AN : I've told myself that I will post this on Christmas Day, but then real life interferes (as usual). Oh well, I guess it is still Christmas somewhere in this world (maybe even for some of you who are reading this).
Fiyero opened his eyes, and it took him a while to realise he was lying on the bed that he had not been using for the past few days.
He remembered being roused from sleep by the shifting of the bed in the middle of the night. He opened his eyes and saw the green girl hovering over him, her long hair swept over a shoulder, her hand raised in mid-air, her look intent. She lowered her hand, and for a split second he had wondered if she was going to touch him, perhaps caress his cheek, thinking that he was asleep. Instead, she wiped her hand across Liir's forehead; there was a towel in her hand, and she went on to wipe his cheek before his neck.
"What are you doing?" he asked softly so that he would not wake up the boy.
She looked at him, her lips tilting up in the faintest greeting. "I'm trying to make him better."
"Does it work?" Fiyero watched as she lifted Liir's arm and pushed back his sleeve before she wiped the limb, the back of his hands and his palms. She put his arm down gently and patted him on his shoulder when the boy stirred.
"That depends on who you ask, but I think he feels better when his body is cooler. It doesn't feel right when he's burning up beside me." She straightened as she concluded her ministrations. Fiyero caught her wrist. Perhaps it was the dim golden light, the hours between midnight and dawn, the stage between sleep and being fully awake, but something inside him marvelled at how his fingers could encircle her wrist so easily, and how much he wanted to pull both mother and child into his arms.
"Why don't you lie down, and I'll bring this downstairs?" he offered instead.
And now it was morning. Liir was still asleep, snuggling close to Fiyero, his head resting on the Arjiki's chest. He touched the boy's forehead – he was still running a fever, but he seemed much better than the night before. Perhaps Elphaba's efforts had paid off. The green girl lay next to her son, her brows knitted even in her sleep. She had wrapped an arm around Liir, and with the boy so close to Fiyero, her fingers rested on the Arjiki's stomach, curling slightly with the fabric of his shirt in her hand, as if she was dreaming of him and did not want to let him go.
Fiyero smiled.
He kept still, watching mother and son as they slept, until Elphaba's eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him. Something inside him floated like a hot air balloon.
"Good morning," she said. Her eyes went to Liir, to her arm and the hand that was resting on Fiyero. Her face turned a darker shade, and she withdrew her hand.
"Good morning," he replied, trying to put her at ease, as if there was nothing out of ordinary about them sharing a bed and her hand on him.
She smiled again and checked on her son. He wondered what was in her mind when her flush deepened.
"He seems much better," he told her.
"Thank you, Fiyero," she said. "For bringing him to the clinic when you were so busy. And for helping out last night." The adults had taken turns to wipe Liir for the rest of the night, padding down the stairs to wet the towel with warm water and washing it afterwards.
He smiled in return.
"I think I'll go to the supermarket this morning, just to stock up on some things. Is there anything that you need? Anything that you want to cook when I'm not around? Anything that will help Liir recover faster?"
"Don't you have to go for your meeting?"
"It's at ten. I have more than enough time." He liked this, lying cosily in bed with them and talking about mundane things.
"I don't think he'll have much of an appetite, so maybe I'll cook something light for him, something soupy." She tried to stifle a yawn as she thought about what to cook. "Can you get some chicken bones if you can find them? And onions and celery?" She listed a few other ingredients. "I'm thinking of making some bone broth for him. It's good for a cold."
"Bones. Got it. Anything else?" He swept a lock of Liir's hair from his face, reluctant to leave the comfortable bed and the duo.
"That's all. Thank you, Fiyero."
He beamed at the use of his name. "You don't have to thank me. We're family, aren't we?" The green girl smiled in response.
He kissed Liir on his hair.
"Take good care of the little guy when I'm gone, and you rest whenever you can." He reached out and brushed his thumb against her cheek, and he was gone before she could form an appropriate response.
It had been a year since Fiyero last met Chuffrey ("Sir Chuffrey"), but the baronet had not changed much. There were some rich and titled people who were humble and down to earth, but Chuffrey was not one of them. The older man droned on and on about how terrible Red Windmill's design was, how it should be done and how wonderful his own ideas were. His personal assistant stood behind him, rolling his eyes so much that Fiyero wondered if they would fall off any moment.
His handphone chimed, indicating the arrival of a message. It was from Elphaba.
How's the meeting?
He excused himself from the room and called her.
"Hey."
"Hi." He heard the surprise in her voice; she had not expected him to call.
"In case you're wondering -don't worry, he's still alive."
He heard her chuckle on the other end of the line.
"His PA is around and that complicates things…"
"Fiyero!"
He laughed at the shock in her voice.
"So how's Liir?"
"He's alright. He's still a bit warm but he's feeling much better. He was up just now, reading a book but now he's taking a nap after he has taken his medication."
"That's good to hear."
"Fiyero, I just checked the fridge and, and I didn't expect you to buy so much food." Elphaba had fallen asleep again when he came back with the groceries, and the Arjiki had left a note before leaving for his meeting.
"Well, I didn't know what else you'll need so …"
"But chocolates and ice cream?"
He laughed at the disbelief in her voice. "That's for you."
"Thank you so much. I was just thinking, will you be working late? Perhaps I can prepare something simple for dinner? I haven't even thanked you properly for helping us. It's not going to be anything fancy though."
Fiyero found himself grinning as he rocked on his heels. "No, that's a great idea. I'm looking forward to it. What are you planning for dinner?"
"I don't know. Broth soup," she chuckled. Fiyero had bought enough for ten servings, and she thought that she should prepare more so that they could be frozen for future use. "I saw some spaghetti so maybe we can have that?"
Fiyero suddenly remembered something. "Does Liir like ravioli?"
"Yes, he does."
"You know what? I think I have a pasta machine at home, in one of the cupboards. If I can knock off early, I'll go and get some flour and cheese and we'll make ravioli together if he's up to it."
Elphaba could not help smiling. "He'll like that."
"It's settled then. I'll see you later."
"See you later."
Elphaba smiled as she disconnected the line.
She took out some of the things from the refrigerator, trying to rearrange them so that it would be easier for her to get the things that she would need later.
It was only after a while that she realised she was humming.
Chuffrey ranted and raged for another two hours before he called it a day. They would meet again after Lurlinemas, but Fiyero was in a good mood. He fired off a quick message to Elphaba before he went to a nearby bookstore to get a few more books for Liir and the supermarket near his office, buying the things they needed for making pasta. He walked past a florist and the sight of something small and blue stopped him in his tracks.
"Are those Arjiki's tears?" he asked the young girl who was manning the shop.
"Is that what?" she asked.
He pointed to the bundle of blue flowers at the corner of the shop, its diamond-shaped petals the size of a fingertip. "That's Arjiki's tears. How did you manage to get it? I have never seen it anywhere in the Emerald City."
The girl confessed that she had no idea; the flowers were brought in by her regular supplier.
"I'll have it." He wanted to show it to Elphaba, the flowers native to his land. He looked at the other flowers, pondering for a moment before he picked up another bundle of bright flowers.
"I'll take this too".
With his shopping all done, Fiyero made his way back to his office where he had parked his car. He walked past Pancakes and Scones, and Dorothy was outside cleaning the table that had just been vacated by her customers. Toto was under the table, dressed in a red Lurlinemas coat.
"Good afternoon, Dorothy."
"Good afternoon, Fiyero. Is the bouquet of roses for me?" she teased the Arjiki.
"Roses? These are Arjiki's tears. They're native to Vinkus."
"Maybe my eyes are failing me, but all I see is red roses." Toto barked in affirmation.
Fiyero looked at the bouquet and realised that she was right. He had bought all the Arjiki's Tears in the shop, but anyone who saw the bouquet would notice the roses first.
"Is it for the lady whom you brought here a few days ago? The one with the boy who called you Daddy? You never mentioned that you have a partner and child."
Fiyero laughed sheepishly. "She's not and he's… it's a long story."
"She seems like a nice person."
Fiyero smiled. "Yes, she is, and the flowers are for her. Do you think she'll like it?" It had felt so right when he was standing outside the florist, but now he found himself doubting his purchase. Elphaba had never shown any interest in things like dresses, makeup and flowers. In the park, she had seemed more interested in the statues than flowers. Even her interest in the Arjiki tale seemed to stem from her interest in history than the said romance. Suddenly he felt ridiculous for getting the flowers.
It was as if Dorothy had sensed his doubts. "I think she will. And I'm sure she'll appreciate the gesture even if she does not like flowers."
"So when are you going to bring them over for breakfast again?"
"Maybe soon? Liir is not feeling well and we're keeping him at home until he recovers."
Dorothy smiled at his choice of words.
"I'm looking forward to seeing them again, Fiyero. Have a happy Lurlinemas."
"Happy holidays, Dorothy. And you too, Toto."
The dog barked and wagged its tail happily.
"Daddy!" Liir ran up to Fiyero the moment he stepped into the house. He put down the groceries and lifted him into his arms.
"Hey, buddy. How are you feeling?" he touched the boy's forehead with the back of his hand.
"I'm bored," he dropped his head dramatically onto the Arijiki's shoulder. "Can we go somewhere?"
"Somewhere? Like the couch? The bed?"
Liir facepalmed. "Daddy!" he whined, and Fiyero laughed.
"You're still sick, buddy, and that means you should stay at home. Why don't you wash your hands and help Mommy instead?" he pointed to Elphaba who was checking on the pot of broth on the stove. She looked up at the mention of her name and smiled at him.
"Why don't you help Mommy?" Liir responded cheekily, jabbing his finger at Fiyero's chest.
"That's what I'm planning to do. I'm going to help Mommy and we're going to make ravioli for dinner."
"Really?"
Fiyero nodded.
"Can I help too?"
"Of course. But that's later. I got a few storybooks for you. Give me a minute to talk to Mommy and we'll read them together."
The boy nodded with an eager grin as he wiggled out of Fiyero's arms and went back to the couch. Fiyero went up to Elphaba.
"Books again?" she asked, although she was smiling.
"Why? Are you disapproving?" he teased her and was rewarded with a smile. He looked over her shoulders. "It smells good," he commented on the soup, though his hands were aching to pull her into his arms so that he could find out she smelled good too. He settled for a hand on her arm instead.
"I got something for you." Elphaba raised her brows. "And no, they're not books." The green girl laughed.
He showed her the flowers. "These are Arjiki's tears." He pointed to the blue flowers. "And I'm sure you know that these are roses."
"They're beautiful," she commented, her fingers touching the diamond petals gently. "I didn't expect them to be so tiny."
"They may be tiny, but there are places in the mountains where they can be found across the whole field, a sea of blue peeking out of the snow everywhere," he told her. "Do you like roses?" he asked.
She blinked, as if she did not understand his question. He repeated his question. "Like? I don't know. I don't usually think about flowers," she confessed, and Fiyero had to laugh.
"Maybe I like all flowers," she added.
"Maybe you'll have a favourite next time," he said helpfully.
She nodded, though she did not look concerned. "So where do I put this? Where do you keep your vase?"
"A – " Fiyero was dumbstruck. He was no stranger to buying flowers, but he usually bought them for a date or sent them to her house or office. He had never brought flowers home before.
She looked at the expression on his face. "You don't have a vase." She did not laugh at him, but there was mirth in her eyes.
"I don't have a vase," he admitted, and then there was a grin on her face, and he found himself smiling. "I mean, I don't buy flowers for myself. I've never bought flowers for myself," he corrected himself.
"So where are we going to put this?" she asked, grinning.
"I have no idea."
She covered a hand to her mouth, trying to stifle the laughter that was bubbling in her and failing.
"No. Oz," he swore and his grin turned into laughter when she nearly dropped the flowers. Fiyero wrapped his arms around her and let her bury her face in his chest as she tried to calm herself down. It was to prevent the flowers from dropping to the floor, he told himself, but he buried his nose into her hair and laughed with her until her laughter subsided.
"Come look for me when Liir is asleep." He had said before the boy's bedtime.
She came down, but the house was silent, though the lamp by the couch was on. There was a
throw blanket on the coffee table, placed there like a hint to a riddle, a hint on his whereabouts, and
and she draped it across her shoulders before she went to the glass door to the balcony.
The cold air hit her the moment she slid the door open. Fiyero was outside, and he poured out a cup of hot chocolate from the thermos flask as she sat next to him.
"Are we plotting something? Is this a secret conference of some sort?" she asked after she had taken a sip.
Fiyero stood up, looming over her, and put a hand on his hip. "Why Miss Elphaba? Do I look like an instigator to you? A rebel?" he feigned outrage in a fake, booming voice, and Elphaba raised her brows.
"Is it that bad?" he asked.
She shook her head. "That's dramatic. I hope you were never in a drama club."
"No. I have a few friends who were in Shiz's Drama Club though, and occasionally they'll rope me in to help them rehearse their lines."
"That figures. So what are we plotting?"
"Do we need to be planning something devious? Can't I just talk to you?"
She ducked from his stare. "Of course, you can. But I thought you wanted to talk about Liir without him listening in."
"Actually I do." He was all business again. "I was wondering what we should do for tomorrow. I don't suppose you'll let him out of the house."
Elphaba shook her head. "The fever's gone, but I think he should still stay at home for one more day."
Fiyero nodded.
"So how do you usually celebrate Lurlinemas?"
She recalled with a dreamy smile on her face.
"A little bit celebration, a little bit of decoration. My co-workers in the publishing house will usually throw a party for staff and families, so that's how we usually spend our Lurlinemas eve."
"So how do you usually celebrate Lurlinemas?" she asked.
Fiyero shrugged. "With too much loud music and too much alcohol? So shall we do it?"
"Do what?"
"Decorate the house tomorrow. That should keep him entertained for at least half a day. I've done some research, there are a few shops online that can deliver within two working hours." He showed her the pages that he had left open on the browser of his mobile.
"You don't have to do this. Liir still have his books to keep him company."
"He has read them so many times I think he can recite them from beginning to end by now." He laughed. "Come on, it will be fun."
"You're spoiling him." But there was that smile on her lips.
The Arjiki laughed heartily. "I'm his father. You gave me the rights to spoil him years ago when you register me as his father."
"Must I stay in today?" Liir asked, clutching his teddy to his chest as he passed his bowl to Elphaba for washing. The boy was still in his pyjamas. "I'm alright now, Mommy. Can we go somewhere today? I want to go to the aquarium. I want to look at the Lurlinemas lights and the parade again."
"You should stay at home today. Just one more day, alright?" Elphaba ruffled his bed hair before kissing him on his hair. He nodded in agreement, albeit grumpily.
Just then, the intercom buzzed, and the adults exchanged smiles.
"That must be for me," Fiyero said loudly as he winked at Elphaba. "I'll be back in a minute." He pressed a button, informing the delivery guy to wait and he went downstairs.
He came back again, a large box in his arms, and sat next to the Liir. He tapped on the box to get his attention when the boy did not look up.
"What's inside, Daddy?"
"It's a little surprise."
"For me?" There was a cautious tone in his voice.
"Well, not really. It's a surprise for the house."
"The house is a non-living thing. You can't surprise a house."
"Really? That's not what I understand though." He took out a mistletoe from the box with one hand, and a shiny bauble with swirling colours with his other hand, smiling as the boy's face lit up. "Can you help me decorate the house?"
Fiyero was unable to find a holiday tree; all the trees in the city were sold out, but there were enough decorations to do up the whole house. There were mistletoes, streamers, garlands, strings of mini light bulbs and other ornaments. They spread out the items on the floor and grouped them accordingly. After some discussion, they decorated the bannister, the legs of the tables, and hung streamers and mistletoe from the ceiling. Liir ran up and down the house, laughing and offering his help wherever he could.
When they were done with the decorations, they moved on to the glass doors and started to draw snowmen and snowy trees on the panels using spray cans. Fiyero labelled the smaller snowman 'Liir'. Liir giggled, which turned into guffaws when Elphaba presented a daddy snowman with a moustache.
Fiyero was looking for the last spray can when he noticed that Elphaba was looking at the painting that he had hung on the wall, her spray can in her hand.
"Are you going to spray on it?" He feigned worry.
She smiled at him, her finger poised on the nozzle of the spray can for a few moments before she replied. "You never told me what this painting is about, but I think I know now," she said.
"You do?" he was amazed. He remembered giving a vague reply that it was about emotions or something like that.
"It's about the happy moments during Lurlinemas. You have the green, the red… it just gives me the holiday vibes."
He laughed. "You're wrong."
"I'm wrong." She knitted her brows in disbelief.
"It's not about Lurlinemas."
"It's not? Then what is it about?"
"It's not related to some historical event too," he teased her.
"I don't associate everything with historical events." She put her arm on her hip. "Then what is it?"
Fiyero put his hands on her arms and steered her away from the painting. "I'll tell you some other day, but meanwhile we still have things to decorate."
It took the trio almost two hours before their work was done, and they collapsed on the couch after that.
"I'm tired," Elphaba said.
"I'm hungry," Liir groaned.
"I'll cook," Fiyero offered. "And we'll turn on the lights the moment the sun sets. We'll be so bright we'll rival Main Street."
Liir cheered.
After lunch, Fiyero took out a beautifully wrapped present from the big box and gave it to the boy.
"Happy early Lurlinemas, Liir. This is from Mommy and Daddy. It's such a waste to leave this present until Lurlinemas and so we've decided to give it to you early."
Liir tore the wrapper, and his face lit up when he saw what was inside; it was a train set, complete with trains, tracks and miniature trees and houses.
"Thank you, Daddy." The boy kissed Fiyero on his cheek before he ran to his mother. "Thank you, Mommy. I love you, Mommy." He kissed his mother on her cheek.
"Can I set it up now?" he asked.
"Of course. You have to bring this back to Munchkinland though."
The boy agreed, and the three of them worked together to lay out the tracks on the floor.
They turned on the Lurlinemas lights in the afternoon before night fell, the bulbs twinkling like stars all over the house.
"Can we have our dinner outside later?" Liir asked, pointing to the balcony.
"Are you serious? There's no heater outside."
"I can put on my jacket and scarf."
"You can go out in your jacket," Elphaba met him halfway. "But just for a while. I don't want you to catch a cold again."
Liir nodded enthusiastically and they all dressed up. Fiyero took out the three gold and three green candles that he bought a few days ago and tried to light them in the balcony, but there was a blustering wind blowing and the matchstick went out almost immediately.
"Help me," he called out, and Elphaba went over to him. They cupped their hands together, trying to shield the flame from the wind so that the wick would catch fire, but it would not light up no matter what. They were so surprised when the candle finally lit up that Fiyero let out a gasp and blew out the candle and they had to start all over. And they were laughing so badly there were tears at the edge of their eyes when they finally managed to light up all the candles.
"It's beautiful," Elphaba said as the sky darkened, their faces close together. She looked up, and found the Arjiki smiling at her, his face glowing with the light from the flame. He parted his lips, about to say something but then closed his mouth again.
"I'm going to miss you so much, Daddy." Liir hugged his father. "Will you miss me?"
"Of course, I will. I'll miss you, and I'll miss Mommy. But time flies, and before you know it, we'll meet again."
"Will we?"
"Yes, we will. I can come over to visit you during your school holidays, or you can come over then. And we can always talk on the phone."
The child turned to his mother immediately. "Can Daddy visit us?"
"Accommodation will be a problem, Liir. There are no motels near our place," Elphaba reminded him.
"I can always share my bed with Daddy when he comes over. Right, Daddy?"
"Promise?" he asked the boy.
"I promise, Daddy."
Moments later, a gust of cold wind blew out two of the candles and sent them laughing as they ran into the house.
"It's freezing!" Liir exclaimed as he blew on his gloves and cupped his face. Elphaba prepared a cup of hot chocolate for the boy and peeled off his jacket when he had warmed up before they played with the train set.
Fiyero was marinating the salmon filets for dinner when there was the sound of a phone ringing. It was only when Elphaba took out her phone that he remembered that it was the ringtone of her phone, the one that he had only heard once before.
She answered the call. "Hello?" A pause. "Yes, this is Elphaba speaking." She leaned against the kitchen table and ran her hand through her long hair as she listened. "Yes. Yes. No, I don't understand." Another pause.
He wondered who was calling.
Police? He mouthed, remembering the phone call that had woken him less than a week ago. She shook her head and walked over to the couch. "I see." There was another pause as the person on the other end spoke. "No, I'm afraid that's not possible. Is that the only option?" He wondered what the call was about and what options were given to her.
Elphaba pinched the bridge of her nose as the person on the other end rattled on. "No. Do I …. I guess not. Yes, I understand. It's alright. Yes, thank you." She disconnected the call and exhaled as she slipped her phone back into her bag.
She turned and her eyes widened when she saw him looking at her.
"Is everything alright?"
She shook her head. "Yes, everything is fine. I'm – " She gestured with her hands. "I'm fine."
She turned and took a few steps before she turned around again.
"I… the coach company called. There is a bug in their system, and they're overbooked for the next two weeks. There's a backlog, and all affected passengers have to wait until the week after the new year before any seat is available."
She looked at her hands, as if they were responsible for this mistake, and looked up again, chewing her lip.
"I can't stay for that long, Fiyero. She gave me another option. She can squeeze us into one of the earlier buses, but it's leaving tomorrow."
"What?" He could not believe his ears.
"The coach will leave at ten in the morning."
He took a step forward, his hands clenching, wanting to… to do what? To catch hold of time so that it would not slip away?
She tried to smile but it looked more like a grimace. She twisted her fingers. "I'm not angry. I'm just disappointed I guess." She took in a deep breath and tried to smile again. "There are so many places that we have not gone to. Liir will be so upset when he hears this." She glanced at her son.
"Is there anything we can do? Maybe we can call up another company?"
She shook her head. "It's Lurlinemas week. The tickets are fully booked months ago."
"What if I send you back? Will you be able to stay a while longer?"
Elphaba shook her head again and looked at him, and it was only then that she realised she was in his arms. He had washed his hands hastily just now, and the scent of lemon and herbs swirled around her. She had no idea when he had come to her, when she had stepped into his arms, or when he had pulled her to him; it just happened, like how a plant will turn towards the sun, like the pull of gravity.
"You have work to do, Fiyero." She tried to smile again. "Well, I guess it'll give me an excuse to come back again another time?" Fiyero chuckled softly, though it did nothing to lessen the weight in his heart.
"Must we really go tomorrow?" Liir asked as Elphaba packed their belongings. She put aside the clothes that they would be wearing on the journey home and placed the rest into the luggage.
"I'm afraid so, sweetie."
"I don't want to go."
"We don't have a choice. I can't stay here for that long. I have to go back to work."
"I can stay with Daddy. Daddy can bring me to the aquarium. Right, Daddy?" he gave Fiyero a wistful look.
Fiyero caught the worried look on her face.
"I'm afraid not, buddy."
Liir pouted.
Elphaba went to the loft again, and Fiyero was waiting for her when she came down with Liir's backpack.
He took out a present from behind his back.
"Happy early Lurlinemas, Elphaba."
She blinked, and it took her a while before she realised that it was for her.
"When did you get it?"
"I engage the service of a shopping concierge," he confessed. "I know that I'll never be able to get something for you without you finding out, so I got someone else to get it for me. It was supposed to be a surprise on Lurlinemas Day, but I guess I won't have the chance to do so."
"You shouldn't have. I've been giving you nothing but trouble and I still get a present?"
Fiyero laughed. "I thought we're already over that 'trouble' conversation? We're family, remember?"
"But I didn't get you anything," she protested.
"You don't have to get me a present. You're going to do something even better than that. You're going to write my bestselling memoir for me, remember?" She chuckled at that. "Moreover, this is not something that I can easily give to someone else."
His statement piqued her curiosity. "What is it?"
He put it on the countertop. "Open it."
She opened the box, revealing a photo frame, gold and bronze. It held the photo that Liir had taken at the top of the Emerald Tower, the photo of the bird captured in mid-flight.
"It's beautiful. Thank you."
"There's more."
She looked, and the black paper under the photo frame turned out to be another present. It was a copy of 'How The Great Drought Changed Ozian History'. She smiled at his thoughtfulness.
She turned to the first page and read the handwritten message inside.
Dear Elphaba,
Congratulations on your first book.
And here's to many more.
~ Fiyero
Ps. Thank you for an amazing Lurlinemas week.
"When did you write this?" she asked.
He pointed to the loft. "I did it just now when you were busy packing."
She hugged the presents to her chest. "It's beautiful, Fiyero. Thank you so much."
"I'm glad you like it."
She put a hand on his shoulder and kissed him on his cheek without a second thought.
"I love it. Thank you," she said. Fiyero took her fingers and pressed them to his lips.
"I'll miss you, Elphaba." He had said the same thing earlier that day, but there was something in his voice this time, something in his eyes, sombre and electrifying, and she found herself unable to look away. He touched her cheek with his knuckles, and he leaned in to press his lips against the corner of hers, setting off tingles that reached the tips of her fingers and ends of her toes and her heart pounding.
He brushed his thumb against her cheek. "Elphaba, I … "
Someone knocked on the door.
"Who's that?" she asked without thinking, taking a step back. Her hand went to her heart, trying to calm herself down. She knew that no one could come up via the private lift without an access card, and the only card for this level was with Fiyero. The Arjiki did not answer the question but he frowned and went to the door without another word.
He opened the door slightly, blocking Elphaba's view of the visitor. "Aren't you supposed to be on holiday?" he asked.
The new arrival did not answer. Instead, he pushed Fiyero's arm away and stepped into the house. It was a man, slightly shorter than Fiyero and slimmer. He wore a tanned, tapered coat that fell almost to his knees, dark pencil-thin pants with a maroon cashmere scarf and his wavy hair curled stylishly around his neck. There was something strangely familiar about him, but Elphaba was unable to put her finger to it.
"I've brought a bottle of wine to thank you for babysitting Sir Chuffrey." He deposited the bottle onto Fiyero's hands and sashayed into the house as if he owned it. The man stopped in his tracks when he saw Elphaba and Liir.
"Ah, the mystery of the season," he said as he gave Elphaba a once over. "Is the green real?"
Elphaba scowled, and Fiyero stepped between them.
"Tibbett," he growled his name. "Don't be rude."
"Can I have her in my next campaign?"
"No!" both Elphaba and Fiyero chorused.
Tibbett raised a brow. "You actually got someone in your house who's not interested to appear in a Red Windmill project? What is this world coming into?" He said dramatically.
Elphaba looked at Fiyero, her eyes full of questions.
The Arjiki ran his hand through his hair and took a deep breath.
"Tibbett, she's not interested in being a model. And you're scaring the boy." Liir hid behind Elphaba, his tiny hand gripping the hem of her shirt.
Tibbett turned to the boy immediately.
"Oh, so this is the reason why you called me in the middle of the night for a t-loan." His voice went back to normal.
"What are you doing here? I thought that you were on holiday? Where's Crope and the twins?"
"We came back. We knew that there's something wrong when you wanted to borrow the booster seat."
Tibbett went up to Elphaba. "Sorry if my entrance isn't up to your taste. I'm Tibbett. I'm sure you have heard of me."
Fiyero rubbed his face. "No, she has not heard of you."
"You haven't? Alright, let me introduce myself. My name is Tibbett. I'm Fiyero's business partner. I've known Fiyero for a decade. Have you heard of Red Windmill?"
Elphaba nodded. "Fiyero works there."
Tibbett guffawed. "He works there?" He turned to Fiyero. "She didn't know about me, and she didn't know about Red Windmill. What have you been keeping from her? Let me rephrase my question – what does she know about you? I'm pretty sure that's a shorter list."
Tibbett strolled to the refrigerator and took the photo from the side of the refrigerator. He showed Elphaba the photo and pointed to the person at the side. "That's me," he said. "And that's Crope."
"Red Windmill was conceptualised years ago when Yero, Crope and I went back to Red Windmill on its last day of business. That's us on that last day." He pointed at the photo. "Have you heard of Red Windmill? It's the best club in Shiz during our time. Of course, some would say that the Philosophy Club is the best, but we always find that place too tacky. I can never understand why that place is still running after so many years when my favourite haunt has to go. We spent so much time at the Red Windmill it's almost like a second home. And there's where we came up with the idea of setting up our own advertising firm. It's either that or to take over Red Windmill."
"So your advertising firm is named after a gentlemen's club." Elphaba gave Fiyero an arch look.
"Where's Crope?" Fiyero asked again.
"Oh, didn't I tell you? He broke his leg."
"What?"
"We left the twins with the hotel concierge and went out for a date. And we were so drunk he tried to dance on the bar top but he slipped and fractured his leg instead." Tibbett tapped on his left leg.
"Is he alright?"
"As alright as someone who has to cancel his holiday after breaking a leg, just grouchier and whinier. But he told me to come over because we're dying to know who the booster is for. Come and think of it, maybe he broke his leg on purpose." But the grin on his face told Fiyero that he was joking.
"You don't need the booster anyway; the twins outgrew it years ago," Fiyero tried to justify his action.
"That's true, but then Crope and I are always talking about adopting again. Is this adorable kid available for adoption?"
"No," Elphaba and Fiyero replied in unison and Liir shook his head.
"Anyway, since I'm back, I'll take Sir Chuffrey off your hands," he replied with a wink as he pressed the photo onto Fiyero's hand. "You don't have to thank me."
"And then you can spend more time with your lady friend," he whispered as he opened the door.
"She's just a friend, Tibb."
"Really? When did you start letting your female friends stay with you and give them roses?" He gestured to the bouquet of flowers on the table.
"How did you -?"
"I can see their belongings everywhere. The only thing missing is her lingerie but I guess it's on the bed. Denial is futile, my friend."
"It's a long story."
"Really? If she's just a friend then I'm straight. You may not know yourself well enough, but I do, and your body language tells me otherwise. Stop lying to yourself." He turned to Elphaba and Liir and waved goodbye with his fingers. "I'll see you around."
Fiyero closed the door behind him and went back to the duo.
"Are you ok, buddy?"
Liir nodded.
"He's not going to take you away. He's just an old friend who can be a bit raucous at times."
"I hope he didn't irritate you," he asked Elphaba, and the green girl shook her head. "He acts like that sometimes. Tibbett was the president of Shiz's Drama Club, the friend that I told you about. Crope was the vice-president."
"So you name your company after a gentlemen's club."
Fiyero chuckled. "I name it after the windmill in the town near my home in Vinkus. When I was growing up, I'd spend hours looking at the way it turned lazily in the gentle breeze in the summer, the way the snow gathered and slid off the sails as they turned in the winter. It's like a spell. It mesmerised me. Tibbett and Crope named the company after a gentlemen's club."
Elphaba laughed softly. Somehow, his heart felt lighter when he heard her laughter. He reached out for her, his hands cradling her elbows and she stopped mid-laugh.
"Elphaba, do you remember what I've said earlier on? That maybe I'll go over and visit you sometimes? And that we'll talk on the phone?"
She nodded.
"Tibbett is right. I lied." Her eyes widened. He took a deep breath before he continued. "Elphaba, I don't want to have to call you when I want to talk to you. I want to just turn around or walk into the next room, and you'll be there. I want to lie on the bed with you and decide what to have for breakfast or discuss what to cook for dinner. I want to sit next to Liir and read with him. I don't want to meet just once every six months and miss most of Liir's milestones. I don't want him to forget me. Or meet you the next time only to find that you're seeing someone else." He brushed his knuckles against her cheek.
"Stay." He remembered saying the same word less than a week ago. And this time, there was a deeper meaning to it. Or maybe it was the same, just that he did not know it then.
She shook her head. "Fiyero, this is crazy. Your friend Tibbett, he's right. We don't know anything about each other."
"I know enough."
"But we've only known each other for a week."
"I fell in love and bought this apartment within 5 minutes of seeing it."
"I'm not an apartment."
"No, you're more important than that. Even though we've only met for a few days, I feel as if I've known you and Liir for very long and it just feels so right. We belong together. We're family. I'll be the father that he will be proud of. I will never let him, and you, down."
He cupped her cheek with his free hand. "Stay, please," he said again, his thumb brushing against her lower lip, and he leaned in and closed the gap.
He kissed her once, twice, feeling her lips soft against his, the gentle pressure as she reciprocated with her eyes closed. Her hand reached out and touched his jaw as he deepened his kiss, pulling her close to him.
"Elphaba," he pleaded when they parted.
She shook her head. "I can't."
Elphaba sat on one of the empty chairs and pulled her luggage and teddy bear soft toy close to her. She looked at the tickets in her hand, checking the information on the paper against the license plate of the coach that was waiting at the berth before her and the destination on the signboard. It was going to be a long journey, the end of her Lurlinemas holiday.
"There she is!" somebody said. She turned and saw a young boy running up to her. "Mommy! I thought you have left without me!"
"Now why would I leave without you?" She ran her fingers through his hair.
"You said that the coach will leave on time." He pouted and climbed up to the seat next to her before adjusting his mask and taking back Teddy which was wearing a similar mask. Fiyero sat on the seat next to Liir, and then lifted the boy onto his lap so that he could slide over and sit next to the green girl. He turned to face her and draped his arm on the back of her chair.
"So what took you so long? Isn't the gents just around the corner?" she asked her son, but it was Fiyero who answered.
"Daddy was so slow."
"There was a long queue," he explained their long absence. "It seems that there was some 'technical' issue."
Elphaba covered her ears. "I don't want to hear about it."
He laughed at her reaction.
"So you're ready to go?"
She nodded.
"I'm not ready to let you go," he said, as he brushed a finger against her cheek. "I still can't believe that you're leaving."
"Fiyero… "
He smiled. A sad little smile, and he took her hand to his lips and kissed her fingertips.
"Now, Liir, promise me that you'll behave yourself, and don't give Mommy any trouble on the way home."
"I won't. I'm going to play with Teddy and then I'm going to sleep on the bus," Liir said. "You must take care of big Teddy when we're not around, Daddy."
"Of course, I will."
"What are you going to do when we're not with you, Daddy?"
"I'm going to be a bowerbird." Elphaba blinked, and then she laughed when she realised the inference.
"What's a bowerbird?" The boy was curious.
"A bowerbird is a bird that will build a beautiful elaborate home that will attract the girl that he likes. And that's what I'm going to do when you're gone. I'm going to get a new house and decorate it so beautifully that Mommy will want to stay with me permanently. The new place will still have plenty of light, lots of good food around, but you're going to have your own bedroom like what you have in Munchkinland."
"It's too premature," she said, smiling.
"Not at all. State your conditions, and I'll fulfil all of them. You know I'm open to negotiation when it comes to you."
He tipped his head and whispered into her ear. "And next time, when you're back, I'll tell what my painting is about. And I can even show you if you want to." He ran a finger down her arm, and she felt a shiver down her spine.
The bus driver sounded his horn and the passengers around them stood up to board the bus.
"We got to go."
He leaned in and kissed her.
"It still feels strange," she admitted when they parted.
"It's like cycling. You'll feel strange at first, but it'll get better the more you practise."
"Really?"
"Really. I'll never lie to you."
"That's not what I remember." But she touched his jaw and kissed him. "It still feels strange." He reached for her hand, squeezing her fingertips.
"Practice makes perfect," he reminded her. She cocked her head, and then kissed him again.
"I think I still need a lot of practice." She tried to keep a straight face and Fiyero burst out laughing.
He turned to his son. "I'm going to miss you, buddy."
"I'm going to miss you, Daddy. Can I come back soon?"
"Mommy and I will try to work out something soonest, ok?"
Liir nodded, and Fiyero knelt and hugged him tightly, squeezing his eyes shut so that the tears would not come out. He then kissed Elphaba again, a lingering kiss that he hoped would remain on her lips for a long time.
Elphaba and Liir boarded the bus. They put their luggage into the overhead compartment and made themselves comfortable in the tiny space. The driver walked down the aisle, checking everybody's ticket, and he was about to drive off when the last passenger boarded the coach.
"Fiyero? What are you doing here?" she exclaimed.
"I'm coming along."
"What?"
He waved the ticket in his hand. "There was no long queue in the gents. There is, however, one last seat for this bus." He propped himself on the seat across the aisle.
"You knew." Elphaba turned to her son who was trying to stifle his giggles.
"I still have one week of leave, and Tibbett is back, so I am going to reward myself with a holiday." He gave her a wink.
"You're not packed," she pointed out.
"I'll prance around your house naked." Elphaba quickly covered Liir's ears with her hands.
"What makes you think that I won't get sick of you?"
"So are you admitting that you are into me now?"
"You're crazy." But she was smiling.
"You're right. I'm crazy. Crazy in love. I'm going to have my holiday with you, whether you like it or not."
"Can I say no?"
"No!" Liir and Fiyero shouted, the boy clamping his tiny hand over her mouth, and they laughed together.
AN : So this is last chapter, and they are going to live happily ever once they sort out all the logistics issue. I hope you like this lighthearted fiyeraba and here's wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year ! And stay safe! :)
~~~ The End ~~~
~~~ Lurlinemas Week (or How To Fall In Love Twice In A Week) ~~~
~~~ A Wicked fanfiction ~~~
~~~ drafted : 5 Sep 2021 - 26 Dec 2021 ~~~
~~~ published : 25 Oct 2021 - 26 Dec 2021 ~~~