AN:

Ok, wow... I didn't actually plan on posting today. I have like a hundred of other things I SHOULD have done in the 1.5hrs it took me to edit and publish this but whatever. Guys, pray for me that I won't regret this later! XD

Anyways, hope you'll enjoy this little dash of fluff! And happy reading!

xoxo MLE

(=^_^=)

Chapter Sixteen

Galinda pulled up in front of her place. Their place. After half an hour or so of urgent kisses and chaste, yet desperate touching within the relative safety of the car, their drive home had been a rather quiet one. She'd barely dared glancing at Elphaba out of the corners of her eyes, afraid of getting distracted enough to lose control over her vehicle. Now that they were once again stationary, she turned around and found beautiful, dark eyes already watching her. The ghost of a smile graced the corners of her mouth. Feeling nearly as deprived as if they hadn't been affectionate in months, Galinda leaned over to capture Elphaba's lips. The sweet taste of dreams come true, or so she hoped. Who would have thought that months of uncertain pining would culminate in this, and all within a matter of days? Was this too good to last?

When she reluctantly withdrew, her love's eyes remained closed, and she was biting her lower lip.

"You're very eager," Elphaba said after a moment, still without looking at her.

Galinda's hand remained where it lay on her cheek, her thumb caressing the soft skin.

"I'm making every last moment last, in case you wake up in the morning and realise that you made a mistake."

"A mistake? Me?" Elphaba's eyelids flicked open.

Galinda swallowed.

"I—I didn't thrust this onto you, did I?" she asked, her voice hitching. "I didn't just—just make you say yes because of your own confusion. Right?"

This very thought had been nagging her all the way home, dampening her excitement. The further they were removed from the location of their confessions, the less real it all felt. She wished Elphaba could have given her a resounding, enthusiastic answer without being prodded and nudged into what she'd hoped was the right direction. It would have left less room for doubt. As things were, she couldn't help but wonder whether kissing Elphaba at the cinema had been a serious lapse of judgment. Maybe she should have let her come to terms with the new information before expecting any sort of reply.

Of course Elphaba did not immediately respond to her worries. Wanting her to was exactly the same error Galinda had made earlier. This time, she wouldn't say anything until Elphaba had clearly articulated her thoughts, even if it made her stomach twist and churn.

"It's a lot to take in," Elphaba admitted eventually, flashing her a timid smile. "Becoming someone's love interest was not exactly on my radar and falling in love? I guess I must have fallen slowly enough not to notice. That sort of stuff can happen, I guess? Especially amidst the mess I'm still dealing with. If I really think back though, to the weeks past, and examine the details of our interactions… Well, I suppose there were hints. There've always been hints. Being new to the whole friendship thing, however, I might not have categorised them correctly.

"And in the end of the day, it is as I said earlier: getting kissed by you felt too right for there to be no connection. The rush was too intense and to different from—" She stopped abruptly, bringing up her hand to rub at her eyes. "What I meant to say was that I don't think I'm merely in love with the idea of being loved. Receiving attention from a stranger at a club was nice and all, but this? It—it melted my fucking heart, even though I feel really stupid for putting it like that. I guess love makes sappy fools of us all. Occasionally at least."

Galinda laughed quietly and took both of Elphaba's hands in hers, squeezing them a bit too hard as she tried to assess the answer she'd been given. It was a pretty decent, levelheaded answer, she decided. One she could work with. For now.

"Hey."

The blonde's head snapped up. Lost in thought, she hadn't realised her gaze drifting from Elphaba's eyes to their joined hands.

"I can see you're still conflicted." Elphaba moved and turned her hands so that she could grasp Galinda's instead. "I know words can only do so much. Still, if you require a physical expression of my affections—to seal the deal, so to speak—I'm afraid that's something I'm not able to give you right now."

"Oh you silly goose!" exclaimed Galinda softly. "Don't you think that I already know that? Besides, you should realise how little sex means to me. I've never expressed any intense, romantic feelings that way. We are great fit, you and I. We both know that we have to find other ways to show our love."

"But how?" asked Elphaba, shifting in her seat. Her gaze wandered off for a moment as she worked her jaw. "I wish I knew a way to reassure you."

Galinda freed her hands to cup both sides of her face.

"By being sweet, by being close and sharing secrets. By comforting each other and by allowing ourselves to be comforted even if it's embarrassing or intimidating. It's a long term game, and I'm here for it as long as you are too."

Elphaba tilted her head and thoughtfully knitted her eyebrows.

"We're already doing a lot of these things," she realised.

"Exactly," grinned Galinda. "We merely have to expand and improve on how we do them."

"Then where's the line between friendship and romance?"

"Does there have to be one?"

Galinda watched Elphaba's face light up with comprehension. Her eyes came to life in the most stunning way, the tiny specks of mica dancing and glowing. Before she knew it, the taller girl leaned in, placed a hand at the back of her head and kissed her firmly and vigorously.

A pleasant tingling spread through her body, followed by a wave of heat. She returned the kiss without thinking too much about it. Up until then, kissing had always been somewhat of a performance. Though she ultimately liked how it felt, it was a skill that required practice and conscious effort in order to make it seem effortless and alluring. That it suddenly came a lot more naturally was a good sign. And the fact that it was Elphaba who'd initiated it? The very best sign she could have hoped for!

"How—how about we get out of this bloody, cramped car?" Galinda suggested, breathless in the aftermath of the kiss.

Elphaba smirked.

"It was you who wanted to linger and discuss the sincerity of my feelings."

The warmth that had previously flooded her entire being now seemed to concentrate in Galinda's cheeks alone. The intensity made her feel as if she were running a fever.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for it to come across like that. I just didn't want to bring this past our doorstep if it wasn't meant to play out as hoped."

"Shush, my sweet, I'm not blaming you. It was good for both of us to reflect before moving forward, I agree. I guess carrying these emotions home does make it feel all the more official."

"Yes," breathed Galinda. She placed one last peck on dark green lips. "Ready to make it official then?"

"Can't wait."

The following morning was everything Galinda had dreamt of and more. She woke up even later than usual, but Elphaba, who must have woken up hours earlier, was still lying beside her in her bed, rubbing gentle circles on Galinda's back while staring at her phone. She wiped the sleep out of her eyes and snuggled closer.

"You're awake."

Elphaba had noticed, despite being absorbed in whatever she'd been reading. Sighing happily, Galinda reached up to trace the outline of her sharp jaw. The green girl dipped her head down slightly so she could deliver a simple kiss onto messy, golden curls.

Galinda's eyes began to mist over, and she sniffled, to which Elphaba responded with a light hug.

"What is it, my pretty? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing," replied the blonde and wiggled upwards so she could behold Elphaba's face.

That unusual yet beautiful face, complete with her hooked nose and jutting chin. She couldn't imagine those features looking as good on any other human being. The same was true for her skin; if anyone could pull off this remarkable hue, it was Elphaba. She remembered laying eyes on her for the first time and gasping with shock and horror. How stupid and immature she'd been!

As time went on, she'd found it increasingly difficult to explain her initial reaction, despite her peers' continued disdain for the Green Terror who'd never done anything to earn such a horrid moniker. Seeing and even admiring Elphaba quickly became second nature to Galinda. Why people would mock her at all was beyond her, incomprehensible, despite her past attitude. Maybe she was being hypocritical, but it was a good kind of hypocritical, she thought.

And now? Now she was lying beside her, relishing in her warmth and affection. She closed her eyes and touched her forehead and nose against Elphaba's. "This is crazy," she whispered and chuckled. Her hand found silky raven hair and stroked it gently.

"You're telling me?"

Elphaba's chest vibrated against her own as she laughed.

"You seem quite resigned to your fate though," observed Galinda, tucking the strand she'd been playing with behind Elphaba's ear and retracting her arm so that she could fully curl up against her love's taller body. It felt amazing to be embraced so wholly.

"I'm surprised myself at how calm I feel. A certain measure of disbelieve remains, I admit, but it's too insignificant to impact my joy. Apparently, this was exactly what I needed."

"You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that," said Galinda before drifting off to sleep once more.

The shift in their relationship was accompanied by a shift in their daily routine. Elphaba's bed quickly became nothing but storage space, as she henceforth spent each night upstairs in Galinda's room. Malky used it occasionally, when Elphaba actually stayed in her room to study. That almost never happened, except twice when Galinda had seen herself forced to invite her friends over for project meetings, and that one time when she'd insisted on blasting musical theatre songs while hyping herself up for an essay she'd long dreaded to start.

Though a habitual early riser, Elphaba never got out of bed before Galinda, unless work or school inevitably compelled her to. Instead, she'd keep her textbooks or readings on the nightstand and buried herself in her work without leaving the bedroom. As a sort of compromise, but also because Elphaba's stirring didn't always go unnoticed, Galinda took to waking up a tad earlier. It allowed them more time to enjoy each other's close proximity before the busy days began.

"We still haven't invited Boq," Elphaba commented distractedly a few weeks after the fateful birthday outing. She continued lacing up her boots while Galinda looked on, her arms folded and pressed tightly against her body.

"I'm aware," Galinda muttered and exhaled.

Elphaba rose, grabbing and shouldering her satchel as she did so.

"I didn't mean to reproach you," she said softly, visibly confused over Galinda's response. "I entirely forgot about it myself until I saw him run across Uni Square yesterday." She smirked crookedly. "I think we've both been a little preoccupied with each other recently."

"Well, I for my part have been thinking about it constantly," confessed Galinda, causing Elphaba's eyebrows to rise in surprise. "I hate that I'm scared of this."

"Of Boq?"

The blonde remained silent, chewing the inside of her cheek. At length, she said, "After you told me what happened at the café… I just knew that Boq would figure us out the moment he sets foot into this house. I can't explain it, but it makes me anxious."

Something strange reflected off Elphaba's eyes, but it was gone before Galinda could make any effort to identify it. She didn't have to in order to realise that it wasn't good. But Elphaba decided not to voice any misgivings she might have had.

"He won't know for sure unless you explicitly confirm his suspicions," she stated offhandedly. "And rest assured, he won't tease you. He doesn't know you well enough to be that obnoxious. Though I might never hear the end of it when we next meet up without you present."

Galinda nodded meekly.

"Okay. Well, invite him whenever you like. It doesn't really matter."

"Cool. I'll let you know." Elphaba shifted her weight and leaned in to give her a fleeting peck on the cheek. "I'll be back late. Stocktake tonight. Don't wait up or you'll hate yourself in the morning."

Boq was set to visit the following Sunday. It was a workday for Elphaba, and she reasoned to Galinda that this would prevent him from accidentally overstaying his welcome. Galinda wished she didn't worry about that, but she unfortunately did and was therefore grateful for her girlfriend's considerate proposal.

Galinda was the first at the door when the bell rang, as Elphaba was busy in the kitchen.

"Boq! It's so lovely to see you!"

"Thanks for having me," beamed Boq, handing her a small pink and white bouquet, along with a box of chocolates.

Despite her earlier concerns, she almost effortlessly slipped back into her hostess role, leading their guest to the living area and making sure he got comfortable on the couch.

"Hey Boq!" Elphaba shouted from the kitchen, tossing vegetables and noodles around in a giant wok.

That was all the entertaining she was going to do for the next half hour or so, and it was up to Galinda to make conversation. Maybe she could use this to her advantage.

"I've been wondering, Boq," she ventured after engaging him with a bare minimum of smalltalk, "how aware are Munchkinlanders of the Eminencies these days? I know they used to be an integral part of political life, but now that their powers have diminished, I suppose that most people barely even know who they are anymore."

"Yes, that's quite true," he agreed. "Though of course everyone knows about the Thropps at the very least." He gave her a knowing look, which told Galinda that he was aware of the purpose of her question, and yes, of course, he knew about Elphaba's connections. "Peerless Thropp in particular is a legend, owing to his baffling longevity. He's been a staple of the political landscape for generations. The elected government on the other hand is plagued by resignations and snap polls, which means that people look to him for reassurance. He will be a tough act to follow."

"I can only imagine," said Galinda, lifting her tea cup to her lips. Poor Elphie. This sounded a whole lot more complicated than she'd expected. All they could hope for was for the old man to make it for another decade or so.

Boq picked up a biscuit, popped it into his mouth and brushed residual crumbs off his hands. "Anyway," he began, still chewing, "what have you and Elphaba been up to recently? I haven't seen you out much"—Galinda was mildly shocked to hear that her absence had been noticed by someone as uninvolved as little Boq and immediately took a mental note to fix that—"even though Milla has been dragging me to several social events over the last two months. To be honest, all these other rich kids make me nervous, and I'd much rather hang out with you."

"You and Milla are dating!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in astonishment.

Boq's head flushed furiously. His voice was squeaky and small when he replied.

"Er, yes. Has—has Milla not mentioned it? Or Elphie?"

"Elphie knows?" asked Galinda, annoyed. "Well, of course she didn't say a word. I mean, she wouldn't. It's not something she would pay much attention to anyway.

"No, you're right," Boq chuckled self-consciously. "To be honest, I'm not even entirely sure she listened when I told her. She congratulated me in that bored tone she sometimes uses, so she must have gotten the general message, but the details might not have registered with her."

"She's so thoughtless that way," sighed Galinda, shaking her head. "I will have to give her a stern talking-to until she realises how much these kinds of things mean to other people."

Laughing heartily, Boq took another biscuit.

"I doubt she'll listen to that either," he said, and she giggled, admitting that he certainly had a point.

Just when Boq leaned forward to reach for his tea on the coffee table, he suddenly yelped and jumped.

"Sweet Oz! What was that!"

He stood, warily scanning the room for the source of his freight. Galinda who hadn't seen anything unusual beside his extreme reaction, smiled to herself, picked up the cup that had been knocked over, then walked over to the armchair. Her suspicion was promptly confirmed.

"Oh, you silly thing!" she cooed as she bent down to pick up Malky who, equally terrified, hid behind the furniture. "Sorry, Boq, he only wanted to say hello."

"You two adopted a kitten?" he asked. His expression quickly changed from disbelief to amusement, and his mouth widened into a silly smirk.

"Well, we found him and simply couldn't resist his adorable, tiny face. So he stayed with us. We both vie for his affection, but I think he likes Elphie better, even though it's me who does all the dirty jobs, like cleaning the litter and stuff."

She cradled Malky in her left arm and wiggled her fingers for him to catch.

"Huh," said Boq. "I wouldn't have pegged Elphaba for the type to cop out of pet care duties."

Galinda stopped her play to look at him, feeling her cheeks blush. She regretted her careless words. Though she didn't think Boq would be able to guess Elphaba's secret that easily, she needed to be a lot more mindful from now on.

"Believe it or not, I'm not in the least bothered by those tasks," she said with finality. As if to prove it, she fetched a cloth from the kitchen to soak up the tea that had spilt over the table. She sat back down, placing the kitten on her lap.

As per usual, Malky was not particularly inclined to do as he was told. Instead of contenting himself with Galinda's attention, he freed himself from her grip so he could investigate the unknown visitor.

"It's lovely," said Boq, scratching the top of the cat's head, "for you to share something small and cute to dote on. It helps you bond with one other, I imagine."

Galinda pressed her lips together and remained silent on the topic. Was he the one fishing for information now, she wondered, or was she becoming paranoid? Elphaba had promised that he wouldn't tease her, but perhaps she didn't know her friend as well as she thought she did.

"Lunch's ready!"

At least she had great timing, Galinda thought in relieve and jumped up to help set the table.

"You've neglected to tell me that Boq has a girlfriend," Galinda remarked a few bites into their meal.

Of course, Elphaba merely shrugged.

"Didn't realise that was big news."

"Elphie!" Galinda gasped, incredulous to discover the full extend of her disinterest. "Boq is your close friend, and this development makes him very happy!"

"Good for him," replied Elphaba, almost as if Boq wasn't sitting right next to her. "But how do I know that it's something serious? Something that is vital for you to know as well? I tried to behave as I think a friend should behave and listened patiently through all his gushing and rhapsodising. Granted, I haven't had much practice, but I for one thought I was doing a decent job."

She finally looked at her friend as if she expected to receive praise and validation from the boy himself, absolving her of any misconduct. All he did, however, was picking at his food, gaze firmly trained on the plate and his face as red as the pieces of bell pepper peeking out in between the noodles.

"This isn't high school, Elphie" continued Galinda, frustrated. "We are adults now, and the majority of us no longer replace partners as frequently as we change our underwear. You should expect a relationship to be serious if your friend doesn't say otherwise. Everything else is plain rude. Don't think you're such a damn unicorn and the only person on campus who's in a meaningful relationship!"

Elphaba stopped, her hand halfway lifted to her mouth. Her eyebrows raised, she gave Galinda a pointed look. Wrapped up in her little rant, Galinda took far too long to decipher her gesture. Her eyes darted towards Boq, who was sitting still and awkward, looking back and forth between the two girls. She exhaled dejectedly and let her shoulders slump.

"Yes, for Oz' sake, Boq!" she exclaimed in response to his slowly widening grin. "You figured it out. Congratulations. Now be proud of yourself and keep shtoom about it. I mean it, no word to anyone."

"My lips are sealed," vowed Boq with glee. "But if I may be so bold, it was you who gave up the secret."

"Oh, I know," groused Galinda unhappily. "I'm loosing my touch. Must be all that time I spend around this uncouth witch over there"—she gave a nod in Elphaba's direction—"It truly is time I reentered polite society. How about next Friday Boq, are you game?"

"I'll talk to Milla."

"It wouldn't have happened if you didn't insist on harping on about this silly topic," Elphaba grumbled more or less to herself. Both Galinda and Boq cast her disapproving looks. "What?"

"You're as stubborn as you're green," said the blonde with a distinct note of resignation in her voice.

The week passed quickly. Too quickly for some students' tastes, as it was the final round of lectures before the dreaded exams. Galinda didn't mind too much, as she was confident that she'd kept up reasonably well with her studies and wouldn't find it too difficult to summarise and revise her materials on time. Besides, it meant spending a lot more time with Elphaba.

"Elphie?" she said, stretching her arms and opening her mouth wide as she yawned. "Would you mind grabbing me another can of Flying Wizzard from the pantry?"

"More caffeine?" questioned the girl sitting jackknifed on the armchair, opposite from Galinda who monopolised the entire couch. She cackled softly and closed her laptop. "I think we should head to bed instead. Maybe partying all night wasn't the best of ideas if you still wanted to accomplish any academic endeavours today."

No, it really hadn't been a good idea, but for other reasons than her girlfriend suspected. Reemerging for her brief hiatus, Galinda should have picked a more significant event and prepared better, too. The way she'd gone about it, she'd blended in far too much for her appearance to have the desired effect. She might as well have stayed home.

Besides, it had all been terribly depressing. When she'd finally found a quiet moment to talk to Milla in order to milk her for details concerning her budding romance with Boq, the girl had acted embarrassed rather than excited. As much as she hated to admit it, Elphaba had been right to some degree; while Boq was over the moon, Milla was unsure about her feelings on their relationship. Her motivations to accept Boq's overture had mostly been a combination of pity and resignation. After all, she hadn't received any other offers in a long while, and Boq was at least a nice boy, though terribly desperate for her attention.

"He's a little sweet and a little charming," she'd admitted. "But he's also little."

The knowledge of the pair's mismatched attitudes weighed Galinda down. She wished they were a better fit, or at least she wished she didn't know or care. She considered herself too happy with Elphaba to be confronted by other couples' misfortunes.

"I was back by ten o'clock, which is ridiculously early," Galinda reminded Elphaba once she'd gotten over her moment of contemplation. "Everyone else who saw me leave must be thinking I've turned into a proper nerd."

"But that's exactly what you are, my sweet: a nerd in disguise."

She wrinkled her nose.

"No, I'm not. I'm a hard worker, is all. There's a difference."

"If you say so. At any rate, I'm packing up and heading upstairs. Are you gonna join me?"

There was no resisting such a proposal and within the fraction of a second, Galinda's computer was set aside as well.

Elphaba, already dressed in an oversized t-shirt and black boxer shorts, let herself fall onto the bed. She grabbed Galinda's hand and pulled her down with her.

"What are you doing?" the shorter girl laughed as she thumped down next to her. "I still have to shower."

Nuzzling her hair, Elphaba hummed appreciatively.

"You know, it's sorta interesting—this heady blend of perfume, smoke, alcohol and sweat."

"Ew, that sounds gross!" Still giggling, Galinda lightly swatted at her and inched away from her face. "Don't say I smell gross!"

"Look, you know I don't go to clubs. Hell, I barely leave the house. This is enrichment, allowing my deprived senses to sample the freedom I never allow them."

"You're a freaking weirdo, Elphaba Thropp, and your senses will have to suck it, because I'm going for a shower. Bye!"

She scrambled off the bed, picking up a cushion as she did so. She tossed it at Elphaba and stuck out her tongue before swiftly spinning on her heel and darting for the bathroom. Without turning around for another glance, all she knew of her girlfriend's reaction was her shrill cackle.

By the time she returned, Elphaba had settled and was reading a book as per usual. Galinda leaned down to place a sweet kiss on her cheek before circling around to her side of the bed.

"Keep reading," she said. "I'm not really that tired yet. I'll just snuggle a bit if that's okay with you."

"More than okay," smiled Elphaba and invitingly extended her left arm for her to rest her head on.

Small touches and pecks passed between the girls, but within minutes, Elphaba's book had reclaimed most of her attention—which was fine. Galinda had always guessed that she wouldn't be the most cuddly and tactile kind of lover. In fact, Elphaba had already surpassed her exceptions of how quickly she might adjusted and how often she would initiate physical contact. She'd feared that there would be a glaring gap between their individual wants and needs, yet the divide was surprisingly narrow.

Besides, there was an advantage to this arrangement. With Elphaba's mind otherwise occupied, Galinda had the opportunity to let her eyes and hands roam more freely. Her mental map of Elphaba's moles was ever expanding. She studied them like they were constellations of stars on a green sky. One particular cluster of spots near her shoulder reminded her of the crescent moon. Tentatively, she reached out with her forefinger to trace it. Elphaba's skin twitched at the contact, but she herself did not react until Galinda replaced her finger with her lips.

"Do you need me to stop reading?" she asked.

Her wording made Galinda bite her lip. She didn't want Elphaba to perform acts of affection for her sake; she wanted her to engage with her out of her own volition. She shook her head and placed it on her chest. There was no real reason to complain.

"Keep reading. I'm happy where I am, even if you ignore me."

While the comment was not meant to be taken seriously, the joke flew right over Elphaba's head. She stopped to look at her and, a clock tick later, closed her book.

"I don't mean to neglect you," she said, rolling onto her side and wrapping her other arm around Galinda's small frame.

Galinda felt bad for evoking her guilty conscience. Now firmly pressed against Elphaba's body, however, she couldn't pretend that this wasn't exactly what she'd longed for.

"This feels amazing," she mumbled, her words coming out soft and muffled against the fabric of the t-shirt. "But for your own good you probably need to stop taking everything I say so freaking literally. Otherwise, I'm afraid you might grow tired of me very soon."

Elphaba gave her a squeeze before shuffling away from her so she could regard her properly. Her right hand caressed Galinda's cheek, then trailed around her ear before slowly gliding down her neck.

"I'm just so fucking worried about screwing this up," she confessed. "I try to do what comes naturally, but how can I be sure the that's enough for you?"

"It has to be enough," said Galinda, offering her a soft smile. "Because otherwise it will make you unhappy in the long run and that would ruin everything all the same."

"In short, we're doomed," Elphaba replied grimly.

Galinda inched close enough so she could kiss her.

"No, we're not. Trust yourself. Trust me. We'll be just fine."

She watched Elphaba's eyes as they searched her own. So beautiful, so rich, so expressive. She could hear her swallow thickly before she leaned in to capture her lips.

"If this is what comes natural," the blonde whispered in between kisses, "you're totally on the right track."

Their make-out was cut short by Malky hopping onto the bed and landing on the pillow, right above their heads.

"Bloody cat," growled Elphaba, but in the most loving way possible.

Galinda's laughter rang as clear as a bell. Despite the interruption, her mood had improved. She could appreciate the humour and heartwarming authenticity of the situation and felt like she wouldn't have it any other way.

She picked up Malky and squarely planted him between herself and Elphaba, patting and scratching him vigorously.

"Boq thinks of him as our baby," she mused. "Or something small to bond over, as he put it."

"Ha!" Elphaba barked a laugh. "Little does he know."

The hand tickling the kitten's chin abruptly stopped. Disappointed, Malky meowed and turned towards Elphaba for attention. The green girl ruffled his fur distractedly while scrutinising Galinda's face with furrowed brows.

"What's wrong? Your expression changed out of nowhere."

Their gazes met for a moment before Galinda averted hers, looking back down at Malky and reclaiming him so she could shower him with more cuddles.

"It's nothing," she insisted at first, but at Elphaba's prodding, she finally caved. "It's just… difficult. Baby is well on the way, but they are yours, not mine. You've made this abundantly clear, time and again."

"Hm," said Elphaba, then fell silent for a long while.

Galinda was glad she had a way of distracting herself, or she would surely have burst from the pure tension building up inside of her. When it finally came, Elphaba's reply was measured and direct.

"You're right. I hope you're able to see where I'm coming from though." Galinda bobbed her head listlessly. "That being said"—she licked her lips—"perhaps I should reevaluate my stance. In light of our evolving relationship and, well, everything."

Shocked, Galinda looked up at her. Her heart in her throat, she wasn't at all capable of voicing her amazement. Elphaba's face flushed ever so slightly as she became self-conscious.

"That—that isn't a promise for substantial change," she stressed. "I'll consider the situation we are in now, weigh the options again, but still against my general beliefs. I don't want to disappoint you, so I beg you not to pin your hopes too high."

The blonde nodded, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"For someone who allegedly doesn't feel very parental, you are fiercely protective if this child."

"Using logic is the one thing I can do for them," said Elphaba. "Oz knows not even that is a foolproof plan."

"Nothing is foolproof, Elphie. Ever. Don't hold yourself up to unachievable standards."

"Yeah."

Elphaba shrugged and reached out to pat Malky. Their hands accidentally overlapped and stroked his back in unison. Elphaba chuckled quietly while Galinda broke into a giggle.

After the laughter died down, Elphaba sucked in a sharp breath and said, "Do you think there is a future? For us as a pair?"

Galinda retracted her hand and tucked it under her pillow.

"You're in doubt?"

"Always," replied the taller girl solemnly. "Look, if it was just you and me, I'd take the plunge and laugh into the face of caution. You know, I could stare into your ridiculously blue eyes all day, contemplating how much I adore you."

"No, you couldn't," Galinda countered, with equal amounts of fondness and sadness in her voice.

Her rebuttal had stumped Elphaba somewhat. Clearing her throat, she struggled to find her original train of thought.

"At—at any rate, what I meant to say was that… The problem is that… Well, with the added responsibility of a soon to be parent, I'm—I'm forced to ask myself uncomfortable questions like that. It's not about you, or me not wanting to believe in this relationship."

"I get it, Elphie," sighed Galinda. "On a rational level I totally do. It's just tough, you know? I wish we could share everything together, the joys, the hardships. Whether it's parenthood or anything else, really."

"You sound intensely committed."

Galinda was glad that Elphaba neither looked nor sounded flippant, or even disbelieving. She was dead serious about this and hoped to be taken seriously in return.

"I have been," she confirmed for good measure. "For a long time already. I know you used to think differently, but when I offered help, it was never out of pity or to massage my ego. It has always been about you, although I know that it was unreasonable at first. No matter what I personally wanted, there was no cause for me to believe that we'd end up the way we did."

It was a lot to take in for Elphaba. She could see it in her eyes. It was as if she could see the gears shifting and churning in her head. Maybe she shouldn't have overwhelmed her so. Did she really have to make herself seem so desperate? Finally, Elphaba scooped up Malky and gently placed him behind her on the bed so she could scoot nearer and close the gap between them. She tucked a stray curl behind Galinda's ear and pressed her lips first against her forehead and then her nose.

"Isn't that kinda your thing though?" she said before kissing her on the mouth. "You always get what you want."

Galinda kissed her back.

"Is that a promise?"