Chapter Nineteen: Saying "yes"
The school year began again, and Elphaba started to believe she couldn't go an entire school year without being able to touch Fiyero in some way she hadn't already. Fiyero was thinking similarly, and thus approached the careful subject of winter break plans.
When he led her to his dorm one Friday night, she thought they'd spend the night kissing and teasing one another until they felt like stopping. However, Fiyero had other ideas. Before he let her bring him to the bed, he sat her down across from him in a chair and said, "We need to talk."
Elphaba cocked her head at him. "What?"
"I love you and you love me, right?"
Elphaba nodded. "Well, yeah. At least I hope you love me. I know I love you."
"And I love you, too." He reminded her. "And there are things that people do, when they're in love…"
"Fiyero, we can't!" She sat back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest. "Not until… well, until…"
"Until we get married?" Fiyero finished for her.
"Yeah, that." She shifted in her chair.
"Now, I know you want to do these certain things, and so do I. You make me absolutely wild with that sort of thing, sometimes," he admitted. "But we can't."
"We know that. Why are we discussing this?"
"Because I want to be able to!" He exclaimed, standing. "I want to be able to take off your clothes, to lie you in bed and make love to you."
Elphaba was flushed beyond all reason and staring at the ground as if she was genuinely interested in it.
"I want to make you scream, make you moan. I want to hold you every night in my arms; I want to kiss you as you fall asleep. I want to spend every minute I can loving you."
"Fiyero, you think I don't want those things, too?" She didn't look him in the eyes, ashamed of her desires.
"Then let's do something about it!" He said heatedly. "Elphaba," he got down on his knees, "there's time, still, to plan for winter break. How about it?" He was fumbling with the drawer next to him, searching for something.
She brought her hand to her mouth. "You can't be asking me to…"
"Marry me?" He said quickly, holding up a box.
"Oh, sweet Oz!" Elphaba stood up and looked out the window. "I really didn't expect this tonight."
"You want me to warn you when I'm going to propose?" Fiyero demanded.
"No," she laughed, turning back to him, "not at all. I just didn't think you'd ask any time soon."
"I can't stand not having you! If I didn't ask soon enough, I'm afraid I might go crazy."
"Are you sure you're not rushing into this just because you want to have sex with me?" Elphaba asked quietly.
"Fae," her accusation slowed his words, "I love you. I'm going to love you for the rest of my life. I want so much more than just to make love to you. If that were all I wanted, I would've taken it a while ago, or at least tried to - "
"I wouldn't have let you," Elphaba informed him.
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" He put an arm around her and watched her face. "I'm asking you because I want all those moments that I can't have right now. I want to wake up in the morning and see you next to me. I want to accidentally brush my hands against your bare skin and not feel ashamed of it. I want to watch you grow older, I want to sit with you, someday, and watch our children…"
"Children?" Elphaba repeated.
"Yes. I want us to have children, maybe one, maybe four. I just want… I want you."
"I want all that, too. Maybe even the children part, though, you have to remember, Fiyero, we're still in college. I just don't see how it's going to work for the next year and a half of college."
"There are married dorms."
"Have you seen the condition of them?"
"I'm a prince. I can do something about it."
"Can you?"
"Yes. But will you answer me?"
"Over winter break? How would there be enough time?"
"If we planned right now, we could get everyone to come out to Kiamo Ko. Your family, our friends, everyone. We have a month of winter break. We could get married the first week in and spend the rest on our honeymoon."
"But then we'd just come back to school and live separately again."
"If we applied for residency in the married dorms now, with the promise we'd be married after winter break, we could."
"I'm just not so sure about the married dorms, Yero my hero."
"Hell, we could get an apartment around this place. But I think the married dorms would be easier. But whatever you want, I'd be willing to do."
"I guess we could try the dorms…"
"So you'll marry me?"
"Was there every a question of it?" She replied.
"I don't know. Why don't you say 'yes', then?"
"Because I like watching you wait."
"Even if I know you're going to say 'yes'?"
"You're too sure of yourself. I might have to think about it. What would my family think?"
"They'd be happy for you."
"Not my family."
"Forget them, then. Invite them to the wedding, and if they have a problem, they can go…"
"I know." She cut him off. "Please, do not talk to my family that way."
"I won't." He promised.
"Okay, good. Well, it's getting late, I'd better go back to my dorm." She got up. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"
"You'll see me every day for the rest of your life."
"I don't know if I like that."
"Then don't marry me."
Teasing him, she chided, "Maybe I won't." She shut the door. The air was growing cold and she hugged herself. Looking up at the building, she saw Fiyero in the window, struggling to open it. She giggled. "What do you want?"
"You never said 'yes'."
"Hmmm. Well, I guess I have to."
"I guess you do."
She whispered up at him, "Yes."
When she looked back, she was almost sure she saw him dancing for joy in the window.