"I'm sure you're all wondering why I requested this meeting. And I know you're all very busy, so I'm going to try to make this quick."
Arizona scanned the room, gathering her courage. She didn't know why she was so nervous, and it definitely didn't help that Amelia was late to the meeting. The blonde had invited the entire board, along with Owen, Maggie, Alex, and April, wanting to ensure that they all heard the news directly from her and Amelia before rumors started to spread around the hospital.
"So, uh... well, some of you already know what this is about. And I don't think this will come as a shock to most of you. So I think it's only fair that-"
"Arizona, just say it," Meredith interrupted, stopping the blonde's rambling. She smiled and nodded encouragingly, urging the other woman to say what needed to be said. Arizona took a breath.
As if on cue, Amelia entered the conference room, her expression apologetic as she quietly shut the door behind her.
"Sorry, just got out of surgery. Did I miss anything?" she asked, looking to Arizona.
The blonde shook her head. "Perfect timing, actually."
She motioned for the brunette to sit next to her, a smile spreading across her face. She reminded herself that it didn't matter what anyone thought, and that she was only telling them because it was her duty as a professional. And, of course, because they were her friends, and they deserved to know. So why was she so scared to just say it?
"Amelia and I are a couple," she blurted.
The brunette smiled nervously as Arizona bit her lip, awaiting everyone's reactions. They were both pleasantly surprised when April started clapping, Meredith, Bailey, Alex and even Callie joining in. Amelia scanned the room, letting out a sigh of relief when she met Owen's eyes, a small but genuine smile etching into his face as he began to clap too.
"Congratulations, you two," Jackson said, grinning. "I mean, I already knew. It couldn't be more obvious. But I'm glad you told us, officially."
"Yeah, I knew too. You guys aren't very subtle," April said, smirking slightly, and laughter began to fill the room.
"Hold on. Is this news to any of you, or did you all already know?" Amelia asked.
Meredith spoke up. "Well, I didn't know before you told me. And I live with you both. So I guess I'm just completely oblivious."
Everyone started to file out of the room, and the blonde decided to speak to Callie alone before she left.
"I should talk to her," she told Amelia, and the brunette nodded as the other woman exited the room after the orthopedic surgeon.
The neurosurgeon timidly walked over to where Owen stood.
"So, you knew, huh?"
Owen chuckled. "Yeah, I knew. And I'm happy for you, really, I am. Congratulations."
Amelia was relieved to hear the sincerity in his voice.
"Thank you."
"I gotta go," he said when he received a page, smiling at her again before leaving the room.
She let out a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding as Arizona re-entered tthe room.
"Callie didn't know," she announced. "She said she suspected, but she was a little surprised. She approves, though."
The brunette smiled. "That went a lot better than I expected."
Amelia jumped in her seat on the couch, her heart rate accelerating rapidly as goosebumps formed on her skin. She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself as she shifted her attention back to the TV screen.
She had reluctantly agreed to watch Paranormal Activity with Arizona, which she now realized was a huge mistake, although she had so far been fairly successful in hiding how terrified she really was. She subconsciously leaned into the blonde as the movie progressed, occasionally shielding her eyes and turning her head away from the television, yet still attempting to appear calm and collected. She jumped again when a loud noise broke the silence, her entire body shaking noticeably, and she unintentionally grasped her girlfriend's hand.
"You okay there?" Arizona asked, her lips curving into a knowing smile. Amelia let go of the blonde's hand and quickly calmed herself.
"Hm? Oh yeah, I'm fine! Totally fine," she responded, offering a forced smile and trying to appear unfazed.
She succumbed to her fear when a sudden crash sounded from the screen, causing her to let out a quiet squeak and hug her knees into her chest. Arizona smirked, and she reached out to grab her girlfriend's hand, pulling her into her lap and wrapping her arms securely around her body. Amelia curled into the blonde and buried her face into her chest, turning her head ever so slightly to peek at the screen.
"Do you want me to turn it off?" Arizona asked softly, whispering into her hair.
The brunette took a breath, sitting up straighter with a newfound confidence.
"No. No, I can do this. I have to, I'll be really upset with myself if I don't. It's just a movie."
Arizona chuckled at the other woman's determination. She lowered her head to pepper gentle kisses along the brunette's hairline, smiling against her skin. She tightened her protective embrace around the other woman, her heart warming when she felt Amelia nestle her face into her neck.
"I adore you."
She felt the brunette smile against her skin before placing a soft kiss on her neck. Amelia lifted her head and gazed into her girlfriend's eyes.
"I'm really glad we told everyone about us," she said.
Arizona leaned in to lightly peck her lips.
"Me too."
The brunette sighed, snuggling into the other woman again, leaning back into her warmth as the blonde held her.
"You wanna know something funny?"
Arizona chuckled, nodding her head.
"I've never really been into cuddling. It's just always felt kind of weird to me, and awkward, and unnatural. I don't know, I just never liked it. But now, with you... I don't even think about it. This, being this close to you... it's the most natural thing in the world. I love it, being in your arms. It's where I'm supposed to be, where I always want to be. With you, I feel safe. I feel protected, like nothing can hurt me. I feel loved. I could stay here, just like this, forever."
She let out a breath, surprised by the sincerity of her own words. Arizona tightened her hold on the other woman, pulling her impossibly closer. She cupped her face and brought her in for a slow, passionate kiss, breaking apart only when they desperately needed air.
"Me too," the blonde replied, her eyes honest as they poured into the brunette's, their foreheads resting together. She leaned forward to brush her lips against Amelia's again, lightly kissing her before speaking again.
"I'm so glad I found you."
The brunette smiled, somewhat sadly. "I really don't know what I did to deserve you."
"Amelia Shepherd," Arizona began. "You are," she paused to kiss her gently again, "the most wonderful," kiss, "kindest," kiss "smartest," kiss, "most beautiful human being on the planet. And I can't believe how lucky I am that you're mine."