Chapter Six: Curious

AN: I know I've got finals, but this was easy. So here's more.

At the hotel in the city, Fiyero's parents had booked four rooms, one for each of them. They were to be staying for a week. The first night they were there, Fiyero decided he'd had enough of the silent treatment that Elphaba had been unadmittedly giving him. "Elphie?"

She opened the door, surprised to see who was there. "Fiyero, what...?"

He pushed his way through the door, asking (a bit too late), "May I come in?" Realizing she'd given him no answer, he said, "Thanks."

She rolled her eyes and sat down on the edge of the bed, far away from the chair he'd chosen. Lazily, she kicked her heels. "What do you want?"

"I was... just checking up on everyone."

"Oh," she said, getting up. "Well, I'm fine, you can leave." She opened the door.

"Not so fast, Elphie."

"Why does everyone insist on calling me that dreadful nickname?" She asked, exasperated.

"If you don't like it, I can call you something else, whatever else you want."

"Then call me by my name."

"All right, Elphaba." He pushed the door shut again. "May I talk to you?"

"Do I have a choice?"

He smiled comfortingly. "Of course."

"Well, then sure, you can talk to me." She was surprised by his giving her the freedom to kick him right out of the room. It was something she so badly wanted to do, but she wanted him to stay, as well.

He wasn't sure what he'd planned on saying. "Well, Elphaba, I..."

"Yes?" She asked, expectant.

"I just need to talk to someone, I guess." He lied.

"What is it?" She was concerned now.

"My sister's only a year older than me and she's getting married. It's scary."

"Why? It's not like you have to do the same thing so quickly."

"I'll miss my sister." He sighed.

She was touched by his admission of tenderness towards a sibling. "I guess I'd feel that way if Nessa got married. Not that I ever have to worry about that. She's kind of a hassle to care for, no one in their right mind would marry her."

Fiyero tried to laugh and failed.

"Anyway, you were saying...?"

"I don't know." He didn't want to tell her he'd secretly come in to learn more about this girl, this creature whom he was so curious about. "What would you do if Nessa did get married?"

"That's about as likely as me getting married, and that's quite unlikely."

"Why are you so negative when it comes to yourself, Elphaba?"

"Everyone's negative when it comes to me." She attempted a joke, though it was more sardonic and pitiful than funny.

"Do you really think that?"

"I know that." She corrected.

He didn't wish to argue with her, so he changed the subject. "Do you know what you want to do with your future, then?"

"You seem to have this idea that everyone needs to get married. A woman doesn't need a man, Fiyero." Elphaba said haughtily. "Especially not me."

"Don't we all need someone at some point?"

"You sound like Boq." Elphaba waved his comment away.

"He must be rubbing off on me," Fiyero wondered aloud.

"Or maybe it's something else."

"Maybe." He smiled.

His smile made her nervous and she paced the room for a moment. "What?" She caught him staring at her.

"Nothing, nothing."

"Right." She didn't believe him.

"You amuse me, that's all." He grinned in attempt to hide the total awe in which she often left him.

"Must be my skin color."

"It's more than that. You're an interesting person."

"There it is again!" She was aggravated for some reason he didn't understand. "Interesting!"

"What?"

"Oh, never mind me." Elphaba mentally slapped herself.

"Okay... But, really, Elphaba, you're a good friend. Thank you for listening to me." Fiyero got up, lost for words.

"Fiyero..."

"What?"

"I..."

"Yeah?"

"I hope you feel better about this. It's not a bad thing." She didn't know how to prevent herself from becoming sentimental.

"Thank you."

She began to close the door.

"Elphaba?"

She caught the door before shutting it. "Yes?"

"I really appreciate this."

"Who else would listen? Glinda's too obsessed with herself and Boq's too preoccupied with Glinda tolisten."

"But still, you didn't have to listen. Thank you."

She shrugged. "Really, Fiyero, it was nothing."

"We should talk like this more often."

"If you want to talk, you're welcome to tell me. But don't expect me to come to you with my problems."

He doubted she had problems. "All right. Thanks again."

"No problem, Fiyero."

"Good night, Elphaba."

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Elphaba."

"I think I should call you Elphie just to get on your nerves."

"Don't you dare..." She warned, giggling a little.

He raised his eyebrows at her giggle and she swifly covered her mouth with her hand. "What?"

"I just... don't hear that sound very often."

"It's a nice sound."

She blushed. "Good night." And the door was shut. Quickly, she threw herself down on the bed. "I can't." Elphaba scolded herself, unsure about what.

Fiyero stared at the door and walked away. He thought he really would have these talks with Elphaba more often. There was something about her that made him more than curious.