AN: Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter. I should have the next chapter of Toughest Case up today or tomorrow, but I couldn't leave Avaric alone. Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think.

She'd walked up to the library the next morning to find him lounging against the door with a couple cups of coffee. "Hey."

"How's your liver?" she teased as he handed her the other cup. She took it and sipped the warm coffee, grateful for the caffeine.

His eyes were penetrating behind his smile. "Worrying?"

"Can't have my partner dying from alcohol poisoning, can I?"

He took a long swallow of coffee. "That's about as likely as a fish drowning."

"So you're saying you drink like a fish?"

He ignored her dig. "Still think you should come for a drink sometime." His eyes slid over her. "Let your hair down."

"My hair's fine." He didn't answer, but his smirk grated on her nerves. "Are we actually planning to work today?"

"Soon as you stop nagging me on the dangers of booze."

She glared and tossed out the empty paper cup to open the library door with a gesturing arm. He followed her in, and they set to work combing through the books he'd set aside yesterday. Despite her annoyance, they fell into an easy routine.

It was an odd experience, having a partner who could hold his own. Avaric retreated to collect more material, and she peeked at his work to double-check it, surprised to find it nearly impeccable. "Do I pass?"

She whirled to face him, but his face was carefully neutral. "It's good."

"You sound surprised. Thought I'd be another blundering oaf?"

She shrugged. He might be arrogant, but his work spoke for itself. The corner of his lips tilted in a smirk, and he set the stack of books on the table to advance on her. With an arm on either side, he leaned over and shuffled the papers to see her own work. He paged through it, his chest bumping lightly against the back of her shoulder. It felt nicely warm against the chilly library air.

After a long moment, he stepped back without comment. It seemed she'd earned the same respect. Without meaning to, she blurted out, "So?"

He arched an eyebrow.

"Do I pass?" She'd arranged a sarcastic tone, but the question was more genuine than she'd have liked to admit.

He considered her a moment, and then his face smoothed into a shrewd smile. "Worried?"

"No reason why."

His eyes skated over her, from her eyes to her hands propped on the tabletop and back. "Yeah, you pass."

"Good." She retreated to the stack of books and curled up in her chair with one. Avaric took another, and they fell into a companionable silence.

After a few hours, Galinda came in looking like a lost lamb abandoned in the middle of a busy city. She caught sight of Elphaba, and fluttered over. "Oh, Elphie, there you are." As if she'd been hiding. "I thought you might be here. Hi, Avaric."

He lifted his eyes in a quick nod and went back to his work. But Elphaba felt his attention slide to her, and she wasn't sure why.

"Elphie, you've got to help me." Galinda flounced into the chair next to her and caught her roommate's hand. "How in Oz did you put up with him all these times? I mean, Fiyero's great, and he's just the perfectest boyfriend. But he's driving me insane with this project! He's so distractable, and I can't seem to get him to do any work at all. Even with…you know, …" she blushed, eyes sliding to make sure Avaric wasn't listening, "motivation."

And Elphaba could definitely have done without hearing that. "What do you want me to do?"

"Well, you always work with him, and he annoys you. But I know he helps, at least a little, right?" Elphaba's head tipped forward in a reluctant nod. "I need help, Elphie. I can't do the whole project alone. And he's so…frustrifying!"

"That's true."

"I'm afraid it's going to drive us apart," she confessed with a dramatic frown. "Can you convince him to help? For the sake of our relationship?"

She took in Galinda's desperation, and shook her head. "Oh, Glin, I don't know what you think I can do. I can tell him to help you, but it's not like he does it on purpose. It's hard for him to stay focused on schoolwork."

Avaric let out a huff beside her. She turned to look at him, but before she could, he'd leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "Any chance we can wrap up the gossiping and get back to work sometime before sunset?"

Her cheeks flamed at his words, and she caught Galinda giving them an appraising look. Avaric went back to his work without comment, and the blonde turned to her with a coy smile. "So how're things going with you two? Any progress?"

Elphaba gave her friend a firm warning look. The last thing she needed was Galinda playing matchmaker. "We should probably get back to work now."

"Right, right." But Galinda seemed unfazed. "I guess I'll leave you two alone."

"Thanks. I'll talk to Fiyero, if you really think that'll help."

The knowing look on the blonde's face dissolved into a desperation. "Would you? I'm sure he'd listen to you if you could-OH!" She flashed a grin at Avaric over Elphaba's shoulders. "We could do a group study date!"

Elphaba's face paled. "Galinda, we're not-"

"Whenever you guys are planning to work. You can help me keep him in line." Her face lit up in that way that made it impossible for Elphaba to disappoint her. "Oh, please Elphie. It'll be so much fun!"

"Work. We don't need to have fun; we need to get some work done." She frowned at the thought of trying to handle Avaric, her bubbly roommate, and a restless, bored Fiyero all at the same time. "I don't know…"

"Oh, please, Elphie? I really, really need your help with him. And Avaric doesn't mind, do you?"

Avaric drew a long-suffering breath. "It's up to Elphaba."

She turned to face him, surprised. "You don't mind?"

His eyes met hers, and the corner of his mouth crooked up in a wicked smirk. She couldn't tell what that meant, but it didn't seem good. Galinda took the silence to answer for him. "Of course he doesn't. So we'll meet you guys here, when, tomorrow?"

Elphaba nodded. "I guess."

Galinda grinned and bounced up. "Okay, you two have fun." Her parting wink promised a thorough harassment later, and Elphaba thought she might be staying at the library later tonight just to avoid the giggly girl talk looming in her future. Ugh, she should have just played dead.

The next afternoon found them all grouped around the round table in the library, various books scattered over the scarred wood surface. Fiyero cast a furtive glance up at Avaric, then Elphaba. "I think I'm gonna-"

"Read." She pointed to the book without even looking up. Fiyero huffed, but he went back to the print. Galinda peeked up with an impressed look, and then ducked out of the line of fire.

The peace lasted six minutes, Fiyero's personal best. "Elphie, come on. Just a five minute break."

She set her book down with a sigh. "You've only been reading for five minutes."

"Six," Avaric pointed out automatically, eyes still on his notes.

"See," Fiyero half-whined. "Six."

"Six beautiful, quiet minutes," Avaric interrupted with a sigh. He leaned back. "Oz, how can someone be this dysfunctional? How do you even manage to dress yourself?"

Fiyero glared at him, and went back to reading. He lasted at most another minute before his fingers started drumming on the table. She'd never seen him quite this unsettled, studying or not.

"Oh, for the love of-"

Elphaba reached over and covered his fingers before Avaric could murder the bored prince. Fiyero fidgeted restlessly, eyes flicking from Elphaba to Avaric, and back again. She squeezed his hand, and he went back to reading. Then his fingers under her hand started to fidget against hers, brushing back and forth over the side of her pinky, her palm, wherever he happened to land. She kept her face blank, but barely.

The innocuous fidgeting help, and Fiyero made it until she had to turn a page before his leg started kicking. The rapid click of his heel even softly tapping against the wood floor seemed to echo in the quiet, and she squeezed his hand again.

Avaric eyed them both and sighed. "Is there any chance we going to actually get some work done, or are you too busy babysitting?"

Elphaba frowned at him. "I'm working. Maybe if you didn't glare at Fiyero all the time, you'd get some done, too."

"You know, I've never have guessed you would be the kind of partner too busy with her friends to do her half of the work."

Her cheeks blazed, but Fiyero answered before she could. "What's that supposed to mean?" His expression was dark, murderous even. "She has plenty of friends."

Avaric rolled his eyes, which as much as Elphaba appreciated the sentiment, she felt like doing as well. "I know she has friends, you idiot. I just expected her to take the work more seriously."

"Elphie's very serious." Fiyero caught her hand in his, eyes still on Avaric. "She's brilliant. You're lucky she's your partner." Elphaba winced and snuck a look to Galinda, but the blonde seemed too transfixed to be offended.

Avaric narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, she's my partner. Mine. You should be working with your own partner."

"You don't own her. If she wants to work with us, she can."

"Why would she want to work with you? You have the attention span of a swallow!"

"Boys, boys!" Galinda finally intervened as Fiyero looked ready to punch him. Then she leaned forward, eyes bright. "Don't forget her hair. Doesn't it look gorgeous?"

"Thanks, Glin," Elphaba let out dryly. "Lots of help."

"Sh, Elphie. Two cute boys are fighting over you. This is awesome!"

"They're fighting over work, not me, and you do know one is your boyfriend, right?"

Galinda shrugged. "Details."

Elphaba shook her head and turned to Avaric. "Look, if you want to go, I understand. Just leave me half the work, and I'll take care of it."

"Like I'm going to let your incompetence effect my grade," he parroted back. "We're working together so I know it's done right."

"Cute." She narrowed her eyes, and he narrowed his back. "Well, I said I'd help my friends, and I'm helping them."

His jaw clenched, but her eyes held no compromise. She could be just as stubborn as he could. More so.

After a moment, his face softened into a contemplative look. "Or…" Then he leaned forward, his eyes burning into hers. He brushed a hand through her hair to move it back. "You could always try to find a way to keep me patient."

"Leave her alone," Fiyero growled, but Galinda hit his arm.

"Shut up," she hissed eagerly. "Well, Elphie?"

Elphaba glared at her, all too aware how close Avaric's face was to her own. Fiyero's fingers were white with the strain of gripping the desk underneath her hand.

Avaric's hand left her hair to tilt her chin. "I'm sure I can be persuaded."

She answered with an eloquent, "um…"

Fiyero's grip on her hand tightened possessively, but he kept silent. She could feel the tension radiating from him, as well as Galinda's excitement. But Avaric bent closer, drawing her focus. "In fact, I might even be persuaded to help. And you know I'm excellent at what I do." Her blush must be actually on fire by now. His lips reached her ear, "Can't you think of any persuasion?"

She shook her head, breath shallow and eyes trained on the tabletop.

His chuckle was warm. "Really? I can think of so many." He let his lips fall to brush her cheek. "A kiss, then, if I help. Surely it's worth that to be done with all that annoyance."

"Can't you just help to … help? It'd get you done sooner, and that's what you really want, right?"

"Just like want you really want is to kiss me." He leaned his forehead against hers. "What we both want."

Did she? She didn't recall ever wanting to kiss him before, but his breath warm on her lips was making it difficult to think straight. Her nod was so slight, she wasn't sure if she'd actually done it. She definitely wasn't sure if she meant to, but with that Avaric leaned back, eyes hooded and lips stretched in a grin.

He propped his hands behind his head, lounged against the back of his chair. "Deal."

Elphaba shook the fog away enough to ask, "I thought you said you'd help?"

Avaric tossed her a paper-clipped stack of pages, all neatly scripted in his handwriting. "Done. All his work, and none of the whining."

She flipped through to see he had in fact listed all the salient research in a clear, concise outline for Fiyero's entire half of the project. Where he found time, she'd never know. She held the papers back out. "But that's cheating. And he needs to know the material on his own."

"So let him 'research' the outline. It's clearer, and I even used shorter words, just for him."

Fiyero glared. "I can do my own research. I'm not an idiot."

"Yeah, I can tell." Avaric held his hands wide. "Look, I helped. They can use that to build their presentation instead. So we can work on ours."

The way his eyes drifted to her mouth on the last word made her subconsciously lick her lips. Galinda jumped up and grabbed Fiyero around the wrist. "Well, that's our cue. Thanks for the help, both of you."

Fiyero resisted, but as with most people facing the blonde, he eventually had to give in. At the door, he turned back, "Are you sure you don't want us to stay?" He gave a meaningful glance at Avaric as the other boy scooted closer.

"Very," Avaric interjected before Elphaba could say anything. "Run along. She's perfectly fine."

Fiyero looked like he wanted to argue, but Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Honestly, if I can handle your studying, you think I can't handle him?"

His answering grin was sheepish. "I suppose."

"Go on. Galinda's waiting."

Avaric waited until Fiyero shut to door to turn to her. "So you can handle me, huh?"

Her eyebrow quirked up. "You think I couldn't?"

His eyes dropped to her lips, and he leaned so close she could feel his breath. He tilted her chin with a knuckle, lips brushing lightly against hers. "Shall we find out? The suspense is killing me."