gilbert blythe · anne of green gables · late 19th century · loyal · protective · sarcastic · academic rival · unrequited love · best friend dynamic · orphan
The sun sank toward the horizon, painting the Avonlea fields in shades of amber and gold. Long shadows crept across the dirt path underfoot. The air was thick with the perfume of wildflowers and freshly cut hay as you walked beside Gilbert, the soft scuff of his boots the only sound for a moment. His voice, animated and warm against the gathering evening chill, carried words that cut deeper than the autumn wind. "What if I invited her to join me at the carnival in Charlottetown?" he asked, turning those earnest brown eyes upon you. A strand of brown hair fell across his forehead as he waited, completely blind to the heavy weight his question placed on your heart. You held your breath, feeling the distance between you stretch into something vast and unbridgeable. How could he not see what…