My youth is yours
Trippin' on skies, sippin' waterfalls
My youth is yours
Run away now and forevermore
My youth is yours
The truth so loud you can't ignore
My youth is yours
-Troye Sivan
It was Elphaba's favorite time of year—autumn. She knelt at the door to lace up her boots while Glinda stood at the mirror, knotting and unknotting the scarf around her neck.
"Ready?" Elphaba asked, standing up again.
Glinda frowned. "Which one do you like better? This?" She gestured at the scarf, which was knotted at her chest and hung down across her front. "Or this?" She untied and redid it, then gestured again. Elphaba couldn't see a difference.
"Umm…that one."
"Which one?"
"The second one?"
Glinda looked at her through the mirror. "You don't care, do you?"
"I think you look beautiful either way?" Elphaba offered. Glinda rolled her eyes, then unknotted the scarf and retied it in something entirely different.
"There," she said. "Let's go."
Elphaba watched her for a moment. She really did look beautiful. Autumn was her favorite time of year for a lot of reasons, but part of it was because Glinda looked cute in sweaters and scarves.
Glinda noticed her staring and raised her eyebrows. "Shall we, Elphie? We have to hurry if we're meeting the boys before class."
"R-right." Elphaba cleared her throat and grabbed her book bag. "Let's go."
Outside the air was crisp and smelled like leaves. Glinda intertwined their fingers, and together they took off down the sidewalk. Red and gold leaves quivered in the trees and covered the yards they passed by. Glinda kicked them up every time there was a pile close enough to the sidewalk. A few of the porches they passed still had pumpkins out, and one was already half-covered in Lurlinemas lights.
"That's just ridiculous," Elphaba said, pointing it out. "Who decorates that early?"
"It's never too early to get into the spirit," said Glinda, "…as long as they're not lighting them yet."
They reached the campus and took a right along the path that led to the history building. They found Fiyero, Crope, and Tibbett waiting outside, huddled together on one of the wooden benches.
"Morning," Fiyero said brightly. He pointed to two foam cups on the ground. "We got you coffee."
Glinda bent over and picked them up. "Which one's which?"
"The one that smells like pumpkin is yours, and the one that actually smells like coffee is Elphaba's."
Elphaba grinned and took her cup. "How much do we owe—"
"My treat," said Crope, cutting her off.
"But—"
"Consider it payment for letting him copy off you in Nikidik's class," Tibbett said. Crope pouted at him. Tibbett kissed it away. "Kidding, babe."
"Gross." Elphaba rolled her eyes and looked around. "Where's Boq?"
"He said he'd meet us there. Had to print off a paper or something." Fiyero stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder. Above them, the bell tower chimed.
"Shit, are we late?" Tibbett asked, standing and pulling Crope up with him.
Elphaba glanced at her watch. "Nah. That thing's always two minutes fast. But we should go."
Glinda grabbed her hand again, gave the boys a dazzling smile, and skipped off toward their class.
"You're late," Boq said under his breath.
Fiyero fell into the chair beside him. "Hardly. And Dillamond is always late, too. We're fine."
One table down, Glinda pulled out her sketchbook and pencils.
"That's not history," Elphaba pointed out. Glinda stuck her tongue out.
"Not technically, no," she said, flipping to the right page. "But it's the history building."
"What?"
Glinda tilted the book toward her. "We have to redesign one of the buildings on campus. I chose this one. See?"
"But I like this building," Elphaba almost whined. Glinda giggled.
"I know, but look." She flipped to a page of interior sketches. "I replaced the staircases with ramps and gave all the rooms swinging doors, to make it more Animal friendly. And here, you'll like this." She turned the page again and pointed to a corner of the new sketch. "I put a library on the first floor. It's small, but I figure it could hold textbooks and old documents, you know? And this way history students can do their studying here in between classes, instead of going all the way across campus to the library."
Elphaba was silent. Glinda glanced up and saw that she was too busy studying the drawings to comment. She looked impressed.
"Not so bad, huh?" she asked, nudging the green girl.
"This is incredible," Elphaba said quietly. Glinda grinned triumphantly.
"This week sucks." Boq collapsed into his chair with a groan. Across the room, one of the library workers turned over her shoulder to glare at him. His ears turned pink. "Well, it does," he said, quieter.
Elphaba was too busy typing into her laptop to look up. "Complain less, work more."
"That's Elphie speak for 'I totally agree, everything is awful,'" Fiyero said. He bent his head forward and rubbed at the top of his neck. "I think I'm getting a headache."
"Teachers shouldn't be allowed to assign everything all at once," Crope grumbled. He glared at the blank document on his computer. "This is dumb."
Tibbett arrived at the table and tossed a bag of gummy bears into the middle. "Study snacks," he declared, sliding into the seat next to Crope. "Where's Glinda?"
"In the art building," Elphaba said. She glanced warily at the girl shelving books, then reached forward and tore the bag open. "That final sketch of the history building is due tomorrow, and she wants to get a portfolio together for grad school by Friday."
"What about her sorcery test?" Boq asked.
Elphaba waved her hand. "She's got that down, no problem. Greyling adores her. It's next semester, when she takes Morrible's senior seminar, that she'll be in trouble." She looked up and frowned. "Not that I don't have total faith in her."
"You just don't have faith in Morrible," Fiyero said, nodding. He took a handful of gummy bears and started placing them at every other paragraph in his textbook. "Incentive," he said, noticing the others' stares.
"That's genius," said Tibbett. He nudged Crope. "Do that for your paper."
Crope made a face. He grabbed a gummy bear and tried to stick it to his computer screen. It fell anticlimactically onto the keyboard.
"Oh well," he said, tossing it into his mouth. "Guess this paper will never get written."
"I propose," Fiyero said much later that night, "that this weekend we all get completely wasted and forget that this week ever happened."
Crope, bent stiffly over his laptop, didn't respond. Tibbett rubbed his back. "We're in."
Boq nodded, falling back onto the couch and propping his book on his chest. Elphaba finished typing her sentence and looked over at Glinda. She was at the coffee table, her sketches spread chaotically across it, but instead of working she was resting on top of it, her eyes shut peacefully.
"Glinda?" Elphaba asked. No response. She smiled a little. "Glinda, wake up."
Glinda groaned quietly and buried her face further into her arms. Fiyero and Tibbett stifled laughter.
"Gliiiindaaaa," Elphaba sang. "Alcohol. Party. Friends."
"Portfolio," Glinda mumbled. "Not Friday."
"Saturday?" Tibbett suggested.
"Saturday good," she sighed. "Sleep now?"
Elphaba stood and stretched and walked over to kneel beside her. "Wake up, my sweet," she said, too soft for the others to hear. "You need to finish that design by tomorrow."
"But what if I didn't?" Glinda asked. Elphaba chuckled and swept her hair back, revealing more of her face.
"Come on, you can do it. It's a great project."
"But I'm sleepy."
Elphaba leaned closer. "Tell you what. You finish it now, and I promise I'll make it worth your while when we get home."
Glinda lifted her head and blinked groggily. "Elphaba Thropp. Are you bribing me with sex?"
She said it too loud. Fiyero laughed so hard he fell out of his chair. Crope unfroze and collapsed against Tibbett, giggling uncontrollably. Boq turned red and dropped his book over his face.
"Yes," Elphaba said boldly. "Yes I am. But only if you finish that project."
"Okay!" Glinda straightened her papers and got back to work.
Crope turned to Tibbett. "So when I'm done with this…?"
"I'll take good care of you," Tibbett promised.
Saturday arrived with a rush of relief. Glinda's portfolio sat mighty and polished on her desk, the scans all safely stored into her computer. Papers were submitted and tests were turned in, and after a lazy day of cuddling in bed and watching old sitcoms, Glinda and Elphaba were wandering across campus to the boys' apartment to celebrate.
"Welcome home," Boq said as Elphaba walked in. "You realize Fiyero's basically taken over your bedroom, right?"
"It's okay," said Glinda, stepping out of her shoes. "All her sex toys are at my place."
Both Elphaba and Boq blushed deeply.
"Sex toys?" Crope peered into the room from the kitchen. "I'm down."
Glinda giggled and went over to him, giving him a hug before pulling back and pouting. "You started without us?"
"We haven't done shots yet," Tibbett called, already pouring. "I think I miscounted. Fiyero? Can you hand me another glass?"
Fiyero turned and reached into one of the cabinets. He pulled down something pink and glittering. "Why do you… Wait, isn't this Glinda's?"
"Hey, I've been looking for that!"
"You left it here homecoming week, I think," said Tibbett, taking it from Fiyero and pouring. "Dibs, by the way. Alright everyone, take a glass."
They gathered around the table and each grabbed a shot. Boq rolled his eyes when he got left with the glass with a jeweled bikini on it. Crope winked at him.
"Don't spill," Elphaba whispered to Glinda.
"You hush."
"Ready?" said Crope. They all held out their glasses. "Three two one go!"
They tapped their shots to the table and threw them back. Crope and Tibbett whooped and high-fived. Elphaba turned and pulled a bottle of lemon vodka out of the fridge.
"What do you want to mix?" she asked Glinda.
Glinda pressed her cheek into Elphie's arm and peered into the fridge with her. "Ooh, there's still sweet tea. Do that."
"Too summery," Boq said, reaching past them and pulling out a pumpkin beer. "You gotta get into the season."
"Yeah, except beer doesn't get me drunk fast enough," Glinda teased, pulling down glasses for herself and Elphaba.
"Babe, do an Everclear shot with me," said Crope. "You too, Yero."
"No thanks, I don't really want to die."
"I'm in!" Tibbett slung an arm around Crope and took his shot glass. "Shall we toast?"
"It's either going to be sappy or perverted," Elphaba muttered to Glinda.
"Well, how about…" Crope tilted his head to whisper in Tibbett's ear.
"I'll drink to that," Tibbett said happily. They clinked glasses, touched them to the table, and downed them effortlessly.
"How," Boq said flatly. "That stuff is disgusting."
"The power of love," Crope cooed. "Wanna try?"
"No, thank you."
"Sappy it is," said Glinda, taking Elphaba's hand and her drink and leading her to the living room. "Elphie, is your record player still here?"
"I think so. Want me to go get it?"
"We'll get it if we can pick the music," said Crope, towing a grinning Tibbett with him. Elphaba waved her hand and they hurried off.
"Sit with me," she said, going over to her usual chair and pulling Glinda down with her. They adjusted and curled comfortably together while the boys slowly settled into the room. Crope and Tibbett plugged in Elphaba's record player and put on some alternative Emerald City band.
"My cousin dated their drummer," said Tibbett. "For like, a week."
"That doesn't count, then," Fiyero said. "A month or it's not a real relationship."
"They went on two dates and hooked up in his backseat."
"A fling?" Crope suggested.
"A week of passionate aesthetic attraction," said Elphaba. Glinda reached up and pressed her drink to her mouth.
"Too intellectual, Elphie," she said. "Need more vodka."
A few hours later, when Crope and Tibbett had disappeared and Fiyero had a Vinkan indie album playing at a low murmur, Elphaba shifted her arms around Glinda and sat up a little.
"Want to go?" she asked softly. Glinda had been nodding off for the last half hour or so, but now she shook herself and nodded.
"Yeah, okay."
Fiyero was spread across the floor by the record player. He looked up at them. "Brunch tomorrow at the café?"
"Just make it lunch," Boq mumbled from the couch. "None of us are going to be up before noon."
"Text us," said Glinda, giving both of them a little wave. She stumbled into her boots, leaning heavily on Elphaba. "Are you sober enough to get us home safe?" she asked her, batting her lashes.
Elphaba was warm and relaxed, and her head felt pleasantly light, but she wrapped a strong arm around Glinda's shoulders and smiled.
"No worries, my sweet. Bye, boys."
Boq mumbled something, and Fiyero sat up enough to wave once before lying back down. Elphaba chuckled and led Glinda out the door.
"You doing okay?" she asked Glinda.
"Mmmhm." Glinda snuggled into her side, her hand resting low on Elphaba's hip. "I'm great. I've got you."
Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Cute."
Glinda's fingers slid lower until they caught on Elphaba's pocket. She pressed her cheek into Elphaba's shoulder and sighed happily. As they walked she grew bolder, curling her other arm into her chest and pressing her fingers against Elphaba's torso. She let her hand drift up and down ever so slowly.
Halfway through campus, Elphaba sucked in a breath and gripped Glinda tighter. "You're killing me, you know," she said with no real anger. "Especially since you're just going to pass out when we get home."
"Who said anything about passing out?" Glinda asked innocently. She squeezed Elphaba's hip and grinned up at her. "I could stay up for a while."
Suddenly they couldn't get home fast enough.
Elphaba was trembling by the time they reached Glinda's apartment. She fumbled with the keys twice before Glinda, stifling laughter, took them from her and unlocked the door. They barely made it inside before Glinda had Elphaba pinned to the door. Elphaba held her hips and waited. She loved it when Glinda made the first move—as she often did—but now she just pressed their bodies together and stared at Elphaba's lips, waiting, taking so long Elphaba was on the verge of just spinning her around and taking control.
"Glinda," she whispered, pulling her closer. "Oz, please, just—"
Glinda kissed her hard, cutting her off. She pulled back long enough to breathe, "I wanted to hear you beg," and then kissed her again. She reached blindly for Elphaba's jeans, dragging down the zipper and slipping her hand in, over her underwear. One firm stroke, and Elphaba's head fell back against the door with a thud.
"You okay?" Glinda giggled.
"Just great," was the answer, and Glinda couldn't decide if she had groaned or sighed it. Smirking, she kissed Elphaba's neck and pressed her fingers further.
Elphaba exhaled shakily. Her hands slipped around Glinda's hips. Seeking the advantage, she squeezed, distracting Glinda enough to spin them around and drop to her knees in front of her.
"Fuck," Glinda breathed.
Elphaba ran her hands up her thighs and eased her leggings down. "And I haven't even touched you yet."
Glinda combed a hand through Elphaba's hair, cradling her head. She tugged a little, impatient, and that was all Elphaba needed. She ducked her head and pressed her mouth to Glinda, reveling in the moan that followed.
"Elph—oh god, fu—" Glinda's legs trembled so hard Elphaba had to help hold her up. She leaned back after a few moments.
"Bedroom?" she asked, wiping her mouth.
"Bedroom." Glinda pulled her up and grabbed her hips, walking her shakily backwards to her room. Somewhere along the way they lost their shoes and the rest of their clothes, and neither one bothered with the light switch. Glinda had just enough sense to swing the door shut behind them, and then she was pushing Elphaba back onto the bed and crawling over her.
Glinda woke up to an empty bed. She could feel it immediately. There was too much space behind her, and the sheets were colder than usual.
Frowning, she rolled over, stretching her hand across the mattress. No Elphaba. Glinda lay there thinking. The smell of coffee reached her.
She grinned and sat up, pulling the blanket with her. Now she could hear the sounds of Elphaba in the kitchen—the soft dripping of the coffee maker, a spoon clinking against a mug, quiet humming.
"Good morning," she said, shuffling sleepily and happily into the room. Elphaba looked over her shoulder and smiled.
"Are you sleepwalking?" she asked. "You seem to have brought the bed with you."
"Not the entire bed." Glinda pulled out a stool by the island and slid onto it. "I didn't bring pillows. Although maybe I should've—I need a weapon if you're going to tease me."
"So sassy. And to think, I made you coffee." Elphaba turned and set a pink, flowery mug in front of her.
"Thank you, Elphie." Glinda stood on the stool and leaned across the island to peck her on the cheek. Blushing, Elphaba stepped back and pulled her own mug out of the coffeemaker. "What time is it? Are we still meeting the boys?"
"Not until noon, at least," Elphaba said, and she nodded to the clock on the wall. It was barely nine.
Elphaba poured three precise spoonfuls of sugar into her mug, then put the container away and grabbed a towel to wipe down the counter. Glinda watched her, sipping absentmindedly at her own overly sweet coffee.
"Why do you always get up so early?"
Elphaba shrugged. "I like having time in the morning."
"True, but…" Glinda gave her a look. "I can think of better ways to spend your time."
"Oh?" Elphaba leaned on the island and smirked at her. "Was last night not enough for you?"
"With you? It's never enough."
Elphaba straightened and lifted her mug. "Sorry. Gotta drink my coffee."
Glinda sighed. "I suppose that's fair. Well, I'll be in my room if you need me." And she stood and started down the hall, dropping the blanket as she went, just in case Elphaba needed the reminder that she wasn't wearing pants.
Elphaba watched her go, her heart skipping a bit. She looked down at her coffee, then back up at Glinda.
"Dammit," she muttered, and hurried after her.
Shiz got colder and the trees were mostly bare now, so on one of the last somewhat nice days of the year, Elphaba pulled on a hoodie, found a rake in one of Glinda's closets, and headed outside. That's where Glinda found her an hour later, walking home from her last class of the week.
Glinda paused at the sidewalk. Elphaba's back was turned, so she hadn't seen her yet, and she was free to just admire the sight. Elphaba must have gotten too hot, because she had pulled her sweatshirt off and was just wearing a thin tank top over her jeans. Her cheeks were flushed from working and every sweep of the rake showed off how toned her arms were.
As if sensing her presence, Elphaba paused and turned around. Seeing Glinda, she grinned and leaned a little on her rake.
"Good view?"
"The best." Glinda shifted her bag and walked over to her. "You know, you're gonna get sick like that."
"I'll be fine." Elphaba smirked. "Besides, I don't think you're really complaining."
Glinda scowled, but she reached up and ran her hands over Elphaba's collar bone, up and around her neck. "Well, no…" She stood on her toes and leaned forward to kiss the corner of Elphaba's mouth. "You know what I think? It's a good night for a movie night."
"Yeah?" Elphaba let the rake fall and wrapped her arms around Glinda's waist.
"Yeah. Let's order pizza and have a movie night. Ooh! And make a blanket fort!"
"Okay."
Glinda beamed. "Really?"
"Really. But you have to let me finish this first."
"Okay." Glinda let go and took a step back. "I'll just stand right here and watch."
Elphaba rolled her eyes, but she made no complaints as she bent over and picked up the rake again.
That night found them nestled in a mass of blankets and pillows. Glinda's fairy lights were strung along above them, making the inside of their little tent of blankets glow warmly.
Elphaba yawned wide, stretching as best as she could in the small space. She rolled over and pressed her face into Glinda's arm.
"Sleepy?" Glinda asked.
"No," was her muffled response.
Giggling, Glinda reached over and shut her laptop. "It's pretty much over, anyway. Come here." She wrapped Elphaba in her arms and held her close, pulling one of the blankets over them.
Elphaba sighed happily, snuggling into her. "I'm so in love with you," she murmured, peeking up at Glinda. "Really, I am. I don't think I tell you enough."
Glinda ran her fingers through Elphaba's hair. "Maybe not with words, but I still know."
"Oh?"
"Almost every morning you make me coffee with the perfect amount of cream and sugar. You believe in me and my work, and you walk me home when we're both drunk. Elphie, we practically live together, and every night we get to fall asleep in each other's arms. Believe me. I know you love me. I know, because I'm so in love with you, too."
Elphaba watched her for a moment, then smiled shyly and ducked her head, hiding her face against Glinda's chest. Glinda laughed quietly, shaking them both, and Elphaba hugged her tight.
"What do we have to do tomorrow?" she asked, slightly muffled.
Glinda bent to kiss the top of Elphaba's head. "Absolutely nothing," she said softly, and then her eyes were sliding shut, too. "Nothing but this."