fic: blast from the past 4/?
Title: Blast from the Past
Author: rocksteady08
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Callie/Arizona, other canon pairings
Summary: Callie and Arizona AU set in the late 1950's: complete with poodle skirts, leather jackets, vintage cars, and Arizona on rollerskates.
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 libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
Missed A Chapter?
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
As Callie adjusted her clothes in the mirror for the ninth time in less than five minutes, she practiced smiling into it. She winked, nodded her head, made a few hand gestures, and then sighed. Normally, she wasn't nervous about going on dates with girls at all. She always had to be very careful about how to handle it, but she was never nervous. Her boys had proven to be a solid alibi every time, and so far, none of the girls she took out had gotten in trouble with their folks. At least, not that she knew of.
It was common courtesy for the boy to pick the girl up at her front door for dates after a week or two of calling to talk to her on the phone. Sometimes, the boy would even sit down for dinner and then watch TV with a girl's family, and that would be considered sort of a pre-dating ritual. Callie knew that she couldn't do any of these things, because she wasn't a boy. Because of this, she had gone by Dino's the previous night to make sure Arizona was still interested and had her own alibi planned. Arizona's new friends Cristina Yang and Meredith Grey were very attached at the hip, so they had agreed to cover for her if necessary. It wasn't unlikely for a girl to spend the night with friends for a study session that would turn into talk of boys, music, and movies, after all.
Everything had been planned out over and over again. Callie would pick Arizona up from Dino's, even though she wasn't working that night. She had promised Callie that she could get a ride, and they could leave from there. That would be followed by light conversation, more than a little flirting, and she would try to get at least a kiss by the end of the night.
Arizona had a reputation of her own, however, that worried Callie. Girls were trained early on to always accept graciously whenever asked out by a boy. They were taught that it was proper etiquette, and as long as the boy wasn't overly aggressive or overtly sexual about his requests, it was their duty to say yes. Yet, every actual boy that had requested to call on Arizona or take her someplace harmless like the record store or rollerskating, had been shot down without even a moment's hesitation from the blonde.
Callie had almost been shot down. She was just more persuasive and determined than most boys. Not to mention, she wasn't a boy. Which, the more she thought about it, could work to her advantage. She had the drive and the confidence of a boy, sure, but she also possessed a sensitivity and charm that was rare to find in a boy their age. Most girls seemed to appreciate that.
Callie shrugged her shoulders in her leather jacket and tucked her cigarettes and lighter into her top dresser drawer. She wouldn't be taking those with her, after all. She smoothed the soft cotton of her white pocket tee and looked down at her pair of nicest jeans and cleanest Chuck Taylors. This was her go-to attire, but something about it always seemed to accomplish a lot for her on dates. She brushed her bangs out of her face, slicking them sideways slightly so her eyes and long lashes were fully visible, and took another deep breath. After adjusting her ponytail, she walked out of her bathroom, down the hallway, and down the stairs. Her mother was at the bottom, and shot her a look that let her know the jig was up. Her mother always had a sixth sense about when she was either lying or about to lie, but never let on about it. Especially when the lie was connected directly to activities that involved other girls in ways her father would not approve of.
“I'm goin' to hang with the boys, Mama,” Callie said, loud enough that her father would hear. This was the part where they put on the show. “I'll be back before you can miss me.”
“Not possible, Calliope,” her mother said, going along with her part of the script. She pecked Callie on the cheek and Callie heard her father huff from the other room, his irritation obvious. “Be safe, m'ija, and remember: if she is not the type of girl you would bring home if such things were allowed, then do not waste your time.”
She chuckled softly, and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek in return. She was oddly comforted by the fact that she knew her mother wouldn't be the one to disapprove of her bringing home a woman that she was fond of. Her father, however, would never allow it.
“Should I go say goodnight to Papa?” she asked, raising an eyebrow and then glancing toward the door that was only a few steps away. This was also expected, the exit greeting to both parents whenever the child left the house or returned to it. Her mother nodded, and Callie drug her feet down the hallway to where her father was sitting down, watching the news. She placed her hand on his shoulder and smiled warmly when he turned to look at her. Callie kissed the top of his head and pulled back. Because she knew the gravity of who she was and what she was doing, she felt the need to be an even better daughter than she already was. It would be impossible for anyone to say she wasn't good to either of her parents.
“Goodnight, Papa,” Callie said, even though she knew he would stay awake and wait for her until she returned home.
“Must you always go out night after night to spend time with that group of ruffians?” her father asked, and a dark chuckle escaped her lips.
“You wouldn't call them ruffians if one of them wanted to call on me, Papa, and you know it,” Callie replied, causing her father's lips to purse into a straight line as wrinkles covered his forehead.
“Then at least promise you'll be home at a reasonable hour. We make rules for a reason in this house, Calliope,” her father said, looking stern enough that she knew better than to argue.
“I'll be home by curfew, safe and sound,” she retorted, placing another kiss to his forehead. He nodded, turning back to the news, seemingly pleased with her answer, and she walked back out into the hallway. Her mother smiled and nodded her head, obviously pleased with her performance as well. She did love her father, but more and more, she felt like she had to go out of her way to gain his approval. In a lot of ways, she was being a different girl, because she knew that the chances of him loving and accepting the real Calliope Torres were slim to none.
Callie left the house and got in her car, loving the look of it in its newly waxed and washed state. She and the boys had spent their time after school the day before cleaning it and shining it to an almost obscene state. They teased her the entire time about the fact that the time Arizona spent looking at it would be significantly less than the time she would spend in the backseat. Mark's shoulder was probably still achy from the blow he had suffered for that comment, and Callie smiled at the memory.
The drive to the diner was short, especially since Callie knew back road shortcuts to get there. Traffic was always bearable, but she liked to always be on time, even a little early if possible. Her father had ingrained that into her from a very young age, which is why she volunteered to be the driver most of the time. Whenever one of the boys showed up late to pick her up, she would spend the rest of the day slightly irritated at how inconsiderate they could be.
When she showed up at the diner, Callie was pleased to see that she had arrived five minutes early, and even more pleased that Arizona was already waiting. She was sitting on the bench outside the diner, close enough so she could still hear the music playing inside. The night wasn't too cold, but Callie noticed that she didn't exactly look warm. Callie fought her impulse to run over and offer her jacket right away, but instead took a moment to study the stunning girl. She sat with perfect posture, her ankles crossed and her hands perfectly perched on her knees, her back ramrod straight against the back of the bench. Her curly blonde locks were tucked into a neat half-ponytail behind her head, and a few unruly strands had broken free to curl around her face. The rest cascaded down to the neat shoulder-length cut she sported, and Callie sighed. She had never wanted to run her hands through a girl's hair so badly.
She was dressed casually enough, but still formal, since Callie had given her no indication as to what they were doing. Her navy blue poodle skirt brought out the color of her eyes and matched the monogrammed “A” on the corner of her white sweater. Callie snapped out of her trance when she caught Arizona waving to her shyly. She cut the engine and stepped out of her car, shutting the door behind her quietly and walking toward the blonde. Arizona stood up to greet her immediately, and Callie felt a little nervous when it hit her that Arizona probably came from a traditional household where the women were raised properly with the correct etiquette. That was new.
“Hello, Calliope,” Arizona said softly, her blue eyes locked on Callie's dark ones. The brunette frowned instantly, raising an eyebrow at the strange greeting.
“Where'd you hear that?” Callie asked immediately, her words coming out sharper than she intended. Arizona flinched a little and her cheeks reddened. “I'm sorry. I just... nobody calls me that.”
“There's a lot of talk about you,” Arizona said, tilting her head to the side adorably, causing a smile to resurface on Callie's face without her even realizing it. “I'm very in orbit. And I like your name.”
Callie shifted her weight awkwardly on her heels, feeling her heart sink into the depths of her stomach.
“Is it at least good talk?”
Arizona's smile widened, her dimples in both cheeks popping out proudly.
“Some of it,” she confirmed, unclasping her hands and allowing one to sway dangerously close to where one of Callie's rested at her side. Technically, the girl was never supposed to make the first move with a boy, so technically, if Arizona took her hand, it wouldn't have been against everything she had been taught. But Callie understood that they needed to play things as close to “normal” as possible, given their circumstances. Callie looked down at the close proximity, feeling the warmth of Arizona's skin and smiling. She smoothly clasped their hands together, tugging gently to lead them back to her car.
“Still feelin' up to tonight, though?” Callie asked, wondering how much of the talk had been meant to dissuade Arizona.
“I did show up,” Arizona said, smirking so her left dimple was highlighted more than the right. Callie smiled. The blonde hair wasn't her only weakness, apparently.
“I'm glad you did,” Callie said, opening the passenger side door for Arizona like a gentleman and allowing her to climb in. After she was situated, Callie closed it for her and went around to the driver's side, climbing in and fastening her seatbelt. Arizona's eyes flickered over to her occasionally, but the ride was spent in silence, both of them basking in the first contact that was still making their skin hum.
“Where are we going, anyway?” Arizona asked when they turned onto a less familiar road. “If you're thinking about taking me to a drive-in, Calliope, you might as well take me home.”
Callie chuckled loudly, and looked over at the blonde, who was very serious.
“Why are you so against a perfectly good flick?” Callie asked, even though she hadn't been planning to take her to one. The more time she spent with the perky blonde, the more Callie realized that she was completely different than any other girl she had ever taken out. Most of them requested to go see a movie. Probably because of the implications, but movies were a common pastime for teenagers.
“Like I said, Calliope, not all of the talk is good,” Arizona said with a girlish giggle. “I've heard all about what you do with girls at the drive-in.”
“Oh,” Callie said, swallowing any other protests or attempts to defend herself. The girl was right. A moment of silence passed, less awkward than the first bout, and Callie turned to hopefully salvage the situation. “Relax, I wasn't going to take you there, anyway.”
“Why not?” Arizona asked suddenly, her voice slightly more shrill with shock. “You mean you weren't even going to try?”
Callie fought the urge to laugh at the indignant look on the blonde's face.
“Maybe I think you're kind of swell,” Callie said smoothly. She was used to turning on the charm at a moment's notice with girls, but this time she actually meant the words she was spewing out, and there were no expectations or ulterior motives attached. She looked over for a second longer, just enough to catch the reddening of Arizona's cheeks, and smiled proudly. They turned into the parking lot at the local bowling alley, and Arizona smiled slowly.
“You're taking me bowling?” Arizona asked, fiddling with her hands in her lap excitedly as Callie cut the engine.
“Sure, doll,” Callie said with a broad smile. “Good to make the scene, you know?”
“But it's so... public, Calliope,” Arizona said, biting her bottom lip gently. Callie grinned and nodded, unfastening her seatbelt and moving quickly around the car to open the blonde's door. Immediately, she found the blonde's hand again and helped her out of the car. Their hands stayed clasped together as Callie shut the passenger door with her free hand and walked toward the entrance with Arizona.
“So then you haven't heard all the news about me,” Callie said gently, leaning a little closer to Arizona, allowing her breath to tickle the girl's neck. “People know not to mess with me, unless they're cruisin'.”
Arizona giggled softly and leaned a little closer to Callie. When they reached the door, Callie released her hand only long enough to open the door for her, letting her enter and then following. Callie's eyes traced Arizona's figure, and she smiled. Poodle skirts weren't generally good for showing off what a girl was working with, but this one showed off Arizona quite nicely. After a second's pause, Callie jogged a few paces to catch up to the blonde, taking her hand again and paying for their shoes and getting them a set lane and scorecard, with two pencils.
“Thanks, man,” Callie said to the guy at the counter, tucking her wallet back into her pocket and carrying their stuff for them, guiding Arizona to the lane they rented and sitting next to her. They put on their shoes in silence, stowing their street pairs under the seats, their eyes meeting every so often when they leaned a certain way. Arizona's thigh bumped Callie's, and the brunette jerked a little, her hands fumbling with the laces.
“Nervous about something, Calliope?” Arizona asked softly when she noticed the usually confident Latina fumble.
“Not a bit,” Callie said, finishing the tie and standing up, going to grab two bowling balls, picking one that was a little bit lighter and smaller in size for Arizona. “It's cool. Ladies first.”
Arizona stepped up, ball in hand, and Callie prepared to jot down her score. Arizona grunted softly as she released the bowling ball, knocking down four pins for her effort.
“Not bad, not bad,” Callie called from her seat. Arizona turned and smiled, bowing slightly. The blonde waited for the pinspotter to reset the pins and return her ball, and then prepared for her second throw. She eased the ball with a little more force and managed to pick up the spare. Callie smiled, obviously impressed as she jotted down the score.
“How'd I do?” Arizona asked, jogging back to where Callie was seated and taking a seat next to her.
“You've done this before,” Callie said plainly, unable to keep the smile off of her face when she was this close to Arizona.
“Maybe I have,” Arizona said with a shrug. “I have two older brothers. I know how to handle myself.”
Callie nodded and grinned, standing up to hopefully show off her moves. She and the boys went bowling quite often, and she was the second best of the group. Callie picked up the bowling ball, testing its weight in her hands and looked over her shoulder at Arizona before stepping up to the lane. Sure enough, the blonde was watching her every move, quite intently. Callie was almost positive that she could feel Arizona's eyes wandering her body, and smiled at the thought, feeling her confidence boost. She launched the ball down the lane and kicked her leg back with the powerful release. The loud crack of pins meeting the ball and then the floor resounded, and she yelled out her excitement. A perfect ball.
“You got a strike, Calliope!” Arizona called, standing up and running up to meet the taller girl. She tentatively leaned in and gave Callie a lingering kiss on the cheek for her efforts, grabbing both of the Latina's hands in her own. Callie felt her body shiver and didn't move until Arizona pulled away, looking up at her demurely through her eyelashes.
“I sure did,” Callie mumbled under her breath before she and Arizona both walked back to their seats to jot down her score. “You hungry? I can go grab some eats.”
“I wouldn't say no to a soda,” Arizona said happily, smiling widely at Callie's gentlemanly behavior. Arizona was pleasantly surprised at how charming and kind the brunette was being with her. Cristina and Meredith had both warned her, telling her that Callie was fast and didn't have any regard for girls' emotions or feelings, but she couldn't help but think that the rumors were all completely unfounded and nasty. Surely this Callie... her Callie... couldn't be like that.
“All right, doll,” Callie said, nodding her head. “I'll be right back. You sit tight, okay?”
Arizona flashed her another smile and watched Callie walk toward the concession counter, gesturing with her hands as she ordered. Arizona chuckled softly from her seat and continued to stare off into the distance at Callie as she paid and grabbed two bottles of root beer, walking back to her. She set an amber colored bottle in front of Arizona and the she smiled, reaching for it and taking a long, slow sip, feeling her temperature rise despite the cold liquid that tickled down her throat at the sight of Callie's eyes fixating themselves on her lips. She set the bottle back down and Callie cleared her throat.
“Your turn,” Callie said, her voice a little lower than normal. Arizona nodded and stood up, making her way to the lane and grabbing her ball. She turned to look back at Callie and noticed a tall, lanky boy who probably attended their high school making his way toward her. Arizona was about to move back to Callie's side when the boy tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to turn and then stand up, cocking her head to the side and crossing her arms.
“Hey, Torres,” the boy leered, standing a little closer to Callie as her shoulders broadened and she stood her ground. Arizona really didn't like the way he was talking to her, but she had faith that Callie could handle herself. Callie glared into the boy's eyes and set her jaw.
“What do you want?” she asked calmly, her voice rigid and all business.
“Just checking to see if the word from the bird is all on, and it is,” the boy said, clicking his tongue at Arizona and winking in her direction. Callie bit her bottom lip and let out a loud exhale. Her eyebrow raised and she pursed her lips.
“Get lost, crumbhead,” Callie said, standing toe-to-toe with the taller boy. Arizona worried on her bottom lip with her teeth, wanting to step in, but knowing that it probably wouldn't be a good idea.
“Haven't you made your way through enough girls, Torres?” the boy jeered. “It's not cool with me. At least let this one have a shot with a real man before you mess with her.”
“Who would be the 'real man' exactly?” Callie asked, her anger growing.
“Wouldn't be you,” the boy said, giving Callie an appraising look. “Why don't you just go home and learn how to be a normal chick?”
Arizona's feet were frozen by the time Callie's fist flew up and slammed into the guy's face.
Author: rocksteady08
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Callie/Arizona, other canon pairings
Summary: Callie and Arizona AU set in the late 1950's: complete with poodle skirts, leather jackets, vintage cars, and Arizona on rollerskates.
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 libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
Missed A Chapter?
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
As Callie adjusted her clothes in the mirror for the ninth time in less than five minutes, she practiced smiling into it. She winked, nodded her head, made a few hand gestures, and then sighed. Normally, she wasn't nervous about going on dates with girls at all. She always had to be very careful about how to handle it, but she was never nervous. Her boys had proven to be a solid alibi every time, and so far, none of the girls she took out had gotten in trouble with their folks. At least, not that she knew of.
It was common courtesy for the boy to pick the girl up at her front door for dates after a week or two of calling to talk to her on the phone. Sometimes, the boy would even sit down for dinner and then watch TV with a girl's family, and that would be considered sort of a pre-dating ritual. Callie knew that she couldn't do any of these things, because she wasn't a boy. Because of this, she had gone by Dino's the previous night to make sure Arizona was still interested and had her own alibi planned. Arizona's new friends Cristina Yang and Meredith Grey were very attached at the hip, so they had agreed to cover for her if necessary. It wasn't unlikely for a girl to spend the night with friends for a study session that would turn into talk of boys, music, and movies, after all.
Everything had been planned out over and over again. Callie would pick Arizona up from Dino's, even though she wasn't working that night. She had promised Callie that she could get a ride, and they could leave from there. That would be followed by light conversation, more than a little flirting, and she would try to get at least a kiss by the end of the night.
Arizona had a reputation of her own, however, that worried Callie. Girls were trained early on to always accept graciously whenever asked out by a boy. They were taught that it was proper etiquette, and as long as the boy wasn't overly aggressive or overtly sexual about his requests, it was their duty to say yes. Yet, every actual boy that had requested to call on Arizona or take her someplace harmless like the record store or rollerskating, had been shot down without even a moment's hesitation from the blonde.
Callie had almost been shot down. She was just more persuasive and determined than most boys. Not to mention, she wasn't a boy. Which, the more she thought about it, could work to her advantage. She had the drive and the confidence of a boy, sure, but she also possessed a sensitivity and charm that was rare to find in a boy their age. Most girls seemed to appreciate that.
Callie shrugged her shoulders in her leather jacket and tucked her cigarettes and lighter into her top dresser drawer. She wouldn't be taking those with her, after all. She smoothed the soft cotton of her white pocket tee and looked down at her pair of nicest jeans and cleanest Chuck Taylors. This was her go-to attire, but something about it always seemed to accomplish a lot for her on dates. She brushed her bangs out of her face, slicking them sideways slightly so her eyes and long lashes were fully visible, and took another deep breath. After adjusting her ponytail, she walked out of her bathroom, down the hallway, and down the stairs. Her mother was at the bottom, and shot her a look that let her know the jig was up. Her mother always had a sixth sense about when she was either lying or about to lie, but never let on about it. Especially when the lie was connected directly to activities that involved other girls in ways her father would not approve of.
“I'm goin' to hang with the boys, Mama,” Callie said, loud enough that her father would hear. This was the part where they put on the show. “I'll be back before you can miss me.”
“Not possible, Calliope,” her mother said, going along with her part of the script. She pecked Callie on the cheek and Callie heard her father huff from the other room, his irritation obvious. “Be safe, m'ija, and remember: if she is not the type of girl you would bring home if such things were allowed, then do not waste your time.”
She chuckled softly, and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek in return. She was oddly comforted by the fact that she knew her mother wouldn't be the one to disapprove of her bringing home a woman that she was fond of. Her father, however, would never allow it.
“Should I go say goodnight to Papa?” she asked, raising an eyebrow and then glancing toward the door that was only a few steps away. This was also expected, the exit greeting to both parents whenever the child left the house or returned to it. Her mother nodded, and Callie drug her feet down the hallway to where her father was sitting down, watching the news. She placed her hand on his shoulder and smiled warmly when he turned to look at her. Callie kissed the top of his head and pulled back. Because she knew the gravity of who she was and what she was doing, she felt the need to be an even better daughter than she already was. It would be impossible for anyone to say she wasn't good to either of her parents.
“Goodnight, Papa,” Callie said, even though she knew he would stay awake and wait for her until she returned home.
“Must you always go out night after night to spend time with that group of ruffians?” her father asked, and a dark chuckle escaped her lips.
“You wouldn't call them ruffians if one of them wanted to call on me, Papa, and you know it,” Callie replied, causing her father's lips to purse into a straight line as wrinkles covered his forehead.
“Then at least promise you'll be home at a reasonable hour. We make rules for a reason in this house, Calliope,” her father said, looking stern enough that she knew better than to argue.
“I'll be home by curfew, safe and sound,” she retorted, placing another kiss to his forehead. He nodded, turning back to the news, seemingly pleased with her answer, and she walked back out into the hallway. Her mother smiled and nodded her head, obviously pleased with her performance as well. She did love her father, but more and more, she felt like she had to go out of her way to gain his approval. In a lot of ways, she was being a different girl, because she knew that the chances of him loving and accepting the real Calliope Torres were slim to none.
Callie left the house and got in her car, loving the look of it in its newly waxed and washed state. She and the boys had spent their time after school the day before cleaning it and shining it to an almost obscene state. They teased her the entire time about the fact that the time Arizona spent looking at it would be significantly less than the time she would spend in the backseat. Mark's shoulder was probably still achy from the blow he had suffered for that comment, and Callie smiled at the memory.
The drive to the diner was short, especially since Callie knew back road shortcuts to get there. Traffic was always bearable, but she liked to always be on time, even a little early if possible. Her father had ingrained that into her from a very young age, which is why she volunteered to be the driver most of the time. Whenever one of the boys showed up late to pick her up, she would spend the rest of the day slightly irritated at how inconsiderate they could be.
When she showed up at the diner, Callie was pleased to see that she had arrived five minutes early, and even more pleased that Arizona was already waiting. She was sitting on the bench outside the diner, close enough so she could still hear the music playing inside. The night wasn't too cold, but Callie noticed that she didn't exactly look warm. Callie fought her impulse to run over and offer her jacket right away, but instead took a moment to study the stunning girl. She sat with perfect posture, her ankles crossed and her hands perfectly perched on her knees, her back ramrod straight against the back of the bench. Her curly blonde locks were tucked into a neat half-ponytail behind her head, and a few unruly strands had broken free to curl around her face. The rest cascaded down to the neat shoulder-length cut she sported, and Callie sighed. She had never wanted to run her hands through a girl's hair so badly.
She was dressed casually enough, but still formal, since Callie had given her no indication as to what they were doing. Her navy blue poodle skirt brought out the color of her eyes and matched the monogrammed “A” on the corner of her white sweater. Callie snapped out of her trance when she caught Arizona waving to her shyly. She cut the engine and stepped out of her car, shutting the door behind her quietly and walking toward the blonde. Arizona stood up to greet her immediately, and Callie felt a little nervous when it hit her that Arizona probably came from a traditional household where the women were raised properly with the correct etiquette. That was new.
“Hello, Calliope,” Arizona said softly, her blue eyes locked on Callie's dark ones. The brunette frowned instantly, raising an eyebrow at the strange greeting.
“Where'd you hear that?” Callie asked immediately, her words coming out sharper than she intended. Arizona flinched a little and her cheeks reddened. “I'm sorry. I just... nobody calls me that.”
“There's a lot of talk about you,” Arizona said, tilting her head to the side adorably, causing a smile to resurface on Callie's face without her even realizing it. “I'm very in orbit. And I like your name.”
Callie shifted her weight awkwardly on her heels, feeling her heart sink into the depths of her stomach.
“Is it at least good talk?”
Arizona's smile widened, her dimples in both cheeks popping out proudly.
“Some of it,” she confirmed, unclasping her hands and allowing one to sway dangerously close to where one of Callie's rested at her side. Technically, the girl was never supposed to make the first move with a boy, so technically, if Arizona took her hand, it wouldn't have been against everything she had been taught. But Callie understood that they needed to play things as close to “normal” as possible, given their circumstances. Callie looked down at the close proximity, feeling the warmth of Arizona's skin and smiling. She smoothly clasped their hands together, tugging gently to lead them back to her car.
“Still feelin' up to tonight, though?” Callie asked, wondering how much of the talk had been meant to dissuade Arizona.
“I did show up,” Arizona said, smirking so her left dimple was highlighted more than the right. Callie smiled. The blonde hair wasn't her only weakness, apparently.
“I'm glad you did,” Callie said, opening the passenger side door for Arizona like a gentleman and allowing her to climb in. After she was situated, Callie closed it for her and went around to the driver's side, climbing in and fastening her seatbelt. Arizona's eyes flickered over to her occasionally, but the ride was spent in silence, both of them basking in the first contact that was still making their skin hum.
“Where are we going, anyway?” Arizona asked when they turned onto a less familiar road. “If you're thinking about taking me to a drive-in, Calliope, you might as well take me home.”
Callie chuckled loudly, and looked over at the blonde, who was very serious.
“Why are you so against a perfectly good flick?” Callie asked, even though she hadn't been planning to take her to one. The more time she spent with the perky blonde, the more Callie realized that she was completely different than any other girl she had ever taken out. Most of them requested to go see a movie. Probably because of the implications, but movies were a common pastime for teenagers.
“Like I said, Calliope, not all of the talk is good,” Arizona said with a girlish giggle. “I've heard all about what you do with girls at the drive-in.”
“Oh,” Callie said, swallowing any other protests or attempts to defend herself. The girl was right. A moment of silence passed, less awkward than the first bout, and Callie turned to hopefully salvage the situation. “Relax, I wasn't going to take you there, anyway.”
“Why not?” Arizona asked suddenly, her voice slightly more shrill with shock. “You mean you weren't even going to try?”
Callie fought the urge to laugh at the indignant look on the blonde's face.
“Maybe I think you're kind of swell,” Callie said smoothly. She was used to turning on the charm at a moment's notice with girls, but this time she actually meant the words she was spewing out, and there were no expectations or ulterior motives attached. She looked over for a second longer, just enough to catch the reddening of Arizona's cheeks, and smiled proudly. They turned into the parking lot at the local bowling alley, and Arizona smiled slowly.
“You're taking me bowling?” Arizona asked, fiddling with her hands in her lap excitedly as Callie cut the engine.
“Sure, doll,” Callie said with a broad smile. “Good to make the scene, you know?”
“But it's so... public, Calliope,” Arizona said, biting her bottom lip gently. Callie grinned and nodded, unfastening her seatbelt and moving quickly around the car to open the blonde's door. Immediately, she found the blonde's hand again and helped her out of the car. Their hands stayed clasped together as Callie shut the passenger door with her free hand and walked toward the entrance with Arizona.
“So then you haven't heard all the news about me,” Callie said gently, leaning a little closer to Arizona, allowing her breath to tickle the girl's neck. “People know not to mess with me, unless they're cruisin'.”
Arizona giggled softly and leaned a little closer to Callie. When they reached the door, Callie released her hand only long enough to open the door for her, letting her enter and then following. Callie's eyes traced Arizona's figure, and she smiled. Poodle skirts weren't generally good for showing off what a girl was working with, but this one showed off Arizona quite nicely. After a second's pause, Callie jogged a few paces to catch up to the blonde, taking her hand again and paying for their shoes and getting them a set lane and scorecard, with two pencils.
“Thanks, man,” Callie said to the guy at the counter, tucking her wallet back into her pocket and carrying their stuff for them, guiding Arizona to the lane they rented and sitting next to her. They put on their shoes in silence, stowing their street pairs under the seats, their eyes meeting every so often when they leaned a certain way. Arizona's thigh bumped Callie's, and the brunette jerked a little, her hands fumbling with the laces.
“Nervous about something, Calliope?” Arizona asked softly when she noticed the usually confident Latina fumble.
“Not a bit,” Callie said, finishing the tie and standing up, going to grab two bowling balls, picking one that was a little bit lighter and smaller in size for Arizona. “It's cool. Ladies first.”
Arizona stepped up, ball in hand, and Callie prepared to jot down her score. Arizona grunted softly as she released the bowling ball, knocking down four pins for her effort.
“Not bad, not bad,” Callie called from her seat. Arizona turned and smiled, bowing slightly. The blonde waited for the pinspotter to reset the pins and return her ball, and then prepared for her second throw. She eased the ball with a little more force and managed to pick up the spare. Callie smiled, obviously impressed as she jotted down the score.
“How'd I do?” Arizona asked, jogging back to where Callie was seated and taking a seat next to her.
“You've done this before,” Callie said plainly, unable to keep the smile off of her face when she was this close to Arizona.
“Maybe I have,” Arizona said with a shrug. “I have two older brothers. I know how to handle myself.”
Callie nodded and grinned, standing up to hopefully show off her moves. She and the boys went bowling quite often, and she was the second best of the group. Callie picked up the bowling ball, testing its weight in her hands and looked over her shoulder at Arizona before stepping up to the lane. Sure enough, the blonde was watching her every move, quite intently. Callie was almost positive that she could feel Arizona's eyes wandering her body, and smiled at the thought, feeling her confidence boost. She launched the ball down the lane and kicked her leg back with the powerful release. The loud crack of pins meeting the ball and then the floor resounded, and she yelled out her excitement. A perfect ball.
“You got a strike, Calliope!” Arizona called, standing up and running up to meet the taller girl. She tentatively leaned in and gave Callie a lingering kiss on the cheek for her efforts, grabbing both of the Latina's hands in her own. Callie felt her body shiver and didn't move until Arizona pulled away, looking up at her demurely through her eyelashes.
“I sure did,” Callie mumbled under her breath before she and Arizona both walked back to their seats to jot down her score. “You hungry? I can go grab some eats.”
“I wouldn't say no to a soda,” Arizona said happily, smiling widely at Callie's gentlemanly behavior. Arizona was pleasantly surprised at how charming and kind the brunette was being with her. Cristina and Meredith had both warned her, telling her that Callie was fast and didn't have any regard for girls' emotions or feelings, but she couldn't help but think that the rumors were all completely unfounded and nasty. Surely this Callie... her Callie... couldn't be like that.
“All right, doll,” Callie said, nodding her head. “I'll be right back. You sit tight, okay?”
Arizona flashed her another smile and watched Callie walk toward the concession counter, gesturing with her hands as she ordered. Arizona chuckled softly from her seat and continued to stare off into the distance at Callie as she paid and grabbed two bottles of root beer, walking back to her. She set an amber colored bottle in front of Arizona and the she smiled, reaching for it and taking a long, slow sip, feeling her temperature rise despite the cold liquid that tickled down her throat at the sight of Callie's eyes fixating themselves on her lips. She set the bottle back down and Callie cleared her throat.
“Your turn,” Callie said, her voice a little lower than normal. Arizona nodded and stood up, making her way to the lane and grabbing her ball. She turned to look back at Callie and noticed a tall, lanky boy who probably attended their high school making his way toward her. Arizona was about to move back to Callie's side when the boy tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to turn and then stand up, cocking her head to the side and crossing her arms.
“Hey, Torres,” the boy leered, standing a little closer to Callie as her shoulders broadened and she stood her ground. Arizona really didn't like the way he was talking to her, but she had faith that Callie could handle herself. Callie glared into the boy's eyes and set her jaw.
“What do you want?” she asked calmly, her voice rigid and all business.
“Just checking to see if the word from the bird is all on, and it is,” the boy said, clicking his tongue at Arizona and winking in her direction. Callie bit her bottom lip and let out a loud exhale. Her eyebrow raised and she pursed her lips.
“Get lost, crumbhead,” Callie said, standing toe-to-toe with the taller boy. Arizona worried on her bottom lip with her teeth, wanting to step in, but knowing that it probably wouldn't be a good idea.
“Haven't you made your way through enough girls, Torres?” the boy jeered. “It's not cool with me. At least let this one have a shot with a real man before you mess with her.”
“Who would be the 'real man' exactly?” Callie asked, her anger growing.
“Wouldn't be you,” the boy said, giving Callie an appraising look. “Why don't you just go home and learn how to be a normal chick?”
Arizona's feet were frozen by the time Callie's fist flew up and slammed into the guy's face.