He's not surprised to find her in his dorm room, curled up on the middle of his king-sized bed (he is a prince, after all), clutching the book of the day in her hand like a second skin, deep in thought – though whether those thoughts revolve around what she's reading or something else entirely, he can't tell. But then again, he rarely can, on any given day.
He's not surprised, because lately – to his utter delight, and a good amount of cajoling on Galinda's part, no doubt – she's taken to spending her free afternoons in his room instead of the library, even if she is still probably the most frequent visitor there, and probably always will be. Some things never change.
He was surprised however when he couldn't find her in her usual seat next to him in Astrology. Now that, was not like Elphaba at all.
"I've never known you to intentionally skip class before. Or… ever." He says, casually leaning on the doorframe to admire the view for a few minutes before he drops down on the bed next to her.
"Well, apparently I do, when I don't see the sense in going," she says, not even looking up from her book as she turns the page, "after that first lesson last week, I've concluded that this book, or any other, is a much better use of my time. It is, contrary to that pathetic excuse of a class, educational." He sits up to peer at the cover so as to see what book she has decided to devote her attention to that fine day. The History of Currency Exchange Rates and Various Trading Customs in the Land of Oz. Yeah alright, Elphaba. He rolled his eyes and slid off the bed – two could play at this game.
He lets her be for a while as he changes from his Shiz uniform into something slightly more comfortable, and carefully places the notes he's taken for her in the infamous Astrology class into her bag lying by the foot of his bed. Oh yes, he did that. Elphaba takes no notice of the action whatsoever, or if she does, she decides not to acknowledge it, which is fine by him. He didn't do it to impress her, they're way past that stage in their relationship, it's just that he thought she might regret this particular impulse later on. He's starting to see now that he was, most probably, wrong.
He inwardly plays back the previous lesson in his head, trying to think of what it might be that's bugging her about this particular class. Fiyero, for his part, didn't find anything particularly interesting or out of the ordinary, and he didn't think they even got to the heavy part of the material anyway – if there even was such a thing in Astrology. From what he could remember it was mostly just a warm-up session, they analysed horoscopes, the Professor talked about some planets, and then the next thing he remembers is Galinda nudging him awake with a pink high-heeled foot. Now that hurt.
Thinking back, Elphaba did stay unusually quiet the whole way through. Of that he was sure, because he wouldn't have fallen asleep had she spoken up in class next to him – he never does when she's talking.
Fiyero doesn't pretend to understand everything that goes on in her head all the time – in fact, he will be the first one to admit that that's practically impossible. But he does know her, probably more than she knows herself, and they both know it. He sighs and sits on the bed, not taking his eyes off her until she finally closes the book, not even looking at the page number, and lifts her gaze to meet his, for the first time since he found her in his bed that afternoon.
"So, Fae" he tilts his head with that half smile on his face that she would never admit she loves, "are you gonna keep reading that book with the title that almost made me fall asleep" her mouth twitches upwards at his antics, "or are you gonna tell me what this is really about?"
She sighed, and he knew an answer was coming.
"'Yero" she asks, seemingly out of the blue, "Do you actually believe in fate?"
Wait what? Whatever he was expecting, this was not it. But then again this was Elphaba, and she always managed to surprise him. Always.
He probably has been staring mindlessly at her for way too long because the next thing he knew she just started blurting out everything, barely even taking a breath in-between, to the point where he started to worry about the amoung of her oxygen intake.
"I mean you know me, Yero, you know I'm not the kind of person who can accept the idea that some divine force is behind our every action. I have to believe that my actions are my own, that I am the master of my own fate, because otherwise what is the point?" she said almost desperately, looking to Fiyero like a caged animal of some sort. But now at least she did pause for a breath which made him release one of his own, for the mere relief of seeing her breath again. His relief, however, was only short-lived.
"What is the point of living, if we are merely someone else's puppets? If someone – or something is behind everything that happens in our lives, then that means that our own actions and thoughts have no bearing whatsoever, and in the grand scheme of things that means that whatever we do and whoever we meet is only orchestrated by a higher power that controls us to its own heart's content, manipulating us like we're absolutely nothing –"
"Sweet Oz, Fae! Slow down!"
"What in Oz am I supposed to do in a class where the Professor talks to me about something that I am opposed to even on the theoretical level? What is the point Yero?"
"Okay, okay… Okay." He takes her slightly shaking hands in his. "Fae." Takes her face in both of his hands, stroking her cheek. "Fae. Elphaba. Look at me."
Ozdammit, he should have seen this coming. But how could he have?
"Listen to me, alright," he took her into his arms – the fact that she went so willingly without even pretending to put up a fight told him that it was absolutely necessary, then he looked her in the eyes as he said, "we both know that your intellect far outweighs mine, and I would never dream of winning a debate against you, nor do I feel like starting one right now. So let me tell you what I know to be true."
"Here are the facts. You are most definitely not nothing. You are a person who makes decisions every single day, based on your thoughts and yes, feelings, and sometimes even based on your current mood." At that, a sudden, but not entirely unexpected snort came from somewhere around his chest. "Did you buy that cactus for my last birthday just because you were mad at me at the time, but didn't want it to seem like you forgot my birthday, yes or no?" Silence. "There you go." She was rolling her eyes so audibly at this point that he had to stop and press a kiss to both of her eyelids to make it stop so he could continue. He just had to.
"Who you are as a person and what you think of the world has an impact, and it's a lot bigger than you know. There is no puppetmaster, Elphaba. No one, but you. Not even some pretty constellations in the sky can change that."
"I'm glad we agree, 'Yero."
"Me too. But that's not only what's bothering you, is it? There's something else, I can feel it."
The fact that she didn't even argue with him about the lack of rationality in his intuition was clue enough that Fiyero just hit the nail square in the head, so to speak.
"It's stupid, really."
"Oh wow, now my interest is really piqued! What could you possibly be thinking that can even remotely be associated with the word stupid?"
"Ah, it's just… what she said about meeting people and… chance. I'm not sure –"
And then he understands. Just like that, it all clicked. Her unusual behaviour, her attitude towards the subject of Astrology, her brooding expression, it all makes sense now. Because in spite of all the evidence that would suggest the contrary, and out of all the people who could undoubtedly do a better job than him, he gets her. He does. And that is something that will never cease to amaze him.
"Oh, Fae" he says as he gathers her in his arms, "Elphaba-Fabala-Elphie-Fae."
"How could you possibly know what I'm thinking when I didn't even really say it?"
"Because you're wrong. You're actually, really, truly wrong this time."
"How am I so wrong?"
"Because whether or not fate or anything like that had anything to do with me finding you doesn't matter at all."
"It matters to me for some reason."
"Do you want to know why it doesn't though?"
"Why?"
"Because even if fate has a hand in two people crossing paths, it doesn't have the power to keep them bound together if that is not what they both want. You see Elphaba, whether Astrology is right or wrong, fate is not the point."
"The point is…" He kisses her nose. "The point." Her cheek. "Is." Then her temple. "That we are here now." Forehead. "You." Chin. "And me." The corner of her mouth. "Together." And finally her lips. "Because we both made that choice somewhere along the way."
"And it was a choice, Elphaba. I did choose you," he looks her right in the eye as he says this, to make sure that she really, truly understands the gravity of what it is he's trying to tell her.
"You see, Fae, whether you like it or not, I know you. I know who you are and what you believe in. And I understand your need to control your life, I really do. But think of it this way."
"Every stupid thing I've ever done, all the unnecessary pain I've caused my parents in the process, all the schools I've been kicked out of and all the – well, other bad things that I've done," he finishes lamely, trying to backpedal out of that one and failing miserably, because they both know that she knows exactly what he's not saying. She rolls her eyes at that, never missing a beat. She's smart alright, but more importantly, she knows him. Or rather knows who he used to be, he mentally corrects himself, he is not that person anymore. And it's all because of her.
"It all led me to you, to this moment. Everything that ever happened in my life, has been leading up to where we are now. I never in a million years would have imagined that I'd ever become a person that someone like you could be proud of, that I'd ever deserve your respect – let alone your love." She blushes at that, because even though they both know it's true – she loved him with all her heart, Oz help her she did, – but out of the two of them he was a lot more comfortable talking openly about such things.
"You can call it fate, or destiny, or luck or soulmates, or Something, but Fae, I believe with every fibre of my being that one way or another, you and I were always meant to be together."
He puts a finger on her lips before she starts to protest, like he knew she would, then taps her nose in a silent plea to let him finish. And because she can see the seriousness behind the sea of his glinting eyes, she does.
"You don't have to agree with me, you can even make fun of me for it, I really don't mind," she doesn't miss the way his arms slightly tighten their hold on her waist, but doesn't comment, "but I believe in us, if I believe in anything. And somehow, I just know that no matter the circumstances, no matter the land or galaxy we're thrown in – I believe we would find a way." And he really does. Which is one of the many reasons why she loves him, despite everything.
"Rationally I know that's not possible, and we both know you tend to go overboard with your optimism anyway," he has the audacity to feign dissatisfaction, "don't look at me like that 'Yero, you know I'm right." He shrugs his shoulders in response.
"However… logic dictates that you should be with Galinda –" he doesn't interrupt because he knows it's not something that is meant to be answered, at least not at the moment.
They have talked about his ex-girlfriend (and her best friend) at length, and while the dissolation of the situation left something to be desired, it was well in the past now and the three of them have settled into a comfortable companionship over time, and since Galinda was currently entertaining boyfriend number three, things were back to normal as much as they would ever be – except for maybe this. Because as far as she was concerned, Elphaba would never call what she and Fiyero had, normal. It wasn't something she had ever experienced before, and she knew it was the same for him, albeit for different reasons, but the point still remained. They were so damned lucky. Or Something.
"– and yet, you are here with me, and for some Ozforsaken reason you plan to keep it that way, so in spite of myself I'm inclined to agree that rationality might not always be the correct reasoning approach."
Leave it to Elphaba to make a sentence that can be loosely translated to 'I guess you're right' sound like something out of a Shiz textbook.
"Some things, I guess, run deeper than any rational thinker – even me – could ever comprehend. And no, I'm not saying it's fate. I'm saying it's Something."
Fiyero smiled at that, but he let the topic, and the two of them, rest for the time being. They both needed it, and having somewhat worked out the issue of fate and other some such nonsense, he felt like he deserved some quality time curled up on his bed with his girlfriend. Further discussion could wait – and with Elphaba, it was sure to follow again as well. But definitely not for a while.
They did dose off for a while, and Fiyero woke up to find Elphaba still on his chest, looking right at him, a pensive expression on her face. He raised his eyebrows in question, and as usual, she didn't disappoint.
"Promise me one thing though."
"Anything."
"We'll sign over to Astronomy next semester. Now that is science."