Author's Note: This is from a tumblr drabble ask meme I did a little while back. The prompt came from tumblr user oliviabensons: E/O: "I almost lost you." I've never written for them before so it was a little scary. Takes place following Olivia's kidnapping from Lewis. Title is from the Mat Kearney song All I Need.
All I Need
She's physically and emotionally exhausted, every inch of her body aches. She wants to curl up in her king sized hotel bed and not think about William Lewis and what he's done to her. She wants to forget that she told Brian she wants to be left alone, afraid of what that means for their relationship. She wants to forget how she didn't think about Brian while she was kidnapped and tortured. She wants to forget who she did think about.
She turns the corner to her hallway and there he is, leaning next to her door as if years hadn't passed, as if he didn't leave without saying goodbye, as if he's still her partner.
"Olivia," he says, and she exhales a breath she didn't know she's been holding. "I heard about what happened. Munch told me where you were staying. Everyone called. It was on the news. I just…shit, Liv," he takes a shaky breath, "I almost lost you."
She's waited for this moment for years. She's waited to rip into him, hurt him as badly as he hurt her, demand justice for shattering her beyond repair and taking every little piece of her so that she barely recognizes herself anymore.
Instead, the anger she's expecting is replaced with emptiness, and she looks at him sadly. "You already did, El."
She pushes past him and goes inside, shutting the door on him and sliding down to the ground. She takes a few deep breaths and blinks the tears away. She will not cry over him again. She does not need him.
But the walls are paper-thin and she hears him clear his throat. She stands up and looks through the peephole and there he is: sitting vigil at her door.
He once told her to blink her lights so he'd know she was safe. He once told her he was her partner for better or worse. He once said if anyone had her back, it should be him.
She opens the door and stares wordlessly at him for a moment. He looks up at her, unshed tears in his eyes, two years' worth of apologies etched on his face.
They can talk later.
She shrugs and turns around, heading back into the room, leaving the door open behind her.
He follows.