Ok, so as promised here's chapter 13

Ok, so as promised here's chapter 13! Thank you to the lovely people who reviewed chapter 12, you know who you are but I'll mention you anyway, cookies and hugs for you guys:

~ liz1015

~ yeroandfae714

~ TillITryIllNeverKnow

~ X...x.X

Chapter 13 – Bonding time

Later that day, Elphaba was sitting in her room reading when a soft tap came at the door, and Fiyero's head peered around it in response to her answering "come in".

He could still not believe his luck. This beautiful, intelligent, passionate girl who he had fallen completely and irrevocably in love with actually loved him in return. His face was radiant with love as he stood in the doorway watching her put a bookmarker in the page she was at, lay the book down on the side table and turn to face him with a shy, but loving smile on her face.

He moved across the room and took her in his arms, kissing her romantically and then holding her close, stroking her hair and listening to her quiet breathing. She in turn leant into the embrace, loving the feeling of his strong arms wrapped gently but firmly around her.

After a minute they broke apart slightly, Fiyero's hand still resting lightly on Elphaba's waist.

"What do you want to do this afternoon my darling?" he questioned his fiancée. "We could go for a ride, have a picnic in the grounds, go for a carriage ride…anything you like."

Elphaba thought for a moment, before her eyes lit up and she spoke quickly, almost pleadingly.

"Yero, could we just stay here. In my room, or in yours, and we can just talk and ask each other questions and have some couple time? If that's ok with you…"

Her voice trailed off towards the end of the sentence and she looked down, breaking the eye contact between them, but he slipped his hand under her chin and gently lifted her face up towards his so that she could see his smile.

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Fae. Shall we stay here? We can sit and talk and…bond."

She nodded and he took her hand, leading her over to the thick, warm hearthrug and sitting cross legged, motioning for her to do the same opposite him. He then held both her hands, so they were facing each other with hands joined.

"Can I go first, Fae?!" he asked, with the eagerness of a small child waiting to pick out a new toy!

Elphaba laughed and nodded. "Alright then, Yero. What do you want to ask?"

Fiyero thought for a moment. There were any number of things he would like to ask Elphaba, but he also knew that some of them would be better asked later on, when they had warmed into the atmosphere a little more. "Ok Fae. When did you first know that you liked me?"

He laughed as his fiancée turned the darkest shade of green he had ever seen her. "Oh Yero, that's just mean! You already know that. I don't just walk up to people in class and start working with them, I'm the green freak, remember. That's why Boq was surprised when I did."

Fiyero's eyes had flashed for a moment when she said the words "green freak", but he calmed himself. "It was worth the question for your face though" he teased her and leant forward for a quick peck on the lips. "now, your turn".

Elphaba considered for a minute. There was one question she wanted to ask, but she wasn't sure how to phrase it. So she went for a different one, knowing it would be easier to answer. "Did Boq actually have a lunch date with Nessa, or was he trying to get out of the way?"

Fiyero laughed at that. "A bit of both! He did have a date, but he arranged it after we arranged the study time. I think it was his way of pushing us into something actually happening!"

Elphaba laughed with him, suddenly realising that her Munchkin friend had more for her to thank him for than she'd realised. She made a mental note to do so, sometime in the future.

The game continued for nearly 2 hours, with questions asked and answered on both sides. Some questions brought back happy memories, some sad, but all were answered honestly and responded to with tenderness.

Elphaba collected herself after laughing at a particular question that Fiyero had just asked her, and prepared to ask her own. She decided, after a moment of hesitation, to ask the question she had wanted to from the beginning of the game.

"Yero, don't take this the wrong way. I don't mean anything by it, and I love you and I don't want anything about us to change, but…" she broke off as Fiyero put his index finger on her emerald lips and spoke softly and reassuringly.

"Fae, just ask me, darling. You can talk to me about anything you want, you know that."

She nodded, squeezed his hand tightly for comfort and spoke hesitantly. "Why me? When you walked into class that first day there were loads of pretty girls, but you looked at me. When we went out for that meal there was Galinda there who is bubbly and exciting and beautiful, and yet you chose me. Why, Yero? Why me?" She looked close to tears. "I don't understand. All my life I've been the bit on the side, in the way, the person who came along as an extra, first to Nessarose out of duty when we were at home, and now out of friendship to Galinda. But I was never a person in my own right."

Fiyero gasped in horror and leant forward, wrapping her in his arms. He sensed that what she needed at this moment was time to process what she had just said, and simply held her tight, only changing their position when he felt her body relax into his, at which point he released her slightly and changed their position so that he was sitting with his legs stretched out and spread apart, with her sitting between his legs, leaning her head against his chest. "oh my darling, how could you think that? I love you because you are you. Not because of looks, or because you're so amazingly intelligent, but because you are your own person, you're passionate and good-hearted and just wonderful. How could I ever not have loved you?"

Elphaba twisted around, seeing the sincerity in his facing and hearing it in the words he spoke. He stood up abruptly, and Elphaba started, thinking she had offended him, but his hands took hold of hers and led her to the bed, where they sat don side by side with Fiyero's arm around her shoulders. She rested he head on his shoulder, and he put his head on top of hers, while his other hand played with the engagement ring that had now been there for nearly a day. Looking, at the clock, which read 9:45 pm, he realised that it was in fact very nearly a day. He spoke quietly, suddenly having a wonderful idea. "Fae' shall we go for a walk in the grounds? The moonlight is beautiful and we don't have to be long."

Elphaba nodded in agreement and they walked down the corridor and out into the grounds, heading down to the river where they had sat the night before. As the clock struck Elphaba suddenly smiled, understanding why he had brought her back to this place now. Fiyero looked at her, holding both her hands, and stroking the engagement ring with his thumb.

"Elphaba, a day ago in this spot I asked you to marry me, and you accepted. We've been engaged for a whole day. Happy anniversary my love."

"Oh, Yero, I…" Elphaba couldn't finish her sentence, but instead lifted her face to kiss her fiancé. It was meant to be an innocent, loving and tender kiss, but feeling his arms around her had the same effect for her as having her there had for him. They kissed deeply and repeatedly, Elphaba running her hands through Fiyero's hair, while he caressed her back, sides, and shoulders. They were pressed closely together, with Elphaba leaning against a tree and Fiyero pressed against her, feeling the slender line of hips hips and back as they reached for him, succumbing to all the desire they both felt.

After a few minutes in this position, Elphaba became aware of something pressing into her stomach. Breaking the kiss, she stepped back from her fiancé and chuckling, her eyes ran down his lean, muscular body to see the source of the discomfort. His gaze followed hers, and he bluched scarlet as he saw the bulge in his trousers which had clearly been pressing into her. For a moment he felt embarassed, but when he saw the love and amusement on her face he laughed with her.

"See, this is what you do to me! I love you, Fae."

"Love you too, Yero my Hero."

"Let's go to bed." Elphaba's eyebrows raised at his words and he suddenly realised the possilbe connotaitions fo what he had just said. "I didn't mean it like that! It's been a long, stressful day and we both need the rest."

Elphaba laughed at his confusion and slipped her hand back into his as they turned back towards the palace. Fiyero wondered as he headed back to his room after leaving Elphaba in hers how many pairs of young lovers before them had declared their love under that tree, in that very spot.

AN: As promised! Your November chapter is here. Please review and tell me what you think! Reviewers get virtual cookies and hugs. Next update on the 1st December, of maybe before if you're lucky! It's the little blue button on the left…