Worth the Wait

by MyLittleElphie

We collectively suffered through The Interview (If you didn't, go to my page, find it, read it. Now.) and Glinda's long path to self-acceptance and happiness. In this short special, we are looking at things another way and explore Elphaba's PoV.

3. Part Three

AN:

Alright... Here we go. The final part. Hope you enjoyed this little ride and maybe I'll see you next week when I (hopefully) upload the first chapter of my new story Accidents Will Happen.
Until then, take care and, as always: Happy reading!

xoxo MLE
(=^_^=)

---

Part Three

"Elphie, I need to talk to you," announced Boq as he marched into her office, flipping through the file in his hands.

Irritated, the green girl at the desk hit the backspace key on her laptop several times and pushed herself back in her chair.

"I really need you to quit using this ridiculous pet name."

She fixed him with a withering glare, but far from shrinking back, the Munchkin merely cocked his head and pursed his lips.

"I've been calling you this our entire lives, ever since we met at playgroup. I'm not inclined to stop today."

"And I have finally outgrown it," growled Elphaba, jumping to her feet. "What is this anyway?" she demanded, snatching the folder away from him.

"It's the résumés you asked for. I was just going to say that I recognise one of the applicants from school, and he's an alright guy. He seems to have gone through a bit of a rough patch, but I'm happy to vouch for him."

Reaching up, he found the relevant page for her and pointed out his former classmate's name. Elphaba looked at his fairly nondescript photo and shrugged.

"Fine. I'll interview him," she said, prompting Boq to do a small fist pump. "Under one condition."

He rolled his eyes, still grinning.

"Yes, boss?"

"Drop. The. Name."

His shoulders slumped, even though he nodded. Elphaba huffed slightly and shook her head as she returned to her seat. Watching him leave through the glass door, visibly subdued, a smidgen of guilt once again crept up on her. But why? It wasn't like she was renouncing their friendship. It was nothing but a silly childhood moniker that didn't even suit her. She couldn't understand what was so difficult about retiring it.

Heaving a heavy sigh, she ran her hand through her loose hair. She hadn't bothered pulling it back today. There were a lot of things she couldn't be bothered doing lately, and she low-key hated herself for being so pathetic. After all, it had already been a little over two months since she'd last seen Glinda. A little over two months since Glinda had turned her back on her, for whatever unclear reason. It was pointless at this stage to still pine after the girl, yet here she was.

At least she'd been able to keep her undue distress under wraps in front of the others. To a certain degree that was. Boq, Brrr, Sarima, and even Kitty—they all had taken note of her increasingly morose mood, yet no-one had thus far been able to pin down the exact cause. She intended to leave it that way until the eventual end of this tragic phase.

And that was all the pondering she was willing to do on the matter for this morning. Distraction was starting to become more effective again—an encouraging sign of gradual recovery. A small pop up at the bottom of her laptop screen alerted her to a new email, and with a firm nod to herself she clicked on it, ready to commit to her work.

It was a message from Avaric, her least favourite person through whom to source any kind of diversion at the best of times. Dutifully, she skimmed through the text, but when another notification flashed up, she was quick to go for it.

"Glinda"

The subject line hit her like fucking freight train.

She stared at it for a couple of clock-ticks before taking off her glasses and bringing up her hands to rub her strained eyes. Most like, she'd gone entirely mad, seeing things that weren't there. She allowed herself a moment of recollection and took a sip from her bitter herbal tea. Glasses back in place, she tried again.

"Glinda"

Her heart once again leapt right into her mouth and an overwhelming dizziness gripped her. She was not imagining this. This was her friend's name, entirely unaccompanied by any other words. Whoever had sent her this email certainly knew how to grab her attention.

Her eyes went over the subject line for at least another dozen times before she could force herself to progress further down the screen. The small-printed name underneath Glinda's was simultaneously well-known and unfamiliar to her. Though she'd heard it so often, she'd never actually met the men it belonged to, which made his sudden attempt to reach out even more puzzling. He'd obviously put some effort in finding out her work contacts, which meant that Glinda was either unaware or disapproved of his desire to establish contact. Her brain began to race, conjuring up all sorts of scenarios to justify his method, but she stopped herself just on time. There was no need for nit-picking clues if she had an entire email to peruse.

'Hi,

I know we've never met, but Glinda might have mentioned me at some point. Well, she certainly mentioned you, and that's why, after some deliberation, I decided to write to you. I don't know what your stance is on things—and Glinda wouldn't say much either—so I don't want to go into details right now. I'll leave it up to you whether you want to get involved in this or not. Simply text or call me if you're up to it. Otherwise, take care and rest assured that there's at least someone left to kinda look out for her.

Cheers,

Fiyero'

Elphaba read it all twice, then instinctively reached for her phone. Long, nimble fingers flew across the keys as she began typing in the first couple of digits of the attached number, but then came to a sudden halt. Blankly, she stared at the screen before closing her messaging app just a few moments later. She chucked her phone back on the desk where it landed on a low stack of manila folders, causing them to topple and slide across the table.

'If you're up to it,' the email read. Up to what? Glinda herself didn't seem interested in contacting her, so why should she go and fraternise with her best friend behind her back? What was the point?

She read the words again and again and again. He certainly wasn't sharing much, and his reassurance in the end wasn't quite as effective as he might have hoped. Unless it wasn't meant to be. Unless he had actually planned on coaxing her into contacting him that way. Perhaps… perhaps she should—if only to enquire about how Glinda was doing and whether she was safe from that douche from the hotel. It wouldn't hurt anyone, and at least she'd have some sort of closure. It might even help her to move on.

Biting her lower lip, she reached out and retrieved her phone.

'Hi. This is Elphaba. Thanks for writing. I don't know if we should really talk, but… How's Glinda? Is she okay? That's all I really need to know.'

She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. With that out of the way, she should probably reply to Avaric's message next. After re-reading it, she searched through a few files to get him the information he required, but before she could type anything in reply, her phone buzzed and the temptation to check her texts was simply too great to resist.

'She's in Frottica with her parents. She'd not in the best place right now, but I'm talking to her daily. I don't know if I should say any more.'

Her teeth ground in frustration. Frottica? She hadn't quite expected that, but couldn't say she was entirely surprised either. It did sort of explain things. What she hated most were his ambiguous allusions to her wellbeing. What kind of commitment did he expect from her before he would start speaking in less uncertain terms?

'What about her boyfriend or whatever?' she replied frantically, craving every bit of the information he was dangling in front of her like a fat, juicy carrot.

Agitated as she was, she couldn't even put her phone away this time. Luckily, his answer came within seconds.

'I don't know much about all this. But he's not around anymore.'

Reading this, her madly beating heart slowed down a notch. At least that was comforting to know.

She considered their short conversation, skimmed through it once more, then opened his email and read that as well. She swallowed. What should she do? What was the right thing to do? Lifting her hand subconsciously, she began biting the nail of her thumb. It was such a difficult but crucial decision. A lot depended on it. On the flipside, she didn't have much of a relationship with Glinda left to destroy. If she were to go for it, it would be all or nothing, but if she were to ignore this opportunity, the finite loss of their friendship was the only possible outcome.

'Okay. I'm in. What exactly is it that you want from me?'

---

Elphaba arrived at Fiyero's apartment building later that same day. She strolled through the open main door and scanned the lobby for a panel with name plates and door bells, but only found immaculate walls, decorated with gold accents. Her eyebrows almost all the way to her hairline, she surveyed her surroundings a bit more carefully. The exterior of the complex hadn't actually given away how ostentatious this place would be on the inside. Then again, she did vaguely remember Glinda saying something about Fiyero's family being quite influential; if she'd remembered that little titbit of information earlier, she might have been less shocked.

Behind her, a man cleared his voice, causing her to spin around, facing in the direction of the reception.

"Good afternoon," said the concierge in a sceptical tone of voice, "is there anything I might help you with?"

Hands stuffed in her pockets and a stubborn expression on her face, Elphaba trudged closer.

"I'm here for Fiyero Tigelaar."

The man looked her up and down before asking whether he was expecting her.

"I imagine he is," she replied feistily, "seeing as he was the one to ask me here."

She could tell how hard the man found it to bite back the remark at the tip of his tongue.

"And your name, Madame?" he queried instead, seeking comfort in an excess of correctness and courtesy.

"Elphaba."

"And your last name?"

She gave a little groan and rolled her eyes.

"Thropp. Elphaba Thropp."

Without another word, he picked up the phone to ask for permission to let her pass.

"Very well, Mrs. Thropp; Mr. Tigelaar is expecting you. Ninth floor, apartment three, just left from the lift."

Nodding her thanks curtly, she headed in the direction the concierge had indicated with his hand. When she arrived at the appropriate floor, a tall, lean Vinkun guy was already on the lookout for her.

"Hey, you made it!" he laughed, standing in the doorway, legs crossed and one arm akimbo.

"You live in a frigging fortress," was all she replied in greeting, waiting until she stopped right in front of him before pulling her hands free from her pockets.

He held one of his own out for her to shake.

"Fiyero."

"Elphaba. But you know that already."

"Come in. What can I get you?"

They entered the apartment proper. It was a nice, smallish place, and Elphaba immediately thought that she recognised a number of subtle touches that seemed pretty, well, glindafied. It triggered an odd sensation in her chest to flare up, but she tried to ignore it as best she could. Fiyero offered her a seat on the couch and briefly disappeared to fetch them both some drinks.

"Beer or water?" he asked after having brought both alternatives back with him.

"Just water, thanks."

Handing her a bottle, he took a seat on the chair opposite her. He opened his beer with a coin from his pocket and took a swig before putting his drink aside. A long, rather uncomfortable silence followed as he simply sat there, hunched over, but eying her keenly, his folded hands resting in his lap. It was a stark contrast to his warm welcome at the door, and Elphaba didn't quite know how to respond other than regarding him coolly in return, waiting for him to say something.

"You're not very talkative, are you?" he noted at length, scoffing a mild laugh.

"What would you have me talk about? You were the one who invited me, supposedly to discuss some sort of scheme or something."

He shrugged.

"It's a shame we never got to meet before. As it is, we're effectively strangers, so I… I don't know; where do we even start?"

"Well, I'm here now," said Elphaba pointedly, pulling one foot up to rest on her upper leg. One of her arms reached across the backrest of the couch. She wasn't going anywhere until they'd come to some manner of arrangement.

"Okay. That's cool. But look, um, Glinda hates it when I get too entangled in stuff that has actually nothing to do with me. Which is fair enough, but I'm just trying to watch out for her. At any rate, I… I need to know that this is worth the risk. For me and for Glinda."

Elphaba tilted her head and narrowed her eyes while trying to decipher his meaning.

"You think my getting involved might do her harm?"

"I'm not accusing you of intentionally trying to hurt her," he emphasised, his expression even more solemn than before. An apprehensive restlessness settled deep in Elphaba's stomach.

"But?"

He flicked her a fleeting glance before picking up his beer and taking a contemplative sip.

"Well, the truth is that you already have."

His eyes found hers again and she jumped up, unable to bear it.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she spat, pacing towards the large panorama window.

She laid her hands against the glass to steady herself, but a thin film of condensation made her flinch and reel around. She took to marching up and down the room instead. Fiyero watched her for a moment before shaking his head and stepping right into her path. She levelled him with a fierce glare.

"Fine," he huffed, folding his arms, "let's forget about all the introductory crap and cut straight to the chase: do you love Glinda?"

Suddenly feeling thrown even more off balance, Elphaba let her tough front slip and her eyes widen in shock.

"Wait—what!?" Her voice was similarly untempered. "Why? What did she say? What did I do wrong? I thought this was about her dickhead ex, not me."

Exhaling heavily, Fiyero moved aside and past her, bringing his hand up to support his chin in a thinking pose.

"Calm your horses," he told her firmly as Elphaba frantically turned to follow him. "She doesn't know. If you do love her or whatever, she isn't aware of it."

She stilled and swallowed. Her heart was racing, her mind was reeling. She wished she knew what his ultimate objective was, so she could find her footing and get on top of this silly game; at present, she was barely able to keep up with him.

"Alright," she said, lifting her head proudly to counterbalance the insecurity she felt deep inside. "Then why did you ask?"

"Because I want you to help her, but I need to know how you feel about her first."

She averted her gaze with one sharp motion. Her chest was heaving as the pressure to supress her temper increased exponentially.

"Which way would you have me feel about her? If she needs something, anything from me, I want to help her regardless. My feelings are of no consequence."

"So you do love her."

Her eyes were drawn back to him. For a second, she thought to see the beginning of a grin tugging at the corners of his lips.

"I… didn't say that," she replied far too meekly and instinctively looked to the ground in defeat, the muscles of her jaw clenching.

"Oz, woman!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration. "Your selfless façade is so impeccable it hurts. Just effing say it: do you love her?"

"Yes!" she shouted, once again glaring at him and breathing heavily. Her face felt flushed and hot, yet it wasn't due to any sort of embarrassment.

"Good!" he yelled in answer, then wheeled around, shaking his head and muttering to himself. "Gosh…"

Crushed and drained, Elphaba released a shaky breath, closing her eyes.

"So?" she asked quietly, barely turning her head to look at Fiyero. "What now? Can you please at least tell me what you know before you send me away?"

"Send you away?" he repeated quizzically, moving back towards the couch. "No. Just… sit back down, okay?"

She remained fixed to her spot, watching him with a good measure of confusion as he inelegantly slumped into his chair. He looked up at her and made a sweeping gesture with his hand.

"Please."

Wary, she set one foot in front of the other, then slowly lowered herself into a sitting position.

"You alright?" he questioned, then continued without waiting for a reply. "Right. Listen, I got way too involved already along the way, but even I have my boundaries, and this is getting dangerously close."

Her hostile stare intensified again. All the back and forth only added to her agitation.

"Sure, but can you please get to the point?" she pressed.

Fiyero scoffed.

"So impatient," he said, but gave her a look that betrayed a startling fondness which she could not explain until he finally divulged the secret he'd been hiding.

"She loves you. She's crazy for you, has been for months. Yes, there's been some tragic incident with a spoilt, rich bloke called Chiff or Chaff or—something… but that's not the root of the problem. The biggest issue here is that she loves you with every fibre of her being, but relies on you to take the first step.

"So. Knowing what you know now: what are you going to do about this?"

Elphaba was unable to respond, and it was a good job that she was safely seated on the couch. Even after a few clock-ticks of silence, her mind was still processing the grand revelation, while her head had already begun to spin in vicious whirls. Her hands moved from her lap to her sides to better steady her. This wasn't true, it couldn't possibly be; if it were, it would mean that—in all her abundance of caution—she'd inadvertently done everything wrong she possibly could have. Perhaps there was indeed wisdom in the old saying that no good deed goes unpunished, but why did Glinda have to be the one to suffer for her deeds?

"You're messing with me," she grumbled at long last, looking somewhere to the side and grinding her teeth as she paused intermittently. "Or maybe… you're just mistaken."

She heard a drawn out sigh and turned even further away from him, as if not hearing anything he had to say made it all go away.

"I understand that it must suck to hear about it from me," he said and scratched his head, then picked up his bottle once again. "Especially under these shitty circumstances. But Glinda and I have been talking about you and about her developing feelings for almost as long as you've been friends. There is no room for misunderstandings. She has confessed to me, in no uncertain terms, that she wants to be with you, but that she's too afraid of making a fool of herself or risking your current relationship to suffer in case you did not reciprocate her love. Please believe me, because I don't know how I could possibly make it any more obvious for you."

Elphaba shook her head.

"She never let anything on."

"Believe me, she tried," laughed Fiyero mirthlessly. "But don't blame yourself. I imagine her cues must have been beyond elusive. Yet it was all she dared to do or say."

A wave of pain coursed through Elphaba's body. An unusual sensation of pressure around her eyes warned her that they were about to tear up, so she screwed them tightly shut to protect herself from any spillage.

"Are you okay? Is there anything I can get you?"

She blinked several times, until she was positive that any urge to cry had been adequately quelled. The lower rims of her eyes were sore and burning, but she'd dealt with worse before.

"I suppose I should thank you for enlightening me," she mumbled and made a little noise in an effort to clear her throat. "But isn't it too late to do anything about it now? What do you suggest I do with this information? Drive up to Frottica and wreak havoc on her life there?"

"I get what you mean, and it speaks volumes that you are just as determined as ever to put her needs before your own. But, if anything, this only convinces me more that you need to face her and set things straight between you two. She is… not in a good place right now. While it might be true that time heals all wounds, I can't just wait and stand by any longer while my best friend is in deep emotional agony. Hell, she's not even here, so how can I possibly support her the way she deserves?"

"I tried to call her. She didn't even want to talk to me," Elphaba remembered bitterly.

"I'd wager that that was only because she didn't know that you felt the same," replied Fiyero, shaking his head.

He took his beer and stood, then walked over to the couch and sat down mere inches away from her.

"Don't you see?" he continued, looking at her with pleading eyes. "In her beaten down state, she was no longer able to keep pretending, that's why she gave up and withdrew completely. Besides, she might not even know that you tried to contact her; she binned her old sim, so don't even bother calling or texting her when you get home."

Elphaba considered that. She couldn't deny that Fiyero's encouragement seemed like a tantalising opportunity. With even her best friend begging her, why should she not go for it and try to get the girl she loved so much?

"You seem incredibly passionate about protecting her. What makes you so sure that I am the one for her?" she asked, hoping his answer would be somehow so utterly convincing that her own doubts had nothing left to object.

"Because I trust Glinda and her judgement," he responded and her heart sank.

Recognising her deflated confidence, he smiled.

"Not that kind of judgement that makes her choose guys like Choffree, but that pure, bright light that used to shine from within her and lit up her eyes whenever she talked about you. Deep, deep down, she simply knew that it was you and always would be you. It was her mind that was in doubt, not her heart. As you may or may not have heard, the notion of romance is totally beyond me, but if there is such a thing of love, then that is it. Besides, for all intents and purposes, you look to be a solid choice; considerate, aware, educated…"

"Green, temperamental, female…" she added, wryly.

"Let me assure you, she loves every single one of those traits, because they make you, you."

That was incredibly hard to believe, but Fiyero had her just about ready to submit to anything. Heaving a heavy sigh, she finally nodded.

"Let's say I agree to go along with this… what's you plan?"

---

It took Elphaba an awfully long time to truly come to terms with the knowledge that Fiyero had thrust upon her. There were many different thoughts that went through her mind, but precious few of them were joyful or comforting. Some days, she was angry with herself, or Glinda, or the universe for making being in love so damn hard and complicated. Sometimes, she berated herself for all the little things she had or hadn't done, then started questioning whether it was really a good idea to try and challenge it all now. She hated herself for having been too successful at concealing her own feelings and, simultaneously, too ineffective when it came to reading Glinda's vague hints. It was all her fault.

Despite his devotion to Glinda, Fiyero was her staunchest supporter and rapidly became a fast friend over the next couple of weeks of frequent meetings and phone conversations. He was the first to point out where, in his opinion, Glinda could have done better, and always did his best to put Elphaba's head back on straight whenever she started going down the rabbit hole of self-depreciation.

At times, they clashed over small, insignificant things, and they certainly did not have all that much in common. She even suspected that he was doing hardly any of it for her sake. After all, he couldn't possibly pull off this plan of getting his best friend back without her help—which made her, more than anything, a vital asset to his scheme. But they were allies, and that was good enough for both of them and helped Elphaba through the excruciating wait for that one, all-deciding day.

When said day finally arrived, she got up ridiculously early in the morning, unable to sleep any longer. Shell had left two days prior for some stupid, drunken field trip with his mates, and she couldn't decide whether she enjoyed the solitude or craved the distraction of human company. Skipping breakfast altogether, she had a strong black tea in her office, skimming through a number of work-related reports she already knew she'd forget about the instant she closed her laptop. Likewise, her entire day was filled with pointless activities and endless waiting—a complete waste of her precious time. She reckoned she'd call in sick on Monday and maybe for another couple of days after that, no matter the result of her big confrontation this evening.

Her heart clenched whenever she dared to think of it. Even the mere thought of seeing Glinda after such an extended period of separation, knowing what she knew now, made her guts churn. The prospect of confessing her love to her seemed like the most daunting trial of her life.

While she already knew that Glinda felt the same way—or rather had at some point—this was only a weak boost for her confidence. Much had happened in the meantime, and the blonde had reportedly made new plans for her life in an attempt to move on. She couldn't fault her, and she wouldn't fault her, even if she decided to hold on to those plans after they had cleared the air. But she knew that the effect on herself would be profound and potentially far more damaging than any of her previous agonising and grieving over an unrequited love.

Around four o'clock, she picked up her all-weather lotion and thoroughly massaged it into the skin on her face, neck, wrists and hands. The name of the product was quite misleading, but it did help to ward off at least some of the moisture in the cold winter air, as well as the occasional snowflake or drizzle from above. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her longest coat and slipped into it before accessorising herself with a thick scarf and woollen hat in a matching shade of marron. This was it. She was good to go and she would talk to Glinda, come what may and hell to pay.

Arriving at the Royal Mall, Elphaba parked her car and texted Fiyero. He confirmed that they were still there, but urged her not to squander time, since he wasn't sure for how long exactly he'd be able to keep Glinda in an amiable spirit if he insisted they stay until after nightfall. Upon reading that, she rubbed her brow, then turned her head to risk a glance at the merrily illuminated park.

"Well, here goes nothing," she muttered to herself as she pushed open her door and stepped out of the safety of her car.

She pulled the scarf around her neck higher, all the way up to her nose, to protect herself from the elements, just as much as from any unwanted attention. If the winter season offered any advantage at all, this was it. Entering the park, she studied the people around her. Fiyero had sent her a description of their outfits so she'd be able to find them more easily, and despite the sheer volume of visitors, it wasn't at all difficult to locate the tall Vinkun with the petite blonde in tow.

The first time she spotted Glinda, she found herself instantly rooted to the ground. She'd been freezing, despite her warm jacket, but had suddenly felt hot all over. Too reluctant to approach them outright, she stayed close for a while, observing them from a safe distance.

They made a cute pair, she had to admit, but the notion made her insides roar with undue jealousy. She avoided looking at Fiyero after that, but it was near impossible, seeing as how eagerly Glinda clung to him, all giggles and cheer. She could only imagine how transformed her mood would be after their sure-to-be onerous talk.

It got later and later. Eventually, Elphaba felt too uncomfortable to spy on them any further. It struck her as rather creepy and somewhat voyeuristic and simply didn't sit right with her. She wandered around the park aimlessly, carefully watching out for any signs of the couple so Glinda wouldn't run into her all too unexpectedly. When it got progressively darker, the band on the main stage began to prepare for their concert and most of the crowd headed that way. Even without specifically looking for either of her friends, she easily recognised Fiyero, who was walking in the opposite direction, phone in hand.

Soon her own phone chimed.

'Where the hell are you?'

She looked skyward and exhaled heavily.

'Still here.'

A second later, her mobile rang again, but she ignored it. Keeping her eyes on Fiyero as he returned to Glinda, a blanket under his arm, she found herself a seat reasonably close to their bench and settled down, anticipating a lengthy wait. She'd finally made up her mind. She would let them have their fun for now and catch Glinda right on their way out. Fiyero was sure to give her a warning, which meant that she wouldn't have to constantly observe them either.

She pulled out her phone and held it firmly in her hands, making sure she would not miss any vital messages. Despite her reluctance to approach Glinda right there and then, she was still determined not to let this chance pass by. Her feet tapped on the ground, because she was nervous, and because she was cold. Her mind was too preoccupied to take much note of her body's misgivings, however.

Her seemingly endless and physically gruelling vigil finally came to an abrupt end when, out of the corners of her eyes, she spotted a certain blonde approaching. She was unaccompanied and small, quick steps carried her along the nearby path that led straight past Elphaba's bench and into the general direction of the restrooms.

Another text from Fiyero arrived.

'Glinda is heading for the bathroom. We'll leave as soon as she returns.'

'Whatever the heck you're trying to do, do it quickly.'

Turning her head slightly, she saw Glinda disappear into the plain, square building.

With the moment of truth swiftly and inevitably approaching, Elphaba realised that she had so far neglected to device a concrete strategy. How was she to go about this? What exactly was she going to say? It boggled her mind that she hadn't considered any of this before. Well, it was too late now, for Glinda's toilet break had been a short one, and she was already on her way back. When Elphaba saw this, her cold cheeks flushed and life returned to her frozen limbs. She lowered her head and stared at the ground, waiting for her to come closer and preparing herself for the battle ahead.

Impulsive by nature, she almost felt compelled to jump up and accost Glinda the second she stepped into her narrow field of vision; on the other hand, she didn't trust herself to not bluster out something entirely incoherent and potentially damaging, so she forced herself to stay put, no matter how badly this policy had served her in the past when it came to Glinda.

Fortunately, destiny deigned to intervene, giving Glinda some intangible cause to pause and look in Elphaba's direction. She did not immediately seem to recognise her, however, and Elphaba stubbornly kept her face concealed. It was the phone in her hand that ultimately betrayed her, as it lit up with the arrival of another message from Fiyero. Elphaba did not bother reading it, but cautiously lifted her gaze to see if Glinda had perhaps caught enough of a glimpse to realise who she was.

Despite her continued silence, it appeared she had, judging by the startled, wide-eyed stare she was sending her way. Elphaba swallowed and slowly unfolded her long, stiff legs. Pulling her shoulders back, she sat up straight enough to reveal as much of herself as possible, then fixed Glinda's eyes with her own.

She uttered her name, trying to sound grounded and calm. The other girl gasped quietly in response, now entirely convinced that she was not merely seeing things that weren't actually there. Her heart pounding, Elphaba rose to her feet and took her first cautious step towards Glinda. When she made no attempt to flinch or run away, she covered the gap between them with three long strides.

She stopped short of touching her, affording her a respectful arm's length distance, her hands buried in her pockets as an additional safety measure. Her stare bore into Glinda as she waited for a proper reaction, but all she found was unadulterated bewilderment.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," she deadpanned, tasting an unexpected note of bitterness on her own tongue that the words had left there. She averted her gaze after that, unsure whether she wanted to hear Glinda's reply.

"You—you're alone here?" asked Glinda, ignoring her comment and garnering a brief glance and a nod from Elphaba. "Then it's no coincidence that you're here, is it?"

Cringing inwardly, Elphaba stalled. She shuffled her feet and began scraping and kicking at the sparse snow with her heavy, waterproof boots. She knew Glinda wouldn't be impressed with the truth, but hiding it was useless and would only make things worse.

"Well, I don't really want to throw your pal under the bus, but no."

She was looking her straight in the eyes now, honest and unapologetic. No matter how upset Glinda might be, she couldn't say that she regretted agreeing to Fiyero's plan.

And upset Glinda certainly was. After a second of mild befuddlement, she whipped her head around in Fiyero's direction and cursed his meddlesome behaviour and his inability to keep his nose out of her personal business, almost as if she expected him to hear what she had to say. Uneasy yet patient, Elphaba stood by, waiting for her rant to veer towards her. When the string of heated expletives at long last fizzled out and Glinda was still not looking back at her, the taller girl awkwardly cleared her throat.

The renewed expression of surprise on her face startled Elphaba. It was almost as if Glinda had forgotten all about her already. She watched her face change constantly as she went from puzzled to confused, then contemplative, and finally, shy and demure. She couldn't help but wonder what was going on in that pretty head of hers.

Rather than making any accusations against Elphaba, Glinda lowered her gaze and sighed.

"Elphie?" she said, her voice thin and wavering—a sound that made Elphaba's heart want to melt. "You know… I'm sorry I left you behind the way I did. It—it wasn't right."

Oh. Was that what was holding back her anger? Well, Elphaba supposed an apology was a better place to start from than an onslaught of irate tirades. She shifted her weight, drawing a deep breath and praying to whatever deity that she didn't believe in that she would be able to choose her words wisely.

"I was very confused," she admitted evenly. "There was no way I saw this coming after…"

And that was how far she got before the emotions started to choke and overwhelm her. She looked away and ground her teeth vigorously, calling upon all her strength to keep it together. Until then, she hadn't even realised how profoundly Glinda's abandonment had affected her, how severely a wound she had inflicted upon her. Her initial feelings had been nothing but a scratch on the surface; she saw that now. Her feelings had frozen over, so to say, like a lake in winter. Bringing it all up tonight, in front of the girl herself, promised to break the thick sheet of ice like assaulting it with a sledgehammer.

"Oz, I'm so sorry," Glinda suddenly blurted out, tearing Elphaba out of her own reveries. No matter how unbearable her inner pain was, seeing Glinda at the verge of tears moved her more than her personal misfortune possibly could.

"It was too much to bear," she heard her cry. "Especially—especially when I considered what you must be thinking of me after all that. I didn't want to see it in your eyes the next time we met, I didn't want to hear it through the grapevine or any other way. I just wanted to set an end to it, even though it wasn't fair on you."

Elphaba blinked. Was that it? Was that the actual reason behind Glinda's disappearance? She couldn't wrap her head around it. What in Oz had she ever done to make Glinda believe that she'd think any less of her for doing something silly, particularly when her actions were clearly born out of pure desperation? What had she done to make Glinda question whether she'd still respect her, just because she was forced to ask for help? Perhaps, she'd done nothing. Others had done this to Glinda—her family, her old friends—Elphaba's guilt lay in not having been able to get through to her on time, to have not thoroughly convinced her that she was still just as worthy of love when she was feeling weak and imperfect. Given the chance, Elphaba wanted to make up for this failure hundredfold.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Glinda briskly cut her off.

"Well, honestly, it doesn't matter anymore, Elphie. I'm done."

Taken aback, Elphaba stared at her, trying to gather her wits. How was she meant to respond? It didn't matter, since Glinda gave her no opportunity to say anything.

"I can't take any more of this," she said with finality, knocking the wind out of Elphaba with no more than a handful of words. The rest of her speech hardly registered with the green girl, but the phrase "I can't be around you anymore" stood out loud and clear, echoing through her mind.

Still dazed, Elphaba watched her as her gush of words slowly dried up and left her exhausted and emotional. Her chest was heaving heavily, and her eyes looked shy and scared more than anything. She saw her struggling for words, until she abruptly spun around and walked off.

Her heart dropped like a piece lead.

No! This conversation wasn't over yet. Not by a long shot.

"Glinda! Wait!"

Elphaba had barely noticed running after her, or reaching for her wrist in order to keep her in place. Yet here she was, holding onto her as gently as possible, but with all the determination she could muster.

Glinda did not turn around, only stood there with her head held low. Windblown, dishevelled curls concealed her face.

"Elphie, please just let me go," she pleaded, her voice laced with tears. "You have closure now. That's the best I can offer you at present."

It almost felt cruel to not release her, but Elphaba's hand remained firmly closed around the slender wrist. She couldn't let her go. Not yet.

"A moment," she heard herself say, the pit of her stomach turning with sickening anxiety. "I just need a moment. To tell you that… to make sure that you know…"

She wasn't certain if she'd be able to continue. Glinda's resolve to hold herself up was melting away before her very eyes. If she couldn't find the right words to console and reassure her, she might as well call Fiyero and leave right now, having done more harm than good with this disaster of a reconciliation attempt. She racked her brain for a different way to express her thoughts.

"Glinda. I don't believe there are many things in this world that you could possibly do for me to think badly of you. Including whatever you think you did."

Through her hold on her, she felt Glinda stiffen and hoped that it was a vaguely positive sign. At least she had teased some kind of reaction out of her, however small. Elphaba herself still felt winded from just saying those few words, but felt that she had to continue. Taking a deep, stuttering breath, she did.

"Even if we were to never meet again"—she pressed on, despite the dreadful feeling in her chest—"you must promise me to think better of yourself. You are more than a pretty face and your parent's money. Be proud of yourself."

Watching for any indication that Glinda had heard her, she waited, tightening her grip on her arm ever so slightly. She really meant it; if this was her time to bow out of Glinda's life, she hoped to have made at least a tiny difference for the better. This was more important to her than anything, so when Glinda left her without any sign of agreement, she found herself compelled to repeat her emphatic plea.

This time, she did receive a response, in the form of a wretched sob.

"You aren't supposed to forgive me so easily!" Glinda nearly shouted at her once she'd had an opportunity to catch her breath, almost as if Elphaba was at fault for forgiving and reassuring her. "Besides, if all that wasn't bad enough; perhaps I know something that might do the trick."

Elphaba immediately knew what she was referring to, and while it had been a point of contention between them in the past, she found herself caring a lot less now. Most importantly, she wouldn't allow the topic to derail into more than it was. Holding Glinda in place, she stepped closer.

"If you mean the whole business with Shiz," she said softly and let it hang between them.

Eyes wider than before, with a look of pure horror, Glinda whirled around at that, at long last facing her again. Elphaba could see unshed tears in her eyes, glistening with a hauntingly beautiful quality thanks to the myriad of fairly lights in the surrounding trees. Almost forgetting about both of their current anguish, Elphaba found herself drowning in those vulnerable pools of blue and was only brought back by the sight of one single tear rolling down a rosy cheek.

"Fiyero and I had some time to talk," she explained before swallowing yet another lump in her throat. "We don't have that much in common, except for you. So, yeah, he told me about Shiz. Among other things."

In her distressed state, the subtle innuendo seemed to fly right over Glinda's head, but Elphaba didn't bother clarifying just yet.

"And you forgive me that, too?" Glinda asked instead.

She looked up at her incredulously, fresh tears filling the rims of her eyes and soon spilling over.

"Oh Elphie, I simply don't know what to do with you!" she complained in the manner of a stubborn child, then started to tremble as the sobs intensified.

Helpless, Elphaba watched her, not knowing how to remedy the situation. Was Glinda still too cross to tolerate an attempt of comforting her?

In the end, she decided that it didn't matter. She couldn't just stand there and gawk while the girl she loved was in such distress. She took courage and stepped straight up to her, enveloping her in a firm hug, one hand soothingly rubbing her back. To her relief, Glinda did not protest in the slightest.

The heart wrenching crying and shaking continued for a good while, despite Elphaba's best efforts. The taller girl allowed herself to revel in the warmth that radiated from the blonde and form her own heart that swelled at the feeling of closeness, regardless of how temporary it may prove to be. She closed her eyes and tightened the embrace momentarily, imagining what it would be like to never let go of Glinda ever again. If this were at all possible, she'd be sure to find a way.

When her eyes fluttered open, she noticed the first large, fluffy snowflakes as they gently descended from the sky. The wind carried a few of them in their direction and she saw one land right on her hand. Her lotion warded off the moisture as it melted, but it was only a question of time until the effect would wear off. Unperturbed, Elphaba looked away, resting her head on Glinda's golden curls.

Glinda's tears died down eventually, and she reluctantly detached herself from Elphaba. Putting just enough distance between them so she could look up at her, she drew a sharp breath.

"Now I got freaking snot all over your lovely coat," she hiccupped as though it were the most terrible thing she could think of.

Elphaba didn't care.

The shorter girl craned her head further so she could better assess the damage, then became even more dismayed when she took note of the falling snow.

"Shit! Elphie, your hands, your face! If it melts on you!"

After struggling entirely free from Elphaba's embrace, she could see that some irritation had already occurred, and she began to panic.

"Why didn't you say something, you silly, silly girl," she grumbled while taking off her scarf to cover the reddened skin with it.

Elphaba knew that resistance would be futile and obediently allowed her to guide her back towards the sheltered bench under the sprawling branches of the quoxwood tree. They both sat down, and Glinda carefully raised her hand to push back a strand of black hair. The intensity of Glinda's searching look rendered her utterly defenceless.

"Gosh, this must hurt like hell," she exclaimed and Elphaba could see that she was almost ready to cry again. It was too much for Elphaba to endure in silence.

"Not as much as a broken heart," she replied, hoping to sound casual, but ultimately unable to hide the obvious crack in her voice.

Their eyes met, and Elphaba immediately knew that Glinda had, for the first time, fully understood her meaning. Her eyes were brimming with a flurry of emotions. There were too many of them to reliably discern, and Elphaba had to tear her gaze away every so often to not give in and move too hastily.

Her heart beat hard in her chest, almost as if it tried to pull her closer towards Glinda, while the voices in her mind began to speak louder and louder, warning her of the consequences of making but one wrong move. For a moment, she let her heart take the lead and leaned in, breathing heavier with every inch she drew closer. Yet she never went so far as to actually kiss her. Almost intolerably close to Glinda's lips, she stopped herself and waited.

Mind screaming and heart pounding painfully, both demanding she do the exact opposite thing, she found herself in an excruciating limbo. A thought occurred to her and slowly, she lifted her gaze to find Glinda's eyes again. She studied them intently for a clock-tick and saw fear. Perhaps it was only a hint of it, but it was enough to convince her to withdraw.

With one final, deep breath, she retreated, turning her head away. Pulling off her woollen hat, she let her hair cascade down her shoulders and around her face, a perfect curtain of black tresses to hide the disappointment she had no right to feel.

Closing her eyes and concentrating on nothing but her own breathing, she began to count to twenty. At ten, she heard Glinda say her name and was sufficiently distracted to abandon her calming exercise.

She tilted her head just enough to meet her gaze again and offered her the saddest and most fleeting of smiles.

"I'm sorry," she said, sounding much more composed than she felt.

She disentangled her right hand from the scarf bundle and lifted it up to Glinda's face. She knew that what she was doing had great potential to undo everything that her display of restraint had tried to accomplish, but she couldn't help herself. Swallowing hard, she ran her thumb over Glinda's lips, eyes hyper-focused on tracing the same path. Her breath almost forsook her at the intrusive thought of replacing her finger with her mouth.

"I want this so much," she confessed. "But not as much as I want to just be with you."

Glinda's face promptly turned a whole lot hotter underneath her touch, and her cheeks flushed the most breathtaking shade of pink. Elphaba could only imagine how flustered the suggestion must have made her.

"Y-You do?" the blonde stammered as Elphaba's hand moved to cup her cheek.

"Yeah. But I won't press the matter any further if you don't want me to."

That was all she had planned to say. However, hope—no matter how small and contained it may seem—is a resilient and, at times, naughty thing, occasionally prompting unforeseen acts of bravery or foolishness. And hope was not content with letting Elphaba fall upon her sword in sacrifice.

"But if you were to give me a chance," she continued, against all of her own expectations, and with a lot less grace than earlier, "I swear, I won't fuck this up."

Her hand still on Glinda's cheek, she stared at her and once again waited. It took a while, but eventually, the blonde covered her hand with her own. For a horrifying split-second, Elphaba expected her to remove it, but instead, she snuggled into it, eyes fluttering shut. Elphaba's stomach made a bunch of summersaults at the sight before her, until Glinda suddenly began to chuckle. Confused, she arched an eyebrow and cocked her head.

"Is—is that a good sign?" she asked uncertainly, unable to make light of the situation.

Glinda sighed, languidly opened her eyes and, to Elphaba's dismay, let their joint hands sink.

"I don't know," she said and exhaled heavily, then redirected her gaze to the ground. "Someone must have spiked my drink or something, or maybe I was attacked and knocked over my head. Because this conversation totally isn't happening."

Adding a grim laugh, she stood. Utterly dumbfounded, Elphaba did not have the resolve to hold her back. She watched her as she folded her arms around her midsection in search for comfort. She couldn't even begin to fathom what was going on in her head, but she knew she had to say something.

"Look," she cried and almost jumped up from her seat on the bench. She reconsidered though, hoping to come across as less threatening if she stayed put. "Glinda, I knew I was taking a risk here. We haven't seen each other in a few months and obviously you've had a lot of crap to deal with. I can't possibly pretend to know what it is you want right now. So please, if your earlier feelings towards me have changed, could you do me this one last favour and tell me plain and true?"

Releasing a little gasp, Elphaba slumped backwards. She was exhausted, but sure that this conversation was drawing to a close. She hadn't meant to pressure Glinda so overtly into an answer, but she simply couldn't keep this up. For better or for worse, she hoped Glinda would finally offer her some sort of clarity now.

With bated breath, she looked on as Glinda studied her and eventually walked up to her. She extended her hands. When Elphaba was too reluctant to reciprocate the gesture, she grasped the cold, green hands resting on her legs anyway. She lifted them and, with a gentle pull, beckoned the taller girl to rise.

Now standing opposite each other, they were once more separated by only a tiny gap. Glinda still held onto her hands, carefully caressing the blemishes caused by the snow. Normally, any contact was irritating to her already sore skin, but Elphaba could honestly say that she didn't feel a trace of discomfort at Glinda's thumb brushing up and down the back of her hand. She couldn't help but stare in wonder, puzzled at the unusual lack of sensation. Only reluctantly, she lifted her eyes when Glinda began to speak.

"Can you promise that this definitely isn't simply an absurd and vicious dream?" she asked softly, almost as if lost in thoughts.

In the meantime, Elphaba had given up guessing her feelings and mind. In order to protect herself, she reverted to her dry sense of humour.

"Need me to pinch you?" she offered wryly.

It seemed to at least amuse Glinda, for a weak smile formed at her lips. Her voice hardly above a whisper, she countered: "Well, I had something more pleasant in mind."

Elphaba met her seemingly encouraging glance with indecision. Was she really asking for her to kiss her? After this drawn out and emotional struggle of a conversation, was this really what it would all come to? It was too good to be true.

Recognising Elphaba's reluctance, Glinda exhaled in frustration.

"Dammit, Elphie!" she exclaimed. "Do I really have to do everything myself?"

And with that, as well as a hitherto unprecedented kind of determination, she firmly seized the lapels of Elphaba's coat, pressing her mouth hard to dark green lips, positively setting the taller girl afire.

Too shocked, Elphaba had not much time to truly enjoy the brief moment, though her body was faster and more eager to react. It barely felt like more than a second had passed, when Glinda already lowered herself back down, looking up to regard Elphaba expectantly. She knew she should say something, anything; however, the words would not come to her.

Her mind was overflowing with notions of disbelief and alarm. She was still too cautious to permit true happiness to set in. But contrary to what Elphaba might have feared, Glinda wasn't going anywhere. Instead, she continued to regard her curiously, her eyes lingering on her with a look so dreamy, Elphaba couldn't believe that it was truly her who was at the receiving end of it. She was certain that her cheeks had been blushing before, but the longer their eye contact lasted, the hotter her face appeared to grow.

Her already meddled thoughts were interrupted when, without much warning, Glinda pulled herself up for a second kiss, and then a third. At long last, the reality of it all swept Elphaba away like a tidal wave of emotions. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she finally dared to push back against her love's lips.

The cold, the pain, all her angst—she felt nothing other than Glinda's wonderfully soft mouth on her own, her clenched fists resting against her chest. She inhaled Glinda's scent, burned every sensation into her memory. Her lungs protested when the tight feeling in her torso allowed them too little room to breathe. She didn't care as long as she could revel in this glorious feeling.

A pang of disappointment struck her heart when Glinda withdrew again. All of the sudden, it was cold again, and her hands were tingling from the Oz-damned snow on her skin. Her lips still parted and longing for more, she opened her eyes. Glinda's expression had not changed one bit.

"You are so beautiful, Elphaba Thropp," she breathed, reaching up to touch her face.

The compliment unnerved Elphaba more than anything, so she quickly told her to stop lying and leaned down to capture her lips once again in order to make sure she would speak no more.

It was the first of their kisses that Elphaba herself had initiated, and even she noticed immediately how different it felt. It was driven by more urgency, more fervour. Of course, she didn't fault Glinda for being more cautious and reluctant; if anything, Elphaba was scared that she herself had gone too far. As difficult as it was, she let off momentarily to gauge Glinda's reaction, then moved on to place a much slower, gentler kiss on her lips in apology.

Worried that she could not contain her passion for much longer, she distracted herself by exploring less well-known territory. Leaving a trail of feather-light caresses, she gently moved sideways, along Glinda's jaw, past her ear and all the way down her neck.

"Elph—Elphie."

Glinda's hand gingerly tapping her shoulder bid her to stop. Slightly concerned and fairly breathless, she found her blue eyes. Thankfully, she didn't appear too upset, only somewhat flustered.

"Are you okay?" she asked nonetheless, not taking superficial observations at face value.

"Not at all," gasped Glinda, similarly winded. To Elphaba's relieve, she was laughing. "Someone must have turned off the oxygen around here," she added with a playful twinkle in her eyes.

Elphaba stared at her for a clock-tick as she hadn't been prepared for any jokes, but ultimate snorted a short laugh. Clearing her throat, she schooled her face again and blushed.

"Too, uh, too much?" she whispered, self-consciously.

"Almost," admitted Glinda, yet before Elphaba could feel too bad about it, a bright smile appeared on her face. "If you listen to me, I will never let you stray too far from the boundaries of my comfort zone, so there is no need for you to worry about that at all."

Elphaba nodded solemnly.

"And I will always listen," she promised, wrapping her arms around Glinda and pressing her firmly to her body. Glinda responded in kind, holding on to her, almost as if her life depended on it.

That was when it absolutely and undeniably set in. This was a thing now. It was difficult to comprehend, but Glinda had actually chosen to be with her. It was happening, it was real and no-one could change that. She belonged to her. She loved her.

She would have stayed like this forever, if only because moving on from this blissful togetherness promised a new layer of uncertainty. Yet, unfortunately, even closely huddled together, they would not be able to stay warm forever.

"My sweet?" she murmured quietly, feeling awful for breaking the comfortable silence. To make up for it, she placed a tender kiss on Glinda's head.

The shorter girl in her arms merely hummed in reply.

Elphaba was about to propose they go home, when she remembered someone else she'd as good as forgotten about until then.

"Do you think Fiyero might be looking for you?" she wondered out loud.

Glinda stiffened for a second before burying her face deeper into Elphaba's scarf.

"Screw Fiyero," she grumbled, making Elphaba laugh. It was a bit harsh, but Elphaba knew where the sentiment was coming from. "This is what he wanted, isn't it?" continued Glinda, her voice muffled by the fabric. "He should be glad I'm not storming back out there to wring his freaking neck. What was that jerk thinking to deceive me like this?"

It was all true, to some extend, but Elphaba couldn't entirely understand what prevented Glinda from levelling that same kind of resentment upon her.

"Shouldn't I be worried about my own neck as well then?" she asked as offhandedly as she could; though deep down, she was genuinely troubled.

Glinda adjusted her position to look up at her and grinned.

"I won't let anything happen to that neck of yours," she vowed very earnestly and reached up to straighten out her maroon scarf.

Without many words between them, they restored whatever clothes or accessories were in need of fixing and mentally prepared for the conclusion of this most tumultuous encounter. Elphaba watched Glinda surveying their surroundings. She knew that, despite what she'd said earlier, she was looking for Fiyero.

The thought of saying goodbye to Glinda almost crushed her heart. She'd waited so long for this, found it still so hard to believe that it was true; what if Glinda returned to Fiyero's place and, after a good night's rest, suddenly realised how silly she'd been to fling herself into her embrace? Or perhaps not silly, but quite certainly over-hasty. What if she realised the consequences of her decision and got cold feet? While Elphaba was powerless in changing the way society—or Glinda's family for that matter—would react to their union, she did think that it might be possible for her to reassure her just enough if given only a wee bit more time.

She walked up to her from behind and exhaled, expelling a big, white cloud of warm air.

"Would—would you come home with me?" she asked point blank before she could change her mind. She saw Glinda jerk to attention, though she did not turn around straight away. "Like right now, I mean," she clarified, just in case.

Reluctantly, Glinda shuffled around to face her, and Elphaba began to second-guess whether her proposal had been too bold.

"You trust me, right?" she probed gently, and Glinda's frown turned into the most beautiful smile.

"Unconditionally," she beamed. She took one last deep breath, cast one last glance back, then took hold of Elphaba's hand, lacing their fingers together. "Okay, let's go," she nodded. "I'll text Fiyero on the way."

---

Never before had Elphaba been this nervous climbing the short flight of stairs up to the door of her own home. Glinda followed close behind and the green girl desperately longed to reach back and hold her hand. Still, she didn't—out of fear the blonde would sense her anxiety and, in turn, become even more worried than she was sure to already be.

She fiddled with her keys, blaming her freezing hands for her inability to pick the correct one from the thick wad. Why was this so difficult? After all, this was far from the first time that Glinda had come to her place, and Elphaba certainly had no expectations at all of anything momentous to occur. Even though they had evidently been pining for each other for months, this was hardly the kind of scenario where the newly united lovers would breathlessly and excitedly stumble into the safety of a private space, then proceed to tear the clothes of each other and surrender themselves to the throes of passion.

Perhaps, that was exactly what made it so challenging. Perhaps, giving up on thinking altogether would have come quite effortlessly at this point. In principle, she absolutely knew what she wanted, and she wasn't one to be shy as long as she was with the right person. Being respectful and mindful of Glinda, however, required her to keep on her toes and easily led to a whole lot of overthinking. Because what Elphaba was secretly yearning for was so different from what Glinda needed from her—despite the fact that they now at least shared the same baseline understanding of their feelings for each other.

She reminded herself that this was nothing but a minor hiccup. From her past turmoil over her situation, Elphaba already knew that, when all was said and done, it would be an incredibly small sacrifice to make. And she knew that she was up to the task. She definitely could and would be as patient and considerate as humanly possible. Her love depended on it.

Finally succeeding in unlocking the old door, she pushed it open with her shoulder and nodded for Glinda to step inside. The thud as it closed behind them echoed through the empty entrance hall. For a moment, they simply stood there, looking at each other. Elphaba hadn't planned any further than bringing Glinda to her home. Usually, plans were not required for such a visit, but everything was different tonight.

Thank goodness, Glinda was brave enough to take the initiative. She took one unwavering step forward, then grabbed Elphaba's scarf to pull her further down, meeting her half way as she pushed herself up on her tiptoes. She kissed her, sweet and lingering, and a little awkward. When she lowered herself back down to the ground, she offered her a hesitant smile.

"Your scarf is pretty damp from the snow, and I bet so is everything else."

Carefully, she peeled the woollen thing away from Elphaba's neck, making sure none of the outside layers would touch her skin. Next, she unbuttoned the heavy coat, blushing gorgeously as she did so. The sight alone was enough to make the heat rise to Elphaba's own cheeks. She reached up to take off her hat, but Glinda reprimanded her playfully and stretched her hand up to help her out with that as well.

After putting everything aside, she divested herself of her own outside clothing and quickly returned to Elphaba. Now that more green skin was exposed and clearly visible, her expression took on a much more concerned quality, and she gingerly reached to trace a few blemishes with her finger.

"We need to treat these first and foremost."

"They will heal by themselves," replied Elphaba stubbornly.

"They will heal faster if you let me take care of them."

Elphaba initially stayed silent at that. The idea of Glinda administering the balm to her sore skin was strangely enticing. Though it was also a bit weird.

"Whatever you say, my sweet," she relented at last and bent down for another fleeting peck on Glinda's lips.

Her hands went for Glinda's elbows, but flinched away after they had barely touched the fabric of her thin turtleneck shirt. Initially furrowing her brows in puzzlement, the shorter girl soon realised what might have been the issue and checked her garments for any moisture.

"Oops, sorry," she murmured with a bashful grin. "Looks like we both could do with a change of clothes."

Elphaba nodded in reluctant agreement.

"Get changed and meet in the music room? I'll get a fire going."

"Okay. Don't forget your medication," Glinda reminded her sternly as she started into the direction of the staircase.

Elphaba followed her with her eyes until she was out of view, then grinned stupidly to herself and bit her lip. She headed to the music room, the cosiest and easiest room to heat. Once she'd set up sufficient logs and kindling for a decent blaze in the fireplace, she struck a long match and ignited the fire. Blowing at it gently, she stoked the flames until they had spread across the entire wooden structure.

"You're still in your damp clothes," she heard Glinda chide her from the other side of the room.

When she looked up and towards the door, she found her in nothing but one of her flimsy, silken nightdresses. Barely able to contain her surprise, she sucked in a sharp breath of air. She couldn't help herself as her eyes briefly roamed up and down Glinda's form; this was ultimately rather different from their uneasy situation at the motel, she reasoned. It was sort of okay now, right?

"The—the fire won't warm the room up fast enough," she informed her apologetically. "You're going to get cold very fast like this. We should fetch you a dressing gown."

Shrugging her shoulders, Glinda stepped closer, one hand winding a long curl around her forefinger, the other elegantly waving around in slow motions to test the air.

"Seems just fine to me. I'll sit right by the fire. Now hurry along and get yourself ready and fetch your supplies."

Elphaba did as she was told, chuckling to herself as she made her way upstairs. She swapped her jumper for her best navy blue t-shirt and her jeans for a pair of new-ish, striped boxer shorts. She considered cleaning up before going back downstairs, but didn't want to make Glinda wait. It was still rather early, and there would be time for that later.

The first thing she noticed when she arrived back in the music room was the big pile of cushions and blankets on the ground. Some were from the couch in the corner, while the majority must have been brought in from the other neighbouring rooms. Amused by Glinda's brand of ingenuity, she laughed, but when the girl in the middle of the cushion nest turned around to look up at her, her throat suddenly turned dry.

She approached slowly, trying to read Glinda's mood. The blonde offered her a slightly timid, bashful smile, but resolutely patted the empty space next to her.

"You brought your stuff?" she asked quietly and without a word, Elphaba showed off the medicated balm in her right and the stack of cloths in her left hand.

"Great. What do I do?"

"It's not rocket science," Elphaba quipped. "You take a cloth, dip it into the balm, then gently wipe it across the affected area. Done. A little goes a long way, mind you."

Glinda bobbed her head, her face all concentration. She reached for the blue glass jar, but Elphaba pulled away her hand and held it up high.

"What are you doing, you mean, green thing?" Glinda squealed as she tried to angle for it. When Elphaba pulled her arm back even further, they came chest to chest.

Glinda sat back down, her head slightly flushed, peering at Elphaba through her long lashes. The green girl felt somewhat guilty and handed her the ointment.

"Apologies."

"It's fine, Elphie. But hold still now, so that I can do this properly."

Watching her unscrew the lid and gracefully dip the cloth into the fragrant salve made Elphaba feel almost as self-conscious as Glinda seemed to have felt about their accidental collision. Which, in a way, was a fair payback. Anxiously, she watched the dainty, pale hand as it rose, cloth in hand, all the way up to her cheek.

The delicate manner in which Glinda dabbed the flannel against her skin felt widely different from her own, much more brisk approach. Under the revering touch, Elphaba almost felt like a precious, fragile piece of art. It was a thoroughly strange sensation. She looked away from Glinda's hand to her face. She hadn't expected her expression to look so worried still, and at the same time, so loving. It set a thousand butterflies off in her stomach.

"This is really nothing to fret over," she tried to assure her. "It's just like a mild rash, like chafed thighs or something."

"You obviously have never had chafed thighs before, darling," Glinda scoffed playfully. "Or otherwise you'd know how painful that can get."

Elphaba lowered her gaze and shut up. Glinda was right, of course.

The face was soon taken care of and Glinda moved on to her neck. She barely dared to admit it, but Glinda's hands on her throat sent her pulse rushing like nothing else. Hyperaware of her body's response, she almost hoped for it to be over as fast as possible, while, at the same time, she couldn't shake the odd feeling that Glinda took longer than strictly necessary.

Finally, they moved on to the hands, and she breathed a tiny sigh of relief. Glinda finished her task just as diligently as she'd started it, then kissed both hands before releasing them.

"Done," she announced and brought her eyes up to Elphaba's.

She seemed calmer and more confident than before the routine and Elphaba was glad to see it. Absentmindedly, the green girl bunched together the used and unused cloths, as well as the blue jar, and flung the entire bundle to the side. Putting most of her weight on her arms, she leant forward and stopped less than an inch from Glinda's nose.

"Is it okay if I kiss you again?" she queried with a slight, lopsided smirk on her lips, and Glinda answered by closing the gap between them.

They left it at that for the time being. More than content with the progress they'd made over the course of the evening, Elphaba was not inclined to push her luck. She asked Glinda whether she wanted to do anything in particular, like drink some wine or watch TV, but the blonde assured her that she was happy just snuggling for a bit. Elphaba then suggested that she could read a book to her, and Glinda relented.

After what must have been several hours, the chiming of the old grandfather clock in the entrance hall alerted Glinda to the fact that it was no longer the early evening, but rather the middle of the night.

"It is late," Elphaba heard her sigh, and she shut the thick volume she'd been reading with a resounding thud.

They were both lying on their sides, with Glinda nestled against her, but Elphaba now shifted until her upper body was hovering slightly above her, then bent down to place her lips on her love's bare shoulder. She paused for a moment, listening out for any complaints, then smirked and hummed appreciatively when Glinda did not object. She moved on to nuzzle the crook or her neck, to drink in the scent of whatever flowery product she used on her flawless, smooth skin. When her nose came too close, however, Glinda shivered in response. Elphaba stiffened in alarm.

"I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?" she half-whispered, not yet entirely moving away from the sensitive spot.

Glinda reached for her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

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

Processing this new information and diligently filing it away for later use, Elphaba nodded.

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

Underneath her, Glinda wiggled until she managed to turn onto her back. She looked up at Elphaba and studied her intently, then let the corners of her mouth curl into a pretty smile.

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

Elphaba was confused. Brows furrowed, she searched Glinda's face, hoping to discern the truth somehow.

"But it made you uncomfortable, did it not?" she asked when she did not quite succeed. She took another careful look at the gorgeous girl below and swallowed. "I don't want to ever make you uncomfortable. Regardless what you might have come to believe, there is no chance in hell I'll lose interest just because this is a bit more difficult or something."

Glinda pulled her arm free and reached up to stroke Elphaba's cheek, her expression brightening even more, causing Elphaba's heart to beat hard in her chest.

"That's sweet. But I trust you, and if I say something is okay, it is okay. I'll get used to it."

She began to talk about Fiyero and how they had grown closer and fonder of each other the longer their ruse had lasted. And more comfortable, too. The idea troubled Elphaba, but she was determined not to make too much of a deal out of it. She sat up, crossing her legs and staring into the flickering fire just a few feet away from them. She noticed Glinda doing the same, but refrained from looking at her.

"How much in love were you really with Fiyero?" she mused. It wasn't exactly a thought she'd intended on voicing, but apparently she couldn't help herself.

"Jealous?" giggled Glinda, prompting a scoff from Elphaba.

Scenes from the park replayed themselves in her mind. By all appearances, Fiyero and Glinda had been perfect together. It was a strange concept to think that instead of the Vinkun dreamboat, Glinda had chosen to be with her, out of all people.

"It's hard to tell, you know," said Glinda in answer to her initial question. "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."

Without much forewarning, mental images of some in descript rich bloke resurfaced from deep, deep down in Elphaba's memory database. Of course, she'd never met the bastard from Lake Chorge, but that hadn't kept her from devising a stand-in picture of him that she would call upon whenever she needed to direct her anger at a particular person. She made a face, then reminded herself that the whole Fiyero situation would have been so different. Fiyero would have kept Glinda safe at least and taken good care of her. She was certain of that. Even more so now that she knew him. As far as phony relationships went, this would have been the most suitable arrangement she could think of.

Unable to read her thoughts, however, Glinda suddenly seemed alarmed by her expression. Lunging forward, she grasped her hands and held them firmly in her own.

"You might think that I would have been so terribly miserable," she continued, her eyes literally begging Elphaba not to. "But to be honest, I probably would have been none the wiser without losing what I had with him, and, especially, without meeting you."

The last few words struck Elphaba and moved her to no end. She felt Glinda's hands tighten even more around hers and wished she could reciprocate, but was simultaneously too scared to move. She was surprised when the blonde opposite her spoke up again, and even more so, when she said the most magical thing:

"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."

Her heart almost stopped, and for a couple of clock-ticks, she almost felt like she was levitating in an empty space where there was nothing but her and the beautiful girl holding her hands, looking at her with those most magnificent, blue eyes. Before this moment, she couldn't possibly have expected to ever love Glinda any more than she already did, but that powerful feeling that rushed through her right there and then was solid prove that she'd been wrong. Perhaps, the sky truly was the only limit.

There was no knowing what convinced her to stay so outwardly calm, or how she even managed to; neither was she sure whom she tried to fool or to what end. Her chest was rising and falling so slowly, her lungs were hardly able to supply her with the adequate amount of air that her heart required to keep up its relentless drumming. To add to its load, it was brimming with such a multitude of emotions Elphaba could hardly decide which to express first.

Exhaling sharply through her nose, she dropped her gaze to take away some of the pressure. Taking to studding their joint hands instead, she picked the clearest thought that popped into her head at the mesmerising sight.

"I wish I had figured it all out earlier," she confessed to no-one in particular, still caught up in her own mind. "It would have saved both of us a lot of hurt."

Glinda pulled her hands away promptly, which startled Elphaba. But she wasn't turning away from her or anything; she'd merely released Elphaba's hands to bring hers up to her face, framing it and forcing her to once again look up and into her eyes.

"Don't you fucking dare shouldering the blame for this, Elphie!" she exclaimed, stressing every single word to drive home the message.

Elphaba could only blink at such authoritative words coming from the mostly soft-spoken blonde.

"I was such a pain," Glinda continued. "I can admit this, but I won't apologise. Blame me if you want, I deserve it."

Nonplussed, Elphaba meekly shook her head. She couldn't imagine blaming Glinda for anything that had happened.

"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, slightly dazed, then chuckled dismissively when the words had finally properly registered in her head.

Glinda appeared a bit dejected at that, biting her lower lip.

"You don't believe we could?"

Elphaba wished she could have consoled and reassured her the way she deserved, left her floating on top of her pink cloud for a while longer, but she wasn't at all wired that way and felt compelled to answer as truthfully as she could.

"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."

Thankfully, Glinda seemed okay enough with that and even went so far as to admit that she was technically correct.

"But the love of my life just told me this very evening that she loves me, too," she added undeterred, "so excuse me for being in a bit of a romantic mood right now."

This time, Elphaba laughed for real. How could she not? Being reminded by Glinda of how much she was loved by her was something she'd never grow tired of, something that would never seize to amaze and delight her.

Feeling the strong urge to be closer to her, she took hold of her arms and gently pulled her into her lap.

"Is it okay if I kiss you?" she breathed huskily, already as good as breathless in anticipation.

"Again?" giggled Glinda, casting her a teasing glance before nodding her consent.

Relieved to have been granted permission, Elphaba leaned in to capture her mouth.

It had been a few hours since she'd last had a little taste and already, it seemed to her like an eternity. The feeling of warmth that spread throughout her body whenever their lips met was too intoxicating to resist and considering how long she'd waited to level any kind of affection on Glinda, she did not intend on trying too hard anyway.

Despite her eagerness, she remained mindful of potential pitfalls. While there were more than she could even begin to imagine, she circumvented the most obvious ones by keeping the kisses shallow and fairly unexperimental. She was happy as long as she had at least this and didn't want Glinda to eventually grow wary of what might be in store for her with each new kiss.

What she initially paid less heed to were her hands, which soon began to devotedly glide up Glinda's back, dragging a few inches of the light, silky nightgown with them. Eventually, they reached the delicate area of her shoulders, where soft skin was no longer protected by any fabric at all. Little jolts shot through Elphaba's fingertips, in the most pleasant manner, until they sensed Glinda's response, which materialised in the shape of millions of tiny goose bumps. Even then, Elphaba's conscience might have remained unaffected, hadn't it been for the much more obvious gasp tumbling from pink lips.

She paused at the sound, drawing away just far enough to check in with her love.

"All good, Elphie," breathed Glinda then erased the distance between them. Assertively, she placed her small hands on Elphaba's hips to pull herself closer, and Elphaba's thoughts momentarily went entirely blank. "Don't stop" Glinda whispered against her lips, giving Elphaba the confidence she needed.

Resting her hands on Glinda's shoulders, she once again let her kisses trail along Glinda's jaw and towards her neck. The other girl did not object, but rather continued to encourage her, pointing out her own little advancements in tolerating the sensual touch.

Emboldened by all that, Elphaba once again allowed her hands to roam, restricting their movement to Glinda's arms. Her mouth proceeded onwards to Glinda's collar bone, where she placed a firm kiss.

It was then, that she was overcome by the odd feeling that something wasn't quite right. While she didn't expect Glinda to sigh and lean into her caresses the same way most lovers would, she'd already grown accustomed to her tiny gestures of either approval or dissent. This complete stillness that she was noticing now was an entirely unprecedented reaction.

"Glinda?" she breathed, her mouth reluctantly withdrawing from the sweet spot it had occupied mere seconds ago.

When no reply came, Elphaba leaned back further so she could see Glinda's face and, perchance, find out more. Her brows furrowed immediately, when she recognised the forlorn expression in Glinda's eyes. They were open, but appeared not to see. Her other senses were similarly dulled, unable to detect the alarmed grip of green hands on pale arms.

"Glinda?" Elphaba repeated, this time a bit louder and gently shaking her in an effort to break her out of her strange trance.

She did not know what to do. What had she done to cause this in the first place? Would it be a bad idea to be even firmer in her attempts to call her back?

Elphaba's hands descended down from Glinda's upper arms until they reached her hands, still sitting on her angular hips. She removed them from there and held them tenderly, rubbing her thumbs over her knuckles.

"Glinda?" she said, then kissed the back of each hand. "Glinda!"

At last, Glinda blinked and, definitely still dazed, turned her head to meet her gaze. Elphaba uttered a grateful sigh.

"Hey…" she whispered, then allowed the ghost of a smile to tug at her lips. "What's—what's wrong, my sweet?"

Glinda only now started to truly come to. Batting her long lashes another couple of times, she stared back at Elphaba. Another second later, she drew a shuddering breath, almost as though she were about to cry again.

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

"It's okay," she comforted her, supressing the urge to try and kiss away her worries. "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.

Elphaba agreed. It had been a long, eventful day. They would both need time to process it all.

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

So far, Glinda had always spent the nights in her very own room, as was only right and proper, considering that there was plenty of space in this huge house. However, since things had changed between them, Elphaba wondered whether it would be reasonable for her to suggest they depart from that tradition. A little nervous, she shifted from one foot to the other.

"Are you… would you prefer too…"

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

Pure delight spread through Elphaba like wildfire and made her break into the silliest grin. In her exuberance, she placed another peck on Glinda's lips, for which she was quick to apologise. Glinda took it all in her stride and merely shook her head with amusement as they started towards Elphaba's bedroom.

They didn't turn on the light upon entering. The moon was bright enough for even Glinda, who'd never been to this room before, to find the big bed. Elphaba let her choose whichever side she preferred and made sure she'd snuggled all the way in before walking up to the window and drawing the curtains. Blindly, she made her way back to the empty side of the bed and slipped under the covers.

Glinda was quick to shuffle closer and nestle into Elphaba's scrawny frame. The green girl was glad that she'd made this so easy on her, preventing her from long, exhausting internal debates of whether she should prompt her to or not. As they were both equally tired, there was hardly any talking at this point. After a few minutes, there was merely some shifting and adjusting, until Elphaba ended up on her back, yet with her arm stretched out for Glinda to lie on. Her free hand held one of Glinda's.

Feeling all fulfilled and comfortable, Elphaba should have fallen asleep in no time, yet something kept her awake, even after she'd long closed her eyes. As it turned out, she might not have been the only one.

She heard Glinda whisper her name; or at least she thought she did. Maybe it was simply a trick of her weary brain? An echo of all those times she'd heard Glinda say it before? She decided to wait for a confirmation, which soon came, in the form of Glinda's hand unceremoniously landing on one of her modest breast, seemingly by accident.

Elphaba's eyes fluttered open, but the contact was only fleeting as Glinda hastily withdrew. Stifling a wicked grin that Glinda wouldn't have been able to see anyway due to the sheer blackness of the room, Elphaba rolled onto her side and unerringly sought out Glinda's hand and guided it back to where it had first touched.

"It's no big deal," she rasped, her voice already laced with sleep. "It's just another part of the same body. You can touch anywhere you like"—her grin widened at the next thought and turned into a small chuckle that eventually escaped her lips—"or just happen to. That's your special privilege now."

It was a fairly safe promise to make. Oz knew, that Glinda would most likely make use of only a fraction of what it truly entailed.

There was no immediate reply, but Elphaba did notice how she pressed her body a bit more firmly against her own, then moved her hand until it rested on Elphaba's midsection instead of her chest. After a few moments of deliberation, she ventured to ask whether she still remembered the conversation they once had.

"Maybe," replied Elphaba, laughing quietly. "Which one are you referring to?"

Glinda sounded nervous as she giggled along and took another couple of clock-ticks before she was ready to explain.

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

Elphaba's mood changed in an instant and she became stock still. Why would Glinda dredge up this old idea, why did she sound so anxious? Unless…

There was a huge lump that had formed in her throat. Naturally, she made to swallow it, but it wouldn't go away. When she tried to speak, her voice was strained and wavering.

"You—you are still holding on to this plan?"

Immediately tightening her grip on Elphaba, Glinda moved to press a fleeting, yet perfectly solid kiss to her lips.

"Oz, no!" she exclaimed, sounding positively horrified. "I have fully given up on that."

Elphaba relaxed at that and exhaled audibly.

"Good," was all she managed to reply, still too shaken from the fright she'd just experienced.

"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?"

Glinda's slight indignation was endearing, though Elphaba still thought that the notion wasn't nearly as outlandish as the blonde made it appear now.

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

This was certainly good to hear. Elphaba was almost inclined to believe it. Perhaps one day she would.

Remaining positioned on her side, Elphaba wrapped her free arm around Glinda's torso to embrace her. She swallowed, but the lump had already dissipated at its own accord.

"So you're okay with settling for the socially unacceptable green lass?" she queried, mostly because she couldn't get enough of Glinda confirming it.

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

Cheeks hot and probably quite dark, Elphaba placed a gentle kiss on top of golden curls.

"If you say so, my sweet."

They fell silent again, and Elphaba figured it was finally time to sleep. Glinda, too, seemed to have quieted down and was either at the verge of sleep or already dreaming. She yawned, but even as she was about to close her eyes, she remembered something her love had said earlier. Maybe it would have been more considerate to let Glinda rest now; she feared, however, that she herself wouldn't be able to if this minor mystery remained unresolved.

"So… what was it that you really wanted to talk about then?" she queried, wondering whether it was too late for answers now because the other girl had already drifted off.

Since Glinda's reply was not immediately forthcoming, she'd almost given up on it, but was surprised when she heard the sound of her soft voice again.

"Well… You may remember us discussing certain quirks I might have," started Glinda.

Elphaba nodded, though nobody would be able to see her gesture in the dark.

"Yeah?" she said, confused by Glinda's apparent hesitancy.

"It's just…" she seemed to become even more fidgety then, and Elphaba's brow furrowed in concern. Glinda heaved a sigh. "Now that I've come so much closer to these things ever becoming relevant… I'm not quite as confident anymore. About overcoming them."

"Ah," was all Elphaba had to offer in return.

She understood what Glinda meant. And to be fair, she'd probably considered the possibility before she had. It was fine. Slightly disappointing maybe, but not at all unexpected. She'd deal with it and wait and see. Most of all, she'd be supportive, not making any unnecessary fuss about it.

Strangely, her unfazed reaction had rather the opposite of the desired effect on Glinda.

"Elphie," she moaned miserably, "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?"

Yes, Elphaba understood just fine.

"I do," she affirmed promptly and gave Glinda a soft peck on the forehead.

Despite all that, Glinda grew yet more agitated.

"That answer came awfully quick," she mumbled sullenly, and it finally dawned on Elphaba that she didn't believe to be taken seriously.

"Glinda," she said told her gravely, hoping to sound absolutely and undoubtedly earnest. "I'm not that naïve. 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."

For a few clock-ticks, she feared Glinda might still not be convinced, but when she shuffled around and kissed Elphaba, so wonderfully tender and sweet, she knew she'd actually won her over.

"You're the most magnificent being on this planet, do you now that?" she heard Glinda say. It was an absurd notion, but it made her insides flutter all the same. "I'm sorry for doubting you. I love you."

She couldn't possibly have felt any more blissful. Hearing these three words meant more than anything else in all of Oz. She squeezed Glinda just a little tighter and let her smile widen just a little further. She might not be one to believe in happily ever after, but this simple moment was so precious, that the memory of its happiness would last her a lifetime. That was almost just as good; was it not?