Chapter 8: Shiz, Dr. Dillamond's Lab, Two Weeks Later
"Have your exams been getting on well?" Dr. Dillamond asked her.
Elphaba only smiled. "As well as can be expected, I suppose." Exams were over tomorrow. Fiyero was leaving that next evening to visit his family, which meant she'd be allowed to be at peace the majority of the winter holidays. Her father would, of course, insist on throwing her back into that room when Fiyero returned a day before second term started. But until then, she had her freedom.
At that moment, Fiyero came bursting through the door. "I'm sorry I'm late. That maths exam was harder than I expected." He was breathless, and shivering from the cold. She had the strange urge to scold him for not wearing a jacket. At least she'd had the sensibility to wear her cloak! Then again, she wore it no matter what the weather was.
"That's just fine, Master Fiyero. I understand things are a bit crazy this time of year. I bet you're eager to get home and see your family."
"I am." Fiyero nodded, put his bag on a shelf and took his place beside her. "Are you staying here, Dr. Dillamond?"
"I've no place else to go, and if I did, they don't take kindly to Animals in public transit. I'd be shoved into the luggage car." The Goat did not seem bothered by this, though.
Elphaba frowned. "That's segregation."
"That's how it is these days, sweet girl. But like I said, it doesn't matter. I had no reason to leave, anyway."
Still, it bothered her. "But it's not right, Dr. Dillamond."
"Perhaps it's not. The only thing I can do is prove scientifically that Animals are the same as them. Then they'd be forced to treat us equally."
"But why should they need proof, Doctor? The fact that you can speak and have just as much intelligence and capability to feel should be enough." Elphaba insisted.
"Apparently it isn't," Fiyero said quietly. "As terrible as that is." He looked to her, and she saw kindness in his dark brown eyes.
But it didn't sate her. "That's still… I don't like it."
"I believe, then, Elphaba, that the best thing to do in that case would be to continue working with Dr. Dillamond to fix it," Fiyero stated, still looking at her.
"Master Fiyero is right, Miss Elphaba. We do the best we can. Screaming and arguing would get us nowhere. I'd rather fight this battle with cold, hard facts," Dr. Dillamond told her, bleating. "Speaking of which, it is starting to get dark. I'd best be off visiting my little friends!"
She couldn't help but smile a bit at that. Dr. Dillamond was always so happy when he got to watch the baby Owls. It was as though he was revisiting his own childhood, before he was treated like a second-class citizen. "We'll finish up here, Doctor."
"Good, good. Don't stay too late. You should be well-rested for your last exams tomorrow."
"Don't worry, Doctor," Fiyero assured him as he walked out the door. He continued to fiddle with the old microscope on the lab counter. "Are you well, Elphaba?"
"I'm fine. And you? How are exams going?" She knew he was nervous. He'd studied most of the weekend, only pausing once for intimacy.
"So far they've been going well," he said amiably.
"That's good to hear." Elphaba sighed. "Do you think we should worry about him? Out there at night by himself?"
"Dr. Dillamond? I should think he's old enough to look after himself."
"Were you listening during Madame Morrible's stupid little poetry reading, Fiyero? Sentiments towards Animals on campus are unpleasant. Some drunk upperclassman could take that to heart and…" She shrugged. "Forget it."
"No, Elphaba, I understand your concern. But this is University. Despite Madame Morrible's attitudes, I think he's safe here. At least, safer than he might be in the City." Fiyero looked over at her. "I heard that Animals there were pretending to be animal just to escape the Gale Force."
"Where did you hear that?"
"A letter from my father, actually. He visited the City just last month on royal business."
She paused a moment, unable to continue her work. "If that's happening in the City, then the Wizard must know…"
"I hadn't thought about it."
"No one has!" She put down her notebook. "No one cares. It doesn't affect them, so why should they?"
"People aren't that terrible."
"Yes, yes they are, Fiyero! Have you seen the way people look at me, even at you? Sure, some people who think they're unaffected might tell themselves they see me no differently, but deep down they know they feel uncomfortable, disgusted or curious. They can't help it. But if they saw something happening to me, they wouldn't do a damned thing. I'm different. It's justified. There's no reason to care."
"I care," he said.
"You care because you have someone to fuck," Elphaba muttered. "We care if it's someone we know. But if it's just some random Animal on the street, no one cares."
Fiyero shook his head. "That's extremely cynical, Elphaba."
She took a deep breath. "It's what I know."
"Then I'm sorry for that."
They didn't speak much after that. Perhaps Fiyero understood that she needed to simmer in silence for a bit, or maybe he was frustrated at her rant. She didn't really care what it was, though. Elphaba reveled in the silence, in the peace.
When it was time to clean up, Fiyero handled anything that required water while she put things in their places and wiped down the tables with a dry cloth. It was almost routine by now. For a moment, she lost herself in the simple, repetitive motion of wiping things clean… until he touched her.
He hadn't meant to, she was certain. Fiyero had been reaching for a towel just above her head when his body brushed against hers. She took in a slow breath, cursing at herself for doing exactly what she always did, exactly what he pointed out only a week or two previously. And she shifted the slightest bit. That was when she felt it.
He wanted her. There was no ignoring the pressure against her. She considered, for a brief moment, telling him that he'd promised to keep his hands to himself. But then again, it wasn't his hand that was pushing against her, was it? And she didn't mind it. It occurred to her, then, that she wouldn't see him, wouldn't touch him, for weeks. She was surprised to realize that she'd miss it. So she turned to look at him.
"I'm sor…" But he didn't finish. Their eyes met and she found nothing in his but raw, hot desire. She was fairly certain there was nothing in hers but the same.
So she reached up and grabbed him, kissing him fiercely. He couldn't possibly mistake what she wanted. It was late. No one else was in the building. And they both knew she could be quiet if it was necessary.
He didn't question it, and instead kissed her back roughly. His hands untangled her braid quickly as his tongue probed her mouth. One of his hands slid down and pulled the skirt of her dress up. His hand slipped beneath the cloth of her panties and tested her skin, finding her soft, pliable and eager.
An idea coming to her, she reached over and yanked her cloak from where it hung and threw it to the floor. She pushed him onto it as she unfastened his trousers eagerly. There was no time to undress. And it would be easier to hide should someone come upon them, though she doubted that would happen.
He yanked off her panties as she straddled him. She reached her hand and guided him into her, sighing in pleasure as he settled inside her. Fiyero's hands slid up her dress again, this time to the back of her thighs and onto her bottom, pulling her closer to him, further onto him. His hands clasped tightly.
She swiveled her hips, her hands on his shoulders. Their coupling always felt good, but this felt powerful, freeing. Elphaba smiled to herself as she moved, closing her eyes as she did. Sweet Oz, she'd underestimated how much she'd wanted this. It only took moments before she was panting, climbing and reaching towards that delicious release. It crashed over her in waves as she slowed, gasping.
He sat up a little, then lifted her. Fiyero carried her to the counter and placed her on it, opening her knees again. Her skin was still sizzling as he slid into her again, and he wasn't gentle about it. It always amazed her how he knew what she wanted and how she wanted it. Was it in her eyes? Could he sense it through her body? Then again, she didn't care.
Her eyes widened as he dragged her closer, moving deeper. His hands were everywhere, grabbing her through her dress, teasing her between her legs, caressing her cheeks… she lost track. All she could do was hold on and let him ravage her. She thanked Oz for the counter being built into the wall, or the whole thing would be shaking. The only thing shaking, however, was her. She clung to him for dear life as their bodies moved in concert.
He pressed his face into her hair, moving faster. She felt another climax tear through her, and she felt his warmth spilling into her as he grunted. Elphaba trembled with aftershocks as he pulled away. She was frozen for a moment, overcome with the sensations that had coursed through her body. Her breathing was ragged and helpless. He was already refastening his trousers by the time she regained composure.
She blinked slowly and shifted. Elphaba reached over and grabbed a cloth as she took Fiyero's outstretched hand and hopped off the counter. Wordlessly, she wiped down where she had been spread out on the counter, smirking slightly at the imprint her bottom had left as it disappeared beneath the cloth. After braiding her hair, she ambled over to her cloak, still on the floor, and shook it out.
Fiyero came up behind her. "While I'm certain your father might be pleased with your extra effort in conceiving a child, I doubt he'd approve of where it was done. Then again, it would be ironic if the one time we weren't shoved in that room was the time that worked."
"It won't."
"What does that mean?"
"It's… it's not the right time," she said hurriedly.
"So that wasn't why you…?"
"Did you really think it was?"
He chuckled a little. "I was hoping it wasn't. But we never have for any other reason."
She turned around then and looked at him. "Well, Fiyero, I'm tired of my life being directed by everyone else. The Wizard made this law. My father wants that. The Unnamed God foretold these things. We should do something because we want to. That's what that was. Am I not supposed to want it? Enjoy it?"
"No, no, want it all you like. I did, too." He held the door open as they exited the building. "You know, I might miss you a bit over the holidays."
"You'll miss that, that's for sure," she quipped back. She didn't want this conversation going where he was leading it. Not now. "I'll miss it a bit, too. But I'm also quite eager to have time to myself, no offense."
"None taken." Fiyero's breath hung in the air like smoke as they walked.
"Don't expect that to happen again," she warned him. "It was just a moment. It just happened. There's all this stress right now with finals and I just needed release."
"I'm glad I could give it to you."
"I'm glad you're so confident that you did."
"Do you have any idea how it feels when you do? The first time, I wondered if that was it, and now I know it. It's this pulsing wave that draws me in."
She felt heat in her face even in the cold. "Really?"
"Really. Can you feel it when it happens to me?"
"It's like… it's like you're spreading through my body slowly, like a sip of wine that warms you from the core outwards." Elphaba looked down at the grass in front of her. "It felt very invasive the first few times, but now it's almost comforting." She shook her head. "This conversation is unnecessary."
"It's the first time you've let me be this personal, actually."
"It is not! We were talking about our personal politics before."
"That's not the same, and you know it. But on that note, Elphaba, I'm sorry if I upset you with anything I said. I don't know how to comfort you about these things when there's nothing to be done. I understand that you feel helpless, and I wish I could fix it."
"It's not your job to comfort me or fix things for me, Fiyero. I can handle my own problems."
"I just want to help."
"Let's get something straight, Fiyero. We sleep together on weekend because we have to. We are married because we have to. And yes, we may have just had a little fun on our own, but that in no way means that I am expecting you to care for me. So you can drop the act."
"Not even ten minutes ago you had your legs wrapped around me and now you're going to snap at me for being nice?" He rolled his eyes. "Elphaba, for better or for worse, we are partners. We're partners in bed and we're partners at the lab. Would it be absolutely terrible if we got along well enough to talk sometimes?"
"I don't mind talking. I mind you trying to be the hero, Fiyero!" As the rhyme inadvertently slid off her tongue, she started laughing.
He stopped for a moment. "What in Oz?"
She was barely breathing, she was laughing so hard. "...yero my hero," she snorted, unable to fully form the words. "That is the stupidest thing."
He folded his arms across his chest. "I kind of like it."
"Well you'll never hear it again." Elphaba took a deep breath and gathered her wits. She stomped towards her dorm. "You can leave me here tonight, Fiyero. You've done more than enough escorting of me as it is. Escorting me to the floor, to the counter…"
"You escorted me to the floor!"
"Whichever. I'm going. Enjoy your holidays, Fiyero."
"I will now."