#cole and ms barry are team shirbert

[carrotsofavonlea]

A Pesky Business

"Cole!" Anne threw her arms around her friend's neck excitedly. He'd grown even more since the last time she'd seen him, if that were possible.

Anne had been on a mission to try and find her origins, and Charlottetown was a close stop to the orphanage. But to her dismay Marilla had been reluctant to let her go alone, that was until they saw none other than Gilbert Blythe at the train station. That was all that was needed for Marilla to march right up to him and ask him to keep Anne safe on the journey no matter how many times she insisted she doesn't need a chaperone. Gilbert had been going to Charlottetown to help his father's doctor who promised to give him an apprenticeship.

Ms Barry had invited them both to stay at her house, refusing to let them pay for lodgings elsewhere.

"Hello, Cole." Gilbert awkwardly stood behind Anne, stretching his hand out for Cole to politely shake.

"Gilbert." They weren't friends, not really. But Gilbert had helped Cole with his wrist and he was one of the few boys at the school that didn't make everyday a living hell for him.

"Is that Anne Shirley Cuthbert?" Ms Josephine Barry stood at the door, carefully climbing down the steps to greet Anne. "And is this the infamous Gilbert Blythe?"

"Pleasure to meet you, Ms Barry." Gilbert bowed his head, taking one of her hands.

"Let's get out of this cold. We can do pleasantries inside in the warm." Ms Barry took Gilbert's outstretched arm to help her up the stairs and Anne rolled her eyes. Of course he was trying to suck up to everyone she knew so they'd like him better than her. Typical Gilbert.

"Has he confessed his undying love for you yet?" Cole whispered to Anne.

"What? No! What are you talking about?" She folded her arms crossly. "We're just friends."

"I told you he has a crush on you." Cole smugly grinned, "And now he's here accompanying you to Charlottetown."

Anne shrugged, "He was heading here anyway to see his father's doctor, he's just doing some practice. And it wasn't my idea it was Marilla."

"Uh huh. Sure." Cole smirked and followed up the steps after Ms Barry and Gilbert.

"You're still wrong!" Anne shouted after him, but he wasn't listening.

////

Ms Barry led them to the ball room to show Gilbert around.

"So how long have you two been…" she looked between Anne and Gilbert.

"Been, what? Ms Barry?" Gilbert furrowed his brows confusedly, glancing at Anne.

"I don't know what you young ones call it these days. Courting?"

Anne's eyes grew wide with embarrassment. "What?! We're not! Us! Gilbert and me? That's preposterous. Utterly absurd and unfathomable we're-"

"Just friends, Ms Barry." Gilbert interrupted softly, his heart sinking a little at Anne's reaction. She didn't have to be so dramatic about it. But of course, she was Anne after all.

"I apologise. I must have misunderstood." Ms Barry held up her hands, but she saw Cole shake his head behind Anne. Clearly he didn't believe them either.

After an awkward moment, Gilbert spoke again. "Your house is lovely Ms Barry." He was in awe at the size of the place, the exquisite decoration of the ceiling.

She smiled, "Perhaps you should join us for the next soirée?"

"I'd be honoured."

Anne opened her mouth to protest but thought the better of it.

"Cole, would you mind showing our guest around?" Josephine nodded towards Gilbert and Cole understood exactly what she meant, intending to have words with Anne.

"I can show you the library? Anne's told me how you always have your nose in a book lately."

Gilbert looked at Anne, a smirk on his face. "She has, has she?"

Anne wanted the ground to swallow her up. Maybe she had mentioned Gilbert in her letters to Cole, but she only meant how annoying he was being lately with his studying and how she needed to catch up. She didn't mean it any other way. Ms Barry had already assumed they were courting but this made it sound like such a lie.

"It is a pesky business." Ms Barry sat down on a chair, sighing.

"What do mean?" Anne sat down on a chair near her, taking off her hat and coat.

"I may be old but I'm not blind...yet." she laughed to herself. "He's the boy you were agonizing over in your little house."

"I wasn't agonizing over him." Anne said defensively. "I was just angry with him because he wasn't listening to me. But it doesn't matter, we're friends now."

"It's complicated. Romance."

"There is nothing romantical happening between Gilbert and I."

"I've only just met the boy and I can see how he looks at you."

Anne shrugged, unable to say anything.

"Enough of this talk about boys." Ms Barry said suddenly, realising Anne needed a change of pace. "Tell me what's going on with you."

////

"You know Anne has a crush on you." Cole turned to Gilbert in the library.

"What? No she doesn't." Gilbert shook his head, "I've only just got her to admit we're somewhat friends."

"That's just Anne being Anne. She's stubborn sometimes."

Gilbert tilted his head, considering this. Somehow that made sense. "We're just friends." He emphasised to Cole, but also perhaps himself.

The last thing he needed was his brain getting his hopes up. Maybe he did kind of like Anne as more than a friend, but there was no way he'd admit that to Bash or even Cole. He could barely admit it to himself.

"You don't sound so convinced yourself."

"It doesn't matter how I feel. Anne has made it clear on multiple occasions she doesn't feel anything towards me further than friendship." Cole hadn't heard Gilbert sound so bitter before.

///

After dinner, Anne walked back to her room bidding Cole and Ms Barry goodnight. But as she made her way down the hall she quite literally bumped into Gilbert, almost falling over before he steadied her by placing both his hands on her arms.

"Sorry." He nervously laughed, dropping his hands from her.

They stood in the hall a moment, staring at each other but unsure what to say. Both were suddenly aware they were in their pyjamas, something Anne never thought she'd see.  

"I should-"

"That was weird earlier." Anne blurted out the same time as him. "About how Ms Barry thought we were...you know."

"Oh yeah, really weird." He scrunched up his face as if he were confused. "Just because we're here together?"

"Exactly. A girl and boy can be just friends."

"Like you and Cole." Gilbert offered and Anne nodded.

"See? Just friends."

They both laughed at how ridiculous it was.

"Cole wouldn't stop badgering me about it." Gilbert shoved his hands in his dressing gown pocket.

"Ms Barry kept questioning me too. As if I don't have more important things to discuss."

"I should get to sleep." Gilbert ran hand through his hair.

"Oh," Anne felt an odd sinking feeling in her chest, as if she were disappointed or something that he was leaving. Not that she did, Gilbert could do whatever he pleases, why should it bother her? It doesn't. "Well, goodnight then Gilbert."

"Goodnight Anne."

////

Anne couldn't sleep that night. Ms Barry had gotten into her head about kindred spirits and romance. For so long she'd tried to keep pushing that further and further down, reminding herself they were just friends and nothing more.

"I'm not thinking about him for one more second." She said to herself, but her brain wouldn't stop shoving Gilbert's face into her mind.

"Brain stop!" She pushed the pillow into her face but it was no use.

She couldn't take it anymore and stood up, trying to get fresh air. She wrapped her dressing gown around her and snuck out into the cold evening. Ms Barry's garden was just as fantastical as the inside of the house, even in winter. There weren't any flowers yet, but there were trees and stone benches and statues that looked like people frozen in time.

"What are you doing out here?"

Anne jumped, expecting to be told off for sneaking out. But instead it was Gilbert. She refused to acknowledge his slightly tousled hair or that fact that even moonlight couldn't hide his smug features. Not that she had paid attention to his face or anything.

"I couldn't sleep." She shrugged and he stepped forward to her.

"I thought I heard footsteps."

"Sorry I woke you."

He shook his head and she just knew he had an annoying smile on his face. "It doesn't matter."

She turned to look up at the moon, anything to keep herself from staring at him.

"It's the same no matter where you are."

"Huh?" Anne looked over at him as he stepped towards her.

"The moon." He pointed up at the sky. "There's something comforting in being hundreds of miles away from home but knowing the moon hasn't changed... that the people you care about are still looking up at the same moon."

She wrapped her dressing gown around her tighter, "That does sound nice."

"I'm sorry if you were uncomfortable today. About Ms Barry."

"Don't be. It's not your fault." Anne shrugged. It wasn't anyone's fault. "She just... doesn't understand."

"Doesn't understand what?"

She sighed, "I don't know, that I'm resigned to a life of never marrying? Especially since I'm so homely. It's funny she thought anyone would ever find me desirable, especially you."

Gilbert raised an eyebrow, "Why especially me?"

She rolled her eyes, "Surely you know almost every girl in Avonlea would jump at the chance to be "Mrs Gilbert Blythe"?"

"That's not true." He laughed nervously.

"You're all any of the girls will talk about. Trust me." She folded her arms, thinking especially of Ruby Gillis. "You could have anyone you wanted."

He raised an eyebrow at her but she didn't pick up on it. "Well, that all depends."

Her hands dropped to her sides slowly, "what do you mean?"

"It depends on her answer." Hesitantly he reached out to lightly touch one of her hands, and when she didn't recoil back in horror he firmly took it in his.

"I know you said we're just friends, but lately I've been thinking... maybe there's something more?"

"More?" She squeaked, but didn't let her hand go from his.

"Anne…" he smiled nervously, making him look years younger. "I'm in love with you."

"What?"

"You don't have to say it back, and I know I've ruined our friendship. But hearing Ms Barry today...I didn't want to lie to you."

"But I'm so homely and plain." She whispered. "And you're... you're Gilbert."

He shook his head, "You're not plain. You're the furthest thing from it." He gently traced a strand of her red hair.

"You don't really mean it." She looked away, but he cupped her cheek so she would look at him.

"I do. I'm in love with you Anne." He slowly closed the gap between them, and Anne had enough time to shove him away, or slap him, something. But she didn't.

She let Gilbert Blythe kiss her, and she kissed him back. Because maybe they were friends, and maybe this complicated that. Ms Barry was right, romance is a tricky business. But if it meant she could always feel like this then maybe she was willing to go through with it.

"Just friends, huh?" Cole watched from the window over looking the garden, seeing Anne and Gilbert smiling at each other with their hands locked.

He saw Gilbert press his forehead against Anne's, and how she tilted her head up to meet him. Finally Cole could rest easy knowing his best friend was happy. But it looks like their union of equals would be called off, for Anne had found her kindred spirit.