Banging Benson: chapter 1

It had been a week and a half since Cragen had sent Elliot and Olivia undercover to catch their current perp. They had been pretending to be a married couple and they lived in an old house across the street from Terry McGregor, their perp. A rapist and murderer, Elliot and Olivia had concluded that his existence was no different from any other person they had interrogated or arrested in their previous years together as partners.

This week and a half had felt different for Elliot. It hadn't been long since Kathy had left him. She said that Elliot not being home much was taking its toll on her and she needed to find someone who would always be there for her. She hadn't said anything, but Elliot had always felt as though Kathy had had a resentful jealousy towards Olivia. Elliot understood why though; Liv was sort of like a second wife to him, a second lover.

Elliot hadn't noticed, but his love for Olivia had been growing a lot over the past week and a half; growing from platonic to romantic love. He was worried about it. What if Olivia realized how he felt and wanted off the case? He knew that she loved him the same way he had loved her for years, but this was different.

Olivia burst through the door and slammed the grocery bags on the small kitchen table and tripped on the linoleum flooring, landing right into Stabler's arms, knocking him to the ground. "Thank you, husband," Olivia said with a smirk. She got up from Elliot's lap and sat on the couch with a huff, suddenly noticing the small graze on her shin. She sighed and sank into the couch, closing her eyes.

Elliot sat down next to her, watching her, making sure that she was all right. "Are you all right, Liv?" he asked her after a few moments.

"I'm fine, El, just tired." Olivia said, rubbing at her shin. It had started to sting a bit now. "My shin is stinging and I really miss my own bed," she added with a forced laugh.

"Yeah, me too," Elliot said barely above a whisper. He missed his own bed because Kathy used to be right next to him when he finally got home from work each night… Well, most nights.

Olivia got up from the couch and went into the kitchen, inspecting which part of the flooring had caused her fall into Elliot's lap. She found the piece of flooring and grabbed a kitchen knife and cut off the protruding piece and set it on the table.

"You look pleased with yourself." Elliot called from the couch.

"Well, now no one else can see their life flashing before their eyes." Olivia said, smirking again, knowing well that Elliot was thinking of the time he had fallen out of her back doorway and onto her garden where multiple bees had stung him.

Elliot glared at her and got up to from the couch to make himself and Liv some coffee. Olivia sat down at the table, waiting patiently for her hot beverage.

She didn't need the caffeine kick, and it definitely wasn't hot drink weather, but talking with Elliot over coffee whenever they had a spare moment had become a very welcomed habit over the last few years. They talked about so many things that Olivia couldn't quite remember if they had talked about certain things before. Topics as mundane as the weather, to Elliot telling her that he thought Kathy might leave him, which she ultimately did. Elliot hadn't completely opened up to her yet about how he was feeling about the whole thing, which was odd for Elliot. Olivia didn't want to push Elliot into telling her every little tidbit about how he was feeling, but she was definitely worried about him.

"El, how long do you think this whole thing will take? It's been a week and a half; we've never had to be gone this long." Olivia said, drinking from her coffee and enjoying the sudden warmth that entered her body.

"I know, Liv. I'm tired too." Elliot said. "This stuff pisses me off. These kinds of people just piss me off, I don't get it. I love the job. You know, putting perverted assholes in jail. But sometimes it just gets to me. More often than not these days, I just think about packing it in and letting someone else do the job." Elliot sighed. "I'm tired, Liv."

"El, can I talk to y—"

"Hold that thought, Liv; we've got movement across the street." Elliot said, leaving his coffee on the table and quickly walking over to the front window of their house, out of sight.

Terry McGregor was hauling a big black garbage bag full of god knows what out his front door and putting it into his car before getting into the driver's side seat and driving away.

"We need to follow him." Elliot said, more to himself than Olivia. "Are you done?" Elliot said, gesturing to Olivia's half-drunk coffee mug.

Olivia snuck in one last mouthful, got her bag and out they went in pursuit of Terry.

Following Terry had once again proven pointless as he had burned the garbage bag and was gone before Elliot and Olivia had even reached their destination.

They sat down together on the couch that night after another small dinner watching boring, crappy TV.

"I'm gonna call it a night," Elliot said. "Night, Liv." He got up from the couch and went to kiss Olivia's forehead. Olivia went to kiss Elliot's cheek, and before they knew it, they had locked lips and were caught in a passionate kiss.

Elliot broke it off suddenly, stumbling over his words. "Uh, um. Night Liv." Elliot said quietly before getting out of the room as fast as he could.

Olivia sat quietly on the couch for a few more house. She was unable to get her mind off of that accidental kiss. Was It accidental, or had it been brewing for the last week and a half? Olivia had no idea what she was feeling right now, or how she would talk to Elliot about it the next morning.

She stretched and was thankful that there was two single beds in the bedroom, and not one big bed. Olivia was thankful for that.