Chapter Sixteen: "I like it when you touch me"

Fiyero slid into his usual seat next to Elphaba at the café the next day and slipped an arm around her. "Hey."

She shrugged his arm off violently. "Fiyero, not here. Not in front of everyone."

"Elphie," he whispered gently, "Everyone knows."

"They do not!" Elphaba looked horrified.

"They do," he affirmed.

"How?" She looked at him expectantly.

"Well, you know I told Boq. And Glinda's told Pfanee and Shen-Shen, I see them giggle every time the see me anywhere near you."

Elphaba slammed a fist on the table. "I knew I shouldn't have told her."

"And Crope tried to hit on me, so I told him I had a girlfriend…"

"He tried to… what?" Elphaba was not sure whether to be amused or offended by this.

"It was a little scary," Fiyero admitted. "And I'm sure Crope has told Tibbett. Avaric made a rude comment about you the other day at breakfast and I told him off and he just kind of guessed that we're together."

"Well…" Elphaba searched for an excuse. "Nanny and Nessa don't know. We can't tell Nessa. She'll be horrified that I'm dating 'the pagan boy', as she calls you."

"That's just great. I'm glad my girlfriend's family approves of me," Fiyero said, having learned sarcasm from being near Elphaba so much.

Nanny had wheeled Nessa over just then and Nessa placed her plate on the table on the other side of her sister. "Fiyero, you have a girlfriend? Who? Anyone I know?"

Fiyero, stealing the opportunity, kissed Elphaba on the cheek and caught her hand as she tried to smack him for it. "Yup."

"Fiyero!" Elphaba struggled to free her hand from Fiyero's grasp to no avail. "I told you they didn't need…"

"Why didn't you tell us about this, Elphaba?" Nanny asked, eyebrows raised at the small quarrel going on across the table.

Elphaba pouted and looked down at her food. "It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" Repeated both Nessa and Fiyero at the same time.

Elphaba glared at Fiyero, desperately trying to scare him into backing down. However, he knew her well enough to know better than to back down. Sighing, she then looked to Nessa. "I'm sorry."

"Is that where you've been going when you've told us you take walks?"

"Sometimes I actually take walks!" Elphaba argued.

"Only sometimes, though." Nanny pointed out.

"Is it a crime for me to have a social life, Nanny?"

"It's not a crime," Nessa relented, "but I don't understand why you couldn't have just told us instead of us having to hear it from him. No offense, Fiyero."

"'The pagan boy' is not offended." Fiyero grinned.

"Elphaba! You told him I said that?"

"I just…" Elphaba hid her face behind her hands. When Fiyero tore them away she cried, "Look what you've done! You see why I didn't want you telling them?"

"Elphaba, calm down!" Nessa exclaimed. "It's not as if we're going to hate you for it. I'd just appreciate it if you'd inform me of your goings-on."

"I don't have to report to you, or to Nanny!" Elphaba snapped.

"I think I'm going to write to your father," Nanny decided.

Fiyero watched Elphaba's face fall even more and he grabbed his food and then hers. "I think Elphaba and I will go eat outside today." Carefully, he dragged her mildly resistant form from the café and headed back towards the dormitories.

"Thank you," she mumbled half-heartedly. "I need to get away from them."

"I could tell."

"Where are we going?"

"My dorm." Fiyero answered simply.

"I've never been in your dorm." Elphaba said hesitantly. "You only come visit mine."

"Well, it's about time you came to mine, then, isn't it?"

Elphaba bit her lip. "I thought we were just going to eat outside."

"With everyone around?" Fiyero gestured at the small crowd eating lunch in the spring air around them. "Nope. I want you all to myself."

"This makes me a bit nervous," Elphaba told him.

"Good."

What could he possibly want with her alone? She shuddered, more than able to guess at a few things. But was she ready for any of them? Apprehensively, she followed Fiyero to the boys' dormitories. There was no one even watching the door, and Fiyero didn't seem to be expecting someone to be. She trudged behind him to the highest floor and tried helplessly to smile when he held the door to him room open for her. "Uh… thanks."

"You're welcome." He entered the room behind her and watched her look around.

The room was very plain. Fiyero hadn't done much decorating and he obviously must not spend much time in his dorm. The few things there were looked like feeble attempts at decorating. A portrait on the desk, an old Vinkus book on the dresser, and scarf hanging from the bed. "It must be nice not to have a roommate."

He set their food down on the desk and pulled a second chair from the corner. "Let's eat."

Elphaba nodded in agreement, relieved and thinking that perhaps maybe he really did want her in the room for nothing more than talking. "All right."

They ate in complete silence, though Elphaba felt Fiyero's eyes on her when he finished eating first. Picking up their paper bags and napkins and throwing them into the small garbage can near the door, he said quietly, "Make yourself comfortable."

To Elphaba, the word "comfortable" meant bed. However, she immediately regretted this decision when he sat next to her. She didn't know what her problem was; they'd cuddled on her bed plenty of times. Yet, this was one of the first times since they'd decided they were dating that they'd been truly alone since their first date. Looking up at him, the diamonds caught her eye and comfort finally came to her with the familiar shape. Smiling, finally, she brought her hand to his face and traced one, running along the pattern until she reached his neck. It hit her then what she was doing, and she yanked her hand away.

Fiyero grinned and caught her hand in his. "Elphie?"

"Sorry." She said quickly.

"Don't be sorry. I like it when you touch me." Fiyero then caught himself. "I mean…"

"I know what you mean," Elphaba assured him. "Because it's the same for me."

"If you like it, then," Fiyero began politely, "Is it okay if I kiss you?"

Blood rushed to Elphaba's cheeks. "You want to kiss me?"

"You're my girlfriend. Isn't that what I should do?"

"Not if you're only doing it because you think you should," Elphaba replied, looking at his eyes.

He brought his mouth to hers, bracing himself for anything, and pressed his lips against hers softly. "Well," he said, "it's a good thing I want to, then."