As Fiyero slept in, Elphaba decided she'd head over to Glinda and Nessa's dorm during the last day without classes. She crept through the halls, thankful most of the students hadn't arrived yet and the few who had weren't roaming about at the moment, and headed over to Crage.
Nessa and Nanny proved to have been delayed and would not return until late, but Glinda was there. She hugged Elphaba fiercely. "How does it feel to be married? What was the honeymoon like? Oh, sit down. You've got so much to tell me."
Elphaba let herself be dragged to a chair and sat down across from Glinda. "It's good to see you, too."
"So, what was it like?" Glinda asked.
She'd never told anyone about his family having to be in the room and she was planning on leaving it out now. "It was fine, Glinda. It hurt for a second, like getting a shot."
"Did it feel good after that?"
"I guess so, yeah."
"What'd you guys do on the honeymoon?"
Elphaba snorted. "Glinda, what do you think we did?"
"Oh," Glinda flushed. "Well, you didn't do anything else?"
"Slept and ate. That's really about it."
Glinda looked disappointed. "Anyway, are you happy?"
"Sure, why not?"
"Seriously. You married the man you love. Aren't you happy?"
"I… yeah, all right."
Glinda had gotten sentimental. "Elphie, when did you know?"
"Know what?" Elphaba was really confused.
"Know," Glinda repeated.
"I have no idea what you're trying to say."
"When did you know you loved Fiyero?"
Elphaba looked at her lap. "You see, I don't think it's something that you suddenly just know. It takes time."
"I get it. Then, when did you know it sure enough to tell him?"
"When he said it," she said quickly.
"You never said it first?"
"I never…" Elphaba grabbed her bag. "You know what? I have to go. I forgot to leave him a note and if he wakes up and I'm gone, he'll be confused. I'd better…"
"Elphie," Glinda said slowly, "you never what?"
"I never said it." Elphaba admitted sorrowfully. "I still haven't."
"How come you married him?" Glinda prodded.
"I… I think I love him, or that I could…" Elphaba flew out the door. She ran back to the dorm she now shared with Fiyero and found him awake and digging through his school bag. She threw her arms around him. "Oh, Fiyero."
"Elphaba?"
"I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you." She pressed her face into his shirt. "I do. I love you."
He smiled softly. "You do?"
"I said it four times, didn't I?"
"I thought three was a good number."
Elphaba hugged him tighter. "I love you."
"I get it."
"I'm sorry, I just realized I never said it before…"
He froze and stared at her, thinking for a moment. "No, you never have. Why?"
"I don't know. I forgot."
He pried her arms away from him. "You forgot?"
She looked up at him desperately. "I didn't forget, exactly. I wasn't sure."
"You married me and you weren't sure?" Fiyero took a step away from her.
"I'm sure now. I am." She insisted.
Fiyero shook his head and grabbed his bag. "I should've noticed. How could I have not noticed? You didn't even know. I was so sure and you were just silent. What on earth was your reason for marrying me?"
"I knew I could love you, like I do now." Elphaba went to him.
Fiyero held up a hand. "I… I can't talk to you right now, all right? I'm going to go sit in the lounge for a bit. Please don't come looking for me. I'll be back eventually." He shut the door behind him.
Elphaba laid down on their bed, staring at the ceiling. "I love him. I do."
Fiyero ran into Boq as he headed upstairs to unpack his things. "Hey."
Boq brightened. "Hello! What are you doing?"
"Just a little studying." Fiyero shrugged nonchalantly.
"Can I study here, too?" Boq asked.
"Go ahead."
"I'll be down in a few. I just have to put my things away." When Boq returned, he realized Fiyero's books weren't even open and he was doodling in a notebook. "What's up?"
"I got married over the break. You knew that, though."
"How'd that go?"
"Fine." Fiyero answered shortly.
Boq squinted to see what Fiyero was drawing. It was a decent drawing, actually, of a man and a woman, standing close to each other and looking at one another. The woman's face was blank and the man's was full of emotion. Fiyero had drawn a dark line between the two. "Is something going on?"
"No." Fiyero shut the notebook.
"How's Elphaba?"
"She's fine."
"Where is she?"
"In our room."
"Why isn't she with you?"
"Because people don't have to spend every minute together, you know." Fiyero snapped.
Boq backed off. "Gee, sorry."
Fiyero hung his head. "No, it's fine."
"What's wrong?"
"I can't tell you. It's too complicated."
"Is it Elphaba?"
Fiyero nodded.
"Well, then I can assume that's pretty darn complicated." Boq looked to his books. "Damn. I was all ready to study and then I forgot my new books upstairs. I'll be back in a few." He got up and headed up the stairs and Fiyero barely noticed. On the second floor, he knocked on Fiyero's door.
It opened and Elphaba stood there, struggling to smile. "Oh, hi Boq. It's good to see you. I'm afraid Fiyero's not…"
"I know he's not." Boq cut her off. "He's downstairs moping about something. I just wanted to say hello and see how you were doing. Fiyero was acting like you were dead or something."
Elphaba's face fell slightly, but she acted as if nothing surprised her. "He's been terribly upset recently. I don't really know why."
"That's fine. I'm just checking in, that's all. See you later."
Elphaba shut the door and leaned her head against it, breathing heavily. Fiyero had been gone for two hours and the heating wasn't on in the hallways or the larger rooms, only the dorm rooms themselves. But he'd told her not to go looking for him.
Fiyero fell asleep shivering in one of the lounge chairs. He'd just be asleep for a few minutes, anyway…
Elphaba tore herself up from the floor. Damn it, it had been four hours now. Where in Oz was he? She marched down the stairs and into the lounge to find him. He was shaking like mad and half asleep. Her hand went to his forehead immediately to find he was feverish. "Just like you, to get yourself sick over nothing."
Fiyero was startled awake and looked up at her. "Fae?"
"Can you walk?"
"Yeah, of course."
"Come upstairs."
"But I'm mad."
"I know. But you need to be warm."
He was too delirious to remember why he had wanted to stay away from her so badly and allowed her to wrap her arms around him as they walked upstairs. Fiyero sat down on the bed and cocked his head at her.
She knelt next to him. "Lie down and I'll tuck you in."
"I knew you'd become my nanny," he mumbled.
Elphaba put a cloth on his forehead and kissed his nose once he'd gotten into bed. She tugged the blankets around him and retreated to a chair by the desk. "You can't go to classes tomorrow."
"What'll I do?"
"I'll stay here, don't worry."
"But you never miss class. You always want to be in class, even during holidays."
"Is that really what you think?"
"Isn't it right?"
"No, Fiyero. I always want to be with you. Now hush."
"Elphaba?"
"I told you to…"
"Please come lie with me."
She kicked off her shoes and climbed into bed with him, running fingers through his hair lazily. "I love you."
He turned over and looked at her. "Are you sure?"
Elphaba melted in his eyes. "Absolutely."
"Okay. I'm not mad."
She bit her lip. He would be, when he was himself again, there was no denying that, but his childishness was endearing and she held him close, risking getting ill as well, through the night and the next day. Two nights later, when he was finally better, he woke to find her next to him, clutching feebly at him, and he whispered, "I love you, too."