DISCLAIMER: I do not own the musical Wicked in any form (although I wish I did). It is just an obsession I delightfully encourage.

AN: I must say, I am quite nervous posting this story, as it is my first fanfic ever. But I do hope that whoever reads it will like it and continue to read as I post. Please review! I really look forward to seeing what you have to say about this.

One

The wind whipped around her, her dark cloak enveloping her as she stood on the edge of the cliff, broomstick in hand. She stared across the vast emptiness that stretched far beyond her vision in silence as she waited for Fiyero's return. It had only been a few days since they had left Kiamo Ko, but they had traveled far in just these few short days, desperate to escape their past.

"…a bizarre and unexpected twister of fate."

Glinda…

The thought of her old friend made Elphaba's stomach clench. She pictured the bubbly blonde in her head, a small smile forming on her lips as she thought of everything they had gone through together; Elphaba's makeover, escapades through the Emerald City, meeting the Wizard… The wonderful memories came flooding back, and Elphaba closed her eyes and took a moment to let the reminiscent feeling wash over her one last time.

"She can't know, not if we want to be safe."

They were alive, Fiyero and Elphaba. They were alive and in love and better than ever before, but Glinda couldn't even know. It was for their own safety, but Elphaba couldn't help but wish that she could speak to Glinda at least one last time to reassure her old friend that she was alive. That it had all been a façade.

"Fae?"

"No one can ever know…"

"You coming?"

Elphaba turned, her black hair whipping behind her and around her face. Her slitted eyes softened at the sight of Fiyero, his hat covering the upper part of his burlap face. A pain shot through her when he lifted his head, his blue eyes staring at her with the slightest hint of pain. He smiled when he saw her, though, something that hurt her more than anything.

"I'm sorry," she said, dropping her gaze to the ground. It was her fault, everything that was happening to the two of them. It was her fault he was a scarecrow. It was her fault they were on the run. It was their fault they could never have a normal life together, and there was nothing she could do to fix it.

But instead of blaming her, Fiyero pulled Elphaba into a caring embrace and rested his chin against the top of her head.

"Don't be," he whispered to her, closing his eyes. "You have nothing to apologize for. I wouldn't have this any other way. Not when you're here with me."

Elphaba looked up at him with wide eyes, always a little surprised when he expressed his feelings for her so openly. It was so…strange and new, yet she couldn't get enough of it. She pressed her lips against his and closed her eyes, reveling in the moment. It only lasted a few seconds, but the kiss gave her the courage she needed again, the courage to continue living her life with him.

"We should get going," Fiyero said when he finally pulled away from her. She nodded wordlessly and grabbed his hand when he turned around, following him down the path. They had no idea where they were going, but all that mattered was that they were together.

For the first few minutes, the two walked in silence through the sparse trees, which were lifeless and shriveling in the mountainous area. The sound of their feet against the dirt was the only small sound that surrounded them until Elphaba spoke up.

"What are we going to do?"

Fiyero glanced at her, gripping her hand tightly, straw tickling Elphaba's green skin. He was quiet for a second, then grinned.

"Dance?" he asked, a hint of teasing in his voice. Elphaba groaned.

"If by that, you mean jerk around like a mad person, then sure," she scoffed, remembering the first time she ever tried to dance. Her hand flew up and grabbed the pointed black hat on her head, smirking at the thought. That was the night Glinda and she began their friendship. Her smile disappeared. Glinda had been her best friend since then, and now she couldn't even know the truth.

"As soon as all of the chaos dies down, we can move back to the castle in Kiamo Ko," Fiyero said in a serious tone, "but until then, we'll just have to make do with what we have."

"You really have lived up to your scandalicious reputation, Tiggular," Elphaba said, a small smile forming on her lips. Fiyero grinned.

"What can I say? I like all the hubbub."

"Of course you would," Elphaba said quietly, looking at the ground and kicking a stone in front of her. She watched it bounce across the rough terrain, finally hitting a tree and rolling to a stop beside the root. She stared at the rock for a few seconds as her eyes grew wide, and she snapped straight, turning to Fiyero excitedly.

"I know where we can go," she said, stopping in her tracks. Fiyero looked at her questionably, tilting his head to the side.

"I-I remember once, a long time ago, I read about a place…" Elphaba paused to recollect what she had read in the library at Shiz a while back. "It is in Ugabu, the underground caves. An entire civilization supposedly lived there. Yero-"

She grabbed his hands and moved closer to him, looking up at him eagerly, eyes wide.

"We can live there, underground. No one can ever find us. Not really many people know about it. In fact-" Elphaba began walking again as she spoke, Fiyero close behind. "-it was once the home of a secret civilization that died out years ago, and I don't even think the Wizard knew about it. Of course, that isn't saying much…"

When Elphaba spoke about the Wizard, she spit out his name like it was spoiled meat. The very thought of that fraud sent fire through Elphaba's veins, and she clenched her fist. Seeing this, Fiyero pulled her to him and planted a kiss on her lips, surprising Elphaba. She unclenched her fists and pulled away, looking at him curiously.

"What was that for?"

"What, do I have to have a reason to kiss you?" he asked, smirking.

Elphaba blushed, her cheeks turning a light shade pink against her emerald skin. "No, but…it would be nice to have a warning, you know."

Fiyero chuckled, admiring her beauty in dimming light of the afternoon. He especially loved it when she blushed because it showed her modesty, something he adored about her. No matter how much she had fought against the Wizard and rebelled against the entirety of Oz, she never did it for attention. She honestly wanted to help people who could do nothing for themselves. It started with the Animals, and from there…

"But what I am trying to say is that we can live there, and we'll be safe…for the time being, of course," Elphaba said quickly, changing the subject. Fiyero nodded in understanding.

"Alright, then should we head for Ugabu in the morning?" he asked, looking up at the colorful sky. Night was approaching quickly, so there was no way they would be traveling for much longer.

"You know, if you let us ride by broom, we could be there so much quicker," he said, eying the magic broomstick in her hand. Elphaba sighed.

"You know we can't do that. People would see us, and that's the very last thing we need. I mean, how many people have flying brooms besides me?" Elphaba looked at her broomstick and then at Fiyero, wishing that she could fly again. It had felt so good, and she had vowed that no one would ever bring her down…but then everything turned for the worse and she was deemed to be 'wicked' by the Wizard and his subjects. She had lost everything, even her freedom.

"Just don't worry; we'll be there in no time. Let's just find a place to rest for tonight, and we'll figure out everything else in the morning."

Fiyero nodded and followed close behind her as they searched for a place to rest. It was always difficult to find a place in the mountains, but that night, they lucked out. They stumbled across a cave just as the rain began to pour down, barely making it inside before they were wet. Elphaba set her broomstick on the ground gently while Fiyero tried to rid himself of what water he had managed to soak up.

When he finally sat down, Elphaba went to sit with him, curling up beside him and resting her head on his shoulder. Fiyero wrapped his arms around her and rested his cheek against her head, closing his eyes. They sat there a few moments in silence with only the sounds of their gentle breathing being heard. Then suddenly, Fiyero was laughing. Elphaba lifted her head and looked at Fiyero questionably.

"What's so funny?" she asked, sitting up fully now.

"Remember the first day we met?" Fiyero asked, his eyes twinkling and his voice full of humor. Elphaba couldn't help but smirk at his question, nodding.

"You almost ran me over with your carriage," she said, staring at the stone wall in front of her. The smile remained on her face even when he began to talk, his hand falling to her waist.

"You woke me up from a rather nice nap," Fiyero said, feigning annoyance.

"You also compared me to a streetlight," Elphaba reminded, poking fun at him. Fiyero chuckled at this and nuzzled her neck lovingly.

"Who would've thought we'd be here today? Together." Fiyero laughed and closed his eyes, but Elphaba paused to think about those words. From the very first moment they met, she loathed him for his 'dancing through life' attitude. However, the more she got to know him, the more she began to appreciate his attitude, and then he showed his true self when he helped her rescue the lion cub. That night was the night she fell for him, no matter how hard she tried to deny it.

"You're shivering."

Elphaba glanced down and saw that she was shaking, realizing for the first time how cold she was. Even beside Fiyero, she was freezing.

"You know…" Fiyero said, hesitating before he continued, "you should build a fire. You need to warm up, and-"

"No."

"Fae-"

"Yero, please," Elphaba said, looking up at him. "I don't want to be away from you right now. And besides, fire can…it can harm you. Remember? At the castle?"

Fiyero simply shook his head, pulling the guilt-stricken Elphaba close to him.

"Fae, that was an accident, but it made well for our plan. I promise I'll be fine," he said, kissing her forehead to reassure her. "I'll just sit over here while you build it and warm up. It's not that big of a deal. Besides, it's raining outside, so if anything does happen, all I have to do is jump outside."

"Fiyero, no…"

"Elphaba-"

"Please, Yero, just for tonight. I just want to sleep…with you."

Fiyero sighed and pulled her closer, letting her slip onto his lap as he complied to her request.

"Fine, but if you get too cold, promise me you'll warm yourself somehow." Elphaba nodded in agreement, burying her head into his chest. "Good. Now…may I have a kiss?"

Elphaba shook her head simply, refusing to look at him even. Fiyero pouted.

"Aw, come on. Please?"

Elphaba shook her head again, keeping her eyes closed. But Fiyero wouldn't take "no" for an answer. Instead, he pushed her over onto her back and leaned over her, looking down at her mischievously with a twinkle in his eyes. Elphaba stared at him wide-eyed when he did, grabbing his shirt gently.

"Yero, what are you-"

He cut her off with his mouth, pressing his against hers in a passionate kiss. Elphaba, unable to resist, gave into the kiss and closed her eyes, pulling him closer to her. He remained above her, pulling away slightly and then teasing her with several pecks on her lips and various places of her face. She giggled, her blush reappearing as he did so, and he grinned happily.

"I love you, Fae."

Elphaba quieted and looked up at him earnestly when he said that, her eyes filling with sadness.

"I love you too, Yero."

Fiyero laid down beside her and pulled her next to him, letting her rest her head on his chest so she would be more comfortable on the rocky ground.

"And I promise I will be with you. Always."

Elphaba tightened her grip on Fiyero's shirt, shivering, but not from the cold. Those words, no matter how many times he said them, always managed to make Elphaba's heart flutter. And as always, she was speechless when she looked up at him. His smile made her heart pound, and she knew this is where she belonged all along. It didn't even matter in that moment that they were both damned throughout Oz. Fiyero stared into her deep brown eyes, watching happiness and love overpower the sadness she had felt earlier. He breathed out happily, mesmerized by her stunning gaze. She really was the most beautiful woman he had ever been with, even if it was a subtle beauty that radiated from her soul. She surpassed even Glinda, whom he had dated for only a few months.

"Thank you, Yero."

Fiyero smiled at her, watching her close her eyes and cling to him tighter. It wasn't until he was sure she was fast asleep that he finally closed his eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

AN: Constructive criticism is encouraged, but I appreciate almost any kind of review (minus flames), so please review and let me know how I did for my first ever fic!