I know most of you are eager to get to a real kiss. trust me, i'm eager to write one. I promise you it's coming soon. I'm a big fan of romantic tension, so to me, the buildup makes it all the more satisfying in the end. So stick with me on this and I promise it's coming sooner than most of you think. ;)
3. Friendship kiss.
"You're going WHERE? To do WHAT?!?"
Elphaba winced as the blonde's high-pitched squeal split the air. The girl could reach pitches that only Dogs could hear.
If Glinda had noticed her friends' discomfort at the sudden display of delight, she didn't let on. "Oh, Elphie. This is simply wondrous! Have you told anyone else yet?" Before Elphaba had a chance to respond, the shorter girl squealed again and she threw her arms around her best friend. "Now don't you worry. I'll help with everything. Your dress, your hair. Everything has to be perfect!"
The green girl suppressed a groan. Leave it to Glinda to turn something as important as her visit to the Emerald City into an excuse to work her frivolous magic. As much as she loved her friend, there were times when she wished Glinda would exhibit a little more of the depth that she knew lay beneath the finely polished façade.
Pulling out of the blonde's grasp, Elphaba slanted her gaze downward. "Glinda, I'm just going for a day. Besides." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I just let you wreck havoc on me with one of your "makeovers", which, I might add, didn't turn out so well in the first place."
The shorter girl scoffed. "I don't know what went wrong. My makeovers always work. It must have been something on your end."
Elphaba quirked a brow. She highly doubted it.
Rather than stand there and argue with Glinda about such trivial matters (really, the girl could take the simplest statement and turn in into a full-blown tirade), the green girl elected to play along for the moment. "Really, Glinda, I appreciate it, but I'm not even leaving for another month. I think I can figure everything out before then."
The look that Glinda sent her way clearly conveyed her doubt, but instead of pushing the issue any farther, she simply shrugged. "If you say so, Elphie." Then her eyes narrowed with a sense of purpose "But don't think I'm letting you off so easily. There is going to be at least two, count 'em two, shopping trips. I don't care if I have to club you over the head and drag you there myself. There is no way in Oz you are going before the Wizard in that dour selection you call a wardrobe."
Elphaba had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from chuckling at the determination on her roommates face. Instead, she managed to simply shake her head. "There's nothing wrong with my choice of clothing."
A humorless laugh escaped the blonde. "Have you seen your wardrobe lately? It's black" She said the last word with such distain that one would have thought she had a personal vendetta against the color,
"What's wrong with black?" Elphaba asked as she leveled her gaze on the shorter girl. "It's a natural color."
"But it's just so…" Glinda paused for a moment to find the right word. "Depressing. Sweet Oz, Elphie, the last time I saw that much black was at my grand Popsicle's funeral. Would it hurt to incorporate a little color?"
This discussion was beginning to give her a headache. "Fine. I'll go on your little shopping escapes with you, but I get the final say as to whether or not I purchase anything. Deal?"
Clearly this wasn't working for the blonde. "Elphie…."
"Deal?" She wouldn't be swayed. "You're lucky I'm even agreeing to go. You know how I feel about wandering mindlessly through rows and rows of lace and silk."
Glinda sighed. She knew this was a close as she would ever get to cooperation out of the green girl. Placing her own hand delicately into her friends green one, she grasped it tightly and shook. "Deal. Now let's get going!" She began to pull her friend out of the room.
"Glinda!" Elphaba's voice from behind caused her to pause. "What do you think you're doing? I just told you that I'm not evening leaving for a month. Why the rush?"
The blonde shot her a look that clearly conveyed that the answer should be painfully obvious. "To find you a dress for the party, of course."
The green girls' eyes widened. "What party?"
A sly smile crept up her roommate's face as she grasped her arm and began to pull her toward the door. "The party to celebrate your trip, of course. Elphaba, don't give me that look. If there has ever been cause for celebration, this is it. So keep quiet and come on." She let out a short squeal. "This is going to be so much fun!"
Elphaba suppressed a groan as she followed her friend out the door. Sure. A blast
At last.
Those two words were all that the Prince could think of as he entered his private room in one of the Shiz dormitories. Tossing his keys on the dresser, Fiyero removed his boots and coat and flopped down onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Any time he returned from a trip back to the Vinkus, he was always exhausted. There was just something about his family that was just so …exasperating. They always managed to turn the simplest of events, in this case, the birth of his nephew, into a national festivity. Not that it wasn't a thing to be celebrated. It was, of course. His sister and her husband were both overjoyed with the new arrival, as they well should be.
Fiyero sighed and allowed his eyes to slip shut. If only they could be a bit calmer about it.
Ah well. It's all over now and I can finally get back to relaxing. It's not like anything exciting ever happens around here anyway.
A sharp rapping on his door abruptly put an end to his solitude. "Fiyero?"
He cracked one eye open at the sound of his girlfriend's voice. It wasn't that he didn't want to see her.
He did.
Just not right now.
Closing his eyes once more, he shifted to his side so that his back was facing the door. Maybe if he stayed quiet, she would think he was asleep and leave him alone.
No such luck.
This time is was a series of quick raps. "Fiyero? Dearest, I know you're in there. I saw your coach pull up to campus." Another rap. "Fiyero, please open the door. I have to tell you something important!"
Resisting the urge to throw something quite large at the door, the Prince reluctantly rose to his feet and trudged the short distance to the door of his room. He opened it to see Glinda's smiling face as she threw her arms around his neck. "Welcome home, dearest. I missed you terribly." He returned the embrace and quickly pecked her lips before she moved past him into the room. "How is your sister?"
He shrugged. "Doing well. The delivery went smoothly." He leaned casually against the doorway. "Now what is going on in the beautiful blonde head of yours?"
He couldn't help but smile as an adorable giggle escaped her lips. "Charming as always, I see," She remarked as she took a seat on his bed.
He gave a one shouldered shrug. "It's a gift."
She giggled again and then. "You'll never believe it, Fiyero. She's done it! She's finally getting her wish?"
"Wait a minute." The Prince crossed the room to grasp her shoulders. "Who's done what? And what wish?"
Glinda looked at him as if he should already know the answer. "Elphie, silly. She's been invited to meet with the Wizard. It's what she's been working for this entire time!"
At the mention of the green girl's name, Fiyero felt his breath catch in his throat. He hadn't seen her since that day he had helped her rescue the cub from Dillamond's classroom. He shook his head, attempting to clear his thoughts. Nothing about him had been right since that day. When he left to return home for a fortnight, he had hoped to gain some understanding of what had happened between them on that day.
He had gotten nowhere.
"Fiyero?" Glinda's voice called him back to the present. "Are you alright, dearest?"
"Yes, yes I'm fine." He attempted a smile. "That's wonderful news. Elphaba has much to be proud of."
"That's what I keep telling her!" Frustration seemed to ooze from the blonde as she rose and began to pace. "This is not something that happens everyday! It's meant to be celebrated, not kept secret. That's why I'm hoping that this party will-"
"Wait a clock-tick" He was right behind her. "What party?"
She sighed. "The party I'm throwing for Elphie to celebrate her achievement"
He cocked his head. "And Elphaba is alright with this?"
Guilt colored his girlfriends face. "Well, I never really gave her the chance not to be. It's for her own good, Fiyero. She needs to have some fun in her life! Just say you'll be there."
Though his mind screamed to decline, something within him wouldn't let him. "Of course I will. When is it?"
Her answer was simple. "Tonight."
"Tonight?" He ran a hand through his short hair. "That's kind of short notice, isn't it?"
She shrugged. "I've been planning this for a week. It's not my fault you weren't here."
She was right, of course.
The Prince sighed and nodded. "I'll be there."
The smile he received was almost blinding. "Wonderful!" Glinda reached up to kiss him once more and then headed toward the door. "Seven o'clock in the common room. Elphie will be glad to see you. She's been awfully quiet lately, even for her. You guys always seem to get along really well." She squeezed his hand. "I'll be good to see her smile again. Goodbye, dearest. See you tonight."
Fiyero watched as she flounced down the hallway and then closed the door. Leaning heavily against it, he closed his eyes and let out a long breath. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who had been doing some thinking as of late.
When Fiyero entered the common room later that evening, he was surprised to see that the room was nearly full. People seemed to mill all around him, some gathered in small groups, other conversing in larger ones, still others that had seemed to find a permeating home by the punch bowl.
Glinda hadn't been kidding when she said this would be a party
Nervously clutching the small package he had brought with him, he scanned the crowd for the lady of the hour. It took him a moment, but he finally spotted her in the far corner of the room, sitting on a sofa that looked like it had been there when Morrible attended Shiz.
She was alone and looking quite uneasy while she fidgeted with the hemline on her lavender dress that had Glinda's name written all over it. The poor girl must be dreadfully uncomfortable.
Before he could think to stop himself, he found his feet moving of their own accord to that very corner, stopping only momentarily to return the greetings of Boq and Avaric from their place by the food. Her gaze was down when he reached where she sat and quietly clearing his throat, he asked. "Is this seat taken?"
Brown eyes snapped up to meet his blue ones. "Fiyero!" Her clearly conveyed her surprise. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in the Vinkus."
He shrugged as he took a seat next to her. "I only returned this afternoon. Glinda told me about your letter. Congratulations."
A slight blush caused her cheeks to deepen in color. "Thank you. I'm excited to go." She looked at him once more. "How are things at home?"
He couldn't help but smile. "My sister had her baby. A boy."
A slight smile played on her own lips. "Uncle Fiyero."
"Yeah." He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous habit from childhood. "I'm glad I was able to be there for it."
An awkward silence fell over them for a moment until Elphaba noticed what he still held in his hands. "What do you have there?"
He seemed confused for a moment and then realized what she meant. "Oh, this!" He shrugged. "It's not much, but here." He thrust it in her direction and she accepted it, a strange expression gracing her features. "I thought you might be able to use this on your trip."
Elphaba said nothing for a moment as she stared in wonder at the guidebook to the Emerald City that had been contained in the package. Fiyero felt his heart sink. I knew it was a stupid idea…
But to his surprise, when Elphaba lifted her head, she was smiling and his heart pounded within his chest at the sensation. "Thank you, Fiyero. It's perfect."
He reached over to place his hand on hers. "I'm glad you like it. You'll do wonderful, Elphaba. I have no doubt." Then he surprised both of them when he leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, letting his lips linger for a moment longer than necessary. When he pulled away, she simply stared at him, then immediately looked away.
He was tempted to repeat the action, this time on her other cheek, possibly even somewhere else, but Glinda had spotted them and was making her way toward them. The next few moments were a complete blur; something about Glinda asking him to dance and encouraging Elphaba to join them.
The only thing he knew was that when he glanced back in the direction of the green girl, she had her hand pressed to the spot he had kissed, her face contorted in wonder and confusion. Even as he danced with the blonde princess in his arms, he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to hold a different woman in his embrace.
A woman who wasn't afraid to chase her dreams.
A woman who was nothing like he had ever seen before.
A woman who, in a short time, had shaken his world to the very core.
A woman called Elphaba Thropp.
Clicks are to button like apple pie is to us ;) Happy Thanksgiving!
