All right, so this fic is a companion to Anne's (username is liebeanne) of the same name. We wrote these two little ficlets as a going away present for our friend Ambre (elialys). You should check out both of their profiles - they are simply amazing and are absolutely wonderful writers. This is set in the universe introduced in Brown Betty. You really should read Anne's first, because this part addresses some of the same moments that she mentioned. Enjoy!
The first time Olivia thinks she might fall for Peter Bishop, she is not really surprised. He had just saved her from drowning to death in a wooden box. He took her to safety and gave her a warm shower and food and even said he would take her dancing. She did not miss the irony of this. When he looked at her from across the table, she was struck by the terrifying notion that she might just fall for Peter Bishop.
The first time Peter really takes her dancing, Olivia finds that she cannot focus on anything but him. It is an odd feeling and something that she does not understand. Being a detective, Olivia always made sure to know what was happening around her. But when she remembers that night, she does not remember where they went or what songs were played. All she remembers is Peter.
The first time he kisses her, it is after she worked a particularly difficult case. They had only been seing each other for a few weeks, but he could already tell that she took every case to heart. It wasn't until she knocked on the door of his apartment that she realised she had driven to him. Wordlessly, he took her hand and led her into his newly-rented apartment. He pulled her into a hug and she felt him press a kiss to the side of her head. It somehow made everything better.
The first time they fight, Olivia is sure that he is going to leave. She had always known that it was a possibility – he had always been somewhat of a nomad. When he walks out of the office, she is absolutely positive that she will never see him again. She hates the thought that she might be alone again. She hates the thought that he might be able to leave her. Because as angry as he made her and as much as she wanted to shoot him sometimes, she knew that it would take a lot for her to leave him. She was not sure she would be able to. When he comes back to find her fruitlessly trying to do work, she can't help but throw herself in his arms and kiss him senseless.
The first time he meets her family, she knows it is the beginning of the end. She sees the way Rachel sees right through how she says he is her partner. She sees the way Peter looks at her niece before glancing at her. She knows in that moment that she would not be able to get rid of Peter Bishop if she wanted to. The way he looks at her after seeing her niece, who she knows resembles her far more than her sister, she somehow just knows what he is thinking. The worst part is, she finds herself thinking of the same thing.
The first time he proposes, she says no. She is not quite sure why she does not say yes. She loves him – they had established that not long after he met her family. It just did not feel right. And she wanted it to be right. Olivia trusted her gut, and her gut said that it was not time. He did not seem to take it personally. That was a relief. Months later when he has spent an entire week taking care of her when she has the flu, she all but orders him to marry her. He laughed at her, laughed at the fact that she asked him, but he kissed her and pulled the ring from his pocket and slipped it on her finger without a word.
The first time she sees him cry is when she tells him he is going to be a father. She had been panicked. Worried. Afraid. Even though she remembered the look in his eye when seeing Ella for the first time, she is still worried about how he will react. They had not planned it. They had not expected it. When she finally gets up the nerve to tell him, however, he smiles more widely than she had ever seen him smile before. She saw his eyes tear up before he kissed her roughly. She could feel the tears on his cheeks and had never been happier to see someone cry. She realises more clearly then that they are each other's home.