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The holiday was in full spring. Lights adorned every building around Shiz, wreaths decorated doorways and trees sparkled grandly in windows across the town. Glinda walked back from class arm in arm with Elphaba, positively giddy with holiday spirit.
Glinda loved everything about Christmas–the carols, the cocoa, the infectious joy that seemed to reach everybody. She gasped in delight as another strand of lights flickered to life, wrapping around the trunk of a grand oak. The colors danced against the fresh snow, and the sight sent a surge of happiness through her.
“Oh, isn’t it just beautiful Elphie?” She exclaimed, voice full of wonder.
Elphaba huffed. “A little too materialistic for my tastes.”
Glinda pinched Elphaba’s arm playfully. “Just because you’re green doesn’t mean you have to be such a Grinch about everything,” she teased.
Elphaba rolled her eyes, but Glinda could see the smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. “I bet the squirrels in that tree would agree with me, what with the light shining right into their home all night. Just a big cash grab, all of it.”
Glinda pulled back to protest, but a gust of wind hit her, sending her burrowing right back into Elphaba’s side. Elphaba chuckled and wrapped an arm around her, her coat draping over both of them to shield them from the cold.
For a moment, the world felt perfectly still. Elphaba’s quiet presence warmed Glinda, making everything feel just a little bit brighter.
At a fork in the path, Glinda suddenly tugged Elphaba to the side closer to the buildings, mumbling something about getting out of the wind.
This, of course, was a strategic move. Some students had hung sprigs of mistletoe in various places around campus, and it had been Glinda’s goal for the last week to catch Elphaba under one of them.
Ahead, a large archway loomed, the familiar spiky leaves hanging from the old stone like an invitation.
Glinda felt Elphaba stiffen, her eyes darting up to the mistletoe. Glinda tightened her grip on her arm, determined to get her closer, but Elphaba was already pulling away, her voice quick and distracted as she mumbled, “I think I left something in the library.”
Glinda opened her mouth to argue, but before she could, Elphaba shrugged off her coat, draping it across Glinda’s shoulders. “I’ll meet you back, okay?” Without waiting for a response, Elphaba spun on her heel and walked briskly back down the path.
Glinda hugged the coat tighter around herself, her heart sinking. Elphaba’s retreat stung, but she had been expecting it at least.
This is how it had been for the last week. Ever since Glinda had come up with a plan to finally kiss Elphaba, to show her how much she really cared for her, Elphaba had been pulling away.
Every time Glinda tried to steer Elphaba towards one of the mistletoe-laden spots, Elphaba found a way to dodge it, as if the very idea was some sort of trap she wouldn’t be caught in.
Deep down, Glinda knew this wasn’t about Christmas traditions or any superficial decorations. It was about something deeper, something real. Elphaba didn’t believe herself worthy of affection, something Glinda had discovered long ago. It hurt to be pushed away, but Glinda wouldn’t give up on her. Not until Elphaba could see how much she mattered to her.
Elphaba walked back home alone. Without her jacket, she was more exposed to the biting cold, but it was worth it to avoid whatever spectacle Glinda was planning to make of her.
She was certain the blonde meant well, but Elphaba didn’t take kindly to pity. That’s all this was, wasn’t it? Elphaba had admitted to never sharing a kiss with anyone and now Glinda was trying to fix that, like it was something broken that needed mending.
Surely Glinda heard the snickering that emerged whenever Elphaba was near one of those horrid plants. The childish smooching noises and loud laughter behind her back. Elphaba didn’t want to be kissed out of obligation to some stupid tradition. Especially by Glinda. Not when it would be so real to her.
Elphaba was fairly certain that what she felt for Glinda wasn’t just friendship. Glinda was stunningly beautiful, both inside and out. Elphaba flushed at the thought of Glinda in her oversized jacket right now, the sleeves a touch too long, hiding her delicate hands. The same hands that held Elphaba’s without shame. That had combed through her hair and mapped out worlds on her back.
And that was the problem, wasn’t it? Glinda was radiant, confident, and adored by everyone. She shouldn't have to kiss someone like Elphaba—someone so full of flaws. So Elphaba ran everytime Glinda tried to get her under that darned mistletoe. Anything to keep from dragging Glinda down, from seeing the pity in her eyes when she realized that Elphaba was a wreck that couldn't be salvaged.
By the time she got back to their room, Glinda had already prepared for bed. She was lying on her bed, propped up with some fashion magazine Elphaba didn’t recognize.
Elphaba paused in the doorway, watching her for a moment, her chest tight.
Glinda glanced up, smiling softly. “Did you find it?”
Elphaba blinked, her mind momentarily blank. “What?”
Glinda sat up, stretching. “The thing you went back for?”
“Oh–yeah, I did.” Elphaba felt her heart race for reasons she couldn’t explain, her words coming out awkwardly.
Glinda smiled again and nodded, turning back to her reading. Elphaba quickly moved to get ready for bed, her mind whirling. She joined Glinda in bed, trying to shake her lingering uncertainty.
Glinda shifted over to make room, grabbing her brush from the nightstand. Glinda brushed Elphaba’s hair with a practiced ease. She rambled on about her day, her friends, little things that never failed to make Elphaba smile.
It was soothing, and for a while, Elphaba let herself focus on the sound of Glinda’s voice, the warmth of her presence beside her. It always calmed her, always made the world feel a little lighter.
Eventually, Glinda set down the hairbrush and began combing through Elphaba’s hair with her fingers, her touch gentle, almost reverent.
“You’re so beautiful, you know that?” Glinda’s words were casual, but the sincerity behind them made Elphaba’s heart flutter. Her face flushed at the compliment.
She knew better than to argue about it with Glinda. Glinda was quite stubborn when it came to matters of beauty.
Glinda shifted beside her, her fingers ghosting Elphaba’s shoulder, tilting her chin up gently to meet her eyes. Elphaba’s stomach flipped, a rush of warmth flooding her chest.
Butterflies.
Glinda was kind of like a butterfly, colorful and bright, always drawing everyone’s attention. Elphaba considered herself more of a toad, the warty kind that everyone was scared to touch. She didn’t belong in the same world as Glinda, not really.
She must have been staring, because suddenly Glinda’s hand was waving in front of her face. Elphaba blinked, nodding. What was she agreeing to again? Glinda’s laughter filled the air, soft and melodic, and Elphaba couldn’t help but smile.
Glinda settled behind her once more to finish braiding her hair. When she was done, Elphaba hurried back to the safety of her own bed, pulling the covers up over her face to hide her blush. She felt giddy, more certain than ever that, for the better or worse, she was in love with Glinda Upland.
The next afternoon, Glinda stood on her tiptoes just inside the balcony door, adjusting the sprig of mistletoe hanging by a thread from the doorframe. She had spent weeks trying to coax Elphaba under a mistletoe, but today, as the afternoon light slanted across the room, Glinda was done waiting. If she had to drag Elphaba by the ear, so be it.
She was certain Elphaba liked her. She could tell by the way her cheeks flushed when Glinda complimented her or how she practically melted when Glinda wrapped her in a hug. Glinda had caught her staring more than once, eyes soft and faraway, the kind of gaze that made Glinda’s heart flutter every time.
And Glinda loved her, too. She had never felt so comfortable around someone else. Elphaba didn’t judge her for her looks or wealth, but for her mind. Just as gorgeous on the inside, Elphaba had told her once.
Thus her new plan formed. Trap Elphaba on the balcony with mistletoe. Force her hand a little. Today she would make Elphaba see that she wasn’t just trying to fulfill some silly holiday tradition.
When Elphaba finally closed her book, Glinda was ready. She rose from her bed, standing in the doorway to block Elphaba’s advance.
Elphaba raised an eyebrow, and Glinda tilted her head upwards, silently urging her to look at the mistletoe above them.
Now, Glinda thought, was the moment. Glinda had won their game of chase. Now Elphaba would look at her and smile and lean in and—
But instead, Elphaba froze, her expression a mix of confusion and discomfort. “Glinda, just move. Please.”
Glinda’s heart lurched painfully in her chest. Elphaba took a step back, her hands tightening around her book.
“I don’t understand?” Glinda whispered, her voice catching in her throat. Had she been reading Elphaba wrong this whole time? “I thought… I thought you wanted this too.” She hated how desperate she sounded.
Elphaba avoided her gaze, eyes flicking nervously to the ground. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, Glinda, but it’s not necessary.” Her voice was tight with something that sounded like shame.
Glinda stepped closer. “Elphie, I’m not doing this because I feel bad for you.” Glinda swallowed, reaching out a hand, but Elphaba took another step back. Glindas chest tightened. “Do you really think I’d do that?”
Elphaba’s eyes were filled with something raw—something old and painful that Glinda couldn’t make out. “Why else would you do this?”
The question knocked the air out of Glinda’s lungs. Elphaba really thought she was doing this out of pity. She felt the sharp sting of tears prickling the corners of her eyes, and she tilted her head up to keep them from falling.
"Elphaba, look at me," She whispered, stepping forward and gently cupping Elphaba’s face in her hand. She tilted Elphaba’s chin so their eyes met.
“Elphaba, I’m not kissing you out of pity.” Glinda said, voice filled with certainty. “I’m not kissing you because of some obligation you think I might have. I’m kissing you because I love you. Because I care about you more than I’ve ever cared about anyone. You’re not a burden to me. You’re everything.”
Elphaba blinked slowly, her eyes glistening with hope. Her lips parted, her breath shaky. Glinda pulled her closer, watching carefully. Elphaba gave a small nod, and Glinda leaned in.
The kiss was slow, tender, full of warmth and sincerity. Glinda heard the book hit the ground with a soft thud, then she felt Elphaba’s hands—hesitant at first—find their way to her waist, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss as the world seemed to stop.
When they finally broke apart, Elphaba pulled Glinda into a tight hug, resting her head on her shoulder. “Thank you.”
Glinda shook her head. “You have nothing to thank me for.” Her hands traveled up and down Elphaba’s back in slow, soothing motions. “I want this. I want you.”
She felt Elphaba smile against her neck. “I want you too,” she murmured, “I just– this is all so new to me.”
Glinda smiled softly, squeezing Elphaba tighter before pulling back. “We’ll take it slow. We don’t have to rush anything.”
Elphaba grinned shyly, her glasses askew, her hair slightly tussled. Glinda laughed, her heart swelling with affection. Gently, she straightened Elphaba’s glasses, her fingers lingering on the curve of Elphaba’s jaw. “You look beautiful,” she whispered.
Elphaba’s cheeks flushed a soft violet, the color deepening as she reached for Glinda’s hand, threading their fingers together. Glinda’s heart raced again. This wasn’t anything different, they held hands all the time. But it held something new now, something deeper.
Elphaba led her inside, closing the balcony doors behind them. Her eyes found the mistletoe above the door, but she made no move to take it down.
Instead, they sat on her bed, side by side. Glinda leaned against Elphaba, reaching behind her to undo her braid.
“Glinda?”
Glinda looked up, and Elphaba kissed her again. It was quick and gentle, but there was a new confidence behind it. She pulled back quickly, green cheeks flushed, smiling shyly again. “Maybe not all Christmas traditions are ridiculous.”
Glinda’s heart swelled, and she brushed her lips against Elphaba’s cheek before pulling her into a hug, holding her tightly again. “Not this one.”