This one-shot is based on chapter 4 of my completed story: How The Story Ends. I was asked to write that specific part from Eliza's POV. I decided to go for it, since I actually could imagine this part - where she's asked to back off - through her eyes as well (and I'm also not one to ignore a good challenge).
That being said it wasn't that easy and it did take me quite some time. So, as I'm too much of a people pleaser, please don't ask me for the other chapters. I bet there are way better new stories around by now anyway. Anyhow, I hope you guys enjoy this little snippet. xoxo
A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW
Her hand is made for holding. It fits perfectly in her own. Her skin feels soft. And warm. Like an invitation to explore, to softly caress it with the tip of her thumb - letting her know how okay this feels. She's afraid it would make her pull away though. So she lays very still, keeping all her fingers in place, including the one that slightly touches a part of her wrist.
She can feel her pulse. It's racing.
Of course she knows she can't hold on forever. So Eliza lets go, reluctantly. Arizona pulls her arm back up, making it disappear out of sight. Just like the rest of her. It's almost like she isn't there. Is she? Eliza suddenly feels the urge to check, even though she knows how ridiculous that is. She can't resist.
"Goodnight, Arizona," she quietly says.
The answer comes quickly and almost like a whisper. "Goodnight, Eliza."
After that the room stays quiet, with the exception of the background noises and the soft sounds of their breathing. She notices how Arizona's turns slow and deep, telling her she drifted off.
Although she tries, Eliza knows she won't be able to sleep as well. Not while she is only three feet away from this woman... this woman who has woken her up recently, just by looking at her - through a window, with a dozen people in between them. Who makes her heart beat out of her chest every time she's near her. Who tells her to back off, but also - with less words - to stay close. Who confuses her more than anything. Or anyone.
She knows it aren't just those mixed signals that drives her crazy though. In fact she can understand quite well how Arizona must feel conflicted. In a way, she even likes it, even though things get this complicated because of it. Cause in the end, watching her struggle with her loyalties shows what a good friend she tries to be, what a good person she is.
No, it's the fact that she can't let go that drives her close to insanity. She doesn't like complicated, she doesn't do complicated. It's something she always turns her back on, without any difficulties. When she meets someone new (quite often) and interesting (a little less often), she always and easily jumps in, but it has to be fun. When it isn't, she's out just as quickly. Life is too short to be complicated.
So why doesn't she get out now? Why can't she just walk away?
Because maybe, a little voice inside her tells her with quite some conviction, maybe this woman might be really worth it...
... ...
After tossing and turning for another hour Eliza calls it a night - or the opposite, as morning is about to start by now. She gets up, gets changed in the small bathroom and quietly leaves the room, resisting the temptation to stare at Arizona, who's still peacefully asleep. Besides the fact that she doesn't want to be 'that creep that watches people sleep', she also promised Arizona that she would keep her distance, starting today. And watching her sleep certainly doesn't qualify as keeping any distance, even though she might not even know about it.
Her brain working in overdrive may have prevented her from sleep, but in the end it has given her some insights as well. Maybe she has come on too strong, considering the situation? Maybe Arizona's request isn't such a bad thing. Strongly believing they are two magnets with opposite poles, keeping some distance feels downright impossible. But it might be exactly what was needs right now. If she wants to find out where Arizona is standing, she shouldn't pull. She has to let her figure it out for herself. Eliza only has to be there in case that she does.
Well, be there and control herself a little in the meantime...
Sticking to her new plan isn't that difficult on day number one. Mainly because they don't run into each other at all. On the second day their paths cross twice, just briefly in the hallway. Short enough to keep a straight face, but long enough to know she hates it already.
The next day they happen to meet at the white board. Arizona and Karev walk by when Eliza is just struggling with the schedule.
"Dr. Karev, Dr. Robbins," she calls to draw their attention. They turn towards her. "I noticed your surgeries are planned at the same time today," she starts. "I'd like to change your OR's, so Dr. Karev's procedure can be watched from the gallery. It has more learning opportunities."
Alex shrugs. "Fine by me," he answers.
"Yeah, no probl-" Arizona assents as well, but Eliza turns around already.
"Great, thank you both," she says, while adjusting the board. It's probably their shortest conversation ever.
A bunch of similar encounters follow that day, as well as the next one. She even sits through a staff meeting, where irony decides they have to sit opposite each other for over an hour. Eliza is just patting herself on the back for doing so well when the first real challenge presents itself, yet another day later, in the gallery.
... ...
When she walks in, the place looks crowded. She's been up on her feet for hours in her own surgery, so she finds herself lucky when some intern in the front row gets up and offers her his chair. It isn't till she reached her seat that she realizes she's about to sit down right next to Arizona. And that it's clearly too late to turn around.
"Play it cool, Minnick!" she tells herself, while taking her seat and desperately trying to ignore the fact that her neighbor looks damn fine today. Eliza tries to remember herself that Arizona is the one who wanted distance, so she might just help her out here and ignore the hell out of her, too.
Unfortunately she does not.
"Kicked out of your classroom?" Arizona quietly asks her.
Eliza quickly decides she won't give in. No matter what, she would stick with the plan! "This is the first time Dr. Avery booked this OR since I'm here, while knowing it gives me a chance to observe. I take my victories where I can get them," she replies, trying her best to sound nonchalant and to look really focused on whatever is going on in that OR - truth is she has no clue what Avery is doing. She can't remember ever being this distracted by someone's presence.
To her relief, Arizona doesn't respond. For a little while, they just sit there, pretending there is absolutely nothing going on, even though the tension between them is almost visible, making each and every little hair on her arm stand on end. Still, there is nothing to worry about, as long as she just sits here. Eyes on the surgery. Breathe in. Breathe out.
Suddenly Eliza feels something against her leg - faintly, but unmistakable. A quick look tells her it's Arizona's knee, which has slid to the right, slightly brushing against Eliza's scrubs. Eliza reckons that Arizona probably just moved a little, accidentally touching her, since she has been the one who wanted her to stop flirting. Without paying too much attention to it, Eliza shifts a little in her seat, as to create some distance again. Things are hard enough as they are.
A minute later Arizona's move doesn't seem so accidental anymore, when she repeats it, slightly more obvious. Eliza doesn't react this time, not visible at least. Yet facing the fact that Arizona's movements are definitely not unintentionally, her brain is making overtime. What's going on? What does Arizona want here? Is she for real? Is she teasing her? Or testing her!? And what's her own plan again? Oh right, not giving in until she's very, very sure. Clearly, she isn't right now, so she should stick with playing it cool. Which is really hard when this specific someone is literally touching her.
"Words, use your words!" she tells herself. Remembering the conversation they had before, she bends a little toward Arizona and quietly asks her: "You need a tissue for those tears, Dr. Robbins?"
Her words do the job. Arizona reacts straight away; she clears her throat, sits up straight again and, as Eliza can see from the corner of her eye, looks painfully uncomfortable.
Yep, she's still doing great. (And still really, really hating it.)
... ...
A few days pass, in which Arizona goes AWOL. Except that she really doesn't, because Eliza sees her twice in the hospital, sneaking into the stairwell.
Of course the hospital isn't that big, so sooner or later another encounter is inevitable. Chances that they'll meet again in private are significantly smaller, but as it turns out not unthinkable either...
Eliza finds herself in the attendings' lounge, about to change out of her scrubs, when she hears someone get in and close the door behind them. Looking up, she sees it's Arizona, who doesn't seem to notice her straight away. She's already at her locker when she looks around and spots Eliza. For a second, her face shows a sign of shock, but she manages to quickly wipe it away by putting on a slightly uncomfortable, yet sincere smile.
"Hey there," she just says.
"That was going to be my line," Eliza replies, mirroring Arizona's smile.
They fall into silence, the kind that makes Eliza nervous all of a sudden. Keeping her distance is way easier when they are bickering. She swallows to get rid of the lump in her throat, then speaks up again, desperate to break this nerve-wracking silence. "So how's the avoiding-me going?"
Although she didn't specifically try to sound funny a laugh escapes Arizona's lips, making Eliza realize some laughter is exactly what they need right now. Just like that she can breathe again.
"It's going quite well, thank you for asking," Arizona answers overly polite, followed by a small grin. She probably doesn't realize it, but she has that sparkle in her eyes again, taking Eliza's breath away.
"Good," Eliza reacts, not knowing what else to say.
She turns around before she can make an even bigger fool of herself. She knows she has to act normal, meaning continuing what she was doing. Meaning getting her clothes off. While starting to change, she tells herself once again to stick to the plan. To change quickly and just leave. Yet she also tells herself she isn't the only one in this room getting undressed right now. In other words: to take it slow and stay a little longer.
Not able to make up her mind, she takes her scrub top off and drops it on the floor - one way or the other, she does need to change. Is Arizona doing the same right now? Eliza can't resist not looking anymore; while reaching for her clean shirt she glances over her shoulder.
Arizona isn't changing, she's staring at her. Biting her lower lip. And, as it seems, hardly realizing that Eliza is looking back at her. It takes Eliza all she has not to cross the room.
"Anything else, Dr. Robbins?" she asks instead, preventing herself from doing anything stupid.
The question seems to startle Arizona, as if she suddenly wakes up from a dream.
"N- No," she stammers, followed by a whole other bunch of no's, while abruptly making her way across the room. "No, no, no! You're not doing this again!" she determines. She picks up Eliza's scrub top from the floor and throws it at her.
Eliza, facing Arizona (who's now standing only two feet away from her) again, catches the top, but doesn't even think of covering herself. She realizes how things might look, especially now that she's half naked, but she knows she hasn't done anything that she shouldn't. She has kept her word.
"I'm not doing anything. I promised you, didn't I?" she defends herself, then suddenly recalling the gallery. "You on the other hand..."
Arizona sharply exhales and drops her shoulders. She looks embarrassed and even more conflicted than before. If she were a toddler she would probably stomp her feet in frustration right now, Eliza thinks. It's almost adorable. If only she knew that it doesn't have to be this complicated. That she really isn't trying to give her a hard time, but also that she is right here if she wants her to be.
Feeling the need to reassure her, Eliza speaks up again. "You know, just because the ball is not in my court anymore, doesn't have to mean it left the stadium. If you-"
Apparently that's all Arizona needs to hear. Before Eliza can finish her next sentence, Arizona suddenly pushes her backwards against the wall and roughly presses her lips on Eliza's.
Even though Eliza is taken by surprise, her body reacts instantly. She wraps her arms around Arizona, pulling her in till their bodies almost become one. She opens her mouth a little, welcoming Arizona's tongue. Her hands find their way up, cupping her face, before getting lost in her hair.
And then there is the sensation of finding herself in Arizona's arms. Of Arizona's hands all over her body - holding her tight while rocking into her, roaming the bare skin of her back. Of Arizona's lips on her own, their tongues entwined, kissing her like her life depends on it. Of feeling Arizona's hot breath against her skin, and knowing her heart is racing - because of her! - just like her own heart is racing. It's almost too much. Still she knows she will never ever stop doing what she is doing right now.
So in the end it's Arizona who breaks the kiss, although she doesn't move other than that. Neither does Eliza. They just stand there, holding each other close, their faces only an inch away from each other. While trying to catch their breaths, their lips still attempt to find each other, like having a mind of their own. They miss, as if they've lost all their strength. Eliza opens her eyes and find Arizona's, who looks up through her eyelashes, gasping for some air.
"Well, shit," she says with a raspy voice.
Eliza, for her part, is speechless.
Then just like that the expression on Arizona's face changes, showing a sudden panic in her eyes. "Oh, shit," she says again, but sounding totally different now. Eliza wants to reassure her, wants to tell her it's okay, but Arizona reacts quick to whatever emotion is taking over. She lets go of Eliza, turns around, grabs her stuff and runs to the door. The last thing Eliza hears is another "Shit!".
Shit indeed, Eliza thinks, while leaning backwards against the wall. Arizona's sudden take-off isn't a very good sign. On the other hand there is enough time to worry about that later. For now she really wants to hold on to her most recent memories. A huge smile creeps over her face.
Shit indeed. Arizona has kissed her!
. . . .
Note: English is not my first language, I apologize for any spelling errors.
The original story is found here: s/12361917/1/How-The-Story-Ends