Author's Note: Glitter-Bunnii, I think Maddy's rubbing off on you, because you both keep citing my own favourite lines! :D

Glad everyone liked that last line! I'm afraid the story is drawing to a close, though...

CHAPTER 12:

There was a collective, horrified gasp from the group of girls, and Fiyero could see Elphaba gaping at him from the corner of his eye. However, he just kept looking at the girls, silently challenging them to say something.

Finally, the leader of the girls accepted the challenge. "Yeesh! You're joking, right? How did you end up with her? Your parents set it up, I expect."

"They did no such thing," Fiyero declared firmly. "I asked her to be my girlfriend of my own free will." Well, that much was true, even if Elphaba had, in reality, turned him down.

"I don't believe you." The girls crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"It's the truth."

"Prove it."

Now Fiyero looked taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"Prove it," the girl repeated.

"What do you mean?"

"Kiss her."

"He's not going to do it," Fiyero heard one of the other girls whisper.

Without a second thought, Fiyero turned to face Elphaba, grabbed her by the waist and hauled her to him, pressing his lips firmly against hers. He heard the girls let out another gasp, and he deepened the kiss for extra effect.

When he finally pulled away to see Elphaba staring at him wide-eyed and blushing furiously, Fiyero smiled softly and stroked her cheek. He then placed another light kiss on Elphaba's forehead.

The leader of the group made a loud gagging sound. "Oz, that is the most disgusting thing I have ever seen. You disappoint me, Your Highness." With that, she and her fellow floozies flounced away.

"You really didn't have to do that," Elphaba managed to get out after a few minutes.

"Of course I did. I care about you."

"I didn't just mean defending me. I meant the kiss."

"Oh, that." Fiyero shrugged. "I know, but I wanted to. I'm sorry if you didn't want me to – you know, since you don't want it public knowledge about…us."

"Well, it's too late for that now, isn't it?" Elphaba pointed out. "Not that there is an 'us', really."

"It's not really that bad, though, is it? That I did that in public?"

"You're a prince, Fiyero. Everyone watches your every move."

Fiyero grimaced. "Don't remind me," he muttered.

"That sort of news is going to spread like wildfire. It will be in all the gossip columns before you know it. I wouldn't be surprised if someone managed to snap a photograph – there are photographers here to cover the event, most unfortunately."

Fiyero shrugged. "All they can do is speculate; they're not going to be getting anything out of me. There are any number of reasons why I might have kissed you."

"And what will the headlines say, hmmm?" Elphaba continued her rant, ignoring him. "'Scandalacious Vinkun Prince Dating Green Freak.' I don't want you being the subject of ugly gossip on my account," she finished softly.

"Elphaba –"

"Excuse me, I'm looking at going to Shiz University next year," a teenaged girl interrupted them, "and I was wondering if they offer the program I'm looking at doing."

Elphaba immediately switched to 'efficient assistant mode', as Fiyero mentally termed it, and he sighed. Once she had dealt with the girl, Elphaba turned back to Fiyero with a sigh of her own.

"Look, I appreciate you defending me, I really do. Nobody has ever done that before. But I just don't want anything involving me to harm you. Once we get back to Shiz, that's it. No more 'us', as you like to put it. No-one is to know. So why take any risks while we're still in the Emerald City? It doesn't make any sense to do that, Fiyero. At least, not in public."

Fiyero let out yet another sigh and ran his hand through his hair. "I suppose you're right," he admitted. "I'm sorry."

Elphaba shrugged it off. "Look, we'll be done here in half an hour. Why don't you make it up to me by taking me out for a nice lunch?"

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "In public?"

"Well, we could always have it in my room…" Elphaba suggested shyly.

Fiyero grinned. "I think that sounds perfect."

Lunchtime found the pair sharing a spaghetti meal in Elphaba's room, as per the green girl's suggestion.

"Open wide," Fiyero joked as he twirled some spaghetti around his fork and held it out towards Elphaba.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I'm not a baby."

"So?" Fiyero grinned. "That doesn't mean I can't feed you."

Elphaba just looked at him.

"Or, if you want, you could always feed me…" Fiyero wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Apart from the fact that it's a plain stupid idea," said Elphaba, "I really don't think we should feed each other while ever we're wearing our uniforms."

"You're suggesting we take them off?" Fiyero cocked his head to the side, his eyes lighting up.

Elphaba looked horrified. "Oz, Tiggular, no! That's not what I meant at all! I… Oh, Oz." She buried her head in her hands, feeling her cheeks beginning to heat up. "Why must you always twist my words?"

Fiyero laughed. "I can't help it. When such words fall from the lips of such an attractive woman, it's hard not to think of a not-so-innocent meaning."

Elphaba pursed her lips. "So I'm back to being 'just another woman', am I? Ha, I knew it's couldn't last."

"Come on, Elphaba, that's not what I meant. I can't think of anyone but you now."

"Yeah, right, I'm really going to believe that because you're just so convincing."

"Oh, shut up and eat your spaghetti."

Elphaba harrumphed and shoved another forkful of food into her mouth, chewing on it rather savagely.

This time, it was Fiyero who rolled his eyes. He reached his foot out and lightly bumped Elphaba's leg. "Hey, stop getting cranky at me because you're searching my words for meanings that aren't there. There is no need for you to do either of those." When Elphaba didn't respond, Fiyero nudged her leg a bit harder. "Hey! Look at me!"

Elphaba finally tore her gaze away from her bowl to direct a glare at Fiyero, who sighed.

"Look, we haven't got long before we have to return to Shiz. Now, we've already agreed to make the most of what time we have left. If it helps, I'm sorry. Now let's move on, hmmm?"

Fiyero didn't think she was going to respond; but, finally, Elphaba heaved a sigh of her own. "Alright," she relented. "Apology accepted. Oz knows why I'm agreeing to keep going along with you."

Fiyero grinned. "Must be my irresistible charm."

"What charm?" Elphaba asked, pretending to be confused.

Fiyero poked out his tongue. "The charm you couldn't resist last night or the night before…or the day before that…or the day before that…"

Elphaba blushed heavily. "Okay, okay, I get it," she mumbled. "No need to go on about it."

Fiyero grinned but complied, and the pair finished their meal in silence with Fiyero poking Elphaba's foot with his toe every now and then.

"Would you stop doing that?" Elphaba finally snapped irritably.

"Doing what?" Fiyero questioned innocently.

"Poking me with your toe."

"Oh, that." He paused. "No."

Elphaba scowled, but shuddered slightly when Fiyero's foot found the hem of her skirt and slowly and gently made its way up her leg. "Fiyero…"

It was supposed to sound warning, Fiyero knew, but it came out as more of a breathless sigh, and Fiyero grinned as he ran his foot back down again.

"Cut it…out…" Elphaba's eyelids fluttered closed and Fiyero knew he had won.

"If I must." Fiyero stood and came around to the other side of the table, then bent over to kiss the green girl.

She couldn't help it. Elphaba melted into the kiss immediately. As Fiyero put his arms around her and drew Elphaba to her feet, she slipped her arms around Fiyero's neck and deepened the kiss.

Before either of them had quite realized it, the pair had tumbled onto the bed in a tangle of arms and legs. After a few moments, Elphaba pulled away and sat up.

"We should probably stop."

Fiyero blinked. "Wait, what? Why?" he asked, sitting up also.

"So we don't mess up our uniforms."

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "You are kidding me," he groaned.

"No," Elphaba replied matter-of-factly. "I refuse to turn up at a student representative dinner looking like a bedraggled cat."

"What a time to suddenly care about your appearance," Fiyero lamented.

"Fiyero, we're representing Shiz!"

"If you're so concerned about wrinkly uniforms, there is a solution…"

"I don't trust hotel irons," Elphaba said stubbornly.

"That's not exactly what I meant," Fiyero breathed, leaning closer to Elphaba and toying with the buttons on her blazer.

"Then what did you mean?" Elphaba asked, swatting his hand away.

"What I suggested before when you said about feeding each other…remove our uniforms."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Is that all you ever think about?"

Fiyero gave a sheepish shrug. "It's hard not to with you here," he said, reaching for her again and pulling her close.

A smile tugged on Elphaba's lips, as much as she tried to suppress it. "I have a better idea. Why don't we just get changed?"

"Or we could do that," Fiyero conceded with a half-shrug.

"I'll just…um…" Elphaba gestured to the bathroom, before grabbing a clean frock and ducking into the adjoining chamber to get change.

When she came out again, she found Fiyero sprawled out on the bed, wearing nothing but his boxer shorts. Elphaba's eyes widened in surprise.

"I didn't really need to change," Fiyero explained casually, seeing the look she gave him. He held out his hand to her.

"I see…" Elphaba said quietly after a moment, coming closer and taking his hand.

"And yeah, I was kind of hoping for a repeat performance of yesterday," Fiyero admitted, sensing her hesitation. "What I said is true. I loved every moment of that. And I want to return the favour."

Trust him to throw that in. How could she resist that?

Fiyero gave Elphaba's hand a tug, causing her to topple onto his chest. Fiyero grinned. "That's better." He pressed his lips to Elphaba's, not giving her a chance to react, then began a light trail of kisses down the green girl's throat and across to her shoulder.

Elphaba let out a blissful sigh and tangled her long fingers in Fiyero's thick, brown hair as the latter rolled them over. "Yero…" Elphaba whispered.

"Mmm…?"

Elphaba paused. "Nothing."

Fiyero pulled back to look at her. "No, you were going to say something. What was it?"

Elphaba shrugged, twirling a lock of Fiyero's hair around her finger. "I just... I wish we didn't have to go back to 'hating' each other, either," she admitted with a sigh, looking out the window.

"Then let's not," Fiyero said, his voice full of excitement.

He could see that she was tempted by the idea this time; but, after a moment, she shook her head.

"No, Fiyero. I'm sorry, but I couldn't put you through that. No, this is going to have to be it." Elphaba finally turned her head back to look at Fiyero. "And don't even think of suggesting a secret relationship."

Fiyero's eyes lit up. "Hey, why didn't I think of that?"

"No," Elphaba said firmly.

Fiyero pouted.

Elphaba let out a weak, rueful chuckle and placed a kiss on Fiyero's nose. "I know. I already regret it, too. But this is just the way it has to be."

"No, it –"

"Fiyero."

Fiyero sighed. "Okay, okay. Letting it go."

"Good." Elphaba pulled Fiyero back to her and kissed him firmly, wrapping her arms around his bare torso and feeling the well-developed muscles in his back. "As you keep telling me, let's just make the most of the time we have left on this trip."

After they broke apart, Fiyero looked at Elphaba for a long moment, his eyes burning into hers, before suddenly crashing his lips to hers once more, hungrily this time, taking Elphaba's breath away. When he finally pulled away almost a full minute later, he whispered huskily, "Let's make every second count."

Elphaba could not agree more.

A few hours later, Fiyero found himself following Elphaba into the large dining hall of some fancy, old building.

"Well, this is going to be a bore," he muttered.

Elphaba glanced back at him. "What makes you say that?"

"I've seen plenty of dining halls in my time," Fiyero replied. "Anything that takes place in one of these is bound to be boring."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "That's Fiyero logic for you."

Fiyero grinned. "Believe me, it works."

"I'm sure," Elphaba retorted drily. "Now shut up. It looks like everyone is being seated."

"Yay," Fiyero muttered sarcastically, tugging on his blazer sleeve as Elphaba inspected the table for their place cards.

"Here we are," she announced after a moment. She sat at her allocated place and Fiyero followed suit.

"Now what?"

"The word 'patience' doesn't appear anywhere in your vocabulary, does it?"

Fiyero gave a playful huff but didn't say anything further, for which Elphaba was very grateful.

Ten minutes later, everyone was seated and the organizer of the exhibition welcomed them to the dinner. There were a couple of short speeches by people of note in education circles; the entrée was served; and then the compère said, "Before we begin to wrap up this exhibition, I believe we have one more student representative speech to hear. This will be presented by Miss Elphaba Thropp of Shiz University. Miss Thropp?"

Fiyero just about choked on an oyster. "What?!" he whispered harshly to Elphaba, but the latter had already stood and was making her way to the podium.

As Elphaba addressed those present and launched into her speech about Shiz University, Fiyero sat there staring at her. It was the first time the Vinkun prince could recall sitting through a speech and hearing every word. Elphaba sounded so confident; so sure of herself…she looked in her element, even though Fiyero was certain she was bracing herself for an attack on her skin. And her words… Had a first-year university student really written that speech?

Elphaba only spoke for a couple of minutes, but everything seemed to pass by in slow-motion for Fiyero as he watched and listened to her, absolutely captivated.

And then suddenly, Elphaba had finished speaking and everyone was clapping loudly.

Fiyero beamed with pride.

"For a green freak," began a girl sitting near Fiyero, who shot her a dark look which went unnoticed, "she's surprisingly good."

"That was a fantastic speech," another girl agreed. "It's almost makes me want to switch to Shiz University myself!"

Fiyero relaxed, and as Elphaba reclaimed her seat, the prince daringly leant over to plant a light kiss on her cheek. "I am officially in awe," he told her seriously.

Elphaba blushed and gave an awkward chuckle. "It was nothing, really, but, uh, thanks."

"I didn't realize you were going to speak tonight," Fiyero commented as the main course was served.

"Well, since we missed the first dinner…" Elphaba shrugged and thanked the waiter for her meal.

"First dinner?" Fiyero questioned with a frown.

Elphaba let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes. There was one on Saturday evening. That one was for people looking at going to university as well as the student representatives, but I still had to do the speech tonight even though they're not here – a mere formality," she threw in facetiously.

"Oh."

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

The pair lapsed into silence as the other students around them chattered away.

The dinner wore on, and after a few more speeches, Fiyero murmured to Elphaba, "What time is this thing supposed to finish?"

"Ten o'clock."

Fiyero glanced up at the clock. "It's twenty-to now. I hope they bring out dessert soon."

"What is it with men and dessert?" Elphaba muttered.

"Hey, if I get dessert, it will be to your advantage," Fiyero informed her.

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

Fiyero grinned cheekily at her. "Sugar keeps one going. The more energy I have, the more you get out of me.

Elphaba flushed in embarrassment at his implication. "I'm not going to dignify that with a response."

Fiyero's grin widened. "You just did."

Author's Note: Only one more chapter after this! And, yeah, there is a kind-of Frozen half-reference in here. ;)