On Sleep and Sleepless Nights
A 'Wicked' Fanfiction
By ~heatqueen

A/N: This is a short 7-chapter fic based on Galinda. I know I haven't finished 'Overcoming Adversity' yet, but due to the nature of that one being so on-going with no end in sight, I thought I would post this one anyway (since it actually has a definite ending).

A/N 2: The chapters are composed of two parts - the dream part and the story part. The dream parts are written in the present tense,and the story parts in the past. This is deliberate and not a mistake so please don't tell me that it is.

Hope you enjoy! :)

Chapter 1 – The Perfect Couple

Galinda is sprawled out on her mattress only half-covered by her pink, frilly duvet, with a content grin on her face. Crimpled hair fans across her pillow in perfect gold locks and a mask shields closed cerulean eyes. Behind her eyelids is a pink vision, within which her ideas project themselves in vivid depictions. The sporadic giggles give away the random nature of her dreams, and she occasionally shifts positions.

She stands in the centre of her vision, clad in her newest pink ball gown and adorned with the latest accessories, an amalgam of classic beauty and young girlishness. One arm is linked into Fiyero's, who is ever more handsome in the dream than in real life. He looks at her with a loving expression and tells her that she is beautiful; a fact that she already knows but will never tire of hearing.

Her parents and friends stand before her in a long line. They, too, are all dressed up, but Galinda knows they will never look as good as her; they simply do not have her radiance or grace. As she and Fiyero approach them they begin to applaud, and she looks down and realises that her outfit has transformed into a wedding dress. She smiles and waves at the adoring crowd, and then turns to Fiyero and kisses him.

'I love you,' she says.

'I love you too, Galinda,' responds Fiyero.

.../...

The doorknob needed polishing. Galinda knew this because she had stared at it for the past ten minutes, waiting for it to turn. The wood was faded, and had a chip on one side. Actually, never mind polishing, it needs replacing, she thought, remembering how it rattled every time someone twisted it.

She shifted slightly. The pose in which she sat was uncomfortable, but one had to endure these things in the name of fashion. She thought of the very particular way her legs were extended, stretching out lengthways to make them look longer. Galinda couldn't deny her short stature, but could at least afford to be elegant when seen for the first time by her boyfriend.

If only he would hurry up.

She supposed his tardiness would work in her favour. One had to make a statement upon their entrance, so it would do her no good to arrive first. Her mind was swept away with her peers' gasps of delight as she stood in the doorway of the OzDust Ballroom looking her absolutely most fabulous, clinging onto Fiyero's arm.

'You're drooling.'

Galinda snapped her head up. Across the room sat Elphaba who looked pointedly at her. With a horrified gasp she raced to the bathroom to grab a tissue and sort out the mess. Meanwhile, Elphaba cackled loudly.

'You are so…' Galinda began, but stopped, looking uncertainly at the doorway. As quickly as she could, she reapplied her lipstick and resumed her pose, careful to keep her mouth shut this time. Elphaba's cackle slowly diminished into silence.

'What was that, my sweet?' she asked.

Galinda shook her head, but couldn't help a loud huff.

Then there was a knock on the door and she immediately straightened her shoulders.

'Come in!' Her invitation emerged in a high squeak as she tried not to squirm with excitement. The doorknob twisted and Fiyero poked his head in. Galinda was pleased when he took a few seconds to admire her, and she smiled the most charming smile she could manage.

'You're beautiful,' Fiyero said.

'Thank you, dearest,' Galinda replied with a soft giggle, then stood up and took Fiyero's arm.

They were greeted by a loud boom of music as the doors to the OzDust swung open to welcome them. They glided swiftly in, garnering envious stares from many of the party's attendants, the exact reaction Galinda both desired and expected. She beamed a bright smile around the room and caught sight of her three best friends: Pfannee, Shenshen and Milla.

'I'll get you a drink,' said Fiyero.

'Oh, you're so kind,' Galinda gushed, and went to join her friends.

The three ladies were single and glamorous (though Shenshen's dress bordered on scanty). They stood in a tight huddle of blue, purple and silver carrying large glasses of off-orange cocktail. As Galinda approached, they turned and made space for her to enter their little huddle.

'Where's Fiyero?' asked Pfannee. 'And your dress is just gorgeous!'

'Thank you. And he went to get me a drink.'

'What a gentleman!' Milla exclaimed. 'Unlike Shenshen's latest endeavour.'

'Hush!' Shenshen interrupted, turning a furious red. 'Milla, you cannot go around blabbing about Jioshil. I think that I would die!'

'Who's Jioshil?' Galinda asked.

'Jioshil,' Milla explained, 'is that handsome Quoxian boy that Shenshen seduced into going back to her private suite!'

Galinda suppressed a sigh – she could have predicted this. Tall, modelesque Shenshen was far more the seductress than Galinda. Her lithe limbs, dimpled cheeks and long, dark hair made for an image of sexuality that Galinda almost envied. Almost, but not quite. She, after all, was more the pageant girl than the model. She also had far more honourable intentions.

Deciding that the topic of conversation was not to her taste, she switched it to focus on herself.

'Fiyero is far more handsome though. I cannot wait until we are to be married.'

'You're to be married?' Pfannee exclaimed.

'Well, yes, but you mustn't tell. You see, he doesn't know yet. But since you are my friends I figured I could tell you. You'll keep it a secret right? Please say you will!'

'Of course we will, silly,' Pfannee said, and Galinda beamed.

'I come bearing drinks!'

As Fiyero approached the group, Galinda turned and tossed her hair.

'Thank you, dearest,' she said, taking a glass of the sickly orange stuff out of his hand. She took a tiny sip and frowned. 'How distatesful, it is far too alcoholic. But we make do, don't we?'

'We do,' Fiyero agreed, 'and I personally think the amount of alcohol is perfect.'

Shenshen sniggered.

'Say that when your head is pounding tomorrow – again!'

Fiyero rolled his eyes.

'Well never mind the drink. Galinda, shall we dance?'

'Oh yes, let's!'

Fiyero spun her into the centre of the room. A circle of onlookers was quick to form around them. Galinda was well practised in the art of dance, having been taught a variety of court dances at home, and although tonight's type of dance was far more modern, she still moved with grace. She locked eyes with her boyfriend, thinking how one day they would be able to do this as a married couple.

She could already envision the spotlight dance that would take place at her wedding – the world watching as they declared their love through movement, dancing their steps to perfection, a perfect picture of a married couple. This would be the man with whom she would dance forever; the man she would kiss forever, and stay with forever…

Galinda tripped and missed a step, but deftly turned it into a graceful gesture and kept going. It all suddenly seemed rather imminent.

The track ended and they finished the dance with a final flourish. They were met with applause from the rest of the partygoers, and bowed and curtsied respectively. The next track started to play – a much slower one – and Fiyero took her hand and drew her close. Galinda flushed with anticipation and slipped a hand around his waist.

She could see his lips, a mere inch from her own and getting closer. These would be the only lips she ever kissed; a perfect pair of lips, made for her own perfect ones. These were the lips the rest of Shiz's female population would kill to even get this near to. They were the lips which slowly pressed themselves against her mouth and breathed hot air onto her skin.

It was a rather pleasant feeling.

As they kissed, she pondered if all kisses felt like this – slow and mellow. She did not have anything to compare it to, but wondered: if she did have a comparison to make, would Fiyero's perfect kiss win out? She couldn't deny the pleasantness of it, but her childhood had been filled with all the ideals that a true love's kiss was the kind that you could get lost in. This was, however, real life, and Galinda knew that she tended to set her expectations rather high.

Still, when they broke apart quite some time later, the pleasantness did linger.

'I need another drink,' said Fiyero, and Galinda briefly wondered if that was all the conversation he would make tonight.

'I think I will return to my dorm,' she blurted. She hadn't meant to, but she could see the increasing number of drunken rowdies and did not wish to be caught up in any of it. She waded through the heaving, sweat stinking crowd, slipping through the small gaps and trying not to tread on spilled cider. Bodies shoved into her, stumbling around from both the lack of space and overabundance of drink. She finally made it to the doorway and waved at her friends from it.

'You going already?' Pfannee mouthed to her from across the room.

'Beauty sleep calls,' she mouthed back, and left before her friend could further accost her.

The quiet corridors outside of the Ozdust Ballroom came as a relief. The music must have gotten louder as the hours had passed because she could hear it even from upstairs. Now that she was no longer there, she wondered why she had stayed so long in the first place. It had contained all the elements of a typical student bash – from the cheap alcohol to the tacky music to the massive crowds of students letting off steam from their studies. Fiyero had been the only good bit.

Elphaba was still up when she returned, and looked at her disbelievingly.

'I am shocked. It is not yet midnight and you are back.'

'The party was dull as anything,' Galinda groused.

'You disliking a party? That's a first.'

'I prefer parties of the class variety. I have come to realise that the OzDust ballroom is no more than a cheap dig for desperate people without better ventures.'

'What about your boyfriend?'

'Drinking like the rest of them.'