Fitzgerald Grant stepped off the airplane at Dulles International Airport and began to follow the crowd of people toward baggage claim. Retrieving his phone from his pocket he held the power button until the screen emitted light and waited for it to turn on. His phone buzzed in his hand with an incoming text message and he smiled at the name that appeared on the screen.
Here, waiting for you.
It had been just 6 months, 2 weeks and 3 days since he first laid eyes on the beautiful woman he was meeting. The woman who had changed everything in his life. They spent two wonderful whirlwind weeks together and then she had to leave and he was changing everything to follow her. His life before her had been stagnant. He was stuck in a dead marriage and a dead end job. Just barely content to live his life miserable; he was just going through the motions when he literally walked right into the beautiful Olivia Pope. Smart, beautiful, enchanting Olivia Pope. An offer to refill her coffee since he clumsily spilled it all over her blouse had turned into a 3 hour political debate. And that turned into a friendly dinner. And that turned into the beginning of something incredibly beautiful.
And now, here he was, 6 months and 3 days after she boarded a plane, rounding the corner that lead to baggage claim. He spotted her instantly. She was busily typing away on her phone, fidgeting in the spot she stood. He walked closer still and she looked up, beautiful brown eyes taking him in. And then it happened. Her eyes lit up like the sun and a beautiful smile graced her face. Dropping her phone into her purse, she stood up straight from where she was leaning and ran into his arms.
Fitz had seconds to register that she was headed for him and stumbled a bit when she barreled into his arms. He recovered quickly and lifted her up, spinning her around before lowering her for a kiss. When he finished he set her feet on the ground and pressed his forehead against hers.
"Hi," he said quietly.
She smiled up at him. Her brown eyes were twinkling and there were tears of joy pooling.
"Hi," she replied.
Olivia opened the front door to her apartment and walked inside, Fitz following closely behind wheeling his suitcase and carry-on. She shut the door behind him and motioned for him to follow her. They moved down a short hallway and she opened the door for him to go inside. Fitz set the suitcase down and turned to face her, a huge grin spreading across his face.
"You must be tired," she murmured as she approached him, wrapping her arms around his waist and snuggling her face into his broad chest.
Fitz nodded his head and took a look at the watch on his wrist. It read that it was only 6:30 in the morning thanks to red eye flight he had taken. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his nose into her hair, inhaling deeply and basking in the smell of sweet vanilla. "I'm a little tired," he said.
Olivia tilted her head back a bit and smiled up at him. "Want to take a nap?"
"Do I get to take it with you?"
Olivia giggled and nodded her head. She stepped out of his arms reluctantly and quickly changed into the t-shirt she had stolen when they were together previously. He smiled when he noticed her wearing his Navy t-shirt and stripped down to his boxers. They climbed into the bed and met in the middle, meeting like magnets. Her arms wrapped around his waist and her head resumed its spot against his chest. Fitz held onto her tightly and closed his eyes.
Within moments, they both fell asleep, tightly entwined with each other and perfectly content.
Olivia was the first to awaken later on that morning. A quick glance at the clock told her it was now ten in the morning. She looked down at the man tangled up in bed with her and smiled. He was laying on his back and her crisp white sheet was down around his waist, revealing a beautifully toned body. Gently she reached her hand out to stroke her fingertips over the chiseled features of his handsome face. She remembered clearly how stricken she was by his looks when she first met him. He was model gorgeous with ocean blue eyes and a show stopping smile. As superficial as it was, that was what made her agree to coffee with him that fateful morning.
Her fingers trailed across his soft lips and she smiled to herself. It may have been his looks that made her agree to coffee but what caused her to stay was his personality. He was warm, intelligent and charming. She had never met someone she could so easily talk to and debate with. He was thoughtful and well-spoken with a quick wit. She was in love upon first meeting but treaded carefully due to the gold band on his finger. They maintained a beautiful friendship for the two weeks they were there. They visited art museums and discussed politics over trendy dinners and expensive coffee. She had never felt as at ease with a man as she did when she was talking to him. They could talk for hours or not say a word. It didn't matter because every moment together was sacred.
Her fingers trailed lower over his toned upper body and chiseled abdomen. They submitted to their mutual lust just once. The night before she left for D.C. they had dinner and he walked her back to the hotel. The attraction, the tension, it cumulated into one beautifully explosive lust filled night. She shivered a bit at the memory and trailed her fingers back up as Fitz began to stir. His eyes slowly cracked open and he smiled at the sight of her propped on her elbow above him.
"Hi," he mumbled sleepily.
"Hi," she murmured in reply. "I can't believe you're really here."
He reached out for her and she willingly went into his arms, burying herself into the warmth of him.
"Livvie," he said softly.
"I never believed it," she admitted quietly. "I thought after that night that we would just go our separate ways and forget. But you..."
"But I called you and told you I was divorcing my wife."
She nodded. "I still didn't believe it. Even when I saw the papers."
"How about when I quit my job?"
"No," she whispered. "I didn't believe it until just now. I thought I would wake up from falling asleep in your arms and it would all be a dream. I've had that dream so many times only to wake up alone. But you're here."
Fitz pulled her impossibly close and kissed the top of her head lightly. "I'm here and there isn't anywhere else I would rather be than right here. With you."
She looked up at him and smiled brightly. "I love you."
"I love you too, Olivia Pope." A slight yawn escaped her lips as she cuddled up closer to him. "Let's get some more rest," he murmured. "We have the rest of our lives to be tired."
The next time they awoke, Fitz was the first to rouse. He took a good look at the woman in his arms and felt the grin that spread across his face at the sight. She was gorgeous and brilliant and his. She was his. He couldn't possibly be any happier than he was in this moment. Leaving his wife, quitting his job and moving across the country to be with a woman he had only really known for 2 weeks was insane. That was what everyone he knew told him. He was insane. Looking at her there in his arms though proved his decision had been right. This was where he belonged.
Scooting down so they were eye level he began to pepper kisses all over her face. He covered her forehead, cheeks, nose and lips with feather light kisses until she began to stir. "Wake up, beautiful," he whispered.
Olivia's response was a murmured grumble as she tried to snuggle in closer to him. He let out a chuckle and wrapped his arms around her waist before kissing her softly on the lips. Reluctantly her eyelids fluttered and warm brown eyes looked up at him.
"What time is it," she mumbled sleepily.
Fitz turned his head towards the clock and snuffled a laugh when he saw the time. "It's after noon."
"That's the best I have slept in months," she said.
"Me too," he grinned and kissed her softly on the lips.
A kiss that was meant to be soft and delicate quickly turned passionate and intense. It had been months since they had the opportunity to feel each other and their mutual need came rushing back at the touch of their lips. Within seconds Fitz had Olivia on her back and was hovering above her, kissing her with all of the passion that consumed him. When they parted Olivia cupped his cheeks in her petite hands and smiled up at him. He looked down into her eyes tenderly as they let the moment wash over them. It had been so frantic the last time. So full of need, desire and love but rushed by the circumstances and the little time they had left together. But he was there now and they had time now. Time to go slow. Time to love. Time to just be.
"Fitz," she whispered, "make love to me."
Not another word was needed as he lowered his lips back to hers. They took their time removing each other's clothes in long languid strokes. Every inch of skin was explored as they relished in the beauty of time. When he entered her waiting heat it was with slow strokes, ensuring she felt all of him as her legs wrapped around him and their lips continued a sensual dance.
"I love you," he whispered into her ear as they moved together. "I love you, I love you, I love you."
"I love you too," she replied on a moan before greedily bringing his lips back to hers.
In that moment, nothing else but the two of them mattered. They were one and they were together. They had fought the battle and won. Despite all the odds and all the naysayers they managed to end up together. When the time came, they rode out the waves of ecstasy together, until they had no more left to give.
Olivia hummed to herself as she moved effortlessly through the kitchen of her condominium. She had awoken in Fitz's arms to a grumbling in her stomach that simply couldn't be ignored. They had spent hours in bed exploring every inch of each other's bodies. Becoming intimately reacquainted with the pieces of each other they had only known as fantasy for months.
She removed two large white plates from her cabinet and piled them high with food from her favorite chinese restaurant. She ensured that Fitz got an extra egg roll, remembering they were his favorite, and gave herself a little extra fried rice. She turned when she heard his footsteps and smiled at his appearance. His hair was messy from her fingers and matted from the bed. He had pulled on a pair of sweatpants that hung dangerously low on his hips. He looked completely happy and content.
"You left me alone, " he mumbled sleepily.
Olivia nodded her head towards the plates as she retrieved two bottles of water from the fridge. "Food," she said softly, sighing contently when she felt his arms wrap around her.
Fitz grinned and nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, peppering it with gentle kisses. "It's lonely in bed without you."
Olivia giggled and turned into his arms, wrapping hers tightly around his neck and leaning up on her tip toes to softly kiss his lips. "Well," she said with a smile, "let's take this upstairs and get back in bed."
A cheshire cat grin spread across his face as he backed her into the fridge and began to kiss her neck again. "Or we could stay down here for awhile.
"Fitzgerald, " she said sternly causing him to gaze up wide eyed.
"Yes, beautiful?"
"As wonderful as all that feels, you have literally worn me out and I am hungry."
Fitz grinned widely down at her and stepped back a bit. "Wore you out, huh? I still got it."
"Mmm definitely. C'mon, baby. If you're good, maybe I will let you start another round."
They sat cross-legged on the bed, facing each other, as they ate their food and chatted. The six months they spent apart had been filled with daily conversations. Often they would discuss their days and their plans for the weekend but they also shared stories of their past and their hopes and dreams for the future. They discussed their likes and dislikes and all of the minutia that made them the people they were. One thing they had never discussed however was their future together. Fitz often tried to bring it up but Olivia would inevitably shut it down. He learned quickly that she didn't like dabbling in what-ifs. Olivia Pope lived in the here and now.
"So, I got a call for a job interview," he said before taking a big bite of a chicken finger.
"Yeah? Where," she said with a smile.
"A law firm about a block from where you work. It's not a lot of money but they do good work. They help people."
"That's great, baby. I'm sure you'll get the job."
He finished off the lo mein on his plate and grabbed her empty plate, stacking it on his and placing them on the bedside table. Fitz scooted close to Olivia and pulled her into his arms, laying a kiss on the top of her head.
"Thanks. I also have a call in to a realtor, so I can look for a place…"
She looked up at him and smiled. "I was thinking about that actually."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. Move in here," she said quietly. "With me."
"Olivia," he said carefully. "Are you sure? I mean I would love that but I don't want to…"
He was silenced by Olivia climbing onto his lap and kissing him softly. "Shh. Now that I have you here, I don't want you to go."
"I love you," he said as he gently laid her back onto the bed and climbed on top.
"I love you too," she whispered as she brought his lips to hers.
Their kiss was deep and passionate as their hands meandered over heated skin. Neither of them had ever felt a connection like this before and were finding that while the journey they were on was terrifying it was also magical. They poured all of that into their kiss and more. When they parted, Fitz looked down at her with tenderness and love in his eyes.
"Marry me," he blurted out.
"What did you say," she gasped
Fitz took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts. He hadn't meant to blurt that out but he couldn't hold it in any longer. He was so in love with her and it just seemed like the next logical thing. He ran his fingers gently over her cheek and then over her slightly parted lips.
"Marry me, Olivia," he repeated. "Marry me."
"Fitz, you… you've been divorced like 3 days."
"I know, Livvie," he whispered. "I know it sounds crazy but I just… I love you so very much. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to build a life with you and I don't want us to have to wait because I was coward who married someone I didn't love instead of waiting for you."
"Oh, Fitz," she said softly. "I love you too, baby. I want to build a life with you too."
"Then marry me. Say you'll marry me."
Olivia slowly nodded her head before reaching up to cup his cheeks and bring his face down to hers. "Yes," she whispered against his lips before kissing him with all of the passion in her body. "Yes, I'll marry you."
A/N" *waves* I want to start this off first with - yes I know I owe you an update on Arranged Love and I AM SO SORRY. I have had some terrible terrible writer's block going on plus some personal stuff that has made it incredibly difficult for me to get the next chapter out. I am trying though, I really am, and I hope that by writing this I've reignited the writing bug or something. This kind of wouldn't leave me alone so I just decided to write it and put it out there. At the very least it would give me the opportunity to offer a mea culpa for my lack of updates on Arranged Love and for those that even remember it existed, Five Years Running.
I also want to say a big thank you to everyone who leaves comments/sends me PMs asking for updates. You seriously have no idea how much they mean to me and at a time where I was crying every day it was wonderful to get those reasons to smile. So THANK YOU. You're wonderful and I promise you I will not abandon my stories. I WILL BE BACK.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this little story. Leave me reviews because they make me happy and I love hearing what you all think. Scandal fans are the coolest.