AN:

OH MY GOD! I'm so sorry that I already broke my promise with the very first chapter that followed xD Difference is that I never stopped writing... I just totally hated the crap I was churning out and had to rewrite like a million times lol It's not as bad anymore, and I'm over it. So I'm settling for 'okay' and just throw it out at you now ;) Hope you'll still enjoy.

Take care everyone and happy reading!

xoxo

MLE (^_^)

PS: for those who might have read my related one-shot that I posted forever ago and that is set after the events of this story... there is a GLARING cuntinuity "error" with Fiyero, because I only later on decided to cut him some slack and fix his desolate situation. I'll re-write that part after I finish this fic. Just in case anyone was wondering.


Chapter Twenty-Five

The first apartment Fiyero managed to track down was located just two blocks away from Glinda's office, and so they agreed to meet there after work on Tuesday. Glinda was very much looking forward to getting her friend out of his rat hole and settled into a more liveable dwelling. Finally, a place she wouldn't dread visiting. Looking out of the window as she packed her bag, she only wished it hadn't started raining for the first time in several weeks.

Dayae, as it turned out, was better prepared. Making sure to check the forecast every morning, she'd had the foresight to take the car to work that day. Yolona, on the other hand, was the kind one, offering Glinda the umbrella they kept in the boot of their vehicle—although not without teasing her at least a little about her situation, suggesting she call her special green friend to give her a lift home instead.

Quietly grumbling about the weather's dreadful timing along the way, Glinda made it to the address Fiyero had given her. The building looked exactly as in the picture on the website, and the front doors were kept wide open, sheltered from the elements by a glass canopy. At least she wouldn't have to wait in the rain.

The lobby on the ground floor was manned by a concierge in blue uniform. He seemed rather busy, in turns clicking and typing on a computer, and writing something down in a thick book. Glinda wouldn't have bothered him on her own accord, but the moment he noticed her, the stocky, old man hurried towards the blonde, proceeding to politely enquire about her name and the purpose of her visit. Once he was satisfied that everything checked out, he smiled and suggested she have a seat in the waiting area.

While Glinda made herself at home, grabbing one of the magazines on the coffee table to bridge the time, the concierge waddled back at his reception. Glinda overheard him talking to someone on the phone, but paid the conversation little heed. Mere seconds later, however, a bespectacled woman with a naturally grey pixie cut came flying out of the elevator. Like a hawk, she darted towards her quarry.

"Glorie Frupp, Special Emerald Estate Agents," she introduced herself in a brisk, no-nonsense fashion. "You are here for the two-bedroom vacancy?"

Taken slightly off-guard, Glinda was slow to rise to her feet and shake the hand on offer.

"Yes. That's right, but I'm still waiting for Fiyero. He's the one who contacted you."

The woman cast a quick glance at her clip board, then nodded curtly.

"Yes. It appears so. Well, apartments like this go like hot cakes these days. May I suggest we go upstairs to have a first look before someone else attempts to cut in?

"Trokks," she said, addressing the concierge in an excessively severe tone of voice, "send the young man upstairs when he arrives. Tell everyone else to wait until we finish our viewing."

Leaving no room for argument, the real estate agent led the way to the third floor.

"The apartment is approximately sixty-five square metres, not including the balcony," the woman explained as she unlocked the door with her enormous wad of keys. "It features two bedrooms, of which one is the master bedroom with ensuite; an additional bathroom, a media-entertainment room, and the state of the art kitchen can be found to the left of the corridor. The view never is much to speak of in this part of town, but that is reflected in the price, as you will find."

Following her from room to room, Glinda diligently took notes, but after having already seen most of the apartment, she interrupted the agent's seemingly never-ending torrent of words.

"This is all very good, but perhaps we should really wait for Fiyero to join us. Unless you want to explain everything twice?"

The older woman pushed her glasses up her nose, then produced a condescending smile.

"I suppose we could. But then again, time is of the essence. I'm very experienced, you see. Over twenty years in this business! And I find that it is usually the women—wives, fiancées, girlfriends—who make the decisions. Men are generally less fussed."

Glinda did not have the energy to argue about one-dimensional stereotypes, let alone her relationship to Fiyero. She let her talk, but barely listened anymore, taking to regularly inspecting her watch instead.

"Carparks, as well as storage units can be rented for an additional fee," the agent mentioned at some point, turning around abruptly and pressing a glossy pamphlet into the startled blonde's hand.

"I don't think we'll need either," replied Glinda distractedly, folding the pamphlet and taking out her phone to check it for any messages.

Then, an energetic knock on the door frame.

"Sorry for barging in like this," said Fiyero, entering the room with a spring in his step and a wide grin on his face.

Mrs. Frupp was quick to intercept his path. "Excuse me, sir. Please wait outside. This is a private viewing."

Stifling a giggle, Glinda walked over to him and wrapped her arm around his.

"No, it's alright. This is Fiyero." Smiling up at him, she covertly used the chance to ask him through her teeth where the heck he'd been all this time.

"Oh. I see."

The odd pitch of the woman's voice claimed her attention before he could give an answer. She found it hard to tell whether the agent was at all trying to conceal her disapproval when her gaze jumped back and forth between the blonde Gillikinese girl and the tanned Vinkun boy. Realising that at least some of her reprobation stemmed from her misguided conclusion that the two of them were a couple, Glinda decided to play it up a notch.

"Come, darling," she beamed at Fiyero, squeezing his arm a little tighter, "you simply have to see the bathroom. The tub is huge, and it has spa jets!"

Rather confused, Fiyero allowed her to guide him through the entire place, listening to her recounting most of the information the real estate agent had earlier bestowed upon her, peppered with a few of her own observations and thoughts. The in-depth tour was just as deliberate as her girlfriend charade. Glinda's impression of the other woman had gone from 'slightly annoying' to 'downright insufferable,' and after a frustrating day at work, she had no scruples taking some of her occasional pettiness out on her.

Towards the end of their inspection, she asked her to give them a minute or two alone.

"What was that all about?" Fiyero asked with his eyebrows raised.

Glinda craned her neck to ensure Mrs. Frupp was truly gone before answering.

"I didn't like the way she looked at you, so I provoked her a little. Long story. Why in Oz were you so late, leaving me to deal with that old bat all on my own?"

"Was it bad? I didn't think I was that late," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "You could have waited for me, no?"

"Well, suffice to say, time is apparently a lot of money when it comes to the housing market. Anyway; what do you think?"

"Quite big. Do you mind it being so close to your work? I think I saw your office form the guestroom window."

"It would be your place, not mine," Glinda laughed. "Besides, when would I ever stare out of the guestroom window?"

Stuffing his hands into his jeans pockets and shifting from one leg to the other, he flashed her a sheepish grin.

Glinda's brow furrowed.

"I see," she said after releasing a deflated breath. "I didn't realise I was demoted to the guest bed."

"Not demoted at all," Fiyero assured her, wrapping one arm around her hips and pressing her to his side. "But I don't imagine Elphaba would like us sharing a bed, especially if there's no want for space."

"There's nothing wrong with it," Glinda protested in a hushed voice. "There are no inappropriate connotations behind it if it's us. It's simply more fun this way. Girls have sleepovers all the time, often sharing a bed or at least a bedroom. Whoever I end up dating better learn to deal with the fact that my bestie happens to be a dude."

"'Whoever?'" Fiyero repeated, pursing his lips. "I thought things with you and Elphaba were finally looking up. Was the party no good? You haven't said much on the subject."

Working her jaw, Glinda freed herself and turned towards the large window behind them. She hadn't told him anything yet about what she'd overheard that night. She simply didn't wish to give new heights to his enthusiasm for encouraging her in her uncertain pursuit. She didn't even want to share her new doubts with him, fearing that he'd only throw them to the wind, arguing that it would be different this time, because she was meant to be with Elphaba, or something untenable like that. Of course, being in a more favourable position himself for once, she could hardly fault him for being extraordinarily positive, and neither did she want to rain on his parade. Rather, her hope was to work this out without his help.

"It was fine," she said at last, waving her hand dismissively. "Nothing happened. We didn't get to talk much is all. Maybe I'll see her next weekend."

Mrs. Frupp's return quickly put an end to their private conversation. A strained smile plastered on her face, she politely, yet decisively asked them to follow her downstairs.

Trying to break the awkward silence in the lift, Fiyero gently nudged Glinda with his elbow to gain her attention.

"Guess why I was late."

"Dunno," she shrugged. "Your phone died? Alarm clock failed?"

"Nope, he grinned, looking fairly satisfied with himself. "Wanna try again?"

"Just tell me, you goof," replied Glinda, shaking her head and crossing her arms in playful irritation.

"I bought a car."

"For real?"

"Yeah. Appointment was at four. Didn't realise these things take so freaking long."

Back in the foyer, they thanked the real estate agent for her time. The woman handed them a folder and her business card. Before taking her leave, she gave them one last reminder to act swiftly and call her as soon as possible, lest they miss out on this excellent opportunity.

"Will do," agreed Fiyero and tapped the piece of card against his temple.

The rain was still teeming down unrelentingly. Fiyero took over Yolona's umbrella in an attempt to shield them both from the downpour as best as possible, though it was a mostly futile exercise. Thankfully, his new ride was parked just around the corner, and neither of them ended up entirely drenched by the time they reached it. Glinda could afford only a small peek at the car's outer design before escaping into the dry safety of its interior.

"So," she said with a smirk once Fiyero had taken his seat on the driver's side. "An OzMobil? Can't say I expected that."

"One of the better ones," he advised her gravely. "It has heated seats, a decent sound system and all the typical assistance features. Good value for money."

"Still. Not exactly the same as your old fire-red Kvon."

"I guess I've grown out of relying on flashy sports cars to boost my ego," he said with a wink, and she nodded, rather impressed.

They looked at one more place before driving to Glinda's flat for a simple dinner of pasta and some TV. Crope and Tibbett were both at rehearsal.

"So which place did you like better?" Fiyero asked her as he zapped through the different channels, finding nothing of interest.

Growing impatient, Glinda took the remote from him and chose a stupid reality TV show, purely for background noise.

"The second," she decided categorically in answer to his question. "It doesn't have a guest room."

Fiyero laughed loudly at that, throwing his head back, until Glinda tossed a cushion his way.

"I'm serious!"


Glinda and Fiyero spent the majority of the week together—either house hunting, or shopping for some much needed replacement furniture. While the two of them had plenty of time to chat, there was more than one issue Glinda avoided to mention. Chuffrey, her brand-new, top secret interim suitor had been pressing her for a second date for days. Fiyero—being the nosy bugger he was—somehow always knew when she received a message, even when she started to keep her phone on vibrate. She evaded his prying questions by claiming that it was only her flatmates asking about when she'd be back home, what she'd like for dinner, or whether she could procure this or that from the supermarket on the way.

As far as her would-be boyfriend was concerned, genuinely being busy helping Fiyero was a welcome excuse for her often belated and generally lacking replies. Eventually, however, the increasingly impatient Chuffrey began to text her as often as a dozen times in one day, making it difficult for her to keep up the ruse. On Friday morning, worried that she'd be found out if she didn't put an end to the endless string of messages, she finally acquiesced to meeting him after work. Though he made it quite clear that he'd expected more than that, she stubbornly maintained that her Saturday and Sunday were already fully booked, forcing him to reluctantly agree that her offer was still preferable to not seeing her at all. Fiyero was more than happy to relinquish his monopoly over her when she told him that Elphaba had asked her over.

"What do you fancy for dinner?" Chuffrey asked as they descended the green marble steps of the National Art Gallery. "Classic Gillikinese, Quadling cuisine, or rather something more modern?"

Glinda took a second to think on it, then decided to throw him somewhat of a curve ball.

"Do you know a good place for Munchkin food?" she asked innocently, playing with the tassels of her blush pink cardigan.

"So you're into rustique tastes," he noted, chuckling to himself.

"I'm all for variety," she corrected him.

At the bottom of the stairs, a black car was waiting for them. Chuffrey quickly reached to open the door for Glinda and held her handbag as she climbed in. Circling around to the other side of the vehicle, he took the seat beside her. No words were exchanged between him and the driver behind the tinted window, but the car set into motion all the same. Chuffrey briefly fiddled with his phone before letting it smoothly slide into his pocket and directing his undivided attention back to the girl beside him.

They disembarked at the outskirts of the Royal Mall, a grand park that Glinda predominantly recognised from the picturesque postcards available at all good souvenir shops in the city. She herself had never visited there before, as she didn't think the experience worth the hassle of dealing with busloads of tourists. Yet at night, the popular photo spot was considerably quieter, it seemed, and an involuntary shiver went down Glinda's spine as she almost warily surveyed her surroundings. There was no restaurant in sight, only a line of designer townhouses, a small convenience store, and a closed upmarket café."

"I thought it would be lovely to enjoy a short walk before we eat," explained Chuffrey, offering his arm.

Glinda considered her situation, discretely scanning the area a second time. A couple was leaving the park. Chatting excitedly and playfully clinging to each other, they exchanged little pecks as they went. The park itself seemed well lit, with frequent lamp posts and dazzling light strings in the trees. Security cameras were positioned at the iron gates. Glinda had no doubt that they would be safe from muggers, but was less certain about how far she trusted her own companion.

"What is it?" he asked, grinning awkwardly when he sensed her unease. "Should I have organised for a chaperone? My friend here would probably accompany us if asked," he added, gesturing in the direction of the driver.

Her gaze darted back to him, and she shook her head. Hoping to placate him, she let a small smile tug at the corners of her mouth.

"No, it's fine," she said, releasing her hands when she noticed them fumbling with each other. "Lead the way."

He offered her his arm again, but she pretended not to be aware of his gesture, making a show of admiring the twinkling lights above them. He didn't force the matter and instead crossed his hands behind his back as they walked.

Glinda soon realised that the park was better attended than she had at first supposed. Though many of the lovebirds around them were far too busy with each other to take much notice of anything else, she was quite reassured that their mere presence would keep dear Chuffrey on his toes and his best behaviour for the time being.

"Did you enjoy the exhibition?" he probed gently when the silence between them became too much to bear.

Glinda replied with a soft laugh.

"You must know I did. I never held back on my enthusiasm."

"It wasn't mere politeness then?"

"Only when it came to LaForesta's works," admitted Glinda with a tiny smirk. "But you might have guessed that already."

"Huh," he said, swaying his head from side to side. "I did not."

Surprised, she raised her eyebrows.

"You have a lot left to learn then."

"About deception?" asked Chuffrey.

"About subtlety," countered Glinda. "Exhibiting signs of unveiled boredom is impolite, while affecting excessive excitement is dishonest. But in between the two there lies a happy medium that allows a lady to demonstrate her willingness to acknowledge an object's or topic's value to others."

"And I should have known the difference?"

"Isn't it a diligent suitor's aim to read his sweetheart's mind?"

"Well, one can only try," he shrugged and laughed.

Glinda cast him a quick glance and sighed inwardly. Try he certainly did. She couldn't say for sure whether it was for her sake, or to bolster his own self-esteem, but Chuffrey had obviously put a lot of thought into this impromptu rendezvous. If she'd been at all wooable, she most likely would have been on cloud nine by now. As things were, however, his efforts were mostly wasted on her, and any enjoyment she might have gotten out of it was regrettably overshadowed by the forced nature of their relationship.

Accepting Chuffrey's offer had been a terrible mistake, born out of pure spur-of-the-moment temptation and desperation. But if she'd previously felt pressured to consent, she now felt even greater pressure to continue their arrangement. As she saw it, there was no immediate way out that didn't spell disaster. She'd have to wait it out, until Chuffrey himself would be left with no choice but to recognise the futility of his plan. Until then, she'd have to play nice and repay his efforts with at least a minimum degree of civility.

"I've never actually been to this park," she told him after a few moments of silence. "I'm quite astonished to find that it really is as beautiful as the travel guides claim. The same cannot be said about most of the other tourist attractions around the city."

"That's because it is so old," Chuffrey supplied. "The original park was built for one of the Ozmas, and a few of the trees were planted over four hundred years ago."

Wondering whether his newest claims were more accurate than his bungled history of the Florinthwaite Club, Glinda looked up to the tree canopy above them. While their size was impressive, her own expertise in dating was restricted to man-made structures. Perhaps Elphaba, bookish and studied as she was, could have given her a decent estimate.

Engrossed in her thoughts, she almost jumped when Chuffrey grasped her hand.

"This way," he said with a slightly mischievous twinkle in his eyes, his voice ringing with anticipation. Amused by her quizzical expression, he nodded his head in the direction of a smaller, less well-trodden trail than the one they'd followed up until then.

Glinda followed him, but not without a fresh wave of disquiet coursing through her. She would have much preferred to finish their stroll where the lights were brighter, and among the other couples, with plenty of eyes and ears to look out for her. Every few steps, she threw glances back to where the paths had crossed. Each time, the lights in the trees grew dimmer, until they turned around a corner and they disappeared altogether. While her feet mechanically carried her forward, her mind was in defiance. His terms had been that that he wouldn't do anything to her that she wasn't ready for, but nonverbal communication often was a mystery to her. What if, by allowing him to lead her to some secluded place, she was inadvertently giving him her permission to be more physical, more intimate? If she didn't want to end up being blamed for any misunderstandings, she probably should stop him before it was too late.

"Wait," she said somewhat breathless as she stopped walking, her hand slipping out of his loose grip.

Chuffrey turned around, his forehead faintly furrowed.

"It's dark around here," she justified her reluctance, hoping not having to explain any further.

"This part of town is very safe," he assured her. "And I have a plan. You trust me?"

Glinda stared back at him, wanting to tell him 'no.' Instead, she said, "No funny business," and walked on, head held high.

The pair soon reached an overgrown gazebo, decked out with lanterns and fairy lights. Glinda looked up at him, but smiling wordlessly, he only placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her forward. A woman was waiting beside a table at the centre of the wooden platform, greeting them with a slow nod before retreating to the background, where a few boxes were concealed under a white cloth. Pulling out one of the chairs, Chuffrey politely asked Glinda to take a seat.

The woman returned to fill their glasses with white wine and their plates with food: Munchkin-style wooden platters, laden with salad greens, cold slices of various meats, cheese and curious kinds of nuts Glinda had never tried before. Everything was perfect and in exact accordance with her wish. A basket containing artisan bread was placed in the middle of the table, and then the woman took her leave for good.

Chuffrey raised his glass, inviting her to do the same.

"Thank you for the suggestion," he said with a grin. "This looks fabulous."

Glinda's cheeks flushed as she nodded and put her glass to her lips. He'd clearly won the challenge she'd set him, perhaps without even realising.


It took Fiyero and Glinda two and a half weeks to find the perfect apartment, but when they finally did, Fiyero signed the contract right there and then. It was smaller than most of the others, but situated at the very outskirts of the CBD and overlooking the Deer Park.

Standing in the empty living room area by herself, waiting for her friend to return from the landlord's office, Glinda let her gaze wander across the picturesque green space below. It was only quarter past two, yet a few vendors had already arrived to put up their stalls for the Wednesday night market. With a wistful expression on her face, a silky curl wrapped around her finger, she remembered the night when Elphaba had taken her there; they'd barely even known each other then, and she'd been careless enough to fall asleep in her car on the way back. It was also the very same park where she'd rescued Chistery from a stormwater drain—after being the one to accidentally allow his escape in the first place. How lucky she'd been that neither of these incidents had cost her Elphaba's friendship. In light of all that, how feasible were her fears that she might lose it now over being honest about her feelings?

"All done," announced Fiyero as he marched through the door, jiggling his keys.

Still a little dazed, Glinda slowly turned around. Seeing the excited look on his face, her own began to brighten, a genuine smile slowly spreading across her lips.

"I'm so happy for you," she said and walked over to wrap him into a tight hug, which he promptly returned.

"Thank you, Glin," he murmured softly, giving her one more squeeze before letting go.

Puzzled, she tilted her head.

"What for?"

"Everything," he replied simply, shrugging his shoulders and sighing in relief. "Come," he said, reaching for her hand, "I'm afraid, I have to deliver you back to the office."

Glinda wrinkled her nose, but agreed.

"We should celebrate," Fiyero decided. "Now that I no longer need to live off the smell of an oily rag, how about I take you out for a really ridiculously fancy dinner? Like in the old days, but just to poke a little fun at ourselves. Sounds entertaining, no?"

His eyes gleamed at her expectantly, but Glinda could only secretly cringe at the thought. While she loathed putting a damper on his newfound exuberance, she also knew that she wouldn't be able to set foot into any upscale establishment and pretend to enjoy herself. At least not in the presence of her closest confidant. For both of their sakes, she couldn't risk an emotional breakdown over a minimalist plate of confit lamb on rosemary and Tenniken Cakes. The last couple of evenings in Chuffrey's company had well and truly spoilt such pleasures for her.

"Some other time perhaps," she suggested as blasé as possible. "You really need to practice managing your money, my friend. After rent, utilities and car instalments you'll have not much left to live on."

"Having some money is deceptively harder than having no money," he acknowledged with a defeated nod of his head. "How about pizza then?"

"Sounds great," she grinned, letting go of his hand and taking the lead back to the car.


Waking up in his new bed for the first time, Glinda briefly felt disorientated, but as soon as the memories of the previous night returned to her, her body once again melted into the luxurious mattress beneath her. She napped for another couple of minutes, then rolled around to find Fiyero next to her still in deep slumber. She couldn't decide if he looked objectively more peaceful and relaxed than he used to, but she so hoped that he was. Tentatively, she reached out to stroke his cheek. Beautiful, good man. He certainly deserved this more than anyone else she knew, including herself. Even so, this didn't mean that she would stop hoping for her own lucky break.

She watched him for a short while longer, wondering whether he could sense her staring at him so intently, but his expression never changed, and his eyes did not flutter open. Finally, now too awake and alert to lie there any longer, she pushed herself up into a sitting position. She carefully inched towards the edge of the mattress—yet to be completed with a bedframe—and bent over to pick up her phone from the ground. On her way out, she grabbed her new fluffy bathrobe, wrapping it tightly around her body to mimic the comfort of the warm bed.

Crossing the still empty lounge, she reached the bathroom, which also had little more to offer than their toothbrushes and a stack of towels that were still too soft to effectively dry and left fuzzy lint all over their hands and skin. Neither of them cared, however, embracing all of those minor inconveniences as the glorious signs of a new start.

Attending to her usual morning routine, Glinda was startled when her phone unexpectedly began to buzz.

"Shit," she grumbled under her breath, hurriedly spitting out the toothpaste and rinsing her mouth. After reading the caller's name, her breath hitched.

"Elphie," she said in a high pitched voice, then self-consciously cleared her throat. "How—how are you?"

"Fine," the girl on the other end of the line replied dismissively. "I… Brrr and some of the others are planning a daytrip into Munchkinland. Well, not so much 'planning', actually, since the trip is today. But… I was just wondering whether you'd be keen on tagging along?"

Glinda blinked, then removed her phone from her ear to check for the time and blinked again.

"That's a bit sudden," she chuckled awkwardly, clamping the device between her ear and her shoulder as she rinsed the remaining toothpaste off her hands. Elphaba took a few clock-ticks to respond.

"Yeah. I know. Sorry for that. I don't know why I didn't ask earlier."

While she sounded genuinely remorseful, Glinda still couldn't help but question whether it had all been more of an afterthought.

"It's all paid for though," Elphaba suddenly piped up to add, causing Glinda to giggle a bit despite herself.

"No, it's fine Elphie," she replied at last, smiling into the phone as if Elphaba would be able to see it. "I'm at Fiyero's new place. We just moved his stuff over yesterday. It wasn't much, but my bones are aching. But maybe next time."

"Oh, okay. Next time then."

"Sure. Have fun, 'kay?"

"Yeah. Okay."

Putting her phone aside, Glinda felt bad to have disappointed Elphaba once again. But had she even sounded disappointed enough? Had she even wanted her there as much as Glinda wished she did? They hadn't talked much since the birthday party and hadn't met in person at all. Glinda had kept herself busy with Fiyero, and the obligatory dates with Chuffrey were sucking the very life out of her. Given such circumstances, she couldn't possibly blame herself for neglecting Elphie, could she? Not even if, in truth, much of her inertia was chiefly due to her fear of messing things up between them. It was just another issue she couldn't deal with right now. She did, however, blame herself, for being so cruel as to wish that Elphaba would miss her keenly, desperately waiting for them to be reunited. Rationally speaking, she absolutely knew that the notion was narcissistic and plain ridiculous, yet she couldn't let go of it. When had she become such a terrible person?


"Glinda?"

Hearing him say her name called her drifting mind back to attention and reminded her slumped back and shoulders to straighten.

"Hm? Sorry, I must have spaced out."

Concerned, Chuffrey leaned closer, covering her hand with his.

"Are you alright? You seem not yourself tonight."

Glinda's weary eyes briefly lingered on their joint hands. When had she really ever been herself in his company? If he thought he knew the first thing about her true self, he was deluding himself. Sometimes she felt the urge to speak the words echoing through her head out loud, but then, she swiftly reminded herself that he'd been nothing but kind to her since the commencement of their arrangement—an arrangement she needed to continue if she didn't want him to rat her out to her parents, especially her mother. Swallowing her undue resentment and sighing inwardly, she forced herself to look up and flash him a sweet smile.

"Just tired, is all," she fibbed. Perhaps, he'd volunteer to take her home.

He emptied his drink with one long swig and tossed a few notes onto the counter.

"Let me take you somewhere quiet then," he said before sliding off his barstool and offering her his assistance to do the same.

Though disappointed that her night was not over yet, Glinda had hardly expected anything else, and so she complied without protest.

They'd been regularly seeing each other for more than a month now, and she'd more or less given up on treating his every move with suspicion. He'd proven respectful enough when it came to the matters most sensitive to her, and in return, she'd begun to allow him free reign whenever they were together. Usually, they'd meet at a predetermined venue and spend the entire evening there until it was time to part again. Yet, every now and then, he'd surprise her with a side trip to a club or somewhere else entirely. Over time, she'd learnt to deal with it.

Arm in arm, they walked down the street towards the nearby multi-storeyed carpark building.

"I'd like to try somewhere different today," decided Chuffrey, patting her hand that was resting on his forearm. "Somewhere where it's just us. Would that be acceptable?"

Glinda nodded her okay, mostly out of lack of a good counterargument. Chuffrey was more than pleased with that.

What she hadn't quite expected was that the place he had in mind was his own home. She began to seriously question their destination around the moment they first entered the prestigious Goldhaven neighbourhood, but still held on to at least the possibility that her guess was wrong. By the time they drove down the ramp to a private underground carpark, however, it became very clear that her prayers had been in vain.

When he got out of the car, she hesitated.

Opening her door, he looked down at her and paused.

"What's wrong? Having second thoughts?"

"About coming to your apartment?" she asked softly, but overtly displeased. "How could I, if I never had a clear opinion to begin with. Your earlier suggestion was rather vague."

His smile wavered momentarily, allowing her a cursory glimpse at the state of his crumbling patience. The thought of them sharing the cramped space of the car again suddenly didn't seem very enticing either.

"Fine," she said, drawing a deep breath before setting her left foot on the ground, signalling him to back off and let her exit the car by herself.

"Feeling better yet?" Chuffrey wanted to know as he set down his cup of flat white on the low table in his living room.

Glinda, anxiously perched on the edge of his white leather couch, took another sip from her own and remained silent. Chuffrey exhaled.

"Well, I suppose then, that this isn't the best time to ask whether you're ready to announce our relationship to our parents."

Her head jolted up at that. Fixing him with a blank stare, she hoped to deduce his thoughts without betraying hers—with limited success.

"Why so soon," she asked at last, her voice forcefully calm. "Why not wait until we achieved at least some semblance of affection for each other?"

"Why indeed," replied Chuffrey mysteriously, drumming his fingers on the table.

Glinda straightaway knew that he must have some sort of ace up his sleeve, and the notion of lagging several steps behind him irritated her enough to temporarily make her forget about her other apprehensions. Jaw tensely set, she watched him as he got up to fetch a piece of paper from a tray on the kitchen counter.

"Your dear mother appears to find her correspondence with you lacking," he said with an amused scoff, handing the paper over to Glinda. "She resorted to asking me instead."

She skimmed the letter, chewing the inside of her cheek as she took in the affronting words. It was undeniably genuine, penned in her mother's pretentious handwriting. It was also surprisingly brief, but otherwise rather predictable—besides the fact, that Glinda would never have predicted her mother to actually go this far and enlist Chuffrey so unabashedly. Her hand holding the letter clenched. If it hadn't been for his presence, she probably would have crushed it, or ripped it to tiny pieces. However, knowing that nothing good would come off showing such severe emotions in front of him, she folded it and delicately placed it on the table.

"Apologies," she said curtly, feeling more embarrassed than anything by her mother's actions. Chuffrey, on the other hand merely seemed entertained by the drama of it all.

"I don't particularly mind. On the contrary, I'm more than willing to help. If you let me that is."

Rather than his initial seat on the armchair, he now chose a spot next to Glinda on the couch. Leaning slightly into her, he added in a very soft tone, "Why not put her worries to rest?"

Her breath hitched. The sudden uncomfortable flutter in her stomach made her wish she hadn't had any of the coffee. For a moment, she absolutely expected him to cross that final threshold, to place his hands and lips where she most definitely did not want them. Freezing in the same manner as she usually did in these kinds of situations, all she was able to do, was to brace herself for the imminent impact.

Next thing she knew, however, he was already far away, standing behind the kitchen counter, pouring two glasses of whiskey. Still dazed, she accepted one when he brought it over and took a small mouthful. Chuckling, Chuffrey emptied his in a single go.

Not much else happened that night, yet even after he'd dropped her home, Glinda's insides were still churning, her mind and body still too alert to go to bed and sleep. Seeing as he hadn't laid as much as a finger on her, it was a disquiet she could neither explain, not shake. She almost began to question her sanity, berating herself for being so darn sensitive. How was she ever supposed to commit to anyone if her trust issues ran this deep?

Without any prospect of rest, she fetched her laptop and opened a file she'd been working on recently. When Crope entered her room a while later, she jumped in her chair, a trembling hand flying to her chest in fright. She didn't need to see her flatmate's expression to know that her reaction was out of all proportion.

She laughed it off, of course, reassuring him that she'd merely been dozing off and therefore more susceptible to be startled. And yes, she was feeling just fine and would go to bed soon. Crope nodded sympathetically, but still seemed hesitant to leave her alone.

"Your guys' room is two metres down the hall," she finally laughed, giving him a playful slap on the arm. "There's nothing to be worried about."

Unable to argue with that, he nodded and mumbled a reluctant 'goodnight.' Already half out of the door, he suddenly came scurrying back in.

"Oh, I almost forgot why I came by in the first place."

"Yes?" asked Glinda grinning and fluttering her eyelashes. "What would that be, love?"

"Nothing, really. I was just wondering whether you're still good for tomorrow. Opening night. After show party. That sort of stuff."

His face began to glow with excitement, and even Glinda couldn't help but smile for real.

"Of course. Wild horses couldn't keep me away. After all that work and all the tears I put into this play."

Crope made a face, and she laughed, assuring him that she was only joking.

"No, seriously, there's definitely only one single reason for me to ever go back there," she said. "And that is to see my friend shine in his first leading role."

He seemed content with that.

Glinda mirrored his wiggly wave and sent him off with a wink. The very moment the door closed behind him, however, her face fell and a soft whimper escaped her lips. She found her legs cramped and shaking ever so slightly; the pit of her stomach felt hollow. Her thoughts returned to Chuffrey, trying to comprehend why she was reacting in this way when, in truth, he'd done nothing so far to warrant such fear.


Considering that it was only a community theatre project, Crope made a huge deal out of the fast approaching opening night, but Glinda and Tibbett were both quite happy to indulge and encourage him. They dressed to the nines and splurged on a high-end taxi to get all three of them to the theatre.

Crope guided them through the stage door, past the open green room and towards his very own dressing room.

"Cool, isn't it?" he grinned. "Did you see? It has my name on it."

Glinda and Tibbett looked at each other and snorted with laughter.

"Brilliant," Tibbett managed in between titters. "Can't wait to fight off your fans and paparazzi on the way out."

Eventually, they were kicked out by Dale, who needed Crope for some final checks and the all-important battle speech.

"He's gonna be okay, right?" Tibbett asked, his feet incessantly tapping against the metal legs of his chair.

Glinda chuckled.

"Need another drink? Maybe you should leave the stage fright to him."

"I'd love to," squeaked Tibbett, "but it's harder than it sounds."

Checking the time on her phone, she clicked her tongue.

"Well, you'll have to endure it another twenty-four minutes then. Maybe next time I'll remind you to take some valerian beforehand."

Her flatmate cocked his head and pursed his lips.

"Do you think it would work together with some sort of booze?"

"Only of you want to sleep through the entire show," a third voice chimed in, causing Tibbett to jolt in surprise and Glinda to almost choke on her orange juice.

"Woah, Elphie! What are you doing here?"

Elphaba raised her brows, a lopsided grin on her lips.

"Not the welcome I expected, but I'll take it."

Glinda's face grew hot.

"Oh, didn't I tell you?" Tibbett said, faking innocence badly, "Crope and I invited Elphaba. We figured you probably wouldn't bring a plus one, so we had an extra ticket to spare."

"That makes sense, I guess," murmured Glinda, flashing her friends a flustered smile.

She considered the taller girl, only gradually adjusting to the reality of her actually being there. After such a long separation, and due to the totally unforeseen nature of their reunion, beholding her in flesh and blood seemed strangely surreal. Her heart throbbed in her chest; for joy, she supposed, but the queasiness in her tummy spoke of guilt and trepidation. She didn't even know what to say to her, so she let Tibbett do most of the talking, which he gladly did.

"On second thoughts," he excitedly said to Elphaba, looking at something on her phone, "maybe you and I should swap seats, so that Glinda sits in the middle between us."

Overhearing their planning, Glinda's eyes widened, and she quickly looked away, occupying herself with her straw.

"Yeah, I don't know," interjected Elphaba, causing a ripple of misplaced disappointment to surge through her. "I'm not alone. I dragged a friend along. He and I had plans tonight, so I decided that we could just see the play together. He's still at the box office to buy an extra ticket, I think."

"Oh no, you should have said something! We could have organised another ticket, no problem," Glinda heard Tibbett cry, though she knew that he must be miffed that Elphaba had inadvertently thwarted his matchmaking dreams.

Boq arrived not too long after that, immediately making a beeline for Glinda. She greeted him graciously and quickly moved to acquainting him with her flatmate.

Boq ended up sitting on the outside, followed by Elphaba on his right, then Tibbett, and finally, Glinda. Glinda's other neighbour was also a friend of one of the actors and immediately recognised her from the rehearsal.

"Crope is such a smasher, isn't he?" she gushed. "Are you coming to the after show party? It would be really awesome if you could introduce me."

Glinda blinked.

"Yeah, I guess. But why don't you ask your friend?"

"Thea? Because she's got a crush on him, too. That would be just mega awkward, right?"

Biting her lip to suppress a giggle, Glinda shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I guess that's a bit awkward, too, but you two do realise that he's gay?"

"And already spoken for," added Tibbett, leaning forward in his seat to cast the girl a wide grin.

Glinda swatted at him lightly and offered her furiously blushing neighbour an apologetic smile.

"Don't worry, it's cool. But I'm not quite sure how you missed this. Neither of these silly boys is particularly subtle about it."

"Wishful thinking, I guess?" she replied with a sullen moan before directing her attention towards the stage curtain, without a doubt willing it to open as quickly as possible.

Crope and his fellow ensemble played for a full house, earning a good amount of laughter, gasps and applause. While their performance wasn't as polished as the professional shows Glinda had seen in the past, it was clear to see that every single one of the guys and gals involved acted their heart out, and watching Crope shine onstage made it all so much more entertaining and inspirational than any high budget Goldhaven production.

The piece was rather long though, and about half-way though act one, Glinda began to dearly regret all the orange juice and wine she'd consumed beforehand. Trying not to be rude, she waited it out, but the very moment the curtain was fully closed, she jumped up from her seat and set out to squeeze past the other audience members in her row.

She made it to the restroom before anyone else, and only when she re-emerged from her cubicle, was she able to fully appreciate her good fortune. At least two dozen or so other women had been less lucky and were now doomed to spending most of intermission in a long, winding queue. One of those unfortunate souls was Elphaba.

Glinda made eye contact and smiled a little. Feeling bad for her, she offered to get her a drink. Elphaba shook her head, and nodding, Glinda made to move on. But just as she turned away, she was suddenly held back by long fingers curled around her wrist. Startled, she looked back at Elphaba.

"I need to talk to you," Elphaba half-whispered urgently.

Glinda's eyes jumped from her friend to the people surrounding them.

"Here?" she asked, anxiously shifting her weight.

Elphaba followed her gaze and let out a breath, then took a step away from the crowd.

"Okay, let's go," she murmured and proceeded to lightly pull the blonde towards the front door. "Got your ticket?" she enquired as they passed the front desk.

Wordlessly, Glinda raised her hand, showing the little docket.

Elphaba continued on ahead, leading her through the exit and around the corner of the building. They walked past a group of smokers, bonding over their shared vice, and the bus stop, until they were well out of earshot.

"Is this private enough?" Elphaba half-joked, tilting her head.

Glinda looked back the way they'd come, then in the other direction. Anywhere was fine, as long as she could delay looking at Elphaba for just a few clock-ticks longer.

"Guess this is fine," she nodded, trying to act calmer than she felt. "What's so urgent, Elphie?"

Remembering her manners, she forced herself to face her friend. Elphaba's expression had turned blank, and Glinda's stomach dropped.

"What is it, Elphie?" she asked when no explanation was forthcoming.

The taller girl's mouth twitched, and, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her black jeans, she dropped her gaze.

"Look, I don't know if this sounds stupid," she said, then paused. Her shuffling foot hit a small pebble, and giving into the momentary distraction, she kicked it across the footpath.

Almost unable to bear the suspense, Glinda had to remind herself to breathe. In her head, she was encouraging Elphaba to finally spill the beans. Whether it was good or bad news; almost anything was better than standing there like this, wretched emotions in limbo.

Their eyes met fleetingly, and Elphaba cleared her voice. Though she couldn't be sure in the ambiguous lighting of the streetlamp, Glinda thought she might even be blushing.

"Well, this is kinda dumb, but I just need to know. Have you been avoiding me?"

Elphaba's look was no longer wandering, and now unabashedly trained on Glinda, making her feel incredibly small. Not small enough, though, because with nowhere else to run and hide, she would have very much preferred to shrink into oblivion right now.

"No?" she replied tentatively. "Well, not exactly?" By Oz, those puzzled, furrowed brows of Elphaba's really did not help. "Maybe a little," admitted Glinda sheepishly, "but it's not your fault or anything."

Elphaba shook her head in disbelief.

"Why would you need to avoid me if I didn't do anything wrong? There must be something."

"No, Elphie," Glinda countered, heaving a heavy sigh. "It's not about you!" She looked at Elphaba, wishing she could tell her, wishing she could just lean against her and cry her heart out. Instead, she racked her brain for the appropriate words to avoid exactly that. "I… have a lot going on right now," she said, tiredly brushing a stray curl out of her face. "You know how it is sometimes. Shit got kinda complicated, and I'm somehow trying to fix it, bit by bit. Dealing with this leaves not much time and energy for other things. I'm sorry if you feel like I'm neglecting you."

Tilting her head, Elphaba simply kept staring at her. Glinda wondered whether she still doubted her.

"And you're sure that this… shit… is something you have to sort out by yourself?"

Despite herself, Glinda could feel her heart melt just a little at the apparent offer of help. It was a pity that she couldn't accept it.

"Fiyero is helping where he can," she told her very quietly, unable to speak any louder because she was so ashamed to lie yet again.

Whether she bought it or not, Elphaba nodded and said no more.

"We probably should go back inside?" suggested Glinda and Elphaba silently agreed.

The smokers were already gone, and at least from the outside, the foyer seemed rather empty. In all likelihood, they had missed the beginning of the second act. Just before Glinda could walk through the door, Elphaba held her back once again.

"You know, I'd still love to spend time with you every now and then, if your busy life allows."

Glinda swallowed hard.

"Me, too."

"Maybe just a short brunch meeting next weekend," proposed Elphaba, but when Glinda looked up at her, guilt was written all over her face.

"I'm sorry," she muttered ruefully, thinking with dread of the weekend trip to Lake Chorge she had promised Chuffrey.

"I see," breathed Elphaba, and Glinda hated seeing her so deflated.

"Perhaps the week after?" she ventured. "If we make it dinner, we won't have to wait for the weekend either."

Her friend was quick to respond.

"Monday then. I'll pick you up from work at five."

Taken aback by her sudden briskness, Glinda's mouth opened without forming any words.

"Yeah," she managed eventually. "Yeah, that should be fine."