Elphie pulled on her heavy, leather boots before reaching for her long, black coat. Glancing out the window at the steadily falling snow, her emerald lips softly curled into a small smile. Perfect.
She flipped her raven hair out of her coat collar, shrugging the garment on before disappearing quickly into the bathroom. The green girl fumbled through Galinda's pink makeup bag, shaking her head in disbelief. Elphaba Thropp was putting on makeup? Quickly she disregarded the thought. It was perfectly normal for girls to wear makeup, no matter what color they were.
Finally her fingers closed around a small black pencil – just what she had been looking for. With skill and precision that came with her practical nature, she lined her chocolate eyes in black and stood back to assess her appearance. She tilted her head to one side, pitch strands of silk tumbling over her shoulder as she caught her lip between her teeth, chewing thoughtfully. It didn't look terrible. In fact, she almost liked it.
Elphaba dug through the bag again, finding the small, clear tube she had been searching for after pawing through Galinda's numerous supplies for what seemed like hours. She unscrewed the lip gloss, gazing at it suspiciously. It was clear, with just a hint of a shine, nothing that would "clash" with her skin tone. She sighed, pulling out the applicator and sweeping the brush over her lips. She rubbed them together as she had seen her girlfriend do countless times, ending the action with a soft "pop."
"Elphie! I'm home!"
The green girl had no time to glance over her new look. She stepped quickly out of the bathroom into the bedroom of the pair's dorm, her eyes instantly finding the little, blonde object of her affections. Galinda stumbled through the door, nearly up to her forehead in packages. She waddled to her fluffy pink marshmallow of a bed, dumping her load before flopping down beside the boxes.
"I've been doing some shopping," she panted.
Elphie chuckled, crossing the room to sit beside her love's head. "So I see," she replied, brushing a few blonde curls from Galinda's cobalt eyes.
The blonde sighed in satisfaction with her work, moving to discard her cream beret.
"Nah ah ah," Elphie chided softly, placing her verdant hand over the small, porcelain one. She took it gently, helping Galinda up. "We're going out."
Galinda almost began to pout, but instead looked into her roommate's russet eyes. Something was different about Elphie… Is that my eyeliner??
"Okay," she replied, unable to hide a small grin.
-x-x-x-
The pair strolled down the cobbled street, streetlights softly illuminating their path in the gently falling snow. Galinda's rosy face shone with a bright smile, tiny snowflakes catching on her eyelashes and in her golden curls. Elphie's ebony coat and raven hair were speckled with white, and she slipped her green hand into Galinda's pale one, smiling softly at the excitement on her love's face. Galinda had only seen snow a few times in her life, and while Elphie had become quite tired of the stuff, the little blonde couldn't seem to get enough of it. Tonight, the green girl decided she could tolerate, maybe even appreciate, the glistening white flakes that floated through the air.
Galinda giggled with delight, her breath a little puff of mist in the cold night air. She moved closer to her roommate, resting her head on the green girl's shoulder as they walked.
"Where are we going, Elphie?" she asked gleefully, her precious smile prevalent in her cheerful voice.
"You'll see," Elphie replied, a knowing smile playing in her tone.
The two continued down the street, glancing in festively-decorated shop windows as they passed. Galinda tugged a few times at Elphie's hand, pointing at displayed items and bouncing with excitement. Elphaba only smiled and pulled her along, promising that they would return later.
Finally it was Elphie's turn to pull at her girlfriend's hand, guiding her into a small café, lit with colored lights and ornaments. It was charming and quaint, a small and cozy place to escape from the holiday clamor. Elphaba sat Galinda down at a table by the window so her love could watch the snow, then ordered two peppermint hot chocolates. As the waitress went to fill their orders, Galinda wiggled happily in her chair, her blue eyes fixated on the frozen wonder falling from the nighttime sky.
Elphaba smiled, her verdant fingers moving across the table to caress the blonde's hand. Galinda shot her a bright grin, eyes dancing, and entwined her fingers with Elphie's before returning her azure gaze to the street outside the window. A few people wandered along the street, popping into and out of the stores that lined the curb. A cab drove by, its yellow body coated with snow. A small group of carolers passed by, "Winter Wonderland" floating melodiously through the air inside the café. Galinda beamed, and Elphie couldn't help but grin. She was never happier than when Galinda was ecstatic.
The waitress, a small, cheerful woman, brought their drinks after a few minutes. "Enjoy," she said, smiling at the two girls before bustling once more around the establishment. Galinda wrapped her small hands around her mug, warming them, as Elphie blew softly on her own hot drink. A small red and white jar sat on the tabletop, filled with marshmallows. The blonde plucked the lid from the container, plopping about half a dozen marshmallows into her hot chocolate as Elphaba sipped hers slowly, watching in amusement.
"This is so terrific, Elphie!" Galinda bubbled, beaming at her green companion. "It's so quaint here, and so out of the way; I never would have thought to come here myself!"
Elphaba chuckled, her chocolate eyes landing lovingly on shining blue ones. "I know, my sweet," she replied, grinning. "That's why we came."
The little blonde let out a gleeful squeak, stirring her hot chocolate before bringing it to her rosebud lips. "Mmmm," she murmured softly, closing her eyes as the warmth filled her. She took another sip, the marshmallows melting in her cocoa. Elphaba swallowed hers thoughtfully, glancing out the window every now and again before returning her gaze to the happy little blonde across from her.
Galinda was all too content to sit in the warm booth, drinking her marshmallow-abundant beverage and watching the winter world outside the cozy café, until she noticed the way Elphie kept glimpsing out the window before looking back to her. She giggled, swirling her drink and tilting her head slightly.
"Whatcha lookin' at, Elphie?" she questioned, grinning.
Elphaba shrugged, trying hard to keep back a grin of her own. "The same thing you are, my love," she answered, though the smile in her russet eyes informed the blonde otherwise.
Galinda finished quickly after that, her mind working hard. She peered past the frosty glass, scrutinizing the scenery for whatever in Oz her Elphie could be looking for. She gave up soon, however, knowing that no matter how hard she looked, she would never discover what Elphaba was preparing.
The green girl hid a smile behind sips of her cocoa, watching the blonde through thick, dark lashes. Her deep brown eyes danced with laughter as her girlfriend hurriedly finished her hot chocolate while Elphie took her time, savoring the flavor.
The little blonde bounced slightly in her seat, biting her lip and releasing it, biting and releasing. Her cobalt eyes darted from Elphie to the window and back to Elphie again, who was calmly watching her and drinking her hot chocolate. It all added up; Galinda was certain that Elphaba had more plans for tonight, and the more she thought about it, the more anxious she was. Finally she blurted, "Oh, Elphie! Come on! Aren't you finished yet?"
The green girl laughed aloud, rising from her chair. "I suppose," she replied, her eyes sparkling as she smiled. Galinda all but leapt up from the booth, immediately taking Elphie's hand in her own. She smiled back at her love, her heart flipping with excitement as they left the café.
The blonde clung tightly to her roommate's arm as they stepped back out into the snow, watching as it fell gently around them. She looked up at Elphie's face, but her the raven-haired girl's expression gave no indication as to her surprise.
"Is it far, Elphie?" she couldn't help but question. "Do we need to call a cab?"
"Mm, I think I have a better idea," Elphaba answered as the pair rounded the corner.
Galinda gasped as Elphie lead her to a fancy green and gold sleigh, drawn by a chestnut horse. The horse shook its red mane, snowflakes falling beneath its black hoofs as it stomped once. Elphie helped her roommate onto the step and into the sleigh before climbing in after her, wrapping an arm around the blonde as the driver clicked to the horse, flicking the reins gently against its rear.
The horse started off at a light trot, its russet tail swishing against the snow falling onto its red coat. Galinda snuggled into Elphaba's side, smiling as the town swept by them. Elphie pressed her verdant lips to the blonde curls beneath the cream beret, her arm holding her love close.
The sleigh glided through the snow, following a secluded, wooded street that wound and wove through the snow-coated trees. The moon shone softly down on the snow, making it seem like diamond dust coating the ground. Someone had hung mistletoe on an overhanging branch, and Galinda gasped.
"Elphie, look!" she squeaked, pointing. Elphaba took her into her arms and kissed her, verdant lips sweetly meeting rose ones. Galinda smiled into the kiss, her breath steaming as Elphie gently broke it. She snuggled further into her green girlfriend's side.
"Where are we going, Elphie?" she wondered aloud, not really expecting the girl to answer.
Elphaba only smiled, giving her a little squeeze.
The horse snorted, coming to a gentle stop as the road ended abruptly. Galinda gave Elphie a quizzical look, but said nothing as she waited for the taller girl to descend from the sleigh. Once on the ground, Elphie held out her arms, smiling as she motioned for the little blonde to come down. Galinda stepped down, green arms securing around her waist and setting her down into the snow.
Elphaba leaned down to kiss the porcelain forehead before taking her love's small hand, leading her through the trees ahead. She smiled at Galinda as they stepped into the square, and the blonde inhaled sharply.
A giant Christmas tree stood in the center of the square, brightly lit with white lights. White tinsel and golden garland danced and swirled through its branches, the streetlights making the ornaments sparkle. The bright white and shining gold of the lavish decorations shone brightly against the deep green of the tree, and Galinda had to crane her neck to see the shining star that topped the Christmas creation. Elphaba led her along the brick path towards the tree, her love's jaw still gaping. Elphaba sighed gently as she looked up at the tree, the lights twinkling in the night. When she spoke, her voice was soft.
"I couldn't find a good enough tree for our dorm, but I know how much you like them…" she trailed off, smiling as she took in the blonde's awestruck expression.
"Oh, Elphie…" Galinda breathed, moving closer as she felt the green girl's arm about her shoulders. "It's so beautiful."
Green lips pressed themselves to the soft, milk-white temple, Elphaba's fingers rummaging through her coat pocket and bringing out a small box, wrapped in pink and tied with a silver ribbon. She looked down at the gift in her hands, silently offering it to the little blonde, who gasped softly before taking into her small hands. Elphie was silent as she untied the ribbon, lifting the cover of the box to reveal a dazzling set of pink diamond earrings.
"Oh…" Galinda breathed softly, her fingertip gently touching the jewelry. She shifted the box slightly in her hands, watching the sparkles that traveled over the gems in the gentle light. She looked up at Elphaba, then back to the gift, and back to Elphie.
"Oh, Elphie!" she finally squealed, leaping into the raven-haired-girl's arms. "Oh, thank you thank you THANK YOU!" she bubbled, giggling happily. Elphie set her down gently, and the blonde beamed as she looked down at the earrings. Her sapphire gaze met with Elphaba's chocolate one as green fingers lightly caressed her rosy cheek, Elphaba leaning in to brush her emerald lips against hers.
"Merry Christmas, Galinda."