Author's Note: #OperationFiyeraba has been successful.

I'm really glad you all like the WoZ and Tangled references in there. I was rather proud of them myself. :)

This is chapter is majorly fluff-heavy. Like, majorly so. The part I'm referring to was a scene I wasn't going to include, but when I commented that I really wanted to write a fluffy scene there, Maddy told me that if I wanted to include a fluffy Fiyeraba scene, I should, because really, can you ever have too many Fiyeraba scenes in a fic? So I threw caution to the wind and...this came out. I thought it was too much, but Maddy's comment was, "You can never have too much Fiyeraba fluff!" So it stayed. So, just in case I really did overdo it this time...blame Maddy. *points at her* *shifty eyes*

Also, we've surpassed the 50-review mark - thankyou so much! Virtual pie for Guest for being the 50TH reviewer! :D

CHAPTER 9:

The morning light woke Elphaba somewhere around half-past eight. The storm appeared to have passed, and Elphaba blinked her eyes open to find herself staring at someone's bare chest. It took her a moment to remember the events of the night before, and when she did, Elphaba blushed rather heavily. She just hoped Fiyero wouldn't regret it too much when he realized just who it was he had been with.

Elphaba glanced up at Fiyero's face. He was completely still and he looked so much more peaceful than he had when he had come to her the previous night. The sun filtered in through the curtains and played over Fiyero's face and chest, highlighting the curves, angles and muscles. Elphaba smiled softly. She just lay there for a while, studying his features and trying to resist the urge to trace them with her fingers.

After a bit, Fiyero stirred slightly and his eyes fluttered open. Elphaba watched as he blinked up at the ceiling, ran a hand across his eyes, exhaled heavily, blinked some more, and then finally looked down at her. A smile slowly spread across his face.

"Hey," he said softly.

Elphaba's heart fluttered in her chest. "Hey," she returned quietly, reaching up to brush a stray lock of hair away from Fiyero's forehead.

Fiyero caught her hand and brought it to his lips to plant a kiss at the base of her palm, before craning his neck downwards to kiss Elphaba's lips. "Were you watching me sleep?"

"Payback for all those times when you startled me by staring at me when I opened my eyes," Elphaba teased lightly, before asking, "Did you sleep well?"

"Best I've ever slept during a storm," Fiyero told her contentedly. "Thanks for letting me stay."

Elphaba gave a half-shrug. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm not completely heartless."

A pained looked flashed briefly across Fiyero's face, but it was gone so quickly that Elphaba was unsure if it had ever been there.

Fiyero sighed as his fingers began to comb themselves through Elphaba's hair. "I suppose we should get up soon, huh? What time does this thing start today?" he asked, glancing over at the clock.

"Eh, we've got plenty of time. The seminar doesn't start until two. We have to be there at one-thirty." Elphaba closed her eyes and buried her face in Fiyero's chest as she yawned.

Fiyero chuckled. "This must be a first. Elphaba Thropp not wanting to get up early?"

Elphaba hit him lightly at his teasing. "You're comfortable," she informed him by way of explanation.

Fiyero quirked an eyebrow at her. "You don't want to get up because of me?"

Elphaba blushed as she realized how that had sounded.

"Well," Fiyero said brightly, "I have no issue with staying in bed all day."

"I'm sure you have," Elphaba retorted drily.

Fiyero grinned. "Is it worth us going?" he asked thoughtfully after a moment. "I mean, we've already missed one. Don't we need to have been to the first seminar so we know what they're going on about?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes and made to get up, but Fiyero tightened his grasp on her, effectively stopping her attempts.

"No, I'm serious," he insisted. "I'm not trying to get out of it; I just thought we might be rather left behind."

Elphaba sighed. "Fiyero, the topics of the seminars aren't directly connected; so, no. There shouldn't be any references to the other seminar because they've got a different presenter for this one."

"Oh, I see. Well, that's alright, then."

"Can I still count on you to be serious and polite?" Elphaba asked, reminding him of his promise.

Fiyero nodded. "Of course. Anything." He dropped a kiss onto her lips.

"'Anything'?" Elphaba repeated, raising an eyebrow. "That's a brainless thing to say to someone like me."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, you never know what I may do with all that power," she joked.

"Hopefully something that involves you, me and kissing." Fiyero winked, his eyes twinkling.

Elphaba blushed, not knowing how to respond to that.

Fiyero saved her the trouble, however, when he suddenly pinned her beneath him and attacked her neck with soft kisses. The gentleness was enough to bring giggles bubbling from Elphaba's lips, and Fiyero drew back in surprise. "Are you giggling?" he asked in amusement.

"Don't be silly – I don't giggle," Elphaba said, trying to sound indignant but failing.

"It sounded an awful lot like giggles."

"Well, maybe I'm just the teensiest bit ticklish…" she admitted.

Fiyero grinned. "Are you, now?"

Elphaba let out a small shriek as Fiyero resumed his activity, and he was soon laughing along with Elphaba's giggles.

"I never saw you as a giggly sort of person," Fiyero said, nuzzling Elphaba's jawline with his nose.

"I'm not."

"You mean this is all just my influence? I'm honoured."

As Elphaba's giggles began to subside, Fiyero swooped in for one last, lingering kiss, before rolling off her and heading into the bathroom. As he walked, Elphaba's attention couldn't help but be drawn to Fiyero's bare back, and she blushed even as she admired the strong muscles on display.

"Nice view?"

Elphaba's blush deepened and she averted her gaze. "Would you like a cup of coffee?" she asked instead of answering as she got up and made her way over to the kitchen area.

"Yes, please," Fiyero called back, and Elphaba switched on the jug.

By the time he got back, two steaming cups of coffee were sitting on the bench and the curtains were open.

"You know," Fiyero commented, picking up one of the mugs, "I like you with your hair out."

Elphaba screwed up her nose and ran a hand through said hair. "Not like this, surely. It's an absolute mess."

"It still looks pretty," Fiyero argued, coming closer. He reached out a hand and played with the tips for a moment. "It's so long. I wish you wouldn't plait it all the time."

"It's easier to manage if I plait it. That way it doesn't get quite so knotty."

"So no chance of you wearing it out this afternoon, then?" Fiyero asked, sounding disappointed.

"None whatsoever," Elphaba said firmly. "But…maybe tomorrow morning?"

Fiyero smiled. "Good."

Elphaba ducked her head and reached around Fiyero for her coffee. "I suppose you'll be wanting to get back to your own room soon," she commented casually, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

"Trying to get rid of me already?" Fiyero's words were light, but Elphaba could see the faint look of hurt in his eyes.

"No!" Elphaba protested quickly. "That's not what I meant at all. I just figured that you'd be wanting to shave or something." She shrugged.

Fiyero leant closer to Elphaba and lightly grazed his cheek across hers. "Why, am I too whiskery for you?"

Elphaba swatted at Fiyero and pulled away, rubbing her cheek. "Yes. You feel like a cactus."

Fiyero laughed.

"And I don't want whisker burn again."

"Did I give you some the other day?" Fiyero asked, looking abashed.

"Surprisingly, no," Elphaba assured him. "I was only joking."

Relief instantly washed across Fiyero's face.

"What I was going to say, though, was that it's going to look, uh…" – Elphaba blushed – "…rather suspicious, isn't it? I mean, you coming out of my room to return to yours at this hour of the morning still wearing your pyjamas."

Fiyero made a face. "I guess I didn't think things through properly last night."

"Yes, well, neither did I," Elphaba admitted in a murmur. "Afterall, I was the one who insisted you stayed the night. You originally came with no intention of staying."

"But I should have –"

"Fiyero!" Elphaba said firmly. "Let's not fight about it. Drink your coffee. And you should probably put your shirt back on."

Fiyero glanced down, pretending to be surprised. "Why? What's wrong with me not wearing a shirt?"

Elphaba's blush darkened. "You don't want to get cold."

Fiyero shrugged. "If I do, I've got you here to warm me up."

"…I'm not quite sure how to take that."

"As a compliment, my dear," Fiyero whispered, setting aside his mug and wrapping his arms around the green girl. "Being with you is the best way I can think of to warm up."

Elphaba glanced up at him suspiciously. "That sounds like one of those lines you use on floozies."

Fiyero sighed, and Elphaba could smell the coffee on his breath. She quickly learnt that the mixture of coffee and Fiyero made for a rather heady aroma. She swallowed hard.

"I didn't intend for it to sound like that. I was being completely serious."

Elphaba shook her head in denial and took a nervous sip of her coffee. "Fiyero –"

"Elphaba, I'm not lying to you. I've never lied to you." He took Elphaba's cup from her hands and set it down beside his own. "And yet you still don't believe I fancy you, do you? Even after last night."

"Last night, there was a storm," Elphaba pointed out flatly. "You don't like storms."

Fiyero jerked back so suddenly that Elphaba almost lost her balance. "That's all last night was to you?" he demanded sharply. "A bit of placating for me?"

Elphaba winced. "No, of course not," she snapped in return. "But I thought…I thought that was all it was to you," she finished in a whisper.

Fiyero whirled around and began to pace, continuously running his hands through his hair.

Elphaba watched on, baffled, as Fiyero stormed up and down the room, muttering under his breath.

Finally, Fiyero turned back to her, strode over, clasped Elphaba's hands in his and pulled her over to sit beside him on the end of the bed. "If I just wanted a bit of placating, I wouldn't have let it get so far. I would have settled for holding you in my arms. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to kiss you; but I didn't want to take advantage of the situation. But when you kissed me…I just… I found that I couldn't restrain myself any longer. I couldn't help kissing you like that. I wanted it, too. Yes, it helped me forget about the storm," he acknowledged with an inclination of his head, "but that wasn't the reason for last night at all – far from it. The reason was simply that…I wanted you. Because I fancy you. I meant what I said yesterday about dating you."

Elphaba was silent for a long time, unsure of what to think about Fiyero's admission. She began chewing her bottom lip, her eyes darted around the room, and she absentmindedly played with Fiyero's fingers.

Finally, she asked quietly, "Are you asking me out?"

"Would it be such a problem if I did?"

Elphaba shrugged. "I'd like to think not," she told him quietly, "but I really don't think that's the best idea."

Fiyero frowned. "Why not?" He leant forward, trying to make eye contact.

Elphaba sighed heavily. "It just…wouldn't. For a number of reasons."

"Such as?"

"Well," Elphaba said after a slight pause, "imagine getting back to Shiz and having to explain to everyone that you're suddenly dating the Green Bean."

"Elphaba –"

"Imagine it."

Fiyero did. He grimaced.

"Exactly."

"I don't care about that."

Elphaba placed a gentle hand on Fiyero's chest. "But I do. So let's just leave it at that."

Fiyero's shoulders slumped as he realized he wasn't going to win this one. "Does this mean…" He swallowed.

Elphaba finally looked him in the eyes. She raised a hand to cup his cheek. "We've still got the rest of this trip," she assured him softly. "But once we get back to Shiz…I'm afraid that will have to be it."

Fiyero bit his lip and nodded as Elphaba looked at him with regret. Instinctively, she leant forward and pressed her lips to his.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Fiyero gave a sad almost-smile. "Me, too."

"Look," Elphaba said after a long moment, "I'm going to get myself tidied up. Why don't you go back to your room and do the same, and I'll meet you down in the hotel restaurant for breakfast."

Hesitantly, Fiyero nodded. "Okay." He slowly got up and retrieved his shirt from its spot on the floor; but before he could put it on, Elphaba was standing in front of him and tugging it from his grasp.

"Just a moment," she said at his questioning look. "I just realized that I may never get this chance again, so I might as well make the most of it. And if I make a complete and utter fool of myself, I'm sure I can find a spell to erase your memory."

"What are you doing?" Fiyero asked in confusion.

"Something I hope I don't regret." Elphaba deposited the shirt back onto the floor and pushed Fiyero down onto the bed.

"Elphaba –"

"If you really want me, you're going to get me. Now shut up, Tiggular," Elphaba growled, "and let me kiss you."

That, Fiyero did happily as Elphaba hovered above him and crashed her lips hungrily down on his. The coffee on their breaths mingled pleasantly and Elphaba suddenly felt bolder than she had ever been. She trailed her lips along Fiyero's jawline and down his throat, pausing for a moment to press a firm kiss to his Adam's apple, causing Fiyero to let out a low moan.

"Oz, Elphaba," he breathed huskily. "What are you doing to me?"

Elphaba placed another kiss on the base of his neck, eliciting a small gasp, before she worked her way back up to Fiyero's lips.

The next thing she knew, Fiyero had flipped them over and deepened the kiss.

"I think the question," Elphaba managed to gasp out when they came up for air some moments later, "is more like, 'What are you doing to me?'"

"Does this mean you are attracted to me, afterall?"

Elphaba nodded breathlessly. "I never thought I'd be attracted to anyone," she admitted once she had somewhat regained control of her breathing, "especially with the way people treat me. But you…you are a different story. You've changed all that for me. If only for a few days."

Fiyero smiled. "I'm glad." He ran his hands down Elphaba's sides, then moved them up to tangle in her hair as Elphaba's hands came to rest just below Fiyero's shoulders. Fiyero leant down to nibble lightly on her earlobe, and Elphaba reached forward to place a gentle kiss on the smooth skin of Fiyero's chest. The green girl heard his sharp intake of breath, but she was distracted when Fiyero bit down on her ear.

"Ow!" she yelped.

Fiyero instantly pulled away, looking guilty. "I'm so sorry!" he apologized hastily. "I didn't mean to do that. Are you alright?" His eyes searched Elphaba's worriedly, and the green girl smiled.

"I'm fine," she assured him, rubbing her ear. "It was just a small nip, really."

Fiyero breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. I'm sorry about that. You just kind of startled me with that kiss, that was all," he explained.

Elphaba grimaced. "Sorry. I'm not very good at this. I mean, I've never had any experience, so I don't really know what to do, and I'm just kind of –"

Fiyero cut her off with another kiss. "I know that," he told her when they broke apart. "And you don't have to apologize."

"But I obviously did the wrong thing…"

"No, you didn't."

Elphaba blinked up at him, surprised at his firm tone of voice. "I didn't?"

Fiyero shook his head.

"But I…don't understand. I mean, the way you reacted… How can that not have been the wrong thing to do?"

"Because that kiss? It felt good. Like, really, really good. Like, amazing. I hadn't expected it to feel anything like that."

Elphaba blushed. "Really?"

"Really." Fiyero leant forward to lightly skate his lips over Elphaba's jawline, making her shiver. "See, that's what happens when a guy is strongly attracted to a girl – the girl suddenly has the guy in the palm of her hand. Us poor blokes haven't got a chance."

Elphaba threw back her head and laughed at the way he had phrased it, and she was rewarded with a line of soft kisses down the column of her neck. Soon, her breathing became a bit irregular, and Fiyero grinned.

"Now you know how you make me feel," he murmured against her skin.

"You're having me on," Elphaba gasped out.

Fiyero sat back on his heels and studied her. After a few moments, he said, "If you know what to look for, you'll find proof of it every time we do something. Remember when I said I could read your body language and thus determine your true feelings for me? Or something to that effect?"

Elphaba nodded.

"Well, it's easy, really; you don't necessarily have to be experienced to pick up the signs. Here." He rolled onto his back to lie beside Elphaba and spread himself out. "Go on. Have your wicked way with me." Fiyero winked.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Fiyero, this is madness."

"Hey, this is no time to suddenly go shy on me. I'm giving you full permission to do whatever you want with me. Surely you're not going to pass up such an opportunity?" he teased. "No-one has ever been given this chance before."

"Really?"

"Really."

Elphaba hesitated. It was such a tempting offer. Never again would she have an attractive, bare-chested man lying on a bed before her, urging her to do whatever she liked. She bit her lip. Should she?

Fiyero made the decision for her, though, when he took her hand and placed it just below his sternum. "I'm starting you off," he explained.

Elphaba trailed her fingers lightly over the smooth skin of Fiyero's chest and stomach, watching closely for his reaction. She was taken aback to see Fiyero's eyes flutter closed and a blissful smile take its place on his lips. Gathering her courage, Elphaba lightly touched her lips to Fiyero's navel, and her head shot up as his body convulsed and a loud gasp escaped his lips. Elphaba stared at him with wide eyes. "Are you alright?" she asked anxiously, sitting up.

Fiyero laughed softly and raised his head to look at her. "I'm fine. Never better."

Elphaba frowned in confusion. "You mean…"

Fiyero reached down and pulled her up to lie on his chest. "That's the reaction I was talking about. That's what you do to me."

Elphaba's eyes widened even further. "I do?"

Fiyero nodding, smiling. "You do. Attraction is a powerful thing, Elphaba."

"Yes, I…I'm beginning to see that."

Fiyero buried his face in Elphaba's hair and sighed. "I wish this didn't have to end," he mumbled.

"So do I," Elphaba agreed quietly.

"Then let's make the most of these couple of hours we have together."