When they arrived at Elphaba's dorm, Elphaba gently removed his jacket and returned it to him. "Thank you," she said.
"You're welcome," he returned. "Can you do me a favour?"
Elphaba raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Depends."
"When you get up there, can you turn on your light, so I know you're...?" At her look of disgust, he blushed. "I know it's lame, but it's inappropriate to walk you up, even though I want to know that you got all the way in alright." When she still said nothing, he rolled his eyes and grinned. "Just do it, you stubborn bean."
"Fine," she said, turning quickly. "Good night, Master Avaric."
"Ouch, the honorific," he winced, jokingly. "I've got a lot of ground to make up."
"That you do," she agreed curtly, though she graced him with the briefest smile before opening the door and slipping inside.
Grinning, he walked around the corner in plain view of her window (he couldn't believe now that he'd staked it out with a bunch of guys, all of whom had been intent upon wooing Galinda) and waited until her light went on. Surprisingly, she came to the window. "You're pathetic," she called, softly.
"Good night, Miss Elphaba," he smiled, hands in pockets. "Thank you for a lovely evening."
She watched him go till he was out of sight, then softly closed the window.
Avaric was altogether impressed with how the evening had gone. Though he hadn't told Elphaba, he'd been sure when she broke up with Kers that she'd soon be dating Fiyero. When that never happened, he'd started to hope that maybe the chemistry he saw between the pair had been born out of jealousy, and that, maybe, Elphaba's heart could be available.
It had been stupid of him to tease her, though her return sass at him had always excited him. And, to be fair, he'd never tormented her the way others had - perhaps he'd stand a chance, if he'd learn to balance compliments with feisty digs. Tonight had certainly gone better than he'd allowed himself to hope possible.
It was with that in mind that he strode away from her building, enjoying the pleasant night air, and the smell of her that still lingered on his coat, which he had slid back on. What was the smell? Lavender?
He grinned at the thought of finding out for sure, and yelped at a hand on his shoulder, swinging around to defend himself. "Ladylike," Elphaba smirked.
"I'm a classy dame," he shrugged. "Did you forget something?"
She looked at him with a mix of facial expressions: surprise, nervousness, and, above all, like he was stupid for not knowing. "Yes," she finally answered, and kissed him on the cheek.
He was vaguely aware of how lame he must have looked with his mouth hanging open in surprise, but could only trade that facial expression for idiotic joy, and he wasn't sure which would put him more at her mercy. "Thank you," was all he could say.
She studied him for a moment. "Av," she said, as if trying it out.
His face spiked up into a boyish grin. "Yes?"
She'd had to rise up onto her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, and she did so again to capture his lips with her own. "Hmm," she murmured, pensively.
"If you're trying me on for size, you need to decide fast, because it's an awful game you're playing with my heart."
"Is that a line?"
"I wish it was," he sighed.
"You've been mean to me for so long..."
"Really? I mean, yeah. But... Honestly, I like bickering with you. But if I hurt your feelings, I apologize."
She bit her lip, thinking. "You were never as bad at the others," she conceded. "But, I mean, honestly... artichoke?"
"Artichoke, celery, asparagus, plant girl..." he smiled. "If I'd been calling you beautiful, stunning, brilliant... You'd have been even angrier."
"You're far too smooth for your own good," she accused.
"If I'm not getting anywhere, I should walk you back. Again," he said. "I was feeling pretty happy with the way we left off, and I don't want to ruin that just yet. Tell me you hate me tomorrow, alright?"
"Alright, walk me back," she said, turning to go. "And, no, I don't need your jacket again."
"Tough," he said, as it was already off. It was on her before she could protest, and his hands lingered on her shoulders a moment.
When they got to her door for the second time that night, she took his hand. "You're a cunning, manipulative jerk," she stated, giving his hand a squeeze, then releasing it. He nodded, accepting that he was too late, that he'd done too much damage. "Coming up?"
"What?"
"Walk me up," she said, as if she said it every day.
He nodded, and with every step, he reminded himself that Elphaba was classy, and, unlike any other girl he'd ever spent time with, had more going for her than her body. Elphaba was trying to remain calm, surprised at how confident she was acting, but quickly becoming more and more nervous.
At her dorm, she unlocked the door and entered, nodding for him to follow, which he did cautiously. She slid out of his jacket and placed it on the back of her desk chair, then stood nervously fiddling with her hands. "What do you like most about me?"
"Out of everything?"
"Out of everything."
Avaric thought about it for awhile. "That if I said it was impossible to choose, you'd call it a copout, even though it's one hundred percent true," he said, gazing away from her. "You're honest, and demand nothing less of yourself and others." He paused. "Your integrity," he decided, summing it up. "I like your integrity most about you."
"What do you like least?"
He grinned. "That if I said it was impossible to choose what I like most about you, you'd call it a copout, even though it's one hundred percent true."
"Jerk," she murmured.
"Shrew," he countered, softly. Her hands were on his chest before he could take a breath, and she slid them up, then encircled his neck with her arms, rising up on her toes and leaning flush up against him. With her lips tauntingly close to his, he studied her until she met his gaze. "Elphaba..."
She kissed him, and as she kissed him, she realized that a part of her had always been curious about doing so. It wasn't that she was over Fiyero, or even that she'd had a crush on Avaric, but the tension between them had always been so palpable, it was only natural now to feel a rush of relief as some of the tension gave way to what she recognized as a smoldering kiss.
His hands splayed on her sides, sliding up to the base of her ribs, where his thumbs brushed her gently. As the kiss continued, his hands made their way to her face.
It was like that, with her arms around his neck and his hands cradling her elegant visage, that they dropped onto Elphaba's bed. Avaric's eyes had slid closed, but he opened them now and studied her. "Are you sure you want to kiss me?"
"Of course," Elphaba replied, nodding slightly.
Avaric's hand slid to her waist, and he deepened the kiss. Elphaba had to admit that he was good at what he did, and she felt herself giving in to it. Why not? Fiyero would be with Galinda forever, and Avaric... Avaric wasn't Fiyero, but he was smart, when he wasn't being an ass, and she had to admit that she liked his feisty, snarky sarcasm. He was devastatingly handsome, and she was lonely.
"How is this happening? You hate me."
"Elphaba," he murmured. "I've been thinking about doing this for quite some time." He pulled away to look at her. "I don't hate you at all, don't you see?"
To answer him, she leaned up to kiss him, enjoying letting her body take over as his hands slid up to cradle her face, then one slid all the way down her body to pull her leg around him, leaving it there to caress her bottom as their kisses became more heated. It was only when his hand slid lower, then back up on her bare leg, that Elphaba stopped to catch her breath. "Wait," she panted. "I'm..."
"Too fast?" Avaric immediately removed his hand from her leg and slid it back up to her face. "Sorry," he murmured.
"That's it?" Elphaba was shocked.
"Pardon?"
"I expected... Nothing," she said, shaking her head.
"Elphie," Avaric said, looking strangely kind. "I'm an asshole, but I'm mostly an asshole where it doesn't count. I don't need, or want, to force myself on you. I can wait." He paused. "If my hands behave themselves, may I keep kissing you?"
Elphaba had to smile at that. "Do go ahead," she allowed.
Avaric had been kissing her, gently and feverishly, on the mouth and on her neck, her ear between his teeth and his hands in her hair, for quite some time when Fiyero and Galinda arrived home, shocked to find Elphaba happily wrapped in Avaric's arms. "Fae?"
Fiyero had somehow managed, in a single word, to rip her heart out. "Oh, hey, guys," Avaric said, pulling himself off of Elphaba, who was trapped in Fiyero's gaze. Both stood and posed awkwardly next to each other, as if they'd been caught by their parents and not their friends.
Look away from him, her brain commanded, as it threatened to short circuit at the look of betrayal Fiyero couldn't hide. But her heart...
"I didn't know the two of you... um..." Galinda couldn't think how to end that sentence.
"Liked each other at all?"
"Well, yes," Galinda said, replying to Avaric.
"She's entrancing," he shrugged. "Fae," he said, turning to her. "I'll talk to you later? Maybe take you for coffee tomorrow?" She nodded, and he leaned to kiss her cheek. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," she murmured.
After Avaric had gone, the three friends stood in an awkward silence until Galinda said, "Well, he certainly is handsome."
Elphaba nodded, gazing at the floor. "You hate him, Elphaba," Fiyero pointed out.
"He's not so bad," she murmured.
"Not so bad," he scoffed.
"Fiyero," Galinda interrupted. "We should be happy for Elphie. Supportive." Her eyes darted to her friend. "If this is really what you want, Elphie -"
"She doesn't want this," Fiyero moaned. "She's probably... How much have you had to drink tonight?"
"Excuse me?" Elphaba fixed him with her most steady glare. "I'm perfectly fine, thank you very much."
"Let's all just go to bed," Galinda suggested.
"Galinda, we -"
"No, Fiyero. Thank you for walking me back," she said pointedly. "Goodnight."
Fiyero nodded, then, after a quick glance at Elphaba, gave Galinda the most searing kiss he could muster, leaving her mumbling incomprehensibly even after he'd gone.