Summary: Arizona asks for some needed attention from Callie.
Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own Arizona or Callie, they belong to Shonda. I wish to obtain no profits from this story; I just want to share the love.
Timeframe: After Callie finds out she's going to be an attending thus following episode 6.04.
Callie couldn't wait to get home and tell Arizona the good news. She franticly searched for her keys and opened the door to her apartment.
"I got it! I'm an attending!" she squeed happily to Arizona who was sitting on the couch. When Arizona didn't look up, Callie approached her and heard some slight sniffling. "Ari? Aren't you happy for me?" This was good news. Excellent news, it meant the long distance relationship Arizona feared was not going to happen. So why wasn't Arizona rejoicing?
Arizona took a minute then looked up at Callie. Her eyes were puffy from crying and she wore one of the saddest looks Callie had ever seen. "Calliope of course I'm happy for you". She said. She stood up and walked past Callie into the kitchen.
Callie was confused. She thought Arizona wanted this too but now she wasn't sure if Arizona wanted her at all. She followed Arizona to the kitchen and walked up behind her. "I don't get it. You tell me I can't leave and that I have to go to the chief. You help me practice my speech and now you're acting like I did something wrong."
Arizona spun around and looked Callie in the eyes. Her voice came out stern and even. "When was the last time you came home and asked me how my day was? When was the last time I had to practice a speech with you? When was the last time you noticed me at all Calliope? I want you and I want you at Seattle Grace working with me because it's hell without you. The issue is that you never ask. You never ask me first how my day is or what's troubling me. You walked in here and I'm sure saw me sitting on the couch and heard that I was crying and all you could ask was if I was happy for you" Arizona shook her head and moved past Callie toward the bathroom. Callie was too shocked to follow her and didn't move until she jumped at the sound of the bathroom door slamming.
'She was right' thought Callie. 'She was always so damn right'. Callie was screwing up badly. She didn't know how to fix this. She didn't know if she should. 'That wonderful woman deserves so much more than me.' She thought. She walked slowly toward the bathroom. She knocked lightly on the door.
"Go away" said Arizona.
"Look Ari I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I don't ask you how your day is or that I hardly let you speak about yourself at all. I do care so much about you; I guess I've just lost how to show it. You deserve so much better than me and I understand if you want to leave and find it" said Callie with unshed tears in her eyes. She walked backward toward her bed and sat down with her head bowed.
Arizona sighed and opened the door. She walked up to Callie and lifted her head. "I don't deserve better than you Calliope Torres. I deserve better from you. I am a supportive person by nature and I love that you always seem to be bursting to tell me things but remember I share the same feeling. I just always feel like I have to let you go first. I just want to be first sometimes. That's what a relationship is Callie. It can't just always be me leaning on you or you leaning on me. We take turns." Said Arizona as she moved her head to the side a little as if asking Callie if she understood what she was saying.
Callie marveled at the incredible woman in front of her. She spent nights wondering how she could have gotten into God's good graces enough for him to send her such a person. She shook her head and looked at Arizona and said "I'm so…"
Arizona stopped her before she could finish. "Calliope you have said that word so much in the past few days it's loosing its meaning. Just show me. Just remember to show me. That's all I'm asking"
Callie stood up positioning herself against Arizona's body. She moved a stray hair from Arizona's face then bent down to give her one of the gentlest kisses that she'd ever given her. When she felt Arizona smile lightly into their kiss, she moved her hands to sit on Arizona's hips. She broke their kiss and rested her forehead against Arizona's. "How about I make us some of my chicken piccata and you tell me all about your day?"
"That sounds wonderful and then you can give me the breakdown of everything that happened with the chief." Said Arizona. She smiled at Callie. She broke their embrace and headed toward the kitchen but was stopped by Callie's hand.
"Ari, I'm not the best at this. Sometimes I get lost and I can't promise that I'll always be better but I want to try. I always want to try when it comes to you. And please don't feel that you have to wait to tell me things. Even if I don't ask, please know I want to listen." Said Callie with a pleading look on her face. She wanted this to work more than anything she could remember and she'd be damned if she didn't try her hardest at it.
Arizona smiled and moved toward Callie. She put her hand on Callie's cheek and said "Don't worry I'll make sure to tell you next time. I'm trying too. I'm not perfect, I may be a more experienced lesbian but that doesn't mean I get everything right." Arizona shrugged a little then smiled wide showing the dimples Callie was so in love with. "Come on I can't wait to taste that piccata."
With that Arizona pulled a smiling Callie into the living room.
As they lay in bed that evening both seconds away from sleep, Callie brought Arizona's hand to her mouth kissed it and said "Thank God I have you".
Arizona almost cried at the sweet gesture and responded with a kiss to Callie's cheek, looked up at the ceiling smiling and said "Dear God, Ditto".
Callie shook her head and laughed as they both snuggled closer and drifted off to sleep.