So this chapter is one I've made a lot of changes to since the previous version of the story, and most of the dialogue has been completely rewritten. I've tried to slow the romance aspect of this way down in an attempt to make it a bit more realistic, so hopefully that comes through. Thank you again to anyone who has read or reviewed this story so far! I am very appreciative, as always.
Fiyero felt as though no time had passed at all when he was shaken awake by Elphaba's hand on his shoulder. He sat up, still groggy, and then pulled himself onto his feet. He offered his makeshift bed to Elphaba, who was looking fairly worn out herself. She accepted without a word and laid down, her eyes closing almost immediately. Fiyero's eyes lingered on her, perhaps for a few moments too long, before he turned and slumped against a tree.
After that, he had nothing to do but wait and watch the trees of the forest silently as Elphaba and Glinda slept behind him. The sun was high in the sky now, but there was still no sign that they'd been followed, which was a blessing. Fiyero was unaware of how much time had passed, but after a while Elphaba roused behind him. It took their combined efforts to drag Glinda back to her feet, and afterwards they set off towards the Animal camp once more.
It was no more than three or four hours before the trio reached their destination. Fiyero could see the familiar sight of the tents in the distance. He felt a sense of relief that he was returning with Elphaba and not with bad news. He wondered if Taison had made the journey back all right. He would have to be sure to thank him again.
Some of the Animals saw them coming when they were still a fair distance away, and Elphaba's presence meant that their arrival was met with enthusiasm rather than mistrustful silence. Some of the Animals still shot nervous looks toward Fiyero and Glinda, but their excitement at Elphaba's presence seemed to dwarf their fear of her companions.
Glinda, who was used to being the center of attention herself and had imagined Elphaba's life to be a reclusive one filled with thankless toil, seemed taken aback by the enthusiastic greeting her friend was receiving. The Animals, who were mostly cut off from the rest of Oz, were vaguely aware of the name Glinda the Good, but had no idea what she looked like, and so Glinda and Fiyero stood back, ignored for the most part, as Elphaba greeted dozens of smiling faces. Once the excitement had died down, she turned to address Filo, who had appeared at some point amidst the commotion.
"These are my friends, Fiyero and Glinda. I hate to ask this of you, but is there any way you could spare them a change of clothes, and give us some provisions for our journey? I would be indebted to you for it," said Elphaba.
Filo trained his eyes on Fiyero and said, "Master Fiyero and I are already acquainted. As for you, Miss Glinda, my name is Filo. It's lovely to meet you."
Glinda, who seemed to be in a bit of a daze, jumped at the mention of her name and responded, "Oh? Oh, yes! It's lovely to meet you too."
Elphaba looked between Fiyero and the Panther, clearly wondering over the nature of their relationship, but said nothing.
Filo merely smiled at her in his cryptic way and said "Of course, it would our pleasure to help you on your journey. We owe you far more than some food and a change of clothing." He turned to Fiyero and Glinda. "Why don't you two come with me while we give Elphaba a chance to catch up? We'll see if we can't find you something to change into."
Fiyero nodded and started after the Panther. Glinda, who still appeared a bit dazed by her surroundings, followed wordlessly behind. They were led to a small tent filled with linens and clothing of varying sizes. Filo browsed the shelves for a moment, before pulling out a few articles and tossing them to Glinda and Fiyero.
"I'm sorry if they're not the best fit. We make do with what we can find here. Most of our clothing comes in the form of donations from passing travelers, or from whatever Elphaba can manage to scavenge for us," Filo said.
With that, the Panther turned and retreated from the tent, leaving only Fiyero and Glinda standing there. It was the first time they'd been alone together since he'd fled the palace three nights ago. Before Fiyero could make an excuse to leave, Glinda rounded on him.
"Fiyero, what is going on? Why in Oz's name did you run off the other night? And Elphaba said that you kissed her. Is that true?" she asked. He could tell that she was somewhat apprehensive to hear his response.
Fiyero sighed. He'd known he wouldn't be able to avoid this conversation forever. "It is," he admitted, then added quickly, "It just happened. It wasn't premeditated."
"Elphaba said you did it to trick her. Is that what it was? A ploy to escape?" she asked. There was an edge of desperation in her tone.
"No, that wasn't it," Fiyero said carefully. He was finally ready to admit something to himself and to Glinda that he'd been trying to ignore for days. He braced himself and said, "I'm sorry, Glin. I think I might be developing feelings for her."
There was a pause while Glinda let his words sink in, disbelief showing plainly on her face. "Feelings? For Elphaba? Are you insane?" she asked. Her voice began to rise in pitch as she continued, "We're engaged, Fiyero! Our wedding date is already set for next year. I've been ready to marry you since the moment we met. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
Fiyero steeled himself in the face of Glinda's accusations. He'd already realized some time ago that he'd never really loved Glinda, at least not romantically. What did their relationship mean to him? It was an arranged marriage, and a beneficial one at that. His feelings on the matter had seemed inconsequential. Fiyero cared for Glinda deeply, but what he felt for Elphaba was different. He couldn't quite explain it, but he felt drawn to her somehow. He wanted nothing more than to be around her. She was suddenly more interesting to him than anyone else he knew, though he'd only just met her. Fiyero didn't know if that was love, or even something adjacent to it, but he knew it was different than anything he'd ever felt for Glinda.
Fiyero knew he needed to navigate this conversation carefully. He'd realized some time ago that he was going to break Glinda's heart. The least he could do was break it gently. "Glinda, you're one of the kindest, most beautiful women I've ever known," he began. He could already see her beginning to deflate at his words. He went on, "But we never chose each other. Our marriage was arranged for us. I really do care about you. I guess I always thought that was enough. But maybe it isn't. Maybe we both deserve to be with someone we love, who loves us in return," he said. He saw Glinda open her mouth to respond and quickly added, "I'm not saying that's Elphaba. I swear that, beyond that one kiss, there's nothing going on between us. I've just realized that maybe I'm not okay with having every aspect of my life decided for me."
"Please don't do this," Glinda begged, her voice barely above a whisper. She raised her eyes to meet his, tears already threatening to spill over. "I love you."
Fiyero tore his eyes away, suddenly unable to meet her gaze. "I'm sorry," was the only response he could give her.
Glinda's expression changed from one of sorrow to one of anger in a matter of seconds. "You're really breaking this off?" she asked. "I can't believe you! Five years together and you're going to throw it away to chase after her?"
"Glinda, please, it isn't like that," he protested.
"Isn't it?" she asked, her glassy eyes filled with contempt. She gave him one last, seething glare, then gathered the dress Filo had given her and stalked out of the tent. Fiyero held a hand up as if to stop her, but then let it drop back to his side. It wouldn't do any good to go after her now, and they were already running short on time.
Sighing, Fiyero stripped down to his boxers and then pulled on the fresh shirt and trousers he'd been given. They hung awkwardly off his frame, as Filo had warned, but they were clean and dry, and that was all that really mattered to Fiyero.
He glanced down at the clothes he'd been wearing, unsure of what to do with them. He supposed he could leave them with Filo as a donation, to replace the set he'd been given. He was still deliberating on it when a loud scream split the afternoon's silence.
Fiyero nearly jumped out of his skin at the unexpected disturbance. Without thinking, he dropped his bundle of clothes on the ground and darted out of the tent. He hoped with all his might that they hadn't been followed here. Dragging these Animals down with them was the last thing any of them wanted.
A small crowd had gathered a short distance away, and it didn't take Fiyero long to determine the source of the commotion. Elphaba stood, looking entirely bewildered, as a fully-grown Lion lay whimpering on the ground before her. His shaggy head was partially obscured by his paws, and his whole body was trembling pitifully. Fiyero felt the terror drain out of him at the sight.
Two other Animals were already dragging the Lion to his feet as Fiyero approached. Elphaba still seemed to have no idea what she'd done to induce such a reaction. Fiyero mused that the near heart attack he'd suffered was worth it just to see the look on her face.
In his struggle to escape the two Animals now supporting his weight, the Lion twisted around wildly until he laid eyes on Fiyero. The recognition seemed to calm him somewhat, and he stopped fighting for a moment.
"Fiyero?" he asked skeptically.
This seemed to snap Elphaba out of her confusion. She looked back and forth between Fiyero and the Lion with one eyebrow raised. "You two know each other?" she asked.
The sound of Elphaba's voice seemed to send the Lion into a panic again, but Fiyero stepped forward. "This is my friend Elphaba, Lion," he began, casting a glance at Elphaba as the word "friend" left his mouth. He felt self-conscious explaining this in front of her. "She's the one I was looking for."
The Lion's eyes widened as they darted back and forth between Fiyero and Elphaba, "B-but…she's…" he stammered, unable to voice a coherent thought.
Fiyero sighed and responded, "I think maybe we should talk."
It took a fair amount of time to calm the Lion down enough so that he would speak in Elphaba's presence, but eventually he seemed to gather just enough nerve to recount the story of his traumatic childhood. Fiyero could see some sort of realization dawning on Elphaba's face as the Lion spoke, but she remained quiet until he'd finished the whole story.
There was a length of silence afterwards, during which no one seemed to know quite what to say. After what seemed like an eternity, Elphaba looked down at her hands and said, "I'm sorry. I never meant to frighten you."
The Lion watched her speak with an expression of nervous confusion. She went on, "That day you're talking about, I was only trying to help. The new professor brought you in. He had you in a cage and was explaining the benefits it would have in keeping the Animals from learning to speak. I lost control. I grabbed your cage and ran, and I set you free in the woods. I didn't stop to think how much the whole affair must have frightened you."
The Lion didn't seem to know what to make of this alternate version of the story. Voice shaking, he averted his eyes from Elphaba and said, "B-but I've heard what they say about you. The c-call you a wicked witch!"
Murmurs of disapproval rose into the air from the group of Animals that had gathered around them. Elphaba kept her expression neutral, but Fiyero could tell that hearing that title from the mouth of an Animal had hurt her. He said quickly, "Lion, those are just rumors. I know because I believed them once too. But if you get to know her a little, you'll see that none of it's true."
Fiyero could feel Elphaba's eyes on him as he spoke, but he refused to look at her. He could feel his face growing hot under the scrutiny
It was clear the Lion wasn't completely convinced, but he did seem to trust Fiyero, and that was enough to calm him down for the time being. A couple of the other Animals took advantage of this and led the Lion away. Fiyero supposed he'd have to have another word with the Cat later.
The rest of the crowd dispersed now that the scene was over, leaving Elphaba and Fiyero on their own.
"You didn't have to defend me back there," Elphaba said eventually. She was obviously still perturbed by what had just taken place.
Fiyero shrugged. "I'm sure what you said is true. You never meant to frighten the Lion."
This did not seem to lift Elphaba's spirits. She sighed and responded, "It doesn't matter what my intentions were. I seem to make an absolute mess of everything I touch whether I'm trying to or not." This seemed to remind Elphaba of something, and she raised her gaze to meet Fiyero's. "Why didn't you tell me you were engaged?" she asked. He could tell she had been waiting to spring this on him for a while.
Fiyero swallowed hard, not sure what he was supposed to say. He'd known this would come up eventually, but he hadn't realized it would come directly on the heels of breaking the very engagement she was questioning him about. He took a few moments to muster some courage and decided to go with the truth. "I didn't think it would matter," he said.
Elphaba didn't seem to know what to do with this information. "You didn't think it would matter?" she repeated, her tone suggesting that this had not been the correct answer.
Fiyero was hasty to elaborate. "What I mean is that I had no idea you and Glinda knew each other," he took a deep breath before continuing, "and to be fair, you had me locked up. Indefinitely. I didn't even know if I was going to see her again, so what did it matter if I told you about her?"
Fiyero knew he had a point, but he still regretted the words almost as soon as they'd come out of his mouth. Elphaba looked as though she'd been struck. She stood staring at him for a few moments, as though waiting for him to say something more. The look she was giving him was making Fiyero profoundly uncomfortable. It was as though noticing something important for the first time. He squirmed a bit under her gaze.
"Oh Oz, I never meant for this to happen. I never wanted to be what they said I was. But you're right. I held you against your will for days. I was furious at you for deceiving me, but I see now that I left you no choice," she said. She seemed distraught.
Fiyero wanted to tell her, yet again, that he hadn't been trying to trick her, and that he didn't hold his imprisonment against her. He knew she'd only been fighting for her own survival against a guard sent to capture her. He opened his mouth to say as much, but Elphaba had already continued speaking.
"For what it's worth, I would have let you go eventually. I was planning to move on in a few weeks, once I was sure the camp would be able to get on alright without me. I would have disappeared in the night and left the entrance unblocked. I wasn't exactly planning to drag you around with me for the rest of my life."
Fiyero was surprised by the revelation. He hadn't spared much thought to the logistics of his imprisonment, but the thought that Elphaba would want to share her living quarters indefinitely with a potentially hostile Gale Forcer did seem a bit far-fetched in hindsight.
Elphaba was still rambling with no sign of slowing down. "I am sorry for what I put you through. And I'm sorry I've dragged you and Glinda into this mess with me," she said, glancing up to meet Fiyero's eyes. She went on, "But Glinda is here now, and you can set things right with her. You can tell her what really happened, that you were just trapped and confused and-"
Fiyero cut her off before she could continue. "Don't you ever let anyone else talk?"
Elphaba looked indignant at his interruption but fell silent. Fiyero seized his chance and said, "I know you're convinced that I kissed you that day to manipulate you. But I've already told you that wasn't the case. I don't know what it is, but ever since I met you, everything I thought I knew has been turned on its head. I've already spoken to Glinda. Our engagement is off."
Elphaba seemed shocked by his words. "What are you talking about? Why in Oz's name would you do that?"
Fiyero took a breath and said, "I realized that I don't want to settle for a relationship with someone I'm not in love with," he gave her a pointed look and then added, "and I think I may be falling for someone else."
She stared at him in confusion for a moment, before her expression morphed into one of shock as the meaning of his words set in. "Fiyero-" she started.
He cut her off. "Look, I know this sounds completely crazy, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since you disappeared the other day. That's why I went looking for you. I couldn't bear the thought that I might never see you again."
Elphaba took a step back, eyeing him warily. "Clearly I have more to apologize for than I thought," she said. "My holding you prisoner seems to have deeply disturbed your sanity."
"Your holding me prisoner made me feel as though my eyes are open for the first time in my life," he said emphatically. "You're the strongest, most passionate person I've ever met. I'd be insane not to be attracted to you."
"People aren't attracted to me, Fiyero," she said with a hint of frustration. She gestured a hand over her form as if to emphasize her point and added, "I'm me."
"Well, I suppose I'm not people then," he retorted, taking a step towards her.
She took another step backwards in response. "This is absolute insanity," she insisted. "I haven't the faintest idea of what you hope to gain from this, but you need to stop. Now."
"I don't want to gain anything! Elphaba-" he started.
She interrupted him this time. "No, that's enough! I don't want to hear another word of this. Gather your belongings and be ready to leave at sundown," she said, and then she turned and bolted in the opposite direction.