Grey's Anatomy: A Symbol Of My Love (1/1)
Fandom: Grey's Anatomy
Title: A Symbol Of My Love
Rating: PG13
Status: Complete (1/1)
Author: englishstrawbie
Characters/Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Disclaimer: Here.
Author's Note: written for the callie_arizona Valentine's Day Challenge. Short story. Words: 472. Callie buys Arizona a gift for Valentine's Day.
Callie slips into the apartment as quietly as possible. She is careful not to walk into any of the boxes that remain unpacked, work and make-up sex distracting them from practicalities. Arizona doesn’t hear her. She’s hunched over a pot on the stove, steam twisting upwards and wafting a smell of tomatoes and herbs around the kitchen.
The tin in Callie’s arms is heavy and she drops it on a stool. Arizona turns at the noise, jumping slightly when she realises she’s not alone.
“Calliope!” she admonishes. “What are you doing creeping around like that?”
“I bought you a present,” Callie announces.
Arizona frowns and opens her mouth to speak, but Callie cuts her off.
“I know. I know we agreed no gifts this year. We’re taking things slowly and still figuring things out. But I wanted to get you this so… close your eyes.”
Arizona cocks her head to one side. “Callie…”
“Close your eyes,” Callie orders.
Arizona gives her a curious look, but complies. Callie lifts the tin onto the kitchen counter. She adjusts the big red bow on top and, with a nod of accomplishment, she tells Arizona to open her eyes. She does so, slowly, and stares at the tin.
“It’s a tin of paint,” she says plainly.
“Yes, it is,” Callie smiles. “My Valentine’s Day gift to you is a tin of paint and a wall. You can have any wall in this apartment and we’ll paint it. Because I know that you’re not entirely comfortable with this dark and frowny apartment, and if we’re going to do this, if we’re going to be together - be a family - then we’re going to do things right this time. Because I love you. So the first thing we’re going to do is make this apartment our apartment. Something more… smiley.”
A grin spreads over Arizona’s face as Callie is talking. She walks around the kitchen counter and stops in front of where Callie is standing. She twists the paint tin around and inspects the label.
“Moonlight Bay blue,” she reads. “It’s pretty.”
Callie digs into her jacket pocket and pulls out a paintbrush. Arizona laughs. She takes it from Callie’s hand and runs her fingers over the bristles.
“Thank you for my present. I love it,” she says softly. “And I love you.”
She leans in to kiss her, one hand resting naturally on Callie’s belly.
“Except now I feel guilty that I didn’t buy you anything,” she continues.
Callie shakes her head. “I don’t need anything. The best present you gave me was coming home from Africa and not jumping on the first flight back there when I told you about the baby.”
Arizona senses Callie’s nervousness that her fears might come true again one day.
“Not gonna happen,” she says.
“’Cos you’re in?” Callie asks.
“I’m in.”
Title: A Symbol Of My Love
Rating: PG13
Status: Complete (1/1)
Author: englishstrawbie
Characters/Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Disclaimer: Here.
Author's Note: written for the callie_arizona Valentine's Day Challenge. Short story. Words: 472. Callie buys Arizona a gift for Valentine's Day.
Callie slips into the apartment as quietly as possible. She is careful not to walk into any of the boxes that remain unpacked, work and make-up sex distracting them from practicalities. Arizona doesn’t hear her. She’s hunched over a pot on the stove, steam twisting upwards and wafting a smell of tomatoes and herbs around the kitchen.
The tin in Callie’s arms is heavy and she drops it on a stool. Arizona turns at the noise, jumping slightly when she realises she’s not alone.
“Calliope!” she admonishes. “What are you doing creeping around like that?”
“I bought you a present,” Callie announces.
Arizona frowns and opens her mouth to speak, but Callie cuts her off.
“I know. I know we agreed no gifts this year. We’re taking things slowly and still figuring things out. But I wanted to get you this so… close your eyes.”
Arizona cocks her head to one side. “Callie…”
“Close your eyes,” Callie orders.
Arizona gives her a curious look, but complies. Callie lifts the tin onto the kitchen counter. She adjusts the big red bow on top and, with a nod of accomplishment, she tells Arizona to open her eyes. She does so, slowly, and stares at the tin.
“It’s a tin of paint,” she says plainly.
“Yes, it is,” Callie smiles. “My Valentine’s Day gift to you is a tin of paint and a wall. You can have any wall in this apartment and we’ll paint it. Because I know that you’re not entirely comfortable with this dark and frowny apartment, and if we’re going to do this, if we’re going to be together - be a family - then we’re going to do things right this time. Because I love you. So the first thing we’re going to do is make this apartment our apartment. Something more… smiley.”
A grin spreads over Arizona’s face as Callie is talking. She walks around the kitchen counter and stops in front of where Callie is standing. She twists the paint tin around and inspects the label.
“Moonlight Bay blue,” she reads. “It’s pretty.”
Callie digs into her jacket pocket and pulls out a paintbrush. Arizona laughs. She takes it from Callie’s hand and runs her fingers over the bristles.
“Thank you for my present. I love it,” she says softly. “And I love you.”
She leans in to kiss her, one hand resting naturally on Callie’s belly.
“Except now I feel guilty that I didn’t buy you anything,” she continues.
Callie shakes her head. “I don’t need anything. The best present you gave me was coming home from Africa and not jumping on the first flight back there when I told you about the baby.”
Arizona senses Callie’s nervousness that her fears might come true again one day.
“Not gonna happen,” she says.
“’Cos you’re in?” Callie asks.
“I’m in.”