AN: More fluff coming your way :).

The Wizard of Wicked: A sequel? Sure. Days of Autumn, Days of Winter, Days of Spring... :P No, there probably won't be a sequel, but you never know.

Day Eleven

"Sunburn." Elphaba winced as she applied some cream to the sensitive skin on her shoulder. Even though she had used the same cream yesterday night and hoped it would soothe the pain, the mere touch of her fingertips was still too much. "Honestly. Why didn't any of you wake me up? You let me sleep out in the sun for hours!"

"Because I knew you didn't sleep well the night before," Galinda said apologetically. "I heard you rummaging around when I woke up to use the bathroom, and I figured you could use a nice nap… I didn't think about the sun. I'm sorry."

Fiyero gently took the bottle of cream from his girlfriend. "Let me?"

She nodded her consent and moved her hair out of the way so that he could access her shoulders better. Again, she flinched a little when his hands touched her skin; but he was very careful and gentle and she sighed with relief when she felt the cool cream calming down her burnt skin.

She looked over her shoulder at Galinda. "At least now you got your wish," she said drily. "Congratulations. You were right about me changing colour in the sun."

Galinda giggled. "Only you didn't really tan."

"Or turn red, for that matter." Elphaba made a face at her mirror image. Her skin looked some weird shade of olive green that she had never seen on herself before, but she hated it even more than the usual emerald colour. "I look ridiculous."

Fiyero planted a kiss in her neck. "You look gorgeous, as always."

"Liar." She turned and took the cream back from him, closing the bottle and putting it away. Then she collapsed on her bed, moaning. "Sweet Oz. I am never heading out into the sun ever again."

Fiyero chuckled softly and sat down on the edge of her bed. He wanted to touch her, but refrained from doing so, afraid he'd only hurt her painful skin. "I'm sorry, sweetheart."

She sighed. "It will be fine. Eventually. I just can't believe I'm going to have to meet your parents looking like this." She gestured at herself.

"Don't worry, Elphie," Galinda assured her from the other side of the room, where she was applying some lipstick in front of the mirror in Elphaba's room. "That cream does wonders for sunburn, I promise you. Within now and a few days, it will be completely gone. By the time you meet Fiyero's parents, after this holiday, you'll be completely back to normal."

"Yes, because that is such an improvement," Elphaba said miserably.

"Don't be like that," Fiyero chided her. He cupped her face with both hands and kissed her nose. "Hey. You're amazing. And beautiful." He smiled and kissed her lips next. "I love you."

She moaned dramatically.

He chuckled and bumped his hip into hers, gingerly pushing her a little to the side so that he could stretch out next to her. He tried to put his arm around her, but she yelped.

"Right," he said, pulling back so quickly he almost fell off the bed. "Sunburn. Pain. Sorry."

She chuckled weakly. "I am so pathetic."

"Come here, you." He gingerly drew her into his arms and she pillowed her head on his chest, closing her eyes.

"I feel like such an idiot."

"Why?" Galinda asked as she puckered her lips, studying herself in the mirror. "Everyone gets sunburnt sometimes. Even I did… once. Or twice." She made a face. "I looked like a lobster."

"At least you didn't look like an olive," Elphaba said wryly.

"Fae!" Fiyero scolded her.

"What?" she asked innocently.

Galinda rolled her eyes. "You two are incorrigible. And cute," she added as an afterthought. "Incorrigibly cute." She hopped to her feet. "Elphie, you should take a cold bath later today," she advised. "That helps. Keep applying that cream, and stay out of the sun." She tossed her hair. "I'm going to work on my tan again, if you don't mind." With that, she bounded off.

Elphaba was scowling as she watched her friend go. "I hope she turns into a lobster."

Fiyero laughed. "Poor Galinda."

Elphaba just grumbled something under her breath.

Boq invited Fiyero to go and see some race with him in the village that afternoon, which he would love to do, but he still hesitated. When Elphaba realised that, she all but chased him away, telling him bluntly that it was absolutely ridiculous for him not to go and do something fun because she had an Oz-forsaken sunburn.

"I'm not dying," she said, throwing her arms up in the air in exasperation. "It's a sunburn. Go, Fiyero. Have fun. I'll amuse myself. I still have four books left to read."

His eyebrows shot up. "Four?! Of the twelve you brought with you? Are you telling me that in the eleven days we've been here, between all the swimming and tanning and hanging out with us, you finished eight books?!"

She shrugged. "I like reading?" she tried, grinning sheepishly.

He shook his head incredulously, but he did go with Boq.

Nessarose had apologised to Elphaba again and the green girl had forgiven her sister; but honestly, she was still a little upset over it and she didn't really want to talk to Nessa right now. That was why right after Fiyero left, she announced that she would be upstairs taking that cold bath in the hopes of it lessening her sunburn.

When Fiyero came back from the race, just before dinner, he immediately went to find Elphaba. She wasn't outside or in the living room or kitchen, so he went upstairs and knocked on her door. "Fae?"

"Yeah." She sounded a little strange.

"Don't come in!" Galinda shrieked.

Fiyero chuckled. "What? Are you naked?" he teased through the door.

The blonde let out an indignant cry at that and started yelling at him, but Elphaba interrupted her friend. "It's okay, Glin. You can let him in."

"Are you sure?" Galinda asked gently, which only increased Fiyero's worry.

"What's wrong?" he asked anxiously. "Are you okay? Fae?"

"I'm fine." He heard her moving, but then Galinda scolded her friend.

"Stay down, Elphie. I know how you feel and I can honestly tell you that the best thing for you to do right now is not move. Okay? Okay. Are you really sure I can let Fiyero in?"

"Yeah," Elphaba muttered and moments later, the door opened.

Fiyero immediately entered, but what he saw did nothing to lessen his concern. Elphaba was lying on her bed, on her stomach, looking like she was in pain. When he came in, she looked up at him and tried for a reassuring smile, but it looked more like a grimace.

He immediately panicked. "Fae, what's wrong?" he asked urgently, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

She paused for a moment, furrowing her brow. "Well… um… nothing's wrong, per se." She looked up at him again. "The good news is that I'm not pregnant."

He felt relieved at that, if only because he knew how relieved she must be. "Okay. That's good, right?" He reached out to smooth her hair away from her face. "Then what's wrong with you?"

She gave him a pointed and slightly sour look. "How do girls usually find out that they're not pregnant?"

He flushed when he realised what she meant. "Oh."

Galinda giggled. "Don't worry, Fiyero, Elphie will be just fine. I made her lie down on a hot water pitch," she explained. "That's what always helps best with my own cramps – pressure and something warm."

"The first day is always the worst," Elphaba said with a sigh, "but I'll be fine. And I'm really glad I'm not pregnant," she added.

Fiyero smiled and leant down to kiss her brow. "Me, too… for now, anyway. Who knows, in five years…"

She rolled her eyes. "If we ever make it to five years."

He tapped her nose chidingly. "Of course we'll make it to five years. And ten, and twenty, and fifty, and a hundred –"

"You're absolutely ridiculous." Elphaba winced slightly at the cramps.

Fiyero placed his hand on her lower back, rubbing it softly. "I'm sorry you're in pain, sweetheart," he said, concern still visible in his sapphire blue eyes. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Don't remove your hand," she murmured. "It's warm and it helps with the back pains."

He chuckled. "Okay." He slipped his hand under her blouse so that he could massage her skin directly, and she sighed happily at the warmth of his hand. Galinda was right – heat always helped, but unfortunately they only had one hot water pitch, and her stomach cramps were currently worse than her back pains.

Fiyero gently ran the fingers of his other hand down the side of her face, caressing the skin. "How's your sunburn?"

"Non-existent compared to the cramps," she muttered. "Better than this morning, I think. You know? This isn't really how I had imagined this holiday."

Galinda giggled. "No, I bet you hadn't expected to do stuff with Fiyero on a beach, then get together with him, and then get sunburnt and end up in bed with cramps," she teased. "I bet no-one would expect their holiday to be like that. Oh, Elphie, you'll be fine. You won't be able to swim anymore…"

"That's okay." Elphaba sighed. "I'll just… stay in the shade from now on. Read books."

"And spend some time with your boyfriend," Fiyero said sternly.

"And apparently I'm also spending some time with my boyfriend," Elphaba continued drily to Galinda, who giggled again.

"You should. You won't see one another for the rest of the summer," she pointed out.

Fiyero's face fell and Elphaba had to admit she felt a pang of disappointment when she realised that her friend was right. This holiday was wonderful, even despite everything that had happened, because she'd been around Fiyero all the time, with their friends nearby as well; but in a few days, she would be returning to Munchkinland and he to the Vinkus, and they wouldn't see each other again until they were back at Shiz.

Fiyero, sensing her mood, pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "We'll write," he promised. "And we'll see each other again in six weeks."

"Yeah…" Elphaba sighed.

"Six weeks is a lifetime," Galinda said and Fiyero shot her a look.

"That's not really helping, you know."

She giggled. "Why don't you go to the Vinkus with Fiyero, Elphie?"

Fiyero's eyes lit up, but Elphaba didn't even raise her head. "Because Father would never let me."

Galinda moped. "Because you have to take care of Nessa. Oz, Elphie, your father is horrible."

The green girl chuckled weakly. "It's just what I do, Glin. I love Nessa and I know she feels most comfortable with me helping her, so I do."

"I get that. But I still don't like it." Galinda sighed.

"Maybe she won't mind someone else caring for her for a few weeks," Fiyero said hopefully. "I mean, she could talk to your father… and she kind of owes you."

"No, she doesn't!" Elphaba protested. "For what?"

"For what she said," Galinda chimed in. "I think Fiyero is right. This would be a good way for her to make it up to you."

Fiyero rose to his feet, even though Elphaba whined a little at the loss of his hand on her back. "I'll go and ask her right now," he said, squeezing her hand before letting go. "And I'll bring you some tea."

She smiled. "Thanks, Yero. Did I ever tell you that I love you?"

He laughed. "You might have."

"Well, I love you."

"I love you, too, Fae." He leant down to kiss her lips. "We'll figure something out. Trust me."

With that, he left the room to go and find Nessarose.

*cackles with lightning flashing around me and the ground shaking as I boom "The Ultimate Queen of Cliffies has fooled you all! ...except for Nia!"*

Kidding, there were more of you who saw the non-pregnancy coming. I contemplated her being pregnant for a short while, but decided against it.