us against the world : shirbert one shots

my friend, the forrest

one shot: anne introduces gil to her oldest friend.

this forrest— oh this forrest. her sanctuary and hiding place all pieced together in one grouping of life. she had never known love, nor did she know how to love. but here, here she felt it. sparkling through her finger tips, melting her defenses and allowing her the rarity of peace.

the trees became her most sacred friends, her secrets tucked away into their very roots, hidden from prodding gossips and nosy neighbors. the sun seemed to follow her through the leaves, warming and encompassing the forrest in a murky golden bath for the precious few who had risen early that morning. the flowers begun everyday in the company of her stories, unknowingly the first of many who would treasure her words dearly. yes, this forrest was her oasis, the home to her wild thoughts and whimsical fantasies.

the birds hummed along with her, billowing in a symphony of honey like sounds that the world around them was producing.

never had she taken another soul there. it felt too precious, too sacred to open it up to outsiders. it was as if every living piece of those woods were apart of one family, and they had allowed her the most beautiful gift of complete access into it. to introduce a new human to such a place felt as if it would burst this heavenly  feeling it held. to show off this place would be equivalent to having her chest open on a table for all to see. never - she had decided - would she reveal this level of depth to another human.

that is, until now.

now, her palm was rubbing against the fabric of her pants and her lips had begun to bleed from the inside. she had made up her mind to show him. it's not as if he didn't know her well
enough already - frankly he knew her better then anyone else - but she knew that as long as she hid this haven from him, part of her heart would remain locked at the end of the deepest hallway of her soul.

she had people she loved now, sure, and had diana whom she trusted wholeheartedly, but never had the idea of opening this curtain ever cross her mind when thinking of them.

now they were standing at the beginning of the path she had walked down through her greatest triumphs and trespasses, and she was introducing him to her family for the first time.

he laced their fingers together when he noticed her restless tapping against her trousers, whispering a quiet you can do this anne-girl to her. the nervousness was blooming in her because as little as she had spoken about this place being so astoundingly important in her life, she knew no one would ever quite understand it, for who calls a collection of wildlife their greatest companions? she couldn't have been more wrong when it came to him though, he knew and admired that this place was engraved into her very soul and adored her so much more for it.

so as they stepped onto the path and a single tear glinted down her cheek, he wiped it away sweetly, leaving his rough palm laying softly against her cheek.

"might you introduce me to everyone? i do love new acquaintances, as you know, and i've been waiting so patiently to meet them." his warm smile and sparkling eyes made her feel like she had melted. her anxieties flooded out of her mind, and she was left with a sense of pride to be able to show off her most treasured location.

they spent the entire afternoon wondering around silently - except for the occasional anne-girl, this place really is terribly beautiful. she rested them against one of her oldest friends : a large willow tree sitting in the center of it all, and sighed wistfully.

"you know gil, i never thought about this before." after a confused tilt of his head she elaborated, "how it would feel to entangle two of the things i love most together. this used to be my safest escape, but now knowing you are with me at any moment brings me more security and comfort than i thought possible. it's a generous thing life, to provide me with such happiness in the form of you."

he looked up at her from her lap and smiled, trying and failing to not melt under her touch. she had taken to threading her fingers through his mop of curls, and nothing made him feel more desperately lovesick than when she was so gently twirling it around.

"you are my home anne-girl , i'll never be able to express just how much i love you."

"oh sweet boy, you are the most beautiful human i've ever met. i love you dearly."

the golden sun rested on his face while he smiled up at her and he stomach knotted, oh this lovely boy.

they sat together for the rest of the day, nibbling on pastries or reenacting scenes from their favorite books. this forrest may hold all of her thoughts and secrets, but truly, so did he. and as much as she never wanted to leave the trees that had become something akin to family to her, he was pulling her along, encouraging her every step. he was just as much apart of this family as she was, she realized, because if the forrest was embedded in her veins, so was he.

a/n  here's a little short and sweet crumb to let you know that i am in fact still alive! i know, i know crazy right ; )

i hope you liked this one, i love writing super "soft" and sweet pieces <3