"Elphie! Are you even listening to me?!" Galinda cried childishly, flopping down on the emerald-skinned girl's dull gray bed. Elphaba briefly met the blonde's gaze, huffing and returning to her book.
In truth, Elphaba didn't really care about what Galinda had to say about ShenShen and Pfanee's many attempts of flirtation with various boys and whatever supposedly humorous thing one or the other had said that day.
Elphaba could feel the bed shifting with the movement of her roommate. However, she certainly didn't expect to feel warm puffs of breath on her face. Her mocha-toned eyes snapped up and she was terribly shocked to find Galinda staring right into her face much nearer than Elphaba had ever thought she'd be.
She immediately began leaning back further, trying to get away from the annoying girl who insisted upon interrupting her quiet time. Much to Elphaba's dismay, the blonde simply followed her and moved in more.
"With your face in such close proximity as it is, I strongly feel the urge to ward it off," Elphaba told her, a warning tone in her voice as she attempted to lean back further into the headboard that she was already practically smashed against. Galinda simply pushed herself forward a bit more and stuck her button nose against the green-skinned girl's slightly hooked one.
"Elphie, I simply do not understand why you must be so unpleasant. Do lighten- EEEEEEK! You licked me!" Galinda shrieked, drawing back with the great speed that Elphaba had anticipated. The pretty pink monstrosity swiftly took a handkerchief from her friend's pocket and dabbed at her nose.
Elphaba smirked with a chuckle, looking back down at her book.
"Perhaps if you had any respect for personal space, I would not have had to do that," she snickered a bit with a self-satisfied glance across from her at the blonde.
"That was positively mean! And not to mention disgusticifying!" Galinda whined. Once she seemed to be certain of the fact that she had rid herself of all spit, she eyed Elphaba with a puzzled expression. Elphaba watched her through her peripheral vision, pondering what things could be floating through the other girl's airy brain.
"So… What's too much?" Elphaba immediately caught on to the intent of the question and evaded it with a smarmy response.
"You."
"You know what I mean," the blonde impatiently waved her off with a huff. Elphaba didn't say anything for a moment and it soon occurred to Galinda that she was no longer paying attention. "Elphie!"
"What?" Elphaba mimicked her roommate's annoying wail with a nasally one of her own.
"You're not listening again! Now what for you is too much? Obviously, me in your face bothers you."
"You are so very shrewd to observe that," Elphaba sarcastically remarked, flipping a page in her book and seeming to be totally engrossed in it.
"Elphie," Galinda complained, grazing the green-skinned girl's hand in an attempt to grab it. Elphaba immediately flinched at the contact, drawing away nigh instinctively.
As soon as she did that, she knew that Galinda would catch on to the ultimate root of the problem before long and would likely not refrain from pestering her for an agonizingly long time.
"Wait- you… You haven't been touched much in your life, have you?" Galinda questioned. The blonde was able to easily conclude this simply from Elphaba's fearful glance and the way she protectively tucked the hand that Galinda had attempted to take in the folds of her dress.
The blue-eyed girl watched as Elphaba's own chocolate orbs met that of her own for a beat.
"Most people don't find touching the green an attractive prospect. I can't say that I particularly blame them, for that would be a lie of larger proportion that I am willing to utter," Elphaba briskly spoke, her jaw set with her eyes firmly set upon the writing in the book.
Galinda looked down at her own creamy complexion that coated her arms and hands. She knew that Elphaba hated her skin color, but she didn't know that Elphaba never really experienced contact before.
It was such a sad way to exist. To live a life without any affectionate touches. Hugs, kisses, everything. It was a prospect that Galinda couldn't even begin to imagine. She had always been showered with attention.
She looked back up at the emerald-skinned girl, absently taking in her features.
Elphaba's charcoal-like hair was neatly tucked back save for a few strands that hung from the top of her head. Galinda's blue eyes travelled further down. Neat eyebrows were knit together in concentration- or was it distress? And her expressive brown eyes were intensely focused on their task of attempting to shut the blonde out of Elphaba's own little world. She followed the contours of the other girl's face. Her slightly hooked nose with its strong bridge descended brazenly down her face and before long gave way to thin, taut lips.
Galinda had always heard that thin lips were cruel ones, and she couldn't deny that Elphaba could be downright cruel. But Galinda also saw the other side. The piece of her heart that was so enclosed with protective walls that she had painstakingly built up. It was a piece that, to Galinda, was so clearly pronounced-from Elphaba's almost ridiculous amount of concern for the Animals and from the many times that the blonde caught Elphaba eyeing her with an affectionate glance. As much as Elphaba might protest, Galinda knew that she cared more than she would ever admit.
Galinda took a moment to look at the entirety of the raven-haired girl. She truly was beautiful and Galinda couldn't understand why people couldn't see it. What did her skin color matter? It simply made her more stunning and exotic in Galinda's eyes. It added to the mysterious charm that she possessed naturally.
Galinda even thought that Elphaba was almost as beautiful as herself.
Elphaba watched, trying to keep all bits of horror from her face, as she watched the blonde get a determined look on her face.
"Well… For what it is worth, I don't think that the green is revolting," Galinda announced, reaching out and boldly grabbing the other girl's hand that was feebly shielded by her book. Elphaba immediately stopped reading, meeting the blue-eyed glance of Galinda.
The blonde had the grace to look a little abashed at her sudden movement, but ultimately, she was cheeky as she could be.
Galinda looked down at the green hand in her own two. She squeezed and gently stroked the smooth skin coating the stiffened muscles with her thumbs.
After a moment, the blonde released her and she strode to her vanity to clean her face of her makeup in her regular bedtime regimen.
She couldn't help but notice the highly uncomfortable emerald-skinned girl behind her on the boring bedspread, her eyes wide and uncertain with her entire face looking youthful as opposed to its usual wrinkly, scowling look.
Oh, yes. Elphaba had become her new project. Just not quite in the way that is being popular.
…
Galinda pranced into the room happily, and Elphaba couldn't help but note that the entrance was of an unnatural energy. It was not abnormal for Galinda to be peppy, but this sort of optimism was a bit odd.
It was almost, Elphaba thought uneasily, her brown eyes shifting up to look at the blonde concernedly, as if she were scheming something. And Elphaba couldn't help but suspect that it had something to do with her, if the perpetual surreptitious glances thrown her way were anything to go by.
Instead, she tried to concern herself with her studies, while trying to keep a close eye on Galinda without her noticing.
"Oh, Elphie, I'm so glad to see you! I have missed you today," Galinda finally told her in her high-pitched, excited way as she ran over and squeezed her around her neck. Elphaba's eyes widened considerably and she attempted to pull away, but disappointedly found herself still stuck in the blonde's embrace. She rolled her eyes but stuck it out, waiting for Galinda to finally decide it was enough.
She finally let go, much to the green girl's great relief. Elphaba didn't bother to acknowledge the pleased twinge at the contact that warmed her greatly-guarded heart.
"Oh, look at you! So studious!" Galinda gushed, grabbing the girl's shoulders and squeezing. Elphaba rolled her eyes and huffed, trying to focus on her work.
"What's new?" Elphaba questioned, hiding her bewilderment at the blonde's odd antics.
"Well, now that you mention it, Fiyero has asked me on another date."
"Oh, yes. That is the poor fellow that isn't aware that you intend to marry him, correct?" Elphaba quipped, the corners of her lips upturning slightly in a faint smirk at Galinda's indignation. Galinda immediately removed her hands from Elphaba's shoulders, her face turning red with frustration and embarrassment.
"Oh, Elphie, surely you know that I was only temporarily convinced of this. Everyone has whims, you know," Galinda brushed it off remarkably better than Elphaba ever suspected that she would be capable of doing. She then promptly leaned on the desk near the emerald-skinned woman, her shoulder touching that of Elphaba's.
"So watcha workin' on?" Galinda grinned, her eyes trailing over the paper too fast to actually be reading any of it.
"Extra credit," Elphaba told her vaguely, wishing that the blonde would go and do what she usually did when she returned to their room. Elphaba much preferred the comfortable, relative silence that surrounded them during Elphaba's reading and Galinda's mindless doodling.
"Well… Do explain it to me. I would like to know the appeal of these unnecessary assignments," Galinda smiled sunnily at Elphaba. The emerald-skinned girl furrowed her brow and looked over at the blonde beside her.
"Why are you being so… pushy? Don't you have anything better to do?" Elphaba resorted to bluntly questioning her, as she tried to continue writing in her notebook.
"Elphie, I can't believe you suggested such a thing! That's just awful. I would love nothing more than to be here with you," Galinda sweetly replied. Elphaba shifted her gaze up to meet the blonde's in the mirror.
Galinda maintained her happy grin. Elphaba held her stare for a few moments more, raising her eyebrow. Before long, she returned to her work.
"Alright. You can watch," Elphaba conceded knowing well that she'd win this battle of the wills. Galinda smiled even wider and grabbed Elphaba's arm, looking down at the paper with more interest than the green girl originally anticipated.
But she'd wait her out.
Elphaba resumed her quick rereading of her notes taken from her most recent class, resisting the urge to grin at the fidgeting that she already noticed that the blonde was doing.
Galinda shifted her weight from foot to foot but kept her hand on Elphaba's arm all the while. Before long, the emerald-skinned girl realized that the said appendage's presence didn't even really bother her anymore. It was even sort of nice to have someone who didn't think that the verdant tones covering her were horrifying. Evidently, it didn't seem to bother Galinda in the least.
The blonde sighed a bit through her nose, leaning against Elphaba a little more. Elphaba could easily perceive that Galinda was growing tired of the little game they had going. Elphaba wasn't particularly fond of it herself. However, she continued on the hope that she'd eventually give up. Elsewise, Elphaba would certainly have to hide somewhere else to finish her work.
After only a few moments more, Galinda straightened and Elphaba allowed a small, nearly imperceptible smile to grace her lips. Finally.
"Elphie, do you think that you could take a short break from your 'extra credit' to enjoy a bit of vivid conversation with me?" Galinda politely questioned, emphasizing extra credit with a concealed disgust. Elphaba didn't count on that particular response. She expected the blonde to go about her business.
"I thought you were engrossed with my after-school activities," Elphaba barely refrained from whining. She knew well what Galinda's vivid conversation led to: torturous devices being prodded around her eyes, lips, and hair as Galinda evilly tittered about with a devious grin.
"Oh, yes, I am. I was just concerned that you might be getting a bit tired. Do come with me just over here," Galinda told her, grabbing her hand and tugging a bit in the direction of the pink, fluffy bed.
Elphaba reproachfully eyed the grossly magenta comforter, remembering a relatively recent experience that she had with that very piece of furniture.
Then she made the awful mistake of glancing up at Galinda and she knew she was doomed. The blonde had this pitiful look on her face, a hidden plea for mercy on her un-studious soul. Elphaba, as much as she despised admitting it, she felt the slightest bit of sympathy for the ditz.
"Fine," she grounded out, groaning a bit in frustration at the fact that she actually fell for Galinda's puppy-dog eyes.
"Yay!" Galinda grinned widely, her pathetic expression completely dissipated from her visage.
Elphaba turned in her chair, arose, and found herself being dragged to the bed that she so horridly hated.
Galinda threw herself onto the bed in the way that she was so often prone to do, patting the spot beside her for Elphaba to join.
The green-skinned girl eyed the white hand resting on the light, fluffy quilts for a moment, but then moved to sit down on the bed.
She found herself very shocked when Galinda grabbed her shoulder and pulled her down so that she was lying on her back beside the blonde. Elphaba, furrowed her brow and glanced at Galinda with a bewildered look covering her face.
Galinda rolled over so that she had one hand resting on her friend's shoulder and another touching the hand at her side. She resisted her first impulse to wrap her arm around Elphaba's waist. After all, she had only just begun this venture. The green girl would likely die of surprise if Galinda were to perform such an easy gesture.
But, Galinda noted, she would definitely do that once Elphaba progressed.
As for Elphaba, she chose to largely ignore the blonde's closeness and she closed her eyes.
It was actually quite nice, Elphaba realized. It was enjoyable to simply relax beside the blonde without any talking. It was a comfortable silence and with Galinda's warmth radiating against her side, Elphaba couldn't help but feel a bit sleepy. It would be very easy to. She was mostly comfortable with the girl beside her, so she wouldn't have had much trouble slipping into the ever tempting, teasing lull of sleep.
It was all wonderful. That is, until Galinda finally decided to speak. Thereby ruining the peace, much to Elphaba's chagrin.
"You know, I just had this magnificent idea. We should have a sleepover!" Galinda enthusiastically exclaimed, looking at the emerald-skinned girl.
Elphaba couldn't help but roll her eyes. Did she really leave her studies just to hear this completely asinine idea? And even better than that, did Galinda really just interrupt the silence that Elphaba was enjoying so much?
"Galinda, we have sleepovers all the time. We're roommates," Elphaba brusquely told her, raising a brow.
"No, no, not that! I mean both of us doing the whole sleepover routine like giving each other makeovers, giggling, sharing secrets, and finally ending the night squished side-by-side under the covers snug as a bug in a rug as we exchange a few last-minute stories."
"That's a stupid idea," Elphaba couldn't help but voice. "I already have enough trouble with you doing that other stuff with me being in my own bed. I can't imagine having to share a bed with you, too."
Galinda huffed indignantly, sitting up and glaring down at the green girl lounged on the comforter. In response, Elphaba rose up as well, mirroring the action.
"It is not stupid! And what do you mean I give you enough trouble? All I've done since we've started being friends is try to help you! And how do you repay me? You just cast me away!" Galinda dramatically wailed and Elphaba was reminded of a petulant child not getting their way.
Elphaba growled a bit in exasperation, completely put off by her roommate's immaturity.
"Oh, I apologize, your highness. I do beg your mighty pardon," Elphaba snarked, the angry shimmer that she got during a bout of passion gleaming in her eyes.
"You know, I was just trying to do something nice for you! You're just being witchy right now and I absolutely refuse to speak to you!" Galinda folded her arms over her chest, looking away from Elphaba. The brown-eyed girl rose quickly to her feet, moving to her desk and swiftly snatching her textbook and notebook.
She strode speedily to the door, snatching it open and pausing only to throw one bit of last-minute bitterness at Galinda.
"I'd rather be witchy than inexcusably petty like a certain unnamed blonde!" Elphaba slammed the door, the resounding thud echoing throughout the hall.
However, as she left, Elphaba couldn't help but wonder what "nice" thing that Galinda was trying to do.
…
Galinda slowly eased into consciousness, hearing an odd sound. She blearily rubbed her eyes and glanced blurrily around her side of the room that she could see.
Not too long after Elphaba had disappeared, Galinda had turned in early for the night, not feeling well enough to get dinner.
Due to the fact that Galinda was a very light sleeper, she quickly detected Elphaba's admittedly excellent attempts at stealth when the green girl at last returned from her night escapade and went to bed.
"Please, no!" a strangled plea caught Galinda's attention and she quickly recognized it to be her wayward roommate.
Galinda opened her eyes quickly, sitting up immediately in her bed. She watched her roommate for only a second before springing to her feet and rushing to Elphaba's bedside.
The blonde uncertainly looked at the shaking, tossing green figure in the bed. Galinda had never really handled anyone having a nightmare before and she, quite honestly, had no idea what to do.
"Elphie?!" she whisper-yelled, hoping to awaken Elphaba. Instead, she just fought the bedsheets harder, screams not fully formed arising from her.
"Elphie!" Galinda frantically watched the girl before finally resorting to physically restraining her. Galinda clambered onto the bed, trying to avoid Elphaba's kicking feet. She leaned over her and quickly lunged when her roommate's upper limbs were in arm's length.
"Elphaba, stop!" Galinda finally shouted, grabbing the emerald-skinned girl's arms with her hands in a desperate attempt to stop the fitful movements.
Elphaba sprung forward into an upright position and her deep-brown eyes shot open immediately with a horrifying, grating sound emitting from her throat. Galinda locked eyes with the girl and they both sat there, watching one another. Galinda tried her very best to convey every bit of tranquility that she had in her stare, hoping that Elphaba would calm in turn.
Elphaba was gasping and shaking all over, but she never broke her steady gaze. Her fingers slowly inched so that they were grasping Galinda's arms as well.
All that Galinda could understand from her roommate was that she had obviously had a terrible dream and that she was still in a state of shock from it.
After several moments more of their silent watchfulness, Elphaba gained the most pained look that the blonde had ever saw her conjure on her face.
Painfully, she broke eye contact and looked down at her sheets, her eyes scrunching tightly in a valiant attempt to ward away the tears.
Galinda sat there for a moment, a bit baffled. Galinda had never seen Elphaba emotional. She always seemed so infallible and completely invincible. She didn't care what other people thought. Or so the blonde thought.
Besides that, Galinda was supposed to be angry with the green girl, not acting as if nothing was wrong and trying to comfort her.
But at the heart-shattering, despairing sob that shook the tall, somewhat bony frame of Elphaba, Galinda didn't hesitate to draw her against her. She gasped a bit when the green girl clung to her with a nigh-suffocating grip she didn't expect.
And so the blonde girl stroked her roommate's back with gentle circles as Elphaba laid her chin on Galinda's shoulder.
It killed Galinda inside to see the girl like this. With every pained gasp and sniffle, the blonde grew more and more ready to destroy whoever or whatever could have caused the nightmare.
She just hoped it wasn't because of the argument they had earlier that night.
She was very shocked when Elphaba quickly pulled away just enough to look into the blue eyes of her friend.
"I'm sorry," she pitifully whined, barely composed enough to speak to Galinda.
"Oh, Elphie. Don't be sorry," Galinda reassured her, wrapping her arms around Elphaba tightly in an attempt to provide some sort of comfort.
Elphaba returned the embrace, shivering and tightly hugging Galinda in response.
Galinda waited for a little while before saying anything else, wanting the other girl to calm herself before she asked about the dream. It was already amazing that Elphaba had actually apologized for something.
Luckily for the chatty one of the two, Elphaba's sobbing slowed to sniffles and eventually silence save for somewhat erratic breathing.
Galinda looked at the floor for a moment, trying to think of a good way to start talking to Elphaba.
To her surprise, the emerald-skinned girl pulled away from her and looked her in the eye.
"I thought I'd tell you that I wasn't apologizing for my behavior right now. I was apologizing for earlier," Elphaba's low-pitched, scratchy voice sounded quietly and Galinda was shocked once again.
"I beg your pardon, but who are you and what have you done with my roommate?" Galinda couldn't help but question. Elphaba was dead silent for a moment and Galinda was afraid that she had offended her. But that theory was quickly disproven when Elphaba's laughter rang out gloriously, her face scrunched into a joyful smile.
Galinda couldn't help but join her. Elphaba's laugh may not have been the gentle, tinkling ones of the girls that the blonde was with during most of her day, but it was definitely a genuine laugh that Galinda found the best laugh of all.
"Trust me, if they took me, they'd return me within the hour," Elphaba cackled, shaking her head and wiping at her eyes.
The two fell into a comfortable silence, a gentle smile playing about the blonde's features and a contented expression on the verdant one's face.
"What did you mean earlier today when you said that you were trying to do something nice for me? It… it seemed almost as if you were talking about more than just the sleepover idea," Elphaba inquired after a few moments, chocolate brown eyes meeting crystalline blue.
Galinda's eyes widened slightly and she looked down at her hands in her lap, feeling a bit abashed.
But she knew Elphaba deserved the truth, no matter how potentially humiliating it would likely be for Galinda.
"Well… The truth is that I was hoping I could help you become accustomed to and maybe even enjoy contact," the blonde admitted, keeping her eyes locked on her freshly manicured nails in avoidance of meeting Elphaba's eyes.
"I just thought that it would be horrible to never have anyone to love you when growing up. I just thought that since I love you, I could help you," Galinda finished embarrassedly.
Galinda suddenly found herself enveloped in one of the warmest embraces she had ever received. Elphaba pulled the blonde against her so that they were more squished together.
"Galinda Upland, that is quite possibly the nicest thing that anyone has ever said to me and tried to do for me," Elphaba whispered into the blonde's ear, her arms wrapped around the other girl in a loving hold.
Galinda wasted no time in returning the hug, despite her surprise at Elphaba's spontaneity. The emerald-skinned girl seemed to be vastly full of wonders that night.
"And I love you, too. Not even my own family has ever seemed to care for me, so I greatly appreciate your efforts," Elphaba thanked her in her subtle, completely lacking self-pity manner.
After a moment, Elphaba let Galinda go.
"I think I can make an exception in my anti-touch feelings for my sister," Elphaba told her despite her serious face, brown eyes twinkling. Galinda, despite the fact that Elphaba had not specified her statement, had a feeling that Elphaba wasn't talking about Nessa.
Almost seeming as if she was qualifying her statement, the green girl took the blonde's hand in a green one of her own, the corners of her lips slightly upturned.
Galinda looked into Elphaba's eyes and she could see exactly what her roommate was trying to convey.
"It's odd. I never knew that I wasn't an only child," Galinda spoke, hoping that she hadn't misinterpreted.
And judging by the enormous grin that broke out on Elphaba's face, Galinda knew she wasn't wrong.
A/N: I certainly am hopeful that you all found enjoyment in this short story. This is my first Wicked fanfic ever, so please take it easy on me. I hope the characters weren't too OOC. I hope you have a fantastic day and please read and review! :)