The Song Remains the Same

Chapter 12

Life was pretty damn good. It wasn't a sentiment Callie Torres had very often (or ever, really) but she felt safe saying it now. Because her life had gotten pretty damn good in the last few weeks. Her date with Arizona had been only the first of many, practically every night the kids were with Owen and even a few when they weren't. Cristina had aced her boards and promptly accepted Seattle Grace's offer, so she didn't have to worry about training some idiot how not to drive her crazy. Owen had closed on his house and moved his stuff out with a minimum of fuss. The kids were still upset, the only dark spot in her otherwise glowing life right now. But they had spent the last weekend at their father's new house and from Owen's text this morning she gathered that it had gone fairly well.

Callie was taking the time alone to linger over her breakfast and newspaper, sipping coffee as she perused the sports page. The quiet house was nice, on the occasions she got it. The phone by her elbow rang and she picked it up, smiling at Arizona's name on the screen. “Hey, you.”

“Calliope,” Arizona said warmly. “What are you doing this morning?” She had the kids' schedule down by now, knew Callie had the house to herself today.

Callie was currently melting into her chair, the same shiver in her stomach that happened every time Arizona said her name like that. “Just reading the paper.”

“That sounds nice,” Arizona said, sounding distracted.

“Maybe we could go out tonight?” asked Callie, hoping she was skipping beating around the bush and going directly to the reason for Arizona’s call. There was a pause and Callie frowned, hoping she hadn't misjudged things.

“I want us to stay in tonight,” Arizona said in a rush, holding her breath as she waited through her own seemingly interminable pause for Callie to say something.

Callie breathed out an, “Oh.” Arizona didn't want to go out, but stay in. Oh. That sounded promising. Callie couldn't speak further as her throat went dry, her heart suddenly pounding.

“Nothing has to happen,” Arizona rapidly continued, anxious not to upset her girlfriend. That was how she thought of Callie in her head, at least. They hadn't used that word yet with each other. The rest of the hospital seemed to assume it about them, though. Most of the nurses would be shocked to know that they hadn't slept together yet, after more than a month of seeing each other publicly. As soon as the divorce had become public knowledge it had just been assumed that Arizona had been the one who'd broken them up, that a torrid affair had caused the split between two of the hospital's senior surgeons, a seemingly stable couple. In reality they'd both been cautious to cross into a physical relationship, neither one wanting to push them into territory they weren't ready for.

They grew closer every day though, and both were stunningly beautiful women. Self control could only hold on so long.

“We could just watch a movie on the couch. I just want to be close to you,” said Arizona softly. Cuddling on the couch with Callie was perfection. The first time they'd had time alone on the couch after they'd started dating Angus had crashed the evening at almost the same second that Arizona’s hand had slipped beneath his mother's shirt and they'd jumped apart before he could see anything, had spent the rest of the night with him sprawled across their laps.

“Your place?” Callie asked as an answer. “Eight? I could pick up Chinese, or Thai, pizza...”

“Pizza,” Arizona decided promptly, thinking fondly of showing up on Callie's doorstep with a hand-tossed and a six pack. They hadn't even kissed then. She didn't let a day go by without kissing her now.

Callie smiled and Arizona could hear it in her voice. “I'll be there.” Stretching her arms, Callie groaned as her shoulders popped and pinged. “I'm taking it slow this morning,” she confessed. “I'm still in my pajamas.”