Content Advisory: Sexual Content

CHAPTER TWELVE: IT'S JUST THE HORMONES

"I think this is the best morning of my life," Fiyero hummed happily. "Isn't this the best morning of your life?"

The lovers were nestled together underneath the comforter of their recently claimed bed. Elphaba's head rested upon the warmth of Fiyero's chest as they lazily tangled and untangled their fingers together.

"I'm in a bed, Fiyero," Elphaba sighed luxuriously. "Do you know how long it's been since I've slept in a proper bed? Yes. I love this morning."

"I liked last night too," Fiyero said, tilting her chin up to receive a kiss from him. "I really, really liked last night."

Elphaba tried not to smile, but she couldn't help it.

"I think we may be turning over a new leaf, Fiyero," Elphaba said. "There may be a future for us as a pair after all."

"I feel strongly that there is."

"Let's see. It only took…going on the lam," Elphaba began counting on her fingers. "Lots of fights."

"Lots," Fiyero agreed.

"A falling house, a near death experience, and an unplanned pregnancy. Is that all?"

He uncurled a finger on her other hand to add a sixth.

"You forgot to mention having the best sex of my life."

"How thoughtless of me."

Fiyero resituated them so that they lay on their sides facing each other, his arm draped over her waist.

"I mean it, you know," he murmured, leaning forward to brush his lips lightly against her shoulder. "You made me very…" he kissed her neck. "Very…" he kissed her jaw. "Happy."

Elphaba sighed sweetly as Fiyero returned his lips to hers.

"You made me happy too."

"Right," Fiyero said, brushing his fingertips across her cheekbone. "About that. There's something I've been…wanting to bring up."

"Yes?"

"I couldn't help but notice that you didn't reach…full satisfaction last night," Fiyero hinted suggestively. "At least I'm pretty sure."

"Oh," Elphaba exclaimed, her eyebrows shooting up. "Oh, that's not—I mean. Honestly, Fiyero. I was pleased. Very pleased."

"Pleased but not completed," Fiyero said. "Am I wrong?"

Elphaba swallowed, feeling her face heat.

"I mean…maybe not by definition, per say. But allow me to ease your mind, Fiyero. You needn't worry about such things."

"Don't need to worry?" he laughed lightly. "I'm not the kind of guy to leave you hanging, Elphaba. I want to make sure you're satisfied too."

"You are sweet, my love," she assured him. "And you satisfy me greatly. It's just—"

"Just what?"

"You see, I don't actually think I am…"

"Think you're what?"

Elphaba cleared her throat. "Um…capable."

Fiyero lifted an eyebrow, vaguely amused.

"You don't think you're…capable?"

"Precisely. That is just not something that happens for me. And it's not only you, in fact it's not you at all," Elphaba explained. "It's always been this way."

"So, let me get this straight. You've never…"

"No," Elphaba said tersely. "Like I said. I can't."

"Okay," Fiyero said, drumming his fingers on her hip bone. "So…what have you tried?"

Elphaba gave him a pointed look.

"What? Do you wish for me to regale you with my attempts at self-stimulation?"

"I'd love that, yeah."

Elphaba whacked him on the chest.

"You are so stupidly male."

"Can you blame me?"

"There were a few lonely nights in the woods, alright? A few frustrating attempts. That's all there is to know."

"Did you think about me?" Fiyero grinned.

"Fiyero Tigelaar!"

"You did, didn't you? You thought about me."

"I—" Elphaba laughed breathily. "Am dropping this."

"Elphaba, listen…" Fiyero sidled closer with flirtatious intent. "I'm not sure you understand who you're dealing with here. If there's anyone who can get you there…" he smiled arrogantly. "It's me."

"Oh, your smugness," Elphaba groaned. "I cannot abide it."

"I mean it! You say it can't happen but I think we'd very much enjoy trying."

"I will keep that in mind," Elphaba said. Fiyero leaned forward to kiss her but she caught his chin in her hand. "For later."

Punctuating the end of the matter with a quick peck to his lips, Elphaba turned to settle on her back. Fiyero sighed in defeat and they lapsed into a brief silence.

"Hey…" Fiyero approached in a more serious tone. "I also wanted to talk to you…about last night."

"We just did."

"I mean about after," Fiyero clarified gently.

"Ah. That."

"Yeah..."

"Right. I'm sorry, Yero. Please know that that was horribly unlike me. I imagine having your partner cry after sex isn't particularly flattering," Elphaba said with a hollow chuckle. "I'm rather embarrassed."

"No, don't be embarrassed! I was just worried," Fiyero stressed. "I've never seen you so upset—"

"You know," Elphaba said, abruptly hoisting herself to sit upright against the headboard. "I'm sure it was just these…hormones. Scrambling me up."

"Are you sure? It's been a rough couple of weeks. I think anyone would be—"

"It's just the hormones, Fiyero. That's all."

Fiyero looked unconvinced. "That's all?"

"That's all."

Her tone signaled the end of the conversation.

"Okay."

Elphaba leaned down to press a kiss to Fiyero's cheek before turning with the intention to get out of bed.

"Wait—where are you going?"

"To start my day. I can't spend all day in bed."

"Why not?" Fiyero complained. "What's so important that it can't wait for tomorrow?"

"Life. Work. Supplies. Food. Touring the castle," she gestured vaguely to their room. "Monkeys."

"You shouldn't overload yourself, you know. We just got here. Take a little time to rest."

"No rest for the wicked," Elphaba remarked. "At least that's what people keep telling me."

"I say rest for the wicked!" Fiyero pouted.

Still, Elphaba slid out from the haven of their sheets to stand upright out of bed. The early winter air was chilly against her nude skin as she tiptoed around the bed to seek her clothes. Before she was able to retrieve her dress, however, she caught Fiyero's shameless stare out of the corner of her eye.

"What is it now?"

Fiyero sighed in admiration, soaking in the details of Elphaba's body in the daylight.

"Nothing, just…" he shook his head. "You're beautiful."

The instinctual urge to rebut him was on the tip of Elphaba's tongue, but in the end she smiled softly and nodded to acknowledge Fiyero's compliment.

"As are you."

She dipped at the waist and picked up her dress, but upon righting herself she was abruptly smacked with a wave of nausea. She closed her eyes and stood very, very still.

"You good?" Fiyero called from bed.

"Mmhmm…" Elphaba nodded, keeping her eyes closed.

"Because you don't look great."

After taking a deep breath through her nose, Elphaba was relieved to feel the wave subside. She opened her eyes and gave Fiyero a satisfied look before beginning to dress.

"See? Mind over matter," she said smugly. "I'm perfectly fine."

She was not perfectly fine.

An hour later Elphaba found herself laying on the floor of the first-floor washroom, her head in Fiyero's lap as he stroked her hair.

"Why is this happening to me?" she whined miserably. "I've got too much to do."

"You keep saying that. You are allowed to take a break, you know."

"No, I'm not. I'm the Wicked Witch of the West and the tide of wickedness never stops," she mumbled. "At least that's what people keep telling me."

"Okay but you're also…you know."

"Also what?"

"You're growing a baby," Fiyero reminded her, continuing to stroke her hair. "And it's okay to focus on just that for a while."

Elphaba bolted upright off of Fiyero's lap to glare at him.

"So I'm supposed to neglect my cause just because I got knocked up?!"

The rapid motion sent her into a new swell of misery and she covered her mouth with her hand, lurching forward slightly.

"Hey it's okay, you're okay," Fiyero soothed.

He pulled Elphaba's hair back and rubbed her back as she leaned over the basin just in case.

"You should go. Leave me," Elphaba shuddered. "Leave me and never look back."

All the same, she wearily settled back upon his lap when the nausea subsided without result.

"I hate this. I hate having you see me like this."

"I don't mind," Fiyero insisted, resuming stroking her hair. "Most of my weekends in college ended like this anyway."

"Foolish boy."

"Yes. Very foolish."

After some time Elphaba felt stable enough to sit upright against the wall.

"This is worse than before. In the woods," Elphaba complained, sipping some water upon Fiyero's insistence. "I'd hoped that all of this nonsense would be over now that we have shelter..."

"I mean…it's not like the baby is going to stop growing just because—"

"I know, okay?! I'm not a moron, Fiyero!" Elphaba snapped. She heard her tone and she sighed, burying her face in her knees. "Sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"I don't know where that came from."

"It's okay, Elphaba," he repeated.

Fiyero frowned when he heard a small sniffle.

"Wait—are you crying?"

"No!" Elphaba lifted her face which was visibly slick with superficial tears. "I'm not crying!" she cried.

"Elphaba—"

"Sweet Oz, what is happening to me?" she complained, furiously wiping her face. "I swear I'm not like this. I never—"

"Cry," Fiyero filled in for her. He wrapped his arm around her and she nestled her head against his shoulder with a pitiful whine. "I know, love. I believe you."

"It's just the hormones," Elphaba explained for the second time that day. "That's all it is."

An implicit power struggle began as Fiyero and Elphaba navigated their first few weeks in the castle. Elphaba did everything in her power to convince Fiyero, and herself, that the pregnancy was not impacting her day-to-day life. Much of her time was spent in the highest tower which she'd set up for her use. Between conjuring defensive spells to protect the castle she continued to build relationships with her Monkeys. The closest was her bond with Chistery who was able to assist her with small supply runs and message deliveries.

"Chistery has made contact with one of the roving Animal colonies in Quadling Country. I'd lost track of their location!" Elphaba explained to Fiyero as they took stock of some food Chistery had nabbed for them. "Now that I've made contact they can…what? What are you staring at?"

Fiyero shook her head, distracted over what Elphaba had prepared herself to eat.

"Nothing…you just put tomato paste on a cinnamon bagel."

"And?" Elphaba straightened up, propping a hand on her hip. "What about it?"

"Nothing," Fiyero said, taking the hint. "Enjoy."

Between her stretches of successful functioning, Fiyero suspected Elphaba was trying to conceal bouts of nausea and fatigue from him so as not to invite conversation. On multiple occasions he caught her fast asleep on the large window sill in her tower with The Grimmerie laying open across her chest. There were times where she'd calmly excuse herself in the middle of a conversation, walk normally out of the room, and then dart down the hall surely to be sick. It was silly to him, the lengths she took to avoid discussion about her symptoms.

Discussion about the pregnancy at all, in fact.

Though she attempted to focus on her work during the day, Elphaba found herself easily swayed by Fiyero at night. Having access to a bed seemed to do wonders for her sexual desire. As thrilled as Fiyero was with her new eagerness to sleep with him, there was still progress he wished to make in another area.

"I want to please you the way you please me," Fiyero appealed one night, pressing kisses to Elphaba's bare shoulder as he spooned her.

"I am wholly content, my love," Elphaba murmured sleepily.

"I just think I can make you content…er."

Elphaba turned back just enough to grant him a soft kiss.

"I love you. Goodnight."

The next morning Elphaba and Fiyero were in decent spirits as they wandered down the corridor to take stock of breakfast options. Fiyero was in the middle of a sentence when Elphaba suddenly froze, shushing him upon hearing a foreign noise. They both listened hard and tensed when they heard a shuffling coming from the dining room.

"Monkeys?" Fiyero whispered under his breath.

"They stick to the turrets," she shook her head. "Does anyone else have access to the castle? Sentries?"

Fiyero shook his head.

"My rifle is in the north wing."

There was another loud shuffle and Fiyero stepped forward to protectively push Elphaba behind him.

"How are you planning on protecting me with no rifle?" Elphaba hissed. "I'm our best bet here."

"You're in a delicate condition."

"That doesn't mean—"

The sound of clacking footsteps made them go rigid.

"WHO'S THERE?!" Elphaba shouted at full voice.

Fiyero looked at her like she was crazy.

"YOU ARE TRESPASSING ON WICKED WITCH GROUNDS!" she shouted, donning a witchy affectation to frighten the intruder.

The clacking got louder and Elphaba and Fiyero grasped at each other, mentally preparing to fight as a figure stepped into the hallway.

"Goodness gracious. What is with all the ruckus?"

Elphaba and Fiyero stared in bewilderment, still frozen in their defensive pose, as they registered who it was.

"Glinda?"

"Of course, Glinda. Who else? Now come on, come along," Glinda beckoned them towards the dining room. "I've been waiting forever for you two to get your lazy butts out of bed."

Elphaba and Fiyero exchanged a confounded look before slowly following Glinda into the dining room. Upon the table was an impressive spread of coffee and frosted pastries as well as what looked to be like an agenda with a series of meticulously placed glitter pens.

"I made coffee," Glinda said. She handed Fiyero his mug first before giving Elphaba hers. "Decaf for Mama. Obviously."

"Glinda I've put about a dozen defense spells on this castle," Elphaba pointed out. "How in Oz did you get in?"

"How many sugars are in this?" Fiyero grimaced upon sampling his coffee.

"Five," Glinda said. "And yes, Elphie. I encountered the spells. We were in the same sorcery course, you know."

Glinda walked around the table to her set up of pens and paper.

"Of course if I recognized them then that means Horrible Morrible could too. Just something to think about."

Elphaba pursed her lips, hating that Glinda was right.

"Don't worry about it though!" Glinda assured her, catching her look. "I'm sure it was just a little bout of baby brain, hm?"

Glinda sat down on her side of the table before giving Elphaba and Fiyero an expectant look.

"Well go on," she gestured to their designated seats. "Sit."

Elphaba and Fiyero exchanged a glance before slowly sitting beside each other across the table from Glinda.

"You brought flowers?" Fiyero frowned, nodding towards a vase at the end of the table.

"Yes," Glinda sighed. "I hope you don't mind daffodils. It's so difficult to find decent arrangements in the winter."

"You speak as if we should have been expecting you, Glinda," Elphaba pointed out, sipping at her decaf.

It was excessively sweet. Elphaba took another sip. It wasn't bad.

"Well you should have been," Glinda said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I'm only sorry I couldn't make it back sooner. We've got so much to attend to!"

"About what?" Elphaba asked, absent-mindedly placing several pastries on her doily lined plate in front of her.

Glinda cocked her head to the side.

"About the baby, of course," Glinda said. "Honestly Elphie, you do amaze me sometimes."

Glinda pulled out a large, flat calendar and turned it to face Elphaba and Fiyero's side of the table.

"Alrighty so we are here," Glinda tapped the current date. "Now tell me, Elphie. When was your last monthly?"

Elphaba choked on her pastry. "I beg your pardon?"

"Oh come, Elphie. It's just us girls."

Fiyero furrowed his brow, confused over having been forgotten.

"I don't know, okay?" Elphaba crossed her arms defensively. "If you must know, my cycle got disrupted on the run. My monthlies were sporadic and unpredictable if I even got them at all."

"I see," Glinda tapped the tip of her pen on her chin. "Well that might make pinpointing your due date a trickier matter. Unless of course you somehow happen to know when you conceived?"

Elphaba and Fiyero stiffened awkwardly and shot each other a look.

"Go on?" Glinda called them out.

Elphaba buried her face in her hands, deciding to sit this one out.

"It was—" Fiyero cleared his throat. "That night."

"That night?" Glinda clarified. "You're certain?"

"Pretty certain, yeah."

"How—"

"We'd only done it once, Glinda!" Elphaba said, uncovering her face.

"Oh my," Glinda said, her eyes darting between the two of them. "So the first—?"

"Yes," Elphaba said. "First and only."

"At the time," Fiyero clarified. "We've had loads of sex since we got here."

"Fiyero!"

"Sorry," Fiyero held up his hands. "I thought this was a safe space. My mistake."

"Goodness. Such odds. You two were certainly…" Glinda glanced between them, her cheeks pinkening. "Fruitful."

Elphaba wanted to dig herself into a hole.

Glinda flipped the calendar back a few months and put a huge pink star on the date they conceived.

"Wow, you know the date off the top of your head?" Fiyero asked without thinking.

"Well that date was in my planner for weeks, wasn't it?" Glinda said tightly. "Our engagement ball?"

It was Fiyero's turn to dig himself into a hole.

"Right," he cleared his throat. There was an awkward silence. "You know I never got to mention how well you put that party together—"

"Yero?" Elphaba touched his arm. "Stop talking."

He did.

"Rise above it, Glinda. Just riiiiise above it…" Glinda muttered under her breath as she flipped through the calendar. "Alrighty Elphie this puts you into your…" Glinda counted. "Twelfth week. Goodness, you're nearly finished with your first trimester!"

"Peachy."

"And that would put your due date riiiiiiiiight…" Glinda hummed and she flipped through more pages. Elphaba felt some color drain from her face as she saw the calendar pages turn. "Here. Smack at the end of June."

Elphaba paled, her eyes stuck on the large pink heart Glinda drew around her due date.

"Now for our next order of business…"

Glinda pulled out a pad of paper with a small flourish.

"Your prenatal checklist. Okay, box one. Consistent shelter. I can check this one off the list, nice work Dad," Glinda nodded to acknowledge Fiyero. "It's a little dreary but will do just fine."

Glinda uncapped a different sparkly pen and checked the box.

"Next up. Vitamins."

Glinda looked at Elphaba expectantly.

"What about them?" Elphaba asked.

"Are you taking them?"

"Oh, yes. I make regular trips to the family pharmacy. No. I'm not taking vitamins, Glinda."

Glinda rolled her eyes and reached for her handbag on the table.

"Sweet Oz. I have to do everything," Glinda muttered. She began rummaging through the bag and Fiyero's jaw dropped as he watched her entire arm disappear up to the shoulder into the tiny purse. "Aha! Here they are."

"How did she do that?" Fiyero asked Elphaba.

Glinda plunked two pill bottles on the table in front of Elphaba.

"There's your iron," Glinda tapped one. "And your folic acid." She tapped the other. "Don't miss a day."

Elphaba said nothing. Glinda wet the tip of her pen against her tongue before checking vitamins off the list.

"How's your diet?"

"We eat what we can when we can," Elphaba said.

Glinda's face fell. "When you can? That doesn't sound good at all."

"Food is a little scarce," Fiyero admitted. "We're not exactly able to go to the market."

"Oh, that won't do. That won't do at all. You're growing a baby for Ozsakes!" Glinda said before holding a hand up. "A hiccup, nothing more. I'll take care of everything."

She pulled out a new list and began jotting down grocery items before looking at Elphaba.

"Any requests, Elphie? Cravings?"

"No."

"Are you sure?" Fiyero began. "I mean the bagel—"

"I said no," Elphaba repeated through her teeth.

Glinda exchanged a quick look with Fiyero before moving on.

"Oooooookay then. What about rest? You've got this big, comfy castle. Are you resting enough?"

"Yes."

"No," Fiyero corrected her.

Elphaba snapped her head towards Fiyero.

"Oh, so you're speaking for me now?"

Tension stiffened the air. Fiyero took a deep breath, trying to strategize on how to ease it.

"Elphaba…" he began calmly.

"Don't Elphaba me. And don't you dare speak for me again!"

"Okay but you know I've been telling you to—"

"Oh so you're telling me now? You think you can tell me what to do!"

"Elphie, please calm down," Glinda jumped in. "All this stress can't be good for the baby."

"The baby? The baby?!" Elphaba said with a wild laugh, standing abruptly. "What if I don't care what's good for the baby, Glinda? Have you ever thought about that?" Elphaba looked at Fiyero. "Have you?"

Fiyero stood and tried to touch Elphaba's shoulder but she wrenched it away.

"Don't touch me," Elphaba spat. "That's how I got this parasite in the first place. From you touching me!"

"You don't mean that, Elphie," Glinda said. "I know you don't."

"Could everyone please stop pretending that I'm the one acting crazy here. This," Elphaba gestured to the brunch set up. "This is crazy. To sit around sipping coffee—talking about folic acid and due dates? Like this is some normal scenario?"

"At least I'm trying to make the best out of a bad situation!" Glinda said heatedly. "At least I'm trying to help!"

"Well I didn't ask for your help! I didn't ask for any of this! I didn't ask to be pregnant and I certainly didn't ask to be a mother," Elphaba sneered. "Tell me, Glinda. Is there a date on your little calendar when I'm supposed to figure out what the hell to do about this baby because right now I have no idea and I'm freaking out! I am freaking out!"

"Talk to us, Elphaba," Fiyero said. "Let us help."

"Help? You know what would have been helpful, Fiyero? Pulling out!"

Nausea spilled over Elphaba from getting too worked up and she gripped the back of the chair with a sickened whine.

"What's happening?" Glinda asked Fiyero.

"She's trying not to puke."

"Oh! I have ginger chews!" Glinda scurried to her bag. "Do you want some ginger chews, Elphie?"

"I don't want ginger chews," Elphaba muttered. "Don't you see? I don't want groceries, or decaf, or vitamins, Glinda. I don't want to rest and focus on growing the baby, Fiyero. What I want is to have control over my own body again!"

The familiar rising tide of tears rose in Elphaba's throat but she stubbornly continued, hoarsely squeezing out her words in rebellion of her unwelcome waterworks.

"I am so tired of feeling dizzy and bloated and sore and sick. I'm tired of—of being so tired all the time! And most of all—" Elphaba said, her voice cracking on a hiccup. "I am sick and tired of crying over every little stupid thing!"

Elphaba lost her battle against the tide and suddenly broke into a fit of messy tears. Glinda's hand flew over her heart, having never seen Elphaba in such a state.

"Oh Elphie! Oh sweet girl!"

Glinda rushed to Elphaba and pulled her into a tight hug, patting her back with her hand as Elphaba blubbered into her sparkly shoulder.

"There, there. Let it out," Glinda said, rocking Elphaba from side to side. "Cryyyyy it out."

"I'm not—" Elphaba hiccupped. "I'm not—" Hiccup. "I'm not crying!" she wailed.

"Whatever you say, honey."

After she could tell Elphaba had calmed from the worst of it, Glinda pulled out of the hug to look at her face.

"Why, Elphie. Look at you! You're a lovely crier. Did you know that? No puffy patches at all," Glinda smiled encouragingly as her thumb swiped across Elphaba's tears. "I wish I cried half as pretty as you."

"I never do this," Elphaba sniffled. "It's just the hormones."

"Oh, yes. Yes, I know that," Glinda nodded. "But you know what?"

Glinda linked her arm with Elphaba and turned her out to face Fiyero.

"You just cried a lot in front of me," Glinda pointed to herself. "And in front of Fiyero," she pointed to Fiyero. "And guess what?"

"What?" Elphaba croaked.

Glinda gestured to the room around them with a small smile.

"It was no big deal," Glinda pointed out kindly. She gave Elphaba's arm a reassuring squeeze. "We're both still here, we both still love you, and we both still think you're plenty brave, plenty strong. Plenty tough."

Elphaba managed to force a single teary chuckle.

"Do you all still think I'm scary?" Elphaba asked hopefully.

Glinda and Fiyero nodded emphatically. "Oh, yes." "Terrifying."

"See? Same old Elphie. Now go on over to your man because I can tell he's just dying to give you a big hug," Glinda said, nudging Elphaba gently towards Fiyero. "Go on."

Elphaba sighed and followed Glinda's advice. Fiyero opened his arms and Elphaba stepped into them to be collected into a strong hug. He kissed her on the head for a long moment before gratefully mouthing "thank you" to Glinda over Elphaba's shoulder.

Glinda left in the early afternoon to sneak back home, promising to return regularly. Elphaba finally broke down and requested an array of strange groceries which Glinda insisted on spoiling her with. Elphaba also made a deal with Fiyero that if he'd only let her strengthen the castle's defense spells she'd agreed to relaxing for the rest of the day. Fiyero relished the peaceful time with her, between the card games, reading, and a lengthy afternoon nap, but Elphaba found herself antsy for stronger distractions.

She couldn't seem to stop picturing that damned pink heart.

"Thank you for today," Fiyero told her that evening in bed. "Thank you for relaxing."

"I can't promise the same for every day."

"Why?" Fiyero asked, trying hard to understand. "Why are you so against just…slowing down a little?"

Elphaba was quiet for a moment, not wanting to answer but feeling he was owed one.

"Whenever I slow down…" she began, considering her words carefully. "It all starts to set in too much. At least if I have a task, if I have something to keep my mind busy, I can pretend. At least for a little while."

"Pretend what?"

"That…this isn't actually happening," Elphaba said. "And I know that it is, I know that…but for right now? All I want is to hang on to the microscopic bit of control I still have left. Because it's coming. The day I'll have to start facing Glinda's calendar. The day I can't pretend anymore. The day…I'll have to decide what to do."

"We have to decide," Fiyero reminded her. "The day we have to decide what to do."

Elphaba brushed her thumb over Fiyero's cheek a few times. She leaned forward and kissed him slowly. Fiyero closed his eyes, welcoming her affection, but sighed when they parted.

"I know what you're doing," Fiyero shook his head. Elphaba traced his jawline with her forefinger and he shivered. "And you know that I can't resist you."

"Then don't resist me."

She moved her body so that hers lay flush against his, pulling him close as she kissed him again, deeply, insistently. Fiyero wound his arms around her as their legs twisted together.

"Elphaba—"

"I've said all I care to say tonight, Fiyero. I don't want to talk anymore," Elphaba sighed. Her gaze shifted to his mouth and she ran her thumb over his lower lip. "I want you to touch me."

The hairs on the back of Fiyero's neck stood, any lingering topics he wanted to discuss slipping from his mind completely.

"I thought you said that you, what was it, weren't capable?" Fiyero pointed out with his same amused skepticism.

"I'm not," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "But I need the distraction and you're right. It's only fair that I permit you to try."

"Yeah?"

"Oh yes. After all…" Elphaba said, settling onto her back. "It's always a treat to be proven right."

Not about to let the opportunity to please Elphaba pass him by, Fiyero pressed a long kiss to her lips before slipping his hand beneath the bed sheets.

"Okay then," Fiyero murmured. "Let's find out who's right."

Elphaba gasped softly as she felt Fiyero's hand made sweet contact between her legs.

"Just relax, my love," Fiyero instructed. "Relax…and tell me what you like."

At the mercy of Fiyero's velvety voice and heavenly hand, Elphaba melted against the sheets to delight in his distraction. In her entire history of wins and losses…she'd never taken such pleasure in being proven wrong.

And so many times in a row.

Elphaba felt divine the next morning as she made her familiar trek around the bed in search of clothes. As always, she could feel Fiyero's eyes on her.

"What is it now?" she asked playfully.

She turned to offer a coy smile, but her eyebrows furrowed upon catching his expression. In stark contrast from his usual lustful gaze, Fiyero looked…pale. His eyes were narrowed, deeply concentrated, and his eyes held what Elphaba could only describe as astonishment.

"Nothing, just…" Fiyero shook his head, his eyes stuck upon the new, faint curvature to her abdomen. "…You're showing."