chapter twenty-nine:
❛ the old me is gone ❜

PLEASE DONT BE A GHOST READER!
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the reason i always say "please don't be a ghost reader" this isnt just because i want votes, i mean i do, but ive been writing on this app for 3 almost 4 years and it helps me stay motivated because that means people are reading my stuff. and unlike other people, they have so many views on their books and i know my writing isnt the best but i love to write and it just helps me stay motivated. and i know i unpublish and republish my chapters and i get thats really annoying

tw: panic attack

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arizona stood in front of the mirror in johnny's apartment, the sunlight streaming in from the window behind her, casting long shadows across the room. she adjusted her gi, trying to focus on getting ready for karate practice, but her eyes kept drifting back to the reflection of her forearm. the ink stared back at her, bold and accusing-traitor. her stomach churned at the sight of it, and her breath hitched in her throat. it felt like a brand, a permanent reminder of what tory had done to her.

her hand shook as she brushed her fingers over the tattoo, and suddenly, the room seemed to tilt. everything around her blurred as the memory rushed in like a wave crashing over her, pulling her under.

she could see tory's face twisted with anger, her hands gripping arizona's arm as she held her down. the cold sting of the needle against her skin, the pain radiating through her body as tory tattooed the word-traitor. arizona had struggled, had screamed, but no one came. it was just her and tory, and the sound of the buzzing needle felt like it was drilling straight into her soul.

"you deserve this," tory had spat, her voice venomous. "you betrayed me. you betrayed all of us."

arizona's breath quickened as the memory suffocated her, the room closing in, her vision swimming. her chest tightened, and she gasped for air, but it felt like her lungs were closing off. her heart pounded in her ears, drowning out everything else. the mirror blurred as tears welled up in her eyes, and she stumbled back, her knees buckling as she collapsed onto the bed.

panic attack, her mind screamed, but she couldn't focus. couldn't stop the spiral. it was her first one in a long time, and it hit her like a freight train. her hands trembled violently as she clutched at her chest, trying to ground herself, but nothing worked. all she could see was tory, her cold smile, the pain, the ink.

how could she do this to me? arizona thought, her body shaking uncontrollably. her breaths came in short, sharp gasps, her mind swirling in chaos.

the door creaked open, but arizona didn't hear it over the sound of her own ragged breathing. miguel stepped into the guest bedroom, his brows furrowed as he noticed her on the bed, her entire body trembling. his heart dropped into his stomach.

"arizona?" his voice was soft but urgent as he rushed over to her, kneeling beside the bed. he reached out, his hand gently resting on her arm. "hey, hey. what's going on?" he asked, worry lacing his words.

arizona's eyes were wide with panic, her breaths coming in shallow, erratic bursts. she barely registered miguel's presence, her mind trapped in the memory, in the suffocating grip of the panic attack.

"i-i can't believe she did this to me," arizona choked out, her voice shaky, barely above a whisper. "tory-she-she held me down. she-she tattooed me." her voice broke, and fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. "traitor. she thinks i'm a traitor."

miguel's heart clenched as he listened, piecing together what had happened. he knew tory had her issues, but this-this was too much. too far.

"arizona," he said gently, pulling her into his arms, cradling her against his chest. "breathe with me, okay? slow, deep breaths. you're safe now. i've got you."

arizona's body stiffened at first, but miguel held her tighter, his hand stroking her hair, trying to soothe her. "i'm here, okay? you're not alone."

her breaths were still rapid, but she clung to him, trying to focus on his voice, on the steady rhythm of his breathing. miguel whispered reassurances, his voice soft and calm, though inside, he was panicking too. seeing arizona like this-so broken, so hurt-was tearing him apart.

"it's okay," miguel whispered again, his hand never stopping its gentle motion through her hair. "tory doesn't define you. you're stronger than her, arizona. way stronger."

arizona shook her head, her tears soaking into his shirt. "i thought she was my friend," she whimpered, her voice barely audible. "how could she do this to me?"

miguel's arms tightened around her, his voice firm but tender. "she's not worth it, okay? you didn't deserve any of this. none of it."

they sat there for what felt like an eternity, arizona slowly grounding herself in miguel's presence. her breathing began to steady, the tightness in her chest loosening just enough for her to breathe more deeply. but the pain-the memory of what tory had done-still lingered like a shadow over her heart.

"i'm not gonna let her hurt you anymore," miguel said softly, his voice full of quiet determination. "we'll get through this together."

arizona nodded weakly, still shaken, but comforted by his words. she clung to him, letting herself feel safe in his arms, even as the weight of the tattoo burned into her skin like a scar she couldn't escape.

she wasn't sure how to move forward, but for now, in this moment, miguel's presence was enough to help her breathe again.

arizona lay in the guest bedroom of johnny's apartment, completely submerged under the covers, the sheets pulled tightly around her body as if they could somehow shield her from the world outside. the room was dark, the blinds drawn tight, leaving only a faint sliver of light to filter in, but she didn't care. her pillow was damp from tears that had come and gone in waves all day. she hadn't moved from the bed in hours-hadn't eaten, hadn't slept. she hadn't done anything but replay that moment over and over in her head: tory's face, twisted with rage and betrayal, the sharp sting of the tattoo gun pressing into her skin, and the sickening feeling of helplessness as her best friend branded her.

traitor. the word burned into her arm like a constant reminder of everything that had gone wrong. no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, it was there, etched into her skin for everyone to see. arizona's chest tightened every time she glanced down at it, the weight of it suffocating her. tattoo removals were expensive, and she barely had enough money to scrape by, let alone fix something as permanent as this. it felt like a punishment she could never escape from.

it had been a month since she last saw her little brother, diego, or her grandma. she hadn't had the strength to check in with them, not since her grandma had started preparing for the move. everything was taking longer than expected, and arizona felt like she was stuck in this limbo, unable to move forward. she hadn't seen her mom either-not since the day she'd driven her to rehab and watched her walk through those doors.

the thought of her mom gnawed at her. daniella had been the root of so much of arizona's pain, but still, she found herself wanting to know if she was okay. if the rehab was actually helping. she couldn't shake the feeling that maybe, if her mom was getting better, it would somehow fix the rest of her broken life. so, despite everything weighing her down, arizona made the decision to go to the rehab center.

walking into the facility felt surreal. the sterile scent of antiseptic hit her immediately, and her nerves kicked in as she made her way down the hall to the visitor's room. when she saw her mom sitting there, waiting for her, arizona's heart skipped a beat. daniella looked better-healthier. her face was fuller, her eyes brighter, and she smiled when she saw arizona.

"arizona," daniella said softly, standing up to greet her. "i didn't expect you to visit. it's so good to see you."

arizona tried to smile back, but it felt like her face was stuck in a permanent frown. she sat down across from her mom, her hands fidgeting in her lap, unsure of where to start.

"i... i just wanted to check on you," arizona mumbled, her voice barely audible. "i wanted to see if you were doing okay."

daniella's eyes softened, and she reached across the table to take arizona's hand. "i'm doing better," she said, her voice filled with sincerity. "i've been working hard... trying to fix things. but... there's something i need to say to you."

arizona tensed, already bracing herself for whatever her mom was about to say.

"i'm sorry, arizona," daniella began, her voice trembling slightly. "for everything. for making you be a parent to diego when that should've been my job. for all the pressure you've been under-school, work, your father's behavior... and for not being there for you when you needed me. i know i let you down, and i'm so sorry."

arizona bit her lip, trying to keep the emotions from spilling over, but it was no use. her eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head. "it's fine, mom," she muttered, her voice cracking.

"no, it's not," daniella insisted, squeezing her daughter's hand tightly. "you've had to carry so much on your own, and that's not fair to you. i wasn't a good mom, and you deserved better."

arizona let out a shaky breath, the tears starting to fall. "i don't know how to fix any of this," she whispered. "i feel like everything's broken."

"you don't have to fix it all by yourself," daniella said softly. "you're not alone, arizona. you have people who care about you."

the weight of her mother's words finally broke something inside arizona, and she started sobbing, her shoulders shaking with each breath. daniella quickly moved to her side, wrapping her arms around her daughter, trying to comfort her.

"mom..." arizona choked out, pulling up her sleeve to reveal the traitor tattoo. "look at what they did to me."

daniella's eyes went wide, her heart sinking as she stared at the tattoo. "oh my god... arizona, who did this to you?"

"tory," arizona said, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. "she attacked me... held me down and tattooed this on me. she thinks i betrayed her."

daniella's face crumpled with guilt and sadness. "sweetheart... i am so, so sorry. i can't believe you had to go through that."

"i should go," arizona muttered, standing up abruptly, unable to handle the emotions anymore. "i... i just needed to check on you."

"arizona, wait-" daniella started, but arizona was already heading for the door, her mind spinning.

as she walked out of the rehab facility, she was startled to see miguel and johnny waiting by the van. miguel immediately rushed over to her, concern etched across his face.

"arizona, are you okay? we've been looking everywhere for you," miguel said, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.

arizona blinked, confused. "how did you find me?"

miguel held up his phone, giving her a small smile. "i tracked your phone through find my iphone. i got worried when you didn't come back."

arizona nodded, too drained to process much of anything. she climbed into johnny's van, leaning her head against the window as johnny started the engine.

"here's some tissues, bubblegum," johnny said, passing her a box of tissues from the glove compartment. "we're heading over to the high school to recruit some new girls for eagle fang. we need to build up the numbers."

arizona shook her head, her voice coming out flat. "i'm done with karate."

johnny's foot slipped off the gas pedal, and he turned to look at her in the rearview mirror, his brows furrowed. "what do you mean, done?"

"karate got me into this mess," arizona said, staring blankly ahead. "i betrayed everyone-my best friend, my whole life. i deserve this. i deserve all of it."

miguel looked at her, his face filled with concern. "arizona, none of this is your fault. tory's the one who hurt you. you didn't deserve any of this."

"no," arizona said firmly, shaking her head. "i'm done with karate. i miss who i used to be. the old me... she's gone. i'll help you guys find a new girl recruit, but that's it. i'm out."

johnny tightened his grip on the steering wheel, clearly frustrated but choosing not to argue with her. miguel tried to say something, but arizona was already closing herself off, retreating into the silence.

as they drove toward the high school, the weight of arizona's decision hung heavy in the air, unspoken but undeniable.

arizona hesitantly stepped onto the field, feeling the weight of invisible eyes on her. her chest tightened, the familiar sensation of panic creeping up again. she instinctively raised her hand to her chest, her fingers brushing against the tattoo hidden beneath her shirt. the one tory had marked her with. it was a constant reminder, always there. she felt her breath quickening, the edges of her vision narrowing, until miguel's voice broke through the fog.

"i'm right here, ari, okay? i'm not going anywhere." his voice was steady, calm, and when he grabbed her hands, it grounded her in a way nothing else could. arizona looked at him, her gaze distant and unfocused, but she nodded and turned away, trying to shove the panic down.

miguel let out a small sigh, clearly worried, but didn't push her any further. they caught up to johnny, who was jogging ahead with two girls. arizona raised her eyebrows and let out a small chuckle, the sound surprising her as much as miguel.

"what is he doing?" she asked, her voice light but filled with curiosity.

miguel shrugged, equally confused. "i don't know. we just gotta trust him, i guess."

arizona nodded, crossing her arms tightly over her chest, her eyes following johnny as he jogged alongside the girls. she felt a flicker of amusement as he tried, rather awkwardly, to engage them in conversation, but they jogged ahead, leaving him behind. then, with a groan of frustration, johnny turned his attention to a group of girls sitting by a bench.

they watched as johnny marched over, trying once again to pitch eagle fang, but the girls quickly got up and left, looking unimpressed. arizona sighed, knowing this wasn't going to be easy. each time johnny approached someone, the result was the same-rejection after rejection. the whole thing would've been comical if arizona weren't feeling so anxious and drained.

johnny, clearly exasperated, snapped his fingers as if an idea had struck him. he made a beeline back to arizona and miguel, eyes glinting with something that usually meant trouble.

"bubblegum, you got some baby oil?" johnny asked, completely serious.

arizona's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "why would i have baby oil?" she asked, her voice incredulous.

johnny smirked as he spotted a bag on the ground nearby. he jogged over to it, snatched up a bottle of baby oil, and jogged back, looking way too pleased with himself.

"here, diaz, rub this on you. take your jacket off," johnny said, thrusting the bottle toward miguel like it was the most logical thing in the world.

arizona's eyes widened in shock. "what?" she gaped, utterly speechless.

miguel's face went pale, his eyes going wide with a mix of horror and disbelief. "sensei, what-?"

johnny, clearly oblivious to the awkwardness of the situation, waved off miguel's reaction. "oh, don't be jealous, bubblegum. diaz has eyes for you. plus, if some chick tries something, just slash their arm like you did with larusso," johnny said with a smirk, referencing arizona's infamous past.

arizona's entire body tensed, the anger bubbling up inside her. the comment hit too close to home, and the memory of that day-the rage, the betrayal-flashed in her mind. her hands curled into fists, and without thinking, she lunged at johnny, her vision going red.

"sensei!" miguel's voice was sharp as he grabbed her by the waist, pulling her back before she could reach johnny.

johnny took a step back, eyes widening in surprise. "what? too far?" he asked, looking between them in disbelief, as if he couldn't quite grasp why his comment had set her off.

arizona struggled against miguel's grip for a moment, her chest heaving with anger. she glared at johnny, her eyes blazing. "don't you ever bring that up again," she hissed, her voice shaking with barely-contained fury.

miguel held her tightly, his arms around her waist as he whispered, "ari, just breathe. he didn't mean it."

arizona clenched her jaw, forcing herself to take a deep breath. after a long moment, she stopped fighting, though her body remained tense. she couldn't believe how easily her anger flared up these days, how fragile her control had become.

johnny, still looking slightly shocked, scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "uh, yeah. sorry about that. my bad." he glanced at miguel, then back at arizona. "didn't mean to hit a nerve."

arizona didn't respond, her arms still crossed tightly as she glared off into the distance, trying to rein in the emotions swirling inside her. miguel slowly loosened his grip, stepping in front of her to block her view of johnny.

"we'll figure this out, okay?" miguel said softly, his eyes locked on hers. "we'll find a way to make this right. but for now, just take it easy. we're all on the same team."

arizona didn't say anything, but she nodded, her body still rigid with tension. johnny, looking like he was trying to recover from the awkwardness, muttered something about getting back to recruiting and jogged off, leaving miguel and arizona alone for the moment.

miguel reluctantly followed johnny's plan, the unease clear on his face as johnny poured baby oil into his hands. arizona stood off to the side, arms crossed tightly over her chest, her brows furrowed as she watched the ridiculous scene play out.

"trust me, the chicks are gonna love this. bet, bubblegum's gonna be too," johnny said with a confident smirk, nodding toward arizona, completely ignoring the glare she shot at him.

arizona rolled her eyes, huffing in frustration. "i'm mad at you right now," she grumbled, her tone laced with annoyance, though deep down she knew it wasn't just johnny's antics that had her feeling unsettled.

johnny, of course, wasn't fazed. he shrugged, as casual as ever. "you'll get over it," he said, dismissing her anger as he continued to pour baby oil onto miguel's hands, which were now completely drenched.

"hey, too much!" miguel protested, glancing down at the overflowing oil dripping between his fingers.

johnny finally stopped, holding up his hands as if miguel should be thanking him. "you gotta get it into every groove," he said with an air of authority, as if applying baby oil was some kind of secret art form. "it's about molding highlights to emphasize curvature."

miguel let out a resigned sigh and started rubbing the oil onto his arms. his muscles glistened in the sunlight, the sheen catching every line of definition. arizona's gaze, despite her better judgment, followed the movement. she'd known miguel for a while now-long enough to remember him as the lanky, awkward boy who first joined cobra kai. but this miguel, the one standing in front of her now, was different. he was... built. her eyes trailed over his arms, lingering on the way the muscles flexed as he moved. she hadn't really noticed how much he'd changed physically-until now.

quickly, arizona snapped herself out of it, her cheeks flushing as she realized what she was doing. she looked away, feeling an odd mix of embarrassment and frustration bubbling up inside her. what was wrong with her? this whole thing was stupid, and yet, there she was, sneaking glances at miguel like some high school girl with a crush. it was ridiculous.

meanwhile, johnny had jogged over to a group of girls sitting near a bench, trying to sell them on joining eagle fang. arizona watched from the corner of her eye as he motioned toward miguel, encouraging him to flex. miguel, still a bit hesitant but going along with it, started showing off his muscles. the girls giggled, glancing over at him with amused, flirtatious smiles.

"i think this is crazy," arizona muttered under her breath, shaking her head as she tried to focus on something-anything-else.

miguel caught her words, but instead of stopping, he smirked. he could feel her eyes on him, even if she wasn't fully admitting it. still flexing for the girls, he glanced over at her. "since when did you get so muscular?" arizona blurted out, her voice betraying her attempt at nonchalance. "last year, you were lanky."

miguel stopped for a moment, his smirk widening. "noticed that, huh?" he teased, clearly enjoying her flustered reaction.

arizona's heart pounded in her chest, and she could feel the heat rising to her cheeks again. she cursed herself inwardly, her mind racing. why did he have to be so... so smug about it? she tried to compose herself, tightening her arms around her chest as if that would somehow protect her from the wave of embarrassment washing over her.

miguel, never one to pass up an opportunity to mess with her, flexed even harder, making a show of kissing his biceps in the most exaggerated, ridiculous way possible.

arizona's face scrunched up in a mix of horror and amusement, and she groaned audibly, turning her head away as if that would erase the image from her mind. "oh my god, stop," she said, her voice somewhere between a plea and a laugh.

miguel chuckled, clearly satisfied with getting a rise out of her. "what? you don't think i'm impressive now?"

arizona rolled her eyes again, though this time it was more playful than annoyed. "no, i think you're embarrassing," she muttered, still trying to hide the fact that her heart hadn't stopped racing.

johnny, completely oblivious to their banter, jogged back over, clapping his hands together. "see? i told you! works every time. bet those girls will be signing up by tomorrow," he said with a grin, as if the whole thing was already a success.

arizona just shook her head, exasperated. "i'm still mad at you," she reminded him, though the sharp edge in her voice had softened slightly.

"yeah, yeah. like i said-you'll get over it."

as they were heading off the field, johnny was still ranting, his frustration practically radiating off him. "i don't get it. i thought girls today were supposed to be tough. why can't we find anyone else for our team?" he grumbled, pacing beside arizona and miguel.

arizona shook her head, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "maybe not everyone needs karate," she said quietly, the words heavy in the air.

miguel nodded in agreement, his voice calm but firm. "yeah, especially girls who are already on sports teams. they don't need karate."

before they could continue, a familiar voice broke through the conversation. "hey, miguel! arizona!" moon's voice rang out, cheerful and bright, and they turned to see her approaching with her pom-poms swaying in her hands.

"hey, moon. what's up?" miguel asked, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

moon twirled one of her pom-poms with a playful grin. "apparently some perv was creeping on the track team, so we're gonna practice inside now," she explained with a casual shrug, laughing lightly as though the situation was more bizarre than alarming.

arizona chuckled, the absurdity of it all catching her off guard, and glanced over at johnny, who looked more serious than amused. "what are you guys doing here?" moon asked, glancing between them curiously.

miguel answered quickly. "we're recruiting for our new dojo," he explained, his tone a little more serious now.

"eagle fang karate," johnny added proudly, puffing out his chest a bit.

moon raised an intrigued eyebrow, clearly interested. "oh, really? cool. what's it like?" she asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

miguel glanced at arizona before turning back to moon. "you should join us, moon," he suggested, a hint of hope in his voice, though arizona immediately shot him a look that said, are you serious?

moon's interest piqued, and she smiled brightly. "really? okay. yeah, that sounds like fun," she agreed, always open to trying new things.

arizona couldn't help but speak up, her tone cautious. "you'd have to punch people," she warned, crossing her arms again and raising an eyebrow.

moon's smile dropped almost immediately, her expression shifting to one of surprise. "oh, no then. i'm out. i can't do that whole physical aggression thing," she said, shaking her head. "you guys should ask my ex instead."

arizona and miguel exchanged a glance, both confused. "eli?" arizona asked, her voice uncertain.

moon shook her head, her blonde hair swaying as she did. "no, my other ex, piper. she's the best athlete in school, and she's not afraid to get into a fight. she'd be perfect for your dojo."

johnny's face lit up with excitement, a smirk spreading across his lips. "sounds like the badass babe we've been looking for," he said with a grin.

"yeah, but you might want to take a different approach with her. she's not the type to fall for the whole macho act. want some pointers?" moon offered, her voice casual as if this was no big deal.

miguel nodded, grateful. "yeah, that'd help a lot."

before they could continue, arizona's phone buzzed in her pocket. she pulled it out and furrowed her brow as she read the message: meet me in the lab from dylan.

"what the hell?" arizona mumbled under her breath, confused by the sudden and strange text.

miguel noticed the change in her demeanor and looked at her with concern. "everything okay?" he asked, his voice gentle but worried.

arizona hesitated for a moment, glancing between miguel and her phone. "yeah, i just got a text from dylan asking me to meet him in the lab. it's weird. i didn't expect to hear from him," she explained, her brow still furrowed.

miguel's eyes narrowed slightly, concern deepening in his expression. "where is this? do you want me to come with you?" he offered, clearly not comfortable with the idea of her going alone.

arizona shook her head quickly, a small smile tugging at her lips. "no, it's fine. i'll just see what he wants. i'll meet up with you in a bit, okay?"

miguel still didn't look convinced. he stepped closer, his hand gently brushing against her arm. "are you sure? you don't have to go alone," he reminded her, his voice soft but insistent.

arizona smiled at his protectiveness, her heart warming, but she shook her head again. "i'll be fine, promise. if anything's up, i'll text you right away," she reassured him, her tone soft and sincere.

miguel reluctantly nodded, though the worry in his eyes didn't fade. "alright. just... be careful, okay?"

"i will," arizona promised, slipping her phone back into her pocket as she gave miguel one last look before heading off, her mind racing with questions as she made her way to meet dylan.

arizona hesitated at the doorway of the lab, her breath catching in her throat as she spotted dylan slumped against a table at the far end. the low hum of the fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting an eerie glow over the room. she could just make out his profile in the dim light, but something was off-the way he was sitting, his head tilted downward, made her heart skip a beat.

she quickly crossed the room, her footsteps light but quick. "dylan?" she called out, her voice tight with concern.

when she finally reached him, arizona's breath hitched. dylan looked up at her, a lopsided grin on his face, but his lip was split and swollen, a dark bruise already blossoming on his cheekbone. arizona's hands flew to her mouth, stifling a gasp.

"what the hell happened to you?" she demanded, her eyes wide as she crouched down next to him, her hands hovering near his face, unsure if she should touch him or not.

dylan winced, but his grin didn't falter. "i might've tried to beat up robby," he said casually, like it wasn't a big deal at all.

arizona's eyes practically bulged out of her head. "you what? are you insane? dylan, robby's been training in karate for, like, years! what possessed you to-" she cut herself off, too bewildered to even finish the sentence. her hands dropped to her sides, and she stared at him, her mouth slightly agape.

dylan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, clearly feeling a bit embarrassed under arizona's intense gaze. "i know, i know. but, i had to do something. he's part of the reason you got hurt. and... i also may have told tory to stay the fuck away from you."

arizona blinked, utterly stunned. "you... what? dylan, why would you-" she shook her head, at a loss for words. "you don't even know karate! do you have a death wish or something?" she scolded, standing up and pacing in front of him, her anxiety radiating off her in waves.

dylan gave her a sheepish shrug, wincing as the movement pulled at his busted lip. "well, i did win the scrabble match with robby... though that was more for eli than anything else," he muttered, trying to lighten the mood with a joke, but arizona wasn't having it.

"scrabble?" arizona repeated, incredulous. "you seriously picked a fight with robby and played scrabble with him? what is wrong with you?" she threw her hands in the air, exasperated, but couldn't help the slight smirk that tugged at the corners of her mouth despite herself.

dylan shrugged again, more carefully this time. "i didn't think it'd go that far, okay? i just... i couldn't stand the idea of tory or robby hurting you again. tory said she regrets what she did, though," he added, his tone softening as he looked down at his hands.

arizona let out a dry, humorless laugh. "if she regrets it, she should apologize. that's the least she could do for all the damage she caused." she folded her arms across her chest, her jaw tightening as she thought back to everything that had happened-the tattoo, the humiliation. "i can't believe you got yourself beat up over this," she added, shaking her head as she looked at him.

dylan didn't respond right away, the silence stretching between them, heavy and uncomfortable. he shifted awkwardly in his seat, rubbing at the bruises on his arm.

after a moment, arizona sighed and softened, realizing how wrecked he looked. "hold still," she muttered, her tone gentler now. she spotted a first-aid kit on one of the shelves and grabbed it. "let me at least clean you up."

dylan gave her a grateful smile and sat still as arizona gently dabbed an antiseptic wipe on his busted lip. he flinched slightly but didn't complain, letting her work in silence.

"you really shouldn't have done that, you know," she murmured, her fingers careful as they cleaned the dried blood from his lip. "i appreciate it, dylan, really. but you don't have to get yourself hurt for me."

"i know," dylan mumbled, his voice soft and a little embarrassed. "but, i couldn't just do nothing. i mean, you've been through enough already... with everything that's happened. someone's gotta look out for you."

arizona's hand paused for a second, hovering over his lip. she met his eyes, her expression softening. "you don't have to fight my battles. especially not with robby or tory," she said, her voice quieter, more vulnerable than before.

dylan gave her a small, lopsided grin. "yeah, i know. but that doesn't mean i won't try."

arizona rolled her eyes, finishing up with his lip. "just... don't get yourself killed next time, okay?" she muttered, stepping back to admire her work. she didn't miss the warmth that spread through her chest, knowing that he cared enough to stand up for her, even if it was a terrible idea.

"no promises," dylan said with a teasing smile, earning an eye roll and a reluctant smile from arizona in return.

ASH SPEAKS!

arizonas anxiety:(( me too girl i suffer with anxiety
arizona definitely has some ptsd shes gonna have to work through

i hope you guys dont mind that i wrote in lowercase. let me know if you prefer uppercase!

PLEASE DONT BE A GHOST READER!
COMMENT AND VOTE! IT HELPS US WRITERS STAY MOTIVATED:)