A Lazy Afternoon
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters
Author's Note: Thanks for all the great reviews(and pushing this story up to my highest review count ever, by a long shot). To answer questions, this has been written so fast because I've had a show I was ASMing that once I got into a rhythm on, there were large gaps between my cues, so I wrote. I've just always been able to write fast. Second, this kiss is coming. It's been written. That's all I'll say:-P Anyways, it actually hasn't been that long, in the story timeline…its only been the course of 2 days so far.
Chapter 11
"This stuff feels weird."
"It's setting."
"That's what's weird."
"Are you all right?"
"I think so. It's a bit disconcerting not to be able to move my hands."
"You should be able to break the wax if you squeeze hard enough. It's not that strong."
"Good."
Elphie sat on Fiyero's bed, and curled her knees up to her chest, letting her arms fall limply to her side. She rest her chin on her knee and frowned. Fiyero sat beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
"What's wrong?"
"I can't do anything."
"Like what?"
"Read."
"Sleep then?"
"I should finish that chapter for Life Sciences."
"Why did you not earlier?"
She scowled. "I didn't think of it. I forgot my hands would be captive."
"I'll hold your book if you want."
"No, that's okay. I'll just read tomorrow morning."
Fiyero nodded. "Sleep?"
"Tired are we?"
He shrugged. "I didn't sleep well last night."
"No?"
"No."
"Why?"
Fiyero looked into Elphaba's dark eyes. "I was worried…"
"You shouldn't have be…"
"You were so hurt."
"Not that bad."
"Yes, that bad."
"I felt much better by the time I fell asleep."
"Well, I was terrified."
She kept his gaze. "Really?"
It was soft, hesitant. Fiyero nodded, grazing her cheek with his thumb. He continued the digit across her lips, looking to her for an indication of how she felt. She was tensing. He backed off a bit. Elphie took a deep breath, then stood up and crossed around the bed. She awkwardly tried to push the covers back with her elbows, until Fiyero did it for her.
Elphie frowned.
"It's okay, climb in."
She wiggled into the covers. He lay next to her.
"Just sleep."
"Easy to say. Hard to do."
"I know. I am not one to talk."
She inched closer to him. He wrapped his arm around her, and she lay her head against his chest.
"This is nice," Fiyero cooed.
"Mmm."
"Are you comfortable?"
"Mmmhmm."
"Good."
"Your blanket is soft."
"I have a few. You can borrow one if you'd like."
"Perhaps."
He rubbed her back with his palm. They lay in silence. She began to squirm and shift, her breathing becoming faster.
"I can't do this."
"What's wrong?"
Elphaba fought to sit up.
"I can't…I…I…"
"Relax."
She was breathing deeply, trying to sit up. He placed a hand on the small of her back to assist. She was shaking.
"Elphie…what's wrong? What did I do?"
Finally, pulling arms out from the blanket, Elphie quickly clenched her hands into fists, breaking the wax casts that imprisoned her. She looked down at her hands unhappily. There was still paraffin stuck to them in many places. Fiyero quickly retrieved his medicine chest, and a small trash can to place the wax pieces in. He was a bit shaken, himself, from the amplitude of her reaction. Covering a cloth in the antiseptic solution, he deftly sloughed the remaining wax. He gingerly held her right hand in his, while he searched for the salve he had used before.
"Are you okay now?"
Elphie nodded. She was still visibly upset. Finishing his treatment, Fiyero tossed his bag on the floor, and crawled up behind Elphaba. Cautiously, he lay his hands on her shoulders, and pulled her against his chest. She didn't fight him, or say a word, but lay her head back.
After a long while, Fiyero finally asked, "What happened?"
"I don't know. All of a sudden I felt trapped. Not being able to move my hands."
"You really scared me, Elphie. It was so sudden, such a strong reaction…"
"I'm okay. I'm sorry."
"I thought I had crossed one of your boundaries again…"
"No! You didn't…"
"I'm trying to be
careful."
"You're doing fine."
"Good."
They sat in silence for a while longer. His arms had gradually wrapped themselves completely around her waist, and he was holding her rather tightly. She was having a hard time keeping her eyes open.
"I suppose I should go. There's no real reason I have to stay anymore."
She pulled herself away and stood up. Fiyero didn't move or say anything, just looked at her, surprised.
"I mean, I was staying because of the paraffin, and now I'm not doing that, so…"
Fiyero remained silent.
"Say something."
"What do you want me to say?"
Fiyero lay back on the bed, closing his eyes.
"I don't know…"
"I'm not going to beg you to stay again. I'd like you to stay. But I'm not going to beg. You seem to want me to argue with you. I don't have the energy."
"That's fine. We don't need to argue."
Elphie crossed to the table her bag was on, and looked back at Fiyero. He hadn't moved. Her eyes swelled with tears, that burned as they traveled down her cheek. He was breathing slowly and deeply. She couldn't tell if he was crying or not. Slowly, she tiptoed back over to the bed. She couldn't leave him like this after what she'd put him through. Wiping her face with her sleeve, she sat beside him. He turned away from her quickly, not wanted her to see that he was indeed crying. She crawled closer, and placed her hand on his shoulder, running his down his arm and across his back. It was odd. Compassion was not something that she was familiar with. But she continued, and reached around to wipe his face with her sleeve.
"Don't…you get wet."
"It's okay. I'm fine."
She wiped his face, and he rolled to face her.
"I'm sorry. I'll stay."
"You don't have to if you don't wa…"
"I want to."
"Oh."
"I was just
concerned that I was imposing."
"You're not. I'd like you to stay, Elphie."
She crawled into the blanket, and he squirmed into it. They looked at each other awkwardly for a moment, then curled closer, quickly drifting off to sleep.
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