A/N: I will probably regret this, but I'm just really in a writing mood so I have shifted my focus back to this story even though I have an exam on Wednesday for which I have yet to complete the reading for. Ask me if I care? I don't. But this is for LoreneMichelle41 & Nolin!
The office was starting to buzz with rumors of a budding romance between Olivia and Fitz. Everyone pretty much knew they were friends, but it was apparent that they were becoming closer since the dinner party almost 2 months ago. If nothing else, everyone knew that they had never seen Olivia or Fitz as happy as they were currently. They were all anyone could talk about. Olivia was very much respected for her work ethic, but she never seemed to date. Or that's what every man thought, seeing as how she turned them down. Everyone was curious as to why, and now she was sporting a beautiful gold ring on her right hand. Some people thought Fitz may be the guy who gave it to her, but no one had any proof.
That's what everyone was currently whispering about in the 8th floor break room when all of a sudden they stopped, looking up in shock.
Mellie.
No one had seen her on the 8th floor since she moved up in the company and broke up with Fitz. No one expected to see her there again. So there was a bit of confusion on their faces as they waited for her to give them some kind of clue as to what made her venture back down to their floor.
"Hey," she said, awkwardly. Mellie had always been standoffish even when she worked on the 8th floor. She viewed everyone there as beneath her.
"What brings you back here, Mellie?" asked a guy named Fred. "We hoped," he cleared his throat, "I mean never thought, we'd be seeing you in these parts again."
Mellie finally stepped into the break room, looking around before meeting Fred's curious gaze. "Don't be silly. I used to work here you know."
"Barely," someone muttered, just loud enough to be heard.
Mellie's gaze turned ice cold. "I just thought I'd come down to see some old friends. Speaking of which, is Fitz in his office?"
"Fitz?" Fred paused. "You want to see Fitz?"
It was no secret that he was devastated after they first broke up. They could tell it broke him, though not as much as dating her broke him.
Mellie didn't verbally respond, she just nodded her head yes. She decided then that she no longer cared to continue this conversation. She'd rather surprise Fitz, so she made her way down the hall to his office. His door was cracked as she walked up. Not bothering to pretend she had any manners she pushed it open, walking inside. Fitz's head popped up at the sound of someone walking in and he froze when he saw just who it was.
"Mellie." He held up one finger. "I'll call you back," he said to whoever he was on the phone with.
"Surprise," Mellie said, with her ice queen smile perfectly in place. She waited for him to say something, but he continued to look at her. He couldn't believe she had the audacity to show up in his office like they were friends. "Don't you want to know why I'm here?" She didn't wait for him to answer, instead doing it for him. "Of course you do."
Fitz was trying to keep it together. He was angry, and hurt, by her appearance. He loved her with everything that he had at one point, but it wasn't good enough for her. He wasn't good enough for her. And that's a feeling that you never forget. Mellie knew him well and she could tell her presence affected him just the way she hoped it did.
"Imagine my surprise when a little birdie tells me that there's a new couple on my old floor and it's none other than you and Olivia. Now Olivia…Olivia is a great woman, so great in fact that I had to see for myself if she really settled for someone like you. I can't, for the life of me, imagine that she would be stupid enough to do so. She could do far worse by herself." She laughed.
Fitz swallowed as her words hit him.
"You must be screwing her. Yeah, that's it. It is, in fact, your specialty." Mellie crossed her arms as she started to walk over to his desk. "So, is it true?"
"I think you should go."
Both Mellie and Fitz jumped at the sound of Liv's voice. Mellie hadn't bothered to close Fitz's door all the way, so when Olivia was walking up to meet up with Fitz for lunch she was able to hear the tail end of their conversation, if you could even call it a conversation.
"Liv, how are you? I was ju—"
"You were just what? Don't tell me you were stopping by to see a friend, because we both know that was a lie." Liv closed the door and walked over to Fitz as she spoke. Breaking eye contact with Mellie, she leaned down to kiss Fitz on the cheek. "Hey babe."
The biggest smile broke out on Fitz's face. His eyes were quickly going from grey to blue at his sudden change in mood. Having Olivia there seemed to give Fitz a boost in confidence. He was reminded that there were better women out there than Mellie, women like his Livvie. She believed in him. She wanted him, and she wanted him for who he was. Right?
He chose that moment to stand.
"Mellie, it was nice of you to stop by. Now if you don't mind, I have important matters to tend to. You know, with my woman." He put emphasis on the word woman so that if Mellie ever questioned his opinion of her before now she didn't any longer.
Mellie just glared at them. She had hoped to get some kind of verbal reaction out of Fitz, but never this blatant dismissal. She felt disrespected. That's okay though, he may not have given any verbal confirmation but she knew that her words got to him.
"I'll see you guys some other time," Mellie said, as she turned on her heels and briskly walked out of the door.
Fitz exhaled deeply as soon as his office door was closed. Olivia stepped back, taking a good look at him. Olivia never saw his face while Mellie was talking but Olivia knew her words had to have hit a soft spot for Fitz. His hands were balled into fists on his desk as he hung his head.
Mellie's words were repeating in his head. "Liv?"
"Yes?" Olivia made her way to the other side of his desk.
"Have you talked to anyone about us? I mean, has anyone actually asked you—about us?" He tried to keep his tone light so she wouldn't know what was going through his mind.
Olivia was a little confused by his question. "Are you asking if anyone has asked me whether we're together or not?" He nodded his head, finally looking up but not directly at her. "No, no one has asked. I've heard people talking, but they never directly ask me anything."
"And you haven't bothered to say anything to anyone about it when you hear them?" Fitz was starting to wonder why Olivia didn't just confirm the rumors. He knew she was very outspoken.
"No. Fitz, why are you asking me these questions?"
"Are you ashamed?" Fitz shifted his gaze to Olivia, searching her eyes for some kind of hint.
"Asha—are you okay? Why would I ever be ashamed? I have nothing to be ashamed of."
Mellie's words placed doubt into his mind about how Olivia viewed him. Sex, was in fact, their beginning. They took a break for a while, but since he gave her a promise ring they'd resumed their sexual activities. But they were more than that. Right? They had to be because she told him what they had was real. And Liv wouldn't lie to him, would she?
"Fitz, if this is about what Mellie said then I need to you believe me when I say that you can't listen to a word she says because she's just upset at the fact that you could be happy without her, that someone appreciates you. I'm with you, for you and who you are because you are a great man."
He closed his eyes as he tried to let her words reassure him. He needed some kind of reassurance because his heart couldn't take it if Mellie were to be right. He needed Olivia. Why? Because…
He loved Olivia Pope.
He opened his eyes as that revelation came to him. He loved Olivia Pope. He didn't know when it happened nor did he care. He wasn't about to question it.
Olivia's bottom lip was trembling as she stared at him, waiting for him to tell her he believed in what they had. That he knew without a doubt that she'd never be ashamed of them or use him. She heard Mellie try to belittle him by saying sex was all he was good for but Mellie obviously didn't know Fitz that well.
"Fitz, I—I love you," she said, as she started to cry.
Fitz stood there for a minute. He was replaying the way she always told him she wanted him. How she took care of him. How she made sure he knew she was appreciated. How could he ever doubt them, or let Mellie's word get into his head?
He was pulled out of his thoughts by Liv's movements. She was starting to leave after his lack of response. Before he had time to think, Fitz was rounding his desk and reaching for her.
"I…love you too." He was looking into her eyes now, cupping her face with his hands.
Olivia froze.
"I love you too, Livvie."
Olivia let go of the doorknob. Tears were still falling from her eyes, but not for the same reason. He loved her? She'd imagined the moment he first said those words to her a million times, and she never thought it'd be like this. She didn't want it to be like this. What if he didn't mean it? She knew as soon as that thought entered her mind that she was being ridiculous. Of course he meant it. Maybe what really bothered her was that Mellie's appearance had to be the thing that made him say it. Or was that a good thing?
"I think I've known for a while now that I love you. Ever since the night I gave you that promise ring," he told her, as he grabbed her hand and ran his thumb over the ring.
"I'm sorry for questioning you Liv. It's just—"
"No, you don't have to apologize. I get it. But you really scared me for a second. The thought of losing you—I don't ever want to lose you. And I hate that you would doubt me, but I get it."
Fitz opened his mouth to respond, but he didn't know how to. So he did the only thing he knew how to do. He kissed her like he was dying and only her lips could save him. The fierceness of his kiss made her moan as she entangled her fingers in his hair. He pushed her up against his closed door. His hands were all over her body; he needed to touch her so he could convey everything that his mouth couldn't say. He had been falling for her long before he realized it. She had broken down more and more of the wall he had constructed to protect himself, quicker than he had ever expected. She saw him.
When Fitz eventually broke the kiss Liv stood there looking stunned. When she had come to his office earlier she never expected any of the events that had occurred to take place. Her heart broke a little as he began to question her and how she felt about their relationship. Maybe it was time that they confirmed the rumors about them. She had wanted to all along but she didn't out of fear that it wasn't what Fitz wanted. She wanted him badly, but she wouldn't be made a fool of.
Before she left his office to return to hers, he told her he wanted her to come over to his place. Usually they waited till Fridays but he knew any space between them might be detrimental to all they had worked towards. And he refused to lose her. He'd have to find a way to deal with his fears.
Mellie had immediately stormed upstairs after her encounter with Fitz. She didn't want to admit that it bothered her to see him light up when Olivia walked in the room. It was like seeing a new man. Before Olivia walked in he looked weak, she could tell that he was trying to hold it together. The more she thought about it the more irritated she became. She needed to get more information on their relationship, and she knew just who to go to.
So I'm trying to give all of my stories some attention, which means I'm basically writing until I get stuck and then I shift focus. If you read my story Study of Attraction then you're probably going to want to shoot me after reading this lol. Forgive me? I promise to try to get back to it as quickly as possible though, it's so much fun to write. Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and you def have not seen the last of Mellie!