AN: I set up Drabbles and Prompts more than 1 year ago hoping that it will motivate me to write something even though I was going back to school. But I guess that didn't really work out. This fic was supposed to be published for Lurlinemas, but real life intervened so it becomes a new year fic. So here's wishing everyone a Happy New Year and may we have a great, wicked new year.
As usual, reviews are welcome. :)
It was not every day that one got to see a mythical creature, let alone a fae. But that was the first thing that came to Fiyero's mind when his car turned into the lane leading to Avaric's place and he saw the tall, slim figure with the emerald skin and dark, silky hair, snowflakes swirling around her as if she was a figment of his imagination.
She was standing in front of the door of the unit next to Avaric's. But unlike a fae, she was dressed in a Shiz sweater with a pair of shorts, showing off her long, bare legs. As he watched, she hit the door with her palms, saying something that he could not hear in the warmth of his car.
He slowed his car to a stop and wound down the window.
"Hey, do you need any help?"
The girl whirled around, a growl on her face when she saw who it was. Nope, definitely not mythical.
"No thank you," she said as she hopped on the spot and rubbed her hands together. The growl remained on her face.
"You sure? You looked like you could do with some help. Are you locked out of your house?"
At the mention of her house, she spun around and hit her palms on the door.
"Open the door, Glinda. Come on! Glinda!"
Fiyero looked on, amused, as the girl's shouting and banging brought no one to the door.
He got out of his car and walked up to her.
She turned around at the sound of his footsteps.
"Don't come closer." She stretched out her hands. Fiyero stopped and raised his hands slowly.
"I understand. Stranger danger," he said.
"I know Muay Thai," she swore (Fiyero would find out later that she didn't). "I'm really good at it."
"Actually, I'm not a stranger. I'm Fiyero. I'm Avaric's friend. He might have told you about me; I'm housesitting for him." He jabbed a thumb at the house next door. "And I'm covering him for his night shift at the pub too. I'm transferring to Shiz in the new term. You're Elphaba, aren't you?" he asked, remembering Avaric's description of his neighbours – one blonde and pretty, the other impossible to describe.
She picked up the pot of plant next to her that was bereft of leaves. "I'm armed. And my housemate will be coming out any moment. She has a gun."
Avaric had told him that one of his neighbours would take a long time to warm up, but this takes the cake. (Interestingly, Avaric had not mentioned that she was green) He took a step back.
"Wait, maybe this can help." Fiyero's hand went to the pocket at the back of his jeans, and she narrowed her eyes. He took out his mobile phone slowly.
"Why don't you try calling her?"
Glinda pushed the slats of the blind apart with her fingers. She could not see the couple of course. While the bathroom was close to the front of the house, the window opened out to the side, facing Avaric's house. But she could hear snippets of the conversation if she tried hard enough.
It seemed that the Arjiki eye candy was not deterred by Elphie's threat.
"Why don't you try calling her?"
She could not hear Elphie's answer; the green girl's voice was too soft.
"Come on, Elphie," Glinda muttered to herself. It was winter. Elphie was dressed in a sweater and shorts when she told her to take out the rubbish. It was only supposed to take ten seconds if Glinda had not slammed and locked the door behind her and sprinted up the stairs. Her Elphie was going to turn into a popsicle soon if the gorgeous eye candy was just going to stand there and do nothing.
Glinda's mobile phone rang.
"Incoming call from unknown number," the virtual assistant announced.
"Sorry, Elphie," the blonde said as she dropped a bath bomb into the bathtub. She took off her bathrobe and stepped into the tub, sinking into the warm water. As her phone continued to ring, Glinda gave a happy sigh.
"Ozster, turn on the music," she instructed her virtual assistant.
"You'll thank me one of these days. And I'm expecting a big thank you from both of you when you give your wedding speech."
The deepened furrow told him that no one answered the call.
The girl sighed, ended the call and called the number again. After a long while, she sighed again and ended the call. Fiyero looked up - the snow was getting heavier, and he was starting to feel wondered if she was feeling cold as well.
He stretched out his hand, ready to get his phone back with an empathetic statement.
"It's alri- what do you think you're doing?" he blurted as the girl seemingly swiped to another function and tapped on the screen a few times.
She glared at him.
"Removing my friend's number of course. You don't think I'll leave it in the phone for you, do you?"
"Why do you think I'd want her number?" Oz, Avaric didn't tell him that his green friend was that paranoid. "What is she? The prettiest girl in town?"
She raised her eyebrows and looked at him as if he had just proven that he only had one brain cell.
(He'd later called this their first fight. "And it was over a girl!" he exclaimed as Elphaba rolled her eyes affectionately. Well, it was not exactly over Glinda, but technically he was not wrong either)
"Alright, whatever you want. You can reformat my phone if that pleases you."
She side glanced at him and huffed. She gave him back his phone.
"Look, why don't you get into my car and wait? Or, let me guess, your mommy told you never to get into a stranger's car."
She gave him a look that he could not interpret.
"You think that I'm paranoid." Did he show anything on his face?
"No, of course not," he lied. "It's just…look, it seems like your housemate is not coming to the door soon, and it's silly for both of us to wait …" He sneezed.
"Why don't you go first? I'll be fine." The growl was gone, and her voice was softer as if she had regretted her earlier outburst or felt bad for making him stand there and freezing.
"And leave you out here? I'm sure I won't be fine once Avaric finds out."
He didn't expect her to laugh, but she did, a soft chuckle, and he found himself smiling back.
"Look. I tell you what. Let's go to Avaric's place. I'll leave the door unlocked, and I'll sit far away from you. But we'll be warm, and I'll make something hot for both of us."
"And we'll keep calling your friend," he promised, which was followed by a shiver.
She hesitated. She might just stand there the whole night if she's left alone.
"One last try," he stepped onto the porch, inches away from her, and lifted his hand.
"I…" Her soft voice stopped him. He turned to her.
"I… I came out to throw the rubbish, and the wind blew the door shut." She said hesitantly. It could be just her explaining her situation, or it could be an olive branch, but he'd take it.
"I figured. It happened to me before too." And he knew that it was the right thing to say when she gave a smile of relief. "Now let's see if third time's the charm."
As he rapped on the door, a tiny part of him wished that his knocks would go unheard.
Glinda giggled as the light in the next house came on and shone through the gaps between the blinds.
"Alright Handsome, let's see what magic you can do."
"Hey, Ozster," Glinda said. "Call Avaric."
Her virtual assistant whirled to life at the command.
"Calling Avaric," a sexy male voice responded. The phone rang.
"Hello, Glinda?"
"'Mission accomplished," Glinda said with a giggle.
"Really?" Avaric asked,incredulous. "How did you manage to make her talk to him?"
"Well, I accidentally locked her out of the house when your friend was on his way back from his night shift." She told him what happened.
"That's just half the job. You are supposed to introduce them."
"For Lurline's sake, can't you let nature take its course? Didn't you say that your friend is charming? So let him do the rest of the work! If he's not going to put in the effort, he's not worth her affection." She faked a yawn. "Oz, I'm so tired I am going to bed immediately after my bath. He will have the whole night to talk to her and to know her."
"And for her to know him," Avaric chipped in. Glinda smiled. Avaric might always be at loggerheads with Elphaba, but she knew that, deep inside, he liked her and cared for her as a friend.
"Thanks, Glinda, I owe you one."
"You know my price, Avaric."
"A pole dance in a sequin dress? I was hoping that you would have forgotten about that. Are you sure about this? I bet the whole bunch of you will throw up at that sight."
"As sure as your belief that Elphaba and Fiyero will be perfect together."
"Why, Glinda, you are as cruel as you are pretty," the Avaric that she knew came back. She giggled.
"Why, you did ask me for help."
"But you just did half the job!" he protested.
"That's true. What about this – either you do a pole dance during the upcoming gathering or you turn up in a sequin dress."
"What if I counter-propose something?"
"Such as?"
"Another dance." He paused dramatically. "A lap dance. In private." She could imagine the smile on his face, matching hers.
"That's very creative of you, Mr Tenmeadows."
"Thank you for your compliment, Miss Upland."
Glinda tapped her finger on her lips. "I'll think about it."
"Don't think too long. I might just change my mind," he lowered his voice sexily and she giggled again.
Her mobile phone rang again the moment she ended her call.
"Incoming call from Avaric's home," the virtual assistant announced.
"Turn up the music," Glinda instructed. The virtual assistant turned up the volume until Glinda could no longer hear the phone ring.
The blonde let out a happy sigh as she sank into her pink bubble bath, smiling at the thought of the upcoming dance.