Olivia shifted in the bed, a subtle awareness taking hold of her, even in her half-awake state.
She was alone.
Sighing, she waited a moment, trying to discern whether there was any movement in the bathroom.
There wasn't.
Rolling onto her back, she came fully into consciousness.
Glancing at the clock, she groaned. 3:30 a.m. She wouldn't be able to sleep until she knew where Alex was.
She shivered, pulling on a white tank-top and a pair of shorts before padding down the hall to the kitchen. The light over the sink provided the only illumination.
Unnoticed, Olivia observed the sight before her in silence.
Alex, in one of Olivia's NYPD t-shirts and a pair of underwear, was baking. Fucking baking. Headphones in, she was swaying slightly to the music only she could hear.
The tension in her shoulders was visible from across the room.
"Hey," Olivia's sleep laden voice broke the silence.
Alex jumped, spinning rapidly. Her hands were covered in flour, her eyes wide.
"Sorry," Olivia added, yawning. "I didn't mean to startle you."
Alex tugged one earbud out, frowning sheepishly.
"I'm sorry," she replied. "Did I wake you?"
"Nah," Olivia lied. She never slept well when Alex wasn't beside her. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine," Alex's tight smile was transparent. "Go on back to bed. I'll be there soon."
"You're baking bread at 3:30 in the morning," Olivia teased. "It doesn't take a detective to figure out that something is bothering you."
"You've had such a long week," Alex rebuffed the humor. "You need the sleep. I'm fine."
Ignoring her, Olivia sat on a barstool, smiling softly.
Alex looked like she might cry.
Olivia waited patiently.
Rinsing her hands, Alex took her headphones out and set the iPod aside. She returned to kneading the dough on the counter.
"I was just," she paused, her hands working furiously. "Thinking."
"Uh-huh," Olivia hummed noncommittally.
Alex sighed.
"About things," Alex hedged. "I just have a lot on my mind, I guess."
"Tell me," Olivia coaxed gently.
Alex looked at Olivia over her shoulder, their eyes meeting. Olivia did her best to let her love shine out, to wordlessly reassure Alex that nothing she could say at almost 4 in the morning in the kitchen of their apartment could change her mind about the attorney.
She loved Alex, lock, stock and barrel.
Nothing would change that.
"It's just," Alex began, turning away. "The thing is… Here's the thing… It's just that…"
Olivia couldn't stand to see Alex, usually so eloquent and bold, floundering. Standing, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Alex from behind, pressing her front to Alex's back. Alex sagged into the touch and Olivia knew she'd done the right thing.
The attorney's flour covered hands pulled Olivia's arms tighter around herself. Olivia kissed Alex's neck, sighing contentedly, nuzzling her girlfriend's soft skin.
"Baby," Olivia whispered. "You take as much time as you need. But whatever it is- nothing can change how I feel about you. I've loved you from the minute you first told me to 'fuck off' and I'll love you until I die. When you're ready to tell me, I'm here."
Alex turned her head, capturing Olivia's lips in a soft, lingering kiss.
"Do you ever think about getting married?" Alex asked when she pulled away.
Olivia was startled, knew Alex felt the way tension and surprise tightened her muscles. She did her best to relax but Alex tensed as well, beginning to pull away.
Olivia tightened her grip, burying her face in the side of Alex's neck.
"Have you?" she countered easily.
It was the wrong thing to say, apparently, and Alex wormed out of Olivia's grip before she could correct the mistake.
"Never mind," Alex bit.
"Hey," Olivia soothed, leaning against the counter. Despite her instincts to the contrary, she resisted crossing her arms, tried to keep her posture open and accepting. "Look at me."
Alex inhaled deeply and let it out slowly before turning to face Olivia. Olivia was surprised by the trepidation, the fear, she saw in her girlfriend's eyes.
"I've definitely thought about it," Olivia admitted.
Nodding, Alex bit her lip.
"Have you ever thought about," her voice trailed off. She cleared her throat, looked Olivia straight in the eye. "About marrying me?"
Olivia couldn't help the soft smile that tilted her lips, wouldn't have wanted to stop it even if she could have.
"Of course," she breathed.
Alex smiled too, visibly relaxing. Olivia chanced stepping closer, linking her hand with Alex's and kissing her wrist.
"Me too," Alex replied. "I was thinking I'd like to get married in the fall."
Olivia smiled, wondering why such thoughts were suddenly plaguing Alex. Why this was keeping her up at night.
"That sounds nice," Olivia offered neutrally.
"I was," Alex flushed softly, losing her nerve.
Olivia squeezed her hand gently.
"Iwasthinkingofayearlongengag ement," she blurted, her words too rushed and frenzied for Olivia to comprehend.
But her brain rewound, played the words out slower.
Holy shit.
"What?" she stammered.
Alex gulped audibly, like a cartoon character.
"I thought a year might be enough time to plan a wedding," she whispered, averting her gaze. "Nothing too big or fancy, just family and close friends."
Butterflies swarmed in Olivia's gut. Alex Cabot wanted to marry her. In a year. 365 days until she could tell the whole fucking world that this woman was hers forever.
Olivia could picture everything- Alex in a fitted white dress, the guys in matching suits, crisp autumn leaves, spending the holidays as newlyweds…
Yes.
Dear god, yes.
"Olivia?" Alex finally prompted tentatively.
"Yes," Olivia blurted.
"What?" Alex arched an eyebrow.
"Absolutely yes," Olivia replied. "I don't know if you're suggesting or asking or what but… I want to marry you, Alex. Tomorrow or a year from now- it doesn't matter to me."
"Would you," Alex flushed and looked steadfastly at the floor. "Would you ask me?"
"What?" Olivia stammered.
Alex bit her lip, shifted on her feet.
"Would you," she tried again. "Would you ask me?"
"You want me to ask you to marry me?" Olivia smiled.
"Yes," Alex nodded. "I know it's silly and old-fashioned and it's gender normative but I always-"
"I'd be honored," Olivia interrupted.
Alex tentatively met Olivia's gaze.
"Hold on," Olivia held up a hand in a wait gesture and disappeared.
When she returned, she walked straight into Alex's space and kissed her softly.
"I was going to wait," she pulled back with a breathless sigh. "But I can't."
She stepped back and held up a small engagement ring between her thumb and index finger.
"I've been carrying this around since our second date," Olivia admitted. "I've been wracking my brain lately, trying to figure out the right way to go about this. But everything I imagined was too corny or elaborate or not us."
"Liv," Alex breathed, her eyes watering.
"So here's the thing," Olivia parroted back Alex's earlier rambling, earning a small smile. "I love you, Alex. You're an amazing, gorgeous, sexy, brilliant, sexy woman."
"You said sexy twice," Alex interrupted teasingly.
"I'm just trying to emphasize the important parts," Olivia grinned. "Now stop interrupting."
"Yes ma'am," Alex sassed.
Olivia laughed.
"As I was saying," she continued. "You're the best. Before I met you, I didn't know anyone like you even existed- in fact, I was sure they didn't."
"Like me?" Alex asked.
"Perfect for me," Olivia replied. "And you are. You challenge me, support me, encourage me, and most importantly you love me. I can't imagine my life without you. And I don't want to."
"I don't want to-" Alex began.
"I'm not done," Olivia cut her off gently. "I know I don't always say the right thing or do the right thing. I know my job is hell and there's no changing that. A lot of the time I'm a total pain in the ass. But for some reason you've stuck with me. I promise that for the rest of my life I will do everything possible to show you that I'm worthy of that love and devotion. Will you marry me, Alex?"
Alex nodded emphatically, barely letting Olivia finish before fusing their lips together in a passionate kiss.
The kiss was possessive and needy and heated and Olivia wrapped her arms tightly around Alex's lithe frame.
"Yes," Alex panted, pulling back to kiss and nip at Olivia's neck. "Yes, I'll marry you."
Olivia leaned back and held the ring up between them. She slowly slid it onto Alex's finger.
"It's too big," Olivia groaned. "I'm sorry. I would have sworn I had the right size."
"It's ok," Alex soothed. "I'll get it resized."
"It's not as romantic if the ring doesn't fit perfectly,"
"I think it's plenty romantic," Alex soothed, pecking Olivia's lips. "You're romantic. Carrying this ring around for all those weeks. A little presumptuous, maybe, but very romantic."
"Presumptuous," Olivia scoffed laughingly. "You think so, huh?"
She leaned down, trailing a line of kisses across Alex's jaw.
"If memory serves," Olivia added. "You like it when I'm presumptuous."
Alex moaned but didn't reply when Olivia hit a particularly sensitive spot on her neck.
"Don't you?" Olivia pressed.
"Hmm," Alex hummed, too lost in the feel of Olivia's lips to worry about what she was saying.
"You can do better than that," Olivia cooed, suddenly withdrawing to hold Alex at bay.
"Coercion," Alex muttered, her irises nearly swallowed by the smoldering black of her pupils.
"What are you going to do about it?" Olivia challenged.
Alex leaned in as if to kiss Olivia but detoured at the last minute, husking into the shell of her ear.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
Olivia's heart rate accelerated, her body instantly alert to that tone of voice.
Alex palmed Olivia's breast through her tank top and was rewarded with a guttural moan from her fiancée.
Her fiancée.
Fuck.
Alex leaned back, cupping Olivia's jaw between her hands.
Olivia's brow furrowed.
"I love you," Alex whispered.
Olivia smiled.
"I love you too," she replied. "I can't believe you're going to marry me."
Olivia grasped Alex's hand, pulling it down to kiss each knuckle and the ring itself. She cradled the hand between them, grinning widely.
"We're getting married," Alex breathed, as if it just couldn't be real.
"In a year," Olivia added.
"How about October 5th?" Alex asked.
"You already picked the date?" Olivia couldn't hide her surprise.
Alex opened her mouth to protest, to apologize, but Olivia grinned.
"Damn, I hate being a foregone conclusion."
Alex laughed, burying her face in Olivia's neck and holding on for dear life. Olivia curled her powerful arms around Alex in response, nuzzling Alex's blonde locks.
"I'm so happy," she rasped. "You have no idea how happy you've made me."
"I might have some idea," Alex replied.
"Maybe you could show me," Olivia purred suggestively. "And then I could show you how happy you've made me. We could compare notes."
"Hmm," Alex pretended to weigh the offer, sliding her hands down to lightly knead Olivia's ass. "I like the sound of that."