Title: Every Day
Disclaimer: I do not own SVU or these characters (darn it!) nor am I making any money off them (darn it!). No infringement intended.
Fandom: Law and Order: SVU
Pairing: Alex/Olivia
Rating: T
Summary: Fluff fluff fluff
Notes: Ha! Welcome back, Alex Cabot, no? Yes. This piece, well, I'm working on something rather a little less PG than this one, but a member of the Bananagins gang (don't ask) asked me if I had a tonic for jetlag. Not sure if this is that, but when I saw the request this morning, this is what popped out. So I thought I'd share. But this was inspired by that initial request. :) Also, it's SHORT, but (hopefully) sweet.
Notes 2: As always, feedback makes the muse happy. And happy muses write more. :)

Every Day

Alex Cabot walked down the hall, approaching the front door to her apartment. It had been a long, exhausting week of continuing education and symposium talks in the nation's capital. And it was topped off by a long, exhausting, delay-filled return home. But now she was almost there, and she couldn't be happier about it. Especially since she'd be returning home not to an empty apartment, but to one she newly shared with a certain someone else.

She opened the front door and stepped inside.

Upon hearing the front door open, Olivia poked her head around the kitchen entrance and smiled broadly at the woman who had just entered.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," Alex stated as she returned the smile and ditched her briefcase.

Olivia's smiled just broadened as she quickly wiped her hands on a towel and went to Alex, "Welcome home, sweetie. I missed you," she replied before she gave the blonde a quick kiss on the lips and then wrapped her in a hug.

"Me, too," Alex mumbled as she happily returned the hug, closing her eyes, squeezing tightly. As they pulled back from the embrace, Alex inhaled deeply, "It smells wonderful in here."

Olivia smiled again and released Alex to head back to the kitchen, "Garlic chicken," she said over her shoulder by way of explaining the aroma, "It'll be ready in five minutes."

Alex inhaled deeply again and just smiled. Yes, she couldn't be happier to be home.

They ate at the small dining room table, chicken, veggies, freshly baked dinner rolls, and some wine. Even a couple candles. It was all subtle, but Olivia was definitely making her return feel special.

After dinner they cleaned up, stashed the dishes in the washer, stowed the leftovers in the fridge. Olivia then turned her attention back to the blond, once again smiling at her, once again saying how much she had missed her, once again kissing her, this kiss lingering far longer than the initial quick peck they had shared earlier.

When they pulled out, Alex's eyes were closed and she let out a contented hum that just made Olivia smile again. Alex then opened her eyes to look into those brown depths that she really could and did so often get lost in. Which was what was going to make what she next said just a little harder. "Olivia..." she began.

"Yessss..." Olivia drew out her reply a little playfully, hands resting on Alex's hips.

"You know I missed you, too, right?" Alex started.

Olivia recognized Alex's slight change in demeanor and the tentative note in her voice. "Of course," the detective responded.

"And you know I missed, well, this," Alex looked into Olivia's eyes with a slight twinkle, making it clear she was referring to the physical side of their relationship.

Olivia smiled, "Yes."

"And you know how much I appreciate the effort you went through tonight with dinner and everything," Alex was toying with the collar of Olivia's shirt.

"It was no effort," Olivia responded, not quite sure now where this was going.

"Well, I still appreciate it, and I appreciate you, and I love you, I love you so much..."

Olivia frowned slightly now, "I sense a 'but' in there..."

Alex exhaled and then met Olivia's eyes apologetically but still just a touch playfully, "But I'm so incredibly beat right now. Can we, maybe, perhaps, just skip the sex tonight and go right to the after-sex cuddling? I'm so sorry," she tacked on the last part quickly as a slight blush colored her cheeks.

Olivia couldn't help it, she laughed. She then wrapped the exhausted and rueful blonde in another hug, "Skip right to the after-sex cuddling, huh?" she asked with a chuckle still in her voice.

"I really am sorry," Alex repeated, her reply muffled somewhat against Olivia's shoulder. She then pulled her head back so she could look at the detective again, "I promise to make it up to you tomorrow."

Olivia smiled tenderly at the woman she loved and traced a finger lightly down her cheek, "You make it up to me every day."

Alex knew Olivia wasn't referring to sex, but just to her presence in Olivia's life. And she fought down the moisture that threatened to fill her eyes as she just continued to look at Olivia.

Finally, the detective broke the moment, dropping her arms and taking one of Alex's hands, leading her down the hall to their bedroom, teasing lightly, "Come on, let's get you into some completely un-sexy but completely comfortable saggy sweatpants and a tattered t-shirt and get to that after-sex cuddling."

Yep, after a long, exhausting week, Alex couldn't be happier about being home.

Fin.