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Galinda always insists on reading by lamplight, even when Elphaba grumbles that it’s inefficient and terrible for the eyes. But for once, Elphaba doesn't argue-Galinda looks so determined, curled up on her side of the couch with a thick quilt tucked around her legs, and Elphaba’s too exhausted to summon her usual sharpness. They’ve been poring over lecture notes and assigned readings all day, and Galinda’s rare moments of studious focus are fleeting enough to feel like a miracle. Elphaba’s learned not to interrupt miracles.
“Alright, fine,” Elphaba had muttered earlier, settling beside Galinda and propping her own book on her knees. The corner of Galinda’s mouth had tilted up, smug but soft, and that look alone had been worth the compromise.
Hours pass. The notes blur together, the sentences tangle, and Elphaba finds herself reading the same paragraph three times before it finally sticks. Beside her, Galinda’s head starts to dip, her eyelids fluttering, though she stubbornly keeps her book open. It’s a textbook, Elphaba notes with surprise, and not even a particularly glamorous one-a manual on botanical classification. The sight of Galinda Upland, the shimmering queen of Shiz, struggling to stay awake over such a dry subject is, Elphaba thinks, oddly endearing.
She doesn’t realize how late it is until Galinda’s shoulder bumps against hers. It’s light at first, just a graze, but then Galinda leans fully into her side with a soft, contented sigh. Elphaba stiffens, her breath catching. She stays frozen for a moment, wondering if she should nudge Galinda awake, but… it’s not terrible. It’s not terrible at all. She sits there, rigid and uncertain, while Galinda’s breathing evens out, her golden curls tickling Elphaba’s neck. And then, against all reason, Elphaba’s own eyes start to close.
When she wakes up, the room is dark except for the faint glow of the lamp. Her neck aches from the odd angle she’s been holding it at, and her book has slipped from her lap to the floor. It takes a moment for her groggy brain to register the warmth pressed against her side, and when it does, panic flares.
Galinda is still asleep, her cheek pressed against Elphaba’s shoulder, her hand loosely clutching the edge of the quilt. Her face is unguarded in sleep, all the tension melted away, and Elphaba finds herself staring before she can think better of it. But then her heart lurches, and she blurts, “Why are you sleeping on me?”
Galinda stirs, frowning, and lets out a groggy groan. “Because I like you, you idiot.”
Elphaba goes utterly still.
Galinda’s eyes remain closed, her voice muffled and thick with sleep. She shifts slightly, tucking her head further into the crook of Elphaba’s neck. “Don’t shout,” she mumbles. “‘S too loud.”
Elphaba’s heart is hammering now, so hard it feels like it might escape her chest. Surely Galinda doesn’t mean it. Surely she’s just sleep-talking, her brain too muddled to realize what she’s saying. “Galinda,” she says, her voice a little too sharp, “you’re half-asleep. You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“Oh, Elphie, don’t be stupid,” Galinda grumbles, her words slurring. “Lemme sleep. You’re warm.”
Warm. Elphaba blinks, her panic momentarily derailed by the sheer absurdity of it. She’s spent her entire life being called sharp, cold, abrasive. Not warm. Certainly not warm enough for Galinda Upland to… well, whatever this is.
“Galinda,” Elphaba says again, and this time her voice wavers. But Galinda doesn’t respond. She’s gone quiet and still, her breathing slow and steady once more. Elphaba stays frozen for a long time, unsure of what to do, unsure of what any of this means.
Eventually, she decides to let it go. If she moves, she’ll wake Galinda, and Elphaba’s not sure she can survive the mortification of explaining any of this. So she stays where she is, stiff and bewildered, while Galinda’s soft warmth seeps into her side.
And maybe, just maybe, she lets herself relax-just a little. The night is still and quiet, and for once, Elphaba doesn’t feel like she’s running out of time.
Galinda wakes slowly, her mind foggy and her body heavy with the warmth of sleep. She’s cocooned in something soft, something solid, and… someone?
Her eyes flutter open, and it takes her a moment to process the sight before her. She’s nestled against Elphaba, her head tucked into the crook of the other girl’s neck. The realization hits like a lightning bolt, and she feels her face grow hot as fragments of memory filter through her hazy mind.
Because I like you, you idiot.
Oh no. Oh no, no, no.
Galinda’s breath catches in her throat as she stares up at Elphaba’s face, relaxed with sleep. If Elphaba hasn’t already shoved her off… maybe she didn’t hate it. Maybe she didn’t mind. Maybe… maybe she even reciprocates.
The thought is terrifying and thrilling all at once. Galinda’s heart pounds as she dares to inch a little closer, just enough to confirm what she already knows: Elphaba hasn’t pushed her away. Elphaba hasn’t woken her with a sharp glare or a cutting remark. Instead, she’s stayed right here, steady and solid and warm, as if… as if she doesn’t entirely hate this.
Galinda’s breath hitches, and that’s when Elphaba stirs. Her brow furrows, her lips part, and her sharp green eyes blink open to meet Galinda’s wide, panicked gaze.
“Galinda?” Elphaba’s voice is low and groggy, and the sound of it sends a shiver down Galinda’s spine.
“Good morning!” Galinda blurts, her voice an octave too high. She forces a bright smile, but her heart feels like it might burst right out of her chest.
Elphaba’s eyes narrow, her gaze flicking between Galinda’s face and their precariously close position. “What… are you doing?”
“Oh, you know,” Galinda says, attempting a breezy laugh and failing miserably. “Just… resting.”
Elphaba’s expression is unreadable, and for a moment Galinda is certain she’s going to pull away, to snap some cutting remark that will shatter this fragile, dizzying moment. But then Elphaba sighs, shaking her head slightly, and… stays.
Galinda’s heart stutters. Maybe, just maybe, she hadn’t been entirely wrong.
Before Galinda can decide what to say next, there’s a sudden knock at the door. The sharp sound makes her jump, and she scrambles to her feet in a flurry of motion,she can’t help the flicker of disappointment that flashes through her. “I’ll get it!” she blurts, her voice a little too loud, a little too eager.
Elphaba watches her with an expression that borders on amusement, but she says nothing as Galinda hurries to the door.
When Galinda opens it, the hallway is empty. No visitors, no explanation. She stands there for a moment, staring at the vacant corridor, the faint echoes of her panicked thoughts filling the silence. Then, realizing the interruption was a false alarm, she slowly closes the door and turns back toward the couch.
Elphaba is still sitting there, her book forgotten in her lap. She looks up as Galinda hesitates near the door, her expression curious but guarded.
“No one there,” Galinda says, a little too quickly, before retreating to her spot beside Elphaba. She sits stiffly, hands clasped in her lap, her earlier boldness all but evaporated.
Elphaba’s gaze lingers on Galinda, her brow faintly furrowed as she asks, “Did you sleep comfortably?”
Galinda’s heart jumps into her throat, caught off guard by the question. She hesitates, then answers absentmindedly, “Oh, yes! You were very comfortable.”
The words hang in the air, and Galinda’s eyes widen in horror as she realizes what she’s just said. “No!” she blurts, her hands flailing slightly in her panic. “I mean-I mean I was comfortable. Just, you know, in general! Not… you specifically.”
Her cheeks burn crimson as she clamps her mouth shut, mortified. She glances nervously at Elphaba, half-expecting a sharp retort or an incredulous stare.
Elphaba’s expression, however, is unreadable. Her lips press together, and there’s the faintest twitch, like she’s holding back either a frown or a smile-it’s impossible to tell. After a moment, she simply nods, her tone measured as she replies, “Right. In general.”
The words sound neutral enough, but something in her eyes flickers, a brief flash of amusement-or something warmer?
Galinda groans internally, burying her face in her hands. “Just forget I said anything,” she mumbles, her voice muffled.
“Already forgotten,” Elphaba says smoothly, though the subtle quirk of her lips suggests otherwise.
Elphaba watches Galinda carefully, her expression still unreadable, before she leans back slightly and says, “There’s one thing I hope you haven’t forgotten, though.”
Galinda’s heart skips a beat, her mind already racing. She looks at Elphaba, trying to keep her composure, but the fluttering in her chest gives her away. “What do you mean?” she asks, forcing the words to come out casually even though her voice betrays her nervousness.
Elphaba doesn’t immediately answer, instead focusing on her book, though there’s a glint in her eyes as if she’s weighing the moment carefully. Finally, she says, her tone slow and deliberate, “You know… when you said, ‘I like you, you idiot.’ I hope you haven’t forgotten that.”
Galinda’s breath catches in her throat, and she immediately looks away, her cheeks flushing a deep red. “Oh, that,” she says quickly, trying to brush it off with a nervous laugh. “Well, I mean-maybe I meant I like it here. You know, here in general. In this room. With the books and the quiet and... not necessarily you... specifically, I mean. Not that I don't like you-just, uh, well, you know.”
Elphaba’s lips curl just slightly, as if she’s trying to suppress a smile. “It’d be fine if you didn’t mean it in general,” she says, her tone laced with an almost teasing note.
Galinda’s eyes widen, her mind desperately searching for a way to dig herself out of this mess. “Well, I didn’t!” she says, her words a little too sharp, too quick. “I mean, I didn’t mean it like that.”
A brief silence settles between them, thick with the weight of what’s been said, and then Elphaba leans forward slightly, her gaze softer now, though still intense. “Are you sure?” she asks, a hint of amusement in her voice, though it’s undercut by something else-something almost vulnerable. “Because if you did, well… I wouldn’t mind.”
Galinda looks at her in disbelief, her heart pounding in her chest. Her hands fidget nervously in her lap as she wrestles with the words that are stuck in her throat. She knows she’s the one who’s going to have to make the leap, but the thought of it makes her stomach churn.
Finally, her voice shakes as she blurts out, “Ugh, I’m sorry! I’m just… I’m like this.” She pauses, then forces herself to meet Elphaba’s gaze. “It’s just… I don’t want to ruin things with you. With other people, they automatically love me, you know? But I had to work so hard to get to this point with you, with us... and I didn’t want to risk it. I didn’t want to risk you.”
Elphaba watches Galinda’s frantic, fumbling words with a steady intensity, her gaze softening as she processes everything Galinda’s said. There’s a long pause between them, an electric silence that hums with unsaid things.
Galinda looks away for a moment, feeling her heart race in a way she doesn’t fully understand. She’s so used to controlling the situation, to being the one with all the answers, and yet in this moment, it’s all slipping from her grasp. Elphaba’s eyes stay fixed on her, but there’s something different there now-a warmth, something gentle and understanding. And yet, there’s something else too. Elphaba leans in just slightly, her expression unreadable for a heartbeat, but then she gives a small sigh, her lips pressing together like she’s about to say something.
Galinda waits, her breath catching, but instead of words, Elphaba leans in closer. Galinda’s heart stops for a second, and she feels the tension in the air-the shift, the decision.
But just as Elphaba’s lips are nearly within reach, her face suddenly contorts for the briefest of moments-like she’s working up the courage. It’s an odd expression, almost as if she’s second-guessing herself, unsure whether this is the right thing to do. Galinda’s heart thunders in her chest as she watches Elphaba battle with her own uncertainty, and then…
The hesitation vanishes. Elphaba closes the distance, her lips meeting Galinda’s in a soft, gentle kiss.
It’s quick, tentative at first but then the warmth of Elphaba’s presence pulls Galinda in, and she finds herself kissing back, her fingers trembling where they rest in her lap. It’s a soft and awkward thing, full of hesitation and hope, but when they pull apart, Galinda lets out a small, breathless laugh.
She looks at Elphaba with wide, slightly stunned eyes. “Well,” she says, the laugh still bubbling in her chest, “I didn’t quite know what was gonna happen there.”
Elphaba blinks, her breath still a little unsteady, and for a moment, she’s silent. Then, to Galinda’s surprise, she makes the strangest face-a furrow of her brow, her lips pressed tightly together in an expression of almost studious concentration, as if she’s carefully analyzing something. She looks like she’s about to say something deeply serious, but all Galinda can think is that she’s never seen her look quite like that.
Galinda bursts out laughing again, unable to contain it. “I thought you were about to bite my head off!” she exclaims, her voice full of light amusement as she points at Elphaba’s face. “You looked like you were considering the world’s most intense philosophical debate, not… well, that .”
Elphaba stares at her for a long moment, then her lips twitch as though she’s fighting a smile. “I… I haven’t exactly kissed anyone before,” she admits, her voice quiet and awkward, like she’s not sure whether to be embarrassed or relieved. “So… I suppose I needed a moment to process.”
Galinda blinks at her, then it clicks. The awkward, almost perplexed expression, the hesitation that lingered just before the kiss-it all makes sense now. “So you were trying to figure it out?” Galinda teases, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “Well, you did just fine, you know.”
Elphaba looks down briefly, clearly still a little self-conscious, but then she sighs and looks back up with that characteristic wryness. “I’ve read about it,” she says, as if that’s enough of an explanation. “You know, the mechanics of kissing. Biology .” Her lips curl into a dry smile, but there's still that underlying vulnerability, the admission that this whole experience is new to her, even if she’s read about it from a very academic perspective.
Galinda chuckles, her heart swelling as she looks at Elphaba with newfound affection. “Well, I didn’t know you were such a scholar of romance. Should’ve expected it from you,” she teases, her voice light and full of fondness. “But, honestly? You didn’t need any of those books. You’ve got a natural talent.”
Elphaba, not quite able to hide the small flush creeping up her cheeks, raises an eyebrow. “Natural, huh?” she asks, clearly unsure but intrigued.
Galinda grins. “Yep. I think you’re a pro, actually.”
“Hmm,” Elphaba murmurs, glancing away briefly. “Maybe... but I uh don’t think I’ve had enough practice yet.”
Galinda, still smiling, leans in a little closer, her gaze softening. “Oh, don’t worry, Elphie. I think we can work on that.” Her voice takes on a teasing edge, and her heart gives a little jump at the thought of what more could be in store for them.
Elphaba meets her gaze again, her own eyes flickering with a new kind of warmth, a light teasing in her expression. Before Galinda can react, though, she bursts out laughing again-more genuine this time. “I can’t believe I almost thought you were about to bite my head off. You made such a face before you kissed me.” Her voice is full of affection, and the laughter seems to dissolve some of the earlier tension.
Elphaba’s face softens at the sound of Galinda’s laugh, but she shakes her head, almost embarrassed. “It was more of a… moment of processing, I guess.”
Galinda tilts her head playfully, eyes sparkling. “A processing face? It looked more like you were trying to solve an equation.”
There’s a beat of silence as Elphaba’s eyes flicker with a mix of amusement and hesitation. “I suppose it was a little like that,” she murmurs.
Galinda, overcome by something she can’t quite describe-something warm and fuzzy that’s bubbling up inside her-grins suddenly, her eyes mischievous. Before Elphaba can react, Galinda leans in and, almost on impulse, bites lightly at the cheek closest to her, her teeth catching Elphaba’s soft skin in a playful, affectionate nip.
Elphaba freezes, her eyes wide in shock. “What… What are you doing?” she demands, though there’s a trace of amusement in her voice.
Galinda can’t help herself. She bites again-this time on the other cheek, her hands unable to stop their movements as she’s completely overwhelmed by something she can quite name. “You’re just too cute, Elphie,” she mutters between bites, her voice full of a mix of admiration and uncontained affection. “I can’t stand it.”
Elphaba, stunned and slightly flustered, pushes her hand up to her cheek where Galinda had just nipped. “You’re… you’re insane,” she says, though the word is softened with a sort of endearment, and there’s a small smile tugging at her lips as she shakes her head. “You’re impossible.”
But Galinda doesn’t stop, her grin widening as she bites one last time. “Just admit it,” she says, eyes dancing. “I’m adorable , and you can’t help but love it.”
Elphaba laughs quietly, her hands reaching up to gently hold Galinda’s shoulders, steadying her. “You’re lucky I’m not going to bite your head off,” she murmurs, her voice low and teasing now, with an unmistakable fondness.
“Mm,” Galinda hums, clearly satisfied with her antics. “Maybe I’ll test my luck with that later.”
Elphaba just shakes her head, a soft, genuine smile pulling at her lips. “You’re impossible.”