A/N: Just a short, fluffy songfic inspired by the song 'Fireflies' by Owl City, which I love despite it's over-playedness. Surely if ever a song screams Arizona!! it's this one! Chapter 8 of 'Cinnamon Girl' is nearly done and should be up tomorrow.
Fireflies.
Callie glanced at her watch as she stepped off the elevator. Her shift had been mercifully quiet, allowing her to skip off early for a quick shower and change of clothes. It was one of those rare days where the planets were perfectly aligned and both her and Arizona had the same working hours. They had arrived at the hospital together and, miracle of miracles, because neither were on call that night they would leave the hospital together. The thought made the normally controlled ortho surgeon almost giddy enough to skip. She cast a furtive glance around the empty corridor to check for witnesses and, coming up empty, indulged her very over-excited inner child with a quick bounce and hop before readjusting to her normal, shuffling gait.
Enquiring at the nurses station to her girlfriend's whereabouts, she was directed to room 4310. She should have known- 4310 had of late been home of late to possibly the cutest kid in the history of cute children. Emily Roberts had been admitted five days previously due to complications stemming from a congenital heart defect. UNOS had bumped her to the top of their transplant list and so the waiting game had begun. The cheerful 4 year old had quickly become the darling of Seattle Grace-Mercy West's Paediatric Unit. She had the most impossibly blue eyes, freckles scattered over a button nose, cheeky gap toothed grin and blonde, almost white hair that was always gathered back into pigtails. Cute to look at sure, but throw in an adorable speech impediment and infectious giggle and you had the reason why pretty much the entire hospital staff had fallen in love with this young patient.
Coming to a halt outside the room, she was surprised to see the little girl awake and chatting away to Arizona. Callie, being a regular visit to the room herself, knew that the girl's parents usually tucked her in and waited until she was asleep before leaving for their hotel each night, then one or both of them would return the next morning to be there when their daughter awoke. Tonight however, the room was empty save for the young patient and her doctor, who was reading from a brightly illustrated story book. Careful not to make any noise, Callie stepped a little further into the room only to nearly give the game away by giggling at the ridiculous voices her girlfriend was affecting. They were reading what appeared to be 'Little Red Riding Hood' and for some reason, the paed's surgeon had decided on the most over the top, Joe Pesci-esque New York accent for the 'Wolf'. It was all Callie could do not to laugh out loud but somehow, she kept herself under control and was able to enjoy the story from her hiding place without fear of discovery.
After safely reuniting Little Red with her Gran, Arizona closed the the book over and placed it gently on the night stand. "Ok kiddo, now it's definitely time for sleep" she declared, leaning forward to drop a kiss on Emily's forehead.
"But Doc-tow Wobbins, Mommy always sings me a song after weading me my bed time stowy" Emily pouted hard while simultaneously offering Arizona a hopeful, puppy dog eyes look. The blonde Doctor made a few futile attempts at refusing, citing the late hour, her own fatigue and an invented dinner with her Dad who would be cross if she was late -Callie raised an eyebrow at this porker and made a mental note to bring it up at an undetermined point in the future where she would require the upper hand in an argument – only to eventually sigh in and slump her shoulders in defeat.
"Oh, alright. But only this once you got me?" She caved. Emily bounced on the bed a few times, such was her delight. Callie had to wonder if the kid had ever lost an argument in her life- those eyes, her little voice- they must be like kryptonite to a parents resolve. She watched as her girlfriend tucked the covers up around Emily's chin and smoothed blonde bangs back behind little pink ears. She was singing so softly that Callie had missed the first two lines. The dark haired doctor grinned as she picked up on the melody- Arizona was singing her current favourite song to the young patient. She was totally off key in places and stumbled occasionally over forgotten words, but to Callie it was like listening to an angel sing.
Standing there watching and listening, she was sure that no-one on earth had ever felt as much love for anyone or anything as she did for Arizona at that moment. Her heart felt so full, like a balloon approaching bursting point. Only instead of bursting, the love spread throughout her, from the top of her head to the tips of her fingers where she could feel it tingle. She had become the living definition of 'the warm and fuzzies' and damn! did it feel grand. The fact that mere months ago she had felt such despair as to believe she would never feel anything for anyone again only intensified the sensation, causing her to swallow hard to clear the lump in her throat. 'God, when did I- the baddest, most rockin' ortho of all time- become such a sap?!' she wondered to herself. She knew of course, that the reason for all these rainbow and butterfly feelings was sitting right in front of her, finishing her last chorus and slipping quietly towards the door so as not to wake her now sleeping patient.
Arizona didn't see Callie until she was right in front of the spying woman- her squeal of surprise muffled by a well timed hand over the mouth by the smirking ortho. She backed the two of them into the corridor and closed the door softly before turning to face the startled woman.
"Jesus Calliope! You scared the be-jeepers out of me!" Arizona admonished, waiting for her heartbeat to return to normal after the fright "How long were you standing there?"
"Long enough to hear the end of the bedtime story...say was that Goodfellas you were reading? 'Cause the cover sure looked like it was meant to be Little Red Riding Hood" Callie teased and was rewarded with a soft punch to her upper arm.
"Oh hush you" Arizona ducked her head to hide the blush that was creeping up her neck.
"How come you never sing me to sleep?" Callie asked, trying her own version of Emily's pout for effect.
"First of all, that's not going to work on me" Arizona poked at her girlfriend's protruding lower lip "and secondly....well you heard me in there, I'm about as tuneful as a bag of drowning cats but you! I've heard you in the shower Calliope, you have the most incredible voice...it's breathtakingly amazing. So I'll be keeping my caterwauling to myself thank you very much!" she finished and made to storm off in a mock huff. Callie grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.
"It sounded beautiful to me" she whispered, smiling at the wide eyed look she got in response. It was a rare day when she could leave Arizona speechless and she savoured the moment.
"I think you might be a tad biased" the blonde retorted once she'd got her brain back in gear.
"Nope, just honest" Callie countered. "Everything about you is beautiful Arizona, every last atom and I love each particle that makes up those atoms, even the tone-deaf ones."
"Calliope...I....you...." Arizona sniffed and wiped distractedly at a tear that had been making its way down her left cheek.
"I'll make you a deal" Callie offered the stuttering woman "you don't have to sing to me as long as you promise that one day you'll sing that exact song to our kid" she tilted her head slightly and looked deep into blue eyes, trying her best to convey everything she couldn't articulate- all her hopes and dreams and wishes for the future- for their future.
Arizona's eyes filled with tears again and her chin wobbled as she flung her arms around Callie, burying her head in the crook of her neck. "I promise" came her strangled response, muffled by Callie's coat. She pulled back and gazed into pools of chocolate "I promise" she repeated, giving Callie a fifty-million megawatt smile, something Callie inwardly referred to as 'the full dimple'.
"Great!" Callie beamed and threaded their fingers, pulling Arizona towards the attending's locker room. She looked back at her still-dazed girlfriend "You better hurry and change, we don't want to be late for dinner with your father!" She threw her head back and laughed as Arizona sputtered and huffed behind her, speechless for the third time in as many minutes.
They left the hospital together, hand in hand and one step closer to forever.
End.
Fireflies- Owl City (as the title of the fic suggests, this be what Arizona was singing to Emily)
You would not believe your eyes
If ten million fireflies
Lit up the world as I fell asleep
'Cause they'd fill the open air
And leave teardrops everywhere
You'd think me rude
But I would just stand and stare
I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems
'Cause I'd get a thousand hugs
From ten thousand lightning bugs
As they tried to teach me how to dance
A foxtrot above my head
A sock hop beneath my bed
A disco ball is just hanging by a thread
I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems
When I fall asleep
Leave my door open just a crack
(Please take me away from here)
'Cause I feel like such an insomniac
(Please take me away from here)
Why do I tire of counting sheep
(Please take me away from here)
When I'm far too tired to fall asleep
To ten million fireflies
I'm weird 'cause I hate goodbyes
I got misty eyes as they said farewell
But I'll know where several are
If my dreams get real bizarre
'Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar
I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems
When I fall asleep
I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems
When I fall asleep
I'd like to make myself believe
That planet earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
Because my dreams are bursting at the seams