This idea for a fic. popped into my head about a week ago, and I though that I should definitely write it for this pairing that holds a place in my heart. It is one of my weirdly rare pairs that definitely need more love. So, I decided to do so with this fic.

The only thing that I really need to also point out, though already done so in the story, is that they are older than what is usual written for them. About early twenties and lived quite awhile already in Oz.

There never really was much of a color change within the grand city, the Emerald City. That was the simple fact of how things usually were, since green made the Emerald City, well, emerald. The heart of Oz held dear to the color since it was their own, as just the other countries were painted and dyed with their own respected colors. Not even the snow that would fall within the times of a nice winterfall would ever coat the Emerald City enough to made it the Moonstone City –though with the snow dampening some of the gems that glittered in the city, it could have been easily renamed the Jadeite City if the ruler of the city did so pleased.

However, none of that whiteness of snow was ever a real color, and the same could be said all year round for the Emerald City. It remained glowing and green for as long as it stood in the heart of Oz.

But that was until a certain Earth girl, now a young woman of her early twenties, Queen, and co-ruler, had arrived in Oz and decided to bring some things to this fairytale world in which she lived so very happily in. Not that anything could really make Oz better, but it was also high-time that she shared her customs with the other people, especially Ozma. She knew the Ruler of Oz would enjoy what she was thinking of as the days drew closer and closer to a mark on a calendar made for converting Earth years to Oz years –which wasn't much of a change from Earth's.

The date was Valentine's Day, today's date in fact.

So, Dorothy sat in one of the studies near the royal wing of the castle, and her hands carefully crafted a nice card for her dearest. Before, back in Kansas, she had never really taken up crafts, especially for making a card for someone, but now in Oz with some spare time –not really enough to be called spare, but a nice breather would be a better name– she could make something nice and handmade for Ozma on the day which meant a lot to a lot of people on Earth.

Dorothy knew that she could easily go out and buy gifts for the Ruler of Oz and present them to her and tell her what and why she had done so. But the young queen also knew that buying gifts wouldn't be the same. She remembered how her uncle had always made some for her aunt; it was an act of love which he called it. So, Dorothy knew that she should make an act of love for Ozma for it to really mean much more than bought gifts.

So, that is what she was doing as she applied scraps of red paper and silk to the folded card in her hand. Other scraps of different reds, pinks, and white were scattered about the desk in a haphazard fashion, along with pens and jars of adhesive to be used. Her fingers shook a bit as she placed stripes down on the borders, though she often took pauses to shake them out to get them to stop. But Dorothy knew she couldn't blame her fingers. They were probably as nervous as she felt in making this card extra special for Ozma. The ruler deserved a really nice card from her lover so that she really knew how much Dorothy loved her. Not that she doubted that Ozma didn't really love her, but she just wanted to remind Ozma that she REALLY did love her.

How silly of her to be so nervous over that.

Also, how silly of her to be wasting so much time as well with silly mental thoughts that just ran her brain into circles. Scarecrow mentally chided her in telling her that a brain should not be made to run in circles so. Of course, that helped straighten her mind out presently as she finished up the border and soon glued on the hearts she had crafted and made. Once those pieces stuck to the card and remained as so, Dorothy took up the pen in her hand and hovered the tip over the paper.

Now what was she going to writing on this card to express the everlasting love she felt for Ozma?

Such a tricky thing because at times their love just seemed so indescribable really. She loved Ozma, and Ozma loved her back. There seemed to be just that, but then again Oz seemed to have that wonder affect that made things sometimes never fully clear. But this shouldn't be so. Dorothy knew that she should be able to tell Ozma just how much she made her heart soar when together, that being together feels as right as rain, and that forever with the Ruler of Oz felt complete within her. All of this is what she felt and more. She felt happiness and joy with Ozma, and she felt as though she had the friend that made her the best of herself. They shared similarities and differences and came together in a unity that made their bond stronger –as well as the rest of Oz with how peaceful their rule together had been. Even Glinda had said that the love and friendship they shared was something of a rarity and something amazing.

So, how to remind Ozma when it seemed that no real reminder was needed? That was an excellent question to answer as well as the blonde said down and twirled the pen innocently in her hand. Maybe, just maybe, there hadn't need to be a reminder place on the card for the love they shared, just an illustration more about it. Even though Dorothy knew she probably wasn't the best artist in Oz, that title to easy go to the other artist and craftspeople there were, but she knew that she could draw from the heart and have it be the best. So, that is what she started doing after opening the card up and used her pen to make delicate lines with a steady hand now.

-OZ-

Ozma felt as though the day had been much longer than it normally was. Not that she thought it was, since that would be something that not only she would have felt but everyone else in Oz, but work did seem to be more plentiful today rather than others. However, she had taken it in stride as always, being the Ruler of Oz called for her to be. She would never sway or neglect her duties, no matter how mountainous that become. The only prospect after the long and busy day she had was knowing that once she stopped being Ruler of Oz –that was, stopped it since no one talked to her about Oz or her opinions or her orders after late afternoon– was that she could spend time with the one person in Oz that made her feel as though she was as the happiest she had ever been and will be.

Dorothy always did seem to make the night feel so much better and relaxing, though her sheer presence could do so regardless. Ozma knew that she herself sometimes preferred busy work than idle one, even so Dorothy too, but she knew that relaxing was good with certain people –or a certain person. So, she hoped that Dorothy was free now, though doubting so since work never piled up as it did for her.

With a determined mindset of spending quality quiet time with her queen and wife, Ozma slipped into their royal suite with a small smile that was hopeful to find its match waiting for her. Her footsteps made so little of noise that it might have even used to sneak up on a mouse. Not that she was sneaking, but Ozma didn't want to disturb Dorothy and even wanted to surprise her as well.

Before entering the main living space, she quickly moved into the closet to deposit her crown on its stand to gleam and sit there for the next day. She didn't need its show of status around her love. After that task, she moved into the bedroom and living area. Of course, she didn't spot her queen quickly, and a slim eyebrow rose as she wondered what Dorothy was since she usually was in here reading or such after the day had ended. Ozma took a few steps over to the glass doors of the balcony, wondering if the other was out there looking over the Emerald City. She stopped when the door to the study opened and Dorothy walked in while holding something in her hand.

Ozma turned to face the other, smiling though a curious look on her face for whatever the other held in her hands. Dorothy, on the other hand, stopped in her steps once she noticed the other was present now. Her hands quickly made for hiding whatever they were holding behind her back.

"Ozma!"

"Evening, Dorothy," Ozma calmly answered back, hoping to find out what her love now hid from her. Not that she would pry the information out of her, since it was Dorothy's right to keep some personal secrets a secret, but that still left her curious as to what the other could be hiding from her after all.

"Have you had a good day, dear?" Ozma as she moved about the living area of the royal suite as she would any other night. Dorothy, she caught out of the corner of her eye, relaxed a bit and looked a lot less like a child caught doing something naughty.

"I have, and yourself?"

"Eventful as usual, but nothing more so. I was hoping to catch a break this afternoon for to spend time with you, but that was regrettably had gotten canceled. I suppose now wouldn't so bad," Ozma answered back as she took a seat on the loveseat placed near the fireplace. She looked to Dorothy, awaiting the other to come sit next to her. It had been true what she said, about wanting to have spent the afternoon with Dorothy. But duties did come first for Ozma most of the time, and they both knew that.

Dorothy seemed to hesitant before walking over and taking a seat, and she kept whatever she was hiding out of sight, regardless of the fact that they both knew she was hiding something. It appeared in becoming a bit uncomfortable for the young woman to keep the thing hidden behind her back still hidden with her arms growing quite possibly tried. Ozma found this lightly amusing at the lengths the other would hide something, but she also felt a bit pity that seemingly her wife wanted to keep something hidden and causing herself discomfort. So, she finally decided to either let the other share or let her go hide it somewhere.

"Dorothy, you may go hide whatever it is you're holding, and I won't look. Or please, dearest, show me so that you don't look like you have snagged your dress on something."

Dorothy seemed to think over that and finally relented, but she didn't outright show the other what she hid from Ozma's sight. "Alright, but close your eyes first. It's a surprise for you that I really hope you like."

Ozma did so as the other told her. She waited patiently for the word to be told to open her eyes, still ever so wondering just what surprise the other had for her. Soon enough, Dorothy gave word to open her eyes, which she did so, and found her love's outstretched hands before her holding what looked to be a red sheet of folded paper with heart decorating it as well with Dorothy's penmanship. It was an odd sight to see, given especially since it was from Dorothy. Ozma had no clue as to why she was being given this, but she accepted it anyway through the love and kindness of her heart for the one she loved dearly. However, she did have a few questions that needed to be answered first to get some inkling about this odd gift of hers.

"Why is it red? Is it from the Quadling Country?" Something green would have been the most accustomed choice to make anything out of, especially since Ozma was the queen of the Emerald City.

Dorothy shook her head, seemingly to have guessed questions like that would be asked by her Ozian wife. "No, I made it for a holiday today."

"A Quadling holiday?"

"Uh, no. It's an Earth one. It's a gift."

"Oh, for what?" Ozma asked, understanding that it was a small gift but still having not a clue as to which holiday Dorothy was referring to for this gift-giving. Her Earth-born love had told her stories before and information about different Earth customs, most of them a bit different than Oz ones. Some had been shared, such as the winter festival of gift sharing.

"Well, uh," Dorothy began, picking at some of the stitching of her dress that she never did unless nervous –which wasn't too often if Ozma's memory served her well–, "today is the day that people usually give the people they love gifts. To show how much they love them and care about them. My uncle Henry use to give my aunty Em gifts he made for her out of love, and I thought that I could make you something as well."

Ozma's took on a quizzical look with her eyebrow perking up as she attempted to make some sense of that. "Odd, wouldn't they do that every day?" She could have easily asked that about them as well. Ozma knew that she quite often reminded Dorothy of her love with quick kisses and hugs and loving terms of endearment that were never false since Ozma never would lie to Dorothy ever. But maybe it was an Earth custom.

"Well, yes, but they really mean it today." The co-ruler of Oz kept her eyes down as a child would when they had been caught in mischief. Odd for a twenty-looking –though age now would easily been at least into the 200s with the immortality that Ozma granted those in Oz– to be doing so now. It seems that Dorothy did still carry the heart of a young girl at times as well a proud woman.

"So, you are giving me this to say that you really mean that you love me?" Ozma asked softly, hoping to quell some of her love's obvious nervousness. It would have been amusing any other time if it would have occurred, but Ozma felt as though chuckling at this show of fidgeting would have been an unkind thing to do to the blonde. So, she reached over to place her hand over her wife's to bring back a calmness to the other. Immediately, there was a change, Dorothy looking up to meet Ozma's soft and loving gaze and grin.

"I-" Dorothy began once finding her words, all the while supporting a blush on her cheeks, "Yes, of course. I mean, I always do, so why not show you more."

Ozma now chuckled in hearing her love's reply to all of this and the small card still resting in her lap. "Sounds lovely, Dorothy." She found it amusing, yes, but also so sweet of Dorothy to do so for her. Earth customs and ways may often times be confusing to her, but how Dorothy shared them made them seem so much more and worthwhile for her and them. However, there was also another matter to be settled as well.

"And here is my gift on such short notice, dear," she told the other just before leaning over and pressing a kiss to Dorothy's lips. It was a little more than the chaste ones they shared frequently, but it held the love they shared and felt. It was sweet and loving. It wasn't too long but held enough time in returning the sentiment for the "gift" exchange.

Once it was done, Ozma leaned back to sit back straight in her spot on the couch and began actually reading the card in her hands. Both women sported a red coloring on their cheeks, though Dorothy having a giddier expression on her after that kiss. The Ruler of Oz read over the kind and sweet words that her love had written, though knew that them much already. Still, the sentiment was clear in meaning to her. Dorothy loved her just as much as she loved the other back.

"That was a lovely card, dearest," Ozma told the other once closing the read card and smiled towards the other woman, "Thank you for it."

Dorothy ducked her head a bit, still sporting a fierce blush, and answered back, "Well, probably not the best on short notice, but I'm glad you liked it." Ozma reached over to take a hold of her wife's hand, squeezing it lightly to tell her that it was still such a good gift no matter how long it took to make and that she did, in fact, like it very much.

"It would seem that next Valentine's Day I must return the favor."

"Why wait such a while? We still could spend the evening together," Dorothy suggested, hoping to spend a night together with the other just so privately to themselves as they were allowed to as such people who loved each other so dearly.

Ozma thought over that suggestion and nodded, smiling as she moved closer to the other to wrap her arms around the one she loved so dearly in Oz and to hold Dorothy close to her. Valentine's Day, an Earth holiday of love, did have some merit here and now as a nice reminder of the love they shared.