Fragile

By: Liv-x-Lex4Ever & E. Scribbles

Chapter 1: Jealous

Olivia ran towards the line, breathless, but grateful she'd made the flight on time. Something Casey had been positive she wouldn't. So sure, the ADA had been that she had bought a seat on the next two flights as well. Gripping her boarding pass, Olivia looked over the sea of travelers and was grateful to see a red head among them. Cautiously, she slipped through the crowd and put a hand on the redhead's waist.

"You're...here? Really? Thought you said you wanted nothing more to do with me?" she asked skeptically.

Olivia's hand hesitated, but stayed on Casey's waist. "Case...I was angry..."

"Just angry? I remember a physical sting. And for what? Because I was having lunch with someone I needed files from for your case?"

Olivia lowered her gaze, her hand beginning a familiar dance on Casey's side that she did when trying to calm her down. "I know. I know. But she..." The memory flooded her for a moment, of the woman's fluttering eyelashes, her giggle, her hand touching Casey's knee. "She wanted you Casey! And you knew she did! You played up to it! I had a right to be angry."

"You didn't have to argue with me in front if everyone in that packed restaurant! I had to do it. She never would've given me the file. You didn't have to follow me! When have I given you a reason not to trust me?"

"She is manipulative! She would have got what she wanted from you!" As Casey pushed Olivia's hand from her waist, Olivia almost felt something between then shatter. Angry, weary, sad, scared, happy...they had always gone to each other, even if the other person was the cause of that emotion. Never before had Casey rejected her touch. She stared down at her hand, apparently unsure what to do with it anymore.

Casey just continued to move with the line. She knew something had just broken between them, but if Olivia couldn't trust her now...maybe it wasn't worth trying to fix.

Olivia stood stock still until she was hustled forward by people walking behind her. She followed Casey silently onto the plane, but when she saw the lone male sitting in the window seat of their row give Casey a wide smile, she promptly pushed past her to sit next to him. "These are our seats, Case."

She sighed. "I know. I'm the one who got the flight, remember?"

The man reached out a hand to Casey. "I think we've met before. ADA Novak, right? I own the coffee shop that you get lu—" He was cut midway through when Olivia shook his hand and half pushed him back into his seat.

"Coffee shop? How lovely and enterprising. If you don't mind, we were talking..."

Casey turned toward her. "Really? I don't remember a worthwhile conversation."

"You'd rather talk about making a latte with a barista?"

"Oh and what was the conversation you wanted to have? Where you assume I would cheat on you?"

The man sat back and folded his arms, hoping it would be a short flight.

Olivia's eyes flashed. "I never said that. Put your belt on."

She sighed. "Yeah, you did. Did you want me to do that? Is that why it was such a big deal that it required you to follow me everywhere I went that day?" she asked, clicking her belt.

Olivia, accustomed to the fact Casey always struggled to tighten the plane belts, went to do it for her. "I told you, I wasn't following you! I checked your diary, in which you'd underlined her name by the way..."

"Checked? You spied on me!"

"You left it on my desk! I thought you had something planned and you'd left it on purpose!" Olivia's eyes flitted uneasily to the window as the plane prepared for takeoff.

"I've never done that."

"So? We've never...had sex in a broom closet until last week. There's a first time for everything!" She gripped the armrest tightly as the plane vibrated.

She smiled. "Yeah that was...cramped...and I ripped my skirt. Actually, you ripped it."

Olivia's eyes shut as the plane began to move. She remembered why she hated holidays now. The barista took the opportunity to smile at Casey again.

Casey just smiled back, resting a hand on Olivia's arm for comfort. "You said you owned the coffee shop? I don't think I've seen you but a few times. It's usually overcrowded."

He glanced at Olivia, but was relieved to find she was more focused on keeping food down and remaining alive for the moment. "It's pretty productive, to say the least. I don't have to work there that often, only when there are a lot of staff off or I'm feeling bored. Is your...is she...she's a bit..." He glanced at Olivia again.

Casey placed an open bag in her fingers. "We didn't have to fly anywhere, Liv, really. I know how you get. It's gonna be okay." Forgetting their fight, she wrapped an arm around her. "Just try to sleep a bit, okay?"

"You said you wanted to go here though. I wanted to come with you so you didn't go with your friends." Her voice faded as she finished her sentence, knowing she should have, at least phrased it better.

Casey sighed. "What does that mean? You're jealous of my friends?"

"I didn't mean...there's just...Some of your friends are..." Olivia momentarily forget her fear as the warmth of Casey's arm left her and she sat up.

"Just tell me. There's no reason for this argument to get in the way of our trip..."

"...I don't trust them. I've done background checks on some of them and—" She stopped when she saw the look on Casey's face.

"Background checks? Were those for your benefit or mine?" she asked, sitting back and crossing her arms.

"For both of us! I wanted to make sure people weren't just after something from you...because I didn't want you to get hurt."

Casey rested a hand on hers. "I appreciate it, but next time, could you tell me?"

Olivia nodded earnestly, gripping a tight hand to the barista's arm to stop him as he went to speak.

Casey brought her hand up and kissed it. "It's okay, Olivia. He's a good guy. What? I can't talk to people?"

Jealousy sparked in her eyes, but as she seemed to have made an uneasy peace with Casey, she sat back and allowed him to talk. "Was just going to mention, most days I see you at the coffee shop, she appears and waits outside. I thought she was a guard or something."

She nodded, kissing her cheek. "She's my personal guard, my favorite!"

"Not too sure I'd like a guard to come in and check what I've eaten and who I've spoken to.."

She shrugged. "Yeah, I understand that, but she's much more to me than a guard," she looked at Olivia, "right?"

"...I hope so," Olivia said softly.

Author's Note: Now what?

Thanks to: That70sShowLova for Beta-ing!

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Liv-x-Lex4Ever & E. Scribbles