She was sitting at her desk staring at her paperwork, knowing tonight was not going to be the night it got done. All she could think about was him. Her handsome six foot tall, brown hair blue eyed partner that was sitting across from her.
Olivia cared about Elliot. She had for a long time; even while he was married to Kathy, but she never brought up the situation because he was married. But now he wasn't. He hadn't been for two years. While she feared saying something to him, she also feared rejection from him.
"Liv?" she heard him whispered, close to her ear. She grinned and turned around to look at him. He smiled. "Go home. You haven't moved your eyes from your paper once and you haven't written anything on it in an hour." She laughed.
"Been watching me that long, Stabler?" she joked. He smirked.
"Come on, I'll walk you home." He helped her into her jacket and they headed in the direction of Olivia's apartment.
They talked the entire way, Elliot taking in every word she had to say. He loved the sound of her voice. The softness in it when she mentioned certain things and the way she got fired up about things that made her angry. In fact, he didn't think there was much about her he didn't love, which scared him.
He did love Olivia, that was a fact, but he feared hurting her. He would never do that intentionally, but he feared it would happen. He knew how many times in her life she had been hurt and he never wanted to be like those men. But what if she saw him as one of those men?
"Alright, now you're zoning out," Olivia said once they reached her apartment door. She grinned when he shrugged. "You alright, El?"
"Just thinking," he responded as they entered her apartment. When she turned around to say something, he spoke. "Yea, I know. Me thinking…ha ha." She laughed. "Liv, can we talk?" He knew that it was now or never with her. He wished he could do this in a more romantic place, but he knew if he waited, he would lose his nerve and make up some stupid thing to tell her, having nothing to do with him loving her.
"Sure. What's up, El?" she said, beginning to worry that something was wrong. Her worst fears struck in her mind. She was afraid he was quitting or wanted a new partner or something like that. "You're not quitting on me, are you?" It almost came out in a whisper.
"God, no. Olivia, I would never leave you," he whispered, taking her hand in his own. "I couldn't do that to you, Liva." He gently kissed her fingertips, before lacing her fingers through his. They both felt the shock that went through when his lips touched her hand. They both smiled.
"Then what's going on, El?" she said, her voice barley above a whisper.
"I've been lying to myself for a long time, Olivia. When Kathy and I split, I never thought I'd find someone to love again. Little did I know she had been in front of me all along," he said, never taking his eyes away from her chocolate brown eyes. "Liva, I love you. Part of me always has. All of me always will." A smile played at her face.
"You love me, eh?" she asked, grinning.
"Dammit, Liv…you would have to joke at a time like this, wouldn't you?" he asked. She grinned and leaned over to kiss his lips. The kiss was like one in the fairy tales. Everything around them stopped, except for how they felt for each other.
Elliot's hands slipped around her back and pulled her closer. Her hands immediately found his hair and pulled him. After what seemed like forever for both of them, they gently broke apart. "I love you too," she whispered, pulling him down into another passionate kiss.