jeans? And your shirt?"

Gilbert looks at her, a bit puzzled. She's still grinning, and knowing Anne, she could be plotting anything, but nothing good.

"Sure?" is all he says before removing his jeans. He unbuttons his shirt, holding eye contact with her but still with the puzzled expression on his face. "Happy now?" he says once the grey shirt falls to the floor.

Then, she starts laughing again, just like that.

"Are you laughing at me, Shirley?"

Gilbert takes a look down. Is there anything wrong with my underwear?

"You're on your underpants. It's funny. I'd never seen you like that"

"Anne" he says, blushing and trying to hold back his laughter. "This is supposed to be hot, not funny"

"Not funny?" she giggles, and Gilbert knows it's both out of nervousness and happiness. "I knew it!" she reclines her body in bed to take a proper look at him. "I knew serious, soon-doctor-to-be Gilbert Blythe had to go for simple, plain grey underpants"

"You knew it, huh?" his crosses his arms. "So you've thought of me like this, mm?"

"I didn't say that!"

"Right, right" he says. "You like what you see?"

"You always have a way to turn the tables at me! It's not fair"

He bites back a laugh. "Shirley, shut up and take off that dress already. We're at a clear disadvantage here"

"And what if I don't, Blythe?"

The nickname makes him laugh. Last time she called him Blythe probably was when they were seventeen. Now they were here, in her room, 20-year-old and about to have sex.

Who knew.

"Fine" he says. "I'll take it off myself"

He finally joins her in bed, tickling his way to the hem of her dress and pulling it above her head.

"That's better" he whispers.

She laughs, timidly, but doesn't say a thing.

"Shirley?"

"Mm?"

"I'm having so much fun, you know" he pokes her nose with his index finger.

"Didn't you just say this was meant to be hot, not fun?"

"Well, I was obviously mistaken" he says, pecking her lips again. "Thank God I have you to guide me through the right way of wisdom"

She chuckles, and taking her silence as a "keep going", he continues talking.

"See? You're always right. You're so smart"

"Oh, please" she scoffs, punching his chest lightly with a fist. "Shut up"

"Fine"

"Fin-"

For the second time that day he shuts her mouth with a kiss and just again, she doesn't complain about it.

"Shirley" he stops kissing her to look at her again.

"Gil"

"I love you"

"I love you" is the last thing she says before pulling the sheets up to cover their bodies.

___

"That was..."

"For once in my life you're at a loss of words and I can't tease you about it because I'm speechless too"

She chuckles. After half an hour or so, they're both lying on her bed, tangled in the white sheets. Her head is resting on his chest and his hands are lost, intertwined in her red hair. Anne's about to comment on the cliché-like nature of this scenario when Gilbert talks again.

"So, did you like it? Was it better than you had fantasized about all this time, Shirley?"

She soon kicks him out of bed with her leg, making him fall to the wooden floor.

"Anne!"

"As if you haven't fantasized about me!" she says, covering herself with the sheets. "Dickhead"

"I never said I didn't" he says with the fooliest of grins, eyes crinkled.

"So" she says. "What do you wanna do now?"

"After all this physical activity" he says, making her laugh. "I have to say I'm starving"

"We can order something" she says. "Marilla's treat"

"Can I please have my clothes? I look a bit ridiculous here, you know"

"You always look ridiculous"

___

"Can't believe Marilla Cuthbert allowed this!"

Anne Shirley-Cuthbert is pretty sure that, in every other possible universe, Marilla Cuthbert would've been scandalized at the idea of a boy (her boyfriend, actually!) sleeping in her room.

However, her adoptive mother arrived a few hours ago and, considering it was Anne's last night in Avonlea and it was raining like crazy outside, she suggested Gilbert could stay over.

Anne doesn't feel like testing her luck, so she enjoys the night knowing that this will probably never happen again.

"It's because she likes you a lot" she says. "And you're sleeping on the floor"

"Yeah, but still, I get to spend your last night here with you" he yawns. "Are you happy, Shirley?"

She smiles, her hands on her stomach and her eyes fixed on the ceiling. "I'm more than happy. You know that already"

"That's good"

"Yeah"

Gilbert notices how her lips curve up into a wider smile.

"What?"

"I'm thinking about Marilla. This new environment seems to suit her"

"Because she's allowed your boyfriend to sleep in your room?" he raises an eyebrow under the dim light of her room.

"No! I mean, yes, but the thing is it's the first time I've seen her enjoy herself after... Matthew. It'll do her good to have other friends besides Rachel Lynde. She looks happy"

"Everyone's happy" he says, closing his eyes after exhaling a deep breath.

"Are you?"

"With you here?" he murmurs, blindly extending his arm and intertwining his fingers with hers. "The happiest"

The conversation fades away for a while. Neither of them notices how the minutes go by.

"Are you tired?" he asks after a few minutes.

"No, not really"

"Wanna... talk?"

She blushes. "Do you wanna talk?"

"Huh. I guess so?"

Anne props up on her elbows, looking down at his figure lying on the mattress of the floor.

"I can't really hear you from here"

"Well, Anne, it's midnight so I can't really speak any louder"

"What? Anne?! Are you really going to call me Anne now that we've fucked?"

"Fucked? Goodness, Shirley, watch your mouth"

"I'm sorry, did we "make love"?

"Forget it. You're an asshole" he groans as he pulls the covers up to his neck and turns his back to her.

"Gilbert, did we make love?"

Who said it was only fair for him to be a teasing, annoying idiot, anyway?

"Shut up"

"Make me"

He throws his pillow to her, ending right on her face.

"You could come up here, you know" she says. "And make me shut up for good"

"No. Good night" he whines, although she perfectly knows he's not mad at her at all.

"Gil, come on"

"I said good night"

She quietly gets out of her bed and joins him on the tiny mattress on the floor, getting under the covers.

"Hi there"

"Good night"

"Don't be grumpy"

"I'm not grumpy"

"Yes you are, you're a grumpy asshole" she whispers. "Always have been"

"And you're mean" he turns around to face her. "Always have been"

"I didn't mean "fucked" like that... of course we made love, because we're in love, right?"

"Can you say that again?"

"Fucked?"

"No, you asshole" he chuckles and she can feel his minty breath mixing with hers. "The other part"

She moves her hand to his hair, twisting her fingers around his curls. He doesn't notice how he holds her breath as he watches her in her ministrations. The only light comes faintly from her night lamp, illuminating them in some sort of chiaroscuro. He can't even see her freckles.

"We're in love" she whispers, almost inaudible. "I'm in love with you"

"Keep saying that and I'll consider forgiving you for treating me as a sex object"

"I'm in love with you" she repeats.

"Still a sex object"

"I, Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, am in love with Gilbert Blythe"

"Mm..."

"I'm in love with you, Gil" she whispers. "I though I knew what being in love was like, but I was so wrong"

"I'm in love with you too, Shirley"

"Join me in bed? Please?"

"No" he says. Gilbert can't see but he's pretty sure he's just made her roll her eyes. "No, Shirley. Imagine if Marilla walks in-"

"Fine. Then I'll stay here"

"In a mattress? On the floor?"

"You know I can be very stubborn"

"I can't stand you" he chuckles.

"I can't stand you either" she says, wrapping her arms around him. "Good night"

___

September 1st
9:12 a.m.

That morning's sky is a mix of mist and clouds.

Of course, it had to rain. Raindrops are falling ceaselessly, almost violently on the recently chopped and now wet lawn. The perfect scenery for a temporary goodbye.

There are seven people under the Cuthberts' porch.

"Thank you for driving her to the airport, Gilbert" Marilla Cuthbert says, trying to hide the fact that she's a bit upset about her daughter is leaving again, for three long months.

"It's no trouble at all"

"And you..." her wrinkled eyes now drift to her daughter. "You call me as soon as you land. Are you sure you've got everything with you?"

"Yes. I've double-checked and all. As I always do"

Marilla smiles to herself. Of course, she's double-checked. In the end, she's raised a smart, independent and responsible young woman.

"I'm gonna miss you" Diana Barry steps forward to hug her best friend; she looks a bit more serious than usual and Anne assumes it must be because summer is ending. "I swear I'll visit this year, okay? I'll start looking for flights soon!"

"You better, because this is my last year in New York. It's a promise!"

"I'll miss you, sis"

"I'll miss you too"

"And you" Jerry says, pointing a finger at Gilbert. "You take care of her"

"She doesn't need me at all, but I'll gladly do. I'll be just three hours away or so"

Just three hours away, Anne thinks. It isn't much, but still, it is "distance". She's got so used to having Gilbert around all the time that she already knows she's going to miss him the moment she drops her at the airport.

"Don't forget to text me every night! Please! And promise we'll FaceTime more" Ruby pouts. "And promise you'll give Lover a try, please"

"I promise"

Anne chuckles. Apparently, in one of her many visits to Jerry —Will they ever move in to their place for good?!— Ruby took the freedom to stick a copy of Taylor Swift's latest album inside one of Anne's suitcases.

"Well, now that we're talking promises here..." Fred says, ruffling her hair. "Promise me you'll practice with the ukelele this year. Hopefully, you'll learn to play more than two songs"

Anne nods. "Of course"

"And don't forget about me, tiger-Anne"

Her friend wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, gently rubbing her arm.

"Never" she says once she pulls away.

Anne takes a last, panoramic look at her friends. It felt strange, saying goodbye now. She knows that she'll see them again soon, but she can't help but think she's also waving goodbye to the best summer of her life so far.

And the worst thing is, she still has to say goodbye to Gilbert. She's been postponing it for too long because she didn't like the idea... but after an hour drive to the airport, she knows she won't see him again for at least a few weeks.

___

"Text me as soon as you land" Gilbert repeats for the hundredth time that morning. He told her as soon as they woke up, he told her during breakfast and he told her in the car again, twice.

"Same goes for you" she says, as Gilbert still has two more days left in Avonlea before leaving for college. "I'll miss you"

"Calm your ass, Shirley. I'll see you in a few weeks, okay?" he pecks her lips, lingering there for a moment. "New York awaits!"

"Yeah"

"Ah, hot dogs and museums! And quality time with this ass of a girlfriend" he says, obviously joking a teasing her to make her laugh. "But I'll miss you too, you know" his voice and face soften then — it's the classic loving, tender look he's been given her for the past few weeks.

"I love you" she murmurs as she wraps her hand around her torso, her head resting on his chest.

He kisses the top of her head and wraps his arms around her as well, bringing her even closer. One of his arms move to play with her hair and even though he'a been telling himself than New York and Philadelphia are easily close, he realizes now how much he's going to miss her.

"I love you more, Shirley"

It's the last hug for at least three weeks. They sway for a bit, only surrounded by her two heavy suitcases and her backpack on the floor.

They pull away after a minute, knowing Anne should get going.

As soon as she grabs her stuff, turns around and starts walking towards the security check, Anne notices how behind her, Gilbert takes a few rushed steps —perhaps he even jogs a bit— to her.

"Shirley, wait!"

"Oh, god, Gilbert" she turns around, giving him the roll of her eyes. "Turning around to give your girl a last kiss is so cliché"

"My girl, huh?" he says, clearly amused at her choice of words — she doesn't know if he's happy about it or if he's going to use this to tease her in a near future. Probably both. "For you information, it's not a kiss, dumbass. I mean, yeah, you're getting a kiss too, but... here, take this"

He gets something out of the inside pockets of his denim jackets. She's ready to lecture him about airports and alcohol, because, if she was being honest, she was kind of expected a hip flask.

But it's just a book.

Their book!

"Gatsby?"

Anne caresses the cover of the book with her fingers. She remembers the day she gave it to him — it was the last time they saw each other before... everything happened. And after all this time, it was here. It came back to her, just like Gilbert did.

"It's your first edition. You never got it back, I guess it's about time you take care of it"

"Sounds good to me" she offers him a smile then smiles back at the book. It just brings back so many memories.

"When you gave it to me we were about to start our first year of college" he says, looking down at her. "Now you're about to start your last one. Seems like we're going full circle"

"It does"

"And now..."

He leans in to close the distance between them with a long, soft kiss.

"Yeah, you're all set" he says as she smiles into the kiss.

She rolls her eyes because, well, old habits never die.

"Bye, beautiful. See you soon"

"Bye!"

Bye, beautiful. Beautiful! She could get used to that. She could get used to him calling her beautiful, an asshole, an idiot or whatever he wanted to call her, for years, for her whole life if he wanted, too. It was the kind of certainty that she never got with Charlie.

Although her favorite nickname still was Shirley.

She's already on the plane when Gilbert texts her. She wonders —she's wondered about this ever since they first met, actually— if he does have some kind of radar.

Gilburrito 💙
open the book
page 90

There's a note, folded in between the pages 89 and 90.

«Hope you have a fantastic first day of your last year of college.

Since I won't be there with you, here's five dolars.

Your coffee on your first day will be my treat.

Love,
Gilbert
(your cheesy boyfriend)»

___

After a relatively good flight and a very, very expensive taxi drive, Anne gets to the dorms.

As soon as she opens the door, she finds her roommate, Stella Maynard, standing in the middle of their room with open arms.

"Stella!" Anne drops her suitcases at the sight of her friend, walking to meet her in a hug.

"Anne!"

Anne feels lucky for having stayed with Stella for three years of college now. She couldn't have asked for a better roommate and of course, there was also Cole. He didn't go back to Avonlea for the summer and Anne sort of suspected that he wasn't ready to come out to his family yet. He told her he'd found a job as a barista and everything was fine. Still, she couldn't wait to see him again after two months.

"I've missed you so much! God, you look even prettier that I remembered"

"Shut up, you know you're the prettiest" Anne says. "How was your summer?"

Stella sits on her already-made bed.

"It was alright. I had plenty of time to paint. You?"

Anne closes the dorm door and sits by her side, biting her bottom lip. She's happy. She doesn't know why she felt a bit shy when it came to her and Gilbert. Right now, she feels like putting her head out of the window and scream:

"I'm dating Gilbert Blythe! I'm in love with Gilbert Blythe!"

"Well... I kinda need to tell you something"

"What is it?"

"I'm dating Gilbert" Anne says with the widest of smiles.

"Gilbert? Your Gilbert?" Stella gasps. "Ah, I'm so glad it's finally happened. When will I get the chance to meet the lucky guy?"

"Well, actually-"

Anne's phone's beeping interrupts her. A photo of her and her bosom friend covers the screen.

"Sorry, it's Diana. She probably wants to know if I got here well"

"Sure" Stella stands up. "Want me to help you unpack in the mean time?"

"You're an angel" Anne smiles. "I'll be right back"

Anne closes her dorm room behind her and leans against the hallway's walls, picking up the call instantly.

"Anne?"

"Di? Diana, what's wrong? Are you crying?"

Anne can count with a single hand the times she's seen Diana cry. She cried over her old dog Ringo's death and she shed a single tear at Matthew's funeral. And that was it.

Anne wonders what could've happened to make her cry. This morning she looked just fine. A fight with Fred seemed unlikely.

"I missed my period"

Oh.

"But... you never miss your period"

"I know" Diana wipes a tear away with the hand of her sweater.

"How long?"

"Two weeks tomorrow"

"Shit" Anne curses. "Have you... you know? Taken a test?"

"I'm way too scared" she says, and by the time of her voice Anne knows she's way too worried. Diana Barry would never admit shes scared. "You're not here, I don't wanna do it alone and I don't want to tell Fred yet" Diana says, running a hand through her hair. "I don't know what to do"

"Call Ruby"

"Rubs?" Diana's eyebrows twitch, confusion all over her face. "She's going to get all excited about a possible... baby"

"She's wiser and more mature than you think. Call her, but the test and we can FaceTime, okay? The three of us"

"You want to FaceTime while I pee?" Diana's lips see the hint of a smile.

"Of course I wanna FaceTime while you pee"

That eventually makes her laugh, and after that, she changes the topic to something else.

Until our next call, Anne thinks.

___

Aaaah, writing this chapter was so satisfying! They're too in love 🥰

Anyway, tell me what you think about this chapter and their relationship atm!

What was your favorite part of this chapter?

Also, huge CLIFFHANGER for the rest of the story! 😳 Remember that evening though Shirbert is the main focus of the story, the rest of the characters deserve their time as well!

What do you think is going to happen next?

Love,
blythexcarrots 👀