for gab ( EVROIA on twt)'s request: something set in s14 where callie meets carina
title from george ezra's "paradise"
(originally was gonna try and get a title from vamp weekend's "bambina" but couldn't find one that worked lol)
but this time it's real (it's something that i feel)
Callie ran a hand through her hair, unable to shake her nerves and the ever present sense that something was going to go wrong. Maybe it was just being back in Seattle, which seemed to be an epicentre for disaster. Maybe it was that she was surprising Arizona and Sofia and would basically be gatecrashing if she hadn't told Alex he owed her one and needed an invite (which Alex happily gave her and pointed out that she didn't really need to call in a favour).
Maybe it was that things were still so new again with Arizona and she wasn't sure how Arizona was going to react to her showing up.
Just the thought of Arizona made her heart speed up, a familiar and yet new sensation, and one she hadn't realised she had missed until recently. Callie couldn't help but smile to herself.
Things with Arizona were, well, she wasn't entirely sure what they were.
They were together, that much Callie knew. But she wasn't sure what they were, girlfriend sounded too weak for what they meant to each other. Ex-wives similarly undervalued who they were to each other. Partner seemed like too much of a commitment too early on, although they kind of were partners already when it came to Sofia. Significant other also felt too formal.
But they were together.
In recent months after Callie's surprisingly explosive breakup with Penny, Callie had found herself reaching out to Arizona more and more. At first it had just been about Sofia, keeping Arizona up to date about what Sofia was doing day to day in New York. And then Callie had sent Sofia back to Seattle early and Arizona kept up the lines of communication. Those texts slowly shifted into actually checking in on each other and sharing details of their days and jokes they had heard and things that made them think of the other.
Both had been deliberate in framing it as for Sofia's benefit. But Callie knew it was more than that. She knew it was deeper than mere texts.
Callie had been the first to call and her only explanation was just "I needed to hear your voice, Arizona."
And Arizona had said, "It's so good to hear your voice, Calliope."
From there it almost felt like they had never really been apart as they started talking regularly, Arizona even joining Sofia's video calls from time to time.
When Callie flew out for Easter, and Arizona and her girlfriend were on the outs, Arizona insisted Callie just stay in her guest bedroom, much to Sofia's delight.
As she and Arizona stayed up the night before Easter, decorating eggs and drinking and laughing, Callie almost couldn't remember that they weren't together, that they weren't a family anymore.
Because this was what she wanted. This was her family. It always had been.
And the soft, fumbling, hesitant kiss they shared had only solidified that for Callie. Arizona was who she wanted.
But they lived on opposite ends of the country and neither was willing to bend first and admit they needed more. Neither was willing to make that crucial step.
And really, Callie couldn't blame Arizona for not trusting her enough to ask for more. Callie had been the one who left. Callie had moved across the country and dragged them through an unnecessarily cruel custody battle. Callie moved on far quicker than Arizona did, and it had not escaped Callie's notice Arizona only began seriously dating once she was out of Seattle.
Their history was filled with so many scars and pitfalls, it sometimes felt like they were dancing across of a field of land mines, just waiting for everything to blow up in their faces.
But Callie knew she loved Arizona. She wanted to be with Arizona. She wanted a family with Arizona and Sofia. And they needed to be in the same place for that to happen.
Which had led Callie to dialling Arizona's number late one night her time, only for Arizona's name to pop up.
And after days of discussion, they had finally agreed that Seattle was the better option for now. Sofia needed stability and Arizona's job was tricky and they owned the hospital so Callie should be able to get her job back easily enough. And there were enough sports teams in Seattle that could use a surgeon of her caliber, so she'd be able to find something.
But Callie wasn't meant to be in Seattle for almost two months. That had been the date they had agreed on.
Only, Callie couldn't make it that long without her family, without her girls. And so here she was, walking into Alex Karev of all people's weddings, after a bizarre run-in with Teddy Altman at the airport.
Callie ran a hand through her hair, still not used to how short it was. And that was yet another thing adding stress to the situation. In a fit of impulse (which was apparently the only way Callie dealt with her hair), she had had nearly all of her hair chopped after last week and hadn't said a word to Arizona. She kept telling herself that Arizona always liked her hair, even when they first met and it was a travesty of bangs, but this was a real departure for her. But she liked it and it was hair. It'd just grow out, it'd be fine.
Callie let out a shuddering breath as she stepped into Jo and Alex's venue, which was admittedly gorgeous. Although, if Callie was being honest, she preferred the garden she and Arizona had been married in.
She scanned around the gardens for Arizona, for that telltale blonde hair, but she wasn't there yet it seemed, or at least not where Callie could see her.
Callie made her way to the bar, hopeful a bit of alcohol would fortify her nerves for seeing Arizona. Sofia she knew would be thrilled regardless, but Arizona made her nervous, just like she had all those years ago when Callie tried to ask her out.
Callie briefly considered tequila, but it was far too early for that and she doubted Arizona would appreciate the surprise of Callie's presence if she was drunk. So a glass of white wine it was, and no, Callie would not like to examine why in the past few years she had switched to almost exclusively drinking white wine.
As she sipped at her wine, she looked out across the attendees. It was an odd mix of people Callie had known for years, and completely new faces. She had barely been gone a year and everything had changed.
Every so often, Callie would find herself wishing to go back to before. Before everything had become so complicated. Before there were bus crashes and car crashes and plane crashes. Before everything had been about the leg and screaming matches. Before Arizona's ring was on someone else's scrubs and Callie wasn't on the plane. Before Callie hated Arizona and Arizona hated herself and everything was always a mess. Before Callie knew Arizona could break her heart and before they broke each other's hearts.
When all Callie had been worried about was being chief resident and other stupid little things.
Sometimes Callie almost wondered what her life would've been like without Arizona. But then she'd remember how it felt to be loved by Arizona and she couldn't lose that. For all her faults, Arizona loved in such a pure, powerful way that Callie felt incredibly grateful to experience.
She hadn't always felt that way.
There had been many times where Callie resented Arizona for her love.
But with time and distance and maturity, Callie had come to value it and recognise how precious it was.
"You look deep in thought."
Callie jumped a bit, nearly spilling her wine on her hand. She twisted to see the woman who had spoken to her, and honestly, she looked vaguely familiar. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that."
"Is it really sneaking if you're in a public space with a hundred other people?" The woman mused and Callie couldn't quite place her accent. "Not exactly a private area. Dime for your thoughts?"
"Penny," Callie corrected absently, ignoring the discomfort at saying her ex's name. "I'm just waiting for someone, to see someone."
"Ah, someone you love."
Callie flushed a bit. But there was no denying it. She loved Arizona, it was as easy as that. "Yeah, something like that." Callie stared out across the crowd and her breath caught in her chest at the sight of Arizona. God, she was beautiful. She was far away, but even from a distance, Callie couldn't miss her super magic smile. The woman next to her sighed heavily, turning back to the bar. "Penny for your thoughts?"
"It is… no one wants to be alone at a wedding."
"Maybe you'll meet someone."
"I've already met someone. But things have not worked in our favour, so to say."
"Oh," and Callie understood that intimately. When had things ever worked in her and Arizona's favor? That answer was easy enough; never, things never worked in their favour.
"I thought we had something. I thought we had love. But evidently not. No, no, they're too hung up on someone I don't think loves them back. Love is precious and should not be wasted on people who can't love you back."
Callie nodded, sipping at her wine before saying, "I… I can understand that." And hadn't that been what had happened with George? She had wasted time and energy and affection on George and even Erica to an extent, when the whole time they were incapable of returning that. And she had taken that insecurity out on Arizona, even though Arizona had truly loved her. "My first husband, he, we rushed into things and forced love when we weren't right for each other. But I found someone who loved me for me and we've always seemed to find our way back to each other. You'll find your someone."
The other woman hummed, still looking entirely despondent.
A small part of Callie couldn't help but be amused by the idea of giving romantic advice to someone after the pure carnage her love life had been since, well, since the plane crash.
"I am seen as someone sane and healthy enough to give advice. I mean, when I lived in the basement, when I married an intern in Vegas, I wasn't seen that way."
"You're amazing."
"We're amazing. I mean, we're the stable couple now. We're the ones to beat. I mean, I can just see us ten years from now in a big 'ol house with kids running around and giving sane, sage advice to Mark Sloan, who will still be single."
Callie felt her smile slip a bit as she remembered that conversation with Arizona, the one that had sparked the first major fissure in their relationship. It was nearly ten years since that conversation and none of Callie's predictions had come true. They weren't the stable couple, they weren't the ones to beat. They didn't live together. They had Sofia and any attempts to expand their family had ended in disaster. And Mark, Mark was dead and Callie missed him constantly.
Callie couldn't help but look back towards Arizona. She still wanted all of that, whatever was still possible with Arizona. She still wanted that happy ending she had believed they'd get before things started blowing up around them.
Arizona was speaking with April, only her profile visible, and Callie couldn't look away. For so long, they had been so far apart, even when they were together, but now… this time, things felt different. Callie wanted every possible moment with Arizona.
Callie knew she had the dumbest smile on her face but she didn't care. She loved Arizona and Arizona loved her and they were trying again and they'd all be in the same city as a family and finally, finally they had a future again.
And then Arizona turned around and their eyes met and Callie's first thought was, "Ortho, right?"
Even years later, she could still remember the way Arizona had approached her and how she just felt different with Arizona in that dirty bar bathroom.
Arizona's mouth fell open and Callie couldn't read her expression from this distance, which only served to further fry Callie's delicate nerves. Arizona said something to April before practically stalking towards Callie and the other woman.
Callie thought the other woman muttered something in Italian, maybe? under her breath, but honestly, Callie was far too focused on Arizona to handle other languages or other people.
Arizona cut through the mingling crowd, an odd expression playing across her features.
Was she pissed at Callie for surprising her? Was she happy? Did she hate her hair? Fuck, Callie should've called first.
Callie blinked and Arizona was in front of her and Callie still couldn't read her expression.
Callie swallowed and the first thing that came to mind was, "You look really pretty," echoing Arizona's words from when she had surprised Callie all those years ago.
"Calliope," Arizona started and it felt like coming home. It felt like sunshine and rainbows and crap. "You're, you're here."
"I couldn't wait. I was sitting in that apartment and the only place I wanted to be was here, with you."
Before she could think better of it, Callie stepped forward and with one hand cupping Arizona's jaw, pulled her into a slow, soft kiss. She had always loved kissing Arizona, and she had regretted for years how nonchalant their last kiss had been, and how she had known it had been their last kiss while Arizona had no clue. But now she could kiss Arizona again and it was addicting.
Arizona pulled back first, resting her forehead against Callie's for a moment before stepping back, her eyes wide. Arizona brushed her fingers over lips before her eyes slipped to the side. "Carina…" she said, "Um, have you met Callie?" Her voice was doing that funny, high-pitched thing she did when she was uncomfortable and trying to make things feel normal, something Callie had teased her about for years.
The woman, Carina, oh, Carina, the woman Arizona had been seeing, scoffed. "The ex-wife, I presume?"
Callie frowned at that, curling an arm around Arizona's waist, pulling her slightly against her side.
"Callie Torres," Callie said, offering a hand to Carina. And part of Callie did feel a touch guilty about the easy grin on her lips, given what she and Carina had discussed before Arizona came over. "Pleasure to be formally introduced." She couldn't help but squeeze Arizona's hip a bit as she and Carina shook hands.
"I've heard of you," Carina said shortly, folding her arms across her chest. "You live in New York, yes?"
"Actually, I'm in the process of moving back to Seattle. With my family here, it didn't make sense to stay in New York. I've got a meeting with Bailey on Monday to finalise my employment contract. Easy enough though, considering we own part of the hospital. I look forward to working with you."
"I doubt we'll work together much. OB and orthopaedics," and Callie recognised that tone, that was the 'carpentry' and 'not as important' tone, "don't have much overlap."
Callie shrugged. "It's a small hospital."
Carina pursed her lips and honestly, she looked close to tears, and Callie felt a bit bad, but also she couldn't tamp down the spark of jealousy in her chest. Arizona was hers, her wife- wait, no, well, Arizona felt like her wife, even if it had only been a few weeks.
"I'm sure," Carina said shortly as she looked past Callie into the crowd. "I hope you enjoy the wedding." Carina waved to someone behind them and quickly stepped away from them.
"Calliope," Arizona said, evidently trying to chastise Callie, but the amusement undercut that sentiment significantly. "Was that really necessary?"
"No idea what you're talking about."
Arizona twisted around to face Callie, looping her arms around Callie's waist. "So that wasn't you trying to stake your claim or whatever?"
"No idea what you're talking about."
"Hm, sure. Whatever you say, Calliope. And that smug little smile isn't because you won."
"I'm just smiling because I'm happy to be here, with you."
Arizona laughed, her eyes lighting up. "Way to change the subject. I can't believe you kept this a secret. Sofia's going to be so happy to see you. Are you staying for good? Or do you have to go back to New York?"
Callie let them sway a bit. "For good. All my stuff is on its way. Not that there was really that much left without Sofia's stuff. And as soon as I sign the contract with Bailey, I'm back to work." Callie swallowed, her nerves rising to the surface a bit. "Are you happy to see me? I know you don't like surprises and I know I should've called but it was all a bit last minute, and I didn't want to stress you out or whatever, and-"
"Yes, I'm very, very happy to see you, Calliope," cut in Arizona. One of her hands drifted up to the back of Callie's head, guiding her down for a kiss. Both smiled into the kiss.
Callie pulled back a bit to say, "I'm very happy to see you too. I missed you."
"I missed you too."
"So, should we talk about your very obvious type, or are we just pretending that you don't have a clear type?"
"I do not," Arizona half-heartedly protested with a pout.
"Okay, sure, whatever you say, dear."
xx
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much love xx