oblivious [anne x gilbert]

Chapter 12: Lights and Darks

They didn't realise how tight they clung to each other's hands until they stopped on the doorstep of Green Gables. They looked down at their intertwined fingers, awkwardly pulled away and with a small cough Gilbert opened the door and let Anne inside. He walked in swiftly behind her to find Matthew hovering over Marilla, blood staining the knees of his pyjama bottoms and worry plastering his sweat covered face. Gilbert scanned the room carefully, all the research he had done was needed for this moment.

"Anne, check the pantry, see if you can find some sort of alcohol to sterilize the wound. Matthew, take her to the couch and make sure her upper body stays elevated."

They did as he told and Gilbert began to look for a clean cloth and some first aid materials. Anne came into the living room with a very small bottle of a clear liquid. He knelt on the floor by her head and beckoned Anne to him. Together they aided Marilla the best they could, with Matthew waiting apprehensively. He poured a small amount of alcohol on the gash and examined it thoroughly. It was deep, he would need more than bandages. "Anne, please grab another lamp and bring it close," he asked in a slightly wavering voice.

She obliged as he began rummaging through the makeshift first aid kit he had made with the things he could find.

"Here," she said approaching him once more.

"Thank you, can you hold it above her head?" he asked. She nodded and looked down worriedly at Marilla, her face pale and gaunt from blood loss.

He promptly applied a small amount of numbing agent on the outskirts of the cut and began to prepare his work while he waited for it to take effect. In the dim light of the evening, Anne could barely make out what he was doing but saw his precise movements and steady hands work with a purpose she had never seen when he was writing. She saw the glimmer of something small and reflective but waited silently. Despite the severity of the situation and lack of supplies, time, and energy, Gilbert had managed to find *something that could aid Marrila.

----TW: Needles----

He finally had slid the thread through the minuscule hole, tied a knot at the end and wiped his brow of perspiration. Anne elicited a small gasp when she caught full sight of the long sharp needle and covered her mouth with her free hand. Riddled with bottled anxiety Gilbert began to stitch the wound closed, carefully tightening as went to ensure it would stay. It glided through the skin with little force but still made him wince at first contact, this was completely new territory for him. At this point, Marilla had almost completely fallen unconscious and would only awaken occasionally with a small mutter, making it much easier for Gilbert to stitch precisely.

-TW over-

It had been the longest half an hour of his entire life and when he finished, he helped Matthew carry Marilla up the stairs and gave him specific instructions on what to do when she woke up and how to help her. Then, quietly he tiptoed downstairs to find Anne, curled up with her knees pressed to her chest, on the couch. He walked over to her to see, through the darkness that she was fast asleep already, a single strand of carrot coloured hair swaying in time of her soft breath. Gilbert smiled fondly down and her and realised she still wore her boots, loosely hanging off her feet and untied. He gently removed them and laid a blanket from the back of the couch over her small frame, making sure to tuck the piece of hair behind her ear and before losing his courage, Gilbert bent down and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead. She didn't stir.

After considering it for a moment, he thought he should probably stay at Green Gables just in case anything else happens. Plus Anne will want breakfast in the morning and he wouldn't want Matthew to have to worry about anything else other than his sister right now. So, in hopes he wasn't intruding too much, Gilbert pulled a blanket and small pillow off of one particularly stiff and uncomfortable armchair and settled down on the floor. Stretching out for a moment and adjusting himself, he quickly fell asleep, facing the couch that Anne was laying on. The last thing he heard was her mutter something softly before one of her hands draped over the side and nearly hitting him in the nose. He chuckled noiselessly thinking of how Anne is just as feisty asleep, as when she's awake.

The sun's early morning rays woke him even though Gilbert had only been sleeping for a few hours, working on the farm gave him a routine that was hard to break even with such an interruption. Quietly he walked into the kitchen and began preparing some food. By the time the sun was fully up he had eggs, toast, bacon and pancakes ready and set up on the Cuthbert's dining table. The intoxicating smells must have woken her up because soon a groggy and tousled-haired, Anne walked in the kitchen, rubbing her bright blue eyes. When they opened, a smile forced itself on her tired and freckled face. Seeing Gilbert with his curly hair a mess from sleep, flour on his cheeks and food on the table in front of him filled her heart completely. She had no idea why this boy had such an effect on her. Anne's face flushed with embarrassment as she thought of how she must look. Gilbert, however, thought Anne looked stunning, maybe prettier than he had ever seen her before. That, keep in mind, is what he always thought when he saw her though, but this morning she looked like an angel descending from heaven. She ran past him to the bottom of the stairs but he called after her, "Hey, wait! Where are you going? I've made breakfast,"

"I know, I just need to...freshen up," she said peering down at her wrinkled dress.

"It's fine Anne, it's just me you know," he said with a smirk.

She scowled at him before pointing her chin up and walking over to her seat and promptly sitting with a quiet, "Fine."

He smiled and sat across from her, they began to pass plates of food back and forth before she spoke once more, "You know you have flour on your face, right?"

It was his turn for his face to flush bright red and he shyly cast his eyes down before wiping his face with a napkin, but he couldn't suppress a smile forming on his lips. He heard Anne chuckle softly at him and thought that he could hear her laugh all day, he wanted to be the one to make her laugh like that forever, but they ate in silence from that point on. Until there was a knock on the door.

A tan dark haired boy walked in as Anne opened the door for him and immediately she hugged him and began to explain everything that happened last night. Who was this boy? Why did Anne like him so much? They couldn't be courting, could they? Surely she would have brought it up. Why wasn't he at school? Was he hearing a *french accent? Oh no that's the language of love... Who knew Gibert Blythe was the jealous type.

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I AM SO SORRY! Here is an extra long chapter to make up for my mini hiatus!! I'm finally settled with school and stuff but I joined the school play and rehearsals run late so my posting schedule will probably be once a week on Saturdays if you can handle that! Thank you all for your endless patience love and support! I love you all so so much!

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Don't be a silent reader! Comment and vote! You are beautiful and loved! Eat something, drink some water and smile!

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xxx Delilah