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Elphaba hadn’t expected to be suddenly kissed by Galinda — but it seems Galinda didn’t expect it either, despite her being the one who had done it.
Conversation in the girls’ dorm had been going as usual. Surprisingly to Galinda and maybe even to Elphaba herself, since becoming best friends, Elphaba always had a plethora of things to tell Galinda every day. Once classes, studying, homework, and maybe even some socializing had been wrapped for the day, the two would always retreat back to their dorm — sometimes together, sometimes apart — and indulge in conversation or simply enjoy one another’s presence.
Today had been like any other day. With both girls having already showered and gotten ready for bed, Elphaba sat criss-crossed on Galinda’s bed while Galinda sat across from her, criss-crossed as well. What hadn’t been planned was the relatively random peck that Galinda planted on her best friend’s lips. Once she pulled away rather quickly, Elphaba stayed still, awaiting an answer, an explanation, or anything to provide clarity for whatever just happened. Panicked, Galinda launched herself out of her own bed and began rushing towards the door of the shared room.
Out of concern, Elphaba stood up as well and followed Galinda to the door. Once she beat her to the door, she pushed her own body in between Galinda and the door to prevent her from making the escape that she looked so desperate to make.
“Galinda where are you-”
“No, no, no, Elphie! Please let me leave. I’m sorry and it was a mistake and I need air, please I promise I won-”
“Galinda, you don’t have to leave the room. It’s fine-”
“Fine? You call this fine? Goodness, Elphie. Momsie and Popsicle would absolutely kill me if they found out that I- I…. Oz!”
Looking closer at Galinda, Elphaba noticed the streams of tears running down the girl’s face. Was kissing her that disgustifying that it made Galinda cry? She placed her arms on the crying girl’s shoulders, making her best attempt to calm or ground her.
“Hey…”
Galinda refocused her gaze from the floor back to Elphaba’s face. Elphaba continued, seeing she had her attention.
“Why are you crying?”
“Because,” she said between sobs, “it’s wrong,” another sob.
Elphaba looked down to her own feet in shame. Of course, she thought. She knew she’d been too undesirable for anyone to be attracted to her, let alone kiss her.
Galinda could already see the gears in Elphaba’s head shifting in the absolute wrong direction.
“Oh wait! Elphie, no.”
“What?”
“It’s not wrong that it was you. I didn’t mean for it to sound that way. I’m sure some lovely boy would love to have you. But I’m not supposed to do things like that with-” more tears continued to stream from her eyes.
As if having a sudden realization, and perhaps she was, Elphaba’s eyes widened. “Is it because I’m,” her voice softened to a whisper, “a girl?”
Hearing the reality of what she had just done be said aloud, Galinda broke into a fit of uncontrollable sobs. Finally having an understanding of the dismay, Elphaba wrapped her arms around her hysterical best friend. “Oh, Galinda.”
Galinda continued to cry into Elphaba’s shirt, not caring about the tear stains she was possibly covering it in. Afterall, she was sure that Elphaba didn’t mind either. Using one hand to slowly caress Galinda’s back, Elphaba spoke softly.
“You know, it’s okay y’know? If you’re attracted to-”
Galinda almost violently removed herself from Elphaba’s arms and began to storm back to her bed. “Stop it, Elphie! Please, for the life of me do not finish that sentence!” She roughly slumped her body on the floor next to her bed. “I am perfectly normal!”
Elphaba sighed, slowly making her way to the girl, hoping not to provoke her even more. Once crossing back over into Galinda’s side of the room she made herself comfortable on the floor next to her.
“Galinda, it is perfectly normal to be attracted to-”
“I told you to not finish that sentence! And it doesn’t matter if it’s normal or not, because I’m normal and I like men. It was just a mistake. I acted before thinking.”
“Well when you say that you’re normal for being attracted to men, it insinuates that you think that-”
“It’s not normal, Elphie! Okay? I mean, I of course don’t care of what other people do, but I don’t live that type of lifestyle. It’s dirty. Again, it was just a mistake. Oz, you don’t even understand what my parents would think if they found out I did something so low and foolish.”
For a moment, Elphaba just looked down to the ground, trying to rid her chest of all the hurt it had just endured.
“You know Galinda, I’ve never talked about this with anyone and I don’t even think that I should tell you, considering that I know what type of person you are now.”
Galinda gasped. “What-”
“Let me finish, please. But the things you’re saying are really hurtful, Galinda. Especially as someone who is attracted to women.”
Galinda’s heart dropped. “Elphie-”
“Please, I can’t bear hearing you call my ‘lifestyle’ dirty again.” She emphasized with airquotes.
“No, I wasn't going to say that. I’m sorry Elphie, I am. But you have to understand! The Unnamed God strictly forbids such… habits. I don’t care that you are… that way, but there is still time for you to be the right way! And again, Momsie and P-”
This time, Elphaba very intentionally puts space between herself and Galinda. She didn’t imagine that there’d be a day that her roommate and best friend spat such nasty commentary her way.
“I don’t need you to try to change or convert me! Just because you are finding out that you aren’t the perfect straight girl you aspire to be, does not mean that I’m willing to suppress my identity the way that you clearly plan on doing!”
The air was still. Neither girl moved or said anything. The deafening silence was soon broken by another one of Galinda’s sobs. This time, she fully let her body slump into Elphaba’s lap, seemingly no longer having the strength to hold herself up. Elphaba watched as emotion overtook the girl’s body. There was a comfortable weight in her lap, in addition to the slight bounce of Galinda’s shoulders with each cry.
Softly, “I’m sorry,” Galinda said. Elphaba barely heard her due to her face still being buried in her lap. She softly rubbed her friend’s back as she cried.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. You’ll figure everything out one day.”
Galinda suddenly sat up, scooting over slightly to close the small distance that Elphaba had previously created between them.
“I don’t… I don’t need to figure anything out.”
“Galinda, I understand that it can be hard, especially with expectations from your parents, but what matters is that you’re happy, and living an unfulfilled life just to satisfy others won’t get you far.”
“You’re so smart, Elphie.” Galinda attempted to soften the mood. Both girls exchanged a small laugh.
“But, I don’t need to figure anything out because I know.” She sniffled and wiped her face of tears.
Elphaba looked at Galinda intently, but stayed quiet, letting the girl get out everything that she needed to without interruption. Galinda released a heavy sigh before continuing.
“I think that deep down, I’ve known for a while now. But I knew for certain when…” she paused, not sure if she was ready to admit the next part aloud. Certainly, that would make it a thing that she would now have to face head on.
“When-” another sigh. “I knew what I wanted when I saw you. Oh my Oz!” Galinda turned her body away from Elphaba, hiding her face in… embarrassment? Shame?
Elphaba leaned over slightly to grab Galinda’s shoulders and softly and slowly turned her back around to face her again.
“Galinda?”
Galinda covered her face with both her hands. Elphaba grabbed them and moved them.
“Galinda? Stop hiding please, it’s okay.”
“Stop saying that it’s okay when it’s not! I’m scared, Elphie. I’m so scared. I don’t think I can ignore it anymore, but I still want to be good! I want Momsie and Popsicle to love me! I want to be guaranteed comfort in the afterlife! I don’t want to live in sin but also, I want to so badly. When I kissed you, Elphie, I know it was wrong. I know it was wrong. But I can’t help feeling that it felt so right.”
Galinda’s eyes were red now. Elphaba grabbed Galinda’s hand with both her hands. “That’s because there is nothing wrong about what you did.”
“To you.”
Elphaba silently nodded, taking note that it would be hard to change Galinda’s mind this way. She placed both her hands on the sides of Galinda’s face and scooted even closer. It wasn’t much closer that they could get to one another, but they would always find a way.
She leaned forward slowly, watching Galinda’s breath quicken as her eyes widened. Gently, she pressed a kiss to Galinda’s cheek, pulling back to see the reaction of her friend. Elphaba felt the blush of Galinda’s skin beneath her hands. Galinda’s heart was racing.
“Does this feel wrong?” Elphaba asked.
Nervous and practically in a daze, Galinda’s eyes remained wide as ever, gazing deeply into Elphaba’s eyes. All she had to offer was a small shake of her head to say ‘no’ to Elphaba. Elphaba suppressed her laugh at Galinda’s current state.
Again, Elphaba slowly leaned back into the blonde’s space, now pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose. Galinda’s lips curved into a soft smile.
“That okay?”
Galinda nodded once again almost mindlessly, no words to offer. Elphaba smiled at the girl. She leaned in for a third time, pressing her lips to the corner of Galinda’s smile. Not wanting to push Galinda into something she wasn’t comfortable with, she backed away again, gauging the girl’s reactions.
“Does it feel wrong, now?”
Galinda’s soft smile grew ever bigger. So beautiful, Elphaba thought. Galinda shook her head ‘no’ again.
Elphaba inched closer to Galinda once again, hopefully not for the last time, but maybe it would be. She stopped before their faces could meet and looked to Galinda for permission. With a small nod of the head from Galinda, Elphaba moved to close the distance between their lips. More intentional and deliberate than their first kiss, they stayed pressed together for a little while longer. Almost losing herself in Elphaba, Galinda pressed deeper into the kiss not only with her mouth, but with her entire body, drawing a muffled and almost whimper-like sound from Elphaba. Immediately, Elphaba broke the kiss, breathing heavily.
“Wow, Miss Galinda. I don’t think that you believe that this is as wrong as other people tell you to believe.” Elphaba said with the slightest smirk on her lips.
Galinda laughed slightly, but she was more focused on getting more kisses from Elphaba. Without responding, she reached out for Elphaba’s face, trying to pull herself back into her. Elphaba reached out to grab Galinda’s hands before she could do anything.
“Elphieeeee!” Galinda pouted.
“Oh she speaks!” Elphaba teased. Galinda scoffed at the girl’s remarks. “No way you went from calling liking girls dirty to wanting to shove your tongue in my mouth in a span of twenty minutes!”
“Hmph!” Galinda crossed her arms once again.
“So now you’re going to throw another tantrum?”
“Yes Elphie, your absolute refusal to kiss me is putting me in an upsetting mood!”
“I want to kiss you again, trust me I do. But I’m not sure it’s the best idea considering that you, just twenty minutes ago, went on and on about how you couldn’t be anything other than ‘normal.’ I think I should give you some space to figure out what you truly want and who you truly are before we just start kissing all the time.” Elphaba didn’t want to turn Galinda down, but she felt it was the healthiest option.
“You plan on kissing me all the time?” Galinda smiled and fluttered her eyelashes, seemingly dismissing everything else that Elphaba said.
“Galinda.” Elphaba sighed, trying to keep her face as serious looking as possible. “Of course. One day when you figure everything out and if you decide that you want… something with me, then of course I’d want that too.”
“Now Elphie, before, I’d thought you were a pretty good listener, but maybe not. But I do recall telling you that there was nothing that I needed to figure out.” Galinda eyed her.
“Well, while that may be true, you still need to accept yourself before rushing into things.”
Galinda huffed. Why must Elphaba take every single situation so seriously!
“Fine! I’m gay and I’m proud! I’ll announce it to the halls! I want to kiss and touch you and I want you to kiss and touch me! Please just please start kissing me again Elphie! I can’t bear this any longer, would you please just-”
Elphaba cut her off by pressing a firm kiss directly on her lips. “Oz, you talk a lot.”
Galinda shrugged with a smile. “But I get what I want!” Galinda reached out to grab the back of Elphaba’s neck and pull her in for another kiss. Once they pulled away, Elphaba’s eyebrows furrowed.
“Wait, you said that you wanted to… touch me?”
“Absolutely. But I also said that I wanted you to touch me too! Details, Elphie.”
“Yes but, what do you mean by that?”
“You know exactly what I mean.” Elphaba’s eyes flew open and Galinda only laughed. “Only when you’re ready, of course.”