The Lurlinemas Party 6/? by fabala_belle
Title: The Lurlinemas Party 6/?
Rating: R
Pairing: Glinda/Elphaba
Summary: Glinda takes Elphaba shopping for her Lurlinemas present. A mixture of fluff and angst. btw, I'm getting farther and farther away from what actually happens in the book, but oh well. Thanks to mystic_meg_gal for giving me an idea of how to continue this.
Disclaimer: Seriously? They're still not mine? No fair.
“Oh, Elphie, what do you think of these?”
Elphaba raised her eyebrows as Glinda held up a pair of glittery pink shoes. “Those had better be for you, not me.”
“I would never pick out these shoes for you, Elphie. Not unless I bought you a matching dress first.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” Elphaba snatched the shoes from the blonde, examining them carefully. “They’re perfect for you, but I still don’t understand how you can balance in heels like these.”
“Well,” Glinda replied, reclaiming her shoes, “not all of us are blessed with long legs like you are. I need shoes like this if I’m not to be mistaken for a Munchkinlander.”
“As a Munchkinlander myself, I find that quite offensive.”
“Oh, shut up.” Glinda slipped off the shoes she was wearing and stepped into the pink ones. “Well?”
“Gorgeous.” Elphaba smiled lovingly at the way Glinda glowed and smiled her happiest smile when she found something she liked. It had happened at least ten times in the half hour they’d been at the stores, explaining why the two girls were loaded with bags. “Wasn’t your plan to shop for something for me?”
“I haven’t seen it yet,” Glinda replied, taking the shoes off again and carrying them to the cashier.
Elphaba remained where she was, overwhelmed by the crowd of last-minute Lurlinemas shoppers. How did the attitudes of these maniacs support the spirit of the holiday? Glinda seemed relatively calm compared to the others, but even she had torn a skirt out of another woman’s hands when they both selected the last one.
“Let’s go, Miss Elphie,” Glinda said, reappearing by the green girl’s side. “I’m done shopping for myself… Let’s find the perfect gift for you.” She led her roommate through the maze of clothing racks and crazed shoppers until they emerged onto the street. “I hope you’re not having a miserable time.”
“I could never have a miserable time with you. This is probably the most fun I’ve ever had shopping.”
“Good.” Glinda gave a little skip as they continued down the street, and Elphaba laughed. After a good deal of skipping and swinging her bags, she skidded to a halt in front of a dress shop. “I see something,” she said in a hushed tone, hurrying forward into the store.
Elphaba followed her once again, laughing to herself the whole time. The blonde was particularly adorable when she got so excited… It was funny, really, that Elphaba had found such behavior so annoying when they first met. Now, it was just something more to love, something more to make her heart feel as though it was about to explode. A year ago, even three months ago, she would have been cynical and made some comment about Glinda bringing about some sort of allergic reaction that caused her heart to speed up so dangerously… but her affliction was love, and she knew that there was nothing to be done about it.
“Elphie!” Glinda sang, disappearing among the dresses.
“Yes, my sweet?” Elphaba sought her and discovered her in the black and white section.
“You’re trying this on.” The blonde thrust a hanger at the green girl’s chest. “Go. I’ll keep looking.”
Elphaba shrugged and carried the dress to the back of the store. It was white, she noted, a color that she had never worn. She closed the dressing room door behind her and held up the dress, taking a good look at it.
It looked more like something Glinda would wear than something she would… Yet that gold dress had been the same way, and Glinda had liked how she looked in it. This dress had a slender top, separated from the short, flared, flowing skirt by a green sash that, Elphaba realized, nearly matched her skin tone. She slipped out of the dark-colored shift she had been wearing and into the dress, hooking the buttons behind her and then turning to face the mirror.
“How’s it going in there, Elphie?”
Elphaba ignored Glinda’s voice for a moment, staring at her own reflection. Maybe Glinda was right… Maybe she was a little bit pretty. The white was brilliant against her skin, and the dress seemed to be cut perfectly for her - tight around her slender torso, with the skirt ending just below her knees. She allowed herself, in the solitude of the dressing room, to spin around, watching how the skirt rippled around her. It was just like Glinda’s dresses that swayed as she walked, waving about her slender legs. Dresses that she hadn’t realized she wanted until now.
“Elphie?”
“It’s… it’s going well.” Elphaba opened the door just a hint, allowing Glinda to slip in.
“Goodness, Elphie… Look at you.” The blonde’s face lit up, and Elphaba was proud to note that she looked much happier now than she had about the pink shoes, or any of the other things she had bought for herself.
“You like it?”
“I love it! Why don’t you ever wear white? I know that you have trouble with clashing, but white doesn’t clash, and it looks magnificent on you.”
Elphaba tried to remember why she didn’t wear white, but she couldn’t think of a reason. “I’d stain it, I guess. You know how clumsy I am,” she murmured thoughtlessly, staring past Glinda to see her reflection in the mirror again.
“You’re not clumsy.” Glinda noted the vacant look in Elphaba’s eyes and took her hand gently. “What is it?”
Nanny, I don’t want you putting her in white. The color of purity? Honestly. Look at her. She’s as green as sin.
Frex, honestly, she’s a little girl. That’s what they wear.
She’s punishing me, Melena, you know that. That’s why she’s the way she is.
Frex…
Do you need me to buy her clothing from now on?
That was why. Elphaba shivered slightly, snapping her eyes back to Glinda. “I wasn’t allowed to wear white. My father believed that I was a punishment for his sins, or his failures, or whatever it was that he had done wrong. He didn’t want me wearing it.”
“He can’t stop you now,” Glinda said softly. “But if you’d rather I find something else…”
“No, I love it,” Elphaba said sadly.
Glinda looked away, not wanting to see the pain on Elphaba’s face anymore. She reached out to hug the green girl, pulling her close and stroking her back reassuringly. “You’re not a punishment, Elphie. Please don’t believe that.”
“I don’t,” Elphaba whispered, leaning her head lightly against Glinda’s shoulder. “If I were a punishment, I suppose that I’d be punishing you… Yet I can’t see why anyone would ever punish you. Nothing would be a part of your life if it didn’t have a little bit of goodness in it… Or so I’d like to believe.”
“I love you,” Glinda replied, stepping back to look Elphaba over again. “And I especially love you in that dress. Happy Lurlinemas, Elphie.” She began to help Elphaba undo the buttons, raising the dress over the green girl’s head and putting it back on the hanger.
“Glad you chose shopping over sex last night?” Elphaba asked, her smile regaining power as she focused on Glinda in place of the past.
“Who says I chose?” Glinda set the dress down and turned to face Elphaba once more, raising an eyebrow. “Here we are, all alone in this dressing room…”
“If I haven’t told you in the past five minutes that I love you,” Elphaba replied, “let me remind you that I love you.”
There was nothing, Glinda soon discovered, quite as amazing as combining her two favorite pastimes. It was exhilarating, really, knowing that only a thin door with a tiny lock separated them from the rest of the world. And Elphaba was trying something new, disappearing beneath Glinda’s skirts and probing the blonde with her tongue. Glinda couldn’t test out any new ideas herself… She was far too occupied with keeping herself upright against the dressing room door and holding back the cries that she longed to let out. It was exciting to deal with the pleasure silently, covering her mouth with one hand while Elphaba pressed deeper and deeper.
Elphaba resurfaced once Glinda shuddered to a climax and slumped against the door. “How was that, my pretty?” the green girl asked, running a thumb across Glinda’s flushed cheeks.
“No words,” Glinda panted, leaning into Elphaba’s arms.
“Pull yourself together, my sweet,” Elphaba said with a loving smile. “It must be pretty suspicious that it’s taken me this long to try on one dress.” The green girl busied herself with putting her own frock back on and gathering the new dress.
“Oh, let them suspicion,” Glinda replied, realizing belatedly that her sentence made no sense. Not that she cared… She took deep breaths to try to collect herself as Elphaba laughed at her.
“How I love it when I render you incoherent.” Elphaba gave her a slow, deep kiss that only made the thinking process harder, but Glinda managed to stand up without the aid of the door and to follow the green girl out into the open.
The shop was empty besides the employees, and Glinda smiled to herself, happy that there was no one of importance to notice how deeply she was blushing. She paid for the dress, trying to alleviate her dizziness by carefully counting the money, but Elphaba was just behind her, making it nearly impossible to concentrate.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Elphaba said as they stepped out into the street again, “what your plans are for the winter recess.”
“I was hoping to go home,” Glinda replied, bumping into Elphaba playfully, “but I doubt that will happen. My parents don’t like me traveling alone. The only time I’ve ever done it was when I came to Shiz for the first time, and that was just because I threw a fit and refused to arrive late. It’s just that now, with Ama Clutch so sick, I have no chaperone… And it’s not as if I can travel with a friend, considering how things stand with those who used to be my friends…”
“Well, I’ll be glad to have your company,” Elphaba replied. “It was just to be Nanny and I. Father is taking Nessa on an excursion to some religious shrine or something, so I naturally refused to go.”
“And Nanny’s not going?”
“I’m not sure. Father can usually handle Nessa on his own, but I haven’t talked with Nanny about her plans. I’d hoped she would stay with me so I wouldn’t be completely alone…” Her voice trailed off, and then Elphaba smiled again. “Just imagine it, Glinda, two whole weeks together, just the two of us.”
Glinda nodded, but Elphaba noted her frown. “I just had hoped I would be able to go home. I haven’t been back in so long… After staying all through the summer, it’s been a year since I’ve seen my parents.”
Elphaba reached out to squeeze Glinda’s hand, feeling the ring she had given the blonde press gently into her fingers. “Maybe,” she said softly, “I could accompany you in your travels. If that would be all right with you and your parents, of course.”
Glinda smiled brightly, squeezing Elphaba back. “That’s a fantastic idea! Oh, I’d love to have them meet you… And I’d get to go home! Oh, Elphie, Frottica is so beautiful in the winter, with the ice on the trees and everything you can see covered in snow… You will come, won’t you?”
“For you? Anything.” Glinda was positively glowing, and Elphaba couldn’t help adoring her more and more with each moment. “Oh, Glinda, stop being so wonderful or I’ll have to…”
“Well,” another voice interrupted, dripping with scorn, “look what we have here.”
The color drained out of Glinda’s face, and Elphaba forced herself to stop gazing at the blonde and to look at Pfannee, who stood right in front of them, Ama in tow.
“Why, Miss Pfannee.” Elphaba tried not to laugh at the large bandage on the girl’s nose. “Whatever happened to your lovely face?”
“Don’t you dare say another word to me,” Pfannee replied, her voice reduced to a low growl.
“Why not?”
“As soon as I get my strength back,” the girl replied overdramatically, leaning on her Ama for support, “I intend to go straight to Madame Morrible with the horrible tale of what Miss Glinda did to me. I wouldn’t imagine that you’d need to come back for the spring semester, dear,” she said sarcastically, giving the blonde a pointed look.
“You might,” Elphaba replied, holding Glinda’s hand tighter, “tell her that I was the one to punch you.”
“Don’t say that, Elphie, you know it was me,” Glinda said quickly. “I’ll accept the consequences of my actions.”
“I would relish Miss Elphaba’s expulsion just as much,” Pfannee said, smiling to herself, “but I suppose that I could easily get rid of the pair of you if I tell the headmistress about what happened after I left the party. Shenshen told me all about it when she returned last night, and I assure you that what has been going on between the two of you is blatantly against the rules of both Crage Hall and the Unnamed God.”
“It’s a good thing I’m an atheist, then,” Elphaba replied. “And if Crage Hall is filled with idiots like you, I would hardly miss it. Come along, Miss Glinda.” She tugged at her roommate’s hand until the blonde followed her.
Pfannee turned to watch them as they left, raising her voice as she called after them. “Better to be filled with idiots than with lesbians!”
“That’s not a nice word,” Glinda sniffed as Elphaba pulled her around the corner, away from Pfannee and the eyes of Main Street which had turned on them after Pfannee yelled.
“There’s nothing wrong with the word itself, my sweet. By definition, it’s just what one calls girls like us.”
“Welcome to Oz, Elphaba. It’s not a common word since it’s not a common occurrence… And, at any rate, the tone that Pfannee said it in…” Glinda’s voice wavered with tears and anger.
“…Was ignorant and bigoted. Don’t listen to her.”
Glinda nodded, but she could hardly listen to what Elphaba was saying. Yes, she loved Elphaba, so it did seem that she was a lesbian, as much as she hated the sound of the word… But it was more than just the word. It was the consequences, ones she had never dreamed of when she had kissed Elphaba on the cheek that first time, or when she had kissed her under the mistletoe just the night before. It wasn’t a mistake, nothing that had brought her to Elphaba could possibly be a mistake… But it was frightening, all the same.
“Don’t be afraid,” Elphaba said softly, reading the emotions in the blonde’s eyes and giving her a reassuring smile. “I will never let anything happen to you.”
“Can we leave for Frottica tonight?”
“That’s a good idea.” Elphaba took the bags that Glinda was carrying in addition to those she had already been carrying and started back towards the university. There were no footsteps behind her, though, and she felt a sudden wave of nausea… Had the blonde given up? Was she not coming? Elphaba didn’t dare turn, afraid of what she’d see. “Are you coming, my sweet?”
“Yes.” The quiet reply calmed Elphaba again, as did the soft clicking of Glinda’s shoes against the pavement as she hurried to catch up. It felt so much safer to walk by Elphaba’s side, so she fell into step with the green girl, twisting her ring around her finger. Glinda tried desperately to think back to before they had encountered Pfannee, back when they had been in the dressing room together, but she couldn’t help noticing that everyone was staring as they made their way back onto campus. She’d always been stared at, but not like this. She quickened her pace, glad to see Elphaba follow suit, and even more glad that she’d been going home soon.
Rating: R
Pairing: Glinda/Elphaba
Summary: Glinda takes Elphaba shopping for her Lurlinemas present. A mixture of fluff and angst. btw, I'm getting farther and farther away from what actually happens in the book, but oh well. Thanks to mystic_meg_gal for giving me an idea of how to continue this.
Disclaimer: Seriously? They're still not mine? No fair.
“Oh, Elphie, what do you think of these?”
Elphaba raised her eyebrows as Glinda held up a pair of glittery pink shoes. “Those had better be for you, not me.”
“I would never pick out these shoes for you, Elphie. Not unless I bought you a matching dress first.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” Elphaba snatched the shoes from the blonde, examining them carefully. “They’re perfect for you, but I still don’t understand how you can balance in heels like these.”
“Well,” Glinda replied, reclaiming her shoes, “not all of us are blessed with long legs like you are. I need shoes like this if I’m not to be mistaken for a Munchkinlander.”
“As a Munchkinlander myself, I find that quite offensive.”
“Oh, shut up.” Glinda slipped off the shoes she was wearing and stepped into the pink ones. “Well?”
“Gorgeous.” Elphaba smiled lovingly at the way Glinda glowed and smiled her happiest smile when she found something she liked. It had happened at least ten times in the half hour they’d been at the stores, explaining why the two girls were loaded with bags. “Wasn’t your plan to shop for something for me?”
“I haven’t seen it yet,” Glinda replied, taking the shoes off again and carrying them to the cashier.
Elphaba remained where she was, overwhelmed by the crowd of last-minute Lurlinemas shoppers. How did the attitudes of these maniacs support the spirit of the holiday? Glinda seemed relatively calm compared to the others, but even she had torn a skirt out of another woman’s hands when they both selected the last one.
“Let’s go, Miss Elphie,” Glinda said, reappearing by the green girl’s side. “I’m done shopping for myself… Let’s find the perfect gift for you.” She led her roommate through the maze of clothing racks and crazed shoppers until they emerged onto the street. “I hope you’re not having a miserable time.”
“I could never have a miserable time with you. This is probably the most fun I’ve ever had shopping.”
“Good.” Glinda gave a little skip as they continued down the street, and Elphaba laughed. After a good deal of skipping and swinging her bags, she skidded to a halt in front of a dress shop. “I see something,” she said in a hushed tone, hurrying forward into the store.
Elphaba followed her once again, laughing to herself the whole time. The blonde was particularly adorable when she got so excited… It was funny, really, that Elphaba had found such behavior so annoying when they first met. Now, it was just something more to love, something more to make her heart feel as though it was about to explode. A year ago, even three months ago, she would have been cynical and made some comment about Glinda bringing about some sort of allergic reaction that caused her heart to speed up so dangerously… but her affliction was love, and she knew that there was nothing to be done about it.
“Elphie!” Glinda sang, disappearing among the dresses.
“Yes, my sweet?” Elphaba sought her and discovered her in the black and white section.
“You’re trying this on.” The blonde thrust a hanger at the green girl’s chest. “Go. I’ll keep looking.”
Elphaba shrugged and carried the dress to the back of the store. It was white, she noted, a color that she had never worn. She closed the dressing room door behind her and held up the dress, taking a good look at it.
It looked more like something Glinda would wear than something she would… Yet that gold dress had been the same way, and Glinda had liked how she looked in it. This dress had a slender top, separated from the short, flared, flowing skirt by a green sash that, Elphaba realized, nearly matched her skin tone. She slipped out of the dark-colored shift she had been wearing and into the dress, hooking the buttons behind her and then turning to face the mirror.
“How’s it going in there, Elphie?”
Elphaba ignored Glinda’s voice for a moment, staring at her own reflection. Maybe Glinda was right… Maybe she was a little bit pretty. The white was brilliant against her skin, and the dress seemed to be cut perfectly for her - tight around her slender torso, with the skirt ending just below her knees. She allowed herself, in the solitude of the dressing room, to spin around, watching how the skirt rippled around her. It was just like Glinda’s dresses that swayed as she walked, waving about her slender legs. Dresses that she hadn’t realized she wanted until now.
“Elphie?”
“It’s… it’s going well.” Elphaba opened the door just a hint, allowing Glinda to slip in.
“Goodness, Elphie… Look at you.” The blonde’s face lit up, and Elphaba was proud to note that she looked much happier now than she had about the pink shoes, or any of the other things she had bought for herself.
“You like it?”
“I love it! Why don’t you ever wear white? I know that you have trouble with clashing, but white doesn’t clash, and it looks magnificent on you.”
Elphaba tried to remember why she didn’t wear white, but she couldn’t think of a reason. “I’d stain it, I guess. You know how clumsy I am,” she murmured thoughtlessly, staring past Glinda to see her reflection in the mirror again.
“You’re not clumsy.” Glinda noted the vacant look in Elphaba’s eyes and took her hand gently. “What is it?”
Nanny, I don’t want you putting her in white. The color of purity? Honestly. Look at her. She’s as green as sin.
Frex, honestly, she’s a little girl. That’s what they wear.
She’s punishing me, Melena, you know that. That’s why she’s the way she is.
Frex…
Do you need me to buy her clothing from now on?
That was why. Elphaba shivered slightly, snapping her eyes back to Glinda. “I wasn’t allowed to wear white. My father believed that I was a punishment for his sins, or his failures, or whatever it was that he had done wrong. He didn’t want me wearing it.”
“He can’t stop you now,” Glinda said softly. “But if you’d rather I find something else…”
“No, I love it,” Elphaba said sadly.
Glinda looked away, not wanting to see the pain on Elphaba’s face anymore. She reached out to hug the green girl, pulling her close and stroking her back reassuringly. “You’re not a punishment, Elphie. Please don’t believe that.”
“I don’t,” Elphaba whispered, leaning her head lightly against Glinda’s shoulder. “If I were a punishment, I suppose that I’d be punishing you… Yet I can’t see why anyone would ever punish you. Nothing would be a part of your life if it didn’t have a little bit of goodness in it… Or so I’d like to believe.”
“I love you,” Glinda replied, stepping back to look Elphaba over again. “And I especially love you in that dress. Happy Lurlinemas, Elphie.” She began to help Elphaba undo the buttons, raising the dress over the green girl’s head and putting it back on the hanger.
“Glad you chose shopping over sex last night?” Elphaba asked, her smile regaining power as she focused on Glinda in place of the past.
“Who says I chose?” Glinda set the dress down and turned to face Elphaba once more, raising an eyebrow. “Here we are, all alone in this dressing room…”
“If I haven’t told you in the past five minutes that I love you,” Elphaba replied, “let me remind you that I love you.”
There was nothing, Glinda soon discovered, quite as amazing as combining her two favorite pastimes. It was exhilarating, really, knowing that only a thin door with a tiny lock separated them from the rest of the world. And Elphaba was trying something new, disappearing beneath Glinda’s skirts and probing the blonde with her tongue. Glinda couldn’t test out any new ideas herself… She was far too occupied with keeping herself upright against the dressing room door and holding back the cries that she longed to let out. It was exciting to deal with the pleasure silently, covering her mouth with one hand while Elphaba pressed deeper and deeper.
Elphaba resurfaced once Glinda shuddered to a climax and slumped against the door. “How was that, my pretty?” the green girl asked, running a thumb across Glinda’s flushed cheeks.
“No words,” Glinda panted, leaning into Elphaba’s arms.
“Pull yourself together, my sweet,” Elphaba said with a loving smile. “It must be pretty suspicious that it’s taken me this long to try on one dress.” The green girl busied herself with putting her own frock back on and gathering the new dress.
“Oh, let them suspicion,” Glinda replied, realizing belatedly that her sentence made no sense. Not that she cared… She took deep breaths to try to collect herself as Elphaba laughed at her.
“How I love it when I render you incoherent.” Elphaba gave her a slow, deep kiss that only made the thinking process harder, but Glinda managed to stand up without the aid of the door and to follow the green girl out into the open.
The shop was empty besides the employees, and Glinda smiled to herself, happy that there was no one of importance to notice how deeply she was blushing. She paid for the dress, trying to alleviate her dizziness by carefully counting the money, but Elphaba was just behind her, making it nearly impossible to concentrate.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Elphaba said as they stepped out into the street again, “what your plans are for the winter recess.”
“I was hoping to go home,” Glinda replied, bumping into Elphaba playfully, “but I doubt that will happen. My parents don’t like me traveling alone. The only time I’ve ever done it was when I came to Shiz for the first time, and that was just because I threw a fit and refused to arrive late. It’s just that now, with Ama Clutch so sick, I have no chaperone… And it’s not as if I can travel with a friend, considering how things stand with those who used to be my friends…”
“Well, I’ll be glad to have your company,” Elphaba replied. “It was just to be Nanny and I. Father is taking Nessa on an excursion to some religious shrine or something, so I naturally refused to go.”
“And Nanny’s not going?”
“I’m not sure. Father can usually handle Nessa on his own, but I haven’t talked with Nanny about her plans. I’d hoped she would stay with me so I wouldn’t be completely alone…” Her voice trailed off, and then Elphaba smiled again. “Just imagine it, Glinda, two whole weeks together, just the two of us.”
Glinda nodded, but Elphaba noted her frown. “I just had hoped I would be able to go home. I haven’t been back in so long… After staying all through the summer, it’s been a year since I’ve seen my parents.”
Elphaba reached out to squeeze Glinda’s hand, feeling the ring she had given the blonde press gently into her fingers. “Maybe,” she said softly, “I could accompany you in your travels. If that would be all right with you and your parents, of course.”
Glinda smiled brightly, squeezing Elphaba back. “That’s a fantastic idea! Oh, I’d love to have them meet you… And I’d get to go home! Oh, Elphie, Frottica is so beautiful in the winter, with the ice on the trees and everything you can see covered in snow… You will come, won’t you?”
“For you? Anything.” Glinda was positively glowing, and Elphaba couldn’t help adoring her more and more with each moment. “Oh, Glinda, stop being so wonderful or I’ll have to…”
“Well,” another voice interrupted, dripping with scorn, “look what we have here.”
The color drained out of Glinda’s face, and Elphaba forced herself to stop gazing at the blonde and to look at Pfannee, who stood right in front of them, Ama in tow.
“Why, Miss Pfannee.” Elphaba tried not to laugh at the large bandage on the girl’s nose. “Whatever happened to your lovely face?”
“Don’t you dare say another word to me,” Pfannee replied, her voice reduced to a low growl.
“Why not?”
“As soon as I get my strength back,” the girl replied overdramatically, leaning on her Ama for support, “I intend to go straight to Madame Morrible with the horrible tale of what Miss Glinda did to me. I wouldn’t imagine that you’d need to come back for the spring semester, dear,” she said sarcastically, giving the blonde a pointed look.
“You might,” Elphaba replied, holding Glinda’s hand tighter, “tell her that I was the one to punch you.”
“Don’t say that, Elphie, you know it was me,” Glinda said quickly. “I’ll accept the consequences of my actions.”
“I would relish Miss Elphaba’s expulsion just as much,” Pfannee said, smiling to herself, “but I suppose that I could easily get rid of the pair of you if I tell the headmistress about what happened after I left the party. Shenshen told me all about it when she returned last night, and I assure you that what has been going on between the two of you is blatantly against the rules of both Crage Hall and the Unnamed God.”
“It’s a good thing I’m an atheist, then,” Elphaba replied. “And if Crage Hall is filled with idiots like you, I would hardly miss it. Come along, Miss Glinda.” She tugged at her roommate’s hand until the blonde followed her.
Pfannee turned to watch them as they left, raising her voice as she called after them. “Better to be filled with idiots than with lesbians!”
“That’s not a nice word,” Glinda sniffed as Elphaba pulled her around the corner, away from Pfannee and the eyes of Main Street which had turned on them after Pfannee yelled.
“There’s nothing wrong with the word itself, my sweet. By definition, it’s just what one calls girls like us.”
“Welcome to Oz, Elphaba. It’s not a common word since it’s not a common occurrence… And, at any rate, the tone that Pfannee said it in…” Glinda’s voice wavered with tears and anger.
“…Was ignorant and bigoted. Don’t listen to her.”
Glinda nodded, but she could hardly listen to what Elphaba was saying. Yes, she loved Elphaba, so it did seem that she was a lesbian, as much as she hated the sound of the word… But it was more than just the word. It was the consequences, ones she had never dreamed of when she had kissed Elphaba on the cheek that first time, or when she had kissed her under the mistletoe just the night before. It wasn’t a mistake, nothing that had brought her to Elphaba could possibly be a mistake… But it was frightening, all the same.
“Don’t be afraid,” Elphaba said softly, reading the emotions in the blonde’s eyes and giving her a reassuring smile. “I will never let anything happen to you.”
“Can we leave for Frottica tonight?”
“That’s a good idea.” Elphaba took the bags that Glinda was carrying in addition to those she had already been carrying and started back towards the university. There were no footsteps behind her, though, and she felt a sudden wave of nausea… Had the blonde given up? Was she not coming? Elphaba didn’t dare turn, afraid of what she’d see. “Are you coming, my sweet?”
“Yes.” The quiet reply calmed Elphaba again, as did the soft clicking of Glinda’s shoes against the pavement as she hurried to catch up. It felt so much safer to walk by Elphaba’s side, so she fell into step with the green girl, twisting her ring around her finger. Glinda tried desperately to think back to before they had encountered Pfannee, back when they had been in the dressing room together, but she couldn’t help noticing that everyone was staring as they made their way back onto campus. She’d always been stared at, but not like this. She quickened her pace, glad to see Elphaba follow suit, and even more glad that she’d been going home soon.