A/N: It's a little shorter than usual but I've been so busy with work I haven't had much time to write. I wanted to at least get something up for you to read so here is a little bit. Enjoy!

Chapter 10

The rest of the afternoon flew by very quickly for the two. They finished up their shopping trip and headed back towards their dorm. Along the way they passed a flower cart and Elphaba purchased a single red rose for Galinda.

Galinda could not feel any happier than she already was. Elphaba had confessed her love for the blonde and demonstrated it as well. She thought back to the passionate kiss the two of them shared and the many subsequent kisses that followed. She had been disappointed when the sales lady had knocked on the door interrupted one heavy kissing seesion. She felt like the luckiest girl in all of Oz. Her excitement got even more so when Elphaba stopped to purchase a flower for her. The act in itself was enough to cause Galinda to want to wrap her arms around Elphaba and just hold her forever. She contained herself however because she was not sure how their whole new relationship thing was exactly going to work out. If in fact it would. Her smile quickly changed to a frown as many what-ifs invaded her mind.

"What is it my sweet?" Elphaba asked the blonde noticing her sudden shift in mood. She had decided to try and walk back to campus while pushing her wheelchair. It took a lot of convincing the blonde before she would finally allow it.

Galinda stopped walking and motioned for them to sit on a nearby bench. Elphaba quickly followed and parked her wheelchair right next to the bench. She sat down and patted the spot next to her for Galinda to sit in.

Galinda sat down and took one of Elphaba's hands in her own and began to stroke the back of it with her thumb.

Elphaba looked into Galinda's eyes with hurt look and then back at her hand. She pulled her hand from the grasp of Galinda's and linked her own two hands together instead.

"I can't Glin. Not in public." Elphaba tried to validate her reaction.

Galinda's frown deepened as she thought that her what-ifs had become a reality. What if Elphie could never give her what she needed in public? Galinda was a pretty social person and Elphaba was not in the slightest. Galinda liked to talk to the other girls about dates and Elphaba didn't talk to anyone but Galinda. How was this going to work? They were so different from each other.

"I was afraid of that." Galinda said a little more harsh than she intended.

The words that Galinda had just said stung Elphaba. She felt as if she had to try and make it up to the blonde in some way.

"I promise when we get back to the room we can do all the hand holding you want. Just you, me and hands." Elphaba tried to make the situation better for the blonde not realizing what she had just said.

At hearing this last statement Galinda just raised an eyebrow. Was Elphaba aware of what she just said? Galinda shrugged it off and continued to just stare at the ground.

"Elphie I don't know if I can do the whole hiding from everyone thing." Galinda honestly said. "I am willing to try for you but I don't know how long I can hold everything in. I don't even think I want to hold anything in."

Galinda stopped what she was saying and briefly looked up into Elphaba's eyes to gauge any sort of reaction. She was only met with eyes of understanding and compassion. This made it so much harder on the blonde to continue.

"Elphie, I love you and I want the whole world to know. I want to shout it from rooftops. I want to carve 'Galinda loves Elphaba' into trees. I want to dance with you at the school balls. I want to pass little notes to you in class and not worry if they will be intercepted and read. I want everyone to know that you are off limits. I want you to be mine and only mine." Elphaba looked on as Galinda finished her speech. The whole thing had caught her off guard.

Usually Elphaba was able to comprehend things pretty quickly but what just came out of Galinda's mouth was hard to take in. Elphaba wanted all of those things too but maybe in a different life. If things were different she could have those things. But being who she was, an introverted, anti-social, green girl, she did not feel she should be allowed to have those things.

"I don't want that." Elphaba lied and looked away. She did not wait to see the pain form in Galinda's eyes.

Galinda couldn't understand what just happened. A couple of hours earlier they had been kissing in a dressing room. Elphaba had confessed her love for the blonde and Galinda had reciprocated. She thought everything was going to work out from now on.

"How can you say you don't want those things Elphie? I thought you said you loved me." Galinda questioned. She needed some answers right now. Had this all been a joke? Had Elphaba just led the blonde on?

Elphaba heard the hurt in the blonde's voice and turned back around. She at least owed it to her to give her a propped explanation.

"I do love you Glin but you know me. I am horrible with people. The entire population of Shiz loathes me. How do you think they will treat you if they find out we are together? They will hate you too. Madame Morrible may even separate us from rooming together. Plus there's my position. The Thropp Third Descending dating another girl? How do you think that looks in Colwen Grounds? I'll tell you how good…not good at all. I can't have it known that I am in a relationship with anyone, much less another woman." Elphaba tried to explain to Galinda. Galinda however took everything Elphaba had been saying the wrong way.

"So you're saying I'm not good enough for you?" Galinda's bottom lip began to quiver as tears formed in her eyes.

"That is not what I am saying at all my sweet. Calm down." Elphaba tried to calm the blonde. Everything she had tried to explain had been taken the wrong way and twisted to fit the blonde's needs. She was always doing this. Twisting everyones words to fit her purpose. It aggravated Elphaba that Galinda wouldn't just listen to what she had to say.

"What I am saying is that I cannot risk being together with you publicly. When we are alone is a different story." Elphaba still tried to calm the crying girl.

At this statement Galinda stopped her crying and looked angrily at Elphaba. How could she dare say something like that to her?

"So you are saying I'm your dirty little secret then, eh? Some harlot you can have when it's convenient for you." Galinda was beyond irrational at this point. She jumped up from where she had been sitting and looked down at Elphaba.

"Look I may be blonde but I'm not dumb Elphie. I know that a relationship is about compromise and sacrifice and if you are not willing to do either then I don't see why I am wasting my time." With that said Galinda stormed off in the direction of their dorm alone.

Elphaba was left speechless on the bench as she watched Galinda disappear in the direction of Shiz. She figured it was best to let Galinda blow off some steam and then she would come to her senses and realize that is not what Elphaba had been talking about at all.

Or at least that's what Elphaba hoped would happen.