Boundaries and Baby Bedrooms
Title: Boundaries and Baby Bedrooms
Pairing: Mark/Arizona (friendship), Callie/Arizona, implied throughout! :)
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Arizona gives Mark a talk (he'd argue, lecture) while they paint the nursery about the baby, boundaries, and new beginnings.
A/N: Thanks to a_windsor for helping me out on this one and giving me such great suggestions and ideas. :) Look, I can be not snarky, too. Oh..wait.
Beta'd by: clanket, the wonderful walrus that is my lj wife. Thanks for reading over this even if you were distracted. ;)
Arizona Robbins wasn’t sure when it happened. She wasn’t sure when Mark Sloan became less like the wounded puppy across the hall and more like the person she was seeing on a daily basis. She wasn’t sure when they started having inside jokes or when she started texting him about obstetrician appointments. She wasn’t sure when her resentment had started to fade. She wasn’t sure how it all brought her to this moment, painting the nursery.
Mark carried two more cold beers into the room that they had been in for hours, handing one to Arizona who was sitting on the step ladder, wiping her brow with her free hand. At the sight of two Troegs she smiled widely and graciously accepted the chilled bottle.
“This is looking pretty good,” Mark stated as he swigged from his beer, taking a look around the pale yellow room. The drop cloths and blue edging tape aside, the bare room was starting to look less like the office it used to be and more like a real nursery.
Arizona nodded as she wiped a paint flecked hand against her t-shirt, studying Mark’s similarly paint-flecked attire. “We’re not really good at this though.”
Mark scraped at a bit of yellow on his knuckle and laughed, “No, we really aren’t, but I can’t wait to see all the stuff in here. And ya know, the baby.”
Arizona smiled at the thought of a little dark haired baby, sleeping peacefully in his or her crib while the mobile twirled above, playing soothing lullabies.
While Mark Sloan stood with a wide smile on his face, watching.
She nearly spilled her beer.
“What color were you thinking for your nursery?” she asked suddenly, watching as Mark drank in the thought and gave her a curious look.
“My nursery?”
“Yeah,” Arizona pressed, “your nursery. I can help you paint that one, too. Don’t want Callie around all the fumes.”
He sipped thoughtfully, scrubbing a hand against his stubble. “I guess I never thought about it.”
“Maybe you should,” the blonde offered gently. “You know how much fun it was to pick out cribs and stuff. Or, better yet, we could just buy the same exact one so the baby’s comfy in both spots.”
Mark looked up at Arizona, studying her paint-freckled face as she looked toward the ceiling thoughtfully. He could almost see the gears turning in her head.
“Right,” he shifted uncomfortably in his spot and downed his beer.
Arizona chuckled, “Wait, did you think we were just going to all swap out in this house?”
Mark furrowed his brow, “No, no-” he coughed, “Okay, yes.”
“Mark-”
“What? I just didn’t think about it,” he defended as he picked up his paint brush again. “What’s wrong with just having one?”
“Seriously, Mark. You need a nursery. With your own crib, changing table, book case, closet… the whole nine yards. No one doubts how important a role you’ll play in this baby’s life, but it needs to be at your own house.”
“So you’re saying you don’t want me around?” Mark asked incredulously.
“I’m pretty sure I’ve proven myself otherwise with that. It’s okay for you to be around, to eat with us, to make sure Callie’s good, but when the baby actually comes we all need to bond in our own spaces and together.”
Mark didn’t look up from his shoes.
“It’s time to start thinking about, you know,” she started, standing and walking over to her baby’s father, putting a hand on his shoulder, “growing up.”
His gaze rose as blues met hers.
He felt patronized and shrugged out of her touch, “Alright, blondie. I don’t need a speech. Let’s just finish painting the damn room.”
“Mark,” she chided softly, “I’m serious. This isn’t just for my benefit, it’s for yours, too. I want-“ she gulped, “our baby to be well-rounded, to have good examples to follow.”
He sighed and picked up her beer to finish drinking since his was now empty.
“I’m trying,” he defended after a long gulp.
“Do or Do Not, there is no try,” Arizona grinned.
“That was just a Yoda quote. Callie’s right, you are a dork.”
The blonde grinned as she put a hand on her hip, “I own my dorkiness. Just like I owned my bailing. It’s time to own up to your stuff, Mark.”
He scoffed, “What stuff?”
Arizona’s eyes widened as she bit back a smile, “You’re serious?”
“Look, I’ve already apologized about the Callie thing, but there’s really nothing we can d-”
“Stop,” Arizona insisted, putting her hand up as if to will his words to cease. “I mean, just, with everything Mark. The womanizing, the boundaries. Once the baby comes, Callie can’t be the one you run to all the time. She’ll be busy,” she paused. “We’ll be busy. As in all three of us.”
“Cal’s my best friend, Arizona. I trust her with-”
“There’s no doubt. I know how you two are. She’s your people and you’re hers. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that you still have some stuff to figure out with her.”
“Like?”
“Holidays. Weekends. Custody agreements,” Arizona began, wiping her nose with the back of her hand when a bit of the paint’s backspray hit her. She wasn’t sure painting a nursery should involve back spray, but it did.
“That sounds formal and legal and like we’ll need a lawyer present,” he groaned, “I don’t want to take Cal to court.”
“Trust me, Mark. You want this. You want to be able to spend some Christmases with the baby, Friday nights, football games. Right?”
Mark slowly nodded as the realization set in. There was a lot of planning to do.
“I’ll do it, Arizona, I promise. I’ll sit down with her. I think you should be there, too,” Mark said resolutely, “This baby is part of all of our lives. And I’m sure you’ll want days where you can take him to the planetarium or whatever it is you find fun on your days off.”
“The planetarium is awesome, Mark. Have you ever been there?” Arizona defended.
“Maybe in third grade on a field trip,” he smirked.
She scowled playfully.
They resumed painting in silence for awhile, Mark having slipped out and back in with two fresh beers. Arizona was sort of proud of herself. A trimester ago all she could do was weep and give herself pep talks in the bathroom mirror. Now she felt empowered and much more at peace. Even if she wouldn’t have started a family like this in a million years. It was here now.
“How’s it going with Lexie?” Arizona asked as the thought trickled into her mind, knowing that not everyone was sold on or able to talk themselves into this relationship.
Mark grunted some as he sipped his beer, moving back to the paint which he stirred and dipped his brush into again. “Pretty sure she’s screwing around with that pretty boy Avery.”
Arizona frowned, “Really? Well, maybe she just needs some time to process.”
He brushed the yellow in a soft, even stroke. “I think it’s over.”
“I’m sorry,” the blonde offered, “Are you…okay?”
“Yeah. Just sucks. Kinda thought she’d stick it out if I was honest with her, but, well,” he sighed, “Guess not. Oh well, the new scrub nurse in Cardio is pretty hot so I was thinking that I’d see what her deal was.”
“Mark,” Arizona sighed, “really?”
“What, nothing serious, just maybe a few drinks and a few nights -”
“I think it might be time to turn over a new leaf,” Arizona interrupted, angrily painting her space on the wall.
“What?”
“Seriously. I’m not sure that I want the baby going through life realizing his daddy thinks it’s okay to drift from home to home like an emotionally unattached puppy looking for a belly rub!”
He winced.
So did she.
“Sorry, I maybe that was-”
“Harsh,” he sighed, “but fair.”
“I’m sorry, I just - I mean...you can do better for yourself than sleeping around like that, Mark. I’m not trying to judge you. I had my fair share of one night stands in college.”
He snorted, “Really?”
“Really,” she rolled her eyes, wondering why that was so hard to believe. “It didn’t make me feel too great after a while. Different girls every night, having to keep track of their names. It kind of hollows you out.”
“I’m sorry, I’m having too much fun with that image,” he winked, though she couldn’t see.
As she turned around, Arizona chucked her beer cap at him, hitting him in the back of the neck.
“Sorry, sorry.”
“Seriously, Mark. I l-l-“ she cleared her throat, “like you. And I think it’s time to maybe, ya know, start doing things a little differently.”
He cringed, continuing to paint the wall, “For the little guy.”
“Little guy?” Arizona questioned. “What if it’s a little girl?”
Laughing, Mark dipped his brush into the warm golden paint again, “then I’m in serious trouble.”
A large peel of laughter broke through the semi-awkward tension in the otherwise empty nursery, the sound reverberating merrily off the walls.
“Thanks for the honesty, Arizona. I need to hear it sometimes,” he smiled, even though she couldn’t see it.
“Absolutely. It’s what I’m here for.”
“I disagree,” came a voice from the hall way. “You’re here for lots of things like kisses and backrubs and long showers and your-”
Callie grinned as she turned around the corner, toting two small grocery bags. When she realized Arizona wasn’t alone she stopped speaking. “Mark. I thought Arizona was just on the phone, didn’t know you were coming over to help.”
“Go on,” he winked as he continued painting, watching her walk over to the other side of the room to kiss Arizona’s cheek. The blonde responded by kissing her in return, then placing a hand on her baby bump and smiling.
Another clap of laughter resounded in the room. Arizona thought it was good vibes, all this laughing.
Callie grimaced. “This smell is making me nauseous,” she said, “Gonna put the groceries away and make something for me and the chimpancé.”
“Not nice to call the baby a chimpanzee!” Arizona piped up.
“No, not at all!” Mark added watching as Callie rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her protruding stomach.
“I just mean that the baby kicks and jumps and moves around a lot,” she defended. Noticing the lack of sympathy from both sets of blue eyes she continued, “I hate when you two are here conspiring.”
She glared at the blonde Picassos as she backed away, groceries in hand. “Making red beans and rice for dinner. You staying, Mark?”
Glancing back toward Arizona, Mark shook his head, “Nah, I’m good, Cal. Gonna finish up here and go home.”
“You sure?” she called from the kitchen, the sound of pots clattering gently.
“Yep, definitely.”
On the other side of the room, Arizona Robbins grinned.
Pairing: Mark/Arizona (friendship), Callie/Arizona, implied throughout! :)
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Arizona gives Mark a talk (he'd argue, lecture) while they paint the nursery about the baby, boundaries, and new beginnings.
A/N: Thanks to a_windsor for helping me out on this one and giving me such great suggestions and ideas. :) Look, I can be not snarky, too. Oh..wait.
Beta'd by: clanket, the wonderful walrus that is my lj wife. Thanks for reading over this even if you were distracted. ;)
Arizona Robbins wasn’t sure when it happened. She wasn’t sure when Mark Sloan became less like the wounded puppy across the hall and more like the person she was seeing on a daily basis. She wasn’t sure when they started having inside jokes or when she started texting him about obstetrician appointments. She wasn’t sure when her resentment had started to fade. She wasn’t sure how it all brought her to this moment, painting the nursery.
Mark carried two more cold beers into the room that they had been in for hours, handing one to Arizona who was sitting on the step ladder, wiping her brow with her free hand. At the sight of two Troegs she smiled widely and graciously accepted the chilled bottle.
“This is looking pretty good,” Mark stated as he swigged from his beer, taking a look around the pale yellow room. The drop cloths and blue edging tape aside, the bare room was starting to look less like the office it used to be and more like a real nursery.
Arizona nodded as she wiped a paint flecked hand against her t-shirt, studying Mark’s similarly paint-flecked attire. “We’re not really good at this though.”
Mark scraped at a bit of yellow on his knuckle and laughed, “No, we really aren’t, but I can’t wait to see all the stuff in here. And ya know, the baby.”
Arizona smiled at the thought of a little dark haired baby, sleeping peacefully in his or her crib while the mobile twirled above, playing soothing lullabies.
While Mark Sloan stood with a wide smile on his face, watching.
She nearly spilled her beer.
“What color were you thinking for your nursery?” she asked suddenly, watching as Mark drank in the thought and gave her a curious look.
“My nursery?”
“Yeah,” Arizona pressed, “your nursery. I can help you paint that one, too. Don’t want Callie around all the fumes.”
He sipped thoughtfully, scrubbing a hand against his stubble. “I guess I never thought about it.”
“Maybe you should,” the blonde offered gently. “You know how much fun it was to pick out cribs and stuff. Or, better yet, we could just buy the same exact one so the baby’s comfy in both spots.”
Mark looked up at Arizona, studying her paint-freckled face as she looked toward the ceiling thoughtfully. He could almost see the gears turning in her head.
“Right,” he shifted uncomfortably in his spot and downed his beer.
Arizona chuckled, “Wait, did you think we were just going to all swap out in this house?”
Mark furrowed his brow, “No, no-” he coughed, “Okay, yes.”
“Mark-”
“What? I just didn’t think about it,” he defended as he picked up his paint brush again. “What’s wrong with just having one?”
“Seriously, Mark. You need a nursery. With your own crib, changing table, book case, closet… the whole nine yards. No one doubts how important a role you’ll play in this baby’s life, but it needs to be at your own house.”
“So you’re saying you don’t want me around?” Mark asked incredulously.
“I’m pretty sure I’ve proven myself otherwise with that. It’s okay for you to be around, to eat with us, to make sure Callie’s good, but when the baby actually comes we all need to bond in our own spaces and together.”
Mark didn’t look up from his shoes.
“It’s time to start thinking about, you know,” she started, standing and walking over to her baby’s father, putting a hand on his shoulder, “growing up.”
His gaze rose as blues met hers.
He felt patronized and shrugged out of her touch, “Alright, blondie. I don’t need a speech. Let’s just finish painting the damn room.”
“Mark,” she chided softly, “I’m serious. This isn’t just for my benefit, it’s for yours, too. I want-“ she gulped, “our baby to be well-rounded, to have good examples to follow.”
He sighed and picked up her beer to finish drinking since his was now empty.
“I’m trying,” he defended after a long gulp.
“Do or Do Not, there is no try,” Arizona grinned.
“That was just a Yoda quote. Callie’s right, you are a dork.”
The blonde grinned as she put a hand on her hip, “I own my dorkiness. Just like I owned my bailing. It’s time to own up to your stuff, Mark.”
He scoffed, “What stuff?”
Arizona’s eyes widened as she bit back a smile, “You’re serious?”
“Look, I’ve already apologized about the Callie thing, but there’s really nothing we can d-”
“Stop,” Arizona insisted, putting her hand up as if to will his words to cease. “I mean, just, with everything Mark. The womanizing, the boundaries. Once the baby comes, Callie can’t be the one you run to all the time. She’ll be busy,” she paused. “We’ll be busy. As in all three of us.”
“Cal’s my best friend, Arizona. I trust her with-”
“There’s no doubt. I know how you two are. She’s your people and you’re hers. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that you still have some stuff to figure out with her.”
“Like?”
“Holidays. Weekends. Custody agreements,” Arizona began, wiping her nose with the back of her hand when a bit of the paint’s backspray hit her. She wasn’t sure painting a nursery should involve back spray, but it did.
“That sounds formal and legal and like we’ll need a lawyer present,” he groaned, “I don’t want to take Cal to court.”
“Trust me, Mark. You want this. You want to be able to spend some Christmases with the baby, Friday nights, football games. Right?”
Mark slowly nodded as the realization set in. There was a lot of planning to do.
“I’ll do it, Arizona, I promise. I’ll sit down with her. I think you should be there, too,” Mark said resolutely, “This baby is part of all of our lives. And I’m sure you’ll want days where you can take him to the planetarium or whatever it is you find fun on your days off.”
“The planetarium is awesome, Mark. Have you ever been there?” Arizona defended.
“Maybe in third grade on a field trip,” he smirked.
She scowled playfully.
They resumed painting in silence for awhile, Mark having slipped out and back in with two fresh beers. Arizona was sort of proud of herself. A trimester ago all she could do was weep and give herself pep talks in the bathroom mirror. Now she felt empowered and much more at peace. Even if she wouldn’t have started a family like this in a million years. It was here now.
“How’s it going with Lexie?” Arizona asked as the thought trickled into her mind, knowing that not everyone was sold on or able to talk themselves into this relationship.
Mark grunted some as he sipped his beer, moving back to the paint which he stirred and dipped his brush into again. “Pretty sure she’s screwing around with that pretty boy Avery.”
Arizona frowned, “Really? Well, maybe she just needs some time to process.”
He brushed the yellow in a soft, even stroke. “I think it’s over.”
“I’m sorry,” the blonde offered, “Are you…okay?”
“Yeah. Just sucks. Kinda thought she’d stick it out if I was honest with her, but, well,” he sighed, “Guess not. Oh well, the new scrub nurse in Cardio is pretty hot so I was thinking that I’d see what her deal was.”
“Mark,” Arizona sighed, “really?”
“What, nothing serious, just maybe a few drinks and a few nights -”
“I think it might be time to turn over a new leaf,” Arizona interrupted, angrily painting her space on the wall.
“What?”
“Seriously. I’m not sure that I want the baby going through life realizing his daddy thinks it’s okay to drift from home to home like an emotionally unattached puppy looking for a belly rub!”
He winced.
So did she.
“Sorry, I maybe that was-”
“Harsh,” he sighed, “but fair.”
“I’m sorry, I just - I mean...you can do better for yourself than sleeping around like that, Mark. I’m not trying to judge you. I had my fair share of one night stands in college.”
He snorted, “Really?”
“Really,” she rolled her eyes, wondering why that was so hard to believe. “It didn’t make me feel too great after a while. Different girls every night, having to keep track of their names. It kind of hollows you out.”
“I’m sorry, I’m having too much fun with that image,” he winked, though she couldn’t see.
As she turned around, Arizona chucked her beer cap at him, hitting him in the back of the neck.
“Sorry, sorry.”
“Seriously, Mark. I l-l-“ she cleared her throat, “like you. And I think it’s time to maybe, ya know, start doing things a little differently.”
He cringed, continuing to paint the wall, “For the little guy.”
“Little guy?” Arizona questioned. “What if it’s a little girl?”
Laughing, Mark dipped his brush into the warm golden paint again, “then I’m in serious trouble.”
A large peel of laughter broke through the semi-awkward tension in the otherwise empty nursery, the sound reverberating merrily off the walls.
“Thanks for the honesty, Arizona. I need to hear it sometimes,” he smiled, even though she couldn’t see it.
“Absolutely. It’s what I’m here for.”
“I disagree,” came a voice from the hall way. “You’re here for lots of things like kisses and backrubs and long showers and your-”
Callie grinned as she turned around the corner, toting two small grocery bags. When she realized Arizona wasn’t alone she stopped speaking. “Mark. I thought Arizona was just on the phone, didn’t know you were coming over to help.”
“Go on,” he winked as he continued painting, watching her walk over to the other side of the room to kiss Arizona’s cheek. The blonde responded by kissing her in return, then placing a hand on her baby bump and smiling.
Another clap of laughter resounded in the room. Arizona thought it was good vibes, all this laughing.
Callie grimaced. “This smell is making me nauseous,” she said, “Gonna put the groceries away and make something for me and the chimpancé.”
“Not nice to call the baby a chimpanzee!” Arizona piped up.
“No, not at all!” Mark added watching as Callie rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her protruding stomach.
“I just mean that the baby kicks and jumps and moves around a lot,” she defended. Noticing the lack of sympathy from both sets of blue eyes she continued, “I hate when you two are here conspiring.”
She glared at the blonde Picassos as she backed away, groceries in hand. “Making red beans and rice for dinner. You staying, Mark?”
Glancing back toward Arizona, Mark shook his head, “Nah, I’m good, Cal. Gonna finish up here and go home.”
“You sure?” she called from the kitchen, the sound of pots clattering gently.
“Yep, definitely.”
On the other side of the room, Arizona Robbins grinned.