Ok, so as promised here's chapter 15! This is your January update, sorry it's late but I found out yesterday morning when I got up that we were going out so I couldn't post it yesterday! Happy New Year!! Thank you to all of the lovely people who reviewed chapter 14, you know who you are, and you get virtual cookies ! Fluffy chapter this one
Chapter 15 – Thumb war
Once Clyara was tucked up in bed and fast asleep, Fiyero led Elphaba out into the gardens to a maze, which his fiancée looked at in amazement.
"Yero, why in Oz is there a maze in your gardens?"
Fiyero looked abashed but answered.
"Blame your fiancé who was even more of a spoilt brat when a child than he is now. For my eighth birthday, my parents asked me what I wanted. Bear in mind I always got what I wanted, I was a prince, I had a pony, a dog, everything a boy that age could have wanted. Then I had a tantrum, couldn't go to my room because my parents could find me and said I wanted a maze which only I knew the way around so I could go there and get away from 'the stupid adults' So this maze was built. It wasn't actually as secret as I'd imagined because my parents know their way around as well but I thought it was, and that was the key thing."
Elphaba was chuckling by this time as the image of an eight-year-old Fiyero demanding a maze was built in the palace grounds.
"But, darling, why did you bring me here? Apart from the Fiyero story I mean?"
Fiyero laughed with her, then took her hand and led her into the maze, explaining as they walked along.
"See Fae, this is more than just hedges. In the middle, what I thought only I could reach, a room was built. It's not big, but it's stone, with a roof and everything, like a tiny house on it's own. It has chairs and a bed, and had some of my toys which I brought there, and I generally used to go there to hide away, like it was a fort or something like that. It was my special place, and where I still go when I'm angry or stressed. That's why I'm bringing you here."
They turned another corner and Fiyero stopped suddenly and took both of Elphaba's hands in his.
"Fae, you're part of my life now, but you're more than that. You have my heart, you're all I need and everything I ever wanted, far more than this maze or anything else. When I'm angry I still come here and my parents know not to bother me, the idea of it was for me to be alone. But I want you to know where I am. I need you to be able to find me, because I love you and need you with me. It's our place now, yours and mine."
Elphaba nodded in silent understanding, and squeezed Fiyero's hands before shivering involuntarily. Fiyero saw this and kissed her quickly before pulling her forwards, around another corner and then towards the threshold of a small stone building in what Elphaba imagined to be the centre of the maze. The wooden door, had Fiyero Tiggular carved in childish print in the centre, and Elphaba smiled slightly, it was so similar to what Shell had done on a tree back in Colwen Grounds. But she had no time to contemplate this as Fiyero opened the door and she stepped inside the room.
It was certainly a hideaway, but a very comfortable one! There was a small fireplace, a single bed, two armchairs, a cupboard and bookshelves, along with a small table and a basket of logs by the fireplace. Fiyero set about lighting a fire, and once this was done sat down in an armchair. Elphaba came and sat on the hearthrug at his feet, and they sat in silence for a while, with him stroking her hair, simply enjoying being together. Then Fiyero got up and came and sat down opposite Elphaba, who shifted her position and gave her hands to him, smiling as he played with her fingers.
"Fae, I'm going to teach you a game" Fiyero said suddenly and unexpectedly.
"A game?" Elphaba both looked and sounded less than thrilled by the idea. Her memories of games were Galinda's so-called "fun" makeovers, and the games with dolls that Nessa had insisted she played when they were younger.
"Faaaeeee…" Fiyero put on his puppy dog face "please?! It'll be fun, honest!"
Elphaba weakened under her love's appealing gaze.
"Oh, alright then you silly boy! Teach me this game."
Fiyero grinned, then let go of one of Elphaba's hands and switched his grip on the other hand, so their right hands were now linked with the fingers curled around each other. "The aim is for you to pin my thumb down". Then he stuck his thumb straight up in the air, and indicated for Elphaba to do the same.
"Right, now stand up, sit down…" Fiyero did the actions with his thumb and then looked up, surprised, as Elphaba let go of his hand and rose, then sat down again suddenly. "What're you doing love?"
Elphaba looked confused and was blushing dark green in embarrassment. "But you said to stand up and sit down, Yero…what did I do wrong? Oh I knew this was a – "
Fiyero put his finger on her lips to silence her and then removed it, smiling at her reassuringly.
"Sweetheart, ok I didn't explain well! What I say is what you do with your thumbs, follow what I do…now let's try again. Stand up" he straightened his thumb and Elphaba hesitantly did the same "sit down" he bent his thumb, Elphaba following "kiss" they pressed the tips of their thumbs together and then Fiyero leant forwards and kissed Elphaba's lips.
She laughed "I thought the actions were thumbs only?!" but kissed him back and then drew away. "Teach me this game then, Yero my Hero."
Fiyero laughed with her and returned to the game. "Now, I bow" bending his thumb stiffly and returning it to it's original position "and you curtsey" Elphaba copied his previous gesture "and…begin!" Their thumbs twisted around each other, bumping for a few seconds before Elphaba managed to press Fiyero's thumb down firmly. He grinned at her "now you say 1, 2, 3, 4, I have won the thumb war!"
Elphaba laughed but played along. "1, 2, 3, 4, I have won the thumb war!"
They played another 4 rounds, Elphaba winning every time, her long and agile fingers making Fiyero no match. He looked playfully sulky.
"I don't know, Fae, I teach you a new game and you beat me hands down, it's just not fair!"
She stood up and he followed, and they kissed softly.
"Well then, Yero, teach me something different" Elphaba said coyly, with a flirtatious gleam in her eye.
Fiyero looked concerned that she was pushing herself too far, but she nodded slightly, and he stepped forward eagerly and took her in his arms. Instead of kissing her lips as usual, he ducked his head to her shoulder, and kissed her there, and then to the curve of her neck. He continued in a line of delicate kisses along her jaw line and to her earlobe, causing Elphaba to shudder and press closer to him. Then he kissed across her forehead, down her nose, and finally to her lips where she moaned into him, kissing him back passionately. He moved her across the room, still kissing, to the bed, where he fell back with her on top of him. They continued kissing, and after a long time broke apart, gasping for breath and gazing at each other.
Fiyero rolled Elphaba off him and stood up, pulling his slightly light-headed fiancée with him and slipped an arm around her waist.
"My darling, it's time to go back. It's nearly dinner time, Cly will be awake, Mother and Father will be wondering where we are…" he broke off and looked down at Elphaba as they left the cottage and began their way back through the maze. "But we are certainly coming back to do that again!"
Elphaba looked up at him, love shining in her dark eyes. "Yero, why do you say things like that when you know they're true?!" she teased. "Of course we' coming back to do that again!"
"Love you, Fae."
"Love you too, Yero."
And in the house, Ulbard and Sulid looked at the clock and smiled, remembering when they were first in love and paid no attention to things such as times of meals when they were together. And Clyara, now sitting back on her mother's lap after her nap, smiled too, feeling rather than knowing that everything was good, and everyone was happy, just for this moment.
AN: So there you all go, another chapter! Sorry about the slightly later update, forgive me! Next update on the 1st February, probably not before because I have exams, an audition and my birthday to prepare for!! Happy New Year to you all, and please review!!!