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It’s only three hours into Arizona’s new job when her life is permanently altered. She’s doing her thing at first, getting to know the existing patients and their parents (it’s very important that a paeds surgeon wins over the parents), scheduling surgeries, working through Dr Kenley’s ridiculously disorganised paperwork and flirting with an obvious closet-case intern (she’d never actually go for it, of course, but it’s pretty fun to be of service to baby-gays in need.)
Then, when Arizona is wheeling through the hospital on her way to check on poor little Jackson Prescott, she freezes, her skates screeching to a halt - there, leaning against the wall beside the OR board, coffee in hand, chatting to a nurse, is the most beautiful woman Arizona has ever laid her eyes on. She’s tall with thick black hair and pale brown skin, her eyes are dark but gentle in a way that’s almost reminiscent of a deer. The nurse she’s talking to is laughing and the woman is smiling too but Arizona prides herself on being fairly emotionally intelligent and she can tell that the joy is forced - her eyes aren’t sparkling and her cheeks are barely stretched at all. It’s a shame, Arizona thinks pensively, someone that beautiful should never have to fake a smile.
Something in Arizona feels compelled to go and talk to her - she’s always been a sucker for a beautiful woman and her gaydar is certainly tingling (something about how the beautiful woman is standing, she thinks.) She shakes her head, deciding against skating up to a random woman on her first day. She allows herself one more quick glance at the pretty lady before rolling away to Jackson because there are more important things than hot women, even if she sometimes has to work very hard to convince herself as such.
Arizona flirts with three nurses that day - it’s a coping mechanism really, a distraction, because Jackson’s condition is only worsening and she’s pretty sure that Dr Bailey hates her - but more importantly, she learns some valuable information. Hospitals are crawling with gossip, any surgeon worth their salt knows that, but sometimes leaning into that fact can be beneficial for even the most professional of doctors. She’s talking to a nurse - Lisa? Lila? - and putting on her classic moves when she spots the beautiful woman again.
“Who’s that?” Arizona asks boldly, gesturing to her mystery girl - no risk, no reward, right?
The nurse blinks in surprise but answers casually, “Dr Calliope Torres. She’s a senior orthopaedic resident, but between you and me, she practically runs the department because the attending, Dr Chang, is useless. If you ever need a consultation, Torres is your girl.”
Calliope Torres - Arizona replays the name in her head a few times, as if trying it on for size. It’s just as pretty as the woman it belongs to.
“Thank you for the tip.” Arizona tells the nurse politely, shooting her a dimpled smile and a wink (because she has to throw the poor girl a bone at least.)
“You’re welcome, Dr Robbins.” She vaguely hears the nurse call after her as she skates away.
It becomes something of a game throughout the rest of her shift - zipping through the halls as she worries and stresses over poor Jackson Prescott and his terrible condition, all the while hoping to catch a glimpse of Dr Torres through a window or an open door to make her feel just that little bit better. It’s stupid, she’s fully aware of that, but Arizona likes to remain optimistic and if ogling at a random resident is what’s going to do it for her today then so be it. Plus, she feels a strange sense of curiosity surrounding Calliope because she’s so clearly miserable and Arizona can’t help but wonder if anyone else has even noticed the way her face falls when she’s alone (God, is Arizona becoming a stalker?)
After receiving a very unnecessary page from Dr Bailey about Jackson, Arizona makes her way back to the on-call room, desperate for some much-earned rest. Suddenly she bumps straight into someone, “Oops sorry!”
She looks up to see Karev, clipboard in hand, “Nah, it’s my bad.”
“Anything from UNOS yet?” Arizona asks, trying to remain as cheerful as possible, although the exhaustion is making it more difficult than usual.
“Nope.” Karev grumbles.
He doesn’t like her, just like Bailey - Arizona isn’t blind, she can tell that most people tend not to like her at first. She’s seen as perky and irritating, but God forbid a girl tries to have hope and spread a little joy- Great, now she’s starting to get upset.
“Hey, Karev?” She asks quickly, “What do you know about Torres?”
Karev looks confused, “What, you need an ortho consult or something?”
“Something like that, yeah.” Arizona lies.
He shrugs, “Callie’s cool. Great at her job, although don’t tell her I said that ‘cause I’ve got a reputation to uphold. She’s pretty popular around here in more ways than one, if you know what I mean. She actually used to be married to my- well O’Malley’s not my friend but… Y’know what? That doesn’t matter. She’s an ortho God, that’s the point.”
Arizona chuckles lightly, “Thanks Karev, that’s all. Page me with any Jackson updates, okay?”
“You got it, Robbins.” Karev sighs, walking away instantly.
Arizona smiles to herself as she skips back to the on-call room - it’s nice to have a distraction, something to think and fantasise about while dealing with the stress of her job. Hot women have always been a great distraction. Dr Torres, Calliope, Callie, O’Malley’s ex-wife, Ortho God…
A few more shifts go by and Arizona is in a very crowded elevator when she next hears Calliope’s name again. It’s two residents talking, Izzie Stevens and a man that Arizona doesn’t quite recognise.
“So, you were working with Callie yesterday?” Stevens asks.
“Yeah.” The man nods.
“Well, is that not kinda awkward, considering…?” Stevens trails off in clear discomfort.
The man clears his throat, “Not really… I mean you’d think it would be after the divorce but Callie’s cool and she’s a professional, so…”
Ah, so this is O’Malley.
Stevens nods, “Right. It’s just… it’s still kind of awkward whenever I have to work with her, even though I’m with Alex now and she’s apparently gay.”
Arizona’s eyebrows rise involuntarily and she smirks to herself - gaydar never misses.
“She’s- She’s not gay.” O’Malley argues. “We were married, I-I didn’t marry a lesbian. Did I?”
Stevens chuckles, “Sure you didn’t, George. But if the rumours are true, then you at least turned her a little gay.”
The elevator comes to a stop at Arizona’s floor and she shuffles through the ridiculous amount of people to make her way out. As she passes Stevens and O’Malley, she can’t help but mumble, “That’s really not how that works.”
The following few days, Arizona hooks up with just about every sapphic, questioning or even just bored woman that Seattle Grace had to offer, which is maybe slightly unhealthy but she watches kids die daily so however she decides to have her fun is no one else’s business. She also, embarrassingly, continues to watch Calliope Torres from afar. Arizona would never admit it, but she spends a good part of her days listening in to gossip about Calliope and even sneaking into the gallery during a couple of the orthopaedic surgeries to watch her work - she’s always kinda had a secret thing for ortho (it’s the strength of it all.)
Arizona learns a lot about Callie during this time. A conversation (post-quickie but that’s irrelevant) with a nurse informs her that the destruction of Callie’s marriage was a result of O’Malley’s affair with Stevens, which helps the conversation in the elevator make much more sense to Arizona. Her heart aches for Callie, not only because she was cheated on but because it’s common public knowledge in her place of work. Overhearing a couple of very loud residents allows Arizona to learn of Callie’s not-so-secret and recently ended journey of enlightenment in the form of a scandalous love affair with the freshly departed Erica Hahn. Shamelessly eavesdropping on Mark Sloan and some intern (Grey?) reveals that Callie and Sloan have shared an extensive sexual history which does surprise Arizona somewhat because he just seems so…unappealing to any woman with a brain. Being stuck in another elevator with Bailey and the Chief enlightens Arizona to Callie’s short-lived stint as Chief Resident before Bailey was rightfully instated.
Arizona learns some slightly less pivotal facts about her hallway-crush too, like how she built a man’s skeleton out of titanium rods or went over Shepherd’s head and used therapeutic hypothermia to save a patient's life. A few coincidental encounters (during which Callie doesn't so much as glance at her) at the coffee cart in the mornings means Arizona gets to work out how Callie likes her coffee and comes to understand that Sloan is Callie’s best friend and a resident named Yang is her roommate.
Karev was right too, Arizona realises, Callie is very popular in more ways than one. She can’t help but notice how her own gaze isn’t the only one to linger on Dr Torres for a little too long throughout the day. People smile when she walks by and laugh slightly too loudly at her jokes, interns aren’t afraid to page her even for minor inconveniences and all the other attendings seem to be on a first-name basis with her. Arizona is only a little bit jealous.
It’s a haircut that ultimately caused Arizona’s ordinarily iron-clad resolve to crumble. She is doing well, playing it safe, occupying herself with work and women she has little real interest in beyond a physical stand-point. Then, one day, Calliope Torres has the audacity to show up to work with different hair, it’s straighter than Arizona has ever seen it before and a dark curtain now falls over her forehead, drawing even more attention to the already-distracting eyes sitting beneath it. Her fringe isn’t necessarily more beautiful than her hair before but it is different and that means that all the effort Arizona has been putting in to not look at her is rendered futile because there’s now a whole new version of Callie to admire.
Arizona’s resolution is in tatters by the end of her first shift with the bangs. The universe must be playing some cruel joke on her because when she’s perched at Joe’s bar, ready to drink away the dead kids and flirt away the thoughts of a specific woman, said woman appears, bangs and all, and takes a seat across the bar looking as beautiful and miserable as ever. Arizona tries to ignore her, really she does, but it becomes increasingly difficult as she sips her third gin and tonic and watches Callie collapse further into herself, seeming so defeated and alone.
“You could just talk to her.” Joe says suddenly, pulling Arizona from her own mind.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Arizona attempts to argue but it’s so clearly futile.
Joe chuckles lightly, “I’ve seen you sit on that stool and seduce all kinds of women these past few weeks, what’s the hold up here? Torres is cool, y'know?"
“I know,” Arizona sighs desperately, “trust me, I’ve heard. It’s just… I don’t know.”
Joe shrugs and heads off to grab someone else a drink, leaving Arizona to her own devices. Her eyes involuntarily wander back over to Callie who she’s surprised to see is no longer alone, she’s been joined by an intern, Grey, who’s talking animatedly but Callie doesn’t seem particularly interested. That same feeling from the first day gnaws at Arizona - Callie is so very sad and it’s like the rest of the world is just allowing it to happen, passing her by with no offer of any real comfort. It’s a shame because she has such a beautiful smile, even just the small, forced ones that Arizona has seen were lovely and she often finds herself fixated on the possibility of witnessing Callie’s real smile because it would surely be lethal.
Then, suddenly, Callie is on the move. She stands from the bar and begins walking towards the bathroom. It’s a bad idea. A terrible idea. But Arizona is three drinks in and her resolve has officially sunk like a stone. So, almost automatically, she finds herself following Callie like a moth drawn to a flame. Is it weird to follow a woman you don’t know into a bathroom? Yes, probably but Arizona can’t find it in herself to care at the moment.
Arizona takes a deep breath and steps into the bathroom. Callie’s teary eyes meet hers in the mirror as she straightens up and tries to wipe the smudged mascara from her cheeks, clearly embarrassed to have been caught in such a sad scene.
Arizona smiles softly, “Hey.”
Callie clears her throat awkwardly with a tight-lipped smile. “Hey.”
Arizona steps a little closer to her, trying to decide exactly how to proceed. Usually, she knows her way around a pretty woman, exactly what to say or do, but something about Callie has her at a complete loss.
She decides introductions would probably be the logical next-step in this situation. “Ortho, right?”
“Yeah, right. Hi.” Callie confirms, continuing to dab her cheeks clean. Arizona follows the movement with her eyes, wondering if Callie’s skin is as soft as it looks.
She chases the thought away and offers a grin instead, “Hi, I’m Arizona Robbins. Paeds surgery. I’ve seen you at the hospital. Are you okay?”
Callie huffs out a weak, unconvincing laugh and turns around to finally face Arizona fully, “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“People talk.” Arizona suddenly finds herself saying, almost unable to stop the words tumbling from her mouth like a waterfall, “Where we work. They talk. A lot. So, for the sake of being honest, I-I think I should tell you that I know things about you…because people talk.”
Callie’s expression shifts from uncomfortable to confused and then to that trade-mark sadness that Arizona yearns to squash like a bug. “Oh… you mean…?”
Arizona nods, the smile never leaving her face.
“Terrific.” Callie sighs, leaning back against the sink in defeat.
“It is, actually.” Arizona quickly replies, “The talk. People really like you over there, they respect you and they’re concerned and interested. They really like you.” She leans in and lowers her voice ever so slightly, “Some of them really like you.”
Callie laughs lightly, a small smile coming to rest on her face which makes Arizona beam with pride. She continues on, practically begging it to stay.
“You just- you look upset and I thought that you should know that the talk is good and when you’re not upset, when you’re… over being upset, there will be people lining up for you.”
There’s silence for a brief moment and Arizona worries that she’s just made a complete fool of herself but then, Callie’s laughing and it’s the most beautiful sound in the world.
“You wanna give me some names?” She chuckles and Arizona simply can’t help herself.
It’s a combination of her tipsy state and the captivating look on Callie’s face that drives Arizona forward. She places a hand on Callie’s cheek and brings their lips together in a gentle kiss. It’s warm and electric and Callie’s skin is exactly as soft as Arizona dreamed it would be. It feels natural, almost like muscle memory except they’ve never been here before (unless you count Arizona’s fantasies).
She pulls away after a few seconds and is delighted to see a shocked smile still lingering on Callie’s face.
“I think you’ll know.” Arizona whispers like a sacred prayer.
She slowly begins to retreat out of the bathroom, taking the first few steps backwards so she can stare at Callie’s bright grin for just a moment longer. It feels like a triumph to have helped bring that joy to life. Arizona should be given a medal for such a service because Callie’s smile is a gift to the entire nation.
—
When Callie steps out of the elevator and into the lobby, she’s half-expecting Arizona to be gone. Can you blame her? This woman kissed her during their first ever conversation, made no effort to contact her in the days following and then rejected her twice in the span of like forty-eight hours before unceremoniously asking her out in an elevator. Callie would argue that all her doubts are pretty valid.
Still, she can’t help but sigh in relief when she catches sight of those blue eyes staring at her from across the lobby. Arizona strolls towards her with that unfairly gorgeous smile.
“Hello, Calliope.” She chirps in greeting. “You ready to go?”
Normally, the sound of her full name makes Callie cringe, it’s only ever used by her family or in formal settings. Surprisingly, however, the sound of it in Arizona’s voice is almost beautiful. She makes it sound melodic, musical like its meaning.
Callie nods, “Yeah, sure.”
“How was your day?” Arizona asks casually as they walk out into the parking lot.
“It was fine,” Callie replies, she feels somewhat awkward about this whole date because it occurred to her that she knows next to nothing about this woman. “I amputated a leg from this perfectly healthy young guy and… it just made me sad, y’know? Thinking about how hard his life is gonna be now.”
Arizona hums understandingly, “I get that. I mean, working with kids gives a pretty similar feeling.”
“Right.” Callie nods, “I guess it never gets easier seeing kids die.”
“No, it doesn’t.” Arizona mumbles sadly and Callie curses herself because what kind of first date talk is this? The date hasn’t even started and she’s already made it weird.
“After you.” Arizona’s once again cheerful voice cuts through Callie’s frantic thoughts. She’s holding open her passenger seat door with an expectant smile.
Callie feels a small amount of relief from this gesture. “Thanks.” She mumbles, taking a seat in the car.
Arizona shuts Callie’s door and walks around the car before settling into the driver’s seat. It’s uncomfortably silent for the first few minutes as Arizona pulls out of the parking lot and begins their journey to the location of their date which is still a mystery to Callie.
“You mind if we listen to some music?” Arizona asks when the silence stretches on a little too long.
Callie inwardly thanks God for the suggestion and outwardly responds, “Sure, if you want.”
“There’s some CDs in the glove compartment, you can pick whatever.”
“Oh, okay.” Callie mumbles, suddenly feeling like she’s being tested as she opens up the glove compartment and rummages through the large collection of CDs. “You, uh, big on music?”
“A little.” Arizona shrugs.
Callie continues sorting through them, it’s a fairly diverse range as far as she can tell - David Bowie, Billy Joel, Blondie, Madonna and Elton John, just to name a few, and the one that really catches Callie’s eye, Fleetwood Mac. She throws the CD into the player and lets the music flood the car and patch the awkward holes in conversation.
Arizona laughs lightly, “How’d you know Fleetwood Mac is my favourite?”
Callie smiles, feeling oddly proud of her song choice which is kind of stupid, “Lucky guess. They’re one of my favourites too.”
“Really?” Arizona glances over at her briefly, “I wouldn't have you pegged.”
Callie feels slightly defensive at the assumption, “Clearly you don’t know as much about me as you thought.”
Arizona looks at her again, this time there’s something in her expression that Callie can’t quite read, probably because she doesn’t know her.
“That’s fair.” Arizona shrugs, “So, are you big on music?”
“I guess.” Callie replies simply, “I took singing and piano lessons as a kid and I dance a little for fun.”
“That’s cool, I love to dance too.” Arizona says breezily, "Maybe we should do that next time.”
Callie’s eyebrows shoot up at those words, “That’s presumptuous of you.”
“Hm?” Arizona hums questioningly like the alternative never even occurred to her, then realisation flickers over her face, “Oh, right. I guess it was. Does that bother you?”
Callie considers this for a moment, then shrugs, “I’m friends with Mark Sloan, arrogance barely even fazes me anymore.”
Arizona laughs, like really laughs, and Callie is almost shocked at how beautiful she looks - it’s like joy is leaking out of her pores, sunlight shining through the dimples in her rosy cheeks. She’s like a walking rainbow - bright, distracting, stunning.
They fall into a more comfortable silence in the minutes following, letting Stevie Nicks carry them for the remainder of their journey.
Finally, they pull up outside of a small restaurant that Callie has never seen before, “Where are we?”
Arizona smiles as she opens her door and steps out of the car, coming round to open Callie’s door for her too before replying, “It’s a little-known gem of the city. A small, family-owned, Italian restaurant.”
“How’d you find it?” Callie asks curiously as they walk up to the doors.
Arizona chuckles, “Promise you won’t laugh?”
Callie raises an eyebrow, suddenly very intrigued, “I’m not sure I can promise anything.”
Arizona opens her mouth to respond when a voice suddenly interrupts them.
“Arizona, is that you?” An elderly woman with an accent says as they enter the restaurant.
“Hi, Sofia.” Arizona replies as the woman pulls her into a tight hug.
“Where have you been?” Sofia questions, “It’s been weeks since you last came by.”
“I’m so sorry,” Arizona says genuinely, “I’ve been really busy saving the sick kids.”
Sofia scoffs, “Don’t you try and guilt trip me, Miss Super Special Surgeon.”
Arizona glances over at Callie, who’s been watching the entire interaction with fluctuating levels of confusion and amusement, and winks playfully, “It was worth a shot, right?”
Callie chuckles and Sofia turns to study her, “Who is this? You’ve never brought a friend before.”
Callie tries to hide her surprise at hearing this, she’s almost embarrassed at the way her stomach flutters at the thought of being Arizona’s first date here.
Arizona beams, “Sofia, this is Calliope. My date.”
Sofia smiles excitedly and reaches for Callie’s hand, “It’s lovely to meet you, dear.”
“You too.” Callie responds politely as she shakes the older woman’s hand.
Sofia leans towards Arizona like she has a big secret to share before very loudly whispering, “She’s so beautiful.”
Callie blushes softly at the comment but Arizona merely laughs breezily and plays along, leaning in and just barely lowering her voice, “I know.”
Callie’s cheeks must be scarlet at this point. Arizona smirks knowingly.
“Well,” Sofia says, “I’ll leave you to it.”
With that, the older woman wanders off and Callie is left to follow Arizona towards a small table in the back left corner. The place is nice, it’s not too crowded and has a warm, down-to-Earth, homely feel to it.
“She seemed sweet.” Callie prompts conversationally.
“Sofia? Yeah, she’s awesome.” Arizona replies simply as the two of them look over their menus.
“So,” Callie interrogates, “are you gonna tell me how you found this place now?”
Arizona groans, “I was hoping you forgot about that.”
“Definitely not.” Callie teases.
Arizona relents with an exaggerated sigh, “It was my first week in Seattle and I couldn’t sleep because I wasn’t used to the rain, so I decided to go out in it, like exposure therapy, y’know?”
Callie snorts out a laugh and Arizona sighs, “I know, I know, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. So it’s like three in the morning and I’m roller-skating in the pouring rain like a total idiot. Anyways, I crashed and took at least five layers of skin off my knee. But, Sofia saw me out the window, God knows what she was doing here at that hour, and she sent her son out to check on me. They brought me inside, helped me out, fed me a nice, warm meal. I’ve been coming here regularly ever since.”
Callie finds an absentminded smile slipping its way onto her face at the story, “That’s sweet. It’s nice to learn something real about you.”
Arizona smirks, “Why? Because I already know everything about you?”
Callie swallows anxiously, there it is. She’s been waiting for this to come up again, ‘I know things about you’ Arizona had said in the bathroom at Joe’s, ‘I have experience to give’ Callie insisted days later at the same bar.
It’s embarrassing, mortifying even, but Callie nods, “Yeah, I guess. What, uh… How much do you know, exactly?”
Arizona laughs awkwardly, “Well, hospital gossip is pretty thorough but like I said, not all of it is bad. I know about George and Izzie. I know about Erica Hahn and the Chief resident thing and Sloan but I mean, that stuff doesn’t really bother me if it doesn’t bother you.”
“Really?” Callie questions.
Arizona shrugs, “I don’t exactly have a clean record, ask any of the nurses. Besides, I have a feeling you’ll still surprise me.”
“You do?”
“I do.”
“Hey, ‘zona.” A tall man suddenly appears by the table, notepad in hand and a wide smile on his face, “You ladies ready to order?”
“Hey, Enzo.” Arizona replies cheerfully, “I think we’re good to go. Callie?”
Callie nods, her eyes flicking back and forth between the two of them curiously. It’s kind of sweet to see Arizona in her element like this. They order and make somewhat meaningless small talk before and during their meals. It’s simple things, like where they grew up - Arizona was a military brat who never stayed in one place for too long. Or their families - Arizona has parents and one brother but she didn’t seem to like that conversation topic much so Callie doesn’t push.
It’s safe and Callie is almost scared to steer the conversation anywhere deeper. With Erica, they had already been friends for months, so it was like starting on the sixth date, but this is Callie’s first real date with a woman. It’s different from dating men, she’s quickly starting to realise, it’s more natural and comfortable because there’s less innate pressure. Any woman tends to be more relaxed in the presence of other women so it’s like hanging out with a friend except the friend is insanely attractive and might kiss you afterwards. This is uncharted territory and Callie is getting increasingly nervous to start mapping it.
“Can I ask you a question?” Callie blurts out suddenly, then blushes and clears her throat. “I’m just… curious about something.”
Arizona raises an eyebrow as she sips her drink, then places it down with a smile. “Sure, Callie. Ask away.”
Callie clears her throat again, trying to figure out exactly how to articulate her thoughts. “I was just wondering, are you… I mean, have you ever… do you only…God, this is embarrassing. I’m not used to this, I don’t know the right language or-“
Arizona laughs, it’s not mocking but Callie still feels hot with embarrassment. “Are you trying to ask me if I’m a lesbian?”
Callie nods, looking down at her plate. Arizona chuckles again, light and airy, the kind of sound that Callie would find cute if she wasn’t so mortified. “Is that a weird question to ask?”
“A little.” Arizona shrugs, “But I don’t mind too much and to answer your question, yes I am 100% gay. I’m what some people would refer to as a gold-star lesbian, meaning I have never and will never kiss a man. In fact, the thought makes me slightly nauseous.”
“Got it.” Callie nods, feeling slightly uncomfortable. “Does, uh… does it bother you that I’m… that I like men?”
Arizona frowns. For a few moments she simply looks at Callie curiously, like she’s trying to solve a puzzle. Then, she takes another sip of her drink before replying, “Honestly, it’s not my favourite thing in the world. But that’s not because I’m necessarily against it, I just… I’ve been burned before. You wouldn’t know, but the lesbian dating pool is hell. I’ve kissed and hooked up with my fair share of straight women, questioning women, fluid women, you name it but I’ve never dated one. At least, not for a very long time. Like, since college.”
“Got it.” Callie mumbles, looking back down at her plate. She feels that same discomfort and shame settling in her gut as she did that night in the parking lot with Erica.
“Wait, Calliope, it’s…” She hears Arizona sigh but only looks up when she feels a hand on top of hers. The contact feels tingly and electric. “Do you like me? Are you attracted to me, right here, right now?”
Callie blinks in surprise, “Yes. Yeah, definitely.”
Arizona smirks proudly, “Well then, that’s what’s important. None of the rest of it matters.”
Callie smiles, her heart skipping a beat. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Cool.” Callie mumbles, biting her lip to keep her grin from growing to the point of being considered manic.
“My turn.” Arizona announces after a moment, “I have a question for you.”
“Okay.” Callie replies hesitantly, anxious to share even more personal details with her date, “Shoot.”
Arizona studies her deviously for a split-second too long, just enough to make Callie squirm. Then, she giggles, “What’s your favourite ice cream flavour?”
“Wait what?” Callie is shocked to say the least.
Arizona shrugs, a coy smile spreading across her face. Callie thinks her dimples might just be the most adorable thing ever.
“I already know about all your dramas and tragedies and whatever, now I wanna know all the other stuff. Nothing is too irrelevant. So? You do like ice cream, don’t you? Because otherwise I’m not sure what I’m doing here.”
Callie smiles fondly, “Of course I like ice cream, I’m not a monster. My favourite is neapolitan obviously.”
Arizona pouts, “That’s cheating, it’s three different flavours.”
Callie rolls her eyes, “No way. It’s three in one. It has one name, they’re usually sold together. It’s a valid answer.”
Arizona shrugs, “Fine, you win, I suppose that’s fair enough. I’m more of a mint choc chip person myself anyways.”
They both laugh and it’s surprisingly comfortable. All of this has really helped put Arizona into perspective for Callie. Before, she almost didn’t seem like a real person - she was bright and unobtainable and effortlessly cool, like this magical, surgical, lesbian fairy that Callie’s imagination had conjured up in a time of crisis. Now, however, she’s genuine and natural and undeniably real. Callie likes her, despite the perkiness and the constant smiling that would usually have her cringing and rolling her eyes. She likes Arizona. It’s strange and unfamiliar in a good way, like snow on a beach or pancakes for dinner.
“Why did you follow me into the bathroom?” Callie asks, unable to stop herself. It’s the question that’s plagued her mind and lived on the tip of her tongue since that night and by now, she simply has to know.
Arizona blinks, clearly taken aback, and pauses before replying, “Honestly? Like I said, I’d seen you around and heard a lot about you at work and, no offence, but you seemed really sad. Like all the time. Seeing you so sad made me sad and it just… it seemed unfair that you were so miserable considering how great your reputation painted you to be. That night, I was slightly drunk and drunk-Arizona doesn’t have much of a filter or any impulse control, which is why you won’t be seeing much of her in the future, but she simply could not resist the opportunity to try and make you smile.”
Callie’s heart does this weird little back flip, “That’s it? You just wanted to make me smile?”
Arizona shrugs like it’s the simplest thing in the world, “You have a beautiful smile, Calliope.”
Callie smiles, then frowns curiously, “Why do you keep calling me that?”
Arizona tilts her head to the side like an innocently confused puppy, “It’s your name.”
“Yeah but no one really calls me that. Except for my parents and older relatives.”
“Do you want me to stop calling you that?”
Oh.
The way Arizona said it - silky smooth, voice lowered ever so slightly, her blue eyes twinkling with mischief - made Callie’s stomach flutter. She swallows, “No. It’s… it’s okay. You just make it sound so…”
“So what?” Arizona asks, leaning forward to rest her elbow on the table and her chin on her hand, her lips curling up with a sort of playful, innocent curiosity.
Callie suddenly feels like her heart is having some sort of fit - shaking, stuttering, convulsing - and almost swallows her own tongue. It’s strange how she went so many years not realising her attraction to women because now it feels like it’s beating her over the head at full force.
She clears her throat and shifts a little in her seat, trying to keep her cool and keep from overheating. “Just… nice, pretty. Like, I finally understand why my parents thought that was an acceptable thing to name their child.”
Arizona sits up straight again and all the playful curiosity slips from her face, being replaced by a look of genuine warmth, “I think that may be the most interesting compliment that I’ve ever been given.”
Callie chuckles, “Somehow I doubt that.”
Arizona just gives a teasing wink and takes a sip of her drink - cherry soda because she’s just so predictable and adorable and Callie is kind of obsessed with her already which is a big problem. She always does this, falls too fast and ends up smacking her head on the ground and winding up lonely, humiliated and concussed.
The conversation ebbs and flows naturally over the rest of their meal with Callie feeling more and more screwed by the minute. Arizona is funny and sweet and she has freaking dimples, how is anyone supposed to resist that? It’s torture.
They split the bill and then Arizona gets stopped once more when they’re on their way out.
“Zona, don’t wait so long before visiting again.” Sofia says, pinching Arizona’s cheek. It’s adorable.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Good.” Sofia nods sternly, then turns to Callie with a bright smile, “It was lovely to meet you dear.”
“You too.” Callie responds genuinely, “I had a great time. This place is amazing.”
Sofia smirks proudly, “I like this girl. You should bring her by again.”
Arizona’s eyes flicker to Callie, offering her the most gentle and earnest of smiles which sends the butterflies in her stomach into a frenzy, and replying, “I think I just might.”
Seriously, what is Callie supposed to say to that? Thankfully, she doesn’t have to react at all because Sofia is quickly disappearing back into the kitchen and Arizona is leading the way out of the building and towards the car. It’s dark now, their surroundings illuminated by the soft, golden glow of the streetlights. The night air is cool but not cold enough to cause discomfort, more like a refreshing, calming chill - an iced drink during a heatwave or a cold shower when drunk.
Arizona’s voice interrupts Callie’s musings, “Hey, are you ready to head home or do you wanna hang out some more? ‘Cause I have an idea for dessert if you’re interested.”
Callie attempts to pace herself and pretends to at least think about it so as not to seem too eager but her immediate thought is yes, please.
“I could go for some dessert, what’d you have in mind?”
Arizona just gives her a devious little smirk and says, “It’s another surprise.”
“A surprise, huh?” Callie questions as they settle back into the car. “That’s honestly a little worrying.”
Arizona’s smirk only grows as she starts up the engine, “Don’t you trust me?”
“I haven’t decided yet.” Callie replies, "I'll let you know when I do.”
Arizona laughs again and Callie’s pretty sure that if she keeps it up, music will be ruined forever because the sound will simply pale in comparison.
They drive for a few minutes, this time the lack of dialogue is nice - comfortable and relaxing. Callie watches as Arizona taps her fingers against the wheel along to Fleetwood Mac’s Gold Dust Woman and feels a content smile settle across her face. She likes this girl, she really likes this girl.
When the car stops again, Callie glances out the window to see that they’ve arrived at an ice cream parlour - really, she should’ve known.
“Surprised?” Arizona asks as she opens Callie’s door for her.
Callie shakes her head and steps out of the car, “In a good way, sure.”
Arizona holds out her hand, casual but expectant. It’s a show, Callie realises as she watches Arizona’s eyes dart around in anxiety and panic, her whole ‘cool, hot, nonchalant lesbian doctor’ act is a show. Really, she’s just as uncertain and nervous as Callie is (well, maybe not quite as much) and fears rejection too. Callie stares at the outstretched hand for a little longer than is standard before finally plucking up the courage to take it. Arizona smiles that sunshine smile and gives Callie’s hand a gentle squeeze before pulling her along towards the shop. It feels nice, Arizona’s hand is cold but in a good way - it’s impossible to ignore, Callie can feel it in its entirety and be completely aware of the sensation of skin-on-skin as their fingers entwine.
A little bell dings when they enter the ice cream parlour and the teenager behind the counter looks up with a smile.
“Hiya, ladies. What can I get for you?” He asks politely.
“I will have two scoops of the mint choc chip,” Arizona responds cheerfully, “and she will have a scoop of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.”
“You got it.” The teen replies, moving to begin putting together their orders.
“Did you notice?” Arizona asks.
Callie frowns, “Notice what?”
“It’s three individual flavours. No neapolitan in sight.”
Callie chuckles, “Shut up. I stand by my choice.”
“Stubborn, huh?” Arizona teases, “Me too. That might become an issue somewhere down the line.”
Callie raises an eyebrow, “There you go getting all presumptuous again.”
“I prefer the term hopeful.” Arizona whispers with a wink.
Callie opens her mouth to respond when she’s interrupted by the teenager worker handing them their orders.
“Thank you very much.” Arizona says, letting go of Callie’s hand (much to her disappointment) and reaching into her bag for her purse.
Callie makes an attempt to offer, “I can pay for myself-“
Arizona immediately holds up a hand to silence her. “No way. We split dinner but this was my idea so it’s my treat. Plus, I made you wait for a date, so let me spoil you a little, okay?”
Callie just smiles and nods - part of her wants to argue that she’s filthy rich and should be paying but the other part of her is too busy swooning to form sentences.
Once she’s handed over the money, Arizona passes Callie her ice cream cone with a smile and grabs her other hand once more, leading her out of the building and back into the moonlit streets outside.
“You wanna eat this in the car or take a walk?” Arizona asks, “It’s a nice night - pretty clear, not too cold, not too loud, not too dark.”
Callie raises her eyebrow, “Is this like a sales pitch? I didn’t know you were such a night owl.”
Arizona blushes and Callie finds it ridiculously adorable that she can see the red on her cheeks so clearly even in the dark.
Arizona shrugs, “I’ll tell you why if you walk with me.”
Callie chuckles, “Deal, but just so you know I was gonna walk with you anyway.”
Arizona grins and pulls Callie along once more. Callie’s not sure where she’s being led but she doesn’t mind, she’s feeling so good that she’ll go just about anywhere. Plus, the ice cream is just that good.
“So?” Callie prompts, “What’s with the night obsession? Are you nocturnal?”
“Okay, just hear me out. This may sound a little weird.” Arizona begins as they turn a corner, “My dad, you remember I mentioned that he was in the marines?” Callie nods and Arizona continues, “Well the military thing means that he’s big on character, strength, honour and all that stuff. That also meant that when I was growing up he was really into competition. He used to make everything that my brother and I did a contest, not in a bad way, he didn’t pit us against each other or make us feel bad, it was more like… games, I guess you could say. We would play these fun little games all the time like who can walk for the longest without needing a rest break? Or who can hold their head under the water for the longest without needing to come up for air? Or who can eat the most ice cream without getting a brain freeze? Which is how I realised that mint is the best flavour because I could eat it for longer without needing to stop or puke.”
Arizona pauses to take a lick of the aforementioned ice cream and Callie chuckles lightly, “I’m not sure I understand where this little speech is going but carry on.”
Arizona obliges, “The point is, my favourite of these little competitions was always who can stay up the longest? My dad, my brother and I would camp out in the backyard long after my mum had gone to bed and we would just sit there for hours to see who would be the last man standing. I was undefeated in that game, my brother was a chronic napper and my dad loved his morning routine too much to stay that late, plus he was a little scared of waking my mum up and facing her when she’s all cranky. The point is, I spent a lot of time out at night in a lot of different cities and states and countries, so I’ve grown to be pretty into it. The night sky is like my best friend and it’s the same sky no matter where you go.”
“Okay, I get it.” Callie nods as she processes the story, “It’s a little weird but I get it. I guess it must also help with being a surgeon, being able to stay awake like that.”
“Oh, for sure.” Arizona agrees, “I wouldn’t be half the surgeon that I am today if it wasn’t for my military upbringing.”
“You know,” Callie says with a playful lilt, “I can get very competitive too. Just to warn you for the future.”
“Now who’s being presumptuous?” Arizona teases with a raised eyebrow.
Callie just laughs and holds Arizona’s hand a little bit tighter because she’s missed this feeling of having a hand to hold and a smile to admire. It’s too soon to be feeling this way, she knows that, but she can’t help it when Arizona is just so absurdly adorable.
Suddenly, Callie notices the slight tremor of Arizona’s somehow-even-colder-than-before hand and the subtle sound of chattering teeth less than a foot away.
“Are you cold?”
Arizona shakes her head, “No. I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”
Callie frowns, “You’re shivering, how are you shivering? It’s not even a cold night, you said so yourself.”
Arizona shrugs, a small pout forming on her face, “I run cold.”
Callie can’t help but laugh just a little, “So you suggested getting ice cream and walking around outside?”
“I’m not missing out on deliciousness and fun just because my body has a weakness.” Arizona insists in a tone that would have been convincing if it weren’t for her audible trembling.
Callie laughs and looks over at her again - pale cheeks pink and wind bitten, lips slightly blue and quivering. Callie makes a quick decision and stops walking, dropping Arizona’s hand in the process. Arizona turns to her, a confused frown on her face.
“Here.” Callie says, awkwardly swapping her ice cream between her hands and shrugging off her leather jacket before holding it out towards Arizona.
Arizona’s mouth twists into a smirk as she stares at the outstretched jacket and it suddenly dawns on Callie how ridiculously cliche this is. She cringes at herself.
“Y’know what, forget it-“
“No!” Arizona interrupts, taking the jacket and quickly putting it on before Callie can object further, "Thank you. This is very sweet of you, a little Prince Charming-y, but sweet.”
This is sweet, Callie realises as she takes in the sight of Arizona wrapped up in her jacket, to be in such a classic, age-old heterosexual situation and feel no expectations whatsoever. Callie has been offered and agreed to wear many men’s jackets, it’s an archetypal move for a gentleman. Now, she’s technically stepping into that role but it doesn’t feel that way because this situation is far from her old standard - there is no man, it’s a simple interaction between two people who are enjoying one another’s company. It feels good to be liberated from such rigid social norms and be able to just exist without pressure. No one is leading this dance, taking charge of the situation, there’s not one person expected to pay the bill or open the doors and no one’s masculinity or authority is being challenged to the point of a pathetic meltdown.
With Erica, there had been this awkward tension, an uncertainty that neither of them could shake. It was both of their first experiences with a woman, they were scared to take charge, scared to take chances, Callie was pushed so far out of her comfort zone in order to fit into a specific position that she thought she was supposed to once she realised that she liked women. Being with Arizona is different, she’s done this a dozen times, it’s second nature to her, an effortless way of life, she makes her own rules and creates her own role far removed from what you see in a cheesy romance movie. Callie is learning from her, not because Arizona is teaching or coaching her in any real way, but simply because she’s existing so comfortably and with so much certainty that it helps Callie shake away her own doubts and anxieties.
Suddenly, Callie is yanked from the depths of her mind by Arizona grabbing her hand and lacing their fingers together once more as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.
“Penny for your thoughts?” She asks as she swings their hands back and forth in the space between them.
Callie shrugs, “Just thinking that this was a good idea.”
“The ice cream or the date?”
“Both.” Callie responds genuinely.
Arizona smiles wide, her dimples fully revealing themselves and Callie has the strangest urge to lean over and lick them. She doesn’t obviously because that would be incredibly insane and inappropriate but she files the image away into her mind for a later date and opts to lick her ice cream instead.
“You want a lick?”
Huh? Did she say that out loud?
“What? What did you say?” Callie asks, choking a little on oxygen of all things.
Arizona tilts her head curiously, “I asked if you wanted to try some of my ice cream.”
“Oh.” Callie says, feeling both embarrassed and relieved. “You don’t mind my germs on your food?”
Arizona winks, “That doesn’t bother me if it doesn’t bother you.”
Callie smirks and raises an eyebrow, “Yeah, okay. I’ll have some.”
Arizona holds the ice cream cone out and Callie leans over to get a taste. It’s nice but not as nice as her own. She says as such causing Arizona to scoff.
“That’s just incorrect.”
“You wanna try some?” Callie challenges.
Arizona’s face wrinkles in disgust, “No way. I hate strawberry ice cream.”
“Really?”
“Why is that so surprising?”
“No, it’s nothing,” Callie mumbles, unsure how to articulate her response, “it’s just… you’re so…”
Arizona laughs, “Relax, I get that a lot to be honest. People assume that I like sweet things because I’m nice or something which is ridiculous when you think about it for more than two minutes. I like strawberries but anything strawberry flavoured is a no-go, ice cream, milkshake, sweets. It’s all just… icky to me.”
“You’re a true enigma.” Callie jokes.
Arizona snorts a light laugh, “Yeah, I guess I am.” She hums, “I hate sandwiches too.”
Callie freezes, causing Arizona to be pulled back by their conjoined hands. She turns to Callie with a frown. “What is it?”
Callie shakes her head, amused and surprised, “I hate sandwiches.”
Arizona chuckles, “No kidding? Everyone else always judges me.”
Callie laughs along as she begins walking again, “I don’t like the mixing of flavours and textures. It’s just weird.”
“I just don’t really like bread in general,” Arizona explains, “it just tastes weird and smells weird and the texture is so unlike anything else to the point where I’m just disgusted. It also looks pretty weird too. I don’t know, I just don’t think we should be placing perfectly good meats, vegetables and condiments in between the most mediocre food of all time.”
Callie’s grin grows wider because of the utmost seriousness with which Arizona delivers this information, like bread has personally offended her.
“That’s fair enough. At least we know we’re compatible when it comes to certain foods even if not with ice cream.”
Suddenly, Callie feels a drop of cold water against her cheek. In the short second that it takes her to realise what’s happening, it begins raining harshly and quickly, drenching them from head to toe almost instantly.
“Damn it.” Callie mutters, cursing the Seattle weather.
“Come on, let’s get back to the car.” Arizona says, pulling Callie along by the hand and speeding off in the direction from which they came.
They run through the streets, unfortunately dropping their ice creams but managing to keep hold of one another as they stomp through puddles and struggle to see past the thick veil of rain blanketing the night. By the time they reach the car, Callie is dripping wet and completely out of breath, clutching her side in pain as she flops back into the car seat with a sigh.
Arizona chuckles which makes Callie laugh too, seeing the ridiculous humour in their situation. She glances over at Arizona and takes in the slightly blue colour of her upturned lips and the water droplets gathering on her eyelashes - she’s stunningly gorgeous. Callie can’t help herself, she’s suddenly leaning forward and kissing Arizona.
It’s a little random and messy and Callie panics as soon as she does it. With men, she’s always ready to make the first move and take charge, she did it with George and Mark, hell she even did so with Erica, but that was different. Men (the ones that aren’t pathetic and insecure) like when women are confident and in control and Erica was also new to the whole sapphic thing, so that was very situational. However, Arizona had been the one to make the first move back at Joe’s and Callie isn’t quite sure how this sort of thing is supposed to work between two women, she’s still learning what to do and what not to do.
Arizona, to her credit, reacts instantaneously. She kisses back in earnest, her trembling hand coming to rest on Callie’s cheek the same way it had during their first kiss. This kiss is so much better than that one - for starters, it’s properly reciprocated and there’s real feelings behind it because it follows a great first date. Callie can feel Arizona shivering against her, so despite her own desire, she pulls away.
Arizona doesn’t go far - thank God - lingering a few inches away, just far enough for Callie to be able to look into those deep blue eyes.
“I didn’t see that coming.” Arizona teases.
“Sorry,” Callie finds herself replying, “I probably should’ve said something first-“
“No, it’s okay,” Arizona quickly interrupts with a smile, “now we’re officially even in terms of surprise kisses.”
“I guess you’re right.” Callie chuckles.
Arizona’s teeth are chattering again as she moves away from Callie and starts up the car, “I’ll drop you home. Just give me the directions.”
“Thanks.” Callie replies, “Just drive back to the hospital and I’ll let you know from there, it’s pretty close.”
“Sounds good.” Arizona agrees, leaning over to turn the radio back on, Fleetwood Mac once again flooding the car.
“It sucks about our ice creams.” Arizona comments conversationally, “I guess we’ll have to get new ones next time.”
Callie rolls her eyes playfully, “I guess so.”
The rest of the drive is full of easy conversation and a few more laughs. It’s nice, just like the whole day has been. When the time comes for Callie to direct Arizona towards her apartment, she finds herself feeling slightly disappointment that the date is over. When they arrive, Callie is very reluctant to unbuckle her seatbelt but relieved to see that the rain has stopped at least.
“I’ll see you at the hospital?” Arizona says, sounding slightly uncertain.
Callie nods, “Definitely.”
Arizona grins, dimples and all, which makes it impossible for Callie to resist going back in for one last kiss.