#bridgestone

The end of the school year was nearing, there was just 1 week of normal classes, followed by a week of final exams. Assuming you passed all those, and you knew you would, you’d finally get to go home for a few months. You’d finally get away from this place, from him.

Things hadn’t always been this tense. In fact you used to be good friends. But then the drama started.

Glinda, your roommate and one of your best friends, had shown interest in Fiyero in the beginning, but she’d confessed to you that a big part in that was the fact that she didn’t want to end up alone.

You pointed out that she was so young and beautiful and had all the time in the world to find someone, that she didn’t need to marry the first man to show any sort of feelings towards her.

“I think if you’re not… if you’re not in love, you should break up with him. It might be sad for a while, but you don’t deserve to be in a relationship where you’re unhappy.”

There were also your unspoken reasons. Like the fact that Fiyero flirted with you just as much as he did with Glinda even though technically, they were together. That reason didn’t need to be unspoken, though, since even your pink loving friend noticed.

“Maybe it’s you he’s secretly in love with,” she joked.

You rolled your eyes as you threw one of your makeup brushes at her. “Now I think we both know that’s not true.”

“I dunno… I think maybe you two should get together.”

“Aren’t you still technically in a relationship?”

Glinda turned to you and shrugged. “I think even he knows we’d never last. Like you said, I’ve realized that part of my attraction to him comes from the fact that I just don’t want to end up alone. I love him, but I think we work better as friends. I’m just saying, I see how he looks at you. There’s something there. And if the two of you were to end up together, I’d be so happy for you. You deserve love, you know.”

“Even if that was something he wanted, you know I’m considering leaving Shiz and not returning next school year.”

Glinda shook her head, refusing to believe that you leaving was a possibility. Shiz University wasn’t the only school that taught magic potions and all that stuff. Before you’d even met Glinda or Elphaba, transferring after your first year was always a possibility.

Both of you were unaware of a certain brown hair, blue eyed individual standing outside of your room door. He’d come to study with you and Glinda, but upon hearing your conversation, he swiftly turned on his heels and stormed off back to his room.

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About a week after that conversation with Glinda, you were shocked to learn that he was the one who initiated the conversation that led to them breaking up.

You should’ve suspected that something was up when Fiyero wasn’t in Professor Wilson’s class. It was the one class you heard him say he was genuinely interested in, and he’d yet to miss a day throughout the entire school year. The professor’s favorite thing to discuss, as of late, were what he deemed the big 3. Aliens, androids, and wizards (and witches) were the 3 worst things you could possibly come across and have to fight.

Less than halfway through class, you thought you heard your name being called. But you looked up and saw Professor Wilson hunched over his desk as he graded papers, and your classmates were all concentrating on reviewing notes since final exams would start tomorrow. Assuming you were going crazy from the amount of studying, you looked back to your notebook.

But then you heard your name again, and this time you looked toward the door. Fiyero stood with his arms crossed, and waved at you to come out of the classroom. You shook your head and held up your notebook. But ever the stubborn man, Fiyero simply entered the classroom and approached Professor Wilson’s desk. The 2 men talked in hushed voices for a minute before your name was called again.

“It’s alright,” Professor Wilson spoke to you. “Prince Fiyero just told me, you may be dismissed early.” You suspected that whatever Fiyero said that allowed this was due to his charm and the fact that you were easily the best student in class. It wasn’t even a question of if you’d ace the final exam.

Feeling the heat rush to your cheeks as your classmates all paused their studying to watch you gather your things, you finally exited the room in record time.

“What—”

“Not here. Your room,” Fiyero spoke, grabbing your books from you at the same time. You could tell he was upset about something, but you didn’t know what.

You had to speed walk to match his stride. “If you’re upset with me, why are you carrying my books?”

He rolled his eyes as if the answer was obvious. “I’m upset but I’m still a gentleman.”

When the 2 of you finally reached your room, Glinda and Elphaba were just leaving.

“Oh shoot I thought we’d be gone already, sorry!” Glinda pulled Elphaba along, not even bothering to say anything else.

“What? Where are you guys going?” You watched as Elphaba turned and shrugged, mouthing sorry.

Glinda, on the other hand, got a big grin on her face as she whispered “good luck!” while giving you a thumbs up. “Actually let me just,” she ran back to you and fixed your hair, then pulled out a tube of lipstick from her purse. She was a second away from applying it on you when Elphaba grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

“Good luck!” She whisper-shouted again.

Now you were more confused than ever. As soon as you walked into the room, Fiyero stepped behind you and shut the door.

When he turns back around, you realize something is genuinely upsetting him.

“What—”

“Do you and Glinda make a habit of discussing me when I’m not in the room, hmm? Were you scheming to break us apart?”

Now it’s your turn to be upset, and you realize he somehow overheard your conversation last week. “Excuse me? I have never schemed to break you apart as you so kindly put it.”

“Oh what do you call encouraging her to break up with me??”

You scoffed. “If you eavesdropped on that part of the conversation then surely you heard everything else as well. I didn’t have a goal of hurting you, although I really am sorry that I did. But that conversation wasn’t intended for you and I think you knew that. I was telling Glinda that she shouldn’t settle, and don’t go twisting my words saying being with you is settling. You’re an incredible man and any woman would be lucky to have you. But that relationship wasn’t fair to either of you. I could see she wasn’t happy. And judging by the way you’d flirted with others I’m going to be bold and say that you weren’t happy either.”

“No.”

“What do you mean no? I—”

“You’re right, we were both unhappy together, had been for a while. But it wasn’t others I flirted with. Only you.”

This has you pause.

He continued. “And why do you think that is?”

You shook your head and took a few steps back. “No. Fiyero don’t go there. Why are you bringing this up now? Practically all school year you’ve been with Glinda despite admitting that you were both unhappy! Don’t come at me with questions like why do I think that is. We both know that as much as you flirt and maybe it was just with me, it was all talk. And as much as you were both unhappy I know you wouldn’t have just ended things with Glinda on a whim. So what has she done to you—”

“She has done nothing. It is you. You have made a relationship with her impossible. My flirting with you wasn’t just talk, I know that, and so do you.”

“But why! You heard Glinda and I, right? Then I know you heard me tell her I might not be coming back after final exams—” You were interrupted again, and had lost count.

“There is nowhere far enough! Do you think that there is a corner of this earth that you could travel to far away enough, to free me from this torment? I am a gentleman, my father raised me to act with honor but that honor is hanging by a thread that grows more precarious with every moment I spend in your presence. You are the bane of my existence… and the object of all my desires. Night and day I dream of you, and that it is you I’m with. You say that it is all talk, but I assure you it’s not. Do you even know all the ways a lady can be seduced? The things I could teach you…”

You shake your head again and take another step back, but Fiyero takes 5 steps forward and puts a hand on your waist as he pulls you closer.

“I did not ask for this. To be plagued by these feelings. But I was going to keep quiet because you were with Glinda and I thought that was what you both wanted. My intent was not to confess my feelings for you the moment that you two were no longer together.”

“I know,” Fiyero reassures you. He leans forward so that his forehead touches yours and you both close your eyes, only for a moment. “But you do, have feelings? For me?”

“Fiyero I—”

“Please. I need to know if I’ve just made the biggest fool of myself. What feelings are you plagued with?”

You’re unsure if you should tell him everything, but ultimately decide that at the very least, he deserves the truth.

“I am driven to distraction every time you enter the room. It’s why I never study with you and Glinda unless Elphaba is also there.”

“Do you feel for me, as I do for you?” Fiyero puts a hand on either side of your face and moves so that his face is less than an inch from yours. But just moments before your lips touch, you both step back.

You were so caught off guard by his question that you weren’t sure how to answer at first. “Is… is that why you ended things with Glinda?”

“It’s not the only reason,” his answer came instantly. “I love her, truly. But it’s as she said, we work better as friends. Where you and I are concerned, if I were to remain with her, it would bind me and you together in a way that would have me spending every day of my relationship wanting you. Dreaming of you. Dreading the day when my last thread of honor finally snaps. Is that a future you’d want for us? For your best friend?”

You’re not given a chance to respond when you hear talking outside of your room. After a few seconds, the voices grow softer and you realize it was only some students passing by. Still, the interruption was enough to scare you and Fiyero a little.

“You have to go,” a tear falls down your cheek, and without thinking, Fiyero wipes it away. He whispers your name, but you can only shake your head.

As much as he wants to push back and force you to talk, Fiyero can see that you’re close to your breaking point. You need time to be alone, and in truth, so does he. “Can we talk again, before we both leave for the summer?”

Once you nod, he steps forward again. “You and I haven’t even had a chance to begin yet, so I know this isn’t the end.” After placing a soft kiss on your forehead, he turns around and exits your room, closing the door softly behind him.