Table: Tales of an Emerald City Scandal, 3/6
Title: Tales of an Emerald City Scandal 3/6
Fandom: Wicked - bookverse
Rating: PG-13 for series
Pairing: Multiple pairings but the focus is Milla/Elphaba
Summary: While living in the Emerald City, Milla runs into a familiar face.
Notes: For my table of wicked prompts
Notes 2: I kind of cheated with my table here. I used a different prompt for each chapter. This one was #18: Dispute.
“Miss Milla.” Master Alex inclined his head graciously as he greeted her.
“Master Alex,” Milla returned. “It’s lovely to see you again.”
“Indeed.” He smiled, white teeth flashing, his eyes a little bored. “It has been too long.”
“It has,” Milla agreed politely. In fact, it had been little more than a week. In the few months since they had met, they had seen one another often at various parties and dinners. Alex always made a point to speak to her and Milla remained as charming as possible.
“But that won’t be a problem for long,” Alex continued, his smile growing into something like a smirk.
“It won’t?” Milla blinked, keeping her expression politely neutral.
“It won’t. You see,” Alex stepped closer as if sharing a secret. “I’ve just met your father.” He looked towards the edge of the room where a stately looking grey haired man was conversing with the Hostess. “And he has given me permission to court you.”
For a moment, Milla was silent. This was exactly what she wanted. Alex was rich, handsome and clearly interested in her. Courting was just a step on the way to marriage; he may as well have just proposed. Alex could set her up for life.
Milla swallowed, hoping her stomach would stop churning.
“Has he, indeed?” she replied smoothly. “How delightful.” She smiled, masterfully disguising her unease. Alex grinned back, reaching out to take her hand.
“We’ll be seeing much more of one another,” he said, his eyes flicking over her body. Milla nodded, wishing she could withdraw her hand from his clammy one.
“So we shall,” she said. As politely as she could, she stepped away. “Well, I expect there will be others who wish to speak with you tonight. I shall see you soon.”
She gave him one last smile, and turned, hastening towards the bathroom.
Alex was everything she had ever wanted. She still felt awful.
“Whoa, there.” In her haste to get away, Milla almost tripped over a man standing by the table of drinks. He caught her around the waist, steadying her. “Are you alright?”
“I -,” Milla righted herself, putting a hand onto the table, and then paused to look the man over. Her saviour was a munchkin, though a tall one; about the same height as Milla herself. He was attractive in an unconventional way, with thick, curly hair and dark eyes. He was also somewhat familiar. Milla cocked her head, trying to place him.
“Yes,” she said quickly, and smiled, her first genuine one of the night. “Thank you. I’m fine.”
He smiled back.
“I’m Milla,” Milla said, surprised at her sudden interest in the munchkin man.
“Ah.” The man nodded, his smile remaining. “Then I believe you are the one keeping company with the Master Alex?”
Milla felt herself flush. “We are courting,” she said, hoping her smile didn’t waver. “He asked me not ten minutes ago.”
“Then he is a lucky man.” He grinned at her, then cleared his throat suddenly. “I apologise. I’m new to the city; I haven’t yet learned the proper manners of talking to a lady. I am Master Boq.”
“Master -,” Milla cut herself off, and looked him over again. “Master Boq? From Shiz University?”
He blinked. “Yes, that’s right. And -,” he studied her for a minute, and then broke out into a grin once more. “Miss Milla. You were friends with Miss Glinda, I believe.”
“For a time, yes,” Milla replied. “Though I confess our friendship did not last beyond our second year. She and the Misses Pfannee and Shenshen began to spend their time with - well - you, while I found myself quite taken with a young man from Queens who was very -.”
She broke off, blushing. “Forgive me; it is impolite to speak of such things,” she said quickly. “It appears it is not only yourself who does not observe manners.”
“Then I am glad of it,” Boq said, his smile broad and genuine. “It is difficult for a munchkin who spends much of his time on a farm to speak to ladies.” He laughed, and Milla laughed back, truly happy for the first time that night.
“Miss Milla.” Alex had come up behind them. His hand settled heavily on her waist and he looked hard at Boq. “Who is your new friend?”
“Oh.” Milla turned, her smile slipping. “Master Alex, this is Master Boq. We attended university together.”
“Charmed,” Alex said, his grip on Milla tightening. She tried not to squirm. “It was nice to meet you,” Alex said to Boq. “Miss Milla, come. I’d like to introduce you to my father.”
Milla shot a last smile at Boq as Alex pulled her away. She didn’t let herself wish she could have stayed with Boq.
II
“Fae.” Milla felt her way into the darkened room. “Fae, are you here?”
There was a rustle, and something that sounded almost like a gasp from the other side of the room. Milla peered into the darkness. “Is that you, Fae?”
A candle flared into life, illuminating Elphaba’s figure. Milla squinted. Elphaba wore her usual dark nightdress, but she had a curious expression on her face, something like a mixture of disappointment and relief.
“Oh, it’s you,” she said.
“Of course it’s me,” Milla replied, irritated. “Who else would it be?”
Elphaba turned away without answering, and set the candle down, illuminated now by the moonlight, the reflection making her skin seem greener than ever. Milla watched her carefully. The last few times she had visited, Elphaba had seemed - different. While she had never expressed an eagerness for Milla to linger after their encounters, Milla often stayed until morning, curled on the other side of the bed away from Elphaba, and Elphaba had never seemed displeased. Lately, though, she had seemed rushed and distracted, anxious to get Milla out as soon as she could, one eye on the stairwell the whole time, as if she was afraid somebody might come in.
Milla hadn’t asked. It wasn’t her business, after all.
“Well,” Elphaba said, turning back and tilting her head towards the bed. “Are you coming?”
Milla blinked, surprised by Elphaba’s rare eagerness, but nonetheless stepped forward, her hands coming to rest on Elphaba’s hips. Elphaba pressed her mouth to Milla’s without delay, more fire in her kisses than she usually used so early in the night, and Milla heard herself moan in response. Elphaba stepped even closer, her body pressed against Milla’s, and it was then that Milla noticed it.
She stepped back sharply, away from Elphaba.
Elphaba raised an eyebrow at the sudden interruption. “Did I startle you?” she grinned. “I realise I’m far too forward for a lady like -,”
“You -,” Milla cut her off, staring at her. “You smell different.”
“Really.” Elphaba’s tone was scornful. “Hurting your delicate nose, my Lady?” She pulled Milla closer again.
Milla pushed her away, her eyes still wide. “Fae,” she said disbelievingly. “You smell like a man.” There was a beat of silence before Milla continued, “You have another lover!”
She waited, silent, for Elphaba to deny it, but Elphaba did not.
“Do I indeed?” Elphaba raised an eyebrow, a smirk on her lips. “And do you not have anyone else to go to in the night?”
Milla hesitated, trying to fight back the absurd wave of jealousy. A picture of Boq flashed into her mind, along with a strange feeling on longing. “No I do not,” she answered tartly.
“You do not?” Elphaba echoed. “Then who is this Master Alex that the gossip mills would have you seeing?”
Milla bit her lip and clenched her fists. Elphaba smirked.
“So jealous,” she murmured. “I’ll make you forget.”
She stepped closer, bringing their mouths together again. Milla kissed back almost automatically, her eyes staying open.
“What’s his name?” she asked between kisses.
“Does it matter?” Elphaba said, her hands roaming over Milla’s dress. She grinned. “It’s no one you know, I assure you.”
Milla moved suddenly, attacking Elphaba’s face with kisses, her hands undoing the buttons of Elphaba’s nightdress and pulling it down so that the top half of her body was exposed.
“Tell me,” she whispered, kissing her way down Elphaba’s chest and latching onto a nipple, a hand on Elphaba’s other breast, “his name.”
Elphaba arched into her touch, a groan low in her throat. “No,” she growled.
“Alright.” Milla slid a hand down Elphaba’s body, underneath her shift, finding heat. She rubbed teasingly, her other hand still on Elphaba’s breast. “Now?”
“What - does it - matter?” Elphaba gasped, trying to seek more friction with Milla’s stilled hand. Milla slid her fingers further, finding Elphaba’s entrance and pressing in, and this time Elphaba mewled.
“It matters,” Milla answered, though truthfully she didn’t know why it did. She only knew that she didn’t at all like the thought of somebody else in Elphaba’s bed.
She moved roughly, and quickly, waiting until Elphaba’s hips were beginning to buck before her hand stilled again.
“Milla…” Elphaba opened her eyes, and if she hadn’t been Elphaba, she would have begged, surely.
Milla crooked her fingers, teasing, and Elphaba’s hips moved again. “His name,” Milla whispered.
Elphaba moaned. “Fiyero…”
Fiyero?
Milla stumbled backwards, pushing Elphaba away as if she’d suddenly burned red hot. “Fiyero?” she gasped. “The Winkie Prince? But the two of you weren’t even friends! Why, I never saw you exchange so much as a single word back at Shiz!”
She knew, as soon as the words were out of her mouth, that she’d said the wrong thing. Elphaba stiffened, her eyes narrowing. “’Back at Shiz’,” she repeated, in a tight, closed tone. “What do you mean, ‘back at Shiz’?”
“I -,” Milla floundered. “I only meant -,”
But Elphaba was looking her over with an appraising, calculating eye. “Miss Milla,” she said coldly. “Miss Milla from Shiz University. I believe I do remember you. You were friends with the Misses Pfannee and Shenshen, were you not?”
Milla raised her chin, refusing to be cowed. “I was,” she said calmly. “And Miss Galinda, as I’m sure you well remember.”
For a moment, Elphaba stared at her, her expression blank. Then she turned sharply, pulling her nightdress back up to cover herself.
“Get out,” she said.
“What?” Milla took a step toward Elphaba, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Elphaba…”
Elphaba whirled around. “That is no longer my name,” she cried, finally loosing her impassive expression. “And I am no longer a college student, fit to be made sport of!”
“Sport?” Milla repeated, startled to find tears pricking at the backs of her eyes. Arguments between them were, after all, not uncommon. “Is that what you think this is?”
“Is it not?” Elphaba demanded, her eyes flashing. “Am I not simply the green girl whom you can laugh about with your friends; is this not merely a way to pass the time before you are married and I’m gone?”
For a moment, they stared at one another, the words hanging between them.
“Well,” Milla said finally, her tone icy but her voice somewhat thicker than usual. “I certainly wouldn’t presume to think we are more than that. Of course I will leave.”
She stalked to the stairs, and turned back. “I hope you and Fiyero are happy together,” she said, and this time there was no hiding the sob in her words. She fled.
Part 4