"Double dates are the most funified thing since... since..." Galinda's eyes sparkled, giving the illusion of a conclusion somewhere in her brain, but she couldn't think of anything quite as fun as double dates. "Come on, Elphie, pleeeeeeease?"

Elphaba scowled. "I don't know if Kers and I are ready for double dates yet."

"You've been together for a month and a half!"

"It will take me much more time for me to prepare him for you."

Galinda groaned and stomped around a bit. "If you don't come, I'll cry and cry and cry!"

"And Fiyero has agreed to this?"

Galinda paused and twisted her face around, attempting to think of a way to lie without lying. "He'll do it," she said, finally. "I haven't asked him. But he does what I say," she shrugged.

Elphaba shuddered at that statement. "Is he your pet dog?"

"Of course not, Elphie. He's a boy." Elphaba thought to herself that Fiyero wasn't a boy at all, but a man. "So you'll do it?"

"Perhaps," Elphaba shrugged. "We'll see."

Elphaba and Galinda did see. They saw themselves at dinner with Fiyero and Kers. Galinda saw it with satisfaction, Elphaba saw it with loathing, and Fiyero and Kers saw it with fairly similar levels of discomfort. Galinda and Elphaba sat opposite each other, and Kers and Fiyero sat opposite each other. Normally, Galinda would have insisted upon sitting next to Elphaba so that they could whisper and she could giggle, but the table was too big, and so she settled for mouthing things across the table at her friend. She only hoped her little legs could kick across the table if Elphaba got out of hand.

They all looked at their menus. Elphaba chose fast, Fiyero next, then Kers. "Lin?"

Galinda looked at Fiyero. "Yes, dearest?"

"Do you know what you want?"

"I can't decide between the house salad and the spring salad," she said, as if it were, in fact, an important decision.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. She had chosen a rice dish with sautéed vegetables rather than chicken, as she was never sure if the chicken was really Chicken. She knew her dish was "girlie", but not because she was concerned about looking dainty. Galinda was purposely drawing attention to a "healthy, feminine" choice, to display that she was concerned about her weight (needlessly) and that she was precious (which was redundant). Galinda tapped her finger to her lips, and Elphaba rolled her eyes again. "For Oz's sake, Galinda, they're the same salad," she finally pointed out.

"But one has carrot shavings, and one -"

"Just pick one," Elphaba snarled.

"We-ell, no need to be rude," Galinda huffed, looking to Fiyero for support. Fiyero was, conveniently, staring at a dinner roll.

By the time the waiter came around, Galinda had decided upon the spring salad, because it sounded "fresh", and Fiyero ordered a pasta dish. Elphaba ordered her rice dish, and Kers ordered the same meal as Fiyero.

When the food came, Elphaba and Kers tried some of each other's dish, something that had happened from time to time with Fiyero. Elphaba would have shared with Fiyero had the same food not been available to her left.

To her right, Fiyero sulked, but it was subtle.

Galinda ploughed through her salad as Elphaba offered Fiyero a try of her dinner. He took her fork and tried a bite, nodding in appreciation. "This is good."

To Elphaba's left, Kers didn't like that Fiyero had used Elphaba's fork.

Across from Elphaba, Galinda was perusing the dessert menu. "Does anyone think some dessert would be nice?"

She was met with silence and blank stares. "We're, uh, we're still eating," Elphaba pointed out.

Galinda did end up ordering a very large, very rich dessert, completely undoing her salad legwork. Elphaba was still picking at her dinner while Galinda devoured the chocolate monstrosity, and Kers and Fiyero were caught somewhere in between, eyes darting between the two women who sat opposite each other.

"What should we do after this?"

"Go home."

Galinda didn't like Elphaba's response to her question. "We can't just have dinner and then go," she said, as if Elphaba were daft.

"Well, if everyone is tired..." Fiyero stretched in his chair, and, when Galinda wasn't looking, winked at Elphaba. She smiled at him gratefully, and Kers fought the urge to agree.

He didn't want to act like Fiyero. He knew it was stupid to be threatened by his girlfriend's friendship, but he was. Still, he refused to accept that he had to be like Fiyero to be important to Elphaba. So, in an act of either absolute genius, or sheer stupidity, he did the unthinkable. "We could see a movie, or go dancing," he suggested.

He met Elphaba's glare with a look of mild boredom, which impressed her, if only because it felt like a challenge. A dare. "Fine," she said, ignoring the feeling of dread that raised itself within her.

Two hours and about a million drinks later, it was clear to anyone outside the group of four that some feelings were being suppressed with liquor and, more importantly, it wasn't actually working.

They stayed far too long. As they made their way back to Shiz, Elphaba staggering despite Fiyero's arms around her, Galinda clipped along next to them, more than a little annoyed. Though she only veered off course a few times during the walk, it was enough to reveal that she, too, wasn't as sturdy and sober as she could have been. She resented, in her tipsy stupor, the attention Fiyero paid to Elphaba.

When they arrived at Fiyero's building, Galinda turned to go in. "Lin, where are you going?" Fiyero shifted with discomfort as Elphaba flipped his collar up, then pressed it back flat, then flipped it again, chortling with amusement.

"I left my gloves in your room the other day, Fiyero, and I need them for my brunch tomorrow!"

"Can't you just wear a different pair?" Elphaba almost fell out of his arms, and Fiyero grunted as he got a better hold on her. "We should really get her back."

"Fiyero, I need those gloves. I shouldn't have to suffer just because Elphie got all drunkified!"

Fiyero sighed, and started to help Elphaba up the stairs. When they reached his room, the green drunkard took one look at his large, luxurious bed and collapsed facefirst onto it. "Fae," Fiyero said, rushing to her side. "Are you alright?" He shook her, but she had passed out cold. "She's out," he said, turning to look at Galinda, who was waiting impatiently by the door. "Should I carry her?"

Galinda sighed. "Just leave her," she said. "She'll be fine. Walk me back?"

Fiyero didn't want to argue with Galinda, who had already complained several times that evening that he was too focused on Elphaba. "Alright, but... I'll get bring her back once you're settled, I guess." He felt bad, but Elphaba was clearly unable to take care of herself, and Kers had passed out the moment he got into the carriage he'd called to take him home. Elphaba had slurred a very firm refusal to leave, despite the absence of her date, and so they had gone from four to three.

Galinda had had a couple drinks, herself, and had something different in mind. When they got to her dorm, she pressed herself against him suggestively. "Do you want to come in?"

"I'm tired, Lindy," he said. "And you've got brunch tomorrow, right?"

"Come on, Fiyero," she said, reaching up to kiss him. "It'll be fun..." Drawn into her kiss, Fiyero let himself be led into the room she usually shared with Elphaba, and they fell onto her fluffy pink bed. They'd made out dozens of times, and it had gotten out of hand more than once, but tonight, Galinda had an agenda.

In the almost four months they'd been together, they'd done almost everything but have sex, though Galinda's underwear had always remained on. She loved the way Fiyero kissed her, touched her, and the way it felt to have him braced above her. She wanted more, but was far too goodly to ask for it when sober. With some liquid courage in her, she felt confident that she was ready to go all the way.

Fiyero could tell that Galinda wanted more, and he was trying to fight both the beautiful woman beneath him and the effects of his few beers. His mind raced - he'd done this before, and Galinda knew it. She'd always said no, or they'd been interrupted, or... Sometimes, he honestly hadn't felt right about it, though he had no idea why. "Lin, not tonight," he said, when she reached for his belt buckle.

"Why not?"

"Because you've had a few drinks, and I don't want you to regret anything," he said, gently. He kissed her, softly, and forced himself to climb off of her. "Goodnight, Galinda," he said, leaning over to kiss her again, and then turning to go.

"Don't you want me anymore?"

Her voice was so small and sad, it broke his heart. He walked back and knelt beside her bed. "Of course I do," he said, stroking her face. "How could any man alive resist you? You're wonderful, and beautiful. But I'd rather you were completely sober. You understand?"

Galinda nodded. "I suppose." Fiyero smiled at her, kissed her again, and left. In the dark, alone, she whispered, "Have fun with Elphaba tonight."

When Fiyero got back to his dorm, he saw that Elphaba had climbed into his bed. He also saw that her clothes were strewn across his floor. He gulped. A little tipsy, and more than a little turned on from his heavy makeout session with Galinda, he thought that a semi-naked woman in his bed probably wasn't the safest thing he'd ever -

He paused on his walk toward her, staring half in horror and half in joy at the dainty black underwear and sheer black bra at his feet. "Shit," he whispered. Elphaba stirred in the bed. "Hey, Fae," he said, moving to sit on the side of his bed.

"Fiyero? What are you doing here?"

"This is my room," he said. "You're in my bed."

"Why am I naked?"

Fiyero took a deep breath. "I assume you undressed," he said. "I was walking Galinda back to your dorm room, and when I left, you'd passed out."

"Oh," she laughed, writhing around a little. His comforter had slipped down around her hips, so that only his sheet covered the rest of her, and barely. The thin material didn't do much to hide every curve of her torso, and the fact that she was stretching her arms above her head didn't help to calm Fiyero down any. "This bed is sooo comfy, but I can't seem to get... into..." she grunted. "I'm trying... oof." She finally found the recovery position to be best suited to her, though now the sheet was down around her waist. She was mostly on her stomach, but Fiyero still felt the need to pull the covers up over her shoulders. "Are you tucking me in? That's sweet," she laughed.

Fiyero pulled off his shirt and looked at her, all relaxed and naked in his bed. "You're pretty drunk," he said.

"I knowww and I was... I didn't mean, because I... Ugh... Everything's spinny," she said. "Are you coming to bed?"

"I thought I'd sleep on the floor."

"Because I'm hideous," she said.

"You're not hideous," Fiyero said, sitting next to her. "Elphie, you're beautiful."

"Kers thinks I'm beautiful," she smiled.

Fiyero frowned. "Well, he's right."

"You can't say that," she slurred, rolling away from him, then rolling half back so she was lying on her back, staring up at him. "You're with Galinda."

Fiyero felt guilty. What was he thinking? He was dating Galinda, and Elphaba was his friend. How had she been able to tell what he'd been thinking? "You're right, I -"

"If you're with Galinda, clearly that's what you think is pretty. And I am the opposite of Galinda," she continued, more to herself. "But Kers thinks I'm pretty. Nobody's ever thought that before."

"Elphaba, I think you're pretty, I swear!" Fiyero climbed into bed and leaned on his elbow to gaze at her. "You're so beautiful."

"If I were beautiful, we'd be together," she mumbled. "We get along," she said, conversationally. "The only thing wrong is that I'm ugly." She shrugged, clearly unaffected by this "truth".

"That's not..." Fiyero didn't know what to say.

"It's alright, I just... Can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure," Fiyero said, his heart beating a little faster.

"I know I act like I don't care, but I do wish that I wasn't ugly..."

She had practically drifted off, her face tilted toward him, catching the moonlight. Overcome, feeling as though she was so wrong about her appearance, he got caught up in how wrong he really thought she was. He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers, the dam of restraint breaking, and arousal flooding him. She murmured and parted her lips, allowing the kiss to deepen.

They continued exploring each other's mouths for far too long for it to be accidental, or "heat of the moment", and finally, Fiyero pulled away, but only when he realized he was desperate to caress her naked body.

Lying back, Fiyero sighed, shook his head, and prayed that Elphaba wouldn't end their friendship over what he'd just done when she was of a more sound mind.