Fiyero's last night in the Vinkus had been quite an eventful time. He had thrown a going away party for himself and his friends, inviting many—mostly women, to come and celebrate. He had a theme for the party that night: The Last Night. He had given a speech in front of all the people that seemed childish to him now. He told them all of how that was the last night for them and for who knows how many others. He remembered he had planned it so that he and his friends were sympathized with. But the only sympathy they gave one twig about was that of the young attractive girls there.

It had worked. He had questioned them all," It's your last night, maybe alive, how will you spend it?" He had a wide charming smile on, making eye contact with half the women there.

He knew what he was there to do that night and he succeeded. He couldn't count how many women he had made out with that night, or how many he had been with. If he was asked what their names were Fiyero wouldn't be able to say as he didn't remember. If asked to pick them out from a line of women, he couldn't. That night had been the last time he had been with a woman. Kay had called him an idiot but Fiyero had grinned, proud of himself. Ryen, another one of his friends, had called him a beast and Fiyero high fived him. He had been arrogant and so full of it, talking about sleeping with them like it was some sort of triumph.

It wasn't pride that he felt at the moment. If anything he may have ruined this kind girls life. He couldn't stay forever. But sweet Oz did he want to stay there for the rest of his life, holding the most unique woman in the world in his bare arms. Never in his life did he think he would be feeling this way and for a woman that was green.

She had kissed him with such urgency and Fiyero had reciprocated with equal fervor. It was hard not to when it had been so long for him, and she had made Fiyero feel so content that when he found no protest on her end he didn't think twice.

He attributed it to her loneliness for she didn't appear to Fiyero as a woman who was careless. She had taken a nap afterwards but he couldn't. He was afraid if he did, she would move and he wanted to spend as much time possible with her. He wanted to feel her warm skin on his and have the feeling burn through his body. It didn't last very long, soon enough she was turning away from him, not saying anything. His arms were still wrapped around her.

He wanted to say so much but he didn't know how. If he spoke what he wanted to say it would sound cheesy and insincere.

So he decided not to mention it, instead he asked her something he was meaning to ask earlier.

"Why did you cry before...when I asked you about the sword?"

She was quiet for a while until she finally spoke, "Does it matter?"

He shrugged but she didn't see it, "To me it does."

"Well, it doesn't matter."

"Did you steal it?"

"No." She replied.

"I'm not sure because I only saw it for a few seconds, I was too busy trying not to die, " He grinned, "but from the few seconds that I did see it I can tell you right now that it isn't any regular soldiers swords. That's a Major Generals sword, Gale force. "

Her breathing was all he heard for a few seconds, "Maybe the Major General was a former lover of mine and you're not the only soldier I've had in here?"

She was joking. Or not. He couldn't tell, and that frightened him. Just the thought of it made him sick to his stomach. She turned her head over her shoulder to look at him and she had a smile on her face. She took one look at his face and her smile fell.

"I'm joking."

Her words didn't stop the churning in his stomach,"Then how do you have it?"

He heard the grinding of her teeth, "I think you can make a guess."

He guessed many things, disturbing things. Things he couldn't get himself to say. She said she was joking, but how could he really know? He didn't know her, her real name, or where she came from. They were strangers in every way. But Oz be damned if she didn't stir his insides like no woman had ever done before.

"I don't think I want to guess." He answered quietly.

"Then don't try to."

Her leg moved against his and Fiyero's body responded as he moved even closer to her. His arms wrapped even more tightly around her waist and it was all he wanted to do. Lay there and hold her. He had no strength for anything else. He closed his eyes and pressed his face to her back.

El sighed and Fiyero wanted to know what she was thinking. It was something he wasn't going to ask. He didn't know her much, but he knew she wouldn't answer.

"Will you be staying here?" He wondered instead.

She lifted her head up, "Why do you keep asking?"

"I thought that perhaps we could travel together if you were going to leave?" He said nonchalantly.

She breathed in deeply and laid her head on her hands, "I wouldn't be going west."

"Going to your family?" He asked, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

"Soon enough, If I can find them."

"Come west with me. I can help you." He was leaning over her to look at her.

"I'm not going west." She repeated firmly.

He sighed and drifted back into her pillow.

"How is it that you came to be separated from your family? " He asked hoping a distraction would keep her in his arms longer. When she didn't say anything Fiyero rubbed his thumb over her abdomen.

"A troop of Gale Force soldiers were sent by the Wizard to 'keep everyone safe.' " She gave a empty chuckle, "But we knew better. No one was allowed to leave their houses but we...we were. My brother always went out and so did I. And one of the soldiers caught my brother aiding a family of Rats escape a cage. I was, and am, so proud because he did that. But my brother did it in the day instead of at night like I..." She trailed off, but he knew what she was about to say. 'Like I did' "They killed him in front of me and my family. We escaped that evening."

Fiyero shuddered and he leaned over to kiss her forehead.

"We went to the Gillikin which was supposed to be safe..."

"But the Gillikin was—"

"—I know which side they were supposed to be on... But my father had friends there. I never met those friends, our train there was attacked and I fell unconscious. I woke up in some hospital here in the Vinkus and I left. I tried going to the Gillikin but the borders were all closed and heavily guarded. I found this place when I tried finding a carriage or train to stow away in, but they were all searched and I got caught, but I was able to get out. I decided to wait a bit until I tried again in case I got myself killed. Days went by where I just needed to go out and find something to eat and time passed. Here I am. I never made it to the Gillikin."

"I can take you to the Gillikin. We can find your family."

"I don't need you to take me. You have a home to go to and I can find my own way."

"I want you with me."

"You don't."

"I do, I really, really do." He whispered, moving his head to kiss her cheek, "You really can't begin to understand how much I need you."

"You have a place to be and so do I. You don't know my real name and I don't want to know what yours really is. Leave it like that."

"Why? I don't want to leave it like this."

"It's for the better, Yero." She said sitting up. Fiyero sat up too and watched as she put her clothes back on.

He felt himself grow cold and he found his clothes laying by his foot. He put them on, being careful with his foot.

"You should be fine if you want to go now. I think you should."

"I want to be here with you."

There was was a sadness in her eyes, "I can't be with you. You can't be with me."

"What's stopping us?"

"I am." She said harshly, "Leave it as it is."

"I can't."

She laughed unconvincingly, "You can't?" Her face darkened and she came up to him. Fiyero opened his mouth to say something and she pressed her lips on his. His heart soared, wanting nothing more than to hold her again.

She parted slowly, her eyes closed, "You don't know me and I have no desire to know anything about you..."

Fiyero was crushed.

"Oh." His stomach dropped. "Then teach me. I want to know who you are, where you come from... Let me know you... Maybe you'll want to get to know me?"

She sighed in frustration, "You don't get it do you?"

"I get that there is something about you that frightens me. But it's not as bad as the feeling I get when I think of going home without you. "

"You're crazy. "

"Very much so," He nodded, placing his hand on her cheek, "I need you."

Her hand crawled up to his, "Once you go home and see your family, you'll see that this was nothing."

He shook his head and smiled, "Do you want to bet?"

She snorted.

"Humor me. I will leave today and when I am home I will send you a letter.. I would love to see you again, I would love to know who you are."

"I can't promise I'll be here to receive it. The war is over, I don't have to stay here."

He kissed her, whispering into her lips afterwards, "Then I'll pray you are still here. "

She huffed, "I have to be the first woman you've actually been this close to for who knows how long.. I won't fault you when you ultimately forget to send this letter."

He perked up when he heard her say that, "So you'll wait for it?"

"I didn't say that."

"You don't have to." He smiled and reached for her hands.

She didn't pull away, "You're a strange man." She told him, looking down at their intertwined hands.

"You're a strange woman."

It made her smile a smile that lit up her entire face, "I think that if you want to make it home before the week is over you should leave now."

Looking at her smile, smile so freely and openly at him. How could he leave now? How could he leave when he spent the night there. "I don't know if I want to leave. "

She rolled her eyes, "You have to. I am not your family, they'd likely love to see you."

"I feel as if I'm being sent away."

"Good because you are." She said it bluntly. Fiyero chuckled and lifted her hands up to press a kiss to her knuckles.

When he caught her eyes he moved to kiss her lips.

It was a good minute or so until they both parted. El was looking into his eyes but then she moved away.

He followed her with his eyes her as she went around the room to grab his bag. She took it and left the room before coming back in a minute later.

She handed the bag to him, "Everything is in your bag and…there is some money for you to get a carriage. You don't want to—" He didn't need to hear anymore before he kissed her again.

She was the first to pull away.

"Thank you for everything," He whispered, she nodded wordlessly before walking out.

Fiyero made sure his bag was secure before walking out of her bedroom.

The front door was open and Fiyero went right over. She was standing in the grass looking out.

"The sun is shining bright." She said, covering her eyes from the sunlight.

"It has always shined bright here. Always made me want to walk out naked." He smiled as he heard her snort.

"'Course I was a lot more in shape then than now. I don't think I'll find anyone to take me to my house that way either, so I'll have to make do with wearing clothes." He felt some sense of normalcy when he talked to her.

She chuckled, "Wouldn't that be a sight to see."

"In a way it would a privilege."

"I wouldn't say a particularly large privilege."

"Ouch." He laughed, shaking his head, "I'd love to have a response to that but I think I won't think of it until I'm halfway home. "

"Hmph."

"Don't worry, I may not have a response now, but I'll think of something someday. Maybe I'll let you know through a letter or face to face."

She smirked and he smiled even more.

"If this war never happened where would you be right now?" He wanted to know.

"Right now…sitting inside and studying. I would have been in my third year at Shiz University."

His eyes widened, "Really?"

One of her eyebrows rose, "Why does it sound so surprising?"

He grinned, "Because I was going to be sent to Shiz around the same time."

"I'm sure we wouldn't have even crossed paths with one another."

He agreed with that. "No probably not. If you would be inside studying I would be asleep or out having fun."

"Oh so when you said you were going to be sent to Shiz it was literal. You didn't want to go willingly?"

"No, I didn't. Not one bit. But now, I just might. If I knew you would be there I would definitely go. "

"I think my chances of going to Shiz are slim at the moment. There are far more important things I have to do."

He nodded, "I'm still glad I met you. I have something to look forward to now."

She wrinkled her nose," Why is it that you say that so confidently? There is no hesitation in your words. You think for sure we will see each other after you are gone?"

Yes. Yes he did.

"We have to, there is no doubt in my mind. This isn't something that we forget in our lives. Your kindness and your passion make me feel alive again and I can't lose that now."

"You'll see later, Yero, that it was just a lapse for the two of us. You are making things up after going through terrible things. I wish you safe travels and hope you make it home."

"I will see you again." He started to walk, needing to walk before he decided he wanted to stay forever.

He would see her again.

He was sure of it.