I get lost and when I do I run on back to you /
It's a false start almost had my chance/
new heart started making plans/
couldn't take the pain and I walked away/
back the way I came
~o0o~
Elphaba backpedaled away from the carriage, barely registering the scream that tore out of her throat. She tripped over her own feet and crashed to the ground.
She had been killed. She had been murdered. Her lungs and heart strained as if still trying to work around the stab wounds. Her skin burned as if it was still sliced to ribbons.
Sobbing uncontrollably, she pulled her hair out of its braid and felt that it was all there. Her fingers were all back, too, but the pain was still there.
The loop had reset, which meant the murderers were still out there ready to do this again and again and again.
Two figures appeared over her.
"NO!" she scrambled back, raising an arm defensively. "Don't hurt me!"
"I'm not going to hurt you."
Fiyero's face cleared through the blur, his eyes wide with concern.
"She's just freaking out, leave her," said his driver.
"Not now, Av," he said. "Miss, what happened?"
"You ditched me!" she wailed. "You asshole! You ditched me and they killed me! I cut my hair and I died!"
"Crazy town," said Av, moving forward to pull Fiyero away.
"Av, shut up!" Fiyero snapped and scooted closer to Elphaba, keeping his tone gentle with her. "Hey, when does this happen?"
"Tonight. Ozdust. They were waiting. They were waiting for someone who was alone! They killed me!"
It was too bright. Too open. What if they knew? What if they were in the loop, too?
"Elphaba!" Nessa approached. "What are you doing?!"
Elphaba reached for her, seeking comfort.
"N-Nessa, there w-w-were thes-s-se men, they a-a-attacked me annnd they had kn-n-nives." Her voice trembled and wavered and she was almost in her sister's lap when she was shoved back.
"You're making a scene!" Nessa hissed, looking around at the crowd in embarrassment. "Get a hold of yourself!"
She sounded so much like their father that all Elphaba could do was crumple in on herself.
"Hey," said Fiyero. "Visions are serious."
Elphaba hyperventilated, grabbing onto her hair.
People were surrounding her, watching, whispering. Did they know? Did they laugh when they discoverated her body? Throw a celebration that the freak was finally dead? Had it secretly been planned?
"What has the green girl's panties in a twist?" Avaric asked.
"I didn't know she was even capable of human emotion," said Pfannee.
Elphaba felt as if she was in a fishbowl. She couldn't take it anymore. She just wanted to disappear.
Just disappear.
Shivering, she curled over herself and shrank into her cat form. Her fur puffed up and her ears flattened against her head.
"Aww, she's a scaredy-cat!"
"Scaredy-cat! Scaredy-cat!"
"What the hell is wrong with all of you?!" Fiyero demanded.
Elphaba hunched over, digging her claws into the ground.
"What is going on here?"
The crowd halted their taunts and jeers and parted for Madame Morrible.
"Your Highness!" she said in a grand voice. "I see you are already getting acquainted with your fellow students! Allow me to introduce myself, I am Madame Morrible, the Head Shiztress. Oh, my. A cat! I was unaware you were bringing along a pet. As you have a private suite I believe an exception can be made so long as you keep it contained and it does not cause any damage."
The crowd snickered at Elphaba being called a pet.
"Uh, sure," said Fiyero.
"I'll allow you to get settled, but please be certain to visit your teachers, they will have your make-up work for you as you are joining us mid-semester. I have also assigned you a tutor, Miss Elphaba Thropp. I'm certain you will meet her eventually, she is quite hard to miss. Would anyone be willing to show Master Tiggular around the campus?"
"I'd be happy to, Madame Morrible!" Galinda volunteered.
"Miss Upland! I can always count on you to speak up," said Madame Morrible. "Good day all."
Elphaba tried to unlatch her claws so she could run away, but she felt frozen. A low whine escaped her throat.
"You know what I've always wondered?" a boy said. "If cats really do hate water."
He snatched Elphaba up by her scruff. She shrieked and yowled as he hurried to the canal. She couldn't swim!
"Hey—HEY!"
When she hit the water, she sensed someone crash in after her. An arm wrapped around her middle and they both surfaced. She dug her claws into Fiyero, frozen with fear. He crawled out of the canal and took off running. He didn't stop until he was in his dorm room.
"What the hell?" he panted and sank to the floor. "I haven't seen a crowd that blood-thirsty since eighth grade."
Elphaba should have hated him. After all, he was one of the people who ditched her. For all she thought he might have been different, he was still swayed by the majority more often than not. He still froze when people were cruel. He only acted when the odds appeared unfair.
And yet, she still buried her face into his shoulder, breathed him in, let him soothe her.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I promise, I won't ditch you. I'm not going to let you get hurt."
The door rocked forward and Fiyero hissed as Elphaba's claws dug in deeper.
"Yero, it's me," Av called.
Fiyero moved and his driver entered, toting the suitcases from the carriage.
"Gods, you're soaked," Av said. "That's a lot of trouble for a crazy person."
"Av, you've been my valet since we were sixteen, you know how badly visions can scare a person. Just leave those. I can unpack myself this time."
"You're bleeding, at least let me—" Av touched Elphaba's middle and she hissed at him.
"I'm fine," said Fiyero. "It's fine."
"Sure, if you insist. I'll be back with groceries." Av left and Fiyero locked the door behind him.
The smell of Fiyero's blood wasn't helping Elphaba's anxiety. She forced herself to let go and sagged, making him drop her to the floor. She returned to her human form and shivered. Only her hair was wet from her dip in the canal, though the rest of her felt damp and cold.
She shivered and pressed her forehead to her knees. She flinched slightly when Fiyero ripped open a box, but it was just to bandage his arm.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean—I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it," he said. "I'm going to dry off and change. Okay?"
She should have taken that opportunity to leave, but her legs felt heavy. She was cold. Everything hurt.
"I am approaching," said Fiyero. "I am placing a towel on your head."
She didn't move as he did just that, squeezing the excess water out of her hair before wrapping it up in a turban.
"Let's sit," he said gently, helping her to her feet.
She curled up on the leather couch, pressing herself into the corner. From here she could see into his kitchen. Boxes were stacked up between it and the door. Fiyero dug around them, taking out cookware and putting things away.
An hour later, Av returned with bags of groceries. He and Fiyero spoke quietly and Av left, leaving the extra dorm key with Fiyero.
Fiyero puttered around the kitchen and brought a steaming mug of tea to Elphaba. She took it and breathed in the warm scent.
"I hope you like Vinkun style," he said and sat down across from her with his mug. "Okay. Your vision. What do you recall?"
Elphaba opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She lowered her head and sipped her tea. It was good. Warm with spices and condensed milk added to it. One of the scents in it smelled close to Fiyero's cologne.
Finally, her body unfurled enough for her to set the mug down on the table. Her voice eluded her for the moment, but she was able to sign. She told him what happened in simple terms.
She was an idiot, she shouldn't have gotten drunk, she shouldn't have let her guard down.
"Hey, it is not your fault," said Fiyero fiercely. "It is their choice to take a person's life. Do you remember what they looked like? We can report it. Psychic visions are probable cause and can get a warrant. They'd probably find evidence of past victims. Something!"
Elphaba shook her head.
"I was drunk!" she pressed. "I couldn't fight back!"
What if they hurt someone else and she just happened to prevent someone from getting killed? Were they being murdered in this endless loop? Over and over again, being carved into like a piece of wood? Violated and treated like some sick science experiment?
Elphaba bolted to the bathroom, just barely making it to the toilet.
"I am behind you," Fiyero announced over her retching. "I am going to hold your hair back."
He gently pulled her hair back and plaited it. It couldn't have been easy without a brush, but he managed to move it out of the way. He then rubbed her back gently until the vomiting ended.
She slumped against the bathtub, pressing her cheek to the cool porcelain.
Fiyero got up and retrieved the box full of bathroom supplies. He opened it up and gave Elphaba a box of tissues. He also brought out a pack of toothbrushes, two tubes of toothpaste (one used and one not), mouthwash, and some other things.
"Listen, my twin sister has visions, too," said Fiyero. "Constantly. When we were born, the Court Wizard said she had true clairvoyance, meaning she could see most if not all possible futures for any given person. She would have nightmares, vivid ones. When we were teenagers they got so bad she grew terrified to leave the castle. She would say that one wrong word or action at the wrong time could lead to death, or worse. You say that my ditching you led to your death? Fine then, I promise here and now that I will never ditch you. Now it's closed."
Was that why he was more readily accepting of the time loop thing? He thought it was similar to clairvoyance?
"She's doing better now," he said. "She can manage it and she has a partner who is just the kindest and most patient person I've ever met. When we were kids, only I could calm her down. And you know what? Just because it hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean your feelings towards it aren't real."
Elphaba wanted to fall into him. To curl up into his lap and cry her heart out while he held her and murmured sweet things in her ear. She wanted Galinda to brush her hair and hug her and insist they're going to be the best of friends and make plans for fun things they could do. She wanted Nessa to talk to her again, to not be so damn ashamed of her mere presence that she would ignore her distress.
It wasn't always like this. There was a time when Nessa would insist they would be together forever. Two sisters against a world that didn't understand. When Elphaba got the switch, Nessa used to help hold a compress to the marks. Yes, she might have scolded Elphaba gently, insisting if she just behaved then the pain wouldn't come, but at least she would be there for her.
But that was all a dream. Galinda loathed her, Nessa was well on her way to do the same, and Fiyero had no idea who she was.
"Do you have a friend I could help you to?" Fiyero asked.
She shook her head.
"I don't have anyone," she croaked.
"I see."
Why didn't she just stay dead this time? She didn't know if there was an afterlife or reincarnation or if she just ceased to exist, but she wanted this nightmare to be over.
"I'm sorry I ruined your entrance," she whispered.
"Hey, don't worry about it," he said. "I don't really feel like throwing a party anyway. Not for these assholes. Besides, I'm a prince, rescuing damsels in distress is kind of my thing."
She couldn't muster a smile or a retort that she wasn't anyone's idea of a damsel. Instead, she eased to her feet and brushed her teeth.
It had been years and she still didn't understand why he continued to surround himself with horrendible people when he himself wasn't an awful person. He could be thoughtless, but he wasn't cruel or malicious. Maybe it was more painless to pretend to be one of them.
If Elphaba didn't look the way she did, maybe she'd be one of them, too.
She didn't know.
"You can hang around here if you'd like," said Fiyero. "Maybe once the window passes of your vision you'll feel better."
Elphaba returned to the couch, barely taking time to remove her boots before laying down on it. It wouldn't matter, the cycle would start anew.
"I'll be gone by ten tomorrow," she said softly. "I won't bother you again, I promise."
"You can bother me anytime," he said earnestly. "It's okay."
She remained in that spot while Fiyero unpacked. She wasn't sure why he bothered when he was certain he wouldn't last at the school. Maybe he just settled well in new places.
He tossed a blanket over her, then set up his radio on its own stand.
He made sandwiches for lunch, bringing one to her. She wasn't hungry, but mindlessly picked at what he served her, tearing off small chunks in case she got sick again. This must have been really weird for him, but it wouldn't matter.
Some time after he showered the grime from the canal off, she sat up.
"May I use the shower?" she asked.
"Of course," he said and got out another towel for her. "You can borrow some clothes, too."
"Thank you."
She took the bundle into the bathroom and turned the water on.
It was a screaming meemie now and later it would become a regular bad dream. It didn't really happen so she didn't need to feel all this hurt.
Elphaba winced and shed her blazer, then unbuttoned her blouse. There was resistance in her muscles as she undressed. She kept her eyes ahead, only washing her hair, using Fiyero's shampoo. It didn't matter if she used too much, nothing that happened mattered.
She wrapped up in the towel and sat on the edge of the tub, staring at nothing for the longest time. She finally pulled on the pajamas Fiyero loaned her and was forced to look down at her body to button up the shirt. She was being ridiculous, there would be nothing wrong with her.
Finally, she made her self look and the scream that tore from her throat was involuntary.
"Miss?! Are you okay?!" Fiyero burst in. His eyes flickered over her chest and the blood drained from his face.
There were pale lines along her skin where it had been sliced open and bruises and puckers where she'd been stabbed. Ghosts of what happened, but still evidence.
Elphaba sank against the wall, her legs crumpling in the small space between it and the sink. She trembled, covering her eyes with her hands like a small child.
"It wasn't a vision, was it?" Fiyero whispered.
She shook her head.
"I'm sorry," he said, hovering his hands over her. "I am so, so sorry I let that happen to you. What can I do?"
She grabbed his shirt, staring up at him with wild desperation.
"Take my hurt away!" she begged. "Please!"
It was a foolish demand. One a child might make. It was unreasonable to demand it of someone she was a stranger to and yet she made it anyway. If anyone could make her forget how scared and angry and hurt she was, it was this foolish, happy-go-lucky, irritating, smug, wonderful, beautiful, complicated person who could hurt her yet pull her out of her darkness all in the same breath. She didn't understand it, by all accounts she should hate him, but she didn't.
She couldn't.
"I'll try," Fiyero murmured and scooped her up.
He carried her to the couch and used his comb this time to braid her hair, laying a towel out so the water that piddled out wouldn't soak the cushions. Once her hair was plaited, he pulled her into his arms.
"Have you ever heard of the story of Marule?" he asked.
She shook her head.
"Once upon a time, in a far off kingdom by the sea, a drop of sun fell from the sky and landed on the earth. From it a flower that held the power of the sun grew."
Elphaba closed her eyes, soothed by his words as he wove the story. She still felt the tears tighten in her throat, any second she might crumble into an inconsolable puddle.
A delicate knock came at the door, startling her out of the state she was in. It was almost like dozing, but she was loaded up like a spring, waiting for the next horrible thing to happen.
Fiyero straightened up and stared at the door.
The knock came again.
"Hello? Your Highness?" Galinda called.
He frowned and looked at Elphaba.
"She won't hurt me like that," she said softly.
He nodded and got up to answer.
"Hello, there!" said Galinda. "I'm so glad I was able to find your dorm room. I've come to apologize for the horrendible behavior of my peers this morning. I'm sure that wasn't the first impression they wanted to make."
"I'm not the one that needs an apology," said Fiyero.
"Even so. Having to jump in the canal like that! It was so brave."
Elphaba could practically hear her toss her hair.
"You know, some of us are going out tonight," she said. "It will be so much more fun if you're there."
"I'm sure," said Fiyero.
"And I did promise to take you on a tour," she said.
"Well, I have a lot of unpacking to do," said Fiyero. "And it was a long drive from the Emerald City."
"Oh! I could help," she said and strolled in. "And then if you haven't eaten yet, perhaps we could…"
She spotted Elphaba on the couch and came to a dead stop. It didn't look good did it? Elphaba quickly buttoned up the pajama shirt.
"I… didn't realize you had company," said Galinda. "Miss Elphaba… are you okay? That was quite a commotion this morning."
Elphaba averted her gaze. She didn't know if the question was coming from a place of caring and did not want to set herself up for an insult.
The awkwardness was palpable.
"Right," said Fiyero suddenly, putting an arm around Galinda and steering her back out. "Thank you so much for stopping by to check on me, but I think I better focus on unpacking. How about a rain check on that tour?"
"Oh! Sure," said Galinda. "Right. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow then?"
"Tomorrow, then," he agreed and closed the door.
"I can leave," Elphaba whispered. "I threw a wrench in your plans. I can hide somewhere else. It's just until ten."
Fiyero hurried back to her side.
"It's okay," he said, resting his hands on her shoulders. "I promise, you are not inconveniencing me or putting me out or whatever. It's my fault you were hurt."
"It wasn't though," she said. "You couldn't have known about them."
"But I know better than to leave people alone when they're drunk," he said. "Please, let me help you."
Elphaba bit her lips and pressed her forehead to his, closing her eyes. He slid his hands down her arms to take her own and squeezed them gently.
"I don't remember you," he murmured. "But I know you. I can feel it."
He always said that.
Fiyero made them dinner that evening. It was simple pasta from a box with sauce from a jar and bread from the freezer, but it was food and he wasn't helpless in the kitchen.
"When did you learn to cook?" she asked, trying to remember if he told her.
"High school," he said. "My last two years I went to a Military Academy. I got K.P. duty a lot. Apparently the fact that I'll be King one day doesn't mean I can ignore authority. My roommate, Pháidín, also got K.P. duty with me a lot. He taught me everything I know about cooking. He said that if you can scramble eggs you can sauté meat and if you can sauté meat you can make nachos."
"Nachos?"
"Corn chips topped with meat, beans, and cheese," he explained. "Popular in Munchkinland. I like them with avocado, but you'd be amazed how hard it is to find a good avocado this far east."
Elphaba thought she might have seen the nachos in the cafeteria once or twice. Corn-based meals were a staple in Munchkinland, but she'd never eaten them. She had no idea what an avocado was either and tried to think of what sort of bean it could be.
"That first year was rough," said Fiyero. "I never would have made it without Pháidín's help. He wanted to be a chef, but his entire family was all military, so it was military school for him. I don't know what an amazing man like that ever saw in a dope like me."
He tensed and looked at Elphaba for her reaction.
"You loved him," she said.
"Still do," he admitted.
"Where is he now?"
"He went far away to a place I couldn't follow."
Things must not have ended well for them if it led to his scandalacious reputation. Elphaba decided not to ask anymore questions about Pháidín.
"Care for a drink?" Fiyero asked, taking out a bottle of bourbon. "Two can still make a party."
"Okay."
He poured them each a glass and turned on the radio before settling down on the couch with her. It was a weird little party and maybe drinking wasn't the best way to handle her murder, but she still enjoyed the cloudiness. As long as she wasn't attacked she'd be okay. As long as Fiyero stayed beside her she'd be okay.
She had dozed off and saw the buzzing sodium light and heard the cruel laughter. She gasped awake, clawing at her chest.
Fiyero sat up.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
Elphaba made a small whine and turned into him.
"Take my hurt away," she begged, cupping his cheeks. "Please."
"What can I do?" he asked, earnestly.
She kissed him hard. He pulled away briefly, then wrapped his arms around her and met her once more.
It wasn't until they were half-undressed that she realized something was off about this. It wasn't anything like the last time they had made love. They had laughed and explored and there was a tenderness to it.
This was automatic. He did everything right, but there wasn't that… spark. That eagerness.
He was going to make love to her because she asked him to. Because he felt guilty for being a source of her pain. Because he didn't want to hurt her anymore, even if it wasn't something he wanted at the moment.
He didn't know her. She spent the majority of this cycle crying and clinging to him and weighing him down with her grief.
Elphaba pushed him off her and sat up. She was acting no different than anyone else who used him. The ones who didn't care about him as a person. This wasn't real, it didn't mean anything and she wanted it to mean something and it wasn't fair to him to use him like this.
It wasn't fair.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"It's okay," he insisted. "I promise—"
She stood abruptly.
"No. No, it's not." She paced and hugged herself, then opened his window and transformed into a bird.
"Wait!"
She took off into the sky and flew until her wings grew tired and she crashed into the ground.
Elphaba stepped back from the carriage and transformed into a cat before she could be seen. Fiyero did not need to be the one to deal with her fragile state. She would just hide away somewhere safe until this time loop ended. Maybe it would go until her natural lifespan would run out.
"Yero, we're here," said Av.
"Already?" Fiyero yawned. "I was dreaming about the most gorgeous brunette."
Elphaba remained under the carriage, waiting. It rocked as Fiyero climbed out. He just stood there for a long moment, waiting for something. What, she wasn't sure.
"Well, I don't see how this school will be much different than the others," said Fiyero. "See you for the next one."
"Later, Yero."
"Are you looking for something? Or someone?" Galinda called.
"I could be," he said and she knew he had that charming grin.
Elphaba skittered out and wished there were hedges along the path or tall grass or flowers. Something to hide her. She stopped at the fountain and hid under the ledge. When everyone was distracted, she'd make a break for it and get to her dorm. Oh, why couldn't the loop have begun when she woke up this morning?
"So, what's the most swankified place in—cat!"
"Cat?" Galinda repeated.
Elphaba froze in place as Fiyero approached her, his hand outstretched.
"Here, kitty! Ps-ps-ps-ps!"
His cologne filled her senses and her heart grabbed the reins from her brain. She pressed her cheek into his palm.
"I have been chosen!" Fiyero whispered gleefully.
"Uh, Your Highness?" said Galinda.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. What's the most swankified place in town?"
"That would be the Ozdust ballroom," she said.
"Sounds perfect! Come here, gorgeous."
Galinda eagerly stepped forward until Fiyero scooped Elphaba up and scratched her chin.
"You're so elegant," he said. "I'm going to call you 'Duchess'!"
Elphaba curled into him and opened one eye to see Galinda glaring daggers.
"Aww, you're shaking so much," he said. "What's scared you so badly, beautiful?"
"Ahem!" Galinda quickly posed. "So…"
"So, I'll pick you up around eight?" said Fiyero. "Or do I need to take the cat as my date?"
Galinda giggled. "After all, now that we've met one another…"
"Uh-huh." Fiyero kissed the space between Elphaba's ears.
The funny thing to do would be to return to her human form. Instead, she closed her eyes and buried her face into his chest.
"Okay, that's adorable," Galinda murmured.
"Your Highness! Allow me to welcome you to Shiz University!"
Morrible's lecture wasn't much different than yesterday and Fiyero made his escape to his dorm where Av was unpacking his suitcases.
"Thought you were setting up your party," he said.
"Made a new friend," said Fiyero. "Poor thing is scared to death."
"What if it belongs to someone?"
"Then they don't deserve her," said Fiyero. "She's so thin and something really scared her. Look how much she's trembling."
"Alright then," said Av. "I guess I can pick up cat food with your groceries."
"Sure. Do we have anything from the old place?"
"Yeah, it's in the ice box already."
Fiyero set Elphaba down on the couch.
"Let's see…" he opened a box and took out two saucers, filling one with water and the other with some sliced roast beef. "Here you are, Your Grace."
Oz, he was cute.
"I've got a party to plan," he said, finding a piece of newspaper to lay down. "But I'll be back soon, I promise."
Elphaba remained as she was on the couch until the lock clicked. She shivered and whined. Even this small sitting room felt too open. She ran to the closet and pressed herself into the corner. She had always hated the darkness, but at least the walls she sensed on either side swallowed up the shadows that could harm her.
The closet was filled with clothes and his shoes were lined up in a neat row.
Maybe being a house cat wouldn't be so bad. Having someone big and strong to protect her from the scary things, to think of her needs, to feed her and hold her.
It was pathetic and creepy. Fiyero didn't know she was human.
Even so, she didn't know what else to do, so be a house cat she would. At least for this cycle.
Elphaba jerked awake at the sound of the front door opening.
"Duchess, I'm home!" Fiyero called.
Paper bags rustled.
Elphaba hadn't realized she'd fallen asleep, but thankfully she remained in her feline form. She eased out of the closet and meowed her greeting.
Fiyero beamed upon seeing her and reached into one of the bags.
"What do I have for you?" he sang and brought out a diamante collar with a bell.
He really went all out for things he cared about, didn't he? Maybe, if someone had helped him early on with his school troubles he wouldn't have flunked out so often.
"Gorgeous," said Fiyero, scratching behind her ear.
Elphaba leaned into the affection.
Yeah, being a house cat ruled.
"I would have been back sooner, but I got lost," he said. "I'm sorry I left you alone for so long."
Av had bought the cat food, but Fiyero had purchased everything else.
While he went into his room to get ready for the party, Elphaba perused the items. There was some instinct to this form. Whether it was because she expected a cat to behave this way or there was something about the form or she was just cat-like to begin with, she didn't know. She just knew she wanted to sniff and rub her face on everything, to bat at the teaser stick, and to pounce on the fake mouse, but above all to climb into the empty cardboard box that had once been filled with kitchen supplies.
She finally entered the kitchen and examined the roast beef and the water. The water had a more intense taste to it than when she was human and it had a smell, too. Minerals, traces of life in the water that treatment could not remove. The beef was alright, too. She wouldn't have touched it if she were human, but her cat tongue wasn't as picky.
"What do you think, Duchess?" Fiyero asked.
He held both of his suits up. He was wrapped up in his bathrobe and water was still clinging to his hair.
Don't act too smart.
Elphaba casually wandered up and sniffed each suit before batting the sleeve of the turquoise one. At least, she assumed it was the turquoise one. The colors were all weird.
"I like that one, too," he said and moved both suits over one arm so he could scoop her up with the other. "You look more comfortable already."
He set her down on his bed. She turned around and kept her back to him.
"Giving me privacy, eh?" he said. "Well, I appreciate that."
She closed her eyes as he hummed and dressed.
"How do I look?" he asked after a bit.
Elphaba looked over at him and blinked slowly.
"Yeah, I look good," he said and posed in front of the mirror.
He worked his hair back into a ponytail, taking care to make fingerwaves with the gel.
"I'm off, then," he said when he was satisfied with his appearance. "I'll turn on the radio for you."
He smooched the space between her ears, turned on the radio, and headed out to dance the night away.
Elphaba hopped onto the armchair next to the radio and rested her chin on the arm. Would someone get hurt tonight? Maybe that nice waitress? Did she need to rescue them? Would that break the loop?
Her fur stood on end at the thought of facing those two men again. What if all her magic wouldn't be enough? She always counted on her face to be enough of a deterrent, but it wasn't.
She returned to human form, the collar growing with her. She paced around then went to the closet. She found a deep purple sweater and brought it to her face, calming down. She placed it inside her portal and returned to her cat form so she could hide behind his boots again. She could still hear the radio. A drama, a late night talk show, then some soothing jazz.
The clock ticked, creatures scurried in the walls, trees rustled outside, the building shifted and settled, static crackled, the ice box hummed, the single lightbulb in a lamp buzzed. Distant, drunken laughter. Creaking floor boards.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
"There you are!"
A hand touched her back and she lashed out.
"Ouch!"
Her vision focused and she looked up at Fiyero.
'I'm sorry!' she tried to say. Would he toss her out?
"Aw, did I scare you?" he asked and inspected his hand.
Welts of blood puckered up, the smell reaching her nose. She moaned and cowered.
"It's okay, Duchess," he said. "Just a scratch. Nothing to be upset over."
She heard fabric hit the floor and then the bedsprings creaked as he hit them. He sighed heavily.
Elphaba crept out of her hiding spot and saw him lying on his back, his suit jacket crumpled by the laundry basket. She hopped up next to him.
His expression was sad and he just seemed so… lonely.
'What's wrong?' she tried to ask.
He held up a hand and she bumped it with her head. That brought a small smile to his face.
"The party went perfectly," he said. "As always. I just… I don't know. I guess I'm just really stupid. This is the way the world is and I accept that, but… it'd be nice to have someone to talk to. Really talk to. Everyone wants to either sound important or smart or both. Galinda is perfect and she's actually the nicest of all the Queen Bees I've dated, I think given time I could probably pretend to love her, but I doubt I'll stick around long enough for that to be an issue."
He looked at her and smiled.
"I can talk to you, though," he said. "You can't really understand me, because you're a cat. So you can't judge me for these stupid things."
Elphaba's heart ached. Both for his loneliness and for her deceit. She batted his cheek with her paw.
'Come on, I'm the one who's all doom and gloom.'
He chuckled and stroked her fur.
"Shiz can't be all bad," he said. "Least I found you."
Fiyero got up and readied for bed. When he climbed in and switched off the lights, she cuddled up to his side.
"Night, Duchess," he said. "Fresh dreams."
Elphaba fell asleep. When she stepped back from the carriage, she transformed into a bird and flew to her dorm. There, she turned into a cat and hid under her bed.