Butterflies~~ Shirbert

Chapter ten: Good friends

Anne had somehow managed to convince Marilla to let her go to school for the day, it was very hard to convince someone has stubborn as Marilla but Anne was equally if not more stubborn, and then again if Anne was determined, there was hardly anything that could keep her from reaching her goal. Gilbert has supportively added to Anne's argument, even though he thought she was better to rest. From Anne's doctor's point of view, that roll being played by Gilbert, she could manage to get around daily activities, with help, which he was more than happy to provide. He helped her get her shoe onto her swollen foot, although it was tight it would work for a while just to walk to school and she could take it off once the lesson started. Anne held her breath as his hands tenderly grazed her stockinged foot, her heart was beating so fast she felt it would rupture at any given moment. He was kneeled in front of her as she sat on her neatly dressed bed, her foot delicately in his hand, this all felt very
Intimate,
as she had felt about some of their previous interactions. As he looked up and met her gaze her eyes widened and she finally let out her breath she had been holding. He let go of her foot and stood up, never leaving her eyes, completely enraptured by the mix of azure, navy and sapphire, they displayed. Smiling at her with affectionate hazel eyes he held out his hand signaling for Anne to try and stand up.
"Okay," she let out a breath, some may say it sounded nervous which it did, just not because of the reason most would think which would be because she would have to use her hurt ankle, but that was incorrect for the real reason her breath was nervous was because of how close her and Gilbert would inevitably be. With determination in her eye she grabbed onto Gilbert's hand as he pulled her up. He wrapped one arm one the small of her back and used his other arm to grasp her hand. His hold on her was strong but tender and with so much affection, that both of them felt but were baffled by what it meant.
They made their way down the stairs both quickly breathing, both hearts swiftly beating in unison.
They watching their feet as they carefully stepped. Marilla watched as the two made their way over to her. She smiled sentimentally as she saw how they looked together. She figured this is what her and Josh Blythe looked like when they were young and in love, Marilla too had red hair, it wasn't as distinct and bright as Anne but still she received quite the taunts for it. Gilbert looked practically like a exact replica of his late father when he was a teen. It sometimes caught Marilla off guard when she saw him from the corner of her eye. Part of Marilla felt she should be a little vexed by how close they were, it didn't have much to do with proprietary, but she knew it was almost entirely out of necessity. When she saw how much the two were blushing, she smiled to herself quietly.
Marilla and Mathew both made their way over to the teens for Anne to say goodbye to them.
Anne stood up high and stepped away slightly from Gilbert so she could kiss Mathew and then did the same for Marilla.
"Thank you Gilbert," said Mathew hesitantly, "for taking care of our Anne."
Gilbert nodded and his heart swelled slightly at the thought that Anne's parents seemed to really like him. He thought to himself, "thank god." Internally he was confused as to why he was so glad, but he shook it off as he reached his hand over to Mathew. The older man shook it and smiled gratefully.
Gilbert turned to Marilla, expecting to shake her hand as well representing a goodbye but instead was shocked as she wrapped her arms around him hugging him gently.
Anne and Mathew exchanged a shocked look surprised to see Marilla display such emotion. For a woman who rarely ever hugged anyone other than Anne and Mathew this was a big deal. Almost as if she was welcoming him into their tight circle of a family.
As Marilla stood up straight after the hug she smiled at both children then said.
"Hurry, children your already late," she moved her hands to signal towards the door.
Anne and Gilbert exchanged a hesitant look at each other before they resumed their previous position. Both of their body's tingled as they walked.
Once out of the house they fell into step together, naturally. As soon as Anne stepped out she was immediately embraced by the friendly nature around them.
"It is such a lovely morning, I say that almost everyday but today I mean it more than ever, oh it is such a good day, I can feel it sprinkling in the air. The goodness of earth, the sweetness of the sun warming your face," she lifted her head up closing her eyes, trusting Gilbert to lead the way.
Gilbert listened and crooked his head down at her in complete awe. His heart warmed in complete happiness as he watched her drink in all the earths bliss, she seemed so in tune with nature, in a way he felt no one was, not one single soul compared to the Anne Shirley-Cuthbert that walked next to him.
"You have such a extraordinary way with words, Anne," the words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them. Anne looked over and met his eye with a shocked expression.
Anne's breath caught as she heard the deep voice next to her. For once in her life she was rendered almost speechless.
"T-thank you," she broke the eye contact, it was too intense, it sent so much butterflies in her body it felt as thigh her mind and her heart were at war. Her mind telling her he didn't mean it or there was some other explanation for the compliment, and that the warmness she felt was because it was a warmer day. But her heart told her something completely different, the feelings hadn't reached her brain yet.
Gilbert just continued to watch her as she looked at the wind and lifted her arm that wasn't holding his, drawing waves in the air as she walked.
Anne felt like she shouldn't talk anymore, or say her thoughts for fear that she would go to far and that he would think she was odd, and indeed was just peculiar and didn't have a talent for words.
But she also felt this feeling, a feeling that made it so she felt she could say anything, anything at all that was on her mind and that he wouldn't react like everyone else, that he would understand.
She looked over at a tree, it's green leaves sparking resembling rainfall reflecting off the glorious sun. A stray leaf fell off its branch, and she suddenly couldn't stop herself from saying everything she thought at that moment.
"Oh, look at that curious leaf," she pointed to it then rested her arm on top of where Gilbert had gently wrapped his hand on her upper waist.
"Oh it was so curious to see the rest of the world, that it couldn't help but run of it's branch, eager to dance with the wind just as it is now, see." She smiled as she felt Gilbert nod, she had his full attention and that fact sent a peculiar honor to her.
"Don't you just love the way the wind whispers in your ears as it dances around, laughing with you, not at you, the wind is always friendly."
Gilbert looked down at how she smiled but he could see there was some pain in what she said. His heart broke and he realized she was talking  about everything she had been through. She was the last person who deserved the bullying and torture she was out through. He couldn't even imagine what she had gone through before she came to green gables, he hoped with his whole being that one day they wouldn't be close enough that she felt she could tell him, let him inside her skin, to see all the pain that she had buried down. He wished more than he ever wished anything in his whole life that he could take away her pain, all of it, fill her life with nothing but pure bliss.
The two of them kept walking Anne enraptured by the nature around her Gilbert enraptured by something, someone that may or may not be redheaded.
Once they reached school and Gilbert opened the door they realized that they were very late and class had already begun. Gilbert helped Anne over to her seat, as she took off her shoe he took her coat and hat. Everyone's eyes were on them, mouths agape eyebrows rose. Charlie and moody looked at each other and exchanged a knowing look, pointed towards Gilbert.
"May I ask why you both are so late," said Ms Stacy who was always quite confused and entirely curious by the last chain of events.
"Sorry, I hurt my ankle yesterday, so we had to walk slow," everyone thought the exact same thing at that moment, why was Gilbert at her house in the first place.
Diana was both shocked and not completely surprised. They practically looked like a married couple walking in, Gilbert's hand on her waste their hands clasped together, and then he took her coat and her hat with most chivalry. Oh she would be talking to Anne about this later.
Gilbert made his way back to his seat, quietly getting his work out and copying down the geometry equations on the chalkboard.
Ms. Stacy said in reply to Anne's injury.
"Oh I'm so sorry Anne."
"Its Alright, Gil's been helping me lots," said Anne.
It wasn't until she finished talking that she realized what she called Gilbert. It just slipped off her tongue so easily, it felt natural, and she had admitted that he helped her, what was happening to her. She felt comfortable with Gilbert, other than the constant blushing and her heart beating obnoxiously, she felt at ease, that she could let loose, be completely herself. Gilbert's head shot up once he heard what she said,
Gil,
he liked the sound of that, a smile rose to his face as he looked over at Anne his eyebrows high. She looked over at him with a smile just as wide, blushing obnoxiously, their eyes locked. He sent her a chaff wink, sh responded to him by sticking her tongue out teasingly. This was odd, but nice, they were comfortable around each other, something changed that day, through all of their laughs. The two of them were experiencing almost our bliss, confused by how they felt but happy that they were finally good friends.
Good friends.
Gilbert smiled happily looking down at his slate, doodling hearts. Charlie looked down at Gilbert's slate and laughed, out loud, the class turning for a second to see what the ruckus was about. Gilbert looked around then at Charlie thoroughly confused.
Charlie took Gilbert chalk and that when Gilbert knew why his friend had laughed. He leaned his head on his hand, rubbed his temples preparing for Charlie's inevitable teasing. He avoided looking at what Charlie had written, but eventually his curiosity got the best of him as he looked down to see.
Gil;)+Anne
With a heart around it just to top it off. Gilbert immediately erased it with his sleeve, looking over at Charlie his mouth opened as if he had been betrayed. Charlie only sent him a wink and nudged his shoulder easing his eyebrows. Gilbert just shook his and laughed softly.
But one thing didn't escape Charlie's notice,
Gilbert didn't deny it.

;););) new chapter tomorrow ☺️ I love you guys!

Published aug 19- 19