Fault Lines (19/36)
Fault Lines
Chapter 19/36
Authors: Faith kennedysbitch & Kye kye9
Pairing: Callie/Arizona, Mark/Lexie
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer
Story Summary: Sequel to Choices. Callie and Arizona make the decision to move forward with their lives, but when a gradual series of events begin to snowball, Arizona tries desperately not to lose her grip on reality.
Chapter Summary: Callie reconnects with Arizona, and Mark’s mopey about Lexie.
Previous Chapters
A/N: Free-translation.com is free but not very translate-y. However, it’s the best I have at 4 AM.
---
The only reason Arizona stirred at all early the following morning was because of the bright sunlight filtering through half closed curtains. A beam struck her directly in the eyes and she automatically clamped them shut, turning her face into the pillow.
She was lying on her stomach with one arm draped across her girlfriend’s waist, the two of them together creating a mess of tangled bed sheets and limbs. Callie radiated more heat than the morning sun and Arizona subconsciously shifted closer to her.
This was probably the most peaceful she’d felt in a long time.
Arizona tightened her grip on the other woman, tracing small patterns with the tips of her fingers along a smooth hip. She turned her head to the left and brushed her nose against Callie’s shoulder, breathing her in.
She still smelled ridiculously good, even after all the sex.
A sleepy smile crossed Callie’s lips, but she didn’t open her eyes. She was sprawled on her back, one leg half draped over Arizona’s calves while her right hand dangled limply over the edge of the bed.
They were the picture of perfect contentment.
Callie finally stirred and stretched her legs out, toes curling with pleasure as she released a soft hum of approval. “Mm. Morning, sleepyhead,” she murmured, resting a hand on top of the one touching her hip. “Sleep okay?”
Arizona’s only response was a low, barely coherent grunt.
Callie took that as a yes. “Good,” she sighed, wiggling a little closer to her girlfriend.
Arizona rolled onto her right side, immediately snuggling up and pressing her breasts into Callie’s back. Her left arm curled tighter around her waist. “You?”
“Peachy,” came the quiet response.
It was true, last night was the first decent sleep she’d had in days. Weeks even, if Callie was being honest. Maybe even months. While they weren’t out of the woods yet by any means, Arizona finally opening up and letting her in was a huge relief - for both parties, not just the blonde.
“Hungry yet?” Callie asked, words slurring together as she struggled to stay awake.
“Mmph,” Arizona grunted again.
Callie smirked, patting the hand resting over her stomach. “Gonna need a little more than that, baby.”
“Later,” Arizona murmured, snuggling deeper into Callie and burying her face in the back of her neck. “Not now. More sleep.”
A deep, husky laugh bubbled up from Callie’s chest. “What are you gonna do when our girl’s up every two hours wanting to be fed, hm?”
Arizona smiled into the raven hair she was nestled against. “You’ll be breastfeeding.”
Callie arched a brow, eyes remaining closed. “And that means you’ll have zero responsibility in that department?”
“You’ve got the milk,” Arizona teased, earning herself an elbow to the gut. She laughed against the brunette’s ear.
“So we’ll buy a breast pump,” Callie shot back, sounding mildly annoyed in a sleepy, grumpy sort of way.
That caused Arizona’s smile to widen. “You know I’ll be there every step of the way, gorgeous,” she sighed, kissing a tan shoulder. “You’re carting the kid around for nine months; it’s the least I can do.”
Instinctively, her left hand moved down to rest over the tiny baby bump.
“Damn right it is,” Callie grumbled, shifting back in Arizona’s arms.
“They call me the baby whisperer for a reason,” the peds surgeon mused. “My mad baby skills will blow your mind.”
Her partner snorted. “Mm-hm. Okay, Mary Poppins.”
That sent both parties into a fit of tired, Saturday morning giggles for no reason other than they were blissfully happy for the first time in recent memory.
Arizona was the first to speak after they calmed down. “We’ll be good parents,” she said through a small yawn, settling against the sheets again. It was the first time she’d thought ‘we’ and really meant it. She already knew Calliope would be an amazing mom; now she had a little more confidence in her own abilities - as long as the brunette was by her side every step of the way.
“Zona?” Callie breathed, her voice starting to fall back into that sleepy husk that never failed to send shivers up Arizona’s spine. Callie practically purred when she spoke like that; it was unbelievably sexy.
“Hm?”
“I want you to be her mother as much as I am,” Callie whispered, squeezing her hand over the one beneath it. “I want you to feel like you are, no matter what. Promise me you’ll tell me if I ever make you feel any different, okay?”
“You won’t,” Arizona assured the other woman with ease, not sounding in the least bit worried. She smiled against her ear. “I save babies for a living. I could change a diaper in my sleep. You’ll be coming to me for advice on a regular basis.”
That earned her another elbow to the stomach.
“We’ll also save a fortune on medical bills, if you think about it,” Arizona added. “We won’t be taking to the kid to the hospital every time she gets the sniffles.”
“That’s why I keep you around. For insurance purposes.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“Any time.” Callie stifled another yawn and felt herself slowly beginning to drift off again. “Wake me up in an hour?”
Arizona placed a delicate kiss just beneath Callie’s ear. “Okay,” she lied, fully planning on letting the woman sleep for as long as she needed to.
She’d earned that right.
***
Mark stood in front of his large walk-in closet, staring blankly at the selection of clothing as he tried to pick out a shirt to wear for the day. His mind kept wandering as he silently flipped through hanger after hanger.
He was worried about Lexie. She hadn’t slept much in the days since being hurt, and by extension, neither had he. The arm sling made it difficult for her to stay comfortable and the constant pain kept her awake and miserable. She still refused to take anything stronger for the pain, opting to suffer through it and ensure nothing passed on to their baby. Their son.
Mark was suffering through it with her, but he was at a loss for how to help in a more substantial way. Lexie still had five and a half weeks in a sling, and God forbid she need surgery when that time period was up. He’d talk to Torres about it, ask her what she thought and if there were other ways to ease the discomfort caused by the injury, but she had her own shit with Robbins to deal with right now.
So he was on his own.
Lexie didn’t even want him to touch her the last few days. It’s not like he had been expecting sex after something like this, but she didn’t even want him to hold her. She was cranky and uncomfortable and quite frankly, acting like kind of a bitch.
Those thoughts only made Mark feel like even more an ass.
Giving up on shirts for the time being and figuring Lexie’s initial request to have him half naked at all times might melt the ice a little, he looked towards the closed bathroom door. He’d helped her shower about twenty minutes ago and then she’d requested he leave her be to finish getting ready. He hated seeing her struggle, even though she insisted she didn’t want to be coddled.
Releasing a defeated sigh, Mark headed back into the main room, sans shirt and socks, clad in his favourite pair of stone wash jeans. He was just about to fix himself a cup of coffee when the front door knocked out of the blue.
Thinking it might be Callie, he jogged over and pulled it open without checking first.
It wasn’t.
The gorgeous blonde standing on the other side brought an immediate smile to his face.
Hey, he was engaged, not dead.
“Hi,” the woman said with a friendly grin. “You must be Dr. Sloan?”
Mark flashed his pearly white teeth and leaned against the open door. “That would be me. I don’t believe we’ve met?”
He would’ve remembered.
“No, we haven’t,” the woman said, jerking a thumb down the hall. “I just moved in around the corner, apartment 512 by the elevators. My name is Kyla.”
She stuck out her hand and Mark shook it.
“I was told by Mr. Pierson next door that you might be able to help my roommate and I move some heavy boxes up from our car?”
Mark didn’t mean to, but he found himself puffing out his bare chest - just a little.
He glanced behind him toward the bedroom where he knew Lexie was hiding. Hesitant to leave her, he thought about it and decided to take his phone along, just in case she needed his help.
Something she’d made quite clear she didn’t.
“Of course,” Mark answered after the small delay. “I’d be happy to lend a hand.”
Kyla made no attempt to hide the fact that she was checking him out. Her smile was playful. “Excellent. I’ll, um, meet you down front with my roommate.”
Mark watched her go, sticking his head out the door and dropping his eyes to follow her tight, perfect as-
“Mark?”
“Gah!” Mark jumped in the air and whirled around, heart pounding in his chest. “Jesus, Lex, you scared the hell out of me.”
Lexie stared at him with a carefully guarded expression. Her dark hair hung wet around her shoulders and she was wearing a pair of sweatpants, along with one of his shirts. She’d just barely managed to do the sling up properly again. “Who was that?”
“Who?” Mark asked, voice cracking up a pitch. “That? Oh, just a new neighbor. Moving in down the hall.”
“She looked a little young, don’t you think?”
Panic seized Mark by the throat. “Young for what?”
Lexie quirked an eyebrow at him. “To afford a place like this,” she said slowly.
Mark breathed a silent sigh of relief. “She has a roommate,” he added with a smile.
Lexie’s whole brow line shot up.
Mark mentally canned himself for sounding way too excited about that fact. “They just need help carrying some boxes up from her car,” he explained, sighing as he started over to a laundry basket of clean clothes sitting by the couch. He rooted around for a pair of socks.
Lexie turned to watch him, tentatively asking, “No shirt?”
Mark pulled on the socks. “Don’t want to get one all sweaty. Probably gonna need a shower after.” He paused, frowning slightly as he watched her. “Are you gonna be okay for a bit while I do this?”
Biting her lip, Lexie shrugged her one good shoulder. She knew it was stupid and petty, worrying about him helping some young, hot thing move into her apartment, where she kept a bed, while Mark wasn’t wearing clothing, and while he was all sweaty and worked up from moving heavy objects-
Shaking her head, Lexie focused back on her boyfriend. “Um, yeah, I-I’ll be good,” she said in what she hoped was a confident voice. She tried not to let it bug her that she looked like she’d been chewed up and spit out by a lion, or that she’d been raised by wolves with poor fashion sense.
Compared to the hot young thing standing in their doorway moments before, Lexie felt less than attractive right now.
Mark gave a quick nod, avoiding her gaze. “Okay, good. I’ll be back before you know it.” He walked over, placing a quick kiss on top of her head before slipping his shoes on and heading out the door.
Lexie watched him go in silence, heart sinking in her chest.
***
“Calliope, our unborn child has a larger wardrobe than Armani himself,” Arizona chided, sitting on the bed and gazing around at the mountain of clothing spread out in front of her.
“You’re over-exaggerating,” Callie called from inside the bathroom, shower steam still rolling out through the doorway.
Arizona pushed a strand of wet hair behind her ear and played with the fluffy material on the robe wrapped around her body. “Um, no, not really. Did you actually see what you bought, or was it more of an ‘anything I can get my hands on’ grab fest?” The random assortment of styles and colours baffled her a little.
There was a brief pause on Callie’s end. “Maybe a bit of both,” she admitted, slightly muffled around the sounds of brushing her teeth.
Arizona heard her spit and rinse, the running tap water delaying the rest of their conversation. She sifted through the onesies, the hats, the tiny little baby socks and the booties. Despite her best efforts to remain neutral, she was turning into a pile of mush just looking at everything.
Yes, she was becoming one of those women. Ugh.
“Aww,” Arizona crooned to herself as she held up a pair of white footie pajamas with ‘I <3 My Mommies’ on the front, melting on the inside.
This was definitely her favourite.
Callie emerged from the bathroom and immediately broke out into a smile. “I like that one, too,” she said, pulling the sash of her matching robe closed. She padded bare foot over to the dresser and started to put her earrings back on.
Arizona set down the onesie she was inspecting and got up, shuffling in behind Callie and sliding both arms around her waist. “What are you doing?”
Callie smirked, staring forward as she continued to fiddle with her jewelry. “Getting ready.”
“Hm,” Arizona frowned, brushing the hair away from her girlfriend’s neck and kissing along the side of it. “Don’t. Waste of time.”
“We just got cleaned up,” Callie pointed out, leaning back into Arizona’s warm body. “You want to go again?”
“Can’t help that I’m attracted to you,” Arizona shot back, gently nibbling against her pulse point.
“Ugh, that’s cheating,” Callie whined, dipping her head to the side and giving Arizona more room to work with.
“S’not cheating,” the blonde murmured, placing careful, strategic kisses along Callie’s neck and shoulder. She knew exactly how to elicit the reaction she wanted, it would just take some coaxing. “Neither is this.”
The sash on Callie’s robe magically fell open.
The brunette’s eyes widened and she glanced down as Arizona’s expert hands smoothed across her bare stomach. “D’uhm, pretty sure that is cheating, baby - as is that,” she added when one hand dipped between her legs. “Fuck, Arizona.”
“That would be the goal here, yes,” she mused, biting down against her lover’s shoulder before suddenly turning her around and shoving her back against the dresser.
Callie nearly swallowed her tongue. The intensity in those mischievous blue eyes made her momentarily forget how to talk. “Retozón.” [Frisky.]
In English, anyway.
Arizona smirked at the dumbfounded look on her girlfriend’s face and took the opportunity to pull her into a deep, lingering kiss. She pressed her whole body against the one in front of her, slipping both hands into the open robe and running them up along Callie’s ribcage. Her thumbs caressed the underside of her breasts and she smiled into the kiss as a shiver shot up her partner’s back.
She’d like to see her try and resist now.
Knowing full well she was about to fall into the blonde’s trap, Callie let out a low, almost exasperated groan, bracing her hands on the furniture behind her. “Arizona,” she warned in a soft voice, earning a light chuckle in return.
“Calliope,” Arizona mirrored, pulling away from the kiss as Callie tipped her head back, and running her tongue along the smooth expanse of her neck.
“You are so feeling better,” came the mumbled response. The brunette’s fingers dug harder into the edge of the dresser.
All Arizona did was grin and deliver another small love bite to the side of Callie’s neck.
It appeared that she was.
Nimble fingers traced down Callie’s stomach, drawing out another deep shiver before settling in between her legs. Arizona pushed them back through slid folds, delicately spreading her labia and testing the arousal she found there, pleased when she found plenty.
“Someone’s happy to see me.”
Callie swallowed back thickly. “You’d be hard pressed to find that part of me ever not happy to see you.”
“Good to know I haven’t lost my touch,” Arizona teased, planting a solid kiss square on her girlfriend’s lips.
Callie emitted a low, slightly husky laugh. “Good to know your ego hasn’t been pandered to.”
“It’s about to be.” Arizona pushed her fingers in deeper and slowly dragged them forward, taking her time in torturously massaging her girlfriend’s pussy and watching each reaction as it flashed across her face.
“Arizona,” Callie groaned, arms shaking with the effort of holding herself up. “That’s not...y-you’re...”
“Baby, just relax,” Arizona soothed, stealing another soft kiss as she pleasured her. “We have a fancy hotel room and an entire weekend to spend in it enjoying each other’s company. Please, just let me fuck you.”
A deep, almost insatiable shiver shot straight up Callie’s spine. She wanted to maul Arizona on the spot just to make those dirty words keep spilling from her mouth.
Of course, that would involve stopping the wonderful things going on between her legs right now, and that just wasn’t an option.
Callie finally relented and the moment Arizona felt her relax, she pushed two fingers deep inside her core, sliding in with ease. Her thumb sought out the woman’s clit and pressed, stroking it in soft circles.
“Oh sweet Jesus,” Callie groaned, eyelids drooping shut as Arizona dipped her head down to suck a perky nipple into her mouth. Callie’s right hand moved to weave itself into golden tresses.
Whatever beast she had awoken in Arizona the night before had stepped out of hibernation with force and seemed intent on having its way with her every chance it got.
She was pretty much okay with that.
Before long, the expert fingers stroking and curling inside her had Callie gasping and panting for breath, a fine sheen of sweat breaking out over her freshly showered skin. Arizona alternated between breasts, taking her time in making each one feel equally loved and cherished with her tongue and mouth.
Knowing full well how the blonde could get happily lost for days when it came to her chest, Callie gave a slight tug on the handful of hair between her fingers. “Baby, please,” she begged, jerking her hips in a desperate attempt for more.
Feeling how close Callie was, Arizona began to roughly massage her thumb over the sensitive bundle of nerves, circling it in time with each deep stroke of her fingers. The liquid heat coating her hand increased the closer the brunette came to release. Arizona growled at the sensation, loving how fucking wet Callie could get when they made love.
Of all the times in the world, it was right when Arizona wanted to completely devour the other woman that someone thought it would be funny to knock on the door of their hotel room.
“Room service!” came a muffled voice from behind it.
Both heads shot over to the front door, although Arizona quickly returned to her task of fucking Callie hard and steady. She reattached her lips to the top of a supple breast, eyes drifting closed.
“You o-ordered room service?” Callie hissed, fighting hard to keep her own from fluttering shut. She was really clinging to the dresser behind her now, knowing full well there was no way in hell her legs would be able to support her weight. They were practically jello by now and her knees were wobblier than Arizona’s when she was drunk.
“While you were in the bathroom,” Arizona murmured, sucking hard enough on a patch of skin to leave her mark. She curled her fingers deep inside of Callie, pushing them against her inner walls and adding a little more force behind each thrust.
Callie’s eyes rolled back into her head and she gasped out into the room. “J-just a sec!” she shouted in a strangled voice to the person on the other side of the door.
“Tell them you’re coming,” Arizona giggled from her place nestled between Callie’s breasts.
“Oh my God, you’re evil - leave it outside the door!” Callie called out in a higher than normal pitch, trying not to sound like she was being fucked senseless.
The person must have either clued in or just listened to her request, because no more interruptions came after that.
Which was probably a good thing, because half a second later Callie’s orgasm crescendoed before exploding inside of her.
“Fu-”
Arizona dove upward and captured her lips in a searing kiss, swallowing the rest of Callie’s curse. She pushed her fingers deep inside her girlfriend’s pussy and kept them there while her thumb vigorously massaged her clit, drawing her orgasm out in full.
Shaking and convulsing more and more with each passing second, Callie kissed Arizona back to the best of her ability, though admittedly the blonde did most of the work.
Callie’s brain couldn’t function on a high enough level to coordinate her lips, tongue, and control her breathing at the same time. It was too complicated, so she kind of just went with it.
Eventually her release ebbed away and she was left with nothing but the blissful afterglow and sounds of heavy breathing in the otherwise silent air around them.
By the time Callie was able to open her eyes again, she was still leaning back into the dresser and managed to glance down at the women nuzzled contently in the valley between her breasts.
A sly smirk formed over Callie’s lips. “How’s it goin’ down there?”
A muffled moan of satisfaction reached her ears, causing her to emit another husky chuckle. Her right hand finally released its grip on the furniture to reach up and stroke her fingers across the top of Arizona’s head, brushing through freshly showered strands of blonde hair.
Yes, her girlfriend was entirely too infatuated with her breasts, but she wasn’t about to spoil her fun. Arizona did more than enough to earn a moment with them if she so desired.
Finally the blonde pulled back, placing a soft kiss in the center of Callie’s chest before repeating the action on her chin. “Mm. Hi.”
A lazy, satisfied smile stretched across Callie’s lips. “Hi,” she echoed, stifling a soft moan when Arizona withdrew her fingers.
“You’re sexy.” Arizona stole a couple of quick, playful kisses before planting one against the side of Callie’s mouth, causing that familiar grin to reappear.
“And you are great at sucking up,” the brunette replied, earning a dimpled grin from her partner. “And also very beautiful when you’re happy.”
Arizona reached up with her left hand to tuck a strand of wet hair behind Callie’s ear. “You make me happy,” she replied honestly, all teasing and playful pretenses falling away. “You and junior here.”
She leaned down and planted another loving kiss on Callie’s belly, before standing back up and closing the front of her girlfriend’s robe, quickly re-tying the sash.
Arizona practically strutted over to the front door to retrieve their breakfast, exuding confidence and perkiness in spades.
Callie smiled.
It was good to have her back.
***
After spending all of Saturday and most of Sunday inside the confines of the Archfield hotel room, Callie and Arizona returned home in a much sounder state of mind than they’d left in.
The weight of the universe felt like it had been lifted from Arizona’s shoulders for the time being. It was like someone had hit the reset button to her entire system and now she was running on full capacity again.
Callie had everything to do with that.
“What do you feel like for dinner?” Arizona asked as she kicked the door shut behind them, toting several bags of baby clothing and whatever else Callie had dragged over to the hotel.
“Are you offering to cook?” the brunette asked carefully, trying not to look too skeptical for the sake of her girlfriend’s ego.
Arizona scoffed and shot her a dirty look, setting Callie’s purchases on the couch before heading into the kitchen. “Not anymore,” she grumbled under her breath.
Following the same path, Callie sidled up behind Arizona and grabbed her around the shoulders, hauling her backward into a crushing hug. She buried her nose in the crook of her neck and inhaled the sweet, distinct scent of her girlfriend’s shampoo. “Mm, I’m sorry. I’ll gladly take your mac and cheese.”
Arizona arched a brow, keeping her eyes forward. “Is that some kind of sexual euphemism I’m not aware of?”
Callie wrinkled her nose. “Eww. No.”
So much for that meal idea.
Snorting, the blonde turned in her partner’s arms and stole a firm kiss. “We can order take out. Or, you can cook, since I’ve been granting you sexual favours all weekend.”
Callie’s head recoiled and she fixed a pointed stare on the cheeky brat grinning at her. “Okay, one, you owed me for the whole abandonment stunt you pulled, and two, I distinctly remember you facing the shower wall and begging me for more while I-”
A deep blush suddenly flooded Arizona’s cheeks and she pushed a finger against Callie’s lips to silence her. “Okay, you’re right. My bad. We can just order in.”
Something extremely naughty was about to roll off of Callie’s tongue when Arizona’s cell phone rang from inside her purse.
Sighing, the blonde shot her an apologetic smile before extracting herself and heading back over to the couch. She rooted around in her bag until she found her Blackberry and flipped it over.
Callie watched Arizona’s happy expression fade away at the first glimpse of her call display. She sighed to herself as the other woman sank down onto the couch, taking in a couple of steadying breaths before picking up.
Their happy, sexy weekend bubble had just burst. Callie was sad it hadn’t lasted longer.
Trying to give her girlfriend privacy while still listening intently, she unpacked the small bag of groceries they’d purchased on the ride home and set about organizing the fridge. Most of the conversation was quiet, but she caught a few words here and there and after a few minutes the call began to wind down.
“No, that’s okay, I’m glad you called,” Arizona’s voice drifted over, making Callie freeze with one arm extended inside the fridge. “Yeah, I’ll tell her. For sure. Give him a kiss for me, mom. Love you both. Bye.”
A quiet beep of the call ending was immediately followed by silence.
Callie pulled herself out of the fridge and closed it, turning around to face the living room. Arizona was sitting on the couch, leaning forward with her hands folded in front of her, staring absently at the coffee table. That familiar crease in her forehead signaled deep, internalized and often angsty thoughts.
Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Callie decided to push forward and went to sit next to Arizona. She settled on the couch and didn’t say anything at first, opting to let her start when she was ready.
It took a moment, but the blonde’s lips finally parted and she spoke. “That was my mom. She said he had a rough afternoon, but he’s a little better now.”
Judging by Arizona’s tone, Callie assumed it wasn’t by much. “So he’s...?”
“Pretty much no change,” Arizona finished, nodding her head a couple of times and continuing to stare forward. “Which means he isn’t getting any better.”
“It also means he isn’t getting any worse,” Callie pointed out, reaching over and taking Arizona’s left hand in her right. She laced their fingers together and gave a supportive squeeze. “Try to focus on the positive, sweetie. He’s a tough man, he can hold out for a little while longer.”
“Might be too late by the time a heart comes through,” Arizona countered.
“Positive, Zona,” Callie chided lightly. “Try to stay positive. If not for him, then for me. I really miss seeing your smile.”
For her girlfriend’s sake, Arizona looked over and tried to produce one, but her lower lip ended up trembling despite her best efforts.
Callie sighed and released their hands in favour of sliding an arm around Arizona’s back. She pulled her closer, letting the blonde tuck her head beneath Callie’s chin, rubbing a hand soothingly along her side.
“I love you, blue-eyed girl,” Callie murmured, dropping a gentle kiss against her head.
Arizona closed her eyes and laughed softly, sniffling as a few stray tears escaped. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Calliope,” she whispered earnestly.
Callie smiled and hugged Arizona closer. “Let’s never find out.”
---
Chapter 19/36
Authors: Faith kennedysbitch & Kye kye9
Pairing: Callie/Arizona, Mark/Lexie
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer
Story Summary: Sequel to Choices. Callie and Arizona make the decision to move forward with their lives, but when a gradual series of events begin to snowball, Arizona tries desperately not to lose her grip on reality.
Chapter Summary: Callie reconnects with Arizona, and Mark’s mopey about Lexie.
Previous Chapters
A/N: Free-translation.com is free but not very translate-y. However, it’s the best I have at 4 AM.
---
The only reason Arizona stirred at all early the following morning was because of the bright sunlight filtering through half closed curtains. A beam struck her directly in the eyes and she automatically clamped them shut, turning her face into the pillow.
She was lying on her stomach with one arm draped across her girlfriend’s waist, the two of them together creating a mess of tangled bed sheets and limbs. Callie radiated more heat than the morning sun and Arizona subconsciously shifted closer to her.
This was probably the most peaceful she’d felt in a long time.
Arizona tightened her grip on the other woman, tracing small patterns with the tips of her fingers along a smooth hip. She turned her head to the left and brushed her nose against Callie’s shoulder, breathing her in.
She still smelled ridiculously good, even after all the sex.
A sleepy smile crossed Callie’s lips, but she didn’t open her eyes. She was sprawled on her back, one leg half draped over Arizona’s calves while her right hand dangled limply over the edge of the bed.
They were the picture of perfect contentment.
Callie finally stirred and stretched her legs out, toes curling with pleasure as she released a soft hum of approval. “Mm. Morning, sleepyhead,” she murmured, resting a hand on top of the one touching her hip. “Sleep okay?”
Arizona’s only response was a low, barely coherent grunt.
Callie took that as a yes. “Good,” she sighed, wiggling a little closer to her girlfriend.
Arizona rolled onto her right side, immediately snuggling up and pressing her breasts into Callie’s back. Her left arm curled tighter around her waist. “You?”
“Peachy,” came the quiet response.
It was true, last night was the first decent sleep she’d had in days. Weeks even, if Callie was being honest. Maybe even months. While they weren’t out of the woods yet by any means, Arizona finally opening up and letting her in was a huge relief - for both parties, not just the blonde.
“Hungry yet?” Callie asked, words slurring together as she struggled to stay awake.
“Mmph,” Arizona grunted again.
Callie smirked, patting the hand resting over her stomach. “Gonna need a little more than that, baby.”
“Later,” Arizona murmured, snuggling deeper into Callie and burying her face in the back of her neck. “Not now. More sleep.”
A deep, husky laugh bubbled up from Callie’s chest. “What are you gonna do when our girl’s up every two hours wanting to be fed, hm?”
Arizona smiled into the raven hair she was nestled against. “You’ll be breastfeeding.”
Callie arched a brow, eyes remaining closed. “And that means you’ll have zero responsibility in that department?”
“You’ve got the milk,” Arizona teased, earning herself an elbow to the gut. She laughed against the brunette’s ear.
“So we’ll buy a breast pump,” Callie shot back, sounding mildly annoyed in a sleepy, grumpy sort of way.
That caused Arizona’s smile to widen. “You know I’ll be there every step of the way, gorgeous,” she sighed, kissing a tan shoulder. “You’re carting the kid around for nine months; it’s the least I can do.”
Instinctively, her left hand moved down to rest over the tiny baby bump.
“Damn right it is,” Callie grumbled, shifting back in Arizona’s arms.
“They call me the baby whisperer for a reason,” the peds surgeon mused. “My mad baby skills will blow your mind.”
Her partner snorted. “Mm-hm. Okay, Mary Poppins.”
That sent both parties into a fit of tired, Saturday morning giggles for no reason other than they were blissfully happy for the first time in recent memory.
Arizona was the first to speak after they calmed down. “We’ll be good parents,” she said through a small yawn, settling against the sheets again. It was the first time she’d thought ‘we’ and really meant it. She already knew Calliope would be an amazing mom; now she had a little more confidence in her own abilities - as long as the brunette was by her side every step of the way.
“Zona?” Callie breathed, her voice starting to fall back into that sleepy husk that never failed to send shivers up Arizona’s spine. Callie practically purred when she spoke like that; it was unbelievably sexy.
“Hm?”
“I want you to be her mother as much as I am,” Callie whispered, squeezing her hand over the one beneath it. “I want you to feel like you are, no matter what. Promise me you’ll tell me if I ever make you feel any different, okay?”
“You won’t,” Arizona assured the other woman with ease, not sounding in the least bit worried. She smiled against her ear. “I save babies for a living. I could change a diaper in my sleep. You’ll be coming to me for advice on a regular basis.”
That earned her another elbow to the stomach.
“We’ll also save a fortune on medical bills, if you think about it,” Arizona added. “We won’t be taking to the kid to the hospital every time she gets the sniffles.”
“That’s why I keep you around. For insurance purposes.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“Any time.” Callie stifled another yawn and felt herself slowly beginning to drift off again. “Wake me up in an hour?”
Arizona placed a delicate kiss just beneath Callie’s ear. “Okay,” she lied, fully planning on letting the woman sleep for as long as she needed to.
She’d earned that right.
***
Mark stood in front of his large walk-in closet, staring blankly at the selection of clothing as he tried to pick out a shirt to wear for the day. His mind kept wandering as he silently flipped through hanger after hanger.
He was worried about Lexie. She hadn’t slept much in the days since being hurt, and by extension, neither had he. The arm sling made it difficult for her to stay comfortable and the constant pain kept her awake and miserable. She still refused to take anything stronger for the pain, opting to suffer through it and ensure nothing passed on to their baby. Their son.
Mark was suffering through it with her, but he was at a loss for how to help in a more substantial way. Lexie still had five and a half weeks in a sling, and God forbid she need surgery when that time period was up. He’d talk to Torres about it, ask her what she thought and if there were other ways to ease the discomfort caused by the injury, but she had her own shit with Robbins to deal with right now.
So he was on his own.
Lexie didn’t even want him to touch her the last few days. It’s not like he had been expecting sex after something like this, but she didn’t even want him to hold her. She was cranky and uncomfortable and quite frankly, acting like kind of a bitch.
Those thoughts only made Mark feel like even more an ass.
Giving up on shirts for the time being and figuring Lexie’s initial request to have him half naked at all times might melt the ice a little, he looked towards the closed bathroom door. He’d helped her shower about twenty minutes ago and then she’d requested he leave her be to finish getting ready. He hated seeing her struggle, even though she insisted she didn’t want to be coddled.
Releasing a defeated sigh, Mark headed back into the main room, sans shirt and socks, clad in his favourite pair of stone wash jeans. He was just about to fix himself a cup of coffee when the front door knocked out of the blue.
Thinking it might be Callie, he jogged over and pulled it open without checking first.
It wasn’t.
The gorgeous blonde standing on the other side brought an immediate smile to his face.
Hey, he was engaged, not dead.
“Hi,” the woman said with a friendly grin. “You must be Dr. Sloan?”
Mark flashed his pearly white teeth and leaned against the open door. “That would be me. I don’t believe we’ve met?”
He would’ve remembered.
“No, we haven’t,” the woman said, jerking a thumb down the hall. “I just moved in around the corner, apartment 512 by the elevators. My name is Kyla.”
She stuck out her hand and Mark shook it.
“I was told by Mr. Pierson next door that you might be able to help my roommate and I move some heavy boxes up from our car?”
Mark didn’t mean to, but he found himself puffing out his bare chest - just a little.
He glanced behind him toward the bedroom where he knew Lexie was hiding. Hesitant to leave her, he thought about it and decided to take his phone along, just in case she needed his help.
Something she’d made quite clear she didn’t.
“Of course,” Mark answered after the small delay. “I’d be happy to lend a hand.”
Kyla made no attempt to hide the fact that she was checking him out. Her smile was playful. “Excellent. I’ll, um, meet you down front with my roommate.”
Mark watched her go, sticking his head out the door and dropping his eyes to follow her tight, perfect as-
“Mark?”
“Gah!” Mark jumped in the air and whirled around, heart pounding in his chest. “Jesus, Lex, you scared the hell out of me.”
Lexie stared at him with a carefully guarded expression. Her dark hair hung wet around her shoulders and she was wearing a pair of sweatpants, along with one of his shirts. She’d just barely managed to do the sling up properly again. “Who was that?”
“Who?” Mark asked, voice cracking up a pitch. “That? Oh, just a new neighbor. Moving in down the hall.”
“She looked a little young, don’t you think?”
Panic seized Mark by the throat. “Young for what?”
Lexie quirked an eyebrow at him. “To afford a place like this,” she said slowly.
Mark breathed a silent sigh of relief. “She has a roommate,” he added with a smile.
Lexie’s whole brow line shot up.
Mark mentally canned himself for sounding way too excited about that fact. “They just need help carrying some boxes up from her car,” he explained, sighing as he started over to a laundry basket of clean clothes sitting by the couch. He rooted around for a pair of socks.
Lexie turned to watch him, tentatively asking, “No shirt?”
Mark pulled on the socks. “Don’t want to get one all sweaty. Probably gonna need a shower after.” He paused, frowning slightly as he watched her. “Are you gonna be okay for a bit while I do this?”
Biting her lip, Lexie shrugged her one good shoulder. She knew it was stupid and petty, worrying about him helping some young, hot thing move into her apartment, where she kept a bed, while Mark wasn’t wearing clothing, and while he was all sweaty and worked up from moving heavy objects-
Shaking her head, Lexie focused back on her boyfriend. “Um, yeah, I-I’ll be good,” she said in what she hoped was a confident voice. She tried not to let it bug her that she looked like she’d been chewed up and spit out by a lion, or that she’d been raised by wolves with poor fashion sense.
Compared to the hot young thing standing in their doorway moments before, Lexie felt less than attractive right now.
Mark gave a quick nod, avoiding her gaze. “Okay, good. I’ll be back before you know it.” He walked over, placing a quick kiss on top of her head before slipping his shoes on and heading out the door.
Lexie watched him go in silence, heart sinking in her chest.
***
“Calliope, our unborn child has a larger wardrobe than Armani himself,” Arizona chided, sitting on the bed and gazing around at the mountain of clothing spread out in front of her.
“You’re over-exaggerating,” Callie called from inside the bathroom, shower steam still rolling out through the doorway.
Arizona pushed a strand of wet hair behind her ear and played with the fluffy material on the robe wrapped around her body. “Um, no, not really. Did you actually see what you bought, or was it more of an ‘anything I can get my hands on’ grab fest?” The random assortment of styles and colours baffled her a little.
There was a brief pause on Callie’s end. “Maybe a bit of both,” she admitted, slightly muffled around the sounds of brushing her teeth.
Arizona heard her spit and rinse, the running tap water delaying the rest of their conversation. She sifted through the onesies, the hats, the tiny little baby socks and the booties. Despite her best efforts to remain neutral, she was turning into a pile of mush just looking at everything.
Yes, she was becoming one of those women. Ugh.
“Aww,” Arizona crooned to herself as she held up a pair of white footie pajamas with ‘I <3 My Mommies’ on the front, melting on the inside.
This was definitely her favourite.
Callie emerged from the bathroom and immediately broke out into a smile. “I like that one, too,” she said, pulling the sash of her matching robe closed. She padded bare foot over to the dresser and started to put her earrings back on.
Arizona set down the onesie she was inspecting and got up, shuffling in behind Callie and sliding both arms around her waist. “What are you doing?”
Callie smirked, staring forward as she continued to fiddle with her jewelry. “Getting ready.”
“Hm,” Arizona frowned, brushing the hair away from her girlfriend’s neck and kissing along the side of it. “Don’t. Waste of time.”
“We just got cleaned up,” Callie pointed out, leaning back into Arizona’s warm body. “You want to go again?”
“Can’t help that I’m attracted to you,” Arizona shot back, gently nibbling against her pulse point.
“Ugh, that’s cheating,” Callie whined, dipping her head to the side and giving Arizona more room to work with.
“S’not cheating,” the blonde murmured, placing careful, strategic kisses along Callie’s neck and shoulder. She knew exactly how to elicit the reaction she wanted, it would just take some coaxing. “Neither is this.”
The sash on Callie’s robe magically fell open.
The brunette’s eyes widened and she glanced down as Arizona’s expert hands smoothed across her bare stomach. “D’uhm, pretty sure that is cheating, baby - as is that,” she added when one hand dipped between her legs. “Fuck, Arizona.”
“That would be the goal here, yes,” she mused, biting down against her lover’s shoulder before suddenly turning her around and shoving her back against the dresser.
Callie nearly swallowed her tongue. The intensity in those mischievous blue eyes made her momentarily forget how to talk. “Retozón.” [Frisky.]
In English, anyway.
Arizona smirked at the dumbfounded look on her girlfriend’s face and took the opportunity to pull her into a deep, lingering kiss. She pressed her whole body against the one in front of her, slipping both hands into the open robe and running them up along Callie’s ribcage. Her thumbs caressed the underside of her breasts and she smiled into the kiss as a shiver shot up her partner’s back.
She’d like to see her try and resist now.
Knowing full well she was about to fall into the blonde’s trap, Callie let out a low, almost exasperated groan, bracing her hands on the furniture behind her. “Arizona,” she warned in a soft voice, earning a light chuckle in return.
“Calliope,” Arizona mirrored, pulling away from the kiss as Callie tipped her head back, and running her tongue along the smooth expanse of her neck.
“You are so feeling better,” came the mumbled response. The brunette’s fingers dug harder into the edge of the dresser.
All Arizona did was grin and deliver another small love bite to the side of Callie’s neck.
It appeared that she was.
Nimble fingers traced down Callie’s stomach, drawing out another deep shiver before settling in between her legs. Arizona pushed them back through slid folds, delicately spreading her labia and testing the arousal she found there, pleased when she found plenty.
“Someone’s happy to see me.”
Callie swallowed back thickly. “You’d be hard pressed to find that part of me ever not happy to see you.”
“Good to know I haven’t lost my touch,” Arizona teased, planting a solid kiss square on her girlfriend’s lips.
Callie emitted a low, slightly husky laugh. “Good to know your ego hasn’t been pandered to.”
“It’s about to be.” Arizona pushed her fingers in deeper and slowly dragged them forward, taking her time in torturously massaging her girlfriend’s pussy and watching each reaction as it flashed across her face.
“Arizona,” Callie groaned, arms shaking with the effort of holding herself up. “That’s not...y-you’re...”
“Baby, just relax,” Arizona soothed, stealing another soft kiss as she pleasured her. “We have a fancy hotel room and an entire weekend to spend in it enjoying each other’s company. Please, just let me fuck you.”
A deep, almost insatiable shiver shot straight up Callie’s spine. She wanted to maul Arizona on the spot just to make those dirty words keep spilling from her mouth.
Of course, that would involve stopping the wonderful things going on between her legs right now, and that just wasn’t an option.
Callie finally relented and the moment Arizona felt her relax, she pushed two fingers deep inside her core, sliding in with ease. Her thumb sought out the woman’s clit and pressed, stroking it in soft circles.
“Oh sweet Jesus,” Callie groaned, eyelids drooping shut as Arizona dipped her head down to suck a perky nipple into her mouth. Callie’s right hand moved to weave itself into golden tresses.
Whatever beast she had awoken in Arizona the night before had stepped out of hibernation with force and seemed intent on having its way with her every chance it got.
She was pretty much okay with that.
Before long, the expert fingers stroking and curling inside her had Callie gasping and panting for breath, a fine sheen of sweat breaking out over her freshly showered skin. Arizona alternated between breasts, taking her time in making each one feel equally loved and cherished with her tongue and mouth.
Knowing full well how the blonde could get happily lost for days when it came to her chest, Callie gave a slight tug on the handful of hair between her fingers. “Baby, please,” she begged, jerking her hips in a desperate attempt for more.
Feeling how close Callie was, Arizona began to roughly massage her thumb over the sensitive bundle of nerves, circling it in time with each deep stroke of her fingers. The liquid heat coating her hand increased the closer the brunette came to release. Arizona growled at the sensation, loving how fucking wet Callie could get when they made love.
Of all the times in the world, it was right when Arizona wanted to completely devour the other woman that someone thought it would be funny to knock on the door of their hotel room.
“Room service!” came a muffled voice from behind it.
Both heads shot over to the front door, although Arizona quickly returned to her task of fucking Callie hard and steady. She reattached her lips to the top of a supple breast, eyes drifting closed.
“You o-ordered room service?” Callie hissed, fighting hard to keep her own from fluttering shut. She was really clinging to the dresser behind her now, knowing full well there was no way in hell her legs would be able to support her weight. They were practically jello by now and her knees were wobblier than Arizona’s when she was drunk.
“While you were in the bathroom,” Arizona murmured, sucking hard enough on a patch of skin to leave her mark. She curled her fingers deep inside of Callie, pushing them against her inner walls and adding a little more force behind each thrust.
Callie’s eyes rolled back into her head and she gasped out into the room. “J-just a sec!” she shouted in a strangled voice to the person on the other side of the door.
“Tell them you’re coming,” Arizona giggled from her place nestled between Callie’s breasts.
“Oh my God, you’re evil - leave it outside the door!” Callie called out in a higher than normal pitch, trying not to sound like she was being fucked senseless.
The person must have either clued in or just listened to her request, because no more interruptions came after that.
Which was probably a good thing, because half a second later Callie’s orgasm crescendoed before exploding inside of her.
“Fu-”
Arizona dove upward and captured her lips in a searing kiss, swallowing the rest of Callie’s curse. She pushed her fingers deep inside her girlfriend’s pussy and kept them there while her thumb vigorously massaged her clit, drawing her orgasm out in full.
Shaking and convulsing more and more with each passing second, Callie kissed Arizona back to the best of her ability, though admittedly the blonde did most of the work.
Callie’s brain couldn’t function on a high enough level to coordinate her lips, tongue, and control her breathing at the same time. It was too complicated, so she kind of just went with it.
Eventually her release ebbed away and she was left with nothing but the blissful afterglow and sounds of heavy breathing in the otherwise silent air around them.
By the time Callie was able to open her eyes again, she was still leaning back into the dresser and managed to glance down at the women nuzzled contently in the valley between her breasts.
A sly smirk formed over Callie’s lips. “How’s it goin’ down there?”
A muffled moan of satisfaction reached her ears, causing her to emit another husky chuckle. Her right hand finally released its grip on the furniture to reach up and stroke her fingers across the top of Arizona’s head, brushing through freshly showered strands of blonde hair.
Yes, her girlfriend was entirely too infatuated with her breasts, but she wasn’t about to spoil her fun. Arizona did more than enough to earn a moment with them if she so desired.
Finally the blonde pulled back, placing a soft kiss in the center of Callie’s chest before repeating the action on her chin. “Mm. Hi.”
A lazy, satisfied smile stretched across Callie’s lips. “Hi,” she echoed, stifling a soft moan when Arizona withdrew her fingers.
“You’re sexy.” Arizona stole a couple of quick, playful kisses before planting one against the side of Callie’s mouth, causing that familiar grin to reappear.
“And you are great at sucking up,” the brunette replied, earning a dimpled grin from her partner. “And also very beautiful when you’re happy.”
Arizona reached up with her left hand to tuck a strand of wet hair behind Callie’s ear. “You make me happy,” she replied honestly, all teasing and playful pretenses falling away. “You and junior here.”
She leaned down and planted another loving kiss on Callie’s belly, before standing back up and closing the front of her girlfriend’s robe, quickly re-tying the sash.
Arizona practically strutted over to the front door to retrieve their breakfast, exuding confidence and perkiness in spades.
Callie smiled.
It was good to have her back.
***
After spending all of Saturday and most of Sunday inside the confines of the Archfield hotel room, Callie and Arizona returned home in a much sounder state of mind than they’d left in.
The weight of the universe felt like it had been lifted from Arizona’s shoulders for the time being. It was like someone had hit the reset button to her entire system and now she was running on full capacity again.
Callie had everything to do with that.
“What do you feel like for dinner?” Arizona asked as she kicked the door shut behind them, toting several bags of baby clothing and whatever else Callie had dragged over to the hotel.
“Are you offering to cook?” the brunette asked carefully, trying not to look too skeptical for the sake of her girlfriend’s ego.
Arizona scoffed and shot her a dirty look, setting Callie’s purchases on the couch before heading into the kitchen. “Not anymore,” she grumbled under her breath.
Following the same path, Callie sidled up behind Arizona and grabbed her around the shoulders, hauling her backward into a crushing hug. She buried her nose in the crook of her neck and inhaled the sweet, distinct scent of her girlfriend’s shampoo. “Mm, I’m sorry. I’ll gladly take your mac and cheese.”
Arizona arched a brow, keeping her eyes forward. “Is that some kind of sexual euphemism I’m not aware of?”
Callie wrinkled her nose. “Eww. No.”
So much for that meal idea.
Snorting, the blonde turned in her partner’s arms and stole a firm kiss. “We can order take out. Or, you can cook, since I’ve been granting you sexual favours all weekend.”
Callie’s head recoiled and she fixed a pointed stare on the cheeky brat grinning at her. “Okay, one, you owed me for the whole abandonment stunt you pulled, and two, I distinctly remember you facing the shower wall and begging me for more while I-”
A deep blush suddenly flooded Arizona’s cheeks and she pushed a finger against Callie’s lips to silence her. “Okay, you’re right. My bad. We can just order in.”
Something extremely naughty was about to roll off of Callie’s tongue when Arizona’s cell phone rang from inside her purse.
Sighing, the blonde shot her an apologetic smile before extracting herself and heading back over to the couch. She rooted around in her bag until she found her Blackberry and flipped it over.
Callie watched Arizona’s happy expression fade away at the first glimpse of her call display. She sighed to herself as the other woman sank down onto the couch, taking in a couple of steadying breaths before picking up.
Their happy, sexy weekend bubble had just burst. Callie was sad it hadn’t lasted longer.
Trying to give her girlfriend privacy while still listening intently, she unpacked the small bag of groceries they’d purchased on the ride home and set about organizing the fridge. Most of the conversation was quiet, but she caught a few words here and there and after a few minutes the call began to wind down.
“No, that’s okay, I’m glad you called,” Arizona’s voice drifted over, making Callie freeze with one arm extended inside the fridge. “Yeah, I’ll tell her. For sure. Give him a kiss for me, mom. Love you both. Bye.”
A quiet beep of the call ending was immediately followed by silence.
Callie pulled herself out of the fridge and closed it, turning around to face the living room. Arizona was sitting on the couch, leaning forward with her hands folded in front of her, staring absently at the coffee table. That familiar crease in her forehead signaled deep, internalized and often angsty thoughts.
Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Callie decided to push forward and went to sit next to Arizona. She settled on the couch and didn’t say anything at first, opting to let her start when she was ready.
It took a moment, but the blonde’s lips finally parted and she spoke. “That was my mom. She said he had a rough afternoon, but he’s a little better now.”
Judging by Arizona’s tone, Callie assumed it wasn’t by much. “So he’s...?”
“Pretty much no change,” Arizona finished, nodding her head a couple of times and continuing to stare forward. “Which means he isn’t getting any better.”
“It also means he isn’t getting any worse,” Callie pointed out, reaching over and taking Arizona’s left hand in her right. She laced their fingers together and gave a supportive squeeze. “Try to focus on the positive, sweetie. He’s a tough man, he can hold out for a little while longer.”
“Might be too late by the time a heart comes through,” Arizona countered.
“Positive, Zona,” Callie chided lightly. “Try to stay positive. If not for him, then for me. I really miss seeing your smile.”
For her girlfriend’s sake, Arizona looked over and tried to produce one, but her lower lip ended up trembling despite her best efforts.
Callie sighed and released their hands in favour of sliding an arm around Arizona’s back. She pulled her closer, letting the blonde tuck her head beneath Callie’s chin, rubbing a hand soothingly along her side.
“I love you, blue-eyed girl,” Callie murmured, dropping a gentle kiss against her head.
Arizona closed her eyes and laughed softly, sniffling as a few stray tears escaped. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Calliope,” she whispered earnestly.
Callie smiled and hugged Arizona closer. “Let’s never find out.”
---