Table: Hill
Title: Hill
Fandom: Wicked - bookverse
Rating: PG
Pairing: Gelphie and a little boy flirting with Crope, Tibbett and Boq.
Summary: The gang go for a picnic during which Elphaba and Glinda are quite unsubtle and Boq is rather clueless.
Notes: The angst is gone! Finally! I’ve had a tough few weeks, it called for some happy, pointless fic. =)
Notes 2: Tenth in my table of wicked prompts. (Halfway! It’s only taken me six months.)
"Nessa, are you coming?"
Nessa looked up, startled, as Elphaba put her head around the adjoining door between their rooms. "Sorry? Coming where?"
"To the picnic," Glinda replied, appearing in the doorway behind Elphaba. "Did you forget? We said we'd meet the others today."
"Oh." Nessa had forgotten. Still, now that she thought about it, the prospect of basking in the sunlight with friends sounded infinitely better than staying in her stark dorm room with the book she'd been staring at for the past half hour. "Oh, yes, I'd -,"
Nessa faltered as she chanced a glance at Nanny. The old woman was sitting forward in her chair, listening, a resigned look on her face. Nessa hesitated. Nanny had been escorting her around all morning. It wasn't fair to do this to her.
"I think my time would be better spent in prayer," Nessa said loftily, stopping her eyes from flickering to the window. "As would yours, Elphaba."
She achieved one of her goals; Nanny's face relaxed, but Elphaba's tightened. "Nessa -,"
"Come on, Nessie," Glinda cut in smoothly, her hand just barely brushing against Elphaba's in the doorway. "The fresh air will do you good. And it'll be fun." She smiled winningly. Nessa felt herself melting.
"Well I guess that's settled then," Nanny said briskly, struggling to her feet. "I suppose we're going to the canal?"
Nessa bit her lip. She looked at Elphaba, but it was Glinda who came to her rescue.
"Oh, don't you worry yourself, Nanny," Glinda said. "Elphie and I will take Nessa."
Nanny sat back down abruptly, looking surprised. "Are you sure?" she asked, looking Glinda over. "Can you manage her?"
"We'll be fine," Elphaba said shortly. "Sit still, Nessie, I'll help you put on your shoes."
She knelt quickly at Nessa's feet. As she buckled the clasps of the shoes, Nessa saw Glinda's hand pass, almost casually, over Elphaba's hair. Elphaba leaned just slightly into the touch, her lips curving upward. Nessa smiled, looking out of the window, and pretended not to notice.
“Are we going to the canal?” Nessa asked, as Elphaba and Glinda guided her out of Shiz University, one of their hands on each shoulder.
“No.” Elphaba shook her head. “We’re meeting the boys at the grounds of Briscoe Hall.” She grinned. “Don’t tell Nanny.”
Nessa grinned back. Nanny would have a fit if she knew they were going to a boys’ university unaccompanied.
“Oh, there they are!” Glinda exclaimed, pointing to the top of the hill ahead of them. “Oh sorry, Nessa, hang on -,”
She and Elphaba adjusted their hold on Nessa as they began to climb the hill. Elphaba shook the picnic basket she was carrying down to her elbow, freeing one hand to rest on Nessa’s shoulder blade. Glinda hand supported the other, and their free hands joined in the middle of Nessa’s back. Nessa felt their fingers interlace. She tried not to grin.
“Ah, excellent,” Tibbett said, making room for the three girls on the picnic rug as they arrived at the top of the hill. “The entertainment’s arrived.”
“Watch yourself,” Elphaba warned, propping Nessa up against a tree. “Or it won’t be staying long. Alright, Nessa?”
“Yes, thank you,” Nessa said, nodding greetings to the boys and watching as Glinda and Elphaba did the same.
“You look lovely today, Miss Glinda,” Boq said, making Tibbett, Crope and Elphaba grin at one another. Boq shot them a glare.
“I myself believe it’s Miss Elphaba who looks dashing this afternoon,” Crope said, grinning at the green girl, who smirked back good naturedly.
“Agreed,” Tibbett said, nodding. “What colour is that you’re sporting, Elphie? Midnight black? Twilight navy? I believe it would look simply delicious on Crope.”
“Or Boq,” Crope put in.
“Or both,” Tibbett finished, grinning lecherously and causing Boq to go red.
“Personally, I’d prefer them in nothing at all,” Crope muttered behind his hand to the girls, sending Nessa into a fit of scandalized giggles.
Tibbett quickly put his hands over Nessa’s ears, glaring at Crope. “Sandwich, girls?” he asked loudly, pushing the basket towards them with his foot. Nessa giggled again, and squirmed away from his hands. Tibbett winked at her.
“Here you go, Nessie.” Elphaba took a sandwich from the basket and held it to Nessa’s mouth. Nessa bit into it, carefully avoiding Elphaba’s fingers.
“Are you going to feed all of us, Elphie?” Boq asked, smiling at Nessa.
“Indeed, Elphie,” Glinda added. “Some of us might feel quite left out.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, my sweet,” Elphaba said. “Did you want to be fed too?” She held another sandwich to Glinda’s mouth. Glinda grinned wickedly, and bit down, drawing the tips of Elphaba’s fingers into her mouth as she did so. She sucked lightly. Nessa saw Elphaba shiver.
“Glinda,” Elphaba complained, failing to sound annoyed. “Look what you’ve done.” She held up her wet fingers, and made a show of wiping them on Glinda’s skirt.
“Fine day, isn’t it?” Tibbett grinned, conspicuously turning his eyes away from the two girls. “Don’t you think?” Out of the corner of her eye, Nessa saw Elphaba’s hand creep further along Glinda’s thigh.
“I think I’d quite fancy a walk around the grounds,” Glinda said suddenly, getting up. “Have a look at the architecture. Would anyone like to come?”
Elphaba heaved a dramatic sigh. “I suppose I shall accompany you,” she said, “incase something untoward happens.” The corners of her mouth were twitching. Nessa saw Crope and Tibbett exchange grins.
“I’ll come too,” Boq said, scrambling to his feet.
“No!” Crope said, looking up in apparent alarm. Boq glanced down at him, confused.
“Crope and I would be simply bereft if you left us,” Tibbett said smoothly, tugging on Boq’s hand so that he half stumbled, half fell back to the ground in between the two boys. “Wouldn’t we, Crope?”
“Dreadfully,” Crope affirmed, holding onto Boq as he tried to squirm away. “Off you go, girls,” he added. “We’ll take good care of young Nessa while you’re gone.” He grinned at Nessa, who smiled back, watching as Elphaba and Glinda rounded a corner and disappeared out of sight. She guessed they probably wouldn’t walk much further.
“So Nessa, how did you manage to escape Nanny tagging along?” Tibbett asked, still holding firmly to the struggling Boq.
“She was tired,” Nessa answered, feeling strangely lonely now that she was left with the three boys on her own. “And Elphaba and Glinda said they could help me, so she stayed to rest.”
“Ah.” Crope nodded. Boq had given up, and now sat between the two, looking defeated. Crope slung an arm around his shoulders and the other around Nessa’s. “Boq here thought he was safe from us today. But alas, he is not.” He grinned at the munchkin. “Perhaps it’s not only the girls who need a chaperone?” he suggested. Boq glared back good-naturedly and reached across to take Crope’s arm away from Nessa’s shoulders.
“Let poor Nessa go,” he scolded. “Perhaps it isn’t only the boys who should fear your advances.”
Nessa giggled despite herself as Crope put a hand over his heart.
“You wound me, Boq,” he said. “Apart from Tibbett, of course, you know you are the only one I wish to advance upon.” He tugged suggestively at the bottom of Boq’s shirt.
“Where have those girls gotten to?” Boq asked, leaning hurriedly away from Crope. “Should we go find them, do you think?”
“No need,” Nessa said quickly. “They’re right there.”
Elphaba and Glinda had reappeared, their hands joined as they walked towards the group.
“You look rather flushed, Glinda,” Tibbett observed as they sat down on the rug. “Vigorous walk?” His grin was not quite innocent.
“Oh.” Glinda blushed further. “Yes it was - lovely.” Her fingers tightened almost imperceptibly on Elphaba’s.
“Yes, lovely,” Elphaba agreed. She smirked slightly as she reached for a pastry.
“You can’t have gone far,” Boq remarked. “Did you have time to see anything?”
“Oh, we saw plenty,” Elphaba replied smoothly. Nessa grinned as Tibbett and Crope broke into laughter. Boq glanced at them, looking slightly bewildered.
“Well,” he said uncertainly. “As long as you had fun…”
Even Elphaba snorted with laughter this time. Glinda’s cheeks darkened still further.
“Anyhow,” Tibbett said, looking around at the lengthening shadows and then standing up and brushing himself off. “I suppose it’s time for us to get going.” He grabbed Crope’s hand and pulled him to his feet, apparently forgetting to let go after he had done so. “Come on, Boq.”
Boq stood up reluctantly, and Elphaba and Glinda followed suit, letting the boys collect their things.
“We’ll see you in class,” Crope said, swatting Tibbett’s behind as they began to walk away.
“See you, girls,” Tibbett added.
“Goodbye, Glinda,” Boq said, smiling at the blonde. She smiled back, glancing first at Elphaba. “Good to see you, Elphaba, Nessa.” Boq nodded at them. Elphaba rolled her eyes at his retreating back.
“Lovely to feel wanted, isn’t it?” she said to Nessa as she and Glinda helped the younger girl to her feet.
“Oh stop that,” Glinda said crossly, her fingers still tangled with Elphaba’s. “You know it means nothing.”
Elphaba smirked a little as they made their way back down the hill.
“Did you have a good time?” Nanny asked, as Glinda and Elphaba helped Nessa back into her room.
“Oh, yes,” Glinda answered quickly. “It was lovely.”
She smiled at Nanny as she and Elphaba backed out into their own room, shutting the door behind them. Nanny looked after them.
“Those two put up a good show pretending not to take any interest in each other?” she asked.
“Oh yes,” Nessa grinned. She leaned back against the wall. “You should have come,” she said, as Nanny turned back to her knitting. “I rather think you’d have enjoyed it.”