LMOM08 :: Day 18 :: "Come With Me" [Wicked, Glinda/Elphaba, PG13] for shatterpath
Title: Come With Me
Author: A. Magiluna Stormwriter
Author’s Email: stormwriter@shatterstorm.net
Pairing: Glinda/Elhaba
Rating: PG13
Date: 13-14 November 2008
Word Count: 2368
Written for: AJ's Lusty Month of May 2008
Recipient: shatterpath
Prompt: Can magic make something vibrate?
Summary: "I'll not ask anything further of you, it won't be brought up again. Just say yes, you'll come with me."
Spoilers: Bookverse primarily, with hints of musicalverse thrown in because I can…
Warning: Established lesbian couple. Don't like it? Don't read it.
Disclaimer: "Wicked," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Gregory Maguire, Stephen Schwarz, Winnie Holzman, and Universal Pictures. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "Wicked," any of its owners, or any representatives of the actors.
Author's Notes: This was initially intended to have smut, lots of smut, and vibrating broomsticks. But yeah, that just didn't happen. I think it was my fault for having this from Glinda's POV. She tends to be very angsty when it comes to Elphaba. But I like how it ended up, I think.
Dedication: My muses, for never really going away…
Beta: shatterpath, as usual
"Come With Me"
By A. Magiluna Stormwriter
The note is uncomplicated, elegant in its simplicity and painfully familiar angular lines, really.
Come with me, my sweet
Take your leave of these pond'rous trappings
Stretch your wings, shed off your skin
Forget the trappings of your life here
Let the true you shine through
It's only one day, one short day
You can return to your life when it's over
I'll not ask anything further of you
It won't be brought up again
Just say yes, you'll come with me
~~ Fabala
My fingers trace the strokes and scratches of ink reverently, ghosting her stylized penmanship. I'm unable to stop the tears welling in my eyes at the sentimentality. She doesn't care what they think of her, only what they think of me. And she'd sooner die than disgrace me to the others, even if it chafes at her sense of righteousness and justice.
Blessed Lurline, but I miss her. This blasted trip of hers to find more of the Animals in hiding has taken her from me once again. Only for a couple of days, granted, but I miss having my Elphie around. This room is just entirely too quiet and stifling without her here. I've even been keeping it clean while she's gone. It's no fun leaving my things lying about if she's not going to gripe at me about my slovenliness.
But this note? She's supposed to be gone. How did it get here? Is she back already? Or is this some sick joke from Pfannee and Shenshen? No, they can't mimic her handwriting, nor would they know the nickname her father gave her. Or the one she gave me. No, this must be my Elphie's doing. But why? She's been going on about this trip of hers for weeks now, couldn't wait for this long weekend to take off and tramp through the woods on her quest.
I hope she's not expecting me to join her on her quest. No, that's not exactly true. I'd go with her if she asked me to. I want to be more like her, have the personal strength to stand up to the snobs and be myself, no matter what. But I can't, I'm not that girl. I can't be that independent and self-sufficient. Not like my Elphie. It's not me.
~*~*~*~*~
Something pulls me from my warm cocoon of blankets and slumber. Pouting prettily (because I know I am), I grumble and shift to burrow back down under the satiny mounds surrounding me. Believe me, it's hard to resist that siren's song. But something beckons me back to grumpy wakefulness. Not enough to pull me from my bed, not yet.
My ears strain to find the sound that woke me initially. There it is! Such a soft sound, like the scrape of a mouse's tail tip against the flagstone path down by the river. If it weren't for the room being so deathly quiet, I might have missed it. Curiously, I follow the noise as it moves around the room, trying to imagine what (or who) could be making that sound. Oh, who am I kidding? It's Elphie, of course.
Isn't it?
Taking a deep breath, terrified of the answer I'll receive, I whisper, "Elphie? Is that you?"
"Go back to sleep, my sweet," is the weary reply in a voice I know all too well.
Struggling under the suddenly suffocating covers, I manage to sit up and watch her moving about in the dim moonlight peeking out from under the curtains. Something's not right in her tone, and she's holding herself far too stiffly. I'm immediately transported back to the first days and weeks we were roommates, a pang of chagrin and regret stabbing through my heart. I've been such a shallow, insensitive child.
"What's wrong?"
"I told you to go back to sleep," she growls, but I can tell there's no malice in her tone. In fact, she sounds like she's in pain.
That realization hurtles me out of my warm bed. I only pause long enough to ease my feet into warm slippers before I am at her side. Upon closer inspection, I can definitely see that she's moving more gingerly. In fact, her clothes look… wrong somehow, and a touch to her side leaves me with a clammy wetness on my fingertips.
"Elphie, you're hurt," I exclaim on a startled breath. "And you're ice cold." I stomp my foot forcefully when she starts to protest. "And don't you dare tell me you're not. Come on." I pull her imperiously toward the ensuite we share with Nessarose and Nanny.
Elphie follows me and mutely allows me to strip her of her sodden clothing once I've begun to draw the bathwater. My eyes cast critically over her body as each bit of skin is revealed, searching for and cataloguing any and all blemishes to that distinctive green skin. She groans softly when my fingers ghost over the darkening bruise on her left hip, the culmination of a long scrape starting just below her ribs.
"It's nothing, Glinda," she whispers, the words tapering off into another groan as she slips into the steaming water. The pain melts from her face, replaced by sheer exhaustion, and I can't help but worry that she could drown if left alone. "Join me, my sweet? I'm afraid I won't be able to wash myself easily."
Without hesitation, I slip out of my nightgown and slippers before moving to slide along her side in the large tub. There's more than enough room for both of us, and I only feel a slight embarrassment at being naked in her presence, rather than seeing her bared flesh. Pushing those feelings aside, I shift again and reach for the soap and washcloth. Wordlessly, I gently scrub away the dirt and grime coating her skin and hair. Once she's clean from head to toe, I let the dirty water drain off and replace it with fresh, hot water.
Elphie shifts and strokes my cheek. "Thank you, my sweet," she murmurs huskily, and I can see the unshed tears glittering in her eyes. "You are far too kind."
"Not at all," I reply, turning to press a gentle kiss to her palm. "I couldn't leave you alone to your pain, Elphie, you know that." She practically purrs at the touch, and I feel the thrill of emotion zip down my spine in response. "So, are you going to tell me what happened? Or do I need to start the cold water torture?"
Elphie's chuckle is low and husky as always, but there's something else there. "Cold water torture, hmm? Are you sure you really want to go there with me, Glinda? You know quite well that I can be devious in my revenge."
I narrow my eyes, studying her for a long moment. I know she's telling the truth about her revenge. I'm not sure I'll ever get over the loss of that petticoat she somehow covered in skunk stink in my closet without it ruining any other clothes. That was my favorite petticoat, after all. Sighing dramatically, I shake my head and pat her cheek. "No cold water torture then. But please tell me what happened to you? I worry about you, you know."
"You do?" There's an entirely new thread to the fabric of her tone, one that brings a hot flush to my cheeks. The sensation only increases as her eyes go wide in response to my reddening face. "Glinda? You've nothing to worry about, my sweet. I simply met with a Bull who wanted to remain in hiding and was quite persistent in making sure I understood that point."
The flush changes now with that bit of knowledge. "You should just leave them be, Elphie. I know that you feel responsible for Doctor Dillamond, but really, you are more important than those blasted Animals." The minute the words are out of my mouth, I regret ever even thinking them, let alone saying them. "Elphie, I'm so--"
"Don't," she chokes out, cutting off my apology. "This is exactly the attitude that got me scraped up by that Bull in the first place, Galinda Upland. If I can't convince you otherwise, how can I possibly expect to convince anyone else? And if I can't convince anyone else, this will be my lifelong quest."
She shifts to get up and cries out in pain. I'm instantly pulling her back down into the water, murmuring a spell I learned from my mother as a child. Almost instantly, the water begins to bubble around us, the walls of the tub trembling slightly with the effort of my magic. Or is that just me trembling in such close proximity of a naked Elphie?
"I'm sorry, Elphie," I finally whisper, leaning in to press my lips to her cheek. "It was insensitive of me, but I was just so worried…"
"I understand, my sweet." The words are so faint, I almost wonder if I've imagined them. "Thank you."
We settle back into a comfortable silence for several moments, and I find myself very nearly falling asleep right here in the tub. That just won't do. What would Nessarose and Nanny say if they find us in the tub like this? I'm certainly not in the mood for Nanny's dour looks or Nessarose's religious exhortations on the imagined sins we're committing against her beloved Unnamed God. With a barely restrained heavy sigh, I shift to get up and manage to wake a lightly slumbering Elphie in the process.
"Come on, Elphie, let's get you into your bed. This would be seen as unseemly if your sister or Nanny find us, and I know I'm not in the mood for that lecture, so I'm sure you're not either."
"No, you're right," she replies, frowning as she slowly stands. "I'd end up far too stiff anyway if I slept in this tub."
I fight back my own shivers as I make sure to get her dried off first, careful of the now darker bruise on her hip, as well as a handful of others covering her body. Once she's taken care of, I quickly dry off myself and slip back into my nightgown. Telling her to stay put with a simple glance, I move to get her one of my extra gowns, knowing it'll be much softer against her sensitive skin than the rough things she prefers to wear. She looks initially like she'll protest, but a strange distance fills here eyes and she meekly allows me to pull the soft cotton garment over her body.
Once back in the bedroom, I help her into her bed and turn to crawl into my own when her soft voice stops me. "Stay with me, my sweet?"
I hesitate only long enough to grab one of my warmer comforters from my bed to settle atop hers before slipping in next to her. We struggle to shift into more comfortable positions for a moment or two, but finally I find myself on my side facing her, as if my body is cradling her damaged left side. She sighs heavily, eyelids fluttering in the effort to stay open, and starts to say something several times, but no words come out in the end.
"Sleep, Elphie," I murmur, once again brushing my lips against her cheek. "We can talk more in the morning. For now, give your body the rest it needs to recover." Searching my memory, I pull up another spell from my childhood and silently thank my grandmother when my barely mumbled words cause the bed to vibrate ever so slightly, exuding additional warmth. "Mmm, much better."
I am nearly asleep when I feel Elphie shift to press her lips to mine. Only a fleeting touch, but I can still feel the heat of her skin on mine when she pulls away and begins to speak. "Come with me, my sweet; take your leave of these pond'rous trappings." I instantly recognize the words from the letter she left me. Tears prickle hot and fierce behind my eyelids at the intense devotion in her tone as she recites the entire poem. "I'll not ask anything further of you; it won't be brought up again. Just say yes, you'll come with me."
"Yes, Elphie," I whisper, throat constricting at the emotions overwhelming me, and I blink furiously as her face swims in my blurred vision. "Anywhere you wish to go, I'll follow you there."
"Why these tears, my sweet?" Her fingers are gentle as they glide across my cheeks and lashes, gathering up the moisture there with a barely audible hiss.
"One day you're going to go on one of these crusades of yours, but you won't come back," I finally admit. "I don't think I could handle that, Elphie. I'm not strong enough… I'd revert back to that selfish, spoiled, vacuous Galinda you first met without you to keep me grounded."
"Oh my sweet," she murmurs and strokes my cheek again. "A day will come when you and I will have to make a terrible decision, to stay or to strike out for what we believe in. We may decide the same thing and we may not, but know that I will always be with you, like a handprint on your heart. You won't get rid of me that easily."
I choke out a laugh at her last teasing words and snuggle closer. "Nor you me, Elphie."
She hisses suddenly as she tries to shift onto her side to pull me closer. "Switch with me, my sweet," she grumbles and lies completely still as I crawl over her body to press my back to the wall and make sure the covers are there to insulate me. As soon as I'm settled, she rolls onto her right side and opens her arms so I can move in closer. Her lips move as she murmurs something I can't quite make out, and sleep surges up like a tidal wave to overwhelm me. "Sleep now, my sweet, I'll still be here in the morning," is the last thing I hear before surrendering to the soothing darkness of sleeping in my Elphie's arms.
And I believe her.
Author: A. Magiluna Stormwriter
Author’s Email: stormwriter@shatterstorm.net
Pairing: Glinda/Elhaba
Rating: PG13
Date: 13-14 November 2008
Word Count: 2368
Written for: AJ's Lusty Month of May 2008
Recipient: shatterpath
Prompt: Can magic make something vibrate?
Summary: "I'll not ask anything further of you, it won't be brought up again. Just say yes, you'll come with me."
Spoilers: Bookverse primarily, with hints of musicalverse thrown in because I can…
Warning: Established lesbian couple. Don't like it? Don't read it.
Disclaimer: "Wicked," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Gregory Maguire, Stephen Schwarz, Winnie Holzman, and Universal Pictures. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "Wicked," any of its owners, or any representatives of the actors.
Author's Notes: This was initially intended to have smut, lots of smut, and vibrating broomsticks. But yeah, that just didn't happen. I think it was my fault for having this from Glinda's POV. She tends to be very angsty when it comes to Elphaba. But I like how it ended up, I think.
Dedication: My muses, for never really going away…
Beta: shatterpath, as usual
"Come With Me"
By A. Magiluna Stormwriter
The note is uncomplicated, elegant in its simplicity and painfully familiar angular lines, really.
Come with me, my sweet
Take your leave of these pond'rous trappings
Stretch your wings, shed off your skin
Forget the trappings of your life here
Let the true you shine through
It's only one day, one short day
You can return to your life when it's over
I'll not ask anything further of you
It won't be brought up again
Just say yes, you'll come with me
~~ Fabala
My fingers trace the strokes and scratches of ink reverently, ghosting her stylized penmanship. I'm unable to stop the tears welling in my eyes at the sentimentality. She doesn't care what they think of her, only what they think of me. And she'd sooner die than disgrace me to the others, even if it chafes at her sense of righteousness and justice.
Blessed Lurline, but I miss her. This blasted trip of hers to find more of the Animals in hiding has taken her from me once again. Only for a couple of days, granted, but I miss having my Elphie around. This room is just entirely too quiet and stifling without her here. I've even been keeping it clean while she's gone. It's no fun leaving my things lying about if she's not going to gripe at me about my slovenliness.
But this note? She's supposed to be gone. How did it get here? Is she back already? Or is this some sick joke from Pfannee and Shenshen? No, they can't mimic her handwriting, nor would they know the nickname her father gave her. Or the one she gave me. No, this must be my Elphie's doing. But why? She's been going on about this trip of hers for weeks now, couldn't wait for this long weekend to take off and tramp through the woods on her quest.
I hope she's not expecting me to join her on her quest. No, that's not exactly true. I'd go with her if she asked me to. I want to be more like her, have the personal strength to stand up to the snobs and be myself, no matter what. But I can't, I'm not that girl. I can't be that independent and self-sufficient. Not like my Elphie. It's not me.
~*~*~*~*~
Something pulls me from my warm cocoon of blankets and slumber. Pouting prettily (because I know I am), I grumble and shift to burrow back down under the satiny mounds surrounding me. Believe me, it's hard to resist that siren's song. But something beckons me back to grumpy wakefulness. Not enough to pull me from my bed, not yet.
My ears strain to find the sound that woke me initially. There it is! Such a soft sound, like the scrape of a mouse's tail tip against the flagstone path down by the river. If it weren't for the room being so deathly quiet, I might have missed it. Curiously, I follow the noise as it moves around the room, trying to imagine what (or who) could be making that sound. Oh, who am I kidding? It's Elphie, of course.
Isn't it?
Taking a deep breath, terrified of the answer I'll receive, I whisper, "Elphie? Is that you?"
"Go back to sleep, my sweet," is the weary reply in a voice I know all too well.
Struggling under the suddenly suffocating covers, I manage to sit up and watch her moving about in the dim moonlight peeking out from under the curtains. Something's not right in her tone, and she's holding herself far too stiffly. I'm immediately transported back to the first days and weeks we were roommates, a pang of chagrin and regret stabbing through my heart. I've been such a shallow, insensitive child.
"What's wrong?"
"I told you to go back to sleep," she growls, but I can tell there's no malice in her tone. In fact, she sounds like she's in pain.
That realization hurtles me out of my warm bed. I only pause long enough to ease my feet into warm slippers before I am at her side. Upon closer inspection, I can definitely see that she's moving more gingerly. In fact, her clothes look… wrong somehow, and a touch to her side leaves me with a clammy wetness on my fingertips.
"Elphie, you're hurt," I exclaim on a startled breath. "And you're ice cold." I stomp my foot forcefully when she starts to protest. "And don't you dare tell me you're not. Come on." I pull her imperiously toward the ensuite we share with Nessarose and Nanny.
Elphie follows me and mutely allows me to strip her of her sodden clothing once I've begun to draw the bathwater. My eyes cast critically over her body as each bit of skin is revealed, searching for and cataloguing any and all blemishes to that distinctive green skin. She groans softly when my fingers ghost over the darkening bruise on her left hip, the culmination of a long scrape starting just below her ribs.
"It's nothing, Glinda," she whispers, the words tapering off into another groan as she slips into the steaming water. The pain melts from her face, replaced by sheer exhaustion, and I can't help but worry that she could drown if left alone. "Join me, my sweet? I'm afraid I won't be able to wash myself easily."
Without hesitation, I slip out of my nightgown and slippers before moving to slide along her side in the large tub. There's more than enough room for both of us, and I only feel a slight embarrassment at being naked in her presence, rather than seeing her bared flesh. Pushing those feelings aside, I shift again and reach for the soap and washcloth. Wordlessly, I gently scrub away the dirt and grime coating her skin and hair. Once she's clean from head to toe, I let the dirty water drain off and replace it with fresh, hot water.
Elphie shifts and strokes my cheek. "Thank you, my sweet," she murmurs huskily, and I can see the unshed tears glittering in her eyes. "You are far too kind."
"Not at all," I reply, turning to press a gentle kiss to her palm. "I couldn't leave you alone to your pain, Elphie, you know that." She practically purrs at the touch, and I feel the thrill of emotion zip down my spine in response. "So, are you going to tell me what happened? Or do I need to start the cold water torture?"
Elphie's chuckle is low and husky as always, but there's something else there. "Cold water torture, hmm? Are you sure you really want to go there with me, Glinda? You know quite well that I can be devious in my revenge."
I narrow my eyes, studying her for a long moment. I know she's telling the truth about her revenge. I'm not sure I'll ever get over the loss of that petticoat she somehow covered in skunk stink in my closet without it ruining any other clothes. That was my favorite petticoat, after all. Sighing dramatically, I shake my head and pat her cheek. "No cold water torture then. But please tell me what happened to you? I worry about you, you know."
"You do?" There's an entirely new thread to the fabric of her tone, one that brings a hot flush to my cheeks. The sensation only increases as her eyes go wide in response to my reddening face. "Glinda? You've nothing to worry about, my sweet. I simply met with a Bull who wanted to remain in hiding and was quite persistent in making sure I understood that point."
The flush changes now with that bit of knowledge. "You should just leave them be, Elphie. I know that you feel responsible for Doctor Dillamond, but really, you are more important than those blasted Animals." The minute the words are out of my mouth, I regret ever even thinking them, let alone saying them. "Elphie, I'm so--"
"Don't," she chokes out, cutting off my apology. "This is exactly the attitude that got me scraped up by that Bull in the first place, Galinda Upland. If I can't convince you otherwise, how can I possibly expect to convince anyone else? And if I can't convince anyone else, this will be my lifelong quest."
She shifts to get up and cries out in pain. I'm instantly pulling her back down into the water, murmuring a spell I learned from my mother as a child. Almost instantly, the water begins to bubble around us, the walls of the tub trembling slightly with the effort of my magic. Or is that just me trembling in such close proximity of a naked Elphie?
"I'm sorry, Elphie," I finally whisper, leaning in to press my lips to her cheek. "It was insensitive of me, but I was just so worried…"
"I understand, my sweet." The words are so faint, I almost wonder if I've imagined them. "Thank you."
We settle back into a comfortable silence for several moments, and I find myself very nearly falling asleep right here in the tub. That just won't do. What would Nessarose and Nanny say if they find us in the tub like this? I'm certainly not in the mood for Nanny's dour looks or Nessarose's religious exhortations on the imagined sins we're committing against her beloved Unnamed God. With a barely restrained heavy sigh, I shift to get up and manage to wake a lightly slumbering Elphie in the process.
"Come on, Elphie, let's get you into your bed. This would be seen as unseemly if your sister or Nanny find us, and I know I'm not in the mood for that lecture, so I'm sure you're not either."
"No, you're right," she replies, frowning as she slowly stands. "I'd end up far too stiff anyway if I slept in this tub."
I fight back my own shivers as I make sure to get her dried off first, careful of the now darker bruise on her hip, as well as a handful of others covering her body. Once she's taken care of, I quickly dry off myself and slip back into my nightgown. Telling her to stay put with a simple glance, I move to get her one of my extra gowns, knowing it'll be much softer against her sensitive skin than the rough things she prefers to wear. She looks initially like she'll protest, but a strange distance fills here eyes and she meekly allows me to pull the soft cotton garment over her body.
Once back in the bedroom, I help her into her bed and turn to crawl into my own when her soft voice stops me. "Stay with me, my sweet?"
I hesitate only long enough to grab one of my warmer comforters from my bed to settle atop hers before slipping in next to her. We struggle to shift into more comfortable positions for a moment or two, but finally I find myself on my side facing her, as if my body is cradling her damaged left side. She sighs heavily, eyelids fluttering in the effort to stay open, and starts to say something several times, but no words come out in the end.
"Sleep, Elphie," I murmur, once again brushing my lips against her cheek. "We can talk more in the morning. For now, give your body the rest it needs to recover." Searching my memory, I pull up another spell from my childhood and silently thank my grandmother when my barely mumbled words cause the bed to vibrate ever so slightly, exuding additional warmth. "Mmm, much better."
I am nearly asleep when I feel Elphie shift to press her lips to mine. Only a fleeting touch, but I can still feel the heat of her skin on mine when she pulls away and begins to speak. "Come with me, my sweet; take your leave of these pond'rous trappings." I instantly recognize the words from the letter she left me. Tears prickle hot and fierce behind my eyelids at the intense devotion in her tone as she recites the entire poem. "I'll not ask anything further of you; it won't be brought up again. Just say yes, you'll come with me."
"Yes, Elphie," I whisper, throat constricting at the emotions overwhelming me, and I blink furiously as her face swims in my blurred vision. "Anywhere you wish to go, I'll follow you there."
"Why these tears, my sweet?" Her fingers are gentle as they glide across my cheeks and lashes, gathering up the moisture there with a barely audible hiss.
"One day you're going to go on one of these crusades of yours, but you won't come back," I finally admit. "I don't think I could handle that, Elphie. I'm not strong enough… I'd revert back to that selfish, spoiled, vacuous Galinda you first met without you to keep me grounded."
"Oh my sweet," she murmurs and strokes my cheek again. "A day will come when you and I will have to make a terrible decision, to stay or to strike out for what we believe in. We may decide the same thing and we may not, but know that I will always be with you, like a handprint on your heart. You won't get rid of me that easily."
I choke out a laugh at her last teasing words and snuggle closer. "Nor you me, Elphie."
She hisses suddenly as she tries to shift onto her side to pull me closer. "Switch with me, my sweet," she grumbles and lies completely still as I crawl over her body to press my back to the wall and make sure the covers are there to insulate me. As soon as I'm settled, she rolls onto her right side and opens her arms so I can move in closer. Her lips move as she murmurs something I can't quite make out, and sleep surges up like a tidal wave to overwhelm me. "Sleep now, my sweet, I'll still be here in the morning," is the last thing I hear before surrendering to the soothing darkness of sleeping in my Elphie's arms.
And I believe her.