As Elphaba and Fiyero made their way back to Shiz, Fiyero couldn't help feeling rather proud of himself. They'd really hit it off; he could tell she was starting to warm up to him. She was speaking in complete sentences now, anyway. They'd covered all the basics—school, hobbies, and Fiyero had just finished describing the Vinkus. Elphaba, however, seemed reluctant to discuss her own home.

"My father's the governor of Munchkinland. I don't want to talk about him."

"Ok, well, do you have any siblings?"

"A sister. Nessarose."

"What's she like?"

"Beautiful. You've probably seen her on campus; she's the one in the wheelchair." Offhandedly, she added, "She's the only reason I'm here, actually."

'Aha! Personal information!' "What do you mean?"

She seemed flustered. "Forget it, I shouldn't have said that."

"No, tell me," he coaxed. "Come on."

She sighed. "Well…the only reason my father let me come here is so that I could look after Nessa. I'm 21—I should have gone to university years ago, but I had to wait until Nessa was old enough." She scuffed her shoe on the sidewalk. "I'm so behind."

"Nah, you're not." He shoved his hands in his pockets and nudged her shoulder with his. "I'm older than you are and you'd be mortified at how little school I've made it through—or rather how much school I've flunked out of."

"For real?" She stopped to look at him. "You don't seem stupid. I mean…" Her eyes got wide. "Not that you have to be stupid to fail…it's just that—"

He only chuckled. "Hey, I know what you meant. And I'm glad you don't think I'm stupid. It's refreshing." He paused. "I just have a devil of a time caring about calculus. I mean, honestly—what will I ever need with calculus? Or chemistry, for that matter? Or—"

"Well then, what do you care about?"

He shrugged. "People mostly, I guess. Real life." He changed the subject. "Do you ever miss home, Elphaba?"

"No."

"No? What about your friends?" He persisted.

"I didn't have any." She glanced at him. "Oh, don't look so surprised."

"But that's awful! Everyone needs friends."

"I don't."

He looked down at her and winked. "Well, it's too bad you're stuck with me then."

Fiyero continued walking, but Elphaba hung back, allowing herself a pleased smile before rushing to catch up with him. When she did, he was humming, a song she'd never heard before. His voice was a rich, silky tenor with the slightest bit of husk.

A moment after she rejoined him, Fiyero stopped humming and said, "So, Elphaba…you know, that's a really long name. How 'bout I give you a nickname?"

She snorted. "It's not any longer than yours."

"Mmm, true…but you shall have a nickname, because I want to give you one," he said matter-of-factly. "How about Elphie?"

She arched an eyebrow. "Elphie?"

"No? Ok, how about Fae?"

She threw up her hands. "What's wrong with Elphaba?"

"Nothing! But we're friends now, Elphie. That means I get to give you irritating nicknames, and you can't kill me for it."

Her eyebrow inched higher up her forehead. "Oh? Can't I?"

"Nope," he chirped, slinging an arm around her shoulders. She shrugged it off and glared at him, and he pouted dramatically.

Elphaba elbowed him in the ribs. "Stop that."

They walked in companionable silence for a moment, and then Elphaba had an idea. "Wait," she said, a mischievous smile starting to creep across her lips. "If we're friends, I get to call you whatever I like as well."

"Sure, Elphie."

"Ok. I was thinking something along the lines of Fifi." His eyes widened. "Yes, I think Fifi will do nicely," she finished with a wicked grin.

Fiyero grasped her arm and pleaded, "Not Fifi. Anything but Fifi!"

"Oh, I don't know, I think it suits you." She let him squirm for a moment and then sighed. "It's really too bad that I'd sooner be caught dead than say that name in public."

He exhaled loudly. "Oh, thank Oz."

"What about Yero?" she mused, more to herself than to him.

Fiyero's heart jumped unexpectedly at the sound of his name on her lips, and he held his breath for her decision.

"Yes, I think I like that," she decided.

'I definitely do…' He worked to keep his voice casual as he replied, "Works for me. I'm curious though—why don't you like being called Elphie?"

She blinked and wrinkled her nose. "I suppose it reminds me of my roommate."

"Who's your roommate?" he asked, amused.

"Galinda," she answered distastefully.

"Oh? Do you mean—" he tossed imaginary curls over his shoulder and fluttered his eyelashes ridiculously. Elphaba burst out laughing. "—that Galinda?" he finished innocently.

"Yes, and she's an absolute nightmare! Do you know she blows kisses to herself in the mirror and sleeps with a stuffed pig named 'Pigsy'?" Her entire body became animated as she continued to expound on all of her roommate's annoying qualities until they reentered the university, only to find the hallways empty.

"Crap, I made you late!" Fiyero groaned. "What class do you have?"

"History. It's alright, Dr. Dillamond won't mind. So…" She bit her lower lip and fidgeted. "I'll…see you around?"

'Um, YES. Yes, yes yes yes yes, you're going to see so much of me that you'll either want to kill me or kiss me before the week's over. Preferably the latter. Did I mention YES?' What he said was, "Sure."

She smiled and began to hurry down the hall.

'What am I doing? Idiot, go after her!' "Elphaba, wait!" She turned to face him, and he trotted over to her. "So I was thinking—"

"Were you?"

"Shocking, isn't it?" he said conversationally. "Anyway, I was thinking that I definitely prefer your company over those morons I was sitting with today. Do you want to meet up for lunch again tomorrow?"

She hesitated. "Are you sure your reputation can handle another lunch outing?"

"What do you mean?"

She crossed her arms. "What do you think I mean?"

"Why don't you just tell me?!"

"I mean my own sister doesn't like to be seen with me, for Oz's sake! What is this, some sort of bet or something?"

"What? No!"

"A dare then? What?"

"Elphie!" He took a step closer. "Why would I do that do you?"

"For the same reason everyone else does." She held up a green hand. "Doesn't this bother you?"

He studied her for a moment, then shrugged and answered simply, "No."

Silence. "Really?" she asked finally.

He gave her a crooked smile. "Yes, really." Resting his hands on her shoulders, he looked her in the eye and told her, "You, Elphaba Thropp, are beautiful, and don't you dare let anyone tell you otherwise. I'll see you tomorrow."

He grabbed her hand and kissed it with a smack, then turned and strode down the hall, whistling happily.

Elphaba stared after him. 'Where in Oz did you come from?'