AN. This is a slightly belated Valentine's Day fic/ fic to celebrate one week until I see Taylor Swift. So naturally, a meet cute inspired by Enchanted is the only way to go!
The Very First Page (not where the storyline ends)
Elphaba was not a party person at the best of times, but for whatever reason, holiday parties- any holiday- always seemed worse. And if it had been anyone but Galinda hosting a Valentine's Day party, she would have flatly refused to attend- which, to be fair, she had tried when Galinda had invited her.
"It sounds like you're playing matchmaker again," she said warningly.
Galinda shook her head, eyes wide and innocent. "No," she insisted. "I swear. It's just going to be a few friends getting together for some drinks and canapes."
Elphaba eyed her suspiciously. "All of whom are conveniently single?" she guessed.
Galinda rolled her eyes. "No. Elphie, please. I'm not single, how would that even work?"
And in Galinda's defence, she had been right. There were people there who were clearly single, and those who were clearly coupled up. But Elphaba took issue with Galinda's definition of "a few friends." There were at least thirty people crammed into Galinda's home thus far, and Elphaba was sure that there were more due to arrive.
Elphaba was never sure what was worse on Valentine's Day; the pitying looks from those in relationships as they showed off whatever fancy gifts they'd received and gushed about their fancy dates and romantic gestures, or the expectations of those who were single and wished they weren't and dragged you into their same boat. Elphaba had no problem being single, thank you very much- especially for the purposes of a holiday that may have once held meaning but now was so commercialised- and there was only so much sympathy she had for those whining about their horrendible dating stories. Not that she said so to anyone out loud, lest she be accused of being bitter (again).
Galinda had long since disappeared from Elphaba's line of sight, after Shen-Shen had arrived with her partner in tow and a brand new, large shiny diamond on her left hand. Which left Elphaba lingering- not hiding- in the dining room, holding a drink in hand and trying to find a way to escape the conversation she'd been ensnared in by Galinda's cousin Forest and his fiancée.
It wasn't the first time they'd met and normally they got along fairly well, but tonight Elphaba was struggling to feign interest in Maleen's stories about their plans for their upcoming wedding. Her brain was stuck on the quite frankly ridiculously large pile of work on her desk that awaited her in the office come tomorrow morning.
"- almost desperate enough to wear salmon," Maleen said, breaking into laughter.
Elphaba had completely missed the first half of the sentence, but she quickly forced a laugh and hoped that was good enough.
"So, enough about us," Forest said, and Elphaba fought back a wince, knowing where this was going. "What's new with you, Elphaba? Are you seeing anyone?"
Elphaba straightened her shoulders, and pulled her lips back into what was hopefully a genuine-seeming smile. "No, not right now," she said. "Don't really have the time for anything besides work."
"Right," Forest said. "Galinda mentioned something about that. You're working as a clerk, right? For a judge?"
Elphaba nodded. "Yes."
It wasn't really what she had expected to do with her law degree after graduation, but it was a foot in the door and it got her out of Munchkinland. That was all that mattered for now.
"We're in the middle of prepping for a trial right now, so it's a little crazy while we research," she explained, practically watching the haze fall over their gazes.
"Well, that sounds like it is keeping you busy," Maleen said politely, eyes shifting somewhere over Elphaba's shoulder. "Oh, sorry Elphaba, will you excuse us? I've just spotted Belphoe and I really need to talk to them."
Elphaba forced a polite smile and nodded. "Sure. See you later."
As they made their way through the room, Elphaba sighed and leaned back against the wall, glancing at the time. Too early to leave yet; besides, they hadn't even eaten yet and Elphaba knew she had little in her kitchen right now. She'd left work too late to have a chance to go grocery shopping or even catch her breath before heading over to Galinda's.
She fidgeted slightly in the wine-coloured dress Galinda had thrust at her the moment she'd entered.
"Elphie, it is a Valentine's Day party. You cannot wear black," she'd said firmly. "Luckily I'd prepared for this."
Elphaba's honest response that she'd come straight from work and didn't have time to go home and change into the outfit she'd planned was met with deaf ears; so she'd merely taken the dress and obediently gone to change. It just wasn't worth arguing with Galinda over some things and Elphaba had learned to pick her battles. The dress Galinda had handed her was admittedly lovely, although it was a little shorter than Elphaba would have liked to be truly comfortable. And was she slightly bitter that there were a few others here wearing black and Galinda hadn't commented on that? Maybe.
"Elphie!"
Elphaba straightened as Galinda reappeared, ShenShen and a man whom Elphaba could only assume was her new fiance following close behind.
"Elphie!" Galinda said breathlessly, stopping at Elphaba's side. "Do you know Aiken? I don't remember if you've met before. Anyway, look at ShenShen's ring! Isn't it gorgeous?"
Elphaba dutifully glanced down at the diamond on ShenShen's hand. "It's beautiful. Congratulotions," she said politely.
ShenShen shot her the warmest smile Elphaba could ever remember ShenShen directing at her. "Thank you," she said politely. "Aiken, sweetheart, this is Elphaba. She was Galinda's roommate when we were at university."
Galinda frowned ever so slightly. "Elphie's my best friend," she corrected, but ShenShen waved it off.
Aiken nodded to Elphaba and smiled politely. "Nice to meet you, Elphaba."
"You too," Elphaba replied.
"Have you seen Pfannee?" Galinda asked her. "She said she was coming, but I can't find her anywhere."
Elphaba shook her head. "Sorry, no. There's a lot of people in the parlour though," she offered and Galinda immediately dragged ShenShen and Aiken away.
Left alone again, Elphaba glanced around. She got much fewer stares about her skin here which was still a breath of fresh air; but it meant that most of the people sneaking glances at her now were most likely staring at her for being alone, which wasn't any better really. She sighed again and slipped across the room until she reached Galinda's balcony. It was chilly, but deserted and Elphaba would gladly suffer the weather for a moment of solitude.
Galinda's balcony was off the living room and with her back against the railing, Elphaba was at the perfect vantage point to be able to watch those mingling in the room. She caught a glimpse of Bram, Galinda's partner, slipping among the guests with drinks carefully balanced in one hand. He caught her eye ever so briefly as he handed a drink to the man next to him and offered her a slight grin. Elphaba smiled back for what felt like the first genuine moment all night before he was gone from view once more, no doubt in search of Galinda.
Her gaze slipped back across the room rather vacantly, until she stalled at the sight of eyes fixed directly on her from across the living room. It was the man that Bram had handed a drink to, although Elphaba hadn't paid him much attention before. But with his gaze on her, Elphaba wasn't sure whether or not to stare back or look away. There was something in his gaze that made her face feel uncomfortably warm, despite the chill in the air outside, and although she wanted to look away, her gaze kept going back to him.
She was too far away to note any real details about him, other than that he seemed slightly shorter than Bram and had hair that could have been dark blond or light brown- it was hard to tell under the lights in the living room- and had rather broad shoulders. Despite herself, Elphaba found herself caving and meeting his steady gaze. There was something in his gaze that was rather impossible to avoid, and the steadiness in his gaze was rather unnerving. If Elphaba had been drifting vacantly throughout the party thus far tonight, now all her limbs were steadfastly planted in the ground. As their gaze held, one corner of his mouth lifted in a half-smile and his head tilted slightly to one side, like he was trying to place her. Elphaba knew for sure that she'd never met him before in her life.
He turned his torso slightly and said something to the people in his group without ever taking his eyes from Elphaba and then took a step forward; causing Elphaba's heart to jump into her throat in what could only be described as panic. She ripped her gaze away to stare out over the view and wonder just far down the ground was from here. She couldn't go back inside, but there was a moment where throwing herself over the railing to avoid interaction honestly seemed like the best option.
Instead she just froze, her feet glued to the ground as the man's silhouette made his way across the room and towards the balcony.
When he stepped outside onto the balcony, he winced slightly at the change in temperature and Elphaba was overcome with a wild, irrational urge to apologise for a heartbeat, before she caught herself and realised how ridiculous that was.
"I was going to ask if we've met before," he said, not moving far from the doorway. "But I'm pretty sure I'd remember you."
It was a fairly obvious, though not unkind, reference to her skin; but Elphaba couldn't resist.
"What do you suppose it is that you'd remember?" she asked innocently and bit the inside of her cheek to hide a smile as he froze for a heartbeat.
The flare of panic in his eyes as he stalled for a response was too much for her and her lip twitched. He noted it and his shoulders eased immediately.
"Well, your sense of humour, obviously," he said dryly, stepping closer to the railing. "I'm going to reliving that three seconds in my brain for the next decade, thanks."
Elphaba laughed.
"Fiyero," he offered, extending his hand towards her.
Elphaba's eyes shot between his hand and his face for just a moment before she carefully accepted it. "Elphaba."
He leaned against the railing casually. "So, how do you know Galinda?"
"I'm her best friend," Elphaba supplied. "Since university. You?"
"I'm Bram's neighbour," Fiyero replied. "Bram dragged me along tonight; he said Galinda wouldn't mind."
Elphaba shook her head. "There's so many people here I doubt she's even noticed," she said honestly. "I, meanwhile, was promised dinner with 'a few friends.'"
Fiyero snorted, flashing her a grin. "Is this not a few friends?"
"Part of me feels like this is more people than I've ever met in my entire life," Elphaba said honestly. "I think there's three people here that I actually consider friends."
"That's a few friends," Fiyero pointed out. "Just with a bunch of strangers in the mix."
It was Elphaba's turn to snort at that. "Touche."
"So, we've established names and connection to the host," Fiyero said, ticking off on his fingers. "What other prerequisites do we need to meet before having a more meaningful conversation?"
"Speak for yourself," Elphaba said. "I could find plenty of meaning in small talk about the weather or the canapes on offer."
"Oh, I am ready and willing to wax lyrical about those stuffed mushrooms if need be," Fiyero promised her and Elphaba laughed. "But that doesn't tell me much about you. Unless you don't like the mushrooms. That may be a dealbreaker," he warned her.
Elphaba was almost surprised at herself for smiling. "I actually picked the mushrooms," she informed him and his face lit up.
"I'm getting a soul-promising feeling here," he grinned at her.
Elphaba chuckled and looked back over the view, her cheeks flushing once more.
"What do you do with yourself, Elphaba?" he asked after a moment's pause.
Elphaba glanced over at him and let out a breath, steeling herself for the inevitable disinterest. "I'm a judicial clerk," she said simply.
Fiyero's steady gaze on her didn't waver. "Wow. So, you're way smarter than me then."
Elphaba blushed harder, clearing her throat. "What is it you do?"
Even in the dim lighting, she could tell when she looked over that Fiyero's ears went pink, even as he cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders. "Uh, have you ever been to Everlore Village?"
Elphaba's brow furrowed. "No, but I know of it," she said slowly. "Out near Wiccasand Turning. The amusement park, right? Rides, people dressed as fairytale characters, too much fried food, that kind of thing?"
Fiyero nodded, a little sheepishly. "I play Prince Charming," he confessed.
That wasn't at all what Elphaba had expected, although she couldn't say what she had expected.
"Oh," she finally said, realising that some kind of response was required. "Do you like it?"
"Yeah," Fiyero admitted, unable to help smiling it seemed. "Not as a forever thing, but it's fun for now. You meet all kinds of people, and it's easy work. Which is the main goal in life, right?"
Elphaba's main goal in life was… well, to survive life. And with any luck, not go back to Munchkinland.
"How exactly did you get into that?" she asked. "Or did you always want to act?"
Fiyero scoffed. "Nah. I dropped out of uni halfway through and did a bunch of odd jobs and travelled, trying to work out what I want to do with my life. Got approached in a bar by someone from the park that they were hiring and thought I'd be a good fit for the prince character. Now it's been almost two years."
"And? Are you any closer to figuring out what you want to do with your life?"
He grinned. "Not be a prince," he said and Elphaba laughed. "Oz, those costumes are uncomfortable."
A shadow fell over the balcony and Elphaba and Fiyero looked over to the doorway in unison to see Galinda framed in the doorway.
"There you are," she said, almost exasperatedly. "You just disappeared, I thought you'd left."
"I wouldn't do that," Elphaba reassured her, and honestly, she deserved the sceptical look Galinda shot her.
Then she seemed to notice Fiyero, and her posture immediately shifted. "Hello. Hi. Who are you?"
Elphaba rolled her eyes, but Fiyero just chuckled. "Fiyero Tiggular. I'm neighbours with Bram. You must be Galinda."
Galinda's face cleared immediately. "Oh, yes! Bram has mentioned you! Welcome."
Her gaze shifted between Elphaba and Fiyero and then one eyebrow arched slightly. "What in Oz's name are you two doing out here? It's cold!"
"Meeting prerequisites," Fiyero quipped easily.
Elphaba choked on a laugh as Galinda's brow furrowed.
"Alright," she said finally. "Well, there's more food coming out and I was going to shut the doors to keep out the breeze… you two can do your little secret jokes inside."
She eyed Elphaba shrewdly, and Elphaba just knew the kind of questions that awaited her the moment Galinda got a chance to talk to her alone.
"Let's go inside," she said, clearing her throat and headed towards the door.
Fiyero was quick to claim the seat next to her the moment she'd settled herself on an ottoman in the parlour, which caught Elphaba by surprise for a moment.
"Question," he said, offering her a small plate of canapes he'd somehow procured in the time it had taken Elphaba to make her way to the parlour.
"Answer," Elphaba replied promptly, and he flashed her a grin as she took a canape.
"Why exactly were you outside earlier?" he asked.
Elphaba figured that was a reasonable question. "Just needed to take a breath for a moment away from all the people-"
"You and your few friends?"
She chuckled. "Yes, exactly. I came straight from work, and things are a little hectic currently," she explained.
Fiyero didn't appear disinterested, but work was the last thing Elphaba wanted to talk about right now, lest she get distracted by the reminder of how much work she had to do.
"You said you've done a lot of different jobs," she said, changing the subject. "Like what?"
Fiyero easily launched into a recitation of everywhere he'd been and all the jobs he'd had over the past four years. Elphaba was well aware that her life was quite small, but as she listened to his stories, she began to feel like she'd never really lived at all.
"I don't know," Fiyero said mildly when she said as such. "It seems like you've got your little corner of the world. I don't have that. I'm still working out what I'm going to do for a 'proper job'- as my family calls it."
Elphaba took another canape from the plate, a small smile playing on her lips. Her own little corner of the world. She liked that. She'd fought for that. "Are you any closer to figuring it out?"
Fiyero tilted his head thoughtfully. "Maybe," was all he offered in response. "What makes you think you haven't lived? What does that mean? What's missing?"
That was a good question, and Elphaba struggled to come up with an answer. "Maybe it's one of those things I won't know until I have it," she shrugged. "But I went straight from Munchkinland to university and then to work. I don't know if I've really done anything."
Fiyero hummed slightly.
Elphaba wasn't completely surprised when Galinda made her way over to join them, dragging Bram with her. Not even ShenShen getting engaged was going to draw her attention more than Elphaba talking to a guy.
"So, Fiyero," she said, no doubt ignoring the way Elphaba rolled her eyes. "What is it that you do?"
"I play Prince Charming at Everlore Village," Fiyero answered promptly.
Galinda's eyes lit up. "Oh, really? I haven't been there since I was a child. Do they still do the Valentine's Day ceremony?"
Fiyero nodded. "Yep," he confirmed.
"What's that?" Elphaba asked confusedly, looking between them.
Fiyero opened his mouth to respond, but Galinda jumped in excitedly before he actually said anything. "Oh, Elphie. It's so sweet. You know the fairytale- The Princess and the Rose?"
Elphaba frowned. "Vaguely. Something about a prince, a purple rose… doesn't someone have amnesia?"
It had never been one of Nessa's favourites, so it wasn't one that had stuck with her.
Galinda nodded eagerly. "Yes! Oz, it's one of my favourites. The moment when the prince finds her and she's got the rose garden, even though she doesn't remember him? So good."
Elphaba had zero memory of this story. "Okay, so how does this become a Valentine's Day ceremony at a theme park?"
Fiyero cleared his throat. "Prince Charming- me, in this case- he does this little speech about how he's looking for his missing princess, and how he'll know her by the purple rose that he gave her when they first met. And the princess is actually hiding in the crowd; and then they find one another, she has the rose, her memory comes back… it's a whole thing."
"It's the best," Galinda said firmly. "When we get married, we're having purple roses," she said to Bram, patting him on the knee.
Bram barely blinked. "Yes dear," he said, although as far as Elphaba knew, they weren't anywhere close to getting married. And she was fairly sure she'd know- Galinda was not the best at keeping secrets, especially ones about her own love life.
Fiyero shrugged slightly at Elphaba. "It's a five minute skit for Valentine's Day. People seem to enjoy it. The park sells a lot of purple roses on this day, apparently."
"I have no memory of this story," Elphaba confessed.
Fiyero grinned at her. "I won't hold that against you," he teased her. "You did pick the mushrooms, after all."
She chuckled, noting Galinda eyeing her confusedly. Ignoring her, she kept her attention focused on Fiyero. "Why this fairytale? Why not do something like this for Valentine's Day using any other fairytale? Or is there something specifically in the story about Valentine's Day?"
Fiyero blinked at her. "You know, I've never asked. There's nothing in the story about Valentine's Day at all, no. I mean, some versions of the tale have the prince praying to Brunhilla when he's trying to find the princess. I guess I just assumed it was because purple roses are in the story and they're Brunhilla's symbol. I mean, it's Valentine's Day; it's all about the love fairy, right?"
Fiyero paused to eat another canape before he continued. "I never really understood why it was purple roses for Brunhilla. Aren't red roses more romantic?"
Elphaba shrugged. "I don't know, I think depending on the context, purple roses are more meaningful. Red roses symbolise love, right? That is great if you're in a long-term relationship, but a little intense for a first date. Purple means admiration and enchantment."
"And love at first sight," Fiyero interjected.
Elphaba wrinkled her nose instinctively. He laughed, but she ignored him. "That aside, the meaning of the purple rose feels a little more… timeless to me. Although, Galinda would be the first to tell you that I'm not the best judge of romance. Right, Glin?"
She turned to look at her best friend, only to be greeted by an empty space. Elphaba blinked, and then turned back to Fiyero, who seemed nonplussed by Galinda and Bram's sudden absence.
"So, you don't believe in love at first sight, I'm guessing?" he asked her with a small grin.
"No."
"Seriously? It can happen. I have-"
"Oh, let me guess," Elphaba cut him off. "You have a friend, who probably has a friend, who absolutely fell in love with their partner at first sight; in a way that will absolutely change my mind on the subject?"
"It's my friend's cousin's grandparents, actually," Fiyero corrected her lightly and Elphaba laughed.
"Okay. Convince me."
The story, while admittedly very sweet, did not change Elphaba's mind on the existence of love at first sight. It did, however, make her completely lose track of time until she suddenly glimpsed the clock on the wall.
Fiyero paused mid-sentence as she visibly cringed. "You need to leave?" he guessed.
Elphaba nodded apologetically. "I've got an early start in the morning, and-"
"Work is hectic," Fiyero cut her off, nodding. "I remember."
Elphaba scanned the room for Galinda, but didn't see her. "I should go find Galinda and say goodbye. It was nice to meet you. Thank you for making the party more bearable than most tonight."
Fiyero smiled warmly at her. "You're welcome. Happy to offer my services for any future parties."
Elphaba faltered, sure there was more she should say but not sure how to find the words to express it. Instead, she merely offered a small smile and wave and disappeared in search of Galinda. She was giggling and whispering to Bram in a way that made Elphaba hesitate to interrupt; but Galinda turned away the moment she spotted Elphaba, her eyes lighting up.
"Elphie! Bram was just telling me about Fiyero! He's single," she said pointedly.
Elphaba rolled her eyes, even as something in her chest clenched. "Great. I just came to say goodbye. I've got to be at work early tomorrow."
Galinda pouted. "Elphie-"
Elphaba held up a hand to cut her off. "Galinda," she said firmly. "I need to go."
Bram nudged Galinda's side gently. "Love, let her go. She needs to work."
Galinda's shoulders slumped. "Okay," she agreed, but the pout remained.
"As soon as work clears up a bit, we'll do lunch," Elphaba promised her.
"Deal," Galinda accepted, stepping forward to hug her goodbye.
When Elphaba got home, she knew she should head straight to bed if she had any hope of getting up when her alarm went off at six. Instead, she found herself digging through her bookshelves; hoping she was correct in remembering seeing a tattered book of fairytales among her collection. She found it buried at the back of a lower shelf with some books she kept telling herself she should donate, yet hesitated to do so at every chance. Sinking back to sit on her heels, Elphaba carefully opened it and flicked through until she found The Princess and the Rose, skimming the pages until her eyes paused on one particular passage.
'As the evening sun dipped low beneath the horizon, casting a golden hue upon the land, the prince, smitten by the princess's grace, plucked a purple rose from a nearby bush and presented it to her with a bow and a kiss upon her hand.
"Fair lady, I am ensnared by your charm. Accept this purple rose as a token of my admiration until we meet again," declared the prince with earnest eyes.
Blushing like the petals of the rose itself, the princess accepted the gift with modesty.
Returning to her castle, her heart aflutter with newfound joy, the princess danced along the cobblestone path, her thoughts as light as the fluttering wings of butterflies. "Doesn't the night shimmer like a tapestry woven by magic?" she exclaimed to her loyal handmaiden. "Has there ever been a more perfect night? My soul feels as though it dances among the stars."
But whispers of the prince's betrothal to the daughter of the eastern kingdom reached the princess's ears, casting a shadow upon her heart. Doubt crept in like a thief in the night, causing her to question the sincerity of the prince's words.
Alone in her chamber, she placed the purple rose beside her bed and beseeched the fairy Brunhilla for guidance. "Oh, fairy of the night, hear my plea. Let not the prince's heart be bound to another. Pray, let this moment not mark the final chapter of our love's tale," she murmured, her words a gentle melody upon the evening breeze. "For as the stars illuminate the night, my heart shall echo your name until our paths converge once more. Brunhilla, grant me the assurance of his true affection."
And lo, Brunhilla, with her keen ear for the whispers of love, heard the princess's earnest prayer and granted her wish.'
Elphaba stared at the page, a lump in her throat and not really able to explain to herself why. And then she shook her head as though to clear it, closing the book and replacing it on the shelf. "Oz I need a vacation," she said and then went to bed.
She was typically one of the first ones into the office, and the next morning was no different. If anything, many of her colleagues were a little slower and a little more dependent on coffee that morning; exchanging stories of any Valentine's Day festivations from the night before.
"What about you, Elphaba?" Delicia asked her, standing by her desk. "Did you do anything?"
"My best friend had a little get together," Elphaba said, shuffling through the piles of paper on her desk looking for one particular sheet. "So I stopped by for a bit. That's all."
Thankfully, Delicia picked up on that Elphaba didn't really want to talk and continued on to her own desk, leaving Elphaba to bury her head in her work.
"Excuse me, I have a delivery for Ms Elphaba Thropp?"
Elphaba's head rose at the sound of her name, blinking rapidly as her vision swam for a heartbeat at the switch of focus from her work to the office around her. Delicia was pointing in her direction while talking to a delivery man standing there with a long, thin box under one arm.
More than one person stared at Elphaba as he crossed the office towards her desk; and even as Elphaba's cheeks flamed, she couldn't really blame them. She never got deliveries at the office, at least not ones that were obviously not work related.
"Ms Thropp?" the man asked as he reached her.
Elphaba rose to her feet awkwardly. "Yes?"
He handed her the box, nodded with a faint smile and then left. Elphaba sank back down into her seat, eyeing the box warily. Being stared at was nothing new to Elphaba of course, but she was suddenly very self-aware of some of her colleagues staring at her curiously. She shifted uneasily for a moment before she hesitantly pulled at the lavender ribbon that was wrapped around the box and lifted the lid.
Inside lay a single purple rose with a small card.
"Fair lady, I am ensnared by your charm. Accept this purple rose as a token of my admiration until we meet again."
-Fiyero
Elphaba smiled to herself, running a finger over the words on the card before lifting the rose to her nose to smell it.
"Pray, let this moment not mark the final chapter of our love's tale," she murmured, thinking back on what she'd read the night before.
Elphaba had always liked the opening of stories best, all the unexplored potential laid out in the pages before her. She had no idea what lay ahead from here, but she was at least certain about one thing- Galinda would never let her forget this for the rest of their lives.