A/N - Just a short little key for this chapter: bold italic sentences are Fitz's text messages and regular italic sentences are Olivia's.

Melting Magnets

Chapter Twenty-One:

Jump Before Looking

"This looks like a lot of trouble." Christopher eyed the folders and papers covering every inch of the usually well-organised mahogany. Fitz raised his bloodshot gaze to the older man hovering over his desk.

"It's not." His voice was rough, tired. Reaching for the travel mug beside his keyboard, he raised the cup to his lips and quickly downed what little remnants of caffeine were left. Frowning at the empty mug, he moved it back to its place by his keyboard. Raising a hand, he rubbed it across his tired face. Bringing his hand to his chin, he scratched the early morning shadow that had began to form at some point over the night.

"Are you attending the charity event Friday?"

Fitz tilted his head, studying the old man. He had almost forgotten about the charity event. It was important - his baby even. The company hadn't done many charity events since his old man had passed and he wanted to do one that Olivia would enjoy. It was supposed to be a surprise.

"Yeah," Fitz yawned, standing from his chair and stretching his arms. He needed to go home, shower, and maybe sleep. Sleep would be good.

"You have a meeting at eleven," Christopher reminded him as he reached for his suit jacket on the back of his chair. Yawning once more, he slipped his arms into the black material.

"What meeting?"

"With the event planner. Final details for Friday."

Fitz shook his head, grabbing his phone from the desk and slipping it into his pocket. "Reschedule for this evening."

"Maybe Olivia would like to…"

"Olivia doesn't know yet, Christopher. Why would she be involved in the planning?"

"Mellie used to take care of planning…"

"Olivia isn't Mellie." The look Fitz threw toward the old man was enough to stop him mid-sentence. Pulling his keys from his coat pocket, Fitz waved dismissively at the older man and headed out the door. His relationship with the man he had considered a father-figure had waned as of late. Christopher wasn't a fan of Olivia, though he had never met her, and had cited every reason from her age to her relationship to Eli and her problems with her mother for Fitz not to be with her. Reasons Fitz had dismissed, choosing to ignore the not so subtle stabs than to argue with the man. The latest tactic of throwing Mellie's name into every discussion, though…

/

Ring. Ring. Ring.

"What the hell?" Fitz lifted his head from his pillow, his eyes half-closed and his hair sticking in every direction. Rubbing a hand across his face, he had been out cold, he reached for his charging phone on the nightstand. Pulling the device from the charging station, he slid his finger across the screen and placed the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" He rolled over onto his back, looking up at the ceiling of his darkened room.

"What would you say to doing lunch in about an hour?" The cheery, sunshine-filled voice that came across the line had him grimacing.

"Mellie? What time is it?" He rubbed at his eyes, rolling off the bed and onto stiff feet.

"Noon. Were you asleep?"

"I was. So lunch?" He might as well - he was already awake after all. Rolling his shoulders, he headed toward his bathroom. He would need to shave and shower, quickly, before meeting her anywhere. He knew he didn't smell the greatest and what little scruff he had managed to build overnight was driving him insane. The shit itched like crazy.

"Yeah. That little diner by the Pier?"

"Sure." They ended the call and Fitz turned toward the sink. Laying his phone on the towel rack, he placed his hands on the marble countertop, sighing at the sight of his still bloodshot eyes in the mirror. Three hours of sleep wasn't enough.

After a quick shave and shower, Fitz found himself sitting at a wrought-iron cafe-style table outside - enjoying the semi-warm weather and people-watching those walking along the beach. Rosie's Diner was popular amongst the locals almost as much for its food as it was for being a place unknown to tourists. Sipping at the coffee in his cup, Fitz savoured the bitter, dark liquid. All the caffeine in the world wasn't going to prepare him for this day. Placing his cup back on the table, he glanced down at his phone as the screen lit up with a message notification, smiling to himself at the text Olivia had sent:

I love you!

Unlocking his phone and opening his messages, he typed a quick response:

I love you!

What are you doing Friday?

Nothing…

Good. I need a hot date for work.

I think I can oblige. ;)

Chuckling to himself, he placed his phone back on the table and opened the menu before him. Glancing over the pages, he was pleasantly surprised when Mellie showed up a moment later, her chair scraping against the concrete patio. Raising his head long enough to offer an inviting smile, he returned his attention back to his menu. The two were silent until the waiter had taken their lunch orders and Mellie's drink order.

"We're having a charity event at the zoo Friday," Fitz announced, focusing his attention on Mellie.

"I heard. It's made a few headlines."

"Would you like to come? They're going to hound you for a donation, most likely, but the food is supposed to be amazing and there's going to be good music."

"And I get to officially meet Olivia?" Mellie's eyes twinkled, her hand reaching for her lemon water.

"And you get to officially meet Olivia," Fitz agreed.

"Does Jase get to come?"

"Yes. I'll leave tickets for you. You can pick them up at the event."

"I'll pay for them."

"You don't have to, Mels."

"I will for her."

"For her?"

"You aren't doing this for yourself. You don't do charity events. You don't do anything that puts you in the public eye. But this is an important cause to her so that's why you're doing it."

"She doesn't know, yet."

Mellie nodded, leaning back as the waiter placed her salad before her. Grabbing a fork, she waited until Fitz had his salad before digging in. "It's sweet. How much you love her."

"What about you and Jase? I haven't heard much about that." Fitz raised a brow in her direction as he poured more Italian dressing on his salad. He never was a subscriber to the less-the-better approach when it came to salads.

"That's actually why I asked you to lunch," her attention fell to her hand, resting on the table - drawing Fitz's gaze as well, "He asked me to marry him."

"Congratulations, Mellie. I'm happy for you." And he was. There wasn't a reason for any harsh feelings. They had started as best friends and the crazy, unforeseen circumstances of life pushed them into a relationship they had no business being in. They may not be in love anymore, but that didn't mean they couldn't still be friends - that they couldn't still care about each other in their own unique way.

"That's what I was hoping to hear," her smile said it all - she was happy, too. Genuinely happy. "I can't imagine getting married without my best friends present."

"You want me at your wedding?"

"You, Eli, Alice, Audrey…and Olivia."

"You're inviting Olivia?"

"Of course. We can't continue to be friends if she doesn't approve. Losing one of my best friends would kill me, but I am your ex-wife. Our situation is a little unique, Fitz. I'm not going to do anything that would make Olivia uncomfortable or push her away from you."

"I'll talk to her about it Friday. After she meets you."

/

"What do you think?" Olivia came out of the dressing room, twirling in the floral printed, blue-green gown.

"It's fun and cute…but my favourite is still the yellow one," Viti shrugged, raising her eyes from the squeaky, red-leather chair she was sitting in just outside the dressing room. Olivia had been trying on different dresses for almost an hour now - it was getting boring.

"I loved the yellow one, too," Olivia agreed, her eyes drifting the bright, yellow fabric hanging on the portable clothes rack inside the dressing room. The colour was vibrant and very spring-like. Still, the low bodice and cut-out back wasn't something she was willing to risk. "It's too risqué, though."

"It's hot. Fitz would love it."

"It's for a charity event. I've never met anyone he works with before."

"So classy it is," Viti sighed, standing from her chair and walking around Olivia, taking in every inch of the gown. "Go with this one."

"It's not too low?" Olivia asked, moving to stand before the floor-length mirror. This gown had a low, v-cut bodice as well, but it was more…tasteful than the other. It covered enough.

"It's fine."