Well, this is my longest chapter yet! I thought for chapter 10, since you all have been so great, I'd make it nice and long for you. Thanks for being patient with me through this, and for reading along as I post. I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you enjoy reading it. Hope this ties you over for the weekend! lol Hope you all have a nice, relaxing one :)
Wednesday evening. Alex's Apartment.
It had been a long, headache-filled day for the blonde and she was glad to finally be home. She walked into the elevator, pressed the button for her floor, and sank against the wall. A long bubble bath awaited her and that's all she'd been thinking about for the last three hours. Good God she could not wait for that bath.
The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Just a few more feet and she could soak in the tub. She pulled out her key and unlocked the door, pushing it open.
All thoughts of a bath disappeared the moment she stepped inside. Why was it so cold in her apartment? She made a move to turn on the light but before she could, she felt herself being slammed against the wall as her door was kicked closed.
"Don't move, bitch. You're gonna listen good and no one is gonna get hurt," he said in a low voice. Alex felt her pulse race, her mind now going a mile a minute as her heart beat hard against her chest. She was petrified, but she did her best to focus on staying calm. She had to remain calm.
She felt him pushing hard in her stomach with his fist, forcing her to breathe slowly so that she didn't vomit. He had a knife to her throat. She didn't know how big it was, but she could feel it pressing hard against her pulse. "You're gonna drop this case and you're gonna drop it now. You're not gonna prosecute Richard or Chris on Friday and you're gonna drop all of this now."
She said nothing. This was definitely Dean Alderson, the man Olivia and Elliot had been trying to locate. He pressed harder against her, forcing her breath out of her throat. She could feel herself starting to panic.
"Do you understand me?"
She couldn't speak, so she simply nodded. He loosened his grip on her slightly, enough so that she could breathe again.
"I know what you look like. I know where you live. I know where you work. I know everything I need to know about you to get rid of you. If you don't drop this case, next time I see you, I will put this knife through your throat," he said, twisting the knife so that the pointed end pushed into her skin.
"Hear me?"
"Yes," she whispered. She stood perfectly still, forcing herself to remain calm, doing her best not to set him off. He could decide right now it wasn't worth it and end her life. She had no way to defend herself and no way to escape.
He looked hard into her eyes, staring for a moment, before he released the pressure on her stomach. Pain coursed through her belly, but she was distracted by the hand that was now roaming along her sides.
"Where is your cellphone!" he barked.
She moved a shaky hand to the right front pocket of her suit jacket. He shoved her hand away and grabbed it. He then slammed it on the ground, crushing it with his foot.
"You will count to twenty before you move an inch. Do you hear me?"
She nodded and he once again pressed against her hard for one final moment, then threw her to the ground before quickly exiting the apartment.
Alex sat on the floor of the apartment, staring at her two hands flat against the hardwood floor. She forced back everything she felt. She would not lose it here. She would not break down and sob hysterically like she wanted to. She would get to Olivia. She needed to get to Olivia. Olivia needed to know this information.
Alex felt herself starting to hyperventilate, so she sat still, focusing on breathing slowly through her nose. She forced herself to calm down. She needed to get out of here though. She had to get out of here.
She pushed herself up, once again forcing the tears from her eyes. She couldn't help the shaking, but she would get herself downstairs regardless. She slowly grabbed her purse, put one hand on the door handle, and looked through the peephole. The hallway was empty. She slowly opened the door, peeking to see if anyone was there.
Empty.
She slid out the door, closing it and locking the deadbolt. She was now on autopilot. She needed to get to Olivia.
Alex took the elevator down, hailed a cab, mumbled the address and avoided the driver's questions of concern. She knew where she needed to go. When they arrived at Olivia's building, she paid the driver and walked to the main entrance. She pressed the buzzer for Olivia's apartment and waited a second, jumping when she heard the door open.
"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."
The man smiled at her and she slid inside when he held the door open, saying nothing and avoiding his gaze. She quickly made her way to Olivia's apartment, knocking furiously on her door. Please be home. Please. She had no phone and no way to contact her if she was out. She didn't know where else she would go.
She knocked again. No answer. She leaned against the wall, pushing hard against it with her head. She bit her bottom lip and fought the tears that were pushing hard against her eyes. She banged her head, trying to distract herself from the desire to just collapse on the floor and sob her heart out.
She gasped loudly and jerked away from the wall when she heard the elevator ding. She quickly wiped at her eyes and took a deep breath, preparing to force a smile at whoever was going to exit the elevator. She didn't feel like dealing with any of Olivia's neighbours, but maybe they would know where she went. It was a long shot but…
The doors opened and Alex was immediately flooded with a wave of relief, but at the same time, the tears filled her eyes again and she couldn't fight them. Olivia stepped out of the elevator and the smile she bore when she first saw the blonde quickly disappeared when she saw the state Alex was in.
"Alex?"
The woman jogged to her, watching as the woman tightly held a hand over her mouth, silently sobbing against it. Her other hand had a death grip against her waist.
"Alex. Alex, what's wrong?"
The woman shook her head and nodded towards her door. Olivia immediately understood and fumbled for her keys, clumsily opening the door. She tossed the bag of take-out she had in her hand to the floor and turned on the light before guiding the blonde into the apartment. She had just enough time to lock the door behind them before the woman broke into heart-wrenching sobs.
Olivia turned and pulled her tight against her chest, feeling her heart race loudly against her ribcage. Alex was clinging to her, only standing because Olivia was holding her up.
"Alex, honey, you're scaring me. What happened?"
The woman tightened her grip, crying hard into Olivia's shoulder.
"Okay, honey. Okay. You're okay. You're safe. It's okay."
She held Alex tight, guiding them down to the floor where she could properly hold the woman. She pulled Alex into her lap, holding her close.
"You need to talk to me, Alex. What happened?"
She heard her try and speak, but she couldn't make out anything through the sobs. It would be easier to ask yes or no questions instead, so Olivia chose to do that.
"Were you attacked?" she asked, trying to keep her voice even.
The woman nodded, shaking in her arms, still crying. Olivia's heart beat faster.
"Okay honey, okay. You're safe." She needed to ask the next question, but she was terrified of the answer. "Were you raped?" she asked gently.
Alex paused, then shook her head. Olivia felt the heat of relief flood her body. Oh thank God.
"Okay honey. You're doing great. You're okay. One more question: are you hurt anywhere? Do we need to go to a hospital?"
There was another pause, and then Alex shook her head. Olivia's eyes watered with relief. Whatever else it was, she would handle it. Just as long as Alex was safe and unhurt. Olivia relaxed her body and focused on the woman in her arms, still shaking and crying softly against her.
"You're okay, sweetheart. You're safe now. I'm so sorry it happened. You're okay now."
She had no idea what had happened, but it had obviously scared the shit out of the usually stoic blonde. She held Alex tight, rubbing her back and rocking her slowly as the sobs washed over her body. Olivia held her close, waiting patiently until the sobs slowly started to dissipate, indicating that Alex was starting to calm down. She waited through the occasional soft cry, the hiccoughs, and then eventually there was silence. She continued rocking the other woman, rubbing her back, until Alex started to pull away.
She didn't look at Olivia, instead choosing to look down at the floor. Olivia tucked Alex's hair behind her ears and looked at her face. It was beet red and looked so distraught. Her heart broke into a million pieces.
She reached to the bag of take out and ripped it open. She grabbed the stack of napkins and gently wiped at Alex's cheeks. She handed her the rest, keeping a grip on the woman's lower back as Alex turned and wiped her eyes and blew her nose. Alex dropped the napkins on the floor and slid off of Olivia's lap, but stayed glued against her legs. Olivia reached out and put a hand around Alex's waist and rested the other on her knee.
"I need you to tell me what happened, Alex."
Alex took a deep breath, her eyes tearing up again. Her head was spinning from having cried so hard. And yet, she felt like she wanted to cry some more. She gingerly looked up at Olivia, who looked so concerned Alex thought Olivia would cry too.
She cleared her throat and slowly began to recount what happened, tears streaming down her face. Olivia could feel herself growing both angrier and guiltier as Alex went on, but she forced those emotions away. She forced herself to concentrate on what the woman was saying and not on how she should have been there to protect her. As the blonde continued talking, Olivia thought more and more about the fact that she needed to call Elliot. They needed to get to Alex's apartment as soon as possible.
When Alex stopped talking, Olivia wrapped her arms around her again and pulled her close. She kissed her temple and held her for a few minutes. The blonde curled up into her side, wrapping her arms around Olivia's waist. Alex felt better, protected, now that she was in Olivia's arms.
"I have to call Elliot."
Alex sighed and nodded.
"I know."
She tried to pull away, but Olivia held her in place.
"I can call like this."
Alex smiled to herself and rested her head against Olivia's chest once again. She closed her eyes and listened to the woman's voice. She liked the way it sounded against Olivia's ribcage. She tried to block out the sound of her words. She didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to hear anything. She wanted to ignore what had happened, forget it. She knew she would have to give an official statement, but for right now, she just wanted to be in the comfort of Olivia's arms. She didn't care if it made her look weak. She just wanted to be held.
Olivia hung up the phone and hugged Alex.
"He's going to come by here and grab your keys so that he can get in, okay?"
Alex nodded.
"Okay," she whispered.
"When he comes back, he'll probably get a statement from you."
She nodded again.
There was a pause before Olivia started talking again.
"Alex, I am so sorry-"
"Don't-"
"No. Let me get it out. I am so sorry that this happened. I am so sorry that I wasn't there with you. I feel such horrible guilt that I wasn't there to rip his fucking face off. I promise you we will get him," she said angrily.
She pulled away and held Alex's shoulders, looking into her eyes.
"We will find him, okay? And until we do, I'll make sure you're safe."
Alex smiled weakly and nodded.
"I know. That's why I came to you," she admitted, unable to help feeling a little embarrassed. "I knew I'd be safe."
It felt so good to hear that, Olivia thought to herself.
"I'm glad you came to me, Alex. Really glad."
The brunette reached out and tucked Alex's hair behind her shoulder, frowning when the woman flinched. She pushed the hair out of the way and her eyes narrowed on the raw skin there.
"This is where…" she trailed off.
Alex nodded. The area was red and irritated. There were faint scratch marks where something sharp had obviously rubbed, but not quite cut through. Olivia pulled out her phone and texted Elliot, saying that he needed to bring a camera. She received a text a few minutes later saying Fin had already grabbed it. She tucked her phone away and turned back to the woman. She pulled her close again.
"How are you doing?"
Alex sighed. It was silly for her to stay against Olivia now that she was calm. She slid away from the brunette and looked at her, forcing a small smile.
"I'm okay. Thanks for comforting me."
Olivia reached out and rubbed her arm.
"Anytime, Alex. You can come to me at any time."
Alex nodded, biting her bottom lip.
"I must look awful."
Olivia shook her head.
"You look beautiful."
She didn't know what it was that made her shiver. Maybe it was the intensity of Olivia's gaze, maybe it was the sincerity in her voice, or maybe it was just because it came from the lips of the woman she had grown to love. Even through this traumatic event, Olivia still affected her.
The brunette looked at her for another minute before standing up. She reached out her hand and pulled the blonde up.
"Come on."
She led the way to the couch, sitting down and pulling Alex with her. She tucked the woman into her side, taking the light blanket from the back of the couch and draping it over her. She cuddled Alex tight, placing a soft kiss on the side of her head. The blonde sighed shakily. She was so glad to be here with Olivia, but she was still fighting the thoughts in her head about what had just happened to her. It was like her mind was on "replay", repeating the events of that night. She saw his eyes flash before her, so she turned and buried her face in Olivia's side.
Olivia held her close, rubbing her back in an attempt to comfort her, until the buzzer went off. Olivia was then forced to slowly slide from Alex's embrace and make her way over. She buzzed Elliot up and unlocked her door.
"Are you ready for this?"
Alex nodded.
"I'm okay."
"Okay."
Olivia walked back over to the couch. Alex slid away, putting some distance between the two of them. A few minutes later, they heard a knock, followed by the door being opened.
"Hi."
Olivia got up and met him at the door.
"Hey."
"Hi, Alex."
Olivia noticed the woman's demeanor had changed completely. Her walls were back up.
"Hello, detective."
She got up and went to her purse, pulling out her keys.
"I'm in apartment 5B."
"Okay. Thank you."
He took the keys and put them in his pocket.
"You're not going alone, are you?" Olivia asked with concern.
"No. Fin is with me but I thought it would be best if I came up alone."
Good call, Olivia thought.
"I'm sorry, Alex, but I have to take pictures of your neck and any other marks you have."
"It's just my neck."
He nodded. She pulled her hair out of the way and exposed the wounded area. His face remained neutral as he approached to take pictures. After he finished, he thanked her and turned to Olivia.
"I'll call you if we find anything."
"Thanks, El."
She closed the door behind him and then turned to Alex.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded curtly.
"I just noticed your food when I grabbed my purse. I'm sorry. It must be cold now. Do you want to eat?"
Olivia heard the stiffness in her voice and saw the rigidity of her posture. She was pushing her away.
"Don't shut me out, Alex," she pleaded. She took a step forward and held out her hand. "Please."
The blonde felt herself crumbling. It was a feeble attempt at trying to save face, trying to seem strong before her. But she was so broken. She took Olivia's hand, her shoulders dropping.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I know you're hurting. But please don't shut me out."
"Okay," she said softly.
Olivia sad and gathered her in her arms. She pulled her close, feeling guilty for enjoying the way the woman felt in her arms.
"Why did you try to push me away?" she murmured gently.
Alex closed her eyes, not wanting to admit how she felt. She didn't want to open up like this.
"Hmm?" the brunette pressed.
"I didn't…I don't want you to think I'm weak. That I'm pathetic. Crying and-and breaking down like I did."
Olivia shifted so that she was looking at Alex.
"Alex, I do not think you are weak. I have never once thought that. You're unbelievably strong. In fact, I don't know how the hell you managed to get yourself from your apartment to mine without breaking down on the side of the street. You're brave. You survived a terrifying ordeal and you still managed to get yourself somewhere safe. You're smart, you're tough as nails, and you are strong."
Alex managed a small smile.
"I could never think you're weak, Alex. I think you gave the exact reaction anyone would give after what just happened, including myself. I admire you, Alex. I really do."
The blonde felt shy all of a sudden, smiling down at her hands.
"Thanks," she said softly.
Olivia tugged her close again and held her.
"I'm so glad you're safe."
"Thanks for keeping me safe."
"Always."
She rubbed her arm soothingly. They sat there quietly, each in their own thoughts. Alex was trying to force what happened from her mind, choosing instead to focus on Olivia's breathing and the way her chest moved up and down with each breath she took. Olivia, on the other hand, was going through the dozens of questions she had for Alex. What else did he say? Did he hint at where he was staying? Did he say he'd been in New York all this time? Did he hint that he was going to be staying for a while? Did he look any different? Shaved beard? Short hair? Glasses? Had he gained or lost any weight? There were so many questions in her mind but she couldn't ask them right now. Elliot would have to ask her all of these things and she didn't want Alex to have to repeat herself again.
She knew the only reason Elliot hadn't questioned her right away was because a) he needed to get to the crime scene ASAP and b) Olivia had asked him to give them some time. She hoped he had understood that by "them" she meant Alex. The blonde needed some time to calm down. So, they sat on her couch until Elliot called and said he was on his way back. She continued to hold Alex until the buzzer rang, at which time she pulled away again and went to unlock the door. She then picked up her take-out and placed it on the kitchen counter.
There was a knock on the door, prompting Olivia to quickly turn from the kitchen and rush over to open it. This time, both Fin and Elliot walked in. They nodded at her and closed the door behind them.
"Hey."
"Hello."
"How you doin'?" Fin asked.
"I'm alright. Did you find anything?"
"Well, we know he came in through your bedroom window since it was still partly open. They dusted for prints in and around the area. We got a few partials and a couple good thumb prints. There's surveillance videos the super gave us, so we're gonna go over those in the next few days. We spoke to your neighbours as well, but nobody saw or heard anything suspicious. We locked your windows and the door when we left," Elliot finished, handing her her keys.
So they can prove he was at the apartment, which was good, but Alex had hoped they would find him…Regardless, she was grateful they went.
"Thanks, Elliot. Both of you. I appreciate it."
Elliot nodded.
"We're gonna go back tomorrow when it's light out so we can see better. Maybe we'll get more."
There was a brief silence before Fin interrupted it.
"We need to ask you a few questions. About Alderson. We can ask you before or after you give your statement, whichever feels better to you."
Alex nodded.
"Let's just answer them now. Get it over with."
"Okay."
They asked her the questions Olivia had been wondering about earlier. Alex said he looked no different than the pictures she saw of him, other than the fact that he had a five o'clock shadow. He hadn't put on weight, his hair looked the same, and he still wasn't wearing glasses. That's good, Olivia thought. They didn't need to alter any of their photographs. They asked her a few more questions before then stating that, when she was ready, she could start giving an official statement.
Alex nodded and took a deep breath as she slowly recounted what happened, giving extremely specific details, including the sound and tone of his voice. She didn't state anything personal about her emotional state other than that she was "frightened". Her voice remained even. Fin and Elliot kept their expressions blank, nodding along. Elliot wrote as she spoke, while Fin taped her statement. Olivia bit her tongue as she listened, the knot in her stomach growing. She was sickened, sad, angry, disgusted, and she wanted nothing better than to kick the shit out of this bastard. She wanted him to suffer for everything he had done to each of those children and for what he had done to Alex tonight.
The blonde finished talking, her voice having remained neutral the entire time, even though it was hell to have to relive it all again. She was an expert at hiding her emotions, but she was so drained. She didn't know how much longer she could keep this front, so she was relieved that they were leaving now. The men nodded their thanks and apologised that this happened to her. They promised that they would all be working overtime for this and that they would find him. Alex smiled her appreciation and thanked them for everything they were doing. Olivia followed them to the door and saw them out.
"So, nothing?" Olivia asked quietly.
They shook their heads once they were in the hallway.
"We're gonna be on this, Liv. Don't worry. We're gonna find him."
The brunette nodded.
"How's she doing?" Elliot asked, careful not to speak too loudly.
"She's shaken up but she's okay."
"She's not going back there, is she?"
Olivia shook her head.
"No."
"Good. She needs to stay away until we find this guy," Fin answered.
"I agree. Thanks for everything, guys."
"No problem, Liv. You take care of her."
She smiled.
"She'll be okay. Be careful."
They nodded and headed over to the elevator. Olivia closed and locked the door before heading back to Alex.
"You okay?"
"Yeah," she said, then paused. "He got in because of me."
"What?"
"I thought no one would ever be able to climb in my windows. I'm on the fifth floor after all. I never locked my windows. Ever. I thought it was safe." She shook her head. "How stupid," she said bitterly.
"It's not stupid, Alex. You're not the only one who doesn't lock their windows, especially when you live in an apartment. In fact, I know tons of people who keep them wide open. I mean, at night in the summer, I leave mine open too. No one ever suspects things like this will happen. You weren't stupid."
"I feel like I was."
"Don't let him do that to you, Alex."
The blonde felt her anger stirring. She hated that she let that happen to herself. Normally, she was so careful. She hated him for making her fearful. She hated him for terrorizing her in her own home. She hated him for threatening her. She hated him for all the things he had done and allowed to be done to those children.
"What a sick fucking bastard."
Olivia swallowed her surprise. She had never heard Alex speak like that.
"Yes, he is. He's at fault in all of this and we will find him."
Alex stayed quiet and looked out Olivia's windows.
"Do you lock your windows?" she asked quietly.
"Yes, but these windows don't open anymore."
Alex looked at her, doubtful.
"This apartment can be a bit of a… crap shack, for lack of a better word. Some things decided to stop working. Like my windows in the living room for example. They haven't opened in about three years. I keep meaning to get them fixed but honestly, it doesn't bother me enough to go through the hassle. Especially since I work so much so I'm never here. The window in the bedroom opens but there's no way to get to it unless you were to fly. The fire escape only reaches here in the living room."
"Isn't it illegal for your windows leading to the fire escape to be sealed shut?"
"Well, they're not technically sealed. They just don't open."
"You know what I mean."
Olivia smiled.
"Yeah, I do. If ever there's a fire, I'll just smash through with a chair. I have big guns you know," she said, flexing her arms.
Alex rolled her eyes, and for the first time since arriving, the smile she gave was genuine. She smiled at her for another minute before turning back to the windows.
"You're sure they're locked?"
"Yes."
Olivia got up and flipped the latches.
"Now they're unlocked." She yanked hard on the window, grunting as she strained to open them. She attempted both windows several times before turning to Alex. "They just don't budge." She locked the latches again.
"I'm going to check the bedroom right now."
She walked over to the bedroom and checked the lock. It was definitely still locked. She walked back to the living room.
"It's locked. And I have my gun with me, if someone were to attempt to come in. You're safe here. I won't let anything happen to you."
"Thank you."
"Do you feel more relieved or is there something else I can do? Do you need me to check anything else?" Olivia glanced at the door and saw that both the deadbolt and the lock on the handle were set.
"No. If you've checked everything, then I feel better."
"I have, I promise. There's no other way in."
Alex nodded, rubbing her hands together. It was now after eleven and, although she was mentally and physically exhausted, she knew there was no way she would sleep.
"Are you hungry at all? I don't know when you ate last…"
Alex shook her head. She wasn't hungry.
"I'm not, no. But you must be. Eat what you got earlier. What did you get anyway?"
"I don't want to eat in front of you."
"Don't. Because then you'll make me feel guilty that I'm not hungry."
Olivia paused. She didn't want to do that.
"Okay. I got Chinese. From the place I brought you to."
"Did you get the dinner for three again?" she said, teasing her.
"No!" She paused. "I got the dinner for two."
She went to the kitchen, leaving Alex to laugh alone in the living room. It was great to hear her laughing again.
Olivia took out a plate, dumping more food than she would probably eat, but she was so hungry that she just piled everything on just in case. She felt guilty for being hungry, considering everything Alex went through, but she couldn't help it.
She popped the plate in the microwave and got herself a glass of water. She brought it to the living room and asked the blonde what she wanted to drink.
"I'll just have water too please."
"Are you sure? I have iced tea. And warm pop."
The blonde gave a small smile.
"Just water."
"Okay."
The brunette got her a glass and returned with some water.
"Do you want to watch a movie?"
"That would be nice. A comedy or something light."
Olivia nodded.
"I know just the thing." She flipped through the DVDs until she found the one she was looking for. "Have you ever seen Imagine Me & You?"
"No."
"Ah, perfect. This is what you want to watch."
She took the DVD out and put it in the player. She turned to Alex and noticed that she was in her work outfit.
"Do you want to change into pjs?"
Alex looked down, finally noticing that she was still wearing her suit. No wonder she hadn't been comfortable.
"I don't have any."
"No, but I do. They'll be a little bit big, but they'll work."
Before waiting for Alex to respond, she went to the bedroom and pulled out a pair of pyjamas from her top drawer. They weren't technically pyjamas, but Olivia often wore these to bed.
"Here," she said, handing them to Alex, who had followed her to the bedroom.
"Thanks."
Olivia left the room and returned to the kitchen to check on her food. The microwave had long ago stopped and her food was steaming when she opened the door. She carried her plate out to the living room and sat down, taking a huge forkful to her mouth and chewing. She looked up when she heard the bedroom door open. She immediately stopped chewing when she saw the blonde. She looked damn good in her clothes.
"I see now why you picked this one out," Alex said, looking down at the t-shirt, which clearly stated "NYPD- New York's Finest". The pants also had a "NYPD" print, which matched the shirt.
"You may not be a cop, but you're New York's finest attorney."
The blonde smiled and padded over to her, sitting next to her on the couch. She looked over at her plate, eyebrows raised at the amount of food on her plate.
"You were hungry."
"Yeah yeah. I'm a pig," Olivia said, teasing. "Are you sure you don't want any?"
Alex hesitated.
"Okay. Now that I smell it, it does smell really good."
The blonde got up before Olivia could.
"I'll get it," she said, knowing full well the woman would go and get her what she needed. She returned with a single fork.
Olivia looked at her confused, until Alex sat next to her and pulled the plate so it was between them.
"I have other plates if you want."
"I know but I figured we can just share."
"We don't have to. I can get you a plate."
"Does it bother you if I share?"
"No, I'm just saying if you want your own-"
"I don't," she said, smiling. "I want to share with you."
Oh. Olivia smiled back. That was nice. She held Alex's gaze for another minute before turning away. She grabbed the remote and pressed "play". The women ate in comfortable silence until the plate was empty.
"Should I get you some more? I know I'm full but I'm pretty sure that was just an appetizer for you," Alex said, teasing.
"You're such an asshole," Olivia answered, laughing. "Give me that before I beat you."
Alex laughed and handed her the fork, giggling and moving away when the woman swatted at her playfully. Olivia placed the dishes in the sink and then went to the bedroom, changing into her own pyjamas, grabbing a blanket and pillow, and then joined Alex in the living room.
"You going to fall asleep on me, detective?"
Olivia smiled. She loved that Alex was feeling playful now.
"Maybe after I digest. Nobody likes heartburn."
She pulled the coffee table away from the couch and then sat next to Alex, throwing the pillow where she planned on laying later. She covered the blonde with the blanket before covering herself too. Alex cuddled in close, laying her head on Olivia's shoulder. The brunette felt the giddiness rush over her. Alex was laying her head on her shoulder!
Things had been shifting between them since they had come out to each other. There had been some light flirting, or compliments, as Olivia used to say to herself before she knew Alex was gay. Maybe Alex really was interested and that's why she was making passes. Or maybe she just enjoyed flirting. Who didn't enjoy flirting? Olivia loved it.
Olivia gave herself a mental shake. She decided not to overthink it. This was not the time anyway. For now, she would just enjoy the time alone with the blonde.
It hadn't taken long for Alex to realise Olivia had chosen a lesbian film. She felt herself get excited. She hadn't seen a good lesbian film in so long and this one was definitely looking promising. She enjoyed watching the two women on the screen, even though she secretly wished there were more sweet, romantic scenes of them.
Sometime later, Alex could feel a familiar pressure growing in her bladder. She ignored it, not wanting to stop the movie and definitely not wanting to break away from Olivia. The brunette had rested her hand on Alex's knee not long after the blonde had leaned up against her, and Alex was afraid that if she moved, Olivia would retract her hand. So, she desperately tried to focus on the movie and not on the fact that she needed to pee so freaking badly. However, after about an hour, there really was no more fighting it. It had been hours since she had gone last and there was no way she could hold it anymore.
"Can we pause the movie, please? I really have to go to the bathroom."
"Do you or is the movie that bad that you need a break from it?"
Alex laughed as she got up.
"No, I really do like it. I just really have to go."
While she was out of the room, Olivia decided to grab the pillow she had brought, laying it more comfortably against the armrest of the couch. She got up and turned off the light, then made her way back to lay down, draping the blanket over her body. This would be the biggest leap she had taken thus far with Alex: spooning on the couch. She didn't know if Alex would go for it, but she hoped that she would. It would be nice to hold the woman this way, getting to feel her entire body against her own. She hoped it didn't seem inappropriate, given what had happened tonight to Alex, but Olivia wasn't trying to be forward. She just wanted to hold Alex.
She heard the toilet flush. Her insides tightened with nervousness when she heard the bathroom door open. Alex came back, a look of surprise on her face.
"It got dark in here fast."
"I turned off the light."
"I see that," she said, approaching the couch.
"And where do you expect me to sit, detective?"
"Not sit, lay. I thought maybe you'd feel more comfortable if we lay down for a bit."
"You did, did you?" Alex thought it was a sneaky way of getting them to spoon, but she smiled regardless. Lying down with the brunette sounded really nice.
Olivia lifted the blanket, revealing a space big enough for Alex to lie down in. The brunette was tight against the back of the couch, but even still, Alex would have to lie on her side to fit comfortably. The blonde hesitated for half a second more before lying next to her. She smiled to herself when Olivia shifted so that she was lying flush against Alex's back. She could feel every single inch of her, including her breasts. They were pressed firmly against her back, and Alex had to fight hard not to think of them.
Olivia tugged on the blanket so that it covered Alex. She then shifted around, placing her arm on her side, then her hip. The most comfortable place would be near her front, behind Alex, but she couldn't because there wasn't enough room. When shifting her arm again, cradling it into her side, the blonde reached back and grabbed it, bringing it around to cuddle her middle. Olivia smiled to herself and bit her lip, her stomach clenching with happiness. She cuddled close, wrapping her arm further around the blonde and smiling. She was spooning Alex, and Alex initiated closer contact!
All thoughts of what had happened earlier that evening were replaced by this new high both women were experiencing, reveling in the feel of the other woman pressed close. Olivia was pretty sure this is what Heaven felt like...
Do you have a smile on your face? :) Cuz that's what I was hoping to leave you with! Thanks for reading :)