AN: I wrote this today as a birthday present for my dear friend Xanne-Li. A very happy birthday to you, sweetie! May you have a wonderful year - and like I said, pay attention to Fiyero's little speech to Elphaba. Take his words to heart. What he says to her definitely applies to you, too 3. Wuv you! xx

Fiyero and Boq were walking across the courtyard of Shiz, talking to one another, when suddenly a flash of black and green came leaping towards them.

"Save me!" Elphaba begged as she ran towards the boys, running around them to hide behind their backs. "Don't let her get to me!"

Boq quirked an eyebrow and Fiyero laughed. "What, Galinda is after you?"

"ELPHIE!"

"Oh, Oz, no!" Elphaba grabbed Fiyero and used him as a shield between herself and the bouncy blonde. "Get away from me, Galinda!"

"Whaaaaah!" Galinda screeched as she tried to hit Elphaba with her purse. "Get over here, you evil artichoke!"

"Galinda," the green girl began, "don't you think you might be just the tiniest bit overdrama- PUT THAT HAIRSPRAY DOWN!"

"Um… girls?" Boq said, waving a hand in front of Galinda's face. "What's going on?"

"Elphie here," Galinda said, pointing at her roommate with a murderous look on her face, "has a crush on someone."

Elphaba hid behind Fiyero's back in embarrassment. Fiyero himself, however, suddenly felt like he couldn't breathe.

"A… a crush?" he managed to get out, his voice sounding squeaky. "You mean… you mean she's in love with someone?"

Elphaba groaned. "I knew I shouldn't have told Galinda about it," she muttered. She looked at Fiyero, who was opening and closing his mouth without a sound coming out – much like a fish. "Yes, yes, I know. It's embarrassing. You can laugh now."

As if on cue, Boq burst out into hysterical laughter – laughter that sounded like a combination of a giggling Galinda and a hyena. Or Hyena.

"Elphaba?!" he choked out, doubling over with laughter. "In love?!"

Elphaba glared at him. "Do you have a death wish?"

He swallowed his laughter, stuttering something as his face went beet red. "You… you said we could laugh now…"

"I was being sarcastic," Elphaba said… well, sarcastically.

Boq quickly cleared his throat. "So, um, why is Galinda chasing you around with a purse and…" His eyebrow went up again when he saw the other object Galinda was holding. "Hairspray? Because you have a crush on someone?"

"No," Galinda said, seething. "Not because she has a crush on someone. I love the fact that she has a crush on someone. Especially the particular boy she mentioned to me – he's a really great guy and I know he will treat her right. He's lovely."

Fiyero's heart sank. A really great guy who is lovely and will treat Elphaba right. What else could she wish for? He felt like kicking himself. Why hadn't he done something before all this happened?

Not that he would ever stand a chance with her, he thought miserably. Sure, he would treat her right – of course he would. But he wasn't a great guy. He was just a stupid, brainless prince who always pretended to be something he was not. What did he have to offer her? Whoever this guy was she had a crush on, he hoped it was someone better than him. Someone who deserved her… though he couldn't really think of such a person.

"But," Galinda continued, glaring at Elphaba, "the trouble started when I insisted on giving her a makeover to catch this guy's attention."

Despite himself, Fiyero grimaced. "Oh, Oz."

"I cooperated, didn't I?" Elphaba protested. "I let you fiddle with my hair for over an hour, I allowed you to coat my face in make-up until there was more pink than green in sight, and I let you put me in a pair of ridiculous heels. The only thing I refused to let you do was dress me in that disastrous bright yellow puffball of a dress you had laid out for me. I'm green, Galinda. Surely you'll agree with me that green and sunshine yellow sort of clash. Even I can see that."

"I'm not angry because you refused to wear the dress!" Galinda protested. "I'm angry because after that, you looked in the mirror, declared, "I'm not setting one foot outside looking like this!", and then proceeded to wash off all the make-up, after which you stormed out of our room!"

"I only stormed out of the room because you were shrieking and threatening to smack me across the head with your curling iron!"

"You deserve a good smack across the head, Elphaba Thropp!"

"I left my hair styled, didn't I?"

Fiyero noticed only now that indeed, her hair was curled and carefully arranged, with half of it pinned up, secured with a beautiful hair clip, and the other half falling down her back. Her face still wore the smallest hint of make-up – a faint shade of red on her lips, her large, chocolate brown eyes emphasised by some dark eyeliner she apparently hadn't managed to wash off.

"I think she looks beautiful," Fiyero declared firmly, the words slipping out before he could give them some more thought.

Galinda and Elphaba both stared at him.

He shrugged helplessly. "Sorry, but it's true," he said, feeling a little uncomfortable. "I mean… she doesn't need all that stuff, Glin. She's perfect just the way she is. I love what you did with her hair, and that eyeliner really brings out her eyes… but she doesn't need any more than that."

He was startled when Elphaba suddenly leant up and kissed his cheek. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "You're welcome."

Galinda looked like she was gushing over the cute moment, but then a frown darkened her bright face. "Elphie? Where are those heels you were wearing?"

Elphaba looked down at her bare feet and swallowed. "Um… I, um… I couldn't really run in heels, so…"

"What did you do to them?!"

"I don't know!" Elphaba defended herself. "I just kicked them off somewhere along the way! You were chasing me around, and –"

"YOU ARE ONE DEAD COOKIE!" Galinda screamed, grabbing hold of her hairspray and purse a little tighter. Elphaba dashed off and Galinda chased after her, surprisingly quick for a girl in such high heels.

"Well," Boq said awkwardly as he and Fiyero watched the girls running around the courtyard. "That was… interesting."

"Yeah." Fiyero sighed.

Boq looked at him sharply. "What's the matter with you?"

Fiyero sighed. "Nothing."

Boq watched him closely, then followed Fiyero's wistful look and his eyes widened when he realised the prince was staring at Elphaba. "Oh my Oz. You're in love with Elphaba!"

Fiyero's eyes snapped towards the Munchkin. He let out a nervous laugh. "What? That's ridiculous!"

"No, it's true," Boq insisted. "I can see it in your face. Oz, Fiyero! Are you serious?" A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Elphaba being in love was crazy enough, but you being in love with Elphaba? What is Oz coming to? A little while longer and we'll see Elphaba voluntarily wearing frilly pink dresses and Galinda going gothic! Then aliens from another planet are going to drop down in Shiz and kidnap Nessa, and the next thing we know, Galinda will fall head-over-heels in love with me!"

Fiyero snorted. "It's not that crazy," he said with a scowl. "Aliens don't exist. Although the possibility of aliens kidnapping Nessa is still more likely than Galinda falling in love with you," he added, sticking out his tongue childishly.

Boq frowned and put a hand over his heart. "Ouch. You don't have to be mean."

Fiyero opened his mouth to retort; but just then, Elphaba came running towards him again, ducking behind his back.

He caught Galinda around the waist before she could get to her roommate. "Calm down, feisty pants. They're only shoes."

He shouldn't have said that.

Galinda's eyes flamed and she yanked herself free from Fiyero's grip. "Only shoes?" she hissed. "Only shoes?!"

He backed away, holding his hands out in front of him as if that would stop her. "Sorry?" he tried to right his mistake.

"Galinda!" Elphaba shouted. "Would you stop acting so ridiculous? I'll find those heels for you, don't worry. And as for that boy I like…" She glanced at Fiyero for a moment, then down at her bare feet. "There's no way he'll ever like me, anyway," she muttered.

Galinda sniffed. "No, not if you refuse to dress up, he won't!" she chided her friend. "Honestly, Elphie – no-one is going to like you looking like that!" She waved a hand up and down, indicating her friend's dress.

Elphaba bristled. "Hey!"

Fiyero leant forward, his breath tickling her ear as he whispered, "Don't listen to her, Fae. I think you look beautiful, even at your worst; but I prefer you looking all natural, and any other boy in his right mind would, too."

She blushed, turning her head to look at him. "Really?"

He smiled and nodded.

Her blush deepened, and she quickly looked away. "Um… thank you."

His smile widened. "You're welcome."

Galinda huffed and crossed her arms. "Still," she insisted. "That's very sweet and all; but Elphie, you need a makeover. You really do. Trust me."

Elphaba sighed. "Glin…"

"Fae?" Fiyero suddenly asked. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

She looked at him, mildly confused. "Um… sure," she conceded. "What about?"

He just grabbed her hand and tugged at it, and she shot a puzzled look at Galinda over her shoulder as she followed him. The blonde, however, looked just as confused as Elphaba felt.

"Don't take too long!" Galinda called after them. "Elphie still needs that makeover!"

"No, she doesn't!" Fiyero called back, taking Elphaba to a bench just around the corner, out of Boq and Galinda's sight. She sat down and he perched beside her, fidgeting a little, as if he were nervous.

Elphaba gave him a look. "Fiyero?"

He took a deep breath and raised his gaze to meet hers. "Yes."

She tilted her head a little to the side. Oz, she looked beautiful. He had to resist the urge to pull her to him and kiss that remaining red lipstick right off her lips. "What did you want to talk to me about?" she prodded gently when he didn't say anything else.

He tore his gaze away from her lips and forced himself to focus on her eyes. "I, um…" He swallowed. "I just wanted to know who… who that boy is," he said, deciding to bite the bullet. At her blank look, he clarified, "The one you're in love with."

"Oh." She blushed. "That boy. Yero, I… I don't really…"

"Please tell me?" he asked her pleadingly.

She frowned a little. "Why is this so important to you?" she wanted to know. "I mean… it's not like it's ever even going to work out, anyway. I guess he likes me well enough, but not like that. Who could ever like me like that? I'm green, for Oz's sake." She sighed and leant her chin in her hands, staring off into the distance. "I'm just… too different."

"Hey." Fiyero gently placed his hand on her back and trailed soothing circles there. "There's nothing wrong with being different."

She snorted. "That's where you're wrong, Yero. Everything is wrong with being different. Being different means you don't fit in. It means you don't belong anywhere, and you never will. It means people think you're weird and either try to avoid you or are just mean to you." She sighed again. "Sometimes I just wish I was born normal, you know? Then Nessie would be able to walk, and my mother would be alive, and everything would just be so much better…"

"Hey!" Fiyero cupped her face in both his hands, looking into her eyes intently. "Don't say that," he chided her gently. "You not being 'normal' has nothing to do with your mother or your sister… but it has everything to do with you. You're special, Fae. Don't you see that?" He tenderly tucked a strand of stray raven hair behind her ear. "Your skin is what makes you you. You're not weird – you're beautiful, inside and out. You don't fit in – you stand out. You're so much more amazing and brilliant than anyone else I know. The fact that you don't belong only means that you are special, Elphaba; and the fact that most people don't take the time to get to know you properly only means that it takes someone special to really see you for who you are. And once you find that person, it won't be like all those one-night stands and one-week relationships other students our age have. It'll be forever. Because that one person will see you, all of you, and he will love it. He'll treat you like a queen, like you deserve."

She blinked up at him with her huge, dark brown eyes, mouth slightly agape. Was he really saying all this to her? But why? She just didn't understand.

"I know people haven't treated you the way you deserve to be treated, Fae, and I'm sorry about that," he said softly, gently rubbing her cheek with his thumb. "But that has also made you stronger. It makes you the person you are today. The person I love."

Her eyes snapped up to meet his at that; and he immediately drew away, shocked. Had he really just said that aloud?

"W-what?" she stammered, the blood draining from her face, and he gulped.

"I…" He closed his eyes. No backing out now, he reasoned. He might as well tell her.

He took a deep breath and held both her hands in his. "Fae…" he began. He licked his dry lips and swallowed. "I know this is… weird, and… my timing is really bad, especially after you just told me that you have a crush on someone else… but I want you to know that I'm in love with you. Head-over-heels, to be honest." He looked down. "Ever since the Lion Cub."

"Since the…" She was gaping at him, trying to process what he was saying, but her brain was shutting down. She just couldn't comprehend this. Fiyero Tiggular was in love with her?

"And I'm sorry," he continued softly, his thumb rubbing circles on the back of her hand, "for not saying anything sooner, and for dropping this on you now… but I promise I won't act any differently because of it. I mean, if you're in love with someone, then I think you should just go for it. I just hope he'll be good to you." He swallowed again. "And don't be afraid he doesn't want you," he said, meeting her eyes again. "Because he'd be a total idiot if he didn't, and he wouldn't deserve you."

Elphaba looked at him, something in her eyes that he couldn't quite place. "Somehow," she said, her voice shaking a little, "I think he does want me… which makes absolutely no sense, because I was so convinced that he was the one thing I could never have."

Fiyero's heart sank, but he tried not to let it show. "Really? That's great," he said, trying to be as enthusiastic about it as possible. "So who is it? And why did you change your mind about him liking you?"

"Well…" She raised her gaze, looking at him through her eyelashes shyly. "I think… I think he just told me he loves me."

Fiyero's jaw literally dropped.

She looked away, biting her lip. "The boy I'm in love with is you, Yero."

Fiyero could only stare at her for a few long moments.

"There you are!" Galinda came trudging towards them, waving a pair of high heels at them. "I found the shoes! And Elphie, I think this has been enough talking – no more stalling! Let's go give you that makeover!"

"Actually," Fiyero said, his eyes still trained on Elphaba, "I know for a fact that she doesn't need that makeover. I've done some research, you see; and the boy she likes honestly does prefer her without any make-up, or poofy and sparkly dresses, or high heels, or even styled hair. He loves her just the way she is."

Elphaba was blushing deeply, and Fiyero smiled at her.

Galinda scoffed. "Fiyero, what do you know about it?" she asked in exasperation. "You don't even know who the boy is! Now, Elphie –"

"I can prove it to you," Fiyero interrupted the blonde.

Galinda looked annoyed. "How?" she demanded.

Fiyero flashed her a grin, then looked at Elphaba. "Fae?" he said softly.

She looked up at him.

He caressed her cheek with his fingers. "With make-up, or without," he said, smiling at her happily, "you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen."

And with that, he pulled her closer to him and captured her lips with his own in a sweet, loving kiss.