"I will always be yours. I have always been yours."
Arizona raised her hand to wipe away the last of Callie's tears from her cheek. Her hand lingered there and eventually pulled the Latina in for a kiss. It was slow but intense with the weight of emotion from the day behind it. Strong hands encircled her waist and began to move up and down the blonde's body.
They broke apart after a few minutes and Arizona found herself straddling Callie's thighs. This wasn't sexual though. It was care and comfort. She removed the dark locks which were covering her girlfriend's face and rested her hands on her shoulders.
"Is there anything else? Anything you haven't told me?" Arizona loved this woman with everything she had but she couldn't handle any more surprises.
"No. Well..." The blonde tilted her head in question. "When I was twenty I got really drunk and hit my head, hard. Really hard and well... was unconscious for two days." Callie felt Arizona collapse into her and she wrapped a protective arm around the surgeon whilst interlocking their fingers with her other hand. "That's everything. You know that I remember; there could be more."
The brunette rubbed circles on her girlfriend's back as Arizona's sigh brushed over her neck. The blonde had nestled her head into Callie's shoulder so that she could just feel her. The Latina's perfume filled her senses and she was immediately calm.
"You know," Arizona turned her head to rest the side of it against the shoulder, "It's really hard to not spend all my time worrying about you."
"Sorry. I don't want you to."
"I know that we're supposed to just live with it and let it happen but... I don't know what I'm trying to say."
"I do. Worrying though, will just stress us out and when I get stressed..."
"You shut down so it's not helpful." Arizona finished.
"Sorry."
"You break your own rule a lot." She looked up at Callie who was clearly confused. "The one about apologising for things that aren't your fault."
The Latina shrugged. "They feel like my fault. It's my condition, in my head and they are still my actions."
They sat there for a while, not saying a word, just being with one another until eventually Arizona spoke.
"Wanna go to sleep?" Suddenly, Callie laid them both down on the hardwood floor using her body as a cushion for her girlfriend.
"Sounds good. Goodnight."
"Calliope, I meant in an actual bed." The floor was not comfy.
"It's too far." The brunette moaned in an unserious tone.
"It's right there." Arizona stood up "Come on dear."
Callie took the hand offered and followed her girlfriend to bed.
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The next week went by quickly, both woman were surprised how it felt the same. Such emotional talk about life and death had passed and they had woken up the next day like a regular couple. Callie was grateful for that. She had run her entire life from the responsibility of a relationship but there was no running from Arizona. She was always going to be there.
The peds surgeon had finished her day on a high, having discharged a long term cancer patient. She was looking forward to celebrating with Callie which is why she was waiting at their usual table at Gregory's. The bartender had told her that she was not in yet which was strange as she usually finished her day long before Arizona.
It was then that two of her colleagues entered the bar. Mark Sloan and Teddy Altman made their way over when they spotted the blonde.
"Hey, you waiting for your hot Latina?" The man inquired.
"What? Jasmine's not Latina?" Teddy asked in confusion. Before Arizona could get a word in, Mark replied,
"You didn't know? Robbins has got somebody else."
"You're having an affair?"
"Oh no they are actual girlfriends."
"I am right here by the way!" Arizona was feeling left out of her own conversation.
"Sorry Arizona. When did this happen?" Teddy finally sat down and began searching for all the details.
"We've been together just over a month."
"When did you and the neuro chick break up?" The plastics surgeon always needed to know the gossip.
"Neuro chick?" The cardio god turned to Mark, "Really? They were together for two years and that's how you refer to her?"
"She cheated on me." Teddy's head snapped back at this new information.
"I'm gonna kill neuro chick!" She exclaimed, causing the blonde to laugh. "When? And when did you two split?"
"I left her just over a month ago." Arizona took a sip from her drink, knowing full well what was coming next.
"And you jump straight in with this Latina?"
"Talk about getting back on the horse." Mark said with a wink.
"Did you just call me a horse?" Nobody had seen Callie arrive but she had heard pretty much all of the conversation.
"Calliope!" Arizona bounced from her seat and greeted her girlfriend with a kiss. "Hey." When Callie didn't match her grin the blonde realised, "You heard that then?"
"The bit where you hadn't told your friends about us? No." She replied sarcastically.
"I'm sorry... we're just so busy at the hospital with patients... and surgeries... and saving lives. It never came up and..."
The brunette couldn't let her girlfriend stew any more; she placed a soft kiss on her lips.
"You're not mad?"
Callie just leant over the table and offered a hand.
"Callie Torres, it's nice to meet you."
"Teddy Altman." She then moved onto the man.
"Mark..."
"Sloan, yeah I remember. Can I get you any drinks?"
"Red wine please."
"And a scotch."
"Ah, man after my own heart." Callie smiled as she went to the bar and ordered four drinks. Arizona was soon by her side.
"You don't need to do that." She was still trying to gauge her girlfriend's mood.
"I want your friends to like me Arizona." The Latina explained.
"They're gonna love you."
"Well I'm giving them free booze, so yeah."
"That is the main reason I'm with you." The blonde joked.
"You know what? I'm cool with that." She wrapped her arm around Arizona and pulled her into a fierce kiss which left the surgeon almost speechless. "I'm not mad darling."
"Really? How come?" But just then a gruff voice shouted:
"When you're done with your lady loving, some of us are thirsty." Before they walked back to the table, Callie whispered in her lover's ear.
"Maybe I like being your dirty little secret." Arizona had to take a deep breath to regain her composure.
"Here we go." The Latina announced before sitting down in the booth. Her partner sat close and placed a hand on her thigh as she moved under Callie's arm.
"So, what do you do Callie?" Teddy asked sizing up her friends knew suitor.
"You mean apart from own this place?" She responded.
"This is yours?" The brunette nodded. "So all this time we've been giving you are money?" Mark clarified.
"Yeah, actually come to think about it, you probably paid for our last date."
Arizona giggled, "Yeah, thanks Mark, we really enjoyed ourselves." She squeezed Callie's thigh to make her point.
"Where'd you go?"
"To go watch some romantic comedy." She said with the same annoyance as when Arizona had suggested it.
"I didn't have to twist your arm or anything."
"That's because you pulled out the pout. It disarmed me and you totally took advantage."
"Well I'm very sorry Calliope but I'm pretty sure I made up for it." The surgeon's voice had gotten a lot lower and she was very close to her ear.
"Oh, you sure did." Callie laughed seductively, her mind filling with memories of Arizona's fingers dancing through her almost as soon as they were back at her apartment.
The other two surgeons had started their own conversation when the flirting had begun. The Latina turned to her partner and when their eyes met, the world kind of disappeared.
"Sorry I was late."
"Yeah, I got a little worried."
"I got held up at the centre; Sarah came by with her parents." Arizona's eyes lit up.
"That's really great, I knew you could help sweetheart." Her smile grew sad remembering their conversation that day.
"Hey." Callie ran her thumb over a fair cheek. "It's done, yeah?" The blonde nodded. "I mainly just spoke with her parents; Sarah was too busy meeting everyone."
"She any good at video games?"
Callie laughed. "I don't know but I think Harry is willing to help her." She raised her eyebrows to express her double meaning.
"Oh God, that sounds dangerous."
"Yeah, I know." They were broken from their staring contest when Teddy cleared her throat.
"You seem very happy Arizona."
"I am." She answered plainly.
"So apart from here, Callie?" She continued her questioning as Mark had gone off with some woman.
"All in all, seven bars, four coffee houses and we are about to open a night club in a few months. In fact," She reached into her pocket to take out some flyers and handed them to the surgeon. "You should come see our grand opening."
"I thought only I was allowed to that." Arizona giggled when she caused Teddy to spit out her drink.
"Inappropriate honey." Callie tried to be serious but the grin said otherwise.
"The Avenue?" Teddy asked.
"It was my business partner's idea."
"Yeah that has Jonathon all over it." The blonde supplied.
The three remained at the table drinking and talking for nearly two hours before a slightly drunk Arizona declared that she was taking her horse home.
"You are so not getting lucky tonight now Robbins." Callie yelled in fake anger as she slapped her partner's firm but upon exiting the bar. Arizona squealed.
"I'm very sorry, Calliope." She offered with a pout.
"Nope that's not gonna work this time Arizona." She folded her arms and walked off. If her girlfriend had not been intoxicated, she'd have realised that they were still walking to her own apartment. Once they got there Arizona stood in front of the door.
"Well then you're not coming in."
"What?" Callie questioned as she put a hand either side of the blonde's head.
"Not until you forgive me."
"Oh and what do I need to forgive you for?" She trapped the blonde against her door by moving her body closer.
"Not telling my friends about you."
"And?" She prompted further as she ran her nose up and down Arizona's neck, blowing softly to cause goose pimples.
"And calling you a... horse." She couldn't help but giggle like a school girl.
"Oh you find that funny do you?" They were still on the outside of Arizona's apartment. "Are you even sorry?" She husked in the surgeon's ear. Her girlfriend just continued in her hysterics. Without warning Callie moved her right hand down to cup Arizona's sex through her pants.
"Oh God." She spoke with shallow breath.
"Still funny?" She asked innocently as she tightened her grip slightly.
"I thought I wasn't..."
"I changed my mind Arizona." With her right hand still in between Arizona's legs, her left pulled the front of the surgeon's low cut top down with one finger. She then reached underneath and squeezed on her right breast. "I want to take you against your door." It wasn't a question but Arizona wouldn't have said no if it was. Callie unzipped her lover's jeans and opened the button as her mouth nibbled on a perfect breast.
"You're gonna... out here?"
"I thought you were an exhibitionist." She murmured into soft flesh.
"Calliope." It was supposed to be defiant but came out far too breathless.
"Well, if I'm not allowed inside." As she made her point, Callie slipped her hand inside Arizona's underwear. "Balls in your court now honey."
At that point the elevator pinged to signal its arrival and the blonde was not going to get caught like this- however hot it was. She opened the door in haste and pulled Callie through it.