Hands in Each Other's (RPF)
Disclaimer: RPF, i.e: Real Person Fiction, i.e. this fanfiction takes the real-life actors Mariska Hargitay & Chris Meloni (who play Olivia Benson & Elliot Stabler, on L&O: SVU) as its characters. This story is only what it is: a story; it did NOT happen in real life, just my hopeful imagination. Lol.
It was the "Joy Rock" 2015 gala, for Mariska's Joyful Heart Foundation. Chris had been off SVU for three years then. Moved to LA with Sherman and the kids, and hadn't been to New York much since. A couple times or so, total, this time included. He marvelled at how home-coming-like it'd felt coming back to the city this morning, being welcomed by Mariska's warmly glowing smile which always made him feel home and that time never passed. He held her hand a little tighter while the cameras kept throwing their blazing flashes in their beeming faces; he felt very grateful at that moment to have his best friend at his side. She had always served as his anchor, in a way; talked him into serenity in times of confusion-like when he was cutting bonds with NY and moving to start a new chapter in LA- and given him the courage to move forward knowing that she would always have his back and be there for him no matter what. She held "home" in her arms, and secured in his heart the certainty that he was always welcome there.
"You would travel 3000 miles for Mariska if she asked you to, wouldn't you?" he recalled that reporter's question from earlier that evening, as one of the photographers instructed him & Mariska to take a different pose and so they were walking a couple steps to the right, still hand in hand. "I'd crawl over broken glass", he'd answered then. He would. She inched closer to his side and he let go of her hand and took her waist securely as her hand circlled its way round his neck to rest on his shoulder- taking their new pose, he registered. They shifted their gaze between all the cameras and smiled.
'God! It feels so achingly similar to our old times,' Mariska thought, as Chris stood so close with her and beemed at the lights. She'd missed him. His voice (the actual viberations of it in the air round her, not just those carried over telephone wires from thounds of miles away), that fresh scent of aftershave and elegently perfumed clothes, and the warmth distinctive of him. She'd missed everything about him through these three awful years he'd been away. It was such a source of pride for her that the last three seasons since 2012 came out as successful as they did; actually she was proud they happened at all. 'Cause honestly, it used to scare her the number of times the word 'quit' had knocked at, popped like a devilish clown through and took control over her mind at times, during the shooting of these seasons! Specially the thirteenth... Loss had still been too fresh then that she'd physically felt sick with it. She slamed her eyes shut against the memory, for a second, then broadened her smile to the cameras so the glistening in her eyes wouldn't be noticable. Chris tightened his hold round her as if sensing her pained thoughts intuitively and she was grateful beyond words he was actually here.
The shoots took only about three minutes but she relished in every second of closeness she was offered with Chris. And it was enough to refill her stores with confidence and positive energy. It's like they reassured each other in those very few, yet very precious, silent moments: 'I AM HERE. I'm HERE for you. I haven't let go. We still have this. WE is still safe. I have your back. We're still US and HERE. Solid. Lasting. Unchanged. Unchangeable.'
The shoots faded and they loosened away, arms connecting only at the hands again. They shared one last tender look for a second more...Chris brushed his thump against the back of her hand, smiling softly; her face mirrors his smile warmly for a few seconds, and then they let go. They went separate ways, probably to take shots with other actors or to sign autographs. They went their separate ways, but within them their hearts are at the same place...They walked, each alone, but now their strides held steadiness & confidence; each had their hearts at the right place. Safe at #home.