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Elphaba sat curled up on the couch, a fire roaring in the hearth. It was winter, Fiyero’s and hers first in their new home. Fiyero was gone for the afternoon. He had insisted on going to the market to do their weekly food shopping by himself. Despite Elphaba’s protests, he could take care of himself she knew. But they had only lived in Cave cove for four months. She was still wary of the townsfolk though they had been nothing but welcoming to them. Still Elphaba couldn’t help but worry. Four months of kindness couldn’t undo a lifetime of persecution.
It had been six months since her supposed death. One of those months had been spent crossing the desert that stood between the land of Oz and the surrounding lands. The second had been spent traveling through Ev, trying to find the perfect home. By that point they had realized Elphaba was pregnant from the night they had spent together before everything had gone wrong. They both knew they needed somewhere safe with a good community for their future child. They had settled on Cave cove. A village on the coast of Ev, it was large enough that there were opportunities for the both of them to find work. But small enough that they should be able to escape the notice of the wider world. After all, it wasn't everyday that one saw a green woman and her scarecrow husband. The village was gorgeous, right on the ocean the village stood atop red rocky cliffs which the village was known for. They had arrived in late summer when things started quieting down in the village. During the beginning and middle of the summer the village was bustling with people attending the various summer festivals and markets. But as winter dragged on the village held its breath as if it was waiting for spring to arrive.
After Fiyero and her had decided Cave cove would be their home, they had found the perfect house. A farmhouse on the edge of town. It was a little rundown sure. But it was perfect for their growing family. The farmhouse was two stories and had plenty of bedrooms. Elphaba would have her own space to dedicate to her magic. There was a small outbuilding on the side of their property where Elphaba could focus on her spells. Once they had settled, Elphaba had taken to collecting spellbooks whenever she could find them. Occasionally there would be traders that would come through the village from distant lands that had all kinds of spellbooks. Elphaba had stopped using her magic as often since leaving Oz. Feeling like it only ever brought them trouble. But in her sanctuary she could experiment freely without worrying about hurting anyone. Elphaba had found work at the local apothecary’s shop. The older woman who ran the shop thought nothing of her green skin, which had been a relief. Her name was Hyacinth and she treated Elphaba like she was her own daughter, since her own children rarely visited. Of course now Hyacinth was being much more protective of Elphaba. Even though she still had two more months to go in her pregnancy. She had insisted that Elphaba work less and made sure she had ample breaks, despite Elphaba’s protests that she was fine. Though Hyacinth still made sure she was getting paid the same amount. She was grateful for the job, it allowed her to help people in meaningful ways. Without the risks she often associated with her magic. Fiyero and Hyacinth must have been in cahoots with each other Elphaba thought, since they both had begun worrying over her as her pregnancy progressed. Which was why Fiyero was off at the market while Elphaba sat at home alone in front of the fire.
Elphaba stretched long and luxurious then stood up from the couch. She ought to eat lunch but her appetite had been lacking lately. Elphaba walked through the archway that led to their small kitchen. She peered out the kitchen window and smiled. It had begun snowing at some point and the ground was now dusted with snow. Elphaba and Fiyero both loved the snow. For Fiyero it reminded him of his homeland. And for Elphaba it reminded her of their time in college. There had been many a snowball fight between her and her friends. Elphaba smiled to herself then set about making lunch. She chose to heat up some of the stew they had had for dinner the night before. It was one of the few foods she could tolerate this late into her pregnancy.
A while later Elphaba sat on the couch again. She was attempting to read a book when she heard the loud bang of the screen door knocking against the house. Elphaba jumped and opened the front door to try to reign in the errant screen door. Instead she found her husband carrying their groceries and struggling against the winter winds. Being a man made out of straw had many downsides, wind being one of the worst ones. She quickly pulled him inside and he practically fell into her arms. She looked down at him and huffed
“My love, this is why I wanted to go to the market myself” Elphaba said exasperated
Fiyero smiled up at her. Then paused, something shifted in his mind and suddenly he grimaced
“What kind of man am I? I can’t even bring my pregnant wife groceries” Fiyero said softly
Elphaba wasn’t shocked by this. Fiyero did his damndest to hide it. But she knew he wasn’t always happy with his scarecrow form. They both knew it was far better than the other option. As far as she could tell he didn’t resent her one bit for it. But still, there were things he couldn’t do without difficulty. And other things that were completely impossible for him. She helped him to his feet.
“Hey my love, don’t worry about it. Any other day you would have been fine.” Elphaba said, trying to reassure him.
“I know, but I want to help you. I just worry so much about you and the baby.” Fiyero said
“But I don’t want to sound ungrateful Elphaba. You brought yourself to the brink to save my life. And here I am complaining about struggling to bring you groceries.” Fiyero continued
“You never have to hide your feelings from me, my love.” Elphaba said softly
“But..” Fiyero began
“No buts, you don’t have to be happy all the time” Elphaba said firmly
“We're a team Fiyero. We can figure out a system to get things done around the house. So we both feel useful” She continued
“I just had hoped I would have gotten better at this whole scarecrow thing. I still feel like a baby deer when I walk sometimes.” Fiyero grumbled
Elphaba giggled at that, then leaned over and kissed him.
“I’m sorry, maybe you should write a manual.” Elphaba joked
Fiyero smiled at that, then kissed her again. Then he bent down and grabbed the bags of groceries that had fallen to the floor when he entered the house.
“Come along my sweet, let's get these put away.” Fiyero said smiling over his shoulder
Elphaba followed him, the mood in the house was significantly lighter now. They would get through this together, just like they always did. Winter had a way of bringing up old wounds. But they would heal those wounds as a team.
Elphaba and Fiyero stood on the back porch of their home. The snow was falling faster now and Fiyero stood behind her and wrapped his straw filled arms around Elphaba, setting his chin on her shoulder. They stood like that for a while rocking lightly back and forth. And for the first time in her life, Elphaba felt totally at peace as she watched the snow fall around their home.