Nestled in the heart of Washington's snowy mountains, a dozen secluded cabins sat tucked away. Crafted from rich, dark timber, their roofs were blanketed with thick layers of snow that shimmered in the pale light of the sun. Callie squinted her eyes, the bright white nearly blinding.
The cabins were arranged in a wide horseshoe, separated by large allotments of the forest for privacy and connected by footpaths through the trees lit by twinkling lights. Each cabin had its own fire pit, encircled by sturdy benches draped with soft, woolen blankets. As evening descended, the fires would be lit, the crackling warmth providing a safe haven for guests to gather and savor each other's company.
At the very center of the cabins was a large white gazebo adorned with warm lights that overlooked the landscape beyond. That breathtaking view would serve as the backdrop when Daniel and Barbara Robbins renewed their vows the following day.
Surrounding the private resort, towering evergreen trees stood like ancient guardians, their branches heavy with snow, creating an otherworldly canopy overhead. The air was thick with the scent of pine and the faint, sweet hint of wood smoke. It was far more charming than Callie had been expecting, cozy and immersive in a way that made it hard to imagine the rest of the world still existed. The anarchy of a busy city like Seattle was nearly unimaginable when surrounded by nothing but trees for miles.
The Robbins matriarch stood outside of Cabin 11, bundled up and waving emphatically as she watched her daughter park the car.
"She's so cute," Callie laughed quietly, waving back just as enthusiastically through her window.
It made Arizona smile, roll her eyes. She unbuckled her seatbelt. "You ready for this?" She pulled her bobble hat down over the tips of her ears, prepping for the cold. She still hadn't warmed all the way up from their brief detour in the snow.
Callie watched her, finding the stupid hat irritatingly cute. "I'm ready."
"Don't forget. You're in love with me," Arizona reminded her. Acutely aware of her mother's gaze on them, she leaned across the center console and pressed a kiss to Callie's cheek.
Then she was out of the car and smiling brightly, wrapped up in loving arms as her mom fussed over her. Callie swallowed and took a steadying breath.
One weekend. She just had to make it through one little weekend.
She grabbed both her and Arizona's bags from the backseat, hauling them over her shoulders as she joined the two women on the porch.
"Callie, dear," Barbara exclaimed, and she immediately tugged her in for a hug. Callie didn't go stiff and awkward this time, just squeezed her back warmly.
"Hi, Mrs. Robbins. It's so good to see you again."
"Barbara, honey. Goodness. No need for the formalities, you're family now," Barbara gently scolded her with a laugh, pinching Callie's cold cheek. "Let's get inside out of this cold. I have something for you."
"For me?"
"For you! Like I promised."
Callie's brows furrowed in confusion and she followed the older woman inside the cabin, letting their bags fall to the floor of the landing with a gentle thud. It was even cozier inside, lit with soft light. A fire was burning in the fireplace, and the warmth enveloped Callie, helped soothe the stinging in her cheeks.
Barbara disappeared for a moment and returned with her hands behind her back. Then she was wrapping a scarf around Callie's neck and pulling a hat onto her head, identical to Arizona's except in green.
Callie blinked. "Did you knit these for me?"
"I told you I would," Barbara smiled proudly. "They look lovely on you. I hope you like the colors. Arizona picked them."
"I love them. Thank you," Callie ran her fingers over the soft material of the scarf, touched by the gesture.
"Should have made her mittens too, mom. I learned this morning that Calliope doesn't own any." Arizona clicked her tongue against her teeth in a tsk noise, shrugging her coat off to hang on a hook. Her mittens and hat were next to be doffed.
"For the fiftieth time, it didn't snow in Miami. It never even got close to freezing. You're lucky I own a coat." Callie hung her winter gear next to Arizona's, hair messy when she tugged off her new hat. Arizona smirked at the sight, arching up to ruffle her hair, smoothing it back out for her.
Barbara watched with a smile. "I'll have a pair ready next time I see you, honey."
"Oh, you don't have to—"
"Nonsense," Barbara waved her off. "I insist. I want to."
"Where's dad?"
"Out back getting more firewood."
Arizona hummed her acknowledgment and picked her bag up off the floor. "Where's our room?"
"Oh. You don't have one."
Arizona blinked, and Barbara laughed at her daughter's bewilderment before she expanded, "You have your own cabin. Cabin 12, just down the path. We're neighbors!"
"Mom, you didn't have to—"
"I know how hard it is for you surgeons to get away for vacation. I figured you two ought to enjoy it fully. Besides your father and I want the privacy too—"
"Ew, mom."
Callie let out a loud laugh.
"What, honey? It's a good thing that your father and I still have a healthy sex life. It's perfectly natural. And it's so romantic here."
Arizona scrunched her nose. "I do not want to hear about this."
"You'll understand when you've been together 40 years."
"Sure," Arizona rolled her eyes, making her way towards the small kitchen. "Is there anything to eat? I'm starving."
She pulled open the doors to the fridge. She found a box of ice cream sandwiches in the freezer and plucked one out, unwrapping it and taking an indulgent bite.
Callie watched her through the doorway and shook her head, keeping her voice low as she spoke to Arizona's mom. "Her addiction to sugar is concerning."
"Tell me about it. We had to hide Oreos from her when she was a kid or she'd eat them all before Tim could have any."
Callie laughed. "She hasn't changed then. She ate a whole bag of jellybeans on the drive. I only got 3."
"She's never been great at sharing. I promise I did try to raise her better. But Arizona does what Arizona wants."
"Arizona can hear you," the blonde hissed as she returned from the kitchen. She held out her ice cream for Callie, who accepted a bite.
Callie's arm wrapped around her, fingers settling on her side. She brushed gentle strokes there absentmindedly as she spoke, trying not to think about how good it felt to hold her. "Are you and Daniel hungry? Arizona and I would love to cook dinner."
"Hey. Speak for yourself," Arizona protested with her mouth full, narrowing her eyes. "Arizona did not say that. Arizona doesn't cook."
"Don't be a brat. And stop talking in third person," Callie laughed. "It's time for me to teach you, I think. You've weaseled your way out of it long enough."
"Oh, this will be fun," Barbara said, amused. "I can't wait to see what you cook up, Callie. Arizona, just…try not to ruin it."
"Very funny." Arizona rolled her eyes and leaned into Callie subconsciously. She lifted her hand up blindly, offering the last bite of ice cream to her.
Callie took it, nipping playfully at her fingers. It made Arizona laugh, and it delighted her, that bright, bubbly noise.
The back door of the cabin swung open, cold air drafting in and making Arizona shiver, goosebumps appearing on her arms. Daniel had his arms full of chopped wood, and he stomped at the entrance to knock snow off his boots before making his way to the fireplace.
Arizona untwisted herself from Callie's side and slid into her dad's arms in a hug once his hands were free. "Hi dad."
The stoic man's face melted into a smile, and he squeezed his daughter in a brief hug, patting her shoulders. "Hey champ. Hello Callie."
"Hello sir."
Barbara watched them hug with a smile before her pale eyes shifted to Callie. "She was always a daddy's girl. He could make her cry with a single look, but she'd still follow him around anywhere."
Callie watched as Arizona helped her dad with the fire, talking to him animatedly about something she couldn't hear. "She's a perfect mix of both of you."
"I've always liked to think so too," Barbara pressed a hand to Callie's shoulder, guiding her toward the kitchen as they chatted. "I know she can be… impassive, and a bit serious like her father. But he is such a good man, and she's always wanted to be just like him. He's strong and protective and honorable."
"So is she," Callie answered honestly. The two women started looking through the kitchen together, trying to pool together ingredients for a makeshift dinner. Callie found a box of pasta and it felt like winning the lottery. "I see you in her, too, you know. She's warm under that mask she wears. Generous and funny."
"I know," Barbara sighed softly and shook her head. "I'm still impressed you got her to let her guard down at all. I don't know why she hides."
"I do," Callie said absently, checking the ripeness of a few tomatoes. "Well, I think I do."
Barbara watched her, waiting for her to elaborate. Callie felt shy suddenly, embarrassed to be psychoanalyzing her own daughter to her. "She's just scared of losing people. That's all it really is, I think. She's scared to need anyone because she could lose them. Like she lost Tim." Callie chewed on her lip and opened the fridge to pull out spinach and cheese and butter. "And I think in her head, it's a lot easier to lose people if she doesn't let them actually know her."
"I'm so happy she let you know her."
Callie cleared her throat and stepped back to consider all of the ingredients they had gathered, her mind already working them into potential recipes.
"Do you think you have enough to work with?"
"More than enough," Callie said with full confidence.
"I'll go get her so you can put her to work then," Barbara teased, and it made Callie laugh. The older woman stopped in the doorway before she left, turning back to look at Callie as she started organizing the ingredients and putting away what was unnecessary. "Callie?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you for loving her so well."
"This is so stupid."
Arizona had her sleeves rolled up, fists on her hips, and a scowl on her pretty face as she stood in the kitchen with Callie. Callie was trying like hell to keep her amused laugh at bay.
"It's not stupid. It's fun!"
"For who? You?"
"Well, yes," Callie huffed out an amused breath. "And you too, if you let yourself relax for once in your damn life. Just indulge me a little."
Arizona rolled her eyes and shifted her attention to the spread on the counter that Callie had laid out. She was trying to force herself to buy in, she really was, but the whole thing felt ridiculous.
"All scrubbed in?"
"I washed my hands, Callie. You watched me."
"Arizona. Indulge."
Arizona let out an annoyed breath through her nose. "All scrubbed in, Dr. Torres."
"Excellent. First we need to prep our patient." Callie picked up a zucchini and passed it off to Arizona. "We'll start with washing and sanitizing our ingredients."
Arizona was losing count of her eye rolls. She bent over the sink and washed the vegetables before handing them back to Callie, who laid them flat on the cutting board. Or the OR table, if they were sticking with the surgical metaphors.
"Pick up your scalpel."
Arizona picked up a chef's knife, watching Callie with irritated blue eyes as she waited for her next instructions.
"Think of the zucchini as a…bone," Callie said, obviously thinking on her feet. "You need to make clean, even cuts, just like when you're resecting a bone."
"I can chop a vegetable. I'm not completely incompetent."
"Shh. I'm having fun. Let me have fun."
Arizona laughed a little despite herself, shaking her head as she began chopping with a surgeon's steady hand. When all of the vegetables were cut to Callie's liking, she instructed her to transfer them to a preheated pan on the stove.
"Chefs call this mise en place. Everything is set up and ready to go before you start. It's the trick to everything running smoothly. It's like… organizing your surgical instruments."
"You are such a dork. How do you say that in French?"
The vegetables sizzled as they made contact with the pan. Arizona stood directly in front of it, pushing them around, and Callie stood behind her with a hand on her hip, peeking over her shoulder.
"Sautéing is like…" Callie paused to think, pursing her lips. "Cauterizing tissue. You need the right amount of heat to get the perfect texture without burning."
"Wow. That sure is appetizing." Arizona threw her head back when she laughed, dimples framing her smile. "Seriously, that is so gross and this is getting weird."
"I'm improvising here. Cut me a little slack," Callie's chin came forward until it was resting on Arizona's shoulder, and Arizona felt herself lean back against the taller woman's body as she cooked, melting into her undemanding touch.
Callie's hands on her hips moved forward until her arms were wrapped completely around her waist, hands flat on her abdomen as she pulled their bodies closer. They stayed like that in silence, neither acknowledging the fact that there was no need to be so close, not with Arizona's parents in a completely different room.
No need but their own, persistent and nagging and always, always there.
Arizona swayed a little in her arms. Tried to pretend like she cared about the seasonings she was adding more than the body pressed to her back. After a while, Callie moved to let go of her. She frowned. "Where are you going?"
"To cook."
"But I'm cooking."
"The side vegetables," Callie smirked. "I don't trust you with the main course yet."
Arizona scoffed, and Callie laughed, putting space between them as she started to gather ingredients.
"Baby steps, Dr. Robbins. We don't throw interns into solo whipples on their first day, do we?"
"I can handle it."
"No way you're begging to do more cooking. I thought you found it boring?"
"It's kind of fun like this," Arizona admitted. "It's fun with you."
Callie bit back her smile.
They cooked the rest of dinner side by side, and Callie let Arizona take the lead on the easier parts. They ate at the table with her parents, laughing and exchanging stories, and it felt so natural and so easy that sometimes Callie forgot they were supposed to be faking anything at all.
They were always touching. If Arizona's hand wasn't on Callie's lower back or thigh, their hands were locked under the table. Callie would stroke the back of her hand with her thumb; Arizona would squeeze her fingers in random patterns. Nevermind that something as subtle as a hand squeeze was imperceptible to her parents and, for all intents and purposes, unnecessary.
Her parents loved Callie. Loved her. Not that Arizona was surprised. Callie was so bright and so naturally convivial, it was sort of impossible not to find her captivating. Still, there was something vaguely unsettling about seeing her dad, typically so reserved, talking so much and smiling at all of Callie's jokes, teeth and all. She could recall an instance, years ago, when he had caused Tim's high school girlfriend to leave in tears after a particularly tense family dinner. Her father was difficult to impress, even harder to win a compliment from. Arizona would know: she had spent the majority of her life striving to be perfect, yearning for his approval, trying relentlessly to make him proud just to earn a single pat on the back.
And he had complimented Callie twice in one night. Once on dinner, another time on her service in the Peace Corps.
A lesser version of Arizona might have been a little jealous, but she wasn't. All she felt was the swell of pride in her chest, then the sting of guilt that came when she remembered that she was a liar.
Her parents retired to bed early. Daniel ran a tight ship and liked to be in bed by 9:30, awake no later than 5. He gave Callie a hug before they left. A hug.
Callie and Arizona bundled up and hauled their bags over their shoulders before setting out on their short walk to Cabin 12. The trail was lit by soft twinkling lights, and the sound of the surrounding nature and the jingling keys in Arizona's hand was all they could hear for multiple minutes.
Callie jumped a little when Arizona spoke, interrupting the silence. "They like you."
"Really?"
"More than they've ever liked anyone I or Tim brought home."
Callie smiled and let out a pleased breath, visible in the freezing air. "I like them too."
"I don't know if you understand how big of a deal that is. Especially with my dad."
"I do. He's like you."
"What do you mean?" Arizona asked as they climbed the porch steps. She fumbled to unlock the door, eyes straining in the dark.
"Just… difficult," Callie teased as they stepped past the threshold into the cabin. "But worth it."
Arizona snooped around the cabin for something to keep them entertained. She found exactly five DVDs: season 3 of Sex and the City, Jurassic Park 2, The Shining, season 6 of Sex and the City, and Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie. She left them where she found them.
She stumbled upon a game closet next, consisting of three board games and one jigsaw puzzle that was undoubtedly missing pieces. She pulled her favorite game off the shelf and tucked it under her arm.
Her most exciting discovery, by far, was the unopened bottle of wine and box of chocolates waiting in the kitchen—her mom had most definitely booked this as a honeymoon package, but Arizona wasn't complaining.
Her hands full of her wares, she returned to Callie in the living room. "I found Monopoly, but I get competitive and a little evil when that game comes out. Like, full blown greedy capitalist. I thought Scrabble might be a safer bet. It was that or Connect Four." She tossed the Scrabble box onto the coffee table in front of Callie, then sat on the couch beside her.
Callie reached out to help her as she struggled to balance the chocolate and bottle and wine glasses. "God, I hope I never have to see you in a game of Monopoly. I bet you're a nightmare."
Arizona laughed. "Just slightly evil. I don't know where my conscience goes." She brought the wine to her lips for a sip after Callie poured it for her, then slid off the couch to sit on the floor in front of the coffee table. She opened the board game and started setting it up.
Callie mirrored her, sitting on the floor opposite of her with her legs criss crossed. She watched Arizona in the dim lighting, so focused as she shook the bag of letter tiles before drawing 7. She was gorgeous.
Arizona looked up, caught her staring. She smirked as she passed the bag over. "What are you looking at?"
"Nothing. You."
"I'm nothing now?" She teased, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "In my family, youngest always went first. Which meant I always went first. But now it means you go first."
Callie just laughed. She played the word quest.
Arizona played the word bridled.
Callie played brought.
Arizona played migawd.
Callie laughed. "That's not a word."
"Yes it is. It's a valid scrabble word."
"Well, we can't look it up for confirmation, and I'm 95% sure that's not real."
Arizona narrowed her eyes. "My mom's a retired librarian. Want me to go wake her up and ask?" She moved like she was going to stand and Callie rolled her eyes, tugging on her wrist until she sat back down.
"What's it mean, then?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. It's a dialect spelling of my god."
"That cannot be allowed."
"It is," Arizona argued, her voice pitching up a bit, a little whiny and competitive and annoying.
Callie's dark eyebrows raised in surrender. "Fine." She stared at her available letters for a long time, then finally laid them down into a peculiar arrangement: chawklut.
"What is that?"
"It's my dialect spelling of chocolate. Since we can do that. Pass me one?"
"Oh my god," Arizona giggled, reaching for the box and prying its lid off. "You piss me off."
"I know. It's one of my greatest joys in life."
Arizona plucked a random chocolate from the box and rocked up onto her knees, feeding it to Callie. Her fingertips brushed her lower lip ever so slightly. Their eyes met, and something jumped inside of her chest and somersaulted without her permission. Arizona's breathing slowed, and time seemed to too, and her playful smile fell as they stared at each other in the dim lighting, inches apart.
She watched Callie's mouth as she chewed the piece of chocolate. She watched her throat as she swallowed it. She watched her tongue dart out to lick her lips.
Before she was really aware of what she was doing, Arizona's hands were on the back of her neck and her knees were on either side of Callie's body, drawing her close until their lips met.
The kiss was fevered but, for once, not at all rushed. Their mouths moved slowly, savoring the warmth and the familiar taste, sedated and sensual. Tonight, they had all the time, all the privacy in the world, and they were taking full advantage.
Arizona's fingers tightened in the hair at the nape of Callie's neck, pulling just slightly, and Callie whimpered into her mouth at the dull pain. Her hands fell to Arizona's hips and she squeezed them, fingers sliding up her sweater to meet the bare skin of her sides, making her shiver.
Arizona slid one hand forward to grip Callie's face firmly, slightly taller from her position straddling her lap. She used it to her advantage, the hand at the back of Callie's neck tugging her head into a backwards tilt. She hovered over her and her lips parted, Callie's immediately following suit, and she pulled the trick that drove Callie insane every time. She slid her tongue into her mouth and fucked it slowly, tauntingly, just a glimpse of what she'd be doing to her later, lower.
And it worked like a charm, just like Arizona knew it would, because Callie moaned a needy little noise and started to squirm underneath her. Her hands fell to her ass and drew her in closer, bodies pressed together intimately.
Arizona pulled away for air, and Callie's eyes fluttered open to look at her. She was so stunning, lips all swollen, hair messy, that Arizona had to break eye contact, the intensity of the feelings in her stomach scaring her. She dipped her head down and pressed wet kisses to Callie's neck instead, dragging her tongue across her tan skin.
Callie shifted their position, lying flat on her back on the wood floor with Arizona on top of her. She brought one leg up, pushing Arizona down with her hands until she was grinding against her thigh. A breathy whine escaped her, muffled by Callie's neck.
That familiar ache pulsed between her legs, that primal and instinctive desire that could never lie dormant when she was around Callie. She rolled her hips against her and her hands snaked up to the collar of Callie's shirt. She tugged it down to expose more skin, more real estate for her to lick and kiss and drag her teeth across.
She felt a hand at her hair, pulling it out of its ponytail, and blonde locks cascaded around her shoulders. The hand tangled in her hair and firmly kept her in place, and Arizona's messy, sliding kisses traveled to the center of Callie's chest, just over her sternal notch.
She grew frustrated by the barrier that was the fabric of her sweatshirt, and she groaned against her skin, tugging at it. "Off."
Callie ignored her, just lifted her thigh further to provide more friction. Arizona moaned, thinking it was a little insane that she could be this turned on while they were both still fully clothed.
"Off, Callie," she tried again through gritted teeth, mustering the strength to sit herself back up on Callie's lap. She looked down at her, breathless and flushed, and started to impatiently push Callie's shirt up, past her navel and her chest. "I want to see all of you tonight."
It wasn't often that they got that. Things were usually rushed, half clothed in on-call rooms or supply closets or backseats or bar bathrooms. Arizona wanted, needed, more than that. She needed to feel every inch of her bare skin, drink her in, make her feel so mind-numbingly good. Make her forget her little boyfriend's name.
So she was a teeny, tiny, nanoscopic, little bit jealous. Sue her.
Callie listened to her, raising her arms to pull her shirt off. Arizona rewarded her by tugging off her own sweater and tossing it somewhere, who cares where, before bending down for another passionate kiss.
Callie surprised her by rolling them over, cradling the back of her head to keep her from knocking it against the floor. She giggled in surprise against her mouth, but it died in her throat and reincarnated as a moan the second she felt Callie's other hand palm at her breasts through her bra.
Callie tugged it down rather roughly, tweaking the hardened, rosy bud of her nipple in her fingers, and Arizona's back arched as a gasp flew from her lips. Callie's lips wrapped around her other nipple and Arizona twitched a little. She was always so sensitive and Callie knew it. She knew all of her secret spots, which buttons to push to turn her into a begging, desperate mess.
Arizona squirmed, feeling like she'd burn up if she wasn't touched soon. As if reading her mind—or her body language maybe, because Callie knew her—Callie's hand left her breast and made its way down, brushing over her ribcage affectionately on its path. Arizona grabbed her wrist suddenly to stop her, and Callie's head craned up, releasing her nipple from her mouth with a soft pop. Brown eyes met blue, concerned, but Arizona's voice felt too weak to make any noise for a split second.
Arizona knew they could fuck here on the floor, just like they had on Callie's bedroom floor the night before, and she knew it would be dirty and hot and she would come, hard.
But she wanted something else tonight.
"Let's go to bed," Arizona struggled to get out, and Callie seemed surprised but didn't fight her.
Both women peeled off the rest of their clothes on the way, and Arizona's arms wrapped around Callie's neck the second they made it to the bedroom, needing her lips again.
Need, need, need. Such a little word for such a terrifying feeling, one Arizona had felt persistently since the moment Callie had shown up in Seattle.
She guided Callie onto the bed and stood over her, taking the time to just admire her for a moment, every detail of her gorgeous form. The way her muscles twitched in anticipation, the few moles on her arm that Arizona loved to trace, the thick, dark hair that was falling everywhere, framing her face, framing her perfect smile. It was too much.
"You're beautiful like this," Arizona rasped out, slowly crawling on top of her. "You're so beautiful all the time."
Callie blushed and ducked her head with an eye roll, trying to wave her off. "Whatev—"
"No. You are." Arizona cupped her face and looked her in the eyes, looking so serious that it made Callie swallow and shift uncomfortably. "You're stunning. I don't ever tell you, but you are."
Before Callie could answer, before she could even think of an answer, Arizona was making her way down her body in a trail of slow, wet kisses. She paused at the small mole by her navel, words muffled against her abdomen. "I'm going to show you." Her tongue licked a path to her right hip bone. "Right now. But I can start telling you too."
Callie fisted blonde hair in her hand. "Arizona, I—" She was cut off by her own moan when Arizona dragged her teeth past the spot where abdomen became thigh. She was confused, to put it lightly, by her gentleness tonight, both in words and in the way she was revering her body.
They didn't do this. They were casual. They weren't supposed to look each other in the eyes and whisper sweet things before they fucked. Callie was only just starting to become okay with that.
Arizona's tongue against the inside of her thigh shut off what remained of her rational mind, the need for thoughts no longer of critical importance. She moaned and spread her legs a little just as Arizona bit down and sucked hard, not even a little subtle about her goal to leave a mark. It hurt, and it felt so good, and Callie's cry came out high pitched.
Arizona soothed the mark with her tongue after in slow, lazy licks, a seemingly nonsensical pattern. Callie didn't catch it until the pattern repeated a third time—an undeniable M. Followed by an I. Arizona was spelling something. Callie tried to focus past the deafening distraction of her arousal, catching the tail end of the stream of letters the fourth time she repeated it. N. And rounding out with an E. Mine.
This was the most confusing fucking woman she'd ever met in her entire life.
It almost pissed her off a little, the possessiveness, the entitlement, but she felt a new wave of wetness between her legs anyway. Arizona felt it too, and she smirked against her skin. Her lips finally moved on from the fresh hickey, and she kissed her all over except for where she really fucking needed it, nearly torturing her.
"God," Callie breathed out impatiently. Her hand in Arizona's hair pushed, trying to steer her where she wanted. "Can you please just fuck me already?"
"Awww," Arizona pretended to pout, tongue landing a gentle, teasing lick just to the left of her wet folds. Callie could have yelled in frustration. "But I'm having fun. Indulge me?" Arizona smirked as she parroted Callie's words from earlier
"I even said please."
"So polite." Arizona spread her open with two fingers, and she had to hold in a moan at the sight. Callie really was perfect. "And so pretty."
What remained of Callie's patience finally snapped. "I swear to God, if you don't fuck m—"
She was cut off by Arizona's tongue finally, finally giving her what she wanted, using slow laps to collect her arousal. They both moaned, something carnal taking over as Arizona dug her fingers into Callie's thighs and pushed them wider apart.
Arizona all but devoured her, mouth and tongue and lips working together to do something ungodly to her body. Callie's back was arched and her muscles were tight and her head was thrown back as she cursed in Spanish.
Her lips wrapped around her clit and Callie was going to come. She was going to come in less than 5 minutes with nothing inside her. Arizona could tell, and she pressed her palm flat to her abdomen to keep her pressed down in the mattress, fighting her when her hips started to jerk.
Callie came against her mouth with a throaty scream of her name, and Arizona welcomed it graciously, licking until Callie had to weakly push her away and squeeze her thighs together. It was one of the things she loved most about Arizona, the way she wouldn't stop until begged to.
Arizona grinned, pleased with herself, and crawled back up the bed. "Can you go again?"
"Yeah," Callie's voice was still hoarse, and she cleared her throat, chest heaving as she fought to catch her breath. "Just give me a second."
"Good. Because I really wanted to fuck you." She swooped down for a kiss and Callie melted into it, endorphins still flooding her and muscles all limp from her orgasm.
Arizona brushed dark hair away from her face and smiled down at her, a sweet and gentle thing. One of Callie's arms wrapped around her, lying close as Callie recovered. "You're pretty when you come."
"You sure are full of compliments today."
"You sure are easy to compliment." Her dimples appeared and she looked so sweet, so genuine and uncharacteristically open.
Callie wondered what in the world had gotten into her.
She poked one of her dimples to make her laugh. Succeeded. "Are you just being sweet because you want a turn to come?"
"It definitely doesn't hurt matters," Arizona joked, and her hand slid between Callie's thighs. She smirked when brown eyes fluttered closed. "But to be honest, I'd be perfectly content just getting you off over and over."
Callie's eyes reopened and she shook her head, laughing quietly like Arizona had gone crazy. "That's definitely not happening, sorry. I have to touch you." Her hand slid between Arizona's thighs and she was pleased to find her wet and ready for her, like she always was. She rubbed slow circles on her clit and Arizona groaned.
Arizona shifted so they were in an easier position to fuck each other at the same time. Her free arm wrapped around Callie, and her face fell into the crook of her neck, and she pressed tiny kisses there as her hand worked diligently between their bodies.
It was rare that they didn't take turns, and Arizona loved it each time they chose instead to touch each other simultaneously. It always felt more intense somehow, more intimate.
Callie's fingers slid into her first and Arizona let out a shuddering breath, needing a second to regain her composure before she could copy her actions. Her wrist flexed, fingers curling upward as they found a steady, earth shattering rhythm. She gasped against her ear, breathless and needy, and the nails of her free hand dug into Callie's strong shoulder.
"You feel so good," Arizona whispered, rubbing her palm against Callie's clit as her fingers worked.
"So do you. So fucking good." Callie's head fell back, lips parting as she gasped in pleasure. "You fuck me perfect."
"No one else can fuck you like this," Arizona seethed through her clenched teeth. "No one. Remember that."
Callie hated herself a little for how aroused her possessiveness made her, but she felt herself tighten around Arizona's fingers just slightly.
Arizona felt it, the tell tale throb of her muscles, and laughed quietly against her ear, fucked her harder. "Are you gonna come? Are you gonna come thinking about how this is the best you'll ever have in your life?"
Callie squeezed her eyes shut. Nodded. Bit her lip as the moans started to tumble out of her without abandon.
"That's what I thought," Arizona smirked, Callie's admission only driving her closer to her own orgasm.
Callie couldn't talk. Or think. All she could do was focus on her hand, on how good it felt to be inside Arizona, on how good it felt to have Arizona inside of her. "I'm—I'm gonna…"
"Come. I've got you, baby, it's okay. You can come." Arizona's voice was surprisingly gentle, soft in Callie's ear as she coaxed her through it, and the slip of the pet name was enough to pitch her over the edge.
They came at the same time, loud and clinging to each other. Arizona's vision went completely white and her whole body shook before she disintegrated into a pile of entangled limbs with Callie, entirely wrecked.
She felt weak, physically and mentally, as she curled up in her arms. She slung one of her own arms across Callie's torso, the gentle rise and fall of her diaphragm as she caught her breath helping ground her back on earth.
Callie laughed breathlessly, but neither of them spoke. Arizona wasn't sure what to say. How to acknowledge the shameless, burning jealousy she had just displayed. Or the not insignificant number of times she had called her beautiful. Or the way she called her baby.
She really needed to get her shit together. She let her eyes close, and she thought about getting up and leaving. She had nowhere to go, really, but she could think of some sorry excuse to put space between them. She was good at that. She used to be, anyway.
The little things were what convinced her to stay. The brush of Callie's fingertips over her hipbone as she drew shapes on her skin. The familiar scent of her perfume, sweet and warm and so calming Arizona wanted to fall asleep to it. The tender kisses Callie pressed to the freckles on her shoulder. And then Callie's voice in her ear, smooth and melodic as she said, "One thing?"
Arizona felt a smile twitch at her lips. She let herself snuggle closer, resting her head on Callie's chest as she thought about it. "My brother called me bird names."
Callie played with blonde hair absently, twisting and untwisting it in her fingers. "I'm gonna need a little more context, I think."
"I was so young I don't even remember how it started," Arizona laughed drowsily. "The story goes that when I discovered robins were a kind of bird I was thrilled. Because, you know, Robbins. So thrilled that I ran around for a week straight, pretending to fly, and Tim thought it was hilarious. He started calling me Birdie. And then he started calling me any bird name he could. Sparrow, Hawk, Bluebird, Dove, Crow. Anything." She buried her face against Callie's skin, hiding her smile at the fond memory. "And it stuck. And it was annoying. I really hated when he'd call me Pigeon. But now I miss it."
"He sounds funny."
"He was, Callie. God, he was." She yawned and rubbed her eyes. When she dropped her hand, it returned to Callie, caressing the soft curve of her side. "He called me Sparrow the most. Every letter he wrote me started with Dear Sparrow, they haven't killed me yet."
Callie's hand moved to Arizona's head, scratching it soothingly. "I'm sorry."
"Hm?"
"That you lost him. That the world lost him. I think I would have loved him."
"You would have. And he would have loved you," Arizona answered confidently. She ran her fingertips over Callie's ribcage, grinning when it tickled her a little bit. "Your turn."
"I do a killer Cher impression. It's won me many karaoke nights."
Arizona laughed. She laughed and laughed, sleepy and finding the mental image hilarious. "How have you never done it for me? I know what we're listening to on the car ride home."
They talked until they grew exhausted, and without thinking about it, really, Arizona's chin tilted up and they met in the middle for a goodnight kiss. It lingered, and there was a near silent gasp for breath as she pulled away, words left unsaid as usual.
Arizona knew it, then, as she lay awake in the dark and listened to Callie fall asleep. She knew that she had never in her life felt anything even close to the way she felt right now. She couldn't name it, she wasn't ready. But she felt it. She knew it.
Her heart beat in her chest like a panicked bird poised to take flight. It beat against the window and bloodied its wings, trapped and oblivious to its cage of glass. Every instinct screamed escape; every divine intervention kept her there.
Callie's arms tightened around her waist and pulled her in closer. And Arizona let her. Arizona melted into it, willing her erratic heartbeat to slow, allowing herself to acknowledge and finally, finally fully experience how good it felt. How good Callie felt.
Later, Arizona would come to pinpoint this exact moment as the one she should have opened her mouth and confessed. She should have shaken Callie until she woke up and told her the truth, told her every fragment of her devastating, terrifying feelings. She would pinpoint this as the last moment she had a chance to turn things around before it all slipped from her grasp like water in her hands.
But Arizona had no idea then. All she knew was the feeling she couldn't name and the steady beat of Callie's heart and the even breaths in her ear and the arms locked around her like they would never, ever let go.
Arizona should have known, really, that it wouldn't last. Good things never do.
A/N: uh ohhhh! …. what do you guys think is gonna happen?
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, it's a longer one! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, as always, I appreciate you so very very much. Have a great week! :)
(p.s. before the next chapter…..i did warn this would be a slow burn idiots to lovers in the beginning….and i meant it. pls don't be mad at me. try to have trust in me :) and enjoy the ride!)