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"My head hurts," Gilbert dropped his head back against the tree trunk he was leaning against.
Looking up from her book, Anne looked over at her beau who was sitting beside her. "Bash and I told you that you needed to take a break."
"I know but I have three exams the week that I go back."
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the surrounding trees and Anne sighed. Both she and Gilbert had managed to make time to come home over Easter. In their letters since Christmas, neither had been sure if they'd be able to. Anne's workload had doubled with essays to write and books to analyse and she'd also taken on a role writing at the college newspaper. Gilbert's work never seemed to stop, he'd contemplated staying in Toronto to revise for his exams before deciding that maybe some time with his family in Prince Edward Island would be more beneficial.
Both of them knew that even though they'd be home, it wouldn't be a relaxing visit. Anne still needed to help around the house and Gilbert with the orchard and that had to be fit around their schoolwork. Whilst doing all of that, they were also trying to find time for each other. They'd managed to find a routine a few days in where after lunch, they'd take their wor, find a tree near the Blythe-Lacroix orchard and work together.
Ruby couldn't get her head around it when Anne had told the girls of her plan. "But you and Gilbert haven't seen each other in months! Wouldn't you want to spend time just looking into each other's eyes..." she had that trademark dreamy look over her face and Anne laughed.
It had been months since Anne had seen Gilbert but she knew how important it was that they studied. As much as she would have rather spent her time with him talking or going on walks or just being able to relax, she knew there would be time for that when they finished for the year.
"A short break isn't going to hurt you, Gil. It'll benefit you if anything. You're not going to retain any information if you keep working without any rest."
Gilbert arched a brow, a small smirk on his face. "Since when have you started to take breaks." He'd never known Anne to be the type of person to slow down.
"Since one of my lecturers told me that without proper rest, your brain isn't able to repair and retain all the information that you're trying to feed it. I thought a future doctor might know that," she prodded his arm, teasing.
Gilbert didn't reply, he just stared at Anne with a dazed look on his face. With the sun behind her, she looked utterly ethereal and he wanted to drink it all in.
Furrowing her brow, Anne gave him another prod. "See, you can't even pay attention to what I'm saying. You need a break, Dr Blytthe."
Gilbert didn't bother arguing with her, too embarrassed that he'd been caught staring. He would rather her believe he had just zoned out of their conversation because of tiredness.
"Come on, lay your head on my lap." Anne shifted in her seat, stretching her legs before straightening her skirt out.
"Huh?" Gilbert was slightly taken aback.
"When I was stressed about the Queen's entrance exams, Marill1 would have me put her head in my lap and play with my hair. It felt like I was living on a cloud for a little while. So, what are you waiting for?"
"But, Anne-" Gilbert began to protest, the impropriety of it all was not lost on him but it sounded like heaven.
"No one's around Gil," Anne had already known what his protests were going to be.
Gilbert's eyes did a quick sweep around before he sighed. Shuffling himself, he laid on his back, head in Anne's lap. Before her hands reached his head he quickly caught one of them, placing a kiss on her palm.
"You're truly amazing, Anne Shirley Cuthbert, and I don't know what I would do without you.