Elliot hung his head, his blue eyes downcast, brow furrowed, in a deeper crease in his forehead then his normal angry worried face carried. Olivia bit her lip watching him, her eyes worried, and she waited. She decided to call him on his blue, his down and angry attitude having her seriously worried. "I'm not a mind reader you know." She said her hands tucked into her pockets, stance in a rather frozen shrug. Elliot looked up and caught her eye before dropping his gaze and nodding once, twice.
"I-" he started then stopped, looking down at his idle hands, unsure of how to continue, talking about home life was hard for him, especially for him to speak to his partner, someone who relied on him to be strong, to have it together.
"We had a fight." he said quickly, softly, hoping Olivia wouldn't press him for anything further. Olivia nodded, knowing who and what he meant, Kathy. Sometimes Olivia wondered about them, hoping they would pull through, and sometimes she wished that Kathy would cut him loose, loose from all the pain and stress she put him through, as he tried to be a good man, a good husband, and a good father even as his heart wasn't in it.
"I've been sleeping in the crib." Elliot finished meekly, nodding his head to the room filled with cots they used when they could spare a few moments for sleep, during cases.
Olivia's eyebrows raised in surprise, her lips parting before she pressed them back together. Elliot stood up from the wall he had been leaning on. He wanted to dismiss everything they had spoken of, keep work work and home home, but the weight on his chest felt lighter just by talking with Liv.
Olivia pause considering, before following her impulse, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Pressing her body against his in a rare hug. Elliot's frame stood still, a statue, before he in turn wrapped his arms around Liv's soft waist, his broad nose resting against her short hair taking in the fragrance of her feminine shampoo.
After a few gentle moments Olivia pulled away. Her hand resting on his forearm for a couple more seconds as she said, "You can come stay at my place." she said narrowly avoiding saying staying with me. stay with me, and she added softly, " only if you need it." she knew that these spats could sometimes last a while, and Elliot didn't have the money to spare on a motel.
"Thanks." he said tersely and he followed her to her car. Olivia had half a mind to hold his hand, but she let her own fall limply to her side. Eliiot, though in a fight, was married, and Olivia couldn't do that to him. She couldn't even for a second let herself be an option for Elliot. Even though her heart raced when he looked at her with those soft blue eyes. She couldn't do it, not until Kathy cut him loose.