Chapter 23
Elphaba pulled up in front of Glinda’s house, headlights cutting through the dark. She was ten minutes early, which was ridiculous, but she blamed the nerves for making her rush.
Her fingers drummed against the steering wheel as she stared at Glinda’s front door. This was stupid. It wasn’t like this was the first time they were hanging out.
But something about picking Glinda up, about the fact that she wanted her there, made this feel different.
Her phone buzzed.
Glinda:Coming out now. One sec.
Elphaba barely had time to respond before the front door swung open, and Glinda stepped out—wrapped in the fluffiest, softest-looking blanket Elphaba had ever seen, balancing a tote bag of snacks in one arm and a coffee cup in the other.
She looked ridiculous. And adorable. And ridiculously adorable.
Elphaba quickly averted her eyes as Glinda slid into the passenger seat.
"Hey," Glinda said, tucking the blanket around her lap as she settled in.
"Hey," Elphaba answered, pulling away from the curb. "You brought coffee?"
Glinda smiled, stirring it with a tiny straw. "Movie night essential."
Elphaba just hummed, eyes flicking toward Glinda’s freshly curled hair, perfectly done nails, the scent of vanilla and something expensive filling the car. She was so... put together. Too put together for a night with Crope and Tibbett.
"So, what exactly am I walking into?" Glinda asked, shifting in her seat.
Elphaba sighed. "Chaos."
Elphaba barely had time to shut her car door before Crope flung open the front door.
“A QUEEN HAS ARRIVED,” he announced dramatically, throwing out his arms.
Glinda blinked at him, then at Elphaba, who sighed, already regretting her life choices. “You invitedthis.”
“I didn’t invite that,” Elphaba muttered. “He just is.”
“Tragic,” Crope sighed. “Now, hurry inside before Tibbett drinks all the good stuff.”
The moment they stepped inside, the chaos hit full force.
Fiyero had somehow already procured too much alcohol. Boq was stress-eating chips in the kitchen while Tibbett sprawled across the couch, dramatically sipping from a red cup.
“Took you long enough,” Tibbett sighed, giving Glinda a once-over. “And she’s cute even in pajamas. Fantastic.”
Glinda had barely set down her tote bag before Crope and Tibbett descended on her, demanding gossip, fashion tips, and personal life details.
“I feel objectified,” she teased, dramatically clutching her chest.
“Get used to it, darling,” Crope said, looping an arm through hers. “Now tell us, what’s the real reason you graced us with your presence tonight?”
Glinda hesitated, glancing at Elphaba, who was busy digging through a bag of snacks, pretending not to listen.
“Maybe I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about.”
The chaos had finally settled. Empty snack bags littered the floor, beer bottles and half-finished drinks scattered across the coffee table. Fiyero had passed out first, sprawled over the recliner. Tibbett and Crope had dramatically declared themselves ‘done for the night’ and collapsed onto the couch. Boq was still half-awake, mumbling about how they should clean up before Fiyero’s parents found the mess, but no one was listening.
Elphaba was tipsy.
Not completely drunk, but enough that the usual sharp edges of her personality had softened. Enough that she was warm and quiet and uncharacteristically relaxed.
And Glinda was painfully aware of it.
They were the only two still awake. Lying on the makeshift bedding they had put together, side by side on the floor.
Glinda had expected Elphaba to keep to herself, but instead, she had turned onto her side at some point, shifting closer. Her knee barely brushed against Glinda’s.
It had been subtle at first.
Then Elphaba had tucked her arm beneath her head and, after a moment, burrowed slightly into Glinda’s blanket.
Glinda froze. She wasn’t imagining it.
“Are you stealing my blanket?” Glinda whispered, amused.
Elphaba hummed, voice sleepy and slow. “You brought the softest one. Seems unfair.”
Glinda bit back a smile.
She wasn’t used to Elphaba like this—unguarded, touchy, just a little clingy.
For a moment, Glinda debated teasing her, but then Elphaba did something that nearly knocked the air out of her. She nuzzled her forehead lightly against Glinda’s shoulder.
It was quick. Barely anything.
But Glinda’s heart stopped.
“Elphie?” Glinda whispered.
Elphaba didn’t move for a moment. Then, slowly, she lifted her head, sleepy eyes blinking up at Glinda in the dim light.
“Mm?”
Glinda swallowed, suddenly hyperaware of the warmth between them, of how Elphaba’s face was close enough that she could see the way her lashes brushed against her cheek.
Elphaba didn’t pull away. Instead, she shifted closer, fingers curling into the fabric of Glinda’s sleeve.
Glinda’s breath caught. “You’re drunk.”
Elphaba hummed. “Just a little.”
A pause. Then—
“You’re really pretty,” Elphaba mumbled, voice barely above a whisper.
Glinda stopped breathing.
Elphaba’s gaze flickered down to her lips for just a second—a second too long.
Glinda should have teased her for it. Should have laughed it off.
Instead, her fingers moved without thinking, brushing a loose braid back behind Elphaba’s ear.
The moment stretched thin.
Elphaba’s fingers, warm from the alcohol, drifted absentmindedly along Glinda’s side, the touch barely there, but enough. Enough for Glinda to feel the heat of her palm as it settled just beneath the hem of her sleep shirt, fingertips grazing against bare skin.
Glinda stiffened.
Elphaba didn’t seem to notice what she had done. Or maybe she did, because her grip stayed—gentle, absentminded, like she had every right to touch her this way.
Glinda swallowed, but before she could say anything, Elphaba exhaled against her shoulder and murmured, “You’re so soft.”
Glinda barely choked back a sound. “Elphie.”
Elphaba hummed, shifting a little, pressing her face into the fabric of Glinda’s sleeve. “Mhm?”
Glinda knew she should pull away. She should do something. But her body betrayed her, her stomach tightening at the lazy, absent touch against her waist. At the casual intimacy of it all.
Elphaba’s fingers curled slightly, just enough to press into Glinda’s skin like she was anchoring herself there.
Then, with a sudden, tipsy sort of realization, she murmured, “You’re spoiled.”
Glinda scoffed, shifting against the pillow. “Excuse me?”
Elphaba smirked, albeit sleepily, fingers still tracing idle circles at Glinda’s waist. “You are. You show up with the softest blanket, take all the attention, drink the best coffee—”
“Oh, so now I’m the villain?” Glinda whispered, half breathless, half amused, still hyper-aware of the hand resting against her waist.
Elphaba hummed, thumb brushing absently over Glinda’s skin. “Not a villain. Just... sweet.”
Glinda barely had time to process that before Elphaba added, softer this time, “My sweet.”
Glinda scoffed. "You can't just nickname me after calling me spoiled. That's not how it works."
"Too late," Elphaba muttered, eyes slipping closed. "It suits you."
“My sweet.”
Elphaba’s lips brushed against hers.
It was gentle. Hesitant. Warm.
And it was over in an instant.
Elphaba blinked, as if realizing what she had just done. Her lips parted slightly, uncertainty flickering in her gaze.
Glinda didn’t let her pull away.
Instead, she caught Elphaba’s wrist, anchoring her there.
Elphaba’s breath hitched, her fingers tightening instinctively where they still rested against Glinda’s waist, her palm warm against bare skin.
Glinda swallowed, pulse thrumming in her throat. “Do that again,” she whispered.
Elphaba’s lips parted slightly, as if surprised, but she didn’t hesitate this time. She kissed her again, deeper this time, lingering.
Glinda barely held back a sound when Elphaba’s hand slid just a little further beneath her shirt, the slow drag of fingertips tracing along her hip, hesitant but deliberate.
Elphaba pressed forward, their bodies barely separated now, her hand spanning the curve of Glinda’s waist, thumb stroking absently against soft skin.
Glinda melted.
It wasn’t just the way Elphaba kissed her, slow and searching, like she was memorizing the shape of her mouth. It was the way she touched her—like it was second nature, like Glinda belonged against her, beneath her hands.
When they finally parted, Glinda barely had time to catch her breath before Elphaba murmured against her lips, “Told you. My sweet.”
Glinda had barely slept. Not really.
Elphaba had been warm and solid beside her all night, and even after she had drifted off, her presence lingered like an imprint against Glinda’s skin.
Sometime past three, Elphaba stirred.
Glinda wasn’t sure if she had woken up because of it, or if she had been watching her sleep long enough that she just happened to catch it. Either way, the room was still and quiet when Elphaba shifted, exhaling softly against Glinda’s shoulder.
Glinda swallowed, hesitant. Then, slowly, she reached out.
Her fingers skimmed over Elphaba’s cheek, brushing gently along the sharp lines of her face. The warmth of her skin under her touch felt unreal.
Elphaba sighed, leaning into it.
“Mm,” she mumbled, barely coherent. Then, barely above a whisper, “You okay?”
Glinda’s heart stuttered.
She hadn’t expected a response, much less one so soft.
“I—” Glinda hesitated, then whispered, “Yeah.”
Elphaba hummed in acknowledgment, but her eyes didn’t open. Instead, her hand found Glinda’s waist again, slipping under the fabric of her shirt without thought.
Glinda sucked in a breath.
“Elphie—”
A soft kiss, barely there, pressed against her shoulder. Then another.
Glinda’s fingers curled against Elphaba’s cheek, her thumb sweeping over the sharp edge of her cheekbone.
That made Elphaba stir more, her lashes fluttering slightly, lips parting against Glinda’s skin.
Glinda, not thinking, not stopping herself, leaned down and pressed a kiss against her forehead. Soft. Lingering. Real.
Elphaba’s eyes fluttered open, heavy and still laced with sleep.
Glinda froze.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then, slowly, Elphaba reached up, fingers brushing over Glinda’s wrist where it still cupped her face.
A quiet moment stretched between them. Then—
Elphaba smiled, barely there, and whispered, “Go to sleep, my sweet.”
Glinda, helpless to do anything but melt, exhaled a soft laugh before Elphaba leaned in and kissed her—slow and hazy and perfect.
And this time, Glinda let herself fall asleep smiling.
Elphaba woke up to warmth.
Her brain was foggy, slow to process. But the first thing she registered was the weight of a blanket draped over her.The second? The soft, steady rise and fall of breath right next to her.
Then it hit her.
She was still curled up against Glinda.
Her body stiffened instantly, eyes snapping open, heartbeat slamming in her ears.
Glinda was still asleep, curled onto her side, blonde hair fanned out across the pillow. Their legs were tangled, and Elphaba was still half-tucked into Glinda’s blanket.
Oh. Oh Oz.
Carefully—very carefully—Elphaba shifted, trying to untangle herself without waking her. Her movements were stiff, awkward, and probably not as subtle as she hoped.
The second she sat up, she met four pairs of very awake, very smug eyes.
Crope. Tibbett. Boq. Fiyero. All very much enjoying this.
Elphaba glared.
“Not a word.”
Crope, sprawled on the couch, sipped his coffee dramatically. "Who, us? We’re just enjoying a peaceful morning."
Tibbett grinned. “How did you sleep, Elphie?”
Boq snorted. Fiyero just smirked, not saying a word, but the look on his face said everything.
Elphaba ran a hand over her face. "I hate all of you."
She turned, glancing back at Glinda. She was still out, blissfully unaware of Elphaba’s internal crisis.
She needed to leave before this got worse.