They had been sitting at the counter sipping wine and discussing differential diagnoses for almost an hour when Arizona sighed and rested her head dejectedly in her hand. Callie watched her, her eyes narrowing briefly in concern, before hopping from her stool and stepping closer. Her hand ran the length of Arizona’s back and she rested her chin on a cotton covered shoulder to press her lips lightly to the flushed cheek she found there.

“You’re doing everything you can,” she whispered the sentiment she knew meant little almost apologetically. “This kid has you and I and a mother who won’t let it go; he has people fighting for him which are more, a lot more than some kids have.”

Arizona smiled despite herself as Callie reached over to the box on the counter and offered her a doughnut, brushing a little sugar across her lips. She licked the sweet grains away and pulled the figure before her in by the hips. Callie readily accepted the embrace and felt a familiar rush of euphoria emanate from her fluttering chest as Arizona wrapped her tightly in all four limbs, burrowing her head between chin and shoulder.

“I don’t deal with failure well,” she spoke quietly into the warm and iridescent skin beneath her lips, “especially when that failure means a lifetime of chronic pain for such a good kid.”

“I know,” Callie replied with a smile, “I’ve noticed.” She pulled back slightly and cocked her head to the side. “Sleep on it?” she asked tentatively. “We’re over-thinking. Maybe it’ll come if you just let yourself relax.” Arizona nodded and slid from the stool, pecking her lips to Callie’s nose before helping to clear the counter.

They searched under Callie’s pillows for various items of sleepwear and tiredly removed make-up and brushed teeth side-by-side in the bathroom mirror. Callie slipped under the cool covers first and felt her whole body relax into the soft mattress as Arizona moulded herself into her back. She pulled the arm snaking across her abdomen up between her breasts and linked their fingers tightly under her chin.

Callie’s breathing had long since settled into the regular pattern of deep sleep and Arizona teetered contentedly on the precipice, warmed by the soft body pressed against her. She inhaled the smell of Callie’s shampoo from the wisps of hair at her neckline and, on releasing the deep breath from her chest, sat up suddenly and gasped.

“It’s aggravated,” she said breathily. “When he extends or flexes his spine, the pain is aggravated!”

“What?!” Callie turned over and screwed her eyes shut sleepily.

“This kid has a tethered spinal cord, Callie, I can feel it.”

Callie pouted her lips in thought and met Arizona’s eyes with a nod. “Yeah,” she agreed, “could be. CT Myelogram?”

“CT Myelogram,” Arizona confirmed, smiling widely and settling back into Callie’s arms.

“So do you think you’ll be able to sleep now?” Callie asked as she wrapped an arm around a slim waist.

Arizona looked briefly into the eyes that met her own before concentrating on the slight convex of Callie’s breast that was visible above the neckline of her shirt. She traced her finger across the skin there and shrugged slightly.

“Maybe,” she teased. Their eyes met only a brief moment before their lips, soft and gentle caresses guiding their bodies to closer proximity. Callie heard Arizona exhale an elongated moan of contentment into their kiss.

“Arizona?” she whispered between pouts.

“Mhm,” the blonde kissed along the soft, warm cheek that Callie had been sleeping on.

“Do you really smoke?!”

They both descended into fits of laughter, grasping at each other as their breath caught in their chests before Arizona seized the opportunity to roll atop Callie and silence her with passionate kisses.