This is a shorter chapter and has not been edited. I'm sorry! There was an emergency, so I'll be out of town for a little while. I wanted to give you something, though. It may seem a little rushed, and that's because I wrote the first part and last part and was working on the middle when I got called away. So it's sort of thrown together with a quick transition. I'm also leaving you with a cliffie, which I'm eternally sorry for, but you know. Got to do what you got to do. I'll try to edit this and post another chapter by Monday to make up for this short one.
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Everyone got absolutely terrifying the two weeks before exams and graduation.
Boq had practically moved into the library. He was there whenever I turned up at the start of Elphaba's shift and was still there after she shut the library down. Neither of us would have been surprised if he had made use of one of the rooms in the back to act as a makeshift bedroom. Which was why I didn't even blink as Elphaba had conversationally told me that Boq had a nervous breakdown when their superior found him squatting in the Ancient Mathematical Conversions room and kicked him out. He showed up to the pub that same night with wild eyes and crazy hair, begging someone to help him find a quiet spot on campus.
Crope and Tibbett offered him up the basement of their complex. He said their place was pretty much a ghost town since half the students there were drama students. The other half were cramming over notes and books that the only sound they made was grunts as they hurried to make more coffee. Crope told us all the he really only slept at his place, because two of his finals were intensive monologues and two others were interactive script reading with any random person in his class. He also let us know that even he didn't know where Tibbett was spending his time. He had said it in a joking tone, but only Tibbett himself missed the somber expression in Crope's eyes. Tibbett had just shrugged a shoulder and said he was busy and wouldn't be a bother to Boq.
Miss Nessarose started popping up more around exam time. Probably because she was once again given an easy load. I glared at her every chance I could get when she turned her back, but I had to admit I was eternally grateful that she seemed to be stepping up to Boq's motherly role. If we were all at the pub, studying on a binge, she would show up with homemade treats and a pocket full of change to keep the coffee and tea coming. She even checked in on those of us who tended to shut themselves in doors—Boq, Tibbett, and Elphaba—to make sure they were still alive. She even brought me and Avaric some Vinkun coffee the day after we had been complaining we only had two days' worth left. Elphaba gave me an expectant look, so I thanked her.
Avaric was out of his damn mind. He was constantly out and about between meeting with his advisors, going to different fields around the city for samples, checking books out of the library, and popping in and out of our place or the pub. Which was fine. Some people just liked keeping busy during exams; they couldn't just stay down for too long. Nighttime was when he lost it, though. Sometimes he would be in the common area, talking to himself or arguing with himself about how rainfall affected each individual crop. He actually punched a hole in the wall a week and a half before exams started. Other times I had to start staying the night with Elphaba, because Avaric was taking out his nerves and frustrations by having the raunchiest sex with Galinda that I had ever heard. Elphaba had been sitting on my windowsill, checking the grammar on one of my papers as I checked the political accuracy of hers, and we both took off in haste when Galinda let out a ridiculous sound that would give us nightmares for ages.
Elphaba was the only sane one among us. Which was really saying something considering she was talking the most classes of all of our friends. When I asked her why she wasn't freaking out more, she said it was because she constantly prepared for exams, so they were no issue when they finally got here. Whenever I saw her, she had a new book, which she said was part of her study cycle. She just went through a list of what she needed to do and repeated when she got to the end.
My favorite of her "study materials" was an article she nabbed from one of Galinda's magazines. The second night we were forced out of my place, we found our way back to her place, and it didn't take long for us to end up in bed. I was hardly one to kiss and tell, but her strong and dominating personality wasn't only something she reserved for public life. But hells, I wasn't complaining. I would do anything she asked. I was her Vinkun slave. Galinda's little article gave her wonderful tips, and Elphaba was nothing if not a fast learner.
"What kind of studier are you?" Three asked after I told her about all my friends' habits.
We were at a small outside restaurant in one of the parks bordering Shiz with Five. Avaric was supposed to come with us, but there had been rainfall the previous night and called him to take some more samples. Sarima and Elphaba both told us they would be late, each of them having something to attend to first. So Three, Five, and I took to ordering ourselves drinks while we waited.
I shrugged as I took a drink of house special wine. "Most of my work is research, and I'll probably cram most of it on the last week."
"At least Elphaba seems to have a level head about her work," Five commented. "I couldn't even imagine all the work she has to be doing."
"I'm just glad she's not turned crazy like the rest. Even Miss Nessarose gets a little insane with all the emotions buzzing from the rest of us."
The two of them hummed and started telling me about a group of students who came in the other day and drank all of their good alcohol. They said there was about fifteen of them, and each of them would have drunk Avaric and me under the table. I didn't believe them at first, but when they started dropping some names, I took back my skepticism. Avaric and I hadn't really ventured down to the bar recently, not with finals looming in the distance. Even though I was a procrastinator, I still had things to get done, and Avaric was always working on something that he couldn't risk because of a well-deserved hangover. Three and Five said that business usually lagged around exam time anyway, because students who had been slacking all term started to pick up. Apparently the weekend after exams was when they got their best business.
I frowned when Elphaba and Sarima showed up. When they showed up together, talking and smiling about something like they were good ole pals. I glanced about for reporters or someone, but the place was closed to the press without proper passes. Elphaba had barely talked to Sarima and her sisters when we invited them to brunches and dinners. So call me crazy, but I was a little anxious about their sudden camaraderie.
"Oh, yeah, forgot to mention that Elphaba's been coming around," Five smirked over the rim of her glass.
"Why?" Her smirk just deepened. "Come on, tell me."
"Or what? You'll have me arrested?"
"Sorry we're late," Sarima smiled as she and Elphaba took their seat. Elphaba gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. "We got caught up."
"What's in the bag?" I asked, nodding to the shopping bag that Elphaba was holding.
"Nothing," she mumbled and moved the bag so it was situated between herself and Sarima. Three and Five snickered at whatever look crossed over my face. "Have you all ordered yet?"
"Just drinks," Three held up with a grin.
"Where'd you get caught up at?" I continued on.
"Nothing big," Sarima answered. "We were in line behind this man at the bookstore who was throwing the biggest fit."
"You went to the bookstore together?"
"Yes?"
"Any interesting books, Elphaba?"
"Nothing that would interest you. Do they have a vegetarian option here?"
I didn't forget about the mysterious bag while we talked and ate with Sarima, Three, and Five. Of course, I didn't let my curiosity steal my attention away from the table, though. So I kept up the conversation, but my mind kept wandering to guessing what book could possibly be so important that it needed to be kept a secret from me. It could have been a present, but Elphaba wouldn't have gotten me a book as a present. There weren't many books I didn't have back home, and I hadn't mentioned any authors penning new volumes of anything recently. So it had to be a book for her personally. I just couldn't imagine what kind of book she would need to keep secret from me. A couple of time she caught my gaze when I threw glances down at it. She would just grin at me and take a bite out of whatever it was that she ordered.
"So shopping with Sarima, eh? Whatever will Galinda say about your new shopping companion?" I teased Elphaba as we walked back to my place from the park. I swung our hands, occasionally bringing them up to my lips to kiss the back of hers.
"Galinda wouldn't be caught dead in a bookstore," Elphaba answered with a soft smile. "You were the one who said I should spend more time with Sarima."
"Yeah, me and Sarima," I huffed.
"What?" Elphaba laughed at me, "Are you afraid I'm going to tell her about your little crush on her?"
I snorted, "I don't have a crush on Sarima. I just admire her work ethic and dedication. Like a good king would recognize his workers."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, darling." Elphaba giggled when I bumped our shoulders.
"Are you staying the night?" I asked as we got closer to mine.
"Not tonight," she sighed. "I have a presentation tomorrow on proper banquet etiquette. As if I haven't been attending banquets for my entire life and as if any of these banquets ever differ from one another." She rolled her eyes. "The only difference is that people have to applaud when I walk into the room as Princess Elphaba of the Tiggular clan of the Arjiki tribe, ruling family of the Vinkus as opposed to Elphaba Thropp of Munchkinland."
"Please, Elphie, try to contain your excitement, will you?"
"Oh, yes, I'm so happy I could melt." Another eye roll. "I just need to use your bathroom and grab my bags."
She took off for the bathroom after I let us into the place. The bag she had been carrying, though, was carelessly tossed onto the island.
I looked at the shopping bag that was sitting on the island and then over to where Elphaba had just disappeared into my room. Really, I should have been ashamed of how fast I moved to see what was in it. But come on. She wasn't going to be in the bathroom forever, and I needed to strike while I had the time. If Tibbett was here, he would have surely made some reference to Icarus, because the second I caught a look at what was in there, I reeled back in shock. It took me a moment to remember how to move before I went back over to the bag, taking another peek inside before hastily putting the bag back the way I found it.
Okay. It's fine. Everything was cool. I was cool. I was the definition of cool. We were cool. Elphaba and I were the definition of cool.
I frowned at the bag as I crossed my arms over my chest. Then I turned my frown towards my bedroom. What was Elphaba doing in there? Did it really take that long to go to the bathroom? I startled then. I needed to be doing something other than suspiciously looking like I had just looked in the bag she was trying to keep me from looking in. I grabbed this morning's paper and flipped to any page and threw it over the island. I tried picking out words in the article in case Elphaba asked, but I couldn't see anything but my thoughts playing out before me. The words just melded together and made absolutely no sense.
But it was fine. Everything was cool. I was-
"The paper's upside down," Elphaba frowned at me as she reemerged.
"Oh," I glanced over at her, "I know." I added, "Crope was talking the other day about how sometimes they makes images of the word layout if you turn it around like this." I was remarkably impressed with myself. "Are you alright?"
She gave me a questioning glance, "Yes. Is there a reason I shouldn't be?" she asked as Avaric walked through the front door. He nodded his head in acknowledgement and collapsed on the couch.
"I don't know. I don't know your body. I mean, I know your body, but I don't know your body." Elphaba raised her brows at me, and Avaric made a sound from where he was on the couch. "Functions. I don't know your bodily functions."
"How much of that wine did you have?" She teased as she folded up the paper.
"Clearly not enough." I muttered, and she asked what I said, looking up from where she was tucking her shopping bag into her satchel. "Oh, I said just enough," I lied.
"Are you alright?"
"Me?" She gave me an odd smile. "I'm perfect. You're perfect. We're perfect. I'm perfect. I'm fine." I wasn't speaking right. The look on her face told me that. "Do you want a drink? Wait, no," I waved a hand dismissively, "no drinks."
"Fiyero."
"Wow. Is it hot in here or is it just me?"
"I need to go. Are you going to be okay if I leave you alone with Avaric?"
"Alone?" I ran a hand through my hair and huffed out a laugh. "I'm never going to be alone. You'll never be alone. I'll always be here for you. You know that?"
Elphaba stared at me as she pulled her satchel on and adjusted her hair to it. She told me she did and pressed a quick kiss to my lips. I pulled her back to me when she pulled away and gave her a sound on. It seemed like a good thing to do. A good thing. Good, good thing.
"Okay," she laughed, pushing away from me. "Go take a nap and sleep some of the alcohol off. I'll see you tomorrow okay."
I watched as she gather her other satchel. Was I supposed to tell her I loved her? Was that an appropriate response? Did I love her? Was it too soon to say it if I did? But did I? I think I did. I think I really did. So I called out for her before she slipped out the front door. She turned around and looked at me expectantly.
"I love…" I trailed off for a second before finishing with, "your hair. I love your hair a lot."
"Um," a look of concern came over her face. "Thank you, Fiyero. Yours is rather nice, as well." She gave me one last look before disappearing out the door.
"What the fuck was the about?" Avaric barked out as he laughed from his spot on the couch.
"Elphaba's pregnant," I said as I sunk into the armchair.
"What?" Avaric let out an unmanly sound.
"She was hiding these books from me at lunch with the girls, and I snuck a look at them when she was in the bathroom." I ran my hands over my face. "They're pregnancy books. Elphaba's pregnant." I dropped my head between my knees. This was happening. It's fine. Everything was cool. Elphaba was pregnant, and I was going to be a father. "Oh Oz, I'm going to be a father. Oh Oz."
"Are you sure she's actually pregnant?" Avaric asked skeptically.
"Who just reads pregnancy books?" I cried.
"Maybe she's just interested in the miracle of birth?" he offered but didn't sound convinced anymore. "Well, shit."
"Shit." I agreed.
"Well, I mean, this is supposed to happen, right? This is like one of her functions as your wife, yeah? So she's just doing her job."
"We've been so careful." I groaned, pulling a throw pillow over my face.
"If it's a boy, will you name it after me?"
I was planning on writing Boq into this chapter, but his part would have been in the middle. I do have a yearning for frazzled and sassy Boq, though, so I'm promising you and myself that he'll be in the next chapter.
Eh? Interested? Intrigued? Please review!:)
