Of Love and Loathing, Part 11/? by elphies_galinda, G
Title: Of Love and Loathing, Part 11/?
Author: elphies_galinda/galindas_elphie
Rating: G
Pairing: Gelphie
Summary: What is this feeling, so sudden and new? My heart is pounding, my head is spinning, and all I can think of is you... Basically picking up where the last chapter left off--it's very short to summarize.
Disclaimer: I think you get the message by now. We don't own them.
A/N: We're going to try posting once every month, if things don't get too hectic. Thank you for your patience and support!
Part 1 Part 4 Part 7 Part 10 Part 2 Part 5 Part 8~PART 11~ Part 3 Part 6 Part 9
Elphaba swallowed thickly, her mind racing. What should she do? What could she do? Even if she could convince Galinda that it wasn’t true, she could never convince all of the others. Crazy, farfetched rumors or not, this was too precarious. Besides, she realized with further horror, she had basically admitted to Galinda that she did have an allergy. Why else would she be using the blonde girl’s shower cap?!
But how on earth would Galinda had even thought that water would hurt her? Sure, Elphaba was sure the others had noticed she acted peculiarly when it rained and such, and that she avoided the drinking fountains, but that was much different than her darkest secret being spread around the whole of Shiz.
Either way, Galinda knew. That much was certain, so the green girl decided that lies were unnecessary. She had dug herself a deep enough grave already.
“How do you know…?” she whispered, her voice wavering while she gripped the bedside table to keep herself from giving in to the dizziness whitening her green flesh.
“Well….” Galinda bit her lip. Elphaba looked upset…. Maybe she shouldn’t have mentioned the rumors. She should have kept her big mouth shut. But then if she did that, then she would never get a confirmation about it, and thus her new friend’s--acquaintance’s--life would be in jeopardy….
The blonde cleared her throat. “I just heard it in passing…. From either Miss Shenshen or Miss Pfannee, of course….” She smiled softly at the green girl. “But I’m pretty sure that they were just coming up with things to use against you. Slander to make people dislike you even more…. You know, like that your father was an Imp and your mother was an Animal or something.” Another pause. “They never said anything like that, just so you know. It was just an example….”
The green girl barely heard a word out of Galinda’s mouth after the mention of Misses Pfannee and Shenshen. Those blabbermouths had probably told everyone by now. Someone would certainly try something soon… she would have to be on her guard.
Shakily, she pushed the tray aside. She would take it downstairs in the morning when she went for their breakfast. Her head seemed to spin, and she had to sit on the edge of her bed, trying to calm herself down.
“Will you require anything else, Miss Galinda…?” she asked unevenly.
Galinda’s eyes widened. She would have never imagined that Elphaba could look so pale. And she looked so frightened…. I guess I shouldn’t tell her about the one where she couldn’t feel emotions, the blonde thought. In fact, she was pretty sure that every rumor ever constructed was a lie just by looking at the green girl in front of her.
She got up from her bed--to hell with bed rest--and padded over to her roommate. A pale hand rested on Elphaba’s emerald arm. “Elphaba….” The blonde frowned, her head tilting slightly so she could meet the green girl’s gaze. “It’s okay. They were just saying stuff. It’s what people like them do. They say things with the sole intention of humiliating their victim, but they never actually do anything. It’s not like them….” Galinda bit her lip. “I wouldn’t let them do that even if they tried.”
Such strong words for someone you used to hate.
The blonde banished these thoughts from her mind. However she felt in the past, she didn’t feel them now. Elphaba was a person just like her. The rest of the world would learn how to deal with it.
Elphaba’s breath caught just slightly when her roommate’s fingers touched her skin. The sound of Galinda’s voice, for once, seemed to actually be soothing her nerves rather than grating on them. And the sincerity behind the words that came from her delicate lips was something that Elphaba had only experienced once before. Again, she felt incredibly lucky. She was certain no one else had seen her roommate in this way.
Elphaba cleared her throat softly, a small amount of color beginning to return to her jade complexion while her eyes again focused on the world around her. And when they did, Galinda was there, beautifully tousled, golden ringlets framing her face, her sparkling blue eyes barely dulled by illness… Elphaba really couldn’t blame the rest of Shiz for falling in love with her.
“Thank you,” she offered with a small smile.
She sat like that for a few moments, her eyes simply searching Galinda’s, her gaze bouncing gently all over her face. She studied her roommate, not unkindly, before the city’s clock interrupted the moment.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight… nine.
“You should be in bed,” the green girl advised, standing on feet that were much sturdier than they had been a moment ago. “I’ll get you a new nightgown, if you like.”
Galinda frowned at the suggestion of going to bed. She wasn’t even tired…. Yes, she had said that she wanted to get to bed, but that was to rid her mind of a few thoughts. A distraction. Not something to be taken literally….
Then why am I yawning?
The blonde nodded slowly, moving to sit on Elphaba’s bed. “That sounds nice,” she agreed despite her inner protest. She closed her eyes and yawned again. “It doesn’t matter which one….” And with that, she allowed herself to lay down on the bed of her roommate, ready to be rendered unconscious in the next few minutes.
Elphaba opened Galinda’s wardrobe, all thoughts of her exposed secret vanishing while she returned her mindset to that of a nurse for the blonde whose room she shared. She pawed aimlessly through the multitudinous amount of nightgowns before selecting one, a light blue, cotton garment hemmed with lace. It oddly seemed to be the only choice among Galinda’s fanciful nightdresses that appeared somewhat practical for a sick blonde.
She turned back around to see Galinda all but falling asleep on her bed, and couldn’t keep her lips from twitching upward at the sight. Even with as many naps as she had taken, Elphaba could understand the blonde’s exhaustion.
“Here,” she suggested softly, “sit up. I’ll help you.”
Galinda opened one of her eyes to look at Elphaba, then caught the light blue nightgown that rested in her arms. The blonde sighed softly and forced herself to sit up as her roommate asked. Her usual blush gone from her features, she grabbed at the fabric of her dress and weakly tugged at it. “It won’t come off,” she murmured, her eyes slipping closed again.
Elphaba chuckled softly, laying the nightdress down and taking the smaller girl’s hands in her own. Gently she pulled first one arm, then the other out of Galinda’s current nightgown.
“Hold it here,” she instructed quietly, pressing Galinda’s hand to her chest to allow the girl her modesty. Slipping the blue garment from its hanger, she lowered it over Galinda’s head and let the fabric fall around her body.
“All right, let go,” she said, smiling at the blonde’s endearing sleepiness. Imagine, her having to help Galinda Upland to dress. Wasn’t this supposed to be the blonde’s forte?
The green girl pulled Galinda’s arms through the straps of the nightgown, helping her to step out of the one that was pooled at her feet.
“Okay, go on,” Elphaba coaxed, giving her roommate a gentle nudge.
The blonde nodded slowly to each of Elphaba’s commands, letting her take control without struggle. A yawn escaped her once again. It was strange, but she supposed she enjoyed being treated like this by the green girl. It was nothing she would really take advantage of--Elphaba was more headstrong than others and thus should be respected….
Galinda sighed when she felt Elphaba nudge her. She didn’t want to move. She just wanted to stay in her arms and sleep. Sleep sounded good…. The blonde yawned again and curled against her roommate’s side, resting her head on a green shoulder. She smiled softly to herself at the softness beneath her cheek. Yes, she could definitely get used to this.
The raven-haired girl took off her socks, preparing to get ready for bed herself when she felt a cozy warmth against her side, and a gentle weight resting on her shoulder. She turned to look, and her eyes widened at what she saw.
“Ga-” she began, but let the rest of her breath out with a small sigh. Her roommate was asleep, and she did look comfortable… besides, sleep was the most important thing if she was to get well.
Elphaba lay down slowly, letting Galinda’s body follow her to the mattress. At first, her green body was rather stiff… she couldn’t believe that the blonde had fallen asleep on her rather than her much softer, much pinker bed…
She unconsciously began to relax while her mind searched for a reason. They were friends now; is this what friends did? The green girl supposed Galinda really did like her after all.
Yet before Elphaba’s brain could find an explanation, sleep found Elphaba.