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Galinda got back to the dormitory at an absurd hour, slowly unlocking the door to her and Elphaba’s room, moving even slower to push the door open and slip into the bedroom.
She closed the door, being careful as to not force out a creaking noise, and let out a quiet sigh.
“Galinda?”
The blonde let out a yelp, her roommate’s groggy voice sending a chill up her spine.
“...Y–Yes?” Galinda turned to face Elphaba, who was wrapped in several blankets atop her bed.
“Where’ve you been?” Elphaba questioned, a small yawn escaping her throat.
Galinda moved towards Elphaba on her quaint bed, kneeling to be face level with her. She takes in Elphaba’s lack of glasses, a sight that’s always been a pleasure to see, and gets lost in counting the latter’s freckles. She’s never been close enough to see them all before now. Galinda breathes in a slightly sweet, earthy scent. She wasn’t sure what it was, but she figured it was coming from her roommate. Elphaba raising an eyebrow at the girl’s silence is what brings her back to reality. Galinda clears her throat.
“Out with Pfannee and Shenshen. Why do you ask, Elphaba?” Galinda almost hums the girl’s name, slightly angling her head to the side, continuing to mentally count the other’s freckles.
“Mm. No reason,” Elphaba mumbles, closing her eyes.
“Elphie, did you need me for something? You could’ve messaged me! I would have come back at a word’s notice,” Galinda spoke warmly, a gentle smile playing at her lips as she subconsciously moved a stray braid from her roommate’s face and tucked it behind her ear.
Elphaba hummed at the gesture, and if Galinda had 20/20 vision, which she did, she’d have noticed the green girl’s cheeks turning a shade darker. As well as the freckle resting on the side of Elphaba’s earlobe.
“No, I– I was just trying to keep you from noticing that I took the comforter off of your bed,” Elphaba’s eyes opened slightly, before she rubbed at them with the palms of her hands.
Galinda glanced over to her frilly bed. If Elphaba hadn’t mentioned it, she wouldn’t have noticed the lack of covering on her mattress, for the sheer amount of pillows and stuffed animals were a layer on their own.
“Oh! That’s quite alright, Elphie.”
“I should’ve asked.”
“If you need something of mine, and I’m not here, you always have full permission to use it! It just comes with being my friend and roommate,” Galinda started, smiling as she rested her head against her arm as it pressed into Elphaba’s bedding.
“What’s mine, is yours,” Galinda sang, voice gentle and genuine.
Elphaba let out a laugh at her tone, the skin by her eyes crinkling slightly. It made Galinda smile wider, dimples deepening on her cheeks.
“Plus, I’m sure I have another bedspread in one of my many boxes,” Galinda shrugged, gesturing to the mountains of luggage stacked by her bed, still yet to be unpacked.
“Right, well…” Elphaba started, nervousness crossing her expression with how her eyebrows were now slightly knit together.
Galinda watched as Elphaba paused in thought, eagerly awaiting the next words that were to leave her mouth. This green girl truly intrigued her.
“You don’t… necessarily… have to sleep all the way over there… Do you?” Elphaba asked, eyes motioning to where the blonde’s bed was, then back to connect with her gaze.
“What are you getting at, Miss Elphaba?” Galinda catechized her friend, playfulness prominent in her voice.
Elphaba rolled her eyes whilst laughing, and slowly moved to prop herself up onto her elbows.
“It’s just… Are you not cold? Right now?” Elphaba ran on, subconsciously wringing her hands, her voice peaking in a way similar to that of hope.
Galinda pretended to take a moment to think about it. She held back laughter as best she could, knowing that when she was out with her friends, she’d complained several times about freezing her backside off.
Finally, she settled on a response. “Not really.”
The bluntness caught Elphaba off guard, and she slowly moved back into the covers atop her body.
“Oh. Right, um— Ok then,” Elphaba swallowed her pride, closing her eyes once her head touched her pillow.
A giggle left Galinda’s lips, which she quickly covered with her other hand.
“Oh my Oz, Elphie– I’m only messing with you!” Galinda let her giggles spill as she placed both of her hands into the dip of Elphaba’s side and gently tugged to turn her back over.
“Oh,” Elphaba looked at Galinda and her smile, as she felt a grin spread across her own expression.
“If you’re asking me to lay with you, then my answer is yes,” Galinda complied, quickly and gently cupping Elphaba’s cheek in her palm.
“For warmth,” Elphaba noted.
“For warmth!” Galinda reverberated with a nod.
Galinda stood, making her way towards the room dividers stationed in front of her closet which she used to get dressed behind, and changed into her pajamas. She worked her way back towards Elphaba’s side of the room, noticing how Elphaba had turned over, facing the wall, having made space for Galinda to get in beside her. She hummed at the green girl’s constant thoughtfulness before slowly pulling back the many comforters and lying next to her roommate.
“Thank you… for this,” Elphaba acknowledged, her heartbeat quickening.
Galinda let out a complimentary giggle, Elphaba shifting as she felt her breath blow gently against the back of her neck.
“Of course, Elphie. Anything for you,” Galinda smiled, though for no one to see.
Galinda laid with a safe amount of space between herself and her friend, though it took a strong ounce of resistance to keep from entangling her limbs with Elphaba’s, nuzzling into the crease of her neck, breathing in that earthy aroma that she assumed to be Elphaba’s, and–
Elphaba reached back and found Galinda’s hand, intertwining their fingers and bringing Galinda’s arm forward to rest on her waist, their conjoined hands pressed against Elphaba’s chest. The chill of Elphaba’s fingers sent a shiver throughout Galinda, but she quickly settled into the contact.
“Can you scoot in closer, please?” Elphaba whispered, her voice uncertain.
“Hm? Oh– Of course,” Galinda followed suit, bringing her body forward to press into Elphaba’s back. The physical connection was exhilarating for the both of them, unbeknownst to the other.
“Sorry… I just get really cold this time of year…” Elphaba apologized.
Galinda smiled at Elphaba’s statement, finding the girl’s habit of over-explaining a little silly.
“It’s okay, Elphie. Really. It’s winter, anyway. Just about everyone is extra cold this time of year.”
“…Unfortunately, it’s a little different for me,” Elphaba started, a small, unconvincing laugh slipping from her lips.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve always run colder than anyone I’ve ever met– Which you can probably chalk up to my verdigris,” Elphaba explained, her hold on Galinda’s hand slightly tightening.
“Oh.”
Elphaba hummed, silence falling between the two.
Galinda cleared her throat.
“Well, that’s what I’m here for, then. Isn’t it?” She offered, slowly moving to rest her head in the space between Elphaba’s neck and shoulder.
The affection brought her a newfound sense of comfort and safety, Galinda letting out a low hum.
Elphaba reacted with a short gasp, slightly turning her head to meet Galinda’s gaze.
“Hi,” the blonde whispered, again smiling wide enough for her dimples to show.
The physical contact, as well as Galinda’s soft, brown eyes staring at her, made Elphaba’s cheeks flush, a tired laugh escaping her.
“Hello,” Elphaba whispered back, her eyes once again crinkling as she smiled.
The two let out quiet giggles, before Elphaba went back to facing the wall, fully easing into the closeness with her roommate. Galinda places her head right behind Elphaba’s, gently moving her braids out of the way. She studies the soft green skin of the girl’s neck, eyes moving down Elphaba’s slightly frizzy hairline to a pair of freckles.
“Thirty-nine,” Galinda mumbled, voice distant as her gaze continued to rover over Elphaba’s skin in search of more dots.
Elphaba paused in confusion.
“Thirty-nine… what?”
“Freckles! On your head!” Galinda smiles as she runs her thumb over Elphaba’s hand, their interlocked fingers still pressed close to the latter’s heart.
“Wh– When did you– When did you count them?” Elphaba flips over to face Galinda, momentarily letting the latter’s hand go, then re-lacing their fingers with the hand she wasn’t lying on. Her cheeks were flushed such a deep shade of green, it nearly hypnotizes Galinda as her eyes dance across Elphaba’s face.
“Since I got back. There’s thirty-two on your cheeks, one along your jawline, one on the side of your nose, one on your ear, two on your chin, and two on the back of your neck,” Galinda giggles playfully as she describes Elphaba’s features to her.
The other girl looked as though she was on the verge of combusting from the inside out, clearly flustered by knowing Galinda’s been carefully examining her features without her knowledge.
“Wow. I haven’t even counted them myself,” Elphaba comments, avoiding eye contact in an attempt to cool her cheeks down.
Galinda hums, content.
“Are there any more?” she asks, cheeks burning pink as her eyes wander over Elphaba’s clothed figure.
Elphaba’s mouth goes dry, eyes widening in shock from the bluntness of the other girl’s question.
“Wh– Yes!?” Elphaba squeaks, her eyes shooting back up to look at Galinda, appalled.
“Sorry! I was just curious!” Galinda defended, laughter spilling from her lips.
Elphaba’s eyebrows slightly furrowed as she shifted her legs, bending one so that her knee was pressed into Galinda’s shin.
“I guess… I can count for you? If knowing how many freckles are on me makes you… happy,” Elphaba reasoned, bringing her head forward and pressing her forehead to Galinda’s shoulder.
Galinda smiled, freeing her hand to wrap around Elphaba’s back. She lifted her leg to grant Elphaba just enough room for their legs to become intertwined. The two were now completely enveloped by each other.
The blonde inhaled, not all that surprised to learn that the sweet earthy scent from earlier was in fact coming from Elphaba. It was so nuanced, but Galinda simply couldn’t seem to place her finger on what it was.
“…You smell so good,” she muttered into Elphaba’s scalp, hoping her words went unheard.
Unfortunately, Elphaba seemed to be acutely aware of Galinda’s presence now.
“Huh?”
“Like… really good,” Galinda sighed, breathing in a bigger breath, continuing to take in the fragrance.
Elphaba let out a shaky breath as she felt Galinda move impossibly closer to smell her. She backed into the wall that her bed was pushed against, now having nowhere else to run to.
Galinda blinked in surprise as a sudden rush of cold ran over the front of her body, disconnected from Elphaba. She cringed as it set in just how weird she was behaving.
“Um– Sorry, I… you smell… unusual,” Galinda blurts out, cheeks turning pinker by the second.
“…What?” Elphaba deadpanned, leaning up and pressing into the wall.
“Not like that! I meant– In a good way! I’ve never smelled anything like it before, I–” Galinda rambled, following the other’s action and sat up.
“You just smell really, really good!” She corrects.
“Thank you, but what was up with the continuous huffing…?” Elphaba questioned.
Galinda paused in search of an explanation.
“It’s, like, what you do when you smell a really good candle! You just– keep smelling it! Because it smells so good!”
“Galinda, you know I get headaches easily. Why in Oz’s name would I do that?”
Galinda groaned in defeat, pressing her palms to her face to hide her embarrassment.
“I don’t… I don’t know, Elphie. But– I promise I won’t do that again.”
Quiet fills the space between the two, Elphaba suddenly feeling guilt for reprimanding her friend over a quirk. She knew a thing or two about weirding people out simply by being herself.
Elphaba let out a sigh, empathy running through her, as she reached forward and peeled Galinda’s hands from her face, intertwining their fingers once more.
“It’s okay, Galinda. Yes, it was weird, but–” Elphaba cut herself off as she saw Galinda’s face twist at her verbiage.
“It was…” She searched for better phrasing, but eventually settled on not finishing the thought at all. “–But, I mean, admiring another girl’s perfume is a compliment, right?” Elphaba’s voice wavered as she looked into Galinda’s eyes for confirmation.
The blonde nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. Elphaba smiled back, shoulders relaxing as she pulled Galinda towards her by her hands and into a hug. They stayed like that for a few minutes, before Elphaba pulled away.
“Hugging you made me realize how cold I’d gotten again,” Elphaba laughed heartily. The sound pulled at something inside Galinda’s chest.
“Me too,” Galinda agreed, flopping down into the mattress, head hitting the pillow with a muted thump.
Galinda held out her arms, inviting Elphaba in for an embrace, which she gladly accepted. The two held each other, legs seeming to move on their own accord to tangle together again, as the night ticked on. Elphaba was first to fall asleep– Galinda checked by quietly calling her name, which was followed by silence– leaving the blonde alone with her thoughts.
She questioned why she’d been so drawn to Elphaba lately, and if it bothered the latter like her earlier actions did. Galinda closed her eyes for a clock tick, clearing her mind. She exhaled, opening her eyes as her thoughts faded, then leaned her head closer to Elphaba’s and took in another breath of what she now could identify as sage and vanilla.
Galinda hummed solemnly as a feeling of peace washed over her. Holding Elphaba was more than enough to lull the girl to sleep, her eyelids fluttering shut as stillness once again pervaded the air.
But this time, it was a quiet that didn’t make either Elphaba or Galinda uncomfortable, for being in each other’s embrace was all they needed to feel relief.