Apologies to RavenCurls who is dying because Fiyero and Elphaba aren't really talking yet and to all of the other Fiyeraba diehards waiting so patiently out there. This chapter will not save your life. But it might make you smile?
While half the dorm went out to drink and party, something Fiyero had once done in spades, Fiyero started to spend his nights in playing games or studying with Boq and a couple of his friends from the Three Queens dorms who were consistently good for capricious conversations, esoteric references, and bawdy blather. Fiyero had always been able to count on Tibbett and Crope for a good time and to be just arch enough around Boq to make things entertaining.
"Why do you even have these cards?" Fiyero asked the boys, holding up his useless hand. The deck had pictures of mostly naked women on them, and while he was old enough and experienced enough not to be offended by it, Boq had been doing his best all game not to seem flustered by the lingerie-clad figures under his fingers.
"We still admire the female form!" Tibbett said, taking the card and inspecting the lewd picture. "Look at her, she seems so happy."
"I'm starting to believe that you have no appreciation for women."
Fiyero scoffed at Crope. "You must be joking."
"The only thing more interesting than seeing you oblivious to how the girls have been throwing themselves at you is hearing them whine about it later. 'Oh Fiyero, he's so dreamy, why won't he give me a chance…'"
"And for whatever reason girls love to tell us everything that's wrong in their lives."
"They tend to regret it until they get drunk again."
Tibbett leaned forward on his arms and batted his eyelashes at Fiyero humorously. "So is the prince really a queen?"
"We won't be upset if you are. On the contrary…"
"What we'd give for an opportunity to see if what they say about Winkie men is true! …If you know what I'm saying."As if he didn't, Tibbitt glanced down to Fiyero's crotch, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Fiyero snorted at him and made a mental note to wear looser pants in their presence, for they seemed to give his anatomy far more thought than was necessary.
"Leave the lad alone," Boq said.
They acted offended. "We are simply interested in the physical wellbeing of our new friend!"
"I appreciate your concern," Fiyero said, chuckling merrily, simply enjoying the simple enjoyment of their youth. "Trust that if I did fancy boys, you two would be my first choices."
"Not Boq? But why, he's ripe as a peach!"
"Downright luscious."
"Oh, but he's taken!" Tibbett remembered. "How are things with Miss Nessa?"
"They're fine," he said curtly, as if to discourage their teasing on such a subject.
Crope took the hint – they were always good about backing off Boq when necessary – and refocused the attention on the prince.
"So, tell us Master Fiyero, on a scale of Boq to Tibbett, just how virginal are you?"
"Why don't you deal the cards again and if you win I'll tell you?" Fiyero said. He made sure not to lose a hand the rest of the night.