A/N: Hey guys! This is my first time writing a scandal fic so I hope you go easy on me. This is gonna be a series of one shots; some AU while others would be canon to the show's story line. If you have requests for the future chapters, please leave a review or tweet me at: goldwyndempsey. So here it goes! Hope you guys like it and once again, please leave a review!
Prompt: "Olivia or Fitz being sick while one takes care of the other."(This is set in S4, post 4x15 when Liv threw the ring at Fitz because of West Angola)
Chapter 1:
Olivia Pope is many things: gladiator, president's mistress, and mother fixer are just some of the titles she takes upon on a daily basis. But on this particular day, she was only one thing and that was tired.With her bag in one hand, she rubbed her temples in an attempt to try and relieve the pain from the headache that's been killing her all day.
OPA's been business as usual; taking all the cases they could possibly handle. She and the rest of the team spend most nights in the office, working nonstop in order to fix and handle all their clients' problems. Working helped her avoid the inner demons that were threatening to drown her from inside out. It also meant she didn't have to sleep. Ever since she got home after the kidnapping, sleeping only led to her waking up panting, clutching her chest almost painfully, from all the different nightmares she experienced.
There were those she couldn't even remember but they were the kind that woke her up in a cold sweat; heart beating rapidly. On some nights, she'd dream of that cell, seeing herself running away from it but never being able to escape. Lastly, there were those nights, the worst nights, where she doesn't dream of that red door or wake up disoriented. Instead, she would see his face; see the pain in his features as she throws her ring, their ring, at him as if it didn't mean a thing. She wakes up from those nightmares slowly, eyes blank and feeling empty as he continues to haunt her even in consciousness. As she wakes, she revels in the pain and plays memories of them in her mind. As she tortures herself for a little more, she then grabs the Valium as she does every night, downing two. She lies back down and closes her eyes; the image of her throwing doux bébéat him playing over and over. Finally, when she watches the memory of him walking out of her door, his pained expression the last thing she sees, the pills take their effect and make her black out.
On her way up to her apartment, Olivia felt the exhaustion trying to take over her body. Her shoulders were tense and the pulsing pain in her temples didn't go unnoticed. It was only eight in the evening and since she didn't want to sleep, she brought a few files from work to keep her up for the rest of the night. Stepping out of the elevator, she realized there might be a change to her plans as she shifted her gaze between the two Secret Service Agents standing near her door.
Not in the mood for an argument, Olivia barely acknowledged the two as she unlocked her door.
"You can tell the President of the United States that I do not want to see him and that I'm not going anywhere with you." She briefly saw the two exchange worried looks until one of them spoke up.
"Miss Pope, I believe that isn't possible."
Olivia felt herself chuckle dryly. Turning back to them, she noticed the slightly terrified looks on their faces and it nearly made her laugh.
"You tell the president that I am not someone he can summon whenever he wishes. I am not some toy he can get his babysitters to pick up whenever he feels bored. Goodnight gentlemen."
Not letting them say anything else, she opened her door forcefully and slammed it behind her. She leaned her back against it and closed her eyes, trying to regulate her breathing. Placing one hand on her chest, she scolded herself for nearly losing control at the thought of almost seeing him again. After a while, she opened her eyes and walked towards the living room, the exhaustion and the sudden emotional turmoil making her want to collapse on the couch. She vaguely heard the contents of her bag spill as she dropped it on the carpeted floor yet paid no attention to it. As she removed her heels and was getting ready to sit, a gasp fell upon her lips at what she saw.
Fitz was in her apartment.
And he was fast asleep on her couch.
Her hand instinctively reached out to touch him but she pulled back immediately. There were so many questions running through her mind but all she could focus on was him. She willed herself to look away or hell even wake him up and tell him to leave but she couldn't.
She didn't want to.
So slowly, she made her way over to where he was and kneeled so she could look at him more closely. Still not touching him, she observed him quietly, as if committing his face to memory. Olivia could tell he was in distress. Even in his sleep he was slightly frowning, his stubborn curl falling on his forehead while his eyes were tightly shut. Her eyes traced the bridge of his nose then landed on his soft lips. Clenching her hand, she found herself aching to trace and touch his lips with her fingertips. But before she could decide, she was startled when he let out a throaty cough and began to shiver slightly. Frowning slightly, she reached out once more and didn't hesitate this time as her hand gently landed on his cheek in an attempt to soothe him. Instantly, worry filled her as she felt him burning up. He stirred at the feeling of her hand against his cheek as chills began to wrack his body even harder.
"Fitz, you're burning up! We need to go get you a doctor." She panicked while running her fingers through his hair in attempt to wake him up gently and try to calm herself down in the process.
With difficulty, Fitz finally gained consciousness, trying to get a grip of his surroundings, when his eyes found hers. Tears began to fill her eyes and all he could hear was her whispering his name repeatedly, trying to get his attention. He wanted so badly to erase that frown on her face and wipe her tears but he felt so weak, shivers controlling his body. The past few weeks filled with sleepless nights and without eating anything remotely decent have finally taken its toll on his body.
"L-Livvie." He managed to stutter weakly and it didn't go unnoticed. Once the words left his lips, Liv was wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest, sobs wracking her body and the all-familiar guilt was consuming her once again. She didn't know if she was crying out of relief at being so close to him again after everything or at the sight of him looking so vulnerable and helpless.
"We need to get you to a doctor, Fitz. You're sick. You have a fever. We can't just stay here and do nothing. " She kept on rambling as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, shaking his head in reluctance as he tried to get as warm as possible. She felt so good in his arms and the feeling of being with her again almost made him feel a little better. However, Liv wasn't fazed.
"I'm gonna call your agents, okay? We'll take the limo and we'll get you to the hospital, baby." Pulling away, she wiped her tears and attempted to get on her feet. But before she could step away, he used his remaining strength to latch onto her hand, making her look back at him with sad eyes.
"Don't need them. Only need you, Livvie. Don't go. Just stay. Please stay." His voice cracked, and he held on to her hand as tight as he could muster. He repeated his words over and over, pleading for her to hear him out.
This seemed to break Liv's resolve because in the next second, she was kneeling in front of the couch again so they were at eye level. Gazing at him, Liv came to the realization that she was just so tired of pretending; pretending that she didn't feel empty whenever he wasn't by her side, pretending that she wouldn't do the same thing as he had for her if it meant saving his life, and pretending that this man didn't own her the way she owns him because he, too, is the love of her life and she'd be damned if she'd ever lose him, lose them. Framing his face with shaky hands, she held his pleading gaze with her eyes full of unshed tears.
"I need you too, Fitz. I'm so sorry. I love you. I'm sorry." She whispered over and over, hoping her words would be enough to mend them both for tonight.
His soft sobs resonated against her neck as she whispered sweet nothings in his ear. They stayed like that for a while; with Liv stroking his hair and Fitz trying to get as close to her as possible. After a few moments, his breathing fell into a regular pattern and she knew he must have fallen asleep. Carefully laying his head back onto the pillow, Liv stood up and went to her room to grab a change of clothes for him. Knowing she didn't have any pills besides Valium in the house, she fetched a small towel, filling it with warm water before heading back to the living room.
After turning the heat up, she grabbed one of the towels and placed the basin on the table. Fitz was already fast asleep and appeared to be more relaxed compared to the state she's seen him in earlier. Feeling his temperature with the back of her hand, she noticed that his fever was still high. Moving closer to him, she began to unbutton his white oxford. Trying to regulate her breathing, she couldn't stop the involuntary gasp that escaped her lips at the sight of his body. Being so familiar with it, it was unmistakable that he put off a little weight over the last time she saw him. Regardless, beginning to smooth the wash cloth over him, he was still the most beautiful man she has ever seen. Passing the towel over his chest, she then moved it down to his well-defined abdomen. She passed the area carefully, chastising herself for lingering too much. Easing his shirt away, she passed the towel over his broad shoulders then continued down his long amd definded arms. Worry came over her when he remained unconscious even as she pushed his oxford off completely and put him in is NAVY sweatshirt.
Grabbing another warm towel, she eased it over the sides of his face down to his neck, trying to get him as warm as possible. After some time, she folded it twice, placing the warm cloth on his forehead, hoping it would help in easing his condition. Now done with her task, she found herself wanting to touch him once more, her hands clenching on their own. So slowly, and deliberately, she brushed his cheek with the back of her fingers; trailing them downwards then back up again. She repeated the pattern for several more times, her fingers now gently brushing against his lips. As she was about to trail her fingers over his cheek, he suddenly moved, taking her hand in his and placing it over his heart. With his eyes still closed, he brought their joined hands to his lips and placed the softest of kisses there.
The gesture brought her to tears for the second time that night. Suddenly, the fateful memories of their last encounter ceased to matter as they locked gazes, blue meeting brown. There were no words spoken between them. Simply looking at each other, and holding onto each other for dear life, they knew they had the same words in mind. And that was more than enough.
I missed you.
I'm sorry.
Don't leave me.
I love you.
Without any hesitation, she slid next to him on her couch and took him into her arms. She felt his arms wound tightly around her waist, his leg moving on top of hers, eliminating any space between them. She felt his hot tears against her neck as he hid his face in the crook of her neck, placing feather-like kisses against it. With her chin on top of his head, she allowed her tears to fall freely. The emotional turmoil of the past weeks have finally caught up to her and she couldn't do anything but let it all out. She cried for the inescapable fear that the trauma has caused her. She cried because of how much she missed him. She cried because having him in her arms made everything else feel right. And she cried because it's what she should've done all this time instead of driving him away.
They stayed that way for what seemed to be minutes but felt like more. Slowly, she felt him raise his head to look up at her, his eyes showing hesitation. She waited patiently, watching him as he played with ends of her hair. Linking their fingers, he finally broke the silence.
"I was hoping I could stay here tonight." He grinned coyly at her, suddenly shy as if he was scared of being rejected by her. He bent his head back down and started playing with the ends of her hair, purposely avoiding her gaze.
Smiling at his antics, she tipped his chin up so she could get a glimpse of those baby blues. Repeating his gesture, she took their linked fingers, placed them on her chest, and pressed a soft kiss on the back of his hand.
"Well I was kinda hoping you could stay forever." A tearful grin lit up her face and he couldn't help but smile back at her.
They were able to let go of their repercussions and find sleep that night; with their arms wrapped around one another and hands tucked in between their chests.
Olivia knew that they had a lot to discuss in the morning. She had a lot of questions and so did he. But before she passed out, she sighed in relief; as she became certain of one thing:
Wrapped securely in his arms, there would be no nightmares to bother her tonight.
A/N: There we go, guys! My first ever olitz one shot. Hope you guys could drop a review and tell me what you think. Don't forget to leave your requests. Much love!