(no subject)
“Galinda, wake up. We have to go to
breakfast.” Elphaba looked back at her roommate over her shoulder while doing
up the buttons on her dress. There was no response from the sleeping blonde,
and Elphaba shoved her lightly on her way to her nightstand.
“Go away.” Galinda’s muffled voice sounded through the room as if the pink blankets were trying to eat her.
“History starts in two hours, and you were late yesterday,” Elphaba said absentmindedly while shifting through her drawers until she found a pen. She stood and look condescendingly at her roommate, who had scrunched herself into a ball so tiny for a moment Elphaba wasn’t sure if she’d be able to straighten herself out. “Get dressed.”
“I’m cold.”
Elphaba snorted. “A foolproof excuse.”
“No, Elphie. I’m freezing. I’m not getting out of bed.”
Any other day, Elphaba would have rolled her eyes and asked Galinda if perhaps a bad hair day could be the reason she had a blanket over her head. Yet, there was a certain quavering note in Galinda’s voice that caused Elphaba to turn around.
On closer inspection Elphaba found that the fuzzy pink and blonde bundle was shivering harshly, and Galinda was trying to dig herself even further into her nest.
“Galinda, are you coming?”
“No, I can’t!” Galinda whimpered, pulling the blankets around her more loosely and compacting herself further.
Elphaba walked around the bed so she could see Galinda’s face, but all she could see were several tufts of quivering blonde hair. Elphaba’s expression softened and she knelt down on the floor, stroking the blonde hair several times before trying to uncover Galinda’s face.
“No, don’t!” Galinda shrieked, burying her face once more.
“Galinda, just look at me,” Elphaba said, trying to keep her tone soft.
Galinda’s head finally began to emerge from the quilts until Elphaba found a lovely pair of blue eyes staring at her. Elphaba smiled at her. “Your mouth, too.”
Elphaba looked at her roommate inquisitively. She did appear to be genuinely cold, shivering and quaking as she was.
“Elphie, I’m cold,” she said softly, looking up at Elphaba hopefully, perhaps waiting for the green girl to make her better again.
“I know, sweetheart,” Elphaba spoke as warmly as she knew how with a hopefully reassuring smile on her face. She stood up and crossed the room to her bed, neatly whipping the blankets off and tucking them tenderly around Galinda’s shaking frame. Galinda slowly smiled her thanks.
“Can I go get you some soup?” Elphaba was kneeling once more as she became increasingly worried about the blonde.
“They don’t serve soup at breakfast.”
“Tea, then?”
“No, don’t leave,” Galinda said softly, pleadingly, looking down at her blankets. Her teeth began to chatter.
“Galinda, what’s going on?” Elphaba’s voice took on a slightly higher note as she stared at Galinda’s rattling teeth.
“I- I don’t know, Elphie.”
Elphaba cupped the pale cheek and Galinda’s shivering seemed to lessen. She closed her eyes.
“You’re so warm, Elphie.”
“Yes, and you feel like ice.” Elphaba raised her other hand to Galinda’s forehead in an attempt to make the girl feel warm. Galinda smiled up at her.
“Elphaba!”
Both girls jumped and glanced at the door. Elphaba rose and strode over to the door; Galinda retreated into her surplus of blankets.
“Elphaba, where have you been? You were supposed to pick me up for breakfast fifteen minutes ago.” Nessa’s whiny voice cut like a knife through the once pleasantly quite room as she rolled herself in with the air of a queen.
Elphaba rolled her eyes and returned to Galinda, sitting down on the bed and sifting the blonde hair through her fingers. “I got sidetracked, Nessa.”
Nessa frowned after an unsuccessful search for Galinda’s face among the masses of blankets. “Is she sick?”
“I’m not sure,” Elphaba replied, not taking her eyes off of her blanket-clad roommate.
“Does she have a fever?”
“Quite the opposite, I’m afraid. I can’t get her warm.”
Galinda’s head emerged from the blankets and Elphaba took her hand comfortingly. Nessa put a hand on her cheek and drew back quickly. “You’re just having a cold spell, Galinda. It’s nothing to worry about, you should be fine tomorrow. Come, Elphaba.”
Elphaba felt Galinda’s hand tighten around her own and she squeezed back gently. “I can’t, Nessa. I’m staying here today.” She heard Galinda let out a breath and the hold on her hand loosened.
“You’re going to spend the day with her? She’s fine.” Nessa said disapprovingly. “If she’s cold, give her blankets.”
“If you see any others, let me know,” Elphaba said, her eyes fixed on her sister’s in a death glare.
“You’re here to take care of me. She can take care of herself.” Nessa’s voice was rising. Galinda’s hand tightened on Elphaba’s once more and she shuffled uncomfortably.
“As can you,” Elphaba said calmly, stroking her thumb back and forth along the back of Galinda’s hand to calm her. “If you’ve gotten up, dressed, and all the way up here to yell at me, I’m sure you can make it to breakfast by yourself.”
Nessa eyed Elphaba up nervously and turned to wheel herself to the door, turning around briefly once she’d gotten there. “She’ll be fine, you know,” and she was gone.
Elphaba turned back to Galinda and knelt beside the bed. She reached into the blankets to find Galinda’s chin, and brought the girl’s face to the surface.
“Hey, no, none of that,” Elphaba said soothingly, wiping newly shed tears from Galinda’s cheeks. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
Galinda said nothing. She shook her head and pulled the blankets closer and over the top of her head like a hood. “Y-you have class, Elphie.”
“No I don’t,” Elphaba said softly, soothingly, running her thumb over Galinda’s cheek.
“History, Elphie, you said it before,” Galinda managed to get the words out through chattering teeth and Elphaba’s brow crinkled in concern.
“No, not today,” Elphaba said, smiling gently at Galinda before moving over to get a fire going in the fireplace. The fire began to cackle and grow, the flames shooting up and chasing each other, and the warmth began to flood the room. Galinda was unaffected. “No,” Elphaba said again, “I’m staying with you today.”
Elphaba grabbed a pillow off of her bed and took the several Galinda wasn’t using and placed them on the floor in front of the fire. She crossed the room to Galinda’s bed and pulled back the covers. The air flooded the sheets and Galinda shrieked, instantly curling even tighter.
Elphaba, unfazed, leaned over Galinda and scooped her up gently, carrying her over to the fire. Galinda turned into Elphaba, shivering violently in the open air as the tears continued to fall. She was laid down gingerly on the pillows and Elphaba returned with the blankets from her bed. Galinda watched as Elphaba sat down next to her and pulled the blankets over both of them. She curled slightly toward Elphaba, the greatest source of heat.
“Is that any better?” Elphaba asked, for Galinda was still shivering.
“You’re going to miss a whole day of classes,” Galinda said softly as a bell sounded, signaling the end of breakfast and the start of the day.
“I know,” was the reply as Elphaba took Galinda into her arms, “but some things are worth it.”
Galinda closed her eyes and bit her lip, sliding even closer to Elphaba, who was now wiping away her tears and rubbing her back, and filling her with a different kind of warmth, a kind she’d never felt before. Galinda rested her head on a green shoulder and was pulled gently into Elphaba’s lap.
“Don’t concentrate on being cold,” came a soothing whisper in her ear, “find the part of you that’s the warmest, and think about that.”
Galinda’s eyes slipped closed and she felt Elphaba’s hand running up and down her back, her fingers combing through Galinda’s hair. The fire was crackling and they were smothered in blankets, and Galinda was no longer quite as cold as she was before. She felt it though, a perfect warmth all along the right side of her face, that resided so comfortably on Elphaba’s chest. She dug deeper into the fabric of Elphaba’s chest and was instantly pulled closer.
“Elphie?” she whispered softly.
“Shh, my sweet,” Elphaba said back, covering Galinda’s mouth lightly. “Just get warm.”
-
When Galinda opened her eyes she was looking into the dwindling fire, the steady rise and fall of Elphaba’s chest beneath her head almost coaxing her eyes shut again, but a small rustle roused her once more. They were lying down in front of the fire place, still underneath the myriad of blankets. Elphaba had one arm outstretched and Galinda wasn’t surprised to see a book in her hand. Elphaba’s other arm still held Galinda tightly to her, and Galinda squeezed the thin body softly.
“Hey Elphie.”
“Good morning, Sunshine,” Elphaba’s eyes sparkled and she put the book down, tilting Galinda’s chin up to look at her. “Do you feel better?”
Galinda nodded, kissing the green jaw gently before snuggling her head into the crook of Elphaba’s neck.
“What time is it, Elphie?”
“Time for lunch, are you hungry?”
“No, but you should eat.”
Elphaba began rubbing Galinda’s back once more. “Are you still cold?”
Galinda edged closer and hugged Elphaba tighter, feeling herself being pulled in as well. She smiled to herself and sighed happily, as she was now warm from head to toe. “No, I’m perfect.”
“Go away.” Galinda’s muffled voice sounded through the room as if the pink blankets were trying to eat her.
“History starts in two hours, and you were late yesterday,” Elphaba said absentmindedly while shifting through her drawers until she found a pen. She stood and look condescendingly at her roommate, who had scrunched herself into a ball so tiny for a moment Elphaba wasn’t sure if she’d be able to straighten herself out. “Get dressed.”
“I’m cold.”
Elphaba snorted. “A foolproof excuse.”
“No, Elphie. I’m freezing. I’m not getting out of bed.”
Any other day, Elphaba would have rolled her eyes and asked Galinda if perhaps a bad hair day could be the reason she had a blanket over her head. Yet, there was a certain quavering note in Galinda’s voice that caused Elphaba to turn around.
On closer inspection Elphaba found that the fuzzy pink and blonde bundle was shivering harshly, and Galinda was trying to dig herself even further into her nest.
“Galinda, are you coming?”
“No, I can’t!” Galinda whimpered, pulling the blankets around her more loosely and compacting herself further.
Elphaba walked around the bed so she could see Galinda’s face, but all she could see were several tufts of quivering blonde hair. Elphaba’s expression softened and she knelt down on the floor, stroking the blonde hair several times before trying to uncover Galinda’s face.
“No, don’t!” Galinda shrieked, burying her face once more.
“Galinda, just look at me,” Elphaba said, trying to keep her tone soft.
Galinda’s head finally began to emerge from the quilts until Elphaba found a lovely pair of blue eyes staring at her. Elphaba smiled at her. “Your mouth, too.”
Elphaba looked at her roommate inquisitively. She did appear to be genuinely cold, shivering and quaking as she was.
“Elphie, I’m cold,” she said softly, looking up at Elphaba hopefully, perhaps waiting for the green girl to make her better again.
“I know, sweetheart,” Elphaba spoke as warmly as she knew how with a hopefully reassuring smile on her face. She stood up and crossed the room to her bed, neatly whipping the blankets off and tucking them tenderly around Galinda’s shaking frame. Galinda slowly smiled her thanks.
“Can I go get you some soup?” Elphaba was kneeling once more as she became increasingly worried about the blonde.
“They don’t serve soup at breakfast.”
“Tea, then?”
“No, don’t leave,” Galinda said softly, pleadingly, looking down at her blankets. Her teeth began to chatter.
“Galinda, what’s going on?” Elphaba’s voice took on a slightly higher note as she stared at Galinda’s rattling teeth.
“I- I don’t know, Elphie.”
Elphaba cupped the pale cheek and Galinda’s shivering seemed to lessen. She closed her eyes.
“You’re so warm, Elphie.”
“Yes, and you feel like ice.” Elphaba raised her other hand to Galinda’s forehead in an attempt to make the girl feel warm. Galinda smiled up at her.
“Elphaba!”
Both girls jumped and glanced at the door. Elphaba rose and strode over to the door; Galinda retreated into her surplus of blankets.
“Elphaba, where have you been? You were supposed to pick me up for breakfast fifteen minutes ago.” Nessa’s whiny voice cut like a knife through the once pleasantly quite room as she rolled herself in with the air of a queen.
Elphaba rolled her eyes and returned to Galinda, sitting down on the bed and sifting the blonde hair through her fingers. “I got sidetracked, Nessa.”
Nessa frowned after an unsuccessful search for Galinda’s face among the masses of blankets. “Is she sick?”
“I’m not sure,” Elphaba replied, not taking her eyes off of her blanket-clad roommate.
“Does she have a fever?”
“Quite the opposite, I’m afraid. I can’t get her warm.”
Galinda’s head emerged from the blankets and Elphaba took her hand comfortingly. Nessa put a hand on her cheek and drew back quickly. “You’re just having a cold spell, Galinda. It’s nothing to worry about, you should be fine tomorrow. Come, Elphaba.”
Elphaba felt Galinda’s hand tighten around her own and she squeezed back gently. “I can’t, Nessa. I’m staying here today.” She heard Galinda let out a breath and the hold on her hand loosened.
“You’re going to spend the day with her? She’s fine.” Nessa said disapprovingly. “If she’s cold, give her blankets.”
“If you see any others, let me know,” Elphaba said, her eyes fixed on her sister’s in a death glare.
“You’re here to take care of me. She can take care of herself.” Nessa’s voice was rising. Galinda’s hand tightened on Elphaba’s once more and she shuffled uncomfortably.
“As can you,” Elphaba said calmly, stroking her thumb back and forth along the back of Galinda’s hand to calm her. “If you’ve gotten up, dressed, and all the way up here to yell at me, I’m sure you can make it to breakfast by yourself.”
Nessa eyed Elphaba up nervously and turned to wheel herself to the door, turning around briefly once she’d gotten there. “She’ll be fine, you know,” and she was gone.
Elphaba turned back to Galinda and knelt beside the bed. She reached into the blankets to find Galinda’s chin, and brought the girl’s face to the surface.
“Hey, no, none of that,” Elphaba said soothingly, wiping newly shed tears from Galinda’s cheeks. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
Galinda said nothing. She shook her head and pulled the blankets closer and over the top of her head like a hood. “Y-you have class, Elphie.”
“No I don’t,” Elphaba said softly, soothingly, running her thumb over Galinda’s cheek.
“History, Elphie, you said it before,” Galinda managed to get the words out through chattering teeth and Elphaba’s brow crinkled in concern.
“No, not today,” Elphaba said, smiling gently at Galinda before moving over to get a fire going in the fireplace. The fire began to cackle and grow, the flames shooting up and chasing each other, and the warmth began to flood the room. Galinda was unaffected. “No,” Elphaba said again, “I’m staying with you today.”
Elphaba grabbed a pillow off of her bed and took the several Galinda wasn’t using and placed them on the floor in front of the fire. She crossed the room to Galinda’s bed and pulled back the covers. The air flooded the sheets and Galinda shrieked, instantly curling even tighter.
Elphaba, unfazed, leaned over Galinda and scooped her up gently, carrying her over to the fire. Galinda turned into Elphaba, shivering violently in the open air as the tears continued to fall. She was laid down gingerly on the pillows and Elphaba returned with the blankets from her bed. Galinda watched as Elphaba sat down next to her and pulled the blankets over both of them. She curled slightly toward Elphaba, the greatest source of heat.
“Is that any better?” Elphaba asked, for Galinda was still shivering.
“You’re going to miss a whole day of classes,” Galinda said softly as a bell sounded, signaling the end of breakfast and the start of the day.
“I know,” was the reply as Elphaba took Galinda into her arms, “but some things are worth it.”
Galinda closed her eyes and bit her lip, sliding even closer to Elphaba, who was now wiping away her tears and rubbing her back, and filling her with a different kind of warmth, a kind she’d never felt before. Galinda rested her head on a green shoulder and was pulled gently into Elphaba’s lap.
“Don’t concentrate on being cold,” came a soothing whisper in her ear, “find the part of you that’s the warmest, and think about that.”
Galinda’s eyes slipped closed and she felt Elphaba’s hand running up and down her back, her fingers combing through Galinda’s hair. The fire was crackling and they were smothered in blankets, and Galinda was no longer quite as cold as she was before. She felt it though, a perfect warmth all along the right side of her face, that resided so comfortably on Elphaba’s chest. She dug deeper into the fabric of Elphaba’s chest and was instantly pulled closer.
“Elphie?” she whispered softly.
“Shh, my sweet,” Elphaba said back, covering Galinda’s mouth lightly. “Just get warm.”
-
When Galinda opened her eyes she was looking into the dwindling fire, the steady rise and fall of Elphaba’s chest beneath her head almost coaxing her eyes shut again, but a small rustle roused her once more. They were lying down in front of the fire place, still underneath the myriad of blankets. Elphaba had one arm outstretched and Galinda wasn’t surprised to see a book in her hand. Elphaba’s other arm still held Galinda tightly to her, and Galinda squeezed the thin body softly.
“Hey Elphie.”
“Good morning, Sunshine,” Elphaba’s eyes sparkled and she put the book down, tilting Galinda’s chin up to look at her. “Do you feel better?”
Galinda nodded, kissing the green jaw gently before snuggling her head into the crook of Elphaba’s neck.
“What time is it, Elphie?”
“Time for lunch, are you hungry?”
“No, but you should eat.”
Elphaba began rubbing Galinda’s back once more. “Are you still cold?”
Galinda edged closer and hugged Elphaba tighter, feeling herself being pulled in as well. She smiled to herself and sighed happily, as she was now warm from head to toe. “No, I’m perfect.”