Elphaba could feel her legs starting to give way as the two made their way through the dark forest. The moon was shining high above their heads as they made their way through past the trees, tripping and stumbling as they went. Fiyero was determined to find some place safe before they stopped to rest. Or at least some place sheltered.
They had been half running, half walking for hours, trying to make their way through the forest as fast as they could. They both knew The Gale Force would already be out looking for them, so they had to hide somewhere. They couldn't be found now. Not after all they had just been through.
Elphaba's pace got slower and slower the more they moved, "Fiyero," she panted, "How much farther are we going? I can't take this much longer"
The older boy turned round and looked at her. Her hair was a matted mess; tangled and windswept. Her dress was dirty and torn. Her eyes, usually large and brown and beautiful, looked tired and helpless. He held out his hand to her
"Not much longer Elphaba," he squeezed her hand as their paces met up, "I promise."
Fiyero kept a firm grip on her hand until they arrived at the mountains at the far end of the forest. If they were any normal people such a journey would have taken them over a day; given the circumstances however it took them a matter of hours. At the side of the mountain was a small dirt path leading up out of sight.
Elphaba leaned against the rocks. Her head felt light and sore and her legs struggled to keep her upright, "I don't think I can do this anymore Fiyero"
Fiyero walked over to face her, taking both of her small green hands into his, "Elphaba listen," he said softly, "About a mile up this path is a have we can rest in until the morning. It's not very far Elfie. You can do this."
His big blue eyes gazed into hers, full of hope and determination. Two things Elphaba had lost a long time ago.
She could feel her yes closing and Fiyero gripped her hands tighter, "Fae come on," he shook her gently, "You can do this. I know you can. Look, if it makes it easier I can carry you."
She weakly nodded. Fiyero stood her up as she wrapped her arms round his neck. He scooped her up effortlessly, taking care not to hold her too tightly, and began to walk up the path.
Elphaba rested her head on his shoulder. His time in The Gale Force has definitely bulked him out over the past year. He was not as strong or as well built as this during their time at Shiz. She forced herself to stay awake the rest of the journey until they came to a halt outside a large cave entrance.
"I was here before a few months ago," he mentioned, setting her down gently, "We were stationed nearby when we were looking for you."
He led her inside and helped her sit down next to the cool dark rocks. Taking his cloak off he draped it around her shoulders and tied it around her neck so that it was covering her entire body. "Elphaba you stay here okay? I'm going to go outside and see if I can find something for a fire." She nodded once again as she closed her eyes.
"Elphaba. Fae. wake up" she could feel herself being gently shook as voice whispered in her ear. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the dim orange glow of the fire bounce off the walls. Fiyero was there beside her smiling gently, "Hello there sleepy head." He stood up as he went over to grab his satchel.
Elphaba rubbed her eyes and yawned, "How long did I sleep?" she asked.
"Not too long. Only about an hour," Fiyero replied sitting back down next to her, "I wanted to make sure you had something to eat tonight." He reached into his bag and lifted out two bright red apples. He handed one to the half-awake girl next to him before leaning back against the wall and taking a bite.
"Thanks," she said quietly as she started to eat. She didn't realise how hungry she actually was until she began to eat. Within a moment the entire apple was eaten down to the core.
Fiyero laughed, "Hungry I take it. Want another?"
"No, no" she replied, stretching her arms out, "I'm fine."
They say in silence for a while until Fiyero tossed his apple core into the fire, letting it sizzle and burn. He rubbed is hands together quickly, trying to warm them up.
"Oh God Fiyero you must be freezing," Elphaba quickly said as she unwrapped the cloak from around her and handed it to him, "Here. It's yours anyway."
He said nothing. Only smiled. Taking the cloak off her, he shuffled his body closer to hers and wrapped the mass of material around both of their shoulders. "That's better."
"Fiyero?" Elphaba finally broke the silence, "why did you join The Gale Force in the first place?" She had been wondering this for a while now. For the past year the only thing The Gale Force had been doing, was looking for her. They had patrols all across Oz with the intent to imprison and kill her, "I mean they have basically been trying to kill me" she chuckled quickly, trying to avoid making the conversation so dark and awkward.
"Fae, you've got to hear me out okay?," Fiyero faced her and took both her hands in his, "The only reason I joined them was because I wanted to find you. I knew they would been looking everywhere for you. I tried so hard to find you myself. But this seemed like the better option at the time.
"I made my way up the ranks pretty quickly, I mean being the Kings son has its perks. When I became Captain I gave everyone strict instructions. If they caught sight of you, or were informed of your whereabouts, they were to report straight to me. They weren't to approach you or harm you in anyway. They had to come to me first. Don't you see Elphaba? I was trying to keep them away from you. I was trying to make sure you were okay and you weren't caught. Do you think I would have wanted you dead?"
Elphaba's heart felt very light. He was trying to protect her? He actually cared about her and wanted her to be okay? No one has ever cared about her that much. Not even her father. Not even Nessa or Glinda.
"Oh Fiyero," she began, "I am so so sorry. You shouldn't have done that. You could have gotten yourself killed. You shouldn't have put your life on the line like that for me. Really, I'm not worth it."
"But you were Elphaba," he pulled her body closer, his hand moving up to the side of her face and resting lightly on her cheek, "You were worth every moment."
His lips met hers, slowly, softly and full of emotion. No one had ever treated her like this before. All her life they had mocked her, taunted her. In recent months they had all feared her. It was a radical change to go from being hated and hunted by everyone in Oz to being loved and wanted by one person. Elphaba cherished every touch, every moment, and every breath. She didn't ever want this moment to end.
It was Fiyero who broke the kiss, much to Elphaba's dislike. His eyes were gleaming and he grinned as he looked at her once more.
"I love you Elphaba," he started, pulling her closer and wrapping his arms around her body, "And I promise you I will do everything I can to keep you safe. We're going to get through this."
Elphaba leaned her head against his chest and sighed, "I love you too Fiyero". She could feel him place a soft kiss on top of her head before he started gently stroking her hair.
She closed her eyes. It didn't matter what happened now. They were together. That's all they needed. The future didn't matter anymore. She was not worried about what was going to happen tomorrow, or the next day, or the next. She had Fiyero, and Fiyero had her, and that's all that really mattered.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they belong to the wonderful author that is Gregory Maguire.
Hope you enjoyed this fic and as always I'd really appreciate any reviews
EDIT: Thanks to the lovely TheWickedrae for explaining to me the different nicknames between characters. I have done a tiny wee change and took out most of the "Elfies" out and changed them to fit. xo