Author's Note: Yes, Fiyero is a jerk. But maybe that's starting to change...

Then again, maybe not. ;)

Thedoctor24601: You have no idea how much I loved your latest review. I was about to go to bed when it came through, and it absolutely made my night.

Glitter-Bunnii: You managed to pick out my own above-all favourite line of that chapter. ^_^

CHAPTER 6:

Elphaba woke the next morning to find a pair of bright blue eyes staring straight back at her.

"Good morning, Elphaba," Fiyero whispered, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.

"Do you make a habit of watching people sleep?" Elphaba asked, ignoring his greeting. "If so, I'd suggest you cut it out. It's kind of creepy."

"Creepy?" Fiyero questioned with a slight frown.

"You try waking up to someone staring at you and see how you like it," Elphaba shot back.

Fiyero laughed. "I'll bear that in mind."

At that moment, there was a knock on the front door. Elphaba and Fiyero immediately sat up and exchanged a look. They both frowned.

"Who could that be?" Elphaba whispered.

"I don't know," Fiyero murmured his reply, sounding just as confused as Elphaba had. Quietly, he stood and made his way over to the window, peering outside.

"Well?" Elphaba asked.

Fiyero shook his head. "I can't see anything. The window's at the wrong angle." He grabbed a nearby rifle and, after gesturing to Elphaba to get out of sight, cautiously opened the door, keeping the rifle out of view as well.

Thankfully, there was no need for the rifle, for it was one of the coachmen at the door.

"The road has been cleared, sir. When you're ready, we can continue the journey."

"Thankyou," Fiyero said. "We'll meet you outside in half an hour."

The coachman saluted. "Very good, sir."

"Finally!" Elphaba exclaimed in relief when he had gone.

"It's still going to be a couple more days before we reach the Emerald City, though," Fiyero pointed out.

"True," Elphaba conceded with a sigh. "By the time we get there, we'll have missed at least half of the exhibition."

"I'll see if the coachmen can do anything to get us there any faster," Fiyero said. "But for now, we'd best get packed up and ready to hit the road."

"We should have breakfast first, though," Elphaba said. "Can I trust you to collect the eggs this time?" At Fiyero's expression, she laughed. "Okay, okay, I'll go. You just pack your things and douse the fire."

By the time Elphaba came back with four eggs, Fiyero had not only done as she had asked, but he had also folded up the linen they had used and returned it to its rightful place.

Half an hour later, Elphaba and Fiyero had packed and restored the cottage to order. They met the carriage out the front and Elphaba climbed in, Fiyero following close behind. He sat down and looked up in time to see Elphaba reclaiming her previous seat. He frowned.

"Why are you sitting there?"

"Because this is my seat," Elphaba replied.

"You don't have to sit there, you know," Fiyero hinted.

"I know."

"What I mean is," Fiyero expounded, "you're welcome to sit next to me…if you'd like."

Elphaba met Fiyero's steady gaze and they maintained eye contact for several long moments before Elphaba crumbled, helped along by a lopsided smile and a pat on the seat from Fiyero.

"Alright," Elphaba relented, sliding into the proffered seat.

Fiyero beamed at her as the carriage began to move off. Elphaba gave a tentative smile back, pulled out a book and began to read.

After a few minutes, Fiyero grew restless and began to dig around in his messenger bag. "Gum?"

Elphaba looked up from her book and Fiyero noticed her glasses had slipped down her nose. "I beg your pardon?"

"Would you like some gum?" Fiyero repeated at length, holding out two packets.

"Oh." Elphaba looked hesitantly at the packets in Fiyero's hand. "Ummm…okay."

"What sort would you like?"

Elphaba frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, would you like chewing gum or bubblegum?" Fiyero asked, waving each packet in turn.

Elphaba's eyebrows shot up. "You have both kinds?"

Fiyero shrugged. "Gum addict," he joked.

Elphaba laughed. "Well, I've heard some nasty things about chewing gum, so I think I'll try bubblegum."

Fiyero handed the bubblegum packet to her. "Never had gum before?"

Elphaba shook her head.

"Well, I'll have to teach you how to blow bubbles," Fiyero said with a grin.

"Do you have to blow bubbles?" Elphaba asked flatly as she opened the packet.

"Well, no," Fiyero acknowledged, "but where's the fun if you don't?"

Elphaba unwrapped a stick of gum and grimaced at its pink colouring. "If I blow bubbles with this, I'm going to feel like I'm eating Galinda."

Fiyero looked at Elphaba and burst out laughing. "Well, if Galinda is bubblegum, then the chewing gum must be you."

"I know, I'm such a bad taste in your mouth that you have to spit me out, right?"

"Nope." Fiyero held up his own stick of gum. "It's green. Just like you."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "So you're saying you want to eat me?"

"Well…perhaps just a little taste," Fiyero said with a suggestive wink.

"I thought you agreed to cut the crap," Elphaba said in slight irritation.

Fiyero sighed. "Fine." He popped the gum into his mouth. "I spoke to the coachmen."

"And?" Elphaba asked eagerly, all previous annoyance forgotten.

"They were going to consult us anyway, but they said they can push on through the next couple of nights until we get there. Is that okay?"

"'Is that okay?'" Elphaba repeated disbelievingly, flinging her arms around the neck of a very startled Fiyero. "That's wonderful!"

Fiyero chuckled. "I take it you approve of the plan, then?" he asked, snaking an arm around Elphaba's waist.

"Oh, yes, Fiyero, that's marvellous!" Suddenly aware of their position, Elphaba pulled away, blushing furiously.

Fiyero sensed how awkward things had suddenly become and decided to defuse the situation. "So, I bet you'd like to kiss me now, huh?"

To Fiyero's vast surprise, instead of the scornful, "As if, Tiggular" he was expecting, Elphaba merely lowered her eyes, her blush becoming that much brighter, and murmured, "Dream on, Fiyero" – words which, said as they were, just weren't convincing.

"Oh, I will, baby," Fiyero replied with a slight growl in his voice, watching her closely, "I will." To his great joy, Elphaba ducked her head and buried her nose back in her book. Well, well, well, Fiyero thought as he fought a grin, wonders never will cease.

Fiyero didn't remember much from the rest of that day, and, when he woke up later on that evening, he realized why.

With a yawn and a stretch, Fiyero slowly blinked his eyes open and glanced around the darkened carriage. The first thing he noticed was that Elphaba was no longer sitting beside him. Upon closer inspection, he found her sitting on the floor of the carriage, her knees pulled to her chest, leaning her back against the opposite door. Her shoulder was lodged beneath the seat and her head rested on top – a most uncomfortable-looking position. Fiyero sighed as he looked as her. So much for Elphaba falling asleep with her head on my shoulder.

At that moment, Fiyero felt the carriage beginning to slow down before coming to a halt. One of the coachmen appeared at the door nearest to Fiyero.

"Is there something wrong?" Fiyero questioned with a frown.

"Not per se, sir," the coachman replied, "but it's started snowing again and we wondered if you might not prefer to take your luggage inside."

Fiyero nodded. "Yes, we will do just that. Thankyou."

The coachman pulled down the suitcases and gave them to Fiyero, who sat them on the seat opposite him. The carriage started off again and Fiyero stole another glance at Elphaba. Noticing her shivering, Fiyero made a split-second decision and opened Elphaba's suitcase. He extracted a coat, then found another jacket of his own and stood, making his way over to where Elphaba sat. He dropped down and squeezed himself in beside her, draping his jacket across them both.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Fiyero whispered.

"There's no need to whisper; I wasn't asleep. And you didn't answer my question," Elphaba said, opening her eyes.

"You looked cold, so I thought I'd come and warm you up," Fiyero explained. "Here, put this on." He held out the coat he had found in Elphaba's suitcase.

"So you decided to sit in my lap?" Elphaba asked drily, even as she accepted her coat and put it on.

"No, but that can be arranged," Fiyero said with a smirk.

"I'd rather you didn't," said Elphaba. "I don't want to end up with two broken legs."

"Are you implying that I'm heavy?" asked Fiyero, pretending to be affronted.

"How should I know? It's not like I've tried to lift you or anything."

"True."

Elphaba's eyes sparkled with mischief as she grinned cheekily up at Fiyero. "But I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if you were."

Fiyero poked out his tongue at her. "You're a cheeky little devil, aren't you?"

"I've said nothing worse than you have," Elphaba pointed out.

"True."

"And you started it."

"True."

"You realize you've said that three times within the last minute?"

"True."

Elphaba rolled her eyes as she gave another shiver.

"Still cold?"

"No."

"Here, move forward."

With a suspicious glance in Fiyero's direction, Elphaba did so, and Fiyero moved over so that he was sitting directly behind her with one leg on either side of her body. He pulled her back to lean against his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

"Better?"

"We'll see," Elphaba grumbled unconvincingly.

They stayed like that until they both fell asleep, and neither woke up until the next morning.

Once again, it was Fiyero who woke first. Immediately, he was aware of a comfortable weight in his arms. The next thing he became aware of was something tickling his face. His nose twitched. Whatever it was, it was certainly soft. Slowly, Fiyero opened his eyes. At first, all he saw was black, but as soon as he moved his head, the black shifted and he realized Elphaba was still in his arms, sound asleep.

Smiling softly at the realization that he had just spent a second night with Elphaba in his arms, Fiyero gently unwound one arm from around Elphaba's waist and brought up his hand to brush a strand of hair away from her face, giving him a better view. He sighed contentedly as he studied her features. They seemed so much softer when she slept. She really was attractive.

"Let me guess: you're staring at me again. Am I right?"

Elphaba's voice startled Fiyero from his thoughts and he hastened to avert his gaze. "No."

Elphaba looked around at Fiyero and watched him carefully for a moment. "It's funny," she commented as she turned back around, "but for someone who makes a habit of regularly practicing being ignorant, you're sure no good at acting that way when you need to."

"When I need to?" Fiyero echoed, raising an eyebrow at her, even though she couldn't see it.

"You know what I mean."

Fiyero playfully tightened his grip on Elphaba's waist and he leant forward so that his chin rested on her shoulder. "No, I don't, actually."

"Neither do I," Elphaba admitted.

Fiyero chuckled – a deep rumble in his chest which vibrated pleasantly against Elphaba's back, making her shiver. "I thought you always knew what you meant?"

It was like that scene in the kitchen all over again. His voice was quiet and husky and his breath tickled her ear. The only difference was that there was no force involved. But this was almost as bad. He had her in the palm of his hand. He was making her feel things she shouldn't be feeling. She had to get away before she did something she would regret.

Elphaba tried to move away from Fiyero, but his hold on her remained firm.

"And just where do you think you're going, hmmm?" He lightly brushed his lips over the shell of her ear. "You're not trying to escape from me, are you?"

"I…"

"It feels like all you ever do is try to run away from me. Now, why is that?" Fiyero mused, trailing a finger down Elphaba's jawbone, caressing it gently.

Elphaba turned her head away from Fiyero's wandering fingers. "I think we've been through this before."

"Oh, that's right," Fiyero said, "you're attracted to me but you're scared to admit it. That's okay; you don't have to tell me."

Okay, maybe she had been a bit hasty in thinking he wasn't using force.

However, at that moment, Fiyero dropped his hand and leant back against the carriage door. "But I won't fight you over it."

Elphaba was surprised at the sudden loss of contact and instantly missed the warmth his touch provided. Her hand subconsciously crept up to her own jaw and she touched the spot where Fiyero's hand had been a moment earlier.

The small action did not go unnoticed by Fiyero and he smirked in satisfaction. "You liked it when I did that?" he questioned casually, unable to resist.

"No." But her voice shook slightly as she denied it.

Fiyero shrugged. "Okay."

Elphaba couldn't help but be a bit disappointed. Was that it? After all that, he wasn't going to pursue this any further? And then she stopped for a moment to consider her thoughts. Did she want him to pursue this? Her mind screamed "no". Even after everything they had discussed a couple of days prior, he still seemed to be the same old Fiyero. Yet, despite that, she felt her traitorous heart whispering "yes".

Elphaba once again made to move away, but Fiyero's voice stopped her.

"You really want to get away from me that badly?"

Surprised at the disappointed tone in his voice, Elphaba looked up at Fiyero. His eyes were filled with a mixture of curiosity and disappointment as they searched hers for an answer.

Elphaba opened her mouth to answer in the affirmative, but the look on his face stopped her and the word caught in her throat. After a moment of hesitation, her head twitched. It was the slightest movement, but it was enough to betray her thoughts. But not only that.

It was enough to prompt Fiyero to kiss her.