When Glinda realised she was waking up she willed it to happen slowly, gently, if it must happen at all. She had been having wonderful dreams.

Her sleepy mind also tried to gauge the whereabouts of Elphaba but that was not too much of a struggle. Hair tickled her nose and she felt the coarse nightdress against her face. Slowly opening her eyes the nightdress was all she could see, pressed as she was against Elphaba's front. Both Elphie's arms were around her and if Glinda had been any closer she would have been the nightdress itself. Clearly Elphaba's embarrassment did not extend to cuddling.

Knowing that Elphie would retreat as soon as she showed signs of being awake Glinda purposely lay still for as long as she could. Regrettably though she was growing stiff in the small, hard bed and needed to use the facilities. She made an act of yawning and pulling Elphaba closer.

The retreat took place and Glinda gave chase across the tiny bed as best she could. Elphaba straightened her out in her arms and then lay back.

"Morning," Glinda said happily.

She watched a smile spread across Elphaba's face. "Morning," Elphie said quietly, her hand fluffing at Glinda's hair.

Glinda groaned. "Is it awful?"

"It's adorable."

That was it. Glinda had been openly awake for less than a clock tick and she was already overcome with the desire to kiss Elphaba. Not just wanting to kiss her, that had been a longstanding want of every morning – every moment – for a long time. But a need.

Elphaba, whether through somehow discerning Glinda's desire or the advent of a reciprocal desire – well, Glinda could only hope – immediately wriggled away and got out of bed.

Thankfully Elphaba was little more than distracted today as she got herself ready, not the fevered anxiety she had been in the grip of for a while last night. Glinda smiled to herself. For all of Elphaba's madness and spontaneity she was actually quite set in her ways and did not cope very well when change was foisted upon her, even pleasant change. She just didn't know what to do with herself outside of this role she had invented.

They were bound closer than ever. Elphie had always protected Glinda and she was never more in need of protection than now. And Elphie took her responsibility incredibly seriously. Glinda didn't know, though, what she was giving in return. All she had for Elphie was love. Adoration. Devotion. Nothing practical or useful that Elphie needed.

In an attempt not to become disheartened she swung in to action to get ready, clearly needing to pay some attention to herself. As she washed and towelled her hair she could hear Elphaba pacing about the room and smiled. But they did not miss the coach, they were on and settled in plenty of time.

Glinda would have liked Elphaba to have stayed awake, though she could not begrudge the girl her sleep. Anyway there was nothing to say to each other squeezed in with all those strangers. Neither their conversations as friends nor as whatever-they-were-becoming really worked with an audience of unknowns.

Their conversation was impenetrable even to their friends: filled with banter and cluttered with inside jokes, veering from deep philosophy to complete inanity in a matter of seconds. Now also with a goodly dose of innuendo and flirtation it was more dangerous than ever.

Though having Elphaba sleep next to her was no hardship. By dint, Glinda presumed, of not dreaming Elphaba also barely moved whilst she slept. Glinda had observed it many times before that Elphaba seemed to wake, even in her own bed, in exactly the same position she had fallen asleep in. She just turned to lead and stayed like that all night. And lead was exactly how heavy she felt, draped over Glinda in the carriage.

Glinda quite liked it though; the vague sensation of being crushed. She slipped an arm round her love's shoulders and Elphie never moved. With her other hand Glinda held one of Elphie's in her lap.

This was not, she assured herself, simply about gratuitous touches. The carriage lurched and bumped and she had a genuine fear Elphie would topple in to the footwell. But yes, Glinda suffered a longing to hold Elphie. Which was an absurd notion as she had never shown any inclination of wanting to be held in such a way.

A strand of a dream wafted in to Glinda's mind like a whiff of perfume. She had been dreaming about Caprice in the Pines, a strange combination of the holiday she had envisaged the other night and actual events. That had been such a strange, wonderful, terrifying time.

She allowed herself to slip back in to it.

Back at Crage Hall after the tense journey home Glinda had felt it somehow incumbent upon her to make some sort of amends. She felt more comfortable then, back in the safety of her familiar room and out of the terrible scrutiny of Pfannee and ShenShen.

"It was regrettable, what happened," she had begun in a roundabout way, fiddling with the frills of her bedspread whilst Elphaba unpacked. "But, now, I can't say I am entirely sorry it did happen."

Elphaba fixed her with a incredulous stare. "It was a joke played on me."

"It was a joke played on myself too."

"Oh Galinda, leave yourself out of it. It was a hoax on me by that ridiculous Miss Pfannee – though I am inclined to blame Boq, in actual fact, for convincing me to go. He bears a large part of the blame. My natural inclination was very much the opposite."

"Well then I am also to blame as well as being a victim."

Elphaba scoffed at that but she continued. "I made a rather serious error of judgement in reference to you one night and Pfannee wished to punish and torture me for it."

Elphaba frowned, more in intrigue than annoyance it seemed. "How so?"

"Oh I don't know," She attempted to make light. "I think I tried to refer to your opinion on something, by accident really."

"My 'opinion on something'?"

"Yes, we were talking about – goodness I don't remember what – but whatever it was I remembered something you had said about it. And I just started to say it. I guess I forgot..." She wasn't sure what it was she forgot. She just knew it had been a mistake.

"You forgot you weren't supposed to care about my opinions? You forgot I was supposed to be an irrelevance? You forgot I was mean and green and not to be mentioned in polite company?"

She was aghast but Elphaba seemed quite matter of fact. So she was matter of fact too. "Yes."

Elphaba, bizarrely, actually smiled. "Well, thank you. Thank you for forgetting. And thank you for remembering in the first place."

This was not the response she had been expecting. But then, whenever did Elphaba comply with the response one was expecting?

That conversation had troubled her, afterwards, and some months later she had brought it up again. They had already changed so much, by then, in the aftermath of Dr Dillamond's death and Ama Clutch's illness.

Glinda had been falling. It had been a new and obviously unpleasant experience but she didn't really think about it like that. She felt that parts of her were breaking off and falling away, she was being dismantled and stripped down. But a lot of the parts she lost she could not be sorry for.

And Elphaba was there, always there, holding her together enough that she did not disintegrate but not trying to influence or shape her. Just holding her, gently, allowing her to become whatever it was she was becoming with no ulterior motive.

When Galinda became Glinda and came to rest, it was in the strength of Elphaba's arms. She had been caught and now, from the other end of the journey, she was able to recognise it all as a metamorphosis.

Glinda was made anew. And Elphaba had changed too. That was exactly what they had talked about. By the time she had the courage to return to the whole sorry Lake Chorge mess and their conversation afterwards Elphaba characteristically could barely remember something of such a trivial nature.

"Oh yes," Elphie chuckled eventually. "When you made the grievous error of referring to me in public."

"You said it was only Boq who had induced you to come."

"He was taken with the idea and would not close his mouth on the subject for well over a week. His motivations were entirely dishonourable, of course. Though less than Avaric with the other two."

Glinda gave a nod of agreement. "Well his arrival Pfannee and ShenShen did not disapprove of. You did them rather a favour, if by accident."

"I can't say I'm a particular fan of either of them," Elphaba mused. "But their characters have improved inordinately haven't they? Must be the better influence of that other one. And you, of course, my dear."

Glinda felt this was all getting rather off topic. "Milla? Yes, I suppose," she replied offhandedly.

"And you. I'm paying you a rare compliment, I'm not going to let you overlook it."

Glinda was trying to be serious but couldn't help smiling a little as her cheeks coloured.

Elphaba turned back to her book, imagining the conversation concluded, but Glinda had barely begun.

"Boq thought I wrote that I needed you."

Elphaba now used a receipt as a bookmark and closed the book fully, rather than just peering over it as she had been doing. Glinda took this as a sign the importance of the conversation was being recognised. But her room mate said nothing, simply continued to observe albeit with more attention.

"I know what she wrote. I made it my masochistic mission to do so. I wanted to know the full extent of my humiliation. What did you think she had meant – or, I had meant – about why I wanted you there? Things I couldn't tell you? And if you thought it might be true that I might need you, why would you not come?"

Elphaba sighed and swung her legs off the bed, sitting more fully facing Glinda. "The thing is, my dear Glinda, that while plenty has been said about your behaviour last year little has been said about mine."

Glinda was taken aback. "But you were never more than steadfast in the face of cruelty from all sides."

"Maybe I was that. But I was more: I was haughty and arrogant and bad tempered. Mistrustful, vengeful, sulky, proud. Still am. We were both different people. Think, at the time, even though you had been in some distress... you didn't want me there."

Glinda knew that were only partially true but it was all she had ever admitted, so she nodded.

"You are looking at this purely from the point of view of the now. And things were very different then. As you say there had been some amount of cruelty, you can't imagine I was willing to rush head first in to that? I was suspicious and wary. And cowardly: had I truly believed you were in trouble I should have gone in to Lake Chorge itself for you, much good that would do anyone."

"It's ridiculous, really." Glinda was getting overwhelmed.

"No," Elphie said with an enormous amount of sympathy in her voice. "But if that were to happen now I assure you things would be very different."

"Aside from the fact I will be accepting no such invitations," Glinda pointed out, which made Elphie laugh. With relief, she supposed. Glinda moved over to Elphie's bed to sit beside her.

"I don't think you were any of those things."

"Well you certainly thought I was some things objectionable," Elphie chuckled again. "But, on me too, you have been a good influence."

"Do you really think?" Glinda looked up at her.

"I know." Elphie pressed a kiss to Glinda's forehead. "Unfortunately however, not on my sense of fashion."

On that point Glinda had to agree. She still did agree. Not that she would have it change.

The carriage rumbled on. Glinda tightened her arms around Elphie and rumbled on with it, in to the unknown.

Except it was not so unknown. They were back in another tavern overnight. Another shared bed, another cold room. It had become the hallmark of the journey and Glinda was not-so-secretly thrilled.

Elphaba was at the bar ordering some food and drink. "Freshly squeezed, mind." Glinda heard her telling the waitress sternly.

Their food arrived and Glinda was hungry. It was, well, edible. And that had a lot more value than it had done a week ago.

Elphaba however was looking at her glass suspiciously. It did look a bit pale. "Check this for me, will you?"

Glinda took a pointless sip. "I can't tell." She was supposed to be discerning whether it were diluted and the probable percentage of dilution. She'd tried before but never could. "You did ask -"

"I know." Elphaba frowned and continued to silently interrogate it.

"Just put your finger in."

Elphie shook her head. "My finger will definitely burn. Doesn't mean I can't drink it."

Hilariously she lowered her head and stuck out her tongue.

"You look like a cat," Glinda giggled.

"How many green cats have you ever seen?" Elphaba made a spitting face as the drink burnt her tongue. "Ow."

"I can feel a refund coming on," Glinda sagely predicted.

"There'd better be," Elphie muttered as she carried the offending glass away.

Arriving back with a glass of milk Elphie was about to take swig – Elphaba did not sip – but she stopped. "Would you prefer me to get a saucer?"

Glinda was supposed to laugh but she could only look at her friend with a smile of helpless longing. Elphie seemed to take this as an error of judgement on her part and took several long gulps to the point of choking a little. That caused Glinda, in complete innocence she was sure, to reach over the table and wipe away a dribble of milk from Elphie's chin.

It was a simple, almost motherly touch. But it was a touch. And they had seemingly deliberately avoided doing that all day. At least Elphie had and Glinda had only indulged herself as Elphie slept. They weren't the most tactile of friends; it had meant to much for too long already, been charged even before yesterday or the binding spell even. But they were reasonably touchy with each other and affectionate on top of that.

But today Glinda had been very aware of them both hovering around each other. The whole not-touching tactic was only drawing attention to what it was supposed to be avoiding. They were always too near for comfort, for it not to be causing lumps in throats and terrible yearnings. But not close enough for it to be undeniably beyond the bounds of friendship and propriety.

Glinda herself was positively bursting with expectation. She was on tenterhooks for another kiss. Though she had told herself if that yesterday had been the first and last she would die happy it turned out to have been an appalling lie. She was happy but she was by no means content. Or satiated. In fact she doubted that would ever be the case. Even if by some wonderful miracle their lips became permanently attached Glinda did not think it would be enough.

Having been there she only wanted to go back. But what about Elphie? Well, what about Elphie? She knew the green girl better than anyone in the world and still the vast majority of the time had no clue as to what was going on with her.

Except now they were just staring at one another, just in thrall. Glinda only really noticed when the trance was broken by some of their fellow travellers arriving in the pub and greeting them.

Glinda managed a dazed greeting in return. Elphaba said nothing.

She reflected that the evenings and night times might be fun but the day time travelling was getting pretty old pretty fast. That other couple looked positively haggard from the experience.

"How much longer, do you think?" Glinda wondered idly.

"Not a clue," Elphie pronounced, evidently having righted her mind. "They said eight or nine days but I have no idea on what basis. Where are we now? Day four?"

Glinda giggled. "It'll be our anniversary in a few days." Immediately she rather regretted that and thought she would spin Elphie out again but she just grinned and took it in her stride. Really she could be so unpredictable.

"I'll take you somewhere nice for dinner to celebrate a week since your kidnapping."

"You know, Miss Thropp, people call those dates."

Flushing Elphie gamely continued. "I have actually heard of those. I've read about them in books."

"You don't read those kind of books!"

"Maybe. Maybe I looked it up especially."

How was this possible? How was Elphie so, well, flirty, for want of no better word, but reduced to abject terror by anything actual?

"You're a funny one," she said quietly.

"I know," Elphie said, affecting her breezy tone. But it was only an affectation and they both knew it. "And yet, here you are."

"But I was kidnapped," she reminded Elphie.

"Ah. Forgot that. Damn. There goes that theory." Elphie actually snapped her fingers.

Glinda smiled and yawned at the same time.

"Turning in?"

"I don't really want to," Glinda admitted.

Elphie just smiled, stood and held out her hand.

Back up in their room Glinda was sure it was going to happen again. It needed to happen again. Today. Before Elphaba spun so many threads in her head that she was completely incapacitated. Glinda held on to that hand, calling Elphie to her silently.

After the door was closed there was a moment, that hovering. Elphaba hovered, just ever so slightly out of reach. Glinda watched, rapt, as she licked her lips. And then, less rapt, more bereft, as Elphie walked away.

It seemed to be taking Elphaba so long in the bathroom that Glinda just went ahead and got undressed. Missing out on that spectacle would be Elphie's punishment, she decided. So when Elphie got back Glinda was already wrapped up in bed.

"Are you going to..?"

"No."

Elphaba's eyebrows communicated some sort of surprise. Or trepidation. The lamp was turned off and Elphie got in to the bed, staying a perfectly respectable distance away. As distanced as one could get in that small a bed.

"Come here," Glinda requested. Elphie shuffled. Glinda wrapped her arms around the foolish girl. Elphie's arms moved to cover her own.

"Good night, Elphie."

"Good night, Glinda."

This was it, Glinda thought. She had been waiting all day and it was almost gone and she was not going to wait one single clock tick longer. She was already so close, closer than they had been all day. She could hear Elphie's breathing, she could feel Elphie's heart. Tentatively she moved her hand to brush some hair from Elphie's face.

Elphaba's eyes met her own and there was a wild sort of terror in them. Glinda pushed herself further up the pillow so she was at the same height. Her fingers ran over Elphie's cheek, across her lips. Elphie's eyes were closing and she was having difficulty breathing. Glinda took these to be good signs. She knew it was wanted. They just had to be brave in allowing themselves to be vulnerable.

"Elphie..." she whispered. "Elphie, I want you to kiss me. I need you to kiss me."

Elphaba's eyes opened and in the darkness they looked black. Glinda didn't even have time to inhale before Elphaba was kissing her with a passion as deep and dark as her eyes.

When she fell asleep – Ozma only knew how much later – she may not have been sated but she was very content and very, very happy.


Author's note: There was originally a much bigger chunk of flashback about Caprice in the Pines but it got way too big and wasn't entirely relevant. So I posted it as a one shot: Capricious at Caprice, or check my profile if interested in a bit of old school not-quite-Gelphie-yet fun.