Calculated (1/1)
Title: Calculated (1/1)
Author: Nora C. Parker
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG
Summary: Occurs shortly after end of 7x18, somewhere admid.
Disclaimer: I have no ownership over the characters.
Note: Occurs shortly after the end of 7x18. Somewhere amid the other 7x18 stories I've posted,, but should stand alone. Some fluff inspired by rewatching S5 episodes on Netflix.
Comments are always welcome. Not sure if this series will have any more entries. Depends on how the ideas flow.
Calculated
“I was with a date.”
Callie, still lying amidst a cluster of tubes and monitors rolled her head towards Arizona. “What?”
“The night at Joe’s, the night I kissed you.” Arizona smiled with the memory. “I was on a date that night.”
“Are you…is this?” The increase in breathing reflected in the monitors showed that Callie Torres’ anxiety levels were on the rise.
“Shhh.” Arizona rubbed lightly along her hand, her arm. “Sweetie. It’s just memories. Memories of being somewhere with someone I didn’t want to be with, and seeing the person I did want to be with. Seeing an opportunity with the person I wanted to be with.”
“But?”
“I’m reminiscing Calliope. Good reminiscing.”
“Really?”
“Really. You were sitting at the bar. Little Grey was next to you. And you were upset, so upset, and trying to not be upset. But even with the upset you looked fantastic.” The last part was punctuated with a light squeeze on the hand.
“I did?”
“You did. And I knew about you. Asked about you.”
“So you weren’t lying.” Callie scrunched up her nose in a pout. “People had been talking about me.”
“Mostly guys, saying what a waste it was if you were switching teams.”
“Arizona.” Through the tone, it was clear Callie didn’t fully believe her fiancée.
“Some women. A few grateful to already be on the same team, and a few more who were undeclared or willing to explore options.”
“Ung.” Not quite a word, but still expressing the same disbelief.
“Of course, those were just the ones talking about your personal life. Everyone said you were badass surgeon - badass in the best way.”
“Thanks.” The hand squeeze was returned.
“My date was not interesting. Not hot. Definitely not badass. So when you slipped away for the bathroom, I waited a casual five seconds and followed you.”
“Really?”
“I followed you. And I blathered. You were so down on yourself. I wanted to make you smile. And I wanted to kiss you.” Arizona chewed at her bottom lip. “Kissing you made you smile.”
“You did kiss me.” The sentence was punctuated with a smile.
Arizona stood up and leaned over the bed, providing another kiss in response. “I had to get your attention before all those other people had a chance.”
But Callie did not yet look fully convinced. “So, if I was so hot, why’d you say no to a date?”
“I was hoping you wouldn’t ask that.” Arizona sat back down, and started to pick at the sheet on Callie’s bed.
“C’mon.”
“Well, people had talked about you, and whatshername.”
“Er…” As Callie started the word, Arizona’s eyes shot in her direction. The name hadn’t been forgotten, just avoided.
“No one mentioned she was your first.”
“Except me.”
“Except you. I’d just had a string of bad dates with possibly good women who weren’t ready to date women. Really not ready. As I said, I panicked.”
“But I convinced you. When I burst in on your date.”
“That date wasn’t going so well, either.”
Now Callie looked concerned. “I was the lesser of two evils?”
“You were…you are,” tense corrected, “the best of all possible worlds.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Arizona planted a kiss in Callie’s palm.
“You. Our baby. Our family. You are my world, Calliope. Don’t ever doubt that.
“And don’t ever leave me,” she whispered as she watched Calliope Torres drift into sleep.
(the end)