There's Snow One Like You
Summary: A four worded question stares up at the couple from the glistening snow; a question that would forever change their lives not only as individuals but as a couple.
Rated: PG-13
Spoilers: None.
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings and events thereof, are properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
Author's Note: Wedding proposal! *gasps* From me? Yes. Well, it happens. :) Please enjoy and thanks to Lauren for beta-ing my fic. You are amazing, but you know this.
As an individual, Calliope Torres has never hated anything more in her life than she hates snow, the whole idea of snow makes her cringe in annoyance. She hates the white, cold, troubling substance that falls from the drunkenly grey sky and hangs on the power lines, creating massive power outages state wide. The substance that falls in inches at her doorstep, forcing her to wear a double pair of socks and creating a complete change of outfits to better coordinate herself with the winter weather. She hates the brisk wind that nearly leaves her with frostbite on her nose because of the frigid single digit temperatures that circulate the entire city of Seattle like an air conditioning unit.
As an Orthopedic rock star, however, nothing excites Callie more or makes the adrenaline rush through her veins like hearing the weatherman predict inches of snowfall within the following hours. Because, nothing makes people more reckless and moronic than snow. Somehow, the glistening white wonder creates impaired judgment and double stupidity in human beings, especially those of the male gender. Today, she has been in and out of the O.R since her shift began repairing breaks, fractures and other bone injuries that could have been prevented if one brain cell had actually been used. Like, the kid who decided to go sledding down the vicious mountain top that meets with the narrowing highway, knowing he would not be able to stop in time to avoid the oncoming traffic, and Calliope cannot manage to wrap her mind around the reasoning the teen had to come barreling down the slope, wondering if he was some kind of tween thrill seeker.
Sighing softly, she pulls the red patterned scrub cap from her head as she stands at the nurse's station, diligently filling out the Post Op information. Today had been exhausting. She has managed, by the grace of God, to work through a twelve hour shift of grumbling kids, worrisome parents and undereducated interns without losing her temper once, even when tempted. Now, all she wants to do is go home, eat something other than hospital food and crawl into her inviting bed, curl up with her beautiful girlfriend and sleep for the next twenty four hours.
And she would, except...
"Calliope!" The sound of Arizona's perky voice calls out to her and her stomach flips at the sound of the melodic sound. She will never get used to it, she thinks, having someone so beautiful, so bubbly, amazing and pure in her life. Even though they have had their ups and downs, both as a couple and as individuals, Callie cannot help but think that it was meant to bring them here. To this moment. To each other. Glancing over her shoulder, she watches at the Peds surgeon bounces toward her, with what seems to be, literally, a spring in her step.
"Hey, Arizona," replies Callie huskily, clinking the pen absently in her right hand as her eyes glance over the information on the medical chart. The blond comes to a bouncing stand still at the nurse's station next to her, leaning over the counter just enough to study Callie's practically flawless face.
"How was your day?" Arizona inquires, picking absently at a speck on the red checkered scarf that hangs around her neck, trying to control the tempting smirk that wants to play upon her lips. Callie sighs, closing the chart as she drops the pen back into the pocket of her lab coat, slipping the chart over the counter and onto the station desk.
"Exhausting. I hate snow. I hate snow because it makes idiots out of people. People who normally have a decent sense of judgment, or at least, enough to know when to not drive in a blizzard or barrel down a mountain top on a poorly constructed piece of plastic that you really have no control over," Callie explains with a taunting laugh as her auburn eyes collide with Arizona's sympathetic blue.
"Like, this one kid, right? Decided that she wanted to go sledding with her friends and somehow the girl falls off her sled and ends up tumbling down the hill. She had three broken ribs and a fractured femur and I ended up splinting her wrist. The girl is in for a hell of a recovery when she wakes up." Arizona nods her head in understanding as the two women slowly make their way toward the door.
"You know, you could have paged me. I would have taken a look at her and eased your workload a little," Arizona states, sharing a glance with Callie who nods, biting her bottom lip absently. Even though they have been together for two years now, she finds herself still pleasantly surprised at how easy it is from them and how very different this relationship is from all the rest.
"I know. But you were swamped too with your sick kids. Besides, I am always looking for a chance to make the interns cower in fear at my awesomeness," Callie teases with a tired laugh, a similar giggle escaping from Arizona's pursed lips. Arizona studies her girlfriend for a short moment, the lines that are written upon her face, the lines that tell a story of where she has been and where she is going. A story of happiness and heartbreak, a story of successes and failures. Two years after kissing her in Joe's that night, she still finds her miraculously, breath takingly beautiful.
"I missed you today," Arizona whispers softly, her pinky tangling around Callie's and for a moment, the raven haired beauty forgets how to breathe.
"I missed you too. So much," Callie whispers, her eyes glistening with happiness as she shakes her head with a beautiful, delicate laugh, "but I checked our schedules and we have both have tomorrow off. And I was thinking that we could spend it doing a little...reconnecting." Callie smiles her infamous wide grin and Arizona's heart soars.
"A little sexual reconnecting?"
"Hey, if somehow you and I end up naked together, I can safely say that I will not be offended," Calliope exclaims, pushing her hands out in front of her as the blush curls within her cheeks. Arizona giggles, coming to a stop in front of the double doors of the hospital, glancing out at the snow that falls aimlessly in a gusty wind in the world around them. She smiles inwardly, gnawing on the inside of her jaw as she steps in front of Callie, their eyes meeting in the most innocent gaze.
"So, you really hate snow?" Arizona asks as if the whole idea of someone hating the white magic is simply preposterous and silly. Callie stares at the beauty in front of her, counting the different colors of blue that swirl within her icy blue eyes , shoving her hands within the pockets of her leather jacket.
"Yeah, I do. It's cold and it's wet and it's sticky and it causes accidents. I know that some people think it is magical or whatever but it's really just dangerous and hell on our emergency room staff when all those ambulances bring in more blizzard victims than we are staffed to handle," Callie replies, clearly not backing down from the challenge. Arizona laughs, pushing a stray golden curl away from her face as she glances over her shoulder at the falling snow.
"Look outside, Calliope. That is magic. This is what tiny humans live for. I can't explain the excitement of waking up and realizing that there is snow in your front lawn that is probably taller than you are. Building snowmen and forts and having snowball fights with your parents and your siblings. Drinking hot cocoa, missing school. Tiny humans love days like this," Arizona smiles, kicking absently at the tile floor, "and I do too. Some of my best memories happened when it snowed."
"I grew up in Miami. Do you know what winter is like in Miami? It's seventy degrees there. I never woke up to a foot of snow outside, I never had snow days or built snowmen, and you, little miss Snow Princess probably thinks that is sad and maybe it is. But I like the sun and I like being able to go outside and not worry about breaking an ankle because someone forgot to sweep the walkway. Some of my best memories happened when it was sunny," Callie points out with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Not for long," Arizona mutters under her breath without realization, however, not low enough to miss Callie's ears.
"What?" Callie laughs, her eyebrow arched in confusion. Arizona's blue eyes flicker up from under her long eyelashes, meeting Callie's auburn brown and she forces a dimpling grin and a playful giggle, the type that somehow, always manages to get her out of trouble. Instead of explaining her statement, Arizona only removes her scarf and places it around Calliope's neck, giving it a soft tug as she pulls her close to her.
"I have a surprise waiting for you at home," Arizona whispers, her breath dancing against Calliope's lips. The Latina wiggles her eyebrow at the suggestion, a wide grin appearing upon her beautiful face.
"Care to tell me what it is?" Callie pushes and Arizona shakes her head with a hushed giggles.
"You're just going to have to find out for yourself, Torres," Arizona laughs, pulling away from her girlfriend without the kiss that the taller woman had so desperately been aching for.
"Arizona," Callie grumbles, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting very much like a child. To this, Arizona only sticks her tongue out playfully at the woman before the automatic doors open in whoosh for her and she disappears out into the falling snow; leaving a frustrated and curious Calliope to follow behind.
Climbing the stairs of the apartment complex, Calliope watches as the blond curls of her girlfriend bounces with every step, her mind tripping over itself trying to figure out what her surprise is, and why it is on the roof. Obviously it isn't a puppy, she sighs, kicking herself absently for getting her hopes up that a little wet nosed, scruffy face would burst out of a box and lick her hand in excitement. And it isn't something sexy like the Mark Sloan in her desperately wanted to believe it was. Whilst, Arizona had truly never been the one to dress herself in adult outfits, Calliope must admit that it is occasionally a nice surprise when the sexy lingerie meets her in the bedroom. It must be something that can withstand the frigidly cold temperatures. A snowman? Ice cream?
Rounding another flight of stairs, Callie's eyes venture southward to the view in front of her, a blush curling within her cheeks. Whatever the surprise may be, there is no way it is more perfect than the sight in front of her. She knows that she should be cursing herself inwardly for staring in such a way, of objectifying such a beautiful woman with such a nice gesture like this, but she simply cannot help that Arizona looks so damn sexy in everything she does.
"You haven't complained about the broken elevator and the incompetence of our repairmen since the fourth floor. Are you still back there?" Arizona calls jokingly over her shoulder, practically skipping up the stairs that Callie is finding herself struggling to climb. Where in the hell did she get all of this energy from?
"Still here. Arizona, can't you just tell me what it is?" Callie grumbles, sliding her hand up the metal banister as she forces her feet to climb another step. Looking up, she can see the door that leads to the roof in sight, and she lets out a sigh of relief; because, honestly, she is not so sure that she could make it any farther.
"Now, where is the fun in that?" giggles Arizona, climbing the final step.
"Not in climbing all these fucking stairs, that's where," Callie curses, forcing herself to climb the last few steps. Arizona shakes her head with a smile, her blond curls framing her innocent face as she grips the silver doorknob tight in her hand. She studies Calliope for a moment as the Latina labors to catch her breath, licking her lips with a silent chuckle, knowing their lives will never be the same. After the moment passes, she opens the door, stepping outside and into the winter wonderland. The cold wind instantly chills Callie's bones as she steps onto the roof, shutting the door quietly behind her, nearly slipping on the fallen snow.
"God, Arizona, couldn't you have... I don't know... picked a warmer season to 'surprise' me? We are both going to catch pneumonia," grumbles Callie, shoving her hands deep within her coat pockets and Arizona groans with a bitter laugh.
"Could you be any more whiny? Jeez," Arizona sighs in frustration, coming to a stop at the corner. Callie follows closely behind her, grumbling and muttering with every carefully precise step that she takes. Arizona watches her with a playful smirk upon her face, shaking her head only just slightly at her girlfriend's resistance to the chilling cold weather that manages to hang over Seattle from December to March like a giant cloud.
"I'm freezing. Ughhh," Callie mutters, her entire body aching in shivers. Arizona giggles quietly, wrapping her arms around Callie as she pulls her close, sharing the warmth that radiates from her body. The snowflakes dance around them in their own innocent way, a few sticking within Calliope's raven curls, adding even more of a sparkle to her already natural glow.
"You're going to want to look over there," Arizona points to a darkened lot to which the streetlight is not lit. The excitement rushes through her veins in a burning pulse and it takes everything that she has inside of her to keep the smile from forming upon her face.
"I don't see anything," Callie states the obvious and Arizona rolls her eyes. The next time she does, she thinks quietly to herself, she is going to do it in the broad daylight instead of at night, at the end of their shifts. So much about romance, she grumbles, she is going to get straight to the point next time.
"You will. Just... just give it a minute," Arizona whispers sweetly, nodding her head ever so softly. Callie mutters something that sounds like a 'whatever', which only receives a low grumble from Arizona. Shortly, as promised, the lights flicker on in the city and the light cascades upon the white glistening snow. The white glistening snow in which four very important, very life changing words had been carefully shoveled and packed into letters. Four words in a form a question; a question that would forever change the way they define themselves not only as a couple but as individuals. Written in the snow, the words Will You Marry Me? stare up at the couple with the utmost innocence. Callie gasps in a hushed breath as Arizona steps away from her, fumbling with the box in her hand, watching as the tears fill within the dark auburn orbs.
"Arizona," Callie breathes in a sniffle, turning to face her girlfriend and Arizona smiles at her, the similar tears matching within her own piercing blue orbs.
"I know that it isn't as glamorous as whisking you away on the first flight to Vegas and taking you to a cheesy, one roomed chapel where an Elvis impersonator greets us at the door and an overweight woman in a faux fur coat plays the wedding march on a keyboard while Christmas lights hang, very tacky might I add, around the door corners," Arizona is ranting, nervously as she shifts her weight uncomfortably from side to side, the velvet box nearly falling from her fidgeting hands.
"But I just.. I love you. Everything about you. Even when you are grumpy and tired and like to step on my moments like now. The way that you stand up for what you want and what you believe in and you don't sacrifice yourself or your values for anyone or anything that stands in your way. The way that you like two scoops of sugar in your coffee in the morning and the fact that you won't even touch your food until after you have read the newspaper. I love the way that you fall asleep with your face in the crook of my neck and your arms around me, protecting me through the night. I love the way that you watch cartoons with my kids and the way their faces light up when you walk in the room, the way you always have the same drink at Joe's and the fact that you always ask him about his day. I love the way that you cook for me and kick me out of the kitchen ever since the night I almost burned the apartment down," Arizona pauses, sniffling a laugh as Callie does the same.
"Most importantly, Calliope, I love you. Who you are and who you are going to be. I love the way that you see me, even when I am trying to hide away from the world. I love the way that you push past my walls until I let you in and tell you what is wrong. I love your heart, your strength, your intelligence, your soul. I want to start a life with you, Calliope Torres. A good life with a house and a dog and kids and I want that. I want you. Because I am going to spend the rest of my life loving you just as much, if not more, as I do right now," Arizona cries as she falls to one knee, opening the box to reveal the diamond studded ring that sparkles against the lights.
" I just... I want to spend forever with you. And I-I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe you want to spend it with me, too. W-will you marry me, Calliope Iphigenia Torres?" Arizona cries, her blue eyes staring loving into Callie's. The Latina sniffles, the tears falling down her cheeks effortlessly as a choking cry falls from her lips as she nods her head.
"Yes. Yes. Of course, yes," Calliope cries. The dimpling smile breaks on Arizona's face as she takes the ring from the box and slides it onto her tan, slender finger. Slowly she stands, brushing the snow from her knees as Calliope wraps her arms around her, spinning her around in the utmost happiness before their lips collide together in a heart stopping, passionate kiss. As her lips move roughly upon Callie's, Arizona swears that she can see it all; their entire life span out in front of her closed eyes, their wedding, their house, their kids, and it is all so perfect. Pulling away, she leaves their foreheads together as she chuckles, threading her fingers around Callie's, instantly shivering at the sudden cool metal upon her left hand.
"So, you had to work today, huh?" Callie teases with a laugh and Arizona nods, wrinkling her nose.
"I did work. Just not at Seattle Grace-Mercy West. I talked to the Chief and he agreed to give me and Sloan the day off so that we could shovel this out . There were some serious points when I thought about taking my shovel and shoving it somewhere less than romantic with him but he cares about you and he wants us to be happy so I let him play with me," Arizona grins her thousand watt smile and Callie chuckles, brushing her fingers through Arizona's blond curls.
"Remind me to thank him later. Right now, I want to spend the night with my fiancèe ," Callie smiles at the word as it leaves her mouth and Arizona giggles, placing a chaste kiss upon her lips.
"God, I love the sound of that. Say it again," Arizona instructs.
"Fiancèe. Fiancèe. Fiancèe," Callie repeats, the same wide grin appearing on her face as tears of the utmost happiness and love glisten within her eyes. Arizona smiles, sighing in content as she places her lips against Callie's, sharing the tender moment as the snow falls around them slowly and softly. For a moment, the world seems to slow down until it is only the two of them, reveling in their happiness, in their perfection.
And suddenly, their most favorite moment, favorite memory occurs when snow is falling in Seattle.
Reviews are lovely