Title: Runaway
Author: A. Windsor
Pairing/Characters: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. My one year of law school could allow me to legalese this a little more, but it also tells me it's pretty useless. So please don't sue; it's not mine, I'm just playing!
Series: Thing!verse
Summary: "Momma and I can't live without our Tiny Dancer." [May 2027]
Author's Note: Hard at work on a story that keeps making itself longer, but this is a tiny, tiny, tiny piece of fluffy silliness to hold everyone over. Mostly dialogue, written almost entirely on the plane today. Unbeta'd, 'cause I am inundating my poor beta with chapters.
"Just so you know: Teo ran away."
"What?"
Callie nonchalantly points a thumb over her shoulder and out the back window. Arizona peers out, catching sight of a tiny figure slumped on the steps of the chicken coop, Briar Rose in his lap.
"We had a fight."
"You and the five-year-old?"
"Over veggie consumption. And then he ran away."
"This sounds way more like a Caroline move," Arizona comments, setting down her bag on the kitchen island.
"Her spot was always the playhouse, but I assume she planted the idea in his head. It's been a rough day; we both needed alone time."
"It's almost dinner time. Shouldn't we-?"
"Go get him? His hungry little tummy will do the job for us soon. He only packed one granola bar."
"How long has he been out there?"
"Since lunch."
"Callie!"
"He's fine! He packed a bottle of water, too, and it's not too hot. I've been watching him the whole time; it's adorable. I think he's been talking to the chickens."
"And where are our other children?"
"Mark'll bring Lena and Asa home soon. Cari's upstairs."
"Not in the playroom?"
"Banned from videogames. She wouldn't leave Teo alone before lunch."
"So, not a great Saturday in the Robbins-Torres family," Arizona says grimly.
"Not our best. Again, alone time was necessary."
"Hm. I'm sorry."
"It's okay. C'mere."
Arizona slides into Callie's lap, arms looping around her neck.
"Want me to order pizza? Or go pick up Mexican?"
"In a few minutes, that would be great." Callie presses a kiss to Arizona's cheek, then meets her lips warmly. "How was your day?"
"Better than yours, it seems. Nothing too exciting. Lots of kids other people have to parent."
"Mm. Sounds wonderful."
The back screen door creaks open, and little feet patter across the kitchen tile.
"Hi, Momma," Teo says sheepishly.
"Hey there, Tiny Dancer."
"Mami."
"Teo. I thought you were running away."
The five-year-old flushes and huffs a sigh.
"I'm done. Can I come home now?"
Callie stares him down and purses her lips.
"That depends."
"Calliope," Arizona whispers an admonishment.
"I was very worried, Mateo. I didn't know where you had gone."
"I was in the coop!"
"How was I going to know that?"
Teo pouts and drops his indignation, taking off his backpack and shoving his hands into his pockets.
"Perdona, Mami," he says contritely.
"You can't just run away when you're mad."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Momma and I can't live without our Tiny Dancer."
"Yes, ma'am. Sorry."
"Well, then I guess you can come home. What do you think, Momma?"
"Definitely."
"Okay. Anda a besarnos, mi amor." [Come kiss us, my love.]
Teo trots over and pushes up to give each mom a kiss.
"Okay. Go wash your hands, por favor; you've been with the chickies. Momma's gonna go get food soon. Do you want tacos or pizza?"
"Tacos," Teo nods definitively. "Can I go tambien?"
"Yep," Arizona nods.
"Thanks."
He runs off to wash his hands and change his smelly, sweaty shirt.
"How on earth did you get in a fight with Teo?" Arizona turns to her wife.
"He was not so sweet earlier. He had a serious case of the cranky pants."
"Cranky pants?" Arizona giggles. She moves to stand up, but Callie has an iron grip around her middle.
"Yes. What?"
"We have totally un-badassed you."
"No way."
"Mhmm," Arizona insists, kissing her wife, less chastely than before now that there are no prying eyes out in the chicken coop.
Callie's hands slide under Arizona's shirt, finding warm skin and eliciting a soft moan.
"Everybody's getting an early bed time," Arizona breaks away and murmurs in Callie's ear.
"Mm, I think, given everyone's cranky pants, that's totally warranted."
"And Asa and Lena were outside all day at soccer, so they'll be zonked."
"Totally," Callie grins.
"Well then, Teo and I better go get dinner."
"You better."
"You're gonna have to let go then."
"Huh. That's a hard one."
"I know," Arizona laughs. "But the sooner you let me go, the sooner we can feed them and put them to bed."
Callie seems to consider that, face pressed into Arizona's hair.
"Knock that off; I smell like hospital."
"You always smell like hospital."
"Um, thanks?"
"Not in a bad way," Callie promises, though, hidden from her, Arizona raises a specious eyebrow.
"Tiny Dancer, let's go!" Arizona calls towards the stairs. "I'm starvin'."
Teo pounds down the stairs, and Arizona finally fights her way free from Callie's embrace with one last peck.
"We'll be home soon."
"You better be. I've had enough runaways for one day."
"Why would we run away from you?" Arizona grins cheekily, Teo putting on his best innocent face beside her.
"Get out of here," Callie shakes her head, standing up.
"Hey, Momma," Teo says, slipping his hand into Arizona's as they head out the door. "Can I control the radio?"
el fin