AN: Hey, so I realize my updating has been a bit slow lately. I actually had these chapters written for weeks, but as you can imagine, with the holidays, it's been a bit... crazy and I haven't been on my computer much. Sometimes, I upload like 7 chapters at once and then just publish from my phone later. Anyway, this chapter has a moderate M rating. It's been suggested I up the rating, and I can see why, but the thing with that is, no one is going to see it on the Wicked fanfic page unless they change search setting specifically to M and that's the thing I don't like...

Chapter Thirty: Giving In

There were less than three weeks until they were to return to Shiz and Elphaba was about to lose her mind. She needed Fiyero in her bed, and not just for the physical aspect. Elphaba felt like she was literally losing brain cells for lack of some intelligent conversation. But she wouldn't go to him, nor would she ask him to come find her. The risk was still there.

Nonetheless, he showed up in the middle of that night. She awoke to a gentle kiss on the cheek and looked up at his figure in the darkness. Despite the fact that she could not see him, she knew it could only be him; she sensed him. "Fiyero."

"Fae," he replied breathily. "Please don't make me leave."

She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say. Sweet Oz, she wanted him worse than she ever had. Elphaba swallowed hard and moved over a little in her bed. "I won't."

"Thank Oz." He slid beneath the comforter.

"Yero…"

"What?"

"Let's try to be quiet, at least, okay?"

"That is certainly more your problem than mine," he whispered into her ear, nibbling at her ear lobe. He pulled her body towards him and kissed her heavily. The moment she opened her mouth to him, his tongue darted inside, eager. His hands slid down her body and grabbed the hem of her nightdress, pulling it up until it was at her neck.

She broke the kiss for a moment so he could take the nightdress completely off of her and she tugged his nightshirt over his head. Neither of them wore anything under their nightclothes. His mouth had lowered from hers and moved slowly downward as she arched her back slightly. His hands pushed her legs open roughly, though she was more than ready for them. The moment a finger slid inside her she moaned. She'd missed this so much.

Fiyero's teeth were nipping a little harder than usual at her breasts but she liked it. She reached to remove his pants and found just how much he wanted her. He climbed directly above her. "Oh, Fae, you have no idea how much I've been thinking about this."

"Oh, I have more of an idea than you think I do," she replied, barely able to breathe, trembling with anticipation. When he entered her, she cried out softly.

Usually he began their lovemaking at a slow pace, but that was not the case tonight. He thrust inside of her quickly. His movements were strong and she responded with movements even stronger and faster. It took less time than usual for her body to begin to tingle, her moans to grow louder, and ecstasy ripped through her, again and again until he lay spent beside her over two hours later. She wondered if he was as sore as she was.

"Sweet Oz, Yero," she said finally, when she caught her breath. Sweat trickled down her forehead and she felt him trace it with his lips. After a moment, she sighed, "You know we can't do this again. I mean, not until we're out of here."

"I know," he replied. "Let me sleep in here tonight, please. I promise to wake up before the sun rises and leave."

"You're not going to try to do that again, are you?" Elphaba asked, voice hoarse. "Because that was a little much and I won't want that again for at least a few more hours…"

He laughed. "I think I'm done with that for the night, although we've spent nights longer than that…"

"Not to that intensity," she giggled.

"No, probably not. I could get used to that."

She smacked him playfully. "Don't. At least not right now."

He pulled her into his arms. "I love you, Elphaba."

"I love you, too," she murmured.

"I'm surprised you didn't kick me out of here the moment I walked in."

"You just got lucky and caught me in a moment of weakness. I don't have many of those." If he had any idea how many times she'd thought of him the past nights, he'd know she was lying.

"I'm sure," he grinned at her.

She buried her face in his chest, not wanting him to see her blush – though he probably couldn't have in the dimly lit room, anyway.

He was hers for that night, and despite the fact that the weather was warm once again and sleeping in his arms wasn't the most comfortable, she did not pull away from him. She found herself wishing that they could have these nights whenever they wished, and she shook her head, fighting off the thought. He noticed. "What was that?"

"Nothing. I… nothing, Yero."

He clearly didn't believe her, but he did not argue with her. She supposed it was because they only had a few hours together and he didn't want to spoil them. Elphaba was grateful for that. They spent the rest of the night talking about things that kept her mind interested much more than her body.

The next two and a half weeks dragged by and it was all she could do not to sneak into his bedroom. When the day finally came that they were to return to Shiz, she was all too happy to climb into the carriage with him.

That afternoon, when there was finally a lull in their conversation and attentions, Fiyero said, "I think my dad suspects a little bit."

"What?"

"Well, he does and he doesn't. He actually thinks you have no interest whatsoever in me. But before we left, he took me aside (and not for the first time this summer) and told me I was to focus on my studies and not on… other things."

"Do they think we're…?"

"No. They don't. Because my father is convinced you'd reject me if I ever tried."

"I guess that's a good thing." But still it bothered her that his affection for her was even the slightest bit obvious. She had worried it might be, but to have that confirmed was another thought. "What did he say?"

"He said that when I become king, if I want to command you to submit to me, I can go ahead, but right now I am a prince and there are plenty of servant girls actually willing…"

Elphaba snorted. "Ha! If I didn't want to, Yero, and you commanded me to…"

"You wouldn't let me, I know. And I'd never command you to do something like that. I'd never make you do anything. You know that, Fae."

"What is it about me that he hates so much, Fiyero?" She couldn't help but ask. "Is it that I'm green?"

"Yes and no. It's that you're not Vinkun. And I think, strangely, part of it is that you don't swoon and giggle at me. Because he knows you'd cause more trouble. You don't obey my every whim. To him, that's a threat. And I think he sees that, if he is correct and I am interested, my interest is more than purely physical. He knows I've barely ever bothered to have conversations with the other servant girls."

"I guess that's understandable. He doesn't want me threatening your marriage."

"He already knows I'm not happy about it."

"You've said something?"

"I just asked if it had to be Sarima."

"And he said?"

"That yes, it has to be Sarima."

She hadn't hoped for any other answer, although she was sure he had. But it still disappointed her to hear it. "You knew that, Fiyero. The more you protest, the more trouble you could get us into."

"I've figured that out. I haven't said anything since. I just wish it didn't have to be like this."

"You've said that a thousand times. And I know that, Fiyero. I wish the same. It doesn't mean I'm going to act like an idiot and get us in trouble."

He pulled her into his arms. "But Fae…"

"I know," she whispered, putting a finger to his lips. "I love you. But there is nothing we can do."

"Not now," he said, kissing the tip of her finger.

She didn't like the way he said that. "Not while you're still a prince. And by the time that changes, it'll be much too late."

"You'll wait, won't you, Fae?"

She looked away.

"Fae?"

"Do you think I'm just going to sit around, knowing what's going on down the hall at night? Knowing that I'm not the one you're touching in the dark? Do you think that's fair?"

"Do you think I want to?"

"I realize that you don't, but at least you can pretend you have someone. I can't."

"I can't pretend, Fae. No one's like you. I'd never fool myself into believing otherwise for a moment."

She smiled sadly at that. "Let's not talk about this."

He opened his mouth, ready to protest.

"Fiyero, please, don't do this."

He sighed. "Fine." Fiyero buried his face in her hair and she closed her eyes. How she wished she could just pretend.