Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“...and that’s how you get a look that tells everyone you could totally kill someone. Make sure to subscribe for more videos like this one!” Galinda finished off her latest video, ending the recording and letting out a deep sigh of relief. Doing these got tiring. She wanted to do another art video, perhaps something to do with architecture but those never got many views. Maybe she’d do an art video with some dress designs she’s been thinking about lately.

A quick glance at the time told her she needed to hurry up if she wanted to meet with Pfannee and Shenshen in time. She quickly got to work getting rid of her current makeup and putting on makeup more appropriate for what she was planning to do next. She hadn’t had a chance to talk with Pfannee and Shenshen in a while, so the three had planned to meet up and just...catch up. She was looking forward to it.

With a final swipe of mascara, she was ready. She grabbed her purse and headed out. The place they were meeting - a small little cafe - was within walking distance, so it was convenient. It wasn’t long before she got there. Pfannee and Shenshen were already there, so she hurried over to the table they had claimed.

“Galinda! There you are! Took you long enough to get here,” Shenshen smirked up at her. “Video take longer than expected?”

“Yeah. Was also a pain to get the makeup off. But hey, I’m here now! What’s new with you guys?”

Pfannee jumped in, starting to talk about something Avaric had (or hadn’t) done. Galinda was barely listening. She smiled and nodded at the right parts. It was all automatic. While Pfannee and Shenshen talked, she thought about what she’d do for her next YouTube video. She really wanted to do an art video. It had been a while since she last did one. There was a reason for that, but she ignored it. She wasn’t just a makeup tutorial account. It was her account, and she’d post whatever she wanted.

Then again, if she wanted to become one of the best...perhaps she should just stick to makeup.

“Galinda! Hey, Galinda!” It was then that she snapped back to attention, realizing her friends had been trying to get her attention.

“Oh, sorry! Lost in thought. What was that?”

“We were just asking about Fiyero. How is he? Are you still seeing him?” The words tumbled out of Pfannee’s mouth.

“He’s fine. He and I are no longer a couple. Decided it wasn’t the best for us to be one.” A pause. “Also, I’m pretty sure he was cheating. Or getting ready to.” Whether or not he actually was, she didn’t know. Still, it was enough for her to get a little pissed at him, and they broke off their 1-year long relationship.

“Oh yeah. Wasn’t he talking with that one green dude? I forgot his name.” Shenshen paused, as if trying to wrack her brain for their name. Galinda knew she didn’t really care about the name.

“Something like that, yeah. I still don’t believe he’s actually green, but Fiyero always insisted he was.” She’s never even seen a picture of them. Nothing. Fiyero seemed determined to keep the two parts of his lives separate. She didn’t even know if he was dating what’s-his-name.

“Oh!! Wait!!! I almost completely forgot! His name’s Elphaba. I was scrolling through Fiyero’s YouTube account and I came across his. And oh, my god. His videos! They’re just rants. Purely rants. 30 minute long rants about this and that. Usually social rights stuff. Animals and gay rights and shit. I can’t believe Fiyero fell for him. And not just because he’s a dude.”

“He’s ugly too. I’m not even sure if he is a dude. He’s got long hair, but also this super masculine body. But there’s almost something feminine to him? I don’t know. All that matters is he doesn’t look good, and Fiyero’s just wasting his time,” Shenshen scoffed.

“Okay, you’ve got to show me a video.” Galinda was intrigued, perhaps more so than she’d dare to admit. Pfannee scrambled to get her phone out, quickly pulling up his YouTube - AnnoyedAtTheWorld? What kind of YouTube name was that? - and clicking on what looked like one of the shorter videos. It was still over 20 minutes long. She couldn’t get a glimpse of the title in time, but it looked like it was something about Animal rights.

The video started, and the first thing Galinda noticed was that Elphaba was, in fact, green. And it didn’t look like makeup. They were a genuinely green person. Which lead to another thing. She couldn’t tell what gender they were. For some reason, calling them a guy didn’t seem right. But they didn’t seem like a girl, either. Galinda had done a bit of research in the lgbt+ community, but never strayed very far into the gender part of it all. She was female, and quite content with that.

As she watched more and more of this video, Galinda couldn’t help feeling almost drawn to them. Their voice certainly didn’t help. It was low and almost gravelly. She wasn’t really sure how to describe it. But she kind of liked it, though it seemed Pfannee and Shenshen didn’t. Their hair was indeed long, and a black that looked darker than any hair she’d ever seen. Was that natural? She idly wondered what it felt like. As the three listened to the video, she pretended to agree with what the two were saying. It was something about how “he is way too into this. Who cares that much about Animals?” and “How does he have so many subscribers? His videos aren’t that good.” Eventually, Pfannee said she couldn’t take it any more - they’d barely watched 10 minutes - and closed it. Before she did, Galinda got a peek at how many subscribers they had and was shocked to find Elphaba had almost as many as she did, roughly 200k. Seems like a good number of people cared about this kind of thing. She was, however, pleased to note she did have more subscribers than them, albeit not much more. She wondered if them being green deterred any potential subscribers.

“Okay, enough of that. We still have a lot of catching up to do!” And from that, the conversation shifted from Elphaba into other things. Like makeup and boys. That was something she could talk about without a problem.

It was a couple of hours later that Galinda was able to escape to her apartment. She was intensely glad she didn’t have a roommate - perks of her parents having a decent amount of money - and immediately flopped on her bed. After a moment, she picked herself up and headed over to her vanity, quickly removing her makeup. Once that was done, she collapsed on her bed again and pulled her laptop over to her.

It was time to watch some of Elphaba’s videos.

Chapter Text

“-nimals deserve the same rights that us humans have. There is scientific proof of equality between Animals and humans!”

Galinda lay on her bed, headphones in, intently watching a video by none other than Elphaba Thropp. Vaguely, she was aware that it was about 3am and she had been watching their videos since she got home after talking with Pfannee and Shenshen. She thinks, as she clicks on another video, that she should probably go to sleep now.

She had never been one for politics. She didn’t really care much about them. She’d rarely ever met an Animal, and therefore didn’t feel much about their rights. But lying here, watching these videos, she suddenly wanted to do something. Speak out, maybe. Take a stand or something.

She was disgusted.

And fascinated.

She clicked on another video.

Finally, as the sun began to peak through her window, she decided she should sleep. She was exhausted, and before her mind could process what she was doing, she subscribed to Elphaba. She then put her laptop away, yawning, and snuggled under her covers and fell asleep within a few minutes.

---

Galinda woke up a few hours later, not feeling much more rested. But it was better than nothing, and she needed to get to work.

While she had a somewhat decent following on YouTube, it wasn't enough, and she didn't make a lot of money off of it. Her parents offered to pay her rent and groceries, but she wanted a feeling of independence. She's an adult, she can pay for her own rent and groceries! So she had to get a job.

She only recently got it, just the week prior, but she already loved it. It was an arts and crafts shop that held supplies for drawing and painting, as well as other things. It was located in a relatively unknown part of the town, near a flower shop and a cafe shop that seemed to be geared toward LGBT+ if the name (LGBTea) was anything to go by. She had thought about going in, but hadn’t quite worked up the courage to yet. She knew she was bi, had gone through that struggle of figuring this out before. She was still hesitant to enter the cafe. Why exactly, she didn’t know.

Shaking her head slightly, she walked through the door to the place she worked at. Upon stepping inside, her lips pulled into a smile. This was one of the few places she felt at home in. She took a deep breath, allowing the scent of different materials - brushes, sketchbooks, paint - to reach her. Her smile broadened. The owner of the crafts store had noticed her by that point and smiled at her. Galinda practically skipped over to her.

She was ready for a long shift at one of her favorite places, and it was obvious. As she busied herself with organizing different materials and helping the few customers that came, her mind drifted toward Elphaba and the videos. Now that she had rested, she could no longer play off the curiosity she had toward them as sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation that had started because of them. She could hardly remember anything that had happened that night. It was all a blur - her watching a ton of videos and then the next thing she knew she was awake. Her laptop had been put away though, so it had clearly been a conscious decision to stop watching them. She didn’t remember it, though.

She paused in her thinking to help someone who had approached her. They were looking for a specific brand of paint Galinda knew for a fact they had, so she quickly and happily directed them to the right area. She smiled as she watched them.

She drifted over towards the paints herself, fingers tracing some of the words on the tubes and cans. One color in particular caught her eye. It was green, and seemed to be almost the exact shade of Elphaba’s skin. Her fingers danced along it before she made up her mind and grabbed the tube, heading over toward the front so she could buy it. She wasn’t sure what she’d use it for, but surely she’d find something.

---

Galinda left the store, waving goodbye to her coworkers. She knew each and every one. Which, really, wasn’t saying much. It was a small place, and they didn’t need very many people working there. She wasn’t sure exactly how many worked there, but it couldn’t have been more than 5.

Shaking her head slightly, she began to head back home before pausing as she passed the cafe shop. She paused, weighing her options. She could head in, just for a little bit. Get something to drink, maybe. She was thirsty…

Before she could second guess herself, she walked in, a bell signaling her entry. She looked around. It was small, much like where she worked. It looked very much like a cafe, with tables and chairs and some booths. The counter was off to the left. The colors were very well chosen, a soft brown with darker accents and some lighter colors here and there too.

Deciding to stay for a bit, she turned to the counter and promptly paused at what she saw.

There, standing in a uniform with the words LGBTea written with the rainbow on their left breast, was the very one Galinda had been thinking of not long ago. With green skin even more shocking in person and long black hair, Elphaba was watching her with an eyebrow raised.

“Can I help you?”

Galinda turned around and left.

Chapter Text

When Elphaba woke that morning, they didn’t bother to check their YouTube notifications. On some days, they would and often got into arguments with those in their comment section. But right now, they just weren’t feeling it. Maybe they’d do that later in the day when they had nothing better to do. It’s when they normally replied, anyway.

They didn’t take long to get ready for the day. They had to go to work, but first, they wanted to see Dr. Dillamond about something. He had offered them a position working for him in his lab, and they had been hesitant to take it at first. But after deciding it was definitely something they wanted to do, they agreed.

It had been about a month since then, and seeing the Goat often made their day better. Even if the two didn’t always talk, it was calming simply being in the lab.

They quickly finished getting ready and left their apartment, locking the door behind them. They were forever grateful they didn’t need a roommate. They’d had enough of that in Shiz University. They were perfectly content to live alone. It was a nice change of pace from when they lived at home - there were always too many people then, between Frex, Nessa, Nanny, and Shell. Being alone was a breath of fresh air.

---

Elphaba stepped out of Dr. Dillamond’s office. They needed to get to work. The money was greatly needed, as Dr. Dillamond hadn’t been able to offer them money for working for him and their family wasn’t exactly the most supportive. Frex had given them enough to at least get started, which was something, they supposed. They had refused to go back to Colwen Grounds, having had enough of their family. Nessa hadn’t gone to Shiz University, instead going to some prestigious religious school. They hadn’t seen her in a while.

As they walked, they thought about what they could do for a new video. Maybe one on how you shouldn’t force your child to accept your own religion. Nessa seemed fine with it, but Elphaba wasn’t.

With a shake of their head, they cleared their thoughts. Now wasn’t the time to think about their next video. They had to get to work. Their YouTube career was still young, even though they had more subscribers than they’d ever thought they would get. Still, they needed money. And Frex insisted they get a job. Elphaba often wondered why he bothered, but never questioned it. They liked where they worked. It was a little cafe geared specifically toward members of the lgbt+ community. It was named (quite cheesily) LGBTea, and if there was any place Elphaba felt at home in, it was here.

Elphaba made a quick stop in their apartment to change into their work uniform before heading over to work. It wasn’t far, perhaps a 15-minute walk. As soon as they stepped in, one of the owners greeted them.

“Elphaba! There you are!”

“Hey, Crope.” The door closed behind them, and they walked over to the counter, going behind it where Crope was. “I’m not late, am I?”

“Nope, you’re right on time!” The door that led to an area behind the counter opened, revealing Tibbett.

“Good.” They didn’t say any more, instead going over to the counter. Nobody walked in for some time. None of the shops on this block got very many people. Still, they got enough to stay in the business, and that was all that mattered. Besides, Elphaba would just use some of the money they got from YouTube to make sure the cafe stayed standing.

Leaning on the counter, they got their phone out and began to scroll through their YouTube notifications. Lots of comments on their most recent video, which was about Animal rights, as many were. They were just about to put their phone away when something caught their eye.

PinkEnthusiast has subscribed to you!

They frowned. “PinkEnthusiast”? An interesting name. They clicked on the profile and began to scroll mindlessly through their videos.

Ah. Of course. Makeup tutorials.

And...the occasional art video, it looked like. With significantly fewer views and likes. With a shrug, they decided to watch her videos later. When they weren’t at work.

Someone walked in at that moment and they quickly went about getting her order. She didn’t seem to even blink at their green skin, something they were grateful about. It didn’t take long, and the customer was soon on her way, leaving Elphaba with nothing to do once more.

They decided to look through “PinkEnthusiast”’s videos once more. They probably wouldn’t have time to watch any of them, but they could at least see how popular she was.

They were scrolling through before accidentally clicking on one. It was some makeup tutorial that they didn’t care about but ended up watching anyway. They didn’t know how much time had passed until they suddenly felt an arm around their shoulder, causing them to look up and see Crope staring at their screen.

“Who’s that?”

Elphaba just shrugged. They realized they didn’t even know her name. Shoving Crope off of them, they were about to begin looking for her name when the door opened.

The girl that walked in clearly worked in a nearby shop, as she was still wearing her uniform. Despite that, they could still recognize her.

It was the girl on their phone right now. PinkEnthusiast. And judging by the look on her face when she turned to the counter, she recognized them, too.

A moment’s pause, and then they spoke. “Can I help you?”

The girl turned around and left, leaving Elphaba frowning at her back.

“Elphaba, did you scare her away?” Crope teased. Elphaba didn’t say anything for a moment, still looking at where she used to be before turning to her phone. After a moment, they shrugged.

“That’s what you get for hiring a green person. Don’t blame me.”

Chapter Text

Elphaba woke up late the next day. They didn’t have time to look at their YouTube notifications or see if Galinda had released a new video. They were supposed to meet Fiyero 15 minutes ago. They quickly got dressed, practically throwing on clothes before running out the door and walking quickly to a little cafe in a more well-known part of town.

They nearly flew into the cafe, ordering a drink before hurrying over to where Fiyero sat. As soon as he saw them, he smiled and looked up at them. “‘Bout time you got here.”

Elphaba let out a huff. “I slept in late, that’s all.”

“Ah, of course. Stayed up late reading, probably forgot to set your alarm, and woke up late. Am I right?” Fiyero grinned at her. Elphaba didn’t say anything to that, simply letting out a grunt. Elphaba’s drink arrived then, and they took a sip.

“So, anything new with you?” they asked, wanting to get off the topic of their sleeping habits.

“Nothing much..,” he seemed to be holding back something, and Elphaba just raised an eyebrow. He sighed. “Galinda and I broke up. It was...mostly mutual, I guess.”

Elphaba blinked. “Y’know, you never really told me much about her.” Fiyero chuckled.

“What, you curious now?” Elphaba just shrugged.

“Maybe I am. You always tried to keep these parts of your lives separate. And I’m just dying to know all about the one who broke up with you,” they smirked, their voice dripping with sarcasm near the end.

“It was a mutual breakup!” Fiyero protested, before sighing again. “Alright, alright. Galinda Upland. Of the Upper Uplands, as she always said. Obsessed with pink and makeup. Went to Shiz University with us. Oh, and she has a YouTube account.”

Elphaba hadn’t been paying too much attention to what he was saying - they hadn’t really cared all that much about her - but at the mention of a YouTube account, they paused and raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What’s her username?”

“PinkEnthusiast. Like I said, she loves pink. Pretty much everything she wears is pink.” Fiyero continued to talk about Galinda’s obsessed with pink, but Elphaba had stopped listening. As soon as they heard the words PinkEnthusiast, they had paused and almost dropped their drink. They frowned, thinking back to the moment they first noticed PinkEnthusiast had subscribed to them, to scrolling through her videos. To watching her walk in to the place she worked, only to get one look at them and then flee.

“Elphaba? Elphabaaaaa...Are you listening?” Fiyero snapped his fingers in their face, and they snapped to attention.

“Yeah, yeah.” They clearly hadn’t been listening, and it was clear that Fiyero knew. He frowned.

“You sure? As soon as I mentioned her YouTube name, you spaced out.”

“I’m fine,” they grunted with a wave of their hand. Fiyero opened his mouth, as if he wanted to press the matter further, but with a look from Elphaba, he closed it.

“Alright, if you insist. Now, what’s new with you?”

Elphaba shrugged. “Nothing much. Still working with Dillamond, still working at LGBTea.” They paused, wondering if they should mention what happened yesterday. Their fingers tapped against the table for a moment before they decided against it. If Galinda had walked into the cafe, it was likely she was gay or bi or...something. But they didn’t know if Fiyero knew that, and there wasn’t any way they’d out her to him.

A moment later, though, and it didn’t seem to matter.

“Say, I’m pretty sure Galinda works in that art shop right next to where you work. Has she ever walked in? She told me once she’s bisexual, so she might’ve come in at some point.” Fiyero asked, head tilted ever so slightly.

Elphaba blinked before deciding they may as well tell him what happened. “Yeah, she’s come in,” they started, stifling a chuckle at Fiyero’s shocked gasp that followed. “For a few seconds.” They looked up at Fiyero, having been looking at the table. “She walked in, took one look at me, and left almost immediately after.” They didn’t mention that she had subscribed to them on YouTube, though it was likely that played a part in why she left. Still, they weren’t sure they were ready to admit that just yet.

“Oh. Well, she was probably shocked by the skin…” He seemed to hesitate, but didn’t say anything further.

“Yeah.” Elphaba looked back down at the table, avoiding Fiyero’s eyes. “Maybe.”

A silence fell over the table, before Elphaba coughed. “Anyway, I should probably get going. I’ll talk to you later.” They stood, nodded at Fiyero, and left before he could even protest.

--

Elphaba stepped into their house, and promptly collapsed into the nearest chair. They let out a sigh before pulling their phone out. Now seemed as good a time as any to start actually watching PinkEnthusiast - no, Galinda’s - videos.

They got Galinda’s YouTube up and clicked on the most recent one. It was rather recent, barely a day ago. It was a makeup video, of course, and they found they didn’t really care for it. They’d never been interested in makeup, and that likely wasn’t going to change today. Or ever.

That video soon ended, and they clicked on the next one. Makeup again. In fact, the next 3 were makeup. They skipped those.

The 4th...It looked to be an art video. They clicked on it.

It was Galinda designing a building. As soon as the video started, they were transfixed. Who knew someone who did mostly makeup videos was such a good architect? It ended all too soon, revealing a gorgeous building design that was expertly made.

They skipped the rest of the makeup videos and instead watched all of her art videos. There weren’t very many, and they clearly didn’t get as many views or likes as the makeup ones. Elphaba made sure to like each and every one of them, though it didn’t make much of a difference. They had nowhere near the views and likes as the makeup videos.

Still, it was better than nothing.

As they finished the last art video, they hesitated for a moment before subscribing to her. It was the least they could do, after all. Maybe later they’d go back and watch her makeup videos, though they weren’t exactly thrilled by that. The art videos were much, much better. Not that they’d ever really tell her that.

Chapter Text

Galinda couldn’t stop thinking about Elphaba. It was becoming infuriating. How was it that this green...person took up so much of her thoughts? And why was she allowing it?

She wished that she hadn’t walked out of the cafe. That probably only made it worse. That way they had to know that she stalked them. Or at least knew of them. And while she didn’t know for certain, she could only guess that was a bad thing. Though why in particular...she also didn’t know.

She hated all this not knowing.

During her thinking, Galinda opens up YouTube on her phone and checks her notifications. She scrolled through them mindlessly. Mostly comments about how pretty she is and asking when the next video comes out. They make her smile. There’s also some...less pleasant comments that she pays no mind to. She’s about to close the app when something catches her eye.

AnnoyedAtTheWorld has subscribed to you!

What?

Elphaba actually subscribed to her?

That threw her in for a loop. Why had Elphaba subscribed to her? Did that mean they’d watched her videos? She really didn’t know how to feel about this.

Should she unsubscribe to them? Would they notice? Her finger hovered over the button but she stopped. No, she wouldn’t unsubscribe. She just...wouldn’t watch any of their videos.

Even as she thought that, she knew her resolve was weakening. Elphaba’s videos were intriguing, loathe as she was to admit it. Galinda didn’t plan on telling anyone of her interest in Elphaba’s videos. And hopefully she wouldn’t see them again.

---

Galinda left the building, keys in her hand. She had to get to work, and she was more than a little nervous. She had to pass by the place Elphaba worked in to get there, and could only hope they wouldn’t see her. She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous. It was probably ridiculous. Still, she couldn’t calm the dread swirling within her.

She forced herself to walk slowly, not wanting to draw attention to herself. With careful, measured strides, she passed the building, making sure not to look at it. As soon as she passed it and got up to the front of where she worked, she let out a sigh of relief. She’d only have to do that for the rest of her life.

---

Or for maybe a few days.

It’s not long before Galinda caves and enters the shop again. A part of her is wanting to see Elphaba again, while she’s also dreading it.

She opens the door, hears the little jingle that signifies someone has entered or left, and looks around, purposefully avoiding the counter. Finally, when she knows she has to look eventually, she takes a deep breath and turns to the counter.

Elphaba isn’t there.

In fact, no one is.

The disappointment surprises her, but she pushes it aside and contemplates whether or not she should continue. Should she leave? Or would that just be weird? That would definitely be weird. She couldn’t leave. Someone had to be here, right? And they would’ve heard the bell. They surely knew she was there. She wasn’t sure why no one had come, though.

Taking a deep breath, she walked right up to the counter. Looking around, she could see a door likely leading to a breakroom or...something. It was open slightly. Surely whoever worked here was behind there. What if Elphaba actually was there?

She took a deep breath. She’d already gotten this far, she wouldn’t back down now. Even if Elphaba wasn’t there.

The fact that she had specifically come in on a day she didn’t have work and was wearing something much more decent than her uniform that she had come in in earlier seemed silly. It was someone she didn’t even know. Someone that could’ve potentially stolen her boyfriend. The thought made her scowl for a moment before she shook her head. There was no use delaying the inevitable.

“Hello?” she called out, a bit hesitatingly. At first, nothing happened and she was starting to truly contemplate on leaving. But then she heard a crash followed by a loud exclamation of “fuck!” and the door opened, revealing someone she didn’t recognize. He’s tall, with short, straight dirty blond hair. He was slightly flushed, though he managed to grin at her before seeming to pause as he took her in.

“Hey! You’re that one girl!” His grin widened. Then it dropped into a smirk. “Sorry, Elphaba’s not here today.”

Galinda flushed at the first comment. It grew at the second and she let out a graceless indignant squawk. Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not here for - for Elphaba.” That was, Galinda thought, the first time she had ever spoken their name out loud.

The man - she looked at his nametag and saw his name was Crope - seemed down at that, his smirk falling. “You’re not?” His mouth quirked in a pout. Galinda let out a huff of breath.

“No, I’m not. I’m here for a drink.” There was no way she was going to let Crope know that she was here for Elphaba. She could hardly admit it to herself. But, since she was here, she had to get something. Even if she wasn’t particularly thirsty. She looked at the menu. “I’ll have….uh....a chai latte.”

Crope, still looking down at the turn of events (Galinda not being there for Elphaba), soon set about getting the drink ready. He asked for her name, and she told him. Galinda stood there and waited, wondering if anyone else was working at the moment, or if it was just Crope. Crope, having seemingly read her mind, answered the unspoken question.

“Tibbs is in the back, taking his break. We weren’t really expecting anyone to come in. Not a lot of people do, though we have our busy days and times. This just isn’t one of them.” He finished her drink, and she paid as he handed it to her with a wink.

She stepped away with a small smile and sipped her drink before looking at the cup. It was white, with what looked like a hand drawn pride flag on one side. She smiled slightly at it before taking another sip and heading home.

Chapter Text

Another day of no contact with Elphaba. Which was really no surprise, considering Galinda did whatever she could to avoid them. Luckily, she didn’t have to do much. She never walked into the little shop where Elphaba worked again, and spent her days working, planning and making YouTube videos, and hanging out with Pfannee and Shenshen.

The last was something she was going to be doing today. She hadn’t seen her friends since the time they met in that little cafe when she told them she and Fiyero had broken up. She hadn’t had time to talk to them since. YouTube was such a demanding job, and that plus the job in the art shop...She didn’t have time for much. And surely they knew that? They always begged her to join them whenever they went out but normally she just - couldn’t.

Galinda had some time to kill before she had to meet with the others. She grabbed her phone and scrolled through her notifications. Nothing she really cared much about - more likes and comments on her newest video. Some Instagram notifications. She swiped those away for she didn’t feel like looking at those right now. She was about to swipe away another notification when something caught her eye.

It was a new video by Elphaba.

Probably Animal rights or something. That was the most common topic of her videos. But upon closer examination, she realized it wasn’t. It was one about LGBT+ rants. She was tempted to watch it then and there but decided against it.

Once more, the thought to unsubscribe from them surfaced. They wouldn’t notice, would they? They had plenty of subscribers, what was one less?

Still, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She let out a groan of frustration, put her phone into the little purse she was bringing, and headed out the door. She’d already gotten ready earlier, so she didn’t need to touch up her makeup.

It was at times like these that Galinda really wished she had a car. Luckily, Shenshen did. She had told Galinda to meet her at her house, though. And it wasn’t close enough that she could just walk. She had to take the bus, something she despised.

After roughly 15 minutes of being on the bus with way too many people, Galinda soon found herself on the edge of Shenshen’s house. It was a decent-sized house - much larger than one would expect for someone recently graduated from university.

She walked up to the door and knocked just once before it opened and she nearly hit Pfannee in the face.

“You’re finally here!”

Before Galinda could say anything, she was pulled in. She barely suppressed a chuckle.

Shenshen was waiting for her. “Now we can go.” She was barely in her house for two minutes before she was being practically shoved out again, and the three headed to Shenshen’s car.

Pfannee was usually the one to ride in the passenger’s seat, and today was no different. Galinda climbed into the back.

It wasn’t long before they were headed to the mall, music playing from the speakers of Pfannee’s phone.

The three walked into multiple different stores, looking at all the fashionable (and some unfashionable) clothes.

It was around 3 when they finally finished. They would’ve shopped for longer, but Galinda had to get to work. All three had gotten tons of clothes, and Galinda needed to get home to change into her uniform.

While Pfannee and Shenshen sang along to the songs that played, Galinda was lost in thought. A part of her had been expecting talk of Elphaba, but not a single word had been spoken of them. They were relieved. They should be relieved. They needed a day where they didn’t think about Elphaba. Didn’t seem as though it worked, though. They let out a huff of annoyance that - luckily - Pfannee and Shenshen either didn’t hear or ignored. She wasn’t sure how to explain that.

---

Galinda was working at the counter. It was a slow day of work, and there was hardly anyone there. She had brought her sketchbook with her and was working on a building design she’d had in mind for months. She had multiple sketches done and was finally working on putting it together. It was tough as she couldn’t quite get it the way she wanted to.

She let out a grunt of frustration at the same time the door opened. She looked up and her eyes immediately locked with the first and last person she wanted to see.

Elphaba.

Galinda stiffens and wishes she wasn’t at the counter.

Their green skin is easily recognizable. They’re wearing their uniform, so they must have taken a break from work to come in. But why?

She purposely avoids their eyes as they walk in a little awkwardly. She tries to go back to her sketchbook but she can’t think and soon gives up. She still tries to avoid looking at Elphaba but soon gives in and watches them.

They’re walking around, clearly lost. Why did they even walk in? As far as Galinda was aware, Elphaba didn’t really care for art. Why was that changing? Was it even changing? Or did -

Did they just come in to see her?

That thought threw Galinda completely off guard. Why would they want to see her?

Did they think of her as much as she thought about them?

She was thinking about this when a clearing of throat made her pause and look up, only to come face to face with Elphaba. She barely managed to suppress a noise of surprise and cleared her own throat.

“Find everything you’re looking for okay?” She still had to do her job, even if she knew them, just barely. Even if she didn’t know why they were here.

Elphaba was hesitant at first before letting out a begrudging “yeah.”

Galinda didn’t say anything after that, and Elphaba gave her what they had picked out. Which was a sketchbook. The cover was black. She peeked at her own sketchbook which was a light pink that had darker pink trees. Some of her other sketchbooks had flowers, some had random colors splashed together, but none of them was a solid black.

Still, it only seemed fitting Elphaba would get a black one. From what she had seen from their videos, they just about only ever wore black.

Galinda rings the sketchbook up before handing it to Elphaba and telling her the price. She’s still trying to avoid Elphaba’s eyes, and it looks like they’re doing the same thing. The air is charged with awkward tension, but she refuses to break it. They’re both definitely very awkward about the whole exchange, but she just ignores it. Soon, Elphaba will leave. Her shift is almost done, and then she can go home.

Elphaba pays and leaves soon after that. Galinda watches, eyes following them the entire way from the counter to the door. As soon as they step out, she lets out a huge sigh of relief. Some of her co-workers look at her in confusion, likely wondering what the hell that was, but she just waves them off. There was no way she was going to explain all that. She wasn’t even sure how.

The rest of her shift goes well without a hitch and she prepares to leave. She picks up her sketchbook to put it in her purse but pauses, once again wondering why Elphaba bought a sketchbook of all things. Did it mean something? What if...Has Elphaba seen any of her videos? Surely they have, right? Did they watch her art videos? Was that some way to let her know they’d watched her videos?

Or was it all purely chance?

Her brain was starting to hurt from all this. She puts the sketchbook in her purse and walks out the door.

She passes right by the cafe Elphaba works in, head high, and doesn’t look at it for even a second.

Chapter Text

Elphaba had no idea why they bought the sketchbook. They certainly didn’t need one - they’d never been one for art.

There was perhaps one reason, but it wasn’t one they wanted to think about. Nope. Not gonna think about it.

They wanted to see Galinda.

It was all purely impulse. Nothing was really happening at work, so without a second thought they took a break, walked over to the place Galinda works, and walked in. It was then that they realized what they were doing, but it had been too late to go back. They had to commit to the decision they didn’t remember making.

They should have just walked out. It wouldn’t have been too weird, surely. Actually, it would’ve been better if they just hadn’t walked in in the first place. If they had just stayed at work. Then they wouldn’t have Crope eyeing them when they walked in, carrying just the sketchbook.

“What happened?” Crope asked, still watching them.

Elphaba just shrugs as they put their sketchbook in a bag they brought. Tibbett appears just as they shut it and quickly dives toward it, trying to open it and see what they got. Elphaba smacks him lightly. “It’s nothing.”

“Doesn’t seem like nothing. You go into the shop next door, where you know Galinda works, and come out with just...whatever you got. What is it, a sketchbook? Why did you get a sketchbook?”

“I panicked.”

“What are you gonna do with it?”

“Good question. I have no idea.”

At that moment, someone walked in and the three stopped talking about it.

---

Later, once Elphaba was home after work, they sat down on the couch with the sketchbook in their hands and just stared at it.

What were they going to do with it? They’d never been good at art. They’d never really tried either. But they certainly didn’t want to now. With a sigh, they set it on the coffee table and got up. There was a video they had to make - one that’s a bit different from their usual video. There’s a YouTube convention coming up, and they were actually going to go this year. Their account had grown a lot in the year since the last one, and they were really looking forward to going.

They wondered if Galinda was going. Her account was about as big as theirs, although drastically different. If she was going, they’d have to try and steer clear of her. Especially after that awkward meeting where she worked. They shuddered just thinking about it.

Elphaba got their equipment set up, looked over their notes of stuff they wanted to make sure they covered in the video, and started recording.

Recording something like this was much different compared to their normal videos. In their normal videos - which were just about always rants - they tended to go off on a tangent. And this one wasn’t too different. They’d definitely have to edit quite a bit of it. At one point, they started wondering if Galinda would watch the video. Had she seen any more of theirs? Galinda had released a new video in the time between then and when they first watched her videos, and they had watched that. It was a makeup tutorial, as many of them were, and they didn’t have any interest in them. They still watched it, though.

They themselves had just recently posted a new video. It was an LGBT+ rant. Specifically, they had been talking about the Wizard’s latest message. He seemed mostly focused on trying to strip the Animals of their rights - which was no better - but occasionally said something about other’s rights. Including those in the LGBT+ community. He often tried to make it seem like he supported them, but it was all faux. He didn’t actually care.

It was then they remembered they were recording. They had a vague inkling of where they had left off, and quickly continued. They’d have to do even more editing now. And all because of Galinda. Fantastic.

Elphaba had a long day ahead of them.

Chapter Text

Elphaba was exhausted. They had stayed up late the previous night editing the video before publishing it. This would all have been fine if they could’ve just stayed at home. Unfortunately, that was not the case, as they had to go to work.

“I’ve told you to stop staying up so late editing videos!” Crope scolded them, though he wasn’t very serious about it as chuckles escaped him. “Or were you too busy thinking about Galinda?” They glared at him and his smirk as he watched them struggle to stay awake.

“I was not thinking of Galinda-”

At that moment, the door opened. Elphaba turned toward it only to pause right in their place, hand slipping out where it was while their hand had rested on it. Galinda looked around nervously, seemingly avoiding their gaze, before taking a deep breath after closing her eyes and marching right up to the counter.

“I’ll have a chai latte.” She looked directly at Elphaba, and Elphaba found themselves unable to look away. It was only when Galinda raised an eyebrow and cleared her throat slightly that they remembered what they were supposed to be doing.

“Right - ok. Um, what kind of cup do you want? We have ones with different LGBT+ flags on them. There’s the gay flag, lesbian flag, uh...bisexual flag...” It was then that they remembered Fiyero had told them Galinda was bi. Then again, it would’ve been weird if they’d just given her the one with the bisexual flag, right? Galinda had never told them she was bi. It was definitely a good thing they’d asked.

“Oh. Those are new,” Galinda murmured quietly, head tilted slightly. Elphaba blinked at her.

“Uh, yeah. We got ‘em yesterday.” They glanced over at Crope who was struggling not to laugh. Galinda hummed.

“Bisexual flag, please.” She was slightly flustered, though clearly trying to hide it.

“Alright…” Elphaba got the right cup and then looked over at Galinda, sharpie in hand and hovering over the cup. “And, uh...name?”

“Seeing as how I’m sure you’ve stalked my YouTube account by now, surely you know my name?” Galinda raised an eyebrow again, and Elphaba found themselves flushing. They could just feel the dark green settling across their cheeks.

They paused for a moment before quickly writing “Galinda” on the cup. Then, avoiding eye contact with the blonde, they went to make the drink. They were painfully aware of Crope (and Tibbett, who had joined them after taking a break out back) struggling to hide their laughs and failing horribly. They shot a glare at them that goes unnoticed as they’re doubled over. They sigh as they finish the drink, ring Galinda up, and tell her the price. All while still avoiding her eyes. Galinda pays and takes her drink. She turns to the door as if to leave only to pause for a moment before going to one of the tables nearby and sitting down.

Elphaba has a clear view of her and her phone as she pulls it out. She glances at Elphaba briefly before taking her earbuds out and watching something. Was that...Was that their video? It doesn’t take much for them to realize it is.

Galinda was watching their video right there where they could see. Elphaba did not know what to think about this. They tried to not look over at Galinda, but that was proving to be a challenge. They wanted to see her reaction to their video. It was their most recent one, the one they had spent the most of the whole night editing before publishing it.

They couldn’t help but wonder if Galinda was going to the con. Would they ever get a chance to talk about it? Or would Galinda walk out before they could?

More importantly, why were they so focused and concerned on this? So what if she did go? So what if she didn’t go? Galinda was free to do as she wished. And it’s not like they were nervous about going to the convention, where there was likely to be many popular YouTubers while Elphaba was still - at least to them - fairly new. Had Galinda gone before? The questions were burning within them but they didn’t dare to ask.

Elphaba and Galinda weren’t exactly on speaking terms, were they? Certainly not. They didn’t want to disturb the peace Galinda was in, though it seemed she was done watching their video. Was she going to leave now? They watched as she stood, putting her phone away. She glanced at Elphaba before turning away, and that’s when they felt their resolve break.

“Galinda - wait.” They regretted the words as soon as they came out, but they couldn’t take them back as the blonde turned to them, clearly surprised.

“Yes?”

“Uh…” They shifted, their skin growing hot again. “Are...Are you going to the convention?”

Galinda blinked. “Yeah.”

“Oh.” They didn’t know what they were expecting - that she wouldn’t be going? Now that they knew, they had no idea what to say. They glanced off to the side and their gaze fell on Crope, who was watching them with a big smile on his face. He was clearly enjoying this. At least someone was.

Galinda seemed to take pity on them, as she turned toward Elphaba and smiled shyly. “It’ll be your first time going this year, right? It’ll be my first too. Maybe we could look around it together?” She fidgeted with her cup a little.

Elphaba had basically frozen to the spot. They hadn’t been expecting that. A slight cough from behind them jerked them into motion. “Uh - yeah. That’d..that’d be great.” They managed a smile in return to Galinda.

Galinda seemed pleased at that, as her smile grew. “Great!” She turned as if to go before pausing. She walked closer to the counter, grabbed a napkin and a pen, and quickly scrawled something on it before pushing it to Elphaba. “I know it’s not for a couple of weeks yet, but...uh, here’s my number. Feel free to text or call and...we can work something out.” With that, she backed away, turned on her heel, and hurriedly walked out the door, leaving a dumbfounded Elphaba behind her.

Crope and Tibbett came up behind them and hung off their shoulders, one on each side, and stared down at the napkin that they held in their hand.

“Oh shit, you got her number! Hell yeah!”

“What...what do I do now…,” Elphaba could only murmur to themselves as they looked down at it, the 10 numbers staring up at them.

“You call it, duh. Or at least put it in your contacts! Here, I’ll do it.” Crope snatched the number from their hand, slipped his hand into their pocket, and grabbed their phone, quickly running into the breakroom before Elphaba could stop him.

“Hey! Give that back!” Elphaba ran after him, but Crope’s nimble fingers had already unlocked their phone and was inserting the number into their contacts.

“I’m almost done, just gimme a second...there!” Crope proudly brandished the phone, grinning up at them. Elphaba snatched it back and looked.

Crope had inserted the number, and in the place of the contact name, he had written Galinda with a green heart and a pink heart emoji next to it. Elphaba rolled their eyes and quickly got rid of the hearts while glaring at him. He just shrugged.

“You’ll admit it one day, I know it.”

“There is nothing to admit.”

“Sure there is!” Tibbett piped in. “You always talk about her. You always want to see her. And before you say that no, you don’t, you walked into her shop a few days ago just to see her. And then you bought a sketchbook. While knowing she likes art!”

“I did not...I don’t know why I walked in there, but now I’m seriously regretting it. Mostly because of you guys.”

“All this talk makes it seem like you don’t love us!”

“I don’t. I barely tolerate you two.”

“Nah, you definitely love us.”

Elphaba rolled their eyes but didn’t dispute the comment.

Chapter Text

The few weeks leading up to the con passed quickly. Far quicker than Galinda would have liked, in fact.

She and Elphaba had texted a few times, but not a lot. Just enough that they each had the other’s number, and maybe a few other texts here and there. Not enough. Not nearly enough. Galinda found herself wanting to talk to Elphaba, but every time she picked up her phone, words would fail her. She had no idea what to say.

So she said nothing.

And now, the day before the con, she had no idea if her original plan of walking around with Elphaba was still going to happen. She didn’t even know why she had suggested it - it had been done completely on a whim, a desire to see Elphaba more.

Galinda still didn’t know why she wanted to see Elphaba more.

After staring at her phone, she decided to just go for it. At first, she was going to call Elphaba but she chickened out and texted them instead.

Galinda: so are we like...gonna meet up tomorrow or anything?

Almost immediately after, she threw her phone to the other side of her bed, unsure why she was so anxious about this. It was just a text.

She curled into herself slightly and watched her phone, waiting for the signifying buzz that would tell her Elphaba had replied.

Fortunately - or unfortunately - she didn’t have to wait long. She stayed there for a couple of seconds after, and another buzz came in, prompting her to get up and grab her phone.

Elphaba: Sure.
Elphaba: Where do you want to meet?

Galinda let out a breath. She could do this.

Galinda: how are you getting there?

Elphaba: I have my own car, so I’ll be driving there.

That did sound a lot better than Galinda’s original plan. Fiyero had offered to drive her, but she didn’t exactly want to be stuck in a car with him for a couple of hours.

Galinda: do you think you could give me a ride?
Galinda: if not that’s fine! just thought i’d ask

Galinda sat there anxiously as she waited for Elphaba to reply. They took longer this time, and she was just about to rescind her offer when they replied.

Elphaba: Yeah, I can do that.

She let out a sigh of relief before pausing to process what she had just done.

She wouldn’t be in a 2-hour car ride with Fiyero...but she would be in one with Elphaba.

Fuck.

---

It was now the morning of the convention, and Galinda was nervous.

She and Elphaba had talked about their plan the night before. Galinda would get ready and then text Elphaba. She’d already told Elphaba where she lived, so she just had to send a simple text like “I’m ready” and then wait for Elphaba.

The convention lasted 4 days, and they would both be there every day. Both had booked a room that just so happened to be in the same hotel, which was...convenient. Elphaba would drop them off at the hotel, they’d check in to their respective rooms, and then they’d go to the con. Neither of them had signed up for anything the first day, so they had decided to just walk around together.

Galinda knew of the plan. She knew what was going to happen today. Or...most of everything.

She was nervous about that car ride there. She had no idea what she was going to say, or what she and Elphaba would talk about. Oz, she barely even knew them! They’d never really had a proper conversation. How was she going to last a couple of hours alone with them in a car?

Already dreading the ride, she began to get ready. She quickly dressed, made sure she had everything packed, and then texted Elphaba. She got a reply not long after saying they were on their way.

She waited on a bench outside of their apartment. It was still early. Far earlier than they wanted to be up, but they had to give themselves time to get there and get checked in. It was about 6 am, and the sun was only just starting to rise.

So...yeah. Way too early.

Galinda didn’t have to wait long before Elphaba was pulling up into a parking space. She got up and went over, slipping into the passenger’s seat. She didn’t know why it surprised her that Elphaba had a pickup truck, though maybe it shouldn’t have been that surprising. She glanced over at Elphaba.

“Hey.”

“Hi. You ready for this con?” Elphaba asked as she glanced over at her briefly before turning back to the road as she started driving out of the parking lot and onto the street.

“Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.” She paused, awkward silence settling in. She gulped. This was going to be as bad as she had been fearing. “What about you?” She was desperate to not let it be silent anymore. Not if she had a say in it.

“Same, I suppose.” Some more silence. Galinda silently cursed everything in this world. She opened her mouth to say something - anything - but Elphaba beat her to it. “I’m nervous, actually. I’ve never...I know I have people who have subscribed to me, surely for the content, but, well…” They tapped their fingers on the steering wheel, clearly struggling with something. Galinda had an idea of what, but she let them continue. “I mean, I’m green. And my channel can be rather controversial. I don’t...know how people will react.”

Galinda had never seen Elphaba so vulnerable. Which was not a surprise in itself, considering she had hardly seen them at all. But they also didn’t seem like the kind of person to commonly be like this, especially not with someone - someone they hardly know - right there.

“Well,” she started, “I’ll stay by your side and make sure nothing bad happens to you.” She smiled over at Elphaba who, hesitatingly, smiled back before turning their eyes back to the road.

The rest of the trip was passed by them just talking. Talking about their anxiety regarding the con, about the different events they had planned during this trip - they each had a panel at different times, so they agreed to go to the other’s - and whatever else came to their mind. Galinda learned more about Elphaba in those 2 hours than she had done in binging all of their YouTube videos.

Time seemed to fly by so quickly, Galinda was surprised when they pulled up to the hotel. Elphaba parked somewhere and they set about getting all of their stuff inside.

Galinda was used to people staring at her. She was beautiful, and she knew it. But these looks were different. At first, she couldn’t place them.

And then she realized they weren’t looking at her. They were looking at Elphaba, and they had definitely noticed. Their shoulders were tense, their jaw clenched, and they were very specifically not looking at anyone else. Galinda felt a pang of sympathy for them as they headed toward the front clerk, eyes hardening at their reaction to their green skin.

Without thinking, Galinda slipped her hand into Elphaba’s and starting stroking her hand with her thumb lightly. She felt Elphaba startle and saw them look over at her, but she just smiled disarmingly at the hotel clerk. “There should be a reservation for Upland and one for Thropp.” The hotel clerk - some barely out of college guy - quickly began to look through their reservations. Galinda could tell Elphaba was watching her but she paid them no mind.

“Ah...yup! Rooms 401 and 402. Right next to each other.” His eyes flicked up to them and down to their entwined hands. “Here are your keys. You’re staying for 4 days, right, until Sunday? Check-out is at 11. Have a nice stay, and enjoy the convention!” He handed their keys over. Galinda let go of Elphaba’s hand to grab her key, handing the other to Elphaba since the hotel clerk looked like he wanted nothing to do with potentially touching Elphaba.

They gathered their stuff and headed over to the elevators, Galinda pushing the button. They didn’t have to wait long before they were able to get in.

It wasn’t until they were alone in the elevators that Elphaba began to relax a little. They rubbed their shoulders a little, perhaps trying to work out any kinks that may have resulted from having them tense for so long. “That never gets any easier.”

“How often are you...stared at like that?”

Elphaba glanced over at her. “Happens all the time. I’m used to it, mostly. I guess something was just different this time.”

Galinda moved behind her and started to rub at her shoulders. “Don’t worry. I’ll glare at anyone who looks at you wrong.” Elphaba stiffened slightly as Galinda touched their shoulders but it didn’t take long for them to relax. They snorted at her words.

“You’re going to do a lot of that then, my sweet.”

Galinda pretended her breath didn’t hitch at the term “my sweet.” Why did that fill her with such a warmth that spread from the top of her head to the tip of her toes?

She didn’t get a chance to think about it any further because the elevator doors opened. And there was a group of people - likely YouTubers - who were waiting for it who get the doors opened to...Galinda, behind Elphaba - someone with green skin - rubbing their shoulders. She blushed and quickly moved from behind them, grabbing her stuff and exiting the elevator. She could feel the stares of those waiting and ignored them, glancing around to figure out where their rooms were.

She wasn’t sure if it was a blessing or a curse that their rooms were so close. They quickly managed to locate them.

“Let’s just...get our stuff in, and then head to the con?” Galinda asked, ignoring her voice being at a slightly higher pitch than normal.

“...Yeah, sure.”

The two opened their doors, Galinda shooting Elphaba a nervous smile before disappearing into hers. She left the door open a smidge - there was no real reason to close it as she was just about to be coming back out soon - and set her stuff down. She was just about to open her door when voices caught her attention.

“Dude, did you see that green person?” One person - clearly a guy - asked.

“Yeah, man. What’s up with that? Why are they here?” The other responded.

“I’m pretty sure I’ve seen them on YouTube. They make the stupidest videos. A bunch of shit about Animal rights. Like, who the fuck cares?”

“Well, if they’re here for the con, someone must. Unless they got invited so people could make fun of them? Ha, that’d be fun to watch!” The two boys snickered amongst themselves. Galinda heard one of them take a break to say more and decided that was enough of that.

“Hey!” She called out to them, leaving her room and closing the door behind her. She fixed both of them with her deadliest glare. “I’m gonna tell you two to shut the hell up.”

The two boys stared at her for a moment before quickly darting away. She sighed watching them go, before turning to Elphaba’s room. She noticed their door was open a crack.

“Elphaba?” she asked carefully, knocking on the door. She heard shuffling on the other side and a slight sniffle. Her heart broke at the sound. “I’m coming in.”

She opened the door to see Elphaba curled up on the floor. Their face was buried in their arms and she could see their shoulders shaking.

“Oh, Elphie…” She dropped down to the floor beside them and quickly wrapped her arms around their shoulders, holding them close. The positioning was a little awkward so with some coaxing she was able to get them to nearly collapse into her lap so she could hold them better. The two sat like that for some time, Elphaba’s legs partially in Galinda’s lap and with her head buried in Galinda’s neck. She stroked their hair, whispering what she hoped were soothing words to them.

She had always wondered what Elphaba’s hair felt like from the moment she first saw one of their videos. She didn’t know what she had been expecting, but Elphaba’s hair was soft and it was easy to run her fingers through the strands.

It wasn’t long before Elphaba pulled away, immediately turning away from Galinda. But she was having none of it. She cupped Elphaba’s face gently and forced them to look at her.

Elphaba, surprisingly, hadn’t really cried much. But they had a little, enough that Galinda could see burn marks near their eyes. Their eyes were filled with unshed tears.

Galinda thought she had seen them vulnerable earlier. But that was nothing compared to this.

Carefully, with the lightest touch, Galinda brushed their tears away. Her eyes scanned over Elphaba’s face. She’d never really looked this closely before. Their eyes, still shining with tears, had never looked so brown before now.

“This was a terrible idea.” Elphaba looked away.

“Hey, wait, no. Listen, those are just two jerks—”

“Two jerks among a crowd of thousands. This entire thing was a terrible idea. I shouldn’t have come here. This is only the start - things are going to get worse.”

“No. No, they’re not because I’m not going to let them. I’m not leaving you out of my sight for as long as I can help it. I will make sure you are respected and I won’t let anyone say such awful things about you. You don’t deserve them.” Galinda tilted Elphaba’s head so they looked at her again. Even she was aware of the fiery passion in her eyes, and it seemed Elphaba had picked up on it as well because they let out a sigh.

“Alright...alright. Don’t let me hold you back from enjoying the con, though.”

“I’ll always enjoy it if I’m with you.”

That caused Elphaba to smile, even if it was a small one. Galinda stood and held her hand out for Elphaba to take. She helped pull them up and smiled at them. Elphaba’s smile grew a little bigger.

“Now, are you ready to tackle this con? They won’t know what hit them!”

A slight chuckle escaped Elphaba and Galinda positively beamed at that. “A makeup artist and a ranter. What a pair we make.”

“The best pair.” Galinda grabbed Elphaba’s hand again and lightly squeezed it. “Let’s do this.”

Chapter Text

Galinda and Elphaba were lucky enough to have gotten rooms in an apartment that was so close to where the con was being held, they could just walk there. Parking this late would have probably been a nightmare given how packed it was already. But all they had to do was stroll over, show their badges which were clipped to a lanyard, and they were in.

Well, it was more than just a stroll. They were close enough to walk, but it was honestly pushing it, especially in the July heat.

The two arrived a little after the doors opened, so they didn’t have to wait in too long a line. And as soon as they got inside, both found themselves looking around with wide eyes.

Despite having only opened not long prior, it was already crowded. There were so many people - YouTubers and fans alike. And there were so many places to go and so much to do.

“Where do we even start?” Galinda breathed out.

“We pick one side and we make our way through?”

“Works for me.” Galinda grabbed Elphaba’s hand and led them to the edge.

In such a crowded place, Galinda knew they were still getting stares. Elphaba, especially. And she knew they felt them too. Every time someone looked at them strangely, or twisted their bodies just right so they wouldn’t touch Elphaba, Galinda squeezed their hand and glared at the person, just as she had promised she would do.

And then there were other stares. Stares that took her a bit to recognize, at least until a couple approached them.

They were young, perhaps a few years younger than she and Elphaba. One of them had blonde hair and the other had brown. And they were both staring at them with wide eyes.

At first, Galinda had been fully prepared to tell them off for staring when she realized they were staring at her, too. And not just in disgust and wondering why she was with Elphaba. Rather, these looks were…

“Elphaba?” the blonde-haired girl asked, her eyes wide in...wonder? Galinda blinked. And it seemed like Elphaba had been thrown completely off-guard, too.

“Wh...uh. Yeah..,” they started, cautious.

“I love your videos! I make sure to watch them as soon as they come out. I love your passion for these things, too. It’s definitely something we should all be thinking about!” The girl’s eyes seemed to be shining as she grinned up at Elphaba. Elphaba still seemed stunned. Galinda rolled her eyes at them and jabbed their side with her elbow.

“Ow!” They glared at Galinda who just looked away innocently. “Um…” They turned back to the girl. “Thanks…? Uh…” They fumbled around as they realized they didn’t know her name.

“I’m Emma, and this is my girlfriend Alyssa,” she pointed to the girl beside her who gave a little wave. “I have a YouTube account, just my name, Emma Nolan, and I play the guitar and do covers. She likes to disturb me sometimes, though,” Emma chuckled, grinning over at Alyssa who just smiled innocently back. “And she’s a big fan of you, Galinda.”

Galinda’s eyes lit up. She’d met a few people who knew of her channel, but it happened so rarely that it was always a treat when it did. “Really?”

“Yeah! I’ve only recently discovered your channel, but I really love it. Both the makeup and art videos.” Alyssa grinned up at her. Galinda smiled back.

“Really? The art videos don’t get as many views...I’m not even sure if I should keep doing them.”

“Are you kidding me?” Galinda looked up and saw Elphaba staring at her. She felt a blush bloom across her cheeks at the look in their eyes. “Those videos are your best ones. I love them. Who cares if they don’t get a lot of views? You love doing them, don’t you?”

“Well...yeah—”

“Then keep doing them.”

Galinda stared at Elphaba. She didn’t think they cared so much about her videos. But looking at them - and at Emma and Alyssa - she came to realize they all did care. “Ok. I will.”

“Good.”

“Y’know, I had no idea you two were friends. Are you two gonna do a collab together?” Emma asked.

Galinda glanced at Elphaba. Just a day ago, she wouldn’t have considered them a friend. But after everything they’ve been through, even just today…She could definitely consider them as such. “Yup!” She grabbed their hand, having dropped it earlier, and kissed it. She didn’t know what had compelled her to do that. She also didn’t notice the dark green blush forming on Elphaba’s cheeks, though she did notice Emma and Alyssa glance at each other, both trying to not laugh.

“I’m not sure if we’re going to do a collab together. I’m not sure what we could do,” Elphaba piped in, looking over at Galinda.

Galinda hummed and moved behind Elphaba, dropping their hand. Elphaba turned to her, wondering what she was doing, only to jump slightly as she rested her hands on their shoulder, leaning over slightly so she could rest her head on her arms.

“We’ll figure something out, I’m sure.”

She could feel Elphaba tense beneath her but thought nothing of it. They were the perfect height for this - Galinda could easily rest her head and didn’t have to stretch far or anything. It was nice.

“Anyway,” Emma started, still trying not to laugh. “We should get going. It was amazing seeing you two!” They all waved goodbye and Emma and Alyssa headed off.

“They were nice,” Galinda commented, still leaning on Elphaba’s shoulder.

“...Yeah. Why are you...on my shoulder?”

“Oh. Sorry.” Galinda steps away, removing her arms from Elphaba’s shoulders. The two are quiet for a bit before she speaks up. “So...where to next?”

Elphaba looked around. They weren’t even halfway through looking over everything. “I guess we just continue?”

“Sounds good to me!”

The two continued looking through the different booths and everything else at the con. By the time they had seen everything, it was late and they were both tired. Galinda had a panel the next day, and while she wouldn’t admit it, she was very nervous. She’d be with two other makeup artists, both of which had a much bigger following than her. It would be great publicity, but if she messed up or said something wrong…

“Hey,” Elphaba said to her as they walked back to the hotel. “You okay? You got quiet all of a sudden.”

Galinda blinked. She realized Elphaba was right - she hadn’t said anything during their walk back. “Yeah, sorry. Just thinking about the panel tomorrow.”

“You’re going to do just fine. I know it. You’ve got this.” They paused and turned to Galinda, looking down at her. She stopped and looked up at them, smiling a little at their encouraging words.

“Yeah? You think so?”

“Of course. You’re Galinda Upland. You could do anything you put your mind to. Such as killing it at this panel.” Galinda’s smile grew until she was full-on grinning.

“Thanks. You’re gonna do great on your panel too.” She knocked her shoulder against Elphaba’s as they continued walking. They had reached the hotel and went into the elevator.

“Or I’ll just upset everyone and be forced to leave,” they grumbled.

“You’re not the only one with those opinions, y’know.”

“It sure feels like it sometimes,” Elphaba says as they pass by a group of people when they get out of the elevator and head over to their rooms.

“Well, you’re not. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have so many subscribers. Not all of them are there just because of your green skin or to make fun of you. There’s Emma. She genuinely liked your videos, and she’s not the only one.” Galinda stopped and turned to Elphaba as they reached their rooms. Elphaba still looked unconvinced.

“I don’t know…”

“Elphaba.” Galinda reached up and cupped their face. They stared down at her, surprised. “You are going to be great. You’ll go up there and you’ll wow everyone with your knowledge on these topics. And everyone will be impressed and they’ll find your YouTube account and they’ll subscribe and it’ll be great.”

As Elphaba stared down at her, smiling slightly, Galinda realized just how close she had gotten to Elphaba. Their faces weren’t far from each other. In fact, she could feel Elphaba’s breath against her lips as they chuckled slightly. Galinda found her eyes drawn to their lips, and suddenly it felt like she wasn’t breathing.

Elphaba opened their mouth to say something but it died on their tongue. Galinda swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. She could feel herself leaning in - was this really happening? - when Elphaba shifted slightly and she pulled back immediately, her face flushing. They cleared their throat while she tried to get her bearings and wrap her head around what she almost did.

“I, uh...I’ll see you...tomorrow? Yeah. Got that panel and we can...walk around some more...um. Seeya tomorrow,” she stuttered nervously before smiling nervously at Elphaba and quickly going into her room, fumbling with the key a little before she succeeded and closed the door behind her, leaning against it.

What the fuck just happened?