The last thing she'd expected was for them to go off to the Emerald City.
The funeral had been a blur. She hadn't felt all that present. She wasn't sure what to focus on, how to properly grieve with everyone there. Her friends had been nice, good. They'd said the right things, cleaned up nice. But she suddenly didn't want anyone there. It was in the middle of the service, when she'd felt a jolt and a shout from within her, though anyone on the outside would've been none the wiser, for she kept still and silent.
And they'd gone drinking afterwards. Avaric's idea. She couldn't complain, in fact she'd needed it. It wasn't just the numbing properties of booze, but the need to be away from it all, even for just a night, to postpone the grief until morning.
On the way to the Peach and Kidneys Glinda had fainted; she had hardly realized that it'd been happening. A single swooping, connecting motion of feeling ill with, what was it, lust? Of her falling, and of being caught by Elphaba in mid-fall. Her intense face had snapped Glinda out of it, and she felt a sudden chill down her neck and spine, electric terror and affection, all rolled into one.
"I love you too much, snap out of it, you idiot!"
"Well, really, no need to be so romantic about it!" But she was grinning to herself, a bit looney-like, from the faints, and from the fact that Elphie had said she'd loved her.
She'd wanted to go to the Philosophy Club afterwards. She felt invincible. She wanted to go with her friends, to keep the night alive, to feel alive herself. Elphaba was mad, bossy. She wouldn't let her go. It wasn't until she hissed in her ear something about the Emerald City that Glinda had looked at her funny and asked her to repeat herself.
And Elphaba had. And then they were gone.
It was an adventure in some ways, at least, that was how Glinda had made herself see it, a reprieve of sorts. She hadn't known just how seriously Elphaba seemed to take it. If she had, she would have held on tighter.
She could feel her slipping into her thoughts. Elphaba would stay awake at night, wide-eyed and staring at the cracked ceiling, still as a rock, her rising and falling chest the one clue that she was still alive and breathing. The places they stayed at felt cold. Glinda would nestle in nearer for warmth, for a connection, a return to what was. She feared she was losing her. Her mind would drift to the Caprice in the Pines, what already seemed like years ago, but was only a few months. How different it had all been, how like a child she was. And to earlier that summer, and the months before that, when suddenly they'd become so close. A different world, of ignorant bliss. Things had so suddenly changed. Two beautiful souls were dead, and she knew Elphaba must feel guilty somehow, the way she herself felt guilty for Ama Clutch's death.
"Elphaba..." she'd started, and Elphie hadn't looked at her.
Glinda shifted and planted a kiss on her temple, slow and sweet. When she'd pulled away, she could see Elphaba's eyes were closed.
"Are you all right?" Glinda whispered. The moon shafted in from the inn's crudely put together wooden walls. Elphaba's face was unreadable, until she opened her eyes and looked at Glinda.
"I don't think I'll ever be all right."
It was dire but it was something. Glinda settled in, propped up by her elbow. She drew small patterns on Elphaba's shoulder, so small they were hardly even there.
"I don't think I'll ever be either." She was speaking honestly, she realized, and it scared her just a little bit. She slid down and resumed her spot next to Elphaba, staring at her. "Face me. I want to see you." Elphaba obliged. The moon no longer hit her face. It didn't matter. Glinda had it memorized.
She stroked Elphaba's side, where her shoulder flowed into her ribs. It was Elphaba's favorite. She quickly fell asleep, or pretended to, for in the morning, on the carriage ride, Elphaba nodded off on her shoulder. Glinda didn't mind the stares. She wasn't thinking about the people's stares; she wasn't thinking about anything except for how badly she wanted to get to the next inn, for she wanted the chance to kiss Elphaba again, even if just on the temple, the cheek. She felt guilty for thinking such a thing, with everything else going on, but she suddenly thought "To hell with all the guilt." She loved Elphie and she wanted to show her.
Then they had sex. It surprised Glinda, and she figured it must've surprised Elphaba too, although she didn't know. Elphaba had been the one to spur it on, and it being the dark, dead of night, Glinda couldn't see her face, if it were a look of shock, or something else, shock at her own, sudden decision, her sudden vulnerableness.
Glinda had been stroking her side as usual, lulling them both to sleep, when suddenly, she felt a hand on hers, guiding her gently, until it was placed atop a breast. Glinda's eyes opened. She was about to speak, when Elphaba placed a finger on her lips.
They moved silently, Glinda softly kneading Elphaba's breasts from her nestled position. Elphaba arched and pressed herself forward, into Glinda's grasp. Everything felt like a dream, like if either of them were to think too long about it it would all go away. So they went slow. Glinda garnered enough courage to lick around her breasts. It made Elphaba gasp, sharp and quick. She smiled against her, licking softly, moving herself so as to hover over her, lowering herself so their bodies touched, fitting together like puzzle pieces.
She kissed her on her chest, her collar bone and stomach, in slow, plotting movements. Elphaba sighed, low and shaky, breathily. Glinda felt her hand cup where her cheek met her ear, felt the tips of Elphaba's fingers play with her ear and hair distractedly, as if unaware of what she were doing, but wanting to touch Glinda somehow, in some way. Glinda moved lower, kissing down her stomach, tracing her sides with light fingers.
"Glinda..." Her voice was pitched, full of need. "Glinda, please..."
Picking up the pace, but not too fast, she traced the skin of her inner thighs. It sent electric up Elphaba, who was growing impatient. She grunted.
"You wicked woman."
Glinda laughed, then guided Elphaba's legs open, her heartbeat quickening. She let her hands roam, stroke and stretch across Elphaba's upper thighs, dipping dangerously inward, brushing against her underwear. A few more strokes until suddenly a finger slipped through, feeling the wet and warmth. Elphaba breathed steadily, her stomach hardened in the slightest, the touch making her flex. Glinda teased a little bit more, until she slowly took Elphaba's underwear off, and time seemed to take forever. Then, more feeling and stroking, spreading the lips, rubbing and roaming, until Glinda's tongue came in contact and Elphaba let out a hot short gasp, her entire upper body seizing.
"Relax," Glinda whispered. Elphaba came down from the initial jolt, but there were others, short and sharp, the pleasure spreading all throughout her body and out her fingertips and toes, in short, sudden bursts. She did relax though, finally, her muscles letting go, her breath becoming more stabilized. She melted into Glinda, who took her time. Her tongue felt cold, exact, pushing in and out, coming out to lick and then plunging back in. Glinda could feel Elphaba shuddering, her legs begin to twitch. She couldn't help but smile again.
The moment came and something changed, when Glinda knew now was not the time to go slow. Elphaba's hip bones flexed, her stomach curled inward as she hunched over and shook, moaning silently, shakingly. Glinda went faster and deeper, faster and deeper, using her hands to trace the plane of Elphaba's stomach, her hip bones, her breasts again. It was a sea of ecstasy, a sudden surge. Elphaba grunted loudly and gasped, her entire body freezing, drinking it in, it almost being too much—her head was thrown back, her muscles relaxing, wave upon wave of pleasure flowing through into the inner and outermost parts of her body, down deep as well as just on the surface. She laughed suddenly, brightly, as if embarrassed a little, but in heaven all the same. Glinda took the opportunity to kiss her one last time, in the inner part of her thigh.
"I love you Elphie," she whispered.
Their meeting with the Wizard hadn't been much of anything. They hadn't accomplished much, though Glinda wasn't really sure what it was they were trying to accomplish. She was just glad they'd made it out alive, especially the way Elphie was challenging his Ozness.
Though she was proud of them, proud of her. She was waiting for her now, in the carriage they'd be taking back. The driver was anxious to leave, and it made her anxious. She looked around, with what little view of the street she had.
And she kept trying to suppress the smile forming on her lips as her thoughts kept going back to that night two days ago. She couldn't believe she had actually done that. How bold of her. She wasn't ashamed, either, just surprised. She wondered what this meant for them.
She was thinking fondly of it, remembering, when suddenly she caught sight of Elphaba, batting her way through the crowd.
"Thank heavens, I thought you'd be late. The driver is eager to leave. Did you get lunch for us?"
She watched as Elphaba tossed a bundle of food into her lap. Two oranges, some bread and cheese. Glinda looked at her funny.
"This'll have to do you till your stop this evening," said Elphaba, neither looking here nor there.
"Me, me? Why, do you have something better to eat yourself?" Elphaba turned to look at her. Her face was painfully neutral.
"Something worse I expect. But needs to be done. I won't be going back with you. I've only come to say goodbye."
Glinda stared at Elphaba, laughed nervously without realizing.
"What are you talking about." Her voice had become serious, her laugh cut short. "Goodbye? Goodbye?"
"I won't be a pawn Glinda. I'll not be part of Madame Morrible's school—ever—again." Glinda saw the focused and faraway look on Elphaba's face, like that of revenge. It unnerved her. Elphaba's words confused her, it wasn't supposed to happen like this. She turned to fury, the sound of tears lodged in her throat.
"You told me yourself that leaving is admitting defeat! You CAN'T leave you CAN'T!"
Some of the other passengers began to look over and stare at Glinda and her noise. She didn't care. Something flashed within Elphaba's eyes; was it sadness? It was just as quickly gone. Glinda felt like strangling her, or hugging her, or both.
"Elphaba," she said, all of a sudden breaking. "You can't leave..." She cried, low guttural sobs that hurt. The driver grunted and yelled for Elphaba to sod off. It was all happening so fast so suddenly.
"Hush, hush my pretty. You'll be all right," said Elphaba. She took Glinda's face in her hands, the tears burning the undersides of her fingers. She studied her for a few moments, stroking the side of her pale cheek, then leaned in and kissed her, for what seemed like forever. It made Glinda want to cry more.
"Hold out if you can," said Elphaba, pulling away, only to go back in for another kiss. "Hold out my sweet."
"Elphie..."
Elphaba turned quickly away, slinking back into the stream of people.
"ELPHABAAA!"