I own no one but my own people
I've got every reason to find someone new. 'Cause you swore up and down to me I've seen the last of you. But the way you loved me left me hopin' and holdin' on. So until this world stops turning round and my heart believes you're gone. I'll breathe in! And breathe out! Put one foot in front of the other! Take one day at a time! 'Till you find I'm that someone you can't live without! But until then I'll breathe in and breathe out!
'I Breathe In, I Breathe Out'; David KershFin took a deep breath as he pulled in front of Olivia's building at eight a clock on the dot. He grabbed the umbrella from the back seat and the bouquet of roses from besides him. He sat there for a few moments trying to gather his courage before he opened the door. He put the umbrella outside the door when he opened it and quickly made the way into her building.
He didn't notice the familiar Crown Vic sitting out front on the opposite end of the street.
As Fin made his way up to her apartment he struggled to remain calm and relaxed. He finally reached her apartment and took a deep breath before he knocked on the door, smoothing out the suit he was wearing.
He heard movement inside and he vaguely wondered if she was as nervous as he was. That notion only entered itself for a moment before that, and every other conscious thought, was driven away when the door opened to reveal Olivia.
Breathtaking would have been insulting her. The dress he had bought her fit her like a glove that showed off just the right curves and her black strappy open toed heels added another three inches to her already impressive five foot eight stance. Her hair, in soft curls that cascaded down her back, was more beautiful and luscious then he had ever seen it and he was aching to run his fingers through it. Her makeup was just subtle enough that he could tell she was wearing it but it showed off her own beauty rather than masked or replaced it.
Fin struggled to remember how to speak for a few moments before he cleared his throat and handed her the roses. "You look beautiful," Fin said in slight awe.
"Thank you," Olivia said with a soft blush.
Fin smiled at the shy grin as he handed her the roses.
"They're beautiful," she said with another timid smile.
"They're nothing compared to you," he said with a shrug.
Another blush rose to her skin and she opened the door eider. "You wanna come in?"
"Sure."
"I'll be two seconds," she assured him, "I just gotta put these in water and grab my coat."
"Take your time," said Fin as he tried to hide a grin. He had expected her to be like every other woman he had dated. He expected to wait another half hour once he arrived at her apartment. It would have been a lie to say he didn't like picking up a woman and having her be on time.
Olivia went over to the cupboard and grabbed a vase and filled with water before she put the bouquet of roses in the clear glass holder.
She turned and walked over to the coat rack besides her door and grabbed not her black leather jacket she wore to the precinct, but her long tan trench coat that she wore when she wanted to look a bit classier.
Fin took it from her and held it open for her. Once again a blush broke out on her face as she slipped her arms inside her coat.
"What?" asked Fin with a slight smirk.
"Nothing, it's just… I've never really seen this side of you before."
"I've never really seen this side of you before either." He leaned in and nuzzled the crook of her neck and he smiled as she trembled slightly under his touch. "And I definitely like it." He kissed her once before he pulled away from her and Olivia turned to face him.
"Has anyone ever told you that you really know how to start a date?"
"Yes but it means the most coming from you."
Fin gave her a chaste kiss on the lips before he pulled away and offered her is arm. A small laugh escaped her before she took his arm and he led her out of the apartment.
…
Elliot took a long sip of the coffee as he glanced at his watch, a scowl growing on his face. It's been over two hours since he dropped Olivia off. Where the hell was Fin!
He knew it. He KNEW that bastard couldn't be trusted with this! Fin didn't give a damn about protecting her in Sealview and he could care less about her protecting her now!
As his anger grew so did the miniscule feeling of delight. Fin wouldn't show up after Olivia asked for him specifically, Elliot would go up to her apartment pretending that he just got there, she'd be upset when she realized that Fin was nothing more than a lying bastard, he'd comfort her, one thing would lead to another and he would have her back before the night was out.
God he couldn't wait to walk in their tomorrow with Olivia on his arm giving Fin that same winning smug that he shot Elliot so often over the last few days. Maybe the little bitch would cry… one could only hope at least that Ken took after Fin in that aspect if not anything more.
Now Elliot half hoped Fin DIDN'T show up to offer her protection. Sure Olivia would be disappointed but Elliot would be right there helping her and making her see that he was the right one for her, no one else; especially not Fin who was proving he was nothing more than a coward.
Now with a smirk on his lips Elliot took a long sip of coffee while casually watching the apartment. His eyes narrowed in suspicion as he watched a dark blue car pull up in front of her building. He struggled to see the unknown driver through the tinted windows and streaming rain but he couldn't make out anything about him. Finally the door opened and a black umbrella opened followed by the man holding it.
"That prick!" snarled Elliot as his eyes finally adjusted to the outside world. The mysterious driver was none other than Fin wearing a crisp clean suit and carrying a bouquet of roses that Elliot knew was for Olivia. The little rat! He was using his protection duties just to get a piece of ass! He's gonna take her out for drinks and dinner in a crowded restaurant, put her in danger, and then he's gonna screw her and leaver her! He was going to hurt her even more then Elliot had!
"God damn it!" shouted Elliot as he slammed his fist on the steering wheel over and over. "Son of a bitch!"
He closed his eyes as his chest heaved angry shuddering breaths. He clutched the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. He turned towards the apartment building and watched as Fin walked in the building.
This was such bull shit Elliot thought bitterly. He should be in there bringing her flowers and taking her out to dinner, not that he WOULD have taken her out to dinner tonight or any night that Wilson was on the loose and he was gonna make damn sure Cragen knew what Olivia's 'protection' had done to her, but he would have made her a romantic meal at his home. He would have actually been responsible instead of what this prick was planning on doing.
As Elliot watched the front door impatiently he half considered walking up to her apartment, punching Fin flat, and calling Cragen right then and there to tell him what Fin had done. No, that wouldn't work. Olivia would kick his ass before Fin would have hit the floor. He wouldn't get to explain that Fin was putting her in danger just for a piece of ass.
"I'll just follow them to the restaurant," Elliot thought with a shrug. But before he even finished the thought immense shame and guilt overtook every cell in his body. What the hell was wrong with him? He was acting just like the kind of people they arrested on a day to day basis, the people he disposed and who disgusted him. He was not about to stalk his ex girlfriend on dates much less beat up her new boyfriend. Yes he missed her more than he ever missed anything or anyone but he wasn't that psychotic.
A heavy sigh escaped him as he watched Fin and a stunningly gorgeous dry Olivia, Fin was holding the umbrella over head and was allowing the rain to crash down on him but even that seemed to do little protection against the storming winds and rain, run to the car. Fin opened the door for her and he saw Olivia nearly jump in the comfort of the warm dry car before Fin sprinted to his side of the car and got in as well.
Elliot watched them for a moment and felt his heart shatter into a thousand pieces as he saw the soaking wet couple laughing and smiling. Fin turned on the car and he fiddled with the front controls. He smirked and reached over and pushed a piece of hair that had stuck to Olivia's wet skin behind her ear. He said something to her that made her laughter and beam turn into a timid smile and even from across the street Elliot knew that she as blushing. Olivia looked down at the floor and he saw Fin turn her head towards him and leaned over to kiss her. Elliot turned away from the scene, disgusted.
He clenched his eyes shut for a moment before he started the car and drove off, wishing with every fiber of his being that he could just stop loving her. But he knew that wish would never come true…
…
"Oh god we're soaked!" Olivia said with a laugh as Fin slammed the door behind him. "Of course tonight of all nights it has to rain."
"Don't worry about it, baby," laughed Fin as he turned on the car and turned the heat on full blast. "I'll get you nice and dry."
"Well that's very gentlemanly," Olivia chucked. "Thank you."
"Of course," he said with a smirk as he reached up and pushed a lock of hair away from her wet skin. "I'll make you wet later but the rain won't have anything to do with it."
A scolding hot blush rose to her skin and her laughter died and a soft shy grin replaced her beaming smile. She looked down at the floor and Fin chuckled before he put a finger under her chin and turned her towards him and leaned in. Their lips met.
Fins tongue reached out and licked the valley between her lips and Olivia eagerly opened her lips and he slowly glided his tongue across hers, ravishing her taste. Olivia moaned as Fins hands came up and entangled themselves in her hair, slowly running his fingers through her drenched locks. Olivia shifted in her seat and moved closer to him, silently cursing the big bulky center that separated the two.
Fin pulled away, hating the whine that escaped Olivia's mouth. He leaned against her forehead and he struggled not to kiss those luscious lips that could do no wrong. "Later," he breathed softly.
"Now," whispered Olivia before she kissed him again. Fin allowed himself the pleasure of feeling her lips on his only for a moment before he pulled away again.
"My apartment will burn down if I don't get over there and turn off the stove."
"I'll buy you a house."
Fin laughed at her bargaining skills and pulled back even more as did a reluctant Olivia. "Later."
Olivia pouted but never the less accepted the inevitable fact that she was going to have to wait until later to continue.
Fin turned on the radio and Olivia withheld a cringe at the volume, hardly unable to hear herself think, the sound of hip-hop or rap, she never could tell the difference, blasting in her ears.
He pulled away from the curb and sped off towards his apartment. "You look incredibly beautiful wet by the way." He had to bellow loudly to be heard even a miniscule amount over the offensive lyrics.
"Thanks. Uh, Fin," Olivia shouted over the loud cry of 'slap a bitch!', "could you maybe turn it down a little?"
Fin looked over at her and noticed the slight discomfort and he reached over and turned the volume dramatically. Olivia gave a soft sigh of relief as she relaxed some as the assault on her ear drums stopped.
"Sorry," he chuckled, "I guess I'm just used to it being that loud."
"Its fine," she assured him with a smile. "I take it you're a fan of rap?"
"Yeah but if you're not then-."
"Oh no I am," she lied through her teeth. "I love." Olivia looked around the car and spotted a plastic CD case. "Big Boi."
Fin shook his head, a smirk growing on his face. "No you don't. In fact I seem to remember a certain someone telling me to 'turn that offensive god awful excuse for a music genre before I take that radio and shove it down your throat!' a week after I joined the unit."
Fin laughed as Olivia's face grew a shade darker. She shrugged as she looked over to him and flashed him a smile. "You were new."
"And you were beautiful which is why I listened. Of course it didn't help that you had already gone over and turned it on that alternative rock shit that no one besides you and the band heard of before I even had a chance to answer."
"Hey now don't hate the music, Tutuola" she said with a laugh and a playful shove. "That's not cool."
"Ooh feisty," growled Fin with a roguish smile. "I like it when you're violent, Benson."
"I gotta say this boldness you have; I'm kind of liking it," she said with a smirk to match his.
"Good. Because I most definitely kind of like you."
He leaned over and caught her lips in a short kiss before he turned back to the long street in front of him. "So you live in Manhattan your whole life?"
"Yeah but I lived in Hudson faculty housing so it was a lot nicer then where I live now."
"Your mother was a teacher?" Fin narrowed his eyes in puzzlement as he glanced over at her.
"English. Why do you look so confused?"
"It's just the way other guys have talked about her-."
She knew what he was going to say before he finished the thought. "You would think she was too drunk to work, yeah I get that a lot. Half of the rumors about her aren't true and the other half…"
Fin, sensing which way the awkward conversation had left them, nodded in understanding. "So you're rooting for Jets or Giants this year?"
"Oh Giants," Olivia answered, grateful for the change of subject. "Amazing defense this year."
"Liv, don't make me cry when we're driving. PLEASE tell me you're joking."
"Jets fan?"
"All my life."
"Well that's good… if you like not having a super bowl victory."
The discussion on football kept them both animatedly talking the entire length of the trip. The rain slowed to a mere drizzle as they pulled onto his street and up to his building. Olivia tilted her head curiously as she looked up at the tall, slightly run down building. While by no means was it a 'bad' neighborhood, no one would have called it high end either.
Nor was it at all like the street that Elliot lived on which was about two steps from being a gated community.
"Stop it!" Olivia scolded herself harshly as Fin pulled to a stop. "Stop comparing them!"
"Home sweet home," said Fin as he turned off the car and unbuckled his seat belt. Olivia followed his motions but before she could lift a finger to open her door Fin was already out and briskly walking over to open it for her.
He opened the door for her and Olivia couldn't help the beaming smile that overtook her features.
"My lady," Fin said with a small bow and held out his hand for her. Olivia laughed at the action but never the less placed her hand in his and he helped her from the car.
"You know I've lived in the city all my life and I don't really think I've ever been to this side of the Bronx."
"Well maybe I can show you around sometime," said Fin as he reached in his pocket and pulled out the front key.
"I'd like that," said Olivia as Fin opened the door and the two stepped inside.
The lobby was nothing special or amazing or spectacular and it was obvious the owner did the bare maintenance. The tile was all in place but was in need of a mop, and the steps leading up to the floors needed a good sweep as well and there were two older men engaging in a hushed conversation leaning up against the wall. They both seemed to go magically mute when they saw Olivia glance at her, and one gave her a fierce glare that she returned right back with just as much muster before Fin began to lead her up the steps.
"What the hell are you looking at, bitch?" one of the men snarled.
Fin whipped around and pierced them the two men with icy stares. "A punk ass bitch who doesn't know enough to watch his damn mouth in front of a lady and two cops," Fin shot back before Olivia had even opened her mouth. "Wanna say something to her again?"
The man glared at the couple but never the less went back to their hushed conversation
"Sorry about it," he muttered softly as they walked up the first flight. "I'm trying to get some of the people here to clean it up but no one really wants to and so we get thugs like that."
"So it's your fault those two 'punk ass bitches' doesn't know enough to watch their 'damn mouth' in front of me?"
Fin turned towards her to apologize but relaxed when he saw how amused she was at the hypocrisy of his words. "Believe it or not 'bitch' is actually one of the nicer things I've been called in my life."
"And any idiot that called you that or worse is nothing but an idiot," he assured her as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed the soft skin.
The pair grinned at each other before they climbed the last flight until they reached the third floor. They walked onto the landing and Fin held open the door for her as she walked into the hallway.
The carpet, she noticed, in this hallway was nicer than any she had seen in the building so far. She had a strong feeling Fin spent several hours with a carpet cleaner when he had a free moment. She felt a swelling glow of pride for her man that he cared enough about the place he lived to clean up where he wasn't responsible.
They walked to the third door and Fin stopped in front of it as did Olivia. He got out his keys once again and shoved them into the lock. "Home sweet home," said Fin with an air of nervousness as he pushed open the door.
Olivia took a step inside the apartment and gasped…
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