Title: Youth
Fandom: Wicked – technically bookverse but my Elphaba doesn't have a water allergy.
Rating: Light NC-17 I guess. There's sex.
Pairing: Elphaba/Glinda
Summary: 'It was much later, while feigning sleep, that Glinda felt Elphaba's lips press against her shoulder in a gentle kiss.' The inevitable coming of age road-to-the-Emerald-City fic.
Notes: Eighth in my table of wicked prompts.

Outside, around them, the noises were frightening.

Dishes clanked downstairs, a reminder of the tasteless inn meal they had eaten, and the innkeeper who had leered, lecherously, at them as he'd served it. Somewhere, a man shouted; a child screamed; a thump sounded nearby, and then another, and the child screamed again…

Glinda shivered, and shifted slightly so that her back was pressed more firmly against Elphaba's front. She wished the other girl would put her arms around her. Elphaba didn't stir.

There was a last, loud thump, and a wail, and then the noise ceased. Voices were still audible from downstairs; servants probably, doing their cleaning for the night. Their noises died slowly, murmurings and laughter fading into non-existence until at last the light outside their room was extinguished, and the door banged with a sense of finality.

Glinda curled her fists slightly; her eyes squeezed shut against the darkness. The silence was somehow more oppressive than the clamor had been, and Glinda lay still, unable to move with the weight of it. She became aware of Elphaba breathing behind her, warm on her ear, and it made her shiver, just a little. She imagined reaching behind her and taking one of Elphaba's hands, pulling it over herself and going to sleep like that. She dared herself to do it. She didn't move.

Glinda focused on Elphaba's breathing, in, out, in, and out. Sleep was very far away, no matter how hard she tried, and eventually she opened her eyes again. The room was dark. She could only just make out the window across the room, the moonless night giving no relief to the blackness.

Perhaps she dozed. Perhaps the night really did creep over her, and she lost herself for an hour, maybe two. She couldn't be sure. Elphaba never moved.

It was much later, while feigning sleep, that Glinda felt Elphaba's lips press against her shoulder in a gentle kiss. Glinda froze, her eyes snapping open. Elphaba was still for a moment, and then Glinda felt another kiss pressed very lightly against her skin next to the first.

Glinda lay completely still, hardly daring to breathe. It was when she felt a third kiss press itself to her skin that she reached back, finding Elphaba's hand, and lacing their fingers together.

For a moment, Elphaba didn't move. Then her fingers curled tightly around Glinda's, and she moved their hands to rest on Glinda's hip. Glinda waited, staring wide-eyed into the darkness, until Elphaba's hand gently extracted itself from hers, and she felt it lay softly on her side, moving slowly up to run over her ribs and back down again.

Elphaba's hand paused as it completed its cycle. Glinda felt her heart beginning to speed up, fear overtaking her, but she couldn't deny that she wanted this, had wanted it for far too long now. Elphaba's breathing had gotten louder behind her, and Glinda closed her eyes again for a moment. The air was still.

The hand on her hip began to move up again, and Glinda placed her own hand over it, pressing down gently. Elphaba stopped immediately, beginning to withdraw, but Glinda held on tighter, keeping it there. They lay still for a moment, bodies pressed together, and Glinda tried to even out her breaths, tried to stop her palms from sweating.

Elphaba let out a breath against her neck, and Glinda shivered. She took a breath, counted to ten, and then shifted so that she and Elphaba were face to face. She squinted into the darkness, trying to make out Elphaba's form. Outlines were visible; the slope of a cheek; the angular jaw; the bony shoulders. The whites of Elphaba's eyes could be seen, and Glinda became aware that she was being scrutinized in the same manner. She turned her head down, flushing.

Cool fingers cupped Glinda's cheek, pressing gently until she faced Elphaba once more. Glinda swallowed, her mouth dry, her heart beating loudly enough that she was sure Elphaba would hear it.

Elphaba's hand was warm and still on Glinda's skin. Hesitantly, Glinda reached out, laying the backs of her fingers against Elphaba's cheek. In the darkness, Elphaba's eyes slid slightly shut, and she turned her head, almost imperceptibly, into Glinda's touch. Glinda felt her heart skip a beat.

Glinda swallowed nervously, licking suddenly dry lips. Her eyes locked on Elphaba's, she cautiously shifted a little forward, until their foreheads almost touched, and then she brushed her lips against Elphaba's with just the slightest hint of pressure.

For a moment, Elphaba didn't respond. Glinda drew back, her heart hammering, certain that had finally gone too far over that invisible boundary that always seemed to exist between the two of them. But then Elphaba leaned forward, finding Glinda's lips with her own, and Glinda's eyes shut of their own accord.

For a moment they stayed that way, as though frozen, their lips pressed lightly together, their bodies unmoving. Glinda was the one to change it, angling her head slightly and pressing her lips more firmly against Elphaba's. Elphaba took a few seconds to adjust, and then, seemingly cautiously, she leaned further into Glinda, winding a hand into blonde hair. Her kiss became less gentle, less hesitant, and Glinda dared to lay a hand on Elphaba's hip, moving it slightly up and down. She felt Elphaba shiver beneath her hand, and she drew away from her, but Elphaba followed, her lips hovering before Glinda's for a moment, until she seemed to find the courage to let them touch once more.

Gradually, their kisses became less tentative, and more passionate. It took a while before Glinda was brave enough to open her lips slightly, letting her tongue run along Elphaba's bottom lip in a sort of question. Elphaba froze for one long moment, before she opened her mouth accordingly. Glinda paused for a moment, and then let her tongue explore Elphaba's mouth, feeling Elphaba's tongue brush against her own, making her heart speed up even further. It felt wonderful, but it felt dangerous, and somewhere in her mind, terror was surfacing.

Slowly, Glinda ran the hand on Elphaba's hip up her side, coming to rest over her heart, and it was only then that she realised that Elphaba was just as scared as she was. The realization took her breath away but somehow, made her bolder. Daringly, she moved her mouth away from Elphaba's to kiss her way over her jaw, and down her neck until she reached the collar of Elphaba's nightgown, and Elphaba shifted against her, her breaths coming shorter, and louder. Her eyes back on Glinda's, Elphaba laid a hand against Glinda's stomach, moving it slowly upwards, until it covered one of Glinda's breasts, separated from the skin only by thin fabric. Glinda let out a quick gasp, letting her own hand make its way to one of Elphaba's breasts, her lips finding Elphaba's once more.

For a while, that was all they dared to do; kissing fervently, their hands occasionally moving or squeezing, gasps emitted in between kisses. Then Glinda drew back a little her hands moving to the neck of Elphaba's nightgown and began to undo the buttons. Elphaba let her for a moment, stopping her when she exposed Elphaba's abdomen, taking Glinda's hands and drawing them back upwards. Daringly, Glinda raised herself up and over Elphaba, a hand on one of her breasts, and kissing her way down to the other.

Elphaba hissed when she felt Glinda's tongue brush over her nipple, tensing slightly. Glinda pulled back, alarmed, but Elphaba shook her head, dark curls flying over the pillow, and laid a gentle hand on Glinda's cheek, guiding her back down. Reassured, Glinda sucked lightly on Elphaba's nipple, taking pleasure in the quiet gasps Elphaba gave. One hand played with Elphaba's other breast, and after a few minutes, she began to trail her other hand downwards, until it reached the hem of Elphaba's nightgown.

Slowly, she worked her fingers underneath the fabric, sliding up Elphaba's thighs. Elphaba froze for a moment, and Glinda raised her head to lock eyes with the other girl. Somewhere, there was a smile in Elphaba's gaze, and Glinda allowed her hand to move further upward, until it met the juncture of Elphaba's thighs.

Bravely, Glinda rubbed against her through her underwear, and Elphaba jerked, her eyes sliding closed. Glinda took a breath, and slipped her fingers underneath Elphaba's underwear, letting her fingers find warmth. Elphaba hissed, and reached for Glinda's other hand, squeezing it as Glinda rubbed experimentally, ignoring her own pounding heart, and finding the places that Elphaba reacted to the most. In a surprisingly short amount of time, Elphaba stiffened, and gasped, and then she lay flat, taking Glinda's hand to stop it moving.

Glinda hesitated a moment, and then lay back down next to Elphaba, trying to calm her sudden nerves. Elphaba lay still beside her, and then in one surprisingly fluid motion, she sat up, moving over Glinda and bringing their mouths together. Glinda gasped into the kiss, hungry, now, for more, and Elphaba left her mouth to slide her body backwards, until her hands reached the bottom of Glinda's nightgown.

Slowly, she began to push it up, and Glinda lay still, letting her do it. Elphaba pushed the nightgown inch by inch, stopping to place feather light kisses on each piece of skin revealed. As the kisses reached her hips and beyond, Glinda shifted, half wishing Elphaba would move faster, half hoping this would never end. Finally Elphaba drew the nightgown over Glinda's head and placed it on the bed beside them leaving Glinda clad only in underwear. Elphaba ran her hands lightly down Glinda's sides, and hesitated. She seemed nervous. Cautiously, Glinda took one of Elphaba's hands, and brought it to her breast. Elphaba seemed to understand.

When Elphaba's hand finally made its way between her thighs, Glinda couldn't stop herself from gasping. She began to tremble, fear taking over, and Elphaba stopped her movements, raising her head to look Glinda in the eyes. Taking one of Glinda's hands, she softly laced their fingers together and brought their joined hands up to her mouth, lightly kissing each of Glinda's fingers, her eyes locked on Glinda's all the while. There was a question there, asked gently, and after a minute, Glinda nodded. This time, when Elphaba touched her, Glinda let her.

Elphaba's movements were clumsy at first, and slow, as she tried new things to find out what Glinda liked. Eventually she fell into a rhythm that left Glinda breathless. Glinda shifted, feeling the new sensation building, and it didn't take long until pleasure overtook her, and she arched upwards, squeezing Elphaba's hand.

She lay still for a minute, her eyes closed, and she felt arms encircle her, pulling her close. When she opened her eyes, Elphaba was curled around her protectively, and she smiled at Glinda, gently laying her fingertips against Glinda's eyelids and closing her eyes for her. They lay together in silence, and Glinda could almost hear their hearts beating in tandem.

Finally, filled with contentment, and safe in the circle of Elphaba's arms, Glinda allowed herself to relax. As she drifted off to sleep, she could swear she almost heard Elphaba's voice breathe, 'I love you' into her ear. Suddenly the darkness didn't seem so frightening anymore.

But in the end, it didn't change anything. Glinda still couldn't keep herself from loving Elphaba, and Elphaba still left.