When she woke up Elphaba was already gone. She wondered if she had got up early just to beat the crowds and frowned. Why did she suddenly feel so bad for her? This wasn't making any sense. She rarely concerned herself with the feelings of others.

Pushing aside her bothersome thoughts she got dressed for the day. Her make up was applied perfectly and her hair curled just the way she liked it. A smile even graced her lips as she caught sight of her reflection. She looked beautiful. This realization had her momentarily frowning again as she recalled what Elphaba said. We can't all be graced with beauty.

Oh poor Elphaba.

She put a hand across her chest as she thought this. Now it was all making sense. She pitied Elphaba. Pitied her greenness and how it blinded everyone. It didn't seem fair to be judged so quickly in life. Elphaba was smart, witty, strong, and not at all the monster people wanted her to be. It just wasn't fair.

She sighed and with a gently shake of her head went down for breakfast.

She saw Elphaba right away. It was hard not too with that green and oddly alluring complexion. She was eating by herself a book in one hand and a spoon in the other occasionally bringing cereal up to her mouth. She found the balancing act funny actually.

Nobody dared sit near her. But she could hear whispers and see others looking at her as well. Except, their curiosity did not match the same intensity as hers. The more she spent time studying her the more beautiful she found her to be. Smooth skin, a hawkish nose, brown eyes, and those slender hands….A warm feeling washed over her at the observation and she found herself trying to make sense of it. Elphaba's attention remained glued to her text and she was thankful it allowed her to study the girl. She was being careless though, standing in the way of a cafeteria worker and she was soon paying for it as his cart barreled into her side.

She yelped loud enough for heads to turn. Even Elphaba tore her eyes away from her book. She blushed bright red at her clumsiness.

"Oh I'm so sorry miss I didn't see you there!"

"It's-its quite alright." she stuttered quickly escaping the cafeteria all together. How embarrassing!

What in Oz was that? She felt her cheeks still burning as she went all the way back to her room.

She thought about what happened all throughout the day unable to listen to a word any of her classmates or professors said. When classes were over she went straight back to their room hoping to catch her roommate and speak with her. Maybe then this odd fascination would finally sate itself.

Elphaba wasn't there though so she busied herself hoping she would return soon. Minutes turned into hours. She grew restless and tired of her fashion magazines. Elphaba wasn't coming back anytime soon. She sighed and started up a bubble bath. This day was just horrendous. Extra bubbles were a must. She slid into the warm pool of water and smiled at the bubbles. They always had a way of cheering her up. She leaned back against the tub and closed her eyes.

She must have dozed off because the next thing she knew there was a pounding on the bathroom door.

"Are you quite finished?!"

It was Elphaba. Her stomach flipped and she furrowed her brow at the reaction. Why did the sound of Elphaba's voice do that.

"I'll be right out!"

She stepped out of the tub carelessly bringing a puddle of water out onto the floor with her. How long was she in there? She looked down at pruny hands and wrinkled her nose in distaste. Too long.

"Galinda!" Elphaba growled. "Hurry up."

"I'm hurrying." she snapped back.

"Well hurry faster. I've been waiting for you to finish up now for well over an hour!"

Over an hour…She quickly dried herself off and threw on a robe.

"Finally!" Elphaba said pushing past her with her nightgown in hand. The bathroom door shut behind her and she frowned at her roommates less than welcoming demeanor. She was Galinda for goodness sake! Everyone loved her.

She moved to her dresser but before she even pulled anything out she heard a terrible cry from the bathroom.

She rushed to the door heart racing.

"Elphaba! Are you okay?"

She heard another albeit smaller sob and jerked the door open. She gasped immediately. Elphaba sat on the tile floor clutching her bare feet with her face buried between her knees. The sight truly was horrendous. Her feet looked like they were burning, blistered, and singed. She rushed over to her roommate.

"What happened?! Should I get help?"

"No." she croaked.

"I don't understand how did-"

"This is your fault."Elphaba snapped.

"What?"

"The water."

"What?" she repeated.

Elphaba let out another hiss of pain before explaining.

"My skin causes me to have an adverse reaction to water. I can't come in direct contact with it or this happens."

"Oh I'm so sorry I had no idea."

Elphaba gripped tightly onto the back of her knees, seemingly in too much pain to even speak.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Just….clean...it up…"

She nodded her head vigorously and fetched a towel right away. After wiping it up it was only then she realized that the damage was far more extensive than the soles of her feet.

One of her arms . .. She must've accidentally put it in the tub after discovering her burning feet. Oh this was her fault! She hadn't even drained the darn tub. She yanked out the stopper and looked back to her green roommate.

"What else?"

"Top drawer of my bedside table there's a bottle of oil…."

She hurried back into their room and open the drawer. The oil was in a small black bottle she grabbed it rushed back to Elphaba.

"I can do it." Elphaba said reaching for the jar but she shook her head and moved it out of reach.

"Like you said this is my fault."

"I was just angry. It's not your fault. I never told you."

"But if i hadn't left such a mess you'd be fine."

Elphaba was about to protest again but she wasn't going to give her a chance to. She carefully moved one of Elphaba's feet in her lap and started massaging the oil into it.

"Really Galinda I can do that." Elphaba was uncomfortable with her touching her she could sense it from the way she leaned back against the cabinet.

"But I want too." she said caringly.

"You want to touch my hideous green feet?." she countered causing her to frown. "I wouldn't want to touch anybody's feet."

"They're kind of cute." she said out loud and immediately wanted to take it back. "Minus the burns…and it wouldn't hurt you to paint your toenails."

She hoped her face wasn't red at this point.

Silence washed over them as she carried on applying more salve to her burns. The skin was smooth on top of her feet. So green and -

"I've never painted my nails before."

"What?! Elphie you have to let me!" There was a small break in their conversation. Elphaba didn't refuse her request but simply drew her attention elsewhere. So she still had hope.

"My Nanny used to call me Elphie…."

"Do you not like it?"

"No. I do. Its just its been a while. "

Elphaba gave her small almost lopsided grin. Her stomach whirled with butterflies being on the receiving end of it. Elphaba really was beautiful.

She cast her gaze back down to Elphaba's burned feet and frowned. What if she had tripped and fell into the tub! She could have killed her!

"Galinda." She looked up and found averting eyes. "Your robe is slipping."

She readjusted her robe after discovering a good swell exposed to her. The material must've slipped when she moved her feet. Elphaba looked greener than usual.

"Are you feeling ill too? Is it the water?"

"No...I'm Fine. The Oil helps. Thank you…"

"Of course Elphie ."

Elphaba cleared her throat and let her finish applying it, though her discomfort at being touched returned.

"Am I hurting you?"

"No." Elphaba let out a shaky breath and rested her head back against the cabinet.

She continued to rub in the oil absorbing herself in the task.

Elphaba shut her eyes and let the moment carry itself out.

This whole situation was unfamiliar to her. She never had anyone willing to touch any part of her body. The notion touched her heart in an unexpected way. She misjudged Galinda despite how rude she was to her at the start of the year. Now she was actually dare she say pleasant to be around.

When Galindas robe started to slip though it took her longer than what was appropriate to tell her. she let it continue to slip, her body reacting in an unexpected way until reason caught up with her. Galinda was not something to be gawked at she knew that feeling all too well. When Galinda asked her if she was ill she tried to suppress the blush but it only deepened. Innocent Galinda didn't know a thing about her anatomy. When she blushed her skin would turn a dark practically forest green. She sighed as Galindas touch slowed and gradually became more tender. She hadn't thought it was possible.

Her initial anger towards putting her in this situation in the first place was gone. Galinda was making up for it far more than expected. Her soft warm hands moving along her skin stirred something in her. Though she never had felt it before she had read enough books to know what it meant. She swallowed thickly and opened her eyes.

Galinda was looking right at her and she wondered for how long too.

"Your arm." Galinda breathed.

She nodded.

"Will you let me?…"

She didn't trust her voice enough to speak and just nodded once more .

Galinda moved even closer to her on the floor now. Her knee resting against her thigh as she administered the oil to her arm. Fingers danced across her arm delicately rubbing in the soothing oil. At one point she swore she felt Galinda squeeze her arm in attempt to feel the muscle there. But that was absurd.

Galinda worked slowly down to her hand. By the time she finished her entire body felt weightless. Her breath short and nearly nonexistent .

The blonde held her hand before letting it go and locked eyes with her. The gaze looking back at her had her heart leaping out of her chest from the intensity of it.

"Elphie let's get you to bed ."

"I dropped my gown in the tub…."

"That's okay. You can borrow one of mine."

"I'm not so sure it would fit."

"It's just to sleep in."

"Okay."

Galinda stood and offered her a hand. She took the help getting to her feet hissing while her feet met the floor. The cool tile felt nice against her skin but it didn't take away from the pain.

"Galinda…. I need your shoulder. " she said after realizing she was practically walking with butter on her feet. Galinda was smaller than her. She had to be careful not to lean too much on her. The blonde helped by wrapping an arm around her waist and they moved slowly out of the bathroom.

"How will you get around tomorrow Elphie?"

The concern in her voice gripped at her heart.

"I'll be fine. I just need to rest."

That was a lie. She knew rest would hardly alleviate this pain but Galinda felt guilty enough as it was. They finally reached her bed and she sat down with a sigh. Galinda hurried over to her wardrobe picking out a nightgown for her to wear.

"This will look great on you!"

The blonde clapped her hands in excitement and took the gown over to her.

"Its….pink."

"Pink goes great with green!"

She pursed her lips but didn't fight with her on the subject.

"Would you…"

"Oh of course!"

Galinda bounced behind wasn't what she meant! All she wanted was a little privacy this was the exact opposite of privacy.

Galinda unbuttoned the back of her grey dress for her, her fingers just barely brushing against her skin in the process leaving her entire body feeling electrified.

She pushed down the fabric for her and stepped away letting her do the rest, quickly putting on the outrageously pink nightgown. Galinda beamed at her as soon as she saw her in it.

"Why Elphie! You look beautiful." she darkened at the compliment. There was a fair amount of room in the chest area wearing said nightgown but it was comfortable, more comfortable than her own.

"Thank you Galinda. Good night." she crawled underneath her covers and her roommate reluctantly left her side.