AN:

Okay guys, here you've got it: the FINAL chapter of this story! Yay!

For an intended one-shot, this story has turned out pretty long. I'm sorry that it took me literally forever to write, especially because some of those who read the first few chapters have long since left the fandom or even the fanfiction community. But I'm also glad that others have discovered this story later on.

This story would never have become such a deep exploraion into the Ace world without the few lovely people who bombarded me with pms and comments, asking for a continuation of the original OS. I thank thee all. It was a challenging piece of work, but also absolutely rewarding. I wouldn't have written this without the encouragement I received.

So this is the end. Well... I have ideas for a shorter sequel. It would go into a pretty different direction, but still focus on their next few months together. I haven't made up my mind yet though, so maybe let me know what you think? I won't definitely write it if you ask me to, and I won't definitely NOT write it if nobody wants it. But your opintion will play into my decision somehow.

Well, for now, I wish you goodbye. Thanks for joining me in this and special thanks to those sweet souls who took the time to comment every now and then. I love you all, and now:

HAPPY READNG

(and I totally mean it, because this like the fluffiest shit in the entire story...)

xoxo MLE

(=^_^=)

Chapter Twenty-Nine (Epilogue)

They lay on the floor in front of the crackling fireplace, cradled in a nest of cushions and blankets. A whiff of eucalyptus hung in the air, wafting from the carelessly discarded cloths they had used to clean Elphaba's lesions.

Glinda had been so worried about the little blemishes, while Elphaba had insisted that they did not need any treatment. She'd given in nonetheless, allowing the blonde to gently dab at them with the fragrant salve. It had been something relatively harmless to do, something to concentrate on while her anxiety was threatening to shoot through the roof. But it had also been a very immersive moment that had helped her to ease into the new level of intimacy they were now sharing. Almost trembling with caution, she'd brought up a finger to faintly trace the sore on Elphaba's cheek. The green girl had asserted that it did not hurt, and she'd placed her lips to the same mark, hoping to make it heal faster. Elphaba had responded in kind, but instead of physical wounds, she'd kissed away Glinda's residual doubts.

Several hours after that, Glinda still found it difficult to wrap her head around what had happened at the park. If they had gone their separate ways in the end of it, she most certainly would have soon thought it nothing but a wild fantasy. The moment that Elphaba was out of sight, she wouldn't even have considered mentioning it to Fiyero, out of fear it would spur his mischievous mind into action for real. Perhaps she would have simply left for Frottica the next day, ever more determined never to return to the Emerald City in order to prevent herself from experiencing more of such painful daydreams in the future.

Thank the great and merciful Oz for Elphaba and her foresight. Or her lucky intuition. Or whatever it was that had compelled her to ask Glinda over to her house straight away.

After all, it was owing to Elphaba's invitation, that the realness of their transformed relationship was undeniable. In spite of her otherwise bemused state, Glinda was keenly aware of the tall, angular body that was firmly pressed against her back, the long, slender arm that occasionally moved to turn a page in Elphaba's book, but mostly lay snugly curled around her midsection. Her heart seemed to adjust the slowest, as it sometimes appeared reconciled to the peaceful togetherness, yet at other times, suddenly began to beat out of turn for no tangible reason. She wondered whether Elphaba had noticed.

It was quiet. So quiet, in fact, that the muffled chimes of the old grandfather clock in the entrance hall could still be heard all this way to the music room. Each toll echoed through Glinda's head while she subconsciously counted the strikes. She blinked when the last one had finally died out.

"It's late," she sighed, craning her neck in an attempt to look at Elphaba.

While she was unable to see much from her shoulders upwards, she heard the heavy book fall shut and felt Elphaba's body shifting. The arm around her loosened when she repurposed it to carry some of her weight. A moment later, Glinda felt a kiss on her shoulder, left bare by her spaghetti strap nightgown. Humming appreciatively, Elphaba moved on to nuzzle the crook of her neck. Glinda' shivered in response.

"I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?" half-whispered the taller girl, still hovering less than an inch above the spot where her caress had caused the reaction. Her hair tickled Glinda's skin.

Glinda reached for her hand and squeezed it.

"You just surprised me. I… can get a little overwhelmed by unexpected touching."

Processing this new information, Elphaba nodded.

"Okay. Next time, I'll ask for permission first."

Wiggling a bit, Glinda managed to turn around and lie flat on her back, looking up at Elphaba. By Lurline, she looked so gorgeous with her hair framing her face like that. It was an angle she hadn't had the opportunity to enjoy before now. She swallowed and smiled. For a clock-tick, she'd almost forgotten what she'd meant to say.

"Asking is good," she agreed. "But you don't need to for something as simple as this."

Eyebrows knitted, Elphaba considered her, searching for the truth in her face.

"But it made you uncomfortable, did it not? I don't want to ever make you uncomfortable. Regardless what you might have come to believe, there is no chance in hell that I'll lose interest just because this is a bit more difficult or something."

Reaching up to stroke Elphaba's cheek, Glinda allowed her smile to widen.

"That's sweet. But I trust you, and if I say something is okay, it is okay. I'll get used to it. It won't take long, I'm sure. I've been through this before. With Fiyero. We only used to pretend that we were in love in front of others, but before we knew it, the act bled into our private moments as well. Becoming less and less of a pretence day by day."

Elphaba pushed herself up into a sitting position, crossing her legs. Slightly alarmed, Glinda followed suit.

"How much in love were you really with Fiyero?" she ventured to ask, cocking her head.

"Jealous?" Glinda teased, giggling lightly to mask her insecurity.

Elphaba scoffed and looked away. Not exactly a solid disproof of Glinda's supposition. She didn't appear annoyed though, and the blonde relaxed.

"It's hard to tell, you know," she said after giving the matter more thought. "I was—still am, of course—so fond of him. The purpose of our relationship back then seemed to set the tone a lot, even for my actual feelings. I believe I never sat down to dissect make-believe from truth. It didn't matter. If it hadn't been for his decision to break up, I most likely would have continued on like this for quite a while. Maybe forever."

The expression on Elphaba's face made Glinda's stomach drop again. Had she spoken too freely? Should she have waited with such revelations until they were more secure in their relationship? Well, it was too late for regrets. There was only one way to go from here, and that was straight ahead, clearing the air so they could turn over a new leaf. She lurched forward and grasped her hands to hold them firmly in her own.

"You might think that I would have been so terribly miserable," she continued, looking at her imploringly, "but to be honest, I probably would have been none the wiser without losing what I had with him, and, especially, without meeting you. I would never have known the difference and never asked for anything more."

She felt her voice thicken and cleared her throat. Her hands tightened around Elphaba's.

"That being said… No matter how difficult it has been for us to arrive at the point where we are at now, and no matter how tricky our future might prove to navigate; I am so happy. I can't even put it in words. I wold have been content with Fiyero, but I think you are the only way for me to live my best life. With your help, I'll be exactly who I'm meant to be."

Elphaba's dark eyes stared back at her, brimming with emotion. The rising and lowering of her chest was slow, but too pronounced to feign calmness. She inhaled sharply through her nose and dropped her gaze, studying their joint hands.

"I wish I had figured it all out earlier," she confessed, her mouth a thin line. "It would have saved both of us a lot of hurt."

But Glinda would have none of it. Releasing Elphaba's hands, she reached for her face instead, compelling her to look up.

"Don't you fucking dare shouldering the blame for this, Elphie!" she reproached her, stressing every single word to drive home the message. "I was such a pain. I can admit this, but I won't apologise. Blame me if you want, I deserve it. But I suppose it had to go this way, no matter how much we wish it could have been easier. I only hope we will live happily ever after from here on."

"Happily ever after," repeated Elphaba and chuckled dismissively.

"You don't believe we could?" Glinda asked, biting her lower lip.

"I believe that having you by my side will make life a lot more bearable, but we won't always be happy. That's too romantic a notion for me."

"Fine. I guess you're technically right. But the love of my life just told me this very evening that she loves me, too, so excuse me for being in a bit of a romantic mood right now."

This time, Elphaba laughed for real and took hold of her arms to gently pull her into her lap.

"Is it okay if I kiss you?" she breathed huskily, their faces already within a hair's breadth of touching.

"Again?" giggled Glinda before nodding her consent.

Closing her eyes as their lips met, she tried to concentrate on the exact feeling and flavour of Elphaba's lips, the rhythm and force with which she moved her mouth. If she wasn't able to lose herself in the moment, the least she could do was to burn every detail of the experience into her memory.

However, Elphaba's hands sensually gliding up her back immediately distracted her from such comprehensive observations and made the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand to attention. Her breath hitched, and Elphaba briefly paused to check in with her.

"All good, Elphie," she breathed, closing the gap between them and placing her own hands on Elphaba's hips. "Don't stop."

Elphaba held her shoulders as she once again let her kisses trail along Glinda's jaw and towards her neck.

"You see?" said Glinda, only slightly panting from the exertion of keeping herself composed, "Already a lot easier."

She willed her own hands to move, wanting to reciprocate and assure Elphaba that she loved her just as fervently. They did not obey.

She let her frustration get the better of her. Her thoughts disassociated from the caresses Elphaba continued to shower her with. The angry voice in her head simply commanded too much room for her to hear or feel anything else. Why was her useless body so cold and unfeeling? Why could it not follow the simplest of instructions? Sure, she'd allowed Elphaba considerable access to her outer shell, but her love deserved so much more. So much more.

"Glinda? Glinda."

It took a very concerned cry from Elphaba to break her out of her malignant reveries.

"Hey… What's—what's wrong my sweet?"

She blinked a few times, until her eyes began to truly see again. Looking up at Elphaba, she nearly began to sob.

"Gosh, I'm sorry, Elphie," she sniffled, but Elphaba cupped her face and only shook her head.

"It's okay. I'm being too selfish. Maybe we should just take a step back for now."

"Or at least go to bed for tonight," suggested Glinda.

"Yes. Of course."

Elphaba staggered to her feet and pulled Glinda up with her; then she hesitated.

"Are you… would you prefer to…"

"I could sleep in your room if you'd have me," Glinda clarified quietly, blushing from head to toe.

Elphaba's lips split into the silliest grin she'd ever seen on her, and before she knew it, she'd leaned in to place another kiss to her mouth. She withdrew almost as hastily and apologised, cheeks markedly darker than usual.

All snuggled up in the big bed, Elphaba's arm supporting her neck, Glinda couldn't sleep. Some of her restlessness could be accredited to the turbulent events of this evening, some to Elphaba's presence; but there was a deeper issue that troubled her. She tried to ignore it for the time being. Perhaps the problem would solve itself, perhaps it was too early to talk about this. Then again, when she thought back to what had happened earlier, she really didn't want to leave Elphaba in the dark about it.

"Elphie?" she whispered and reached out to touch her. Unable to aim well in the blackness of the curtained room, her hand landed on one of the other girl's small breasts, and she retracted it as if she'd touched fire.

Elphaba's night vision appeared to be a whole lot better, as she seemingly had no trouble at all to make out the very same hand and guide it back to where it had first made contact.

"It's no big deal," she rasped, her voice already laced with sleep. Despite her tiredness, Glinda could hear a smile ring through. "It's just another part of the same body. You can touch anywhere you like… or just happen to. That's your special privilege now."

Quite moved, Glinda was rendered speechless. At first, she was so fascinated by Elphaba's sobriety that she forgot what she'd meant to tell her, but at a second thought, her words struck her as precisely what was wrong with her own sense of sexuality. She took a heart and shuffled even closer, until their noses touched. Her hand meandered towards more neutral territory for better comfort, and her breathing became a little less shaky.

"Do you remember that conversation we once had?"

Elphaba chuckled, her body vibrating.

"Maybe. Which one are you referring to?"

Nervous, Glinda tittered along, then blew a deep breath out.

"The one we had at that bar. The bar with the dreadful elephant skull on the wall. I mentioned something about… a husband."

Elphaba stiffened at that and did not immediately speak. Glinda was in no doubt that she recalled this particular discussion rather vividly.

"You—you are still holding on to this plan?" she asked eventually, barely able to keep her tone even.

Horrified at the misunderstanding she'd accidentally created, Glinda immediately tightened her grip on Elphaba and pressed a quick, yet solid kiss to her lips.

"Oz, no! I have fully given up on that."

Elphaba exhaled audibly.

"Good."

"Goodness, Elphie. Did you really just think—did you really think I wanted to keep you as my secret pet while getting married to a man?"

"It wouldn't be entirely unthinkable," acknowledged the other girl glumly.

"Oh Elphie," exclaimed Glinda and scooted close enough to bury her face in her chest. "I could never. Do you hear me? Never."

After a few clock-ticks of motionless silence, Elphaba's arm came around to embrace her.

"So you're okay with settling for the socially unacceptable green lass?"

She turned her head until she could speak unhindered.

"I'm not settling for anything. You're far more than anything I ever dared to hope for."

A breath of relief was followed by a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

"If you say so, my sweet."

In the ensuing stillness, Glinda began to think that the opportunity to raise her concerns had passed. While she was not sure if she could fall asleep any easier now, she quickly resigned herself to the fact that the conversation would have to be had another time and firmly closed her eyes shut. She even thought Elphaba had already drifted off, when the sudden sound of her voice almost made her jump.

"So… what was it that you really wanted to talk about then?" she queried.

By this point, Glinda's resolve had all but faded away. Not only had she mentally set aside the topic, she'd also, mere seconds ago, spelt out exactly what she stood to lose if this relationship were to fail, for whatever reason. On the other hand, Elphaba was too aware now to simply take some flippant excuse for an answer.

"Well," began Glinda and paused, the pit of her stomach coiling tighter and tighter the longer she stalled. "You may remember us discussing certain quirks I might have."

If anything, Elphaba seemed confused by her hesitancy.

"Yeah?"

"It's just… Now that I've come so much closer to these things ever becoming really relevant… I'm not quite as confident anymore. About overcoming them."

Elphaba made an infuriatingly unfazed sound of understanding.

"Elphie." She sighed heavily. "What I mean to say is, that I might have given you false hopes. Unintentionally, of course. But I'm no longer sure if I could ever give you, well, all of me. You understand?"

"I do," was Elphaba's prompt reply, paired with a soft peck on her forehead.

Glinda only became more agitated.

"That answer came awfully quickly," she mumbled, clenching her jaw at the feeling of not being taken seriously.

"Glinda. I'm not that naïve," explained Elphaba at last. "I figured that this could happen and engaged in a lot of soul-searching before I even allowed myself to fantasise about a relationship with you. Granted, the possibility seemed incredibly slim anyway. This kind of changed when Fiyero approached me, and I dug even deeper. I didn't want to turn your life upside-down without being two-hundred percent clear about my own feelings and needs first. Which I am now."

Glinda let it all sink in for a moment, then repositioned herself so she could kiss Elphaba one more time. She inhaled her scent—a mixture of eucalyptus, cedar wood and her very own natural essence. She stroked her skin, so soft from the oils she had to use every day.

"You're the most magnificent being on this planet, do you know that?" she breathed, shaking her head at her own inability to fathom such pure devotion. "I'm sorry for doubting you. I love you."

No matter how late they'd slept the previous night—come morning, both girls woke up early, equally anxious to discover whether they had been deceived by some hyper-realistic dream or whether the other was still, in fact, lying beside them. For Glinda, opening her eyes to the sight of Elphaba's loving gaze was such a glorious feeling, that she, without thinking too much about it, happily took the initiative and brushed her lips against her mouth.

"Good morning," she murmured and touched her forehead to Elphaba's.

The other girl briefly closed her eyes, then gently nudged her with her nose before breaking the contact.

"Morning. Are you hungry?"

Though she might have thought otherwise, Glinda's stomach rumbled at the mention of food.

"Er, I guess," she said and giggled.

Elphaba was the first to roll out of bed and walk towards the door; Glinda was too preoccupied with savouring the moment. Elphaba made it feel so easy, like it was the most natural thing in the world that they could be together like this, sleep in the same bed, be sweet to each other in the morning, and just share a life.

Until she opened the door and froze.

"Shit," she muttered under her breath, and Glinda's mood shifted along with hers.

"Shell?" she asked with a groan. There weren't many other reasons for her to react this way.

"Yeah. Should I quickly find something edible and bring it upstairs?"

Momentarily averting her gaze, Glinda considered her situation. She chewed the soft insides of her cheeks as she usually did, but stopped herself. She wasn't alone in this anymore. For every bit of confidence that she lacked on her own, she could muster twice the amount as long as Elphaba was near. Shell had been wrong about the two of them and she'd rub it in his arrogant face.

"It's okay, Elphie," she told her with a tense smile, "I'm not afraid of him. The best way to shut him up is to just stand my ground."

"I suppose you're right. As long as you're up to it." Elphaba took one step out of the room, then popped her head back in. "Do you want to get changed first? I could grab your clothes from the other room."

Glinda thought about it briefly, but shook her head.

"Nah," she said and bit her lips, shooting her girlfriend a scandalous look. "Let him think what he will."

Elphaba seemed on the verge of blushing, but ultimately just snickered quietly and turned around to leave.

"Oh, one more thing, Elphie!" called Glinda and scrambled out of bed to run up to her.

She took one of Elphaba's hands and wrapped her free arm around her neck to pull her down a notch. She kissed her mouth, but only fleetingly, then kissed the spot right next to her ear.

"Sorry," she whispered with a soft growl, "but I've always been curious about this."

Without explaining any further, she drew a line with her nose until she arrived at Elphaba's pulse point. She kissed it once, very delicately, then chuckled against the smooth skin and began to suck gently. The sensation of Elphaba quivering beneath her lips concerned her at first, but the noise that accompanied her response sounded anything but discontent. Pleased with herself, she grinned and placed one last peck on the darkened patch.

"Done," she said happily after taking a second to admire her handiwork. "Time for breakfast."

She pushed past Elphaba, her confidence somewhat boosted for the upcoming confrontation. When Elphaba didn't immediately follow, though, she turned around to see what was keeping her. Surprise and a tinge of guilt crept up on her. She hadn't expected to find her so flustered.

"Oh. Sorry, Elphie," she began to say and started fidgeting with the hem of her nightgown. "Was that too much?"

"What?" Elphaba still looked rather out of it. "Oh," she said, touching her neck and shaking her head. "No, no. It was just rather unexpected."

Flushing deep red, Glinda cast her a coy glance.

"Well, don't get used to it. Occasional spur-of-the-moment outbursts might occur, I admit, but until I say otherwise, they are just that. That being said, let me know if I ever do or try to do anything that you don't want me to. I'm not the only one who should demand respect and uphold certain boundaries.

Elphaba swallowed.

"Understood," she said before taking a few steps forward to lace her fingers together with Glinda's for their descent down the stairs.

They found Shell in the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge for leftovers.

"Oh hey, Fabala!" he shouted at the sound of footsteps, not bothering to turn around.

Glinda could feel Elphaba's gaze on her and looked up to meet her eyes. She shrugged at the unspoken question.

"I'll make you a coffee," the taller girl murmured under her breath, and Shell—totally oblivious—called out that he'd already had one.

Glinda couldn't help but laugh out loud. She couldn't believe he'd even heard Elphaba's words.

Confused, the boy turned his head at last. His perception was sharp as a tack, just like his hearing, and his eyes were immediately drawn to their joint hands. Mere seconds later, he noticed their general state of undress, Glinda's dishevelled hair, the mark on Elphaba's neck.

"Holy mother of—Fuck me, my sister and the virgin queen. Who would have thought!"

Elphaba's eyes narrowed.

"Either shut up or piss off. We don't need any of your commentary."

Clicking his tongue, he returned his attention back to the fridge to grab a white plastic container and a pack of breakfast drink.

"The sex can't be very good if you wake up even grumpier than you usually are," he remarked flippantly as he strolled past them.

Elphaba was just about ready to pounce at him.

"You little—"

"Elphie," said Glinda calmly, squeezing her hand. "Just let him go. He's only butthurt that he was wrong about us. Or his lifestyle choices. Or maybe both."

"If you say so, blondie," he singsonged, already as good as gone.

"Gosh, I'm so sorry, Glin."

"Don't worry about it. Nothing he says affects me as long as I know that you and I are okay."

"Just 'okay'?" smirked Elphaba, cocking an eyebrow. "I think we are more than that."

She moved towards the pantry and let Glinda's hand glide out of her own.

"What would you like?" she asked. "I could make some eggy bread, or pancakes if you'd prefer those."

"Do you have any plain, old cereal?" Glinda ventured reluctantly.

Elphaba cast her a bemused look.

"Uh, sure."

"I'll have that then. To be honest, all the excitement of the past twenty-four hours has been a bit difficult to stomach. I don't know if I could handle a more elaborate meal."

Nodding empathetically, Elphaba turned back around and produced a box of organic muesli.

They sat and ate quietly, exchanging only a bare minimum of words. It was a stark contrast to their lively start into the morning. The worried glances Elphaba cast across the table did not escape Glinda's notice, but she ignored them as best she could. It wasn't until half an hour had passed without Glinda touching her food that Elphaba broached the topic.

"Shell did get to you after all, didn't he?"

"Huh?" Glinda looked up and blinked tiredly. "Oh no, it's definitely not Shell."

"Then you must tell me what's going on, because I'm starting to think that it might be me."

"Goodness, Elphie," sighed Glinda, exhaling deeply. "Don't be so paranoid. You're the best thing that ever happened to me. Accept it.

"No, it's about Fiyero. Today is his birthday and I don't know what to do. He's my best friend and I love him, but he's also a freaking pain in the butt who betrayed my trust. All with my best interests in mind, I'm sure, but I'm still frigging mad."

"He does seem to have a bit of a habit of involving himself in your most personal matters," admitted Elphaba with a chuckle.

Glinda put aside her spoon, placed her elbows on the table and buried her face in her hands.

"Elphie, you don't even know half of it."

"For example?"

"For example." She looked at Elphaba through her fingers, then moved her head further down and pressed the heels of her palms against her eyes. "He was the one who sent you this very first text. I wanted to, but I didn't have the balls. He just took my phone and did it. It all snowballed from there."

Elphaba stared at her for a good while, then scoffed and shook her head.

"I understand how you feel about his interference, but I find it difficult to be anything but grateful to the man."

"Oh, I know!" exclaimed Glinda, tearing her hands away from her face. "That's what makes this all so infuriating! His behaviour is totally not okay, but… You and I… it's all thanks to him."

Taking a sip from her big mug of herbal tea, Elphaba contemplated the dilemma.

"Well… at least I see no further reason for any meddling on his part. He achieved what he meant to accomplish. You're happy. I reckon he'll be satisfied with that."

"So I should just let him get away with it?" whined Glinda.

"I think you should talk to him," countered Elphaba.

Glinda deflated a little, but bobbed her head.

"And while you're at it… What about your flatmates?"

They headed to Glinda's old flat the very same morning. An unfamiliar, but good-looking young bloke exited the building just as they stepped up the short flight of stairs to the entrance area. Elphaba mumbled her thanks to him for holding the door open, while Glinda eyed him suspiciously as she passed.

"Geez," she muttered on their way to the third floor, "I bet this guy came straight outta Crope and Tibb's bed."

Elphaba looked back, despite the fact that there was nothing to see there.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised; they are a cheeky bunch after all. I'm just trying to imagine you, caught in the middle of it all."

"Could have been worse," dismissed Glinda with a nervous smile. They had arrived at their destination.

She put her fingertips against the doorbell with their names on it but did not push the button.

Behind her, Elphaba shuffled her feet.

"They'll be cool, you know?" she said, softly. "Of course I don't know them as well as you do, but they seem like the kind of kids who don't take anything too seriously."

"Yeah," breathed Glinda and bit her cheek hard as she finally rang the bell.

The muffled sound of footsteps filtered through from the other side, then there was some scratching on the door. Someone must have pushed aside the cover of the rarely used peephole. That someone turned out to be Crope when he raised his high-pitched voice to summon his boyfriend.

"Sweet Oz, they aren't even dressed yet," snickered Glinda, casting Elphaba an awkward side glance while cradling her head in her hand and turning bright pink. "They never check the door first otherwise."

Elphaba grinned lopsidedly.

"I really don't know how you managed living with them for so long."

Their exchange was interrupted by the rattling of keys and the clicking of the lock. The door flung open swiftly, without a hint of hesitation. Before Crope had a chance to release the handle and move forward, Tibbett already came flying their way.

"Glinny!" he shouted loud enough for the entire house to hear and wrapped her in a suffocating hug.

They acknowledged Elphaba with astounding indifference and invited them both inside.

"Oh my gosh, sweetie," said Crope, hand on his heart, "we are so glad that you're alright."

Glinda laughed uneasily, looking back and forth between the two of them.

"Why—why wouldn't I be?"

Heaving the heaviest sigh she'd ever heard from anyone, Crope put his arm around her shoulders and walked her to the couch in the lounge.

"Nothing is alright if you suddenly disappear—in the middle of the night none the less—leaving behind no more than a cryptic note und a stack of cash," he pointed out. "We knew that something was up, but that caught us totally off guard."

Glinda held his gaze for a moment, then looked away when she felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She sniffled to hold them back.

"Guys, I'm so terribly sorry. I didn't mean to worry you or anyone else for that matter. I just didn't know what to do. I somehow had to distance myself from everything and it was all too overwhelming to talk about. Otherwise I would have explained it to you properly."

"Aww, it's okay, baby," Tibbett chimed in, patting her back comfortingly. "So what happened after that? Did Elphaba sweep in to save the day?"

Elphaba herself snorted at the notion.

"No, not exactly," clarified Glinda. "Fiyero pestered me until I gave in and promised to visit. Little did I know that he'd contacted Elphie in the meantime and come up with a plan to set us up.

Both boys beamed stupidly at the revelation.

"Thank the heavens for Fiyero," Crope announced solemnly, his hands stretched into the air.

"You, um, don't seem to be particularly surprised that I brought Elphaba along," Glinda noted.

"Honey," said Tibbett, giving her a certain kind of look. "It's obvious. After what happened, you wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her. Don't get me wrong—we're totally over the moon and so excited for you—but right now, we're way more relieved that you've come back home."

"Home," murmured Glinda. She hadn't thought of it like that. "You—you haven't rented out the room yet?"

"Nope," answered Crope with a shrug. "It didn't feel right, not knowing what was going on with you and whether you'd maybe come back eventually."

"Shit, guys. I didn't leave you all that much. You needed the money from the rent. Why didn't you just find someone else?"

"It's okay, we simply drank less on the weekends."

"So?" Tibbett stared at her expectantly, lips pursed and head tilted sideways. "Are you moving back in?"

Her mouth opened, but she didn't know what to say. Her chest tightened as she realised that, all along, she hadn't thought any further than the next ten minutes. She turned sharply, looking at Elphaba, panic in her eyes, her mind still grappling for the right words.

"I—I… uh…"

She saw Elphaba's jaw set and her eyes lower. It almost crushed her thumping heart.

"I can't come to Shiz with you, and not just because of my work. But if you still want to go through with your program as planned, I'll be waiting for you."

"No," said Glinda definitively. "I'm not going anywhere without you."

Elphaba lifted her head and gaped at her. Her expression was blank at first, but eventually, a small smile began to tug at the corners of her mouth.

"Well, if you're sure…"

"I am," Glinda declared firmly. "I just"—and this was where her voice began to falter again—"don't know what to do about Morrible and the scholarship."

Furrowing her brows, Elphaba seemed to consider the conundrum, but in the end, she merely shrugged.

"Fuck that old hag. We'll sort out the legal part, and beyond that, she can go eat a broom for all I care."

Glinda's heart felt full and emboldened as she watched her say those things. Elphaba was so passionate when she wanted to be, and she was passionate about her. She felt so humbled, so proud, so loved. Reaching across Tibbett's lap, she grasped Elphaba's hand and held it tight. She wasn't quite sure whether it would be as easy as she made it sound, but decided not to worry about it for the time being.

Before they left the two boys, it was determined that Glinda would move back into her old room. While she intended to spend as much time with Elphaba as possible, she had to agree that it would be better if she also had her own place, away from Shell. At least for now.

A few hours later, she stood in front of yet another door, a million butterflies fluttering in her stomach. The concierge, sweeping away the fresh snow from the path that led up to the building, had recognised her and let her in. She pressed the button on the intercom and quickly crossed her arms, eyes trained on the tips of her shoes.

Fiyero took his sweet time to answer, but when he finally did, he didn't bother with the camera or the speaker. He simply opened the door and looked at her, brows raised.

"I figured it might be you," he said, stepping aside to make more space for her. "Are you coming in? Where's Elphaba?"

Glinda looked up at him through her lashes before blowing out an exasperated puff of air and averting her gaze again.

"You're… angry," he realised, releasing a small breath of his own. "Would you prefer to be angry inside? It's kinda weird standing in the hallway like this. Especially if you have brought along a crow to pluck with me."

She shifted from one leg to the other but did not move any closer to the entrance.

"You see, I really don't know what to do with you," she said at last. "You're a bloody jerk for messing with my personal business; you really are." She took a deep breath before raising her gaze to level him with a withering glare. "I don't even recall how many flipping times I've told you to stop. It's not okay to ignore my wishes like that."

Now it was Fiyero's turn to fidget. His eyes looked past her to scan the hallway, but returned to her without finding what they had been searching for.

"What happened, Glin?" he queried apprehensively, leaning against the doorframe and just a hint closer towards her. "Did something go wrong?"

Her fingernails dug into the puffy sleeves of her jacket. Oz, she had no clue what she was even doing, what she was really feeling, or what she was trying to get across. She knew that she was angry with him, but also so immensely grateful. At any rate, he didn't deserve to be left fretting over something that hadn't actually happened. It would be outright cruel to make him believe that his actions could have caused her any real harm.

With a frustrated cry, she dropped her arms. Meeting his gaze, she blinked in an effort to keep her eyes from misting over.

"Nothing went wrong, you freaking idiot," she nearly yelled, then inhaled shakily. "Everything played out just as you planned: I made up with Elphaba, we kissed, I stayed at her place last night, we slept in the same fucking bed, and I decided that I will neither go back to Frottica, nor study at Shiz. Everything is wonderful."

She didn't know what else to say, so she just stood there, hands clenched into fists. Her lower lip might have been quivering just a little.

"Oh okay," he said slowly, holding up one hand to placate her. "Okay. I get it, really. Glin—Glinda. Come here. Calm down, please. Come inside and shout at me all you want. I guess I deserve it if I upset you so."

She stared at him, hesitant and unsure. Maybe this was already good enough? Maybe he already understood, and maybe her demands for atonement were already sufficiently satisfied? It wasn't like she wanted to fight with him. But her heart was still racing. Her eyes were still brimming with unshed tears. Was she ready to forgive and forget?

She wavered another few moments, but eventually took one small step forward. Stopping short of entering his apartment, she held out her arms, beckoning him to close the gap. He did so gladly and without a second thought. She folded her arms around him and rested her head against his chest.

"Hap—happy birthday, you idiot," she murmured and half cried, half laughed into his jumper.

"Thanks," he replied and finally relaxed. "Any chance you're coming in now?"

"Yeah… I'm just waiting for—"

A few metres away, the lift dinged and Glinda let go of him to look in the direction of the sound. The doors opened, revealing Elphaba with a big box balanced on the palm of her hand.

"There," said Glinda, gesturing behind her and clearing her choked up voice, "your, uh, cake arrived."

Glinda called her parents to inform them that she wasn't coming back to Frottica any time soon. Her mother was saddened at the thought of celebrating yet another Lurlinemas without her only child, and outright distraught to learn that Glinda wouldn't attend the New Year's party she'd planned with the expressed intention to find her a suitable partner. Her father was beside himself with disappointment, though his wife gave him hardly any opportunity to speak to his daughter directly. He later wrote to her in a last ditch attempt to convince her to attend Shiz after all. Unwilling to disclose the reason behind her decision, Glinda was sympathetic to his frustration. He'd been so proud of her academic achievement, and she appreciated that. His motives were certainly more honourable than her mother's.

They spent Lurlinemas with Brrr and Chistery; on New Year's Eve, Shell was out partying and the girls had the big house to themselves. Too busy making up for the months they had wasted dancing around their feelings for each other, they didn't earnestly start hunting for their own place until the end of January.

Elphaba found a cute but neglected place near Merchant Row, on the opposite side of the Royal Mall from Gold Haven. There was a ton of clutter the previous tenant hadn't bothered to remove, the carpet smelt musky, and the paint was peeling off the walls, but with a lot of time at her hands and Elphaba's generous renovation budget, Glinda managed to organise a thorough clean-up and revamp. Within less than two weeks, the apartment was ready for occupation.

Crope, Tibbett, and even Boq, offered their assistance with the actual move, though there was little for them to do in the end. Glinda had exactly two boxes, and Elphaba intended to move the majority of her stuff bit by bit as she knew she'd inevitably be swinging between work, Mennipin Street and the new place for a while longer. Quite aware that the boys were mostly just curious to see where and how they were going to live together, they didn't mind letting them come along anyway, and redeployed them by picking up some flat pack furniture in the morning for them to assemble later. As reward, Elphaba ordered them a truckload of pizza and grabbed a crate of beer from the nearby supermarket.

As the hour grew later and later, Glinda began to grow restless. She was tired of her perceived obligation to entertain her guests and needed some space to herself. After all, there'd been a host of changes in her life recently, and moving together with Elphaba, despite all the exciting and joyful implications, was still stressful.

Unsure how long she'd be gone, she slipped away quietly, without attempting to make any excuse or promising a prompt return. Their apartment was at the top level of an old, narrow building and boasted an additional roof space, accessible via a flight of steep alternating stairs. It wasn't much, but she'd converted the intended storage area into a cosy comfort zone where they kept the bulk of Elphaba's books and a couple of sentimental keepsakes. At the tallest point of the room, there was a tiny balcony, barely wide enough for two people to stand on. It offered a beautiful view though, especially at night.

Leaning against the balustrade, Glinda surveyed the nearby park, the brightly lit streets and the slow-moving traffic. It was by no means the first time that she saw the city from above, yet it was certainly the first time that she felt like the world truly lay at her feet. Now all she needed to do was to rise to the occasion.

She heard footsteps from behind and wondered if Crope's curiosity had finally won out. For some reason or another, she hadn't shown this room to their guests yet—perhaps in an unconscious bid to keep it a private sanctuary. The inidentified person behind her made no effort to draw her attention, and Glinda couldn't bring herself to turn around. She was too much at peace just then and wished to preserve this feeling for as long as possible. To her surprise, it was Elphaba who stepped onto the balcony next to her.

She rubbed and blew into her hands.

"Aren't you cold?"

Trying to curl her own hands tighter around the railing, Glinda noticed that they were completely stiff.

"I guess I am a wee bit," she admitted. The warm blood that suddenly flushed her cheeks made her icy skin tingle as it turned a soft shade of pink.

Elphaba headed back inside to retrieve a throw from the rocking chair next to the balcony door and wrapped it tightly around the blonde's shoulders.

"You left our guests all to themselves?" chuckled Glinda, bumping gently into Elphaba's upper arm.

"They are adults," answered Elphaba with a shrug. "They can entertain themselves. Besides, they have plenty of beer and snacks. They won't miss us if we steal a moment for ourselves."

She reached out to lightly stroke the line of her jaw and moved closer, cocking her head in a way that Glinda had since learnt to recognise as a subtle request for permission. With a tender smile on her lips, she gave her own cue, allowing her lover to proceed.

"I'll drive the boys home soon," breathed Elphaba as they parted again. "They've had way too much alcohol to be let loose on the town on their own, and I don't particularly want them to stay the night."

"And why is that?" asked Glinda coquettishly.

She'd always been a bit of a tease and since regaining her confidence, this side of her had come back full force. Thankfully, Elphaba didn't seem to mind.

"Are you going to wait up for me?" she asked instead of acknowledging Glinda's question.

"I guess. Are you going to make it worth my while?"

"Not really," said Elphaba with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I just had some stupid idea of celebrating our anniversary, is all. Don't worry about it."

"Anniversary?" exclaimed Glinda, staring back at her with her mouth open. Her mind ran through the calendar, several lightyears at a time, but came up with nothing. "Elphie, today is—"

"February fourth," finished Elphaba.

"Yeah…" Glinda was no closer to understanding her point. "It's been less than two months. Even if you were to consider the day we became friends… I mean, that's kinda impossible to determine anyway—"

Glinda stopped short when Elphaba seized one of her hands, placed something small into it, then curled it shut and kissed her knuckles.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, and I'll bring coffee and cake. Don't doze off before that, or I shall have to wake you up again."

"O—okay," replied Glinda and blinked.

It somehow went without saying that Glinda shouldn't open her hand before Elphaba was gone, and so she turned around and watched her until the top of her head had completely disappeared from the opening that led down to the larger living area. She even waited until the door fell shut behind her and their guests. Only then, did she step inside from the cold and slowly unfolded her freezing hand.

The little object was a black ring, not too unlike her old one, but jewelled with tiny purple amethysts. The memory of her first meeting with Elphaba hit Glinda like a tidal wave and she had to sit down in order not to sway. Trembling slightly, she slid on the ring and pressed the whole hand against her chest, hoping more than ever that Elphaba wouldn't be too long.