Her mind came back to itself when something warm was pressed into her still numb hands.
"Drink some of that," a voice she knew too well spoke. "I brought you some of your clothes. The simplest not the flattering, mind. I've never seen such a garish wardrobe; I was more than a little concerned for my eyes. "
Her gaze remained fixed on the dark liquid in the cup she held, she had never seen a drink like it. She was going to ask just what it was, but moving her head only brought her damp hair to her attention, a few thick strands were stuck to her face.
Something had been wrapped around her shoulders.
Why could she not remember?
"I won't say you're risking catching a cold, a virus is needed for that, but you are running the risk of catching a severe chill."
Was this Elphaba's way of lightening a situation? If so, she was bad at it. And she seemed to know as much when she awkwardly cleared her throat a few moments later.
Galinda could not bring herself to look towards Elphaba yet, instead flickering her gaze around herself. The piles of books, the prominent desk. There was no doubting where she was.
"Drink all of that quickly and get changed, or just drink a bit then the rest once you're out of those high risk items. Whichever you prefer."
Galinda refocused her gaze on the cup; raising it to her lips she drank some of the sweet liquid. She could not place the taste, but she could detect a bit of honey and something else distantly familiar.
"A part of me is wondering where your flamboyant shoes went." Sure enough her feet were bare – her nose wrinkled – and muddy. "But the other part is curious over just why you decided to go for a barefooted jog in this weather."
Elphaba ended her sentence by gesturing towards the window. Galinda, realising she had failed at avoiding eye contact, quickly looked away and out of the window. She could only see an expanse of black, and the reflection of the room.
"I think I remember taking them off, I don't recall what happened to them though."
"Don't avoid my question." Elphaba spoke as if she was advising her. As if she were warning her.
She could not read the expression in Elphaba's eyes.
Galinda swallowed thickly, darting her eyes down to the cup in her hands, "I don't recall hearing a question Miss Elphaba."
"Don't be so smug." Elphaba said, with – Galinda was sure – quite the smug look of her own.
And then the other woman's presence was gone.
Galinda felt, rather than heard, her return shortly afterwards. In her fist was a cloth, damp with something pleasant smelling. The aroma reached her even from her position on the bed.
She stretched her feet forward.
"Why! You do assume don't you Miss Glinda." And the cloth was pressed into her empty hand.
Galinda frowned at the use of that name. She tilted her head arrogantly and took a large very unladylike swig from the mug before placing it down on the small cupboard next to the bed. Cleaning her feet was more important than the drink.
She made short work of removing the by now dry mud, something that made her worry if there was a trail of footprints throughout the building, and handed the cloth back to the patiently waiting Elphaba. The other woman disappeared once more.
Galinda took the time Elphaba was gone to change into her night clothes. She used the towel around her shoulders to rub at her damp hair, before wrapping it around her to save her night clothes from any lingering wetness. It was only when she was peeling off her dress that she was made aware of just how soaked through her clothes were, (she must be a complete mess!) She spared a glance to the bed, raising both eyebrows when she saw she had been sitting on a towel.
Of course Elphaba had thought of that.
It had to be later than she thought.
Her dirtied clothes folded in her hands she spun around looking for some place to put them. In the end she deposited in a neat pile by the door with the damp towel, before taking up the cup to nurse its warmth as she sat back down.
Elphaba returned, shutting her door and wasted no time approaching her with a no-nonsense look. Galinda would be lying if she said she was not a little scared.
"So what exactly happened?"
How to answer that?
"I-I don't think I need to tell you anything I deem personal." Galinda lifted the cup and took a drawn-out sip, Elphaba looked impatient.
"Do not pretend to fuss with that, I asked you a question." The fire Elphaba could display at times was most definitely intimidating. Galinda internally cursed when the last dregs of the warm drink disappeared down her throat.
"I answered you. There is nothing to say," she replied as she placed her cup aside.
"You disappear off with my Brother then you reappear lacking shoes, obviously distraught and more than a little confused. I think I can piece together the rest. He always did have a questionable voracity towards pretty ladies."
The pieces of information slotted in to place in her mind, "No. No. No. Nothing like that!" Galinda said perhaps too hastily. "Well not really anything like that."
Elphaba's eyes narrowed, not in a manner to intimidate, but one of thought or mistrust.
"I will just have to have a word with him tomorrow."
"No Elphie!" Galinda stood too quickly, pins and needles shot up her legs, she wobbled before sitting back down, "I don't know what he was going to do. Please, just forget about it."
Elphaba's expression still looked disbelieving but her brow un-furrowed and the tenseness that had occupied her a minute ago disappeared. Galinda dropped the towel that had been wrapped around her neck carelessly to the floor.
"If...if anything had happened then I would have..." Galinda looked to her hands which were clasped in her lap, "I would have told you."
"I do not quite believe that but if you wish to not bring it up, I will not ask anymore."
"I mean it." There was something about Elphaba's presence that felt almost soothing to Galinda, something that was definitely not true a short time ago. That they were engaging in conversation was such a relief, "It's not like anything even remotely like that has happened before, I would need to say something even if I was –
"Up for it?"
Why did she have to be so blunt?
"It is not proper. Not before marriage."
Elphaba shifted on her feet, crossing her arms as she seemingly studied her, "You are waiting until you have no choice. Until you have to lay with him."
Galinda fidgeted with her hands, "That isn't…that is…"
"Why not leave? So you do not have to go through something you would rather not?"
She snapped her head up at that, some deep-seated part of her outraged at Elphaba's suggestion, "I will not abandon my family like that, I have a duty."
"It is difficult to escape the grasp of family," Elphaba agreed, "You try but they will always get you back. I should know."
The rage that consumed her faded away just as suddenly as it had taken over her, "You tried to leave?"
"I suppose you brought yourself some time."
Galinda was on the verge of snapping at Elphaba for avoiding her question, but thought better of it. It was best not to push her luck.
It seemed completely bizarre that not just Galinda herself, but also Elphaba were taking this topic so easily. True nothing happened, but it was not like she was never going to see him again. How would she explain away what she did?
Though that was a concern for the morning, now it was just relaxing and more than a little comforting to spend time with someone that made her feel, what did she feel? She could not quite describe it, and –
Wait! Did Elphaba just use reverse psychology to get her talking?
"I must admit I'm surprised, in your mid-Twenties and still a virgin –
And there was the bluntness again, and how on Oz did they end up on this subject?
Galinda wiggled her toes, partly in embarrassment and partly to check if the unpleasant sensation was gone.
– and by choice too, unlike some of us who have no choice, or restricted choices. All due to certain conditions."
"Conditions?" Galinda asked with a tilted head, "What are you talking about? You're beautiful Elphie."
"Sarcasm doesn't become you, I doubt it ever will. Unless you've forgot…" the last word was spoken with barely concealed resentment, if Galinda had not known Elphaba as well as she now did, she would not have even noticed, "I have a rather strong verdigris hue."
Galinda's eyes widened to an almost comical size, "…Oh."
Elphaba being Elphaba would not believe her if she told the truth. That she had forgotten. She had become so used to the appearance of the woman it no longer affected her. In fact she felt some, well a lot, of shame for how she had originally reacted.
In fact she felt shame for how she had reacted altogether. Of course the Munchkinlander did irritate her, or she felt her behaviour should. However, the bluntness that was previously so aggravating she now found… dare she say… endearing? How she wished she could say what she wanted, do what she wanted.
What did she want?
"It appears the time has slipped away." Elphaba had moved to the window in the room and was peering out of a gap in the curtains (when had she closed them?), she let the material fall and turned back to face Galinda where she remained on the bed, "It is even later then it was, you best retire to your room for the night."
Now that phrase caused an icy sensation to wash over Galinda, a lump forming in her throat, she swallowed it down as far as she could and said in a rush, "I will not feel safe there, not yet."
"And what do you suppose I should do about that?" The softness of Elphaba's tone lessened the harshness of the words.
Galinda looked anywhere but at Elphaba her mind struggling to think of something. Anything. Then it came to her, a memory.
"You have a lock on your door, the only one I know of in this building." Galinda's voice was still a blur of words, "Though I'm not sure why you have one when no one else does, it's quite –
"You're proposing to stay here? How forward of you Miss Galinda." Elphaba sat on the bed and folded her arms over her thin body. "The bathrooms have locks, you could always sleep there."
"You have no sense of humour," Galinda unintentionally snapped.
"And in what way was that funny?" Elphaba's lip quirked, clearly amused by her behaviour. It warmed Galinda to see.
"I honestly believe he won't try something here." Elphaba tilted her at her, "Besides he may be many things, but I doubt he would ever do something severe."
Galinda pushed out her bottom lip.
"As in, in this building –
"I knew that."
– well I had to be sure, now stop pulling that face and get into bed." Elphaba all but growled, rolling her eyes.
Before Elphaba could move off the bed – it appeared she intended to sleep elsewhere – Galinda pounced over the surprisingly soft mattress and blocked her 'escape'. Elphaba raised an eyebrow and manoeuvred around her, collected her night clothes from a drawer and disappeared into her adjoining bathroom to get changed.
There were no thoughts that this was strange in Galinda's mind, but an unnameable excitement did build within her, along with an almost overbearing sense of comfort. She tugged back the dark sheets and settled in beneath them. Her hair, now only slightly damp, spread against the pillow as she rested her head. It was only then that she realised just how exhausted she was.
Her mouth stretched in a large yawn, one she only just managed to cover with her hand. Her eyes squeezing shut.
Once her eyes reopened she saw Elphaba had returned. The other woman paid her no attention as she climbed in the other side of the bed, before leaning across to extinguish the lantern on her bedside cabinet.
Elphaba was too far away, a voice in Galinda's mind informed, she slid closer, (the bed was large enough that it would not be weird!), and noted Elphaba watching her out of the corner of her eye.
With a soft sigh Galinda snuggled against the pillow, she felt safe here. Her worries, the upset of the past weeks seemingly pushed away, unable to reach her.
Why did the gangly and sharp woman make her feel so comfortable, almost protected?
"Elphie?" Galinda questioned, she had not even picked up that she had adopted the other woman's nickname.
Elphaba turned her head, the only sign she was listening.
"Thank you." It was a weak sign of appreciation but a sign of appreciation nonetheless.
Elphaba said nothing, her eyes were closed and the normal frowns and furrowed brow eased to a clearly noticeable state. Galinda tilted her head as much as she could, her hair tickling her neck. She would need to wash it in the morning.
The realisation she was now studying Elphaba's face almost passed her by. It left her clueless and so very confused as to just why she was doing that, but she could not bring herself to stop. There was an urging in her, like she was being controlled by some unknown force. She knew she had felt that particular, indescribable feeling before.
Elphaba was different to her, not just her personality but her appearance as well, like a foil to herself. She found her eyes drawn to the sharp angles of the woman's face. Galinda felt compelled to trace her fingers over the angle of Elphaba's strong jaw. She was performing the motion before the thought even entered her mind. Elphaba's eyelashes fluttered, that simple motion caused something in Galinda's gut to twist.
Her eyes dropped to the other woman's lips. Elphaba's eyes opened, she could not see what emotion they held, for she was too occupied by the something deep inside that was drawing her to meet the soft skin of her lips. She found herself acting upon the urge. The feeling inside her took a sharp twist, it was pleasurable. She wanted more.
She pushed forward harder until she felt her body slide over the slender one below. Her lips moved against those beneath her, wanting that something more but no full understanding how to achieve it. Or just what it was.
She should not be doing this. It should not bring that sort of feeling into her body, it should not warm her heart. Warm her to the very core of her body.
Galinda parted her lips further, her tongue flickered out.
She felt no pressure to encourage her, but nothing to discourage either.
Something snagged under her arm, and then she found herself on her back. Her shoulders throbbing from the force of the push that had sent her away.
Dark eyes bore into her own, a part of her shrunk back from the fire they contained. What had just happened? What had she done? Why had she felt so compelled to kiss the woman glaring at her? Why had it felt so right?
"Go to sleep." As soon as the words were spoken Elphaba had rolled over, her back facing Galinda who oddly enough felt herself obeying Elphaba's words. She stared up at the bare ceiling of Elphaba's room. The fear that had replaced the pleasant feeling had melted away when she had not been left.
Now she was left with only a warm glow, it lifted her spirits high.