Author's Note: Big thanks to Wicked Fan, Guest, and evilregal07 for their reviews. I won't even try to make up an excuse as to why I've been M.I.A. lately but in all honesty, I've jus been distracted and busy. Only a few more chapters left so happy reading :D
Disclaimer: I do not own Wicked or any of its characters.
Chapter 18:
"I think we should head back to your room. You've had a long day." Fiyero suggested looking at Elphaba after Dr. Dillamond was out of sight.
"I agree." Elphaba agreed before she looked down at Glinda, intertwined her fingers with the blonde's, and started walking with Valina and Fiyero following behind.
"Wow, she actually agreed with me." Fiyero said playfully as the girls in front smiled.
"Yeah, who knew you could have good ideas." Valina said sarcastically that earned laughs from everyone.
The 4 of them walked back to the girl's dormitory feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted off their shoulders, and a sense of tranquility settling in. They were thankful that they had each other and were safe and happy in their little group.
When the group of friends made it back to Elphaba and Glinda's room, Elphaba and Glinda sat on Elphaba's bed, Valina on one of the chairs, and Fiyero left again to get food. When he returned they literally ate and just sat around talking about what happened, mainly asking Elphaba questions about what happened.
"Are you sure you're fine Elphaba? You still have some pretty heavy war wounds." Fiyero said pointing to Elphaba's cut on her forehead and lip.
"I'm sure Yero. Its nothing a good cleaning and a bandage can't fix." Elphaba said with a small smile.
"Do you need help with anything?" Valina offered.
"No thank you, I've got my personal nurse for that." Elphaba said nodding towards Glinda.
"Alright then, we should get going. Come on, our fearless hero." Valina said sarcastically to Fiyero while standing.
"Yes fair damsel who is always in distress." Fiyero answered back while standing also.
"Goodnight both of you." Valina said walking to the door. "Take care of her Glinda."
"I will, goodnight." Glinda said with a smile.
"Goodnight, see you tomorrow." Fiyero said.
"Goodnight." Elphaba said before Valina and Fiyero closed the door.
Glinda got off the bed she was sitting on and locked the door, then sighing she turned to look at Elphaba.
Glinda couldn't help but feel bad for the wounds that marred the green girl's face, yet at the same time couldn't help but still see her as an exotic beauty.
"What is it?" Elphaba said when she saw Glinda staring at her.
"Nothing." Glinda said shaking her head to clear her daydreaming. She grabbed Elphaba hand to pull her off the bed. "Come on, lets get you cleaned up."
Glinda led Elphaba to the bathroom and sat her on the edge of the tub. The blonde rummaged through the cabinet and found everything she needed to clean the wounds.
"Ok, show me the damage." Glinda said with a sad smile.
Elphaba took a deep breath and pointed out the different cuts on her face.
"Ok this might hurt a little." Glinda said before she applied a cotton ball with antiseptic liquid on it to Elphaba's forehead.
"Sorry." Glinda said when Elphaba winced and shut her eyes tightly.
"Its ok." Elphaba said through clenched teeth as the liquid burned the wound. She only relaxed when Glinda started to blow on the wound, instantly cooling it.
"Better?" Glinda asked in a low voice as she stared into Elphaba's eyes.
"Yes." Elphaba answered somewhat breathlessly from the close proximity she and Glinda were in.
Both stayed silent as they looked into each others eyes. Finally, Glinda broke the connection and continued to clean the wounds. Elphaba was trying to look into Glinda's eyes again, but the blonde wouldn't make eye contact.
"Ok, anywhere else?" Glinda said after finishing on Elphaba's face, still looking everywhere but at the brunette's eyes.
"Umm... yeah." Elphaba felt a little shy and worried knowing that she would have to show Glinda the gash across her chest from Ridal's dagger.
Elphaba took a deep breath and unbuttoned her shirt. She slid it off her shoulders leaving her in only her bra.
Glinda took one look at the cut and saw that it wasn't deep, barely a flesh wound, but it would be enough to leave a scar. As she realized that Ridal cut Elphaba, aiming for her heart, tears started forming in her eyes.
Elphaba still tried to make eye contact with the blonde but didn't want to interrupt her, so she remained silent.
Glinda did the same as she did to Elphaba's other cuts. Only this time when Elphaba hissed in pain she, she let out a small sob.
Elphaba, having heard Glinda, became concerned. "What's wrong?" She asked the smaller girl.
"I'm so sorry." Glinda said as she finally looked at Elphaba with tears swimming in her blue eyes.
"Its ok." Elphaba said trying to pull Glinda closer, but Glinda backed away. "Glinda?"
"No! Its not ok! I hurt you, and then he hurt you." Glinda said while she stood up and her tears spilled from her eyes.
"Glinda, you did what you were told to keep me safe." Elphaba said standing too, forgetting she was still half naked.
"And look what good that did! He still hurt you, he almost killed you!" Glinda exclaimed as she cried harder and harder.
"But he didn't." Elphaba said as she pulled Glinda into a hug. "Glinda, it could have been worse."
"How?" Came Glinda's muffled response because she had her head buried into Elphaba's neck.
"He could have gone through with his threat to kill me if you didn't break up with me." Elphaba said as she gently pushed Glinda away enough to see her eyes. "In a way, you saved me from a certain death."
"But he still managed to hurt you." Glinda protested.
"Yes, but look where he is now. He'll never be able to hurt us again." Elphaba said sincerely.
"Oh Elphie." Glinda said as she hugged Elphaba tightly.
"Uh... Glinda? Do you think maybe we could do this after I get dressed?" Elphaba asked after a few minutes, feeling self conscious.
"What?" Glinda said as she pulled back to look at a blushing Elphaba. When she realized Elphaba had her shirt off she released her. "Oh! Sorry."
"Its ok, just let me get dressed." Elphaba said biting her lip.
"Here, put this bandage on and I'll get you some clean clothes." Glinda said before leaving to get Elphaba her pajamas.
When Glinda returned she saw that Elphaba was looking down and slightly swinging her feet from her spot on the edge of the tub, looking very patient. The blonde couldn't help but smile at the childlike innocence that Elphaba was showing her.
Elphaba who felt eyes on her looked up and saw Glinda smiling at her.
"What?" Elphaba said with a shy smile while crossing her arms to hide her body.
"You looked cute just then. Like a little kid waiting patiently." Glinda said with a smile as she sat next to Elphaba.
"Looked cute? As in not anymore?" Elphaba asked as Glinda gave her the clothes.
"No of course not! You always look cute to me, you just reminded me of a child when I walked in." Glinda said with a giggle as Elphaba chuckled.
"I'll let you get dressed and then we'll talk more." Glinda continued before leaving the room.
While Elphaba was changing Glinda was sitting on her bed biting her nails because she was suddenly nervous about how she was going to explain herself to the brunette. However, when Elphaba came out of the bathroom in a tank top and shorts, all coherent thoughts were out the door.
"Ok, lets talk." Elphaba said as she sat on her bed opposite Glinda.
"Umm... Elphie about today..." Glinda started when she remembered how to speak.
"You don't have to apologize. Like I told you, you saved me because he would have gone through with his threat to kill me if you did not cooperate." Elphaba interrupted before she told Glinda exactly what Ridal told her.
Both girls stayed talking about what Ridal did and what his entire plan was. By the end of it, Glinda had tears running down her face and Elphaba got up to sit next to the blonde.
"Elphie, please know that everything I said to you earlier wasn't true." Glinda said sadly.
"I know, you were protecting me." Elphaba said as she wiped away Glinda's tears and gave her a small smile. "Thank you."
"I'll always try to protect you, like you do with me." Glinda said with a sniffle.
"I know, but promise me you'll never do that again. The thought of losing you... I just can't... don't..." Elphaba said but struggled at the end.
"I know. I can't imagine my life without you either." Glinda said as she and Elphaba hugged.
Elphaba finally knew that there was no better time or place to tell the smaller girl her true feelings, but she was still nervous. She took a deep breath and pulled back to look into Glinda's bright blue eyes.
"Glinda, there is something that I've been meaning to say and I haven't really gotten the chance." Elphaba said before swallowing hard.
"Ok Elphie, what is it?" Glinda said, getting nervous that the green girl would tell her something bad.
"Ever since I first met you, I couldn't take my eyes off you. Then you showed me how you couldn't stand me and I guess I was angry at you, not because you were a pain in my side, but I think because you didn't want me. Yet somehow under all that loathing and hatred I had for you, there was something more, something deeper." Elphaba said cupping Glinda's face in her hand.
"I saw you change and become a better person right in front of me. You're caring, smart, funny, beautiful, and most importantly my best friend." Elphaba continued while Glinda had tears forming in her eyes.
"You mean so much to me, and after today I realized that you are my entire world. Glinda..." Elphaba said sincerely while taking another deep breathe and continuing. "I love you."
A single tear leaked out of Glinda's eye and slid down her cheek. The tear was wiped away by a warm green hand. Elphaba would have been even more nervous had it not been for the smile across Glinda's face.
"Elphaba, you have no idea what you make me feel. You make me want to be a better person and yet you accept me fully for who I am. You protect me, even when I don't ask for it. You indulge me even when its something as minor as playing a game when I'm bored. Most importantly like you said, you are my best and only true friend. I love you too with all my heart and soul, so much that it hurt to almost lose you today." Glinda said with tears falling faster down her face and a wide smile in place.
Elphaba's heart soared when her affection was reciprocated by the blonde. Both girls leaned in and gave each other a kiss that left them feeling happy and warm, knowing that they were in love with one another.
When the girls pulled back, they were smiling widely at each other and leaned their foreheads together. They stayed silent until Glinda let out a giggle.
"What?" Elphaba said with an amused smile.
"I'm in love with you." Glinda said happily and continued to giggle, earning a chuckle from Elphaba as well.
"I'm in love with you too." Elphaba said.
After awhile both girls found themselves laughing so hard that tears were rolling down their cheeks. Several moments later, as the laughing died down, deep brown eyes stared in bright blue ones.
"Lets go to sleep. Its been a long day." Elphaba suggested as she led Glinda to her bed.
"Ok, only if you stay with me." Glinda said as she sat on the edge of her bed and pulled on Elphaba's hand.
"I wouldn't want it any other way." Elphaba said as both girls got settled under the big pink blankets.
Elphaba laid on her back while Glinda was cuddled up to the taller girl's side, with her head on Elphaba's chest and arm around the green girl's waist.
"Goodnight love." Elphaba said looking down at Glinda.
"Goodnight Elphie." Glinda said as she reached up and gave Elphaba a very nice goodnight kiss. "I love you."
"I love you too." Elphaba said as both girls gave each other a smile and cuddled under the blankets.
As both Elphaba and Glinda got more comfortable and slowly fell asleep, both couldn't help but feel like the world had been lifted off their shoulders. The girls silently thought about how they both went from hated enemies, to best friends, to finally the loves of each other's lives. As they wondered what they did to deserve one another they couldn't come up with any reasonable answers. However, it didn't matter to them, as long as they had each other, they knew that they could overcome anything together.