A Lazy Afternoon

Disclaimer:  I don't own these characters

Author's Note:  This chapter would have been sooner, but yesterday my boyfriend and I took and impromptu trip to NYC, for the sole purpose of trying to get lottery tickets to Wicked.  Unfortunately, we did not, for either show(thus I have now sucked it up and bought tickets for August).  Saw Assassins and The Producers though…fun.

Chapter 7

When Fiyero awoke, Elphaba was gone.  No sunlight was coming though the window, the sky was gray and menacing.  He wondered if it was still night.  When they had gone to sleep, it seemed like she would stay for a long time.  He padded over to his watch.  11am.  Where had all the time gone?   He had no idea it was that late. 

Quickly, he dressed and packed his bag with various medicines from his box.  She hadn't even waited for him to treat her hands a second time like he had wanted to.  He slipped out into the hallway.

"It lives!"  Boq exclaimed.

"Yeah."

"Rough night?" Boq asked, his voice full of mischief. "We missed you at breakfast."

"It doesn't feel like eleven."

"You look exhausted for someone who slept half the morning."

"Enh."

Boq laughed.  "You may still be able to score some breakfast if you hurry."

"I'm not hungry,"  Fiyero frowned.

"What's got you this morning?"

Fiyero shrugged.

"Why'd ya leave so early last night?"
Fiyero shrugged again, but looked to Boq, interested in where he was going with this.

"You missed quite a commotion."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, Elphie slipped out early too, at some point, I don't know when, but you saw the rain."

Fiyero nodded.

"So, Glinda was flipping out.  Elphie's allergic to water!  So Crope and I went back with her looking for Elphie, and she wasn't in their room.  We don't know where she was.  I'm not sure if she came back.  That's what I'm going to find out now."

"I found Elphie last night.  She's back, I think."

"When did she get back?"

"I…I'm not sure."

"You didn't take her back?"

"No."

"No?"
"I'm not sure when she left."

"She was with you?"

"Yeah.  It was pouring.  This was closer."

Boq nodded.  "I wish you'd told us.  We looked around for quite some time at Glinda's bequest."

"Ah, yes.  You'd do anything at Glinda's bequest."

"Anyways…"

"So I thought it more important to treat Elphie's wounds."

"What was wrong?"

"Water burns her.  You knew about her allergy."
"Oh, yes.  Glinda told us all she knew last night, while we were looking."

"Her gloves got wet, and hurt her pretty bad."

Boq nodded.  "So where are you off to?"

"Same as you.  To check on Elphie."

"You care a lot about her lately, eh?"

Fiyero shrugged.  Boq cocked an eyebrow at him.

"What?"

"She stayed with you last night.  What's up with you two?"

"Nothing's up, literally or figuratively."

Boq chuckled.   "Sure."

Fiyero shook his head.  "People misunderstand her.  I care."

"Hey, I like Elphie."

"I know.  It's just Avaric gave me a hard time earlier."

"Yeah, they hate each other."

Fiyero nodded.

"You really care about her though, don't you?  There's something there, Fiyero."

"I don't know when it happened.  I mean, I've always liked Elphie too, but not like that.  Then all of a sudden, I don't know."

"Wow, you're even more smitten than I'd thought."

"Smitten?"

"Yeah, I'd say smitten."

Boq began to walk down the hall, and Fiyero followed continuing the conversation all the way to Crage Hall.

"I wouldn't call it smitten.  Quite."

"No?"

"I care about her, but…"

"You were awfully close last night."
"We were partners!"

"And she spent the night with you."

"So?  She was hurt."

"Did she stay in your bed?"

"Yes…"

Boq grinned.  "Were you in it?"

Fiyero hesitated.  "Yes."

"And you still deny it?"

"I guess not."

Boq smiled, pleased with the results of his line of questioning.  He found this new development interesting, but he was happy that someone else cared about Elphie. 

"Hey, Fiyero, you said you mended her hands.  Did she actually let you touch her?"

"Yeah."

"That's uncommon."

"She sort of trusts me."

"Sort of?"

"She still has some issues.  Like being fine with something at one point, then being uncomfortable."

"Ah.  But she lets you touch her?"

"Well, that depends.  Most recently, yes."

"So most recently means in bed?"

"Boq!"

"Well?"

"It's none of your business."

Boq was squinting at him, trying to make him uncomfortable.  It worked. 

"I held her, yes.  It's none of your business."

"Fine, fine…"

"Shh.  Quiet now.  We don't want to draw attention to our presence."

"They nonchalantly walked through the main door to Crage Hall.  Fiyero led up the main stair quickly, and down the second floor hallway to room 22. 

"Are you sure this is the right room?" Boq whispered.

"Yes."

"Been here before?"

"Yes…"

"Oh?"

"Now's not the time for a story."

"Nifty name tags," Boq grinned.

"Useful."

Fiyero rapped gently on the door.  Glinda opened it. 

"What are you two doing here?"  she screeched.

"We came to check on things," Boq announced.

"Things are fine.  Out!"

"How's Elphie doing?" Fiyero asked.

"She's sleeping.  Out."  Glinda paused.  "How did you get up here?"

"Not that hard," Fiyero grinned.

"It's certainly hard enough to sneak out."

"You should ask Elphie for tips.  She's good at it," Boq laughed.

"I know, she's always getting away with stuff."

"What time did she come back?"  Fiyero inquired.

"I don't know.  She's been here since I got up at 10.  And she's asleep, so I couldn't ask her where she'd been."

Boq looked to Fiyero, who shot him a look strong not now look. 

"What?  What's going on?"  Glinda demanded.  "Do you know where she was?"

"I took care of her hands."

"Oh!  We couldn't find her."

"Yeah, she had to wait out the rain."

"Oh, that makes sense."

"I need to check on her."

"She's sleeping."

"I'll be quick."

"Fiyero."

"Glinda."

The two squared off.  Boq backed away.

"You can't go in."

"I need to check on her bandages."

"When she wakes up."

"The bandages might be sticking to her wounds, and that would be bad."

"Eww."

"Right.  Eww.  So let me check on her."

"Um, alrighty," Glinda stepped out of the way, a bit disturbed.  "Let me just grab my purse, and Boq, would you be a doll and escort me into town?"

"Certainly, Miss Glinda."

Fiyero snickered, and Boq glared at him as Glinda flittered across the room, and back to them. 

"I'm sorry, I just don't especially want to see the wounds.  I don't have the stomach for things like that."

Fiyero nodded to her.  It was genuine.  She seemed concerned, but knew her own limits. 

"Ready?" Boq asked.

"Yes.  And you'll be fine alone?"

"I'm sure he will be,"  Boq grinned, to which Fiyero quickly nodded in agreement.

And they were gone, leaving him alone with a sleeping Elphie.

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