Elphaba waited on the other side of the porters' office for Nanny. As she stepped through, Elphaba matched her stride. Glinda, the alcoholic daze still in effect, chatted excitedly with Pfannee, Shenshen, and Milla. Elphaba felt a bit hurt, but dismissed it as irrational. It helped to focus on the sight the four ladies presented in their various states of undress. Elphaba found her eye lingering too long and tore her gaze away towards Nanny.
"What were you doing going out so late, Nanny? Is Nessa alright?"
"Nessa's fine." Nanny replied, "Nanny was going to look for you. I saw the coach take off with your friends, and you weren't on it. I assumed you would be following us home. When you didn't show up I began to fear you were dead in a ditch somewhere with little miss sunshine."
"I see."
"Nanny isn't oblivious to the world, Elphaba. She sees the way you look at her."
"I don't know what you mean!" Elphaba replied harshly while blushing a light violet.
"Don't give me that. She raised your mother, and knows your father. If it weren't for you Lurline blessed skin you'd have probably bedded half of Shiz by now. I'm surprised you haven't had some type of encounter. Most men seem to be fascinated by your skin after they get over the initial shock of it. Most women, too."
"This is not the time for this conversation!" Elphaba hissed.
"Considering your declaration earlier, I think it will come up sooner than later."
Elphaba pursed her lips at this comment but remained silent. As they arrived at their suites, Glinda bade the three girls goodnight with a hug and a kiss. Elphaba felt a bolt of jealousy at the gestures but squashed it. She stopped at Nanny's (and Nessa's) door.
"Goodnight, Nanny, thanks for caring." Elphaba said.
"It's Nanny's pleasure." She replied, and ducked through the door. Elphaba turned to see Glinda leaning against the door jam.
"Elphie…" she said.
"Yes Glinda?"
Glinda giggled and smiled. Her face grew mischievous and she pointed her finger at Elphaba, curling it in a come hither motion. As Elphaba neared Glinda slid through the doorway and into the room. Elphaba flowed in after her.
Somehow by the time Elphaba crossed the threshold Glinda was already on her bed. Elphaba shut the door and locked it, then went about unlacing her boots. She placed them by her bed and hung her cloak on its rack.
"Elphie…" Glinda sang.
"Yes Glinda?"
"I'm cold."
"Probably because you walked through the courtyard in your underclothes."
"Come warm me up?"
"I'll start a fire."
"No. You come warm me up. A fire will take too long."
Elphaba sighed and moved to Glinda's bed. The blonde wiggled over so Elphaba could lay down. Glinda quickly shifted back onto her and Elphaba wrapped her arms around the blonde. She was cold; probably an effect of too much alcohol.
"Are we not going to the Emerald City, then?" Glinda asked.
"No," Elphaba replied, "I need to figure some things out first."
"Ok." Glinda said, sounding disappointed.
"We'll go someday."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
They sat in silence for a while.
"Elphie?"
"Yes Glinda?"
"I need help getting out of this."
Elphaba sighed again, and began untying and unlacing the underdress. Off came the petticoat, the underskirt. She unclipped, untied, and undid the maze that was Glinda's hair. As she did so she placed all the clips and bindings in their proper place, having seen Glinda do it countless times. Finally, she was left only with her stockings and half-chemise.
"There you go, Glinda." Elphaba said, and Glinda flopped back on the bed.
"You forgot something." She replied and stretched out a leg.
"Glinda, surely you can take your own stockings off."
"You're right." She sighed, and folded herself up to grip the stocking top, but lost her balance and almost fell out of bed. She tried again with similar results. Elphaba sighed and moved to help her. She grabbed the top and pulled the stocking down and off. As she did so Glinda gave a little shiver.
"Always feels good to get those off." Glinda breathed, and extended her other leg to Elphaba. Only Elphaba's razor sharp focus allowed her to keep her eye on the task, and to not let it wander. As she removed it Glinda gave a sigh of joy, and Elphaba tossed them into the laundry bin. As she did so she accidently brushed Glinda's leg, who cooed, and Elphaba blushed.
"There you are! All ready for bed!" Elphaba said quickly and turned around.
"Not quite." She heard Glinda say, and turned around slowly, hoping that Glinda was not (or was) going to say what she was thinking. "Can you start a fire? I'm cold again." Glinda pouted.
Elphaba sighed in relief (or disappointment?) and went about making a fire. They were lucky they still had some wood and tinder. She started it with ease, and built it up until it was a good size. As she finished a pair of soft arms wrapped around her neck and draped over her front.
"So nice. You're so good to me Elphie."
"What are friends for?"
"And now I'll help you get ready for bed."
"You really don't have to do that."
"Friends help each other."
"Thank you, but my dress is much simpler than yours. It simply cinches at the sides."
"What a tongue twister. Simply cinches at the sides. But it's good to know."
Glinda's tiny hands dove to the knots holding the dress tight; Elphaba's flew to stop her. However, the simple knots were undone before she had a chance. Elphaba rose and spun and Glinda followed. Glinda tried to find some purchase to shuck the dress up or down but Elphaba easily cut her off at every junction. Glinda was persistent and it took Elphaba grabbing her by her wrists to stop her. She held them up and away from Glinda's body.
"Oh, Miss Elphaba, you're so strong." Glinda purred.
"Glinda, enough of this. We'll wake Nessa and Nanny."
"I put a soundproofing spell on the room a few weeks after Nessa came. I admit, it wasn't perfect at first," that was accompanied by a pout, "but I've got it now. Nobody outside this room will hear anything."
"Now only if you had one that worked in reverse studying would be much easier."
"There is!"
"Really?"
"Yep! You just have to deconstruct it by syntax-"Glinda started, waiting for Elphaba to get caught up in the academics, and then made a renewed lunge for the dress. Elphaba sidestepped but still held Glinda's arm easily.
"Glinda, I don't think-"she started to say but noticed Glinda's chemise gaping forward. It had probably always been like that the entire time but Elphaba had blocked light. Her breath caught in her throat.
"Why, Miss Elphaba, is there something wrong?" asked Glinda innocently. Elphaba tore her eyes away from the forbidden sight and looked to Glinda's face. In contrast to her voice, her face held a seductive yet predatory look. Elphaba felt a shiver of fear and thrill down her spine.
"Glinda, you're drunk. You don't want to do this."
"Yes I do. I've been wanting this since you came to the cabin. Such a sweet gesture."
"It was Boq's idea."
"Nonsense. You've never been forced to go anywhere where you didn't want to."
"Taking that as a fact without any validation, I don't want this."
"Yes you do. I've seen the way you look at me when you think I can't see. Mirrors reflect more than myself, you know. I also heard you talking to Nanny on the way up. She's not nearly as quiet as she thinks she is, and I'm very good at eavesdropping when it appears I'm having a conversation." Glinda leaned in close. "And then there's the sounds you make after you think I've gone to sleep."
Elphaba reeled back. He defenses were breached; no, sidestepped. Glinda twisted and managed to break away from the drastically loosened grip. One side of her chemise slipped to an elbow. Elphaba's gaze was drawn to the delicate flesh once hidden. Her eyes snapped back to Glinda's and she saw the same smile.
"Glinda, you're drunk and I don't want to take advantage of you." Elphaba gasped quickly, trying to find her metaphorically footing. She needed to regain control of this situation. Glinda's light laughed danced across the room.
"I haven't been drunk for hours, silly. Not since we woke up against that wall." Glinda advanced and Elphaba retreated. They kept it up until the back of Elphaba's knees hit Glinda's bed. She sat down and tried to scoot over the other side of the bed, but Glinda crawled on top, trapping her. Glinda was soon nose to nose with Elphaba and raised a hand to her face. As she went to stroke it, Elphaba squeezed her eyes shut. Glinda paused.
"Elphie what is it?" Elphaba did not respond, just turned away. Glinda noticed her breathing coming quicker and shallower. Glinda sat back and put her hands on Elphaba's shins. When she felt the contact, Elphaba opened her eyes.
"Elphie, what is it? Do you not want this? It's ok if you don't." Glinda said quietly, almost succeeding to keep the hurt out of her voice.
"No, Glinda, it's that I don't- I mean, it's not you – I- " Elphaba stuttered and Glinda felt tears threatening to fall. "No, my sweet, no. Don't cry. I do want it, it's just…"
"What?"
"I'm…scared." There was a silence for a good minute as Glinda digested this.
"Scared of what?" Glinda asked but Elphaba hesitated, looking away. Glinda slowly brought a hand to Elphaba's cheek, hoping it was the right decision. As she touched it, the green girl clutched the hand tightly and almost threw herself into the embrace. Glinda crawled forward, a bit awkward due to the position, and enfolded Elphaba into her arms, placing her head against her shoulder.
"Scared…of…it." Elphaba said, and Glinda almost laughed. Her Elphie was a timid virgin.
"Don't worry. I'll go slow."
"It's not that. I'm scared…you'll find me….hideous."
"My dear Elphie. You're not hideous. You're beautiful. You called me sweet, but you are a jewel. An emerald beyond compare."
"You are sweet. And beautiful."
"I won't argue with compliments; it's poor manners. Now, is that all?"
"No. Glinda, I…" Elphaba pulled back and clasped Glinda's hand in her own. "I'm…Sweet Oz! How do I say it?"
"Just say it."
"Glinda, I'm scared of caring about someone so much they could make me do whatever they want. To be so enslaved they could kill me with a word."
"I'd never do that!"
"I'd love to believe you. Everyone I've ever been close to has abused and used me. My father as a preaching tool; my mother for an excuse for her habits; my sister and brother for their care. Even Nanny, who cares for me the most, still tries to toughen me up." She looked down. "That doesn't include strangers who do so because of my skin. " The pain in her voice broke Glinda's heart into needle size pieces.
"Shh, my beautiful jewel, shh. I am not them. I was once a stranger, but I chose you for you; all of your flaws and quirks, strengths and weaknesses. I give myself to you, expecting nothing in return but you."
Elphaba's eyes welled up but Glinda caught the tears on her fingers before they could fall and hurt the green girl. Glinda ignored her own. Elphaba once again buried her face into Glinda's shoulder, and Glinda could feel her chemise become damp. She did not mind; she knew would do anything to keep something from hurting Elphaba. Even if it was herself. To that end, she made sure her tears fell far away.
After a long time (the fire had almost burnt itself out), Elphaba's breathing calmed. Glinda slowly, gently, tilted the green girl down to the bed while remaining close. Glinda wiggled the covers over them, and arranged Elphaba so she was resting on her shoulder. Cuddled so, Glinda feel asleep with her emerald girl.