Chapter Text
Laughter and melancholy cover the campus of Shiz the final night of the spring semester. A strange mixture of relief for making it through finals, eagerness for the long summer break and the dread that tomorrow morning will bring many miles between those that they have grown close to in the past year.
For three long, lonely months. He hasn’t even left, and already Fiyero can feel the ache building in his chest.
He knows he should be relieved, should be happy that he’s even able to return after the summer. It’s the longest he’s lasted at a school since he was 16. And he was when he got his final scores, realizing that not only did he earn the right to come back but, for the first time, he actually wants to. The reason for both is sitting across from him now, sending him an amused eye roll as Galinda once again launches into her busy summer schedule.
It had started with a group project with him, Galinda and Elphaba, soon after his arrival, when he had still thought of Elphaba as “the green girl”. He had tried his usual tactics to coast through it with the minimal amount of effort: flirting, joking and charm. Galinda was all too eager to indulge him, but Elphaba refused to work with either of them unless everyone put in equal effort. He tried to pull his weight at their level (well, Galinda’s level, no one can compete with Elphaba), but it was a history project. Which meant notes, silence and reading. Oh he tried to laugh it all off as part of his “dancing through life” motto, but it stung terribly to have his weakness exposed to his new girlfriend and the woman who, even then, he couldn’t seem to get out of his head.
There were group study sessions with Boq and Nessa after that, excuses really for them all to spend time together, as odd as their little group was. And because he truly liked and respected this new group of friends he found himself a part of, he didn’t try to distract them (much), and attempted to copy their methods of study. All that gave him was headaches and the greasy feeling of failure and shame in his stomach. Until one day, only he and Elphaba were at their usual Wednesday study session at the tennis court clearing. She had stopped being “the green girl” to him by then, but it still felt like she tolerated him only for the sake of Galinda. He was just as amused and intrigued by her as he was when they met in the woods that first night, so he didn’t mind her company. He had just smiled at her, said something lightly flirtatious that earned him a signature eye roll, and had settled back for what he was sure was going to be a relaxing nap. But then, Elphaba did something different than her usual silent note taking.
She started to read. Not from her textbook, but from his. And then she asked him questions, some obviously meant to see if he was paying attention, but others just asking what his thoughts were. He answered, couldn’t stop himself from responding to the earnestness in her eyes, the lack of judgement in her voice. He never moved from his sprawled position, in fact had kept his eyes closed for most of the afternoon. But he was focused on her words, her tone, on her. He hadn’t noticed when she had switched to his homework, didn’t see her start writing his responses down on a spare piece of paper. It was only after their usual two hours, when they were packing up for dinner and she handed him the papers with a soft “I’m usually in the library at one on Tuesdays. Everyone else has class.” that he realized what she had done. That night when he was alone in his room, he had gone over the papers, saw that they were his words and only his words (of course she wouldn’t correct his wrong answers), and he copied them down on the homework pages and turned them in.
That next Tuesday he found her at a table hidden in the back of the library, hunched over a book. Instead of a hello, he slid his assignment across to her as he took a seat. She didn’t look surprised at the B- on the top of the paper, just nodded as if it was exactly what she expected. She didn’t congratulate him, didn’t comment on the method he earned that grade, or ask if it was the first B he had gotten all semester (it was). She had just asked him if he had started the reading for their history essay, accepted his “nope”, and started to read. He wrote his answer down himself that time.
His grades improved, he started to actually enjoy his classes as he no longer felt like he was constantly behind or out of the loop. And though the bickering never truly ended between them, he and Elphaba started to actually talk. Quickly she stopped being just “the green girl” or “Galinda’s roommate”, but became his friend. She became Fae, a name he latched onto during a Linguification assignment about myths and legends of Gillikin, to her apparent annoyance (she never asked him to stop though). Tuesday afternoons extended to include Thursday mornings. It took until about two weeks before her invitation to the Emerald City for him to realize that Tuesdays and Thursdays were now his favorite days. It was then that he first started to think that maybe he should end things with Galinda. It took seeing her leave on the train to see the Wizard, of not knowing if she’d come back to stay or even at all, for him to work up the nerves to finally be honest. Not only with himself, but with Galinda, who took it much better than he feared.
Its then that the blonde’s bright voice breaks him out of his musing and back into the current conversation.
“Of course Popsicle will INSIST on taking us to the summer festival in the capital. We never miss it, its tradition! And it’s always at least a two-week affair. But oh, its such fun! So many dances! Oh please, Elphie, you have to come!” Galinda pleads, wrapping both arms around her green friend.
“I told you, I can’t,” Elphaba responded calmly, leaning into the hug slightly. “The Munchkinland mayors are coming to the estate next month. Father needs Nessa and I there to keep the house running while he’s hosting,”
Fiyero scoffs softly to himself. He knows damn well a governor is fully capable to hire enough help to run his home without the assistance of his daughter.
Nessa gives him a sharp look, lips pressed tightly. He blinks innocently at her, almost hoping she’ll challenge him on the subject. The more time he has spent with the Thropp sisters, the less he has liked Nessa and how she not only tolerates their father’s treatment of Elphaba, but also her own attitude towards her sister. The growing dislike seems to be mutual, becoming more pronounced since he broke up with Galinda in the beginning of fall. He’s not entirely sure why Nessa seemed to be the most bothered of their little group with the break up, Galinda herself was back on good terms with him within two weeks, but he doesn’t really care. He would ask Elphaba, but doesn’t want to open that can of worms, knowing how protective she is of her baby sister.
Not noticing the interaction, or choosing to ignore it, Elphaba continues. “Besides, we both know dances aren’t really my favorite thing to attend.”
“I know, but I’ll miss you,” Galinda sigh tearfully, looking around the table. “All of you. It’s going to be a long three months not being able to see or talk to you.”
Nessa and Boq mumble words of comfort to the blonde, but Fiyero doesn’t hear them. His attention is on Elphaba as she looks back at him, green eyes penetrating his soul. She looks almost as despondent as he feels. He tries to smile, but is sure he fails. But maybe not, as she smiles back. Its small and short, but it warms him just the same, all the way to his toes. All of her smiles do, have for months now. Since that embarrassing meeting in the woods, if he were to be truly honest with himself. He’s not sure how he’s going to cope without the warmth of those smiles, or her laugh, the way her voice gets higher when she’s speaking of something she’s passionate about. Hell, he’s even going to miss the way her eyes burn and her words turn sharp when he truly annoys her. He’s going to miss everything about her. She’s the most interesting person he’s ever met. His best friend. The woman he loves and adores with his entire being. Who will be on the completely opposite side of Oz for the whole summer.
Yeah. It was going be a very, very long three months.
The group of friends spend the last hours of daylight in the woods, playing a last round of tennis and just absorbing as much of their company as possible. But eventually the sky begins to darken, and they reluctantly pack up their supplies and make their way back to campus.
Once through the gates, Galinda turns to give Fiyero a hard hug goodbye, knowing she won’t see him again before he leaves in the morning, and then heads off to spend time with Pfanee and Shenshen. Boq leaves quickly after her, slapping Fiyero on the shoulder and telling the sister’s he’ll see them in Munckinland. Fiyero notices Nessa frowning after him; Elphaba does too, watching her sister with concern as they continue to walk together.
“I’ll see you in the morning, Fabala,” Nessa says once they near the dorms. She gives a reluctant nod to him, tossing her goodbye over her shoulder as she rolls away. “Have a safe trip home, Fiyero.”
“You too, Nessa,” he replies to her back. He chuckles, leaning against a pillar to smile at Elphaba. “She used my name that time. You know, Fae, I think I’m touched.”
“Hmm. Yes, what a disgusting display of emotion from you both,” she replies dryly, sitting on a bench next to his pillar.
He stands in silence with her, not ready to leave her yet, not as long as she’s willing to stay too. It’s not uncomfortable, even with all the words he wishes he could say to her burning in his throat. As always, her presence is soothing and enticing in equal measures, in a way he’s only ever experienced with her. He’s never been able to be as still as he can be with her, he realizes for the first time. He watches her, rememorizing the pattern of her freckles, the shadow of her eyelashes on her cheeks, the seductive curve of her soft lips. He thinks he could stare at her in silence for hours, if ever given the chance.
“So, question,” he breaks the silence, stuffing his hands in his pockets with a casualness he doesn’t really feel. “If I write to you, will you write back?”
He puts on his most charming smile, tilting his head down and thinks he’s rewarded with what might be a slight blush from her. He hopes so, anyway. “I promise to make them interesting. Tons of court gossip, completely scandalcious and only a drop of exaggeration.”
She laughs. By the stars, he loves her laugh. It was brief, but he made her laugh and he’ll happily take that as an accomplishment. “Of course I will. As long as they’re worth reading. Which means truth, Fiyero.”
Eyes twinkling, he gives her a bow worthy of his princely title, and gives her a solemn promise. “I will do my best, my lady.”
Yes, that is most definishly a blush this time. He admires the warmth it brings to her cheeks, as quiet settles over them again.
“What time are you and Feldspur leaving?” she asks, her voice soft. He swears its only that soft when he’s the only one around. He hopes so, that its something of her that is just for him.
“Close to dawn.” His voice is just as gentle, just for her, for their world that exists when it’s just the two of them. “The royal carriage will meet us in the village. My parents insisted I return with the full guard.”
Elphaba smiles, a full one, at his obvious disappointment at being contained to a carriage. “Of course they did. They’re proud of you, Fiyero. With good reason.”
He shrugs a shoulder, looking away with uncharacteristic shyness at her praise. Apparently she’s not going to let him get away with it today. Standing, she moves into his space, her eyes boring into his. His breath catches at the fierceness in her eyes, his hand clenching with the need to reach out to her. “I mean it, Yero. You’ve earned it.”
His heart trips at the nickname. She’s only called him that a handful of times, since a memorable night in her dorm after they returned from Lurlinemas break, when he introduced her and Galinda to true Vinkun wine for their own new year celebration. It was the night he learned not only was she an amazing singer, but she is apparently a flirty drunk. A very bad flirt, true, but he didn’t mind. She was absolutely adorable and he fell even more in love with her that night.
“It was all you, Fae,” he whispers, his voice hoarse. He shifts, just a bit, moving slightly closer to her. “Without you, I would have failed and gotten thrown out of here on my ass, just like before.”
“No,” she says firmly. There’s a look in her eyes, something he’s never seen in her before. Its pulls him in, the world narrows to just her, to this moment. The air between them is suddenly thick, tense. He’s not sure if it’s her magic seeping off her or if it’s just them, but he doesn’t really give a damn. Because she’s here, in his space and in a few hours he’s leaving for three fucking months.
Fiyero burns as she places her hand on his chest over his pounding heart. Without thought, he reaches up to cover it, a deep sigh pulled from his lungs. He watches her eyes flick down to his lips and back, unable to believe, to hope, that maybe, finally, this is really going to happen. Does she feel the same? Has she, this whole time? Oh, gods, he hopes so. Unconsciously, his thumb starts smoothing over her fingers, and he steps a fraction closer. When she speaks it’s a whisper so soft that he bends his head to hear her, a ghost of smile hinting on his lips at the reminder of their height difference. She really is tiny.
“No, it was you. All I did was read, but you did the work. Your thoughts, your words. It was you, Fiyero, and not only should your parents be proud, but you should be proud of yourself. I am. I am so proud of you.”
And oh, what a feeling that is. This gorgeous, brilliant, powerful, absolutely amazing woman is proud of him. Him, the scandalcious, brainless prince who struggles to follow words written on paper. His love for her feels like its bursting through him, so intense that he’s sure she must feel it pouring out of him.
Without thinking, he pulls her into a desperate hug, holding her so very tightly, unwilling to ever let her go. He can feel her arms tangling around his neck, returning the hug just as fiercely. His face is buried in her hair, hers is tucked into his neck. They’re touching more than they ever have, pressed tightly together. And it feels oh so right.
She shifts, rising to her tip toes until he can feel her lips at his ear. A shot of electricity shoots down his spine at the feeling of her breath on the sensitive skin.
“I’m going to miss you,” she whispers.
And then she turns her head and presses her lips against his cheek. Its quick, hardly more than a touch, but its intentional. He can feel the shape of her lips branded into the skin, marking him as completely and utterly hers.
Without loosening his grip on her, he pulls his head back to face her. His forehead rests against hers, his nose rubbing gently against hers. His breaths are ragged with want, his eyes boring into her verdant gaze.
“Elphaba,” he breathes against her lips, feeling more than hearing her soft gasp.
He thinks this is his moment, THE moment to tell her everything. How her smiles give him life, how her magic fascinates him. How proud he is of her every time she doesn’t back down from a subject she’s passionate about. How he doesn’t want to spend the next three months without her. He doesn’t want to spend the next three hours without her. He should tell her he adores her. He has to tell her he’s crazy about her. He will tell her, that he lov-
“Attention students!” Miss Coddle’s voice booms through the campus speakers. Elphaba almost jumps out of his embrace, bending to gather her bag while he grits his teeth. “This is a friendly reminder that while you may, understandably, will be celebrating a semester well done tonight, the morning carriages and boats will not be waiting for late arrivals. Departure times begin promptly at 7. Good night!”
“I should, um, go,” Elphaba stutters, not looking at him in his eyes as she edges towards the door to her dorm. “I should make sure that Galinda didn’t forget to pack anything.”
“Right,” he nods, cursing himself even as he lets her retreat. “I…I hope you have a safe trip home. And a good summer.”
“You too.” She pauses with one hand on the doors, her gaze soft as she looks at him again. “Bye, Yero. I’ll see you next semester.”
“Yeah. See you next semester.”
He watches her enter Crage Hall, his heart aching and cursing himself as a gutless fool.
He despondently makes his way to the stables to check that Feldspur has everything he needs for their trip. And for the first time since he arrived at Shiz he ignores everyone who calls out to him. He’s much too absorbed in mentally berating himself as a coward.
No more of this shit, he promises himself as he nears the stables. He’s a Tigelaar, a prince of the Arjiki tribe, a warrior who has earned his diamonds. No longer will he fear the rejection of the tiny green witch he loves. The next time he sees her, he will share his feelings, no matter the danger to his heart.
And he’s not going to wait three fucking months to do it.