Disclaimer: I own none of these character.
A/n: woot! Happy ten chapters! Yay! I can't believe how much of this story I've written so quickly. Obviously Avaric is in this for his own personal gain, and you'll find out why soon. I think I've gotten Avaric's character down a little better in this chapter. But then, I'm not an expert at all when it comes to book characters. Either way, this chapter was so much fun to write. Actually, this whole story is.
Once the waiter was gone, Fiyero had found a new confidence and looked at Avaric who was sitting directly opposite him. "So, how did my girlfriend convince you to come out with Ar-Elphaba?" He asked.
"Let's not-
"Who says she had to convince me?" Avaric said, cutting Elphaba off.
"Ha! Right. What you just came willingly?"
"Why is that so hard to believe?" He asked. "I'm not a jerk. Well, I am, but I can still see and acknowledge beauty when I see it." He turned to Elphaba and slid an arm around her shoulder. "You have to admit, this viridian creature looks particularly stunning tonight."
"That's my work!" Galinda chimed in proudly.
"And a wonderful job you did."
Elphaba cleared her throat. How was it that the further into this 'date' they got the more and more she felt like she wasn't actually there? Fiyero's eyes met hers as he looked her way at Avaric's comment and Galinda beamed away happily at Avaric's compliment. She watched, feeling like a fly on the wall as Avaric stared at Fiyero. His arm tightened around her.
"Let go of me." She hissed. She saw Fiyero smirk.
"Come with me to the bar." Avaric whispered in her ear.
"I'm not going anywhere with you."
"Just come with me. You need something a little stronger than ice tea." He said the last two words almost mockingly then loudly announced to Galinda and Fiyero, "My date and I are in need of further refreshments, we'll be back."
He practically dragged Elphaba by the arm over to the bar as she stumbled after him, however not daring to look back at the other two.
"Are you quite right?" She asked.
"Yes." He turned to the barman and ordered something Elphaba didn't quite catch the name of. "Now, if you want Fiyero you're going to have to be more convincing."
"Huh?" She stared at him. "I don't want Fiyero. Who says I want Fiyero. Because I most certainly don't. No sir-ee not I."
Avaric smirked. "I will flirt with you because it annoys him. And sure, he might get angry with me, and a little possessive of you. But that alone won't be enough. You need to make him think I'm actually with a shot at getting you to really turn things around."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." She said.
"Well," This time his arm went around her waist, pulling her to him until their bodies touched side by side. "Luckily for you I do. Let me break it down for you. You like Fiyero right?"
"Right." Her eyes went wide. "No! I mean no I don't. That was a lead in question."
He chuckled. "Whatever you say dearest. You like him and therefore you want him. But you can't make the first move because he's your best friends boyfriend and that's crossing a massive line. How am I going?"
Their drinks were now sitting on the bar and Elphaba went to reach for it, but Avaric grabbed her hand. "Not yet. Now listen carefully to me. Fiyero will never do anything despite how he feels because he knows you're right there. So you need to make him feel threatened and let him know that he isn't the only guy in your life. You may be saying goodbye to your days of simply pining for him quicker than you realise."
"O…k…" Elphaba tried desperately to wrap her head around what Avaric was saying. "Wait, what do you mean how Fiyero feels? He hates me. As I do him."
"Yeah, you want to do him alright." Avaric smirked (while Elphaba gaped at his crudeness) "Honestly, no one is fooled by that façade from the two of you. Except, well, perhaps Galinda, and personally I think she's just in denial anyway."
"Avaric, you are sorely mistaken."
But the boy before her only grinned at her and handed her the drink. "Just follow my lead."
"Wait." She said, planting her feet firmly on the ground not moving anywhere. "Why are you doing this?"
"My reasons are two-fold Elphaba. First, as I said, flirting with you tonight will irritate Fiyero and that is something that gives me immense pleasure. And second, Fiyero's attention to you leaves a lovely little blonde thing free, and quite possibly heart broken and, well, Avaric is the best medicine to cure heartbreak."
"You're disgusting."
Avaric's arm was around her once again as they approached the table once more, he leaned down to her ear and whispered. "Tut, tut. You're not 'flirting' with Fiyero anymore. You're going to have to play nice."
"Oh Oz." Elphaba muttered. She pulled away from him as she took her seat again then quickly took several large gulps of her drink. It was strong. But she needed. Oh boy did she need it.
Avaric was quick to put his arm around the back of her chair was soon as they sat down. Remembering the conversation they'd just had, and actually very much hating herself for it, Elphaba consciously forced herself to lean ever so slightly into him. It was subtle, but from the way Galinda beamed at her from across the table, apparently still obvious.
As meaningless conversation began, Elphaba let Avaric's fingers dance along the back of her neck and shoulder, the feather light touches occasionally made her shiver involuntarily. She took heed to his advice and forced herself to do some flirting of her own. Physical touch wasn't something she was overly familiar with, and she knew her movements were far to calculated to be convincingly real as she made herself touch his arm, his hair, hold his hand… she hated herself for doing this. At some point during their conversation Avaric had managed to convince this was a good plan. She didn't even know why. She didn't want Fiyero.
… So that was a massive lie. But she'd rather struggle to believe the lie than submit to the truth.
Still, she giggled (she'd somehow managed to make it sound more like a giggle and less like an insane cackle) at his poor attempts at jokes. They would take turns at whispering in each other's ear, from the outside it looked like sweet nothings, or secret inside jokes between them. But in reality, Avaric would take the opportunity to tell Elphaba what she should do ('compliment me and put your hand on your arm when you do') or she would tell him off ('get your hand off my thigh right now').
Never before had she felt so devious, so… wicked. She could see the looks Fiyero was giving to them. Ice cold glares to Avaric, a more heated glare that seemed to sear her skin to her. At every whisper, every touch his looks got darker. He didn't pay Galinda any attention, despite her efforts, high pitch giggles, draping herself over him, Elphaba noticed she looked a little put out, and Avaric seized this by giving her the attention she wasn't getting from Fiyero. Yet even then he was always in some way touching Elphaba and she had to admit, he was a good actor.
Or had just had a lot of practise at subtly flirting with two girls at once, making them both feel like they were really the centre of attention?
She needed another drink.
* * *
The walk back to Shiz was a long one. Longer than she remembered.
Whatever drink it was that she'd stupidly let Avaric order for her over and over must have had more alcohol in it than she realised, because she had to rely heavily on him just to stand up straight. She felt so unlike herself.
She stumbled again, tripping over absolutely nothing and fell into him. The arm that wasn't already around her quickly wrapped around her waist holding her steady.
"Thank you." She was vaguely aware of how pathetic she sounded. "I would have fallen flat on my face if you hadn't helped me."
"Yes, well, he should be helping you. It's his fault you're off your face." Fiyero muttered darkly.
"Fi!" She exclaimed. "It's not his fault. I didn't have to drink the drinks, but I drank them anyway."
"Fi?" Avaric asked, only barely managing to suppress a laugh.
"Yeah, well," Her expression darkened. "If he has to call me Artie because El-pha-ba is 'too long' to pronounce then I have to call him Fi because then surely Fi-yer-oh must be too long too." She frowned. "Actually now that I think about it… by that logic we all need nick names. Ga-lin-da is also three syllables long and difficult to say. Galinda!" She yelled to her blonde friend. "Is it ok if we drop the 'Gah' from your name?" Elphaba giggled and didn't even wait for a response until she continued. "And Av-er-ic… definitely too long I should call you Avvie, or perhaps just Av… which do you prefer?" She looked up at him, her arm tightening her hold on him to ensure she didn't fall over.
"How about we just stick with Avaric, ok sweetcake?"
Her nose crinkled. "Sweetcake? I don't like that name much. It's too… pink. It's better for Glinda. Yes, you," She poked him. "Should call Glinda sweetcake." Another giggle escape her. "Seriously… why can I not stop giggling? I'm annoying myself. Are we nearly at Shiz yet? I think I need to lie down."
Avaric sighed heavily. "We're nearly there." He looked behind him, Galinda had her arms wrapped around Fiyero's waist she was babbling away to him, trying everything in her power to keep his attention, but the prince was far too focused on the pair in front of him. Avaric smirked and kissed Elphaba on the top of her head. The look on Fiyero's face made him chuckle and turn back around.
Elphaba continued to talk incessantly, interrupting herself with bursts of giggles then exclaiming how irritating she found herself to be. Finally the Shiz campus was in sight and she was thankful. "Finally!" She exclaimed. "I just need to lie down. And get out of this dress, it's so annoying. I would rip it off right now if it weren't highly inappropriate."
"I wouldn't object." Avaric told her, gently steering her off the road again.
"Of course not, you're Avaric."
"That's exactly right possum." He kissed the top of her head again.
"Ugh! My name is Elphaba." She tried to push away from him but he kept her grip on him. "Let go of me."
"If I let go of you, you're just going to fall down. You've had far too much to drink."
"Yes, and I wonder whose fault that is? Honestly I am never letting you order for me again." She said.
Avaric didn't bother to point out she'd just contradicted herself, instead he chose to provoke her. "So you're saying we'll go out again?"
"I don't know what I'm saying, I'm drunk remember? Let go of me."
"I can't. You're drunk remember?" He chuckled.
"I'll take her." All of a sudden Fiyero was standing on Elphaba's other side.
Elphaba twisted her head and stared at him. His hair was messy, looking like he'd run his fingers through it one too many times, his suit jacket was slung over one arm, the sleeves of his grey shirt rolled up to his elbow. She suddenly imagined the arm around her was his, instead of Avaric's. That it was he dropping kisses on her head, calling her ridiculous pet names. It made her heart flutter and she didn't think alcohol had anything to do with it. She had a sudden change of heart. "That's ok. Avaric's doing a fine job of assisting me."
"Elphaba." Fiyero put his hand on her arm.
"Yeah, Fiyero should help you now." Avaric said. "I can't actually be within a mile of the girls dorms anyway, so we'd have to switch hands at some point eventually."
"I don't even want to know why. Though I suspect it's something to do with the fact that you're Avaric and you're disgusting."
"Now, now Elphaba, is that really any way to speak to your date?" He asked. "I thought I showed you a wonderful time. Or at least, a time as wonderful as one can have without having sex. Unless, you'd like to…"
"No!" Her eyes went wide in horror and she resumed her attempts to get out of his arms.
"Ok, ok. Just making sure." He leant forward to whisper in her ear, making sure that even in his close proximity, Fiyero couldn't hear what he was saying. "We have to make this last part look really convincing. Just follow my lead ok?"
She nodded mutely.
"Though I must say, I regret having to let this beautiful creature from my arms."
Elphaba tried to think of something to do and she finally settled with kissing him on the cheek. "Tonight was lovely thanks." She said.
She went to pull away, but Avaric caught her chin with his hand. "No. Thank you." He said, he leant closer, eyes pleading at her to not freak out. His lips brushed against hers ever so lightly. "Spending time with you tonight was wonderful. Perhaps next time we'll be more alone?"
Still shell shocked from his kiss she nodded. "Perhaps." She managed out.
She was barely aware of his arm being replaced with Fiyero's, and as she watched Avaric walk off into the distance towards the boys dorm rooms, it dawned on her. Avaric had just given her, her first kiss. And right in front of Fiyero! Fiyero who she… didn't have a crush on. Fiyero… whose arm was around her, whose body she was accidentally leaning in to.
Oh Oz she just wanted this night to end.
a/n: P.s Avaric isn't playing a massive role in this story. He'll probably show up from time to time from now on, but the rest of his part is relatively minor. Reviews make this writer happy. And reviews in crease the chances of Fiyeraba goodness in no. 11 :D (actually, either way there will be Fiyeraba goodness next chapter. But reviews do make me happy)