As the sun crawled slowly across the sky, just beginning to make it's descent from it's daily zenith, ever so slowly, rays of light withdrew themselves from the large, elegant windows of Shiz University's eastern library. Even in midday, the positioning of the glass paneling made the vast room seem dim, throwing shadows upon the walls and making the overall appearance eerie and unwelcoming. Even at its most attractive hour, the library was barren of life, except of course, for ever-studious Boq. Like most other days, he was sat with his nose buried in some massive text, glancing away occasionally to write a footnote or two. Aside from the crinkling sound of a page turning every now and then, the room was overtaken by reticence. To most of the men on campus, this sort of setting would have been overwhelmingly dull –not to mention creepy- but to little Boq it was a place of serenity. A means of escape from love-struck Nessarose, sarcastic Elphaba, and jeering Avaric. And especially that condescending, Galinda-stealing, half-wit of a prince-

"Boq!"

The sudden noise, casual as it was, pierced through the silence like a dagger and sent the Munchkin twice his own height into the air.

"Whoa! Easy!" Fiyero snickered, lingering by the entrance. Boq, failing to keep his balance, became very well acquainted with the elaborately patterned rug as the chair toppled over beside him. Narrowing his eyes, he shot the intruder a malicious glance and recollected himself.

"What in the name of Oz are you doing here?" he snapped, climbing to his feet and returning the chair to its useful position.

"I was about to ask you the very same thing," Fiyero replied with his usual nonchalance. He cocked an eyebrow as he looked over the room. "This isn't exactly a hotspot, eh?"

"It's a good place to study," Boq said plainly, returning to the text.

"It's a good place to hold a séance," Fiyero commented, making his way over. Boq sighed irritably.

"I'm sorry, but is there something I can help you with?" he queried exasperatedly. "Because, if not, I'd like to very much get back to-"

"Actually there is something," Fiyero cut him short. "I wondering if you've seen Fae anywhere? I heard that she's usually in this dungeon of a library and was hoping-"

"Fae?"

Fiyero blinked at him. "Yeah. I was hoping that-"

"Who's Fae?"

"She's-" Fiyero's brow crawled up his forehead in recognition of his blunder. "I mean… Elphaba."

"Where did 'Fae' come from?" Boq asked, not bothering to suppress a mocking chuckle.

"It's just a nickname," he brushed the question off quickly, becoming slightly flustered. Boq, his curiosity piqued, shifted his unadulterated attention to the prince. Is Fiyero blushing? Of course, in the poor lighting, it was difficult to tell. The magnificent blue diamonds that lined his chiseled jaw-line might as well have been dancing around his face and Boq wouldn't have had the slightest clue. No, maybe he should excavate a little more in regards of this whole nickname business…

"Fae," he echoed. "That's a bit … nonconventional."

"She's a nonconventional girl," Fiyero mumbled, obviously yearning for the topic to be left alone.

"Well, yes," he ventured further. "But why 'Fae'? It just doesn't seem to suit her…"

"I'm sorry; I suppose we all can't earn ourselves appropriate labels like yourself, Biq," Fiyero shot, involuntarily. Needless to say, the Munchkin dropped the undesirable topic. In fact, he seemed to void himself of all forms of emotion along with it. After a tense pause, he finally spoke.

"What is it you needed, again?" he said monotonously. Fiyero immediately felt guilt grip at his heart.

"Boq, I didn't mean-"

"Just forget it," the small boy hissed. "Now, please; just tell me what you want. The sooner I can quell you, the sooner you can leave me alone."

Fiyero took no offense; he had that coming, after all. However, he couldn't help but feel a need to be on good terms with Boq. Why? He had no idea. Perhaps it was his conscience pestering him for the little scrape he got into on the first day; making a mockery of the kind-hearted boy and whisking away the girl he was chasing without much real effort. In fact, a girl that he was still chasing, as well as a girl whom Fiyero was beginning to doubt his chemistry with. Or perhaps it was that same unnamable compellation that made him suddenly wish to crack open his neglected textbooks. The feeling he got whenever Elphaba made a snarky comment about him lacking in wits. Could it be narcissism? The fact that he didn't like to be undermined when he knew he had the potential to prove these criticisms wrong? Or was it something else? Did he really feel a sentimental pull towards these two mavericks? Why did he have the overwhelming urge to make the Munchkin boy see him as a friend? And why in Oz did he always feel tongue-tied and belligerent around the lanky emerald girl? Why did he always feel the need to prove something to them?

Fiyero shook the thought of Elphaba from his head. Instead, he considered the boy in front of him. The boy who spent his free-time in dark libraries rather than in cafés; the boy who was bold enough to proclaim his infatuation for another man's girlfriend in front of his opposition but was far too shy to talk to the girl herself; the boy who wouldn't make a single deriding comment if you wanted to bring up the topic of women without the intentions of talking about sex.

The boy who was in love with his girlfriend.

Boq blinked his pale blue eyes at him. It probably wouldn't be that hard for him to win Galinda over, now that I think about it, Fiyero mentally noted. Boq was attractive enough. His eastern origins were blatant in his face- the button nose, large, bright eyes, and sufficient lacking of a masculine jaw line- as well as in his miniscule stature. He was extremely lean, not to mention short- he only came up to Fiyero's chest, and that was only if he straightened his back and squared his shoulders. These features weren't exactly a bad thing, however. Galinda probably just didn't see his appeal because she compared him physically to Fiyero. It couldn't be done; it was apples and oranges. Fiyero had a more masculine, suave air to him- dark skin, broad shoulders, western features all the way. He was attractive in the risqué sense of the word. Boq, on the other hand, was attractive in the cute, approachable sense. It wasn't that he was worse looking; he just had a different appeal. Like with Galinda and Elphaba, Fiyero realized. Galinda had a stout body with highly emphasized curves, as well as beautiful long blonde hair and those sparkling cerulean eyes that seemed to make Boq never want to shut up. Elphaba, however, had that slender figure with humble curves and long, sleek back hair that she tied tightly back into a braid, but always seemed to have small strands escape and fall carelessly into her face anyway. Fiyero's mind resisted digressing. And those sharp facial features, high cheekbones and a piercing look in her deep brown eyes that could make a man's heart leap with intimidation and yearning. Any little movement she made- a shift of weight on her hips, a cocking of her eyebrow, a pursing of her lips whenever she was considering something you presented her with- it could all very well hypnotize Fiyero and render him completely defenseless. Yes, Galinda was cute, but Elphaba was mysterious. And utterly bewitching…

Fiyero mentally scolded himself. Stop that! Stay focused.

"Well?" Boq demanded.

"I wanted to ask you something," Fiyero replied, still pulling himself out of the daze he had worked himself into. "If you wanted to accept a… proposition."

"Excuse me?" Boq raised his pair of dark eyebrows.

Fiyero smiled at the idea that had unconsciously hatched during his reverie. "You heard me. I have a proposition for you. Listen, we both have something the other wants. You have wits. A work ethic. High marks. While, I have-"

"Galinda," Boq interjected. Fiyero cocked an eyebrow letting a bemused smirk pull at the corner of his lips. Boq obviously hadn't intended to voice that; this much was evident by his face becoming a glowing shade of crimson.

"Exactly," Fiyero replied calmly.

"W-what?" Boq stuttered.

"Boq," Fiyero tried to flash him a winning smile. "If you can tutor me, I'll help you win over Galinda."

Boq stared at him, only beginning to return the smile when his face fell into a scowl. "I… don't believe you."

"Why not?" Fiyero asked, playfully shoving him. "C'mon, Boq. You give me a brain; I'll give you her heart. Deal?"

"As much as I'd like to believe that's possible-"

"I resent that," Fiyero smirked.

"What? No, not you getting your grades up," Boq rolled his eyes. He sighed. "Galinda has made it perfectly clear that she wants-" He paused and took a breath, as if to steady his tone. "-absolutely nothing to do with me."

Fiyero opened his mouth to argue, but Boq continued.

"And the fact that you want to just hand over a girl like her is practically impossible to fathom," he said. "You may claim that you're brainless, but nobody is brainless enough to want to give something with her up."

"It's not a brainless move," Fiyero countered. "I'm considering her best interests, as well as my own. Boq, we aren't… meant for each other."

"That's not what she thinks," Boq muttered.

"Well, she's wrong, then," Fiyero said sternly.

"Fiyero, I appreciate you trying to offer me closure, but-"

"She deserves someone like you!" Fiyero interrupted.
Boq's demeanor grew intense as he fixed his eyes on the Vinkus boy. Fiyero looked him in the eye.

"I'm not trying to pull anything, nor am I trying to give you any form of closure. Believe me when I say that I think Galinda would be better off with you," Fiyero said. Boq held eye contact, searching the prince's face for any traces of a lie.

"I believe you," he said finally, lowering his voice.

"Good," Fiyero smiled. This broke through Boq's serious expression, and he let himself return a small grin.

"I have one question, though," he queried, his voice losing its stern edge.

"Shoot."

"Why do you want a tutor? What ever happened to easy-going, life-dancing Fiyero Tiggular?"

Fiyero considered his answer.

I'm tired of you calling me an idiot, Boq. I'm tired of Elphaba's sarcastic comments about my intellect. I'm tired of her blowing me off to have a serious conversation with you.

"It'll make for a nice change of regime," Fiyero replied. "Plus, how am I ever going to help you if I get booted out of Shiz?"

Boq answered him with a cheese grin. "Well, in that case, we'd better get started. You have an awfully long way to go."

Fiyero smirked. "I was about to say the same to you."