A quick AU. Inspired by MerDer.


"Callie." Arizona cleared her throat. She was burying her fear and being brave.

The night before — nearly 24 hours ago — she had her true, long-lasting feelings.

And Callie, who had been flustered and caught off guard, had insisted that they were just friends.

"'Cause I'm with Penny," she'd added.

"Right," Arizona had responded, dropping her eyes to the floor. "Just friends. 'Cause you're with Penny."

And, over the course of the last day, she had carefully considered both her own feelings and Callie's response. She loved Callie. Completely and endlessly. She knew that. And she wanted her ex-wife back.

But Callie didn't seem to feel the same. She essentially had said that she chose Penny, instead.

Or had she? Was Penny the one she loved, or simply the one she was with? Was she only a small obstacle standing in the way of Callie and Arizona's happiness? Was Callie only using her as an excuse because she was scared?

Arizona was going to find out.

Callie froze, carefully turning to face her ex-wife. She had successfully avoided the blonde all day, but that hadn't stopped her thoughts from wandering. All she could think about was Arizona and how she still loved her so entirely. But she was scared.

Arizona began walking towards her, and Callie felt herself shiver in anticipation. "What is it?" she croaked, attempting to keep her voice hard without success.

"Until today, I couldn't figure out what you were doing with someone like Penny," Arizona admitted. She acknowledged that she sounded petty, but it was the truth. And she wanted to tell Callie the truth.

"Oh," Callie verbalized inarticulately. She didn't trust herself to say anything else.

"But I get it now," Arizona continued. "I get it. She's simple. Your relationship — for the most part — is simple. There are no fights over babies or mass shootings or plane crashes. No history."

Callie inhaled a sharp breath.

"Calliope," Arizona breathed. "All that history just proves we should be together. I'm standing in front of you, telling you I'm still in love with you — that I'll always be in love with you — and I think part of you knows that you feel the same."

"I…" Callie began, ready to admit that, yeah, I feel the same.

"No," Arizona shook her head, interrupting. She wanted Callie to really think about it before making more excuses. "I'm fighting for you, here! I'm being a good man in a storm. I'm saying I love you and will keep loving you, more and better than anyone else. I'm fighting for you, and I won't stop until you tell me to and mean it."

"Arizona…" Callie tried again, a hint of a smile teasing her lips.

Noticing Callie's amused expression, Arizona closed her mouth and met loving brown eyes.

"I'm not going to tell you to stop."

Arizona's eyebrows flew up.

"Did you really think it was just you?" Callie wondered. "If I had thought I'd still had a chance with you, I would've fought for you months ago."

Arizona's breath hitched at the implication: that Callie had never stopped loving her, either. "Really?"

Callie nodded, a blinding, loving smile blooming on her lips, her eyes shining. "I'm in love with you," she swore. "And, right now, I need to go tell Penny, so that I can tell you and show you just how much."

She smirked at Arizona's lovestruck expression, leaning in to chastely kiss a porcelain cheek. Arizona threaded her fingers through black hair, forcing Callie to stay for another moment — lips pressed to cheek.

Both women closed their eyes, inhaling the scent and reveling in the softness of each other.

Then, Arizona let her go.

"Stay here," Callie grinned. "Don't move. Wait for me."