AN: Okay, I had some extra time and got another chapter done before leaving for vacation, I bet you don't mind being spoiled like that? ;-)
Thank you for all your great reviews, you guys are seriously amazing; you make me want to be better and write more. So thank you for keeping me on my toes.
AN/2: Someone asked for you to be able to see how Arizona would handle the bracelet-emergency, here you have it! Now, enjoy.
It's like my car's got more power, it's like the road is a bowling alley – I just keep on driving and everything feels so easy. Everything feels like soda running through a straw, like paint coming off a brush. And for the first time I actually know why I react the way I do, I know why I feel the way I do. Someone referred to me not using my name, someone found it in their heart to call me a pet name and it wasn't my mother or a child at work; it was actually someone I've been longing to call mine ever since I saw her. She called me honey, my girlfriend called me honey for the first time and it really shouldn't surprise me. That's what you call the people you feel connected to, it's how you show them that you hold them dear…but it's just been so long since I've heard such name put on me. It felt so good, and I'm sure that she'd be able to coax me into doing anything she wants to by using that name the next couple of months, which is totally okay with me. So I'm driving on honey, so to speak. I'm headed for my girlfriend's apartment where heaven and hell obviously are in the middle of colliding. Pulling up at the curb, I get my purse I slid out of my car, and walk fast up the little space separating the sidewalk from the building's threshold and press Callie's button. All I get is the buzz and the door clicks upon. Preparing myself for what storm that might be going on, on the other side of the blue door, I get my pedagogical skills settled once again and knock.
"Best Bwracelet Finder!" I hear an excitedly Sofia call from the inside which makes me smile. The door soon opens and Mark's exhausted face greets me.
"Thank God!" he heavily breathes, opening the door so I can walk past him.
"And hello to you, too," I chuckle, shrugging out of my jacket. "Where's-"
"Av-zona!" Sofia cuts me off with a delightful squeal, flailing with her arms as she comes running towards me.
"Sofia!" I exclaim just as eagerly and kneel down, hugging the little girl as she comes crashing into my embrace. When she pulls out of the hug I see the tiredness clouding her eyes, making me chuckle on the inside of her stubbornness. "I thought someone would be asleep by now?" I question with a pondering smile. "It's quite late…I was actually on my way to bed myself, but then your mom called me… What's with you not sleeping, big girl?" I stroke her back gently, letting my purse drop to the floor beside me all the while Mark's leaning against the wall, watching us.
"Me no sleep. Me no find bwlue bwracelet," Sofia tells me, her voice breaking as her eyes slowly starts to glisten with unshed tears. But I know those tears, I see those tears every day; she's not fooling me just because she looks so damn cute. Nope, not a change!
"You couldn't find the pretty bracelet, huh? Aww, that's a shame," straightening myself up, I take her hand. "How about we go look for it in your room?"
"I've already searched the entire apartment," Mark interjects, following us into Sofia's room. "Even the bathroom."
"Well, it doesn't hurt to look twice, does it, Sofia?" I smile at Mark first then direct my smile at the little version of my girlfriend.
"Guess not," he huffs.
"Now, Sofia… do you remember where you had it the last time you played with it?" I survey the room which pretty much looks like a war zone; toys splayed out on every square metre.
The little girl closes her eyes and puts a finger to her temple, pressing it into her skin, which makes her face pull into a very focused expression as she tries to remember where she possibly could have mislaid the bracelet. Sofia's little face scrunches up in pondering and I can't help the soft giggle that falls from my lips. Suddenly her eyes shoot upon and she storms off to the bathroom.
"Treas-sure, treas-sure."
Not really following where Sofia's mind just went, Mark and I follow her pace to the bathroom only to be run into by an excited 2-year-old, holding a shiny, blue bracelet up for all eyes to see.
"Wow, you found it?" – "Where was it, I already looked in there?"
"Yup. Me found it. Treas-sure, Av-zona. Daddy, that's treas-sure me hide," Sofia's eyes sparkle and I can only imagine that they must've been playing some sort of pirate game earlier.
"You hide the treasure from the pinching pirates, huh? Good going!" I grin and pat her on her shoulder.
"Yup. Me hide it in twashcan," she proudly states. "No one look in twashcan for treas-sure," I gotta give it to this girl, she's smart. Hiding jewelry in the slop pail…rather unhygienic but still smart.
"Oh that was what you were doing before dinner?" Mark laughs.
Sofia nods and fumbles the bracelet onto her wrist. "Me pwetty, 'coz me find treas-sure again."
"You did," I drawl. "And you know what else?" I raise my eyebrow to lure her into the game. "If you wash your hands and the bracelet, and hurry back to bed, I'm sure your dad won't tell your mom that you were up way past your bedtime. And we can even snuggle, if you're up for it.. I mean, I don't know if you like snuggles… probably not," shrugging I tease her, turning the water on I help her hands under the tap.
"Me do, Av-zona. Me do. Me like snuggles," Sofia shoots as she keeps looking at me.
"Really?" I grin.
"Me like snuggles the bestest."
"Awesome, me too!" and we both get into a small fit of giggles as we wash both bracelet and hands.
Mark's been rather quiet the last minutes, so I turn my head to look at him. He gives me a small smile and then rubs his beard. "Well, it looks like everything is good here then. Are you staying over or?"
"I'll wait for Callie," I smile, watching him zip up his sweater.
"Then I think my work here is done," he shrugs. "If you don't mind, that is…"
"Of course not, I'll let Callie know."
"Thanks. Sofia, Daddy's gotta go now. I had a lot fun tonight, I hope you had too?" Mark approaches the sink and tousles her hair, making Sofia shriek.
"No, Daddy. Me hair be nice," she states as she accepts the towel I hand her.
"Sorry, kiddo," Mark smirks. "Can I get a goodbye hug then?"
Sofia hesitates but then leans in to be taken into Mark's arms. He hugs her tightly and it looks like she hugs him back, all I can see is Mark's face as he lets her go. Something about the sad look in his eyes makes me feel…awkward. He pokes Sofia's little nose and winks at her. "We'll see each other real soon again, I hope," the last words coming out as a distant plea I can't help noticing. "You go right to bed and do as Arizona says, okay?" Mark smiles which earns him a big smile from the toddler. "Good," he raises and extracts his hand. "Good meeting you, Arizona. Take good care of them…"
"I will. I promise," I tell him, shaking his offered hand and feeling this moment somehow just got a hell of a lot more emotional. "Good meeting you, too."
"Thank you," he finishes with a crooked smile. "Goodnight Sofia," with that the man disappears out of the bathroom, leaving me and Sofia to ourselves. When we hear the click of the door, signaling Mark's departure, Sofia turns to look at me.
"Daddy's gone."
"Yes, he had to go take care of a lot of sick people," I lie to her because I don't really know why he left all of a sudden. Well, deep down I think I know but it isn't something a 2-year-old should know…now.
"Okay," Sofia takes my hand and drags me out of the bathroom and into what I assume is Callie's bedroom. "We snuggle in Mama's bed, we awways do," she smiles at me. But I can't climb into Callie's bed without Callie; that would just be very, very weird. So instead I try and save myself for the awkwardness of lying in my girlfriend's bed for the first time with her daughter instead of her, by putting my hands on her shoulders and guide her back to her room.
"No snuggles in Mama's bed tonight, because… I've always wanted to snuggle in a bed shaped like a ship," and my made-up confession apparently hits home because Sofia's face lights up as the Northern Star.
As we both hop into her bed, she eagerly babbles on about all the animals on her comforter's cover; showing me every animal she knows on Noah's Ark. I lap up everything she tells me, totally infatuated with this little girl's life spark, and praising my luck for having had Sofia stumbling right into my heart. When I decide that it's really, really way past her bedtime, I cut her animal rambling off with a kiss to her forehead and tuck the comforter just up to under her chin. As I climb out of her bed, she grasps my wrist as I go to leave her room.
"You no leave me."
"Oh, Sofia. I won't, I promise. I'm just gonna go tidy up the living room," I assure her, my voice soft with admiration. "I'm gonna be here till your mom gets here, okay?"
Sofia's tiredness soon overpowers her ability to speak. "Mmmhkay, no leave…no leave Neverland," she says before letting go of my wrist, her eyelids dropping close. Leaning down to place another soft kiss on her forehead, I smile as I lean back up; Sofia's lower lip pushed slightly to the side, the bracelet tightly grasped in her hand under the pillow. I tiptoe out of the room, leaving the lavalamp on and the door ajar.
I'm stirred out of my light slumber on the couch as a pair of soft lips makes contact with my cheek, the scent of restaurant softly sneaks into my nose. As I flutter my eyes open, I'm met with the dazzling smile of my girlfriend. Callie looks at me in that certain way I've become addicted to which quickly sends a rush of infatuation through me body. I know I could live on looking at her forever, I could live on just watching her breathe but I want so much more. I need so much more and somehow without having asked, I know she's willing to give it to me. Her eyes tell me all I need to know. Shooting her one of my sweetest smiles, I sit up and rub my nose.
"Hi. You home already?" I ask not knowing what time it is.
"Hi," she beams as she sits down next to me. "Already? It's like 11:30. Sorry it took so long," Callie apologizes while she squeezes my knee.
"Really? Wow," I yawn but try to cover it with my hand. When I remove my hand, Callie leans in to place another kiss on me, this time directly at my lips. "Mmmh…peppermint."
"You're pretty good at this," Callie plays, impressed by my skills to differentiate tastes. When I smugly grin, she squeezes my knee one more time. "I see you got the lion tame."
"Yup. My superpowers of mind control helped your daughter to remember where she'd hidden the current treasure from all the pirates," I chuckle with another smug grin.
"Impressive, Mary Poppins," Callie teases.
"Hey! I'm no Mary Poppins. I don't sing!"
"Aww, that's a shame," Callie pulls me into her side and wraps her arm around me and right there all my arguments goes out the window. I think she's kind of figured out how easily she can manipulate me by just touching me the slightest. But it actually doesn't bug me, on the contrary I very much appreciate it. As my head rests on her shoulder and her hand stroke up and down my own shoulder, I feel how our hearts beat in synch, how at ease I feel. It's the smallest things like this…at the end of the day, coming home to someone or waiting up for someone, is what I've really missed. Knowing that someone misses you when you're at work and that their day immediately brightens up when you're together again. I can't believe I've gone without this feeling for so long, now I don't think I'll ever be able to give it up. Callie lets a yawn escape her mouth and I can feel her stroking become slower and slower as her hand is about to give in to the day's exploits. Kissing her softly under her jaw, I pull myself up in sitting position again.
"I guess you'll want to go to bed," I smile and rise.
"I really should but…um…you don't…you don't need to, I mean…you could stay? If you want to of course. It's late. You shouldn't be driving at this hour anyway…so," Callie rises too. We're facing each other and I'm sure that we pretty much mirror the other one's blushing, hopes and insecurity at this point. It's still so early and Lord knows that I've dreamed about sharing a bed with Callie for oh so long now, but when the opportunity finally gives, I'm acting like a love-struck teenager. "Please," she adds when I haven't responded.
"I'd love to," I finally get over my lips and it's nothing but the truth. I'd very much love to spend the night curled around that magnificent woman. My heartbeat isn't controllable at this point, it just keeps on pounding the infatuation round in my body and making my head dizzy, as if Callie's beauty wasn't enough.
Callie smiles a huge smile and takes my hand, leading me into her bedroom I've hours ago been standing in. When we reach her dresser I finally remember that I haven't got any PJ's or anything. I must be showing some sort of mental debate or Callie's a mind reader, because not two seconds after I've thought the thought Callie hands me a big T-shirt and a pair of shorts. Accepting the clothes I smile, playing a little with the fabric in my hands. Should I just take off my clothes here or go for the bathroom? Screw it, she's my girlfriend and I'm about to sleep in her bed, I'm damn right not going to change in her bathroom. I place the clothes on the dresser and slowly slide off my long shirt, revealing my dark red bra. Catching Callie looking intensely at my chest, I can't help but smile; she obviously appreciates the sight. She mirrors my action and throws her shirt to the side; I almost get lost when my dream about her cleavage comes true. There it is! There those gorgeous mountains of beauty are. Restrained by a black, lacy bra. If I'm not physically drooling, I know I am mentally. She's absolutely divine! I need to feel her naked skin, I need to be close to her, so without any warning I close the gap between us and clash our lips together. It's pure passion and it goes both ways. I feel her hands roam my back while mine work at her sides, slightly ghosting the fabric of her bra once awhile. Words aren't needed, all we need is the touch of each other. The kiss grows deeper as I demand access to her mouth, our heads shifting directions again and again.
Callie backs us up to the bed, the back of my knees hitting the mattress. When I pull away to inhale some much needed air, I lock eyes with the woman before me. Her cheeks are flushed and her eyes are shining, so much beauty in one place should almost be illegal; but thank God it's not. I know there's only one way this will go and I'm perfectly okay with that, I've been longing for this for so long. The time getting to know Callie only added to how much more I needed of her. How much more I needed for her to reveal every bit of her to me. She looks at me as to ask for permission to go further, her hands resting at the waistband of my leggins. I slowly nod which earns me a beaming smile. She gently pushes the fabric down my thighs which results in every hair on my body rising; to be undressed by this magical human being before me just doesn't feel real. But it is, it is. Arizona, it is. So keep it cool!
When Callie kneels and slides off the leggins altogether, her eyes on me the whole time, I catch her glare glance to my panty clad sex just for a split second which ignites my entire mind, body and soul. She kisses my calves and strokes the outside of my thighs as she takes in my body. Having had enough of her being so far away and with way too much clothes on, I lean up and clasps her shoulders; dragging her on top of me as we kiss once again.
"You've got too much clothes on," I state between sloppy kisses, my hands dipping below the hem of her pants and feeling her skin react to my touch. It's like having the full access to heaven being here…with Callie, with my girlfriend…something I didn't know could exist until now.
Callie chuckles into the kiss, breaking the kiss to look at me with a stunning smirk on her face. She quickly rolls off of me and tears off her pants, throwing them into the pile of the other discarded clothes. I use the time to scoot up the headboard but before I know it, she's on me again; her teeth nipping at my lower lip only to kiss down my neck and make her brand. I slide down so I'm lying completely on my back as the beautiful Latina hovers above me. When she finally sinks her body and her weight softly presses my body further down in the mattress, it's like fireworks exploding. It's the 4th of July in my mind, my soul and definitely in my core. The hand she doesn't use as leverage, snakes down chest deadly slow as she places open mouthed kisses in her wake. When she reaches my bellybutton, she twirls her tongue around only to kiss her way back up to settle on my lips. All the kisses have made my mind a complete mess and I'm about to explode from need, feeling my juices already spilling out from between my thighs. Callie's free hand finally finds the slim elastic band of my panties and pulls them off my leg; the path her hand makes from my knee to my inner thigh is too much to handle, so I buck against her own thigh to get some kind of friction to my screaming core. Callie's chuckle fills the room and I open my eyes to catch her staring directly down at me, nothing but affection and lust in those pools of chocolate. Just as she leans down to kiss me and our eyes lock for the millionth time, she pulls her face back when she inserts two fingers to my dripping core. I yelp out in surprise and the feeling of finally being felt, of finally being filled. It's the only thing I can do, I've got nothing left…My eyes go wide and my mouth opens as my jaw sets. Callie starts a leisurely pace, not using her hips to thrust just yet. Her fingers plunge magically into me, curling in a way I haven't experienced ever before; I finally get over the surprise of her fingers wandering and meet her pound thrust by thrust. I hold her body tight to me by grasping her back for dear life, and her soul close by connecting our mouths once again. She swallows my appreciative moans and I eat all of her groans of satisfaction. We feast of each other and it feels good to finally be able to eat, to finally be consumed by someone who wants the same thing as you do.
Callie picks up her pace, making the thrusts deeper using the force of her hip. "Oh, god…Yes..Cal..Callie..Yes. Right..there, god!" I moan in between kisses and uneven breaths.
"I've dreamed about this. About you," Callie pants as she inserts another digest, filling me oh so perfectly with three of her masterchef fingers, kneading my walls and spots like they've never been kneaded before. "Feeling you, touching you, making love…" she emphasizes every word with a hard pound, making me writhe and curl beneath her as my world breaks apart and heals in the same amount of seconds. "…to you. God! So long," Callie reveals as she keeps kissing me, dragging her kisses onto my cheeks and my neck, my chest with my still restrained breasts. "You're so beautiful," she tells me, kissing above the bra as she keeps on thrusting.
I want to scream all the things Callie's just revealed, I want her to know that I've felt the exact same way but I just can't, I can't find the right words. "Please, keep going," I plead as I meet her hand. "You're…amazing…so, so…close!" I pant, digging my nails into her shoulders. "Yes…y-y-yessss," I hiss out as I feel my walls suck Callie's fingers in. She stills her movements painfully slow and soon her beautiful face is looking down at me. I pull her down for a rough but loving kiss as a thank you for her making me feel more alive than I've ever felt before and she gladly participates. Suddenly I feel her fingers leave me empty which makes me whimper into her mouth.
"I…it was…you…holy shit…Calliope…"
Callie grins and tucks some hair behind my ear, kissing me softly on the nose before rolling off of me and flopping into the place just next to me. "Yes, it was," she sighs happily and curls into my side.
The silence becomes a cocoon of bubbly feelings as Callie's head rests on my chest. I'm almost ready to repay the favor…because…I really need to repay that magic. I can't wait anymore. I need to show her just how much she moves me, just how much she just rocked my world. And just how much I've dreamed about this, too. Her breath is still a little heavy, just as mine, but the way it tinkles my every nerve makes me feel alive and oh so masterly good.
"You know, I've dreamed about this, too," I finally tell the woman who shared her inner thoughts with me as she showed me how much she'd dreamed. "And I think I've dreamed about it forever…honey," Callie tightens the hold on my body with the arm she's draped around my waist; pulling me into her even closer as she kisses the top of my chest chastely. She doesn't say anything besides humming, and that's good enough for me because I heard what her heart told me just before. Something about dreams and hope, things I believe in even more now after meeting Callie.
So, you spoiled people... I don't think I'll be able to crack another chapter out until after my vacation... But who knows, maybe?
Until then; I hope you enjoyed this chapter :-)