Hello there!
The other day this idea popped into my head. And I had to write it. I hope you like it because I really like these moments they have when they are being totally oblivious to the other.
It's going to be a two-shot fluffy story that I wrote with all my illusion.
Waiting for your opinions.
It all started subtly, with little things that only her squad notice since they are the people that know her better. Like the way her eyes get all shiny when Barba does something unexpected on the court (for example the belt thing when they barely had met) or when he wins the case and brings justice despite the shitty case, they brought him.
For his part, it's a bit later when they notice. But once they catch him, he's even worse than Olivia. At first, it's the subtle seeking of her approval on the court, looking at her when he knows that he had excelled it on his speech or questions. But as the time goes he starts to look barely only at her, even when they are all in the same space discussing her latest case or the way he starts to touch her more. Normally it's only a hand on the shoulder or the forearm to stop her or on her lower back when they had to go to the same place. All very appropriate in a working ambient.
They have to start to hold back the laughter when that touch issue extends. Considering that to hand a pen, paper or a cup of coffee you don't have to touch all the other person hand. But Olivia does. And he smiles at her saying thank you. She then smiles too and all it's supposed to be normal.
Or when they start to end each other sentences.
And then it's the first name thing. Since barely known each other Barba started to call her by her given name or the short version of it. But the first time she uses his, at least in front of the four of them, it makes the whole space go mute.
That day they were a bit mad at him. He hadn't got them the warrant they wanted. They knew that from the beginning that the odds would be a negative answer, as what they got was mostly circumstantial, but they had to try anyway. But Olivia had gone wild. They knew that the case would probably awake deep feelings as the victim was the final result of a rape twenty years ago. But Barba couldn't have done more. She didn't seem to see it as they had spent the last ten minutes arguing in her office. The door was closed from the beginning, but their screams could be heard perfectly from outside her office.
Probably, they should have been doing their job instead of listening to them, but it was just too much fun. It looked like they were in a soap opera.
Until Barba, seeming tired of all this arguing with her, opened the door to go away. She was right behind him. Stopping him grabbing his blazer.
"Rafael, we are not done!" She screamed. And then she took him inside once more.
It was then when Carisi and Rollins began to worry about the ADA for real. But before any of them could do something the yelling stopped. Carisi could not stop himself and looked through the blinds and saw how the two of them were sitting on her sofa, glued to each other, holding hands and speaking in soft murmurs as their voices weren't heard anymore.
The four of them could have continued to work like this. With their little oblivious PDA. But after Lewis, it all went to hell.
The first time it happened it was Fin who almost started to hump his head to the wall.
The clock said it was one in the morning. It was late, too late and they were not that young anymore. They were running out of time going after an unknown man that had kidnap a five-year-old girl.
In the middle of this nightmare, Liv had to go to the hospital as Lucy had called her. Noah had another asthma attack and the doctors wanted to keep him at least the night.
It wasn't the first time they had to go without her. But this time with Mike on medical leave after the shooting and now Liv they were shorthanded.
Fin knew they could do it. But tonight it wasn't the right one. Everything had to be twice as difficult. The last one has been the brother of their main suspect.
Their plan was, leave Liv as quiet as possible with her son but, one did not always get what he wanted.
He had to call Liv just an hour after she left because the bastard would only talk to her.
When Fin saw her, she was almost running.
"Liv:" Fin stopped her, trying to calm her a bit looking at her eyes. "I'm sorry, but the bastard says he would only talk with you. And we don't have any spare time."
"I know." She was tired, mad and cranky. She wanted to be with her boy. "I just hope that he says something useful if not, I don't know what I'm capable to do to him."
"How's Noah?"
"Stable. They want to keep him tonight and watch him." She explained.
"I suppose Lucy is with him."
"No, he's with Rafi," Olivia said as she grabbed some paper and a pen and went inside the interrogation room.
After Olivia smashed the guy in barely fifteen minutes, they had all the information they needed. They went after his brother. Founding the van he used and the house in which he was keeping the girl drugged.
They found him in the back yard speaking with himself. He still hadn't done her anything.
Fin ended the paperwork at six in the morning. And decided to grab some coffee and go to see Olivia.
I should have known he would found a picture like that once he arrived. Rafael was sleeping on the sofa, with his legs on a chair and his head on a cushion. One of his hands was on Noah's back as he was sleeping on his chest. And the other was on Liv's shoulders as she was sleeping with her face on his neck, cuddled to his side.
They looked like a family.
He just hoped that they wouldn't take much more time to acknowledge their feelings. Not wanting to disturb them he left quietly. He also needed sleep.
The second time it was Carisi.
He had taken the shortest stick in the draw that they had made last night after Olivia had called them saying that her car was dead. She had gone with Barba to talk with a imprisoned murderer that might help them in their current investigation. The time had passed and then it was too late arrange someone to pick them up and get at their places at a decent hour. So they had decided to stay in a nearby hotel and tomorrow someone of the squad would go pick them up.
Carisi's morning had gone surprisingly well. He'd gotten up with the first sound of the alarm clock, giving him enough time to shower and dress quietly and have a cup of coffee before catching the car. During the journey, he had hardly encountered traffic, with had allowed him to arrive quite early.
He already had the hotel address and the room number he assumed was Olivia's. So once on the third floor, he went to that room.
But he would never have thought what would greet him once he knocked the door.
"Who is it?" A male voice asked as the door opened. Carisi was looking at the phone. He would have sworn that the voice was Barba's. But it couldn't be. It was Olivia's room. But looking straight ahead he saw a newly raised Barba. He was disheveled, with stubble and wearing an inner shirt and boxers.
"Counselor?" Carisi said. "I thought it was the Lieu's room."
"What are you doing here? It's only seven thirty in the morning." He complained. "It's too early." He said roaming his hand through his face. Without paying much attention to the younger man.
Rafael went a bit inside the room, leaving the door open.
"Liv!" He said loudly. "Liv!" He repeated as he hadn't had any answer.
"What is it Rafi?" Olivia asked as she came from the bathroom with a bath robe and toweling her hair.
"Carisi is here." He said plainly. Like it was any other morning between them. While Carisi was astounded and speechless with their interaction.
"Hey Carisi," Olivia greeted him. "Isn't it a bit too early?" She asked.
"Yes," Barba growled before he could say anything.
"You are too grumpy this morning, honey."
"If you don't remember we barely had any sleep."
"You need coffee." She smiled at him.
"Yeah, I need coffee." He agreed with her. "But first a shower." He said before getting into the bathroom.
Carisi hadn't said a word. It was too much.
"Something wrong?" Olivia asked him.
"No... No" He murmured. "Just... I thought it was your room."
"It was supposed to. But the hotel is small and they only had this one." She said.
Carisi nodded at her as he saw the bed for the first time. It was totally discarded. With the sheets heaped to the feet. It was then that he thought that they had shared the bed. And Barba said they had barely had any sleep. It was too much again.
"Well..." He started. He only hoped he wasn't too red-faced. "I'll let you two dress. I'll be in the cafeteria having some breakfast."
"Perfect. We'll see you in half an hour at most" She smiled at him.
Once in the hallway, he had a few deep breaths trying to process what he saw. And the only thing he could do was to grab his phone and dial Amanda's number as he went to the cafeteria's hotel. He had to tell her now.
The third time it was Deputy Chief Dodds.
He didn't know how he ended up eating at that table. Not two hours ago the jury had declared guilty the perp of their last case. It had been a high profile case, as the father of the charged man was a senator. It was because of that that he had been more involved in the case. He even performed some of the interrogations.
After the verdict, his son proposed a celebration meal. As they were having a quiet week all the squad could go.
He had been talking mostly to his son, as he was sitting beside him, and with Benson and Barba who were sitting in front of him. Until then it had all gone well, sharing a few appetizers and sharing some funny memories.
It wasn't until the waiter started to bring the main course when he started to have a weird feeling about those two in front of him.
Each of them had asked for a different thing. The dishes looked very good. He hadn't been at this restaurant before but Barba did have good taste.
Olivia had ordered the house salad and Rafael the Caprese chicken.
"Here," Olivia said giving Rafael some breath.
"Thanks," He said as started to take some of her salad. Putting it, in a dish that had appeared from nowhere. At the same time Olivia was pouring them some more wine and took the dressing salads, once for her and the other she left it in front of the counselor's plate.
"Oh! Good choice. Thanks," Barba said referring to the dressing.
"I had the feeling," Olivia said without looking at the man. "You left some onion," She said with disgust as he quickly took it with his fork.
"Sorry."
"Didn't they brought...?" She started to ask.
"I have already remembered them the extra tomato."
"Perfect."
"Here," Rafael said signaling his plate for her to take some of the chicken.
"Thanks."
Dodds was astounded. The way they moved around each other, already knowing what the other wanted, it was amazing and it was a little scary.
The rest of the squad were as if nothing. That made him wonder since when those two behaved like this. Why hadn't he been informed that they were in a relationship?
They were so absorbed in each other that they paid no attention to him when he spoke to his son.
"Since when has this been happening?" He asked Mike.
"Since always," Mike didn't need any more information to know what his father was referring to.
"And why I know nothing?"
"Because no matter how weird it may seem, they do not have to. They do not meet the usual definition of a couple." Mike said hoping that his father would take the hint. He didn't want to talk to her boss sexuality in there.
"Oh!"
"Yeah..." Mike said. "More than once we have been about to hit them to see if they come in reason."
They could not speak more of the subject since Rafael asked him about the senator.
They started talking again, eating quietly. An hour later Rollins, Carisi, and Fin left. Taking advantage of the tranquility to have a free afternoon. Shortly after, Mike left them too. Being a little mysterious about his plans for the afternoon.
While Rafael leaned his arm on the back of Olivia's chair, he asked him if he wanted some Scotch.
"No thanks, I have a meeting in half an hour." He excused himself. "You know that if you need it I've got you two covered." He told them as he put on his coat. "For anything" It left them somewhat out of place.
"Yes. Of course. Thank you, chief." Olivia answered.
"Good, I'll leave you. Have a good afternoon"
As he left he could hear some words between them.
"Are you leaving me, too?" Rafael asked him
"Never."
"Well, later we can take Noah to the park." The suggested
"That would be perfect."
As Dodds walked out the door of the restaurant he could not understand how two people could be so ignorant of what they had in front of their noses.
The fourth time it was Lucia.
Yesterday she had spoken with her son via phone. His voice was too congested for her liking, but Rafael was too stubborn to listen to her when she told him to take some rest.
So instead of words, she had decided to go to his place today. Using the key she had stolen him long ago. Because if she hadn't done it, she would barely see her soon, always too occupied with his work.
It was Friday after lunch when she arrived. And if it weren't for the light snores and noises from the kitchen the pace would seem empty.
Her son's place was a large room. In there the living room, dining room, and kitchen were communicated. Letting her, once she left her things by the door, see a bundle on the sofa. She knew that her son was in there.
But what really surprised her was the woman in the kitchen.
"Sargent?" Lucia asked quietly not wanting to startle the woman.
"Ms. Barba," The woman smiled as she greeted her. "Actually is lieutenant now. But just call me Olivia please."
"If that is the case, Lucia it's enough, dear." Lucia was stunned. Olivia was totally at ease with the situation, as if they were talking in this kitchen daily. "I don't want to sound disrespectful or anything, but why are you here?" Lucia asked Olivia once she got a little back together.
"Your son, he sometimes is too stupid. A few hours ago I found him passed out in his office before the court. He had a high fever. Yesterday I told him to take some rest but he only listens what he wants. He's got the flu, like it or not." That made Lucia laugh. It was something her son did always. "I didn't want him to be alone."
"He can be a good pain in the ass," Lucia said. It was Olivia's time to laugh.
"Yeah."
The two woman started to chat as they finished cleaning the kitchen. Lucia liked this woman for her son, but she knew that the slightest comment on the subject would make Rafael go back to his safety shell. Even when he always talked to her about Olivia. Of how crazy she drove him, of how mad he made him sometimes.
After a while, she had gone to the bathroom, leaving Oliva making some coffee. But as she was going to the sitting room again, she heard her son waking up. That made her stand still and see what would happen.
"Liv," Rafael complained as he relied his face on her shoulder from behind flushing himself to the woman, making her laugh a bit.
"What is it?" She asked taunting him a bit.
"My head hurts. My throat is sore every time I swallow. I'm cold and hot at the same time..." He carried on his complaints.
"Honey, you have the the flu." She tried to explain while he had hidden his face on her neck, still from behind. And Lucia was having the time of her life with the image those two made.
Rafael only growled as an answer, making her laugh again.
"You are worst than Noah, and he's only two and a half." She said.
"I'm in my rights. This is your fault."
"May I remind you that it was Noah who bought this from the daycare." She contrasted him. And he mumbled. "What?"
"I can be mad at him. He's my best buddy."
"God!" She laughed earnestly now. And Lucia had to hold her laughter.
"That's a good one counselor. Today you are giving me too much blackmail material."
"That's not fair." He said before starting to sneeze really hard. As he stopped she had spun confronting him and giving him a handkerchief.
"Thanks."
"Hey," She said putting her hands on his cheeks. "You still are with fever." And then she kissed his forehead, in a motherly way. He only grunted as an answer, too tired and sore.
"You can come home with me. Noah and I would take care of you." She murmured while hugging him, massaging the back of his neck.
Lucia didn't hear his son's answer but with what she saw she was completely amazed at how in tune were those two. And how easy was to her to manage her son.
"Ok," Olivia said. "How about you take a shower and I pack you some things?" That made Lucia know that her son had said yes to her.
"That would be perfect," He said. "Thank you, you are the best." And kissed her cheek.
"I know," Olivia answered him with sass, making him smile.
It was then when Lucia made herself noticed clearing her throat, making her son a little astonished.
"I forgot to tell you that your mother came to a while back," Olivia confessed him.
"I can see that." They had separated a little but still maintained physical contact. "Mami," He greeted her mother.
"Well, seeing that you're so well taken care of, I'm not going to risk infecting me. I'm going. But do not think for a moment that I forget that you and I have a conversation pending. I love you." Lucia said while she took her things and left the house.
"Love you too mami," Rafael said not knowing if his mother had heard him.
"I like her," Olivia said.
"That's terrific." That made Olivia smile. "I'm going to shower." He said as he left the room.
What Lucia didn't know was that Olivia didn't have any spare room for him, and they would be sharing her bed this weekend.
The fifth time it was Tucker.
Despite what all the people in the police department thought about him, Ed Tucker what not the monster he interpreted. He hated to go after the cops just after they had gone through hell in shootings or accidents and the IAB needed to step in.
This time, the SVU squad was involved. One of them had been shot in a hostage situation. And for what he had been told Chief Dodds son was in critical care.
As he stepped outside he elevator he saw Rollins, Carisi, and Tutuola sitting in the chairs next to the elevator, waiting for someone to give them some information. They were wrecked.
Despite this, once they saw him the tree of them tensed.
"How is he?" Tucker asked after Dodds.
"He's in surgery. We don't know anything more." Fin answered.
"Where's...?" There was no need to make small talk. They all knew why he was there.
"It's not a good moment." Fin interrupted him.
"I know. I just want to talk with her for a moment." He assured them. Despite his work, he was concerned about Olivia. After her promotion, they had decided to start over. They weren't friends but they relationship had improved, they even had gone after some drinks.
"She's in that room," Rollins said signaling a door. "She was too nervous."
"Thank you," Tucker said before leaving.
"What didn't you say to him that Barba was with her?" Carisi asked. He still was the most innocent of the tree of them.
"I don't like him," Amanda said. "And I didn't like it the way he looked at Liv the last time he was with all of us." She said plainly.
Despite her sassy comment, there weren't any more words between them. They were too preoccupied for small talk.
He didn't bother to wait after he knocked at the door. The room had a dim light. The silence reigned on it. And he saw an image he would never have imagined.
At the end of the room was a sofa. In it, there were two people. One of them was the ADA Barba. He was sitting on his side, his legs resting on the adjoining seat, resting his back on the armrest. And sleeping between his legs, with her head resting on his chest, was Olivia. Barba was too absorbed to notice the entrance of a new person into the room, looking at his phone with one hand while he gently massaged Olivia's neck, playing with her hair, with the other.
He should have known after seeing her phone wallpaper. In it she was in the middle of the photograph, smiling while her son and Barba kissed each of her cheeks in a clumsy way. Even when she hadn't made any allusion when they had been alone. The way those two behaved to each other screamed their relationship.
"Barba," Tucker said quietly to catch the other man's attention. That made Rafael look towards the door.
"Tucker." It was no news that they didn't get along.
"How is she?"
"Drained. Too preoccupied" Barba said briefly. It was clear that he didn't want to talk to him.
But what surprised Tucker the most was that the other man had not moved an inch. It was obvious that he did not want to wake her, but he had not even stopped massaging her neck.
"She has 48 hours to make her report," Barba said.
"I know," Tucker didn't want to fight. I just wanted to have a brief conversation with her and to know firsthand what had happened."
"Munson's wife called her. She didn't trust her husband with the kids. Once she was at the door with the kids, Munson held her wife and Mike as hostages. Then it all went to hell. Mike got shot when he tried to disarm him."
"Ok."
"I'm not going to wake her up for this."
"Ok." The man was clearly in a defensive mode. "I'll leave you to."
"Thanks" Tucher heart that simple word when he was at the door. It wasn't a word Barba said lightly. Without knowing he may have made a truce with the other man.
He may have to have quite a talk with Chief Dodds once all of this ended.