Title: Change of plans
Author: lilyme
Summary: Arizona really had different plans for tonight. Certainly not lying in bed dressed warmly from head to toe, willing to get better. She wanted to go on a date tonight. And not just any date. For her it was probably the most important date of her life.
Characters: Arizona/Callie
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story, nor do I own any rights to the television show "Grey's Anatomy". They were created by Shonda Rhimes and belong to her and the ABC network. No copyright infringement intended!
She groaned in annoyance as she felt yet another wave hit her. A wave of uncontrollable sneezing that was soon followed by unavoidable phlegmy coughing.
She hated being sick on any given day. But today she hated it even more.
She should have known yesterday. Had known it yesterday, in fact. Arizona Robbins knew when she was getting sick. Always had. And unfortunately this time had been no exception.
All the cough syrups and ointments hadn't helped so far to keep this wretched cold at bay, despite her best efforts and most positive hopes.
Arizona really had different plans for tonight. Certainly not lying in bed dressed warmly from head to toe, willing to get better.
She wanted to go on a date tonight. And not just any date. For her it was probably the most important date of her life.
She was forty-five years old. She had had so many dates in her life. But this one was special. Tremble-with-nervousness-and-excitement special. Or at least it was supposed to be like that.
But now she was barely able to stand up straight. Had barely found it in her to put on some nicer clothes and try to disguise her body's actual state with make-up.
She had pondered calling the other woman to let her know tonight would have to be canceled. And had actually pressed the button, but then had immediately hung up – imagining the disappointment of her counterpart at the cancellation.
A disappointment that would have equaled her own.
No, she could do this. She wanted this! She really did. And feeling bad because of her cold was nothing compared to feeling bad due to letting her love interest down.
This would be okay, she nodded to herself as she heard the door bell ring. A little later than expected, but it didn't matter.
She was glad that her date hadn't gotten cold feel. And neither had she herself.
Which really wasn't that easy. Even proposing this night had made her break out into sweats. Because she knew that if the proposition would have been denied... a lot of what had been built up in recent months... recent years... would have come crumbling down around them.
She opened the front door to see an accordingly dressed brunette before her. A thin black coat covering a probably very stunning dress. Her hair in wavy curls around her face – just as she liked it – and the eye-liner and lipstick were accentuating her face perfectly. In short, this woman was gorgeous.
Which was not surprising. Callie Torres was always gorgeous.
"Hi," Callie greeted as soon as the door opened. "I'm sorry, my surgery went a little long. I hope I didn't keep you wai...," she stopped her explanation when she took in Arizona's appearance. Black boots and elegant black pants, a dark red sweater, a cute ponytail. A woolly dark gray scarf around her neck and her face pale despite the blonde's best efforts to dab her sickness away with make-up, the nose appearing painfully sore from excessive clean. "Hey, what's the matter?" she said gently as Arizona invited her in.
"Nothing!" this one croaked and immediately felt betrayed by her own voice. "Just a little cold," her strained chords barely brought out, and she groaned inwardly at this. "I felt it coming yesterday. Should have known".
And it was all the explanation Callie needed. "Oh, no, poor thing," she cringed in sympathy, and took off her coat, indicating they would stay at Arizona's.
The blonde frowned at this. "It's fine. I really wanna go. And you look... ugh, so beautiful," she stressed, as she finally saw Callie's dress. Black with half length sleeves and ending just above her knees, showing off those amazing legs. She really did not want to ruin this for them, though she knew her strength would not last for an entire date. "I can do this. Maybe... Maybe we'll have just a little meal in a nice restaurant before you bring me back home?" she offered before a new blast of coughs hit her.
"No," Callie shook her head, just as Arizona had managed to pull her jacket on in mental preparation to drag her sick body outside.
"No?" Arizona croaked. "But this was supposed to be our date night," she protested meekly. Their first date night in years. The date that might lead to Calzona 2.0 or Calzona 5.0 – whatever. Definitely the best and final version – if things went well.
And now that Callie was here looking like this... the blonde wanted this date to happen even more. She wanted to give Callie the date she deserved.
"I know, sweetie, but no," the brunette returned with a gentle smile as she pulled the jacket off the sickly woman's shoulders and hung it on the rack again. "You need to be in bed and rest. Doctor's orders," she gave her a stern look over her shoulder.
The blonde pressed her lips together. "But I... I don't want you having come here for nothing...," she protested.
"Who says that?" Callie immediately countered. "We'll just have our date here. I'll make us some very delicious chicken soup that you'd pay thirty dollars for at the restaurant anyway and serve it to you in bed. Then if needed, I'll give you all the medical aid your cold needs... like, um, rubbing your chest, if we dare to," she winked and Arizona could feel her cheeks flush. And while it could easily be blamed on her sickness, she much more fathomed her excitement about her date's suggestion to be the trigger. "We can watch some Netflix together... and if you want to... you can pass out in my arms from exhaustion while I softly stroke your hair," Callie offered her altered, but no less alluring plans for tonight.
Arizona looked at her with wide, bleary eyes. This sounded absolutely heavenly. "Really?" she asked to make sure Callie meant it. Because who would offer that kind of treatment on the first date?
A person that loves you in every situation and wanted to take care of you forever. "Really," Callie nodded and grasped the blonde's scarf, protective pulling it closer around this one's neck and leaned in to put a gentle kiss against her temple. "I'd love to".
Arizona sighed at the contrast of the still somewhat colder spring weather lips against her hot skin, "Thank you". And she could already feel herself getting better.
END