Coffee

Fitz's hand laced through Olivia's as they made their way out of her apartment. Olivia walked by his side silently, she continuously looked over her shoulder anxiously, just waiting for a reporter to jump out from behind the bushes to snap a photo. She felt her hand unconsciously tighten around his, he turned to her a second, trying to read her face, but said nothing.

Once they had stepped onto the curb, Fitz turned to her.

"Olivia, if you're not ready, just tell me."

Olivia bit her lip and looked away, she could see a few passengers walking down the block, but none had even bothered to look up at them. It was late in the evening and quite frankly, no one was seemed too observant at this hour. Fitz reached down and touched her face.

"We can go back inside if you want." his voice was small.

Olivia said silent and avoided his intent gaze.

"Maybe I was too eager. We can wait." He said, waiting for her response.

He may have said those words to comfort her, but with one look she knew that he wanted this more than anything. "Want" was actually the wrong word, he needed this. This fantasy they had been living, dreaming of being together, married and raising a family together no longer felt like a far away dream, it had become a possibility. Fitz, Olivia realized, needed to feel that it was real, this outing he insisted on was more than just a public display, it was his affirmation. She felt the warmth of his palm as his hand cupped around her face, and she knew from that moment, that it was time to stop running and start living the life she had always wanted with him.

"No" she responded carefully, reaching up and cupping his face in her hands.

"We've waited too long."

She watched as his lips curved into a smile as he led her into the car and opened the door for her. Once they settled in the backseat, Tom peered at the President through the rearview mirror and asked the President where he wanted to go.

"Just get back on the main road. I need to call someone."

"Yes Sir." Tom started the car and pulled away from Olivia's apartment.

Fitz pulled out his cellphone out and dialed the only number he knew would know where to take them. His shoulder pressed the phone against his ear as he waited for the receiving end to pick up.

"I thought you knew a place." Olivia asked quizzically.

"Cyrus knows the place." Fitz corrected.

Olivia raised an eyebrow at him as she listened to the phone ring.

"I just show up at these things, after a while, I get most of these public appearances mixed up, but this one coffee shop was spectacular. However, the name escapes me." Fitz explained.

"You're calling him in the middle of the night." Liv accused.

"Cyrus doesn't sleep, he only- Good morning Cyrus!" Fitz chirped as Liv listened to a groggy voice respond on the other line.

"Did I wake you?... No, of course you haven't slept yet and was working on tomorrow's briefing." Fitz gave Olivia an "I-told-you-so face" as he continued his conversation.

"Anyway, I was hoping that you would remember that coffee shop you said we needed to make an appearance at for the press- yes I know there were many we needed to attend too- it was the one I had cancel, but you argued that it was necessary. Do you happen to remember- oh that's right! Also would mind giving them a call? I'm going over there now and I seem to remember that the owner was quite fond of you. Thank you and good night. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Fitz was about to end the call when he suddenly said, "Oh and I have Olivia with me right now, she wants to say 'hi'."

Olivia glared at him and mouthed "I don't want to talk to him on the phone". Fitz pressed the phone into her hand and murmured, "you need to make nice with him. He's your friend."

"No." she hissed back.

"Here she is." Fitz ignored her and pressed the phone onto her hand.

Olivia took the phone from Fitz begrudgingly as he kissed her cheek lightly with a smirk on his face. As she took the phone, Fitz tapped on Tom's shoulder and told him where to take them. The car jerked around the corner and continued to rumble down the road.

"Hi Cyrus."

"I thought he was joking." Cyrus grumbled.

Olivia didn't say anything.

"So this it, you're first public outing as a couple, in the middle of the night, and he's taking you to a coffee shop." Cyrus stated as if he were reading off the headlines off tomorrow's newspaper.

"Cyrus I don't think-" she started as she began feel defensive.

"Save your breath Olivia" Cyrus interrupted.

"I'm not your father, and I'm not going to try to stop you anymore. Let's just make peace and move on from this. We have his re-election to focus on and whatever happens with the press, we'll handle it together. Now do me a favor and tell the President not to call me in the middle of the night."

"Thanks Cyrus. "

She heard him chuckle on the other end, "Good night Olivia."

She snapped the phone shut and handed the phone back to Fitz.

"Did Cyrus make nice?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"You don't have fight my battles for me." she reminded.

"I wasn't, you were fighting mine. Cyrus won't badger me anymore with this "Olivia" issue as he likes to call it tomorrow morning, so thank you."

Olivia looked at him disbelief, before she could respond, the car stopped and Tom and had opened the door for them. It was a small coffee shop, a few minutes from the White House. There was a man standing by the door, when he saw them, he started to unlock it, he seemed nervous as well as a bit tired, probably because he had to open up again just when he thought he could close for the night. As they stepped out of the car, Olivia looked around instinctively at a few passerby who had stopped to stare at the car with a presidential seal that had pulled up in front of an ordinary coffee shop. As they headed inside, there was one table with the chairs pulled out for the two of them.

"Mr. President and-" the man smiled nervously as he tried to search for the right word to identify Olivia.

"His girlfriend" Fitz finished for him. Olivia raised and eyebrow at him, she had never heard him call her his girlfriend. It was a strange feeling to be labeled. To be claimed. To be his.

The man nodded and asked them what they would like to order. Fitz ordered a coffee, while Olivia settled on tea and they both agreed to share a lemon tart. The man, who was also the shop's owner named Ethan nodded and gestured them toward their seats and he went to prepare their order.

"I can't believe that you don't drink coffee. You must be the only person in the world who doesn't." Fitz shook his head disapprovingly with a sly grin he said as they sat down.

"That's not true, why do you think tea is always available as an alternative?" Olivia retorted.

"That's definitely not the reason."

"Whether it is or isn't, what I want to know is why you have chosen this place?"

"Because it has the best coffee in the world."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Cyrus chose this place, what's the real reason."

Fitz smirked and shook his head as he confessed. "And it's owned by an independent small business owner like Ethan, who's doing well despite larger corporations buying out small coffee shops like his. He is one of the few that have survived this recession. Places like these often go first."

Olivia laughed, "so when the Post get our picture, you expect them to read into the destination of our outing with such fervor and relate that back to your business stance?"

"Oh I expect the press to dissect with everything they have, from where I'm placing my hand on the this table to the shoes I'm wearing. The Post is clearly an excellent observer of body language."

Olivia smirked at his sarcasm, "You've had this all planned out."

"It's killing two birds with one stone. I get to have a nice outing with you and show the public that I have re-affirmed my support in small businesses."

"That's true, but-"

"But we're here to have coffee and not talk about my political stance on small independent businesses" he reminded.

"I don't mind mixing business and pleasure." Olivia quipped.

Fitz laughed and shook his head, "Oh I don't doubt that for a second, but it's a dangerous game to play."

"Are you up for the challenge?" she gazed at him and covered his hand with her own as her index finger rubbed small circles on his wrist, she watched him swallow hard as he met her gaze with the same intensity, contemplating on whether he should play along.

"Unfortunately for you, I didn't hire my political fixer to have coffee with me. I asked for my Livvie." he responded as he raised her hand up to his lips and placed warm kiss on her knuckles.

"Fine, we won't talk about politics" Olivia caved as she quickly pulled back her hand, if she hadn't, she might have pushed away the coffee table, pounced on his lap and performed unspeakable acts in public.

"Tell me about your day then." She continued, trying to change the subject.

Fitz looked at her inquiringly.

"This is a trick into telling you about information you're not supposed to know."

"And what am I not suppose to know?"

"Olivia, I know you know that I had meetings with several potential candidates as a running mate for Vice President. Cyrus suggested it, he seems to believes that Sally is a loose canon and that she's going to turn against me... But you already you knew that didn't you?"

"The fact that I know wouldn't make it a trick would it?" she smiled sweetly.

"That's all I'm telling you. My lips are still sealed." he grinned.

"We'll see about that" Olivia responded slyly.

Their eyes met and she could feel his heated gaze on her, undressing her, she flushed, feeling hot all over.

"Sorry to interrupt Sir" Ethan smiled politely at the President and Olivia, Olivia wondered how long he'd been standing there watching them, before setting down their order.

"I hope you'll enjoy."

"Thank you Ethan." Fitz shook his hand and slipped a number of bills into the man's hand in which he had reddened and thanked profusely for his staying over and opening up for them.

"You've got to try to this cake." Fitz took a forkful into this mouth.

"It's a tart and it's late." Olivia replied taking a sip of the tea.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It's not healthy to eat late."

"Says the person who lives on popcorn and wine. That is not food Olivia."

"Actually-" she began.

"Actually, I'm glad you brought up this topic Olivia. We should discuss your eating habits."

"Is this your way of navigating toward a normal conversation? My eating habits."

"If you take a bite of this "tart" i'll tell you."

She dug her fork into the tart and gave him this-doesn't-you-win look before taking a bite and he the truth was, he was every bit right. How did she not find this place before?

"It's good isn't it?" he grinned, reading her face.

"It's good." she admitted.

"Oh wait." he paused.

"What?"

"You have something on your face."

"Where?"

He touched the side of his lip, which she had mirrored. He shook his head and started laughing.

"Did i get it?"

"You're almost there."

"Now?" she asked, literally wiping her entire face at this point with her palm.

He leaned over and brushed his lips over hers, she felt his tongue brush gently against the side of her lip. She wanted to deepen the kiss, but he pulled back.

"It's gone."

Olivia took a sip of her tea to hide her cheeks which were inflamed with a deep red.

"Sir." They both looked up to find Tom looking nervously at them who seemed oblivious to their heated moment.

"Yes Tom?" his eyes never leaving Liv's.

"We have a bit of an issue, there seems to be a small crowd gathering outside."

Olivia turned toward the glass window and found dozens of people standing outside staring at them with their smartphones raised in the air and pointed directly at the glass, presumably taking numerous pictures. Olivia looked back at Fitz, suddenly feeling very self conscious and nervous. She started to get up, but Fitz was faster and stood in front of her, shielding her from their stares, he held her hands in his. He anticipated her actions and met with them gracefully to protect her.

Thinking that he was going to say something to comfort her, she started saying, "It's okay, I'm just not used to people staring at me."

"Do you think they got the picture of the kiss or should we give them another one?" he replied, making Olivia laugh and relax a bit from his cheeky retort.

"Sir." Tom's voice was more urgent now, it seemed that word had gotten out that the President was seeing someone at a coffee shop, a few dozen people had quickly grown to about a hundred or so people.

"We should go." Fitz said, pulling her hand as Tom cleared the entrance from gawking passerbys and into the car. Olivia shielded her face as the flash of cameras went off. Fitz pulled her into his arms once they were settled and Tom was able to drive from the mob.

"Are you okay?" he murmured into her hair before kissing her softly.

"I'm okay."

In a few minutes, the car approached her apartment, as Liv got out the car, she felt his warm hand close around hers.

"Wait." He got out of the car and pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her. He lips pressed against hers, softly, tenderly, and gently before pulling back. Olivia was so used to him pulling her roughly against him, and ravaging her lips that this different approach surprised her. It left her breathless yet yearning for more his touch.

"I'll see you tomorrow" he murmured in her ear before getting back into the car and returning back to the White House.