Chapter 28: Thank Oz

She'd been willing to go along with it, willing to be used and thrown away like she always had. While being with him hadn't felt as sweet as it felt with Fiyero, it had at least been in her control. But then he'd touched her, and it didn't feel right. She knew, then, that she wanted something that felt right, like it had with Fiyero. And she knew… she knew she wasn't going to take less than that, not today. Maybe she wasn't a princess, or a gorgeous middle class girl from Gillikin, but she was smart. And she'd taken care of herself these last weeks. She wasn't perfect, but she deserved better than to be treated like trash.

And then Fiyero had been standing there when she'd walked away. Had he followed her? She'd looked over at him several times that night, and he hadn't even looked back once. So how had he known? She didn't care, though. He was there, and she needed that.

Galinda gave her a look when she told her she was leaving, but she didn't say anything. Elphaba grabbed her bag and headed across the campus to Three Queens. The dorms were mostly empty. The first floor was all first-years and they were all still at the dance. Except Fiyero.

Before he could say anything, she told him, "I'm sorry. I've been selfish and angry. You wanted to put an end to us, and that was fair. I didn't want to admit I was hurt, Fiyero."

"You think it didn't hurt me?" He took her hand and pulled her inside, closing the door. "It killed me, Elphaba. But I wanted you to see yourself the way I see you. I'd wanted more from the beginning, but I was too afraid to ask. And that wasn't fair to you."

"You wanted me? More than just…?"

"Yes! You really think I didn't?"

"I thought…" She caught herself smiling. "I thought you would have said something."

"I thought you didn't want that. I thought that even if you did, you certainly didn't think you deserved it. I should've been more respectful, given you space, but I just wanted to be with you in anyway that I could. I was selfish."

She sat down on his bed. "Oh, sweet Oz."

"I'm in love with you, Elphaba. I'm done pretending that I'm not."

Love? He loved her? Was that what this strange feeling was? All this time she'd known what she felt for him had been different. It had never occurred to her that it was love. "You were right, though, Fiyero. I probably would've told you I don't deserve you."

"You still believe that?"

"I'm not a princess, Fiyero. Maybe… maybe I'm not perfect. I care about you. And I do want that. I…"

"You don't think you deserve love, Elphaba?"

"Not exactly. But sometimes I don't think I deserve it from you, after all you've done for me." She admitted.

"But you know you deserve it?"

She nodded.

He wrapped her in his arms. "That's enough. We'll get there." Fiyero kissed her, his lips gentle against hers, not demanding, not forceful. That familiar rush filled her again, and she welcomed it as she kissed him back. "I love you," he murmured.

"Prove it," she replied, pulling him down onto the bed.

"Only if you promise," he breathed, unhooking her dress, "to let it mean something this time."

She undid his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. "I do."

He stopped for a moment, looking down at her. He moved to roll them, as he always had so she could be comfortable, but she refused to budge. "What?"

"I want you like that. I trust you, Fiyero." She kissed his chest as her hands moved to unfasten his trousers. "I promise."

He cupped her cheek. "If you need me to move, to change, you just give me the word. I won't push you."

"I know. That's why I trust you." She tossed her head against the pillow as his mouth found her breasts again, whispering kisses along her skin. Her hands ran through his hair as her skin became taut under his tongue. His mouth was hot as he teased her flesh.

His kisses trailed lower and lower until he found her parted legs. As he moved to taste her, she whimpered, her hands clutching the sheets. He circled her nerves with his tongue, his hands rubbing her thighs tenderly. Her hips arched to meet him.

The tension within her built as he slid a single finger inside of her, his mouth still focused on that sensitive area. Her legs fell further open as he increased the pressure little by little, his hand moving faster, his tongue pushing harder. Her climax came in waves, and she moaned as her body sizzled beneath his attentions.

He smiled at her, looking into her eyes. "You're sure?" She could feel him pressed against her, ready to enter her.

"Very." She pressed her hips up, keeping eye contact.

It felt so natural as his body met hers and she sighed at the feeling. He drew back a little and pushed back in, his arms braced above her, eyes still on hers. She wasn't afraid, too encompassed in the sweetness of him filling her, reaching into her and drawing pleasure from each nerve in her body. Her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him deeper. They both groaned a little at the feeling.

Each movement brought her to a new height, and she clung to him. He moved deeper, burying himself into her very core and she lost herself in the pleasure. His thrusts sped up, her body following his lead as they both panted in sync. One of his hands cupped her breast, tweaking the peak between his fingers gently. His lips crashed against hers, their tongues meeting.

And the swell began again and again as he moved within her, until she thought she could take no more and her body would dissolve into nothing but liquid pleasure. She moaned against his shoulder as her release came tearing through her body, shaking her to the center as he thrust one final time, sheathing himself to the hilt. The look in his eyes was intoxicating. "I love you, Elphaba."

And the words came simply. "I love you, too." She reached up and touched the diamond on his cheek. "You feel so good."

He kissed her forehead. "Mm, you do, too."

"I'm sorry," she said again. "I never meant for this to become such a mess."

He pulled back and lay beside her. "We both had a hand in that. And it doesn't matter now."

She smiled a little. "I suppose it doesn't."

"I know you don't think you're right for me, but will you at least try?"

"No," she replied sarcastically, "I just slept with you because I don't like you at all and I don't want to try."

"Elphaba!" He rolled over her again and kissed her hard. "I mean it."

"I know. I'll try. I can't promise I'll be good at this."

"There's nothing to be good at. I'm not asking you to act like a princess. I'm not asking you to change anything. If we get to that point, we'll talk about it. I'm not even going to be a king, Elphaba. I'm only a prince, and I can choose who I want."

"Your brother couldn't?"

"My parents chose Verda. They'd been engaged since they were maybe eight."

"That's awful."

"They considered choosing a wife for me, but that got left to my brother when they died. And he didn't have the heart to force me, though he did strongly suggest Sarima was the right one."

"He won't like this, will he?"

"Now that you've been at Shiz a while, he'll like it better than he might've before. But no, he probably won't love the idea. But I do, and that's what matters." He played with her fingers, kissing each of them. "Stay with me tonight. I'm sure you won't be the only girl who misses curfew tonight."

"I can't say no to you," she told him. "Although there were times I tried."

He pressed her palm to his face. "You'll stay, then?"

"I'm probably the only girl who is spending the night with a boy other than the one who took her to the dance."

"Thank Oz for that."

They both laughed.