AN:
Hellooooooo!
It's Monday the 13th and-what do you know-here's CHAPTER THIRTEEN! Just for you!
Hope you'll enjoy this one, it got some cute bits and some lovely awkwardness.
Happy reading everyone and take care!
xoxo MLE
(=^_^=)
Chapter Thirteen
The test Doctor Dillamond had devised for them was not much of a challenge at all for Elphaba. She finished half an hour early and let her eyes wander across the lecture theatre in order to pass time. She spotted Galinda and her clique in their usual seats. Avaric and one of his buddies exchanged notes whenever Dillamond wasn't looking their way. She couldn't be sure if they were cheating or conversing.
Watching them brought back the memory of Galinda's plea to be more open about her social standing and use it to their advantage, even though she'd sworn to herself to never think of it again. On a whole, she couldn't say that the prospect was particularly tempting anyway. Not for any other benefit other than Galinda's unhindered interactions with her that was. Heck, they lived together and had to hide it; she could see how that might be taxing on her friend.
The more stubborn part of her, however, insisted that it was entirely Galinda's fault for insisting they keep their connection a secret. Despite knowing that the chances were slim, Elphaba would never stop hoping that she'd come around one day and abandon her caution and not give a twig if her cronies didn't like it. But why should she choose her over potentially everyone else? It sounded like a bad trade, even to her.
And then there was the baby. Galinda must be delusional if she thought that Elphaba's pregnancy would be graciously overlooked by that snobbish crowd of immatures. Or perhaps she hadn't thought of that at all in the heat of the moment. She'd seemed more than confused after all. But it didn't matter. At least she'd promised not to bring any of it up again. Elphaba only hoped she'd keep her word.
She looked back down at the bundle of paper before her. After repeatedly scanning the pages for mistakes and finding none, she finally squared them against the desk. She wanted to leave, but had recently become more self-conscious about drawing too much attention. In spite of knowing that her belly had not yet rounded in the least, she couldn't help but worry that some person at some point would recognise the most inconspicuous of signs and the rumours would begin. Why she even cared she did not know. Maybe because—in contrast to her vibrant skin—it was a direct consequence of her own stupidity and carelessness. A true, justified reason for embarrassment, even though she'd finally come to terms with the inevitable end result and decided to make the best of it.
The sound of one of the folding chairs snapping back up drew her attention. She craned her neck to see who else had finished their work and vacated their seat. It was Galinda, now making her way down the aisle, test in hand, headed for Doctor Dillamond's lectern. Elphaba pursed her lips, then smirked and began to slowly pack away her own stationary. She made sure that Galinda had left the room and the doors had stopped swinging before she pushed herself to her feet and delivered her answers as well.
"What took you so long, slowpoke?"
Elphaba whirled around to find Galinda standing behind her, leaning against the wall right beside the door, grinning at her playfully and looking her up and down. She was talking to her. In the middle of the hallway. It was an empty hallway, but she was shocked nonetheless and struggled to form a decent reply.
"I, uh, just took my time checking for errors," she sputtered, obviously flustered and annoyed that she couldn't hide it. "I guess you—you felt comfortable answering the questions then?"
"Thanks to your coaching. It was a breeze."
"That's good."
"You're going home now?" asked Galinda, stepping away from the wall and towards Elphaba.
"No. I've got work in an hour. I'll just wait in the library until then."
Galinda cocked her head.
"Are you actually busy though? Or do you think I could persuade you to sit with me somewhere quiet in the botanical garden. Spring has finally started to show itself and I don't want to squander the entirety of this day indoors."
Still incredulous, Elphaba blinked, then cleared her throat and frowned.
"That's rather bold of you," she remarked, and Galinda's smile faltered.
"It's fairly safe. Especially if we leave right away. I'd like to try and grow at least a little more at ease with being around you on campus. Bit by bit."
"Okay…" Elphaba decided not to hold her breath, but appreciated Galinda's efforts so far. "How about we pick up a drink on the way?"
Galinda hesitated at the suggestion, but agreed in the end, just when Elphaba had thought she might have pushed her too far.
They found themselves a cosy and secluded spot underneath a large tree and sipped their iced milk tea. Elphaba noticed the way Galinda's eyes darted all over the place and lightly shook her head to herself.
"I was wondering," she began, hoping to distract Galinda from her anxiety, "whether you'd be interested in accompanying me on Wednesday."
"Wednesday?" replied Galinda distractedly.
"To the clinic."
"The clinic!"
Galinda was all ears now, her attention fully focused on Elphaba as if the rest of the world no longer mattered. The sudden shift startled the green girl slightly, but she was clandestinely pleased and quirked a minuscule smile.
"I have an ultrasound appointment at three. I could totally go by myself, but you always seemed somewhat curious about it all."
"Are you kidding? Sign me up, I'll be an hour early and bring the snacks!"
Elphaba leaned away from her, staring at her in bewilderment. She hadn't exactly expected that much of a reaction.
"Hold your horses, my sweet, this is an antenatal appointment, not a party," she said, and Galinda calmed down a tad.
"Fine, fine, I'll pipe down," she assured her, still grinning brilliantly.
"Oh man, I'm starting to regret this," muttered Elphaba, and the blonde's face immediately turned blank.
"I can be serious, I swear. I'm excited, I won't lie, but you won't hear the smallest squeal from me if it annoys you."
Elphaba looked away and ground her teeth.
"I really don't get it. There's nothing to be excited about."
Just because she no longer wished to prevent it all from happening, that didn't mean that she was suddenly overjoyed to embark on this unexpected journey of parenthood. Galinda's enthusiasm was a mystery to her and mildly irritating. Perhaps she shouldn't encourage her in the future.
"I know you have mixed feelings about this," said her friend and gently laid her hand on her arm. Elphaba's skin began to tingle at the site of contact. "But it's miraculous, isn't it? That your body can grow an entire human, from nothing more than two cells."
Elphaba couldn't argue with that.
"It is. Which was why I requested to keep my ultrasound picture back then. Nature is pretty amazing. I used to think that those few weeks and blurry black and white photo were as close as I'd ever get to experiencing up close what it was like to go through a pregnancy. Now I'm getting more than I bargained for."
"And I'm here to support you, grateful for any little part you allow me to play in this."
"Grateful?" questioned Elphaba sceptically. "Why? I'm taking so much without giving you anything."
"You're my friend and our relationship means a lot to me, although I'm not going to debate that here and now," answered Galinda with finality. "But you forget… I don't think I'll ever have children of my own."
"I know that you're not particularly interested in the various steps involved, but you still could."
Galinda shook her head and laughed dismissively.
"Being a single mother wouldn't do for me, and I hundred percent won't marry for appearance's sake."
"That's… surprising," admitted Elphaba. "Not to be rude, but seeing how hard you constantly try to be nothing but flawless; I certainly expected you would. Being known as a spinster isn't too far off from raising a fatherless child in public opinion."
"I'm not that desperate."
"Hear, hear," chuckled Elphaba, then stopped to consider her. "But if you found someone you'd like to be close to on some level anyway? It doesn't have to be all terrible, like a wretched, arranged marriage or whatever. Queer platonic relationships are a thing, right?"
Galinda gave her a strange look in response, which she failed miserably to decipher.
"You've been studying up on your terms, haven't you?" she said then and grinned again, if only slightly.
Elphaba swallowed as her stomach seemed to flop upside down (or was that merely one of those small discomforts that had been plaguing her recently?)
"I take any learning profoundly seriously as you might have noticed."
"Theory is only half of the assignment though," Galinda pointed out quietly with one last side glance before going back to sentry duty, scanning the nearby paths for potential onlookers while noisily emptying her drink.
Elphaba stared at her, myriads of questions forming in her head, then quickly averted her eyes and peered down at her hands instead, noticing how tightly they were clasped around the paper cup.
"I better head to work," she said, trying to focus on the shift ahead, on mindlessly opening boxes, stacking crates and taking stock. It worked to some degree, and her vicelike grip loosened. "One last thing…"
"Hmm?"
Galinda's attention remained otherwise engaged, and Elphaba simply shrugged and stood. It was obvious that the looming end of the ongoing lessons, predictably followed by an outpour of students from the nearby buildings, had her on edge.
"Never mind. We'll talk about it later."
They discussed their schedule for that Wednesday's afternoon during lab prep. Elphaba had avoided bringing up the topic before then in order to prevent giving further fuel to Galinda's enthusiasm.
"So, if the appointment is at three, we can leave as late as two forty. Rush-hour doesn't start till like four something, so getting there won't take long at all. I assume there's parking nearby?"
Judging by how fast the blonde was speaking and with how much zest, Elphaba figured her strategy had more or less failed.
"I, uh, meant to discuss something else that might affect our plans somewhat," she admitted reluctantly.
Galinda stopped pouring the isopropyl alcohol she was dishing out to look up at her.
"Yes?"
"First of all,"—Elphaba shifted her weight and licked her lips. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous about this when Galinda had not once before wavered on this point—"I need to confirm one last time how you feel about us living together. You. I. Junior."
"Nothing has changed," the shorter girl confirmed. "Are you considering…"
"Yeah, I guess," replied Elphaba, uttering a breathy laugh. "And you—you're absolutely sure?"
Galinda smiled and nodded.
"I'm sure if you are," she said gently. "Are you now? Sure?"
"Not sure as much as reconciled." That earned Elphaba a hurt look. "No!" she cried immediately as she realised her mistake. Sighing heavily and waving about her arms in a helpless manner, she struggled to explain herself. "I have no objections as far as our friendship is concerned or even our living together. In spite of everything, we're a surprisingly decent fit, and you've been nothing but accommodating. It's just that… accepting so much help has been difficult for me—still is. It's about trust, but mostly it's about guilt. I feel like I don't deserve this huge amount of good will you're ready to throw at me."
"I guess I can understand that," conceded Galinda. "But you are truly and fully… reconciled now?"
"I went online and created a fake baby shower registry for the most essential items that I really don't think I could manage without. The price tag was staggering. It's not like I couldn't get cheaper stuff second hand or whatever, but it just drove home the fact that this will be a pretty expensive endeavour overall. So if, for obvious health and safety reasons, I can't load up on extra shifts anymore, I at least need to stop throwing money at an apartment I no longer reside in. If that's really, really okay with you."
"Oh my Oz, this is getting ridiculous," giggled Galinda, then proceeded to grab her upper arms and give her a good shake. "Yes. Yes! Gosh, Elphie. I'm so glad you made this decision, regardless of your concerns." She released her arms and hugged her soundly. "I'll do all I can to negate those worries and make you both feel at home. You have my word."
Galinda's eagerness was unfathomable, but given her situation, Elphaba had no choice but to be relieved and indefinitely grateful. Besides, wrapped in her affectionate embrace, she found it oddly easy to believe her too, and take everything she said and promised at face value. To hell with pride and self-reliance; this would make things a lot easier, and she owed it to her child to give them as stable a home as she could, didn't she?
"Would you mind then… if we went to pick up a few things from my old place after the appointment? It's really not much and won't take longer than a couple of minutes. And I'll tender my lease termination via email tonight."
"Yeah, that's cool," agreed Galinda. She seemed hesitant as she let go of Elphaba and resumed her task. "Should we rope in Boq to help?" she asked, casting her a quick look while also concentrating on the beaker in her hand.
"It's only a few more books—"
Galinda snorted in amusement.
"Of course it's books. Our next purchase should be another shelf for your extensive library."
"Books and some keepsakes," Elphaba finished. "I guess I'll leave behind most of the household items. I have no use for them since you've already got everything, and the next tenant might appreciate not having to buy any."
"Yeah, that's a good idea."
"We shouldn't take your car though, I think."
"Wait, what?" Galinda said, puzzled.
"It's a shitty neighbourhood, as you are well aware of. You're lucky nobody felt tempted to scratch the paint of your posh, little city cruiser last time you parked it outside my building. Seeing us together might embolden them though, so it's not a risk I'm willing to take."
"But what about our safety?"
"Nobody is gonna mug us in broad daylight. Property damage is taken much more lightly of course."
Galinda looked unsure, but said that she trusted Elphaba and relented. Later that day, they left the house with a big backpack and a tote, taking the bus to the community health centre.
"This place looks surprisingly normal," noted Galinda as she studied the waiting room of the radiology department.
Elphaba grunted something akin to a laugh.
"What did you expect? Iron bars and bare concrete walls?"
"I don't actually know. I also haven't been to any hospitals or clinics in ages."
"Which probably means that you're behind with a host of check-ups," Elphaba told her solemnly and with raised eyebrows. "Not that I'm particularly good with that sort of stuff either, but I'm just saying. As a friend who cares."
Galinda looked at her and snickered softly.
"Fine, I'll find out what needs to be done and sort it out. After all, I have responsibilities now. Looking after you and making sure you have a roof over your head."
"Very considerate," remarked Elphaba matter-of-factly. "Anyway, as someone who's had a more recent experience with the private health care system, let me point out the most obvious differences: vending machines, fresh flowers, scent diffusers, and magazines. Also, as a general rule, less overwhelmed staff and shorter waiting times. Since you have the means, I suggest you stick to the premium option."
Galinda self-consciously fidgeted in her seat and cast her a brief glance before once again returning her attention towards the unfamiliar surroundings.
"Yeah, I guess."
When it was finally their turn, a nurse took them to one of the rooms and told Elphaba to lie down on the examination table.
"Hang on, just one thing," said Elphaba and began digging through her backpack. She pulled out a small tube and handed it to the nurse.
"Do you think we could use this instead of the water based gel? I had a terrible reaction to that stuff last time."
After quickly scanning the product, the woman pressed it back into Elphaba's hand.
"Not sure, love. Don't want to ruin the machine. Ask the technician when he comes in a minute, okay?"
And with that, she left.
Even as she kept her own eyes trained on the door, she felt Galinda's gaze burning at her back.
"You've got sensitive skin?" her friend asked when she looked over her shoulder.
"Yeah, kinda," she replied vaguely, right before the door opened and a middle-aged man in a white coat entered the room.
"Hello, hello. My name is Drey, and you are here for a NT assessment, is that correct?"
"Yes."
"Wonderful. Now. Who of you lovely ladies goes first?"
Galinda tittered at that, while Elphaba rolled her eyes.
"Sorry, but I have a question." She handed him the same tube she'd shown to the nurse earlier. "The gel you typically use causes severe irritations on my skin. I'd prefer to use this silicone product if at all possible."
The man read all of the labels, then turned the tube back and forth in his hands, indecision marking his face.
"Gels other than the ones designed for this purpose might either interfere with the quality of the picture, damage the machine, or both," he said, clearly not happy to deal with this issue.
"I did some research, and apparently this is a product that has been used before. At any rate, I simply can't use the water based gel. My rash from five weeks ago has not even fully healed yet."
She pulled up her shirt to expose her abdomen. It was still flat, if not quite as taut as it used to be, without a hint of rounding. The hue of her skin was the same green as the rest of her body, only paler and with a slightly purplish undertone, peppered with a few dry patches. Perplexed, the technician scratched his chin as he studied it.
"Blimey. Well, this is rather unusual. Reactions to approved ultrasound gels are extremely uncommon. I assume you must have got regular issues with dermatitis?"
"None," replied Elphaba testily. "It's a severe form of aquagenic urticaria. I can't use water based liquids or gels on my skin."
"Well, I don't know if—"
Sick of the man's excuses and ramblings, Elphaba reached for the clear bottle on the trolley next to the exam table. She turned the ventral side of her forearm up and squeezed a long streak of gel right across her wrist. Within a couple of seconds, the affected area turned red, and she grabbed a tissue to wipe off the access product.
"You can't tell me that this is acceptable," she said angrily, presenting the sonographer with the result of her experiment.
He muttered and grumbled to himself before finally nodding.
"I suppose I have an idea: I'll go and find a sterile probe cover. Protected by the plastic bag, the machine won't suffer if we use the lubricant you'd prefer to try. We'll see about the quality of the results as we go along."
"Thank you," Elphaba replied through gritted teeth. "I'd appreciate that."
When the door closed behind him, she released a frustrated sigh and ran her hand through her hair.
"Why are they always making things so fucking difficult?"
Remembering that she wasn't entirely alone in the room, she turned around to acknowledge Galinda with a brief smile.
"You're allergic to water?" asked the blonde, and at first she bristled at the question, not at all in the mood to discuss the matter. On second thought, however, she realised that she had only herself to thank for bringing Galinda into a situation where the issue was almost bound to arise, and so she forced herself to handle the affair with as much patience as she could muster.
"I am. Pure water, liquids that contain mostly water, tears, sweat—" She swallowed hard. "All of them burn like fire. Don't ever involve me in a water balloon fight, or I might end up hospitalised."
It might have been hilarious to see Galinda's dumbfounded expression if it wasn't so damn hurtful. She'd never had to deal with Galinda's first reaction to her green skin, had only known Galinda as accepting of it. They hardly ever mentioned it. Her peculiar allergy was a lot easier to hide, of course, but that didn't make it any less outlandish when discovered after all. It was but another trait that underlined her weird otherness. Now that her secret was out in the open, she wished she was in a position to simply up and leave, and work through her own thoughts and feelings before talking about it to someone else.
She looked away from Galinda and decided that it was probably a good idea to get ready for the sonographer's return. After opening the button of her jeans, she hopped onto the table, settled into a reasonably comfortable position and stared blankly at the plain, light grey ceiling. Closing her eyes and taking deep breaths, she noticed how anxious and wound up she felt—the argument with the technician, Galinda's chance discovery—Oz, why did everything always have to be so complicated?
She was startled at the sudden sensation of warm palms closing around her right hand. Like on impulse, Elphaba's head snapped around, and she came directly face to face with Galinda who'd taken a seat on the chair next to the table. She didn't need to look further down to feel the soft touch of Galinda's thumb brushing back and forth at the back of her hand. Apparently having overcome the initial shock, her face was now marked with concern and tenderness. Elphaba sucked in a breath and bit her lower lip, moved by her display of care.
The man reappeared soon after and set about covering the probe with a long plastic sleeve. Galinda didn't leave her side. She gave her hand a small squeeze, and Elphaba smiled, but at the back of her head, she was beginning to feel self-conscious. The sonographer must think it weird, she reckoned, to watch the pair of them being so close and intimate, with Galinda lending emotional support, when all they were doing was a routine, non-invasive scan. Still, she couldn't bring herself to retract her hand.
Putting on an air of concentration, he began his examination. He'd lost a decent chunk of time over their earlier argument and appeared to be in a rush to make up for at least a portion of it, informing them only occasionally about what he was doing and seeing. The foetus' heartbeat was strong, they had five fingers on each hand; all good news as far as he was willing to share his thoughts.
Seeing the images on the screen this time, Elphaba was relieved to find herself less at odds between her general awe and her personal feelings. It was good to know that she was able to be at least marginally excited at this point. Naturally, an undercurrent of fear and apprehension persisted. For a split second, she even doubted her decision and an odd lump formed in her throat. But overall, it remained a positive experience.
Deep in thoughts, she'd almost forgotten all about Galinda until she could feel her hands tighten around her own in reaction to seeing the little one kick and wiggle for the first time. Risking the briefest of glances her way, Elphaba could see her eyes brimming with an abundance of emotions and exclamations that she was obviously stifling solely for her sake. It was adorable, and Elphaba was grateful for her being there, for being so respectful and considerate, and for helping her believe that this experience was, at the end of the day, something wonderful.
"That's us done for today," said the sonographer at last, stripping his probe of the cover and hanging it up next to the machine. He handed Elphaba a fistful of tissues. "When you're ready, you can return to the waiting room. The nurse will come as soon as she's got time to get your DVD ready."
"A DVD?"
Galinda loved the idea, while Elphaba quietly decided that she'd have preferred a couple of good old printouts.
With the DVD in her bag and Galinda's hand once again attached to hers, Elphaba finally walked out of the building. The first thing she noticed was how dark the day had turned, and frowning, she looked skywards.
"Elphie?"
Shaking her head slightly, she turned towards Galinda.
"Hm?"
"I just wanted to say thank you. For bringing me. It was pretty amazing."
Elphaba's lips twitched.
"Thanks for coming, I guess. Maybe it helps me feel less alone with all this."
"I'll always come if you'll have me," vowed Galinda sincerely. "We can do this. Together."
Again. Galinda was overdoing it again. Elphaba bit back a not so appreciative retort as she didn't want this to end in a fight. But Galinda's attitude in regards to all this concerned her. She wondered what was going on in that lovely, blonde head of hers. She wasn't the child's father—or the mother, as it were—nor anyone else of significant consequence. Her involvement didn't need to be anything beyond casual support and friendship. There was no need to further complicate her own life through this. Elphaba was sure that, deep down, Galinda didn't want that either. Perhaps she simply wasn't aware of the gravity of her innocent promises, which was exactly why she was determined to ignore them.
"The bus stop is over here," was all she said in reply before gently pulling her friend in the direction of a small shelter.
Without speaking much, they waited for about ten minutes, then boarded the bus and rode for another fifteen. The silence between them wasn't entirely uncomfortable, until they arrived at their destination. Galinda's unease as they walked through the rundown neighbourhood was palpable, and Elphaba racked her brain in search of something comforting to say.
"Good we didn't take the car," she muttered, half-jokingly.
Galinda, far from amused, reacted by grabbing her arm and clinging to it for dear life. Elphaba's heart beat faster at that, and she felt a small rush of adrenaline kicking in. Even though there was no obvious threat, it was her immediate instinct to try and protect the shorter, more sensitive girl hanging on her arm.
"At least we could have parked right in front of the building," whined Galinda, eying the passing people warily.
"What if they'd punctured or slashed your tyres or what not?" Elphaba pointed out. "We would be stuck with an unusable car, waiting for roadside services to show up."
"They'd do that?"
The idea made Galinda tighten her already snug grip.
"Probably not. Maybe? I can't say for sure, but it's a possibility. These mostly aren't bad people. They're merely angry and desperate. Shoving your wealth into their faces would have been somewhat of a provocation."
Elphaba's apartment building came into sight, and the spring returned to Galinda's step, which made Elphaba chuckle to herself. The first thing she noticed was that the front door had been replaced. It couldn't have happened longer than a couple of days ago, as it was barely defaced, unlike the old one, which had been sprayed, written and etched on uncountable times.
Elphaba pulled out her keys and tried to shove the old house key into the lock.
"Shit, it won't fit," she growled and hit the door with her fist. "I bet the notice is in my mailbox, maybe the key is as well. Dammit."
"What now?"
Frustrated, she lifted her hand and pushed her entire palm against the doorbell panel.
"I don't know any of these guys properly, but some of them are bound to remember me," she explained in reply to Galinda's flummoxed look.
Not too long after, a ground level window opened, and a skinny guy with oily hair stuck his head out.
"Hey! The beanstalk is back! Who would have thought? They've been here to look for you about the key and your apartment and stuff."
"Have they now," answered Elphaba stiffly. "Well, they missed me, and now I'm locked out. Could you buzz me in real quick?"
"Sure, why not. But I should warn you: your absence did not go unnoticed by anyone."
"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Elphaba bit back, but the man had already closed the window. Next thing they knew, the grating noise of the door opener sounded, alerting them to their chance to push open the door.
"Thanks," she called out loudly, assuming her neighbour would be able to hear her easily enough through the lousy press boards that served as doors and the paper-thin walls.
When they made it up to the floor of her apartment, the meaning of the man's words at last sunk in. The door hung half open in its hinges. There were marks near the lock, and a few missing chunks that had broken off.
"By Lurline, what happened here?" cried Galinda as she inspected the damage from a distance.
Elphaba cursed under her breath and stepped closer.
"Well, there goes my security deposit, I suppose," she commented wryly, letting her hands glide across the chipped finish.
"What if they took all of your stuff?"
"Nothing worth taking here," shrugged the green girl, then used her key and wiggled it around until the bent and dented bolt retracted after all. She tried closing the door and opening it again with her key. It took more effort than usual, but mostly worked. "Well, we just check if we can find the things we came to get, and then we leave. I'll talk to my landlord about this, but if that's all the damage there is, I'll leave it at that."
The interior of the apartment was a mess. The intruders had toppled over chairs and a small pedestal drawer, presumably in search for anything valuable. Papers were scattered on the floor. Elphaba bent down to carefully pick up one of her books that had been tossed to the ground, pages splayed and bent.
"Goodness, Elphie, look at the couch," said Galinda with horror.
The upholstery had been slashed open. The fluffy stuffing of cushions had been sprinkled around the area like fresh snow.
"I'd wager they thought I was hiding cash. Pity about the couch. I would have passed it on to the next tenant. Now I'll have to figure out and pay for disposal instead.
"I'm amazed how calm you are," noted Galinda, and Elphaba scoffed.
"No, no, my sweet; I'm raging. But what is there to do? I lost little in this raid, and luckily, no one was harmed. I'll never set foot in this place again, so I'm trying to pace myself. I've got enough else to worry about as it is."
Most importantly, she mentally thanked Galinda over and over for enabling her to raise her child in an indefinitely safer environment, though at that moment she felt that she couldn't exactly voice that sentiment.
They began searching for the books and other bits and bobs they'd come for in the first place. Trying to locate a folder with recipes in the kitchen, Elphaba noticed a window that had been smashed.
"Is that why it's so bloody cold in here?" she commented and leaned closer for a better look. She reeled back when small droplets of water stung her cheeks and nose.
"Of course! What else? A thunderstorm?" Throwing up her hands, she trudged towards the bedroom where Galinda was supposedly searching for a box of personal trinkets under the bed.
"Galinda, do you—"
"Elphie! Come, quick!"
Startled and worried, she broke into a jog, wondering what else could possibly be wrong. When she stormed into the room, Galinda was sitting on the bed and giggling.
"Look, Elphie! How sweet," she cooed while dangling her fingers over something.
Elphaba took another step towards her.
"A cat?"
"Yes, a small kitten! He was sleeping on the bed."
"I guess the open door was good for something then?" mused the taller girl as she continued to watch them. "Probably kept him reasonably warm and dry." She made a face. "It's raining by the way. Did—did you pack an umbrella by any chance? Usually, I wouldn't leave home without one, but I stupidly banked on the weather forecast I checked yesterday and decided to keep my backpack as empty as possible. Murphy's law, right?"
Galinda stopped playing with the white bundle of fluff and gave Elphaba a troubled look.
"That's not good, is it?"
"Not great. But I reckon it will stop soon."
It didn't stop. The sky began to turn impossibly gloomy an hour before sundown, and the rain intensified. Elphaba sat on her battered couch, perusing a book, while Galinda entertained the kitten with a piece of string she'd found in a drawer. They had hot herbal tea and a few granola bars, but were more than ready for a proper dinner.
"It's not going to get any better, is it?" asked Galinda with pinched brows as she rolled her string into a ball. "I suppose we should start devising a plan. How about a taxi?"
Elphaba who'd been absentmindedly biting the nail of her thumb while reading snapped her book shut and put it aside so she could sit up properly. She cast Galinda fleeting glances, but was hesitant to answer.
"It's that bad, huh?"
She swallowed.
"The rain is too heavy now. Even in an oilskin I'd be incredibly hesitant to set foot outside. I think I'll stay the night. You can call a cab and go home."
"Not a chance in hell!" protested Galinda. "They broke into your apartment while you were gone. I'm not gonna leave you behind on your own. What if they try again?"
"What for? At least now they know there's nothing to find here."
"What if they think you have valuables on your person!"
Elphaba shook her head and wrung her hands, feeling the scratchy, uneven marks on her fingernail. Momentarily distracted, she studied the damage and wrinkled her nose.
"I'm sorry for being a pain. But the idea of leaving this place in that kind of weather is nearly as appealing as stepping out into a hot volcanic ash rain."
There was a tense pause, until Galinda rolled her little ball across the floor for the kitten to chase and moved to sit next to Elphaba on the couch.
"I always thought having a peanut allergy must be tough, but this is something else. How do you handle it so well? How did you hide it for so long? We freaking live together."
"You're just not very perceptive, is all," grinned Elphaba sheepishly.
Her grin vanished abruptly when Galinda picked up her hand and began playing with her scrawny, sticklike fingers. Holding hands was one thing, but permitting her to focus so heavily on one of her least attractive features, especially when put in direct juxtaposition to her beautiful—perfect even—version of it was beyond disconcerting.
Still, she sat there, transfixed and unable to move. No matter how wrong and ill-considered the sentiment seemed, Elphaba had to admit that she derived a bizarre sense of enjoyment from the interaction and the sight of their intertwined fingers, especially since the blonde betrayed no signs of disgust.
Eventually, Galinda upturned her hand, exposing the purple blotch on her wrist. It had become larger and darker, more angry looking than it had been before. Elphaba's cheeks blushed in embarrassment, thinking back to her passionate display of indignation when she'd grabbed the gel and squirted it onto her skin. She felt slightly silly about that now, even though her frustration had clearly been warranted.
Galinda made to stroke it softly with the tip of her finger. It wasn't painful, but the touch sent a shiver down her spine nonetheless.
"Too sensitive?" her friend asked quietly and carefully put down her hand, offering her a coy smile. "And I guess I did notice a few things every now and then. But never expecting anything overly unusual, I wrote them off as quirks. Hand sanitiser, gloves in the kitchen…"
"I see."
Then, Galinda stopped short and gave her a puzzled look.
"Wait; did you… did you let the water run while we were at my parents' to fake showering?"
Sweet Oz! Now this was definitely far worse than throwing a more or less justifiable fit at the clinic.
"Yes?" she replied, immediately burying her face in her palms to hide her deeply flushed head.
"Hey, it's fine, it's okay!" laughed Galinda good-naturedly and made to pull her hands away and reveal her face. "I understand. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I was just getting carried away putting together all of the pieces. Forget I said anything."
"I—I didn't know how to bring it up—"
"No need to say another word," maintained the blonde and put a finger against green lips.
Elphaba's heart skipped a beat, perhaps since it was not humanly possible to blush any further than she already had, and arguably, all that awkwardness, confusion and pure adoration for her friend had to manifest itself somehow. It was such a strange combination of emotions that she was utterly unprepared to deal with it. Lacking any effective coping mechanisms, she was painfully aware of her pulse rushing faster and faster. Even when Galinda's finger was long gone, she couldn't stop herself from staring into those caring, blue eyes.
Her stupor was broken by a not so distant thunderclap that made her jump and break eye contact. Galinda followed her gaze.
"I suppose we truly are stuck here, huh?"
Elphaba scowled at the nearest window, silently cursing the storm that raged outside.
"You really don't have to do this. Staying here, I mean. I used to live in this very apartment all by myself for months, you know?"
"I know," sighed Galinda. "But I doubt I'd be able to find any sleep tonight, thinking of you, alone and cold."
"Speaking of sleep…" Elphaba cleared her throat. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep on the couch. Whoever messed with it really ruined the springs."
"That's of no consequence," replied Galinda decidedly. "For safety, as well as comfort's sake, sharing the bed would be preferable anyway."
Her eyes wide, Elphaba vehemently shook her head.
"My bed is tiny! How do you hope for both of us to fit?"
"You're tall, but skinny," retorted Galinda, giving her a mischievous grin, "and if you dare tell me that I would take up too much room, I'll make you spend the night on the rug!"
The mere idea evoked terror in Elphaba, despite clearly being an empty threat. "Of course that wouldn't do. What we actually should do is to huddle together for warmth. We think it's rather cold now, but wait until we lie still at night and the temperature drops further. We'll need all the warmth we can get."
Those were wise words coming from a spoilt rich girl, and Elphaba reluctantly relented, though the thought made her insides churn. But else was there to do about it? It clearly couldn't be helped, and what was she so worried about anyway?
They ordered pizza for dinner. Elphaba was mostly indifferent about the flavour, as long as it was vegetarian, and left the details up to Galinda who was far more specific about her preferences.
"Yes, mushroom and spinach with extra crème fraîche. And sprinkle some chicken on top of one half. Oh, and do you guys do stuffed crusts with mozzarella cheese? Amazing! Thanks a lot."
Elphaba raised her brows at her after she'd hung up the phone, but Galinda merely smiled disarmingly and explained that the meat would be for the cat.
They went downstairs together and waited on the stairs for the arrival of their food. Even just watching the rain pouring down from a few metres distance made the green girl's skin crawl, prompting her to fold her arms and her body into a neat bundle. Luckily, Galinda had no reason to mind taking the delivery and handing the woman with the wet biker gloves the cash they owed.
Bedtime drew closer. Without any set tasks to do, and in a mostly barren apartment, they both agreed that there was no use in staying up too late. After finishing her meal, Elphaba began to fidget, until she finally jumped up and announced that she'd go and change the sheets to a clean set. In addition to the plentiful cat hair, she didn't want Galinda to have to sleep in a bed that strangers might have touched, sat or lain on.
She was almost finished with the last of the pillows, when Galinda joined her in the cramped room and took a seat on the freshly made bed. Looking up at her expectantly, she waited a bit before losing patience and reaching for Elphaba's hand to gently pull her down. Elphaba stared at her, rather helpless, unsure what to do next. There was a mysterious tension in the air that she couldn't place. There were expectations she felt deep down in her gut, but couldn't formulate in her head. Slowly, Galinda lifted both of her hands upwards and began to undo the bun at the top of Elphaba's head. She raked her fingers through the long, dark tresses of hair as they came tumbling down, removing as many knots and tangles as she could. Elphaba's cheeks were virtually burning.
"Turn around, Elphie," the blonde murmured softly, and without thinking, she did as she was told. The option of resisting Galinda never occurred to her.
After a lot more finger combing and gathering and stroking than probably strictly necessary, Galinda finally began to tie a braid—not a simple plait like the one Elphaba usually did on her own, but one that started with two distinct sections on both sides of the crown of her head. "Done," said Galinda after a while, pulling herself up to kneel on the bed and embrace her from behind.
With cheek resting against cheek, Elphaba thought with horror that Galinda couldn't possibly not notice the heat radiating from hers. What would she make of it? On a different note, what should she make of Galinda's unusual touchy-feelyness and blatant disregard for personal space, and most of all, her own uncharacteristic tolerance of it?
Galinda remained in that same position for several long seconds before releasing her and gently turning Elphaba back around by her shoulders. She glanced up at her almost shyly, lip caught between her teeth.
"Bedtime?" she asked, tilting her head, and Elphaba nodded, still rather nervous.
They slipped under the blanket without changing or discarding any clothes. It was too cold for that. Galinda snuggled even closer than Elphaba had anticipated she would, resting her head against her chest as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Though she stiffened at first, barely daring to breathe, Elphaba soon grew accustomed to the nearness and intimacy and began to wish that, in fact, it was as normal an occurrence as Galinda made it seem.
Falling asleep proved difficult all the same. It didn't help that, just when she'd started to at least feel vaguely drowsy, their peace was disturbed by scratch noises coming from outside of the room. Elphaba exhaled tiredly; Galinda shifted slightly to look in the direction of the door.
"What's this Elphie?" she whimpered. "Rats?"
Chuckling, the taller girl detached herself from the blonde and shuffled out of bed. She walked over to the door and opened it a crack. The white kitten greeted her noisily with a series of meows and chirps, then trotted towards the bed where he had presumably slept the past few nights. Elphaba followed and resumed her earlier place, huddling about as close as Galinda had earlier, allowing her friend to nestle her head the same way it had been before the feline disturberance. The cat, still young and tiny enough to do so, got comfortable perching on the apex of Elphaba's angular hips as she lay on her side.
"We're gonna keep him, right?" muttered Galinda sleepily.
"I would have suggested it myself, but wasn't sure whether you'd be patient enough to housebreak him. I found some evidence of his residency here in the bathroom, on the towels."
"Then it's settled. His name is Grimalkin by the way."
Elphaba cackled.
"Whose familiar is he? Which of us it the witch? Do you think he's the devil in disguise? Why would you want to keep him then?"
"You're overthinking this," replied Galinda, her voice muffled as she somehow managed to snuggle even closer. "It's cute, and if you shorten it to Malky, it's even cuter. Now sleep. Hopefully the downpour will have stopped by the time we wake up in the morning."
"Yes," said Elphaba, heaving a worried sigh. The sound of the rain against the windowpanes and the howling of the draft did nothing to ease her disquiet. What if the ceiling started leaking, dripping freezing, burning drops of water onto her face or arms? She dismissed the thought. It was an unlikely scenario after all. She forced her mind to stop reeling and adjusted her position so she could peer down at Galinda as she lay pressed against her. "Good night, my sweet," she murmured and rested her chin on top of her head, grounding herself in the weirdly comforting mixture of Galinda's warmth, feel and scent.