Chapter 19

It had to happen sometime. Statistically speaking, it should have happened already. She'd been preparing herself for it for months, knowing that, eventually, some random day, it would come to this. Still, she was more surprised than she had expected herself to be. His voice, a teasing tone barely hidden, reached her as soon as she put her feet on the ground.

"Well, well, well. If the earth does not tremble beneath my feet…miss Elphaba Thropp…"

She froze, but only for a moment. She had been preparing for this moment, after all, and she was no stranger to the mocking tone of this voice, to the smirk that accompanied it. She turned around and fought to keep the disdain from showing on her face.

"Avaric."

No shock painted his face. He looked calm and relaxed, leaning against the doorway, ankles crossed, drink in hand.

"No need to sound surprised, I think. This is, after all, my house."

He turned around then, sauntering back to the living room, clearly expecting her to follow. She did without knowing why.

"So this is where you and our honorable captain meet up, I presume? I say presume but feel free to deny it."

She wouldn't pull off a lie, skilled as she was at it, so she kept silent. She didn't know why she wasn't surprised he knew. Why she wasn't panicking, at least on the inside,if not outwardly. But he seemed too calm about, as if he'd known for much longer, expected to meet her here. It made her own panic stay below the surface, even as her distrust of him grew.

"Nothing? Huh. Well, I'm less surprised at you, than at Fiyero. Who knew Tiggular had it in him."

His words shook her this time, brought her back to the reality of the situation. The mention of Fiyero bringing the simmering panic to a boil.

Fiyero.

He knew about Fiyero.

"Avaric. Don't….Fiyero…"

He only smirked.

"Didn't take long to admit to it, Thropp. I'm surprised at your lack of vehement denial."

She ignored his jab.

"Please."

She didn't choke on the word. All she could think about was Fiyero. His job, his life.

His eyebrows shot up in fake shock.

"Please. Well there's a word I never thought I'd hear from your lips…it's nice though. I like the sound of it."

"Avaric."

His shoulder sagged. As did his face, which surprised her. He seemed more tired, instantly. Haggard. Seemed he was done playing around. Had been for a while, perhaps.

"Oh relax, Elphie. I won't tattle. You may not be my favourite vegetable but I have no quarrel with you, never did in fact, and I always liked Fiyero well enough. I have no reason to rat either of you out."

"You don't?"

She didn't bother to hide her incredulity. A fact he took notice of, and offense to. His voice was sounded different too. Tired, ragged. The playfulness, cockiness it had before had disappeared.

"Do you want me to?"

The exasperation was evident. She wondered briefly if perhaps his life in the midst of it all, the heart of the absolute elite of the Emerald City, had become too much for him. At Shiz, she had disliked him, but it was his playfulness turned carelessness, his arrogant indifference, that she had disliked. Qualities, she knew, that would cost him in his world. His name was in the papers often. He was important, though not for anything other than his family name, his family business. Politics were tricky and exhausting. Apparently, they had not left Avaric untouched. She shook herself awake and focused on the words coming out of his mouth.

"No. I don't hate you, nor do I have any desire to see anyone dead. And this would be death for the both of you, if not for the one formerly known as Galinda. Though I am curious as to how much she knows of this.."

His eyebrows raised in question as his voice trailed off. Once more, she opted for silence. She would never pull off a lie here, either.

"Ha. I thought so. How long has this been going on then?"

Her own questions spilled over her lips, before she'd had a chance to get her bearings.

"What do you know of it? How do you know?"

He gave her a smile she had seen on him so often. A quick pull of his lips, a eyeroll, eyebrows upwards in a display of hidden laughter and impatience combined.

"Word's been going around for a while, as it always does where it concerns the rich and famous, especially if they're beautiful. And the other half of miss Glinda the Good"

He grinned then and eyed her, amusement and wonder in his eyes.

"You're pretty safe on the 'who with' part though. People'd sooner suspect the Wizard himself."

She ignored the last part. Focused on the useful information instead.

"People think Fiyero's been having an affair?"

"Of course they do. Because they like the talk, not because they actually know anything. If they knew anything, it'd be in the papers."

"But you believed it."

A peculiar smirk graced his features. He was too handsome for his own good. Good thing his personality was vile enough to make up for it.

"Can't say I've given it much thought."

"Until now."

The disbelief shone through too clearly. She didn't like Avaric, though hate had never taken. He hadn't been important enough to spend that amount of energy on back then. That could change now. He was too close to what was important to her to be indifferent towards him.

"Wouldn't have bothered if you'd picked a different crime scene, sweetheart."

Plus, he was a disgusting human being. Hate was not that far around the corner.

"Don't call me that."

Her only answer was a grin and a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"How did you know, then?"

"Like I said, people talk. They also have eyes. Noticed Fiyero around here every now and then. People know we're acquainted so they assumed he was my guest. I left it that way, but I knew something was up, seeing as how Fiyero and I haven't spoken in a long time, other than at the odd social gathering here and there."

"And...?"

"And...now you show up."

Her eyebrows climbed her forehead.

"And that's all you need?"

She could have just denied it...she might have ...maybe he'd have believed her...

"In this case, yes. Why else would you ever show up here? Plus, Fiyero's always had a thing for you, hasn't he, sweetheart?"

He wouldn't have fallen for it. Not ever. She was glad now, that she hadn't even tried. It would have made this so much worse, so much more painful. More embarrassing. Which wasn't something she should be caring about now, but it was nonetheless. She had never hated Avaric, but he'd gotten under her skin a few times. He knew which buttons to push, had always known. Not just with her, but with everyone. It was almost a gift.

"Drop the pet names, I'm not your sweetheart."

She spat the words but he raised an eyebrow and examined her face.

"But are you his?"

She fell silent again. It was a gift. Just not one that she felt like celebrating. She didn't trust him, not at all, but for some reason, she didn't fear him either. Maybe that's where the true danger was. He had an excellent poker face.

"Is it love? Somehow, you don't strike me as the mistress type, not with Fiyero, at least."

"Not at all, in fact."

He could be so insulting. So cutting in his carelessness for other people's feelings. His greatest weapon was his brutal honesty, and his power to take facts and twist them into something that damaged, slighted. Cut wounds so tiny they barely showed but so deep they'd never fade completely.

"No?" He took a step forward, his eyes trained on her face, and reached out. If he was surprised that she let him, he didn't show it. He stopped right in front of her and traced a finger down her nose.

"Pity."

She refused to move. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction, but she couldn't stop the crinkle of her nose at his vulgarity. Ugh, he was a pig.

"You're disgusting."

"I know. Now go. I have company coming. I won't say anything."

She withdrew into the shadows but showed no sign of leaving. Her eyes lingered on his face, trying to determine whether or not she could trust him. Not that she had many options. If he turned out to be lying and the papers were full of it tomorrow, there'd be nothing she could do. They'd been caught, as they'd both known could happen and whatever the outcome, it was the price they paid.

"Don't hurt Fiyero."

Avaric had already turned to the door, but stopped at her plea. He turned around and this time, there was no amusement in his eyes, no irritating smile gracing his features.

"Elphaba, I have no interest in getting tangled in this. I'll keep my mouth shut. But if you think you can keep this up without someone else finding out eventually, you're not as smart as you think you are."

He was right. She despised it. She opened her mouth to snap at him, but he beat her to it.

"Oh never mind, now. We both have other plans tonight. I will take my company into town, yes? And you two...well...The less I know of the Wicked Witch, the better. Just in case you two do mess up and get caught."

"I owe you thanks, I suppose."

"Ha. I suppose you would. There's such a bitter streak to you. Was that always there?" He didn't wait for an answer, "In any case; Don't mention it, and I will do the same."

She nodded and turned back to the window.

"Elphaba."

She turned. His voice had turned serious. It made her turn around.

"For the record; I'm not on the Wizard's side."

She raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"You're not?"

He smirked.

"The upside of being a liar? You know when you're being lied to. I don't know what it is you're up to underground, but I know enough of what is there to be able to guess."

She stared in fascination. Maybe he seemed so tired because he had his own things to hide...she wouldn't put it past him. Not at all.

"Good luck to you. To both of you. Tell Fiyero I admire his balls. He'll like that."

She couldn't help a smile.

"Thank you."

This time it was sincere.

"I'm sure he appreciates your admiration."

She was rarely playful these days, and never was with anyone but Fiyero, so why she wanted to lighten the mood in this dark room, she didn't know. It worked, though. Brought back the smirk she'd always hated.

"Not as much as he appreciates yours, I'm sure."

Of course. This was Avaric, after all.

"Goodbye, Master Tenmeadows."

"Goodbye Miss Thropp. Maybe we'll meet again."

"I hope we don't."

"I hope we do."

She watched him close the door behind him. She lingered in the shadows to see his party of friends arrive and leave barely an hour later. She knew he was aware of her presence, or suspected it, at least, because he left the door unlocked and closed all the curtains before turning off the lights.

Not fifteen minutes later, Fiyero walked through the door and she wondered if he'd run into Avaric. If he knew that Avaric knew. If he suspected something, but he just kissed her and she pushed all thoughts of the other man to the back of her head.