Author's Note: Thanks for MyLittleElphie for reviewing.
This chapter contains adult situations near the end (is it called smut here?), though that should not be surprise by now. It also is a bit longer because there no real good place to split it.
Read, review, enjoy.
Elphaba tried not to fidget. She had been sitting on this small armchair for over an hour while Glinda tried on every dress in store (or so it seemed). The only thing that made it bearable was that Glinda would ask her opinion of every outfit. Her radiant spirits (and beauty) kept Elphaba's spirit up.
"Elphie?" Glinda asked.
"Yes?"
"Can you grab that hat up there? I'm too short." She said shyly, and pointed to a hat about seven feet up.
"Can't it wait until Duran comes back with a stool?"
"Please?" Elphaba sighed, and went to reach for the hat. She had to stretch completely up to get it, and as she did so she felt a hot prickle crawl down her spine. She whipped around to see Duran staring intently at her.
"What?" she snapped.
"Nothing. I was just thinking the Misses should wait until I get a stool."
"She wanted it now."
"Whatever the Misses want." His subservient tone grated on Elphaba for she was sure there was something underneath it. She did not know why but whenever he was around she felt uneasy. Elphaba realized Duran had turned and said something to Glinda quietly. She nodded and he hurried away.
"What as that about?" she asked irritably.
"Oh nothing. I wanted to know if I could start a charge account and he said he'd check." She was beaming, and its effect on Elphaba made her let it go whereas a few months earlier she would have been suspicious. Duran returned. Glinda started to choose and hand more dresses to him. These she did not try on as they were similar to the others. Elphaba noticed that the colors were much darker than the earlier ones.
"Finally decided to switch to a more sensible style?" Elphaba said with a smirk.
"No! No…I just wanted…to dress more sophistically. That means not always wearing bright colors." Elphaba arched an eyebrow at this. "Since when have you been miss fashion expert?"
"Living with you for a year has been an education in it. I know more about the intricacies color combinations now than my mathematics."
"Unlikely, Elphaba Thropp! If you've learned anything about fashion, it probably came from some boring old book you read in the library."
Elphaba chucked at this and let it die away. Their banter felt comfortable, safe; unlike the other feelings she was having. After another half an hour, Glinda went to coalesce all her purchases into bags downstairs. Elphaba sighed looking at the load. Glinda was going to need her help. Her eye caught something moving outside the store and she turned to look. Recognizing it, she hissed and threw her cloak over herself. Glinda turned.
"Elphie, what is it?"
"Grommetik."
Duran, who was nicely putting the expensive garments in bags, looked up.
"Problem, Misses?"
"That creepy tiktok creature of Madame Morrible's is hanging around." Glinda said, watching it shuffle outside the store. Elphaba turned to say something and caught a flinty look in Duran's eyes, but it was gone before Elphaba had a chance to focus on it. He returned to bagging the dresses.
"Well, never fear. We have a strict no tiktok policy." He paused, then added in a whisper, "And there's a back door to the alley that connects to the park right through there." He pointed to the back of the store. Elphaba nodded, even more suspicious of this young man. He was not to be trusted. Elphaba gathered Glinda's dress bags and moved in that direction. Glinda followed with her accessory bags. Elphaba slipped into the alley after checking if it was clear, and the two made it into the park with no issue. After Elphaba was sure no one was following them, she relaxed a bit.
"Elphie?"
"Yes."
"Old Shiz is the other way."
"It is. But it seems we may need to move a bit more…fleetly if we are to avoid being followed. And your bags are not helping."
The rest of the walk was uneventful. Buoyed by the peaceful atmosphere around them, Glinda chatted about her plethora of new clothing combinations and Elphaba absentmindedly acknowledge her. Elphaba felt off; unbalanced. The last couple of days had swept her footing from her, and she was trying to find the path to further her wants. But new information was still processing and, though she was loathe to do it, she needed to be patient until she figured it out. As they walked back through the hallway the saw a (still) very hung over looking Milla. Standing in front of the door while Glinda unlocked it, Nessarose came teetering out followed by Nanny.
"Fabala. I've been wondering where you have been. We need to talk." She paused as the sight processed in her mind. "Did you go shopping?"
Glinda came out and took the bags from Elphaba and she sighed. "Not willingly."
"No one has ever made you go anywhere where you didn't want to."
"It will have to wait, Nessa. I've got important business to take care of."
"More important than your sister?"
"No. But since it relates to our conversation, my pretty, it can't wait. Unlike our talk."
"Fine. I'm going to chapel." With that, she huffed off.
Elphaba stared after her for a minute, but then went inside. As she entered she caught Glinda changing into one of her new outfits. The sight caused her to miss a step and a heartbeat. Thankfully, she had recovered by the time Glinda had finished dressing and started to hang her dresses. Elphaba moved to her bed but saw it covered with clothes.
"Glinda. We've discussed this. Please keep your clothes off my bed."
"Those aren't mine." She replied evenly.
"Then whose are they? Was I shopping with an imposter earlier?"
"No, I bought them. No imposter here."
"Then who else's could they be?"
"I'll let your impeccable brain figure that out for itself."
Glinda went back to sorting clothes, a smile on her face. Elphaba glanced at her but then back to the bed, trying to figure this riddle out. She thought it should not be this difficult to puzzle out Glinda's words but her brain was quite foggy. It had been something that plagued her lately, and she could not figure out why. Getting back to the problem at hand, she went through the facts. Glinda bought them. But they were not for Glinda. They must have been a gift. But for who? Glinda would not tell her to figure it out if there were no clues to tell her.
She examined them. They were of deep, rich colors. Blues, reds, purples, even a brown. They were all long, floor length on someone Glinda's size. She picked one up and looked at it. It reached just under her knees. Far too long for Glinda. Not to mention the style was not right. Glinda's clothing held tight at the waist to show how small it was and accentuate her curves. These were tight under the bust but tended to be looser afterwards. Actually, they were too slender for Glinda, too, they would require someone Elphaba's-
"These are for me?" she asked incredulously.
"Yep. You need more dresses."
"I have plenty."
"They're all almost falling apart. While I'd appreciate the view, your need more clothes that will last." Glinda wrinkled her nose. "And look good."
"Glinda, I can't accept these."
"Sure. You say 'Thank you Glinda, you have impeccable taste and I'd look like a pauper without you', then put one on."
"That doesn't sound like me at all."
"Fine. A simple thank you."
"Glinda, these are too expensive for someone like me. For Nessa, perhaps-"
"Elphaba Thropp. I bought these for you so expense has nothing to do with it. Even if it did, you're perfectly worth these dresses. More so, in fact."
"There's no way for me to pay you back."
"I'm sure I can think of something." She practically growled, and once again Elphaba felt like an antelope on the Thousand Years Grasslands being hunted by a Lion. She blushed a light violet. "Starting with getting out of that raggedy frock and into one of them."
"Now?"
"Yep."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes!"
"Absolutely not."
"Absolutely so!"
"Why? They're not as functional as my dress and there's no one to show it off to."
"Because you're pretty and your clothes should be too!" Glinda yelled, and then realized she might have said more then what was appropriate of their level of comfort. Elphaba looked taken aback but was trying to gather some response. Glinda blushed and looked at the floor.
"Ok." Elphaba finally said quietly.
"Really?"
"Yes. If it makes you happy, I'll do it."
"Elphie, I want you to see how pretty you are."
"Glinda, you know I'm not pretty. A dress won't fix that. As they say, you can put lipstick on a Pig, but it doesn't make it beautiful."
"I've seen a Pig with lipstick. She look good." Glinda replied, and Elphaba quirked a smile. "Elphaba, you may not believe you're beautiful, but I will prove it to you. Starting with the dresses."
"What one would you like me to wear?"
"I hadn't thought of that!" Glinda said, and flounced over. She began holding dresses up to Elphaba, and sorting them into wear or not wear. In the end, there were three dresses in the wear pile. Glinda looked again, and discarded a black one.
"Hm. I can't seem to get a good idea. Elphie, please hold these." Elphaba grabbed both of the hangers of the dresses. The second her hands were on them, Glinda's shot out and undid the strings on her dress. Elphaba dropped both dresses and went for Glinda's hands, but all it did was give Glinda the opportunity to shuck the dress over her head. Elphaba's head popped out to see Glinda pouting.
"Since when did you start wearing a camisole?" she asked.
"It's cold today."
"And?"
"I wear it for warmth."
"I thought that's what your ugly cloak was for."
"I figured we'd be popping in and out of shops so I wouldn't have it on all the time. I didn't want all of Oz to know I don't wear a brassiere. Not that's there much to see."
"You don't?"
"As I said, there's not much to – hey! What are you doing?" Glinda's hands had darted towards her breasts but Elphaba's quick reflexes caught them.
"There's no way they're that perky with no support."
"I don't exactly have your ample bosom."
"There's much more then when you first came." She made a face. "All hard and bony. Now you've got some softness to you.
"Probably because you keep stuffing food in my face."
"Probably because you're not off gallivanting around Oz."
"True. Are we done?"
"Can I…just touch them?"
"What?"
"They're just so…perky."
"I don't know Glinda…I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why?"
"Because we don't even know what we are."
"Oh. Yeah." She lowered her hands but continued to stare at Elphaba's breasts.
"What?"
"Nothing. It's just…like they're defying gravity. It's quite mesmerizing."
Elphaba blushed. "I don't know about that."
"Oh yes. I've seen many a camisoled breast in my time, but yours are some of the best. If not the best."
"You're joking."
"I'm not. "
"Now you're lying."
"I am not!"
"Glinda, I've seen some of the girls you've dressed with, and I've seen you. Mine are nothing to be looked at, and they're green."
"Oh. Elphaba Thropp, have you not learned that I don't care what color you are! Also, as you acquiesced before, I know much more about beauty than you do, so when I say I think they're the best, I mean it."
"I don't believe if I've ever said that. I believe I've said your more beauty focused than I am."
"Same thing. Now are you going to let me touch them or not."
"No."
"Because you don't want me to or because you don't think you're pretty?"
"Because…because I don't know. I don't think we should be doing this."
"Why?" there was pain in Glinda's voice.
"Because you've just lost your Ama, and you're hurting and you're turning to me for comfort. But, after a while, you'll lose interest and we'll have this messy entanglement and I don't want to lose the only real friend I've ever had." She let Glinda's hands go. The blonde crossed her arms.
"Since you're so fond of logic, Miss Thropp," she said, a bit icily, "Let's work through something. You remember what I said last night when I started wanting you?"
"Yes. At Caprice-in-the-Pines."
"Correct. That was when Ama Clutch was still around. So your theory falls apart."
"Yes. However, there has been many instances of romantic, platonic love between very good friends. Putting yourself in this stressful situation, combined with me being your only good friend at this time, makes you seek someone for comfort. While I'd love to indulge you, my sweet, I think I would end up hurting you."
"And what about you? Do you have no feelings?"
"My feelings don't matter."
"That's not true! Yours do matter! I know you want me; I can see it in your eyes. And before you even go to that platonic romantic spiel again, I know you like girls! And boys! I'm attuned to you enough to know when you are getting horny Elphaba!"
"A mere physiological need."
"Is that what I am to you? Merely a physiological need?"
Elphaba blanched, turning sickly green. "No, of course not."
"Then am I to you?"
"You are the most precious person in the world to me."
"Do you love me?"
"Of course."
"More than a friend?"
Elphaba's gaze shifted away.
"Don't you dare dodge the question, Elphaba Thropp! Do you love me more than a friend?"
"Yes." She answered quietly.
"Then I don't see what the problem is."
Elphaba grasped Glinda's hands. "I love you too much to see you get hurt, or to damage your future by being with me."
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"Glinda, you're made for the courts of the Emerald City. You can't do that with me on your arm. You need to marry a wealthy man. I also know you want children. Being with me makes that impossible. Even if it weren't our children might have the same problems as me! Allergic to water, green skin, no dreams. That would be too much to bear."
"I make my decisions on what to bear, Elphaba, not you. If you don't want me, fine! Say it and be done with it! But do not give me this martyr act!"
"You see, I've hurt you already."
"You hurt me because you trying to spare me pain. Stop that and I will no longer be hurt."
"Your future would be non-existent with someone like me."
"Because you'd leave me or because people would disown me?"
"The latter."
"Well, then that's my choice."
"There's no governorship, either, Glinda. That will go to Nessa one way or another."
"I figured as much. You're too willful to get tied down to such a role."
"Glinda, there's things about me you don't know. Terrible things."
"Let me guess: You're stubborn. Prideful. Hurtful when angry, or grouchy. Your tongue is too sharp, you love lost causes and you don't have a soul."
"Uh…Pretty much."
"I've lived with you for a year and a half. I know you."
"Then you know a beast like me does not belong with someone like you."
"There you go again. I chose who I want, be it you or the Clock of the Time Dragon. The only thing you can do to influence my choice is to tell me no. Is that what you are doing?"
There was silence. Glinda feared that is exactly what she was going to say. Elphaba, for her part, was trying to do just that. All her plans hinged on not having anything to hold her back. But standing there, in close proximity to Glinda, she broke again. She looked down.
"No, that's not what I am saying."
"So, what are you saying?"
"That…if you'll have me…I want you."
"Of course I'll have you." Glinda lifted Elphaba's chin and looked into her eyes. She smiled. "But, back to the matter at hand; can I touch them?"
"You have a one track mind, don't you?"
"You know how horny I've been over the last couple of days? I'm surprised I haven't jumped you already."
"Yes, you can. But…over the camisole."
"Do you really think you're that ugly?" Glinda asked, and Elphaba wilted. She turned around.
"Maybe it's too soon for that." She said quietly.
"No, please don't withdraw from me. I'm sorry about the comment. It's just you're so beautiful I can't imagine why you'd be shy."
"I'm not beautiful."
Glinda took her by the shoulders and spun her. She stared deep into those dark eyes.
"You are. If you'd just let me, I will show you."
"Ok." She said, and took a deep breath. She grasped Glinda's hands, and shakily brought them to her breasts. Small; about half her size. They were firm and soft. Glinda could feel the hard bud of Elphaba's nipple brushing between her fingers. She left them there for a moment and looked up into Elphaba's face. Her eyes were closed and her lips had slightly parted. She was either slightly aroused, or slightly anxious. Or both. Glinda decided to be daring, and give a slight squeeze. Elphaba flinched and let out a small gasp; Glinda could tell that was arousal. The way her lips parted and her head tilted back drove Glinda wild. She could no longer contain herself.
Glinda gave Elphaba a gentle push. Her eyes flew open and she sat down on her bed. "Glinda? What-" The pain in her voice did not escape Glinda.
She never finished. Glinda bent down and captured those questioning lips with her own. It was light, almost chaste but for Glinda's hands still on Elphaba's breasts. She broke the kiss and looked into Elphaba's wide eyes.
"To answer your question: I simply could not go on not knowing what how those lips taste." Said Glinda hoarsely. Elphaba looked dumbstruck. They sat there for what seemed like forever to Glinda. "Did I…do something wrong? Did I move too fast? We can stop if you want?" her voice quivered.
"Hush, my sweet, hush. You did nothing wrong. It's just…I've never had someone who wanted to kiss me."
"I was your first kiss?"
"Yes."
"Was it like you imagined?"
"I never imagined it."
"Why?"
"To wish for something that will never be simply destroys you. It better not to even start."
"That's terrible. Everyone deserves to be loved."
"Not me."
"I will not have you start that again. You deserve to be loved, to be told you're pretty, to be able to feel safe with another. I will not have you believing otherwise."
Elphaba's lips quirked into a smile. It drove Glinda mad but she resisted this time. "No matter how often you say it does not mean it's true."
"Then I shall say it often and forever. You have your causes and I will have mine."
"So…did you enjoy it?" Elphaba asked timidly. It was a new experience for Glinda, but she started to notice that this voice appeared when she was unsure of herself.
"Far too short for my liking." Glinda replied.
"Oh. Well…you can always try again."
Glinda caught those dark green lips again almost before the green girl finished speaking. The kiss was longer, more intense, but not pushing into daring. Not yet, anyway.
"So?" Glinda asked after she broke the kiss.
"Better than the first. A question though."
"Yes?"
"When are you going to release my breasts?"
"When do you want me to?"
"I'm having a tough time coming up with a time table."
"Ok. You let me know when you do. Right now, I'm going to kiss you again."
"I'd be ok with that."
Glinda went back for another kiss, determined to make Elphaba more than 'ok' with it. She was more passionate but Elphaba was still withdrawn, almost unsure. Her earlier comment reminded Glinda of the softness in her hands and Glinda gave them a little squeeze. Elphaba gasped, which created an opening for Glinda to flit her tongue over the parted lips. Elphaba blocked her from going further, despite Glinda's further caressing causing her to gasp. Then, quite by accident, one of Glinda's thumbs brushed over Elphaba's nipple.
Elphaba moaned and arched her back. Off balance, she fell back to the bed but a hungry Glinda refused to let her escape. She locked lips again but Elphaba staved her off from entering deeper. Glinda brushed both this time. Elphaba arched again and wrapped her arms around Glinda. Glinda was finally able to dart her tongue in and dance it across Elphaba's. Elphaba's moan caught in her throat and her hands squeezed tight Glinda's back. Glinda was enthralled by her emerald lover (girlfriend?). Her gasps, her moans, the way she responded to every little caress, especially against the nipples. Glinda though she could live right her forever; Elphaba's mind had ceased thinking.
Glinda realized she needed air and pulled back, panting. She was quite sure she was flushed pink. Elphaba was flushed too; violet smatterings from her cheeks to her chest. It crept beneath her camisole and Glinda had the urge to chase after it. Elphaba, for her part, was breathing hard with her eyes closed. With a mischievous grin, Glinda brushed both nipples again, and watched Elphaba arch and moan. She opened her eyes.
"So?" Glinda asked.
"Breathtaking." Was the reply and Glinda giggled.
"I can see that." Glinda bent low for another kiss but Elphaba turned her head. Not to be dissuaded, Glinda began to plant kisses down the right side of her long neck.
"My sweet-ah-we can't keep doing this. Oz! We have….to do….things." Elphaba protested. Glinda made a questioning noise against her neck. "We have –oh, sweet Ozma!" that was due to a nibble "uh…we have…ah…shopping to do."
"That can wait." Glinda murmured, switching to the left. Elphaba let out a short, breathy laugh.
"First time I've ever heard you say that."
"I'm enjoying this much more than I ever could shopping." Elphaba, however, got her shoulder and stopped the assault.
"Glinda. Please. It's important."
"I know." She huffed. "On last thing though."
"What?"
Glinda dove back onto Elphaba and latched onto her collarbone. Elphaba groaned at the mixture of pain and pleasure. Glinda, after a few seconds, pulled back and smiled. There was a dark purple mark.
"Mine." She said huskily, and Elphaba shivered at the fire in her eyes. As they got ready to go, and Glinda made Elphaba wear the purple dress, they missed the slight crack in the door of adjoining room.