#moody x ruby

moody: *plays the banjo*

Ruby tries in vain to keep a secret from the other girls. (3x05)

Miss Stacy had dragged the class out to the woods for a grueling walk, and the boredom was starting to catch up with them. As Miss Stacy droned on and on about the different types of insects and birds, the kids had decided to shift their focus on other things.

"Doesn't Gilbert look handsome today?" Diana whispered to Ruby, who simply nodded.

The other girls caught up to them and linked their arms in theirs. "Guess who's right behind us!" whispered Jane, nodding her head toward Gilbert, who was walking a little ways behind, admiring the foliege.

"You should talk to him," added Josie.

Ruby glanced back and forth between the girls. "Ah - I don't think I could - " she scrambled.

"Nonsense!" cried Diana. "Of course you can."

Runy continued to protest, until she got a genius idea. She straightened and smoothed out her skirt. "You know what?" She announced, confidently. "I think I will." She spun around and stalked over to Gilbert. "I need to talk to you." She said to him.

Gilbert glanced around awkwardly. "Me?"

"Walk with me." Ruby grabbed his arm and dragged him to the back of the group, while the girls squealed excitedly from their vantage point.

"What's going on?" asked Gilbert, once they were out of earshot.

"I don't like you," Ruby blurted out. Gilbert's eyebrows furrowed and she clarified. "I mean, I like you, but I don't like you."

"Yes, finally!" Gilbert cried, first bumping the air before resuming a sympathetic expression. "I mean how heartbreaking. I am truly devastated."

As they talked, the girls up ahead were losing their minds over this inaudible conversation. “What are they saying!?” cried Tillie. 

“Yeah, right,” Ruby glanced absentmindedly over Gilbert’s shoulder at Moody, who was up ahead chatting with Charlie. Gilbert followed her gaze and quietly added, “You should tell him.” 

Ruby whipped around and glared at him. “Absolutely not!” she cried, blushing. She looked longingly over at Moody once more. “I couldn’t.” 

Gilbert shrugged. “Your call.” He spotted the girls screaming. “But...are you going to tell them?” 

The girls grinned wildly at Ruby and shot her thumbs-ups. Ruby smiled sweetly at them. “Maybe one day.” She turned back to Gilbert. “Now, reject me.” 

“What, no - ”

“Just do it!” 

Gilbert sighed wearily and said just loud enough for the girls to hear, “I’m SORRY RUBY. I NEVER WANTED TO HURT YOU.” 

Ruby’s face morphed into the best fake crying Avonlea had ever seen. “HOW COULD YOU?! MEAN, HATEFUL BOY!” She whacked him with her hat and ran back to the girls, crying. They swarmed her with hugs and Miss Stacy looked on with disapproval before continuing her lesson. 

“Oh no, Ruby!” Josie cried, as she “wept” into her shoulder. “What happened?” 

“He- he...” Ruby choked out. “He rejected me!” 

“I’m so sorry!” said Tillie. 

“We should have never made you go over there in the first place,” added Diana. 

Ruby pulled herself together. “It’s fine,” she sighed, wiping her eyes. “At least now I know the truth. It’s over now.” The girls nodded sympathetically as Moody bounded over. 

“Is everything okay?” he asked them. 

Ruby looked up at him with wide (and dry) eyes. “Y-yes, everything is perfectly fine -” she stammered.

“You were crying.” 

“Oh, yeah, it was nothi -” 

“Gilbert rejected her,” Jane explained, solemnly. 

Moody’s face grew sympathetic. “I’m sorry, Ruby,” he said kindly. “I know how much you liked him.” 

“Yeah, well, I’ll survive,” Ruby said, with a nervous laugh. He nodded and turned to Diana. "May I speak with you?" Ruby's heart sunk as Diana agreed and they walked away. Little did Ruby know that they were about to have the same type of conversation.

play the banjo for me please - a roody fic

in which moody and ruby sneak out for tea with a banjo and finally, the ibert's in ruby's stories are only moody spurgeon.