Mid-SweetTalk (Ao3 Crossposts)

Elphaba wakes up one morning to find herself oddly alone. The sun has risen, and the sheets beside her are cold—though the winter chill in the air makes it hard to tell just how long Galinda's been gone. After grabbing her glasses, she notices a folded-up piece of Galinda's pink parchment laying on the bedside table. Opening it, she reads:

Good morning, my love! Happy Lurlinemas Eve!

I'm afraid I had to go into work to handle a teensy tiny emergency, and I simply couldn't bear to wake you when you were sleeping so peacefully. Not to fret, though—I'm sure it'll be fine! I promise I'll be home in time for dinner.

Can't wait to see your beautiful face and definitely not shower you with gifts because we agreed on one present each and I am a wonderful partner who listens to their wife! ♥

All my love,

Galinda

Elphaba smiles down at the parchment. The entire letter is covered and punctuated with doodles of hearts and winking faces and something that looks suspiciously like the two of them embraced and kissing—Galinda must have been in a hurry, otherwise Elphaba's sure it would have contained unnecessary and borderline-explicit detail. 

Elphaba chuckles and rises from bed, standing with a stretch. There's a dull ache across her body—strange. She hopes she's not coming down with something. 

She grabs her robe—a fluffy, oversized knitted cardigan that keeps her from shivering as the cold air hits her skin. Softly padding across the hall to her study, she deposits Galinda's note in the drawer she has designated for things like this. It's full of notes and drawings and little keepsakes Galinda's given her for a multitude of reasons, mainly just because "it reminded me of you, Elphie!" She's gathered quite the collection over the years; she'll need more space in which to hold it all, soon. 

With a soft smile, she shuts the drawer and heads back to the bedroom. Walking to the closet—she'd managed to convince Galinda they only needed one, though Elphaba's clothes only take up a quarter of the space—she stares at the choices in front of her. 

Thinking about it, there’s not much for her to do today. The shopping is done for the week, her garden has been covered for the winter, and she's not yet in need of a trip to the library. Until Galinda gets home, there are no true requirements; theoretically, she could just lounge around in her nightgown and read all day until it's time to leave for dinner. The idea wouldn't normally entice her, but there's a lingering tiredness in her body that makes her want to crawl back into bed. 

On a whim, she reaches out and runs a hand along the sleeve of one of Galinda's dress shirts. A smell wafts towards her, one of Galinda's natural scent mixed with the cologne they like to use on their masculine days. Elphaba's body warms at the smell, and she finds herself stepping closer to press her nose to the fabric. 

A lazy Lurlinemas Eve with Galinda home with her would be wonderful right about now.

A low thrum starts up deep within her. The urge to lie down in bed grows stronger, though it's no longer to sleep. Before she can talk herself out of it, she's moving to crawl beneath the blankets and press her face into Galinda's pillow. She inhales deeply, drawing in her lover's scent as much as she can—but as she settles fully onto her stomach, she pauses. 

Her chest is rather… uncomfortable with the pressure of lying down, her nipples a bit tender. She turns onto her back and tentatively lifts a hand to run over one of her breasts. With a gentle, experimental squeeze, she determines that it's not painful, per se, but definitely sore. Sensitive. Her breath hitches as a thought hits her. 

Elphaba jumps up from the bed and rushes back to her study, immediately going to the calendar and counting the weeks—nearly four since their rut cycles ended, and nearly six since her last menstruation. 

Her pulse rushes in her ears as her heart rate picks up. She moves to leave her study, pauses, turns and grabs a specific notebook from her shelf, and then resumes her speedy walk until she ends up in the kitchen. She sheds her cardigan, her blood now running hot with the excitement of possibility. 

But Elphaba hesitates once she's placed her notebook on the kitchen counter. She has dozens of notebooks, mostly commonplace marble-covered ones, but this one is special; it was a gift from Galinda, given years ago. She stares down at the swooping, swirling "E" embossed in the corner of its sturdy cover, at the pages edged in sparkling gold. 

She uses it as a diary of sorts, though there aren't very many entries. She really only writes in it when something truly splendiferous or important happens—among the entries is one for when they had both graduated from Shiz, and one for when Galinda proposed. There are perhaps a couple dozen others, all from times when Elphaba's joy or love was simply too great to be contained within herself, so grand as to warrant a permanent etching in this very special book of very special moments. 

Except for one entry, the most recent one. Once she and Galinda had decided they would try to get pregnant, Elphaba had done an appropriate (nigh on excessive) amount of research. In one of the books she'd borrowed from the library, she'd found the recipe for a particular potion, one which supposedly would determine whether or not one was pregnant. Before returning the book, she'd copied down that recipe in her very special notebook so she would be prepared, come this very special moment which she has now apparently reached. 

Elphaba's hands tremble where they grip at the counter top. It's not that she's second-guessing her decision to do this, to have a child with Galinda—it's just that, if the potion works and announces a positive result, this is the moment where it all becomes real. There is a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach about it all.

She briefly considers waiting for Galinda to get home from work so they can do this part together, but Elphaba's not sure she could handle seeing Galinda's disappointment if it did somehow end up negative. Besides, if it is positive, well, then surprising Galinda with the news will be half the fun. 

So, Elphaba takes a deep, steadying breath, and then she gets to work.

The ingredients aren't complicated; it's more the order and timing of it all that is particular. Nearly an hour goes by before Elphaba has completed the potion itself. She picks up a glass vial with slightly shaky hands and uses a ladle to fill it nearly to the brim. There's plenty of the concoction left over in the pot, should she need to repeat the test. But for now, there's only one more step before her question is answered.

With a drop of her blood, if she's made it correctly, the potion should change color after a few seconds: to a bright red if negative, or, if positive, a deep, shining emerald. 

How fitting. 

She has the knife ready in her right hand, poised with the tip aimed at the pad of her left pointer finger. Just this one last thing, and she'll know if she's pregnant. One last thing, and she'll know for sure if she's carrying her and Galinda's child. 

Her head swims a bit, so she closes her eyes. Her mind is filled with vague images and sounds—Galinda holding a tiny bundle in their arms, tiny feet pattering down the hallway. Her breath trembles, her chest clenching in excitement. She opens her eyes and pricks the tip of her finger. A drop of red gathers there, contrasting against the green of her skin before it falls into the vial and joins the potion. She sets the knife down on the counter and presses a cloth to the cut on her finger.

And she waits.

Galinda has had a truly horrendible day. And for all of this to happen on Lurlinemas Eve, of all eves! They're growing rather tired of having to go into work on Big Days like this.

They hadn't wanted to worry Elphie, but the work emergency had been a bit bigger than "teensy tiny." It was nothing Galinda couldn't handle, but they can't lie and say it wasn't a stressful start to the day; it required several hours to properly implement a solution, and so by lunchtime, Galinda was already exhausted. By the time they were able to leave work, they wanted nothing more than to go home to their wife and bury their nose into her neck to breathe in that earthy scent that is pure Elphaba. 

They pause outside the house when they arrive, taking in the sight of it all covered in snow and tinsel. Galinda truly loves Lurlinemas, everything about it, from the decorations to the music to the traditions—including their tradition of going to their favorite restaurant every Lurlinemas Eve. Afterwards, they stay up late and cuddle and read or play games until the clock strikes thirteen, at which point they open their presents from each other. They like it that way; it gives them a more private moment to celebrate together before their families and friends surround them on Lurlinemas Day. 

A giddy excitement rises in Galinda's chest, and they finally enter the house. "Oh, wife!" they call from the foyer as they hang up their coat. "Dearest, darlingest wife of mine! I'm home!"

Elphaba appears from around the corner, smirk tilting her lips. "Hello, darling husband," she greets in that soft, warm, lovely voice of hers—

Except Galinda winces involuntarily. A pang rings in her chest, something off, and it's only then that she realizes—"Ah, I'd rather 'wife' now, if you please, darling." 

"Of course, my sweet." Elphaba takes it in stride, as she always does, coming up to adjust Galinda's tie and using it to pull her forward into a grounding kiss. She doesn't question it or press, she never does, and that is one of the many, many reasons why Galinda loves her so. "How was your emergency work day?"

"Horrendible." Galinda melts into the embrace in relief, brings her hands up to rest on Elphie's hips. "But much better now. Happy Lurlinemas, Elphie."

Elphie's smirk widens to show the gap in her teeth. Galinda's heart flutters before settling warmly in her chest. "Happy Lurlinemas, my love. Did you want to change before we go?"

"Yes, please. Just a clock tick." She kisses her wife again before rushing to the bedroom to shed the clothes that have now harbored all of the stress of the day within their fabric. She keeps the tie, though, swapping the rest of her outfit for a collared dress with a knee-length skirt and matching, frilly blazer. Looking over herself in the mirror, she gives her reflection a nod of approval before turning to rejoin her wife downstairs.

When she reaches the foyer, she sees Elphie fumbling with her satchel. "Darling?"

Elphie jumps a bit, letting her bag fall closed and rest by her hip. "Oh! I—didn't hear you coming. Are you ready, my sweet?" She tucks some loose braids behind her ear as she straightens up.

Galinda giggles. "Sorry to startle you, dearest. But yes, let's go."

Galinda can tell that Elphie isn't flying as fast as she normally would, and she has a feeling it's because of the snow slowly falling around them. It's a glorious sight, one that she can see Elphie taking in as well. Galinda smiles to herself as she wraps her arms more tightly around Elphaba's waist. Her wife really is such a romantic. 

The ride doesn't take long, even with the slower pace, and they are soon checking their coats and the broom at the host's stand. The hostess recognizes them—they do come here fairly often, and Elphaba is rather recognizable—and says, "Oh, I have the perfect table for you open right now, just this way—"

But Elphaba interrupts her. "Actually, would it be alright if we had a booth today, instead?"

Galinda raises an eyebrow and shoots her wife a subtle look of confusion. Elphaba tends to like sitting away from the corners and sides—she's said it's because she never wants to feel like she's trying to hide herself away anymore, something that Galinda, of course, fully supports.

But the hostess doesn't falter, immediately changing course to lead them to a booth next to the wall, instead. "Is this more to your liking, Mrs. Upland?"

Any concern of Galinda's is immediately banished at the sight of her Elphie standing taller. Galinda already knew that Elphaba loves her married name, but seeing the effect it still has on her after over a year makes Galinda's heart warm. 

"Yes, thank you," Elphie answers the hostess. Once menus are placed on the table, the hostess leaves them be, and Elphaba gestures towards the bench seat. "After you, my sweet. I'd love to sit next to you tonight, if you don't mind."

Galinda only smiles and kisses the back of Elphaba's hand before doing as requested. As she slides into the seat, Elphie removes her satchel to place it on the opposite bench, and then she is settling in next to her. 

A gentle kiss to Galinda's cheek has her blushing like a schoolgirl. She clears her throat and picks up her menu to try and hide how flustered such a simple gesture has made her. 

(She's sure Elphie knows, but she, thankfully, doesn't tease.)

It's all perfectly normal at first, quiet and calm as they each decide what they want for their dinner. Their waiter comes by to grab their drink orders and then leaves them alone once more. And it's just a moment after, when Elphaba shifts to hold her menu up with one hand and places the other high on Galinda's thigh, that she starts to get suspicious. 

Because all of a sudden, Galinda remembers what happened here on their anniversary. All of a sudden, she realizes that the tablecloth nearly covers their laps, that she is hidden from the rest of the restaurant by being between Elphaba and the wall. And Elphaba is running her nails along Galinda's thigh in such a way that the hem of her skirt starts to slide higher and higher. She can feel herself twitch in her underwear and tries to stay calm. 

She clears her throat, glances her wife's way. "Elphie?"

Green eyes stay focused on the menu. "Yes?"

"Are you…" her breath catches as Elphie's nails graze higher, so she clears her throat again. "Are you… feeling alright?" Her wife isn't normally this brazen in public—maybe she's entering her heat again? That would certainly be a fun Lurlinemas gift.

"I'm feeling perfectly fine, my sweet." Elphaba shifts her hand so that her palm rests on Galinda's thigh, and when she squeezes, her nails dig into the soft skin there. Galinda stifles a gasp, but she can't help the way her thighs jump apart ever-so-slightly. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just… are you—I mean…" Galinda's eyes dart around the restaurant, but, of course, no one is paying them any attention. "Do you realize what you're doing?"

"And what is it I'm doing, Glin?" The nickname is accompanied by a delicious scratch along Galinda's inner thigh. 

"Oh, Oz," Galinda breathes, legs spreading further. She squeezes her eyes shut for a moment, trying to keep her body under control. Unfortunately, her dick refuses to cooperate. "You—you clearly know." 

"Then why bother asking?"

Well. Elphie's certainly in a particular mood—and Galinda can't exactly complain. 

"It's just," Galinda starts, though she's unsure of what she even wants to say. "I…"

Elphaba finally looks at her, concern peeking from the corners of her eyes. "Do you want me to stop?"

It isn't teasing when she asks, and Galinda knows that if she were to answer in the affirmative, Elphie would listen right away. But the problem is…

"N-no." She really doesn't want her to stop. 

She glances around at the other patrons once more, her heart rate spiking at the thought of being caught. Oz, is this how Elphie felt on their anniversary?

"Then be good," Elphaba instructs, turning back to her menu, "and stay quiet." 

Galinda bites her lip to stifle a whimper. She scoots forward in her seat, which earns her a suspicious glance from Elphaba at first. When her Omega realizes that she's just making sure she's fully hidden by the tablecloth, though, Elphaba rewards her by palming the growing bulge between her legs. Galinda clenches the menu tightly in her hands as she restrains herself from bucking her hips up into Elphaba's hand. 

"Here you go," their waiter says as he returns, placing their respective wines in front of them. "Are we ready to order, or do we still need a clock tick?"

Galinda opens her mouth to ask for more time, but a firm squeeze to her growing cock makes her jaw snap shut with a click of her teeth. 

"I believe we're ready," Elphaba says. She smiles sweetly, more saccharine than usual as she discreetly brings her hand away from Galinda and out from under the table. She orders easily, and Galinda picks something random and follows not-so-easily.

When they are alone once more, Elphaba takes a sip of her red wine. "Take it out for me, won't you, my sweet?"

Galinda nearly chokes on her own saliva, stammering as she says, "I—you mean—take…?"

Elphaba lowers her voice to something that sends a chill up Galinda's spine. She speaks slowly, patronizingly. "Take your cock out of your underwear, Glinda." 

Galinda hurries to comply, knocking her knuckle painfully on the table as she moves. Elphaba gives her a chastising, warning look, so she slows down. She can't help but breathe a small sigh of relief as her hardening cock is freed from the confines of her underwear, though. 

"Hands on the table," Elphie says lowly. When Galinda complies, she continues, "Drink your wine, and put that Upland charm to good use—keep up appearances for me, my sweet? Think you can keep yourself from coming?" 

Galinda takes a long gulp of her wine to steady herself before nodding.

"Good. Because what you are not going to do is make a mess of this fine restaurant, understood? I rather like coming here." Galinda can't help but giggle breathily at her choice of words, which earns her a smirk and a roll of Elphie's eyes. "You are ridiculous, sometimes."

"But you married me," Galinda says, regaining a bit of her composure. She leans over until her shoulder touches Elphie's. "You love me."

Elphie rolls her eyes again. "I did." Then, she turns to face her, putting their noses inches apart. "And I do." 

Elphaba gives the softest, heart-fluttering-est smile before she leans in to kiss Galinda, and it takes her breath away. Normally, their public kisses are kept chaste, but Elphaba parts her mouth to lightly suck on Galinda's bottom lip, tucks a finger beneath her chin to draw her in closer. It's all so distracting that Galinda doesn't even notice the whereabouts of Elphie's other hand until it's between her legs. 

She jumps a bit, away from the kiss, as Elphaba wraps her long fingers around her cock. Galinda places her palms flat on the table to steady herself. 

"Easy, now," Elphie says teasingly, smirk firmly back in place. She removes her hand from under Galinda's chin and reaches to take a sip of her wine as if nothing untoward is happening. 

Oz, does she have to be so damn attractive all the time?

Galinda takes a slow, deep breath as Elphie's hand starts to move, sending heat rushing all over her body. She reaches for her wine with trembling fingers and takes another long sip. She can feel herself hardening further, growing closer to her full length with each pass of Elphaba's hand along her shaft. 

Elphaba pulls upward and swipes her thumb across the tip, and Galinda shivers in response. "Oz, Elphie."

"Yes, my sweet?"

Galinda shakes her head, breathing out a half-laugh. "You just—always know h-how to drive me insane."

Elphaba hums. "I should hope so, after all this time." She squeezes at the base of her cock before pulling upwards once more, and Galinda feels her thighs tremble.

She nearly whimpers. It's a struggle to keep her face straight. "I don't… I don't know how long I'll be able to last, actually."

Elphaba scoffs teasingly, turning to look at her with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, come now, Alpha. Surely you can at least last until our food arrives." 

Galinda's eyes dart down to those smirking lips. Oz, it's terribly warm in here. "I—o-okay."

Elphie tuts before sliding her hand up to smear precum along Galinda's shaft. "Are you sure?" 

"No," Galinda breathes with a shaky, incredulous smile. She forces her eyes back up to meet Elphie's. "But I'll try. For you." 

That makes Elphaba's breath catch, her lips parting on a small gasp. Before long, though, that smirk is back in full force. Her hand moves the slightest bit faster along Galinda's cock when she says, "Good girl."

Galinda doubts herself, though, because Elphaba really does know just how Galinda likes it—every stroke and squeeze makes her breathless. Elphie occasionally whispers to her, too, telling her to stay calm or breathe and praising her when she does. Within a few minutes, her entire body is tensed up in order to hold back the orgasm she's not allowed to have. She's trying her very best to stay still and quiet, but Oz, Elphie's hand feels so heavenly—

And then it's gone, the cold air hitting her warm cock and making her shiver. She barely restrains a gasp. "E-Elphie, what—"

"Alright, ladies," the waiter says to announce his return. Ah, that explains it. Probably good timing, too, because Galinda isn't sure how much more she would have been able to take without crashing over the edge. 

"Thank you," Elphie says to the waiter with a smile. Galinda does her best to follow suit, but she's sure her smile is wobbly. 

He is quick to place their food on the table, asks if they're in need of anything else (they aren't—not from him, at least), and then leaves them once more. 

"Are you alright, sweet?" Elphie checks in as she goes to dig into her plate. Her left hand remains beneath the table, but it stays in her own lap.

Galinda clears her throat. "Mhm," she manages, voice higher than normal. She coughs again and retries, "Fine. Just dandy."

Elphaba smirks. "I'm sure." 

Galinda relishes in the chance to calm herself down. It takes several deep breaths before she is actually ready to eat, and then as soon as she picks up her fork, Elphaba is grazing her nails along Galinda's thigh. She freezes, but Elphaba doesn't take things further just yet. 

"Don't mind me," her wife says coyly, taking another bite of her own food and chewing delicately. She swallows and glances Galinda's way. "Enjoy your meal, love." 

So, Galinda tries. It's rather difficult, though, to focus on her food when Elphie's long nails keep dancing along the skin of her knee and inner thigh. She doesn't get any less hard, as a result, her cock twitching and pulsing every time Elphie moves a certain way. It's getting… uncomfortable, to say the least. 

And Elphaba must be watching her closely, because as soon as Galinda's finished her last bite and placed her fork down, she move her hand to wrap around Galinda once more. 

Galinda hisses quietly, has to put a hand over her mouth to keep herself from groaning. 

Elphaba coos teasingly. "Sensitive?" 

Galinda nods, because she is—the warmth of Elphie's hand moving along her shaft nearly makes her cross-eyed. "E-Elphie, I don't think I—fuck…"

"What's that, Glin?" Elphaba says with a hum. "Use your words, my love." 

Elphie pumps her cock smoothly and quickly, squeezes the base where her knot would be if one of them were in rut. Galinda brings both hands up to hide her face as much as possible, because she's sure she's not maintaining her composure at all, at this point. Her thighs tense up as she tries her damnedest not to jerk her hips into Elphie's hand. It's so—so….

"E-Elphie," she mumbles from behind her hands, "I'm… you have to—"

"How are we doing over here?" The waiter asks, catching them both off guard. Elphie quickly stills her hand and moves it to rest on Galinda's knee, instead, while Galinda forces her face into a more neutral expression so she can drop her own hands. "In the mood for some dessert, tonight?"

Again, just like earlier, Galinda goes to answer, but Elphie's nails digging into her skin makes her keep her mouth shut. "Yes, please," Elphaba says sweetly. "Could I have a scoop of your caramel gelato? And she'll have the chocolate. Thank you."

The waiter nods. "Of course, excellent choices! I'll be back with those, soon." He turns and walks away, and Elphaba immediately moves her hand—

But Galinda, desperately on edge now, grabs it before Elphaba can resume her task. "Elphie," she breathes shakily, "if you touch me again, I'm going to come."

Elphaba looks at her with wide eyes, then smirks. "Poor baby." Galinda can feel the blush burning its way across her face and neck. "Here—tuck yourself away, and come with me." 

Elphaba puts her napkin on the table and rises from her seat, giving Galinda a chance to clumsily—and with difficulty—pull her underwear back over her cock and tug her skirt back down. She then offers Galinda her hand and pulls her out of the seat before walking her over to the bathroom. 

Galinda can only follow like a lost puppy, grateful that the skirt of her dress is full enough to hide the still-very-present bulge between her legs. 

When they enter the restroom, there is one woman present who dries her hands and leaves just a clock tick after they arrive. The stalls appear to be unoccupied, but Elphaba still looks to Galinda and puts a finger to her lips before dragging them both into one and locking the door behind them. 

Galinda gasps as she's pushed against the wall, and then she is treated to the glorious sight of Elphaba sinking to her knees in front of her. 

Galinda should do the noble thing and protest, reassure Elphie that she really doesn't have to do this, she'll be fine, honest—but her entire body tingles with the pressure of her denied orgasm, and she cannot force herself to speak. The next thing she knows, Elphaba is lifting the skirt of Galinda's dress and tugging her underwear down to free her cock once again.

Galinda chokes on a moan as Elphie immediately takes the tip into her mouth. Long nails tap against her hip in warning, but Elphaba doesn't give her any time to recover before she shifts forward to take more. Galinda slaps a hand over her own mouth to keep from making noise. 

And Elphaba wastes no time. She soon takes Galinda's cock to the hilt, throat pulsing around the tip as she swallows. As she pulls back, those perfect green lips and warm tongue slide along her length, and that along with the feeling of hitting the back of her throat, the sight of her Omega flushed and greedy and looking up at her through those lashes with watery eyes—

Galinda's hips jerk as she spills down Elphaba's throat. The hand covering her mouth squeezes tightly, her own nails digging into her cheek. The other blindly grabs onto Elphie's shoulder, just barely refraining from mussing up black braids. There is only the slightest spluttering sound as Elphie expertly swallows everything. 

When Elphie finally pulls off and away, she pants for a moment to catch her breath and uses a thumb to wipe along the edge of her mouth to clean off any stray spit or cum. Then, hypnotizingly, she leans forward and presses a slow, soft kiss near Galinda's hipbone. A dark green lipstick stain is left in her wake. 

Galinda is then left blinking dazedly as Elphaba tucks her softening cock away and straightens her dress for her. By the time she stands back up, the only sign that anything has happened is the flush still covering Galinda's face and Elphie's slightly faded lipstick. 

Elphie only smirks at her and tucks a finger beneath Galinda's chin to draw her into a chaste kiss, then unlocks the stall door and heads to the sinks. Galinda stares after her for a clock-tick too long before hurrying to follow. 

She continues to stare as Elphie washes and dries her hands. And she stares as one of those hands waves through the air and then suddenly has Elphie's lipstick in its palm, summoned from her wife's satchel back at the table. Elphie using magic is always insanely attractive, which doesn't really help current matters for Galinda as she now stares at the way Elphaba reapplies her lipstick. 

"Do I have something in my teeth?" Elphie asks teasingly once she's done. The small smirk she tries to hide only makes Galinda's heart race again. 

"I'm just… confused," Galinda confesses. She takes a second to steady herself, turning to the mirrors and making sure her own appearance isn't too frazzled. "Not complaining, of course—I could never, but—is there a reason for all of this… fun?" She grimaces when she can't find the proper word, but, well, this is all a bit of fun, isn't it?

Elphie hums a small laugh. "We're celebrating," she answers simply. 

"This is… quite more than we've ever done for Lurlinemas."

"Who said it's Lurlinemas we're celebrating?" 

That makes Galinda's brow furrow. She turns to face her wife again, who has that scheming glint in her eye like she knows something Galinda doesn't—and it's… still not helping Galinda's flustered state, that's for sure. 

But Elphaba laughs, more openly this time, at her obvious confusion and takes her hand. "Let's head back, my love; I want to give you one of your presents early."

Galinda lets herself be led, but manages to snark back, "What, this wasn't a present in itself?"

Elphie only giggles—one of Galinda's absolute favorite sounds, truly—and continues to walk them back to their table. Their respective bowls of gelato are sat there, waiting for them. Oddly, Elphaba sits across from her this time and draws her bowl in front of her. At Galinda's questioning look, she shrugs and says, "I want to see your face when you open it."

It's then that something clicks in Galinda's mind. "Wait, you said 'one of' my presents! Are you breaking your own rule this time? Does this mean I can give you however many presents I want?"

Elphie rolls her eyes as she reaches into her satchel. "As if you don't already have several gifts waiting for me at home."

Galinda grins, unashamed. "I have no Oz-ly idea of what you're talking about, dearest."

Elphaba hums but doesn't respond, merely bringing out a box just bigger than her hand and wrapped in a glittery pink bow, sliding it across the table. 

Galinda glances back and forth between Elphie and the box before slowly reaching for it. "And you're sure you want me to open this now?"

Elphaba, currently lifting a spoonful of her caramel gelato to her lips, nods. "Positive—I've been waiting for this all day," she says. And then, once she's tasted the dessert, "Oz, this really is amazing. We have to make sure we bring it home, this time." 

Elphie is really making a habit of confusing her, tonight. "Why can't we just finish it here?"

Another smirk. "Open your present, my sweet." 

Galinda playfully rolls her eyes, but listens and tugs at the ribbon until she can open the box itself. Inside are three glass vials—she recognizes them as being Elphie's from when she makes potions for her spell work. Each vial is filled with a green liquid, slightly darker than Elphie's skin and glittering within the glass. 

Galinda looks up at her wife to see that her smirk has turned into an almost-shy, giddy smile. Her heart melts at the sight, though she still doesn't know what it's for. "I'm—I'm sorry, darling, I'm not sure what these are."

But Elphie is prepared and slides an open notebook atop the table—it's her diary. (Well, Galinda calls it her diary, but Elphaba always insists it's just her "special notebook.") 

"I did it three times, just to make sure it was… real," Elphie says, voice softening in that way where she's trying so very hard not to show how truly excited she is. 

So, Galinda looks down at the page to which Elphie has opened her diary special notebook. The larger letters at the top read: Pregnancy Confirmation Potion.

Galinda's heart stops. 

Breath pausing, she moves her eyes down to the highlighted words at the bottom of the page, after all the spell-recipe-mumbo-jumbo, which read:

Negative: RED

Positive: GREEN

Her eyes shoot up to stare at Elphaba. She's sure her jaw has dropped a bit as she processes. Elphie is now biting her lower lip as she awaits her reaction, her hands fidgeting on the table, gelato momentarily forgotten. 

"Elphie," Galinda says breathily, finally taking in air. "You—I mean, you're—we're…?"

Elphaba's grin grows to a point where she cannot contain it anymore, the gap in her teeth showing proudly as she says. "We're having a baby, my sweet." 

It feels like the words smack her in the chest. There is a clock-tick of a pause as it really and truly sinks in. She looks back down at the items in front of her, reading over everything again just to make sure. Then, eyes blurring and watery, she looks back to Elphaba—her wife. Her wife, who is glowing and giddy in front of her. Her wife who was so excited to share this news that she planned out this whole little scheme of hers. 

Her wife who is pregnant with their child. 

"We're… having a baby?" she repeats, needing more confirmation still. Elphie nods, but she asks again. "Are you sure?" Her voice cracks, a tear falling.

Elphaba giggles again, reaches out to cup Galinda's face and wipe away the wetness from her cheeks. Her own eyes turn glossy in return. "I'm positive, Glin. We did it. We're having a baby." 

Galinda's struggling to hear over the sound of her heartbeat rushing in her ears. "We're… having a baby," she says around a sob, a statement this time instead of a question. 

Elphaba nods. "We are." 

"You and me, we're having a baby. Together."

Elphie chuckles wetly and raises an eyebrow playfully. "Well I haven't been with any other Alphas, if that's what you're insinu—mmph!"

Galinda cuts her off by darting forward to kiss her soundly, leaning over the table and drawing her in by the back of her neck. She breathes Elphie in, woodsy and earthy and something else just barely noticeable—something that is so small and hidden that Galinda hadn't noticed before but which now stands out so starkly that she doesn't understand how she hadn't smelled it earlier.

Her Elphie is pregnant. 

She suddenly understands why Elphaba had mentioned taking the gelato home, because she now wants nothing more than to drag her Omega into their bed and continue their celebration. 

She sucks hungrily on Elphie's bottom lip before pulling back from the kiss. She can't bring herself to move more than an inch or two away. "Please, let me take you home," she breathes. 

"Well," Elphaba says with an air of haughtiness, "I told you, I want my dessert, and you really can't deny me of anything I want to eat, now."

Even though her request was (at least temporarily) denied, Galinda can't help but smile wide enough to make her cheeks burn. "Because you're pregnant."

Elphie giggles. "Yes, because I'm pregnant. I'm sure you'll have to put up with a lot of—whoa!"

Before she can finish her sentence, Galinda has scrambled out of her seat and pulled Elphaba up to wrap her in a hug that lifts her onto her toes. "Because we're having a baby!" she says joyfully, loudly enough this time that, combined with the embrace, heads turn their way. She peppers kisses along Elphie's neck and face, unable to contain her excitement any longer—she's nearly bursting with it, her pulse rushing and face flushing and oh!

They're having a baby!

Elphaba wraps her arms around Galinda's shoulders and doesn't deny her affection, giggling as she's showered in kisses. Some of the other restaurant diners clap their congratulations. Galinda places one more full kiss on those glorious green lips before she lets Elphaba regain her footing. 

She turns around, though she keeps an arm around Elphie's waist to keep her close. "Excuse me!" she calls when she sees their waiter leaving the kitchen. "My pregnant wife would like some containers for our dessert, please, because she'd like to take it home and she's pregnant with our baby, so she gets whatever she wants forever—"

Elphie cuts her off with a slap to her arm and buries her face embarrassedly into Galinda's shoulder, though Galinda can tell she's hiding her own grin. "You are ridiculous," her wife chastises, just as she did earlier. 

"And you're pregnant!" is her excited response, going off script from their usual banter. That one draws out another cackle as Elphaba tosses her head back in laughter. Galinda has to try very hard not to start crying again.

Galinda can't help but give Elphie a few more kisses while they wait for their takeout containers. They leave an amount of money on the table that is definitely at least twice the amount of what their food actually cost, and then they are rushing to the exit, hand-in-hand. Elphaba playfully falls behind, making Galinda tug on her hand to have her keep up. And Galinda takes every opportunity to announce the news to whomever they pass—other waitstaff, the host, guests arriving in the lobby. By the time they leave, coats and broom in hand, Galinda's made sure at least half the town knows their amazifying news. 

Elphie steers as they fly home, but Galinda probably makes the task rather difficult with the way she presses right up against her back and places open-mouthed kisses along her neck and shoulders. Her hands may or may not wander a bit, as well, sliding across the flat plane of Elphie's stomach—which apparently won't be so flat soon enough!—and down to run over her thighs, up to graze just beneath her breasts. 

She is truly lucky that they are going home, because she is definitely hard again. 

Elphaba nearly crashes them into the porch, and no sooner have they both stumbled off of the broom than Galinda has pushed Elphaba against the door to give her a ravishing kiss. Neither of them hold back now. Elphaba arches up against her so that their bodies meld together, and as Galinda cups the back of her neck and gropes the slope of her ass, Elphie slides her warm tongue against Galinda's and gets to work unbuttoning her pink blazer. 

When the buttons are undone, Elphie moves that hand to fumble at the doorknob behind them, and when it finally opens, she grabs Galinda by the tie and quickly tugs her inside. 

They are so singularly focused on each other that they uncharacteristically leave their shed clothes strewn about the foyer—the broom clatters into a corner, their coats plop onto the floor, shoes are kicked into the hallway. And all the while, they never part from one another, lips and hands straining to keep contact at all times. The air is filled with the sounds of their panting breaths and gasps. 

Galinda feels a rush run through her body, joy and excitement and want and—

"Bed," she murmurs into Elphie's mouth, though she still doesn't pull away. She has loosened her tie and is undoing the buttons of her dress, while Elphie has stripped down to her underwear, a lacy dark blue set that is very enticing, indeed. 

Elphaba giggles and kisses her again, nipping at Galinda's bottom lip. She puts her palms flat against the skin of Galinda's now-exposed chest and slides them up over her collarbones to her neck, where she digs her nails in and scratches downward deliciously. Galinda hisses and groans, pulling back from the kiss just slightly enough to allow Elphaba to turn away and scamper up the stairs. Galinda grins at the sound of her Omega's playful laughter and shucks off her dress and tie before chasing after her. 

When Galinda catches up to her in their bedroom, Elphaba is walking backwards towards their bed and reaching to undo her brassiere. Galinda pauses for a moment just to take her in—her wife, in all her beautiful, green glory, dark braids cascading over her shoulders and freckles dotting her face and chest like constellations. The muscles of her arms, her toned stomach, the softness of her thighs and firmness of her calves…. Every inch of her is truly perfect. 

And Galinda gets to have a baby with her. Lurline above, how did she manage this? 

"Stop," she calls out, making Elphie freeze in her attempt to further undress. "Let me," she continues softly. 

She steps forward, heart thumping in her chest, and draws Elphie to her by the hips. It presses her against the hardened bulge in her underwear, makes the skin of their stomachs and tops of their thighs meet. Elphaba drapes her arms across Galinda's shoulders again, this time sliding her hands into her hair to gently scratch at the nape of her neck. Elphie's chest heaves with each panting breath laden with anticipation. 

Galinda doesn't quite kiss her, yet—she studies Elphie's gaze, then looks to her lips as she leans in. Their noses touch, and she nuzzles Elphie's with her own. Their breaths intermingle. Mouths graze against each other, just barely, just enough to make them both shiver. And then, Galinda slowly slides her palms up Elphie's body, following a path from her hips and up her sides to squeeze at her ribs. They land on Elphie's back, the muscles twitching under her touch. 

It's then that she brings one of her hands up to unhook her wife's brassiere. Elphie gasps, the sharp intake of breath cool against Galinda's lips. Galinda slides her hands further up to the backs of Elphie's shoulders, hooking a finger around each bra strap and slowly, reverently drawing them down. Elphaba brings her arms away from Galinda's shoulders to let the fabric fall to the floor, and then Galinda pulls back just enough to let her gaze drop further. 

She kisses Elphie then, on the Mark on her neck, at the base of her throat, and then lower, mouthing at each freckle and then some. Elphaba's hands move back into Galinda's hair and pull her closer, and Galinda moves her own hands back to Elphie's waist, sliding along every inch of skin she can find. She slowly starts pushing Elphie backwards as she does this, until the backs of Elphie's legs hit the mattress. 

When Elphaba falls back to sit on the bed, Galinda catches herself on the mattress to keep from collapsing on top of her. She opens her eyes to see her wife climbing back until she rests against the pillows. Green eyes meet hers as Elphaba slowly parts her legs, thighs spreading until Galinda can see the considerable damp patch in the blue lace there. 

Galinda can practically feel her mouth watering. 

She climbs onto the bed after her wife and props herself up with her elbows on either side of Elphie's hips. She resumes her kisses, starting back at her chest and mouthing at each freckle she finds there before moving down to suck on a dusky green nipple. Elphaba gasps, arches up into her, and brings her hands to slide into Galinda's hair and hold her close. When Galinda runs her tongue over the hardened bud, the whine Elphie releases makes her cock twitch against the mattress. 

"C-careful," Elphie chokes out. "Just—sensitive."

Galinda slows, sucks more gently before she moves over to Elphie's other breast to repeat the same treatment. She brings a hand up to find the now-abandoned nipple and run her thumb over it. The way Elphie gasps above her is glorious. She can feel her Omega's hips twitching up to grind briefly against her stomach and relishes in the feeling of warm wetness on her skin.

The urge to taste it is nearly overwhelming, so she starts moving her kisses down Elphaba's stomach. She sucks and nips little, barely-there marks into her skin as she goes. By the time she reaches the waistband of Elphie's underwear, she's already working to tug it down and off of her body. 

The air makes Elphaba shiver. Galinda kisses beneath her belly button, each hipbone, her thighs—and might get a bit carried away with one, sinking her teeth harshly into the soft skin on the inner side. With the way Elphaba moans, however, Galinda's sure she isn't complaining. 

She simply can't ever get enough of her Omega. Who could blame her? Her scent is intoxicating, especially right here by the source. Galinda finally gives in and leans forward to press her mouth into the wetness there, breathing Elphaba in. 

Elphie's hands clench, tugging at Galinda's hair wonderfully. "Glinda," she whines in encouragement. 

Galinda opens her eyes to stare up at Elphie as she slides her tongue through wet folds. The way Elphie's back arches is a beautiful sight, but then she is staring right back at Galinda—even more hypnotizing. Her green eyes are blown nearly black with lust, eyelids fluttering as Galinda glides her tongue over her entrance. 

She moves up to wrap her lips around Elphaba's clit, which earns her scratches against her scalp and a buck of green hips. Galinda shifts to drape one forearm across Elphie's stomach so she can pin her down while she sucks at and flicks her tongue over the sensitive bud. 

It's a call-and-response. When Elphie tugs at her hair, Galinda moans into her and makes her hips jerk again. When Elphie whines and whimpers, Galinda grinds against the mattress for some semblance of relief. They move as one, a symphony of sounds setting Galinda's nerves on fire. 

She dips down again to prod at Elphie's entrance and feels it clench around the tip of her tongue. That prompts her to bring her other hand up to replace it, to resume the sucking of Elphaba's clit and push two fingers inside her. 

The sound it makes as her fingers are enveloped in that warm wetness is obscene. Her cock twitches where it's pressed against the mattress, and she wonders if tonight will be one of the rare occasions when she comes untouched. 

She presses deep inside her Omega and draws back out with a curl of her fingers. "Fuck, baby," Elphaba moans in response, and it's that pet name that lets her know Elphie is getting desperate. She slides a third finger in on the next thrust, and Elphie tosses her head back. 

"Glinda, yes—f-fuck, I need—m-more…" Elphie's whining now, and it makes Galinda nearly dizzy with want. "Need to feel you, baby, please."

Galinda pauses at that for a clock tick, then pulls out of her and leans back so she can realign their bodies—but Elphaba whimpers and stops her. 

"No, no, please, I want your mouth," she says as she looks down at Galinda. Galinda has to blink to focus; the flush running across Elphie's face and neck and chest is rather distractifying. "I just… I need…" 

Elphie bites her lips for a second before her eyes dart over to the bedside table. She scrambles to sit up, but refuses to let Galinda move from between her legs, and just barely manages to reach the top drawer. Galinda realizes all-too-slowly what she is searching for, and so her breath catches when Elphie pulls out her target:

The thick, shiny, pink glass dildo.

Well. Galinda did say that Elphie can get whatever she wants, forever. Who is she to deny her Omega?

She takes the dildo—it's cold, a result of sitting in a drawer in the middle of winter. She swallows heavily and looks up to meet Elphie's gaze again. Elphaba, panting, licks her lips and watches closely as Galinda brings the dildo between her legs. 

When the tip of the glass first touches Elphie, it's to slide over her clit on its way down to her entrance. Elphaba hisses at the contact, squirming at the coldness against her wet heat. 

It's then that Galinda thinks to ask, "Should I get the lu—"

"I don't need it," Elphie chokes out. She grinds against the toy, trying to take it inside—to fuck herself on it. Galinda feels her mouth drop open at the sight. 

Elphie has a point; she's absolutely soaked, slick smeared across her inner thighs. 

"Fuck, Glin," Elphaba whines, drawing Galinda's attention once more. "Please, I want you inside. Want your mouth."

Another jerk of her hips, and Galinda finally obliges, pushing the first couple inches of the thick dildo into her Omega's waiting pussy. Her own hips thrust against the mattress at the sight of ruddy-brown lips stretching around the pink glass. 

Vaguely, she registers that she's not fully complying with Elphie's wishes, as she hasn't returned her mouth to her Omega's clit—but she's so thoroughly hypnotized as she watches the dildo push further inside her. She thrusts halfway in, then pulls it back to see the shine of Elphie's slick covering it. When she pushes back in, it's nearly to the hilt, and Elphie cries out a moan. 

"Yes!" Her eyes squeeze shut as she tosses her head back. Her hands are clutching at the sheets. 

Galinda repeats the action a couple more times, each time pressing deeper, until Elphie truly takes the full length of it. Galinda lets out a slow breath at the sight of her Omega being filled, at the sound of her wetness. 

"Baby," Elphie whines, wiggling her hips desperately as Galinda stills. The dildo shifts as Elphie clenches around it, and it's nearly Galinda's undoing.

So, she finally gives in and wraps her lips around Elphaba's clit, sucking hard. 

"Fuck!" Elphie sobs, one of her hands moving back into Galinda's hair. She grinds against her mouth, and Galinda matches her frantic rhythm with both her tongue and the dildo. "Glinda, baby, so—so good, fuck—"

Galinda moans against her and fights the urge to reach down with her other hand to touch herself. She's painfully hard, seriously thinks she'll come by rutting against the mattress at this rate. But she doesn't consider herself a priority in this moment—her Elphie is carrying their child, and so she deserves to be celebrated. 

Elphie moans louder when Galinda thrusts a bit harder, so she gets a bit rough with it, keeping a fast pace and shoving the dildo into her as deeply as she can. She lets her teeth graze Elphie's clit and feels her thighs trembling around her head. Moving her arm off of Elphaba's hips, she slips it under one of her thighs to bring it over her shoulder, then puts her palm flat against Elphie's lower stomach.

On the next thrust, Galinda moans again when she realizes—she can feel the dildo move inside Elphie beneath her palm. Her fingers twitch as she presses down. Elphaba must notice, because she takes her hand from where it's grabbing at the bedsheets and places it atop Galinda's, pushing harder. 

"Do you," Elphie says around gasps and moans, lifting her head to hazily meet her eyes, "feel that, Glin? Do you feel yourself inside m—fuck!" Galinda thrusts particularly deep, and Elphie cuts herself off with a moan. "That's it, baby, yes. I'm so—so fucking full, so full of you…"

Galinda whimpers and moves her tongue faster over Elphie's clit. They're both close, she can tell, but she tries her damndest to hold her own orgasm back. With Elphaba's leg thrown over her shoulder, her heel starts to dig into her back to pull her close. Her hips are moving erratically now. Galinda does her best to keep up and figures she must be doing decently, if the continuously rising pitch of Elphie's voice is anything to go by. 

"Glin—Glinda, baby, fuck," Elphie whines, opening her eyes again. Galinda looks at her from between her legs as she laves at her clit with her tongue. "I'm so—Glin, I'm gonna—I'm gonna come, I'm gonna come, I—"

Galinda presses her tongue firmly against Elphaba's clit, seals her lips around it, and sucks. 

And Elphie arches off the bed, eyes squeezing shut and eyebrows pinching upwards as she comes. Her clit jumps beneath Galinda's tongue. She pulls Galinda's face impossibly closer by her hair and grinds against her mouth and the dildo. 

Galinda can barely breathe, but there's no way she's stopping her Omega from taking what she wants. 

And take, she does; Elphaba moves so that both hands are on Galinda's head, holding her still so she can hump against the flat of her tongue. Her other leg drapes over Galinda's shoulder, as well, to hold her ever-more still. "B-baby, don't,"—she gasps, hips twitching—"don't stop, don't stop, don't—ah!" 

Elphaba thrusts up hard against her mouth, and then Galinda feels a gushing wetness rush over her chin and hand. She moans into Elphaba and forces herself to still her own hips to keep herself from spilling. 

Wave after wave of arousal pours forth from her Omega as she rides out her second orgasm. Most of it drips to the bed, but Galinda drinks up what she can, relishing in the evidence of her Elphie's pleasure. Soon, Elphie's thrusts fade to twitches, and then her thighs are relaxing around Galinda's head, falling from her shoulders. 

Galinda slides the dildo out and finally pulls away, panting to catch her breath. Before she can wipe her mouth and chin, Elphaba tugs her up by the hair into a kiss. Her tongue immediately presses to Galinda's, searching—claiming. Galinda moans into the kiss and feels her cock twitch against Elphie's stomach. 

When Elphie pulls back, a line of spit and slick stretches and snaps between their mouths. She's panting, now, as well. "Did you come?" she asks Galinda. 

And Galinda can only shake her head, sure that her voice would crack embarrassingly if she were to try and speak. 

In response, Elphaba reaches down to wrap her hand firmly around her cock. Galinda chokes out a gasp, eyes going wide. "E-Elphie, I'm—"

"Are you close, my sweet?" Galinda nods frantically, and Elphie smirks up at her. "Good. Come inside me." She shifts, guiding Galinda's cock until the tip presses at her entrance. "I want to feel you." 

Galinda's hips jerk involuntarily, and then she is surrounded by Elphie's silky warmth. "O-oh, Oz," she groans at the sensation. She's terribly sensitive. "Elphie, I don't—I don't think I'll last very long." That's certainly been her motto for the night, hasn't it?

But Elphie merely bucks her hips up, taking her in deeper with a gasp. "Me either, baby," she says lowly, a near-whisper. She grinds up again, and this time Galinda thrusts forward. Elphie smirks up at her, thoroughly pleased, and oh—Galinda really isn't going to last very long. Especially not when Elphie cups the back of her neck and leans up to whisper against her lips, "Fuck your Omega, Glinda."

"Fuck," Galinda groans, jerking forward. Their hips slap together with the movement, and Elphie lets out a little moan in response. Galinda pulls out until just the tip of her cock remains inside, then thrusts forward again, setting a slower pace than before but making sure Elphie feels every inch of her each time. 

"Th-that's it," Elphie whispers, wrapping her arms around Galinda's shoulders and back. "Oz, baby, you feel so good inside me. So good to me. I love you." 

She pulses around Galinda's cock and kisses her, and that is all it takes. Galinda ruts forward, hips twitching as her release spills into her Omega. "E-Elphie!" she cries out, mumbling against her lips.

And then Elphaba is coming again, wet walls spasming around her and nails scratching at Galinda's back as she shatters. "Glinda, yes!" 

Galinda watches her through heavy-lidded eyes as they both fall apart, simply in awe of the fact that she is the one who gets to see this, to cause this. She leans down to kiss Elphie again, and their lips move slowly as they breathe each other in. 

When the aftershocks pass, Galinda pulls away, but Elphaba doesn't let her get far; she pulls her down until she can press her face into Elphie's neck, right up against her Mark. She smiles into green skin as she presses a gentle kiss to the scar. 

Then, Elphie takes her hand and guides it until her palm presses against the flat of her stomach. Galinda's breath hitches. She strokes her thumb reverently over the skin there and kisses Elphie's Mark again. 

Oz, they are really having a baby. The notion makes her heart jump in her chest. If she weren't so worn out, she'd probably attack Elphie with kisses again.

"I love you," she mumbles into her neck instead, eyes growing heavy. "Happy Lurlinemas, Elphie."

Elphaba hums happily. Galinda can feel her small smile when she presses a kiss to her forehead. "Happy Lurlinemas, my sweet," she responds softly. "I love you. So much." 

Elphaba cannot find sleep, exhaustified though she is. The familiar sound of soft snores fills the air. She does not want for warmth, as Galinda is draped across her, hair falling in gentle curls across her chest. Moonlight shines through the window and casts her sleeping Alpha in an ethereal blue glow. 

With her wife's enthusiasm all evening, she'd managed to forget, but now that she is alone with her thoughts, Elphaba remembers the feeling she'd had that morning when that first potion turned green. She'd been excited, of course, felt like her heart took a little leap within her chest, it's just….

At the same time, her stomach had churned, a sinking feeling aching within her diaphragm. She'd frantically poured the second potion, then the third, squeezing drops of blood into each and feeling tears well up within her eyes as she waited. It wasn't until the third potion turned green that she was able to name that feeling:

Dread. 

What a confusifying combination of emotions. 

Even now, as she lies with Galinda after all of their celebrating, she can tell she is happy. She has dreamed of having children with Galinda since they'd first gotten together, after all, even before. And yet now that it is reality, now that it is a confirmed thing that is happening, Elphaba has to admit to herself—she is afraid. 

She has one hand at the back of Galinda's head, tangled within her hair. The other, she slides down to rest atop her own stomach, where the tips of her fingers end up sandwiched between the two of them. The idea that there is a life growing inside of her now, a life which she and her most wonderful Alpha have created together, is a mind-blowing notion. 

She imagines it, now, as she so often has in the past—the sound of little feet scurrying down the hallway, bubbling giggles and Galinda's shrieking laughter following behind. She pictures big, brown doll eyes and messy golden curls and—and…

Darling, I would love it if they came out green, rings Galinda's voice in her head. And that sinking feeling forms a pit in her stomach and—yes. That's it. When she strips away her wife's excitement and encouragement and love and is left only with her thoughts and childhood memories… she is terrified that their child will end up green. 

She sniffles before she even realizes she is crying. Oz, is this how easy it will be to bring her to tears, now? 

Unfortunately, the sniffle—and perhaps in combination with the raising of her hands to wipe her eyes—causes Galinda to stir. She nuzzles into Elphaba's chest and squeezes her arm more tightly around her waist. Elphaba feels a lazy kiss pressed to her skin before she hears a mumbled, "Elphie?" 

"Sleep, my sweet," she says, softly so as to hopefully hide any embarrassing wobbles in her voice. 

No such luck though, apparently, as Galinda slowly shifts to prop herself up on an elbow and blink blearily down at her. "Darling? What's wrong?" She brings her other hand up to rub the sleep from her eyes, then lets it drop to press flat against Elphaba's chest, thumb stroking along her collarbone. 

"It's nothing, my love," Elphaba tries to reassure with a small smile. She places her hand atop Galinda's gratefully. "Really."

"If it's 'nothing,' then why won't you simply tell me?"

"Because I know what you're going to say," she says without meaning to. Perhaps the late hour is making her too open. 

Galinda arches a brow. "Did you develop mind-reading powers without my knowledge, Elphie?" 

Elphaba, not unkindly, rolls her eyes. "I know what you're going to say because you've said as much, before." She sits up, dislodging their hands from her chest so that they fall to her lap. Galinda follows quickly to sit up next to her and refuses to let go of her hand. 

"Elphie, darling, please just talk to me," she says with a kiss to her shoulder. 

Elphaba huffs, blowing out a harsh breath through pursed lips. Another gentle kiss and a nuzzle from Galinda coaxes her to speak. "I'm just… scared."

"Well," Galinda says, sitting up to look at her, though she can only look at the side of Elphaba's face, "I think it's perfectly normal to be scared. It's a scary thing, bringing a baby into the world—"

"I'm scared they'll be green." 

Galinda's breath hitches, and then she is palming Elphaba's cheek to get her to turn. "Oh, my darlingest—"

"It's not…" she cuts Galinda off again, though she doesn't even know what she wants to say. She closes her eyes, unable to face the look of disappointment she knows Galinda must be wearing. But she still allows herself to hold Galinda's hand against her, to lean into her touch. "It's not that I'll love them any less, you know; I'll love them exactly as they are, whoever they turn out to be." 

Flashes run through her mind of her father's angry face, the sound of his yelling—she tries to shove it all down, she does. Because she refuses to be the type of parent he was—if one could even call that "parenting" to begin with.

"But… it's Oz, Glinda. If they're green, people will be cruel. Things might be better than they used to be, but you know the looks I still get when I travel somewhere new. What if…?"

"Elphie," Galinda breathes, nudging her until she opens her eyes. The look Galinda gives her is nowhere near disappointment, actually, nor pity. Instead, her eyes are filled with a love and understanding that makes Elphaba feel almost… cherished. 

You'd think that, after years together like this, she would be used to the idea. 

"Darling," Galinda continues, "isn't that the scary thing for everyone?" 

Elphaba feels her eyebrows furrow. "No one else is green."

"No, but children are still wont to be cruel. Adults, as well, both humans and Animals, are they not?" Galinda adjusts until she is kneeling so that she can wrap her other hand around Elphaba's waist. "Children are just as likely to bully someone for having… crooked teeth, or glasses, or simply because they choose to. Your verdigris was just an easy excuse for them." 

Elphaba sits with that, for a moment. She had always dreamed, when she was younger, of what life would be like if she had not been born green, as if that would fix everything. She'd never witnessed another child being tormented and ostracized as she'd been, but, as Galinda said, her skin made her the easy target. The obvious one to Other. If she hadn't been green, if there had never been a Green Girl to focus on, would people have still found some other reason to hate her, instead? Some, maybe.

Elphaba presses her nose into Galinda's wrist. "I suppose I don't particularly like everyone I come across, even though they're of… 'acceptable' colors." 

Galinda nods. "But you're too kind-hearted to bully anyone, and there will be plenty of others with the same mindset to balance out the bad eggs. Frankly, if I had it my way, I'd be staying with this child 26/7 until they move out to start their own family, green or not." Elphaba snorts, which Galinda takes as encouragement. "I'm serious, Elphie—I'm supposed to just be fine with letting them go to such a horrendible place as primary school without one of us there to protect them? How do other parents bear it, honestly." 

Elphaba giggles, now, her heart a bit lighter. "I love you."

Galinda softens. Her smile makes Elphaba's heart lift just that much more. "I love you, too, Elphie. And I love this person we've made together, even though we haven't yet met. Whatever they face, for whatever reason, our love will help them through it."

Oz, Elphaba could just kiss her. So, she does. "I love you so much," she murmurs against Galinda's lips before kissing them once more. She slides her hand from where it's covering Galinda's own until she has it pressed flat against the Alpha's chest, then pushes gently until Galinda leans back onto the bed. "You're going to be," she continues between kisses, "the most amazing parent in all of Oz."

Galinda smiles against her mouth as Elphaba climbs up to straddle her hips. Elphaba moves her kisses to Galinda's neck and doesn't stop her roaming hands. 

"Well," Galinda says breathlessly, "that can't possibly be true, because I know you'll be—oh!" Elphaba can't refrain from sucking harshly at that glorious Mark on her neck. She always relishes in the noises it draws out of her Alpha, not to mention the way it makes Galinda's nails dig deliciously into her skin. "E-Elphie!"

“I love you,” Elphaba repeats, murmuring into the kiss. If she could find a way to infuse her love into Galinda’s skin so that she could truly feel it, she would. Her hands slide over Galinda’s breasts, palming and squeezing each one as she moves her lips all along her throat. “My perfect Alpha.” 

And she can’t resist. Shifting her hips until she can feel Galinda's twitching, hardening cock beneath her, heat pulses in her core. She is already wet, so grinding down causes her wetness to smear along the Alpha's shaft. It doesn't take long for Galinda to be at full length once more.

Elphaba pulls back from Galinda's neck to hover above her, looking her in the eyes as she reaches down to grab hold. Galinda grips tightly at her hips and stares up at her in awe. After a couple of teasing swipes of the tip against her entrance, Elphaba sinks down to take the whole of her inside. 

They both gasp into each other's mouths. The stretch is wonderful. Galinda leans up to try and kiss her, but Elphaba backs away teasingly to keep their lips just a hairsbreadth apart as she rocks her hips. Really, she is still quite sensitive from earlier, but she doesn't mind going multiple times if that's what it takes to get Galinda off, as well.

"Baby," she breathes out, moaning as Galinda hits that perfect spot inside of her. "Fuck, baby, you're so—so deep inside me, Glin." 

"Oh, Oz, Elphie," Galinda whines. She squeezes Elphaba's hips and bucks her own upwards, making them both cry out. 

It looks like her Alpha is still quite sensitive, as well.

"Want you to come," Elphaba whispers, finally leaning down to kiss Galinda solidly. She breaks away with a gasp, panting as they share each breath. "Want you to come inside me, my sweet."

"El—Elphie, I—"

Elphaba leans down to kiss wetly along Galinda's jaw until she reaches her ear. "Fill me up, Alpha," she says, rocking her hips down and clenching around her. "Want to feel you ins—oh, fuck!" She's coming before she can stop it, her hips jerking as she loses her rhythm. Her clit twitches as she grinds herself down onto her Alpha. She braces herself with one hand beside Galinda's head, the other going to Galinda's chest. "Baby—yes, I—"

"F-fuck," Galinda groans, thrusting up again. "I'm—Elphie, I'm gonna…."

"Please," Elphaba gasps. She starts to babble in her haze. "Please come for me, please, I want it—I love you, please, please, please…"

"Elphie!" Galinda cries out as her cock twitches, spilling inside Elphaba. The sound of her moans in Elphaba's ear, the warmth of her cum inside her, the way Galinda digs her heels into the mattress so that she can thrust even more deeply into her—Elphaba comes again, mouth open in a silent shout as her back arches.

She continues to ride Galinda until they are both spent once more, twitching against each other. She collapses atop her Alpha, buries her face into her neck and breathes her in. It is true bliss, being both filled and surrounded by the love of her life.

When her body is more calm and the aftershocks have mostly ceased, she lifts her hips so that Galinda slips out of her and stretches out fully against her. "I love you," she whispers again, this time into the pulse by Galinda's throat as her eyes grow tired. 

She shivers, so Galinda draws the blanket up and over them both, then settles with her arms wrapped firmly around Elphaba. "I love you, too, my Elphie."

Elphaba finally falls asleep, mind filled with thoughts of love and the bright future ahead of them.

Three weeks later, Galinda wakes up to an odd feeling of anxiety. She’s quite an anxious person in general—always has been—hence the need to constantly be on the move, working on some project or another to distract her and use up some of that nervous energy. But this feeling she wakes up to is a strange one, something specific that she can’t quite put her finger on to identify.

Elphie is next to her, still asleep, as she normally is these days without work of her own to which to attend. It’s been good for Elphie, Galinda thinks, to have a long break like this. Since Galinda’s known her, she’s always been caught up in work of some sort, first with school and then her job almost immediately after graduating. Once they started their own company with their own system, she was finally able to start slowing down a bit in between projects.

Lately, though, Galinda’s been getting to see this whole new side of Elphaba. She’s been reading more—for fun, as well, rather than for research—and spending time in the gardens neither of them had time to tend to before. And she’s taken to morning flights or walking around town to start her day; she’s made acquaintances with the employees of the small grocer outside their neighborhood and several of their neighbors.

Galinda’s quite proud of how her wife has blossomed.

Galinda turns to bury her face in Elphie’s hair, wrapping her arms around her Omega’s waist to pull her closer. Being near Elphie always helps to calm her anxiety, and this time is no exception. She just always smells so good—woodsy and earthy and hers. The ache in Galinda’s chest subsides as she breathes in her Omega, who hums sleepily and presses back against her.

Elphie smells a little too good today, if Galinda is being honest, and the way her ass grinds into her sets her heart thrumming. She glances at the clock on the bedroom wall and sighs heavily; she has to go to work, so no time to fool around. She presses a longing kiss to the back of Elphaba’s shoulder before forcing herself out of bed.

The anxiety almost immediately returns as soon as she’s away from her Omega, but she swallows it down while she gets herself ready for the day. Before leaving, she presses another kiss to Elphie’s temple, which stirs her wife awake enough to turn and wordlessly ask for a proper kiss.

Her scent calms Galinda again, the feeling of those soft lips against her own a sweet solace from the impending day. She smiles into the kiss as Elphie lovingly strokes her cheek before pulling back. “I love you,” Galinda whispers.

Sleepy green eyes blink up at her. “I love you, my sweet,” Elphie murmurs, voice husky from the early morning. “Mm, you smell nice.”

Galinda breathes out a chuckle. “I was thinking the same about you, actually.” She decides to linger a moment more. She leans on her elbow atop the mattress as she hovers above her wife, her other hand moving to stroke at Elphie’s hip. “Are you going to take the broom out today?”

Elphie hums and covers a yawn before answering. “Maybe. I might just walk for a bit; there are a few things we need that I can pick up from Lithrel’s.”

Galida nods. “Tell him I say, ‘hello,’ will you?” She leans down to nuzzle her nose against Elphie’s.

“I always do,” her wife says with a smile. “Now, go. Be good, build things.”

Galinda chuckles. “You build things, my love; I design them.”

Elphie hums again. “Semantics.” She gives Galinda another peck on the lips and pats her cheek. “Have a great day, my sweet.”

One more kiss is stolen. “You, too, darling.” And another, and another, and then Elphaba is playfully pushing her away—rightfully so, because Galinda was about half a clock-tick away from just crawling into bed with her.

But she gathers her wits and shoves the immediately-returning anxiety down so she can leave for work. Once she gets into the swing of the day, the feeling will calm as per usual. She just has to get started, is all.

***

But two hours in, Galinda feels even worse. She can hardly focus or stay still at all. Trying to complete paperwork may as well be pulling teeth. Even when she does manage to stay in her chair, her leg is bouncing or her fingers are tapping at the desk or she feels the incessant need to stretch.

She remembers how calm she’d felt next to Elphaba earlier this morning, longs to be back in bed with her and holding her close. The thought of how her wife had pressed their bodies together sends a heated pulse throbbing low in her stomach, and that’s when it hits her.

She’s about to start her rut.

It’s been so long since her last one, she’s forgotten just what it felt like. Now that she’s had that realization, though, everything makes sense: the anxiety, nervous energy, how absurdly good Elphie had smelled and how extra-difficult it had been to pull away. She can’t get the memory out of her head, and her cock stirs beneath her skirt.

She needs to get home. But she can’t keep the smile from growing on her face at the implication of what this means: all of their “practice” over the past few weeks (years, really) will finally be put to the test.

It’s time for them to make a baby.

Galinda quickly gathers her belongings back in her work satchel and leaves her office with it half-in-front of her, lest the bulge between her legs decide to grow to the point of visibility. She tells her assistant she’ll be taking the rest of the day off and hurries to the exit.

But she pauses by the door. “Actually, Janna,” she says on second thought. She doesn’t turn around fully, as she can feel the blush threatening to spread upon her cheeks as she says, “…go ahead and prepare for me to be out for the rest of the week. Reschedule any meetings for next, please. I’m… not feeling very well.”

“O-oh. Of course, Mrs. Upl—” Galinda does turn a bit more to face Janna at that, her eyebrow raised scoldingly. “—Galinda, yes. I’ll send all the appropriate messages and keep track of everything that comes through for you in the meantime.” With a nod, Galinda finally opens the door to leave, and Janna calls out a last, “I hope you feel better soon!”

“I will!” Galinda responds. As soon as I have my Elphie. She stretches out her neck and shoulders as she exits the building, that need creeping up through her spine. Either she realized what this was just in time, or the mere acknowledgment of her rut has accelerated her symptoms, because now her body is beginning to simply ache for her Omega.

The walk home, usually a peaceful and relaxing one, is near-excruciating; it feels far longer than usual, and by the time she gets home, she feels as if she’s about to crawl out of her skin.

Entering the house, she shuts the door behind her and habitually goes to hang her satchel up on its hook. She opens her mouth to call out to her wife, but pauses at the sight of something out of place: Elphie’s cloak, the one Galinda gave her as her true anniversary present (enchanted to wick water away and always keep Elphie dry when it rains) is nowhere near its own designated place. Instead, it’s been thrown haphazardly onto the floor a few feet away from the door, as if Elphie had mindlessly—uncharacteristically—shucked it off upon her own return home.

Galinda’s brow furrows, her brain trying to work its way through the oncoming fog of her rut as worry starts to creep in. Her wife cherishes that cloak, hanging it up neatly whenever she comes through the door. Something is off.

“Elphie?” she finally calls out, taking a look around the rest of the house. Elphie’s boots have been kicked off at the bottom of the stairs, so Galinda starts to make her way up toward their bedroom.

She gets halfway up the stairs before she smells it.

Elphie’s scent is always deep and rich and earthy, but when she is in heat it takes on a certain sharpness, like the crisp winter air in a pine forest. And that is exactly the smell that permeates the hallway leading up to their room.

Galinda can’t help but find this a bit funny. They’d expected one of their cycles to start and trigger the other, and yet it appears that both her rut and Elphaba’s heat have started at the same time.

It’s a little too perfect, but Galinda isn’t going to complain.

The smell is dizzying, distractifying, and so Galinda doesn’t process the trail of clothes on the floor as she walks into the open doorway of their room—not until she sees the state of her wife, at least.

And Oz, what a state she’s in. Galinda’s cock throbs, now straining tightly against her underwear at the sight before her.

Elphie is propped up on her hands and knees, thighs spread wide. She’s dressed only in her button-up shirt, which is half-undone and hanging off of one shoulder as if she’d grown too impatient to take it off fully. A pinched look of pleasure covers her face as a prominent sheen of sweat covers her body. Galinda watches as Elphaba rises up on her knees—revealing a translucent, pink, glass cock covered in the Omega’s slick—before she sinks back down onto it. Galinda’s heart skips a beat, breath catching in her throat at the wild moan Elphie lets out when the dildo fills her once more.

They got that toy when Elphie’d haphazardly said, one night in the afterglow, that she wished she could ride Galinda and suck her off at the same time. It had taken some embarrassing asking-around before they found a shop that sold such things. Elphie had picked out the color, saying that in her mind—even though the toy was slightly smaller than her Alpha—it would still be a bit of Galinda fucking her. (She’d said this while they were still in the store, under her breath and right in Galinda’s ear, and the Alpha’d had to focus on her breathing for a good few minutes before her body had calmed enough to leave.)

They’ve only used it once so far, though it’d been a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Galinda’s heart thrums excitedly at the prospect of Elphie using it again, at the idea that she was so turned on that she was driven to this.

“My poor girl,” Galinda breathes lowly from the doorway. Elphie’s hips stutter in their motion as she gasps, head turning towards her. “You got so worked up you couldn’t wait for me?” She slowly starts walking to the bed while shedding her own clothes.

Elphaba, on her part, doesn’t stop moving on the bed. She lifts her hips again, the weight of the glass holding the dildo down, before letting them fall. The wet sound combined with her moan makes Galinda hurry to finish undressing.

“I—I’m sorry, baby,” Elphie whimpers as her hips rock. Heat runs through Galinda’s body; Elphie doesn’t usually start calling her “baby” until she’s desperate. “I need—I needed—“

Galinda shushes her gently, kicking her underwear—the last piece of clothing—away and reaching the end of the bed. “It’s okay, my love. I’m right there with you.”

Elphie’s brows twitch in confusion, her hips slowing as she processes Galinda’s words. “You—you’re home… early?” she finally realizes.

Galinda nods as she crawls to kneel on the bed in front of her wife. “Looks like we’re both in the same boat,” she says with a smile. “Although it seems yours came on a lot faster than mine, you poor thing.” She lifts a hand up to push some of Elphie’s hair away from her face so she can cup her cheek.

Elphie leans into the touch with a soft moan and grinds down onto the toy inside her. She sits up a bit taller as she reaches up to hold Galinda’s hand and wrist, turning to kiss her palm. Galinda’s eyes are immediately drawn down to where she can see the pink dildo sliding in and out of her Omega’s dripping pussy.

Her cock throbs again, twitching in the cold air. “Oz, you’re so beautiful,” she whispers. Her attention is drawn back up as Elphie continues to kiss along her hand until she can take Galinda’s thumb into her mouth. “Fuck, Elphie,” she says, moaning at the feeling of her Omega’s tongue against her skin.

Elphie sucks on it for a long moment, swirling her tongue around it and taking it deeper into her mouth before releasing it with a pop. “Need you,” she whines, rocking on her knees. “Need to—ah—taste you, my sweet, please.” Green eyes drift down to stare at Galinda’s cock, red at the tip and already leaking precum. “I’m so—so full. Need you in my mouth, baby, please.”

Galinda shudders. Who would she be to deny her Omega when she’s asked so nicely? She scoots back a bit so Elphie has room to lean down and slides her hand into black braids to guide her.

Elphaba descends upon her and gives no preamble; she opens her mouth and quickly sinks down to swallow half Galinda’s length at once. Galinda hisses at the warm wetness surrounding her, hips bucking to push another inch past her Omega’s lips. She’d already known she was worked up, obviously, but she hadn’t realized just how sensitive she is until now.

Her hand clenches in Elphaba’s hair. The Omega moans around her, hips shifting as she rides the glass toy at the same time. Her hands come up to lay on Galinda’s thighs, where her nails scratch at and dig into her skin. Galinda moans—she’s quickly becoming overwhelmed by the sight and multitude of sensations.

“You’re so perfect,” she murmurs. She can hear her Alpha tone affecting her voice, and Elphie moans again at the sound of it. “You feel so fucking good, darling.”

Elphie lifts up to wrap her lips tightly around Galinda’s tip, tongue flicking over it as she sucks. She opens her eyes to meet Galinda’s briefly before diving back down, further than before.

“Fuck!” Galinda groans as Elphie’s throat squeezes around her cock with a gag. Her hand scratches at the back of Elphie’s head when she clutches tighter at a fistful of her braids. “Just like that, my love. So good for me.”

Elphie sucks and licks at her cock expertly, leaning down further until her lips wrap around the base. One of her hands leaves Galinda’s thigh and disappears beneath her.

Galinda moans, breaths shallow as her body tenses. “Are you touching yourself, darling?” Elphie whimpers and bobs up and down along her cock. “You like being filled like this?” Those green nails dig more sharply into Galinda’s thigh, and she can see Elphie’s hips rocking along with every thrust she gives into the Omega’s mouth. She’s starting to fall apart, Galinda can tell. “Fuck, Elphie, you’re gonna make me come.”

Elphaba gives a deep moan that vibrates around Galinda’s cock. Her thighs tremble as she feels her impending orgasm rising within her. “I’m gonna come, darling,” she warns again, pushing her head down to take her as deeply as possible on each thrust. “Can’t wait to fill you up—fuck—make a baby with you. You’re so—ah, Elphie!”

It’s her Omega’s orgasm that triggers her own; Elphie moans and whines around her cock, hips faltering as her back arches. Green nails leave trailing red marks along her thigh, and hot tears fall from Elphie’s eyes. The sight sends Galinda over the edge and she comes in Elphaba’s mouth, spilling down her throat.

Elphie tries to swallow it all, but her mouth fills too quickly and some of Galinda’s cum leaks out of the corners. Galinda lets her pull back, messy and gasping. Seeing her Omega’s face so wrecked post-orgasm makes her cock twitch with one last small stream of cum splashing across a green cheek. Elphaba stares up at her starkly and, even though she’s still catching her breath, raises an eyebrow.

“Shit,” Galinda breathes on a half-laugh. “I’m s-sorry, my sweet.”

Elphie hums before sitting back up on her knees. She adjusts herself for a moment before letting the heavy dildo slide out of her, sighing at the feeling. The look she sets upon Galinda is predatory, and the Alpha gulps in anticipation. Elphie crawls forward so she can straddle Galinda’s lap and settles herself so that her wetness glides along Galinda’s still-hard cock.

Galinda’s breath stutters as she holds back a twitch of her hips. Her eyes drift over Elphaba’s body—covered in sweat, that button-up shirt still barely hanging on. Elphie reaches up with slightly-trembling hands to undo the last buttons as Galinda stares. When she finally shrugs the shirt off, she presses a hand to Galinda’s chest to keep her from moving forward to kiss those perfect green breasts—Galinda hadn’t even realized she’d been leaning in to do so.

She lifts her eyes back up to Elphaba’s, breath catching at the heat in her gaze. The mood has shifted drastically; Elphie’s desperation has seemingly melted away, and in its place is a coolness that sets Galinda’s body ablaze as Elphie says, “Clean up your mess, Alpha.”

Galinda huffs, her face heating at Elphaba’s tone. At her hesitation, Elphie rocks her hips the slightest bit, sliding her pussy along the shaft of her cock. Galinda whimpers, legs tensing where they sit beneath Elphie’s thighs.

“Well?” Elphie says, demanding, expecting.

Galinda huffs again, but this time she brings a hand up to wipe off the cum on her wife’s face. Elphie lets her swipe at it, cleaning most of it off, but her eyebrow raises once more.

“I think you can do better than that, my love,” she says with another teasing rock of her hips. Her hands come up to rest on Galinda’s shoulders for stability, and the slight tug she gives them makes her desire click into place for Galinda.

She keeps her eyes on Elphaba’s as she leans in, until she is so close that she can’t anymore, her lips landing at the corner of Elphie’s mouth. She kisses there, wet and open-mouthed, then moves over to follow the trail of the mess she’d made. Her hands have gone to Elphie’s hips at some point, holding on desperately for something to ground herself.

Elphie seems pleased, scratching lightly at the back of her neck. She keeps kissing along her cheek until the mess has been cleaned, and then Elphie hums under her breath.

“Good girl,” she whispers into Galinda’s ear. The Alpha can’t repress the shiver that sends up her spine, hands clutching tighter at Elphie’s hips. Her scent is everywhere, and Galinda’s head is spinning with it all—Elphie’s voice and scent, pussy grinding against her, the slight embarrassment from being bossed around and the sheer pleasure of being praised for it.

Elphie leans back the slightest bit to kiss her, deep and thorough, and Galinda can only try to keep up. She wonders how the tables turned so quickly, how her Omega recovered enough to take charge like this.

Not that she’s complaining. Quite the opposite, as her cock twitches excitedly against Elphie’s heat.

Elphie’s tongue sweeps across her own, and then she’s pushing on Galinda’s shoulders. She doesn’t stop the kiss, so Galinda takes the hint and readjusts herself so she can lay back onto the bed as their mouths move together. The jostling makes her gasp into the kiss as wetness smears along her sensitive cock.

When she’s finally settled all the way back onto the mattress, Elphie breaks away, a string of spit connecting them for a split second as she does. But she stays close, hovering just above Galinda to look into her eyes as she lowly says, “Are you ready to put a baby in me, Alpha?”

Fuck. Galinda very nearly comes right then.

“Oz, yes,” she groans, gripping Elphie’s waist like a lifeline. “Want to fill you up.”

“Yeah?” Elphie says coyly. She gives a crooked grin even while she’s panting, just as needy as Galinda. She reaches down to wrap a hand around Galinda’s cock and slides the tip through her wet folds as she speaks. “You want to knot me, baby? Fill me with your cum? Breed me?”

Galinda growls in frustration. “Fuck, Elphie, yes, please, just—”

She’s cut off as a hand grabs her face by the jaw, stilling her and making her stare up at her Omega in shock. Green eyes are blown black above her. Galinda’s entire being aches to the core with want as Elphaba says, “Are you getting impatient with me, sweet?”

Oh, shit. Galinda gasps. She never knows quite how to handle herself when her Omega gets this bossy, this controlling—it takes everything in her not to thrust up into that tempting, welcoming heat at the feeling it gives her. Heat races down her body, and her cock throbs in Elphie’s hand.

“N-no, I’m—I’m sorry,” she stutters out, shaking her head minutely in Elphie’s grip. “I’ll be…” she swallows heavily, can feel her eyes widen and face redden, “…I’ll be good for you.”

Elphaba’s grin turns purely wicked. She shifts her grip on Galinda’s chin to draw her mouth open, running her thumb along Galinda’s lower lip. “You’ll take what I give you, hm?” Galinda nods. “And then you’ll give me everything.” She leans down to press a feather-light kiss to that same bottom lip but pulls back before Galinda can kiss her in return. “Won’t you?”

Galinda nods frantically, desperately. “Y-yeah, yeah, I’ll do anything, pl—ease!”

She tosses her head back, eyes squeezing shut as Elphaba sinks down onto her cock, wrapping her in that velvety warmth. Wet walls flutter around her, enveloping her entire length. Her hips buck upwards, but Elphie holds still, shaking her head and tsking in admonishment. As calmly as she tries to play it, though, Elphie’s voice is breathy and high when she says, “You’ll wait there, darling. Let me have my fill.”

Galinda whimpers, but she nods all the same, nails digging into Elphie’s hips as she tries her best to be still. To be patient. To be good.

Oz, she needs to come again already.

Slowly, Elphie starts rocking her hips, the hand not on her face sliding reverently along Galinda’s stomach and chest. She cups a breast in her hand and squeezes as she rises up on her knees. The cool air hits Galinda’s slick-covered cock and makes her shiver before Elphie sinks back down with a moan, eyes fluttering shut.

“Fuck,” Elphaba breathes, nails digging into Galinda’s chest. “You feel so good. So deep inside me, my sweet.” She opens her eyes again and resumes that stroking of Galinda’s bottom lip as she stares down.

Galinda’s mouth drops open wider without even thinking about it, and then Elphie is pushing her thumb inside. She closes her lips around the digit and sucks like she knows her Omega likes. Elphie’s hips find a rhythm, riding Galinda’s cock steadily and driving her wild the entire time.

It’s so good, too good. Galinda was already sensitive, and now she’s afraid she won’t last much longer.

She moans around Elphie’s thumb as it pushes deeper towards her throat, presses harder on her tongue. She chokes briefly and feels tears gathering in her eyes in response. Elphie clenches around her at the sight, riding her harder. She leans forward a bit to hover right over Galinda’s face.

“You’ll take what I give you, yeah?” she repeats her earlier line, breathy with exertion. “You’ll be good for me?”

Galinda whimpers and nods, and then Elphie is using her thumb to pull her jaw down.

“Open for me,” she says, and of course, Galinda obeys. Elphaba slides her wet thumb out, but Galinda keeps her mouth open while the Omega slides her hand down to wrap around Galinda’s throat.

Galinda knows what’s coming before it happens, even though it usually happens the other way around. But she keeps her mouth open wide as Elphie leans forward, cheeks hollowing for a brief moment before her lips part slightly—and she lets a string of saliva fall from her mouth to Galinda’s.

Galinda’s breathing harshly, can feel her face burning as Elphie’s spit hits her tongue. Her cock twitches as her Omega rides her, up and down, clenching tight with every thrust of her hips.

“Let me see,” Elphie says lowly, even though Galinda hasn’t made a move to close her mouth. “Let me see—fuck—how you take me.”

Galinda moans—at the words, at the feeling of Elphie’s spit sliding down her tongue, at the pressure she feels building low in her stomach. Elphie can’t sink as far down as she had been before, which means Galinda’s knot must be growing. Her hand squeezes at the sides of Galinda’s throat deliciously.

She’s so close to coming, she’s getting dizzy.

“Swallow,” Elphie commands, and Galinda follows instantly, whimpering as she does. “Fuck… Such a good girl for me, my sweet. My perfect Alpha.”

Galinda can’t hold back a thrust of her hips at that, overwhelmed by the praise. “El—Elphie, I can’t—I need—”

“You need to come, baby?” Elphie says, so sweetly it makes that heat coil deep inside Galinda. “You want to come inside me?”

“Fuck, yes,” Galinda cries out. She knows she’s leaving marks on Elphie’s hips with how tightly she’s holding onto them. “I want to knot you so bad, want to—ah—fill you up.”

Elphie leans back until she’s sitting up straighter as she rides her, dragging her hand down from Galinda’s neck and leaving rough scratches along the way. She takes one of Galinda’s hands and slides it over until her palm is flat against her lower stomach. “You want to fill me up here, sweetheart?” she asks coyly, teasingly. She presses Galinda’s hand to her skin, and Oz—Galinda can feel herself as Elphie fucks her. “Do you feel your”—she gasps—"your cock inside me?”

Galinda can’t help it, can’t hold it back—her legs tremble, her eyes squeeze shut, and her head tosses back as she comes, rope after rope of her seed filling her Omega. It feels so fucking good, the pleasure racing up her spine as she cries out. Her hips thrust up, trying to go deeper so she can properly breed her Omega, but her knot won’t sink in. She whines in frustration, grinding her knot against Elphie’s entrance.

“Almost, baby,” Elphie consoles, her own breaths coming shorter as she continues to rise and sink along Galinda’s cock. “Fuck, you feel so good, Glin—I’m so close, baby.” She slides Galinda’s hand down until her thumb can reach her clit. “T-touch me, Glin, please—oh, fuck…”

Galinda does as she’s asked, her thumb circling around Elphie’s clit with a bit of pressure while the rest of her hand presses against the bulge in Elphie’s stomach. She’s so sensitive, needy, her vision blurring as she struggles to focus. But Elphie doesn’t stop her from thrusting, now, as she presses her knot upwards.

“Wanna breed you,” she says, words slurring from the haze of her pleasure. “My Omega.”

“That’s—yes, Glin, that’s it,” Elphie cries out, grinding down against her knot and her hand. “So full, baby, I’m—I’m gonna—fuck!”

A warm gush of liquid spills out over Galinda’s cock, dripping onto her hips as Elphie finally sinks down over her knot. “Oh, oh,” her Omega chants as she comes. Her walls flutter and squeeze around Galinda’s knot until the Alpha is coming again, as well, the hand on Elphie’s hip pulling her down as far as she can go.

“Glin, yes,” Elphie whimpers, voice softer now as she rocks atop her Alpha. “So full, s-so… fuck…”

Galinda can feel the aftershocks pulsing through them both until she is spent. She moans quietly as a tiredness sweeps over her body. She’ll be ready for more soon, she’s sure, but for now, her rut has been temporarily sated.

“Baby,” she says, having to clear her throat so her voice comes out as more than a whisper. Elphaba sways slowly above her, coming down from her own high. “Elphie, come here, darling.” She moves her hands up to tug her wife down on top of her, and Elphie immediately buries her face in the Alpha’s neck.

“So good,” Elphie murmurs, nearly delirious.

It makes Galinda chuckle. “I’m sorry for making you wait, my love.”

Elphie hums and shakes her head, nuzzling in close like she’s trying to crawl under her skin. “Not your fault,” she mumbles before pressing a kiss to Galinda’s sweaty neck. A moment passes before she speaks again, slightly clearer now. “Did our cycles really start on the same day?” she asks.

Galinda gives a breathy laugh. “We’re just lucky, I suppose.” Elphie hums again, and Galinda lets the silence settle for another moment. Amidst the silence, though, as they surround each other with calming scents and touches and kisses, Galinda feels as if she has to double check—“And… you’re sure you want to do this?” She presses a kiss to Elphie’s temple. “I know this was your idea, but…”

Elphie slowly pulls back so she can meet Galinda’s gaze. She brings a hand up to cup her Alpha’s cheek and strokes it softly as she speaks, voice sure and steady. “My sweet, I’ve wanted this with you since we were in school. I’m positive. Are you?”

Galinda nods eagerly, leaning into Elphie’s touch. A grin spreads wide across her face. “I just want… whoever we bring into this world, I can’t wait to just shower them with so much love together.”

Elphie smiles softly. “Even if they come out green?” She says this in a joking manner, though Galinda knows it’s still a small spot of insecurity for her wife, even after all these years.

“Darling, I would love it if they came out green. I’d love it if they came out with any part of either of us, because they’d be ours—well,” she feels her face scrunch up, “not ours in the, like, possessive way, you know, they’d be their own person, but—”

“They’d be part of us,” Elphie cuts in, her smile growing. “And we’d be part of them.”

Galinda nods, turning to press a kiss to Elphie’s palm. “And whoever they turn out to be, they’ll be amazing.”

Elphie’s grin slants crookedly. “Even if they snore like you.” She sneaks a kiss in before Galinda gasps in offense.

“You love my snoring! It’s the perfect white noise to lull you into slumber!”

When Elphaba wakes up, she is probably the most rested she’s felt in years. Abandoned warehouses and forest hideouts definitely don’t provide much in the way of decent sleep. This time, not only is she in an extremely comfortable bed, but she’s surrounded by Glinda—her arms, her legs, her vanilla-caramel scent on the pillows and her peppery scent in the air.

Her dick pressing hard against Elphaba’s back.

A brief moment occurs where Elphaba panics—the sun has risen, though it must have just done so if the early-morning color of the horizon visible through the glass balcony doors is any indication. She should have left by now, should not have stayed this long, will surely be seen if she flies back to her hideout now—

Then she remembers Glinda’s pleas last night, before they both fell asleep, her confession of some… plan she’d enacted with Fiyero’s help apparently? Elphaba will have to gather more details about this “other Omega” she is supposed to have in her bed instead of herself. But the memories help her relax; if what Glinda’d said is true, no one will enter these chambers while she is in rut. Even with the haze of pheromones clouding her brain, Elphaba knows that Glinda is too smart to put them both in such a dangerous situation without having enacted some sort of safeguard.

She melts back into the bed, stretching and twisting a bit until her back gives a tiny pop. Rested as Elphaba is, she is also sore—deliciously so, an ache present in her muscles and the several marks her Mate has left upon her body over the course of the past two nights. That combined with the erection she can still feel behind her has Elphaba’s body already thrumming with the anticipation of more to come.

She’s surprised Glinda isn’t already awake. The soft snores against the back of Elphaba’s neck make her wonder just how exhausted she is. Rut is draining, yes, especially in the first days, but Elphaba’s concern grows when she turns her whole body around and yet the Alpha’s eyes remain closed. Just how busy have they been keeping her, here in the Palace and with all the public appearances?

Elphaba thinks back to the garment she’d found Glinda wearing that first night she’d arrived here. Are they hiding you? she’d asked—even though she should have already known the answer to some extent. Glinda the Good has never been seen in a suit, after all, never anything but the bubbliest, pinkest dress and bubbliest, sparkliest crown, all makeup and glitter and stereotypically-perfect picture of Femininity. Elphaba wonders just how many days Glinda has stood in front of the mirror staring at an image that didn’t truly match what she imagined for herself.

How many days had ended in tears from such a feeling? Tears that Elphaba hadn’t been there to catch and kiss away? All because she’d decided to leave Glinda alone here, decided to go fight a losing battle on her own instead of swallowing her pride and staying to fight with her Mate instead—

Oz. She shakes her head, looks at the peaceful, resting face of her love in front of her. Glinda’s nose twitches in her sleep, and Elphaba grins softly at the sight. She lifts a hand up to gently stroke her thumb over a blonde eyebrow. Her heart melts in her chest as Glinda unconsciously nuzzles forward, pressing into the touch.

She tells herself she needs to stop thinking that way—berating herself for that choice she made a lifetime ago, that is. She can’t blame Glinda for staying, and so she should not blame herself for leaving. This is easier said than done, of course, but the acknowledgment is there. And if Glinda really does blame her (and her reaction when Elphaba had first shown up had rather indicated so), well… she supposes they’ll have to talk that through, at some point, when there is not an obscene amount of hormones and pheromones distracting them.

Besides, she thinks as her eyes drift lower over Glinda’s body, there are plenty of ways to make up for things in the meantime.

(That logic is definitely stemming from the aforementioned hormones, but Elphaba can’t be bothered to argue against it in this moment.)

Part of her doesn’t want to wake her up, wants Glinda to get the rest she apparently must need. But the Alpha’s cock is a flushed red at the tip, leaking precum already, even as she sleeps. As she stares, without thinking about it, Elphaba’s hand slides into Glinda’s hair to scratch at her scalp the way she knows her lover likes, a long-lost habit easily reawakened. Glinda whimpers in her sleep at the sensation, brows furrowing together and cock twitching in the air.

Elphaba’s heart races, desire making itself fully known as an ache in the pit of her stomach and between her legs. She has truly missed the taste of her Alpha…

“Glinda,” she says with a kiss between those blonde brows. They relax slightly, but her Mate stays sleeping. “Glin,” she tries again, scratching once more at the side of her head as she presses a kiss to Glinda’s nose. “My sweet.” A quick, soft kiss to her lips, more a brush of lips than anything.

This makes Glinda start to stir, if only slightly. She hums sleepily, rolling forward a bit as if seeking out the contact. But she still doesn’t fully awaken.

Elphaba pushes at Glinda’s shoulder until she turns onto her back. She hears a murmured, confused, “Elphie?” but doesn’t let that stop her as she continues on her path down the Alpha’s body.

She climbs over until her hips are settled between Glinda’s legs so that her stomach is pressed tightly against that throbbing cock. Her kisses trail down Glinda’s neck until she reaches her chest. She can feel her Alpha’s body waking up beneath her, how her head turns to let Elphaba kiss her throat more easily, how her hips start to twitch, her back arches slightly. Glancing up, though, Elphaba sees that Glinda’s eyes are still closed—which means she must need to do more to fully awaken her Alpha.

Her mouth sucks at the soft flesh of Glinda’s breast, a red mark left in its wake as she moves down to take a succulent, pink nipple into her mouth. This is apparently what starts to fully rouse Glinda from her slumber, as a hand instinctively darts to bury itself in Elphaba’s hair.

“El… Elphie?” Glinda says in a half-moan. Elphaba raises her eyes to see Glinda furiously trying to blink her own open, but she doesn’t stop sucking and licking at the sensitive bud in her mouth. “W-what…?”

Elphaba doesn’t respond, just continues her ministrations; her tongue swirls around Glinda’s nipple before she sucks more harshly and nips at it with her teeth. Glinda arches her back again, more fully now that she is awake, and pulls Elphaba as close as possible. “Oz, Elphie,” she groans. Dazed brown eyes stare owlishly down at Elphaba now, as if she can’t believe what she’s seeing.

Elphaba pulls back only enough to switch to Glinda’s other breast, covering that one with the same attention the first one had received. She feels Glinda’s cock twitch against her stomach, feels precum sliding against her skin. She swallows as she sucks on the nipple in her mouth, nearly drooling at the craving that suddenly arises within her.

She bites down against Glinda’s nipple, drawing a hiss from the Alpha, before releasing it to kiss and lick her way down, down, down—her sternum, the dip between her ribs, all along her stomach and past her bellybutton.

“I need to taste you,” she mumbles against Glinda’s pale, sweaty skin. “Need you in my mouth.”

Glinda’s hips jerk at the statement. The hand in Elphaba’s hair clenches, grabbing a fistful of it, while the other goes up to palm at her own face.

“No,” Elphaba says as she reaches the apex of the Alpha’s thighs. She sucks a mark into the skin right at the bend there. When Glinda’s hips twitch again, Elphaba digs her nails into pale thighs, almost in warning. “Watch me. Let me see you.”

Glinda whimpers and drags her hand down her face until it lands on the bed beside her. Her eyes move back to meet Elphaba’s, her face flushed and pupils blown. Elphaba sees that hand grasp tightly at the sheets beneath them as she turns to press a kiss to the base of Glinda’s cock.

“Good girl,” she murmurs, lips brushing against hot skin. A pang briefly rings in her chest as she thinks of her earlier ponderings, wonders if “girl” is the right thing to say—but Glinda moans, receptive to the praise. Elphaba’s chest settles at the sound. “So good for me. Let me take care of you.”

She presses more kisses along the shaft of Glinda’s cock, feeling it twitch against her mouth. When she reaches the tip, she darts her tongue out to clean up the precum that’s gathered there. Glinda moans at the feeling, her head falling back, but she snaps back up as Elphaba presses her nails into her skin once more.

“S-sorry, I’m sorry,” Glinda babbles, eyes nearly crossing when Elphaba continues to lap at and around the flushed tip. “P-please don’t stop.”

Elphaba smirks at the desperation in her Alpha’s voice before wrapping her lips around the head of her cock. She sucks, her cheeks hollowing, and hums in satisfaction at the whimper Glinda lets out. Her own core pulses at the feeling of Glinda pulling at her hair, at the warmth in her mouth as she dips down to take more—and more, and more.

She presses further, until her nose is nearly touching Glinda’s lower stomach and she can feel the tip of her Alpha’s cock at the back of her throat. It twitches in her mouth. She swallows through the gag that builds within her, breathing through her nose until she can lean down that extra inch and take the whole thing.

Oz, it’s been so long since she’s had her Glinda like this.

“F-fuck, Elphie!” she hears above her. She’s forgotten to keep an eye on Glinda throughout all this, to make sure she’s been watching, so she opens her eyes again and looks up through her lashes.

The sight makes her pussy clench emptily, needily—the sight of her Alpha blushing, flustered, with her mouth open and panting and wanting. Elphaba swallows, lets her tongue drag along Glinda’s cock as she rises back up to the tip before bobbing all the way down once more.

Glinda thrusts up, pressing fast and deep into her throat and causing a gag that Elphaba doesn’t have the chance to swallow down this time. Her eyes sting as they water.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Glinda repeats, trying desperately to still her body, but this time it’s different, it’s almost—

It’s like it was before they were together. Like it had been the first time Elphaba ever had Glinda in her mouth like this.

It doesn’t sit right with Elphaba, makes something uncomfortable churn in her stomach. They’d moved past this years ago, had worked together until Glinda understood that it’s okay for her to take what she needs from Elphaba. The apology, the hesitance, the compression underwear Glinda’d worn the other night—it all points to an undoing of so much progress, of the self-love they’d worked diligently to build and nurture within her.

She pulls back, a string of saliva stretching from her lips to Glinda’s cock as she does so. Glinda blinks hard as she visibly tries to focus her vision. Elphaba darts her tongue out to break the line of spit, her core pulsing at the sight of Glinda swallowing heavily in response.

“You’re okay, my sweet,” she mumbles. Voice raspy, she clears her throat before continuing, “I’m all yours, remember? You can use me—however you need. However you want.”

Glinda’s eyebrows, which had pinched upwards in worry, slowly settle as her eyes darken. The Alpha glances down to Elphaba’s lips before her hand grabs more tightly at her braids. Elphaba gasps at the pain, a shock of pleasure shooting down between her legs. Then, she’s being pushed down, her mouth opening instinctively as that slick, throbbing cock is shoved inside. She moans around it, which seems to encourage Glinda to keep going.

More tears fill Elphaba’s eyes as Glinda fucks her throat, as her head is guided up and down, held still so that she must breathe through her nose as she’s made to take it.

“Fuck, Elphie,” Glinda says, low and breathy. “You’re so damn perfect. I missed your mouth.”

Elphaba whimpers, her own thighs pressing together. She can feel her own slick leaking there, can feel it spreading across her skin as she squirms. Bossing her Alpha around, teasing her and taking control, will always be one of her favorite things to do—but she truly loves the times like this, as well, when she just gets to give and be used.

“I want to—fuck—want to come down your throat,” Glinda continues. Her eyes are dark, rut-hazed and wanting, and her words set Elphaba’s body on fire. “And you’re gonna swallow it all. Then I’ll take you like I—ah—like I wanted to last night.”

Elphaba doesn’t know exactly what she means by that, hadn’t realized that Glinda’d had some sort of plan. Had she thrown things off track by taking charge? Had she flustered her Alpha that badly? She hums, pleased at the thought of Glinda giving in to her—as well as the thought of her getting her revenge today.

Glinda’s cock twitches in her mouth at the vibration. Her thrusts get shakier, faltering a bit, and Elphaba knows she’s close. The hand in her hair clenches more tightly, and then Glinda is spasming as she comes. Warm seed fills Elphaba’s mouth. She swallows as best she can around the cock still fucking into her throat, but some spills out to smear at the corners of her lips. It’s a mess, a glorious mess that makes Elphaba’s pussy throb with want.

Before Glinda’s body has even fully calmed down, she is tugging at Elphaba’s hair, drawing her upwards. Elphaba climbs up until she is straddling her Alpha’s and leans up for a kiss, like she assumes Glinda’s wanting. But instead, Glinda’s hands move to her ass and urge her further. It takes only a second to understand what Glinda is asking of her.

Elphaba crawls up until her thighs are on either side of Glinda’s head, and she barely has time to brace herself against the headboard before she is being pulled down onto Glinda’s mouth. A gasp of shock escapes her as a wet tongue and warm lips devour her—she is so unbelievably wet already, swollen and sensitive.

And Glinda knows exactly how to make her fall apart.

The way she licks at her with abandon has Elphaba careening toward the edge so quickly she doesn’t even have time to ask her to slow down, can barely gasp out a, “W-wait, Glin—” before her back arches as pleasure overtakes her. She can feel herself twitching against Glinda’s mouth as her thighs squeeze together and a wail rises from her throat. Glinda moans against her as she licks and sucks and swallows everything that spills forth, and the vibrations make her tremble as her orgasm stretches on.

She thinks this might be a new record for her.

Elphaba’s legs shake as she tries her damnedest to ground herself back in reality. She moves to pull away, to climb off, but Glinda holds her still by the hips and continues to lick up every drop.  Elphaba lets her for a moment, moaning with every stroke of her Alpha’s tongue, but eventually she has to tap out before the pleasure turns to pain. Glinda finally lets go, and Elphaba moves to the side so that she can collapse onto the bed.

Rolling onto her back, Elphaba pants to catch her breath. Her head spins at the feeling of aftershocks pulsing through her, of her mouth still wet and messy. If she hadn’t stopped Glinda, she’d be truly wrecked already.

“I’m not done with you, yet,” Glinda says, though. She moves over, laying half-on-top of Elphaba to press kisses to her neck and chest. Her own mouth is still covered in Elphaba’s wetness, every kiss leaving a shiny stain on green skin. Her hands roam greedily, wandering everywhere they can reach.

Elphaba’s barely gotten her breathing back to normal before Glinda is flipping her over onto her stomach. She doesn’t fight it, body still thrumming with pleasure under the heightened sensitivity. Kisses continue to be placed along her shoulders and spine, accompanied by licks and nips that will surely leave bruises. She melts into the mattress, pressing her hips back to grind against her Alpha with what little strength she has in the moment.

“Show me, then,” she says with more bravado than she feels, her voice breathy and spent. “How did you want to take me, Alpha?”

***

Elphie’s going to be the death of her. Even when she’s sweaty and messy and exhausted, she still finds it in her to tease, to challenge.

And the provocation works.

Glinda grabs hold of Elphie’s hips and lifts them up, tugging her back until she is propped up on her knees with her ass in the air. Her Omega instinctively shifts her legs until she is spread before her, and Glinda can’t help but groan at the sight.

“Just like that,” she says reverently. She smooths her palms over the curves of Elphie’s ass before raking her short nails across green skin. “Wanna take you just like this.” She feels almost drunk, the combination of her rut and Elphie’s scent making her head spin. Her cock hangs hot and heavy with the need to be buried in her Omega once again.

Elphie’s back arches, pressing back into Glinda’s hands as she whimpers. “Do it, then,” she urges. “Don’t know why you’re taking so long.”

Glinda growls and rears back to slap her palm roughly onto Elphie’s ass, the shape of her hand visible in a paler green as she does so. Elphie gasps and whines into the mattress in response. Glinda can see the way her swollen pussy clenches, a bit of slick leaking out to coat her lips.

“You want me to be rough with you, is that right?” Glinda asks tauntingly even as her touch soothes the reddening mark she’s left. When Elphaba only whimpers and grabs at the sheets, Glinda uses her opposite hand to smack the other ass cheek just as hard. Her cock throbs as Elphie cries out, caught between a moan and a sob.

“You were so chatty just a clock-tick ago,” Glinda continues. “Use your words, Elphie.” She grabs at and massages the sore flesh in front of her, careful to keep her own hips back so that nothing touches Elphie where she wants it the most.

Elphaba moans, turns her face into the mattress briefly before speaking. “Y-yes,” she stutters out.

Glinda digs her nails into her ass in warning. “’Yes,’ what, darling?”

A hiss, and then Elphie clarifies, her voice raising in pitch. “Yes, I want you to—to be rough with me.” She takes a shaky breath, and then continues without being told. “I want you to fuck me like I’m yours to use—want you to take me however you want, even when I have nothing left to give.” Glinda’s breath hitches as her Omega grinds back against her hands again, seeking more. “Take me, Glin, take all of me, please, please—”

Glinda’s breath trembles as she exhales. Her whole body is tense, wound up at the sight and sound of her Omega giving in, giving herself up.

Just waiting to be used.

At her pause, Elphie lifts her head to try and look back, to meet her gaze, and that’s when something snaps within Glinda. She quickly leans forward and presses a hand to Elphaba’s head, shoving her face back down against the mattress. Elphie’s gasp and accompanying moan makes Glinda shiver, and her movement makes her cock slide through the wet folds spread in front of her.

“Yes, yes, yes—” Elphie chants, clenching pink sheets in her fists.

“Stay,” Glinda growls to cover up her own desperate moan. Her hips rock of their own accord, gathering Elphie’s slick along her shaft. Taking herself in her hand, she runs her tip along Elphie’s pussy slowly, teasingly. She presses it to her clit, drawing a gasp from her Omega as her body tenses beneath her. Then she rises back up, just barely dipping into Elphie’s wet, twitching entrance.

“Ask me again,” she breathes, just barely able to hold herself back from filling Elphie to the brim then and there. “Beg me for it.”

Elphie groans, arching back to try and take her deeper inside instead of answering. Glinda lets go of her cock to spank the Omega again, drawing out a high-pitched whine. “No,” she chastises with a growl.

Elphie shudders out a sob. “P-please, Glin, please, I need you—” She gasps as Glinda teases at her entrance again. “I need you to fuck me, please! I need your knot, need you inside, please, pl—ah!”

Glinda presses forward, sliding into Elphie as slowly as she dares—as slowly as she is able to. She wants Elphie to feel the stretch. She can hear the breath leave her Omega as she pushes in fully, her hips meeting Elphie’s ass once she’s finally filled her.

She waits there a long moment, relishing the feeling of Elphie clenching around her, hot and wet and wanting. With her hand holding Elphie’s head to the mattress, she can feel her struggling against the grip as she tries to fuck herself on Glinda’s cock. But Glinda just holds her in place, waits as patiently as she can.

Elphie finally settles back into the mattress, body going pliant as she gives in to Glinda’s control. “Glinda, please,” she whimpers, wrecked and desperate.

The pure submission makes Glinda’s face burn. She lets herself give in, then, as well—pulls her hips back just to quickly thrust into Elphie once more. Elphie lets out a cry, another string of yes, yes, yes filling the air along with the sound of their hips slapping together as Glinda sets a fast pace.

“My Elphie,” she says on a moan. “My perfect Omega. You take me so—fuck!”

Elphie squeezes tight around her, wetness and heat surrounding her cock deliciously. “Take me, take me,” Elphie echoes breathily, words hitching with each thrust. “Fuck, ah! So good, Glin, you’re—you’re so fucking—”

Glinda needs her closer, needs to have Elphie’s whines and whimpers in her ear. She pauses her thrusts and, before Elphie can complain, wraps an arm around her waist to pull her upwards. Elphie gasps as she settles onto Glinda’s thighs and leans back into her. She rocks her hips down to take her cock deep inside once more, and they both groan at the new angle.

Glinda slides her palm up Elphie’s chest, pausing briefly to squeeze at a breast before continuing upward. She wraps her hand around Elphie’s throat, making the Omega tilt her head back. Her jaw drops, and she brings her hands up to clutch at Glinda’s arm—not to pull her away, but simply to hang on.

Now, Glinda can clearly see the neediness on Elphie’s face—the way her eyebrows pinch upwards, the drying cum at the corners of her mouth, the tears threatening to fall from her shut eyes. Glinda kisses the side of her face slowly, reverently as she studies it all. She squeezes the sides of Elphie’s throat and tilts her hips up, relishing the whine her Omega releases.

“Ride me, darling,” she commands on a breath. Her lips find Elphie’s ear and tug on the lobe, seemingly spurring her into action. Elphie rises up slightly onto her spread knees before sinking back down, and Glinda feels her eyes roll back. “Fuck—good girl.”

As Elphie keeps moving, Glinda brings her other hand around until she can slide a finger over her clit. Her Omega’s still sensitive, her body twitching at the lightest touch, so Glinda takes care to be gentle in this one way. It contrasts the hand on Elphie’s throat, the way she presses up to meet Elphie’s hips with every downward motion, the filthy things she’s whispering into Elphie’s ear—can you feel how deep I am inside you? Do you like how I fill you up like this? Want to feel you soak my cock when you come, feel that pretty little pussy clench around my knot—

And Elphie is close, she can tell. It’s in the quickness of her breaths, the trembling of her thighs. Glinda’s knot is forming, and so Elphie’s thrusts are getting shorter. Her whimpers turn to whines of frustration as she can’t take Glinda as deeply inside her as she wants to.

Glinda rubs faster at her clit, adding the barest more amount of pressure. “It’s okay, darling. You can take it.” Elphie moans, her head falling back. One hand stays clutching at Glinda’s arm, but the other comes down to dig her nails into Glinda’s thigh instead. “Just come for me one more time, and you can have my knot.” Her own voice is getting shakier—she’s holding off her own orgasm, wants to be fully inside her Omega when she comes.

“Glin, I—I—” Elphie gasps with each thrust, her moans rising higher in pitch. The way she’s squeezing around Glinda’s cock lets her know she’s so close.

“That’s it, darling. Be good and come for me. Take my knot. Let me breed you.”

Elphie’s jaw drops open. Her hips stutter, and her nails scratch harshly where she’s latched onto Glinda’s leg and arm. The sight is too tempting—Glinda brings her hand away from Elphie’s throat to push two fingers into her Omega’s mouth, deep as they’ll go. Elphie gags, more tears falling as she closes her lips around Glinda’s fingers and sucks. Her lips look so perfect against Glinda’s pale skin, her tongue hot and wet against her fingers. With that, she sinks down one more time and howls as Glinda’s knot finally spreads her open.

“F-fuck, yes!” Glinda cries out as she is engulfed in Elphie’s spasming heat. Her fingers press down against Elphie’s tongue as she ruts into her, her mouth instinctively finding the Mark near her shoulder and latching on—not hard enough to break skin, but enough to make sure Elphie feels it. Her hips twitch as she comes, pleasure making her vision go white. It races up her spine as thick streams of her cum fill her Omega, sealed in by the knot as Elphie pulses around her.

They sit like that for a long moment, coming down from their highs together. Eventually, Elphie tugs at Glinda’s arm until she withdraws her fingers from her mouth, and then she turns her head to kiss Glinda messily. Lips and tongues clash as they breathe together, each one’s whimpers and gasps swallowed up by the other.

As they kiss, Glinda’s hands drop to Elphie’s still-twitching hips. Kissing Elphie has always been one of her favorite things, and with the wetness still surrounding her, she can’t help but grip those perfect hips to slowly rut against her as their mouths move together.

Elphie gasps, jaw dropping, so Glinda takes a green bottom lip between her own, sucking and biting it before letting it go. She hovers before kissing her again, lips just barely brushing as Elphie pants open-mouthed against her. Glinda slowly rocks Elphie’s hips down against her own, nearly holding her own breath as she relishes the feeling.

“One more,” she whispers. Elphie groans—at the words, or at Glinda’s cock, or at the way their mouths ghost across each other as Glinda speaks. “One more time for me, my good, sweet Elphie.”

Elphaba’s leaning back fully against her now, control completely relinquished. Her eyes are rolled back, mouth dropped open. She turns her head to press her face to the side of Glinda’s, her lips brushing the Alpha’s ear and neck with every sway of their bodies. A hand reaches up to land at the back of Glinda’s neck. Glinda hisses as nails scratch the skin there, and she pulls Elphie down more roughly onto her cock in response.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Glinda says teasingly, turning to meet Elphie’s eyes. “I forgot—you wanted it rough, is that right?” She digs her nails into Elphie’s hips and ruts her own upwards at the same time, forcing a whining gasp from her Omega.

Elphie nods, eyebrows pinched upwards as her eyes struggle to stay open. Her pussy flutters around Glinda’s cock deliciously.

“Why is that?” Glinda taunts, picking up the speed of their hips as one hand lifts to place a finger under Elphie’s chin. “Why do you like it rough, Elphaba?”

Elphie whimpers, her tongue darting out to lick her lips as the tiniest bit of drool leaks from the corner of her mouth. “I—I don’t—”

Glinda presses her thumb to Elphie’s bottom lip, pulling it down until it snaps back into place on its own. Her head feels so hazy, mid-rut and post-orgasm and utterly surrounded by her Omega. She barely registers the words that leave her mouth. “Is it because you’re wicked?”

“Fuck!” Elphie’s breath hitches, her hips jerking. She pulses around Glinda’s knot with a whine.

“Oh,” Glinda says with a smirk. “You like that, hm?”

Elphie is visibly wrecked, tears slipping from her eyes as she nods again. Glinda teases her thumb at her bottom lip again, and when Elphie’s tongue presses to it as if on instinct, she pushes it inside. Green lips close around the digit instantly.

“They all think so,” Glinda continues, her own breath hitching as another orgasm starts building within her. “But they don’t really know. I’m the only one who gets you like this.” She pushes her thumb deeper, pressing on Elphie’s tongue until she gags, swallowing and sucking desperately. She digs the nails of her other hand more harshly into Elphaba’s hip, scraping skin as she scratches. “Wicked and wanting. All needy and messy for me. Right?”

Another press of her thumb, another rock of her hips, and Elphie is coming hard, walls fluttering around her cock and her knot. She moans loudly as she does, tongue laving at the digit in her mouth, and it all sends Glinda careening over the edge once again. She moves her hand from Elphie’s hip to the lower swell of her stomach, swears she can feel it as she fills her Omega with her seed.

“That’s it, my love,” she whispers around a moan. “All for me. Just for me.”

As their bodies calm down, riding through the aftershocks, Glinda moves to lay Elphie on her stomach once more. She settles herself on top of her, across her Omega’s back, and places slow, wet kisses all along Elphie’s neck and shoulders.

For a long moment, she lets herself forget that anything outside of the two of them even exists.

***

When Glinda’s knot finally (temporarily) deflates, she tells Elphaba of the contraceptives. When the words are spoken, they send a pang of loss through Elphaba’s chest as that longing comes back—for a different Oz, a different them. A them that could see what happens, a them that could risk it because all they had was love to give and a safe space in which to give it. But this is not that Oz, and they are not the Elphaba and Galinda that they’d thought they would grow up to be.

So she takes a pill, downs it with a glass of water that had, at some point, been left with two servings of breakfast outside Glinda’s door.

(“What if someone heard us?” she’d asked, knowing that the silencing spell had to have worn off at some point. But Glinda’d reassured her that the staff knows she is in rut and knows she has someone in here to see it through. No one had barged in or even knocked on the door, so Elphaba had to trust that her Alpha knows what she is doing with this plan of hers.

She still redid the spell, though, just in case.)

The next few days follow this same pattern: food left at the door, sex all day and into the night, pills each morning. They shower together, usually coupled with more sex, and they eat together and then they make love once more.

Elphaba takes charge more often than not, more often than she had during the last rut they’d spent together, in their Shiz days. It’s easy—perhaps even easier, now, than it had been in school—to make Glinda pliant, to make her listen and beg. Every once in a while, though, she lets her take charge again, as it is fun to give into it sometimes. Glinda had been trying to rile her up when she’d said it, but Elphaba has to admit that she does, in fact, like it when her Alpha is rough with her.

She can tell when Glinda’s rut is nearing its end. Not only does Glinda’s peppery smell start to dim, melding back together with her normal, sweet scent, but one morning, a knock does sound at the door. It makes both of them freeze. Glinda raises a hand to redo the locking spell before speaking, to be safe.

“What is it?” she calls out after clearing her throat.

“Y-your Goodness?” a timid voice responds through the closed door. “I’m checking to see if you’re, er—presentable yet. Madame Morrible said your r-rut will likely be over soon, so…”

Elphaba can feel Glinda tense in her arms. She pumps out soothing pheromones as densely as she can, wanting to cling to this togetherness just as much as her Alpha does.

“Not just yet, uh… ah… Millie?” Elphaba raises an eyebrow at Glinda’s questioning tone, but she only blushes and continues speaking. “Perhaps... perhaps just one more day.” She says this on a sigh, longing in her eyes as she meets Elphaba’s gaze.

Elphaba’s chest aches, but she knows they have no choice. They cannot simply keep dragging this out—they have a deadline and always have.

They always will.

Their last day is softer, sex filled with kisses and needy, grabbing hands that keep them as close as possible throughout it all. Proclamations of love fill the air, entangled with their moans and gasps and keens.

And then it is nightfall, and Elphaba has to leave.

Her chest thrums with anxiety as she gets dressed in clothes that have not been touched in days. It feels filthy—both the clothes themselves and what wearing them symbolizes: the act of leaving her Alpha once again. But she tries to stay strong, to keep her features schooled, because she can tell Glinda is about two clock-ticks from completely falling apart.

“You’ll—” her Alpha starts, but she pauses to clear her throat, voice thick with tears. “You’ll come back this time.” She says it as fact, not as a question—Elphaba can feel the work that goes into steeling her tone.

“I will,” she confirms. “I promise. I will.” She knows in her heart she could not stand to stay away from Glinda at this point, doesn’t know how she’d survived so long the last time. It may be a necessity for a bit, but she would kill before letting another three years go by without seeing her Alpha.

“When?” Glinda asks. Her eyes are wide and watery, hands fidgeting with each other in front of her body. She’s in a simple, pale pink chemise, with her hair sex- and sleep-tousled, lips swollen from days of kisses, neck and shoulders and chest covered with love-bites and bruises.

She’s trying not to be too needy in advance of the upcoming heartbreak. Elphaba can tell—but she kind of craves it in this moment, so she takes those hands and places them on her hips while she steps close. She swings her own arms up to drape across Glinda’s shoulders so that her breath ghosts across Glinda’s lips as she whispers, open and honestly, “I don’t know.”

Glinda tries to hide her wince, but she can’t keep the tears from falling. Oz, Elphaba’s chest aches. She can smell the Alpha’s distress in the air and tries her best to dampen her own.

“I promise you, it will be as soon as possible,” she continues, as reassuring as she can be. “It might be days, it might be… months…” Glinda accidentally lets a sob escape, leaning forward to press their foreheads together as she squeezes her eyes shut. Elphaba brings her hands to the back of Glinda’s neck, holding her close and pumping out as much soothing pheromones as she can stand. “But I promise, Glinda, it will be as soon as I am able. As soon as it is safe for both of us. I’m never leaving you again.” She blinks hard at the irony of that statement. “Not really. I’m yours. Forever.”

One hand moves down to stroke gently at Glinda’s Mark. A few minutes go by where it is just the two of them breathing in each other’s air, feeling each other close, accepting their return to reality once more.

Then, the sky starts to lighten the smallest bit, a warning of the coming sun. Elphaba has to leave. They both know it, but they don’t acknowledge it for a moment more, clinging to each other in the uncertainty of this goodbye.

They kiss long and slow, a press of their lips with hardly any movement between them, lest it make the time pass more quickly. When Elphaba steps back and boards her broom, it is with another pang in her chest of longing and anxiety that makes her nearly nauseous—no, truly nauseous, her stomach churning with an uneasiness she can hardly bear.

She tells herself that she’s not lying, this time—she will be back as soon as she possibly can. She will see her Alpha again. This may not be their perfect Oz, but they are still in this Oz together with the ability to make the best of the cards they have been dealt, the choices they have both made.

Elphaba swallows down the wave of nausea and flies away from the sun—away from her Alpha, her love, her Mate. As terrifying and terrible and heartbreaking as this is, she knows they’ll survive; they survived three years apart, and so they will survive this.

TW: mild violence, animal abuse

They end up telling Ama about the Lion that same day; they have to, because he wakes up from his magically-induced sleep hungry. Ama is their best option for help in sneaking food from the carnivore stock at the Animal dorms.

Galinda expects a scolding when they tell her, expects to be lectured about Being Careful and Reckless Decisions, etcetera. Instead, Ama goes silent as she and Elphie explain the whole situation, crouched down to her level outside the stables. Ama’s gaze flicks between them before settling on Galinda, and a surge of pride surges through their Bond as Ama reaches a wing out to land softly atop Galinda’s hand.

Unfortunately, the plan they make involves Galinda flirting with that horrendible “caretaker” to distract him while Elphie and Ama sneak into the food storage. It’s Ama who makes that suggestion, and when she does, a dark look passes over Elphie’s face as she tries not to glance in Galinda’s direction.

Galinda makes a mental note of that for later use. Elphaba Thropp, jealous? The feeling of being wanted in such a way sends a thrill racing through her.

It also reminds her that she hasn’t yet updated Ama on their Match status, much less the kiss they’d shared earlier. Are they… together now? Girlfriends? Partners? Are there more kisses to be expected? Galinda’s head swims with questions—they really should discuss this, but now is, unfortunately, not the time.

Their plan goes swimmingly; even though the caretaker doesn’t seem to be very receptive to Galinda’s flirting, he’s still distracted enough for the two others to steal away with a couple of paper-wrapped slabs of meat. Not only can they not risk taking more and having the caretaker notice the missing stock, but without an ice box in their room, they’ll have to make do with a smaller supply. Oz knows they don’t want the meat to start rotting faster than Lion can eat it.

(Galinda thinks a small ice box should be on her list of requests to make of Momsie and Popsicle.)

All the chaos means that the girls miss the rest of their classes; thankfully, they don’t have a seminar with Madame Morrible on their schedule for the day. They all relax in their room while Lion chomps on a slab of meat, and it’s only then that Galinda remembers she’d planned on taking Ama into town today. It sounds like a welcomed distraction after such a hectic day.

When she brings it up, though, Elphaba shakes her head before reaching down to stroke the Lion’s back while he eats. “I know I said I’d go with you, but I should stay with Brrr.” Galinda blinks and feels her head tilt to the side. “I should probably find a place behind the building to sneak him to so he can relieve himself soon.”

“I’m sorry, darling—‘Brrr’?” she asks for clarification. She pointedly ignores the way Ama’s head snaps around to look at her, most likely at the use of the pet name.

Elphaba’s cheeks darken, and she curls in on herself a bit shyly. “Ah. Yes. That’s… that’s his name, I think.” Her lips purse, and she pauses in the stroking of fur. “Is that… do you think…?”

Galinda softens, her heart simply melting. “I think it’s wonderful, Elphie.”

Green eyes meet hers, and they share a soft smile as Elphie nods. “In any case, you two should go on ahead. Don’t let me derail your plans, my sweet.”

Ama’s head whips back to Elphie, and Galinda tries and fails to hold back a nervous giggle at the return of her own new nickname. Is this what dating should have felt like all this time?

“A-alright, well. We’ll be going, then, I suppose, before it gets dark out.” She stands and pauses, quirking her lips to the side. She feels the urge to walk over and kiss Elphie goodbye, but, well, they’ve only done it the once—though, technically, twice—and not in front of anyone else yet, and they really should discuss this newfound dynamic, but—

“Galinda,” Ama calls, already over by the door.

Galinda jumps at being jolted from her rambling thoughts, blushing as Elphie chuckles. Oz, had she been watching her that whole time? “R-right. Coming, Ama.” She gives Elphie another small smile before turning to follow her Familiar.

“I’ll see you soon, my sweet,” Elphie calls, nearly making Galinda stumble.

“Soon. Yes.” Oz, her face is on fire. She chances a glance back, and the look in Elphie’s eyes almost makes her refuse to leave. “Bye, Elphie.” They leave the room, and as the door clicks shut behind them, Galinda takes a deep, calming breath.

With Ama’s curious looks in the room, Galinda is surprised she doesn’t immediately launch into an interrogation. Most of the walk into town is spent in silence, actually, which leaves Galinda spiraling over just how to approach the topic. Eventually, they reach the docks and board a small gondola to take them the rest of the way.

It’s only then that Ama breaks the silence. “Well. Considering the events of the day, at least it’s quite nice out, still.”

And Galinda can’t hold it in anymore. “Oh, Ama,” she wails, alarming the gondolier, “I’m so dreadfully, wonderfully, agonizingly in love with her!” She rests her elbows on her knees and buries her face into her hands.

A pause. Then, “Well, I had an inkling, I suppose,” Ama says sarcastically.

Galinda groans and slides off of her bench seat and onto the floor of the boat, ignoring the gondolier’s protests. She tosses her head back dramatically. “Am I really that obvious?”

“Distinctly.” Galinda groans again. “I’m sorry, Duckie, why is this so ‘dreadful’ and ‘agonizing,’ exactly?”

Galinda blushes, flustered. “Because—because we haven’t talked! About any of it! We’ve merely kissed, just the once—well, technically twice, I suppose, but we haven’t—”

“Dearest,” Ama interrupts, hopping down to be right next to her. “She’s your soulmate.”

“That’s beside the—wait.” Galinda turns to study Ama with narrowed eyes. “You knew? How?”

“I’m your Familiar,” Ama says with a huff. “I know things.” When Galinda narrows her eyes further, she continues, “And I also caught her studying her Mark one day outside the Animal dorms, rather pensively, in fact. I may have caught a glimpse of its shape before she frantically tried to hide it.”

Galinda scoffs and rolls her eyes, but the guilt comes up too quickly for her to be spiteful. “I… I’ve known for a while, now. I didn’t purposely keep it a secret from you, I just—I didn’t know what…” She blows out a frustrated breath. “We didn’t get along, and I was so terrible to her in the beginning, I just didn’t know… how to fix things. If I could fix things. And then Fiyero came along, and I thought maybe I didn’t need her, but I just…”

She takes another breath, slower this time, looking out across the water as they near the city proper. “I couldn’t try to be with him once I’d seen just how wonderful she was—is. Even if I couldn’t be with her, I at least needed her in my life. Even if she never forgave me, I wanted to be… better. For her. Because of her.”

Ama hums. “And here we are.”

Galinda sighs, looking back to her Familiar. “And here we are. Ama, what if it all goes horribly wrong? How do people bear even the possibility?”

Ama shakes her head, lightly whacking Galinda’s arm with a wing. “Galinda. Every relationship has a chance of going horribly wrong. Platonic or no. It’s a part of life! But you’re soulmates. You’ll figure things out.”

They then reach the city docks, as the now-wary gondolier announces. Galinda rises from her moping spot on the gondola floor so that they can both exit the boat.

As they walk, Ama’s reminder rings in her head. We’re soulmates, she thinks. Things might go wrong, as they so often do for anyone in love, but the System put them together for a reason.

Elphaba Thropp is her Match, and Galinda won’t let anything or anyone tear them apart.

***

The next few days are quite the adjustment period.

Poor Brrr seems to be terrified of, well, almost everything. He clings to Elphaba whenever she returns to the dorm, at least once she manages to coax him out from his hiding spot beneath her bed. Galinda supposes it’s a better alternative to him clawing at the door and being found out, but she does feel bad for him. Not like she can blame him for feeling safe with Elphie, anyhow.

There has been no word from her parents yet, and it is getting harder to sneak Brrr’s food from the Animal food storage; last time, Elphie had to be the one distracting the caretaker, because he seemed to be growing sick of Galinda’s act and kept trying to dismiss her entirely. Their situation is not sustainable, and Galinda’s not quite sure what they’ll do if they can’t continue. Perhaps they could sneak something from the kitchens?

And they still haven’t talked, she and Elphaba. There is a new closeness between them, that much is apparent. But it manifests itself more in lingering glances, gentle touches, sitting so that their thighs press together beneath the table—in Darling and Dearest and My Sweet, which have come to be used more often than their actual names.

It’s in the way Elphie sleeps in Galinda’s bed, now, because it’s the only way she can sleep without having nightmares. Sometimes Brrr sleeps between them, but Galinda relishes the nights when Elphie is in the middle and she can wrap her arm around her for Elphie to hold to her chest.

But there have been no more declarations, and definitely no more kisses, though Galinda thinks about it constantly. With Brrr always present (and no longer magically sleeping), it always feels less… private. And whenever she does finally have a chance to bring it up, when things are quiet or they’re between classes, she loses her nerve.

Ama’s voice echoes in her mind—you’re soulmates—but there is still this inherent fear inside of her that makes her doubt, this feeling that she does not deserve Elphie or her affection, romantic or otherwise.

She finally manages the courage one day, during their private sorcery study period. She arrived early, straight from her last class in order to have as much time practicing as she could get. She’d hoped that not having Elphie around, with her silent but ever-present support, would allow her to feel less pressure—but the damn coin still won’t float. By the time Elphie shows up, Galinda has still made no progress at all.

“Who knew magic would be so hard?” she allows herself to whine with a slight pout.

Elphie hums, and Galinda’s eyes are drawn over to her as she places her books down on the table. She shrugs off her blazer, and the shift of her arms beneath that dress shirt makes Galinda’s breath catch in her throat.

“Maybe,” Elphie hums in that sweet, low voice, “you’ve always had things a bit too easy, my sweet. You’ve never needed magic’s help, and so your body isn’t sure of how to summon it.” She’s not unkind as she says it, shrugging and taking a seat at the table.

Galinda blinks, and something about those words combined with how delectable Elphie looks triggers something within her—the urge to prove that she doesn’t just take the easy route. She has struggles. She can fight for things—the things she wants, the things she’s afraid of having and losing.

So, she finds herself blurting out, “Elphie, why haven’t you kissed me again?”

Elphaba freezes in her seat, her back going straight and shoulders stiff. She looks over to her with wide eyes, a blush darkening her cheeks to a deep emerald. “I—what?” she stammers.

Galinda rises and walks over to sit on the oddly-shaped chaise in the middle of the room, closer to Elphie without being so close as to crowd. The nerves come again, but she’s started this now. No going back.

“You haven’t kissed me, not since—that first time.” She pulls at her fingers, trying to keep her eyes from darting around.

Elphie swallows heavily and hesitantly moves to sit across from her on the chair, that strange divider between them. “It—it was technically twice, actually—”

“Oh, Oz, Elphie, you know what I mean—”

“Do you want me to?”

Galinda’s voice hitches, her body going still. “I—what?” she says, echoing Elphie from earlier.

Elphaba swallows, eyes dark and serious. Her tongue darts out to wet her lips, and Galinda can’t help but stare at them for a moment before forcing her gaze back up to Elphie’s own.

Elphaba speaks slowly, so quietly that it’s almost in a whisper, as if she’s afraid of the weight the words hold. “Do you want me to kiss you again?”

Galinda whimpers—she can’t help it. “Yes,” she breathes before she can worry about not sounding too desperate. “Very much s—mm!”

Elphie’s darted forward to press their lips together, and Galinda melts. There’s a hand in her hair, at the back of her neck, pulling her close, and Galinda doesn’t fight it. She sighs, weak and wanting, into Elphaba’s mouth as their lips open and tongues meet. Galinda clutches at Elphie’s shoulders for support because she’s absolutely dizzy.

It’s more firm than the first time, more sure. Galinda rises a bit on her knees to push forward into the kiss, not realizing how out-of-breath she is until Elphie pulls back so they are panting against each other’s mouths.

“Elphie,” she whispers, sliding a hand up to cup a green cheek. She grazes her thumb over Elphie’s kiss-swollen bottom lip before leaning forward to suck it into her mouth.

Elphaba moans softly as Galinda bites down before releasing her lip with a pop, and then they are kissing desperately once more. Galinda’s entire body is aflame. She craves more closeness, moves a hand to Elphie’s waist to draw her in, but that Oz-forsaken arm of the chair is in the way. She’s nearly about to climb around it and into Elphie’s lap—

“Miss Elphaba!” a voice calls out—Madame Morrible. The two girls jump apart, breathing heavily both from the kiss and the fear that they’ve been caught. After a moment, though, they realize the voice came from outside, not the entrance to the room.

“Come quick!” the Madame calls again. The girls share a small, embarrassed smile before quickly righting themselves and heading to the balcony hand-in-hand.

Looking down, they can see a small crowd gathering by the docks as a miniature hot-air balloon floats down from the sky.

“It’s from the Wizard!” Madame Morrible shouts excitedly.

“Elphie,” Galinda says as realization dawns. “You have to get down there!”

If the Wizard is contacting Elphaba, perhaps this is their chance. Maybe Momsie and Popsicle can’t do anything about the Animal situation, but if anyone can, it would be the Wizard.

As Galinda meets Elphie’s eyes, she can tell her Match has the same thought, and then they are running to the docks together.

***

Elphie has been invited to meet with the Wizard in a mere day’s time, and Galinda couldn’t be prouder. If there’s a tiny part of her that is a bit jealous of her Match’s natural magical ability and the praise with which Madame Morrible showers her, well… that part gets its own mental box, shoved into its own mental closet.

Because Elphaba deserves to have someone be proud of her, Oz damn it, and Galinda isn’t going to let her selfish pettiness ruin this for her. This is a marvelocious occasion, and Elphaba deserves to be celebrated!

The part of herself Galinda does allow to be displayed, however, is that which is already missing Elphaba before she’s even left. She lets herself be extra clingy, especially after the kiss they’d shared on that frustratingly-shaped chaise, and Elphaba (thankfully) seems to have no complaints.

But Hell and Oz, they still haven’t talked about anything! And it feels selfish to bring it up now, when Elphie has many much more important things to be occupying her thoughts! Besides, Galinda wouldn’t want to come off as trying to overshadow this accomplishment of Elphaba’s with her own insecurities. She can calm herself down by remembering the facts:

One: She and Elphaba are soulmates.

Two: She and Elphaba are soulmates who kiss.

(Quite frequently now, apparently. Elphaba kissed her excitedly as soon as they got back to their dorm room post-letter. It did not last long, as they were interrupted by Brrr mewing cautiously from under Elphie’s bed, but it was full of joy and giggling and clacking teeth as they grinned through it—still very much perfect. Galinda might well become addicted to kissing Elphaba Thropp.)

And Three: Elphaba seems to enjoy both of these things just as much as Galinda does, which is a very good sign.

By the time they leave for the train station the next day, they have kissed goodnight and good morning, as well. Even though Galinda had tried to spare her Match from her morning breath, Elphie’d insisted she did not care and had merely pulled her closer until she’d received a proper greeting. Galinda can now admit that giggles and brushing noses and sleep-mussed hair is objectively the best way to wake up in the morning.

As they walk with Ama onto the train station platform, a crowd awaits them—well, awaits Elphie. A green arm tenses where it is linked with Galinda’s own, but she can feel the moment Elphie realizes that the crows is there to cheer for her rather than mock her. Galinda turns to look at her with a smile so wide her cheeks might split. The look of awe on Elphie’s face as she takes it all in fills Galinda’s chest with a bubbliness that escapes her in a giggle.

Galinda catches Fiyero’s eyes amongst the group, and something about the way he’s studying the two of them makes Galinda stiffen. They haven’t told anyone (aside from Ama) of the new developments in their relationship, but his narrowed gaze and slight smirk make Galinda feel as if it’s written across their foreheads.

Which, frankly, isn’t a bad thing—at this point, Galinda would scream from the top of Shiz Tower that she is irrevocably in love with Elphaba Thropp, if only they could talk first. And if Fiyero’s figured it out, somehow, well, he’s a good friend to the both of them, anyway. He even gives her a wink when he notices her blushing, caught-in-the-act face. A wink, the cheeky boy. Galinda scoffs and returns her focus to the woman beside her.

And it appears Elphaba needs her attention, too, for Nessa is approaching, her Familiar in her lap and an older Munchkin man reluctantly in tow. That stiffness returns to Elphie’s entire body, arm going taut and hands clenching.

So. This must be the father.

Madame Morrible steps up at the same time, reaching up to place a hand on Elphie’s shoulder opposite Galinda.

“Hello, dearie,” she greets. Galinda can feel the tiniest bit of tension ebb away at the supportive presence of their mentor, though it doesn’t leave completely. “Are you ready for your big day?” She grins down at Elphaba and refuses to spare even a glance Galinda’s way.

Galinda shoves down the pang of rejection that springs up in her chest. This is Elphaba’s day. She doesn’t need the attention.

It’s fine.

“And Governor Thropp,” Madame Morrible continues, turning his attention to the elder Munchkin. “So glad you could make it!”

“Of course!” the Governor says with a smile. “Any reason to see my darling daughter.” He places a hand on Nessa’s shoulder, and Galinda’s heart sinks.

So that’s how he plays it.

Even Madame Morrible seems a bit off-put by the way he disregards Elphaba’s presence. “Yes… and how wonderful it is that your other daughter shall soon be on her way to meet the Wizard!”

Nessa beams proudly, but the Governor’s grin turns strained—more of a grimace than anything. “Yes, well, let’s just hope she makes a… good impression.”

Galinda bristles at the tone he uses—derisive, doubtful, patronizing. She squeezes Elphaba’s bicep before sliding her hand down to pry open those clenched, green fingers and intertwine them with her own.

“I’m sure she will,” she says firmly, plastering a perfect Show Smile on her face. She dares him to speak further, to say something else demeaning. If Galinda Upland is skilled in anything, it is in the art of using words to tear others apart—and with everything she knows about this Governor Thropp, she absolutely would not mind knocking him down a peg or ten.

But she can feel Elphaba stand a bit taller, sees the way the Governor’s smile falters the tiniest bit as she looks him up and down. She’s satisfied with that.

Thankfully, Pfannee and Shenshen interrupt and drag Elphie away before the Governor can say anything else. Galinda spares him one last narrowed glance before following them.

Elphaba gets caught up in the crowd for a bit. It’s a sight to see, Elphaba Thropp surrounded by admirers and friends and support—vastly different from the beginning of the semester. There’s a bit of guilt still in the back of her mind for her part in how horrendible everything had been for Elphie in the beginning, but the pride she holds for just how much her Match has grown shines through.

“She’s really blossomed, hasn’t she?” comes Ama’s voice from down by her feet. Galinda nearly jumps—she’d definitely been so caught up in watching her Match that she’d forgotten anyone else was even around. She knows Ama can tell, but the Swan gracefully says nothing on it.

Galinda huffs, trying to settle her nerves. “That, she has. She’s… amazing.” Her eyes return to Elphie. Ama only hums in response and leaves her to her longing glances, wandering off to talk to the handful of other Familiars that have been brought to the station.

Eventually, Elphie catches her eye. Her smile softens once she realizes Galinda’s been watching her, and then she is gently waving everyone off to join her to the side of the crowd.

“You’re staring, my sweet,” Elphaba says softly as she approaches. That slanted smirk makes her eyes shine. Galinda might just swoon right here.

“Well,” she says, a bit breathlessly as her heart flutters, “it’s quite the lovely view.”

Elphaba rolls her eyes, but Galinda can see the way her cheeks darken. “Are you sure you’ll be okay with Brrr?” Elphie asks, deflecting.

Galinda rolls her eyes, this time. “You’ll be gone for less than a day, darling.” She reaches out and takes one of Elphie’s hands in her own, squeezing it reassuringly. “I have his food for the day already. The hardest part will be getting him out from under the bed.” That garners a low chuckle and a toothy grin. “He’ll be fine. I, on the other hand, am not quite sure how I’ll survive without you.”

“Oh, please,” Elphie says teasingly. “You’ll have Brrr, and Ama, even Fiyero. You’re surrounded by people who love you.”

Galinda’s smile softens, her eyes squinting as she studies her Match in the morning sun. It is one hundred percent the truth when she says, “None of them are a replacement for you, Elphie.”

Elphaba’s mouth drops open the tiniest bit, as if Galinda’s honesty has caught her by surprise. She looks as if she might say something, but she’s interrupted by a whistle and an announcement of “five minutes ‘till departure!”

Galinda smiles at her and squeezes the hand in her grasp. “Come on, darling,” she says before pulling Elphie towards the train.

As they walk through the crowd, it hits her harder: she really isn’t sure how she’ll survive being apart from Elphie, even if it is just one short day. Now that she’s found her, now that they are… what they are, it’s as if Galinda’s found the piece of herself she hadn’t known she was missing. It makes her feel slightly pathetic. It’s just one short day.

One short day.

So why in Oz does it feel like, if she lets her go now, she’ll never see Elphaba again?

Her heart pounds at the thought. She knows it’s ridiculous and extremely codependent of her. But the fear is there, evident in the way she grips tightly at Elphie’s hand as they make it to the front of the now-parted crowd. It’s as Elphaba smiles and waves goodbye to everyone else that she remembers something.

“Oh!” Her exclamation draws Elphie’s attention. Galinda lets go of her hand so that she can reach inside her jacket and pull out an Emerald City brochure. “For you, darling,” she says softly as she passes it over.

Elphaba takes it with wonder in her eyes. She opens the front cover, and Galinda’s heart thumps harder as she watches Elphie read the inscription she’s left there.

I hope you get what your heart desires.

-Galinda ♥

Elphaba looks up at her with tears in the corners of her eyes. Galinda smiles and shrugs one shoulder. “It’s nothing, really, I just thought—”

“Galinda,” Elphie interrupts, and suddenly she has stepped closer.

Much closer.

Galinda gulps, pauses speaking so that Elphie can continue, but all of the breath is knocked out of her at Elphaba’s next words, anyway.

“I’m going to kiss you, now, if that’s okay.”

Galinda’s eyes go wide. She feels her face go warm at the combination of Elphaba’s words and her proximity. Kiss her now, in front of everyone like this? Elphie is that sure of their standing, their newfound and unnamed relationship, that she’s ready to declare it to the rest of the student body? Her thoughts from earlier echo in her mind:

Shout it from the top of Shiz Tower.

Galinda nods, and Elphie lifts a hand to the back of her neck to draw her in until their lips meet. She vaguely registers cheering in the background, but honestly, it’s as if a bubble has surrounded the two of them. As if they are the only ones in all of Oz. Her hands rise to Elphie’s shoulders—not only to hold her close, but also because her knees very well might buckle from this romantic display. She gasps, and Elphie deepens the kiss just enough to remain publicly decent.

A proper goodbye kiss.

But then Elphie is pulling back and breathing out, “Come with me,” against her lips, and Oz—Galinda’s head is positively spinning.

“W-what?” she asks incredulously.

That toothy grin will be the death of her. “Come with me—to the Emerald City!” She glances somewhere behind Galinda. “Ama can come, too! We can all talk to the Wizard together—he’ll surely listen if we have an actual Animal telling him firsthand how terrible everything is!”

“What?” comes a squawk from Ama behind her.

Elphie is clearly excited. It is incredibly difficult to try and tell her no, but—“What about Brrr? He shouldn’t be alone for that long. It’s not as if you can just ask Nessa to help him, you’d have to explain everyth—”

“Fiyero!” Elphaba calls, her eyes having wandered to find the prince while Galinda was speaking.

She pulls Galinda over until they are both standing in front of him. His eyes are slightly wide, his hands faltering in the air where they’d been clapping along with the crowd. “Um…?”

“Listen, we’re running out of time,” Elphaba starts before hurriedly explaining Brrr’s existence in hushed tones, her voice swallowed by the still-chattering crowd. At the end of it, Fiyero’s eyes are even wider, and Elphaba is pressing her room key into his palm. “Will you help us?” she asks.

Galinda’s eyes flit back and forth between them before finding Ama, now beside them. She can feel the excitement and concern and confusion bouncing back and forth over their Bond. Ama, however, merely shrugs her wings.

“Of course,” Fiyero says, relaxing the most miniscule amount.

It seems Galinda’s not the only one who can’t say “no” to Elphie.

Elphaba claps him on the shoulder. “Good man,” she says with a grin before pulling Galinda back towards the train doors.

Is this really happening?

“E-Elphie, wait!” She pulls Elphaba to a stop, swallowing heavily as those shining eyes look back at her. “Are you sure about this? I mean—this is your moment.”

Elphaba softens just enough that Galinda knows this isn’t just her getting caught up in grandiose ideations. She steps closer again and squeezes her hand as she says, “Of course, I’m sure. There’s no one else I’d rather share this moment with.”

Galinda takes a deep breath before the threat of swooning overtakes her once more.

Elphaba glances down to the Swan beside them. “And Ama, as well, obviously.”

“Oh, obviously,” Ama huffs. She moves past them to hop up onto the train itself. “You know, I won’t say no to this last-minute invitation, because I do think it’s a darling idea, but I swear to the gods if you two decide to get handsy while I’m in this compartment with you—”

“Ama!” Galinda cuts her off, blushing and thoroughly scandalized. Oz, why does her Familiar have to be so bratty and crass—

Elphaba’s laughter interrupts her thoughts. It’s easy to get distracted by the pure joy and excitement on her Match’s face as she turns back to meet her eyes again.

“Well?” Elphaba asks, squeezing her hand once more. “Are you coming?”

Galinda can’t help but give a grin of her own. “Let’s go, darling.”

Elphaba pulls her onto the train right before the final whistle blows. As the train pulls off, they wave goodbye to the crowd—Fiyero gives them a half-salute as he pockets Elphaba’s room key, and then all they can see are the open fields of Gillikin country as the station disappears into the distance.

Elphaba kisses her cheek, drawing her attention, but then she just wordlessly pulls her to a seating area where Ama awaits them.

“Right,” Elphie says, voice dropping down to a more serious tone. “Let’s come up with a plan for how we’re going to tell the Wizard of all of this. With all of us together, he’s sure to listen.”

She looks to Galinda with raised eyebrows, as if questioning the truth of her statement. Galinda sits beside her, squeezes her hand, and nods. “Absolutely. Let’s plan.”

***

Except nothing goes to plan.

It is… wonderful, at first; the Wizard truly lives up to his name. He is welcoming, accommodating, accepting.

“You know, something told me you were going to say that,” he says when Elphie admits her heart’s desire is for him to help the Animals. “Well, that is just a horrible thing to have happened,” he says when Ama tells him of the Animal dorms.

After Elphie casts the spell from the Grimmerie, however…

“Well, look—I’m sure your little bird friend here is nice,” he says placatingly after Madame Morrible says the flying Monkeys will make for “perfect spies.” “That’s not to say there aren’t more seditious animals out there!”

Galinda’s heart sinks further and further the more he speaks.

He looks to her for help in calming Elphie down—and she does want this situation to calm down, but she does not think Elphie is in the wrong for being this upset. Has it truly been the Wizard against the Animals this entire time? Has it really been him—and Madame Morrible!—encouraging the use of cages and the silencing of Familiars? Her mind is frantically trying to think of a solution to all of this, a way to keep them both from becoming enemies of Oz.

“Elphie,” she says softly, glancing back and forth between her and the Wizard. She can feel Ama’s anxiety through their Bond—or is that just her own? It’s difficult to tell. “Elphie, m-maybe we should… hear them out.” She nearly winces at the sound of those words coming from her own mouth.

This is wrong. It’s all so, so, so wrong.

The Wizard continues speaking to Elphaba, clearly disappointed in Galinda’s lackadaisical attempt at de-escalation. “It’ll be you and me—and, you know, perhaps even your little friend!” He grabs Galinda’s hand and pulls her along, and it feels as if her heart stops.

Perhaps in another Oz, this would have been exactly what she wanted—a spot next to the Wizard, next to Elphaba, one of importance and grandeur. But, looking down at Ama and over to her Match, both of whom are on the verge of tears, Galinda comes to accept that she is not in that Oz.

They need to get out of here.

“R-right,” she says, trying to put on her Good voice. If she can just convince the Wizard and Morrible that she and Elphie and Ama are on their side, then perhaps they can still make it out of here unscathed. “That would be—quite marvelocious, don’t you think, El—”

“No,” Elphaba cuts her off, because Galinda’s Match is not one to calmly talk things through—she is hot-headed and flies off the handle at the slightest hint of wrongdoing, and Galinda knows this, she should have expected—

Elphie is running.

Galinda moves to run after her, calling her name, but her attention is drawn to Madame Morrible as the older witch mumbles frustratedly.

“Well, I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this,” she says.

Galinda’s steps falter. It’s as if time slows down—a brief clock-tick that feels like an hour. Right before the Madame’s hand encloses around Ama Clutch’s neck is when Galinda has the realization:

Why has no one seen Madame Morrible’s Familiar before?

And then she is falling to her knees. Panic floods her and Ama’s Bond, and she cannot breathe. She can’t breathe because Ama can’t breathe, because Madame Morrible is holding her up by the neck and squeezing so that no air may enter her lungs. Galinda gasps desperately, hands moving up to her own throat as if to try and pry the invisible hands away.

But there’s nothing there, and she is left choking and coughing on the floor of this throne room. She watches Ama struggle, her wings flapping and legs kicking frantically.

She thinks the choked squawks coming from Ama’s mouth might haunt her dreams for years—if they can get out of this alive.

Is this how Elphaba felt with Turtle Heart?

“Stop, Elphaba,” Madame Morrible commands, her voice booming so loudly that Galinda vaguely wonders if she’s used magic to enhance it. “Come back, otherwise—”

“No!” comes Elphie’s scream.

Galinda can’t see where she is; her sight is trained on Ama as she reaches for her, desperate to get her out of that evil witch’s grasp. But then all of Oz tilts sideways—no, she tilts sideways, as do the Wizard and Morrible, because a great gust of force shoves them aside. Galinda sees Ama fly out of Morribles grip, and she just barely manages to catch herself before her head slams into the ground. Her wrist twinges and aches at the impact.

She gasps in air, suddenly able to breathe once more. She chokes as it rushes into her lungs, making her cough and splutter ungracefully. Then, Elphie is there, a hand at her elbow and tugging her up.

“…go,” Galinda barely hears over the sound of her own coughing. “Galinda, we have to go!” She makes it to her feet, and Ama clumsily flies over, and then the three of them are sprinting away.

They are running, and then they are being chased, and Galinda has never been more scared in her life. Flying Monkeys burst through windows, sending glass flying through the air. She’s sure there are shards stuck in her hair at this point.

Soldiers grab at them until Galinda has to physically kick one away. They nearly burn in a hot air balloon—she just barely manages to yank Ama away from the flames before her feathers are singed. They leap from the flaming basket and make their way to a dusty attic at the top of the tower.

This is bad, she thinks. This is very bad. She glances to Ama, and through the Bond she knows she is thinking the same thing.

Elphaba is barricading the door they just came through—some crates, a cart of some kind, and a broom to lock the doors. Galinda calls out to her, but she isn’t listening, too focused on her task.

Oz, this is so very bad.

“Elphaba, this is so much bigger than just us!” she cries, desperate now for her Match to hear her. Why couldn’t Elphie have just taken a breath, listened to her? Why couldn’t she have played along with them until they could return back to Shiz safely, work on another plan, figure something else out? Why, why, why—

She breaks. “Why couldn’t you have stayed calm for once, instead of flying off the handle?” A familiar feeling comes through the Bond, one she hasn’t felt since that first day she met Elphie—Ama is warning her.

But she is too far gone, and not even in anger; she is terrified of this situation they’ve found themselves in, the situation Elphie has put them in. All she wants is to go back to their dorm room, hold each other in bed with Brrr purring beside them and let the rest of Oz melt away.

But that’s not possible, now. So, she shouts and snaps and blames and it is wrong wrong wrong—

But Elphie shouts back. Her words, her gaze, her pain all cut Galinda, sharp as a blade. And they have fought before, obviously, back before they were friends, before they were more—but it has never been like this. This undercurrent of fear has warped everything to the point where Galinda doesn’t feel like her voice is her own.

It makes her sick.

Morrible’s voice interrupts them, an announcement broadcasted throughout Oz of the fugitive girls who have stolen the Grimmerie and are working together to defame the Wizard.

Elphaba’s face goes blank, as if she’d expected this all along—or as if she thinks she should have. Galinda wants nothing more than to reach for her hand, tell her not to be afraid—but how can she say that, when she herself is so deeply, deathly afraid?

Elphaba abruptly turns and starts making her way up the staircase to the attic balcony. “I know what to do,” she says when Galinda calls her name, but she refuses to stop or slow down. Galinda chases after her, begging for her to just take a moment, but Elphaba’s focus is singular.

She can hear Ama following behind her. She wishes she could just pause time for a clock-tick—Oz, she hasn’t even been able to check on Ama since that horrendible choking event, has no time to ask her advice on what they should do, has no time to do anything but stumble up the stairs behind her Match and pray Lurline will keep her from somehow making things even worse.

There’s still a chance, she thinks, a chance of reconciliation. If she can just get Elphaba to calm down, they can go back and apologize, lick the Wizard’s boots if that’s what it takes to get him to believe they will be compliant. They can play the long game, join forces with the Wizard in the light and fight him in the shadows. It’s possible, she knows it is, if only Elphaba—

Oh, no.

Elphaba has taken out the Grimmerie again, kneeling by the broken window and chanting that same spell that had given the Monkeys wings.

“Elphie,” she begs, “Elphie, please, not this again!” She’s panicking, she knows it; her heart is racing, and it’s hard to breathe as she screams for Elphie to—“Stop!”

Her desperation must show in her voice, because Elphie actually listens. She stops chanting and lowers her hands. The book, whose pages had been glowing and rising into the air, return to normal parchment.

Glinda isn’t sure she’s ever felt such relief.

“Well?” she says, her words still not her own. “Where are your wings?” It’s a cruel thing to say—she can feel Ama’s wince through the Bond. “Maybe you’re not as powerful as you think you are.”

Because if that’s the case, maybe Elphie will finally listen to her—give up on her grandiose plan of escape and come back to reality. Back to her.

But there’s a clattering from down below, and when she goes to the railing to look, well…

“Sweet Oz,” she breathes, half-amazed and half-in-dread.

Because Elphie has somehow managed to enchant that dusty old broom to fly.

There’s no stopping her now, she thinks, defeated. But, as Elphie grabs hold of the broom and studies it, embraces this power of hers, Galinda has to pause.

Because there’s no stopping her now.

This makes it possible—possible to escape, for Elphaba to get away from the soldiers and the Monkeys and the Wizard and Morrible and—and her.

It’s now possible for Elphaba to leave her.

Elphaba can be safe, she can be away from all of this chaos and danger and vitriol. But she’ll leave Galinda in the process. Galinda finally found her Match, her soulmate, finally fell in love—and now she’s going to lose it all before she’s even had the chance to say “I love you.”

Tears well up in her eyes as her heart aches preemptively at the loss she’s about to endure. She can feel Ama’s pity through the Bond, but she doesn’t want pity—she just wants Elphaba. And now who knows how long they’ll have to be apart, how long it will be until—

“Come with me.”

Galinda’s mind stutters to a stop. She blinks rapidly, for surely all the tears are distorting her vision; there is no way Elphaba is standing there with a hand outstretched towards her. That look in her eyes, that tilted smile—surely she doesn’t mean…

“I beg your pardon?” Galinda says, voice warbly with tears.

Elphie’s eyes shine with that fiery determination. “Think of what we could do—together.”

Oh, Oz. She means it.

“You—you want me to come with you?” she asks, insecurities popping back up. She hears Ama scoff from behind her, and her words from the gondola reenter her mind: You’re soulmates. You’ll figure things out.

Every time Galinda is certain that Elphaba does not want her in the same way Galinda wants her, her Match has proven her wrong.

“Galinda,” Elphie says slowly, as if wanting to make sure the words land properly, “you’re my Match. Of course I want you with me.” She takes a step closer, hand still reaching out. “We can fight them together, I know we can. We’ll work with the Animals, we’ll spread the truth. We can do this.”

Another step. She is waiting so patiently for Galinda to make up her mind, but she is still reeling.

“What about Brrr?” Galinda asks, the thought coming to her suddenly.

That does make Elphie falter, her shoulders slouching. “I… Fiyero will take care of him, I’m sure. It’s—it’s for the best, probably—”

“I’ll go to him,” Ama cuts in. Both girls’ heads whip around to face her. Galinda can feel Ama’s anxiety rising through the Bond, but the Swan stands tall. “I’ll find Fiyero, and I’ll bring Brrr to you. We can meet somewhere outside of the city—perhaps the Kells by the river. I think there’s an old castle out there—”

“Ama, are you sure?” Galinda crouches down in front of her Familiar. Pride swells in her chest—this must be how Ama felt when she’d first told her about their rescuing Brrr. “It’ll be dangerous for you, two Animals traveling alone.”

Ama flaps her wings in a shrug. “It’s what must be done. Brrr needs his Companion, just as Miss Elphaba needs her Familiar. Perhaps once he’s aware of the situation, dear Fiyero might even accompany us, anyhow. But it is the right thing to do, and so I must.”

Galinda swallows back her tears as much as she can. She turns to look up at Elphie, who is staring gratefully down at Ama with her own red-rimmed eyes.

“Thank you,” Elphie says, softly and earnestly.

Ama nods in response, and Galinda throws her arms around the Swan. The idea of her Familiar out there alone, with all this havoc in the air—it’s just more and more terror.

But something’s changed within her, now. It’s all terrifying, yes, but… she’s also never been more sure of anything in her life, she thinks.

She releases her hold on Ama, and with one more nod, the Swan flies out of the broken window to soar through the sky. She turns north, towards Shiz, and it is not long before she is a mere speck on the horizon.

“Well,” comes Elphie’s voice, low and loving and sure from above her, “are you coming?” It is just as she’d said it before they boarded the train—what happened mere hours ago now feels separated from the present by a lifetime.

Galinda looks up from where she is still knelt on the ground, up to that outstretched hand and slanted smile and eyes filled with hope—though something else is there, too, the tiniest bit of hesitation, as if she’s not absolutely sure of Galinda’s answer.

As if Galinda wouldn’t follow her absolutely anywhere.

Galinda takes Elphie’s hand and lets herself be pulled to her feet. She steps in close as she locks their fingers together. “Oh, Elphie,” she breathes. She blinks away the last of her tears and gives her own smile in return.