A/N: I thought up this one in November as a nice christmas story I could post when the time came. I completely forgot about it, so I'm posting it now! Hope you all enjoy it and pretty, pretty leave a review! It'll make my day :^)

There is some smut in this chapter, but there may be more in our next one shot :)

BTW I wrote this while listening to Scala's version of Creep by Radiohead, please, please go check out their music. They are truly lovely and beautiful covers! Literally eargasms galore ;)

P.S.- I will continue putting what season it takes place in to avoid any confusion.

SVU belongs to Dick Wolf and friends.

Bells

(takes place in season 8; after Liv gets back from Oregon)

The air was cold around her. It would have made Olivia feel the slightest more comfortable had the air around her been blustery, alas the air was dead calm; to calm for her comfort. Maybe it was the seemingly endless years on the violent and destructive job, but she had always preferred dangerous and unrestrained situations. Olivia felt a few snow flakes land on the bare skin of her arm and immediately melt. She should've been covered up by something to keep the inching hypothermia away from her exposed body, but Olivia neglected to do so. Her coat lay forgotten in the precinct where she had been only a few short minutes ago, alone. Everyone else was at home on Christmas Eve, she knew that. They were perhaps ripping open gifts with their children or at least enjoying being solitary and on their own without the burden of having a partner. Olivia wasn't planning on doing either of those things. She didn't have anyone to love, but she didn't like that feeling. Olivia could only dream of what it would be like to have someone to hug and cuddle during the cold winter nights such as this, someone she could have children with.

So here she was now, taking a stroll in roughly four inches of snow without a warm coat on, without anyone holding her hand, and without a care in the world. Olivia honestly didn't know what she was doing right now; not at that very instant, more of what she was doing with her life. The day she got back from Oregon and saw the look on Elliot's face when he saw her for the first time in months shook her up in the slightest. He was mad, she was sure of that much. What scared her a lot was the fact that she wasn't sure what he was feeling. Usually, Olivia could tell exactly what he was thinking. They had been partners for more than eight years for god sake's, that was the least she could do. Except now was different. Perhaps she had been gone to long or he had changed over the course of when she was away, but Olivia couldn't seem to get any kind of emotion out of him. He was a brick wall. And that wasn't the Elliot Stabler she knew. To others, strangers, he was a brick wall. But now she was a stranger.

"Olivia?" Her name rang out in the restful midnight air by a voice she knew too well. His voice. Olivia whirled around causing snow to seep even more into the crappy converse she still had from when she was undercover. He was standing there, looking tired, but even more noticeable to her, he didn't look angry. On the contrary he looked relieved.

"El, what're you-" He cut her off.

"I love you, Olivia." Elliot's voice was strong and firm as he spoke those words, even a spark of determination could've been present, Olivia wasn't sure. Her brain didn't seem to be working right then, having someone say those words that hadn't been spoken to her in almost a decade. It shocked her more that it was coming from someone whom she would never expect to say it to her, but it was also this someone who she craved love from the minute they began working together. There was an eerie silence as she mulled over the words he'd just clearly announced.

"I don't really care what you're thinking right now," Elliot pointed out, "you can just tell me you know, Liv." She wasn't sure what to say. God, the humiliation of admitting to him of a soul deep love that began the day their eyes locked almost made her turn around and walk away. Except he just told her that, so she kinda owed him. But still...everything was a blur of confusion so she made the choice she wasn't sure she would regret or not.

"I love you too," Olivia whispered, "I-I just don't know why you're telling me this now, uhm, Elliot...?" She paused waiting for him to give some sort of clear indication as to why he was saying this. Nobody could have suddenly died in her family since she had none and he wasn't the kind of guy to give out pity love to people who were alone on Christmas. If he wanted to he could be at home with his kids and Kathy, even though they were over. They were still family after all.

"Because I missed you Olivia," Elliot's voice had been reduced to a whisper, almost as if to match up with hers, "It seemed like you were gone for so long. It made me realize how dependent I was on you." He moved closer to her until he was pressed flush against her body. "My partner was coldhearted and just mean compared to you. You had that huge heart, Liv, that made me so passionate for this job. Without you I... I just couldn't do it." The skin on Elliot's rough hand brushed her face sending goosebumps sprouting out all over her skin. Elliot's deep, blue eyes seemed to be burning into hers as the white puffs of their breath floated around them.

Olivia finally found her voice when she realized it took two to tango. She found relief though, in knowing he still trusted her. He still had faith in her. "Elliot, I was alone in somewhere so crazy-so unknown to anyone. I missed you so much too. I couldn't stand the fact that you were getting someone else to work with," Olivia's voice shook slightly at the thought of having to leave again and having to go through so much more anger and confusion, "but I'm here now."

"You are here." Elliot's low rumble was soft and soothing to her ears and she felt her eyes slip shut as his other hand slipped around her neck and pulled her gently closer to him. "And I'm so damn thankful for that." And then his lips were on hers. Elliot's lips were chapped and prickly against her own smooth ones, but something about that made her even more eager knowing that it had to be her partner holding them together. His rough lips were the proof and extra push Olivia needed to slip her hands around his waist and take part in the process. Her tongue was eager as it sought out his, slipping through his lips and into his mouth, not even hesitating when she brushed against Elliot's own tongue. A moan escaped Elliot's throat as she continued to explore him. His hands proceeding in tangling themselves in her straight chestnut hair as he back them up against the wall outside some bar. Elliot took no time in hoisting her legs up around his waist so that he could get even closer to her. Even through two pairs of jeans he could feel the heat of her desire building up.

"I love you so fuckin' much, Liv," Elliot whispered in a breathless, panted voice, "you honestly," He paused to suckle to sensitive skin of her neck, "have no clue," he pressed his lips against hers once more, "what the hell," he buried his mouth in her chest, "you do to me." Elliot surfaced and Olivia felt his hands reaching to the smooth skin of her back to unhook her bra. He lifted her shirt up over her head and discarded it on the snowy ground along with her bra. To be entirely honest Olivia gave no shits whatsoever. She wouldn't even care if someone walked by. Hell, they could marvel and take pictures if they wanted. All she wanted was to be with Elliot and that was what she was getting.

Elliot ran his tongue over one of her hardened, pink buds and felt her writhe on him, pressing her center against his growing length, restrained by his jeans.

"Jesus, El," Olivia moaned, "I want you to make love to me, right here, right now." Elliot chuckled as he savored the pebbled, sensitive flesh of her breasts, his hands roaming down to cup her butt and run over her lower back.

"Livvy, I don't think that's such a good idea," Elliot laughed, letting go of her breast to look into her eyes. "I want to be somewhere where I can savor every minute of being inside of you, where I can lavish you from head to toe and make sure I kiss you everywhere." He felt himself nibble her neck hungrily.

"Let's go then," Olivia wiggled her hips causing a moan to escape Elliot.

"God, you know I'm giving myself a pat on the back for telling you how I felt, finally, and especially tonight," Elliot admitted shyly. Olivia laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him the opportunity to bury his face in her chest once more.

"Hmmm, I'm so glad you did too," Olivia murmured as she felt his tongue run along the top of her breasts, "How long have you...ya know...had feelings?" She felt like a bit of an idiot for asking him. Olivia felt like she was fourteen again asking some boy she liked about his small crush on her.

"Since the minute I laid eyes on you," Elliot replied without hesitation, "You were this beautiful angel I'd only dreamed about. That plus the badass attitude towards the bad guys made me fall for you, head over heels. What about you, love?"

"I realized it around two years ago. You were the longest relationship I'd ever had with a man, but I'm pretty sure it started when I met you too."

"I regret telling you sooner though," Elliot said, his head raising to look into her eyes once more, "I would've saved us the trouble of eight years of suppressed feelings." Olivia laughed and pressed a kiss against his stubbly cheek.

"That's the past, El," She muttered as she slid down from him and picked up her soaking wet bra and top. Not that she minded at all. Elliot couldn't conceal the laugh that escaped his throat. Before she knew what he was doing, he slipped his NYPD sweatshirt over his head and gently put it on her, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. Olivia smiled up at him as he twined their fingers together.

As they walked in the freezing cold, holding hands they began to hear the bells of the church ringing as the clock struck midnight. The sound was beautiful and peaceful. Yes, Olivia usually didn't like peace, but now was different, now she was close to someone who had stirred up her life in a matter of short, hot minutes and she liked that. Having the bells ringing an extraordinary sound in the distance made her feel calm, yet so incredibly alive. Those bells gave her the slightest bit of hope that now she had something to live for, Elliot. Sure, life was shitty, but with him it seemed electrifying and exciting.

"Merry Christmas, Benson," Elliot whispered as he lay a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Stabler," Olivia squeezed his hands with only the beautiful sound bells ringing in the distance to be heard.