A Conspicuous Conspiracy (Ch. 5)
Title: A Conspicuous Conspiracy
Author: clanket
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Callie and Arizona are best friends. As they navigate through their final year of high school, will they realize that they're more than just friends?
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libellous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
Ch.5
I am so screwed.
I followed Addie back into my living room after affording myself a few seconds to seethe. Once there, I immediately noticed that she had conveniently stretched her lanky frame out as far as she could and sprawled her arms out for good measure, ensuring that I would have to sit next to Arizona.
Not that I didn’t want to sit next to Arizona, mind you. It’s just that it becomes rather difficult to focus on anything other than shifting uncomfortably and trying to keep your breathing even when the object of some very recent, very vivid dreams is sitting right next to you on the couch.
Crap! You have got to be kidding!
No sooner had I sat down than Arizona laid down and rested her head in my lap. My eyes went wide. I’m just lucky she was occupied with watching the opening credits of Bride Wars or she would definitely have known something was up.
This had never been an issue before so why am I making such a big deal of this again? Oh yeah, ‘cause she’s hot - super hot - and she just got out of the shower and her freaking head is in my lap!
I rolled my eyes at my ridiculous inner-rambling and tried, yet again, to get the image of a wet Arizona out of my mind. I mean a dripping Arizona - I mean…damn it!
Okay, no, you know what? I am Callie freaking Torres! I am not afraid of my best friend and I do not run! No, I will sit here until this stupid movie is over with its stupid cute girls and cute storylines about best friends and how much they stupid care for each other. I will get through this if it kills me, I decide as I set my jaw in determination.
“Calliope, are you okay? Am I squishing you? You’re squirming a lot,” Arizona says as she turns her head to look up at me.
“What? No, I’m fine. Just getting comfortable,” I say and finish with a smile. I rest my right hand on her shoulder like I usually do when we sit like this and Arizona immediately turns back to the tv, snuggling in a little closer to my body.
I smile at the ease with which we can interact even when I’m a mess on the inside. I gently run my hand down Arizona’s shoulder, rubbing it soothingly.
When I turn my eyes back in front of me to watch the movie, I see that Addison has turned toward us and was sending me the biggest grin she could muster without making it obvious to Arizona. My smile immediately falls as I realize that she thinks her plan is working.
Truth be told, though, this is how Arizona and I always are; we’re communicative and warm and affectionate with each other. We always have been.
I remember when were kids, maybe six or seven years old, and Arizona had woken up in the middle of the night. Her parents had dropped her off at my house for a long weekend so that they could have a romantic getaway in Napa or something, I’m not too sure - I did mention I was, like, seven, right?
Well anyway, we were down in my basement in sleeping bags, pretending that we were camping for the night. I remember gentle hands carefully shaking me awake. When I opened my eyes I saw that Arizona was leaned over me, tears streaming down her face.
When I asked her what was wrong she was quiet for a moment. ‘You can tell me. I promise I won’t tell mom or daddy.’
She nodded her head at me, wiped her little face with an even smaller hand and told me about the nightmare she’d had; about how she dreamed that her parents weren’t going to come back for her.
Even then I knew the comfort a hug could bring - my mother is very affectionate - and I pulled her into my arms. We were only little and exerting even that amount of energy was draining in the middle of the night so we quickly fell back asleep.
When my mom came to check on us in the morning she had found me and Arizona in the same sleeping bag, me on my back with Arizona's head resting on my shoulder. My mom thought it was the cutest thing in the world and took a picture of us. I still have that picture, actually. Several copies, in fact, just in case anything should happen to the original that rests in one of my mother’s many scrapbooks. It’s one of my favourite family photos.
Oh man, if Addie knew about that she would have a field day! She’d be all, ‘ooh, it started that early, huh?’ and, ‘how could you not have known before now?’ Ugh.
Clearly Addison could never find out that we’ve been cuddling in one way or another for more than ten years, at this point.
I turn my attention back to the tv, right hand still absent-mindedly tracing patterns across Arizona's arm and shoulder, to find that we’re at the part where Anne Hathaway has one too many and performs a pretty fierce and - dare I admit? - hot dance. Damn that girl has some legs on her!
I swallow, eyes glued to the tv in a brand-new type of fascination until I feel Arizona shift in my lap. I smile. This scene must be getting her as bothered as I was when she had initially put her head on my thigh.
I tear my eyes from the tv to look at Arizona only to find her looking back at me. What is that look? That’s a new one. Her eyes are studying my face, looking for some hidden secret or even a silent confirmation. My hand moves without my say so. I glance down Arizona’s body to her waist where our fingers had somehow become entwined, my right and her left, resting in the curve above her hip. She’s basically hugging herself to achieve this.
I guess my hand had travelled from its innocent touches on her arm to her torso where they became less pure of intent; more heated and needy especially as that last scene played on the screen.
That spontaneous movement was her bringing my attention to the development.
I gulp involuntarily and slowly meet blue eyes once more. This was new even for us.
She raised one eyebrow slightly while looking me directly in the eyes. She wants to know how I feel about this. What do I do?
Next Chapter
Author: clanket
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Callie and Arizona are best friends. As they navigate through their final year of high school, will they realize that they're more than just friends?
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libellous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
Ch.5
I am so screwed.
I followed Addie back into my living room after affording myself a few seconds to seethe. Once there, I immediately noticed that she had conveniently stretched her lanky frame out as far as she could and sprawled her arms out for good measure, ensuring that I would have to sit next to Arizona.
Not that I didn’t want to sit next to Arizona, mind you. It’s just that it becomes rather difficult to focus on anything other than shifting uncomfortably and trying to keep your breathing even when the object of some very recent, very vivid dreams is sitting right next to you on the couch.
Crap! You have got to be kidding!
No sooner had I sat down than Arizona laid down and rested her head in my lap. My eyes went wide. I’m just lucky she was occupied with watching the opening credits of Bride Wars or she would definitely have known something was up.
This had never been an issue before so why am I making such a big deal of this again? Oh yeah, ‘cause she’s hot - super hot - and she just got out of the shower and her freaking head is in my lap!
I rolled my eyes at my ridiculous inner-rambling and tried, yet again, to get the image of a wet Arizona out of my mind. I mean a dripping Arizona - I mean…damn it!
Okay, no, you know what? I am Callie freaking Torres! I am not afraid of my best friend and I do not run! No, I will sit here until this stupid movie is over with its stupid cute girls and cute storylines about best friends and how much they stupid care for each other. I will get through this if it kills me, I decide as I set my jaw in determination.
“Calliope, are you okay? Am I squishing you? You’re squirming a lot,” Arizona says as she turns her head to look up at me.
“What? No, I’m fine. Just getting comfortable,” I say and finish with a smile. I rest my right hand on her shoulder like I usually do when we sit like this and Arizona immediately turns back to the tv, snuggling in a little closer to my body.
I smile at the ease with which we can interact even when I’m a mess on the inside. I gently run my hand down Arizona’s shoulder, rubbing it soothingly.
When I turn my eyes back in front of me to watch the movie, I see that Addison has turned toward us and was sending me the biggest grin she could muster without making it obvious to Arizona. My smile immediately falls as I realize that she thinks her plan is working.
Truth be told, though, this is how Arizona and I always are; we’re communicative and warm and affectionate with each other. We always have been.
I remember when were kids, maybe six or seven years old, and Arizona had woken up in the middle of the night. Her parents had dropped her off at my house for a long weekend so that they could have a romantic getaway in Napa or something, I’m not too sure - I did mention I was, like, seven, right?
Well anyway, we were down in my basement in sleeping bags, pretending that we were camping for the night. I remember gentle hands carefully shaking me awake. When I opened my eyes I saw that Arizona was leaned over me, tears streaming down her face.
When I asked her what was wrong she was quiet for a moment. ‘You can tell me. I promise I won’t tell mom or daddy.’
She nodded her head at me, wiped her little face with an even smaller hand and told me about the nightmare she’d had; about how she dreamed that her parents weren’t going to come back for her.
Even then I knew the comfort a hug could bring - my mother is very affectionate - and I pulled her into my arms. We were only little and exerting even that amount of energy was draining in the middle of the night so we quickly fell back asleep.
When my mom came to check on us in the morning she had found me and Arizona in the same sleeping bag, me on my back with Arizona's head resting on my shoulder. My mom thought it was the cutest thing in the world and took a picture of us. I still have that picture, actually. Several copies, in fact, just in case anything should happen to the original that rests in one of my mother’s many scrapbooks. It’s one of my favourite family photos.
Oh man, if Addie knew about that she would have a field day! She’d be all, ‘ooh, it started that early, huh?’ and, ‘how could you not have known before now?’ Ugh.
Clearly Addison could never find out that we’ve been cuddling in one way or another for more than ten years, at this point.
I turn my attention back to the tv, right hand still absent-mindedly tracing patterns across Arizona's arm and shoulder, to find that we’re at the part where Anne Hathaway has one too many and performs a pretty fierce and - dare I admit? - hot dance. Damn that girl has some legs on her!
I swallow, eyes glued to the tv in a brand-new type of fascination until I feel Arizona shift in my lap. I smile. This scene must be getting her as bothered as I was when she had initially put her head on my thigh.
I tear my eyes from the tv to look at Arizona only to find her looking back at me. What is that look? That’s a new one. Her eyes are studying my face, looking for some hidden secret or even a silent confirmation. My hand moves without my say so. I glance down Arizona’s body to her waist where our fingers had somehow become entwined, my right and her left, resting in the curve above her hip. She’s basically hugging herself to achieve this.
I guess my hand had travelled from its innocent touches on her arm to her torso where they became less pure of intent; more heated and needy especially as that last scene played on the screen.
That spontaneous movement was her bringing my attention to the development.
I gulp involuntarily and slowly meet blue eyes once more. This was new even for us.
She raised one eyebrow slightly while looking me directly in the eyes. She wants to know how I feel about this. What do I do?
Next Chapter