CHAPTER ELEVEN: TAVERN TENSION

"How did you know his name?"

There was a brief, bitter silence before Elphaba answered with an icy accusation of her own.

"How did you?"

Liir furrowed his eyebrows, a funny feeling sinking in the pit of his stomach. He hadn't expected the conversation to take the turn it just did.

"I asked you first," Fiyero said.

"I have a right to know just as much as you do," Elphaba prodded. "We've obviously never said it amongst each other. If you're so keen to know, tell me first. How did you know his name?"

"Well shoot, Elphaba. I don't see why I should have to answer your question when you've yet to answer any of mine!" Fiyero said, mimicking her previous words to Liir.

"Very mature, Fiyero."

"Go on. Tell me."

"I…"

Elphaba trailed off and Fiyero waited for her to continue.

"I what?" he prompted. "What?"

"I can't."

"You can't? Can't what?"

"I can't tell you, Fiyero," Elphaba said.

"Can't or won't?"

"Oz, not this again…"

"Elphaba…we tell each other everything," Fiyero stressed. "Everything."

"No we don't," Elphaba said tightly. "Not about him. We don't talk about him. That was the agreement. Do you not remember our agreement?"

"We never agreed! Not, you know…officially," Fiyero said. "After everything happened you just sort of…stopped talking about him."

"So did you."

Fiyero sighed heavily.

"I know," Fiyero acknowledged. "I know I did—"

"And you never fought me on it."

"I know! But Fae, things are different now!" Fiyero said. "He's here. He found us. We can't go on pretending he doesn't exist when he's sleeping on our Ozdamn sofa!"

"Speaking of which, keep your voice down."

Liir shrunk down a bit more against the wall.

"You're really not curious to know him at all?"

"No. I'm not."

"We never thought we'd get the chance to meet him."

"And that's how it should have stayed."

Liir's stomach sank over Elphaba's harsh words.

"You know?" Fiyero said slowly. "I'm getting a little tired of your act, Elphaba."

"My act? You think this is an act?"

"Yes, I do!" Fiyero said. "And I don't buy into it anymore than you ever bought into mine."

"I have agreed to let him stay. I've agreed to teach him. That is all I am able to promise," Elphaba said firmly. "If that disappoints you then perhaps you chose the wrong woman to procreate with."

"Just tell me how you knew and—"

"No."

"Tell me!"

"I can't!"

"You can't keep secrets forever, Elphaba."

"Watch me."

A tense silence followed, sealing the stalemate they'd reached.

"Fine. Fine then," Fiyero said petulantly. "If you don't care to share with your partner…then I don't care to share with you either. In fact…"

"What? In fact what?" Elphaba prodded when Fiyero trailed off.

"In fact I'm not sure I want to share a bed with you tonight."

Elphaba snorted. "You're not serious."

When Fiyero didn't speak to respond, Elphaba spoke again in a small voice.

"Wait…you're serious?"

"Yeah, Elphaba. I am."

"But…" Elphaba faltered. "But we don't do that, Yero. We don't sleep apart."

"Yeah, well I thought we shared things with each other too," Fiyero said in a betrayed tone.

"But where are you even going to go?" Elphaba reasoned. "The couch is taken."

"I'll sleep on the ground if I must."

"You're really that mad at me? You can't sleep outside, Fiyero. You'll catch a chill!"

"Then I'll go to Calix and Hallidah's!"

"You hate Calix."

"Yeah but I love Hallidah! I'm sure she'd let me crash."

"Fiyero…"

"I'm going to get my things."

"Fiyero!"

Liir scrambled away from the window and flung himself onto the couch. The door swung open and he began digging through his bag to make it look like he hadn't been listening. Fiyero stormed into the shack, spotted Liir, and quickly adopted a casual air that fooled no one.

"So, uh—" Fiyero cleared his throat. "I'm actually going to head out in a few. But I'll be back in the morning."

"Oh. Okay…"

A flustered and irritated looking Elphaba entered the shack after Fiyero. She spared Liir no attention as she tailed Fiyero's steps into their bedroom. There was some more bickering behind the closed door and when they reemerged Fiyero had an overnight bag slung over his shoulder. He crossed to the door and gripped the handle but before he could turn it Elphaba stopped his hand.

"You're being ridiculous, Yero," Elphaba murmured. "Just come to bed."

Liir pretended not to hear, though it'd take a lot of suspension of disbelief to buy that he hadn't.

"Please?" Elphaba added in an even lower, hushed voice. "Fiyero…remember your—"

"Anything you'd like to share?" Fiyero asked.

Liir watched out of the corner of his eye as Elphaba paused for a long, tense moment before at last shaking her head.

"Right, then."

Fiyero turned to spare Liir a courteous nod.

"Goodnight, Liir. Sleep well. We are very, very happy you're here."

"Thanks…"

With a final pointed glance to Elphaba, Fiyero exited and closed the door behind him. The flimsy walls and windows rattled from the slam and Liir could have sworn that Elphaba flinched. She recovered quickly, however, and slowly turned to shoot Liir a perturbed look as if it were his fault Fiyero had left. Which, in a way, it was.

"Um…" Liir cleared his throat. "Goodnight."

"I'm a light sleeper. Be mindful of that."

With a sweeping gait Elphaba retired to the bedroom and firmly shut the door behind her.

For a moment Liir stayed rigid on the couch, a little scared to move. I'm a light sleeper. Be mindful of that. Oh, he was certainly mindful. Liir had never been quite so motivated to stay quiet. Holding his breath, he slowly stretched out across the sofa and winced as the springs squeaked beneath him. He hoped upon hope that he was not a snorer. To his knowledge he was not, but his roommates at boarding school wouldn't have been the type to give a friendly heads up.

The desert's temperature dropped steeply at night, he'd read so, but now knew it to be true. Blanketless, Liir shivered and rubbed his hands together as he tried to seize some sorely needed sleep. Punctured by a pang of homesickness, Liir began to long for his own room, his own bed, a mug of cocoa from Auntie Glinda…

Auntie Glinda.

Heart jumping to his throat, Liir covered his face with his arms. The adrenaline crash from the day had him fighting an abrupt struggle not to cry.

"Stop it…" Liir croaked, pressing the heels of his palms to his eyes.

Despite his efforts, a few tears won out and leaked through the corners of his eyes. His body quivered, straining to muffle his sniffles that longed to be sobs. It was crashing over him now, how very far from home he was.

Home.

Liir considered Oz, The Emerald City, Glinda. Things had been so unsettled when he left. The places and people he'd left behind were so fraught with uncertainty. He wasn't sure his home existed. If he didn't belong among his parents, and he didn't belong where he'd come from, then where did he belong?

Liir's exhaustion eventually won out against his existentialism and he fell unconscious.

In the middle of the night Liir groggily awoke when he heard the front door open. Half asleep, he listened as someone quietly padded across the floor to softly knock on the bedroom door. It creaked open.

"Hey…" Fiyero's voice whispered.

"Hey," Elphaba whispered back.

"Have you slept at all?"

"No," Elphaba muttered. There was a long pause. "You came back."

"I did," Fiyero sighed. "Look, Fae—I'm still mad but…I did make a promise. Can I come to bed?"

There was another, longer pause before Liir heard the door creak further open to admit Fiyero into the bedroom. He knew nothing else until morning.

*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ

"No, he's still asleep."

A clanging roused Liir from his slumber. He didn't stir, sightlessly piecing together his surroundings through a haze.

"Not a morning person I guess," Fiyero said. "Takes after me, then."

"Then by all means, go back to sleep."

"I'm not an ass, Elphaba. I'm not going to leave breakfast all up to you."

"Would you keep your voice down?"

"Great idea," Fiyero retorted. "In fact? Maybe we shouldn't talk at all."

An awkward silence ensued, punctuated only by some sifting and light clanks.

"Is this really how it's going to be? You not talking to me?" Elphaba asked in a low voice.

"You tell me."

"Fiyero…" Elphaba groaned.

"Well. There's your answer."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Liir waited until they stopped talking before he publicly awoke. Adding in a yawn for their benefit, he sat up and stretched his sore muscles.

"Good morning!" Fiyero greeted in a performatively chipper tone.

"Morning…" Liir ruffled his hair.

Elphaba approached and thrust a bowl of grits into Liir's hands.

"Thank y—"

"Your first lesson begins midday," she cut him off. "Don't be late."

Fiyero glared at Elphaba over his own grits. She raised her eyebrows at him.

"Anything to say?" she challenged.

"No," Fiyero snapped back. "Do you have anything to say?"

"No."

"Good."

"Fine."

"Awesome!"

"Great."

Liir accidentally coughed and Elphaba and Fiyero both snapped their attention his way. He hoped that his lesson would teach him how to disappear.

It'd certainly come in handy.

Liir tried to make himself scarce until his lesson with Elphaba. Liir was reluctant to be left alone with her, having appreciated the buffer Fiyero provided. She took him to the expanse of dirt between their shack and the half wall in back overlooking a cliffside. For a moment they only stared at each other until Elphaba gestured towards him expectantly.

"Okay. Show me."

"Um…" Liir hesitated. "Show you what?"

"Your magic. The thing you flew clear across the desert to seek help with—if that was the truth."

"It was."

"Well go on then."

Liir swallowed and opened his hands helplessly.

"I don't really—I mean…it's not really intentional," Liir explained awkwardly. "It usually just happens."

"Then make it happen."

"I can't. I mean—not unless I—"

"Instances," Elphaba cut him off.

"Huh?"

"When you arrived you mentioned instances. Describe them to me."

"Right," Liir nodded. "Well sometimes the lights flicker. Or go out."

Elphaba stared at him, unimpressed.

"Plus I get these really strong feelings…"

Elphaba continued to stare.

"But they're stronger than regular feelings," Liir continued. "It's like intuition. And sometimes I know information that I shouldn't know."

"Provide an example."

"Okay…" Liir wracked his brain. "Okay. So this one time at boarding school when I was around eight or nine my headmaster accused me of stealing my classmate's heirloom cufflinks. I didn't. Somehow I knew that my bunkmate had stolen them and was trying to frame me. I tried to explain what I knew but they wouldn't listen to me…anyway. In the end I was the one who got punished."

"What happened then?" Elphaba asked.

"I found the cufflinks under my bunkmate's mattress which proves that—"

"No, to you. What happened to you?"

"Oh," Liir understood. "Only ten."

"Ten what?"

"To the palms," Liir said, holding out his hands where the cane had struck.

Elphaba's frown twitched and she took a deep breath.

"What else?"

"I burnt a centerpiece once with—"

"Okay, forgive me for being confused," Elphaba said impatiently. "I'm failing to see the urgency. Surely you would not have felt compelled to come all this way for feelings and flickering lights. If all that is at stake is a few centerpieces—"

"Last week I went to The Hall of Wickedness in The Emerald City," Liir said.

Elphaba furrowed her brow.

"The Hall of—"

"Yes, and the broom was there."

"My broom?"

"Yes, your broom. That broom. And I…touched it."

"You touched it?!"

"Yes. I don't know why but I grabbed it," Liir huffed. "A bunch of glass at the exhibit busted and the whole museum went dark. The whole block went dark. Since then things have been going haywire. Chandeliers, setting fires, you name it. And…people are starting to notice."

Elphaba contemplated this for a long moment.

"Well…" she conceded. "That is a horse of a different color."

Elphaba brought a large terra cotta flower pot over and set it in the middle of the ground. She gestured to it and raised her eyebrows to Liir.

"Go on."

"Huh?"

"Move it."

Liir hesitated before stepping towards it.

"With magic," Elphaba sighed. "Levitate it, transport it, dealer's choice. Go on."

Liir furrowed his brow for a moment before making a half-hearted flourish of his arms towards the pot. It didn't budge. He spared a nervous glance to Elphaba who looked unimpressed.

"I thought you said this came naturally to you."

"I've never done this before," Liir retorted.

He gritted his teeth and flourished his arms again. Nothing.

"Could you demonstrate—" Liir began to ask.

"No."

Liir gave her a look, bewildered. She simply gestured to the pot again. Time and time again Liir tried and failed to move it. After awhile Elphaba opted to sit on the ground against the stone wall, frequently glancing at her watch as Liir humiliated himself.

"What time is it?" Liir asked.

"How should I know?"

"You're wearing a watch?"

"The time isn't right on this watch," Elphaba said in an obvious tone, as if Liir should have assumed that.

"Then why do you check it so much?"

"Why do you keep asking me questions?"

"Couldn't you just—" Liir sighed sharply. "You know what? Here."

He trudged towards his bag which he'd brought outside and rummaged inside of it.

"Couldn't you just tell me how to use this?" Liir said as he lifted The Grimmerie from his bag.

When he turned to show Elphaba her eyes bulged from their sockets and she frantically scrambled to her feet.

"Give me that!" Elphaba gasped, crossing to roughly yank it from Liir's grasp. "Give me that!"

"Hey!" Liir complained.

"Have you lost your mind?!" Elphaba scolded, holding The Grimmerie against her chest. "What are you thinking, touching this book?!"

"It's mine!"

"It most certainly is not yours! I gave it…to…"

Realization set in on Elphaba's face.

"Glinda? Glinda again? Are you kidding me?"

"She—"

"First she tells you who you are then she gives you The Grimmerie?!" Elphaba growled. "I could throttle her!"

"But I can read it!" Liir protested. "I've used it before!"

"You've what?!"

"How do you think I got the broom?! I read the spell in there."

"I can't believe this—I can't believe Glinda…" Elphaba muttered. She shook her head firmly before wagging a scolding finger towards Liir. "Well you are not under any circumstances to touch this book again. Do you understand me?"

"How am I supposed to learn magic if I can't—"

"I'm sure you'll figure something out!"

Elphaba turned around and began storming back towards the shack with The Grimmerie in tow.

"So that's it then? Lesson over?" Liir called after her in irritation. "I haven't even learned anything!"

"That's what you get for choosing me as your instructor!" Elphaba turned. "I am not a teacher by trade."

"Then what do you even do? If you're not a teacher and you're not a witch?!"

"I do plenty!" Elphaba said with an edge of defensiveness. "I garden, I heal, I tutor—"

"So you do teach!"

"Not this. Not magic."

Liir gritted his teeth and stepped towards Elphaba with his arms out as if to take The Grimmerie. She angled her body away at him.

"Oh, you think you're going to take this from me do you?" Elphaba sneered. "Well you are sorely mistaken. Thank you very much, Liir. Thank you for bringing my spell book back. Serves me right for placing it in the wrong hands in the first place."

Liir's chest flared with defensiveness, resenting what Elphaba was insinuating about Glinda.

"Did you ever think that you were the wrong hands? What good did you ever do with your magic anyway?! You can't even teach me anything!" Liir shouted, thrusting his hands in the air in frustration.

"Is that right?"

Elphaba gestured behind Liir's shoulder and he turned to see the flower pot splitting up the side and cracking into two halves.

"Oh," Liir winced.

"Great…" Elphaba muttered. "We needed that pot for the garden."

She stalked around the side of the house and Liir followed behind. Fiyero was strolling in from town and stopped to greet Liir.

"How did the lesson go?"

"I broke a pot—"

"Liir has brought this into our home," Elphaba interrupted Liir, holding The Grimmerie up for Fiyero to see. "Still think letting him stay is a good idea?!"

Fiyero opened his mouth to reply but Elphaba pushed past him and ducked into the house. When she reemerged she was wearing a pair of round rimmed reading glasses and had a bag slung around her shoulder. Liir could spot the outline of The Grimmerie inside it.

"Where are you going?" Fiyero asked.

"My tutoring lessons?" she reminded him, yanking her hair up in a bun. "Just because he blew into town doesn't mean I should neglect my rounds."

"Fine. I'll—"

Elphaba didn't wait for Fiyero to finish before she began stomping towards the direction of town.

"When will you be back?" Fiyero called tensely.

"Do you care?!" she called back without turning.

"Oh, classy, Elphaba. Real classy!"

Fiyero scoffed under his breath and shook his head before turning to look at Liir. The pair stared at each other for a moment before Fiyero cleared his throat.

"So I take it that the lessons—"

"Didn't go well," Liir confirmed. "She's…pretty mad at me."

"Welcome to the club," Fiyero muttered under his breath.

They fell into an awkward silence.

"Too bad I can't help you," Fiyero spoke up, crossing his arms. "With…all that."

"No magic?"

"None."

"Huh."

"Yeah. That's all from her," Fiyero continued.

"Seems that way."

Silence.

"Hey," Fiyero said. "What are you doing right now?"

"Um…nothing?"

"Great," Fiyero said. "Let's go into town."

Fiyero nodded his head in that direction and took a step towards town and Liir hesitated.

"Is it—you know…safe?" Liir asked anxiously. "Elphaba said it was full of outlaws."

"What do you suppose Elphaba and I are?" Fiyero pointed out.

Liir hadn't thought about it that way.

"She's just trying to scare you. Folks are pretty nice," Fiyero said. He thought about it. "Most of them. Just—stay close to me, yeah?"

"Got it."

Not one to turn down an ally after his lesson with Elphaba, Liir trailed behind Fiyero as he strode into town. Fiyero's legs were a fair bit longer than his so Liir had to hustle to keep up with his stride as they began weaving through the cramped, crooked pathways between shacks. Liir found himself stepping over buckets and ducking under hanging laundry pinned to intersecting clotheslines above their heads. Elphaba and Fiyero's home could be considered off the beaten track by the way the other dwellings were crammed together. Even for its small size the town seemed oddly deserted, but as Fiyero guided him towards a larger building towards the south Liir began to hear the hum of voices.

Fiyero pushed the door open and Liir's jaw dropped to see a packed tavern bustling with people. Despite its rustic, dingy quality it was far and away the best kept place in town.

"How—" Liir began to ask.

"Doesn't matter where you live. People are always going to want a drink. Also, duck."

"Huh?"

"Duck."

Fiyero guided Liir to hunch and a dart whizzed over their heads and stuck itself into a plank on the wall. Fiyero chuckled over Liir's panicked expression.

"You get used to it."

Fiyero guided Liir past kissing couples and high stakes card games until they reached a booth in the corner. Though it was only the early afternoon people were already slamming back drinks.

"Slow today," Fiyero commented.

"This is slow?"

"Oh yeah."

"How does this place even function?" Liir asked.

"We take turns with shifts. I'm the best bartender though, ask anyone," Fiyero grinned. "Some of the liquor is made in house, some of it comes in with the caravan. Feel lucky you visited when you did, people get cranky when the stock gets low…"

"I see."

"Plus it's a great hangout spot. There's not much to do around here…as you probably guessed. People will gather here for meetings, games…" Fiyero listed.

A bottle smashed against the wall and Liir looked wide-eyed towards the corner of the tavern where a rowdy fight had broken out. Fiyero barely seemed to notice.

"Oh, don't mind them," Fiyero waved a hand. "They do this every week."

Another silence fell between them and Fiyero drummed his fingers on the table.

"Oh!" Fiyero exclaimed, an idea coming to him. "Can I get you something?"

"Get what?"

"A drink?" Fiyero offered.

"Oh. Um…no," Liir said awkwardly. "I-I mean I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not old enough?"

"Right! Right…I mean of course," Fiyero said, visibly doing the math in his head. "I just…wasn't thinking."

"It's okay," Liir said quickly. "Really."

Fiyero cleared his throat, anxious to recover.

"So you're a rule follower, huh?"

"Pretty much."

"You're nothing like me then," Fiyero chuckled.

"Oh…" Liir said, trying not to sound too disappointed.

Fiyero shook his head.

"Oh no! Not like that. Just that I was never really one for the rules," Fiyero explained, running a hand through his graying hair. "I was a little more…rebellious."

"That's definitely not me," Liir said.

Somehow he felt embarrassed to admit that he followed the rules. He didn't want to look uncool in front of…well, his father. What a strange thing to fret about.

"It wasn't Elphaba either," Fiyero mentioned. "You must get it from her."

Liir scoffed skeptically.

"She's a rule follower? That's not what I was taught growing up…"

"Well what you were taught wasn't true," Fiyero said. He said it firmly, but not scoldingly. "It's all lies."

"So she didn't break the law?"

Fiyero hesitated.

"Well…I mean—she did. Technically."

"She didn't mutilate Monkeys to have wings?"

"Well see, that was—"

"She didn't—"

"Okay, maybe some of it's true," Fiyero allowed. "But it's not quite as easy as all that. It's a lot more complicated. Elphaba is…complicated."

As if summoned, the door to the tavern swung open to admit Elphaba with her supplies.

"Calix!" Elphaba's voice called over the tavern noise.

Unnoticing of Fiyero and Liir, she crossed directly to the bar and slammed her hand against it with the same ferocity of a bounty hunter seeking to collect a debt.

"Calix I know you're back there!"

Elphaba turned her head and did a double take as she spotted Fiyero and Liir in their booth. She scowled and leaned against the bar to glare through her glasses.

"What are you doing here?" she complained to Fiyero.

"What are you doing here?"

"Calix didn't show up for his lesson."

"Well we're hanging out," Fiyero said, gesturing between himself and Liir. "Right Liir?"

"Uh—"

"Why would you bring him here?" Elphaba bickered. "It's dangerous."

"It's fine! He's fine. Aren't you Liir?"

"I—"

"Well don't get too comfortable because I'll need that booth for my lesson," she said before turning back to shout behind the bar. "Hallidah told me where you were, Calix! Come out and face me!"

A gruff looking man finally surfaced from the back room with a scowl. He was built like a brick with a tall, thick frame. His head was shaved but he had a dark, coarse beard. His beady gray eyes glared at Elphaba, his pale white skin reddening with apparent frustration.

"What?!" he growled at Elphaba.

Liir shrunk back slightly, intimidated by the man's imposing demeanor. Though a head shorter than the man, Elphaba didn't seem the least bit phased.

"You were supposed to meet me half an hour ago."

"Changed my mind."

"Fine. If you want to quit, then quit. It's all the same to me," Elphaba shrugged. "But don't think that I'll reserve my time for you again."

Calix crossed his beefy arms and scoffed. Elphaba heaved a sigh and leaned over the bar towards him.

"What have you got to lose?" she leveled with him. "Hm?"

"Hey, who's that kid sitting with your pretty boy over there?" Calix nodded his head towards Fiyero and Liir.

Liir suddenly looked away so as not to be caught staring.

"How should I know?" Elphaba shrugged, paying no attention to Liir. "And don't change the subject. Calix, you've got a child on the way—"

"If it makes it."

"It will," Elphaba said. "Keep faith, Calix. Hallidah has never been this far along before. Baby is due any time. And when they do come, wouldn't it be nice to share a story with them?"

Calix sighed.

"Fine," he said. "Just…let me finish up."

Calix ducked back in the room and Elphaba turned back towards Fiyero and Liir's booth.

"Shoo. I need my booth," she told Fiyero.

"Our booth," Fiyero corrected. "Oh—sorry. I forgot you hate sharing."

"I said I needed it for my lesson."

"Well there's a booth right over there," Fiyero gestured.

"This booth has better light."

"Sweet Oz—we were here first, Elphaba!" Fiyero snapped with childish finality. "Now leave us alone."

Elphaba petulantly pinched her lips.

"Fine."

She turned on her heel and crossed to the other side of the tavern to occupy a different booth. Liir watched her curiously as she pulled out a few thin books. Calix dragged himself to her booth and sat beside her.

"What does she tutor?" Liir asked Fiyero.

"She…" Fiyero sighed, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "She teaches people how to read."

He seemed almost abashed to admit it after being so cross with her. Liir glanced back towards Elphaba and Calix, realizing that the books were children's books.

"There's no schools here," Fiyero explained. "Illiteracy is huge. She started tutoring some time after we got here…"

"Oh."

"Yeah. Oh."

Though they attempted to change the subject after that, Liir could tell Fiyero was distracted judging by the guilty glances he kept shooting Elphaba's way.

"Is everything okay?" Liir asked hesitantly.

"I was kind of an ass before," Fiyero said. "Wasn't I?"

"Uh…"

Liir wasn't sure what to say. He didn't feel comfortable commenting on their quarrel.

"Yeah. I was kind of an ass," Fiyero concluded without Liir's input.

Fiyero's eyes glanced towards a corner of the bar. A fiddler played lazy scales on his fiddle beside a saloon pianist who just as lazily plunked the keys.

"It's not like she's been much nicer to you," Liir offered. "Or me..."

The last part slipped out more bitterly than Liir had intended.

"Well Elphaba's not renowned for being nice."

"I'll say."

Fiyero watched as Calix left Elphaba's booth. She spared a long look at her watch before glancing up towards Fiyero and Liir's booth. Upon locking eyes, she and Fiyero quickly glanced away after having both gotten caught staring.

"She blew up at me over that spell book this morning," Liir mentioned.

"Well that makes sense."

"What?" Liir frowned, admittedly surprised to hear Fiyero take her side.

Fiyero continued to watch Elphaba as she packed up her supplies. She paused upon spotting The Grimmerie in her bag and, unaware of Fiyero's eyes on her, pulled it out of her bag and adjusted her glasses in curiosity. Thumbing through the pages, she looked as if she were searching for something specific.

Liir looked behind his shoulder and spotted Elphaba with the book.

"Oh so I can't even touch it but she can look through it as much as she wants?" Liir muttered.

The fiddler continued playing his lazy scales. Fiyero watched as Elphaba, in her own world, flipped a page and stilled upon finding what she was seeking. Pressed into the page, preserved in time, was a single red poppy. Her face softened before she unconsciously lifted her eyes once more towards Fiyero.

Their eyes met again.

Embarrassed over having gotten caught staring twice, Elphaba pursed her lips and hastily shoved The Grimmerie into her bag.

"What are you looking at?" Liir asked Fiyero.

"For the love of…" Fiyero muttered under his breath before gesturing towards the musicians. "Could you guys play something a little jauntier? For once?!"

The fiddler narrowed his eyes at Fiyero, not appreciating his tone.

"I'm a musician. I don't just play at your whim."

"Sure you do," Fiyero bargained. "Because you still owe Elphaba and I for the extra heads of lettuce we spotted you last month."

The fiddler glared.

"Fine."

He begrudgingly placed his fiddle beneath his chin and elbowed the pianist who cracked his knuckles. Together they began playing an animated, spritely tune. Heads started to perk up as the music slowly started to wake up the sleepy tavern.

Fiyero stood with an approving smile.

"What are you doing?" Liir asked.

"I'm getting the party started."

Fiyero began stomping his foot, complimenting the rhythm with ease. His energy began persuading the other patrons who seemingly didn't need much coaxing to get rowdy. An elderly man snapped behind the bar prompting a barkeep to hand him a dusty accordion from the corner. It didn't take long for the dancing to begin. Some burst into solo jigs as others linked arms with a partner and swung around in crazy circles.

Liir watched the scene unfold with his mouth agape. He was in awe of the effortless sway Fiyero had over people. Liir couldn't begin to imagine having the same influence. He could barely speak up amongst his peers during group projects.

"How did you do all of this?"

"I'm Fiyero Tigelaar."

That was all he said.

Elphaba had taken the chaos as her cover to leave, but Fiyero had different plans. She had managed to elbow her way to the door where Fiyero swiftly approached and seized her hand. Liir watched as Elphaba stopped, looked down at their linked hands, and slowly looked back up to meet his eyes.

"Dance with me, Fae."

Liir could just barely make out their voices over the gaiety.

"We're in the middle of an argument," Elphaba pointed out.

"That's never stopped us before."

Elphaba hesitated for a moment before sighing in apparent surrender. Fiyero eagerly took her bag, still hanging on to her hand, and dropped it off in the booth with Liir.

"Fiyero, don't," Elphaba huffed. "The Grimmerie is in there."

"He's not going to take it, Elphaba," Fiyero argued before looking at Liir. "Right, Liir?"

Liir sighed. He was still feeling a bit heated over her reaction from this morning but figured now wasn't the moment to push it.

"Right."

"See? Now Liir, you watch the bag," Fiyero directed him before looking back at Elphaba. "I'm going to go dance with your mother."

"I'm not—"

Before Elphaba managed to get her assertion out, Fiyero was already whisking her towards the center of the tavern floor amongst the crowd. He grasped her hand tightly and wrapped his free arm fully around her waist to pull her flush against him. They held the position a moment, Elphaba's eyes still wary with tension.

Then they were off.

Fiyero began leading Elphaba in a lively, unrehearsed dance. Rather than one of technical precision, they danced practically nose to nose as they whirled in free-spirited circles about the room. Strands of hair began flying loose from Elphaba's bun as their boots stomped on the ground at a vigorous tempo. Occasionally Fiyero would lift his arm to spin Elphaba out, never failing to reel her back to him, pulling her ever closer each time for more of the dizzying dance.

It was bizarre for Liir to watch Fiyero and Elphaba dance and be merry after they'd been battling not moments ago. Confused over their sudden change of heart, it took Liir a moment to catch a detail within the blur of their movements. Elphaba, unable to help herself, had broken into the first smile Liir had ever seen upon her face. The smile soon transformed into breathless laughter that Fiyero soon shared as their adrenaline gave way to giddiness. Lost amongst each other, they went ever faster as they sprung about in uninhibited rounds around the tavern.

The fiddler played a long note with his bow to conclude the current song. Though the next song he initiated was just as energetic, Fiyero and Elphaba had slowed to a stop towards the center of the room. Unbothered by the crowd, Fiyero brushed the loose strands out of Elphaba's eyes and tenderly cradled her face. Elphaba softened and closed her eyes as Fiyero pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead.

Then, leaning forward, Fiyero whispered something unheard into Elphaba's ear. Apparently moved by what he'd said, Elphaba fell into him for a grateful, meaningful embrace.

Liir felt conflicted…as if a curtain had been pulled back to reveal something he hadn't been meant to see.

He could agree with Fiyero on one thing, however. Elphaba was complicated. Very complicated.