Content: satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else
Content was the word that came to her mind as she pondered her current situation. She was laying on the couch next to Elliot, her head nestled in his chest and him combing through her hair with his fingers. A soft breeze came through the window of their Queens apartment and made the curtains flutter. The TV was muted, a baseball game long forgotten. It had always been like that with them; caring more about the other than anything else. It was first evident during the Gitano incident, then countless times after that. They'd been married for almost 19 years, although they'd been committed for far longer. His marriage with Kathy was different - they had both changed over the years and it had finally ended in divorce. With Olivia, they only became closer. When they were partners, many of their co-workers questioned their closeness. Everyone assumed that they slept together, no matter how they tried to dispute it. They're still partners, but the word has taken on a different meaning. They worked together in every aspect outside of their jobs. Not working together was hard; he'd gone to narcotics six months after the Jenna incident and she'd stayed at SVU. His divorce came shortly after his transfer, and they were married within two years.
Their wedding was a lot like them, to the point and simple. They were married at a country club with only 25 guests, most of whom were from the 16th Precinct. Olivia's dress was elegant and plain, the epitome of herself. Elliot looked handsome in his black tuxedo. The bridesmaids wore purple to match the flowers in Olivia's bouquet. Noah and Elliot's kids had all been in the wedding. They hadn't had any kids together, but Elliot's five adored Olivia and Noah considered him his father.
She was 65 and he was nearing 70, but their passion had not aged. In their years serving the NYPD, they had seen a lot. It was one of the many reasons that they were inseparable - the pair had witnessed things that nobody else could begin to understand. It made the lines around their eyes a little deeper, and their hearts a little darker, but that was part of their bond. Despite their long marriage, the want for each other hadn't faded over the years. He still smacked her ass occasionally and she still feigned annoyance when he did it. They found ways to be spontaneous. She snapped out of her thoughts as he placed a kiss on her forehead.
"Do you want to get some dinner babe?" he asked. She nodded yes and they went to their bedroom to get changed for dinner. Once they were dressed, he held up her jacket for her to put on. It was things like this that Olivia never got sick of; small, loving gestures that she hadn't experienced until they started dating. The men she dated before Elliot were gone before they got to that stage or they weren't the type to show affection outside of the bedroom.
After they were seated in their black sedan, she reached over and grabbed his hand. He glanced over at her with a small smile as he pulled out onto the road.
"El, think of all those years that we drove around in that car without having the guts to admit that we had feelings for each other" she said, peering over at him as he kept his eyes on the road. He let out a hearty chuckle, taking in what she had said.
"What made you think of that, Liv? That was more than 20 years ago."
"It just seems like we wasted so much time. Granted, you were still married to Kathy but you two were separated for a lot of that time. What took us so long?"
"I think we were afraid. Letting this happen was taking a plunge into the unknown. Even though we both knew we wanted it to happen, we had no idea how it would turn out. We were together, but being work partners and being life partners are two different things. Luckily both worked out for us," he said with a smile.
They pulled up to Gatto's, a small Italian place that they frequented and walked inside. Elliot ordered meat ravioli and Olivia ordered gnocchi, their usuals. They both sipped Cabernet.
It was quiet as they ate the bread that the waiter had put on their table. Their silence was never awkward due to many years of leaving things unspoken. They just understood each other.
"Do you have any plans for tomorrow, Liv?" Elliot asked, taking a sip of his wine. She shook her head.
"Nope. I'll be doing what you're doing if that's alright," she said, raising her eyebrow.
"Absolutely. I'll call the kids and see if they want to do anything, assuming they're not too busy being adults." The waiter brought their food and they began dining.
"It's crazy to think that they're all grown up. I remember delivering Eli. You've raised some incredible kids, El."
"I didn't do it by myself, Liv. Kathy is a great mother and so are you. I have no doubt that my children would be like this if it weren't for a certain sexy former detective," he said, wiggling his eyebrows. She laughed.
"They say that men lose their sex drive as they age. That's obviously not completely true." Now it was his turn to laugh.
"You love me anyway, Olivia Stabler," Elliot teased. This made Olivia smile.
"God, your ego hasn't aged either. But you're right. I do love you."
"I love you too Liv. Always have, always will. Do you want dessert?"
"Sure. Let's split some gelato."
Once their gelato was finished, they paid the bill and left the restaurant. They held hands for the short walk to the car and he opened the door for her. When they got back to their apartment, they shed their coats and layed down on the couch. Olivia yawned.
"You're not too tired for a movie, are you Liv?" he asked teasingly.
"Nope, I'm good."
They snuggled in and turned on Dirty Dancing, one of their favorite movies. Halfway through, Elliot looked down to see Olivia sleeping soundly. He laughed softly and scooped her up, carrying her to their bedroom and gently setting her on the bed. She stirred a little but didn't open her eyes.
"Goodnight El. I love you."
"I love you too Liv."
-Finis-