…
Part 7
Alex sighed as she lowered herself onto the couch; turning so that her back was resting against the arm, one leg was bent and pressed against the back cushions, the other dangling over the edge with her toes lightly brushing the floor. One hand rested on her bent knee, her arm hanging loose over the gap, with her other draped carefully across the crown of her head. She closed her eyes, taking a moment to relax, to disappear into her own mind, to try and forget everything bad that had happened to her in the last forty-eight hours.
Has it only been two days?, she couldn't help but think as she ran through everything that had happened from the club, to her and Olivia's confessions, to now. I've always laughed when people told me that life could change in the blink of an eye, told them that they were being melodramatic. But they were right. Damn were they right. I just never imagined mine would, or even could, change so quickly.
Olivia stood frozen in the doorway separating the kitchen and the living room, oblivious to the clink and clatter of dishes being rinsed and set into the dishwasher behind her as she studied the beautiful blonde stretched out on the couch in front of her.
My god she is beautiful. So incredibly beautiful.
Her eyes started at Alex's feet, noting the red polish that contrasted so beautifully with her perfect alabaster skin, before moving on, higher, past a bent knee and over a trim and deceptively powerful thigh. Her mind wandered to her memory of how that thigh felt pressed up against her while they danced, how it fit so perfectly between her own. Sliding higher, stopping for a moment on the juncture of her thighs to imagine the moment when she would finally, finally be able to kiss those sensitive folds, before moving on, still moving higher. Up over her flat stomach, pausing to reflect for a moment on the subtle definition that those muscles showed when Alex was without a shirt before continuing her trek up the blonde's body. Her eyes lingered for a few heartbeats to truly appreciate the proud and pert mounds straining against the material of the blonde's shirt; enjoying their shape, which was emphasized by the way, Alex was resting her arms atop her head. Olivia's tongue slipped out, unconsciously wetting her lips as the desire to capture the pert nubs hidden under Alex's clothes between her lips and suckle, nip, and tease them to attention rolled through her.
So beautiful.
Olivia's gaze moved higher, still higher, over the graceful column of Alex's exposed throat to focus on her lips. Those perfect, perfect, soft kissable lips that made her feel things that no other lips had ever come close to making her feel. Moving on, higher, still higher, past scrumptiously defined cheekbones – cheekbones somehow made more beautiful by the glaring contrast between them, one bruised and swollen and the other pristine and unharmed – to focus on her glasses, those ridiculously sexy glasses that framed the most beautiful blue eyes she'd ever seen. Eyes that were closed for the moment, but that when open made her feel as if they could see into her very soul. Twin pools of bottomless blue. Eyes that she could get lost in forever.
Eyes that suddenly flashed open to capture her own.
"Are you going to just stand there and look or are you going to come over here where you can actually touch?" Alex grinned.
"Busted," Abbie chuckled as she carefully slid past Olivia on her way into the living rom.
Olivia blushed and fell into step behind the brash Texan, slowly making her way over to where Alex was reclined so gracefully upon the couch. "Hey," she murmured.
"C'mon." Alex smiled and opened her arms wide, inviting the brunette to join her. "Let me hold you for a change."
"Are you sure?" Olivia asked.
Alex just smiled. "More than sure."
Olivia nodded shyly as she lowered herself to the couch, gritted her teeth to hold in the grunt of pain that wanted to escape as she shifted and leaned back into Alex's body.
"There," Alex murmured, and Olivia would swear that she could hear the blonde's contented smile in her voice. "Now, isn't this better?"
"Mmm," Olivia hummed and shifted so that she could lay her head on Alex's chest. She smiled softly at the sound of Alex's heartbeat, so steady and sure beneath her ear.
Alex smiled and leaned her head in to press a soft adoring kiss to the top of Olivia's hair. "I could get used to holding you like this," she whispered.
Olivia burrowed deeper into Alex's embrace and sighed. "I could get used to you holding me like this," she admitted softly, for the first time in her life actually enjoying being held.
"So, what did Elliot say when you called him back?" Alex asked, her breath warm on Olivia's cheek and her touch light on the brunette's stomach.
Olivia shivered at the sensations roiling through her courtesy of Alex's touch. "You know, the usual. Just checking in, seeing how we're doing. He said he wanted to try and stop by tomorrow, so I told him I'd check with you and let him know."
"Liv, why would you need to check with me?" Alex asked softly. "He's your friend, and he's worried about you."
Olivia just shrugged again. "It's your house Alex. I'm not going to just invite people over without checking with you first."
Alex rolled her eyes. "Liv, you can invite anybody over that you'd like. I don't care. This-" she squeezed the brunette carefully "-is all that I care about. As long as you're here with me, nothing else matters."
Olivia smiled and took a deep breath, holding it in for a few seconds before letting it out. "Okay," she breathed on the exhale. "Okay," she pulled her phone out of her pocket. "I'll text him back and let him know to just call first to make sure we're awake."
"Might want to phrase it as something other than you might still be in bed," Abbie chuckled.
"What did you tell him when he called earlier?" Olivia turned on Abbie.
"Yeah Abs," Alex joined in. "What, exactly, did you tell Elliot when you answered Olivia's phone?"
Abbie grinned mischievously. "Nothing. Just that you were busy and couldn't get to the phone at the time. Oh, and I might have said something about you two looking incredibly hot together."
"I'm never going to live this down," Olivia groaned and closed her eyes, turning her head into Alex's chest.
Alex, despite her building annoyance with Abbie, had to admit that she rather enjoyed having Olivia's face nestled between her breasts. If only there were no clothes in the way and her lips were wrapped around my…
"Why is his ringtone Man I Feel Like a Woman?" Abbie asked, effectively interrupting Alex's train of thought before she could get herself too worked up.
Olivia groaned. "Please, please, please tell me you didn't tell him that."
"Okay. I absolutely did not tell him that," Abbie replied, the shit-eating grin on her face negating her words. "Why is that his ringtone?"
Olivia sighed. "He lost a bet to Fin a couple years ago and had to sing Fin's choice of song at the Karaoke bar down by the station. Fin chose Man I Feel Like a Woman. El did such a good job of it that he got phone numbers from like five different men and it's kind of been our little joke ever since."
"Why didn't I hear about that?" Alex laughed.
"God I would have paid good money to see that," Abbie said loudly.
"Munch got it on video," Olivia shared. "He really was pretty good."
"We gotta get our hands on that video," Abbie murmured, evil plans already beginning to take shape in her mind.
"Just leave me out of it," Olivia told her. "I don't need a pissed off partner. So, what movie are you putting in Carmichael?" she asked, trying to change the subject.
Abbie looked back down at the open cabinet in the entertainment center. "Well, let's see. What do you want: comedy, or drama?"
"Comedy," Alex, Olivia, and Serena – who had just entered the living room after finishing the dishes – all answered.
"Alright," Abbie chuckled as she selected a movie and slid the disc into the player before grabbing the remote and moving over to where Serena was sitting.
"What did you choose?" Serena asked as Abbie settled into the loveseat beside her.
"You'll see." Abbie grinned.
The four women watched the screen, and Alex couldn't help but groan when the previews started playing.
"Ohmygod Abbie, you didn't!" She buried her face in Olivia's short spiky hair.
"What is it?" Olivia asked.
"DEBS," Alex groaned.
Olivia sat up so she could look, really look, and the blushing blonde behind her. "I did not expect this movie to be in your library," she said with a laugh.
"It was research," Alex argued weakly.
This got Olivia, Abbie, and Serena all laughing. "How is DEBS research for anything you might come across in the DAs office?" Olivia grinned.
Abbie held her hands up, effectively calling court into session. "Allow me," she grinned. "See, much in the same way Elliot was forced to embarrass himself by singing – our dear Alex here lost a bet of her own last year."
"Who did you lose a bet to?" Olivia looked up at Alex who looked like she was torn between wanting to laugh with everybody else and running off to hide under the blankets and many pillows on her bed.
"That would be me." Serena grinned and high-fived Abbie.
"Do I want to know what the bet was?" Olivia asked.
"Let's just say it involved lots of tequila, chocolate syrup, balloon animals, and a Catwoman suit," Abbie said vaguely, waving her hand dismissively, as if that explained everything.
Olivia kept her eyes on Alex, surprised to see that it was actually possible for somebody to blush all the way to the roots of their hair. "You know what," Olivia thought aloud, "I really think that I don't want to know."
"Thank god," Alex mumbled.
"Anywho," Serena laughed. "Because she lost I got to choose her costume for the annual DAs Halloween Costume Party."
"You hate dressing up." Olivia looked at Alex who just nodded and waved at Serena to hurry it up and get her humiliation over with already.
"I made her dress up like Amy Bradshaw," Serena laughed.
Olivia's jaw dropped at the mental picture that popped into her head of Alex wearing the short plaid skirt. "Wow," she breathed appreciatively.
"She was perfect!" Abbie declared proudly. "It was awesome! We won first prize in the costume contest!"
"We?" Olivia asked.
"I was Lucy Diamond." Abbie grinned.
"Yeah," Serena agreed. "But you guys didn't win because of you rocking the cargos or Alex in the short little skirt."
"There was more?" Olivia asked.
"Mmmhmm," Abbie drawled. "We got Donnelly to dress up as Ms. Petrie."
"You didn't." Olivia stared.
"They did," Alex confirmed. "And, she has the picture in her office to prove it."
"She does?" Abbie looked over at Alex, obviously surprised at that tidbit of information. "Who took the picture? I really need to talk to her about getting a copy of that."
+++/+++\+++
"Now you two be good." Abbie grinned at Alex from the doorway to the blonde's guestroom as she watched Olivia turn the corner into Alex's master. "Don't do anything-" she waved a finger for emphasis, "-anything, that I would do. You know, if I were alone with Serena at either her place or mine and not sequestered away in your guestroom."
Alex laughed. "I hardly see the point of that statement as you've already admitted to defiling my rug."
"Yeah, well, you know how it is – she just can't keep her hands off of me," Abbie chuffed.
"You are so full of it Carmichael," Alex told her friend affectionately.
"Don't worry Alex. Your rug is still the pristine virginal piece of floor covering it was this morning," Abbie assured the blonde. "I'll leave the defiling of it to you two." She waggled her brows and waved at the air between Alex and her bedroom where Olivia was.
"You're such a sweetheart," Alex drawled as she shook her head in amusement.
Abbie just smiled and placed a concerned hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Seriously though – you two don't have to share a bed if you're not comfortable with it. I can always sleep on the couch, and Serena was serious when she said she could go home for the night," she offered, dropping her act and showing her genuine concern for her friend. "Whatever you guys need and we'll do it, okay?"
Alex smiled softly and pulled her friend into a hug. "Thank you, but we'll be fine. I think the cuddling is helping both of us deal with what happened."
"Call me if you need me," Abbie said as she gave the blonde a soft squeeze before letting go. "I'll keep our door open so I can hear you."
Alex wanted to dismiss the brunette's offer as not needed, but she knew that Abbie – in spite of her relentless teasing – was worried, so she just nodded. "Alright. If I need something you'll be the second person I call."
"Good enough," Abbie agreed. "Good enough."
+++/+++\+++
"Alex," Olivia said softly as she watched the blonde finished getting changed for bed.
"Hmm?" Alex mumbled as she pulled her top over her head and turned to face the grinning brunette in her bed. "You need something Liv?"
"Just you," Olivia said with a sweet smile as she held her arms out.
"Well, that can certainly be arranged," Alex replied as she went to turn off the light.
Olivia sighed as she felt the bed shift under the blonde's weight and moaned softly as she felt Alex's hand slide over her stomach as she settled in atop her.
"So," Olivia murmured, stroking her fingers through the blonde's hair.
"What's on your mind Detective?" Alex asked in a hushed whisper.
"Do you still have that skirt?
Alex smiled and lifted herself up to kiss the inquisitive brunette softly. "Yes."
"Sweet Jesus," Olivia breathed, her breath dancing across Alex's lips that were still mere millimeters from her own.
"Goodnight Liv," Alex murmured, leaning in and capturing Olivia's lips again with her own. "Sweet dreams," she breathed as she pulled away, nuzzling the brunette's cheek softly.
"Oh, I most definitely think they will be," Olivia said and felt Alex smile against her neck as the blonde placed a quick kiss on her pulse point. "I just hope they aren't too sweet."
+++/+++\+++
Olivia awoke the next morning to find herself alone in bed with the happy sound of laughter and the distinct smell of percolating coffee wafting down the hall toward her. The waking up alone she was used to, the laughter and the coffee, on the other hand, were definitely alien concepts to her. Although, she really could get used to having coffee ready the minute she woke up.
A quick glance at the clock showed that she had slept past nine, and a sleepy hand through her hair reminded her that today was the day the doctor had said she could start showering again. She sat up, wincing at the pain shooting down her chest, and spied a glass of water and her pain pills on her bedside table.
"Alex." She smiled at the thoughtfulness of the blonde as she popped the pills into her mouth and washed them down with the full glass of water.
She sat on the edge of the bed for a few minutes, trying to gauge her body's health to determine whether or not she would be able to actually get herself into the shower and washed without help. A few tentative twists and a failed attempt to work her shirt off decided for her that she needed help. And, as the only person she would be willing to accept help from was Alex, she needed to go find her.
She padded down the hall to find Alex, Serena and Abbie all still in their pajamas and fighting over the newspaper. She could only stare as she watched the three supremely educated, well-behaved women (okay, so maybe only two of them were usually well behaved) acting like children.
"It's my paper," Alex was laughing. "My house. Therefore, my damned crossword puzzle."
"I just want the Sudoku," Serena said as Abbie fell into her lap after losing the tug-of-war with Alex.
"I got the paper first!" Abbie argued as she jumped up and snatched the folded paper out of Alex's hand. "Yes!" She held her captured prize up victoriously.
"Can I just have the Sudoku?" Serena whined.
Finally deciding that somebody needed to act the grown-up and put an end to the fighting before somebody got hurt, she yelled, "I thought I was avoiding the fighting by not staying at Elliot's house!"
Three sets of eyes looked up at the Detective with three matching sheepish grins. Alex was the first to recover. "Hey baby, nice sleep?"
Olivia arched a brow questioningly. "Hey baby? I see somebody is feeling better this morning."
"Maybe." Alex grinned and snatched the paper back from Abbie.
"Okay, I know I'm going to regret this, but what's going on?" Olivia chuckled.
"Nothing," Alex, Serena and Abbie answered together.
"Right," Olivia grinned. "And next thing I know you're all going to tell me that you don't know who started it."
"Abbie started it," Alex reported with a laugh.
"Did not," Abbie argued.
Alex looked poised to respond when Olivia cut the both of them off. "Alex, give Serena the Sudoku puzzle and then hand the crossword over to Abbie."
"But Liv," Alex whined. "I love my crossword puzzle."
"Fine," Olivia grinned as she made to head back to the bedroom. "I was going to ask you to help me shower since the doctor said as long I don't soak the sutures I could start taking them again today, but if you'd rather do a puzzle than help me…" she let her voice trail off, knowing that she'd already made her point.
"I guess one week without the puzzle won't kill me," Alex said in an offhand manner as she tossed the paper back onto the table.
"I thought so." Olivia nodded. "If Elliot calls could you just get an idea of when he's planning on swinging by?" she asked Serena and Abbie.
"No problem." The shorter blonde nodded. "We'll take care of it."
"Thank you," Olivia said, smiling as she felt Alex twine their fingers together.
...
"Hey," Alex said as she closed the bathroom door behind them.
"Hey yourself Counselor," Olivia chuckled. "Are you three always so… youthfully energetic in the morning?"
"Is that a nice way of calling our behavior childish?" Alex asked playfully as she took a couple steps toward the center of the bathroom where Olivia who was standing.
"Perhaps," Olivia hedged.
"Then I plead the fifth," Alex answered with a smirk. "So, how do you want to do this?"
"Wow, talk about déjà vu," Olivia laughed.
"At least today I'm expecting you to strip," Alex retorted. "Seriously Liv, what do you need me to do?"
"Honestly?" Olivia blushed. "I can't get my shirt off or on by myself, the pants and underwear I could probably manage to get off but getting clean stuff back on by myself isn't feasible because I can't lean over without it hurting for some reason, and I really don't see how I'm going to be able to wash my hair one-handed and I really need to wash my hair."
"So, basically everything then?" Alex clarified with a smile.
"God I hate being helpless," Olivia groaned, thankful that she at least had shaved her legs when she showered before meeting Alex Thursday night.
"Hey," Alex murmured, kissing her softly. "It's fine."
"Thank you," Olivia whispered as she watched Alex reach into the shower to turn the water on.
"How hot do you like it?" Alex asked as she fiddled with the knobs.
"The hotter the better," Olivia said as she began working her sweats and underwear down past her hips so that gravity could take over and force them to the floor.
"Good. Me too." Alex smiled as she turned back around to find Olivia trying to step out of her clothes. "Let me," she murmured, kneeling down in front of the blushing brunette and helping her free her feet from the tangle of clothes.
"Good thing you got the full show yesterday, huh?" Olivia tried to make a joke as she felt Alex's fingers carefully wrap themselves around her ankle to steady her as she pulled the pants free.
Alex stood and kissed the embarrassed brunette tenderly. "Relax Liv, it's just me," she murmured reassuringly as she began to help Olivia out of her shirt. "Sorry," she gasped as she watched Olivia wince. "Sorry."
"S'okay," Olivia grimaced. "I knew that would hurt."
"You okay?" Alex asked, cupping the brunette's jaw and tenderly running the pad of her thumb over her cheek as she stared into her eyes.
"Yeah." Olivia nodded, blinking back the tears that had sprung up at the first stab of pain. "I'm fine."
Alex studied her carefully for a moment to make sure that the brunette was telling her the truth before she whispered, "Good."
Olivia stared as she watched the blonde begin shedding her own clothes. "Oh, ahhh, Alex – what are you doing?"
Alex looked up and smiled. "What? You want me to climb into the shower with my clothes on to help you?"
"Um, I guess not," Olivia said as she watched Alex shimmy out of her yoga pants and kick them off to the side.
"You know," Alex thought aloud as she reached for the hem of her shirt and began to lift it off over her head. "I'd always imagined our getting naked together for the first time a little differently than this."
"My god, you're perfect," Olivia murmured as she watched Alex toss her shirt carelessly in the direction of her discarded pants.
"You're not so bad yourself," Alex chuckled. "Here-" she opened the door to the shower and held out her hand. "I promise I'll behave."
"I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not," Olivia muttered as she took the blonde's proffered hand and stepped carefully into the shower, hyperaware of the fact that any movement on her part to stabilize herself would lead to a disproportionate amount of pain. "Thank you." She smiled as she watched Alex pull the door closed behind herself.
"My pleasure." Alex smiled. "Now, turn around and get your hair wet. We'll start at the top and work our way down."
