Arizona woke only 2 hours later to soft morning light streaming in from Callie's bedroom window, coloring the room a rich, warm hue that was so cozy it made her want to stay in bed for the rest of the day.

She was unfortunately one of those people that always woke early, no matter how hungover or exhausted she was, her body on autopilot and ready for the day even if her mind wasn't. She blamed it on being the daughter of a marine, having spent countless mornings in her youth waking before the sun to go on runs with her dad. Always disciplined, always pushing herself to be better, to be the best. Winners didn't sleep in, he had always told her.

She felt Callie's strong arms wrapped around her before her eyes even opened, and her first instinct was to feel an overwhelming wave of panic, an internal desire to bolt and never look back that had become her second nature.

Her second, slightly stronger instinct was to stay exactly where she was, to savor the way it felt to be held and seen by another person. Because as much as she hated to admit it, fuck, it felt so good.

She thought she might kind of like Callie. She felt drawn to her, connected in a way she hadn't really ever experienced before, not on this level at least. And it kind of scared the shit out of her, the prospect of wanting to know and be known by another person on such an intimate level. It was the antithesis of everything Arizona had carefully forged for herself over the years—easy, no feelings, always in control. Living that way was safe and it made her happy enough. Straying from that was a risk, one she couldn't decide was worth it or not.

She ran her hands softly over the arms at her waist, careful not to wake her. She felt paralyzed by indecision. For now, she let herself snuggle back against the woman behind her, smiling softly when Callie pulled her in tighter in her sleep with an adorable hum, probably dreaming about something. It made her stomach flip a little. They were practically strangers still, yes, but there was no denying the sparks there, as much as she wanted to pretend like she had made up last night entirely in her head.

Whatever this was between them, it felt special. Rare. And it took every ounce of her strength not to run like hell from it.

She had to be at work in an hour and a half. She was pleased to learn that Callie's apartment was just down the street from the hospital, meaning she could walk there and change into a spare set of scrubs she kept in her locker rather than go all the way home first.

It also meant that she could maybe see the brunette on her lunch breaks sometimes. If Callie was up for that, of course. The fact that she was even picturing a second meeting with her, let alone something as wholesome as lunch, made her want to get up and bolt again.

She stared at the ceiling in silence for a few minutes, soaking in the fleeting morning. Callie's sheets were soft on her skin, arms strong and warm around her waist. She could feel her soft breath on the back of her neck as she slept peacefully behind her, sharing a pillow.

Arizona bit her lip as she lost herself in thought, and her decision came to her unceremoniously. She slowly, carefully peeled Callie's arms off of her and slid out of the warm bed, sore muscles aching in protest.

She searched around Callie's room as silently as possible until she found a pair of sweatpants and pulled them on, the legs a bit too long on her. She shoved her heeled boots on with a little one-footed hop, still a bit sandy from last night. She looked ridiculous. She stole a glance at Callie as she slept, and Arizona felt her dimples appear at the sight.

She was still naked from last night, one hand thrown over her head, the other resting between her perfect breasts as she slept deeply. Her dark hair was messy and sprawled out everywhere, her lower half tangled in white bed sheets that highlighted her tan skin. Arizona watched the soft rise and fall of her stomach muscles as she breathed. She looked so peaceful. Angelic, almost.

God, she was beautiful.

Arizona swallowed before sneaking out to the foyer, carefully stepping around boxes. She let the door to Callie's apartment close slowly behind her until she heard a quiet click, and she left.

Callie could sense the emptiness of her bed before she opened her eyes, and she sat straight up, disappointment settling deep into her chest.

She quickly dressed in an old t-shirt and shorts, heading to the bathroom just in case Arizona happened to be in the shower or something, but she knew what the answer would be before she even looked. Completely empty, the blonde's sandy dress and underwear still on the tile floor from the night before.

Callie brushed her teeth a little too hard as she stared at herself in the mirror, grappling with the conflicting emotions flooding her.

Disappointment was first. Despite herself, despite how hard she had fought not to, she had felt hope bloom inside of her last night. She always did this. She always got her hopes up, always liked the other person more. She was always too much, too fast. The disastrous love life she had left behind in Florida was evidence of that.

Seattle was supposed to be a fresh start. She had vowed not to do any of that anymore, and then she had met Arizona night one and all of that went out the window. She had pushed her away over and over and Arizona had been so fucking persistent that she finally caved.

She laughed bitterly as she spat toothpaste into the sink. She felt so used.

Anger was next. She had asked Arizona outright if she was going to leave, just wanting to expect it if it was coming, and she lied. The silent rejection stung. Arizona Robbins was a coward.

She was pretty sure she had imagined the whole connection in her head and she felt very stupid. She really should have known better. She really, really should have.

She made her way to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee, exhausted and sore from the long night, and was surprised to see Mark sitting at the bar, eating a bowl of cereal. "You're home?"

He looked up at her with a grin, talking with his mouth full. "Needed to shower before I headed in."

Mark had been Callie's best friend since medical school, where they had spent three years as roommates with occasional benefits. He had been her partner in anatomy lab during their very first day of classes, and he hadn't told a single person when Callie threw up after seeing the cadavers for the first time. He was a bit of an ass and a lot of a man whore, but he was loyal to her and Callie loved him. They understood each other.

They had parted ways for residency, but they stayed in frequent contact and saw each other when they could. One night, a few months back, Callie had been crying on the phone about how much she hated her job, her exes, her family, her entire life in Florida, and Mark had told her about an opening at his hospital and she had jumped on it, ready for a new chapter.

Callie poured herself a cup of coffee from the pot Mark had already brewed, then sat next to him. "Did you, um, happen to see anyone leave?"

Mark's brows raised and he grinned at her proudly. "Damn, Torres. On night one? You're an animal."

Callie glared at him. "I didn't plan on it. She was persistent."

"Was she hot at least?"

Callie shrugged her shoulders, trying to be casual. "I guess. Blonde, slutty, a little vapid and annoying. A dime a dozen here, I'm sure." She didn't mean it really, but she was a little pissed and she wanted to believe it. She sipped her black coffee.

"I think we have the same taste in women. I'll share my contacts with you, if you want. I know all of the finest blonde, vapid slu—"

"Hey." She shot him a glare. She could call women slutty, sure, but she didn't like when men did it.

"Oh. Right, sorry. All of the finest blonde, vapid promiscuous women in Seattle."

Callie laughed, their banter helping her feel a bit better. She had really missed him. "I might take you up on that, actually." She held her mug up to cheers him. "To screwing blonde sluts."

Arizona couldn't believe she was doing this.

She reread her feminine handwriting for the fourth time, scratched with a pen on the side of a to-go cup from her favorite coffee shop as she walked down the hall back to Callie's apartment.

FL,

I had fun last night. :) Had to go to work. Here's my favorite coffee in Seattle, hope you like it as much as I do.

206-555-1849

-AZ

She kept reading it, over and over and over, feeling like her skin had been peeled off and leaving her completely vulnerable. She did not do this. She did not leave her number, and she certainly did not feel nervous butterflies in her stomach at the prospect of doing so, but here she was.

She couldn't bear to wake Callie up. She looked so tired and peaceful, and something gave her the impression that she was not a morning person. Arizona hoped she would find the coffee left on her night stand cute, if a little cheesy.

She sucked in a breath and pushed open the door as quietly as possible, not wanting to wake her, and was startled to hear a male voice in the other room.

"Was she hot at least?"

Arizona's brows furrowed, feeling awkward and bad for accidentally eavesdropping on what she assumed was Callie's roommate. She stepped forward to make her presence known, but Callie's voice stopped her.

"I guess. Blonde, slutty, a little vapid and annoying. A dime a dozen here, I'm sure."

Arizona's jaw dropped a bit in surprise, a feeling flooding her that felt an awful lot like shame and humiliation. That hurt. Really hurt, actually. She felt so stupid holding the coffee in her hand now, and her nails dug into the styrofoam a bit as she tried to swallow back the intensely negative feelings bubbling up in her chest.

She had zoned out a little, and when she heard Callie say some fucked up cheers about screwing blonde sluts she was gone, twisting on her heel without a word, leaving as silently as she had arrived. Like she had never been there at all.

She took the stairs down, feet pounding against the steps in anger. She felt so used, and maybe she didn't have a right to feel that way, but she did. Angry tears threatened to prick in her eyes, and she willed them to go the fuck away as she headed towards work.

She passed a trash can on the sidewalk, and she tossed the full cup of coffee in it without looking back.

Arizona did what Arizona did best when her ego was bruised—fucked random women. If she was going to be called a slut, she might as well act the part.

She had slept with 3 different women in the week since she had silently stormed out of Callie's apartment, and she was doing a pitiful job at convincing herself that it was actually working to erase the hurt feelings.

She didn't acknowledge, even to herself, that two of her orgasms had been faked, or that she had only achieved the third by closing her eyes and picturing a specific brunette naked and wet in the shower.

It was starting to seriously piss her off that she couldn't get Callie out of her head. The more she thought about her, the angrier she got. She had opened up to her, and she had really thought Callie could see her, really see her for who she was underneath everything. It felt like the biggest slap in the face.

Whatever walls Arizona had around herself that had momentarily cracked that night were back up, higher and more impenetrable than ever. She would plead temporary insanity for her lapse in judgment that night. Never again. She was mildly comforted by the fact she would never have to see her horrible, beautiful face again.

She stabbed her fork through a baby tomato in her salad a little too aggressively, earning her a pointed look from Alex. "You good, boss? You've been…on edge this week."

Arizona forced a tight smile, slumping back in her cafeteria chair as she chewed. "I'm super."

"Let me correct myself. You've been a bitch this week."

Arizona glared at him. Alex was her favorite resident, and being his mentor was one of the greatest joys of her life. He had an incredible heart for pediatrics, and he had grown so much in the past year that it made Arizona a little sappy and emotional to think about. They had grown into good friends, an unlikely pair due to their seemingly contrasting personalities—Arizona perky, Alex brooding. He reminded her a lot of her brother Tim, and they shared a similar dynamic.

"Seriously, what's up? Do you need to get laid or something?"

Arizona sighed, annoyed that he wouldn't drop it. She set her fork down, twirling the end of one of her pigtail braids in her fingers. "No, actually. I've had sex three times this week."

"Must not've been good enough sex." He spoke with his mouth full, scarfing down his burger. He flipped through the medical journal in front of him, Arizona on the opposite side of the table doing the same thing. They were having an extraordinarily difficult time diagnosing one of their peds patients, and most of their free time in the last couple of days had been dedicated to searching for answers.

Arizona wouldn't give up, and she knew Alex wouldn't either. She loved it about him. He advocated for his patients relentlessly. The words of the journal were starting to blur together a little from staring so long, and Arizona finally just shut it, resigning herself to continue looking later. "The sex really wasn't that great." She admitted with a laugh, rubbing her tired eyes.

Alex grinned. "There's your problem, boss." He scanned his eyes over the cafeteria. "I've heard the new head of ortho is super hot. Maybe the fourth time's a charm."

"She is." They were interrupted by Teddy, who sat down with them with a full tray of food. Arizona stole one of her baby carrots. "I worked with her on a trauma today. Hell of a surgeon, too."

"See?" Alex looked at her pointedly. "Some fresh meat."

Arizona laughed and shook her head. She narrowed her blue eyes playfully, pretending to consider. "I do like orthos. They're always super strong."

"She's funny. I think you'd like her, Arizona." Teddy sipped her soda. "It's just a shame she hangs around with Sloan so much."

Arizona's nose crinkled in distaste at the mention of Teddy's ex. "Oh, Jesus. Never mind. Definitely not going there." She laughed and stole another carrot, ignoring the way her hand was slapped away. "Sounds like a lost cause already."

"Never too late to convert her, Robbins. You've done it plenty of times."

Arizona grinned, a little smug. She appreciated the slight ego boost from Alex's words. "I'll think about it. Maybe if I get bored enough. I'll have to see how hot she actually is." She checked her pager when it went off and stood, turning to her friends. "We still good for Joe's tonight?" At their nods, she dimpled brightly. "Perfect. Keep researching, Alex."

She pressed the up button on the elevator and hummed while she waited, rocking back on her heels. She was excited to go out with her friends tonight. It had been a long week, and she could use the alcohol and the laughs with her favorite people. She thought about what she'd wear out—she had lost her favorite dress to Callie's bathroom floor, but at least she had ended up with a comfy sweatshirt and pair of sweatpants in the exchange. She hoped they were Callie's favorites. It'd serve the bitch right, honestly.

She smiled kindly at a few familiar faces as they filed out of the elevator, freezing when her eyes landed on the only two remaining people that hadn't left.

Mark Sloan and Callie.

Callie.

Callie in dark blue scrubs and a white lab coat with the sleeves rolled up, staring at her like she had seen a ghost.

Arizona started to laugh and step backwards, because seriously what the fuck, but the pager on her hip beeping again made her swallow her pride and enter the elevator. She didn't have time to wait for another. She pressed the peds floor and spun around, staring at the doors as they closed, back to Callie. "What the fuck are you doing here?" Her voice came out sharper than she had intended. She didn't particularly care.

"Um. I work here. As of yesterday. Head of Orthopedic Surgery." Callie's voice sounded incredibly confused and meaner than it had during the night they shared together. Arizona's jaw clenched. "Are you a doctor here?"

"I'm a surgeon." Arizona corrected. "Head of Pediatric Surgery." She turned slightly to finally look at her, angry with herself for thinking she looked beautiful. Her hair was down and straightened, lips a deep red, and she looked incredibly sexy with her sleeves rolled up. God, orthos had beautiful arms.

Mark's eyes flickered between the two women in utter confusion at the palpable tension, and he slowly pieced it together. "Robbins is the hot blonde? Nice one, Torres. I must admit I'm jealous."

Arizona turned to look at him, eyes narrowing a bit as she began to piece it together, too. "Mark Sloan is the roommate you fuck sometimes?" She started to laugh but it didn't sound amused at all. It sounded a bit mean, actually. She shook her head in disbelief, grateful when the elevator opened on her floor, and she exited without looking back, wanting as much space between them as possible.

She was annoyed when Callie followed her. "What is your problem?" Callie hissed, trying to keep her voice low so the nurses didn't hear them. She sounded so confused that it pissed Arizona off more, the fact that she could act so innocent. "I didn't do anything to you. You are the one that just left—"

"Why would I stick around for more mediocre sex with a judgmental bitch?" It was a low blow—mean and just objectively not true. The sex had been fucking phenomenal. But Arizona's words shot to kill when she was mad or hurt or felt cornered. It was one of the things she hated the most about herself.

She had been expecting to feel smug satisfaction from the dig, but the way Callie's face fell just kind of made her sad. She rounded a corner, checking her pager to confirm her destination.

"Wow. Okay, Arizona. Message received."

"Perfect. Now please don't speak to me again unless it's about work, Dr. Torres." She glanced at her over her shoulder. "And stop following me."

"I'm not following you. I'm following the signs. God, you are so full of yourself."

Arizona paused outside her patient's room, the mystery case she and Alex had been working so hard on. She narrowed blue eyes up at the brunette suspiciously.

"I was paged here too."

Arizona groaned at the terrible, terrible inconvenience, then bit her lip and sucked in a sharp breath to steel herself. "I care a lot about this patient. So we are going to pull it together and be the best of colleagues for a minute. Do you understand me?"

Before Callie could answer, Arizona was plastering a bright, dimpled smile on her face, blue eyes shining with nothing but kindness as she swung the door open, and Callie was left in stunned silence for a few moments.

What the fuck.

Two things.

One: Okay, so Arizona was apparently a huge, spiteful bitch and hated her. For no reason at all.

Two: Arizona looked really, really hot when she was pissed.

She was fucked.

A/N: last chapter before school kills me :( thank you everyone for the well wishes, I will definitely be needing them this semester lol.

Thank you as always for reading and for the comments, they make my day every single time without fail. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! let me know what youre thinkingggg :)

Have a happy Sunday guys!