AN: Yes, look! It's another random update of something other than the stuff I've been crazy with updating recently! Don't you love it when I do this? I don't. You know what it means? It means I had this idea in the middle of the night and kept thinking about it until at 4 in the freaking morning, I had to finish it by typing it out. I hate that. I got no sleep. Damn this. Well, yeah. I don't know if I'll update this one again soon, or what'll be next, but here's this for you all.

Chapter Fifty-One: Secrets and Knowledge

The day Elphaba felt comfortable enough to let Glinda take her first charge of the school, Elphaba and Fiyero spent the entire morning lounging around in bed. It had felt so good to be lazy and to lie next to each other without the notion that either of them would have to get up and leave soon. Come late afternoon, they got up but still didn't leave the bedroom. Elphaba stretched a little and laid back down, flopping onto her stomach. Fiyero watched her for a moment and realized how tense she was. She was nervous about Glinda's success with the children, he saw. And maybe not just that.

It had only been a week since Glinda had met Kalendrio, but they seemed to be enchanted by each other. This made Elphaba nervous, because Glinda was her best friend and anyone who wasn't Boq couldn't be trusted not to try to touch her at some point. Part of her mind reminded her that half of the point of a relationship is to be touched, to be held and loved, but she still balked at the idea of Kalendrio and Glinda. Fiyero balked at the idea of Kalendrio altogether. So they both were uneasy about the two's relationship, whatever that may be.

Fiyero sighed and grabbed the half-empty bottle of oil from the bedside table. He took some in his hands and began to rub it on her, starting at the top of her shoulders, taking care to massage them gently to ease the pressure and strain on her muscles. His hands lowered and his attention did, too. She welcomingly turned over when he'd gotten all of her back, and he slipped his hands around her legs and finally between them, speeding the movement of his well-lubricated hands. Elphaba sighed and smiled, but her eyes were closed and she didn't look like she wanted much more. The moment his hands left her front, she flipped over again.

He stared at her, watching her body move as she breathed. She had to be almost sleeping and he wanted her badly. Fiyero could care less about foreplay or games at the moment, he wanted to make love to her and he didn't care about any prelude. Attempting to distract himself, he rummaged through the bedside table nearest Elphaba's side of the bed. There were a few bottles of oils, old letters they'd written to one another and a full container of pills. The prescription implied that the container should've been half empty, but not a single one was missing. Birth control pills, he saw, and then looked at her again. "Elphaba," he said loudly.

She turned on her side slightly and glanced at him. "What?"

He handed the pills to her. "Why haven't you taken them?"

She shocked him. Fiyero had half-expected her to tell him that she was a month or two pregnant, but that was certainly not the answer he received. "Something went wrong with them," she explained hesitantly, "and the midwife suggested I stop taking them several months ago, even if I didn't want to get pregnant. Fiyero," Elphaba sat up and took his hand, biting her lip, "I can't have children."

Fiyero blinked slowly. "What?"

"The pills were only released as medication a year before I started taking them. No one knew the long-term effects. I'm so sorry." She swallowed hard and moved her head so he couldn't see her as a tear dripped onto the bedspread.

Fiyero sat down next to her, the bottle of pills clattering to the ground. He didn't know what to say. How was he supposed to create an heir to the throne? What would satisfy their aging bodies when they became crooked and less eager to make love if it wasn't taking care of children? "I…"

"I understand the need for a descendent. If it's the only way, you could maybe impregnate some unmarried servant girl and I'll… raise the child as our own, I guess."

"I couldn't bring myself to make love to anyone else."

"You still love me?" She asked, fearfully.

"I never only loved you for the fact that you could give me children, Fae. In fact, it wasn't even a reason at all. It doesn't change anything."

"Then what do you do? Who takes the throne after you, Fiyero?"

"Hell, I don't know, but I don't care at all. I've still got you, haven't I?"

She smiled faintly. "I guess."

"No guessing about it." As if to prove this, he kissed her deeply. He pushed her back on the bed gently. "Come to think of it," he said between kisses as he caressed her breasts, "I'm kind of glad."

"Why?"

"I get to be the only person to ever do this," he bent his mouth down and sucked at her breasts lightly. "I wouldn't want to share you, anyway."

"Well," Elphaba giggled, "that's selfish."

"I don't think so. I'd very much like to say I am the only being to ever be inside you." Fiyero said, nudging her legs open and sliding inside.

Elphaba wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up into his eyes. She began to rock her hips to the rhythm of his thrusts. "Mmm. You feel so good."

After some time, he adjusted so the angle he was hitting was different. "I would hope that I do."

"Oooh!" She squealed. Something sweet and forbidden – well, forbidden to anyone but him – that woke within her only when she was with him was beginning to stir again. Eagerly, she wrapped her legs around his waist.

He took this as an invitation to move faster and began panting slightly. "Fae."

She yelped and mewled as she got used to the delicious penetration he was earning. "Oh, Yero." Elphaba closed her eyes and laid her head back on the pillow.

He nipped at her ears, making her moan lusciously. "I do love you, no matter what, you know."

She squirmed as her muscles tightened around him. "Fiyero!"

He kissed her neck as he moved quickly to his own pleasured release and then moved over, keeping them close but maneuvering her body over his. "What? You don't love me, too?"

She settled in to the shape of his body and smiled lopsidedly. "Of course I do." Elphaba rested her head against his shoulder happily. "I love you, too." Her eyes closed and she reached a hand out from behind his neck to wipe her forehead easily. And slowly she knew she was drifting off, but she didn't struggle to keep awake.

"And you know I love you?" He asked, running his fingers through her sweat-dampened hair softly. "Elphaba?" Fiyero poked her carefully, trying to keep her conscious for as long as possible, just to prolong her exhaustion.

"Yeah, I think I might." She responded sleepily, not taking the time to answer that she could if fully awake.

He nibbled at her chin teasingly. "Might?"

"Hey!" She swatted at him. "Stop that, you!"

"Stop what?" He kept dragging his teeth ever so lightly down her neck, aware that he was making her shudder.

"You know," she answered lazily.

"I don't. I don't know anything until you confirm that you know I love you." He told her firmly, grasping her free hand.

"All right, all right already. I know. I know you love me." And she did.