A/N: Stephen/Olivia oneshot. Heavy focus on Stephen/Abby.
Don't Tarnish Her by ~explodingduck
Olivia found him one morning, head buried in his hands. She quickly approached him, but did not sit down, she just stood before him, looking down at his hunched figure.
"Is it about-"
"Yes," he breathed shakily and she could hear him inhale slowly, in and out, in and out. He was trying to remain calm.
"Tell me." she stated calmly in that demanding way of hers and did not stop looking at him, as if willing him with her eyes would help.
"She..." he paused, face still buried in his hands that were resting on his knees. "She's not sleeping."
Olivia softened and sat down next to him, starting to comb her fingers through his soft locks.
"I know."
There was a long pause of silence hovering above them and combined with the light streaming in through the high windows it somehow felt like a place where time did not exist, a place for solitude and thoughts.
"Did she tell you?" Olivia bit her lip, looking at him. He still would not look up.
"No, the daily amount of coffee she drinks tells me." He seemed pissed off and incredibly worried at the same time.
"Oh." She was speechless, which was a rare occurance.
He looked up at her, eyes filled with despair and regret and a hint of something Olivia could not interpret.
"I have to help her." he whispered and Olivia took his face in her hands and stared into his eyes.
"You cannot help her, Stephen. You cannot heal her. She needs to do that on her own. You cannot interfere with her grief. And I know..." she paused and bit her lip, unaware of the incredulous look Stephen was giving her. "...I know she might...have feelings for you, but Stephen, she is not one of them. You cannot sleep with her and then ignore her." He opened his mouth to say something but Olivia silenced him by giving him a warning look. "And whatever your feelings are... please... Stephen, please, don't act on them."
He stared at her with a look of shock, silenced by his own confusion. "What?"
"She's getting better," Olivia said, almost whispering. "For each day that passes she is a little more close to feeling fine. But it takes time and you playing with her feelings won't help. It won't." she shook her head in determination. "You can't just run along and be her knight in shining armor or whatever those girls think you are, because she doesn't need a knight in shining armor, she needs time aloneand she needs to heal on her own. Please Stephen... let her do that."
He looked at her with pleading eyes. "I want to help."
"She doesn't need help. Not your help."
"How can you be so sure, Liv?" he began with an undertone of anger. "How can you be so sure about this? Have you ever been beaten by someone? Your husband? Someone you love? Have you ever shown up at your friend's doorstep, face covered in blood, and body covered in bruises and-,"
"Stephen—,"
"No, let me finish. Why are you always right? Look at me. Liv, you aren't always right. I know Abby is your friend and she is yours and you would go over a cliff or whatever but I want to help. I cannot just..." he paused and inhaled deeply. "Sit and watch."
"Sometimes doing nothing is the best thing to do."
He gave out a low chiming laugh. "Sometimes not listening to Olivia Pope is the best thing to do."
"Stephen," she gave him a scolding look. "Just wait some time. A month or two, maybe three. Wait till she's a little more fine. The wound is too wide open."
She locked eyes with him and waited for the final resignation to reveal itself in the depths of his eyes. She soon found it.
"Promise me, Stephen. Promise you'll let her be."
In all the years Olivia Pope had known and been friends with Stephen Finch, she had never seen such darkness in the eyes. He swallowed loudly, stood up quickly and offered her his hand. "Promise."
So, what do you think? Please review and tell me :)