Entrancing

Jemi Gr.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my stupidity.

Author's Note: My first foray into the world of Wickfic – will probably have no prequels/sequels because I don't know what else to do with it. It takes place after Galinda and Elphaba's conversation around pages 77-79 in the book (since I have never seen the musical… cough) Anyhoo, I am aware that it is… poop, but that's what happens when you stop thinking and start typing.

"Entrancing," [Galinda] said. "There's some strange exotic quality of beauty about you. I never thought."

--Wicked, pg. 78

Elphaba eventually took it upon herself to extinguish the fire, seeing as how her roommate was lying face down on her bed in obvious slumber. Sighing, she returned the old sermons she had been reading to her desk and silenced the roaring flames in the fireplace with a slash from a bucket of water. She was tired, and not as careful as she should have been – a drop of water landed on the green flesh of her right palm and began sizzling and popping like oil in a hot frying pan. Elphaba swore as she started to blow on the injury – as if that were going to do any good. Galinda stirred.

"Whatsa matter?" she asked sleepily. "Burn yourself?"

"Ergh… yes," said Elphaba, trying to shake off the sharp sting that still remained in her palm.

"Oh… you alright?" asked Galinda, with a tone in her voice that almost seemed to Elphaba like genuine concern.

"Yes, yes," said Elphaba impatiently as she began groping her way across the pitch-black room to her bed. She had forgotten to light a candle to help her with this task, something she did quite often.

Galinda smiled as she realized her roommate's predicament. "Stop," she commanded before fumbling around on her nightstand to find a candle and a match. A few moments later, a small flame dimly illuminated the room and the smell of eucalyptus overwhelmed Elphaba's nostrils. She sneezed a few times before taking advantage of the light to stalk over to her bed. The sting in her hand had now reduced itself to only a sort of dull ache. "Thank you," she said as she settled herself between the sheets of her bed, trying not to inhale too deeply the awful stench. "You can put it out now."

Galinda, however, didn't comply with the request. "I'm not in the least bit tired, are you, Miss Elphaba?" she inquired.

"Actually, I - "

"Doesn't this candle smell nice?"

"Not really."

"Huh. It's too bad you don't think so. I think it smells delightful. It was gift."

"From who?"

"I don't remember. Who cares, really? Are you tired? I'm not tired."

"I can tell."

Galinda paused, and Elphaba immediately seized her chance to squeeze her eyes shut and attempt to fall asleep before Galinda's pointless chatter started up again.

Her attempt was in vain, however, as the pause didn't last for very long. "Miss… Miss Elphaba?" said Galinda, almost timidly.

Elphaba exasperatedly opened her eyes. "What?"

"Would you mind… coming over here, for a minute, please, so I can talk to you?"

Elphaba considered arguing that she could talk to her where she was, but decided that the less she protested, the quicker Galinda would say what she had to say, and that was all the sooner she would be able to finally get some sleep. "Fine," she replied, and dramatically played up her exasperation as she threw the blankets covering her to the edge of the bed, swung her legs over the side, and stalked over to Galinda's half of the room. "What?" she asked indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Galinda, who was now sitting on the edge of the bed, only laughed at Elphaba's dramatic frustration. "Sit down," she instructed her, indicating right next to her.

Elphaba obliged, and the two sat in silence for a few minutes. "Well?" asked Elphaba finally, scrunching her nose. "I'm here, what do you want to say?"

Galinda humphed. "Give me a minute! I was just re-arranging words in my head," she said, matching Elphaba's own mock-indignation. "You know, not only must I look my best at all times, I also must always sound my best."

"I don't doubt it," said Elphaba sarcastically.

Galinda glared at her, but her gaze quickly softened and her voice took on a gentler and more serious tone. "You know, Miss Elphaba, I really do think you're pretty, in a… unique way… even if you have absolutely no taste in clothes. Her voice held no trace of sarcasm, and Elphaba was torn between amusement and anger.

Anger won, and she grunted in frustration and rolled her eyes. "That's it? That's all you wanted to tell me? Sweet Lurlina, I'm going to bed. This is ridiculous." She stood up, but Galinda quickly reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her back down. Elphaba made an angry sort of "Phgargh!" sound, but Galinda silenced her.

"I'm serious!" she cried.

Elphaba went silent. After a thoughtful pause, she said, "Well, for what it's worth, Miss Galinda, I think you're pretty as well, even if you are pompous, shallow, selfish, and completely unaware of the real problems Oz is facing."

Galinda smiled, as if unaware of anything Elphaba had said beyond the words "you're pretty." She leaned in towards her and pressed her lips against Elphaba's in a sweet, innocent kiss, seemingly without a second thought as to what she was doing. "Goodnight, Miss Elphaba," she said with a slight giggle as she pulled away. With a small smirk, she added, "Miss Elphaba the Delirious."

Stunned into silence, Elphaba forced her feet to carry her back to her bed, forced her body to lie down, forced her eyes to close. But a peaceful slumber was, she feared, a long way away.

It wasn't real, she finally convinced herself. And even if it was real, it wasn't really real – and would I really want it to be? It was just a spur of the moment, once in a lifetime occurrence – and thank the powers that be for that… I think…I'll never speak of it again, anyways, just go on despising her as if it never happened. Because it didn't. It wasn't real… this is all a dream.

But something of the alien sweetness of the kiss still lingered on Elphaba's lips, and she began to think, madly, that eucalyptus wasn't such a bad scent after all. 'Miss Elphaba the Delirious', indeed.

Smiling, she rolled over and yawned, pushing the strange events of the night out of her mind. There would be time enough the think about it all later, when they could see things by the light of the sun instead of just a lone candle… yes. Later. Now was time to rest.

She rolled over again, and allowed sleep to let her forget her troubles at last.

Fin.