Secret Sweetheart - A Shirbert Fanfiction (DISCONTINUED)

In Which Valentine's Day Arrives

A/N: Soooo...... I'm not exactly sure when season 3 ended so if this chapter doesn't fit into the canonical timeline, sorry! 

Spoons clattered the sides of bowls, and a low hum of words echoed across the dining hall.

It was breakfast, and the friends were sitting together as they ate. 

"Today feels so romantic!" Anne sighed. "There's something in the air that just-" She broke off as her friends began to giggle. "What?"

 "Well, of course it's romantic, it's Valentine's Day!" Diana said impatiently. "I thought you'd be aware of that, Anne," said Tillie, "Now that you've, well- gotten more into romantic things-" but she couldn't finish the sentence before descending into giggles. Half the time Anne saw them they were giggling.

She rolled her eyes, and took a spoon of oatmeal. "Like any of you have ever dated," she rebutted. Her eyes flitted to Diana for a brief moment.

Ruby sighed. "I'm sure that I'll never find love!" She cried dramatically. "The love of my life is marrying another, and I can't bear the pain!" 

Anne sighed. Ruby was a drama queen, that's for sure. The rest of the group made sympathetic noises. "I know that you'll one day find the right boy," Anne told her to cheer her up. 

I really should tell her, Anne thought. That Gilbert and Winnie are no longer engaged. That he's with me now.

The thought stayed with her for a while and she pondered on it.

"Maybe that's true," Ruby replied, "But he'll never be Gilbert!" 

"I'm sure he's happy with his new-," Diana paused as she looked at Anne. Anne swallowed and looked up. "Ruby-" she began. This captured the young girl's attention and everyone's eyes snapped to Anne's. 

"Gilbert-" she paused. Anne pictured saying "Gilbert's not engaged,"  and in her mind imagining the reactions.

Squealing, smiles, happiness.

Her stomach squirmed when she realised how they'd react to the whole truth.

"Anne?" Ruby asked.

Anne's head snapped back up. "Uh- I was just thinking how you would be a great pair but I think it's better to move on now that he's getting married, but that's not to say that you aren't going to find someone you want to be with even more, so-" Anne was rambling now, and she mentally cursed herself. She was often told how her incessant talking was annoying, and resolved to fix the problem. 

Ruby nodded. "I know. I just love him so much! He's so handsome, don't you all agree?" Anne shivered uncomfortably. This was not unnoticed by her friends, who laughed. "We know, Anne hates Gilbert!" Jane laughed.

"I do not hate him!" She protested. "I just-" she paused. "Think he's annoying, loud, and rude," interjected Tillie. Everyone laughed. "We're friends, okay!" 

Diana smiled knowingly.

"I don't understand how anyone could hate Gilbert Blythe!" Ruby sighed. "He's- he's - he's just so- dreamy! And his eyes*, have you seen his eyes!"

Hazel and sparkling, edged with the colours of the deepest forest- Anne shook her head. She was going off on a train of thought. 

Ruby was still talking about how attractive she found Gilbert. 

"His cheekbones, they're so-"

Anne slammed her bowl down in frustration. She wasn't even aware she had reached the door until it was swinging shut behind her.

*A/N: More like his eyebrows. They do be wiggling. 

Anyway, advice, advice, advice!!!!!! How do you like the story so far??????

Thanks for reading!

😘