"Word on the street is you and Robbins were holding hands walking in this morning," Mark said as he stepped up to stand next to Callie as they looked at the surgical board.
"Word on the street?" Callie's lips curved up toward a smile at the corners.
"When the head of a department is dating a resident, people talk," Mark said as he shifted his weight a bit and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I'm not with Arizona because she's the head of the peds department and she's not with me in some weird power play," Callie said with a roll of her eyes.
"It's not Blondie's MO to go for a power play," Mark agreed. "Though I haven't slept with her so maybe it is."
"You aren't going to sleep with her, and I'm not telling you either way," Callie chuckled.
"Bummer," Mark sighed. "But seriously, hand holding?"
"We've been something more than friends since I found out about George and Izzie. Now that the paperwork is signed and official? We're trying without the dark cloud of my failed marriage hanging overheard," Callie said as she turned her head to look at Mark.
"I didn't know you went for girls, Torres," Mark grinned. "Do you need pointers?"
Callie hesitated. "Maybe."
"Maybe?" Mark's grin widened.
"I've never and she most definitely has," Callie explained with a blush creeping up her neck. "So, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to get a few pointers when the time comes."
"I'm your man," Mark said with a hint of pride. "I can do a practical demonstration if you need."
"No," Callie said quickly. "Arizona would never forgive either of us if we did that."
"True," Mark nodded. "When you're ready, come to me and I will teach you the Sloan method."
"You named it?" Callie snorted.
"When it's as good as it is, you have to name it," Mark smirked. "Speak of the devil." He nodded toward Arizona as she walked toward them.
"Hello," Arizona greeted with a smile. "Calliope, I have a six year old with a broken arm on her way in. Her mom and I know each other from Hopkins. They are here on vacation and well now a surgery. Care to consult?"
"I'd love to," Callie smiled at her not quite girlfriend.
"Any plastics work for me, Blondie?" Mark asked.
"Not today, Mark," Arizona said with a slightly forced smile.
"Come on." Callie bumped Arizona's hip with her own. "Let's go see the tiny human you want me to fix."
The pair walked away from Mark with matching smiles on their faces. When they were halfway down the hall, Arizona looked over at Callie.
"I know you asked me out, but I was wondering if you wouldn't mind if I planned the first date? There is something that's happening tonight I'd love to take you to," Arizona explained with an excited glint in her eyes. "If you're free tonight, that is."
"I am free and I don't mind," Callie smiled over at Arizona as they stepped into an empty elevator.
"Pick you up about seven?" Arizona asked. "Dress casually but warm," she instructed as they leaned against opposite walls of the elevator. "I'll provide dinner."
"Oh you will?" Callie chuckled.
"Yup," Arizona smiled. "Seriously, I think you'll like the surprise."
"If it's spending time with you, I know I will," Callie smiled back.
/
That night Arizona picked Callie up wearing a deep burgundy swearing and a pair of jeans that Callie couldn't help but notice made her butt look fantastic.
"Ready to go?" Arizona asked with a smile. Callie's green shirt under the leather jacket and dark jeans that made her legs look a mile long made Arizona's mouth water a little.
"I am." Callie grabbed her bag and locked the door before they headed off.
"So, this isn't my truck," Arizona said once they were outside looking at a slightly beat up F-150. "One of my peds nurses, Berry, is working overnight, so he let me use it. It makes what we're doing tonight much easier.
"What are we doing tonight?" Callie asked as they both got inside the truck.
"You'll see," Arizona grinned before starting the truck up. "I don't want to spoil the surprise."
The pair chatted about their day as Arizona drove them away from Callie's apartment. Fingers interlaced over the center console as they drove. Music on in the background that neither paid much attention to.
It was easy, Callie thought, being with Arizona and not having to think too hard about it. She was a free woman who could do what she wanted. And what she wanted had blonde hair, blue eyes, dimples, and was currently driving a borrowed truck.
"Some Like It Hot and Bringing Up Baby?" Callie looked at the movies on the sign at the drive in Arizona took them to.
"Yup. They do older movies here from time to time," Arizona explained after buying their tickets. She drove down to where they could park and backed in so the bed of the track was facing the screen.
"This explains the truck," Callie smiled over at Arizona.
"Much more fun to watch while laid out than from the cab," Arizona said. "Stay here and give me a minute to get everything set up?"
"Set up?" Callie asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Yup," Arizona said, popping the P.
Callie waited in the cab of the truck for Arizona to set up whatever she was doing. She didn't look in the mirrors, wanting to allow Arizona to get everything set before she saw. The effort being put in wasn't something Callie was used to but it made her feel butterflies in her chest.
"Ready?" Arizona asked as she came over to Callie's side of the truck.
"Yes," Callie leaned out of the window slightly to kiss Arizona.
Arizona stepped back from the door to let Callie get out before stepping closer to her. She put a hand on either side of Callie and smiled as she kept her there.
"Hi."
"Hey."
Arizona leaned up to kiss Callie once more before pulling back and offering her a hand. "Come on, let's eat while there's still a bit of light."
The bed of the truck had an air mattress set up with thick blankets and some pillows. There was a cooler on one side that Arizona had packed with food and some drinks for them to share. There were fake candles with magnet backing around the bed of the truck to cast a soft glow.
"Oh, you're good at this," Callie chuckled softly. "Like really good at this."
"Only when the person is worth it," Arizona said as she got up in the bed before offering her hand to Callie to help her up.
The pair got comfortable on the inflatable mattress before Arizona popped open the cooler. "I should have asked before, but what are your feelings on cold pizza?"
"I am pro cold pizza," Callie nodded with a serious look on her face.
"Good," Arizona smiled. She pulled out pizza, some pasta salad, watermelon and feta salad, and some veggies and dip. "There's dessert and popcorn too, but I figured we'd have that with the movies."
"So good at this," Callie chuckled as she grabbed a piece of the pizza.
Arizona leaned over to kiss Callie's cheek before grabbing her own piece of pizza. "What can I say? You inspire me."
Callie shook her head as she smiled. "If I knew dating you would feel this good, I would have done it when you moved to Seattle."
"Oh no," Arizona laughed. "You totally wouldn't have wanted that Arizona. I was a mess last year."
"Were you?" Callie asked.
"Romantically, yeah," Arizona nodded. "I broke up with my girlfriend right before the job opened here. So, I spent time blowing through the girl nurses who were into girls once I got here. But that stopped after a few months. I did stuff like that in med school; I didn't want to go back to that lifestyle long term."
"When did it stop?" Callie asked before taking a big bite of pizza.
"Before you showed up at my place," Arizona said knowing Callie would know which time she meant. "It really was only a few months, and then I realized I had feelings for you. So, I stopped and tried to get those feelings under control."
"How'd that work out?" Callie asked.
"They are running free like wildfire." Arizona leaned her head against Callie's shoulder. "Pretty happy about that, if I'm honest."
"Wildfire sounds about right," Callie agreed. She rested her head against Arizona's as she grabbed a fork and some of the pasta salad. "I never really had any sort of friendship with someone before I dated them. This doesn't feel like a first date; it feels more comfortable than that."
"Good comfortable?" Arizona asked, stealing the fork and taking a bite of the pasta salad.
"Good comfortable," Callie said, taking the fork back. "Like we're already girlfriends."
"We can be girlfriends," Arizona said, taking the fork back. "We all but dated for months, I have feelings for you, and you have feelings for me."
"That simple?" Callie asked.
"Did you want to go to a notary or something to get it approved?" Arizona teased.
Callie rolled her eyes but her smile grew. "My girlfriend is a dork."
"I am. But my girlfriend is a badass, so it evens things out," Arizona said with a grin.
Callie rubbed her hand down Arizona's arm. "If we are dating, we have to talk to HR. They have really cracked down on residents and attendings dating off the books. I work in peds enough with kids already breaking bones."
"Does it bother you to put us down on paper?" Arizona asked.
"No," Callie answered. "Are you sure you want to date a resident for the next year plus?"
"You are one of the best self sufficient residents I've met," Arizona answered. "And while I am going to have to recuse myself from nominating someone for chief resident, you'd have my vote."
"Really?" Callie said surprised.
"You're organized, you're dedicated, and people respect you and like you," Arizona listed off. She grabbed the watermelon and feta salad to have a bit of it. "I ran Hopkins like a Marine when I was chief resident. You'd have a different style, but you'd do awesome."
"That means a lot," Callie whispered. "You believing in me I mean. George, I don't think he ever really saw ortho as that important."
Arizona capped and set the containers to the side so she could roll on her side and look at Callie. "Speaking as someone who works with tiny humans all day? Ortho is super important. It's not just carpentry. It's art. It's putting people back together, giving them their arms and legs back, and their range of motion. It's different from general or cardio or plastics, but that doesn't mean it's not important."
Callie moved down so she and Arizona were eye to eye with their heads on the same pillow. "You keep saying things like that and I am going to fall so hard for you, Arizona Robbins."
"What?" Arizona stroked her fingertips over Callie's jaw. "You aren't falling for me already? Because Calliope, I'm falling for you."
Callie leaned forward to capture Arizona's lips in a soft kiss. "I'm falling."
"Good," Arizona whispered against Callie's lips. "Me too."
Before the conversation could go on, the lights around them kicked on and flashed to let everyone know they had about ten minutes before the first movie would start. Arizona grabbed one of the extra blankets to lay over them before laying back down with Callie.
"How many times have you seen these movies?" Callie asked.
"A dozen times each," Arizona chuckled.
"So, if we make out for the next several hours?" Callie asked with a raise of her eyebrow.
"Totally fine," Arizona grinned with her both her dimples on full display.