Author's Note: As promised, the next installment . . .

Enjoy! x

Elphaba and Fiyero stood grinning at the reception as their coats were returned to them. Both felt giddy from the evening and Elphaba now found herself looking up at Fiyero every time he brushed up against her or spoke at all. She was no longer apprehensive about making eye contact with him because she wasn't afraid to let him know how strong her feelings were and she certainly wasn't afraid to show him how strong her feelings were. Fiyero was high from kissing her along with the assurance that she would kiss him again.

Impatient to be alone once more, they eagerly accepted their belongings and bid the staff good night. Fiyero discreetly handed the man a handsome tip before offering his arm to Elphaba and feeling the warmth of her immediate reciprocation. "Sir?" Asked the short but keen boy as they left. Fiyero turned to him, slightly irritated and wondering whether or not to ask for a refund on his tip. "It's looking like rain. You should hurry to shelter."

"Thanks." He replied, as politely as he could, feeling bad for the boy who was probably under pressure to please and provide the best service to the best tippers. Fiyero considered taking Elphaba back there someday. Maybe on their anniversary.

It was cold once they were outside, with a bitter wind biting at their faces as they shivered along the road. "Oz, its freezing." Elphaba whispered through clattering teeth. "It's never like this at home."

"Oh? What's it like at home?" He inquired, looking down at her.

She frowned; she was lightly amused at his question. "Do you mean what the weather is like or what's it like in my home?"

He shrugged and tried to pretend he didn't prefer to discover more about the latter. "Take your pick, Fae."

"I don't want to talk about the weather with you. We've known each other for too long to discuss a boring topic like that." He nodded. "But my home . . . there's not much to know that isn't . . . um . . . depressing. I don't want you to feel sorry for me."

Her voice had lost its volume as she spoke and Fiyero detected a timidity in her that set him on edge a little. He stopped them and though it was bitterly cold and they both felt icy drops of water on their heads, Fiyero hands heated her. "Fae, I don't feel sorry for you."

"But you will."

"I won't, I promise."

"You can't promise a thing like that, Yero." She was raising her voice and had stepped away from him but the name told him she wasn't angry. "I know that you'd try."

"I would." Fiyero saw her distress and took full advantage of the developments in their relationship by holding her close and kissing her gently. It paid off as Elphaba brought her hands to his face and smiled. "You know very little about me if you think I would take pity on you, Elphaba Thropp." He kissed her again and wrapped his coat around her as the rain began to fall more noticeably. Elphaba giggled at his protectiveness and swelled with happiness. "I want to know more about you. In fact, I want to know things about you that no one else in the whole of Oz knows about."

"Why?" She whispered into another kiss.

Fiyero found that the words 'I love you' were hot on his lips. They took him by surprise and he wondered if you could even be in love if you weren't loved back. It was too soon, anyway, to say those words; he would frighten her and he couldn't count on his belief in them. He decided in that moment that when he did tell her it would be with confidence that he was head over heels. Annoying little voices kept reminding him that he might already be there.

Elphaba burned to hear him say he loved her. It would the first time she had ever heard it in her life and she yearned for it more than anything. She didn't know if she loved him, but she considered that the very act of thinking if she loved him must be some evidence that those powerful feelings existed.

"I want to see you again. Every day."

She pulled out just a little bit, enough to look him in the eye and smile in surprise. "Really?" She said, more as an exclamation than a question. He nodded and pecked her on the mouth. "So, then we'd go on another date. I mean, more than two?"

He nodded. "Fae," Fiyero mumbled against her mouth, "I think we should actually find somewhere to go, we're getting soaked here."

He released her and they squinted at the deluge of water pouring down on them from the heavens. Damn the bastard porter that had predicted this. It was shockingly heavy, though rain was typical enough for the time of year and it did nothing to diminish the beauty of the place. But Elphaba and Fiyero were almost completely wet through and very uncomfortable. "Sweet Oz, Fiyero. It's over an hour to Crage Hall!" Elphaba had to yell to allow her voice to reach Fiyero's ears over the cacophony caused by the crash of the water on paving, despite the fact that they were still close enough to kiss.

"You'll just have to stay with me then!" He shouted without thinking and then realised he didn't want to take it back.

"What?"

"Well what do you want to do? We can't go back because they'll never let us in like this." Elphaba looked down at their sodden states, her alarm disappearing. "We can't catch a cab because they'll all be gone by the time we reach the centre, and anyway their dress code is almost as bad as the bastards back there." Elphaba smiled, water dripping from her lips as she did. She suddenly panicked that her makeup must be all over her face. How Galinda of me. "We can't walk to Crage Hall because we'll both die of either pneumonia or drowning before we reach it." Elphaba shivered and panted from the cold and Fiyero put his arm around her and marched them down the drive. "I just think you should at least stay until I can get Galinda to pick you up in a cab. I didn't mean to be presumptuous."

Elphaba felt awful knowing his offer was all in good intention, at least that's what they both chose to believe. "Yero, I know that. It just took me aback that's all. I guess Galinda's aptitude for the dramatic is wearing off on me." He laughed, picking up their pace and finding her pleasantly equal to his strides. "Or maybe it's just because you set my heart racing."

"Maybe." He replied nonchalantly, making her laugh.

It was only half an hour to the Briscoe Hall and Fiyero's private room. Elphaba had never been so glad to see his building in her whole life, excepting perhaps when she first arrived at Shiz and the grandeur of it all greeted her in the form of the University-gilded train station. But now her wet clothes and hair meant every movement bordered on distressing.

Fiyero held her hand and they squelched together up the varnished stone steps then along a mahogany corridor that was in direct contrast to the painted white wood and oak of Crage Hall. Fiyero turned and opened a door onto a small courtyard covered in vegetation. Elphaba loved to visit Briscoe Hall; its architecture reeked of power even if the residents fell sadly short. The whole place was swallowed up by water, but it was impressive and even as she was led up another few steps she thought it must have been nice to be royalty enough to afford a room off a courtyard.

"For the love of Oz, Fiyero, where is your room?" she argued, not remembering it having been so far away.

"This is my bedroom." He quipped, removing her coat. Elphaba looked round and her eyebrows shot up at the luxury of it. She'd never really stopped to notice it before. The first thing she saw was the warmth staving from a fire set back in the wall at the other end of the room. It was surrounded by plush sofas and armchairs that made up a seating area accessed by descending down three shallow and more darkly polished steps. To Elphaba's left was a carpeted staircase leading to a veranda that roofed the seating area. At the top of the stairs was a frosted door that was slightly ajar and allowed a dim glow of light to emerge. The room wasn't too large but enough that Fiyero could have hosted a fair number of guests with ease. The fire had been lit and the lamps turned on in anticipation of his return. No wonder he had such an attitude.

"Wow." She breathed. "I never really noticed it before."

"Probably because the last time you weren't soaked to the bone. Plus it's not that different from Crage Hall. You and Galinda have a lounge, too." He took odd care in placing her coat over a chair near the fire and asked her for her shoes, which he placed next to his on the hearth. Elphaba, though still wet, felt very pampered. "Glad you like it, Fae." He said flippantly, more interested in her. "Come on, you can't stay in those clothes. I'll give you something 'til they dry and Glin can come get you."

Elphaba was surprised how unperturbed she was at Fiyero's suggestion that she change and wear something of his. "Ugh, I hate moving in these." She picked up a corner of her dress and let it fall, a disgusting yet funny slapping noise followed its landing back on her leg. Fiyero smiled and immediately proceeded to pick her up and carry her to his room. "Ah!" She yelled half-heartedly as she guiltily took great pleasure in his actions. "Fiyero!" Elphaba tried to speak, but she laughed too much and could only say his name over and over which caused Fiyero to kiss her playfully and induce more uncharacteristic giggles.

Elphaba eventually gave in and placed several unknowingly seductive kisses on his neck, where beads of cold water trickled from his hair. When they reached his room, he reluctantly placed her down again, though he didn't let her go. Elphaba's kisses had riled him up enough to result in their embrace growing more passionate and lasting for several minutes. Fiyero shivered when he heard Elphaba whimper against his body as he pressed her against the wall.

"Yero . . ." She moaned, gasping and grasping his shirt fiercely, their movements an ardent amalgamation of their own individual fantasies. She breathed, panting, with her forehead on his lips.

Fiyero took a step back from her, allowing Elphaba to put distance between herself and the wall. He wiped drops of rainwater from her nose. "You're all wet." He remarked, bringing her hair forward.

I certainly am. "Perhaps you should get those clothes you talked about. I'm freezing and so are you." Elphaba let him kiss her again before he reached behind her and opened a door to retrieve a shirt. She took it and noted that it was big enough for the . Both were worried about what desire might drive them to do if Elphaba was forced to stay the night. Neither wanted to say goodbye to the excitement of their new relationship but equally, they didn't want to say or do something stupid and ruin it. "Here," he whispered kissing her chastely, removing her hand from his and closing it around the material, "go into the bathroom and put this on. I'll change and call Galinda."

Elphaba walked to the bathroom door and peeled the damp garments from her body, hoping they wouldn't be ruined, but too exhilarated from the happy outcome of her date to care much if they were. Though it might turn out to be foolish, Elphaba fervently hoped that there was no chance of her returning to Crage Hall and her lonely bed, void of Fiyero.

In his room, Fiyero had magnificently changed his own clothes and hung them over a rack to dry in front of the fire. He left room for Elphaba's dress. In a moment of almost childish glee, Fiyero leapt onto his bed and dialled the number for their room.

"Galinda Upland speaking, whom may I ask is calling?"

Fiyero sighed at her happy tones whose constancy always brought him comfort. "Hey Glin. It's Fiyero."

"Fiyero? Why are you calling? Shouldn't you be out with Elphaba? Oh Sweet Oz, this had better not be a call to tell me you've pissed her off again. I swear I'll kill you I really-"

"Galinda! You're doing that thing that Elphaba does; let me speak." There was silence. "First of all, everything's fine." He heard her sigh in relief. Just then, Elphaba stepped timidly from the bathroom and Fiyero lost the power of speech; she was wearing his shirt. Just his shirt (from what he could see), and she was smiling bashfully at him and avoiding his eyes, obviously uncomfortable to be so undressed in front of him. Seeing he was on the phone, she dipped back into the room and brought out a dressing gown. She held it up to him and he nodded, telling her to wear it.

Suddenly, through the phone, an irritated voice came bursting out. "Hello! Fiyero, are you there? I want to speak to Elphaba now. I don't believe you!"

Elphaba giggled and sat next to Fiyero, towel-drying her hair, and he held the phone in between them. "I'm here Galinda and I'm fine. He hasn't pissed me off."

"Good. Now why are you calling me from Briscoe Hall?"

Elphaba frowned, not that Galinda could see her. "My lovely, haven't you looked outside? Can't you hear the rain? We got trapped in it and I'm drying off." They waited for her response and could hear through the phone Galinda walking to the window and drawing back the curtains. It must have been later than they thought. "Galinda? Can you get me a taxi? There aren't any near Briscoe." Hurried little steps moved across a floor.

"Goodness, what a shower!"

"More like a storm, I think, Glin." Fiyero interjected, eyeing the rain from his own window and taking Elphaba's hand.

"You're right. Elphie, I'm sorry, the streets are too flooded and there won't be any cabs about. Even if it wasn't raining I think they all start going in at this hour."

Elphaba yawned. "What's the time?"

"Half past midnight." Came the self-satisfied reply. Galinda was always thrilled when she could respond matter-of-factly, and she loved time.

"The cabs roll back in at just twelve-thirty?" Elphaba exclaimed.

"I know, it's terrible. But they have social standards and they think students should be in by now or else stay out later but put up with a long walk home. Personally I think they're missing out on a whole load of business. In any case, you'll just have to stay put. Fiyero will sleep on the sofa."

Oh Galinda, what are you like?