To say Arizona had been dragging her heels before leaving Arizona-the-state, would be an understatement. To say that the last night had been simply awesome would be an understatement.
The night before with Callie had been one of the best nights she'd ever had. It wasn't only the super amazing sex – which really had been… wow, she was shivering just remembering it, – and it was wow for every single round they'd gone through, but it was more than that.
It was the fact that she felt like something had changed between them in that hotel room, she thought, as she leaned her head back against the headrest in her car. Something inside of her felt shifted in a way, and she didn't know how exactly it had happened, but somehow Callie's soft, exploring hands and those dark expressive eyes had made these already heart melting feelings she had for the brunette shift and open up even more.
Into stronger, more intense feelings, that were settling in her chest and surrounded her heart in this warmth that made her stomach dance.
"Are you okay?" Callie's voice broke into her thoughts, and she took her eyes off of the road that was flying by outside of her window, and looked over at the brunette.
Who was driving, sun glasses flipped down over her eyes, hands draped on the wheel all casually in this way that she managed to do that looked so… cute. She'd insisted on driving after they'd reluctantly checked out of their hotel room.
Arizona's forehead wrinkled in confusion, "Yes, I'm okay." She was actually feeling more than okay, if she was really being honest, especially about that nice warm feeling in her chest. Much more than okay, "Why?"
Callie's face turned from facing out the windshield at the road to look at her for just a second, and Arizona couldn't see her eyes, but she could see the way her eyebrow rose in question, "Because you're frowning."
And that statement seemed to be what made Callie herself frown a bit, and a hand dropped from the wheel to reach up to her sunglasses, setting them down in the cup holder as she sighed. Then started to slow the car down.
While Arizona lifted her hand to her mouth and indeed realized that her lips were set in –
A pout?
Not a pout. I haven't pouted since I was a child.
Oh, please! Don try to fool me – yourself.
She almost groaned aloud, before she acknowledged that she was pouting. It couldn't be helped. Because she was feeling great. As in, her feelings were good. This pout had nothing to do with her actual feelings, but more of was the result of them.
She turned to face Callie in her seat as the brunette pulled them over into the side of the road, and it was clear that she was having some thoughts of her own. Not for the first time, Arizona wished she could see inside of her head.
Before she could say anything, Callie shifted so that she could look at her, and those dark eyes were big and stormy and confused as she asked, "I promised not to, you know, hide after last night. And I haven't been, but did I – is there something else wrong?"
That plump, full bottom lip was taken in between Callie's teeth, looking so uncharacteristically unsure and there was vulnerability all in her voice that pulled at Arizona. And it was that which made her face melt into a smile. A full, complete dimpled smile because she couldn't even believe she was seeing Callie like this right now.
She'd had Callie under her and over her several times last night and this morning, and being able to have Callie like that was one thing that amazed her. But then, having Callie be like this in front of her, it was even better.
Because she'd never been more serious about anything than she'd been the night before when she told Callie that she wanted them together, and it felt like it was all coming together.
So she shook her head, and her blue eyes twinkled as she lifted her eyebrows, "I knew you weren't hiding today. If you were, I doubt what happened this morning would have happened."
If Arizona was being honest, when they had woken up in the late morning, she'd been nervous that after being able to sleep on what had happened between them – no pun intended – that Callie would freak out. It wouldn't have been out of character for the brunette at all. But instead, dark eyes had fluttered open and Arizona had waited for a few heart-stopping moments waiting for a fallout that never came.
Instead, Callie's eyes had roamed to where the blanket had fallen down and revealed Arizona's chest, before she shifted over and taken Arizona again. It really had been everything Arizona could have wanted in a morning after with the brunette.
Dark eyes rolled at her even as a smirk worked its way onto Callie's mouth. And a slight blush did the same on her cheeks, "You loved it."
If Arizona smiled any wider, she was sure that her cheeks were going to spit in half, "I did."
She was fairly certain that if anyone found themselves at the sexual mercy of Callie Torres, they would love it. Arizona was definitely no exception.
The anxiety that had been present on Callie's face seemed to dissipate and now she tilted her head quizzically, "So, what's with the frown, then?"
With a sigh, she leaned the side of her head against her headrest, and looked at Callie from under her eyelashes, "You know, I was convinced that this trip was going to be one of the best things of my life."
In fact, she vividly remembered yelling at Callie in this very car about how she was ruining Arizona's trip, just a couple of weeks ago. When it was just beginning. And… holy shit, had they come so far.
From the small smile playing on Callie's lips, she thought she was remembering the instance as well. But the brunette only said, "I know."
"I thought it was going to be great," she reiterated, and it was true; she'd been looking forward to this trip for months. Even trying to keep her head up when things didn't look like they were going to go well. "And it has been. It's been even better than I thought it would be, actually," she murmured, and felt like she had a flash of all of their great moments in her mind, ending with last night.
But her quiet reverent tone seemed to serve to make Callie even more confused, as the brunette shook her head and lifted an eyebrow, silently asking her what was the problem then.
The weight that had been pressing onto her chest since she'd realized that Arizona-the-state was technically the last stop before arriving in California refused to be ignored anymore, so she swallowed hard, "But I expected the end to feel like the way I usually feel after a vacation," she gestured with her hands in the air for a few moments, "You know, like… it had been a good time, but also like it's good to be home. I really expected to feel like that, considering this is also the first time going home for the summer after med school, you know?"
Callie took in her words with a slow, deliberate nod, even though she shrugged, "I don't have those exact same feelings about going home after a vacation, but I understand what you're saying."
Arizona could tell by her tone that Callie was kind of teasing her, so she reached out and lightly pushed at her shoulder. Which actually turned out to be more of a caress of Callie's bare shoulder, and she focused on the feeling of her soft skin under her fingertips, which gave fuel to the flame of her feelings for Callie, "And, so, you know. I expected to feel the way I usually do after a vacation. But after… everything with you and us and this," she gestured between them, then sighed, "I'm not ready for it to end," she settled on in a whisper.
The truth was, she would enjoy if this vacation could just keep going on, and lasting for… well, much longer.
They'd only just gotten started, and now they were heading to California and it was going to be over. And so the fact that she felt all of these strong feelings for Callie made it difficult for her to accept that the trip was just going to be… over.
"I'm not either," Callie asserted, and the certainty in her tone made blue eyes whip to hers, holding her gaze.
And she saw something in those dark eyes that made her heart beat a little bit faster with wonder. It was a mischievous glint, and she could recognize that much, but could not pinpoint exactly what was the cause, and she leaned forward a bit as she asked, "Okay…" and she waited for Callie to tell her what was going on.
But instead, the brunette didn't answer her and leaned forward herself. Arizona's breath caught in her throat as those soft lips brushed against hers, and Callie's hands came up to cup her jaw, thumbs softly stroking over her cheeks.
It was that soft stroking of her cheeks that caused her to be somewhat hypnotized into a daze, especially mixed with the skillful way Callie's lips tugged on her bottom one, trapping it for a few delightful seconds.
Then it was all gone, and it still felt like she had sparks shooting through her veins by the time she managed to blink her eyes back open. And Callie was already merging onto the road again, a customary smirk on her lips.
That smirk – that maddening smirk that she had been on the receiving end so many times but since this trip had happened, she'd really come to enjoy it – was firmly in place, and she narrowed her eyes, "Calliope, what is that smirk for?"
She received a small shrug in response, and a ridiculously fake innocent voice, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Arizona really wanted to badger her more, but there wasn't that much she could do in the moving vehicle. Regardless, it only took her another ten minutes to realize that they weren't driving the route that she'd had mapped out for them.
And it was then that her suspicions really started to rise, her eyes scanning the road for any other signs, as she asked, "Where are we going?"
The smirk on Callie's face was pulling away and into a little teasing smile, as she reminded her, "You know, that's exactly what I felt like at the beginning of our trip."
Blue eyes rolled, even as she grinned and curiosity bubbled up inside of her, "Seriously where are we?"
She could only imagine they were going on some sort of day trip or something. After all, they were at the end of the trip; Arizona's budget was running dangerously low – practically gone, now – and she was lucky that they had stopped at her grandparent's house, otherwise she would have been lugging around a multitude of dirty clothes as well.
They'd been driving for forty-five minutes at this point, and Arizona wondered exactly how long had they been going off course? Why hadn't she been paying more attention to grab more clues?
Callie only shrugged, and softly sang, "You'll see."
It didn't take much longer before she noticed a sign for Nevada, and her alarm bells were ringing, "Calliope… our route to Santa Barbara doesn't take us through Nevada at all."
"No. But your original route did, when you were driving with Alex," she reminded Arizona, without taking her eyes off the road.
Arizona assumed that they weren't actually driving through Alex's home town, but nonetheless she teased, "Are you planning to stop by and visit Alex's family, then?"
Dark eyes looked at her long enough to roll, "I was thinking more along the lines of making a stop that's more conventional for tourists in Nevada."
"You're taking us to Vegas?" Arizona asked, eyebrows lifting in surprise. That didn't exactly seem like a day trip to her – not that she was complaining, especially after just confessing to wanting this trip to last longer.
Callie had a small, unsure smile on her face to take over from that smirk, "I – well, I wanted to have another day, with us. The two of us."
That warm feeling hit her again like a ton of bricks. All right, with a much gentler force than a ton of bricks, admittedly, but no less intensely, and it settled right in to her chest, "Have you been planning this all along? Is that why you were so insistent on driving today?"
She was met with a full-blown smirk once again as Callie teased, "I knew you would catch on soon enough. You did have me worried, though. At the beginning of the trip when I realized we were heading in the wrong direction, I realized it way sooner than you did."
Arizona found herself rolling her eyes even as she lightly shoved Callie's shoulder. Not hard enough to jar her and swerve the car, but enough, "Shut up."
Her relief at the fact that they still had this… this banter between them and that if anything, last night had only made it even better made her heart speed up just a bit. Even more than it already had, given the fact that Callie wanted to spend more time with her and had arranged a last minute getaway in Las Vegas for it to happen.
The realness of it all was almost enough to make her lightheaded, and she was grinning like an idiot, but she didn't even care. Until something else nagged her thoughts and she sent Callie a curious look, biting on her bottom lip, "But what about your sister's wedding?"
Not that she really thought that Callie would purposefully miss it or anything – she spoke of her sister with a clear air of sibling love – there was some agitation but underlying affection. But they had already been cutting it close. And she wouldn't lie, she was kind of excited to be able to meet Callie's family.
Even if it was just as her friend.
But the brunette shook her head, "Don't worry. If we leave Vegas tomorrow by our checkout time, we'll get to Santa Barbara in the evening. And the wedding is the day after that. And if you knew my sister, you would know that she fully supports any last minute trip, especially when it will drive my mother crazy," she offered with a cheeky smile.
Which Arizona couldn't resist. And she also couldn't resist leaning over the console to press a lingering kiss against that soft, tan cheek either.
It was less than an hour later when they pulled into a parking lot, and she still had the ghost of a smile on her face. Callie gave her a smile in return, as she pulled up and it was only when she hopped out of the car and was handing the keys to a valet driver that Arizona realized that they were at a hotel that was nice enough to have a valet driver waiting for them.
She scrambled quickly to get out of the car, yanking off her seatbelt just as Callie was pulling out one of her suitcases as well as one of her own. And her Prius was driving away to be parked in that nice parking garage before she even realized they were at the Archfield hotel.
Blue eyes widened as she took it all in, because even from the outside, it was beautiful. Elegant and seemingly majestic, competing with several of the other high name hotels here on the strip. They'd stayed in one of the Archfield sister hotels in Chicago, which had been nice and one of the higher end places they'd stayed in on the trip.
She'd booked that hotel way ahead of time, and had gotten a deal there, figuring that they were staying in what was probably the biggest city on their entire trip, so it was nice to splurge then.
But… "Callie, we can't stay here!" she hissed out as the brunette came to stand next to her, gently bumping their shoulders together.
She was giving her an amused look, "Why not?"
"Well, we haven't exactly been spending the night in Motel 6's, but this place is way too nice," she insisted, crossing her arms over her stomach, reluctant to go in, despite the cutely warm look Callie was giving her.
Then a warm hand reached out after adjusting her hold on their luggage, and intertwined with Arizona's pulling her forward towards the entrance, "Come on, let's go. This place isn't too nice. There's nowhere too nice for you," she finished with a murmur.
And her heart stuttered in her chest and weakened her resolve enough that she allowed herself to be pulled along with Callie, past the doorman, who she smiled weakly at. He returned it with a tip of his hat.
The lobby was all high ceilings and chandeliers and glass and marble and Arizona immediately felt grossly underdressed. This was one of the nicest hotels that she'd ever even seen, and there she was wearing a tank top, yoga shorts, and flip flops. Not that she could really be blamed, given the fact that she'd thought they were going to be making a nine hour drive today, and would eventually end up at Callie's house.
AKA, assuming they wouldn't be arriving anywhere that required her to dress up.
She only needed to be on the receiving end of one middle aged woman who was giving her a look that made her shrink in on herself slightly, before she tugged Callie to a stop in the middle of the lobby, whispering, "Callie, I don't know about you, but I don't really have like five hundred dollars to spend for one night in this place."
Callie turned to face her and gave her hand a light squeeze, before she looked down at the floor and kicked her sneaker at the polished marble for a moment, "Don't worry, it's my treat. I mean, it was my idea to stay here for the night."
Arizona pulled back a few inches to stare at her, "What? No, I'm not going to ask you to do that."
She watched as dark eyes narrowed slightly and then looked around as if checking their perimeter, before leaning in and quickly brushing a kiss on Arizona's lips. It was over within a second, but it was enough to have her protestations falling back down her throat.
"You're not asking," Callie told her, "I'm telling," she added with that smirk, and slowly unlaced their fingers and let Arizona's hand fall to her side, before she bent down to place their luggage next to Arizona on the floor. She but her lip and looked over her shoulder at the concierge desk, "Um. Just stay here. I'm going to talk to them."
Blue eyes narrowed in consideration and just… something felt off, she decided, but before she could voice anything, Callie was already walking away from her. She walked like she owned the place, despite wearing some beat up sneakers, a tank top, and some jean shorts.
She watched with interest as Callie went right up to the front desk and started speaking words that Arizona couldn't hear, then dug out something from her wallet, and… huh. The concierge sat at attention after a few seconds of Callie speaking. And almost within the blink of an eye, there were another two hotel employees immediately approaching them eagerly.
And like, Arizona wasn't blind – Callie was really attractive, obviously. And yes, the kind of attractive that could make you stop and stare or do a double-take. But that kind of attention in a place like this? That definitely meant something. What was Callie even saying to them?
Her interest was piqued, and she nearly jumped when Callie shifted slightly to gesture at her. Arizona felt her cheeks flush, and she stood at attention when one of the young men who had been talking to the brunette determinedly made her way in her direction. She had to stop peering over at Callie in favor of glancing at the guy, who was rapidly approaching.
He was wearing a practiced smile that was nonetheless extremely bright and welcoming, "It's extremely nice to meet you. My name is Robert, and it's my pleasure to bring your suitcases up to your room."
Blue eyes widened in surprise, "I – um, hi, Robert. Um, thank you?"
Robert nodded, bending to retrieve their luggage at her feet, "I will have your luggage at your room by the time you arrive, Miss Robbins."
Now she was certain something was up, and before she could even thank him, Robert was off towards a staff elevator with their suitcases, and she couldn't stand waiting all of the way back here anymore while Callie was doing… god only knew, really, at the front desk.
Whatever she was doing was getting them a royal treatment, apparently. But by the time she was in earshot, she just heard the concierge's parting words, "I hope you enjoy your stay, Miss Torres. If there is anything you need, day or night, that card has my personal number. You just let me know."
And Callie flashed a bright smile at him, "Thank you, Kevin."
She had a small envelope that held the key card in her hand as she turned around to face Arizona, who was staring at her in question. What in the world had just happened?
Callie froze for a moment, before she continued on and took a few steps toward Arizona, holding up the key card, "Good news! They have a room."
Eyes narrowed, she murmured, "Weird that they had a room available for the last minute," and she found herself reaching for the envelope, because… there was something strange about this whole thing and her curiosity was getting the best of her.
And then she froze, her eyes widening when she flipped open the key card envelope, to see that in the embossed glossy writing, that they were going to be staying in the Presidential Suite. Her fingers felt a little numb, before Callie quickly took the key back – which was good because Arizona might have dropped it.
She looked up at Callie to see the brunette looking sheepishly down at the ground, and she heard her own incredulousness as she asked, "They just so happened to have the Presidential Suite available at the last minute? And you… can pay for it?"
Which, no. There was no way she could stay somewhere that was forcing Callie to pay what was surely over a thousand dollars for one night.
But before she got a response, which she thought was going to be a good one because the brunette's cheeks were faintly blushing, there was a loud exclamation of, "Well, well, look what the cat dragged in. Callie Torres!" from across the lobby, near the elevators.
And if Arizona thought she'd been in the Twilight Zone moments ago, this just heightened the experience. She and Callie both whirled around right in time to see a tall, leggy redhead run at them.
More aptly, run right at Callie.
Who was only frozen for a moment before her face broke out into a bright, absolutely stunning smile and then she – she squealed in excitement, as her arms opened to accept the redhead into a tight hug. It was an extremely rare show of excitement from the brunette; so rare, that Arizona had never seen it before.
And it was for this completely gorgeous redhead, who had her arms wrapped tightly around Callie's neck while Callie's banded around her waist, and they held like that for a few long seconds.
What in the world is going on?
Why are they hugging for so long? That looks like a really friendly embrace…
Didn't Callie say that she'd never been with another woman before?
… Someone sounds jealous.
I – I'm not jealous! I can't be. I don't even know if there is something to be jealous over.
Yeah, except that really long and tight hug!
Yeah, well. Am I even allowed to be jealous over this? We're not exactly dating.
And that realization seemed to smack her right in the center of the chest. Was this it? She liked Callie and she didn't want what they were doing to end; so was this it? Did she want to be in a real, legitimate relationship with the brunette?
Okay, yeah. She did. And that much was clear to her – she couldn't imagine Callie not being on the same wavelength.
But, seriously, what was going on with this damn hug? Finally, they drew back, though not very far and still close enough for the redhead to hold Callie by the elbow. Her brunette was still smiling widely, "Addison! What are you even doing here?"
Ah, so the gorgeous redhead's name was Addison. Addison Something-or-other. Never heard of her.
So-called Addison grinned right back, "Cal, what do you think? I've been here since classes let out weeks ago!"
She watched as those dark eyes rolled, and Callie had that smirk-y I'm-trying-not-to-smile look on her face – which was Arizona's look – as she scoffed, "Oh, right, silly me for thinking you would go anywhere else."
Addison looked like she was offended, "You know I need to destress after classes let out every year. What better place to go?" She arched an eyebrow at Callie before gesturing around them, "The real question is, what are you doing here?"
Callie's smirk slipped away, and into a small smile, "As you know, Aria's wedding is coming up –"
"I honestly still cannot believe that wild child Aria is getting married. To David," she tacked on with a deep full-bodied laugh.
Which Callie joined in with for a moment, before continuing, "I know, I know. But it's happening in a couple of days, and I'm driving through on my way there, from school."
Addison's voice dipped as she nodded, "Oh, right, right. I forgot about your road trip. How's it going?"
For the first time in a couple of minutes, dark eyes flickered to Arizona, and she definitely hadn't enjoyed the weird feeling of jealousy and nosiness, but with a look from Callie, the crushing feeling of it in her chest lessened.
And Callie looked back at Addison as she stepped back a little bit, so she could gesture towards Arizona, "Actually, the trip was… not as planned. But this is the woman Elise set me up to drive with, Arizona. Arizona, this is Addison. She's a friend, from undergrad."
Sparkling, smiling blue eyes rolled as Addison turned to face her as well, and she corrected Callie's statement, "The best friend, no matter what Elise says." Her eyes ran up and down Arizona as a small smile played on her lips, "Arizona, hmm? Why does that sound familiar?"
"It's also a state," she quipped, and couldn't deny herself this little barbed moment, because… as much as she hated it, she was jealous. And it was probably crazy, but there was an innate closeness right between the two women.
Addison just chuckled before she murmured smartly, "Is it?" And then she snapped her fingers as a knowing look settled over her face, "Arizona! You're the neighbor, right? The one who crashed into Callie's car!"
She looked between the two of them, seeming aghast and amused at the same time.
And Arizona really wished she was able to say that she was more than the neighbor who crashed into Callie's car. Much more! But… she knew Callie was not wanting everyone to know that yet, especially someone who knew her family the way Addison clearly did, so she kept her words in.
Instead, she nodded, and Callie was quick to cut in, stepping farther way from Addison and a little closer to Arizona. Close enough that their arms brushed, and she couldn't help the goosebumps she got.
"Uh, yeah, that's the same Arizona. But she's actually pretty cool," Callie admitted, and Arizona looked up at her and was met with a soft, warm smile, "We've become pretty close on this trip."
All right. That was more than enough to make Arizona grin, too, dimples popping, as things shifted back to right in her chest, "Pretty close friends," she amended.
To which Callie looked at her with a slightly raised, questioning eyebrow, but the brunette accepted it with a smile. So did Addison, "I never thought I would see the day when Callie Torres makes friends with the woman who brutally attacked her baby," the redhead laughed, and when she caught Arizona's frown, she added, "Hey, it's her words, not mine."
The brunette rolled her eyes at her friend, "I called you when I was in a rough place."
Addison just gave her a look right back, before shrugging, "Hey, I was going out for some dinner, and then hitting up a couple casinos for the night. You guys want in?"
Arizona watched as Callie's mouth fell open as if to answer, but then nothing came out as dark eyes darted between Arizona and this Addison, who seemed amused by Callie's indecision, if the smirk on her lips was any indication.
And she didn't know how she felt about that smirk – it seemed oddly knowing. Then Callie sighed a bit, "I'd obviously like to, but Arizona and I just got here, and –"
But for as much as Arizona wanted to spend more time alone with Callie – despite the fact that she'd had nearly nothing but alone time with Callie for weeks – she also wanted to get to know this woman. Callie's apparent best friend. Because Arizona didn't even know any of Callie's friends, aside from Elise.
So she stepped forward slightly, shaking her head, "No, no. You should spend time with your friend, Calliope. We can go to dinner."
Addison's smirk faltered, as her perfectly arched eyebrows rose, "Calliope? Huh."
Callie's cheeks noticeably flushed and she stiffened for a moment against Arizona's side before she rolled her eyes at Addison, "Shut up. We have to go up to our room and change. Meet you down here?"
The redhead still had a curious but somehow knowing look on her face as she nodded, "I'll be waiting."
As they walked to the elevator, Arizona was mindful to keep a little bit of distance between them, rather than let their shoulders brush. Mostly because she could feel that Callie was still tense next to her, knowing that Addison was presumably watching them.
Instead of thinking about that, because it made an uncomfortable feeling settle in her stomach, she instead remembered exactly what had been on her mind before Addison had swooped in, just as Callie pressed the button for one of the top floors in the elevator.
"So… the presidential suite? Callie, what even – you can't just pay for that for us!" She had half a mind to try to stop the elevator and demand a refund for Callie, "It's way too much," she insisted, as she turned to face the brunette.
Who was looking down at the ground, that sheepish look back on her face, which was making Arizona confused. Perfectly aligned white teeth dug into that bottom lip before Callie sighed, "Don't worry. I'm not paying for it," was what Callie chose to assure her with.
Which made Arizona's eyebrows draw down in confusion, "I – what?" because that made even less sense.
Callie opened her mouth to answer just as the elevator dinged, and let them out into a somehow also elegant hallway, with many less doors than their usual hotel hallways they'd been staying in. She followed the brunette on the way out, and was grateful for the fact that there were no more prying eyes like in the lobby, so she felt free to reach out and take Callie's hand with her own. Not only for the connection she felt with it, but because of the confusion about what the hell was even going on.
Especially because Callie seemed to know exactly where to go, as she walked down the hallway, and Arizona shook her head, using her grip to pull the brunette to a stop, "Calliope. What do you mean, you're not paying for us to stay here? Is this some sort of blackmail type situation?" she sort-of joked.
Dark eyes looked at her for a few moments, before Callie sighed, and spoke slowly, "You know how I've told you about how my dad traveled a lot for business?"
Arizona only nodded, curious for the rest.
It proved to be enough to encourage Callie to continue, "Well, this is his business. Archfield hotels. He, um, owns it."
Her voice was uncharacteristically small, but regardless, the information had Arizona's eyes widening, as surprise rocked her, her mouth falling open slightly, "Are – are you serious?"
Dark eyes gave her that intense look, like she could see right through her, before Callie nodded slightly, and rushed to add on, "It's not something I tell people. You know, it wasn't the best thing to tell someone to be able to make real friends, and now it's – it's not really who I am. Elise only knows because she found something in my mail once. I've only told, well, you," she finished in a whisper.
And while she was still kind of reeling from the revelation, because, well, it wasn't every day that you found out the girl you lived next to, befriended, and were having a romantic thing with was a millionaire, she could clearly tell that it was making Callie more than a little uncomfortable.
So all she did was give the hand in hers a comforting squeeze, and stroked her thumb over the back of her hand, as she quietly assured her, "I won't tell anyone. But. Thank you for telling me."
It was only when the words came out and she was granted one of those radiant smiles that she'd never been granted with before this trip, that she realized exactly what Callie had said. She hadn't even told Elise, who she considered her best friend at school.
And it was extremely satisfying and validating for her to know that along with everything else that had happened between them, she'd also won over Callie Torres's trust.
Callie maintained eye contact with her for a few moments, before she led them down the hallway a little bit more, and seamlessly swiped the card so that the door opened. The brunette held it open for her, making Arizona grin brightly as she stepped through.
Then promptly gasped, because holy crap. She was positive she'd never been in a place that was this magnificent before; definitely not a freaking hotel room. The door opened into a beautifully furnished living room-esque area, with a kitchen at the far right and two sets of doors to the far left.
Callie closed the door behind them, and then came up next to Arizona, smiling at her faintly in that way that made Arizona feel… special, "This is actually my favorite suite, out of all of my dad's hotels."
She could definitely see why, and she lifted her eyebrows, "How many of these presidential suites have you stayed in before?"
A flush worked its way up on Callie's cheeks and she shrugged, "Uh, a lot. But Addison and I would come here a lot in undergrad; she loves it here, and it is a nice getaway."
Arizona pictured the ease with which the redhead moved downstairs, as if she owned the place. Which, she didn't, but apparently Callie kind of did. So weird, she shook her head slightly, "Does her family also… um, you know?"
Own hotels, was something she was getting at, but the words sounded strange coming out of her mouth. Thankfully, Callie understood what she was getting at, and she shook her head, "No. She – um, you know Forbes magazine?"
Arizona slowly nodded, because… who didn't know about Forbes magazine?
Callie bit her lip before explaining, "Well, her name is Addison Forbes Montgomery. Her family is in publishing."
She was sure that her eyes were double their usual size, but she couldn't help it because this seemed like some sort of crazy twist of events. Which was really what prompted her to let out a little laugh, because the entire last half hour was just insane.
And then Callie was giving her a questioning look, so Arizona just shook her head, "I'm sorry. But what I expected to happen when we pulled up at this hotel… well, I didn't know exactly what I expected, but it wasn't any of this," she gestured around them with her free hand.
Relief hit her when Callie's lips curled into their own smile, "It is a little unbelievable," she acknowledged.
So… Callie's a millionaire and so is her incredibly gorgeous friend, who gives her tight hugs.
Thanks for the summary. I was there, too.
She rolled her eyes at herself, but was glad for the reminder of Addison, who was waiting for them. And it was what prompted her to take in a deep breath and ask uncertainly, "So… your friend. Addison. How should I act? I mean, am I just the unexpected road trip friend?"
Insecurity weighed in her stomach as she waited for Callie's answer. But when Callie ducked her head slightly to look at the ground, it was as much answer as Arizona needed.
Her bottom lip was trapped between her teeth as she nodded slowly, because Arizona really wasn't one for hiding who she was. At least, not hiding this part of herself, not since she'd been in high school, afraid to come out.
And she couldn't deny that it didn't feel that good to be just known as the girl who crashed into Callie's car to her apparent best friend. But, it wasn't that big of a deal, she supposed as she exhaled a deep breath. It wasn't like no one knew about them. Her family, for example. Or even like they were explicitly lying about anything. And it didn't truly matter if these people that Arizona didn't know knew about them.
Like Addison, and Callie's family. She didn't want to force Callie out of the closet.
Especially because she didn't even know what they were, yet. They were still figuring things out – and it was clear that Callie was still figuring a lot of things out on her own.
So, it was actually easy to smile up at the brunette, and assure her, "It's okay; I was just wondering."
It felt like the natural move to lean up on her tip-toes, moving in for a kiss. And for a second, the thrill of it washed over her, anyway. Maybe they weren't telling people yet, and maybe they were doing their own thing, but it was exhilarating bring able to have Callie like this. Knowing that she was able to rock up and kiss her whenever she wanted.
Knowing that the muffled whimper Callie released against her mouth as their lips met was because her kisses made Callie's heart speed up, and made her feel lust pound through her body the same way Callie did to Arizona.
She'd meant for it to be a quick kiss. Something small, just to assure Callie that she understood. But when Callie used their joined hands to pull her a little closer, close enough so that their bodies aligned as the brunette's free hand gripped Arizona's hip, it changed.
It slowed as their mouths melded, and she felt Callie's tongue trace surely over her bottom lip, knowing that Arizona would let her in. Which she readily did, and her tongue met Callie's, the kiss shifting into a deliberate, exploring feeling. And she loved the taste of it on her tongue, and the slow build of it all.
They pulled back, and as dark eyes caught her own and held her gaze, Arizona's already slightly labored breath started to become even more labored. How in the world did Callie manage to look hungry?
It was beyond her, but it fed her own hunger for Callie, especially as she could still feel her breath washing over her lips.
She was already starting to lean in when Callie paused, and a regretful look flashed across her face, "Wait. We… should get ready."
Disappointment rocked through her, but Callie was right; Arizona was the one who had decided they should join Addison for dinner, after all. So, reluctantly, she rocked back on her heels and nodded.
Then she actually squeaked when those full lips descended on hers once more, stealing her breath away, as that full mouth press against her own, and then took her bottom lip in a tug that sent even more wetness between her legs than there already had been from their previous kiss.
All too soon – before she could properly react – Callie had pulled back and Arizona could see how their kiss had affected her, too, in the changed way she was breathing. And she breathed out, "Later."
"Later," Arizona echoed, before they made their way to the master bedroom to get ready for the impromptu dinner date.
Less than an hour later, the three of them were seated at what Arizona was certain was an inordinately priced restaurant – and had been seated immediately, as the hostess seemed to recognize not only Addison, but Callie as well. And Arizona was certain that that might take some getting used to.
But it seemed like Callie hadn't even really noticed the attentiveness, as she'd given the hostess her usual bright smile, the same one she'd given the hostess at all of the restaurants they'd been to, whether they were the small diners or karaoke bars or… anything.
And as she listened to Callie and Addison chat about someone she didn't know for a few moments, she took the opportunity to look at Callie, who had slipped into a dress Arizona hadn't even known she'd packed, but that fit her perfectly, falling to mid-thigh. She'd slipped in diamond earrings, that Arizona was positive she hadn't ever seen before, and she knew that they screamed of quiet wealth.
Somehow, in the half hour they'd been in their hotel suite, Callie had ditched her usual leather and sneakers ensemble for this elegant look that seemed to suit her just as well. And now with the information of what Callie's dad actually did for a job, Arizona figured that slipping into this elegant look was something Callie was more than used to.
But, she thought with a frown, she didn't think Callie enjoyed it very much. After how much she went through to not tell people about her family's money, and the fact that her own personal style was so much more relaxed, it was clear that Callie tried to distance herself from it all.
She was pulled away from her thoughts when she realized both of the women were look at her, as if waiting for her to add something into the conversation, so she settled on the first thing that came to her mind, which was actually something she was curious about, "How did you two meet?"
A cringe almost took over her face, because, well, that sounded lame, but it was amusing to see the way the two exchanged looks before Addison smirked and leaned in a bit from the other side of the table, "We were living in the same dorm, freshman year. But, the dorms were kind of exclusive. Like, there was a lottery for upperclassmen to be able to live there. We got in because our parents paid for it, which meant people kind of hated that we were there."
Callie's eyes were narrowed, and then they rolled at Addison in a way that was so familiar to Arizona, and it made her smile, "Don't let Addison fool you; she wasn't into being my friend at first, even in alliance against the asshole upperclassmen."
Arizona quirked an eyebrow, enjoying the challenging smile on Callie's face, "And why not?" And maybe she should have directed the question toward Addison, but she honestly was mesmerized by the way Callie looked at that moment.
Somehow powerful, and all smirk-y, and with the way her hair was done up in that side-swept way… it all came together in a gorgeous image. And one that made Arizona's stomach do somersaults, because Callie – all sides of her – was kind of awesome and all sorts of beautiful and they were having this… thing between them.
Callie didn't seem to notice or care that they were both looking at each other rather than Addison, as she smiled back at her, "Because she wanted to fit in with them." She easily ignored Addison's protest, and pushed on, "We only really bonded when we found out we were both pre-med."
Ah. So not only was the redhead gorgeous, from a crazy prestigious family, but she was also smart. Arizona filed the information away, and managed to take her gaze off of Callie when Addison very deliberately cleared her throat across the table from them.
And when Arizona turned to look at her, she definitely didn't miss the look she was giving the two of them. She reminded herself of what she'd just learned – Addison was smart. So, chances were, she might pick up on the two of them being… Arizona-and-Callie, if they didn't control it.
She nodded, mostly to gather her own thoughts, and faced the redhead, who was looking at her with question, amusement, and a little bit of – what Arizona thought was – challenge. But Addison just continued like she wasn't giving them a look, "She tried to get me to come to Hopkins with her."
"Did she?" Arizona asked, lifting her eyebrows between the women.
Callie rolled her eyes at the redhead, with a small grin, "Yeah, but that idiot decided to go to Columbia, instead."
Addison's mouth fell open, "Idiot?" Then she focused on Arizona as she informed her, "Callie was actually undecided between Columbia and Johns Hopkins. And she only chose Hopkins at the last minute because she said it felt like a better fit."
At those words, which didn't seem like something practical-Callie would say, her gaze inevitably moved back to the brunette, "And was it? A better fit?" she prompted, and she hadn't meant for her voice to come out quietly. Intimately.
But it had. And Callie definitely noticed, because those dark eyes were on her and they were giving her that look that was all warm and sweet and felt like it was washing right over her, which made Arizona's cheeks feel warm.
And she couldn't look away, even though she knew Addison was watching them. She knew that Callie definitely knew, but she didn't look away either, as she murmured, "Yeah. The best."
Arizona knew she should look away – for Callie's sake, at the very least – but it was so difficult. At least until Addison spoke again, "So, tonight's going to be fun."
Callie nearly jumped, and the two of them turned to look at the redhead, who was giving them that knowing look she had. Arizona discreetly laid her hand on Callie's thigh under the table, and asked, "What's on the agenda?"
It was in the way Addison's gaze locked on hers that she could tell the redhead was at the very least questioning what was going on between her and Callie. And there was a challenge in the way she raised her eyebrow.
A challenge that said something along the lines of that's my best friend and what are you doing with her? Are you good enough to be doing it?
So Arizona silently met her gaze, which made Addison nod, and a slow smile slid over her face, "Just some gambling. Maybe some drinking. A fun night out."
"Addison really knows how to drink," Arizona commented, and her words were a little more jumbled than usual. That might have been because she felt the need to keep up with the redhead as they'd been in the casinos tonight.
And who knew all of those casino drinks were free? Apparently Addison and Callie both had. Because Addison downed a ton of them and they barely seemed to make a dent in her sobriety – and Arizona matched her drink for drink – while Callie hung back and sipped on maybe two drinks through the whole night.
Callie was helping her walk along down the hallway toward their suite after having left the last casino twenty minutes ago. Addison had met up with a guy she was seeing, and as soon as Callie knew she was off safely, she had directed the two of them back to their hotel.
The brunette scoffed, "And why did you feel the need to drink as much as she did?" but she did sound genuinely curious, too, Arizona was pretty sure.
So she rolled her eyes and tried to pull away from the arm around her waist enough to be able to look at Callie, like duh. But… walking without Callie's arm helping to hold her up hadn't gone very well – resulting in her nearly falling on the sidewalk, really – so she did her best to angle her neck to look up at the taller woman, "Because, Calliope, she was challenging me!"
Callie's eyebrows were drawn down in a confused look, but those dark eyes slowly roamed Arizona's face, before Callie softened into a small smile with a soft sigh, "Whatever you say, drunky."
" 'm not drunk!" she protested, so loudly she thought that whoever was staying in the suite across from theirs might pop their head out to yell at her. The image made her giggle slightly as Callie slowly released her to dig out the key card.
Arizona definitely wouldn't say she was drunk. Because she so… wasn't. She stumbled slightly into the wall of their hotel, her hands only coming out to brace herself at the same time as her forehead hit the wall, too.
But it didn't hurt, which was good, and then she couldn't help but laugh, before whispering, "Maybe a little drunk."
"A little," Callie echoed with a smirk, and even in her inebriated state, she could hear the mocking tone.
Callie had unlocked their door, before Arizona saw the small smile she threw her, and the brunette reached out to wrap her arm around Arizona's waist again. It was a stability Arizona actually really appreciated now, given her encounter with the damn wall, and she let herself be dragged because her feet felt heavier than normal.
A blonde head fell onto Callie's shoulder – soft, strong shoulder, she thought with a smile and a sigh – and the way Callie grunted softly in her ear made her a little wet. It sounded kind of like the grunts Callie let out the night before when they were having sex.
Mmm, "Sex," she mumbled as Callie directed them through the luxurious suite.
As they approached the master bedroom, Callie murmured, "Huh?"
Arizona scrunched up her face, trying to remember what she'd been thinking about, when she felt the feeling between her legs – oh! "I said, we should have sex."
Sex with Callie was super. And it would be super nice to have some right now, she decided with a nod that picked her head up from Callie's shoulder. It happened a little too quickly, though, and made the world spin a little bit. Blue eyes blinked rapidly to try to clear the dizziness away.
And then she heard the brunette chuckle quietly, "I don't think so."
Shaking her head – woah, bad idea – she looked up at the brunette, seeing warm, smiling brown eyes looking down at her. And she was utterly offended, "What do you mean, you don't think so?!"
She knew Callie had a great time last night and this morning; she'd felt it and tasted it. Did she not want more?
Callie's voice was quietly soothing – even though there was laughter in it – especially as the arm around her waist tightened and her hand rubbed light circles on her hip, "I do want more, believe me."
Huh, Arizona had actually said that out loud.
"However, you're so drunk you can barely even walk on your own. I don't think anything productive is really going to happen in bed," she murmured, "So how about we save the sex for tomorrow?" Callie asked and her voice sounded like she was offering a reasonable alternative, as she led them right into the bedroom.
God, was this room really freaking amazing.
But waiting until tomorrow wasn't what she wanted, and she rolled her eyes in frustration with a huff. And she attempted to stomp her foot, but her coordination wasn't entirely up to snuff right now, plus she was still in her heels, so… that didn't work out.
Still, "I can walk!" she protested. "Tons of sex could happen."
That maddening smirk was right on those full lips, "Okay, baby."
She felt Callie freeze next to her, but didn't understand why. Because she could walk! "If I can walk to the bed on my own, can we have sex tonight?"
Arizona could hear the pleading in her own tone, and then Callie's kind of forced chuckling, before she teased, "I doubt it'll happen. But, sure," she acquiesced.
She took a deep breath and mandated her legs to work properly. Because some parts of her body really wanted this, so the other parts of her body, like her legs, should comply with her vagina's needs, really. With as much strength as she could muster up, she clumsily reached down to peel away the arm Callie had around her waist to stabilize her.
Then she took a step away from the brunette. Two steps – she was going to make it for sure! She was already smiling in triumph, but the smile disappeared, as she had been pretty sure there was nothing on the floor when she had started walking. But something happened, because she was going down, and she flailed her arms to find balance.
A groan escaped her as she landed – thankfully managing to face plant on the bed. The really, really soft bed that made the world stop spinning, and she reached her hands out to play with the comforter, wrapping the blanket around her fingers to feel the softness.
Then she nuzzled her face into it a bit more, because her face felt really fucking hot, and the comforter was nice and cool against her.
Callie chuckled softly, and Arizona smiled brightly against the blanket at the sound of it. And even brighter when she felt the brunette's hands unbuckle the strappy heels she was wearing and gently slide them off her feet, freeing her.
In her contentedness, she sighed and kicked her feet out, only to be stopped by Callie reaching out and grabbing at her ankles, "Woah, woah. Calm down, Happy Feet."
Happy feet. Arizona giggled, and as soon as her second foot was freed, she kicked up her legs and flopped onto her back so she could look up at the ceiling, "Call-i-op-e," she hummed out under her breath, as her eyes closed because her eyelids just felt… really heavy compared to how they usually felt.
"Mhmm?" Callie hummed quietly, and Arizona could hear her moving around the room, but she didn't have the energy to open her eyes.
Instead, she wiggled farther up into the bed, "Nothing. I just like how it sounds. Calliopeee. So pretty. You're pretty, too."
After a few moments, she felt the bed dip slightly and – hey! "You're taking off my shirt," her words slurred together slightly, as heavy blue eyes managed to blink open, and look down at those long, capable fingers undid her buttons much faster than she would have been able to undo them.
And Callie smiled lightly before she nodded, and it was such a barely there, intimate smile that made Arizona's heart pound a little faster as that familiar warmth poured right over her again, "I am," she confirmed.
Eyes sliding closed once more, she pushed her arms up into the air to comply with Callie tugging at her shirt so it could come off, "Are we gonna have sex?"
There was a warm, slightly moist from lip gloss but still entirely pleasant kiss pressed to the corner of her lips. It felt sweet, and she exhaled quickly as her heart pounded in response, but it made her smile, before Callie pulled away, taking her shirt with her, as she whispered, "As much as I would like to, you didn't make it to the bed," Callie reminded her, "Plus, someone seems a little sleepy."
The fact that her body thought it was an appropriate time to yawn angered her – her body betrayed her twice in one night. Twice in like ten minutes!
"Tomorrow?" she asked, cracking her eyes as Callie maneuvered her enough to slide a tank top over her arms and gently down her torso.
It really was with this utmost care that Callie had as she dressed her, and it made Arizona's heart sing. The brunette was so – so gentle.
And she really didn't understand why Callie was chuckling as she moved so she could pull down Arizona's black pants, because this was a serious matter. But it didn't really matter all that much when the brunette then pressed a light kiss against Arizona's hip, she guessed, because that felt really, really good.
It was in one way comforting, but it also made her shudder because Callie had such delicious lips, and she smiled dreamily up at the ceiling, as Callie whispered in confirmation, "Tomorrow."
Which… that sounded good. Like a promise. Callie's voice itself was like a promise, really. Because it could be all low and seductive and it lured her right in. It was like a thrilling security.
So she closed her eyes again, just thinking about it.
And the next time they opened, it took her a few disoriented seconds, but she realized that things were different. Like, for one, somehow she had a pair of her pajama shorts on, and rather than be right next to her like when she'd closed her eyes, Callie was emerging from the bathroom, all dressed in her pajamas and ready for bed, with dark hair piled messily on the top of her head in a loose bun.
She looked so good, Arizona thought and had the urge to reach out for her, but found her arm movements restricted by the blankets. Another difference – at some point Callie must have put her under the covers, because she was now very comfortably settled against the pillows, all nice and cozy.
Dark eyes met hers and widened with surprise as Callie climbed into the bed, "I thought you were out for the night."
Arizona figured she must have had to have been out pretty deeply for her to have not woken up when Callie moved her around, but she couldn't bring herself to be concerned about it, really, so she shrugged.
The world wasn't spinning nearly as much as it was before – only just a little bit now, and not enough to make her feel damningly dizzy – so she was able to scoot in closer and cuddle up to Callie as soon as the brunette was under the covers, as she mumbled, "Can't take me out so easily."
Which made Callie smile, and the amusement was clear in her voice as she murmured, "Apparently not," and that was coupled with Callie's hand coming up to lightly comb her fingers through blonde locks, as it wrapped around her shoulders.
As comfortable as the bed itself was, laying like this, half on top of Callie with her head on the brunette's shoulder and Callie's arm around her, was even better. She let out a sigh of contentment as her eyes closed again, but she didn't feel like she was ready to sleep quite yet.
So she pressed her face against Callie's soft sleep t-shirt and nuzzled for a moment, which elicited a soft hum from Callie. Soft enough that she almost didn't hear, but she did.
Which made her mind wonder. She liked this, a lot. Clearly. This closeness, this cuddling. And she was positive that Callie did, too. She had to have, because you didn't hold someone the way Callie was holding her without having those deeper feelings that Arizona was having fluttering around in her chest.
She worked her hand out of the blankets and slid it along the comforter before the thought crashed into her – Callie did have those deep feelings for her. She did, because of everything she'd said when they were with her family in Texas.
That whole story… and Arizona decided she wanted to know more. And that now was the perfect time to bring it up, because – well, it just was. She could feel it.
Heaving a sigh, she managed to push herself up and away from the comfort of Callie's shoulder, digging her hand into the pillow that was under Callie's head. And with the slight help of Callie's hand, helping her find her balance to sit cross-legged, facing the brunette who was laying down.
She was still so close that her knees pressed against Callie's side, and Callie didn't move her hand from where it landed on her hip, which made her happy. She didn't want her to move.
But Callie was giving her a questioning look from those dark eyes, and Arizona cleared her throat, "You remember what you told my family?"
Thankfully, she felt slightly more sober than she'd been a little while ago, because the world didn't spin as she ran her eyes up and down the woman below her. Whose eyebrows drew down in confusion, but she could tell the moment what she was talking about really hit Callie, because she bit down on her lip and her gaze dipped away from where she'd been staring up at Arizona, so that she was looking at the blanket like it was the most interesting thing in the world.
Arizona would bet that if it was brighter, she would be able to see a blush on her cheeks. The thought of it all – really just the way Callie looked, overall, was so freaking cute, it made her smile, "It's sweet, Calliope."
It was sweet, and with that in mind, she brought her hand up to cup the brunette's jaw. Granted, her coordination was still a little… not up to par, and she ended up stroking her hand up the brunette's neck, before reaching her jaw, which felt all nice and warm and soft under her palm. So she took a few seconds to stroke her cheek with her thumb.
Then she shook her head a little bit, "But you don't have to tell me more, if you don't want to."
Dark eyes lifted to look at her again, and the cheek under her palm shifted a bit as Callie looked up at her in this radiant smile that made her heart beat a little faster, despite – or maybe because of – the still slightly embarrassed look on her face.
"You're very cute when you're drunk," Callie whispered, and her fingers lightly stroked at Arizona's hip, making her stomach flutter.
Then her mouth dropped open in mock-offense, "Only when I'm drunk?"
It worked to make Callie laugh, and Arizona swayed in closer to her, bending so that their faces were only inches apart. And when those dark eyes blinked back open and looked up at her, the laughter faded from Callie's features, leaving only a soft smile in its place, as she brought up her hand and brushed blonde waves back behind Arizona's ear, breathing out, "You might be cute at some other times, too."
It was too much to be this close and not have her lips on those full ones only inches away. So she leaned in, wanting a taste.
But, okay, maybe she overestimated her balance capability a little bit, because she was moving forward a lot faster than she intended, and she kind of fell into Callie, her lips pressing a kiss into her jaw instead of Arizona's intended target.
In a few seconds, Callie had her situated on the pillows again, laying down, as she looked up at the brunette, whose hair was taken out of its bun and was curtaining them in.
She gave her a sleepy smile and tilted her chin upwards so that she could receive the soft, sweet press of Callie's lips against her own. And she hummed for a few seconds, luxuriating in the easy way the brunette's lips felt pillowed against her own.
"So good," she murmured as Callie pulled away, rubbing her thumb over Arizona's chin.
It made Callie smile as she settled in next to Arizona once again, easily pulling the blonde against her. She sighed as her eyes closed, "You know… I didn't even know it was you, the first day you saw me."
Callie stiffened slightly against her, as she asked, "What?"
Not opening her eyes because her eyelids just felt so heavy, she lightly swatted Callie's arm that was wrapped around her waist, exasperated that Callie wasn't on the same wavelength that she was, "The first day, last August. When I was moving in, and I couldn't see over my boxes, and you directed me through my door; I didn't know it was you. I never saw your face."
"Oh," the syllable came out in an exhale against Arizona's ear, tickling her slightly.
And she nodded, "Yeah. I just thought of you as my savior, because if you weren't there, I would have dropped all of the stuff I was carrying. And then the first day I saw you, I thought… I couldn't believe my luck that I was living next to you. So pretty, Calliope," she sighed out even as she could feel herself falling back asleep, feeling safe and warm and… loved.
Please let me know what you think! Thank you so much for all of the opinions and feedback so far, I love and appreciate it so much. And thank you for reading!