AN. So in the trope voting list, there was a tie for this particular one- so I had to find somewhat of a middle ground.

Chapter 19

Elphaba: Hi. I miss you.

The text came through at ten-thirty-eight on Wednesday night, but Fiyero didn't find it until almost nine o'clock the next morning when he woke up.

He wasn't at all surprised that Elphaba had been the one to reach out first- it had been ten days since they'd last seen or spoken to one another by now. Every day that passed with Fiyero staring at their message threads and ultimately not texting her anything just made it harder to text her anything at all. Of course Elphaba had gotten tired of his silence and texted him first.

Or at least, that's what he'd thought until he'd actually read the text message.

Hi. I miss you.

Just four words. None of them particularly telling. But Fiyero read them as though Elphaba's most innermost thoughts were spilled out on the screen before him. And what Fiyero saw gave him a spark of what felt suspiciously like hope. He sat up in bed, staring at the screen and scrubbing a hand over his face tiredly. He could text Elphaba back- I miss you too. And it would be true, but it also wasn't the whole truth. There was so much more to it than that. And then Fiyero suddenly had a spark of a plan.

"Wait," Corin said late that afternoon, leaning forward from the backseat. "Explain to me again how 'I miss you' means that she loves you?"

Fiyero held up a finger, inching forward in the traffic. "I didn't say love. I very specifically did not say 'love'."

"No," Corin allowed. "But doesn't that sound better than 'I think there's a chance that maybe Elphaba might be willing to go out with me if I asked her'?"

Fiyero glared at him in the rearview mirror. "Shut up."

"It does sound better," Micah agreed from the passenger seat. "Especially considering you haven't confirmed that you are going to actually ask her out."

"Why are you guys being so mean to me?" Fiyero demanded.

"We're not being mean. We're both giving up our free afternoons to help you lug this thing up to Elphaba's apartment," Corin said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder towards the card catalogue cabinet retrieved from the storage cage in Micah's building basement, now wrapped in a tarp and safely stored in the tray of the truck Fiyero had hired.

"I think that means that we are, in fact, very nice people. I think it means that you owe us."

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "I already promised I'd buy pizza and beer, didn't I?"

"If you aren't too busy exchanging 'I miss you's' with Elphaba," Corin teased him. "How romantic."

"It's Til's favourite scene in any romance movie- when the couple first tell one another 'I miss you'," Micah added solemnly.

Fiyero scowled. "When I'm not driving, remind me to hurt you both," he said. "And also, if either of you pull these jokes with Fae-"

Corin sniggered. "Fae."

The rearview mirror wasn't enough, so Fiyero physically turned his head to glare at Corin.

"Fiyero, watch the road!" Micah said sternly. "Corin, shut up. We're not going to say anything to Elphaba."

"On my honour," Corin confirmed.

Fiyero hummed under his breath rather sceptically.

They made it to Elphaba's building and got the cabinet into the entryway easily enough, thanks to someone exiting the building as they approached to save Fiyero from needing to buzz Elphaba's apartment.

"One sec- hold the door," Fiyero told Micah, and hurried back to the truck to retrieve the parcel from the backseat. When he returned inside, Micah was peering up the stairs with a wary glance.

"This is going to fit, right?"

"Sure," Fiyero said confidently, placing the parcel atop the cabinet.

Corin peered upwards too. "Please tell me she lives on the first floor."

"Er, fourth," Fiyero said sheepishly, pulling off his gloves and shoving them into his coat pocket. "Did I not mention that?"

"Yeah, about the time you mentioned there was no elevator," Micah said pointedly, looking around the entryway.

"I thought there was a law that you have to have an elevator," Corin complained.

"Only five stories or more," Micah shook his head. "Anything else we should know, Yero?"

Fiyero grimaced. "Um, Elphaba doesn't exactly know that we're here."

Micah and Corin both stared at him.

"It's a surprise!" Fiyero defended himself.

Micah sighed, removing his own winter hat, gloves and scarf. "Yero, maybe you should watch some of those movies you're always complaining about," he said, pulling off his coat. "Because then you might know that the big grand romantic gesture only works if the recipient is home to get it."

"Yeah, thanks for the tip."

"This is not going to fit," Corin decreed.

"Sure it will," Fiyero said confidently. "We just need to… pivot it."

Micah and Corin exchanged a glance.

"This is not going to end well for us," Corin said grimly.

They made it up to the second-floor landing, before Corin made them stop to strip off his own outerwear, panting slightly.

"If you and Elphaba do date, and it goes well and you end up living together? I am not helping you move," he warned Fiyero.

Fiyero gave him the finger, only to startle as a gasp sounded from behind him. He whirled around to see a woman standing there with her son, who looked to be around Noak's age- as far as he could tell with the woman covering his eyes.

"Sorry, ma'am," Micah apologised. "Er- what floor?"

"Fourth," the woman replied coolly, staring at them with narrowed eyes.

Fiyero winced inwardly, desperately hoping that pissing off Elphaba's neighbours wasn't a thing that was going to come back to bite him.

"We're going as fast as we can," he promised.

She didn't appear impressed.

"Come on," Micah said to them quietly, and they started to carry the cabinet up the next flight of stairs.

Typically, Fiyero's luck ran out on him here. For some reason, he swore the third flight of stairs was narrower than the preceding two, and all of the building's occupants seemed to return home at once- namely those who lived on the third and fourth floors. Fiyero could feel their irritation burning the back of his neck as they tried to navigate the cabinet up the stairs, which wasn't exactly helpful.

"Is there any chance Elphaba is going to fine with it just here?" Corin asked hopefully, grunting as they tried to get it around the corner, raising his voice to be heard over the annoyed mutters of those stuck behind them on the stairs.

"I doubt it," Micah replied. "Yero, lift your end higher a bit, and then-"

"Fiyero?"

Fiyero almost dropped his end instead, his head jerking up to find Elphaba peering down at them from the fourth floor railing. His first thought was that, thankfully, she appeared to be at home. His second thought, was that although she was only wearing sweatpants, a Shiz University sweatshirt and her reading glasses, she looked beautiful. And also looked rather confusified.

"Hey," he said casually, his voice echoing in the stairwell. "We have a delivery for you."

Elphaba leaned forward a little more to take it all in, and Micah and Corin both waved.

"Hi Elphaba," they chorused.

"Hi," she replied slowly, her eyes flickering to her neighbours gathered on the stairs behind them.

An awkward silence fell.

"Are you kidding me?" one of her neighbours on the stairs demanded. "Some of us have places to be, you know."

"Sorry," Fiyero apologised hastily, readjusting his grip on his end of the cabinet.

At long last, they managed to get the cabinet up to Elphaba's door. Elphaba helpfully took their coats and the parcel that had rather hindered their progress as her neighbours at last let themselves in their homes with a final glare at Fiyero, as Micah and Corin carefully navigated the cabinet through the apartment doorway. Fiyero probably should have been helping them, but he could only stare at Elphaba, who was staring right back.

"Hey," he said finally.

"Hey," she replied, holding the pile of coats to her chest somewhat awkwardly. "You could've texted."

"It's a surprise," Fiyero said, although he wasn't sure if she meant today or any time in the past ten days.

"I am definishly surprised," Elphaba confirmed.

"El, where is this going?" Corin asked her.

Elphaba startled slightly and she hurried over to direct them, placing the things in her arms onto the couch. Fiyero just watched as she hovered, making sure neither the cabinet, the surrounding bookshelves or the wall was damaged as it slid into the place she'd made for it.

"Thanks for your help, Yero," Corin said sarcastically, clasping him on the shoulder.

"No worries," Fiyero said distantly, watching Elphaba admire the cabinet, running her fingers along the surface reverently.

When she turned to face him, she was beaming.

"This is really beautiful."

"So are you," Fiyero blurted without thinking.

Elphaba froze, her eyes widening and her cheeks flooding with colour. Behind her, Corin's face was also filled with colour as he stifled laughter; and Micah was just shaking his head. Fiyero wanted to die.

"We'll meet you downstairs, Yero," he said, nudging Corin over to the couch to collect their outerwear. "See you later, Elphaba."

"Yep, see ya," Corin said, his voice rather strained.

"Thank you for the help," Elphaba said faintly, not looking at either of them.

Fiyero couldn't speak at all, which was probably for the best at this point.

Micah and Corin let themselves out of the apartment, and the second the door closed behind Micah, the sound of Corin's echoing laughter sounded out. Elphaba's face flushed even darker, and Fiyero could only hang his head and close his eyes.

Elphaba moved first, walking over to the couch and sinking down onto it, taking off her reading glasses and rubbing at the bridge of her nose self-consciously.

"How's work?" she asked quietly.

"We did this whole thing wrong," Fiyero said at the same time and Elphaba's brow furrowed.

"What thing?"

Fiyero waved a hand vaguely between them. "The whole fake dating thing."

"We did it wrong?" Elphaba repeated, bewildered. "Are there rules or something?"

Fiyero fidgeted nervously, looking at anywhere but Elphaba. "There's supposed to be this whole thing- a promise. You know- 'you have to promise that you won't fall in love with me' and then like 'don't worry, that's not going to happen.' But it does anyway."

Elphaba said nothing. When Fiyero at last screwed up his courage to look at her, she was staring at him with wide eyes, her face pale.

"I fell in love with you, Fae," he said solemnly.

Elphaba opened her mouth, closed it again and then shook her head, rising to her feet and walking away, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.

"Yero, you-"

"Fae, I'm not crazy," Fiyero cut her off. "I'm not confusified, I'm sure. I wasn't," he admitted. "When we left my parents, I knew but I thought maybe I was just confusified. That's why I haven't really been in touch," he explained, wincing faintly.

"I wanted to make sure before I said anything- if I said anything, that I was sure. But Elphaba, all I've done for the past ten days is miss you."

"I've missed you too," Elphaba replied, and Fiyero's heart leapt. "But Fiyero-"

"No," Fiyero interrupted hastily. "Wait. Just- Fae. Please. Look, I know it sounds crazy and I know- you have every reason to be sceptical. You do, and I get it, because you know me. But Fae, you know me. And I know you, and everything I've always known and admired and liked about you from the first time we really spoke- that's everything that I love about you."

He stepped towards her tentatively, trying to read her body language. She hadn't moved, and Fiyero suddenly wondered if he'd read too much into her text after all. Maybe it was all just in his head, and he'd just ruined everything. But then she met his gaze, and that flicker of hope reignited.

"I don't want to lose you as a friend if this ends badly," she said, and Fiyero's heart leapt.

"That won't happen, Fae," Fiyero reassured her.

Elphaba's head tilted, her face softened in exasperation. "You can't promise that, Yero."

"I can't," Fiyero admitted. "But I can promise to try."

He took another step forward, encouraged as her shoulders eased slightly. Elphaba hesitated, unfolding her arms and taking the hands he offered her.

"What you said," she said carefully, and Fiyero tensed. "I can't… I'm not…"

She closed her eyes and sighed. "Love is a big word," she said finally.

Fiyero couldn't help but smile, his shoulders easing.

"This isn't some lame Lurlinemas movie, Fae," he reminded her. "I know how real life works. I was just thinking we'd start with dinner."

Elphaba eyed him, and her lips twitched. "Well, I suppose we do have your resolution to fulfil. What was it- to eat at every restaurant in the city?"

Fiyero grinned. "You raise an excellent point, Miss Thropp. So… are you free tomorrow night?"

Elphaba's cheeks flushed again, but she was definishly smiling. "Okay," she agreed, and Fiyero's face split into a grin so wide that his face hurt.

"Okay," he echoed.

Fiyero thought back to New Year's Eve, and his mouth suddenly felt rather dry. "So, I'm really happy for Jules and Seeley," he said, and Elphaba's eyebrow quirked, possibly at the sudden change in subject. "I'm psyched that they're finally getting married- even if Julyan is going to drive me insane by the time the wedding actually happens. But I also really hate Seeley, because he has the worst Oz damn timing."

Elphaba's eyebrow quirked even higher. "Why?" she asked, bewilderedly.

Fiyero smiled wryly, and shrugged one shoulder. "Because it meant I never got to kiss you at midnight."

Elphaba faltered, her cheeks darkening once more. "You were going to kiss me at midnight?"

"I was hoping to," he admitted.

"Because of the ruse?"

"Because I wanted to," he corrected her, staring into her eyes and feeling rather lightheaded. "Oz, I wanted to," he breathed and was delighted to watch her cheeks flame.

Feeling emboldened, Fiyero took another step forward and entwined their fingers together more firmly. He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers, swallowing hard.

"Fae…" he murmured, leaning in.

His lips had just brushed hers when the buzzer rang, and they both startled and sprung apart. Elphaba stepped back and cleared her throat, hurrying over to the doorway and pushed the button for the buzzer.

"Hello?" she said.

"Yeah, hi," came Corin's voice. "Sorry to interrupt what I'm sure is Fiyero being super smooth, but we were promised beer and pizza. And also it's freaking freezing and Fiyero has the keys to the truck."

Fiyero groaned, his head drooping to his chest. Elphaba looked over her shoulder at him, clearly stifling a smile.

"Thanks, Corin," she said, and released the buzzer.

"I hate all my friends," Fiyero announced, and Elphaba chuckled, self-consciously tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"All of them?" she asked.

"Except you," Fiyero reassured her.

Corin for interrupting, Micah for allowing him to interrupt, and Julyan because… well, Fiyero may never have watched any of those lame Quillark movies Julyan loved, but he was fairly certain that this never happened in the scenes when the protagonist and love interest finally got together.

"I guess I should go," he said reluctantly. "Before they freeze or something. If Corin gets a cold, I'll never hear the end of it."

Elphaba laughed slightly. "Sure."

As he turned to the couch, Fiyero spotted the parcel he'd brought with him, that he'd honestly forgotten all about.

"Oh," he said, picking it up. "This is for you."

Elphaba accepted it rather suspiciously, and Fiyero pulled on his outerwear as he watched her open it. He watched her face transform from confusion, to surprise, to understanding as she pulled out the canvas within.

"I get a photo?" she asked, her lips curving into a smile as she looked up at him.

Fiyero grinned, relief flooding him. "You get a photo," he confirmed, that dizzy feeling washing over him again. "You get the photo."

Elphaba's gaze went back to the canvas again. "This- is this the photo you took on our hike?"

"Yeah," Fiyero nodded, winding his scarf around his neck and stepping up to her side again. "It seemed appropriate. That's when it started. For me."

He heard Elphaba's small intake of breath, but he couldn't see her eyes to make out her full reaction.

"Yero…"

He shrugged again. "I told you. I fall hard and fall fast," he confessed unashamedly.

Elphaba finally looked up at him, and it seemed to him that her eyes were rather shiny. "Thank you," she said quietly. "I love it."

Fiyero beamed, but before he could say anything, she'd stepped towards him and leaned up to kiss him softly. Fiyero's brain came to a screeching halt, but before he could even truly comprehend the moment, she was gone and had opened the apartment door for him.

"Um, so… I'll call you tonight?" he asked, his head swimming.

"Okay," Elphaba agreed.

Fiyero nodded. "Okay," he repeated.

He wanted to kiss her, but at the last second he lost his nerve and kissed the corner of her mouth instead.

"I'll call you," he vowed, stepping out into the hall. "As soon as I can."

Elphaba leaned against the doorframe, smiling faintly. Fiyero knew she didn't believe him, and he couldn't blame her after the past ten days of silence. He hated that he didn't have the time to hang around and reassure her, but Corin wasn't known for his patience. He treaded heavily down the stairs, pausing to stare wistfully over his shoulder at the click of Elphaba's door closing behind him. As he reached the next landing, an apartment door opened and a man who had been part of the crowd on the stairs earlier stepped out, trash bag in hand.

"Hello, sir," Fiyero said politely, coming to a halt.

The man shot him an icy stare, and said nothing. Fiyero cleared his throat awkwardly, and hurried down the next flight of stairs ahead of him.

"How did it go?" Micah asked as Fiyero came within earshot.

Fiyero really wanted to be able to keep a straight face, even if just for a moment. But he couldn't stop himself from beaming as he unlocked the truck and they all piled inside.

"Good," he said lightly. "It went good."

Corin had snagged the passenger seat this time and he turned to Fiyero impatiently. "So? She loves you?"

Fiyero faltered briefly as he put the keys in the ignition. "Er, not exactly."

"Not exactly? But you're happy? I'm confusified," Micah said.

Fiyero buckled his seatbelt and turned on the engine, flicking the indicator and peering out into traffic. "Fae's more careful than I am. She doesn't jump in headfirst to anything. But she's willing to let me take her to dinner to start with. And I'll take it."

"That's great, Yero," Micah said, as Fiyero pulled out into traffic.

"Yeah, great," Corin added. "But rather anti-climactic."

He reached forward and grabbed Fiyero's phone from the console. "I'm ordering pizza."

"Get one with pineapple," Micah said.

Corin scoffed. "Oh, hell no, Forsyth. Pineapple does not go on pizza."

"It does, with barbeque source," Micah argued.

It was an oft-repeated argument between them, and it always ended the same way- ordering multiple pizzas, so Fiyero didn't feel the need to get involved. Honestly, he'd eat anything on pizza except for anchovies or olives. And he was in way too good a mood to argue about pizza toppings.

By the time they'd returned the truck and returned to Fiyero's apartment, settling down with pizza, beer and a viewing of Overkill, Fiyero was itching to call Elphaba. Which was an itch he'd been fighting for the past ten days, but there was something thrillifying about knowing that he could call her, that Elphaba was waiting to hear from him. Thrillifying and mildly terrifying.

He grabbed his phone from the arm of the couch and pulled up his messages with Elphaba, his lips curving as he re-read those four words.

Hi. I miss you.

"Oi, Tiggs. No texting during the movie," Micah ordered, tossing a piece of garlic bread at him.

"Yeah," Fiyero said distantly, catching it with a hand and shoving it into his mouth. "One sec."

He hastily shot Elphaba a text and then put the phone aside, turning his attention to the movie. A few minutes later, his phone buzzed and he reached for it absent-mindedly, his heart skipping a beat at the sight of Elphaba's name on the screen- at least until he read her message and then he broke out into a grin.

Fiyero: weren't witching a movies so I'll bet like 2 hrs k?

Elphaba: If you really do love me, you'll take TWO SECONDS to proofread your texts before you send them.

Elphaba: But yes, that's fine. I'm not going anywhere.

Fiyero shot a glance towards Micah and Corin before surreptiously replying.

Fiyero: Me ether

Fiyero: *EITHER

Fiyero: dammit. I'll wok on it, I promise.

AN. I will defend pineapple on pizza with BBQ sauce until the end. It is legit the only pizza I like.