Chapter 11.
A/N I keep getting story alerts and favourites, even! Thank you. I am glad there's people somewhere in the world, enjoying this story :)
On with the show, then.
He was glad of it now. Of the three days Yackle had made him take. If he had just disappeared like this Glinda would not have been able to cope.
It was the only clear thought that ran through his head as he felt the pull of gravity, as she grabbed, no..yanked him by the stiff starched collar of his uniform, dragged him off, up the shaky stairway, to the window and ordered him to hold on to her. And they were off.
On a broom.
Her infamous broom.
It was really real. As was she.
His fingers clenched and unclenched, almost rhythmically, on her hips.
He tried to focus on the events of that evening, on what transpired, but he couldn't. He didn't know if it was his mind trying to save him from a breakdown or simply the effect of being near her, but all he could focus on was the feel of her body pressed up against his, as she steered the broom in whatever direction she deemed safest.
He knows they have to talk about what happened, about everything that was said and done tonight but for now, he allows himself a moment to revel in the fact that they're together. She didn't leave without him, as he was sure she was going to do.
And she'd kissed him back.
It hadn't all been in his head. The look on her face when he'd told her he loved her, had made that clear enough.
She was an enigma, a true puzzle to solve, but he'd learned to read her, at least a little bit, a long time ago and although she must undoubtedly have changed in the years gone by, he hoped there was enough left of what had been between them, to help him now.
She'd kissed him back and she'd given him a chance in that moment, but he was pretty sure he was going to have to start all over again.
Suspecting, even knowing, that she felt something for him too, didn't make it easier. If anything, it made it harder. She was not one to allow herself anything, certainly not something she felt she couldn't trust and she didn't show weaknesses. She didn't show herself. And he guessed that by giving in, she'd showed him something she'd not wanted him to see. He was going to have to convince her all over again.
He tried to think of a way to do that, tried to stay focused on that, but the events of that evening had made an impact. He was still distracted by her nearness, the smell of her around him and her hair whipping in his face, but everything that happened kept playing in his head. For all the planning he'd done, he'd never thought about anyone following him. Where had Keegan even come from? And what would he tell his fellow soldiers? How much did he even know? How much had he seen?
He feels bad about it now. So bad that he can barely acknowledge the thought, but he can't help but feel relief. He knows it's wrong. He had never wanted to see anyone get hurt. But when he saw Keegan point his rifle at Elphaba...
His training had paid off much better than he ever could have hoped. His body had acted out of its own accord, pulling the trigger before Keegan could. So he can't help but feel relief. Relief at being fast enough, relief at Yackle assuring them Keegan would live and relief at having to flee the city so suddenly, with Elphaba.
It was far from the ideal circumstance and not one of his many fantasies had included shooting a man and having to take off on an enchanted broomstick to avoid being captured and killed himself. But at least now, this way, at least she was with him. They were together.
Yes, he regrets having to shoot, but he doesn't regret doing it. And he can't help but think this was preferable over having to convince her to let him come with her. He has a feeling that he would not have been on this broom.
Elphaba tried not to concentrate on his hands, currently holding onto her hips for dear life. Holding on a lot harder than necessary. It made her heart jump every time he clenched his fingers, gripping that much tighter, his thumbs pressing into the flesh right above her hipbone, where his fingers had dug into before, before the soldier had come in, before... when they'd...
She almost blushed at the memory. She'd never been touched like that. Hadn't thought she'd ever want to be.
She could feel her pulse throbbing and hoped against hope that he wouldn't notice. She could feel his face close to hers, his breath on her neck. And that made her think of his lips on her neck and that makes her inside squirm and cheeks flame.
Oh Oz, she couldn't do this. She wouldn't allow herself to do this. To be reduced to this.
She was the Wicked Witch of the West, flying her bewitched broomstick through the night sky with a flawless sense of direction, with powers beyond the understanding of most people in Oz, and she was turning into the blushing, stumbling school girl she'd been three years ago.
All because Fiyero Tiggular had kissed her.
She landed softly on the mossy ground of the Great Forest and allowed him time to get his bearings, while she straightened her clothes, readjusted the strap of her bag. She didn't wait long, however, and she marched forward, expecting him to follow her, without looking back at him.
"There's an abandoned refugee camp here. We can spend a few hours here, I think. They won't be fast enough to get here within the day, even if they knew where we were."
He stumbled, the flight and sudden landing not missing their impact on his balance and agility, and struggled a little to keep up.
"Refugee camp?"
"Animal refugee camp. They've had to move because the Gale Force...got too close." Your Gale Force. She didn't say the words, but he heard them loud and clear.
"I'm sorry."
She shook her head, but what that meant exactly, wasn't clear to him. He needed her face, her eyes, to be able to read her, but she wouldn't give him that. She walked fast, much faster than he deemed necessary. The Gale Force didn't know where they were, they wouldn't be here for hours, if at all. They might not even know anything at all yet. She wasn't running from soldiers. She was running from him.
She came to halt, in the middle of ramshackle little buildings. He knew this place. He'd been here, with his men, looking for Animals. He'd been here, alone, looking for her. How close he'd been...
"Let's go. There won't be any food, but I'll be able to find some as soon as it gets light."
"I'm alright."
He wanted to ease the tension. To apologize, though how and for what he wasn't sure.
"Look. Elphaba..."
She'd made her way to one of the cabins, her hand of the doorknob, but turned around to face him now.
"Fiyero. Not now. I...I need time to think of what I'm going to do. To figure out my next move. I can't...deal with this now. And you need to sleep. You look terrible."
He flinched.
"I just mean you look tired, and after all that's happened tonight, you have a right to be. No need to get upset, Mr. Tiggular."
It slipped in, before she was even aware of it. How easy it was to forget who they were, how it easy it was to forget who she was, when he was near. She had to fight, really fight herself, to keep on top of her game. To not get lost in the tumultuous swirl of emotion and memories of days past and of wishes, dreams and hopes that his presence had always brought her. She cursed herself at his grin. She'd given too much.
"Well, Miss Thropp. I can honestly say you look astonishing."
She wanted to bristle at that, to say something sarcastic, something sharp, but nothing was working in her favour, tonight.
"Still ever the charmer I see."
"Only with you."
She just stares at him, face blank, but she has to fight to keep it that way. He knew immediately he'd made a mistake with that come-back, but it was too late now. And either way; it was the truth.
"I see. And what about Glinda?"
He sighed, frustrated with himself. He did that a lot, when he was around her, he'd noticed. Nothing much had changed there.
"Elphaba."
"Don't 'Elphaba' me. You left her. Why? How do you think she is going to handle this? Did you think about that before you decided to aim for your soldier boy?"
"He was going to shoot you! I didn't have a choice! And I hate that I had to do that to him, but I won't regret it. Not for a second, so feel free to let that one go. As for Glinda..."
She looked away, but he walked around to stand in front of her.
" As for Glinda...I said goodbye to her before I came to meet you. I ended it. She was angry, yes. And sad, but not surprised. She was never as stupid as she pretended to be."
"I know that. Don't you think I know that?"
"Well if you know that, then it shouldn't come as a surprise to you, that she saw this coming long before I did. As it turns out, she knew all about us."
"Excuse me? Us?"
"Yes. Us. And don't even pretend that you don't know what I am talking about. That might have worked before you kissed me back, but you did so don't even try. You know perfectly well that there was something there back at Shiz, and it didn't go away. As much as you may want to pretend that it did."
She shook her head, trying to convince herself as much as him.
"There was nothing, back at Shiz. Nothing! You and Glinda..."
"Me and Glinda nothing! I was stupid then, and so were you." She blanched at that but he wouldn't have it. He was on a roll now.
"Yes, you heard me. I never said anything, because I was too scared of ruining what we had, of losing my best friend and, I admit, I didn't want to hurt Glinda's feelings. I was stupid. I know that. But so were you."
"I wasn't...there wasn't...what was I supposed to do?"
He fought back the triumphant smile. He'd gone out on a bit of a limb there, hoping it would get her to admit how she felt, but he hadn't expected it to work so well. That she would rise to the bait so easily. Some things never changed apparently. Thank Oz.
"How about talk to me about how you felt? The slightest word would have done it, I guarantee you."
She was actually gaping at him, stunned at the conversation they were having. What was he even saying? None of this made any sense.
"How...I...You were with Glinda!"
"But I wasn't in love with Glinda!" He ran his hand through his hair, a sign of frustration. "I was in love with you!"
She'd opened her mouth to argue but fell silent at that.
"What?"
"Come on, Elphie. You can't honestly be surprised at that. Even if I hadn't told you all I told you tonight. I was with Glinda only on paper, even back at Shiz. I spent all my time with you. We spent all our time together. I practically lived in the library with you those last few months."
"I thought...I figured we were just...friends. We were supposed to be just friends."
"Yeah. I managed to fool myself into believing that for way too long, but...in the end..."
"So why didn't you say anything?" The question had left her mouth before she could stop it and she startled herself with it. It wasn't what she had intended to say, she hadn't meant to ask, but she did want to know. It surprised her how much she wanted to know. But the guilt set in and the thought of her former room mate, her only friend, made her want to throw up.
"I mean...apart from Glinda...not that that isn't a good enough reason...I mean..."
Glinda.
Oh, Glinda.
"I was going to tell you when you came back from the Emerald City."
She eyed him, disbelief clear on her face. He bit back a weary sigh and kept going, his voice raspy and his movements slow and dragging. He was tired. He'd found her and he'd kissed her and he'd told her everything he'd wanted to tell her. But his dreams hadn't focused on the painful conversations, his fantasies hadn't included him being unable to convince her of his feelings and intentions.
He needed sleep. He needed a moment. Just a moment. A moment like they'd had before Keegan had barged in. A moment in which she believed him enough to just be with him. He just wanted to be with her, just with her, for a moment.
No such luck. He'd have to do this first. He ran a hand over his face and spoke again.
"I was at the train station to pick you up. Both of you. I was going to take Glinda to lunch to tell her the truth and break up with her and then I was going to try my hardest to convince you to give me a chance. But you never came back..."
He doesn't want to think back to that day, the day he'd felt his heart break for the very first time, and he sure as hell doesn't want to talk about it. Not tonight. Not now. Not after everything that's happened. Not when they're finally together. .
"You never came back and I couldn't...I couldn't tell Glinda, when she was so hurt. And ….it was just us then, who knew the truth about you. I couldn't leave. But I was resolved to find you so I joined the Gale Force and took the Captain's position when it was offered to me, because I figured it would be my best chance of tracking you down."
He stared back at her, trying to convey all that he was feeling, all of it, with one look and hoped it would be enough. He didn't have many words left any more.
"And I did."
He watched her eyes and saw the change. Saw the tiny speck of trust returning, ever so slowly. Saw the hope in her eyes. The sun was setting and the colours of the sky cast a glow around her that took his breath away. She was really there. Oz, she was so beautiful. She didn't see it, he knew that, but she was. She was mesmerizing. He closed the distance between them.
"Fiyero.."
But her voice was only a whisper now, his name on her lips only a whimper. Maybe he'd get his moment, after all.
"Shh...don't talk. Don't talk now."
And he kissed her.
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