Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.

Surprise!
By Mademoiselle Satine

"Elphiiieee!"

The green girl fought back a groan, pretending to remain thoroughly engrossed in her book. She knew that tone.

Her girlfriend flounced through the door in a whirl of blonde and pink, her arms laden with packages. She was practically glowing, Elphaba noticed while she feigned the focus of her attention back to the text in her hands.

When the blonde had announced that she was going to "do some errands" that afternoon, Elphaba had merely raised an eyebrow in suspicion. The blonde had even shifted her weight self-consciously, probably not even knowing she had done so, but the green girl knew they were both thinking the same thing: Since when did Galinda Upland do "errands?" And now here she was, practically ecstatic as a result of them?

It was then that, despite her girlfriend's best efforts, Elphaba had known exactly what was going on.

"Elphie!" Galinda tried again, her voice taking a on a sterner timbre than the sing-songy one she had used while making her grand entrance. Elphaba leaned further back against the headboard, deliberately ignoring her now. The blonde huffed, throwing her weight into a giant pounce onto the raven-haired girl's bed. The smaller girl would make her see just how difficult Galinda Upland was to ignore.

Elphaba's body jolted when her girlfriend threw herself unceremoniously onto her bed, and she had to fight to keep her balance. When a perfectly-manicured hand reached out and snatched her book in the blink of an eye, she knew her time was up.

And even with my dying breath I commit my soul to no entity but myself.

"Elphie, do you know what tomorrow is?" Galinda beamed, giving a slight bounce on the bed across from her girlfriend. The green girl couldn't help but smile, reaching out to tuck a small curl behind the blonde's ear.

"No, in fact, I don't. And neither do you," she warned.

"It's your birthday!" Galinda squealed, throwing her arms around Elphaba's neck. She pulled back just as quickly, giving green lips a quick peck.

The green girl sighed. "Yes, you're right, my sweet. You win a prize," she teased, leaning forward to press her lips again to the delicate pink ones, her arm sneaking behind the blonde's back to make a quick grasp at her book.

Unfortunately for Elphaba, the smaller girl was quicker than her. She saw right through the ruse and scooted back to the foot of the bed, shaking her head.

"I'm not finished yet, Elphie," she informed the other girl firmly.

Elphaba's lips twitched in amusement while she sat back against the headboard. "Yes, of course," she replied, humoring her girlfriend. "I'm sorry. Go on."

The blonde grinned triumphantly, giving a little wiggle of excitement. "I'm gonna throw you a party!" she blurted.

This time the green girl couldn't hold back a groan while her head fell forward into her hands. "Galinda, no," she protested with another moan. She had figured that "errands" had something to do with her upcoming birthday, but she had never expected this.

Galinda pouted, scooting closer to her girlfriend. "Please, Elphie?" she begged, her voice a near whimper. She tangled her small hands in the raven tresses that flowed over Elphaba's face, running her fingers gently through them. "Please?" she pleaded adorably.

Elphaba shook her head, her pitch hair seeming to glow in the meager light of the bedside lamp.

"But Elphiiee…" Galinda whined, peeking through the curtain of silk to try and find the green girl's face, yet discovering only fingers. She kissed them nonetheless, one by one, snuggling into the taller girl. "I already went out and bought everything…" She cast a forlorn glance toward the packages that decorated her bed.

The green girl sighed behind her hands. Galinda had a point… There wasn't much she could do now that everything was set. Besides, she couldn't let her girlfriend down… She knew Galinda was used to this sort of thing, being made a fuss over on one's birthday, with parties and gifts and such. Elphaba hated fusses, but the blonde was so excited… not to mention that she probably hadn't had much chance to throw parties for the ones she loved.

"Fine," Elphaba mumbled, her voice barely audible.

The simple agreement was enough to send the blonde back into the heights of her excitement, squealing and clapping her hands with glee.

"Oh, Elphie, thank you! I've got everything all set; it's going to be so much fun! I'll invite Masters Boq and Avaric, and of course Nessarose, maybe a few other close friends, and who knows, maybe I can even get Dr. Dillamond to make an appearance!" Galinda gave another excited giggle, bouncing and throwing herself again onto the green girl.

This time Elphaba could do nothing to prevent herself from falling over under the blonde's weight. She curled into a ball on her side, hands still firmly glued to her face, which was flushing a dark green with embarrassment. She wasn't sure how many people would consent to attend a party for someone who was green, but what she was sure of was that Galinda was incredibly persuasive. Elphaba also happened to know that Dr. Dillamond had a soft spot for her, embarrassed as she was to admit it, and be likely to tell her girlfriend that he wouldn't miss it for the world, even if his countless tasks told him otherwise. Imagine, her favorite teacher present at something as humiliating as a birthday party…

"Oh, but don't worry, Elphie, I'll keep it small," Galinda was saying, and the raven-haired girl decided to skip the opportunity to inform her that her idea of "small" and Elphaba's idea of "small" were two entirely different "small's." "It'll be a sophisticated, classy party," she continued, sitting up properly to prove her point, "and there will be absolutely no roughhousing, horseplay, or inappropriate gestures or touching." The blonde sounded like one of their professors now, her voice becoming more and more formal, before she let go with an excited giggle. Giving Elphaba a quick kiss on the cheek, she jumped up from the bed to the bathroom.

Only after she was gone did the green girl finally take her hands away from her face, groaning again. She dreaded parties and social gatherings. That was Galinda's scene, not hers… And yet, she reminded herself of the reason she had consented - for the sake of the bubbly blonde girl she had fallen so stupidly and wonderfully in love with. There was nothing she wouldn't do for Galinda; the green girl told her that nearly every day. She could live through a party.

She hoped so, anyway.