Chapter Text
Glinda's fingers were gliding across the keyboard, rapidly typing up the next paragraph, pausing only to adjust her glasses. She wanted to quickly get her thoughts down for the next article she was writing before she lost her train of thought.
She was just diving into the heart of the article, discussing the lingering effects of the wizard's absence, when she felt a gentle but firm tap on her shoulder.
“Good work on the new Supergirl article Upland! I can’t believe you managed to get an actual statement from her about the crisis in Winkie County” Glindas boss, Dillamond, praised.
“Well, what can I say? She opens up to me.” Glinda grinned.
Elphaba, who sat across from Glinda, couldn’t help but scoff at this response.
Glinda's grin only widened.
“Got something to say, Miss Thropp?” Glinda challenged with a gleam in her eye.
They were both aware of Dillamond’s presence still in the room.
So Elphaba plastered on a polite smile and said “Nothing at all, Glinda. Just clearing my throat.”
“Hmm,” Glinda responded.
Dillamond curiously glanced between the two women, which they were too busy staring at each other to notice.
“Right, well… Elphaba I need the new history segment piece on my desk by end of day, I want to run it by tomorrow morning,” Dillamond said as he walked off briskly.
Once he was out of sight, Elphaba locked eyes with Glinda, tilted her head to the dingy supply closet down the hall and mouthed ‘let’s talk.’
She then got up and casually walked in that direction, not looking back once, trusting Glinda to follow.
Glinda, giddy at the prospect of being alone with the older woman in the cramped space, followed suit in a much less graceful manner.
“Hi,” Glinda whispered once the door was closed.
“Hi,” Elphaba responded shyly.
The small closet, packed with unopened stationery on the shelves; the broken-down printer in the corner and the dingy, flickering bulb overhead, was quickly becoming a regular meetup spot for the girls.
Not that either of them minded, of course. There was a certain thrill at the prospect of being caught at any second in the space together.
Glinda took advantage of the small space and slowly leaned into Elphaba, who was leaning against the dusty printer.
She let her eyes rake over her, appreciating how her girlfriend looked in her white dress shirt. Her sleeves rolled up halfway, exposing her toned forearms.
Oz, Glinda thought she’d never get over Elphaba’s arms. Funny, coming from someone who could lift a car without breaking a sweat.
When she finally returned to Elphaba’s face, she was met with raised eyebrows and a knowing smirk, like she knew exactly where the blonde's mind went.
Glinda blushed lightly and, desperate to wipe that smirk away, laced their fingers together, leaned in and just when their lips were brushing…
“Glinda, I think you need to be more careful with these ‘Supergirl’ interviews,” Elphaba said, gently leaning her head back slightly.
Glinda groaned and dropped her forehead to Elphaba’s shoulders.
“It’s starting to look suspicious that you’re the only one getting interviews,” Elphaba said casually. “Well, it’s not just me,” Glinda protested.
“I let you interview her sometimes too. Although… not all of those were exactly professional settings.”
She winked.
Elphaba gave her a flat, unimpressed look.
Glinda sighed and stood a little closer to the woman. She laced their fingers together and really looked at Elphaba.
She saw the crease between her eyebrows. Her eyes, normally so sharp, had shifted into something more raw, more vulnerable.
At that moment, Glinda understood that Elphaba wasn’t annoyed. She was worried - for her. The threat of Glinda's real identity being revealed and manipulated in a way to truly hurt her would be too much for Elphaba.
The familiar guilt of being the cause of Elphaba's worry, once again, clawed its way to Glinda's heart. She pushed it down before it could manifest itself.
“Elphie, my love,” Glinda said softly,
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realise how reckless I was being. I guess I just got a little carried away with the fun of it all. But I’ll be more cautious, pull back a bit on the interviews.”
“That’s all I want my sweet,” Elphaba responded lovingly, with that small smile that Glinda loved so much.
But then Elphaba looked down at their linked hands, her face downcast. “I just worry that one day, someone will make that connection. Then someone worse will use it to their advantage and then… you’re not invincible Glinda, no matter how much you act like it.” Elphaba said, looking up with worry etched across her features.
“I know. I’ll be better” Glinda reassured, wrapping her arms around Elphie and rubbing soothing circles along her back. She felt Elphaba lean her cheek on her shoulder in response.
“How about we get out of here before the others become suspicious?” Glinda offered, taking a step back.
“Pretty sure they already are, love” Elphie said with a small chuckle.
“Well then I guess a couple more minutes in here won’t hurt…” Glinda said while leaning forward to capture Elphaba's lips in a searing kiss.
***
“I mean, how dumb do they think we are?” Fiyero mused as he glanced at the empty desks of his two friends.
The pair had been gone for at least fifteen minutes, and the newsroom was starting to take bets on the excuse they’d come up with this time.
“I’ve got twenty on Elphaba scowling and telling us to mind our own business.” Boq wagered.
“You can’t bet on something that’s guaranteed.” Pfannee teased.
Just as the boys were starting to argue amongst themselves and crowd around each other, the girls strolled back into the area.
“What’s going on here?” Glinda asked innocently, eyes flitting between the boys.
The three of them spun around like schoolboys caught in a prank, all of them sporting sheepish grins.
“I could ask the same thing of you.” Pfannee shot, his eyes narrowing in on the ladies.
Both women looked slightly flushed, lips swollen, Elphaba’s collar was askew and Glinda’s lipstick was smudged. They both looked very much not like they had been working…
“Oh hush” Glinda said, blushing, waving her hand dismissively.