True to her word, Arizona returned to the hotel an hour later and returned Callie's clothes.
"So Miss Torres" she smiled, leaning against the doorframe as the brunette chucked the clothes back in the closet "can I take you for breakfast?"
"Absolutely" Callie grinned, cupping the blonde's cheek and kissing her deeply "although I think you've already done your fair share of eating this morning"
"True" Arizona returned the kiss "but I think you'll find I've worked up quite an appetite"
The brunette laughed "I'm sure you have"
Taking Callie's hand, the blonde led them to the elevator, selecting the button for the lobby.
"I thought after we eat we could go for a walk in Central Park?" Arizona suggested.
"Sounds great. I actually wandered down there yesterday but I could totally use a tour guide"
The blonde laughed "I'm not sure I'm much of a tour guide but I can definitely be awesome company"
"I don't know about that" Callie followed the blonde out of the hotel "but I guess it'll be an improvement on no company at all"
"Watch it Torres!"
The brunette winked "I think we both know that I think your company is awesome"
"That's because you know what's good for you"
"Oh yeah, I've got a great track record when it comes to life choices" Callie rolled her eyes sarcastically.
"You made the right one when it mattered" the blonde smiled sweetly, squeezing Callie's hand.
"So" the brunette said brightly, deciding to change the subject "where are we going for breakfast?"
"There's a café like a block further this way. Ideal for replenishing all the energy we've expended this morning"
Callie laughed "Well I think you'll find you did all the hard work. I just lay there"
The blonde shivered, an image of Callie laid out before her flashing in her mind.
"You ok?" the brunette raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"Oh yeah. Totally. Just a momentary…distraction"
"I did wonder for a moment if I was being taken for fro-yo for breakfast"
"Even I don't have that much of a sweet tooth" Arizona protested.
"I remain unconvinced of that fact"
The blonde pouted but didn't argue further as they reached the café. She held the door open for Callie, earning her a kiss on the cheek. They were shown to a table by the window, and ordered two coffees as the waitress handed them menus to browse.
"So, what do you recommend?" the brunette asked, her eyes scanning the extensive menu.
"Pancakes" Arizona beamed.
"Seriously?" Callie laughed.
"Hell yes. They're all fluffy and sweet and delicious"
"I guess they've got to be better than the ones you make"
"Hey!" the blonde swatted Callie with her menu.
The brunette raised her eyebrows knowingly.
"Ok fine…maybe you might have a point"
12 years previously
It was a Sunday morning, and Arizona's parents had gone away for the weekend, so unsurprisingly she had asked Callie to stay over the night before. They were both in the kitchen, with the blonde insisting that she was going to cook them breakfast.
"Arizona…" Callie walked up behind the blonde, placing a hand on her shoulder as she was carefully examining the packets in her parents' cupboard "will you let me help?"
"Nope" the blonde answered firmly "I said I'd cook for you. Now you go and stand over there and look pretty"
The brunette laughed "Ok fine. But remember I offered"
"I'm making pancakes Calliope, how hard can it be?"
"Pretty hard if you try and make them with two kinds of sugar and no flour" Callie nodded at the packets the blonde had chosen.
Scowling, Arizona swapped one of the packets for the one marked 'plain flour', as the brunette leant against the counter trying not to snigger.
Turning her back on Callie so that she felt less under pressure, the blonde scanned her mother's recipe again and weighed out the ingredients before making them into a batter.
From her position, the brunette could see the lumps in the mixture, but knew that this meant something to Arizona and decided she wasn't going to interfere. She watched as the blonde turned on the hob, heating up a pan and pouring in the oil.
"Here goes nothing!" Arizona declared cheerfully.
She poured in the batter, satisfied that it had spread into a vaguely circular shape, and stood back. Watching the pan with folded arms, the blonde frowned. She realised she actually had no idea how she was supposed to flip it…or even when it was ready to be flipped. But she was determined not to be defeated, and once she saw the edge of the pancake start to curl up, figured it must be about the right time.
Jerking the pan upwards a couple of times, she found that the pancake didn't move at all. She tried using the nearest implement that she could lay her hands on, but it happened to be a spoon, and the edge of the pancake just seemed to break away whenever she tried to make contact with it.
"Ok" she sighed "maybe I do need your help"
"Here" Callie said softly, walking over so that she was stood directly behind the blonde, guiding both of their hands to the handle of the pan "let me show you"
Arizona found her own hand clasping the handle, with the brunette's hand wrapped over hers. She tried really hard to focus on the action that Callie was demonstrating, but every part of her brain just seemed to be zoning in on the way that the brunette's body was pressed up against her back.
"See" Callie breathed in her ear as they jointly managed to successfully flip the pancake "it's all in the wrist action"
"Uh huh"
The brunette took a step back, leaving Arizona holding the pan handle with a shaking hand.
"Calliope"
Releasing her grip on the pan, the blonde turned, her dilated pupils immediately locking on to Callie's. She took two steps forward, her hands grabbing the brunette's face as she pressed their lips together. She pressed her body against Callie's, slowly backing her up until the brunette was trapped against the counter. Tentatively, she flicked her tongue against the brunette's upper lip, causing Callie to whimper and immediately open her mouth.
Immediately the kiss grew hungrier, their tongues dancing together as desperate hands clutched each other's clothing.
"Wait" the brunette panted, kissing Arizona again before continuing to speak "the pancake"
"Do you want me to stop?"
"God no"
Their lips crashed together once again, with the blonde pinning Callie harder against the counter with her hips as her hands tangled in the long waves of her hair. She could feel the brunette's hands slowly sliding down her back, and felt like her whole body was on fire. There was something different about the way that they were kissing this time, compared to the previous occasions. This time there was no hesitation, and in that moment she wanted nothing more than for Callie to touch her.
The brunette could feel her whole body tingling. The confidence that Arizona was exuding, the way that she was pressing up against her; it was like nothing she had ever felt before. She was overtly aware that her hands had reached the small of the blonde's back, and the way that Arizona whimpered into her mouth told her that she would meet no resistance if she let them continue their journey.
Callie breathed in through her nose and deliberately slid her hands downwards so that they were cupping the blonde's ass. They both gasped simultaneously, and she couldn't help but squeeze firmly, pressing Arizona's body even tighter against her.
"Oh my god" the brunette pulled back from the kiss.
"I know" Arizona breathed.
"No, that burning smell!"
"Shit!" the blonde pulled away from Callie hurriedly and raced back to the hob "The pancake!"
She lifted up the pan but it was too late, the pancake was a burnt and shrivelled mess. After scraping it into the bin, Arizona turned back to the brunette.
"So, I think it might be better if you were in charge of breakfast"
Present day
Laughing at the memory, Callie decided that it was probably fitting that she ordered pancakes too, although she decided to combat the sweetness overload with a side of bacon. As they waited for the waitress to bring their food, they continued to reminisce about similar moments in their youth, in particular laughing at the fact that Arizona had once had an existential crisis about the fact that Callie's hand had somewhat innocently brushed against her boob at one sleepover when they were 16.
"If only teenage Arizona had a clue about what adult Arizona would be like" the brunette pointed out with a wink.
"Oh my god, she'd be mortified"
"I think she'd be kinda proud too" Callie smiled warmly.
"You know what, I think she would"
"It makes me really happy to hear you say that"
Arizona blushed, taking a long swig of her coffee so that she could avoid meeting the brunette's eyes.
"So" she changed the subject, deflecting the attention away from the emotional moment "I have my first shift back at work tomorrow"
"Oh yeah?" Callie smiled "And how do you feel about that?"
"Good, I think. I'm kinda nervous about being back in the middle of everything, but I love my job, and it'll be great to see some of my colleagues again. Plus I have some long term patients that I'm desperate for an update on"
"They're very lucky to have you looking after them" the brunette said genuinely.
"I'm not sure they'd all agree given how often I have to poke them with needles and tell them they're not allowed to eat for 24 hour periods"
"Ouch" Callie screwed up her nose "Dr Robbins is mean"
"Definitely not the first time I've heard that one"
Their conversation paused as the waitress brought over two plates of pancakes, both with syrup, but Arizona had then added berries and whipped cream, plus there was the side of bacon for Callie.
"Ooh yeah" the blonde grinned "Diabetes, here I come"
"You said it"
The blonde put a forkful of her pancakes in her mouth, sighing contentedly "But it's just so damn good"
"Remind me never to get between you and a pancake again" Callie teased.
"Only a very special woman would be able to do that"
They ate in silence for a few moments, with the brunette happy to admit that the pancakes actually were pretty damn good.
"So" Arizona stared at the brunette "are you ok with the fact that I'm going back to work?"
"Of course" Callie shook her head "why the hell wouldn't I be?"
"I don't know, I guess…we've kind of been in our own bubble for…well, since before we got to New York. And now it's like the real world is going to start interfering again"
"Arizona" the brunette put down her fork and reached out to put a hand on Arizona's arm "much as I would love to just shut myself away with you and pretend the rest of the world doesn't exist, I know it does, and I know you have tiny lives to save. Plus, I need to work on my pitch for Jackson, and I can't do that if I'm basically spending every waking moment on a date with you"
"Not just the waking moments" the blonde pointed out.
"Well, exactly. Plus, right now we've pretty much got it made. I have no commitments, no schedule, so it doesn't matter what your shifts are like, I'll always be free to see you afterwards"
"You make a good point"
"Thank you" Callie grinned widely.
"So have you thought anymore about what kind of article you're going to pitch?"
"Given what I've been up to for the last 24 hours, unless I'm going to write an article about the out of this world experience that is fucking Dr Arizona Robbins, then no, I haven't really had the chance" the brunette winked.
Arizona blushed again "Ok, point taken"
"I'm not complaining"
"I should hope not"
Both women laughed, and turned their attention back to their pancakes until both plates were cleared.
Arizona asked for the check, and paid it despite the brunette's protests.
"It's my turn and you know it" the blonde told her with a glare.
"I know" Callie glanced down at the table before looking back up at the blonde "I'm just not used to it, that's all"
"What?" Arizona creased her forehead "Surely even Eduardo used to pay for stuff when you went on dates?"
"I guess" the brunette shrugged "but my dad was so desperate to see me find a man that he threw money at the problem. I guess that's always been his solution. So he used to give Eduardo the money to take me out to nice places and stuff"
"That's…" the blonde paused, unsure of the right word to use "I mean, that's kinda fucked up"
Callie laughed "Yeah. Yeah, I guess it is"
"Well I can assure you, nobody needs to pay me to take you out"
"I know" the brunette smiled "I just…I guess I'm struggling a little with the financial…imbalance"
"I get that" Arizona stood up, holding out her hand which the brunette willingly took "but you paid for everything last night. And right now, I have a steady income, and you don't. I'm not criticising you, or trying to make you feel bad, but that's a fact. So please, just let me take care of you while you get things sorted"
"Ok" Callie agreed quietly as they left the café "but that doesn't mean I have to like it"
"I'd be surprised if you did. But you have enough change, enough worries, on your plate. I may not be able to solve everything, but at least I can make sure that you're not worrying about money in the meantime"
"I…" the brunette bit her lip, unsure whether to say what she was thinking.
Arizona squeezed her hand, leading her down the street towards Central Park "You can say it"
"I'm just not used to this. I mean, it's not like Eduardo and I were particularly well off. And he's come up in conversation far more than I would like in the last ten minutes. But the fact is, our parents were wealthy. And so, if we ever needed anything, they would just pay. And so there's this part of me that feels like I've been a kept woman my whole life, and I don't want to fall right back into that with you"
"You are your own woman, Calliope Torres. I think you've proved that enough by now. And I have absolute faith that pretty soon, you're going to be a hot shot journalist who doesn't need to think twice about money"
The brunette blushed "It's nice to hear someone have such confidence in me"
"Are you kidding?" Arizona looked at her incredulously "I've always known how incredible you are. When you put your mind to something, you achieve it. And this isn't going to be any different"
"I hope so"
"I know so" the blonde said confidently.
They reached the edge of Central Park, and shifted to linking arms at the elbow as they strolled in.
"When you moved to New York, did you ever for a second imagine that this would happen?" the brunette asked quietly.
"What, you and me walking through Central Park?"
"Yeah"
"Imagined it? Yes, a million times. Callie, I've spent my entire time here imagining what it would be like if you were by my side. But did I ever believe it would actually happen? Not for a second"
"What do you think would have happened? You know, if you'd stayed"
The blonde frowned, considering it for a moment "I'd have gone to university in Seattle I guess, like I always planned"
"How did you…I mean, I guess I've always wondered how you ended up out here?"
"I persuaded NYU to take me in as a transfer" Arizona shrugged "With my GPA and a bit of a sob story about being an army brat, they took me on"
"But then you moved to Baltimore?"
"Yeah. I knew that Johns Hopkins was the right fit for me, so I went there for med school"
"But New York pulled you back, huh?" the brunette smiled.
"Yeah, I guess. I applied for a few internships, all on the East Coast, but Presbyterian was always where I had my heart set on"
"You never even considered coming back to the West Coast?"
"No" Arizona shook her head "it was still too…raw, I guess. I couldn't handle the possibility of being close to you without being able to see you"
"This" the brunette took a deep breath "this whole thing is so fucked up"
"Yeah, I think that about sums it up"
Callie stopped, turning to face the blonde "I'm truly sorry for everything that you had to go through"
Arizona shook her head "It's not your fault, Callie. And besides, I think I did ok for myself in the end"
The brunette smiled "More than ok. You…well, you amaze me"
"You're just trying to embarrass me now" the blonde swatted her away.
"I'm serious" Callie took hold of the blonde's shoulders "you're incredible, Arizona"
"I…" Arizona took a deep breath "I guess I never really felt that until I got you back in my life"
The brunette shook her head "Your success has nothing to do with me. And I don't just mean your career, you've made something of yourself. You created a whole new life when…everybody…let you down. You're an incredible woman, and I won't let you, or anyone else, tell me otherwise"
"Callie, I…" the blonde bit her lip, unsure whether to say what she was feeling in that moment.
Callie stepped forwards, letting one hand slide around the blonde's neck as she rested their foreheads together.
"I feel it too" the brunette whispered "but I think we need to talk first. About us. What this is, what we're doing"
Arizona nodded slowly, leaning in to brush her lips against the brunette's "You want to walk and talk?"
"Yes" the brunette replied definitively "it somehow seems less scary that way"
"Scary?" the blonde laughed, her hand finding Callie's as they continued down the path "You can't possibly find me scary"
"Not you as such. Just this conversation. With you. It's kind of important"
"And do you really, honestly think that I'm going to say something you don't want to hear?"
"No" Callie hung her head "I guess not. I just…I find it really hard to believe that you could ever feel the same way that I do about you"
"Calliope Torres" Arizona said sternly, stopping again to turn and face the brunette "you need to stop doubting yourself, ok?"
"Ok"
"I mean it. I…" the blonde took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a second before focusing back on Callie "I am completely and utterly in love with you. So don't you ever doubt that I feel the same, because I do. I've felt that way for ten, eleven, damn years, who's even fucking counting. If anything, I feel it more than you could ever possibly imagine. So don't you dare, don't you dare doubt how I feel about you"
Callie stared at her, open mouthed. Despite every moment that she had imagined, every fantasy, nothing could have prepared her for the way that she would feel when Arizona spoke those words.
"You…you really feel like that?"
"Yes" the blonde reiterated firmly "is it not obvious?"
"Not…not to me. I just…I knew how I felt about you a really long time ago, but we never said it. We acted like we were just doing things that best friends did, and before I ever got a chance…well, obviously, things happened. And so I've had ten years of convincing myself that it was all in my head. That I was just the crazy one with all these intense, teenage feelings that I could never properly explain. And I am struggling, really struggling, to reconcile that with how I feel now, but you're here, and you're saying these things, and I hear you, god I really do, but I don't know how to process all of this, to make myself accept that this is actually real"
"Let me help you with that" the blonde whispered.
Slowly, Arizona stepped forwards. She let one hand lightly rest on the brunette's hip before cupping her cheek gently with the other hand. Her eyes stared straight into Callie's, hoping to transmit the intensity of her feelings, before she slowly leant her head down and brushed her lips against the brunette's.
"Arizona" Callie breathed, her eyes screwed tightly shut.
"Do you feel that?" the blonde whispered.
"Yes"
"Look at me"
The brunette opened her eyes slowly, finding herself confronted with the intensity of Arizona's gaze "I…I feel it"
The blonde swallowed "I've only ever wanted you, you know that"
"What…" Callie took a deep breath "what are we? I mean, I know that technically we're dating, seeing as we've been on dates, but I think I need to know…what am I to you?"
"You want to know if we're together?"
"Yes"
Arizona smiled, shaking her head in disbelief "Do you really have to ask that? Yes, Calliope. As far as I'm concerned, we're together, ok? If you have any objections, please shout now, because otherwise I'm going to consider you as my girlfriend"
As soon as the blonde finished speaking, Callie flung her arms round her, hugging her tight.
"Ok" the blonde laughed "I wasn't expecting quite that reaction"
"Do you…do you not understand where I'm coming from?"
"I…" Arizona paused "I guess I didn't realise how confusing our past was for you"
"But you get it, right?" the brunette squeezed Arizona's shoulders "When we were in school, people had girlfriends and boyfriends that were basically someone they'd said hello to a few times. What we had was so fucking different, but yet we never ever said that we were more than just friends. And so then when you left, I began to doubt…I guess, I began to doubt that what we had was any different to what anyone else had as a teenager. And it is really, really hard for me to move past that now. Like, I know that we're not teenagers anymore. But I struggle to reconcile how I felt with you back then, when to the world we were nothing, with how I feel about you now. I don't know if I'm even making any sense…"
"I get it" the blonde cupped Callie's face "we were never like them, ok. What we had was real. But we, or I certainly, never really understood what that was. It felt like the most natural thing in the world, but yet it didn't fit with any of the labels that anyone around us was using. And so I, or we, failed. We thought it was ok to just drift along as we were. But the truth is, we were a couple. Calliope, you were my girlfriend back then. And my god do I regret that I never said it at the time"
"You know what I really hate?" the brunette asked quietly.
Arizona shook her head.
"The fact that if we were a girl and a guy, none of those issues would ever have come up. I mean, fuck, you would probably have stayed in Newport. And I hate that. I fucking hate that about the world"
"That's the world we live in" the blonde commented sadly "but the world is changing. And right now, we're in a city where it doesn't matter so much that we're two women. I mean, look at what Tom and Charlie achieved, and that was 50 years go. They changed the world so that you and I could walk around this city hand in hand, could make out in public without anyone batting an eyelid. But that doesn't make it ok. And you're right, if we were a girl and a guy, we'd probably have been celebrated as Newport's hottest couple, and everyone would have been rooting for us to live happily ever after. But the fact is, that isn't how the world works, and so we have to fight our own fight. It doesn't matter to me how many people want us to be together, because there are really only two opinions that count"
"I just wish…" Callie fought back the tears that were threatening to fall "that we'd been this honest back then. I wish I could have said that you were my girlfriend"
"I do too" the blonde said softly "but you know that wouldn't have changed what ultimately happened? I'm not trying to underestimate the difference it would have made to the support that you got, but you know that it would make a difference to how your father and Eduardo treated me. If anything, it might have made it worse"
"You're right, I just…ok" Callie took a deep breath "I guess I just have to accept that the past is in the past"
"You do" the blonde acknowledged "but it also doesn't need to define the future. Because no matter what people tried to throw our way, we still found our way back to each other. So hold onto that"
"I'm holding onto you"
"And there will never be a time when you can't do that"
"I'm sorry" the brunette looked down "I've totally ruined what should have been a nice Sunday stroll in the park"
"Don't" Arizona said sternly "don't you ever apologise for talking about how you feel"
"I guess my girlfriend is telling me off right now"
A wide smile spread across the blonde's face "I guess she is"
"This…I mean, it feels slightly surreal calling you that after all these years"
"Maybe you should keep on saying it so that you get used to it?"
"I have a girlfriend" Callie grinned "Arizona Robbins is actually my girlfriend"
"You bet your ass she is"
"Ok" the brunette was unable to wipe the smile off her face "I'm really sorry for all the unnecessary drama"
"Hey" Arizona stroked the brunette's cheek "it's never unnecessary if it's how you feel"
"Thank you. But shall we carry on with our walk?"
The blonde smiled "I'd really like that"