Amelia sighed as she studied the brain scans displayed before her for what felt like the hundredth time. Her patient had suffered a dramatic change in personality after his surgery earlier that day, yet she had not operated anywhere near his frontal lobe. It made absolutely no sense, but she was determined to figure out what had gone wrong. So, here she sat, driving herself crazy over the scans and refusing to leave work until she discovered what she was missing.
She buried her face in her hands and groaned loudly in frustration, too focused on the task at hand to notice the sound of approaching footsteps.
"Hey."
The familiar voice caused the neurosurgeon to finally tear her eyes away from the screen and turn around in her chair to face the doorway. She cracked a small smile as Arizona walked into the room, stopping to stand behind her.
"My surgery was cancelled, so it looks like I'm done for the day," the blonde said, crouching down slightly to view the brain scans her girlfriend was agonizing over. She took note of Amelia's apparent frustration, her furrowed brow and bloodshot eyes.
"Want any help?" Arizona asked softly, feeling slightly guilty that she had gotten off work while her girlfriend was still trying desperately to solve this case.
Despite her horrible mood, Amelia let out a slight chuckle and shook her head in awe, her heart swelling at the kind gesture. She knew that Arizona really wanted nothing more than to go home, take a shower, and relax after a sleepless forty-eight hours of nonstop work. Yet, here she was, offering to stay at the hospital and help her solve a neuro case.
She turned her head to face the blonde, pressing a gentle kiss against her cheek.
"You're too good to me," Amelia smiled. "Go home, Arizona. You should get some rest. I'll be fine, I'll just get a ride home from Edwards or something."
The blonde nodded. "Don't work too hard, okay? I mean it."
"Mhm," Amelia replied, already deeply focused on the brain scans again.
Arizona brushed a lock of hair out of Amelia's eyes before standing up and making her way toward the door, throwing a quick "I love you" over her shoulder as she exited the room.
"Love you, too," Amelia yelled back, her eyes not leaving the screen.
Later that evening, when Amelia had at last solved the case and successfully removed the source of the problem from her patient's brain, she asked Stephanie for a ride home and thanked her when she dropped her off at Arizona's house.
She entered the house, removing her jacket and shoes, and made her way into the living room, unnoticed by the blonde, who sat on the couch watching reruns of a trashy reality TV show. She rounded the couch and sat down next to her, leaning her head against her shoulder.
"Hey, you," Arizona cooed softly. "How'd the surgery go?"
"It was perfect," Amelia beamed. "It was all Edwards, though. I let her take the lead."
The blonde smiled.
"Good," she said, turning her head slightly to plant a soft kiss on the top of Amelia's head, crinkling her nose when she was met with the scent of sweat and anesthetic. "Now, please go take a shower. You smell."
She nudged Amelia with her shoulder, pushing her away and grinning cheekily when her girlfriend's smile faded into an adorable pout.
Arizona raised her eyebrows, not allowing herself to give in. "I'm serious, dude. And do it fast. I ordered food, we're having a movie night."
"Okay, bossy," the brunette smirked, standing up to leave.
She began to make her way out of the room, but was stopped by the sound of Arizona's voice calling after her.
"Wait!" the blonde yelled.
Amelia turned around to face her, her lips turning upwards into a smile when her girlfriend reached out her arm, gesturing for her to come back.
"Come here, stinky," she teased.
The brunette stopped when she reached the back of the couch, leaning over the edge to press her lips firmly against Arizona's in a sweet kiss.
"Mm, okay, now you can go," Arizona grinned, and Amelia left to take a shower and change her clothes.
She returned to the living room no more than twenty minutes later, clad in a pair of underwear and her favorite of Arizona's oversized T-shirts. When she entered the room, she was met with the smell of Chinese take-out and the sight of her girlfriend scrolling through the available Christmas movies on Netflix. She felt herself become intoxicated with an overwhelming sense of pure love for the other woman, her heart warming as she took in her surroundings. She couldn't believe how lucky she was to have Arizona to come home to every day.
She approached the couch again and climbed onto it, and studied Arizona for a brief moment before moving closer to her. She gently climbed into the other woman's lap, straddling her, and wordlessly wrapped her arms tightly around her neck. She leaned into her, burying her face into the side neck and pressing their bodies together in a tight hug. She let out a sigh, struggling to recall a time when she had ever felt so safe and protected.
Arizona responded immediately, wrapping her arms around Amelia's waist and pulling her closer. She was slightly taken aback by the sudden gesture. It was simple, yet deeply affectionate and profound, and she found herself wanting to cry at the intimacy of it.
"I love you," Amelia whispered into the other woman's skin, not breaking free of the embrace.
Arizona felt her chest tighten, and she rubbed a warm hand up and down her girlfriend's back.
"I love you too, baby. So much. Where's this coming from?"
Amelia pulled her head back, meeting the blonde's eyes.
"I don't know. I just love you a lot," she whispered, nothing but love and honesty in her eyes. "And I'm so grateful that I have you."
Arizona leaned forward, brushing her lips against Amelia's before capturing the other woman's in a passionate kiss.
"You're my everything, Amelia."