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The courtyard at Shiz University was quiet, the soft hum of crickets and the occasional rustle of leaves filling the stillness. The stars gleamed above, their light reflecting faintly off the frost-tinged grass. Elphaba shifted uncomfortably, not because of the chill in the air—Glinda’s obnoxiously pink, fluffy blanket had taken care of that—but because of the warmth radiating from the woman beside her.
Glinda was practically pressed against her, golden hair spilling over Elphaba’s shoulder, pale hands clutching the edges of the blanket they shared. The proximity was intoxicating. The scent of rose water spilled form the blonde woman’s hair, lavender perfume warming Elphaba’s chest, relaxing every muscle in her body. Glinda was walking perfection, right down to the way she smelled.
“This is nice, isn’t it?” Glinda said, tilting her head to look at Elphaba.
Elphaba swallowed, keeping her gaze fixed on the stars. “Sure. If you like freezing your toes off.”
Glinda huffed, her breath warm against Elphaba’s neck. “It’s not that cold. And besides, I have you to keep me warm,” she said, intertwining their arms together.
Elphaba’s ears burned. She shifted closer to Glinda’s touch. “You mean my coat to keep you warm.”
“That too,” Glinda said, snuggling closer.
Stretched lazily before them, blanket-less, we’re Shenshen and Pfannee, staring up at the night sky, desperately trying to ignore Glinda’s giggling and Elphaba’s flushed. It was infuriating how oblivious two people could be, despite being practically on top of each other. When Glinda’s head found its way to Elphaba’s shoulder, Shenshen and Pfannee exchanged knowing looks, sighing.
“You two are ridiculous, you know that?” Shenshen said, cocking and eyebrow.
Elphaba stiffened. “What are you talking about?”
“Oh, come on,” Pfannee said, their voice laced with amusement. “Look at you two. Practically spooning under that hideodeois blanket.”
“It’s not hideodeois,” Glinda protested, mouth hanging open, looking to Elphaba with doe eyes to plead for help.
“And it’s not spooning,” Elphaba muttered, tightening her grip on Glinda.
“Oh, no, you’re right,” Shenshen said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “It’s more of a… prelude to spooning. Foreplay, even.”
“Shenshen!” Glinda said, sitting up, letting go of Elphaba’s arm.
Elphaba groaned, dragging a hand down her face, irritated by Glinda’s lack of touch, because of them. “Could you two be more immature?”
“Not immature. Observant,” Pfannee said, their smirk widening. “You two are oblivious. I mean, do you even realise how often you touch each other?”
Glinda’s flush deepened. “We do not—”
“You literally walked in here holding hands,” Shenshen said, eyes rolling into the back of her head.
“Because I was helping Elphie carry her books!” Glinda said, voice climbing in pitch.
“And now you’re practically sitting in her lap,” Pfannee said, gesturing at them.
“I don’t even want to comment on what I can’t see,” Shenshen said.
Elphaba opened her mouth to say something, anything to shut them up, but no words came out. Her usual wit had failed her, drowned out by the heat rising to her face.
“Anyway,” Shenshen said, standing up and brushing off her skirt, “we’re going to leave you two to… Oz, I don’t even know what to call this.”
Pfannee followed her motion. “Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do. Or do. Honestly who knows how far this has gone already.”
Glinda sputtered, watching the two stroll off into the night, laughter echoing throughout the courtyard.
Elphaba shifted awkwardly, eyeing the ground below. Glinda sighed, adjusting the blanket around them.
“Those two are insufferable.” Elphaba said.
Glinda, still flustered, adjusted the blanket around them. “They’re just teasing.”
“Teasing or not, they don’t know what they’re talking about,” Elphaba said quickly, her tone bitter.
Glinda’s smile faltered. “Right. Of course.”
The tension between them thickened, the weight of unspoken feelings pressing down on them like the very stars above. For a moment, neither said anything, the silence stretching uncomfortably long.
Elphaba shifted, wrapping an arm around Glinda, fingers trading her waist. “You, uh… you’re shivering.” With her free hand, she pulled the blanket over her shoulder, bringing it over her chest.
Glinda turned to look at her, searching dark eyes, the glimmer of starlight dancing along her iris. Leaning into the touch, she closed her eyes. “I thought you said you hated this blanket.”
Elphaba smiled, eyes flicking to the stars instead of meeting Glinda’s gaze. “It’s growing on me. Like some horrible fungus.”
Glinda chuckled, resting her head against Elphaba’s shoulder. “You’re awful, you know that?”
“Yet, you’re still here,” Elphaba said, her voice soft.
Time passed in a comfortable quiet, their bodies fitting together as if it had always been this way. The warmth of Glinda against her side was a sensation Elphaba could get used to—if she dared to admit it.
As the night grew colder, Glinda’s breathing slowed, her head growing heavier against Elphaba’s shoulder.
“Glinda?” Elphaba said. She glanced down, only to find Glinda’s eyes closed, lips slightly parted in sleep.
Elphaba’s heart thudded painfully. Glinda really was beautiful, even in the stillness of sleep.
After a few failed attempts to gently rouse her, Elphaba sighed in defeat. Glinda wasn’t waking up, and Elphaba wasn’t about to leave her in the freezing courtyard.
Carefully, she shifted Glinda into her arms, lifting her with more ease than she’d expected. Glinda murmured something unintelligible in her sleep, her head lolling against Elphaba’s shoulder, letting out a content sigh as Elphaba held her close.
The walk back to their dorm was slow, the halls eerily quiet at this hour. Glinda’s soft, steady breaths tickled Elphaba’s neck, and the weight of her in Elphaba’s arms felt grounding, intimate in a way that made her chest ache.
When they reached their room, Elphaba laid Glinda gently onto her bed, the pink monstrosity that was somehow charming in its own absurdity. She pulled the covers over Glinda, intending to retreat to her own bed, but as she began to step away, Glinda’s hand shot out, wrapping around her wrist.
“Elphie,” Glinda murmured, her voice thick with sleep. Warm eyes fluttered open, locking onto Elphaba’s. “Stay. Please?”
Elphaba froze, breath catching in her throat. Blood rushed in her ears, chest tightening, heart pounding so loudly she was certain Glinda could hear.
“I… I don’t think—”
“Just for tonight,” Glinda whispered, tugging lightly on her wrist. “Please? I don’t want to be alone.”
Elphaba’s resolve crumbled. With a shaky exhale, she nodded and climbed into the pink monstrosity beside her.
Glinda shifted closer, her movements groggy as she pressed her back against Elphaba’s front. Carefully, Elphaba wrapped her arms around Glinda, letting her hips slot into the curve of her front, locking them together like perfect puzzle pieces.
The warmth of Glinda’s body was overwhelming, she was soft in every way imaginable, filling Elphaba’s senses. It was terrifying and perfect all at once.
Elphaba closed her eyes, her face buried in Glinda’s hair.
“Pink goes good with green,” Glinda murmured sleepily, half awake, wrapping her fingers over Elphaba’s hand.