A Conspicuous Conspiracy (Ch. 10)
Title: A Conspicuous Conspiracy
Author: clanket
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: 14A [Themes of strong sexuality]
Summary: Callie and Arizona are best friends. As they navigate through their final year of high school, will they realize that they're more than just friends?
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libellous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
A/N: I was going to make this a two-parter but I got tired of waiting to finish the second half so I decided to post this on its own. Hope you enjoy :)
Ch. 10
"You could always take a cold shower," I tell her between giggles and she turns to glare at me, "you could even double up on the remedies and fly solo in there while you're at it," I wink at her.
xxx
"Well that was a rather long shower," I drawl when Arizona comes out of my bathroom wearing only two towels - one on her head and one wrapped around her body. If I just surreptitiously tug at that second one a little...
"I was starting to wonder if I should just go get ready in Aria's room," I smirk at her from my position on my bed. I'm still wearing the red tank top and Transformers boy shorts I slept in and have strategically placed myself on my back with my weight resting on my elbows with one knee bent; an angle that will be sure to allow Arizona to take in all of me in one sweep of those icy blue eyes.
I watch as she freezes in the doorway momentarily then rolls her eyes at me before making her way over to her dresser. We long ago designated the dark four-drawer dresser next to my door as hers since she spends so much time here. Mom even does her laundry while she takes care of ours when Aria and I neglect to do our own.
"Stop being a jerk, Callie. I don't give you a hard time when you drool over those Calvin Klein underwear models or the shirtless guys - who are likely gay, by the way - outside those ridiculous preppy polo stores," Arizona tells me as she rifles through the top drawer with her back facing me.
"Uh, yes you do," I inform her while letting my eyes sweep over her legs.
"I tease you - I don't give you a hard time," she huffs as she finally pulls a few items of clothing out.
"What's the difference," I ask with a snort as she turns to face me.
"The difference, Calliope," she starts with narrowed eyes, "is that I don't sit there trying to get you all hot and bothered and then time you to see how long it takes you to cool down! The difference is that I don't use an unfair advantage to get you riled up!"
Arizona starts on her way back to the bathroom to finish getting dressed after putting her bottoms on underneath the towel as she yelled at me. It takes me a moment to regain my composure after actually having been yelled at by Arizona.
"What unfair advantage," I shout disbelievingly through the door.
After a few moments Arizona yanks the door open while pulling her shirt down her torso the rest of the way, having lost the towel from her head. She is simmering. Uh-oh.
"The unfair advantage that you're a girl! A hot girl, if we're honest, and you used it against me! I'm your friend - your best friend - and you used something personal to get a rise out of me!"
I'm sitting on the edge of my bed listening intently when my look of disbelief turns into a smile.
"You think I'm hot?" I ask quietly. I know she's going to think I'm messing with her again but I can't believe Arizona Robbins actually thinks I'm hot. I'm hot! Score!
"Are you serious? That's what you got from what I just said? As if your ego needed any more of a boost," she trails off at the end, going back to brushing her hair.
"Well no, no it's not all I got," I tell her as I stand up. "But I'm still not seeing how me being a girl is an unfair advantage. I mean, I pretty much had a fifty-fifty chance of coming out with two X-chromosomes," I say as I come to a stop next to her and lean my hip against my vanity.
She sighs then explains, "It's unfair because not only are best friends not supposed to be jerks," she pauses to make eye contact then goes back to her hair, "but also because I can't do it back. I can't just start being sexy or whatever and get you all turned on-"
Wanna bet?
"So it's totally unfair. I mean if I had a penis and I was straight then we'd be on a fair playing field but that's just not how it turned out and I need to know-"
"Arizona, you're rambling," I cut in.
She takes a deep breath then continues more slowly.
"I need to know that I can trust my best friend - that's you - to not take advantage of any personal information they may have on me…like the fact that I'm a lesbian," Arizona finishes and lets her hand with the brush drop to her side. I reach out to get her to face me but she stands her ground. I drop my head a little to catch her gaze but she's not having any of it, despite having let go of her anger. I try her shoulder once more and she finally turns to look at me.
"Look, I'm not too sure what happened that this got you so upset right now. We've always been able to bug each other about stuff like that. So given that I've teased you before, I really didn't see it upsetting you like this. But I'm sorry that it did."
I take a chance and reach out to grab her hands. When she doesn't back away I step in close to her, bring them up to my shoulders and hook them around my neck then trail my hands down her arms, across her ribs and back around to wrap my arms around her waist.
After a couple beats, Arizona raises herself up onto her toes and tightens her arms around me. I smile at how predictable she can be and how comforting it is to know that she'll forgive me no matter how stupid I can be at times. She lightly nuzzles my neck.
"Back there? That wasn't me taking advantage of you being a lesbian, as hot as that is," I say teasingly and smile when I hear Arizona chuckle. "That was me playing with my best friend and being comfortable with her and with her sexuality - regardless of whether she's a gay girl or a straight guy or whatever," I laugh.
"But I'm sorry that it upset you. I'm not sorry I did it," I say with a shrug, "but I am sorry that it upset you."
So this means she forgives me, right? Sure I was playing with fire downstairs but that doesn't mean that I was trying to hurt her. Why is she even so upset about it? It's not like I haven't made fun of her for that ridiculous Cindy Crawford poster she has in her room. Besides, who even cares about her anymore? Shouldn't she be crushing on that bimbo from The Hills or one of the Victoria's Secret models?
"It's because you're a tease."
"What?" I have to ask. What kind of a way is that to break a comfortable silence?
"That's why I got so upset. Because you're a tease."
I furrow my eyebrows in thought. "So if I put out you wouldn't have been so upset?"
"Nope." She lets out a long breath that washes over my throat, giving me goose bumps.
"I haven't had a girlfriend in months and I have these insane teenage hormones raging inside my body with nowhere to go. I'm just on edge when it comes to that area. So with no outlet and you wouldn't let up on the sexy times and then Mystique all coming together - well it just didn't make for a happy Arizona," she finishes with a slight shrug of her shoulders.
I can't help but snicker at her predicament.
"So if you want a girlfriend then why don't you have one? It's not like you're hideous," I joke as I run my hands up and down her back.
"I haven't really been interested in anyone lately. And when I did become interested, I guess she didn't like me back," she says and pulls herself closer to me.
"Well she was an idiot," I tell her sincerely. Arizona lets out a sound that sounds almost disbelieving. She knows she's a catch, right?
"But I guess given your predicament it's not helping having my warm curvy-ness pressed up against you again, huh?" I jest as I squeeze my arms around her and shake us a little in a mocking full-body rub.
Arizona laughs hardily into my neck which makes me smile. I made her happy again! Yay!
"Actually, it's not so bad. Gives me something to think about in my next cold shower," she says as she pulls away and winks at me.
I drop my jaw in surprise. "So you admit it," I nearly yell at her. "It wasn't just Mystique!"
"You should stop talking while you're ahead, Calliope," she says as she grabs my blow-dryer. "And go shower."
Any response I may have had dies as I'm drowned out by the whirr of the machine so I do as I'm told. I grab my towel and head into the washroom, closing the door behind me.
After removing the few articles of clothing I was wearing, I study myself sideways in the mirror above the sink, pulling my stomach in then pushing it out as far as it would go. I slouch down a little and pat my belly playfully. After playing a short drum solo using myself as the instrument, I straighten out. I'm not quite as toned as Arizona but I guess I don't mind that too much.
I turn to square my shoulders to the mirror. I poke my lower abs, where I'm particularly soft, a few times and make a face of distaste. It's so hard to work out those stupid muscles!
No one has ever called me large, even on account of my height, so I have no qualms about the fact that I inherited the Latina curves. I didn't hear Jackson complaining either. I smile to myself at the thought then turn around to check out my ass. All that squatting in games and practise seems to be paying off, at least.
Turning back around I palm my breasts, tilting my head as I do. I'm glad that they're not huge; no back problems or sagging to worry about. As I let go of them I notice that they bounce a little. Slightly amused by this, I jiggle to get the same effect then laugh lightly at my own amusement. Small things, small minds.
Grabbing them again, I casually pinch my nipples between my index and middle fingers a little. Damn it! I roll my eyes at myself. That was dumb. Having been turned on downstairs and then having Arizona push herself into me just minutes ago, the sensation isn't helping calm my libido.
I sigh and make a point to not touch myself in a sexual way anymore. Well, at least not until I can get some alone time tonight. Maybe I should have a cold shower, too.
"Calliope," Arizona calls from outside, "I don't hear the water!"
"Yeah, yeah," I grumble to myself and take the few steps to the tub and turn the water on.
Under the lukewarm spray, I can't stop my mind from straying.
Did Arizona really just give herself a double remedy in here while I was in the next room? How was she so quiet?
Did she bite her lip to keep from moaning as one of her hands worked between her legs, the other massaging the rest of her body as she imagined Mystique rubbing her all over? As she shape-shifted into anyone Arizona wanted at the time? Did she imagine Mystique's blue skin turning an olive complexion, her yellow eyes darkening to near-black; her hair growing long until it tickled her neck?
My hand had long ago strayed to my sex and stayed there without me even noticing, helping me play out my fantasy.
Now it was me who was working Arizona's body, making her feel good. It was my hand that was slowly trailing down her stomach; my mouth that was sucking on her neck. As she opened her eyes again, Arizona gasped at the new person above her, not having expected to find dark eyes looking back. She pulled me to her engorged lips, kissing me like it's the last kiss she'll ever have.
Just a few more strokes and I'll be finished, the feel of the warm water cascading over my person helping to aid the fantasy that I'm on a heated body.
As Arizona thrusted her tongue inside my mouth once more, I took the opportunity of having her distracted to slip my fingers-
"Calliope?" Arizona knocks on the door. I was so close! Come on, this is torture! I whine a little in frustration.
"Calliope, you've been in there a while. Is everything okay?"
No, everything is not okay! I'm horny as hell and every time I think I'm about to get some relief you have to go and do something to rile me back up! I seriously just want to tell her to come in here and finish this herself before I explode in a bad way.
I grunt.
"Yeah, I'm just enjoying the water."
I was enjoying my fantasy of your fantasy more, but why split hairs?
"Alright but we need to leave soon so hurry up."
I give up on finding any reprieve from the sexual tension wracking my body and finish washing up instead. It really will have to wait until tonight.
After towelling off I step back out into my room and walk over to my closet.
"I guess I wasn't the only one in need of a long shower," Arizona smirked from where she laid on my bed, television remote in hand.
Knowing it was true, I couldn't exactly deny it so I just turned my head toward her and glared. I'm totally caught judging by the lecherous grin plastered to Arizona's face.
"Just watch the TV," I tell her as I pull out a pair of dark jeans and a loose-fitting t-shirt. Bowling alleys are casual and no outfit will make those hideous shoes look remotely stylish so why bother?
After throwing on my clothes I stand in front of the same vanity Arizona had gotten ready at, about to throw my dried hair into a ponytail when I hear Arizona's voice.
"Leave it down," she says quietly.
I turn around to look at her questioningly, eyebrows raised, with my hair gathered in my left hand.
Arizona shrugs.
"It looks good down."
"But I don't like when it sticks to my neck."
"Then bring a hair tie with you and put it up if you get hot. I like when it falls around your shoulders," she finishes almost shyly. I smile at her and drop my hair then turn back to the mirror to adjust it before putting on mascara and lip gloss.
"Ready?" I ask Arizona. She answers in the positive and hops off the bed to text Addison to pick us up.
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