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Elphaba stared at the words in her spell casting textbook without really reading them. Her eyes glossed over every sentence as though all the letters were jumbled together nonsensically while her mind was elsewhere. It had been elsewhere for more than a week since Galinda had ran out of the Ozdust with her and they’d spent the night talking. It had especially been on her mind since she ran out after Galinda had taken so much time to teach her how to be popular. Though Elphaba didn’t believe that was ever going to happen…
Across the room, Galinda sat at her vanity pretending to do reading of her own, though Elphaba could tell the difference between the thick, yellowed pages of their books and the thin ones of the magazine Galinda was actually looking at.
“Galinda?”
“Hmm?”
Elphaba kept her eyes focused on the page, reading and re-reading a paragraph discussing the importance of tone and inflection for casting accurate spells. She cleared her throat and seized the opportunity to practice said skill with a proposal for Galinda.
“Can I ask you something? It’s about everything you said. After the Ozdust. And about… Being popular?”
The book clamped shut on Galinda’s desk. She spun around on her vanity seat to face Elphaba. “Anything, Elphie.”
“Would—” Elphaba took a deep breath. Who knew what kind of can of worms she’d open once the words actually tumbled out? But she thought of Galinda’s reaction to her deepest, darkest secret, and then to the sincerity when she dared to call her beautiful and the decision became much easier. If anyone in Oz was going to help her, it might as well be Galinda. “Would you also be willing to teach me how to… Be more…”
Galinda’s eyes sparkled. “Bubbly? Upbeat? Personable?” she rattled off before Elphaba could interrupt. “Oh, Elphie, you have no idea how long I’ve—”
“Affectionate,” Elphaba said, cutting her off. “No one’s ever shown me affection, and after the whole moment with the flower and the mirror, I realized it all just overwhelmed me and I thought… I don’t know. You make it look so easy. With Fiyero, or with your friends.”
With me, she thought but didn’t add.
“Oh.”
Elphaba’s pulse quickened when none of her roommate’s typical enthusiasm followed. Her eyes turned back to the page in front of her, scanning over the lines to find her spot again. “You know what, it’s fine. Just forget I even brought it up. That was a ridiculous ask and—”
“Okay,” Galinda said plainly.
“Okay?”
“Okay, I’ll help you.”
“You’ll what?” Elphaba dared to look up again.
“Of course I’ll help you, Elphie. And—” Galinda took the opportunity to spring forward and shuffle across the floor to her side. Her hand brushed the outside of Elphaba’s thigh. “—I’m so thankful that you would come to me for this. It just takes a little practice.”
The sudden closeness, the warmth radiating off of Galinda and onto her own side, provided no help in calming whatever fluctuations were happening with Elphaba’s heartbeat. If anything, it had made it worse. Which was the exact kind of thing she needed help with! The briefest touch from Galinda, of all people, and she was in a complete tizzy, being all choked up and flushed at the same time. Clearly, she was in desperate need of some kind of exposure therapy.
“I was just thinking since we already share a room, and you know…”
Galinda nodded along. “Exactly. It only makes sense that I teach you everything I know about how to enjoy others’ company.”
“Right…”
“So, where do you want to start?”
Elphaba felt the heat creeping up her neck. “I hadn’t really gotten that far, but I suppose wherever you think is best? Something simple.”
Galinda’s bottom lip poked out just so, the way it tended to when she gave careful attention to her words. “Well… We can start by practicing this again?” She turned her body toward Elphaba and gestured for Elphaba to do the same. She did. Galinda then reached forward and carefully pushed a loose braid back behind her ear. It was similar enough to how she’d placed the flower there, yet more deliberate. Her nails just barely grazed Elphaba’s jaw.
Elphaba didn’t need a mirror to know her face was on fire. “That was nice.”
Galinda nose crinkled as she smiled. “Good. You usually start slow and work your way up when you’re with someone unless they’re really special. Some people can be such brutes, but you deserve a more delicate touch. Remember that, Elphie.”
Elphaba let out a slow breath. She nodded. “I will. Do you think we could keep working on this… Every week or something? Maybe? Or if that’s too much, you can—”
Galinda’s hand shot out to cover her lips, leaving the rest of Elphaba’s sentence to die against her fingertips. “Say no more. I will take care of everything.”
“Okay,” she said, her words still muffled by Galinda’s palm.
Galinda drew her hand back and leaned into her space, suddenly looking up at her through dark lashes. Elphaba swallowed hard. “You know how I love helping people, Elphie. You have my word. And don’t you worry, we can keep just between us, if you want.”
A sigh of relief escaped her. Galinda made it all sound so easy, just as she knew she would. The assuredness in Galinda’s voice was a comfort she desperately wanted considering her ask. Not that she expected anything else considering how perfect at social life and all things people-y Galinda was.
“There is one more thing…”
“Anything.” Galinda’s palm landed on Elphaba’s knee. The touch made her skin tingle beneath the dense fabric of her skirt.
Elphaba’s eyes searched for something else to focus on other than Galinda’s soft brown eyes. “I can’t believe I’m even asking this.”
“Whatever it is, I want to help. Truly.”
“It’s just something I’ve never gotten to ask anyone."
“C’mon, let’s hear it,” Galinda said, swinging her leg aimlessly over the side of the bed.
“Would you tell me what it’s like to be kissed?”
A smile tugged at Galinda’s lip that she found herself imitating. “Well, it all depends on who it is. There are some horrendible kissers out there, Elphie, believe me. But when it’s right…” She let out a pleasant sigh and closed her eyes. “It can be thrillifying.”
Elphaba’s brow furrowed. That wasn’t entirely the explanation she hoped for. Instead, it only made her worry that she might just be one of those horrendible kissers in the end, especially with nothing else to go on. “And how do you know what makes a good kiss? Or how to be a good kisser? Are you— I mean, I assume you must be.” She regretted the words the second they came out of her mouth but it was too late. Especially once Galinda turned her attention back to her.
Galinda raised an eyebrow. “So I’ve been told.”
“I figured. How did you... Learn?”
Galinda’s gaze flickered down to her lips then back up. “I mean, I don’t claim to know everything, but that's something I could show you, too? If you want that?”
Elphaba’s mouth went dry. Not five minutes ago she’d nearly turned into a puddle over Galinda simply existing beside her and now she was proposing to show Elphaba what made a good kiss. And yet, Elphaba very much wanted her to. The thought of saying no did even crazier things to her senses. “O-okay. I mean, if you’re sure?”
“Only if you’re sure.”
Elphaba wasn’t entirely sure what kissing Galinda would mean in the moments that followed. Or tomorrow. Or next week. She wasn’t sure it was going to help that desperate pull she felt when Galinda was around. Or that it would settle the pooled warmth in her core. But she was sure that if the moment passed her right now, she would regret that. And that seemed like the most important consideration.
“It’s just another teaching moment, right?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then… I’m sure.”
“Okay.” Galinda tossed her hair back over each shoulder and straightened herself. “So, first, you figure out what you want to do with your hands. You know, touching a cheek, jaw, back. Just whatever feels comfortable.”
Elphaba found herself nodding as Galinda continued over exact positioning and they fumbled a bit, bumping arms before they settled on Elphaba’s hand resting on her side while Galinda’s cupped her cheek. Galinda’s touch was tender. Her thumb ran slowly over Elphaba’s cheekbone, holding her gaze until her breath regulated itself again.
“Is this okay?” Galinda asked.
“Yes. It’s just closer than I’ve ever been to someone.”
“We can just stay like this.”
Elphaba shook her head. She absentmindedly tightened her grip on Galinda’s side. If she didn’t go through with this now, she worried her heart may never slow down again. “Not unless you want to stop.”
“Definitely not,” Galinda said softly.
Elphaba’s eyes fluttered shut at the fanning of her breath against her cheek. “Then please keep going.”
“Then you might do this…” Galinda’s thumb pressed gently on her chin to angle her face. “And then, you just lean in.” Her voice faded out as their lips met. It was brief, almost chaste, before Galinda pulled back and left her wanting more. “Like that.”
Elphaba blinked at her, lips still parted from the fleeting touch. Her eyes searched Galinda’s expression and only found the deep red that had reached her cheeks, too. She waited a breath, then another, and when Galinda remained there, she leaned back in. Elphaba’s technique wasn’t quite as practiced as Galinda’s. It was also decidedly more desperate but the near-whimper she heard from Galinda was all she needed to continue. To know that was in response to something she’d done was thrillifying, indeed.
Galinda’s hand slipped around to the back of her neck as she deepened the kiss, leaning into Elphaba’s body at her own urging. She didn’t know what had come over her but she wanted more. More of Galinda. More of her body pressed against hers. More of the taste of Galinda’s lip gloss. More seconds to take in the fullness of her lips against Elphaba’s.
The need to breath outweighed her desire to continue. She broke the kiss but didn’t move to separate herself from Galinda’s grip. When Galinda finally opened her eyes again, she murmured, “Wow.”
“Sorry,” Elphaba added bashfully. “I got a little carried away, I think.”
Galinda giggled and shook her head. “I think we both might’ve.”
“Maybe.” Elphaba’s embarrassment faded into a smile. “Was that okay?”
“That was so much more than okay! Are you sure that was your first kiss?”
Elphaba snorted. “I think we both know the answer to that.”
“Maybe I need to be coming to you, then,” Galinda huffed.
“I guess it could be a joint effort.”
“I guess so.”
For a moment, they sat still wrapped up in each other and Elphaba could hardly take her eyes off of Galinda’s kiss swollen lips. Especially not as her tongue snuck out to wet her bottom lip. All of her thoughts were consumed by her desire to draw it into her mouth.
Elphaba started to speak but Galinda beat her to it. “Do you want to do that again?”
Elphaba nodded her head frantically. Before she even finished her “Please,” Galinda’s mouth melted against hers once more.