She is never surprised anymore when she finds Amy in their hideout with her face buried in scans and a sparkle in her eye. Amelia is never unnerved, never annoyed, and she always seems to find a glimmer in everything that she does, everything she investigates. Amy is like that, she thinks.
She likes it.
She's been noticing her little gestures, too. Like when she opens the door to the office and Amelia doesn't notice. She opens it very quietly, only for this reason. She opens it quietly so she can catch Amelia during her simplest moments. Amelia, at work. Amelia, brushing her dark hair back from obstructing her view. Amelia, chin on palm, and a pencil loosely hanging between two fingers in the other hand. Amy, looking serious and inquisitive, with her face scrunched up in concentration.
Amy eventually notices her, though, and that's when she grins. And it makes Arizona a little crazy, the way she does it. That sly look, and the way her eyes glow.
It almost kills her, the way her body heats up when Amelia looks at her like that.
She makes it a habit to draw away from her.
But she's not surprised this time, when Amy looks up at her and grins in the same way she always does. Though perhaps she seems a little more distracted now.
"How'd it go?" she inquires, returning her gaze to the outline she's been writing for the past day.
"Good, baby's fine," Arizona informs her, taking a seat beside her. Amelia smiles in acknowledgement.
"Glad to hear," she murmurs, still distracted by the outline.
Arizona leans back in her chair and briefly watches the younger Shepherd next to her.
"What's on your mind, Doctor Robbins?" she inquires without looking up.
Arizona smiles, "Nothing, Doctor Shepherd."
Arizona smiles wider when Amelia says nothing, and the neurosurgeon begins to tap her pencil against the table. "You're staring," she notes.
"I am."
"I have surgery soon," Amelia says, looking up at her now, "Gonna tell me what's on your mind?"
"I'll wait," the blonde says, simply.
Amy shrugs and stands to leave, stacking her papers neatly against the desk. Arizona doesn't move to give her space though, and her leg brushes against her knee as she moves to leave. The blonde is settled where she is, and only looks up at Amelia, who seems surprised by her behavior.
"What are you doing?"
"You should know," Arizona grins. Amy only gives her a blank expression, so she tells her, "I'm teasing you! It's your speciality." She briefly thinks that her behavior is silly, and wonders what she's doing. Blocking her way so she can't leave. Is this flirting? Is that what she's trying to do?
"That's not my kind of teasing. I'm much better at it than you are," Amelia retorts, moving her hand to shove Arizona's leg away. She grips her knee firmly, and the blonde can feel the heat of her hand through the cloth. It makes her shiver. "What, is this a ticklish spot?" she asks with a grin on her face, gripping her knee tighter.
Arizona giggles, "Stop!"
"It is, isn't it?" she asks, laughing this time, and her hand slides up from her knee to grip her thigh.
"Amy!" Arizona protests, her voice changing from a giggle to something far breathier. She sucks in her breath and looks up at Amelia, who is leaning over her seat. Her hand seems to rest firmly on Arizona's thigh, and now she looks at her with dark eyes. She seems to be holding her own breath.
"What?" Arizona asks, when Amelia says nothing. Her stare is sultry and lustful, and Arizona can see it clearly in her eyes.
"What?" Amelia asks. She blinks and pulls her hand away. "Anyway," she says, clearing her throat, "I'll see you later."
"Okay."
When Amelia exits the room, she lets out a deep breath and brushes her hair back.
Her body feels hot.
She waits patiently for Amelia to leave for the day, but she's disappointed when she sees her talking with Owen at the front doors. He's still in his scrubs, though, and seemingly out of breath. He looks shy with his hands on his hips, but she stands at a distance and waits for Amy to finish.
They part as good friends would, it seems, and Amelia waves to Arizona when she sees her approaching.
"Sorry!" she says. "Wait long?"
"No," Arizona murmurs.
They exit the hospital together, and the cold wind makes Arizona wonder why she even waited for her. She probably is busy. She took her own car to work this morning. They've never arrived together.
But she tries, anyway.
"Are you free tomorrow?" she inquires.
"Well, I'm off work."
"Do you, uh, want to check out the Christmas market? It's by the seaport."
"What?" the neurosurgeon seems surprised, but she looks at Arizona with expectant eyes. "No scans? No studying?" Amelia grins.
"We could do that after…" the blonde murmurs, "I want to go see it. And buy gifts."
Amelia hums, it's a throaty sound that makes Arizona nervous. Aware. Almost self-conscious. It's teasing. "Forget it."
"No, no," Amelia says, "I'll go." She pulls out her phone, "Let me just cancel with Owen."
"What, really? You don't have to."
"It's fine."
"I don't want you to-"
"Arizona," she warns.
"Don't cancel because-"
"Arizona! Shut up! It's fine," she assures her, looking back at her phone. She quickly types a message and looks back at Arizona. "Besides, I want to."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
As Arizona waits at the parking lot for Amelia's arrival, she contemplates her choice of outfit. She thinks that she may have dressed too simply, or perhaps too casually. She chose plain black jeans and a red sweater. Though plain, it turns out to be a smart choice now that she thinks about it, since she seems rather unfazed by the wind. She smiles when she sees Amelia's car approach and waves at her to park in the spot next to her.
"What a pain," Amelia says when she exits her car, "Stupid traffic. We should have gone together."
"I could have picked you up." Like a date, she thinks, and almost wants to blurt it out. Instead, she slips her hands into her pockets and watches as Amelia shivers next to her. The neurosurgeon is wearing a light, flimsy coat and a blouse underneath. She's dressed casually, as well.
It's dark out, and surprisingly cold. The seaside wind only seems to accentuate the cold air, she can practically see her breath with each exhale. However, the lights aligned along the seaport emit a deep, homely glow. The luminescent light seems to cast its shine everywhere, giving the night an enchanting feeling. She can hear carolers from a distance and light holiday music in the background.
"What are you looking for?"
"Something for Sofia," Arizona tells her. "She's been obsessed with Rudolph lately." She laughs, "My nose gets red in the cold sometimes, so she likes to joke that I'm a reindeer. It's cute."
"Oh, right," Amelia considers, "You have a daughter."
"I do," she says, and hurries to a stuffed animal toy stall. Her eyes light up at the selection and she hears Amy laugh behind her. She looks over to her with the intention to glare, but Amelia only watches her with her arms crossed and a delightful grin on her face. Arizona smiles back at her.
"Which one?" Arizona asks. Amelia trails behind her and surveys the various reindeer animals. She finally picks one up and turns it over carefully. "This one," she decides. "The nose turns red when it gets light."
After the purchase, Amelia trails slowly next to her, staring intently at the lights aligned along the port.
"You have a daughter," Amelia says, suddenly. "I saw her once. When I go to the daycare to see Bailey."
Arizona looks over at her. She seems to be lost in thought, as if carefully deciding something. But then she says, "I guess we still don't know a lot about each other, huh?"
"What?" Arizona asks, surprised.
"You should bring her sometime," Amy says, "to the office. I like kids."
She isn't sure what kind of look she is giving Amelia, but the younger Shepherd simply turns her head away and shrugs. "Never mind."
"I will," Arizona smiles.
From then on, they talk about Sofia and Zola while sharing customary drinks and sweets from the various stalls. And as they walk through the end of the market closer to the sea, Arizona can't help but notice Amelia's strange body movements.
"What's with you?" she asks.
"I-I'm freezing!" Amelia exclaims.
"It's not that cold," she murmurs dismissively, widening her eyes when she glances at the flushed skin of the shivering woman next to her. "You're so red!"
"Cus I'm cold! It's so cold over here!"
"But it's-"
"I li-lived in .. in LA for a long," she trembles, stuttering over her words, "long time, okay?"
Arizona only rolls her eyes, but another shiver prompts her to draw the other woman closer.
"Here," Arizona says, linking her arm around Amelia's. She only shivers in reply and ducks her head into the collar of her flimsy coat, burying her hands deeper into her pockets. Her sudden movement pulls Arizona's arm closer to her - almost in a tight lock. The blonde almost has the urge to put her hand into Amelia's pocket and find her cold, hidden hand. Amy moves in closer to her, and it is the first time that Arizona notices that Amelia is slightly shorter than her.
"Huh," she says. "You're short."
"Shut up!" Amelia exclaims, seemingly embarrassed by her height. "I'm like an inch shorter than you. And you're wearing boots."
Arizona laughs, "You need to get some winter clothes."
They walk now, to the end of the market just beside the sea, and stare at the distant lights in front of them. The wind is brisk and cold, and the Christmas lights behind them cast a glow over their backs.
"Aaaah," Amelia shivers. "It's really damn cold. This isn't helping."
"I've got a sweater on, so I'm warm," the blonde replies. "So is my coat. It's super warm."
The glare she receives from Amelia prompts her to unzip her coat and open it wide, as if in invitation.
"What?" Amelia asks, surprised at her sudden gesture.
"Get in."
"Seriously?"
"Okay," Arizona says, threatening to close her coat, "Freeze, then."
"No, wait!" Amelia says, hurrying over to her. She turns around and leans back against her. Arizona closes the coat over Amelia and clasps her arms around the shivering woman.
"Warmer?" Arizona asks. She can smell her hair and feel the warmth of her body against her own. She wonders why Amelia is so cold when her body feels so hot. Amelia only laughs and nods her head in affirmation.
"You know, I have a lot of fun with you," Amelia confesses.
"You do?" Arizona asks. Her body is completely warm now. She can feel the words in her chest - she can feel the warmth there, too.
"Yeah. I'm glad I came to Seattle."
"I'm glad you came, too."
She wants to tell her that she's saved her. Saved her career. Saved some part of her she's not even sure of, but she feels too close to her to say it. She'd feel strange saying it, she thinks. She might grip her too tightly. She might do something.
"We're kind of…" Amelia's words trail off and she laughs softly, leaning closer into Arizona. Her back feels warmer against her chest. She wonders if the shorter woman can feel her heart beating against her. It's hasty, and unsettling. "We're kind of like a couple right now, huh?" she says, and though Arizona is not looking at her face, she can see the grin on it, she can hear the lightness of her tone.
Arizona grows stiff. She wants to pull away. She wonders if Amy can sense the change.
Because she realizes it now. It's too sudden, too fast, and it hits her very hard in this moment, as another gust of wind prompts Amelia to turn around and bury her face into blonde hair. She feels her breath on her neck, and it's hot, too hot, it spreads throughout her body - so very quickly. She feels it along her skin, almost in her spine, and it makes her so very hot.
She tries to remain cool. But even the brisk wind cannot cool the heat of her body.
Yet her tone is successful as she inquires, "Cold, huh?"
Amelia pulls back now and looks at her. Her eyes are dark again, sultry, decisive and... tempting. "Yeah."
"We should go then," Arizona says quickly, pulling out of her reach, though her hands remain on her shoulders. She needs to look away, but she can't. She briefly grips Amelia's shoulders before letting her go.
"Should we?" Amelia asks.
"Yes," the blonde answers, buttoning her coat and turning around. She crosses her arms in front of her, and trails off and away from Amelia. She can feel the shorter woman's watchful gaze on her back before she follows quickly behind.
And when Amelia catches up, she doesn't bother grabbing her arm this time.
She knows now. Feeling her breath against her neck and the softness of her skin has only confirmed it for her. She wants to feel her lips on her, and her warm breath on her neck. She wants to know how her skin feels, she wants to discover its softness.
She wants her.
Really bad.