Chapter Text
Elphaba fidgeted nervously with her blanket as Galinda sat down on her bed beside her. She was worried–no, terrified of the rejection she was opening herself up to, but Galinda's presence was enough to mostly keep her calm. “So, uhm…” her eyes flicked back to the floor, avoiding contact, “what exactly do you want me to do? I'm not really used to this.”
Galinda laughed a little, “Well, this is supposed to be about you and what you want. I have a couple suggestions if you really don't know where to start but…” she trailed off , leaving Elphaba to consider what exactly she was hoping to get out of the arrangement.
Both were stewing in anxiety. Elphaba didn't even know how to unclench her jaw, and Galinda couldn't take care of a house plant. They were, by all accounts, way out of their depth.
Elphaba looked back down, eye contact having quickly become uncomfortable. She fidgeted with her sweater, the sleeves long and stretched out enough to cover her hands. The length and weight of the material meant that it created pressure around her shoulders similar to the jacket she'd ripped earlier that day, heavy and soothing.
Galinda suddenly blurted out, “I could read to you!”
She pulled out a wide, hardcover book, clearly meant for children, and held it out towards her roommate. Elphaba ran her hand across the back of the book, quickly reading the summary on the back. It was a collection of numerous fairy tales with vibrant watercolor illustrations. She liked the pictures, detailed and bright, and found herself staring at just the one on the back cover for longer than she felt she should have.
“How's this for a start?” Galinda asked, laying back against the pillows on her bed and tapping the spot next to her. Elphaba nodded, and scooted over into the space, Galinda's arm draping over her shoulders. She sat there, rigid and uneasy as the book was propped open, another detailed image revealed.
She stared at the picture, getting lost in the leaves and rocks and animals while Galinda narrated the story, not noticing the other girl tripping over her words as she struggled to decipher the text.
She also didn't notice that Galinda was silently kicking herself for the suggestion of a bedtime story. The truth, that would likely explain a lot if Elphaba knew it, was that Galinda had always struggled with reading. The words faded into each other, the letters became indistinguishable, and no matter how hard she tried her eyes could never seem to focus on one line at a time.
Saying the words out loud was surprisingly helpful, the auditory feedback giving the words a foothold in her mind, and for the first time in an embarrassingly long time, Galinda comprehended the story she was reading. It wasn't a complete solution, though, and she continued to trip over her words, stuttering and stumbling, as if her brain couldn't keep up with her mouth. She continued to struggle through, barely making it past the first half of the first story, before she was crying in frustration. It felt immature in a way she constantly fought not to be.
She would often lean into the “dumb blonde” image that other people had of her because truly, what could she do to dispute it? Everyone knew she only got into college because of her parents’ money, and there wasn't a point in trying to prove she really deserved to be here because she couldn't even read properly.
Elphaba felt a tear drip from Galinda's cheek onto her own, and looked up to see her frantically scanning the paper as her finger guided her eyes through the text. Her face was reddened and her eyes unsteady as she kept trying to speed through the page, and Elphaba grabbed her wrist as she went to turn it.
“Are you okay?” She asked, “did I do something wrong?”
Galinda closed the book and sat back up, head in her hands, “no, it's not you,” she started. “I'm just… not very good at reading. I'm not very smart in general I don't think but reading is definitely the worst.” Elphaba sat up and wrapped an arm around Galinda's shoulder, her roommate now being the one to avoid eye contact. “It's like… like the letters are moving around and I can't ever get them to stay in place, and by the time I figure out what one word says I've forgotten the last one so I never really understand what it all means and…” Galinda sighed, deflating into Elphaba's embrace.
“Reading to you did help me understand it better I think. It was nice being able to say the words out loud, but I'm sure you could read it faster yourself.” She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them, “if you don't want me reading to you anymore, I totally get it. It's probably really frustrating to watch and listen to.”
“Actually…” Elphaba replied, “I really liked you reading to me. I've always been the one doing the reading so this was nice.” She looked down again, this time to hide the deep green blush spreading across her face, “honestly I just like hearing your voice.” Galinda was pulled closer, “and I know it's not the same thing, but sometimes if I try to read when I'm too tired I go too fast and when I turn the page I don't remember anything. When you were reading to me it helped keep the pace. It was nice being able to just follow along with you.”
Galinda looked up at her, eyes wide, “you… really mean that?” Elphaba nodded. “I was so worried you'd get annoyed with me reading too slow, I started trying to rush through it all and I think that made it worse,” she explained, “Saying and hearing the words did help me understand though, and–”
Galinda was cut off by Elphaba standing up and grabbing a textbook off their desk, “wait a second,” she prefaced her idea, “we have that reading for our biology lecture, right?”
Galinda nodded, eyebrow raised. “If it's easier for both of us to understand the book when you read it out loud…” Galinda's eyes widened as she grabbed the other side of the book, “...then I'll read the textbook to you and we'll both understand it better!”
They both crawled under the blanket and leaned back against the pillows. Galinda held the book propped up against her legs as Elphaba rested her head in the crook of her neck, and opened to the assigned chapter. She looked over at the page, then down at Elphaba with a raised eyebrow, “are you sure? This doesn't seem like much of a bedtime story.”
“I find learning how the world works to be quite relaxing. It greatly reduces the chance of surprises later on,” Elphaba retorted. Galinda shrugged— can't argue with that logic— and began reading the second chapter of the textbook. The effect on her comprehension was even more pronounced now that she didn't feel the need to rush, and Elphaba was already starting to doze off in her arms.
Galinda felt an odd mixture of emotions rising– a sense of accomplishment and understanding coupled with relief. She'd learned to deal with it over the years, but had never liked being seen as incompetent, being constantly treated like a child by people who had spoken to her parents before meeting her.
She'd overheard one of those conversations before, and grimaced at the memory:
“Galinda's heart is in the right place,” they'd said, “but she's always been a bit… well, a bit slow. She intends to go to university and become a sorceress, and if she knew we had to buy her way in she'd be crushed. We tried to get her into that seminar with this Morrible character but it was no use. If anything, though, it's for the best. Once she's had her reality check she'll make an excellent diplomat.”
Galinda had wanted to make a sound. She wanted to do something to let them know she was there and listening, but instead she had slipped off quietly into the hall. She didn't come back out of her room that night, making up some excuse about a headache. “Probably just thought too hard and hurt myself,” she muttered under her breath, almost hoping they'd hear her.
Elphaba once again brought her back to the present, “Galinda? I'm starting to fall asleep, should I go back to my bed?”
“Oh,” Galinda took a moment to process what she'd just said, “honestly I thought you were sleeping here so… you should stay! –If you're comfortable with it, that is,” she corrected herself upon realizing the words had a lot more force behind them than she intended.
Elphaba smiled, wrapped her arms around Galinda's waist, and dropped her head back down to the curve of her shoulder.
Galinda stared up at the ceiling, biology textbook long forgotten. She shook off the thoughts of her parents, of Morrible, of the work she'd have to put in to undo the damage her parents had done to her reputation with the faculty at this school, and slowly ran her fingers through Elphaba's hair.
It didn't matter now, or maybe it did, but she was far too tired to care.
“Good night, sweet pea,” she whispered.