Disclaimer: I do not own Elliot and Olivia.
Author's Note: The Conjure One song "Sleep" inspired me to write this. If you want to listen to it while reading my story (or at any other time), go to www/esnips/com and you can find it there. I think that the story has a slightly different effect if you read it while listening to this beautiful song ;)
She takes the phone and dials the number she knows by heart. When she hears his slightly hoarse voice, she hesitates for a moment.
"Hi," she half whispers.
"Were you asleep?" she asks. She's worried. She doesn't want to bother him.
"No, actually… I can't sleep. Everything's alright?" she can feel it in his voice. He's worried, too. It's three in the morning. He's worried that she might be hurt. It's one of the things he wouldn't take. He has to be sure that she is fine.
"Yes… I can't sleep, too," an awkward tension fills the air. She inhales deeply. She wants to say something, anything, but nothing comes out.
"You sure everything's ok?" he feels that she's painfully alone but he doesn't know what to say to make it better.
"Yes… yes. Well, except, that I can't sleep," she laughs unusually timidly. Yet it's the bitterness that is hidden behind her words.
"Listen, you should get some sleep, we'll talk tomorrow," her voice echoes in the silence once more. She thinks she made a mistake by calling him. She almost desperately wants to hang up.
"No, it's ok, I can't sleep, too, remember?" he tries to ease the tension. He tries to ease her pain.
She is silent. Lost in her thoughts.
"Liv?" he wants to make her talk. He silently wishes that she would just let everything out.
"Still here. You're not going to get rid of me so easily, Stabler," she tries to joke. She even attempts to laugh again. Not bitterly this time. He knows that she doesn't want to show her real emotions. It's her weak side, she thinks.
He decides to ask her something he knows she's waiting to hear from him deep inside.
"Do you want me to come over?"
It takes a moment before her mind registers the question. She's torn apart. She needs him.
"No, really, you don't have to,"
"Olivia," his voice somewhat interrupts her protest. "I can't sleep, anyway," he insensibly sighs. "We could watch a movie, or something," he continues not giving her the opportunity to decline. "Sounds like a plan?" he smiles to himself. Or, maybe to her.
"Sounds like a plan," after a brief pause she replies. She's smiling, too. She knows she wants him by her side. She can't fight her principles any longer.
It feels like an eternity waiting for him to come. Finally, a thick silence is disturbed by the knock on the door.
"Hey," she whispers when she opens the door.
"Hey," he whispers when he steps in.
They settle on the couch to watch a movie. She feels slightly uncomfortable. That's why she sits further in the corner. So does he.
"Interesting movie, huh?" he asks, breaking the ice. Somehow, it feels like a first date, when you take a girl to the cinema and try to get hold of her hand.
"Yeah, interesting," she softly replies.
No words are exchanged for awhile. Long moments pass before he looks at her again. He catches a glimpse of her eyes. They're glassy, full of unshed tears.
He instinctively feels what he has to do.
After a brief moment he's carefully covering her hand with his. She wants to cry, and he can see it. She tries to choke back a sob, her cold hand trembling under his comfortingly warm one.
They don't say anything. No words are needed at the moment.
She can't hold it any longer. You can't just break down, she keeps telling herself. Somewhere deep inside she knows she has to let him help her.
"Olivia," he whispers looking at her. She just can't bring herself to look at him. She feels ashamed of being weak.
"It's ok, Olivia," he assures her, more quietly and gently this time.
Fresh tears slowly make their way down the cheeks. Her heart starts beating faster, and he can tell that she's afraid.
"Let me help you, Liv," his voice is barely above a whisper.
With that, more tears are shed until she's crying freely, longing for his arms.
He carefully wraps his arms around the fragile shoulders and holds her lightly. Only when he notices her shaking hands clenching onto his shirt, he protectively tightens his embrace.
Now her mind is screaming at her to let it all out. Still, she finds herself holding her breath, trying not to sob.
"Breathe, Olivia," he whispers in her ear.
She's tired of fighting her own emotions. She takes a deep breath and starts to cry louder, until she's sobbing in his arms. She's scared of her own voice and tries to muffle it burying her head in his shoulder. He understands.
He doesn't care about his wet from tears shirt being roughly rumpled in her fists.
"It's ok," he soothes softly stroking her hair, before they both fall asleep. "It's ok".
Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes and typos as I'm not native English speaker.
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