Nineteenth fic for a Pride Month prompt challenge from tumblr. Prompt: mutual support.
Friendship between Elphaba and Galinda is tentative to say the least. As much as they were able to figure out their differences on that glittered dance floor, they still have to share the same space and that's still sometimes hard. When Elphaba wants to stay up late to study, Galinda complains that she needs her beauty sleep and please turn off the light or else. When Galinda sings raucously with the dawn, Elphaba pulls her pillow over her head to drown it out, cursing the universe for rooming her with a morning person of all things (and really there are a lot of things).
But despite that, there's a warmth in Galinda's voice and a softness in Elphaba's manner that wasn't there before. If she can get Elphaba out of bed early, Galinda insists on doing her hair for the day, curling it or coiffing it or braiding it, and Elphaba feels a pleased little jolt in her stomach when people look approvingly at her. When Elphaba reads before going to sleep, Galinda curls up beside her on the narrow bed to write a letter home or file her nails. Sometimes they stay like that, in companionable silence, and other times they chat quietly, talking about home, about the future or sometimes class.
As the nights of talking in bed before going to sleep become more frequent, Elphaba learns to read Galinda. She knows how badly Galinda wanted – still wants – to study magic, and soon the nights spent talking turn into covert sorcery practice. Galinda doesn't pick it up as quickly as she wants, and it frustrates her, but Elphaba shakes her head, tells her to try again, again, try this intonation on the incantation, move your wrist like this.
Outside of the relative safety of their shared room, Galinda starts to notice when Elphaba struggles – mostly with other people. When she sees Elphaba worrying the cuff of her jacket, she knows just how to step in and help with the conversation, pulling her out of it if necessary or just helping to guide things to make sure Elphaba gets back into the swing of it.
"Thanks," Elphaba murmurs one evening when they're sitting together under Galinda's blanket to keep the cold out. Galinda looks up from her latest letter home.
"What for?" she asks, brows furrowed and pink lips pouting in question.
"I'm not sure," says Elphaba, and there's a little laugh in her voice. "I just... I wanted to say thank you. I guess for helping me."
Galinda giggles. "I could say the same to you," she says lightly.
She reaches out with one hand, pets Elphaba's hair, running right down the loose dark waves to the ends, her eyes following the movement. When she looks back up into Elphaba's face she's faced with big dark eyes looking right back at her but there's something she's never seen in them before.
"You're so beautiful," she whispers without meaning to. She's still gently holding the ends of Elphaba's hair in her hand when they lean in close to one another and their lips meet in a short, inquisitive kiss. Galinda's certain her face is vibrantly pink after, and she can see the same in Elphaba's face, glowing through the green of her skin. Their hands tighten around one another and they laugh, the sound almost nervous as they shuffle closer to kiss again.