Title: Change
Rating: K
Archive: Yes.
Disclaimer: Only the plot is mine.
Author's Note: Let's me say that I didn't expect to write this until I started writing it this morning. Oh my god, I thought this story was gone. I've been sucked back into Wicked. Well, tell me what you think, and thank you for reading. I'm considering making this the sequel to YLYHTM! and just updatingit as a series of oneshots about life after fake death. What do you guys think?

Change

The odd reddish tint to her hair disturbed him, and even the continual reminding by Glinda that the color would only last for a while frightened him. The short strands of hair falling before her eyes and against her neck startled him every time he glanced up. Falling right at her shoulders, Nessa's hair was beautiful, but Boq couldn't look at it for more than a few seconds without shivering. Physical changes were not welcome in his mind anymore, and they'd both gone through quite a few the past few days. Gone were Boq's old hats and Munchkinland style clothes, but the new scholar-style suit did him well enough. He didn't protest when they laughed into their hands as he modeled the new clothes that were supposed to hide their old identities, but, when Nessa had beckoned him forward and slid an old pair of thick, black metal rimmed glasses onto his nose, he'd smiled at her response.

"You look like our old historian."

"That's probably a good thing since I'm taking a job as the new historian in the Museum." His new job, in the heart of the Emerald City, would be quiet, calm, and keep them both close to Glinda in case anything happened. Nessa had not been thrilled by this idea at first. Slowly that night, Boq had convinced her of all the perks of being in the Emerald City and told her about the apartment Glinda had found with a small lift in the back for the residents. Mainly though, it had been Boq's slow convincing that had gotten her to agree to a life in the City. In a city of thousands, no one would notice the addition of newlyweds working at the Museum.

Nessa's job had been harder, but they had all laughed out of sheer exhaustion when Fiyero finally remembered Nessa's years before and after Shiz. As the child of a diplomat, he'd been taught the languages of Oz when he was seven. Nessa was no different; she just remembered all of the languages and had picked up a few more while at Shiz. All museums needed a translator with knowledge of science and history, and the museum in the City was no different. They would be receiving their new translator, Brynessa, along with their new historian, Boq, in one week. Nessa had been confused when Boq had kept his name, but Glinda pointed out the three Boq's she knew from the Emerald City. Nessa didn't point out that she remembered their names; however, the smile she shared with Boq let her know that he knew. It was when he turned away so quickly that she frowned. Her newly reddened hair was shorter than her old, and she sported none of her old headbands. Even her wheelchair was an older one she'd used as a teenager. She'd won the war when she pointed out that anyone that was not from Munchkinland would fail to recognize her, and her blouses, vests, and skirts stayed (if only in different colors and styles). It had to be the hair bothering him.

She had him cornered at night since they'd been sleeping in the same bed since the…accident. And corner him she did—one hand slid across his chest softly sliding over the raised patch of silver metal in his skin, and the other hand traced the line of his ear before slipping behind his neck so that Nessa could play with the tips of his hair. They hadn't let him cut it and the slightly curl made her smile every time. Boq tensed under her fingers.

"Boq, you seem decidedly unhappy."

"I'm not. I have you now."

"Bow, you've had me since Shiz. The problem was finding me." She pressed her nose against his ear and kissed his neck. "What's wrong?"

"I liked your old hair."

"That it."

"Yes."

"And you can't like me with new hair for only the last few weeks until we leave Munchkinland?"

"I don't like change." He turned to look at her, and when he realized how close she was to his face, Boq pressed a quick kiss to her lips marveling at how her eyes widened in shock and surprise. She did that every kiss, and Boq had to remind himself of the years they'd spent at Shiz that were (unfortunate, he realized now, for their lack of kisses) behind them.

"You don't like physical changes do you?" He shook his head, and she nuzzled against his neck. "Wait about a month, all right?" She kissed his neck again and Boq moaned.

"For you I could wait forever."

-END-