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♡
Everything about Fiyero was vibrant and expressive. He was loud and boisterous, he entered a room and allowed himself to take up space. Everyone always noticed these things about him. Boq noticed them too. He also noticed a lot of small things about Fiyero.
They were sitting in the library, Boq, Elphaba, and Nessa there to study, while Galinda and Fiyero were just there to be around their friends. The two of them were whispering to each other, having been shushed loudly by Elphaba earlier for their talking. Eventually Fiyero turned, looking over Boq's shoulder at the book he was reading.
"What are you studying?" He asked and Boq looked up.
"Math."
Fiyero slowly blinked and Boq watched as the prince's head tilted in that way he always does. That was something Fiyero did a lot, for multiple reasons. When he was curious, when he was flirting, even when he was just cracking a joke and that signature lopsided grin spread across his features.
Boq found it very endearing. It was these little things that Boq had picked up on ever since his crush on Fiyero started up. He was pretty sure the head tilt was the first thing he noticed.
Every time Fiyero did it, Boq felt butterflies in his stomach. It was a giddy feeling that came up, and he thought it was ridiculous to react this way to a head tilt. But his heart had other opinions on the matter it seemed.
Boq stared at Fiyero as the other watched him curiously. Fiyero smirked and lifted a hand to wave it in front of Boq's face, snapping him out of the trance, "Hello? You still with me?"
"O-oh, yes.. I am.. sorry." Boq winced a bit and that smirk morphed into a soft smile.
"No need to be sorry." Fiyero placed a hand on Boq's back, which Boq assumed was an attempt to comfort him. "You're fine."
"Fiyero…" Boq started before trailing off, those sapphire eyes locked onto his.
"Yes?" Fiyero was so patient.
"Um... I…" I'm in love with you. "Is there anything you need to be studying in particular? I could help."
Fiyero watched him for a moment before shrugging, "Oh I'm sure there's loads of things I should be focusing on… where would we even start?" He grinned, glancing down at Boq's textbook, "How about you just regale me with what you're working on?"
Boq snorted, "Yeah, sure."
♡♡
A joyous laugh cracked through the air, echoing through the courtyard and turning some heads. Fiyero was currently leaned back, hand on his stomach as he laughed. Boq watched in amazement, the way Fiyero laughed so hard he couldn't stay standing straight.
When Fiyero calmed down a bit, he pulled himself back up, clapping a hand on Boq's arm, "You are too funny, Boq." A few giggles escaped him.
"I try." Boq chuckled and Fiyero just beamed.
"Did you and your siblings get up to all sorts of trouble when you were younger?"
"We sure did, drove our ma and pa crazy all the time."
"Sounds fun." Boq knew that Fiyero didn't have any siblings. Fiyero had told him after Boq had asked why he was so interested in learning about Boq's family.
"If you thought that story was funny, wait till I tell you about the time…" Boq went into another tale about the ruckus him and his siblings caused. Fiyero listened intently, like it was the most interesting story in the world to him. It made Boq want to tell it with more showmanship, gesturing with his hands, mimicking his siblings' voices. All of that had Fiyero grinning and giggling as he watched Boq with wide eyes.
"You should have seen pa's face, it was so red!" Boq finished off and couldn't help the fluttering in his chest as Fiyero once again leaned back to laugh loudly.
"Oh that's too good!" Fiyero grabbed Boq's shoulder as he almost tipped backwards, and Boq quickly looped his hand to Fiyero's back to hold him up.
Fiyero regained balance, more giggles escaping as he kept his hand on Boq's shoulder. Boq was hyper aware of both the weight on his shoulder and the feeling of Fiyero's lower back against his hand. He watched as the other tried to calm down his giggling, and Boq opened his mouth, "Fiyero?"
The prince snorted before turning his attention back to Boq, "Yes?" The smile on his face looked like it hurt, yet he didn't do anything to tamper it down. It was beautiful.
"I…" Boq started and that same nervousness as before built up inside him, making his voice catch in his throat.
Fiyero furrowed his eyebrows, "Boq, darling, are you alright?"
Boq removed his hand from the other, "Y-yes, I think… I think I might be coming down with something." He quickly reached down to grab his bag, "I should go to the nurse, I'll see you later!" Boq rushed out and practically ran away before Fiyero could even respond.
♡♡♡
Another day, another night at the Ozdust Ballroom. Boq had noticed pretty much as soon as he met him that dancing was one of Fiyero's favorite things to do. The prince could dance till the sunrise and even past then if he was really feeling it.
Boq watched from his seat at one of the tables as Fiyero twirled around on the dance floor. He was in his element here and Boq couldn't help but be in awe of it. But what he was even more awed by was Fiyero's ability to bring people in with him.
It was like everyone around Fiyero was in his orbit at any time. He would pull people in, have them join in his dance, bring smiles and joy to their faces as they danced around. Despite so many people surrounding him, he had this uncanny ability to make every single person feel like the most important thing in the room.
Not only that, Fiyero had this sort of sixth sense. Specifically when it came to anyone who seemed alone or were nervous about joining the dance floor. Fiyero would make his way over, chat with them and before Boq knew it they would be laughing like old friends.
Fiyero would usher them away from their solitude, but never push. He'd bring them in, meld them into the camaraderie as if they had been there the whole time. Boq would watch as the person seemed to lose whatever anxious feeling they had and smile as Fiyero joined them in a dance. If Boq didn't know any better, he would think Fiyero had magic of his own.
Boq took a sip from his drink, looking around the room as all the other patrons talked and had fun. When he looked back towards the dance floor, Fiyero was gone. Boq furrowed his brows and looked around, trying to catch sight of the gold and blue that was like a beacon for the prince.
"Looking for someone?" Boq heard a familiar voice and he jumped a bit, whipping his head around to see Fiyero take a seat next to him. He had his own drink and Boq could see the way the ballroom lights reflected off the slight sweat on Fiyero's skin.
"Oh uh… j-just wondered where you went, is all." Boq took another nervous sip from his drink.
Fiyero smiled at him, taking a drink as well, "Felt a little parched, thought I'd take a small break." Boq nodded, that made sense. "Have you danced yet? I don't think I've seen you move from this spot?"
Boq shrugged, "You know me, I'm not much of a dancer."
"What?" Fiyero looked incredulous, "Boq, I've seen you dance before, you're amazing at it."
"You're just saying that…" Fiyero was the amazing dancer here, Boq wasn't terrible, but he was nowhere near Fiyero's level.
"Boq." Fiyero said and that had Boq straightening up a bit, "Since when have I ever just said things? Don't answer that." He quickly added at the end as Boq opened his mouth. Boq snorted and closed it, which earned an unimpressed look from Fiyero. "When have I ever lied to you?"
Boq paused, "You never have?" That was true, as far as Boq knew Fiyero had been nothing but truthful to him. Boq sighed, "Okay, I see what you mean, but…" He frowned a bit, "I don't know, I just don't want to make a fool of myself."
"Nothing wrong with that." Fiyero said and Boq looked like he didn't believe him. The prince hummed, looking towards the dance floor as he sipped his drink. When he looked back at Boq, he grinned, "Well, then I suppose we'll just have to make fools of ourselves together, hm?" Boq blinked as Fiyero took his drink and set both cups on the table.
The prince got up and turned to Boq, bowing before holding out a hand to him. Boq's eyes widened as he looked between Fiyero and the offered hand, "Fiyero, I don't think…"
Fiyero sighed, holding out his other hand as well, "Boq, it'll be fine, I promise… just follow my lead?" The sincerity on Fiyero's face was enough to break Boq's resolve. The munchkin took Fiyero's hands, earning a wide grin from the other that Boq thinks made this worth it.
Boq found himself pulled to his feet and lead to the dance floor. Despite knowing that Fiyero loved dancing with his limbs swinging about, the prince kept his hold on Boq's hands. Just like he said, Fiyero lead the dance, Boq following along.
It started off a bit clunky as the two tried to find their rhythm with each other. But eventually they became more in sync and Boq found himself grinning ear to ear as Fiyero twirled them around. The feeling he talked about earlier began to surround him. Everyone else in the room faded away as Fiyero looked at him like he was the only one there.
Boq's heart started to beat faster and he wasn't sure if that was from the dancing or something else. Fiyero spun Boq before pulling him in, wrapping his arms around the other as Boq's hands rested on his friend's chest. Their faces were a breaths apart and Boq stared, seeing the way those blue eyes seemed even more vibrant this close up.
"Fiyero…" Boq whispered.
"Yes, Boq?" Fiyero breathed out, seeming to be watching Boq carefully.
"I… I wanted to… to tell you…" Boq stuttered, the lump in his throat making it hard for him to push out what he wanted to say. "I wanted…" He sighed, "I wanted to say thank you… for bringing me out here…" Boq swallowed and smiled, "I'm having a lot of fun."
Fiyero smiled back, "Good." Boq huffed out a laugh as Fiyero took Boq's hands and twirled him around, the two falling right back into the dance again.
♡♡♡♡
"How is Feldspur today?" Boq asked during lunch as Fiyero took a seat next to him. Fiyero brightened at the mention of his best friend, waving a hand in the air.
"Oh he's fine, he told me to say hello to you." Fiyero grinned and Boq smiled.
"That's nice of him, tell him I said hello next time you see him."
"You could always just come with me, I'm sure he'd appreciate someone else talking his ear off." Fiyero chuckled, "Nice change of pace."
"Maybe, I wouldn't want to intrude." Boq said and Fiyero rolled his eyes. It wasn't in a negative way, more just Fiyero being his particular brand of dramatic.
"Boq, you couldn't intrude if you even tried, I'd want you to be there."
"Really?" Boq could feel his face heat up.
"Of course! Honestly Boq, when are you going to get it through that head of yours that I enjoy your company?" Fiyero huffed, his head shaking a bit.
This was another thing Boq had noticed about Fiyero. The huffing and little shakes he did when he was exasperated or caught off guard. They were very reminiscent of a horse's behavior, and Boq was not surprised by that at all.
The longer he got to know Fiyero, the longer he also got to learn about his relationship with Feldspur. The two were best friends, having known each other since Fiyero was a child. Feldspur had been brought on to keep an eye on Fiyero, of course, but that didn't stop a genuine bond from forming.
So much so that Fiyero had obviously picked up some traits from Feldspur. The huffing and shaking, sometimes Fiyero would stomp his foot a couple times in one place, he even apparently got his childhood habit of eating grass from the other. Boq found that last one very amusing when Fiyero told him the reason he ate grass as a child was because he saw Feldspur do it.
It was all so interesting to Boq because not only was it a peek into Fiyero's life, but it showed how much Fiyero allowed himself to be influenced by those he cared about. Boq briefly wondered if there was anything that Fiyero had picked up from him. But he quickly dashed that thought away with how ridiculous it sounded.
"Sorry… sometimes I forget." Boq pushed his food around with his fork as Fiyero let out another huff.
"Guess I'll just have to keep reminding you more then." Fiyero said it so simply, like the idea of telling Boq this over and over was barely an inconvenience.
Boq looked at Fiyero, watching as the man ate, and he could feel his stomach lurch. He opened his mouth, the overwhelming desire to say something starting to suffocate him. But he stopped, like he always did. He stopped and quickly turned to his own food, stuffing his mouth to keep anything from coming out.
♡♡♡♡♡
"Boq, calm down, it's not a big deal."
"It is! I don't get bad grades, Fiyero!"
"I'd hardly call that a bad grade, you still passed!"
Boq was pacing the dorm room, holding the results of his recent history test. To anyone else, a C would have been a godsend, but to someone who always tried to maintain an A average, it was devastating. He had no one to blame but himself, and maybe Fiyero. The reason Boq got a lower grade was because he was too busy being distracted by his friend.
The prince hadn't even been doing anything! He was just sitting there, but Boq had been so wrapped up in his feelings and his internal debate on whether he should express his feelings that it distracted him. Thus causing him to not be as focused on his test, and plummeting his grade down.
"I have an average to keep up! This throws that off completely!" Boq walked over to his bed and threw himself face down onto it, the test slipping down to the floor.
Fiyero sighed and walked over, picking up the test and placing it on Boq's desk. He then sat down on the edge of the bed next to Boq's prone form. "You can easily make up your average, we still have plenty of tests to take this semester."
Boq groaned into the mattress as he slowly pushed himself up and turned to sit down next to Fiyero. "It's just so stressful…"
"What is?" Fiyero's voice was so soft that it made Boq turn his head up to look at him. Boq doesn't think he's seen a pair of eyes before that were so expressive. Fiyero had this ability, whether he knew it or not, where his eyes just seemed to hold all his emotions. It was so easy to see how much he cared, or was in pain, just by looking into his eyes.
Another thing Boq noticed and loved about the other. The thought had an anxious feeling spiking through his chest and he had to look away towards his lap. "Everything…" School, his feelings, his whole life if he were being honest.
Boq almost jumped when he felt Fiyero's hand touch under his chin, turning Boq's head back to look at him. "Boq… you are absolutely brilliant." His heart flipped at that. "You can do anything you set your mind to… your average will be fine, I know it will be… as will everything else." With the way Fiyero looked at him, Boq almost believed that.
"How can you be so sure?"
Fiyero grinned, his hand moving from Boq's chin to hold his cheek. "Because it's you." He said simply, "You inspire me, Boq."
Boq's eyes widened, "W-what? I inspire you?" How could that make any sense? Fiyero was a prince, he was the most popular guy in school, what inspiring could Boq possibly do for him??
"Mhm." Fiyero nodded, his thumb idly brushing Boq's skin, "You always seem like you're nervous or hesitant to do almost everything…" Fiyero chuckled at the look Boq gave him, "But! You do them regardless… no matter how scared you are, and I think that's amazing." Fiyero tilted his head in that oh so familiar way, "I think you're amazing."
Boq swallowed, ever so slightly leaning into Fiyero's touch on his cheek. "Fiyero, I…" The nerves built up, and Boq tried his best to push through them, "Fiyero…" Fiyero watched him, those eyes so big and shining, anticipating almost. But Boq couldn't do it, Fiyero was wrong. "Thank you… I'm… I'm lucky to have you as my friend."
Fiyero looked at Boq a moment before pulling his hand away, grinning, "And don't you ever forget that~" Boq snorted as Fiyero stood up and picked up the test, "But this? You should definitely forget." He crumpled up the test and tossed it into the wastebasket nearby. "Like it never existed!"
Boq looked over at the crumpled test before looking up at Fiyero who was heading back to his side of the room. Like it never existed, yeah.
+♡
One thing Boq enjoyed about finally having a group of friends of his own was their hang outs. This current one taking place in his and Fiyero's dorm room, the latter of which was stood up wearing Elphaba's glasses.
"My name's Elphaba, I'm so smart yet I think black is in trend every season~" Fiyero said, his tone adjusted slightly in his best mimic of their friend's voice.
"That's not even a good insult!" Elphaba said, but she was grinning along with the rest of them.
"If I'm not always right, I'll die~" Fiyero teased, quickly hopping around the room as Elphaba got up to chase him.
"Those look horrible on you anyway!" Elphaba yelled, managing to get her hands on Fiyero as she tried to wrestle the glasses off him.
Galinda had to duck a bit as the two nearly bumped into her, "Hey watch it!" She huffed but giggled as Elphaba shoved Fiyero over and reclaimed her glasses.
"You're so cruel to me." Fiyero sighed, stumbling back over to his place next to Boq on the floor. Elphaba just rolled her eyes, sitting down next to Galinda and pocketing her glasses.
"Alright, anyone else got anything to follow that up?" Elphaba looked around.
"Oh! Boq can do a great Fiyero impression!" Nessa said and Boq felt his face heat up. It got worse when Fiyero whipped his head around to look at him.
"You can? Oh this I have to see." Fiyero was grinning. Boq stuttered, waving his hands as if trying to physically swipe away the idea.
"No, no, she's exaggerating, I-I don't have an impression--"
Nessa scoffed, "Come on, Boq, it's funny!"
"Wait! Wait! You should put on Fiyero's outfit for it!" Galinda bounced up, running to Fiyero's closet and throwing the doors open. "Here!" She yelled, running back over to Boq and throwing the outfit at him. It was the blue and gold one Fiyero wore when he first arrived at Shiz.
"Oh yeah, you'll look good in that one." Fiyero nodded and Boq sputtered.
"I'm not—" Boq started but cut himself off as Fiyero looked at him with those big, shining eyes.
"Please? I really want to see." Oz dammit. Boq groaned in exasperation as Fiyero grinned triumphantly.
"Fine.. just… hold on." Boq said, getting up and looking around. He sighed as he disappeared into Fiyero's closet, closing the door behind him so he could get changed, missing the way Fiyero tilted his head to catch one last glimpse of him before the door shut.
After a few minutes, Boq reemerged, fully dressed in Fiyero's clothes. They were a bit long on him because of Fiyero's height but he didn't think it was too bad. Everyone was staring at him and Boq took the chance to look at Fiyero's face.
Boq was taken aback at the way Fiyero was staring at him. It looked like shock and Boq couldn't be sure but he thought Fiyero may be stunned as well. "So? H-how's it look?" Boq asked, nervously playing with one of the sleeves.
Fiyero blinked slowly before coming out of whatever trance he had been in, a grin coming to his face. "You look perfect! Just one thing…" Fiyero got up and walked over, "You mismatched some of the buttons, dear." The prince started adjusting parts of the jacket here and there.
"How could you even tell? The whole outfit is filled with gold accessories, they blend together." Elphaba squinted and Galinda gasped.
"They absolutely do not, Elphie!" Galinda tutted, "The buttons are made with a metal that's coated in a clear gloss, while the gold fabric is a much more matte finish."
"My mistake." Elphaba deadpanned.
Once the buttons were fixed and his collar straightened out, Fiyero placed his hands on Boq's shoulders, looking him over. "I was right, you do look good." That got Boq blushing more and Fiyero removed his hands, stepping back, "Alright, lets see me~"
Boq breathed in deeply, shaking himself out a bit as he pulled his shoulders back and leaned slightly to the side, "Hello, I'm Prince Fiyero Tigelaar, Winkie Country~" He said in his best approximation of Fiyero's inflection and accent.
Galinda's face brightened, "That's so spot on!"
"I told you!" Nessa said.
Emboldened by this, Boq crossed his arms and smirked, "The Ozdust Ballroom is the most swankified place in town… I'd love for you to join me~" Nessa and Galinda were squealing as Elphaba snorted.
Eventually Boq turned his attention to Fiyero, who seemed to be amused by the whole act. He walked over, placing a hand on Fiyero's cheek and winking, "Hello beautiful, come here often?"
There was a pause before, "Oh Oz Fiyero! I've never seen your face that red!" Nessa pointed and the girls all stared wide eyed.
"Wow, someone's really into himself, huh?" Elphaba grinned and Fiyero stiffened.
"I-I am not!" Fiyero's voice squeaked and all the girls laughed. Boq on the other hand just watched Fiyero curiously. "Alright, if you all are going to just bully me, then this hang out is over!"
"No, Fiyero come on!" The girls all said as Fiyero turned away from Boq's hand and started to try ushering them out. "Don't be like that!"
"Out! All of you!" Fiyero kept insisting and despite much protest the girls all filed out. The prince closed the door and sighed, turning back around and jumping a bit as if he had forgotten Boq was still there. He quickly adjusted himself and ran a hand through his hair, "Well, that was fun… but you should really change, it's getting pretty late."
Boq tilted his head, thinking for a moment before walking over to Fiyero, something about this act making him more bold. The other furrowed his brows before widening his eyes as Boq placed a hand right next to his head against the door. "If you want me undressed so bad, all you have to do is ask." Boq watched in astonishment as the blush on Fiyero's face returned even worse than before. "Oh wow.. you really do like yourself, huh?" He let out a small laugh as he pulled his hand away from the door.
"That's…" Fiyero frowned, "It's not like that…" Boq watched as Fiyero stepped away from the door, making his way over to his side of the room. "To be completely honest, flirting like that has never really worked on me before."
Oh. There was a pause as Boq's brain tried to process that information. Soon though, something clicked and Boq's eyes widened. Could it be? He looked at Fiyero who was still faced away from him, noting the tense line of his shoulders. Boq walked over, gently taking Fiyero's arm and turning him around.
There were those eyes again, and Boq could see them so clearly. Fiyero was avoiding his gaze, and Boq swallowed thickly. Was he going to take this risk? He couldn't see Fiyero reacting in a bad way if he didn't return his feelings, but…
Boq straightened up, siphoning some of the lingering confidence he had while pretending to be Fiyero. "Fiyero…" He said, steeling himself, and Fiyero finally looked at him. "I… I think you're really amazing." Fiyero's eyes darted over Boq's face as if he were looking for something. "You're so great and there's so many little things that I like about you…"
"What kinds of things?" Fiyero whispered.
"Where do I even start?" Boq laughed breathlessly as he smiled up at Fiyero, "I like the way you laugh, when you put your full body into it, you make everything seem like the funniest thing you ever heard." Fiyero snorted at that. "There's that head tilt you do a lot, when you're interested in something, or just having fun."
"I tilt my head a lot?" As if on cue, Fiyero tilted his head. He blinked as he realized what happened and quickly straightened it out.
"Yeah… there's also the way your eyes hold so much emotion in them… it's like I can see what you're feeling through them… it's… it's really nice."
"I don't think anyone's ever pointed those things out to me before… let alone noticed them…" Fiyero said a bit to himself.
"And I'm going to be really sad if I end up ruining anything because of what I'm about to say next… so I hope I won't." Boq reached down to take Fiyero's hand in his and his chest swelled as Fiyero squeezed his grip. "I… I really like you, I mean…" Boq took a deep breath in and out, "I like you… in a romantic way… and I—" He didn't have time to finish his statement before a pair of lips were covering his own.
It took Boq way too long to realize that Fiyero was kissing him. But luckily Fiyero didn't pull away immediately so Boq had time to kiss back. He closed his eyes and leaned his body forward, Fiyero's arms wrapping around him to hold him closer.
They kissed like that for awhile before parting, their faces still close together as Fiyero didn't relax his hold. "I really like you too, Boq… in a romantic way." He smiled and Boq couldn't help but chuckle. Fiyero leaned his face near Boq's ear and whispered, "I also really like you in my clothes…" A shiver went up Boq's spine as Fiyero pulled his face back to look at him.
"So uh…" Boq couldn't believe he was feeling nervous about this after Fiyero literally also confessed. "W-will you… will you go on a d-date with me?"
Fiyero's smile grew, he was absolutely beaming and Boq's chest felt warm. "Absolutely, I would like nothing more." Boq felt so happy in that moment, he couldn't do anything but surge upward to kiss Fiyero again, the two tightening their embrace. Fiyero grinned into the kiss and Boq swore he was flying.