AN:
Oh my Oz, we did it!
That's it!
Last chapter!
All done!
I should be sad and will be in a minute, but right now I'm kinda excited lol
I'll write another AN at the end anyway, so I'll just stop here and wish you happy reading...
See you further down the page!
Chapter Twenty-Eight
"Did you pack the diapers?"
"Yup!"
"What about the formula?"
"All in the two bottles on the side of the bag."
Galinda double checked all items anyway.
"Okay. We got everything. You done yet?"
Elphaba emerged from the upstairs bedroom, fixing one of the clips of her nursing top with one hand while cradling little Liir in the crook of the other arm.
"He hasn't burped yet," she said as Galinda took the child from her.
"Urgh. Why do you always leave all the hard work to me?" the blonde answered jokingly.
"At least none of that makes you feel like a dairy cow."
Elphaba's much more serious remark made Galinda wonder whether she'd missed the humour in her own.
"Hey." She freed one hand to take hold of her girlfriend's wrist. "You okay? You know we can just—"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm peachy. Sorry. It's nothing. Almost half-way through the six months already, right?"
Elphaba offered her a faltering smile.
"That was your goal, but you don't have to reach six or even four months. Liir doesn't care as long as we don't stop feeding him altogether."
"It's just the stress. After the exam today, my brain will be free to think of nothing else but baby for a while. I'm sure that will help."
"Help drive you insane," muttered Galinda. "You need that work to distract you from your parental responsibilities. It's okay, Elphie. We don't all have to be born child entertainers and carers."
Elphaba shrugged at that. She knew that Galinda was right, but admitting it still made her feel dreadfully inadequate.
"Oh, Fiyero is coming over before dinner this afternoon," she suddenly remembered and was glad for the change of topic.
For a clock-tick or two, Galinda simply stared at her.
"Again?" she almost whined.
"Yeah."
She hadn't thought much of it at the time when Fiyero had sent her the message, but seeing her expression made the green girl wince.
Heaving a small sigh and rolling her eyes, Galinda moved past her misgivings. She turned around with a shrug of her shoulders to pick up the tiny cardigan that was lying sprawled across the backrest of the couch.
"Well, it's only one more week till he leaves town, I suppose."
"It is," nodded Elphaba, her mouth tight. "So… you're okay with it?"
"I…" Her hands that had been busy fiddling the infant's arms though the sleeves and adjusting the jacket's fit stilled for a moment. "Yeah. Alright."
"I mean really okay," emphasised Elphaba. "I don't want to—"
"I know. It's fine."
All was not fine, even Elphaba could tell. And yet there was something in the way Galinda so forcefully lightened her voice that made it sound like she wanted to convince herself that it was. So Elphaba respected her effort and accepted her consent at face value.
"Okay. Cool," she said slowly. "Well, I must be off then."
Having finally finished dressing the baby, Galinda looked up to meet her gaze. She grinned widely, as if nothing had happened.
"I'd wish you good luck, but I know that you don't need it."
Elphaba made an amused noise.
"You'd slap me for saying the exact same thing."
"We can't both be equally brilliant. I still need at least a healthy portion of luck to get where I want."
"Well, if you say so," smirked Elphaba before leaning in for a sweet kiss. "Good luck then."
"Good luck to you," replied Galinda, chuckling at Elphaba's quirked eyebrows and kissing her again. "Good luck getting back home after your exam, I mean. I'm sure Boq will ambush you. After all, you're both taking them at the same time, in the same building."
"True. Maybe I'll just drag him home with me after."
The corner's of Galinda's mouth twitched at that, but Elphaba only nodded and winked at her before bowing down to kiss Liir's still rather bald head.
"I really must go now. See you two later!"
With that, she dashed out of the house. Galinda watched her, then kept her eyes on the door for a while before breaking out of her reveries and looking down at the child in her arms.
"Okay, Master Liir. We need a burp before we get into the car, or you'll spit up all over yourself, right? Right."
She was proud to say that she'd grown into her new role rather well. After nearly three months she'd learnt how to soothe a baby, change diapers and prepare a bottle like a champ. To be fair, she had a little more practice with all that than Elphaba did, because she more than willingly took over the bulk of those tasks. But she admired Elphaba for her dogged devotion to the few things that only she could do for their child, and would never in her wildest dreams dare say that Elphaba was getting off lightly.
They managed a successful burp after ten long minutes. Being Elphaba's flesh and blood, Galinda had always expected that Liir would prove to be just as strong-willed, and her prediction had been spot on.
"Time to drop you off at Nanny's," she cooed happily, still riding the wave of her success.
She drove baby, his big, overstuffed bag of not so bare necessities, and his beloved play gym down to Ozma Slopes. She dropped everything—except the baby—in front of the door before ringing the bell.
"Oh, aren't you a bit late, my pet?" Nanny greeted her before dragging all of the luggage into the apartment.
"It's okay. I adapted and always plan appointments a lot earlier these days, since most of the time I arrive much later anyway. Thanks for helping out again. How's Nessa feeling today? Should I disappear as quickly as possible? Run for my life?"
"Don't worry. She seems quite amenable this morning, so do come in."
Galinda had almost hoped not to be asked inside. Less than half an hour before her exam, the last thing she needed was the younger Thropp sibling getting under her skin.
"Hi, Nessa!"
She slapped on her politest smile.
Nessa barely looked up from her reading.
"Hello."
Nanny set up the baby gym next to the TV and the bag on top of a chest of drawers, then opened her arms to receive her newest charge from Galinda.
"So this is your last exam today," Nessa suddenly spoke up, catching the blonde off guard.
"Oh, uh, no. But it's the last for Elphie."
The other girl nodded curtly.
"Good. I'm not made to be around children."
Galinda and Nanny exchanged looks. Whereas Galinda bit her lip and felt caught out, the older woman simply harrumphed and put Liir on the floor where he could play with his toys.
"And old Nanny ought to have been allowed to nod off in some warm chimney nook by now," she croaked as she straightened her spine back up with some difficulty. "Yet here I am. Looking after that little worm is hardly more trouble than only serving you, my pretty. He's still too small to cause much of a fuss."
Unsurprisingly, Nessarose took that comment quite personally, and Galinda immediately prepared for her own flight. Before she could say her goodbyes, however, Nessa fixed her with a stare from which there was no escape. Instead of running off, she figured, she would have to make some light conversation before bowing out.
"How was your exam?" she enquired out of lack of a better topic.
Nessa's eyes lowered demurely, returning to the sacred pages before her.
"I'm sure father will be pleased with my results."
"That's great. I'm happy for you."
She meant it, though in a rather selfish way. If things had gone any less favourably, Nessa would probably have accused them all of distracting her by causing so much commotion with the baby.
"How's your roomie?" Nessa asked next. She still refused to acknowledge her and Elphaba as a couple. Even acknowledgements of the more platonic aspects of their relationship—such as their cohabitation—tended to be accidental slips.
"Headstrong and difficult," sighed Galinda, currently thinking more of the girl before her than her older sister. It was clearly a shared family trait.
"You must implore her to tell him," Nessa told her sternly, leaving Galinda momentarily confused. Turing to Liir, she tensed her jaw and narrowed her eyes. "I can't stand these lies any longer."
"Oh," Galinda said as she finally caught on. "But you don't have to lie, do you? Just don't mention anything until she had an opportunity to figure out how—"
"He calls me twice a week and asks if Fabala has come to visit me. Most of the time I have to tell him no. It's frustrating. Sometimes he urges me to tell him what might be distracting her so. To say that I don't know is a lie, Galinda."
Galinda interlaced her fingers to keep them from fidgeting and nodded. While she didn't feel as much as an ounce of compassion for Nessarose, she was rather grateful that she had not yet gone and told her father the most harrowing, judgemental account that she could contrive of what exactly had happened. That much at least was a real blessing.
"Yes. I'll see what I can do."
It was one o'clock when the students of HISTORY 201 were finally released after their exam. Elphaba had barely finished writing. Three hours weren't a lot of time when there were so many points to discuss, so much evidence to present. Making Modern Oz had not so much been a history class for her, as it had been a politics class—and that was what really got her going.
Her professor hated her, that much was for certain. Somehow, and entirely by accident, she'd managed to turn most lectures into debates, confusing and sidetracking the old Wizard-loving fool up front at the lectern. She couldn't say that she was sorry. Maybe she'd made at least one of her classmates think critically for once. For the sake of her essays and this exam, however, she'd kept her arguments as cut and dry and factual as humanly possible. Even if the faculty panel didn't like her conclusions, they'd not be able to mark her down, for she'd said nothing that was objectively wrong or controversial.
Maybe she was just the tiniest bit proud of this low key resistance. Maybe this was only the harbinger of greater things to come. Yet that was an ambitious thought and, for the time being, ambition was far from what she wished to strive for. But maybe—and only maybe—she was very slowly warming up to the idea.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she'd made it barely half way down the winding stairs of the Old Human Science Building. Boq was swiftly catching up with her uncharacteristically slow pace, running and skipping every other step on the way.
"Hey! Elph—aba."
"Close call," she scoffed, eyes slanted. "Don't you dare get galindafied, or I swear! I will unfriend you."
"Not kill me?" He grinned toothily, then adjusted his expression and cleared his throat. "Anywho. How was your history exam?"
"Ah. That." Pressing her lips together, she hiked her shoulders. "I didn't like the question. Didn't know what to write."
His eyes nearly bulged at her admission.
"For real? Oh, damn. That's… that's tough. I'm sorry, man. Guess the little dude is at least somewhat to blame?"
His distress over her supposed academic failure turned out to be more touching than entertaining, and she exhaled a soft sigh.
"Boq?"
"What?"
The way he looked up at her, his face all unsuspecting and caring, had her torn between amusement and guilt. When had she started to think of her friends as sweet rather than gullible? Was that her own brand of galindafication? And how should she rectify this bluff?
"Boq," she said again, more intently, giving him a certain look, fixing his eyes with hers until he, sputtering, showed evidence of his comprehension.
"Shit! Elphaba! Don't pull this crap on us ordinary mortals!" he complained halfheartedly. "These things are real concerns to us. Not everyone can be endowed with the same brilliance you possess."
Inwardly, she flinched at the similarity of Boq's words with Galinda's; to the Munchkin's face, she played it cool.
"Don't ask then," she laughed before stepping up her pace.
"Gosh." She could hear him grumble behind her, but before she knew it, he'd once again drawn level with her. "A—anyway. I've got news to share."
"Oh dear." She rolled her eyes for dramatic effect.
"Milla and I…" he began, panting slightly, "are getting married!"
That was news indeed and justified at least a side glance.
"Wow," she replied drily. "Aren't you a bit, well, young for that?"
"Says the girl with a kid tied to her apron strings."
Turning her head properly, she levelled him with a sharp look, causing him to shrink back a notch and raise his hands in surrender.
"Okay, okay. Sorry. But regardless: I am quite determined, you know?"
"Determined?"
"Well, she doesn't know yet," he admitted.
She burst into a loud, almost obnoxious cackle.
"That's rich! Why are we even talking about this then?"
"Because," he told her stubbornly, "you are supposed to be one of my closest friends! And I wanted to talk about it, confide in you. That's why."
"Okay. Fine. Now we have talked about it. Come back when you've actually proposed, okay?"
Shaking his head, he closed the gap between them to elbow her.
"Just so you know, I intend to make you my best man."
"You're best…" She gaped at him as if he'd gone entirely mad.
"Well, I can't ask Crope or Tibbett without offending the one or the other!" he complained. "You're all I've got! And I was thinking that, perhaps, Galinda could be Milla's maid of honour."
"As scarce as my knowledge is when it comes to these matters, I do think that you would do well to leave decisions like that up to your future maybe bride," Elphaba told him sternly.
"But what about you?" he asked hopefully. "Will you do it?"
"If I am the closest thing you have to what would be required, I strongly encourage you to make more friends," she said, and his face fell. "That being said… I might be persuaded if worst comes to worst."
He struck a pose of triumph, but one look from her made him curb his enthusiasm, bar his ridiculous, lopsided grin.
"Let's talk about something else," Elphaba suggested. "How was your exam?"
"I probably passed," he said, bobbing his head soberly. At her skeptical expression, his act fell apart. "Reasonably well," he added, letting the grin from earlier break through his serious mien. "And how are you going to celebrate, now that your last exam is done and dusted?"
"Galinda isn't done yet. Hers is scheduled for the last day's final slot. And I think we're both going to be too exhausted to do much. Probably just going to really enjoy an extra hour of sleep or something."
"Boo! Remind me to never have kids."
"Oh!" Elphaba's eyes lit up with the delight of rare foresight. "You, young Master Boq, will one day be the father of a whole score of children. Trust me on that."
"And—and how do you want to know that!" he squeaked, looking petrified and offended at the same time. Crossing his arms with an indignant huff, he found much needed reassurance in his obvious conviction that she was only teasing him.
"You forget: my girlfriend is your girlfriend's close confidante. She once told me that Milla is dreaming of a really big family. And you, Boq, hope to marry her, do you not? There. It seems like you won't have a choice."
"I—I'm sure that's all negotiable," he stammered.
She smirked.
"Wanna get some practice in? Just in case? Fiyero is coming over later anyway, so you might as well tag along. I'm making lasagna, and the banking dish is just the right size for eight servings."
"So I'm invited to clean up the left overs? How generous."
"The freezer can take care of those," she said, waving her hand. "This was a genuine invite, and I merely meant to assure you that it won't cause any additional stress, in case you might worry. But perhaps you don't feel special enough now."
"Oh, stop it, Elph—" He stopped himself and groaned at his near mistake. "Elphaba."
"Why are you playing so hard to get then? Is food no longer valid currency for bribery?"
"You know why," he muttered.
"C'mon. Seriously Boq, if even Galinda got over Fiyero's involvement in—"
"Well, yes, yes! That's all a bit awkward and so on," he said dismissively. "But I'm not particularly worried about Fiyero."
"You're scared of Galinda?"
"You sound surprised. Your dearest sweetheart can be quite intimidating."
"Yet according to her reports, you've stood up to her before."
"Only for your sake and with great difficulty. I already see you don't really know to appreciate my stout loyalty. Once my knees nearly buckled."
"You'll be under my personal protection," she promised gravely, bumping into him in encouragement. "What say you?"
With his lips pursed and his brows furrowed, he mulled over her proposal.
"Fine," he grumbled. "But only because you're going to be my best man, right? You owe me that much."
Snorting a laugh, Elphaba adjusted the shoulder strap of her bag and marched ahead, leading the way.
They stopped at a supermarket to pick up a basketful of fresh ingredients. Once they got home, Boq chopped the vegetables while Elphaba got started on the sauces. When the lasagne was assembled and in the oven, all they would have to do later was to turn on the heat. Elphaba had barely finished wiping down the counter when the house door fell into its lock.
"You get comfortable somewhere," she told Boq under her breath as she tossed the towel into the sink.
She met Galinda at the door so she could take Liir off her hands.
"How was your exam?" she asked before placing a lingering kiss on her cheek.
It worked. Galinda cheered up considerably, even blushed a tad.
"Well, I tried," she declared with a smile. "I'm pretty sure that I aced the theoretical portion. The rest is up to the panel of assessors."
"They love your work though, don't they?"
Meanwhile, Liir started to put his tiny hands all over Elphaba's face, vying for her attention. Distractedly, she tried to fight him off so she could grant her girlfriend just a few more seconds of her attention.
"Yeah, most of the time," agreed Galinda, putting down her bag and hiding her tired face as she summoned the strength to be brave again. "Well, what's done is done, right? No point dwelling on all that."
Looking up and seeing Elphaba still struggling with Liir, a genuine smile spread across her lips.
"It would seem poor baby's starving. Do you feel like feeding him or shall I prepare a bottle?"
"No, don't worry. I really should," decided Elphaba mirroring her smile weakly. If you could entertain Boq in the meantime?"
"Boq!"
Galinda's head whipped around, but he was still concealed from her line of sight.
"I did forewarn you that this might happen, remember? Please be gentle on him. He deserves a break."
Heaving a sigh, she nodded and set out to greet their friend. Just before stepping out of the corridor, she stopped to cast a look over her shoulder.
"Take your time, okay? Don't worry. I won't eat him.
"Hi, Boq," she said with a flutter of her right hand.
"Hey there."
He looked shy, almost as if they'd never met before, and she almost felt bad for him. Almost.
"Has Elphie not fixed you up with any tea yet?" she noticed as she approached. When she looked around to find her, she'd mostly disappeared up the stairs already.
"I had a glass of juice while we cooked."
"So she made you work, too!" This time her scandalised expression was pure theatre. "Well, now that I am here, what would you like? Black, green, herbal?
"Black, I guess? No sugar?"
"Milk?"
"Only if you have some too."
Biting back any remarks, she prepared two cups of tea—green for herself and black with milk for the gentleman on the couch. In addition, she served a platter of cookies and chocolates.
They sat in silence for a while, sipping and pausing and pausing and sipping. Whenever she cast a furtive glance his way, he averted his own, not so stealthy gaze and the air between them became thicker.
"So." In the end it was Boq who first braved the conversation. "How is parenting going for you? Elphie seems to be surprisingly smitten with it all. As much as she can be smitten with anything."
"She is," Galinda conceded and finally put her cup aside. "She is doing a marvellous job, considering how intimidated she was by it all. And I adore our little family too." Her eyes found his and fixed him firmly into place with one look. "Don't think I'm oblivious to what you're trying to do. Just because there are good things that came out of this messy situation, that doesn't make the actions that led to all this right."
"But it's water under the bridge now, isn't it?" he tried. "We have to move on. Elphie seems to have done just that. And she was impacted the hardest out of all of us."
"Elphie," repeated Galinda and shook her head. "You don't really call her that to her face, do you?"
"It's catchy. I hope you don't mind too much?" he said with a timid smile. "You know, that creation of yours wasn't entirely original. We actually used to call her that at play school, when we were kids. But she doesn't remember, I believe.
"These days? I wouldn't dream of using anything other than her proper given name. Only her family can call her Fabala, and only you have the privilege to get away with calling her by the diminutive.
"But don't think that I don't realise what you are trying to do do either," he said knowingly, turning the tables on her. "I'm not that easily sidetracked, and I'd like to resolve this if I can. I hear you've even forgiven Fiyero. Why then, do I get the feeling you're still holding a grudge against me?"
"Fiyero will be gone soon," she replied curtly. "I don't know if I'll see him ever again, and for that I'm grateful. Does that sound like forgiveness to you?"
He looked taken aback, but nodded a moment later.
"Okay. I see your point. But you tolerate him at least. He's been coming to your house a fair deal recently, hasn't he?"
"Yes."
Her mouth tightened into a thin line. There was no way to hide her discomfort, but she picked up her tea and took a sip, simply because it was something to do. When she was finished, she lowered the cup and cradled it in her lap, her thumb stroking the delicate porcelain wistfully.
"And I don't know why he's doing this to himself to be honest. He knows that he can't stay in touch after this and constantly insists that he won't. And yet he's excessively keen on spending as much time with the two of them as possible. Is he practicing for his own wife and children? I don't know. He talked his family into bringing forward the second wedding—the one after which they'll actually live together. In my opinion, he somewhat fell in love with Elphie, or at least the idea of her being the mother of his son."
Boq didn't seem to know what to say at first.
"I'm sorry," he murmured eventually. "That sounds super tough."
"I think he might have liked me too, you know?" She grimaced, then lifted her head and looked at him. "But this is very different. And Elphie is as oblivious as a fence post, of course. As is her nature. It makes me marvel even more at the fact that she was able to see the connection between her and I. It's a miracle of sorts, isn't it?"
"Those are things I know nothing about," he told her, but not in a dismissive way. "She doesn't usually share her own thoughts on this kind of stuff, not with me."
Galinda had suspected as much, though she'd never asked neither her, nor her friends about it. Another way in which their relationship was special; Elphaba had shared a lot of deeply personal contemplations and feelings with her long before they'd started sharing each other's loves as a couple. For all intents and purposes, the intimacy even of their earliest beginnings appeared entirely unique between just them. It made her glad to know that and maybe a smite more responsive to Boq's pleas for a truce.
"Boq?" she said, her gaze trained on the teacup in her hands. "How about, rather than resolve it, we just drop the matter? We are sitting here, making conversation and not killing each other. It's a start, isn't it? Do you really need my explicit forgiveness? Can't we just let this dispute die and disintegrate on its own? I won't mention it again if you won't, and I'm sure over time feelings will mellow out. Does that make sense?"
It wasn't the solution he'd hoped for. She could see it in his eyes. But he accepted it nonetheless, and she jumped up from her seat to replenish both of their drinks.
The doorbell rang before she could finish her work. They looked at each other, both knowing who the caller was. Before his very eyes, she adjusted her expression, her smile, allowing him a rare glimpse at how she operated.
"Coming!" she singsonged, flying to the door as if carried by a gentle breeze.
Their greetings were more than cordial, and Fiyero handed her a bag with chocolates and baby snacks in tiny, colourful packages.
"Those say four months plus," she chided him smilingly.
"Maybe he'll develop a taste for them early?"
"His digestive system won't."
"Then they'll keep. I couldn't bring nothing."
As per usual, it had been the idea of him that had scared her the most. Once the man himself was in her house, she didn't mind him or their banter quite as much. Especially when she thought of his upcoming flight back to Kvon Altar next week.
The two boys waved at each other. With Boq already occupying the couch, Fiyero took the armchair while he waited for his own cup of tea. From what she could tell, they barely talked until she returned to breathe life into the conversation.
The tension didn't improve much until Elphaba came back down, carrying Liir.
"I thought he might need a nap, but he wouldn't stop fidgeting, so I gave up," she explained her long absence. She passed the baby to Galinda who bounced him in her arms and gauged his mood.
"I think Nanny manages to keep him asleep for most of the time when he's there. He looks good to me." Satisfied that there was no point in rocking and soothing him to sleep, she walked up to Fiyero to let him have a turn with Liir. "I'll pop on the oven and start the lasagna," she announced and turned around as soon as the little one was safely placed in the Vinkun's arms.
"So she let you live," noted Elphaba, catching Boq as he stared after Galinda.
His head snapped back around, and his face reddened.
"Yeah. Lucky me."
Fiyero looked back and forth between the two of them, visibly confused.
"Why don't you take him to the play mat over there?" Elphaba suggested, and he followed her advice as if it were an order. Instead of leaving the child to amuse himself with his toys, he stayed for a while, lying next to him and jiggling the animal-shaped rattles and bells that were attached to the contraption. Attracted by the sounds, Malky soon came trotting along to get in on the fun.
Galinda returned to join them within just a few minutes, casting a look of mixed feelings in the direction where her son was being entertained by the man she didn't like to call his father, but you'd always be just that regardless.
"So you still have another exam coming up?"
Her brain took a moment to process Boq's question properly.
"Uh, yeah." She blinked and tore her eyes away from the pair to direct her attention towards him. "Yes. It's a bit frustrating to think that I could be off the hook by now."
"And catch up on sleep," supplied Elphaba.
"Yeah." The blonde now turned to look at her girlfriend and took her hand. "And family time. I'm already jealous in advance of how much more time Elphie is gonna spend with Liir while I'm still studying and fretting over that dumb exam," she explained to Boq. "But I am looking forward to the party."
"The what?" Elphaba exclaimed, making a face.
"Oh?" Boq was considerably more excited than her. "So you're going after all!"
Elphaba freed her hand and crossed her arms.
"You didn't tell me that you were going anywhere. I thought you'd be too tired."
"We are going, my love," stressed Galinda.
"We!"
She grinned.
"Sure. You heard me."
"B—but what about Liir! Who's gonna look after him?"
Distressed and turning to Boq for help, Elphaba only found him giggling, wiping a tear or two of glee away from his cheek.
"A fine friend you are!" she spat.
"Nanny will take care of Liir," said Galinda as calm as ever and gently resting her hands on her upper arm and shoulder. "I already made all the necessary arrangements."
"Nessa will hate you for that," declared Elphaba, and she probably was right about that. "And me," she added grimly.
"Listen, Elphie. Nessa can stuff it. She can choose between having Liir at her place or Nanny over here, with the kid out of her personal space."
"And how is she supposed to cope?" Elphaba demanded.
"She'll manage for a couple of hours—most of which she'll be asleep for."
"She needs help with literally everything!"
"Oh, come on, Elphie! I've seen her move things with her feet and pick up items with her toes."
Elphaba remained obstinate.
"I haven't."
"I guess that's part of the problem. As long as she has you and Nanny to baby her, she won't learn to manage on her own. What if one day she has neither?"
When she said nothing, Galinda continued, but in a softer voice.
"You did right by yourself and by her when you stopped letting her boss you around. Maybe she'll grow less bitter over time once she learns to cherish her newfound independence."
Elphaba's arms tightened and pressed harder against her chest. Her jaw set, she glanced at the other people in the room.
"We'll discuss this at a later time," she pressed out, and Galinda patted her back lightly.
"Of course," she purred, but with the serenity of someone who knew they'd already won the argument.
Emerging from the shower, clad in nothing but a large bath towel, Galinda returned to the bedroom, finding Elphaba standing with her back to the door. She was studying the bed before her intently. Craning her neck, Galinda managed to spy the clothes atop the comforter and realised that she must be trying to decide on the appropriate attire for the evening. She bit her lower lip in both cheery, as well as cautious anticipation of what she was about to say.
"Elphie dear, don't be mad," she began, picking up her left hand and caressing it. "I know I should have let you know earlier, but I already prepared an outfit for you."
Elphaba's head tilted slowly and barely far enough so she could peer at her out of the corners of her eyes.
"I don't have much of a choice in the matter, do I?" she asked, her words laced with dread.
"Not if you hope for me to talk to you at all while we're out, no."
She licked her lips and swallowed a lump in her throat, then licked her lips again as if she'd forgotten that she'd already completed this step.
"I, uh… This is kinda our first time going out like this. Together, on full public display and, well, among people we know." Clearing her voice and shifting her weight, she stalled before arriving at her question. "As what are we going tonight? As friends? A couple?"
Feeling her own breath hitch, Galinda also hesitated. She'd considered that problem herself, but only fleetingly, ignoring it mostly and hoping that it wouldn't need to be addressed. That Elphaba would instinctively know how to act. Having to spell it all out for her love was the most humiliating part.
"Would it be oaky if we kept it ambiguous for now?"
"Ambiguous," repeated Elphaba, frowning.
"No kissing. But we can link arms, hold hands. I'm not afraid to show that we're close. Then let them think what they will. I'm just not ready for any big statements yet."
In contrast to how they had presented themselves before, this was huge, Elphaba realised, and she gave a firm nod.
"Okay. That's cool."
"Is it though?" Galinda pressed, at the same time pleading that it would be.
"Don't worry, it is. So bring it on then," huffed Elphaba, bracing herself for the worst.
Galinda held up a finger, meaning for her to wait while she hurried to her walk in wardrobe (which they shared, but only in theory) to retrieve a long, black something hanging from a padded coat hanger.
"A dress?" Elphaba said flatly, glaring at the unidentifiable garment and hoping that the intensity of her hatred would incinerate it before Galinda's very eyes.
"Not a dress. A jumpsuit. See? It has pant legs."
"But no sleeves."
"Well, no. It has a halter neck, but it reaches all the way up to your neck and covers most of your shoulder blades. Do you have the slightest idea how difficult it was to find something so simple and modest?"
"A shirt and a pair of jeans would have done the trick?"
Galinda cried out in exasperation, but once she'd vented it all, she smiled.
"Just try it on, my love," she said, patting Elphaba's shoulder. "You will see. It's nothing to be scared of. Meanwhile, I'll go and fix my hair. Is Liir still sleeping?"
Elphaba nodded.
"You can feed him, even with the suit on. All you have to do is to untie the ribbon on the top and let the front down."
She winked at her, while Elphaba made a face, then retreated.
Staying behind with the non-dress in her hands, Elphaba grunted.
"Fine," she muttered, grinding her teeth before throwing it onto the bed. "Here goes nothing."
When Galinda next saw her, she was fully dressed. She'd even pulled her hair back in a messy bun. To show her appreciation, Galinda decided against undoing all her effort and devising a better style for her. She merely walked up to her, teased out a few strands here and there and told her that she'd curl them with her hot iron later.
"And a silver thread weaving through your hair, is that okay?" she asked, still playing with those gorgeous, silky locks.
"You act as if I have a say in the matter," chuckled Elphaba.
"No other jewellery, I promise."
Elphaba lifted her right hand, and only now the blonde noticed the black bracelet with silver charms.
"Found that among my stuff. I think Nessa got it for my eighteenth birthday or something. Or maybe it was my high school graduation."
Galinda approved.
"This outfit would be best with heeled sandals," she said carefully, testing her luck.
"And how do I magic those up?" scoffed Elphaba dismissively.
One look at Galinda's face was enough to answer that question for her.
The heels her girlfriend had so generously procured for her were lower than she'd expected and the overall fit comfortable enough. They were nothing compared to the torture implements that stepped right into her field of vision just then.
Caught in between disapproval and fascination, she studied Galinda's tiny feet in those sparkly, ridiculously high shoes. Her increasingly appreciative gaze moved upwards, past the golden ankle chain on her left side, along her elegant legs, up to the flowing, deep red chiffon skirt that started just above her knee, and further to where the skirt transitioned into a lace top of the same colour. The front of the top appeared entirely sheer in between the pattern, though she suspected that this was nothing but an illusion. Still, her cheeks flushed at the thought when her eyes moved past her girlfriend's chest. Then her neckline, which was far lower than her actual neck, with shoulders and a fair bit of cleavage exposed. For a second, she wondered how it all stayed in place.
"You like what you see, don't you?" grinned Galinda, a little smug.
"I don't know," answered Elphaba, meaning that she knew not enough about fashion, nor about sex appeal to properly judge her ensemble. In regards to her own taste, it was probably a lie. She did like it, and it shouldn't really matter that the exact reasons remained undeterminable to her. But that was too bothersome to explain, so she refrained from amending her verdict.
They took a taxi—for convenience's sake, and because Galinda feared that she might require a few drinks to get through the night if things played out contrary to what she hoped. Luckily, Elphaba didn't mind one way or another. All she wanted was to survive the event.
Since the party, open to all year two students, required a sufficiently vast venue, the entire ground floor of Briscoe College's historic main building had been cleared for the occasion. The individual classrooms had been transformed to accomodate a bar, buffets, and several dance floors with varying styles of music. The sprawling hallway featured groups of bar tables and several sets of seated areas with sofas, cube-shaped leather ottomans and oversized beanbags.
Elphaba's hand slipped out of Galinda's as she stopped half way through their initial scouting round, feeling overwhelmed, eyes on the floor. Her girlfriend immediately backtracked and gently took her arm.
"Why don't we both have a drink, hm?"
"Alcohol doesn't have that kind of effect on me," replied Elphaba stiffly. It wasn't that she couldn't get drunk if she tried hard enough, yet small to moderate amounts had never been helpful in bolstering her confidence, while large quantities only served to make her feel dizzy and out of control.
"That's unfortunate. But still; with a glass in hand, we could find ourselves a quiet corner from which to observe our surroundings. Until you find someone familiar to talk to, or even get used to the atmosphere."
"I need to hold a glass for that?" she asked, puzzled.
Galinda laughed prettily and dragged her to the busiest room where everyone seemed to be headed first upon arrival.
Within seconds, Elphaba spotted a cluster of their former classmates. Galinda's cronies, as far as she could remember. She nudged her slightly and jerked her head in their direction.
"Oh," was all Galinda said initially. She could see the cogs working behind her serene façade. "Later," the girl decided at length. "I'm not in the mood to deal with them yet."
Busy as it was, evading them wasn't all too difficult. In a stroke of luck, they somehow managed to get their drinks while drawing as little attention as was possible for a green girl who'd never deigned to attend any of the other parties before. They saw them again from the table they had chosen to be their safe haven. The two girls and three boys noticed them too and waved at Galinda. Glancing at her out of the corners of her eyes, Elphaba thought she looked a tad disappointed. Disappointed that she couldn't join them and pretend that everything was normal? Or disappointment that they didn't come up to her on their own accord?
"You're feeling ignored?" she ventured.
Galinda tossed her golden curls, emanating an indifference so strong that it couldn't be anything but artificial. Elphaba didn't know whether she should grin or frown at that.
Boq and Milla arrived rather late. Late enough, in fact, that Elphaba had long assumed that they weren't coming at all. Boq was the one to spot them. They'd moved to one of the sofas by then, where Galinda was chatting away with a band of girls they'd previously only met in passing. Milla, at the same time, had spied the skinny blonde Galinda used to hang out with and pulled the Munchkin towards her instead. Elphaba didn't think it necessary to mention any of her observations. Eventually, Boq did get his way and met them by the bar where Galinda was queuing for another cocktail.
"I'm impressed," he said grinning, looking Elphaba up and down. "Not only did you come to an actual party, you even dressed the part."
"You very well know that the blame lies with Galinda and Galinda alone."
"The blame?" He laughed out loud. "No, the credit! You look great."
Her jaw clenched, she averted her face.
"Boq, don't ruin this for me," Galinda told him, but kindly, reaching out to touch his shoulder. "Compliments tend to have the opposite effect on Elphie. She'd rather you said nothing."
He nodded his agreement and they changed the topic. Milla stood by awkwardly. Galinda wasn't certain if Boq had told her anything, or if she would be uncomfortable in the tall, green girl's presence either way. She wasn't even used to her the way Shenshen or Pfannee were. She'd never really met her before. Well, at least she wasn't storming off or making snide remarks. It was a start. After deciding that her friend had held out long enough, Galinda took her hand and asked her to come dance with her. Boq motioned for Elphaba to follow them and watch from the sidelines.
"And you're sure she's the one for you?" Elphaba questioned him with raised eyebrows.
"Oh, she's not as bad as you think. She's just shy."
They both knew that that wasn't the full truth.
"I suppose her loyalty and love for you will be put to the ultimate test the moment you reveal my involvement in your wedding day."
She raised her beer bottle in his direction and drank. Boq, all confidence, mirrored the gesture.
The beat of the music pulsing in her ears and a healthy dose of alcohol pumping through her veins, Galinda was having a great time. The one thing that made it even better was looking past Milla every now and then, to find Elphaba standing with her back against the wall, watching her intently while conversing with her old friend. She seemed to have come into her own over the course of the evening, or at least to a reasonable degree. The thought of being able to return to her arms after this was exhilarating. For a careless second, even kissing her sounded like a dream.
"Oz, I need a break," giggled Milla, falling forward and leaning against Galinda in exaggerated exhaustion.
"Shall we go back to our dates then?" replied Galinda automatically, freezing in shock when she realised the slip of her tongue.
Milla looked at her funny but appeared to take it as a result of the exertion and drinking.
"No. I need to find a loo or else I can't have another drink." She giggled again.
"Alright, I'll come with you. I'll text the others to let them know where we're headed."
The first bathroom they found had a long line in front of it. Milla stared at it in dismay, and Galinda guessed that her business was more urgent than she'd let on. Scanning the nearby area and recognising a girl she'd met while spending time on the couch earlier, she took Milla's hand and headed over to her.
"Hey, you said you were a Briscoe's girl, didn't you?" She beamed at her brilliantly.
"Sure am. Why?"
"Know any secret bathrooms I can take my friend to?" Glancing back at the one closest to them, she didn't have to explain any further.
"Of course. All you need to do is go up one flight of stairs. Two, if you want to make sure to be absolutely undisturbed." The smirk on the girl's lips as she regarded the blonde and her redhead friend in turns was devilish, but in a strangely affable kind of way.
"The second floor will do," replied Galinda, winking at her before she turned around.
"This chick gives me the creeps, and I don't even know why," murmured Milla as they climbed the broad stairway with its timeworn steps.
"Because she made a dirty joke and it flew straight over your straight head." Galinda's hand around hers tightened at the risk she took by saying such a thing.
Milla stopped for a clock tick to stare at her but didn't let go or comment.
"Bathroom?" asked Galinda, and they continued on heir way in silence.
Galinda was busy fixing her lipstick when Milla reemerged from her stall. Their eyes met in the mirror before Milla lowered hers and stepped up to the sink.
"Why did you break up with Fiyero?" she suddenly blurted out, the water still running, pouring over her motionless hands.
Galinda at once knew that she wouldn't spell her any lies, but summoning the truth wasn't easily done.
"We were never meant to be," she started out vaguely.
"Is he really already married?"
Milla latched on to that piece of gossip so desperately that Galinda knew she was trying to distract herself.
"Yes, but you didn't hear that from me, okay?" She drew a breath and capped her lipstick. "Besides, that's not what you really meant to ask and no, it was not the reason why we split either."
"O—okay. Well, it's none of my business, really."
Her friend's squeaky voice echoed in the empty tiled room.
"I'm gay, get it?" Galinda tossed out, almost as if it were an accusation against Milla. In a manner of speaking it was, of course: an accusation that her friend preferred to ignore this side of her. "At least that's the short of it and all I need you to know and accept. And Elphaba… is not my friend. Or at least not only that."
While she must have guessed at least some of it, Milla couldn't hide her shock at all. Her mouth fell open, and her already pale face turned completely white. To her surprise, Galinda found that she was at peace with whichever result this conversation would yield. If Milla accepted the facts, all the better, if not—
"O—okay," Milla stammered, bobbing her head mechanically, eyes still wide. Then, a little quieter, as if to herself, "Okay."
When they returned downstairs, they found their respective partners occupying one of the bar tables, debating animatedly. Visibly glad to see Boq, Milla hurried ahead, taking his hand and smiling shyly. Unusually perceptive, Elphaba cocked her head to study the pair until Galinda arrived by her side.
"What have you been talking about while we were gone?" she asked, nonchalant. "You looked really into it."
"The implications of railway transport for mid-industrial Oz," Elphaba replied with a half-shrug, as if they'd simply discussed the weather. Her keen gaze seemed to return the same question with tenfold interest.
"What next?" Galinda asked the entire group, ignoring her. "We have danced, we have tasted the drinks. We haven't eaten yet."
"Boq and I had dinner at a restaurant before we came here," Milla told her, blushing at the memory. "I'd rather dance some more."
Galinda hadn't expected that, but would't say no to another round of dancing either.
"With Boq," Milla clarified before Galinda could make a fool of herself.
She watched the couple walk off and bit her lips, grinning slightly sheepishly.
"Boq is planning on asking Milla to marry him," Elphaba told her while also following them with her eyes.
That was diversion enough for Galinda to immediately drop her own worries.
"Already!" she exclaimed, a tad too loudly.
"Do you think he's got a chance?" Galinda answered with an uncertain wave of her hand. "Well, I don't know when he's actually gonna do it. But he told me about it. I think he's serious."
"Hm," was all Galinda could say to that at present.
She turned her head to scan the mob of party guests. When she tried to find their friends again, they were gone.
Her mind wandered back to the conversation she and Milla had just had. The outcome could have been worse, but Boq obviously hadn't prepared her for the revelation. Which was good in a way. He'd reliably kept their secret, even from his girlfriend. The girl he loved. The girl he hoped to lead down the aisle. To marry.
He was going to marry her.
The thought kept reverberating in her head. Boq was marrying Milla, Milla was marrying Boq. It was lovely news for sure, and yet she couldn't tell why it fascinated her so. Why did the mere idea make her heart beat faster, make butterflies flutter in her belly?
"Hey." Elphaba covered her hand with her own, causing her to unexpectedly flush with heat as if they'd never touched before. A brush of her thumb over her sensitive, tingling skin made the fine hairs at the back of her neck stand to attention. Galinda looked up into those soft, brown eyes with their sparkling specs of mica, and her breath hitched.
"Are you alright?" Elphaba said, her face full of concern.
"Maybe… maybe I should sit down," mumbled Galinda, feeling stupid, but also faint.
After she'd delivered her to one of the sofas, Elphaba rose back to her feet to fetch her a drink.
"No, don't go!" Galinda, implored her, grasping desperately for her hand. This did nothing to assuage her girlfriend's worries.
"Are you ill?"
"No."
Folding her hands in her lap, Galinda tried to compose herself. Her chest was heaving, and still she didn't seem to be able to catch her breath.
"I'll call a taxi," decided Elphaba, shaking her head.
"Don't be overdramatic. You yourself wouldn't let me if our roles were reversed," Galinda argued. "Besides, I—I'm fine."
That much was true. Nevertheless, it was no good reason not to do it, found Elphaba. One stubborn mule in this partnership was more than enough. But just when she reached for her pocket to pull out her phone, Galinda grabbed that hand with her free one. Now holding both of Elphaba's arms captive, she pulled herself up on them, looking deep into her eyes as she did so, and even deeper once she was standing before her. Elphaba felt like taking a step back, but, sensing the gravity of he situation, was incapable of doing as much as twitching a muscle.
"Elphie?" the much shorter girl said tentatively.
At a complete loss as to what was going on and what she should do, Elphaba stared back at her. When she answered, her tone was strangely hoarse.
"Yeah?"
"Elphaba," Galinda repeated her name, this time in its full form. "Will… will you marry me?"
"Wai—what?"
Obviously not the reply Galinda had been hoping for, but Elphaba couldn't help it. She was more than blindsided by this sudden proposal. Once the shock had subsided just the tiniest bit and her braincells rebooted, she realised that Galinda had not considered or planned this either until mere minutes ago. That didn't mean that she'd taken the question lightly though.
"I'm done with this," Galinda told her desperately when the silence between them had finally become too much to endure. "I want to be with you, and I want the whole world to know. I'm ready. I don't want to be your roommate anymore, I want to be your wife!"
Keenly aware of the blush spreading across her whole face, Elphaba continued to gape at her in wonder, her mouth opening and closing a few times before she ducked her head and self-consciously glanced away.
"Look, you don't have to marry me for us to be together. There's nothing we can't do, simply because we haven't exchanged vows or rings. We… we could even kiss in public if that's what you're hoping for."
Galinda let out a long breath, releasing the hurt and resignation that Elphaba's response had initially prompted with it. Reaching up to cup her cheek, she made their eyes meet yet again.
"I know, Elphie," she whispered. "And I could have said this all a whole lot better, couldn't I?"
They both chuckle awkwardly, and a sense of relieve began to calm Elphaba.
"Shouldn't we go anyway?" she tried, the tiny smile remaining fixed on her lips. "I mean, it is getting pretty late."
She tried to pull her hand free to make the necessary call, but Galinda held on to it tightly.
"No, Elphie. Wait."
There they were again, looking at each other with bated breaths, taking each other's measure.
"I know you saw straight through me. Of course it was a spur of the moment idea. But that doesn't mean that I wasn't serious about it."
Anxious, Elphaba risked a glance at the people around her and immediately regretted it. It wasn't exactly a spectating crowd, but those who just so happened to be sitting and standing close by had long stopped their conversations and were now blatantly staring at the pair of them. If she herself felt excruciatingly uncomfortable in this situation, Elphaba thought, how must it be for Galinda, who'd put her heart out there for everyone to gawk at.
"Galinda," she tried to tell her gently, "you don't want to do this right here, do you?"
Instead of relenting and agreeing that they ought to go home or at least somewhere more private, Galinda pulled back her shoulders and straightened her back.
"But I do!" she insisted. "In a way, that's the whole point. Don't you understand?"
Her girlfriend's radical change of strategy rendered Elphaba speechless and inept. If she usually struggled to adequately express her emotions, she was now plain unable. Whatever she endeavoured to say with her looks, her gestures, her silence, the message must have come out all jumbled. Crestfallen, Galinda at long last released her hands.
"You… you can't imagine us like that at all, can you?" she choked out in her softest voice. The heart that had previously hammered so wildly now threatened to stop completely.
"No," said Elphaba, the word nothing but the ghost of a breath.
Galinda, who'd heard it regardless unsuccessfully attempted to swallow a sob.
"No, I—I can!" Elphaba hastened to clarify. She reached out to lift her chin with the tips of her fingers.
"You"—she sniffled—"can?"
"Of course." Elphaba couldn't say how she found the resolve to muster a smile despite her agitation, but thankfully, she did. Watching hope flicker back to life in Galinda's eyes, she knew that she was on the right track.
Quickly wiping away a few stray tears, Galinda summoned what was left of her own strength.
"So… if I asked you again," she began, but before she could finish her question, Elphaba pulled her into a fierce embrace.
"Don't ask again, please," the taller girl breathed as she buried her face in her smooth, fragrant curls. "Even though my answer is yes, I beg you."
"Did you just say 'yes'?"
Galinda had to make certain.
Elphaba pressed her nose even closer to her face, in a way that would muffle her words to the ears of outsiders and make them all the clearer for Galinda to hear.
"Yes, yes, and yes. Of course yes. You silly girl, yes."
She held her so tight, not even noticing that she was lifting her up to her tiptoes. Galinda ravelled in her warmth and closeness, drinking it all in along with the magical words. It was as if she'd arrived in heaven.
Eventually, however, her peace became restlessness when she attempted to turn her head and found that she couldn't. Her small hand curled around Elphaba's angular wrist and gave it a squeeze to get her attention.
"I really, desperately need to kiss you," she whispered and laughed against Elphaba's shoulder.
Elphaba didn't shift right away, but when she did, she readily repositioned her own head so their lips could meet.
After that, everything turned into a messy blur, for both of them. Galinda was too giddy to be levelheaded enough and seek out their friends for a goodbye. Elphaba doggedly focused on just two things: organising a taxi and grabbing one more drink for them to share before leaving the building and waiting outside.
On the way home, they made a detour to pick up Liir. They'd left his carseat at Nessa's so they could install it in the cab later. He was awake when they arrived, playing with the finished end of the scarf that Nanny was knitting. Elphaba's sister, on the other hand, had already gone to sleep, for which both girls were grateful.
Back at their own place, in their own bed and with Liir lying between them, snoring quietly, Galinda and Elphaba were at last able to wind down and process this night's events. In turns, they gazed at each other and their child. Galinda tenderly stroked the tiny palm of Liir's hand with her forefinger, until it clenched and closed around her. Elphaba chewed her lower lip while she watched, then looked up and cleared her throat.
"You know, I should be quite angry with you for that stunt you pulled earlier. For putting me on the spot like this."
Galinda winced ever so slightly.
"And? Are you? Are you really angry?"
Uttering a mild scoff, Elphaba shook her head.
"After all we've been through for the sake of honesty? Absolutely not."
Grinning at that, Galinda felt herself becoming bolder.
"So, you're still gonna marry me?" she said cheekily, then startled when Elphaba's face turned unexpectedly serious.
"If it makes you happy, of course I'll marry you."
"B—but it would make you happy, too? Right?"
The question was accompanied by her most inauthentic laugh ever and followed by a terribly long silence.
"If we can be together like this… always?" replied Elphaba, hoarsely, "Then nothing could make me happier."
AN:
Alright. There. Now we're REALLY done. Hope this was okay.
And yeah, yeah, I know... they got engaged... this is kinda the cheesiest ending I could contrive, isn't it? I chose this ending for the sense of finality that it provided, to contrast with Galinda's constant back and forth between wanting Elphaba and trying to hide her. No more hiding. That's for sure now. Sue me if you think I went to far!
Anyway, if you made it all the way down here to read this, you're a true champ and I'm eternally grateful! Thank you, thank you and thank you yet again! I'm gonna sign off now and hope to see you around somewhere else!
Thanks for reading, thanks for commenting if you did! (And maybe consider dropping a few lines just for the final chapter/ overall story if you haven't?)
Have a great day, a great week, an amazing year and take care!
xoxo MLE
(=^_^=)