Rifiuto: Non Miriena

A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018.- Licia

"I'm nervous, Yero, what if we don't place? We've been working our entire lives for this chance, and what if we don't place? What if we don't qualify? If we don't qualify, then we don't go to the Games."

"Fabala, deep breath. We got this, remember?"

"But Yero-"

He kissed her, to get her to stop talking. He kissed her to get her to relax. He kissed her because it was the only thing he wanted at that moment- the taste of her, the feel of her lips on his-

Neither noticed the camera zoom in on them as they stood just outside the Roaring rink, waiting to take their places. He slid his arms around her, pulling her closer as she slipped her arms around his back, deepening the kiss.

"Now would you look at that!"

"Talk about a kiss for good luck!"

The crowd cheered; back at Shiz, students gathered in the student lounge of the Admissions building to watch Qualifications. Whoops and hollers were directed at the pair, but they were so wrapped up in each other-

"Better?" Fiyero asked, pulling away. She nodded, swallowing quickly. "Ready to do this?" A moment, before she nodded, accepting the broom he held out to her.

"Yeah, let's do this."

As they stepped onto the ice, the crowd continued to cheer. As Elphaba moved to get into position, Fiyero leaned close, whispering softly, "We got this, Fabala. Remember that."

"What's happening? What'd I miss?" Glinda wiggled into her seat between Milla and Crope; she'd gotten up to go to the bathroom, and hurried back, afraid she'd missed something.

"They're down by two. The other team is currently ahead."

On the screen, Elphaba and Fiyero were deep in conversation. She gestured to the stones on the ice with her broom, and he nodded, before appearing to make a suggestion.

"If they don't qualify, it'll crush Elphie."

She took a deep breath.

It all came down to this.

After a week of qualifying matches, of beating out other teams and ties, of practices and constant scribbling of plans, it all came down to this moment; if they didn't win, they wouldn't go to the Games. But if they won...

Fiyero stood on the other side of the ice, leaning on his broom; he caught her eye, nodding to her. You got this, Fabala. I have faith in you, love.

Taking one more deep breath, she pushed off, before releasing the stone. Several tense moments passed, before she called for Fiyero.

They've got this, you've trained them well. They know how to play the game, they know the moves, you don't have to worry.

She nibbled on the end of a finger nail as she watched Elphaba release the stone. They knew, that no matter what happened with this match, that she was proud of them, that they'd done their best and that it wasn't their fault if they lost the match. That there would be other Games, other chances to compete. But she also knew that if they lost, both would carry it around for weeks; they'd both pout and run the match over and over again in their heads.

They're both so much like you in that respect. Every little thing that goes wrong, they replay. She worries, but he replays until it dies.

She and everyone else watched with bated breath. Time seemed to slow; the minutes ticked by at an agonizing pace. It was as though they were watching a movie-

"And they've done it! Thropp and Tiggelar have won the match! They've qualified for the Ozlympic Games!"

Thunderous applause and cheers filled the stadium; without a word, Fiyero tossed his broom aside, skating back to Elphaba and scooping her into his arms. Everyone watched as he swung her around in excitement before setting her back on her feet. He whispered three words to her, before pulling her close and kissing her deeply before once more breaking the kiss and scooping her into his arms.

Mulhama bit her lip. Even though it was only Qualifications and not the Games themselves, it was still that excitement, that rush in the air, that those very Games were not so far away now. That what they'd been training for was now within their grasp. Just like our Games. When we went as a Pair... qualifying was half the rush and excitement of the actual Games.

"Mulhama! Mulhama, we did it! Mulhama!"

She made her way towards the pair, wrapping them both in a hug.

"And I'm sure this is a very proud moment for their Coach. And there she is, former three-time Gold medal Ozlympian figure skater Mulhama-"

"It's been a long time since we've seen her back on the ice! Not since Liir Kolenkof's death has she been-"

"She mainly coaches now- both figure skating and Roaring, and it's evident that she's done well as a coach because these two are perhaps her finest students!"

"There's no doubt, this is definitely a proud moment-"

"We did it, Mulhama! We're going to the Games!" Elphaba squealed as the older woman pulled her into a hug. Not since her last Ozlympics had she been this... proud. It was as if she were a teenager again...

"I'm so proud of you! Of both of you!" She whispered; Elphaba buried her face in the older woman's shoulder, feeling the firm kiss Mulhama pressed to her forehead. After several minutes, she turned to Fiyero, holding her arms out. The young man wrapped her in a hug, burying his face in her shoulder as she rubbed his back. "You've done wonderfully, Yero. You both have." She pulled away, reaching up to take his face in her hands. Gently, she brushed her thumbs against the apples of his cheeks, before leaning up to press a soft kiss to his forehead. "I'm so proud of you, my son."