Disclaimer: Not Mine...I think I've heard that somewhere...

A/N: I was so close to writing smut. That's all you need to know for now and extra-long chapter.

Chapter 10

Just For This Moment

"Oh, Elphie," Fiyero moaned at Elphaba's ministrations on him and his eyelids closed, but not before Elphaba sent him a playful glare.

"Call me 'Elphie' and I stop," she told him seriously whilst moving herself to straddle his hips.

"No Elphie then, Fae," he said automatically, not wanting her to stop. At all. He glanced up at her again. He was fairly certain that was Glinda's white blouse she was wearing, it dipped that little extra bit, just enough for him to see the top of her lacy bra, but not enough that he could imagine the hidden treasures lying underneath that teasing shirt. And that skirt, was certainly Glinda's. Elphaba, who was a good six inches taller than her friend, was wearing Glinda's skirt. That meant another six inches of slender thigh exposed for his mind to fantasise about. To touch. To savour. Oz, he wanted her. Badly. Although the last straw for him was the hair, it wasn't meant to look erotic or seductive, but it did. Her usual meticulous curls had fallen from their braid and were splayed against her back like an ebony waterfall. And there was that one tress that refused to stay behind her ear, no matter Elphaba's insistence on it.

She sent him another play-seductive-charming grin before kissing up the smooth column of his neck towards his earlobe. Once reaching her destination, she switched directions and pressed soft kisses along his jawline. He moaned at the action and her fingers began to undo his shirt. She was very...bold at the moment, he thought as her hands ran down his bare chest, tracing the intricate diamond pattern that adorned his chest along the way.

Although before she could continue teasing him like she had planned to upon entrance to their bedroom in Kiamo Ko, he turned the tables on her. Literally. She was now pinned underneath him, with him resting between her shapely legs and her skirt hitched to her waist. She glared at him, but her chocolate orbs were clouded with such lust and desire that he was so tempted to rip the clothes from her body and make love to her until she recited his name to the heavens. No matter how much he wanted to, he wanted to savour this moment. She was special. She always had been. So without further ado, he popped a button off her and attacked her collarbone and neck with such fervour that she allowed a half-strangled moan to escape her lips.

He continued along the graceful curvature of her neck, running his hands along her thin body. Her back arched into his touch and his fingers found the edge of her blouse and ran his hands along the smooth emerald flesh of her abdomen. Her teeth sunk into her lower lip and she gripped the sheets behind her. He internally smirked at the reaction she was having towards him; amused that he could still invoke that reaction from her after all these years. It was like the first time, except better.

Her heels dug into the small of his back and pressed him closer to her, making the space between their bodies non-existent. He grinned at her action and pressed a kiss to her newly exposed flesh along her abdomen. She let another guttural moan leave her lips, but he silenced her with a kiss to her mouth. He pulled away slightly to look down at her. Azure bore into chocolate and she blinked under her thick lashes. Once. Twice. Thrice. Her eyes glowed from the sliver of moonlight through the window, her ebony curls were fanned out under her and those thick lashes were the tipping point. They were taunting. They teased. And Oz, she was gorgeous. How he missed her like that.

He inwardly groaned. She looked so innocent like that. So Ozdamned innocent, but she was far from it. Lurline! If he'd told her the things she did to him without trying. Oz, she'd turn the most unrefined shade of cerise. Her whole body would flush, even her ears, Fiyero had noticed once. But when she intentionally teased him...Lurline save him.

"Are you going to tease me all night?" she asked seductively, her voice just above a whisper.

"Maybe..." he answered slyly, running his hands to the waistband of her skirt.

She uttered a throaty moan and he tugged down the skirt and she kicked it off the bed.

"Why, Master Fiyero," she said, adopting the ancient title from the Vinkun language. "You have far too many layers of clothing on," she remarked, finishing her handiwork from before and sliding his unbuttoned shirt from his shoulders.

"And you have too little," he teased, "I am certainly not complaining. Less is more and I personally believe you look better without anything at all."

"Tease."

"Seductress," he answered against her mouth. "I can't believe you though," his hands skimmed along the edge of her underwear and he grinned. "Practical are we?"

"Cotton is comfortable," was all she said, but she was feeling particularly bold as she ran her toe up his thigh.

"Fae..." he ground out, "who's the tease now?"

"I don't see you trying to stop me," she told him harmlessly.

"You are a tease," he accused and muttered something under his breath that sounded like, "and a good one."

She grinned. "Oh," she mocked, but lovingly, "have I hurt Yero's poor ego?"

He cocked an eyebrow, before pouncing on her. Pinning her underneath him, she wriggled and squirmed, trying to remove herself from his tight embrace without much avail.

"You are one wicked woman, Fae," he said, kissing up the valley of her breasts "You are a tease"—he plastered kisses along her neck—"You are a seductress"—kisses along her jawline—"and you are too beautiful for your own good"—and he finally descending down upon her lips.

"Me? Beautiful?" she scoffed, but it came out a half-squeal. "I think you need your contacts checked."

"My vision is twenty-twenty, Fae, the sarcasm is not appreciated. You wicked, awful girl, you have to be punished."

Her mouth twisted into lopsided smile. Half her mouth was pointed up, whilst the other was curved down. And, Oz, it made her look a hundred times sexier. He was in real trouble now.

"Punished how?" she asked, running the tips of her fingers along his shoulder and up his neck.

"I have a few ideas," he said, kissing down the thin plane of her stomach towards and unclasped the offending piece of material that encased her breasts. Her hands gripped the sheets tighter and pressed her legs against his waist. Her breath hitched significantly as he ran a hand over her breast before continuing to kiss his way down to meet the edge of her underwear.

"This is punishment?" she gasped out sceptically. He ran his forefinger up along a well-rounded thigh and his finger followed the curve of her underwear.

"No, this is," he said moving his mouth towards her hip and pulling the most offending piece of material he had seen down with his teeth.

Elphaba's mind began to lose all sense of consciousness as Fiyero kissed up her leg. It was sheer euphoria. And they hadn't done anything yet! Her mind was spinning from Fiyero's induction of close euphoria and her evident arousal, which she could feel on herself. She was like a coil. Winding around itself tightly, but there was only so much tension a coil could handle before it crashed down on itself and broke.

Fiyero grinned at his actions. Sure, he was a tease and a bit of a manipulative bastard to get what he wanted, but it worked well enough. Every cry, whimper and moan from Elphaba, only goaded him on. He continued his sensual exploration of her leg. The emerald skin enhancing her beauty and he made a mental note to never let anyone else see her like this. Naked, gorgeous and just plain wonderful. As his mouth neared her thigh he sensed the essence of something sweet, something he needed. As he climbed higher and higher, Elphaba was finding it increasingly difficult to contain her moans, cries and whimpers.

"Oh...Fiyero..." she cried out richly, her body twisting itself around the sheets, that coil of hers was about to break. The tension had worn itself out. She wanted—no, needed him. Now.

And he was so close, so near and—

Fiyero Tiggular, CEO of Tiggular Book and Crown Prince of The Vinkus, woke up in a sweat. He ran a hand through his sleep mused hair. He had a sex dream. A sex dream about his former girlfriend; he'd had a sex dream about his former girlfriend, who was also his current assistant, an assistant who would ravenously murder him and hide the evidence so well that even Sherlock Oz wouldn't be able to solve his case if she ever found out about his dream. Oz, if she even caught a whiff of him having a sex dream about her, she would do all the above. No questions asked.

It was official, he hated, no, correction loathed Elphaba Melena Thropp. Even if they weren't together anymore, she was still able to invade him dreams and sleep. And Oz he hated it, when she did, she was usually scantily clad and the next day he couldn't even look, let alone talk to her. On those days when he sent for her, he made sure to be behind his desk if he did need to talk to her and then send for a glass of iced water. Extra ice. Oz, his dreams about her were certainly vivid and he remembered every detail of them. Lurline! And she was sleeping right beside him! It was a wonder she had not woken. She looked so peaceful as well, with not a care in the world. And once again, it was official, Lurline hated men. Oz, how is it he remembered how his ex looked naked; he'd even remembered the beauty mark on her right breast, after nearly two years of not seeing her like that, but he couldn't remember where his reading glasses were half the time.

No, screw the important things for him like financial figures and employee salaries. Give him his ex in nothing but her bra and underwear (or nothing at all) and his eidetic memory came into play. Like images permanently burned into his mind. No, there was nothing wrong with that at all.

It was all the same though, the smoothness of her emerald flesh. The coiling tension within her body that was ready to snap in a moment. Her guttural moans that escaped her lips at his ministrations on her body, there was nothing that satisfied him more. Her naked body arching into him as she—

No! Bad Fiyero!, he scolded himself mentally. Their little agreement was nothing more than a business deal. Nothing at all.

Now, he told himself as he swept the quilt off him, I shall go down to the kitchen for breakfast. He looked down at his obvious arousal from his dream. He groaned. Damn her. Damn you, Elphaba-Ozdamned-Thropp. Damn you, you're too sexy for your own good and you don't even know it.

He needed a cold shower, but corrected himself quickly when he heard Elphaba sigh from the bed and roll onto his pillow. That did nothing to stabilise his libido. And even though she was one of the most unattainable women in Oz, he wanted nothing, but to wake her and make love to her all over again like before. But he didn't. She wasn't his girlfriend anymore, he could not and should not, and if he did, in the best case scenario, she'd kill him. That would certainly go down well. But it didn't help him from wanting her, knowing the odds of her returning his feelings was a million to one. Although a small sliver of hope allowed him to think that she was that one.

He cursed as he heard Elphaba give another half-moan and sigh. He needed a cold shower, correction; he didn't need a cold shower. He needed a shower that would freeze him over.

XoxoX

"Oh, Lacie," Melena cried to the Gillikinese Girl, pressing kisses to both her cheeks. Lacie Upland, not of the Upper Uplands though, much to her dismay, was a petite, young girl, with a figure most women would kill for. Men had flocked to her side from the tender age of twelve and her mother had been so excited. Her father, on the other hand, had grown weary about his only daughter and allowed her to do as she pleased. Her mother was a simple trophy wife that her father had snatched up the chance he got in his youth. If either spouse died there would have been no love lost, it would have simply meant there was more money for the other. Her blond curls were dyed, although she frequently denied this claim, stating that she was an Upland, therefore all their hair was blonde and therefore natural. However, Glinda Upland of the Upper Uplands was the only Upland to have been blessed with the natural blonde curls.

"Melena Thropp," she greeted curtly, "so lovely to hear from you again."

"Yes, it is, isn't it," Melena said, shaking the girl's hand, "how's the Gillikin?"

"Dreadfully boring," Lacie moaned, "it's all the same, party, ball, party, ball, the occasional one night stand and then back to its former trend."

"So, you wouldn't mind helping me with a little situation...?" Melena asked the petite blonde.

"Issue? What kind of issue?" Lacie asked, daintily sipping her tea.

"Well, my daughter, you remember Elphaba?" Melena asked with a tint of distain.

"How could I not?" Lacie remarked cynically. Remembering the time that certain Elphaba Thropp had embarrassed her in front of the Wizard himself by 'accidentally' spilling grape juice on her brand new Louis Wizzon dress, Lacie had never forgive the green girl for the incident. "She embarrassed me in front of Oz's most important social circles that I would have inevitably become a part of." She tossed her artificial curls back.

"Yes, that girl always knew how to make a spectacle of herself," Melena spat, "but back to business, my daughter, Elphaba, is getting married."

Lacie laughed maliciously, "To what? Who is certainly out of the question, the poor guy must be either blind or under some sort of spell," Lacie remarked.

"Yes," was all Melena said. "Although it does seem he is quite smitten with her. The poor boy..." Melena trailed off thoughtfully.

"What poor soul has been brought into dearest Elphaba's 'charm?'" Lacie asked with quotation marks.

"CEO of Tiggular Books and Crown Prince of the Vinkus, Oz's playboy extraordinaire himself, Fiyero Tiggular," Melena answered to Lacie.

Lacie laughed again, "Wait, the Fiyero Tiggular? The Fiyero Tiggular that started with own company at age twenty-four and has slept with more women than humanly possible?"

"The very one," Melena asked, "I've asked you here because I have a mission for you."

"As long as it involves that man I'll do anything," Lacie said dazed. It was Ozdamned, Fiyero Tiggular; voted Ozmopolitan's most eligible bachelor from age nineteen to age twenty-six, until he dropped out of the running because he's met a girl and therefore wasn't considered eligible anymore. What a pity though, the winners after he left though was nowhere near as delicious as he.

"Good, I have enlisted the help of Fiyero's brother Christopher to try and..." Melena searched for the right words, "...drive them apart. Elphaba is green as sin and she should never marry. It is the Unnamed God's colour of sin, green, it signifies wickedness and evil. She does not deserve happiness."

"Do continue," Lacie said with a malevolent gleam in her eyes.

"Well, first we..." Melena began.

XoxoX

Fourteen Years Ago

A fifteen-year-old Elphaba Thropp peered through the Quox Wood doors and took once glance at the party happening in her mother and father's ballroom. She and Nessa had been sent up to their rooms and told not to bother the adults mingling downstairs. Nessa was only twelve and had promptly fallen asleep as soon as the time clock struck nine. As soon, Elphaba had tried to join her sister in slumber, but it was no use. As soon as Nanny had thought she had fallen asleep, Elphaba had quickly dressed in her usual black frock and surreptitiously descended the stairs to the door of the ballroom.

Her eyes were amazed at the elaborate and fanciful decorations that adorned the walls and hung from the rafters. Although she frowned, her father had always said they did not need to have extravagant and ornate figurines and adornments for their balls that they hosted. What really confused her was her mother's hypocrisy though. There was a young girl, not any older than herself, or maybe even younger, curtsying to her mother and father.

The girl's blonde curls were in some awful up-do that Elphaba was fairly certain she'd seen in Ozmopolitan because Nessa was reading an article the other day about the 'Ten Latest Fashion Trends in The EC'. Elphaba had rolled her eyes characteristically and promptly told Nessa that they only said that to make millions. The only way to actually know the trends of the Emerald City was to see them for yourself.

The girl was obviously from the Gillikin, no one in any other part of Oz would be caught dead in that amount of sparkle and glitter and Elphaba's nose wrinkled at the outfit. She could practically taste the girly-ness of the outfit. Oh, how she loathed it. Although a coil of jealousy tightened at Elphaba's mother blatantly complimenting the girl on her gaudy outfit. The girl blushed and curtsied. Elphaba's fists clenched.

Melena Thropp had never shown her own daughters that much affection. In actuality, Melena Thropp had never even held her daughters or said goodnight to them, let alone complimented them. Melena Thropp was a terrible mother. Full stop. A constant drunk, Elphaba had learned when she was six, young, but it wasn't young to Melena. Elphaba was in full knowledge of her mother's indiscretions when their father went travelling. Elphaba Melena Thropp knew too much.

Elphaba was about to leave when someone caught her eye. He obviously was not from Munchkinland. Elphaba knew every boy her age, mostly because she'd gone around threatening them all that if they didn't leave her alone she'd turn them to frogs. Needless to say they left her alone after that. Elphaba peered curiously through the crack, she saw blue eyes, but gasped. They were not blue, she corrected herself, they were azure. A vivid and bright they gleamed with such a childlike innocence that Elphaba was resentful of. She'd never knew a childhood. And here was this boy that paraded around his innocence as if it was a right.

But then he caught her eye and, what she assumed was, excused himself and made a beeline for the door. Elphaba nearly fell from her spot, but the rational side of her brain made a comeback and Elphaba ran towards the back door. Hoping to lose the boy, but Fiyero was a hunter in training and it didn't take him long to find her. She'd climbed up a tree and was hiding in the shadows, or trying to.

"Miss," a seventeen-year-old Fiyero called to Elphaba, "I mean you no harm, but I saw you staring and thought you were enamoured with my handsomeness and thought I would be doing us all a favour by coming to greet you."

Elphaba rolled her eyes and called, back, "I would rather be besotted with a monkey's rear than your face."

"Ouch, you could really hurt a man's ego like that," he said mockingly, but he frowned. This was not how it was meant to be going, she was meant to be falling over her head for him. She was not meant to sound or be smarter than he was and she was certainly not making comparisons between his face and a monkey's rear.

"You are much too young to have an ego," she told him.

"That really hurts, Miss," he said again, "so you're not attracted to me? I happen to me the Crown Prince Of The Vinkus."

"I pray for the people you will rule," she said with sarcasm dripping from her voice, "and for the record, I find you utterly repulsive."

"Oh, sorry for bothering you, Miss," Fiyero said rather dejected. For the first time during the whole night he was enjoying himself. For once someone didn't care for his title or anything, this girl was telling him like it was and he liked it.

Elphaba bit her lip, sensing she had hit a nerve. "Wait!" Elphaba cried scrambling down from the tree. She glanced around, but found no sign of the azure-eyed boy. She sighed disappointedly. He's probably gone back to the party, Elphaba thought. Why would he want to stay here with me? I'm green. Elphaba glanced towards her hands and gasped; under the moonlight they didn't look green, but almost white. The green wasn't evident, did that mean the strange azure-eyed Vinkun did not know of her strange verdigris. If not she would not mention it. Although the answer didn't come to her.

Elphaba felt a pair of arms envelope her waist and she nearly screamed, until she heard a very familiar voice say, "Gotcha."

Elphaba twisted in his arms and was about to make a snappy retort, but it fell short. He didn't act any older than she did, but he certainly did look it, even under the moonlight she could see it. He was a taller than her, by a fair bit. His hair covered his eyes, but Elphaba pushed it back with her finger, and for a fleeting moment she allowed herself to enjoy it. Enjoy the feeling of his arms around her waist. Enjoy the feeling of being touched for the first time in her life.

"So Miss, why aren't you at the party?" He asked his hands still tucked securely around her waist.

"I have my reasons," Elphaba answered coolly.

"Of course, Miss," Fiyero said, not wanting to divulge further into the subject.

"The question still remains though," Elphaba said, detangling herself from his embrace, to his chagrin, "why aren't you at the party?

Fiyero ran a hand through his hair. "I found you," he answered truthfully, there was something about this girl that clicked, something that was different, he just couldn't put his finger on it. "I followed you out here and truth be told, you are a lot more fascinating than that Gillikin Girl. Did you see her?"

"The one that looks like an over frosted cupcake?"

"Yeah," Fiyero said, "Lacie Upland, not of the Upper Uplands though, which"—Fiyero adopted a much higher pitched voice for his imitation—"'totally unfairifyed,' she thinks anyway. I wasn't really listening, I was paying attention to you. Don't worry I won't tell anyone you're already besotted with me," he winked.

Elphaba turned an unflattering shade of crimson. "I am certainly no."

"Yes, you are, I caught you staring."

"That doesn't mean anything," Elphaba cried, "I merely means I find you a person of interesting character."

He raised a sceptical eyebrow, "You find me interesting?"

Elphaba sighed, "I'm not going to win, am I?"

"Nope."

She sighed and a comfortable silence fell upon them. Elphaba twisted a lock of hair around her finger unknowingly and Fiyero gulped. She was beautiful and in that moment, it made sense. He wanted to kiss her. He barely knew her though and from how things were going before, she'd probably hit or slap him in the best case scenario. But she was beautiful; she couldn't have been much younger than he was. Reason number two he should not kiss her, she could have been twelve for all he knew.

"Fiyero..." a voice called, shattering their moment. "Fiyero."

Fiyero groaned and Elphaba looked saddened at the prospect of him leaving.

"Is that your mother?" Elphaba asked.

Fiyero nodded. "It was nice meeting you," and without much thought or contemplation he kissed her. For a moment. And for one glorious, ephemeral moment. Elphaba allowed herself to be loved. Just for a moment, when he pulled back he gave her a genuine smile before dashing off.

Elphaba rested her forefinger on her lips, not believing the moment that had passed. She smiled.

XoxoX

Later when she was reprimanded for spilling grape juice on Lacie Upland's newest creampuff of a dress, Elphaba didn't care. When Elphaba was sentenced to a week of solitary confinement, she didn't really care about that one, albeit a bit depressed at the prospect of not being able to enter the home library at her free will. All she remembered from that night was her first kiss. She never forgot and never will. Although over the years, he forgot. But the memory still lay there. Hidden from view, but if he looked hard enough he'd find it.

"What a surprise, Lacie," Glinda said to her cousin, chewing her lower lip.

"Yes, it is, Lin," Lacie told Glinda.

"It is wonderful to meet you," Christopher said to Lacie, kissing the back of her hand, although unlike Elphaba, she didn't wipe it from her hand, she smiled flirtatiously back at him.

And Elphaba, Fiyero, Lyra, Boq, Nessa, Glinda and Avaric all fought the urge to hurl at the putrid display of faux affection.

"It's all very nice to meet you all," Lacie directed at what was supposed to be everyone, but mainly Fiyero, who stepped closer to Elphaba and encased his hand in hers.

Lacie glared at this, but continued smiling, "I cannot wait to take a tour of Kiamo Ko, I've heard many wonderful stories about this castle."

Avaric, who had a psychology degree from The University Of Munchkinland, subtly motioned to Fiyero and Elphaba 'no'. Elphaba picked up on his gestured and thanked him. Avaric noted Lacie's stance, she was trying not to be imposing, but give off an air of intimidation. It was a mind trick. A false sense of security before going for the kill. Before his stint at the computer place, he's been a member of the Gale Force's Elite Team the Behavioural Analysis Unit; they profiled serial killers across Oz, observing their behaviour to see where they would strike next. Lacie had also directed her greeting to Fiyero, she wanted something from him. But that lie topped the cake; she was obviously a trained actress, probably from the Emerald University or Shiz. No other University had such a refined Dramatic Arts or Theatre Program.

"I'm glad you have," Fiyero said and pulled Elphaba closer to him. Giving Lacie a clear message that her blissful, blonde brain could not comprehend, I'm taken.

"I'm sure Christopher can give you a tour," Brilly told Lacie, trying to ease the tension like the Good Samaritan she was.

"That would be wonderful," Lacie lied. Damn, she thought, this was going to be harder than she had anticipated.

"Christopher," Harold beckoned his son, "if you would."

"Of course, Father," he said as civilly as he could. Chris internally cursed.

XoxoX

"That did not go as planned," Lacie told Chris as they entered his room.

"No, it did not," he said. This was not meant to be happening, Fiyero was meant to be falling for Lacie, Fiyero was not meant to stick by his fiancée's side. Fiyero was the flighty one, but then, if that was so. Then why did Fiyero stick by the sarcastic, green girl than go for the green-eyed, blonde?

"There's something fishy going on..." Lacie commented.

"Agreed," Chris commented offhandedly, sitting himself on the bed.

"We need to up our game," Lacie said, pacing the length of the room, "I'll try and get Fiyero alone and you try and get Elphaba alone and we'll drive the wedge from there."

Chris shook his head. "That won't work, they do everything together and by everything, I mean everything."

"Sweet Lurline!" Lacie cried.

"I know, I'm sickened by the idea as well," Chris told her, "but the point is we won't get them alone. No matter how hard we try. They stick together like glue, and now that they think we're both up to something, they'll be inseparable."

"Damn," Lacie said and cursed in Gillikinese, "we need to up out game."

"But what to?" Chris asked, "Melena said to do whatever it takes, and I'm nearly out of cards to use."

"Not yet, dearest," Lacie said, "Melena told me a few things about Elphaba that you might be interested in."

"Do tell."

"She's insecure as hell—"

Chris cut her off. "Can hell be insecure?" he asked confusedly.

"Oh, shut up," Lacie snapped, "that's not the point."

"Then what is?" Chris asked, "Elphaba's insecure. I mean, who wouldn't be in her...state. She's green for Oz sake!"

"Yes, but she epitomes insecure, she might as well be the spokesperson for it," Lacie commented, "the point it, plant a few seeds of doubt in her mind and she'll run for the hills. That'll leave her for you and Fiyero for me. "

"Yes, but how are we doing to get them alone?" Chris asked, "I mean we're not the most trustworthy of people and with Glinda already hating you..."

"That overdressed creampuff didn't know an opportunity if it slapped her in the face," Lacie remarked derisively, "she had Fiyero once and she let him go. That, my friend, is the very definition of a 'missed opportunity.'"

"Yes, but Glinda's Elphaba's best friend, she'll surely warn Elphaba about your flighty ways and known boyfriend stealing."

"Well then, we'll better get at it," Lacie said, "shall we?"

"This better work," Chris said, "call me a Machiavellian or power hungry, but I want that Crown, Fiyero never deserved it. All he did in his youth was philandering around with women, he didn't care for it. I did, I studied. I took the lessons that Fiyero should have been taking. And for what? To see him get the crown I've work so hard for? No way! That moronic, brainless idiot will not what hit him, all he did was take advantage of his status and then he runs off to the Emerald City to start up a publishing company. No way in Oz, or any place for that matter, will he take my crown."

"That's right," Lacie whispered in his ear, "let that vengeance and anger fuel you, you shall have your moment soon. Just wait a little while longer."

XoxoX

"Oh, Elphie, she's just horrible!" Glinda told her. Glinda was telling the group, which consisted of Elphaba, Fiyero, Lyra, Boq, Nessa and Avaric about her cousin, Lacie. "And her hair's not even naturally blonde! She pretends it is, but it isn't. It's just horrible!" Glinda sobbed into Avaric's arms.

"There, there, Little Linny," a pet name he had adopted for Glinda in the past few weeks. For some strange reason, beyond Elphaba's reasoning, it had always seemed to make Glinda feel better. It was kind of like when Fiyero called her Fae. She secretly smiled at the memories.

"Oh, Ric, she's just awful and nasty and horrible! I hate, no, loathe, no, detest her!"

Elphaba gasped, Glinda had never sounded like she hated anyone so much. Sure, there Shiz start as roommates was a bit rocky, but they didn't full on hate each other, contrary to the rest of Shiz's student body. "Glin, that is a positively horrible thing to say."

"I don't care, Elphie, I detest her, she's stolen more of my boyfriends that I can count," Glinda continued to sob.

"Hey, Linny," Avaric titled her chin up. "I am not going to leave you, you silly, little girl. I love you," he said softly pressing a kiss to her golden curls.

"I love you too, Ric, but I still worry," Glinda said, "I can already see her eyes on Fiyero, so watch out, Elphie."

Fiyero's hand on Elphaba's waist had tightened significantly. "I will," Elphaba replied, for some strange reason beyond her comprehension, she did not want to lose Fiyero. Again. Damn, there she went again. Thinking that this charade; this pretence, was more than the façade it displayed.

"She seems like a bitch to me," Lyra said and everyone stared at her, "what? Am I not allowed to cuss as well?"

"No," Fiyero answered for her and everyone laughed.

"Well," Nessa said. "I think we just need to be on the lookout," he fingers tightening around Boq's.

"Yes, we all need to be careful," Glinda said, wiping the excess tears from her face.

"And Fiyero, you need put a ring on Elphaba's finger," Lyra said, causing the group to look at her again. "What?" she asked. "I've seen the way Chris looks at her, he's obviously not getting the message that she's taken. You need to make it look official. Oz forbid why you haven't given her a ring yet, you've been engaged for nearly three months."

"I have given her one."

"You have?" Glinda asked.

Followed by Avaric's, "Really?"

And Nessa's look of scepticism.

Boq's, "And once again the Munchkin misses out again."

And last of all, Lyra's squeal of, "Show me it!"

"It's in the room, she took it off for a shower," Fiyero clarified.

"Oh..." Lyra said suggestively, "I see..."

Fiyero blanched, his sister should not be thinking about his sex life or lack thereof, unless he counted that very arousing dream in the morning.

"Anyway," Glinda said, "it's late and I need some sleep after today's events."

"Yes, I think that would be best," Boq said standing and grabbing the handles of Nessa's wheelchair.

"Night, everyone," Elphaba said as they all left her room. Elphaba locked the door and sat herself on the bed. They had become accustomed to sleeping in the same bed for the past three months of their fake engagement. Although, it was on the insistence of Elphaba that it was his castle, he was quick to correct her that it was his parents' castle, and that he should not have to sleep on the floor and the bed was large enough for the both of them.

"I actually do have a ring for you," he told her, rummaging through his luggage for it.

"Really? I didn't think you would," Elphaba told him honestly.

"Well, I've had it for a while now," he said, "actually, it was meant for you."

She knew what ring he was talking about. She's actually worn it or a while before their breakup. He pushed the small, black velvet ring box into her hands. And without even opening it, she knew what it would look like. It was a plain gold band with three stones in the middle, two emeralds on the outside and a diamond in the middle. He told her once that it represented their past, present and future. The emeralds were a literal representation of how she was beautiful and the diamond was her strength and how she was hard as them on the inside and out.

She opened the box. She was right. There inside that box lay her engagement ring from two years ago.

Two Years Ago

"Marry me," Fiyero had blurted one afternoon.

She look up at him confused, but what surprised her was the sincere look in his eyes when he had asked. "What?"

"Marry me," he said, gaining more confidence, "I love you and I want this to last. Oz, I love you, Fae and I want the whole world to know."

She blushed at his words and smiled at him. "You really want to marry me?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Even though I can be a bit of a sarcastic bitch?"

"Yes."

"Even though it would be inappropriate of me to say yes because I'm your assistant."

"Yes."

"Even if we get into a fight and I give you the cold shoulder for days?"

"Yes. Elphaba, You're killing me here, just answer the question," he pleaded with her.

"Even though I'm green?"

"Yes, Oz, Fae," he kissed her softly, "I love you so much and I wouldn't change anything else about you. Yes, that included the skin. I love you and never want to be parted from you. Oz, but if you don't want to marry me, that's completely understandable, I would rather have you in my life willing, then out of obligation."

He was so sweet. And understanding, like he always was. He always understood her. He was willing to wait for everything. Willing to wait for her. Every time. Now it was her turn to give something back to him. "Yes," she breathed out.

"What?" he asked as his mouth turned to the sweetest smile she had seen.

"Yes, I'll marry you," she said, kissing him softly, "you're right. I love you and you love me. The arrangement we had before was I like you and I want to see if this works. Getting married says that I love you and this works. Oz, Yero, I love you, so, so much. Don't leave me."

"I'll never leave you, I love you too much, Fae," he said, pulling her closer to him. "Either of you," he whispered in her ear.

She slid the ring onto her fourth finger and held it up for him to look at. Oz, he'd missed that ring on her fourth finger. He'd missed it, more than he would admit to anyone, even himself. He smiled at her, and he wished for an evanescent moment. For one moment that it was real and not some business deal they had negotiated with each other. But the illusion was shattered.

"Do you want me to give it back to you once we're done with this façade?" she asked.

"No," he said, leaning over and kissing her forehead, "It was always meant for you."

Always had, always will be.

A/N: Thank you for all for your reviews. Especially Yero and Fae, whose review I missed in chapter 9, sorry dearest. And anywho who read my Chemistry 101 one shot, thank you, that was a test run for the beginning scene of this chapter. I love torturing Fiyero and the Ball flashback will have more meaning soon...

Thank you to, vinkunwildflowerqueen, Yero and Fae, Lyra124, ComingAndGoingByBubble, ChaoticSymphonyOfDarkness, Einhorn, Speaker, XxQueenElphabaOfTheWestxX and Confusifyed Lady for all your lovely reviews.

ChaoticSymphonyOfDarkness, Thank you, I'm getting better. I'm curious to see what you think about Glinda though...

Einhorn, Aw, you're sweet, thanks, I'm glad you're liking the story.

Speaker, That's what I was going for, my sister and I watch way too much Pokémon to be healthy.

Confusifyed Lady, Geez, Miri, no need to go spastic. Oz, you're a character. And I;m glad you liked the crack-ficy things.

Okay, I would love to hear your opinions on why or how they broke up and what you think Chris, Lacie, Frex and Melena are planning.

Larri

Smiles

x

Ps. I think you'll guys like some of the upcoming chapters, especially eighteen. I've planned out the plot chapter by chapter, so eighteen is the one to look at...so eight more updates.

Pss. I go to Italy and Greece in 48 days!