Close by twistedglinda, PG-13

[twistedglinda]

Title: Close
Author: twistedglinda
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Wicked
Pairing: Gelphie
Summary: Bookverse Gelphie. In the midst of a cool night, a particular dorm room falls silent as rest comes to its occupants. But while one slips off to sleep, the other stays awake, watching her roommate, hoping….
Disclaimer: I do not own Wicked.

The candle goes out—the only light comes from the fireplace, but even it is steadily burning out. You stretch and yawn quietly, giving me the courtesy of remaining asleep, before you gently slip into the thin sheets adorning your bed. Your dark eyes are then hidden by green veils, and the tension leaves your body.

Despite your assumptions, I haven't fallen asleep just yet. My blue eyes remain open, just as they do for the first few hours of your own peaceful rest. I have recently taken a fancy to watching you sleep—it's the only time where you are left unguarded.

I take a breath just as you do, though mine is from a different feeling. You shift slightly, as if you can feel my gaze, but then you lapse back into unconsciousness. My heart does not cease its racing. Your skin in this angle seems illuminated by the dying embers left in the fireplace. You clash with the reds and oranges and yellows that dance upon you, but instead of being revolting, I find it rather entrancing.

You're so amazing, Elphie, yet everyone fails to see that—including yourself. You exert an aura of brilliance about you that seems almost second nature. Never before have I seen anyone who was willing to pick up a novel or textbook; never before have I witnessed a person soak up a lesson like a sponge. Lurline, you're so intelligent, yet everyone notices you only for your color. It doesn't seem fair, though I have once been one of those people who judged you.

I believe you're the first and only person who's ever asked me about my opinion on the important issues in our lifetime. To everyone else, I merely exist to look pretty—no one cares about my level of knowledge, which happens to be rather high, thank you very much. But you…. You seem determined to discover the mind that thinks and reasons. I suppose that's why you torture me with sarcastic comments on my current grades.

Can you believe that you're the culprit? I give you answers to questions with the best of my ability, but it seems like every time you're close to me, my intelligence drops a few more degrees. The truth is that I'm not as air-headed as you believe.

You shift again, burrowing deeper into the bed as the air gradually becomes colder. I watch you with unfaltering interest, for you are a fascinating sight. Your dark hair slips out of your customary braid just slightly, a few strands framing your face, caressing your neck. I swallow, looking closer now. Your lips are parted only a little, enough to give you a look of innocence one would never imagine from you.

My mind slips into memories of the time we usually spend together. I was the one who pulled your hair back into that ridiculously plain braid tonight. It seems to be the only way you'll allow me to touch you. But I find myself itching to do more than that.

I want to hold you, caress you, kiss you softly until you're breathless. I want to discover every inch of you, explore your beautiful body. I'd treat you so tenderly, unlike how others handle you. Most nights I imagine making love to you, our bodies molding together in such overwhelming intimacy. I can imagine vividly how you feel, how you taste. I can hear your moans as I blaze a trail of kisses down your luscious skin, the feel of your fingers as you touch—

I blush, a sudden intense desire welling within my being. I look at you, expecting your eyes to open as you suddenly sense me. Your eyes remain closed—I remain safe in my fantasies of you.

But how long until they aren't mere fantasies anymore?

How long must I wait before I can express what I feel for you?

I breathe out a sigh and close my eyes. I suppose I just have to wait until the right moment.

Hopefully I don't have to wait long….